oddXian: Challenge the Consensus

Difference between Eckhart Tolle and Christianity on the subject of Death Whereas Tolle speaks as if only to come to "accept" death is enough, the Christian "overcomes" death (thorough resurrection & through God ultimately destroying death). Whereas Tolle suggests one is fine as long as one comes simply to "admit" guilt; Christianity recognizes atonement must be made. (For example, suppose a murderer stood before a judge and said "Okay, I ADMIT I did wrong. Will a righteous judge respond by saying "confession" alone is enough, you're free to go? No punishment or restitution is in order? If a human judge should not do this, then do you think the righteous judge of all the earth will do so?) Whereas Tolle looks life in the past when death arrives (i.e., through surrender the flower "had" happened); Christianity looks to life eternal which continues. Whereas Tolle suggests that death no longer matters when the "though...

Haleigh would not give investigators specifics about the events surrounding her injury. She only said that the Stricklands used corporal punishment regularly during her childhood. The above quote comes from an article from FoxNews about a girl who has arisen from a vegitative state of consciousness and communicated with officers about physical abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of her adoptive mother and step father. While the article states that the girl "would not give investigators specifics about the events surrounding her injury", the JOURNALIST COMBINES this fact with the statement that "She only said that the Stricklands used CORPORAL PUNISHMENT REGULARLY during her childhood. [CAPS, my emphasis] By joining these two statements together, (which on one level both address what the girl was willing to communicate) tends to raise the question if not make the suggest that corporal punishment is related to or the cause of the physical abuse. I'm skeptical of...

Media has focused on events and circumstances surrounding Tibetan monks in view of the upcoming Olympics. I came across the following post this morning. While this may not receive much attention in the news, it is no less real. Should China have to answer for treatment of Christians as well? Christians on trial in China A Uyghur Christian in Xinjiang, Mr. Alimujiang Yimiti, is expected to be sentenced in China this month. Alimujiang was secretly detained on 12 January and accused of subversion of the national government and endangering national security, a crime which can carry the death penalty. Alimujiang Yimiti (Alimjan Yimit in Uyghur) was working as a project manager for a British company, Jirehouse, known in Xinjiang as Xinjiang Jiaerhao Foodstuff Company. The company was targeted in a series of closures of foreign companies belonging to Christians in Xinjiang in September 2007 and Alimujiang was accused of illegal religious activities. He was subsequently taken into detenti...

The Scriptures tell us that animals are soulless creatures, and will perish with the rest of creation. We will not see them while our souls rest with God; when Christ returns and our bodies are resurrected, we will live in the new heavens and new earth—where there may be new, not resurrected, animals. If we fail to understand our own doctrines, more and more Americans will begin to accept the idea that animals and humans are morally equivalent—and animal-rights activists may press on to their ultimate goals: eliminating animal agriculture and banning scientific research that uses animals—jeopardizing the development of life-saving medicines. And, as Singer proposes in his utilitarian system of ethics, activists would seek to allocate scarce resources fairly among animals and humans. (Fido's operation will create greater happiness than keeping Uncle Ben on life support.) Good article for thought: Keeping Pets in Their Place This is another one of those areas where people recognize ...

Previously, in the videos of the Four Horsemen of Atheism, it was clear leading atheists had not only become aware of criticisms people hand of them and their critical spirit, but also were aware of how this was affecting their mission, and the need for them to do something about this. Well, not only are we beginning to see differences in the way Atheists are making presentations, but I find interesting this article seeking to recast the image and portray Richard Dawkins as a more kinder-gentler open-minded type. While arguments can be made concerning his statements and positions in the article, the purpose of this post is simply to suggest that neither should it surprise us to see more of the same in days to come, nor should people be fooled through such pieces.

