Christians

Recently, Lebanon internal issues raised again as another big issue to be added to the Middle East multi Issues for 2008, the internal problems kept growing as there is still no President for the moment - having a record reserved in Guinness World Records book for the longest period for a country without a President!! - political issues kept evolving till we reached the latest situation of the spa

By GeoffI tend to avoid writing about or discussing the topic of religion. In general, my unconventional views on the subject get me into a heated discussion with a zealous, but well meaning believer concerned with my eternal destiny or a mentally draining screaming match with a pretentious asshat who believes I worship Darwin and who seems convinced that atheism is just another religion (which is

Breaking news from China reveals that authorities are clamping down on Roman Catholics who wish to worship at a Marian shrine during the month of May. The xenophobic Chinese leaders fear Christians mingling together for worship because they are afraid that it might lead to protests.Here’s what Bernardo Cervella had to write in yesterday’s edition of Spero NewsThere is a subtle war underway against pilgrimages to the Marian shrine of Sheshan, the national Chinese shrine that is typically visited during the month of May. The war is being waged by the government and by the Patriotic Association (PA). Both "recommend" (meaning: order) that people not visit Sheshan for the entire month of May.The government cites safety problems, while the PA does not give any reason, but wants to block any

Yesterday was a rough day for me. I had volunteered to chaperon Mia's class' field trip to a greenhouse, and in the afternoon she had an appointment with her pediatric opthamalogist (she has to have six month check ups because of the JRA). We didn't even make it to the greenhouse when I realized that chaperoning was probably not a good idea. I was so achy and tired, I had a hard time focusing on the guide and keeping my group of girls together. Luckily, I had three sweet girls. I took lots of pictures (that I'll post as soon as I find the adapter to the digital camera so I can download them), and we all went home with geraniums. The pain really started to settle in on the drive home. I dropped off my plant and grabbed what we needed for the appointment and then hopped back in the van.We di

Throughout history, pro-active forces have sought to diminish Christianity and eradicate its influence. Today, Christians need to be able to express and defend their faith, especially with those who are anti-Christian.1 John 4:3 …but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.Podcast version hereFor just over nineteen hundred years, the words of the Apostle John have alerted Christians to the fact that there are forces in the world which pro-actively work to diminish Christ and eradicate Christianity. In John’s time, it was the Roman emperors who tried to eliminate the faith. Four centuries later, barbarians tried to do the same. And in the sixteenth century, Isl

The following is a letter sent to the Senate Finance Committee protesting an inquiry into the affairs of Christian churches across the nation. Notable signatories include Catholic and Protestant leaders ranging from Kenneth Blackwell to Paul Weyrich: United States Congress U.S. Capitol Washington, DC 20002 May2, 2008 Dear Senate Finance Committee Member: We write respectfully to let you know of our [...]

The religion of peace demonstrates its tolerance even more. Muslim rebels expel Christians Muslim rebels have forced hundreds of mainly Christian families off their farms in the southern Philippines, escalating tensions in the region ahead of the withdrawal of Malaysian peace monitors next week. Rolando Garcia, mayor of Kalamansig town on the troubled southern island of [...]

I was mortified as a father described the horrifying details of his daughters cancer. He stopped by my upholstery shop after a 14 hour work day to purchase a piece of foam. Out of his mouth he spoke of the cancer that consumed his twelve year old daughter. During the fight for [...]

The relationship and dependence of the early chapters of Genesis on ancient Near Eastern myth raise the question of whether these chapters can themselves be designated as myths. The problem is compounded by the controversial issue of the definition of myth.--John S. Kselman, HarperCollins Bible Commentary, p. 84But if that which tends to make us happier and better can be called useful, then we claim that epithet for [mythology]. For Mythology is the handmaid of literature; and literature is one of the best allies of virtue and promoters of of happiness.--Thomas Bulfinch, Bulfinch's Mythology, prefaceA concerned reader writes,I note that one of your interests seems to be the use of myth and mythology in fiction and popular culture. Here's a question I'd like to see you address and invite yo

The description of his daughter sent chills through my body as I realized just how horrible a disease cancer can become. A quickening in my heart opened my mind to the revelation that he was describing the slow, painful, death of his beloved child. Without hesitation and a renewed sense of determination he [...]

They may spend more time bemoaning the "evils" of secularism when someone gives them a microphone, but Christian extremists also view progressive Christians as their enemies. Many go so far as to call them "fake Christians" even though it is usually their politics on which the disagreement centers. We atheists must be careful about not lumping all Christians together. In a fairly religious country such as the United States, we can find important allies against Christian extremism among many in the so-called Christian left.I am no longer surprised to discover that I have more in common with some progressive Christians than I do with some atheists, including certain atheist bloggers who will remain nameless. Yes, there are some truly good people out there who contribute to the progressive Ch

Because of the recent media on the Fundamentalist LDS group that “got busted” in Texas for abuse and polygamy the LDS church has made efforts to distance itself from this sect.  Below is a recent interview with the LDS public affairs representative regarding the churches current stance on polygamy and how it wants the world [...]

Paul Verhoeven is looking to piss off Christians in a major way. The director of Basic Instinct has written a book that claims that Jesus was not the son of a virgin. Mr. Verhoeven’s book claims that Mary was actually raped by a Roman soldier during a Jewish uprising in Galilee. As you can imagine [...]

