Scientology

Posted on by
Reply

In class, we briefly mentioned that the Church of Scientology bought the former Florence Baptist Church building at the corner of Main St. and US 42.  Here is WCPO’s story about the purchase.

I also mentioned this video, an internal Scientology training video featuring Tom Cruise. Cruise uses quite a bit of Scientology jargon in the video, so you’ll want to read the “More” section under the video for some translations, as well as my fact sheet below, in order to understand what he’s talking about. (For example, he refers to “KSW,” which is a document written by L. Ron Hubbard called “Keep Scientology Working.”)

Handout

Click here to download my Scientology Fact Sheet (PDF, 44KB). The presentation from class is below the jump. Continue reading →

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Posted on by
Reply

In class, I mentioned a recent feature about The Watchtower – the official magazine of Jehovah’s Witnesses and perhaps the most important element of their belief system – in The New York Review of Magazines. Joel Meares begins his article with a great image:

The day begins at the small, red-brick Kingdom Hall on Glendale’s Myrtle Avenue, where about 40 Witnesses gather in couples and families. Some thank Jehovah for the blessed day, others thank him for the coffee that got them here by 9 a.m. A few quick hellos in the Hall — a trapezoidal room with churchlike rows of chairs, a churchlike stage but no churchlike iconography — and the Witnesses head downstairs to arm themselves.

I found the article to offer great insight into the JW organization.

Handout

Click here to download my Jehovah’s Witnesses Fact Sheet (PDF, 55KB). As usual, my presentation is below the jump. Continue reading →

Mormonism

Posted on by
Reply

Our World Religions class is drawing to a close, and I’m a bit behind on posting my materials. You’ll see several posts go up this week.

One of the best sources for information about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormonism) is from the church itself. The LDS church has an extensive Answers to Questions section, as well as an online library of Mormon scriptures. For comparisons between LDS and mainstream Christianity, two groups called Mormonism Research Ministry and  Utah Lighthouse Ministry have extensive libraries of articles.

Handouts

Click here to download my fact sheet about Mormonism (PDF, 55KB). My presentation can viewed below the jump. Continue reading →

Should Christians Move Beyond Politics?

Posted on by
1

James Davison Hunter has a new book out called To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World, and by all accounts, it’s pretty good. (For example, here’s Andy Crouch’s review of it.)

I’ve just read an interview with Hunter in the new Christianity Today (it’s not online yet). In it, he says something that really ticks me off whenever I hear it. He suggests that Christians need to move beyond politics, and he singles out the pro-life movement as an example:

What would a post-political gesture look like in the pro-life movement? Borrowing an example from a friend, imagine ten thousand families signing a petition in Illinois that declares they will adopt a child of any ethnic background and physical capability. If they wanted to do something spectacular, they could go to city hall for a press conference, announcing that in the state of Illinois there are no unwanted children. That would be a public — but not political — act. Such an act leads with compassion rather than coercion.

Cool idea — so why does it tick me off?

What does he think Christians are already doing? Continue reading →

Who Deserves to Be On Jeopardy?

Posted on by
Reply

The Chicago BeanNot me, that’s for sure. This week, I travelled up to Chicago for a Jeopardy! casting audition (that’s right – casting – they want you to be smart, but they also want contestants who look good on TV). This was the second time I auditioned, and I feel like I did much better. Who knows how it will turn out, but even if I get on, Jeopardy doesn’t really owe me anything. It’s act of grace (with a dash of capitalism) that anyone gets on and wins money.

There’s one person I hope gets chosen, though. At my audition was a family doctor from Missouri. Part of the audition process is a “faux” game of Jeopardy, complete with the little personal interview that Alex does at the end of the first commercial break. During her interview, this woman revealed that her husband’s a pastor, and she joked that winning Jeopardy would help with their church’s building campaign.

The casting director then asked, “What would you really do with the money?” Every potential contestant was asked this question. Most of them talked of travel to favorite locales or pet projects around the home. I described a dream I have to build a garden office in my backyard.

This shy doctor from Missouri, though, gave the answer of the day.

I work with a medical missions group that helps women in Ghana who are escaping slavery. And that’s how I would use the money.

This Jeopardy casting crew hears hundreds, maybe thousands, of “what I would do if I won” answers each year. You could tell that this one gave them something to think about.

Be sure to visit the Ohio State Price of Life website. This event raised awareness, money, and political support to end human trafficking around the world, in the name of Jesus and the freedom he gives. More than 300 people made commitments to follow Christ during the weeklong event.

World Religions: Buddhism

Posted on by
Reply

Quick reminder: we will not be having class on April 28 or May 5. We’ll be resuming on May 12 with a special speaker on contemporary issues in Islam.