While some may wonder if CS has anything to say about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright situation, thus far not much has been stated concering his beliefs in relation to Scripture, per se. While skepticism is certainly in order when it comes to the foundations of liberation theology, in order when it comes to whether and to what extent an attack on Jeremiah Wright is an attack on the "black church" (and whether this is a legitmate way - and on what levels - to think of the church, even though distinctions of this sort are common and sometimes useful), and in order when it comes to Rev. Wright's priorities (and the emphasis he is placing on issues pertaining to the state, even if for this time and these matters). Perhaps good will come from this...even as some black pastors and leaders have come forward to speak in some venues in regard to the need for Christians to move beyond liberation theology and more widely and fully embrace the theology of the cross.

In Religion a figment of human ima gination, it's reported that Maurice Block of the London School of Economics argues that religion is the result of man's imagination (man being the only to "evolve" to the level of imagination). It's interesting that Block's argument suggests only that man's imagination (and his belief in things that don't exist) must lead to religion. Why not assume the opposite, that there IS life after death and metaphysical realities... so that what is imagined is the opposite of true religion or that of unbelief. The point being that Bloch's argument appears to have begun with a presupposition (even a "popular" presupposition - "religion is simply a figment of man's imagination") and then looked for even the most far reaching and measley evidence to support it, rather than the other way around. I can quickly give evidence to support the opposite ... that UNBELIEF IS A FIGMENT OF MAN'S IMAGINATIO...

It seems that the philosophical bias shown in the Ben Stein’s “Expelled” is creeping over into climatology. William Gray, the pioneer of “the science of seasonal hurricane forecasting and teaching 70 graduate students who now populate the National Hurricane Center and other research outposts”, could be “expelled” for not drinking the global warming kool-aid. Of course, the college denies that this is the reason. CSU officials insist that is not the case. The dean of the College of Engineering, which oversees atmospheric sciences, said she spoke with Gray about terminating media support for his forecasts solely because of the strain it placed on the college's sole media staffer. "It really has nothing to do with his stand on global warming," said the dean, Sandra Woods. "He's a great faculty member. He's an institution at CSU." We’ll let the reader decide as this story develops.

It is hard to see how violence, how terrorism will lead to the implementation of sharia,” Mr. Pipes said. “It is much easier to see how, working through the system — the school system, the media, the religious organizations, the government, businesses and the like — you can promote radical Islam. In Critics Cost Muslim Educator Her Dream School it's stated that a "public" school was established by a known Muslim activist in Brooklyn and this school would teach Arabic and "cultural studies." Would the same be allowed in America if it was a known "Christian" activist in "Jackson' and this school would teach "Hebrew and Greek" and "cultural studies"? In the corresponding video, the announcer states this school was to be the first of its kind (using duel Arabic-English curriculum) in "bridging the gap between Arabs and non-Arabs" in a post 9-11 world. Regardless of arguments as to whether or not the public schools s...

Words of Atheist Army Spc. Jeremy Hall : ...I've never believed I was going to a happy place. You get one life. When I die, I'm worm food. Nice. (Suppose this statement is based on metaphysical evidence(/revelation) or atheist presupposition?)

post here Interesting article - worth reading - particularly the comments. As a church worker and Internet junkie I resonate with the point - this is a pervasive and constant temptation that one may fall into without even trying. The key is to "take every thought captive" by every means; self discipline, filtering, accountability groups, whatever.

Take a look at this conversation over on bloggingheads.tv

“You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.” ( Deuteronomy 12:31-32 ) There are many errors involved in pluralism, the belief that there are many paths to God, and that all religions contain equal truth, and should be approached that way. Aside from the fact that this brand of humanism flies directly in the face of the law of non-contradiction, the fundamental error of pluralism involves the nature and sovereignty of God. Who is the final determiner of how God is to be worshipped, God or man? The Regulative Principle of Religion “…essential to religion is the revelation of God's will as the regulative principle according to which man, as a servant, must engage himself. It has not been left to man to determine the manner ...

