Progressive Baptist Feed by IPC

An investigative report from the Associated Press found that Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin often charged the state for expenses involved with religious activity and the promotion of "religious causes". Since she took state office in late 2006, the governor and... Don Byrd

My wife likes the relaxing white noise of football games between teams she cares nothing about. (She gets involved in rooting only for LSU and Illinois. And even I retain some feeling for Illinois teams, as much as I despise the mixture of big-time sports and education.)

Anyway, she just informed me of the latest culinary delight which is being sold at the Texas-Oklahoma football game in Dallas today.

My blood runs cold. We're doomed. Surely, "death to the infidels" will soon be a fact, not just a threat.

My haiku on the end of days:

I've heard the last knell.
Doom. They sell, we consume. But...
Chicken-fried bacon?

Medic!!

My stent's clooging up at the thought...

I'd prefer death by chocolate.

Bill

I recently read that Berkeley Breathed is retiring his wonderful character, Opus, after almost 30 years of creating wonderful gentle satire of American culture and politics. Opus is part of a long tradition in comic strips of sharp political satire. From Al Capp and his comic strip Li’l Abner, to Gary Trudeau’s Doonesbury, to Aaron McGruder’s Boondocks, a few comic strips in each generation have taken on the politicians, celebrities, and wall street financiers that dominate the nation’s news. One of the first cartoonists to tackle political subjects in his work was Walt Kelly in his comic strip Pogo. It has the reputation of being one of the best comic strips to ever grace the news page.

Walt Kelly was born on August 25, 1913 in Philadelphia. He drew his first cartoons while he was in high school for the local Bridgeport Post. In 1936 Kelly moved to California and began work in Walt Disney studios, where he worked on the films Pinochio, Fantasia, The Reluctant Dragon, and Dumbo. He left Disney studios during a bitter strike and moved to New York to work in the comic book industry. It was in a comic book in 1942 that Walt Kelly first introduced the world to his famous character, Pogo the Possum.

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As this brief video demonstrates, John McCain is beginning to reign in the excesses of his followers. Thumbs up to John McCain. Once again, he's exhibiting the qualities that made him an American...

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Associated Baptist Press' Rob Marus reports on that recent study of young adult Americans of faith: [A] significant shift has occurred in religious voters who attend religious services once or twice a month. Those voters narrowly preferred Bush over Kerry... Don Byrd

Talking Points Memo has some pointed words to say about the role that Republican Presidential ticket is playing in ratcheting up incendiary rhetoric against the Democratic Presidential ticket. ...

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World Magazine profiles the recent dispute over politics in the pulpit, quoting the Baptist Joint Committee's Brent Walker in noting the Supreme Court has not found tax exemption to be a right. Another important point was made by Stan Hastey... Don Byrd

Several recent news items testify to the truth of Qoheleth's complaint that "There is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

The continuing panic on Wall Street may reflect the oldest news of all: with seven straight days of losses (six by triple digits), the market closed Oct. 9 a full 39 percent below a year ago, when it reached a record high. Professional money managers may have lots of economic savvy, complicated charts and computerized prognosticators, but none of those can stand up to a full-fledged panic. Rationality has gone out the window on Wall Street almost as fully as it did during the halcyon days of the housing/mortgage bubble: if everyone else is getting in -- or getting out -- then we'd best do the same.

We like to think we're a civilized people, but let there be lines at the gas pumps, bad economic news, or rumors of a bomb, and we'll stampede all over each other like a herd of wildebeest spooked by a sharp-toothed predator. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

It's also sad -- but also old news -- that this year's political campaigns are spending gajillions of dollars on misleading, deceptive, and outright false advertising -- and no one is held accountable for spreading outright lies about their opponent. Neither presidential campaign is innocent, but once again, Republicans are way ahead in the "liar, liar, pants on fire" category, according to fact-checker PolitiFact.com. When you see a candidate adding the tagline "I'm so-and-so, and I approved of this message" right after a big hairy Swiftboat-style lie, it says something about a candidate's integrity. But, many people scare easily and will believe anything, and unscrupulous politicos use that to their advantage.

As with the economic situation, I yearn for a return to rational thinking, and I long for a law that would create consequences for those who knowingly distort the truth in their political advertising. If nothing else, I wish candidates and supporters who claim to follow God would give some attention to the ninth commandment.

