i love morris: No one way to be a "believer"

Friday, February 23, 2024

No one way to be a "believer"

Another week closer to Easter, yes. We celebrate the gruesome death of this man named Jesus who "died for our sins." Thus, "those who believe" will have "eternal life." I could try to tell myself all day that this is true, but I cannot.

Religion is OK when it tries to instruct us on doing the right thing, to treat others as we would want to be treated. The most committed Christians would rebut that by saying "good works" do not figure in at all. All that matters is "faith." How many of you get confused if you just think about that a while? I would be enthused about believing anything that I really thought was true.

There are too many ways that the Christ story could simply be a fabrication. People with political or philosophical motives can pull all sorts of deception. Look at how so much of Christianity in America has become so intertwined with right wing politics. Many of these spokespeople would actually defend the ties as being essential to the Christian faith, but wait a minute, I thought that "having faith" was the only thing that mattered.

For sure there was a nice turnout at Faith Lutheran Church in Morris Wednesday night. I'm assuming. All the gentle young families setting the proper example for their kids. We want the kids to be nice and do all the nice things. That is wonderful. But, steering them toward the Christian story with all its unspeakable violence just before Easter? That is unnecessary.

I remember growing up at First Lutheran in Morris, taking part in all the things because it was required by my parents. We would "dress up" for Sunday services. Take "confirmation" classes.

Then during the week, I'd come home after school and turn on the evening newscasts because I had high interest for someone my age. And of course there would be a flood of news about this thing called the Vietnam war. It was a bummer, just like hearing about the violence done to Christ at the end of his life.

Violence, violence, violence. Why? Why not focus on a happier template?

Why do I ask such inconvenient questions? The Vietnam war was a nightmare that happened to be real. The flood of news on our TV screen came to include news about the protests and "counterculture" from the young. And could you blame them?

How many young men killed directly in the Vietnam war? Close to 60,000? Think if all of them could have been allowed to live out a normal life and to fulfill their potential, potential for goodness and for fulfillment that God instilled in them.

Jesus Christ

There, now I sound like a believer, don't I? Maybe I really am.

But I want nothing to do with church around Easter-time. We have let Mel Gibson influence us with a choice toward emphasizing the literal torture of Christ. Can't help but be reminded of how John Wayne influenced us during the time of the Vietnam war.

Can't you all see that these guys are professional entertainers? They are good at their craft, good at knowing what the American people will "buy." They are flawed human beings like the rest of us. To know them would be no different from knowing anyone else. We let them become bigger than life. We are in denial about this simple fact.

Gibson is in fact the worst anti-Semite you could ever come across. I am profoundly offended by anti-Semitism even though I am against Israel. America should not be a supporter of a religious state.

On the subject of anti-Semitism, Martin Luther was one of the worst in all of world history. And yet we allow churches like several in the Morris area to bear his name. Can any minister truly justify this? If they were to try, I'd say "a pox on you."

Am I like Ronald Reagan Jr. who says "I'm not worried about burning in hell?" He doesn't buy all the Christian mumbo-jumbo. The mumbo-jumbo is like a security blanket for so many Americans who really just seek an escape from all the insecurity, fear and ennui in their lives. I felt ennui anyway, even when taken to church by my parents way back when.

The U.S. accomplished nothing in Vietnam. Then I suppose we were just supposed to forget about it. People get on me for remembering stuff from the past too much. It's just the way I am.

Seasonal priority

So, what's up on this late February day in 2024? This late February day which seems more like a late-March day? In a winter when we haven't had to activate our snow-blowers.

We are on the threshold of the high school sports post-season. Success for us would mean making trips to the south like to Marshall. It's been this way for a while now. We might forget the days when our Tiger teams had so much tournament action right here in Morris, so incredibly convenient of course. As just stated, I remember stuff from the past.

High school sports was a springboard for an email I sent to my fellow UMM advocate Warrenn Anderson on Thursday. I should clarify: I am an advocate for our campus while not necessarily signing on with the U of M all the time. We want a vibrant and purposeful campus even if we have to incorporate something like a school of nursing. There, Jack Imholte would roll over in his grave. Well, I have already criticized Christianity in this post, so the inhibitions are pushed aside, eh? The email I sent to Mr. Anderson:

Hello Warrenn - I have been blessed for a long time being able to blog pretty regularly about Tiger sports. I have used a variety of info sources but one by one these sources have been vanishing. I have lost critical mass for doing this, unfortunately. So it looks like I'll spend more of my time watching cable news programs on my laptop. I will miss the sports coverage activity. I could spend several paragraphs explaining how the sources dried up. Actually I have written blog posts lately that are precisely about this.

Yesterday it was fascinating to look at the kmrs website, because in their sentence-long item about our impressive boys basketball win, they did not give any details on MACA individuals, HOWEVER they gave the two scoring leaders for BOLD. The radio station had to be giving a "hint" by doing this, so maybe coaches are not cooperating. The West Central Tribune is a story unto itself. Mark Torgerson used to supply detailed game stats through the "Maxpreps" site, and I'm 99 percent certain he became aware of this from my suggestions. But that's gone now. Everything is gone.

Speaking of losing critical mass, I think this is happening to our United States of America with this continuing spectacle of Trump being in our faces every damn day. On the threshold of getting back in power and then consolidating power. Getting control of the Federal Reserve. The whole country could implode and I'm serious, very serious. Sounds now like he'll "appeal" the New York judgment based on "cruel and unusual punishment." No matter what he does, he will have Clarence Thomas supporting him. Alito too? Maybe Trump has "I like beer" Kavanaugh in his back pocket because of knowing some "dirt" about Kavanaugh beyond the woman who came forward before. So Kavanaugh will have to vote based on what Trump wants. I think Trump has dirt on Lindsey Graham too. This all is getting to be beyond "Alice Through the Looking Glass."

First Lutheran Church continues its slide into oblivion, badly. And what of UMM? Seriously. You know who is keeping an eye on the U's coordinate campuses? KSTP News.

- BW