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BREAKING BREAD WITH AN ATHEIST

December 1, 2012 by Frank King Photos

I’ve never met Mike Treder. In fact, I’d never even heard of Mike Treder until finding this meme. But I’m very grateful for him.

The thoughts of Mr Treder  – a former managing director of the U.S.-based Institute for Emerging Ethics and Technologies – gives me a gift-wrapped opportunity to deal with so many charges made against people of faith. So let’s get to it:

  • I’m not the least bit offended by atheists. I respect many of them because they’ve gone against our culture and actually thought (usually long and hard) about what they do and don’t believe and why.
  • I oppose ALL religious wars, jihads, crusades and inquisitions. No exceptions. And I’ve never met a single follower of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) who thinks differently. In fact, Jesus gave this advice to all of us who follow Him: “If someone hits you on the side of your face, let them hit the other side too. If someone takes your coat, don’t stop them from taking your shirt, too.” Does that sound like someone who would ever advocate a holy war or inquisition?
  • I’m absolutely against censoring of free speech. That includes censoring people of faith. Are you that inclusive too, Mike?
  • Brainwashing of children is wrong. But denying information that would help children make their own decisions about something as important as faith is a form of brainwashing, in my opinion. And that’s equally wrong. So is brainwashing children to oppose faith. Where do you stand on this, Mike?
  • Murdering albinos?? Well, if there’s a wacko religious cult doing that somewhere, then I’m certainly as offended as you, Mike. In fact, ‘offended’ is too mild a word for how I would feel about something like this.
  • Forcing girls into underage marriages is demented, in my book, and no serious Jesus follower would ever advocate it.
  • Male and female genital mutilation is barbaric. So is stoning anyone for any reason at any time. Serious Jesus followers have nothing to do with either one.
  • I had to look up pederasty. Now that I know what it is (a homosexual relationship between a young man and a pubescent boy outside his immediate family, according to Wikipedia), I can say that I’m far more than “offended” by it, Mike.
  • Homophobia is definitely wrong and I’m always sorry and grieved when a fellow Jesus follower strays into that territory.
  • Rejection of science and reason? I love science because it’s God’s way of showing me how He works, so I’m offended when anyone rejects it. And so are many other Jesus followers. In fact, I wrote an essay about all the Jesus-following scientists out there, Mike. Here’s a link to it: http://bit.ly/Tgrt9p

How about you…did you ever expect an atheist and a serious Jesus follower to have so much in common? Post your response below and let’s have a conversation.

Posted in Me & The World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

WHAT IS YOUR ‘CRUTCH’?

November 24, 2012 by Frank King Photos

Crutch  [noun]: 1.  a long staff of wood or metal having a rest for the armpit, for supporting the weight of the body  2.  something that supports or sustains: ‘a crutch to the economy’

It’s a common charge laid against God and those who follow Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is God’s Son): “They’re just a psychological crutch for weak, needy types.”

There are two implications here. The obvious one is strong, independent people don’t need a “crutch”. They can – and supposedly do – make it on their own.

However, it seems to me we all have psychological crutches – the need to be loved, for example, and the need for companionship. Neither of these do a thing to provide our daily physical needs – food, water and shelter. In most cases, neither of them even supply an income. Yet very few people have ever declared love and companionship to be useless wastes of time. Why not?

Frank Harber, writing in a popular spiritual magazine, goes a step further: “Atheism – the belief that there is no God – can become a crutch for those addicted to a lifestyle contrary to God’s standards of morality.”

Author and former pastor Bob Prall has connected with this thought, noting, “If Christianity is a psychological crutch, then Jesus Christ came because there was an epidemic of broken legs.”

Harber goes on to declare, “Everyone needs assistance. The question is, what will you lean on? [Jesus of Nazareth] provides what atheism or other religions never can: spiritual fulfillment, peace, and forgiveness.”

The second, subtle implication is there is no God to rely on, so believers are just tricking themselves through their weakness of believing. The most famous proponent of this view is still Sigmund Freud.

“For Freud, God is made in humanity’s own image, the ‘ultimate wish-fulfillment,’ the end product of human desire for a loving father,” wrote Amy Orr-Ewing in Pulse magazine.

Orr-Ewing then makes this point: “The argument about projection cuts both ways.  After all, isn’t it equally possible to say that Freud and other atheists deny the existence of God out of a need to escape from a father figure, or to argue that the non-existence of God springs from a deep-seated desire for no father figure to exist?”