In other old news, we are reminded that younger evangelicals differ from their elders on a number of points, including their attitudes toward gays and gay rights. Keep an eye on this, because it could have a significant impact on the future of many churches. It's nothing new for young adults to desert the faith of their fathers and mothers, but shifting attitudes toward homosexuality are escalating, and likely to intensify that trend. Younger adults are more likely to have gay friends, to defend them when they face rejection or ostracism from the church, and to follow them out the door if they are singled out for condemnation.

One last bit -- Bob Allen, new news editor for Associated Baptist Press, has provided a helpful summary of a new book about Southern Baptist women. Written by former Southern Baptist Susan Shaw and based on 150 interviews, the book (God Speaks to Us, Too: Southern Baptist Women on Church, Home & Society) reveals that women in Southern Baptist life exercise influence far beyond what the Convention's doctinal statement would suggest. Though many women outwardly accept the submissive role assigned to them at home and in church, the truth is that they wield considerable clout in both places, and aren't afraid to use it.

Is anyone surprised by that?

That's one bit of old news, at least, for which I'm grateful.

Here are a few more interesting findings from the Faith in Public Life poll on Young Adults and the Election:

Younger white evangelicals strongly oppose abortion rights but are less conservative and more supportive of same-sex marriage than older evangelicals. Young white evangelicals are strongly opposed to abortion rights, with two-thirds saying abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Yet, less than a majority (49%) of younger evangelicals identify as conservative, compared to nearly two-thirds (65%) of older evangelicals. Among young evangelicals, a majority favor either same-sex marriage (24%) or civil unions (28%), compared to a majority (61%) of older evangelicals who favor no legal recognition of gay couples’ relationships.

Generation gap on same-sex marriage is large and increasing. Nearly half (46%) of young adults say gay couples should be allowed to marry, compared to only 29% of Americans overall. Over the last two years, support for same-sex marriage among young adults has jumped 9 points (from 37% to 46%), and the generation gap has nearly doubled.

In my opinion, this is a positive statistic. When this subject comes up, I make no secret that I am in favor of extending legal recognition to those in same-sex relationships. It’s nice to see that among evangelicals, I am not alone and actually with the majority! I’m inclined to agree with Baptist ethicist David Gushee who recently wrote: “If we are right in drawing a link between making good laws and loving our neighbors, what then does neighbor love require in relation to the homosexual neighbors who seek marriage or a similar status?”

For me and a majority of young evangelicals, the answer is to support policies that help end gay bashing, respect gay civil rights and show genuine Christian charity toward homosexuals.

Addressing religious liberty concerns strongly increases support for same-sex marriage. When respondents were provided with an assurance that “no church or congregation would be required to perform marriages for gay couples,” support for same-sex marriage increased by 14 points in the general population and among younger adults.

Let me throw this out there first: I'm currently working on several papers - one of which is explores the very real emerging conflicts between same-sex marriage and religious liberty. The problem with the finding above is the implication that all or even most religious liberty concerns can actually be addressed with the assurance that "no church or congregation would be required to perform marriages for gay couples."

First, it is absolutely ludicrous to assert that the legalization of same-sex marriage will result in pastors being forced to perform such ceremonies. Ain’t gonna happen.

Nonetheless, there are a host of church-state conflicts that are likely to emerge as a result of more states following the lead of Massachusetts and California. Conflicts have already emerged between gay rights and religious liberty which affect housing, employment, places of public accommodation, medical and pharmacy services, commercial licensing, government funding, access to government property, freedom of speech, and religion clubs in public schools and universities. Some scholars fear that tax exemptions will be politicized and efforts will be made to revoke the tax exemptions of churches that aren’t gay-friendly. However, other scholars sense that as long as “historically important churches refuse to recognize gay marriages,” it remains highly unlikely that any executive-level government official will attempt to travel down that path. As legal scholars from the left, right and center recently demonstrated, the conflict between same-sex marriage and religious liberty is truly unavoidable.

Solutions are never easy. But, I believe, such conflicts can largely be avoided or dealt with through religious exemptions. As gay-rights laws are enacted, religious exemptions must be granted. Failure to grant religious exemptions will greatly hurt our First Freedom and ultimately elevate the principle of nondiscrimination over religious freedom.

