Sometimes art is ugly. It carries with it as much capacity for violence and dread as it does transcendent beauty. This is true for film as much as it is with any other medium — it’s why we can have movies like Paris, Texas and Children of Men, and respect them in equal measure.
Difficult subject matter, particularly of the violent or sexual variety as in The Tribe, doesn’t make a film less credible. It’s what the director does with that subject matter that tells us how to react.
Sometimes art is ugly. It carries with it as much capacity for violence and dread as it does transcendent beauty. This is true for film as much as it is with any other medium — it’s why we can have movies like Paris, Texas and Children of Men, and respect them in equal measure.
Difficult subject matter, particularly of the violent or sexual variety as in The Tribe, doesn’t make a film less credible. It’s what the director does with that subject matter that tells us how to react.
“The court now holds that same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry. No longer may this liberty be denied to them.”
With these words, Justice Anthony Kennedy supported the decision of the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States. Gay and lesbian couples across the country are celebrating this long-awaited decision. Those who are Christians are not only thanking the court but also thanking God. But we know that other Christians are not giving thanks — some are angry, others are confused and uncertain. Can a faithful Christian support the court’s decision? What can we say in response to questions voiced by some Christians?
Amazing Grace is a song about repenting of systemic sin. We typically think of sin in individual terms, as personal failings. Systemic sin is often not on our radar at all, but it needs to be. They say "all sins are the same in God's eyes," but that simply isn't true. Newton's involvement in the slave trade clearly affected and damaged more lives than any of his individual failings could have. What makes it all the worse is that systemic sin often hides under the mantle of political or religious authority, claiming as the system to represent "the good." That is the nature of systemic sin, and it is indeed wretched.
Six people were arrested at Lakewood Church June 28 after heckling Pastor Joel Osteen while he was preaching, according to Houston Police.
The individuals are from Wells, Texas, and are associated with The Church of Wells.
Casey Eaglin was at Sunday’s 11 a.m. service and just a few seats away from one of the protesters.
“He jumped up with his Bible and started screaming ‘Shame on you Joel, shame on you Joel’ and Joel kind of just repeated Scripture and they just escorted them out,” said Eaglin.
The United Church of Christ, a progressive denomination, has called on its 1 million members to boycott Washington Redskins football games and merchandise until the team drops its controversial name and mascot.
The resolution, supported by several Native American tribes, passed June 29 at the denomination’s biennial summer synod in Cleveland.
How could there have been people outside the South Carolina state house this weekend driving around in pick-up trucks with confederate flags attached to their beds, declaring "Heritage, not hate"? How could passerbys affirm these protests with shouts of "Long live the South"? How can people still deny that racism is deeply embedded in our culture? How can they not see that we must confront the harmful words and acts so that everyone may know they are beloved children of God and that their lives matter not just to God, but to their communities as well?
I own a Confederate flag. Growing up, the flag meant little more to me than school spirit, pep rallies, and Southern pride … until I left East Tennessee. I’ll never forget the moment things began to change. I moved into my college dorm room and established my new home at Eastern University in Philadelphia. I carefully set up my desk, put my posters on the wall, and displayed my high school yearbook — with a Confederate flag on the cover — proudly on my bookshelf.
I'm afraid Christians too often have overemphasized Jesus’ commandment, "Go and sin no more!" at the expense of his earlier phrase, "...Neither do I condemn you." Could it be that Jesus' admonition to "sin no more" is a jab directed instead at the religious leaders? That Jesus is telling them if they don't quit their sinning, the sin police will have them killed? And Jesus might not be there next time to save them?
Soldiers know on a deep moral level that in committing great harm to others, they have committed great harm to themselves. They don’t need our society to project our demons of war — our own moral injury — upon them as we point the finger of accusation against them. Soldiers have suffered enough moral injury. We need to take responsibility for our own.