November 2006 Archives

From the AP wires, and posted at AOL.com, there is clear evidence of purple politics. And blurring lines often creates tension. Rick Warren has a summit on AIDS and has invited both Barack Obama (Democrat) and Sam Brownback (Republican), but Rob Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council, asks his folks to protest the event because Obama supports abortion.

My own comment, however brief, is this: Evangelical Christians must cooperate with anyone and everyone on the AIDS issue; cooperation on AIDS does not mean agreement with the moral and theological and political stances with everyone with whom we cooperate; refusing to cooperate with someone like Obama to stamp out AIDS indicates, not careful theology, but infective ideology.

Pastor Defends Invitation to Obama Some Object to Democrat's Support for Abortion Rights By NEDRA PICKLER, AP WASHINGTON (Nov. 30) -

Famed pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren on Wednesday defended his invitation to Sen. Barack Obama to speak at his church despite objections from some evangelicals who oppose the Democrat's support for abortion rights. Obama is one of nearly 60 speakers scheduled to address the second annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church beginning Thursday at Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.

Obama, who is mulling a run for president, plans to take an HIV test during his appearance Friday and encourage others to do the same. The Illinois Democrat will be joined by a potential 2008 White House rival - Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas - and is urging unity to fight AIDS despite differences on other issues.

Conservative evangelical Rob Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council, e-mailed reporters Tuesday to protest the visit because of Obama's support of abortion rights. "Senator Obama's policies represent the antithesis of biblical ethics and morality, not to mention supreme American values," Schenck wrote. Saddleback responded with a statement acknowledging "strong opposition" to Obama's participation. The church said participants were invited because of their knowledge of HIV/AIDS and that Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life," opposes Obama's position on abortion and other issues.

"Our goal has been to put people together who normally won't even speak to each other," the Saddleback statement said. "We do not expect all participants in the summit discussion to agree with all of our evangelical beliefs. However, the HIV/AIDS pandemic cannot be fought by evangelicals alone. It will take the cooperation of all - government, business, NGOs and the church."

Obama did not respond to interview requests. But he issued a written statement saying while he respects differing views on abortion, he hopes for unity "to honor the entirety of Christ's teachings by working to eradicate the scourge of AIDS, poverty and other challenges we all can agree must be met. It is that spirit which has allowed me to work together - and pray together - with some of my conservative colleagues in the Senate to make progress on a range of key issues facing America," Obama's said.

Brownback, who has close ties to conservative Christians, did not respond to requests for comment on the dispute. Though still in his first term in the Senate, Obama has attracted national attention for his fresh face, commanding speaking style and compelling personal story. He also has encouraged liberals to engage in religious discourse and not leave the topic to conservatives to claim as their own.

While in California, Obama also plans a Friday night appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" to promote his best-selling book, "The Audacity of Hope." As part of his consideration for a presidential run, Obama will make his first political visit to New Hampshire on Dec. 10 for a celebration of the state Democratic Party's victories in the congressional, gubernatorial and legislative races. Obama has traveled to Iowa, site of the leadoff presidential caucuses, but New Hampshire hasn't been on his itinerary. The race for the 2008 Democratic nomination is considered wide open, and at least a dozen potential contenders are weighing formal bids, including front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

Richard Dawkins, who writes with a prose that is saucy and caustic and witty, argues in his newest book that God is a delusion. I will be joined in this series by RJS; I will write the first few paragraphs today and then RJS joins in. RJS is a scientist at a research university in the USA, and we will be looking at Dawkins' new book, The God Delusion.

"You can be," Dawkins claims, "an atheist who is happy, balanced, moral, and intellectually fulfilled" (1) and, he continues two pages later, "for atheism nearly always indicates a healthy independence of mind and, indeed, a healthy mind." On the contrary, taking aim at his believing targets, "dyed-in-the-wool faith-heads are immune to argument" (5).

How's that for a Preface? Do you think believers are "immune to argument"?
Chp 1 deals with "deserved" and "undeserved" respect. The former -- nature. The latter -- belief in God. "A quasi-mystical response to nature and the universe is common among scientists and rationalists" (11). But, this is not belief in God. He's with Carl Sagan and Albert Einstein. And he thinks physicists should refrain from referring to this "metaphorical and pantheistic God" as "God." To refer to the former as the latter is "an act of intellectual high treason" (19).

