Dealing With the Jessica Ridgeway Tragedy

Unspeakable horror overwhelms me when registering the phrase from my local news station about Jessica Ridgeway, “Body Not Intact.”  How could we conceive of a powerful and loving God who allows such events to destroy the body of a person made in the image of this God? 

I have struggled over the issue of Theodicy (vindicating an all-powerful and just God in the face of evil) for over a decade.  Although I am quite content with perspective that God is not responsible and can draw near to those in pain and suffer with them through these tragedies, these tragedies still happen, and they still hurt immensely.  And the phrase, “Body Not Intact” leaves an incomprehensibly macabre image.

I’m working on an MA at Iliff School of Theology.  One question that I have been asking myself is, “From where does religion come?” or “Why do people believe in God?”  Recently, I was required to read Peter Brown’s, “The Cult of the Saints.”  The book records and explains the belief of Christianity during the Dark Ages surrounding the rituals of commemorating the saints of the early church.  These saints were originally martyrs.  They suffered for a just God in unspeakable horror.  And Christians during the Dark Ages believed that because of their sanctified and meaningful suffering, their bones served a special purpose for those still existing on the temporal side of heaven.  Christians would travel far and wide (before trains, planes and automobiles) to be near the presence of these bones in hope that they may be a source of healing, prosperity, or forgiveness.  Brown makes a bold attempt to show how it wasn’t the authority of the Bible (i.e. Reformation) that preserved Christianity of antiquity, but the belief in the metaphysical presence of these saints through their bones, and as a result the channeling of God’s grace through them.  This belief system and practice surrounding the body parts of the saints created community and hope for those who suffered in the face of impending death.  To broaden our understanding, keep in mind that the life span of people during this time was very short.  Brown writes in the opening of his chapter titled “The Very Special Dead,”

One of the most moving fragments of late antiquity is now attached to the wall of the Mediterranean room in the Louvre.  It is the epitaph of a little Sicilian, Julia Florentina, “a most dear innocent child,” who died at the age of eighteen months, having received Christian baptism, experienced a momentary remission, “and lived on four hours longer, just as she had once been before.”

While her parents bewailed her death at every moment, the voice of [God’s] majesty was heard at night, forbidding them to lament for the dead child.  Her body was buried in its tomb in front of the doors of the shrine of the martyrs.  (Ancient Latin Christian Inscription, 1549)

We have here a glimpse of a Mediterranean family thinking about the unthinkable fact of death.  Their inscription is a reminder of the force of the tensions latent in early Christian attitudes to death and the afterlife (Brown, p.69). 

So back to the two simple yet unanswerable questions, “From where does religion come?” or “Why do people believe in God?”  In light of the recent Jessica Ridgeway tragedy coupled with the manner in which early Christians dealt with similar horror, I answer with questions: “How could we not come together as a community as a result of this horror and want to yearn for something of hope, goodness…life?” And, “How could we not believe in a person or idea that transcends the unspeakable gruesome facts of death, violence and chaos?”  Humans are hard wired to deal with this awful reality.  This is a fact regardless of the diversity with which it is dealt. 

So I propose that we not think of Jessica Ridgeway’s “Body Not Intact” in horror.  Doing so would give the victory over to evil.  I believe that we should envision her body a relic of a Saint, a Martyr.  I am not going to allow the phrase “Body Not Intact” to overwhelm me and grip me with fear.  But, I will imagine that God’s presence is so much more overwhelming in goodness, love, peace, and hope, and will use her body as those of the Saints during the Dark Ages and claim it as a channel of grace to those who yearn for goodness, life and peace!

May Jessica be blessed in the presence of the Almighty for eternity!  

Book Critique

I am currently working my way through "A Theology of Liberation" by Gustavo Gutierrez.  The book was originally published in 1973.  In chapter 6 he explores the idea of a new imperialism being implemented throughout the world by the US in the form of multi-national corporations.

Some context on the author might help.  Gutierrez is a Catholic priest  from Peru.  He observes and experiences the expansion of capitalism extending towards his own country and others like it from a 'dependent' role.  In other words, subservience from his country is expected.  He is questioning the 'trickle down' theory from a third world perspective.  In the book he reflects on many factors that take place in the relationship between countries who dominate, i.e. the US and Europe.  But, one striking observation I have met is that of the multi-national corporations involving themselves in developing countries under the banner of coming from a 'christian' nation.

