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SECOND

QUARTER

1982$1

THEGAYCHRISTIANisback,hopingthatyou'vemissedusatleastalittle.TheEditorwouldlike tothankyou,DearPatientReader,foryourforbearanceandunderstanding:havingbeenincapacitatedfirstbyaseriousaccidentduringthepastSummer,andthenbythebacklogofworkawaitinghimuponthereturntopastoraldutiesetc.("Him"means, ofcourse"me,"ineditor-language.) TheReaderwillbepleased,

dismayed,tolearnthatmyOpinionshavenotsubstantiallybeenrearrangedasaresultoflandingon myhead,saveonthesubjectsof TheVulnerabilityofLifeand theNecessityforImprovingthe PresentMoment;andTheSurpassing ImportanceofJustPlainCaring. Anyway,wehopeyoufindthisissuestimulatinggoodcompanyon yourongoingjourney..--fjd

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---

Thecurrentarmsrace

immoralandcrazed.Itwill, unlessstopped,reduceournationtoa"republicofgrasses andinsects,"theonlylife-formsthatcouldsurvivea nuclearwar.Unlessstopped,itwillbetheendofthe humanadventure,andwithit,theearth. Mypersonalfaithwillnotallowmetopayforit.The moniesrepresentedbytheHumanSurvivaiDeduction,by whichIrefusetopay50percentofmytaxes,havebeen placedinaspecialfund,theinterestfromwhich-and perhapsthewholesumofwhich-willbegivento organizationsworkingtoendthemadnessofthenuclear armsrace.Theenclosedcheckisfor'Self-Employment (SocialSecurity)taxof$352.50plus$167.19forhalfof theIncomeTaxthatwouldhavebeenduebeforethe HumanSurvivalDeduction,forthefirstquarter.Iam payingtheotherone-hairbecauseIamentirelywillingto assumemyshareoftheburdenforthelegitimatepublic responsibilitiesofthepeoplethroughourgovernment. Inaddition,shouldtheCongressoftheUnitedStatespasslegislationfurtherabridgingthecivilrightsandaccessofmypeople,thegayand.lesbianpeopleofthisland-for instance,suchdenialsofrightsasarecontainedwithinthe so-called"FamilyProtectionAct"-

shal(claima"HumanDignityDeduction"wherebyIshallrefusetopayany incometaxwhatever,placingthemoniesinasimilarfund. Thisgovernmentshouldnotexpect

the

support.orallegiance ofapeoplewhoseaccesstotheopportunitiesandbenefits ofAmericanlifeareanyfurtherabridged.Iwould,inthat case,considerthatIhavenofurtherobligationtosupporta regimebothofdeadlyviolenceagainstlifeitself,andof fundamentaldenialofourpeople'shumanity. April,1982 Thisistoinformyouthatduetoa"HumanSurvival Deduction"onScheduleAunder"miscellaneous deductions,"myquarterlyincometaxpaymentswillequal one-halfofthetaxesotherwisedue.Theone-halfthus withheldcriesaprotestagainsttheone-halfofthefederal budgetdevotedtotheescalatingarmsrace. In1982,theUnitedStatesofAmericawillspend$216 billion

"Defense,"a$33billionincrease,Ibelieve,over 1981.InMarch,thePentagonannouncedthatitisspending $454.8billiononweaponssystemsalreadyinplanningor production.Mammothaircraftcarriers,bombers,fighter planesandtanks

widely

judged

too

complex,large, vulnerable,evenobsolete.And17,000newnuclearweapons tobeaddedtoourexistingnucleararsenalof25,000to produceanewtotalof42,000nuclearweapons.The Administration.planstospend$1.6trillionoverthenext fiveyearsonaweaponsbuildupthatPentagonofficialssay willactuallycost$2.35trillion.TheAdministrationhasdismissedurgentcallsforan armsfreeze,callinginsteadforthismassiveincreaseinour nucleararsenal,fortheallegedpurposeofgainingparity withtheSovietUnion,asiftheU.S.arsenalofmore accurateandsophisticatedweaponsequallinginexplosive forceaquarterofamillionHiroshimaswerenotenoughto utterlydestroytheSovietUnionandmuchmore,andasif the

Soviets

wouldnot.concurrentlybeaddingtotheirown arsenals.Asif50,000nuclearweapons,theequivalentof 550,000Hiroshimas,werenotalreadytoomanyforour planet.

