Under The Banner of Tolerance We Ride

“Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is the belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.”  - Richard Dawkins

“The whole thing is so patently infantile, so foreign to reality, that to anyone with a friendly attitude to humanity it is painful to think that the great majority of mortals will never be able to rise above this view of life.” - Sigmund Freud

“Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers.” - Jesse Ventura  

“The plain fact is religion must die for mankind to live. The hour is getting very late to be able to indulge in having key decisions made by religious people - by irrationalists - by those who would steer the ship of state, not by a compass, but by the equivalent of reading the entrails of a chicken.” – Bill Maher

“Faith means not wanting to know what is true.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

“I think religion is a neurological disorder.” - Bill Maher

“All thinking men are atheists.” - Ernest Hemingway

How about those E-Cards that everybody loves?

“Religion, a tool invented by the powerful to control the stupid.”

“Living a godless existence ensures no terrifying batshit religious figure impacts my election decision.”

“Religion!  It just doesn’t make sense.  Unless you’re crazy, or had a stroke, or are just really dumb.”

“If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people.”

________________

I pose a challenge to those who find these statements as either factual or funny.  Countless Christians have spent time in school studying science, psychology, and philosophy to include some of the prominent authors mentioned above.  We are required to complete these courses in order to graduate.  We do so willingly, without a fight.

We enjoy these classes, but they do not shake our faith.  We pass these classes with flying colors.  Christian Nobel Laureate's (from all disciplines), Ph.D's, M.A.'s, B.A.'s, and other brilliant thinkers have all [obviously] passed through these institutions.  Yet these men and women are not thinkers?  They are not rational?

You, on the other hand, are not required to pass theology courses.  You are not required to pass lengthy classes dedicated to the study of science as it relates to creationism (these courses do exist).  

My challenge is this:  put down "The God Delusion" for a moment.  Pick up the Bible and read through the Gospels.  Wrap your own mind around what is being said.  Go to a small church in your area and observe; listen.  Pick up a Tim Keller or Tullian Tchividjian book and read it.  You might be surprised to learn that most Christians are nothing like what you see at the Westboro Baptist Church.

In fact, you will learn that we are strikingly similar to you.  Don't believe me?  Take the challenge and see for yourself.

A Curious Inquiry: Pro-Life Militants

I am pro-life.  I am not a pro-life militant.  Here is why.  I don’t understand the purpose.  When a pro-life advocate stands outside the Planned Parenthood bearing signs filled with flames and promises of hell, what exactly is accomplished?  If an eighteen year old chooses to terminate her pregnancy and then walks out into a parking lot filled with screaming pro-life militant Christians holding signs, do you think it is at all possible that you might be the reason why she puts a pistol against her temple and pulls the trigger?  Do you think this hasn't already happened?

At her most vulnerable moment, when she needs an encouraging word the most, she will instead receive a cold shoulder and looks of disgust.  We, as Christians, have become known for this.  This is not how we were called to react!

“A 2006 study by New Zealand researcher David M. Fergusson in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, which controlled for a prior history of depression and anxiety and suicidal ideation (wanting to take one’s own life or thinking about suicide), found that 27 percent to 50 percent of women after abortion reported suicidal ideation. Mr. Fergusson found that the risk of suicide was three times greater for women who aborted than for women who delivered."  Furthermore,  “…last September, a meta-analysis in the British Journal of Psychiatry found an 81 percent increased risk of mental trauma after abortion.” http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/feb/20/disclosing-the-abortion-suicide-association/#ixzz2KT9NU0so.

Don’t confuse my defense of these women as a missing link in my “pro-life armor.”  My concern lies in the approach I see deployed by fellow Christians.  I sincerely don’t get it.  How are we not wrapping these women in our arms while peppering them with words of comfort and love?  As cliche as it seems, I ask myself what Jesus would have done.  I don't think He'd be picketing the Planned Parenthood.  I think He might change her life through a meeting at the well further down the road (John 4:4-26).    

