OPINIONS ON CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECTS — this section is difficult for me. It leaves me vulnerable, a position I don’t like to be in because of the potential of being hurt and/or not liked.
MY CHRISTIAN FAITH
By any American understanding of what a Christian is, I am a Christian. I professed my faith at a Lay Witness Mission in 1971 but I had been involved in churches since grade school when Mom directed the children’s choirs at the various base chapels we attended. I attended my first church service when I was 6 1/2 months old and one of the first songs I learned was “Jesus Loves Me.” I attended the Chelan United Methodist Church in high school and was active in the Methodist Youth Fellowship. Like many young adults I took a hiatus from church when in college but got involved again (in the choir) when in the service. At the First UMC of Enid OK I was a very active youth sponsor along with my best friend (and future Best Man) Fletcher Ownbey. My involvement in the Lay Witness Mission movement led to meeting Teri Sue Wyatt, falling in love, and eventually getting married and having a family. Most of my involvement in church revolved around its music ministry; even on the road in EVS, I dropped into Methodist Churches on Sunday mornings to see if they needed a tenor or bass in the choir that morning, which they almost always did. We have been consistent financial supporters of our home church wherever we were.
In 1987 I participated in the Walk to Emmaus, a Protestant version of the Catholic Cursillo, literally a short course in Christianity. The music was amazing, I thought, and I volunteered for dozens of subsequent Walks on the Music Team, leading most of them. I eventually was asked to be the Lay Director of a Walk.
That said, sometimes I think I accepted Christ as my Savior as sort of a backup plan just in case there was such a thing as Hell. Modern Christians try to get around the fear factor by emphasizing the personal relationship with Jesus, but a program called Evangelism Explosion always asked the question, “If you were to die tonight, can you say for certain you would go to Heaven?” A person might reply, “Doesn’t that depend on whether you believe a Heaven exists, or whether there’s such a thing as Eternal Life?” I know what the Bible says, and I know some things are to be accepted on faith alone, but that’s pretty difficult for a questioning kind of person like a math major, for example.
My Christian life is comparatively superficial, limited to church attendance, music ministry and financial support. There is no small group, no Bible study, no daily prayer life, no prayer of any kind except for blessings at meals and the occasional quick prayer if someone asks for it. What kind of Christian does that make me? By American standards, that’s a pretty good Christian life, but by Biblical standards, not so much.
I have known some wonderful people who have been faithful and loving Christians – lots of them. The examples they set by how they treat people are what drew me to consider my own faith. But I have also encountered self-professed Christians who were judgmental, racist, narrow- or closed-minded, superior, and legalistic. The Bible may be the inspired Word of God, but people have found ways to use the Bible to support their own practices and beliefs. The Great Commission – the order to go out into the world and make disciples of all men – has resulted, even if inadvertently, in the decimation of cultures.
A story is told of Mahatma Gandhi who, while he was still a student, visited a local Christian church in Calcutta because he had heard of Jesus and wanted to compare Christianity to his native Hinduism. He was turned away at the door by the usher who told him this church was for high-caste Indians and whites only. Gandhi was rumored to have said later, “If it weren’t for Christians, I’d be a Christian.” It reminds me of a quote from the book “The Cross and the Switchblade” about a gang member who became a Christian. In this book, he is talking to a group of guys about God the Father and one of the boys says, “If God is anything like my father, I don’t want any part of him.” I sometimes feel the same way when I consider how Christians hammer their beliefs into culture with no sense of “love thy neighbor” in sight.
I am not convinced that the United States of America was founded as a Christian nation although our founding documents may include Christian concepts. The founding fathers wanted to separate church and state; they absolutely did not want a theocracy. Some, like Thomas Jefferson, valued the intellectual aspects of Christian teachings but dismissed the dogmatism. The phrase “In God We Trust” did not appear on US coins until 1864, and the phrase “under God” did not appear in the Pledge of Allegiance until 1954, with some historians stating one of the reasons as being to differentiate the USA from the God-less Communists in Russia at the beginning of the Cold War. I mention this because some Christians seem to think their religious concepts need to be part of US law. “Freedom of religion” is their freedom to worship as they see fit, but that also means I don’t have to believe like they do. Like I once read: your freedom to swing your fist ends where my nose begins.
