Bono gives an explicit confession of being saved

World Magazine - Weekly News | Christian Views:
"Salty dogma

Bono gives an explicit confession of being saved by Grace, not Karma | by Gene Edward Veith

Is Bono, the lead singer and songwriter for the rock group U2, a Christian? He says he is and writes about Christianity in his lyrics. Yet many people question whether Bono is 'really' a Christian, due to his notoriously bad language, liberal politics, and rock star antics (though he has been faithfully married for 23 years). But in a new book of interviews, Bono in Conversation by Michka Assayas, Bono, though using some salty language, makes an explicit confession of faith.

The interviewer, Mr. Assayas, begins by asking Bono, Doesn't he think 'appalling things' happen when people become religious? Bono counters, 'It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the Universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.'

The interviewer asks, What's that? 'At the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one,' explains Bono. 'And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that. . . . Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff.'

The interviewer asks, Like what? 'That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge,' says Bono. 'It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.'

Then the interviewer marvels, 'The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.'

'The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death,' replies Bono. 'It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of Heaven.'

The interviewer marvels some more: 'That's a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it's close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has His rank among the world's great thinkers. But Son of God, isn't that farfetched?'

Bono comes back, 'Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: He was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. He doesn't let you off that hook. Christ says, No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying: 'I'm the Messiah.' I'm saying: 'I am God incarnate.' . . . So what you're left with is either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. . . . The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me that's farfetched.'

What is most interesting in this exchange is the reaction of the interviewer, to whom Bono is, in effect, witnessing. This hip rock journalist starts by scorning what he thinks is Christianity. But it is as if he had never heard of grace, the atonement, the deity of Christ, the gospel. And he probably hadn't. But when he hears what Christianity is actually all about, he is amazed."

Primer on Moral Relativism

STR WEBLOG:
"A Primer on Moral Relativism' - Greg Koukl

The following discussion is adapted from an interview with Summit Ministries, Manitou Springs, Colorado, an organization training young people in Christian worldview leadership.

Summit Ministries: What exactly is moral relativism?

Greg Koukl: Think of the difference between ice cream and insulin. With desserts you choose what you like—what’s true for you. With medicine, it doesn’t matter what you like. You have to choose what heals—what’s true, period.
Moral relativism is the view that ideas of right and wrong are more like ice cream than insulin. For relativists, the word “truth” describes an individual belief or preference. It doesn’t describe some objective reality in the world. There can be many “truths,” then, about the same moral issue.
Moral relativism, then, is a kind of subjectivism. When it comes to moral rules—principles of right and wrong—it’s up to the subject, the individual person, to decide. Morality is not objective. It’s an individual matter.

SM: How should Christians respond when others assume morality is just a matter of personal preference?

GK: There’s a difference between disliking something and thinking it’s morally wrong. Of course, all morality collapses into mere preference if there are no moral rules at all. But when people like myself make moral claims, we need to make clear we are not simply talking about what we prefer—like ice cream.
I might say, for example, that homosexuality is immoral. I’m not saying I don’t prefer it. I’m saying something more, that it’s wrong. Some things I think are wrong may actually appeal to me. When I say pornography is immoral, I’m not saying I don’t like it. Maybe I do. That’s not the point. I’m saying it’s wrong, regardless of what I like.
Maybe I’m mistaken on my claim, but I don’t want to be mistaken on the kind of claim I’m making. When I say a thing is right or wrong, I’m not merely expressing a preference. I’m expressing a moral conviction about some conduct; It’s not just true for me."

For more click here

A New Face: A Bold Surgeon, an Untried Surgery

A New Face: A Bold Surgeon, an Untried Surgery - New York Times:

This is just amazing.

"A New Face: A Bold Surgeon, an Untried Surgery
By MICHAEL MASON

In an emergency room at a Finnish hospital, a man sprawled unconscious on an operating table as surgeons labored to reattach the hand he had lost hours earlier while chopping wood.

Medical miracles take many forms, but few are as vivid and immediate as this: As the tiny blood vessels were sutured back together, the patient's hand flushed from porcelain to pink. The delicate tendons of the palm revived, and the skin's granite glaze began to soften.

The man's fortunes had taken a remarkable turn. So, too, had those of Dr. Maria Siemionow, a surgical resident assisting in the operation.

'That you could restore to people a part of themselves that had been lost, and actually see it become vital again, was miraculous to me,' said Dr. Siemionow, a native of Poland who trained in Finland and the United States. 'I have never forgotten that day.'

Thirty years later, microsurgery is a commonplace marvel, and as director of plastic surgery research at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Siemionow, 55, is a leading practitioner.

But the career that began in a Helsinki hospital has brought her, and her profession, to an extraordinary moment. A team led by Dr. Siemionow is planning to undertake what may be the most shocking medical procedure to occur in decades: a face transplant.

After years of heated scientific debate over ethics and technical feasibility, the Cleveland Clinic last fall became the first institution to approve this novel surgery. Already Dr. Siemionow's group is searching for its first patient.

