The other night I watched Albert Mohler defend Adam and Eve on the Stephen Colbert’s the Colbert Report. I consider satire on of the most noble forms of humour and Colbert is brilliant at it. Too bad Mohler wasn’t as brilliant in his defense of Adam and Eve. But then maybe I should let them explain the issue, with the help of Zachary Bailes over at Associated Baptist Press.
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6714/9/
I think it’s worth the read and even some discussion.
Dennis
I was going to comment on this case as well, but I can’t say it any better than the good Doctor here. Check it out.
Honor Your Mother | Dr. Claude Mariottini – Professor of Old Testament.
It’s odd what associations you find yourself making sometimes. When I heard on the radio that NDP leader Jack Layton had passed away during early hours this morning, the first thing I thought about, after the initial shock, was Jesus’ apostles the morning after Good Friday.
I know, on the surface that seems more than a little strange, even sacrilegious, but stay with me and I’ll explain.
On that dismal day the disciples were, in all likelihood, shell-shocked. You couldn’t have stunned them more if you bombed Jerusalem. Despite Jesus’ warnings, his death was the last thing they expected. I’m sure that they were waiting for Jesus to perform another miracle even as he hung there on the cross. When the miracle didn’t happen they were devastated. Huddled in their room they sat in disbelief wondering what the future would bring – or if there was a future at all. The question rang through each of their minds, “What now?”
Right now, thousands of NDP party members and supporters are feeling just as devastated and are asking them selves that very same question.
Most commentators and pundits across Canada will agree – the NDP accomplishments in the last election had nothing to do with policy, or a massive philosophical shift to the extreme left in Quebec – it was all about Jack Layton. Frustrated with the ineffectiveness of Gilles Duceppe, irritated by the elitist prattling of Michael Ignatieff, a large portion of the country, especially in Quebec, looked at Jack Layton and saw something they rarely saw in Canadian politics – authenticity.
That authenticity drew people to Jack Layton in droves and subsequently to the NDP. And I think most people within the party recognize that fact. That is why I’m sure many of them are feeling just as lost as the Twelve did that day so long ago. True, Jack is no messiah figure, not in the true sense of the word. But he was definitely the embodiment of the NDP dream. Jack gave them a renewed sense of determination and self-worth. He gave them a new vision for the future, a future that actually seemed possible. He gave them hope!
Now that hope has suffered a potentially fatal blow. The embodiment of the dream is gone and, unlike Jesus, Jack Layton isn’t coming back any time soon. He’s not the messiah, the foundation of a new religion, or even the second coming of Tommy Douglas. And if you think I am discrediting the gospel by comparing the two, you’ve missed my point. This isn’t about comparing Jack to Jesus, it’s about the followers of a movement. It’s about the disciples.
And the followers of Jack Layton have one more thing in common with the disciples of Jesus; whether the dream stays alive or not is up to them. The future of the NDP is in their hands now and I sincerely pray that they are up to the challenge.
As a libertarian I seldom agreed with Jack’s politics but I often admired the man. Jack Layton was an authentic politician. More importantly he was an authentic and likeable human being. Ottawa will be a better place if his example is followed by more than just the members of the NDP.
Every year on the 1st of August I start a new Bible Reading plan; a schedule of prescribed readings for each day designed to keep me in the scriptures. This year I’m using the M’Cheyne Reading Plan designed by the 19th century scholar Robert Murray M’Cheyne. It will take me through the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice by this time next year. I say all this to set up the intriguing coincidence that I encountered yesterday.
The morning reading on the plan (there are 4 per day) included Genesis 19:30-38, the story of Lot and his daughters living in the cave near Zoar. It is a controversial passage in that Lot’s daughters, possibly afraid that the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah may not be a local phenomenon, decide to get their old man drunk and have sex with him so that the family line will continue. The scriptures do not condemn the act, in fact no comment is made other than the fact the plan results in the Moabites and the Ammonites, two tribes of people who will play into the story of Israel time and time again.
Now I’ve read the passage before and didn’t give it much thought until later in the day when I was reading a post by Dr. Claude Mariotinni, Professor of Old Testament at Northern Baptist Seminary. It referenced this very passage and linked to a paper that discussed the moral nature of the act in the context of the times. Turned out to be a good read (if you’re into Biblical commentary).
My reading that particular passage yesterday and Dr. Mariotini’s article would seem to be equally random acts, and yet they tie together beautifully. I’m always intrigued when this kind of thing happens and thought I might bring this one to your attention.
You can read the paper on Lot and his daughters here.
You’ll find Dr. Claude’s article here.
Shalom.
Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise. – Sam Pascoe
One religious student asked, “Isn’t Christianity is also supposed to be a body, the body of Christ? When a body becomes an enterprise, isn’t that prostitution?”
Discuss.
Myriad Shades of Gray 