Category Archives: Religion

Religion, Education and Money

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The New York Times has an article that highlights the percentage of college graduates that each US religion has, and the percentage of members of each religion who have a household income greater than $75,000.  

The least educated or affluent? Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses and Baptists.  

The most educated or affluent? Hindus, Reform Jews, Conservative Jews, Anglicans/Episcopalians. 

The most average? Mormons, Lutherans and Catholics.

From the article:

The most affluent of the major religions — including secularism — is Reform Judaism. Sixty-seven percent of Reform Jewish households made more than $75,000 a year at the time the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life collected the data, compared with only 31 percent of the population as a whole. Hindus were second, at 65 percent, and Conservative Jews were third, at 57 percent.

On the other end are Pentecostals, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Baptists. In each case, 20 percent or fewer of followers made at least $75,000. Remarkably, the share of Baptist households making $40,000 or less is roughly the same as the share of Reform Jews making $100,000 or more. Overall, Protestants, who together are the country’s largest religious group, are poorer than average and poorer than Catholics. That stands in contrast to the long history, made famous by Max Weber, of Protestant nations generally being richer than Catholic nations.

 

Do Not Gloat

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I do not support the death penalty, and I suspect that makes me part of the minority view here in North Carolina.  I don't support it for multiple reasons, some based on practicality and some on my faith which is rather complicated given my religious background. Boiled down to its base my belief, a belief that is rooted in my interpretation of what I've been taught about Christianity in multiple churches, is that you can't justify the taking of one man's life because he took others' lives.

As with so many things it's much more complicated to apply such a belief in real life than in a church on a sunny Sunday morning, and it's especially complicated when you're talking about a mass murderer like Osama bin Laden. When one man is responsible for the death of thousands how can you not be justified in taking his life?  In bin Laden's case I don't think we really had to struggle with that issue because according to all the news accounts I've seen he went down fighting. If he'd been captured alive we'd have had a debate about the proper course to take, but I don't think there's any doubt he'd have been executed and the only questions would have been about the process of getting him executed – where he would have been detained, how he would have been tried, how he would have been executed.  I'm not going to say that I'm feeling regret that bin Laden was killed, I'd be lying if I did, but I will say that I'm relieved that we don't have to have the spectacle of a trial and a debate about the propriety of execution.  I was struggling with these thoughts this morning when I read Esbee's post sharing a letter from her priest about bin Laden and I have to say he's expressed exactly what I've been feeling.  I'm going to share it here and I hope she'll forgive me for lifting it in its entirety (I think it's important that it be read by as many people as possible):

Dear Parishioners,

Some years ago, our national conscience was pierced with a dagger that penetrated our hearts, our minds, and our lives. Lives lost in New York City, Virginia, and Pennsylvania touched lives of people across this nation and around the world. The voids left in so many lives will never, never be filled or replaced. One can merely pray that those who suffered loss might someday know peace, and that those who died will find eternal rest in the arms of their "Creator, Redeemer and Friend," to quote from our cherished Anglican hymnody.

This evening we heard the news of the death of the mastermind and chief perpetrator of that assault on human life and the aspirations of so many to make this world a better, safer, and more godly place. Whilst, I admit, I will sleep perhaps more restfully this evening, it brings me no great joy to celebrate at the death of someone, however evil, who, from his birth was created in the image and likeness of God (even as I grapple greatly with that concept).

I recall 11th September 2001. The images of the towers collapsing, heroes, preserving our national monuments proclaiming , "Let's roll," and the sound and the stench emanating from the Pentagon into our home (in Old Town, Alexandria, at the time) will never be forgotten. The images of those in other parts of the world who would call themselves our enemies, rejoicing in our shock, sorrow, and loss are also still clear and vivid.

That said, the words of our Saviour are also enduring, "Love your enemies," "Pray for those who persecute you." We are called to be a "A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that [we] may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light." In the spirit of him who died for us and was raised from the dead to bring us life eternal, my prayer is that we might all marshal that which is good and salutary within us so that the image which others may have of us is not one of gloating over the death of one individual, but, rather, how we might employ this incident to be for us a new beginning so that all of God's creatures might now know precious they are not only in God's eyes, but in our hearts as well.