Furthermore, how can a man thrust his opinion of birth control on a woman he does not know?  I picture this in my mind sometimes.  I imagine a distraught woman walking through a parking lot filled with a group of picketers that include male participants.  I imagine the men condemning this woman for not saving the life of her unborn child.  They call her a hell-bound fornicator and warn her to repent of her evil ways or suffer the consequences from God because He’s pissed.

Do these men know that she had been brutally raped by her own father (for years) and was carrying his child?  I think the chances are pretty good that none of these “good Christian men” have a solitary clue what it is like to be a female who has been raped, beaten, and sodomized by a member of their own family (or anyone for that matter).

The common reply from my Christian brothers and sisters is that “at least we are telling them about Christ.  Even if the truth is hard to hear.”  Sorry, that is the biggest copout ever.  I would argue that you are a spoiled milk poured down the throats of those seek to quench a critical thirst.

Radical change can occur through pro-life advocates without the use of fire and brimstone tactics.  You might be the one and only representation of Christ that these women ever see.  Don't make it a meeting filled with hate.

(Let me clarify.  I am a pro-life advocate who feels that the termination of a pregnancy due to "the future convenience of the mother" is unacceptable.  I also feel that abortions due to "abnormalities within the fetus" are wrong.  A child is not an inconvenience. A child is a gift.  Any parent will tell you this.  I struggle, however, with cases of abortion revolving around rape, incest, and life-threatening complications for the mother.  It is important for me to indicate that I don't feel as though I have the right to voice my opinion toward anyone in these circumstances.  I am not qualified).

Thanks for listening.

Steven

The Truth About Christian Music

I am passionate about music.  My IPod is bursting at the seems with every kind of music imaginable.  Most of the storage capacity has been eaten up by rock n’ roll, punk rock, classic rock, and indie rock.  The rest is dedicated to my (true) honky-tonk country, doo-wop, jazz, and indie hip-hop records.  I love it.  The artists all speak to me.  They relate to my struggles and triumphs and their lyrics are brutally authentic and intentional.

.01% of that IPod storage is dedicated to the Christian music I need to learn when I play with my church.  Typically, I learn the songs and then remove them to save space.  I might have a dozen songs laying around that are tolerable.  I have to admit that it takes a serious amount of patience to listen to these songs even when I know I need to practice them for the service.  My mind knows that it only takes a single push of a button to bring Face to Face roaring into my speakers.

I don’t think it is fair of me to fault the players.  I think that they are truly motivated with every kind of pure intent to share the message of Jesus Christ in any way possible.  I cannot fault them for that.  

I think what troubles me is how the Christian market is used.  There is a common belief among fundamentalist / legalist Christians that any kind of music outside of the Christian market belongs to Satan and should be avoided at all costs.  So if you liked N.W.A., you would need to listen to some watered down “ghetto-Christian” rap from a Christian label.  If you liked Def Leppard, then you would need to listen to Petra.  If you liked Guttermouth, then you would need to listen to The Crucified.  The Christian market was basically saying that in order to maintain your salvation, you would have to listen to Christian music from Christian labels.  Can we be honest for a moment?  There isn’t a single Christian rock band that compares to AC/DC.  Not even close. 

The Christian market, to include consumers and record labels, treat their bands terribly (this is not the case for all labels).  I can remember when MxPx released “Life in General.”  Although they were on a Christian label at the time, Christian book stores refused to carry the record because the message wasn’t strong enough.  Many Christian bands experienced this type of exclusion from the Christian marketplace and do to this day.  The guys spoke of relationships, school, and popular culture issues that were relevant to their time (in a very tame way).  There was a lot of hurtful backlash from the Christian market and numerous bands distanced themselves from the Christian scene as a result. 

Thank God!

As my musical tastes have become finely honed over the years I have learned a very important lesson.  The bands who carry the strongest and most relevant Christian messages cannot be found on Christian bookstore shelves.  Many of these artists prefer to call themselves “Christians in a band.”  They change lives on a daily basis.  Their message is far more believable than what we will ever hear on Christian radio.  Why?  Because they relate to people!  They aren’t stuck inside that airtight Christian market box with a label that says “This Is What God Would Listen To.”  These bands represent Jesus to the core.  They are out in the secular market making friends and bringing the Good News to the street urchins and the “worst” of sinners.  They aren’t playing a safe show in a church filled with safe, healed people.  They are on the streets getting dirty.

