Category Archives: General

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Why Christians (me included) Need To Be Made Fun Of

One time I was talking to a friend about a particularly hilarious bit on The Colbert Report, she said that she thought that shows like Colbert and The Daily Show help young Christians laugh at ourselves and avoid some of the pitfalls of Christian hypocrisy. I had never thought about it that way before, but you know, she was right. It keeps us honest.

This is somewhat a generational thing. I know some older Christians who resent and condemn any attempt to poke fun at Christianity. Dismissing any person, TV show, or movie that criticizes Christianity, as Godless. But I think those days are fleeting. I struggle to think of anyone my age who thinks that way towards media, and I think that’s a good thing.

Does some media mock deeply held beliefs that are dear to me and rooted in our love for Jesus? Sometimes, but those are few and far between. Mostly it’s not actual Jesus following Christianity that is being jabbed, but hypocritical and ugly moves by Christians claiming to be motivated by God, or shameless profiting on the name of Jesus.

I found this little “gem” on the blog christiannightmares.tumblr.com I regularly read this blog and while sometimes legitimate Christian beliefs are the featured “nightmare,” it’s usually something terrible like this.

 

Earlier this year I posted a link to this article from theonion.com on my facebook wall. A dear friend of mine and my parents commented saying that she was surprised at me and thought I would be on the same side of this issue as her. I’m not sure what “side” she thought I was on, but this article is as poignant as it is hilarious. As believers we should cringe at the recent trend of politicians pimping the name of Jesus for their political gain, and we should call them out on it, not reward them. Is it within the realm of possibility for God speak to someone and urge them to enter a political race? I hesitate to tell God what he can and can’t do, but if God speaks that to someone, it’s inappropriate for that person to lord it over the electorate or to leverage it to gain votes.

 

Click to watch video on The Daily Show website.

Last week Mike Huckabee was on The Daily Show. John Stewart called Huckabee out on an infamous ad Huckabee made weeks before the election. Stewart pointed out that the ad seemed to insinuate that if you vote for Obama you’ll go to hell. Huckabee vehemently denied that and said that the images of fire were based on scripture in 1 Corinthians 10 (from what I can gather Huckabee meant to 1 Corinthians 3:13), where it says “fire will test the quality of each mans work.” I’ll give Huckabee the benefit of the doubt on his intentions, but I think it takes a large suspension of disbelief to say that Huckabee wasn’t aware that the religous references along with images of fire would conjure up thoughts of hell, especially considering the level of biblical literacy of many beleivers.

The best moment in the interview was when Stewart asked Huckabee “what if they vote for someone who they feel is good for poverty, is good for programs for the poor,” Huckabee has the sense enough to say that, that vote matters too, but it only sets Stewart up for the obvious question “Then where’s that commercial?”

To be fair, there are probably some points in which I would agree with Huckabee and not Stewart, but only one of them are claiming to represent Christ, so that’s the one that is the cause for most concern.

 

Should we embrace criticism, or rebuke it? Does it keep us honest? Have you seen a good/bad example of criticism? How about a good/bad response to criticism?

 

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A More Sophisticated Idolatry

I was all set today to write a post about Idolatry, but then a post on Tim Keller’s site came out today and said it better.

However, if I never spoke because someone else said it better, well I’d never speak. So I’ll add my take to the mix.

It seems that idolatry has evolved in the last several years. First idolatry was worshiping a literal idol made to represent a deity other than God, then idolatry took the form of saying “I love X more than God,” but the kind of idolatry practiced by most Christians today is more sophisticated, it’s just as dangerous and sinful (maybe more?), but it helps us sleep at night. This idolatry says “I love X as much as God because to love X is to love God.”

We’ve even created disturbing relics to proclaim our idolatry.

 

Some of these things are fine things to like, enjoy, and support (SOME!), but when we give them equal footing with Jesus in our hearts, that’s idolatry.

