What The Hell Did He Say?

Throughout these discussions a persistent question has been raised; how can anyone be blind to the obvious scriptural supports for the doctrine of Hell? It has even been pointed out that Jesus himself talks very clearly of a definite place called Hell.

Since both the scriptures and the Messiah are Jewish, it may help if we understand a little bit more of how the Jews have historically considered this idea of an afterlife, particularly one made up of eternal punishment. Here are just a few references that may easily be found on the internet;

While rabbinic Judaism subscribed to a notion of life after death and resurrection, it tolerated a great deal of speculation concerning the particulars, as well as a wide range of views concerning how this would all come to pass. Much less was said about punishment, and the concept of hell was never extensively developed in Judaism. Its origins are in a specific site, the Valley of Gehinnom (from Gei Ben hinnom) a valley that was the site of a heathen cult whose rituals included burning children (see the description in II Kings 23:10 and Jeremiah 7:31). The Talmud paints a graphic and frightening picture of what happens in Gehinnom, but overall it receives only modest attention:

Wrongdoers of Israel who sin with their body, and wrongdoers of the gentiles who sin with their body, go to Gehinnom and are punished there for 12 months. After 12 months, their body is consumed and their soul is burned and the wind scatters them under the soles of the feet of the righteous. [Rosh Hashanah 17a]

In contrast to the opinion expressed above, Rabbi Akiba argued that punishment is not eternal; it is limited to one year: So, too, the Talmud affirms that the judgment of the wicked in Gehinnom shall endure only 12 months [Babylonian Talmud, tractate Eduyot 2:10]. Eventually Rabbi Akiba’s view was adopted. Jewish Ideas and Ideals

The Torah, therefore, might have been silent about afterlife out of a desire to ensure that Judaism not evolve in the direction of the death obsessed Egyptian religion. Throughout history, those religions that have assigned a significant role to afterlife have often permitted other religious values to become distorted. For example, belief in the afterlife motivated the men of the Spanish Inquisition to torture innocent human beings; they believed it was morally desirable to torture people for a few days in this world until they accepted Christ, and thereby save them from the eternal torments of hell. Jewish Virtual Library

Only the very righteous go directly to Gan Eden (Heaven). The average person descends to a place of punishment and/or purification, generally referred to as Gehinnom (guh-hee-NOHM) (in Yiddish, Gehenna), but sometimes as She’ol or by other names. According to one mystical view, every sin we commit creates an angel of destruction (a demon), and after we die we are punished by the very demons that we created. Some views see Gehinnom as one of severe punishment, a bit like the Christian Hell of fire and brimstone. Other sources merely see it as a time when we can see the actions of our lives objectively, see the harm that we have done and the opportunities we missed, and experience remorse for our actions. The period of time in Gehinnom does not exceed 12 months, and then ascends to take his place on Olam Ha-Ba.

Only the utterly wicked do not ascend at the end of this period; their souls are punished for the entire 12 months. Sources differ on what happens at the end of those 12 months: some say that the wicked soul is utterly destroyed and ceases to exist while others say that the soul continues to exist in a state of consciousness of remorse. Judaism 101

There were about 24 different Jewish religious/political groups during the time of Christ. The three main movements were:

….the Pharisees embraced much of the recently introduced Greek Pagan theology. They believed in resurrection and an associated system of rewards and punishment after death. They did not expect justice to be achieved on earth.

….the Sadducees believed that God would reward the righteous and punish the wicked during their lifetime on earth.

….the Essenes…taught that the soul separated from the body and was resurrected to eternal life.Religious Tolerance

Now, of course none of this effectively refutes the doctrine of eternal punishment nor the popular notions of Hell. But there is strong evidence to suggest that there was no true Jewish consensus on an afterlife during the time of Jesus’ ministry. The evidence also suggests (to me) that Jesus, speaking as a first century Jew and not a 21st century Christian, likely never intended for speculations about hell and damnation to become so critical for people of faith.

Born to be Bad?

OK, I’ve got a question about babies. Are they innocent?

