September 21, 2010 | 9:44 pm

Dabbling in witchcraft: life before politics

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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It looks like the Christine O’Donnell video that was mocked on “The Daily Show” last week was just one of many awkward clips for O’Donnell, who appeared on Bill Maher’s “Politically Incorrect” 22 times. The above AP report is courtesy of Bobby at GetReligion. What’s that about witchcraft?

September 21, 2010 | 4:21 pm

‘Top Model’ contestant sells out the Sabbath

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

My wife was watching “America’s Next Top Model” when I got home from doing man things last night, which meant I asked lots of annoying questions and feigned disinterest.

For the most part, it worked. One thing did catch my attention. I hardly would have imagined writing a blog post about it the next day. But the contestant with the 30G breasts can be seen in the above clip flashing Tyra Banks et al during tryouts.

The reason this is newsworthy, and that I embedded the clip, is that Esther Petrack is a Modern Orthodox Jew, born in Jerusalem, and it took her about two seconds to sell out the Sabbath.

Benyamin Cohen, my favorite Bizarro Brad, writes about Esther and the history of Orthodox Jews on reality television. They’ve been a lot more prevalent than I would have thought. Cohen writes at the Huffington Post:

Esther Petrack, the America’s Next Top Model contestant, at first chose to take pride in her Jewishness, telling Tyra she was from Jerusalem and taking the time to explain her beliefs. But once she realized that the rigors of the show would conflict with her Sabbath observance, Esther opted to switch gears and take pride in something else that made her unique: Her comedically enormous breasts.

This immediate about-face—a proud Modern Orthodox Jew one moment and sashaying in a bikini and heels on national TV the next—was a sad commentary. After all, the contestant is named after the biblical Queen Esther. That historical figure also competed in a beauty pageant, and even hid the fact that she was Jewish. But, when the chips were down and the time called for a hero, Queen Esther used the opportunity to reveal her faith and saved the Jewish people from imminent annihilation. It’s her self-sacrifice that we celebrate each year on the festival of Purim.

Look, nobody is saying that being a Modern Orthodox Jew is easy. I’d be the last person to argue that wearing a skullcap all the time, only eating kosher, and not using electricity on Saturdays is easy. It’s not.

But let’s also be realistic here: I’ve often wished that I could be a contestant on The Amazing Race, but the bug-eating competitions (not kosher) and the flying on Saturdays (also not kosher) would put me in last place. (Although plenty of non-observant Jews have appeared on that show.)

Esther knew beforehand that competing on the show would conflict with the strict Sabbath rules she had been keeping until that point. And she decided that competing on the show, and the potential of a high-end modeling career, were more important. To be honest, she likely made that decision before the cameras started rolling. But the producers edited it in such a way that she appeared to be, as many grandparents would say, “finishing Hitler’s work.”

Talk about dripping with guilt. Shame on you, Esther.

Read the rest here.

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September 21, 2010 | 10:17 am

Giving up the digital world for Yom Kippur

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

We live in a hyperconnected world. I used to think my Mac was an appendage. Then I got an iPhone and learned what it is really like to be incessantly online.

It’s a common problem, and this Yom Kippur, Eric Yaverbaum and Mark DiMassimo, founders of Offlining Inc., asked fellow Jews to atone for their sins by unplugging from the digital world. This seems like a Jewish spin on Lent. Side note: I noticed a lot of Jewish friends on Facebook on Saturday.

Here is the Offlining story from the New York Observer:

It’s hard to tell how seriously Yaverbaum and DiMassimo are taking all this. “Eric and I have spent most of the past two decades convincing people to click, log on, trade stocks in their underwear, go shopping online, and spend more time with their digital friends,” says DiMassimo. “We’re still doing that. But now we’re also going to be selling the off button!”

Got to love that Offlining ad feature Mel Gibson. Just the guys Jews want to think of on the holiest day of the year.

Unfortunately this story is a bit too tongue in cheek to get any real discussion of religious observance in a world filled with digital noise.

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September 21, 2010 | 12:05 am

‘A master’s degree—in COMMUNICATION!’

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Friends have been suggesting I blog about Phil Davison, “who will not apologize from my tone tonight,” who “has been a Republican in TIMES GOOD!” and “in TIMES BAD!!!”

I’m not really really sure what to do with this, but I am concerned for Davison. He sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen.

Shockingly, Davison didn’t win the battle for the party’s nomination for Stark County Treasurer. He may have won the war, though, with his Internet notoriety.

The Stark County Political Report sat down with Davison on Saturday and followed up with an extended interview. That video is after the jump. Enjoy:

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September 20, 2010 | 7:44 pm

Should Christians be learning from metalheads?

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

The U.S. had its heavy metal mercenary in Iraq, and Muslims have their metalheads in Egypt. What could Christians learn about life from the metal kings?

A lot, according to an English cleric (not clear which kind the Rev. Rachel Mann is, but she sounds Anglican). From the Times of London:

The priest admits that many will be “concerned” about metal lyrics praising Satan and mocking Christianity, but insists it is just a form of “play-acting”.

