Religious News & Views

Index

Edited by Nic Samojluk

Judge Declares Declaration of Independence Unconstitutional. Ever since the Supreme Court erroneously elevated Thomas Jefferson’s “wall of separation between church and state” metaphor to a constitutional doctrine in the 1947 landmark decision Everson v. Board of Education, a growing sort of legal fog has been setting in on our constitutional religious freedoms, ending in what can only be described as a requirement of government hostility towards religion.  This is, of course, not only a far cry from what our founding fathers intended, including Thomas Jefferson — a staunch religious liberty advocate — but it is a far cry from what “We the people” intended when the Constitution was ratified. ... Full story: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MarioDiaz/2007/12/13/judge_declares_declaration_of_independence_unconstitutional

Knee-Deep in Religion. WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney declares, "Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone." Barack Obama opens his speech at his South Carolina Oprah rally with "Giving all praise and honor to God. Look at the day that the Lord has made." Mike Huckabee explains his surge in the polls thus: "There's only one explanation for it, and it's not a human one. It's the same power that helped a little boy with two fish and five loaves feed a crowd of 5,000 people." This campaign is knee-deep in religion, and it's only going to get worse. I'd thought that the limits of professed public piety had already been achieved during the Republican CNN/YouTube debate when some squirrelly looking guy held up a Bible and asked, "Do you believe every word of this book?" -- and not one candidate dared reply: None of your damn business. ... Full story: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/CharlesKrauthammer/2007/12/13/knee-deep_in_religion

Demons haunted Colorado gunman. DENVER - Matthew Murray’s world was haunted by demons. Somehow, a child of a prominent doctor, someone who was homeschooled in a comfortable Denver suburb, evolved from would-be Christian missionary to a killer trying to rain Columbine down on the Christian world. A family spokesman said Murray grew up in a loving home. But other interviews and what appear to be Murray’s own online ramblings portray a disturbed individual who resented his sheltered upbringing, had problems with his mother, heard voices in his head, felt rejected and abused — and yet appeared to be searching for a place to belong. Full story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22221432/

Ramadan Yea, Christmas Nay. Democrats who supported a House resolution to honor Ramadan voted against a similar resolution to honor Christmas and Christianity last night. 18 Democrats voted “nay” or “present” on a resolution to “recognize the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.” An eagle-eyed Republican House staffer points out that those same members, with one exception, voted to “recognize the commencement of Ramadan,” a Muslim religious observance in October. Full story: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/AmandaCarpenter/2007/12/12/ramadan_yea,_christmas_nay

Security Guard: 'God Guided Me And Protected Me'. "God was with me," Assam said. "I didn't think for a minute to run away." Assam said she believes God gave her the strength to confront Murray, keeping her calm and focused even though he appeared to be twice her size and was more heavily armed. Murray was carrying two handguns, an assault rifle and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, said Sgt. Jeff Johnson of the Colorado Springs Police Department. "It seemed like it was me, the gunman and God," she said. Assam worked as a police officer in downtown Minneapolis during the 1990s and is licensed to carry a weapon. She attends one of the morning services and then volunteers as a guard during another service. Full story: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/14817480/detail.html

Colorado Shooter Was Kicked Out of Mission. A 24-year-old Colorado man who was homeschooled in a "very religious" family has been identified as the shooter who killed four people Sunday at two locations associated with the Youth With a Mission (YWAM) program. Authorities said that Matthew Murray had been kicked out of the YWAM training program and had been sending hate mail to its directors. According to court papers, Murray went to the YWAM training center in Arvada, Colorado at 12:30 a.m. and asked if he could spend the night. When he was turned away, he opened fire with a handgun killing Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 24, and wounding two others. ... Full story: http://crime.about.com/b/2007/12/11/colorado-shooter-was-kicked-out-of-mission.htm

Dallas settles suit with Seventh-day Adventist. The city of Dallas will have to pay $55,000 to a Seventh-day Adventist code inspector, who sued the city in federal court for making her work on her Sabbath. Under a settlement reached earlier this month, Marilyn Ford also got her job back as a code inspector on a shift that accommodates her religious beliefs. Seventh-day Adventists celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday, as opposed to other Christian denominations which celebrate it on Sunday. The conflict began in 2004, when Ford was fired from her job on allegations that she falsified documents. She appealed and was reinstated. But her boss assigned her to work Wednesday through Sunday.  ... Full story: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/112807dnmetadventist.4ac2027c.html [Link submitted by Roger Seheult] 

