The Free Market god

Steven Colbert's "The Word" from Monday night after the failed financial bailout. I thought this very interesting. I mean we NEVER equate our consumerist free-market with the Christian faith... right? Enjoy:) (Actual "The Word" begins @ 2:12 into it).

On Judgement

These are some raw thoughts that I've been kicking around in part due to my "True<" post and part due to the circumstances in my life and ministry in the past year+. I'll admit that once you are fired for NOT judging others, it is hard to let this theme go. At the same time, it is also a challenge not to stand in judgment of those who have wronged me. This theme keeps rearing its ugly head, and this is my attempt to vocalize my thoughts on this topic, while admitting that I am speaking about myself first, and others in general second. It is meant as simply an exploration of an idea; an understanding, with no intention to offend or inflict pain. Please respect it as such.

ANY AND ALL THOUGHTS ARE WELCOME!!!!
_________________

On Judgment and Judging Others:

When we become judgemental of others (and we all do it), we judge them based on the (perhaps unconscious) concept that we are closer to "perfection" (as we understand it) than that person is, and that we are closer to perfection that is that person.

Therefore, we feel free to stand in condemnation and conviction over someone who does not measure up to our "ideal". This could be someone we call a heretic because they have differing beliefs than we do. It can be someone who is gay, had premarital sex, had an abortion, committed adultery, has been in prison, and on it goes. It even seems that some want to be the judge of women who seek the pulpit in fulfillment of their calling (article here) from God. Is it our right to judge these people?

Because we see ourselves as "closer to perfection" than those around us, we give into our nature to be judgmental. Yet we have all "sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23). We have all come up short next to perfection. And God, by the very nature and definition, is perfection.

Therefore, Judgment rests SOLELY in the realm of God, and is never perceived as a task for mankind. Yes, we have a court system for offences of a person against another person. But that is the task of the institution, not of the individual. Perhaps being judicial and being judgmental are two different things. One proceeds justice, while the other breeds injustice!

We are never called in our scriptures to stand in judgment over another person for something we perceive to be "sinful". No, indeed we have only one command: "to love others as [Christ] has loved [us]." (John 15:12). Or perhaps, since it is a comparison between two people/groups, the command to "love your neighbor as [you love] yourself." (Mt. 22:39).

We are commanded to love ALL regardless of how short we think/perceive they fall from OUR standards... from OUR "ideal". We are to leave to perfection...to THE DAVINE the task of "separating the wheat from the tares" (Matt. 13:24-29).

We may just be surprised to find how man people we considered to be the weeds/tares who are actually the healthy, life-giving grain. Conversely, we may be even more surprised to discover that all of this time we have spent in condemnation of others, indeed we were the ones that God considered to be the destructive weeds in the earth. Perhaps that what we should think of when we consider judgment; not the perceived flaws in others, but how we are fulfilling God's commands in our lives.

And what happens when we finally see God and God doesn't see things the same way we do? What happens when those that we deemed to be guilty, are held up as shining examples of God's work in this world (much like the centurion in Matt. 8), and those that we deemed worthy and good, are chastised by God? Will we then stand in judgment of God, for that seems to be the way we act now in our arrogance of "knowledge" about God and Judgment. Or perhaps this is what it truly means when the scriptures say, "As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God." (Romans 14:11).

Every person will bow in humility at how holy and righteous God is, and how far off we might have been in our judgment. We will then have to trust God's judgement, in whatever way it is manifest. There will be nothing we can do about it from our prone positions. We will finally be faced with having to accept God as is, not as we want or "know" God to be.

In conclusion, perhaps we're we too busy trying to BE God that we fell short of allowing God to work in and through us? Perhaps we fall short in allowing God to make us into whom God wants us to be, because we're too busy trying to play God instead. God wants to make us instruments of love in this world. It is in allowing God to transform us into the light of the world...the love of the world, that we find that we are too busy to judge. All of our time and energy has been taken up by being love.

A Step In The Right Direction

There is much talk about the "death of the Emergent Church". While it is true that there is a LOT of conversation about changes going on, I don't view this as the "death of a trend". The emergent conversation was more than just a new model. Indeed they are modeling the idea that the Church needs to be in a constant state of flux. The church has not emerged it is always emerGING!!

