Should/Can All Religions Coexist?

Yesterday my wife and I were driving home from a weekend trip to the beach (awesome trip!) and we saw the above bumper sticker with various religious symbols arranged to spell the word “COEXIST” (maybe you’ve seen, or even own, one of these bumper stickers). “Bumper sticker theology” (the art of expressing one’s theology on a bumper sticker) is a particularly favorite topic of mine for various reasons, but that’s a topic for another day. This particular “theology” bumper sticker got me thinking: “What do they mean by ‘Coexist’?”

#1 Keep believing what you believe, but don’t be hatefully judgmental toward those who believe differently?

OR…

#2 Find that all religions are seeking the same thing and agree that we are all on the same team?

If it is the first statement, then I agree. Yes, there are dramatic differences in belief systems, but to be hateful or spiteful is reprehensible!

However, while I think the first option is part of the package, I think the intention of the sticker is more of a theological statement (#2). Theological in that it attempts to say more about God than any of the religions on the bumper sticker teach.

To say that all religions are virtually the same is absolutely incorrect. If they were, there would be no conversation since all religions would teach the same thing: “Coexist.”

• Buddhism doesn’t teach that belief in Jesus alone is the only way to heaven (“enlightenment”), therefore, those two cannot reconcile their differences theologically.

• Judaism doesn’t teach the only way to heaven is to become one with everything (“enlightened”); therefore those two cannot reconcile their differences theologically.

• Islam doesn’t teach that life is an endless cycle of reincarnation; therefore it and Hinduism cannot reconcile their differences theologically.
  

• Christianity doesn’t teach anyway to heaven is fine as long as you believe in something; therefore it and any religion that teaches that cannot reconcile their differences theologically.

So now what do we do? There are only three options:

Either

Only one of them can be correct.

Or

Pretend that they match up (or make them match up by distorting various parts of them) by making up your own religion and blending the religions.

Or

Make up your own religion from scratch.

The major problem with the second and third options, however, is that neither would be truly credible because it would make the one blending/making up the religions god (since they would be the one making the rules).

I applaud the intention of the people who designed the Coexist sticker, but unfortunately it is not a realistic possibility (from a theological standpoint). However, this does not mean that a royal, religious rumble ought to take place among the various faiths, either. For most of the faiths mentioned, such hatred actually goes against their basic teachings.

Theologically speaking - we have come to a fork in the road. What do we do???

Simple (yet life altering):

a choice must be made.

NOTE: I always welcome dialogue, so feel free to leave any related comments!!! Please be respectful!

Until next time…

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My Hope (and Prayer) for Audacity

Obama promises change. McCain promises change. So with the economic structure of the country in flux both candidates have boldly risen up and said... nothing.

At least both sides do truly have one thing in common - they're both playing the politics game. The same "game" both have campaigned against for the last year. If either of them had one clue how to truly "change" the game, NOW would be the time to rise up and outshine the other. If either Obama or McCain could deliver the "change" they are promising, they would have spoken up by now (and better yet - back it up by going to Washington and voting on President Bush's economic plan, whether for or against it). But they won't. They'll sit back and watch... from a distance... hidden behind speech writers and more people with agendas. Why? Because that's how the political game is played.



Right now America's chief concern is money. Why wouldn't it be? It's what we've built our foundation upon as a nation. What happens when that foundation is washed away (or shaken, as it seems to be now)? The hope of the country fades... because they placed all their eggs in the basket that has no real value or answers. It is also the reason both Obama and McCain will remain silent... True Hope can't be sold (God already gave it away - free!).

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matt. 7:24-27)

"Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?' Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" (John 14:5-6)


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TV Wars: The Return of Cable

About three or four years ago my wife and I decided to give up cable television in order to save money. I must admit that it was a MAJOR adjustment… especially the loss of DVR (a really convenient function that can be a great resource for families). No longer could we pause live television to attend to unexpected issues, auto-record shows in our absence and then skip the commercials... gone were Disney, ESPN, Nickelodeon, and Lifetime movies (a favorite of my wife’s). It was a major adjustment.

