Monday, January 09, 2006


Me, September 2005, happy to be at CDSP.Posted by Picasa

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey, Sis!

Now that you're in seminary, as I was three decades ago, it might be interesting to compare notes. I shall let you know, right away, that the best and most fruitful learning I received during my years at TCU (Brite Divinity Sch.) was not in the classroom but rather in the outside experiences. Especially the Bible studies I participated in, first as one of several engaged seminarians and their intendeds and then as married seminarians with spouses.

I did pick up some good learning items in the classroom, but it seemed like they were sadly few. And now I'd probably avoid Brite's (TCU's) classes, as the unbelief has increased. They even have courses for Jewish students -- in a Christian seminary!

And in the ultra-liberal scholar environment to which Disciples seminaries ascribe, we now have the pernicious influence of the "Jesus Seminar" agnostics from Harvard and the other hotbeds of unbelief in the Northeast. I just got done reading a book by a "Jesus Seminar" professor, which ripped apart Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code" in splendid, scholarly fashion. But while he was at it the "Jesus Seminar" guy chose to rip also the New Testament documents and traditional Christian faith that Jesus really lived on this Earth, did miracles, was crucified for our sins and was raised to new life on the third day. And earlier I had read some "Jesus Seminar" folks' tomes concerning documents from the Gnostic library found in Egypt about the same time the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Again, there was some interesting and informative stuff, but all presented in an atmosphere of "these documents are as valid as the ones that made the NT canon" -- and this despite the obvious (to me) shortcomings of the Gnostic heretics AND their so-called "gospels".

Comments?

Glen Alan

Debbie of Boise said...

Good to hear from you bro! I'm glad we are engaging in conversation here. I'd love to know the name of that "Jesus Seminar" professor you read. I agree with the Jesus Seminar on a number of points, but not all. I'm pretty close to Marcus Borg in my theological bent. I agree that the Gnostic gospels have short comings but they do teach us that Jesus did not give us our Christain faith whole cloth. It took centuries for Christains to articulate the humanity and divinity of Jesus.

I have to smile at your characteration of Disciples seminaries as ultra-liberal. If they are ultra-liberal, then that would make CDSP pagan! ;-) I'm afraid dear bro that Disciples are pretty darn mainstream. Ah well, you are on the very, very conservative end of things som yeah, they would seem ultra-liberal. That's why I'm glad we are having conversation. You will help me to clarify my own positions on scripture and theology, which is a very good thing for one in seminary.

Also, I've made the comment non-moderated so you will see your comments right away, I hope. I'm still learning how this blog works. Ah, but it is such fun! How about that moon phase gif I have now? And no, I'm not a pagan moon worshiper, just a born-again lesbian Christian who appreciates the Creator's handiwork.

Blessings - your sis.

Anonymous said...

Hm-m-m! So you're attending a pagan seminary and studying to be a moon worshiper. Would you be worshiping Thoth of the Ancient Egyptians or Diana of the Romans? Just kidding! Just having some fun putting "words in your mouth" that you did not say.

Now, seriously, I have to laugh at your assessment of the Disciples of Christ as MOR. "Officially" we're definitely well left of the center represented by the United Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans and formerly the Southern Baptists. When I say "officially" I refer to statements by denominational leaders and by the seminaries, the expressed stances of the professors, etc. Of course, the Disciples began as a rejection of even basic creeds (such as the Nicene), tests of faith or anything beyond the Bible's statements. Therefore, the CC(DC) can have no real official position on anything, and there is complete freedom for each member to believe as he or she feels led, beyond the basic Good Confession that each must say before baptism.

As to the guy who wrote that book I just read, his name is Bob Price (probably "Robert" if searching for the book in a catalog). His book's title is "The Da Vinci Fraud".

Will continue as I find time (on the time-limited public library computers. I don't have my own PC.

Your brother, Glen Alan

Anonymous said...

Howdy, Sis!

My last posting (comment) was to the "Angels in America" above; I'd like to hear your answers/responses (especially about what is "duckedness" & your reason(s) for going to seminary).

Right now I want to share with you that a couple nights ago I did something which kind of surprised me (that I even did it). I went to see the movie "Brokeback Mtn." alone, by myself. Of course I knew from newspaper reviews, that it was about two cowboys (actually herding sheep) in Wyoming who have a homosexual encounter. I wondered how I'd handle viewing that aspect of the movie. But I was drawn by the story's setting, and curious to see what effect the encounter had on their subsequent lives. One review indicated (correctly) that knowledge of it destroyed a family, and another indicated (erroneously) that the encounter was, so to speak, a "one-night stand".

I'm glad I saw the movie; it clearly deserves its Oscar nominations. Yes, the homosexual activity was disgusting (but then, so are other illicit sexual encounters often seen on-screen), but I came away from the movie much less disgusted than with a deep sense of sadness for Ennis and Jack, and how that encounter on a lonely mountain had taken possession of and destroyed their lives. I especially felt sad for Ennis, that he let the affair with Jack ruin an otherwise basically happy family relationship with a good wife and two good daughters. And he paid the price, by ending up living alone in a trailer. (Ouch! this living alone after a ruined family life sure hits close to home!)

I also felt sad for Ennis' wife, when she caught sight of the two expressing their homosexual lust for one another. The filmography was terrific there, capturing how the sight broke her heart, changed her world for the worst and put her at the point of tears.

Of course, the landscape what what caught the most of my attention. I was thinking lots of homesick tho'ts, and wondering that these mountains looked as rugged as the Tetons and yet seemed to go on and on like the Canadian Rockies. So I stayed watching thru all the credits at the end, and thus found out that it was filmed in Alberta. Well, I've been there, done that, too, you might say. As have you -- remember our family summer trip up to Banff? I remember, how those peaks went on and on and on past the horizon. Well, if Wyoming's own mtns. were insufficient for the spectacular vistas the director(s) wanted, then definitely Alberta had more than en'uf mtns. to oblige!

And that name, "Brokeback Mountain", is so appropriate, not just for the look of the peak, but also for how the encounter there "broke the back" of having a normal life for Ennis and Jack.

Also, I got the impression that the director(s) wished to not make a state-ment, either pro- or anti-, but simply record that "this is what happened -- you draw your own conclusions". The only exception was the two brief views of death-dealing violence against homosexuals; in those it seemed that the direc-tor(s) clearly wanted to make an anti-"hate-crime" statement. And this doesn't bother me, because I certainly oppose any sort of violence against anybody! The vigilante heritage of the West is one thing that does not endear me to my old stomping grounds (nor my current stomping grounds)

Can you tell that if I could have watched the movie with anyone, I'd like to have seen it with you? There were so many times I wondered what your response to this or that would have been. So-o-o, have you seen it? Care to comment?

Love, your brother,
Glen Alan