Skedoosker
Skedoosker
Did you see this re: the Easter service attended by President Obama?Minister criticizes captains of the religious right at Obamas Easter service
By Hamil R. Harris, Published: SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 1:27 PM ET
Aa
Updated 2:10 p.m.
With President Obama and his family in the pews for Easter Sunday worship, the Rev. Luis Leon at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washingtons Lafayette Square took the opportunity to take a shot at political conservatives, arguing from the pulpit that some conservative positions are holding people back.
Quoting from John 20:1-18, Leon said in the same way Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to hold onto him, it is time for conservatives to stop holding on to what he considers outdated stances on race, gender equality, homosexuals and immigrants.
"It drives me crazy when the captains of the religious right are always calling us back for blacks to be back in the back of the bus for women to be back in the kitchen for immigrants to be back on their side of the border," Leon said.
Leon said people instead should use "Easter vision" to allow them to see the world in a different, more "wonderful" way.
After the sermon, Leon told the Washington Post that he was speaking about Mary realizing that she shouldn't hold on, accepting it, and changing from that point on.
That is the invitation for all of us," Leon said. When asked to discuss his criticism of political conservatives, he said: "I will keep my thoughts there."
Obama has visited the church, which is steps from the White House, several times during his presidency, including for Easter worship in 2012. Like most of his previous visits to churches in the District, Obama did not make a speech. He sat on the end of a pew near the middle of the sanctuary, smiling and greeting members of the congregation with a "Happy Easter."
My question is do any of these people actually read the Bible, and the history contained there? After my first time through it, especially the Old Testament, I was struck by the clear pattern of the religious authorities, and the nation of Israel as a whole, slowly being seduced away from following the directions of God,, falling into weakness and decline, and then being brought back to strength by returning to following the ways of God.
I could cite Hezekiah, Uzzia, and any number of other leaders, and how they tore down the sodomites houses, and restored the proper worship in the temple. Probably the first instance of people being seduced by this spirit of modernism was Satan tempting Eve in the Garden of Eden, when he asked, "Hath God said...?" followed shortly by calling God a liar, "Ye shall not surely die:" (Gen 3:1,4) We all know how that first instance of turning from God's commndments turned out.
My only point in saying all this is that I refuse to be dismissed as some sort of reactionary hater, because in actuallity I, and other believers, are seeking the beautiful Kingdom of God, and we are very conceerned about straying from the path God has set before us, because that kind of deviation has been tried, over and over in the past, and has never worked. We, individualy and collectively, can only get there by adhering to God's direction. What's more, to those who would say to keep my beliefs to myself, I respond that we are all in this together. It is as though we are all on a ship together, and I can see that it is on a course that will take us all, me included, over a waterfall to our deaths. I have every right, indeed duty, to object, even if others tell me to sit down because I'm rocking the boat.
That's what I think, how about any other folks?
By Hamil R. Harris, Published: SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 1:27 PM ET
Aa
Updated 2:10 p.m.
With President Obama and his family in the pews for Easter Sunday worship, the Rev. Luis Leon at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washingtons Lafayette Square took the opportunity to take a shot at political conservatives, arguing from the pulpit that some conservative positions are holding people back.
Quoting from John 20:1-18, Leon said in the same way Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to hold onto him, it is time for conservatives to stop holding on to what he considers outdated stances on race, gender equality, homosexuals and immigrants.
"It drives me crazy when the captains of the religious right are always calling us back for blacks to be back in the back of the bus for women to be back in the kitchen for immigrants to be back on their side of the border," Leon said.
Leon said people instead should use "Easter vision" to allow them to see the world in a different, more "wonderful" way.
After the sermon, Leon told the Washington Post that he was speaking about Mary realizing that she shouldn't hold on, accepting it, and changing from that point on.
That is the invitation for all of us," Leon said. When asked to discuss his criticism of political conservatives, he said: "I will keep my thoughts there."
Obama has visited the church, which is steps from the White House, several times during his presidency, including for Easter worship in 2012. Like most of his previous visits to churches in the District, Obama did not make a speech. He sat on the end of a pew near the middle of the sanctuary, smiling and greeting members of the congregation with a "Happy Easter."
My question is do any of these people actually read the Bible, and the history contained there? After my first time through it, especially the Old Testament, I was struck by the clear pattern of the religious authorities, and the nation of Israel as a whole, slowly being seduced away from following the directions of God,, falling into weakness and decline, and then being brought back to strength by returning to following the ways of God.
I could cite Hezekiah, Uzzia, and any number of other leaders, and how they tore down the sodomites houses, and restored the proper worship in the temple. Probably the first instance of people being seduced by this spirit of modernism was Satan tempting Eve in the Garden of Eden, when he asked, "Hath God said...?" followed shortly by calling God a liar, "Ye shall not surely die:" (Gen 3:1,4) We all know how that first instance of turning from God's commndments turned out.
My only point in saying all this is that I refuse to be dismissed as some sort of reactionary hater, because in actuallity I, and other believers, are seeking the beautiful Kingdom of God, and we are very conceerned about straying from the path God has set before us, because that kind of deviation has been tried, over and over in the past, and has never worked. We, individualy and collectively, can only get there by adhering to God's direction. What's more, to those who would say to keep my beliefs to myself, I respond that we are all in this together. It is as though we are all on a ship together, and I can see that it is on a course that will take us all, me included, over a waterfall to our deaths. I have every right, indeed duty, to object, even if others tell me to sit down because I'm rocking the boat.
That's what I think, how about any other folks?
