Learning from our faith's mistakes

In an article posted in USA Today, Stephen Prothero makes a point that got me thinking and that I'd like to highlight:

When I was a professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta, I required my students to read Nazi theology. I wanted them to understand how some Christians bent the words of the Bible into weapons aimed at Jews, and how those weapons found their mark in the concentration camps. My Christian students responded to these disturbing readings with one disturbing voice. The Nazis were not Christians, they said. Jesus was, after all, a Jew. This response was in many respects laudable. But in distancing their religion from the history of the Holocaust, my students absolved themselves of any responsibility for reckoning with how their religious tradition might have contributed to these horrors.

I think we do this with much of Christian history, not just the Nazi Holocaust. We hide the parts we disagree with, clean out the dark spots, and say to ourselves, "they weren't really Christians". We see only the "good" side of our faith, but not the "bad", and we don't really learn from our faith's mistakes.

Prothero mentioned to me that it was the book Theologians Under Hitler: Gerhard Kittel, Paul Althaus and Emanuel Hirsch, by Robert P. Ericksen, that he assigned to his students.

Some things for Sunday, January 25th

There are a couple of events going on tomorrow that some of you maybe interested in. I haven't decided which one, or even if, I'll go to. Let me know if any of you are interested and that may help me decide.

Most information came from the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune:

Aquinas lecture on Christians, Muslims

Sr. Marianne Farina, professor at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley, Calif,, will deliver the Annual Aquinas Lecture on "Is There Common ground for dialogue and interaction between Christians and Muslims?" at 2 p.m. Sunday at St. Catherine of Siena Newman Center, 170 S. University St.

Farina's lecture, titled "Christian-Muslim Relations: A Peaceable Excellence," will address such questions as whether Christians and Muslims can find common ground for dialog and the extent to which they can work together on peace.

She will frame her answers around the tradition of social doctrine of the Catholic Church as well as Islamic scriptures' principles of the moral life, the news release said.

Farina also will compare theological writings of St. Thomas Aquinas and Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali.

The Aquinas Lecture is free and open to the public.

Rev. Irish to speak at library in S.L.

The Rev. Carolyn Tanner Irish, Tenth Bishop of Utah, Episcopal Diocese of Utah, will speak at 2 p.m. Sunday as part of the 2008-09 "Religion, Culture and Nature" portion of the "Forum for Questioning Minds" series at the Salt Lake City Main Library Auditorium, 210 E. 400 South.

This lecture is free and open to the public.

Her presentation on Religion, Culture, and Nature will begin with some thoughts on the importance of 'questioning minds' to distinguish various elements of religion such as church, faith, and spirituality. In the same spirit of questioning, we'll also consider cultural elements such as politics and economics. We'll then reflect on how all these factors come together in the environmental concerns we face.

Meeting: January 28th

This is a reminder about our upcoming get together next week:

The usual time: 7pm, January 28th
The usual location: High Point Coffee, at 1735 West 7800 South, in West Jordan

I thought we might discuss a couple of things. First, since Bill has started going to seminary, we could talk about that. I think at least half of us have at one time or another thought about, or seriously considered, going to seminary or something like it.

Then there is the man of the hour, our new president, Obama. We can ask ourselves – What does Obama mean? What does he mean for Christianity in America, and in the world today?

I’ve been reading all sorts of things over the past couple of days that span the entire spectrum, from apocalyptic disaster, to messianic, and a lot in between. One of my conservative Christian facebook friends, who is from what I guess could be called the ‘show no mercy, compromise nothing’ crowd, was posting periodically throughout inauguration day that he…

...is sad to witness this horrific day in U.S. history as B. Hussein Obama who's a friend of terrorists and a baby-killer is unconstitutionally inaugurated! Sad!

...is watching with horror the beginning of communism in the U.S. and the nation's rapid downfall - the nightmare has begun.

...is looking at the continuation of the devastating Obama Crash in the stock market which has already erased trillions of dollars in wealth.