TOMORROW is the 25th anniversary of “A Nation at Risk,” a remarkable document that became a milestone in the history of American education — albeit in ways that its creators neither planned, anticipated or even wanted. In August 1981, Education Secretary T. H. Bell created a National Commission on Excellence in Education to examine, in the report’s words, “the widespread public perception that something is seriously remiss in our educational system.” Secretary Bell’s expectation, he later said, was that the report would paint a rosy picture of American education and correct all those widespread negative perceptions. Instead, on April 26, 1983, the commission released a sweeping 65-page indictment of the quality of teaching and learning in American primary and secondary schools couched in a style of apocalyptic rhetoric rarely found in blue-ribbon commission reports. “The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our ...

Writing from a biblical framework versus a political framework, I am skeptical of the term "Big Government." While the term "Big" government has been coined and serves a somewhat useful purpose in today's dialogue and political sphere, casting the issues in terms of "big" (as opposed to small) sets the issues in "relative" terms rather than terms of foundation, authority, and accountability. For example, when considering the role of the church when it comes to "church-state" relations, suppose that rather than disccusing the role and authority of the church ...dialogue rather centered on the philosophy of "big" church versus "small" church. Or suppose that when it came to the boundaries regarding the family (and leaders staying within or overstepping their bounds), we began speaking of "big" families versus small families. Get the picture? Point: While the term "Big" government does dra...

Now, I am not endorsing everything Chuck Norris does or says, but I admire a principled Christian Skeptic: Still, they gotta be shakin' in their shoes! :) My battle is not with Oprah; she has her guru (Tolle), and I have mine (Jesus). The real war is between those who assert to be bearers of the truth, such as Tolle and Jesus. And the question is: With contradicting truths, will we believe a mere man or one who claimed to be so much more? As C.S. Lewis -- the great Oxford scholar and writer of "The Chronicles of Narnia," who was once an avid atheist -- wrote: "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a good moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. … "You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him ...

The dominant theme at the fair might best be described as survivalist: in piece after piece, designers explored how they can help us (and themselves) navigate the perils of contemporary life — in particular, the big problems of recession, environmental crisis and design’s neurosis about its role in a saturated consumer culture. As the thoughts of men are often followed and represented in various spheres of life such as art, music, literature, etc., it's noteworthy to recognize specific places where man struggles in his fallen condition and where he experiences such things as hopelessness, hurt, lack of contentment-satisfaction, loneliness, fear, etc.; for these are the places where the lustre of the gospel can be brightly seen when offered and set against the backdrop of the lives of unbelievers. Note the above quote , which was used to describe the dominant theme at the Milan Furniture Market , suggests that many today stuggle (/suffer) with a survivalist spirit due to issues rel...

Interesting quote from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Earth Day. "The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.' On this Earth Day, and every day, let us pledge to our children, and our children's children, that they will have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and the opportunity to experience the wonders of nature." What Old Testament (or New Testament) passage is she referring to? Anyone???

‘It’s not ours, it’s American, it’s alien; since it’s alien we cannot expect anything good from it.’ It’s ignorance, all around.” This quote is taken from a Methodist minister defining the religious-political climate in Russia in relation to protestantism. The full article is found here . In the article ( At Expense of All Others, Putin Picks a Church ), it's stated that the "Kremlin’s surrogates in many areas have turned the Russian Orthodox Church into a de facto official religion, warding off other Christian denominations that seem to offer the most significant competition for worshipers." The sense the Methodist minister gets for why this is taking place and the reason why Protestantism is being rejected is because it's American and it comes from outside Russia. The ignorance is found in the following: 1. The gospel comes not from man but "from God". Note Paul's statement in Romans 1:17 where it is written "For in the gospel a righteousnes...

This is some sick stuff... Faithful await display of Catholic mystic's body : “About 750,000 people from around the world, mostly from Italy, have made reservations to view the body up to the end of December, according to church officials. About 7,200 people a day will file past the glass coffin. A poll in 2006 by Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana found that more Italian Catholics prayed to Padre Pio than to any other icon, including the Virgin Mary or Jesus. There are about 3,000 "Padre Pio Prayer Groups" around the world, with a total membership of 3 million.”

