SimplyComplexJen

Every time I hear a variation of this story, I get angry:

• Christian finds out someone else isn't baptized.

• Christian goes on to tell the person how they will burn.

• Christian is not apologetic or explains position

• Christian is smug and walks away not even knowing what they did was very not Christian-like.

(based on a true story that happened to one of the few people I consider a true friend this week)

I get angry at the so-called Christian who put themselves up on a pedestal above those they perceive not only as non-Christians, but lesser-Christians.

I am angry at their arrogance that they would tell a stranger, a waitress in a pub, that she is going to hell.

I am angry at their ignorance of the scope of God's love, which is obvious when they tell said waitress she also has condemned her son to hell.

I am angry that this "Christian" would dismiss and try to invalidate in front of God a marriage of love, mutual respect, and deep commitment based on some assumptions the patron has made.

I am angry that non-Christians (or nominally religious people) have more encounters with these types of "Christians" ( do I have to keep calling them that?) rather than ones who can share The Light with them.

I am angry that this "Christian" thinks they know enough to know the mind of God.

I am angry that this patron of the pub, I think, exemplifies what most non-religious people think of Christians.

I am angry.

I am embarrassed.

(maybe there is some irony in me implying the "f" word in my title and calling myself a Christian, but that is not directed at someone, and is strictly between God and myself)

Harry Potter is of da Devil!!!!!!
(haha, I just had to get in a Waterboy comment here somewhere)

puh-lease.

Once again, a group of self-righteous, probably "Christian", groups are proclaiming the Harry Potter is promoting the work of the devil.

Sad to say, many committed Christians miss this key point:

The work is fiction, yet people still fear it.

These same Christians are probably ones that want their kids to read CS Lewis', "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" series because Lewis was using these fictional mechanisms as allegory for Bible stories.... not sure that was obvious to me reading it in the 3rd grade, but ok... I'll go with that.

(As a side note, I think it is safe to assume that many of those opposed to Harry Potter have never actually bothered to read that which they are so upset about, and of course should come as no surprise that they have never actually bothered to read the C.S. Lewis books they are so enthusiastic about.)

Would God allow sorcery, magic, and trickery (something he abhors), to be used to promote his Kingdom??? Would drug dealing be acceptable to God if tracts were delivered along with the smack? Of course not!!! (unless you're that preacher in Colorado who thought exchanging meth for gay prostitution was ok.)

This is not to say that Harry Potter has a Christian message, or that J.K. Rowlings' work is on par with Lewis'; far from it! The fact remains that Harry Potter is fiction. I know some people might have nothing better to do than protest this movie, but wouldn't your time be better well spent improving His Kingdom on Earth? READ: Get off your arse and go help the "least and the lost" that Jesus was so concerned about....

This isn't the first time groups like this have gotten their panties in a wad.... remember these instances from when we were kids?

The Smurfs. Yes those cuddly little ficitonal blue characters who ran around the woods singing songs. The Devil works through them, yes it's true. Papa Smurf, well he protects his people with magic.... so it must be evil [end sarcasm].

Also, there was the D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) uproar (not allowed in our home). Apparently, the extremists in the church were not aware that the magic swords and dragons were not "real." My mom was convinced if we played, we would become suicidal and she would "lose" us to the dark side.

In more recent years, the Teletubbies came under fire. (If you can't recall, this was a British TV sensation featuring large fuzzy aliens with rather pleasant dispositions). The character of "Tinkie-Winkie" was said to be openly promoting the homosexual movement. Not sure why he is "more" gay than the others, but the rumor persisted nonetheless.

I am sure there are many more besides these and the additional attacks on Disney, Vampire movies, to other occult movies.

What I find ironic is that these protestors will continue to rally against [fill in the blank cause] rather than do something sensible like spread the Gospel. That is, if the Gospel is really what they are concerned about (which is a whole other blog in my mind).

If your kids wants to stay home from church to read the new Harry Potter book, it's not because s/he's been overcome by witchcraft, it's just simply more interesting than a boring sermon. Kids will do/say anything to get out of church. I know I tried.

Harry Potter does something that our church(es) lacks... engaging children. That is what I think is upsetting the parents (maybe on a subconcious level) more than whitchcraft. I wonder how many of the concerned parents allow their children to watch 1 hour violent dramas such as CSI or Law and Order or many of the others out there?

