Cap Phantom

The Editor-in-Chief of SOJOURNERS Magazine, the Evangelical Jim Wallis has released a new book, The Great Awakening, written with hope to wake up American institutionalized Christians to be a part of the rebirth and renewal to heal, mend and transform “the biblical scandal of poverty around the globe and here at home, the crisis of environmental degradation and climate change that pose a threat to God’s creation, and to the multiple assaults on human life and dignity that shame our world.” [Page 12, Feb. 2008, SOJOURNERS]

Jim’s seeking revival, but this non-institutional Christian of The Beatitudes, is calling for a revolution and it begins with common sense and goes retro; back to the voices of wisdom that founded this nation.

“Soon after I had published the pamphlet “Common Sense” [on Feb. 14, 1776] in America, I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion… The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.”-Tom Paine

Wallis proposes Seven Principals and Rules of Engagement for Christian political involvement in the world:

1. God hates injustice.

2. The kingdom of God is a new order.

3. The church is an alternative community

4. The kingdom of God transforms the world by addressing the specifics of injustice.

5. The church is the conscience of the state, holding it accountable for upholding justice and restraining its violence.

6. Take a global perspective.

7. Seek the common good.

All seven points are well and good and I wish Jim luck and pray he does indeed arouse the sleeping Christians for the western institutions have failed at its commission. Too many churches in the USA have become places to socialize and be entertained and to be patted on the back just for doing the minimum of what is required if one claims to be a Christian; and churches have become business’s that maintain the status quo and not so much about the social gospel.

The gospel-which means good news, that Jesus preached, was very political and a direct challenge to the politically powerful and the arrogant, self-satisfied, self-righteous teachers of the law.

Two thousand years ago the Cross had NO symbolic religious meaning and was not a piece of jewelry. When Jesus said: “Pick up your cross and follow me,” everyone back then understood he was issuing a POLITICAL statement, for the main roads in Jerusalem were lined with crucified agitators, rebels, dissidents and any others who disturbed the status quo of the Roman Occupying Forces.

In the latter days of Nero’s reign [54-68 A.S.] through the domination of Domitian [ 81-96] Christians were persecuted for following the nonviolent, loving and forgiving Jesus. That Jesus was first left behind when Augustine penned the Just War Theory.

Before Emperor Constantine brought Christianity into the mainstream, all the early Church Fathers taught that Christians should not serve in the army but instead willingly suffer rather than inflict harm on any other. St. Augustine was the first Church Father to consider the concept of a Just War and within 100 years after Constantine, the Empire required that all soldiers in the army must be baptized Christians and thus, the decline of Christianity began in earnest.

With the justification of war and violence supplied by Augustine’s Just War Theory, wrong became right. Nothing much has changed in two millennia, for in today’s Orwellian world politicians claim the way to peace is through war and that nuclear weapons provide protection. American money claims ‘In God we Trust’ but the truth is America’s faith is in an out of control Military Industrial Complex that seeks domination, power and control over any who would defy and challenge the American status quo. Eisenhower warned America not to bind our economy to the Industrial Military Complex and like most prophets, he was ignored.

In 313 AD, Emperor Constantine legitimized Christianity and thus, those who had been considered rebels and outlaws began to enjoy political power and prestige. Jesus’ other name is The Prince of Peace, and with the marriage of church and state, his true teachings were reinterpreted. The justification of warfare and the use of state sponsored violence corrupted what Christ modeled and taught. Jesus was always on about WAKE UP! The Divine already indwells you and all others. Christ taught that to follow him requires that one must love ones enemies; one must forgive those who hate, curse and revile them, without even a thought of payback.

Christ lived a life that proved evil can be opposed without being mirrored, and that the cycle of a “tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye”, will never bring peace and justice. Before Emperor Constantine brought Christianity into the mainstream, all the early Church Fathers taught –and all Christians never served in the army but instead willingly suffered rather than inflict harm on any other.

The term Christianity was not coined until three decades after Christ walked the earth. Until the day of Paul, followers of Christ were called members of The Way; the way being what he taught!

Christ was never a Christian, but he was a social justice, radical revolutionary Palestinian devout Jewish road warrior who rose up [intifada in Arabic] for he challenged the job security of the Temple authorities by teaching the people they did NOT need to pay the priests for ritual baths or sacrificing livestock to be OK with God; for God already LOVED them just as they were: sinners, poor, diseased, outcasts, widows, orphans, refugees and prisoners all living under Roman Military Occupation.

What got Jesus crucified was disturbing the status quo of the Roman Occupying Forces of his time, by teaching the subversive concept that Caesar only had power because God allowed it and that God preferred the humble sinner, the poor, diseased, outcasts, widows, orphans, refugees and prisoners all living under Roman Occupation above the elite and arrogant!

