oddXian: Challenge the Consensus

The head of an atheist group that has filed a lawsuit against prayer at Barack Obama's presidential inauguration says the government is picking a winner between "believers" and "those who don't believe" and subjecting atheists and agnostics to someone else's religious beliefs. The 34-page legal complaint similarly seeks to enjoin Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr., from adding the phrase "So help me God" to the presidential oath of office. "We're hoping to stop prayer and religious rituals at governmental functions, especially at the inauguration," Barker told FOX News Radio. "The inauguration is not a religious event. It is a secular event of a secular country that includes all Americans, including those of us who are not Christians, including those of us who are not believers," he continued. Those people who do pray do believe in God and they are in fact trying to use the government to pick sides. Quotes ta...

He and a fellow psychologist at the University of Miami, Brian Willoughby, have reviewed eight decades of research and concluded that religious belief and piety promote self-control. The intrinsically religious people have higher self-control, but the extrinsically religious do not. Quotes from here . While I don't buy much of this type research, perhaps some secularists may find some of the findings interesting. For discovery of the fountain and fruit of self-control, try reading Galatians 5. :)

Interesting article , even if it does display some cognitive dissonance and atheistic inconsistancy - may the Lord use this struggle to bring this man back into the Kingdom and may the Lord bless Africa!

Taken from here Here is a list of essential differences between dispensationalism and covenantalism (D= dispensationalism, C = covenantalism) D 1. May be Arminian or modified Calvinist. Almost never 5-point Calvinist. C 1. Always Calvinist. Usually 5-point. D 2. Stresses literal Interpretation of the Bible. C 2. Accepts both literal and figurative interpretation of the Bible. D 3. Usually does not accept the idea of the ‘Analogy of Faith C 3. Almost always accepts the idea of the ‘Analogy of Faith.’ D 4. ‘Israel always means only the literal, physical descendants of Jacob C 4. ‘Israel’ may mean either literal, physical descendants of Jacob or the figurative, spiritual Israel, depending on context. D 5. ‘Israel of God’ in Gal. 6:16 means physical Israel alone. C 5. ‘Israel of God’ in Gal. 6:16 means spiritual Israel, parallel to Gal. 3:29, Rom. 2:28-29, Rom. 9:6, Phil. 3:3. D 6. God has two peoples with two separate destinies: Israel (earthly) and the Church (heavenly). C 6. God has alw...

Deceitful behavior has a long and storied history in the evolution of social life, and the more sophisticated the animal, it seems, the more commonplace the con games, the more cunning their contours. Tactical deception requires considerable behavioral suppleness, which is why it’s most often observed in the brainiest animals. Our lie blindness suggests to some researchers a human desire to be deceived, a preference for the stylishly accoutred fable over the naked truth. Quotes taken from A Highly Evolved Propensity for Deceit . Seems deceit (and being good at it) is a sign of "advanced evolution". Think about the practical ramifications of this one. ...consider also the contrast between the goal of Christianity vs. what's involved in advancing in evolution.

From one type of skeptic to another, I have always respected the mind of Penn Jillette (an admitted atheist) - you can see why in this video - he does understand the imperative of the Gospel - I just pray that the Lord softens his heart and calls him into the Kingdom.

Pope Benedict was accused of stoking homophobia today after a speech in which he declared that saving humanity from homosexuality was just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction. The Pontiff made the remarks yesterday in an end-of-year address to the Curia, the Vatican's central administration. He said that humanity needed to listen to the “language of creation” to understand the intended roles of man and woman and behavior beyond traditional heterosexual relations was a “destruction of God’s work”. “The tropical forests do deserve our protection. But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less," Benedict told scores of prelates gathered in the Vatican's Clementine Hall. "What’s needed is something like a ‘human ecology,’ understood in the right sense. It’s not simply an outdated metaphysics if the Church speaks of the nature of the human person as man and woman, and asks that this order of creation be respected.” Quote taken from here . Very good li...

