Category Archives: religion

11.08.04
by

poem

I am a Christian
by Maya Angelou

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting “I’m clean livin.”
I’m whispering “I was lost,”
Now I’m found and forgiven.

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I don’t speak of this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble
and need CHRIST to be my guide.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak
and need HIS strength to carry on.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed
and need God to clean my mess.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible but,
God believes I am worth it.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain,
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not holier than thou,
I’m just a simple sinner
who received God’s good grace, somehow.

08.30.04
by

politics and religion

In Germany in the 1930s, there were many different issues that concerned the local populace. The economy was a huge issue. Germany was suffering under heavy World War I reparation debt. People were without jobs. Food was scarce and rationed. Hitler promised everyone jobs and the unlifting of that massive debt by, well, going to war with the rest of Europe that was oppressing them. He was a liberator, really. Yeah.

Looking back, now, the economy hardly seems to be what the God-fearing Christians of Germany SHOULD have been thinking about. The first concentration camp was opened in 1929 in Dachau, just outside of Munich. Sure, they all like to say that they didn’t know what was going on behind those walls. Maybe they didn’t know what was going on behind the walls, but the Germans were very aware of Hitler’s policy of confining Jews to ghettos and concentration camps. They knew Jews were going IN to Dachau…they turned a blind eye to the fact that none came OUT.

Hitler had convinced the general population that the fate of the Jews was no concern to them. They really shouldn’t care…after all, they were just Jews. Eventually, Hitler convinced many that the Jews were sub-human. Perhaps some were not convinced of that idea, but didn’t feel that they could do anything about it. And of course, by the time things really got going, Hitler was no longer an elected official…he was dictator.

The problem is, when any group of people is deemed second class or sub-human or inferior, we ALL suffer. And none of us is truly safe from being lumped in with those who are persecuted. If we don’t actually fit into that category (Jew, slave, disabled), we are labeled a sympathizer and our own freedoms are jeopardized.

When you have a situation like that of Germany in the 1930s, there is no other issue about which to concern yourself more than the treatment of the persecuted. If one among us is not free, then none of us is free. If Jews are being deprived of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, then it’s NOT the economy, stupid, it’s freedom.

When you have a situation like that of the United States in the early 21st century, there is no other issue that is more important than that of abortion. Millions of babies are killed every year. Yes, euthanasia is a good issue to be concerned about, but euthanasia does not kill a million innocent people every year. Yes, the war in Iraq is a good issue to be concerned about, but the war in Iraq does not kill a million innocent people every year. Yes, the economy is a good issue to be concerned about, but the economy, even if you blame the economy on all the poverty in this nation, is not responsible for the deaths of a million innocent people every year.

Do you ever wonder how the Germans could tolerate living in a society that killed people just because they were Jewish? Do you think you’d have had the guts to stand up for their rights? Do you think that when they voted for Hitler, his suporters had any idea where he’d be leading their country? Do you know that when the Reichstag voted for him to be their Prime Minister (or whatever he was called), he won be one vote?

We must take the stand now. Do not tolerate legislators or presidents or governors who think it’s ok to kill an unborn baby. Do not allow anyone to distract you with other issues that are not as important as abortion. There are very few issues that are clearly a case of right versus wrong. It is a moral obligation to vote on moral issues in a moral manner. The economy, the environment, the war: there are multiple sides to these issues. We are free to discuss them and to agree or disagree. THERE ARE MULTIPLE RIGHT ANSWERS. On abortion, there is only ONE right answer.

If you want more information, I recommend www.priestsforlife.org. They have links to voting guides and apples to apples comparisons of different politician’s opinions.

08.19.04
by

Witness for Christ

“As soon as I believed there was a God, I understood that I could not do anything other than live for Him.” Charles de Foucauld

M. de Foucauld lived from 1858 until some time in the early 1900s. The exact date is not in this article sitting in front of me, but I could find it on-line…if I cared enough to interrupt my train of thought to look it up. I don’t.

His whole life (after his conversion) was given to being a witness for Christ. He lived by example, rather than by preaching.

Back when I first came to know and love God, all I wanted to do was share Him with everyone. I guess it’s like someone who has just fallen in love and can’t stop talking about the new man in her life. It took some time to realize that it is impossible to set someone else on fire unless they want to be on fire.

It’s like a candle held up to another candle. If you hold the flame of a lit candle to the wick of another one, it will light it. If you hold the flame of a lit candle to the wax of another candle, it will destroy the other candle. I have no desire to destroy another person’s candle. I will happily light one, but will do everything I can to avoid burning the wax.