Miss Mann, priest-in-charge of St Nicholas’s, Burnage, writes in this week’s Church Times: “Since Black Sabbath effectively created it in 1969 by using the dissonant sound of the medieval ‘Devil’s chord’, heavy metal has been cast as dumb, crass, and on, occasions satanic; music hardly fit for intelligent debate, led alone theological reflection.

“And yet, as both priest and metal musician and fan, it strikes me that the Church, especially at this agonized time, has a serious gospel lesson to learn from this darkest and heaviest music.” ...

“Metal’s refusal to repress the bleak and violent truths of human nature liberates its fans to be more relaxed and fun people”.

Meh. It’s the same old story, same old song and dance. My friend.

Don’t get me wrong. There is a bit of metal sprinkled throughout my iTunes. Black Sabbath. Metallica. Motorhead. Slayer. Even Tenacious D, which mocks metal-is-satanic belief in the above clip, which is very explicit, rather catchy and ever clever. But there are no lessons to be learned from this music. On a good day, it’s a jam, and that’s it.

I mean, it’s not Deliverance.

In fact, it’s not that different from the type of Christianity that Brett McCracken has been busy writing about. Just another adaptation of a common theme.

(Hat tip: Dennis)

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September 20, 2010 | 5:28 pm

Gawker declares war on Christmas

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

It seems like every year the Christmas shopping season starts earlier. Maybe that is why this year the so-called war on Christmas is popping up in September.

I don’t believe in the war on Christmas—bah humbug!—but with the release of “Christmas with a Capital C,” Gawker has officially declared open season on replacing Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays and whatever else is in the arsenal of those waging war on Christmas. The trailer for the film starring Daniel Baldwin, who is not to be confused with brother Stephen Baldwin, can be seen above.

(Hat tip: Gary Scott)

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September 19, 2010 | 4:59 pm

Ahmadinejad challenges U.S. role in geopolitics

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

We haven’t heard from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a while, but he’s one of those guys that, if given the time, he’ll say something comical enough to get some media attention. Ahmadinejad did just that Sunday, when he claimed in an interview with the Associated Press “the future belongs to Iran.”

He insisted that his government does not want an atomic bomb — something he has said in the past — and that Iran is only seeking peace and a nuclear-free world. He gave no indication of when Iran would resume talks on its nuclear program and said any anti-nuclear sanctions against his government would have no effect on his government’s policies. ...

“The United States’ administrations ... must recognize that Iran is a big power,” he said. “Having said that, we consider ourselves to be a human force and a cultural power and hence a friend of other nations. We have never sought to dominate others or to violate the rights of any other country.

“Those who insist on having hostilities with us, kill and destroy the option of friendship of us in the future, which is unfortunate because it is clear the future belongs to Iran and that emnities will be fruitless — and hence sanctions, too, will be ineffective.”

Yawn ...

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September 19, 2010 | 4:04 pm

Hipness: Good for the Christians?

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Are you a Christian hipster?

If you’re not sure, you can check out this post from last spring. Or you can check out Brett McCracken’s new book, “Hipster Christianity” or his cover story for this month’s Christianity Today or his column for the Wall Street Journal on the perils of Christian cool.

I’m not a fan of Jeff Foxworthy’s comedy, but you might be a Christian hipster if ... you love Jesus and have tattoos, smoke cloves, sport ironic facial hair, wear lots of flannels, skinny jeans and black-rim glasses when there is nothing wrong with your eyes.

Hipsters have gotten a lot of flak, in part because they lack authenticity. The above video demonstrates that. (DISCLAIMER: Extremely explicit language.) But what unique problems arise from its Christian version, and specifically when churches, smarting from an exodus of young folks, pander to it?

McCracken writes for the Wall Street Journal:

There are various ways that churches attempt to be cool. For some, it means trying to seem more culturally savvy. The pastor quotes Stephen Colbert or references Lady Gaga during his sermon, or a church sponsors a screening of the R-rated “No Country For Old Men.” For others, the emphasis is on looking cool, perhaps by giving the pastor a metrosexual makeover, with skinny jeans and an $80 haircut, or by insisting on trendy eco-friendly paper and helvetica-only fonts on all printed materials. Then there is the option of holding a worship service in a bar or nightclub (as is the case for L.A.‘s Mosaic church, whose downtown location meets at a nightspot called Club Mayan).

“Wannabe cool” Christianity also manifests itself as an obsession with being on the technological cutting edge. Churches like Central Christian in Las Vegas and Liquid Church in New Brunswick, N.J., for example, have online church services where people can have a worship experience at an “iCampus.” Many other churches now encourage texting, Twitter and iPhone interaction with the pastor during their services.

But one of the most popular—and arguably most unseemly—methods of making Christianity hip is to make it shocking. ...

If the evangelical Christian leadership thinks that “cool Christianity” is a sustainable path forward, they are severely mistaken. As a twentysomething, I can say with confidence that when it comes to church, we don’t want cool as much as we want real.