“We start to run into problems when we construct new dividing lines, when we cease to see society as a whole,” says Ramadan to the worn-out-looking men and women sitting at large round tables. “Instead of perceiving Muslims as ‘the other’ or foreigners, try to see them as fellow Englishmen and women.” The above quote is taken from The Theologians Working Towards a Euro-Islam . The advice is from Prof. Ramadan who is a "professor of Islamic studies in Geneva" but is speaking on a circuit to "boost the self-confidence of Europe's Muslins" and to try to get Europe's Christian elite to buy into his teaching that Islam is not a threat. The aim of his teaching is said to be "to reconcile Western values with the teachings of Islam." Here's the issue: While on one level Ramadan is correct, that on a physical level, in Europe, Islamic citizens are "fellow Englishmen and women" with all other citizens, including Christian citizens. However,...

In his upcoming biography of Jesus, "Basic Instinct" director Paul Verhoeven will make the shocking claim that Christ probably was the son of Mary and a Roman soldier who raped her during the Jewish uprising in Galilee, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Catholic League President Bill Donohue called Verhoeven's claim "laughable." "Here we go again with idle speculation grounded in absolutely nothing," Donohue told FOXNews.com. "He has no empirical evidence to support his claim, which is why they say 'may have.'" Donohue also mocks the fact that Verhoeven — best known for directing the famous Sharon Stone crotch scene in "Basic Instinct" — reportedly worked on the book for 20 years only to come up with a "probably." "He's been working 20 years trying to sell this argument and hasn't come up with anything. This won't make a dent with Christians, nor with scholars somewhat wary of the biblical accou...

I read this article: Want to Remember Everything You'll Ever Learn? Surrender to This Algorithm I am once again struck by the failure to acknowledge the elephant in the room. The presence of order and patterns should point to the conclusion that there is underlying order (logic) to the universe and if there is logic, there has to be a source of logic.

Fox News reported on a New York mail carrier who caught a child who fell out of a second story window. The woman (within God's ordained plan and providence) certainly did a wonderful deed and was used by God in protecting the life of this child. That being the case, the intent of this post is to draw attention to the presence, appearances, and implications of the references in the article regarding "luck", and to suggest that Christians rather than turning the head and allowing statements like this to go unchallenged (and thereby to passively allow the thought and false doctrine to be perpetuated) should speak out and help remove such thinking and speaking from common practice and communications. The following remarks are found in the report: "Thank God the baby was OK." Albany Postmaster David Yanni told the Times Union that the stunning part about Harrell’s ordeal is that she was not on her normal route on Monday. On any other day, she would not have been on ...

Jason Beghe's full video is out on vimeo. (Warning: Lots of Foul Language)

'Expelled' breaks into Top 10 on first weekend

Having only seen the movie once, I am unable to recall all of the names and faces in Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed . Nonetheless, a quick review for those who consider seeing it. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed is not a defense of the Biblical view of Creation. It was not meant to be that, and any viewer who is looking for that will come away disappointed. You will not see any interviews with Ken Ham or John Morris , or even Hugh Ross or Richard Deem . The scientists/journalists interviewed are either hardcore Darwinists, proponents of Intelligent Design, or blackballed scientists who happened to write, say, or publish the wrong words. Most of the Intelligent Design scientists are associated with the Discovery Institute , a foundation consisting of scientists who ask tough questions concerning Darwinism, but are not necessarily Christian. Intelligent Design vs. Creationism: An Important Distinction Intelligent Design is not necessarily Creationism. ID makes no effort to ...

In the evolutionary worldview, two theories of the origin of life have been presented as possibilities. The first is the Primordial Soup Theory, the idea that a bunch of chemicals accidentally ran together with just the right combination, and formed the first ever living cells. This theory, however, has run into dead ends for the following reasons: ...... The first life was far to complex to have simply put itself together. Life came into existence very quickly, after liquid water was formed. There is no evidence of a primordial soup, as all carbonaceous materials in the earth’s crust are postbiotic. The second theory that we are presented with is panspermia , the idea that life originated on another planet, and then was transferred to earth via meteorite. Again, this is a dead end because… No living organism could survive such a trip. No sugars can be found on meteorites, which are a basic necessity for life. Even in the unlikely scenario that this could take place, the origin of life...

