Christian Information - 10 July 2006

[This will be the last time I post this newsletter on my blog. I thought that I'd introduce it to my readers.]

Christian Information

10 July 2006

 

Contents

Sexual Depravity

Members of Congress Call for End to World-Cup Prostitution
NY High Court Rules Against Same-Sex Marriage
'Yes' to Traditional Marriage -- First in New York, Then in Georgia
IT'S THEIR WAY, OR NO WAY: INSTITUTIONAL LEFTISM

Creation

Major US denomination 'affirms evolution'—and more

Theology/Philosophy

Confusing "Truth" and "Reality"
What are our methods?

Heresy

Voodoo Philanthropics (Must read!)
C. Peter Wagner Concocts Another New Doctrine

Pro-Life Issues

Coma Recovery After 19 Years Poses Questions About Terri Schiavo
Abortion of "Excess" Babies Common with IVF

Sermons/Inspirational

Behold The King!

Liberals

The Culture of Freedom and the Future of Marriage

Politics

In Defense of Christian Activism (Must read! )
Defining and Defending Conservatism--Senator Rick Santorum's "It Takes a Family"
Intimidation Tactics

Entertainment

I hated it. Sheesh. (Superman Returns review)
Superman and the culture war

Miscellaneous

America Should Be Ashamed of SHAM (Must read! )
North Korea Deepens Crisis With July Fourth Missile Tests
Study: Vaccines Not Linked to Autism
Conservative Government Investigates Allegations of Chinese Organ Harvesting From Political Prisoners
Website of the week...

Quote of the week...
Absurdity of the Week

 

Sexual Depravity

Members of Congress Call for End to World-Cup Prostitution

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are calling on Germany to end the government-endorsed prostitution that has accompanied the World Cup. More than 400,000 prostitutes have registered with the government since the practice was legalized in 2002.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., sponsored House Resolution 860 that calls on the German government to take immediate action to combat sex trafficking taking place in connection with the soccer tournament.
Read more...

NY High Court Rules Against Same-Sex Marriage
by Randy Hall

The New York Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state, ruled Thursday that the state "constitution does not compel the recognition of marriages between members of the same sex."

In its 4-2 decision, the court said that "whether such marriages should be recognized is a question to be addressed by the legislature."
Read more...

'Yes' to Traditional Marriage -- First in New York, Then in Georgia
Separate Court Rulings Come Within Hours of Each Other
by Jody Brown and Allie Martin

In a decisive one-two punch, courts in two different states have dealt considerable blows to the homosexual agenda's nationwide push for legalized same-sex "marriage." While the decision out of the Bible Belt state of Georgia surprised few, the ruling out of New York -- typically a hotbed of liberalism -- certainly caught conservatives by surprise and earned their approval.

In a 4-2 decision, the New York Court of Appeals has ruled that the state constitution guarantees no right to homosexual marriage. Using an argument more often heard from pro-family activists dealing with judicial activism, the court said the New York constitution "does not compel recognition of marriages between members of the same sex. Whether such marriages should be recognized is a question to be addressed by the Legislature.
Read more...

IT'S THEIR WAY, OR NO WAY: INSTITUTIONAL LEFTISM
Gay Pride, A Presidential (Clintonian) Proclamation
by Debra Rae

Yes, roses are blooming, summer vacation is upon us, and gasoline prices have soared, but there was much more to think about in June. Just ask the Lesbian/ Gay/ Bisexual/ Transgender community. You see, this is their month. June of 2000 marked the first annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Month—this, by Presidential proclamation. William J. Clinton encouraged all Americans to observe the month of June with programs, ceremonies, and activities that recognize gay and lesbian Americans.

I'm at a loss as to why any pride day is necessary for all to observe; however, if there is a boys' pride day, then it stands to reason that a girls' pride day is in order. If there is Norwegian pride, why not Swedish pride? Given African-American pride, why not Norwegian-American pride? How about Yankee-Dixie pride? Red coats-blue coats pride?
Read more...

 

Creation

Major US denomination 'affirms evolution'—and more
by Carl Wieland

The Episcopal Church is what Anglicanism is called in America.  This church has many solid Bible-believers, but sadly its hierarchy has recently elected the first openly homosexual bishop, Gene Robinson. 
 
