Category: In The News!

NASA recently reported photographic evidence indicating that water may occasionally rise to the surface on Mars. Of course, the excitement among scientists centers on the possibility of what water allows, the possibility of past life on the planet.

Pictures originally taken in 1999 have been compared to new images taken in September of 2005, showing a definite change. Though it is possible the changes in the image can be attributed to frost, or even movement of soil, the explanation that most intrigues scientists is that the deposits are the result of water bursting to the surface, and momentarily running down the hill either before freezing, or evaporating to leave mineral deposits behind.

Continue reading “In The News: Water on Mars! So What?” →

On Saturday, February 10, 2007, the Richland Hills church of Christ will begin holding a weekly Saturday evening worship service that will include the use of musical instruments in worship, and an observance of the Lord’s Supper. Jon Jones, (the former “pulpit minister” and one of the elders), said that the elders “fully and completely” endorsed the decision. At an adult Bible study, he said, “There is unity in our eldership, and we are so thankful for that.”

However, two of the 17 elders serving resigned when the decision was made. Though there seems to be some “politicking” going on, and the two remain members of the congregation, Roger Dean, one of the remaining 15 elders acknowledged that the decision had prompted the two elders to resign.

Continue reading “In The News: North Richland Hills church of Christ to Begin Using Instruments in Worship” →

There a number of passages that come to mind that bear on the subject of this short article:

“And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24).

“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God” (1 Peter 2:18-20).

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

In the news Saturday was a notice that the National Basketball Association’s Players Union has filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board concerning unfair “business practices” by the NBA.

Continue reading “In The News: NBA is Unfair!” →

A recent Google search (News division) of the word church resulted in the find of the following headlines:

Church to Participate in Christmas Open House
Building on the success of last year’s event, Sutter Creek Methodist Church is planning to provide a festive and religious dimension to the festivities. (Sacramento Ledger Dispatch)

Durham Church Plans Fair Trade Bazaar
All sales will assist in improving the quality of life for people half a world away. (Seacoastonline.com)

Church To Hold Holiday Tea
Mark your calendar and call for your reservations for the annual Holiday Victorian Tea and Boutique to be held at the Presbyterian Church in Garden City. (Garden City News)

Yummm! Annual Pie Social and Church Fair set for Dec. 1,2
On the second floor in the Education Wing, a Kid’s Fair is held offering kids the chance to play a game, do a craft or get their nails painted.
Tewksbury Advocate

Church Leaders Plan To Build Family Center
Two long-time city churches have merged and will build a multimillion-dollar family center on U.S. 19 that is expected to draw new parishioners from throughout Pinellas County. (Pinellas Park Beacon)

Ham and Beans on the Menu at Church Supper
The Union Congregational Church of Madbury will sponsor a ham and bean supper on Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Madbury Town Hall. (Seacoastonline.com)

Contrast the preceding activities: Open house, Bazaar, Tea, Pie Social, Family Center and Church Supper, with the actions of the first century church. “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). While the first century Christians enjoyed each others company, it was an individual thing, as Christians broke bread “from house to house.”

In fact, Paul admonished the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11, “Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?…” (vs. 20-22a).

The church of the Lord is not a social club. It’s purpose is to save the world through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. While it is fine and dandy for Christians to participate in Pie Socials and Holiday Teas, such things are not the work of our Lord’s church. No soul was ever saved by a Family Center. Preach the Word! It is the gospel that saves!

In a decision likely to stoke the contentious election-year debate over same-sex marriage, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that state lawmakers must provide the rights and benefits of marriage to gay and lesbian couples.

The high court on Wednesday gave legislators six months to either change state marriage laws to include same-sex couples, or come up with another mechanism, such as civil unions, that would provide the same protections and benefits.

