A Healing Science and Christianity

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/may/how-missionaries-are-changing-medicine.html

Christianity has put emphasis on social services throughout it's history that include health. Sometimes, this form comes in supernatural ways, however, now it's shifting towards more scientific means. Hannah Gay has cured a baby with Aids. She was a former missionary in Ethiopia. This article expands on the missionary experience tying in with large medical finds. Doctors who have had missionary experience have been connected with identifying new cancers, treating leprosy, new global health organizations, and creating innovative cancer treatments.

Disqualification for showing faith - High School Track

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2013/05/thanking-god-disqualifies-texas-track-team.html

This is a bit ridiculous. An athlete after finishing, and winning, a race pointed his finger to the sky looking as a show of thanks to God. Now, the whole team is disqualified because it violated a University Interscholastic League regulation barring any display of excessive celebration.

A New Exodus?

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/05/07/mass-exodus-christians-from-muslim-world/

This article presenting an interesting shift in demographics. Christians in Egypt, Iraq, and Afghanistan are leaving their areas in increasing and unprecedented rates. This may be explained by increase in violence. Churches in these areas are being bombed and people have been crucified. Surprisingly, in the future we may no longer any trace of Christian people in these areas where it originated.

Falling Plates

Here's a cool use of visual media spreading the Christian message. They use falling plates to represent our brokenness along with a myriad of other cool images! I really liked the message of this video and it was made really well. However... the whole time I couldn't help but wonder how many plates they broke and couldn't help but really wish I was the person breaking all of them haha.

Spoken Word!

A few years ago we saw a video boom in popularity called "Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus" that was spoken word poetry. From this popular video we see a spread in spoken word poetry being expressed along with Christian values.

An Army of Christian Teens

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/-reach-america-anti-christian-bullying-video_n_3232699.html?ref=topbar

An interesting article that covers a new teenage Christian movement called The Thaw. Their message is that today's culture is presenting a frozen Christianity. We're limited by what we can say in school and we're criticized for some of the beliefs we hold. Under the verse in Matthew that calls us to be the salt and light of the world, they call forth action to thaw out modern day Christianity. 

Overall, I thought it was creative, but the video itself was a bit cheesy/dramatic. 

Atheists encouraging Bible reading

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-michael-dowd/new-atheists-promote-bibl_b_1320555.html

This is new, Atheists are now encouraging people to read the Bible. They believe it actually supports their cause, which is interestingly contrary to some of the things we've learned in class. From our Christian Thinkers, a lot of them view Scripture as communication to God. However, here we have a case where instead of bringing people closer to God, it's pushing them back.

The article then goes on to state how new readers, when reading through the Old Testament see a brutal God of the Jews. They're floods and whole cities being destroyed. A powerful accusation is made by Michael Scott Earl, accusing God of being a terrorist, "the U.S. Department of Defense defines terrorism as 'the calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate others in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.'" Instead of the Bible being used to draw people in, some Atheists are using it to turn people away. 

Non-Stop Bible reading

http://www.christianpost.com/news/90-hour-bible-reading-marathon-underway-at-us-capitol-94933/

So... this is intense. In DC, every year they have a 90 hour bible reading on the steps of the capitol. People usually volunteer to do around 5-15 minutes, but it's being read non-stop. Apparently, they usually do this to inspire others into devotionals and prepare people of National Prayer Day.
I heard on campus they had a reading of The Odyssey nonstop similar to this. Although, it didn't last 90 hours...

90 hour Bible Reading

http://www.christianpost.com/news/90-hour-bible-reading-marathon-underway-at-us-capitol-94933/

So... this is intense. In DC, every year they have a 90 hour bible reading on the steps of the capitol. People usually volunteer to do around 5-15 minutes, but it's being read non-stop. Apparently, they usually do this to inspire others into devotionals and prepare people of National Prayer Day.
I heard on campus they had a reading of The Odyssey nonstop similar to this. Although, it didn't last 90 hours...

