I feel so sickened with grief for our state and our country. I cannot believe the marriage issue has come to this. This should not be happening. California has condemned itself and all those in it who turn a blind eye. It has condemned the nation by housing the most influential Supreme Court in the country. God’s warriors should be standing firm against this force of evil, but they’re not. They waver—out of fear or lack of concern, who knows?
God is not going to put up with this for very much longer—His own creation spitting in His face. His people may be persecuted while here, before Jesus returns, but we will be met with eternal love and peace. We will walk for all eternity with the Lord Almighty.
The battle is won. Satan may have the majority here and now, but he knows his fate. He knows his eternal punishment and all those who deny the Lord Jesus Christ will suffer eternally with him. The kingdom has come. The temple must be knocked down before it can be rebuilt. The Lord will pour out His love, grace, and mercy on His people. He will give us the strength and peace we need to stand strong against the powers of this world. We must stand together—with other true believers—indulge in His word, His promises, His strength, and work for His glory in this nation. We will endure—it is written! We will overcome—it is written! Jesus will return—it is written! The victory is already His—it is written!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Clinton, Obama Moral Integrity
In a recent story from OneNewsNow titled, "Obama, Clinton to headline forum on 'pressing moral issues'," our presidential candidates are spotlighted for their moral backbones. Interesting, I thought. The research I've done on both Obama and Clinton didn't provide much in the pro-moral category. Nevertheless, "The Compassion Forum" on CNN Sunday night (hosted by Messiah College in Grantham, PA) will give each candidate 40 minutes to discuss moral issues dividing America. McCain, unfortunately, has a conflicting schedule and is unable to attend.
Of the hot topics are: "...poverty, AIDS, global warming, abortion, genocide in Darfur, as well as human rights and torture." Global warming? AIDS? Are these actually moral issues? Poverty? Perhaps to a degree, but most of us know the Democratic stance on poverty and taxes.
Ok...abortion. That is definitely a controversial moral issue facing Americans. Katie Barge, Director of Communications at Faith in Public Life, says she hopes "we can find a lot of common ground." I'm sorry, did I miss something? Obama - pro-choice, Clinton - pro-choice. Where is common ground supposed to come into the picture? Well, they both attend church. That's something, right? They seem to be "good" Americans. Reality check! They're political celebrities living the high-life in the spotlight at the moment, and leading America down the path of no return.
One has unashamedly stated that a “literal reading of the Bible is a folly” (Obama, Book Excerpt: Barack Obama, Time.com), while the other doesn’t sway one way or the other, “For Clinton, it is a difficult tight rope to walk as she continues to talk openly on faith and religion without speaking directly about the controversial social issues” (The Morning Grind, Hilary Clinton Talks Religion, CNN.com).
We can’t offend the voters, now can we?
Of the hot topics are: "...poverty, AIDS, global warming, abortion, genocide in Darfur, as well as human rights and torture." Global warming? AIDS? Are these actually moral issues? Poverty? Perhaps to a degree, but most of us know the Democratic stance on poverty and taxes.
Ok...abortion. That is definitely a controversial moral issue facing Americans. Katie Barge, Director of Communications at Faith in Public Life, says she hopes "we can find a lot of common ground." I'm sorry, did I miss something? Obama - pro-choice, Clinton - pro-choice. Where is common ground supposed to come into the picture? Well, they both attend church. That's something, right? They seem to be "good" Americans. Reality check! They're political celebrities living the high-life in the spotlight at the moment, and leading America down the path of no return.
One has unashamedly stated that a “literal reading of the Bible is a folly” (Obama, Book Excerpt: Barack Obama, Time.com), while the other doesn’t sway one way or the other, “For Clinton, it is a difficult tight rope to walk as she continues to talk openly on faith and religion without speaking directly about the controversial social issues” (The Morning Grind, Hilary Clinton Talks Religion, CNN.com).
We can’t offend the voters, now can we?
Christianity: A Threat to America
Erica Corder, one of 15 valedictorians of Lewis-Palmer High School in Denver, Colorado was threatened, by the school principal, to not receive her diploma if she did not prepare a public apology for mentioning Jesus Christ in her commencement speech. Many Americans embrace their right to free speech and their right to freedom of religion; however, when Corder embraced the two together, she was at risk of disciplinary action. The growing intolerance for Christianity has become more than apparent in the United States. What is it about this particular religion that makes individuals and organizations feel threatened?
