Eye on Faith

Monday, September 7, 2015

Ben Carson: Underneath it all

Dr. Carson in 2013 (Public Domain)

Presidential candidate Ben Carson is nearing the top, mainly because of his emphasis upon what’s underneath it all.

During the first GOP debate, Carson’s astute reply to a question about race relations gained him much popularity among conservatives.

Here is a partial quote from that reply: I was asked by an NPR reporter once, why I don’t talk about race that often. I said it’s because I’m a neurosurgeon… you see, when I take someone to the operating room, I’m actually operating on the thing that makes them who they are. The skin doesn’t make them who they are. The hair doesn’t make them who they are…

Dr. Carson went on to emphasize that America is called the United States rather than the divided ones. He cautioned against those who would divide America by overly focusing upon racial tensions.

A dedicated member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Carson is often praised for his character and faith.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ben-carson-has-surged-into-second-place-behind-trump-here%E2%80%99s-why/ar-AAe13MD

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Ciara and Russell Wilson: Doing it Jesus' way

(Photo by Toby Hudson)

According to Ciaro, she and quarterback Russell Wilson are doing it Jesus’ way. The singer was referring to being celibate outside of marriage.

And they’re allegedly far from the only ones.

Ciaro told Marc Malkin of E! Online, “For what it’s worth I think there are so many people like us.”

Perhaps. But perhaps not in the entertainment and sports industries.

Wilson, who initiated this decision, confided: …God spoke to me. He said, ‘I need you to lead her.’

He then approached Ciara with this request: What would you do if we took all that ‘extra stuff’ off the table…

Apparently Ciara agreed, and she now says that Wilson is “the best guy in the world for me.”

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/music/celebrity/ciara-and-russell-wilsons-no-sex-policy-there-are-so-many-people-like-us/ar-AAdVCnF?li=BBgzzfc

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Freedom walk: The need ‘to be human’

Angela Merkel (Photo by Muller/MSC)

Fleeing from inhumane conditions in their native lands, hundreds of thousands are desperately seeking asylum in Europe.

Many feel justified in this quest, as they blame Europe and the United States for “a Middle East made intolerable by wars.”

Sky News reports that many have resorted to making their way on foot from Hungary, through Austria, to Germany. “Children in pushcars and disabled people in wheelchairs” have been part of this mighty freedom walk.

Some are carrying pictures of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and referring to her as “Mother.” Merkel has declared that “her country would be setting no limit to the number of people who could seek asylum” in Germany.

This year alone, Germany is expected to welcome a total of 800,000 refugees. These migrants are not seeking fortune and fame, but simply the basic right to live as “human beings.”

Resources

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2015/09/05/migrants-walking-from-budapest-to-austria.html

Friday, September 4, 2015

Why Lew Alcindor became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Public Domain)

More than 40 years ago, a young American who was raised in Catholic schools converted to Islam.

Lew Alcindor wasn’t just your average youth. He was a 7-foot-2, African-American star of the basketball world. The media had even pegged him as a “poster boy” for racial equality.

Alcindor, however, knew better. For every 7-foot-2 star athlete there were hundreds of other African Americans who were struggling to even survive.

Seeking a truth which resonated with his life experience, Alcindor read “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” Malcolm X had converted from Christianity to Islam, feeling that Christianity had supported “the racism that permeated society.”

Inspired by Malcolm X’s “transformation from petty criminal to political leader,” Alcindor then began studying the Quran. After serious reflection, Alcindor converted to Islam in 1971. With this came his new name, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (i.e., “the noble one, servant of the Almighty”).

In an article for Aljazeera America, Abdul-Jabbar stated that his name change was not some celebrity stunt, but rather a “manifestation” of “African history, culture and beliefs.” He further explained that “an estimated 15 to 30 percent of slaves brought from Africa were Muslims.”

Abdul-Jabbar recently emphasized that being Muslim in America is no walk in the park. He also emphasized the following: One world does not have to mean one religion, just one belief in living in peace.

Resources

http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/3/why-i-converted-to-islam.html

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Bison conservation: Steeped in politics

American Bison (Public Domain)

Once upon a time, there were about 30 million American buffalo that roamed the Great Plains.

After years of government-led extermination, 23 (that’s twenty-three, not a typo) were still alive in 1920.

After subsequent years of “sophisticated management practices,” 400,000-plus bison exist today. Note the term “bison.” It often denotes an animal that has been bred by ranchers for meat, containing “a mix of bison and cattle DNA.”

Joby Warrick of The Washington Post reports that today’s “largest population of wild bison anywhere” can be found in Yellowstone National Park. This might be good news, except for the political overtones. Whereas “wildlife enthusiasts” and some Native American groups wish to extend the home in which the bison roam, others are adamantly against such expansion.

Naysayers include many cattlemen, who fear that free-roaming bison can infect their herds with the dreaded brucellosis. They oppose any such talk about “re-wilding the West” with bison and/or wolves that can infiltrate their ranches.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/for-some-bison-the-roaming-ends-at-the-slaughterhouse/ar-BBlMgsa

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Statue on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount (Painting by Carl Bloch)

High above the hills of Montana stands a familiar figure: Jesus.

Now this isn’t the very same Jesus who gave a Sermon on the Mount, this is just a statue. Nevertheless, a controversy is brewing about whether or not it should remain standing on federal land.

Amy Beth Hanson of Associated Press reports that although this statue has been there for 60 years, “a group of atheists and agnostics” have recently asked that it be removed on the grounds that “it violates the constitutional separation of church and state.”

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen instead ruled that “the statue’s secular and irreverent uses outweighed its religious uses.” What she’s saying is that because “Big Mountain Jesus has been the subject of much frivolity over the years,” the statue gets to stay.

Can’t win for losing here. Since the statue was originally meant to be a reverent reminder of World War II soldiers who gave their all, such frivolity seems highly dishonorable (from both secular and religious standpoints).

All the more reason to move it to where it can be spiritually appreciated, and adopt another type of memorial in its place. This will not only honor First Amendment intentions, but will also enhance overall decorum.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/appeals-court-upholds-jesus-statue-on-montana-mountain/ar-AAdOs1x?li=AA54ur

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Tetrad: Blood moons rising

Passover Seder Table (Photo by datafox)

Not only will a blood moon soon be rising, but the number of blood moons has been on the rise since April 15, 2015.

Ecanadanow.com explains that the term “blood moon” refers to the “dusty, coppery red color” that occurs during a full lunar eclipse.

There will be such an eclipse on September 27, 2015. Three more have occurred over the past year, resulting in "what is known as a tetrad.”

This very rare astronomical series has given rise to a number of theological predictions. Two Christian pastors, Mark Blitz and John Hagee, say that “the tetrad of lunar eclipses is a sign of the end times according to Joel 2:31 (The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and dreadful day of the Lord comes).”

What lends even more momentum to their theory is that this series of blood moons “coincides with the Jewish holiday of Passover" (as well as with the Feast of Tabernacles). Passover is a time of year that is traditionally associated with lamb's blood, death and salvation.

Resources

http://www.ecanadanow.com/blood-moon-will-occur-september-27th/95938/