Rhetoric Race and Religion
Here are the top five posts from Rhetoric Race and Religion this week. To contribute to R3, click here.
Number 1
When God Says No: Part 3
R3 Contributor
God said “No” to my prayers for CMadison’s healing and I am not happy about it. And silly, simplistic bromides referencing Job 42:10 out of context, the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before aren’t helpful. As anyone who has ever suffered the death of a loved one will tell you, that person cannot be replaced-you can’t even replace a puppy! And the equally ineffective, dare I say insensitive quip, “He doeth all things well” is also a fail in the consolation category. Even Jesus didn’t say that and His death was essential for the redemption of humanity! But I am shocked and quite frankly thrilled to realize that my faith in God has not wavered, simpleminded, spiritually immature, religious rhetoric notwithstanding. I was stunned when I realized CMadison was dead. But as I continued to massage his body with the lights dimmed and his favorite music playing on his iPad, our regular evening ritual, I was suffused with thanksgiving that he died like a king and his body was literally anointed with oil. My heart broke when Charles, our eldest, took his Dad’s pulse and called 911, it broke again when Damon and his wife Tanika arrived to a room full of emergency personnel, and broke yet again the next day when Evan, his brothers and I gathered together with CMadison one last time as a nuclear family. But as I sat there, I realized CMadison had been an embodiment of 2 Corinthians 3:2, aliving epistle of love, an energy not destroyed just reconfigured into our sons. That realization strengthened my faith in the face of God’s “No” as I came to understand that my larger yet unconscious prayer had already been answered. CMadison was a shining exemplar as a person, a man, a friend, a husband and a
father. The character of his sons continue as a re-configuration of his energy, a physical manifestation of our (his and my) prayers answered in that Ephesians 3:20 context, namely exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Number 2
Alcorn State University has named a Jackson pastor as rector of the Historic Oakland Memorial Chapel and director of Student Religious Life, concluding a two-year search. The Rev. C. Edward Rhodes II, pastor of Mount Helm Baptist Church, begins his tenure at Alcorn on September 15, 2013. On that Sunday, Rector Rhodes will lead an interfaith service in the recently renovated campus chapel.
Number 3
The Theology of Government Shutdown: Christian Dominionism
On the eve of our government shutdown, I wanted to do some research into the theological roots of Senator Ted Cruz, the standard-bearer of the Tea Party Republicans behind the shutdown. I’m interested in understanding what account of Christianity creates the “no compromise” crusade that the Tea Pa
rty has become known for. It turns out that Ted’s father, Rafael Cruz, is a pastor with Texas charismatic ministry Purifying Fire International who has been campaigning against Obamacare the last several months. He has a distinct theological vision for what America is supposed to look like: Christian dominionism.
Number 4
“Christ WALK” by Issa Rae
Number 5
R3 Contributor
Over the past month or so, there has been quite a bit of Internet chatter as to why Millennials aren’t going to church. As a member of their big sister generation, Generation X, the eternal little sister to the Baby Boomers, I’m torn between apathy and Jan Brady Syndrome. (“Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!”) Of course, we should be concerned when any generation is turning away from the church in large numbers, especially at a time when church attendance across denominations is dropping faster than a brick off a tall building. Even though there are millennials who are quite active in their churches, we should still be questioning why there are such high levels of disenchantment with the weekend ritual of getting dressed up and going to Sunday morning worship. So what went wrong? I think people are skipping out on church for two general reasons: perceived hypocrisy and lack of access to social media.
R3 Contributor
Over the past month or so, there has been quite a bit of Internet chatter as to why Millennials aren’t going to church. As a member of their big sister generation, Generation X, the eternal little sister to the Baby Boomers, I’m torn between apathy and Jan Brady Syndrome. (“Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!”) Of course, we should be concerned when any generation is turning away from the church in large numbers, especially at a time when church attendance across denominations is dropping faster than a brick off a tall building. Even though there are millennials who are quite active in their churches, we should still be questioning why there are such high levels of disenchantment with the weekend ritual of getting dressed up and going to Sunday morning worship. So what went wrong? I think people are skipping out on church for two general reasons: perceived hypocrisy and lack of access to social media.
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