The best of #SuperBowl religion sightings

February 2, 2015

A snoozer of a first half. A metaphysical drama of miracles in the second. Whether a Patriots fan, Seahawks supporter, or somewhere in between, you have to admit that was one heck of a Super Bowl.

Then there were the ads. Yawn. For the most part. Except when Nationwide had a kid come back from the dead. What a buzz kill Nationwide. As one tweeter aptly explained, after all those dad oriented, tear-jerking, heart-string-pulling commercials it was the psychiatrist's industry that had the best marketing at the Super Bowl.

What about religion? In some television markets, Scientology released its annual ad, this time entitled, "The Age of Answers." But there were other, more subtle and less evangelistic religious sightings during the Super Bowl and I was there on the front lines, at the edge of my seat, with beer and buffalo wing in hand to faithfully report on all the religion at Super Bowl XLIX.

*Read "Scientology at the Super Bowl" from Sightings

To be fair, I warned everyone:

So then, the tweets and Facebook posts rolled on. Here are the top tweets of the night:

Beginning and End, Alpha and Omega

It was Terminator Genisys who not only gave us a glimpse of some apocalyptic future, but also gave a shout out to back in the day. And I mean way back in the day. Like at the beginning. With over 600 impressions on Twitter and a few comments on the book of faces the Hebrew hash-tag was a hit.

Then Mophie, a battery phone case company, made a big splash by pulling in a major star for their TV spot -- God himself.

Their line, "when your cell phone dies, all hell breaks loose." Even the creator of the cosmos has some issues, as they said, "when your cell phone dies, God knows what can happen."

The Dude Abides

If you didn't know it yet, the Dude came out with an ambient drone album meant to help you fall asleep. It's also meant to boost Squarespace web platforms (FYI, this is a Squarespace site, full disclosure -- it's awesome). In his ad last night, the Dude played a Tibetan Buddhist Singing Bowl (a.k.a. a rin, or suzu, gong) to help lull us to sleep. Yes, the Dude abidezzzzzzzzzz.

Not to be left out of the Asian religion market, Katy Perry flashed her Sanskrit tattoo during her awesome half-time show (fyi, Christ Matthews flashed his cross tattoo after his late first-half TD too). How is Perry's mantra a religious sighting? Sanskrit, while used outside of religious contexts, is a highly ceremonial language used in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Here, Perry co-opts the idea of the 'mantra' and the spiritual script to undergird what could be called a "life motto" with more spiritual significance.

Not only was Perry's show a hit, she lit up my Twitter and Facebook when I shared her civil religious shout-out "God Bless America" and earlier posted an interview of hers that talked about her religious upbringing and her first CD...which if you didn't know, was a Christian music album. Wha?!

The BIG One

It was the catch heard round the living room. No, not the bobbling miracle at the three yard line for the Seahawks (almost a legend), I'm talking about the game-winning interception by Patriots #21 Malcolm Butler.

Along with a bit of snark...

I posted this, with over 1,200 impressions, 15 shares/retweets, etc. It was the talk of the #SuperBowl #religion evening!

Call me a "religion nerd," like CBS's @lizkineke did, a "crazy religious nut" like my buddy Pat did on FB, or "the Neil deGrasse Tyson of religion" like @LinkChef (btw, best. compliment. ever), but the fact of the matter is that my point was well proved last night.

Religion is everywhere.

On the field. In the commercials. In our homes or in our hearts. #FaithGoesPop

*Follow Ken for more religion, culture, and "faith pop."

*Check out www.FaithGoesPop.com w/ Read the Spirit magazine

Religious Beertroversy over Gandhi Bot

January 7, 2015

*This post originally appeared at Faith Goes Pop

Who knew beer cans could be so contentious? There were the PBR cans that make up the Festivus Poles in Deerfield Beach, FL and at the Capitol building in Tallahassee. Now, it's the cans of Gandhi-Bot, a double India Pale Ale (DIPA) from New England Brewing Company.

The cans of the frothy refreshment bear an image of the revered Indian pacifist leader that is robotic in its iconography and apparently highly offensive to some of his advocates in India. It is true that The Mahatma avoided alcohol. As reported by Patch.com, Rajan Zed, leader of the Reno, NV based Universal Society of Hinduism, said, "peace icon Mahatma Gandhi abhorred drinking. Selling beer named after him was highly damaging to his legacy and hurt the feelings of Indo-Americans and Indians." Feelings of anger are so high that a lawsuit was filed in India.

