First, thank you for your suggestions on the writer movie post. Tomorrow I’m going to head to Hollywood Video to pick up Shadowlands, Adaptation, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The others have been added to my “Movies To Watch” list.

Now, my question: why do Christians backslide?

If that seems to be too rhetorical, too loaded or too specific, maybe it would better serve you if I broke down the question like this: why would a religiously devout person leave behind or reject his faith? What motivations and circumstances would be behind a decision like that? Or, why would you switch from one religion to another?

In every religion there are hardliners, moderates, faithful, devout, liberals and conservatives, and I don’t mean in the political sense at all.

On a more personal level, if you’ve ever had faith in a deity or belief higher than yourself, have you ever wanted to turn away from it and not look back? Why?

CBC: I think there’s been a couple of studies done about Canadians and this evangelical movement never got hold in Canada. We were just never, never, religion plays a very very small part –

Maher: To me, to me it’s a real dividing line between people of intelligence and – not that there haven’t been some intelligent people who are religious. I mean, T.S. Elliott was a great poet and he became a very devout Catholic… But I always call religion a neurological disorder. I really do believe that. I mean it’s not criticizing. I’m just saying if you took religion out of it and somebody went to a psychiatrist and said you know I believe in you know this crazy, illogical thing, the shrink would say, well you have a neurological disorder. And you need to really get therapy or take a pill.

This is from a recent interview with Bill Maher. Although it focuses more on the upcoming election than religion (this question appeared at the end of the article), this made me wonder. If religion is a “neurological disorder” to someone like Maher, then how would he specifically define Christianity?

Either I’m reading into this too deeply or this is a confirmation on why I don’t take political pundits like Maher very seriously. Political bloggers, on the other hand…

Halloween is around the corner, and instead of boring you with tales of my childhood adventures in costume, I will point you to the (in)famous home of The Hell House Outreach.

I’m apparently not the only one thoroughly jaded by and dissatisfied with this approach.

…for the Presidential election. Here’s the current line-up.

Thank you for starting this, Bryan.

(Via Rev. Mike)

Lately I’ve started to acquaint going to church with ministry. Lower-cased “church,” that is - the local congregation you’re a member of. Upper-cased “Church” usually goes along with Catholics, the Pope, and generally speaking, the worldwide Body of Christ.

With the strict religious upbringing I had, going to church every Sunday has been something I’ve done at my parents’ insistence. When I started going to college, though, and I was away from immediate family influences, I still attended church regularly, this time by my own choice.

A few weeks ago I discovered (esp. since I now had a license and a car) that it’s really easy to skip going to church, because I “didn’t feel like going.” ‘Sides that, it was going to be the same old people showing up, the same old worship songs, and the sermon would fall along the same line of thought that the pastor uses to put together his regular Sunday message. Or so I thought.

[hijack](There was a water baptism during the evening service and apparently my youth pastor fell into the spa they were using as a baptismal. I wish I could’ve seen that.)[/hijack]

People tell me that when we want to skip out on church, that’s when we need to go to church the most. For some reason, I’m not really convinced of that. The local body of Christ serves many functions to the individual Christian, but sometimes the congregation doesn’t always help the Christian who’s struggling. It’s not a matter of wearing the cheerful Sunday morning mask - it’s more a matter of not being able to see past the good face someone puts on to see the problems beneath. I mean, honestly: what is the first thing someone you know from church asks you when you’ve been missing for the past few weeks? “Where’ve you been?” isn’t a great way to convince that prodigal churchgoer that you’ve really been thinking about them.

Something else that’s been on my mind about church is this: “congregation” and “church” are two different words. I like to think of the local congregation as an “ecclesia,” an assembly. When I hear the word “church,” I tend to think of a quaint building with a cross on the outside, maybe a steeple, and stained glass windows. And there’s more to the Church than just a good ole church.

(Cross-posted on DYL)

Hugo Schwyzer has a great post up about the curious mix of politics and religion.

I often hear a lot of complaints about the “Christian Right,” but there’s also something of a Progressive Christian side in the blogosphere, too. If it isn’t obvious to you already, I don’t believe a “Christian Right” exists, and neither does a “Christian Left.” Pat Robertson and Jerry Fallwell do not speak for me.

