One of my former post graduate professors
shared a book review this morning. I really value, highly respect, this
professor's opinion big time. When he posts something on Facebook, it is very note-worthy and should be read. The review is
on a book called The
Benedict Option written
by Rod Dreher. My take on the review was that the book is one worth reading. I
don't necessarily agree with the title of the reviewer’s blog but I would
recommend this book as one to read based strictly on the review.[1]
Reading just the review helped my brain
juices start flowing. Of course, when the light comes on in my brain, I seize
the opportunity to make use of it. I remember this highly respected professor once
mentioning in class that he strongly believes in the Nicene Creed. This made me
think of another under-graduate professor, one I respect also, teaching a class
based on modern religion in America. One of the text was called Selling
Spirituality: the silent takeover of religion by Jeremy Carrette and Richard King. In my opinion
it too is an absolutely wonderful book to read.
For those of you who read my blog, I
have to go around the world just to get to a point. I always feel that
everything in life is a cause and effect and I feel Christianity has become
confusing and almost way too commercialized.
For years now, I have been troubled with the concept of selling spirituality in what is called the western culture. America is the western culture and its spirituality is a multi-billion-dollar capitalistic industry. The culture of Christianity is one I am highly suspect of and strongly believe many Christians are confused in America. (Special note: I called the west – The far east is Asia. Well that can be debated depending upon where you are standing, which way you are looking, or which way you are walking/driving. It is all about logistics.
Years ago, America was not necessarily
sustainable off of Wall Street investments but what gold was on reserve that
could back our currency. Now our lives are sustainable off of word of mouth in
a piece of paper, which is what I considered someone’s opinion. I am sure you
are thinking: What has this got to do with Christianity? Good question! Our
countries finances are based off of (figuratively) paper. For example: we will
use Zondervan Publishing. [2] My
Bible was printed by Zondervan Publishing. Their parent organization is HarperCollins, the second
largest publishing company, globally.[3] Well
a company this big has to be on the stock exchange. HarperCollings parent
company is News Corp and they are listed as one of their subsidiaries along
with NY Post, Dow Jones, News America Marketing, Storyful, and Move.[4] “Revenues
at HarperCollins increased by 5% to 1.43 billion USD for the fiscal year ending
on June 30, 2014.”[5]
News Corp’s financial statements listed on line states “publishing” which is
too broad a terms and revenue to even attempt to narrow it down as the “how
much is Christian material” for me to even be ½ way credible.
My point: Big business just to own a
Bible. Sure, there are a lot of Bibles out on the market. Someone had to pay
for them. They were not free. Spreading the word of God in our economy is not
free and hasn’t been for a while. Spreading the word of God is what Christians
do. Unfortunately, there are a lot of self-professed Christians that have no
idea of what a Christian does, is supposed to do, nor the true meaning of Christianity.
This only means that the Christians who “have it going on” are either over
worked, burned out exhausted, or are simply not working—at following the word
of God.
All of this is costly. You can access
any Bible on the internet for free. Joke is on you, no you can’t. Do you pay
for the internet usage to access that Bible? Did you spend gas to get to work
to make money to access that internet to get access to a Bible for free? I
could go on, but, let us set aside this angle for a moment.
The discussion has been on the cost of
Christianity to read the word of God. The same would probably apply to building
a place of worship, to listening and watch the word of God. A very big commercial
industry that is confusing in most cases.
Which possibly brings up a very interesting question: Do television
evangelist really need a private jet to get from point ‘A’ to ‘B’? No, they do
not. Are they so afraid of their celebrity status as to hide from people that
they spread the word of God to? How can anyone one evangelical spread the word
of God sitting behind a security gate in a home worth in excess of $3 million
dollars? I will leave this subject at that point in a polite manner. It is one
of my pet peeves; I dislike some actions among television evangelist as well as
some of their request for funding among the masses of television viewers.
I honestly have noted for more than ten
years, Americans have been borrowing eastern religious practices. An example of
this is yoga. It is my understanding that yoga came from Hinduism and is a
discipline for one’s spirituality. It can also be compared to siting Indian style
like a Native American Indian to discuss peaceful measures or just to sit
around the old western camp fire similar to what was learned in Boy or Girl
Scouts. The Native American Indian sitting
practices stemmed from my youth.
The true definition of yoga is what we
will be using from the religion annals of Hindu. It is “…from the word ‘yuj’ in
Sanskrit, means to unite… the most famous of which is Bhagavad Gita (dating
back to 6th-3rd Century BCE), where Krishna speaks of
four types of yoga – bhakti (devotion), jnana (knowledge), karma (action) and dhyana
(concentration)… as to achieve moksha (the ultimate goal) for Hindus.”[6]
Are you wondering why I brought this up and perhaps what it has to do with
Christianity?
In 2008 there were 15.8 million
Americans who participated in yoga spending $10.3 billion a year just so they
can participate.[7]
In the U.S.A as of 2010, there are 2.23 million Hindus.[8] In
2008, in America there were 228,182,000 self-described Christians. [9] I will not assume that there are 13.57
million self-described Christians studying yoga, which is the differences in
the population of 15.8 million Americans subtracting 2.23 million American
Hindus. Or should I?
