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April
30 2004 | Kroger
Company pulls Christian publication; no room for 'religion'
Kroger
is by all accounts the largest supermarket and convenience store company in the
United States (click here
for the logos of the store brands it operates under), and for it to put itself
up as the arbiter of what constitutes "religious journalism" is an outrage,
an affront to all people who love the United States Constitution's First Amendment
protections of both press and religious freedom. I would hope that all those who
love freedom, or God, or both, will start looking for another place to shop. If
Krogers carry TV Guide, Women's Day, People Magazine, and probably the
National Inquirer and The Star (what super makets don't?) they are
already neck deep in promoting both religious and politicl views through a wide
variety of publications and to pretend otherwise is either sheer hypocrisy or
stupidity. What
could be more ludicrous than the company's claim that they can't include Christian
publicationss because "When one political or religious organization's representatives
or publications are permitted in our stores, then Kroger is placed in the uncomfortable
position where we must include them all." Earth to Kroger: therein lies the
very genius of the American system! How
can we have a "marketplace of ideas" if there's no place for such ideas
in the marketplace?
April
29 2004 | Former 'role
model journalist' Kelley leaves Christian community wondering
I
had not heard of Jack Kelley before Christianity Today took up his cause
a while back, and then I was inclined to think his claim of discrimination by
the editorial staff at USA Today was true, to
blame people who have subsequently lost their jobs over not being more inclined
to investigate Kelley. So, at least to attempt to balance the scales on this development
I'm linking Melton's insightful opinion piece. I
couldn't help but compare Kelley's apparent indifference to how his acts have
hurt the Christian community to similar behavior on the part of Anita Bryant who,
after several years of being the champion of biblical sexual morality on behalf
of the evangelical Christian world abandoned her own marriage without so much
as a word of grounds for doing so to the community that had been backing her.
This is not, in my humble opinion, a valid Christian option. Bearing one another's
burdens presupposes being willing to share our burdens (Galatians 6:1-3). Even
the all-gracious Lord won't help to his feet one who refuses to admit having fallen.
April
28 2004 | International
team hopes to photograph remains of Noah's Ark this summer
This
quest has been underway for centuries, and renewed in modern times at least several
decades ago. Let's hope this mission is more successful and conclusive than its
antecedents.
April
27 2004 | Variety
writer says NY Times broke its own rules to attack Passion movie
Though
I appreciate Bart's correction of the record, I have to wonder where in the world
he gets the impression that the New York Times is "dedicated to fairness."
And
to his "there
have been no signs of anti-Semitic outbreaks tied to the film's release—not
even in places like France and Argentina,"
am I the only one who feels constrained to add "despite the heroic attempts
of some Jewish leaders and their mouthpieces like the Times to foment
'hate crimes'"?
April
26 2004 | Christian
uses antidiscrimination laws to oppose blasphemy in PBS series
I
guess knowing the difference between profanity and blasphemy is too much to expect
of journalists. Notwithstanding.... Though
this is directly about a development in Austrailia, the same programs
are airing in the United States on ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theater, and similar
"antidiscrimination" laws are being enacted here. Though
in general I think antidiscrimination laws are left-wing attacks on the First
Amendment rights of Americans (and their equivalent elsewhere in the world), better
that Christians use them to defend themselves than let them be used by others
to abuse us.
April
25 2004 | Vatican
abortion policy affirmation may impact Kerry's Presidential bid
During
the last year, John Kerry voted against restricting the practice of "opening"
the skulls of partially born infants to suck their brains out, thus causing their
deaths. For years a clear majority of Americans have been opposed to partial-birth
abortions and support such legal restraints. So who are the "all Americans"
Kerry purports to plan to represent if made the President? Certainly not the unborn,
and certainly not the majority of Americans who oppose his view of what pregnant
women should be allowed or encouraged to do to their offspring. Of course most
American oppose any President turning over the governance of our country to any
religious leader. But just as surely, the great majority of Americans don't want
a President who professes a religion he does not practice.