In the next couple of weeks, our church will be studying a book that has been highly recommended by Oprah Winfrey. It’s called “A New Earth” and is written by Eckhart Tolle. He writes about a new evolutionary spiritual transformation that he believes will take place this century amongst enlightened people. He draws from the teachings of Christ and Buddha, as well as the theories of Carl Jung. It’s a typical new age type of book, but his hope is that it becomes sacred scripture in the years to come.Podcast version hereI’ve read the first chapter and already I’ve come across several areas where Tolle’s teaching misinterprets Christ. He relies upon his own feelings about Jesus as a great teacher and messenger to make his points. He does not proclaim Christ as the Son of God or L

It was on March 29 of this year when residents of Bangwe township in Blantyre, Malawi learned that two local women had allegedly burned two children to death to exorcise them of witchcraft demons. Agnes Kamanga Gadama, and her sister...

Isn’t it startling how many people in the west do not realize that not all Arabs are Muslims? I was having a conversation with a friend from Bulgaria the other day, and I mentioned to her that there is a good amount of Christians in Jordan, and that Christians and Muslims live in brotherhood and complete [...]

Looking at comments on blogs from obvious Muslims, we see them all singing the same song: Suppose it was Jesus who was mocked? News Flash to all Muslims and Imams over the world: You are reading from a script written by someone who has never been to the West. Christians do not riot when Jesus is mocked. They pray...

Despite embarrassingly little attention by the mainstream media, news of Rep. Monique Davis' anti-atheist bigotry created quite a buzz in the atheist blogosphere. For many of us, it highlighted how far we have yet to go. That an elected official would feel comfortable making such a statement and possibly escape without consequences struck many of us as more than a little surprising. And yet, I think most of us are aware that the anger and blatant bigotry Rep. Davis expressed toward us is unfortunately commonplace.I recently stumbled across a disturbing post at STR: The Freedom Blog in which a letter was praised by the blog's author as "wise." Here is the letter to which the blogger proudly posted and described in positive terms: Dear Shelley,Seriously, does anybody ever cry at an Atheist

"A SENIOR minister of a Sydney Anglican parish has made an extraordinary attack on the High Court judge Michael Kirby [Pictured], warning he would face the wrath of God if he remained unrepentant as a gay man."The rector of St Stephen's Church in Bellevue Hill, the Reverend Richard Lane, denounced the judge for calling himself a Christian Anglican while living in an openly gay relationship and warned as a 'messenger, watchman and steward of the Lord in the Anglican Church of Australia', he faced God's judgment."To call himself a Christian Anglican was a 'perversion of truth' and to continue to do so without changing his lifestyle would brand him, like Herod, a 'coward, a liar, a deceiver' and a 'lawless one'."'I appeal to you to cast yourself on the mercy of Jesus … That is admit your si

One of the most oft-heard accusations of non-Christians against evangelism is that Christians are basically just using hell to scare many into becoming Christians. Is there justification for such an accusation, and do Christians really seek to scare non-Christians with hell? I’m going to say an emphatic “no”. Think about it this way: Christians know, from the Bible [...]

I’ve wanted to do a series of post like this for a while and I think now is the time to tackle it. The goal is to write a series of posts (every Friday) on social issues I believe Christians should be aware of. The posts will be brief, summarize the issue, present the facts, [...]

The Christin right in America frequently expresses their belief that George Bush is a stalwart defender of Christian principles. When American troops entered Iraq there were about 800,000 Christians in the country, but today, more than half have fled the fundamentalist Muslim government which has done little to protect Christian rights. German churches are now [...]

Pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters who reside just across the Causeway. This report was first aired March 25, 2008 on The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). CBNNews.com — KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia bills itself as a moderate Islamic country, but today powerful forces are trying to turn it into a fundamentalist Islamic state. This has Malaysian Christians [...]

From GloriaI'd like to comment on your following statement:"My point is that many Christians who arrive here do not obey the dictates of their own religion. They post on this site with beams in their eyes howling at Dave to remove the speck in his. They claim a loving god and can neither give a convincing argument for the claim based upon the contents of their faith nor the example of their own behavior. They call Dave hateful and promise him nothing but Hell." -- ref1. There are many people who call themselves Christians. Christ lends respectability and the image of being a "nice guy" to a person's identify. Many people simply fake it. I suspect that many of the fakers actually believe they're Christians.2. True Christians don't write hateful e-mail. They do not condemn people to He

THE CHURCH OF OPRAH EXPOSED Some days I wake up and I am just so excited and happy and the feelings carry over through my day. And then there are days like this morning: I wake up smiling saying Thank You, Lord Jesus, for another day, and before I have my first cup of coffee I sit at the table smelling the aroma coming from my cup, my hands start to click the laptop sitting at the table before

Three years ago, I released a paper called “Islam on the Rise”. It covered how the increase in Islam would soon pass that of the Christians. I had about two hundred replies saying that just couldn’t be true and how I was crazy and a conspiracy theorist. My response? I laughed. Now I’ve said numerous times that the threat of radical Islam is far beyond real, I can’t even begin to lay out the map to show you. Let me explain.Keeping in mind that the goal of Islam to create a world wide unified Muslim community, you should know that the goals are currently being realized.Look at almost any Christian nation aside from the United States… the transformation is slow but steady. In England – 2008 is expected to have “Muhammad” be the number one name for newborn babies. This follow

He blogueado ya sobre esta cuestión con anterioridad.'Islamic mafia' accused of persecuting Holy Land Christians - Telegraph:"Christians in the Holy Land have handed a dossier detailing incidents of violence and intimidation by Muslim extremists to Church leaders in Jerusalem, one of whom said it was time for Christians to 'raise our voices' against the sectarian violence.The dossier includes 93 alleged incidents of abuse by an 'Islamic fundamentalist mafia' against Palestinian Christians, who accused the Palestinian Authority of doing nothing to stop the attacks."The dossier also includes a list of 140 cases of apparent land theft, in which Christians in the West Bank were allegedly forced off their land by gangs backed by corrupt judicial officials.From the birthplace of Christ at Bethl

Sathya Sai Baba, 82 (although records suggest that he is older, see discussion and further links here, The Date of Sai Baba’s Birthday) has long said that he will cause, within his own lifetime, a profound coming together in peace and harmony among the world’s religions.  See, Will World Accept Sai Baba? He Says Yes. Very Soon When one looks [...]

