Yaaaay!!!! Christian violence in the news!! Christians – what is your take?

First story:

http://www.ktvu.com/news/22637702/detail.html?treets=fran&tid=2656403492813&tml=fran_12pm&tmi=fran_12pm_1_02000202232010&ts=H

Prosecutors say that a Christian cult leader ordered her followers to starve a 1yo boy to death, because he failed to say “Amen” before eating. When he died, they prayed for his resurrection – and when he failed to come back to life, the leader blamed the child’s mother. Saddest part – the mother is so deluded that she has agreed to testify against the cult leader, but on one condition – if her son actually resurrects, her testimony is null and void… I guess it is safe to assume she will be testifying…

Second article:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100223/world/cb_haiti_earthquake_13

Evangelical Christians attack VooDoo practitioners in Haiti. According to the article, all kinds of Christian missionaries are flocking to Haiti in hopes of salvaging some souls. I thought this comment reveals a particularly insidious plan on behalf of the Christians going down there:

“There’s absolutely a heightened spiritual conflict between Christianity and Voodoo since the quake,” said Pastor Frank Amedia of the Miami-based Touch Heaven Ministries who has been distributing food in Haiti and proselytizing.

“We would give food to the needy in the short term but if they refused to give up Voodoo, I’m not sure we would continue to support them in the long term because we wouldn’t want to perpetuate that practice. We equate it with witchcraft, which is contrary to the Gospel.”

Give em food in the short term – but force them to give up their beliefs if they want any further aid. That is freaking SHAMEFUL.

I wonder how that Pastor would feel if Doctors Without Borders refused to give any medical care to a Christian until they denounced their faith….
No Chance – do you mean THIS story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100224/ap_on_re_us/us_texas_church_fires;_ylt=AnSA116SdEF.KUVOZtni2dzs.6F4;_ylu=X3oDMTNhcWdkcGNxBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMjI0L3VzX3RleGFzX2NodXJjaF9maXJlcwRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzcEcG9zAzcEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNyZXBvcnRjaHVyY2g-

Or did you learn of the burnings via psychic visions??

To the rest of you – good call on the No True Scotsman fallacy being thrown around…

Have any of you other Christians felt “out of the norm”?

Is there any other christians out there that feel like they are out of the norm?

I go to church and I see all these women who enjoy sewing, make-up and shopping and are…well girly. I’m exactly the opposite that I feel like I’m breaking some Christian rule. I’m a paleantologist, I dive with sharks, I sky-dive and I know how to fix cars the same way I know how to cook.

Is it bad for a christian woman to be so… unormal? I feel like all I don’t fit in with the Christian community, expecially the Christian women. So many of them are stay-at-home moms, yet I am a working mom. I actually take my children with me to the dig sites(I have to travel) because they need their mommy.

Is it ok to be so…unwomanly? Did God create me to be so unormal?
@:)))), I live in the states but I travel a lot. =)

Thank you for all the answers guys. You really lifed my spirits/

Killing Christians

I was going to use the word “persecuting” rather than killing, but killing Christians (whether emotionally or physically) seems to fit better. People kill with theological and psychological purposes as well as physically. The community of people who immediately proclaimed “Jesus is Lord” (after His resurrection) went from the simplistic, “I baptize you in the name of Jesus”, to fall in line with the established orthodoxy or die! All in less than 400 years!

The early, early Christians felt that Jesus was coming back soon! Well, soon has come and gone for nearly 2,000 years now. The intense expectation of His immediate return having been twarted, brought a degree of sadness and sorrow. However, the community of believers remembered His commands- LOVE ONE ANOTHER. And so they did!

As the years passed there was felt a need to record and identify what it was that they “believed” and so simple manifestations of “beliefs” were propogated. But as Hans Kung wrote, “The original confessions of faith were in no way concerned with dogmas in the present-day sense: they were not doctrinal LAWS. Rather, they were free confessions of the faith community.”