Clement, Tertillian, Polycarp and every other early Church Father taught that violence was a contradiction of what Christ was all about. There have always been those Christians who spoke out against this corruption of scripture and they have been ignored, reviled, rejected, mocked, persecuted and maligned throughout time. There have always been Christians who have never abandoned the true teachings, such as the Quakers, Mennonites, some Catholics and Protestants who have been faithful witnesses to Christ by denouncing violence and caring for the poor. There have also always been Jews, Muslims, atheists, anarchists, secularists, rebels and revolutionaries have lived lives that embody the message of Christ; have in fact done what he actually said, which was most revolutionary.

Christ, you know it ain’t easy

You know how hard it can be

The way things are going

They’re gonna crucify me-John Lennon

The institutionalized Christians may crucify me for claiming that many who attend 21st century American churches have re-crucified and maligned Jesus, for they worship an institution and pages in the Bible. All institutions are man made and the Bible was not FAXED in from heaven, it was written down after centuries of the oral history being passed down. When ever stories are retold, they change, and we all know this if we ever played the childhood game of telephone. Scribes were imperfect human who made many mistakes as they recopied texts; many also added their own point of view and some even left out what they chose to.

The most decisive event in the history of Christendom occurred when Emperor Constantine accepted the Christian faith, for those who had once been persecuted were now protected by an earthly king. Both a patriarchal monarchical state and church were formed at the same time. Power struggles and debates were common among the early Christians. Individual churches determined which texts were read, and they all had their favorites. Constantine sought to unite his empire, and uniting the church was a savvy political move. He announced he would pay for fifty illuminated copies of scripture to be bound, and thus the biblical canon was established and sealed. There was fierce debate among the bishops about what should be included and what left out.

The proto-orthodox, who had now become the dominant voice, determined what was heretical for everyone. The proto-orthodox demanded much-loved scripture to be burned, usually because it did not fit their understanding of God. We know more today about how diverse Christianity had once been with the discovery of the Nag´ Hammâdi Library. [Refer to Part One is this series for more information]

I may get crucified for this, but I contend that there is a cult within The Body of Christ in the USA that worships the institution and pages in the Bible, and it is a cult of the dead. Just because the canon was sealed, does not mean that God stopped talking to his creation and we can all hear Him/She/? in the voice of our own conscience, as well as in the voices of open vessels such as poets, musicians, critics, dissidents and rebels throughout history.

Just because I no longer do church, I am still connected to the mystical Body of Christ and the most rigid of fundamentalists are my sisters and brothers. St. Paul, who never failed to express his freedom of speech, warned the followers of Christ, NOT to judge the unbeliever but to provoke the believer onto good works. My hope and prayer is to mend, heal and repair the flabby Body of Christ in the west by reconnecting it to its very roots in the land where Jesus walked and taught that it is the peacemakers who are the children of God; not those that starve, bomb, torture or occupy others.

The Christian EXODUS from the Holy land-which is in pieces; Bantustans, has rendered their numbers from 20% of the total to less than 1.3% since 1948, and it is NOT because of Islam, but because of a brutal, inhumane military occupation which denies them human rights and ignores international law aided and abetted by the American government and its citizens hard earned tax dollars.

Every individual Christian is but one cell in the cosmic Body of Christ. “So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” -Romans 12:4

“Its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part [of The Body] suffers, every part suffers with it.”-1 Corinthians 12:25-26

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and all the prophets said, “You will recognize the believers in their having Mercy for one another, and in their Love for one another, and in their Kindness towards one another; like the body, when one member of it hurts, the entire body hurts.”

John Lennon penned The Wedding Ballad Of John & Yoko a few weeks after their 1969 marriage and then held a bed-in for peace to awaken the world via a media event to the abomination of the war in Vietnam. Using the global stage John said, “Yoko and I are quite willing to be the world’s clowns; if by doing it we do some good…And I’m saying peace…The struggle is in the mind. We must bury our own monsters and stop condemning people. We are all Christ and Hitler. We want Christ to win. We’re trying to make Christ’s message contemporary. What would he have done if he had advertisements, records, films, TV and newspapers! Christ made miracles to tell his message. Well, the miracle today is communications, so let’s use it.”

That battle rages on to make Christ contemporary and in this ongoing series I will be utilizing the World Wide Web.