Leaving this important argument aside for a moment, I consider this “psychological crutch” question from a personal perspective. Before I became a Jesus follower, I:

  • lived on my own, quite happily, for almost 20 years;
  • had friendships and hobbies;
  • enjoyed spending time with my parents and brothers;
  • had romantic relationships; and
  • developed a satisfying, award-winning journalism career.

Do I sound like a weak person in need of a psychological crutch? If the answer is no, then how do people making this charge explain folks like me? Weigh in with your answer below and let’s have a conversation.

Posted in Me & The World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

‘A PUPPY ROLLING AT OUR FEET’

November 17, 2012 by Frank King Photos

Many folks know actor Neil Crone from his years playing the amusing radio host on the Canadian TV sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie. But I know him from his excellent weekly column published in newspapers near Toronto.

In one of his articles, Neil asked, “Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you’re fairly certain the universe is trying to teach you something?” He finished the column by writing “In retrospect, I believe the universe really was trying to tell me something that day.”

To my eyes and brain, Neil is suggesting the universe is (a) alive and (b) cares about humans. In a subsequent email exchange, Neil confirmed both conclusions, noting the universe is “desperately conspiring to bring joy to all of us and make our lives wonderful…it’s like a puppy rolling at our feet, just dying to please us…an immensely powerful puppy mind you, but it wants to give us our every dream if we will only get out of the way and let it do its thing.”

I suspect many people think this way. But doesn’t Neil’s description sound like God (or Neil’s version of Him)? “I use all of those terms interchangeably…God, Universe, Source Energy,” he answered. “They’re all efforts to put a name to the un-nameable, I suppose.”

But he goes on, “It’s always tricky when we use the appellation God, as it tends to conjure up the Christian God with flowing robes, beard and righteous indignation. I don’t think that’s anywhere near to the real case.”

Flowing robes and a beard? Sounds like the Hollywood God in ancient Cecile B. DeMille movies. Righteous indignation? I believe the God of this universe has plenty of that, considering all the reasons we provide (the Holocaust, terrorism, environmental problems, human trafficking, ‘honour’ killings…shall I go on?).

That said, I can easily understand how Neil thinks. It’s vague, positive, and lets everyone off the hook for their actions (or inactions). What’s not to like?

But where does this concept come from – Oprah-endorsed new age gurus?  Movies like Eat, Pray, Love? Flash-in-the-pan self-help bestsellers such as The Secret?

What do these sources say about people whose dreams are to enslave, rape and kill? Does the universe want to make that happen, too?

Setting aside those extremes, I’m willing to face the fact that some of my dreams are likely misguided, self-centred and best left unfulfilled.

I’m also willing to admit there’s someone who sees the big picture when I don’t, and who’s willing to forgive my wrong-headed dreams. Those who follow Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) believe that this someone created the universe and cares for everyone in it – so much so that He dealt with what Neil Crone calls His “righteous indignation” by sending Jesus to teach us a better way of living and to offer something we cannot achieve on our own: life after death.

That someone is God and I prefer His eternal truth over the next new-age bestseller. How about you; are you willing to trust your fate to the latest guru or movie? Post your answer below and let’s have a conversation.

Posted in In The News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

A SIMPLE WAY TO BE UNIQUE

November 10, 2012 by Frank King Photos

It’s a funny world we live in.

On one hand, most of us want to feel accepted by our peers, so we spend all kinds of time consciously or unconsciously fitting in – making sure we’re as much like everyone else as is possible. That’s why, in my 50s, I decided against nose or lip rings (yes, I’m trying to be funny!).

But our culture also celebrates uniqueness because, contrarily, most of us want to feel special. That means our attention, and the media spotlight, zeroes in on unusual products, a radical “sound” shift in music – think punk and grunge; wild appearance – again, back to the nose and lip rings; and outlandish lifestyles – such as the strange life of Michael Jackson.

Where am I going with all this? Well, pursuing a life that’s mostly centred around you-you-you will certainly help you fit in with the crowd.

  •     Go shopping. So what if you spent $300 on fashions just a week ago?
  •     Plan your weeknights around the latest hot reality TV show.
  •     Get a tan.
  •     Buy another monster big-screen television.
  •     Replace your old iPhone because, hey, it’s six months old.

My optimistic prediction is that, after awhile, all this will start to get really old. And downright silly. Then, I hope, you’ll be ready for something deeper. Something that could affect you for all eternity.

If you’re near that point now, consider being a radical: purchase a Bible—preferably, a version called The Message, because it’s the easiest to comprehend—and start reading. That act alone will make you unique among most of the people you know.

Some may call you crazy for doing this radical thing. Some may shake their heads. But lots of people like me are pulling for you. And the last time I checked, no one had declared me crazy. Just unique.

