Spiritual but Not Religious

A current phrase I hear often is “I am spiritual but not religious.”  This is usually uttered in response to any mention of Jesus. I believe that these people are consciously or unconsciously trying to avoid having anything to do with organized religion.  I think that what they are actually trying to avoid are the demands that a real involvement with Jesus would place upon them. They would rather have a vague and shallow numinous feeling about the universe and the self-congratulatory feeling that since they feel “something” they are good people and that they are justified in living their lives in any way they wish. This is a rejection of God and the glorification of the Self.

Film Comment: The Wicker Tree

The Wicker Tree (2011), the sequel to the truly creepy cult classic film, The Wicker Man (1973), compares very unfavorably with its predecessor.  The first film stars the veteran film actors Christopher Lee (Count Dracula in numerous Hammer Studios films) and Edward Woodward (best known for The Equalizer television series and for Codename: Kyril). If the first film is a pair of silk pajamas, the second film is an old tattered flannel shirt which is missing a few buttons.

The Wicker Tree has no Christian message so why include a review of the film in this blog? The answer is because it has two characters who are explicitly portrayed as Christians.

Beth Boothby and her fiancée Steve are excited and horribly naïve evangelical missionaries from rural Texas (USA). They plan to spend two years evangelizing the pagan people of Scotland.

Beth and Steve find the people of the village of Tressock to be friendly, polite, and generous hosts, but no one is interested in any way in the religious tracts which the two attempt to distribute. The most enthusiastic response from the villagers comes during an assembly in their obviously unused church when Steve and Beth teach them the hymn, “There is Power in the Blood.” The Lord of the village tells the missionaries, “It’s going to be fun … trying to convert us heathens.”

It is almost immediately obvious to the viewer, but not to Beth and Steve, that something is not right in the quaint old village. Beth feels honored to be selected as the new May Day Queen. Steve thinks it is a fine game to  play the part of the Laddie. If you have seen the truly chilling first film you will not be surprised at what the missionaries ultimately find.

Objectionable elements in the film include nudity, vulgarity, sex, gore, and profanity., but there are two other points in the film which I found to be more objectionable.

The portrayal of evangelical Christians is little more than a crude caricature. Beth, while sincere, is unbelievably naïve and is totally unprepared to evangelize. Steve succumbs to the very first temptation set before him.

Beth and Steve are supposed to be from Texas (USA) but they are totally unable to hide the fact that they are British actors. Steve (Hebry Garrett) has a very difficult time staying Texan.

The Texans in the film all attend church wearing their cowboy hats and their missionary organization is “Cowboys for Christ.” In modern secular usage, “cowboy” often is a perjorative and derisive term denoting someone who is violent, stupid, and reckless.

This film, which I believe was intended as a Black Comedy, is insulting to evangelical Christians whom it portrays as naïve, simple, and gullible. It views them as people whose faith is as thin as onion paper and is based, in reality, on nothing.

Actually, the film is also insulting to neopagans, who would be repulsed at the idea of human sacrifice.

The other insulting thing in the film is a cynical utilitarian statement by the lord of the village. “I believe the old religion of the Celts fits our needs at this time. Isn’t that all you can ask of a religion?”

Totally ignore the 2006 Nicholas Cage remake of The Wicker Man.

Blogger Rankings of Saints on the Loose

In each Blogger users profile is a list of the writer's interests.  Those who post about these interests are ranked by the number of their posts.  Here are the Blogger Post rankings for Saints on the Loose! and the number of persons who have listed each interest.

genealogy: #1 of 64,700
baseball: #1 of 51,500
Christianity: #1 of 42,700
grandchildren: #1 of 8700
grace: #1 of 1000
biography: #1 of 603
inventions: #1 of 579
doctrine: #1 of 134
Baptist: #1 of 128
Trinity: #1 of 98
competitive sports: #1 of 89
medical technology: #1 of 87
hematology: #1 of 35
literary agents: #1 of 32
Christian blogs: #1 of 10
Evangelical theology:  #1 of 7
Christian writers: #1 of 4
Christian Publishing: #1 of 1
films: #2 of 238,000
theology: #2 of 42,100
football: #3 of 210,000
religion: #3 of 103,000
comedy: #3 of 31,300
science fiction: #4 of 49,600
philosophy: #5 of 402,000
sport: #5 of 221,000
humor: #5 of 112,000
history: #10 of 246,000
art: not in top 10
books: not in top 10
writing: not in top 10

Who is Ricardo Montalban?