April
24 2004 | A
three-part overview of what the Bible teaches about homosexuality
All
three of the articles in the linked series are worth reading and filing. Besides
this line in the excerpt on our rollover layer—"E. Michael Jones argues,
most modern ideologies are, at base, efforts to rationalize sexual behavior. In
fact, he identifies modernity itself as 'rationalized lust.'"—my favorite
quote is from Part 1: "The late Elizabeth Achtemeier, for many years an influential
professor at Richmond's Union Theological Seminary, stated the case clearly: 'The
clearest teaching of Scripture is that God intended sexual intercourse to be limited
to the marriage relationship of one man and one woman.'"
April
23 2004 | Christian
scholars debate 'facts' conveyed in DaVinci, Left-Behind books
The
words "Christian scholars" in secular media headlines are usually a red flag indicating
that the scholars, though claiming to be experts on Christianity, are seldom in
any meaningful sense believers (for example, the use of John Dominick Crosson
as an "expert" in many television network "reports" [more aptly, "attacks"] on
The Passion of the Christ; Crosson heads a project [the "Jesus Seminar"]
that believes the way to get to the truth of the New Testament about Jesus is
to vote on it, and the voting must be limited to "scholars" who are mostly in
agreement with him). So it was a pleasant surprise to find even evangelical and
orthodox scholars cited in this linked article. We've
dealt with The DaVinci Code here before. I've ignored the "Left-Behind"
series as long as I could, but because its supporters are mostly evangelicals
and generally this project is pro-evangelical, it's time to comment. Certainly
the 19th-Century innovation called dispensational theology (the framework that
the book series utilizes) is contrary to the universal teaching of the church
for the whole millenium in which the church was unified (first through about half
of the tenth centuries) and ipso facto must be labelled unorthodox. Even
in orthodox Lutheran (as cited in the linked article) and orthodox Calvinism,
it is opposed. Not all evangelicals, by any means, follow dispensationalism, but
certainly the popularity of this series of novels and other books like The
Late Great Planet Earth and its successors have elevated that interpretive
framework in the past and the current generations. Though many details of such
books are widely considered heretical (such as how the thousand-year reign of
Christ is to be interpreted), much in them is consistent with the biblical teaching
on the Second Coming of Christ (cf., Ultimate Things, by Dennis Eugene
Engleman). So
to those able to discern what's speculation and what's biblical, they are better
reading than most best-selling fiction. Caveat emptor.
April
22 2004 | Judge's
theory: some 'inequality' is required to assure some get 'equality'
For
years I have been saying that the gay movement's crusade for specified rights
is comparable to the claim of rights by religious minorities rather than those
of ethnic or racial minorities. The gay cause is based on their beliefs (about
their orientation and how that mitigates certain privileges to them) rather than
external factors like color or ethnic background. This is the first time ever
I've seen a corroboration of my point. Beyond
my own ego-stroking, I think the jurist proposes some topics related to the political
and social milieu in which all Americans live that are worth discussing and exploring
more fully.
April
21 2004 | Russian
teenagers described as weeping over the Passion film in Moscow
Some
American Orthodox have opposed the Passion movie, though probably as many
others have recommended it, including the primate of the third-largest American
body of Orthodox, Metropolitan Philip Saliba of the Antiochian Orthodox archdiocese.
I'm glad that those in Russia are unified...if the report can be believed. Regardless
how reliable the reporting on the Russian church is, it's good to know The
Passion of the Christ is working in that part of the world, too. The
linked article is as interesting as an example of some journalistic practices
as the news it conveys. Perhaps the reporter, or the translator who converted
it into English, have been steeped in propaganda writing and/or reading and can't
transcend that mode (for example, describing Russian sensitivities as unlike--and
superior to--those of other human beings). American
propaganda is much more subtle and, of course, far superior. (And yes, I jest.)
April
20 2004 | Eastern
Mennonite University under fire for dismissing gay professors
The
beat goes on. I
agree with the president's stated position. It's noteworthy that the firings were
for "behavior" rather than "orientation." But
I continue being dismayed over the position as stated for the Anglican Canon Jeffrey
John, recently appointed dean of St. Albans cathedral, and whom the press
continues to call a "gay but celibate clergyman," which I find a
non sequitur as described here some time ago.
