TheMorningFive 05/08/08
Christian Sub-Cultures, China's Bible Printing, Non-Political Evangelicals and Dwight Schrute in the White House
I'll be out of town until Monday, so I figured I'd leave you with a fresh post before I go. As always, I love to hear your thoughts and comments ... see you on Monday!
1. Christian Culture Vulture
I’m an occasional reader of Slate online magazine. Their blog-style journalism tends to be a little hit-or-miss at times, but occasionally they do something that really catches my attention. (David Plotz, who describes himself as a non-observant Jew, had a cool “Blogging the Bible” piece that ran for a while on the site. Plotz read the entire Bible for the first time, and blogged his response. It’s not exactly doctrinal commentary, but I enjoyed hearing a unique perspective.)
This week they ran a feature that looked at the new book Rapture Ready. The book is from a non-Christian author who stumbles upon Christian subcultures and writes about an outsider’s look at them. But more than a book review, the Slate article itself read like it’s own indictment on Christian culture.
And to be fair, the author (however condescendingly) does bring up some legitimate concerns about Christian pop-culture. She points to products made and sold by Christians that only serve as an alternative to an original secular version. Not only does she look at the consumeristic nature of some Christian sub-culture fads, but how some products are completely unoriginal.
I think it’s important not to get defensive in the face of criticism (after all, the author had some descent points), but the one thing the article lacked was perspectives from actual Christians. There are second-hand references to things Christians said in the book and a reference to a letter she had once received from a Christian friend, but the article reads like outsider exploring the bizarre practices of some forgot society—not one that examines the practices of people in the world’s biggest religion. There’s no effort to actually talk to Christians who are involved in the culture she so strongly condemns.
One of my biggest concerns with some Christians is when they plunge into an “us-vs.-them” mentality, and this article is no different. Though she made her case about what’s wrong with Christian pop-culture, the tone and general “outside-looking-in” vantage point makes it easy to want to write-off (which I don’t think was her intention). Engaging people graciously—even people we don’t agree with—is always more effective than calling them out.
2. Read Before You Go on Vacation
Summer is almost here, and with lots of families planning getaways, Newsweek has made this list of the “9 Unhealthiest Summer Vacation Destinations.” Along with obvious factors like air pollution and high concentrations of allergens, the magazine also took in account things like crime statistics and restaurant health code violations.
After reading the article, you may want to reconsider that trip to Disney World. “In 2006 the Sunshine State saw 74 outbreaks of food poisoning traced to restaurants, leaving more than 300 sick and 36 requiring hospitalization.”
Along with the entire state of Florida, the cities of Detroit, Memphis and Phoenix were also included on the list.
3. China: The World's Leading Bible Printer?
Despite criticism of human rights violations and even religious persecution, China is opening what may be the world’ largest Bible printing facility. The Amity Printing Company, which is being established in collaboration by the United Bible Societies, will have the ability to print 12 Bibles a year—that’s 23 Bibles a minute.
The factory is state-approved and is an effort to supply Christians in the region (who make up seven percent of the population of one billion, according to this story) with Bibles. If the factory prints to its full potential, it could make Nanjing, China, the Bible printing capital of the world.
4. Dwight for (Vice) President!
According to this thread on the CBN Discussion Forums, many of you would like to see Mike Huckabee become John McCain’s running-mate. But McCain told Daily Show host Jon Stewart that he had his own idea of an ideal Vice President: The Office’s Dwight Schrute.
5. The Evangelical Debate
USA Today has posted this story about how a group of Christian leaders have released an “evangelical manifesto” that they hope will make the term separate than political preferences. From the USA Today story:
“Evangelical" has been widely used to refer to Christians who have conservative political views, but the Evangelical Theological Society requires members to agree on just two points: inerrancy of Scripture, and belief in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as "separate but equal in attributes and glory" and essential for salvation.
The manifesto, which you can read here, basically admonishes Christians who “use faith” push political ideas without taking in account Biblical truths.
Here’s a line from it: “Called to an allegiance higher than party, ideology, economic system, and nationality, we Evangelicals see it our duty to engage with politics, but our equal duty never to be completely equated with any party, partisan ideology, or nationality. The politicization of faith is never a sign of strength but of weakness.”
