unshackled

Opting Out

It’ll be interesting to see how economic pressures influence the self-sufficiency of the Amish and Mennonite communities that remain aloof from government aid.

Brian McLaren: A New Kind of Ancient

Interview with Brian McLaren on Jesus Manifesto.

Evangelical movement touts ‘Jesus for president’

Claibourne’s still making waves and here’s CNN reporting from Pittsburgh, an event which I unfortunately missed because I’m still in El Salvador. I’m so excited to see efforts in Pittsburgh like Claibourne’s combined with great organizations like Thomas Merton which has existed for decades.

I can’t talk enough about how the political demographics have changed since 2000 and how the Evangelical Right has fallen from grace and power. Suffice to say that it has, and everything has changed, and even the media doesn’t have it right when it talks about a “Religious Left”.

Sure, there are those flip voters out there that mirror the Religious Right (if you don’t know what that is, ask your parents) but for the most part the young evangelicals and the movement that was facilitated by organizations like Sojourners and yes, Claibourne’s ordinary radicals are willing to ask the deep questions and work for real change that can’t be brought only by legislation and partisan politics.

The media underestimates the new “young Evangelicals” (the new buzzword).

Theologian helps Obama find his religious voice

Obama attempts to court the “Religious Left”. Uhuh. Should be interesting.

Presbyterian leaders OK gay clergy

This is a monumental step for healing in the worldwide church. But this wasn’t exactly a majority (54% to 46%); divisions still exist.

In other denominations, the California-Pacific Annual Conference (part of United Methodist Church) recently passed a resolution changing their views on the ordination of those in the GLBT community, defying the larger United Methodist Church. “We want to affirm same-sex couples who choose to marry and some of our pastors who choose knowing that it is in violation of United Methodist Church law to participate in those marriages,” says the Rev. Frank Wulf.

I don’t care if it is law, it just seems so wrong

Scot McKnight draws a references the legalistic priest and levite who refused to help the poor traveller in his rant against the Supreme Court decision. “The Supreme Court decision is a classic example of being legal and right but dead wrong, in my opinion of course.”

Any society that allows its honorable citizens to carry handheld murder weapons on their person is a society with a fascination for violence and believes in its redemptive power. It is unfortunately this society that we find ourselves in–a society that is more like the Roman empire than it is the “land of the free”.

McCain’s Sacred Violence

Tim Nazfiger on McCain’s worship of violence.