TonioTimeDaily

"From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry.

I’m truly sorry for the times we as a body of God have hurt, manipulated, deceived, and judged you. There’s nothing that I or anyone can do to take the hurt away or turn back the hands of time. However, with all sincerity of heart, I apologize. The actions of certain members of the church are not true reflections of Christ and what Christ demands of us."

Christians are supposed to say it but more importantly mean it when church hurt happens. 

Today we are talking to Billy Graham's Grandson Boz Tchividjian. Boz is a hero for victims of sexual abuse. An experienced litigator who has handled hundreds of civil and criminal cases, Basyle (“Boz”) Tchividjian has dedicated his career to empowering survivors of sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment to step forward and seek justice against perpetrators and the institutions legally responsible for their trauma. His current practice focuses almost exclusively on representing child and adult abuse survivors throughout the country. More here: https://bozlawpa.com. 

Link: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkHqYDByPRI

"Boz Tchividjian, the grandson of world renowned evangelist Billy Graham, is reportedly no longer identifying himself with the term "evangelical," joining many others who have abandoned the term in the wake of the election of President Donald Trump.

"I don't identify myself with that term any more," Tchividjian, an activist who speaks out against sexual abuse in the church, was quoted as saying in a Nov. 3 article focusing on "exvangelicals" published by the British news outlet The Guardian.

"Words matter," Tchividjian said. "And 'evangelical' isn't like Baptist or Episcopalian, which can be clearly defined. The minute you use that term to someone, "you're defined by how they interpret it."

As 2016 presidential election exit polls showed that 81 percent of people who identified as white evangelicals voted for Trump and as Trump has done much in his first year in office to appeal to the conservative evangelical vote, the word "evangelical" has increasingly become associated with the Trump presidency.

Considering that "evangelical" a word that most people don't actually know the true definition of or who it refers to, it has begun to take on a very political connotation for many Americans.

"Because we have such a broad and vague definition of evangelical, one person could automatically assume every evangelical is a Trump supporter, while another could think they're anti-Trump, because that exists as well," Tchividjian explained. "We're looking at faith through a political lens, and that's unfortunate and dangerous."

The Christian Post reached out to Tchividjian for further comment on his remarks to The Guardian and will provide an update if a response is received."

“The first thing you’d notice about Antonio as a student is what a polite, respectful, well-grounded young man he was,” said Dr. Rick Perrone, chair of the department of human services & psychology. “He carried himself with a quiet confidence and looked at things in a very level way. He was very mature for his age and was always the first one to step up and help others.”

Myers credits the Beacon experience for contributing significantly to his growth and healing – through supportive faculty, courses, and counseling resources. He joined every life skills club available through the college’s counseling center. “It kept me sane through the years, as I rediscovered myself as a person who is in tune with knowledge,” he said.

Since graduation, Myers has done clerical work for several federal agencies and marketing and volunteer work for nonprofits. He has also served on the Washington D.C. Rehabilitation Council and St. John’s Community Services Board.

Since just before the pandemic hit, however, he has been essentially unemployed, as companies appear more hesitant than ever to hire people with autism and other disabilities, he said. That led him to take matters into his own hands as far as making a living as a writer and social media entrepreneur. He landed a book publishing deal for his autobiography, is negotiating a second book deal with another publisher, hosts a daily podcast, and does speaking engagements throughout the community to advocate for disability rights.

Myers hopes his book will encourage others who have suffered abuse to come forward and receive help:

“I’m telling my story to let you know that you are not alone,” he writes. “There is always help available. There is always hope. I’m a survivor of sexual abuse, assault, and bullying. I want to give you hope by sharing my story and help you share your story as well. Don’t be afraid. Pray and ask God to give you peace and help you to heal emotionally. Get therapy so you can heal emotionally and live your life with passion, power and purpose.”

Link: https://www.beaconcollege.edu/alumni-spotlight/2021/12/for-myers-early-silence-transformed-into-golden-words-of-thanks-in-new-memoir/

The rise of science and atheism can be attributed to a period of rapid cultural and intellectual development called the Renaissance. Beginning around 500 years ago in Europe, it led to Western, secular values dominating the world, infusing liberal and atheistic attitudes into unprepared cultures. Though many religious leaders rejected these values, some attempted to reinterpret scripture for greater agreement with science. This led to disharmony in many world religions, where those reluctant to change distanced themselves from reformers. As a result, old religions splintered into new sects, each with its own interpretation of traditional beliefs.