Mitt's Hour of Power. If Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination, it will be due in large measure to his splendid and moving defense of his faith and beliefs delivered today at the George Bush Presidential Library. ... "There are some for whom these commitments are not enough," said Romney. "They would prefer it if I would simply distance myself from my religion, say that it is more a tradition than my personal conviction, or disavow one or another of its precepts. That I will not do. I believe in my Mormon faith, and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers. I will be true to them and to my beliefs." If this costs me the presidency, said Romney, so be it. ... Full story: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/PatrickJBuchanan/2007/12/07/mitts_hour_of_power

Teen Evangelism. Ariane de Melo Felipe is a 14-year-old Brazilian girl with dreams—two very big dreams. They are not the dreams of most teenage girls. Ariane dreams of building a church in the Novo Barrio (neighborhood) of the city of Sao Jose do Mipibu, near her home. Her second dream is to study theology. To Ariane her dreams are concrete, for already she has led hundreds of people to Christ. When Ariane was still quite young, her parents, Romario and Lourdes, noticed that Ariane had a heart for God that few others of any age possess. She joined her church's Pathfinder Club, began to study the Bible in depth, and took part in lay training sessions sponsored by her local mission. ... Read more:  ==>

Hillary gets standing ovation at Rick Warren's summit. LAKE FOREST, Calif. – Within days of introducing a $50 billion plan to combat AIDS, Sen. Hillary Clinton received a standing ovation at one of the nation's most influential evangelical churches after addressing its "Global Summit on AIDS and the Church" today. If the Democratic presidential frontrunner's aim was to make inroads into the heavily Republican evangelical electorate, her appearance at Saddleback Church with pastor and "The Purpose Driven Life" author Rick Warren apparently didn't hurt. ...Full story: http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58959

The Gift of Unanswered Prayer. Strange as it may sound, we need unanswered prayer. It is God's gift to us because it protects us from ourselves. If all our prayers were answered, we would only abuse the power. We would use prayer to change the world to our liking, and it would become hell on earth. Like spoiled children with too many toys and too much money, we would only grab for more. We would pray for victory at the expense of others; we would be intoxicated by power. We would hurt other people and exalt ourselves. ... Full story: http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2004/004/22.58.html

What Are They Putting on Your Tombstone? I spent the last eleven-years of my teaching career in Room 134, a 20’ x 12’ white cubicle. That was my world. Every day, seven hours a day, stuck in a box. I was doing good things. I made a difference in a lot of kids' lives, but I was trapped inside a cell. Did you ever feel that way? It wasn’t until I walked away that I realized what a prisoner I had become. I walked away and traded security for freedom. ... I was grumbling the other day as I was packing for a ministry jaunt to Maine. “What a hassle this is.” I moaned to Michele. “I hate this part, packing, airports, security-lines, flight-delays, hotels, and being gone from you. Sometimes it is such a pain.” Michele knows how to handle me. After I finished grumbling she stuck her head around the corner and gigged me, “Well, David, you could always go back to Room 134.” ... Full story: http://www.newswithviews.com/Daubenmire/dave93.htm

Taking Science on Faith. SCIENCE, we are repeatedly told, is the most reliable form of knowledge about the world because it is based on testable hypotheses. Religion, by contrast, is based on faith. The term “doubting Thomas” well illustrates the difference. In science, a healthy skepticism is a professional necessity, whereas in religion, having belief without evidence is regarded as a virtue. The problem with this neat separation into “non-overlapping magisteria,” as Stephen Jay Gould described science and religion, is that science has its own faith-based belief system. ... Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/24/opinion/24davies.html?th&emc=th

President of Evangelical University Resigns. TULSA, Okla., Nov. 23 (AP) — Facing accusations that he misspent university money to support a lavish lifestyle, the president of Oral Roberts University has resigned, officials said Friday. ... Mr. Roberts, the son of the televangelist and university founder Oral Roberts, came under fire with the university after three former professors filed a lawsuit last month that included accusations of a $39,000 shopping tab for Mr. Robert’s wife, Lindsay, at one store; a $29,411 senior trip to the Bahamas on the university jet for one of Mr. Roberts’s daughters; and a stable of horses for the Roberts children. ... Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/24/education/24oral.html?th&emc=th