Friday's a good day for comedy. Check this out... We are at the very end-time for man’s self-rule on earth. The Seventh Seal has been opened and now the First Trumpet has been blown. You will want to listen to the sermon given this Sabbath to learn much more. ... Not only has man’s time of self-rule come to an end, the very blessings that God gave through Abraham on a physical plane, for his descendents, is good to understand. God promised much beginning with Abraham (to him) that continued to be revealed even more through the next three generations (Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph). There were promises made on a physical plane that would take mankind up to the very end of man’s first 6,000 years on earth, and then greater blessing beyond that would be both physical and spiritual. However, the United States has been the recipient of the pinnacle of those physical blessings and prosperity (for this first 6,000 years) that God had promised to Abraham. When those promises had been fulfilled...

In the past Willow believed that seekers didn’t want large doses of the Bible or deep worship music. They didn’t want to be challenged. Now their seeker-sensitive services are loaded with worship music, prayer, Scripture readings, and more challenging teaching from the Bible. and Hawkins said that sometimes Willow gets accused of managing the church based on market research; of simply giving people what they want. “Look at what they want!” he said while pointing to the screen. “They want the Bible, they want to be close to Christ, they want to be challenged. Yes, I will give them what they want!” GO, BILL, GO! From here

Scripture has taught for years: 1. Wealth has benefits. (Prov 14:24) 2. While money and the things it supplies can result in temporal happiness, money cannot guarantee happiness that lasts. (Eccl 5:10) 3. The eye and the appetite of man (in the flesh) is never satisfied. (Eccl 1:8) Read the article [ Maybe Money Does Buy Happiness After All -(Note: the article does not fully support the title)]... and you'll find the same issues being discussed. Rather than look to money and to the things it can supply, look to the one who supplies all good things. (James 1:17) Eccl 5:19 "Moreover, when God gives any man welalth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work - this is a gift of God."

It's good to see that even if in a "Features and Faces" section of Fox News, that the word "cult" is being used in relation to the movement started by Eckhart Tolle and Oprah Winfrey... see Is Oprah Starting Her Own Cult? . Interesting quotes in the article: And what’s different about the Tolle connection for Winfrey is that for the first time in her much-applauded Book Club’s history, she’s gone into business with the author. But is Eckhart Tolle an appropriate spiritual leader? He told an interviewer that he stopped going to school at age 13 and didn’t resume any education for at least a decade. In the same interview he says he graduated "with the highest mark at the London University." He says in interviews that he had a personal epiphany in 1977 at age 29 after a life of suffering from suicidal depression. For seekers who want to compare Tolle with Christianity, see here and here .

Seems that Eco-therapy points to a new form of works righteousness (being eco-friendly). Interesting the article not only points to the bondage and consequences of those who live by it, but the costs (therapists) many will look to in order to try to find a remedy. (Hint: Finding the gospel of Jesus Christ might save you not only much pain but big bucks in the long run.)

Just when you think you think you got it all figured out... A new intensely detailed ultraviolet light and radio wave image of the nearby galaxy known as M83 is revealing an astronomical stumper: scads of newborn stars where they should not be. One possible explanation is that the stars forming so far away from the galactic disk are not being made of complex molecular gases at all. Instead, they are being built out of atomic gases -- old-fashioned hydrogen and helium atoms like those that somehow got together to make the universe's first stars . ...somehow? yeah... The more I see, the more I am convinced of a Christian, Scriptural, presuppositional worldview. Psalm 97:6 The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory. 1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

This post is to provide a place for responses to the Pope's visit. Feel free to comment as news of his visit continues to come to light. While his visit so far has been more ceremony than substance, the following comments can already be made: [Note: Some may want to comment on the "good" that will come from the Pope's visit, my concern in this intitial post is simply to address statements from the Pope that contradict Biblical teaching or practical wisdom. While I'm grateful for my Protestant heritage that has historically come through the Catholic church, differences between the Pope's statements and position (or those made to the Pope) and that of Scripture are worth pointing out.] "I come as a friend, a preacher of the Gospel and one with great respect for this vast pluralistic society," Benedict said in a speech after Bush welcomed him to the White House at a ceremony that included 21-gun salute. Response: While the intent of his statement r...