Over the centuries, science has consistently provided further cause for panic, provoking hostile reactions from religious believers. However, unlike traditional atheism, science never intended to threaten religion. When Edwin Hubble proved the existence of an expanding universe, the evidence was so convincing and the conclusion so irrefutable that it became the domain of common sense. When Charles Darwin recognized evolution through natural selection, the unambiguous utility of its application to all facets of the natural world gave us a tantalizing avenue to pursue our origins. With the Big Bang, evolution, and a wealth of other knowledge-based advances, science has inadvertently forced the reinterpretation of religion in places where its dogma is in conflict with overt truth.

Such a battle should concern neither side. The illimitable iteration of cause and effect will always establish an empyreal abode. For example, if the Universe started with an explosion then one could claim God caused the explosion to occur. If dinosaur fossils are found then God put them there to test our faith. If the Earth is billions of years old, then a day in the Genesis story is equal to hundreds of millions of years. These are actual interpretations of the Bible that have been forced into existence by science.

Rather than reconcile scripture with evolutionary theory, Christians invented a new theory called Intelligent Design (ID). It claimed that living things are too complex to be explained by the randomness of natural selection. The unsupported suggestion that a creator God must therefore be the cause revealed the religious underpinning of the theory. This lack of impartiality saw Intelligent Design fail to become an established scientific theory. Impartiality is crucial to the scientific method. Scientists look for evidence to derive answers, but creationists look for evidence to support a particular answer. It's unscientific to selectively look for and document evidence based on how favorable it is to your beliefs.

This biased search for evidence is characteristic of the psychology of religion. Religions typically include a number of comforting beliefs (afterlife, loving god, purposeful existence, etc.) that believers are emotionally invested in, and dependent on. Believers are therefore motivated to find evidence that supports and reinforces their beliefs. Thus, all that opposes their beliefs is automatically dismissed, and all in favor is given utmost attention. For the same reason, believers will surround themselves with people who share their beliefs, providing further illusory reinforcement. The group becomes a source of identity and pride, and the pleasure derived from satiating this pride is reason enough to bias their approach to evaluating evidence."

"When the chalice is extinguished, words are again recited. This is one commonly- used phrase.

Some common affirmations at a UU service are:

When the children leave the service, they are often sung out. These are two of the songs that may be sung at this time.

The hymns tend not to focus on the worship of a deity, but instead express love for life, the earth, and other people. The hymns are usually taken from the hymnbook, Singing in the Living Tradition.

Universalism was founded in the sixteenth century in Transylvania. Its main doctrine was the belief in an entirely loving God who will ultimately redeem all human beings; no one is condemned to Hell; everyone is “saved.” This sect was relentlessly persecuted by the established Christian church for heresy.

Unitarianism rejected the doctrine of the Trinity and proclaimed the singular nature of God. It was founded in America in the late 1700’s.

Some modern day UUs who do not believe in God at all like to say that the “Unitarian” part of “Unitarian Universalist" means that all people are one people, and the “Universal” part means that Earth is part of a larger universe.

Unitarian Universalism (called UU for short) became a recognized religion in 1961 when the Christian Unitarian and Universalist denominations merged. Although it has its roots in Christianity and some UUs (as members call themselves) consider themselves to be Christian, it is closer to secular humanism than to traditional religions.

UU is sometimes described as “the religion that puts its faith in you.” There is no doctrine, creed, or dogma. There are no holy scriptures; there are no required beliefs or practices. Members are free to believe in God or not.

Although most consider themselves to be simply UU, some prefer a hyphenated designation (e.g., Christian-UU, Jewish--UU, etc.) People are comfortable with this because all religious faiths (and no faith) are respected in UU congregations."

Shouldn't Christians have the commitment to do what is right despite the possible consequences? Shouldn't Christians be okay with perishing for Jesus for holy purposes? Shouldn't Christians not try to save themselves by remaining silent rather than standing up for what's right? Shouldn't they trust God for the outcomes and please God even if the outcomes are unpleasant? 

The Humanist Manifesto III provides a long list of humanist beliefs. (By the way, “manifesto” turned out to be a poor choice of words, since the term became associated with communism.) The first Humanist Manifesto was published in 1933. It has been updated twice since then.