The above was Part Four in the Series: “We have it in our power to begin the world again”-Tom Paine

Part 1 in this series: “We have it in our power to begin the world again”-Tom Paine

http://wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=759&Itemid=184

Part 2 in this series: The Stages of the Soul and How Religiosity/Fundamentalism is holding up Evolution

http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=775&Itemid=184

Part 3 in this series: Prophets, Doors, Walls: MLK, X, Lennon, Gaza and Thee

http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=778&Itemid=184

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Happy Birthday U.S.A.
By Coach John Daly
July 4, 2009

What a great start to the day, here on our nation’s birthday.

First of all, the sun is out. Here in Michigan that’s a big deal, especially the way June ended, where for a few days it felt like summer was over and fall had arrived. I think summer is back, which is a very good thing.

On a day that we celebrate our nation’s 233rd birthday it’s nice to see people flying the American flag out on a day like today. When I grew up, it was rare to not see a flag out in front of the homes. It’s something that many people might not think as being a big deal today, but I’m glad to see many people still getting ‘ol glory out in front of their homes. It would be nice to see this happen a little more often, not just on holidays.

I’m also reminded about our nation’s birthday, the 4th of July, the history of our country and the prominent role that our military played in all of it. I’m watching the ATT Golf Tournament sponsored by Tiger Woods held at the Congressional course in Washington D.C. The military is honored throughout this tournament. The stories from them, the interaction with them and the PGA professionals along with having this tournament in their honor, just goes to show how we should not forget them and what they have done for our country.

We need to remember their service from what’s going on now in the world all the way back to when our country started. Our country has a lot of history that we cannot forget. All the work our forefathers did; the risks they took putting everything on the line to help make our country the longest form of government that the world has ever seen. It’s not perfect and there are things that are wrong with it - but it’s still the best in the world.

What can we do to keep this greatness going? What are your thoughts on this? Is our country ok going in the direction we are going? Do we need to remember lessons from the past? I know politics gets into this topic a lot.

What do you think? I’d be interested on your thoughts.  

Copyright Coach John Daly, 2009
http://www.coachingtoexpectsuccess.com

 Hasan A. Yahya, Professor of Sociology

Several studies show negative stereotyping, racism, discrimination and widespread misinformation about Arab history and culture. Arab and Muslim American students from the Middle East face this type of misinformation everyday through media, curriculum content, peer groups and teachers.

According to research findings, Arab Americans in U.S. schools represent more than 20 countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa. They share common symptoms of immigrant groups seeking integration in a heterogeneous nation.(Jackson, 1995) Challenges they face in their everyday life include stereotyping, racism, and discrimination, especially when they are Muslims. (Yahya, 1991).

 Educators in many schools began to recognize these problems and try to solve them. In some communities, especially in Michigan and California where the majority of Arabs and Muslim reside, parents start to communicate with school teachers and administrators in order to  create strategies and materials for successful integration with the American society.  But many schools in other states where Arabs and Muslim Americans are minority do not acknowledge Arab culture and history and do not stand to counteract Arab stereotyping (Suleiman, 1996). Some organizations and communities compile a list of bibliographies for Arab and Muslim history, holidays, and habits. the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has produced a substantial Middle East bibliography for educators and made a guide for helping Arab parents serve as a resource for teachers (ADC, 1993a). Administrators and teachers may correct erroneous information when confronted with it, such as popular myths that all Arabs are “…wealthy…barbaric and backward, and…have harems” (Farquharson, 1988, Yahya, 1991). They can help students understand that Arab Americans should not be held personally accountable for events in the Middle East, and allow students to air their views and helping them understand why such judgments are inaccurate and hurtful (ADC, 1997). Other source is The American Forum for Global Education  has produced an extensive bibliography of materials on Arab history that can be used by curriculum developers (Kelahan & Penn, 1996), and the Arab World and Islamic Resources and School Services has issued a large notebook for secondary school teachers to use as a basis for a multifaceted curriculum. (Shabbas, 1998)

Knowledge of Arab and Islamic culture help  educators to  ensure that girls are not ridiculed for their head covering, and may not schedule tests on major Islamic holidays, especially in Ramadan month where fasting takes place. They may let students go to the library instead of the cafeteria. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (1997) depending on Federal law which permits students to organize prayer services, therefore, schools should accommodate such requests from Muslims. Muslims ten years ago, even before 9/11, across the country were petitioning schools to label cafeteria food containing pig products, and some schools are already doing so (Zehr, 1999).

Elimination of Prejudice and Discrimination in recent years becomes harder,  when political events involve Arabs, or are even speculated to involve them. Educators need to be prepared to respond to possible harassment of Arab American students resulting from negative news reporting, and to invoke school policies against hate crimes and discrimination as appropriate (Suleiman, 1996).

