Runaway Theologian

#strangelywarm

2011-05-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

Days 1 + 2

This is my first time in a predominantly English-speaking foreign country. Even when I go to Canada, I go to Québec and ils parlent le français. Needless to say, I find myself more uncomfortable as an English speaker here than I do anywhere else I have been! Must be worried about my Upstate NY accent!

After a 1.5 hour busride from Heathrow, we arrived in Salisbury. I did little to no research about the places that we were going on this trip. For one, I am treating this class as a pilgrimage and simply wanted to receive the experiences that awaited. For two, I am so much of a francophile that I never really got into English history or culture. That said, I am glad that I did not study the geography ahead of time.

Salisbury is a very old city with a medieval feel. It is the only city in England that has maintained its “close” or fortified walls. These walls enclose several expensive houses, Sarum College (where we are staying), a house full of Benedictine monks and the enormous Salisbury Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. This massive house of worship was built over 900 years ago during the 12th century. It is cruciform, like most European cathedrals, and has the tallest remaining steeple in England.

Worshipping at such an impressive church can be intimidating. I am reminded of the summer I spent with my grandparents in New Hampshire as a child. I attended their church, Ste. Marie’s, which is rather ornate (not quite 12th century status but almost!). During these times at Ste. Marie’s, I would be totally overwhelmed by the aesthetics: ceiling paintings, statues, incense, candles, etc. At Salisbury Cathedral, I am overwhelmed by the acoustics. There is always a choir of young boys or girls who help lead each Evensong worship. Their voices fill the space wonderfully. I finally know why past choir conductors have always hounded me about pronunciation; space just eats up consonants. Today, I sat towards the back and just heard a cosmic blend of the melody and harmonies. They acted as a gateway to the beauty of God and invited me to be a part of it.

I really enjoy the high liturgy that this Anglican cathedral provides. It is all from the Book of Common Prayer that has been used since the 16th century. It accounts for several worship and prayer services each day and provides both scriptural passages and prayers. My one issue so far is that there is no space for the congregation to be involved! I enjoy the opportunity to be silent before God and I see its benefits, but it is hard to not feel a bit voyeuristic here. This is not because I am from somewhere else or because the clergy do not welcome guests, but rather because I have minimal ways to participate and feel at home. Although, during today Matin eucharist service, there was a passing of the peace where I was welcomed. Still, I do miss congregational hymns and sung responses. After all, the Wesleys wrote so many hymns so the people could sing them! Still, I think many United Methodist churches could benefit from using a very intentionally organized order of worship like the Book of Common Prayer, especially for implementing services outside of traditional Sunday morning.

That is all for now! Going to Oxford tomorrow so expect an update!

Salisbury Cathedral (cred. A. Fatta)

Also, you can follow the experiences of myself and other VDS classmates on twitter via #strangelywarm

P.S. Not so secretly excited about all the Harry Potter stuff around Oxford!

What is wrong with As-Salaam-Alaikum, Nashville?

2010-07-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

So, what is the big deal? More Muslims are moving into the United States and those who have been here now are starting families and their children are starting families. An influx of Muslims into the United States makes perfect, logical sense to me. I mean, just look at the numbers. THERE ARE OVER 1 BILLION MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD. As the Muslim population grows, their houses of worship are bursting at their seams. For my Christian friends, imagine a Christmas or Easter crowd every week in a small church. Nashville area mosques are experiencing this space crunch now and some Nashvillians and other Middle Tennesseans are reacting in a less than desirable manner.

So, Middle Tennessee's Muslim communities are looking to expand their mosques or build new facilities. In Brentwood, efforts were halted for a variety of mundane reasons. Traffic lights. Zoning issues. Religious Institutions do not pay taxes. Of course, these were not the only issues that the people of Brentwood had with the construction of a new mosque. As people were interviewed, true fears emerged. People fear Islamic fundamentalism and some were not afraid to speak up. Some claimed that they new what happened in mosques: terrorist training, plots to proselytize, etc. The same thing happened in Murfreesboro but only after the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro was granted the right to build their larger facility. People are being quite vocal about their hate.

What gives, Nashville? I can understand wariness towards Islam after 9/11 but most terrorist organizations would not go through City Hall to get a building permit for their terrorist training facility. It's not their style. Muslims have been in Middle Tennessee since the 1960s when immigration quotas were lifted. Many in the Nashville community have started families here, began careers and provide many of society's necessary services as doctors, lawyers, accountants, and others who make our city tick. These families have every right to worship in a peaceful manner in a facility that provides adequate space for all people. It is not like these Muslims are asking for the capital to build. They have the money and the resources; they just need the opportunity.

Sadly, many of those who oppose the mosque projects claim the title Christian or a follower of Jesus Christ and they use biblical "ammo" to fortify their hateful views. What happened to radical hospitality? Loving neighbor? Or even secular values of being simply civil with one another? Have we, as Christians, lost our way? In this situation, both sides are lost. Those who oppose the construction are not being hospitable nor neighborly whereas the rest of us are remaining silent most of the time. We need to click the Refresh button on our faith and reevaluate what it is that Jesus stood for.

At an interfaith function at the Islamic Center of Nashville, the new Imam made it clear that his congregation was a welcoming one as he invited us to share a meal with him. The president of the Center said one thing that struck me: "If the people of faith care about justice, justice has to be spread to everybody. We are saying to our neighbors, 'Get to know us.'" This gave me clarity and purpose. My faith is about justice. It can be about helping Muslims gain the right to build a new mosque but by no means is that all. It is about feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, being radically hospitable but that is not all of it. There are injustices in this world that I cannot imagine but an "out of sight, out of mind" mentality is not helpful. What is helpful is recognizing the injustices that are right under your nose and fixing them.

Nashville, this injustice is right under your nose. What are you doing about it? Get up. Get active. Let the city know that you cannot stand for the marginalization of the Muslim communities. Write letters to the newspapers. Alert your political representatives. Do not let those who are spreading messages of hate hog the media. You have a voice too. Use it.

I rarely look to the Daily Show for substantive...well...anything, but this clip, I think, paints a pretty accurate picture of what is going on in Nashville.

RT

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

2010-06-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

One of my dearest friends, Caitlin, is interning in NYC this summer. Her roommate is outta control nutty. She has started a blog to record her experiences through a mundane hermeneutic: the bathroom or as the French would say, le W.C.

Staying clean is a very deep issue in a lot of different traditions, which is how I have rationalized linking her blog here. And it is hilarious! Happy reading and I cannot wait to see what the future holds with this blogging gem!

Some Ridiculous Political Commentary

2010-06-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Apparently, some Tennesseans enjoy their handguns. Owning them is not enough though. Obviously, the public spaces where one could carry said handgun should expand, right? WTF?!

Well, Gov. Breedsen had vetoed a bill that would allow handguns to be carried into restaurants that served alcohol. Well, that seems like a logical decision, if you ask me. The bill says that those carrying handguns are not allowed to drink but that could be difficult to enforce and even they do not drink, they would still be surrounded by drunk people and drunken antics. Needless to say, sober or not, bars are not the environment where firearms should be present. Hell, there should probably be padded walls in some bars.

Yesterday, the House and Senate of TN overrode the Governor's veto. Restaurants and bar owners can prohibit handguns in their establishment by putting up a sign that says so.

Regardless of being able to opt out of the law...WTF!? Who in their right mind thinks its okay to bring firearms into bars? If you have to fight in a bar, take it outside. Sans handguns, s'il vous plait.

[tennessean]

Türkiye, why hast thou forsaken me?

2010-06-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have had a special relationship with Turkey since I traveled there in 2007 on an interfaith travel study with Jewish, Christian and Muslim students. So, when recent stories about violence in Turkey have been in the news recently, my heart sank. When I was there (granted, I was only in 2 cities, Istanbul and Izmir), it seemed to be an understanding, secular society where religion was protected but definitely not promoted. Large churches and synagogues were not destroyed by Ottomans, but were instead built around, making them accessible still today.

When this story crossed through my Google Reader, my heart sank yet again. Now, I have no idea who this Bishop is, what he stands for or what he has done homicide should never be a solution. The worst part is that his driver, whom he had a working relationship with for many years, is the number one suspect.

This recent escalation of violence in Turkey is definitely not looked positively on by the rest of the world. As small as chances were for Turkey to be admitted into the European Union, they are continuing to diminish. I know Turkey to be a beautiful, understanding and, at the very least, tolerant (most of you know I hate that word) nation filled with people who are dependable, hardworking and hospitable.

What is up, Turkey?

[NYT]

BACK!

2010-05-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

Since it is summer, I figured I might as well give blogging another shot. Expect more!

I'll start with something light yet interesting nonetheless. When Copernicus claimed that the all celestial spheres do not revolve around the Earth and, instead, revolve around the Sun, the Church got pissed. They ended up burying him in an unmarked grave and denoting him as an enemy of the Church. Mind you, Copernicus remained a rather faithful member of the Church.

Well, it only took 500 years, but Copernicus is finally receiving a proper burial. Polish scientists (yes, Church, much to your chagrin, they have a title now!) have unearthed the body and used DNA identification to prove it was him. Then, he was given a proper funeral in the cathedral where he served as a canon.

Copernicus, I am glad you have received what was due. Better late than never, I suppose.

Got Published by the Vanderbilt Hustler

2010-02-24T20:57:00.000-08:00

I wrote a letter to the editor of the Vanderbilt Hustler, the main student newspaper here, in response to the vandalism at Al-Farooq Mosque. Here is the text and the link to the web publication:

To the Editor:

In response to the despicable vandalism that occurred last Wednesday night at the Al-Farooq Mosque, I would like to offer a call to action to all students within the Vanderbilt community and to the greater Nashville community as well. We cannot ignore acts of vandalism like this and we should pledge to work with each other and the greater Nashville community to prevent them in the future.

As a Christian and a future religious leader, I deem it wholly necessary to respond to this incident. An attack on the Muslim community is an attack to my own religious community and to anyone who believes in religious freedom. The destruction of anything sacred is unacceptable. An incident like this is antithetical to not only my Christian faith and convictions but also as a student at Vanderbilt University and a resident of Nashville. I cannot be idle when the security and wellbeing of another religious community is at stake. No person should remain idle: Christian and Hindu, Muslim and Jew, and non-believer.

A line has been drawn. People of faith and non-believers who seek to build a safe, understanding and cooperative world are on one side and bigots on the other. The line is dividing citizens who strive for peace with each other and radicals who carry out campaigns, like the aforementioned, to suffocate anyone who does not believe, live or look exactly how they do.

