The End of Faith

For my doctoral class, I’m reading the book The End of Faith by Sam Harris. One of the folks in my cohorts found this youtube video interview of Sam Harris on the The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.

This is both enlightening and a humorous look at how some of our boxer-wearing people look at life!

Boxers or Briefs?

This is a great post by Joel Rainey.  Absolutely fabulous!

Here’s his premise:

I have been able to take some time to read much of what is being said out there regarding first, second, and third order doctrinal issues, and as I observe the way in which various bloggers are addressing these issues, I have come to the conclusion that some wear boxers, and others wear briefs. Some are tight-fisted, gut-wrenched, red-faced, and stressed-out about everything, as if the rise or fall of the evangelical world depends on everyone else coming to their understanding of what it means to be a “conservative.” Others are just as theologically sound, but not angry about it.

What I aim to do in the next few paragraphs is draw a distinction between the two. But before I do, a word of clarity is in order: If you are here looking to justify belief in an self-contradicting Bible, women pastors, the notion that being gay is cool with Jesus, the idea that one can enter the Kingdom without a personal relationship with the King, or any other clearly unBiblical idea, I’m afraid you have come to the wrong place. My purpose here is to distinguish within evangelicalism between those who are able to hold to sound doctrine without blowing a gasket, and those who can’t.

How do people perceive Southern Baptists?

NAMB’s CMR has just released a study showing how SB’s are perceived.  The breakdown is by region and age.  According to this research, SB’s are viewed favorable by 57% of the polulation.

I gotta tell ya, here in Delaware, I intentionally try to keep the discussion away from the SBC.  We held a membership class last week and we had to love people into our church because they didn’t want to be a part of an SBC church.  Everything they knew of us was rules, stupid statements and stupid positions.  I had to convince them that no one tells us what to believe or do and had to remind them that in the past 3 months, they had not seen any demonstration of any of their perceptions about the SBC.

It’s not just those guys.  We have to love people - Christians, some even strong Christians - into the SBC because of the reputation we have in the mid-atlantic.

I just don’t see these numbers being accurate here in the mid-atlantic.

What takes the place of foot-washing?

At the last supper, Jesus washed his disciples feet.  It was a supreme act of service that we would all do well to emulate.  However, foot-washing as an act of service does not carry the connotations of what it did in Jesus’ day.  So I’m wondering, what takes the place, if anything, of foot-washing?

Is it:

• Carrying in the neighbor’s groceries?
• Mowing someone’s lawn for free?
• Pumping gas in the rain for someone?

or something else?

Baptist are the fattest…

From The Beaver County Times

A recent study suggests that because some religions treat food as a “celebratory good,” often high in fat, some have a higher percentage of obesity than others.

The study concluded that religious shepherds need to encourage more physical activity to help keep congregants fit. Otherwise, churches will be just another factor adding to the nation’s obesity epidemic.

In many contexts, religion - prayer, meditation and social interaction - is positive for people’s health, said Ken Ferraro, professor of sociology at Purdue University and senior author of the study, who has researched body weight since the 1980s.

But even though many religions encourage restraint, “gluttony” has almost become an accepted vice, Ferraro wrote, and “one of the few available sources of earthly pleasure.”

“We don’t take this behavior seriously,” Ferraro said.

BAPTISTS: ‘WE’RE NO. 1′

Ferraro said each religion has different attitudes and behaviors, and he wanted to see how each one’s characteristics might lead to obesity.

Some religions don’t differentiate between the body as a temple of God and the spiritual mind, while others don’t see a connection between body weight and spirituality, he said.

Ferraro found that Baptists had the highest percentage of obese individuals. Baptist women were even more likely to be obese. Fundamental Protestants had the second-highest rate.

It’s time for that gluttony resolution, eh?

Next Page »