My friend, Candace Chellew-Hodge just came out with a book entitled, "Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians," that I wanted to suggest you purchase. Although I have yet to read it, I know her work quite well, and have been privileged to contribute articles to her excellent website, Whosoever, for many years. From teleconferences, interviews, and knowing her other writings, I'm confident that this book should be a superb addition to any library. I wanted to let you know about this book as soon as it appeared on the shelves, and I just got word this morning that it's now available. The book can be purchased here.

Easter will be "a time of great anxiety" for Christians in Indonesia, where radical Islamist have reportedly threatened to attack Christian targets.The Barnabas Fund, a charity working among Christians in Islamic countries, cited "credible reports" of threats against Christians by Jemaah Islamiah (JI), the terrorist network blamed for a number of bombings in Indonesia in recent years."Jemaah Islamiah is dedicated to creating a single Islamic state throughout Southeast Asia under shari'a law," the organization said in a dispatch on Tuesday. "It considers non-Muslims as legitimate targets and is active throughout the region."Prof. Zachary Abuza, a specialist on South-East Asia terror networks, said Wednesday reports of JI threats against Indonesian Christians this Easter did not surprise him

Into Russian dating? Looking for the Christian singles of your dreams in Russia or Ukraine? There are a number of Russian dating sites out there that Christians may be interested in, including SeekingChristian.com, Anastasia.com Anastasia.com and Adam-i-Eva.com. These particular Russian dating sites advertise all around the world, even appearing in Russian mail order bride magazines. Russian [...]

By Jesse BCOn November 9, 1987, I became a Christian. That is to say, in the parlance of the Evangelical subculture to which I was committing myself, I "asked Jesus into my heart and became born again." It was very important in those days to remember the date you did it. I was 16 years old. I had no idea that I was pledging myself to a sociopolitical movement that had elected the last two American presidents and would elect the next three.Two years later I left home to attend a Bible college that was politically and theologically moderate -- and, in 1989, this wasn't a contradiction in terms. Feminism was the hottest topic on campus, neatly dividing the student body between those who believed that wives should submit to their husbands and women should not teach men versus those who be

AINA -- The best thing the church worldwide can do for Iraq's beleaguered Christians is support a push for a secure province for the community. A province in the north of the country -- the original homeland of Assyrians is a rural area near Mosul known as the Nineveh plain -- would provide the protection needed to persuade those many Christians who have left Iraq to return home, said Ken Joseph.Joseph, an ethnic Assyrian, commented after the body of an archbishop was found in Mosul on Thursday, less than two weeks after gunmen abducted him at his church and killed three men with him. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki blamed al-Qaeda and said his government was committed to protecting Christians.Paulos Faraj Rahho, the Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Mosul, is the most senior Iraqi Christian

It does not seem fair to hold Christians to a higher moral standard, does it? Morality has nothing to do with supernatural entities, and both Christians and atheists are perfectly capable of operating in a moral way. And yet, it would seem that increased responsibility for Christians is precisely what Billy Graham advocated in this 2006 column.Graham tells a Christian writing to his column,Because you understand more clearly than some people do what God expects of you, in one way you are even more guilty in God's eyes than they are.While Graham rightly concludes that non-believers are hardly free from responsibility for committing immoral acts, he suggests that believers are even more so.You have even less excuse than someone with no understanding of God's Word, because you know what is ri

Reese sez: Check out this book recommended by the Witherspoon Society! It is Delwin Brown's What Does a Progressive Christian Believe? A Guide for the Searching, the Open, and the Curious. I was a little put off by the title. We progressives are generally an unwieldy bunch and don't like to be told what we believe even by fellow progressives! Yet I found this book quite helpful. We often think that being progressive means not being fundamentalist. Brown agrees, but suggests we ought to do a bit more than simply say that. The eight chapters cover some basic themes in Christian thought: What Progressive Christianity Is NotBible: Negotiating the HeritageChrist: Overturning the CategoriesGod: Exploring the DepthHumanity: Continuing the CreationSin: Falling and HidingSalv

Before you start sending hate e-mails, read on. Amid the many blogs out there weighing in on Florida's heated debate over teaching evolution in schools, there's a new one called Offensive Christians that's caught our eye. Its author, who posts...

The cave that 35 members of a Russian doomsday sect have been holed up in since the fall of 2007 is not currently at risk from flooding, a local emergency services official said on Thursday. The sect went underground in the central Russian Penza Region order to “save themselves during the time of the apocalypse,” which they say will come in May this year. This video is a Nov, 2007 report by Russia Today. They have threatened to set fire to themselves if any attempt is made to force them to come to the surface. The group includes four children. Russian emergency services officials said at the end of February they were ready to launch an operation to rescue the sect members in the event of the cave being submerged by underground waters in the spring thaw. “Right now we are experienci

All Christian single men and women battle lust of the flesh from time to time. In fact, let’s just make that ALL guys and gals, whether they be single men or married men, Christian or non-Christian. One single dating man pal of mine said if his girlfriend ever knew his thoughts, she would never stop [...]