I most certainly DO NOT respect B. Hussein Obama for anything as his character, words and actions are Anti-God, Anti-American, Anti-Life and Anti-anything we Christians stand for and against the foundations this country (the USA) was founded on. But as we pray for Obama that he may accept the Lord Jesus Christ as His personal Savior which would be phenomenal, we must also understand and recognize that we will never ever respect a man, a group or an organization who has made a conscious decision to promote and legislate policies to destroy the people of God, to destroy innocent life, to destroy God's economic system, and who stands behind anything that's against God. Otherwise, we would need to respect Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin, Stalin, Chavez, Castro, Saddam Hussein and every other evil vessel who yielded by their free will to the workings of Satan.

You have to blink in astonishment when you read this stuff. Andy over at our local HFTL was kind enough to post the new Christian music video that I guess is making the rounds that expresses a similar point of view, announcing that we as a nation have all committed – Obamacide!

And one really wacky “Christian” guy I found, who I think has completely lost it, stated on his blog that “I AM NOT praying for Obama to be blessed by God. I hope he dies quickly & another takes the office of the Presidency.”

Other voices, from a more “open minded” Christian Right, such as Jay Sekulow, of the American Center for Law and Justice, seems to be advocating things, now that Obama is president, that aren’t too dissimilar from what the Matthew 25 Network was advocating before the election, about reducing the number of abortions, rather than just hopelessly continue to pursue an outright ban. [Listen to NPR’s Talk of the Nation: What's Next For The Anti-Abortion Movement?]

On the other side of the spectrum we have folks with so much hope in Obama that Rev. Gene Robinson, first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, felt compelled to at least mention in his prayer the other day, “Bless us with patience… and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.”

And then in the midst of all this I find voices like this, which when you think about it, you’ll realize that this is something new. (HT: Burnside Writer's Blog)



So... What does Obama mean? What does he mean for Christianity in America, and in the world today?

Antony of Egypt Art Appreciation Day

It’s his feast day today, so I picked up my copy of Athanasius’s The Life of Antony to read up on him (Wikipedia bio). A short book, and well worth reading, of the saint battling the demons in a tomb and out in the desert, overcoming their attempts to break him through his discipline and faith in Christ. But I thought I’d surf the net for some other resources on him that might be interesting, and found some things I had not expected – some classic works of art that I’ve seen several times before but have never fully appreciated.

First, there is Hieronymus Bosch's triptych painting The Temptation of St. Anthony. Hieronymus Bosch’s artwork has always fascinated me, I used to spend time just looking through books in the library that showed all the weird details, but I never made the connection between this painting and the story of Antony. (I can’t post the painting here without dismembering it considerably so you’ll have to follow the link above for an image.)

Then there is The Temptation of St. Anthony, by Salvador Dalí. Now I’ve never really appreciated much the stuff by Salvador Dalí, I’ve always kind of found it a little too tripped out for me, but with now reading Athanasius’s book on Antony this painting has taken on a new meaning, and I think in many ways it captures the feeling of what I'm reading.

So, since it is Antony’s feast day, I think I’ll spend some time feasting and meditating on these paintings in relation to what I've been read from Athanasius. And I think I’ll try to find more detailed pictures of the paintings. Have fun viewing.

Comic: Jumpstart tells the truth

From: Yahoo Comics

Catholic-Emergent Conference

We have spoken about this before at our get together, but it is time to spread the word out more widely. There is a group rate available if we can get a group of ten put together. Those interested in possibly going to this conference post a comment below and let us know.


The Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will be hosting the first-ever Catholic-Emergent conference, March 20-22, 2009.

According to the CAC, “The conversation about the emerging church has been attracting a broad array of Christians — progressive Evangelicals and mainline Protestants along with some Roman Catholics — but this will be the first gathering to be planned and hosted by a team of Catholic and Protestant leaders working together for the good of the church at large. There will also be a post-conference for those who want to develop vehicles for deepening and sustaining the emerging energy for Gospel-centered justice, contemplation, and community.”

The conference will feature:

• Richard Rohr, OFM (founding director of CAC)
  
• Brian McLaren
  
• Alexie Torres-Fleming
  
• Shane Claiborne
  
• Phyllis Tickle
  

The conference is being called “The Emerging Church: Conversations, Convergence and Action,” and the post-conference will take place March 22-23.

