10 Things

You may have seen it – a cartoon with two baby snakes talking to grandpa snake about the story of Creation. The serpent toddlers say, “…and then the bad woman gave the snake the apple and that is when all our troubles began…”  I found it so funny that it inspired me to decide to do a ten part commentary on a book I read a few years ago that a very progressive Christian friend sent me for Christmas. 

The book is called 10 Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You (But Can’t Because He Needs His Job) by Rev. Oliver “Buzz” Thomas. If you are a Christian who does not rattle easily at paradigms that are diametrically opposed to your own  – odds are you will enjoy this book.  If you are not open, you will not like it and you will dislike my commentary even more. Let’s just dive right in shall we?

Chapter one starts off with “How Did It All Begin?” Rev. Thomas underscores how important our history of origins truly is. Maybe you are a person who has no interest in religion, and I get that and even appreciate and empathize however, whether you like it or not – if you live in the Unites States of America (and even more if you have kiddos) – the concept of where we sprouted or blew up from is a dangerously zealous topic especially when it comes to education and furthermore - it refuses to be ignored.

Rev. Thomas ought to know what he’s talking about seeing he’s provided court-ordered in-services at public schools where he and his colleagues were caught in the cross-hairs of 1^st amendment battles. He bravely begins his book by pointing out that the book of Genesis has not just one creation story - but two.   Thomas explains that according to Hebrew tradition, the first creation story was written in poem form and was not intended to be taken literally. He goes further to say, “…the word that your Bible translates as day does not always mean a twenty-four hour time period in Hebrew. It is used to describe time periods of undesignated duration.”

The second creation story begins in Genesis 2:4 – this narrative involves Eve being created from Adam’s rib then convinces him to eat forbidden fruit that - like our cartoon points out in reverse – blows Eden to smithereens. I am ecstatic that Rev. Thomas explains how the story (sculpted quite skillfully by a patriarchal society) was designed to keep women in their place rather than the idea that God had to punish the “weaker sex” for getting into mischief.  Sliding this subject under a historical/critical microscope puts God in a very good light - a light that was almost snuffed out.

If the Bible were allowed to be esteemed as the word of God in public schools – can you imagine the ruckus over whose interpretation would be top dog? In a country where the founding fathers knew the dangers of religious persecution therefore made provision for freedom of worship - can you imagine if any one religion assumed itself as authority over all American citizens? Let's just imagine if Christianity became The Decider - which church's interpretation of the scripture would be the one to decide and who would be the one to decide which church?  

Rev. Thomas rounds out this first chapter with more on the yin and yang of science and religion,"Science helps us understand the world around us, and religion helps us make sense of it all. In this case, good fences really do make good neighbors.”What do you think? How important is a literal interpretation of the bible? How do we know what is and what is not to be taken literally? And finally, what is (if any) the litmus test for authority on these matters?

If you are not hyperventilating by now then you may want to purchase your own copy.