Yep, one reason why the young "emergents" are on their way out of many so-called evangelical churches.

Just because someone calls themself an evangelical or a Christian does not make them one. I fear that many confuse Christianity with another political party a la the Pharisees.

Aren't those of us in the religion business always engaged in a good deal of cognitive dissonance when it comes to Jesus' words? Take today, for instance. Why is it that we don't pay any attention to Jesus' words in Matthew's gospel chosen for today's lectionary readings?

"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matt 6:16-18)

Now there are many commands of Jesus that would be a great deal harder to keep. This looks like one of the easier ones. But on Ash Wednesday when these words are read out loud, no one in the Episcopal Church pays any attention!

Diedre,

You make a wonderful point! Shall we wipe away our ashes...hmmm. Or, is it a witness to leave them on us? Today's reading would lead us in one direction...and we do ignore it!

Well put!

Peter Carey+

"Thank you, Lord, that we are not like those sinners..."

Ryan Pendell

I was once a parishioner in a church where it was considered good form to wash the ashes off after the service... can't remember which one, but it was the only place where the Gospel was obeyed in this particular at least. Alas, I do believe they called the priest "Father," in contravention of Matthew 23:9.

Julian Sheffield

Evangelical Fundamentalists reject the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church because of what it did to the faith throughout its "exceptionalist" expansion as the Holy Roman Empire.

What they do not get is that in their own embrace of American Exceptionalism they are simply repeating , 1,800 years later what Roman Christians did in the 4th century.

They intend to enforce their view of Christianity using the power of the state and, because America is Special they think they can piggy back their Christian exceptionalism on the back of American exceptionalism.

The rabid evangelical fundamentalists as identified in this article are every bit as dangerous to the peace of the world as militant terrorist Muslims. And because they are loud and nasty they all gain the center focus.

It used to be customary in Anglo-Catholic parishes to have towels conveniently placed for parishioners to remove the ashes before going out of the church. The more abstruse stuck with the even more traditional lemon and stale bread!

The poll this Zuckerman cites refers to the Tea Party and only tangentially to conservative Christians. And his assertion as to what Christ taught is a ludicrously inept leftist cartoon. Jesus was a socialist? Please.

IMHO the legions of rationalizations and casuistry applied to the gospel in defense of wearing one's ashes outside the church, are just that. I am quite accepting of imposition of ashes as a sign of our mortality and penitence, but a box of Kleenex at the door has always been my admonition to my congregations before re-entering the real world.

Bob McCloskey

Well, certainly no LESS ludicrous, Christopher J, than the notion that Jesus would be OK w/ our increasingly-unequal capitalist system.

Jesus ALWAYS comes to OVERTURN WORLDLY POWER---whatever manifestation of worldly-power ya got.

JC Fisher

Putting in my 2 cents, I think that the Evangelical dilemma is a result of losing the balance between the religion "about" Jesus and the religion (or wisdom teachings) "of" Jesus. Leaving aside whether Jesus claimed to be the messiah, the son of God, identical with God, we know that Jesus teachings had something to do with how we should live and the attitude with which we approach life. Evangelicals are particularly ripe fodder for this criticism with their claims of "sola scriptura" but we have some pretty big logs in our own eyes as well on this matter.
As for the "forehead ashes," I would make two observations. The Matthew gospel assumes that people who are displaying their piety in public would do so in order to be "admired" by others. I would wonder if we really get "admiration" if we wear our ashes in public these days, or would we just be thought strange/peculiar? For myself, I take a trip to the church washroom for a quick scrub on the way out. By that time, the message of the ashes has "sunk in" so to speak and the "outward sign" is no longer needed (nor can I see my own forehead without a mirror, for that matter. Somehow it strikes me as counter to the message to go around all day with a hand mirror to check that the ashes are still in place. : ) )

It has never even occurred to me to wipe off my ashes when I went out into the world. It was just the culture I was raised in, I suppose. But I can't think of a good reason for doing it.