In1993, actor Ricardo Montalban received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild.  Here is part of what he said about the progression of an actor’s career.

“Who is Ricardo Montalban?
Get me Ricardo Montalban,
Get me a Ricardo Montalban type.
Get me a young Ricardo Montalban.
Who is Ricardo Montalban?”

First class actor that Montalban was, he will be remembered in two hundred years only by film academics.  Film greats such as John Barrymore,  Louise Brooks, and Claude Rains are now almost entirely forgotten.  The memory of other celebrities such as Ceelo Green, Kim Kardashian, and even Honey Boo Boo will be even shorter.

Being politically and historically important are no guarantee of being remembered.  How many know the stories of Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni tribe, or of the Trung Sisters?

Important religious leaders, even the founders of religions, fare no better.  How many non-Bahais can name the founder of that religion?   Who was Father Divine, or Anton Sandor LaVey, or Sidney Rigdon, or George Gurdjieff, or Elizabeth Claire Prophet, or Adoniram Judson, or Aleister Crowley, or Aimee Semple McPherson?

Entire cultures have been forgotten.  Until the ruins of their capital city were discovered in Turkey in 1871, no one believed that the Hittite Empire mentioned in the Bible really existed.

Jesus of Nazareth was a simple carpenter from a dusty little backwater town.  If you say His name almost anywhere in the world you may not find any of His followers, but you can be sure that someone will at least have heard His name.

The Most and Least "Religious" of the United States

http://www.gallup.com/poll/153479/mississippi-religious-state.aspx

I just heard about this 2012 survey and thought I should share it with you.  Gallup released a list of the most (top three: Mississippi, Utah, and Alabama) and least religious  (48-50: Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont) of the United States of America.

Gallup describes 40% of the American populace as “very religious” and 32% as not religious at all.  The most religious states are heavily clustered in the South, while the least religious states tend to be in New England or the West.

The most religious state in the United States is Mississippi, where a total of 58% are described as “very religious.”  I find this to be disturbing because it means that four people out of ten describe themselves as “not religious.”  We are rapidly becoming the “remnant.”

Roll Tide! War Eagle!

I have spoken before about how football is almost a religion in Alabama.  People are born into Alabama or Auburn families and sons of players at one school almost invariably play at the same school.  Most approach this in a rational fashion and take good natured pokes at one another.  As with anything, a few become obsessive to absurd levels.

Today is the first game day of the 2012 season.  Auburn is playing the Clemson Tigers in Atlanta, Georgia and the currently second-ranked Alabama is visiting the Michigan Wolverines in Dallas, Texas. 

(Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.)

Roll tide

War Eagle flight

The origin of Crimson Tide and Roll Tide:

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California is where the Alabama team won their first four national titles (a total of fourteen.)  The national sports writers spoke of the team looking like a tide of red, a Crimson Tide, pouring onto the field.

The association with an elephant (the mascot: Big Al) began because the sports writers noticed a picture of a red elephant on the personal storage trunks the players brought with them.  The trunks were supplied to the team by a local Birmingham luggage company, Rosenberger's Birmingham Trunk, whose business logo is a red elephant.  The elephant logo refers to the strength of the trunks which they sell.

The origin of War Eagle:

The Auburn Tigers mascot is Aubie the Tiger.  The eagle, also, became associated with the team very early in Auburn history. In 1892, an eagle circled over the football field during a football game and the fans pointed into the air and yelled “War Eagle!”  

Why Life Begins At Conception, Part 1

Over the next few days I will be posting, in several parts, on the subject, Why Life Begins at Conception.  The posts may not be on consecutive days but they will make the most sense to you if they are read in consecutive order. 

The subject has become a very hot topic in the United States because of the poorly thought out comments (I would say something more harsh except for the nature of this blog) of one of the current United States Representatives. 

The current controversy concerns abortion and certain types of contraception and the timing of when a developing fetus becomes “human.”  Does life begin at conception or sometime later in the pregnancy? Does the developing fetus have legal rights as a person?

The question is presented by many as a religious question, and it is, but a rational and scientific case can be made for opposition to abortion without any reference to religion.  Many people will not listen to a religious argument, but they might listen to a scientific one.

The posts in this series will present, in a highly simplified way, the scientific information necessary for a case against abortion and some forms of birth control.  Also, the very strong emotions of persons on both sides of the issue will be discussed.

