Homeless Tent Community- Ann Arbor

In my attempt as a citizen, sociology student, and Christian to understand the objective and rights of this tent community I decided to blog it instead--maybe gather some insight from all my fellow readers..so please leave me some comments :)

Here are the latest news stories:
The Ann Arbor Chronicle Sept 2
Fox News Sept 2
Detroit Free Press Sept. 3

While laws prohibit trespassing on both State land and personal property, there are not very many options for this community. Homeless shelters are full and jobs are no where to be found. This community is looking for an alternative- a place of safety and free of drugs and alcohol. It is obvious that their community is the best situation, but residents may feel that it would devalue homes more or bring crime to their areas from lack of understanding what this particular community is all about.

This calls into question that while we strive to be law-abiding citizens and understand that God has placed certain people in position to up hold these laws, we are both bound by authority and bound by the example Christ gave us in reaching out to these people.

The challenge for the church communities- is there something that local churches can do? Free-up some land? donate money to purchase a plot of land? Churches have always been the blanket to communities when governments turn a blind eye. Your thoughts, ideas, comments?

3 Religions One Temple Mount- The War between Truth and Terrorism

I started reading this book tonight given to me by the author himself, Gary Cobb. Although while I consider myself very analytical, I find this book a challenge..one I am sure will challenge the way I have read the bible as well as my beliefs about Islam, but what else is new. I consider myself an open minded person always seeking after the truth. So as I dive into this new journey I welcome my fellow analytical free thinking readers out there to purchase this book and send in your reviews to the author (or post on amazon.com). Essentially this book is a commentary on the 3 big religions (Jewish, Christianity, and Islam) and world events. The author uses history, current events, bible exegesis, and numeric coding to examine the 9/11 crisis to both the world and the challenges our faith endures. It comes down to one piece of land: The Temple Mount and why so many people have died over this place. I challenge you to read with me.

Movie 2012: The next big Media scare

There is this new movie coming out this November called "2012". What makes this movie so interesting is that it is based on that the Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Preclassic period, many of these reached their apogee of development during the Classic period (c. 250 CE to 900 CE), and continued throughout the Post classic period until the arrival of the Spanish. At its peak, it was one of the most densely populated and culturally dynamic societies in the world.

From this Mesoamerican civilization and its astronomical systems arose a calendar with predictions which would become a topic of end time events for the 21st century. This remarkable calendar of the Ancient Mayans predicts that an event of major proportions will take place on December 21, 2012. Unfortunately, the Mayans did not specify what the major event will be but doomsday believers hold tight to the notion that the world will end on this day. Scientists have various assumptions, theories, and philosophies as to what scientifically could happen. Their theories include major earth changing events such as Galactic alignment, Pole shift, Solar magnetic reversal, and Solar maximum. They believe these events will result from threats such as Meteorite or Comet impact, Gamma rau burst, Extraterrestrials, or nuclear explosions.

The movie depicts great floods, natural disasters, magma coming up from the earth, meteors raining from the sky. The end of the trailer dares people to "know the truth google 2012". According the the bible these events would not be able to occur by 2012 because of other biblical prophecies which have not yet occurred. It can be argued that while we are already in the "end of times", we are not going to know the day, time, year, etc of the end of our existence Matthew 24:36. “But of that day and hour knows no man, neither angels of Heaven nor the Son, but my Father.” To be aligned with the bible those who have proclaimed their salvation in Jesus Christ will be saved- therefore if you are a Christian who believes this then according to scriptures you will not be on Earth when all the chaos occurs.

Personally I would not buy into this "end of the world" movie as truth as it is no more true than the "Da Vinci Code".

A Healthy Approach to the Healthcare System

In reading many outraged comments both in news articles and on facebook about the health care system I felt led to share some insight. Yes, health care cost are extremely unreasonable. There are many doctors who take advantage of the system and as there are many people who run to the doctor every time they have the slightest sniffle. According to several research studies including one by Dr. Jamie McManus 70% of diseases are 100% preventable. Many of them caused by obesity. Interestedly I read a comment on facebook about it not being a Jesus principle to blame the sick for their sickness. It can be agreed upon, however if the sickness falls into one of these preventable diseases then the person is responsible for their own choices. 60% of Americans are over weight, most of them by their own doing. As Christians have we forgotten what God said about gluttony. Or better yet how would Jesus respond to the American way of consuming more than what is needed?

Health care cost could be cut at least by half if more people took advantage of preventative care measures- eating healthier, exercise, and using supplements. Is it not also a Godly principle that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit? While it is true that Jesus healed the sick and helped people who made bad decisions, this shouldn't give us a reason to purposely put ourselves on a destructive health path. In biblical times people ate much healthier, took care of the "temple", and hence lived significantly longer than we do now. While some diseases are not preventable, health care is needed, but for the rest of us we are responsible for what we put into our own bodies.

