The Problem with Huckabee

Alright, you Huckabee fans, get ready. Read about the problem with our Baptist pastor candidate. Read it here. He's been getting all sorts of warm reviews from the Main Stream Media (MSM); that should be a warning. Anytime the MSM treats an ordained conservative minister as a serious candidate for President, that is a problem. I suspect it is because they would LOVE to have Hillary (or anyone for that matter!) run against Huckabee as the Republican candidate. They know what apparently many conservative Christians don't: Huckabee is unelectable. And even if he is, the MSM knows he's a liberal on most other main issues but except abortion and gay rights. I'm neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I still think, in the end, he won't be a factor, and he would be "Jimmy Carter" like if he gets elected.

Olasky on Christian Politics

Read this essay here by Marvin Olasky on the nature of the Christian in politics.

Interesting Column

See this interesting column by Stanley Fish, on God and evil.

I'm still working on midterms. I promise I'll be back.

Interview with Dinesh D'Souza

See here an interesting interview with Dinesh D'Souza, author of _What's So Great About Christianity?_.

My Parents Are Here!

My parents arrived yesterday from the Cleveland area. They brought "my" Jeep back, so I can now resume my driving in cool. Sorry Hermeneutics students, no grading will get done this weekend!

Sorry, I Couldn't Resist!

I understand the intent, but this sign is ambiguous. It is unfortunately true way, way, too often.

I'm a History / Lit Geek!

My Final Word on "A Common Word"

Having read over the entire letter, I have just a few final comments. The big problem with the document is not what it says, but what it doesn't say. Sure, there are points of contact between Christianity and Islam (and Judaism, and, for that matter, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, etc.). The document, "A Common Word," attempts to highlight points of unity while leaving completely unaddressed the points of disunity. The points of unity are not what is causing all the problems in the world right now; rather, it is the violent intolerance of a growing segment of Islam.

What if the imams came out with "A Common Word" among themselves that totally renounced violence in the name of God/Islam? What if they totally condemned all terrorism, and specifically Islamic terrorism? What if they embraced religious freedom that included not just the freedom of Christians to leave Christianity and convert to Islam but also the freedom of Muslims to leave Islam and convert to Christianity? Friends of mine who are well-informed about Islam tell me that these are the real issues. Until dialogue on these issues begins, all discussion of what is "common" hides the real problems.

For more discussion, see the Acton Institute.

The "OHIO CURSE" Lives On

The Indians couldn't close the deal, though they were up 3-1 in the series. As any Cleveland fan, I have learned how to insulate my heart and not hope for anything, because Cleveland teams, at least since the '50's, always disappoint.
Good News: PITTSBURGH LOST ON THE LAST PLAY OF THEIR GAME AGAINST THE DENVER BRONCOS! I was watching both games simultaneously, and I was comforted by seeing Pittsburg walking off the field in stunned silence. That is always, always, a sweet feeling.

INDIANS 7 / RED SOX 3

Go Tribe! One more to go and we'll be in the World Series!

Speaking of which - I pity the team that wins the American League Championship. Why? They will have to face the Colorado Rockies. This team seems to be a baseball juggernaut.

Indians 4 / Red Sox 2

Go Tribe!

The Indians lead the series 2 games to 1.

Joel Osteen on 60 Minutes

60 Minutes had a piece on Joel Osteen last night. I actually thought it was pretty good. The reporter did a good job, asking tough questions in a non-confrontational way. I learned a lot about Osteen. I don't like his brand of teaching - way too slick for me, too car-saleman-like. Nevertheless, I find it hard, personally, to condemn him, although I would make quite a few changes if he asked me about his ministry. Some of the reaction to Osteen has been pretty harsh. However, when you listen to the drivel preached in most churches today - and I mean evangelical churches! - I can understand why people flock to someone who says something they can use in their lives. If evangelicals want to rage against Osteen, they should look in the mirror; that's the problem. What think ya'll?

From My Hebrew Class

To know me is to love me!

Thanks for the picture, Julie!

The New (Old?) Face of Atheism

Little known facts about Christopher Hitchens.

"He showed up drunk to an exclusive NY dinner club meeting (hosting by
David Horowitz), proceeded to make anti-Semitic remarks, insulted a member of
the club (a priest, who also happened to be a 9/11 hero), and had to be
physically restrained twice as he flew into rages aimed at said priest."

Read about it here, and here.

Browns 41 ; Dolphins 31

We're back to 500! The Browns have beaten the poor, hapless Miami Dolphins.

