Category Archives: Christianity

E.W. Jackson – Lt. Governor Nominee for Virginia – Calls Obama Out on islam

May 20, 2013

E.W. Jackson, GOP nominee for Virginia Lt. Governor: “Obama clearly has Muslim sensibilities and sees the world and Israel from a Muslim perspective”

In a blog post from 2010, Jackson wrote that Obama has taken an anti-Semitic approach to the White House that he “picked up from the black community.” He said it had jeopardized the security of Israel and the US relationship with its Middle East ally.

Mediaite Jackson argued that Obama adopted an anti-Israel view in life that was more sympathetic to Muslims because the president used to attend a church led by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whom Jackson called a virulent anti-Semite. “You don’t merely attend a church, you ‘sit under’ a pastor to be taught and mentored by him,” wrote Jackson.

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His construct of “The Muslim World” is unique in modern diplomacy. It is said that only The Muslim Brotherhood and other radical elements of the religion use that concept. It is a call to unify Muslims around the world. It is rather odd to hear an American President use it. In doing so he reveals more about his thinking than he intends. The dramatic policy reversal of joining the unrelentingly ant-Semitic, anti-Israel and pro-Islamic UN Human Rights Council is in keeping with the President’s truest – albeit undeclared – sensibilities

Those who are paying attention and thinking about these issues do not find it unreasonable to consider that President Obama is influenced by a strain of anti-Semitism picked up from the black community, his leftist friends and colleagues, his Muslim associations and his long period of mentorship under Jeremiah Wright. If this conclusion is accurate, Israel has some dark days ahead. For the first time in her history, she may find the President of the United States siding with her enemies. Those who believe as I do that Israel must be protected had better be ready for the fight. We are. NEVER AGAIN!

From Bare Naked Islam: http://www.barenakedislam.com/

Dearborn (stan) Michigan Cancels The mooslim Hate Festival Because They Hate Christians That Attend and Exercise Their Free Speech Rights.

May 18, 2013

DEARBORNISTAN: Muslims cancel annual Arab Festival because of lawsuits by Christians and Jews who have been attacked there

The city and organizers were facing increased insurance and liability costs because of the lawsuits filed and won by Christians who have repeatedly been subjected to taunts and physical assaults outside the festival in the past.

Detroit Free Press (h/t Rob E) The decision to cancel the festival comes after four years of tensions at the event between some Christian missionaries and local Muslims. Their encounters resulted in heated arguments, scuffles, some bottle-throwing and several lawsuits.

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Last year, one group of Christian missionaries brought a pig’s head and signs insulting Islam’s prophet, which drew a strong reaction from some children. Earlier this month, the City of Dearborn apologized and paid an undisclosed amount of money to a group of Christian missionaries arrested in 2010 at the festival for disturbing the peace. They were later acquitted.

Local Arab Americans were upset over the cancellation of the festival because the original intent of it was to highlight Arab-American businesses, which helped turn east Dearborn from a ghost town into a thriving commercial destination, said local leaders, (where non-Muslims increasingly dare not go)

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“It’s unfortunate there are groups who are seeking to create problems and incite people in a community where people are trying to build bridges of diversity,” (by barring Christians?) said Suehaila Amen, 34, of Dearborn. “This festival was about creating a Muslim family atmosphere during Father’s Day weekend. And yet, there are those who do not wish to see people enjoy their life.”

Dearborn resident Majed Moughni also said he was disappointed in the cancellation, but added that he understands the decision, given the high insurance and logistical costs for what became an increasingly tense event. “It’s not worth the cost,” he said.

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In an attempt to create a more peaceful atmosphere, O’Reilly moved the location of the festival to Ford Woods Park. His plan would have allowed the festival to be in an enclosed area and would have required an admission fee.

But Baydoun said: “With the move to a new location, Ford Woods Park, we needed more time to ensure we provide a quality event that the community has come to expect from us.” There was concern that this year’s festival could become even more tense.

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Quran-burning Pastor Terry Jones said he was planning to attend the first day along with the California man who brought the pig’s head last year. In 2011, Jones attempted to attend the festival, but was met by angry protesters who tried to block him as he walked. Police then asked him to not attend.

The decision to cancel the festival illustrates some tensions between its Arab-American organizers and Dearborn officials. O’Reilly has been pushing to move the festival for three years, but the Chamber of Commerce resisted because the purpose of the festival was to promote Arab-American businesses along Warren.

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Earlier this year, the city indicated it would not be giving permits for the Warren Avenue location and asked the chamber to consider having the festival in the park. Now, “it’s gotten to the point where people don’t even want to take their children to the festival because they don’t want them to be exposed to these bigoted messages and hateful speech,” Amen said.

Some conservatives say the incidents at the festival happened because the city is under the influence of Shari’a, Islamic law, a claim O’Reilly has repeatedly dismissed as absurd.

Robert Muise, an Ann Arbor attorney who represents the California-based Bible Believers — the Christian group that brought a pig’s head and anti-Islam signs last year to the festival — said the cancellation of the festival was “disappointing.” “However,” he added, “had the Christians’ rights been protected from the beginning, I doubt we would be at this point.”

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As you watch the below video keep in mind

1. The Christian Street preachers notified in writing the Wayne County Sheriffs Department they would be attending the festival.

2. The Street preachers attended the festival last year and the police knew Ruben Israel and worked together in the past.

3. Wayne County Sheriff’s Chose not to provide Mr. Israel with two officers to provide security as the crowds became agitated.

4. Putting all these fact together one would conclude this was a Wayne County Sheriffs riot because Deputy Chiefs Jaafar and Richardson could have easily managed the situation and willfully abdicated their responsibility as public servants.

5. The street preachers never retaliated or said a negative word in anger to the Muslim rioters or law enforcement despite personal injury, cuts, bruises, spit, physical, and verbal abuse.

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islam Forces Conversions…Or They Will Kill You. Ideology of Evil.

May 17, 2013

Islamic Forced Conversions – Past and Present

Palestinian Christian protesters lament forced conversions of loved ones

Raymond Ibrahim, a scholar of Islam and Islamic history who has a particular focus on Muslim persecution of Christians, has on his website – for which I also write – a new article, Islamic Forced Conversions — Past and Present, highlighting the astonishing similarities of past atrocities, which many people in the West believe to have been consigned to distant history (belief largely due to the mainstream media’s “carpet non-coverage” and total neglect of these everyday slaughters, massacres, beheadings, torture and discrimination), to current ones.

His piece was inspired by last Sunday’s canonization by Pope Francis I of the 813 Martyrs of Otranto, Christians from the South-Eastern Italian town of Otranto killed by Muslim Ottomans for refusing to convert to Islam in 1480. Their elevation had been decided by Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, in one of his last acts before resigning.

This canonization concerned the largest number of people to be elevated to sainthood at once in the history of the Catholic Church.

Muslims, and their tireless allies and apologists in the liberal media, cannot leave the Holy Father alone even when he is just doing his job, like canonizing new saints. And something as small as a symbolic hint and an indirect reference to current persecution of Christians, without any mention of specific countries or even Islam, can be enough for a Muslim website to say: “He did not mention any countries, but the Vatican has expressed deep concern recently about the fate of Christians in parts of the Middle East, including Coptic Christians in Egypt. The pope’s canonization is expected to raise anger among Muslims over linking Islam to violence.”

And the NBCNews website faithfully echoed: “The choice of some of the new saints was also striking, touching on the already-fragile relationship between Christianity and Islam… So why risk creating yet another inter-faith row with a celebration which some in the Muslim world may be seen [sic] as a provocation?”.

These comments are a reminder, if necessary, that things have not changed in Muslim intolerance towards Christianity, as Raymond Ibrahim explains in his new article:

The lost history of Christians forced to convert to Islam—or die—is reemerging, figuratively and literally. According to the BBC: “Pope Francis has proclaimed the first saints of his pontificate in a ceremony [last Sunday] at the Vatican—a list which includes 800 victims of an atrocity carried out by Ottoman soldiers in 1480.They were beheaded in the southern Italian town of Otranto after refusing to convert to Islam.”

The BBC adds in a sidebar: “The ‘Martyrs of Otranto’ were 813 Italians beheaded for defying demands by Turkish invaders to renounce Christianity. The Turks had been sent by Mohammed II, who had already captured the ‘second Rome’ of Constantinople.”

Historical texts throughout the centuries are filled with similar anecdotes, including the “60 Martyrs of Gaza,” Christian soldiers who were executed for refusing Islam during the 7th century Islamic invasion of Jerusalem. Seven centuries later, during the Islamic invasion of Georgia, Christians refusing to convert were forced into their church and set on fire. Witnesses for Christ [Amazon USA] , [Amazon UK] , lists 200 anecdotes of Christians killed—including some burned at the stake, thrown on iron spikes, dismembered, stoned, stabbed, shot at, drowned, pummeled to death, impaled and crucified—for refusing to embrace Islam.

If history is shocking, the fact is, today, Christians—men, women, and children—are still being forced to convert to Islam. Pope Francis alluded to their sufferings during the same ceremony: “As we venerate the martyrs of Otranto, let us ask God to sustain those many Christians who, in these times and in many parts of the world, right now, still suffer violence, and give them the courage and fidelity to respond to evil with good.”

Consider some recent anecdotes:

In Pakistan, a “devoted Christian” was butchered by Muslim men “with multiple axe blows [24 per autopsy] for refusing to convert to Islam.” Another two Christian men returning from church were accosted by six Muslims who tried to force them to convert to Islam, but “the two refused to renounce Christianity.” Accordingly, the Muslims severely beat them, yelling they must either convert “or be prepared to die. . . . the two Christians fell unconscious, and the young Muslim men left assuming they had killed them.”

