American secularism is not a conspiracy against religion. It was an agreement among all the sane religions not to turn our new nation into a religious battleground. The colonists had left a continent drenched in the blood of religious intolerance. People like Jefferson wanted to prevent a war of each religion against all. The only way to do that was to prevent any religion from being privileged over the others.  When any religion tries to force it’s personal views upon everyone else, they violate the very sinew of this covenant of secularism.

Jesus sometimes summarized his teaching as just being a good neighbor, or simply treating others the way we would want to be treated. No one enjoys seeing an evangelist from another religion come up the side walk. We know we will be disrespected and have to listen to arguments based on a book we don’t believe. The Golden Rules says, if we would not like having our own worldview disrespected, then we must not disrespect someone else’s. In my opinion “secularism” is another name for Jesus’ call to be a good neighbor.

http://www.salon.com/2012/08/16/5_people_who_bravely_fought_the_christian_takeover_of_america_salpart/

My how times have changed. I remember sitting in the school cafeteria sipping milk through a straw. But that was before America realized that everything should be privatized. Now that everything is for sale, why should our children’s nutrition be regulated by the socialism of public school nutrition beauocracies?  If Capitalism is the source of all prosperity and virtue, why shouldn’t our children’s health fall under market disciplines like everything else? Remember public education, like any shared responsiblity is socialist. Lunch time is a fiscal opportunity. Trust the market. If our children get too obese, the invisible hand of the market will help them up the stairs.

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/08/schools-limit-campus-junk-food-have-lower-obesity-rates

I love the Bible. I purposefully teach two Bible classes every week and preach in a way that I can keep up with the Biblical languages. What I don’t love is when people turn the Bible into an idol and apply it literally. Read in this way, scripture has been used against medicine, science and minorities seeking equality.

When Christians finally stopped claiming the sun rotates around the earth, it wasn’t because they found Bible verses that convinced them otherwise. It was because that they realized that the Bible is a lousy guide to astronomy. They continued to gain insights about nature, but the insights were no longer confused with science.

When Christians finally stopped defending slavery or stoning disobedient children, it wasn’t because they found new biblical passages that refuted those practices, it was because they realized that the Bible is a lousy substitute for a human heart.

Read with love, a scripture can be the most wonderful book in the world. Read literally, without love, any scripture becomes the most evil book ever written.

A Gallup poll released this week revealed a stunning disapproval of Congress. Only 10% of Americans now believe they are doing a good job.

“Although Americans have generally been more negative than positive in their assessments of Congress over the past four decades, opinions have been especially negative in recent years — and approval has again in August fallen to the record-low reading of 10%, last measured in February. Americans’ views of Congress are so bad that it has now been more than a year since Gallup’s monthly assessment was as high as 20%.” -Gallup

Other polls released this week show a disapproval of Obama’s economic performance and that the Paul Ryan selection doesn’t seem to be helping Romney.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/156662/Congress-Approval-Ties-Time-Low.aspx

The usefulness of this next article will depend on how much you trust the site “Politico.” The article claims to consist of quotes from Republican insiders evaluating the Paul Ryan VP selection. Some of the quotes are quite critical of the selection, others see it as risk that could pay off big. I enjoy this kind of behind the scenes strategizing and thought you might as well. They are interesting insights in any case.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/79697.html

One would almost have to go to the Book of Revelation to visualize the cost of modern war. The weapons of a modern war are so hellish that they wound friend and foe alike. The fumes and chemicals are so deadly that, years later, even the survivors may be struck down. If Americans cannot feel the cost of our wars on other peoples of the world, if we do not care about the pollution and emptying of our own resources into the empty hole of empire, perhaps we could find a tear for the veterans who are now at risk of depression, memory loss, paranoia and suicide as a result of being in proximity to the explosions of war.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/15/degenerative-brain-disease-afghan-war-vets_n_1783293.html

I used the word “homophobia” earlier today and hurt some feelings. That was not my intent. But trying to discuss civil rights for gays and lesbians without addressing homophobia is like trying to talk about civil rights for people of color without addressing racism. Until a person realizes that their arguments for witholding rights from others is based on an assumed superiority, then he or she will never question their right to sit in judgment. As long as whites were judging people of color as if the European story were normative, most people of color were doomed to second class citizenship.

So those Christians who want to discriminate against GLBT persons but not have that oppression called a prejudice, are asking us to accept a dehumanizing view of homosexual persons to even have the conversation. We are not judging others to point out the difference between holding an opinion, and interfering in another’s life. And just finding a Bible verse to back up our prejudices is not excuse. To awaken to our own prejudice and to help others see theirs is a great gift. As long as any of us think the rest of humanity is supposed to look and act like us, we will be surrounded by a world of inferiors.

Gandhi called it, “Being the change you want to see in the world.” Sometimes it is called “direct action” or “civil disobedience.” Something happens in the world when we stop waiting for those around us to do the right thing, and start living as citizens of the world the way it should be right now. What follows is a story shared by Rev. Terry Dowdy about a group of Methodists who have publically refused to discriminate against GLBT persons and given their reason as “gospel obedience.”

