august 2023 |
Our purpose on the planet is not to promote the greatness of our nation, it's to spread the Gospel to all nations. -David Platt
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| August 31, 2023 |
“Y’all know this; this state has problems. Serious problems that require serious solutions. Hospitals are shutting down all across Mississippi, and Tate Reeves acts as if this crisis doesn’t even exist. I promise that as soon as I take the oath of office, I will expand Medicaid within the first five minutes. A governor should work with both parties to find consensus and reach across the aisle....Politics in Mississippi need to return to the middle; that’s where the solutions are....I may be a Democrat, but I don’t like paying $3 for gas either....In Mississippi, if you buy feed for a hog, you pay zero sales tax. But if you buy formula for a baby, you pay the highest sales tax in the United States. I don’t want to hear Tate Reeves talk about being more pro-life when you tax life at the highest rate in America.” -Brandon Presley; Oxford; Oxford-Lafayette Public Library Townhall 8.30.23
| August 30, 2023 |
Stephen Lee
“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.”
--Rev Stephen Lee; an emeritus Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod pastor from his church pulpit; 8.27.23 Lee was indicted with 18 other people in Fulton County, Georgia, for trying to interfere with the 2020 election.
--Rev Stephen Lee; an emeritus Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod pastor from his church pulpit; 8.27.23 Lee was indicted with 18 other people in Fulton County, Georgia, for trying to interfere with the 2020 election.
| August 25, 2023 |
Aug 25, 2023: Red Letter Christians: On global warming, yes, there is hope
he good news is there are ways to reduce and eliminate the growth in global warming; the bad news is I am not sure we will implement them fast enough............Environmental and local-control laws favored by liberals in recent decades are now making it difficult to deal with global warming. But we cannot afford to delay our response. We have ways to deal with global warming and they are improving every day. The question is, still, do we have the will to save God’s creation?
he good news is there are ways to reduce and eliminate the growth in global warming; the bad news is I am not sure we will implement them fast enough............Environmental and local-control laws favored by liberals in recent decades are now making it difficult to deal with global warming. But we cannot afford to delay our response. We have ways to deal with global warming and they are improving every day. The question is, still, do we have the will to save God’s creation?
| August 24, 2023 |
Aug 24, 2023:
While reading a blog on a church web site tonight I came across an article about the fear of the Lord written by Pastor Will Dyer, who wrote this
about the Fear of the Lord: "In the Hebrew consciousness, the word fear doesn’t mean to be afraid. Instead, to “fear the Lord” means to have a great wonder and awe. The book of Proverbs is not asking us to think of God as a cosmic tyrant. That couldn’t be any further from the truth! To fear the Lord means to have a love and reverence for the Creator of all things. A proper understanding of Proverbs 1:7 is a baseline for how to see God and each other! So, as we begin our journey through the Proverbs together, let’s begin by knowing and trusting in these short words of wisdom. " I cannot agree with that. Fear of of the Lord means exactly what it says: Fear. We have reason we should fear. Yes He is "wonder and awe" but that kind of simple fear will not produce holiness. We need to understand that God is all powerful and we need to fear what He can do if we disobey. I lived most of my life as a "Christian" with just that "awe" but my life never really changed until I understood the fear is real and necessary. I believe it was part of the lesson that Job learned. Real fear of the Lord can scare the hell of of you. Consider it.
While reading a blog on a church web site tonight I came across an article about the fear of the Lord written by Pastor Will Dyer, who wrote this
about the Fear of the Lord: "In the Hebrew consciousness, the word fear doesn’t mean to be afraid. Instead, to “fear the Lord” means to have a great wonder and awe. The book of Proverbs is not asking us to think of God as a cosmic tyrant. That couldn’t be any further from the truth! To fear the Lord means to have a love and reverence for the Creator of all things. A proper understanding of Proverbs 1:7 is a baseline for how to see God and each other! So, as we begin our journey through the Proverbs together, let’s begin by knowing and trusting in these short words of wisdom. " I cannot agree with that. Fear of of the Lord means exactly what it says: Fear. We have reason we should fear. Yes He is "wonder and awe" but that kind of simple fear will not produce holiness. We need to understand that God is all powerful and we need to fear what He can do if we disobey. I lived most of my life as a "Christian" with just that "awe" but my life never really changed until I understood the fear is real and necessary. I believe it was part of the lesson that Job learned. Real fear of the Lord can scare the hell of of you. Consider it.
Fear of of the Lord means exactly what it says: Fear. We have reason we should fear. Yes He is "wonder and awe" but that kind of simple fear will not produce holiness. We need to understand that God is all powerful and we need to fear what He can do if we disobey. I lived most of my life as a "Christian" with just that "awe" but my life never really changed until I understood the fear is real and necessary.
Aug 24, 2023: Biblical Recorder: What’s working at Georgia church to bring salvations, changed lives
Wax Baptist Church was down to single digits in attendance in the summer of 2022. Not even high single digits, either.
Despite the low attendance when he agreed to become pastor last October, Pastor Gary Diggs was confident in the church’s potential.
“I told them to look around the sanctuary. Before long, they wouldn’t be able to see the purple on the chairs. It’s going to be so crowded, people are going to have to find new places to sit,” he said.
Wax Baptist Church was down to single digits in attendance in the summer of 2022. Not even high single digits, either.
Despite the low attendance when he agreed to become pastor last October, Pastor Gary Diggs was confident in the church’s potential.
“I told them to look around the sanctuary. Before long, they wouldn’t be able to see the purple on the chairs. It’s going to be so crowded, people are going to have to find new places to sit,” he said.
| August 23, 2023 |
Allison Nastoff
I am glad disability rights activists fought for legislation that is far from perfect but does provide some recourse so that people with disabilities can have a fighting chance at realizing our nation’s ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, removing many barriers that used to prevent people with disabilities from accessing public transportation, going to a restaurant or movie theater, even getting an education or finding employment. But it should have been the other way around. If the American church were really serious about living according to Christ’s teaching, they should not even need the Americans with Disabilities Act to compel them to welcome those with disabilities. The recognition that we are image bearers of God should be written on their hearts, and they should have been ahead of their time, prioritizing access for people with disabilities and resources to educate children with disabilities above all else when making financial decisions, with the secular world lagging behind.