In Bangladesh some 300 Christian children were abducted in 2012 and sold to Islamic schools, where “imams force them to abjure Christianity.” The children are then instructed in Islam and beaten. After full indoctrination they are asked if they are “ready to give their lives for Islam,” presumably by becoming jihadi suicide-bombers. (Even here the historic patterns are undeniable: for centuries, Christian children were forcibly taken, converted to and indoctrinated in Islam, trained to be jihadis extraordinaire, and then unleashed on their former Christian families. Such were the Janissaries and Mamelukes.)

In Palestine in 2012, Christians in Gaza protested over the “kidnappings and forced conversions of some former believers to Islam.” The ever-dwindling Christian community banged on a church bell while chanting, “With our spirit, with our blood we will sacrifice ourselves for you, Jesus.”

Just as happened throughout history, Muslims today regularly “invite” Christians to Islam, often presenting it as the only cure to their sufferings—sufferings caused by Muslims in the first place.

In Pakistan, a Christian couple was arrested on a false charge and severely beaten by police. The pregnant wife was “punched, kicked and beat” as her interrogators threatened to kill her unborn baby. A policeman offered to drop the theft charge if the husband would only “renounce Christianity and convert to Islam,” but the man refused.

In Uzbekistan, a 26-year-old Christian woman, partially paralyzed from youth, and her elderly mother were violently attacked by invaders who ransacked their home, confiscating “icons, Bibles, religious calendars, and prayer books.” At the police department, the paralyzed woman was “offered to convert to Islam.” She refused, and the judge “decided that the women had resisted police and had stored the banned religious literature at home and conducted missionary activities. He fined them 20 minimum monthly wages each.”

In Sudan, Muslims kidnapped a 15-year-old Christian girl; they raped, beat and ordered her to convert to Islam. When her mother went to police to open a case, the Muslim officer of the so-called “Family and Child Protection Unit,” told her: “You must convert to Islam if you want your daughter back.”

Indeed, because Christian females are the most vulnerable segments of Islamic societies, they are especially targeted for forced conversions. In 2012, U.S. Congress heard testimony about the “escalating abduction, coerced conversion and forced marriage of Coptic Christian women and girls [550 cases in the last five years alone].Those women are being terrorized and, consequently, marginalized, in the formation of the new Egypt.”

As my new book Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians [Amazon USA] , [Amazon UK] , documents, wherever there are large numbers of Muslims—whether in the Arab World, Africa, Asia, or even in the West—Christians are being persecuted. Forced conversions are the tip of the iceberg, and certainly not anomalies of history.

Posted byEnza Ferreri

One of Great Britain’s Problems: islam Surging and Christianity Receding

May 17, 2013

Report: Christianity Facing “Catastrophic Collapse” In Britain, Number Of Muslims Surges By 75%…

We can all see where this is headed.

Via Telegraph:

Christianity could be facing a catastrophic collapse in Britain according to official figures suggesting it is declining 50 per cent faster than previously thought.

A new analysis of the 2011 census shows that a decade of mass immigration helped mask the scale of decline in Christian affiliation among the British-born population – while driving a dramatic increase in Islam, particularly among the young.

It suggests that only a minority of people will describe themselves as Christians within the next decade, for first time.

Meanwhile almost one in 10 under 25s in Britain is now a Muslim.

The proportion of young people who describe themselves as even nominal Christians has dropped below half for the first time.

Initial results from the 2011 census published last year showed that the total number of people in England and Wales who described themselves as Christian fell by 4.1 million – a decline of 10 per cent. [...]

They disclosed that there were in fact 5.3 million fewer British-born people describing themselves as Christians, a decline of 15 per cent in just a decade.

At the same time the number of Muslims in England and Wales surged by 75 per cent – boosted by almost 600,000 more foreign born followers of the Islamic faith.

From Weasel Zippers: http://weaselzippers.us/

Free Speech Trampled in mooslim Controlled Dearborn Michigan

May 16, 2013

Michigan Federal Judge Allows Muslim Violence Against Christians; Dearborn Stoning Caught On Video

15May

Michigan Federal Judge Allows Muslim Violence Against Christians; Dearborn Stoning Caught On Video – Jihad Watch

. A severe blow for the freedom of speech, and victory for the advance of Sharia blasphemy laws here. “Michigan Federal Judge Allows Muslim Violence to Suppress Christian Speech; Immediate Appeal Filed,” from the American Freedom Law Center, May 14:

A Michigan federal judge today dismissed a civil rights lawsuit brought by several Christian evangelists who were violently assaulted by a hostile Muslim mob while preaching at an Arab festival last year in Dearborn, Michigan, which has the largest Muslim population in the United States. Video of the Muslim assault went viral on YouTube.

The American Freedom Law Center (AFLC) filed the lawsuit against Wayne County, the Wayne County Sheriff, and two Wayne County Deputy Chiefs for refusing to protect the Christians from the attack and threatening to arrest the Christians for disorderly conduct if they did not halt their speech activity and immediately leave the festival area.

Judge Patrick J. Duggan, sitting in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, granted Wayne County’s motion for summary judgment, dismissing the lawsuit. The judge also denied AFLC’s motion requesting that the court issue an order preventing the Wayne County Sheriff and his deputies from restricting the Christian evangelists from displaying their banners and signs on the public sidewalks outside of this year’s Arab Festival, which will be held in June. In the ruling, the judge stated the following: “The Court finds that the actual demonstration of violence here provided the requisite justification for [the Wayne County sheriffs’] intervention, even if the officials acted as they did because of the effect the speech had on the crowd.”

Robert Muise, AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel, commented: “The First Amendment was dealt a severe blow today as a result of this ruling. Indeed, this ruling effectively empowers Muslims to silence Christian speech that they deem offensive by engaging in violence. And pursuant to this ruling, the Christian speakers are now subject to arrest for engaging in disorderly conduct on account of the Muslim hecklers’ violent response to their speech. In short, this ruling turns the First Amendment on its head.”

David Yerushalmi, AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel, added: “This fight for our fundamental right to freedom of speech does not stop here. We have filed an immediate appeal of this ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. While Judge Duggan may have been the first judge to rule on this issue, he won’t be the last. Indeed, we are prepared to take this case to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary because it is imperative that our free speech rights not be subject to mob rule. This is the United States, not Benghazi.”

At least for now.

. Click HERE For Rest Of Story from The Daley Gator: http://thedaleygator.wordpress.com/

Does it Get Anymore Utterly Insane from This Government and Regime of Obama?

May 10, 2013

Memory of SEALs Defiled at Their Funeral

Soon after the Obama Regime went into overdrive to publicize having finally given the green light to the SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden, 17 SEALs were killed along with 13 other troops when a US helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan under questionable circumstances. Try not to smash your computer screen when you read what our Islamophile rulers permitted to happen at their funeral service:

Today three families of Navy SEAL Team VI special forces servicemen, along with one family of an Army National Guardsman, appeared at a press conference to disclose never before revealed information about how and why their sons along with 26 others died in a fatal helicopter crash in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011. …

At the press conference today the families released video on how military brass, while prohibiting any mention of a Judeo-Christian God, invited a Muslim cleric to the funeral for the fallen Navy SEAL Team VI heroes. This cleric disparaged in Arabic the memory of these servicemen by damning them as infidels to Allah.

This video from today’s press conference includes footage of the funeral services at Bagram Air Force Base:

A transcript of the Muslim curse the heroes were granted instead of a Christian blessing:

Amen. I shelter in Allah from the devil who has been cast with stones. In the name of Allah the merciful forgiver. The companions of “THE FIRE” (The sinners and infidels who are fodder for the hell fire) ARE NOT EQUAL WITH the companions of heaven. The companions of heaven (Muslims) are the WINNERS. Had he sent this Koran to the mountain, you would have seen the mountain prostrated in fear of Allah. (Mocking the GOD of Moses) Such examples are what we present to the people, so that they would think. (repent and convert to Islam) Blessings are to your God (Allah) the God of glory and what they describe. And peace be upon the messengers (prophets) and thanks be to Allah the lord of both universes (mankind and Jinn).

At what point do we decide we have had enough?

On tips from Just TheTip, G. Fox, and Stormfax.

From Moonbattery: http://moonbattery.com/

Woe to America…

May 5, 2013

Isaiah 5:20

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”

Via Christians United for a Conservative America, on a tip from G. Fox.

Found at Moonbattery: http://moonbattery.com/

The Crusades Still Are in Progress…At Least on the islamic Side. The Christian Side Has a Case of The Stupid…

May 3, 2013

The One Constant

By Aaron Goldstein on 5.1.13

Islam is at war with us.

If you want to understand why the Obama Administration uses the phrase “overseas contingency operation” instead of “war on terror”;if you want to know why the Obama Administration deemed the shootings at Fort Hood to be an act of “workplace violence” instead of an act of terrorism, and if you want to know why President Obama wouldn’t use the word terrorism to describe what happened either in Benghazi or Boston, I would like to take this moment to remind you of this passage from his speech to the Turkish Parliament on April 6, 2009:

I know there have been difficulties these last few years. I know that the trust that binds the United States and Turkey has been strained, and I know that strain is shared in many places where the Muslim faith is practiced. So let me say this as clearly as I can: The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam.

Well, the United States may not be at war with Islam but that doesn’t mean a critical mass of Islam isn’t at war with us.

Read it all at The American Spectator: http://spectator.org/archives/2013/05/01/the-one-constant

Christian Monsters…Enemies of the State? Wild Bill Lays it Out.

May 3, 2013

From Mad Medic

Open Warfare on Christians in Our Military By Obama and His Godless Cronies.

