Category: In The News!
Articles analyzing current events.
In The News: The Intolerance of the Tolerant
Many are aware of the furor that has erupted over Barack Obama’s decision to have Rick Warren deliver the invocation at his inauguration ceremony. Obama promised during his campaign to bring people who differ together so that our nation might come to embrace common ideals despite strong differences. His choice of Warren, who believes what the Bible teaches on the subject of homosexuality and abortion, is an example of Obama keeping this promise.
Interestingly, though this promise among others constitutes one of the reasons he was embraced by the left in this country, it is also the reason why he is being criticised by those same supporters when said promise is put into practice. It seems that homosexuals and abortionists want us to listen to and accept them, but they are unwilling to listen to and accept us! In effect, they are intolerant of those who are intolerant! Put another way, they have long complained of being “marginalized” by society, and now that one of their own is being put into office, they are seeking to do the same to those who disagree with them!
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In The News: Chocolate Jesus?
I came across a recent article indicating that Catholic churches in Germany were upset because an entrepreneur had begun selling chocolate Jesus figures, covered in gold foil. The picture at right is an actual example of the figure.
I went to the web site advertising the item, and was blown away by some of the reasoning behind selling the product. Note the following quotes from the site:
…In our time, Santa Claus has replaced Jesus for most people. Unfortunately!
From today on, however, “Sweetlord ®” and the “Original Chocolate GoldJesus ®” are being made to change this!…
…Eating Jesus?
The idea to eat Jesus may first appear shocking to some people – but is it really? Apparently, the tradition to include representations of Jesus in dessert preparations – apart from flesh and blood (altar bread and wine) – goes back centuries both in the old and new world. Among the most prominent examples are the American King Cake and the German Christstollen….
In The News: Man Pregnant Again!
This headline seems like it should be on the front page of the National Enquirer, (and it probably was), but it is being reported as legitimate by national news agencies such as ABC News.
Barbara Walters was granted an exclusive interview with Thomas Beatie and “his” wife Nancy on Friday, November 14th, on 20/20 Magazine. It was the first public interview granted since the birth of their daughter Susan. Beatie has since announced that “he” is again pregnant.
You notice the quotations around the words “his” and “he” in the paragraph below. As Matthew Gilbert of the Boston Globe reported:
Of course, it’s a little inflammatory to call Beatie “a pregnant man.” The more accurate description would be “a pregnant female-to-male transgender who identifies as a man but whose female reproductive organs are intact,” but that probably wouldn’t sell as many tabloids or draw as many viewers to “Oprah,” “20/20,” or, tonight at 9, the Discovery Health documentary “Pregnant Man.” When it comes to grabbing eyes, detailed descriptions can be inconvenient.
In The News: Obama and ‘Infanticide
Anti-abortion activists accuse Obama of “supporting infanticide,” and the National Right to Life Committee says he’s conducted a “four-year effort to cover up his full role in killing legislation to protect born-alive survivors of abortions.” Obama says they’re “lying.”
At issue is Obama’s opposition to Illinois legislation in 2001, 2002 and 2003 that would have defined any aborted fetus that showed signs of life as a “born alive infant” entitled to legal protection, even if doctors believe it could not survive.
Obama opposed the 2001 and 2002 “born alive” bills as backdoor attacks on a woman’s legal right to abortion, but he says he would have been “fully in support” of a similar federal bill that President Bush had signed in 2002, because it contained protections for Roe v. Wade.
FactCheck.org
Analysis:
It seems that in every Presidential election, the issue of abortion is hotly contested, with the unhappy result of polarizing Americans. While it is certainly not appropriate to use the pulpit as a political tool, it is the responsibility of Christians to speak out against sin. Abortion is sinful, and those who are supporting it are supporting the killing of unborn children. According to scripture, the unborn is a child (cf. Psalm 139:13; Luke 1:41).
In The News: Jesus’ Bones
Many are aware of the sensationalistic claims of filmmaker James Cameron, who lent his name and resources to a “documentary” claiming that the ossuaries “bone boxes” that contained the bones of Jesus and Mary Magdalene have been found in Jerusalem. The show aired on the Discovery channel in February, 2007.
Mature Christians were dismissive of the claims, as they deny the Biblical account of Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. Cameron, and director/producer Simcha Jacobovici claim that the evidence suggests Jesus and Mary Magdalene married, fathered a child, and later died and were buried in the city of Jerusalem. This directly contradicts Paul’s claim in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, 8, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve… 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” In his testimony, Paul claims Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. This directly contradicts the contentions of Cameron and his television documentary.
