Bono - my man.

If you are a reader of my blog you may be aware that I am not a Bono fan, at least not in the way that one needs to be to call themselves a fan. Not only would I not pay to go to a concert but every time I here the name U2 I can't help but mouth the phrase "over-rated".
I think Rattle and Hum was really good and Joshua Tree was a classic, but other than that, well.
And I have pushed for Paul to use his real name and not persona when calling people to causes of humanity.

But, today I am a fan. Through an email I read an article on the Relevant website of one persons experience at a concert. I can't find the article on the website, but I read it in the email. It is called "How to Dismantle an Idolized Bono". She was disturbed by Bono's call to Coexist (which is as much a marketing effort of a line of products as anything else, it seems to me). But the articles author raises concerns about Bono not being what she thought because of his call for "oneness" and his use of the Coexist logo which included the Crescent Moon, Star of David, and Cross. The article makes statements that made we groan aloud, and yell in frustration a couple of times.

It drove me to Bono's side, to come to his defense, to join the Coexist crowd.
So, here's to you my man Bono.

Comments

[l'il tim]

Larry wrote:

"God's instruction to the Israelites ...regarding the local pagans was to eliminate them totally so that the influence of their paganism would not polute the worship of the one true God...

...BTW, - perhaps they were Emergent Jews...

...God did instruct them to treat the strangers among them with respect - AS PEOPLE...

They are in fact told... that all gods are false except the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...

...Fast forward to the New Testament...Christ was clear that He was the only gate for the sheep and that all who try to approach God in other ways will be lost...

...Bono is...ENDORSING AS VALID non-Christian belief systems claiming that Mohammad and Jesus for example are equal. This is not only false its blasphemy.

Shall I go on??"

Larry!

You've got this Abraham/Bono/Jew/Muslim/Emergent thing figured out so well that I am completely swayed by your forceful and insightful ironclad logic/prooftexting/blog/comment abilities! I now see how secular music and geopolitics and the desire for a better world has led me astray. Instead, I wish to follow you to whatever glorious christian haven you experience and await with you our Lord's rapture. Oh how I now wish to escape all of this warring and AIDS and lust for money and power and television and credit card debt.

And should you set your message to a rock beat and wear really cool sunglasses and call yourself only "Larry", how cool would that be? I'd follow you even further!

Lead me on!

[Jan]

Bono: "Jesus, Jew, Mohammed...all children of Abraham"

God: "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. Therefore she said to Abraham, 'Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.' And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham's sight because of his son. But God said to Abraham, 'Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.'" Genesis 21:10-12

"Take now your son, your only son Isaac....." Genesis 22:2

[Michael Hidalgo]

As for whatever this girl said in the article that Doug speaks of, Bono never said that we are all the same. So for those who are wary of him saying that, and defending the One Way part ... listen to what he says.

During "Love and Peace or Else" which is a song calling for peace in the Middle East, Bono is asking for Muslim, Jew and Christian to realize that we all come from the same man ... Abraham.

He said in both concerts that I was at ... "Jesus, Jew, Muhammed, it's true all sons of Abraham." This then followed with him singing "Father Abraham, look at your sons, look at what they've done."

At no point does he argue that we are all the same ... rather that we began with the same man, and through that maybe we can find something to build upon. It is hardly a relgious position, rather a political position.

As you enter this life, I pray you depart with a wrinkled face and a brand new heart.

[Larry]

What indeed was God's instruction to the Israelites regarding the strangers in their midst? If you actually read the Old Testament you'll see a couple of things. When they first conquered the land His instructions regarding the local pagans was to eliminate them totally so that the influence of their paganism would not polute the worship of the one true God. Once they were established in the land (having disobeyed God's command to eliminate all the pagan influences,BTW, - perhaps they were Emergent Jews) God did instruct them to treat the strangers among them with respect - AS PEOPLE. Nowhere in the scriptures are the Jews ever told to respect the gods of the pagans nor are they ever told by God that all religions are the same. They are in fact told just the opposite, that all gods are false except the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Fast forward to the New Testament and we see the same thing. Jesus Christ is THE way, THE truth and THE life, not A way, A truth or A life. Christ was clear that He was the only gate for the sheep and that all who try to approach God in other ways will be lost.

Bono is not just talking about respecting individuals as people, nor is he simply talking about allowing them to worship whomever they please. He's ENDORSING AS VALID non-Christian belief systems claiming that Mohammad and Jesus for example are equal. This is not only false its blasphemy.

So what is the Biblical alternative to Coexist's universalist mantra? This:

"You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

"This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:11-12

Shall I go on??

[Brad Kindall]

To those of you who disagree with the thought of coexist, what is the biblical alternative? What was YHWH's instructions to the Israelites regarding the stranger in their midst?

[Larry]

"My man" is Jesus Christ. Therefore, this kind of dumbing down of the significance of the cross is not to be praised but condemned as the universalist hubris that it is. If Bono sees no difference among the crescent, the Star of David and the cross then he is indeed not what he claims to be, if he claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

[li'l tim]

Beatles, U2, Springsteen... all goo.

