by Doug Baker
The story being told us by a large segment of our political and religious leaders is that Islam is inherently violent and that the reason is because Muslims obey the Quran.
Continue reading “Reading the Quran with Muslims and Christians”
What’s the big deal about Donald Trump declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel? Well, for Christians who take a Futurist view of Prophecy, it supports their notion that certain conditions need to apply in order for the Anti-Christ to rise up so that Jesus can return and Rapture the Church.
It’s no surprise that Mike Pence – a very strong Christian Zionist – was standing behind Trump when he announced this unprecedented shift in policy. Pence no doubt had more to do with this decision than Trump, since the Vice President has long voiced an affinity for Dispensational Theology which is where all of this nonsense originates.
What is Dispensationalism? It’s a fairly recent theology that started in 1830 when John Nelson Darby decided that there were still promises made to Israel that were not yet fulfilled. Up to that point, Christianity taught that Christ was the fulfillment of those promises. Darby ignored that and created a new theology that took root in America thanks to the Scofield Bible and several seminaries.
Here’s a quick overview of what Dispensationalism teaches regarding the “End Times” and how Jerusalem (supposedly) plays a part in all of it.
If you’ve ever studied any of the End Times scriptures (Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation, etc.), or even heard someone talk about prophetic scriptures regarding the end of the world or the second coming of Christ, you’ve no doubt heard the phrase, “The Abomination of Desolation”. But what is it? What does that mean?
The phrase appears more than once in the scriptures. Three times in the OT book of Daniel, and three times in the NT during the “Olivet Discourse” by Jesus which is recorded in Matthew 24:15-16, Mark 13:14 and Luke 21:20.
In the three Daniel references it appears to be about three different things (not about one single thing, and therefore not necessarily about the same event that Jesus is talking about in his Olivet Discourse).
First, let’s examine what Jesus calls “The Abomination of Desolation” in his Olivet Discourse which is recorded in three of the four Gospels, (Matthew, Mark and Luke). Each of these are nearly identical, with a few changes here and there – and this is for our benefit as it turns out.
For example, if we could lay these three passages side-by-side we would notice that all of them follow the exact same flow, except for a few sections in Matthew where he consolidates a few references from other encounters where Jesus spoke on the same topic. (This is something Matthew does often and it’s also why you shouldn’t look to that Gospel for chronological info about what Jesus did and when, but more on that in another blog).
Laying these three passages side-by-side we notice a similar flow of thought. They are, after all, the same Olivet Discourse that Jesus’ gave to His disciples regarding a prophecy about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (which would occur roughly forty years later in AD 70).
The part in the Olivet Discourse that deals with the “Abomination that causes desolation” look like this in Matthew and Mark:
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Matthew 24:15-16)
“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Mark 13:14)
Notice that both use the similar phrases, but Matthew adds “spoken of through the prophet Daniel” and Mark adds “where it does not belong”. Otherwise, they are identical.
Now, look at what Luke reports in his Gospel:
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…” (Luke 21:20-21)
Hmm…that’s fascinating, isn’t it? Whereas Matthew and Mark used the phrase from Daniel – “The abomination that causes desolation”, Luke instead simply explains exactly what it means – “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies…”
Mystery solved. Matthew and Mark quote the phrase from Daniel about the “Abomination that causes desolation”, but Luke plainly describes what that looks like for the reader who might not understand (as both Matthew and Mark suggest in their more cryptic phraseology).
Let’s look at the three Daniel references now. These are found in Daniel 9:27; 11:31; and 12:11.First, Daniel 9:27:
“And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)
This prophecy appears to be about Jesus Himself. Notice that it says that “he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week”. Who is “he”? Let’s back up to verse 25 where the angel Gabriel tells Daniel: “Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince…”
Who is the “Anointed one”? Well, keep in mind that “Messiah” means, “The Anointed One” and it will be clear that this is a prophecy about the coming of the Messiah.
That means that in verse 27 the “He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week…” is Jesus, who made a New Covenant in the upper room with His disciples the week that he was crucified.
Notice also that the verse goes on to say that “he” would “cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease”, and that’s exactly what Jesus did since during His crucifixion there was an earthquake and the veil in the Temple was split from top to bottom. That most certainly stopped the sacrifice in the Temple as the prophecy says. What’s more, since Jesus’ sacrifice upon the cross was as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”, there is now no need for any other sacrifice within the earthly Temple.
The following note about one who “upon the wing of abominations shall come..(and) maketh desolate…” is most likely about the Roman armies that came in AD 70 and destroyed Jerusalem and finally put a decisive end to the daily Temple sacrifices. (And these remain so more than 2,000 years later).
The second passage, Daniel 11:31, says:
“And forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt-offering, and they shall set up the abomination that maketh desolate.”
Many scholars feel that this was fulfilled during the reign of Antiocus Epiphanes, a Greek king who, many years before the coming of the Messiah, erected an idol to Zeus and offered a pig on the altar in the Temple.
Finally, in Daniel 12:11 we read:
“And from the time that the continual burnt-offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand and two hundred and ninety days.”