Many classical free market economist, such as Milton Friedman, have argued that capitalism has contributed to the wealth of many people (see Johnson&Johnson heir's documentary titled 1% with an interview featuring Friedman).  This idea will be explored in later posts but mentioned here simply for context.

The main point of this post is to ask Christians, P.E.A.R's number one concern, "To what degree do we involve ourselves in this expansion of multi-national corporations who exploit the working class of developing nations?"  One may argue that we need to provide basic food, clothing and shelter for our families.  Fair enough; yet, what about our retirement plans?  Should we invest in mutual funds and other retirement accounts that finance the expansion of multi-national activities that contribute confiscation (capitalist call this stealing when communist do it) of land and labor from the working classes only to build the wealth of a few shareholders?

The 12 Best Reasons Why The U.S. Is Not Now, And Never Should Be, A Christian Nation

May 11, 2012

By Deborah Montesano

1) “Enforced uniformity confounds civil and religious liberty and denies the principles of Christianity and civility. No man shall be required to worship or maintain a worship against his will.” Roger Williams, Puritan minister and founder of Rhode Island, in The Bloudy Tenet of Persecution, 1644


http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/05/11/the-12-best-reasons/

Giving the 1% a Hard Time

We at P.E.A.R appreciate it anytime someone gives wealthy shareholders a difficult time.  Hopefully Zuckerberg doesn't cave in to their threats of withholding their wealth.

Mark Zuckerberg Isn't CEO Enough for Facebook's IPO

By Rebecca Greenfield | The Atlantic Wire  "Mark and his signature hoodie: He’s actually showing investors he doesn’t care that much; he’s going to be him," Michael Pachter, an analyst for Wedbush Securities said in an interview on Bloomberg TV.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mark-zuckerberg-isnt-ceo-enough-facebooks-ipo-133138339.html

Why I Don't Hate Gay People

I remember hearing a Focus on the Family show on the radio in the background while my siblings and I were getting ready for school one morning long ago.  They were talking about something that didn't make sense to me.  A man was sharing how he used to be attracted to other men.  I was still learning how to accept the fact that girls didn't have cooties and that it was okay to be attracted to them.  So, the idea of men 'liking' men was just too strange a concept for me not to ask for clarification.  And that is what I did.  I asked my Conservative Baptist Evangelical mom to explain what was being discussed on the show.  I don't remember the details of the conversation (paying attention was a very difficult discipline for me as a child and something on which I still work), but I do remember walking away from the conversation with the idea that God loved men who 'liked' other men, and therefore, we are to love them too.  I don't remember her condoning or condemning the lifestyle, but instead, emphasizing that I treat those who live it with the same respect  and kindness I show others.  This conversation had a very strong impression on me as a child.

My mother has never made a derogatory comment about gay people for as long as I've known her.  Her religious beliefs restrict her from viewing the lifestyle as acceptable before God, but she is reluctant to condemn the LGBT community as having obtained a special place of judgement with God.  This is only one reason why I am not led toward the hate mongering against the LGBT community that is associated with people like Rick Santorum, Kirk Cameron and many others of the religious right.  I wasn't brought up to hate them!

My father's attitude toward the LGBT community also had an impact on me.  I remember listening to him talk to other men within our Christian community about how he was to address the issue of homosexuality on the pulpit.  My father is a Baptist preacher, so he didn't have the freedom to express the concept of showing love and kindness to the LGBT without the criticism of others within our conservative Christian circle.  The other men gave approval to use derogatory comments about the LGBT community while preaching.  I can't remember the outcome, but a sense of uneasiness from him is vaguely remembered.

I don't remember him ever ranting about the LGBT as if they were somehow worst sinners than everyone else.  But I do remember him showing genuine compassion and kindness to transgender people.  Once my father had taken me to a cafe which had live music.  We went when a transgender person was performing, playing some amazing classical guitar.  I remember sharing with my father how I appreciated the music, but that the person made me uncomfortable.  He shared his disapproval of my comments, as well he should have, by asking me in rhetorical fashion if I thought it was because the person would somehow violate me.  He was trying to explain to me how ridiculous I was thinking that way.  My father treats everyone with kindness and respect, and if that individual is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, it made no difference to him then or now.