May 3, 2013

Obama’s Military May Use Court Martials to Purge Christians

Not surprisingly — considering that rabid anti-Christian bigot Mikey Weinstein has been called in to assist — the well-documented campaign by the Obama Regime to drive Christians out of the military has gone into high gear. You can now be court-martialled for putting in a good word for your faith:

The Pentagon has released a statement confirming that soldiers could be prosecuted for promoting their faith: “Religious proselytization is not permitted within the Department of Defense… Court martials and non-judicial punishments are decided on a case-by-case basis…”.

Being convicted in a court martial means that a soldier has committed a crime under federal military law. Punishment for a court martial can include imprisonment and being dishonorably discharged from the military.

So President Barack Obama’s civilian appointees who lead the Pentagon are confirming that the military will make it a crime — possibly resulting in imprisonment — for those in uniform to share their faith. This would include chaplains — military officers who are ordained clergymen of their faith (mostly Christian pastors or priests, or Jewish rabbis) — whose duty since the founding of the U.S. military under George Washington is to teach their faith and minister to the spiritual needs of troops who come to them for counsel, instruction, or comfort.

America is getting fundamentally transformed, as promised. Without even putting up a fight — yet.

If it was ever possible to be both a Christian and a supporter of the Obama Regime, it certainly isn’t now.

On tips from Artfldgr, Curtis, Bob Roberts, G. Fox, and Apostle53.

Our anti-Christian rulers are serious about this.

Our anti-Christian rulers are serious about this.

From Moonbattery: http://moonbattery.com/

What Would You Say?

May 2, 2013

Pope Francis To Canonize 800 Christians Who Were Killed After Refusing To Convert To Islam By Ottoman Soldiers…

Their response to the Ottoman soldiers was, “We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God, and for Jesus Christ we are ready to die.”

Via Catholic Herald:

Pope Francis is preparing to canonise an estimated 800 Italian laymen killed by Ottoman soldiers in the 15th century. The canonisation service will be on May 12 in St Peter’s Square and it will be the first carried out by the Pontiff since he was elected in early March.

The killing of the martyrs by Ottoman troops, who launched a weeks-long siege of Otranto, a small port town at the most eastern tip of southern Italy, took place in 1480.

When Otranto residents refused to surrender to the Ottoman army, the soldiers were ordered to massacre all males over the age of 15. Many were ordered to convert to Islam or die, but Blessed Antonio Primaldo, a tailor, spoke on the prisoners’ behalf. “We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God, and for Jesus Christ we are ready to die,” he said, according to Blessed John Paul II, who visited Otranto in 1980 for the 500th anniversary of the martyrs’ deaths.

Primaldo inspired all the other townspeople to take courage, the late Pope said, and to say: “We will all die for Jesus Christ; we willingly die so as to not renounce his holy faith.” There were not “deluded” or “outdated,” Blessed John Paul continued, but “authentic, strong, decisive, consistent men” who loved their city, their families and their faith.

The skulls and other relics of the martyrs currently adorn the walls around the altar of Otranto Cathedral as a memorial to their sacrifice. According to the archdiocese’s website, popular tradition holds that when the soldiers beheaded Primaldo, his body remained standing even as the combatants tried to push him over. Legend has it that the decapitated man stood until the very last prisoner was killed, at which point Primaldo’s body collapsed next to his dead comrades.

Keep reading…

From Weasel Zippers: http://weaselzippers.us/

islam is Always the Problem

April 30, 2013

Found at Mad MEdic:http://maddmedic.wordpress.com/

Got Questions or Doubt? God is not Afraid of Questions

April 19, 2013

FROM THE VAULT: The Problem With Questions

Zack — April 5, 2013

As I’m always welcoming new people to the blog I sometimes like to revisit an old post or two that sparked a good conversation, but may have been missed by those who weren’t around when it was originally posted. This post originally appeared in September 2012 and addresses an issue that for many churches is, tragically, nothing short of sin – having doubts and asking questions.

Nothing makes you feel dumber than going to school.

At least that’s the case for me.

Seriously.

I can do all my assigned reading and spend time reflecting on the text, but that won’t always save me from staring blankly back at the professor when asked a question, or worse, answering incorrectly. That’s not to say there aren’t questions I’m asked that I do know the answer to, but there are few things more unnerving for me than being asked questions I don’t know the answer to.

You see, the problem with questions is that they expose us. They reveal us for who we really are, imperfect people who don’t know everything and who, in fact, don’t have nearly as much control over the world as we might want people around us to believe.

But for many Christians, this sort of situation isn’t acceptable.

Christian fundamentalism is built around the premise that because it has the Bible and believes in Jesus it holds and must hold all the answers in life. Therefore….

It knows everything about the Bible.

It knows everything about God.

It knows everything about salvation.

It knows everything about everything.

Which means there is no room for uncomfortable, difficult questions.

Questions that you or I might struggle with, such as how a loving God can allow such wasteful suffering from diseases like Alzhiemer’s, those sorts of seemingly unanswerable questions can only be addressed in one of two ways by the fundamentalist.

Either a horrendously unloving “answer” is given, explaining God’s unknowable, yet purposeful (and apparently evil) will.

Or…

The person asking the question is attacked for committing what is for fundamentalism the most grievous of sins: asking questions.

After all, nothing makes God more angry than being asked a question, right?

It might sound absurd, but such attacks are “necessary” because if fundamentalism can’t provide a definitive, succinct answer to every question asked of it, then it crumbles under the weight of its own hubris.

I think this problem with questions demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding about Christianity.

Our inability to provide answers to all the questions asked about our faith isn’t necessarily a reflection of Christianity’s truthfulness. It’s a reflection of our finitude, of the fact that as created beings, we don’t have all the answers. It’s also a reflection of the fact that not all questions have answers, at least not this side of eternity.

While the Bible is certainly a source of truth, its authors ask just as many questions as we do and many times clear answers aren’t given.

If you don’t believe me, I suggest you read the book of Job.

Or Psalms.

Or Lamentations.

If such questioning in the Bible tells us anything, it’s that God isn’t afraid of being asked questions.

If anything, God welcomes questions. We may not always get the answer we like or get that answer in the timeframe we want, but God will not zap us with lightning if we ask.

Why?

Because Christianity, despite popular misconception, is not a call to blind faith.

Those who call their followers to blind faith do so because blind faith affords them absolute control over others. Questions have no place in such a world because they threaten that leader’s control. In other words, questions are condemned because they threaten to set the captive free.

Sound familiar?

Jesus certainly provided a lot of answers, but he asked just as many questions of religious leaders who thought they were in control and welcomed the questions that were asked of him.

Why?

Because Jesus doesn’t call us to blind faith. He calls us to a childlike faith and if you’ve spent any time around children, then you know how much they love to ask questions.

Why is the sky blue?

Why do I have a belly button?

Where do babies come from?

When, like children, we ask questions of about our faith, it’s not because we lack faith in God. Rather, it is because of our faith in God that we ask those questions. We ask because sometimes we can’t reconcile what we experience with what and Who we know to be true.

I think God wants us asking those sorts of questions because it demonstrates the sort of love for others God desires each of us to have.

At the end of the day, asking questions is fundamental to our humanity, it’s how we learn and grow. And if the Bible teaches us anything, it’s also part of what it means to be the people of God. The Bible, with all its answers, is a beautiful picture of an open and honest relationship between an imperfect people and a God who’s not afraid of those people asking tough questions and then turning to them ask tough questions in return about their own faithfulness, their own love for others, and why they aren’t doing more to make the world into the sort of place they want or need it to be.

Which means we shouldn’t stop asking questions about God.

Because God won’t stop asking questions about us.

Grace and peace,

Zack Hunt at American Jesus: http://theamericanjesus.net/

Sometimes…Bad Things Just Happen

April 19, 2013

FROM THE VAULT: Everything Happens For A Reason

Zack — April 16, 2013

As I’m always welcoming new people to the blog I sometimes like to revisit an old post or two that sparked a good conversation, but may have been missed by those who weren’t around when it was originally posted. In light of the tragic events at the Boston Marathon yesterday and the inevitable search for why such madness occurs, I thought this post would be appropriate to share again as it pretty much sums up my thoughts on the widely held notion that “everything happens for a reason,” or, worse, that horrific evil like this is somehow part of God’s plan.

I’ve long been annoyed by the saying “everything happens for a reason.”

For one, I find it to be rather sappy and, well, I’m not a particularly sappy person.

Secondly, I’ve never thought the sentiment was true. Some things just happen. There’s no rhyme or reason to them. They just happen. But the more I think about it, the more I’ve come to realize that I was wrong.

Everything does happen for a reason.

When you got that new job you were hoping for, that happened for a reason – you applied for it, you interviewed well, and the company thought you were the best candidate for the job.

When you failed that test you needed to pass in order to maintain your GPA and keep your scholarship, that too happened for a reason – you spent too much time on Facebook, going out with friends, and catching up on your favorite shows when you should have been studying.

The time that house on the news got hit by lightinging and burned to the ground, that happened for a reason – the roof of the house was the closest contact point for the bolt of lightning and the massive charge of electricity caused the wood the house was built with to catch on fire.

And when that young mother and her child were hit head on by a drunk driver and died tragically in a car accident, that also happened for a reason – someone had too much to drink and without concern for anyone else’s well being they got behind the wheel of their car wherein their impaired judgment and slowed response time resulted in them running a red light and taking the life of a mother and her child.

But there was no grander narrative behind these moments, no deeper meaning to be discovered if we simply read the signs correctly. They happened and there was a reason behind their happening, but that reason was mundane, not divine.

In other words, these things were not part of God’s plan.