In the end, What are these parents teaching their child? That fictional evil is more dangerous than the real evils in the world? I am willing to bet these parents have spent more time explaing why their kids can't read Potter than they have talking to their children about poverty, environmental problems, drugs, casual sex, or so many of the other issues that affect our society today.

Everyone needs to stand up for what they believe in, and if you feel Potter or [fill in the blank media] is the greatest threat to the church, our society, and your children.... then PLEASE, put your heart and soul into that cause. We need passionate people out there!

At the same time though, I would encourage each of us to once in awhile step back, reexamine our "causes" and put them in perspective of the bigger picture -- how is this affecting my children, my family, and my community (in that order IMO). If you're worried about it from a Christian perspective... how is this affecting my relationship with God?

Honestly, I don't see where Harry Potter or the Smurfs should even warrant this level of facination or effort.

But that is my view from my pew.

today she said to me, "Jen, you're the only person I know who teaches Bible classes and feels ok using the word fuck on occasion."

While I'm not proud of the fact I use the word (or a lot of the words that come out of my mouth... usually when talking to truckers it seems), I don't go around feeling holier-than-thou because I teach a Disciple class. I find religious humor funny.... if we can't laugh at ourselves.... then we need to lighten up.

I figure God knows where my heart is and if I want to tattoo myself, have multiple piercings, and shout HOT DAMN! when excited about something.... it STILL doesn't change where my heart is.

I moderate a Mormon Debate Board on beliefnet in my "free" time (which really means I sneak in/out during the day while on the phone at work holding).

It's a very active board with some interesting topics. Today, someone made the comment:

"I'm always astounded by those who think the main/only point of the Gospel is to get into heaven."

I agree with the said poster. As a Christian, I find myself CONSTANTLY embarrassed by those who I feel have hijacked the religion. Maybe some of those have never READ the Bible, they are just looking at the cliff notes they get in a 25 min sermon on Sundays or trying to remember Sunday School lessons from years ago. So, along that line.... SELFISH CHRISTIANS bother me even more. In fact, you can't be selfish AND be a Christian. (Study the New Testament, you'll see what I mean)

I have HUGE problems with heaven/hell centered preaching.

First of all, the preoccupation with salvation/afterlife I think causes some to devalue other things in THIS life. The importance of death is lifted up so high, the life before our mortal death is trivialized, causing many to forget to love thy neighbor. Remember that? One of the two GREATEST commandments?

Secondly, since when is Jesus only about personal salvation? You friendly buddy Christ? Seriously, get over yourself. In a self-centered (how am I getting to heaven) and hell-centered (I am only doing these things to prevent myself from going to hell) salvation, doesn't the teaching of Jesus just get reduced to a quick means to get to Heaven? We want to do it as painlessly as possible too.

Third, if you're so focused on self-salvation through your gospel, are you starting to lose focus that Jesus was the Savior and Lord of the world? Someone said to me once, Lord means "master", not mascot. I can't agree more. Before you argue with me, take a moment to think about that statement.

Personally, I shake my head at most Christians. We've dumbed down Jesus to Buddy Christ sitting there next to us watching tv, enjoying our golden ticket into heaven.

As I was sitting in service this weekend, I had some observations. With the amount of people in there (2/3 full, so I'm guessing about 1800 people or so)... the general lack of enthusiasm during the songs was surprising. I would think 1500-1800 people singing would rock the house (like the Christmas Eve sermon when we sing carols), but sadly enough, no. I can't sing, so I more or less lip-sync and maybe everyone else does the same. No one wants to be heard about the crowd, so all we hear is the 30 person praise band / choir.

Then, they were asking for the 5th week in a row for volunteers for the kids' Sunday school and nursery. Our pastor made an additional plea. You are supposed to volunteer 1 weekend a month if you use the nursery. Obviously people aren't, because out of a 8,000 person congregation, they do not have enough volunteers.

If you go to a big (mega) church, is it because they offer a wide variety of projects, or because you can hide? Does it breed apathy because you assume that "someone else will do it"?

If someone else is always going to do it, then who will? My guess is that the people who are the most active in our church are those who would be the most active no matter what congregation they belonged to, whether it was 200 or 2000 or 20,000.

The two main reasons why I started going to the church I do was:
1) the pastor was particularly engaging
2) I could go in and get lost in the crowd on Sunday and leave. I was fairly new to attending church again (did the usual drop out in late-teens, early 20s) and didn't WANT to be noticed.