There are few areas of medicine in greater need of a humanistic perspective. No one knows exactly how many people live with facial disfigurement caused by burns, trauma, disease or birth defects. But Dr. Siemionow has seen too many cases already - the woman whose fiancée left after she was burned in a car accident, the lonely shut-in whose face was lost to cancer. For these patients, there is little doctors can do to restore normal appearance.

Plastic surgeons usually "resurface" the damaged face with skin from the victim's back, buttocks or thighs. Patients may need as many as 50 operations to regain even limited function, and the results are mixed at best.

Normal facial expression, the raised eyebrows and lopsided grins so essential to social interaction, is impossible. Often the structurally complex eyelids and mouth cannot even be made to open or close properly. Even after dozens of operations, many disfigured patients must feed themselves through tubes.

And the aesthetic outcome, often likened to a mask or a living quilt, can be so unsettling that some rarely leave their homes. Chronic depression is not uncommon.

"When you mention a face transplant, people think you are talking about vanity, that someone healthy is going to be walking around with someone else's face," Dr. Siemionow said. "But within the surgical community, we perceive it as a step forward for these traumatized patients."

The procedure has been a theoretical possibility at least since 1999, when surgeons at the University of Louisville performed the nation's first hand transplant. That operation has been duplicated some two dozen times now, and the experience has given surgeons like Dr. Siemionow the courage - hubris, critics say - to think the unthinkable.

"Have you ever seen someone with severe facial disfiguration? Sometimes I have to force myself to look in a patient's eyes," said Dr. John Barker, director of plastic surgery research at the University of Louisville. "We are social animals, and the face is important to who we are as human beings."

(With scientists at the Utrecht University, Dr. Barker and colleagues at the University of Louisville also are seeking approval for an experimental face transplant to be performed in the Netherlands. Proposals by surgeons in Britain and France have been denied.)

The medical challenges to face transplantation are formidable. As Dr. Siemionow envisions it, the series of operations will require rotating teams of specialists who may be deployed in more than one operating theater. The face to be transplanted will be removed, or "degloved," from a cadaver; it will most likely include the epidermis, along with the underlying fat, nerves and blood vessels, but no musculature.

Surgeons also will remove the patient's own damaged facial tissue, then reattach the clamped blood vessels and nerves to the transplanted face. The procedures will take 15 hours, perhaps longer."

Video game biz converting to Christianity

Video game biz converting to Christianity:

"Video game biz converting to Christianity
By John Gaudiosi

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - While such Mature-rated games as 'Resident Evil 4,' 'Doom 3' and 'Halo 2' are widely known for raking in millions for the video game industry, a small but growing number of game developers are creating titles for Christian gamers.

That emerging market segment will be in focus at the fourth annual Christian Game Developers Conference (July 28-30, Portland, Ore.), which hands out awards for the best Christian games of the year and looks to 'equip game developers to glorify God.'

Sector insiders suggest that like the Christian music market, the religious gaming market has strong potential.

N'Lightning Software CEO Ralph Bagley believes half of the video game crowd is Christian. His company was the first of about 100 Christian game developers to invest in the creation of PC games. Its first title, 'Catechumen,' cost $830,000 to develop and has sold about 80,000 copies worldwide since its 2001 release, according to the company. The second game, 'Ominous Horizons,' cost $1 million to create and has sold more than 50,000 copies, it said.

'Fifteen years ago, the Christian music world looked like Christian games today,' Bagley said. 'It wasn't until the Christian music companies came together as a group and focused on quality that they were able to achieve success.'"

It is interesting that "The Passion of the Christ" has opened the eyes of the entertainment industry moguls. They want to cash in on the huge Christian market. It will never work for them unless they get Christians to minister to Christians. I hope these Christian based companies have good success.

'Prophet' looks to call UFOs in all 50 states

WorldNetDaily: 'Prophet' looks to call UFOs in all 50 states:
"Prophet' looks to call UFOs in all 50 states
Claims 'powers that be' don't want public to know spaceships are real


Prophet Yahweh

A self-styled 'prophet' who made news recently by allegedly summoning the appearance of UFOs in the Las Vegas area is now looking to re-create the feat in all 50 states.

Ramon Watkins, also known as Prophet Yahweh, says he'll begin his national tour Aug. 7, and is asking television and radio stations across America to allow him the chance to prove his ability to communicate with extra-terrestrials.

Watkins caused a stir in late May when an ABC-TV affiliate in Las Vegas put his claims to the test.

He agreed to meet with a reporter and camera crew of KTNV at a location of their choice and time.

What they witnessed, and captured on camera, stunned the reporter and crew.

At about 2:30 p.m. local time on May 26, Prophet Yahweh was documented summoning two UFOs for the station's cameras above Doolittle Park.

One of the unidentified flying objects was stationary in the sky while the other flew across Las Vegas. Then, it turned around and came back on the same path."

Another sign of the times to check on our lists.
Matt. 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."

400 scientists skeptical of Darwin

WorldNetDaily: 400 scientists skeptical of Darwin:

400 scientists skeptical of Darwin
Theory 'great white elephant of contemporary thought'

More than 400 scientists from all disciplines have signed onto a growing list of skeptics of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life, according to the Seattle-based Discovery Institute.





