Please
let us know any ideas you have for how
to improve the service. January 1 2005 | 'If
there's no God to blame for Tsunami, United States must be behind it'
Common sense down under. December 31 2004 | Survey:
Most Brits want monarchy to defend 'the' faith, not faith in general
Did he just call Mrs. Guy Ritchie, aka "Madonna," aka
the Kabbalah Queen, semi-literate? December 30 2004 | Another
side: Barna Research's annual findings can be disheartening
This could be considered an antidote to yesterday's more optimistic
view from Cardinal McCarrick. Or things going better in Catholic circles than
in the evangelical ones? Or are most of Barna's "hits' mostly symptoms of
growth pains in the Protestant movement? December 29 2004 | Cardinal
says revival of Christianity is behind Christmas tug of war
This is the first report of its kind that I've seen from a reliable
highly qualified observer Some evangelical observers think the "revival"
lacks depth. But perhaps that can be increased as the seeking "values voters"
start getting comfortable in their recent stands. Or will it all be blown away
like chaff and straw? December 28 2004 | Anti-Christmas
campaigns are just tip of Christian persecution worldwide
The linked headline tells the subsidiary story: "Media pretty
much ignore war on Christians." December 27 2004 | Archaeologists
say the 'miracle' Pool of Siloam has been uncovered
Can you say "slow news day"? The big news today was
the catastrophic record-setting earthquake in the Indian Ocean. But thus far I've
seen no coverage that fits the "trend-setting" qualification of what
fits the "news that signifies" mission of Xnmp. December 26 2004 | Liberals
(e.g., ACLU) glory in making U.S. majority miserable, Rabbi says
I'm inclined to believe Rabbi Spero when he says: "I happen
to know the background and mindset of many of those behind these lawsuits. As
secularists they abhor genuine convictions of Faith and cannot abide its challenge
to their own irreligiousity." And I'm grateful for his coming forward to
state hist convictions. Merry
Christmas from Xnmp, the Christian and Media News Portal December 25 2004 | Newsweek
column: Serious Christians have always been ambivalent about how society celebrates
Christmas An excellent perspective
piece from an unexpected source. December 24 2004 | NBC
News Christmas story: Israelis forcing Christians out of Bethlehem
NBC News is to be commended for getting this under-reported "other
side" of this issue out. December 23 2004 | More
conservative students are suing to acquire the academic freedom owed them It's
slanting radically to the left (biased professors are "educators," and
that old chestnut, the "other [nonnaturalist] side" is "inferior
scholarship"). But this article is better than no coverage at all of the
injustices being wrought on most of the nation's campuses in the name of "liberal"
call-it-what-it-really-is, totalitarianism.
December 22 2004 | Pennsylvania
school district retains legal center to defend 'intelligent design'
No doubt the establishment media will cast this as another "Scopes
trial." But the Thomas More Law Center has an impressive track record. And even
if it doesn't prevail, the effort will prove more widely the establishment's animosity
to Creation and its intelligent Designer. For a related article, which
holds out that hope that some states are already challenging the secularist/materialist
monopoly in public school science, and written by an ostensibly Jewish critic
of Secularism, see That
Other Religion in Christianity Today online. December 21 2004 | Caroling
protest of New Jersey school district's ban on Christmas music
Bring it on. The more public outrage toward the "public"
schools, their unions, and their anti-culture stances, the sooner we'll start
seeing widespread calls for true pluralism in American tax-supported education. Vouchers
now! December 20 2004 | Even
NY Times writer seems to suggest anti-Christmas crusade has gone too far
I've been virtually boycotting the New York Times for obvious
reasons, but it's Christmas. And "reluctant testimony" is the best kind,
as they say. Of course they had to end with the unkind cut: "Of course,
for many conservatives, this controversy is not just about Christmas; it's a way
to talk about a whole float of issues." But that's an easy one to counter:
Every mention of AIDS in the Times is a float of their anti-Christian issue
of more sex among teenagers and young adults through promotion of free condoms
and joy-of-sex education in their "public" schools. And to hold
up "Kerry Catholic" Bill O'Reilly as typifying conservatives; tsk tsk.
Seems the spirt of Jayson Blair still reigns in the New York Times editorial
suite. December 19 2004 | Jewish
columnist Chas. Krauthammer wishes his readers Merry Christmas
Thank
you, Dr. Krauthammer, for the best Christmas present you could give our community.
December 18 2004 | Economist's
hard look at President's religion challenges the leftist myth
This
is by no means the first article of its kind, but it's one of the most thorough
and seemingly balanced. Yet the left continues to propagate its myth that President
Bush is a self-announced "prophet" promoting himself as God's vice-regent.
