Hernandez Case a Symptom of a Bigger Problem

I don't really follow sports. At all. Recently, however, the case of Aaron Hernandez, formerly of the New England Patriots, has been a hard story to miss. Some have claimed it was an example of a pro football player gone wrong. Some have claimed it just goes to show what money and fame can do to a person.

Fans have flocked to buy jerseys and sports' gear, which will soon be discontinued. This case has been likened to the OJ Simpson trial in the reactions of the public.

As I am not a sports fan, why should I be interested in this case? Good question. I wasn't really, not until someone on NPR this morning brought up one word: character. This person made the argument that these sports players are given three things: lots of money, free time, and (they phrased it differently, but) fame. In of themselves, these things are not corrupting. But the combination, perhaps, provides room for the foulest aspects of a person's character to be amplified.

Working together, these three can have the same effect as spoiling a child. A person may believe one can get whatever one wants, do what one pleases, and not have to deal with the consequences. This feeling of self-centered immunity can carry with it deadly consequences.

Good character is often formed in the face of opposition, in a human struggle against the odds. When the struggle is taken away, or a person is not allowed to struggle, that person may fail to develop proper human empathy for others, may not be able to emotionally handle opposition, etc. All of these could be contributing factors in this case.

I recognize that this is only a surface-level analysis, as I do not really understand the inner-workings of the NFL. Admittedly I have only been to a single Pre-Season Pats game at Gilette Stadium, and have a limited view of the sports world. But I do think players need to be challenged, not just rewarded. Who is keeping these players in check? Who is making sure that this case is not repeated? I don't have any solutions, just thoughts...

In conclusion, one may recall the Biblical account of Cain and Able. Cain presented perhaps a half-hearted offering to God, but Able presented one that God found pleasing. In anger, Cain plotted and murdered his brother out in a field. His motivation was not to earn God's favor anymore---he was reacting in anger to not getting what he wanted. His character had not been developed.

Still- he had a choice, as we always do. Character can also be formed in the decision-making process, if we will stop and contemplate before resorting to rash action. We can train ourselves, by the grace of God, to make decisions which we know to be the right thing to do (this, according to God's word, written in our human conscience).

Hernandez, if he has committed these murders, could have chosen, despite the above 3 influences, to decide to be a man of character. But--we still have a responsibility as a society to try to create better environments or checks for those we are expecting exemplary moral character from as role models.

Are the "Thought Police" Here?

As the world has followed the escape of one Edward Snowden, who revealed some of the underworkings  of a government agency called Prism, many have wondered if this is the beginning of the end of true liberty of thought and speech. In fact, sales of George Orwell's 1984 have risen, supposedly, a surprising 6000%.

The link between these two items is that, just as the US government has been designing systems to monitor telephone and internet communication, so in Orwell's novel the "Thought Police" watch all citizens, intervening whenever any "thought crime" is committed. Thought crime, in the novel, is individual thinking which is not in line with what the government wants people to think.

Is Snowden guilty of leaking classified information? Undoubtedly. But the bigger question is: why would someone put his own freedom at risk to reveal information about the government? If he was trying to alert terrorists, wouldn't he have chosen a more covert method? His motives appear to be a genuine attempt to preserve human rights insomuch as he has revealed information to multiple interested parties, including US, Chinese, and Russian citizens.

The United States government is responding by charging him with theft, converging of government property, and espionage.Other countries such as China, Russia, and apparently Iceland (?) are granting him partial or full asylum (partial being not surrendering him, but also not saying they are granting him asylum).

Besides the fact that world wars have begun over seemingly small matters such as this, why should we be concerned?

Why should I, as a citizen of the United States be concerned? If the US government is monitoring communication so closely, there is more room for manipulation and control. The more information a party has about a group of people, the more power that party has to control the thinking of said party. They could, like Orwell's thought police, get to the point where they decide who the enemies of the state are and order assassinations which are not legal, but cannot be traced back to them...this is also sounding like the Bourne series (excellent films, but once you've seen 1 you've seen them all...). So you decide. How much do you really want the government to know about you?