'Darwin's theory of evolution is the great white elephant of contemporary thought,' said David Berlinski, a mathematician and philosopher of science with Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, or CSC. 'It is large, almost completely useless, and the object of superstitious awe.'

The Discovery Institute, a leading proponent of Intelligent Design, first published its Statement of Dissent from Darwin in 2001.

The think tank challenged statements made in the PBS 'Evolution' series, which claimed that no scientists disagreed with Darwinian evolution.

'The fact is that a significant number of scientists are extremely skeptical that Darwinian evolution can explain the origins of life,' said John G. West, associate director of the CSC. 'We expect that as scientists engage in the wider debate over materialist evolutionary theories, this list will continue to grow, and grow at an even more rapid pace than we've seen this past year.'

The institute says that in the past three months, 29 scientists, including eight biologists, have signed the statement, which includes more than 70 biologists.

Two prominent Russian biologists from Moscow State University, Lev V. Beloussov and Vladimir L. Voeikov, are recent signers.

Voeikov is a professor of bioorganic chemistry and Beloussov is a professor of embryology. Both are members of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.

Voeikov said, 'The ideology and philosophy of neo-Darwinism which is sold by its adepts as a scientific theoretical foundation of biology seriously hampers the development of science and hides from students the field's real problems.'"

This is a growing movement. More and more scientists are speaking out against evolution no longer fearing the ostracizing they would normally receive from colleagues.

Fewer in U.S. marry as more live together

Fewer in U.S. marry as more live together - Yahoo! News:
"Fewer in U.S. marry as more live together

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Both the U.S. marriage and divorce rates are dropping while the number of unwed couples living together is rising, according to an annual study of marriage released Monday.

The numbers show a gradual trend in the United States toward the lifestyles in Scandinavia, particularly Sweden, where unmarried cohabitation with children is far more common, said David Popenoe, co-author of 'The State of Our Unions' study.

The number of unmarried couples living together in the United States grew to more than 5 million last year, according to the study by the National Marriage Project at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, in Piscataway.

More than half of all first U.S. marriages are preceded by living together, it said. The study did not specify whether it meant first marriage for both men and women.

Meanwhile, the U.S. marriage rate fell to 39.9 per 1,000 unmarried women in 2004 from 46.5 in 2000 and 76.5 in 1970, the study said. The ratio of married U.S. adults has fallen to its lowest since 1960, to about 55 percent from 69 percent, it said.

The divorce rate dropped to 17.7 per 1,000 married women in 2004 from 18.8 in 2000 and a high of 22.6 in 1980, the study said.

Eleven percent of adult U.S. women and 8 percent of adult men are divorced, the study said. In 1960, fewer than 3 percent of women and fewer than 2 percent of men were divorced, it said.

'Put all those together, and it means that those people who marry might have a little stronger marriages than they once did, but fewer people are marrying and more people are living together outside of marriage,' Popenoe said."

These are strange days when the homosexual community is in a desperate rush to marry but the heterosexual community is slamming on the brakes.

Gay marriage now officially legal across Canada

Gay marriage now officially legal across Canada:

"Gay marriage now officially legal across Canada

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada formally became the fourth country in the world to legalize gay marriages on Wednesday after the country's Senate overwhelmingly approved the legislation.

Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain already permit same-sex marriages, and a number of Canadian provinces have been allowing such legal unions for some time.

The Senate upper chamber -- dominated by members from the governing Liberal party -- voted 47-21 late on Tuesday to pass the law."

Our northern friends are now entering a sad era. It will be very difficult to stop this downward spiral they are on.

Congress Moves to Counter Supreme Court Religious Hostility

Family.org - CitizenLink - FNIF News - Congress Moves to Counter Supreme Court Religious Hostility:

"Congress Moves to Counter Supreme Court Religious Hostility by Bill Wilson, Washington, D.C. correspondent

Legislators offer up bills to reign in the high court.

Recent Supreme Court decisions, which many believe to be hostile toward religious freedom, are prompting Congress to act. Some say funding should be cut, others propose a Constitutional amendment to reverse errant decisions and set the Court straight.

Religious Freedom Coalition Chairman Bill Murray says it's time to clarify religious freedom for the Court.

'The Court needs to live up to its responsibilities as a Constitutional body,' he said. 'Since it will not, the Congress of the United States must step in and clarify it.'

Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla., responded with the Religious Freedom Amendment.
It would establish that citizens have the right to 'pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage and traditions on public property, including schools.'

'When judges overstep their boundaries, as they have here, we have only two lawful options: Either impeach the judges or amend the Constitution to reverse their rulings,' Istook said. 'Only a constitutional amendment will undo these bad precedents and guarantee that all courts must change course in the future.'

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., said a constitutional amendment would restore the First Amendment."

We really need to watch the Supreme Court nominations to make sure the court stops legislating and adheres to the constitution. See here for the court's latest liberal decisions.

