Zeus's blog

As one of the panelists presenting the pro-gay marriage Christian perspective for IPC's breakthrough symposium, "Countering Fundamentalism: Christian Gospel as a Basis for Progressive Social Action," a few kernels of truth emerged for me as I listened to the other panelists and audience feedback.

First, it occurred to me that the biological argument (scientific evidence that homosexual orientation is a genetic predisposition and zoologist observations that homosexual behavior among species in the animal kingdom appears common and fairly "natural") is not a sound place upon which to base the moral and spiritually affirmative importance of gay marriage.

Let it be said: Christianity cannot simply be anything claimed by anyone who calls him or herself Christian. Christians must follow the teachings, examples, spirit, and word of Jesus. Christianity can only originate with Christ and within the hearts and actions of people inspired by Christ, staying true to the integrity of the Gospels.

"Christianism" is what happens when one veers from the integrity of the Gospels and misuses (intentionally or unintentionally) the message of Christ to forward very unChristian aims. Jesus brought with a message of forgiveness, love, hope, gentleness, compassion, and inclusion. "Christinism", on the other hand, twists that message into its opposite: intolerance, self-righteous moralism, homophobism, sexism, racism, and increasingly classism.

Faithful enterprise
By Zeus Yiamouyiannis
January 26, 2007

I think sometimes we get to academic about our enterprise. Jesus came neither to build bridges nor to burn them. He came to evoke, inspire, confront (with truth and love and without fear), command, heal, make people question, all to help bring them closer to God, and increase the recognition and following of the spiritual fire within them. Bridges are metaphors of the material world that assume that “we� have to do it ourselves on the spiritual level to remedy our disconnectedness. Yet I would say, it is the active faith that we acknowledge in ourselves and inspire in others (no matter the form) that shows we are already connected.

We are at a critical time in our country's fledgling attempts at democracy. For the first time in a long time in the history of this country, progressives will play the major role in determining the direction of this country. Rising to take on Republican establishment felons and Democratic establishment enablers (like Joe Lieberman), progressive candidates from a wide range of beliefs and backgrounds (liberal, conservative, and independent), have agreed that this country deserves a new direction and deserves to have its people's welfare and pluralist values respected. Even taking into account other progressive eras and leaders-- Teddy Roosevelt, Bob LaFollette, etc.-- this election promises to be a potential breakthrough for populist, democratic leadership.

I wish to extend Steve Rockwell's post (http://www.crossleft.org/?q=node/2271) on the coup d'etat of morality and decency aptly called the "Torture Bill" (or the sanitized version, "Military Commissions Act of 2006"). This is a call to action to any Christian of conscience. In fact, I have never seen a more heart-wrenching and stomach-turning example of anti-Christian legislation in my lifetime. This goes over the line. No credible Christian could support the judgment and deliberate, arbitrary infliction of suffering on another with NO chance of hearing evidence or even getting a fair trial.

On the topic of why we are not exclusively Christian-focused, but not "interfaith"-directed either, I copy the remark I made in an email:

"* A strong center in faith, and a strong progressive Christianity supports and IS AN ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL COMPONENT of a strengthened progressive tradition and network across the board. Each component must have CONVICTION in order to be strengthened, honored, and respected. This is not only compatible with tolerance, but necessary in order to fight intolerance and injustice. Deep belief and faith is also required to get our ideas our there in ways that can help light the way."

As concerned citizens and progressive people of faith, I truly recommend this essay to anyone interested in understanding how easily human dignity can be lost by a simple and single denial of immediate and full moral responsibility. Courage of faith means doing the right thing from the outset. Courage of faith means having the conviction, even amid fear of reprisal, to speak the truth that cannot speak its own name. Witnessing in the example of Christ we lay bare secrets that rot at the heart of a good but timid world. There is no God but God? But too often we don't act as if there is, and in so doing demonstrate our failure of faith. Will we hang each other out to dry? Will we engage in safe and symbolic protest on the Mall in DC or the equally ineffective tearing up of military concrete at an air base (giving us 5 to 10 years in prison) or will we join a powerful and creative awakening of spirit which will not stand by as democracy is lost to the whim of "unitary executives," where Christianity is not lost to the hatreds of self-idolators who openly despise and neglect God's creation (the poor, the gay, the diseased, the "third world" child).

By Zeus Yiamouyiannis (9/27/06)

We are suffering from a “passion� problem. The root of passion means, “to suffer.� Our uncertain age offers a perplexing mix of suffering and alleviation of suffering. Terrorism coexists with the virtual eradication of many deadly diseases. In so-called “developed� countries like the U.S. we have eliminated hunger yet ushered in widespread obesity, the cause of our suffering changing from want to excess. Even as we have eliminated many other physical causes of suffering (disease, unhealthy work conditions, etc.) through scientific and social advance, we have yet to develop effective responses to even the most simple causes of emotional and spiritual suffering.

Let it be spoken. Mary Magdalene was the closest, most caring, and most favored disciple of Jesus. She was the leader of the early Christian church and may even be the unidentified "beloved disciple" (according to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Magdalene) to whom the Gospel of John is ascribed. She was the most penitent of the disciples (and not a prostitute or adulteress, as some have tried to imply) and was called "apostle to the apostles" because she was the first to witness the empty grave of Jesus and, after having communicated this to other male disciples, the first mortal to look upon and recognize the resurrected Jesus. She was among the women who remained at Jesus' cross, after the male disciples left. It was she who anointed Jesus' feet. And yet Mary Magdalene was not declared a saint until the liberal Vatican II did so in 1969, a move the current conservative Catholic church leadership would no doubt like to revoke.