Finally, there is my perspective as a musician.  To me, Christian music is a mass produced copy of an original painting done by someone else who was way better.  It sounds completely inauthentic, as if it was all pieced together by a bunch of paid songwriters sitting around a table at the label.  All of these songs are played by bands containing musicians who do nothing but walk through a revolving door.  While numerous amazing (secular) bands have been together for over decade, many of the players within the Christian market are lucky to make it to the second tour. 

And although the lyrics glorify God, I find no sincerity in most of what I hear.  Any songwriter can vouch for what I am saying.  Writing lyrics to a song is hard.  When the lyricist is genuine, the song turns into a masterpiece because the listener can feel the emotion driving the song.  When the lyricist is simply trying to make something that sounds good (and rhymes), it turns into a piece of painted plastic, devoid of anything one could call real.   

The best example of a true Christian artist is Dustin Kensrue of Thrice.  Kensrue’s lyrics are deeply spiritual and his band, Thrice, draws massive crowds whenever they play.  Kensrue indicated in this interview that he has had numerous conversations about his faith with people that agree, and disagree (with his stance) over the course of his career.  In my humble opinion, this is what it’s all about.  I wanted to leave you with a  small sample from an interview with Dustin Kensrue:

"There’s some disingenuineness or inauthenticity when you see or hear a piece of art or music that you feel like has an agenda. It becomes a commercial in a sense. You don’t want to hear or feel that way, so I’ve never done that. I’ve just tried to write about what’s going on. Sometimes that’s a little more revealed, sometimes that’s a little more hidden, but I try to write in a way that people from multiple backgrounds can engage with at least, even if they don’t agree with it, and that it will make them think, it will make them feel. I can’t control it after it’s out of my hands. I guess my hope is always that it wouldn’t leave someone unmoved in some way, that they would have to wrestle with it, that it would affect them in some way." - Dustin Kensrue (Interviewed by: Jonathan Bautts)  

Recapturing the Spirit of Christmas

I can’t remember the last time I was able to slow down enough to enjoy Christmas.  I have always made a feeble attempt to apply the brakes around the beginning of December but usually end up skidding past the exit, missing the off-ramp completely.  As my younglings grow older I have come to the realization that it is time to put all of my effort back into the Christmas season.

Mom and Dad always did Christmas right.  The photographs and reel-to-reel film from my childhood are glaring examples of what Christmas should be like for my girls.  This means that I need to put the Christmas tree up sometime before December 20^th.  I should throw some lights up on the roof and map out areas for other Christmas themed decorations to be placed around the house.  I need to make sure the house is warm and cozy.  Hot chocolate needs to be readily available and Bing or Frank needs to be singing to us softly in the background.  And Elvis.  Elvis was always great with those Christmas jingles.  

We can’t forget those classic films playing in the background.  A Christmas Story, It’s A Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Rudolf the Red-Nose Reindeer, and Charlie Brown Christmas playing in the background for the children.  Christmas Vacation and The Nightmare Before Christmas playing for mommy and daddy later in the evening.

First, and foremost, we have to remember the reason why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.  Tim Keller says, “At Christmas God moved into a very bad neighborhood and began rehabilitating it.”  Jesus' three-year ministry had more of an impact on this world than any other event or any other person in documented history.  This is why it is important for me to show my kids the real reason why we celebrate Christmas.  We have so much to be thankful for.  

As I mentioned above, Mom and Dad made Christmas magical for my sisters and I.  They made every effort to fill our stockings and pile gifts under the tree.  The milk, cookies, and carrots were always missing on Christmas morning which served to make our smiles that much bigger.  And the letters to Santa showed a return or two in one way or another.

Heather and I are looking forward to making this a magical time for our kids.  Just like our parents did for us.  

