Hacking Christianity

World's Scariest Model Train Wrecks [video]

Sorry to be out of touch. I'm a pastor and sometimes those worlds are ridiculously busy. You'll see more of me now that I'm back in my rhythm.

In compensation, here's a terrifying video: The World's Scariest Model Train Wrecks.

Is it art? Or is it scale-model sadism? I report, you decide.

Paint your church roof white to save the earth and prevent the apocalypse, sorry Jesus.

For Churches, caring for creation is more and more becoming mainstream and acceptable regardless of whether you think global warming is humans' fault or cows' fault. But the changes necessary are so expensive and complex, how can churches realistically deal with global warming and creation care?

Well, creation care is easier than you might think. All you have to do is paint your church roof white.

According to a recent study, roofs are an important material to look at and consider how to make it more environmentally-friendly.

Hashem Akbari, a physicist at the Lawrence Berkeley lab, just released a study showing that the average American 1,000-square-foot white roof could offset 10 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

According to his data, roofs constitute 20 to 25 percent of urban surfaces, while pavement is about 40 percent. Therefore, if all of those surfaces were switched to a reflective material (or color) in the 100 largest urban areas in America, his calculations show, this would offset 44 metric gigatons of carbon dioxide. That's more than all countries emit in a single year. Further, that's worth about $1.1 trillion at current carbon trading rates.

So even if you can't afford solar panels for your creation-friendly church, here's something you can do instead. It's a simple (but not too ridiculously expensive) hack!

Fun with Gas [video]

Now THIS is hilarious. Adam Savage from Mythbusters gives a 40 second lesson on why helium gas messes with your voice...and the opposite gas that turns you into SATAN.

No, don't try this at home, young hackers.

Would love to preach a sermon like that.

Question of the Day: Political Endorsements

Based on John the Methodists' insightful (or just amusing...insightfully amusing, if you will) Questions of the Day (here's the last one), here's one for Hacking Christianity readers:

Should Clergy be able to endorse Politicians from the Pulpit?

Context: Apparently about 36 clergy from 20 states, spurred on by the conservative Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), will endorse John McCain from the pulpit on Sunday, September 28th. They do so to challenge the constitutionality of the IRS rules that prohibit churches from endorsing candidates, else they will lose their tax exempt status. (read more here)

What do you think? Should clergy be able to endorse politicians from the pulpit? Even if we take away the tax exempt element, should churches be able to endorse political campaigns and politicians?

The Wrong Palin [video]

Seriously, this is a non-political Monday. I promise. But this is just too funny. Michael Palin (no, not that one, the one from Monty Python) for President.

And no, I don't agree with the final line of "anyone is qualified to be President." The video montage is just humorous!

Non-political quote for Breakfast

Here's a quote that I would like to be seen in a HackingChristianity view, not in the political view it represents. This is a challenge, but the point being made is beyond partisanship, even though it is pointed at a particular party.

Ready? This is Oliver Willis commenting on the lack of racial diversity at the Republican National Convention.

If your message is targeted to one monoculture, and your noise machine largely run by that monoculture, you have no way of knowing how out of touch you are. Most Republican pols and conservatives simply have no true gauge for when they’re speaking in an exclusionary manner...The Republicans, even more than in the past, have decided to get their monochromatic base motivated to the exclusion of everyone else.

This speaks directly of the echo-chamber that we talk about here. When our news media is customized to reflect our monoculture, when our neighborhoods are chosen to reflect our monoculture, and when our gatherings speak only to those who share our culture, then how will we know that the world is changing? And more dangerously, if by hearing the same culture reflected back at us, we may become more radical and thus more hostile to the world around us.

For us to be relevant in an ever-changing world, it's time to move out of our comfort zones and into areas where we don't agree with everyone. Because if not, we may end up looking like a homogenous Christian society that has burned every bridge around us and just wants to be left alone.

Churchy Humor for Breakfast

THIS IS TERRIBLE. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE.

But for the church nerds out there, it must be read.

The following is a church history song done to the tune of
Supercalafragalisticexpialadocius from Mary Poppins. I've seen an attribution to Dan ldzikowski as the author, but I have no idea if that is true.

Chorus: Um diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle urn diddle ay

Superchristological and Homoousiosis
Even thought the sound of them is something quite atrocious
You can always count on them to anathemize your Gnosis
Superchristological and Homoousiosis

Now Origen and Arius were quite a clever pair.
Immutable divinity made Logos out of air.
But then one day Saint Nicholas gave Arius a slap,
and told them if they can't recant, they ought to shut their trap!

One Prosopon, two Ousia are in one Hypostasis.
At Chalcedon this formula gave our faith its basis.
You can argue that you don't know what this really means,
But don't you go and try to say there's a "Physis' in between!

Now freedom and autonomy are something to be praised,
But when it comes to human sin, these words must be rephrased,
For Pelagius was too confident that we could work it out–
And Augustine said “massa damnata” is what it's all about.

Heresies are arguments that you might find attractive,
But just remember in this case the Church is quite reactive.
So play it safe and memorize these words we sing together,
'Cause in the end you'll find, my friend, that we may live forever.