There are Christians on both sides of the political aisle and they are there for individual reasons which comprise more of a corporate core. Sadly, they can get as fired up as their non-Christian colleagues and slam their opposite-leaning brethren for no other reason than they are on the other side.

I think I’m making myself sick (not literally), talking about this movie so much. So this will be my last post on the subject, promise.

Collin Hansen from Christianity Today Magazine talks about why some Jews, like ADL Director Abraham Foxman, are afraid about the possible impact this film might have once it’s released. I don’t blame this guy for feeling the way he feels, really.

I was looking over my post from last year and thought a bit about the current world situation where Jews are concerned. I can’t really think of any Christian who’d want to go on a Jew-killing spree.

There is only one expansive group out there that’s inciting hatred towards Jews right now.

And they ain’t Christians, either.

I’ve been paying the minimum amount of attention to politics lately, in that I’ll read up on different news items that other blogger-pundits post about but otherwise won’t check the news websites.

One thing I’ve noticed recently is that Democratic presidential frontrunner Howard Dean has been saying some rather interesting things about his Christian faith. The latest of these incidents makes me think of that quote by St. Francis of Assissi: “Preach the gospel everywhere you go and, if necessary, use words.”

Contrary to such sage advice, it seems to me that every time Mr. Dean opens his mouth, he only ends up cramming in one more inch of his foot.

Rich has a great post up at DYL about intersecting Christian beliefs and American ideals:

You may argue that a moral foundation is a means to the ultimate need of Christ. That somehow, laws based on biblical principles will lead our nation to acknowledge Christ as savior and lord. I say, hogwash.

Git on over there to read the rest.

APU has most of their chapel services for this semester (as it’s progressed so far) online. Woohoo!

(link via Hannah)

Depending on the size and the amount of monetary giving, churches nowadays are starting to dig into all kinds of neat gadgets to make the sanctuary more modern.

I say all this to preface what understandably comes next (NOT): modern technology and churches sometimes don’t mix.

Take tonight, for example. Tonight, instead of listening to my pastor preach on intercession, I was playing Pinball and Solitaire on the computer we use for the projection program with the soundman because…well, you know, we were sitting in the sound booth with nothin’ better to do.

Far be it from me to ever do that again. No, really!

Jeff Jarvis, just returning from Dave Winer’s BloggerCon, thinks churches should start blogging.

That is definitely something I can get behind!

We had a guest speaker, Dr. Thomas Kindall, at our church yesterday who talked about evolution versus creationism. I’ve rarely strayed close to the ongoing debate surrounding these topics because I don’t know enough about either to offer much insight. What I do know, however, is that I definitely didn’t originate from monkeys or amoebas. But here are some questions that were tackled yesterday for you to ponder:

1. What is race?

2. Were you able to offer some sort of response to Question Number One?

3. If so, what’s the difference between the words “race” and “ethnicity"?

4. What is melanin?

5. Why is the full title of Charles Darwin’s controversial book not given in the latest edition?

6. Why is evolution accepted as fact today when in scientific terms it remains an unproven theory?

7. Should you care about controversial issues like racism and evolution? Why or why not?

8. Do you think evolution really has anything to do with racism?

9. Does it really matter?

10. Should it matter?

UPDATE: Martin Roth points to a recent radio interview with Francis Collins (head of the Human Genome Project) in Melbourne.

The two most interesting points of this interview:

1. Francis Collins is a Christian.
2. One of the most significant findings from the HGP is that there is only a 0.1% difference in the DNA sequences of people who come from different “races” (ethnic background).

Via DYL, I came across this early review about the forthcoming Passion film that was written and directed by actor Mel Gibson.

I’ve been very curious about this movie because of the controversy it’s already generating. The top complaint made by critics is that the film will generate more anti-Semitic sentiments in a time where such feelings have been increasing in Arab/Muslim countries and even in Europe because of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, prompting firebombings against synagogues and attacks against Jews in these regions.

However, early reviews from evangelicals seem to be very positive.

All right, so the Jews were responsible for killing Jesus.

So what?

