Please
let us know any ideas you have for how
to improve the service. July 31 2005 | S.
Baptist philosophy prof: Potter books promote Christian, not occult, themes So,
is J.K. Rowling a "secret" Chritian? Or is it a secret she's not even
in on? Interesting proposition.
July 30 2005 | U2's
Bono tells interviewer: Christian grace trumps the karma of 'religions' Says
World culture editor Veith: "What is most interesting in this exchange
is the reaction of the interviewer, to whom Bono is, in effect, witnessing. This
hip rock journalist starts by scorning what he thinks is Christianity. But it
is as if he had never heard of grace, the atonement, the deity of Christ, the
gospel. And he probably hadn't." And if the reporting we see in many of the
top papers online every week is a clue, neither have most journalists, regardless
of how hip they are.
July 29 2005 | Pope:
churches dying in west, but third-world rapid growth not all good either Anthropologists
have long said that the ministry has been a rung up that was more accessible than
government, business, and education in many societies. It's not surprising that
many are finding the same opportunities to exploit the church in today's poorer
countries, even as we wonder how many see converting to Christianity as a first
step toward the west. It's encouraging that this time the top bishop is openly
discussing such problems rather than just putting the happiest face possible on
it.
July 28 2005 | Organized
religion's numbers 'down' but 'spirituality' continues to go upward The
wages of sin remains fixed. But the cost of discipleship seems up for reinterpretation
with the times.
July 27 2005 | Mounting
evidence of pronounced bias against Christians in the major media Suspicions
confirmed. Again.
July 26 2005 | Report
says video game industry is poised to tap Christian market Even
if only parents and grandparents buy these as Christmas and birthday gifts in
the hope of dissuading their youngsters from less savory video games, this looks
like a winner.
July 25 2005 | Major
papers tout student as source of new 'revelation' on homosexuality Let's
get this straight. This new take on the seventh commandment (thou shalt not commit
adultery, which has been interpreted by Orthodox Jews, Catholics, Orthodox, and
the great preponderance of Protestants throughout history as including any homosexual
erotic contact) has been revealed by God to an Indiana college student while God
kept it secret from the Apostles, the Church fathers, the church in general, all
monastics who've chosen for two millenia to live in same-sex celibate communities,
the seven ecumenical councils, and Vatican II? Even Billy Graham and the editors
of Christianity Today? Even the relatively liberal denominations like the
Methodist Church, the Anglicans in the rest of the world, etc.? The voters of
all those states that had anti-gay marriage referendums in last year's elections?
Right. The
LA Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and all the other papers that
are taking this seriously and presenting it one-sidely as here, are waging serious
war against the Christian religion and anyone who espouses it. How dare they cast
more than 85 percent of official Christendom as the fringe right? Furthermore,
no disrespect to anyone, but if this report is true these "ingenious discoveries"
look to me like the same "breakthroughs" the so-called gay theologians
in San Francisco were espousing when I arrived at Stanford in the early '70s. Furthermore,
it's not the context of the Old Testament declarations of sins that always
guided the church catholic and orthodox, but whether the prohibitions have been
repeated in the New Testament, as forbidding fornication and sodomy are. Some
Old Testament prohibitions were specifically cast aside in the New Testament,
and some were repeated and even given added emphasis (as in the case of the definition
of adultery by Jesus), in the New Testament. Does anyone really believe
that same-sex friendships, room-mates, and other nonerotic interactions have been
declared out of bounds by the Anglicans as this "serious journalism"
would have us believe? But to have "qualified" that absurd claim about
the Anglicans would have made the report a bit less sensational and undercut its
revolutionary fervor and the LATimes -PghPostGazetteSouthBendTribune and anyone
else syndicating this hogwash would have lost a bit of their edginess. Some
say blogs are the future of all journalism. If this is an example of the "professional"
standards at the highest levels, I hope "they" are right.
July 24 2005 | CBN
reports on the 'grounding' of evangelism at the US Air Force Academy The
many articles I've read on the Air Force Academy's evangelical tempest in a teapot
have led me to conclude it's little more than a minor front in the culture wars
of the left and the Islamists against Christianity in America. This report by
the major broadcast outlet in the evangelical world strikes me as thoughtful and
restrained.