An Interactive Thanksgiving. As millions of people across North America and the world celebrate Thanksgiving, the Adventist Review Online brings you helpful resources from the world wide web to make this holiday weekend a more joyous and memorable experience for your family, co-workers, and congregation. The History of Thanksgiving Ever wonder what the pilgrims and their Native American guests really ate at their first Thanksgiving feast? The truth may surprise you. ...Full Story: http://www.adventistreview.org/2004-1547/thanksgiving.html

The atheists who came in from the cold. Imagine if one of the world's leading Christians--say C.S. Lewis a generation ago, or Billy Graham now--were to reject his religious beliefs and become a atheist. It would be big news! The New York Times would be all over it, for sure, and the question would be why a man who has devoted his life to God would now turn against Him? In sum, the focus would be on what were the reasons for the conversion and on what's so bad about Christianity. Contrast this with the New York Times' approach to the conversion of philosopher Anthony Flew. Flew has been, for the past half-century, the world's leading advocate of atheism. ... Full story: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/DineshDSouza/2007/11/19/the_atheists_who_came_in_from_the_cold

Adventist-Owned Florida Hospital Gets $10 Million Disney Donation. Children from central Florida—and from around the world—will be the beneficiaries of a $10 million donation from $10 million contribution from Walt Disney World and Disney Worldwide Outreach. The gift, announced September 19, will help expand and renovate Florida Children’s Hospital, which now will also bear the Disney name, a first according to Disney officials. The official name of the hospital will be announced at a later date. ... He pointed out that the company’s Orlando-based Walt Disney World has rearranged menus at the park’s restaurants to emphasize healthier choices ... Vegetarian items have been added and are being promoted. “Disney understands that Adventists are the healthiest people in the world,” Cummings said, ... Full story: http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=1466

Was Hitler a Christian? Embarrassed at the murderous legacy of atheist Communist regimes in the twentieth century, leading atheists seek to even the score with believers by portraying Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime as theist and specifically Christian. Atheist websites routinely claim that Hitler was a Christian because he was born Catholic, he never publicly renounced his Catholicism, and he wrote in Mein Kampf, “By defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.” Atheist writer Sam Harris writes that since “the Holocaust marked the culmination of…two hundred years of Christian fulminating against the Jews,” therefore “knowingly or not, the Nazis were agents of religion.” ... Full story: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/DineshDSouza/2007/11/05/was_hitler_a_christian

The Turning of an Atheist. Flew’s fame is about to spread beyond the atheists and philosophers. HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins, has just released “There Is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind,” a book attributed to Flew and a co-author, the Christian apologist Roy Abraham Varghese. “There Is a God” is an intellectual’s bildungsroman written in simple language for a mass audience. It’s the first-person account of a preacher’s son who, away at Methodist boarding school, defied his father to become a teenage atheist, later wrote on atheism at Oxford, spent his life fighting for unbelief and then did an about-face in his old age, embracing the truth of a higher power. ... Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/magazine/04Flew-t.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1194188451-gK6eRJecb2n4UlTfKRIYfA

Prominent Atheist "Discovers" Aquinas' Proof for the Existence of "a god". December 13, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Professor Antony Flew, a leading proponent of atheism and defender of Darwinian Evolution, has re-invented the philosophical wheel and announced that he has come to believe in God, or more precisely, in the existence of a god, based on evidence of creation. Flew told the Associated Press in an interview that he has concluded that some sort of intelligence or first cause must have created the universe. Flew said of his newly discovered god, that it was the god of deism, an Enlightenment notion of a divine "watchmaker" who, after creating the universe and winding it up and setting it going, had nothing further to do with it. "It could be a person in the sense of a being that has intelligence and a purpose, I suppose," said Flew. ... Full story: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/dec/04121308.html