Crash-Helmet Christianity

Here's a thought I'd share with you all. A pithy little quote from Annie Dillard's book, Teaching a Stone to Talk:

"Does anyone have the foggiest idea of what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews."

I just love this picture...

I should do this, it's a classic idea.


Shawn Johnston of Kansas City, Kan. browses a newspaper while having a cappuccino at Homer's Coffee House in Overland Park, Kan. on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008. The member of Praise Chapel Christian Fellowship starting dressing as Jesus about two weeks ago to 'show people what Christmas is all about.' Many members of the congregation have been doing the same now since Thursday, Dec. 18. (Photo: AP Images / Reed Hoffmann)

Here's a related article: 400 dress as Jesus to put Christ back in Christmas

Just wishing you all a Merry Christmas!!!

Since Santa Claus will be swinging through town tonight, with all his reindeer and a sleigh full of products from China (or maybe you're right now looking at the mess left over from all that he brought). I though you might enjoy a little report on who old Saint Nick really was. Check out this short video over on Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, and this cool site dedicated to St. Nicholas.

Here's to hoping you have a safe and merry Christmas!

Tis the season, baby, yaa…

Here are a few things to put on your calendar. But first, we had talked about actually having a get together this December. Post a comment if you have an alternative idea to my proposal below, so we can discuss what we would like to do.

It has been revealed to me that a shopocalypse of a film, What Would Jesus Buy, will be showing on Wednesday, December 10th, 7pm, down at the Sorenson Unity Center, 1383 S 900 West. It’s free, and I propose that we make this event our get together for December. More information will be made available over at the SLC Film Center soon. (You can see the preview over on Andrew’s blog Hackman’s Musings)

Also, for those like me who want to celebrate Advent, but grew up in a church tradition that doesn’t pay any attention to it. The Catholic Diocesan Office of Liturgy has been kind enough to offer a series that “focuses on the theology, spirituality and symbolism of the advent season.” There will be three presentations, all held from 7 to 8 pm:

"Advent: A Season of Expectation", Thursday, December 4th, at St. Ann Parish, 450 E 2100 South.

"Our Lady of Guadalupe: Symbol of Hope", Tuesday, December 9th, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel at Juan Diego Catholic High School, 300 E 11800 South, Draper.

"What Child Is This: The Antiphons and the Coming Messiah", Wednesday, December 17th, at St. Ann Parish, 450 E 2100 South.

And last but not least, that nutty state senator of ours, Sen. Chris Butters, R-West Jordan, wants you to have a Merry Christmas, not a Happy Holiday’s, and is willing to waste your tax dollars to make sure you know that (In the papers here and here). So send him some of your love and wish him a Happy Holiday’s at: dbuttars@utahsenate.org

Some thoughts on Prop 8 in California

It was an interesting discussion on California’s passage of Prop 8 we had last night. It was the first time I think in which nobody agreed with anyone else completely on an issue. ‘Yes’ votes, ‘No’ votes, and empty boxes all round. (Andrew posts more on our discussion as well over on his blog.)

After the discussion I continued to think over things and decided I’d write down and post here some of my thoughts I've collected on the issue (and I'd like to say these are not the the thoughts of the cohort as a whole, but only my own):

The amount of money spent in this campaign by the conservative church community shows a severe sense of misplaced priorities. Those millions of dollars could have gone a long ways to helping out people in need or something, but all it was used for was to stop gay people from getting “married”. It didn’t stop them from “sinning”, it didn’t make homosexuals into heterosexuals, it didn’t end gay sex from happening, it didn’t stop people from talking about it, (nor does it stop them from protesting in the streets, yelling it from the rooftops, and all-round making a ruckus over the whole matter) all that is still there. All it did was stop gay people from getting “married”. That’s it. In short, the conservative church community spent millions of dollars just to prevent the gay community from using the word ‘marriage’ to describe the same basic thing they are apparently already doing in a ‘civil union’. (Now I’ve not studied it out in detail, but it appears to be that the only real practical difference between the two, ‘civil union’ and ‘marriage’, are the words – merely a difference in semantics, and maybe some rituals.) In other words, this doesn’t sound anything like ‘protecting marriage’ to me. It seems all rather anticlimactic and wasteful, at best it appears to be only protecting a word, for it solves nothing of what the churches really find so objectionable.