Promotions state: John Piper delivers powerful biblical reassurances to bolster readers’ trust in the sovereignty of God and the supremacy of Christ when evil and tragedy come. Though God has not answered all of our questions about sin and suffering, neither has he been silent. There are things he wants us to know, things he declares in his Word—such as what’s at stake in the “spectacular” sins of others and the horrible tragedies of this life; their global purpose, both historically and today; and what these events say to us personally.

Seems from Scientology to Kabbalah to Tolle ... and the list goes on and on and on, the new cliche and end goal of many now seems to be for man either by faith or by works (i.e, either by hook or crook, or by anything else that might work, be it through one's own consciousness, experience, or efforts) to save the planet (or through cosmic evolution to bring about the kingdom of God on earth). While global concerns, global partnerships and global efforts and responses are important and have their place, does man really believe that apart from God himself providing that we have it either in ourselves or within our grasp (even our corporate, continuing, advancing, global grasp) to save the planet? Think about it, even though a new and renewed focus on helping others and people taking intiative and playing a part in the world we live in has much good that can be said for it, does man have what it takes to remove sin or to change the nature of the heart? Does man have what it takes ...

"Scientology is destructive and a rip-off...."It’s very, very dangerous for your spiritual, psychological, mental, emotional health and evolution." "It ain’t deliverin’ what it’s promised. It sure has not." Seems working with an auditor on one's engrams (hang ups) to achieve the state of 'clear', then progressing up the "bridge to total freedom" doesn't work. Surprised?

BLAISE PASCAL: APOLOGISTS TO SKEPTICS Author: MACKENZIE CHARLES S.

I am currently working on an assignment as part of seeking a license to preach in the Southern Baptist Church and part of this document is explaining my theology. As you may can tell by the contents of my blog - I am committed to the consistent teachings of Scripture that are exemplified by the exegetical genius of John Calvin. Some of his teachings have been summarized by the acrostic TULIP which I have attempted to "spell out" in my own words, below: Total Depravity: Post-Fall, man is completely enslaved to sin - born with a "heart of stone" - all thoughts, deeds and actions naturally inclined toward self-centeredness as opposed to God-centerdness - without the merciful direct intervention of God to regenerate or make some Men reborn , all men would remain in this natural state and be subject to the absolute justice of God and the consequences thereof. Unconditional Election: God has chosen select people from out of all humanity to grant exemption from the execu...

Biggest Question Eckhart Tolle Inquirers and Followers need to answer... Jesus Christ once asked the question: Who do you say that I am? Eckhart Tolle (Inquirers/Followers), Who do YOU say that Jesus is? Is Jesus simply a "way-shower" or is he the one and only Savior (i.e. substitutionary sacrifice)? Is Jesus simply a "revealer" or is he a Redeemer? Is Jesus simply an "enlightened master"(teacher) or is he the Son of God? As you consider your answer, give thought to the following... Jesus was not a mere enlightened Master. The New Agers' rendition of Jesus as an "enlightened Master" in a class with Buddha, Zoroaster, and others is a radical distortion of the Jesus found in Scripture (which is to say, the Jesus of historical record rather than the Jesus of the mystical Akashic Records). The Jesus found in Scripture clearly believed and taught that He alone among men is God (John 8:58; 10:30; 14:9-10). Douglas Groothuis comments: "If Je...