Understanding Atheism. I declared myself an agnostic in 1983 and stayed that way until I declared myself an atheist in 1992. The road from Christianity to atheism and back to Christianity was – with my apologies to Beatles fans – long and winding. It took many years to travel. The decision to major in psychology was one of many factors that led to my decision to leave the church. Not many psychology departments have more atheists than the nearest philosophy department. But many come close. And the way the discipline of psychology approaches religion is likely to lead some students astray. ... Full story: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MikeSAdams/2007/10/29/understanding_atheism

Twenty-two Adventist Families lost their Homes in the California Wildfires. At press time some 8,000 firefighters continue to battle more than 20 blazes in southern California. Beginning last weekend, the fires charred an estimated 723 square miles, devastating residents in fire-threatened neighborhoods across southern California, from the Mexican border up to northern Los Angeles County. Nearly one million people have been evacuated and more than 1,600 structures have been destroyed, according to news reports. On late Thursday, the Adventist Review learned that no Seventh-day Adventist Churches have been lost in fires thus far. However, Southeastern California Conference (SECC) vice president George King reports that 117 Adventist families have been evacuated and 22 of these families have lost their homes. ... Full story: http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=1452

The Universal Primacy of the Roman Catholic Church. LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy - Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches. Benedict approved a document from his old offices at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that restates church teaching on relations with other Christians. It was the second time in a week the pope has corrected what he says are erroneous interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meetings that modernized the church. ... Read more: ==> [This news item generated  comments from a number of leading members of the SDA church.]

Is Religion Child Abuse? In his book, The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins argues that religious belief is — what else? — delusional. He mocks the irrationality of believing in something that you cannot subject to scientific scrutiny; ... he then pulls out the really big gun: Religious belief is a kind of child abuse. ...The "mental abuse" Dawkins refers to is the result of teaching children that nonbelievers will spend eternity in Hell. Dawkins calls this doctrine "an extreme threat of violence and pain" and "mental terrorism." He rhetorically asks, "If you can sue for the long-term mental damage caused by physical child abuse, why should you not sue for the long-term mental damage caused by mental child abuse?" ... Full story: http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/66578

Joel Osteen's Sugar Coated Gospel. This is why Joel Osteen's gospel is a problem. He gives people what they want - not what they need. He feeds them loads of candy to make them smile, feel better and keep them coming back for more week after week - never mentioning broccoli, brussel sprouts, lima beans, carrots or squash - never serving up pot roast and potatoes, liver and onions, pork chops or a salad from his pulpit - just sweets. ... Full story: http://www.newswithviews.com/PaulProctor/proctor131.htm

How China Got Religion. Before we explode in rage that Chinese Communist totalitarianism now wants to control even the lives of its subjects after their deaths, we should remember that such measures are not unknown to European history. The Peace of Augsburg in 1555, the first step toward the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 that ended the Thirty Years’ War, declared the local prince’s religion to be the official faith of a region or country (“cuius regio, eius religio”). The goal was to end violence between German Catholics and Lutherans, but it also meant that when a new ruler of a different religion took power, large groups had to convert. Thus the first big institutional move toward religious tolerance in modern Europe ... Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/opinion/11zizek.html?th&emc=th

Can A Christian Pray To Allah? In an interview with Al Arabiya reporter Elie Nakouzi, Bush said, "I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, pray to the same God." Bush has made this same statement throughout his Presidency. The statement obviously reflects a deep-seated belief. ... Anyone with even a casual knowledge of Islam knows that when Muhammad founded the Muslim religion there were about 300 pagan gods being worshipped in the region. He selected the moon god, Allah, and proclaimed it to be the one true God. This is, of course, the origin of the crescent moon symbol of Islam. ... Full story: http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin405.htm

Danny Shelton Replaced at 3ABN. On August 30, 2007, the 3ABN board invited Elder Jim Gilley to become the new president of the 3ABN world ministry. Jim joins Danny Shelton, founder and visionary of 3ABN, in a move designed to meet the challenge of rapidly expanding opportunities opening up to the ministry. Daily, signs in the world about us shout of the momentous times in which we live. We see a vast world of hurting people crying out to God for they know not what. The 3ABN board has seen this need and heard this cry. Elder Jim Gilley brings with him a vast experience in administration and in both personal and public evangelism. As such, he is uniquely qualified for this special calling. ... Full story: http://www.3abn.org/announcements.cfm