The duty of an interfaith leader, who can be anyone who believes in peace and cooperation between religious and non-religious communities, is not to just respond to these events as they happen but work towards preventing them. We all have a responsibility in this type of interfaith work. I am committed this year to helping build that beloved community through Mosaic, the interfaith student group at the Divinity School, but I hope that many of you today will articulate to your own communities why such acts of vandalism are affronts to us all: people of faith and those with no faith. Anyone who wishes to strive for justice, I encourage you to send me an email. Mosaic and other students from Vanderbilt and Belmont worked to clean the Al-Farooq Mosque, but you can still get involved. Mosaic is raising money to help them invest in a new security system and also planning a number of service projects and other programs that will educate others on the importance of working together towards a greater good.

As students, we have a voice that can enact change. I think it is time that we speak against bigotry and ignorance, with words and with actions.

Join the cause.

Anthony Fatta
Community Service Chair of Mosaic
1st year, Vanderbilt Divinity School

Vanderbilt Hustler

Mormons + Muslims = INTERFAITH LOVE

2010-01-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

This article makes me extremely happy. Truly elated. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have partnered with Islamic Relief USA to provide relief in Haiti. They are providing up to 160000 lbs of supplies to the shattered Caribbean Republic.

LDS folk are often stereotyped as not wanting to do any interfaith partnerships but the last few years have dispelled that myth. The Great Apostasy is an event where God the Father and Jesus speak to Joseph Smith. Basically, They tell him that he should not join any existing church because none of them have gotten it right yet. Instead he should start his own:
18 My object in going to ^ainquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all ^awrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those ^bprofessors were all ^ccorrupt; that: “they ^ddraw near to me with their lips, but their ^ehearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the ^fcommandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the ^gpower thereof.”(Joseph Smith History 1: 18-19)

There are a few other places in Mormon scriptures where similar language is used. So, it is easy to see where these stereotypes are formed. Despite this, I find it highly commendable that the LDS Church is working with other people of faith to do good in the world. Hope this continues.

The full article can be read here: http://bit.ly/8H299S

Back to School

2010-01-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

After a less than ideal break, I trekked back to the Nashty to start classes again.

Classes I am taking are as follows:
-New Testament
-Christianity in the Reformation Era
-United Methodist Evangelism
-Pastoral Care and Theology

I am already getting into work, including thinking of a paper due in April. This is not the way I usually operate though. After my first semester, things will have to change to hopefully avoid the 2 weeks of hell I experienced in December. Classes are definitely more demanding this semester but I think it will be okay. Luckily, Pastoral Care is going to be my relaxing class, albeit challenging. There is not the same type of pressure.

Another saving grace for this semester is a newly found theology nerd outlet. I joined an independent reading group with a few other students and we are discussing some Kellerian process theology! Catherine Keller has done wonders in helping me form a sensible and practical theology. I am sure it will be refreshing to do some "pleasure" reading during a hectic semester.

Lastly, I can always rely on relaxation and amusing antics at home. The following picture is proof of that! Indeed, it is a GIANT cupcake. Funfetti too! I know that is needed information.

Expect a post in a few days about my MLK events! Solos, service projects and marches, oh my!

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

2009 has been a great year but it is time to start anew in 2010! My resolutions are as follows:

-Be a more intentional and creative vegetarian
-Blog much more
-Be more active/go to the gym/start cycling (any 3 of these)
-Get an A in New Testament (HAHAHAHA)
-Become closer to God
-Lay the groundwork for the Church of God is Love
-Take advantage of free stuff like never before! In other words, be more frugal.

Kick rocks, 2009! Bienvenue 2010!

FINALS

2009-12-12T20:58:00.001-08:00

I am writing this post from the Div School where I have been since 10am this morning...going on 13 hours now. It has been like this for the past 10 days. Finally, I think I can say I am at least halfway done with all the work I have to do.

Well, as shitty as the aforementioned may sound...it still beats a 9 to 5. Can I get an AMEN, please?

On a high note, back in Cuse on Monday!

Change of plans

2009-12-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

So, within the past week, I have had some revelatory experiences. I realized that I was tiptoeing around a particular vocation choice: ordained ministry.

I have been running away from this for about the past 7 years. In retrospect, almost every religious/spiritual event in my life has had an additive effect, leading me to where I am now. If God was speaking to me, it was only a whisper and easy to hide from or avoid. This Sunday, I experienced a divine crescendo and it was impossible to run from anymore.

I do not think that God brought me all the way to a Divinity school to not have me finally listen. Now, I am in the process of switching from the 2 year degree to the 3 year degree and initiate the ordination process with the United Methodist Church. It is definitely both scary and risky. I think I am finally in a place in my life where the risk is worth taking. As for the fear, I will have to deal with that as it comes!

Peace out,
Anthony

P.S. Christmas music is definitely my saving grace during finals week!

PRECIOUS

2009-11-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

So, I know I have not posted in a very long time but grad school tends to get in the way of it. My New Year's Resolution is to post more often, at least once a week.

So last night, I watched the new movie Precious. It was probably one of the most emotional movies I have ever seen. I used to never get emotional at movies but as of late, I have been known to tear up at some points. That is how I was with this movie.

Firstly, I felt a degree of disgust to know that people could live this way. But, I began to think about the socially unjust machine that got a family like Precious' in that predicament. It is not like they had any choice in the matter and if they could remove themselves from that situation, I am sure they would.

Secondly, this movie gave me a HUGE reality check. I am now able to more fully recognize God's active role in my life and how truly blessed I am. If Precious is able to handle all of the horrific issues in her life: being a victim of incestuous rape, teenage mother of 2 children, one of which has Down Syndrome, having an abusive mother, struggling in school, being homeless, finding out she is HIV+ and much more, there is no reason why I should complain at all. My problems are so minuscule.

Lastly, the acting was superb. Mo'Nique shed her comedic role and played a very dynamic character as Precious' mother. Sidibe, the teenager who played Precious was AMAZING. She was able to give an element of humanity in all of Precious' struggles and show the importance of hope, faith and perseverance in everything that she does. I expect great things from both of them, especially as Oscar's season rolls around. Mariah Carey actually was not that bad either!

Now, I need to read Push by Sapphire, the novel basis of the movie. That will be my winter break project.

In sum, go see this movie. Do not just take it at face value though. Recognize that their life is still lived by others in this country and around the world. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

-Anthony

Ramadan fun!

2009-09-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

So, basically, I think Ramadan is an amazing part of the Islamic faith. It has such a great message and I think keeps a lot of people remembering their obligations to the rest of humanity. For those of you not familiar with it, I am no means an expert. The gist is that you fast from sunrise to sunset, no food, no water. Your fast is broken everyday by eating a date because that is what the Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] did. Then you have a celebratory dinner called an Iftar. The 30 day period is ended with the holiday Eid-ul-Fitr, which happens to be this Sunday.

Anyways, I found this blog that is AMAZING. It is two Muslim dudes that live in NYC and they visit a different mosque everyday of Ramadan. Then, they blog about it. Check it out y'all.

Let's pray about sex, baby!

2009-09-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

The special prayer asks God "to place within us love that truly gives, tenderness that truly unites, self-offering that tells the truth and does not deceive, forgiveness that truly receives, loving physical union that welcomes."

"Open our hearts to you, to each other and to the goodness of your will," it adds. "Cover our poverty in the richness of your mercy and forgiveness. Clothe us in true dignity and take to yourself our shared aspirations, for your glory, forever and ever."

This is a new prayer written by the London-based Catholic Truth Society

Honestly, I expected something more like, "God, save us from the evils of condoms, birth control and the sinful nuva ring. Give the sperm the strength to penetrate the egg and the womb the strength of the rock that the Church was built upon to carry a new Catholic into the world. Amen"

Obviously that was condescending. And I love it.

Responsibility and Obligation

2009-09-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

In my adventure through a theological education thus far, my brain has been twisted, kneaded and pulled almost every way possible. Most recently, we have discussed a contemporary Jewish philosopher who has quite a bit to say.

You could say that I am passionate about service work. I love doing it, obviously to help others, which is paramount but there is another feeling that I receive from doing service. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "If you love and serve men, you cannot by any hiding or stratagem escape the renumeration." I would like to think that this is true.

Emmanuel Levinas most likely would not agree with this statement. He created a relational philosophy that is based in social justice. In his theory, "I" am infinitely responsible for the "other." It is hard to decipher what he means by "I" and by "other," but I am assuming that "I" means any self and the "other" is someone that is different than "I" (perhaps not family, friend, neighbor, etc.).

It is difficult to think of being infinitely responsible for not only somebody else but perhaps a multitude of "others." Where the hell do I begin this endeavor? Is it too much in an ideal realm for me to even attempt to put it into praxis? Personally, I say yes and no. (Hey, if I have to read dense philosophy, I think it gives me a right to be a little vague).

In Levinas' model, traces of the Divine are seen only through encounter with the "other." He puts the "other" on a step above the "I". I was thinking of it as a pedastal or staircase model. If it is a 3 step model it would be "I"->"other"->Divine. The arrows can be seen as processes or encounters. The "other" acts as a medium to reach the divine or in other words, one cannot encounter God unless they encounter the "other."

For the most part, I am okay with this. I am a firm believer that you can see God in others and that God is active in other people's lives. So, this obviously makes some sense. But it brings me back to the idea of service. For people of faith, I think serving humanity does bring them closer to God, regardless of whether they were searching for that or not. By no means is this the only reason I do service. There are obvious societal reasons, mainly that of necessity. People need help because X (poverty, storm, hunger, etc) so I do Y (work in a soup kitchen, donate clothes, clean up a creek).

In my nerdy mind, it is cool to develop a sort of theology of service that I think works well in an interfaith context. I mean, if it helps people and it makes you feel good, what is wrong with that?

Its been a while.

2009-09-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

I realize that i have not written in a while. Grad school is a bit more time consuming than I expected. But I am learning a lot and having a ton of fun in all my classes. Jewish-Christian Relations is legitimately a theological sitcom...that only a few sick minds can enjoy.

I have been doing a TON of reading. I finished Martin Buber's I and Thou, which I LOVE. I mean I had read it before but reading it a second time really showed me his true ideas. That man is brilliant. If wanted to learn German...and Yiddish, I would so be a Buber scholar!

Well, there are shenanigans in my life that I will have to shed light upon at a later date. Most likely when I take care of said shenanigans.

Until then, God is Love

My Church!