In The News: The Steady Gaze of Flies
Scientists at Imperial College in London have flies on their minds. “Anyone who has watched one fly chasing another at incredibly high speed, without crashing or bumping into anything, can appreciate the high-end flight performance of these animals,” Dr. Holger Krapp of the Department of Bioengineering said in an Imperial College news release…
…Both the neurons that gather visual data from the eyes and the neurons triggering neck muscles to contract are “tuned” or predisposed to selecting and processing the same kind of information. The study is an important step in understanding how nerves communicate information. Similar technology could be used to develop flying robots that can independently stay steady without crashing.
A theoretical proto-fly that had not yet evolved this neuronal coordination would have been easy prey. The presence of such a marvel of engineering in the natural realm elicits consideration of the possibility that it was engineered by a Creator, as well as awe at the engineering savvy of that Creator.
Brian Thomas
Institute for Creation Research (icr.org)
Analysis:
Two things to note from this short piece on the visual capabilities of the fly. First, the fly’s abilities are so advanced that engineers are studying it for the purpose of copying the design.
In The News: A “Life Friendly” Universe
(Below is an excerpt of a very long speech given by James Gardner, who believes that the universe was created by God. He uses the words of renown evolutionists, who admit that the universe, as it exists, is strangely attuned to producing carbon based life. Note: By no means do I agree with any of the assertions made in the excerpt. But, it serves to show the prejudiced minds of the evolutionary theorists.
Even as they talk about the infinitesimal probabilities involved in producing such a “life-friendly” universe, such evolutionists stubbornly resist the idea that God is behind it all. They study the heavens intently, but are oblivious to their testimony (cf. Psalm 19:1-ff). Truly, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). Consider the following…)
In The News: The Lord’s Church is Distinctive
I was recently given a bulletin from a west Texas congregation. The front page of the bulletin had the order of service, including the preacher’s sermon topic for both Sunday services. The morning sermon was titled, “The Lord’s Church is Distinctive.”
The title is certainly true. The Lord’s church is distinctive, different, unique. It is seen in the worship we offer to God, the work that local congregations do in God’s service, and in the emphasis placed on the spiritual above the physical and social.
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In The News: Christians Get Suspended Jail Terms for Converting Muslims in Algeria
Four Algerian Christians accused of converting Muslims were each handed suspended jail sentences and fined Tuesday, according to reports.
The sentence is the latest to spark ire in the West, where Christian groups accuse the Algerian government of harassing Christians. The Higher Islamic Council, a state-appointed group, claims that Protestant evangelicals are secretly trying to divide Algerians for colonization, Reuters reported.
The four Christians, who admitted to converting to Christianity but contest the charges, said they planned to appeal the ruling.
“The verdict confirms an attitude of lack of respect for freedom of conscience,” defense lawyer Khelloudja Khalfoun, told Reuters.
A law passed in 2006 forbids non-Muslims from trying to convert Muslims and confines religious worship only to buildings approved by the state, according to the BBC. Under the law, more than a dozen churches have been closed in the past six months.
There are about 10,000 Christians in Algeria, the BBC reported.
FOXNews.com
Analysis:
We live in a country where religious freedom has long been respected. In fact, it is one of the founding principles of our society.
In The News: The Promises of Modern Science
While doing some research on the internet this past week, I came across the poster reproduced to the left. (The text reads: “Modern Science will save the world – or kill us all”
The poster is designed to dramatize that science/technology is commonly a two edged sword. The same technology that has produced nuclear power also produced the nuclear bomb. The invention of the combustible engine allows us to travel hundreds of miles in a day, but also has led to a number of potentially serious environmental problems—to say nothing of nearly $4.00 per gallon gasoline prices! The internet allows us access to almost unlimited information instantaneously, yet its largest tenant is the pornographer.
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In The News: Is It a Sin or is It Just Stupid?
On April 1, 2008, an article was posted to the website of Plain Truth Ministries. (To read the article, click here). The article was written by Monte Wolverton. It is titled, “Is It a Sin or is It Just Stupid?”
The article quotes a survey study by Ellison Research, which it states is a “Christian research firm” located in Phoenix, AZ. The survey sampled over 1000 adults, and came to the conclusion that most Americans believe in sin.
However, Americans vary widely in what they believe to be sin. Consider the following:
- 81% believe adultery is sin.
- 74% believe that racism is sin.