The undeserved respect is the way religion is treated with respect in public sectors. Think of Salman Rushdie or the cartoons published in Denmark or the way American media grants respect to religions. His question: "What is so special about religion that we grant it such uniquely privileged respect?" (27).

RJS:

Richard Dawkins is an evangelist of dogmatic atheism and secular humanism. Although he is by training an evolutionary biologist, and one who made some substantial scientific contributions early in his career, he has really made his reputation and his later career in the realm of the “popularization of science,” or more accurately in the preaching and popularization of a robust atheism. This book is essentially an extended polemic for atheism. Be aware though that Dawkins is not alone and those openly holding similar positions, although perhaps possessing somewhat more tact, are rapidly becoming more vocal and forceful, and ultimately, perhaps, more dangerous. Many of the arguments presented within this book are ones we must understand and be prepared to deal with.

Neither the preface nor the 1st chapter of The God Delusion contains much science, although Dawkins does quote a number of well known atheistic or agnostic scientists to bolster his argument that rational thinking demands atheism. In the section on undeserved respect his most cogent argument against religion and respect for religion relates to the condoned hatred of groups and individuals, all in the name of God, as practiced by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. How is this argument to be answered?

For months WBBM-TV and I have been trying to arrange a date for an interview for Eye on Chicago, Antonio Mora's Sunday morning show. Antonio, one of the most professional persons I've ever worked with, has an interest in all things Christian, and he wanted to do an interview about the emerging movement. So, yesterday I went down to the studio and was surprised...

We were scheduled originally to talk about the emerging movement, but Liz Johnson, Antonio's producer, had said Antonio was interested in The Real Mary. The make-up artist, who treated me to an air-brushing of what must have been a rather unusual assignment (my konk), had a few laughs about having to make my head "matte" (not shiny). She mentioned that Antonio had said something to her about Mary. (Good, I thought.) We had a very pleasant conversation.

We went into the major studio ... and here an interruption. Steve Baskerville, the TV weatherman, was in the studio and I met him and then said, "I'm sorry to ask you this, Steve, but my son Lukas and daughter-in-law Annika are driving tomorrow from Western NY. What will the weather be like tomorrow evening?" He said, "I'm thinking about that trip myself, because my son is flying in from Buffalo Friday morning. But, I'd tell your son to leave as soon as possible because from Thursday evening on the weather will get progressively worse." Talk about getting the latest information from the source! Thanks Steve. So, later I called Lukas to give him the latest.

Antonio came into the studio, we exchanged pleasantries, and got right to it ... about 15 minutes of conversation about Mary, The Nativity Story, and then a little about emerging at the end. I was delighted to know the publisher had sent Antonio a book; even more delighted that he had read it; and he liked it! He was happy to hear that Protestants had an interest in Mary, and thought my little Trojan Horse analogy was clever. He even commented that the book was very easy to read for a professor for an author. (I winked to myself at Kris and Lil.)

Added at 1pm CT: I just heard from the publisher that my quotes did not make the final quote of People. Sorry to my daughter, Laura.

Here's a good opportunity. I've been invited to chat about Mary online in a unique setting on December 4 and December 6 from 8pm-10pm. The Converse with Scholars program at Reclaiming the Mind is hosting a discussion about The Real Mary and I invite you to join in. You can download the material free and tune in ... should be fun. If you have questions, look here or e-mail Carrie.

We are fond of the word "repent" at times, and we learn that the Hebrew behind our "repent" is to turn (shuv). But that is not the word used in Psalm 119:36-37, but its central idea is present in these two verses: the "turning" of learning.

The turning of learning involves a positive and negative:

First, we are to "incline" our hearts toward God's communicative intent in Scripture -- to the very words of God in Scripture. To turn toward God involves turning away from selfish gain (36).

Second, we are to "turn our eyes away from worthless things" (37). This "turn" means to "pass over" (avar).

The turnings of learning is to say Yes to God and to say No to selfish gain and worthless things, to false glitter and vanity.