To trick or treat or not?

Today is Halloween, the day of “trick or treating”, neighbors actually TALKING to eachother, families enjoying eachother’s company, and Christmas for dentists.

But if you are a member of American Christendom, than you are aware that the holiday also brings some controversy with it. Some more conservative churches use this time of year to speak out against what they consider a neive way of inviting satan into their parishoners home. They say that the vague similarities between the ancient, pagan celebration of Samhain (harvest feast) and todays commercial practice of Halloween are almost equivalent to worshipping the devil. I understand this argument, but after some parental research and common sense thought, I disagree with it.

Mainly, it is an ENTIRELY inconsistent position for Christians. Read more

Focus on the Fear

I grew up with Focus on the Family. I remember long car rides made pleasant because of the Adventures in Odyssey tapes. I know that my parents gained valuable parenting skills from some of the publications that Dr. James Dobson produced.

That being said, Focus on the Family is NOT what it used to be.

It started a decade ago when Dobson entered the realm of political action groupage and pundicy. It has sadly taken a turn for the worst with THIS. (its a PDF).

Basically, it is a document designed to envoke fear into the minds and hearts of the weak minded and uninformed. It is called, A Letter from 2012. The letter, which is creatively written from a person in 2012 after Obama has been president for two terms, lists both ridiculous and legally impossible circumstances, for example:

1. The U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq prompts a take-over by Al Qaeda, which in turn has carried out terrorist attacks on four U.S. cities.
2. Home-schoolers are forced to use state-approved curricula, and rather than do so, many emigrate to New Zealand or Australia where they may teach without restrictions
3. The Supreme Court declares that “proselytizing speech” does not have the same protection as other speech, and Christian ministries are banned from college campuses
4. The FCC nullifies all restrictions on obscene speech or visual portrayals on TV, and it’s now a 24-hour non-stop diet of explicit porn

And the list goes on. I am fine with people who disagree politically and I have plenty of friends and family who are as conservative as they come and they would even cringe at this behavior on the part of FoF. I am saddened that such a once-powerful ministry that was used by God to equip parents has now shrunk to this. I hope they can find their bearings.

Faith versus reason

If you have time, read the e-debate between Conservative Soul author (and Rethynk blogroller) Andrew Sullivan and atheist Sam Hill about faith and reason. If you saw Bill Maher’s film Religulous (I did not), you will appreciate the topic. *Spoiler*: God wins.

The dabate was hosted by Beliefnet HERE.

This would be interesting

Put away falsehood

I despise email campaigns and rarely trust them. For those of you who send them to me or use incorrect info from them in discussions here at Rethynk, I encourage you to visit THIS SITE.

For starters, the truth behind the FALSE claim that Barack Obama supports infanticide and partial-birth abortion. Read it.

HT to Rundio.

Good Question, Choose Wisely

The Washington Post posed a question that I am interested in hearing your feedback on.

Women are not allowed to become clergy in many conservative religious groups. Is it hypocritical to think that a woman can lead a nation and not a congregation?

Personally, I think you can’t one without the other. If your interperetation of Scripture says that women are not allowed in church leadership, then the same should follow for the state. To say that the Bible is only talking about church leadership but does not apply to public office I find to be impossible to explain theologically. What do you think?

Great Debate: Illegals

I live in Arizona. I am white. I am a Christian. I should be one who is “fed up” with illegal immigration. I should be panicked and alarmed at how open the U.S. border with Mexico is. I should be pissed that “my taxes” pay for the education and health care of people who don’t deserve to be here. I should assume every poor person with brown skin is an illegal. I should laugh when my peers make illegal jokes.

Read more

Great Debates: Capital Christ

I am starting a new section on Rethynk where users can debate issues and opinions in a peaceful, non-personal, way. I think discussing theological things, as well as social and political, is good for everyone… it keeps us sharp and our opinions sound. I have learned a lot over the years through this medium. So, be sure to watch for the Great Debates every-so-often. Read more