Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Chris Crutcher’s novel Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is a riveting novel about the pains of growing up both in a dysfunctional home and as an outsider in the teen scene. This touching story is packed full of believable characters and believable situations. It is a novel that often is considered for censorship, but is also a novel that could teach a great deal to young adults. It is a novel that can change the worlds of so many people who may need compassion and a helping hand.

For many young adults, growing up is painful, and compassion is difficult to find. According to Childhelp, an organization dedicated to meet the various needs of abused children, over three million cases of child abuse are reported each year. However, “experts estimate that the actual number of incidents of abuse and neglect is 3 times greater than reported” (Childhelp). This is a larger problem than many would like to admit, but Crutcher has done a great job bringing this issue to the forefront in this novel. Both Sarah Byrnes and Dale Thornton live with the problems, which arise from being raised in an abusive home. Sarah is a prankster who laughs at everything. Dale is a bully that passes on the abusive treatment he has received and learned from his father. They both have built up a wall between themselves and the world. Neither child has an adult they can trust, and they are both fully aware that telling what happens in their homes would only cause more trouble. As we learn more about Sarah’s father, it becomes quite clear why the child would fake a catatonic state.

Though it is hard for many people to understand why a child would rather spend time in a psychiatric hospital than their own home, people who have been in Sarah’s situation know when there is too much physical pain, a person will do almost anything to get away from it. Her situation is just as believable as every other situation in the book. Crutcher’s background as a therapist has served him well in writing this novel. Amazingly, Sarah does not pity herself the way she does the children who have the emotional and mental scarring inside; she does not believe she is like them. It is not until she writes the letter to Eric that she begins to realize that she acts tough and mean to hide her own pain. Sarah is not the only character whose true-to-life dysfunctional family is noticeable. Mark’s family, though not physically abusive, is just as dysfunctional than Sarah’s. Mark’s father pushes him so hard to be the perfect son that he makes bad decisions which leads to his suicide attempt. Though the father feels he is a good Christian man he has forgotten the words of his Messiah, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). The pressure from Mark’s father has deterred the young man from his Christian responsibility to uphold the rules set down in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, which basically says we should not fornicate. Sure Mark can spin a fine yarn as he stands upon his pulpit preaching about the sins of abortion; however, he does not seem to be able to practice what he preaches. Is this situation believable? Yes, it is common for people to fail to be able to refrain from the sins they preach against. This is seen every day in newspaper headlines across the country.

Another situation that makes the novel believable is the situation with Carver. He goes after Virgil Byrnes and ends up beating him in a questionable bout of self-defense. Many novels give the happy ending to the hero that caught the ‘bad guy,’ but Crutcher does not give the happy ending we are expecting; Carver does receive some jail time. Another unhappy ending component is that Sarah’s mom refuses to save her daughter from ongoing pain and suffering, both physical and emotional. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, “Mothers are found to be the neglectful parent in 72% of neglect cases.” All of the other situations in the novel are believable as well. According to Contemporary Authors Online Chris Crutcher has said, “It is a joy to write a tale that is believable, that is real.” Crutcher goes on to state, “Working in the mental health field provides me with some unique perspectives on the human drama – how people get stuck and how they grow” (Contemporary). Crutcher’s novel Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is unique because of this perspective that he feels so fortunate to have.

Although the characters are believable and the novel is unique, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is often considered for censorship. In 2005 a mother in Westmoreland, New York wanted the novel to be pulled from the high school curriculum due to its “graphic language.” Though she took her attempt to the school board the superintendent Toni Kulak stated, “We’re going to continue to use the book because we think it’s valuable to our students” (School, 20). Though the novel does have some strong language and the issues raised in the novel may make people a bit uncomfortable and on edge, the novel is a powerful novel about the hardships many young adults face. This novel can give a teacher of young adults many opportunities for class discussion. For instance, in a school with high pregnancy rates, a sexual education teacher could use the novel as an outlet for class discussion about the effects of unprotected sex and abortion. Similarly, in a school where bullying is an issue, the teacher can use the novel to spark discussion on how Sarah must have felt when she was called “Scarface” by her peers, or how Eric must have felt when people called him “Moby” or “Fatboy.” There are many other topics for potential discussion in the novel. Censoring a novel with so much potential for molding young minds into compassionate minds would be a critical mistake.

