September 5, 2009

I’ve been talking about it for a while, but I’m finally going to see “Inglourious Basterds” tonight. In light of that, here’s some good reading from Religion News Service:

Yet the film also represents a growing genre of Jewish-themed films in which the victims become the victors. Anne Frank is no longer hiding in the attic; the fate of Judaism no longer depends on benevolent gentiles like Oskar Schindler.

In short, the Jews are fed up. And they’re not going to take it anymore. But does Judaism condone such retribution?

Rabbis and academics point out that Judaism distinguishes between acts of self-defense and vengeance and Jewish law frowns upon torturing an enemy—even Adolf Hitler himself, said Rabbi Joel Roth, a professor at Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.

“On the other hand, I also understand the human emotion,” he said. “Dispassionately, do you want to see them scalped? No, but you have to consider the context. And, if it’s a greater deterrent that would save other people’s lives, maybe one could defend it.”

Rabbi Irwin Kula, president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, a New York-based Jewish think tank, heralds the film as a long-overdue “fun action Jewish-revenge fantasy.”

Read the rest here.

Humorous story from the Sedalia Democrat about an uncalled-for controversy at a Missouri high school. The spark was this image used for its band t-shirt. Under the Smith-Cotton high school name and the evolution timeline are the words “Brass Evolutions 2009”:

Assistant Band Director Brian Kloppenburg said the shirts were designed by him, Band Director Jordan Summers and Main Street Logo. Kloppenburg said the shirts were intended to portray how brass instruments have evolved in music from the 1960s to modern day. Summers said they chose the evolution of man because it was “recognizable.” The playlist of songs the band is slated to perform revolve around the theme “Brass Evolutions.”

The band debuted the T-shirts when it marched in the Missouri State Fair parade. Summers said he was surprised when he received a direct complaint after the parade.

While the shirts don’t directly violate the district’s dress code, Assistant Superintendent Brad Pollitt said complaints by parents made him take action.

“I made the decision to have the band members turn the shirts in after several concerned parents brought the shirts to my attention,” Pollitt said.

Pollitt said the district is required by law to remain neutral where religion is concerned.

“If the shirts had said ‘Brass Resurrections’ and had a picture of Jesus on the cross, we would have done the same thing,” he said.

Band parent Sherry Melby, who is a teacher in the district, stands behind Pollitt’s decision. Melby said she associated the image on the T-shirt with Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

“I was disappointed with the image on the shirt.” Melby said. “I don’t think evolution should be associated with our school.”

Right … because they don’t teach evolution in the high school’s biology courses. Hmmm.

Read the rest here. And thanks for the link, Dennis.

Craig Gross has dedicated himself to ministering to people living, as he calls it in his first book, “The Gutter.” He’s the founder of XXXChurch, an evangelical outfit sharing the gospel at porn conventions and handing out Bibles that say on the cover “Jesus Loves Porn Stars.” Now Gross is the co-author of “Jesus Loves You … this I know.”

The book has been out for a little while now, but the folks at Westboro Baptist Church just got around to reviewing it. If you don’t know much about the church that pickets soldiers’ funerals and favors the slogan “God Hates Fags,” I’ll just tell you it was unlikely they were going to give Gross and co-author Jason Harper any praise:

This “book” is a collection of perverse platitudinous probably-plagiarized ditties designed to cast off the bonds which the good laws and statutes of God impose on the human heart.  The “authors” went into the bowels of this dark-hearted nation, and pulled forth some of the most motley grungy rebellious proud sinners and chronicled their misery.  News flash girls: You live a life utterly contrary to all your Creator has told you to do and – no flippin’ duh – you’re miserable!  This life is vanity; it’s laden with misery; and if you focus all your energies sowing to the flesh, and ignoring the spirit and your duty to God, of course you’ll be miserable.  The only hope for people in that mess – as well as the power-mongering wealthy fancier proud sinners of doomed-america (from the least to the greatest) – is the truth.  Obey God and he will bless you; disobey him and he will curse you, in every way, every day, in this life and after.  Unless you tell your fellow man to obey God and rebuke him for his sin, you hate him.  So – like all the rest of the lying whore false prophets of this nation – of whatever brand of poison – craig and jason hate their fellow man.  They offer this sappy-floppy-pretend-love for one reason only – to make the bucks!

That last line is pretty comical, but it gets better here.