Troops respond to US criticism:
Monthly Archives: January 2007
Tom Cruise is the "Christ" of Scientology?
High-ranking Scientologist David Miscavige is convinced in years to come Cruise, 44, will be worshipped like Jesus all over the world as he becomes a prophet for the religion.
The worst part?
A source close to the actor is quoted by Britain’s The Sun newspaper as saying:
“Tom has been told he is Scientology’s Christ-like figure. Just like Christ, he
has been criticised for his views. But future generations will realise he was
right, just like Jesus.”
I think part of that bears repeating:
But future generations will realise he was right, just like
Jesus.
Explain to me how, if Jesus was right, anything relating to Scientology can be right?
Posted in Christianity, Religion
This is insane
A New York City judge has ruled that two spouses in the middle of divorce proceedings may both remain in the same house, so long as they erect a wall to divide the home and keep the feuding spouses apart.
This is crazy!
Posted in Randomness
The Persecuted Church – This Week
From the Voice of the Martyrs:
1. Sixty-Eight Eritrean Christians Police and military authorities jailed sixty-eight Christians during the first week of January, according to a January 23 report from Compass Direct. The wave of arrests occurred in three official round-up operations against both Protestant evangelicals and Orthodox renewal movement church members.
On January 4, military commanders at the national Sawa Military Centre performed what they called “a random check-up on the activities of Christian extremists” on student conscripts. They searched the conscripts’ personal effects, finding 250 Bibles which they burned in front of the entire military camp. The commanders then arrested thirty-five of the teenage students and ordered that they be subjected to severe military punishment, including physical torture.
On January 5, police took eight staff members of government ministries, five men and three women, into custody. The Christians — who are all members of Medhane Alem, an Eritrean Orthodox Church renewal movement — are reportedly being interrogated and pressured by police to identify all leaders and supporters of their movement. Police have informed their families that the arrest order came from higher authorities.
In another January 5 incident, twenty-five Christians in the southern port city of Assab were arrested by police. All of the prisoners, including seven women, were incarcerated at the Wi’a Military Camp, where they were pressured to recant their faith.
Pray for the release of all Eritrean Christians who are imprisoned because of their loyalty to Christ. Ask God to open doors of opportunity for them in prison so that they can share the gospel for which they suffer (Colossians 4:2-3). Pray that those who are being tortured for their faith will be strengthened and delivered by the Lord (2 Corinthians 1:9-11).
For more information on persecution in Eritrea, go to www.persecution.net/country/eritrea.htm .
2. Pastors and Believers Beaten, Arrested During Prayer Meeting in Karnataka, India
Two pastors and two female Christians were beaten and arrested during a prayer meeting in the village of Gokul, Karnataka on January 19, according to a January 19 report from the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC).
Pastor Raj Shekhar and Pastor Raja Naik were attending the meeting when members of a Hindu militant organization gathered around the house. The militants accused the believers of forcible conversion, beat the four Christians and called the police. After the police forced the worship service to an end, they took the four Christians to the police station. Pastor Naik was later released but Pastor Shekhar and the two women are still being detained.
Pray for the release of the three who are detained. Ask God to heal those who have been injured. Pray that those who falsely accuse Christians in India of forcible conversion will see that the message they bring is one of a free gift, not coercion, and respond to God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).
For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India, go to www.persecution.net/country/india.htm . Also visit www.persecution.tv for recent video reports from India.
3. Worship Service Disrupted in Madhya Pradesh, India
A worship service in Kanpur, Madhya Pradesh was disrupted within the past week when members of the Hindu organizations Bajrang Dal and VHP stormed the meeting. According to a report from the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), the militants appeared to be targeting foreign missionaries from Japan who were present at the meeting. The pulpit and sound system were destroyed and those attending the meeting were pushed and abused for approximately two hours before police arrived.
A police report has been filed against the Hindu attackers and the GCIC reports that the local media has condemned the attack.Pray that these believers will remain steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-10). Thank the Lord that no one was seriously injured in this attack. Ask that the Lord will enable Christians in India to continue to lovingly and boldly proclaim the gospel (Ephesians 6:18-20).
4. Pastor and Wife Beaten in India for Preaching to Slum Dwellers
Pastor Paul David (29) and his wife Prasanna Kumari (25) were beaten and forced from their home in Bangalore, Karnataka on January 15, according to a report from the Global Council of Indian Christians. For the past two years, Pastor David has been conducting church services in his home that are mostly attended by people from the nearby slum.
On January 11, a mob gathered outside the couple’s home, beating Pastor Paul and forcing him and Prassana to flee from their home. Fearing violence, local Christians did not offer them any assistance and they had to spend the night on a terrace. After finding safe storage for their belongings, the couple returned to Bangalore the next day and found a small room in the slums.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. on January 15, a mob surrounded Pastor Paul and Prassana’s room. Both of them were robbed and severely beaten. When Pastor Paul demanded that they be taken to the police station, the mob continued to abuse them for over an hour before taking them to the Mico police station. They were falsely accused and questioned for two hours before being released. The couple then hid in a half constructed building in a school compound until the next morning, when they found shelter in a friend’s home.
Ask God to give Pastor Paul and his wife healing. Pray that, as sufferings overflow, their comfort in Christ will be more than enough for them (2 Corinthians 1:5). Ask that all Christians in India will keep their eyes on Jesus, persevere in their faith, and not grow weary or lose heart. (Hebrews 10:32-39; 12:1-3).
5. Christian Aid Workers Accused of Forcible Conversion in Himachal Pradesh, India
There were two separate attacks on Christian Aid workers reported over the past week.