- 65% believe using hard drugs is sin.
- 41% believe that smoking marijuana is sin.
- 41% believe getting drunk is sin.
- 14% believe drinking alcohol is sin.
- 56% believe having an abortion is sin.
- 52% homosexuality is sin.
- 30% believe gambling is sin.
- 4% believe that dancing is sin.
Continue reading “In The News: Is It a Sin or is It Just Stupid?”
In The News: Stay on Executions Over
Georgia executed killer William Earl Lynd last night, ending a more than seven-month nationwide hiatus on capital punishment prompted by the Supreme Court’s examination of lethal injection.
Lynd’s execution at 7:51 p.m. was the first since the court ruled April 16 that the three-drug protocol most commonly used in executions by states and the federal government did not constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
The court last night turned down Lynd’s last-minute request for a stay, as the Georgia Supreme Court had earlier in the day. He was executed at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson.
Robert Barnes
Washington Post, May 7, 2008
Analysis:
William Earl Lynd was sentenced to death by a jury of his peers because of the heinous nature of the crime he committed. He shot his live in girlfriend, Ginger Moore in the face while high on drugs. After Moore crawled from the house to the porch, he shot her again. He loaded her body into the trunk, then when he heard a noise from the trunk, he opened it and shot her again. After driving across state lines, he buried her, then shot and killed another woman. Since he took her across state lines, he was charged with kidnapping, and these extra circumstances were sufficient to get him the death penalty.
In The News: Co-Ed Dorm Rooms
In the prim 1950s, college dorms were off-limits to members of the opposite sex. Then came the 1970s, when male and female students started crossing paths in coed dormitories. Now, to the astonishment of some Baby Boomer parents, a growing number of colleges are going even further: coed rooms.
At least two dozen schools, including Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, Oberlin College, Clark University and the California Institute of Technology, allow some or all students to share a room with anyone they choose — including someone of the opposite sex. This spring, as students sign up for next year’s room, more schools are following suit, including Stanford University.
…Parents aren’t necessarily thrilled with boy-girl housing.
Debbie Feldman’s 20-year-old daughter, Samantha, is a sophomore at Oberlin in Ohio and plans to room with her platonic friend Grey Caspro, a straight guy, next year. Feldman said she was shocked when her daughter told her.
“When you have a male and female sharing such close quarters, I think it’s somewhat delusional to think there won’t be sexual tension,” the 52-year-old Feldman said. “Maybe this generation feels more comfortable walking around in their underwear. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”
Still, Feldman said her daughter is partly in college to learn life lessons, and it’s her decision. Samantha said she assured her mom she thinks of Caspro as a brother.
“I’m really close to him, and I consider him one of my really good friends,” she said. “I really trust him. That trust makes it work.”
May, 3, 2008 ~ Associated Press
Analysis:
Young men and women who believe that they can live together, and not fall into temptation to sin sexually are most certainly (as mother Feldman in the article states) delusional. Such living arrangements ignore the dictates of the Spirit to “flee sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18); and to “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).
In The News: Does the End Justifiy the Means?
Last week a letter came in the mail, addressed to our congregation, from a group called “New Testament Church … Today.” The writer of the letter, Howard W. Norton, identified himself as the Chairman of the “Planning Committee.”
This organization describes itself in the letter as “a group of concerned Christians” meeting to “plan a Biblically-based search for the truth of God’s plan.” They call their efforts a “desire to educate congregations and Christians”, and the “touchstone” of their emphasis is the present “softening of a cappella singing in worship” that is happening in some of the more liberal churches of Christ. Notice the following paragraph:
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In The News: “Bitter” is a Hard Pill to Swallow
Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday expressed regret about the way he phrased a remark describing the plight of Americans who live in small towns, as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign continued its efforts to portray the comments as evidence that Obama is “elitist” and “out of touch.”
“I didn’t say it as well as I could have,” Obama told a crowd in Muncie. Later, in an interview with a North Carolina newspaper, he said, “Obviously, if I worded things in a way that made people offended, I deeply regret that.”
The controversy stemmed from remarks Obama made at a private fundraiser in San Francisco on April 6 when he explained his struggles appealing to working-class voters by saying they were frustrated with the loss of jobs under both Republican and Democratic administrations over the last decade, adding: “It’s not surprising that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment.”
Perry Bacon Jr.
Washington Post
Analysis:
It is interesting to see political candidates say things they truly mean, and then when it gets them into trouble, try to placate their critics while never admitting they did anything wrong.
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