Who's the most charitable: Atheists or Christians?

http://www.christianpost.com/news/homeless-mans-test-finds-atheists-christians-give-most-money-to-the-poor-95164/

An interesting experiment was done by a homeless man in Austin, Texas. He had multiple bowls laid out and labeled them with different religions. As people donated, they put their money in the bowl with which they associated with. Interestingly, Atheists and Christians came out as the top two groups in this man's experiment. Although, the article does state that given the demographics of the city, they are probably the two most common groups.

Treason?

http://www.christianpost.com/news/religious-freedom-in-our-military-this-is-what-intolerance-smells-like-95058/

"President Obama's new "religious tolerance" consultant to the Pentagon, Mikey Weinstein, wants Christian military service members who openly talk about their faith in uniform to be charged with treason, which is a crime punishable by death according to military law."

An interesting issue this article shines light on is a growing fear of religious extremism and religious groups. With a rise in violence in the Middle East there has arisen a violent and bloody face to religious extremism. The aftermath of 9/11 and Iraq and Afghanistan war has lead many Americans to the perception that Islam is a dangerous religion, whether a person associated with it is extremist or not. Today, this view isn't being confined just to Muslims. America is entering a stage where there is fear and anger against all forms of potential religious extremism and their associates. For example, the Southern Baptist church has been gaining a rep. for doing incredulous things like protesting the Newton funeral. Now, fear and anger isn't being applied to just this group but to all of Christianity. Religion in general is starting to be viewed as dangerous and inevitably extreme. This particular viewed is exemplified by Mr. Weinstein. 

Rob Bell and Gay Marriage

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christandpopculture/2013/03/rob-bell-on-gay-marriage-why-the-church-cant-follow/

"I am for fidelity. I am for love, whether it's a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man. I think the ship has sailed and I think that the church needs to just … this is the world that we are living in and we need to affirm people wherever they are," Rob Bell

Are we seeing another surge in the Liberalism movement? During the Liberal Christian movement, we saw an incorporation of science (modern culture) into faith. Here we see gay marriage trying to be incorporated into faith. What's interesting is that Rob Bell implies that this is what the world is coming to and we need to come to terms with it. However, from the Next Christendom article that we read, we're actually seeing the world becoming more conservative. North America and Western Christianity is pushing for more of a liberal Christianity. Actually, the ship hasn't sailed yet, if anything it's still in the North American docks.

Vatican Uncovers First Known European Depiction Of Native Americans

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/02/first-known-european-depiction-of-native-americans-uncovered-by-vatican_n_3202751.html

"Preservationists working on a Renaissance fresco in the Vatican have uncovered what experts believe is the first European representation of Native Americans, from 1494."

Apparently 1494 is two years before Columbus sailed and made contact with Natives. What's interesting is the depiction of the Native Americans is consistent with Columbus's description even though it's two years before he actually departed. 

CONSPIRACY THEORY 

Idolatry of the Word

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-michael-dowd/idolatry-of-the-written-word_b_2832435.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

The author criticizes inconsistent modern day strict-interpretation of Scripture. There are some parts of Scripture that our culture no longer literally applies. We don't stone people to death over the breaking of rules/laws presented in Leviticus. However, we see a contradiction of not taking strict-interpretation and application of Scripture in some areas (like stoning people) and taking strict-interpretation and application in other cases. The author describes we are in a mindset of idolatry of ancient texts like Scripture and the Nicene Creed. 
He describes his purpose in his presentations to schools and universities: 
"Thus my call: Those of us who wish to continue calling ourselves Christian must no longer enslave mind and heart to inert fossils of ancient texts and creeds." 
Additionally, "And let us elevate our children and youth with stories that excite them, that build faith and trust, evoke gratitude and compassion, and provide guidance relevant to today's challenges and choices."