Unless you believe in replacement theology, that will always remain a fact. Jesus was a Jew. Jesus’s parents were Jews, direct descendants from David. The crucifixion of Jesus occurred on a little hill called Golgotha (basic meaning: “skull") outside the city of Jerusalem. The court that condemned him was Jewish. The crowd that cried for his death was most likely Jewish.

Before you lambaste me for trying to stir up anti-Semitic feeling on this website, read the Bible. His death and resurrection were foretold in the Book of Isaiah. Yes, that’s right - one of the Jews’ own prophets of old actually foretold the death of this Nazarene, this carpenter’s son. Unless you’re a history revisionist or you just like to twist Scripture to fit whatever interpretation you want to make of it, you can’t do away with this fact.

And if you like playing the blame game, as some people liked to do in the Middle Ages, when popes instigated pogroms and persecuted the Jewish people incessantly, all I have to say to you is that the only reason Jesus was crucified by the Jews was because our eternal redemption was at stake.

So what if the Jews were responsible for his death? What does that have to do with the real reason Jesus came to the earth? Why do his killers matter so much to you? What about the more important fact that Jesus was killed by his own people so that YOU might truly live?

I don’t hate the Jews. I’ve been fascinated by their culture and customs for nearly five years. I’ve known about the general aspects of their history practically my entire life, and I’m still learning more.

I don’t hate the Jews. They have always been God’s chosen people in my eyes. Sure, maybe that has made some modern-day Jews arrogant and hard to put up with for some people, but no hatred here. (Note: the key word in that last sentence was maybe. Read my lips: MAAAAAYBEEEE.)

Paul said in Romans that his heart’s “desire and prayer” was that his people - the Israelites - would be saved. It’s happening now. It’s going to continue to happen. Nowhere in the Bible do you see Jesus’s followers blaming their fellow Israelites continually for Jesus’s crucifixion. Most likely it’s a Gentile thing, I don’t know.

So - am I going to see Mel Gibson’s film when it’s finally released? Yes.
Will it make me appreciate more the pain Jesus had to go through to save my soul? Yes.
Will it make me dislike the Jews?

No.

Dean Esmay is hosting a discussion for gays and believers over at his blog. Lots of thoughtful comments from both sides (and some in between) have been added to the pot already, but don’t be afraid to go add yours.

Several weeks ago Tim, one of the drummers on our worship team, came up to me after the morning service and started teasing me. “Sooo… If your brother plays the bass, Vicci plays the drums and sings, and your other sister plays the piano, what do you play?”

“I don’t play anything.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the acoustic guitar, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.”

“So what do you do?”

“I write.”

“You write music?”

“No! I write…stuff. A few songs, some–”

“Bring ‘em in.”

“Bring what in?”

“Your songs. I want to see them.”

“Um…okay.”

A couple Sundays later, he got his songs. His wife Renee came up to me that evening: “Girl, those songs are awesome! Tim loved them.”

Oh, please, I’ve written poetry better ‘n those babies… “Uh, thanks.”

“Mind if I play around with them? Make some music for them?”

Yer pulling my leg, right? “Sure, no problem.”

The first song they demo’d for me last Sunday; yesterday she sang the second one over the phone. As soon as I finish the third one, she’ll create some music for that one, too.

I’m not one to brag about my mad writing skills, but I never in a million years thought someone would want to actually sing some ditties I’d written a few years ago on a whim and promptly forgotten about. Now it’s a matter of casting aside the fact in my head that I wrote ‘em because my congregation might actually be singing them during worship service one day soon. That and now I might have to actually register them with the Copyright Office (ugh!).

Nigerian journalist Isioma Daniel speaks out about the riots sparked by her article about the Miss World contest.

Apparently, Muslim extremists don’t know what sarcasm is.

In related news, Iranian hardliners have renewed the fatwa on author Salman Rushdie that their late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini decreed in 1989 because Rushdie blasphemed Islam in his novel The Satanic Verses.

I’ll refrain from sarcastic jibing here, though I will say one thing. Some extremist factions in Islam may be considered very dangerous, depending on their weapon capabilities, but for the most part, their threats sound so outlandish that it’s kind of hard to take them seriously. The only reason one should want to take them seriously is because of their desire to kill a lot of innocent people.

