“Soapbox Philosophy: Selecting a minister who shares Truth - West Branch Times” plus 1 more |
| Soapbox Philosophy: Selecting a minister who shares Truth - West Branch Times Posted: 01 Dec 2010 03:10 PM PST Soapbox Philosophy: Selecting a minister who shares Truth by Gregory R. Norfleet · Op-Ed · December 01, 2010 Rod, in his early 40s, had spent more than half his life in prison. It was the late 1990s when I interviewed him in the Jefferson County, Ill., jail and he faced charges of murder and attempted murder for shooting up his ex-girlfriend's house, killing her teenage son, paralyzing her and wounding a third. For the few months he had been out of jail before this arrest, he found it difficult to adjust. He told me a story of using a microwave oven for the first time, putting a bag of popcorn in for 20 minutes and sitting down in the next room to read. The next thing he knew the house was full of smoke and firemen were pounding on the door. Life in jail was much simpler. Three meals a day. Roof overhead. No bills to pay. He'd forgotten the thrill and personal pride of living on one's own, earning a paycheck, going where he wanted, staying up late, meeting new people. He'd forgotten freedom. Rod had deluded himself into thinking life in captivity wasn't so bad. Taking a beating from other prisoners from time to time was a small price to pay for the comfort of having someone else meet all his needs. No one in that jail was going to remind him of the truth. Not with compassion, that is. There are three churches in West Branch that are either looking for a new minister, or soon will be. Bethany Lutheran and West Branch United Methodist Church are currently looking. St. Bernadette's Catholic Church will likely soon start looking if Fr. Dennis Martin follows through on his intent to retire within a couple of years. Each of these denominations has its own way of finding a new minister, working with a synod or bishop or diocese, or forming a committee that helps with the selection process. But each of the congregations has a certain level of input when deciding whom should lead their flock. It is an important process because they are looking for a leader, a salesman, a diplomat, a coach, a listener, a mentor, a philosopher, a teacher ... and someone with the boldness and courage to, no matter what, share Biblical truth. Soup suppers, pancake breakfasts, food pantries, Bible studies, bell choirs, prayer meetings, confessions, worship music, scripture readings, baptisms, sermons, youth groups, tent revivals, etc. — they are all ways to make church an active, vibrant place. But, without truth, none of those things will help a person who is a prisoner to fundamentally incongruent beliefs — insert here your own hot-button political or social topic of the day — or poor choices, errant lifestyles or bad habits. It is the truth that sets us free. There are churches that are fun places to be, where everyone feels wanted and accepted. This is not a bad thing — not a bad thing at all. But there is a difference between accepting people for whom they were born to be — a reflection of God — and what they do. That's the difference between a church driven to make people feel good above all else, and a church driven to change lives. Christian ministers — whether Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic, Quaker, Baptist or whatever — play a crucial role in, as WBUMC Pastor Scot Patrick put it, "growing the Kingdom of God." That's a higher goal than packing the pews. And a good minister, one who can share the truth in a loving way, can teach us all how to do that everywhere we go. Patrick, Martin and Bethany's former minister, Marty Jacobson, have helped bring these congregations to where they are today. But for the next phase of growth, will their replacements need to be like them, or different? As our local churches seek out new ministers, they have an opportunity and a duty to find someone who meets the needs of the congregation — the spiritual needs that help us grow as relevant members of the body of Christ. West Branch congregations make up a significant portion of this city's population, and this city ought not to grow and change as if those churches don't exist or don't matter. There are people at Bethany, WBUMC and St. Bernadette's who have the power or influence to make sure that does not happen. We need ministers who will help set the captives free. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Justifying selfishness: Republican philosophy and morality - Burlington County Times Posted: 01 Dec 2010 11:00 AM PST By DAVID D. JONES The first time I was ashamed to be an American was when O. J. Simpson was declared not guilty of murder when everyone, including the jurors, knew he was guilty. The second time I was ashamed to be an American was after the recent mid-term elections. Turning a blind eye to the fact that our fiscal crisis has been caused almost entirely by the Republican Party, many voters blamed President Obama for our broken economy, yet anyone who reads the newspapers should be aware that the economy was broken long before Obama took office by George W. Bush and his policies (especially his war policies). Republicans don't believe the federal government should closely regulate financial markets, another reason for the financial collapse. Nor do they believe the government should play a major role in health care. (As long as they have health care, why should they care that poor people don't?). This brings up an important question that for too long has not been broached: is it possible to be a Republican and a Christian? To answer this, we must ask ourselves a series of questions. 1. Republicans are against health care for the poor and most would repeal the new health care bill. Would the founder of Christianity have voted against health care for the poor? 2. Republicans are in favor of tax cuts for the super-rich, which, if enacted, would create an even more inequitable distribution of wealth. Would the founder of Christianity be in favor of this? Would he be in favor of a small percentage of Americans owning the bulk of the wealth? 3. The main goal of the Republican Party in both the House and Senate is to defeat President Obama and the Democrats rather than to pass legislation in the best interests of the people. Would the founder of Christianity be in favor of such a cynical philosophy? 4. The Republicans are in favor of privatizing prisons and have moved in that direction, which implies keeping prisoners in jail for as long as possible (to make more profit) rather than rehabilitating them. Would the founder of Christianity be in favor of such a hypocritical policy? 5. The Republicans believe pharmaceutical industries should not be regulated and that they should be allowed to charge whatever they want, a recipe for continued medical bankruptcies. Would the founder of Christianity be in favor of the outrageous prices and shameful profits of the drug companies? 6. The Republicans believe insurance companies should have the right to opt out of insurance agreements with those with serious illnesses so they don't have to pay for expensive treatments. What would the founder of Christianity have to say about that? 7. The Republicans, led by the Supreme Court, are in favor of unlimited corporate contributions to political candidates without disclosing where this money comes from. Again, would the founder of Christianity be in favor of such a devious proposition (which, incidentally, may allow foreign countries to affect the outcome of our elections)? 8. Would the founder of Christianity believe, as many Republicans do, that life in America should be a survival of the fittest or, as many Democrats believe, a partnership between government and business that includes safety nets for the poor, the sick, and the old? Could it be rightly stated, with regard to social policies, that the Democrats believe in the Golden Rule and the Republicans believe "gold rules"? Please review the quote below by John Kenneth Galbraith recently cited in this newspaper: "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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