I remain, as ever

Your Rector,
Albert

St. John's Episcopal Church, Georgetown Parish

The Argument About Religion and American Government is Nothing New

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Slacktivist reads The Godless Constitution: The Case Against Religious Correctness and base on his post I'm ready to read it myself.  My favorite quote from the post isn't really about his take on the book, rather it's his take on the Republicans in the house kicking off the 112th Congress by reading the entire US Constitution:

I'm a big fan of the Constitution and I'm all for reading it — publicly or privately, silently or aloud. If almost anyone else were proposing this stunt, I'd say it couldn't hurt. But I pay attention, and after years of seeing this lot disrespecting national symbols and institutions by reducing them to tribalist slogans and playground taunts I don't relish the idea of these idiots doing the same to the Constitution. I don't want to see it distorted and disrespected the way the John Birchers of the tea party movement treat the American flag, the national anthem, the names and memories of the founders and every other symbol they can usurp for use as a culture-war weapon while failing utterly to comprehend its meaning.

I'm also worried that some member of the GOP's growing Bircher contingent — Michelle Bachmann, maybe — will come away from this reading convinced that President Obama should be impeached because he only counts as three-fifths of a person.

What I'm most interested in watching for during this stunt, however, is to see if any of the more theocratically minded members of Congress notice what the Constitution does not say. Unlike these pious politicians, the Constitution never mentions God. At all.

Sadly I think he could be right to worry about Bachmann.  Every time I think she's maxed out the crazyspeak-ometer she goes out and tops herself.

Mayor Bloomberg’s Speech

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New York City's Republican mayor steps up and explains why the "Mosque at 9/11 Site" story is important, and why it would be wrong to prevent the mosque from being built.  He really hits the nail on the head here:

“This nation was founded on the principle that the government must never choose between religions or favor one over another. The World Trade Center site will forever hold a special place in our city, in our hearts. But we would be untrue to the best part of ourselves and who we are as New Yorkers and Americans if we said no to a mosque in lower Manhattan.

“Let us not forget that Muslims were among those murdered on 9/11, and that our Muslim neighbors grieved with us as New Yorkers and as Americans. We would betray our values and play into our enemies' hands if we were to treat Muslims differently than anyone else. In fact, to cave to popular sentiment would be to hand a victory to the terrorists, and we should not stand for that.

"For that reason, I believe that this is an important test of the separation of church and state as we may see in our lifetimes, as important a test. And it is critically important that we get it right.

"On Sept. 11, 2001, thousands of first responders heroically rushed to the scene and saved tens of thousands of lives. More than 400 of those first responders did not make it out alive. In rushing into those burning buildings, not one of them asked, 'What God do you pray to?' (Bloomberg's voice cracks here a little as he gets choked up.) 'What beliefs do you hold?'

"The attack was an act of war, and our first responders defended not only our city, but our country and our constitution. We do not honor their lives by denying the very constitutional rights they died protecting. We honor their lives by defending those rights and the freedoms that the terrorists attacked."

Apparently in Mt. Airy Wine Ain’t Christian

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From a story on WXII's site about some Baptists in Mt. Airy getting ready to work a local wine festival:

A group of about 100 Baptists from 10 to 15 local churches plan to stand at four intersections in town to express their opinion to those who will be attending the Budbreak Wine Festival on Saturday.

Tim Crotts, pastor of Beartrail Baptist Church, is heading up the group.

“We are taking an opportunity to proclaim Christ. We will be holding signs and banners so people driving in and out from the event can see our message — Jesus saves,” Crotts said…

Crotts said drinking wine is “not a Christian thing to do.”

That last one has me scratching my head a little for a couple of reasons.  Namely the whole water to wine thing and the fact that Catholics (and some other mainstream religions) serve wine in church.  I do believe that Catholics count as Christians.

More Proof That Times Have-a-Changed

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Check this out: The Supreme Court is losing its only Protestant to retirement.  Of course he might be replaced by another Protestant, but I don't think that's going to be one of the criteria that the Obama administration looks at when nominating a new justice.

According to the article, of the Supremes that Justice Stevens leaves behind, six are Roman Catholic and two are Jewish.  It's hard to believe that just 50 years ago it was a HUGE deal that Kennedy was the first Roman Catholic to be elected POTUS. From the article:

It was not ever thus. Presidents once looked at two main factors in picking justices.

“Historically, religion was huge,” said Professor Epstein of Northwestern. “It was up there with geography as the key factor.”

