September « 2006 « Simply Mandi Kaye

Monthly Archives: September 2006

Sep 7 2006

Jesus Camp the Movie

by Mandi

I just found out about a new movie called Jesus Camp. I haven’t really formed an opinion on it yet. Part of me thinks it is a great idea. Part of me thinks it’s slightly cult-ish.

You can watch the trailer below:

The website for the movie says:

A growing number of Evangelical Christians believe there is a revival underway in America that requires Christian youth to assume leadership in advocating the causes of their religious movement.Jesus Camp follows a group of young children to Pastor Becky Fischer’s “Kids on Fire Summer Camp” where kids are taught to become dedicated Christian soldiers in God’s army and are schooled in how to take back America for Christ. The film is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America’s political future.

Because of the time I spend interacting with nonChristians, I can already picture the reactions of athiests and agnostics. One thing I want to point out…camps like these are voluntary. People aren’t pulled out of their homes, and the teaching of these kinds of camps are not forced onto anyone who doesn’t want it.

Another issue I have is that the camp is very obviously charismatic in nature. I’m not a charismatic Christian. And while I no longer believe that charismatic Christians are of the devil (yes, I was actually taught that growing up), it’s still something very different from me and that causes some bit of discomfort. That doesn’t, however, make it wrong.

One of the video clips was of a 10 year old girl named Tory who loves to dance for the Lord. That’s awesome! But they quoted her as saying that she has to be careful that her dancing isn’t from the flesh. I think that is very noble and it’s awesome that she’s aware of that. But at the same time, she’s only 10! How much of that is from actual Holy Spirit conviction and how much of it is this little girl parroting what she’s heard from parents and pastors?

I wouldn’t dream of saying that children can’t be a formidable force in God’s army. I know they can. But at the same time, I worry that camps like these are more cult-like in nature than Christian. These kids are being spoon fed their religion rather than being able to think for themselves and figure out what God is calling them to do rather than what their parents or the camp directors are calling them to. Especially since the director keeps comparing these Christian kids to Islamic kids who know how to use hand grenades and bomb belts.

I will probably watch the movie. I’m more interested in seeing the kids than anything else. I want to know how they talk and how they act. I’m not sure if it’s possible to tell if the Holy Spirit is really moving through a movie, but that’s what I want to know.

Blogs that link here: Pursuing Holiness, Conservative Cat

Tags: Jesus Camp, Christianity

Categories: Movies | 6 Comments »

Sep 7 2006

Blogger beta

by Mandi

Some of you may have had some problems leaving comments recently. I switched over to the new Blogger beta, and I can’t switch back to the regular blogger. As a result, you can only log in and leave a comment if you have Blogger beta account. You can, however, get around that by clicking on “other” or “Anonymous” to leave your comment.

Sorry for any inconvenience…next time I decide to go with something still in the beta stage…somebody smack me and remind me not to!

Categories: Blogging | No Comments »

Sep 6 2006

Christian Carnival 138

by Mandi

This week’s Christian Carnival is up at From the Anchor Hold.

Highlights:

Witnessing – Proselytizing – Defending the Faith Ever feel like somebody just dumped a trash can full of litter on your mission field?

Setting boundaries What are the house rules of Christianity? Are there any? Can they be enforced? Too often, we try to define Christianity — to produce the definitive statement of faith / creed / doctrinal basis that well contain the essentials of the faith, and to which all “true” Christians must assent.

Ouestioning God? Sure!

A Believer Looks at the Human Genome – Part I A Christian perspective on evolution and genetics

Tags: Christian Carnival

Categories: Christian Carnival | No Comments »

Sep 6 2006

NC has some great towns

by Mandi

Apparantly Katie Couric has a blog. Or at least, her team does. And there was an article posted about Jacksonville, NC that makes me miss home!

People there still have plenty of faith, but after nearly five years of war, let’s say that faith has been redistributed distributed slightly.

Go read it. NC is a great place to live! One day, I’ll be able to go home.

Categories: Randomness | 1 Comment »

Sep 6 2006

eBible

by Mandi

There’s a new Bible program out there–eBible. It’s pretty handy, but I still like eSword better. Unfortunately, I can’t install eSword on my computer at work, so eBible is a good alternative. It is still in the beta stage, so you can only register by invitation. I have three, so if you want one leave a comment and let me know!

For a great comparison of eBible and eSword, go here.

Categories: Bible | 2 Comments »

Sep 6 2006

Polygamist leader forces child brides

by Mandi

This story absolutely horrifies me.

Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs warned a teenage girl forced into a
“spiritual marriage” to submit to sex with her husband or face “losing your
salvation,” Utah authorities said in an affidavit.

The five-page document was filed in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday in
support of two charges that Jeffs’ practice of arranging marriages between young
girls and older men makes him an accomplice to rape.

Jeffs, who is believed by his followers to be a prophet, appeared in a
Las Vegas courtroom and agreed to return to Utah to face the charges. Conviction
carries a penalty of five years to life in prison.

Authorities in Arizona also have two counts of sexual conduct with a minor,
along with an additional charge of conspiracy pending against the charismatic
50-year-old leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints.

The Utah case will be prosecuted first because it carries the harshest
sentence. His maximum penalty in Arizona upon conviction would be six years in
prison.

The girl, who was between 14 and 18, is identified in the document as
Jane Doe. She was assigned a husband after a church leader had a “revelation,”
but told Jeffs she felt she was too young to marry, the affidavit states. Jeffs
responded that it was her spiritual duty.

