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Articles by Jason Hines
Rate Reality Check: How Capital Women’s Care Stacks Up Against the Competition (Part 2)
By JASON HINES This is Part 2 of Jason and Gigasheets’ investigation into the Capital Women’s Care vs UnitedHealthcare contract dispute in which (partially at my request) he expanded the investigation to look at other providers in the same market.
Price Transparency Data Reveals the Real Story Behind Capital Women’s Care vs UnitedHealthcare Contract Battle (Part 1)
Everything you always wanted to know about the Health Care system. But were afraid to ask.
Impossibly Thankful
The Pauline Epistles have an existential problem of interpretation. Each of his letters is an answer in a conversation for which we have little to no idea of the context, or what the questions were that led Paul to say what he did. Unfortunately, this leads some of us to presume that the letters’ presence in the biblical record means that Paul’s answers are to be lifted out of their context and applied as hard and fast rules of behavior.
Deconstruction and Community
Recently, I fell down a Christian deconstruction rabbit hole on social media. It was odd because I feel like I have a lot in common with those who are deconstructing their faith, but I don’t feel the need to go to the furthest logical conclusion, as many do. I don’t begrudge them though—they are often moved in that direction because they struggle to find something that many American Christian churches can’t seem to offer.
Sinful Envy: Reframing Our Role as the Older Brother of the Prodigal Son
The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most popular stories in the New Testament. In fact, I have written about it in this space before. The narrative of the young man who takes his inheritance and wastes it is a standard part of the collective Christian conscience. We love to hear about the grace of the father as he welcomes home his wayward child.
The Unintended Consequence of Misplaced Trust
This week CBS News and YouGov reported the results of poll questions asked to GOP voters. Some of the results were fairly predictable. For example, no one would be shocked to discover that the majority of GOP voters are planning to vote for Trump in the primary, or that they believe that the latest indictment (in Georgia, for those struggling to keep up) is politically motivated.[1] There was, however, one question asked of likely Trump voters that yielded a disturbing answer.
The Function of a Conjunction
The latest news from retrograde Florida is that the local Department of Education changed the standards regarding the teaching of slavery in America. Included in the new standards to be taught is “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” Predictably, society divided into its camps. One group accuses the local department of education, and Republican governor Ron DeSantis by extension, of seeking to whitewash racism and slavery.
The Gigasheet Point of View
Jason Hines Jason Hines CEO & Co-founder at Gigasheet Published Jul 7, 2023 In 2020 when we were developing the concept for a kind of big data spreadsheet, I didn’t fully appreciate the impact it could have, but with our recent momentum my point of view and conviction have crystallized. Since we’ve created Gigasheet, I’ve come to believe that there is a critical need to reinvent data analytics to be much more inclusive and accessible.
Not Good Enough
On June 20 the Adventist News Network publicized Pastor Moses Maka Ndimukika’s June 8 statement regarding the anti-LGBTQ legislation passed in Uganda. The law, which was signed by the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on May 29, provides exorbitant punishments for LGBTQ support and advocacy, as well as the death penalty for certain sex acts.
Acceptance
Have you ever wondered why some Christian churches make it so hard to be accepted? I have and I am still very confused by it. Yes, there is history and tradition, both in terms of culture and the interpretation of theology, but I still wonder why it is so hard for the culture to change. I also, in a perverse way, understand the need for uniformity and commonality. It gives people confidence in their faith to know that everyone is supposed to be living to the same standard.
Truth . . . On Its Own
Lately, I have been meditating on our relationship with the truth. I was reminded this week of a story from my time in undergrad. I was taking a course in political sociology and the subject of political socialization came up.
Truth . . . Truthfully
Beginning around this time last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis endeavored to change the way race is taught in Florida schools. In the public discourse, this political movement began with largely inaccurate concerns over the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in public schools.[1] Since then, it seems to be moving into how we discuss this country’s racial history generally.
Avoiding Complacency
Black History Month provides our society the important opportunity to reflect on our greatest national sin. That reflection should lead us to two very obvious conclusions. First, that we are not as bad as we used to be.[1] Second, that progress is not the same as attainment.
Consider
Consider . . . Last Sabbath, the Adventist Church celebrated Religious Liberty Day. The principle of religious liberty is at the core of our ethos as Seventh-day Adventists. You could say that it is a part of our denominational DNA. Our status as a minority faith, even in comparison to other Christians, further underscores our emphasis on this important element of the religious and spiritual experience.