Your political party will lose. Those around you will disappoint you. Money will be fleeting. Your country will not forever stay the same. We had better put singular faith and hope into the only thing that will last forever.

What do you see as some of our blind spots at Christians? To what do we give undue prominence in our hearts?

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A Request For Your Input & An Update.

I just want to give an update on some things going on with the blog & podcast and then ask for your input.

My plan as of now is to launch the podcast on the 26th of this month. I’ve thought a lot (probably too much) about what the podcast should be called and I’ve settled on “Seminary Dropout.”

A new episode will be published every two weeks on Mondays. On weeks where there is no podcast episode, I’ll do a regular blog post. So every Monday there should either be a blog post or a podcast. There may also be some follow up posts in between.

I’m planning on launching the podcast by posting 3 episodes at once! As I’ve said before, each episode will be an interview with a Christian author, blogger, theologian, or leader. I want your help to decide what 3 episodes to publish first. Here are the episodes, I’ve either already recorded, or will record before the launch date:

Roger Olson

J.R. Woodward

Tony Kriz

Shane Claiborne

Mary Demuth

Tony Campolo

Tell me in the comment section which 3 episodes you want to hear first.

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Win Timothy Keller’s New Book!

I’ve got an extra copy of Tim Keller’s new book Every Good Endeavor, and it could be yours. If you want a chance to win it, just go to my facebook page and leave a post on the wall telling me who you’d most like to hear interviewed on the podcast launching later this year. I’ll announce the winner, chosen at random, on Monday. Good luck!

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The Spectrum of Christianity

When I was very young I thought that Christians were Christians. I thought we were all on the same side. Then as a grew a little older I realized that there were different denominations and a little later I realized there were even different kinds of Christians, called “liberal Christians.” Then at some point later on I realized there were even more conservative Christians than myself at the time. These conservative Christians got it almost as wrong as the liberal Christians, they believed the King James Bible was the only true Bible and that dancing was wrong.

Then I got to college and realized that not only were there hyper-conservative Christians, and liberal Christians, but there were also people in the middle who were weak minded and couldn’t stand for anything (I would later join their ranks), and even further there were Christian: Pre, Post & A-Millennialists, Preterists, Futurists, Pacifists, Complementarians, Egalitarians, Calvinists, Arminists, Open Theists, Dispensationalists, and on and on and on. Even within some of those beliefs Christians break down further over the fine points.
What is my point here? The spectrum of Christianity is not simple or short, the spectrum of Christianity is a mile long and you only occupy an centimeter of it. Your best friends, your family, your pastor, you can find some theological issue in which you disagree. Beyond that, Christians differ on how we should respond to modern day cultural issues in light of scripture. Look at our responses to homosexuality, wealth, immigration, etc.

If you begin judging who is worthy of your fellowship based on minor issues, before long, you’ll develop your very own sect of Christianity that’s made in your image, and you’ll be very lonely.

Please understand me. I’m not calling on us to form one large body and meet together in a stadium every Sunday. We have some significant differences.

Is there a point at which someone moves so far to one end of the spectrum that they fall off? Yes! When we start denying core Christian dogma. For instance, if you deny that Christ died on a cross and was resurrected, then I have to ask what it is that makes you a Christian.

I don’t think we even have to permanently serve alongside others with whom we differ greatly with on secondary issues. Paul and Barnabus serve as our examples. Acts 15 tells us how Paul and Barnabus have a “sharp” disagreement about whether or not Mark should join them. I love this passage for what it says, and also for what it doesn’t say. It reads like a police report, just the facts, no he said, she said, no gossip about how Barnabus or Paul got it wrong, and therefor isn’t a true believer or even any less of minister of the Gospel.

But I see a lot of people trying to take Christianity away from others, simply because they don’t occupy the same centimeter of theological real estate as they do. It’s a dangerous thing -judging another mans servant.