But then religious leaders developed “councils” that were to formulize those minimal beliefs. Most people didn’t understand the complexities of what was soon to become othodox, and to part from the orthodox became an increasing problem. The highly complex trinitarian concpet was not of any important to the common lay person, but of utmost seriousness between the warring religious parties and groups.

The trance of separation was now on!

Finally, Theodosius the Great (what a play on words) made Christianity the state religion, the Catholic church the state church, and of course all who departed from any such newly formulated beliefs were HERETICS and that would now be a crime against the Roman empire (state). And now the real war was on- the religious war(s).

All gnositic works had to be destroyed.

Christians who 350 years earlier simply loved each other (in the name of Jesus), were now killing other Christians who believed differently- who had a difference in faith, though both somehow following the same man. Of coruse that led to the killing of those pesky Jews which still goes on today.

And while it’s a crime for a Christian today to physically kill another Christian, it’s fair game to call all those who have a different view than theirs (can you san fundamentalists) as: heretics, cults, unsaved, or any number of edifying words. We need to get back to “God is love” and any form of hatred is not God!

And we need to do it quickly!

ernie@lrchouston.com

Drug Rehab Offers Christians New Hope

Christians with rehab and drug abuse issues are eager to understand them, treat them, and to resume a fully productive and satisfying Christ-centered life.


I. How Drug Abuse Starts for Christians


There are many reasons that can contribute to using illegal drugs, and abusing prescription drugs.


Hostility, Anger, or Resentment: When we feel others have power over us, it can feel oppressive, unfair, or unjust. Resentment and anger can build up inside of us, until the point where we can hardly stand it. We want to strike out against those who hurt us, either literally or figuratively.


Retaliation and Pushing Back: We may feel aggressive and frustrated. We want to be more in charge of the situation, but feel we are not. We figure if someone hurts us, we will just push the other way, and hurt them back.


Burying and Hiding Feelings: We try to avoid getting into trouble or confronting our feelings by lying about what is going on. We lie to ourselves and we lie to others. (Me upset? No, I am not upset!) And so, our emotions are hidden deeper and deeper under our facade of lies.


Blaming Others: When things do not go our way, we try to maintain our self-esteem by making it appear to be the fault of someone else. We try to make somebody else look bad.


Reactive Domination: Sometimes when we feel we are not in charge, we try to reverse the situation by acting like we are the Arnold Schwartzenegger of the universe. We act like we are in charge, but deep inside we know we are just fearful. This dichotomy between these two personas, makes us feel bad, and contributes to our guilt and unhappiness.


II. What Happens Next In Christian Drug Use


As the devil of substance abuse begins to enter our life, we are still trying to cope.


We try everything:

– Avoiding time at home.

– Running away for the weekend.

– Making up fantasies that our life is different.

– Daydreaming.

– Sleeping excessively.

– Avoiding human contact.

– Watching television or playing video games.

– Staying at work.

– Keeping to ourselves.

– Pretending we are sick.

– Drifting into depression.


III. When Christians Need Drug Rehab


When you see that drugs are entering your life, and your life as you knew it is vanishing away, that is the time to consider drug rehabb.


Denying that you need help is the greatest hazard. Do not wait until you have lost everything. As soon as you recognize the land mines in your life, seek out a drug rehab.


In looking for a drug rehabilitation program, Christians should utilize the most current information available. Searching the World Wide Web (Internet) may be helpful.


The most important thing for Christians is to search for appropriate treatment for drug dependence, and get signed up as soon as possible. You life could depend on it.

Sobriety comes one step at a time. You are invited to continue learning about Christian drug rehab and how
Christians in recovery .

Why Christians Fail at Internet Marketing

Unfortunately, the Christian is wrong on both accounts. Christians are willing to pay for good content and services online, but sadly enough, there are very few good Christian services online. Why? Because marketers, both Christian and Secular alike, have assumed that Christians will not pay for online products, because they are unwilling to spend money online. That is the problem. While many Christians, in the early years of the Internet, may have been reluctant to spend money online, with the advent of better Internet filters and screening software, more Christians are spending time online. I contend that the only reason they don’t spend more money online is because of the dearth of good Christian content online. I believe there is a conspicuous absence of good Christian content online, and I believe that those who step up in 2006 and supply the content will get rich doing it.