I agree with the reported comments that Tony Campolo made recently at the meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, from an article in the Baptist Press:

Campolo's remarks were notable for his criticism of the recently passed Proposition 8 in California which would amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Interpreting the meeting's theme "Who Is My Neighbor?" Campolo said, "The Samaritans were those who were considered spiritually unclean, abominations in the eyes of God." Some of today's "Samaritans," he said, are the poor, Muslims, illegal immigrants and gays.

Campolo called himself "a conservative on the issue" of homosexuality, but said he opposed Proposition 8. Describing homosexual behavior "contrary to the teaching of God," he nonetheless questioned what was gained in passing the ballot initiative.

"What did we win? ... I'll tell you what we won," he said. "We won tens of thousands of gays and lesbians parading up and down the streets of San Francisco and New York and L.A. screaming against the church, seeing the church as enemy.

"I don't know how we're going to reach these brothers and sisters," he said, "but I'm an evangelical and I'm going to win them to Christ.... And we're not going to win them to Christ if we keep sending them bad messages, and we've sent them a bad message. I think the decision in California was in agreement with how I believe, but sometimes you've got to consider the person before you bang them over the head with your principles."

To expand out on my own thoughts here, I think the churches made a really bad move with their push to pass Prop 8. In the Bible, Jesus says, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Well we like to tell ourselves we love them, but that’s not what the churched community is known for in the gay community. Words like ‘hate’, ‘bigot’, and ‘homophobia’ are what they use to describe the disciples of Jesus. Instead of just saying, “well they’re just wrong, we love them, and they just aren’t recognizing our love for them”, I think the church needs to seriously reexamine what it sees as ‘loving one another’, and ‘love your enemies’, and recognize the fact that we really just aren’t all that loving toward the gay community, and that we need to repent in this.

In a statement released just after Proposition 8 passed, Ron Prentice, from the ProtectMarriage.com Yes on 8 Campaign, said,

This is a great day for marriage. The people of California stood up for traditional marriage and reclaimed this great institution. We are gratified that voters chose to protect traditional marriage and to enshrine its importance in the state constitution. We trust that this decision will be respected by all Californians.

I can’t help but see this as incredibly naïve. It’s as if conservative churches think they can pass some legislation and then expect people to submit to their will without changing the hearts and minds of people. Somewhere around 18,000 gay couples got married over the past six months or so, and they are not just going to kowtow and “respect” the annulment of their marriages just because some other people’s religious sensibilities are hurt.

This isn’t Christendom, this is not a Christian nation we live in, and passing “biblically wholesome” legislation doesn’t make us more righteous as a nation. If hearts and minds are not transformed nothing has actually been accomplished.

The ultimate end of this issue I think is obvious. Just because Prop 8 passed, nothing is written in stone. California voters will pass a new amendment in a few years changing their own state constitution back to what it was before, or some Supreme Court, state or federal, will eventually overturn this ban on gay marriage. Either way, all the money, time, and effort the churches have put into “protecting marriage” will be for nothing, and the churches will eventually have to stand up and be the church in a nation that accepts gay marriage.

Meeting: November 19th

Alright! This month’s meeting is happening on November 19th. We had to move it up a week because of Thanksgiving. Everyone is welcome. Meeting is at the usual place and time.

The time: 7pm, November 19th
The location: High Point Coffee, at 1735 West 7800 South, in West Jordan

We didn’t pick a specific topic so come prepared to discuss some of your favorite blog posts, and/or articles, that you've read this past month, or just to discuss whatever comes up.

Thinking about interesting blog posts – here’s one on Obama, our new president-elect, that seemed out of the ordinary and interesting (at least to me), posted earlier today on The Immanent Frame, A public theologian. “Americans have elected the most theologically astute president since Jimmy Carter.”

And finally, I thought I’d mention something about The Voice: New Testament, yet another new translation of the New Testament, has just been released (website & excerpt). I picked up a copy last week to test drive and so far it makes for a good flowing read. Brian McLaren worked on some parts of it and discusses the project here in this video:

What now for Christians in America?