On January 18, four Christians working at “The Last Resort,” a drug rehabilitation centre in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, were arrested on false accusations of forcing patients to read the Bible and convert to Christianity, according to a January 19 report from the Evangelical Fellowship of India. The complaints were filed by two patients who had escaped from the facility on January 16. One of the escaped patients, Vinod Saini, later told the Christian Legal Association that he was pressured to file the report and wanted to withdraw his statement to the police. The four Christians, Pastor Rajesh Toppo, Mr. Nizam Minthang, Mr. Gopal Singh Bhatia and Mr. Lalboi were released on bail on January 19.
A few days later, on January 20 or 21, as many as 250 Hindu militants from the Bajrang Dal, Siva Sena and VHP gathered at the home of Pastor Behal in Kangra, Himachal, who works with drug addicts and orphans in the community. According to reports from the All India Christian Council (AICC), the militants protested Behal’s missionary activities, demanding that he close down his home for orphans and his church and leave Kangra. The militants accused him of forced child labour and forcibly converting people to Christianity. The AICC has contacted officials, who assured them that all measures would be taken to protect Pastor Behal and his institutions.
Thank the Lord that those arrested were released on bail. Pray that they will remain faithful to the task He has given them, knowing that they will receive the crown of life (1 Peter 5:1-4). Pray for Christians as they continue to minister to the needy of Himachal Pradesh. Pray that those who persecute will come to repentance and salvation.
Posted in Christianity
Losing an Icon
I got my BA from Meredith College. It’s a great school–a small, private, Southern, women’s college. It’s very steeped in tradition, and that’s part of its unique charm. Right now, some folks are looking to change the face of Meredith College. For as long as anyone can remember, the Meredith mascot has been the Angel. Now they want to change the athletic mascot to something else…Meredith Meerkats anyone? There’s been a lot of protest over the potential change, and Louise Taylor, former professor of English and Department Head, has written the following fabulous poem:
To the mascot shoppers
So you don’t like the
Angel.
You’re ready to dump it.
You want something scarier
than Gabe and his trumpet.
There’s a range of names out there.
I’ve googled the lot.
And is Angel the wimpiest?
Definitely not.
There’re Banana Slugs from Santa Cruz.
From Washburn, hail
the Lady Blues.
Whittier fields Poets.
And trust me, folks,
Scottsdale suits up
Fighting Artichokes.
The Violets play
for NYU.
The Yaks of Yakima
are no scarier than you.
Would you rather be a Hokie,
a Hooter, a Zip?
Of the iceberg of mascots,
you’ve seen but the tip.
Crusaders and Pilgrims,
and that’s not all. A
team of Missionaries
play in Wall Walla.
If being an Angel seems a bit of bad luck.
Be glad you’re not a
Richland Thunderduck.
There’re Wildcats and Cougars
and Tigers galore.
But it’s only at Meredith
that Angels suit up and score.
If you look, you can find
a mascot’s that’s scarier.
But the Angel’s unique,
and it seems sad to bury her.
Posted in Randomness
Stem Cells
As a Christian, I’m supposed to be against stem cell research. At least, that’s what they tell me. But then I started thinking for myself. While I do disagree with destroying embryos that may have a chance at life, I can completely understand (and support) the use of embryos that are never going to be used and will be discarded anyway.
However, it’s been reported that stem cells have been found in amniotic fluid and would completely sidestep the controversy of using embryos.
Researchers at Wake Forest University and Harvard University reported Sunday that the stem cells they drew from amniotic fluid donated by pregnant women hold much the same promise as embryonic stem cells.
They reported they were able to extract the stem cells from the fluid, which cushions babies in the womb, without harm to mother or fetus and turn their discovery into several different tissue cell types, including brain, liver and bone.
And while this is good news to those who oppose embryonic stem cell research, it’s still too early to replace the controversial method.
Nonetheless, Daley said, the discovery shouldn’t be used as a replacement for human embryonic stem cell research.
“While they are fascinating subjects of study in their own right, they are not a substitute for human embryonic stem cells, which allow scientists to address a host of other interesting questions in early human development,” said Daley, who began work last year to clone human embryos to produce stem cells.
Either way, it’s a great step in the right direction. The scientists have seen the controversy and tried to find an alternative method. Human embryonic stem cell research is important; but if there are other methods that can garner the same results without destroying a potential human life, then we should go in that direction.
Posted in Media and Culture
Changing the Face of Baptists
So I’m a little behind the times on this one, because things have been so crazy. Plus I’ve been struggling with a little bit of writer’s block and wondering if spiritually I’m still in a place where I can write posts fit for a blog titled Imago Dei.
“North America desperately needs a true Baptist witness,” Bill Underwood, president of Mercer University in Atlanta, told Baptist leaders at an April summit last year.
Underwood said the current image of Baptists is largely painted by conservative leaders who frequently appear on television news shows or other media. Such leaders represent some of the most conservative political views and fundamentalist theology among Baptist denominations.
Am I the only one who thinks that the only way you can improve the image of Baptists is if Baptists step up and act the way they want to be portrayed? Forming an initiative, convocation, coalition, or whatever you want to call it isn’t going to do anything to change anything. Talking isn’t going to change anything. If they want to produce change, then they need to change.
And it isn’t going to be a huge group doing the changing. It’s going to start with the individual person. Each person needs to decide that they want to live like Christ, not like the SBC. Then, and only then, will this country begin to see some of the fundamentalist conservatism start to lift.
Posted in Religion
MKH on 7th Heaven
I don’t think I’ve mentioned my love for Mary Katherine Ham lately. Now, don’t get me wrong–there are several things I disagree with her on, but she’s a strong conservative woman who isn’t afraid to speak out. Rock on!
This post on 7th Heaven and its recent politics is a good one. I used to love 7th Heaven. But since it switched to Sunday nights I can’t watch it anymore because that’s when my small group meets.
Go read it!
Posted in Politics