Joel Osteen and the Bible

Uplifted - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - TV - A&E:

"A second-generation minister, Osteen is the pastor of Houston's Lakewood Church, which has the nation's largest congregation, according to the Missouri-based research firm Church Growth Today.

More than 30,000 believers come to hear Osteen every week, with about 7,500 people crowding into each of four weekend services. Those numbers are sure to go up this week, when Lakewood -- a nondenominational Christian church -- moves into the former Compaq Center, where the NBA's Houston Rockets once played. The new sanctuary will hold a whopping 16,000 people per service.

Osteen, who also has a book on The New York Times bestseller list, ''Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential,' isn't just big in Houston."

Two topics Osteen sidesteps are hell and damnation.

''I think people are used to ministers beating them over the head with condemnation," Osteen says. ''The Scripture says that it's the goodness of God that causes people to repent. Jesus didn't condemn."

I agree we are not supposed to go around condemning people but we are to warn them. There is a difference between lovingly warning people and judging them. However, Jesus and the Bible do condemn people for not responding to God's love. We all know the sports famous John 3:16 but do you know what John 3:18 says?

Jn 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

But Osteen's upbeat approach annoys some critics who prefer a sterner doctrine. ''What he's talking about has nothing to do with Christianity," says Ole Anthony, president of the Trinity Foundation, a Dallas-based religious media watchdog group that investigates fraud among televangelists. ''He's popular because we live in a nation that demands cotton-candy theology. His service is just a pep rally. It's all about you.

''What about preaching the demands of God? What about helping the poor in society? Houston has thousands of homeless people. What is he doing for them?"

Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College and the author of ''The Transformation of American Religion: How We Actually Live Our Faith," says Osteen is in a bind. ''If he weren't as upbeat, he wouldn't be as popular," Wolfe says. ''The cost of being positive is you don't have as much to offer in purely religious terms. That's a difficult dilemma. I can't say which is better. But, clearly, if he preaches a stricter message, he will get a smaller audience."

I concur Joel Osteen’s message is watered down or as I prefer to call it Kool Aid. It is sweet and tastes good but it has little nutritional value. Conversely, I disagree with Alan Wolfe that he could not teach a stricter Biblical message and still be popular. I was an assistant pastor with a mega church that was known for hard hitting messages. People do not mind being challenged if the message will help them in their walk with God.

In the November/December 2004 issue of Door Magazine, a Christian satire magazine published by Trinity, a spoof appeared of Osteen's top 12 sermon titles. They included: ''Everybody Shout Happy-Lujah!" and ''I Once Was Lost But Now I Smile."

Despite the criticisms, however, Anthony concedes that after years of investigating Lakewood, ''I have never found any fraud with Joel."

ACLU fights 1-minute statement

WorldNetDaily: ACLU fights 1-minute statement:

"ACLU fights 1-minute statement

District wants students informed that alternatives exist

A Pennsylvania school district sued by the ACLU for a controversial change to its biology curriculum sought judgment in its favor in federal court.

The Dover Area School District, represented by the Thomas More Law Center, became the first in the nation officially to inform biology students of the theory of intelligent design as an alternative to Darwin's theory of Evolution.

The new policy requires teachers to read a one-minute statement at the beginning of biology classes explaining evolution is a theory that continues to be tested and informing students of alternatives.

As WorldNetDaily reported, the American Civil Liberties Union is challenging the new policy in a federal lawsuit, although it decided not to go forward with a request for a temporary restraining order to block its implementation at the beginning of the school term this year.

Teachers said they would not read the required statement, but the assistant superintendent carried out the reading Jan. 26 to two biology classes at Dover High School"

Morning-after pill OK'd

Eyes on Romney as morning-after pill OK'd - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Mass. - News:
"Eyes on Romney as morning-after pill OK'd
House approves bill increasing access

Massachusetts lawmakers yesterday approved a measure that would allow pharmacists to dispense the ''morning-after pill' without a prescription and require hospitals to offer it to rape victims, setting the stage for Governor Mitt Romney's first major decision on an issue that many conservatives link to abortion."

This is wrong in two areas. First if conception has taken place this pill aborts the child. It is still murder no matter how small a person is or if they are dependent on another. We all know this.

The second area is not discussed as much. The use of this pill is also unholy. Being unholy or unconsecrated means to live in an ungodly manner. For example course jesting or a joke that is unkind to a person would be unholy. This joke may not use foul language or be sexually suggestive yet it is still unholy. Being unholy is being the opposite of God. We are to be godly not ungodly.

Being ungodly means to move away from God to our base nature. We become more like animals than God in our nature. We are to strive to be Christ like. In contrast, many animals disregard or abandon of their young. Many animals dispose of or eat their young. Therefore to have such disregard for our children so we can have sex without consequence is unholy. With the legalizing of this pill we are moving into unholy areas. We are condoning acting like animals.

Chaplain’s log

Chaplain’s log

I won’t be Blogging Friday so I thought I would do so tonight. I will be fishing.