The court’s vote was 4-to-3. But the ruling was more strongly in favor of same-sex marriage than that split would indicate. The three dissenting justices argued the court should have extended full marriage rights to homosexuals, without kicking the issue back to legislators…

…Opponents of same-sex marriage contend the New Jersey decision could have a national impact because the state imposes no residency requirements for people seeking marriage. In essence, it could open the door for gay and lesbian couples from other states to marry in New Jersey and challenge laws against same-sex marriage in their own states.

The gay marriage debate intensified in 2004 when Massachusetts became the first and only state to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. The state does not allow nonresidents to marry there, however.

Rose Arce, CNN

Analysis:

We have time and again shown that the scriptures reveal homosexuality to be a sin and an abomination before God (cf. Levitcus 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:26-28).

We have likewise pointed out that it is God, who established the marriage union, who defines its constituent parts. If God said that a “man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24), then He defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Whatever men say does not change what marriage truly is.

What I may not have emphasized is how sad it is for individuals to define themselves and their lives by their sexual preferences. I can understand someone identifying themselves as a Christian, a parent, an American, or even by their ethnicity. What I can’t understand is defining oneself by their sexual activity. It is a strong indication of just how perverted and obsessed such individuals have become. When someone calls himself an alcoholic it is because alcohol has taken control, likewise a drug addict, glutton or adulterer. When an individual identifies himself as a homosexual, he is not describing a lifestyle, but a sexual act. Truly God has given “them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness…” (Rom. 1:28-29).

Willie Nelson, the Country and Western singer with a liberal lean to his politics and an agenda to legalize marijuana use, recently published a book of philosophy called “The Tao of Willie.” In it he talks about everything from politics to God. In response to a question about leaving his Methodist upbringing in embracing new philosophies, Nelson said:

“I believe that all roads lead to the same place. We’re taking different ways to get there, but we all end up in the same place. It’s kind of like Kinky Friedman’s statement, “May the God of your choice bless you.” That’s the main thoughts that I have about life.” (Time Magazine, August 7, 2006)

Nelson, as is typical of many today, has remade God in his image. Scripture clearly reveals that there is one way to heaven (John 4:24), that not all of us are going to get there (Matthew 7;13), and that there is only one true God (Acts 14:15).

Yes, those are Willie’s main thoughts on life. God has given his divine comments on such thoughts, saying in Psalm 94:11, “The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile.”

A couple of weeks ago two events happened on the same day, that represented the best and worst of our society.

First, former pro golfer Byron Nelson passed away from natural causes after having led a long and eventful life. Second, Dallas Cowboy wide receiver Terrell Owens was admitted to the hospital after overdosing on pain medication.

Continue reading “In The News: T.O. & Lord Byron” →

UNIONTOWN, Pa. — A youth baseball coach accused of offering an 8-year-old money to bean an autistic teammate so he couldn’t play was convicted Thursday of corruption of minors and criminal solicitation to commit simple assault. Mark R. Downs Jr., 29, was acquitted of criminal solicitation to commit aggravated assault, and the judge declared a mistrial on a reckless endangerment charge. Authorities said Downs offered to pay one of his players $25 to hit a 9-year-old autistic teammate with a ball while warning up before a June 2005 playoff game. Keith Reese Jr. testified about Dons’ offer, saying he purposely threw a ball that hit Harry Bowers in the groin then threw another ball that hit him in the ear on Downs’ instructions.

– The Associated Press

Analysis:

The theft of our air conditioning units a while back got me to wondering how individuals could become so immoral and ungodly that they would, in effect, steal from the Lord. There is so much evil in the world… murders, rape, robbery, racism, violent crime, etc…, that we tend to become numb and rather accepting of its reality. Then something like the theft of our equipment, or this mistreatment of a small child serves to shock us, and raise our indignation toward evil.

It is not so much the severity of the crime. Our units have been replaced, and the insurance covered almost the entire cost. The autistic little boy was not severely injured, and is physically fine. But, the sheer audacity! There are certain things that are universally recognized as worthy of our protection (a small child is one such object), and to see Downs so cavalierly contract out a “hit” (literally) on the child is shocking to us.

