So our Sunday School class is reading The Shack.  Supposedly it's this revolutionary way of understanding God and drawing closer blahblahblah (please note that these blahs do not reflect my feeling about those goals but about the book).

The book starts with a foreword which claims that the story yo're about to read really happened to a friend of the author who is ghost writing for the friend.  This foreword sets you up for this to be non-fiction.  What then begins to unfold is the story of a man who is in the midst of The Great Sadness of his life.  Turns out that The Great Sadness (that's the way it's always said in the book) is a result of the man's youngest daughter (6) being kidnapped, presumably sexually abused, and killed when he dives into the lake to save his son from drowning on a camping trip.  This becomes "anger point 1" for me.  A bit of research turns up the fact that this is NOT based on actual events.

Don't get me wrong.  I do not want such a horrible thing to happen to any child.  However, the fact that the book presumes to play on my emotions by not just setting up a horribly emotinal frame story (that I can deal with, because once I shut the book, I can separate myself from the story), but by trying to make me believe that it actually happened (which is much harder to deal with because shutting the book and it's fictional world does not turn it off!).  That's a level of manipulation that is unacceptable to me.  Yes, the emotional frame story, in and of itself, is manipulation, but to pretend that it's real takes it to a whole different and unacceptable level and turns it from fiction into deception.

"Anger point 2" happens when we first meet God at the shack.  The author has the whole Trinity depicted in different persons, and while I'm not trinitarian (I find it to be an overused metaphor with little if any meaning left in it), I'm ok with this creative approach.  I'm more than ok with the fact that God "the Father" (called Papa throughout) is originally depicted as an African American woman.  What annoyed me is that the first time we see her she uses an sterotypical "mammy" dialect which I feel is not only unecessary but harmful.  I will grant the author the fact that he really drops that dialect after the first appearance (though that makes me question the editorial process....).

Really, those are the end of that which pissed me off about the book.  The rest is just me going, "Really?"

And then the book really seems to be nothing but repackaged orthodoxy.  There are a FEW things that were decent, different, but for all of it's claim to be not what you get in church - I found that it was EXACTLY what you get sitting in church, just worded and presented in a way that you don't fall asleep listening to.  We have some weird explanation for why Jesus had to be male (which in the book ignores the historical reality of his time and place, but whatever).  A "nicer" version of complimentarinism, but still very much complimentarinism. 

There are some unorthodox points in it, but even most of those are packaged not much differently from other "mostly" orthodox Christian writers.  His bit about having children of all faiths rather than just Christianity sent me mentally right to The Last Battle (admittedly, one of the few points I feel that CSL got right (or partially right)!).  The author wavered between universality and a doctrine of Hell.  I couldn't figure out where he stood, and I'm not sure he did either.  I'll give him credit there as he asked the questions without needing to come to a neat solution.  And, despite the complimentarinism, he's constantly rebuking any idea of hierarchy.  For these, I do give him some modicum of credit.

Then there's the cheesiness.  "Papa" likes the name Elousia (and as an OT scholar I'm just thinking, "oy... if you're going to do that, at least use the tetragrammaton... wait, no... don't... but... still, really?"), Jesus is a carpenter and walks with Mack on the water, Sophia appears not as Sarayu (the Holy Spirit, portrayed as a small overly energetic Asian American woman) but as a different person separate from the Trinity, and there are some scenes that remind me of how I felt in book 7 (Um, well, he forgave Dumbledore just a bit too easily there...).

Probably, my biggest disagreement is his theme (leit motif if you will) throughout the book is that humanity's independence is the exact opposite of what God wants.  This independence is constantly brought up and seems to become the "enemy."  (Thankfully, there are no demons).  Instead of God trying to encourage humanity (and Mack in particular) to learn how to use that independence for good, how to grow into that independence so that they/he are capable of being in a healthy relationship with God and the world, God wants Mack (and humanity) to abandon that independence.

There's also the far too "comfortable" theodicy that envelopes the book.  It's too simple, too easy.  Mack is chided for being angry at God, and every bit of theodicy seems taken right out of "how not to think for yourself" Sunday School class.  It all comes down to this human independence and the brokeness from the "Fall? (yep, you can probably guess how I feel about the "Fall").  Instead of being encouraged to wrestle and be honest with his emotions, Mack is encouraged to trust God.  There's even a court room scene that suggests that even feeling that way (see Job) is an unacceptable arrogance.  Job repents in dust and ashes after wrestling with questions similar to Mack's.  The phrase "dust and ashes" is one that scholars argue over what it means and can either be sardonic or a sign of grief and humility.  I tend to think that Job is saying to God, "Well, sorry that I'm just human and all this sill seems wrong to me, but we both know you'll win, so I'm just shutting up now" (but I'm a cynic).  Mack tends to just accept that he has no right to be angry at God for what happened to his daughter.