When these sorts of events occur and we find ourselves in a moment of speechless horror, many of us utter the words “everything happens for a reason,” either to ourselves or to those who are suffering, with the thought being that God is behind these events and has a reason, or purpose, for them occurring.

Let’s assume for a moment that that is true, that the sort of events I’ve described, as well as other horrific tragedies, were the handiwork of the divine. What, then, does that say about the nature of God?

In short, it says that God is a God who apparently delights in suffering. It says that God is the sort of god who sends drunk drivers to kill babies, who burns down people’s homes, and afflicts random people with horrendous diseases like cancer.

Regardless of any potential “reason” such a god would choose to does this things, if indeed God had a hand in intentionally causing them to occur, then that God is not the God of the Bible.

That God is not worthy of worship.

That God is evil.

Does the Bible speak of a God who works to draw out good in the midst of great evil? Absolutely. But there is tremendous difference between a God who orders the chaos and a God who causes it.

This does not mean that God does not enact judgment. Scripture testifies to this truth. But what scripture does not do is ascribe to God the responsibility or blame for every terrible thing that happens in life.

The truth is we live in a broken world and in such a world terrible, meaningless things happen. Not because God wants them to happen, but because our decisions have unavoidable consequences and because nature is an untamable beast that is always on the prowl.

But when we try to ascribe divine meaning, purpose, or reason to tragedy, we merely compound the pain and turn God into a villain.

Mothers who suffer miscarriages should never have to hear that God killed their baby. Family members who just lost a loved one to cancer should never be told that God made their loved one sick. Friends whose homes have been lost to natural disaster should not have to hear that God wanted them to be homeless.

While we would never say these things exactly this way, when we try to comfort our friends and loved ones with the words “everything happens for a reason” or “God has a purpose,” then this is exactly what we are telling them.

It is a good and holy thing to want to console our friends who are suffering, but more often than not the greatest comfort you can give is the silence that accompanies a listening ear, a loving shoulder to cry on, and the promise of prayer.

Pain is hell.

Which means we must do everything we can to avoid becoming our loved ones tormenters in their time of trial.

Yes, there will come a day when every tear will be wiped away and there will be no more death or crying or mourning or pain.

But until that day comes, our testimony to that future reality is not found in trying to attach meaning to the meaningless. Our testimony, and our gift of grace to those to suffer, will be found in our willingness to suffer with them, to walk with them through the valley of the shadow of death so that they know they are not alone.

In that act of grace, we incarnate the truth that though meaningless pain and suffering may seem to rule the present, that is not part of God’s plan.

God’s plan is that one day He will make His dwelling place among His people to dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be among them and be their God.

On that day and not before it, the old order of things will pass away and all things will be made new.

Grace and peace,

Zack Hunt at American Jesus: http://theamericanjesus.net/

Jesus’s Ascension into Heaven

April 14, 2013

More Than an Afterthought: Six Reasons Jesus’s Ascension Matters

by Brian Tabb | April 13, 2013

Have you marked your calendar for Ascension Day on May 9? How many of us have even heard of Ascension Day? Or perhaps just a sermon about Jesus’s ascension into heaven? It is impossible to overstate the importance of Good Friday, when Jesus died for our sins, and Easter Sunday, when he was raised from the dead — but Jesus’s earthly ministry did not stop there.

After the resurrection, Jesus taught his disciples about God’s kingdom for forty days (Acts 1:3) and then he was “taken up” to heaven (Acts 1:2, 11). The cross and empty tomb are at the very heart of the gospel message proclaimed by Jesus’s followers throughout history (see 1 Corinthians 15:1–4). However, for many evangelical Christia…

READ IT AT:

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/more-than-an-afterthought-six-reasons-jesus-s-ascension-matters

Obama and His Commie Cronies Want no Part of Christianity

April 12, 2013

In Obama’s America “Army Values” Don’t Tolerate Christian Views on Marriage (Updated)

April, 10, 2013 — nicedeb

A few days ago, I reported on the shocking story about the Army instructor in Pennsylvania who labeled Evangelical Christians, Catholics, Orthodox Jews and Mormons “religious extremists” alongside Hamas and al Qaeda during an Army Reserve Equal Opportunity training brief on extremism. An Army spokesman told Todd Starnes of Fox News that this was an “isolated incident not condoned by the Dept. of the Army.”

Well it was assuredly not an isolated incident.

Today, Todd Starnes reported at Townhall that an Army officer at Ft. Campbell, KY sent an email to subordinates using similar descriptions to describe two mainstream Christian ministries that were put in the same category as Neo-Nazis, Racist Skinheads, White Nationalists and the Ku Klux Klan.

A U.S. Army officer sent an email to dozens of subordinates listing the American Family Association and Family Research Council as “domestic hate groups” because they oppose homosexuality — and warned officers to monitor soldiers who might be supporters of the groups.

“Just want to ensure everyone is somewhat educated on some of the groups out there that do not share our Army Values,” read an email from LTC Jack Rich to three dozen subordinates at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. “When we see behaviors that are inconsistent with Army Values, don’t just walk by – do the right thing and address the concern before it becomes a problem.”

So— one has to wonder what “Army Values” are in Obama’s America? We know what they aren’t are: traditional, conservative, Christian values. Like our parents and our parents’ parents had. Those yucky, old-fashioned ”extremist” values are being drummed out of our heads – whether it be in the public schools, throughout civil society and now even in the military – a devout faith in secular humanism is not only strongly suggested – it’s aggressively forced down everyone’s throats.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, told Fox News he was disturbed by the contents of the email.

“It’s very disturbing to see where the Obama Administration is taking the military and using it as a laboratory for social experimentation — and also as an instrument to fundamentally change the culture,” he said. “The message is very clear – if you are a Christian who believes in the Bible, who believes in transcendent truth, there is no place for you in the military.”

When Ron Crews, executive director of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty asked the Army instructor who conducted the briefing on religious extremism, where she got her information, he was told it was the Southern Poverty Law Center.

This latest Army email has all the markings of SPLC anti-Christian propaganda.

Last November, they came out with a report labeling the Family Research Council (FRC), the American Family Association and other family advocates as “hate” groups because of their stand on marriage.

The National Prayer Network reported that the SPLC’s 10-page attack was distributed to police officers all across America.

Called 18 Anti-Gay Groups and Their Propaganda, it encourages police to especially watch the hateful, violence-inciting propaganda from Christian/conservative “watchdog” organizations. These include the American Family Association, Concerned Women for America, Family Research Council, Coral Ridge Ministries, Liberty Council, and Traditional Values Coalition.

According to Dr. Gary Cass, who is affiliated with the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, “To say that anybody who has a principled objection to homosexuality [and warns of] the impact that that sinful lifestyle has on individuals and on society is somehow morally equivalent to overt racism and violence is absolutely defamatory.”

According to emails obtained by Judicial Watch, Attorney General Eric Holder’s Justice Dept. has worked closely with the SPLC, even inviting co-founder Morris Dees to appear as the featured speaker at a July 31, 2012, “Diversity Training Event” sponsored by the Civil Rights and Tax divisions of the DOJ, for which employees who were instructed qualified “for mandatory annual diversity training for supervisors.”

The demonization of the Christian right has apparently now spread to the US Army.

Perkins, a Marine Corps veteran, said it’s clear that “Army Values” have indeed changed.

“And it’s the values of Evangelicals and Catholics,” Perkins said. “It’s not the values of the vast majority of those serving in our nation’s military. I think it’s the values of this administration trying to superimpose upon our military.”

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin, now an executive vice president of the FRC, told Fox News that all Americans should be concerned about the contents of the email.

“If this is the action of a single Army lieutenant colonel, it needs to be investigated,” he said. “On the other hand, if what he reflects is a shifting policy or attitude of the Army or DOD, then I think it is a much bigger issue.”

Boykin served more than 36 years in the military before retiring in 2007. Since 2008 he said he’s seen withering attacks on religious liberty.

Among the incidents:

-A War Games scenario at Fort Leavenworth that identified Christian groups and Evangelical groups as being potential threats;

-A 2009 Dept. of Homeland Security memorandum that identified future threats to national security coming from Evangelicals and pro-life groups;

-A West Point study released by the U.S. Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center that linked pro-lifers to terrorism;

-Evangelical leader Franklin Graham was disinvited from the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer service because of his comments about Islam;

-Christian prayers were banned at the funeral services for veterans at Houston’s National Cemetery;

-Bibles were banned at Walter Reed Army Medical Center – a decision that was later rescinded;

-Christian crosses and a steeple were removed from a chapel in Afghanistan because the military said the icons disrespected other religions;

-Catholic chaplains were told not to read a letter to parishioners from their archbishop related to Obamacare mandates. The Secretary of the Army feared the letter could be viewed as a call for civil disobedience.

***

Crews said the military is getting their information on domestic hate groups from the Southern Poverty Law Center. And the email written by the lieutenant colonel referenced the organization.

“This is disturbing that the military would use this list composed by the Southern Poverty Law Center when these organizations that are highly esteemed and respected in the evangelical community,” he said.

The Chaplain Alliance filed a Freedom of Information Act request – asking if the SPLC list had been widely distributed in the military or if had been used in a formal manner.

The response they got from the Dept. of Defense left Crews troubled.

“They told us they had no record of the SPLC list being used,” he said – even though the email clearly proves otherwise.

So they’re lying – as all leftists do. Crews said what we’re seeing is part of a disturbing trend: “We believe it is more widespread than the military is acknowledging. We keep getting calls from military personnel telling us of their issues.”

It should be noted that the anti-Christian propaganda found on the SPLC website incited Floyd Lee Corkins to attempt a mass shooting at the Family Research Council, last August.

