Did you ever see Prospero’s Books? It’s an amazing film rendition of the Tempest, and while it’s…um…not really appropriate to show a youth group, it’s vision of the Tempest is both elegant and radically postmodern.

Longhairs everywhere are grieving….

How’s the life of a seminarian/family man going? I see on presbymergent that you’ve gotten all organized and “structured”. It seems it was just a matter of time wasn’t it?
I’m actually writing on this thread because I caught the conversation and found Mr. Sir’s comments rather interesting. I understand his concern. If you recall our conversation I’d asked you to please take the route of truthfulness when it comes time to take your ordination vows. Because the pomo view of truth doesn’t really match up with most folks understanding, a lot of fudging and rationalizing is going on and so people who affirm one thing in a vow, will then repudiate or cast pointed skepticism on that same belief 5 minutes later once they’re in. If you’re modern you view this as dishonest. If you’re postmodern it’s just part of the journey. I’m afraid it’s an unlivable and untenable situation. So much so that it’s caused me to say that I’m closer to leaving the PC(USA) than I am to staying. If I have to go somewhere else, even if it’s a doctrinally rigid, conservative, dogmatic church, I’m hoping to at least find somewhere where people’s words ARE their word. Where words and sentences still mean things. Where there is some consistency between what they say and how they live. Where they don’t speak out of both sides of their mouth. And when it comes to their confessions, they don’t bait and switch.
I think before people start philosophizing about God and worrying about the evil and injustice that is “out there”, they need to look at the injustice and wrongdoing that is within. I’m finding that a lot of people can rationalize an awful lot of stuff in the name of so-called “progressive” Christianity. The Christians that are supposed to be the good and thoughtful ones. Not the overly simplistic fundies. People are very quick to jump on evangelicals, and possibly with good reason, for what appear to be abuses, but I think that a lot of liberally minded and emergent Christians could be taken to the wood shed as well.

Do I sound disillusioned?

Anyway didn’t mean to go off or appear as though I’m pointing fingers. It’s just a concern to think about.

I wish you could have seen the comments some of my former students made on this thread. When I moved my blog a few years back, I lost all the comments attached to the posts. Sigh.

See you two in another week or so…

Copyright and trademark abuse is no “petty” matter, especially for the church. In my personal experience, it often cuts to the heart of ministry, and that’s why I take it so personally. Let me give you some examples:

1. The coffee shop where some talented kids from my youth group used to play music was shut down because of copyright trolling.

2. The girl scouts of America were sued by ASCAP for merely singing copyrighted songs around campfires at their meetings.

3. Several churches across the nation were forced by legal threats from the NFL to shut down super-bowl parties, many of which were organized as fundraisers for local soup kitchens.

4. A musician friend of mine was sent threatening legal notices from a major CHRISTIAN publishing company because she recorded the public domain song “Amazing Grace” — the company said the legal burden of proof rested with her to *prove* that her version wasn’t the same as one from one of their artists. She couldn’t afford the legal fees, so she simply yanked her recording off the internet.

Margaret, things like this are absolutely INSANE, and standing up for a more just and equitable copyright/trademark/patent system in our country certainly isn’t petty. To me it’s a matter of social justice, and freedom to pursue ministry.

Let me ask you this: by using the phrase Theology on Tap, is Adam (or any number of churches who use it) in some way causing detriment or harm to the ministry of the group that owns the trademark? It isn’t likely.

In most cases like this, the ones who hold the trademark or copyright represent the legal “power” and those who are threatened with legal action are the marginalized, powerless, and victims of the situation. Sure, it may not quite rise to the level of AIDS or global hunger, but I suspect I know who Jesus would side with in cases like this one.