Rant of the Exiles

"I have a good idea, for if you meet some person from a different religion and he wants to make  an argument about God. My idea is, you listen to everything this man says about God. Never argue about God with him. Best thing to say is, 'I agree with you.' Then you go home, pray what you want. This is my idea for people to have peace about religion." - Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love "Religion is like a pair of shoes. . . Find one that fits for you, but don’t make me wear your shoes."  - George Carlin, comedian "The liberal idea of tolerance is more and more a kind of intolerance. What it means is 'Leave me alone; don't harass me; I'm intolerant towards your over-proximity."   - Slavoj Zizek, Slovene philosopher Gilbert's quote encourages people to lie to each other and pretend to agree, as if that will keep people from fighting about religion. Carlin's quote stems from being hurt by zealous, insens...

Imagine this scene. A husband wants to celebrate his wedding anniversary by having a romantic, candle-lit dinner with his wife. He makes reservations weeks in advance at an exclusive eatery known as much for its ambiance as its cuisine. Can you guess what type of restaurant he picked?  The top three possibilities? Italian, French, and Japanese. European cuisine is sexy personified. Italian food leads this list. The spaghetti scene from the Lady and the Tramp is unforgettable. And nothing is more romantic than Venice. When you have like 5000 different kinds of pasta and each one has a sexy name, you know you're doing well.       And French fare is a close second. The French know food and they know romance. Think Paris. Think originator of the renown Michelin Guide. Think sidewalk cafes, baguettes, wine, cheese, and candles.  And don't get me started on Japanese food. They massage their cows to make the beef more tender. Sushi is not...

Rule by all animals, for all animals:  No, it's not a post-modern interpretation of C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles. Lynn White, in his famous speech about the contributions of Christianity towards our current ecological crisis, implies that we follow Saint Francis of Assisi's example and depose man's monarchy over nature. In it's place, we  should install a democracy where all creatures rule together as equals. I don't know how that works.  He explains that Western civilization is anti-environmental because of Christianity. Since he's a historian, he traces the thought patterns of Christian leaders throughout the ages. He makes excellent points that we as Christians should learn from. But his understanding of the bible is off. The bible is not anti-environment. Far from it. And what the bible says is important especially where the environment is concerned.  One common verse used to justify Western Christianity's abuse of the environment ...

During the mid-1990s, one constant topic in my college fellowship was dating. Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) was big on this. As men, we were encouraged to go group dates, heard talks about being initiators, and had small group discussions about dating/marriage. My campus director, Rod Howard, introduced me to Josh Harris' cassette (!) series before he even wrote his seminal book. This environment influenced me profoundly. So before Judy and I started dating, I had already decided on my Big Three - that is, the three non-negotiable qualities for the woman I wanted to marry. There aren't many dating principles that I would still uphold after twenty years. I'm certainly no longer a proponent of courtship a la Josh Harris / Bill Gothard-style. I'm much more receptive to different types of dating arrangements. I can find biblical wisdom in arranged marriages. But one thing I feel pretty good about almost twenty years later is this set of non-negotiables. They are:...

I attended a funeral yesterday and like all funerals, it got me thinking about my own mortality. A couple  thoughts: 1) Don't wear black to my funeral: I get why people wear black to funerals. I get the whole mourning and sadness thing. And I think I understand the particular tragedy of an unexpected death. Wearing black is a cultural expression of grief. But I don't get why we as Christians have to do what everyone else does. After all, we have a different view of death. If we truly believe there is life after death and that death is not the end, then why would we mourn when someone dies? It is a good-bye celebration. The rest of the culture mourns but as believers, we celebrate. If someone is going to remember my life, I want it to be a real celebration. If Jesus is the resurrection and I'm in a better place, then we should party. I want to look down from heaven and see people wearing lime green, fuschia, bright orange, and yellow. I would love to hear some good jo...

What is the Christian alpha way to handle a relationship inequity? Let's say the vast majority of the times you eat out with your girlfriend, she ends up deciding the restaurant. At first, you feel comfortable letting her make the call but later you feel a little resentful because you really felt like Gombei Bento but she was pining for Falafel's Drive-In . Being a Christian alpha male means embracing paradox. On one hand, we're called as Christians to lay down our rights and preferences in surrender. We submit. It is completely counter-cultural and it means winning by losing . On the other hand, as an alpha male, you're dominant. You're a rock. You initiate. You don't ask permission, you do and don't apologize. You don't win by losing. You win by winning. Ultimately, being a Christian alpha male is about surrender but its not just surrender of our preferences, its surrender of the outcome. There are two issues to sort through in order to negoti...

Racial privilege is a first culture phenomenon. DJ Chuang recently   transcribed   some of Tim Keller's thoughts on racial privilege. Keller nor Chuang use the term "first culture" but that's what racial privilege is.  Keller highlights a feature of raising financial support that I've thought about but never unraveled as deeply as Keller does. Keller says it is much easier for white people than for minorities to raise financial support for Christian work. A young college graduate who joins the staff of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship will solicit contributions to fund his salary. If he is white, he will have an easier time doing this than if he was part of a minority group. White people have more extensive networks than minority groups. White people know more rich people than minority groups. And perhaps most importantly, white culture is more receptive to volunteerism than minority cultures. White people enjoy giving to causes.  This is rings true ...