My point? Why would a Christian want to
study a religious practice from a non-Christian religion? Why do churches have
Yoga groups? I once asked this question to a self-professed, actively involved
Christian middle-aged lady who was employed in a Southern Baptist University in
an administrative/non-instructional position. Her answer was: “To elevate
myself to be closer to God.” (I will not ever name this lady.) Well isn’t that
an interesting answer.
I was under the impression that if we
believe in God and the word of God, he will draw us up closer to him. Wasn’t
the whole point of the Tower of Babel which was to teach a lesson that we just
cannot access God simply at our wishes or request out of curiosity. We have to
have faith and believe. Then, he draws us to him. He spreads his grace on us.
I was in a home a few years back of an
active Christian. They had the cutest little collection of Buddha’s: some were porcelain,
some clay, some silver and some just simply ceramic. I didn’t see anything in
the room that denoted Christianity- not even a Bible in plain view. As a
Christian why would we have religious icons form another religion that is not Christian?
Would God consider Buddha another type idol?
If so wouldn’t that be a violation in form of one of the Mosaic and Christian
commandments?
As a Christian not to become confused and
wrapped up in the everyday life of commercialism and or what your associates
are doing in church, at work, or in your neighborhood. The only person you have
to impress is God/Jesus incarnate as his son. We can just hope, pray, and
spread the word to those confused hoping that accept with an open heart.
“…For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am
I among them.” 4
Matthew 18.20
I will pose two question to Christians:
Do you know what the Nicene Creed is
without looking it up?
Do you know what the Apostles Creed is
without looking it up?
Some of you might answer…
“I don’t know. I am a Christian but I
don’t go to church.”
Or
“I attend regularly but the subject isn’t
important otherwise the minister would have brought it up.”
Or – just that or.
You can make 1,000 excuses why you do
not know this.
Two of respected professors (the ones
mentioned earlier on) made note of the “Creeds”, I knew what they were talking
about. For years, I wasn’t sure if I believed the creeds or just plain didn’t
want to honor them. In graduate school,
I asked about 20 random students if they followed the Nicene or Apostles Creed.
Only 2 knew what it was. I will not tell you what they are. Take the initiative
as a self-described Christian and look it up.
Here are two links:
Please keep in mind, this is just my
opinion. I do not judge, but want each and every one to think. If you are a
self-described Christian, there is a lot more to it than just stating it. I meet Christians all the time when I am able.
However, are they truly Christians or do they live in a sea of confusion
without one single idea of what Christianity is? It is a faith following the
incarnate life of Jesus Christ, the son of God. There are many religions that
just believe in God and understand that Jesus was just a profit; and, it is
okay. We all do in our lives what we can live with.
In Christianity, Jesus was more than a
profit. He is our savior. He brought the
light with him and refreshed humanity to begin again and spread his word, the
light, the word of God. He cleaned those with his blood that washed our souls
to become refreshed.
Do not be a Christian where the
spiritual artery is block, investigate Christianity. Question it. How do you
fit in? What does God/Jesus expect of you?
Easter is approaching and
will be here April 16th, 2017 – Sunday.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3.16
Faith
and work is a must according to God/Jesus incarnate as his son. We have to balance the work, no be gluttons, in
the society in which we from day to day. God/Jesus is the only consistent thing
in our life.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith
but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is
poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in
peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the
body, what good is that? So, also faith by itself, if it does not have works,
is dead.
James 2.14-17
Pray and go with God.
[1]
Pullmann, Joy. “The Benedict Option” Review. The Federalist. 24th March, 2017; (accessed 3.24.2017) http://thefederalist.com/2017/03/24/the-benedict-option-is-the-sunniest-prediction-of-doom-youll-ever-read/#.WNUo2cyjI7c.facebook
[2][2]
**Special Note: Zondervan Publishing is one of my personal favorite groups to
buy religious study materials from. My
undergrad study Bible was published by them.
[3] “Company
Profile”. HarperCollins Publisher, Global
Corporate. (accessed 3.24.2017) http://corporate.harpercollins.com/about-us/company-profile
[4] “Company
Profile.” News Corp. (accessed
3.24.2017) http://newscorp.com/ (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV)
***Special Note – Thanks to the gentleman I called
this afternoon Scottrade on Westheimer, Houston, TX., for helping find the
answer to my question. He was very helpful. 24th March 2017.
[5] Staff
Writer. Publishers Weekly. 26th
June 2015. (accessed 3.24.2017) http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/66984-global-publishing-leaders-2015-harpercollins.html
[6] “Yoga
Beyond Asian: Hindu Thought in Practice.” Hindu
American Foundation (HAF). (accessed 3.24.2017) https://www.hafsite.org/media/pr/yoga-hindu-origins#2
[7] YJ
Editor. “New Study Finds More than 20 million Yogis in U.S.” Yoga Journal. 5th December 2012.
(accessed 3.24.2017) http://www.yogajournal.com/uncategorized/new-study-finds-20-million-yogis-u-s/
[8]
Karerat, Raif. “Hindus are the 4th largest religious community in
the US.” The American Bazaar. 13th May 2015. (accessed 3.24.2017) https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2015/05/13/hindus-are-the-fourth-largest-religious-community-in-the-united-states/
[9] “Statistics
Abstracts of the United States 2012, Section 1, Population, Table 75:
Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population: 1990, 2001, 2008.
PDF” United States Census Bureau.
(accessed 3.24.2017) https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2011/compendia/statab/131ed/population.html
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