Let’s first take a look at a mini-’Cliff Notes’ version of a popular interpretation of sin:

Adam disobeyed God, committing the first sin (Eve was there, too, but apparently the buck stopped with Adam). The result of his disobedience was that every generation to follow Adam, every person who will ever live, will be born with the blemish of original sin. This original sin amounts to a sentence of eternal damnation. Thankfully, there is a way to remove it.

Some traditions, particularly the Roman Catholic, say that the only way for original sin to be removed is through holy baptism, resulting in the baptizing of infants, to ensure they make it to heaven. Other traditions say that baptism is merely symbolic, and that the only way to salvation is through a personal commitment to Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior.

The Roman Catholic church has dispensed with the doctrine of limbo, saying that all children are innocent before they reach the age of reason ( seven? eight? twenty eight? ). So the Catholic view here is that babies are not damned but go to heaven.

But what is the typical Evangelical Protestant diagnosis for the child who dies before reaching the age of commitment? Do these babies and young children go to heaven or hell? I discussed this with a fellow the other day and he said that his church’s position is that they are covered by God’s grace. But aren’t we all? Is it Biblical to think that we are all born ‘bad’? And if so, is it Biblical to think that God has special exemptions for children?

I don’t mean to sound silly or trite. I think this speaks to what we believe about sin, how much of our doctrine about sin is biblical and how much of that doctrine we truly accept.

What’s your take on this?

Well… it’s a Mystery.

George Carlin pokes fun at the priests and nuns of his youth, who whenever they were asked a tough theological question would respond with; “Well…it’s a mystery”. Like Carlin, I left the Roman Catholic church as a young man, not out of any disagreement or dissatisfaction - just disinterest. Maybe the church didn’t have all the answers, but, at the time I didn’t have too many questions, either.

25 years later I had plenty of questions and finally found the answers to all of them, in the Bible. Like Saul of Tarsus, the scales had fallen from my eyes. But unlike Saul, who caught only glimpses of God, as through a glass darkly, for me everything was crystal clear. The Bible had become the Rosetta stone of my life, and I no longer needed to stumble about, hoping for the best. Every question, every concern, every choice that I was presented with could now be handled with absolute certainty, simply by opening the Good Book. Those who did not, or chose not to, have access to the Bible were as blind as I used to be.

A few years later I am no longer so sure about all that the Bible has to say. Things that I was once so positive about - who Jesus was, what God wants of us, what God’s plan of salvation is ( or what salvation even means) - all have been turned on their heads. (As David Gray sings, “I used to be so definite“). The stark relief of Biblical blacks and whites that I once cherished are now like sidewalk chalk drawings in the rain. The colors run together, some of the images becoming blurry. The pictures are no longer static, intricately detailed and well defined. Changing and shifting, the colors blend and flow, each drop of rain adding to, as well as taking away from, the softened tapestry, yet the beauty of the art still shines through. If the paintings themselves are no longer quite so well defined, so obviously apparent, they now stimulate the imagination, inviting each of us to become active participants as we are called to bring our own unique perspectives into play.

It may seem risky to look at God in this way - fewer absolutes, more possibilities, with no real boundaries. But might it not be riskier still to take the infinite God, creator of the universe, and define him precisely, and only, as how we encounter him in scriptures? When we lovingly open ourselves up to the im-possibilities of God we will be invited into encounters with the Unknown. In every picture that God paints us into, in some mystical and mysterious way, we will also find Jesus.

Remove Fat and Insert Tool

In my younger days I was a bit of a motor head. I wasn’t into big American muscle but instead my tastes ran towards small European cars that handled well. (This was the seventies and the only Japanese cars that fit this bill were the Datsun 510 and Z cars). My preference was for German machines, and since I was on a National Boh budget this meant Volkswagens and Audis and not Bimmers or Porsches. But Porsches, Audis and VWs were all sisters under the skin and their DNA was good.

Rebuilding the engine on my Sirocco (yet again) I encountered an amusing little lesson on how sometimes things get lost in translation. It was a piston rod and was factory made in Wolfsburg. Inside the box, in typical German orderly fashion, the instructions read;

1.) Take out tool.