This passage appears to be a reference to something that happens after the abomination of desolation is over, but never tells us what happens, only that the time span between the abomination and the end of the daily sacrifice will be 1,290 days…and then? We don’t know exactly.
The prophecies about the Anointed One – that’s Jesus – and the eventual Abomination of Desolation which would culminate in “the shattering of the power of the holy people (the Jews)” (12:7) and the “end of the (Jewish) age” (12:13), have already been fulfilled.
So, the references in the Bible to the “Abomination of Desolation” refer either to:
A) The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, as Jesus predicted, or
B) to the event where Antiocus Epiphanes profaned the temple in 167 BC.
Now, in the minds of the Dispensationalist Christians (which make up a very large portion of Christians in America), this “Abomination of Desolation” is something still needs to happen in the future. To them, Jesus can’t return until the Anti-Christ appears and the “Abomination of Desolation” occurs, (something that has already happened but that they think still needs to happen). They believe this will happen when a new Jewish Temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem, but that won’t happen if Israel doesn’t control Jerusalem.
The decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel simply plays into this Zionist theology and lays another plank in the bridge towards Armageddon, which Dispensationalists want to encourage so that Jesus can return.
In the meantime, this theology is toxic for the rest of us. It fuels political decision-making that provokes outrage and violence in the Middle East and quickly becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It creates the very violence that it expects to occur. Almost to say, “See? Look how violent those Muslims get when we take away their land and thumb our noses at their religion.”
The violence has already started due to this misguided step towards Armageddon. It will not end well for anyone, not even those American Christians who believe they are helping God out by stoking a Holy War in the Middle East.
If Dispensationalism wins, we all lose.
Because what American Dispensationalists don’t understand is that there are thousands of Christians in Palestine who suffer the most when they provoke conflict between Jews and Muslims in Israel. These brothers and sisters in Christ are the ones who will become the targets of violence from both sides. Their children will be killed in the bombings. Their homes will be torn apart in the riots. Their community will become toxic in the aftermath.
This is another reason why Christianity and Politics do not mix well. It’s like mixing manure and ice cream: It doesn’t hurt the manure, but it really ruins the ice cream.
Today, I am praying for the peace of Palestine. I hope you’ll join me.
Keith Giles.
Keith Giles, a former pastor left the pulpit to follow Jesus in Orange County, California and started a house church where 100% of the offerings go to help the poor in their community.
Read more at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/author/kgiles/#zdVuM3LMFBThvc6g.99is the author of “Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb” and co-hosts the “Heretic Happy Hour” podcast.
“Sexual Trafficking and Pornography
In 2012 the Porn industry in America was a $13.33 billion business. The commodity—women. 13,000 porn films made in America every year. The revenues from porn topped most of the Fortune 500 companies. Porn is very lucrative to some of the nation’s largest corporations. General Motors owns DIRECTV, which distributes more than 40 million streams of porn into American homes every month. AT& T Broadband and Comcast Cable are currently the biggest American companies accommodating porn users with the Hot Network, Adult Pay Per View, and similarly themed services. AT& T and GM rake in approximately 80 percent of all porn dollars spent by consumers. (Hedges) Now with the advent of virtual reality headsets, you can have a sexual encounter that is almost real.
Pornography is not about sex or intimacy. It’s about violence, degradation, and domination of women. Many of the female ‘Porn Stars’ end up physically, emotionally, and psychologically traumatized. The man that feeds his mind with this kind of trash changes his moral compass, his new set of values play out in the workplace and destroy marriages in the home.
The addict seeks a greater experience, more violence, and yes, even child pornography. Violence in sex becomes the same as violence in war. It is no wonder then that we see the sexual humiliation of prisoners in combat zones as being okay.
Sexual Trafficking
The Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as a “modern-day form of slavery involving the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain.” In 2012, the International Labor Organization estimated that there are 20.9 million human trafficking victims worldwide. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, sexual exploitation is the most commonly identified form ahead of forced labor[i]. Human trafficking is a lucrative industry that around the globe rakes in $150 billion every year.
Numbers released by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center suggest that also holds true in the U.S., where more than 4,000 cases of sex trafficking were reported. The FBI estimates that well over 100,000 children and young women are trafficked in America today. They range in age from 9 to 19, with the average age being 11.
And many victims are no longer just runaways or kids who’ve been abandoned. Many of them are from what would be considered “good” families, who are lured or coerced by clever predators, say, experts.
Domestic Violence
Three women are killed every day as a result of domestic violence in America. Domestic violence or intimate partner violence are more prevalent than most people realize. There are many factors contributing to this reality, some of which are related to the embarrassment victims feel, fear of retribution or further abuser violence resulting from disclosure, lack of resources and societal beliefs.
More than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and more than 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the U.S.[ii] have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. 85% of domestic violence victims are women.
Did you hear that? There’s nothing to hear, at least not from many of the Pentecostal church denominations, apart from a few people that end up being the ‘voice of one crying in the wilderness’ only to be drowned out by the chorus of patriarchal texts from the Bible and misogynistic practices from the dark ages of tradition. Why have we allowed the values of the secular world to impact the church, what is it that we are hiding?
