Matthew Fox in Charlotte

Myers Park Baptist Church last night hosted a large audience (I don't do estimates) who gathered to watch, listen to and question Matthew Fox.  He was a Catholic priest for 34 years until Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, ex-communicated him for Fox's  published ideas supporting equality of women in the priesthood, acceptance of homosexuals, and the BIG problem of often referring to God as a "She" (complete with capital letter, of course) and sometimes speaking of "God the Mother".

Fox has since been accepted by the Episcopal people as a priest.  But his real work is in his books which now number about 28 and his speaking engagements like this one tonight in Charlotte.

Basically, Fox made a number of points.  I got these:  1)  Jesus never heard of original sin.  2)  "Original Sin" is a concept developed by religions to suit their purposes, subjugate their people and keep women in their place. 3) Jesus was not a Christian. 4)  The bible is a book for us to read, and so is Creation (that is the world - including its plants, animals, people and the planet itself).  It also is a book for us to read.  One of those books was written by people a LONG time ago in different languages, for various purposes.  The book of Creation is updated daily. 5) A mystic must make room in his heart to express awe for the wonders of this creation    6)  Praise is the prerequisite to man's understanding. It precedes faith.  7) Praise is the "Original Blessing" which he contrasted with the religious concept of "Original Sin", and it comes from God THROUGH us. 8)  To thoroughly understand God to the point of "domesticating" God is to make an idol of God.  9)  We need new forms of worship today. 10) "Wisdom" was the name of one of the the great Goddess.  She is still alive today and the church has been unable to destroy her.


There was more.  That was what I got. Matthew Fox is not a voice crying in a wilderness, he is part of a great choir singing a new song about new heavens and new earths.  One of the greatest explorations in the history of the world is not the conquering of unknown lands, or the interrelationship with people other than your own kind,  or even the exploration of outer space.  It is the meeting of mankind and God -  the establishment of a "dialog" between these different aspects of both God and us, and a continuing awareness of the wonders which are streaming upon us constantly and which we too often either ignore or destroy.

Cabaret. Hickory Community Theatre. Hickory, NC.

Cabaret - by Hickory Community Theatre tonight in Hickory, NC. Spooky. 


Chills ran up and down my spine as I watched Berlin in 1930 and compared it with the United States of 2010. Two groups of people were represented on stage tonight, those who were ignorant, happy and carefree, and those who were committed to solving the problems of the world because they knew the causes of all those problems. Warnings were everywhere - and nobody paid attention. Those who began to ask "Hey?" were either ridiculed or told that this was nothing unusual.  


The only survivor of things to come was the supernatural-seeming character called the Emcee - marvelously played by Andrew Turnbull.


We stopped over at Old Hickory TapRoom for a beer and chips after to talk over the feelings we had.  I was grateful for the effect the arts have to record and transmit feelings.  I also have lamented the dropping of arts programs across our country in high schools and colleges.  Then I thought of that old saying - "First they came for the gypsies, then the homosexuals, then the communists . . ",, and then I thought "No, FIRST they came for the arts, THEN they came for the gypsies . . .