Now, things have changed and I feel I'm outgrowing those reasons. Don't get me wrong, the Pastor is one of the best I've ever heard, but how many people do we lose between the cracks?

When you're in a small congregation, people notice when you've been gone a month. Of course, we're supposed to belong to one or more small groups but since there are 5 services you can attend with 1000-2000 people in each one - how would they know if I was there or not unless we discussed attendance in small group? I rarely see anyone from my small groups at a service.

As I looked around and realized I was in the heart of Leawood, that maybe it was the affluence of the group that breeded apathy, much more than the size of our church. I believe that most Americans are apathetic and unwilling to personally risk their comfort to help others or make this a better society.

I have mentioned before that several trips to our sister church in Hondorous had to be canceled because of lack of volunteers. I would LOVE to go, but do not have the $1800 it requires. On the same note, I did not donate even $20 to sponsor someone else. Shame on me. If everyone on the rolls donated $20 (most probably spend more than that on a week's worth of Starbucks), just think what we could do for that mission. I just did the math - it would be enough money to spend approximately 130-135 volunteers for the next year.

Then I thought of another kind of apathy I believe that runs in our church, apathy towards the message. Sometimes I get the feeling as long as we go in there and get a "good sermon" that doesn't deal with anything too painful or shocking or mind-bending, it's ok.

It's ok to talk about Jesus' messages of love, but let's not touch the UMC position on abortion for example. We can talk about how to be a better person, but the one sermon we had on homosexuality caused quite the uproar. Why is that a bad thing? Why not preach a sermon that causes people to squirm a bit and rethink for themselves what their stance on something is?

I truly believe that a change in the individual life marks a Christian, not any church, however well attended. So, if people are not stepping up to volunteer or to be challenged in their faith, why are they there? Why are they content to sit back and let others do the "works" of the Christian faith?

If you asked many of the member of any church, I'm sure they would cite poverty, hunger, genocide, etc as concerns - but how many look for ways within their own community to fight those issues? One of the reasons I continue to go to my church, is that because of the mass, we are able to accomplish a lot of things in the community that smaller churches are not. But I wonder what percentage of our congregation actually participates? Or is it the same people volunteering each month? (the 80/20 rule maybe?)

If we can't even get parents to volunteer in their own kids' class, then as a group of Christians, how are we supposed to pool resources and fight many of the social ills of today? There is no place for apathy in a world which sees 20,000 or more children die each day because of poverty related conditions.

But this could be just the view from my seat.....

Unless of course you're talking about Christmas with my family..... then we put the "fun" in dysfunctional. :)

Even if you're not Christian, this season is a good time for reflection, forgiveness, and random acts of kindness (that should carried out through the year). Honestly, Christmas should be a state of mind, not a date and not presents under the tree.

With that said, this article gets under my skin:

DENVER - A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti-Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan.

Some residents who have complained have children serving in Iraq, said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs. He said some residents have also believed it was a symbol of Satan. Three or four residents complained, he said."Somebody could put up signs that say drop bombs on Iraq. If you let one go up you have to let them all go up," he said in a telephone interview Sunday.

Lisa Jensen said she wasn't thinking of the war when she hung the wreath. She said, "Peace is way bigger than not being at war. This is a spiritual thing."

Jensen, a past association president, calculates the fines will cost her about $1,000, and doubts they will be able to make her pay. But she said she's not going to take it down until after Christmas."Now that it has come to this I feel I can't get bullied," she said. "What if they don't like my Santa Claus."

The association in this 200-home subdivision 270 miles southwest of Denver has sent a letter to her saying that residents were offended by the sign and the board "will not allow signs, flags etc. that can be considered divisive."

The subdivision's rules say no signs, billboards or advertising are permitted without the consent of the architectural control committee.

Kearns ordered the committee to require Jensen to remove the wreath, but members refused after concluding that it was merely a seasonal symbol that didn't say anything. Kearns fired all five committee members.

Anti-Peace Story on Yahoo


Can someone please explain to be how this peace sign is more offensive than my neighbor's $200 snow-globe that is lit up all night long and his Christmas lights display puts shame to Clark Griswalds?


Cutting down a tree and putting it in your living room? Sounds like something a drunk would do... right after saying, " Here, hold my drink, this will be cool...."



Of course, we can't forget Church lady and all her wisdom..... Santa? Satan? You decide....