When it comes to culture war issues, Christian Nationalism welcomes the power of the state to impose their beliefs on society. But when religious leaders resisted the involvement of the state at the time the Americans with Disabilities Act was being drafted, Christian Nationalism was also at work, as some religious leaders disregarded Christ’s teachings, implying that people with disabilities weren’t worth the financial costs, ultimately corrupting the gospel with eugenicist, capitalistic views. --Allison Nastoff; Red Letter Christians; The Intersection of Ableism and Christian Nationalism 8.23.23
When it comes to culture war issues, Christian Nationalism welcomes the power of the state to impose their beliefs on society. But when religious leaders resisted the involvement of the state at the time the Americans with Disabilities Act was being drafted, Christian Nationalism was also at work, as some religious leaders disregarded Christ’s teachings, implying that people with disabilities weren’t worth the financial costs, ultimately corrupting the gospel with eugenicist, capitalistic views. --Allison Nastoff; Red Letter Christians; The Intersection of Ableism and Christian Nationalism 8.23.23
| August 20, 2023 |
Stan Grant
Lament is described in Paul’s Letter to the Romans as “sighs too deep for words” (8:26). I know that sigh. I know what it is to breathe in despair. I know lament.
“Lament” is not a word we use too often today. It is a word that has fallen from favour. We speak of reconciliation, of rights, of justice. Sometimes we speak of healing, or even of truth. But these words fall short for me. They are simply too convenient. They are words designed to convince; words to measure ourselves by.
These are words of politics. And I am not a person of politics. I seek the impossibility of existence — the reach for eternity — in a world where politics reduces us only to what is possible. For I am a person of faith. I am a person of belonging. I am a person of country. I am person of kinship. I seek the things that endure — the things of our soul. And I am a person of sorrow.
Lament is a place of deep sorrow. It is a place of cries. But there is, as the writer and musician Michael Card has put it, something sacred about sorrow. It is the way we reach towards God.
But we have lost the words of lament, haven’t we? We have replaced those words with political words. So here I want to speak the unfashionable language of lament, and try to reclaim these and other words that have passed out of circulation, or have lost their true meaning — words like love, like divine. I want to use those words to speak back to the age. Lament is described in Paul’s Letter to the Romans as “sighs too deep for words” (8:26). I know that sigh. I know what it is to breathe in despair. I know lament.
“Lament” is not a word we use too often today. It is a word that has fallen from favour. We speak of reconciliation, of rights, of justice. Sometimes we speak of healing, or even of truth. But these words fall short for me. They are simply too convenient. They are words designed to convince; words to measure ourselves by.
These are words of politics. And I am not a person of politics. I seek the impossibility of existence — the reach for eternity — in a world where politics reduces us only to what is possible. For I am a person of faith. I am a person of belonging. I am a person of country. I am person of kinship. I seek the things that endure — the things of our soul. And I am a person of sorrow.
Lament is a place of deep sorrow. It is a place of cries. But there is, as the writer and musician Michael Card has put it, something sacred about sorrow. It is the way we reach towards God.
But we have lost the words of lament, haven’t we? We have replaced those words with political words. So here I want to speak the unfashionable language of lament, and try to reclaim these and other words that have passed out of circulation, or have lost their true meaning — words like love, like divine. I want to use those words to speak back to the age. The theologian Mark Vroegop has written that “lament invites us to grieve and trust, to struggle and believe”. We First Nations people know that struggle, that grief, that challenge of trust when our trust is betrayed. But it is not our struggle alone. It is the struggle we share. We grieve — all of us — because we want to trust. We need to believe. But we are all betrayed by an age of division, of ruthless contests for power, of rapacious exploitation of people and the planet, of cynical opportunists pretending to be leaders.
We are betrayed by an age of media that thinks debate is finding the point of difference and widening it — stoking the fires of a toxic social media with its self-righteous and performative anger, its craven need for validation, for “likes”, its online pile-ons and cancellations. We live in an age of prosecution without process: no truth but our own truths. No wonder this has been called an “age of anger”.
Lament, too, can be an expression of anger, but not the self-righteous anger of our time. No, an eternal, humble, righteous anger. We have the right — even the responsibility — to be angry, but not the right to hate. For me, lament is ultimately a holy state of grace.
--Stan Grant; ABC Religion & Ethics; “This is the way healing begins”: Recovering the language of lament in a disenchanted age 8.20.23
“Lament” is not a word we use too often today. It is a word that has fallen from favour. We speak of reconciliation, of rights, of justice. Sometimes we speak of healing, or even of truth. But these words fall short for me. They are simply too convenient. They are words designed to convince; words to measure ourselves by.
These are words of politics. And I am not a person of politics. I seek the impossibility of existence — the reach for eternity — in a world where politics reduces us only to what is possible. For I am a person of faith. I am a person of belonging. I am a person of country. I am person of kinship. I seek the things that endure — the things of our soul. And I am a person of sorrow.
Lament is a place of deep sorrow. It is a place of cries. But there is, as the writer and musician Michael Card has put it, something sacred about sorrow. It is the way we reach towards God.
But we have lost the words of lament, haven’t we? We have replaced those words with political words. So here I want to speak the unfashionable language of lament, and try to reclaim these and other words that have passed out of circulation, or have lost their true meaning — words like love, like divine. I want to use those words to speak back to the age. Lament is described in Paul’s Letter to the Romans as “sighs too deep for words” (8:26). I know that sigh. I know what it is to breathe in despair. I know lament.
“Lament” is not a word we use too often today. It is a word that has fallen from favour. We speak of reconciliation, of rights, of justice. Sometimes we speak of healing, or even of truth. But these words fall short for me. They are simply too convenient. They are words designed to convince; words to measure ourselves by.
These are words of politics. And I am not a person of politics. I seek the impossibility of existence — the reach for eternity — in a world where politics reduces us only to what is possible. For I am a person of faith. I am a person of belonging. I am a person of country. I am person of kinship. I seek the things that endure — the things of our soul. And I am a person of sorrow.
Lament is a place of deep sorrow. It is a place of cries. But there is, as the writer and musician Michael Card has put it, something sacred about sorrow. It is the way we reach towards God.