Overall, I would have to disagree with this author and his message. His main reason for shifting our focus from ancient texts is due to cultural evolution. One might think much of what happens and is described in the Bible doesn't apply to us today. However, in my opinion stories, situations, and values don't really change. Nothing is new under the sun. David and Goliath is a story about courage, overcoming the odds, and rooting for the underdog. Personally, I don't agree with this article, although I do find it interesting. 

Sing me to Death

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/02/deathbed-singers-threshold-choirs-death_n_3187291.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

An  a-cappella group volunteers around hospitals to sing to dying patients. They offer it as a comforting service. Interestingly, many patients feel less alone and less afraid to die as a result. The group featured in the article performs their own original songs. Depending on the patient, a group may be singing from 15-45min. However, rarely do the singers witness a patient's last dying breath.
What an interesting service to offer. I think it really shows the power and effect of music.

Jason Collins

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/jason-collins-gay_b_3180069.html?ref=topbar

Current NBA player Jason Collins, came out to the public that he is gay. Mr. Collins grew up in a Christian household and doesn't believe his sexual orientation conflicts with his faith. Instead, his faith strengthened him to not be ashamed but to accept his sexual orientation.
A refreshing aspect the article points out is that "Collins' experience refutes the polarity we hear so much of, that to be religious is to be anti-gay or to be gay is to be anti-religious." 

Christians against all marriage not just between homosexuals

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/25/you-deserve-rape-sign-brother-dean_n_3154980.html

This article presents an interesting viewpoint that for much of history, instead of arguing over homosexuality, Christian debates have argued over heterosexual relationships. Many religious leaders throughout time, have argued that celibacy is the best option. However, this demand isn't feasible for the majority of people so marriage is permissible in order not to fall into deeper sin. This follows along the lines of Luther's stance on marriage. Also, sex should be used as a procreational means and not for pleasure.
Additionally, more-so than Christians encouraging and defending the state of marriage pagans have made more effort.
Lastly, the author proposes that the debate of homosexual marriage should include the perspective of past Christian stances.

Brother Dean "You deserve rape"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/25/you-deserve-rape-sign-brother-dean_n_3154980.html

Some people go too far. A man known as Brother Dean on University of Arizona campus held a sign that stated, "you deserve rape." It was meant for girls wearing short-shorts. His repertoire of signs includes condemning homosexuals and people who masturbate to hell.
Due to Brother Dean's publicity, the University has gotten many letters of complaints. Interestingly though, due to one's right to free speech they can't make Brother Dean stop. Although, they have publicly stated they do not condone nor support Brother Dean's message.

Power of Music

Most sung artist on the Planet: Chris Tomlin (CNN blog article) 

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/09/the-most-sung-artist-on-the-planet/

I'm a fan of Chris Tomlin, but I didn't realize REALLY how popular is until I came across this article. 

One of the most widely sung artists is Chris Tomlin. But what owes to his success? This article presents it's due to a few factors. One of these factors is contributed to the genre. He is notoriously known for producing Christian worship songs. What's unique about this style is that "unlike those who've enjoyed performances by Beyonce, Johnny Cash and a host of others who've played this Baltimore hall, after these fans stream out the doors they will have ample opportunity to sing Tomlin's songs again, as one.That is the secret to Tomlin’s success – the stage, the lights, the band - aren’t about him. As lively as his shows are, the point is not to get you inside the doors. The point is to get you singing in church."

Interestingly, another factor Tomlin attributes is due to his background. He grew up listening to country music. I listen to some country but what I keep hearing is that country music is about telling a story. Overall, "His goal is to write songs that communicate what people would like to say to God." His songs are communicated and presented as something personal and story-like. 

How often are his songs sung?

* "CCLI estimates that every Sunday in the United States, between 60,000 and 120,000 churches are singing Tomlin’s songs."

* “our best guess would be in the United States on any given Sunday, 20 to 30 million people would be singing Chris Tomlin's songs.”

Lastly, a quote I liked from Tomlin in this article was: "“I'm thinking as that comes out of my heart as a song of response, I'm trying to think, how can I form this so that everybody, people who are tone deaf, who can't clap on two and four, how can I form this song so they can sing it, so that it is singable?”