Deeds, Creeds & Mother Teresa's Despair. ”We all belong to the same family. Hindus, Muslims and all peoples are our brothers and sisters. They too are the children of God."[1, p.35] Mother Teresa.  "We are supposed to preach without preaching not by words, but by our example, by our actions."[1, p.72] Mother Teresa . "The first Reformation... was about creeds; this one's going to be about our deeds. The first one divided the church; this time it will unify the church."[2] Rick Warren. ... Full story:  http://www.newswithviews.com/BeritKjos/kjos82.htm

Making a Name for Ourselves. Some might say that an article about the mentality of Babylon hardly fits as a subject for an Adventist journal for clergy. Because God’s people of all denominations, the inhabitants of Zion, the citizens of the heavenly city, read this publication, this writing does not target those who belong to Babylon. True enough. We want to maintain a safe distance from Babylon. We want to call others—as many as possible—to leave Babylon (Rev. 18:4). Babylon is bad news. Its philosophy and lifestyle are godless and addictive (Rev. 14:8). We, who have left Babylon, must always be reminded to stay far away from it, and not to succumb to the temptation to try to stand with one leg in Jerusalem and another in Babylon.  Full story: http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=1366

The Day the Sky Fell. Some call it conversation. Others call it providence. All I know is that God has an amazing ability to teach me through the thoughts and actions of others. Encounters with Roman Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, secular moderns and postmoderns, and conservative Adventists have all enriched my thinking far beyond initial expectation. So I have gradually discovered that I learn much more from people I disagree with than from people I agree with. In that case (if you don’t misunderstand me), I can’t think of anyone who could teach me more than Osama bin Laden. But before September 11, 2001, I was barely aware of his existence. Full story: http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=1355

The Fisherman's Prayer. The African country of Ghana has a large and vibrant Adventist presence. But unreached areas remain, such as the Afram Plains of eastern Ghana. This region, with nearly impassible terrain and a harsh climate, is difficult to enter. Until recently most of the 1.6 million people living there had never heard the Adventist message. In 2002 a team of Global Mission pioneers entered the Afram Plains to sow the seed of the gospel. One day the evangelists learned that God had, indeed, gone before them to prepare the soil. Maxwell Vitashi is an old fisherman in the area. One day he paddled his boat upstream for several miles in search of a good catch. But as he dragged in his nets, his boat suddenly capsized, and he was tossed into the swift-flowing waters. ... Read more ==>

American minister sends video to Osama. WASHINGTON – An American television evangelist has turned the tables on al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden – sending him a video message warning him to repent of his sins and convert to Christianity. "Osama, since you seem to be a fan of video messages, I thought this would be the best way to communicate with you," says Bill Keller, host of the Florida-based "Live Prayer" TV program as well as LivePrayer.com in a message being posted to YouTube and 20 other major video sites in the U.S. as well as some 50 in the Middle East. Keller said his goal was to reach out to bin Laden with a message of salvation. ... Full story: http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57633

Quebec Government Forcing Evangelical Private Schools to Teach Sex Ed, Darwinism. QUEBEC, Canada, October 24, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Private Christian schools in the province of Quebec must teach sex education and Darwin‘s theory of evolution, the province’s Ministry of Education has ordered, or they will be shut down. The National Post reported today on a controversial decision by Quebec’s education ministry to force small Christian schools to comply with provincial curriculum standards for all subjects, regardless of whether there is a contradiction with the school’s religious beliefs. ... Full story:  http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/oct/06102404.html

Bishop urges Christians to call God 'Allah'. Catholic churches in the Netherlands should use the name Allah for God to ease tensions between Muslims and Christians, says a Dutch bishop. Tiny Muskens, the bishop of Breda, told the Dutch TV program "Network" Monday night he believes God doesn't mind what he is called, Radio Netherlands Worldwide reported. The Almighty is above such "discussion and bickering," he insisted. Muskens points to Indonesia, where he served 30 years ago, as an example for Dutch churches. Christians in the Middle East also use the term Allah for God. ... Full story: http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57178 [Link submitted by Wyjoz] 