Staff Development Schools can provide professional development training and make available to their staff accurate resource materials about the Middle East, Islam, the various Arab groups in the U.S., and the nature and extent of anti-Arab sentiment. Middle East organizations and centers at local colleges offer schools a range of services, including training, invitations to visit Mosques, and Arab cultural institutions. Some other methods and measures are already implemented and practiced to reduce tension in schools and promote teachers and student understanding of Arab and Muslim culture, these methods are (to name a few): (1) Representing the Middle East, Arabs, and Muslims accurately, completely, and fairly in the curriculum and school activities. (2)  Ensure that Arab American students are treated equitably and without prejudice by teachers and peers; (3) Ensure that teachers respond to incidences of racism and discrimination strongly and quickly and fairly; (4) Inclusion of Arab Culture Although Arab Americans may be one of the smaller minorities in schools; (5) Respect the customs of the native culture and religion of Arab students, and encourage them to be represented in multicultural courses and activities to validate their culture and educate all students about the Middle East. (6) Field trips can visits to Arab community institutions, (7) showing videos and film series include Arab contributions, to familiarize students with the various groups’ celebrations, foods, and history.

In conclusion, as an Arab American lived in the United States for a long time, and interested in studying Arabs and Muslims students in the United States, especially first, second and third generation, I agree with other scholars who share my studies, and may conclude this article with some characteristics  of Middle Eastern culture especially Arabs:

In terms of communication, Arabs and Muslims consider any one introduce himself to an Arab as a friend. Friendship is highly respected and cherished in Arab culture.
Arabs value of collectivism, the form of family, and separation of sexes.
Arabs cherish privacy, and show reluctance to discuss personal feelings with strangers.
Arabs distance in a group is much closer than American and European group members.  counselors of Arab American students need to the Arab communication style in all interactions.
 Family life and harmony are crucial to Arabs, educators need to demonstrate respect for the sanctity of the nuclear and extended family and the familial role of elders.
Arabs may seem angry while talking,  but this is a reflection of others  expressions, therefore, they react accordingly. Most of them like to defend “loss of face ” in a discussion.
Arabs are sincere in their relations with others, especially when they invite American friends and families.
Like Jews, Arabs  defend their culture and language,  they positively show their identity and like to be respected as any other heritage. Finally;
Like any other groups, Arabs are proud of their heritage, and have strong appeal to explain in details some of the good qualities and teachings of their culture. (1005 words) www.askdryahya.com.

From May 15-19, the Pontifical Academy of Science is presenting a study week on the topic “Transgenic Plants for Food Security in the Context of Development.” Most of the speakers are internationally known as vehement supporters of agro-genetic engineering. Some of them are in close contact with genetic engineering companies or even work for these firms, such as, for instance, Eric Sachs of Monsanto, the worldwide biggest supplier of genetically modified seeds. So how did it come about that these supporters of genetic engineering are meeting in the Vatican?

Organization and leadership of these days of study is under the direction of Ingo Potrykus. He became famous as the inventor of “golden rice,” a genetically modified product that is supposed to counter a vitamin A deficiency. It recently made headlines in China and the USA as a result of questionable testing on children and adults. The majority of the board from the Golden Rice Project will now gather together there.

In November of 2000, Pope John Paul II spoke out against the release of GMOs. During a mass attended by approximately 50,000 farmers, the pope stated that the use of genetically modified plants to increase crop yields is against the will of God. But apparently, the Vatican has now changed its mind.

Toward the end of 2003, there was a conference at the Vatican on the topic of genetic engineering. It was organized by the “Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.” Its president is known as a proponent of GM technology and during the conference he urged the use of genetically modified food to help find a solution to the world-hunger problem, which he called a paramount goal of the Vatican.

Of course, one question would be whether the Vatican would be willing to haul its gold bars out of the cellar and give them to the hungry. Then the people would have everything they need.

In any case, things have gone so far that the “Pontifical Academy of Sciences” invites supporters of genetic engineering from research and science to the Vatican gardens. This is a clear signal to the global public.

One solution to this dilemma would be to ask all GM proponents to eat only GM foods for 2 or 3 years. Perhaps then, we could see more clearly whether GM products are good for all people. Furthermore, most GMO proponents are Christian. And yet, we can read in the Bible, the following story of creation: “And God saw everything that he had made and behold, it was very good.” (Gen. 1:30.31) So, if it was good, why do we now have to improve it?

Can it be that genetic engineering is not meant to improve God’s creation, but to serve the profit drive of certain large companies? But then why is the Vatican now helping this effort?

 For more information go to www.Universal-Life.cc  or call 1-800-846-2691.

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Information => The first known promotional products in the United States is commemorative buttons dating back to the election of George Washington in 1789.