Friday, June 29, 2012

Freedom from Religion?

As we approach Independence Day, I'm confused about a group known as the Freedom from Religion Foundation. It promotes non-religion—that is, the right not to believe in God. I guess I'm confused because the right not to believe is a belief! This group believes there is not a supreme being.

But the Freedom from Religion Foundation does not call atheism a religion because then the foundation would have to free itself from itself. However, atheism is a belief system. Atheism purports to answer the questions: where did I come from? (a one-celled amoeba) What's wrong with the world? (religion) What's the meaning of life? (leave it better than it was) Where do I go when I die? (nowhere) It fails to answer what "better" would look like because, of course, truth to them is relative. But I digress. For a fuller treatment of this subject, read chapter 6 of my book, When Christ Sets You Free.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation actively seeks to eliminate religion from secular society—schools, the airways, the halls of Congress and state legislatures, and the military, to name a few. Its lawyers sue to stop public prayers and other displays of religion, such as manger scenes on public lawns. Of course, it also wants to express freely its right to win converts to its position, or-er-belief in nonbelief.

If the U.S. were "free" from religion, we would then only be "free" to practice non-religion. We would have to live as though we were not religious—except in our churches, synagogues, and mosques.

I think I've just described Communist Russia, where the religious were only allowed to practice their faiths in a few state-sanctioned churches—churches that abided by the rules imposed on them. This is still the case in Communist China.

This way of life is not appreciably different from the many countries that allow only one state-sanctioned religion. For example, you are only "free" to be a Muslim.

I'm beginning to wonder if freedom from religion isn't religious oppression. Methinks this Independence Day, I'm going to thank God for freedom to worship in America. I may not have many more opportunities.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

It's a Plot!

The Writer’s Plot Writing Conference
The Story Continues...
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Furman University
3300 Poinsett Hwy, Greenville, SC 29613

Keynote Speaker: Harold Underdown
Early Bird Special Price: $80 until June 16th
Regular Price (after June 16th): $100
Manuscript Critique: $45 (first 10 pages)
Special Critique with Harold Underdown for rejected manuscript consultation: $45 (first 10 pages)
Deadline for submission: June 16th

Register online: www.thewritersplot.com
10% discount for TWP members for all prices

Presenters include:

Harold Underdown – consulting editor, former vice president & editorial director at ipicturebooks, former editorial director at Charlesbridge, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books

Edie Melson – social media marketing expert, author of best-selling ebook, Social Media Marketing for Writers and a devotional, Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home When Your Soldier Leaves for Battle

Vonda Skelton – author of Seeing Through the Lies (for women), three Bitsy Burroughs Mysteries (for children), and numerous magazine articles for adults

Patricia Thomas – author of 7 picture books, including “Stand Back,” said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” as well as numerous magazine articles and short stories

Pam Zollman – award-winning author of 40 children’s books, hundreds of short stories and articles (for adults and children), and former editor at Highlights Magazine.

Alan Gratz – award-winning author of six children’s and YA books, short stories, magazine articles, plays, and several episodes of A&E’s City Confidential

Jessica Alexander – Associate Editor for Peachtree Publishing

Katya Jensen—Editorial and Subrights Coordinator for Peachtree Publishing

Diana Flegal – Literary agent with Hartline Literary Agency

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Worry-Free Living: LifeStride

Life can be lived in strife or in stride. LifeStrife leads to worry-filled living, not worry-free living. When we live as though we are the center of our own universes and the answer to our own problems, we are soon overwhelmed by them. 

Self-confidence is replaced by self-doubts, which in turn make us fearful. We are caught in cycles of worry, fear, more worry, and more fear.

Jesus had a serious issue with both fear and worry because they represent mistrust of God. God has never been shown to be unfaithful. Why would we fear earthly eventualities if God is in control of everything (Ps. 27:1; Rm. 8:31)?

Jesus described a life devoid of worry in His sermon on the mountain. Bluntly, He said, “Don’t worry about your life” (Mt. 6:25). Easy for Him to say, you might think. But Jesus lived off of the generosity of His followers, without permanent shelter, much less a steady income. He pointed to the birds and the flowers as examples of God’s provident care.

LifeStride
When Jesus promised we could share in His kind of life, He gave us the secret for doing so. Jesus explained that He was the vine, and we were the branches. If we would remain nourished by Him, we would bear fruit equal to or greater than His! (See Jn. 15:1-5; 5:20.)

Life can be lived in stride instead of in strife. To stride is to take a step—that is, to make progress. Such a life can be free from striving. LifeStride is life walked in the Spirit’s power. Our inability plus our availability equals God’s ability.

In his book, Radical, David Platt writes: “This is how God works. He puts his people in positions where they are desperate for his power, and then he shows his provision in ways that display his greatness.” Life stride assumes the watchful eye of a heavenly Father and a caring Son who lives to bring our concerns to His Abba, Daddy.
 
Let’s resolve to be people of faith. Life can be lived in stride instead of in striving.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Worry-Free Living: LifeStrife



My puppy Coco sleeps about 18 hours a day. She doesn't worry about where her next meal is coming from or if she'll have a roof over her head tomorrow. You might call her attitude toward life an example of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:25-34. Coco is definitely not consumed with anxiety!

In my book, When Christ Sets You Free, I identified two extremes of how believers approach life. The first is LifeStrife. The second is LifeStride. One of them leads to worry-free living.

LifeStrife
When we forge ahead on our own, bypassing godly wisdom and operating in our own power, we can expect a life filled with struggle and contention—in other words, a life of strife. Those of us who strive work very hard. We often choose burdensome tasks and unbalanced loads. Jesus, on the other hand, described the life He offered: “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt. 11:30). Instead of a heavy, unbalanced load, Jesus promised an even yoke. The analogy is two oxen pulling together instead of pulling against each other.

LifeStrife is a dog-eat-dog way of existence (pardon the expression, Coco). But it's as American as apple pie and baseball. "Earn your keep. Work your way to the top."

If you study the major religions of the world, you will find they are based on LifeStrife: please God by doing for Him (doing vs. being). Humans do the work, and the Supreme Being is hopefully satisfied by their efforts. This approach to obtaining salvation reflects an amazing consistency: self effort.

In matters of faith, believers gravitate toward the code of “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” LifeStrife is the essence of most religion, but it is the antithesis of faith. Faith is giving control to God. Striving is the illusion of control.

The opposite kind of life is LifeStride. In my next post I'll explain the implications of "striding" instead of "striving."