Goodbye Larry King, Hello Jerry Springer! Carl Truman has been especially good recently on the issues surrounding Obama's swearing in, Rick Warren, pro-homosexuals, etc. This article is worth the read.

"A lot of the Christmas celebration is a nostalgic veneer that doesn't really connect very deeply theologically," says Mary Helene Rosenbaum, head of Dovetail Institute for Interfaith Family Resources, based in Boston, Ky. When she advises religiously mixed families, she finds what works best is pragmatic: Elevate the holiday trappings over doctrine. "We really are becoming a secular society," she says. "When you ask people their religious identity, they're really talking about their sense of community and belonging," not wrestling with ideas about God. Quotes from Where is Christ in Christmas? Christians... note how secular trends result even in environments which ignore, discourage, or deny the issues/truth. We must take note that secular trends seek to relegate the truth. This should be noted especially when one considers our calling to evangelism and opportunities to reach out with the gospel. Some pertinent topics of conversation in situatio...

Overall, the new findings are "an indictment of evangelicalism and evangelical preaching," said Mohler. "The clear Biblical teaching is that Jesus Christ proclaimed himself to be the only way to salvation." Mohler sees behind the statistics the impact of pluralism and secularism in U.S. society and the challenge of facing family and friends with "an uncomfortable truth." "We are in an age when we want to tell everyone they are doing just fine. It's extremely uncomfortable to turn to someone and say, 'You will go to hell unless you come to a saving knowledge of Jesus,' " Mohler says. Good words my Mohler. Article on the poll - see here . Type your summary here ...... Type rest of the post here ......

Seven Pounds appears to be a movie filled with illustrations of false views concerning redemption. Consider the following items: 1. The main character is self righteous and self pitying 2. The main character is planning his own suicide 3. The main plot is for a man who has killed seven family members to redeem himself by saving seven other people (... but this must not be good enough and satisfy since he still plans to commit suicide) 4. The main character's sacrifices are all about him 5. The main character tries to himself become a savior of sorts (tries to provide the ultimate sacrifice (through wrongheaded heroism), becomes frustratingly god-like in his pursuit of redemption, working wonders, 6. The main character's life is characteristic of those who seek this method of redemption - His life has fallen apart, and –as he’s lost faith — has been seemingly abandoned by everyone in his life. His brother ... is ineffectual at best because he can’t stand in the way of Ben’s ...

Modern quantum mechanics predicts that empty space should indeed be imbued with this strange energy, but the possibility that the dark energy might actually be Einstein’s cosmological constant has thrown physics into philosophical turmoil. According to the calculations, the cosmological constant should be 1060 times bigger than what astronomers have measured; in such a universe, stars, planets and of course ourselves could not exist. The only way out, some physicists and cosmologists argue, is to presume that our universe is only one of as many as 10500 parallel universes, in which the laws of physics happen to be conducive to our existence. But many others bitterly disagree. Quote taken from here . While I'll not attempt to solve the quantum mechanics debate, I do present the observation that it appears on one level the more advances in science and discovery of the universe...the more incredulous suggestions of a world without God are going to seem.

As an addition to the earlier post - see below, I have not listened, yet, but based on the summary - should be interesting: What's The Word? The Bible On Gay Marriage Listen Now December 15, 2008 · Religious leaders often cite scripture as the basis for their opposition to gay marriage. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and host of the Albert Mohler Program, believes a strict reading of the text forbids gay marriage. But Lisa Miller, religion editor at Newsweek, contends the Bible's models of marriage are flawed, and its lessons about love actually argue for gay marriage. Here is the original link .

Carl Trueman at Reformation 21 has an insightful and helpful response to Lisa Miller's article in Newsweek on the Bible and Gay Marriage. Read it here .