That may be a bold statement, and some of you will quit reading right now. Go ahead.

Those of you who are still reading, think about this for a moment. When is the best time to get involved in a new window of opportunity? When it first becomes a new window of opportunity, right? I contend that this year, 2006, will be a break-out year for Christian online marketing and sales.

Now, get me right here. I do NOT mean more Ponzi schemes and multi-level games. I mean good, Christian, grounded, chockful-of-useful-information web-based content. Content like information materials that teach about popular Christian topics like Christian self-improvement, Christian dating, Christian success, and Christian values. Products like Christian books, Christian videos, Christian web-sites, Christian marketing tools, and Christian studies.

Another vital point here. These products must be two things: 1) Bona-fide faith-based products that are not ashamed of the Christian identity and 2) High-quality products that contain as much or more good content as a competing secular product. You cannot think that just because a Christian sees a product with a Christian label that that will close the sale. It must be worth every penny you price it at.

If you want to get involved in Christian Internet Marketing, now is the time. Do it.

For More Article Visit :: http://www.thearticleinsiders.com/

Christians & Halloween: a Few Halloween Celebration Alternatives for Christians!

1. Host a Family Game Night

Chances are, your homeschoolers will be longingly gazing out their bedroom on windows on October 31st unless you make your own fun indoors. A family game night is a wonderful way to have safe, Godly fun. Dust off the board games, pop some popcorn, and get ready for an evening of friendly competition. Candy prizes and autumn themed treats like candy apples and pumpkin pie will help your kids forget about trick-or-treating. You can also get together with other homeschooling families for a homeschool vs. homeschool showdown. Be sure to have at least one family member at the door to pass out candy. The last thing you want to do is come off as strange and unfriendly. There’s nothing wrong with passing out candy, and you can also pass out tracts with a friendly smile. Don’t shut yourself in and ignore your neighbors.

2. Go to a Harvest Party

When my kids think of Halloween they think of our church’s annual Harvest Party. This fun-filled evening occurs every October 31st as a safe, fun Halloween alternative. Races, leaf piles, corn mazes, and more fill the night with glee. There are candy prizes in each room in addition to larger prizes like video games, Bibles, and scooters. Believe it or not, my homeschoolers actually prefer going to the Harvest party over trick-or-treating. If your church doesn’t hold a Halloween alternative, meet up with your fellow homeschooling parents to brainstorm.

3. Cosmic Bowling Night

Most bowling alleys are open late into the night with florescent lights and strobes. Cosmic bowling is a great activity for those who wish to avoid Halloween festivities. Bowling alleys are usually empty on October 31st. This is a great opportunity for family-friendly bowling competition. You can even get together with other homeschool families and make teams. The Johnsons vs. the Thompsons! Go wild with uniforms, team names, and colors.

4. Throw a Costume Party

Just because trick-or-treaters dress up on Halloween doesn’t mean your youngsters can’t. Why not have a themed costume party with Biblical or historical figures? A friend of mine throws a party each year for homeschoolers. Last year she had a Noah’s Ark party. Each child dressed up as an animal for an impromptu play based on the story of Noah’s Ark. Just make sure you specify that all costumes must be appropriate for a Halloween Alternative. You don’t want any zombies crashing your party!

5. Carve Pumpkins

Carving pumpkins can be a fun day-long activity for creative homeschoolers. They don’t have to represent the souls of the undead as long as you don’t want them to! Take your homeschoolers out to a pumpkin patch to pick their favorite pumpkins. Mix it up with gourds and squashes. Draw some goofy faces and carve out silly creations. You can even write inspirational messages in the pumpkins for inquisitive passers by. Make sure to hang on to those squishy pumpkin seeds. You can throw them into the oven and dry them out for a crispy treat. Just add salt!

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children’s rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.


Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation’s public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.


An accomplished author, Rothschild has written books regarding education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Homeschooling News Café Blog consists of the most current and relevant education news.