2009-08-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

During my 3 week tenure in Nashville, I have been attending the Belle Meade UMC. Initially, it was the convenience because it is right down the street from my house but every week I find something else that I like about it. And now, I am may even be teaching my own seminars or book talks for the congregation.

The point of today's post is a reflection on Rev. Mike Ripski's sermon today. Every once in a while I meet someone who the Spirit of God literally flows through and Rev. Mike is one of those people for sure. His sermon was entitled "Who do you say I am?" and was taken from Mark's gospel. In it, he reflects upon the life of Christ and what it means to live in His way.

Things seem to have been divinely clicking into place as of late and I am glad that my prayers are being answered or at least acknowledged. This sermon affirmed not only what I am doing currently but also any future plans I may have. He talked about what it means to take up your cross. He summarized it in two words. Be radical. Jesus was. His message of love was radical. Love your neighbors and your enemies. Carrying your cross means taking part in destroying vicious cycles of injustice and oppression.

How does one do this? You have to deny yourself. Be selfless with faith in God. You give what you can as often as you can. Inconvenience yourself. It is a sort of self-emptying. In being selfless, God allows you to find your true self. Deny yourself and God will bring you back.

He called it sacrificial living. Being uncomfortable is a good feeling. In fact, it gives you comfort. Put yourself out there, there is guidance, even if you cannot see it.

In my life, this sermon really touched me, especially about being radical. I probably do more service projects than the average American and I definitely want to keep doing them as long as I am able. Helping someone is being radical in today's age. We are constantly thinking about ourselves and rarely about what we can do for someone else. Let's try and change that.

Obviously, this "Carrying your cross" idea is about the Christian faith but the message applies to others as well. Try and find it in yours.

Thoughts?

I picked my classes!

2009-08-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

I got all of my first choice classes! The books are probably cray cray expensive but I am excited nonetheless:

1.) Hebrew Bible (required, hopefully not lame)
2.) Jewish-Christian Relations
3.) Comparative Theology
4.) God and the Other (I got the last spot in this one!)

Expect updates of them all!

Justice vs. Mercy

2009-08-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

Because I graduated from Syracuse and had the honor of being a Remembrance Scholar, current events about the release of Al- Megrahi, one of those responsible for the bombing of Pan am Flight 103 in 1988. He was imprisoned beginning in 2001 and has recently been released by the Scottish government.

Situations like this always bring me back to the debate of justice vs. mercy. Personally, I feel that his release was a portrayal of a lack of justice. He has only been in prison for the past 8 years. Granted, he does have terminal prostate cancer but there are plenty of people who have terminal illnesses and are on death row. It should not be a pass to get out of prison despite the atrocities you had a hand in. Theologically, at least in the Hebrew Bible, when you kill 270 people...bad shit happens to you. Stoning comes to mind but I am pretty sure you would just get killed right then and there.

But then the issue of mercy blossoms out of the issue. I think JC, among many other spiritual leaders, would have had compassion for Al-Megrahi. Whether or not that compassion would be his release or not, I do not know. I am reminded of the news story that happened a few years ago when an Amish school was openly shot at by a killer who then took his own life. The first thing that we saw on the news was the Amish community publicly forgiving that man. I remember being completed moved by this that humans could be so compassionate.

So in this case, is it justice or mercy? Not to say that the two are completely dichotomous but at times they can be seen in opposition to each other. Any thoughts on what had happened? Because I have met with the families of a lot of the victims and had the honor of representing Jason Coker, a victim, I am not entirely removed from the situation. In fact, I think anyone that went to Syracuse after 1988 is deeply enmeshed in this narrative. Of the 270, 35 were are classmates, our fellow Orangemen. That definitely counts for something.

Thoughts?

Orientation Day 1

2009-08-18T18:19:00.001-07:00

So I had my first day of Orientation at Vandy Div School today and things went really well. Roomie and I left the house prepared with coffee in hand and headed into the crazy ass Nashville traffic.

I thought I would be some sort of enigma because I am interested in nonprofit or government work, mainly interfaith stuff. Although I did not meet anyone who was making interfaith their actual focus, there were a lot of people who were not going for Ph.Ds or at least not right away.

Also, there is a field education option for MTS students at Vandy where I can basically go anywhere for credit. There is an org called Middle Tennessee Interfaith Alliance who I would love to work for. It would be hot to work at Sri Ganesha, the Hindu Temple, too!

We called Comcast AGAIN today and they finally answered with a real human being. Too bad they are not coming until TUESDAY. WTF?!

Sigh, tomorrow is Day 2 and I hope to give another update.

-A

P.S. We had an activity with Prof. Snarr whose title is actually Ethicist. GET IT! She was amazing and gave us all of these tips to read different pieces intelligently and to reap the most out of them.

France bans the "burquini"

2009-08-17T12:41:00.001-07:00

In an effort to be modest, many Muslim women wear a head to toe outfit when going swimming, especially in public pools and beaches. Apparently, this bathing suit has been dubbed the "burquini" a fusion of burqa and bikini, which gave me some much needed laughter! Anyways, France, in an effort to increase secularism or rather decrease religious expression, has banned the "burquini" from public pools.

France claims that it is not on the basis of religious discrimination but the "unusually strict hygiene standards in pools" Thoughts?

[NYT]

A few GET ITs

2009-08-16T13:35:00.001-07:00

So Gordon Kaufman used to teach at Vandy back in the day. GET IT!

Everyone at my new church dresses up and I rolled in wearing jeans. GET IT! Better yet, the pastor said he did not want me to dress up. GET IT!

A soloist at today's service sang Deep River. GET IT! Better yet, he was a crazy good singer. GET IT!

Mormon missionaries were in my house before my roommates were...

2009-08-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is true. My good, doctoral student friend/instructor of the Mormon experience gave the Mormons my contact info in a scheme to obtain a CD of the Nauvoo Pageant. Well folks, the CD is safely in my possession!

I am pretty sure my neighbors HATE me now because the missionaries, 2 dudes in white shirts and ties, knocked on their door first. Quite loudly, too. Anyways, they come into my house. Mind you, I have lived here a week and my living room is completely empty. So we start shooting the shit. They are both from California. One of them was actually really cool and I would consider talking to outside of this awkward context. The other one was STRANGE. Even his voice was strange. No offense Salt Lake, not the best marketing agent if you ask me.

So, I explain to them why I want the CD/my academic interests in LDS, etc. The cool one understood that. The creeper was convinced that I was already halfway converted and he was going to the be the one to finish the job. The normal one was telling me how he is only serving in Tennessee because he is waiting for his visa so he can go to his real mission in Bangalore, India. The weird one says he wants to be a sports broadcaster. People, I am telling you that I am pretty sure my TV would break if his voice were amplified through it.

Eventually, awkward silence began and the proselytizing started to happen. At that moment, I thanked them for the CD and how happy I was to meet them. I directed cool missionary to the Hindu Temple (Sri Ganesha) down the street to get a small sample of what he will experience in India and I told weirdo good luck on his future endeavors.

My favorite part of this whole meeting would have to be the weird missionaries closing line:

"Do you know anyone who would benefit from an uplifting story about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?" Did I not tell them I have only lived here a week? I just told them to walk down the street. Hope that does not cause any hostility...

With no cable/internet...

2009-08-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

COMES READING. It sucks that a complete lack of VH1 is my catalyst to read. In my abundance of spare time, I have been able to finish 3 books that have been on my list for a while.

First, I finished Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel. This is autobiographical in nature but also gives a lot of inspiration to me and to others who are interested in interfaith work. Patel is someone who has actually done it. He is the founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago! Hopefully, I will be attending their conference in October.

Second, I read a book by one of my favorite professors at Syracuse, Gustav Niebuhr. The book is called Beyond Tolerance: A Search for Interfaith Understanding in America. This piece chronicles a cross country voyage, visiting interfaith hot spots across the United States. He stops at some rather unlikely places, INCLUDING NASHVILLE! There was like a 5 page spread on the city that I live in now! For being considered the "buckle of the Bible-belt," Nashville is abundantly diverse! There is a Hindu temple really close to my house! AND I found the Mormon* meetinghouse by pure chance. This book was such a great read. Niebuhr crafts a story very well and his unintimidating academic references satisfy a religious studies nerd like myself but would not be overwhelming to your average reader. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. AND, it is in paperback now!

Lastly, this morning, I just finished The Soul of Christianity by Huston Smith. I had read the bulk of this book in a class called Christianity: A Theological Interpretation. I had never read the last third of the book, which is about the three branches of Christianity: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox and Protestantism. In about 30 pages, Smith touches upon all major dogmatic differences. My favorite part was the Protestant section because he did something very clever. He wrote about how the word "protestant" has a negative connotation because it is based on protesting against the Catholic Church. Smith plays some very appreciated wordplay and twists it a little more positively. "protestant"= "pro" which means for + "testant" which means one who testifies. Protestants are those who are for people who testify about God!

I recommend all three of these books. You can buy them all on amazon.

*A quick sidestory about Mormons. My professor at Syracuse who taught the Mormon Experience is researching Pilgrimage in LDS. So, she goes to different LDS sites (Palmyra, Salt Lake, etc) and interviews people for her dissertation. Recently, she was in Nauvoo, IL, which is one of the sites of the early temples. Anyways, she was there for a pageant (like the Hill Cumorah one) and she ended up giving my phone number to a missionary. Of course, they called me and now they are coming to my house on Thursday to give me a Nauvoo pageant DVD AND the Restoration DVD. They asked if I would like a Book of Mormon and I already told them that I have two. Expect an update about Thursday.

FINALLY HERE!

2009-08-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

That was a long as drive! I drove the initial 4 hours from Syracuse to Chautauqua on Monday night to visit C. Nikole. While at a rest stop, the guy in the urinal next to me farted and then some other guy was making dying cat noises. This is why I rarely use urinals! Then, I was passing the Buffalo airport and plane was landing and it came within a hundred feet, NO LIE.

Chautauqua is this interfaith oasis in the middle of nowhere and WAY scary to drive through! Luckily, I slept in a stranger's bed, shoutout of thanks to Hasan if you are out there. Than I continued my drive in the morning for the next 12 hours. New York -> PA -> Ohio -> Kentucky -> Tennessee. It literally monsooned throughout Ohio and Kentucky. My dad calls me when I am on the road to inform me the Louisville was experiencing flashfloods and their sewers were literally exploding. Lovely. Luckily, I made it through it with no issue.

When I crossed into Tennessee, the clouds opened up and the sun peeked through. IT WAS GLORIOUS! Then, I finally pulled up to my place and it turns out that my landlord sent me the wrong keys! His realty agent was two hours away! Luckily, my cousin and his girlfriend had just moved in down the street the day before. So I was able to go visit with them and have dinner.