Nathan at Very Special Monkeys has an interesting post on the subject of "rational Christianity" and why it is inherently flawed. The crux of his argument centers on the nature of ex post facto discourse and how Christians are often guilty of using it to defend their beliefs. I thought this was worth highlighting here since it is likely to be a concept with which many people are unfamiliar.Briefly, an ex post facto argument is a logically flawed claim in which claimant begins by assuming that an unsupported claim is true and then reasons backward from the claim in order to support it. Students of logic will immediately recognize the problems with such an approach. Instead of offering premises which lead to a conclusion, the ex post facto claim begins with the conclusion, assumes it to be t

There is nothing worse than buying a nice red tomato, anticipating its taste, only to find out as I sink my teeth into its flesh that there is no taste whatsoever. It was picked green and loaded on the truck for delivery before it was able to draw from the vine all that red, juicy maturity needed for ripeness. And now with hybrid tomatoes it seems to be the norm. It is the same in Your Kingdom,

As far as Tony Campolo's newest book is concerned:Think I read this book before......I'm really not sure, but it sounds so familiar......Why does this book remind me of something I've read before?Seriously, this is the fourth time I have read this book! He has written very similar books at least 4 times before, not including the other books he wrote that touch on similar topics. My feelings about the red letter christians are simple. Do we really need yet another Christian "movement" in this world? And to base one only off the red letters of Christ's words seems a bit shoddy to me. Sure it seemd to work for Tolstoy and Jefferson to take out the parts of the Bible that made them uncomfortable. Quite frankly, I'd rather be a Full Bible Christian. Or better yet, just Christian. And here is a

Dating, in love and Christian: By KARAN MINNIS,Guardian Lifestyles Reporter - Nassau, Bahamas: Every day we hear of marriages disintegrating, because people did not take the time to get to know each other during their dating period. Rather than focusing on getting to know each other, most allowed physical attraction to steer the relationship's course. When the novelty wore off, their was nothing to sustain the relationship, and it was no more. In life many people find it hard to maintain a steady relationship that reflects their personal values and their faith, and for practicing Christians who are dating it is twice as hard, as they have to get to know each other, and live by God's ordinance. However becoming successful in this quest may become a lot easier if you have someone to lo

[Copyright notice this is my stuff and carries with it jws blogprint] Do you know which geese in the classic ‘V’ formation do all the honking?  Do you know why? Read on for these pressing answers and a whole lot more –> There are few things more important in a congregation than having comitted, qualified, zealous, and willing leaders.  We often hear great messages preached on what it takes to lead the church and that is fantastic.  We need this preaching and we need men that listen and step up and become comitted to living their lives in such a way that they can be effective leaders in their congregations.  Some congregations get a bit overzealous in their quest to install qualified men as leaders however.  Never is someone forced into leadership (by an old genera

Who can forget that first kiss? Remember? I know some of us have yet to experience that first kiss but be patient. A first kiss is well worth the wait if done at the right time, place and way. Many non-Christians and not a few single Christians may be surprised to find first kiss tips [...]

There is an interesting set of videos on YouTube. They seem to center around the following. YouTube is not quite censoring but certainly limiting atheist content? Well, that is the question. There is quite a string of videos related to the topic. I took a look at YouTube Censors Atheists: Here’s the Proof, Youtube: Promoting Bullshit [...]

Iraqi Christians crowd churches for Christmas 12/25/2007 2:05 PM By: Associated Press BAGHDAD -- Iraqi Christians are celebrating Christmas and a new sense of security in the Dora neighborhood in Baghdad. Thousands made their way to church today through checkpoints and streets lined with blast walls. The church was badly damaged by a car bomb two years ago, but worshippers continue to attend

Iraqis celebrate Christmas By Elena Becatoros ASSOCIATED PRESS 8:01 a.m. December 25, 2007 BAGHDAD – Thousands of Iraqi Christians picked their way through checkpoints and along dusty streets lined with concrete blast walls, packing churches in Baghdad on Tuesday for Christmas Mass. => Read more!

Did you ever notice that dessert is the first dish in line at many buffet restaurants? Yes, you could eat dinner backwardsstarting with dessert, then moving on to the appetizer and main course. In the end you eat all the food, but its nowhere near as fulfilling as enjoying each part of the meal in its proper place. Or worse, dessert could fill you up before you eat a balanced meal.Sometimes we suffer the same temptation with Christmas. Our culture tends to skip Advent and start celebrating Christmas after Thanksgivingif were lucky to make it that far! Then its all packed up and stored away by New Years. This year, consider returning to the ancient practice of seeing the whole Christmas cyclethe period that embraces both the Advent and Christmas seasonsas one unit of joyous celebration. Preparation comes first, then comes celebration extending a few weeks after Christmas Day.The focal point of the Christmas cycle is obvious: God becoming one of us in Jesus, the Incarnation. All three ph

Did you ever notice that dessert is the first dish in line at many buffet restaurants? Yes, you could eat dinner backwardsstarting with dessert, then moving on to the appetizer and main course. In the end you eat all the food, but its nowhere near as fulfilling as enjoying each part of the meal in its proper place. Or worse, dessert could fill you up before you eat a balanced meal.Sometimes we suffer the same temptation with Christmas. Our culture tends to skip Advent and start celebrating Christmas after Thanksgivingif were lucky to make it that far! Then its all packed up and stored away by New Years. This year, consider returning to the ancient practice of seeing the whole Christmas cyclethe period that embraces both the Advent and Christmas seasonsas one unit of joyous celebration. Preparation comes first, then comes celebration extending a few weeks after Christmas Day.The focal point of the Christmas cycle is obvious: God becoming one of us in Jesus, the Incarnation. All three ph

Great sex tips anyone? I know some of you may be thinking, “Great sex tips? Why in the world is the topic ‘great sex tips’ on a Christian website?” Just chill, ok? Great Sex Tips-Why Talk About It? First of all, God created sex and He wants us to enjoy it to the max in the way [...]