The Broken Blueprint. Right from the beginning Mrs. White insisted that our schools should include practical, vocational training in their curriculum, coupled with character building instruction. The issuing of diplomas and classical studies was discouraged. According to this blueprint, the expenditure of large sums of money and expensive buildings were not required. The teaching of practical health laws was emphasized. The plan stressed practical courses of short duration in order to help students enter the work phase of their lives as soon as possible. Manual labor was required, and sports and amusements were discouraged. Initial experience demonstrated that such a plan resulted in the baptism of many of the students and there was a willingness on their part to participate in missionary activities. ... Read more ==>

Orthodoxy Is Back in Russia’s Public Schools. KOLOMNA, Russia — One of the most discordant debates in Russian society is playing out in public schools like those in this city not far from Moscow, where the other day a teacher named Irina Donshina set aside her textbooks, strode before her second graders and, as if speaking from a pulpit, posed a simple question: “Whom should we learn to do good from?” “From God!” the children said. “Right!” Ms. Donshina said. “Because people he created crucified him. But did he accuse them or curse them or hate them? Of course not! He continued loving and feeling pity for them, though he could have eliminated all of us and the whole world in a fraction of a second.” ... Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/world/europe/23russia.html?th&emc=th

Islamists jailed for beheading schoolgirls. Three militant Islamists have been given prison sentences of up to 20 years for the beheadings of three Christian schoolgirls in 2005, welcome news to the Christians in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, according to a report from Christian Solidarity Worldwide. "We are pleased that justice has finally prevailed following the brutal attack on the three schoolgirls in 2005," said Mervyn Thomas, president of CSW. "However, the pattern of violence continues in Indonesia. We urge both the Christian and Muslim communities to work with the authorities in Central Sulawesi to put an end to this cycle of attacks once and for all. ... Full story: http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55101

Adventist Colleges Consider Trading Denomination’s Land, Airwaves for Cash. ...Columbia Union College (CUC), founded in 1904, is considering selling its Adventist radio station, which reaches about 300,000 people each week in the Washington, D.C. metro area, in order to fund future campus development and scholarship endowments, according to a church media release. The station, WGTS-FM, is the nation’s second most popular non-commercial Christian radio station. Critics of a proposed sale argue the deal could mean losing a large broadcasting presence in the nation’s capital region, which includes the Adventist Church’s world headquarters. Sources close to the station said July 18 that CUC, in Takoma Park, Maryland, is hoping to raise $20 million to $25 million from the sale of WGTS to help fund the college, which enrolls nearly 1,200 students. ... Full story: http://www.spectrummagazine.org/onlinecommunity/featuredcolumns/070723oliver.html

Church won't hold funeral for gay man. An Arlington church volunteered to host a funeral Thursday, then reneged on the invitation when it became clear the dead man's homosexuality would be identified in the service. The event placed High Point Church in the cross hairs of an issue many conservative Christian organizations are discussing: how to take a hard-line theological position on homosexuality while showing compassion toward gay people and their families. But the dispute between High Point Church and the friends and family of Cecil Sinclair has left confusion and hard feelings on both sides. ... Full story: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/081007dnmetgayfuneral.3617689.html

Cannibal tribe apologises for eating Methodists. A tribe in Papua New Guinea has apologised for killing and eating four 19th century missionaries under the command of a doughty British clergyman. The four Fijian missionaries were on a proselytising mission on the island of New Britain when they were massacred by Tolai tribesmen in 1878. They were murdered on the orders of a local warrior chief, Taleli, and were then cooked and eaten. The Fijians - a minister and three teachers - were under the leadership of the Reverend George Brown, an adventurous Wesleyan missionary who was born in Durham but spent most of his life spreading the word of God ... Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/16/wpapua116.xml

My Daughter's Verifiable Miracle.  Miracles still happen. God still heals people. At times, He does things so clearly supernatural that skeptics can deny them only because they choose to. In the first case that I am going to share with you, one truly has to stretch the boundaries of disbelief and cynicism to discount what happened. My sixteen year old daughter, Becky, is too young and too full of life to be suffering serious back problems. Nevertheless, she was. In fact, Becky had been suffering inexplicable lower back problems for quite some time before the night she received prayer. ... Full story: http://www.newswithviews.com/Bill/sizemore59.htm