July 23 2005 | Disney will distribute
Mel Gibson's next movie, 'nonreligious' Apocalypto It
seems ironic that what is ostensibly the most anti-Christian entertainment
multinational (being the only one recently boycotted by the world's largest Protestant
denomination and several independent evangelical groups) gets in bed with Gibson,
now considered the most "Christian" of major independent film makers.
But it's in his interest, too, if teaming with Disney buys back some "street
cred" he may have lost in producing and backing his passion-of-Christ classic.
(And incidentally, Disney is producing the first of the Narnia tales by C. S.
Lewis, slated for release this Christmas season, perhaps in a bid to bring back
of a segment of the Christian public it has offended.)
July 22 2005 | New York Times
in depth: Bush nominee a man of faith and respect for law Though
this is the most in-depth report I've seen of Judge Roberts' background and beliefs,
it still leaves me wondering about what kind of judge he would be. "Judicious"
hardly seems enough. On the other hand, there is something to be said for
holding one's counsel until the right time to exercise discretion and insight.
Pray that Judge Roberts is waiting.
July 21 2005 | Dennis
Prager says the Old Testament teaching on death penalty still applies Prager
always impresses and this argument seems seamless to anyone who considers the
whole Bible the word of God written.
July 20 2005 | Slate: A critical history
and appraisal of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard A
well argued and gutsy expose from an avowed liberal editor in an equally liberal
website.
July 19 2005 | Recent
popes and Darwinism: unplanned random selection not acceptable "The
Catholic Church, while leaving to science many details about the history of life
on earth, proclaims that by the light of reason the human intellect can readily
and clearly discern purpose and design in the natural world." Anything
less would be a denial of the reality of God as creator and savior of the world,
of course, and no less than the Catholic church's abdication of its purpose for
being. Viva Benedict XVI.
July 18 2005 | Colson's
review of The Trouble with Islam cites Saudi imperialism This
at least suggests some answers—explanations—to questions curious minds
have been asking for some years.
July 17 2005 | NY
Times: GI's 'courting' Sunnis in Iraq town helps reduce insurgency Who
says the liberal media don't report any positive news from Iraq?
July 16 2005 | Reports:
science may produce stem-type cells without destroying embryos Is
the fact that this story has been picked up on very few news portals an indication
that most media gatekeepers prefer culture war to the possibility of amity? Are
there journalists, politicians, and "scientists" who'd rather not
find "a third way" in the interests of keeping the anti-religious crusade
going? I strongly suspect as much.
July 15 2005 | Writer
says Pope expressed concern over impact of 'Harry Potter' books The
Pope's—Cardinal's—critique is valid, and I would not read Harry Potter
to my grandson. However, any child able to read it to him- or herself would probably
be able to understand it as fiction and fantasy, whereas the textbooks children
are required to use every day in public schools (if they are so unfortunate as
to be captives there) present fantasies and frontal attacks on Christian truth
in the name of multiculture, science, and secular humanist "Truth."
July 14 2005 | Jewish
writer credits the late Pope John Paul II for changing the world There
is always, and has always been, room for improving the church's performance in
the call to be better neighbors.
July 13 2005 | Intelligent
design proponents get aid, comfort, from RC Cardinal Schönborn This
reaffirmation of (or at least "course adjustment toward") orthodoxy comports with
a necessarily more simplistic piece of my own of a few days ago: "Word
studies; What do words like "intelligent design" really mean?"
July 12 2005 | A
liberal Protestant assessment of what ails America's mainline denominations Much
insight here. The writer is not even sure declining memberships are a problem,
yet this was the most widely reproduced church-related "think piece"
in today's online press. Yount sees no growth in secularism despite the burgeoning
divorce rates and the 500-percent growth in "living together without benefit
of marriage" since the 1960s. The man is a veritable prophet.
July 11 2005 | Lawsuit
stops school district's anti-Christian youth group discrimination Your
(Christian) school taxes at work, being used to persecute bearers of the Gospel.
I doubt that students at these schools ever heard of "no taxation without
representation."
July 10 2005 | Other
denominations said unlikely to follow UCC in accepting 'gay marriage' If
there were a Pulitzer for most misleading headline, surely the Lakeland, FL, Ledger's
"Religions Not Likely To Accept Gay Rule" would be a shoo-in.