Okay, okay. So this is all just a little bit conspiracy theory sounding...but here is the connection to faith, as I set out to do this all through this blog:

Should I, as a Christian, be concerned? Well, we are admonished to fight for the freedom we have in Christ. Freedom from sin, first of all, in Jesus Christ. This means we are free to love and serve God.
Freedom from the Old Testament law, secondly, not as an excuse to sin but rather a freedom to be defined by the grace of Christ instead of a bunch of rules we follow out of obligation (Romans 6). We are to use our freedom to please God, not Man.

With this kind of freedom in mind, it cannot truly ever be stripped from us so long as we cling to the truth and refuse to yield to worldly pressures of conformity. But...it does make our job much harder when outside forces are waging war against us psychologically. I might argue that our government is already doing this, making people associate the "Right" with evangelical Christianity and the "Left" with liberal immorality. Beware how you are being influenced! We are called to be as "wise as serpents, and as innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16). Just something to think about...I know many of my brothers and sisters are wise to what is happening. 

But back to Snowden...I am thankful for what he divulged. It is not very surprising, but the way that the situation is now being dealt with is very telling in what may be some underlying secrets our government does not want us to know. So be careful..."Big Brother is Watching You."

***A footnote: if you do not know me well, please understand that about 1/2 of what I say is tongue-in-cheek. I can't help it. It is very droll to be serious all the time...So please take this blog as such.

Can Gays Change? Macklemore and Lambert Say "No"

There's this catchy new song on the radio. I'm not gonna lie; I kind of like the rhythm, the flow, and the melody. I really respect that Macklemore and Lambert stand up for what they believe. The message throughout "Same Love" is that those of homosexual orientation were born that way, cannot change, and should therefore be granted the same marital rights as those of heterosexual orientation.

I must sympathize with homosexuals who, as is pointed out in the song, have felt discriminated against or judged, especially by the church. If I was a homosexual today, I am sure the church is not the place I would be looking for love or acceptance. But this is not the purpose of the church.

The church was created for God's glory, as a fellowship of believers who are united by their faith in Christ. It is the hands and feet of Christ...so yes it needs to be seeking to care for those society rejects.

Oh, but...yes, there is always a but. But...I cannot fully agree with them. The artists build their case on a few foundational points that are questionable. The first is in the refrain, "I can't change/ even if I tried/ even if I wanted to." Aside from the fact that this seems contradictory, as if someone admits they have not tried something because they haven't wanted to, then they don't actually know if it will work or not, this also has not been scientifically proven.

The question has often been raised: is homosexuality hereditary? If one is talking strictly about genetic predisposition or a "gay-gene," the answer is no. However, in the nature-nurture arguments, a person is not determined merely by one's genetic make-up. Rather, there are limitless possible stimuli in a person's environment that can have an impact on who someone becomes. An interesting assessment of some inconclusive genetic studies can be found here.

In John White's Eros Defiled: the Christian and Sexual Sin, he notes a few patterns among those who have chosen a homosexual lifestyle. All those he counseled either had absent father-figures or some sort of inappropriate sexual encounter at a young age. This is not a scientific study, but the above mentioned are psychological stimuli that could make one more inclined to have sexual identity confusion.

All this being said, I firmly believe we always have a choice, and are not merely defined by our genetic make-up and environment. The nature-nurture argument does not take into account the fullness of the human consciousness, which God created distinct above all other living things. I cannot agree that a person cannot change their choices.

I, of course, like every other human being, am guilty of judging others based on the choices they make. As a Christian I am called to love, not to judge. That's God's job. So I ask Him for forgiveness, and do the best I can to love instead.

But loving does not mean I have to agree with and fight for the things that someone else stands for. As homosexuality is a choice, I must admit it is one I do not agree with as a Christian. Please believe I have wrestled with Biblical passages on this and I have not simply accepted second-hand dogma. Furthermore, our identities are far more complex than simply a matter of sexual orientation. The biggest part of our identity should come from being human: made in the image of God. That gives us value that no one can touch.When I say I cannot agree with a person's lifestyle choice, I am not rejecting the whole person. Parents constantly have this complexity in relating to teens: I love you, but I don't have to like all the things you do.

