The Devil's In the Details.
New Post... come on over.

There's a pit bull that lives two doors down from me.  I've never thought anything of it.  Then Sunday I came up the stairs to my apartment hallway with my dogs.  I rarely have them on leash because they're real obedient and wouldn't hurt a fly.  Well I didn't see that the girl keeping the pit bull had the dog out in the hall.  My dogs started down the hall and I heard the pit start barking.  So I called my dogs back but it was too late.  The pit lunged at my big dog, Clyde, and pulled the leash out of the girl's hand.  The pit latched onto Clyde's neck.  I started yelling at the girl to get her dog off mine.  Then I started kicking the dog.  Nothing.  The dog started pulling Clyde around the hall.  I jumped on the dogs and tried to keep them still and keep the pit from ripping out whatever part of Clyde she had.  I was screaming for help and for the girl to do something.  She just stood there crying and screaming.  The neighbors began to come out and one came over to help.  At this point, Clyde is just lying there still and this pit is laying still but just won't let go.  I tried prying the jaws open to no luck.  Then we took Clyde's shock collar off and putting it on the pit.  Cranked that all the way up and it didn't even phase the pit.  The neighbor began punching the dog in the head and that didn't work either.  By this time about five minutes have passed and the dog just won't release my pup.  Clyde's being pretty strong and just yelping when the pit occassionally thrashes its head.  I was still screaming for help because I thought my dog was going to die right there in front of me.  By this time we have about 8-10 people around.  I asked everyone to help me try to choke the dog out.  Everyone started squeezing the dog's neck and the pit finally released.  Clyde scampered back into my apartment and I sat down and just shook.

The cops came and were asking if anyone had gotten bit and then just turned around and took off.  I didn't want to get anyone in trouble and so I figured I'd just talk to the owner about the incident that night.  The guy never came by though.  So I took Clyde to the vet the next morning and the doctor said he could do surgery, but it would probably be best to just as good to treat it with antibiotics and hydrotherapy.  He has a large puncture wound and then skin abrasion and bruising.  Well I went over that evening to talk to him.  The dude was a complete jerk.  Told me that it was my fault since my dogs weren't on a leash and that he didn't care then slammed the door in my face.  I wasn't too pissed before, but that just hacks me off.

Clyde is recovering okay, but both him and Bonnie are acting real skittish around the apartment complex.  All of a sudden they're barking a lot at other people and dogs which isn't normal.  It's sad that I have them leashed up all the time now.  (Not that it would have kept another dog from attacking them.)  I'm ready to move out of this place now.  And I plan on going and getting pepper spray and a knife.  I'll be better prepared for emergencies in the future.

You don't have to have a crystal ball to have seen the latest news coming.  The latest research declares that Christianity and its denominations are shrinking and those that identify themselves as non believers is quickly growing.  You may say that it's the end of religion, but that's not the case.  Religions such as Islam, Mormonism, and Wicca are on the rise in the states. 

So Christians have to answer the question, why these religions are growing and Christianity is not?  I mean, from the outside looking in they all look pretty silly.  Wicca involves things such as writing down spells and letting the rain wash over them to rid yourself of bad spirits.  Mormonism involves believing that the historical Jesus somehow teleported to America to hang out with the native americans, and some crazy guy found buried golden plates with a divining rod.  And Islam involves... well, you know.  And then Christianity believes in some sort of zombie Jesus, just sans eating brains.  They all involve things that seem to not make sense in a post enlightenment society.  But Christianity seems to be the one dying. 

As I mentioned before, this shouldn't be a surprise.  If you've read anything over the past decade, all indications show that we follow in the path of Europe when it comes to religion.  Christianity in America is headed in one direction with no signs of slowing.  The cultural shift already has led us to expect churches to begin shutting down at a faster pace in the coming years.  But throw in a bad economy and we will see things go from bad to worse in fast forward.  Churches that attempt to adjust incrementally will be paralyzed then die, while those who revamp entirely may come through changed.  Churches are going to be forced to ask the questions regarding property and buildings.  They'll have to weigh the options of which to lay off first, the lawn care folks or the ministry staff.  The combination of the economy and continued culture shift will quicken an otherwise slow death of many congregations.

I think the most interesting area to watch will be newer suburban churches that have sprung up around the metropolis areas.  I was reading some cat the other day that was arguing that a deep recession will kill many suburbs and that the inner city will be the place where things survive.  I haven't seen much evidence to corroborate this, but I do find it interesting.  What I'm curious about is how these young churches hold up under the strain of a drop in giving.  Many newer suburban churches began under the mantra of "if you build it they will come."  So typically they took out giant loans once they had a starter congregation and moved into these facilities.  They became the envy of traditional churches as they quickly filled their new facilities up.  However, a lot of these groups haven't paid off their loans yet, and so it will be interesting to see how these attractional ministries behave once they feel the pinch.  Many older congregations can hold on for dear life for years because people make huge sacrifices in order to keep the doors of their old church open.  These congregations have such a faithful group because they grew up there, got married there, remember their parents there, and so they have a lot invested in the structure.  But what about these new structures where folks are showing up because of the programs or childcare?  Will people bend over backwards to save it when they arrived there after shopping around for what suited them best?  I expect some churches to get really creative and figure out ways to keep things rolling in.  Whatever happens, it will be interesting and I think we'll learn some stuff along the way.

