Is Kramer a racist? Michael Richards, who played Kramer on Seinfeld, went on a tirad recently at a comedy club when some African American started heckling him. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Richards hadn’t used the “n” word over and over again.
Later on Richards went on Letterman to apologize, stating that he was “busted up” by the experience. “I’m not a racist. That’s what’s so insane about this,” Richards said. And yet he used racist words which must have been on the tip of his tongue when it happened.
And yet I do believe Richard’s apology is sincere. He wants to correct the situation and move on. But somehow watching Kramer on Seinfeld may never be the same for me and other viewers.
The sad thing is that the “good” Reverend Al Sharpton won’t accept Richards’ apology. Someone really needs to show the good reverend the part in the Bible which says if you don’t forgive, then neither will your heavenly Father forgive you. Let’s move on, Sharpton.
We as a society are usually very willing to forgive if the apology is sincere enough. And many times our thoughts are that it is easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission. With few exceptions any sin is forgiveable to society as a whole. Usually it is easier to forgive if we ourselves have been tempted to do the same thing. Such is the case with Hugh Grant and Divine Brown, of which Grant apologized on Leno’s show a few days after being caught. It was a “hand in the cookie jar” experience.
And yet Richards’ apology may not be acceptable for the American public at large. Somehow the “n” word has become more profane than any other word in the American vernacular. And yet to me, the curse words are all equally profane.
It passed?
It passed. Apparently the Wilson County school board thinks that it is perfectly acceptable to use taxpayer dollars to fund religious instruction in public schools.
Do you trust your government? Do you trust your government to teach religion in an unbiased manner? Would you accept a Utah school board funding religious instruction which included promoting the Mormon faith?
And why is this man smiling? Could it be that he has propelled the county back to the 1950’s? His brand of religion will be taught. I know nothing about him. And I ask you, if you knew nothing about someone, would you let them mold the minds of your child in religious instruction?
You want an elective in Bible? Go to your church’s Sunday school. It’s free and funded solely by private donations.
Starring Kevin Downs and Craig Shergold
As webmaster for my church, I get emails all the time. Requests for assistance, promotion for someone’s ministry, etc. It was just a few days ago that I got an email requesting birthday cards for Sgt. Kevin Downs.
The email seemed innocent enough. A plea for birthday cards for a wounded soldier? I can do that. Anyone can do that. The problem is that I didn’t follow through and mindlessly forwarded the email to our church secretaries.
According to this Sgt. Downs is already being deluged with get well cards, that the original mailing address has changed. I’m afraid this might turn into a Craig Shergold thing.
Email is so easily forwarded. Bad information is passed on frequently. In lieu of buying a birthday card and sending it to a soldier who is already being deluged with cards, why not make a donation to his medical fund with the card money? I suspect these emails for cards might be some type of marketing ploy by the Hallmark cartel. Maybe not.
How to Save a Life
There remains a few gems on the top 40 radio stations these days. You have to look past those fickle pop songs to find it. One reason I still have 107 The River on my car radio preset is due to the Fray.
The Fray’s latest single “How to Save a Life,” decribe an intervention between the singer and an estranged friend. The words show a friend’s regret at not being able to save their friend from a life of trouble. The song begins with “Step one: You say we need to talk…” Then the lyrics describe what would happen next in the intervention, either he will hear you or decide to go his own way.
The lead singer of the Fray, Isaac Slade, stated in past interviews that the song was a result of him working at a camp for trouble teens.
From a personal experience I liken the song to those late night spiritual discussion one has at summer camps or mission trips. A personal interpretation of it is similar to trying to bring someone to Christ and saving them from their sinful ways. I have had many a late night discussion with wandering souls, or people who just want to grow spiritually. And in some ways saving a life could mean being there for them with a listening ear.
And this is the best version of the song.
Doesn’t Remind Me
I arrived a little late on the music scene this year to hear “Doesn’t Remind Me,” by Audioslave. It was nominated for “Best Hard Rock Performance” at this year’s Grammy Awards.
The song can be best characterized by the singer’s answer to depression. Chris Cornell vocalizes his need to do things that don’t remind him of past regrets, whatever they might be…
The list is seemingly random…from the religious (speaking in tongues and gospel music), to downright dangerous (driving backwards in the fog), to obvious (breaking guitars).