In light of that, here is a post from Jonathan Brink over @ EV talking about the "5 things the emergent church has done right". I agree that these are HUGE steps forward in the Christian faith and practice. We are always emerging, always dying to our old and being reborn anew. (thanks to our Bible study discussion group for helping me form that last statement!:)
___________

I wanted to identify five things the emerging church got right. And to be
fair, these are simply my observations, but I’m willing to take the risk that
these are bigger than me.

1. A Commitment To
Reality
The emerging church is committed to an honest conversation
about what is good and what is broken about the body. Both of these
conversations need and do take place. The church can no longer ignore the
reality that people are leaving the institutional
embodiment of what we
traditionally call church. People are leaving and not
coming back. Ignoring
the problems simply no longer works. We need new
expressions that include a
more holistic understanding of what it means to
follow Jesus into mission.

But this conversation needs, and has (at least in my circles), included
a glorious dialog of what is worth fighting for. I find this to be true in the
cohorts I’ve participated in, the conferences I’ve attended, and the
conversations with so many who lead and participate in the emerging church. I
found this to be the central theme of Rob Bell’s “Isn’t She Beautiful”
conference almost 20 months ago and as relevant today as then. This was a
conference of 2,000 pastors leading the way towards repentance.

In some
ways, the institutional church and the conversation about what isn’t
working
has been slowly brewing for decades, some would say for 1,700 years. But
the
emerging church has been working to take these issues and deal with them,
seeking not just the questions but also the answers.

2. A
Commitment To An Honest Theology
The emerging church is committed
to an honest
understanding of theology. Much of our theology is not just
communal but also
individual, meaning my interpretation is completely bent
according to my own
context. I see it in different shades of color than the
next person. To speak
this out loud, that I’m not quite on the same exact
page as the next person, has
been refreshing and liberating. And what is
true is that I’m simply being honest
about what has always been true.

This is why generative dialog has been so important for so many people.
Historically the ability to be honest has simply not been there. We need to be
official, have all the right answers and all our ducks in a row. Disagreeing
with the official opinion has been shameful, drawing a ridiculously stare from
the ruling class. “What do you mean you don’t think like us.” Well, we just
don’t.

Theology is simply a logical understanding or image of God, but
that image is deeply shaped by our the story we have experience, which is
different for everyone. And as we engage God’s story we’re always rubbing up
against our current perception of reality. And if we don’t have a place to be
honest about our own brokenness, about our questions, our angers, about our
frustrations and perceptions with God, then we
have no place to tear down
the obstacles that actually keep me from engaging
relationship with God.
Because isn’t God really bigger than our questions?
Hasn’t truth always
stood out head and shoulders above half-truth? Isn’t truth
most revealed in
the face of those questions. And if we can create a space
to deal with these
obstacles and remove them then that is Good News.

Will we get stuff
wrong? Absolutely. But we’re also under grace, working
out our salvation.
We’re no longer pretending we’ve got it right. But we do
think truth is to
be had. And it looks like Jesus.

3. A Commitment To Love
The emerging church is committed to the practice of love. It is
often
sad to me that people get upset when we talk so much about love. But
this is the
great commandment. Everything was boiled down to this one great
thing. It’s the
first fruit of the Spirit. It’s the magnificence of His
reflection in our lives.
It is what draws us to Jesus. In love we are made
whole.

And as we wrestle with this idea, the very concept of being love
to the world around us, we are discovering the brilliance of what Jesus did. In
attempting to be love,
we discover how much we can’t. We’re just bent a
different way. We’re prone
towards the immature self, a broken cistern
leaking water. And this attempt
actually brings out our brokenness. It puts
us at odds with the reality of our
separation from God. But it also invites
us into the arms of the Father, where
we can receive His Spirit.

This doesn’t mean that we’re not committed to truth. It means that in
love we find the truth. In love we are the perfect reflection of our God. In
love we are the fulfillment of our humanity. In love we also listen to how God
wants to be truth to the world around us. But in love we recognize that if we
never gain credibility to be heard, if our lives don’t first reveal that truth,
people will likely never listen.

4. A Commitment To The
Footsteps Of Jesus
The emerging church is committed to the
footsteps of Jesus. Many are calling this a missional incarnation of the Gospel.
It’s not just the speaking of the Gospel, but the embodiment of it. But what
this really means is that we’re taking up what Jesus said and did as a teacher
and trying to follow that. And as simple as this may sound, it has a surprising
way of putting us at odds with what we’re currently doing as a larger
body,
specifically in the United States. When we look at what Jesus did and we
compare it with what we do, it creates a strange dissonance that is
unfortunately unresolvable for so many people.

