Article ~ "How Christianity Became Cool Again"

I have only ever posted my own stuff on my blog but this article was so interesting that I had to post it and pass it along.  It's from The Huffington Post and the author is listed below.  I hope you enjoy!

Paul Brandeis Raushenbush

Senior Religion Editor, The Huffington Post

How Christianity Became Cool Again

Posted: 07/29/2013 12:23 pm

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Christianity, Christianity, Religion and Politics, Desmond Tutu, Pope Francis, Christian Social Justice, Pope Francis LGBT, Pope Francis Gay, Religion and Sexuality, Religion News

Hallelujah! 2013 may be the year that it became cool again to be a Christian.

Given the last several decades of political domination of Christianity by a coalition that described themselves as 'the religious right', it is hard to remember that there was a time in the 20th century when Christians were cool and spoke with a powerful, prophetic voice to the major issues of our day.

There was a time when Christians like Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Berrigan brothers, Thomas Merton, Paul Tillich, Dorothy Day, Henri Nouwen, Howard Thurman, Reinhold Niebuhr and John Paul XXIII offered the basic framework for what Christianity meant to the world.

Collectively, these men and women offered some of the most philosophically deep and socially relevant thought of any kind. They inspired a generation of young people to work in racial reconciliation, environmentalism, economic justice, and anti-war activism. They fed the spirit, while also walking in Jesus' way of justice and peace.

In those days you could say you were a Christian and the above names might come to the mind of the listener -- and they were cool; meaning relevant, compelling, edgy, and forward thinking.

Sadly, that has not been true in recent history. And it has infected the American psyche so much so that when a stranger tells even me, a Christian pastor, that they are a Christian it puts me on edge. Imagine what it must do to a person of another faith or someone who don't subscribe to any religion.

This has been helped by the media who, when they have wanted a 'real Christian' on the show, turned to Jerry Falwell, Tony Perkins or James Dobson resulting in a Christian profile that represented a large, but by no means universal Christian outlook.

The generic Christian profile that has emerged over these last decades has been someone who does not believe in the equality between men and women, degrades LGBT people, is opposed to science, especially in regards to evolution or climate change, is suspicious of people of other faiths and no faith, and is pro-militarism in foreign policy.

In short, it has been a while since it has been cool to be Christian.

Well, 2013 may be the year that changes.

This week has been a particularly cool Christian week. To start with the amazing Pope Francis took advantage of his time in Rio for World Youth Day to make sure he visited the nearby favela (slum), a prison, and a drug addict center. While there, he continued his habit of speaking about the poor and inequality in a powerful, focused way that no world leader of any kind has for a long time:

No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world!. No amount of peace-building will be able to last, nor will harmony and happiness be attained in a society that ignores, pushes to the margins or excludes a part of itself.

In other words: No justice, no peace.

Pope Francis has consistently taken on the injustice in the world's financial systems and the indifference the world has towards the poor and the outcaste. Noticeably absent from the Pope's discourse has been the rights and dignity of gay people -- until Monday when the Pope shocked the world by saying "Who am I to judge gay people" and opened the door to gay priests and a basic softening of the church's hardline stance against LGBT peoples.

Cool.

The Pope was not the only world religious leader to make news this week on gay issues. On Friday, Archbishop Desmond Tutu rocked people's mind when he said that he would rather go to hell than a homophobic heaven. The icon of the anti-Apartheid movement made the comments at the launch of a United Nations gay rights program in South Africa:

I would not worship a God who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this. I am as passionate about this campaign as I ever was about apartheid. For me, it is at the same level.

Really cool.

But these are just the latest headlines that are bubbling up with cool Christians doing relevant compelling things. The United Church of Christ has voted to divest from fossil fuelcompanies, the Episcopal Church is headed by an amazing woman who is both a scientist and pastor and who is spearheading the conversation between science and religion;

Evangelicals are taking the lead on climate change, the American Bishops are lobbying for immigration reform, the Patriarch Bartholomew is known as the 'Green Patriarch' for his work on the environment, Christians are involved with innovative and crucial dialogue with people of other faiths and no faiths; and pastors and priests across the country and the world are ministering to broken people with love and compassion every day.