After, I finally got into my place, I had to go procure a bed. So we went to Sam's Club at 8:20pm. We walk through the door and the lady says, "We close in 10 minutes!" WTF kind of store closes at 8:30 on a Tuesday night? No store in the North! So, we run in there and grab the first mattress and boxspring we see. 360 dollars later, I am able to sleep.

Then I had to deal with municipal services like water and electric. Electric was fine but water was pissing me off. They continue to piss me off! They charge me 35 dollars to come turn the water on. They turn it on and then turn it off, claiming that something was running. NOTHING WAS. So I called them today and they charge 50 MORE DOLLARS for the guy to come and turn the water BACK ON. I had a screaming match with these people and when my bill comes they will hear me AGAIN. I still have no internet...but that should happen soon.

Vanderbilt's campus is BEAUTIFUL. It reminds me of Syracuse except like twice the size and always warm. I walked through the Chapel and the Div School. I went into admissions to introduce myself and THEY KNEW WHO I WAS! She didn't even have to look at the computer! Vandy definitely has hospitality down!

Other than fighting with other utility companies and having no internet (hence the lack of posting) my time in Nashville has been great thus far. One of the incoming Div students had a BBQ at his house where I got to meet a few people which was nice. Everybody seemed anxious to get started. Of course, most of them have already done the pre-orientation reading...which I have yet to do! Hopefully that is not an omen of my study habits in the future!

Sorry for the wait

2009-07-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hello blogosphere. Sorry for the wait but the whole point of Runaway Theologian is to chronicle my transition to Vanderbilt amongst other things. Now, I am at the packing point...i.e. the reason why I have not blogged in a while. In the meantime, I will provide you with a semi-hilarious convo with my mother.

Mom: "My tooth aches"
Me: "Really, I think I have a toothache too. On my front tooth."
Mom: "Wow, you should have gotten braces"
Me: "Wow, it is not like I didn't beg for them as a child! You knew that I had crooked teeth!"
Mom: "Well, its never too late"
Me: "...yes it is."

Tweet your prayers!

2009-07-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

So, the Wailing Wall is the last remaining wall of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem. Pictures of it usually have people praying at it. Written prayers are left between the stones. But now, technology has made leaving prayers SO MUCH EASIER! You can tweet your prayers on Twitter. Then, this website will print your prayer out and bring it to the wall!

Follow @TheKotel

Soon-to-be U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican <3's interfaith dialogue

2009-07-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

During the Senate confirmation hearing for the potential U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, Miguel Diaz states that he believes that interfaith dialogue builds bridges that lead to action.

He said: “I have worked with religious leaders to engage local communities in exploring the role of religion in uniting people. If confirmed, my service to the United States as ambassador would be a natural extension of this work.”

GET IT! Hopefully Diaz can help Benedict see that being respectful of and learning about other faiths does have its benefits. This also means that there may be a place for me to work in government AND do interfaith work! AMEN!

Turkey will allow a permanent church in Tarsus

2009-07-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

Now, I have a special affinity for anything involving Turkey because I have been there before. This story is actually rather peculiar because of how secular Turkey is. Most of the Ancient buildings, mainly pre-Islamic, have been turned into state-ran museums like the Hagia Sophia.

So it is cool to see that the site of the birth of Paul is being made into a permanent church for Christians to worship in. The Turkish government claimed that they began to see Christian pilgrims, rather than Christian tourists. Because of this they thought it would be beneficial for a permanent church to be built.

Now, for those of you who do not know, Paul, born as a Jew (Saul), is responsible for writing most of those letters in the New Testament. He persecuted Christians when he was younger but was struck off his horse on the way to Damascus by a vision of Jesus. He then became one of the main fathers of the Church, spreading the message of Jesus to Gentiles all around the Mediterranean.

Some Atheists Decide to "De-baptize"

2009-07-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

Some atheists in the U.S. are practicing something different to profess their "non-faith." A "de-baptism" can be performed to nullify a previous baptism. The way this has been carried out is actually rather humorous and in my opinion looks more ridiculous than the original baptism may be perceived.

Now, clean your ears to make sure you hear this correctly. A person robed as a "priest" will wield a hairdryer, labeled REASON. Then the hairdryer will blow away the baptismal waters. Then, people who are "de-baptized" will try and use their new certificates to have their names removed from churches' baptismal rolls. Some oblige, some do not. Some claim that it is an irreversible sacrament.

At least there is a bit of pomp and circumstance in a legitimate baptism. This "de-baptism" is just annoying. If you don't believe in God, which is fine, why should it matter to you that you were baptized at all? For you, it does not mean anything! This is like majoring in engineering in college, then you work as an engineer for a while. After, you decide on a change in career and go to REVOKE your degree and change it to something else. OK, that may not have been the best analogy but whatev.

New contact info

2009-07-20T15:15:00.001-07:00

So I thought it would be beneficial for Runaway Theologian to have its own contact info. Check it out y'all:

Email: runawaytheologian@gmail.com

Twitter: @runawaytheology

Send me any juicy, religious tidbits or stories you may come across and follow me on Twitter!

Prophet-President to Meet with Regular President

2009-07-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

President Thomas Monson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (breathe) will have a sit down with President Obama today. I am sure Monson will have a pitcher of ice cold water and some bread ready for Barack. This will probably one of the most awkward meetings of Obama's Presidency. Especially if they talk about the time when Barack could not even hold the priesthood in the Church! [gawker]

A special thanks to my friends over at Reign in Blonde (Elise and fellow religion junkie/commentator Julia)

Boom Boom BOOM

2009-07-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

So, traffic here at Runaway Theologian has been CRAZY! Thanks to the Geekologie Writer for linking me! Welcome all new readers!

Benedict is NOT the Next Poet Laureate

2009-07-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict XVI, affectionately known as Benny in my mind, has written the latest papal enyclical Caritas in Veritate - "Charity in Truth." Apparently, it is so poorly written that it is barely readable.

"But published commentaries are already noting the 'dense prose' or warning that 'theological reflections usually don’t make for light summer reading.' The encyclical 'can be difficult to read,' says one commentator; it is marred by 'irritating fits and starts, assertions, qualifications, doubtful formulas and doubling back,' says another."

One man even went so far as to describe the book as a "duck-billed platypus," whatever the hell that means. Denoting something or someone as an egg-laying mammal (monotreme for you zoology dorks out there) must be a horrible insult within the Vatican vernacular.

Benny, I understand that you are the Pope and that should give you permission to speak/write intelligently. But, from a public relations standpoint, you lead a Church with hundreds of millions of followers. Can you write something that they can at least attempt to read?

[NYT]

Optimus Prime Cocktail

2009-07-20T05:28:00.000-07:00

Despite the unfortunate effects of drinking gasoline, a Transformers fan in China has been drinking it for the past 5 years.

Since the age of 9, this kid in Sichuan has been drinking lighter fluid and motorcycle gasoline in an effort to "obtain energy" and becomes strong like the Transformers. His father had this comment:

"Since my son start to drink gas, his intelligence quotient dropped sharply and he couldn’t figure out addition and subtraction of sums within 100," the father said. "Before that, he was a very smart boy, and he could even repair the television. But now he doesn’t know the answer of 7 plus 17."

I love that they are more worried about how skillful their son is in mathematics than the effects of drinking gasoline. This is cray cray, for real.

The Body and the Blood...IN SPACE

2009-07-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first landing on the Moon but for some churches across the U.S., it also commemorated the first space communion! Now, I had never known that this actually happened but it pretty awesome nonetheless.

Buzz Aldrin, after driving the lunar module to the Moon, opened up a package of bread and a container of wine that had been consecrated by his local church in Houston. He wrote: "In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the side of the cup. I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility."

It is always interesting to see how advancements in science and technology have different effects for different people. For some, landing on the moon was the ultimate proof of there being no God. It showed that humans had conquered God's creation in some way. But for others, it instilled in them a greater reason to believe in God. Seeing the Earth from the Moon was too magnificent and intricate for it not to be divine in origin.

Biblical curses, FTW!

2009-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Rev. Edward Pinkney of Michigan was convicted for paying people $5 to vote for him in a recall election that he lost. After his conviction, Pinkney quoted some Scripture. Deuteronomy to be exact. He cursed the judge that the Lord would smite him with "consumption and with a fever and with an inflammation and with extreme burning." Sounds pretty legit, no?

Needless to say, this was interpreted as a threat and he was imprisoned. Later, he was taken out of jail because the Court had infringed up on his 1st amendment rights.

Pagan Police get time off

2009-07-17T05:35:00.000-07:00

In Hertfordshire, UK, Pagan police officers are now allowed to exchange usual bank holidays for Pagan holidays instead. Now, these officers can receive Solstice and Hallowe'en off in addition to other Pagan holidays.

This police force has taken similar action with police officers of other faiths as well. [BBC]

Homegirl Sotomayor on Church-State Relations

2009-07-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

Sonia Sotomayor, most likely to be confirmed as the next Supreme Court Justice, has a rather nuanced view on the relationship between church and state. She judged that it was okay for Santeria prisoners to have prayer beads with them and that is was okay for Muslim prisoners to be able to break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan. On the flipside, she did not side with Muslims who wanted to make a Post Office holiday display include a star and crescent alongside Christmas and Hanukkah symbols.

I guess she is rather thorough in terms of her interpretation of the freedom of religion clause, which is a good thing. I like that somebody can actually JUDGE and not follow party or ideological lines. But that has yet to be seen. If you have not noticed, I LOVE THE SUPREME COURT. Judicial is def my fav branch of the federal government.

I probably could have found a more flattering picture but this was one of the first that popped up and it is kind of funny.

Yea or Nay for the Gays?

2009-07-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

The Episcopalian Church (the Church of England or Anglican Church in the United States) has given its blessing to same-sex unions. In fact, they are already on the way to writing new liturgy for the ceremonies. Many conservative Episcopalians and Anglicans worldwide are not too happy with this decision. They claim that the U.S. Church is becoming too progressive and are leaving the values of the Church by the wayside.

I wonder why they have to create new liturgical blessings for same-sex unions. Is this some underhanded way of showing the Episcopalian view that there is a difference between man-woman marriages and same-sex unions.

Thanks to new roommate, Jill, for giving me the heads up! 2 more weeks!