I also remember watching a documentary with my father on PBS.  The documentary showed the struggle of discrimination, prejudice and hatred that gay men face when they live openly gay lifestyles.  I don't recall the arrangement; whether he wanted me to watch it, or if he just left it on hoping I would join the viewing.  But he exposed me to this documentary which communicated a civil view on the matter.  This left an imprint on me so that I knew the terrible realities through which gay men had to live.  In addition to exposure to documentaries was that of pop culture.  He was intentional about me viewing the movie Philadelphia.  In this movie Tom Hanks is a character who seeks legal assistance from the character played by Denzel Washington.  The theme of the movie aims at giving a defense for the LGBT community in our legal system.  By exposing me to this content, my father desired to raise me in such a way so that I wouldn't have a hatred toward those in the LGBT community.

There were events in my life in which I strayed from the counsel and attitude toward LGBT people that my parents tried to instill in me.  However, I never felt a sense of deeply, 'divinely justified' hatred toward them.  I remember a Christian man sharing with me an experience he had at a Promise Keepers event.  He shared how a man leading a class was teaching them that it was okay to feel like they "wanted to punch a homosexual in the face, because that is the way God felt."  I couldn't connect.  Recently, another Christian man shared how he believed that if a literal implementation of the law of the Old testament existed in our society, nobody would want to be gay.  I couldn't connect.  However, I could connect with a friend who  recently told me that grace is the appropriate response for Christians toward those who are LGBT.  And I could connect with a pastor who once shared with me how we are to love them into the Kingdom of heaven.  Both were leaders within a local evangelical community in Denver.

My parents never explicitly condoned the lifestyle of those in the LGBT community and they do believe that God has left instruction to restrict marriage to that between male and female.  But, they never condoned hatred and violence toward the LGBT community.  In fact, their attitude toward LGBT people and the information which they shared with me has instilled a conviction that those who misapply the Bible to justify such attitudes and actions are actually working against God's will for His people. I am grateful for the precedent that my parents set in my life with regards to interacting with people who are different from me.

This posting was not an argument to defend and instruct Christians in an attitude of love and acceptance  toward LGBT people, but to simply share my upbringing and how it has affected me.  I also hope that those in the LGBT community find comfort in the fact that not all conservative Christians hate them, and that there are even conservative evangelical Christians who have raised, and are raising a new generation who will share with them the love of Jesus of Nazareth.

Who Says Slavery and Racism Don't Exist in the US?

Private Prison Corporations Are Modern Day Slave Traders

by Glen Ford

The nation’s largest private prison company, the Corrections Corporation of America, is on a buying spree. With a war chest of $250 million, the corporation, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, earlier this year sent letters to 48 states, offering to buy their prisonsoutright. To ensure their profitability, the corporation insists that it be guaranteed that the prisons be kept at least 90 percent full.

"The Corrections Corporation of America’s filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission," writes Ford, "read very much like the documents of a slave-trader. Investors are warned that profits would go down if the demand for prisoners declines." (BAR photo)
Read more...
https://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/04/25-7#.T5iPmkOgw2E.reddit

Heaven & Hell in the Afterlife Acc. To The Bible

  

November 3, 2009 By Fr. John A. Peck

[Translate]

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By Peter Chopelas

The idea that God is an angry figure who sends those He condemns to a place called Hell, where they spend eternity in torment separated from His presence, is missing from the Bible and unknown in the early church. While Heaven and Hell are decidedly real, they are experiential conditions rather than physical places, and both exist in the presence of God. In fact, nothing exists outside the presence of God.

This is not the way traditional Western Christianity, Roman Catholic or Protestant, has envisioned the afterlife. In Western thought Hell is a location, a place where God punishes the wicked, where they are cut off from God and the Kingdom of Heaven.  Yet this concept occurs nowhere in the Bible, and does not exist in the original languages of the Bible.

http://preachersinstitute.com/2009/11/03/heaven-hell-in-the-afterlife-according-to-the-bible-peter-chopelas/

Interesting exchange between the President of Ireland and Tea Party spokesman.

Franklin Graham says that he cannot vote for a presidential candidate if the candidate is pro-choice and wants to redefine marriage.  We at P.E.A.R will concede for a moment and allow him that standard with no objection.  However, we urge him to add to that standard.  How many presidential candidates has Franklin Graham, and the rest of the religious right, supported candidates who promoted an economic structure of society that destroys people's life for the end goal of maximizing profits?