Though Crutcher’s novel is marketed as a novel for young adults, the novel is suitable for adults. This novel is packed full of believable situations that many people can relate to. It can be used to teach adults and young adults about the hardships of growing up in an environment that they may not have experienced. It can be a tool for young adults who are experiencing such living environments to realize they need to learn to trust other adults, and not all adults are bad. Furthermore, the book can be used as a valuable tool for every high school classroom. In conclusion, this novel is a powerful novel that can change the world of many adults, both young or old.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The Eolian Harp

composed at clevedon, somersetshire

My pensive Sara! thy soft cheek reclined
Thus on mine arm, most soothing sweet it is
To sit beside our Cot, our Cot o’ergrown
With white-flowered Jasmin, and the broad-leaved Myrtle,
(Meet emblems they of Innocence and Love!)
And watch the clouds, that late were rich with light,
Slow saddening round, and mark the star of eve
Serenely brilliant (such would Wisdom be)
Shine opposite! How exquisite the scents
Snatched from yon bean-field! and the world so hushed!
The stilly murmur of the distant Sea
Tells us of silence.

                            And that simplest Lute,
Placed length-ways in the clasping casement, hark!
How by the desultory breeze caressed,
Like some coy maid half yielding to her lover,
It pours such sweet upbraiding, as must needs
Tempt to repeat the wrong! And now, its strings
Boldlier swept, the long sequacious notes
Over delicious surges sink and rise,
Such a soft floating witchery of sound
As twilight Elfins make, when they at eve
Voyage on gentle gales from Fairy-Land,
Where Melodies round honey-dropping flowers,
Footless and wild, like birds of Paradise,
Nor pause, nor perch, hovering on untamed wing!
O! the one Life within us and abroad,
Which meets all motion and becomes its soul,
A light in sound, a sound-like power in light,
Rhythm in all thought, and joyance everywhere—
Methinks, it should have been impossible
Not to love all things in a world so filled;
Where the breeze warbles, and the mute still air
Is Music slumbering on her instrument.

    And thus, my Love! as on the midway slope
Of yonder hill I stretch my limbs at noon,
Whilst through my half-closed eyelids I behold
The sunbeams dance, like diamonds, on the main,
And tranquil muse upon tranquility:
Full many a thought uncalled and undetained,
And many idle flitting phantasies,
Traverse my indolent and passive brain,
As wild and various as the random gales
That swell and flutter on this subject Lute!

    And what if all of animated nature
Be but organic Harps diversely framed,
That tremble into thought, as o’er them sweeps
Plastic and vast, one intellectual breeze,
At once the Soul of each, and God of all?

    But thy more serious eye a mild reproof
Darts, O beloved Woman! nor such thoughts
Dim and unhallowed dost thou not reject,
And biddest me walk humbly with my God.
Meek Daughter in the family of Christ!
Well hast thou said and holily dispraised
These shapings of the unregenerate mind;
Bubbles that glitter as they rise and break
On vain Philosophy’s aye-babbling spring.
For never guiltless may I speak of him,
The Incomprehensible! save when with awe
I praise him, and with Faith that inly feels;
Who with his saving mercies healèd me,
A sinful and most miserable man,
Wildered and dark, and gave me to possess
Peace, and this Cot, and thee, heart-honored Maid!

Kubla Kahn

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail:
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean:
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!

The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight 'twould win me
That with music loud and long
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed
And drunk the milk of Paradise.

I have always enjoyed Coleridge’s poetry. I like the imagery that Coleridge used in these two poems. Coleridge paints a beautiful picture. There is a dark undertone to his poetry as well. From what I have read, all Romantics have that particular element.

Coleridge sees himself as a priest-like visionary with a connection to God. Coleridge feels it is his responsibility to share the vision of God to the people. Like Wordsworth, Coleridge’s vision of God comes from nature.

“And that simplest lute,….Is Music slumbering on her instrument.” (lines 13-33)

Coleridge sees the poet as the lute, and the breeze is his muse. She gives him songs of beauty and God. These songs were meant to uplift the soul of man. The poet must translate these songs for the rest of us to hear, so that we all see the light. If the poet does not translate the “Music” or the message, then the message will never be heard.