The handout for Buddhism is below, and my presentation can be seen after the jump. Meanwhile, a couple of links you might be interested in:

Handout

Buddhist Handout (PDF, 61KB) Continue reading →

Twitter Updates for 2010-04-20

Posted on by
Reply

Powered by Twitter Tools

How to Choose a College

Posted on by
Reply

InterVarsity’s Gordon Govier recently published a very helpful article called “How to Choose a College…and Keep Your Faith.” Gordon asked me (among others) for suggestions, and he quotes from a recent interview on the Emerging Scholars Blog that highlights the importance of choosing your collegiate friends wisely.

The College Transition Initiative of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding also offers a college prep seminar. In an interview with InterVarsity’s Mike Hickerson on the Emerging Scholars blog, Initiative director Derek Melleby offered four questions that every college bound student should ask. One of the four is, “With whom will you surround yourself?”

If you’re in the process of choosing a college, or know someone who is, Gordon’s article is a great resource, with links to excellent websites, books, and articles about making your college choice wisely.

World Religions: Hinduism

Posted on by
Reply
Hindu Man Covered in Color

One of the more "colorful" Hindu traditions is the spring festival of Holi. As part of the celebration, people spray each other with brightly colored pigments.

Last night, we had a great class covering Hinduism. I realized after class that it might have been helpful to summarize the “good news” according to Hinduism, since the concepts are so foreign to Western Christians.  Here’s my attempt:

  • According to Hinduism, we are trapped in a cycle of reincarnation (samsara). Each time we die, we are reborn into a new life – but this isn’t a good thing, because life is filled with suffering and illusion.
  • Our next life is determined by the karma we accumulate in our current life. Good karma means we can be reborn into a better life (traditionally understood as a higher caste).
  • How do we accumulate good karma? There are many ways, including:
    • By fulfilling our dharma, including our caste, social and ritual obligations (Vedic Hinduism).
    • Through philosophy and meditation (Vedanta).
    • Through mental and physical discipline (Yoga).
    • By devoting ourselves to a specific god or avatar (Bhakti).
  • By accumulating enough karma, we can eventually achieve moksha – release from the cycle of reincarnation and connection with Brahman (the divine reality behind all existence).

This final state is a good thing, but it’s not the same idea as heaven. For one thing, many forms of Hinduism believe that our personal existence comes to an end. Further, Brahman is a not a personal god – Brahman is more like “the Force” from Star Wars, a spiritual energy that fills everything.

Photo: An Indian man celebrating the Hindu spring festival of Holi. Photo by wanderinghome

Next week, Buddhism!

Hinduism Links

You can read more about Arjuna and Krishna here.

Here is the link to the local Hindu Temple. If you are interested in learning more about Hindu gods, be sure to see the Temple’s deities page. There are some great photos of their shrines, as well as a brief description of each god or goddess. Some of the ones we mentioned last night:

Materials from class can be downloaded after the jump. Continue reading →

World Religions: Judaism

Posted on by
Reply

My World Religions class at Lakeside Christian Church continues on.  Last week, we wrapped up our coverage of the major “Abrahamic” religions – those religions that trace their history back to Abraham – in other words, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  This week, we’ll move east by looking at Hinduism.

Photo: Judaica, by Gila Brand via Wikipedia.

Helpful Links

Local links: Cincinnati has a rich Jewish heritage, particularly in Reform Judaism.

  • Hebrew Union College is the oldest Jewish seminary in the U.S.
  • Mayerson Jewish Community Center: In Cincinnati and many other cities, Jewish Community Centers serve as “common ground” where Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative Jews, who may disagree with each other about religious issues, can come together for social, cultural, and service events.
  • Jewish Federation: The “United Way” for Cincinnati’s Jewish charities.
  • David’s Voice: “The Voice of Jewish Cincinnati”

In 2008, several Jewish organizations in Cincinnati collaborated to create the Cincinnati Jewish Community Study. If you’re interested in the Jewish community in Greater Cincinnati, this is a great resource.

Star of David: Some class members were asking about the origins of the Star of David.  The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has an interesting article on the Star’s history and meaning, including several ancient artifacts that use the Star.

Jewish Bloggers: A couple of Jewish bloggers to note:

  • Brad Greenberg is a Jewish-Christian writer, formerly a journalist but now in law school, who writes the God Blog for the Los Angeles-based Jewish Journal. Brad can be a helpful bridge between Jewish and Christian worlds.
  • Rabbi Shmuley Boteach might be the closest thing we have to a “Jewish Billy Graham.”  He writes a blog on Beliefnet.com.

Bonus link for sports fans: did you know that the early days of professional basketball was dominated by Jewish players? Players like Dolph Schayes, legendary coaches like Red Auerbach, owners like Abe Saperstein (the founder of the Harlem Globetrotters) – Brad Greenberg wrote a great story about the Jewish roots of basketball for the Jewish Journal. (Today, there are only two Jewish NBA players – LA Laker point guard Jordan Farmar, and Omri Casspi, an Israeli forward who plays for the Sacramento Kings).

Materials from class are available after clicking “Read More.” Continue reading →