God did create and loves persons of homosexual orientation. I do not believe He created them to be homosexuals- rather, He created them to be in a loving relationship with Himself first, and in human relationships He has purposed and blessed.  We live in an imperfect world, so both these relationships are tainted. Still, God is at work making bad things good and ugly things into things of beauty. That includes relationships. I want to offer to anyone of homosexual orientation these words: God loves you. I want to love you. I am sorry for how society and the church has often treated you. I sincerely hope if you are seeking after God that you will not be deterred by those who, unfortunately, will judge you.

Racism and the Problem with White People...

I am not a sociologist. I don't actually know the depth to which racism is part of American society, but I do know it is a present reality, not simply something corrected by the Civil Rights' Movement in the 1960s. How do I know this? I see it. I am part of it. Every day.

Dave Chapelle has unabashedly revealed the negative attitudes of Caucasians towards African Americans, which are often not perceived as being racist. Though his humor crosses the line into crassness, he uses it to shed light on some of the struggles of African Americans that "white people"  would like to avoid discussing. This includes current segregationist attitudes that reflect the 1950s (i.e. no inter-racial dating), or generic criminal profiling by cops of those with a darker skin color. Sometimes it seems the person's only crime was that they were, "driving while being black."

No one likes to believe one is racist. And I am not singling out Caucasians as the only culprits. But the reality is that in a predominantly "white" society, African Americans often get the short end of the stick.

This message is concurrent in The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Alex Haley, 1965), in films such as "Hairspray," and now in Kanye West's soon-to-be mainstream song, "New Slaves."  These don't simply address day to day interactions between Caucasians and African Americans.  Instead, they argue there are flaws in the system.

Take, for example, the recent promotional events in Texas for Kanye West's new album featuring the song, "New Slaves." The song is quite vulgar in much of its language and imagery. I am not an advocate for how Kanye West chooses to express his message. But it is worthwhile to listen to what he has to say, as he is representing a message that is, in itself, more vulgar than one might like to admit. He differentiates in the song between African Americans who are simply passed through the system and those who prey on other African Americans to get ahead. He doesn't offer solutions. His point is that there are many guilty parties, but it is ultimately "the Man" that is at fault.

I could give you a million experiential accounts, but the evidence of such corruption in the system which turned my head was in reading about the financial status of African Americans. In a semi-informal survey, Michael O. Emerson and others present in Divided By Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America an overview of the economic discrepancy between African Americans and Caucasians. The conclusions of their studies is that, even when African Americans are working in the same jobs as Caucasians, they tend to have less assets and more difficulty getting loans.

I probably don't need to tell you that many African American communities in the US are very poor, have higher crime rates, etc. than areas that are predominantly Caucasian. The question is: why?

The answer posed from a geographical standpoint is that there is no easy way out. Low testing scores lead to less funding for schools, which means the teachers will most likely be less educated or experienced, having little to work with. A case study of this type of scenario is contained in the non-fiction, The Freedom Writers. Erin Gruwell was a unique educator who chose to go to a school that paid less and fight for her predominantly African American students to get a better education.

Back to my stream of logic: By the time a student who has gone through such a school system gets to high school, they may need to get a job to support their family, they may have been roped into a gang in an effort to fit in or to simply survive in their neighborhood. They would be exceptional to be able to get a college education. One of the things colleges look at is the school someone graduated from. Now, it is possible for someone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps the old-fashioned American way, but my point is that they are at a seriously unfair disadvantage from the start. Most will stay because they have no way out.

To conclude my ramblings, I offer only what solutions my small mind can contrive: this would include social programs. It would be quite excellent if the church was able to step up to the plate, pitch in, and run these. Sadly, the evangelical churches spend more time getting more church members, creating more spiritual programs, or installing coffee bars than caring for the desperate in society. I love the church, don't get me wrong: it is the body of Christ! But we need to have deeds as well as faith (read the book of James!).

 I would propose the church should be running organizations that would reach the youth in these areas in particular, offering tutoring services, helping to raise funds for better education, giving skills training, providing healthy adult role models, etc. Ideally this would be churches of various denominations and ethnicities, working together. The church also needs to model integration in a healthy way.

The more I think about these issues raised in our culture, the more I am in earnest that the church would be a light to the world. Not a self-righteous, solitary candle, but a blazing white light that comes from modeling the kind of love Jesus Christ stood for in all His actions on earth. This includes finding ways to overcome racial discrimination both in the church and in society.