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March 23, 2008

Easter...

Last night SWWBO and I went to Manhattan, Kansas, to attend the Easter Vigil service, where Prodigal Son and his SigOther were catechumens, and officially joined the Roman Church. They did this as a matter of faith and so that they could get married in the Church (yet, no one is engaged... yeah, right). One wonders how Father Keith et.cie., handled that whole living in sin business - but, then, no, I don't wonder.

The Vigil service starts off in the dark, then the Easter Fire is lit, from the fire, the Easter candle is lit, and then the lights come up a bit - over the altar. This is followed by readings from the Old Testament, setting the stage for the New Testament readings - a "How We Got Here" theme.

I freely admit that God speaks to me in Elizabethan english because what little formal religious training I have was built around the King James bible, and I like it. Nothing against the newer vernaculars - if you aren't reading it in the original aramaic, greek, etc, you're reading a translation anyway.

But Genesis was rather different than I remembered it. No speaking of the "Days" of Creation - the only time a day got mentioned was God resting on the sabbath. Then, the critters and people were told to be "fertile" and multiply, vice, fruitful. And God created Humanity in Our Image.

That one knocked me a bit. Not the "oh-so-feared" gender-specific phrasing of our too sensitive to a slight age, but the "Our image" phrasing.

So different from my youth, and not convincingly needful changes, some of them. Your mileage may, of course, differ.

But as is my wont, especially during all the anointing, Saint-naming, baptizing etc, that was going on (93 people joined the Church last night) my thoughts drifted into a historical reverie as I pondered the Christian faith and Islam.

My how the Church has softened over the centuries. This is an observation, not a criticism.

From one of, if not *the* largest landholder in Christendom, with veto power over Kings, maintaining armies, and where Bishoprics were seats of true by-god power, we have come to "God made Humanity in Our Image," and the Church is oft times a victim of ridicule or well-earned abuse. Without fear of consequence.

Contrast that to many areas of the earth where Islam is practiced. Clerical positions are positions of power - and path to power for the otherwise dispossessed.

Where the casual blaspheming common in Christendom can result in death in some areas where Islam holds sway. Where Prodigal Son and his SigOther would face chastisement - his SigOther possibly death - for how they choose to live.

It's no wonder they think the West is failing, as we don't defend our faith, or in many cases have any faith, in the ways they do in some areas where Islam holds sway.

I've said it before, many things about how Islam operates makes me mindful of Christendom at a similar age in it's development.

And the loss of faith, a belief in some form of life after, is, perhaps, a cause of why many in the West seem so willing to acquiesce to the demands made by Sharia. You can see that in parts of the Muslim world, they'll kill you for disagreeing on the point, and if you believe there is nothing after your sojourn on this earth, then it is better, perhaps, to live effectively a slave, than stand, perhaps die to preserve a future you really don't believe in.

So it's not surprising that many (not all, and perhaps not a majority - but a big enough a minority to make it an issue) Muslims brush aside questions about imposing their beliefs on others - because... they Believe, and, by their lights, clearly we do not, therefore it is right and meet that their demands be met.

Because we offer no real contest to them on the field of ideas. We're beyond all that, right?

So, our challenge becomes one of how do we contest them, Christendom and the West in general - if we seemingly have little belief beyond "I believe I'll have a beer/merlot/latte."

A conundrum.

How do we hold them at bay until they find themselves in a situation analgous to that which Christendom finds itself - and which took centuries to achieve, back in the day.

What say you all? I'm not a cross-wearing Crusader - but I will fight when pushed.

Heh.

Betcha this isn't what you were expecting, is it?

John | Permalink | Comments (9) | General Commentary
Comments on Easter...
eric briefed on March 23, 2008 4:21 PM

Call me arrogant, but if I am thinking about succes I am thinking about the US, the EU, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Israel. Now tell me which off them had Islam at the base of its success.

Trias briefed on March 23, 2008 4:29 PM

I also see Islam at a level similar to old Christianity. But the old religions are dying under the cold rays of truth and disinterest and it's my belief Islam will be dead with the others before it learns to grow up. Which will take quite some time yet.

But you ask what to believe in. There are answers beyond chardonnay. Like;

Truth. Science is part of this. You'd be surprised just how much science is faith based and though not an official religion it has many true believers. One of the reasons old religions like Christianity and Islam fight it so viciously. Science, you see, is a material search for truth, though not truth itself.

Love. The old fire and brimstone Devil, Hell and Sinners doesn't work as well anymore. Now we are slowly turning to listen to love and do things of better accord rather than reacting to and being controlled by fear. Fear of god fear of the devil fear of not getting to heaven.

Thinking for ourselves. Instead of being told whom to love and whom to hate and how to conduct each aspect of our lives those with the courage to think for ourselves and break the slavery of control get to discover what responsibility is and also freedom. The very formation of the US was part of this.

