Quote: “You have to find something you love…”

“You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be  placed in front of you. If you don’t have that kind of feeling for what it is you’re doing, you’ll stop at the first giant hurdle.” George Lucas

It’s been one of those weeks…I mean months. You ever feel like no matter which way you turn something is standing there ready to clobber you “Fight Club” style? It’s been one of those months for me.

It’s been two months since I posted an article for my local Examiner column and a month since my last national article. What’s the reason? I’ve been working on my edits for my novel-in-progress and finishing up work on my MFA but more than that I’ve felt like I have been out of juice when it comes to the religion & politics column. I haven’t had enough love to throw myself over the hurdles or crumble the brick walls. It’s a temporary thing and my goal is to be back at it before April rolls around. I’m putting ideas and plans together for the articles I will write when the mood strikes. My category manager wants me to focus on doing more “evergreen” content (content that is always fresh for those searching that topic) and I think that will be a good place to pick it back up. I have a bunch of ideas but until I feel the need, I’m happily letting time pass. Whether that is good or bad for the column, we’ll find out.

In the meantime, it’s been fun focusing more on pop culture stuff here on the blog. While I don’t get paid to post here, I have enjoyed watching the blog readership grow tremendously over the past months. The growth rate has been 218% since November. I’ve loved the posts I written and evidentially many of you have been drawn to them as well. It’s nice to know that when you are doing something you love that others find it amusing too. Thanks for reading.

Please feel free to post your suggestions, comments, or ideas here for what you’d like to see more of. I’d love to hear from.


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Hope for All in Loving Your Enemies!

I just had to share this verse and commentary today. I receive daily scripture emails and this one really struck me this morning. I like what Whitehead says in his commentary about how loving your enemies creates hope that God loves everyone. No matter what wrong we do, what we believe or don’t believe, God is still there for us.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. – Matthew 5:43-45

Jesus was stretching the imagination of the Jewish listeners. To love your enemies is to acknowledge that God loves them too. This is another way of saying that there is hope for anyone. No matter how evil or unrighteous someone may seem, the sun still shines upon them. We are challenged to live in the love of our heavenly Father, who wishes for none to perish and all to come to repentance. 

by: Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org
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Does Environmental Activism Violate the Separation of Church & State?

Do public school teachers have the right to include their opinions on social issues in schools? If the separation of church and state  in schools protects parents from having their children “educated” on religious values that are opposed to their own personal religious values, what about socially moral values that include “religiously-fervored” beliefs about non-religious issues like the environment, health and sex education? If the principle of the separation of church and state is to hold government institutions neutral on religious issues why not also on social issues that have no place in academia.

There was a recent story in Canada about a kindergarten student afraid of taking his sandwich to school in a zipper-style plastic bag because his teacher had told the class than anyone “caught” using these type of bag would be ineligible for a teddy bear contest the class was having. If this isn’t a clear case of  propaganda that has not association with the fundamentals of education (reading, writing, math, history and science) then I don’t know what does.

In my new article for Examiner.com, I talk about how social issues should be included in the principle of the separation of church and state in public schools. As always, I close the article with a very tongue-in-cheek reference.

Click here to reach \”Does Environmental Activism Violate the Separation of Church & State?\”

 

 

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Is the U.S. a Democracy Hypocrite?

As the protests turn violent today, the question of the United States not actively supporting democracy in Egypt seems hypocritical. Supporting dictators never seems to be in the best interest of the United States. Whether its support for the Shah of Iran, Saddam in Iraq, or now the Egyptian president, when will the U.S. learn that when we don’t support and push for democracy, we end up the villain.

I’ve written a two-part article today for Examiner.com where I talk about how hypocritical it is for the U.S. to sit by and wait for an outcome in Egypt. Read today’s article and let me know what you think.

Click here to read \”Is the U.S. a Democracy Hypocrite?\”

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Is Your Pastor a Bully? Understand the Religious Political Agendas of Churches

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Too often people take words from “authorities” as law. Whether it’s an email forward we receive or in the case of my latest Examiner article, your pastor, you have to be cautious about what we hear and believe.

Some of the comments and e-mails I have received about my various articles feel generated by people whose views are very closed off to real possibilities. When we’re talking about God, there are no limits to the possibilities. “No one can say with absolute authority what the limits are of God’s favor and salvation”.

When I hear churches having lecture series on the evils of other faiths (like Islam) it angers me. I doubt very much that Christ would want that. Is a church a place where political agendas should be discussed? Neil Saavedra of “The Jesus Christ Show” has said on the show that churches only political agenda should be to ensure that the freedom of religious freedom is secure. Beyond that there should be not political agendas in our churches. This would include those against Islam, same sex-marriage or battles over denominational issues.  For me, it goes back to the “Unity in essentials, liberty in non-essentials and in all things charity”.

Continue reading my article on Examiner.com: Is Your Pastor a Bully? Understand the Religious Political Agendas of Churches – National religion & politics | Examiner.com

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Is Religion a Scam?

This week’s National Examiner.com article responds to this billboard posted by American Atheists in Alabama that all religions are scams. It’s an interesting read no matter what side you are on. My biggest concern here is the insulting way people trying to convert insult their audience. Do atheists think they can win over doubting believers by telling them they are being scammed? Christians do the same thing when they condemn certain sinners to hell publicly. It’s interesting that neither side really seems to get that compassion not insult and condemnation win people over.  Click the link below to read the article – I think it’s thought provoking. I especially like the definitions of religion I include in the end and how that equates.

Click here to read \”Is Religion a Scam?\” at Examiner.com

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