After months of discussion, my wife and I decided to venture back into the world of cable after our 3-4 year hiatus. Last Friday the Dish Network guy came and installed our new DVR Satellite Cable and showed me how to work the very complicated system and then left me with “THE remote” in hand… the remote which held the destiny of my future ESPN appointments in its complicated and illuminated buttons. Then something strange (and definitely unexpected) happened… I didn’t really care. I flipped through the guide and saw show after show after show – something for everyone I suppose – and had no desire to watch any of them, so I turned it off. The same thing happened with my wife – she had opportunities to watch, but opted to read instead. It’s been almost 4 full days and we have not watched one complete program (to include any sports programming or Lifetime Movies). In talking about it today we’ve noticed something about our cable hiatus:

1. It de-programmed us and we actually liked it (it took us getting cable to realize that, though)… our TV “habits” were tamed and simplified to local network programming.
2. It made television watching easier for my children (with no cable they had one channel choice: free PBS Kids shows). Once we got cable, the arguing ensued – “no! I don’t want to watch that… or that… I want to watch…”. Even more startling is their willingness to watch different shows in different rooms (to isolate themselves from the family) – something that didn’t happen with one option.
3. We really didn’t miss cable. The only feature we really missed was the ability to choose when we watched TV. DVR gave us a freedom in watching TV – we could watch our shows anytime we wanted and pass the junky commercials.

That’s pretty much it. Not much in terms of news – just an interesting development in our lives. Those who know us well know we are/were TV junkies and the addition of cable to our house again would have normally been reason to celebrate. Instead it’s given us some perspective.

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Spider-Man the Family Man

A solid example of real life fatherhood came from the most unlikely of places… Hollywood! In the midst of the land of make believe and false beliefs one man stood against the “machine” and won. Tobey Maguire (the 33 yr old actor known for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man) signed an unprecedented deal this week to return as the comic book hero Spider-Man in the fourth and fifth installments of the franchised movie. As a part of his insanely lucrative payment ($50 million) for his acting services (I know actors, athletes, musicians, etc. work hard, but it still amazes me that they make MILLIONS to do what they do) he demanded time off every morning and evening to “play with his daughter.” AWESOME!

What a stellar standard to set. Sony at first was reluctant to meet that demand for fear of setting a precedent (showing, again, Hollywood’s true colors – money over family and what really matters), but they backed down when they realized Toby wouldn’t. So props to you, Spider-Man, for being "the Man" in your daughter’s life and demonstrating to her what ought to be more valuable than any thing (money included): family.

See the article here: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article4749016.ece

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Virginity's Price Tag = $1 million

News Article: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,420681,00.html

Apparently most things do have a price, at least according to 22 year old “Natalie Dylan” (her pseudonym) who is auctioning off her virginity to the highest bidder. While she doesn’t have a specific figure in mind, she has said that $1 million has crossed her mind (according to a report I saw on one of the morning shows – GMA, Today, etc… I don’t remember which one). “Why would she do that?” you ask. Her answer: “to pay for college.”

As a fellow sufferer of “college debt” (I have plenty of student loans out that are being paid off verrrryyyyy sloooowwwwwllllllyyyyy) I can relate to Ms. “Dylan’s” predicament, as well as her desire to be financially stable. Matter of fact I’ve dreamt about a check for $100,000 magically showing up a our house to take care of all our student loans, debts and to have some left over to give us a fresh start at better financial decision making (compared to those decisions we made as young, married college students); however, auctioning off my wife, kids, my reputation, my faith, my dignity, etc. has never been an option.

She states: "I don't think auctioning my virginity will solve all my problems, but it will create some financial stability." I agree… it very well could give her some initial financial stability… but at what cost? She seems to be intuitive enough to know that the money won’t fix all her problems; however, it doesn’t appear as though she’s thought through the ramifications of her decision (namely, all the new problems that will arise when she follows through). Here are some possibilities:

1. The possible negative feelings she may experience as a result (such as feeling cheap, used, etc.)

2. The negative reputation she will certainly gain (she will be known as the girl who “slept her way through college”… people who sleep their way to the top/through something are rarely respected and are typically viewed as someone who didn’t earn their accomplishments)

3. The label of “prostitute” will certainly come with this decision, since she is receiving money/college education for sex. Side Note: This activity illegal in 49.5 of the 50 states, which is probably why she is doing the deed in a “legal” brothel in Nevada (the .5 that still allow it), so she can avoid criminal charges in addition to the money.