In another even more recent 'first', Katharine Jefferts Schori was elected Presiding Bishop, the first woman primate (national head) in the Anglican communion worldwide.  Schori, a trained oceanographer, is an enthusiastic evolutionist.  Not long after her election, she presided over her church's 75th annual convention.  At this meeting, the church passed a formal resolution to affirm evolution.   This delighted the openly humanistic National Center for Science Education (NCSE), an organization founded and operated by atheists, specifically set up to oppose creationism in schools (as opposed to educating students in real science such as physics, chemistry, etc.).
Read more...

 

Theology/Philosophy

Confusing "Truth" and "Reality"

Can you articulate the difference between "reality" and "truth"? Think about it for a minute. "Reality" reflects the varying conditions and circumstances that characterize our world—right or wrong, they're all a part of "real life." "Truth," on the other hand, is objective, eternal and absolute. For the Christian, it is grounded in the Word of God. Why the pop quiz? Our ability to make that distinction—and teach it to our teens—is vital if we expect youngsters to develop critical thinking skills and make God-honoring entertainment choices.

Of the hundreds of letters Plugged In receives from churched teens about media issues, the most disturbing ones reveal spiritual confusion about God's view of evil and a stubborn lack of discernment. Specifically, if we object to an album that romanticizes sin, we're told to lighten up because the artist is singing about "real life." Or when we say a movie is over the top because it glamorizes violence, we get "What doesn't these days?" It's sad, but many adolescents judge entertainment's appropriateness based on the changing reality of the world around them—not on the unchanging Truth of God's Word.
Read more...

What are our methods?
by Rick Barnes

While watching a movie yesterday about a man named Robert Sheffy (made by BJU), Something that struck me about the methods used to reach the lost. He (Robert Sheffy) was a great man of prayer and traveled many places to reach the lost and I am sure by his testimony he loved the Lord. But the one item that struck me were some of the methods he used in reaching the lost. He was born in 1820 and died in 1902. Many evangelistic campaigns of that time used a lot of practices that I would label as unbiblical, this is not to say they were apostate as I know nothing of the people and their view on the doctrines of grace, some from that time period we do know were apostate such as Charles Finney.
Read more...

 

Heresy

Voodoo Philanthropics (Must read! )

Despite the claims that there will be a great outpouring of finances to further the New Apostolic Reformation's dominionist expansion in the near future, there is an immediate crisis now according to head "apostle" C. Peter Wagner in a June 21 Global Harvest letter. He wrote:

I'm writing you today with a tremendous burden. A very serious financial situation has arisen here at Global Harvest. It seems as though a stranglehold over our finances has been loosed against us, and the usual gifts to the ministry have slowed down alarmingly. We are wondering where the money for our next payroll and for paying our bills will come from.
Read more...

C. Peter Wagner Concocts Another New Doctrine

In a letter from Global Harvest Ministries (Global Link, 11/1/05), C. Peter Wagner, chief architect of the "Second Apostolic Age" and inventor of many new doctrines spreading like leaven throughout evangelicaldom, wrote about his latest book Freedom from the Religious Spirit. In this book he invents yet another doctrine about demon possession by a "religious spirit."

"In my recent book, Freedom from the Religious Spirit, I pointed out that the chief tactic of this clever demon is to use religious devices to preserve the status quo. If it is successful, the spirit of religion can prevent us from moving into God's new times and seasons...."
Read more...

Pro-Life Issues

Coma Recovery After 19 Years Poses Questions About Terri Schiavo
A Tale of Two Terries

On Monday (July 3, 2006) The Journal of Clinical Investigation published new research on the recovery of a brain damaged man from his 19 years in a minimally conscious state, adding to the growing evidence that those with "hopelessly" severe brain injuries may be able to recuperate with therapy or other kinds of assistance.

The Journal's research focuses on the sudden recovery of Terry Wallis, who experienced a car wreck in 1984 when he was 19 years old. The accident sheared the nerve connections in his brain, putting him in a minimally conscious state (MCS) and rendering him a quadriplegic. Terry, a young husband with a newborn child, was considered a hopeless case, especially considering that his family could not pay the $120,000 needed to consult a neurologist about any possibility of recovery. However in 2003, during one of the regular visits of his mother, who had regularly visited him at the Rehabilitation Centre in Mountain View, Arkansas, he made what seemed a sudden recovery, and spoke "mom", his first word in 19 years.
Read more...

Abortion of "Excess" Babies Common with IVF
by Gudrun Schultz

"Excess" babies are routinely aborted as part of in vitro fertilization techniques, a report by the Virginian-Pilot acknowledged yesterday.