08.08.04
by

Made in God’s Image

For my Christian friends who believe that faith alone will get you into heaven, I present a portion from the Letter from James:

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-26)

Every friend I have ever pressed on this point doesn’t really believe that a person’s actions don’t matter. If I walked around saying “Praise Jesus” while shoplifting or beating my children, most people (and certainly God) would recognize the hypocracy. If we believe in Jesus, we are called to imitate Him and ACT like Him.

On the other hand, it is true that our bad actions do not prevent us from entering Heaven. And this is true only because of the sacrifice made by God’s son.

We are made in God’s image, not the other way around. We cannot say, “If I were God, this is how I would do things.” And that’s exactly what we do when we say that this person or that person cannot possibly get into Heaven unless they do XY and Z. God does not have to follow our rules, and we have no right to expect Him to do so.

On the other hand, clearly, God has certain expectations and has given us ways to discern His will. First of all, we have the Bible and primarily the Ten Commandments. Then we were given Jesus to teach us and to redeem us. Jesus had His 12 apostles to continue to guide us after He left, and when He returned to Heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to be our advocate. God does not want it to be impossible to love Him and join Him.

I think it was Archbishop Fulton Sheen who said that there wasn’t one person in America who hated what the Catholic Church is…but there were millions who hated what they THOUGHT the Catholic Church is.

The Catholic Church does not believe that anyone can earn or buy his way into Heaven. It is the doctrine of the Catholic Church that one must be baptized in order to enter (recognizing that God can change His mind on this point and also recognizing that God is ALL-LOVING and would not likely punish someone with eternal damnation if that person had never been exposed to the Gospel). Catholics recognize Jesus as the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

Jesus is the Paschal Lamb, the ultimate Passover sacrifice. Without his blood, none of us would be able to enter Heaven. But Catholics also recognize that our nature is sinful. Only through God’s grace do we not continue to sin after baptism. How then, is it possible to appear before the Lord with our white baptismal garments all sullied, and then expect to join Him?

The Church recognizes that there are ways to obtain God’s grace. The 7 sacraments are one way to be given grace. Having God’s grace does not mean that we are perfect or sin-free, nor does it mean that we have a free pass to Heaven. It simply gives us fortification to withstand the temptation to sin or at least to keep us from mortal sins (big, bad sins like adultry or stealing).

The Church also wants us to be able to clean those baptismal garments. In our legal system, it is not enough to just be sorry for doing something. If you get drunk and drive and kill someone, you can’t just be sorry. You also get punished. Likewise, if you sin, you have to do penance. This is not a new concept. The inhabitants of Ninevah didn’t just say “sorry God” when Jonah pointed out their errors. They put on sackcloth and fasted and prayed for forgiveness. And they reformed themselves, too. This is the point of confession: admitting your sins, saying you’re sorry, doing penace, reforming your ways.

And all the sacraments have a biblical basis, too. But I’ll save that for another time…

07.17.04
by

the hour glass

I am coming to realize that many people have the mistaken notion that Christianity is completely separate from Judaism. This is inaccurate. Christianity does not stand apart from Judaism and Judaism does not stand apart from Christianity (although today’s devout Jews do not believe that “Christianity” – the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Christ – have happened yet).

It is like an hour glass. One half of the hour glass is Judaism; the other half is Christianity. The middle part through which all sand passes is the Christ. Each half is meaningless without the other.

07.16.04
by

charity

From an email I sent to my family:

1 John 4: 20-21
If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God,whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

The modern concept of love involves flowers, hearts and warm fuzzy feelings. Charity is a better word. Charity is a decision. It has less to do with emotion and more to do with behavior. We can not control other people’s behavior. We can not control other people’s emotions…and we can barely control our own emotions. But we can control our behavior. Charity demands that we make excuses for those who have hurt us (perhaps I said something unkind without meaning to…perhaps someone is just having a really bad day/week/life). Charity demands that we put a check on how we FEEL and refuse to be drawn in to an unpleasant and unkind discussion. Charity demands that we accept others entirely, even if we don’t like some things about them. Charity demands that we ignore or minimize their failings and focus on their good points.

I am the first to admit that I have failed to be perfectly charitable to everyone all the time. And no matter how much you know about how poorly I may have treated you personally, I am aware of how poorly I have treated all of you throughout my life. And I am truly sorry for any and all offenses (known and unknown), and apologize to you all for any resentment you may hold in your hearts toward me…especially, I apologize to Elisabeth for years of ill will and petty behavior.