Well, Obama has won and is now on his way to being our 44th president. In California, Proposition 8, is still very much up in the air as I post this, but appears to be leaning towards passage, ending gay marriage in that state. Christians in America, of all stripes, have played a significant role in these contests, having poured so much time and money into them. So, with the elections now over, what’s done is done, the votes have been cast, and the contests are now over. I was wondering: What now for Christians in America?

Salt Lake Theological Seminary is closing

I just heard the disappointing news, and thought I’d forward it all onto you. The Salt Lake Theological Seminary is closing, a victim of the current economic recession. Here are a couple of articles from the Salt Lake Tribune concerning its closure: Salt Lake Theological Seminary set to close, Money runs out for S.L. seminary.

Mixing the Episcopal Church and the Assemblies of God

A few months ago my wife and I stopped going to Southeast Christian Church. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s a good church, we have friends there (and William, who is a part of our cohort, serves as an elder there), we’d been going consistently there for a year or so before we left, and we have a history with that church going back at least to early 2004. But we live out on the edge of society here in Eagle Mountain, a 45-minute drive away; this distance, with our work schedules, and our two-year old, Maya, made things a bit inhibitive, especially for my wife. We couldn’t connect up with people and events to really spend time and build relationships. We had tried a local church once before, a little independent fundamentalist Bible church plant for a couple of years, but that didn’t really work out. Since then another church plant has come into the area, so we thought we’d have a go with it, Coram Deo, officially with the Assemblies of God. This would allow us to work in and build relationships with people in our community.

For my wife it’s a good place to go. The pastor and the people are great, and there are a bunch of kids for Maya to have friends growing up. And it is unique I think in that we have a meal with every service; we all sit down and eat lunch together and enjoy each other’s company (this meal together may change a bit for its new evening service, but we’ll see). Eating together isn’t something rare, and people don’t run out the door just after service is over (as they so often unfortunately did at Southeast Christian).

But for me… I guess I have an itch that needs scratching. All these churches I’ve been going to are conservative, and ahistorical (as in they recognize the church in Acts, and then came some later-day movement, whether it be the Reformation, the Stone-Campbell Restoration, or Azusa Street, everything in between is ya-know… kind of a mystery mixed with apostasy). The focus and heart of the Sunday service, and most else, is the sermon. So anyway, over the past few years, I’ve been reading up stuff on or by the early church and not seeing much of it in our modern church, and reading up on postmodern philosophy and finding that I agree with much of the picture it is painting of the world I live in. It occurred to me that I needed to step out of my mental box, take a look around, and do church differently, to think differently, to stretch, and maybe do a little liturgy. And since I’ve read a handful of Anglican theologians and resonate with what they say, I’ve decided to go to an Episcopal church.

So for the past what… couple of months now, I’ve been going to St. James Episcopal Church. It’s just been me. My wife and daughter have been going to our local Coram Deo. Once the sacrament of coffee closes out at the Episcopal Church on Sunday morning, I drive off to lunch at Coram Deo with the family. And now with their new additional evening service, I will be active and finding ways to serve at both churches; the Episcopal one in the morning, and our local Pentecostal church plant in the evening.

I think it’s interesting this mix of things. I feel like I’m a conservative at the Episcopal Church. The diocese is theologically liberal, and it openly accepts members who are gay, but since it’s not centered on “doctrinal correctness” it has a flexibility that allows room for those who disagree with some of the liberalness. At Coram Deo I feel like I’m a liberal. The church tends toward a more-or-less literal view of the Bible, i.e. creationism, Jonah really was swallowed by a fish, etc., where I lend to a more metaphorical view in many areas of the Bible. In each there are people with problems, issues, and points of view (among whom I am most certainly included), as well as big hearts, in each we are struggling to love each other and love God; one church is no better than the other. Between the tradition of liturgy and ritual in the one, and something much more freeform in the other, the different ways of approaching the Bible, the church’s history, and how to understand this mysterious God we worship, this diversity and contrast, gives me much to think about, wrestle with, and learn.