There is, for instance, no official photograph of the justices from 1924. The court had to cancel its portrait that year because Justice James C. McReynolds, an anti-Semite and a racist, refused to sit next to Justice Louis D. Brandeis, the first Jewish justice.

The fact that William J. Brennan Jr. was Catholic seemed to figure in President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s decision to nominate him to the court in the election year of 1956.

But when Justice Abe Fortas resigned in 1969 from what was considered the “Jewish seat,” President Richard M. Nixon saw no political gain from replacing him with another Jew, settling instead on Harry A. Blackmun, a Methodist.

As that progression suggests, religion, which once mattered deeply, has fallen out of the conversation. And it seems to make people uncomfortable on the rare occasions it is raised.

(h/t to Lex for the link)

Convert or Burn in Hell?

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Generally I don't care how people observe their faith.  Want to stand on a street corner and shout about it? Fine by me.  Want to clang cymbals or speak in tongues?  Fine by me.  Want to pronounce your faith to everyone within shouting distance?  Annoying, but okay.  That said, this post by a minister in Lewisville really bothered me when I read it.  It starts:

We need your help. A couple in our church has been sharing Jesus with a woman who is near death in Hospice. Her name is — —-*. She is a Buddhist and if she dies without Christ, she will go to Hell. Will you please take a few moments right now and pray for — to receive Christ?

* I wasn't comfortable using her name in this post.

I do understand that he and the members of his flock mean well, and I also think they sincerely believe that they're endeavoring to save this woman from an eternity in hell, but man I cringe when I think of someone who is in the final stages of life, who is likely in extreme discomfort, being proselytized and told that her own religious belief is going to condemn her to hell.

Personally I think they should pray for her just as they should pray for the well being of anyone, but I don't buy the need for the deathbed proselytizing. I used to get a similar feeling when I had some pretty heated debates with the (very conservative) principal of my Lutheran high school.  He just couldn't convince me that God would condemn any good person to hell, no matter their faith. I guess that's one opinion I haven't changed at all over the years.

One Opinion Column You Can Be Pretty Sure Won’t Be Picked Up by the Local Papers

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The Washington Post has a new opinion column called The Spirited Atheist (h/t to Ed Cone for the link).  I'm thinking it won't be picked up by the Journal, News & Record or any other local paper here in the Piedmont Triad, although if they really want to gin up some angry "Letters to the Editor" they should give it a go.

Burning Bibles

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The news really is the greatest source of entertainment.  Exhibit A is a pastor in North Carolina who's going to lead a Bible burning on Halloween:

Pastor Marc Grizzard told Asheville TV station WLOS that the King James version of the Bible is the only one his small western North Carolina church follows.

He said all other versions, such as the Living Bible, are "satanic" and "perversions" of God's word.

On Halloween night, Grizzard and the 14 members of the Amazing Grace Baptist Church also will burn music and books by Christian authors, such as Billy Graham and Rick Warren.

Redefines "fire and brimstone" doesn't it?

What Should the Kids Do?

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Last night the youth leader at our church asked us, the parents, for some ideas for activities for the kids.  This was a good idea for a couple of reasons; first, I'm a firm believer that you get better ideas from muliple people than from one, and second when people offer their own ideas they're more likely to get involved themselves.  That said, we were all pretty fragged last night and it was tough getting the creative juices flowing so I thought I'd put out an RFP for ideas for our church's youth group.  Here are the basics about the group:

  • Small, but powerful.  There are about 15 kids in the group and they range in age from 6th graders to 12th graders.
  • The activities should have some kind of tie to what you'd expect a church youth group to be involved with, but it need not be overtly spiritual.  For instance one of the most powerful things they do every year is a week at mission camp in Laurel Ridge.  While there they spend their days doing projects in the local community that are geared to helping people: fixing a shut-in's deck, painting a fence at a local school that doesn't have the budget for it, building a wheel chair ramp at a local home, etc.  At night they do a lot of singing and church related activities, but the main purpose of the week is to teach them service to others.  You can see where I'm going with this. 
  • The group gets together almost every Sunday night for two hours during the school year.  Many of the activities will need to fit this time frame, but they do sometimes step out and do longer activities at different times. 
  • One activity already planned is the Souper Bowl of Caring on Feb. 1, but outside of that we're pretty open over the next couple of months. 

Please feel free to share any ideas you might have, or activities you've seen other groups engage in.