There needs to be a House investigation on this anti-Christian poison that is being pushed on Americans throughout law enforcement and the military. These aren’t isolated incidents and it needs to be nipped in the bud, before it becomes more pervasive.

From Nice Deb: http://nicedeb.wordpress.com/

Are You Looking at The “Real” Jesus?

April 12, 2013

An Honest Response: “I love Jesus but hate Religion”

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians”

“I’m a Christ-follower, but I oppose organized religion.”

“I’m spiritual. I think Jesus was a great teacher, but the church needs to change.”

There are almost endless variants of this core message.. “I like Jesus. I hate Religion.”

The problem is that people who make this statement don’t really believe either point. It’s a logical slight of hand, but one in which the illusionists only fool themselves.

Let me explain.

“I love Jesus”….

Slight of hand #1: You switched “Jesuses” on us.

To say that you love Jesus means that you have to understand who Jesus actually claimed to be, His teachings, and His stated purpose.

Jesus claimed to be God. Not a teacher, not a prophet, not a good moral example. GOD. The actual creator of the universe. You can’t run around claiming to be God and then just be seen as a “good teacher” or “moral example”. If Jesus isn’t who He said He was, He was at best a charlatan, and at worst a psychopath.

Jesus also made incredibly unique truth claims which were patently offensive (and blasphemous) in the first century, and remain patently offensive (and “intolerant”) in today’s post-modern culture. Jesus said that He was God incarnate, the very creator of the universe entering into creation for a single purpose: To provide the exclusive way by which men could escape the just punishment for their sin and receive eternal life. The flip side of this truth claim is that anyone who did not believe this would be condemned.

One God. One name, alone, by which man may be saved.

Those are the truth claims of Jesus. To say that you love, respect, or follow Jesus while denying his claims of both deity and exclusivity is to love, respect, or follow a different Jesus. In short, “coexist Jesus” doesn’t exist. He’s a creation of your imagination.

You’ve swapped out the real Jesus with one of your own making. THAT is the Jesus you like.

“I’m Spiritual”, “I hate religion”

Slight of hand #2: You swapped religions on us.

The problem is that this generic “spiritualism” is a subjective, personalized experience. Jesus didn’t come for that reason, He didn’t minister that way, and He didn’t establish His work on earth in this manner.

Jesus spoke, performed miracles, and made his truth claims publicly and objectively. He established the meeting together of His followers for teaching, edification, and public proclamation. To meet together publicly and jointly confess our faith in a publicly, objectively crucified savior guards against creating and worshipping our “own personal Jesus.”

By holding to the objective, public statements of Jesus’ earthly ministry, by publicly receiving the objective elements of the Lord’s Supper, and by publicly and objectively being washed in baptism, we ultimately worship the historic, public, objective Jesus rather than a private, subjective “Jesus” of our own creation.

What this leads to, without fail, is not only replacing the real Jesus with one of your own creation, but replacing the public, objective gospel of Jesus ministry with your own, alternative gospel.

Let’s work through that.

So, you dig Jesus. You think he had some great messages about loving the underdog, the poor, the disenfranchised. You think he was a great moral teacher. But the whole “God” thing? The whole “only way” thing? Not so much. So what are you left with? “Love your neighbor as yourself.” So you replace Jesus stated purpose of coming to save people who do not, who cannot, love their neighbor as themselves with the very thing He said is impossible. Huh?

In closing, here’s the rub. Jesus taught and the church confesses that we have ALL failed and fallen short of this call to Love God with all our hearts and Love our neighbor as ourselves. Therefore, we believe and confess that it is only by grace through faith in Christ that we are forgiven. That’s the christian faith. That’s the christian “church”, that’s our “religion”.

This “spiritualism”? Your “own path”? You’ve simply replaced the religion of Jesus with one of your own making. And it ends up where ALL non-Christian religions end up; A religion of works and law rather than Jesus religion, a religion of grace.

So to be blunt, to be offensive, to be “intolerant”.. You either love the biblical Jesus and his biblical religion, or you love the Jesus and religion you’ve replaced them with. To balk at either Jesus or His religion is to engage in a slight of hand. The problem here is that you aren’t fooling anyone but yourself.

Marc

From Marc5Solas: http://marc5solas.com/2013/04/11/an-honest-response-i-love-jesus-but-hate-religion/

Health is a Blessing…But Sickness?

April 12, 2013

No Blessing Like Health — With the Exception of Sickness

byJohn Piper|April 11, 2013

One moving testimony to me as I ended my ministry at Bethlehem on March 31 was that of a young woman who has battled cancer. She thanked God for my cancer. She had listened to the messages leading up to my surgery in February 2006. They were life for her.

God knows what pastors must endure to be useful to their people. It is sobering to read in 2 Corinthians 1:6, “If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation.” That is one reason the ministry is as hard as it is. We are afflicted so that in our afflictions our people will be saved.

Charles Spurgeon suffered repeatedly from depression. But he had an unwavering belief in the sovereignty of God in all his afflictions. This was his…

Read it all at: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/no-blessing-like-health-with-the-exception-of-sickness

Let’s Get This Straight: Being a Christian Ain’t Always Easy

April 10, 2013

J. Warner Wallace: I am not a Christian because it works for me

UPDATE: Linked by Captain Capitalism, who, although non-religious, thinks that real Christians ought to walk the walk.

Here’s a must-read post from Cold-Case Christianity author J. Warner Wallace.

Excerpt:

Life on this side of my decision hasn’t always been easy. It’s been nearly seventeen years since I first trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior. I still struggle to submit my prideful will to what God would call me to do. Christianity is not easy. It doesn’t always “work” for me. There are times when I think it would be easier to do it the old way; easier to cut a corner or take a short cut. There are many times when doing the right thing means doing the most difficult thing possible. There are also times when it seems like non-Christians have it easier, or seem to be “winning”. It’s in times like these that I have to remind myself that I’m not a Christian because it serves my own selfish purposes. I’m not a Christian because it “works” for me. I had a life prior to Christianity that seemed to be working just fine, and my life as a Christian hasn’t always been easy.

I’m a Christian because it is true. I’m a Christian because I want to live in a way that reflects the truth. I’m a Christian because my high regard for the truth leaves me no alternative.

I think this is important. There are people who I know who claim to be Christian, but they are clearly believing that God is a mystical force who arranges everything in their lives in order to make them happy. They are not Christians because it’s true, but because of things like comfort and community. But people ought to become Christians because they think it’s true. Truth doesn’t necessarily make you happy, though. Truth can impose intellectual obligations and moral obligations on you. Seeing God as he really is doesn’t help us to “win” at life, as the culture defines winning.

Winning in Christianity doesn’t mean making lots of money, or being famous, or winning human competitions, or being approved of by lots of people. Winning for a Christian might involve things like building relationships with people and leading them to know that God exists and who Jesus is. That has no cash value, and it’s not going to make you famous. Actually, it will probably cost you money and time, and make you unpopular with a lot of people.

The Bible doesn’t promise that people who become Christians will be happier. Actually, it promises that Christians will suffer for doing the right things. Their autonomy will suffer, as they sacrifice their own interests and happiness in order to make God happy, by serving his interests. Christianity isn’t something you add on to your before-God life in order to achieve your before-God goals. When you become a Christian, you get a new set of goals, based on God’s character and his design for you. And although you might be very successful in the world as part of serving God, there is no guarantee of that. Christianity is not life enhancement.

From Wintery Knight: http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/j-warner-wallace-i-am-not-a-christian-because-it-works-for-me/

Found at Captain Capitalism: http://captaincapitalism.blogspot.com/

Calling a Spade a Spade – islamic, islamist, mooslim, whatever, At The Root, It is All Evil.

April 10, 2013

Operation Language Cleanup – By Diana West

From the desk of Diana West on Tue, 2013-04-09 13:05

The AP Stylebook has opened a new chapter on the non-”offensive” Engllsh-language lexicon to parse the war on the world waged by Islam. The wire service bible (can I say that?) has decreed that “Islamist” is out as a “a synonym for Islamic fighters, militants, extremists or radicals.”…

“If the past decade teaches anything, I think it is that there is great shame in understanding Islam — for non-Muslims. Westerners do seem to find it shameful to admit that Islam, according to its main and mainstream (not “extremist”) teachings, is really that bad — that totalitarian, that supremacist, that misogynistic, that expansionist, that barbaric. Embarassment for Islam’s followers seems to overwhelm the Westerner’s mental circuits when imagining that millions of people in the 21st century not only submit to Islam’s law, but expect — demand — that the rest of us to submit to it as well.

Thus, we invent or, better, gratefully accept a way out for everyone. It is the “Islamists” who are the problem — not those who merely believe in and follow the teachings of Islam. What, doctrinally, is the difference? Why is that our problem?”

Read the entire article at Brussels Journal: http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/5052

Suicide and The Grace of God

April 9, 2013

Suicide, Scripture and the Grace of God

Saturday, 23 July 2011 01:41 Written by Jim Denison

A young sad girl with a tear rolling down her cheek looking up to God (Credit: Chepko Danil via Fotolia.com) More people die from suicide than from homicide in America. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for those aged 15-24, and is most common among those aged 65 years and older. Suicide rates among the elderly are highest for those who are divorced or widowed. In the last half-century, the suicide rate among adolescents and young adults has nearly tripled.

These are some of the facts regarding the tragedy of suicide. However, you are likely reading this essay because this subject is more personal than objective for you. I hope the following conversation can help.

I am writing as a pastor and theologian, not a counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. I will offer a brief overview of our subject from a biblical and theological perspective, with some practical suggestions at the conclusion of our conversation. But if suicide is a very real issue for you, I urge you to seek professional help immediately. Our pastoral care staff can support you in finding the assistance you need, today.