I think I’d recommend doing something like this for everyone. We need to step outside of our mental maps. To look at things from a different angle, to try new things, or should I say some old things that we have neglected to do. And not just to visit, but to spend some time, and get to know people. Not to just accept any one particular way of seeing, doing, or experiencing, but to test things by really seeking to understand the other.

National Student Dialogue Conference II

Friday & Saturday
October 24-25th, 2008
Utah Valley University

Student Price: $29 before Oct. 17th, $39 After
Non-Student Price: $39 before Oct. 17th, $49 After


This two-day conference on dialogue will involve key religious leaders and thinkers who will speak from both LDS and evangelical perspectives.

Speakers Include:

Dr. Robert Millet, Brigham Young University
Dr. Jerry Root, Wheaton College
Dr. Spencer Fluhman, Brigham Young University
Dr. Dennis Okholm, Azusa Pacific University
Dr. Brian Birch, Utah Valley University
Dr. John-Mark Reynolds, Biola University
Dr. Robert Wood, Quorum of the Seventy-LDS Church
Dr. Del Tacket, Truth Project-Focus on the Family

A block of rooms has been put on hold at the La Quinta Inn – Orem University Parkway (521 W. University Pkwy, Orem UT 84058). Please call 801-226-0440 or 800-531-5900, to make your reservations by October 3, 2008. Let them know you are reserving a room blocked off for Standing Together and the National Student Dialogue Conference. The rate per room is $79 per night.

The maximum capacity for this event is 300 seats. Register now to ensure your spot!

*There is a special scholarship for the first 100 Latter-day Saint students to have their registration fee waived. When filling out the online registration form, please select the option "LDS Student Scholarship".

The National Student Dialogue Conference II is sponsored by Standing Together & the Religious Studies Department of Utah Valley University.

More info at Standing Together.

National Student Dialogue Conference II

Also, I wanted to mention that this week is the National Student Dialogue Conference II. I know I should have mentioned it here earlier, but I confess, I can sometimes be a little lazy. BTW, I myself won't be able to make it, but if anyone reading this is going let us know in the comments below and let us know how it goes.

Some basic information:

Friday & Saturday, October 24-25th, 2008, Utah Valley University

Student Price: $39, Non-Student Price: $49

This two-day conference on dialogue will involve key religious leaders and thinkers who will speak from both LDS and evangelical perspectives.

Go to their website for more information, to register, and pay online.

Meeting, October 22nd

The usual time: 7pm, October 22nd
The usual location: High Point Coffee, at 1735 West 7800 South, in West Jordan

We decided not to read the book we had originally planned to read since everyone was so busy this month with other projects. Instead come share and discuss some of your favorite blog posts, and/or articles, you've read this past month.

Bishop to address immigration and faith

From the Deseret News:

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church welcomes the Most Rev. John Wester, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, as guest speaker on Sunday, Oct. 12, 6 p.m. Bishop Wester will speak on "Immigration from a Faith Perspective" within the setting for evening prayer. A dessert reception follows. The public is invited. Call 582-2321 for more details.

The address for Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church is 1070 S Foothill Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84108

I plan to go. Anyone want to join me?

Update made 10/13/2008:

The reporters were there. On Fox 13's broadcast clip you can see the back of my head, and the Deseret News had an article.

A few things

Our next get together will be Wednesday, October 22nd, again at High Point Coffee, at 1735 West 7800 South, in West Jordan. I’ll send out another reminder notice a little closer to the meeting date. We decided not to read the book we had planned to read since everyone is so busy this month with other projects. Instead we plan to share and discuss some of our favorite blog posts, or articles, we’ve read this past month.

And thinking about articles, here are a couple of articles worth reading by Scot McKnight, in Christianity Today: McLaren Emerging, and The Ironic Faith of Emergents. Also, in the Salt Lake Tribune today there was a brief article on my favorite local Christian bookstore: The Open Book Store.

For anyone out there who might want to read and discuss a book this month, I’ve just picked up Phyllis Tickle’s new book, The Great Emergence, so if anyone would like to join me just let me know and we can set something up.

Lastly, Bill Maher’s new film Religulous is now out in theaters, and is showing down at the Broadway Centre Cinemas. I hope to catch it sometime this week, so if anyone would like to join me let me know.