A new perspective of martyrdom

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/30/christ-was-persecuted-but-what-about-christians/?hpt=hp_c2

This article starts off with a story we heard in class: The martyr Perpetua. In case you forgot "she was just 22, a young mother singing hymns as the crowd jeered and a lion, leopard and wild cow encircled her." She was one of the earliest martyrs and has one of the most extensive records (her diary). 

A question we've explored in class was how did the church grow? In our Chidester book, it states martyr's as the seeds of the church. However this article presents a different perspective of martyrdom. Some of their interesting claims include: 

1. "More people read about martyrs than ever saw one.”

2. "Church leaders began to embellish and invent stories of martyrdom to inspire the faithful but also to settle theological feuds, Moss says. If, say, a bishop wanted to denounce a rivals’ theology, he spun a story in which a martyr denounced the same doctrine with his last breath, Moss says."

3. “Martyrs were like the action heroes of the ancient world,” Moss says. “It was like getting your favorite athlete endorsing your favorite brand of soda.”

This article continues on to say that historical analysis has underplayed a large component that also contributed to the growth of the church. "Christians stood out because they created a “miniature welfare state" to help the less fortunate, Stark says. They took in infant girls routinely left for dead by their parents. They risked their lives to tend the sick when plagues hit and others fled in terror. They gave positions of leadership to women when many women had no rights, and girls as young as 12 were often married off to middle-aged men, he says."

Even if martyrdom may not have happened as often as we are led to believe, the life and death of a martyr were still impressive feats that led others  something to aspire to. Perpetua is one example. Another interesting perspective this article presents was how vicious martyrdom was when it happened. "When Roman persecution did occur, though, it was vicious. The Emperor Nero covered fully conscious Christians with wax and used them as human torches. Other Christians were skinned alive and covered with salt, while others were slowly roasted above a pit until they died."

The Bible - A docudrama

I just learned The History Channel is doing a docudrama on the Bible. They are doing a ten-series installment, each installment at 1hour each. So.... the entire Bible in 10 hours!
The producer is Mark Burnett, he's done quite a few popular shows: Survivor, The Voice, The Apprentice, and Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader. The first episode is tonight and I plan on watching it. Some thoughts based on the trailer (video above) is that either this will turn out pretty cool or this will be AWFUL. Haha I can't decide..

Christianity and Media continued

Another use of media has been viral video testimonies. A popular site is call I Am Second. It reinforces the idea that Christians try to put God first in their lives over themselves.

http://www.iamsecond.com

This site posts video testimonies of well known people or of people with really relatable/applicable scenarios. Some big names they've interviewed are Brian Head Welch (former guitar player of Korn), Lecrae (well-known Christian rapper), Josh Turner (Country singer) and Stephen Baldwin (you see him in commercials all the time!). They categorize the testimonies into struggles, so people can find a video based on what struggle they most relate to. One video that I thought was cool that they shared was one girl's testimony that was based on her being adopted and living in a pre-dominantly white society.

Christian Hate Tweets?

*Picture is from the CNN article

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/09/my-take-a-word-to-christians-be-nice/


My last post regarded the positive effects of Christianity and media but what about the negative? The use of media can be a double-edged sword (or however that saying goes). On the one hand, it is being used to promote the Good News. On the other hand, the Christian message is getting lost and turning people away from Christianity. An example of a negative relationship between Christians and media is "hate tweeting". 

In the article, a pastor is asked about hate tweeting from a person with a popular Twitter account. "He was asking because some of his 1.3 million Twitter followers claim to be “Christian,” and some of the meanest, most perverse hate-tweets he receives come from these self-proclaimed Christians."

Interestingly enough, when some Christians that are the creators of these hate tweets start to receive fire about what they post, they retaliate with “all who live godly will suffer persecution.” 