*For more on religion & culture, follow @kchitwood

Despite the brewing company's apology and claim that this beer was meant to honor the peace maker with its aromatic flavor, vegetarian ingredients, and aim to be "an ideal aid for self-purification and the seeking of truth and love," some Indo-Pak grocers in Connecticut aren't stocking the brew, while some liquor stores refuse to pull it from the shelves.

This is not the first time beer has caused such controversy, nor the first time that religious sensibilities were at play. In 2013 a skirmish was brewing in Asheville, NC at the release of another IPA called "Shiva" -- referring to the popular Hindu deity also known as "the Destroyer" or "the Transformer." In this instance, it was Zed again who found the suds "highly inappropriate."

Of course, religious quaffs are nothing new. Sages across the ages have not only enjoyed a drink or two, but brewed a few (or hundreds) of gallons as well and there are even deities of the sacred draughts. If you were tempted, like I am, to give thanks for the saintly suds from above, you could turn to Silenus, Greek god of beer, or Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess who slakes the thirst of the world with the fruit of her bounteous hops. Here in the Americas, you could magnify the Mexica deity Tezcatzontecatl, god of drunkenness. Perhaps, with a swig of ale you could proclaim the accolades of Mbaba Mwana Waresa, the Zulu god credited with brewing the first beer in creation.

Ninkasi, Mesopotamian goddess of the brew (we won't hold it against her that she drinks her beer with a straw).

Not ready for a full dive into Brewskianity? Why not try the myriad religious themed brews available on the shelves? There are Catholic beers such as Frankiscaner or Augustiner. There is even an entire style with monkish origins -- the Trappist Ale. The saintly suds of St. Arnold Brewing Co. in Houston, TX are sacrosanct to many as it is the oldest craft brewery in the Bayou City and named after the revered Bishop of Mainz who provided enough beer for all his faithful followers at his funeral.

Protestants may flock to purchase Luther Bier and in the spirit of the great reformer, exclaim, "Whoever drinks beer, he is quick to sleep; whoever sleeps long, does not sin; whoever does not sin, enters Heaven! Thus, let us drink beer!”

For those who honor Ha Shem through strict Kosher diets can turn to Schmaltz Brewery who pump out barrels, kegs, and bottles of "the chosen beers" of He'brews including: Hop Manna IPA, the tempting Origin Pomegranate Ale, and Jewbelation.

The Four Noble Tasters at Funky Buddha Brewery in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

There are even options for the Buddhist beer enthusiast, although the Buddha guarded against drinking too much ale. In Cambodia you can enjoy a beer named after the Angkor Wat monastery. Closer to home, head on down to Ft. Lauderdale, FL and enjoy some sips from Funky Buddha Brewery who produce the Maple Bacon Coffee Porter or their Missionary Blonde (awkward). Can't decide, get a sampling of a few beers and try the Four Noble Taster like I did over the winter break.

What began as a trickle with Gandhi Bot and Shiva IPA quickly turns into a flood of religiously themed beers. Craft brewing continues to grow in the U.S. and elsewhere (New Zealand, Europe, etc.) and with each new recipe comes the challenge to come up with a unique, catchy, name for the brew. Historically, divinity has never been far from the draughts with multiple cultures appealing to the gods to give thanks for, or ask for blessing on, their beers. With that in mind, I would not be surprised if more cans cause controversy. Indeed, it's happened before with the Mormon community and Wasatch Brewing's Polygamy Porter.

My hope is this -- that individuals and communities that are quick to be offended by religious representations on beer cans and bottles may turn their thoughts away from drunken revelry and instead appreciate the social, and even spiritual, intimations of a potentially pious pint. Perhaps instead of lawsuits and "beertroversies" we can instead sit down and imitate President Barack Obama's "beer diplomacy" and enjoy a cold one as we talk about our religious beliefs, practices, and differences.

Cheers to that.

*For more on religion & culture, follow @kchitwood

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Can Christians celebrate Diwali?

October 21, 2014

The lights are hung, the candles lit, the feast prepared, the New Year is almost here, families gather and the children wait to hear the dramatic re-telling of stories from the ancient past. No, it is not Christmas, nor is it Hanukkah or Kwanzaa; steeped in mythical tales, religious devotion, and socio-cultural importance it is the Hindu festival of Diwali, celebrated in India and throughout its diaspora spread across the world.

*For more on religion & culture, follow @kchitwood.

Diwali is celebrated by several religious groups including Sikhs, Jains and even some Buddhists, but its roots are thoroughly Hindu. For Sikhs it is a commemoration of “the day of freedom” when one of their revered gurus, Guru Har Gobind Ji was released from imprisonment. Jains celebrate Diwali to mark Mahavira’s moksha (enlightenment) -- the last of the tirthankara (enlightened ones). For Hindus the festival is the beginning of a New Year, a time for prosperity and new ventures, a celebration of the brother-sister relationship and the prevalence of truth over falsehood and light overcoming the darkness.