1.     This is not, never has been, and never will be, a political blog.

2.     I am qualified to present this particular scientific information because my undergraduate degree is in biology with a concentration in developmental genetics and embryology.

What Is Your Religion?

This guy has a totally irreverent manner and posts numerous humorous videos, many of which you do not want to see. In this video, he gets right to his point: many people have no idea what they actually believe and are not interested enough to even consider the idea. What is your answer to his question? "

"What is your religion and why do you believe in that religion? And if you don't have a religion, why not?"

(Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.)

Christian Intellectuals

“The minute you get a religion you stop thinking.  Believe in one thing too much and you have no room for new ideas.”  Ray Bradbury (b. 1920, Illinois, USA – d. 2012)  Bradbury was a celebrated science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery writer.

I have to disagree with Ray.  Yes, there is a strong stream of anti-intellectualism loose in the world today and it has infected many within the Christian community, but faith does not equal empty-headedness.  Jesus Himself told us that it should not.

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Matthew 22:37

The Apostle Luke praised the Bereans  “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11

Without expressing approval or disapproval of what any of them have taught or said, here is a short list of modern persons who would qualify as Christian intellectuals: John Piper, N.T. Wright, Francis Schaeffer, Dietrich Boenhoffer, D.A. Carson, C.S. Lewis, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II, Ravi Zacharias, Dinesh D’Souza, Francis Collins, John Lennox, Karl Barth, etc.

What They Think of Us: George Carlin

"The only good thing that ever came out of religion was the music," comedian and social critic George Carlin (1937-2008).  Carlin was raised as a Roman Catholic but as an adult was an atheist and harsh critic of religion.

Book Comment: God is Not ... Religious, Nice, "One of Us," An American, A Capitalist

God is Not ... Religious, Nice, "One of Us," An American, A Capitalist, edited by D. Brent Laythem, is a very hard book to read, for several reasons. One is that it is written from a very academic seminary level veiwpoint. The other reason is that it directly challenges numerous modern Christian assumptions.


This is not some "pointy-headed liberal" attack on the Church. The authors take pains to point out that they are evangelical and trinitarian and that they do not subscribe to the moral relativism now infesting most of the world. The editor, Brent Laythem, says "... true boorishness is the 'unflinching tolerance' that cannot tolerate traditional Christian conviction."


You may disagree with some of the conclusions the writers draw in their articles. I do, but it is not forbidden for Christians to disagree among themselves. We are not even required to all like one another, but we are expected to all love one another and to love and obey the Lord.


Some of the insights discussed in this book are:
God is not religious. Religion can become a work of Man, with rules, rituals, and places which, in effect, distract our attention away from God.
God is not "one of us." Jesus is not just a holy man and an enlightened teacher. He is fully Human, but He is also fully Divine.
God is not nice. God is dangerous. He is a direct challenge to man's pride in his accomplishments. To call God nice is an attempt to tame and control Him.
God is not tolerant. Modern moral relativism insists that there are no absolutes. God presents Himself with no compromise.
God is not interested in being your therapist, in making you "feel better." God is not a coping mechanism. He seeks to restore you to a proper relationship with Himself.
God is not American. The angels rejoice when a new person enters the Kingdom whether that person is in Papua New Guinea, Egypt, Spain, or Florida.
God is not a capitalist. In his "render unto caesar" comment Jesus seems to say that He considered money to be unimportant. Remember that he laid aside his privileges as God to become what the world's culture would consider to be an absolute failure, executed by the government as a criminal.

The Truth of Christianity

"It is the reliability of the Bible that sets Christianity apart from all other religions. ...  The same methods of historical investigation used to determine the authenticity of any ancient document can be applied to the Bible. ... In every area in which it can be checked out, the Bible is proven to be totally reliable.  If its verifiable contents are proven to be accurate and reliable, it is logical to assume that its subjective truth-claims (ie., its spiritual contents) are equally trustworthy.  There is no logical reason to reject this.  The key here is that the Bible's subjective truths do not attempt to stand alone.  They rest squarely and firmly on a foundation of verifiable facts." Dan Story, Christian apologist

Book Comment: Handbook of Denominations in the United States

Do you know a Schwenkfelder?  Do you know the difference between the Unity School of Christianity and the Unity of the Brethren?  Frank S. Mead's classic 1951 reference book, Handbook of Denominations in the United States can help you with these questions and many others. The book is so useful that it has been released in multiple editions (there were eleven editions by 1985!)