The report examined the problems associated with multiple births, a common occurrence when attempting to conceive and successfully carry a child using artificial technology. The success of IVF techniques typically rely on the insertion of multiple embryos to enhance a couple's chances that at least one embryo will successfully implant and result in a pregnancy.
Read more...

Also read:
Criminal Charges for Showing Abortion Pictures Violate Freedom of Speech Rights: Editor of NRO

 

Sermons/Inspirational

Behold The King!
by Tim Challies

I was thrilled several years ago to hear that the book The Lord of the Rings was going to be made into a series of epic films. With production budgets in the hundreds of millions of dollars and the bulk of the work being done outside of Hollywood, I knew this series was going to be good! But more than being able to watch a great series of films, I was thrilled to know that a book I had read several times and for which I had great respect would be brought into the mainstream. Not too long ago people who read The Lord of the Rings were considered just a bit weird. When we brought the book up in conversation it would often earn us a look that said "you're not one of those Dungeons and Dragons people, are you?" I am not. I simply enjoy a good story and J.R.R. Tolkien was a master storyteller.

Now that The Lord of the Rings has entered the mainstream, we who have known and loved the story for many years can finally use its rich depths for purposes of illustration. It is that which I intend to do today.
Read more...

 

Liberals

The Culture of Freedom and the Future of Marriage
by Al Mohler

"It is not controversial to contend that in the United States, constitutional law serves as a decisive battleground in the struggle over freedom's moral and political meaning," asserts Peter Berkowitz. "It is another matter to assess the impact of the battleground on the battle, to clarify the current balance of power, and to anticipate the battles to come."

Berkowitz, a professor of law at George Mason University School of Law and a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, addresses the future of the U.S. Supreme Court and the concept of freedom in a fascinating essay published in the current issue of Policy Review. In "The Court, the Constitution, and the Culture of Freedom," Berkowitz argues that an expansive concept of human liberty lies behind the Supreme Court's tradition of jurisprudence. He goes on to argue that this progressive understanding of human freedom is likely to mean that the nation's high court will one day decide that access to same-sex marriage is nothing less than a right guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.
Read more...

 

Politics

In Defense of Christian Activism (Must read!)
by John M. Frame

Christian activism, by which I mean simply any Christian attempt to improve society, has had its ups and downs over the centuries. If you read a book like D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born,[2] you should be impressed at the great influence of the Christian gospel, and specifically Calvinism, upon western culture. I don't want to minimize the wickedness of fallen culture. But for now I'm making the point that there is good as well. Kennedy and Newcombe emphasize that Christians, for distinctively Christian motives, have vastly influenced western culture in such areas as help for the poor, the abolition of slavery, teaching of literacy, education for all, political freedom, economic freedom, science, medicine, the family, the arts, the sanctity of life. Without Jesus, without his Gospel, without the influence of his people, all these areas of culture would be vastly different and very much worse.

But from time to time there has been a failure of nerve. None of these efforts by Christians has led to perfection. There is still much evil in the world, and there are many who would silence the Christian voice. So Christians have often been discouraged by the net results of their efforts. We recall the period from around 1925-1945 when fundamentalist Christians in America largely retreated from any kind of social action. And in the 1990s, the Moral Majority movement was disbanded, and Christian leaders like Jerry Falwell and columnist Cal Thomas disparaged Christian social activism, saying that it detracted from the Christian's fundamental responsibility, to proclaim the gospel.
Read more...

Defining and Defending Conservatism--Senator Rick Santorum's "It Takes a Family"
by Al Mohler

Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) admits that political conservatives have often failed to present a comprehensive vision of the underlying commitments and convictions that frame the conservative vision. Beyond this, he laments the fact that some conservatives fail to link those basic convictions with political decisions and matters of public policy. He's out to reverse that failure, and his new book It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good is one of the most important books written by a political figure in recent American history.

Santorum was raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, a small town he describes as "a place where family togetherness, being a good neighbor, and civic participation were on display every day, without complaint or apology." He later attended college at Penn State University and earned a law degree from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. At the age of 32, Santorum was elected to the United States House of Representatives. After two terms, he was elected in 1994 to the United States Senate. He quickly emerged as a national figure and became the youngest person elected to the Republican Senate leadership. He continues to serve as Republican Conference Chairman, the party's third-ranking leadership position in the Senate.
Read more...