Much confusion abounds in our society regarding the theological and spiritual dimensions of suicide. Is this the “unpardonable sin”? Can those who take their lives still be in heaven? Why does God permit such a tragedy? How can faith sustain us in this hardest of all times?

Read the entire article at: The Dennison Forum – http://www.denisonforum.org/morality/25-suicide-scripture-and-the-grace-of-god

About the Author: Jim Denison, Ph.D., is a subject matter expert on cultural and contemporary issues. He founded the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, a nonsectarian “think tank” designed to engage contemporary issues with biblical truth in 2009 and is the author of seven books, including Radical Islam: What You Need to Know. For more information on the Denison Forum, visit www.denisonforum.org. To connect with Dr. Denison in social media, visit www.twitter.com/jimdenison or www.facebook.com/denisonforum.

Do You Read The Bible?

April 9, 2013

Poll: Americans Love the Bible But Don’t Read It Much

Caleb Bell, Religion News Service

Friday, April 05, 2013

(RNS) — More than half of Americans think the Bible has too little influence on a culture they see in moral decline, yet only one in five Americans read the Bible on a regular basis, according to a new survey.

More than three-quarters of Americans (77 percent) think the nation’s morality is headed downhill, according to a new survey from American Bible Society.

The survey showed the Bible is still firmly rooted in American soil: 88 percent of respondents said they own a Bible, 80 percent think the Bible is sacred, 61 percent wish they read the Bible more, and the average household has 4.4 Bibles.

If the Bible is so commonplace in America, wouldn’t its moral teachings counteract the downward trend? Almost a third of respondents said moral decline was a result of people not reading the Bible, while 29 percent cited the “negative influence of America” and one in four cited corporate corruption.

Doug Birdsall, president of American Bible Society, said he sees a reason for why the Bible isn’t connecting with people.

“I see the problem as analogous to obesity in America. We have an awful lot of people who realize they’re overweight, but they don’t follow a diet,” Birdsall said. “People realize the Bible has values that would help us in our spiritual health, but they just don’t read it.”

If they do read it, the majority (57 percent) only read their Bibles four times a year or less. Only 26 percent of Americans said they read their Bible on a regular basis (four or more times a week).

The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, said the Bible can come across as intimidating to the uninitiated. “There’s a tendency to think that if you read the Bible, you have to read it from start to finish. But when people do read the Bible, they don’t know where to begin,” Martin said.

Younger people also seem to be moving away from the Bible. A majority (57 percent) of those ages 18-28 read their Bibles less than three times a year, if at all.

The Barna Group conducted “The State of the Bible 2013″ study for American Bible Society, using 1,005 telephone interviews and 1,078 online surveys with a margin of error for the combined data of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

From Religion Today: http://www.religiontoday.com/articles/poll-americans-love-the-bible-but-don-t-read-it-much.html

Are You a “Red Pill” Christian?

April 9, 2013

The Christian “Red Pill”

Over the past year, I have grown to enjoy reading blogs. It has shown me that I am not alone at where I am in life. Reading some of them is encouraging, convicting, and edifying. Some of them also help me to understand where other people are coming from in their views as well, whether it be about the Bible, Christianity, marriage, or some controversial topic. They helps me to understand why people think the way they do, even if they are wrong. One of the reasons why I think some people blog is because there may not be anyone around them that will respect them enough to listen to them. Blogging gives them the opportunity to discuss their views without someone close to them condemning them for doing so. Reading blogs gives us the opportunity to know why atheists have a problem with a deity, what is going on in the mind of someone with a different view of the Bible, or why people hate church. We can then come and discuss it with them at their level instead of just making sure they know “their wrong and we’re right”. How far will that attitude get you?

Around the blogging world (aka the blogosphere), there is a genre of what is considered “red pill”. The “red pill” is a term derived from the movie “The Matrix” to refer to having one’s eyes opened to things that are not commonly seen. In the movie, a character is offered a red pill that will change his life or a blue pill that will make him forget any changes and go with the flow of others. (To those who are “red pill” or are familiar with the movie, forgive me if I am misrepresenting the movie. I still haven’t watched it. I have just seen clips and other blogs referring to it.) I have dealt with swallowing the “red pill” myself in this post.

I hope I am not going out on a limb by posting this because many “red pill” blogs have to do with relating to women, marriage, and alpha and beta traits, both secular and Christian. However, of the Christian ones, many of the topics discussed point out how the Bible is being either horribly distorted or totally neglected by many in Christianity. I appreciate many of their posts. It has helped me to see the questions that I have asked are ones that others ask too. I am not necessarily here to speak specifically about any “flavor” of the “red pill” such as feminism, marriage, PUA, Game, MRM, or the like. In this post, I want to broaden the reach of the Christian “red pill”. The Christian red pill is not anything special. All it is about is taking the Bible for what it’s worth at face value. It’s about taking all of what God says, not only the parts you like, and counting it as truth and seeking to please God by doing it, even if it goes against the “Christian” norm.

For me, I think I accidentally swallowed the “Red Pill”. From what I’ve read, that seems like this happens to many people. God has a way of getting our attention when we’re to dumb to realize things ourselves. (Again, click the link above to read my “red pill” story.)

The “red pill” goes down hard, tastes horrible, and has serious side effects. You are just living life and BOOM! …questions arise. You get answers to those questions that don’t make sense and it makes you question things even more. You wonder where in the Bible what is said came from. But what is said is just the way it is. Everyone seems to think it as well. It’s just tradition. Then you hear that Pastor so-and-so said “this” or a Christian book or radio program said “that”. Where did they get THAT from? Suddenly, you start fighting with yourself on what is true or not. Who is right? You realize God is. His Word is truth whether other Christians want to follow it or not.

The “red pill” is really nothing new, either. Many, many people through the ages have taken the pill. Some of the more famous ones are ingrained into Christian history. Martin Luther took the “red pill” and questioned the authority and some practices of the Roman Catholic Church with what the Scriptures taught, only to be condemned because of it. Dietrich Bonhoeffer did not sway with the Church toward Hitler’s Nazi Regime and stood his ground at the cost of his life at the age of 39. John Hus was burned at the stake for speaking against the Roman Catholic Church in his time. William Tyndale was burned alive for translating the Bible into common English. John Wycliffe was deemed a heretic for his Bible-based views prior to the reformation. He died of natural causes, but his body was dug up a burned afterwards. Charles Spurgeon, a London pastor in the 1800′s, stood strong in the midst of the “downgrade controversy” when, even among Christians, the Bible was being questioned if it was the sole authority. Ultimately, Jesus, the Maker of the “red pill”, stood up against the religious authority of His day who made their own rules instead of following God’s Word.

You see, the Christian “red pill” is nothing new. It is believing EVERYTHING God says in the His Word whether it sounds good or not, even if other “Christians” think otherwise. It means not throwing in psychology or philosophy along with the Bible. It means doing what God says even if it’s not the cultural norm. It means dying to yourself and the world around you. The Christian “red pill” simply means believing and doing what God says. Hey, isn’t that what Jesus tells us to do anyway?

Yet, in the United States, our culture wants things our own way. Don’t like what the preacher says? Go to the church down the street. You can watch preachers on TV that will tell you how to get what you want and get your best life. They can tell you God thinks your awesome, wonderful, and that you’re the greatest thing ever. Okay, before I go into a sarcastic seizure, I’ll move on.

You know those crazy medication commercials you see on TV or hear on the radio? You know, the ones that say you can be free of some pain or other issue at the risk of side effects that includes dry mouth, constipation, internal bleeding, or infection that can lead to death. If someone would make a video “commercial” about the Christian “red pill”, that would be an awesome thing to watch. I would advertise the Christian “Red pill” something like this: (Of course, I’d need to make it way more concise.)

Benefits for everyone include:

- You don’t care what other people think about you, but what God thinks. You don’t worry if people hate you because your life doesn’t consist of pleasing others, but pleasing God. The world will hate you because you are not of this world. But if the world loves you, you need to check yourself. (John 17:14, 7:7, 15:18-19, 1 John 3:13) You seek to be humble. You know you are not wonderful and never were. You understand it is only by God’s grace that you are not drowning in the depths of sin. You do not boast in anything but God because you offer nothing good and He gives everything good. You do not boast in any of your own accomplishments, but in what God has accomplished. (2 Corinthians 10:17, Romans 12:3) – You remember where you came from. You know who you were before Christ and know you would still be there, or worse, without Him. Therefore, you also treat other “sinners”, even homosexuals, like actual human beings. If it weren’t for Christ, you’d be going to the same Hell for your own disobedience to God. – You understand that political leaders are chosen by God. Therefore, you can spend more time preaching the gospel that can change hearts and lives instead of preaching about political issues. Changing people’s minds about abortion, civil rights, or homosexuality will not make them a follower of Christ, but God changing their hearts through the gospel will. (Daniel 4:35, Romans 13:1, Daniel 4:25) – You take responsibility for your own sins. It is not so-and-so’s fault that you did this or that. If you did it, it’s your own fault and you will be held accountable for it. Deal with it. (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11) – Yet, you also understand that your actions or words can have an effect of others. They may be tempted to sin because of something you said or did. You know you can put a stumbling block in front of another brother or sister. (1 Corinthians 8:9-11) – You understand that everybody have different gifts and different issues they struggle with than you do. You can encourage others that are going through things that you are strong in and get help for things you are weak in. You also do not look down and judge those that are weaker than you in certain areas. You understand that without God’s grace, you can be in that same position. (1 Corinthians 12:4-27) – You understand there is a difference between “church” and the “Church” If you are a true follower of Christ, you are part of the “Body of Christ” or community of Christians from around the world that spans throughout history that doesn’t involve denominations. You seek to help, build up, challenge, encourage, strengthen, and be like-minded with those in the Body. You understand that not everyone in the Body is just like you. God has given to each one different talents and gifts. Each one is either stronger or weaker in faith than you. But the Body seeks to work together to glorify God, the one who bought it. Lastly, your Christian walk does not consist of being in a building for a few hours a week and only becoming a clique with a few people and forsaking the rest of the Body. – You understand that the Gospel is not about life-enhancement. Jesus did not come and die just to make you live a happy life. The Bible has much to say about you being a sinner and condemned already because of your sin. It speaks plainly about what you deserve and what you will receive without the atonement that comes only from Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. (If that doesn’t make sense, message or email me.) The Gospel is about becoming righteous, or having being made right in the eyes of God, despite your rebellion against Him. It’s about His glory, His salvation, and His righteousness. The only thing you bring to the table is sin. (Romans 3:9-28, Ephesians 2) – You understand that no matter how much of the red pill you swallow, you are to be humble, contrite, and a servant to all. You are not to be wise in your own opinion. You are to bear with those who are weak. You are to provide unity to the Body of Christ and not discord and division. (Romans 12:9-21)