Women deserve equality in every aspect of life, and the church should be at the forefront, leading the way, not bringing up the rear, dragging its feet.
[i] “Sex Trafficking in the United States – The Atlantic.” N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jun. 2017 <https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/02/how-sex-trafficking-goes-un>.
[ii] “Domestic Abuse Topline Facts and Statistics.” Insert Name of Site in Italics. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jun. 2017 <https://www.domesticshelters.org/domestic-violence-articles-information/domestic>.
Christianity has died in the hands of Evangelicals. Evangelicalism ceased being a religious faith tradition following Jesus’ teachings concerning justice for the betterment of humanity when it made a Faustian bargain for the sake of political influence. The beauty of the gospel message — of love, of peace and of fraternity — has been murdered by the ambitions of Trumpish flimflammers who have sold their souls for expediency. No greater proof is needed of the death of Christianity than the rush to defend a child molester in order to maintain a majority in the U.S. Senate.
Evangelicals have constructed an exclusive interpretation which fuses and confuses white supremacy with salvation. Only those from the dominant culture, along with their supposed inferiors who with colonized minds embrace assimilation, can be saved. But their salvation damns Jesus. To save Jesus from those claiming to be his heirs, we must wrench him from the hands of those who use him as a façade from which to hide their phobias — their fear of blacks, their fear of the undocumented, their fear of Muslims, their fear of everything queer.
Evangelicalism has ceased to be a faith perspective rooted on Jesus the Christ and has become a political movement whose beliefs repudiate all Jesus advocated. A message of hate permeates their pronouncements, evident in sulphurous proclamations like the Nashville Statement, which elevates centuries of sexual dysfunctionalities since the days of Augustine by imposing them upon Holy Writ. They condemn as sin those who express love outside the evangelical anti-body straight jacket.
Evangelicalism’s unholy marriage to the Prosperity Gospel justifies multi-millionaire bilkers wearing holy vestments made of sheep’s clothing who discovered being profiteers rather than prophets delivers an earthly security never promised by the One in whose name they slaughter those who are hungry, thirsty and naked, and the alien among them. Christianity at a profit is an abomination before all that is Holy. From their gilded pedestals erected in white centers of wealth and power, they gaslight all to believe they are the ones being persecuted because of their faith.
Evangelicalism’s embrace of a new age of ignorance, blames homosexuality for Harvey’s rage rather than considering the scientific consequences climate change has on the number of increasing storms of greater and greater ferocity. To ignore the damage caused to God’s creation so the few can profit in raping Mother Earth causes celebrations in the fiery pits of Gehenna.
Evangelicalism forsakes holding a sexual predator, an adulterer, a liar and a racist accountable, instead serving as a shield against those who question POTUS’ immorality because of some warped reincarnation of Cyrus. Laying holy hands upon the incarnation of the very vices Jesus condemned to advance a political agenda — instead of rebuking and chastising in loving prayer — has prostituted the gospel in exchange for the victory of a Supreme Court pick.
Evangelicalism either remained silent or actually supported Charlottesville goose steppers because they protect their white privilege with the doublespeak of preserving heritage, leading them to equate opponents of fascist movements with the purveyors of hatred. Jesus has yet recovered from the vomiting induced by the Christian defenders of torch-wielding white nationalists calling for “blood-and-soil.”
The Evangelicals’ Jesus is satanic, and those who hustle this demon are “false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve” (2 Cor. 11:13-15, NIV).
You might wonder if my condemnation is too harsh. It is not, for the Spirit of the Lord has convicted me to shout from the mountaintop how God’s precious children are being devoured by the hatred and bigotry of those who have positioned themselves as the voice of God in America.
As a young man, I walked down the sawdust aisle at a Southern Baptist church and gave my heart to Jesus. Besides offering my broken heart, I also gave my mind to understanding God, and my arm to procuring God’s call for justice. I have always considered myself to be an evangelical, but I can no longer allow my name to be tarnished by that political party masquerading as Christian. Like many women and men of good will who still struggle to believe, but not in the evangelical political agenda, I too no longer want or wish to be associated with an ideology responsible for tearing humanity apart. But if you, dear reader, still cling to a hate-mongering ideology, may I humbly suggest you get saved.
Miguel De La Torre
Dr. Miguel De La Torre is professor of social ethics and Latino/a studies at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colo.
I recently heard an Evangelical scholar, when asked about women in ministry, sound what I suppose he meant as a warning or an alarm: “There’s a crisis coming in this country with regard to men and their place.” He neatly shifted the conversation away from the real plight of women who presently maintain only a precarious, slippery space, if that, to the perceived plight of men who may lose theirs. Given how wide that space for men is, it is hard for me to envision any pending crisis. I couldn’t help but think: “I hope you’re right.” Perhaps there will be an earthquake that changes the landscape.