These three are just possibilities and are not exhaustive, as she will certainly face several other “problems” as a result of her decision.

I pray “Natalie” will change her mind and value herself in a way that money never can. That she will see her value the way God does (Psalm 8:3-9, John 3:16-21, Ephesians 1:4-10). I also pray that as she weighs the consequences of this decision she will think also of those who are going to be affected by her choice (her present family, her future spouse, her future children, her future employer and all of their reputations). Finally, I pray she will turn from the quick fix to solve her problems and look to God for answers, healing and help as she navigates through this turbulent time in her life.

For those who are reading this right now and have similar aspirations (selling yourself or part of yourself, to include pics and such) for quick solutions, know that there are other ways!! If you would like answers or guidance, feel free to email me... I may not have all the answers, but I will certainly help you find them!

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36)

Until next time my C2 bloggers... CONTEND FOR THE FAITH!! :-)

Christian the Christian Radio and Books

Ok so it's not really a radio station (it should be!), but I found a sweet internet code that allows me to program my own playlist and post it here on my blog for all to enjoy. :-) So I hope you like the music as you sift throught the blog entries. These songs are, for the most part, some of my favorites with a few scattered throughout that I either like to hear from time to time, or that make my foot tap (I have the episode from Scrubs in my head where Turk tells JD that he's added 'NSync's Bye, Bye, Bye as a ringtone because it makes him want to dance... flash forward to the next scene when he gets a call and all the staff stop what they're doing and break into dance). lol That one made me laugh for days...
Anyway... in addition to the music, I've also a book list of titles that I am currently reading. Enjoy the music, books and blog entries... now if we could only figure out how to serve up tasty, virtual Mochas.... mmmmmmm....

Bristol Palin Who? Levi Johnson Who?

I’m not going to begin to pretend like I know either of these teens because I don’t. What I’m willing to bet, however, is that neither one of them thought their “private” lives and relationship would become National News. “Typical” teens, I guess (whatever that really means), having fun and testing the waters in multiple ways now have a national audience aware of their lifestyles. Partying, alcohol and, obviously, sex (evidenced by her recent announcement that she’s 5-months pregnant) were apparently regular parts of their lives (as reported by news outlets and seen in pics on personal MySpace pages). While I agree with Sen. Obama, that the life of the candidates children should have no bearing on their politics, there are some talking points which need be addressed, if for no other reason to help teens see what consequences look like.

One month ago no one outside of Alaska had probably ever heard of 17-year old Bristol or 18-year old Levi, yet here we stand and these two teens are nationally known. Regardless of whether or not it’s relevant to the Presidential Campaign, there is no doubt neither are fond of the situation they are in:

1. Their “poor choices” are being aired to the world. Whether or not it is the public’s business, it is still news/gossip and being talked about regularly.

2. Their lifestyle (not just the pregnancy) has not just affected them, but their families, Bristol’s mother’s career, their town and most importantly, their unborn child.

3. Their lifestyle and decisions will carry with them the rest of their lives (and not just because they conceived a baby out of wedlock). They will unfortunately be remembered as wild teens that got pregnant and affected (in some capacity, maybe not in totality) Sarah Palin’s campaign as the Vice President of the United States of America.

Again, I do not think their decisions are worthy of national scrutiny, however, this ought to serve as a reminder to students that (something I say to my students all the time) “the decisions we make today dictate the life we lead tomorrow.” This should also serve as a reminder to all teens that your decisions do not just affect you – good or bad, they affect MANY! I know this is tough for many teens to understand (I know, because it wasn’t something I understood despite my parent’s pleading with me), but it’s true. There is no such thing as a “private sin” – when we choose to live selfishly it hurts others. Right now, there is no teen in America that realizes this more than Levi or Bristol. I have no doubt Levi and Bristol wished today’s news’ headlines looked a little different and probably would have decided upon a different lifestyle had they known what today would have in store for them (and her mom).

I pray that despite this rough road, both will look to God for strength and forgiveness. I pray that both will learn from this and will use this experience as a new beginning… as a new foundation for them where they realize the gravity of their decisions and then live lives dedicated to God and purity.