2.) Remove fat from tool.

3.) Insert tool.

Fat? Tool? Of course they meant the protective grease that covered the part for shipping. I thought it was pretty funny, especially since Germans are renowned for their precision.

I was reminded of this recently while participating in some theological discussions on the net involving differing translations of the same scriptural text. For example, in 1 Corinthians 6 and in 1 Timothy 1 Paul uses the words arsenokoitai and malakoi. These two words have been translated as ‘homosexual’ yet it is not clear to everyone what Paul meant. In fact, arsenokoitai (a word that Paul apparently coined himself) was for the longest time thought to be about masturbation. It wasn’t that long ago that the modern translations began to use the word ‘homosexual’ here.

I’ve talked before about how the word Sheol has been translated to mean both the grave as well as hell, or hades. There are other places where people, especially those who are critical of faith, point out the obvious contradictions and inconsistencies found in scripture. Usually these contradictions and inconsistencies can be explained as errors in translation or just a case of literary styling. I think it is good to take all this into consideration when presenting small portions of scripture as support for our arguments (which I do all the time, I know). I sometimes wonder if this was how the Bible was even intended to be used. Which might be more meaningful when we remember that for most of its history it was never even a book.

Here are three web pages that provide information on Paul’s use of these words, the last one providing the more traditional Christian position.

http://fogarty.org/tim/gay_issues/word_arsenokoitai.html

http://www.religioustolerance.org/homarsen.htm

http://www.catalystresources.org/issues/222dodd.html

And here is a link to one of the better atheist articles concerning biblical inconsistency. I think it’s worth while hearing the other side.

http://www.atheists.org/christianity/realbible.html

The Company You Keep

I think that I have reached somewhat of a milestone on my faith journey. Last week, Rev. Anita Cadonau-Huseby, a very nice lesbian lady ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) , publicly included me among some bloggers who were “able to navigate beyond the hot topic (homosexuality) and onto the essentials ” because we “shared sense of respect for the other, recognition of the other’s faith in Christ, and appreciation for the person they were without judgment”. What prompted her remarks was a moving series of articles by John Shore

She also recommended folks visit the sites on her blog roll (many of whom are also on my list of friends) saying:

These are blogging communities where you can contribute your wisdom and insights as a Christian and they’ll be received with respect by the blogger and by the majority, though not all, of their readership. While I hope SisterFriends will be your home base, I encourage you to visit these other blogs and get involved, but not only in conversations involving homosexuality. When we’re on the journey to reconcile our faith and sexuality, our focus can understandably become somewhat myopic but it’s good to occasionally lay that all aside and get engaged in other faith questions you feel passionate about or are interested in. Please check out the BlogRoll on the right column for additional blogs and websites.

Ditto.

If you had asked me five years ago if this recognition would not only please me but humble me as well, I would have said you were nuts. Thanks for counting me as a friend, Anita. I am honored.

What If You Were Born in Kabul?

A quality that the evangelical church seems to lack is empathy. There is a feeling that we (Christians) are somehow “found” while everyone else is “lost” and all these stubborn people have to do is listen to the truth and convert. Simple enough. Except that we often forget what it was like before we were “found” and that, since we are not God, in some acceptable way we will always be “lost”.  John Caputo puts it this way:

The sense of being “lost’ I have in mind is confirmed by a simple test (which does not mean it is easy to pass), a little imaginative experiment devised by Edmund Husserl, the “father of phenomenology”. The experience of the “other person”, Husserl maintained, requires us to undertake what he called an “imaginative variation” to the effect that, were I there, “there” would become “here” for me and I would see things from that point of view. Simply ask yourself what you would think and believe were you born “there,” were “here” for you made of entirely different things, were you to wake up one fine day and find yourself in a very in a very different time and place- the cockroach in Kafka’s The Metamorposes - speaking a very different language, reading different books, having very different teachers, belonging to a very different culture. Would you still be you? How do you now who “you” are? Where do “you” begin and all the saturating influences of culture and education leave off?