The marriage ceremony was performed in Las Vegas. Jeffs was captured
outside the city on Monday night in a traffic stop, ending two years on the
run.

A month after the marriage ceremony, the affidavit states, her husband
reminded the girl that Jeffs had instructed them to have children to “replenish
the earth,” and “now was the time.” She had sex against her will, according to
the document.

According to the affidavit, she later told Jeffs she “hated having
husband-wife relations” and was uncomfortable with her husband touching her, the
affidavit states.

Jeffs told her she had to stay in the marriage, according to the
affidavit. The document said he advised her that her husband was her “priesthood
head and leader.”

According to the affidavit, Jeffs gave these instructions: “Go back and
repent. You go give yourself mind, body and soul to your husband like you’re
supposed to. He will take you into the heavenly kingdom. Go back and do what he
tells you to do.”

Jeffs told the reluctant bride that having a baby would “change
everything.”

No matter what happens you cannot fight with the priesthood because if you
do you’ll lose your salvation,” he said, according to the affidavit.

I don’t know where to begin with this! I can tell you that this man is not of God! God doesn’t sanction actions like that. I was having a conversation with someone last night and the point that I just could not seem to get across was that just because people do things in the name of God doesn’t mean it is really of God (think about the jihadists). And by measuring all people who carry the name of Christ on the actions of a few is doing a grave disservice to Christians and to Jesus Christ.

The Bible is clear that there are false prophets who will try to deceive you.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” Matthew 7:15

“But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:12-15

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 2:1

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1

That is why we are given the Word of God, in order to test everything and see if it is truly of God.

Technorati Tags: Christianity, God

Categories: Media and Culture | 3 Comments »

Sep 4 2006

Steve Irwin, "Crocodile Hunter," died

by Mandi

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Steve Irwin, the quirky Australian naturalist
who won worldwide acclaim as TV’s khaki-clad “Crocodile Hunter,” was killed by a
stingray barb through the heart while filming a new documentary on
Monday.

Irwin, 44, tangled with some of the world’s most dangerous animals but
he died in an extremely rare attack by a normally placid sea creature while he
was diving on a reef off Port Douglas in northern Queensland.

He came over the top of a stingray and the stingray’s barb went up
and went into his chest and put a hole into his heart,” Irwin’s shocked manager
John Stainton told reporters in Cairns, south of Port Douglas.

A helicopter rushed paramedics to nearby Low Isles where Irwin was
taken for treatment, but he was dead before they arrived, emergency officials
said.

“It became clear fairly soon that he had non-survivable injuries,”
Dr. Ed O’Loughlin, who treated Irwin, told Nine Network
television.

“He had a penetrating injury to the left front of his chest. He had
lost his pulse and wasn’t breathing,” he said.

Irwin’s death was likely only the third recorded fatal stingray attack
in Australia, experts said. They said stingray venom was agonizingly painful but
not lethal, although the barb was capable of causing horrific injuries like a
knife or bayonet.

“It’s not the going in, it’s the coming out,” Australian Venom Research
Unit deputy director Dr Bryan Fry told Reuters.

“They have these deep serrations which tear and render the flesh as it
comes out,” he said.

“CRIKEY”

Known around the world for his catchphrase “Crikey” during close
encounters with wild animals, Irwin made almost 50 documentaries which appeared
on the cable TV channel Animal Planet. He became a virtual global industry
generating books, interactive games and even toy action figures.

Irwin was described as “a modern-day Noah” and his death shocked world
leaders, fellow naturalists and humble Australians who said he was “a bloody
good bloke.”

“I really do feel Australia has lost a wonderful and colorful son. He
brought immense joy to millions of people, particularly to children, and it’s
just such a terrible loss,” emotional Australian Prime Minister John Howard told
reporters.

British naturalist and broadcaster David Bellamy described Irwin as a
great performer and an excellent natural historian.

“He did take enormous risks, but he knew what he was doing. It was one
of the terrible, terrible, terrible accidents and I wish to God it didn’t
happen,” Bellamy told the BBC.

GREW UP WITH REPTILES

Born on February 22, 1962, in the southern Australian city of
Melbourne, Irwin moved to tropical Queensland where his parents ran a small
reptile and fauna park.

He grew up near crocodiles, trapping and removing them from populated
areas and releasing them in his parent’s park. He took over the park in 1991 and
renamed it the “Australia Zoo.”

Irwin became famous for his seemingly death-defying skill with wild
animals, including crocodiles and snakes.

He met his U.S.-born wife Terri at the zoo and the footage of their
honeymoon — which they spent trapping crocodiles — formed the basis of his
first “Crocodile Hunter” documentary.

Later shows had a worldwide audience of 200 million, or 10 times the
population of Australia. They had two children, Bindi Sue and Robert
Clarence.

Irwin triggered outrage in 2004 by holding his then one-month-old son
while feeding a snapping crocodile at his zoo.

He was also criticized for allegedly disturbing whales, seals and
penguins while filming in Antarctica.

Irwin boasted that he had never been bitten by a venomous snake or
seriously bitten by a crocodile, although admitted his worst injuries had been
inflicted by parrots.

“I don’t know what it is with parrots but they always bite me,” Irwin
once said. “A cockatoo once tried to rip the end of my nose off. I don’t know
what they’ve got against me.”