Posted in Me & The World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

THE HALL OF INFAMY

November 3, 2012 by Frank King Photos

Bill Cosby. Lance Armstrong. Mel Gibson. Tiger Woods. What do these people have in common? All of them achieved fame in our culture. And all of them turned that fame into notoriety. Consider the facts:

  • Actor-comedian Bill Cosby has been a star since the 1960s. Thanks to the astounding eight-season, award-winning success of TV sitcom The Cosby Show, he became known as America’s favourite Dad.
    Then the accusations started – at least 20 women claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Cosby over a period of many years, sometimes after he drugged them. He was set to likely spend the rest of his life in prison, until being released on a technicality in 2021.
  • Mel Gibson was one of the most handsome, popular and successful actors on the planet (ever heard of the Lethal Weapon movies? Braveheart?) when allegations of racism and domestic violence, coupled with drunk driving arrests, destroyed his reputation.
    He was shunned in Hollywood for a decade, only making a comeback through directing 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge.
  • Tiger Woods is still trying to regain the form that made him far and away the best and most popular golfer on earth. It all went south in 2009 when his marriage to Elin Nordegren exploded in very public allegations of serial infidelity. Several high-profile sponsors dropped him.
  • Lance Armstrong gained worldwide fame and adoration for winning seven Tour de France cycling titles and creating the multi-million-dollar Lance Armstrong Foundation, which funds the fight against cancer.
    When allegations of long-term performance-enhancing drug use were proven in 2013, Mr. Armstrong was stripped of his titles and several major sponsors dropped him. He also resigned as chairman of his foundation.

All these men have their pictures in what might be called the Hall of Infamy. All were what the The Globe and Mail newspaper labelled “demigods” who fell flat on their faces and enraged their fans, who thought they could do no wrong.

What’s so interesting is the lesson we can learn from these men is as old as humanity. And it seems every generation has to learn it.

Consider what Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is God’s Son) told some of His followers: “Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better.”

I get what Jesus is saying because I’ve had the wool pulled over my eyes. Years ago, I trusted an author to have found the secret to living with grace and serenity – until I found out she was a bigamist juggling a lie-filled double life. I got rid of her books after that.

So who can you and I believe in who’s not going to leave us dangling off the cliff of crushing disappointment and betrayal? Who can we trust who really does have our best interest at heart, who understands everything we’re going through and won’t leave us, no matter how bad things get?

How about God, who offers the gift of Jesus to every person on this planet?

Posted in In The News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments »

NAIVE CHILDREN, FRIGHTENED SENIORS?

October 27, 2012 by Frank King Photos

In my younger years, I was sure that two kinds of people made up a vast majority of North American Christianity: children who were too young to know any better and seniors too old and frightened to think clearly.

Yes, I knew it all – and without the annoying, time-consuming bother of checking out the claims of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) or having any meaningful conversations with Jesus followers. All the knowledge I needed came from superficial newspaper articles or scornful remarks by equally ignorant friends and family members.

This ‘approach’ to faith went far beyond me. Consider these words, written in 2011 by blogger Chelsea Hoffman: “Atheism isn’t so bad; you don’t have to feel guilty for hanging up your entire existence on the idea that you’re being watched and judged by an archaic deity that is universally accepted among the science community to not even exist.”

The truth, as I’ve found out since becoming a Jesus follower in 2002, is startlingly different. Wikipedia lists a whopping 24 living scientists who stand in direct opposition to Chelsea Hoffman’s sweeping pronouncement.

And just in case you think – as I might have 10 years ago – that they’re all doddering seniors, consider just these two: Physician-geneticist Francis S. Collins (famous for helping to map the human genome) was only 56 when he published the 2006 bestseller, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.

Collins, the former director of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, wrote, “Science is not threatened by God; it is enhanced” and “God is most certainly not threatened by science; He made it all possible.”

Astronomer Jennifer Wiseman is chief of the ExoPlanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory in the Astrophysics Science Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (wow!). She is also director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion.

I couldn’t find out Wiseman’s birth date, but she earned a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard University in 1995, so she’s likely in her early 50s. Wiseman has commented on movies from a Jesus perspective, and written about how to encourage young Jesus followers in science. (You can find both online.)

She notes, “Churches and Christian schools are sometimes heavily influenced by the perception that Christianity and scientific processes (e.g., Big Bang cosmology, evolution, etc.) cannot mix, and that Christians must always have a ‘defensive’ stance toward science. This is tragic because our Christian friends can miss out on rejoicing in some of the discoveries that reveal God’s glory and creativity.”