Game 2: Indians 13 / Red Sox 6 (in 11 innings)

Much better! Now they're home to Cleveland to see if they can finish the job.

HOLLYWOOD'S TOP 12 CHRISTIANS?

I didn't know there were 12 Christians in Hollywood! (Just kidding.) According to beliefnet, here's the list (and here's the article from FOXNews). I wish there was a bigger Christian presence in Hollywood, but I suspect it is hard work to stick to one's faith in that godless industry. For those who keep it real, I tip my hat. See some video here.

1. Mel Gibson 40% - despite all his problems (which I definitely DON'T like, e.g., his DUI, his arrogance, his womanizing, his anti-Semitism - all of these are serious problems, in my opinion), I still like him. For "Braveheart" and "The Passion of the Christ," I shall be eternally grateful.

2. Tyler Perry 14% - African-American director, writer, producer, actor

3. Patricia Heaton 4% - outspoken former Catholic, now an evangelical Protestant; was Raymond's wife on "Everybody Loves Raymond." I like both her acting and what she stands for publically. Involved with "Feminists for Life," a pro-life organization.

4. Denzel Washington 24% - We all know this dude, the king of cool. I love his movies. Didn't know he claimed to be a Chrstian.

5. Ralph Winter 2% - lots of movie credits (search for him at IMDB); producer of "The Screwtape Letters," (in pre-production)

6. Angela Bassett 2% - famous African-American actress; didn't know she claims to be a Christian

7. Martin Sheen 7% - we know this guy; I think of him as your typical Hollywood wacko, know-nothing, liberal nut-case.

8. Martha Williamson 4% - wrote teleplays for "Touched By An Angel"

9. Kristin Chenoweth 0% - actress; was in "The Pink Panther" with Steve Martin; some of the images I found of her on Google stretched the definition of "Christian;" I admit though, I can see why people think she's hot. Didn't know she claims to be a Christian, though.

10. Philip Anschutz 3% - he made "Holes," "Because of Winn-Dixie," and "A Sound of Thunder;" also purchased rights to Narnia books; attends an Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)

11. Howard Kazanjian - Executive producer for "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and producer of "Return of the Jedi"

12. Scott Derrickson - director of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose"

I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't know who most of these people were!

RED SOX 10 / INDIANS 3

A painful thing to watch.

Part III of "A Common Word"

The third part of this letter from Muslim imams to Christians is entitled "Come to A Common Word Between Us and You." It is essentially an invitation to Christians to embrace Muslims as fellow worshipers of the same god and as fellow believers. This is the application of Parts I and II. The argument seems to be as follows: Christianity and Islam both call believers to love God. Christianity and Islam both call believers to love their neighbours. Therefore, Christianity and Islam should embrace each other as equals and be respectful of each other's religions. (See a discussion with the head of CAIR here.)

Let me quote some portions of the letter and then make some observations and/or ask questions.

Under the first heading in Part III, the writers say:

Whilst Islam and Christianity are obviously different religions - and whilst there is no minimising some of the formal differences - it is clear that the Two Greatest Commandments are an area of common ground adn a link between the Qur'an the Torah and the New Testament.

What are these "formal differences?" The writers have made no reference to these, and I am curious as to what they think of the differences.


Immediately after this, the writers say the following:

What prefaces the Two Commandments in the Torah and the New Testament, and what they arise out of, is the Unity of God - that there is only one God....Thus the Unity of God, love of Him, and love of the neighbour form a common ground upon which Islam and Christianity (and Judaism) are founded (:13).

I am becoming concerned about this phrase "Unity of God," which occurs throughout the letter. What exactly is meant by this? I know Muslims have a very hard time with the concept of the Trinity. Is all this letter a failure to recognize this? Is all this really a call to reject Trinitarianism, a fundamental teaching of Christianity?

On page 14, the writers launch into a most strange invitation. They write:

"Muslims, Christians and Jews should be free to each follow what God commanded them, and not have 'to prostrate before kings and the like'; for God says elsewhere in the Holy Qur'an: Let there be no compulsion in religion....(Al-Baqarah, 2:256)."

This puzzles me. Muslims are inviting Christians not to use compulsion in religion? What is so strange about this is that this is almost the definition of religious practice in America! Does the same practice prevail in Iran? in Pakistan? in Saudi Arabia? Muslim nations all!

The writers also say this:

As Muslims, we say to Christians that we are not against them and that Islam is not against them -- so long as they do not wage war against Muslims on account of their religion, oppress them and drive them out of their homes...