The latest wheeze of one of Britain's most innovative comedians, Robin Ince, is a series of three shows that will bring together fellow comics Ricky Gervais, Stewart Lee, Chris Addison, Phil Jupitus, Mark Thomas and Dara O'Briain and musicians Luke Haines, Jarvis Cocker and Robyn Hitchcock with Richard Dawkins and science writer Simon Singh for a non-Christmas Christmas-time celebration of rational thought – a secular take on the festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Taken from here . They used the word comedy, but perhaps even described "Like the crackling of thorns under the pot..." (Eccl 6:6)

A new breed of undercover Christian missionary is turning to Muslim north Africa in the search for new converts, alarming Islamic leaders who say they prey on the weak and threaten public order. The Koran states no-one can be forced to follow one religion, but many Muslims believe that to abandon Islam is to shun family, tribe and nation and bring shame upon relatives. "Many Muslims told me 'If I find you I will kill you'," said Amin, a young man from northern Morocco who did not want to give his full name for fear of reprisals. ... PERSECUTION, EXPLOITATION Converts recount stories of persecution as evidence of the risks they run. These are impossible to verify, but one said he heard a newly converted Moroccan was thrown from a balcony in a shopping mall by two acquaintances, leaving him paralyzed. Another said people of a town in eastern Morocco threatened to decapitate a convert unless he renounced his faith. Quotes taken from Christian missionaries stir unease in ...

"The fact that there are people who want to silence the Church is disturbing. If people want to disagree with the Church it's one thing, but when you start this kind of name-calling it is intended to have a chilling effect," said Susan Fani, a spokeswoman for the Catholic League. Catholic groups say the protests and editorials are part of a campaign to silence the Church on issues where it is considered politically incorrect. Quotes taken from Vatican Under Fire for Opposing U.N. Declaration on Sexual Rights Where's the TOLERANCE? Seems those who clamor for tolerance all the time are the very ones who display intolerance of those with different views. Believers need to take note of examples like this for while it's happening in isolated cases and on specific issues today, buying into the "tolerance" clamoring today can lead to increased cases of "intolerance' tomorrow. Those such as Evangelical Christians, Mormons, and Roman Catholics deserve ...

Then came the moment of apostasy. He was drawing a Bible picture one day when his older brother, Bob, casually asked him why he believed in God. "My mother went, 'Bob!' And I knew. I knew that she was hiding something that he wanted to tell me. I thought about it for an hour and that was it. I didn't believe any more." Quote taken from Ricky Gervais: Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People Interesting how unbelivers challenge believers when it comes to "childlike faith"? How about these grounds for being confident in one's DISBELIEF (/APOSTASY)? Here is one who with no more than a child's intelligence, with no regard to evidence or consideration of revelation, simply makes a childish decision and then sets that forth as if it's reasonable and should be accepted. Not only does it point to the fact that his "belief" was not the kind referred to by Scripture (of the grace of God, and not just of man), but misses the mark by trying ...

In Muslim pilgrims stone devil amid tight control it is stated that "More than two million Muslim pilgrims stoned walls symbolizing the devil in a narrow valley outside Mecca". Two problems biblically with this practice. 1. Authority and Power of Man- First of all Satan (the god of this world) is not one who can be defeated by humans throwing stones at a wall. He is not only spiritual, but powerful and unable to be dethroned or defeated even my millions of men. Note in Jude 1:9 the position even the archangel Michael took - "But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!'" What's interesting is, Satan continues to exercise control over many, even through the work of deception. 2. Nature of Satan - As stated above, Satan is spiritual and is neither harmed nor held back by men taking physical objects and throwing ...

... Yt the possibility of self-salvation is one of the major delusions of New Age philosophy. It teaches that salvation comes not from without (someone else coming to our resuce) but from within (as we discover ourselves and our own resources). So 'look into yourself, shirley MacLaine urges us, 'explore yourself', for 'all the answers are within yourselef'. And in here subsequent book, which is revealingly entitled Going Within, she writes that'the New Age is all about self-responsibility', i.e., taken responsibility for everything that happens, since 'the only source is ourselves'. But Paul teaches oa different source of salvation. With verse 4 he turns from us in our depravity to 'God our Saviour', from our hatred of one another to his amazing love for us. paul traces our salvation right back to its source in the love of God. But when the the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, that is, in the birth, life, death and resurr...