There is another solution to this same-sex marriage – religious liberty conflict that I prefer and I am currently exploring in my paper. I call it the “Tony Campolo Solution.” Tony has long argued that “government should get out of the marrying business completely.” Centrist legal scholars like Douglas Laycock and Oliver Thomas have recently advocated “separating church and state in marriage” in order to reduce conflict over same-sex marriage. Both men would like to separate legal from religious marriage in law and in public understanding. Marriage is both a religious institution and a religious relationship AND a legal institution and a legal relationship. Laycock points out that “the legal relationship defines property rights, mutual duties of support, inheritance rights, tax liabilities, evidentiary privileges, rights to sue for personal injury or file for bankruptcy, claims to pensions, social security, and insurance benefits” and much more. So here’s Laycock’s solution which I’d call a more developed version of what Tony Campolo has spent years advocating for:

We should leave the word “marriage” to its religious meaning, and use the new phrase “civil union” to describe the relationship formerly known as civil or legal marriage. “Civil unions” should not be a second-class status for same-sex couples; civil union should be the legal relationship created by the state for straight couples – and for gays and lesbians in states that choose to legally recognize committed same-sex relationships. “Marriage” should be reserved for private and religious relationships, and the state should have nothing to do with it….In a religiously pluralistic society, we must have an account of legal marriage that works for believers and nonbelievers alike.

Laycock continues:

What would it mean to fully separate religious marriage from secular civil unions? Clergy could perform marriages within each faith tradition, but they could not perform civil unions. Civil unions would be created in a secular ceremony led by a judge, a notary public, or a clerk at city hall. Civil unions could be ended by civil courts that would sort out property rights, economic obligations and child custody. Marriages could be ended only within the religious tradition that performed the marriage. Each faith could maintain its own rules and marriage tribunals for its adherents. Or if a church chose, it could defer to the state’s decisions about any civil union between the same partners. But then it would have only itself to blame if it didn’t like the state’s decisions.

You can read Douglas Laycock’s full argument in the newly released book, Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty: Emerging Conflicts.

Also check out Oliver “Buzz” Thomas’s recent USA Today op-ed titled “Gay Marriage: A Way Out.”

Oliver Stone will release his biopic of George W. Bush on Oct. 17. Prediction: Almost no one will want to see it. by Cliff Vaughn

Why would two card-carrying Christians evade the issue of sacrifice in a nation where the overwhelming majority professes faith and a significant slice say the nation is Christian? by Robert Parham

The first thing I want you to see in the story is this: Sometimes Jesus gives us assignments that seem to be impossible ... by Howard Batson

WASHINGTON (RNS) Significantly more monthly churchgoers are supporting the Democratic nominee -- Sen. Barack Obama -- in this year's presidential election than in the 2004 election cycle, according to a new poll. by Brittney Bain

(RNS) The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to intervene in the fight between a father who wants to circumcise his 13-year-old son against the wishes of the boy's mother. by Ashbel S. Green

WASHINGTON (RNS) The American Humanist Association said it will support a lawsuit filed by the Ohio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union against a judge who displayed a poster of "Humanist Principles" in his courtroom. by Ashley Gipson

The parable of the wedding banquet for me speaks to an invitation for all people, but also an invitation that is not without preconditions. First and foremost, we are expected to treat the host, and everyone present, with respect. This brings to mind Communion, which I feel very strongly is the heart of what Christianity is supposed to really be about. All are invited. The precondition is not who you are, or what path in life you are coming from, but how you treat the people around you when you are "at the banquet." There is also the way in which we respond to the invitation that must be considered. Those potential guests who ignore or reject the invitation do not enjoy the banquet. This should not be confused with a literal invitation into church, but rather an expression of God's invitation to each one of us, calling us to full life and wholeness. The other precondition is how you are present at the banquet. It's not enough to just show up.

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Faith in Public Life has released the findings from a new poll on the faith and politics of young adults (ages 18-34) in the 2008 election. The poll's results are analyzed in the report "The Young and the Faithful" available online. Here are a few findings of interest from the poll:

Monthly worship attenders swing to Obama in 2008. The greatest shift in candidate preference between 2004 and 2008 has occurred among all voters who attend religious services once or twice a month, moving from 49% support for Kerry in 2004 to 60% support for Obama in 2008.