Boys Cast Out by Polygamists Find Help. Over the last six years, hundreds of teenage boys have been expelled or felt compelled to leave the polygamous settlement that straddles Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah. Disobedience is usually the reason given for expulsion, but former sect members and state legal officials say the exodus of males — the expulsion of girls is rarer — also remedies a huge imbalance in the marriage market. Members of the sect believe that to reach eternal salvation, men are supposed to have at least three wives. ... Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/09polygamy.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th

High school principal's remarks about prayer at a football game. This email is about Jody McCloud who is principal at the Roane County High School in Kingston, Tennessee.  In September, 2000, he opened a football game by saying that normally there would have been a prayer, but a Supreme Court decision had ended that...so he read a statement commenting on that and inviting people to pray anyway. The story is true.  TruthOrFiction.com has confirmed both the event and the text of McCloud's statement.  McCloud has gotten response and requests for copies from all over the country. Full story: http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/j/jodymccloud.htm

Mother Teresa’s Dark Night. "If anyone is in heaven, there is no question Mother Teresa is there," is a sentiment shared by millions of Americans, believers and non-believers alike. Yet her own words suggest it was a sentiment Mother Teresa struggled with and may well have not believed. A new book just out from Doubleday, "Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light," reveals a previously unknown side of Mother Teresa through her private letters written over a period of 66 years. It should be noted that this book was not produced by her detractors, but rather by those seeking sainthood for the venerable nun. Full story: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/PaulEdwards/2007/09/06/mother_teresa%e2%80%99s_dark_night

The Dangers of Transcendental Meditation. I have no clue what "become the prayer" means, but Jesus Christ never taught His followers any such thing. He never taught them to empty their minds, which is what occurs during Transcendental meditation. The "prayer of quiet" has its roots in Eastern mysticism, not the Bible. People will argue that Catholic monks have been engaging in CP for centuries, like that alone should make it acceptable. However, it doesn't negate the fact that meditation goes against the express teaching of  ...Full story: http://www.newswithviews.com/West/marsha52.htm Link submitted by Wyjoz.

The Decline of the Sabbath. The Second Great Awakening in the early 1800s spread Sabbath-keeping to the frontiers. Church membership doubled, Sunday schools proliferated and long sermons dominated the morning. It was unthinkable that the general store would remain open on the Sabbath. "Nothing strikes a foreigner on his arrival in America more forcibly than the regard paid to the Sabbath," Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in 1840. "Not only have all ceased to work, but they appear to have ceased to exist." The so-called blue laws that were a part of American culture--closing down bars and preventing the sale of liquor on Sunday--were commonplace well into the 20th century. ... Read more ==>

One Nation Under God. I want to share with you what I received from a regular contributor to the SDA Forum which illustrates the Christian foundation of the United States of America, something liberals are trying to erase from American history books. I believe that if we ignore our Christian roots, we will loose a rich heritage that lays at the foundation of our morality, religion, and laws. The good Lord did bless our nation, but if we forget the benefits we have received from him, I have no doubt that we will pay a high price for our ungratefulness! ... Read more ==>

Islamist School Inspector. "A hardline Muslim teacher who caused a furor by denouncing pupils for celebrating Christmas has been made a Government schools inspector. Israr Khan’s Ofsted appointment was described by a former colleague as ‘absolutely astonishing’. Mr Khan, now headmaster of an Islamic school, launched into his tirade during a concert rehearsal at Washwood Heath Secondary School in Birmingham in 1996 after the choir including around 40 Muslim youngsters, had sung a number of popular Christmas songs, including carols. He leapt from his seat, yelling: “Who is your God? Why are you saying Jesus and Jesus Christ? God is not your God - it is Allah.” ...  Full story: http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=24768 

Who is an Unbeliever? In your article entitled "Mixed Marriages" you clarify that Paul's passage found in 2 Cor. 6:14 is not limited to marriage with unbelievers. Please consider the following scenario: A Seventh-day Adventist law student is planning to join a Southern Baptist as a law partner after graduation. Both are familiar with Paul's injunction against being "unequally yoked with unbelievers, and both have a struggle with their conscience." The Adventist because Baptists ignore the Sabbath Commandment of the Decalogue, and the Baptist because Adventists justify abortions ... Read more ==>

