Jihad - just war not holy war

According to Reza Aslan the doctrine of jihad differentiated between rules for warfare pre-Islam and under Islam, the difference being that there were categories of people one was not allowed to kill women and children, monks, Rabbis, the elderly and any other non-combatants and there were rules on torture, treatment of dead bodies, rape, property, prisoners etc which have become incorporated into modern international laws of war.

A just war was in response to injustice, a response to the aggression of others and never instigated by a follower of Muhammad.

Buy a Quran

Why not buy and read a copy of the Quran in response to the disrespectful and inflammatory actions of burning the Quran in Florida, and also celebrate the end of Ramadan on Friday?

Bothered by the Bible

I came across this quote yesterday as I was preparing a sermon on Luke 14:25-33:
'It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.' Mark Twain

Jesus was talking to the large crowds of people who were travelling with him and he said some extremely disturbing things: Who ever does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, even life itself, cannot be my disciple... Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple... none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

I'm not sure whether I understand this or not but it certainly bothers me. I don't think telling people who come to church on Father's Day in Australia this Sunday that if one doesn't hate one's father one cannot be Jesus' disciple.

I guess Jesus was emphasising the real cost of his own life as he goes on 'the way' and that anyone who chooses to follow him ought to consider the possibility that it might cost of one's own life.

It sounds like the warning the leader of a terrorist organisation might give to her or his followers. Perhaps Jesus was exaggerating to make a point or perhaps Jesus was highlighting the fact that grace does not come cheap, or perhaps we'll never really be able to understand it. It's pretty heavy stuff and it bothers me.

Atheism

Sadly, Irish actor Mick Lalley died on 31 August. Seemingly he regarded himself as an atheist and religion as nonsense and Codology' (Irish slang). The words that he is most associated with are "Well Holy God' which he regularly delivered in the television series Glenroe.

Surely being anti-religion does not always mean that one is anti-God? What kinds of God are our religions creating? Have we made a god of religion?

Looking forward to hearing from people who cherish the name atheist.

Statistics

With the election in Australia dragging on for eleven days now and all sorts of arguements in the media and coming from political parties about who really has won the right to govern Australia it reminds me that the same statistics can be used to support opposite points of view such as in the debate on climate change and whether the economic outlook is brightening or becoming more gloomy. It seems to be the same when we approach the holy books such as the Bible or Quran. We use them to support our position on any subject.
Is there a way for us to negotiate meaning beyond statistical evidence and individual texts?

Emerging Church and the brain washed people of God

I have been wondering a little more intentionally lately about why people allow themselves to be dictated to by churches who still treat women as being lesser to men in the church. These churches say that women and women are equal but men and women have different roles. However, men can preach to women but women cannot preach to men. In some churches women are no longer allowed to be elders.
How can men make their partners attend churches like these? Why do men allow male clergy to get away with this kind of discrimination? Why do women go along with it? Why would parents want to bring their children up in this sort of environment? Is there something else controlling them? Fear? Fear that if they leave they will lose their salvation or that they are not good Christian women or men? Could this be a form of brain washing? How could people be tricked into thinking this is the gospel?
Has anyone left this kind of church and discovered that they are still loved by God?

The Emerging Church and the ungathered people of God

When we speak about an emerging church I wonder if we are restricting ourselves to only viewing God as working through the church? I wonder if we also restrict ourselves to seeing the church as Christian denominations, independent churches and congregations?

Maybe those who see themselves as an emerging movement within the church are responding to a God who is both within and outside the church; a God sensed in every part of life yet never pinned down to any part of life. Maybe we who call ourselves the 'gathered people of God' are recognising or being converted by the activity of God in those who could be named the ungathered or dispersed people of God.