But we have lost the words of lament, haven’t we? We have replaced those words with political words. So here I want to speak the unfashionable language of lament, and try to reclaim these and other words that have passed out of circulation, or have lost their true meaning — words like love, like divine. I want to use those words to speak back to the age. The theologian Mark Vroegop has written that “lament invites us to grieve and trust, to struggle and believe”. We First Nations people know that struggle, that grief, that challenge of trust when our trust is betrayed. But it is not our struggle alone. It is the struggle we share. We grieve — all of us — because we want to trust. We need to believe. But we are all betrayed by an age of division, of ruthless contests for power, of rapacious exploitation of people and the planet, of cynical opportunists pretending to be leaders.
We are betrayed by an age of media that thinks debate is finding the point of difference and widening it — stoking the fires of a toxic social media with its self-righteous and performative anger, its craven need for validation, for “likes”, its online pile-ons and cancellations. We live in an age of prosecution without process: no truth but our own truths. No wonder this has been called an “age of anger”.
Lament, too, can be an expression of anger, but not the self-righteous anger of our time. No, an eternal, humble, righteous anger. We have the right — even the responsibility — to be angry, but not the right to hate. For me, lament is ultimately a holy state of grace.
--Stan Grant; ABC Religion & Ethics; “This is the way healing begins”: Recovering the language of lament in a disenchanted age 8.20.23
| August 18, 2023 |
Aug 18, 2023: The Alabama Baptist: Deal with the Problems of the Self by the Cross through the Exercise of our Spirit
When Alabama’s Neal Hughes was elected chair of the second presidential search team for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee on June 1, he consistently stated a commitment to “due diligence” in the process.
That commitment allowed a potentially scandalous situation related to Willie McLaurin to be handled prior to a nomination, vote and likely election as the next SBC EC president.
McLaurin, considered the recent frontrunner in the presidential search, resigned from his role as interim president and CEO on Aug. 17, effective immediately.
Effective Aug. 18, Jonathan Howe, EC vice president for communications, stepped into the role temporarily.
McLaurin’s resignation came in response to the search committee’s discovery of falsified academic credentials on his current resumé.
When Alabama’s Neal Hughes was elected chair of the second presidential search team for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee on June 1, he consistently stated a commitment to “due diligence” in the process.
That commitment allowed a potentially scandalous situation related to Willie McLaurin to be handled prior to a nomination, vote and likely election as the next SBC EC president.
McLaurin, considered the recent frontrunner in the presidential search, resigned from his role as interim president and CEO on Aug. 17, effective immediately.
Effective Aug. 18, Jonathan Howe, EC vice president for communications, stepped into the role temporarily.
McLaurin’s resignation came in response to the search committee’s discovery of falsified academic credentials on his current resumé.
Kristin Du Mez
"If you look at how many conservative evangelicals responded to abusive leaders, abusive pastors in their own churches and in their own organizations…. time and time again, you see evangelical communities ending up defending perpetrators of abuse — of sexual abuse, of abuse of power — and doing so in the name of protecting the witness of the church, (and) blaming women for leading men on or for seducing men. All sorts of excuses, really…. And that's exactly the rhetoric that we have heard and continue to hear around somebody like Donald Trump....I started noticing, more than 20 years ago, a growing embrace of a very kind of militant, rugged, even militaristic conception of what it meant to be a Christian man — a kind of warrior. And I traced that up to the present and heard so many echoes of that in evangelical support for Trump; he was their ultimate fighting champion, who would do what needed to be done to advance their aims…. You can see in the recent history of evangelicalism kind of an ebb and flow of perceptions of masculinity and what's wrong with masculinity." -Kristin Du Mez; The Bulwark's "Beg to Differ" 8-18.23
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Aug 18, 2023: The Messenger: Tennessee Pastor Wields Bible-Taped Bat to Demolish Barbie Dream House
During an evening service at Global Vision Bible Church on June 15, Pastor Greg Locke displayed a Barbie Dream House on stage. He then brought out a baseball bat with what appeared to be a Bible taped to it. "The demon comes out when you expel it," he declared. "The stronghold comes down when you demolish it with the Bible." Locke then shattered the Barbie Dream House using his Bible-adorned bat. |
| August 16, 2023 |
Aug 17, 2023:
Focus on the Family promotes panic about many cultural trends. Why no panic about evangelical church trends?One of Glenn T Stanton’s goals in writing the The Myth of the Dying Church was encouraging parents who hear too much bad news about their inability to pass on their faith to their children, he said in a 2019 interview. (He did not respond to requests for comments for this article.)
Examples of his encouraging tone can be found elsewhere in his book, as when he writes, “Raising our children to hold onto a living faith is nearly guaranteed. It’s relatively simple, and any parent can do it.” Focus also prides itself on owning the libs and countering mainstream media reports, including reports on evangelical church decline. Focus’s conservative news outlet, The Daily Citizen, “provides a faith-based perspective to counter the mainstream media’s anti-Christian bias.” -Baptist News Global; Focus on the Family falsely says only liberal churches are declining 8.16.23
Focus on the Family promotes panic about many cultural trends. Why no panic about evangelical church trends?One of Glenn T Stanton’s goals in writing the The Myth of the Dying Church was encouraging parents who hear too much bad news about their inability to pass on their faith to their children, he said in a 2019 interview. (He did not respond to requests for comments for this article.)
Examples of his encouraging tone can be found elsewhere in his book, as when he writes, “Raising our children to hold onto a living faith is nearly guaranteed. It’s relatively simple, and any parent can do it.” Focus also prides itself on owning the libs and countering mainstream media reports, including reports on evangelical church decline. Focus’s conservative news outlet, The Daily Citizen, “provides a faith-based perspective to counter the mainstream media’s anti-Christian bias.” -Baptist News Global; Focus on the Family falsely says only liberal churches are declining 8.16.23
| Aug 16, 2023 #breakingnews #politicalnews #christiannews Despite former President Donald Trump's growing legal issues, he still holds a formidable lead in the GOP primaries. While current polls indicate it might not be possible for any candidate to beat him, one evangelical leader tells CBN News that's not what he's hearing from evangelical voters in Iowa, the nation's first Republican caucus state. "I think Iowa is going to be wide open, I do think it's very open to defeat Donald Trump," Bob Vander Plaats from The Family Leader in Iowa told CBN News. Conservative evangelicals played a key role in sending Trump to the White House in 2016. While he delivered on many policy promises, voters in Iowa tell CBN News his demeanor this time around remains a challenge for the values-based voting block. That leaves 2024 GOP candidates hopeful there's an opportunity to chip away at the front-runner's evangelical support |
"I think Iowa is going to be wide open, I do think it's very open to defeat Donald Trump," Bob Vander Plaats from The Family Leader in Iowa told CBN News.