Benefits for men: – You will man up. You will not man up as it is commonly refered to by being nice and doing what everyone tells you to do. Manning up does not mean being blamed for everyone else’s behavior, including your wife’s. You will man up by doing the things God says without excuse. God tells us we should imitate Him. God is not always nice. He is full of truth. He answers to no one. You only answer to Him. – You will seek to be a man as Christ was. You are called to follow, imitate, and be like Him. ALL OF HIM! This means not only being humble, serving, and gentle when need be, but also standing firm in God’s truth. It also means calling people out in their sin. We have seemed to forget that Jesus and Paul were sarcastic and said things that seemed cruel for the glory of God. There is a big difference in being sarcastic to rip someone apart and doing it to uphold God’s truths. (Matt 15:22-26, Galatians 5:2-12) – You will call out sin without worrying about anyone’s feelings or if they are offended. Jesus was never apologetic for being offensive because of the truth and neither should you. – You will learn to love your wife as Christ does the church. He did so by laying His life down for it, not give it everything it ever wanted. He served us by doing what was best for us. He does not ask us what He should do even when we whine and complain. (Ephesians 5:25-33, Colossians 3:19, 1 Peter 3:7) – You understand that love is not a feeling, but is an action as listed in 1st Corinthians 13. No matter how you “feel”, you are to love your wife and love others. – You also understand that God tells you to love your wife no matter what she is like or how she treats you. This does not mean you ignore her sin. It does not mean she is not responsible. It means you are to do what you are supposed to do before God. – You will learn to teach and lead your children in humility, not provoking them to be angry. – You will not apologize for being a man. God made you a man with certain talents, responsibilities, and desires. It is not a sin to be the way you are unless God’s Word tells you it’s a sin. Period. You do not let this world, culture, or even modern Christianity tell you what a man is. You learn from God’s Word.

Benefits for women: – You will woman down. You will not try to be like a man, because you are not a man. You understand that God has given men and women certain responsibilities. – You will submit to your husband as the Church does to Christ. It does so by respecting and obeying Christ. The Church does not tell Christ what He should do and then yell at Him when He doesn’t do it their way. The Church does not tell Christ how to be a better Savior. The Church does not whine and complain until it gets her way, but asks Christ for things knowing that Christ has its best interest in mind and will give it what it needs. (Ephesians 5:22-24,33, Colossians 3:18, 1 Peter 3:1-6 – notice the “likewise” in verse 1? read the full context (1 Peter 2:13-3:6)) – You understand that God tells you to respect and submit to your husband no matter if you “feel” like he’s loving you or not. God’s command for you to submit to your husband is not conditional to his performance. This does not mean ignore His sin. It doesn’t mean you follow him into sin against God. It does not mean he is not responsible. It means you are to do what you are supposed to do before God. – You will not seek to have authority over men in the Church. You understand that the head of every woman is man. That is God’s design. (1 Timothy 2:8-15) – You understand you are responsible for your own behavior and sin. You will not blame men for your own irresponsible sins. (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11)

Side effects: – Other people, even Christians, will not understand you and think you’re very strange. – Christians might label you as legalistic. They may say things like: “That’s not for today”, “You’re taking it out of context”, or “Why are you so judgmental?” Yet, your motive for wanting to do what God says is not to be right before God, it is because you ARE right before God because of Christ and want to obey Him out of love. – You may lose your possessions and your family and friends may leave you. – People may get very angry with you. – People may hate you. – People may physically hurt you. – You may even lose your life.

But aren’t most of the side effects are things that God tells us will happen, anyway? Didn’t Jesus come with a sword to divide people? Didn’t he say you’d better be willing to lose everything, including your spouse and children, even your own life, to be His disciple? Didn’t He say that you’re blessed when persecuted and woe to you when people speak well of you? Don’t we have numerous examples in the Bible and through history to confirm this?

Of course, benefits of the “Red Pill” take time. Once you take the Bible more seriously than what others may tell you how to live your life, it is just a matter of time before the questions arise and the “red pill” starts its effectiveness. It is at this time that you MUST decide whether you go along for the ride in Churchianity, leave it all together, or decide that God is right and man is wrong and follow hard after God.

If you decide to follow hard after God after tasting the “red pill”, you need to realize some things. His Word, that you decide to cling to above what anyone else says, tells you to be humble and not to be wise in your own eyes. (I know I mentioned this above, but I can’t say it enough.) You are to use your gifts that God has given you to build the Body of Christ up, not to tear it apart. Above all, Pray, pray, pray and understand that we are in a spiritual battle. We do not war against each other, but against the powers of darkness.

As I said, the “red pill” is nothing more than taking Scripture for what it’s worth. Satan has, unfortunately, duped many Christians and churches into what he did to Eve…to question many things that God has said. We have divided ourselves by whether we believe the same things or not. We try to control one another instead of encouraging one another and letting God work in each others hearts. We have lost the ability to discern between truth and “kind-of” truth. Satan has bound us with many lies.

It’s time we “Christian up” and take things seriously. It’s time we stood on the Word of God alone and judge everything according to it, not trying to fit what other people say into it. It’s time we get tired of just “playing church” and start taking the Kingdom by force. It’s time we be on offense with the Word of God. It’s time to stop being a “cookie-cutter” Christian and be real.

It time we follow Christ and not other people.

From Quit Playing Church: http://quitplayingchurch.wordpress.com/

The Answer is Really Quite Simple…

April 9, 2013

Modernity or Barbarism? : The strongest argument for Israel is the most simple.

09TuesdayApr 2013

I wanted to write a post this week defending the legitimacy of the Zionist project but I quickly realised that with this conflict, most of the arguments have already been made.

Just as some people are right-handed and some left, everybody seems to have an inbuilt bias on the Middle East dispute.

People with no interest in politics whatsoever nevertheless reserve a space in their hearts for either the Jews or the Arabs of the near-east, rarely both. They may have never met a Jew or an Arab in their lives, but they still fight for ‘their’ side with all the determination of a brother coming to the aid of a brother.

If you think about it, this is actually quite strange. It certainly isn’t the case with other conflicts. When the Sinhalese and the Tamils fight each other in Sri Lanka, a majority of people require an explanation as to who the Sinhalese and Tamils are before the reasons behind the conflict themselves are elucidated. Some might even need an index finger on a map to show them where Sri Lanka is.

Why is Israel and Palestine different? One reason could be religion.

I grew up in a religious household and remember going to Sunday-school each week where I read the Bible with the teachers. The word ‘Israel’ was familiar to me long before I knew anything political, as were Jews, Syrians, Egyptians, Lebanese Cedar trees and the concept of the promised land. When I become politically aware and learned about Zionism, I already had a basic grasp of the actors and religious stakes involved.

Most Westerners (or at least Christian Westerners) therefore are bound to see the conflict as an interesting one. The same I imagine is true of Muslims, who are taught from an early age about Mohammads alleged journey to Jerusalem as well as more explicitly about the politics of Palestine.

Another reason of course is race. The Jews are a subject of unending fascination for Europeans, who can’t quite fathom whether to adore or despise them. In America too, the Jewish people are both liked and disliked but rarely ignored.

Anything involving Jews therefore tends to attract scrutiny.

Reflecting this interest, the Middle East conflict has inspired passionate and important political books on both sides of the debate. On the Pro-Israel side there are volumes like “The Case for Israel”, “From Time Immemorial”, and “Shackled Warrior”. On the anti-Israel side, there is “Beyond Chutzpah”, “Fateful Triangle” and “The Gun and the Olive Branch”.

Some of these books have become classics of political writing and their authors are looked to as intellectual sages not just on the Middle East but World Politics more broadly.

But for me, the strongest political argument for Israel arises naturally from an examination of the realities on the ground.

Israel as a country can easily deceive people. It looks so Western and sophisticated, so calm and cosmopolitan that it’s scarcely believable to think that in a coastal strip just to its south, there is a nightmare territory of illiteracy, genital mutilation, veiling and stoning to death.

Just a mile from beachfront Israeli coffee shops, in which young Jewish women and young Jewish men drink Cappuccino and chat about sport, literature and fashion, there are other women, forbidden to leave the crumbling houses of men they were forced to marry as children, and whose children dance on the unpaved streets outside praising suicide bombing.

These are not, as if often claimed, ’two different cultures’. These are two different stages of cultural development. One is in the 21st century, and the other in the 13th.