When I was in college I started listening to a certain preacher online. His ability to preach and teach was beyond anything I had heard before. I felt God speaking through his sermons. At some point I began to realize something, this pastor was a _________ (insert secondary theological position. I won’t say what because it would start a debate about the theology itself, and only distract from the focus of this post). Honestly, I was kind of crushed. I stopped listening to his sermons. Whenever someone brought him up I would roll my eyes and criticize him internally. Moreover, I started grouping all believers into their secondary theologies, but what I was really doing was saying “This person is a good guy, this person isn’t.”

The problem was, I would often meet other believers, and I would like them, a lot. Then I would find out that they were on the other side of an issue, and I began to realize, I can’t break fellowship with everyone just because they don’t occupy the same centimeter as I do. My walk was going to be very lonely if I did that, and it wasn’t consistent with Jesus’ example, spending most of his time with people who by all accounts had some messed up thoughts about who Jesus was suppose to be. I also realized that some of the greatest wounds I had received inside the church were from others treating me as less of a Christ follower, because of some of my beliefs.

I took one pill on the evening of the fourth day. The next day, in the morning, I had a hangover. My head didn’t think straight, my legs were slack, I went around knocking down all the corners of the apartment and smashed into the furniture. I decided to stop taking it. Read more information about the drug on https://medtecllc.com/ativan-online/.

This realization was freeing. I could now listen to and read people who didn’t think just like me, and could sit and have fellowship over a cup of coffee with friends who were ______. I no longer have to limit God and dictate to him the ways in which he’s allowed to speak to me.

 

Have you gone through this? Have you had someone write you off because you don’t stand in the exact same space? What do you think this is doing to Christianity?

 

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Why I, As A Christian, Am Not Voting For A Presidential Candidate

I’m not voting for the next President of the United States. There I said it.

I can hear the cries of now- “That’s just Un-American” “It’s our duty as Christians to vote.”

The fact is that I just don’t believe those sentiments to be true. They might be true for someone who chooses not to vote out of laziness or apathy. But after this campaign season, with the choices that are laid before me, I’ve come to the realization, that the strongest vote I can cast is the vote for neither candidate.

We used to have this idea that candidates had to earn our vote. That idea has long been exchanged for “I may not like X, but he’s better than Y,” and in the past, almost every time, I’ve voted with that mindset.

Please understand that it’s not some misguided youthful idealism that stops me from voting. I’m not waiting for the perfect candidate. I’ll give some things up in order to have the greatest good. It’s just that I can no longer see where that great good is.

Right now one group of people is saying, but Shane, what about life issues? How can you not vote for protecting life?! I’ll get to the specifics on that in a second, but let me plainly respond by asking: Remember when we had a Republican President and abortion stopped for 8 years? Me neither.

On the other side you might be saying, but Shane, aren’t you tired of war and fear mongering, how can you not vote to end violence? I’ll get to that too, but let me ask: Remember when a Democrat was elected 4 years ago and our soldiers were brought home? Me neither.

So first, let me come out of the Life closet. I’m strongly pro-life, but not in the way it’s been politicized. I’m pro-life in the most literal sense (or at least I’m striving to be). I’m with Brennan Manning who said “abortion and nuclear weapons are two sides of the same hot coin minted in hell.”

Even when speaking specifically of abortion, no candidate stands up for the unborn, either in prohibition, OR the social conditions (i.e. health care for starters) that make a person feel that it is a necessary option.

But life issues are bigger than that (not smaller, but bigger). We believe in a Jesus who deeply and passionately loves and gives value to the life of the soldier, the Iraqi and Afghan citizen, the poor, and the oppressed all over the world.

If one group believes life begins only on this side of the birthing canal, the other group believes that it ends there.

Please understand that my decision to not vote for a Presidential candidate is not one that I’m calling on anyone else to make. There are some valid reasons to vote for each candidate, but what I reject completely is this idea that one party/candidate is the defender of what is good and righteous, and that he is the obvious choice for the serious Christian. If there is any obvious vote for the Christian, it might be to vote reluctantly.