Never does the actual article mention any place where gays rule or are likely
to rule (though maybe we can think of some such places), nor does it mention any
"religion" beyond some not-very-diverse Protestant denominations. A
"denomination" does not a "religion" make; it's just, as the
name literally means, a "number" of adherents distinguished by certain
traits under one umbrella, in this case, Protestantism. But headlines are
not usually written by the authors of articles, and this article is one of the
better ones to appear in the wake of the "historic" decision made at
the UCC conclave last Monday.
July 9 2005 | Claim:
'Grand Theft Auto' video game has hidden pornographic scenes In
the hope of dissuading some parents considering giving their children video
games and/or gaming systems....
July 8 2005 | Vatican
restates and clarifies: Catholics cannot support abortion rights Though
Catholicism with its infallible Pope and magisterial bishops was long considered
the most authoritarian Christian communion, since Vatican II's enunciation of
"freedom of conscience" it has become increasingly undisciplined. One of the biggest
challenges for Pope Benedict XVI, therefore, is the restoration of meaningful
church discipline. The key, methinks, is the phrase in the introduction of this
document, "too many Roman Catholics [are] not taking their religion seriously." I
also think that playing the "scandal" card and comparing the fight against
abortion with nebulous "justice" will prove counter-productive. I'm
sure the Democrats, democrats, think themselves the most concerned-about-justice
people in the world. And what about scandal? It worked for Bill Clinton! "Scandal"
is perceived today as cool and too many Catholics are nothing if not cool. Indeed,
is there today any sin greater than "uncool"?
July 7 2005 | Christians
playing active roles in the lobby for Africa aid at G8 summit Will
Geldof and Bono share a Nobel Prize? Maybe one day.
July 6 2005 | Opinion
Journal: The Angry Left finds religion, and the result isn't pretty Of
course no movement that ignores "thou shalt not kill" as the church catholic has
always taught covers abortion, is going to get far with any serious believer in
Christ and the Bible.
July 5 2005 | Cruise
movie's success proves that 'the religion of Hollywood is (still) money' Despite
my choice of headlines on this (which is true enough), the real story here is
the media's stereotyping of Americans and (by logical
extention) especially Christian Americans, as religious bigots. There are ignoramouses
everywhere—in the church as well as the media—but excluding those, Christians
cannot be, by definition, as lovers of their neighbors, bigots.The media, especially
the Hollywood media, should get a clue. They would probably be more
inclined to begin by reading a thoughtful
Christian review of the Cruise movie than the New
Testament.
July 4 2005 | Liberal
'civil rights' organization calls anti-gay evangelicals 'hate groups' The
Judeo-Christian position on homosexuality has been established for 5000 years.
It's always been about adultery and never been about
hating. I've been writing about the gay liberation movement since the 1960's and
was an evangelical from then until I converted to Orthodoxy in 1995 and more importantly
have been "loving the sinner but not the sin" even longer. I've never
before heard or read the absurd assertion that physical attacks on gays have been
linked in any way to evangelicals. "Gay" is the name of
a terribly misguided "civil rights" movement. Homosexuals are individuals
bearing the image of God. All thoughtful evangelicals know the difference, and
so should the SPLC. It is indeed the SPLC that is
spreading hate speech.
July 3 2005 | Ohio
approves the nation's largest program for nonstate school vouchers The
most important news in a long time (in terms of culture formation). As
usual when this topic is reported on, the news media don't even attempt to hide
their biases or pretend neutrality. Not a word about the systemic injustice of
forcing Christians and people of other (nonsecularist) faiths to have to pay for
the "education" of children, including their own, in the competing religion
of our time. ...Evidence that so-called public schools are the sacrosanct institution
of our generation, at least in the loyalists of their own worldview.
July 2 2005 | Museum
show surveys impact on the arts of first Christian ruler, Constantine On
a slow news day, a rare survey of the roots of Christian Western civilization
in one of the West's most secular-humanist newspapers, the Paris edition of the
New York Times, published as the International Herald-Tribune.
July 1 2005 | Variety:
religiously serious believers more likely to see violent movies A
report conclusion: "Cultural conservatives, the report concludes, are 'participating
in American culture at virtually the same levels as the rest of society.'"
|
