Banana Winds: August 2022

I did. I told you so.

When the Supreme Court struck down Roe V. Wade – handing jurisdiction over abortions to state legislatures, many of which have been trying to outdo one another in writing the most unconscionable anti-abortion laws possible – the Captain told you we would soon be hearing horror stories of women who desperately needed abortions but were denied.

And so it begins:

-A 10-year-old in Ohio was raped by her uncle. Ohio wouldn’t permit an abortion, so the family traveled to Indiana for the procedure. As a tragic follow-up to that story, the Attorney General in Indiana tried to sue the doctor who performed the abortion, claiming she didn’t report it as she was required to by law. His state’s law. But she did in fact report it and now is counter-suing the AG for defamation of character. And the uncle has since confessed he raped his niece.

-In South Carolina, a 19-year-old pregnant woman’s water broke at 15 weeks. Because of a fetal heartbeat law, attorneys advised her doctors she could not legally have an abortion. She was discharged from the hospital. Regrettably, the Captain does not know the rest of her story.

-A 16-year-old orphan in Florida was denied an abortion since she had no parents to sign consent to the procedure as required by law. The judge in the case ruled the girl is not mature enough to have an abortion. Somehow though – although she has no parents, no job, no high school diploma – the judge felt she is mature enough to have a baby.

-A woman in Louisiana discovered the unborn fetus she is carrying has no skull. She has been denied an abortion because the condition, acrania, is not specifically listed as an exception in Louisana’s abortion laws.

Mates, it has only been two months since the Republican-rigged Court overturned Roe V. Wade.

TWO MONTHS!

And look at us now.

America has become a cruel, cruel place.

Now, one might argue that these are rare exceptions. Perhaps they are. But the persons involved are also the living, breathing daughters of someone.

Like a fisherman's net, the current wave of anti-abortion laws are likely to snag others besides those they are fishing for.

The Captain prays it is not your daughter who suffers at the hands of these horribly misguided laws written by politicians pandering to the poorly-names “pro-life” movement.

How much more will we tolerate before we see the error of our ways and elect more compassionate souls to political office?

Mark my word. On our current path, more horror stories will surely follow.

Captain's Note: This post has been revised and updated for clarity. I apologize for the confusion.

The Captain recently finished up a 7-part sermon series on the first three chapters of Genesis.

And all God’s people said, “Thank God that’s over!”

I had planned to present this series earlier in the year, but a lay member was teaching a Sunday School class on the same chapters and I didn’t want to set up an intentional conflict.

Which, trust me, it would have.

This fellow had charts from Bishop Ussher (1581-1656) “proving” through a literal reading of the Scriptures (and some church traditions) that the world was created in 4004 B.C.

In fact, the good bishop had the beginning of Creation nailed down to October 22^nd at 6 p.m.

The Sunday School teacher also had source material from the Creation Museum in Kentucky demonstrating that dinosaurs were, in fact, on Noah’s Ark.

Mystery solved!

He also argued, of course, that the Noah’s Ark story was real.

I’ll admit he’s just one of many in my congregation who believes the Bible is necessarily literally true and that we have to believe it all and follow it word for word.

Especially that stuff about homosexuals being an abomination to the Lord!

But I’m getting ahead of myself...

As the Captain told it – and I was forthright with the congregation – I do not believe those creation stories are to be read literally.

And I don’t buy into that “abomination” nonsense either.

Seriously, eating catfish is just as much an abomination in the Book of Leviticus.

So is cutting your hair or getting a tattoo.

Yet I don’t see angry protests outside of barbershops, tattoo parlors, or seafood restaurants.

Captain’s Note: Yes, around here they consider catfish “seafood”.

So, in one particular sermon, the Captain pressed the issue of reading the Bible literally.

In Genesis chapter 1 we read that God created everything in only 6 days (they would say “six 24-hour days”) and rested on the 7^th day – the Sabbath – and because of that we, too, are commanded to cease from all our labors one day per week.

Christianity seems to have settled on Sunday as the Sabbath.

Even though Sunday is the 1^st day of the week.

Granted, one can argue about whether the Sabbath is Saturday or Sunday – the Captain has been drawn into that argument before – but on both of those days I still see good Christian people shopping at Walmart, eating out at restaurants, mowing their lawns, and hosing down their fishing boats.

According to recent surveys, some 30-35% of the U.S. population self-identifies as Evangelical Christians. That would be approximately 90-100 million people.

Why don’t I see 30% of my community (approximately 20,000 people) resting / doing nothing on the Sabbath? Why I don’t see large swaths of people sitting idle one day per week?

Captain’s Note: I’ve even gone so far as to announce to my congregation that ANY day of the week could be your Sabbath – just pick one! They rarely do.

Some will argue that “work” means “work”.

Specifically, that thing we do Monday thru Friday.

Shopping for groceries is not work.

Eating out at a restaurant is not work.

But you are making someone else to work, which is also forbidden.

Mowing the lawn is not work.

Besides, “that lawn ain’t gonna mow itself!”

Mates, take it from this ol’ Captain, we all occasionally need to rest.

And if this is what it takes, then I’ll say, “Because God said so”.

It’s in the Bible.

That book you claim to believe.

Literally.

The 10 Commandments (in all their variations) reinforce what Genesis says. Taking a day of rest is #4 on the list.

It ranks above lying and stealing and cheating.

And even murder!