I wish I’d known, before 2002, about Wiseman, Collins and all the other brilliant minds doing scientific work while having a fulfilling relationship with the creator of the universe and His Son. It might have changed my life much earlier.

Does this knowledge make any difference to you? Type your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

Posted in Me & The World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

THE LOGIC OF A LEAP OF FAITH

October 20, 2012 by Frank King Photos

While on the Internet the other day, I found a website that discussed the problem of young people abandoning the Christian church.

Interesting stuff, but what really grabbed my attention was this comment made by an anonymous reader:

Christianity is based on a leap of faith, right? Islam is based on a leap of faith, right? All religions have no empirical proof and are based on a leap of faith. How then can one religion possibly claim that any other religion is wrong, since they are all based on the same leap of faith?

Perhaps you agree with these thoughts. I can write, quite easily, that I’ve never had a problem with the lack of “empirical proof” in Christianity or any other faith. Do you really think this is an accident? I don’t. Consider this: If we had empirical proof of God’s existence, wouldn’t that deny our freedom to be atheists?

If I know anything about God, it’s that He has a rock-hard commitment to free will. That means you and I can deny His existence or, even more dramatic (and sad….), we can commit unspeakable evil in His name. And, to the casual, superficial observer, we can do it without any sort of penalty. We can also do extraordinary good in His name and live lives of amazing influence and value. I think the late, great Mother Theresa tops that list.

What about one faith group claiming to be exclusively right? The faith I belong to certainly advances that point of view. But that’s not something conjured up on a whim; serious followers of Jesus of Nazareth trust in the words He tells his followers “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”

Am I supposed to ignore that? Was Jesus just a little full of himself that day? If I go down that path, then Jesus becomes nothing more than a cool dude with some good ideas. Maybe that works for some people, but it’s hardly the basis for a faith that’s going to help people like me deal with our faults and seriously consider what happens after this life ends.

Serious Jesus followers are not interested in occasionally checking in with a funky guru; we want a transformed life, now and after this existence is done. In our better moments, we want to leave behind the “it’s all about you” mentality of our culture; that’s a point of view that discourages thinking about serious issues and insists “whoever has the most toys (when he/she dies) wins”.

In your better moments, do you also see the emptiness of this kind of thinking? Post your comments and let’s have a conversation.

Posted in Me & The World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments »

A QUESTION OF GENDER

October 14, 2012 by Frank King Photos

Is God male or female? Does it matter?

It certainly did to a blogger with Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald. I stumbled upon one of Lawrence Money’s essays, called “We need to upgrade God”, and am fascinated by the points he made.

Money read an article about an unspeakably sad funeral of a two-year-old Australian girl. He reacted ferociously to the story’s mention of a sign that hung on the wall of the church that said Our God Reigns From Above With Wisdom, Love and Power.

“Surely if the God above had such wisdom, his power would have been be used to protect such an innocent life,” he wrote. “And love? You create a little life, allow just enough time for her family to embrace her, then sit by and watch her slaughtered. That’s some weird kind of love.”

Money pinned the blame for all this on the fact that God is usually seen as a male. “Would a female God, who gave her only begotten daughter, have allowed such atrocities? I doubt it,” he wrote.

In the end, he declared “I’d like a female god, please. I want an upgrade.”

I understand where Money is coming from. Sometimes, when I look at our broken world, it seems so many problems are rooted in the male gender.

But should I, or Money, be attributing human (male or female) weaknesses to the creator of the universe? Doing so would reduce God to little more than a Clark Kent-style superman (or woman). That’s why I don’t think the issue of gender is worth debating.

So then, what about God allowing the murder of children or terrorist attacks or the flourishing slave trade?

Money believes a God of wisdom, power and love would stop such horrors in their tracks. Okay, let’s suppose God does what Money demands. What then?

  • Should He stop marital infidelity? (It does lead to broken families, psychological trauma and sometimes murder.)
  • What about speeding? (It often causes accidents and death.)
  • Shouldn’t He also take away beer and wine? (They contribute to alcoholism, broken lives and death.)

Where should it stop, Lawrence? All these things come from a gift of freewill – a gift that many people believe God proved for all time when He allowed the political and religious authorities of the day put His Son, Jesus of Nazareth, to death.

Do you really want God to take back that gift? Do you want to be a robot? Because without freewill, we’re just a race of goose-stepping, brain-dead automatons.

Yes, without freewill, we would not turn our backs on God, His gift of Jesus and His plan for each and every life. But the evidence makes it clear that God is not interested in such a soulless and unhuman arrangement. He wants a real relationship with us that we’ve entered with our minds and hearts fully aware and alive.