I don't understand the issue here. Where in the world are Christians waging war against Muslims? Although there are many Christians in the United States, American is not an official Christian nation. They cannot be referring to the war in Iraq, can they? Even if American were Christian, the war is not being waged against Muslims on account of their religion, but on account of certain terrorist commitments. Clearly this acceptance quoted above is conditional, subject to much interpretation. I suspect the whole statement here is misleading.

Finally, the writers say this:

Together they [Christians and Muslims] make up more than 55% of the world's population, making the relationship between these two religious communities the most important factor in contributing to meaningful peace around the world. If Muslims and Christians are not at peace, the world cannot be at peace. With the terrible weaponry of the modern world; with Muslims and Christians intertwined everywhere as never before, no side can unilaterally win a conflict between more than half of the world's inhabitants. Thus our common future is at stake. The very survival of the world itself is perhaps at stake.

I find this curious for a couple of reasons. First, where is the all the war going on? Iraq is a small place, compared to the Islamic world in general, and besides, a secular government is at war with a group of terrorists. It is not Christians at war with Muslims; to claim otherwise is simply wrong. Second, the only place Muslims and Christians are intertwined is predominantly Christian nations. In Muslim nations, Christians find it hard to exist, let alone worship and thrive.

In my opinion, the bottom line is this: if Muslims are not willing to talk about the differences between Christianity and Islam, no dialogue can go forward. To try to smooth over the differences by highlighting some similarities is no way to move forward. This letter does not help the current state of discussion between Christians and Muslims.

Part II of "A Common Word"

Part II is much shorter than Part I, only just over 1 page. The point of Part II is to show that both Islam and Christianity endorse love of neighbour.

"None of you has faith until you love for your neighbour what you love for yourself," says Muhammad.

Quotes from Matthew 22, Mark 12, and Leviticus 19 are quoted to prove the point that Christianity is in agreement.

I have no problem with what the letter says, but I do have some questions. Does "love of neighbour" include freedom? Does it include equality? If so, then why doesn't Islam grant these things to Christians and other non-Muslims under Muslim rule?

Part I of "A Common Word"

I've made my way through Part I of the letter from Muslim scholars called "A Common Word." The topic of Part I is "Love of God," and consists of long quotes from and discussion of koranic passages that deal with the duty of loving God with total devotion, then a brief discussion of Biblical passages that echo this sentiment. They make a big deal of the following saying of Muhammad:

"The best that I have said - myself, and the prophets that came before me -
is: 'there is no god but God, He Alone, He hath no associate, His is the
sovereignty and His is the praise and He hath power over all things."

The letter then makes the following points:

1. This "blessed saying" of Muhammad is very similar to several passages from the Bible, as in the Shema' and as in Jesus's discussion with the young lawyer of the greatest commandment.

2. In both the Koran and in the Bible, this statement of ultimate love for God is restated in several ways and in several passages. The letter states:

Moreover, we also do know...that both formulas have another remarkable
parallel: the way they arise in a number of slightly differing versions and
forms in different contexts, all of which, nevertheless, emphasize the primacy
of total love and devotion to God.

Some observations:

1. They spend much more time on the Koranic passages than on the Bible. I guess this is to be expected, since they are Muslims. I began to wonder though if this whole letter is an attempt to expose as many Christians as possible to passages from the Koran that sound very "Biblical." The end result would be that many uninformed Christians will come away from reading the letter thinking that perhaps there is not all that much difference between the Judeo-Christian tradition and the Islamic tradition. I'm no Islamic scholar, but that doesn't sound right to me. I suspect Muhammad said a lot more than "Love God."

2. When they quote from the Bible, their discussion is pretty accurate. They make mention of Hebrew words and Greek words. I did not feel that they had misrepresented what Scripture says.

3. They seem to acknowledge that perhaps Muhammad got a lot of what he said from the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament. What they say is this:

That is to say, in other words, that the Prophet Muhammad was perhaps,
through inspiration, restating and alluding to the Bible's First
Commandment.

Some reaction.

1. So far, I don't understand why what they are saying is significant. Is this simply an attempt to downplay the great differences between Muslims and Christians? Is it a surprise to anyone that both Christianity and Islam call on their followers to love God?

2. I'm suspicious. What is the agenda here?

3. I'm much more concerned about what they did NOT say that about what they did say. In other words, I realize there is some surface overlap between what Christianity and Islam teach, but I also know that there are huge differences.

Well, I need to go for now, but I'll keep working on this.