Is not the first step of self-knowledge to concede that we do not know who we are? When we go to church on Sunday morning and join hands and sing communal songs and recite the ancient prayers of the community, must we not ask ourselves what it would be like were we joining other hands in some other community, singing other songs, and saying other prayers at other times in other traditions where the way is different, where they (which has now become we ) would follow different ways? Were you “there”, and were everyone there agreed about following “in his steps” that would mean following someone different, following a very different way, but all with the same heartfelt conviction and deep faith of the “here”.

That is our common situation and the basis of a common understanding and compassion.

From What Would Jesus Deconstruct by John D. Caputo

On Being Lost

Magellan, TomTom, Lowrance; global positioning systems that allow travelers the security of knowing exactly where they are at all times. I wouldn’t own one if you paid me. Not because they don’t work - they work all too well.

One of the great pleasures in my life has been ‘exploring’, either by car (so expensive now!) or by foot. My wife and I have traveled the highways and back roads of much of the East Coast and have spent many a day and night on woodland trails, especially those of the Appalachians. Even though I love maps, and own hundreds of them, I rarely employ them on any of these trips. When vacationing in strange places we avoid the guided tour, preferring to discover things on our own, with no trepidation. I like to brag that w never get lost - in fact, we can’t get lost.

A trademark of our trips is to first pick a destination not written in stone. We then consult the map to get a general idea of how we are going to get there. Unless we are on a timetable (like catching a plane or attending a wedding) the map is then folded and put away. Next we hit the open road, avoiding the Interstates at all costs.

The GPS in my car is very reliable. I call it Bev. When we approach a crossroads, I simply ask; “Bev, left or right?”. She quickly provides an answer and I follow her direction - sometimes. Half the time I will choose exactly the opposite course.

This practice has taken us to towns, villages, valleys, mountains, rivers, lakes and streams that we would otherwise have never seen. It is not uncommon for us to pick a route by whimsy and an hour later come to, what many would call, a ‘dead end’. We’ve found ourselves camping along side dirt roads, near roaring wilderness brooks, snowy mountain passes and in star lit meadows among gently lowing cows.

Shopping in run down country stores (on very rare occasions even asking for directions) we’ve met people that are so much like us, yet so very different, that we aren’t exactly sure who we are. Eating in greasy spoons and biker bars (our number one preference) has resulted in some of the most memorable and enjoyable dining experiences of our lives. Sitting on bar stools beside friendly and exuberent leather clad vagabonds, sharing a bowl of chili, a long neck Bud and tales of the open road, sure beats bottomless coffee at Denny’s. (Remind me to tell you the story of the big biker chick we met in a little dive in Oatman Arizona. She had given names to certain parts of her body and even had them tattooed to prove it.)

We rarely make our intended destination, our random ramblings taking us far ‘off course’. (Sometimes it is hard for us to figure out exactly where we ended up. When friends later ask us where we went or how we got there, we are usually at a loss for words.) When we finally make it ‘home’ we feel a mingling sense of comfort and exhaustion overlaid with a touch of melancholy- sadly the journey is over. Yet we realize that we never arrived anywhere at all - that next week or next month, we will be back on the road again.

Someone, who cannot fathom finding pleasure in this way, might ask; “What are you looking for? Why are you so restless?”. Those are good questions (ones that, thank God, my wife never asks). After 30 years of rambling, both on holiday as well as on the numerous paths my life has taken, the answer is simple; I don’t know, and I don’t really care. For me, the journey, with all it’s dead ends, challenging switchbacks and treacherous curves, has provided me with memorable stops and overlooks not found on fast and safe limited-access highways.

I think that this longing I have for exploration (admittedly on a much less grand scale than what we see in the National Geographic) has taken me to where I am in my faith. I don’t want or need clear cut, well defined answers and solutions to what other people see as ‘problems’ that need solving. For me, the problem, the challenge, is usually that which allows me to become stronger in my faith. If these problems, the dead ends and road blocks of life, were avoided because someone else provided me with an excellent map - then where’s the faith? Where’s the adventure?

