Politics

Civil rights or freedom of religion issue?

I am just not sure what to make of this. I am strongly in support of civil rights and equality and against discrimination but this… Well, you tell me, what do you think?

A civil rights complaint has been filed against a woman in Grand Rapids, Mich., who posted an advertisement at her church last July seeking a Christian roommate.

The ad “expresses an illegal preference for a Christian roommate, thus excluding people of other faiths,” according to the complaint filed by the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan.

“It’s a violation to make, print or publish a discriminatory statement,” Executive Director Nancy Haynes told Fox News. “There are no exemptions to that.”

Haynes said the unnamed 31-year-old woman’s case was turned over to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Depending on the outcome of the case, she said, the woman could face several hundreds of dollars in fines and “fair housing training so it doesn’t happen again.”

from Michigan Woman Faces Civil Rights Complaint for Seeking a Christian Roommate – FoxNews.com.

Really? “Atheists Using Hair Dryers to ‘De-Baptize’”

Jul 17th, 2010

by Christian Brady.

6 comments

I suppose one’s symbolism is as good as another’s but still, this strikes me as a bit silly. (It is better than what I thought when I read the headline, however, which was that they were standing outside of services and “drying” people off as they left the church.)

U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to ‘De-Baptize’

American atheists lined up to be “de-baptized” in a ritual using a hair dryer, according to a report Friday on U.S. late-night news program “Nightline.”

Leading atheist Edwin Kagin blasted his fellow non-believers with the hair dryer to symbolically dry up the holy water sprinkled on their heads in days past. The styling tool was emblazoned with a label reading “Reason and Truth.”

Kagin believes parents are wrong to baptize their children before they are able to make their own choices, even slamming some religious eduction as “child abuse.” He said the blast of hot air was a way for adults to undo what their parents had done.

This, of course, follows along Richard Dawkins’ argument that people raising their children within their own faith is a kind of abuse. There is a certain logic to it, where is the choice in that child’s faith? Is not raising a child to be a Muslim or a Christian nothing more than indoctrination? Many would see that as a positive approach to child rearing. But the question of choice and free will opens up other theological debates, some of which we are wrestling with anew in a household with a child very much making up their own mind about certain matters. We have alluded to this debate already…

SBL – What’s Old is New

Jun 28th, 2010

by Christian Brady.

No comments yet

“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.” Eccl. 1:9 (NRSV)

Today SBL members (and no doubt AAR members, but I dropped that membership a few years ago…) received a letter announcing that the old order shall be reestablished! I am glad to see this happen and I think it is necessary for AAR to survive. I think it will also go a fair way to resolving some of the concerns that folks like Hendel have had. It appears the letter is not yet up on their site, so I will quote it in full below. It also includes the listing of our future conference venues, so keep this handy schedule…to hand!

June 28, 2010

Dear Member,

We are pleased to announce that on June 10, 2010, the Society of Biblical Literature and American Academy of Religion signed a Letter of Intent that outlines an agreement to hold concurrent Annual Meetings beginning in San Francisco in the fall of 2011. These meetings will

Occur in the same city—though the venue will change from year to year;

Occur at the same time—the weekend before the US Thanksgiving holiday;

Feature a single, jointly managed Publishers/Software/Book Exhibit;

Feature a single, jointly managed Employment Center;

Feature distinct and separate AAR and SBL programs planned with open communication between the organizations;

Encourage the organizations’ members to attend each other’s programs and events at no additional cost;

Allow the organizations to pursue their unique, if sometimes overlapping, missions;

Enhance cooperation, not competition, between the organizations.

The advertising for these conventions will use the city name, the year, and will identify the SBL and AAR as hosts. For example, the first of these meetings will be known as “Annual Meetings 2011 San Francisco, hosted by the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature.” This name will appear on the registration gateway, on signage at the meetings, on promotional materials, and on other common elements.

A Conventions Management Committee, consisting of the Executive Directors and staff members from each organization, is developing operating policies and procedures that expand on the considerable detail that already exists in the Letter of Intent. Each year the Committee will review the most recent meetings with an eye toward making improvements in subsequent gatherings. Nine concurrent meetings are being planned for 2011 through 2019. Beginning in 2013 the organizations will begin operating on a seven-year planning horizon that includes a mechanism by which the organizations can, on an annual basis, extend the seven-year agreement for an additional year. Dates and venues of the first three concurrent Annual Meetings are as follows:

November 19-22, 2011 San Francisco

November 17-20, 2012 Chicago

November 23-26, 2013 Baltimore

We believe that concurrent meetings will serve the interests of our members, will help to advance the many disciplines and areas of study we represent, and will maintain and advance the critical inquiry that characterizes the work of our societies. We invite you to join us in building this exciting new future.

Cordially,

Jack Fitzmier Kent Richards

American Academy of Religion Society of Biblical Literature

Liberalism: Biblical but not scalable?

Mar 9th, 2010

by Christian Brady.

3 comments

My brother is an ardent conservative and rarely dips into biblical themes or concerns, but today he had a very interesting post. I will reserve comment and simply suggest that you take a look. His argument:

First, the liberal ideal of caring for those around you is not only a good one, it’s Biblical. We are called on by Christ to love our neighbors. And Christ didn’t draw any neighborhood boundaries, either. On the other hand, we are faced with an ever-enlarging government that, despite all the best intentions and heartfelt goodwill, never seems to deliver on the “big promises.”

My conclusion? Liberalism doesn’t scale–and it wasn’t ever intended to. For us to love our neighbor we must be in contact with our neighbors. We can care best for those we touch. I suspect this was designed into our nature.

I am not sure I agree…completely, but in practice I think he may be right. Read it all.

Christmas in (political) cartoons

Dec 15th, 2009

by Christian Brady.

2 comments

UPDATE: I just noticed that this is my 2,000 post. Somewhat fitting, don’t you think? It combines all of my interests (aside from technology) into one post: comics, religion and politics, a delicious mélange!

You all know my penchant for comics and politics so it is no surprise that when it all comes together, comics, politics, and religion, I just have to bring it to your attention. Cagle at MSNBC.com has the usual round up of political cartoons on the Nativity (and everything else). So here are a few with my commentary included. Please see the Cagle site for more on each artist and their work.

So let’s start with a fairly political statement first.

I think we cannot escape the fact that so many have referred to President Obama as “the Messiah” and that this must be behind the bailout reference here. That being said, it doesn’t take much for us to view this theologically and recognize that Jesus does indeed offer a kind of “bailout,” the sort that only he can provide.

Next, we find our annual “homeless” theme.

This always irritates me and I am not completely sure why. As scholars we all have our doubts about exactly how and where Jesus was born but the accounts do not in any way suggest that Jesus’ family lacked a home. When we head down to my folks’ place in Maryland and stay in a hotel are we “homeless”? No, I don’t think so.

Still, we certainly must remember to be charitable to those who are without and there are more then ever, even in our own hometowns.

Money is always an issue, how we spend it and on what. The nation’s current fiscal crisis gave rise to many cartoons this year (and last). I like this one for its simplicity and poignancy.

And finally, building on the theme of money (and I will grant, lacking a bit in the area of originality) but getting to the heart of the matter, I like this comics by Wells.

A final footnote: the Caption Contest will continue! Check in on Thursday for the next installment. I am quite pleased with my selection. (Now to do some work!)