Speaking of Satan.... even if the peace sign was a sign of Satan (HUH????), this is America.... we're free to worship as we please.

If they make her take it down, I would make an effort to go around the subdivision and find all the popular (and well known) pagan symbols we use for Christmas, such as the Christmas tree, Elves, Mistletoe, etc. None of that non-Christian non-sense in my subdivision and certainly no international symbols of peace!!! How dare she?????

Seriously, people need to pull that stick out of their ass and worry about things that really flippin' matter.

originally posted on myspace.com on July 31, 2006



This is what happens when we let men run the countries. We have conflicts, wars, police actions, etc. All because of testosterone posturing. Yes, folks, they have to prove to the world who is bigger.

Slap your religion behind your cause, and all of a sudden, your position is supposed to have validity, and the bombing is done because its Gods will. God hates those infidels across the border in case you didn't know.

A few random thoughts about God, war, and religion....

1) When it comes to killing in the name of your God, I especially get my panties in a wad. First of all, how do you KNOW you're right? Did God personally come down and tell you to kill those infidels across the border?

2) When God speaks to you, it's a good idea to listen.

3) When someone tells you God spoke to them though, it's a good idea to double-check. Here are a few examples:
~ David Koresh & the need to stockpile more ammunition than Ft. Bragg
~ that Utah polygamy-guy on the FBIs most wanted
~ and our current President who said God wanted him to win I always thought of God as more of a Libertarian.

I think religion is great and serves a purpose in many peoples lives. It gives purpose, direction, guidance, support, and a center they can come to when life gets crazy.

I also think it can be taken too far (and becomes a negative in life) and when it takes away a persons ability to think independently. Religion should be to enrich your life, not dictate every thought and action.

Killing in the name of religion is one of the most revolting things I can think of. Both sides pray to the same God before they go off to kill each other. In spite of the many differences among Christians, Jews, and Muslims, they share a fundamental belief in God as compassionate and just. Maybe a little less posturing and a little more compassion gets us back to where all religions think we should be.

originally posted on myspace.com on May 19, 2006

I know wrestling is fake and I don't waste my time watching or arguing about it. IT'S CALLED ENTERTAINMENT. I feel the same way about "The Da Vinci Code".

The movie is just a marketing scheme by a best-selling author. I would do it too. SHOW ME THE MONEY!! He will make A LOT of money from this movie, and I believe all this negative press will only make him more.

Ron Howard had a suggestion Wednesday for people riled by the way Christian history is depicted in "The Da Vinci Code": If you suspect the movie will upset you, don't go see it. "There's no question that the film is likely to be upsetting to some people," Howard told reporters. "My advice, since virtually no one has really seen the movie yet, is to not go see the movie if you think you're going to be upset. Wait. Talk to somebody who has seen it. Discuss it. And then arrive at an opinion about the movie itself. Again: This is supposed to be entertainment, it's not theology," he said.

Let's face it, certain topics sell. Christ, obviously is one of them. Look at "The Passion". Book Of Judas. Heck, how can we forget "The Ten Commandments"?

I do not believe the book set out to unfairly portray albinos as evil (anyone remember "Powder"?).

I do not believe the book is capable of tearing down the Catholic establishment.

I do not believe that the Mona Lisa holds a secret to the story of Jesus.

Opus Dei wants disclaimer at the beginning of the movie that this is a work of fiction. How many mystery thrillers do you know have that?

20 million people aren't reading the code in The Da Vinci Code as a way to understand why the Catholic Church. Face it, it's fiction.

A prominent cardinal in the Vatican is urging legal action against the book and film versions of Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code," claiming the story is offensive to both Christ and the Church.Cardinal Francis Arinze, a Nigerian who was among the candidates for the papacy last year, made his appeal during an appearance in a documentary titled, "The Da Vinci Code-A Masterful Deception." He call follows by ten days the entreaty of another Vatican cardinal who called for a boycott of the film when it is released on May 19th. What will this accomplish? Chances are the people boycotting this already know it's fiction, so why prevent people from seeing a movie?

What effect can movies have on our culture? Look at....

"Bowling for Columbine" and what it did it to the gun culture.

"Super Size Me" did it to fast food.

Will "The DaVinci Code" do the same to Christianity? Don't think so.

