Recently, Pastor Jerry Falwell and the members of Thomas Road Baptist Church invited SoulForce to gather with them for a weekend of worship and fellowship.  This would not sound so strange, except for the fact that SoulForce is a homosexual rights organization founded by the Rev. Mel White, a former Southern Baptist minister.  I have thought about why Falwell, a prominent conservative crusader for social issues and one who is more right-leaning on many of these issues than myself, would so generously invite such a group into his church.  Relationship building, with the ultimate goal of evangelism, most probably was on his mind.  But I think he was also making a statement to the gay community and to the church at large.  Christians are not to hate any class of people.  No matter ones sexual orientation, a person is a human being, made in the image of God and of infinitesimal value to Him.  God loves Mel White.  And indeed, if he is going to consider our message, then he must know that we love him too.  Way to go, Jerry, my hat is off to you on this matter.

Last Sunday evening at church we viewed a movie entitled A Man Called Norman.  This was the true story about a mentally disabled elderly man, a socially unacceptable outcast of his community, and how God lead a Christian neighbor to build a personal relationship with him.  In the process, this neighbor made a true friend as he learned Norman was a kind man, with feelings and worth and something to offer to others.

“Grace” can be defined as a disposition of kindness toward others.  When I think of it, a picture of Jesus comes to mind.  I know He would treat, with immense gentility, the least of our society.  And I believe He would do the same with those who tend to be the least attractive to us, the church: the bum who is looking for a handout, the gay who thinks we hate him, and the disbeliever who may hate us.  You may think they do not deserve our grace, but grace is never about getting what you deserve.  And while we are at it, what do you and I “deserve” from God?

Matthew 25:40 – read it!  Let us be givers of grace to others.

NEVER AGAIN THE BURNING TIMES - A Reader Responds, Part II

I am commenting specifically on chapters 5 & 6.  Let me emphasize again, I am not a scholar- just a reader.

What are Witches Like?

The question is asked and answered, through a survey and personal observance on the part of the author: “What kinds of individuals become Witches & Neopagans?”  I discerned 10 characteristics of adherents to this religious direction:

(1)   Fondness for nature

(2)   Politically liberal (interestingly, of the 12 states showing no organized witches, 11 went Republican in the last election!)

(3)   Feminist

(4)   Open sexual preferences (38% other than heterosexual)

(5)   Well-educated

(6)   Lower-income

(7)   Not materialistic

(8)   Artistic/creative

(9)   Environmentally conscious

(10)    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;  Very private

Let it be noted these tend to be characteristics of these folk; they are not definitive of the religion as such.

Chapter 11 seems, to me, to be a less than adequate attempt to show Wicca/Witchcraft as a great, historic, defining religion of mankind.  A quote from p. 103 describes the message of the author: “…Present-day witchcraft…represents a resort to a magical philosophy that is quite ancient and has been significant in various historical periods of ideological transition in Western history.”  I can accept that magic and religion have always been important aspects of human behavior.  But I think it is a stretch to search history, find efforts and writings about magic, and decide to just claim them as part of a unified religious movement.

Some interesting quotes and points:

A string of occultic interests are listed on p. 54.  Then the author writes, “The Neopagans express interest and belief in the full range of these occult phenomena, except Satanism."

The writer, many times, goes to great extent to disassociate Witchcraft from Satanism.  But all of these other occultic practices and directions are encouraged.  Yet, many of them are linked to Satanism and demonism.  How can you “dance” so closely and yet never be connected?

“As one American witch said in response to the question, how does one become a witch? ‘Say you are a witch 3 times, & you are a witch’.”

Obviously a quite loosely knit community.  I know a person can be a Christian and yet eschew the organized church.  I do not think it is healthy, but it happens.  I guess the same is true with Wicca, only such lone-ranger mentality is encouraged.

“…that individuals having unusual sexual preference are drawn to this uncritical religion.” – p. 62.

Where do you draw the line with morality?  I know the Wiccan Rede is the standard.  But, “Do unto others…” surely needs some qualification and direction.  An “uncritical religion” sounds like the last verse of the Book of Judges.  (Grab your Bible, non-wiccan version (!) & check it out)

“Dance implies rhythm, joy, & aesthetic enjoyment, & the taking of pleasure in the animal nature of the body….Fundamentalist Christians regard much of this as sinful.” – p. 65

Boy, you got us with that one!  The old saying was, “A praying knee and a dancing foot don’t grow on the same leg.”  I cut my spiritual teeth in a fundamentalist church, and they convinced me to never go to my High School proms or to any dances.  I think they did me a disservice.  Some dancing is inappropriate, of course.  But, I know King David of the Bible danced before the Lord.  I know the Psalms encourage us to worship the Lord with the dance.  Some of our more progressive churches actually incorporate dancing as part of worship, dignified and appropriate.