“And what if all of animated nature….At once the Soul of each, and God of All?” (lines 44-48)

If we all were poets, our words would mean little. The rational or “intellectual breeze,” would change the meaning of nature, the meaning of God.

“On vain Philosophy’s aye-babbling spring….Peace, and this cot, and the, heart-honored Maid!” (lines 57-64)

Coleridge tells us that while he is in nature, down by the spring, he is with God. Coleridge goes on to say that he was “a sinful and most miserable man,” but because he found peace in his God, he has peace and beauty in his life.

“A damsel with a dulcimer…That sunny dome! those caves of ice!” (lines 37-47)

The narrator saw a woman in a vision. She sang a song that filled him with peace and happiness. Her song told the narrator that he must help to rebuild a paradise. The paradise should be well balanced.

Unlike Blake, Coleridge sees himself as more of a translator or priest-like visionary than a god-like prophet. Blake says, “Hear the voice of the bard! Who Present, Past, & Future sees;…” In other words, Blake is saying, I am all knowing and all seeing. Coleridge is more subtle with his message. In “The Eolin Harp” he says, “And the simplest lute…” This can be translated as I am just a simple instrument which nature uses to spread her message.

Sin

It is easier to confess our sins to God. I know I have a very hard time admitting that I have done something wrong. I think it is because when I do, I feel as if I am being judged. I think that we should look at our past sins and transgressions as learning experiences for others. Suppose we come upon someone who is committing a sin that we were once guilty of committing. If we tell someone, ‘I know just how you feel,’ but we do not share with them why we know how they feel; then they may look at our advice or assistance far differently than if we have confessed our sins to them. We can show them, though they are sinning, they still have a chance for a fulfilling Christian lifestyle.

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. ~ Matthew 7:1-2

Robert Browning

Porphyria’s Lover

The rain set early in to-night,
       The sullen wind was soon awake,
It tore the elm-tops down for spite,
       And did its worst to vex the lake:
       I listened with heart fit to break.
When glided in Porphyria; straight
       She shut the cold out and the storm,
And kneeled and made the cheerless grate
       Blaze up, and all the cottage warm;
       Which done, she rose, and from her form
Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl,
       And laid her soiled gloves by, untied
Her hat and let the damp hair fall,
       And, last, she sat down by my side
       And called me. When no voice replied,
She put my arm about her waist,
       And made her smooth white shoulder bare,
And all her yellow hair displaced,
       And, stooping, made my cheek lie there,
       And spread, o'er all, her yellow hair,
Murmuring how she loved me — she
       Too weak, for all her heart's endeavour,
To set its struggling passion free
       From pride, and vainer ties dissever,
       And give herself to me for ever.
But passion sometimes would prevail,
       Nor could to-night's gay feast restrain
A sudden thought of one so pale
       For love of her, and all in vain:
       So, she was come through wind and rain.
Be sure I looked up at her eyes
       Happy and proud; at last I knew
Porphyria worshipped me; surprise
       Made my heart swell, and still it grew
       While I debated what to do.
That moment she was mine, mine, fair,
       Perfectly pure and good: I found
A thing to do, and all her hair
       In one long yellow string I wound
       Three times her little throat around,
And strangled her. No pain felt she;
       I am quite sure she felt no pain.
As a shut bud that holds a bee,
       I warily oped her lids: again
       Laughed the blue eyes without a stain.
And I untightened next the tress
       About her neck; her cheek once more
Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:
       I propped her head up as before,
       Only, this time my shoulder bore
Her head, which droops upon it still:
       The smiling rosy little head,
So glad it has its utmost will,
       That all it scorned at once is fled,
       And I, its love, am gained instead!
Porphyria's love: she guessed not how
       Her darling one wish would be heard.
And thus we sit together now,
       And all night long we have not stirred,
       And yet God has not said a word!

Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister

Gr-r-r — there go, my heart’s abhorrence!
   Water your damned flower-pots, do!
If hate killed men, Brother Lawrence,
   God’s blood, would not mine kill you!
What? your myrtle-bush wants trimming?
   Oh, that rose has prior claims —
Needs its leaden vase filled brimming?
   Hell dry you up with its flames!
At the meal we sit together;
   Salve tibi! I must hear
Wise talk of the kind of weather,
   Sort of season, time of year:
Not a plenteous cork-crop: scarcely
   Dare we hope oak-galls, I doubt;
What’s the Latin name for “parsley?”
   What’s the Greek name for Swine’s Snout?
Whew! We’ll have our platter burnished,
   Laid with care on our own shelf!
With a fire-new spoon we’re furnished,
   And a goblet for ourself,
Rinsed like something sacrificial
   Ere ’tis fit to touch our chaps —
Marked with L. for our initial!
   (He-he! There his lily snaps!)
Saint, forsooth! While brown Dolores
   Squats outside the Convent bank
With Sanchicha, telling stories,
   Steeping tresses in the tank,
Blue-black, lustrous, thick like horsehairs,
   — Can’t I see his dead eye glow,
Bright as ’twere a Barbary corsair’s?
   (That is, if he’d let it show!)
When he finishes refection,
   Knife and fork he never lays
Cross-wise, to my recollection,
   As do I, in Jesu’s praise.
I the Trinity illustrate,
   Drinking watered orange-pulp —
In three sips the Arian frustrate;
   While he drains his at one gulp.
Oh, those melons? If he’s able
   We’re to have a feast! so nice!
One goes to the Abbot’s table,
   All of us get each a slice.
How go on your flowers? None double?
   Not one fruit-sort can you spy?
Strange! — And I, too, at such trouble,
   Keep them close-nipped on the sly!
There’s a great text in Galatians,
   Once you trip on it, entails
Twenty-nine distinct damnations,
   One sure, if another fails:
If I trip him just a-dying,
   Sure of heaven as sure as can be,
Spin him round and send him flying
   Off to hell, a Manichee?
Or, my scrofulous French novel
   On grey paper with blunt type!
Simply glance at it, you grovel
   Hand and foot in Belial’s gripe:
If I double down its pages
   At the woeful sixteenth print,
When he gathers his greengages,
   Ope a sieve and slip it in ’t?
Or, there’s Satan! — one might venture
   Pledge one’s soul to him, yet leave
Such a flaw in the indenture
   As he’d miss till, past retrieve,
Blasted lay that rose-acacia
   We’re so proud of! Hy, Zy, Hine ...
“St, there’s Vespers! Plena gratiâ
   Ave, Virgo! Gr-r-r — you swine!

I was very disturbed when I read “Porphyria’s Lover.” I thought, “Oh my! I didn’t just read a poem about auto-erotic asphyxiation, did I?” Browning’s poetry is, by far, more different than anything else we have read. It is so violent. Browning feels that sin motivates people. According to Browning, Victorian times brought about a sense of moral decay. He was attempting to find an end to the struggle between morality and sensuality. There is also an outcry against religious instability found in Browning’s poetry. Overall, he was trying to make the reader more aware of the world in which they lived.

“That moment she was mine,…I am quite sure she felt no pain.” (“Porphyria’s Lover;” lines 36-42)

In order for the character to maintain the innocence of this moment of prohibited sex forever, he strangles the young girl. It is this fine line between sensuality and morality that the character struggles with.

“And this we sit together now, / And all night long we have not stirred, / And yet God has not said a word!” (“Porphyria’s Lover;” lines 58-60)

The character is still satisfying his senses by his play and embrace of Porphyria’s corpse. He tells us that his actions are acceptable because God has not struck him down. God has done nothing. Browning is prompting the reader to ask where The Church is when all of this immoral behavior is going on.

Text: “G-r-r-r – there go, my heart’s abhorrence!...would not mine kill you!” (“Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister;”)

This monk is having evil thoughts about Brother Lawrence. He has hatred in his heart. The character is thinking of killing Brother Lawrence. Browning is trying to get the reader to realize that even the most trusted members of The Church are not free from sin.

Stanza 9 of “Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister” (lines 65-73)

The monk even speaks of striking a deal with Satan in order to betray his brother. The speaker says, however, that he plans to betray Satan as well. A sin such as a monk making a deal with Satan is one of the worst sins that one could commit. This is a good example of how Browning is trying to get the reader to see the severity of the crimes committed by those in charge of The Church.