What I fear more is that women will continue to find larger space outside of the church. I am truly alarmed by the statistic: “’The only religious behavior that increased among women in the last 20 years was becoming unchurched. That rose a startling 17 percentage points….”[1] Concurrently, these women who have remained in church feel under-valued, under-utilized and taken for granted. When women are not flourishing, and clearly they are not, they languish. Languishment can be identified with being emotionally unhealthy [not necessarily mentally ill].[2] My limited knowledge of anatomy and the health sciences tells me that if over one-half of the body is unwell, then the whole body is sick.
In our quest to be like the nations, the Pentecostal church, where women experience the same empowering call and anointing as their male counter-parts has opted for a model that idealizes a portrayal of gender roles that, in reality, has never been sustainable (even if it was desirable) in the Pentecostal church. Given how many of our constituents are from among the working poor and the jobless poor, it is doubtful that the “Father Knows Best” image can be replicated too often in Pentecostal homes in this country, much less in the majority world. The fact is that in many if not a majority of Pentecostal homes, the “man of the house” is not even a believer. We all know the testimonies of Pentecostal women who had to withstand the threats of their unsaved husband in order to faithfully serve their Lord and their Pentecostal church. This lily-white image, portrayed in Hollywood, Springfield and Cleveland, does not mirror the diversity (and beauty) of the Pentecostal community, and, in truth, it never has.
My own family of origin will serve as a case study: my father’s parents were both textile mill workers until they retired in their late sixties (in the late 1970s/early 1980s). The entirety of my father and his older brother and two younger sisters’ childhood, both of their parents worked at textile looms, working second and third shifts, five nights a week, coming home to their children and the four room house they made a home. Those four children were taken to the local Church of God by a woman who was their next-door neighbor in the southern mill village. In turn, they led their parents to the Lord. Those four “latch-key kids” grew up to be, in chronological order: a US postmaster (and local COG clerk and choir director); a cost–accountant with an M.B.A. (also a COG choir director); a public school kindergarten teacher with an MA in early childhood education; and a COG evangelist married to a COG pastor. Too bad June and Ward Cleaver couldn’t have raised them; I’m sure they would have turned out better.
What was modeled in that Pentecostal family I’ve just described was a Pentecostal faith, and a prophetic mission in their small neighborhood. This happened when my Mamaw, about an hour before going to the mill every afternoon, gathered in the “back bedroom” with several of the sisters from church to pray for unsaved husbands, wayward children and grandchildren and for their friends and families who were sick or out of work. I heard those prayers when I visited, even felt them. Then I watched Mamaw gather up her lunch bag and her purse, wearing a work dress, walk out to the porch to wait for her car pool of fellow mill workers.
Women of my generation, with a call, with intellectual gifts, with leadership skills and gifts, have been made to feel that they neglect their children, and their God-ordained responsibility, and even send society reeling toward destruction, if they obey the call to minister and became good stewards of the gifts they have been given. When they have found church work to do, they have often been relegated to “women’s work” — the work of the church designated for them mirrored the work they did at home: cooking dinners, cleaning, childcare.
Now, our daughters, well-educated, aspiring to work in fulfilling careers and ministries, encouraged to “lean in” and “find a place at the corporate table” still find themselves “under-appreciated”, “undervalued” and “taken for granted” when they work in the church. And so, given that there are other options, they leave us, many still serving the Lord in the larger arena, but not in the church of their fathers and mothers.
At a time when 35% of women in the world have experienced physical violence in their lifetime; when one in ten girls under the age of 18 have been forced to have sex; and when 38% of women who are murdered are killed by their partners,[3] the need for the Pentecostal community to model a different and prophetic witness has never been greater.
The crisis for men that I fear is already here, and it is that society has pressed them into a role of oppressor and even abuser. The recent #metoo campaign, following the Weinstein revelations, brought to light not only how many women have been sexually molested or harassed, but also just how normalized that kind of abuse has become.
Until we acknowledge that our accommodation to and promotion of hierarchy is structural sin, that this is about carnality and sin, until we repent and convert we cannot with any integrity call ourselves Holiness people or People of the Spirit. Where sin abounds, women are oppressed and abused and their voices aren’t heard. Meanwhile, I hear the groans of the Spirit, longing for that day when all things will be made right. Until then, we must groan with the Spirit and prophesy against this denigration of women who are created in the image of God.
[1] Barna Research Group, accessed May 29, 2014, https://www.barna.org/culture-articles/579-christian-women-today-part-1-of-4-what-women-think-of-faith-leadership-and-their-role-in-the-church cited by Margaret English de Alminana, in “Moving Toward an Ecclesiology of Biblical Gender Justice,” unpublished paper presented at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Society of Pentecostal Studies, Southeastern University, Lakeland, FL (March 2015).
[2] See Linda M. Wagener and Richard Beaton, “Flourishing 101” in Theology, News and Notes (Spring 2010). See also Kimberly Ervin Alexander, “Pentecostal Women: Chosen for an Exalted Destiny”. Theology Today Vol. 68, No. 4 (January 2012), pp. 404-412.
[3] Somini Sengupta, “U.N. Reveals ‘Alarmingly High’ Violence Against Women,” New York Times (March 9, 2015) https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/10/world/un-finds-alarmingly-high-levels-of-violence-against-women.html
By Kimberly Ervin Alexander, PhD. Associate Professor, History of Christianity, Regent University School of Divinity
Dear Little Girl,
Be a radical sassy educated woman.