It's amazing to me that these Christians who are taking the time and energy to protest this movie have not taken the same energy to protest other community and cultural issues. How many have taken the same energy to volunteer at a homeless shelter or their child's school? How many of the protesters have the same amount of time writing a letter to their Congressman concerning issues in their state? I could go on, but you get the point. Is this seriously the most important issue concerning Christians today? What about protesting the Fred Phelps of the world? Will someone please explain to me how this FICTIONAL movie will topple Christianity as we know it?

Maybe the moral of this story is that there ARE many who do not have enough intelligence to discern between fiction and non-fiction. If there is some good that comes out of these protests, it is that Christians again have an opportunity to rediscover their beliefs and fortify their faith. It is good to question, strive and search for understanding.

Whatever the big deal is, I just don't get it. Is it REALLY worth boycotting and reporting on?

Go ahead, flame away.... I'm a big girl.
Jen


p.s. The DaVinci Code is the most popular book at the Chicago airport last week. I counted eleven over a 3 hour span. I don't get it. It is almost creepy that our culture has become so homoginized (they were all sipping Starbucks too... well, ok, not ALL of them). At least people are reading.

Also, if you truly don't believe that there are common, everyday people upset by this movie, check out This blog inspired by the ex of a friend. Seriously, I bet more time was put into that email that community service last year. /rant.

originally posted on myspace.com on April 27, 2006

Oh for pete's sake..... are you serious? (for the record, I am not making fun of fundamentalists, everyone has a right to their beliefs, I just find this a silly thing to split hairs over. that's all.... my opinion, nothing more, nothing less.).

Here's a link to the article (article in full below): Yoga with a Christian Bent

Because something is steeped in a religious tradition other than your own, you stand a chance of committing a crime against God and your values? Is this what they are really suggesting?

Could these close-minded group consider for a moment that Learning from other traditions while staying within your own is totally possible?

Contrary to what they might fear about the perils of integrating Eastern disciplines and attitudes, within another tradition, they might discover what they are seeking - - centeredness (is that a word?). The various Hindu and Buddhist practices give very basic and effective ways to quiet agitation in his body and mind. In turn, that tranquility allows a deeper kind of awareness to surface and awakened a natural sense of love and compassion. Stilling the mind will never drew you away from Jesus Christ; it draws you closer.

After all, the body itself is neither Hindu nor Baptist nor Catholic nor Muslim.

Most of us don't realize that the various religions we engage in have been influenced and enlivened in some way by different beliefs and practices around them. None of them has existed in a vacuum. In a similar way, what we learn as individuals from a spiritual tradition other than our own can infuse vitality into our path. Do you think these Christians realize that many of our traditions coincide with pagan festivals?

Coming from a fundamentalist upbringing (and I am now considered a "bad" Christian by many family members due to my open-mindedness on many subjects), I know this attitude expressed in this article is not held only by a select few.

Honestly, if these people were secure in their faith, they would not worry about something like meditation interfering.

Ok, this rant is done....

Article in Full :

April 25, 2006 The poses may be the same as in the Hindu version of yoga, but the philosophy associated with the practice has been reinvented by those of a different faith.
"I approach each class as a way to share with people something great about their faith," said Christian yoga instructor Susan Bordenkircher.

Her class, "Outstretched in Faith," is a switch from traditional yoga, which has its roots in the Hindu religion and predates Christianity.

The original goal of Yoga was to develop self-awareness and help individuals find divinity within themselves.

But those Hindu ideals offend some Christians. Bordenkircher said that as a devout Methodist, when she first tried yoga she loved the exercise but not the Hindu-based chanting.

"It made me feel uncomfortable. It made me feel as if those were elements that I certainly did not want to participate in," Bordenkircher said.

So she joined a growing trend of modifying traditional yoga by replacing many of the chants with biblical phrases or Christian themes. While breathing in, she speaks of inhaling the holy spirit.

Still Yoga? Purists Disagree

There are clear physical benefits to this activity regardless of the philosophy, as it stretches the muscles and relaxes the body.

But yoga purists say that without Hinduism this simply isn't yoga.

"If you take a tree and chop off its roots, then you don't have a tree, do you?" said Subhas Tiwaris, a professor of yoga philosophy.

"Yoga is mind, body, spirit. You want to make those separations," he said.

But Bordenkircher bristles at this charge and defends her practice.

"There is no way that you can take a posture that is from a body that God created and say this can only be used for the Hindu faith," Bordenkircher said