Aug 16, 2023: Christian Post: Melissa Joan Hart details ‘born-again,' Holy Spirit’ encounter, lives out faith with global missions
Actress Melissa Joan Hart says prayer has deepened her faith walk with Jesus exponentially and described a Holy Spirit encounter as her “born again” moment.
In recent years, Hart has linked arms with World Vision to be a part of the life-changing work the organization does around the world to provide clean water and resources to those in need.
Actress Melissa Joan Hart says prayer has deepened her faith walk with Jesus exponentially and described a Holy Spirit encounter as her “born again” moment.
In recent years, Hart has linked arms with World Vision to be a part of the life-changing work the organization does around the world to provide clean water and resources to those in need.
| August 14, 2023 |
Aug 14, 2023:
What is white Christian nationalism? Generally – according to the Southern Poverty Law Center – it “refers to a political ideology and identity that fuses white supremacy, Christianity and American nationalism, and whose proponents claim that the United States is a `Christian Nation.’”
Research conducted by the non-partisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) with the non-partisan Brookings Institution (BI), as well as a poll sponsored by Southern Poverty Law Center/Tulchin have the same conclusion: white Christian nationalism movement is a growing threat to America’s democracy. The far-right anti-government and religious rights movement of the 1990s is getting stronger and stronger and will play a major role in the 2024 local, county, state and federal elections.
During the Nov. 21-Dec. 14, 2022 time period, 6,212 Americans were asked by PRRI/BI for their reply to these five statements: 1) the US government should declare America a Christian nation, 2) US laws should be based on Christian values, 3) if the US moves away from our Christian foundations, we will not have a country anymore, 4) being Christian is an important part of being truly American and 5) God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society. --Steve Corbin is Professor Emeritus of Marketing at the University of Northern Iowa; White Christian nationalism threatens US democracy 8.14.23
What is white Christian nationalism? Generally – according to the Southern Poverty Law Center – it “refers to a political ideology and identity that fuses white supremacy, Christianity and American nationalism, and whose proponents claim that the United States is a `Christian Nation.’”
Research conducted by the non-partisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) with the non-partisan Brookings Institution (BI), as well as a poll sponsored by Southern Poverty Law Center/Tulchin have the same conclusion: white Christian nationalism movement is a growing threat to America’s democracy. The far-right anti-government and religious rights movement of the 1990s is getting stronger and stronger and will play a major role in the 2024 local, county, state and federal elections.
During the Nov. 21-Dec. 14, 2022 time period, 6,212 Americans were asked by PRRI/BI for their reply to these five statements: 1) the US government should declare America a Christian nation, 2) US laws should be based on Christian values, 3) if the US moves away from our Christian foundations, we will not have a country anymore, 4) being Christian is an important part of being truly American and 5) God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society. --Steve Corbin is Professor Emeritus of Marketing at the University of Northern Iowa; White Christian nationalism threatens US democracy 8.14.23
What is white Christian nationalism? Generally – according to the Southern Poverty Law Center – it “refers to a political ideology and identity that fuses white supremacy, Christianity and American nationalism, and whose proponents claim that the United States is a `Christian Nation.’”
Aug 14, 2023:
Rashad Richey (Young Turks) explains why evangelical Christians hail Trump: Now, according to the pastor, he says this is because Christians feel alienated, alone, maybe even afraid. No, pastor. That’s not why they are subscribing to the ideology of Trump, rather than the ideology of Yeshua, Jesus Christ. That’s not the reason, preacher. The reason is because Christian evangelicals have always been a quasi-political movement dominated by the hierarchy of white male power. And this Christian evangelical movement, which by the way, once again, political in nature, taught a Jesus that was really contrary to gospel. Number one, it presented a fictional character of Jesus, of white skin, blond hair, blue eyes. You don’t have to be a theologian to know that that is antithetical to the truth of Scripture. So if you teach your congregation to believe in a fictional version of Christ, why would you be surprised when they believe in a fictional version of Christ?
Rashad Richey (Young Turks) explains why evangelical Christians hail Trump: Now, according to the pastor, he says this is because Christians feel alienated, alone, maybe even afraid. No, pastor. That’s not why they are subscribing to the ideology of Trump, rather than the ideology of Yeshua, Jesus Christ. That’s not the reason, preacher. The reason is because Christian evangelicals have always been a quasi-political movement dominated by the hierarchy of white male power. And this Christian evangelical movement, which by the way, once again, political in nature, taught a Jesus that was really contrary to gospel. Number one, it presented a fictional character of Jesus, of white skin, blond hair, blue eyes. You don’t have to be a theologian to know that that is antithetical to the truth of Scripture. So if you teach your congregation to believe in a fictional version of Christ, why would you be surprised when they believe in a fictional version of Christ?
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Genesis 2:15 reminds us that stewardship of the Earth is not simply environmental; it is biblical. Now we need to remind people of faith of their role as stewards. Linking this holy charge to the fight against climate change can greatly inform fellow Christians — conservatives and liberals, evangelicals and otherwise — both how to live and how to vote.
The dangers of climate change are more acknowledged today than ever before. |
The dangers of climate change are more acknowledged today than ever before. But that is not enough. To usher robust support for climate action across party lines, we must move environmentalism beyond the public consciousness into the public’s consciences. --Chika O. Okafor |
| August 11, 2023 |
August 11, 2023: Dallas Observer: Oh, God: Judge Sides with Fort Worth in Early Stages of Atheists' Lawsuit
Instead of small banners on lampposts in downtown Fort Worth like they’ve used before, members of the local group Metroplex Atheists are turning to a billboard campaign to advertise an upcoming event titled “Keep God Out of Our Public Schools,” which will focus on the dangers of Christian nationalism.
The group sued the city of Fort Worth in federal court last month because it was told it wouldn’t be allowed to use city lampposts to promote the event, as it did in 2019.
The city’s policy on lamppost banners stipulates that an event being promoted must take place in Fort Worth and be open to the general public, be of common interest to the general community and recognize and/or contribute to the cultural fabric of the city. The Fort Worth group thought its event checked all of those boxes, but it was still denied access to use the lampposts for its banners because the event was deemed to lack sufficient magnitude to qualify.