But my failure to meet the standard of perfect charity in no ways makes illegitimate this standard.

I prefer to SOMETIMES meet a LOFTY goal, than to ALWAYS meet an INFERIOR one.

*******************************************************************************

I had to post this here to give myself the required frequent reminder of how I want to behave.

It is so very hard to love and forgive when the love and forgiveness are not reciprocated.

I just found out (second-hand) that a woman I know feels that I blew her off for two years. I am completely flabbergasted by that one. I can not think of a single person I have blown off in the last 8 years (and I did not know this woman prior to that). I can think of times that I forced myself to email or call someone (not this particular person) simply because it was polite to return a phone call. This woman is not local. It’s not as though I told her I was busy and then she caught me at a local bar.

Possible scenarios:
1) she kept emailing a defunct account?
2) she got my number wrong and kept leaving messages on a stranger’s machine, thinking that I was getting them?
3) she got my number right, but Bill didn’t tell me she called OR
4) she left a message, and I heard it, but got busy and forgot to call her OR
5) she left a message and we had a power failure and we lost all messages.

Scenarios 3-5 suggest a one-time occurance…she called once and waited for 2 years for me to call back? I’ve no idea what to do to reconcile this. Since the news came second-hand, I can’t come clean with this info. We’ve been in communication as far as I know since the beginning of our relationship…the way that people who live hundreds of miles away from each other are (birthday and Christmas cards).

But my point about charity: I must assume that scenario 1 or 2 is correct. I need to reign in my own hurt feelings that she would assume I was blowing her off. I have to try to not be hurt that she wouldn’t ask me what was wrong.

I’m getting really tired of other people judging me by only looking at the bad things I’ve done. And, of course, charity demands that I keep my mouth shut and take responsibility and make amends for those things, even though I want to say “what about the time you did xyz to me?” or “cut me some slack I was going through a terrible period at work” or even “yes, I did that…but I also did this and this and this…don’t these nice things out-weigh the bad?”

07.07.04
by

the grass is always bluer?

“Mom, Billy called me stupid!!!”
“Are you stupid?”
“NO!!!”
“Then it matters not what Billy says. Truth is truth. If you’re not stupid, his saying so doesn’t make you.”

My version of “sticks and stones”.

Truth IS truth, and the sooner my children learn this the better. Around age four, kids start to get really upset if someone says something incorrect. I remember Fritz getting upset that Billy would call things the wrong color. But if Billy calls the grass blue, that shouldn’t be Fritz’s concern…unless he suspects that the grass really might be blue.

As for me, I have little doubts about truth. If something new seems truthful, but doesn’t fall into place with what I already believe to be true, I investigate the issue. Generally, I find that much information was hidden. Most truths are extremely basic – such as the right to life of all humans from conception to natural death. That is a one sentence tenet with NO exceptions (well, FEW exceptions: just war, self-defense, and, in limited applications, capital punishment). When people try to force exceptions into morality, then one must closely examine those exceptions and discover the truth about them. So far, I’ve yet to find an exception to the right-to-life tenet that holds water.

07.04.04
by

the sudan

I don’t know which is more ridiculous: the fact that my newspaper (and the main stream media and the world in general) has completely ignored the situation in the Sudan until now…..or the fact that when they do print an article about the slaughtering of 30,000 civilians and the displacement of millions of others over the last year to year and a half, they fail to mention the role of religion in this situation. The entire article skirted the issue of motive: why are these people being killed and displaced? Why are women being raped? Who is doing what to whom? Is the media afraid that if the world finds out that Muslims are killing Christians that perhaps it might be a wake up call to the rest of the Christians in the world?

The last year I taught CCD, there was a bit in one of the chapters about persecutions and martyrs. They talked about the early Christians primarily. I told the kids that it was ridiculous to talk about the persecution of Christians as though it happened 1500 years ago but it’s all over now. What a joke. Mexico 100 years ago. The Sudan today. China forever?

A few years ago, Chechan rebels took over a theater in Moscow. I happened to be at the mall buying something (not a usual thing for me). The lady at the counter had a name tag that said something or other “OVA”. I asked her if she were Russian, and when she said she was I asked her about the situation in MOscow. She said that we Americans just don’t get it. We think we can all get along, that we only lack understanding and compromise. For them, it is about chaos and conversion. Be Muslim or die.