Cornell suffered from depression in his teenage years, possibly brought on by his parents divorce. He stated before in past interviews that for an entire year he didn’t leave the house.
The song’s video shows a boy training to be a boxer. In between the boxing scenes we see (apparently) his father’s plane being shot down in war. So in a sense, the boy uses boxing to overcome the difficulties of dealing with his father’s death.
From boxing to a young boy, to gospel music to a grunge rocker…these combinations don’t go together. Hence they must help those trying to overcome loss or regret to forget about the past and move on with their lives.
Keep your politics out of our religion
In between watching the latest Corker vs. Ford smear ad, I find solace in two places: while watching reruns of Seinfeld broadcast on TBS (a non-local channel, therfore not subject to the manditory airing of political grievances….Corker, Ford, Rochelle, Beavers, or whatever).
The 2nd place I find solace is while worshipping God with others collectively.
However lately it seems that many conservative Bible-belt churches are becoming a Bully-pulpit of sorts when it comes pushing a specialized political agenda.
Pastors, ministers, preachers, etc…run the risk of loosing their congregation’s tax exempt benefit if an endorsement of a candidate is mentioned. They also run the risk of alienating their parishiners if they do not vote for or believe in the endorsed candidate. Parishiners don’t want a political advertisement from the pulpit. We already get enough of those lately.
What we want is how to make one’s personal relationship with God and their fellow Christians better. What I need to know how to deal with the pain of suffering, overcoming temptations, and increasing our faith.
Bible Class in Public Schools
There’s a local debate starting in regards to teaching the Bible as a historic document in public schools. Terry Redman wants to offer a class as an elective in Wilson County schools, using the Bible as the primary text.
As a sidenote, it seems kinda funny that Redman is shown holding up the Bible open to Song of Solomon (note the goofy grin on his face). Perhaps Song of Solomon should be used as a text in sex ed…but that’s another debate altogether.
A few days ago students voiced their views on allowing the class.
We as Christians can’t even agree on whether or not Jesus was born of a virgin. What makes us think that we’ll agree with whatever Mr. Redman wants to teach? I know nothing about Redman’s religious background. He could teach our children something doctrinally wrong.
Lets look at this from a different angle. Dearborn, Michigan has one of the largest concentrations of Muslims (outside of NYC). Approximately 30,000 of the city’s 98,000 residents are Muslim. What if the residents of Dearborn wanted to use the Koran as a historical document in public schools? Would you support taxpayer funding of instruction of the Koran?
What if Mormon residents in Utah wanted to teach the Book of Mormon in public schools as a historic document? Would you support teaching that a remnant of Jewish settlers came to pre-Columbus America as fact in public schools?
And what if Branch Davidians wanted to teach in public schools that David Koresh was our Lord and Savior?
By opening up religious instruction in public schools, you open up a huge can of worms.
I’m tired of hearing about well meaning Christians thinking that putting prayer and religion back in public schools as being the cure-all for society’s ills. Proponents of prayer in public schools point to 1962 as the landmark point in American history when prayer was taken out (due to Engel v. Vitale) and subsequently society went to hell in a handbasket. As a reminder, the 1960s were a turbulent time in American history. The Vietnam war, coming of age of the babyboomers, death of an American president….all of these things and more brought and upheaval of society which caused a change in how we as Americans see things. It wasn’t just taking prayer out of schools which caused this change in demographics.
I’m also tired of people trying use public schools as a vehicle for teaching religious instruction. This should be the job of churches, synagogues, and mosques….and most importantly parents. Too many times parents just don’t want to be parents and want to allow third parties to teach morals. Parents simply do not want to take a stand. Hence the strict dress code in Wilson County because parents do not want to inspect their child’s wardrobe upon leaving for school. Instead we put the wardrobe selection in the hands of the school board. Do we really want to put Christian education in the hands of third parties?
Myspace (Again)
Myspace has become one of the most visited websites on the Internet. Originally setup to showcase up and coming bands, the site is now used mostly by teenagers and 20somethings as a social networking site.
Most of the time it’s mostly somewhat of a car crash on the internet, allowing users to use any sort of background, font, or external pictures (no matter how hideous the design is).
Some churches embrace it. For example, the webpage of the West End Church of Christ in Nashville links directly to their youth group’s page on Myspace.