In the trial parents testified that Downs frequently complained that the child “brought the team down”, and once asked a parent to call and tell the child’s mother that a game had been cancelled so that the child would not be there to play the 3 inning minimum required in the league’s bylaws. When the mother came to get her son following the two “beanings”, he flippantly told her, “Looks like the balls are after him today!”

Mark Downs has shown himself to be a twisted and perverse individual. There is no justification for his actions, (which are unfortunately not that rare in our society today). He should be locked up, and the key thrown away. He certainly should be precluded from ever coaching or volunteering in any way that would allow him to become involved with small children.

And yet, there is so much worse going on every day. As Christians, we need to be mindful of such evil, and react with indignation to both attacks against the innocent, and against our God. We should use every means to cry out against the indignities and inequities of our society, as did our Lord during his ministry on the earth (cf. Matthew 21:12-13).

In the Saturday, September 2nd edition of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, there was an article entitled, House sellers put their faith in saintly intervention. The article refers to the practice of burying a statue of St. Joseph upside down in the yard of a home for sale will bring good luck to homeowners desperate to sell. In looking for a representative statue to accompany this story, I came across this “kit” for sale for $4.95 at an online novelty store, with the accompanying caption and description:

St. Joseph – Patron Saint of Real Estate

Based on the circumstances surrounding them, some Saints become “patrons” of people, occupations, places or things. It’s never been easier or more affordable to bring the power of a Patron Saint to your aid. Each 3-3/4″ tall, hard plastic Saint comes with a 3″ stand embossed with the Saint’s name and a removable backdrop with the Saint’s title, patronage and a prayer to help invoke the power of that Saint.

The reference is to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus.

Continue reading “In The News: The Patron Saint of Real Estate” →

An article in the Tuesday, August 15th issue of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram carried the above title, with the subtitle: “Shopping around for a family church—when the parents aren’t regular attendees—can be intimidating, but experts say it’s never too late to start keeping the faith.” The author of the article, Gaile Robinson, related a cub scout field trip that sent herself and her son to a Catholic mission, with a group of other little boys. The site of a larger than life cross with the Christ figure upon it, with the crown of thorns complete with painted blood, led to an awed silence among the boys, but caused her son to ask, “Whoa, what happened to that guy?”

Continue reading “In The News: Choosing My Religion” →

Responses from a recent poll indicated that sexually addictive behaviors are not foreign inside churches, and a large number of women in the pews struggle with the same temptations as men, The Christian Post reports. According to a poll by ChristiaNet.com and Second Glance Ministries, half of all Christian men are addicted to pornography. That may be nothing new, but the poll found 20 percent of all Christian women to be addicts to pornography. Additional findings showed 60 percent of the female respondents admitted to having significant struggles with lust, 40 percent admitted to being involved in sexual sin in the past year, and 20 percent of the church-going female participants struggled with looking at pornography on an ongoing basis.

Religion Today Summaries – Aug. 11, 2006
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff
Crosswalk.com

Analysis:

The statistics mentioned above are of course, disturbing. “Half of all Christian men are addicted to pornography.” Of course, this article defines “Christian” rather loosely. It has reference to those in the denominational world, many of which are not only steeped in doctrinal error, but have also never renounced as immoral the lusts of the flesh. Having said that, only the naïve will claim that pornography is not a problem in the Lord’s church.

And now, we read that some women are struggling with the sin of lasciviousness as well. There are cultural reasons for this, as we are living in a society which has lost its respect for female modesty. Men have objectified women, and women have often contributed to the problem by parading themselves about in unseemly dress. One of the byproducts of such ungodliness is that more and more women have become sexually predatory and aggressive. Profanity, the objectification of men and promiscuity is common.

It seems that calling the woman the “fairer sex”, and seeking to protect the sensibilities of the female is no longer applicable in at least certain parts of our ungodly society. In the face of such crassness, the apostle Peter described the type of woman a Christian lady should be. Notice the difference: “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward–arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel– rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:1-4).

