Challenging Christian Nationalism Could Be Dangerous

Newspapers in Florida are reporting that Sean Allen, one of Truett Seminary's brightest graduates, has been receiving death threats at his church.

Allen is pastor at First Baptist Church in DeLand, Florida. He has been receiving hostile notes and death threats ever since he removed both the U.S. flag and the Christian flag from the church's sanctuary.

It's no secret that many Christian Nationalists have little tolerance for those who refuse to join them in equating the symbols of the nation with the symbols of faith. Those in DeLand, however, seem more extreme than most.

Pray for Sean. He and his family have taken a leave of absence from the church.

Americans Grow Weary of Mendacity

Real Clear Politics has published a story assessing the implications of the margin by which a Democrat won a House seat in a district in Mississippi that had been solidly Republican.

Tom Cole, the National Republican Committee Chairman, is taking some heat from Republicans who want him to make some changes in the GOP. Here's a quote:

Still, losing heavily Republican seats in the Deep South is a big blow to the Washington GOP. "To lose two Southern seats in two weeks, I mean, oh my God," the leadership aide said. The aide told Real Clear Politics that something new is going to happen at the NRCC. "People look at Cole, and they say, 'What are you going to do to change?' And if he doesn't want to change, change is going to be forced on him."

It looks like Tom Cole will be the scapegoat for Republican losses this year.

For some reason, few Republicans are willing to admit that their party continues to promote leaders that have repeatedly employed deliberate deception and public lies to lead the country toward goals and objectives that would not have been approved had they been openly and honestly discussed.

Americans are weary of the mendacity of politicians.

Party affiliations and conservative/liberal labels no longer hold credibility. We are tired of being manipulated by politicians on both the left and the right.

We are looking for politicians with the integrity to tell us the truth -- even when that truth is hard for us to receive.

Hollady Says Constitution Defies Strict Interpretation

Don Holladay, an attorney in Norman with more than a decade of experience as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer, has written an Op-Ed published in today's Norman Transcript contending that the "Constitution Defies Strict Interpretation." Here's a quote:

Politics aside, saying the Constitution should be strictly interpreted is a flawed proposition. Taken literally, it presents an almost impossible challenge in light of the document's actual wording. The Constitution's language, without elaboration, instructs judges to guard the "privileges and immunities" of citizenship. It speaks of our guarantees with phrases such as "life, liberty or property" without further detail. It requires "due process of law" and "equal protection" and mandates the federal judiciary's responsibility to protect these fundamental rights. These word choices are the pillars upon which our constitutional rights exist. And yet, the words on their face are hardly capable of being "strictly interpreted" as written.

Who Wants a Lying President?

Jimmy Carter doesn't and he says so in a guest blog for the On Faith section of the Washington Post. Here's a quote:

I do not think the President of the United States should be a liar, and believe that the overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens agree with me. For security reasons, the whole truth cannot always be revealed, but it is quite obvious that lies are seldom made to protect our nation. Almost invariably, the political fortunes of the prevaricator are at stake.

Podcast: Interview with David Blatt

Dr. Bruce Prescott's 5-11-08 "Religious Talk" radio interview with Dr. David Blatt (27MB MP3), Director of Policy for the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

We talk about the Institute's first issues brief: "On the Brink: Oklahoma Families are already Facing Tough Times."

Evangelical Leader Likens Obama to a Plague

Bob Novak has written an article suggesting that Mike Huckabee privately concurs with Homeschool Champion Michael Farris in believing that evangelicals should sit out this year's presidential election.

Farris and other far right evangelicals think America deserves a "plague-like presidency" and Obama fits the bill.

Personally, it is hard for me to understand how any American searching for an example of a "plague-like presidency" could overlook the stiff-necked Pharaoh currently occupying the White House.

Most Popular Podcasts

Here's a list of the most popular podcasts from the "Religious Talk" radio program.

From the year 2005:

Still the all-time favorite -- the interview with Petroleum Geologist Bob Stephenson on Peak Oil in July 2005. A follow-up interview in August 2005 also proved popular.

The interview of Fred Clarkson (Part 1 and Part 2), author of Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy.

From the year 2006:

The interview of Muhammed Cetin, President of the Institute for Interfaith Dialog.

The interview of Randall Balmer, author of Thy Kingdom Come.

The interview of Michelle Goldberg, author of Kingdom Coming.