Too busy to read your Bible each day? Need a daily shot of spiritual caffeine to get you through the week? Then the "Stushie's Stuff" weekday podcast may be just what you're looking for.Scottish pastor, John Stuart of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN writes the daily blog called "Heaven's Highway." He's now producing it as a podcast. If you like listening to a genuine Scottish accent and are seeking a faith-journey cappuccino, download his 4-minute thought for the day onto your PC or Ipod. It includes a Bible verse, short commentary, and special prayer.The RSS feed for the podcast can be found at www.stushie.libsyn.com/rssBTW, "Stushie" is an old Scottish word which means "to cause a riot or an uproar."

What is a Christian? By KARAN MINNIS, Guardian Lifestyles Reporter - Nassau, Bahamas: The Bahamas. A country developed upon "strong Christian" beliefs. Created by God, but developed by man, with laws and rules that reflect the essences of the Bible. Simply put, these are the theories that support our nation. However there is one more: That we as a Christian nation, and citizens of the Bahamas, are Christians. But how does one become a Christian? Is it a birthright or something that happens over time with careful thought and consideration? Or is it something to be learnt and thought, or does it just simply happen? These are questions that have plagued the minds of many Bahamians for decades. And as a result some still have no idea what a Christian is. "A Christian is simply one who is following the principles of Christ that are outlined in His Word for us to follow," says Pastor John Carey of the Bahamas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. "For one, we have to be loving and

Both Of Them: Fascists Both Of Them: Intolerant One Of Them: Alive One Had The Reichstag The Other Had 9 1 1 Both Capitalized Both Love To Torture Both Love Endless War And The Looting Of Resources One Could Speak Well, The Other Stammers And Stutters Butchering English One Had Karl Rove, The Other Had Joseph Goebbels, Both Loved Propaganda One Is Dead, And The Other Carries The Torch And Flag Of Fascism • Equals • used with permission from: light-to-dark

Such appears to be the conclusion of Viola Larson of Voices of Orthodox Women who blogs here. Viola is a newly knighted member of "the consistory" (check her links) which includes a bunch of right-winged Presbyterians many of whom have graced the presence of Shuck and Jive. I do enjoy my little spats with them.Viola is a curious one. She spends her time mostly hassling the Presbyterian Women regarding their publications which are not fundamentalist enough for her taste. The National Network of Presbyterian College Women is also problematic for Viola as they use the "F" word, feminism. Remember my post about the day the Layman tried to shut down the college women? Well, the Voices of Orthodox Women were some of the main players. They are still at it, these matronly looking ladies who enjoy employing the motherly shame technique. "Oh shame on you, you mock the faithful, you, you...Nazi you!"Viola is on a new kick. Every click of the computer gets published on the LayMAN

If the majority of Christians are liberals who don’t hate women, gay people, atheists and non-Christian theists, why don’t liberal groups severe ties with their overlords who do? Why is it that it’s always the conservatives who are willing to put their asses where their mouths are? 

First comment from this forum :6 Dec 2007 (140 posts)"Just wanted to warn those who didn't know:By now, you probably have already gone to the movies and noticed a huge banner for the latest fantasy movie being released on December 7th by the name of The Golden Compass starring Nicole Kidman. If it wasn’t the poster you saw, it was probably an advertisement on T.V. Before you decide on whether or not to take your kids to watch this movie, I just thought that I might give you a little bit of information about what inspired this movie and about the story itself.In the 1950’s, an Atheist turned Christian author by the name of C.S. Lewis, wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of 7 books. All 7 books reflect Biblical stories and characters. C.S. Lewis wrote the series in order to spark the imagination of a younger reader to better understand important moments and characters in the Bible. He created a character named Aslan who was a lion that represented Jesus Christ in many ways. He

First comment from this forum :6 Dec 2007 (140 posts)"Just wanted to warn those who didn't know:By now, you probably have already gone to the movies and noticed a huge banner for the latest fantasy movie being released on December 7th by the name of The Golden Compass starring Nicole Kidman. If it wasn’t the poster you saw, it was probably an advertisement on T.V. Before you decide on whether or not to take your kids to watch this movie, I just thought that I might give you a little bit of information about what inspired this movie and about the story itself.In the 1950’s, an Atheist turned Christian author by the name of C.S. Lewis, wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of 7 books. All 7 books reflect Biblical stories and characters. C.S. Lewis wrote the series in order to spark the imagination of a younger reader to better understand important moments and characters in the Bible. He created a character named Aslan who was a lion that represented Jesus Christ in many ways. He

When I was seven years old my father died. His father became my father and through him my examples for life and faith were set.My Grandfather was a very wise and loving man. In his last days his knees hurt so badly he could hardly climb stairs. Nonetheless, he got down on them each night to pray to his God. He was a servant to Jesus Christ to the day he died. It was through him that I found that unconditional love was possible and I too accepted Jesus as my savior. This wonderful man was also Native American.According to my research the Mormon church believes that Native Americans and African Americans are cursed and hence they have dark skin.I would like to say that my Jesus, my God judges people as Dr. Martin Luther King said "not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character"-in other words, through a man's heart.This teaching along with other teachings of The LDS Church makes it far different from any bible-based Christian church I have ever encountered. I stro

