Tuesday, October 28, 2008
You can say that again...and again
This only proves how either candidate lacks any original thought and are so well coached they have become muppets for their handlers. Not that I am surprised.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Asking Conservative Reformed folks
I have recently been listening to Limbaugh and Charlotte's local host Jeff Katz. Clearly that is a problem, but it has made me wonder how this dramatic theological-anthropology shift has occurred in our political system.
As a Presbyterian Minister my base anthropological perspective is rooted in the reformed tradition (shocking and unusual, I know). To try to capture it in a nutshell--the reformed tradition believes that the autonomous individual is fully broken and in need of God's grace (I can do nothing apart from God); John Calvin's basic principle of the depravity of humanity. However, through the gathering of a community of faith the broken and selfish individual is restored and capable of pursuing a "common" good.
This can be recognized in our polity, much like the US government, we have an elected body who are chosen by community of faith's to "represent" and discern the common good for the entire denomination. There is no single individual who has a higher authority to make a decree. Unlike our government, though, representation does not mean mirroring the majority opinion of one's constituency, because majority opinion can also be broken and flawed.
This base anthropological and ecclessial theology means that the individual is incapable of choosing "good" alone and in need of a community and ultimately God to discern, rebuke and correct the individual.
Clearly the founding father's did not all adhere to this base understanding of humanity (Deism would say that good/God resides in each individual). But the constitutional system established holds Deism/Enlightenment principles in tension with very strong Reformed principles. The checks and balances of our system are a result of this fear of the individual. Any one person with too much power would corrupt the entire community, because an autonomous individual by his/her nature is selfish.
So, from listening to Limbaugh and others, I infer that for conservatives the autonomous individual is the highest form of authority and ideally should be able to govern his/her self. In other words, that being free from governmental and institutional restraints would allow people to pursue a common good, because that would be a natural human response.
Since all of my training is sociological and theological, and not economic nor constitutional, how does this shift occur? Can this tension be held together to create the bipartisan idealism people seem to want?
Or more importantly, how do conservatives connect that ideology with the Reformers principles?
As a Presbyterian Minister my base anthropological perspective is rooted in the reformed tradition (shocking and unusual, I know). To try to capture it in a nutshell--the reformed tradition believes that the autonomous individual is fully broken and in need of God's grace (I can do nothing apart from God); John Calvin's basic principle of the depravity of humanity. However, through the gathering of a community of faith the broken and selfish individual is restored and capable of pursuing a "common" good.
This can be recognized in our polity, much like the US government, we have an elected body who are chosen by community of faith's to "represent" and discern the common good for the entire denomination. There is no single individual who has a higher authority to make a decree. Unlike our government, though, representation does not mean mirroring the majority opinion of one's constituency, because majority opinion can also be broken and flawed.
This base anthropological and ecclessial theology means that the individual is incapable of choosing "good" alone and in need of a community and ultimately God to discern, rebuke and correct the individual.
Clearly the founding father's did not all adhere to this base understanding of humanity (Deism would say that good/God resides in each individual). But the constitutional system established holds Deism/Enlightenment principles in tension with very strong Reformed principles. The checks and balances of our system are a result of this fear of the individual. Any one person with too much power would corrupt the entire community, because an autonomous individual by his/her nature is selfish.
So, from listening to Limbaugh and others, I infer that for conservatives the autonomous individual is the highest form of authority and ideally should be able to govern his/her self. In other words, that being free from governmental and institutional restraints would allow people to pursue a common good, because that would be a natural human response.
Since all of my training is sociological and theological, and not economic nor constitutional, how does this shift occur? Can this tension be held together to create the bipartisan idealism people seem to want?
Or more importantly, how do conservatives connect that ideology with the Reformers principles?
Monday, October 20, 2008
A narrow road?
I read in the Presbyterian Outlook a fascinating statistic:
"1750-1790 was the only time of great evangelical decline in our history. In 1776, only 17 percent of Americans were religiously observant by 1850 that had risen to 34% and has been mostly on the rise ever since to a total of 62% from 1980 to 2000."
As we search to sell religion so that it is more appetizing to the masses; are we seeking a greater market share at the expense of a quality product?