From the year 2007:

The interview with Michael Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

The interview of Mary Kinney Branson, author of Spending God's Money: Extravagance and Misuse in the Name of Ministry.

From the year 2008:

The interview of Dr. Barbara Forrest, author of Creationism's Trojan Horse.

My son, Will Prescott's interview of Dr. William Martin, Emeritus Professor of Religion and Public Policy at Rice University.

When Norman Got Malaria

The Norman Transcript has published a story about NorthHaven Church's recent conference on "Norman 'Gets' Malaria."

Oklahoma's first lady, Kim Henry, was the featured speaker. Here's an excerpt:

Keynote speaker Kim Henry spoke about a Ghana trip and presented a slide show of photographs she snapped in the African nation.

"This is really an important issue for many reasons," Henry said.

She described the week-long journey as an "incredible, life changing experience."

The First Lady said it's clear that poverty is an issue for the people of Ghana. The annual income is about $300 per person.

During the trip, Henry visited hospitals that were overwhelmed with patients suffering from diseases including malaria. She noted Ghana's mortality rate is 50 percent.

"We didn't just go into the village and hand out nets," she said.

Henry said she discovered that individuals find peace in their spiritual lives and relationships with a higher power. Whether someone was Christian or Muslim didn't matter.

"People seem to be so spiritual and in tune with God," she said.

On the Evangelical Manifesto: The Elephant is Still in the Room

A group of evangelical scholars has issued "An Evangelical Manifesto" in an attempt to redefine and restore a good name to the evangelical movement within Christianity.

There is much to commend in their statement. Most of it would have been of much more value had it been said years ago -- no, decades ago. It is much too little and way too late.

This statement comes at a moment when evangelical Christianity has lost all credibility because it is so closely identified with the American political right. More than any other group in America, the world knows that evangelicals are the political base for an administration that has disrupted the peace and tranquility of the entire world by fighting wars under false pretenses, undermining human rights, and condoning the use of torture.

Now that the political influence of evangelicals is declining, you'll find numerous admonitions that evangelicalism must be defined theologically and not politically. Now that the media megaphone is slipping away from evangelicals, you'll find many lamentations about the lack of civility in America's "culture wars." What you won't find is any clear apology for the role that evangelicals have played and are still playing as cheerleaders for a worldwide "clash of civilizations." In fact, the document itself singles out the religious extremism of "Islamist violence" for censure while ignoring the many examples of "Christian violence" bombing abortion clinics and federal buildings.

You'll find several admissions of human sinfulness and fallibility and many appeals for repentance and reform, but not a single confession regarding the failure of American evangelicals to address this nation's militarism, human rights violations, and abuse of prisoners.

Until evangelicals muster up the courage to address their own most egregious sins and shortcomings, the message they want to share about the good news of the gospel will fall on deaf ears.

Evangelicals have lost all credibility. Their manifesto is a timid step in the right direction, but an elephant is still in the room and they are still ignoring it.

His Nets Issues Appeal for Nets for Burma

As the extent of the humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in Burma, the need for insecticide-treated mosquito nets to protect tens of thousands from malaria is urgent.

“The U.S. and other countries will provide food, drinking water and shelter,” says T Thomas. “However, standing water from the cyclone will quickly cause an outbreak of malaria. This will result in a second wave of deaths if nets are not provided quickly!”

Thomas is director of His Nets, an Oklahoma-based charity that works closely with the Baptist World Alliance in fighting malaria around the world, especially in Africa.

His Nets has already committed funds for over a thousand nets, but the need is much greater. We’re asking for your assistance. For six dollars, you can provide a net that protects an entire family for up to 5 years.

“Whenever tragedies like this happen, we watch the news and sit around thinking ‘Isn’t that awful?’” Thomas adds. “This is a way to make a difference. We can save lives .”

Tax-deductible donations may be sent to His Nets, 1017 Elm Avenue, Norman OK 73072. Donations can be also be made at http://www.hisnets.org.

For additional information contact T. T Thomas, Director of His Nets (work: (405) 447-2471; cell: (405) 831-2987; e-mail: cfrankthomas@att.net).

Kim Henry 'Gets' Malaria

A fifty second excerpt from Oklahoma's First Lady, Kim Henry, as she speaks about her trip to Ghana last year with His Nets to pass out mosquito nets to prevent malaria.

Henry was speaking at NorthHaven Church in Norman, OK at their "Norman 'Gets' Malaria Conference" on the evening of May 5, 2008.