It was a rough night last night. I was duty chaplain for APD and received a call out about midnight. It was to a fatal traffic accident. When I arrived I was directed to drive under the police caution tape as an officer lifted it up. Off in the distance I could see the lights of a police cruiser illuminating the outline of a vehicle that was upside down. I knew this was going to be bad. We are not called out to simple fender benders.

There was only one auto involved in the crash. The CSI approached me with information he knew I would need to contact the family. I was shocked to observe the driver’s license of a teen only one year younger than my own. He was about the same build and height as my son. To make matters worst he had the same first name.

I chocked up for a moment as a flood of emotion hit me. This could be my son. Life is so fragile. How in the world am I going to tell his parents? I took a moment to text my oldest. R U home? I am on a call. He did not respond immediately. He must still be at work.

After I took the information I approached the car but kept my distance outside the investigation area. I shined my light on the young man. I was not curious nor do I delight in such a thing. I just know by experience that when I tell his mother she will not believe me unless I can tell her that I actually did see her son.

The officers are always very caring wanting to inform the family before they hear it on the news or from a friend. An officer drove with me to the address on the driver’s license only to find that the house was empty. We had to have the dispatcher locate the new number and address. We drove to the new location. By this time it was 1:00 AM.

We arrived on location and were greeted outside by a frantic mom whose son had not come home from work yet. It always looks bad when an officer and a chaplain show up together. She was already pale from fear. I had her sit down and then I confirmed that she did have a son whose name and description matched that of the dead young man.

There is no painless way to tell a mom that the child she gave birth to and loved so dearly is gone. She was in shock and denial for a short while. The father was traveling in another state. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed him but then could not speak being overcome with emotion. She handed the phone to me. Her husband’s voice was in a panic by being called at such a late hour by his wife. It shocked him to hear a man’s voice on the other end of his wife’s phone.

Sir, this is APD Chaplain Thom. No, sir your wife is OK. There is nothing wrong with her. Sir she just handed the phone to me because of what has happened to your son. Sir if you will calm down I will explain. Are you sitting down? You are not driving are you? Sir, there is no easy way to tell you this but your son died in an auto accident tonight. Yes, we are sure it is him. No Sir, there was no other vehicle involved. Yes sir, he was wearing his seat belt. Sir, I am so very sorry for your loss.

I had to look toward the sky as one does to fight back tears. I need to be compassionate but I cannot break down on this family. They need help and answers. I released the officer so he could go back to more pressing duty. He shook my hand, said nothing but the wetness in his eyes told me everything. He was just starting his shift and this was the first call of the night.

I stayed another half hour with the mom covering the morbid details of what the Medical Examiner’s office will need to do so the body can be released and what she needs to know when contacting a funeral home. I consoled her the best I could and excused myself. As I left I thought of my son and if he was home yet. I did not look at the map for the quickest way home. I just drove and main streets in that general direction.

My phone rang. I thought it might be my son responding to my text message but it was the grieving mother I had just left. Scott here. Ah, yes Mam. No your sister is caring but incorrect. You do not need to identify the body. No Mam, I am sure. Pause. . . . Yes, I did see him. It is your son. I am sorry. It is no problem. Call me if you need me I am on duty all night.

As I pulled into my driveway there he was just getting out of his car. Man, they had us stay late to clean the grill because they are having some kind of inspection tomorrow. Then looking at his phone he said, "yea dad I’m home".

6.5M South Africans May Have HIV

Study: 6.5M South Africans May Have HIV - Yahoo! News:
"6.5M South Africans May Have HIV

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - More than 6.5 million of South Africa's 47 million people could be infected with HIV, according to a government report released Monday, a sharp increase from previous estimates.

A 2004 Health Department survey of more than 16,000 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics indicated between 6.29 million and 6.57 million South Africans were infected with the virus that causes AIDS, compared to 5.6 million in 2003."

This statistic continues to rise each year. Some predict that by the year 2010 one third of South Africans will die from AIDS related sicknesses. This is happening despite millions of dollars of aid going to South Africa to stop or slow the spread of AIDS. China and Indonesia are facing a high rate of infection. They both have established AIDS colonies like the old leper colonies.

Suspect in Dutch filmmaker's murder makes dramatic court room confession

Suspect in Dutch filmmaker's murder makes dramatic court room confession:
"Suspect in Dutch filmmaker's murder makes dramatic court room confession

The man accused of killing Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh confessed to a Dutch court that he acted out of his religious beliefs, saying he would do 'exactly the same' if he were ever set free.

'I take complete responsibility for my actions. I acted purely in the name of my religion,' 27-year-old Dutch-Moroccan national Mohammed Bouyeri told the court in Amsterdam on the final day of his trial.

Prosecutor Frits van Straelen demanded a life sentence for Bouyeri for killing Van Gogh on an Amsterdam street on November 2, 2004. He recalled the particular brutality of the murder in broad daylight saying Bouyeri not only shot Van Gogh 15 times but also stabbed him and finally slit his throat.

According to the prosecutor the murder of Van Gogh, an outspoken columnist who often criticised Islam and the multi-cultural society, deeply shocked Dutch society.