In Israeli cafes, a heated argument might break out over which marks the greater artistic leap forward, “The Bends” or “OK Computer” (the answer incidentally is the latter). In a Gaza shack, a brawl might ensue over whether music (of any kind) should be punishable by fine or amputation.

It pays to remind oneself every so often just how weird this contrast is. Imagine Denmark sharing a border with Afghanistan. Switzerland with Pakistan. Tokyo with Darfur.

And yet – knowing all this – how does the West, so comfortable in its own version of the 21st century, react?

It gathers both sides together and shouts ”Make a deal!…”, and then reacts with feigned surprise when nothing comes of it.

I suppose this isn’t strictly-speaking ’betrayal’. Israel is not in Europe. It’s more a simple kind of hypocrisy, as well as a motivated failure to comprehend an obvious truth; that the age of mutilation, dogma, and suicide bombing cannot be reconciled with the world of fashion, irony and relaxed society. They are not equal and – more importantly – they are not equally valuable. This simple, cartoonish contrast may prove to be the strongest argument for Israel, even after all the academic head-scratching and moral grandstanding has fallen away.

If you wish to defend the West from Islamisation, and modernity from barbarism, you must be a supporter of the Jewish State and defend what it represents. It is a border of the civilised world and an armed front against its darkest enemies. The Jews are a talented, humane and indispensable race and their state should reflect this in security, prosperity and size.

These are the vital arguments. So if you’re asked again to choose between modernity and barbarism, or whatever else you might wish to call the same choice, ‘Civilization or madness’, ‘Israel or Palestine’…. don’t think too deeply about it. Despite the weighty books, complicated theorems and wars of interpretation, honesty alone should lead you to the century you belong in.

D, LDN

From Defend The Modern World: http://defendthemodernworld.wordpress.com/

God Alone is Our Strength…

April 9, 2013

Balance the Natural and the Spiritual

Balance the Natural and the Spiritual

By Os Hillman

April 9

“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save” (Psalm 33:16-17).

The Bible tells us not to put our confidence in things the world considers to be our protection, defense, or strength. However, the man or woman who does not perform well on the job is left behind in today’s competitive world. Not only is this typical of the world at large, but even many Christians promote the importance of identifying our strengths and encourage us to move in them to accomplish God’s will. Yet, throughout the Bible, we are discouraged from depending upon our own strengths. Instead, we are urged to rely totally upon the Lord.

God wants us to depend upon Him, and He demonstrates this throughout Scripture. For example, in Judges 7, God wouldn’t let Gideon fight against another army until he reduced his own from 22,000 soldiers to a mere 300, so that Gideon could not boast about his army’s strength. In Joshua 6, God told Joshua to walk around Jericho seven times and blow trumpets instead of relying upon his mighty army to overpower his enemy. In 2 Samuel 24, God judged David when he counted his troops to determine the size of his army’s strength, apparently because David took the census out of pride or overconfidence in the strength of his army.

On the other hand, Jesus instructed the disciples in due diligence through the parable of the builder, who is cautioned to consider the cost before beginning to build. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish’” (Luke 14:28-30).

Today, bring every project and endeavor before the Lord as you ask for His power and grace to accomplish it using both your natural gifts and the Spirit of God working together.

Contact Os Hillman at www.marketplaceleaders.org.

Found at Mad Medic: http://maddmedic.wordpress.com/

Living in The Valley…

April 8, 2013

Living in the Valley—For Now

byJonathan Parnell|April 8, 2013

The Gospels tell us what happened to Jesus when he entered Jerusalem. It is the testimony of history’s most important event and we can hold it in our hands. It is the testimony of four God-inspired authors whose words we’ve read and celebrated this spring. And then there’s the Book of Psalms.

Like the Gospels, the Psalms give us a fascinating picture of the Savior. Psalm 22 especially stands out. Jesus quotes Psalm 22:1 on the cross and the whole narrative of his crucifixion draws imagery from “the afflicted one” found there. Not only is he forsaken (Psalm 22:1), he is also scorned and mocked by onlookers (Psalm 22:6–7), he thirsts (Psalm 22:15), he is surrounded by ruthless Gentiles (Psalm…

Read the rest here: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/living-in-the-valley-for-now

Good News!

April 8, 2013

The Good News in Jesus’s Beatitudes

byR W Glenn|April 6, 2013

The New Testament is full of commands for us to obey. Full of them. The Sermon on the Mount is no exception. Something like sixty-six commands sound from Jesus’s mouth as he calls us as his people to live a life in step with the gospel.

The Beatitudes, Jesus’s introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, are a different story. There you’ll not find a single imperative. Not one.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive m…

Read it all at: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-good-news-in-jesus-s-beatitudes

I’ll Take God and Guns…

April 6, 2013

Found at Mad Medic: http://maddmedic.wordpress.com/

Laying Aside Everything That Hinders Us…

April 5, 2013

Lay Aside Every Weight

byJon Bloom|April 5, 2013

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Jesus has called you to run a race. It’s a faith race. It’s long-distance and multi-terrain.

And you’ve been trying to run but you’re wondering why it’s so hard. Why do you get winded so quickly? Why are others running at a faster pace? What’s wrong?

Could it be that you’re not taking this race seriously enough? You can tell by how much extra weight you’re trying to run with.

An endurance race is hard enough when you’re running light. But it’s far harder, and often impossible,…

Read the article at : http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/lay-aside-every-weight

Gay Rights Activists Will Not Be Satisfied Until They Force Themselves Upon The Church

April 3, 2013

Religious Freedom’s Drip-by-Drip Death

By George Neumayr on 4.3.13 @ 6:09AM

Churches will be pressured into blessing gay marriages.

The end point of liberalism is a coercive secular state in which the religious have no meaningful rights. American church leaders are kidding themselves if they think the gay-marriage juggernaut is going to stop at civil marriage. It won’t. It will quickly travel past court houses to churches, demanding that all religions bless gay marriages.

Denmark casts a shadow of this future, where the gay-marriage juggernaut has smashed through church doors. Last year the country’s parliament passed a law requiring all Lutheran churches to conduct gay marriage ceremonies. “I think it’s very important to give all members of the church the possibility to get married,” said Manu Sareen, Denmark’s minister for gender equality. Reluctant bishops have to supply ministers to satisfy the right whether they like it or not.

Iceland and Sweden have similar arrangements. Since many of the bishops are in the tank for gay marriage anyways and since these churches are “state” churches, this pressure generates little news. But it is instructive nonetheless. Where gay marriage exists, religious freedom gradually disappears, to the point where ministers have to choose between serving as secularism’s stooges or facing societal oblivion.

In America, this pressure will take the form of “discriminatory” churches losing government grants, permits, and participation in programs. It will be the death of religious freedom by a thousand little cuts here and there: canceled speeches of religious figures at state universities, lost HHS grants, the refusal of city governments to recognize churches that don’t permit gay marriages, “hate crime” legislation that extends to opposition to gay marriage, and so on. All of this will have the effect of pressuring churches into blessing gay marriages. A law forcing priests and ministers to preside at gay marriages won’t need to be passed; the invisible law of indirect governmental pressure will do the trick.

During last year’s campaign, Obama said that religions will remain free to determine their own “sacraments.” Shouldn’t that go without saying? The very fact that Obama made such a declaration should scare people. Whenever a pol says “I won’t do [fill in the blank],” it usually means that very activity is on his mind. While he can’t determine the sacraments for religions, Obama will try and marginalize those religions that don’t determine the sacraments in a manner he considers “nondiscriminatory.”

Obama’s “respect” for these religions is on par with his respect for the policies of the Boy Scouts. “I think that my attitude is that gays and lesbians should have access and opportunity the same way everybody else does in every institution and walk of life,” said Obama when calling on the Boy Scouts to accept gay scoutmasters. Notice Obama’s phrase: every institution and walk of life. Surely in time that will include churches.

But for now, Obama thinks the religious should feel grateful to him that he is not busting down church doors and forcibly injecting them with contraceptives or requiring them to preside at gay weddings. That in his mind is the sum total of religious freedom. And yet even that little space can be crowded in on through laws that allow government to reward secularized religions and shun traditional ones.

The goal of the gay-marriage juggernaut is to make Christians pariahs, as irrelevant to public life as racists. It doesn’t have to pass a Denmark-style law to force churches to conduct gay marriages; it can achieve the same end through punitive political correctness.

On ABC’s This Week, George Stephanopoulos thought it appropriate to ask Cardinal Timothy Dolan, albeit in a roundabout and implicit fashion, if Catholicism could accept gay marriage for people who feel “unwelcome” in the Church: “What do you say to a gay couple that loves God and the Church, but also love each other and want to raise a family in faith?” It would have been nice to see Dolan challenge the insidious premise of the question by saying something like: So, George, you are saying that unless the Church loves the sin it can’t love the sinner?

Instead, Dolan seemed to concede the media narrative about the Church as hateful — “We have to do better to see that our defense of marriage is not reduced to an attack on gay people. I admit, we haven’t been too good at that” — while gingerly trying to uphold the Church’s teaching on marriage. His attempt at appeasement didn’t work. Gay activists pounced on him anyways, generating headlines such as “Cardinal Dolan Demeans Gay Relationships As He Says Church Should Be More Welcoming to Gays.”

The gay-marriage juggernaut only speeds up at the sight of such gestures, seeing civil marriage as just one stop on a longer road to a secularist state in which religion in general and the Catholic Church in particular fall silent and compliant out of fear if not law.

Photo: UPI (Supporters of Illinois’ “Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act,” Jan. 2, 2013)

From The American Spectator: http://spectator.org/archives/2013/04/03/religious-freedoms-drip-by-dri

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