Speaking of an early pagan leader named Bruno: “In the witch persecutions, he paid for his audacity with his life.” – p. 89

I do not believe God wants us to kill people on His behalf.  And, by the way, I am opposed to the state-sponsored death penalty.  Read about it on a previous post.

“…knowledge & skill of breaking & forging bonds…” – p. 95.  Apparently, neopaganism teaches that power in life is gained through the breaking of bonds of attraction.  “To be born you must die” is a quote on the same page.  I ask, because I do not know, if this important concept could be practiced by breaking marital fidelity, family ties, and even bringing injury to the very ones who most love us? 

The teaching of Jesus is that we must love Him more than anyone else, and he warns that such love can be a source of conflict in human relationships.

The witches described in this book do not seem to be scary people.  They seem sincere, and sound like they would make good citizens and good neighbors.  Heck, my neighborhood includes adherents of the Hindu religion, Sikhs, Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics, non-believers, backsliders, and lots of different Baptists.  I guess if they are not already living around here, there is room for witches also.

Fairmoon, the house next door is for sale. You can move here, as long as you don’t sacrifice my puppy dog (just kidding).

NEVER AGAIN THE BURNING TIMES – A Reader Responds, Part 1

Fairmoon & I are swapping books; she is reading Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis, and I am reading the above mentioned book.  It's a challenge for me- certainly not devotional material, but good reading I think.  It's well-written, and I challenge others to join me in reading this interesting book.

I’m into chapter five, so I am gaining a taste for the book.  My intention is not to write a scholarly review; it’s been a long time since I’ve been in College.

This book is about Witchcraft, but modern adherents prefer the name Wicca.  This is not a religion I have had much contact with.  I run across teenagers who claim to be Wiccan, but after some questioning I come to understand it is just a religious flavor of the week for them.  I know of an old, creepy building in a nearby town that is rumored to be a gathering place for witches, but I doubt it.

All my life, I have understood witchcraft to be associated with the occult and Satanism.  Now this book tells me witches do not worship the devil.  Instead, they apparently have a variety of deities, at the forefront being a Mother-Goddess and a Horned-God.  He was called Lucifer by earlier adherents in England, and perhaps even today.  This book tells me that modern Wiccans practice only “good magic” and “good spells”.  If I remember correctly, there is a three-fold theory of reciprocity; that whatever you cast forth will come back to you threefold. 

Did you know that a witch can be male or female?  No self-respecting male witch would want to be called a warlock. 

A FEW INTERESTING EXCERPTS:

“When individuals pray or make offerings in an effort to bring about some change in themselves or their environment- in terms of the distinction I am making- they are performing magic.” – p. 5

Such is not my understanding of prayer.  The prayer is not magical.  I am not focusing my power upon others.  Prayer is asking of God.  He does the work, not the prayer.

“Because the initiation included a vow of secrecy, I cannot quote from the secret books.” – p. 16

Why secret teachings and secret books?  Are there beliefs that would be damaging if known by others?  Oftentimes the cults of the Christian faith have “secret beliefs”, quite heretical, that are kept secret from the average believer because the leaders know of their incompatibility with the very tenets they profess to the public to believe.

“…the ultimate boon of life-eternal…is reserved for those who progress through many births by learning, & learning entails the suffering, or hard work, of mastering the craft.” – p. 21

Nothing unique about this.  It’s a works-based religion; one must be good enough to earn his way to eternal life.  Eternal life, for the Christian, comes when you realize you will never be good enough to earn your salvation, and so by simple faith you accept what God has done for you through Christ.

“The witch- who is in all societies aligned with the polarity of evil…” – p. 44

I ask why?  Have people, all through the centuries, and in all kinds of cultures, all been mistaken about witchcraft? 

Speaking of the Middle Ages in Europe when witches were persecuted and killed, the writer states: “Accusation of witchcraft followed the refusal of charity to the newly pauperized.  Uncharitable householders who suspected the rejected beggars of cursing them were able to justify their stinginess by resort to the new Calvinist ethic and by accusing the beggar of witchcraft.” – p. 50

I am so glad we do not have a “Christian” government.  I would hate to have the Christian equivalent of the Taliban, or these charlatans of the Middle Ages, running my country.  I’ll place my Christian faith next to any and all faiths, in the arena of public ideas and behaviors, and I think Christianity will win.  But when we force our faith on others, and persecute those who are different, we lose.