I am concerned about the content of church member’s Myspace profiles. I guess I wouldn’t be as concerned, but it just leaves me shaking my head in disbelief when I see “I go to church; I put God first in my life” and then allow vulgar language to be posted on their profile. In the same vein, they themselves post vulgar messages on other’s church members’ profile.
It’s almost as if we’re trying to live dual lives inside church and outside online. People are showing their true colors online. It leaves me in disbelief whenever they express their love of God publically at church.
I really do think that most parents are ignorant to what their kids are posting on their Myspace profiles. Adults and other authority figures seem either unwilling or unable to convince young Christian Myspace users to clean up their pages.
Aunt Evelyn
Today we buried my Aunt Evelyn, age 70. While I was growing up, she was one of those relatives which I’d see once a year. Not that her death is any less painful to those around her, it’s just I didn’t know her as well as other aunts and uncles.
I found out some stories about her. She was truly one of those who cared for the weak and unwanted. When her granddaughter was caught up in the bad life and couldn’t care for her two sons, Evelyn took in her great-grandsons. At her age she should have been enjoying retirement. Instead she was battling reoccuring tumors and raising two great-grandchildren. Those two boys probably would have been put in state custody if Evelyn had not stepped in and said that she would care for them. It was a story I hadn’t expected to learn at this funeral. I regret that I did not know her better. At the funeral I found that she was truly loved and appreciated. She was somebody’s aunt, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, and friend.
Evelyn married at age 15, while my dad was merely 5 years old. Her sons and daughters were slightly younger than my dad and his younger siblings. In turn Evelyn’s grandchildren were my age. There is a whole branch of relatives on that side of the family tree that I have never known, not because I choose not to know them, but because there are so many it is difficult to keep up.
Evelyn reminded me of my grandmother. She spoke similar to her and had the same mannerism. With her death takes away a part of my memories of my Granny. While watching the photo DVD at the visitation, memories of my Granny and Granddaddy were brought back. And I realized how much I miss them. They passed when I was in college and working at my first job respectively, a mere 10 years ago, but it seems just like yesterday. I wonder how it would have been now if they were still alive. Would they be proud of how I turned out? Would they love their great-grandchildren as much as they cared for me and my sister? The answer, of course, is yes. No doubt.
Even at my worst, my grandparents still adored me. Always first to give me an encouraging word. Always the proudest of their grandchildren. What would they think today? I can hear my Granddaddy exclaming that I had gotten myself a “Doodlebug” (i.e. VW Beetle), as he always referred to my dad’s 1972 Super Beetle.
Growing up it was my Granny who babysat my sister and me, while my parents were working during the day. She took in no pay. Merely being around her grandchildren was reward enough. And she rewarded us with trips to McDonald’s in her blue Chevy Impala…one which I could barely see over the dashboard.
During her later years she suffered. I could tell it must have been the beginning of the end when my Granddaddy passed. Granny soon followed just a few years later.
If your grandparents are still alive, visit them. Cherish the moments you have with them.
Rebellion
Let me tell you of a couple of true stories. I’m not going to use names and places to protect the innocent. I just really want to make a point.
I know of a minister and song leader in their 20s at two separate small country churches. Both were just getting started in their ministries. Seems that at some point these people were discouraged at what they were doing…
The discouragement comes from two separate incidents. One had to do with the minister being inappropriately dressed at a high school graduation. He was wearing shorts (collective gasp from you the readers). Now, I am not sure why a minister wearing shorts is such a big deal to some people, but it was at this point, even though I’m sure that there were church members there who had shorts on too.
The song leader himself was discouraged when he expressed his emotion at a baptism ceremony. He clapped. This caused much many people to think negatively of this song leader.
So at some point these people decided to leave their own churches and core beliefs behind. The song leader is now praise team cheerleader at an instrumental progressive church, one very much different than the church he grew up in. The minister himself has recently quit his preaching postion and moving away to a more progressive “accepting” congregation.
Now I’m not sure if these servants were progressive (read “liberal”) all along, or if they turned that way after being discouraged. I would tend to believe the latter.
Sometimes it takes just a few discouraging words to turn someone against their own core beliefs. These discouragements can come in different forms but sometimes unfortunately it comes from fellow Christians who seem to know what they think is right better than the Creator.