Author Archive
Ian Ebright
No Separation of Church and State, Say Conservatives (Except on Health Care, Food, and Other Jesusy Things Like Peace)
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
In my experience, conservatives are the ones who insist there should be no separation of church and state. While on the campaign trail, Rick Santorum told America that the idea of such a separation makes him want to vomit. So I guess he’s against it. Conservatives respond to the culture war by asserting that we’re a Christian nation with the can’t-miss implication that our government (when not highjacked by liberals) is godly, founded by Christian men, with laws and freedoms based on Judeo-Christian principle. I know these positions well, having grown up in conservative circles.
Part 2: Donald Miller and Steve Taylor on the ‘Blue Like Jazz’ Production Process, On-Set Surprises, and Misunderstanding God
Tuesday, April 24th, 2012
- Donald Miller (left) and Steve Taylor. Photo credit: 2012 Ian Ebright | The Broken Telegraph
My conversation continues and concludes with screenwriter Donald Miller and director Steve Taylor about their new film adaptation of Miller’s New York Times bestselling book ’Blue Like Jazz.’ The film opened in theaters April 13th. If you missed it, click here for the first part of this interview.
IE: If you were to put a marker in the sand when production started and divide the journey in two, where were the surprises for you guys in the adaptation? Was it before production started in the script writing phase, or were you really surprised once the cameras started rolling?
The Resurrection of the Heart by Way of the Cross
Wednesday, April 11th, 2012
It can almost feel like there’s nothing left to say about the cross and resurrection of Christ, but that in itself is saying something. In being so captivated, humankind has pondered this story, exploring the events with great detail for 2,000 years. Even those who deny the resurrection happened or doubt it mattered are interested and often invested in the debate. The power of the cross does not rely on the pageantry of an Easter service (or a blog post). I wonder if this points to our universal need to be truly known, rescued, loved, changed, and accepted. We all long to discover the deepest meaning, and try to capture that elusive sense of completion.
Interview with Author Donald Miller and Director Steve Taylor: On ‘Blue Like Jazz,’ Christian Movies, and This Film’s Controversy
Monday, April 9th, 2012
- Photo credit: 2012 Ian Ebright | The Broken Telegraph
I get a call from Donald Miller’s tour manager Jim Chaffee as I’m turning into the parking lot at the Southcenter Mall, a complex located about 10 minutes south of Seattle if you take the interstate, hence the name Southcenter. The theater won’t let us in ahead of the screening so we’ll have to do the interview somewhere else. Chaffee thinks Starbucks, maybe. “I’ll go get Don, he’s in the car,” Chaffee says as I close my outdated flip phone. Why is Miller, a New York Times Bestselling author on tour to begin with, and at a theater of all places?
The Thing That Is Higher Than the Evolution vs. Creationism Debate
Monday, March 26th, 2012
In the red corner we have the creationists: Ken Ham with his Creation Museum, Ray Comfort and his nightmarish banana (complete with unavoidable innuendos), and Kent Hovind. In the blue corner are the evolutionists: Francis Collins and his trusty genome mapping, John Medina with those delightful oratory skills, and the always articulate Alister McGrath. Kirk Cameron is cheering those in the red corner while Richard Dawkins hollers in support of the blue corner. No wait, it looks like Dawkins is getting up and walking out. He looks confused. Apparently he’s in the wrong arena.
It’s a fight to the finish between the faithful. Now why are we fighting?
Religious Doubt is Imminent, But It Can Be Navigated
Friday, March 2nd, 2012
It begins at a young age. We are trained to hide our doubts. As we grow, this is reinforced by the adoption of labels- Christian, agnostic, atheist, for example. Comfort can be found on both sides of the religious fence. We’re told to keep things simple for ourselves. We’re told to not peek through the hole in the fence at our neighbor’s party, lest we catch a glimpse of his opposing views and be overcome like the incredible melting Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark. But doubts persist. Whether as the result of cruelty that crashes into life changing everything in unwelcome ways, questions and desires unanswered, the wear and tear of painful relationships, or consequences from personal mistakes, we doubt ourselves, we doubt God, or spend years trying to figure out who is to blame; questions that float on the rising tide of resentment. While religious doubt varies by the individual, it is a transformative and often grueling process that cannot be solved with a formula, but all is not lost. There is a way through it; a path that can even be nourishing.