Do you want that kind of relationship? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

Posted in Me & The World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

THE UNPAYABLE DEBT

October 8, 2012 by Frank King Photos

In 2012, I stumbled onto an amazing online article about – get this – Germany finally paying off its war debt. Think that’s amazing? Well, hang on; the article was referring to Germany’s *First World War* debt.

According to The Local, a German online newspaper, the final payment, about $94 million, was handed over in 2010 to private investors. Those investors held bonds issued by the German government many decades ago to help pay for damages the victorious Allies charged Germany after the First World War ended in 1918.

That initial bill? A stunning 132 billion Deutsche Marks, or 89 billion Canadian dollars. Does that sound onerous? Well, in today’s world, a comparable figure is more than $200 billion. Yikes.

At the time, the cost was crippling to the German economy and that’s just how the bitter Allies wanted it, in part to ensure Germany could never recover enough to re-arm and start another war. No comment is needed on the success of that policy.

But something did strike me as comment-worthy and that’s the comparison with my life and yours.

Like it or not, we’ve all done wrong somewhere, sometime in our lives. In fact, I’ve dropped the ball more often than National Hockey League star Sidney Crosby scores goals.

Like it or not, there’s a penalty to be paid for all those bad things you and I have done or, just as important, the good things we haven’t done. And that penalty is far worse than what was forced on Germany. Even 90 years of payments wouldn’t be enough to get rid of it.

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do, when this life ends, is look God in the face and try to avoid that debt by conjuring up a pile of believable excuses. It’s just one reason why I decided to follow Jesus of Nazareth. And it’s a good reason for you to consider it.

People like me believe Jesus is God’s Son and He died for all the wrong things we did and for all the right things we failed to do. When we believe in Jesus and claim Him as our savior, the penalty is wiped off the books. He paid it for us.

I found this proof in a letter written by a man who had a life-changing spiritual encounter with Jesus: “If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won’t be punished. God’s Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death.”

That sounds pretty good to me. So, are you thinking about how to rationalize your misdeeds? Or does it make more sense to join folks like me, claim Jesus for yourself and walk away from a German-sized debt?

Posted in In The News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

THE THANKSGIVING CHALLENGE OF GRATITUDE

October 2, 2012 by Frank King Photos

I almost missed the irony. There I was, at my car dealership, pondering a Thanksgiving blog while mentally fuming about the repair cost and what I thought was the endless wait for my Ford Focus.

Finally, a few synapses in my brain connected and I grudgingly admitted how thankless I was for having a career and the resources to buy and maintain a vehicle.

Famed novelist Aldous Huxley (best known for Brave New World) once said “Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.”

I think I’m a charter member of that group.

Journalist Robert Brault notes, “There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed.  If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude.”

Wow, I have a gold-plated, lifetime membership to that club, too.

This past summer, my wife & I visited an RV dealer to inquire about repairs to our two-year-old, storm-damaged tent trailer. While there, we happened to check out some new models on the showroom floor and fell in love with a trailer which didn’t have to be put up and taken down, and came with the luxury of a full bathroom.

Were we grateful for the tent trailer we already had? Are you kidding? We talked about that showroom model for weeks, examining potential payment schemes, considering our other  financial obligations, how much we could get in trade for the tent trailer, how much longer and more comfortable our camping season could be, and on and on.

Gradually (I think the glaciers lost a few inches while this process meandered along), we concluded the purchase didn’t make sense and the tent trailer was quite adequate. Indeed, we used it in September for a wonderful week of mountain camping.

What happened to us? For awhile, we bought into the message our culture pushes with hurricane-like relentlessness: You deserve it. Go ahead and be selfish.

This message suggests we should have everything. Now.  No matter what the financial, relational, or environmental cost. Because we’re worth it. And – goes the subtle inference – since we’re worth it, why should we be grateful?

My commitment to following Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) tells me that, on my own, I don’t deserve it. I drop the ball more often than a bad outfielder. I’m worse than a blindfolded darts player when it comes to hitting the target of what I’m meant to be.

But consider this excerpt from one of the primary source documents about Jesus: God loves the world [that includes me and you] so much, “He gave his Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.”

This means Jesus, God’s son, makes up for all my screw-ups, all my pettiness, all my selfishness. And by following Jesus, I’m opening the door to Him making me a better person.

So, when my wife and I sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, we know we have a lot more than a tent trailer to be grateful for. And we’ve figured out to whom we should express thanks. Have you?

Posted in Special Days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments »

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