Instead of small banners on lampposts in downtown Fort Worth like they’ve used before, members of the local group Metroplex Atheists are turning to a billboard campaign to advertise an upcoming event titled “Keep God Out of Our Public Schools,” which will focus on the dangers of Christian nationalism.
The group sued the city of Fort Worth in federal court last month because it was told it wouldn’t be allowed to use city lampposts to promote the event, as it did in 2019.
The city’s policy on lamppost banners stipulates that an event being promoted must take place in Fort Worth and be open to the general public, be of common interest to the general community and recognize and/or contribute to the cultural fabric of the city. The Fort Worth group thought its event checked all of those boxes, but it was still denied access to use the lampposts for its banners because the event was deemed to lack sufficient magnitude to qualify.
| August 10, 2023 |
Aug 10, 2023: World: An unjust decision reversed A school board will end its discrimination against a Christian university
In the spring of 2023, a public school board in Arizona voted unanimously to cancel a Christian university’s student teaching contract with local elementary schools, citing the university’s Christian beliefs. The decision ended an 11-year relationship between Arizona Christian University (ACU) and the Washington Elementary School District (WESD) in Phoenix and Glendale, Ariz.—or so it seemed.
In the spring of 2023, a public school board in Arizona voted unanimously to cancel a Christian university’s student teaching contract with local elementary schools, citing the university’s Christian beliefs. The decision ended an 11-year relationship between Arizona Christian University (ACU) and the Washington Elementary School District (WESD) in Phoenix and Glendale, Ariz.—or so it seemed.
| August 9, 2023 |
Aug 9, 2023:
In an interview with NPR, Russell Moore said that multiple pastors had told him disturbing stories about their congregants being upset when they read from the famous "Sermon on the Mount" in which Christ espoused the principles of forgiveness and mercy as central to Christian doctrine."Multiple pastors tell me, essentially, the same story about quoting the Sermon on the Mount, parenthetically, in their preaching — 'turn the other cheek' — [and] to have someone come up after to say, 'Where did you get those liberal talking points?'" Moore revealed. "And what was alarming to me is that in most of these scenarios, when the pastor would say, 'I'm literally quoting Jesus Christ,' the response would not be, 'I apologize.' The response would be, 'Yes, but that doesn't work anymore. That's weak.'"
Moore, who has been an outspoken critic of many evangelicals' embrace of Trump, argues that this has led him to conclude that American evangelical Christianity is now in crisis.
In an interview with NPR, Russell Moore said that multiple pastors had told him disturbing stories about their congregants being upset when they read from the famous "Sermon on the Mount" in which Christ espoused the principles of forgiveness and mercy as central to Christian doctrine."Multiple pastors tell me, essentially, the same story about quoting the Sermon on the Mount, parenthetically, in their preaching — 'turn the other cheek' — [and] to have someone come up after to say, 'Where did you get those liberal talking points?'" Moore revealed. "And what was alarming to me is that in most of these scenarios, when the pastor would say, 'I'm literally quoting Jesus Christ,' the response would not be, 'I apologize.' The response would be, 'Yes, but that doesn't work anymore. That's weak.'"
Moore, who has been an outspoken critic of many evangelicals' embrace of Trump, argues that this has led him to conclude that American evangelical Christianity is now in crisis.
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Baptist news Global reports: By voting for Trump, white evangelicals contradicted their own often-used assertion that “character counts” with those who aspire to elected office. By continuing to support Trump, they have removed all doubt about their hypocrisy. Are there any limits to that hypocrisy when it comes to Trump? I think not.
Trump now faces three criminal indictments and, to date, has received 78 felony charges. On top of that, he’s facing the prospect of imprisonment. Despite this, Trump still has the ironclad support and loyalty of white evangelicals. A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted before his latest indictment found 56% of white evangelicals said they would most likely support the former president in the 2024 election. In the same poll, 76% of white evangelicals said they do not think the president has committed any federal crimes. |
Moore, who has been an outspoken critic of many evangelicals' embrace of Trump, argues that this has led him to conclude that American evangelical Christianity is now in crisis. |
Aug 9, 2023:
The self with all its problems is typified in the Old Testament by the leper with his leprosy. In order for a leper to be cleansed, he must shave off all his hair (Lev. 14:9).
He had to shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair. Each of the different kinds of hair signifies different aspects of the self.
The way to deal with the problems of the self is by the “razor of the cross” so that the self with all its problems would be “shaved” through the exercise of our spirit.
The leper didn’t just have to be assessed so that others would know he is leprous; he had to shave all his hair – his head, his beard, his eyebrows, even all his hair.
This is a detailed shaving with much spiritual significance in our Christian life.
Especially if we want to serve the Lord, we need to deal with the problems of the self by the cross through the exercise of our spirit. The hair on the head of the leper signifies man’s glory in self-display. Everyone today has his boasts in certain areas. Some boast in their ancestry, others in their education, and still others boast in their zeal and love for the Lord.
Everyone can find an area in which to boast, glorify himself, and make a display before man.
We need to be aware of such an aspect of the self and deal with this problem of the self by the cross.
The beard signifies man’s self-assumed honor; people esteem themselves honorable with regard to their position, their family background, or even their spirituality.
Some people always have a feeling that they are above others, that they are superior and better than the ones around them. This needs to be shaved off by the razor of the cross.
The eyebrows signify man’s natural beauty, his excellencies, merits, virtues, and strong points.
All these issue from his natural birth, not from the experience of God’s salvation, and they need to be shaved off by the razor of the cross.
The hair of the whole body signifies man’s natural strength and ability.
As human beings, we are full of natural strength, natural methods and opinions, thinking that we can do this or that for the Lord and that we’re capable of doing all things. All these problems of the self must be “shaved with a razor,” which means that they must be dealt with by the cross.
We need to deal with the problems of the self by the cross through the spirit, exercising our spirit to apply the cross to the self.
In order to deal with the self, we must be those who bear the cross, allowing the cross to work on us continually in order to put our self to death.
We need to remain on the cross, keeping ourselves under the termination of the cross day by day (Luke 14:27; Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3:10; 1 Cor. 15:31).