My faith becomes stronger at those times when I do not ‘know’ where I am or where I am going. It allows me to discover new ways that bring me into touch with people that I may never have met otherwise. The more people I meet, the more who are ‘different’ than me, the more fully I can see God. As John D. Caputo puts it:

The spiritual journey on which we are embarked is, we say, a journey of faith. That means that those who insist they know the way have programmed their lives, have put their lives on automatic pilot. They are knowers (gnostics) who have taken themselves out of the game. They are like vacationers who are eager for an adventure, to set forth into the unknown - but not without an air-conditioned Hummer with four-wheel drive, an experienced guide, and reservations at a five-star hotel. Indeed, even were we able to hook up to a satellite system that would guide our travels around the physical globe, still, for radical spiritual sojourners like us, this earthly globe is but a speck of dust in an infinite universe, and we keep asking where it is all going.

Ministerial Mojo

One of the reasons I left my beloved old church was a disagreement (one of many) that I had over denominational doctrine. The first time this particular doctrine was revealed to me was at a youth event during which communion was celebrated. I was surprised that my pastor at the time, who I greatly admired and respected, did not partake. After asking why, I was told that it was because the elements (the bread and grape juice) had not been ’sanctified’ by an ordained minister. (something Buddy O described once as the minister’s ‘holy mojo’).

This surprised me even more because I thought this requirement was unique to Roman Catholicism. Later on the issue was raised again during a church committee meeting (shudder!). We were trying to work out a way for our new pastor to take some time off and visit his original home and family, on the other side of the globe. The great challenge was finding someone who could lead the Sunday worship service in his absence. Our community was blessed with quite a few lay ministers so that shouldn’t have been much of a problem, yet none were ordained (hence the lay prefix). How were the dinner rolls and grape juice going to be ’sanctified’?

The discussion continued for some time when I (exasperated) suggested that we need not worry about it, that I would perform the needed blessing (attempts at humor are often often lost on church committee members). Some chuckled uneasily, but most were taken aback. One lady even let me know that if anyone other than an ordained elder sanctified the elements then it would not really be ‘communion’ but rather a ‘love feast’. Initially I was excited about this prospect until I found out that no Acapulco Gold would be shared during this ‘love feast’. Shucks!

In the first letter to the Corinthians we have the bible’s earliest account of the last supper. Paul quotes Jesus as saying:

“This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

With all due respect for those who hold the priestly tradition dear, I don’t hear Jesus saying; “Go forth once week (or maybe just once a month) and find a priest. After he has prayed over some bread and wine, only then may you share in this meal that someday will be called Holy Communion.”

How is it done in your faith community? Do you think that there is a need for ordained clergy to be present in order for us to celebrate this meal, in remembrance and honor of Jesus? Is there something ’special’ about ministers or priest? Do they have hands that are somehow more holy than ours, or can any believer share in this sacrament directly with God?

Three Way Tie for Sexiest Man Alive

(with a beard and found drinking Rogue Dead Guy Ale while talking theology on the second floor of a bar located in a renovated textile mill in central Maryland.)

You can see more of their pictures displayed along side of Ric Booth’s prize winning article on the first annual East Coast Blogger’s Convention

Just Knock On The Door

In the big city there is a cozy pub that caters to the international community. On the door these words are written:

“EINGANG”

“ENTREE”

“ENTRADA”

“INGANG”

“ENTRATA”

” вход”

“입구 ”

“ENTRANCE”

Behind this door you will find a comfortable place, where people are enjoying each other’s company and there is plenty of food and drink. Every person who walks through the door has been personally invited by the host, with each invitation having been written in his or her own unique language. The host understands that it is unrealistic to expect everyone to know just one language, yet the message contained within each invitation is the same:

“Come to me, if you are weary and burdened;

I will give you rest.

Come! If you are thirsty;

Take my free gift of the water of life.

When you come to the the door…

Just knock.”