December 17 2004 | TV's
mostly negative depiction of religion called sowing seeds of persecution
Interestingly,
a while back there were hints of NBC taking over PAX and making it into its "family"
channel. Let's hope that rumored development doesn't take place (NBC, meanwhile,
has taken over Universal and its cable channels like USA). We'd all be the poorer
if NBC and PAX merged and its innovations followed the path of ABC's taking over,
and ruining, the formerly independent Family Channel. (Historical footnote:
the Family Channel was owned briefly by Fox, but it was resold to ABC so quickly
as to make me wonder if Fox was just working as ABC's agent to wrest the Family
Channel from Pat Robertson, who may understand-ably didn't want to do business
with Disney-owned ABC... which, at the time, was being boycotted by the Southern
Baptist Convention and other evangelical and pro-family groups.) December 16 2004 | Toledo,
Ohio, public school bans apprearance by Christian rock band
There's
a place for Christians but it's not in public life. And certainly not in the "public"
schools, where they are treated like this generation's lepers, unworthy of the
rights of their more politically correct neighbors. There's a place for
God, but it's not in this world? December 15 2004 | A
Hungarian/Australian Jew/Anglican thanks Dickens for Christmas
My guess
is that Dickens is no more "responsible" for how we observe Christmas than Clement
Moore (A Visit by St. Nicholas), early American public schools (trying to get
the children from various denominations to get along by sharing their customs
and making common holiday traditions), or Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker), all of
which date from the 19th Century, which at least in America was a less church-oriented
century than the 20th or this one thus far. However, Imre Salusinszky raises
some very provocative thoughts and sheds some new light in dusy corners. Worth
considering. Click
here for another, more whimsical, take on putting Dickens back into Christmas
by the webmaster. December 14 2004 | Another
Democrat just doesn't 'get' First Amendment free-speech provision
If the
cold war is over, why is the Stalinist dictatorship of the prols rearing its ugly
head in Lancaster, Pa.? Liberalism has spoken again, folks; are you listening? But
seriously: Obviously an elected official as ignorant of our system of govermnet
as Polite is, is not qualified for public office in a democratic republic. If
he's a naturalized citizen...he should have been disqualified for that, too. If
he's a native, look again at your local public school. December 13 2004 | Reporter
says President Bush doesn’t use faith as a bargaining tool
The
myth that the President is a self-anointed "prophet" of the evangelical
fringe seems widespread, despite a handful of contrary testimonies. The far left
still have their propaganda machine running in high gear. December 12 2004 | Winter
solstice competes with 'season's greetings' in Wisconsin statehouse
Even
while claiming that religion doesn't exist, the "Freedom of Religionists" show
their own piety and evangelistic zeal. December 11 2004 | Famous
former atheist says the evidence for a God is inescapable
Would
that more scientists would be as honest as Flew whose axiom is: "My whole life
has been guided by the principle of Plato's Socrates: Follow the evidence, wherever
it leads." December 10 2004 | Methodists'
defrocking said to differentiate homosexuality from homosexuals
The
biggest surprise-to-me church news in 2004 has been the United Methodist church's
stands against homosexuality. It's at least a partial repudiation of the liberal
inroads in that church's teaching, and we can hope it will help nudge some other
mainline denominations back toward biblical standards. Mark Glesne's framing
of the issues is spot on, in my opinion. It's restating the sometimes over-used
proposition that we love the sinner but hate the sin. For 40 years now I've been
making the same call on this divisive issue, but instead of "homosexuality/homosexual"
I've been casting it as "gay/homosexual." Having been following the issue since
at least Time magazine's cover story on it in the early '60's (when I was
managing editor of an international Christian weekly), I concluded that "gay"
describes the "happy homosexual"—those proud to be practicing their pathology—where
"homosexual" describes persons who have less than usual attraction to the opposite
sex without necessarily claiming that makes them special or endows a pass to ignore
the biblical requirements regarding fornication. Where American Methodists
have now clarified their acceptance of homosexuals without giving a pass to homosexuality
("self-avowed practicing homosexuals"), the Anglican Communion has muddied its
waters by having expressly condoned homosexuality in an international council
some years back, and even extending clergy status for some who admitted practicing
the behavior, but drawing the line (internationally, but not in the United
States and Canada) against practicing homosexual bishops. Even more dismaying
is the Church of England's refusal to elevate a clergyman to bishop last year
because he was a non-practicing homosexual (celibate—but, by his terminology
as reported, "gay"—in a more technical word). Here, it seems from this outside
perspective, is a case of rejecting both the sin and the sinner. December 9 2004 | Advert
for day-after pill ridicules Catholic doctrine of immaculate conception
Though
only Roman Catholics among the Christian communions hold to the immaculate contraception
(of Mary, the Theotokos), all believers should be concerned that secularists consider
their religion fair game for vulgar promotions. December 8 2004 | Evolution
vs. creation war to determine which religion will win our schools
Dr.