We’re left with the
strange question of what it would mean to leave the current model of church
without giving the impression that we’re abandoning the body. Our heart is with
Jesus but not the current structures that support the very complacency we’re
looking to leave behind. We’re looking for what is real, and reflects His
kingdom.

Some see this as leaving tradition. Others see this as
returning to the original ways. The emotions of this are deeply stressful,
giving some the feelings that resemble a refugee. But we’re just trying to
discover the very thing that history has revealed changed the world and make it
real for us. Does that make us dreamers, or idealists, or fools when we say
things are not as they were, nor as they could be? We’re just choosing to take
the risk to find out which one.

5. A Commitment To
Change
The emerging church is committed to the idea of change as a
constant. What is
interesting is that science supports this principle.
Nature changes
seasonally. Our bodies change every seven years at the
cellular level. Ideas and
ethics change with generations. We’re constantly
becoming or retreating, but
we’re always changing because we’re always
living into the next moment. New
information arises that changes how we
think and respond to the world.

What this means is that people will see
life differently as time progresses. The Internet has radically reshaped our
lives and our ability to be influenced by new information. Some of this has led
to a consumer mentality and desire for everything new. But some of this has led
to a recommitment to everything mentioned above, to what has always made the
church the reflection of God that draws people in.

In a lot of ways this
puts us at odds with traditions. But our desire isn’t to simply destroy or leave
these traditions behind. It means that we’re looking for an opportunity to
rediscover their value without the expectation that accompanies them. And many
within the emerging church are deeply committed to these ideas (no pun
intended). This was part of the smells and bells that led Dan Kimball to
integrate candles and incense into his worship services. But we’re not willing
to simply passively participate without meaning and intent. We’re not willing to
just show up and close our minds down.

______

Thoughts?

QotD

From Nick Fiedler's Blog:


It’s extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can’t find $25 billion dollars to saved 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases.
- Bono


Just something to think about....

TRUE<

Several weeks ago, the church my wife and I have been going to recently, Crosspointe, wrapped up a series called "The Truth Is Not Enough". This series really caught a lot of what has drawn me into this church. It is a great place that encourages thinking for yourself, challenging the status-quo, allows/encourages doubts, frustrations, and welcomes real life into real faith! I know that there are other churches out there like this, but as you guessed this is the diamond in the rough so to speak. The exception over the norm.

Anyway, this series truly had me thinking. The last several posts and comments/discussions are kid-of a semi lead-up to this post. During the series I tried to publish my thoughts on this but each week gave inspired new thoughts and questions. Thus it has remained in draft limbo of late. It's just now that I feel I can at least hold my breath long enough to hit the "publish post" button. This is a mixture of Jonathan and Steve's thoughts as well as my own.

As you can see from a portion of the graphic from the series the subtitle was "TRUE<" This was inspired and great!!! As listed in my journal the series was: True <

Jesus
Faith
Grace
Hope
Love

The essence of the messages was this: Truth is less than _topic__! Yeah, that's it. What a person considers that he/she KNOWS or THINKS is the "truth" is not as important as Jesus, Faith, Grace, Hope, and Love. Let me break it down a little more.

There are a lot of bloggers/Christians/churches that want to argue. They all want to be RIGHT! There are even some blogs that's sole purpose is to call people names, "expose heresy", and just to be downright divisive and cruel. I won't link to those blogs as not to seem like making them the focal point of this post, but you don't have to search hard to find any of them. No, as stated above, I have run into these argumentative types all throughout my life. People that believe they KNOW/HOLD the Truth and that all other ideas/thoughts/beliefs are simply wrong or heretical. People have written books and by-laws on what a person HAS to believe in order to follow Jesus.

The problem is that doctrine can have the effect of making God so small. And although it is helpful to help us understand God, Jesus, Faith, Discipleship, etc.. better, in the end it should never become the main priority in one's faith. We can think we know concepts, doctrines, and creeds, but when it comes down to it there will always be disagreement. This usually leads to people becoming harsh towards those who's idea(s) of "Truth/truth" is different than their own. In addition, concepts and ideas are great, but honestly worth NOTHING when it doesn't translate into a way of living!

