United Methodist Reporter Blog

Preventing domestic violence, a TV special

Did you know one in every four women experiences domestic violence in her lifetime?

Nearly 75 percent of Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence, and 30 percent of Americans say they know a woman who has been physically abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year.

With these statistics, it’s inarguable that there are members in our congregations who are caught in the cycle of abuse and are looking and hoping for the church to act out against such violence.

The United Methodist Church’s General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) is providing the resources needed to empower the victims of domestic violence and push the local church into conversation and action. Until March 1, local ABC-TV stations will be airing I Believe You: Faiths' Responses to Intimate Partner Violence, an hour-long documentary on domestic violence and how the faith community is responding.

The documentary was produced with the support of the New York Board of Rabbis, United Methodist Women, Presbyterian Women, the Evangelical Church in America, Odyssey Networks, the National Council of Churches and a consortium of Muslim organizations.

Small groups and Sunday school classes are encouraged to watch the documentary together, and GBSC’s new resource, Building the Movement through Film, explains the benefits of a public screening and provides discussion guidelines and ideas as to how churches can prevent domestic violence.

To find out when the program airs in your area, click here. (If you don't see your state or community listed, please contact your local ABC affiliate to encourage it to air the documentary.)

 

For more ideas and information about what United Methodists are doing to combat domestic violence, visit the United Methodist Women website.

 

Tactless political ads call for Christian response

Hello, November and hello, election season. It’s that wonderful (note the sarcasm) time of year when politicians forfeit integrity, class and a hefty chunk of cash to bash their opponents.

Sure, it’s easy to point fingers and get swept up in the competitive nature of our society, but as Christians, what are we called to do?

“It seems the default formula for successful political ads is the negative attack against the opponent rather than the recounting of positive intentions of the candidate paying for the commercial,” writes Bishop Robert Schnase in a recent blog post.

He then goes on to ask the obvious question as to why today’s political ads have become so vicious and distorted. His answer: those ads work. (What a sick reality!)

“Those of us who receive these ads are willing to avoid the hard work of learning about the tough and complex issues of our time. We are happy to nod or shake our head based on a 30-second contrived presentation rather than delve deeper, to think beyond our own self-interest to the good of the nation and world,” he writes. “We’re willing to be seduced and deceived by oversimplification, to be animated and motivated by animosity and accusation.”

Bishop Schnase’s blog, rooted in Philippians 4:8, calls Christians to step up to the plate and to seek what is honorable, pleasing and commendable—both as politicians and voting citizens. 

What's your take on "the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival?"

Let’s talk about “Grilled Cheesus”

A recent episode of Fox TV’s Glee, a musical comedy-drama series about a high school show choir’s struggle to “fit in,” boldly pulled teenage spirituality into the spotlight, and churches are (or should be) talking about it.

Religion rarely surfaces in the plotline of young America’s most beloved TV shows, nor is it usually the topic of lunch-table discussion at the local high school... but that may now be changing.

The episode—“Grilled Cheesus”—focuses on what God means to each glee club member. Some students think God is a magical genie who grants wishes (or in Finn’s case, a prayer-answering sandwich). Others consider Him the faithful supplier of peace, comfort and healing, and some do not believe in God at all.

““Grilled Cheesus” may turn out to be a provocative discussion starter for churches (with teenagers and adults), launching conversations about faith, prayer, and how to be Christian in a pluralistic culture,” writes Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean on her blog.

She has also posted five points where “Grilled Cheesus” rings true and a few discussion questions (for teens, pastors and parents) that she and some other youth pastors cooked up. It’s good stuff. Check it out.

On Duke Divinity’s “Call & Response” blog, the Rev. Amy Thompson Sevimli, the assistant to the Bishop in the Metropolitan Washington D.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, encourages pastors (especially those who are disregarding the Glee episode because of its lack theological substance) to not miss the opportunity to interact and connect with young people who are most comfortable with the pop culture representation of religion.

The issues the high school students in Glee face each week are by no means fictional. The way the characters talk about race, sexuality, popularity, family and religion mirror the conversations of “real life” high school students.

Instead of writing the show off as child’s play or defamatory or incorrect, maybe parents, pastors and youth leaders should ride the coattails of “Grilled Cheesus” into a substantial, theologically sound conversation with young people about faith.

Has “Grilled Cheesus” made its way to your dinner table yet?

Glenn Beck advises viewers to leave their churches

...if that particular church espouses any kind of "social justice" focus, that is. And, given Methodist founder John Wesley's teachings and actions, that recommendation sure seems to include leaving the United Methodist Church.

Jeremy Smith over at Hacking Christianity provides further details on what Mr. Beck has suggested.

There's this other guy we should be listening to, however. Jesus also had some things to say about helping the poor and needy -- the kind of things we might call "social justice" today.

Religion's impact on poverty: CBS special coming soon

Watch this program. Or DVR it, or something.

“Poverty: A Time for Sharing,” will air April 26 on the CBS network. Check your local station for the exact time. United Methodist Bishop Thomas Bickerton, the denominational spokesperson for the Nothing But Nets campaign, is among those featured on this interfaith television special.

Bishop Bickerton encourages the church to partner with secular organizations to address global health issues. Last year at General Conference, he challenged delegates to make a difference even while we were sitting there surrounded by meetings and minutae. What began as an impromptu offering turned into a friendly competition among delegations, and ended up raising almost $430,000 to provide insecticide-treated bed nets to fight malaria. For this first-time delegate, it was one of the high points of General Conference.

I'll be watching the special, and I hope lots of other United Methodists will, too. We're making a difference, and we can make an even bigger one as we learn more and keep putting our faith in action.

Full story from UMNS here.

Scrapbooks from Hell

And no, I don't mean General Conference.

     Flurry over General Conference has prevented me from putting together a timely review of a show that airs this weekend, so I wanted to slip it in. 

     Growing up, my family watched Hogan's Heroes, a 60s comedy set in a Nazi POW camp.  In the show, the Allied prisoners live fairly comfortably, intercept Nazi secrets and sneak out regularly on missions, with Colonel Hogan somehow finding a way to smooch a pretty girl along the way.  The Nazis are portrayed as harmless, bumbling idiots.  All of which sounds unbelievably creepy and ridiculous as I put it down in writing.  But I never thought of the show as anything but silly until a friend of mine, who is Jewish, told me she wasn't allowed to watch Hogan's Heroes as a kid.  Her parents let her do all kinds of stuff mine never did - but in her household, the Nazis were no laughing matter.