John Pearrell has a handle on the basic battle of our times. December 7 2004 | Pope
says the faithful must abide by the authoritative teachings of the church
If
we weren't all familiar with the antinomianism pervading our world, today's headline
would appear to be some sort of post-modern joke. But "cafeteria-style Christianity
(take just what you like)" isn't limited to Catholicism. And though rebellion
seems to be everywhere, the Catholics and the rest of us are grateful for whatever
participation we get from seekers on any stage of their quest. But, ah, there's
the rub. December 6 2004 | Church
asks members to patronize only stores that say 'Merry Christmas'
It
certainly would not be consistent with the teachings of Christ to refuse to greet
our neighbors celebrating a holiday unobserved by us in the way they prefer to
be greeted (Matthew 7:2) and
it seems reasonable that we show favor to those who give us the same courtesty
when choosing where to do our shopping. Especially when our culture seems bent
on wiping off the face of the earth the knowledge and confession of Jesus Christ,
it seems to be a point worth defending, even more ardently. Meanwhile,
the Committee to Save Merry
Christmas, a California-based group, is asking Christmas shoppers to boycott
Macy's and the other stores in the Federated Department Stores stable (which,
except for Bloomingdale's, now have names hyphenated with Macy's (like Lazarus-Macy's).
"It's
the height of hypocrisy for a corporation to make tens of millions of dollars
selling Christmas presents, yet coldly refuse to acknowledge Christmas," Manuel
Zamorano, the group's organizer, said in
a statement. "What's the holiday all about, anyway? Politically correct phases
like 'Seasons Greetings' and 'Happy Holidays' are no substitute for the real thing."  Isn't
it ironic that the secularizers call for "multicultrualism" but want
anything but when Christianity is the culture that's under attack? It might be
well for the heads of Federated (which of course did not own Macy's in "those
days") find and watch a copy of a classic movie called "Miracle on 34th
Street."
December 5 2004 | Experts
expecting backlash against secularist domination of European Union
I
find it interesting that the Czechs, though not practitioners of religion to any
sizeable extent, fear the "religion" of secularism more than more traditional
theistic ones. At least the lessons of generations of enslavement under the totalitarian
secularism calling itself Communism haven't been lost on them. The
Guardian's minimizing this as being "inoculated by communism against
too much church bashing" shows us that news medium's spiritual and philosophical
bankruptcy. December 4 2004 | Failure
of church discipline is fracturing the worldwide Anglican communion
It
seems that every year as an Easter weekend feature, one of the British newspapers
polls Anglican vicars and reports that about 40 percent of them disbelieve the
resurrection is historical. It's not just American Episcopalians who lack the
mechanism or the will to discipline. December 3 2004 | Meteorologist
compares fears of global warming to religious beliefs
This
is good news and bad news for Christians. I've long suspected that the world's
blaming of Americans for global warming was part of their anti-Christian, prosecularist
strategy, and this tends to confirm those suspicions. However, the article also
suggests that Prof. Lindzen believes that religious belief is in a separate, entirely
subjective category of "reality." This basically claims that all religion
is little more than a matter of values, whatever works for you, a psychological
crutch. December 2 2004 | Two
TV networks turn down UCC denomination's ad as 'too controversial'
Anyone
who knows anything about religion in America knows the United Church of Christ
(successor of most of the Congregational, Evangelical
and Reformed, and Hungarian Reformed Churches) is among the most inclusive/liberal,
as in "anything goes." It was the first mainline denomination to ordain
an openly gay minister. So if it wants to blow that horn, more power to it. It
will appeal to some who are looking for a social club church, and turn off those
who are interested in God's program or what the Catholic spokesman in the linked
article calls "the commandments." Here,
obviously, the CBS and NBC networks are in the wrong ethically and morally. I
can't imagine any Christian being upset about the commercial as described. Though
I agree with the sentiment of the Catholic spokesperson quoted that the church
must uphold the commandments, there is no commandment to turn away anyone who
comes seeking, at the door. Evangelical, Catholic, and Orthodox churches have
long welcomed homosexuals who are there to learn and worship, without being disruptive
or confrontationally argumentative toward the basic teachings of the church. To
bring the Bush Administration or the topic of gay marriage into the issue of this
commercial is so absurd and hypocritical it strains all credulity. First, not
all gays are even interesting in marrying, and second, not all men who hold hands
are homosexual, much less advocates of gay marriage. (In India, men go around
in public holding hands all the time though gay marriage is not accepted in that
culture.) It's
wrong to maintain that privately owned and managed entities like the major networks
must provide a platform to all willing to pay for it, under the First Amendment
(that line of reasoning would guarantee pornographers advertising space in any
church magazine they wanted to use, for example). But neither is it wrong to also
say that NBC/CBS is hypocritical in selling its time to a wide host of products
and services that are socially and morally corrupting (like condoms, booze, and
gambling) while disallowing paid-for expressions of only mildly controversial
opinions from members of their publics.
EXTRA:
Check out the webmaster's
essay on 'Fear Factor,' food, and morality. December 1 2004 | How
a young Russian draftee/war victim has been turned into a regional saint
In
Orthodoxy, all devout followers of Christ are considered "saints," and
many local and regional saints are especially honored by the people who knew them
or have heard post-humously of their exploits, long before, if ever, "glorified"
by the church catholic. This limited recognition is not considered any failing
on the part of the "saint" or those who invoke his or her prayers. And if the
story of Yevgeny's martrydom is true, he would be considered an immediate winner
of sainthood's crown, which has been the church's tradition since the time of
the Apostles. The
newspaper story makes the local veneration sound like impatience, but actually
this is the common practice in Orthodoxy. If the local veneration spreads, the
church at large will take notice. |