My last post, on people sincerely sharing why they aren't a Christian is a great example. It was an inspired question and forum to allow others to be heard. But what many people will do with that, what it seems the church is doing with that, is offering MORE KNOWLEDGE; ANSWERS to these real stories. Diminishing and "debunking" their REAL questions, doubts and issues through the means of apologetics, is offering knowledge when most of them are saying that knowledge, or TRUE, is not enough. I need REAL! But that seems to be the only way Christianity (for the most part) responds. Why is that?

Being a follower of Christ was never about holding knowledge, but a better way of living. In Christ's final words, he tells his disciples to "GO"....

There are many problems with thinking that you "know" the answers. It makes a person complacent in their pursuit of God. When we become complacent we forget that merely "true" is vastly different from REAL! And one thing that I have seen from a decade in ministry is that people are more interested in a faith that's REAL than the are in a faith who's approach is a piling on of abstract concepts! When being a Christian is all in our head, then it is far from real! When it's stuck in our head, it is not found in our hands, out tongues, our feet and our hearts! We need to get past conceptual/theoretical faith into a faith that is real and works in a real world!

What does that mean? Well, it means that we can argue about these concepts all day long, but if we go to bed at night and these concepts have not made a difference in the way we live out our lives... or if we have wasted a lot of time ARGUING (for the record I love discussion of concepts, and am fine with someone disagreeing with me (I actually encourage people to critically think about what I'm saying), but there is a huge line between discussion and arguing) and not living then it is not real. To be a Christian is to be REAL. Christ came to be real. He dealt with reality. He didn't escape from it, he didn't argue with it, he just lived the kingdom life within it!
TRUE less than JESUS

What about TRUE less than FAITH?
Faith is tough. what "having faith in God/Jesus" truly means in all of it's depth and breadth, is not as important as living in that faith... as best we understand it. We can't wait until we hold all the "answers" on that subject before we allow our faith to become real. In fact, I think one of the problems with most of the churches/Christians/bloggers who spend 99% of their time "fighting false prophets", "heretical knowledge" and "Defending the faith", is the sad understanding that we all can easily fall into; that it is easier to argue concepts than to try to live out our limited understanding of faith within reality. Steve called this "a form of escapism". Faith is part of that active command: GO...

But what's worse is not so much the disagreements...those are bound to happen. There are a lot of questions that any honest Christian has... a lot of questions Jesus left us with! But many of those who think they hold all the answers and knowledge, spend their time defending that knowledge. And everyone knows that any good defence is good offence. The problem is that many times these people (and I have been guilty of this), can let their offence become offensive! I am surprised at how little grace happens in these encounters. I would even go as far as to say that grace can be the difference between argument and conversation. But having the Truth is not enough. Grace needs to be offered, and grace comes only out of humility. I personally think humility can only come for many of us by acknowledging that we don't hold all the knowledge, and that God is far bigger than a collection of concepts!

TRUE is less than GRACE

I think out of all of these, the last two are the most important, because it is the ones that many people have the hardest trouble making real: Hope and Love. So little of our degrading arguments about who's right and who's not is void of hope and love! In the sacred scriptures for all Christians, The Bible, whether we agree or disagree about the knowledge of it being inerrant and infallible, the central message remains the same: Hope! It is a narrative of hope. Hope for the hopeless. But what's to hope for?... What hope is there in someone choosing to follow in the way of Christ when all they ever see are the hopeless arguments and the unloving comments? Knowledge of the "truth" is important, but it is far less important than hope. Hope is greater than True!

And what about love? 1 Corinthians 13 says, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." I know that many of those who are longing for a spiritual fulfillment look at Christianity and churches and what they hear is similar in worth to white noise, static, a "resounding gong". The cacophony of our argument of what is "truth" and what isn't; what is wrong and what is right, turns people away. we have become the dwellers who's domestic disputes are so frequent, loud, and cruel that we drive out all our neighbors. We are the ones who call each other harsh names, only to turn around to say "For God so loved the world...".