Christianity is cool again.

Here is one case in point. On Gay Pride Sunday in New York I invited a couple of my colleagues to a church where a friend of mine is the pastor. They were having a 'disco mass' and I thought my friends might be intrigued enough to go. They were.

We had a great time at the church. My friends fell in love with the pastor whose style was relaxed and hip, and whose sermon was smart and compelling. They loved the community feel of the congregation, and they thought the ideas they heard there a good way to start gay pride.

Mind you, neither of them had been to church of their own volition -- ever. And they may never go back to church. I really don't care -- they are wonderful, spiritual, and ethical people -- I don't need them to become Christian.

However, by being there they understood a little more about why I am Christian, and how Christianity guides the way I view the world and do the things I do. And even with that short glimpse they respected my faith more than they had before.

If more Christians can speak out the way Pope Francis and Archbishop Tutu have this week and so many have been in recent memory -- it will change the way people view Jesus and the faith that he inspires in so many of us.

And that will be so cool.

The Art of Letting Go, And Other Impossible Tasks

Many years ago, the summer after my senior year of high school, my parents took me and my friend Dusti on a trip to a beautiful place in Canada called Prince Edward Island.  (If you haven’t heard of it, look it up.  Go there.   You won’t be disappointed as it is definitely worth the trip.)  Were I to go to this paradise at the age I am now, I would probably have enjoyed the history, buildings, and architecture more.  And even though it wasn't at the top of my list, I do have a lasting memory of how beautiful and peaceful and significantly untouched the island was at the time.  I remember we were driving down to the docks to get some fresh seafood to cook and the driver in front of us pulled over to let us pass.  Not because they were angry, not because we were speeding, and not because of safety issues; but simply because they were happy to be going a certain speed and pulled over with a smile and a cheery wave as if to say, “Good day to you!  I just feel like cruising along here so you go right along around me and enjoy your day!”  That happened several times while we were there, always with a hearty wave and a warm smile.   I look back on that now and think that more often we need to not care about how fast we are going but rather enjoy the “getting there” part.  There is some bumper sticker platitude out there about enjoying the journey and not the destination but I digress terribly as this blog has absolutely nothing to do with what I've talked about so far, other than the first part is something I learned on that trip.

So, like Bill Cosby would so often say, “I told you that story to tell you this one.” 

As I mentioned, while in Prince Edward Island (or PEI, as the cool kids say) Dusti and I were more interested in what the beach and water had to offer than in what the historical buildings had to offer.  One day we were lucky enough to run into a group of possibly unsuitable companions who were friends with the local guy who ran the marina.  I say “possibly unsuitable” because the only thing we knew about them is that they were cute, surfers, Australian and ran a surf-wear business called “Cousin Smoothies Surf Shoppe”.  I know, right?  Impressive.  Anyhow, they managed to arrange a day out on the water for us.  We had access to every possible motorized or sail driven water toy that you could think of and we had a blast.  The last part of the day we attempted (mostly unsuccessfully) to water ski.  The number one rule of water skiing is to learn how to let go when you fall.  Seriously, that is the most difficult part to learn.  They explained to us that the natural instinct is to hold onto the bar when you fall.  I thought, “Well that’s dumb.  Of course you’d let go.”  But sure enough, the first time I fell I clung on for dear life and I imagine that I looked somewhat like a gopher tunneling under the water.  I didn't let go until it registered to me that everyone on the boat was screaming, “LET GO!  LET GO!”  So the second time around I was sure that I would instantly let go.  But no, I didn't.  I clung on to that bar and had to force myself to release my grip.  Time after time, I fell and each time I had to give myself that mental slap and think, “LET GO!”  I learned two things that day: 1. I can’t water ski and 2. They really weren't kidding about that “natural instinct” thing.

Now, I told you THAT story to tell you this one.

One problem that I find myself facing over and over in life is letting go.  It’s kind of a thing for me.  Sometimes it’s a good thing because I hang in there with people when sometimes others have given up and walked away.  Sometimes it’s a bad thing when I can’t let go of hurt or anger.  So the theme of letting go has been on my mind a lot lately.  It’s something that I feel I constantly need to practice.