I am weeping as I post this - God's Providence is Amazing...:

With increasing chatter of putting aside the "ego", of looking to Jesus as a "way-shower" rather than a savior, etc., I think The Christ of the New Age Movement by Ron Rhodes in the CRI Journal is useful reading. Of special significance is the final section entitled "An Orthodox Christian Response". Another useful resource is Michael Horton's The New Gnosticism .

Thank God for men like Tim Challies! A great review by a great Christian Skeptic. After reading his review, I will certainly heed his advice: Because of the sheer volume of error and because of the importance of the doctrines reinvented by the author, I would encourage Christians, and especially young Christians, to decline this invitation to meet with God in The Shack. It is not worth reading for the story and certainly not worth reading for the theology. Click here to read the review.

Here is the song, as written: Here is the song with "my Jesus" removed: My skepticism revolves around a couple of items: a) Why did the words change from performance to performance? - some think the copyright holder may have forced the issue... a thought I am inclined to agree with. b) What is the intent of AI in utilizing this song? - some think it an attempt to pander ...another thought I am inclined to agree with since this was, as I understand it, a money raising event. Since we can be fairly sure all the singers in that group are not Christians, how is the considering Christian to respond? Here are a couple of thoughts: ...... Psalm 31:6 I hate those who regard vain idols,But I trust in the LORD. Psalm 139:20 For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain. Jonah 2:8 "Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness, I think Christ's exegesis of the prophet Isaiah to the "American Idols" of his day particularly appr...

Yvonne Fulbright makes several statements in her article FOXSexpert: Polygamy's Global Acceptance that deserve a response. Yet in the eyes of world history, we, the gawkers, are matrimony’s social deviants. After all, polygamy is the original "traditional marriage." Fulbright provides no grounds for asserting that polygamy is the "original" traditional marriage. While polygamy is popularly found among pagan cultures, that does not mean it was the first. Scritpture reveals the "original" traditional marriage was monogamous (between Adam and Eve). "The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man.' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." (Gal 2:24) "Jesus replied, 'Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from...

This article is an interesting read. Shock: First Animal on Earth Was Surprisingly Complex Notice the two options given. “Dunn says that two evolutionary scenarios can explain why the comb jellies would actually have been first among animals. The first is that the comb jelly evolved its complexity independent of other animals after branching off to forge its own path. The second is that the sponge evolved its simpler form from the more complex form. This second possibility underscores the fact that "evolution is not necessarily just a march towards increased complexity," Dunn said.” This second scenario is interesting. Your distant descendants may well be jellyfish, just like your ancestors were. Well, there is another option…

from here 1. All persons are accountable for their choices, and all their choices are infallibly and decisively ordained by God . [He] works all things according to the counsel of his will. (Ephesians 1:11) On the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak. (Matthew 12:36) 2. It is not sin in God to will that there be sin “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it [the evil acts of Joseph’s brothers] for good. (Genesis 50:20) 3. What God decrees will come to pass is not always the same as what he commands that we do, and may indeed be the opposite . For example, he may command, “Thou shalt not kill,” and decree that his Son be killed: “It was the will of the Lord to crush him” (Isaiah 53:10). 4. God’s ultimate goal is the exaltation and display of his own glory, and this is at the heart of what it means for him to love us . And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world ...

Just coming out: The Courage to Be Protestant by David Wells Here's some of the recommendations: ...... The Courage to Be Protestant: Truth Lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World by David F. Wells This book is a broadside against; versions of evangelicalism as well as a call to return to the historic faith, one defined by Reformation solas (grace, faith, and scripture alone), and to a reverence for doctrine. Wells argues that the historic, classical evangelicalism is one marked by doctrinal seriousness, as opposed to the new movements of the marketing church and the emergent church. He energetically confronts the marketing communities and what he terms their "sermons-from-a-barstool and parking lots and après-worship Starbucks stands; He also takes issue with the most popular evangelical movement in recent years--the emergent church. Emergents are postmodern and postconservative and postfoundational, embracing a less absolute, understanding of the authority ...