Glenn Reynolds pointed to a lawsuit regarding certain circumstances that I found to be rather disturbing.

Being a Christian myself, I think evangelism on campus is a kool thing - but when kids who are not Christians are being forced to attend evangelistic crusades during school hours when they don’t want to go and belong to another faith…that’s evangelism gone bad. We aren’t supposed to cram the Gospel down anybody’s throat.

I checked the school’s website out of curiousity, to see whether or not this school was a public or private school. It’s a public school.

And I thought it was pretty ironic that the schools mascot(s) are the Red Devils.

I think it’s totally stupefying that I can volunteer to kick a perpetrator’s butt on a friend’s behalf and yet I try to avoid confrontations when someone is bothering me directly. I know staying angry over someone else’s problem ain’t right, but watching that someone else get treated like a doormat isn’t right, either. Ahem. On to less explosive topics…

“Everybody Dislikes Evangelicals” and “What Conversion Is(n’t)” - very interesting, thought-provoking articles. Check ‘em out.

And now for a Pre-Valentine’s Day story:

We’ve had a crew of painters working on our complex for the past few months, and I think me and Miriam are the only residents who actually talk to these guys. And make ‘em treats, too. Cookies. Painters need sugar once in a while, too, right? We’ve made them cookies twice now, and it frankly gives me warm fuzzies to do a nice deed for people on occasion. It doesn’t hurt that they like chocolate, either!

Yesterday someone rang the doorbell, and I found one of the painting bosses standing there with a bag in one hand. “Thanks for making all those cookies for us,” he says, holding out the bag to me.

Cookies. He’d brought me - us - a platter of Valentine’s Day cookies.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he adds with a grin before walking away.

Miriam was delightfully surprised when I told her about it. And me? Well, it went beyond just making my day. It was one of the best “Thank yous” I’ve ever gotten.

Jeremy Lott writes about his experience at the 2002 Christian Booksellers Association (CBA) Convention. Some of the wares described sounded familar to this Christian bookstore visitor: Scripture mints and other candy, jewelry, clothing outlets, and of course the books.

Frankly, I detest some aspects of the commercialization bonanza going on in the Christian culture industry, but that’s what it is: a market targeting a certain audience, and in this case it happens to be the evangelical population. Lott sums it up nicely:

The products, good and bad, that dominated the CBA both reflected and validated the subculture that generated the demand for them. The people who read the books, listen to the music, hang the Thomas Kinkade paintings in their homes, and use the other products of this industry are surrounding themselves with artifacts that reflect their values and beliefs, that validate who they are. For such consumers, the Left Behind novels, the evangelical pop music, and all the rest serve as the building blocks of a shared evangelical cultural identity. In brief, evangelicals are using the market to fashion and refashion themselves, and to project the resulting identity to others, in just the way that all consumers do. (emphasis mine)

What does it truly mean to “keep the Sabbath"?

Well, okay, let me rephrase this. God rested on the seventh day, which would technically be Saturday (not that I don’t think they had all the names of the days of the week figured out by then, but that’s sooo besides the point…). Most of Christendom (unless one goes to a Seventh Day Adventist church) claims Sunday as the rest day of the week.

I come from a home where anything secular was not allowed to be viewed/played/done, with the exception of the football/baseball/basketball games. (Yes, I know, that seems rather hypocritical, doesn’t it?) I know that before my time - say, mid twentieth century - stores would roll up their sidewalks on Sundays and the whole town would pretty much shut down to honor this “day of rest.” Nowadays, though, Sunday is just a regular day for a majority of individuals and companies. I still get frowned at sometimes by my parents for doing certain things (like going to see a movie or listening to “hard” music) on Sundays, so I must ask: how do we actually rest on the day of rest?

P.S. Sink Girl, Poet Woman… now I’m busting out with the parentheses all the time. I s’pose I shouldn’t set myself up for this, but maybe I can add “Parentheses Chick” to that cadre of “cute” nicknames. (Note the the quotes around the word cute - awww, geez, I’m doin’ it again…!)

P.P.S. I must have this thing for royalty: Sarah means “princess” and Rhesa means “prince.” (Thank you, Hannah, for pointing that out!)