The killing -- which happened in plain view of more than 50 witnesses while the filmmaker was cycling to work -- stoked ethnic tensions and sparked a wave of reprisal attacks primarily directed at the Muslim community here.

In addition to a life sentence, the prosecution also demanded that Bouyeri be stripped of his right to vote or stand for election for the rest of his life, 'to literally place him outside of our democracy'.

After the prosecution's closing statement Bouyeri, who had refused to say anything about his motives during the trial, took the opportunity to make a final statement.

'I can assure you that one day, should I be set free, I would do exactly the same, exactly the same,' he said, speaking slowly in sometimes halted Dutch.

He said he felt an obligation to Van Gogh's mother Anneke, present in court, to speak, but offered no sympathy.

'I have to admit I do not feel for you, I do not feel your pain, I cannot -- I don't know what it is like to lose a child,' he said as Van Gogh's family and friends looked on.

'I cannot feel for you ... because I believe you are an infidel,' he added."

This was not reported in the Main Stream Press. You could catch it on some cable channels but that was about it. This shows the mentality of the extremists of this religion. People need to understand that this is not a simple conflict where you can appease those who seek to do us harm. They feel they are serving god by killing others.

Military's Energy-Beam Weapons Delayed

Military's Energy-Beam Weapons Delayed - Yahoo! News:

"Military's Energy-Beam Weapons Delayed

By BRIAN BERGSTEIN,

ARLINGTON, Va. - For years, the U.S. military has explored a new kind of firepower that is instantaneous, precise and virtually inexhaustible: beams of electromagnetic energy. 'Directed-energy' pulses can be throttled up or down depending on the situation, much like the phasers on 'Star Trek' could be set to kill or merely stun.
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Such weapons are now nearing fruition. But logistical issues have delayed their battlefield debut — even as soldiers in
Iraq encounter tense urban situations in which the nonlethal capabilities of directed energy could be put to the test.

'It's a great technology with enormous potential, but I think the environment's not strong for it,' said James Jay Carafano, a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation who blames the military and Congress for not spending enough on getting directed energy to the front. 'The tragedy is that I think it's exactly the right time for this.'

The hallmark of all directed-energy weapons is that the target — whether a human or a mechanical object — has no chance to avoid the shot because it moves at the speed of light. At some frequencies, it can penetrate walls.

Since the ammunition is merely light or radio waves, directed-energy weapons are limited only by the supply of electricity. And they don't involve chemicals or projectiles that can be inaccurate, accidentally cause injury or violate international treaties.

'When you're dealing with people whose full intent is to die, you can't give people a choice of whether to comply,' said George Gibbs, a systems engineer for the Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad Program who oversees directed-energy projects. 'What I'm looking for is a way to shoot everybody, and they're all OK.'

Almost as diverse as the electromagnetic spectrum itself, directed-energy weapons span a wide range of incarnations.

Among the simplest forms are inexpensive, handheld lasers that fill people's field of vision, inducing a temporary blindness to ensure they stop at a checkpoint, for example. Some of these already are used in Iraq."



Well, beam me up Scotty.

Christian Rock Industry Going Strong After 40 Years - Farwell to Larry Norman

VOA News - Christian Rock Industry Going Strong After 40 Years:
"Christian Rock Industry Going Strong After 40 Years

Late last month in his hometown of Salem, Oregon, Larry Norman gave his last U.S. concert.

Most people do not know who Mr. Norman is. But more and more Americans are becoming familiar with his legacy. The 58-year-old singer is widely considered to be the 'father of Christian Rock.' He was the first person to achieve commercial success by combining Christian lyrics with rock and roll music. And while Larry Norman may be retiring, the musical genre he helped to create back in 1966 continues to rock on. Just ask the 80,0000 people who have gathered on a warm summer evening in Central Pennsylvania for a concert.

More broadly referred to as "Contemporary Christian Music," the industry posted more than $700 million in sales last year. That is more than the jazz, classical, Latin, and soundtrack industries combined. The music itself is not all that different from what you might hear on a Top-40 radio station in the United States. But the lyrics -- and the lifestyles led by these musicians -- set Christian rock bands apart.

Instead of singing about drugs or sex or violence, Christian bands often refer to "God" or "the Creator" or "Jesus" in their songs. Brian Newell,30, says that is why he listens. "When I was not in my life with Christ, I used to love [the secular band] 'Nine Inch Nails,'" he says. "They knew all my problems. The only difference was they didn't have any solution." He laughs. "They weren't telling you that there was hope. They weren't telling you that there was a way to persevere, a way to go forward."

Christian music has come a long way since the sixties. I am glad our kids have really good and inspiring music to listen to.

Elizabethtown Christians leave Episcopal Church over Gay Biship

Lexington Herald-Leader | 07/07/2005 | Elizabethtown Christians leave Episcopal Church:

"Elizabethtown Christians leave Episcopal Church

TIES ARE CUT OVER ORDINATION OF GAY BISHOP

ELIZABETHTOWN - A new congregation will meet Sunday after some former members of Christ Church decided to leave partly over the way the Episcopal Church is dealing with gays.