April
19 2004 | Column:
Kerry desecrates the eucharist, but seeks help from a cardinal
MichNews
strikes me as suspicious. The Judeo-Christian tradition is established in the
Bible, where most every author is fairly clearly identified, biography with warts
included there for the checking, and nothing, especially the "publisher,"
is secret in the Holy Scriptures. Based on these precedents, I don't like anonymity
or pretended author modesty. The author bioblurb is not about glory; it's about
taking responsibility for one's opinions and pronouncements. Accountability.
Here it's impossible to find out who's behind "Mich," or where else
I may have seen the names of any of these writers, or what credentials they may
have. For all we know they could all be pseudonyms for one prolific writer. Is
this a CIA front? Is it a cult? Could it even be a Kerry-Democrat or neo-Marxist
front posing as a conservative website to hoodwink us all? Who knows? But
on the other hand, the Christian Science Monitor and the Washington Times
are published by cults or enterprises owned by cults (as I define the word, at
least), and they put out respectable journalistic matter. And that's implying
that the New York Times, Time, Newsweek, LATimes,
CBSNBCABCCNNFOX are not cults in their own right, when in fact they are possibly
the most dangerous "cults" in the world. Anyway,
J. Grant Whoveverheis, has some good citations for source material here and raises
questions worth discussing. Whether he has bonafides is still an open question.
April
18 2004 | Hollywood
said preparing liberal movie blitz before November election
That
the "Passion" is "driving them nuts" probably says it all.
April
17 2004 | Column:
Gay 'marriage' will probably 'win,' but Western culture will lose
Reading
the writing on the wall? This evangelical minister seems to me to have hit the
nail squarely on the head.
April
16 2004 | Bishops
ask Polish Catholics to 'vote Christian' in European Union elections
It
would seem axiomatic that to be a Christian is to do the Christian thing, which
would include voting to support Christian ethics and lifestyles. What's evident
to me, however, isn't always obvious to most people who call themselves Christians.
It would seem that fortunately the Polish bishops have gotten wind of the gap
between profession and practice among American and Western European Catholics
and is trying to get a leg up on that tendency in their sees. More power to them.
April
15 2004 | Court
case against disaffected critic provides insight into Scientology
Okay,
the latest big thing in nontraditional religion among celebrities is the Kabbalah,
a mystical variation on reincarnational occultism that claims Jewish roots. But
before the Kabbalah became the fad, Scientology was the buzz in Hollywood, where
it still claims many formidable and well-liked apologetes with star
power, including Tom Cruise and John Travolta. The significance of this linked
San Francisco Chronicle report is its providing a window affording a view
into the "church" that has often claimed it isn't a religion.
April
14 2004 | Summit
in Turkey considering compatibility of Islam and democracy
The
press assumes that "secularism" is the real potential savior of democracy
in the Islamic world, which seems to me the same as saying that Islam itself doesn't
value persons enough, either as neighbors as icons of God, to assure them human
dignity and rights.
April
13 2004 | Baptist
theologian says Jimmy Carter is misrepresenting abortion laws
Would
Jimmy Carter lie? What hope then can there be for the Democratic Party?
April
12 2004 | Easter
reflection: secular West's values have little to entice world's Muslims
A
word of wisdom for an unexpected quarter.
April
11 2004 | HAPPY EASTER New
poll shows increasing support for constitutional protection of marriage
One
has to marvel at the way journalism is being taught these days. The heading I
put atop this story surely must be the "real news" here, yet one almost
has to infer it from the text rather than having it being trumpeted. Also
of greater significance, in my humble opinion, than what is being headlined is
the fact that despite their support of the Constitutional amendment, an equal
number fear that eventually gay marriage will be accepted in our society.
April
10 2004 | Judge
reverses AT&T's attempt to force its 'values' on Christian employee
I
find it astounding that any American company or any person raised in our republic
would try to impose such anti-Christian doctrines as AT&T was doing. But I'm
just as certain this is one of the first, not one of the last, of such contests
between those who believe there is truth and those who try to force denial of
any truth. "Multicultural valuing" and "anti-hate" rules and
legislation are evil-ingenious ploys by the secularists to force everyone to think
as they do, to espouse the same religion they are committed to, and deny the same
God they deny along with denying freedom to worship and serve Him as He would
be served. See
our previous newscomment on this topic.
