Friday, July 27, 2012
Saturday, April 18, 2009
First Post!
Wooh first blog post! Yeah!
But actually, despite this being my first post I actually have a few things to say.
First order of business: the Christianity exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural science.
So two weeks ago I went to this exhibit. I was surprised that it was even being presented in the first place. I mean, there are two things that we're never supposed to talk about: religion and politics (which somehow come up a lot in ALL my classes at school...) and the museum, which in my opinion is a more of a tourist place/family fun place (I mean seriously, yeah it's educational, but the place is usually packed with families who have young kids and the museum has its own McDonalds. I guess in the words of Mr. Tumlinson - it's a chocolate swirl.) than a completely scientific environment. I guess I shouldn't go to the museum expecting a university science lab.
Anyways, I was surprised the exhbit even made it in. However my surprise wasn't enough to discourage a small hope that the presentation wouldn't be completely secular, but it was.
That's not to say it wasn't good.
The exhibit focused more on the cultural aspects of the Jewish world (especially that in Jerusalem) in the years leading up to and after when Jesus was on earth. For the strict theologian I could see how some of the material presented might not be important (for example - flasks and tubes used to carry makeup, perfume and other valuable liquids), but to me it seemed right on track. Some of the cultural parts of the bible (and I'm not about to get into an argument on biblical inerrancy) are just plain confusing to us. I mean, "I am the bread of life" and "I am the living water"? Where these metaphors might have made sense to Jewish communities then (atleast on a symbolic level) to the average american who knows nothing about any sort of world cultural it make more sense to translate these parts of the bible as "I am the pizza of life" and "I am the living diet pepsi" (And please, don't do this, I'm just trying to illustrate a point...) And where the museum, because of social stigma, couldn't focus directly on Jesus and his resurrection, it explained a lot of the social cirumstances around it.
So I did appreciate the exhibit, even if it wasn't any deep apologetic experience. I say it was well worth my time. I would recommend it, but it's gone...
Second Order of Business: The Notre Dame/Obama thing.
Notre Dame being a school that I am considering, I was deeply upset when I heard Obama was to give the commencement speech. I wasn't upset because I'm conservative (even though I am). I wasn't upset because I hate Obama (which I DO NOT). I was upset because Obama, as a liberal, has views on abortion and the value of human life that I definately don't agree with. And Notre Dame being a Catholic school (for those of you who don't know - Catholics are definiately Pro-Life), I would have expected a situation such as this not to happen.
Well now there's a new twist to the story. Apparently I'm not the only one upset. Now there's a whole website to get rid of Notre Dame president Father Jenkins (replacejenkins.com), not because they don't like Obama, or because they don't like Father Jenkins but because with their conscience they cannot support this attack on the value of human life.
check out the website yourself.
But actually, despite this being my first post I actually have a few things to say.
First order of business: the Christianity exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural science.
So two weeks ago I went to this exhibit. I was surprised that it was even being presented in the first place. I mean, there are two things that we're never supposed to talk about: religion and politics (which somehow come up a lot in ALL my classes at school...) and the museum, which in my opinion is a more of a tourist place/family fun place (I mean seriously, yeah it's educational, but the place is usually packed with families who have young kids and the museum has its own McDonalds. I guess in the words of Mr. Tumlinson - it's a chocolate swirl.) than a completely scientific environment. I guess I shouldn't go to the museum expecting a university science lab.
Anyways, I was surprised the exhbit even made it in. However my surprise wasn't enough to discourage a small hope that the presentation wouldn't be completely secular, but it was.
That's not to say it wasn't good.
The exhibit focused more on the cultural aspects of the Jewish world (especially that in Jerusalem) in the years leading up to and after when Jesus was on earth. For the strict theologian I could see how some of the material presented might not be important (for example - flasks and tubes used to carry makeup, perfume and other valuable liquids), but to me it seemed right on track. Some of the cultural parts of the bible (and I'm not about to get into an argument on biblical inerrancy) are just plain confusing to us. I mean, "I am the bread of life" and "I am the living water"? Where these metaphors might have made sense to Jewish communities then (atleast on a symbolic level) to the average american who knows nothing about any sort of world cultural it make more sense to translate these parts of the bible as "I am the pizza of life" and "I am the living diet pepsi" (And please, don't do this, I'm just trying to illustrate a point...) And where the museum, because of social stigma, couldn't focus directly on Jesus and his resurrection, it explained a lot of the social cirumstances around it.
So I did appreciate the exhibit, even if it wasn't any deep apologetic experience. I say it was well worth my time. I would recommend it, but it's gone...
Second Order of Business: The Notre Dame/Obama thing.
Notre Dame being a school that I am considering, I was deeply upset when I heard Obama was to give the commencement speech. I wasn't upset because I'm conservative (even though I am). I wasn't upset because I hate Obama (which I DO NOT). I was upset because Obama, as a liberal, has views on abortion and the value of human life that I definately don't agree with. And Notre Dame being a Catholic school (for those of you who don't know - Catholics are definiately Pro-Life), I would have expected a situation such as this not to happen.
Well now there's a new twist to the story. Apparently I'm not the only one upset. Now there's a whole website to get rid of Notre Dame president Father Jenkins (replacejenkins.com), not because they don't like Obama, or because they don't like Father Jenkins but because with their conscience they cannot support this attack on the value of human life.
check out the website yourself.
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