This showed up in the comments of McLaren’s post and was re-posted by Zach Exley at Revolution in Jesusland: Catholic priests have been outed by name, rightfully so. You should take a page from Bob Somerby’s book and use names….names of the Evangelicals who back unjust wars; John Hagee, the late Jerry Falwell, etc. ? Prosperity Preachers like Benny Hinn, Randy and Paula White, Creflo Dollar, etc.? If the cretins who worked themselves into high profile positions in the Evangelical community and who use their influence to support issues harmful to their flock aren’t outed for what they are, they will continue being cretins.” Thoughts? What can be done to say “this isn’t Christianity” or at a minimum “this isn’t my brand of Christianity?” (A real fervor of that cries our “not in my name and not with my blood” or something more subtle?)

Everyone needs to read this article in Rolling Stone. A true masterpiece of journalism. Also a true shame, and testament to the decrepit state of our mainstream media, that other venues have not run similar exposes. It actually begins as a very common tale of tyranny. In order to get something done, government instills fear into the populace to make them docile, which Nixon did when he began to label narcotics as public enemy number one. [Nixon] used the issue to escalate the culture war that pitted Middle Americans against the radicals and the hippies, strengthening penalties for drug dealers and devoting federal funds to bolster prosecutions. The supposedly small-government Reagan stepped up enforcement: [Reagan handed] police and prosecutors even greater powers to lock up street dealers, and to devote more resources to stop cocaine’s production at the source, in the Andes. It was also during Reagan’s administration when mandatory-minimum laws were adopted, forcing hug

About a week ago, my husband repeated a question to me that a minister had asked of his congregation. The question was this: "If you were arrested today, and the charges against you were that you were a Christian, would the prosecutor have enough evidence against you to convict you?" I must say, this question had me thinking. Obviously, in this country is not actually a crime to be a Christian, but if it were.....Now I am by no means a legal expert, but I do know that here in the US, for a murder charge, there must be "proof beyond a reasonable doubt". Assuming that the same is true for all "crimes" would there be enough to convict you?Is there evidence of your "crime"?Do you have a bible in your home, and do you read it often? Do you fellowship with other believers? Or do you only maybe have a bible sitting on a shelf somewhere, and call yourself a Christian? Do you spend time in prayer each day?Have you confessed to the "crime"?Have you confessed to God your sin and your acceptance o

Hanan Turk is a half hairsalon/half restaurant that is just for girls, where no men are allowed to enter and no music will be played. Their promotional e-mail lists a number of perks to those who want to frequent the place:Advantges of Sabaya Café (The Hijaby girl's equivalent to paradise is the Sabaya):-You have the freedom of taking your veil/neqab off.-Meeting muslim girls who are willing to get closer to Allah.-Getting the opportuinity of being inspired by real stories by the same girls you meet.-You can have parties.-Learn how to shun sin… since You won't be exposed to songs or movies JUST CARTOONS AND RELIGIOUS SHOWS.-Enjoy the feeling that you'r making everything which is not allowed outdoors and Allah won't be mad at you :DP.S. Attending Sabaya will be very useful from both the life and religiousprespective, since you will be helping in changing the wrong perceptions about both Neqabis/Hegabis that were already inheritiedages ago.First: please don't invite Christian gir

From Michael Yon via the Anchoress: Today, Muslims mostly filled the front pews of St John’s. Muslims who want their Christian friends and neighbors to come home. The Christians who might see these photos likely will recognize their friends here. The Muslims in this neighborhood worry that other people will take the homes of their Christian neighbors, and that the Christians will never come back. And so they came to St John’s today in force, and they showed their faces, and they said, “Come back to Iraq. Come home.” They wanted the cameras to catch it. They wanted to spread the word: Come home. Muslims keep telling me to get it on the news. “Tell the Christians to come home to their country Iraq.” Is that a beautiful thing or what?

"Christians say Jesus suffered for the sin of the whole humanity. The whole logic is absurd. Adam committed the sin, you are guilty for it; then Jesus suffers for you, and your guilt is forgiven. So the whole deal is between Adam and Jesus you are just puppets. Sometimes Adam leads you so you move into sin, sometimes Adam leads you so you move into sin, and sometimes Jesus leads you so you move into the kingdom of god, but you yourself are nothing. But to exploit religions had to create a guilt feeling. Because of that guilt feeling that you are not accepted as you are, you cannot conceive of yourself as already in the divine, being divine."

Hollywood Prayer Network hopes to rescue troubled starsA 5,000-strong group of Christians have started praying for Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.The Hollywood Prayer Network wants to help the two troubled stars. Britney, 25 - who lost custody of her kids last month - is the person most prayed for by the group.But now Lindsay, 21 - fresh out of rehab - is on their help list, too.The aim of the Network is to rid Hollywood of drink-driving, serial recklessness, promiscuity and other 'sins'.They hope to 'change the spiritual climate of Hollywood, from the inside out', reports the Daily Telegraph.The Christian group reportedly sells red wristbands with the stars' Hollywood postcodes on to remind followers to pray for them.

Christians the world over celebrate their weddings, incorporating a little bit of the customs and traditions of the land of their birth into the main ceremonies. Though the Indian bride too might wear white, she might be clad in a saree with a small veil covering her face. Goans have their own customs, as do [...]