This video offers a decent primer on the idea of the way multi-national corporations destroy lives.  P.E.A.R encourages Christians to research whether their pro-life and anti-gay candidates support policies that perpetuate this sinful activity.

Watch this hilarious video!  This is a joke that makes a very valid point.

So Santorum is against women's reproductive rights, which includes contraceptive medication.  In addition to that, he is critical of public education.  Now, if I'm not mistaken, recent statistics indicate a significant amount of women use birth control, and a significant amount of US citizens send their kids to public schools.  Furthermore, these same people vote.  In other words, they are somewhat responsible for electing candidates into the presidency.  I'm not quite sure why his republican supporters think that he is going to be an effective candidate to oust Obama from the White House.

Rick Santorum is simply naive to reduce social inequality to how much each individual contributes to society.  I will mention a few things he forgets.  


As a Christian, he forgets that his Lord condemns those who are rich:


“Blessed are you poor,
    For yours is the kingdom of God."

then,

“But woe to you who are rich,"

Rick Santorum's Lord does not acquiesce to praising the societal structure of Palestine; he condemns social inequality (see Luke 6 for entire scripture).

Another thing Rick Santorum fails to mention is that since the economic meltdown, it is the hardworking laborer who has worked tirelessly in the manufacturing plants that has suffered.  The CEOs and shareholders have not suffered.  The wealthy shareholders of mortgage lending enterprises have not suffered.  Insurance CEOs have not suffered according to what they have contributed to the economic meltdown.  Does Santorum really believe that they have been insulated from the same hardships due to having contributed more than the laborer?

And finally, Santorum fails to mention that one of the root causes to social inequality stretches back to the founding and development of this country.  Native Americans did not contribute any less to productivity in this country when white European settlers claimed rights to the land.  Yet, if one were to observe the conditions of reservations today he or she could not deny the devastating impact of this thievery.  Let's not forget to mention Santorum's memory loss with regards to slavery.  Once again, to praise our inequality and not mention that African Americans have inherited social injustices inflicted upon their ancestors which have led to two and a half centuries of pain, which descendants of white European settlers could never claim, shows that this candidate is so out of touch with reality Republicans ought to be ashamed of having let him get this far.

Click the link below to hear his comments:

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1456615691001/

Bill Moyers does a great job explaining the underlying conflict with the contraception issue and how it is part of the American tradition to grapple with the concept of "freedom of religion and freedom from religion."

https://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/16-11#.T0BABWulglE.facebook

Not-for-profit insurance CEO makes $2 million a year - NYPOST.com

How much do you pay in health care insurance?  It is all too common that this is one of the most disconcerting of financial expenses of many households.  Do you ever wonder about where all this money goes?  This article from the New York Post may give a little more insight.

Not-for-profit insurance CEO makes $2 million a year - NYPOST.com

If Christians believe that God is the creator of everything, then on what basis does a corporation have an inalienable right to say they own a natural good? The article linked below is not about an isolated case of a large corporation attempting to "privatize" a natural good.  The same corrupt legal procedures have been attempted in Peru and Bolivia over water!  Once again, on what basis do wealthy shareholders have a right to encroach upon another's ability to produce or use natural goods in order to secure a monopoly (to increase earnings, not provide for the interest of others).  Socialists are often accused of stealing from hardworking wealthy people.  The only reason the same accusation is not directed toward corporations and their shareholders is because they have the means to turn their thievery into an enterprise labeled capitalism.

“They are probably the most aggressive patent holder in the U.S.,” Gerritsen adds. According to PUBPAT, between 1997 and April 2010, MONSANTO filed 144 lawsuits against farmers for patent infringement, and more than 500 farms are investigated each year.

“The seed that Monsanto doesn’t control, they will control through contamination,” Gerritsen says. “Monsanto wants ultimate and absolute control over everything.”

Read more..

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/17-5

Women’s religious freedom violated: Photo of all male birth control witnesses tells the viral truth

By Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite

"Where is women’s religious freedom and freedom of conscience?’ Women can only conclude from this skewed panel that the chairman does not think they are created equally in God’s image, and endowed by their creator with inalienable rights."
-Rep.Carolyn Maloney


Read more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/womens-religious-freedom-violated-photo-of-all-male-birth-control-witnesses-tells-the-viral-truth/2012/02/16/gIQAeyykIR_blog.html