Well, that’s some of my reading and response.  As I continue, I want to know if the writer will admit there is a dark side to Witchcraft.  I want to know her response to Biblical teachings about the faith.  And, I want to know about the state and practice of witchcraft in America, today. 

See ya in a few days!

I begin today with my reading of Never Again The Burning Times: Paganism Revived, by Loretta Orion.  I am a conservative Christian minister, and I must admit that reading this book will be a challenge.  My Bible instructs, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” – Eph.  5:11 (KJV).  Some interpret this to mean one should only read “Christian” books, view “Christian” movies, and hang out with “Christian” people.  That would make for an awfully dull world for me, because I experience God’s truth and presence from all kinds of places and people.  I will go so far as to say that, sometimes, I sense a stifling of God’s presence when with exclusively Christian people.  Please do not misunderstand.  I enjoy worshiping with these people, and I know heaven will be full of them.  But, sometimes I need to just step away and get a breath of fresh air.  I am not talking about indulging in “sin”.  But I find myself to be a more complete person, a happier person, when I invite a variety of other persons to be connected with my life.  Jesus did that.  He made a habit of being around the so-called “publicans and sinners.” – Matt. 9:11.  I am sure an important intent was evangelism.  But I also think He just liked these folks.  He enjoyed them; not necessarily their behavior, but their intrinsic worth as human beings.

So, I will read this book.  It may not be quickly, because I am somewhat busy these days.  I will learn from it.  No doubt there are truths to absorb, facts and figures, and hopefully some good stories.  And I can almost guarantee I will disagree about many things.  There is just so much compatibility to be allowed between “mere” Christianity and another faith.  Some matters just cannot be compromised. Jesus spoke much about the inevitable clash when Christianity butts heads with other worldviews (Matt. 10:34-39).

I know you can find used editions of this book on www.half.com and www.amazon.com.  Fairmoon and I will be sharing a healthy discussion as we go along.  I promise to seek to be fair, kind, studious, and honest in this dialogue. 

I challenge you to grab a copy of this book( and, while you are at it, I encourage you to read Mere Christianity also) and join in!

I still struggle with some aspects of race relations.  Kurtmaddox (http://kurtmaddox.tblog.com/ )  made a challenging comment in response to a previous blog.  Here is part of his statement: “…my test for "are you a racist" is "what would you say if your daughter brought a boy of another race home to meet you?" if you say anything other than "i'd do my best to learn about the values, visions and character of the young man" then you are a racist to some degree -- maybe a very small degree but, like being pregnant, you can't be just a little racist :-)”

I responded that I would not score 100 on his test, and he insightfully replied again:

“hmm... if you would not score 100 on my test, on what basis do you apply your principle to being welcome into your church family but NOT into your biological family???? i hope you don't mind a little gadfly-ism from me ;-)”

Now that is what I like about the interaction of blogging.  Sometimes you deal with folks who are not insightful or helpful; just raging.  And sometimes the interchange causes you to grow.

I still say that I am moving forward and maturing in the area of race relations, but I have yet to arrive.  I’m trying.  Here’s a little incident that happened two years ago that reminds me of the mountain I have yet to fully climb:

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I attended my daughter’s high school graduation at a large arena.  Her school is a mixture of many races, and I feel good about it being a part of her education.  My family sat down in a section surrounded by about a dozen blacks.  When the event began, we were asked to reserve applause until the end of the ceremony.  I consider graduation to be a milestone event, worthy of my respect and full attention.  However, the folks around me approached it much differently.  They talked quite loudly throughout the event.  They clapped and yelled when someone they knew walked through the line.  I had difficulty watching my daughter receive her diploma.  Those who sat around this group were grim-faced and annoyed, but said nothing.  I glanced over at the three beside me with an unhappy expression, and this large lady immediately said out loud: “Who do you think you are looking at?” I replied, “You are ruining this priceless event for me.”  The man next to her said, “You’d better shut up, or I will knock your head off.”  I believe he meant it.  Now they decided to behave even more rudely, as well as focus unkind remarks toward my family and I.

Looking back and considering the situation, I know it was not the color of these people’s skin that caused them to behave so inappropriately.  We have people of many different races who attend my church, and I could not imagine any of them behaving so inappropriately.  I believe cultural, economic, and educational factors were involved.  Still, that moment showed a stark difference in behavior of two different racial groups.  It is tempting to generalize and judge, and sometimes I fall into the trap.

I think I can learn something here.  Your comments please.

I’ve decided to no longer shop at Walmart.  My wife and daughters laugh, saying my little protest will hardly impact the bottom line of this mega-monster.  But I continue to protest, and notice some progress.  My family now tends to go to Target, and an acquaintance today told me she was intentionally seeking to shop elsewhere.  So, who knows, but in two or fifty-two years Walmart may change its ways.