 I would agree with the author's response to this issue. He points people back to what the Bible says:

“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.” (1 John 2:9,11)

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” (James 3:9,10)

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

My lesson of the day: Be careful of not only what you say but what you tweet :)

Christianity and Media

I saw this skit a few years ago at a conference called Acquire the Fire. This skit represents a powerful story about the love and power of Jesus Christ to free us from temptations and worldly distractions. I mainly wanted to share this video because I think it's inspirational and powerful. However, I also think it's interesting how Christianity has evolved with media. This video has had around 20 million hits. Back in Gospel days, spreading God's word/message was limited to face-face interaction and word of mouth. Now, with a click of a button, this message can be spread in an instant.
Do you think instantaneous messages and media have made an impact in Christianity?
Should media be treated/viewed as a double edged sword?

Role of Christian Women?

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/january-february/women-in-combat-bible.html?paging=off

Recently, the Pentagon has decided on removing the "1994 ban on women in combat." The article I posted above airs three unique views from a Christian perspective on this issue. I found it was interesting to see so many different opinions and interpretations from this group of people that all have The Bible as their base foundation. The three arguments this article presents are:

1. Active combat is not a role meant for women. However, when men fail, it is the tragic pattern and responsibility of women to take their place.
      - God's design for women put them at a disadvantage physiologically: "men are generally larger,      stronger, and faster, and have greater lung capacity, a faster metabolism, and roughly 11 times the testosterone of women."
     - The Bible consistently portrays men protecting women
     - An interesting example: Adam fails to protect Eve: "For this reason, God addressed him first after the forbidden fruit was eaten: "Where are you?" (Gen. 3:9)." 

2. Sacrificial love is a core principle of Christianity, women shouldn't be denied this choice on the basis of gender.
     - The Bible states there is no greater love than to sacrifice one's life for their friend
     - Biblical history provides examples of women upholding this principle: "Esther was    willing to sacrifice herself by braving the wrath of the king even unto death, in order to save her people."   "Judith was not a warrior, yet she beheaded the Assyrian king's general. Deborah, a prophetess and a judge of Israel, guided her people during peace and war. When war and oppression came, she battled against the superior Canaanite army herself and led her male troops to victory."
     - Line btw. combat and noncombat has disappeared

3. We are all blessed with different gifts. Each person has their own gift and rather than basing who's best suited for a role on gender it should be based on ability.
     - "Earlier in my career, I was responsible for the safety of 30 crewmembers as the officer-in-charge aboard an 80-ton training vessel. When caught in an offshore squall, the entire crew became seasick and I felt as if I were the only one left to steer the boat.

I was relieved to see five crewmembers gain the resolve and iron will to maintain their posts in spite of their illness. As a small team, we brought the vessel safely into port. All five of these tough sailors were women. Once the males saw their female colleagues in action, not only did any doubts about the women's abilities disappear, the whole crew grew stronger as well."

     - "As Christians, we should seek to serve where we are gifted."

     - Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

* While reading the Bible and this article, a question important to me is brought up: What is the role of a Christian woman?

Beware of Christians

An interesting documentary I saw this past year was Beware of Christians. It's on Netflix Instantly if anyone is interested in seeing it. Anyway, this documentary is about a few college guys who go around the world trying to get out of their everyday perspective/surroundings/influences of what it means to follow Jesus. They then submerge themselves globally and independently into discovering what a real relationship with Jesus is supposed to look like. This college group also touches on some large issues that concern many people their age, like drinking, dating, identity, and materialism.

In this movie I thought it was really interesting to see how different and alike other cultures are in Christianity to the U.S.. Additionally, here are some interesting quotes from the movie:

• “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyles.  That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” ~Brennan Manning
• “Some people don’t follow Christ because of the Christians they know.”
• “Christians are just people who are busy on Sundays.” ~Someone interviewed in Europe
• “The Christian influence in my life was: successful people that loved God that had nice things.  It shaped the way I view materialism.”

Just a quick question to dwell in your mind: Do you see much difference in the lifestyles between people who call themselves Christians and people who are not Christian?