We can KNOW that love exists, but very rarely do we let it leak over into becoming a true reality in our own lives. In 1 Cor 13, the greatest of "all these", including "knowledge" is love. Without love we as Christ's followers are nothing. In John 15, Christ has only one command... and that command is love! Christ goes on to say that true love requires sacrifice, one to "lay down their life"(v. 13), to give of your WHOLE self... to lay it down!
"Showing that Love is REAL (more than true), shows others that God/Christ's love is also REAL (more than simple knowledge)." (--Steve)

Arguing about God's love IS NOT REAL! Blogging about God's love is not real! Simply preaching about God's love IS NOT REAL! Love is active! Love has to be seen and felt. Love isn't content to sit and type or stand safely behind a podium and preach. Love has to be something more! Love has to be out there, DOING! Knowledge is fine, well, and good, but Jesus LIVED love. Love bleeds! Love hurts! Love is "GO"!!!!

Love is Greater than True!

TRUE is less that LOVE

The Truth Is Not Enough!
It wasn't enough for Christ, it shouldn't be enough from his followers!

Asking The Question: Why I'm Not A Christian

Summit Church in Durham/ Briar Creek N.C.
(led by the well-known SBC pastor J.D. Greer) has been taking a survey online asking people to discuss "why I'm not a Christian."

I've read through the many responses (linked above), and don't want to comment on where J.D. is going with this or what he's said to this point, but I applaud the (mostly) unedited responses (J.D. says that the only ones deleted were vulgar/crude). I think it is an important question for churches to be asking, and even more importantly, they need to truly listen to the answers of the people. I know I have heard many of these stories (I've heard a friend call them "excuses", but they are stories and need to be respected). Some examples:

For a long time, I struggled with how God could possibly send good
people to hell. 2 years ago a friend passed away and she was not a christian,
but she was one of the best people I knew. She was nice and well-liked by
everyone, was always there for you when you needed her, put others before
herself, etc. Plus she was so smart and so talented and she died when she was
only 15. I refused to believe someone that amazing would go to hell when she
died just because she wasn't Christian. Plus, in her religion she believed she
would go on to another afterlife, so how should I know she didn't do what SHE
believed after she died? At this point, I do believe the only way to heaven is
thru Jesus, but I still struggle with that issue sometimes. I have a hard time
being SURE of what I believe on this topic.

I don't see any good reason to believe in a Christian god (or any god,
for that matter). Moreover, I am appalled by many many things that are
sanctioned in the bible. So even if I believed the Christian god did exist, I
would not respect him/her enough to become a Christian.

I feel that Christianity is too shaped by mankind's interpretations. I
do not believe that the life force that created and supports the magical
universe is capable of condemning souls to eternal suffering. I believe that the
bible and some other sources of Christian instruction have been heavily
influenced by culture through out the centuries. I believe in God but it is not
a single entity judging all from a place in "heaven". Why would such a loving
figure who is thought to know and foresee everything create humans knowing they
would fail to achieve the criteria to be "saved"? This has never made sense to
me. I think there is something more grand and fantastic out there behind the
scenes than the archetype of the Christian God.

Growing up my family was non-practicing Catholics. I went to a Catholic
High school as well but I did not participate in eating that unleven(sp?) bread
when ever we had to go to a 1hr BORING mass as I did not make my first communion
which I am happy about. Anyhoo, I am not a Christian because I don't feel people
have the right to dictate the way I live and what I should and should not
believe in. I simply believe in karma. Treat others the way you want to be
treated. I also don't believe in giving 10% of my pay so some person in the
church can live a sweet life with a tax free Mercedes and mansion. If you ever
read the bible you would know that Jesus asked that no churches be erected to
worship him. It's just a bunch of hooey. I feel sorry for the people that go to
church etc. I do however love living down south where everyone is a Christian
attending most of their Sunday having scripture crammed down their throats
because it means all the restaurants and Walmarts are ALL mine! No church goers
clogging these places. Please don't think I am 'bitter' or whatever, I'm really
not... I am quite happy in Life and have a great circle of friends and Family
without any church getting in the way. I know this one girl who was brainwashed
into being Christian while in college and she turned into the biggest bitch.
LOL

Christianity was built on the backs of other religions. The Bible
itself seems like utter nonsense to me (it's just not logical). Then there is
the fact that there is so much hypocrisy in the ranks and so much killing and
hate done in the name of Christianity that I can't associate myself with
it.