Don't Cheat Yourself (Counterfeit Concert)

Forbes wrote an article in May (2012) regarding the streaming of live concerts so that others are able to enjoy the show from the comfort of their couch.  Does this make anyone else cringe? DIY Live - Streaming: The Future of Concerts? - Forbes

I don’t mind convenience when it comes to certain things in life.  It is nice to be able to punch in an address on my phone when I am lost or call the sushi place down the street for a delivery order if I don’t feel like going out.  But watching a concert on my laptop?

I think that in some cases this works.  For instance, ITunes streamed the ITunes Festival in London which featured one of my favorite bands Jimmy Eat World (among others).  I don’t mind watching a few songs from a show like this on my laptop because there is absolutely no way I can attend.  So in some cases, I think streaming live shows isn’t so bad.

Having said that, let me say this.  There is no way that live streaming shows should ever take the place of being at a venue in person.  It is worth what some might call the “inconvenience.”

The Killers

The Tickets.  This is where the excitement begins for me.  I pay the extra two bucks for the hard copy.  I think E-Tickets are sacrilege.  I want the tickets in my hand.  I want to see the name of the band, the date, and the venue on that same piece of heavy paper I’ve been collecting since I was old enough to drive myself to Soma (San Diego).  

The Parking Lot.  I’ll pay the ten bucks to park.  Who cares?  The venue employs parking attendants who have traffic directing nailed down to a science.  The parking lot is where you see the patrons.  They are clad in tour tees, skinny jeans, heels, and they are sleeved up like me.  Some are taking that last flask hit and others are smoking one last grit before entering.  True rock n’ roll is blaring out of numerous car speakers in the lot.  

The Floor.  It’s dark.  There are a thousand people all vying for that open spot where you don’t have to stand behind the tall guy.  Everyone is patiently waiting for the opening act to get off the stage.  Sometimes that opening band rocks, sometimes they don’t.  There are the close encounters with that one guy who screams his favorite song into your ear as his Budweiser breath creates a warm film on the side of your face.  There is always that one girl who is dancing much like a gypsy to music that she can only be hearing in her own head (because it certainly doesn’t match what is coming from the speakers).  And buying a beer is pointless because there is always that guy who starts the mosh pit in the weirdest places at the weirdest time.  Mostly, there is unity.  Fists are pumping and we all belt out the lyrics as if we are the rock stars.  We are gripping each other's shoulders and helping each other up when we fall in the pit.  We are waving our arms in unison to the beat of the anthem.  We are one.

The Killers - Denver

The Headliner.  The house lights are cut and the crowd screams.  The crowd pushes to the front.  The band walks out on stage and that first chord is struck.  The kick drum and bass hit you in the chest over and over and over.  The guitar reverberates through every strand of hair on your head.  The front man screams “DENVER” and throws his hands in the air.  The band slams into the first song and it doesn’t stop for over an hour.  Every emotion can be found within the set list.  There are songs about anger and frustration, love and joy.  There are songs about heartbreak and loss, old times and new times.  You relate to the lyrics because you have been rocking to them for most of your life.  The front man can relate to you.  He is not singing to a massive crowd, but directly to you.  

The Encore.  The show's climax.  The band can never play enough songs.  And we aren’t leaving until they play a few more. The chants begin.  The feet start stomping.  We start clapping to the beat of our stomps.  One more song, one more song, one more song!  We scream as we see the drummer fly up to his kit.  The band launches into a mini set that resolves the show perfectly.  You leave feeling complete.  You drive home in a state of bliss.  Everything, other than the masterpiece you just witnessed, is forgotten.  Nothing else exists at that moment in time.  The show is burned into your brain. 

The Killers - Denver

 None of this can be captured with a camera.  It cannot be captured with surround sound and it cannot be felt from a 72” television screen.  It was meant to be heard from the front of the stage.  You were meant to sweat, bleed, and move out there on that floor.  Don’t let convenience ever rob you of this experience.  It cannot be replicated and it never will be.

The Killers - Live in the U.K.

Legalism (Spiritual Terrorism)

I have a confession to make.  I hold a strong disdain toward legalist/fundamentalist Christians who choose to shove their unsolicited opinions down the throats of the unwilling.