Cutlure and Scientific Divide- Evoltuion & Religion in the News

Today I came across this article in USA Today. Fits right in with the discussion I had on this blog about a month ago regarding Theistic Evolution. While the article points out some interesting statistics about the general public, I have to wonder how many religious people believe that evolution was a God directed process? Meaning specifically how many of those who identify themselves as a regular church goer (church attendance) and participation in religious behaviors like bible studies and prayer believe in evolution? While our culture (American) becomes more drawn to the accepting of a variety of beliefs, where is this going to take our churches?

One of the religious programs in my area is on a Christian radio station (WMUZ Detroit). Interestedly today, this very debate based on this article was brought up on the Bob Duko show. Any of you who know of this show and know of me, know that I usually tend to disagree with him. However, he made some very interesting points on the evolution vs. creationism debate- including but not being limited to the idea that you can't continually take a middle of the road stance on every issue- this one included. You are either with the world or with God. While I feel it is important to listen to everyone's perspective and accept them for who they are (Jesus ministry), I do person find it to be riding the "gray line" in allowing teaching of such subject like Theistic evolution in churches when there is no proof that this is the way God "created" the world. While it is possible to love others where they are in God, it is also possible to teach others out of that love as to what is biblical.

Evolution is not the enemy when truly understood for its value. Those who are believers of Theistic evolution accept that God directed evolution, but as Bob Duko (among other critics of this approach) pointed out, the bible specifically stated "of their own kind". Which has been argued either way. If we are attempting to analyze the bible, are we then playing with fire or are we simply trying to derive an alternative scientific explanation for the series of events? Your thoughts?

Religion and Culture: Are they too Conforming?

Matthew 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

In the old days, people did not have a refrigerator so salt was used primarily as a preservative. Salt prevents food from going bad or rotten and slows down the process of decay. But if salt is mixed with sand, for example, it is no longer effective as a preservative to delay corruption. It has become useless and gets thrown out on the streets. In a similar way, as salt of the earth, the church has a preserving influence in a spiritually decaying society. Every day we read of depressing news in the papers, how crime rates, sex scandals, war, terrorism, corruption cases and racial tensions have gone from bad to worse. The more rotten the world becomes, the more it stands in need of salt.

But to do that, the Church needs to maintain her integrity as salt of the earth. If it has compromised its purity or gets mixed up with worldly values, then it loses its saltiness and is no longer of any use. In more liberal cultures in the United States and across Europe there has been many changes in the church. Instead of religion being the moral backbone of society- by this I mean cultures were built around religion. Now there is a new trend, religion is being built around culture. While still teaching the love and acceptance of the Jesus ministry, changes in morality are becoming more tolerating. Some changes social scientists are seeing in churches in the United States is consumerism--bigger buildings, more money, more power, etc. At the individual level we see changes in allowance for behaviors and beliefs in things (drinking, sex before marriage, homosexuality, teaching of evolution, economic gain, etc) that otherwise in previous years were considered to be things believers needed to turn away from and be renewed. In mixing these more worldly aspirations, where will that leave churches in time of crisis?

Ode to Darwin- Social Darwinism and the Economic survival

Charles Darwin was a brilliant man. In the realm of social sciences I am referring to, and most particularly to that of group behavior. This is in forms of groups in society, cultures, religions, or better referred to as "street smarts". A predecessor of Darwin's work of natural selection and how it portrayed adaptation of certain groups in a society in order to conform to survive, Hebert Spencer (Philosopher, later Sociologist) coined the term "Survival of the Fittest". It is here that I feel Darwin's work was most useful and enlightening when applied to social phenomenon. Darwin's influences on Spencer changed the way many sociologist study group behavior, culture, and even religions. It is more complex than just assuming that the strong will survive as it is that the smart will survive- even more so knowing how to survive. Spencer's term "survive of the fittest" has since been used in terms of political, economic, and social conditions. Where does that leave us in this economic crisis?

"Spend, Spend, Spend"..."buy now worry later", how did this become the American way? A culture on it's way to rotting from the inside out. I have to wonder, how did we get to this point? What are and how are we teaching our children about money? I remember as a child my grandparents urging us to "save, save, save". Even now I have acquired those same values. I have to be thankful for my family teaching me then what is so important now. So we don't have an iPhone, or a plasma big screen TV, new furniture, the latest fashion, or even two brand new cars. But we do have excellent health, love, and a roof over our heads. I have to ask myself..."isn't that enough for anyone anymore?". I have to wonder...who will be the "survival of the fittest" when this is all said and done?