A few days ago, Savannah and I were having a disagreement.  Shocking right?  A parent and a teen disagreeing?  What we were talking about isn't even significant.   What was significant was the back and forth that we were in.  It went on much longer than it should have and neither one of us would stop.  Two days later neither one of us even remembers what we were going back and forth about.  But this I do remember, when we finally got to the point where we separated, I felt totally exhausted.  As if I’d been swimming for miles.  Frustrated and completely worn out I posted this on Facebook:

“Trying to have a logical conversation with an emotional teen is like trying to save a hysterical person from drowning. You go into it with good intentions but eventually you realize that it is completely futile and eventually you wind up being pulled under along with them.   (I also like the analogy that it's like trying to nail jell-o to a tree but I didn't come up with that one.)”

I still mean what I posted on Facebook and I try to look at most parenting things with humor.  But my comment about drowning made me pull up that memory of my long ago attempt at skiing.  Wow, that could not be any more accurate of my discussion with Savannah although I had no one on the boat yelling, “LET GO!  LET GO!”  And I did feel as if I had been pulled under water for a good mile or two.  And whose fault was that?  One hundred percent mine!  Luckily, I am already fairly self-aware that letting go is not a strong suit for me.  It’s great when it’s done in a positive manner and in that respect it’s one of my best traits.  However, when it comes to letting go of the negative stuff, I could use a few more lessons.  I have come to really believe that one of the real keys to happiness is learning when to let go.

The truth is Happiness isn't something you attain. Happiness is a natural state of being we have forgotten how to nurture and experience. And then when we sometimes experience happiness for no good reason, we are unable to prolong it, to hold on to it and make it stay around.  That’s the difference between knowing when to hang on and when to let go.

I wrote down a few things that I think are pretty important on the “Letting Go” list.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a master of this list.  It’s very much a work in progress.  Some I have mastered and some are a bit more within my reach.  Perhaps one day I’ll be a “Letting Go Master” and create some kind of badge for myself.

Until then here it is, the “Letting Go” list according to Christie: 

1) Let go of the guilt you have been needlessly carrying about. It serves no purpose anyway as the action or inaction you feel guilty for cannot be undone. You can, however, vow to change and not act in a way you think is unwise in the future. Love yourself and do not judge yourself. Forgive yourself.

2) Let go of hatred. Let go of hatred for yourself, for others, for what has been done to you, for what you perceive has been done to you…pretty much anything hate filled needs to go out the window.  Carrying anger and hate will shorten your life.  Don’t believe me?  Google this:  Physical Effects of Stress on Your Body.

3) Let go of jealousy. What can it matter what any other person has if they do not possess happiness (and very few people do)? What does it matter if your lover has left you and is now with another? Let go of the jealousy and rejoice in their new found joy. Find your own joy. Find peace of mind by letting go of YOUR jealousy.

4) Let go of desire for things. Things are not evil. Things are not bad. But telling yourself you cannot be happy without a bigger house, a faster car or a better looking wife or richer husband is a recipe for a lifetime of unhappiness!  Be happy with what you have and where you are.  If you find yourself constantly changing jobs, relationships, friendships, or where you live; chances are the happy you are looking for needs to be found in yourself first before you go trying to find it somewhere else. 

5) Let go of resentment. It is really a form of hatred. No, that mean bully that beat you up every day at school in the 7th grade was not a good person. But hating them or resenting what others have done to you gives a place for hatred to grow within you and that hatred and resentment will keep happiness out.  Bless those who have done you wrong. Pray for them to find freedom from whatever is keeping them from being happy and you will open the door for more joy than you ever knew was possible.

6) Can’t let it go?  Then let that go too.  No one is perfect.  If you are having trouble letting go of something don’t give up, just give it time, look at it from a different angle, or put it on a mental shelf until you are ready to actually let it go.  It’s not always easy and you need to give yourself permission to be a work in progress. 