The visions that Browning gives us from his poetry are not only reflective of his era, but also reflective of ours. Browning’s use of monks throughout “Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister” allows the reader to see that not even the holiest of men are not free from sin. They cannot be trusted either. In today’s society there is also a distrust of clergy. In “Porphyria’s Lover,” we get a portrait of a murderer who likes to toy with the corpse of his victim. This is not unlike men such as Jeffrey Dahmer. The similarities between both societies are astounding.

Calvinism

Calvinism is a form of Christianity that views God as an omnipotent power whose grace is the only path to salvation. Many Calvinists believe that all people are born as sinful beings and without accepting God as their savior, they go to Hell when they die.

Source

C O M M U N I T Y

What 3 reasons do we speak of community?

Response to God’s call
Reflection of God’s nature
Representing God’s work

Creation story in Genesis 1 tells ups about what?

World – chaos disorder
God – creates by his word, spirit, desires all things to be together
Human beings – created to be together with God and one another

Sin – the end of God’s togetherness, not just against God, but other people

God’s dream is for the togetherness of his creation

Story of old testament in God’s pursuit of this dream

God makes himself vulnerable to the world to pursue this dream

Chooses to pursue this dream through a people

Jesus represents most fully God’s embodiment of this dream

Jesus represents to us how we can participate in God’s dream (death and resurrection)

Right and Wrong

At preschool age, I felt as though everything I did were wrong. I was punished severely for the most minute of actions. I clung to members of my church more than I did my family. I trusted very few people and was a fearful child, because of abuse. I barely knew my father even though he lived in the home. He worked up from sun-up to sundown. The only time I did see my father, he was drunk. My mother and father were physically fighting with one another or with others. I thought it was acceptable to fight with people because of this. My siblings and I fought all of the time and often injured each other. We had all almost literally killed one another. At the time, the only positive role models I had were those from my church.

It was not until I started elementary school that I really begun to understand right from wrong. What was acceptable behavior at school was not mirrored at home, so I did often stay confused. My siblings and I still battled, but we were all withdrawn from others. I dove into schoolwork and dedicated every bit of spare time to church activities. I learned my morals from Brother Blair, not from my family. I felt as if I could get away with more and be a kid at church, because being a child at home was wrong. Therefore, I still felt I did more wrong than good. Because I did not fully understand religion and did not have anyone at home that could explain things to me, I believed I was a sinner and would most certainly go to hell. I was still in elementary school when I began puberty. Because my father would threaten that we better not ever go through puberty, I hid my period from my family for two years. I thought I had done something wrong to cause me to get my period. Did you ever see “Carrie?” Yes, it was like that. I was told by my father that bad girls get their periods; and if you get your period, you will go to hell. I also knew that adultery was wrong and did not understand that child molestation was not adultery.

Because I had lived with the guilt for so long, I purposely did wrong things in high school. I wanted help, but could not get it. Every time I ran away, I was arrested at church. I went to my pastor for help, but he turned me in, so I felt betrayed. This confused me more than ever before, because I felt that it was right to look for salvation and sanctuary within the Lord. However, the law told me running away was a crime. At this point, I believed that no matter what I did, it was wrong.

I lost faith in church and God through my young adult years. I left home at seventeen and married a man that almost killed me and in the process caused me to lose my child. He got away with his crimes against me, so I felt that it was acceptable to allow a man to beat me. After all, this is how I was raised. I began to feel that God was punishing me for my loss of faith. I turned to drugs and alcohol though I knew it was a crime. I left my ex-husband, which went against everything I had ever been taught. In my church divorce was a sin, and in my family it was a crime. I was disowned from my family and excommunicated from my church for this. For the first time in my life, I had to find out right from wrong on my own. I married a wonderful man at 23 years old. I quit using, because of him. I started to look at my Christian values once again. This time, I did it on my own. Over the last few years, I have begun to realize what the Christian ethic looks like. I know right from wrong and know God does not cause us pain, he takes the pain away. Because I did not ever see what parenting is like, I have dove into it with blinders on. I know how poorly my parents treated me and how this hurt me. I know what they did is wrong. Therefore, I act the opposite toward my children and hope it is right.