Brethren, we live in a world where immorality is the rule rather than the exception. It is a challenge to keep ourselves pure, and we must maintain diligence to present ourselves acceptable to God in our time.

It says in the Book of Proverbs: “Wine makes a fool of you and leads to brawling.” Friday night, Mel Gibson, Christian action hero, found that out the hard way. Tooling through Malibu in his Lexus, he was pulled over on suspicion of drunken driving, got into it with a sheriff’s deputy and wound up in handcuffs.

“Are you a Jew?” he allegedly demanded of the arresting officer.

That question alone constitutes prima facie evidence that Gibson was DUI. Come on, 30 years in Hollywood and he can’t tell the difference between a Jew and a deputy sheriff?

No wonder they booked him.

To his credit, as soon as he sobered up, Gibson apologized to the lawman, something presumably along the lines of: Sorry I called you a Jew, mate. No hard feelings.

In the process of getting arrested, Gibson shared some of his opinions with the cops. One that found its way into their report is that the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world…

…On Saturday, a chastened Mel issued a statement apologizing to anyone he had offended. He had said “despicable” things that he does “not believe to be true.” He didn’t go into details. He didn’t need to…

Still, there was a puzzling lack of logic to the apology…

…So, let’s certify that Gibson is an anti-Semite, as his critics have charged since he released the film “The Passion of the Christ” in 2004…

…Anyway, I confess to being less than shocked to read about Gibson’s Jew-war theory. The tip-off came when he denied being an anti-Semite in an interview with Diane Sawyer in the publicity run-up to “The Passion.” This is known as the Richard Nixon “I am not a crook” principle: When you get to the point you have to declare your innocence on network television, you are probably guilty.

by Zev Chafets
The San Jose Mercury News

Analysis:

While Chafets is having a bit of fun with the rather erratic behavior of Mel Gibson, a devout Catholic, the evidence indeed seems to indicate that Gibson has some anti-semitic tendencies. Evidence indicates that his father harbors a hatred of Jewish people, and while Gibson says otherwise while sober, those sentiments seem to be ingrained in him as well.

There is a great difference, however, between a drunken tirade against Jews, and accepting the Bible account of the crucifixion of Jesus. In Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ, he correctly portrayed many of the events of Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion. In noting the part that Jews played in Jesus’ death, he related historical fact, not an ingrained bias against Jewish people. Claims that an established representation of history is inherently biased are ridiculous.

2,000 years ago a group of Jews cried out to the Roman governor, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him” (cf. Luke 23:21). On the first day of Pentecost following his death, 3,000 of those same Jews received forgiveness for their crime (cf. Acts 2:40-41). The important question does not concern what the Jews did or did not do to Jesus. The important question is what any Jew (or Gentile) today will do with Jesus! Will you be obedient to Him as your Lord and Master? Or will you “crucify again for [yourself] the Son of God”? (Hebrews 6:6).

Former ‘N Sync singer Lance Bass has announced he is gay and is in a very stable relationship with “Amazing Race” reality TV star Reichen Lehmkuhl.

The 27-year-old was afraid of coming out during his time with the boy band because he feared his sexuality would damage the group’s commercial prospects.

He tells People magazine, “I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys’ careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything.

“I didn’t know. Could that be the end of ‘N Sync? So I had that weight on me of like, ‘Wow, if I ever let anyone know, it’s bad.’ So I just never did.”

He adds, “The thing is, I’m not ashamed — that’s the one thing I want to say. I don’t think it’s wrong, I’m not devastated going through this. I’m more liberated and happy than I’ve been my whole life. I’m just happy.

“The main reason I wanted to speak my mind was that (the rumors) really were starting to affect my daily life. Now it feels like it’s on my terms. I’m at peace with my family, my friends, myself and God so there’s really nothing else that I worry about.”