Should the Christian faith, with its core emphasis being upon a Sacrificial God who calls his followers to take their cross and follow him, experience this sort of growth?
Does our theology permit us to expect a 100% participation?*
Could the recent break down of blue-chip companies be a prophetic message for the established church as an institution? Granted the church will never die--if we believe that the church is Christ's body and that Jesus Christ is alive--but may an ever increasing market share be problematic?
In Durham I heard a minister describe one of the interesting things occuring in the American Church is that the Evangelical church movement has and is built around zeal, creativity, and energy (you can see this start-up creativity in every Charlotte movie theater or bowling alley on Sunday mornings). Historically the Mainline church has been gifted with sustainability and longevity, though we have recently faltered. The two could learn a great deal from each other since both need creativity and longevity.
*Do notice that it is "religiously observant" not specifically Christian.
"1750-1790 was the only time of great evangelical decline in our history. In 1776, only 17 percent of Americans were religiously observant by 1850 that had risen to 34% and has been mostly on the rise ever since to a total of 62% from 1980 to 2000."
As we search to sell religion so that it is more appetizing to the masses; are we seeking a greater market share at the expense of a quality product?
Should the Christian faith, with its core emphasis being upon a Sacrificial God who calls his followers to take their cross and follow him, experience this sort of growth?
Does our theology permit us to expect a 100% participation?*
Could the recent break down of blue-chip companies be a prophetic message for the established church as an institution? Granted the church will never die--if we believe that the church is Christ's body and that Jesus Christ is alive--but may an ever increasing market share be problematic?
In Durham I heard a minister describe one of the interesting things occuring in the American Church is that the Evangelical church movement has and is built around zeal, creativity, and energy (you can see this start-up creativity in every Charlotte movie theater or bowling alley on Sunday mornings). Historically the Mainline church has been gifted with sustainability and longevity, though we have recently faltered. The two could learn a great deal from each other since both need creativity and longevity.
*Do notice that it is "religiously observant" not specifically Christian.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Neighborhood
Coming back from a leadership conference Tuesday night. Lindsay and I were sound asleep when we were awoken to what we thought were gun shots.
Now having been a city boy, I have never held or seen a pistol. I have shot a few shotguns in my life, but I happily admit my handgun naivete. So I was not convinced that they were shots since it did not follow with any screeching, screaming or other noises.
Wednesday I checked out the neighborhood message board that reports any crime concerns. Nothing. So we figured it was nothing.
Turns out this morning, we learned that our immediate neighbor was held up at gun point at 11:45 Tuesday night and robbed by 4 men after he returned from work. Strangely, the police report made no mention of the gun shots.
Now we live in picturesque suburbia, so it is unuseful for this to happen near us let alone next to us.
Needless to say I will be heading to Home Depot to buy some flood lights.
Now having been a city boy, I have never held or seen a pistol. I have shot a few shotguns in my life, but I happily admit my handgun naivete. So I was not convinced that they were shots since it did not follow with any screeching, screaming or other noises.
Wednesday I checked out the neighborhood message board that reports any crime concerns. Nothing. So we figured it was nothing.
Turns out this morning, we learned that our immediate neighbor was held up at gun point at 11:45 Tuesday night and robbed by 4 men after he returned from work. Strangely, the police report made no mention of the gun shots.
Now we live in picturesque suburbia, so it is unuseful for this to happen near us let alone next to us.
Needless to say I will be heading to Home Depot to buy some flood lights.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Wine Connoisseurs
Lindsay and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary out at Napa Valley. It was my first trip to California but it was an amazing time out there. Best week of my life (minus my honeymoon, Ellie's birth, wedding, yada-yada...oh and the Panther's SuperBowl run...and Davidson's Elite Eight appearance but still definitely top 10)
We spent three days in the valley touring different wineries.
Our best find was a small winery called Hope and Grace. The name, atmosphere, service, and artwork made it awesome.
Then we spend two days in San Francisco where we walked/ran 17 miles throughout the city, including a short jaunt onto the Golden Gate bridge.
It was the first trip away from Ellie for both of us, but it was much needed (thanks to Lindsay's folks for making it possible).
As a fellow associate sent me though, "You never are in more need of a vacation then when you return from vacation." Words to live by.
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