To prove God is serious about this, in Numbers chapter 15 we read about a man who is caught gathering sticks to build a fire on the Sabbath. He is brought before Moses, the great law-giver and judge, who condemns the man to death.

In Nehemiah chapter 13, the prophet observes people buying and selling on the Sabbath and orders the gates to the city be closed until the Sabbath is over.

So it appears to be more than just a suggestion. It’s a commandment of God!

Captain’s Note: That is, unless you subscribe to the idea that later Priestly editors added the Sabbath commandments to the Scripture in a power flex during the Babylonian exile… which I do.

But that’s Old Testament. What about what it says in the New Testament?

Jesus and the disciples observed the Sabbath, but Jesus was not confined by it. On occasion he healed on the Sabbath - for which he was roundly criticized by the good church folk - and on one occasion he and the disciples picked grain from a field to eat - again bringing criticism.

But Jesus' response was simply, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

Here's where Jesus was headed with that: If you read the second chapter of Genesis closely you will see that God created the earth and all that is in it, but then decided the earth needed someone “to till it and keep it”; so God created humankind – almost as an afterthought – and tasked us with caring for the creation.

Hear the Captain again: God created humankind specifically to care for the earth!

Not to deplete its resources.

Not simply to populate it.

Not to subdue it.

Not to pollute the air we breathe and the water we drink.

God created humankind to care for the earth!

Yet, despite being given such a monumental task to perform, God graciously provided us a day of rest. We don’t have to work seven days a week!

Thus, more than a commandment, Sabbath is a gift.

A blessing.

God is good!

Yet, like Adam and Eve in the Garden, we still think we know better than God and we go at it 24/7.

And we miss the blessing.

Then we need multiple cups of coffee to get us through Monday mornings.

Captain’s Note: Look for my previous post on our coffee addiction, February 1, 2021.

For those who read the Bible literally, Sabbath rest should rightly be understood as a commandment of God, right?

And according to the commandment, no one in the household is to do any work on the Sabbath.

Not even the slaves [sic].

To do otherwise – to disobey a commandment of God – would be…

Let me see… What is the word I am looking for?

Ah yes.

“Sin”

Stay with me here.

By definition, one who sins is a...

“Sinner”

And I sure don’t want a sinner – especially someone who doesn’t rest one day a week – preaching at me from the pulpit!

I don’t want some tired old preacher grooming my children either!

In fact, this Captain thinks we need to put naptime back in schools! All of our troubles began when we took naps out of school!

But perhaps the Captain is being a little harsh.

A little too “judgey”.

Maybe I should offer a little grace – like THEY so often do – declaring, “Love the sinner, hate the sin!”

Maybe I should organize grace-filled protests at malls that do business on the Sabbath.

Curious. I don't see the 4th Commandment on that list!

Or maybe I should take to the streets with gracious signs like the good folks over at Westboro Baptist:

And churches… woe to you who open your doors on the Sabbath! That’s just asking for lightning to fall from the sky!

Here’s a serious question: if Sunday is the Christian “Sabbath”, then why do you force your pastor to work that day? The organist… the choir director… Don’t you want your church staff be obedient to the Word of God and stay at home and rest?

That’s okay. Take your time. I’ll wait.

A few years back the local Christian Academy hosted a Clergy Appreciation Breakfast.

Captain’s Note: I have found that such events are rarely about appreciating the clergy and more about garnering community support and donations for the sponsoring organization.

After a meager breakfast, we were given a tour of the facilities. The children sang for us. The Headmistress told us about what a privilege and joy it is to minister to our children. And the banners hanging from the rafters in the gym boasted of the school’s numerous championship volleyball teams.

Then the Headmistress begged our forgiveness: there was a volleyball tournament that weekend. Not only would she be taking the team members away from their “required” church participation on Sunday morning, but they would be competing on the Sabbath.

“What exactly are you teaching our children?” …demanded no one.

Not a single Baptist preacher lifted a Bible in protest.

Apparently hanging another championship banner in the gym was more important than observing God’s Sabbath commandment.

It made me wonder what other commandments they might be teaching our children to break whenever it is convenient...

Definitely not the one about a man lying with another man. No sir! Those other passages might be open to interpretation, but not Leviticus 18:22!

As you have probably guessed by now, this post is not really about the Sabbath. It is about the Church’s seemingly endless fixation with human sexuality.

Mates, you may be surprised to discover that within the covers of the Bible you’ll find that Sabbath rest is mentioned more times than homosexuality.

Many more.

In fact, “Sabbath” is mentioned 172 times in the Bible.

The word “homosexual” does not appear at all in the oldest translations of the Bible.

And there are only seven (7) passages that have been construed to condemn homosexuals, most of which have been misinterpreted.

Captain’s Note: The “sin of Sodom and Gomorrah” is NOT homosexuality! The prophet Ezekiel knew that. So did Amos. Even Jesus’ reference to Sodom was in the context of hospitality, not sex.

Jesus never mentioned homosexuality.

He had some pretty strong words about divorce, but as a society we've pretty much gotten over that stigma.

Sodom is mentioned a couple times in the New Testament, but read out of context.

As for the inaccurate translation of men having sex with men in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (chapter 6), that list also includes idolaters, adulterers, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, swindlers, about whom it declares, “none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Apparently the kingdom of God will be a fairly lonely place.

So why has my denomination been arguing for the past 50 years about questionable interpretations of texts concerning homosexuality but not about the very clear commandments of God – like Sabbath rest?

Back in the 1920s we actually had a Conference Committee on Sabbath Observance.