Intimidation Tactics
Why We Need Privacy in Politics
by Charles Colson

Leo "Skip" Childs is the kind of person you'd want as your next-door neighbor. Skip puts in many hours every month volunteering as a firefighter in North Truro, Massachusetts. His wife, Marjorie, supports the rescue squad with hot coffee and homemade cakes.

But then, as columnist Maggie Gallagher relates, Skip signed a petition supporting traditional marriage. He was labeled a bigot, and thrown off the Board of Fire Engineers.
Read more...
 

Entertainment

I hated it. Sheesh. (Superman Returns review)
by Centuri0n

Batman movies? Yeah, they all had their high points, and on-net I liked all of 'em, including the daffy Poison Ivy/Mr. Freeze one with too many characters and not enough story. I'm a sucker for Uma Thurman, I am sorry to admit.

X-Men movies? See: I was a fan of the original school for gifted youngsters, and I lost interest when the Sentinels grabbed Scott and Jean and took them into space and Jean "died" saving the others. But for most people that's actually when the Golden Age of Mutant Comics started, and even with the weird adaptations made for the big screen, the movies have been faithful enough to the themes of the comics.
Read more...

Superman and the culture war
by Bill O'Reilly

The culture war has tugged on Superman's cape, and it is not pretty. In the new film "Superman Returns," Daily Planet editor Perry White responds this way after being told the Man of Steel has come back after a five-year absence: "Does he still stand for truth, justice and all that stuff?"

And all that stuff?

The original line in the television series and movie, of course, was "truth, justice and the American way." But no way the "American way" gets in the film.
Read more...

 

Miscellaneous

America Should Be Ashamed of SHAM (Must read!)
by Al Mohler

Steve Salerno is a reporter with wide experience. As a freelance feature writer, Salerno has written for magazines including Harper's, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and many others. He has contributed articles to the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. Many of his articles have focused upon "money stories," that deal with financial scandals and controversies in the business world. Now, he is ready to report on the biggest scandal he has ever encountered--America's self-help movement.

Salerno writes: "In twenty-four years as a business writer and an investigative journalist, I have covered all kinds of 'money stories.' I have written about boondoggles on bankers' row and sleight of hand at Seventh Avenue fashion houses. I've written about the gyrations of the stock market as well as the myriad forces that surround, yet never quite explain, investing itself. I've written about money as it relates to sales, money as it relates to sports, money as it relates to music, money as it relates to love. It's safe to say that if it involves money, combined with some form of human aspiration, I've probably written about it."
Read more...

North Korea Deepens Crisis With July Fourth Missile Tests
by Patrick Goodenough

After weeks of keeping the world guessing about its intentions, North Korea chose America's Independence Day to test fire a volley of missiles, ignoring international calls for restraint and stoking up tensions across the region.

Foreign governments tracked up to six missiles, fired from two locations over a period of several hours into the Sea of Japan between the Korean peninsula and Japan's northern Hokkaido Island, according to South Korean officials.
Read more...

Study: Vaccines Not Linked to Autism
by Salynn Boyles

New research from Canada may not end the debate about childhood vaccines and autism, but it offers more evidence that vaccines are not to blame for the dramatic rise in reported cases of the developmental disorder.

The study examined outcomes among 28,000 children in Quebec, exposed to different dosages of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and vaccines containing the mercury-based preservative thimerosal. Researchers found no relationship between MMR vaccine exposure, thimerosal exposure and autism rates.
Read more...

Conservative Government Investigates Allegations of Chinese Organ Harvesting From Political Prisoners
by Peter J. Smith

Canada's Conservative government announced yesterday it will investigate claims that China has been harvesting organs from live prisoners for organ transplants, as revealed in a report by former Liberal and Independent MP David Kilgour and international human rights lawyer David Matas.

"We take these allegations quite seriously, and we'll look into that," said Conservative MP Deepak Obhrai on Thursday. Obhrai, who is the parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay affirmed that the government will look to confirm the allegations raised by Kilgour and Matas' report released yesterday.
Read more...

 

Website of the week...

The Reformed Evangelist

 

Quote of the week...

"By liberty I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes to be his duty against the influences of authority and majorities, custom and opinion."

-- Lord Acton,

History of Freedom (London, 1907, p. 3);

quoted in Maurice Cranston, Freedom (1953, r. 1967)

Absurdity of the Week
Robot Oppression: Unethicality of the Three Laws

---

 

To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
  < christinfo-subscribe@freegroups.net>

To remove your address from the list, send a message to:
  <christinfo-unsubscribe@freegroups.net >