Another Inspiring Buddhist Thought

2009-07-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care
for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill. - Buddha

Catholic faux pas

2009-07-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

I love this story because the SAME THING happened to me. Except I was not at a funeral...or the prime minister of a state.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, an evangelical Christian, partook in a Catholic Eucharist ceremony during a funeral. This was obviously a benign act by Harper but it is considered sacrilegious for a non-member to partake in the Eucharist. I guess some Catholics are peeved but luckily the Archbishop announced that there were only good intentions.

This same thing happened to me except I was like 8 years old and visiting my cousins in New Hampshire. They are all Catholic and I am not. They took me to their Church on a Sunday and they all went to take communion so I went too just like I would at my home Church. I go up there, following what everybody else is doing, waiting for the priest to place the wafer in my mouth. The priest literally just stared at me. Talk about an awkward moment, even for an 8 year old. I go back to my family...confused and distraught.

Stephen Harper, I feel your pain.

HILL CUMORAH PAGEANT!

2009-07-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

So, last semester, I took a course entitled The Mormon Experience. Knowing that my friend, Prerna, is more than mildly obsessed with Mormons and I wanted to learn more, we quickly enrolled in the class. This gives a premise as to why I would go to this event in the first place: half academic reasons, half geekiness.

So, for those of you who do not know, the Hill Cumorah Pageant is a LDS event that tells the story of Christ coming to the Americas. It goes through the staple stories of the Book of Mormon, a sacred text in the Mormon faith. Basically, Lehi, a Jerusalemite prophet, is told by God that bad things are ahead (mainly the Babylonian exile). So, he grabs his family and they take a trans-Atlantic voyage and set up camp in Central America somewhere. The battles ensue as Nephite is set against Lamanite in an epic battle of spreading the gospel of Christ...before He is even born! Do I have you hooked yet? For a more in depth version, request a free copy of the Book of Mormon from http://www.mormon.org/ You are welcome, Thomas Monson, for that marketing plug. Just call me the apostasy missionary.

So Friday evening, we began our journey to Palmyra, NY, the birthplace of Mormonism, which is about an hour outside of Syracuse. We thought it would be uncouth of us to bring venti Starbucks cups into the Pageant so we just brought our own drinks instead...take that as you will. We get off the thruway and the line of cars begins. We saw license plates from everywhere and even a few Quebecois in the mix! JE ME SOUVIENS! Then, we see this:

One of many protestors at the event. Check out their website. In the background, you will see the highly organized parking scheme led by Mormon missionaries! The LDS Church is known for its highly structure hierarchy and you can see that it trickles all the way down to how they organize parking!

So, once we settle into our seats/blanket, which happened to basically be in the front row, costumed cast members began to visit us. I think the one in the darker clothing is Lamanite and the other one is Nephite:

With these two ladies, we got on the topic of marriage in Mormon culture. One of these women apoke about not being married so I congratulated in not conforming and waiting for the right people. We thought she was our age (approx. 22) but in reality, she is 28. Prerna and I know that in a Mormon time scheme, she is old goods. If she really wants to get married, she best hit up that singles ward hardcore. 28 might as well be 50 in LDS.

Then we began to notice that some of the costumed big shots were around us. We saw this dude:

I thought he might have been Joseph Smith but he was Brigham Young! A very young Brigham Young. I doubt the real Brigham's hair was so voluminous but whatever.

After saving Prerna from this costumed girl from Hawaii who was putting her through the LDS gauntlet (I was on the phone with our teacher talking about her experiences in Nauvoo, IL), we ran into the man, the myth, the legend JOSEPH SMITH. Or the father of like 8 children who played Joseph Smith:

Literally, this man was surrounded by a gaggle of children, all of which wanted to take our pictures. You will notice that we are each holding our free portrait of Christ! Apparently, in previous years, the free portrait had Christ holding a Lamanite infant. Basically, a very un-PC picture of a sterotypical Native American baby. I think it had a mohawk or something. Still, I AM JEALOUS AND WANT THAT PICTURE!

As you can see, after our run-in with J. Smith, it was actually pretty dark outside which meant that the Pageant was going to start. So we hurried back to our blanket and prepared. But before we sat down we saw this massive man and we knew we were someone important. We asked him who he was and he was no one other than MORMON, a Nephite who is responsible for collecting the records of his people before he died. His son, Moroni, is the one who finished the Book of Mormon and buried at Cumorah where Joseph Smith found it over a millenium later.

The Pageant was actually pretty well put together. It is amazing that they can get so many special effects and such a huge stage in a place like Palmyra, NY. We asked a few of the cast members what their rehearsal schedule was like and they had all got there only a week prior. No one knew what role they were playing either. They just divided them into groups of people who wanted speaking roles and then they assigned them. Now, I take their term "speaking role" very loosely because there is no actual speaking. All of the dialogue and music is prerecorded. They just have to make sure their lips are moving when their character's lines are amplified through the stage speakers.

The special effects were fun though. There was fire/pyro, water mists, smoke machines, lights and everything that most stage shows have. The following is one of my favorite characters, Samuel the Lamanite:

The climax of the Pageant, of course, is when Jesus descends into the Americas, after his death and resurrection in Jerusalem. The guy who plays Jesus, I think his name was Rodney, was harnessed high above the stage and was lowered down in bright, white raiment and the most intense spotlight I have ever seen:

It ended rather abruptly. J. Smith came onstage with Brigham and others. Oliver Cowdrey was probably there too. They said a few words and encouraged us to take Moroni's Promise. Basically to pray until God tells us that the Book of Mormon is true. A millisecond after we stood up, we were attacked. An entire family comes up to me and is like: "You spoke to our daughter earlier. She wanted us to ask you if you had any questions about the Pageant or about our faith." "...no. Thanks." This other woman comes up to Prerna, "I thought about you the entire show! Do you have any questions?" I have heard that many people think that the Pageant is very spiritually moving...I did not really feel it. As a proselytization tool, the Pageant was highly ineffective. It was like Mormon overload.

We skedaddled out of there soon after the bombardment. Getting out of the grass lot was not nearly as easy as getting in. It probably took a good 45mins to an hour before we actually made it to the street and then on to the thruway. All in all, it was a fun night. If you are interested in religion at all or are fascinated by faith groups other than your own, I highly recommend going to this pageant. The best part, especially for a poor grad student like myself, IT IS FREE!

Allons les enfants de la patrie!

2009-07-14T05:13:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY! Today is the day where the French said, "VIVE LE REVOLUTION!" and burned down the Bastille prison, which basically was just flipping the monarchy the bird! Then, the revolutionaries basically eliminated religion from society and even came up with their own secular calendar. OBTIENS-CE!

PREVIEW

2009-07-12T17:50:00.001-07:00

Be on the lookout this week for a review of the Hill Cummorah, which is a play that depicts Christ's coming to the Americas according to the Book of Mormon from the Latter-day Saint tradition, Pageant that Prerna and I went to on Friday. We had a delightful time and I felt like a legit academic when I was telling all the Mormons my reasons for being there. I met a lot of really nice people and felt slightly inadequate for being single and not having at least 2 children already.

Anyways, I will leave you with a small glimmer of what is to come. There were protesters outside the Pageant; you know of the typical quasi-skinhead, evangelical, nutty variety. My favorite quote I heard was this:

"THERE IS NO SECOND TESTAMENT!!"

They are referring to the Book of Mormon being an addendum to the New Testament. It was just funny to me because the New Testament IS THE SECOND TESTAMENT. So, the Book of Mormon would be a THIRD testament. It is hilarious to know that biblical illiteracy runs rampant amongst the people that are trying to proselytize the hardest. Keep it up.

Churches feeling the pinch

2009-07-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I read a story about how the Vatican is now allowing advertisements on its radio station in an effort to boost revenue during the economic hard times. The Church of England (Anglican) is also feeling the squeeze of the bad markets. They are considering drastically reducing the amount of bishops they hire in an effort to save money.

Apparently, the salary of one bishop can pay for the salaries of 10 junior staff members. This leads me to believe that bishops make WAY too much money. They do a play a vital administrative role in the Church, especially in cultivating a priestly, volunteer corps that accounts for 25% of the Church's clergy.

It is interesting to see how faith communities are struggling in the current economic situation. Typically, these communities are a crucial part of helping people cope and survive in these times. How are they going to do that when they are having difficulties staying afloat themselves?

BONNE ANNIVERSAIRE!

2009-07-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

In addition to it being my brother's birthday a few days ago, it is also a monumental theologian's bday. Happy 500th John Calvin!

Sorry atheists but this is a GET IT for America

2009-07-09T16:43:00.001-07:00

The House of Representatives voted to have the motto "In God We Trust" engraved several places in the Capitol Visitor Center, right after the Pledge of Allegiance. GET IT.

Review of Life of Pi

2009-07-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

So, I just finished Life of Pi by Yann Martel (a Quebecois!) as was requested by Ms. Tori Hornstein. It was a really good read although slow at times.

The reasons why I did not like this book are the same reasons I hated the movie Castaway. Being alone on an island/lifeboat is exciting only for so long.

Other than it dragging a bit, I really enjoyed the story. It was so beyond me that I read most of it in utter disbelief. I convinced myself that there was no way that this could be a true story. But when I finished, I went back and read the Author's note to discover that is indeed true. I do not want to give away any spoilers but I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for story of true struggle and perseverance. No one can say that their life is bad after reading this.

The other claims that the intent of this book is to make its readers believe in God. There is no doubt that the events in this book are extraordinary. The protagonist overcomes an intensely difficult feat and it was his deep spirituality and belief in God that brought him through it. It is thought provoking to say the least.

Now onto my next read, as requested by my new roommate, Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle.

I am a horrible person

2009-07-09T06:22:00.001-07:00

A person in NJ died by falling into a vat of chocolate. I did not think this sort of thing happened. When I read it, it was a true LOL moment. Augustus Gloop, anyone?

MORE HP SHENANIGANS

2009-07-08T05:48:00.000-07:00

This is a good one! James Waylett, the actor who plays Vincent Crabbe in the films was arrested for growing pot in his house! How very Slytherin of him. His court date is next week!

HARRY POTTER PREMIERE

2009-07-08T05:35:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I did not fly to London for this premiere but I did look at the pictures! Harry Potter is something I have been mildly obsessed with since I was in the 6th grade. I am so excited to see this movie! I made sure to reread the book so I would be ready to pick out all the impurities. I am sure the movie will be good though. And I am seeing it at midnight next Tuesday!