I am almost in my middle adulthood stage. My understanding of right and wrong, now, is that the right thing to do has no victims. It may be difficult, but it hurts no one. The wrong action hurts one or many. I also am wise enough to know that governmental laws and justice are not always right. God’s laws trump all others.

Scandalous Congregations

To begin with, I was shocked when I read, “…the polling data point to widespread, blatant disobedience of clear biblical moral demands on the part of people who allegedly are evangelical, born again Christians” (Sider, 17). However, the further I got in the chapter, my astonishment subsided due to the familiarity of the statements and statistics I read.

For instance, I am acquainted with just as many Christians who have been divorced as non-Christians. I feel that this is closely related to all of the other sub-points that Sider has throughout the chapter. The fact that more women of the evangelical denomination are abused than other areas of the population could contribute to higher divorce rates. Many women I know that are divorce have done so due to physical abuse.

Similarly, the percentages of evangelicals, both traditional and non-traditional, that think adultery is fine could contribute to the higher divorce rate. Also, almost as many Christian males engage in some sort of pornographic activity than their counter parts. Other divorced friends I know have complained that their exes have either cheated on them, or were more interested in internet porn than in them. I also feel that adultery, pornography, and other sexual indiscretions in parents may lead to sexual indiscretions of children. Because of this, I was not surprised to read “…evangelical youth are only about 10 percent less likely to engage in premarital sex then non-evangelicals” (Sider, 23).

After all, most people model what they deem to be appropriate behavior. Children look to their parents for appropriate behavior; likewise, evangelicals look to their leaders for appropriate behavior. Therefore, evangelical communities are often lead astray by their leaders. If their leaders model greed, then they model greed. If the leaders were to live more simply, perhaps they would live more simply. If their leaders are racist, they tend to be racist. Why so many non-Christians have such a negative view of Christianity makes much more sense to me after reading the chapter.

Go and Sin No More

I have seen many Christians turn away from those in poverty. My homeless experience humbled me as a Christian, but also opened my eyes to the church of which I was a member. There was a great deal of hypocrisy in this church. How can people claim to be Christian, but turn a blind eye to those in need? I can personally see why this would cause non-believers to despise Christians. The actions of this particular church caused me to loose faith in the church. Had it not been for one fellow, non-church going Christian, I may have lost faith in God.

Their Christian act helped my family when we needed it most. With my eyes wide open, I looked at the world anew. I, myself, had been obsessed with material possessions just before we lost it all. I was at one time no different than the other members of my church. We hung out together and drank together just the night before we all attended service together. Many of my “friends” in the church were no different than Sider’s pagans.

I know not all Christians and not all pastors lowered the standards to accommodate the congregation. Unfortunately, this seems to be a trend across the United States. No longer are parishioners asked to leave for deviant behavior. The message, “God forgives,” is belted out on every church sign. However, many Christians forget that Jesus may have saved sinners, but he also said, “Go and sin no more.” Wow! That is a tough one. As Christians, we need to remember that our life after Christ is a time of transformation. We are not perfect, and we all sin, but we should all model the life of Christ. We should abstain from sin, be compassionate to our brethren, and not repay evil for evil.

Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience

To begin with, I was shocked when I read, “…the polling data point to widespread, blatant disobedience of clear biblical moral demands on the part of people who allegedly are evangelical, born again Christians” (Sider, 17). However, the further I got in the chapter, my astonishment subsided due to the familiarity of the statements and statistics I read. For instance, I am acquainted with just as many Christians who have been divorced as non-Christians. I feel that this is closely related to all of the other sub-points that Sider has throughout the chapter. The fact that more women of the evangelical denomination are abused than other areas of the population could contribute to higher divorce rates. Many women I know that are divorce have done so due to physical abuse. Similarly, the percentages of evangelicals, both traditional and non-traditional, that think adultery is fine could contribute to the higher divorce rate. Also, almost as many Christian males engage in some sort of pornographic activity than their counter parts. Other divorced friends I know have complained that their exes have either cheated on them, or were more interested in internet porn than in them. I also feel that adultery, pornography, and other sexual indiscretions in parents may lead to sexual indiscretions of children. Because of this, I was not surprised to read “…evangelical youth are only about 10 percent less likely to engage in premarital sex then non-evangelicals” (Sider, 23). After all, most people model what they deem to be appropriate behavior. Children look to their parents for appropriate behavior; likewise, evangelicals look to their leaders for appropriate behavior. Therefore, evangelical communities are often lead astray by their leaders. If their leaders model greed, then they model greed. If the leaders were to live more simply, perhaps they would live more simply. If their leaders are racist, they tend to be racist. Why so many non-Christians have such a negative view of Christianity makes much more sense to me after reading the chapter.