If you Google “Was the United States founded on Christianity?” you’ll find a fascinating article published by the Freethoughtpedia. I don’t buy everything this site sells but it’s a thought-provoking article.
I guess the bottom line is that I am a Christian, but not without questions.
LGBTQ
I don’t know how or when I arrived at this view, but LGBTQ has never been an issue for me. Even in high school, if someone pulled me aside and said, “I think I’m queer” or “I think so-and-so is a lesbian” my response was always, “Huh. Well, do you want to have lunch?” Maybe it’s because I was exposed to so many different kinds of kids in all the schools I went to that I learned to “live and let live.”
Here is a place where I think science and the Bible – at least, a rigid interpretation of it – collide head on. The Bible says God created man and woman, male and female. A dogmatic belief says that’s the only truth, and there are only two genders, and ne’er the twain shall meet (except to procreate, of course.)
That probably worked out okay for Adam and Eve, but in the billion people born since then, biology has proven to be very messy. There are no guarantees; genetics are a very tricky business. Random mutations happen. It is truly a miracle if any baby is born perfect, whatever that means. I believe human characteristics fall on a continuum and that includes gender. So while the great majority of humans are either born as genetic males or females, there are some that for whatever reason are a blend of both. That’s science. So how am I to interact with them? How am I to feel about them? For me, it’s easiest to treat them like everyone else: live and let live.
In my view, that also means that conversion therapy is ridiculous and cruel. I don’t believe there’s a big queer conspiracy with an agenda to convert people to homosexuality. While I’m at it, I appreciate the frustration of female athletes who find themselves competing with transgender females who carry male chromosomes and therefore some male characteristics that give them an unfair physical advantage. On the other hand, a person identifying as female certainly might feel out of place competing in a male sport. I don’t have a solution, though it would be an interesting topic of conversation.
As an aside, I recommend watching a BBC Two documentary called “Countdown to Life” which details the nine months from conception to birth of a human baby. The film documents how incredibly complicated and precise the entire process is, and the kind of things that can go “wrong” – that is, make “imperfect” babies. It includes a look at a community in the Dominican Republic which has children called “guevedoces” whose gender is not determined until puberty. The documentary also mentions another family, the DeSilva family in Brazil, who are genetically disposed to six fingers on each hand.
ABORTION
It’s simple: her body, her choice. So that means regarding legal abortions that I’m pro-choice, which is not the same thing as being pro-abortion. That’s not to say a man shouldn’t have a voice in a discussion about a pregnancy that he caused and should take responsibility for. Of course he should, and one would hope the mother would consider that in her decision.
Yes, I’m familiar with all the arguments brought by pro-lifers; I know those reasons are heart-felt, and I get it. At the heart of it, though, the mother will have to live with her decision. Like any personal decision of any consequence, some will regret their decision, and some will celebrate it. But it shouldn’t be our call.
Interestingly, in the current COVID19 pandemic, a Republican with the virus said his treatment was under the advisement of his physician and no bureaucrat was going to interfere. Twitter exploded with the observation that women have been saying that for decades.
BOYS WILL BE BOYS
This phrase is used a couple of ways. It often refers to young boys, say 2 to 10 years old, who are being energetic, rambunctious, even reckless in their behavior, and the parents shrug it away with “boys will be boys” as if the boys’ behavior is out of their control. It can be a challenging time for boys and parents, and certainly many parents manage their boys quite well and teach them how to behave.
When I was growing up, boys were either boys or sissies (pansies, crybabies, etc.). Now of course I know that boys’ behavior patterns, like gender, fall on a continuum from rambunctious daredevil behavior at one end to gentle sensitive behavior on the other (remember Ferdinand the Bull?), with all combinations in between. Hopefully parents will recognize and honor their boys’ uniqueness and help them grow up to be responsible men. Sadly, as Teri Sue will tell you from her experience as a teacher, some boys have the extra burden of growing up with a misogynistic or even abusive father-figure.
