Press Release: The Gospel According To Vonnegut

 

EARTH HOUSE TO HONOR KURT VONNEGUT’S THEOLOGY–BOTH AS AN AGNOSTIC AND A FAN OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

 

Indianapolis, Ind - October 30, 2009 -Kurt Vonnegut fans will gather to honor the Hoosier author on Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 7:00 p.m. at the Earth House Collective, 237 N. East St., located inside Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church, on what would have been  Vonnegut’s 87^thbirthday. 

The third annual Gospel According to Vonnegut celebration will honor the life, theology, politics, humor and local roots of Indianapolis’ most important postwar writer.   There will also be birthday cake.

“Vonnegut focused on the absurd and he found a lot of absurdity in religion,” Mike Oles, organizer for the event, said.  “He comes from a long line of religious skeptics and atheists but his hostility towards religion allowed him to write powerfully-perhaps more so than any other Indiana voice– about the historical Jesus.”

Along with Vonnegut’s riffs on God and Christianity, the gathering will also focus on the writer’s Indiana roots.  It was at Indianapolis’ Shortridge High School where Vonnegut wrote for the only daily high school newspaper in the country.  Meanwhile, Vonnegut attributed much of his moral vision to fellow Hoosier radicals like Eugene Debs and Powers Hapgood. 

Julia Whitehead, President, Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library Foundation, will be giving the keynote presentation.  Attendees will also hear the music of local songwriter Kate Lamont and see a video clip of Vonnegut’s appearance on  The Daily Show wit John Stewart.

Earth House is located inside Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church, on the corner of New Yorkand East Streets in downtown Indianapolis. 

 For more information, please contact Mike Oles, 317-354-3207.

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Filed under: Indiana history, Indianapolis, community, jesus , Indianapolis, Indiana, Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church, church, hoosiers, kurt vonnegut, press release, sermon on the mount, methodist church, vonnegut, eugene debs, powers hapgood, julia whitehead, library, vonnegut memorial library, hoosier, agnostic, earth hosue, gospel according to vonnegut, birthday

Who Killed Indy’s comprehensive smoking ban? or a Sad day for Indy

 

Terrible.  Indy politicians have once again missed an opportunity to improve the health of our community.  There’s a lot of blame to go around about why the city council has once again failed to pass a [nearly] comprehensive public smoking ban.

Mayor Greg Ballard is one person to hold accountable.  Matthew Tully in today’s star writes that the mayor  walked into a closed-door meeting with council Republicans and made it clear he didn’t want the ordinance to land on his desk.” Tully points out that as a canidiate for Indy mayor Ballard approved of a comprehensive smoking ban.

Democrats aren’t blameless either.  First of all, if council Democrats had made a stand during the Peterson era about smoking (or anything, really), this would be a mute point. Indy would have long ago joined the 21st century when it comes to public health.  But Peterson and the council back then weren’t about taking bold stands.

And on the city council, Democrats should feel embarrassed.  Council member Dane Mahern abstained from the vote because, as Tully reported, his father is a lobbyist for the tobacco industry. Heaven forbid, you take a stand that might bump against your father’s business interests.   More so, Mahern had his father host a fundraiser for him within a week of the scheduled smoking ban vote.

This was a chance to be a truly bipartisan and  other Democrats didnt’ show up.  Council member Doris Minton-McNeal, Monroe Gray, and, already mentioned Mahern, abstained from voting.  Their abstentions helped kill the bill and  Minton-McNeal didn’t even bother to show up.

Whatever the reasons, other Democrats who voted against the bill include Duke Oliver and Vernon Brown.

Thanks should go to  Democrats Jose Evans and Angela Mansfield and Republicans Barbara Malone and Ryan Hunter for taking a strong stand for making Indianapolis a better place to live.   And don’t forget to thank Smoke Free Indy.

 

http://www.indystar.com/article/20091028/NEWS08/910280381/Tully++Ballard+threat+helped+kill+smoking+ban

Filed under: Broad Ripple, Indiana, Indianapolis, Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis politics, POlitics, city council, community, community organizing, economy, progressive , angela mansfield, ban, barbara malone, Bart Peterson, city council, comprehensive smoking ban, dane mahern, doris minton-mcneal, duke olliver, Greg Ballard, Indianapolis, Indianapolis politics, Indianapolis Star, Jose Evans, matthew tully, mayor, monroe gray, POlitics, ryan hunter, smoke free indy, smoking, smoking ban, vernon brown

The Gospel of Frank the Tank

We have been going through the Rob Bell book Drops like Stars: A Few thoughts on Creativity and Suffering during worship service.

Rob Bell touches on the above scene from Old School.  Death by wallpaper and flooring he calls it.

The lectionary this past Sunday included Mark 10:17-31. The passages include such things as “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” and ” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

I think Jesus is clear here; Don’t end up like Frank the Tank.  Seek meaning and seek solidarity with others.

Filed under: Christians, Indianapolis, church, emergent church, evangelism, jesus , camel, creativity, drops like stars, eye of a needle, flooring, frank the tank, jesus, lectionary, Mark, mark 10:17-31, Old School, poverty, rob bell, social justice, the poor, wallpaper, Will Farrell