Holy Apostles, the new church, is being formed by more than 100 former members of Christ Church in Elizabethtown. The group is the first to break away in the Diocese of Kentucky, which includes Louisville and the western part of the state.

The appointment of Lexington native V. Gene Robinson, who is openly gay, as bishop for the Diocese of New Hampshire was the 'catalytical event' in the formation of Holy Apostles, said the Rev. Kent Litchfield, its founding pastor.

Robinson's ordination was supported in 2003 by Bishop Edwin 'Ted' Gulick and other representatives of the Diocese of Kentucky.

Litchfield, 66, retired as rector of Christ Church last month. Litchfield's church will be part of the Anglican Communion Network, an American-based group that formed after Robinson's ordination, and it will be under the bishop of Bolivia.

Starting the new church is 'about the authority of Scripture,' Litchfield said. '... We're trying to get back to the authority of Scripture.'

He said the Episcopal Church is acquiescing to cultural pressures and has lost its moral high ground."

That sound is me clapping and tipping my hat to those who will follow Christ and not the politically correct crowd. These denominations that have compromised the Word of God and their beliefs will continue to lose members. People don’t want compromise. They want the truth. Apparently these church leaders cannot handle the truth. They care more about what other men think about them then what God thinks. They need to be more like Jesus and gain His reputation.

(Mat 22:16 NKJV) And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.

Jesus would Vote with Me in Favour of Gay 'Marriage' Says Canadian Senator

Jesus would Vote with Me in Favour of Gay 'Marriage' Says Canadian Senator:
"Jesus would Vote with Me in Favour of Gay 'Marriage' Says Canadian Senator

OTTAWA, July 7, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Senator Marilyn Trenholme Counsell, in comments made during debate of the impending same-sex “marriage” legislation Wednesday, made the astonishing claim that Jesus Christ would have voted in favour of the legislation as she did.

Senator Trenholme“As a Christian, I often ask myself ‘what would Jesus do?’” she said, reiterating a maxim often heard in Christian circles. She answered her question with, “In this case, in this time, I believe he would say yes.” Trenholme Counsell, as LifeSiteNews.com learned from the Senator’s assistant Rebecca Menard, was originally Baptist but converted to Anglicanism when she was married.

“After all,” the Chretien-appointed Liberal from New Brunswick claimed, “we have come a long way from Old Testament days when adulterers were put to death; and we have come a long way in our understanding of human sexuality.”

As Robert A.J. Gagnon of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary explained to Zenit news, the Old Testament in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 declared homosexuality a capital offence, describing it as an “abomination” – something utterly loathsome to God. “The prohibition of same-sex intercourse is clearly picked up in the New Testament,” Gagnon added. “The basic categories of sexual immorality – such as same-sex intercourse, incest, solicitation of prostitutes, adultery, etc. – remained in place for believers in Christ.”

Trenholme Counsell, a physician, compared homosexuality to a “learning disability.” She added the unscientific claim that “One’s sexuality is as fundamental to who we are as the colour of our eyes and the shape of our hands,” implying that “sexuality” here refers to a tendency to either opposite sex or same-sex attraction. Because this same-sex attraction is immutable, her argument assumes, it would be cruel to expect persons with same-sex attraction to suppress those urges"

Well here we go again with politicians putting words in Jesus’ mouth. There is nothing in the Old or New Testament that you lead someone to believe Jesus would vote that way. The gay lifestyle is strictly and completely condemned by Scripture. To come up with any alternative interpretation would be a manipulation of Scripture and wishful thinking.

It is not loving to promote a lifestyle that is unhealthy, unnatural and spiritually condemned. This senator thinks she is being forward thinking and tolerant but she is ultimately hurting the same people she thinks she is helping. That senator is not loving and therefore is not what Jesus would do. Jesus wants the best for people even if what is best means they must repent and give up their lifestyle.

See here for the moral arguments against homosexuality.

See here for the Scriptural arguments against it.

See here for studies showing no link between genes and homosexuality.

Emergency Kit Effort Aims To Enlist Religious Leaders

Emergency Kit Effort Aims To Enlist Religious Leaders:

"Emergency Kit Effort Aims To Enlist Religious Leaders

By Sandhya Somashekhar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 30, 2005; Page VA03

People who work to promote residents' spiritual health are being asked to also promote their safety -- by helping them prepare for the chaos that can come with winter storms, hurricanes, terrorist attacks and other disasters.

A handful of church leaders and county officials have launched a campaign called 'Ready, Pack, Go,' encouraging families to assemble an emergency kit that includes food, water, blankets, clothes and other basics. Campaign organizers are holding a series of 10 training sessions over the course of the summer, tailoring them specifically for religious leaders in the community. Those leaders then will be expected to hold training sessions in their places of worship in September."

In light of the attacks in London we should all be prepared. Living in California with earthquakes, mudslides and fires made me stock up on supplies for disasters. Check out this site for great information.