Find yourself becoming a cantankerous suffragette lady.
Be snarky and full of compassion.
Dress how you want. Be not conformed.
Be bold.
Become the Wise Sage and Abolitionist.
Stand up, lift your head, and boldly proclaim God’s demands of Justice in the earth.
Dear Little Girl,
Be a prophet, A priest, A Peacemaker
Dear Little Girl,
Never tame your heart in order to try and seduce a person who doesn’t deserve your love.
Dear Little Girl,
You are the ESET-HAYIL, woman of military strength and valor.
The first evangelists were women. Now this generation needs you to spread good news.
Dear little girl,
Society doesn’t own you. It can not break you.
Dear Little Girl,
You are made in the very image of God. You are powerful. The fire of the Holy Spirit dwells within you. You are a healer.
Dear Little Girl,
RISE.
Dear Little Girl,
RISE.
Dear Little Girl,
RISE.
Dear Brothers:
Have you noticed it? We’re entering a sea-change. For generations, our unconscious actions and ways of being toward women went unnoticed, were accepted by default, or even celebrated.
But in the public sphere, the tide is turning.
These altered currents arguably started with Bill Cosby. Then Donald Trump, Roger Ailes, and Bill O’Reilly (“the conservatives”) crested the wave. NowAnthony Weiner, Corey Feldman’s stark warnings about Hollywood pedophilia, Uber, and most recently Harvey Weinstein (“the liberals”) have crashed on our shores.
Clearly, we men have a behavioral problem: All of us. Conservative, progressive. Religious, spiritual-but-not-religious, and even atheist. And if we’re not actively sexually harassing or assaulting women, our ignorance and silence are enabling it. And this general culture of enabling is hurting women (obviously) and is also having negative social and vocational consequences for men who actually care and strive to not treat women like things.
The world is asking: Where is this going?
If you haven’t paid as much attention to the above-cited news (and you can be forgiven – with mass-shootings, devastating hurricanes, racist marches and tensions escalating at home and abroad, it can be challenging to keep our empathy trained on any one tragedy at any given moment), I doubt you’ve been able to miss your social media feed:
The nigh-ubiquitious presence of the simple phrase – or hashtag – #MeToo.
The typical version of the online prompt reads thus:
If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote “Me too.” as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem. #MeToo
A (helpfully) expanded version reads like this:
If all the people – especially women, trans and nonbinary folks (as all these are some of the people most impacted by rape culture) – who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote “Me too,” as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem. Please copy/paste. And if you can’t because it is not safe to do so, or you’re not ready, please know you’re still seen and held. Safety and survival come first.
What started as a response to the latest reports of sexual assault and harassment by men in power has mushroomed into a global phenomenon of truth-telling and solidarity. This sea change has washed upon the shores of our everyday lives.
(Haven’t seen the posts yet? Just look here. Or here. You should read a few, or a few dozen. I’ll wait.)
The question is, brothers, how are we to respond?
Let’s be quick to listen and (very) slow to speak.
It should go without saying that we’re not to minimize, justify, or even too-quickly jump in with our own stories of harassment. (In other words, let’s not #AllLivesMatter this one. Right now, we’re focusing on the experience of women.)
But if you’re a relatively conscientious guy (like me), who thinks of himself as a feminist (like me), you’re probably not going to fall into that ditch. Awesome. But what can we proactively do that will actually be helpful?
Please, whatever we do, let’s not interject our easy ally-ship virtue signalling; our words matter, but our examples and actions matter more.
Could we have a conversation among ourselves?
Let’s dig in deep. Have you ever stopped to wonder…
Why do we so often feel that women are ‘our’ blank canvases, on which to paint:
What in us makes us think that we get to do that with – and upon – these other human beings?
I’m not here to shame you, guys: Our needs for companionship, mastery, belonging, peace, healthy expression of anger, emotional and physical validation, acceptance, and adventure are 💯 legit.
But for God’s sake – and our own soul’s: These needs are first and foremost an inside job. These needs are to be witnessed without condemnation, fully felt, and then sought: In our God, path, and/or integrated self – pick your remedy, and work it.
But let’s not transmit our unchecked, disowned and dis-integrated shadow on these precious femme, female-bodied, and feminine beings who share this planet with us.
Women. Are. Not. Our. Canvases. To be painted (or scribbled) on, then thrown away.
I’m really not $#!tting all over you, fellas. I’m enrolled in this remedial men’s school, too. I misstep. I screw up.
(Want a through-line to my unique flavor of failing the feminine? Being adopted from birth, I have two amazing mother figures in my life, biological and adoptive. They’re both awesome, and have given their very best to life, but despite it all I’ve inherited abandonment wounds from one and feelings of being smothered/over-protected from the other. I grew up longing for and being fascinated by feminine energy, only to experience it as elusive most of the time, and overpowering in those moments when I landed squarely in its (Her) grace. I’ve experienced a lifetime of push/pull, at times projecting manic pixie dream girl personas on various women in my life.