The phrase is also used as an excuse for rude behavior by teen boys and grown men. When a boy hoots at a girl with a short skirt, or a man gropes a woman while she just walks by, their behavior is explained away: boys will be boys. The guys just couldn’t control themselves, they say.
I think women are miraculous, one of the best things God created, and I can appreciate what I’m seeing. But how I behave is completely in my control. I control my eyes, my hands, my comments, my body language — my actions. Every man has that responsibility, and those who don’t control their actions and then blame their behavior on the other person (“She asked for it! She was wearing tight shorts and a tank top and she smiled at me! I couldn’t help myself.”) get no respect from me.
RACISM AND SEXISM
Before its founding and continuing on through “manifest destiny” to the west coast, white men regarded the North American continent as their entitlement regardless of who was here first. What happened to the indigenous people of this country was criminal. Since then, it’s been pretty clear that white men in this country feel like they should be in control of everything from voters to women to property to wealth to education. I’m combining these two topics – racism and sexism – because both women and all people of color have been systematically and systemically treated as second class citizens by many white males since this country was founded. There are white women, especially Evangelical Christians, who prefer that subservient role and see it as ordained by God. One of the speakers (Abby Johnson) at this year’s Republican National Convention (2020) had previously Tweeted she supported a return to “household voting” allowing only the head of the household – ostensibly a man – to vote.
I should point out that keeping women and minorities subservient to men in power is not exclusive to our country – but our country should know better.
I think the Equal Rights Amendment should be ratified. I’m sorry it’s even necessary. In the year 2020 this country still does not have equitable representation by gender in our government at any level, on our corporate boards, or in our military. Women do not receive equal pay for equal work. Again, I’m pretty naive, but when I apply the Rotary Four Way Test to any of these issues, the correct ethical decision becomes clear pretty quickly.
I guess I’d have to say I THINK I’m not racist but I have never lived in a place that’s been racially diverse except for Air Force bases. The military were integrated before the rest of the country (not to say there wasn’t racism there, either, e.g. the Tuskegee Airmen) but the base housing was always more diverse and integrated. I like to think I treat everyone with respect and integrity but I can’t be really objective about it. From my reading, it appears many white people who say they aren’t racist actually ARE racist to some extent but have never been faced with the prejudices they were raised with.
One of the first songs I learned in grade school was about Christopher Columbus:
In Fourteen Hundred and Ninety-two,
Columbus sailed the ocean blue,
He sailed and sailed and sailed and sailed
To find this land for me and you.
If you’re a white American, this makes sense. But if you’re a Native American, this is a total remake of history in the white man’s favor. Our treatment of Native Americans has been a national travesty, but the horse has already left the barn and I have no idea how to make reparations.
SECOND AMENDMENT
Maybe the 2nd Amendment seemed like a good idea at the time (1791). However, having the right to bear a black-powder single shot rifle for a state militia to defend itself against a Federal force is a far cry from the Supreme Court declaring that individual citizens (with some restrictions; i.e. mentally ill, felons – hah!) are free to own a gun and that it “extends to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding.” This defies common sense; no civilian needs a weapon whose only purpose is to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time. Something else that defies common sense: We license drivers and register cars, but Heaven forbid we license gun-owners and register firearms.
More and more frequently, it seems, someone is likely to pull a gun and shoot someone when they’re upset about something trivial. In the news today (July 29, 2020) a man was arrested for shooting and killing another rider in the truck cab when that person refused to raise the window. When we’re camping, I will not risk going to an adjoining campsite to complain about noise after 10pm (especially if I think alcohol is involved) when there’s a chance I’ll get shot for my efforts. I am not interested in collecting people’s guns or rescinding the 2nd Amendment but I am absolutely in favor of background checks for ALL gun purchasers, registration of ALL gun sales, accredited firearms safety training before ownership, and ownership restriction to include perpetrators of domestic violence. It is insane that this country has the world’s highest rate for gun violence and deaths. The National Rifle Association (NRA) used to content itself with safety training for kids who wanted to go hunting with their dads and moms; it should have stayed with its original mission.
IMMIGRATION
Pretty simple: instead of spending a gazillion dollars to build a worthless wall, why not spend several billion dollars to hire enough staff to process the applications and get those immigrants in here to add their efforts to build this country.