United Church of Christ OK'ing 'gay' unions 'not true compassion'

WorldNetDaily: OK'ing 'gay' unions 'not true compassion':

"OK'ing 'gay' unions 'not true compassion'
Leading network of former homosexuals criticizes United Church's new resolution


A network of Christian groups that minister to homosexuals says the United Church of Christ's decision to endorse same-sex marriage lacks a truly compassionate approach to the issue.

About 80 percent of the representatives on the church's 884-member General Synod approved the resolution, which calls on members to consider wedding policies "that do not discriminate against couples based on gender."

It also asks churches to back legislation promoting same-sex marriage.

The evangelical network Exodus International believes churches must do more to reach out to homosexuals who feel alienated and excluded, but the United Church of Christ's decision is not the answer.

"Embracing homosexual unions, but abandoning the very truth that could change lives may be politically correct, but it is not true compassion," said Alan Chambers, a former homosexual who served as an associate pastor before becoming President of Exodus International.

"Homosexuals need to know they are welcome at their local church, but they also need to know that hundreds of thousands of us have found freedom from the isolation and emptiness we experienced in gay life through the power of Jesus Christ," he said."

True compassion and real love means that you tell people that their lifestyle will do them harm. People want the truth even if it is difficult to hear. We will now see an exodus from the United Church of Christ because of this decision. I predict they will lose about 100,000 members in the next eighteen months. They will then follow the trend of most main stream denominations and lose 6% of their people each year.

Newsday.com: The next Billy Graham? Religion experts say there won't be one

Newsday.com: The next Billy Graham? Religion experts say there won't be one:

"The next Billy Graham? Religion experts say there won't be one

By RACHEL ZOLL
AP Religion Writer

NEW YORK -- There are evangelical pastors who fill American megachurches each Sunday and others who sell millions of books. Some pack stadiums with their preaching. But none is likely to fill the singular role played by the Rev. Billy Graham, whose weekend revival meeting in Queens may well have been his last in the United States.

Evangelicalism _ and the nation _ have changed too much for one person to emerge as America's pastor the way Graham did, those who study U.S. religion say.

'So many different things went into the making of the influential figure that he was. It's hard to imagine they would come together in exactly the same way again,' said Mark Noll, an expert on American evangelicals at Wheaton College in Illinois.

Even Graham's children who became evangelists have no expectations of taking his place.

His son, the Rev. Franklin Graham, is president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and preaches around the world, but is known more for his international humanitarian work than his evangelism. He is also more outspoken than his father. He caused an uproar after Sept. 11, 2001, by calling Islam 'a very evil and wicked religion.'

A daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, is so popular among evangelicals that her revivals, mainly aimed at women, fill arenas. Yet many conservative Christians do not accept female preachers.

Noll said the elder Graham's ascendance was the result of his personal qualities, message and his era."



Billy Graham sure is special but don't believe that God does not have His men for this particular generation.

Student gets F grade for mentioning God

WorldNetDaily: Student gets F grade for mentioning God:

"Student gets F grade for mentioning God

'He told me you might as well write about the Easter Bunny'



Bethany Hauf of Apple Valley, Calif., examines her report 'In God We Trust' (photo: Victor Valley Daily Press)


A college in southern California is now investigating the case of a student who says she was given an F for mentioning "God" against the expressed wishes of her atheist instructor.

Bethany Hauf, a freshman at Victor Valley Community College near San Bernadino, wrote the G-word 41 times in a paper titled "In God We Trust," examining the role of religion in government.

She included "God" despite being told not to by adjunct English instructor Michael Shefchik.

"He said it would offend others in class," Hauf, 34, told the Daily Press. "I didn't realize God was taboo."

The mother of four from Apple Valley, Calif., is now demanding an apology from the school, as well as a regrading of her 10-page report.

"I don't lose my First Amendment rights when I walk into that college," she said. "


If God doesn't exist then what is the professor afraid of?

Evolution poll shows majority want change

Wichita Eagle Evolution poll shows majority want change:

"Evolution poll shows majority want change

Respondents to a recent poll say they want schools to teach more than just theories on evolution.

BY JOSH FUNK

The Wichita Eagle

A majority of Kansans polled say they want public schools to either allow evolution to be criticized or teach other theories alongside it in science classes.

And more than one-third of the respondents say the Bible's story of creation is the best explanation for the origin of life.

Those findings are part of a poll about evolution conducted June 14-16 for The Wichita Eagle and the Kansas City Star.

The results offer encouragement to proponents of the state's proposed new science standards, which are critical of how evolution is taught.

But evolution proponents see the results as proof that the average Kansan doesn't know much about science.

Some groups who criticize the state board's conservative majority for its recent hearings on evolution have given up on this year's standards review because to them the changes in the standards seem inevitable. And they are already planning for the 2006 elections, when five board members will be up for re-election.

The latest draft of the proposed science standards includes several criticisms of evolution suggested by intelligent design proponents during hearings in May."


Why are they so worried to have scientific discussion on the origin of life? If evolution is so rock solid why not allow public debate and investigation? Maybe their foundation is flawed and cracked. Well I say pull up the rug and let’s have a look.