It was rainy at the premiere, which I assume is rather typical of London. But look at those pictures. Emma Watson is in this LOW cut dress. Daniel Radcliffe is wearing hot pink. Rupert Grint looks like the swine flu got the best of him. The girl who plays Luna Lovegood looked really good though and Tom Felton (Malfoy) looked mad creepy and should invest in some Proactiv. I think the worst dressed award has to go to Jessie Cave, the new ho who plays Lavender Brown (pictured above). Who the hell thought that was a good idea?

But my favorite picture is this one of JK Rowling with a group of fans! GET IT JK! You are lookin fine!

Pictures

2009-07-07T05:59:00.000-07:00

So the BBC does this thing called Day in Pictures where they show nice resolution shots from around the world. I found this one today to be particularly funny.

It takes place in Ukraine where an Orthodox priest blesses motorcycles in Kiev, the state's capital. This was a part of a greater celebration that commemorated Russia's victory over Sweden in a war that happened 300 years ago.

Of course, it is a must to have your transportation vehicle blessed. My car should be going for its annual blessing next week.

OMG ENJOY!

2009-07-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

For those dorks out there, like myself, enjoy this digital trove of historical and textual treasure! It is the digital collection of the Codex Sinaiticus, the world's oldest and most complete Christian Bible. It is estimated to be 1600 years old and has been translated from its original Greek so it can be read by everybody.

This is a great way to glimpse into the foundations of Christianity and it may answer some long unanswered questions.

Thanks to C. Nikole for catching this gem on her Google reader before I could!

Amurrrica's Bible

2009-07-06T05:54:00.000-07:00

Thomas Nelson, a huge publisher, is releasing the Patriot's Bible, a Bible that focuses on the United States as a divinely inspired nation. Just read this article. I cannot even really explain it. it boggles my mind far too much.

This is in the same vein as the eco-friendly Green Bible or the Bible that focuses on social justice. These Bibles highlight particular verses or passages that focus on those particular themes and issues.

Now, I love the United States. Maybe more than the average American. I even made a flag cake for the 4th of July! But how do you make a Patriot's Bible when the United States did not exist when the Bible was written? It is easy to find eco-friendly or social justice-oriented verses but I think it is impossible to find verses about the Founding Fathers and Washington chopping down the cherry tree. The founding father, although brilliant in my opinion, were NOT demi-gods. In fact, many of them were rationalist products of the European Enlightenment and Christianity was definitely not on the top of their priority list.

This also makes me mad because it presupposes that American=Christian, which as we all know IS NOT THE CASE.

I will have to check this one out though. Maybe a trip to Barnes and Noble is in order. I cannot buy it because I am poor but I can afford a cup of coffee and sit their to look it over. Maybe this week sometime...

Buddhist Thought

2009-07-06T05:39:00.000-07:00

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. - Buddha

Quick! Sound the NUTTY siren!

2009-07-06T05:12:00.000-07:00

This couple in Oregon had their daughter suffer with a benign esophageal cyst until it caused complications and she died. She was 15 months old.

They claim that they did not seek medical attention because they practice faith healing. They did not really get into the specifics of what that meant, but I can assume it is a lot of prayer. Now, I believe that religion can have a very positive effect on healing. It gives hope and purpose but there comes a point when other avenues should be taken as well. Even Jesus used some, albeit primitive, medical techniques when He was healing. I think he put mud on a blind man's eyes to make him see. Yes, that is stretching it a bit but I think you get my point.

You were worried so much about seeing a doctor for your sick daughter and now you are a baby killer. That seems a lot worse to me.

U.S. Nuns prepare for Vatican investigations

2009-07-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

The Vatican intends to send an investigative delegation to the United States to check up on American nuns. According to the Vatican, these are rather routine investigations but the nuns know what is up. They fear an enforcement of dogma and orthodoxy that a lot of nuns are moving away from. Nuns practicing reiki healing and other non-traditional methods are not uncommon amongst American nunnery.

Cardinal Levada sent a letter to the Leadership Conference saying an investigation was warranted because it appeared that the organization had done little since it was warned eight years ago that it had failed to “promote” the church’s teachings on three issues: the male-only priesthood, homosexuality and the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church as the means to salvation.

I think the Catholic Church has more important things to to do than continuing male supremacy, demonizing homosexuals and affirming themselves as the only true path salvation, leaving the rest of us to burn in hell or otherwise. Benedict, bubuleh, how about working on building relations with the Islamic world that you continue to alienate yourself from and offend? You could focus your efforts on the Church's role in charity. How about recognizing your nuns, who give their lives to the Church, in a positive manner? Or, you could just take your normal route and spread the guilt around until people just give up on God altogether.

Readers, your homework is to watch Sister Act. It will help strengthen your love for nuns! They do a lot of good in the world. I am sure they are all not the most pleasant people but anyone who is the courage to fully devote their lives to a cause is OK in my book.

BYU meets YouTube

2009-07-01T10:12:00.001-07:00

It was bound to happen. A Mormon/LDS post is almost inevitable on any blog of mine!

Brigham Young University, founded by the Mormon "Moses," Brigham Young, has finally lifted restrictions on accessing YouTube at the Provo, UT campus. It was blocked because it did not adhere to the strict moral code that its student must obey.

"BYU added it to the list of Web sites blocked by campus online filters in 2006 because administrators felt there was too much content that could violate the school's strict, conservative standards."

Professors complained that they were not able to access relevant content for their courses. In turn, the ban was lifted because there was no way to restrict just a part of YouTube. They had to allow access to the whole site. More of BYU's internet restrictions can be found at http://besafe.byu.edu/

I find this hard to believe because there is a TON of Mormon stuff on YouTube. Trust me, I know. I have seen many a Mormon Tabernacle Choir performance from the comfort of my own laptop! They obviously use YouTube outside of school for good things so I am surprised it was restricted in the first place, especially in a University setting where there should be some sort of academic freedom.

To my BYU readers, BE FREE. Go experience the wonders of BonQuiQui, Canadian TV, watching every variation on the Single Ladies video and also do not forget to check out Celine Dion is Amazing, which is one of my personal favorites.

Vatican Confirms Scientific Proof of the remains of St. Paul

2009-06-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

Saul/Paul, i.e the guy who wrote most of the letters in the New Testament, allegedly had his body found/confirmed, according to the Vatican. Carbon dating has shown that the body that lays within St. Paul's basilica, a church built in the 4th century by newly converted Constantine. Benny announced that this scientific discovery affirms what the Church has known for years, "This seems to confirm the unanimous and uncontested tradition that they are the mortal remains of the Apostle Paul."

Although, I would not call this proof, but it does give a strong inkling that this could be St. Paul. I think Paul's story is one of the most fascinating ones in the New Testament. He grew up as a Sadducaic Jew who persecuted Christians left and right until he was on his way to Damascus and was knocked off his horse due to revelation that Jesus was God. If only we would all get such blatant signs of God's work on Earth.

Of course, I wonder how long it will take before the Catholic Church opens the marble sarcophagus, tears the corpse up and distributes his relics throughout the world. They probably would have done that already though. I definitely need to add Rome to my places-to-go list.

Guns Blazing for God

2009-06-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

When this article popped into my Google Reader, my jaw literally dropped. In an effort to prove that the majority of handgun owners are law-abiding citizens, Pastor Ken Pagnano of Kentucky, encourages his congregants to bring their handguns to church with them. Now, I am okay with bringing the sword (Bible) but handguns are a little much. On a high note, the guns are all unloaded. Also, gun safety education is taking place as well.

My favorite quote from this article is this: "For some reason, most people think that carrying guns is sinful. It's not. I think my life is worth protecting."

OK, I am not trying to be negative here. I am all for gun-ownership rights but you know Jesus was not roaming through Israel packin' heat. Hmm, but you know He was shooting bullets of the Holy Spirit. There is no better way to cast out a demon!

LAPD appoints its first Islamic Chaplain

2009-06-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Police Department has appointed their first Islamic Chaplain. Only 1% of the 10,000 employees are Muslim but the new Chaplain will serve as a liason between the LAPD and Muslim communities and also as a source of information for officers.

To me, Shiek Qazi Asad, a Pakistani immigrant and now U.S. citizen, has a pretty sweet job. His job is to break down stereotypes! Well, it really isn't a job but an 8 hour per month volunteer post. Whatever, it is still pretty cool nonetheless.

Finally, something positive/peaceful

2009-06-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Northern Irish Protestant paramilitary groups are disarming. Now, these are militia groups, not the actual military but it is still a step towards peace in an area that has been ravaged by violence for many years.

Dawn Purvis, a lawmaker with the Progressive Unionist Party, which has been linked to loyalist paramilitary groups, said, "It is time to move on. . . . Peaceful, stable democracy is the way forward for Northern Ireland."

Countries around the world should take notice and follow suit.

a Quite Inspiring Buddhist Thought

2009-06-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth
-- not going all the way, and not starting. - Buddha

AMEN! HALLELUJAH HOLLA BACK, LIL HOMIE!

Celebrity Worship

2009-06-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting interview about the worship and mourning of celebrities. I would call this part of a greater American religion.

Semi-religion related.

2009-06-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

So there is this website called Fmylife or FML for short. Occasionally a pearl of hilarity peeks through the rest of the garbage. The following had me literally laughing out loud.

Today, I finally had sex with a girl I've been dating for over a month. Before we got started she told me not to worry about the birth control because she could handle that. So after we finished I asked her what kind of birth control she used. She said she meditated. FML

By meditating, she must have erected a metaphysical steel wall on her cervix, protecting her from any demonic sperm cells.

The British are coming! The British are coming!...to Texas?!

2009-06-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

C. Nikole will find this interesting...because it takes place in Tejas.

The Episcopalian Church (basically the Anglican Church in the United States) is experiencing a small schism. For some Episcopalians, the Church is being led in the wrong the direction. Most notably, it was the appointment of that gay bishop in New Hampshire. Some fear that the Church is getting to liberal (I am assuming they mean that in a political sense). So a church in Plano, TX decided that they wanted a return to some sense of orthodoxy and started the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). Although there are still some disputes between ACNA and the Episcopalians about church property and what not, it seems to be a rather smooth transaction. Interesting nonetheless.

See? It cannot be that hard to start a church. Be on the the lookout for the Church of God is Love!

Another Buddhist Thought

2009-06-26T05:27:00.000-07:00

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past,
nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and
earnestly. - Buddha

GET IT! I have a place to live!!!

2009-06-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

I finally found a place to live in Nashville! 3br duplex in the Belle Meade neighborhood. It is on the bus line so that means I won't have to drive everyday! Check out the pics!