 I first heard about this on Rush’s show today. Barack Obama appeared on Meet The Press, and was asked the following question:   Do you believe homosexuality is a curse?  Do you believe it’s something that you are born gay or that you can change your behavior?” To which Obama answered the following: I do not believe being gay or lesbian is a choice, and so I disagree with Reverend McClurkin, but understand, Tim, part of what I hope to offer as president is the ability to reach to people that I don’t agree with, and the evangelical community is one where the Democratic Party, I think, we have generally seen as hostile, we haven’t been reaching out to them, and I think that if we’re going to make significant progress on critical issues that we face, whether it’s education, or health care, or energy, or our foreign policy in this country, we’ve got to be able to get beyond our comfort zones and just talk to people we don’t like (pa

Few days back i received an email from the Arab Writers Group Syndicate calling attention to the discrimination and violation of human rights by the Egyptian officials against the native Egyptian Christian community, also known as the Copts. Its totally unacceptable and also against the ethics of Islam. It must be noted that this problem is from corrupted political system, degradation of moral ethics and human value which we find so often in our troubled time.. Egyptian Christians: Strangers in their Native Land!The Copts, Egypt’s indigenous, pre-Arab, pre-Islamic Christians, are a native ethno-religious group of Egypt. Egyptian Christians trace their ancestry to the indigenous Pharaonic-era population of Egypt, converted to Christianity by St. Mark, one of Christ’s earliest disciples. Today Copts number approximately seven to twelve million people and constitute between 10% and 15% of the Egyptian population, making them the largest indigenous Christian community in both Africa a

(This is final part of Jacob Head’s guest post series. I appreciate him allowing the use of his material here while I am out of town at a conference.) First and foremost, a hermeneutical agreement needs to be reached. In this matter there is talk of conscience, equally valid individual exegesis, and private interpretations. I don’t believe any of us would accept this hermeneutical stance in matters of “critical” doctrines, such as baptism, repentance, and worship. I think it important and logical to apply a consistent hermeneutical stance to all matters of scripture, including matters we conveniently deem irrelevant to our ultimate salvation. Second, I would like to try to limit this topic to Christian participation in the military and all subsidiary governmental forces to prevent a general debate on pacifism; while on some occasion relevant, general self-defense deserves a whole other thread. Previously, I gave a little bit of information on my research of Chr

"Christians would be neglecting the distinctive service which they can and must render to the State, were they to adopt an unquestioning assent to the will and action of the State which is directly or indirectly aimed at the suppression of the freedom of the Word of God . . . Christians would, in point of fact, become enemies of any State if, when the State threatens their freedom, they did not resist, or if they concealed their resistance."Karl Barth, Church and State, 69.[America's Young Theologian][Theology][Politics][Karl Barth]

  one of my favorite “holiday” songs, just because I was in the mood for something upbeat and peppy Mama Kelly This song is available on the CD: The Best of Pagan Song or you can buy the song on MP3: Christians and Pagans

(This is a continuation of the guest post series by Jacob Head, Christians in the Legions.) I’ve come across some rather interesting statements from early Christians: Tatian: I do not want to rule, I do not wish to be rich, I reject military command, I have hated fornication. (Oration 11) Tertullian: But now inquiry is made about this point, whether a believer is able to turn himself to military service, and whether the soldier may be admitted unto the faith, even the ordinary soldier of the lower ranks, to whom there is no necessity for taking part in sacrifices or capital punishments? There is no agreement between the divine and the human oath, the standard of Christ and the standard of the devil [in reference to the Bellorum Deos and Rome], the camp of light and the camp of darkness. One soul cannot be under obligation to two, God and Caesar… But how will a Christian war, indeed how will he serve even in peace without a sword, which the Lord has taken away?… Th

With Christian conservatives trying to scramble to find a Republican presidential candidate they can support, some of them seem to be coalescing around former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee. Janet Folger, especially, seems to be trumpeting his candidacy. But is Mike Huckabee someone Christian conservatives should be supporting? Not quite...read more | digg storyLiberty Central- Conservatism's Blog of Choice

Check out Benny Hinn swiping his jacket at people to slay them. Fuck, they're stupid cunts.I don't usually swear that heavily but holy fuck... I look at what some people will let themselves get sucked into and I just gotta say... get off the fucking planet or do something that doesn't embarrass yourself so god damn much.I needed a rant tonight. Thanks, come again. And thanks http://www.nullifidian.net/ for the following video. I hadn't heard of Keith Allen before.

This is a guest post by Jacob Head. While rereading Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, I stumbled on this little gem: “On [a legionair’s] first entrance into the service, an oath was administered to him, with every circumstance of solemnity. He promised never to desert his standard, to submit his own will to the commands of his leaders, and to sacrifice his life for the safety of the emperor and the empire. The attachment of the Roman troops to their standards was inspired by the united influence of [pagan] religion and of honour. The golden eagle, which glittered in the front of the legion, was the object of their fondest devotion; nor was it esteemed less impious than it was ignominious, to abdandon that sacred ensign in the hour of danger” (Vol 1, pg 14). Aside from the obvious conflict of interest a Christian would have with his complete service to Christ in the demanding legions, said idolatry would most certainly be incompatible with his faith. History te

A line from one of the many Halloween specials I've seen over the years has stuck with me: the idea that Halloween was thought to be the day of the year when the barrier between the world of the living and the spirit world was thinnest and most permeable. Silly to be sure, but I remember being impressed with the idea as a child. As an adult, I am amazed that Christians actually believe this sort of thing. They take their bibles literally, worshiping a zombie and confident that angels and demons are locked in battle for their souls. Every day must be like Halloween!Let me say at the outset that I am convinced that a large number of so-called Christians do not actually believe much of what their bible tells them they are supposed to believe. They call themselves Christians, attend church, and engage in the occasional religious ritual for reasons other than belief. Maybe they do it to belong and be accepted. Maybe they do it because that was how they were raised and going through the mot

