Have we always been in the Post-truth era?

I think we have generally been in the "post-truth" era.  Rejecting evolution because it interferes with our attachment to a way of interpreting a holy book -- post truth.  Or is it pre-truth?  Rejecting the planet earth going around the sun because it doesn't square with our understanding of the sun "coming up" in the morning and "going down" in the evening -- post-truth or pre-truth? Rejecting women as equals with men because of cultural biases and their menstrual cycle -- post-truth or pre-truth?

I was told by a friend one Sunday morning that "I believe the Bible cover to cover!!!"  (Yes, it sounded like three exclamations marks, but I confess I cannot prove them).  I asked him if he had ever read the whole Bible.  He said, "No."  Hmmm.  More non-truth nonsense, I should think.

The problem with truth is that we only see a bit of it at a time, and often don't know what to make of what we see.  Darwin saw a bit of truth as did other scientists of his day, and followed it to a logical end.  He was right, but only partly right because he didn't have more data.

Today we have more data, and are wondering about genetic evolution, the evolution of thinking itself, and whether we are in the midst of evolution as more and more women have C-section birth experience and more babies are "too big" for the birth canal.  Too soon to say, but . . .

The Trump phenomenon is only a blip in the non-truth story.  He tells one "truth", denies it a few hours later, then tells another.  And the people who aren't really committed to searching for truth love him.  No surprise.  People who fear medicine don't get shots for their kids, people who fear differentness slam folks of other races, colors or religions, people who fear change deny even the truth about their own "good old days".  I recall one lady who told me once that the only thing good about the good old days were that they were gone.  She had barely survived the Depression of the thirties and World War II.  Good old days . . . for who?

Truth to tell, a few people grew in compassion, expanded their vision, got better jobs than farming dust bowl acreage.  Others didn't grow, didn't deepen, didn't prosper.  What's the truth about the good old days we love to Tweet and Email and Blog about?  Or have talk radio shows with people calling in to?  It seems that even our Alt-Right folks don't really want ALL that went into the good old days.  Nor do they want ALL that truth has to show us.

Then there is Jesus.  Whether he said it or not, he is credited with saying, "I am the truth."  He examined his faith and found substantial parts of it lacking.  He took on his biases and healed a Gentile woman's child.  He ended up poorly, by most modern standards, not by blowing people up or electing Fascist fear-mongers, but by changing and growing and trying to be faithful to the bits of truth he was discovering.

Faith is not belief in nonsense.  It is a commitment to search, research (search again) and think to make sense out of what we find without being dogmatic that we have found "IT" and nothing more needs to be explored.

What do you think?  In what ways are you committed to truth even when it disrupts your beliefs?

Jesus Visited

After worship this morning I continued thinking.  I always think during and about the worship experience.  This week my thinking has been impacted by reading the book, Pope Joan.  It was a well researched book about the possibility that there was one (or more) female pope in the Roman Catholic hierarchy.  That's interesting, but not what caught me.

What caught me was the legalism, the male domination believed to be constituted by God, the vicious warfare in the name of the prince of peace, the forced conversion, the persecution of those perceived to be "different", and the emphasis on wealth, politics and ostentatious aggrandizement.  After years of being a Christian pastor, and years of serving in the church, I heard myself say to my wife, "I am content following Jesus.  I am ashamed to be part of the church."

Think about the fellowship of the Twelve.  It contained at least one traitor, and it dissolved rather soon after Jesus death and resurrection.  Thomas is reputed to have gone to India.  Peter ended up crucified in the Roman Empire.  Paul (not one of the Twelve) became possibly the most influential of the lot.  John seems to have gone to Ephesus.  They were the church and they didn't stick together.

Hmmm.  Would we do better with communities which could form and dissolve easily?  I see so many church groups, congregations and denominations which seem to mainly seek to perpetuate themselves.  Defend themselves.  Secure a place for themselves in the history books, as it were.

Is it the fault of the forced conversion of the Roman Empire?

Scholars say that the misogynist writings in the late epistles of the New Testament was probably to ease the way with the non-Christian power structures that wanted to keep women down in the Roman influenced society.  In other words, early on Christian leaders were compromising with non-Jesus beliefs and prejudices.

Maybe the church should have totally died by 60 AD.  Or, 60 CE if your prefer.

So, as I continue to wrestle with the "Who am I?" question I am pretty turned off on the church, but still find hope and guidance in Jesus as best as I can know Jesus.

What about you?  Leave a comment and let us know.

Two Sides To The Coin

We have lived with it since before 9/11 -- Islamist extremists filled with hatred for all things American, all things Western (except our guns, bombs, incendiary devices and explosives).  Sad that a faith expression that once dwelt well with Jews and Christians is so filled with hatred.  So sad.

There is another side to the same coin of mistrust, hatred, revenge-seeking and fear.  Conservative Christians and conservative Christian churches and conservative Christian politicians peddle the same kinds of hatred, racism, and fear of all things Muslim.  Donald Trump, who can hardly be labeled a Christian, is an extreme example of people who play on these non-Christian extremes.  Isn't it interesting that, in response to pressure from the right-wing Christians,   Mississippi governer Phil Bryant singed a law April 15 legalizing guns in churches.  I guess Jesus died for nothing.

What, again, did he say was the standard?  Love God totally and love your neighbor as yourself.

That's it.  Those who live by the sword (gun) will die by it.  In other words, be careful what you ask for -- you might just get it.  In the face of hatred early Christians learned to love, turn the other cheek, carry the load an extra mile.  Sad, isn't it, that they didn't have open carry laws to help them?

What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.