I have seen many Christians turn away from those in poverty. My homeless experience humbled me as a Christian, but also opened my eyes to the church of which I was a member. There was a great deal of hypocrisy in this church. How can people claim to be Christian, but turn a blind eye to those in need? I can personally see why this would cause non-believers to despise Christians. The actions of this particular church caused me to loose faith in that church. Had it not been for one fellow, non-church going Christian, I may have lost faith in God. Their Christian act helped my family when we needed it most. With my eyes wide open, I looked at the world anew. I, myself, had been obsessed with material possessions just before we lost it all. I was at one time no different than the other members of my church. We hung out together and drank together just the night before we all attended service together. Many of my “friends” in the church were no different than Sider’s pagans. I know not all Christians are like that, and not all pastors lower the standards to accommodate the congregation. Unfortunately, this seems to be a trend across the United States. No longer are parishioners asked to leave for deviant behavior. The message, “God forgives,” is belted out on every church sign. However, many Christians forget that Jesus may have saved sinners, but he also said, “Go and sin no more.” Wow! That is a tough one. As Christians, we need to remember that our life after Christ is a time of transformation. We are not perfect and we all sin, but we should all model the life of Christ. We should abstain from sin, be compassionate to our brethren, and not repay evil for evil.

I completely agree with what Sider has to say about sin. There is both personal and social sin. You can live out your life and avoid all of the temptations that are put before you; but if you look at the social injustices and sit idly by without even trying to change them, then you are still sinful. Many people enjoy the freedoms and material possessions that they have without realizing what the actual costs. People look for the cheapest prices on clothing and do not think twice about where the clothing was made, who it was made by, or what the human cost of such clothing is. Almost everything that Americans enjoy today comes with great cost to humanity. I believe that social sin is when many benefit for the sacrifices of few. In inner city schools, teachers tend to be too “afraid” to teach, so those who are affected the most are the children that attend the schools. This is a social sin; it is bigotry, and I am not talking just about racism. In this country, many people equate poverty with sinfulness. That is not rightly true. This too is a social injustice. A very wealthy, dear friend of mine proclaims that she is a Christian, but she also has stated to me, “I do not see how you can stand being around all of those poor people. All poor people are criminals.” After getting to know her dad, I found that he feels the same way. This is socioeconomic injustice. If you look at the world around you and think, “I do not sin, so all is right with the world;” then you are absolutely jaded about the world around you.

I fear that some churches these days are moving further and further away from Sider’s six crucial points. I feel that each point is equally important than each. Several of them, it seemed Sider did not spend enough time, while I feel he went on and on with others.

Jesus is the center – In churches today, the happiness of the individual seems to be the core of everything that drives it. This point needed more clarification and supporting evidence.

The church is called to be Holy – Once an individual commits to the church, they should not revert to their former lifestyle. This is a point that seems to be looked over throughout today’s churches.

The church as a community – Because God is a community of three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the church must also be a community in order to be successful.

A countercultural community – Today many churches seem to have conformed to mainstream society. It is acceptable to commit sin after sin from petty lying on to gross misconduct in today’s churches.

Mutual accountability and availability – This point seems to be ignored in today’s churches. According to Sider, we are to be economically and spiritually accountable to our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we commit a sin, we must be held accountable for that sin. If we see a brother and sister in need, we must surrender our possessions to end their suffering.

In the power of the spirit – I wish Sider would have expanded more on this point. As scripture states, “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10); therefore, it is important to remember that God’s grace is what we need in our time of weakness. Many Christians have forgotten that God is here for us and believe that we should work through our problems on our own.

Overall, I agree with the point that Sider made about starting in more personal, smaller groups, which are accountable to larger groups; it is important in bringing the church back to the way it was intended. Many churches today have gotten so large that the members have become disassociated with one another. They are not capable of knowing whether another member has a need or not.