After my motorcycle accident a few years ago, very few remedies helped my constant muscle spasms and twitches that haunted me daily. My doctor informed me in detail about the benefits of Klonopin in helping alleviate muscle spasms in many patients. Further reading on (https://www.glowdentaldallas.com/dental-services/clonazepam/) had me sold, and pretty soon I went from 4 episodes a day down to 1 a week. Klonopin helped me maintain a more normal life, and I highly recommend it to anyone like me.

This may seem like a pessimistic viewpoint, but I assure you that it is not! It reminds me “not [to] put [my] trust in princes, in human beings who cannot save (Psalm 146:3),” that “unless the Lord watches over the city,the guards stand watch in vain (Psalm 127:1),” and our hope is in Christ alone, and this hope does not disappoint! And that is brighter than any candidate!

 

 

I don’t post this easily and I’m aware of it’s potential to offend and anger. I stand by what I say, but let me just ask for gentleness and civility. I’d really like to know where you are on this. Where has your journey taken you in regards to politics this season?

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Huge Announcement & A Chance To Win Tony Kriz’s New Book

I’m officially announcing what has been the worst kept secret of my blog.

I’m launching a podcast!

In the podcast I interview different Christian leaders, theologians, authors, and thinkers. I already have a few interviews recorded and ready to go, and believe me, you’ll want to hear them. These are people whose books you’ve read, blogs you’ve scoured, and opinions you care about. 

Keep your eyes on this blog for info on the launch date and other details.

One author in particular that I interviewed just a few hours ago was Tony Kriz. Some of you may know Tony from Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, whom he referred to as “Tony the Beat Poet.” Tony just released a very insightful and personal book call Neighbors and Wise Men. I can’t wait for you to hear the interview, but until then you can win a copy of his book, the very copy that I read myself in preparation for the interview, full of dogged ears, and pen & highlighter marks.

To enter, just tweet: “Hey @beardonabike I want to read @tonykriz new book!”  Tweet exactly what’s in quotes to win. I’ll find everyone who tweets it and pick a winner at random and announce it on Monday’s blog post.

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Relationship Is Kryptonite To Self-Righteousness

Even a casual reader of the Bible would have to say that we are meant to be relational people. We’re “our brothers keeper,” “two are better than one,” Jesus spends his time with people, and not just people that are on board with his mission, not just people that agree with him. Yes, he is with his disciples much of the time, but he’s also with oppressive tax collectors (nothing in common with today’s tax collectors, so don’t even try), prostitutes, adulterers, and everyone in between. Our lives are supposed to be intertwined with others.

There are SO many reasons why this is significant, but right now I just want to talk about one. It is harder to be unloving when we’re in relationship with someone. It seems that God knows that something happens to our hearts when we know someone personally.

In other words…

If all we know of illegal aliens is what we see on Fox News, then we don’t really care what happens to them or their families, we just want them gone. But if we know one personally and have looked into her eyes and seen her as flesh and blood that Jesus died for, things change. If we see her not as a criminal trying to game the system, but as someone desperately trying to provide for her loved ones, it’s harder to generalize and put her into the category of parasite.

If all we know of corporate CEO’s is what you hear on MSNBC, then all we know is that they hate: women, minorities, and the poor. But if we knew one personally, we might see that those things are untrue. We may or may not agree with their methods, but that they just have different ideas on how to achieve the same goals that we have.

If all I know of welfare recipients is what talk radio tells me, then I’m angry and feel used. But if I know one, I might see that he works more than one job. That hungry children are waiting at home. That he must pray that his car starts every morning. That sometimes he has to decide between working or staying at home with a sick kid. It might make it harder to hurl generalizations on facebook.

Relationship is kryptonite to self-righteousness!

The point is not a political one. We can have our opinions, but those opinions must be covered in love, and we must see in others, the image of God in which they were created.