--Enjoying Christ; Deal with the Problems of the Self by the Cross through the Exercise of our Spirit 8.9.23
The self with all its problems is typified in the Old Testament by the leper with his leprosy. In order for a leper to be cleansed, he must shave off all his hair (Lev. 14:9).
He had to shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair. Each of the different kinds of hair signifies different aspects of the self.
The way to deal with the problems of the self is by the “razor of the cross” so that the self with all its problems would be “shaved” through the exercise of our spirit.
The leper didn’t just have to be assessed so that others would know he is leprous; he had to shave all his hair – his head, his beard, his eyebrows, even all his hair.
This is a detailed shaving with much spiritual significance in our Christian life.
Especially if we want to serve the Lord, we need to deal with the problems of the self by the cross through the exercise of our spirit. The hair on the head of the leper signifies man’s glory in self-display. Everyone today has his boasts in certain areas. Some boast in their ancestry, others in their education, and still others boast in their zeal and love for the Lord.
Everyone can find an area in which to boast, glorify himself, and make a display before man.
We need to be aware of such an aspect of the self and deal with this problem of the self by the cross.
The beard signifies man’s self-assumed honor; people esteem themselves honorable with regard to their position, their family background, or even their spirituality.
Some people always have a feeling that they are above others, that they are superior and better than the ones around them. This needs to be shaved off by the razor of the cross.
The eyebrows signify man’s natural beauty, his excellencies, merits, virtues, and strong points.
All these issue from his natural birth, not from the experience of God’s salvation, and they need to be shaved off by the razor of the cross.
The hair of the whole body signifies man’s natural strength and ability.
As human beings, we are full of natural strength, natural methods and opinions, thinking that we can do this or that for the Lord and that we’re capable of doing all things. All these problems of the self must be “shaved with a razor,” which means that they must be dealt with by the cross.
We need to deal with the problems of the self by the cross through the spirit, exercising our spirit to apply the cross to the self.
In order to deal with the self, we must be those who bear the cross, allowing the cross to work on us continually in order to put our self to death.
We need to remain on the cross, keeping ourselves under the termination of the cross day by day (Luke 14:27; Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3:10; 1 Cor. 15:31).
--Enjoying Christ; Deal with the Problems of the Self by the Cross through the Exercise of our Spirit 8.9.23
| August 8, 2023 |
Martin G Selbrede
Normally, we try to say, “Well, the reason that the conspiracy might be effective is because these are powerful men,” and because they’re doing all this in secret—where we can’t see it—chances are, it’s going to be effective, because we can’t find out what they’re doing. The mystery of it is what seems to cloud our judgment, because we have ruled their act—they’re conspiring together—as more powerful than God. Therefore, what God has to say about conspiracies is set aside, and the fear of man becomes the thing.
The conspiracy would not get any traction if it weren’t already for the fact that the human heart was prepared in advance to sit in these ways, to deviate from God’s law, because when we don’t have the anchor of God’s law, we can be moved in various directions....if your God is big, then conspiracies are small and laughable. But if your God is small, then the conspiracies loom large, and what’s the appeal of that?....what we have here is an excuse to be irresponsible. If these big forces are at work—these conspiracies operating behind the scenes—then I can’t be responsible. Therefore, my actions aren’t going to make a difference in light of how powerful the conspiracies are, so it’s a ticket for irresponsibility. The other reason that people like to think in terms of conspiracy and against Providence is what Dr. Rushdoony called the doctrine of selective depravity, where we can say that the evil in the system is in the conspirators but not in our hearts. Therefore, by dislocating the source of our problems from us to outside us—to them—we’ve identified this particular group as the evil group, and therefore the evil is not in us. We’re the good guys, but we’re put upon because we’re weak and ineffective, and that’s just the way it is. This can naturally lead to a theology of escape; and some have an eschatology of escape, but that’s not the calling.
-Martin G Selbrede; Chalcedon Foundation; Conspiracy Thinking 8.14.23
The conspiracy would not get any traction if it weren’t already for the fact that the human heart was prepared in advance to sit in these ways, to deviate from God’s law, because when we don’t have the anchor of God’s law, we can be moved in various directions....if your God is big, then conspiracies are small and laughable. But if your God is small, then the conspiracies loom large, and what’s the appeal of that?....what we have here is an excuse to be irresponsible. If these big forces are at work—these conspiracies operating behind the scenes—then I can’t be responsible. Therefore, my actions aren’t going to make a difference in light of how powerful the conspiracies are, so it’s a ticket for irresponsibility. The other reason that people like to think in terms of conspiracy and against Providence is what Dr. Rushdoony called the doctrine of selective depravity, where we can say that the evil in the system is in the conspirators but not in our hearts. Therefore, by dislocating the source of our problems from us to outside us—to them—we’ve identified this particular group as the evil group, and therefore the evil is not in us. We’re the good guys, but we’re put upon because we’re weak and ineffective, and that’s just the way it is. This can naturally lead to a theology of escape; and some have an eschatology of escape, but that’s not the calling.
-Martin G Selbrede; Chalcedon Foundation; Conspiracy Thinking 8.14.23
Aug 8, 2023: Word and Way: Disciples Confronting Christian Nationalism
James Garfield is the answer to a fascinating trivia question. In addition to serving as the 20th president of the United States, he was also an ordained minister in the religious movement that would become the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). That makes him the only occupant of the Oval Office to also be a member of the clergy.
Founded in the early 1800s, the Disciples of Christ are the oldest denomination started on American soil. They arose on the American frontier and followed its advancement. Garfield’s church evolved alongside the nation’s development, prompting one historian to label it an “American original.”
Given this background, the Disciples of Christ would appear to be an unlikely candidate for the denomination at the forefront of opposing Christian Nationalism. Yet, actions and events at its recent general assembly (July 29-Aug. 1) in Louisville, Kentucky, placed it at the vanguard of organized religious bodies in the U.S. confronting this dangerous ideology.
James Garfield is the answer to a fascinating trivia question. In addition to serving as the 20th president of the United States, he was also an ordained minister in the religious movement that would become the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). That makes him the only occupant of the Oval Office to also be a member of the clergy.
Founded in the early 1800s, the Disciples of Christ are the oldest denomination started on American soil. They arose on the American frontier and followed its advancement. Garfield’s church evolved alongside the nation’s development, prompting one historian to label it an “American original.”
