Collideoscope

Seniors at McKenzie High School in the Oregon countryside recently experienced a painful loss when one of their classmates was killed in an ATV accident.  At the funeral Isaiah 40:31 was read.  Inspired by the verse, the McKenzie High Eagles’ seniors decided to adopt the following class motto: “They that believe shall mount up with wings as eagles.”

Unfortunately, their motto was rejected by school officials.

It wasn’t because of what the motto said.  Belief is a generic enough term to be accepted by even the most hardened atheist.  It could be belief in oneself, belief in “Eagle Pride,” or belief in any number of non-religious things.  The reason behind the rejection of the motto was merely its source.  Because it was inspired by the Bible it was not allowed.

Now, any sane person could recognize the fact that using the above motto does not violate the constitutional separation of church and state (see the 1^st Amendment which, incidentally, also protects free speech).  And this is where I am supposed to go into the rant about how the secular agenda is squeezing God out of our country.  Christians are losing the culture war.

Sorry, I just don’t buy that line.  This type of censorship comes, not from some evil agenda, but from ignorance and fear.  Ignorance of the Constitution and the law and fear of lawsuits and overreacting parents lead people such as this to take the safest course of action—self-censorship.  Unfortunately, in trying to take the safest course on one direction, it often steps over the line in another, in this case free speech.

So what should be the Christian response to incidents such as this?  I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Josh R

I have respect for Joel Osteen.  When he came toOrlando, it was headline news that he was one of the few televangelists who doesn’t frivolously blow obscene amounts of his parishioners’ money.  On the other hand, this article presents an interesting critique of his version of the Prosperity Doctrine. 

God does not want you to be poor or sick or suffer in any way.  You can claim victory over that suffering and enjoy a pleasant, prosperous and healthy life in this world.  The biggest problem with this theology, however, is that it is not biblical.  Can you imagine what Jesus’ ministry would have looked like had he espoused these ideas?  Of course, first he would have had to be born into an upper-middle-class family.  He would have had to be more successful than a homeless, itinerant prophet.  And that whole beating and crucifixion thing would have to have been skipped altogether.

In fact, Hebrews tells us that Jesus’ suffering was important to our own salvation.  Paul also suggests that it is through suffering, not the avoidance of pain that we identify with Christ.  An examination of the Scriptures finds more evidence for our suffering than for our prosperity.  At the very best, books like Ecclesiastes and Psalms indicate that our lives will be filled with both prosperity and suffering—regardless of the amount of our faith.

But what really bugs me about Osteen’s prosperity message is the way it reflects who God is.  Take a look at the sub-title of the above-mentioned article: Joel Osteen’s God really wants you to dress well, stand up straight, and get a convenient parking space.  When we preach, teach, write or talk about our faith we are reflecting on God.  What God do people see when they look at us?  Do they see a God only for yuppie exurbs (I love that word), or do they see a God who can be for anyone, even the poor and suffering?  This is a question of our most basic theology, and the answer will be in every single conversation we ever have about God.  If we don’t think it through, we may be espousing a theology that is not biblical.

My challenge is simple—think it through.

Josh R.