A few years ago, I was on a small retreat with a trusted circle of friends. During our time together, we put ourselves in a prayerful and receptive state to get in touch with what was really real for each of us. During this time, in the woods, I found myself planted face-down in the mossy space where a large tree met the earth. It was here that I clearly heard a feminine emanation of the Divine – for biblical and personal reasons, I don’t hesitate in using the term Goddess – speaking to me clear as day:
There is no earth-born angel / Who will save you from what ails you.
And there it is. Salvation – in my cosmology – arrives from God alone, and is worked out in generous grace via real effort amid daily life, here and now. This is an inside job, and I’m still learning the truth of what I heard that night in the woods. I’m also still learning how to best honor, consider, support, appreciate, and be nourished by the women in my life in open-handed, non-co-optive ways.)
Brothers, we can help each other out. I encourage you to check out a pro-men, pro-women men’s work group, if you haven’t already – like The ManKind Project or Illuman.
If you have sons or are willing to mentor boys, please check out Journeymen and Boys to Men – these communities are like Boy Scouts with emotional intelligence/flourishing merit badges!
Join #MeToo original campaign creator Tarana Burke in her MeToo Support to amplify the voices of sexual assault survivors.
Finally, check out Men Can Stop Rape and Stop Street Harassment for some straight-to-the-point remedies to this madness.
Please reach out in the comments if you want – I can likely connect you with a circle of compassionate, brave, truth-telling men in your area, if you don’t find communities here or here.
Because women shouldn’t have to bear the burden of overcoming toxic masculinity alone. Healthy, flourishing masculinity exists, and we can be part of it.
Will you join me in this quest?
Divine Dance by Richard Rohr and 
Mike Morrell is a great read and highly recommended. To get you copy click on the link below.
“About those donations….”
This month, my family celebrates giving. We don’t just give presents; my wife and kids volunteer bell-ringing for the Salvation Army collections, and this year they’re helping collect food for students with uncertain situations. We also tend to donate money and other goods throughout the year, but make a special effort this time of year. My wife and I want my son and daughter to know that for whatever they receive, someone had to give.
This brings me to a situation I came across on Facebook, and I think it’s something worth discussing. A friend of mine, Eli (not his real name) is heading home to East Africa to see his family and is collecting donations for the children in their village so that the church can give to those who are in need, which is incredible. Eli split his time between the States, where his dad was pursuing an education and raising support, and his home country, where his parents started a church. By that, I mean that they built the church themselves, using the raised support. His father moved through the ranks of their organization and is now an overseer of churches in several surrounding nations.
So, Eli is asking for donations for these kids, and the first few comments are from well-meaning people…saying they’ll go through their kids’ closets and see what they find. I was immediately disheartened. Not because I’m against donating in that way. It’s just that before returning to church ministry, I worked for a non-profit with at-risk teens. Seeing the kinds of things that people deem “acceptable” to give and donate was simply sad. We had to sort through clothing donations and remove underwear and socks. We also removed anything that was stained or that had holes. As I said, I am all for people donating to those in need…but don’t use donations as an excuse to get rid of stuff you should throw away yourself, but can’t due to sentimentality or whatever.
The fact of the matter is, these are people receiving these items, in many cases, the most vulnerable among us. They are made in the image of God. Do they not deserve the same dignity as your own children? In Eli’s case, these are children who don’t have much…and we’re going to give them items that we wouldn’t dress our own kids in? In my case, these kids would come to us with only what they could stuff in a backpack or sometimes a garbage bag. Their entire lives, uprooted, and all they have is what they could pack in 15 minutes. And if there was something they forgot or didn’t have, they’d search the clothes closet, full of these donated hand-me-downs, most of which didn’t fit.
So, what items do shelters need? What would I donate this season? There’s a running list:
As for Eli, next time I see him, my plan is to hand him a gift card to Walmart or Target to get what these kids need. All I’m trying to say is, give to those in need this season as you would give to family.
J C Prescott. Bible Scholar / Teacher
What’s the big deal about Donald Trump declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel? Well, for Christians who take a Futurist view of Prophecy, it supports their notion that certain conditions need to apply in order for the Anti-Christ to rise up so that Jesus can return and Rapture the Church.
It’s no surprise that Mike Pence – a very strong Christian Zionist – was standing behind Trump when he announced this unprecedented shift in policy. Pence no doubt had more to do with this decision than Trump, since the Vice President has long voiced an affinity for Dispensational Theology which is where all of this nonsense originates.
What is Dispensationalism? It’s a fairly recent theology that started in 1830 when John Nelson Darby decided that there were still promises made to Israel that were not yet fulfilled. Up to that point, Christianity taught that Christ was the fulfillment of those promises. Darby ignored that and created a new theology that took root in America thanks to the Scofield Bible and several seminaries.
Here’s a quick overview of what Dispensationalism teaches regarding the “End Times” and how Jerusalem (supposedly) plays a part in all of it.
If you’ve ever studied any of the End Times scriptures (Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation, etc.), or even heard someone talk about prophetic scriptures regarding the end of the world or the second coming of Christ, you’ve no doubt heard the phrase, “The Abomination of Desolation”. But what is it? What does that mean?
