Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus

This video keeps popping up all over the place, and I've seen many people give positive comments/feedback.

As I watched it, I was frankly pretty appalled. I hear arguments like this all the time and almost always from people who have no idea what they're talking about. I was ready to write up a rather scathing review, deconstructing the rapper's entire argument, but then a colleague of mine in Kansas City - Scott Chrostek - posted the following link on facebook. The link is to another blog written by Alan Combs (yet another UMC pastor) who pretty well summed up everything I wanted to say. So, here you go.

http://shrove.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/ill-communication-about-religion/

The Smartest Man on Television

I have long said that Stephen Colbert is the smartest man on television. I really believe it. It takes a very sharp mind to do satire the way he does. Jeremy Smith, on Facebook, linked an article in the New York Times about Colbert. I've put the link below. But here is my favorite portion, when he reflects on loosing his father and two brothers in a plane crash when he was 10 years old:

“I’m not bitter about what happened to me as a child, and my mother was instrumental in keeping me from being so.” He added, in a tone so humble and sincere that his character would never have used it: “She taught me to be grateful for my life regardless of what that entailed, and that’s directly related to the image of Christ on the cross and the example of sacrifice that he gave us. What she taught me is that the deliverance God offers you from pain is not no pain — it’s that the pain is actually a gift. What’s the option? God doesn’t really give you another choice.”

The full article can be found here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/stephen-colbert.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3

Down Syndrome, Choice, and Moral Joy

A dear friend wrote this article. Dana, of course, is a brilliant up and coming Catholic moral theologian. I have learned a lot from her over the years. I hope you will too.

http://catholicmoraltheology.com/noahtarget/