Given this background, the Disciples of Christ would appear to be an unlikely candidate for the denomination at the forefront of opposing Christian Nationalism. Yet, actions and events at its recent general assembly (July 29-Aug. 1) in Louisville, Kentucky, placed it at the vanguard of organized religious bodies in the U.S. confronting this dangerous ideology.
Joshua Arnold
Ancient Israel had no legislature, as God had already given them a law. Nor were there executive officials, except when God called one for a specific purpose. Thus, ancient Israel’s government consisted primarily of judges — appointed by the people (Deuteronomy 16:18), raised up by God (Judges 2:16), or anointed as priest (Deuteronomy 19:17) or king (2 Samuel 8:15) — resolving disputes between private parties. In addition to judges, America has law enforcement officers and public prosecutors who are also charged with ensuring the law is justly enforced. So, while America is not under the Mosaic law, its basic principles of justice apply even more broadly in the American system.
The question is, what should the righteous do when “justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away,” when “truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter” (Isaiah 59:14)? We should pray. That is, we should appeal from human injustice to the divine Judge.
What should we pray for? Scripture authorizes at least three pleas (seek earnestly, and you may find others) to offer up as we lament the prevalence of injustice. First, we should pray that justice officials would be saved, or at least that they would not molest Christians. Paul exhorts Timothy to pray “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:2-4). --Joshua Arnold; Christian Post; Justice must be impartial: Biden vs. Trump treatment 8.8.23
The question is, what should the righteous do when “justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away,” when “truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter” (Isaiah 59:14)? We should pray. That is, we should appeal from human injustice to the divine Judge.
What should we pray for? Scripture authorizes at least three pleas (seek earnestly, and you may find others) to offer up as we lament the prevalence of injustice. First, we should pray that justice officials would be saved, or at least that they would not molest Christians. Paul exhorts Timothy to pray “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:2-4). --Joshua Arnold; Christian Post; Justice must be impartial: Biden vs. Trump treatment 8.8.23
Aug 8, 2023: News Nation: Gen X church attendance decreasing, study finds
- 13% decline in participation among parishioners ages 39-57 since 2020
- Pandemic reshaped how Americans’ attend church
- Pastor notes a shift of 3K online viewers versus 100 in-person attendees
| August 7, 2023 |
Aug 7, 2023: CBN: 'Persecuted' and 'Targeted': Evangelist Torben Søndergaard Faces Deportation
Danish evangelist Torben Søndergaard now faces possible deportation after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a "Petitioner's Motion for Stay of Removal" that could have freed Søndergaard from an ICE prison or led to a new trial in the immigration courts.
Danish evangelist Torben Søndergaard now faces possible deportation after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a "Petitioner's Motion for Stay of Removal" that could have freed Søndergaard from an ICE prison or led to a new trial in the immigration courts.
| August 5, 2023 |
Aug 5, 2023:
Albert Barnes, a renowned 19th-century American theologian and Bible commentator, left an enduring legacy with his rich collection of text sermons. His dedication to the study and interpretation of the Bible, along with his profound insights into its teachings, made his sermons a source of inspiration and spiritual growth for generations of believers. In this post, we will explore the significance and impact of Albert Barnes’ text sermons, delving into the reasons why they continue to hold relevance and importance in the contemporary world.
--African Paradise World: The Significance and Impact of Albert Barnes’ Text Sermons
Albert Barnes, a renowned 19th-century American theologian and Bible commentator, left an enduring legacy with his rich collection of text sermons. His dedication to the study and interpretation of the Bible, along with his profound insights into its teachings, made his sermons a source of inspiration and spiritual growth for generations of believers. In this post, we will explore the significance and impact of Albert Barnes’ text sermons, delving into the reasons why they continue to hold relevance and importance in the contemporary world.
--African Paradise World: The Significance and Impact of Albert Barnes’ Text Sermons
8.5.23
| August 4, 2023 |
Chris Goswami
1 in 3 Americans call themselves evangelical Christians, and 60 per cent of the Republican electorate are evangelicals. This is a nationalist Christian movement that blends together patriotism, politics, and God. It is powerful and profoundly influential to an extent those of us outside the US find hard to grasp.
Some base their support for Trump on the Bible, likening him to the Old Testament character King Cyrus. Despite being an unbelieving Persian ruler from another religion, Cyrus is anointed in Isaiah 44-45 as God’s “shepherd” to help deliver ancient Israel from Babylonian captivity. This concept of an “imperfect vessel used for greater good” has often been applied to Trump.
Many evangelicals don’t personally like Trump but their relationship with him is transactional - they vote for him and he shapes the country to their liking. They hold their nose and vote for policy over character.
Other evangelicals of course love the man himself. They see Trump’s enemies as God’s enemies. In their eyes he can do no wrong and he really was robbed of the 2020 election. These extremist opinions tend to get the press coverage. --Chris Goswami; Premier Magazine; Why US evangelicals are still saying ‘Amen’ to Trump 8.3.23
Some base their support for Trump on the Bible, likening him to the Old Testament character King Cyrus. Despite being an unbelieving Persian ruler from another religion, Cyrus is anointed in Isaiah 44-45 as God’s “shepherd” to help deliver ancient Israel from Babylonian captivity. This concept of an “imperfect vessel used for greater good” has often been applied to Trump.
Many evangelicals don’t personally like Trump but their relationship with him is transactional - they vote for him and he shapes the country to their liking. They hold their nose and vote for policy over character.
Other evangelicals of course love the man himself. They see Trump’s enemies as God’s enemies. In their eyes he can do no wrong and he really was robbed of the 2020 election. These extremist opinions tend to get the press coverage. --Chris Goswami; Premier Magazine; Why US evangelicals are still saying ‘Amen’ to Trump 8.3.23
Michael Wear
“The majority of white evangelicals have accepted this idea that Trump wants what they want — I’m not sure this indictment changes that...I don’t think there is any clearer picture of what’s going on in the right-wing political space. What used to be assertions of evangelical influence are now assertions of evangelical assimilation into a political movement.” --Michael Wear; Center for Christianity and Public Life 8.4.23
Aug 4, 2023: WPR: Milwaukee religious leaders denounce the rise of Christian nationalism
An interfaith group in Milwaukee religious leaders representing Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Roman Catholic and Unitarian congregations gathered Thursday to denounce the rise of Christian nationalism and its threat to democracy.