None of the so-called prophets in the major religious doctrines were
ever considered nor personally referred to as Christians. Christ is a title
meaning "anointed", not the last name of someone conceived during the Nice
Council of 325 AD. It is also not my responsibility to judge another, as the one
commonly referred to as Jesus practiced Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice,
all which are in accordance to universal & Divine Law. I personally think
that living under those precepts (to also include remaining humble)makes one
more Christ-like than those who pick and choose their faith to justify their
character flaws, ignorance, and/or arrogance. The systematic approach of being
forced to live in the way of the oppressor is contradictive to the scriptures;
if my aura or character is reflective of my spirit, then it should not matter
what I know or believe, period!

Because I am a muslim and I am happy with my beleifs. I have a lot of
christian friends though. I could never understand why do we always try to
convert people from one faith to the other?? No one can prove any of the
religions as the absolute truth

I am not a Christian because I found that another faith matched me
better. I am not against Christians, I respect some greatly. During my life I
considered several faiths. The point that turns me off is when any faith judges
other ones and states they are the only true one. Faith is belief in universal
truths for me. While Christianity has faith in it, Buddhism has touched my soul.
I do not believe in literal figure heads, just the acts and outcomes of those
that profess. I believe that all are entitled to find relief from suffering. We
all have a difficult path in life. I do not sway to the beliefs of others. I do
not sway other's beliefs. It is about mutual respect.

These are just a few responses. There are TONS more. (read here)
I applaud these people for sharing their real thoughts and stories. These are REAL questions and ideas that Christians have, for the most part, belittled other's spiritual beliefs and thoughts. I think that there these thoughts/questions and when taken seriously, cause us to re-examine ourselves and our own "religion" or "doctrines". If we are all made in the "Image of God", then truly looking at another person's narrative/life... it's almost like looking in the mirror, and at the same time a window into the face of God. But what does that mean for us?

Your Thoughts?

Guitar Hero: Praise Band Edition

Ok, so that's not the official title, but it made me laugh to see this. Guitar Praise (there's a video there that you should watch), was stumbled across while reading a blog Stuff Christians Like .

Having led "Praise and Worship" at a couple of churches, retreats, and events, as well as having performed and covered many "Christian Songs", I laughed at the premise. The popular Guitar Hero that this product is imitating, the idea is to make the player feel like a "rock star". Guitar Hero tries to allow the player to hit awesome/notorious/famous guitar riffs from songs throughout Rock history. So "Guitar Praise" allows people to live out their dreams of being a... worship leader? This product allows those devoted to Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) to play along with some of their favorite christian artists.

As far as Praise music goes, if a person picks up a guitar and learns 3-5 chords, a person can play 90% of the praise music out there for real!!! Same goes with a lot of the Christian artists. I'm mostly a rhythm (acoustic) guitar player, but even I can pick out a lot of the riffs from CCM. But Put SRV, Santana, Metallica, Rush, The Who, and the other famous guitar riffs on Guitar Hero and Rock Band in front of me and I sit frozen in awe at how awesome and talented their music truly is.

I'm not saying that there aren't some talented Christian Artists out there. I wouldn't mind some Switchfoot on GH or RB. But that's just it. If you want these bands to be added to the ever-growing list of downloadable songs, the publishers and programmers look at what songs and artists people have requested. This "Christian response" to a videogame franchise (not the first time this has happened) amuses me.

Here's how Amazon describes it:
Product Description Guitar Praise is a variation of a game (similar to the popular Guitar Hero) where you play a guitar to win the game. Instead of playing with traditional rock tracks, Guitar Praise includes over 50 popular devotional rock tracks.

Guitar Praise lets players act out their dreams of leading a rock band by playing along with their favorite Christian rock tunes. As the song and lyrics play, colorful notes scroll down the screen. Players must keep up by matching the notes to the fret buttons on the guitar controller included with the game. Four levels of play are offered. As the player completes songs, more tracks are unlocked and the challenge increases. Guitar Praise features 52 of the most inspirational and pulsating tracks from the Christian rock world, all by the original artists. Today's most popular hits are combined with classics from the 80's and 90's; the playlist includes titles from Flyleaf, Skillet, Stellar Kart, tobyMac, Newsboys, Petra, 12 Stones, Spoken, Whitecross, Thousand Foot Krutch, Paul Baloche, David Crowder, and Red, plus many others.