So, that was step 1. Now I just need to find a job that will allow me to stay living there. Seriously, I am ready to punch this economy in the face! Yes, I just anthropomorphized the economy, get over it.

Two Gems from Post-Soviet Russia

2009-06-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

I literally laughed out loud when I read these two articles. The first one takes place in Latvia where a loan company is giving small loans (like $100 to $1000). And what, you may ask, do they want for collateral? Oh, nothing too big...JUST YOUR IMMORTAL SOUL! If you do not pay off your loan in time, the company gets to maintain ownership of your soul...RIDIC.

The second one takes place in Russia where the Russian Orthodox Church is selling miracle stickers. Yes, you read that correctly. These stickers are placed on cell phones, like the picture above. They are blessed in a manner that allegedly prevent any harmful electromagnetic waves from entering the person's brain. Jesus works his magic yet again! 2000 years ago, He cast out demons, today he casts out cancer-causing, invisible electromagnetic waves!

RT Father's Day Special!

2009-06-21T04:16:00.000-07:00

I would like to wish all of the fathers out there a happy Father's Day. If it were not for you, half of religion/religious ritual and praxis would not exist (the other half is, of course, accredited to the mamas).

In honor of this day, I thought it would be fun to learn about some famous religious fathers:

Abraham: A common figure in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Abraham was directed by God to the land of Israel (it was not called that back then though) to build the nation of God. As an elderly couple (by today's standards anyways), him and his wife Sarah could not conceive a child. Well, it is a little difficult to begin a nation of people when you are barren so God changed that. 9 months later, Isaac was born.

Isaac: As an infant, he was almost killed by his father due to a trial from God. He and his wife then gave birth to two sons, Jacob and Esau.

Jacob/Israel: He had a ton of wives and even more kids. His 12 sons are the beginning of the 12 tribes of Israel. The most prominent son is Joseph, who was sold into Egyptian slavery by his brothers (I wonder if that is still an option....just kidding) because he was his father's favorite. Then Joseph had interpreted dreams that warned the Pharaoh of upcoming famine and pestilence. His other brothers end up coming to Egypt due to famine and this sort of sets the stage for Moses and the Exodus.

New Testament Joseph: Stepdaddy to the Christ. A pretty heavy responsibility if you ask me. It takes a strong man to stay with his wife after God impregnates her. Those are extenuating circumstances if I ever heard them.

Muhammad: He also had plural wives and a lot of kids. He is the last prophet and figurative father of a faith tradition (Islam) that has over a billion followers! Politician, poet, lawyer, social justice advocate...this renaissance man did it all!

King Suddhodana: Father of the Siddartha, the Buddha. Although he wanted his son to continue royal living, instead of sitting under a Bo Tree. But, he eventually became a disciple

Vasudeva: I admit that my knowledge of Hinduism is extremely limited. Vasudeva is the daddy of Krishna, a deity widely worshipped amongst many Hindus. Vasudeva, feared that his son was in danger, he went to rescue his son from a prison to be raised by foster parents.

By no means is this list exhaustive. But I have limited time to do some legit research. To all the fathers out there, keep up the good work!

Religious Fun Facts about New Hampshire

2009-06-20T05:01:00.000-07:00

In honor of me being in New Hampshire to visit family and drink, I would like to enlighten you all with some facts about the religious landscape/history of this tax-free, "live free or die", or the granite state.

Aug 15, 1789 - On August 15, 1789, Samuel Livermore of New. Hampshire proposed the wording: Congress shall make no laws touching religion, or infringing the rights of conscience.

1821 - The history of Christian Science goes back to Mary Baker Eddy, who was born in New Hampshire in 1821.

Jan 13, 1911 - FORBIDDEN BY STATE LAWS New Hampshire and Massachusetts Statutes Both Provide Against Large Gifts to Churches.

It is too early and that is all I could find real fast. Basically, NH has a long history of both strong religious conviction (mainly in its early history) but also religious uncertainty. 50% of the NH population says they are not sure that God exists, compared to 70% of the entire country. At the same time, New Hampshirers are very much against the intrusion of government in religious or moral affairs.

But, let's be honest here, we all know that the true God of NH is the Man of the Mountain, which is pictured above. It was a sad day when this dude crumbled.

Spirituality and the Healing Process

2009-06-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me, may know that I have an interest on the effects of spiritual practices (deep prayer, meditation, reading, reflection, etc.) on the healing process. There have been many miraculous stories where people are completely cured or even find it easier to live day by day.

At Beth Israel Medical Center in NYC, they have a rather extensive holistic health center that involves meditation, acupunture, reiki healing and other practices to aid in healing. They are one of only a dozen or so hospitals who have hired Zen Buddhist monks to help serve their patients. The article is really interesting and can be read here:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-zen-chaplains19-2009jun19,0,7250497,full.story

I understand that this hospital probably considers Buddhism practice and liturgy as "alternative," and there is a need for Buddhist patients to receive guidance from people who know what they are doing. But is Buddhism or other Eastern faiths the answer to spreading spiritual healing to our patients? I feel that it is kind of being used as a catch-all and that just because it is less known than Abrahamic traditions, it has more mystery or a deeper, stronger spiritual presence.

I guess what I am really getting at is that Abrahamic faith leaders need to reevaluate what exactly it is that they do. There are very deep spiritual and theological processes at play in these traditions that just need to be rediscovered. Christians should take the time and read up on Early Christianity or even to the American Great Awakenings to see a time when deep prayer and charismatic revelation were at the forefront. Eastern traditions are not the only answer! Or even the obvious one! People can look deeper into their own traditions to find what they are looking. Obviously, it will not work for everybody but it will definitely work for some.

<3 Jews!

2009-06-18T05:40:00.000-07:00

http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2009/06/israeli-company-launches-koshe.php

Israel is starting a new search engine that is aimed towards Ultra-Orthodox Jews. It is being dubbed Koogle, a hybrid between Google and kugel, the name of a Jewish noodle pudding. The characteristic that makes it abundantly Jewish is that the site will shut down on the Sabbath, making it impossible for anyone to use it.

Its main function is to provide Israeli news, documents, directions, cultural events, etc. From this article, it seems that the Israel state, I am assuming rabbinical courts or authorities will have a lot of control over what is put on the engine. Photos of women, modest or not, are forbidden.

I kind of like this though. I mean, it is something that is very Jewish. But hey, most major faiths probably already have their own search engines.

CRAY CRAY ALERT!

2009-06-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

This just in! NUTTIES ON THE LOOSE! The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX for those of you who enjoy acronyms), is a sectarian, separatist group that splinched off from the Catholic Church in 1970? Their reasoning? Well, Vatican II reforms did not fly for them, especially a newly found position on pluralism.

Anyways, SSPX has been in the news lately because they intend on continuing to ordain more priests and deacons in the Catholic Church. But, Pope Benedict XVI sees issue with this. He claims that any ordinations done by SSPX will be considered "illegitimate."

Oddly enough, Benny (my pet name for Benedict) recently reinstated four excommunicated bishops from SSPX. One of which is a notable, lovely Holocaust denier. Apparently, many people in SSPX are also Holocaust deniers. I commend Benny on his action against SSPX but I just wish he could be uniform in his decisions.

RIDIC

2009-06-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

OK, so I just read this article about how these witches (yes, legit earth-based, pagan witches who practice witchcraft) tried to hold some sort of meeting at a social club, run by a Catholic diocese. Needless to say, they were rather upfront about their business and openly identified themselves as witches. Because of this, the social club denied them access to their facility. They claim that they made it clear that they would only rent out this space to people who are "compatible with the ethos and teachings of the Catholic church."

So, my view on this is that it sucks for the pagans but I do not think it is the end of the world. Personally, if I were organizing an event for a large amount of witches...a Catholic facility would probably be my last resort. Just use a hotel or something!

The Catholic Church is a private entity and can basically set up criteria for the people they want to do business with. I think it is probably a poor decision to deny this group but it is not like they were not penalized for it. They do not get paid now and have to find some other group to rent out the space.

So, it is lose-lose. The High Priestess in this story claims that she is trying to build bridges and it is very discouraged that in these times it is still an issue for the Catholic Church to let pagans use their facilities. I do not know what sort of economic bridge she was trying to build but I am sure she can find some other organization who would rent out space.

Any thoughts?
http://www.stockportexpress.co.uk//news/s/1121030_when_shall_we_three_meet_again_well_not_in_october

Peace,
Anthony

P.S. This takes place in the UK and I am not sure what their religious freedom/discrimination laws are. I am assuming the basics principles are similar to those in the US.

Another Buddhist Thought

2009-06-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of
throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha

Sponsored by humaneInterface.com - Crestron Programming

Theology of Paula Deen

2009-06-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

OK, as is noted in my profile, I LOVE the Food Network. I just found these snippets from an interview that AOL Food had with Paula Deen about her success and her bout with agoraphobia. They are truly inspiring.

On her agoraphobia:

"I was standing there in my bedroom, in my gown, and the serenity prayer went through my head -- a prayer that I had heard for so many years but this particular morning, it went through my head and I understood it. I knew what I was supposed to be asking God for: to change the things that I could and accept the things that I couldn't and pray that God would give me the wisdom to know the difference between those two things. And I sit here, I can't believe it's been 22 years since that morning. It was not an overnight miracle, but every day I would get out and I would venture out further and now, I'm never home!"

"And, you know, I tell everybody, my God has a sense of humor. I think he loves to hear us laugh"

"It's just like I told Oprah ya'll. I am your cook, not your doctor. Please don't confuse me. I can give you good, honest, Southern recipes but only you know your body"

I have to agree wholeheartedly with Mrs. Deen. God wants us to be happy and God is capable of great things if you let God work with in you.

Peace,
Anthony

The Boy Who Lived

2009-06-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

So, I have a minor obsession with Harry Potter that blossoms when the movies come out. So I am rereading the 6th book (HP and the Half-Blood Prince) to prepare for the movie, which will be crazy cathartic for me.

In honor of HP, I decided to have Ollivander find my Muggle-ass a potential wand.

Wood type: holly
Length: 9 inches
Core: Gryffon Feather

get your own wand!

And as expected, I was sorted into Ravenclaw. The most underrated house in my opinion.

WIDTH="88" HEIGHT="130" ALT="Want to Get Sorted?" />

I'm
a Ravenclaw!

Bald is Beautiful

2009-06-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

So, my summer has started off with a bang when I realized that my hair is thinning quite significantly. At first, I was very angry/depressed because I am so young and the old wives tale of male pattern baldness being from your mother's side (all men on my mom's side have a lot of hair) is false.