After more than three years of nomadic uncertainty, many of the children of Hurricane Katrina are behind in school, acting out and suffering from extraordinarily high rates of illness and mental health problems. Their parents, many still anxious or depressed themselves... Many Children Lack Stability Long After Storm Ms. Bankston has particularly grave concerns about the children who have fallen so far behind in school that there is little chance of their catching up. “What you’re looking at is our future juvenile justice, our prison population,” she said. Many of the adults are at least partly victims of their own poor choices. But the children are another matter. From several plastic baggies and a dented metal canister, the family could barely amass the documents needed to prove his address. A shy, artistic boy ..., Jermaine is one of tens of thousands of youngsters who lost not just all of their belongings to Hurricane Katrina, but a chunk of childhood itself. Quotes taken from Man...

Quick Reflections: 1. Had the discussions followed the format of Wilson's opening arguments (i.e., How and Why are we to assume meaning/significance of thoughts that result from chance; What is the basis/warrant for truth/value/aesthetic claims by atheists; The relationship between a meaningless universe yet meaning in it's parts), the debate would have been a good one. However, it didn't, and while there's merit in other issues, I would have a hard time recommending a person taking the time to watch this one given the topics themselves and the length of the debate. 2. Problems with Hitchens arguments a. Hitchens seemed to set up a false dichotomy in that if one doesn't look to God, then they will take (or be more prone to take) responsibility to deal with issues like slavery. The truth is that one is not limited to one or the other option, but believing in God actually provides motivation for taking responsibility. b. Hitchens though he states the items photo...

Conservatives Expected to Split Episcopal Church While technically or eccliastically this headline may be true, one must ask which group has "split" the church? Consider the following quote: They claim those churches have broken with traditional Christianity in many ways, but the development that precipitated their departure was the decision to ordain an openly gay bishop and to bless gay unions. Interesting isn't it, how the reporter and paper publish a headline that can tend to infer blame on the part of conservatives? Rom 16:17 "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them." Lk 12:51 "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division."

Police did not immediately return requests for comment. Chief Dan Isom told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he understands Troupe's frustration but doesn't support citizens arming themselves. Carrying guns, he said, is not a "recipe for a less violent community." This is the response of a police chief whose department supposedly cannot provide protection for the community. See St. Louis alderman calls on residents to get armed 1. Protection is a biblical responsibility for the head of the home (and for individuals). 2. If what was reported is true, that "there was nothing he [/the police department] could do to protect" the citizens and community; if the chief does not support citizens arming themselves, then HOW are they supposed to protect themselves? Are they supposed to just become defenseless targets? 3. While it's true that vigilantism is to be cautioned against and headed off, that does not deny the right and responsibility to legally provide pro...

The following quotes are from Atheists Want God Out of Kentucky Homeland Security A group of atheists filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to remove part of a state anti-terrorism law that requires Kentucky's Office of Homeland Security to acknowledge it can't keep the state safe without God's help. This will be an interesting case and one important not only to the framework but the fabric of future law and life in the United States. It would not surprise me to not only see a united front by Christians behind this issue, but a joining of other theists in the battle of how national and state constitutions are interpreted as either theistic or secular documents... and even moreso whether these documents forbid references to God, or even by their own example provide for the legality of doing so (this being the better and more decisive issue the present case must address). In this light, this case should be seen by theists as a LANDMARK and WATERSHED CASE, and therefore one not to...

Now that I am a Christian I do not have moods in which the whole thing looks very improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable.

What is needed in Britain—and America—is a change in the thinking that naively believes that simply exposing foreign nationals to our way of life means they will "catch" it as they might the flu. Allowing immigrants from nations in which the dominant religion mandates the forced subordination of every other faith (or no faith) and their subjugation through state power under Sharia law, increases the likelihood of more attacks. Taken from here . Failure to consider the beliefs of others is not only unwise, but can prove dangerous.