Community at Christmas
Christmas was big in my house when we were little, but as we grew older, the Christmas tree went away, then even the presents went away. Our parents bought us some things, and maybe a relative or two visited, but Christmas really faded from our home as a big event. But there was one tradition that stayed and continues in my parents’ house to this day. Every year, at some point during the holiday season, we would sit down and watch the movie It’s a Wonderful Life.
The Struggle Continues
Through a quirk of fate, every year I am responsible for the essay that will arrive on this site, on Thanksgiving. For much of my Spectrum writing “career” I used this space, on this day, to take a break from the advocacy of any particular political or theological position and express a message of thankfulness. I did away with that tradition recently as events in the church and the world led me to want to use this opportunity for us to think differently about thankfulness and what that means.
Faith Is . . .
Defining faith is a lot harder than it first appears. The Bible gives a fairly succinct definition of faith. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I have often described faith as something you can feel about something you can’t feel, and something you can see about something you can’t see. But that does not give us much help in determining what faith is, or at least what some of the characteristics are.
The Stranger within Your Gates
This week, Politico presented results of polling revolving around the question of whether America should officially become a Christian nation. There is renewed interest in the question because of the prominent Christian nationalist idea in modern political discourse. The results were fascinating.
Reaping the Rewards?
The Dobbs decision, which overturned the longstanding precedent of Roe v. Wade, continues to reverberate through American society. There was the story of a 10-year-old rape victim who had to travel to an adjoining state in order to terminate her pregnancy (and the revelation that future victims must travel even farther, as the adjoining state is set to outlaw abortion as well).
The Danger of Dobbs
In my travels on social media this week, I ran into a post quoting 2 Chronicles 7:13–14.
Slippery Slope?
This week, the United States Supreme Court ruled on a case that potentially changes the way we will view the separation of church and state going forward. The case of Carson v. Makin revolves around a state of Maine program that allows students to use public funds for their secondary education at the school of their choice if their rural district has not made other arrangements for their public education.
Try
In the wake of several mass shootings in the last two weeks (most prominent among them Buffalo, Laguna Woods, and Uvalde), it seems the time for flowery and sophisticated rhetoric is over. So let us begin at the conclusion and state it as directly as possible—any Christian church that is unwilling to actually do something about the scourge of gun violence in our country should strongly consider whether they hold any real value in our society. And that includes Adventism.
Sorry, Christianity IS Progressive
I had a seminary professor who used to bemoan the fact that we human beings have difficulty holding two seemingly contradictory thoughts in our minds at the same time. We especially have this problem in Christianity. Are we under law or grace? Both. Are we judged by faith or by works? Both. Those are just two time-worn examples of our lack of dichotomous thinking. The fight now, across many denominations in Christianity, is that religion cannot be progressive.
Justice, Mercy, and Humility
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8). It is fascinating how easily we can complicate the biblical mandate. As human beings, we create these complex theological systems as we attempt to understand and do the will of an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God.
Upside Down and Backward
Some time ago in this space, I wrote about why I believe churches exist. At the very least (although I have a few more reasons in that post) the church exists as a locus from which to spread the gospel and as a community for believers. As I look across the landscape of American Christianity (and evangelicalism specifically), I see an institution that is upside down and backward. - Among Christian religious groups, the highest resistance to the COVID-19 vaccine is among white evangelicals.
Living a Wonderful Life
I hope the holiday season finds all of you joyous, happy, and well. Christmas was big in my house when we were little, but as we grew older, the Christmas tree went away, and then even the presents went away. Our parents might buy us some things, maybe a relative or two would give a gift, but Christmas really faded from our home as a big event. There was one tradition that stayed, however, and continues in my parents’ house to this day.
A Few Notes
The saying is “life comes at you fast.” Mere days after videos and reports first circulated that Dr. Burnett L. Robinson condoned marital rape from the pulpit, he has been removed from his pastoral position and resigned. As this story ripped through the social zeitgeist, unbound even by the metaphysical walls of Adventism, the verdict was swift and clear, as it should be.
Thinking Critically
At the 2021 Annual Council, during a presentation in which he decried several concepts he deemed contrary to Adventism, Edward Zinke stated, “Our job is to teach our students to think biblically, not critically.”[1] As conversation bubbled online about the statement, there was a dispute about whether he was referencing critical thinking or the historical-critical method (HCM), a mode of biblical interpretation.