This is a sinful feeling on my part and I am praying for healing and direction with regards to my issues.  What I hate the most is that I let them get to me.  

Here are the reasons why:

I spent the first half of my life living in fear.  I don’t have a beautiful story to tell about asking Christ to be my savior.  My story really sucks.  I was at a Christian youth group meeting and the youth leader told us about the rapture mentioned in the book of Revelation.  He told us that if we weren’t Christians we would be left behind and would be killed for being Christians during the seven-year tribulation.  When he was through with the lecture, he asked any of us if we wanted to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior.  My hand shot up immediately.  Why?  I was scared out of my damn mind.  I didn’t want to be left behind and I surely didn’t want to be (decapitated) during the seven-year tribulation.  I was around nine or ten years old when this happened.

Ugly on the Inside

I spent the next fifteen years soaked in self-righteousness all while walking on eggshells.  I should have had a massive white board with two sections.  One section would hold tallies for all the good deeds I was responsible for.  This might include telling someone about Jesus at least once per day, sharing with my sisters, raising my hands during worship, or strategically placing my Bible in an area that was visible to the lost.  The other would hold tallies for all of the moral laws I broke on a daily basis.  This might include listening to Guns N’ Roses, watching a PG-13 movie, saying a cuss word, or missing church.  

In my mind, the tallies should offset on a daily basis otherwise God would be pissed.  My salvation would be lost and I’d never attain it again.  If I broke one of the commandments, I would simply have to work harder the next day.

I spent about fifteen years saturated in fear.  I was petrified that Christ would return and I would be left behind for not accomplishing enough “stuff.”

I drug a lot of people down during that time.  If you weren’t a Republican then you were going to hell.  If you listened to anything other than Newsboys or DC Talk, then you were living in sin.  If you were gay, then you were unsavable.  If you dated girls, you were sexually immoral and living in sin.  Basically, if you participated in culture you might as well have slung a scarlet letter across your breast.

How did the curtain fall?  Christ broke me under the weight of my own self-righteousness.  Severely.  This is what it took for me to realize my absolute need for a Savior. 

I spent close to twenty years memorizing Bible verses, going to Church,  singing praise songs, and even participated in thorough discipleship studies through my youth group program.  What did I have to show for it?  A relationship with Christ that was based in nothing but fear and a book-smart knowledge of scripture with no real understanding of its relevance or application within my own life.  I was pathetic, in a nutshell.

Over the last four or five years, I have been a "recovering Christian."  I finally understand the true meaning behind the Gospel according to Jesus Christ (not Steven Christ).  I have strong mentors who I can lean on with stupid, but relevant questions.  I know that if I make a mistake, or two, or a hundred, that Christ’s forgiveness and grace remain constant even as I am inconsistent. 

Romans 10 v. 9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”  I did that a long time ago!  This shows the complete ignorance I held regarding everything Jesus ever said about salvation!

Additionally, Romans 8 v. 38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Nothing.  Nothing can separate us.  You remember that scene in A Good Will Hunting where Robin William’s character has to tell Will that “it wasn’t his fault” over and over again?  I had to pound this verse into my head in the same manner!

This brings me to my current issue.  I have no problem dealing with unbelievers.  No problem at all!  My biggest source of frustration, as I mentioned in my opening statement, is with fundamentalists/legalists.  They are a stumbling bock in my walk with Christ.  In their eyes, I am not saved enough.  I don’t do enough.  I don’t look like a Christian, and I don’t talk like a Christian.  I don’t eat like a Christian, vote like a Christian, dress like a Christian, or listen to music like a Christian.  And most importantly, I don’t “evenly distribute” the news of God’s wrath, judgment, and anger when speaking to unbelievers.  

Here is my message to these people.  God bless you in spite of yourselves.  You are a hurtful people, drowning under the weight of your own self-righteousness.  A beautiful consolation would be to watch as God allows all of those you have judged, condemned, and ridiculed into Heaven before letting you enter.