Edit: My brother passed this article along that came out yesterday that echos what I was saying: http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0310/p09s01-coop.html

I don't need Christianity.  I'm not one that likes organized religion or submitting to something outside of myself.  I'm not a Christian because I think it's cool or because I think evolution is a farce.  In fact, I think I could be a pretty good atheist.  But the scriptures say that Jesus is a "stumbling block."  (Whatever the hell that is...)  Well it's the historical Jesus that I just can't get past in order to be an atheist.

I don't know many atheists that have really studied or looked into the events surrounding Jesus.  I know a lot of folks that know some stuff about Jesus.  Some of these folks are Christians.  Some are atheists.  And then there's a lot in between.  But you just don't find many folks that have really taken the time to question what happened during the first century.  Why did it happen... how did it happen... what the hell happened.  And I point specifically to Jesus because the idea of rejecting or accepting a philosophical idea of "God" is going to get us nowhere.  Religion, faith, "god"... people reject those concepts out right without much more than debating what flavor ice cream is best.  But Jesus... Jesus was an actual dude that did and said actual stuff.  He leaves us with a decision to make on whether he was or is.  As C.S. Lewis put it, Jesus is either a lunatic, liar, or someone you bow down to.

The primary way we know anything about Jesus is through a collection of biographies in the Bible.  When you get right down to the question of the scriptures we have that we call "the new testament"...  Atheists and most Christians just don't seem to know too much.  For many atheists it's brushed off as inaccurate or myth.  Yet if one actually takes time to do the slightest research they know this isn't the case.  These historical documents have withstood 2000 years of criticism and scrutiny.  You don't have to be an atheist to lob hand grenades at scripture either.  Christians have ripped scripture apart and put it back together from the very beginning.  Starting with Marcion all the way to the Jesus Seminar of our day.  We are the biggest critics of the scriptures.  So atheists don't have anything on the type of critical eye Christians have used on scripture for 2000 years now.

I find the typical debate between the common non believer and christian to be pretty pathetic.  The debate typically goes as far as "take it or leave it".  (Or you continue to have these Christians that really think that if one part of scripture is contradictory then the whole thing should be thrown out.  So you'll have the atheists point out some contradictions to some fundie christian and you can ring the bell as they go back and forth.)  It's all based on really bad theology with no clue about the actual documents.  I dare say it's even heretical.  But I don't bring this up to knock Christians or atheists, but hopefully to raise the dialogue.  Let's deal with the actual documents and the events that lie therein.  If an atheist wants to take an honest look at Jesus, the scriptures, and the early church and say, "... no thanks.  I don't buy it."  That's fine.  But I'd like someone to be able to actually speak from an informed position on the subject that so many have found to change their life.  If you believe it's all a lie, then just talk about Jesus and explain why Jesus was a lie.  No need to spend time elsewhere.  Because the grand idea or illusion of God isn't what makes me believe.  It's Jesus.

And lets not kid ourselves.  I don't believe that if a person just researches Jesus and sees the overwhelming evidence for the gospels and Jesus that they'll become a follower.  It's not like history has ever convinced everyone of anything.  We could have had video cameras rolling for the entire life of Jesus and people still wouldn't believe.  I mean really, let's look at our own recent history.  We have folks all over the world that don't believe the holocaust happened.  We have people that still don't believe we landed on the moon.  We have plenty here in our states that believe that our government blew up the world trade centers.  All of these events are well documented, photographed, and even videotaped.  Yet it's not enough evidence.  So I don't expect the most documented event of the ancient world to really make people believe just because they realize how well it's documented.  It's just that I ask for an honest trial.  But even then some come to the table with their own conclusions and filter everything through that.  (i.e. People don't rise from the dead... therefore people don't rise from the dead.  or There is no god and therefore Jesus can't be god.)  Others may leave some room in order to let the events speak for themselves.

I'm always open to being proved wrong.  I'm always trying to learn a bit more about really happened.  I don't have any problem dismissing religion, mysticism, the evils of Christianity, organized religion, and even most concepts of god.  But i just don't have enough faith to dismiss Jesus.  I couldn't do it with a clear conscious and with honesty in regards to the evidence.  I'd like to be an atheist, but I just can't be in light of Jesus.

1. You should check out Dr. Stroope's new word "transmergence."  I dig.  He's definitely my favorite of the Stroopes.  Sure, his brother may be pastor of one of the largest churches in the U.S.  But who else has built their own house by hand and has a lavendar farm?  This is part of the reason why Stroope is a badass.
2. Made a few new friends recently.  One of which bought me coffee today.  He's the pastor of Broadway Baptist in Fort Worth.  It's down the street from me and is the "Baptist Cathedral."  He was interested in what my crazy little community was doing.  He's a cool cat that has some street cred.  Check out his campaign for Walmart to repent.  Niiiiiice.
3. I love me some Beloved Spear.  He's the most prolific and consistently thought provoking blog I probably read.  Nothing special in his neck of the woods except he's at some emergent conference for presbymergents.  If he's not careful he's not going to be a Presbyterian any more though.  He's going to become post-denom emergent.  You know starfish can't be presbyterians man.
4. My community needs a web presence.  We're having a hard time justifying spending money to pay someone to build a website.  But we find ourself repeatedly asking how we can allow people to find us easier.  Anyone interested in building a site for us? 
   
5. I apologize for the bullet points.  Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.