Losing the Plot
Differences within any group are understandable. Any time people coalesce around a centralizing idea, differences of opinion on how to live as a community are bound to occur. Whether we are talking about a nation, town, school, or a family, people will have their own ideas about what is best. Christianity, obviously, is no exception.
Faith is Not ....
Based on the last 18 months or so, I think having a crisis of faith is by all means a reasonable thing. The existence of doubt in light of current circumstances would be a logical response. However, I have found that many people think doubt is somehow uniquely problematic for the Christian living a life of faith – that if you doubt you are at some level a bad Christian. I find that to not only be untrue, but I am willing to go further – faith cannot exist without doubt.
The Other Brother
The parables of Jesus are interesting and complex. There was a time when people believed that parables were complete allegories, and every detail of the parable had a corresponding truth in the real world. For example, I always get a nerdy kick out of reading Augustine’s analysis of The Good Samaritan. Throughout the ages theologians have hypothesized about the best way to interpret parables. For a while we thought that parables had to have one central idea that was the main theme of the parable.
Naaman and Presumptive Judgment
Those who are familiar with the Old Testament are likely also familiar with the story of Naaman. He was a foreign army commander who was stricken with leprosy. At the suggestion of his Israelite servant, Naaman went to Elisha the prophet for healing. Elisha told him to dip in the Jordan River seven times and he would be healed. He did so and was healed.
A Sliver of Hope
Sometimes as human beings we have difficulty holding, or allowing others to hold, conflicting thoughts, ideas, or emotions about a particular event. The conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd is one such example.[1] I can certainly understand and share in the excitement of those who felt a sense of justice for George Floyd and his family.
Will A Man Rob God?
In Luke chapter 20, Jesus recounts an interesting parable. In it a man plants a vineyard and rents it out to husbandmen before going on a long journey. At the time of harvest he sends servants to collect from them. Instead of giving the landlord what is rightfully his, they beat the servant and send him back. Each servant who comes to collect is beaten. Finally, the man sends his son, thinking that they will treat the son with respect. They do just the opposite and kill the son of the man.
Not Fair at All
Last week Thursday the House of Representatives passed the Equality Act. This is now the second time this body passed this legislation, the first time being in 2019. I spoke about its passage and some of the criticisms in this forum. In short, the Equality Act seeks to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the classes protected under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[1] You would think this act’s re-passage would be of little consequence.
Liberty Twice Removed
In reference to religious freedom President Obama once said: “America embraces people of all faiths and of no faith. We are Christians and Jews, Muslims and Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, atheists and agnostics … Our religious diversity enriches our cultural fabric and reminds us that what binds us as one is not the tenets of our faiths, the colors of our skin, or the origins of our names.
Stand Down
In our politics recently there has been much talk of unity. Joe Biden, the newly installed Democratic president, stated that his mission is to unify the country after a level of divisiveness we as a nation have never seen before.[1] Republicans too have made their own calls for unity, believing that to litigate the horrors of the recent past would only further divide our country.
On Being Vulnerable
I love a good turn of phrase. This being the case, Paul’s words to the Philippians, chapter 2, verses 5-7 (ESV) strike a chord with me. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Three Things
It is only through a random quirk of fate that I am tasked with the column that posts on this site on Thanksgiving Day. As I have said many times in this space, Thanksgiving is easily my favorite holiday of the year. In times past, I would devote this space on this day to a message of thankfulness, putting aside any purposeful courting of controversy or any attempt to move the audience to see something in a new way.
Can vs. Should
Yesterday the Orlando Sentinel published an article about the firing of an Adventist teacher at an Adventist school once it became public knowledge that he is gay.[1] This type of situation brings into stark relief what seems to be an intractable religious liberty problem – the right or ability of religious organizations to discriminate based on their religious beliefs. From a legal perspective it creates a zero-sum problem, putting two American principles at odds.
Yemen Heading for Disaster in 2010?
Al Qaeda’s most recent failed attempt to destroy a Detroit bound aircraft on Christmas Day has led to increased interest in Yemen where it appears the would-be bomber linked with Al Qaeda before the attack. Yemen has increasingly been a hot-spot for violence and a new found haven for terrorism. Recently the US and UK went so far as to close their embassies in Yemen based on terrorist threats.
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