Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[CNN]
Hordes of atheists are commenting on yesterday’s post from a Catholic priest who says Christians should pray for the cancer-stricken Christopher Hitchens, even if he is an enemy of religion. Far from being touched by the priest’s gesture, the atheists are mostly offended:

As an atheist, I find it objectionable that anyone should feel the right to pray for me because I don’t believe as they do. That’s as bad as that idiot church who thinks its a good idea to baptize dead Jews or protest at military funerals. It’s the worst kind of pandering.

Here’s another:

There have been multiple scientific studies that show that prayer does not have any impact on whether someone is cured of a serious illness. It’s time Christians just stopped worrying about people that don’t believe in their sky god. Atheists don’t care if you pray for them, your god does not exist.

Read more here.

[From me]

Help me understand something. If a person is an atheist, then they don’t believe in God, right? So, it would be a safe assumption that they don’t believe in prayer, right? So why would someone be offended by people praying to a God that they don’t believe in?

What do you think?

[AL.com]

Companies in Alabama and other Bible Belt states may do a better job of thumping accounting fraud than those in other states, a study indicates. Research by Mays Business School at Texas A&M University found that companies headquartered in counties with high levels of churchgoing are less likely to practice aggressive financial reporting.

Read more here.

[From me]

Wonder why? Maybe those of us who are followers of Jesus actually take His words seriously.

What do you think?

Yesterday I heard a radio advertisement on a Christian station asking Christians to join the “I Vote” campaign. This campaign involves placing billboards and putting bumper stickers on cars that say “I vote.” The advertisement said to let the liberal government know that “we” (Christians) don’t like what they are doing.

Now, I’m as conservative as they come. But something didn’t set well with me when I heard this ad. Why is it that the vocal Christian media makes it sound like Christians are “AGAINST” everyone and everything. I’m not happy with what is going on in our government but instead of complaining I’ve been praying. I’ve actually been praying “FOR” not against those whom I disagree with. Hasn’t God used people who opposed his will in the past? Do Christians want to be known for what we are against or what we are for?

Personally, I want to be known for being a praying man. I will vote and will support the candidates that I believe represent what is best for my Christian worldview. But if they don’t win, I will continue to pray for all of our government leaders even if I don’t like their views. Why because Jesus said to pray for them! So instead of complaining and letting the world know “I VOTE”…. I want the world and my leaders to know that…

I PRAY!

[LA TImes]

Calling multi-faith expansion the next step, the school will offer training for Muslims and Jews in a program that strains its historic ties to the Methodist Church. In a bow to the growing diversity of America’s religious landscape, the Claremont School of Theology, a Christian institution with long ties to the Methodist Church, will add clerical training for Muslims and Jews to its curriculum this fall, to become, in a sense, the first truly multi-faith American seminary.

The transition, which is being formally announced Wednesday, upends centuries of tradition in which seminaries have hewn not just to single faiths but often to single denominations within those faiths. Eventually, Claremont hopes to add clerical programs for Buddhists and Hindus.

Although there are other theological institutions that accept students of multiple faiths, or have partnerships with institutions of other religions, Claremont is believed to be the first accredited institution that will train students of multiple faiths for careers as clerics. The 275-student seminary offers master’s and doctoral degrees.

Read more here.

[From me]

Why? If a person wants to go study to be a Cleric, then go to a school for that religion. Studying other religions is one thing but you go to a “Christian” Seminary to study about Jesus Christ not Mohammed, Buddha or whatever else is the flavor of the month. I sure hope the good folks in the UMC stop sending them money. You can get this kind of education at a secular school. How will they pray in class? Maybe they don’t pray at all at Claremont. I had a great Seminary experience and was grateful to have professors who prayed for us daily. I saw God do great things through my professors because I knew they believed what they taught. This who story is strange.

I’ve moved around a lot in my life so I’ve had to say goodbye to friends and family on many occasions. It doesn’t get easier. Every time it gets more gut wrenching than the previous time. Often times we just say we will keep in touch and many times we do. But how do you say goodbye to someone who is leaving earth way too early?

My wife Cassandra lived in one place almost her entire life until she went to college. She grew up in Scottsboro, AL. Because she grew up in one place she built some life long friendships with a group of people from her church. Even when they went to college they all remained close. Some went to Bama, some to Auburn and Cass and her friend Tonya went to Samford. By the time I met Cassandra and Tonya they had transfered to UAB. Tonya and my good friend Rob were instrumental in Cassandra and I going out. As Cassandra and I continued to date I became a part of the group. They weren’t an inclusive group of friends at all. Their group just got bigger as each of them got married.

The ones I got closest to were of course Tonya (Cassandra’s roommate who married my friend Rob), Joan who now is married and lives in Birmingham, Paul who is married and lives in Ball Ground, GA and Susan who was Joan’s roommate at Auburn. Susan and Cassandra have been very close since high school. As I began dating Cassandra I got to know Susan very well. Susan is one of the craziest people I’ve been around. She loves life. Tonya, Joan and Susan were in our wedding. After we moved to all over the place the friendships stayed strong. When we would all get together it was as if we had not been apart. I never felt like an outsider either. When Cassandra and I went to Ft. Walton Beach, FL Susan and Joan went along. Of course they stayed in another room!

Susan and Joan eventually got married and their spouses were introduced to the Scottsboro group. They were accepted like Rob and I were. Paul also got married and his wife Karen became friends with everyone too. I’ve never seen a group so close. Even though most of them don’t live near each other they talk on the phone often. When we do get together it is as if we have never been apart.

Susan’s husband is Rick. Rick somehow tamed Susan. She is still silly but she changed and got domesticated. When we moved to Atlanta we did a lot with Rick and Susan because they lived in Acworth, GA. When we decided to move to Canton, GA to start a church Rick and Susan prayed about helping us and eventually helped Cassandra with our preschool ministry. I even had the privilege of baptizing their oldest daughter at First Baptist Woodstock where they are now members. They are great friends. We would get together often with them and Paul and Karen for cookouts and just to hang out.

When we moved again it didn’t end the friendship. Every time we would come to Atlanta we would get together with Rick and Susan and Paul and Karen. 2 years ago Cassandra got a disturbing phone call from Paul and Karen telling us that Rick was very sick. Cassandra finally talked to Susan and it was discovered that Rick had Stage 4 Cancer and was in his Liver. We were heartbroken for their family and for us. We wondered why God would allow this to happen. The members of First Baptist Woodstock have really shown the love of Christ to their family during this tough time. For two years we thought God had performed a miracle because Rick seemed to improve. Then 2 or 3 weeks ago Cassandra received a call from Paul and Karen telling us that Rick has gotten worse and will be sent home from the hospital to die. Cassandra talked with Susan and confirmed what she had heard. Needless to say there have been a lot of tears shed.

I have been struggling with this for weeks. Why would God take such a Godly man home so early. They have 12 and 8 year old daughters. Rick won’t get to walk them down the aisle of their weddings. Susan will be a widow at an early age. Rick is an amazing man who even while he was in the hospital was sharing his faith and leading people to Christ! Rick is dangerous to Satan and I’m sure he wants him gone. But why would God allow him to leave us so early? I don’t want to say goodbye but this isn’t about me. I don’t know how a wife of 15 years says goodbye. How do 2 girls deal with God taking their dad so young? This question has been haunting me for the last few weeks. So I won’t say goodbye, I’ll just say as I do every other time a goodbye happens–”I’ll see you later.” Because I will see him in heaven. For Rick all I can think of is 2 Timothy 4:7:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

You will be missed.