God loves me.  His blood was sufficient enough for my sins and all others who choose to accept the same.  Today, I am thankful that my judgement and salvation does not fall on your shoulders (the legalist).  Shame on you for bringing others down to your level.   

Forgive me for writing this.  I am human, and flawed.

The Anti-Christ Has Been Revealed (Again, and Again...)

The election is over right?  Is it safe to come out?

The political ads aren’t polluting my TV screen anymore so I guess we’re safe.  Wait, nope!  The Armageddon predictions are coming out of the woodwork now.  The doomsday preppers have emerged from the ground long enough to condemn all who are not making preparations for the end of the world now that President Barack Obama has been reelected.  He is, after all, the anti-Christ right?

You have every right to live your life the way you see fit.  If that means teaching your eight year old how to dry tomato seeds for future use as “currency,” then so be it.  If you feel it absolutely necessary to bury a metal cabin fifty feet under your back yard, fitted with fully automatic weapons and a flame-thrower door alarm system, then you have that right as an American citizen.  When you tell me that I, and others are un-Christian for not doing the same thing, then you’re going to get this frustrated response from me.  

Lets take a quick glance through history.

When President Franklin Roosevelt initiated relations with the former Soviet Union, he was thought to be under direct control of the anti-Christ.  Roosevelt was also responsible for the labeling of the “United Nations,” hence, a one-world government.  FAIL

All eyes turned to President John F. Kennedy.  He was a Catholic, so Protestant leaders were quick to label him the anti-Christ for that reason alone.  666 votes during the 1956 Democratic convention didn’t help his case much.  And finally, everyone really started to lose it when President Kennedy was killed by a gunshot wound to the head.  The fringe Christians were expecting Kennedy’s imminent resurrection.  Did it happen?  FAIL

Ronald Reagan’s shooter was under the impression that Reagan was the anti-Christ and had to die.  FAIL

Bill Clinton earned a place among the anti-Christ predictions due to his smooth tongue and deceit while in office.  FAIL

George W. Bush?  Yes, even George W. Bush made the cut.  Why?  Because someone came up with a mathematical equation (equalling 666) for George W. Bush’s name based off the Hebrew alphabet (which ended up being a mathematical error).  And we also had 9/11 which really didn’t help his cause among the Protestant predictors.  Did the prediction come to fruition?  FAIL

These are just a couple U.S. presidents.  How about regular ole’ predictions from your average guy?  How many times did Harold Camping set a date for the end of the world?  Four times right?  Those days came and passed.  FAIL

Now, Barack Obama, the evil “Muslim” president who “hates Israel” and wants to “take our guns” has been elected to a second term.  Only the Armageddonists  have the true answer as to why Black Hawk helicopters are buzzing around major cities in the U.S.A.  They are practicing maneuvers to take over our own country!  Really?  I mean really?  

Look, I have no doubt that every prophecy revealed in the book of Revelation is true.  I believe the entire Bible to be nothing but the purest truth ever printed.  I know Christ’s return is imminent.  This does not give me an excuse to live in fear, nor would I ever freak my family out with paranoia of this sort (anti-Christ predictions).  Are our efforts not better spent amongst those who are still lost?  How are we to accomplish this if we are hiding in the bushes guarding our property with a tank? 

Essentially, the dedication to propaganda of this magnitude is idolatrous and completely contrary to what Christ tells us in the Gospel.

Christ will return!  He told us that He would!  And we eagerly wait for that day!  He also told us that we have no idea when it will happen!  A bunch of people must have missed that part in scripture (Matthew 24:36).

Please understand where this frustration comes from.  I think that the use of prophecy and Armageddon to scare someone into Christianity (or your way of thinking) is deplorable.   When you, as a Christian, scare someone into the church you are practicing spiritual terrorism.

Check it out.  Barack Obama just barely squeezed out a win during this last election which means that your prediction is well on its way to failing.  Just like every other anti-Christ prediction throughout history.  When four years come and go, please, bow out of your fear and use another failed prediction as a lesson in humility.

God is in charge.  Prepare your family to live the life that Christ meant for them to live.