ElectricEye

Wow. I thought I looked hideous today.

The girl cleaning up around the restaurant just flirted with me…I’m so grungy, too. I haven’t shaved in eight days, I just threw a bandanna over my foofy hair, I’m wearing a clearance shirt and Wal-Mart shorts, and I probably smell (didn’t shower yet today.)

I hope she doesn’t notice the giant hole in the cieling where my ego escaped.

So yesterday afternoon, I had the opportunity to see PZ Myers and Richard Carrier speak and answer questions at MSU. I’d heard of both of them quite a bit, and they both run pretty interesting blogs. Carrier spoke on Scientific Religion, and it was quite interesting, followed by PZ Myers speaking on the Creationist movement and what it means for our culture. I must say, I didn’t agree with either of them entirely, as they are both outspoken athiests and I’m Christian, but it’s always refreshing to hear fellow liberal voices speak on our culture.

Carrier proposed an interesting idea during the question-and-answer session toward the end: that liberal Christians should step up and declare themselves.

It’s a tempting idea, especially with figureheads such as Carrier expressing it. Honestly, though, for a lot of liberal Christians, it’s not an issue of timidity nor is it laziness; it’s a result of a faith that has been shattered by politics over millenia. We’ve read about the crusades, and we’ve watch our own country exact the modern equivalent. We’ve seen politics twisted and warped around a couple issues, and politicians who play on our fears and ideologies just to get elected. We’ve sat horrified through long election-year sermons, waiting for the pastor to quit gnashing his teeth. We’ve seen what the conservative agenda has done to the American Christian. We don’t want anything saturating our faith like that, and in the end, we’ll give anything to avoid becoming like them.

I’m also gradually growing convinced that maybe Christianity is best lived like this. Unaccepted, out of the mainstream, and spent searching for the answers our leaders don’t have. You really don’t find that in mainstream, conservative, megachurch Christianity (sorry, but removing the 10 commandments from public property is not ‘persecution’.) God works amazing things overseas all the time, where Christians are often alone, struggling and unwelcome. Maybe he wants to keep it like this. We’ll see.