In a previous comment, jazzycat stated the following: It is a almost sure sign that someone is following a god of their imagination when they say something like the following: ...... 1)My god is a god that....... 2)In my faith journey, god..... 3)God is too big to have just one way of salvation. 4)I couldn't be a Christian if that were the only way to salvation. 5)As long as you are sincere in your beliefs is all that counts. 6)My path to god may not be..... 7)As long as you live a good life, god will.... 8)If you are basically a good person, then god will...... 9)I know I am saved because I try to obey the ten commandments... I've started this post for us to keep a continuing list of statements people make that either "could" or "should" make believer's "raise an eyebrow" (i.e. be concerned) about where others stand spiritually. Another example "I know I am a Christian (or have eternal life) because I survived a car wreck, or survived a w...

In discussion of the first commandment which deals with the "object" of worship, and in response to those who suggest "it doesn't matter what particular religion one may have, or what denominaton one belongs to", G. I. Williamson writes: If God were only the creation of man's imagination, then all 'gods' would be 'created equal.' One 'god' would have no higher claim than another. Point: Since God is not the creation of man's imagination, the object of our worship matters, hence religious choices and alignment prove significant.

“People are almost always pretending something, but these people had lost that need,'’ Mr. Schels told the paper. “I felt it enabled me as a photographer to get as close as it’s possible to get to the core of a person; when you’re facing the end, everything that’s not real is stripped away. You’re the most real you’ll ever be, more real than you’ve ever been before.” Above quote from photographer who not only captured pictures of faces of willing participants before and after they died, but spent time interviewing them and getting to know them. The opening to the original article says the following: Nothing, it is said, teaches us more about living than dying. But if so, isn't it odd how little we face up to death? And isn't it odd that modern societies, which appear so keen to find meaning in the business of living, push death to the periphery, minimising our contact with it and sanitising its impact? Interesting, isn't it? For those intrigued by this subject, let me...

Yet the outreach efforts by Clinton and Obama should serve as an example to all Democratic officeholders that ignoring voters who feel strongly about their faith, and also public policy, will continue to lead to losses. [CAPS, my emphasis] Quote taken from here . Two Responses 1. As atheists often like to tout surveys and their supposed numbers, this statement points to a different assessment of the role of faith and those who consider themselves people of faith in America. (Shall we say that on one level, the proof is in the pudding?) 2. While this can be said about the role of faith, one then must ask what will be the particular responses given in the name of faith and the effect upon the communication and propagation of true faith that results from the scheduled discourse. If past responses and national discussions as a whole serve as an indicator, before believers begin to tout victory because debates are held to address matters of "faith", we must take two things int...

If you study humanities or political systems or sciences in general, philosophy is really the mother ship from which all of these disciplines grow.” Quote taken from student in an article highlighting new interest in the study of philosophy . Whereas "religion" has been recognized before as the "queen of the sciences" or the foundation upon which all other disciplines stood; it seems the tendency today is to want to supplant the foundation of faith with that of philosophy. (I've seen this already in the teaching and debates related to New Age and of Eckhart Tolle). What's going to be interesting in the future is: 1. The arguments for the basis of authority which will enable philosophy can serve in such a role (or whether one is required, needec, etc.) 2. The applications and effects supplanting the one foundation and replacing it with another will have on various aspects of life including definitions and relationships to truth; significant issues such as...

"Each of you say that the other has provided care and affection that was missing in your marriage," "Emotions take over, as people no doubt realize. There are times during your life where emotions do rule the heart, it rules the head," he said. "I knew it was illegal. Of course, I knew it was illegal but you know, so what." Supposing these statements come from homosexuals? Guess again. Same arguments, but perhaps the following quote will help you figure it out. Deaves admitted that he "initially" thought having sex with his daughter was wrong. This comes from Report: Reunited Father, Daughter Have Child Together . Wouldn't surprise me if in the future some perverted humanist might suggest that if the medical problems can be fixed, then current methods for changing the psychological and social thinking regarding abortion and homosexuality (and atheism) can be used to justify incest as well. It goes to show how from a humanist position, argum...