I get increasingly uncomfortable with the convention of journalism that requires us to say that so far, we don't know the motives of the people who carried out this week's attacks in Mumbai. A word like "motive" seems to imply there was reason or purpose. It suggests that, however profane their actions, the terrorists had the incentive of some goal in mind. But after covering too many killings, as a reporter or host, in Bosnia, Kosovo, Oklahoma City or Somalia, I've come to the conclusion that the perpetrators of such crimes might just be ... evil. Evil is a word that many people of my generation shrink from using. It seems so imprecise and uneducated — biblical, rather than cerebral and informed. But there are times and crimes that remind me how often the Bible gets it right. Taken from here . Experience is often a good teacher. When the guards come down, it's interesting the conclusion that experience so often points to.

Students cheat, steal, but say they're good Interesting headline taken from here . An interesting quote from the same article: "What is the social cost of that — not to mention the implication for the next generation of mortgage brokers?" Josephson remarked in an interview. "In a society drenched with cynicism, young people can look at it and say 'Why shouldn't we? Everyone else does it."'

Over the last decade, the mineralogical analysis of small hardy crystals known as zircons embedded in old Australian rocks has painted a picture of the Hadean period “completely inconsistent with this myth we made up,” Dr. Harrison said . Quote from here . While still holding to an old earth view, this scientist admits the former view of the early earth held by those espousing an old earth was a "myth". “The picture that’s emerging is a watery world with normal rock recycling processes,” said Stephen J. Mojzsis, a professor of geology at the University of Colorado who was not involved with the U.C.L.A. research. “And that’s a comforting thought for the origin of life.” This is another place in the article where it can be taken that scientists now admit holding to an earlier view (myth) that did not provide much "comfort" (i.e. support) for the origin of life. Suppose presuppositions were held even in spite of what they believed the evidence to teach?

CS Milestone: 75,000 page views!

"We went into the deep ocean and hijacked the unarmed cargo ships," Boyah said. The pirates had warned of "disastrous" consequences should the owners fail to comply with their demands. Cruise Ship Attacked by Somali Pirates Piracy 'out of control' You Can't Stop Us, Pirate Leader Says "With no strong deterrent, low risk to the pirates and high returns, the attacks will continue." Quotes from various sources A good example of how "lawlessness" must be dealt with or it only escalates and tends to bring about such things as death, theft, and destruction.

The campaign they funded was one of lies and deceit, clearly in violation of the religious tenet of “thou shalt not lie .” Quote taken from here,... a statement by a homosexual activist in the debate of Proposition 8 ...Ever noticed how unbelievers are left to quote from "religious" (or biblical) tenets when arguing. Obviously, some might suggest that the activists are simply claiming hypocrisy, but if God does not exist and the Scripture is not true, then of what value is the claim "against" hypocrisy? Seems the activists need to spend more time considering the Scripture they so fondly love to quote.

Protesters have defaced some church buildings, and in Arapaho County, Colo., the Sheriff's Office is investigating a possible hate crime — the torching of the Book of Mormon on a church's doorstep. Actions of some gay activists following the vote on Propostion 8. (Quote from here )

The following guidance comes from the Apostle Paul in Romans 9 1. TRUSTWORTHINESS OF SCRIPTURE When skeptics question the trustworthiness of Scripture (has it come to pass?, Can God's word be trusted?, etc.), remember that often there are deeper issues surrounding this question when raised by skeptics. First, communicate how you feel concerning the condition of the lost. Whereas Christians are often accused of indifference toward the condition of unbelievers, this is not reflective of the heart of Christ. Note how Jesus mourned over Jerusalem, how Moses asked that his name be blotted out in Exodus 32, and how Paul in Romans 9 was filled with great sorrow and unceasing anguish in his heart over the condition of his lost relatives and countrymen(Romans 9). Communicating one's response and feelings will not only set forth the truth, but also eliminate unnessary distractions which may stand in the way of others hearing and accepting the gospel. Next, deal with the questions wh...