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REV.F.JAYDEACON TGC:2

THEKENOSISOFTHEFATHER

AFEMINISTMIDRASHONTHEGOSPELS

ROSEMARYRADFORDRUETHER

ActI:TheKenosisoftheFather

"IAMTHELORDthyGod,Thoushalt havenoothergodsbeforeme",bellowed GodtheFather,asHeseatedhimselfhigh uponhisCherubimthroneandsurveyed theranksofangelsdoingobeisanceto Him.Havingexpelledthequarrelsome SonsofHeavenwhodisputedhisreign, orderhadfinallybeenrestoredinthe Heavens.Earth,howeverwasadifferent problem.Thingshadbeenchaoticdown thereeversincetherebelliousSonsof Heavendepartedandwentdowntorape thedaughtersonhumankind.From thisviolenceallsortofmonstershasbeen born.AllaboutHimtheranksoftheangels sangHispraisesunceasingly.Godthe FatherwasfrustratedwithHisinability tohaveHiswilldoneonearth.ButHe wasalsogettingsomewhatboredwith havingitdonesocomplacentlyin Heaven.Somethingismissinghere,He thoughttoHimself.AsHismind wanderedinthought,imagesfloated beforeHiseyes.Thefiguresofthe daughtersofhumankindappearedbefore Him,butHesternlyrepressedthem. "Ugh",Hethought,"theyarethecause ofallOurproblems.Ifithadnotbeenfor theirseductiveform,theSonsofHeaven wouldnothaverebelledandfallento earth.Thefirstoneofthem,Eve, disruptedmyoriginalplansforparadise.I hadtoshowherthattherealworld means

men

rulingandwomenobeying, bringingforthchildreninsorrowand beinginsubjugationtotheirhusbands." Thenanotherimagefloatedbefore hiseyes,a

shining

figureclothedinadark mantlecoveredwithstars,crownedwith themoonandholdinginherhandsfruits andflowers."Mygod",Hehalf exclaimed,tothesurpriseofsomeofthe angelswhooverheardHim,"theQueenof Heaven"."Whydoesshe,stillappearin 'mythoughts?

houghtIcrushedherrule amillenniumago.Coulditbethat' somewhere,outsidemyomniscienceand thesharpeyesofmycouriers,whosurvey

RosemaryRadfordRuetherisGeorgiaHarknessProfessorofTheologyatGarrett-Evangelical TheologicalSeminary,Evanston, Illinois.Sheisauthorofmany volumesontheology,women,and humanliberation.Thisarticlewill beincludedinVolumeIofherfeministtheologytobepublished in

1984

byBeaconPress.Nextissue,anotherpiecefromthesame upcomingwork.

allpartsofmyKingdom,shedoesstill reign?Iknowallthings",thoughtGod theFather."Therecanbenorealitythat escapesmyknowledge.Mydecreeagainst idolatryforbidsallmysubjectsinheaven andonearthfromworshippingoreven imagininganyotherideaofGodbutMe." Butevenasthesethoughtswere beingarticulatedinhismind,theQueen ofHeavensmiledandshookHerhead. "No,Sabaoth,myson.

amtheMotherofgodsandhumans,creatrixofallthings.

amyourMothertoo.Evenwhenyou denyme,

amstillhere,beyondyour knowledgeandyourdecrees.Thereis anotherwhoisbeforeyou,whoisgreater thanyou,

and.who

eillsurvivethedeathofyourreignintheheavens." Sabaothwasstartledbythesewords. Hefeltashootingpangofanxietyand evenofguilt,suchashehadnotfeltsince hehaddefeatedtheQueenofHeavenand deposedherdaughterEvefromherpower inthegardenofparadise.Atthattimehe hadwalledofthepillarsofthecosmos againsttheQueensothatsheshould neveragainbeknownorcometomind. "Coulditbethatmyowndecreeagainst idolatryisthegreatestidolatryofall?"he thought."Theangelsthatsingmypraises, thekingsofearththatbowdownbefore meintheirtemplescrythat

amtheir onlylordandaskmeforhelpintheir battles,perhaps

havebecomemore theircreaturethantheircreator?Iandthekingsofearthhavecome

resembleeachothertooclosely.Bycallingme Father,LordandRuler,theyclaimthe powertoruletheearthasIrulethe heavens.Beneaththeirfeetranksof servantsbowdownbeforethemastheangelsbowbeforeme.Menteachwomentheirplaceonearth,followingmyexample.Perhapsthishierarchyofearthandheavenisafacade,adelusion, concealingotherrealitiesthatwedarenotknow.Therebelliousnessthat

experienceamongmysons,the rebelliousnessthatthekingsofearth experienceamongtheirmenservants, and,evenworse,theirmaidservants, pointstothisotherreality.Perhapsitis she!ThereisanotherpoweroutsideOur rulethatstilleludesus!" "InformertimesIhaveknownother waysofbeingGod",GodtheFatherreflected;"toputthemightdownfrom theirthrones;tovindicatetheoppressedandreleasethecaptivesfromtheirprisons.

mustcallthesewaysofbeing Godtomindagain,evenextenditto others,toslaves,togentiles,perhapseven towomen."Atthesethoughtsaboltof lightflashedfromoneendoftheskiesto theother,rendingtheclosedfabricofthe universeandopeningacrackthrough whichtherepouredabeamoflight frombeyond.Likeashootingstarthis lightflewtoearth.Anechoarosethe cometlikeawhisperthroughthe heavens:

BeingintheformofGod,hedidnot countequalitywithGodathingtobe prized,butemptiedhimselfandbecamea servant.

Ayoungbride,newlymarried,waslying withherhusband,Joseph,intheirhome inNazarethatthatmoment.The heavenlysparkenteredherandfusedwiththefertilizedeggofthenewly