I'm being perhaps a bit ethereal here but it relates to simple things like;

The "beer/merlot/latte". Wealth is very alluring and there will always be those that are drawn to discover it. Most in Islam will notice they are poor but the Enemy is rich. If they hear beyond the siren's wail of the West being rich because they are evil or that being rich is evil then they will see the obvious which is to say the West is rich because it's better.


All this is not that new just not discussed that much. Conservative Christianity is part of the reason for this. It takes a long time to move forward and the 'West' is not as far ahead as it thinks. For example, racism, women, gays, disabled people etc first to free and empower them and then to balance that power these processes aren't even over yet. We've barely seen Christianity move from Devil talk to Love talk. It's very very slow by my patience level but probably lightning fast for the old school Christians.

Justthisguy briefed on March 23, 2008 9:11 PM

Shoot, you don't even have to have a big human brain; I mind some conflicts I witnessed between my kitty and some big Florida lizards. They kept coming, though doomed to lose. (Kitty's mouse-intimidation techniques did not work on non-mammals)

It's a question all life forms have always had to answer, whether they had brains or not:

Just exactly would you rather die than put up with?

And, no, I'd not rather die than end a sentence with a preposition.

Ledger briefed on March 24, 2008 12:01 AM

But Genesis was rather different than I remembered it. No speaking of the "Days" of Creation - the only time a day got mentioned was God resting on the sabbath….And God created Humanity in Our Image. That one knocked me a bit. Not the "oh-so-feared" gender-specific phrasing of our too sensitive to a slight age, but the "Our image" phrasing.”


I guess the preacher left out the "rib" thing also. They don’t make preachers like they used to.

You may want to kick the tires, so to speak, at another church.

Consul-At-Arms briefed on March 24, 2008 2:23 AM

I've quoted you and linked to you here.

BillT briefed on March 24, 2008 7:13 AM

There's Islam, there's Islam, and then there's Islam. My stoo'nts are Shi'a, Sunni, Shi'a-from-the-Sunni-Triangle, Sunni from Kurdistan and secular. They know I'm a card-carrying Crusader and they neither fear nor hate me: "You keep talking about the Brotherhood of Aviators, but you don't make us feel like your brothers -- you make us feel like your sons."

They've all lost family -- immediate family, as well as extended -- to the terrs.

Interestingly enough, considering all the learned discourse on just *what* PC term we should use for the terrorists, the Iraqis call *all* of them, no matter what outfit they belong to, "Wahabi"...

JimC briefed on March 24, 2008 9:19 AM

On a different note, John, I admire you and SWWBO's iron bottoms sitting through all those readings and 93 sacraments of initiation. You must have been in the Church for four or more hours. I admire your stick-to-itiveness. BTW, Catholics who want to know what the scripture actually says have to check the Bible that informed the KJV, the Douay Rheims. The Lectionary is an absolutely horrible translation based on the New American Bible which is also horrible. And don't get me started on gendeer neutrality or changing the printed words so that the ladies aren't offended. One man's opinion.

Also the readings you get at Mass are frequently truncated or split by using only certain verses. You can see that in the missalette where it tells you they are using Gen 1 3-5, 7, ll or whatever.

Congratulations on Andy and his lady. I am sure Father avoided the living in sin issue entirely as it would be contentious.

Best to you and SWWBO. Better start planning the rehearsal dinner.

Mike Lehnherr briefed on March 24, 2008 10:13 AM

John - your memories from youth fail you. the KJV says, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." In the Hebrew it says, " Wayo'mev (and said) "Elohiym (God) Na'aseh (let Us make) 'aadaam (man) b'tsalmeenuw (in Our image). This language is the rebuttal to those who would say that God made man because He was lonely. We believe the trinity always existed, so in fact, God was never alone. Thus the language in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, "In the beginning was the Word (the Living Word of God is another name for Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

But, to the meat. We have too many crowd-pleasers and seeker-sensitive "churches" in the faith, today. Political correctness and tolerance are the biggest threat to Christianity since Herod did his best to have the infant Jesus murdered. From a simple approach in logic - if you believe, then you must accept who Christ said he was. There are only two options - 1) he was a liar and a lunatic; or, 2) he was the Son of God. One way or the other. If you believe number 2, then you must believe that when Christ said, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man (humanity if you must) comes to the Father except through me", He knew what He was saying. Call me dogmatic - but if he's the Son of God, all he can speak is truth; so all other religions are false religions, if what Christ said is the truth.

So - bring on the assaults - but when you (the readers) come with your arguments, simply answer the question - number 1 or number 2. Since I believe number 2, my logical conclusions can only be what they are.

Just sayin'. Cheers, ML

Karla (threadbndr) briefed on March 24, 2008 10:44 AM

96! Good Heavens - that's a lotta confirmations. I went to the sunrise service to escape sitting through 12 and 6 baptisms LOL.

Congrats to your son and his SO.

The Marine!Goth and KT got engaged when he was home on leave last month. They are still negotiating religion (though the gap between a liberal Roman Catholic (her) and an high church Episcopalian (him) is not so very wide LOL).