If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it’s easy or trendy or popular. It’s because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true. It’s because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It’s not because we want more of the same.

What say you?

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September 16, 2010 | 9:48 pm

Christine O’Donnell, lust and homosexuality

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

This is a bit vulgar, but there is an awkward old clip in which the Tea Party’s Christine O’Donnell talks about lust, masturbation and God. Skip to 2:22. That was from last night’s “The Daily Show.”

The story on O’Donnell today is that though she has opposed homosexuality she may have a gay sister. Mother Jones added some meat to the story, finding a sister of O’Donnell who is a gay rights advocate in my hometown and says on Facebook that she lives in West Hollywood with her girlfriend.

Unlike when a politician has built a career on traditional family values and is discovered to be, like so many politicians, an adulterer or, at the least, not who they claim to be, I just don’t see why it matters if a politician has a relative who lives a life that the politician disagrees with. Should it offend their political base?

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September 16, 2010 | 3:12 pm

Where the yarmulkes have their own story

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

If you are male and have ever wandered into a synagogue unprepared, you are no doubt familiar with the basket of kippot that you can borrow from and cover your head. But what if those yarmulkes had their own story?

At Bialystoker Synagogue on New York’s Lower East Side, they do. And The New York Times has a must-read story about them.

Here’s an excerpt:

They are genuine antiques, and not just bits of textile treasure. Inside each is an inscription: names and dates from some long-ago wedding or bar mitzvah. The most recent in the trove was produced in the disco era, but several harked back to the Eisenhower years. They chronicled events not just at Bialystoker, a century-old Orthodox synagogue in a landmark building, but also from around the region, perhaps left by visitors, or brought by congregants cleaning out the drawers of parents who have died.

“People decided they didn’t need as many yarmulkes as they’ve accumulated over the years, so they delivered them to the synagogue, where they could be put to good use,” said Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the New York State Assembly, who has been a member of Bialystoker since 1957. “My wife prohibits me from bringing home any more yarmulkes from Jewish weddings.”

For generations, celebrants at fancier affairs have provided guests with custom-made commemorative skullcaps, sometimes inscribed with a tidbit of poetry or inspiration. During the events, these color-coded kippot, often matching the bridesmaid dresses or the table napkins, form a unified sea across the congregation and dance floor. The more opulent the affair, the more extravagant the skullcap.

The old wicker basket can be seen as a velvet- and satin-lined chronicle of the Jewish-American experience. Here is a look at a few of the old souvenirs inside, and the couples at whose weddings they were worn.

Read about those individual stories here.

(Hat tip: Mollie)

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September 16, 2010 | 12:47 pm

The First Amendment and the Church of Body Modification

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Until a few minutes ago, I’d never heard of the Church of Body Modification. Here’s what their mission statement says:

We, the congregation of the Church of Body Modification, will always respect our bodies. We promise to always grow as individuals through body modification and what it can teach us about who we are and what we can do. We vow to share our experiences openly and honestly in order to promote growth in mind, body, and soul. We honor all forms of body modification and those who choose to practice body modification for any reason. We also promise to respect those who do not choose body modification. We support all that join us in our mission and help those seeking us in need of spiritual guidance.

I’m still not clear on what body piercings have to do with spirituality, or exactly what kind of spirituality they are talking about. But that doesn’t mean this church wouldn’t qualify as a religion. As I’ve discussed before, religion has two very general criterion: they provide followers with a sense of the sacred and they bond them together in community.

This church is getting a lot of attention today because one of its members, a 14-year-old girl named Ariana Lacono (not pictured), was suspended from school for violating the dress code by sporting a nose piercing. Lacono and her family are crying foul, saying the school violated her First Amendment rights.

Her mother, Nikki Lacono, told the Associated Press:

“We pretty much flat-out asked them, what guidelines are you following? What do you need to establish a sincere religious belief?,” she said. “We were told that if we were Hindu, or she were Muslim, it would be different.”

The school district, of course, is now mum on the topic. But read on in the AP story and you’ll see that the Laconos’ minister, Richard Ivey (listed on the church’s website), sharing some of their religion’s tenants:

“Through body modification, we can change how we feel about ourselves and how we feel about the world.”

Call me skeptical, but I’m not really getting much of a sense of the sacred here. I mean, new outfits and good books can accomplish the same.

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September 15, 2010 | 1:08 am

‘Dude, you have no Quran’

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

I love the story of Jacob Isom preventing a planned burning of the Quran in Amarillo, Texas over the weekend when the shirtless wonder snatched the Muslim holy book away from the man who planned to torch it and said those five memorable words: “Dude, you have no Quran!”

The Amarillo Globe-News followed up with this feature of Isom. He mentions that he’s an atheist who believes everyone has the right to practice their religious beliefs without interference. The story doesn’t say anything about whether he’s a hippee—just a skateboarding enthusiast—but I think it’s a safe guess.

His line, and his look, remind me of the protesters of the federal government’s plan to nuke Imaginationland: “No nukes in Imaginationland, bro!”

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