Humanists believe a lot of the same things theists believe. Humanists believe that all humans are part of one human family. They strive to treat everyone fairly, to avoid prejudice, and to care for other people. Humanists aspire for a world in which everyone has an opportunity to live a happy and fulfilled life.

Humanists believe in personal freedom, but also social responsibility. And what is ethics but a set of rules for living harmoniously together with one another?

Morality predates modern religions. Humanists are guided by reason, empathy, and understanding to behave in an ethical way. Humanists believe that reason and science provide the best means for understanding the world around you and that treating others with dignity and compassion is the best way to live."

"In the Old Testament alone, “justice” is mentioned hundreds of times in reference to the systemic oppression of vulnerable populations at the hands of the rich and powerful. Here is a very small sampling:

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17)

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free…” (Isaiah 58:6)

“This is what the Lord says: Do what is right and just. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.” (Jeremiah 22:3)

“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.” (Jeremiah 22:13)

“There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts…But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:12, 24)

What you should see in these passages is not just a clear concern for vulnerable populations, but also that they are identifying large scale, systemic issues that are not possible to address by way of mission trips, church service projects, or benevolence. These verses and many others mention things like wages, taxes, greed among the rich, and bribery.

Evangelicals who rail against the idea of justice do not deny that the Bible commands Christians to care for the poor and needy, but they seek to make a distinction, saying that individuals and churches are supposed to help the poor and needy, but not try to do so through political processes nor demand that the government do so. This ignores the context of these Bible passages and the problems they mention. How can injustices caused (and maintained) by political forces be remedied by individuals and churches?

If Congress passes a law that makes health insurance unaffordable for millions of additional Americans, compassionate churches trying to pay a few medical bills or run a clinic drain their resources while leaving the root cause of the problem in place. If our president halts refugee resettlement programs and cancels protected status for certain immigrants, it’s virtually meaningless to talk about helping them since they won’t even be here to help. If your city or county is focusing all its resources and energy on the middle to upper class parts of town and neglecting the poor section, your casserole or clean up project is almost insulting.

Proverbs 31:8-9 calls us to “defend the rights of the poor and needy.” How are we supposed to do that without engaging those who are taking those rights away? A bucket of water doesn’t do much for a house that’s on fire.

Modern faith leaders’ opposition to justice can be traced to some sinister roots in the 1930s. Justice was more commonly preached in American pulpits in those days as the corporate power structure had lost clout with the people because of the 1929 stock market crash. The corporations hated the New Deal, but they were going to need some help in getting Christian America back on board with their agenda. Princeton history professor Kevin M. Kruse says that they found that help in Los Angeles-based Congregationalist pastor James W. Fifield, Jr., who started a movement called “Spiritual Mobilization.” His main sponsors were Sun Oil President J. Howard Pew, Alfred Sloan of General Motors, the heads of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, etc."

"1. Weird insults and curses. The Monty Python crew may have coined some of the best insults of the last 100 years: Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries. But for centuries the reigning master was Shakespeare: It is certain that when he makes water his urine is congealed ice. Had John Cleese and William Shakespeare lived in the Iron Age, though, some of the Bible writers might have given them a run for their money. Christians scoot past these passages, but one hell-bound humorist used them to create a biblical curse generator.

2. Awkwardly useless commandments. The Bible is chock-a-block with dos and don’ts. Some of them are simply statements of universal ethical principles like Do to others what you would have them do to you, or Don’t lie, or Don’t covet your neighbor’s possessions. But from a moral standpoint most of them are simply useless or even embarrassing—especially if you think God could have used the space to say Don’t have sex with anyone who doesn’t want you to or Wash your hands after you go to the bathroom.

3. Silly food rules. The early Hebrews probably didn’t have an obesity epidemic like the one that has spread around the globe today. Even so, one might think that if an unchanging and eternal God were going to give out food rules he might have considered the earnest Middle-American believers who would be coming along in 2014. A little divine focus on amping up leafy green vegetables and avoiding sweets might have gone a long way. Instead, the Bible strictly forbids eating rabbit, shellfish, pork, weasels, scavengers, reptiles, and owls. As is, Christians simply ignore the eating advisories in the Old Testament, even though they claim that edicts like the Ten Commandments and the anti-queer clobber verses still apply.