There are religious extremists in several major religions of the world and their acts reign terror on many nations. Radical Christians have killed and destroyed on the basis of protecting human life. Extreme Hindu organizations have completely demolished buildings of other religious groups out of intolerance. Sikh terrorists have bombed airlines and massacred hundreds for fear that the position of their religion was descending. Radical Muslims have murdered thousands in their own lands in adherence to the commands of their god.
Christianity is not the radical philosophy that is often exploited in the media. True Christianity is love, compassion, hope, patience, and understanding. Where in these attributes is the threat to Americans? When followers of a different religion are the subject of negative stereotypes, American people work diligently to reverse those notions as nothing more than just poor representations of the group as a whole. When Christians are subject to negative stereotypes, the labels are accepted by many Americans: “Christians are hypocrites.” America’s religious tolerance has become acceptance for all, except Christianity.
The majority of Americans have experienced the evangelism of a Mormon follower at one time or another (For the record, my opinion holds that Mormonism is not Christianity. Christianity has a closed canon consisting of the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible. The Mormon religion incorporates the teachings of a second book, The Book of Mormon. Mormonism has developed from the fundamentals of Christianity, as Christianity—and Islam—have from Judaism). Mormons are tolerated (even if for only seconds) when they knock on the door of homes; they are tolerated when they interrupt an individual in a public shopping center and dismissed as “that’s just what they do.” A young girl embraces the name of Jesus in a speech about moving forward with her life and she is threatened to lose the reward of years of hard work—her high school diploma.
As children, Americans are taught equality and tolerance. Equality and tolerance for different races, genders, and concepts of sexuality are implanted in a child’s brain as early as pre-school. Religious tolerance is embraced: to Buddhists who affirm no god, only Nirvana; to Hindus who worship Brahmin and Vishnu, among others; to Muslims who embrace one god and one god only, Allah. Shift to Christians in America who proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and that tolerance becomes a theoretical reality.
In many local Asian food restaurants, there are statues and paintings of “Buddha.” They are admired, perhaps sometimes chuckled at, but never viewed as an infringement on another’s personal religious freedom. These icons of the Buddhist religion are accepted in public areas—Americans are proudly tolerant of other religions! No one person wants to be branded a bigot because they are offended by the Buddha. Turn the tables to the symbol of Jesus Christ and Christians are in violation of everyone else’s first amendment rights. For example, a high school in Charleston, West Virginia is home to a classic picture of Jesus—a picture that had been an art piece at the school for more than 30 years. Two people have taken offense to this picture and caused the school to enter into litigation on the basis of “unconstitutional religious expression.” The lawsuit exclaims, “The expenditure of public funds to maintain the Jesus portrait is unconstitutional." What types of additional funds are actually required to maintain a picture that hangs on a wall?
The picture lawsuit is one of many examples of the anti-Christian religious tolerance that is sweeping the nation. A 10-year old boy in suburban Philadelphia was not allowed to wear a Jesus costume to school because it was said to promote religious activities. Yet, other students were allowed to dress as devils for the festivities. Devils too transmit religious symbolism, but for some reason, that was overlooked. Why was the Christian image of hope and love a threat to Willow Hill Elementary administration?
A former classmate once described her work environment where Muslim co-workers would congregate at certain times of the day, and bow down in prayer. This, of course, is their right—their religious freedom. Among fellow employees who did not share the same religious values, the Muslims were allowed to embrace their religious duties. In New Orleans, multiple school districts have entered into litigation because school board members joined in prayer prior to their board meetings. School board meetings are held after school hours, outside any school building, and no children are required to attend. Some parish school districts have already lost their battle to maintain opening prayers due to, that’s right, first amendment violations. Violations have been declared, yet there was no person present at the board meetings that did not engage in the same beliefs and practices of the board as a whole. The hypocrisy of America’s religious tolerance is more than evident in circumstances such as these.
Every person should question why Christianity, why Jesus Christ, why the Christian God is perceived as threatening, and why so little tolerance is offered in comparison to the hundreds of other religions abounding in this nation. Maybe then, the double standard of religious freedoms guaranteed to all by the Constitution of the United States of America can be relieved.