Each religious body is described listing its history, contact address, membership statistics, distinctive doctrines and beliefs, prominent members, geographical distribution data, and a discussion of the body's government.  The listings are placed within major groupings: Baptist, Adventist, Bahai, Jewish, Muslim, Episcopal/Anglican, Mennonite, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Spiritualist, Reformed, Catholic, Fundamentalist,  Mormon, and others.

Opening the book to ten random pages finds articles on the following groups: Anglican Catholic Church,  Branch Davidians, Hungarian Reformed Church in America,  Conservative Baptist Association of America, The Pillar of Fire, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Open Bible Standard Churches, International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, Unification Church, and the National Baptist Convention of America.

I know that the idea of a reference book may sound dry and boring but this well-written book is fascinating.  It will be useful reading to anyone interested in the history of religion in the United States and should be available in the adult reference section in most larger libraries.

The Meaning of Life

"... the Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs.  If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.  God became Man for no other purpose.  It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose.  It says in the Bible that the whole universe was made for Christ and that everything is to be gathered together in Him."  C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 1952.

The Tragedy in Japan

The recent earthquake (9.0 on the Richter scale) and subsequent tsunami in Japan combined to create a horrible tragedy for that nation.  The possible meltdown of four nuclear reactors in Fukushima adds even more concern.  The current probable death total is upwards of 30,000.  We should all be praying for these people during their ordeal.

Several people I know have expressed surprise, or even shock, at a statistic which came out during discussions about the tragedy after the current emperor, Akihiko, offered Shinto prayers for his countrymen.  The majority of the people of Japan no longer follow the Shinto religion; in fact, seventy percent are believed to follow no religion at all.   Only two percent of Japanese identify themselves as Christian.

Christian orthodoxy believes that there is salvation only in Christ.  Of the probable thirty thousand dead, twenty-one thousand (70%) had no religious beliefs at all.  Two percent, six hundred people, were Christian.

Numbers of Adherents of the World's Religions

These are very approximate estimates of the numbers of followers of several of the world's religions and/or philosophies.

Christianity                        2,100,000,000
Islam                                  1,500,000,000
Secular/Agnostic/Atheist   1,100,000,000
Hinduism                              900,000,000
Chinese traditional                394,000,000
Buddhism                             376,000,000
Traditional African               100,000,000
Sikhism                                  23,000,000
Juche                                      19,000,000
Spiritism                                 15,000,000
Judaism                                  14,000,000
Baha'i                                      7,000,000
Jainism                                    4,200,000
Shinto                                     4,000,000
Cao Dai                                  4,000,000
Zoroastrainism                        2,600,000
Tenrikyo                                 2,000,000
Neo-Paganism                        1,000,000
Unitarianism-Universalism        800,000
Rastafarianism                           600,000
Scientology                                500,000

A Come to Jesus Moment

This post is about a current American idiomatic phrase: a come to Jesus moment.  I had heard this phrase used before in a sports context, then later in business and in politics.  I had an idea what it meant but decided to investigate it, so I went to the Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com/ )

On this website, Internet respondents can submit their interpretation(s) of current slang (popular "street" idioms).  Besides the traditional religious interpretation of the phrase, there were several fanciful, sarcastic,  and/or vulgar comments.

The most accurate interpretation of this phrase seems to be one of being called into a meeting in which one is severely criticized and possibly threatened with strict punishment for one's actions or attitudes.  The intent of the meeting is to produce an emotional response which produces a complete change in behavior and/or attitude.

This seems to play into a popular misconception of Jesus, and "religion" in general, as stuffy, unpleasant,  hypercritical, prudish, threatening, and disapproving.   This is an insulting stereotype.

Temple of the Vampire

I had an experience a few years ago which was somewhat unnerving at the time, though I soon realized that the people actually meant me no harm.  I work a second job on the evening shift and, one night on my way home, I stopped at a red light.  Suddenly beside me was a black hearse with darkened windows.  Then they appeared; white faces pressed against the inside of the hearse's windows,  mouths open with fangs exposed, and white eyes with pinpoint pupils.  When the light changed, I drove away.  I imagine they had a very good laugh. 

They were probably members of a subset of the Goth culture which has an ultra-dark look and worldview with its own traditions, music, clothing, literature, etc.  Many are "closet" Goths, only dressing up in their makeup and costumes to be with their friends.  The more hardcore really live the lifestyle.  Not all Goths consider themselves to be vampires and not all vampires consider themselves to be Goths.

