Gushee, distinguished professor of ethics at Mercer University, is better than most at cutting through cultural clutter to find clarity.
I found his post to be so plaintive, prayerful, and prophetic that I wished more people would read it.Instead of rehashing his comments here, I think the best service I can offer today is to encourage our readers to take a long look at Gushee's lament, to let it soak in, to take it to Sunday School, to share it with others who may have let fear and expediency knock their spiritual bearings off kilter.
If you haven't read Gushee's prayerful piece, I hope you'll do so now. Here's the link.
3 comments:
Tony,
Reading Gushee's article was "spiritual torture" of biblical proportions.Once again I am reminded of how America's brand of Christianity reflects a pseudo reactionary faith. We tend to emphasize the cross event as a providential badge of "torture victory" instead of presenting the whole story as criminal and redemptive. Perhaps we should not be surprised that such a flawed message attracts those who are given to torture and other extreme methods to get a desired outcome.
Hi, Tony:
I hit the "publish now" key on my current blog post with a reasonable amount of fear and trepidation. I'm commenting on your blog so you might read mine.
Ms./Mr. Anonymous above - thank you for your insight regarding the criminality of the cross. To be completely honest, I've had a hard time wearing mine around my neck these days. We need to be able to have these conversations without being labeled heretical.
Thank you for providing a space for dialog.
The question of "is torture necessary" is one I hope none of us ever has to answer.
Just imagine if it was your daughter, kidnapped, and you have tied to a chair a smirking jerk who got left behind and knows the details, but won't give. Like the comment from the article. Just in case you missed it:
"Gushee's at it again
written by tenor1, May 05, 2009
Rubbish is right. Rather than place the torture thing in the context of the now dimly remembered post 9/11 world, let's make it personal. Suppose, David, your teen-age daughter (if you have one) has been kidnapped and is being repeated raped, brutalized, and is about to be murdered by a gang of thugs. Yet, you have managed to capture and bind one of them who knows where they have taken her. He refuses to tell, and sits there bound head and foot with a sneering smile. You have only 30 minutes or your daughter will be dead. How would you force this man to tell you? Would you force this man to tell you? Now suppose you have several thousand or million daughters. Real decisions had to be made, and I honor those decisions."
The above comment brings to mind my point. Are we people of principles, or not? Do we bend according to the circumstances, or stick to what we are supposed to believe?
If America had not lost so much credulity in the world already, I believe there wouldn't be so many misfits willing to go against us. You can't help but wonder how things would be if we somehow had acted more like God's people, instead of Satan's, during the past nearly 233 years?
Whatever mess we Americans are in today, is the result of our actions over the past. God keeps score, and always deals justice.
Your friendly scribe,
starduster
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