Most importantly is the one thing that you can NEVER let go of, Hope.  There is always another path or another solution.  It might not be the one you thought you were looking for but part of letting go is learning to live a more relaxed and flexible life.  And if you’re looking around and think that maybe you did let go of your hope, give me a holler on Facebook.  We’ll look for it together. 

Let go of all negative thoughts and attitudes and your life will change. The light will enter and fill your entire being and the root cause of unhappiness will forever be rooted out. Happiness is a flower that must be cultivated and with practice you will learn to... just... let... go.

You ARE Worthy

It has been said that we get our ideas of our own self worth from the people in our lives that mean the most to us. We can also get our beliefs about ourselves from those we meet casually or even just once. Impressions that people make on us can have a profound impact on our self image. In other words, if the people in our lives give us a sense that they love us and we mean something to them, then we feel like we have value and are worth something.

The problem with that thinking is that over the course of time people's feelings change. People's opinions can shift. If you truly base your own self worth on someone else's perspective, what might happen to you (mentally) if those same people turn their backs on you? What might you do if one of those people is your spouse and now they want a divorce? How do you reconcile the fact that the person who promised to love you forever, no longer does? 

How do you judge your self worth if you've been laid off of fired from a job you hard at and meant a great deal to you?  What do you do when even if only subconsciously, the person you have entrusted with your self worth moves away, leaves you, lets you down, or dies?

People also have a bad habit of attributing their sense of worth and self esteem to the material things they have been able to achieve in life, or more to the point; what they have not been able to achieve. People often have a skewed perception that the accumulation of money, wealth and things puts a higher value on their own lives. Things don't make people happy nor do they raise or lower your own value.

Believing that your self worth comes from others or other things can be problematic. You can be trapped in a vicious cycle of never living up to your own potential because you are constantly searching in the wrong direction to get the approval from those that matter in your life. You are not here on Earth to live your life through other people. This is your life and you have the God-given right to live it as you please. If you spend your life trying to always accumulate the next big electronic that hits the market or that new car in the showroom, you will never have the time to sit back and enjoy what you already have. Instead you will be a complainer. Always voicing your opinion about what is not right with the stuff you have. "I wish I had this," and "I need this". You are so worried about what other people have compared to you. You'll wind up a bitter, unhappy person that most people won't even want to be around.

Your self worth should never be determined by what other people think. You are not a commodity whose value changes with the whim of a fickle market. There is nothing wrong with you when people reject you or people hurt you. Have you lost the value that you had yesterday because today someone no longer wants to be your friend? No, I suspect the problem might be with the other person. Are you somehow worth less today than you were yesterday because someone today cursed you out? Of course not. You are the same special person you have always been. Their opinion has changed or their feelings but you haven’t changed.

Never allow what others say about you or what someone does to you to affect the way you feel about yourself. There is not another you anywhere else in existence. When people let you down. When things don’t go your way. When people curse you, bless them. When people reject you, know that you deserve to be loved just the way you are. By putting a stop to the ugliness and bitterness that causes them to act the way they do you prevent their words and actions from dragging you under.  You should never let someone else’s attitude problem or their hatred tear you down. 

Don’t believe me? Have you ever been in a great mood only to lose it when someone in a bad mood enters the room and their mood permeates the room? Now their behavior and attitude has rubbed off on everyone else. You’ve allowed someone else to dictate to you what kind of mood to have. 

Turn the tables on them and don’t allow them to affect you. Ignore them. Concentrate on what is good in life. Instead of letting that person dictate your actions, you be in control and affect their mood for the better.

Don’t allow other people to determine your self worth. Don’t let your circumstances dictate to you your self esteem. Don’t allow Hollywood, the internet, your spouse, your parents, your children or even your own perception of yourself to determine your self worth. You need to know that your inner beauty far out weighs what people see on the outside. Your compassion and empathy towards others far surpass your self loathing or self pity.

Understand that you don’t need permission from someone else to know that you are worthy.  You are worthy simply “because” and not for any other reason.  Don’t wait for someone to bestow that upon you.  Gift yourself with the knowledge that no one can give or take away your worth.  


No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.  ~Eleanor Roosevelt