The Temple of the Vampire (http://vampiretemple.com/) is a religious organization founded in the United States in 1989.  It is officially recognized by the United States government as a religion.  The group has members in the United States, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, England, and Australia.

The group claims that its members learn to gain real control over their lives by understanding the higher powers of the vampire.  The group promises that members will gain willpower and mental strength, learn how to influence and control other people, achieve improved health,experience financial freedom, and attain a prolonged lifespan.  The philosophy is similar to but not the same as the Church of Satan: neither God nor the Devil actually exist; the self is exalted; we are better and stronger than mere humans. 

The Temple strongly rejects one misconception about themselves; they do not engage in physical blood drinking or criminal assault.  Members do openly declare that they are an elitist secret society and consider themselves to be living Gods.

Some other vampire churches: Order of the Dragon, The Vampire Church, House of Kheperu,and  The Vampire Grove.  There are several types of vampires: Lifestyle Vampires (Real Vampires would classify these as "Vampire Lite"), Real Vampires (some consume real blood, others say they consume the life energy of others), and those who claim to be actual Undead Immortals.  There are estimates that the number of vampires worldwide is about 300,000.

Book Comment: How to Be a Vampire

This book is obviously trying to cash in on the current pop culture interest in vampires caused by the popularity of the Twilight series of books and films by Stephanie Meyer.   The series takes the romantic/tragic vampires of author Anne Rice and raises them to a new level of romantic fantasy.  Many hardcore horror fans think that the Twilight vampire stories are strictly gothic romance. 

How to Be a Vampire is clearly just a commercial venture, pointed out by the fact that it discusses television series bloodsuckers along with all the varieties of the Undead from folklore throughout history.  The cover of the book features a smiling vampiress with blood-tipped fangs.  Where the book actually becomes dangerous is that it also presents itself as a guide about how to become a vampire and asks, "Are you food or a companion?"

For impressionable, lonely young people this fantasy can become an all-encompassing lifestyle and even become, for some, a religion. (See tomorrow's post.)

"A world of power and beauty awaits.   Fearsome and irresistible, the vampire's realm entices. ... to assume the mantle of a deity ... beyond the mundane triviality of their fragile human brethren ..."

The book tells its readers where to look for vampires, the signs of their presence, and how to act once a vampire is found.  The chapters include: How to Be Turned; Finding the Perfect Sire; Powers: What You Can do; The Hunt Is On: How to Feed; Alternative Foods; Vampire Trackers: The Mortals; Supernatural Foes; How to Form Your Own Coven; Living the Undead Lifestyle; Vampire Etiquette; and Should You Date a Mortal? 

This book is a cynical cashing in on a fad.  The author might claim that it is "tongue-in-cheek."  The danger is that some young people may take it seriously.

Gray, Amy, How to be a Vampire (Somerville, Mass: Candlewick Press, 2009)

Book Comment: If the Church Were Christian, Chapter 2, Part 1

If you are joining this book review series mid-stream , you can read the comment from the beginning by going to the LABELS section following the last post on this page and clicking on PHILIP GULLEY.

Gulley, Philip, If the Church were Christian. Rediscovering the Values of Jesus (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2010)

CHAPTER 2: Affirming Our Potential Would Be More Important Than Condemning Our Brokenness

Pastor Philip Gulley says,”I am weary of the church’s efforts to manipulate and shame me.” He believes that the church is a shame-based culture which uses embarrassment and disgrace for control of its followers. “For God to be good, we must be sinners in need of redemption.” This elevates “God at the expense of humanity.“

In his excellent (I highly recommend it) book, After You Believe, Bishop N.T. Wright talks about the type of religion against which Pastor Gulley is in revulsion: a Rules-Based religion in which you are saved by grace and then immediately go back under the Law, trying to live up to your new position as “saved.” People in this type of faith live in constant dread of inadvertently stepping out of line, of any small lapse of protocol and watch other people’s behavior for lapses which they can point out. They think God has a little scorecard He keeps on each of them.

Pastor Gulley calls this a mental illness. Bishop Wright wouldn’t say that, but he would agree, as I do, that it is a perversion, a total misreading of the purpose of the Christian life.

Pastor Gulley insists that salvation is not about “going to Heaven” but is about how we live here and now.  Well, salvation ultimately results in eternal physical life in a place prepared by the Lord (look it up), but Pastor Gulley does have a point.

This is part of a continuing chapter-by- chapter response to this book. More to come.