Can the elect become the victims of deception? After a long protracted debate with a young man I greatly admire for his keen intelligence and his unswerving loyalty to the Genesis account of Creation, I wondered: Can the elect become the victims of deception? You may wonder why would such a question pop into my mind when dealing with someone apparently so loyal to the Bible story of origins. The reason is rather simple. The topic we had debated was not the origin of heaven and earth and life on earth, but rather the origin of human life inside the womb. ... Read more ==>

Is the Biblical Record Reliable? If you accept the suggestion that the Bible writers exaggerated the facts as they wrote the stories we find in the Old Testament, then why would you believe that the Gospel writers did not do the same? If this is the case, then what is your faith based on? If we can't trust the O.T. authors, please give me a reason why I should trust the evangelists! ... Read more ==>

Trouble at 3ABN. For those interested in learning the truth about what has been taking place at the 3ABN network, there is a source of a large number of documents dealing with all the allegations and counter allegations connected with the “growing number of moral, ethical, and financial” dealings by the leading individuals in charge of the Three Angels' Broadcasting Network which threatens to damage or destroy the efectiveness of this independent ... Read more ==>

The Rope People of the Kingdom of the Blind. Once upon a time, there was a kingdom in an isolated mountain valley inhabited only by blind people. A long time ago, everyone in the Kingdom of the Blind (as it was called) could see. But according of one story widely circulated and believed by some, there had been two individuals who were the first inhabitants of the valley by the name of Mada and Eve. (For some reason, they were always referred to as Mada and Eve and never Eve and Mada.) According to this ancient story, they had done something very bad (although it was never quite clear what the evil act exactly was). As a consequence, they lost their ability to see and all of their descendents down to the present ... Read more ==>

Five Pillars of Islam Taught in Public Schools. Another school has been "teaching" Islam by having students study and learn Muslim prayers and dress as Muslims, and a lawyer who argued a previous dispute over this issue to the U.S. Supreme Court said such methodologies wouldn't "last 10 seconds" if it were Christianity being taught. "Would it have been 'just cultural education' if students were in simulated baptisms, wearing a crucifix, having taken the name of St. John and with praise banners saying 'Praise be to Jesus Christ' on classroom walls?" asked Edward White III, of the Thomas More Law Center ... Full story: http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52335 

Adventism & Women's Ordination. I grew up in South America where machismo is quite predominant in society. In spite of this, I believe that our ministerial ordination practices should be gender blind and neutral. If the Lord calls women for church service in that capacity, who are we to abort that call? I do not think that this issue will split the church, provided we do it without imposing women's ordination on the rest of Adventism. If we do, it will fail like Bushs's decision to impose democracy on Iraq. ... Read more ==> 

How Can the 'Remnant' Church be Pro-choice? My question is: Is it right for Seventh-day Adventists to generously label ourselves as the "Remnant Church" that keeps God's Commandments, one of which forbids murder, and proclaiming the "last message of mercy to a perishing world," while at the same time oficially justifying the practice of abortion? We are concerned as a church about the deaths of innocent human beings in Iraq and ... Read more ==> 

Pitcairn Island Facing an Uncertain Future! The tiny Pacific Island of Pitcairn has a population of 47, and six Islanders have been convicted of rape. If these men are jailed, the rest of the islanders might face a bleak future, since they are needed for the manning of the longboat that goes out to passing ships, and life on the island might be placed in jeopardy. ... Read more ==> 

From Pro-life to Pro-choice: The Dramatic Shift in Seventh-day Attitudes Towards Abortion. The purpose of this posting is to report to you the progress made so far by me, in the writing of my doctoral dissertation thesis. The title of my dissertation is: From Pro-life to Pro-choice: A Dramatic Shift in Seventh-day Attitudes Towards Abortion. I am steadily making significant progress towards my goal, which might be reached, God's willing, before the end of this year. ... Read more =>

Was Abraham Declared Righteous by Faith Alone? I am currently reading another book written by Desmond Ford: Right With God Right Now. He cites Genesis 15:6 as proof that God declares believers righteous the moment they believe. Perhaps this is what the Lord does, but the biblical proof is flawed. Let me first quote the Scripture in question and then Ford's comments: ... Read more =>