This meaning for the five-day festival is derived from several Hindu accounts. However, it centers around the account of the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Narkasura. Other gods and goddesses, including the goddess of wealth (Lakshmi), are worshipped during Diwali, but above all it is a celebration of the victory of life, light and lightheartedness over nefarious 'Narkasuran' forces.

With a South Asian population of about 3 million, there are significant Diwali celebrations going on throughout the U.S. this week. Local Hindu and Jain temples and Sikh gurudwaras will host Diwali celebrations featuring hundreds of lights and lanterns, Indian curries and festive music played on harmoniums (keyboard), tablas (drum) and tambours (a stringed instrument). For many Asian Indians living in the diaspora, Diwali is not only religious, but steeped in socio-cultural significance and celebrations of South Asian identity.

With this in mind Pramod Aghamkar, Executive Director of Satsang Ministries, started celebrating "Christian Diwalis" a few yeas ago in Dayton, Ohio. The Christian Diwali in Dayton is an effort on his part to immerse himself in native Asian-Indian culture and add the concepts and ideologies of the Christian worldview.

“The festival of Diwali provides the necessary framework, structure and organic occasion to proclaim Christ as the light of the world” said Aghamkar. “It gives stepping stones, clues and redemptive analogies for cross-cultural witness.”

Drawing inspiration from those Christians who redeemed pagan festivals and symbols to make Easter (eggs, new life) and Christmas (the evergreen tree bedecked with lights) what they are today, Aghamkar hopes to redeem the symbols and practices of Diwali for the sake of Christian witness. For him Diwali “is a native tool that still remains undeveloped by Indian Christians.” To tap into this potential, Aghamkar hosts a Christian Diwali in South Asian family settings each year and now encourages other Indian Christian leaders to do the same in other cities.

One city where Indian Christian leaders are not so receptive to this idea is Houston.

Asked about the possibility of Christian Diwali celebrations in Houston, a South Asian pastor from The Woodlands demurred, “it is a major Hindu festival, Christ is not part of the celebration.”

“Whenever possible I seek the Scriptures for knowledge and direction” said the pastor. “I am not sure there is any place in the Scriptures where it talks about redeeming a heathen idea.”

Another Houston man, Vidyasagar Garnepudi, feels the tension and the temptation to celebrate a "Christian Diwali." He said, "every Indian child's dream is to participate in Diwali, it's a victory over darkness, a festival of lights, it's firing off the firecrackers."

*Read a personal account of the meaning of Diwali

Despite the desire to participate in the celebration, he lamented that "as Christians we should not celebrate Diwali. However, we do rejoice with our neighbor as India is a secular nation."

Aghamkar hears and understands these objections, but believes the practice of Christian Diwali is still a viable custom. “Non-Hindu accounts show Diwali to be a flexible, multi-faceted festival” he said, “the form of celebration is not intrinsically Hindu, Jain or Sikh….though the principles are ‘non-Christian,’ they are not ‘un-Christian.’”

He also cautions that while the music, lights, food and stories may be similar between Hindu and Christian celebrations, the traditional Hindu gods and Sikh and Jain teachers are not lauded, but instead it is Christ who is the hero of the story who dispels the darkness and brings light and life. “It is not shifting from radical rejection to wholesale acceptance” said Aghamkar, but it is a way for “the Indian community to experience Jesus in a native way.”

Some scholars of South Asian religion and Hindu traditions I spoke with offered some perspective as they debated the saliency of a "Christian Diwali." One offered, "it's one thing for a Christian to come to a temple and celebrate the ritual, taking away the nitty-gritty of the myth, just as a general celebration of victory of good over evil...it's another to use a Hindu tradition to advance Christianity." The same individual asked, "how would a Christian react if Easter was used to further Hindu ideas and motives?"

Another participant in the academic dialogue offered that since, in India, Christianity is a minority religion, "this might be an expression of having to find their way in a world that is primarily Hindu."

Perhaps even still, this is part of a wider dialogue on the secular and/or religious nature of Diwali and whether or not Diwali is losing its religious significance in favor of more secular or purely culturally mechanic communal practices and personal rituals.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? CAN CHRISTIANS “REDEEM” DIWALI? SHOULD THE HOLIDAY BE LEFT FOR HINDUS, SIKHS AND JAINS TO CELEBRATE? WHAT ARE YOUR DIWALI TRADITIONS?

*For more on religion & culture, follow @kchitwood.