Over all, I don't believe that this book really brings anything new to the table.  Its popularity has me sad about the pop spirituality and easy answers that our culture seems to crave.

So I've been avoiding some things for a while.  That included livejournal and facebook.  I'll try to check more and post more.

That's all really.

There is far more than I can talk about just here.

It was interesting when my mother repeatedly stated how we (my folks, sister, myself, and our husbands) are a functional family, in fact the most functional one she knows.  I wanted to scream.  She has no clue just how dysfunctional we are.  I'm a bit amazed that she can be so clueless.

Apparently, Angela on Bones is gay (bi?).  I did not know this.  Listening to my parents talk rather vehemently about how horrible that is is not how I wanted to learn that.  (Bones comes on on Wednesday nights at 8 while I'm at choir, so I'm not current on Bones).  I actually think that this is a good thing, just not how I wanted to learn it.

I think it's just horrid to light Chanukka candles and pray that Jews will come to see the truth of Christ.  That's just... wrong... and rather anti-semitic even if not intentionally.

There's more stuff, but that's what stood out as the "highlights" just now.

So, yesterday I experienced several things that I think I could have died without ever having to go through, thank you very much!

• My eyes swelling shut
• Epinephrine shots - not just 1 but 2!  (After already getting two shots that day!)
• Using a Nebulizer
• My heart racing even though I was perfectly calm

I reached maintenance yesterday.  And within 5 minutes I was having what's called a "systemic reaction."  What this means is that my body was flooded with histamines.  It affected my eyes, my respiratory system (nose started running fiercely, drainage, and breathing became labored (though not enough to concern the doctor)), and my skin (the skin in my face primarily and around the injection site became swollen with water - thus my eyes swelling shut).

I had not waited the 30 minutes, and had left.  Fortunately, it hit within 5 minutes, so I really only had to (realized before I got all the way) drive one block, make a u-turn, park, throw some eye drops in my eyes, and go into the office.

I went up to the window and was asked, "What's going on?"  The nurse did not see me fully at first when she asked this question.

"I don't know."  By this time she'd moved to see me clearly around the receptionist.

She laughed - though it was an ironic sympathetic laugh.  "You would have a reaction just after I told you it wasn't likely.  Let's get you to the back."  As she's saying this, she's moving to come out of the receptionist area and to take me down the hall.

She quickly takes my blood pressure and pulse, calling for liquid anti-histamine as she's doing it.  Then after calling for the doctor and me taking the liquid zyrtec, she gives me the first shot of epinephrine.  However, I continue to swell and eventually have to close my eyes.  They wind up giving me a 2nd shot.  I had 2 nurses and the doctor keeping an eye on me.

While the experience itself was not fun - it was not too scarey either since I was there and they're perfectly equipped to deal with it, I feel so very confident with the doctor and nurses now.  I always thought they were good, but after how caring and quick they were to tend with me, my confidence has gone up even more!  I did not really panic at any point, though I did express that how I was feeling and how quickly it came on was kind of scarey.  I was never really scared though since while they were quick to respond they were also calm.

I can also tell you that in the future I will be staying for thirty minutes after my shots, thank you!

Today was an interesting Sunday School.  My class is small (4) and only 2 of us were there and we're between books, so we met with another class today.

The reflection for today was on prologue to the Gospel of John.  And the emphasis was on the idea of "everlasting light."

However, what was really interesting was to think about the fact that we have too much light in our world today.  We actually have excess light.  The problem is that we need darkness.

What does Jesus being the light mean in today's world? 

Do we need darkness?  What is the benefit of darkness?

I don't have the answer to these questions, but these are things that I'm wondering right now as I prepare for Christmas.

I'm also wondering what I want for Christmas.  I cannot really think of anything in particular that I need or want.  I know that it might be too late to do this, but I"m really thinking that I what I want are gifts made to social justice concerns in my name or just homemade thoughtful gifts.  I don't know that I really want to be a part of the "commercialization" of Christmas this year.

Edit: I have no idea what the freudian finger slip of Theocracy meant...