About 75 clergy from the Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope, or MICAH, launched the "We All Belong" campaign with a rally and march. The event kicked off what will be a series of public gatherings leading up to the 2024 election to bring awareness to Christian nationalism, a once fringe point of view that is growing in acceptance.
An interfaith group in Milwaukee religious leaders representing Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Roman Catholic and Unitarian congregations gathered Thursday to denounce the rise of Christian nationalism and its threat to democracy.
About 75 clergy from the Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope, or MICAH, launched the "We All Belong" campaign with a rally and march. The event kicked off what will be a series of public gatherings leading up to the 2024 election to bring awareness to Christian nationalism, a once fringe point of view that is growing in acceptance.
| August 3, 2023 |
Aug 3, 2023: Religion Media Centre: Comment: Evangelical support for Donald Trump after criminal charges. Read a selection of views
Donald Trump is due to appear at a federal court house in Washington DC today (Thursday 3 August), facing charges related to the uprising on Capitol Hill in January 2021. They include conspiracy to defraud the US, tampering with a witness and conspiracy against the rights of citizens. One of his key group of supporters is white evangelicals, 83 per cent of whom voted for him in 2016. Their placards with Bible verses can still be seen at Trump’s rallies. But some evangelical leaders are speaking out, challenging others to reconsider their support.
Donald Trump is due to appear at a federal court house in Washington DC today (Thursday 3 August), facing charges related to the uprising on Capitol Hill in January 2021. They include conspiracy to defraud the US, tampering with a witness and conspiracy against the rights of citizens. One of his key group of supporters is white evangelicals, 83 per cent of whom voted for him in 2016. Their placards with Bible verses can still be seen at Trump’s rallies. But some evangelical leaders are speaking out, challenging others to reconsider their support.
Steve Rabey
When COVID-19 turned the world upside down in 2020, many U.S. churches followed government policies and switched to online services, while others met on a limited scale with social distancing and masks.
A smaller group of churches opposed official mandates, railed against government oppression, opened church doors without precautions, experienced the predicted COVID outbreaks and faced the legal consequences.
Three churches led by rebel pastors are the focus of The Essential Church, a new independent Christian movie that attempts to persuade viewers that their ordeals are equivalent to the suffering of Christians in centuries past who sacrificed their lives.
The film dramatizes the exploits of John MacArthur, pastor of California’s Grace Community Church, and is produced by Grace Productions, the church’s film ministry. Promotional material calls it a “docufilm” and a “documentary,” but a better descriptor is hagiography.
---Steve Rabey; Baptist News Global; John MacArthur’s film glorifies pastors who defied COVID mandates 8.3.23
A smaller group of churches opposed official mandates, railed against government oppression, opened church doors without precautions, experienced the predicted COVID outbreaks and faced the legal consequences.
Three churches led by rebel pastors are the focus of The Essential Church, a new independent Christian movie that attempts to persuade viewers that their ordeals are equivalent to the suffering of Christians in centuries past who sacrificed their lives.
The film dramatizes the exploits of John MacArthur, pastor of California’s Grace Community Church, and is produced by Grace Productions, the church’s film ministry. Promotional material calls it a “docufilm” and a “documentary,” but a better descriptor is hagiography.
---Steve Rabey; Baptist News Global; John MacArthur’s film glorifies pastors who defied COVID mandates 8.3.23
| August 2, 2023 |
Frank Schaeffer
“Trumpism is evangelicalism. These are most serious charges ever levelled against a former US President, and white evangelical leaders are directly responsible for the fact that this odious con man became president to begin with”
-Frank Schaeffer; Trump’s Indictment is the Indictment of Evangelicalism; 8.2.23
-Frank Schaeffer; Trump’s Indictment is the Indictment of Evangelicalism; 8.2.23
| August 1, 2023 |
“What’s needed now is full-throated condemnation of the former president from members of his party. By failing to hold Trump to account, they are allowing the party to sink into an abyss and it will pay a high price for ignoring the moral high ground…It may take a generation or more for the party to recover from the looming disaster”. --Rev Dr Russell J Levenson; Opinion: GOP leaders backing Trump are in a moral abyss; 8.1.23
“What’s needed now is full-throated condemnation of the former president from members of his party. By failing to hold Trump to account, they are allowing the party to sink into an abyss and it will pay a high price for ignoring the moral high ground…It may take a generation or more for the party to recover from the looming disaster”. --Rev Dr Russell J Levenson; Opinion: GOP leaders backing Trump are in a moral abyss; 8.1.23
| July 31, 2023 |
July 31, 2023:
I saw a letter in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader written by Rapid City resident Dave Freytag that I thought was interesting. Two paragraphs from it:
These days, thanks to the Evangelicals or so called "moral majority" our religions have pretty much lost standing as "apolitical," they are flat out conservative. "Old hair-do" has cemented their allegiance as well as their vote so, OK, they can hear all the propaganda (that they know to be lies) and I will listen to my conscience or "better judgment" (more chance of truth). It seems the abortion issue, like military "shock and awe" usage, is a judgment call for whoever is in charge. There is no morality in either yet some of it is acceptable depending on the reasons. If conservatism is the way of God then liberalism is the way of Christ. These views are actually separate from spirituality and from morality itself. We generally know when being lied to but are more comfortable with fearful and judgemental reasoning so our response usually is to stay with what has reassured us in the past. We will never reach a "clearer" morality while keeping our past mistakes as our guide.
I saw a letter in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader written by Rapid City resident Dave Freytag that I thought was interesting. Two paragraphs from it:
These days, thanks to the Evangelicals or so called "moral majority" our religions have pretty much lost standing as "apolitical," they are flat out conservative. "Old hair-do" has cemented their allegiance as well as their vote so, OK, they can hear all the propaganda (that they know to be lies) and I will listen to my conscience or "better judgment" (more chance of truth). It seems the abortion issue, like military "shock and awe" usage, is a judgment call for whoever is in charge. There is no morality in either yet some of it is acceptable depending on the reasons. If conservatism is the way of God then liberalism is the way of Christ. These views are actually separate from spirituality and from morality itself. We generally know when being lied to but are more comfortable with fearful and judgemental reasoning so our response usually is to stay with what has reassured us in the past. We will never reach a "clearer" morality while keeping our past mistakes as our guide.
If conservatism is the way of God then liberalism is the way of Christ.