So what do you think? Do you think Christians are too involved politically, or do you agree with the current state of religion and politics? Leave comments, and let me know what you think …
1. Christian Culture Vulture
I’m an occasional reader of Slate online magazine. Their blog-style journalism tends to be a little hit-or-miss at times, but occasionally they do something that really catches my attention. (David Plotz, who describes himself as a non-observant Jew, had a cool “Blogging the Bible” piece that ran for a while on the site. Plotz read the entire Bible for the first time, and blogged his response. It’s not exactly doctrinal commentary, but I enjoyed hearing a unique perspective.)
This week they ran a feature that looked at the new book Rapture Ready. The book is from a non-Christian author who stumbles upon Christian subcultures and writes about an outsider’s look at them. But more than a book review, the Slate article itself read like it’s own indictment on Christian culture.
And to be fair, the author (however condescendingly) does bring up some legitimate concerns about Christian pop-culture. She points to products made and sold by Christians that only serve as an alternative to an original secular version. Not only does she look at the consumeristic nature of some Christian sub-culture fads, but how some products are completely unoriginal.
I think it’s important not to get defensive in the face of criticism (after all, the author had some descent points), but the one thing the article lacked was perspectives from actual Christians. There are second-hand references to things Christians said in the book and a reference to a letter she had once received from a Christian friend, but the article reads like outsider exploring the bizarre practices of some forgot society—not one that examines the practices of people in the world’s biggest religion. There’s no effort to actually talk to Christians who are involved in the culture she so strongly condemns.
One of my biggest concerns with some Christians is when they plunge into an “us-vs.-them” mentality, and this article is no different. Though she made her case about what’s wrong with Christian pop-culture, the tone and general “outside-looking-in” vantage point makes it easy to want to write-off (which I don’t think was her intention). Engaging people graciously—even people we don’t agree with—is always more effective than calling them out.
2. Read Before You Go on Vacation
Summer is almost here, and with lots of families planning getaways, Newsweek has made this list of the “9 Unhealthiest Summer Vacation Destinations.” Along with obvious factors like air pollution and high concentrations of allergens, the magazine also took in account things like crime statistics and restaurant health code violations.
After reading the article, you may want to reconsider that trip to Disney World. “In 2006 the Sunshine State saw 74 outbreaks of food poisoning traced to restaurants, leaving more than 300 sick and 36 requiring hospitalization.”
Along with the entire state of Florida, the cities of Detroit, Memphis and Phoenix were also included on the list.
3. China: The World's Leading Bible Printer?
Despite criticism of human rights violations and even religious persecution, China is opening what may be the world’ largest Bible printing facility. The Amity Printing Company, which is being established in collaboration by the United Bible Societies, will have the ability to print 12 Bibles a year—that’s 23 Bibles a minute.
The factory is state-approved and is an effort to supply Christians in the region (who make up seven percent of the population of one billion, according to this story) with Bibles. If the factory prints to its full potential, it could make Nanjing, China, the Bible printing capital of the world.
4. Dwight for (Vice) President!
According to this thread on the CBN Discussion Forums, many of you would like to see Mike Huckabee become John McCain’s running-mate. But McCain told Daily Show host Jon Stewart that he had his own idea of an ideal Vice President: The Office’s Dwight Schrute.
5. The Evangelical Debate
USA Today has posted this story about how a group of Christian leaders have released an “evangelical manifesto” that they hope will make the term separate than political preferences. From the USA Today story:
“Evangelical" has been widely used to refer to Christians who have conservative political views, but the Evangelical Theological Society requires members to agree on just two points: inerrancy of Scripture, and belief in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as "separate but equal in attributes and glory" and essential for salvation.
The manifesto, which you can read here, basically admonishes Christians who “use faith” push political ideas without taking in account Biblical truths.
Here’s a line from it: “Called to an allegiance higher than party, ideology, economic system, and nationality, we Evangelicals see it our duty to engage with politics, but our equal duty never to be completely equated with any party, partisan ideology, or nationality. The politicization of faith is never a sign of strength but of weakness.”
So what do you think? Do you think Christians are too involved politically, or do you agree with the current state of religion and politics? Leave comments, and let me know what you think …