Ethiopian Christian Art A Christian cannot believe that one race is inherently more valuable than another. Jesus interacts with several black people in the Bible and never mentions race as a factor. God's "great commission," to spread the Gospel, isn't directed at any people in particular. Neither does it exclude anybody. Many of the Early Church Fathers, including such important figures as St. Augustine of Hippo, were African (the Church's greatest growth today is in Africa). Not only does the Church condemn racism in its modern manifestations, but nobly fought for the rights of American Natives and condemned slavery as early as the fifteenth century. It wasn't until the enlightenment that people in the West seriously considered race to be an important characteristic. Before then, people separated (and united) themselves by geography, language, or religion. That differences exist between people on Earth is obvious to anybody with access to cds from both Brittney Spears and

Some more of that peaceful coexistence of religions in Pakistan, where two Christian sanitation workers were kidnapped from a hospital by "suspected pro-Taliban militants": Masked men kidnapped the two Christian sanitation workers from the Miranshah Headquarters Hospital in North Waziristan on Friday, eyewitnesses said. Naeem Masih and Shahbaz Masih were abducted "right from the main gate of the hospital", the Daily Times quoted witnesses as saying. Around 1,000 Christians live in Miranshah. ... Christian residents of Hadyara village on the outskirts of Lahore were attacked earlier this month by men who also stormed the New Apostolic Church, established before the partition of the Indian sub-continent. They had complained to the authorities that their church could be razed by Muslims angry that Christian prayers were aired by loudspeakers. Members of the minority community had said that announcements were made through mosque loudspeakers asking Muslims from nearby villages to be ready

I think the “environmentalist” movement has in some ways been “hijacked” by a socialist economic and social agenda. Business is bad. Government control is the only solution. Believe our version of what is best for the environment or you must be a “big oil, big business, anti-environment” individual. What if I am enthusiastically [...]

Here's a thing. I don't think born again Christians should be celebrating their birthdays, because that's the day they were born into 'sin'! To celebrate that day makes sweet baby Jesus cry with their disrespect. Instead, they should be celebrating the anniversaries of their born-again day.Christians, if you continue to celebrate your birthday, rather than your re-birthday you spit at Jesus everytime. Just a thought.Back to Halloween. Christians are a superstitious huddled mass and what resonable others recognise as a fun day with a scary theme derived from ancient practice is little different from an even scarier special day... Easter. Eating flesh and blood, whipping, crucifixion, thorns... all carted out and even re-enacted in costumes by some.

This person gives many great reasons why at this crossroads in America, we must, NOT should we, but we must in order to ensure the Rights and Liberty of all in America,... Christians best interest is to support Ron Paul. Good article!read more | digg storyLiberty Central- Conservatism's Blog of Choice

"I should not readily admit that there was a Baptist Church as far back as AD 100, although without doubt there were Baptists then, as all Christians were then Baptists." John Ridpath, who was a Methodist Historian as quoted by WA Jarrel in Baptist Church Perpetuity on p.69 (which you can purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc..)I find it interesting to read books/webpages/documents that have quotes from men other than Baptists about the length of Baptist history... It is fascinating to me... I do love that he said all Christians were Baptists. Of course, Baptists use the word baptists because we believe in full immersion, which even the Roman Catholic Church admits in its encyclopedia that this was the standard of baptizing in the early church during Christ's time on earth, through even as late as the 16th century. Passages in the Bible point to immersion because of the need of much water (John 3:23), or they were traveling and came upon water (Acts 8:36-39), and the a

Gloria asked a very good question recently in the HCR forum, one that has always been difficult for me to answer in a concise manner. So, this post is a long one, but what can you do? I haven't mastered this one yet.Pax Christi,phatcatholic - - - - - - - - - -Unlike what I hear from the RCC today, Matatics and others like him say there is NO hope for someone who is outside of the Catholic church. The RCC has a slightly different view of this, right?Well, we both agree that there is no hope for someone who is outside of the Church. Where we differ is on who we declare to be "outside." I haven't studied his stance too thoroughly, but I'm guessing Matatics believes that, if you are not a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church (as in, if you have not received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist), then you cannot be saved. However, the official Catholic teaching (which, contrary to belief, has never changed) is more nuanced than that.The Church believes tha

Now that we have your attention, sorry if you googled “pornography nude women” and came up with our site. Our church podcast of the week is not so much about nude women pornography, as it it about how poisonous pornography really is to healthy dating relationships and to Christians (mostly Christian men) in general. Fact [...]

That's nice. I hope it works out. We should only allow peaceful conversions and let God decide who was right at the "End." It's also kind of strange- kind of like Ike Turner telling Tina that they need to get along better. The only people being "driven from their homes" are Christians by Muslims in Muslim countries. But, I don't want to be cynical. I hope...Indeed, I pray for peace between the two religions and this could be a good start. from here The "survival of the world" is at stake if Muslims and Christians do not make peace with each other, leaders of the Muslim world will warn the Pope and other Christian leaders today. In an unprecedented open letter signed by 138 leading scholars from every sect of Islam, the Muslims plead with Christian leaders "to come together with us on the common essentials of our two religions" and spell out the similarities between passages of the Bible and the Koran. The scholars state: "As Muslims, we say to Christians that we are not agains