More Americans think Obama is friendly to religion than McCain. Forty-nine percent of Americans say Obama is friendly to religion, while 45% say McCain is friendly to religion. More than seven-in-ten (71%) say it is important for public officials to be comfortable talking about religious values.

These are two very interesting stats. In a recent article over at Religion Dispatches titled "No God But Country," Kathryn Lofton argues that John McCain "may not believe in God." Unlike many of the conservatives (being charitable here) that I have encountered who regularly question the faith and salvation of Barack Obama, I will not question the faith of John McCain. McCain says he believes in the divine and I take him at his word. However, it seems that Lofton has tapped into a perception about John McCain that obviously many others share. By being unable or unwilling to make his private faith public on the campaign trail, John McCain has created the perception in many voters' minds that he is not overly faith-friendly.

Young first-time voters are heavily supporting Obama. Among young first-time voters, who make up close to one-third of this age group (ages 18-34), more than seven-in-ten (71%) support Obama, compared to slightly more than half (53%) of young voters who have voted in previous elections.

Younger white evangelicals are more pluralistic and more supportive of active government at home and of diplomacy abroad. While less than one-third (30%) of older evangelicals say a person can be moral without believing in God, 44% of younger evangelicals affirm this idea, a 14-point gap. A majority (56%) of younger evangelicals believe diplomacy rather than military strength is the best way to ensure peace, compared to only 44% of older white evangelicals. Younger white evangelicals are also more likely than older white evangelicals to favor a bigger government offering more services, by a margin of 21 points (44% and 23% respectively).

I think all peace-loving people should be encouraged by this stat. Older evangelicals don't have a good track record when it comes to the reality of pluralism. The Culture Wars of the 80s and 90s are a product of older evangelicals refusal and inability to deal with and adapt to our increasingly pluralistic society.

Americans say economy, energy and gas prices, and health care are the most important issues in 2008. Americans rank the economy (83%) and energy/gas prices (76%), and health care (71%) as the most important issues in the 2008 election. Economic issues topped the list of most important issues among all religious groups.

Americans rank abortion and same-sex marriage as the least important issues in 2008. Only 43% and 28% respectively say these issues are very important issues to their vote in 2008. White evangelicals do not rank abortion or same-sex marriage in their top five most important voting issues.

Americans see room for common ground in abortion debate. A majority (53%) of Americans believe political leaders can work to find common ground on abortion while staying true to their core beliefs, including majorities of white mainline Protestants (59%), Catholics (55%), and the unaffiliated (52%).

It's indeed a good thing that a majority of Americans, both Protestant and Catholic, are willing to work together to find common ground on divisive social issues like abortion rights while also pledging to hold firm to their convictions. Can't go wrong with a common ground approach. The political arena needs more politicians and activist organizations that are fully committed to finding common ground on a host of issues.

Your local waste treatment plant and those stinking confined animal feed lots could be viewed as gold mines if research into generating electricity from biowaste proves viable. Here's what...

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You, like me, might tire of the latest "leadership" technique, book or method; with people telling you about John Maxwell's latest 23.4 Rules, Laws, Guidelines or secrets. However, every once in a while a story comes along that is worth reading because it exemplifies good leadership... knowledge of self, knowledge of team, intuition, wisdom and timing. 
Joe Maddon the very impressive manager of the future World Series Champion Tampa Bay Rays (hopefully this year) has had only 3 meetings this year with players. He is known as the easiest going manager in baseball with few rules and very little temper. When younger, he would have countless meetings until he realized no one listened. So, he decided to have Team Meetings only when needed, which is 3... in a year.
His first was before Spring training got going (February 20). His second was after losing 7 in a row (and in the outfield- and not yelling). His last meeting was after a road victory as the Rays were up by 1 in late July. He lit into the team for lack of effort and tore them a new one.
Then... no more meetings. Impressive to me.
Here is the story on the (hopefully) Manager of the Year.

Faith in Public Life released results of a new survey of religious Americans, focusing in on young adults and their attitude toward politics, government and issues of the day. There is plenty to browse - and I recommend it. But... Don Byrd