So in the world of Charmed, the reason for evil seems to have to do with a Cosmic Balance.  The end of season 6 and all of season 7 deal with this issue.

The reason the Avatars turn out to be "bad guys" is that their understanding of Utopia is one without any conflict.  To this end, any humans (or demons - though they intend to kill all the demons)  who are not "cured" of conflict are erased, killed.  And those around them are brain washed into believing that this is a good thing.

At the end of Season 6 a great "good" was done in the "mirror universe" (think Star Trek - same basic idea) which lead to the two worlds being thrown off balance and in the "real world" the smallest wrong results in amputation or capital punishment.

So the answer, for the Charmed-verse, as to why evil exists is that without evil there can be no good.  The balance between the two is what keeps the world spinning, so to speak.

I have to admit, I don't find that to be extremely compelling (though I love Charmed!!!).  It has got me to thinking though. 

What is my understanding regarding why there is evil in the world.

(First, let me clearly state that I'm talking about moral evil, not about horrible things that happen in the natural world - ie. earthquakes, tsunamis, cancer, etc.)

And here is where the fact that I am a Pelagian shines through.

I believe that evil exists because we make choices.  And sometimes, we make choices that are morally bad, that are so selfish that they are evil.  I don't need demons or a devil to explain why bad things happen.  I don't understand humans to be inherently depraved.  Rather I believe that free will means that we have the ability to choose good or evil, and we do so every day. 

That keeps us constantly "on the hook."  Oh, sure, sometimes we'll screw up.  But we're each responsible.  And saying that "we're only human" is nothing more than an excuse.

Is it a heavy burden?  Sure, but that is what it means to be human.

darkaire this is for you.

I don't know much about Dr. Who, though I remember seeing parts of it as a kid, but I do check Cake Wrecks on a daily basis, and am often amused.  Even though I don't fully get the reference (beyond what's explained by the blogger), I did find this wreck to be rather amusing, and thought that you would enjoy it.

I said I would share where I found this if I found it watchable online.

I haven't reread the first book in a while, but this is looking good.

Legend of the Seeker.

So the visit to friends was mostly good.  I think that John was more shocked then I was at how conservative our friends are.  I think he also got more of the brunt of it than I did.  The girls (there was a girls/guys breakfast) did not really talk about politics.  The guys, apparently, talked about nothing BUT politics.  However, when politics was not the conversation, it was a pretty good visit.

Except for the fact that we went to church with them.  Now, I knew that we would be going to an extremely conservative/fundamentalist church Sunday morning.  However, I figured that it would just mean that we'd have to sit through some relatively benign boring fundamentalist sermon.  I guess I would not have been entirely surprised if it was related to the election, but when the pastor said what the passage was, I found myself thinking, "Of course it is.  I'm so not surprised that THAT'S where you are in the week that we're here... fun... gah."

So, this pastor is the kind who picks a book and preaches through it verse by verse (at least he picks a book and goes through it.  Not being there every Sunday, I'm not 100% sure how he does it).  Well, he's in the book of Colossians, and of course he goes on the assumption that it is written by Paul rather being one of the disputed Pauline letters.  But not only is it the book of Colossians, but yesterday's sermon was Colossians 3:18-19.  Now, for those of you who don't know, that's the shorter version of the "wives submit; men love" bit of the Household Codes.  I could have scripted his sermon, for the most part, myself as nothing new was said at all.

Gah!

Oh, and the music, praise music with no depth.  I don't mind praise and contemporary music, but it has to have depth be theologically good, please.

I know that part of the reason I'm bummed is because it looks like Proposition 8 passed in California.  I had really hoped that along with MA and CT, CA could lead the way in this fight for justice.  I wish that VA could, but two years ago, we made that tragic decision.

However, I think most of the fact that I'm bummed comes from the personal consequences I expect it to happen.  Will I be outed as a liberal to those I have been so very careful to cover around?  Will my parents learn that after much careful thought and consideration, I am no longer "pro-life" as they define it?  From their perspective, there is no justification, and yet I do believe that legislating it out is not the way to reduce the number of abortions, nor can I see it as a black and white issue.

We're going to see friends this weekend, all of whom are part of the evangelical religious right.  I cannot imagine that the recent election will not come up.  Will we be safe?  Will we come home with them still our friends?

I have to admit, I'm much more stressed about family then I am friends.  I would miss them, a lot, but I think that I would be ok if the worse happens there.  I'm not sure what will happen, however, if/when my parents learn the truth...