[Brad Kindall]

My only concern for you, Pastor Pagitt, is your lack of U2 exposure. To say Rattle and Hum was a good album indicates you have not enjoyed the full spectrum of the U2 repertoire. May I suggest you please give ZOOROPA a spin. It's the closest they've come to the White Album and you gotta give them a thumbs up for the chutzpah to venture so far from their origins. The final song, sung by the late-great Johnny Cash is worth the entire price of the CD.

[danutz]

I loved the coexist symbols. Wonderful. I hope it catches on.

I've never liked U2, but that article made me a fan on Bono. I just don't get his weanie euro music. Either turn up the guitar and be a real rock band or learn how to write good songs and be the beatles. U2 just kind of waffles in the middle. I guess people listen to them for the lyrics, but I usually turned it off before he started singing.

Maybe at least he can change the minds of some middle age pastors that think U2 is "groovy".

[rudy]

i think mr. flyshade is properly rated

[dh]

What does "coexist" say to Christ's statement "If you deny Me I will deny you before My Father in heaven." in light of the Jews and the Muslims not believeing "...that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God."? While I love Jews and Muslims, I feel the Truth is what it is. Like Paul said Jews and Muslims or those who aren't Believers they all can be "adopted in" by Faith in Christ alone. We must in a loving way help people who don't believe in Jesus to the Truth. "How can they hear in whom they haven't heard? and How can they hear without a preacher?" As you can see it seems Jesus didn't believe in universalism except among those who have Faith in Him and His death and resurrection and that He is "the Christ the Son of the Living God." His message is to everyone but hte choice is given to us to accept or reject His gift.

[Zach Lind]

there is a great response to this article by Steve Stockman who wrote "Walk On". Walk On discusses the spiritual life of U2 and it's oddly enough a book published my Relevant. Weird.

http://www.stocki.ni.org/news/items/item-635.phtml

I posted about this on my blog and I share some of the same thoughts Doug.

http://www.findingrhythm.com/blog/?p=182

Thanks for your post.

[Brad]

Some of us think The Boss is pretty overrated, too.

[jim]

Thanks for your post it's been playing on my mind for much of the day (in some form or other). Stepping aside from the Bono-idol stuff, and certainly the stuff the writer of the 'relevant' piece seamed to be getting into..., I too agreed with the coexist ethic I was also really pleased to see that you, and others in the emergent conversation, are in conversation with our Jewish counterparts.

Although I do still really wrestle with the inter-faith question, largely because it has such missiological significance to my peers (that, sexuality and sexual practice), I think we really need to get a broader, better, wiser and ultimately more biblical understanding of the inter-faith question, and a few things you’ve hinted at on your blog have helped me in my own thoughts, so thanks!

[josé]

You can read the article here.

[Stephen]

I know that at their shows Bono has been saying that Edge is from the future... that scares me and I don't believe it. I will pray for Bono and the Edge...

[Matt Heerema]

See, I'm not sure that he was chanting "Jesus, Jew, Mohammed, ALL True", but then I wasn't there.

All I know is that on their DVD, he's chanting "Jesus, Jew, Mohammed, IT'S TRUE" and then he says "All children of Abraham."

So, is it a call to universalism? Or a statement of a dirty little secret of the Abrahamic religions?

But then, Bono tends to change what he says every time he does a show... who knows.

[Jon]

The article is now on Relevant and they have a podcast given by the relevant people. It's pretty good. Check it out. Jon

[Noexist]

So, Doug, it's come to this. A philosophy based on a retail clothing line? (www.coexistonline.com) Jennifer Aniston, Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Simpson welcome you. Maybe Solomon's Porch can take an ad out in People magazine?

[will]

Now, is that "my man" as in "Bono...he's my main man"?

Or, "my man" as in "Say there, my good man...?

[Clint Walker]

I did decide coexisting was a good thing by the way.

[Clint Walker]

At first the COEXIST thing kinda turned me off.

Then I realized it said coexist, and not convert from what I believe to another religiion.

Then I asked myself....is coexisting a good thing.

Ahhh...the thought processes of a late night blogging country bumpkin.

[timbur]

Thanks for the link. I paid the big bucks and saw this live. It hit me big-time.

[Brian Baute]

I have an excerpt posted at my site. I like the Coexist concept but have a major problem with the mantra Bono chanted during the concert, quoted by the author: "Jesus, Jew, Mohammed - all true. Jesus, Jew, Mohammed - all true."

[Anna G.]

Did you see the exhibit when it was downtown was it last summer? They had all kinds of banners and such all over I think it was on 3rd Ave. One of my professors during my undergrad was involved in getting it brought to the cities, Dr. Stephen Feinsten, he is the director of the Holocaust and Genocide Studies center at the U. Anyway, regardless of how any one can turn any wonderful, and even godly thing into a marketing campaign I like the logo and think it is a good thing. Maybe I'll go and buy a t-shirt. Ha!