There are religious extremists in several major religions of the world and their acts reign terror on many nations. Radical Christians have killed and destroyed on the basis of protecting human life. Extreme Hindu organizations have completely demolished buildings of other religious groups out of intolerance. Sikh terrorists have bombed airlines and massacred hundreds for fear that the position of their religion was descending. Radical Muslims have murdered thousands in their own lands in adherence to the commands of their god.
Christianity is not the radical philosophy that is often exploited in the media. True Christianity is love, compassion, hope, patience, and understanding. Where in these attributes is the threat to Americans? When followers of a different religion are the subject of negative stereotypes, American people work diligently to reverse those notions as nothing more than just poor representations of the group as a whole. When Christians are subject to negative stereotypes, the labels are accepted by many Americans: “Christians are hypocrites.” America’s religious tolerance has become acceptance for all, except Christianity.
The majority of Americans have experienced the evangelism of a Mormon follower at one time or another (For the record, my opinion holds that Mormonism is not Christianity. Christianity has a closed canon consisting of the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible. The Mormon religion incorporates the teachings of a second book, The Book of Mormon. Mormonism has developed from the fundamentals of Christianity, as Christianity—and Islam—have from Judaism). Mormons are tolerated (even if for only seconds) when they knock on the door of homes; they are tolerated when they interrupt an individual in a public shopping center and dismissed as “that’s just what they do.” A young girl embraces the name of Jesus in a speech about moving forward with her life and she is threatened to lose the reward of years of hard work—her high school diploma.
As children, Americans are taught equality and tolerance. Equality and tolerance for different races, genders, and concepts of sexuality are implanted in a child’s brain as early as pre-school. Religious tolerance is embraced: to Buddhists who affirm no god, only Nirvana; to Hindus who worship Brahmin and Vishnu, among others; to Muslims who embrace one god and one god only, Allah. Shift to Christians in America who proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and that tolerance becomes a theoretical reality.
In many local Asian food restaurants, there are statues and paintings of “Buddha.” They are admired, perhaps sometimes chuckled at, but never viewed as an infringement on another’s personal religious freedom. These icons of the Buddhist religion are accepted in public areas—Americans are proudly tolerant of other religions! No one person wants to be branded a bigot because they are offended by the Buddha. Turn the tables to the symbol of Jesus Christ and Christians are in violation of everyone else’s first amendment rights. For example, a high school in Charleston, West Virginia is home to a classic picture of Jesus—a picture that had been an art piece at the school for more than 30 years. Two people have taken offense to this picture and caused the school to enter into litigation on the basis of “unconstitutional religious expression.” The lawsuit exclaims, “The expenditure of public funds to maintain the Jesus portrait is unconstitutional." What types of additional funds are actually required to maintain a picture that hangs on a wall?
The picture lawsuit is one of many examples of the anti-Christian religious tolerance that is sweeping the nation. A 10-year old boy in suburban Philadelphia was not allowed to wear a Jesus costume to school because it was said to promote religious activities. Yet, other students were allowed to dress as devils for the festivities. Devils too transmit religious symbolism, but for some reason, that was overlooked. Why was the Christian image of hope and love a threat to Willow Hill Elementary administration?
A former classmate once described her work environment where Muslim co-workers would congregate at certain times of the day, and bow down in prayer. This, of course, is their right—their religious freedom. Among fellow employees who did not share the same religious values, the Muslims were allowed to embrace their religious duties. In New Orleans, multiple school districts have entered into litigation because school board members joined in prayer prior to their board meetings. School board meetings are held after school hours, outside any school building, and no children are required to attend. Some parish school districts have already lost their battle to maintain opening prayers due to, that’s right, first amendment violations. Violations have been declared, yet there was no person present at the board meetings that did not engage in the same beliefs and practices of the board as a whole. The hypocrisy of America’s religious tolerance is more than evident in circumstances such as these.
Every person should question why Christianity, why Jesus Christ, why the Christian God is perceived as threatening, and why so little tolerance is offered in comparison to the hundreds of other religions abounding in this nation. Maybe then, the double standard of religious freedoms guaranteed to all by the Constitution of the United States of America can be relieved.
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