My thought on a problem

 The problem with a preacher/minister/priest teaching is they still preach; conversely, the problem with a professor preaching is he still teaches.

Neither seems to be an efficient way to teach a class of religious studies or any other class.

From my Church, well said.

 

A rant on super bowl Sunday

I normally try not to be anything but civil and to try to stay out of the fray of disputes. But I am feeling the need to speak up on something. There are a few people I have interacted with that have proven to be enigmas to me. While in a normal chat or thread they are nice, civil, and in some even educational. However, the minute they are questioned on their belief patterns or questioned on their faith, they become hostile, rude, and vindictive, very dangerous additions to them also being enigmatic in nature. If you are of such a strong belief and with such a high degree of certainty in your faith and that you believe you are so right you can not be wrong. That everyone else must follow your belief pattern, then you have missed the whole point of your beliefs. The Pharisees were certain they were right, there were not, the Romans were absolutely certain of their righteousness and faith was the right one, they were not, Judas was certain in his faith and in his deed, he was not, Pilate chose to not even decide right or wrong, but he was certain it was not his decision, he was wrong. Certainty to the point you no longer can see and hear anyone else is the downfall of faith, not the strength of it. When we as people of faith start condemning others' faith and their journey to find their faith are we not being as bad as the very thing we are condemning? Instead, celebrate their faith journey, encourage a civil open conversation that allows you to hear how they got there, and offer them suggestions. DO NOT belittle, condemn or tell them they will rot in hell. That is not the teachings of Christ. I am certain in my faith and in my journey and knowledge of my salvation and I am comfortable enough in that certainty to no care how I am attacked or accused by others. My faith is between Jesus and God and no others. No one knows the journey I have traveled any more than I know of others' journey. It is not for me to condemn, it is only for me to celebrate others' faith with them, however, they got there. Thank you for listening, reading and all have a blessed day/night. 

Playing what if, pissing people off

 There is a small group of us that have started getting back together to have coffee and rolls in the mornings once every other week.  Most of the discussion is religion as we are all involved in it in some way.  Most all of us keep the debate and discussions very civil and look at it as a chance to learn and to exchange thoughts and ideas.  In the name of full disclosure, I am the only one that was not a pastor, minister, or priest at one time or another.  I have always, as one said, lived in the academics.  

The last time we got together I mentioned I was reading McLaren's book Faith after Doubt.   That turned out to be a great topic starter.  But me being me, started adding what if's into the conversation.  Most just received answers that are typical to various denominations.  Then apparently in a moment of screw it,  let's get the other six either mad or thinking. So I posed this line of thought:

"So let me ask this or maybe propose this thought.  What if the diety that the Abrahamic religions are based on was god-like to us but was just an average space alien that screwed up and got stuck here.  Since it always appeared to Moses and others prior to Moses as a glowing light, it was a pure energy being.  Further that all the stuff leading up to Jesus of Nazareth's birth was it trying to figure out how to be one of us? To blend in so to speak. What-if?  Okay go, let's hear what you have to say on that thought."

 The first to respond was an older, older than me at least, evangelical clergy, but apparently very open-minded and liberal thinking.  His response was more in the line of interesting thought, but how do you explain his Arch Angels and other things that do not quite fit with your what-if?

This began a long two-hour discussion, sometimes heated, sometimes thoughtful.  One of the members walked out angry that we would even have a discussion of such hearsay.   By the end, most of us left were chuckling and a couple said they were going to have to give this thought as it was an interesting exercise in taking a different look at the foundation of Christianity and Judaism.  

As I was leaving the young 20 something waitress asked me to hold back.  She asked if I was serious about my thinking of the what if on the energy being.  I just smiled.  I responded sometimes food for thought is the best way to stimulate thought and review without engaging in heated debate.   She asked what I really thought.  I said my thinking is struggling with doubts right now and what-ifs help me get through the doubts at times.  She sighed and said doubts are all she had left of her Catholic upbringing.  She said she tried to listen to the whole discussion, all the way through and hoped for an ah-ha moment. Instead, she said she had more doubts now.  I then said the only thing I could remember from all I read in various books.  

"Where there is doubt is where there is also understanding and growth. All this will let you move into another stage of your faith and belief. Use that doubt to find your way." 

I gave her my number and email and told her I was always around to listen and chat about her journey.  She seemed happy with that.  

Black History and the Catholic Church

 As we start the journey through February, Black History Month in the United States, we need to be mindful of all the contributions that those of African American descent have made in the history of the United States and to the Catholic Church both past and up to the present.

 Some people forget that Christianity did not originate in Europe and even express surprise when they learn that Black Catholic History began in the Acts of the Apostles (8: 26-40) with the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch by Philip the Deacon.  This text is important for several reasons. First, it chronicles the conversion of the first Black African in recorded Christian history. Second, the text suggests that the man was a wealthy, literate, and powerful emissary of the Nubian Queen and also a faithful, practicing Jew before his baptism. Clearly, he was not an ignorant heathen. Third, the Ethiopian Eunuch’s conversion predates the conversions of Saints Paul and Cornelius. Most significantly, many cite this conversion as the very moment when the church changed from a Hebrew and Hellenist community to the truly Universal and Catholic Church.  We also need to keep in mind, except for the Romans from Europe, the Bible is filled with people of color.  While ethnic background should not matter, it has become an issue in this country over the past few years.

It goes to reason that the Catholic Church has many Black Saints.  Black/African American Catholics claim many Black Saint: Saints Cyprian, Zeno, Anthony of Egypt, Moses the Black, Pachomius, Maurice, Athanasius, Pisentius, Mary of Egypt, Cyril of Alexandria, Monica of Hippo, Augustine of Hippo, Perpetua, Felicitas, and Thecla. Some of these mystics, monastics, and, martyrs literally made the church what it is today.  There are seven more currently working their way through the process of becoming Saints:  Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, Venerable Henrietta Delille,  Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Servant of God Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greely, and Daniel A Rudd. 

As you can see the Catholic Church has a  rich history of contributions from the African brothers and sisters that are part of the great universal Catholic Church.  Sadly, the American Catholic Church did not seriously commit its time and resources to minister to the African-American population during the antebellum or post-bellum periods. However, God made a way for them, even when one wasn’t provided to them by the Church.

Black History Month provides opportunities to learn and share the whole history and rich heritage of Christian Catholicism.  The issue facing the Black Catholic then as it is now is what the Catholic Church is still failing to address directly.  Choosing to take a very slow and deliberate route that seems to include ignoring there are issues needing to be addressed. 

February Thought

 I have learned many many years ago, because I am willing to question mainstream theological thinking and to examine the liberal views fairly and without condemning them immediately the same as I examine the conservative views fairly. I find that I become condemned, judged, and attacked. Most times I take it in stride as I prefer to have an esoteric view before I decide anything theologically. Of the five different theological forums, I spend some time on, few are very accepting of my views.  I have learned to chose my battles and my points to wade into arguments on carefully. Most times I would rather calm them down and try to get the combatants back to a civil debate. All that said, there are a few that prefer to come in yelling and pointing fingers from moment one.