As players shred through their guitar solos, Guitar Praise records high scores per song. New songs, in sets of five, are unlocked along the way to keep the player's interest. By tilting the guitar, players can activate spinner bonuses; as they increase their skills they can earn new onscreen "guitars" with richer sounds and different effects.

What do you think?

Palin, Position, Piety, & Politics

What do all of these things have in common? The Religious/political Conservative agenda in this election.

This entry is not a critique on Gov. Sarah Palin, rather, a critique of the inconsistencies of many Christians (mainly those calling themselves "Conservative" or the "Religious Right") who have jumped on the Palin Bandwagon. It is interesting to me that these people who are now heralding in a female VP (and possible leader of this nation if something were to happen to McCain) are so hypocritical. These are people who won't let women lead their churches but will back a woman VP. This is the group that lauds Stay-at-home moms, yet heralds a mom with 5 kids (and a grandchild on the way) who is going for the second most ambitious political position in America.

Don't get me wrong, I personally have no problem with any of these things that Palin has done. I applaud ambitious women, and support their career oriented goals. But I also support ordained women pastors, and don't believe that every woman is supposed to be a stay-at-home mother. I applaud her response to her daughter's commitment to her pregnancy, but I also don't promote abstinence only education.

In a post today in Slate Magazine, there was a post in the section: xx factor xxtra: Women writing about politics, etc. Entitled: What Scarlet Letter?Why Christian conservatives have only admiration for Sarah Palin. By Hanna Rosin

This entry brings out some very good questions/thoughts on the
inconsitencies of those religious concervitives that are in the political
game. I suggest reading the whole article for context, but here is a
section:

Some of this reaction can be explained just by listing the religious
right's priorities in order. In the pantheon of family values, avoiding abortion
sits at the top, above marriage or staying home to raise your children.
Conservatives have spent the last 30 years seeding the country with crisis
pregnancy centers dedicated to convincing young women not to abort their babies,
regardless of their personal situations. The fact that Britney Spears' younger
sister made the same decision to keep her pregnancy at 17 and that Juno was a
hit movie only adds an unexpected glamour to the choice.

But this explanation takes you only so far. What's missing from the
conservative reaction is still remarkable. Just 15 years ago, a different
Republican vice president was ripping into the creators of Murphy Brown for
flaunting a working woman who chose to become a single mother. This time around,
there's no stigma, no shame, no sin attached to what Dan Quayle would once have
mockingly called Bristol Palin's "lifestyle" choices. In fact, so cavalier are
conservatives about Sarah Palin's wreck of a home life that they make the rest
of us look stuffy and slow-witted by comparison. "I think a hard-working,
well-organized C.E.O. type can handle it very well," said Phyllis Schlafly, of
the Eagle Forum.

Suddenly it's the Obamas, with their oh-so-perfect
marriage and their Dick Van Dyke in the evenings and their two boringly innocent
young girls, who seem like the fuddy-duddies.
What happened? How did the
culture war get flipped on its head?

It amazes me that those people that abhor teen pregnancies, and teach abstinence only Sexual Education, NOW respond lovingly saying, "At least she didn't choose to abort the child." I agree that I am glad she is keeping the child, and that Palin didn't abort her DS child... But I also don't have a hierarchy of sins (at least I try very hard not to do so). I try to be consistent. But then again, I also believe to be "pro-life" means you can't be in favor of the death penalty either. So what do I know?

I am not a political expert... But I do love ANY situation (and it happens a lot in the political arena) where these people can change their colors to maintain their grasp around the throat of America. These people that are being interviewed saying the proper response to Palin's daughter is to respond with love and compassion.... I am so there with you! But these are the first people to kick a person out of a church for being gay, or responding to the homosexual community with "love and compassion".

This is the group of people that says a strong family has the woman at home with the kids, and the dad providing for the family. But here they are getting air-time saying how wonderful it is to have a woman with the "same values as me". And, as Rosin mentions in her article, the candidate's demonstrating the "core family systems" are now the ones at which we should be shaking our fingers.

I wish Palin luck in her career. She is going to be a fighter, and a charismatic contender on her ticket. I simply question a "faith" or "religion" that changes its "core values" in order to gain/maintain position and power...esp. a religion that spouts humility and sacrifice as the basis of its beliefs.

And they call postmoderns "wishy-washy" in their beliefs!

your thoughts?