I used to proclaim Walmart the greatest store in the world, but that was before they tore down the smaller marts and replaced them with giant mega-stores.  I would brag that, whatever one may need, Walmart was sure to have it at a lower price.  And those facts are still true.  But, I find the shopping experience to no longer be worth the savings.  Instead I will travel further to go to Target, the local Walmart wannabe with half the selection and none of the crowd.  Or I will travel to three or four smaller stores to gladly spend more money to avoid the Walmart experience.  I’ll even go to the mall and at least avoid the hubris of Sam Walton’s creature.

What’s wrong with Walmart?  Perhaps it is a victim of its own success.  I am convinced they think the American consumer is so focused upon the bottom line that he is willing to sell his soul to save a few dollars.  Apparently, most are so inclined.  But I am not going to take it anymore.  Negotiating the parking lot is equivalent to driving in a third-world country.  The aisles are so atrociously crowded one must wait in line to select almost any product.  The check-out lines have more delay than the Atlanta rush hour.  And, I despise the self check-out counters.  The electronic eyes are hit-and-miss, card readers erratic, and why does the computer have such difficulty registering that your item is indeed in the bag?  Finally, it is humiliating to be searched by the security guard as I exit, just to make sure I did not steal an extra pair of underwear.  Also, have you ever tried to register a complaint with these guys?  They smile and listen, but it is so obvious that you are just an insignificant drop in the ocean.

So, I will tilt at the windmill; I am declaring a boycott of Walmart.  Put down that Sam’s Cola and join me.

(This is a little long, but I had to get it out.  It will give you a glimpse of a life-event that definitely served to help shape the person I am today.)

Drake came by my office that afternoon.  His intent was to try to "straighten me out", and "perhaps save my job", he said.  In the twelve months I had served the church, I had come to like this man.  He was a lifetime resident of the little town, had worked until retirement as a supervisor in a large factory, and generally came across as level-headed and fair.  And he professed to love his church and his Lord.  He was on the pastor-search committee that interviewed me and brought me to the church.

I was very tired, and really did not look forward to this meeting.  We were in the middle of Vacation Bible School, and word quickly spread throughout the church family and small town that I had committed a grave and probably unpardonable sin.  In the course of canvassing the surrounding communities, I invited black children to our church.  More damaging, I used the church van to give these kids a ride.  There were around 20 of these little ones.  They appeared to truly enjoy themselves and behave well, and I was feeling good about being a true church to our community.  But, I guess I should have known better.  A couple of VBS teachers refused to return after the first day.  Some of the husbands came to see what was happening, and left with disgust, refusing even to speak with me.  Now I knew the phone lines were burning and I was in serious trouble.

Drake sat across from me, grim in demeanor, and sought to talk some sense into me for over an hour.  He said he did not hate black people, that he even worked with some.  He would not invite them into his house, and certainly did not want to eat at the same table.  It was no good to mix the children, because next thing you know they’ll be dating and marrying.  He told me of a grave situation, some twenty years earlier, when black teenagers came into the church and displayed a total disrespect for the worship.  Many were thankful when a “wise” church leader stood up and dismissed the service in midstream.  Drake informed me he had spoken with several church leaders, and that I had no right to use the church van to bring these kinds of people into our church. 

I spoke a few times, and then sat back and listened.  I tried to understand this man.  He is really not unique.  And then I started feeling sick, a nausea deep inside my being.  When he finished, I looked him in the eye, and told him I felt sorry for him.  Now he was speechless. 

The week of VBS ended with record attendance.  Eleven older children freely committed their hearts to Christ’s Lordship, including two teenagers who happened to be black.  The church leadership called a special meeting to tell me I had ruined their church.  Many people stopped attending services, and many more committed to withholding their money until I left.  I tried to understand, tried to reason, and pleaded for dialogue.  Interestingly, local ministers were silent toward me.  My children were ridiculed at school because their daddy was a “nigger lover”.  It was a very painful experience, and I will carry the scars for the rest of life.

That was 7 years ago.  I now pastor a multi-cultural church.  My children now tell me they are proud of how I handled the matter.  That same church called me last year, and asked if I would return to preach “Homecoming Services”.  I thought about it, then called them back and politely declined.

I wonder, still wonder…How can a person go through his/her life claiming to be a Christian, and never grasp the necessity to love people of all colors?  They dress in their Sunday fineries, tote a big Bible, sing songs and shed tears.  And they cannot imagine sharing a church building with a black person.  It’s all around me, but I seriously question the validity of such religion.  I believe such people, even as they sing “O How I Love Jesus” put a sick feeling into the pit of the stomach of God.