The phrase appears more than once in the scriptures. Three times in the OT book of Daniel, and three times in the NT during the “Olivet Discourse” by Jesus which is recorded in Matthew 24:15-16, Mark 13:14 and Luke 21:20.
In the three Daniel references it appears to be about three different things (not about one single thing, and therefore not necessarily about the same event that Jesus is talking about in his Olivet Discourse).
First, let’s examine what Jesus calls “The Abomination of Desolation” in his Olivet Discourse which is recorded in three of the four Gospels, (Matthew, Mark and Luke). Each of these are nearly identical, with a few changes here and there – and this is for our benefit as it turns out.
For example, if we could lay these three passages side-by-side we would notice that all of them follow the exact same flow, except for a few sections in Matthew where he consolidates a few references from other encounters where Jesus spoke on the same topic. (This is something Matthew does often and it’s also why you shouldn’t look to that Gospel for chronological info about what Jesus did and when, but more on that in another blog).
Laying these three passages side-by-side we notice a similar flow of thought. They are, after all, the same Olivet Discourse that Jesus’ gave to His disciples regarding a prophecy about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (which would occur roughly forty years later in AD 70).
The part in the Olivet Discourse that deals with the “Abomination that causes desolation” look like this in Matthew and Mark:
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Matthew 24:15-16)
“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Mark 13:14)
Notice that both use the similar phrases, but Matthew adds “spoken of through the prophet Daniel” and Mark adds “where it does not belong”. Otherwise, they are identical.
Now, look at what Luke reports in his Gospel:
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…” (Luke 21:20-21)
Hmm…that’s fascinating, isn’t it? Whereas Matthew and Mark used the phrase from Daniel – “The abomination that causes desolation”, Luke instead simply explains exactly what it means – “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies…”
Mystery solved. Matthew and Mark quote the phrase from Daniel about the “Abomination that causes desolation”, but Luke plainly describes what that looks like for the reader who might not understand (as both Matthew and Mark suggest in their more cryptic phraseology).
Let’s look at the three Daniel references now. These are found in Daniel 9:27; 11:31; and 12:11.First, Daniel 9:27:
“And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)
This prophecy appears to be about Jesus Himself. Notice that it says that “he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week”. Who is “he”? Let’s back up to verse 25 where the angel Gabriel tells Daniel: “Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince…”
Who is the “Anointed one”? Well, keep in mind that “Messiah” means, “The Anointed One” and it will be clear that this is a prophecy about the coming of the Messiah.
That means that in verse 27 the “He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week…” is Jesus, who made a New Covenant in the upper room with His disciples the week that he was crucified.
Notice also that the verse goes on to say that “he” would “cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease”, and that’s exactly what Jesus did since during His crucifixion there was an earthquake and the veil in the Temple was split from top to bottom. That most certainly stopped the sacrifice in the Temple as the prophecy says. What’s more, since Jesus’ sacrifice upon the cross was as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”, there is now no need for any other sacrifice within the earthly Temple.
The following note about one who “upon the wing of abominations shall come..(and) maketh desolate…” is most likely about the Roman armies that came in AD 70 and destroyed Jerusalem and finally put a decisive end to the daily Temple sacrifices. (And these remain so more than 2,000 years later).
The second passage, Daniel 11:31, says:
“And forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt-offering, and they shall set up the abomination that maketh desolate.”
Many scholars feel that this was fulfilled during the reign of Antiocus Epiphanes, a Greek king who, many years before the coming of the Messiah, erected an idol to Zeus and offered a pig on the altar in the Temple.
Finally, in Daniel 12:11 we read:
“And from the time that the continual burnt-offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand and two hundred and ninety days.”
This passage appears to be a reference to something that happens after the abomination of desolation is over, but never tells us what happens, only that the time span between the abomination and the end of the daily sacrifice will be 1,290 days…and then? We don’t know exactly.
The prophecies about the Anointed One – that’s Jesus – and the eventual Abomination of Desolation which would culminate in “the shattering of the power of the holy people (the Jews)” (12:7) and the “end of the (Jewish) age” (12:13), have already been fulfilled.
So, the references in the Bible to the “Abomination of Desolation” refer either to:
A) The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, as Jesus predicted, or
B) to the event where Antiocus Epiphanes profaned the temple in 167 BC.
Now, in the minds of the Dispensationalist Christians (which make up a very large portion of Christians in America), this “Abomination of Desolation” is something still needs to happen in the future. To them, Jesus can’t return until the Anti-Christ appears and the “Abomination of Desolation” occurs, (something that has already happened but that they think still needs to happen). They believe this will happen when a new Jewish Temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem, but that won’t happen if Israel doesn’t control Jerusalem.
The decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel simply plays into this Zionist theology and lays another plank in the bridge towards Armageddon, which Dispensationalists want to encourage so that Jesus can return.
In the meantime, this theology is toxic for the rest of us. It fuels political decision-making that provokes outrage and violence in the Middle East and quickly becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It creates the very violence that it expects to occur. Almost to say, “See? Look how violent those Muslims get when we take away their land and thumb our noses at their religion.”