But I have come to the conclusion that it is just hair. If I lose it, I'll lose it and I will live with it. Then I got to thinking that some very powerful people in the realm of religion are or were bald. Baldness does carry an aura of maturity and wisdom with it (think Patrick Stewart from Star Trek and X-Men fame). Of course, when I start looking really bald, I am just going to shave my head. I will not do the combover thing or have hair on the side. I will fully embrace my baldness. Perhaps, my intellect is too large to even have hair.

First, two of my academic idols from my time from my undergrad are fully bald.

I shall give the aliases as it could be quasi offensive.

Dr. Cuprowitz introduced me to the wonders of theology and the academic study of religion. He is okay with studying religion for inquiry's sake. He taught me the wonders of "serendipitous creativity" and "buffalo-ness." He is quite the brilliant man and I owe him a lot!

Prof. Newton has also helped me a lot during my undergraduate career. He is a perfect example of what I want to do. He takes what he researches and actually does stuff with it! A book of his just came out last summer and it is amazing. It is called...well, if I tell you the book, you would know who he is. Comment with contact info and I can tell you

In addition to professors, Annie, a Buddhist I know, is one of the people that I am obsessed with. She is always so happy and nice. She gives the best advice too! And her invocation at the MLK dinner 2 years ago was SO GOOD. She also makes baldness work for women. Actually, I respect any Zen Buddhist monk or nun. They are all cool in my book.

The Rev. Dr. Pat Torres is also someone I admire at Syracuse. As interim Dean of the Chapel and my former Protestant Chaplain, he was always available to talk with me about anything. He definitely played a large role in my spiritual development. I also had the pleasure of accompanying him on trips to Turkey, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay!

In conclusion, losing my hair is not the end of the world. In fact, it may be the beginning of something wonderful! But, I do not know if I am ready for it right now. If I can keep my hair as is for the next decade that would be perfect. Only God can decide. Most people put God in charge of the bigger things like peace, the environment even the Universe. For right now, God is in charge of my hair follicles and God can do whatever God sees fit!

God is Love,
Anthony

My Summer Obsession

2009-06-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

So, this is not really religious at all...except for the fact that it is a summer ritual that I may or may not orientate my summer life around. This reality show is amazing. It is called So You Think You Can Dance and it is produced by the same folks that do American Idol.

Needless to say, this show is really intense! I am not a dancer at all but this show makes me want to be one! The audition process is so much more involved than Idol. Everyone has to be able to learn choreography from genres other than their specialities before they can even get on the show. Then once the Top 20 are chosen, they perform in random couples to genres that are picked out of a hat (contemporary, hip hop, jazz, etc.). Then America votes for their favorite couples and the bottom 3 couples (6 dancers total for you math whizzes out there) have to do solo dances in their own genre. The judges call it dancing for your life. Then, the judges choose the worst male and female dancer to go home. It is quite the emotional rollercoaster.

And this season, they are all so good, well except for Tony Bellissimo, who got eliminated last night alongside Paris, who could have stayed a while in my opinion. The above pic is from a "jazz" routine choreographed by Wade Robson (best known in my book as the guy who replaced Joey Fatone in parts of *NSYNC's "Pop" video. I do not know why that sticks in my mind...). The dancers are Ashley and Kupono. The routine was this crazy thing where two crash dummies, the male is a worn out dummy and the female is brand new. I mean I do not know if it was jazz but it was really interesting to watch.

The other thing I really love about this show is the crazy judge Mary Murphy. She is a internationally famous ballroom dancer and now ballroom competition judge. AND SHE IS CRAY CRAY. She is always screaming when she is happy about a particular couple. Last night, she admitted to using Botox. Mary also invented an imaginary locomotive called the Hot Tamale Train, which is the competition Nirvana that each couple wants to reach.

Check it out on Fox on Wednesdays at 8pm and Thursday at 9pm.

Sadness, NIV translator dies

2009-06-12T05:33:00.000-07:00

The Rev. John Stek, who is responsible for one of the most successful biblical translations in the world, died recently. Sad day. The NIV translation of the Bible (pronounced bib-lay if you prefer to be fancy and referred to as "sword" if you want to be like me) was a pioneering text that made the Bible actually readable to a large audience. For a long time, basically any time before the 20th century, Bibles were not meant to be read by your everyday Joe Schmo or Plain Jane. Ministers read them and then preached to their congregations.

There are two reasons for this: 1.) People could not read well. In other words, illiteracy rate was pretty high. And 2.) Many churches did not want their congregants to read the Bible and interpret it by themselves. It was seen as a threat to the status quo. One can see the chaos/wonderful thought that occurred due to many interpretations in the early United States, during the First and Second Great Awakenings.

I hope you enjoyed your lesson on the effects of biblical translation today. My thoughts and prayers go out to Stek's family and friends. The Christian world has lost a true leader and innovator. Stek was 84.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2009/06/niv-translator-john-stek-dies.php

I guess my friend,C. Nikole and I will need to follow our dreams and actually make our own translation!

Buddhist Thought

2009-06-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

So, I subscribe to a Buddhist Thought of the Day in my Google Reader and they are usually very profound and inspiring. Today's was:

"Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you." - Aldous Huxley

Although, I am not aware of Aldous Huxley's religious background or his dabblings in Buddhism, I do not find really anything he has to say comforting. Despite its inspirational nature, Aldous Huxley is cray cray (Extra Crazy, for those of you not fluent in the language of GET IT!).

My first and lasting impression of Huxley was when I read Brave New World. It was on my 7th-8th grade summer reading list. My mother goes, "I read that. It was really good!" So, me being the budding, 13 year-old intellectual, I was up for the challenge. Well, needless to say, this book fucked with my young, impressionable mind. Babies are only born in test tubes, people worship Henry Ford and are just generally out of control. The only cool part was that everyone was hopped up on drugs and had a lot of sex. But it was not loving sex. It was almost primal...but drug-induced at the same time. I finished the book and was like WTF? I could not pinpoint an actual theme other than the future is going to be like this unless we do something now. What that is, I have no idea.

Needless to say, I do not know if the Dalai Lama and Huxley would exactly be BFFs.

Do you have an experience with a nutty author or book? Discuss.

Definition Please?

2009-06-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

OK, so what in the hell am I doing?

I am slated to go to Vanderbilt for my "theological education," in the fall. Is it bad that I have no idea how one is educated in theology? Is it like philosophy or religious studies where I just read what other people written...and then attempt to use those theories in my own writing, which in turn, causes me to synthesize my own opinions?

Of course, it is just like me to doubt everything that I attempt to do. An optimistic cynic in denial. Although I do like to read philosophy and stuff like that, I feel that a grad program should allow me to express my creativity a bit. In my opinion, theology should be all about creating and constructing different schemas of how God is and God's relationship with humanity and the Earth. If Vanderbilt is going to be just an extension of my bachelor's, I still would not hate it but it would not be preferred. I want Theology in Action (Syracuse friends, you should laugh at that). Ooo, I should copyright that...or it should be the title of my first book, which would be a sustainable ebook, if you were wondering.

Any comments on these ramblings?

Greetings and test

2009-06-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

Hello, out there! So, this is an experiment for me. I recently graduated from Syracuse University with my bachelor's in Religion and Political Science. The point of this blog is for inquiry, conversation and all types of theological goodness. My interests include: religious pluralism, interfaith dialogue, religious history of the United States, religion and culture, religion and politics, and basically religion's intersection with many areas of society.

This blog will cover weird and unusual theologies, my own musings, coverage of religion in the news and basically anything else I see fit!

The first pic is result of typing "runaway theology" into a Google image search. I got a runaway bride...but hey, maybe one day, my face will pop up! The other image is a supposed "definition" of theology. I do not really agree with this definition. Theology is in the eye of the theologian or whomever is contemplating the nature of God. It is not doctrine or law. It could be advice for somebody or could act as counsel for another. It could also just piss you off. Either one is a fair assessment of what the point of theology is.

Disclaimer: I do come from a Christian background...so that will obviously have an effect on my thoughts. If you hold issue with that...too bad!

Runaway Theologian

#strangelywarm

What is wrong with As-Salaam-Alaikum, Nashville?

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

Some Ridiculous Political Commentary

Türkiye, why hast thou forsaken me?

BACK!

Got Published by the Vanderbilt Hustler

Mormons + Muslims = INTERFAITH LOVE

Back to School

New Year's Resolutions

FINALS

Change of plans

PRECIOUS

Ramadan fun!

Let's pray about sex, baby!

Responsibility and Obligation

Its been a while.

My Church!

I picked my classes!

Justice vs. Mercy

Orientation Day 1

France bans the "burquini"

A few GET ITs

Mormon missionaries were in my house before my roommates were...

With no cable/internet...

FINALLY HERE!

Sorry for the wait

Tweet your prayers!

Soon-to-be U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican <3's interfaith dialogue

Turkey will allow a permanent church in Tarsus

Some Atheists Decide to "De-baptize"

New contact info

Prophet-President to Meet with Regular President

Boom Boom BOOM

Benedict is NOT the Next Poet Laureate

Optimus Prime Cocktail

The Body and the Blood...IN SPACE

Biblical curses, FTW!

Pagan Police get time off

Homegirl Sotomayor on Church-State Relations

Yea or Nay for the Gays?

Another Inspiring Buddhist Thought

Catholic faux pas

HILL CUMORAH PAGEANT!

Allons les enfants de la patrie!

PREVIEW

Churches feeling the pinch

BONNE ANNIVERSAIRE!

Sorry atheists but this is a GET IT for America

Review of Life of Pi

I am a horrible person

MORE HP SHENANIGANS

HARRY POTTER PREMIERE

Pictures

OMG ENJOY!

Amurrrica's Bible

Buddhist Thought

Quick! Sound the NUTTY siren!

U.S. Nuns prepare for Vatican investigations

BYU meets YouTube

Vatican Confirms Scientific Proof of the remains of St. Paul

Guns Blazing for God

LAPD appoints its first Islamic Chaplain

Finally, something positive/peaceful

a Quite Inspiring Buddhist Thought

Buddhism: Your Daily Meditation

Celebrity Worship

Semi-religion related.

The British are coming! The British are coming!...to Texas?!

Another Buddhist Thought

Buddhism: Your Daily Meditation

GET IT! I have a place to live!!!

Two Gems from Post-Soviet Russia

RT Father's Day Special!

Religious Fun Facts about New Hampshire

Spirituality and the Healing Process

<3 Jews!

CRAY CRAY ALERT!

RIDIC