April
9 2004 | UCLA
study: American students increase religious participation in college
This
generally inexplicable development has to be greeted as good news. Whether it
ever becomes as noticeable as the "Jesus Movement" revival of the 1970's,
as, for example, cover material for the likes of Time and Newsweek,
only time will tell. But even if this is only a swing of the pendulum, it's a
swing in the right direction. Though the "religious signs" spotted here
are in the liberal sector of the churches, it's true that also during the psychedelic
years (1968-72) it was liberals like Harvey Cox who first spoke of a religious
awakening among students, but soon the social gospel "awakening" was
supplanted by visibly spiritual awakening among thousands of students who are
now leaders in all segments of the confessing Christian communions.
April
8 2004 | Zogby
Poll finds surprising similarity in values of Israeli Muslims and Jews
This
poll omits any consideration of the religious value of salvation, eternal life,
or relationship with God, so is of questionable value. Still, in a socio-geopolitical
sense it provides insight into the populations and their day-to-day preoccupations
and raison d'être. I have long been surprised at the failure of American
Muslims to recognize the similarity between their own (supposed) religious values
and those of evangelicals, especially President Bush, and I find that this study
at least indirectly raises that question.
April
7 2004 | Federal
court in Georgia plans to hear textbook-labelling 'evolution case'
The
claim that evolution is "secular" and therefore not representative of any organized
religion is patently absurd. Worshippers of mankind via evolution are far more
organized and their many denominations are better funded than any other Western
religious community.
April
6 2004 | Rabbi
explains why many Jews don't trust evangelical Christians
Who
do you trust is the bedrock of all human relationships.
April
5 2004 | Analysis says
more 'democracy' in Islamic nations can be bad for Christians
When
the democracy is majority-takes-all without republican safeguards that make human
rights unabridgeable, every minority is in danger of genocidal attacks. This prospect
is already rearing its ugly head in the push to make Iraq self-governing by this
June. When "do unto others what you would have them do to you" is not
a social norm, maybe "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" is
the best we can hope for. This
conflict also threatens to create a rift between Christian communions that follow
a premillenial view that makes modern Israel the Chosen People of God (most evangelicals)
and the more traditional communions (Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed)
which hold that the church is the inheritor of the promises to Israel. And
complicating these questions is the fact that it's an issue in the current U.S.
Presidential race.
April
4 2004 | Media study: TV's favorite
demographic is more in love with Internet
The
significance of this finding is multifaceted, of course, but especially to people
of faith, it gives positive hope that the most anti-faith institution in our society,
the mass media in general and network television in particular, may be losing
its stranglehold on the younger generation. And despite the ubiquity of pornography
on the Internet, there's hope in the fact that there are also reportedly an equal
number of Christian pages out there which can be expected to outlive the more
profit-motivated flesh worshipping sector and be there when they're needed.
April
3 2004 | Claim
that movie has changed Protestants' Holy Week observations
Low-church
Protestants, at any rate. Anglo-Catholics, many Lutherans, even many Methodists
and others I'm most likely forgetting, have had liturgical observances of Holy
Week and Easter for centuries. Even among the "higher" church types,
however, as writer Kusmer shows, there will be more "somberness" or
reflection this year because they've experienced a more vivid glimpse of the events
via the Passion film. Also,
your webmaster has finally seen the movie. For impressions, please click here.
April
2 2004 | Fear
that Israel wall may turn Christian sites into commercial museums
Israel
has long boasted that it is preserving the sites of religious pilgrimage by all
the faiths with roots in its holy land. This is the first notice I've seen of
the deleterious effect on Sharon's wall on Christian life in Israel. Novak also
reports: "Sharon government won't negotiate. The Vatican charges that Israel has
violated the 1993 agreement between Rome and Israel guaranteeing West Bank land
owned by the Catholic Church. Sharon has refused to enforce the concordat." More
fodder for the fans of the "Left Behind" series of books, much in the news the
past week.
April
1 2004 | Rand
Corp. recommends Western institutions support moderate Muslims
Sounds
like Dr. Carey has been serving as a consultant to the Rand
Corp. Or vice versa.
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