The violence has already started due to this misguided step towards Armageddon. It will not end well for anyone, not even those American Christians who believe they are helping God out by stoking a Holy War in the Middle East.
If Dispensationalism wins, we all lose.
Because what American Dispensationalists don’t understand is that there are thousands of Christians in Palestine who suffer the most when they provoke conflict between Jews and Muslims in Israel. These brothers and sisters in Christ are the ones who will become the targets of violence from both sides. Their children will be killed in the bombings. Their homes will be torn apart in the riots. Their community will become toxic in the aftermath.
This is another reason why Christianity and Politics do not mix well. It’s like mixing manure and ice cream: It doesn’t hurt the manure, but it really ruins the ice cream.
Today, I am praying for the peace of Palestine. I hope you’ll join me.
Keith Giles.Keith Giles, a former pastor left the pulpit to follow Jesus in Orange County, California and started a house church where 100% of the offerings go to help the poor in their community.
Read more at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/author/kgiles/#zdVuM3LMFBThvc6g.99is the author of “Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb” and co-hosts the “Heretic Happy Hour” podcast.
Christianity has died in the hands of Evangelicals. Evangelicalism ceased being a religious faith tradition following Jesus’ teachings concerning justice for the betterment of humanity when it made a Faustian bargain for the sake of political influence. The beauty of the gospel message — of love, of peace and of fraternity — has been murdered by the ambitions of Trumpish flimflammers who have sold their souls for expediency. No greater proof is needed of the death of Christianity than the rush to defend a child molester in order to maintain a majority in the U.S. Senate.
Evangelicals have constructed an exclusive interpretation which fuses and confuses white supremacy with salvation. Only those from the dominant culture, along with their supposed inferiors who with colonized minds embrace assimilation, can be saved. But their salvation damns Jesus. To save Jesus from those claiming to be his heirs, we must wrench him from the hands of those who use him as a façade from which to hide their phobias — their fear of blacks, their fear of the undocumented, their fear of Muslims, their fear of everything queer.
Evangelicalism has ceased to be a faith perspective rooted on Jesus the Christ and has become a political movement whose beliefs repudiate all Jesus advocated. A message of hate permeates their pronouncements, evident in sulphurous proclamations like the Nashville Statement, which elevates centuries of sexual dysfunctionalities since the days of Augustine by imposing them upon Holy Writ. They condemn as sin those who express love outside the evangelical anti-body straight jacket.
Evangelicalism’s unholy marriage to the Prosperity Gospel justifies multi-millionaire bilkers wearing holy vestments made of sheep’s clothing who discovered being profiteers rather than prophets delivers an earthly security never promised by the One in whose name they slaughter those who are hungry, thirsty and naked, and the alien among them. Christianity at a profit is an abomination before all that is Holy. From their gilded pedestals erected in white centers of wealth and power, they gaslight all to believe they are the ones being persecuted because of their faith.
Evangelicalism’s embrace of a new age of ignorance, blames homosexuality for Harvey’s rage rather than considering the scientific consequences climate change has on the number of increasing storms of greater and greater ferocity. To ignore the damage caused to God’s creation so the few can profit in raping Mother Earth causes celebrations in the fiery pits of Gehenna.
Evangelicalism forsakes holding a sexual predator, an adulterer, a liar and a racist accountable, instead serving as a shield against those who question POTUS’ immorality because of some warped reincarnation of Cyrus. Laying holy hands upon the incarnation of the very vices Jesus condemned to advance a political agenda — instead of rebuking and chastising in loving prayer — has prostituted the gospel in exchange for the victory of a Supreme Court pick.
Evangelicalism either remained silent or actually supported Charlottesville goose steppers because they protect their white privilege with the doublespeak of preserving heritage, leading them to equate opponents of fascist movements with the purveyors of hatred. Jesus has yet recovered from the vomiting induced by the Christian defenders of torch-wielding white nationalists calling for “blood-and-soil.”
The Evangelicals’ Jesus is satanic, and those who hustle this demon are “false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve” (2 Cor. 11:13-15, NIV).
You might wonder if my condemnation is too harsh. It is not, for the Spirit of the Lord has convicted me to shout from the mountaintop how God’s precious children are being devoured by the hatred and bigotry of those who have positioned themselves as the voice of God in America.
As a young man, I walked down the sawdust aisle at a Southern Baptist church and gave my heart to Jesus. Besides offering my broken heart, I also gave my mind to understanding God, and my arm to procuring God’s call for justice. I have always considered myself to be an evangelical, but I can no longer allow my name to be tarnished by that political party masquerading as Christian. Like many women and men of good will who still struggle to believe, but not in the evangelical political agenda, I too no longer want or wish to be associated with an ideology responsible for tearing humanity apart. But if you, dear reader, still cling to a hate-mongering ideology, may I humbly suggest you get saved.
Miguel De La Torre
Dr. Miguel De La Torre is professor of social ethics and Latino/a studies at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colo.
Pax Pneuma 