Bass is currently developing a TV sitcom with Fatone in which his character will be gay.

Joey Fatone was the first ‘N Sync member to find out Bass’ sexuality.

Fatone says, “He took years to really think about how he was going to tell everyone. I back him up 100 percent.”

SFGate.com

Analysis:

There is nothing out of the ordinary with the announcement that another entertainer is gay. In fact, in the present climate, it is rather doubtful that the announcement would have had a detrimental effect on the boy band’s popularity, despite Bass’ concerns.

What is worthy of note is Bass’ statement about being at peace with his family, friends, himself and God.

He is at peace with his family and friends because they are among those who “…knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (cf. Romans 1:32).

He is at peace with himself because he “because, although [he] knew God, [he] did not glorify Him as God, nor [was he] thankful, but became futile in [his] thoughts, and [his] foolish [heart was] darkened… 24 Therefore God also gave [him] up to uncleanness, in the lusts of [his heart], to dishonor [his body]…” (Roman 1:21,24).

But, he is not at peace with God. He has no right to speak for God. God says, “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:13). Homosexuality is an abomination. No man or woman who persists in that sin is at peace with the God of heaven.

President George W. Bush may have cited his moral stance in vetoing a bill that would have expanded embryonic stem-cell research on Wednesday but the issue transcends traditional divisions over abortion rights.

Strongly conservative Republicans who oppose abortion such as Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch have backed broader federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research for years, and more conservatives have come on board recently, including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee.

The embryos at issue come from fertility clinics, where eggs and sperm are united in lab dishes. But many more are made than can ever be implanted in mothers’ wombs, and the leftovers are discarded.

The bill vetoed by Bush would have allowed federal taxpayer money to be used to do research on those embryos donated by the parents. It is not illegal to use private funds to do so, although some conservatives, such as Kansas Republican Sen. Sam Brownback, would also seek to ban this research.

The stem cells are taken from a ball of cells known as a blastocyst, which develops five to seven days after conception. These embryonic stem cells are pluripotent — meaning they can differentiate into all the types of cells that make up an animal, including a human being, but do not form placenta and cannot become a fetus.

Bush, an opponent of abortion, used his first veto as president to block the bill on Wednesday, saying destroying embryos for medical research “crosses a moral boundary that our decent society needs to respect.”

Many people who disapprove of abortion say they do not disapprove of experimenting on these embryos, which would otherwise be discarded.

“It’s very difficult to justify abandoning 7,000 to 20,000 in vitro eggs as medical waste,” Hatch told reporters recently.

REUTERS / Peter Macdiarmid

Analysis:

It is not uncommon for advocates of stem cell research to blur the lines regarding what constitutes life. In reality, man has no right to establish such arbitrary distinctions. From conception, an embryo is an independent, living organism. If it is not human, then what is it?

Understood in this light, the immoral nature of the aforementioned arguments becomes clear. For example, stem cell advocates are arguing that since we are going to throw living humans into the trash anyway, instead we ought to kill them through human experimentation.

Stem cell advocates are actually claiming to have the moral high road in this debate. Note the following quote from later in the article, “It is immoral for our families, neighbors and friends to be held hostage to chronic diseases when their treatments are within our scientific grasp,” June Walker, president of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, said in a statement. In reality, the call is for the sacrifice of innocent and vulnerable human beings to benefit others in society. The fact that stem cell advocates are unwilling to admit to the humanness of the embryos does not change the fact of their humanity. To sacrifice one segment of society in preference to another is barbaric, and without any moral justification.

“And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41).

I recently came across an article from the online edition of the Kansas City Star, detailing objections of the Chinese government to scenes contained in the recently released movie, Mission Impossible III.

The movie contains a few scenes shot in Shanghai, which the Chinese government finds objectionable. Of course, most are aware of the fact that China’s government is repressive, and does not allow the almost unlimited expression of free speech we see in other societies.

Continue reading “In The News: Movie Nudity – A Moral Issue” →