Jurisdiction opposes UMC on homosexuality

AUGUST 10, 2012 POSTED BY KATHY L. GILBERT, UMNS

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The Western Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church has issued a “Statement of Gospel Obedience” that emphasizes Christ’s grace and love is available to all and that the UMC is in error on the subject of “homosexuality’s incompatibility with Christian teaching.”

In addition, delegates to the jurisdictional meeting July 18-21 voted to extend “extravagant hospitality” to all people including “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or Intersex and those whose gender expression is ambiguous.”

Retired Bishop Melvin Talbert was asked to oversee a Western Jurisdiction grassroots movement that challenges bishops, clergy, laity and local churches and ministry settings to operate as if the statement printed in the denomination’s law book—Paragraph 161F—“does not exist.”

Retired UM Bishop Melvin Talbert speaks to the Western Jurisdictional Conference of the UMC during its July 18-21 meeting in San Diego, Calif. UMNS PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST CONFERENCE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM

Bishop Talbert said he has publicly stated many times that if asked to perform a same-sex marriage he will do so. He also said the active bishops of the Western Jurisdiction “will be bishops of the church” and uphold church law.

Bishop Minerva Carcaño, president of the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops, said the bishops “are of one mind” during her address to the jurisdiction.

“We believe that our beloved United Methodist Church has been less than faithful to the biblical mandate to accept all God’s children including our LGBTQ(IA) brothers and sisters. We assume responsibility for preaching and teaching in every place we serve, this good news of Christ Jesus who welcomes all,” she said.

Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, president of the Council of Bishops, noted that she does not want to comment on decisions of conferences. “I trust in the process of holy conferencing, and I trust that my colleague bishops will act according to their call to serve the church as bishops of the church in the task of oversight for the general church and for the areas they are assigned to,” she said.

The council does not have supervisory authority over the bishops.

The five jurisdictions in the United States met in their regions July 18-21. Jurisdictions meet once every four years to elect bishops and conduct business.

During the worldwide 2012 General Conference April 24-May 4, the church voted to retain current language in its law book that declares “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” Other sections of the law book state “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” may not be ordained as clergy and that United Methodist clergy cannot perform same-sex marriage ceremonies and same-sex wedding ceremonies may not be in United Methodist churches.

“We pledge to you that we will continue to work for that day when we, the United Methodist Church, can truly live up to our logo of open hearts, open minds, open doors,” Bishop Carcaño said.

Bishop Minerva Carcaño gives the Episcopal Address at the 2012 Western Jurisdictional Conference. UMNS PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST CONFERENCE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM

The UMC’s Western Jurisdiction encompasses the eight westernmost regional conferences of the United States, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Guam, and other territory in the Pacific.

In other action, the Western Jurisdiction apologized for the actions of the 2012 General Conference and said it plans to write letters to the editors of major newspapers in each conference of the jurisdiction, informing them of the apology.

The jurisdiction also suggested the penalty of a suspension for 24 consecutive hours from the exercise of episcopal office for any bishop charged, tried and convicted of ordaining or appointing a “self-avowed practicing homosexual.” The jurisdiction can only suggest a penalty; the trial court sets the penalty.

The action means the jurisdiction “can no longer passively live with the hypocritical oxymoron of a denomination that declares that ‘God loves all’ while it excludes some people from acceptance and leadership based on sexual orientation,” said Greg Nelson, director of communications of the Oregon-Idaho Conference.

The action is an effort “to change the conversation” and move forward, he said.

“The Western Jurisdiction embraces the denominational brand promise of ‘Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors’ and is working to make it a reality.”

The New Yorker has an article asking why the shootings in the Sikh temple were covered so differently that the shootings in Aurora two weeks before. The author points out that, whereas the shootings in Colorado gripped the nation, only only one network sent an anchor to report on the Sikh murders.

We lament the overt racism and xenophobia of extremist groups in America, but moments like this hint that hate groups are the visible expression of a cancer that remains untreated in the mainstream population as well. If a crowd of white Christians are assaulted, it is seen as a tragedy for us all, as it should be. But hate crimes against people of color is still seen and covered as a problem for minorities but not for “us.” Rape is seen as a problem for certain women, but not for “us.” If some Sikhs are murdered, it is seen and covered as a tragedy for Sikhs, but not for “us.”

For those with eyes to see, the lesson is clear. The three monsters of racism, sexism and classism still live invisibly beneath the consciousness of our nation. As long as we don’t say anything overt, we consider ourselves innocent, but, we are not innocent of the blood of the stranger until by “we,” we mean everyone.

Thanks to Prof. Jason Brownlee for sending.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/08/an-aWhy merican-tragedy.html?mobify=0

This is a nice little parable about a far right politican from Hungary rising to power using anti-Semitism, only discover that he’s Jewish. After all is said and done, all political wisdom boils down to this: We are one human family, and we have one Earth which we must learn to share.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/14/csanad-szegedi-jewish_n_1776617.html