Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Several Items of Interest

Majority of Americans Think Religious Freedom is Fast Declining in U.S.
Slightly more than half of American adults, particularly Protestants and evangelicals, feel religious freedoms have grown worse in the last decade in the United States and forsee further restrictions in the years to come, according to a new study by the Bama Group and the Clapham Group, the Christian Post reports.  Twenty-nine percent say they are very concerned and 22 percent say they are somewhat concerned that religious freedom in the U.S will become more restricted in the next five years.  The survey found that 71 percent of evangelicals, 46 percent of practicing Protestants and 30 percent of practicing Catholics are "very concerned" about this prospect.  Concerns are not only the future of religious freedom, but also about the current level of restraints: 48 percent of practicing Protestants say they perceive religious freedom to have grown worse in recent years, while 60 percent of evangelicals perceive religious freedom to have grown worse.

Hundreds of Thousands in Paris Protest Gay Marriage
About 340,000 people converged on the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Sunday (Jan. 12) to protest a proposed gay marriage law, CBN News reports.  President Francois Hollande is planning to legalize same-sex marriage, but many of the country's Catholic bishops and other religious leaders are fighting the initiative.  Public opinion appears to be moving in their favor  -  a recent poll shows about 50 percent of French citizens support gay marriage, down from 65 percent  in August.  France has already legalized civil unions for same-sex couples, but the new law would give gay couples the right to adopt.  Those in support of traditional values insist children should be raised by a mother and a father.

New Jersey Substitute Teacher Fired for Giving Student a Bible
New Jersey's Phillipsburg School District Board has suspended a longtime middle school substitute teacher, Walter Tutka, for breaking two district policies  -  handing out religious literature on campus and not being neutral when talking about religious material  -  when he gave a student a Bible,WORLD News Service reports.  According to CitizenLink, the incident started last September when a student came to school late and Tutka, who was standing by the door of the building, said, "The first shall be last, but the last shall be first." When the student asked about the quote, Tutka said it came from the Bible.  Later, the student asked more questions about the quote, and Tutka had his Bible with him, so he showed the student the verse.  Then, after the student said he did not have a Bible,Tutka gave him his.  The board made its decision on Monday (Jan. 14), but Tutka and the Christian law firm Liberty Institute are consideraing an appeal or other action so he can keep his job.

Two North Korean Christians Killed for Their Faith
Open Doors USA has confirmed the death of two Christians in North Korea.  According to the ministry that serves persecuted Christians worldwide, one Christian was recently shot while he was on his way back to Bible training in China.  The other died in one of North Korea's notorious labor camps.  The first Christian "was very excited about his new faith and wanted to share the gospel with his family," said an Open Doors worker.  "He wanted to come back to China to study the Bible more so he could explain the Christian faith better to his family.  It is hearbreaking that he was killed.  I cannot stop thinking: 'If only he had arrived a little later at the border river, the guard would not have seen and shot him. He could still be alive today.'"  The second Christian, who also studied the Bible in China, recently died in a labor camp.  He had also studied the Bible in China, but after authorities found out about his secret faith after his return to North Korea, he was sent to prison.  "We just received an update that he was dead," said the Open Doors worker. "He was terribly tortured because of his faith.  He was also forced to do heavy labor while hardly receiving any food.  Before his return to North Korea, he was baptized and willing to deal with all the hardships he had to face . . . We are devastated to hear about these murders.  We know Christians die for their faith almost every day in North Korea, but it is still hard to deal with."

Muslims Demolish Church-Owned Building in Egypt
Hundreds of Muslims came out of mosques last week armed with hammers, and destroyed a social services building belonging to the Coptic Church while chanting Islamic slogans, ASSIST News Service reports.  Security forces arrived after the building was completely destroyed.  According to the Assyrian International News Agency, the 100-square-meter building in the village of Fanous  -  which had a reception hall on the first floor and a kindergarten on the second  -  had all the necessary government permits, but Muslims insisted the Christians were "building a church" and broadcast a message on loudspeakers to Muslims in surrounding villages to assist in destroying it.  A number of local Copts filed a police report, but no Muslim has been arrested.
  (Religion Today Daily Headlines, Jan 15 - 22, www.religiontoday@crosswalkmail.com)

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Texas Gov.Rick Perry Says Prayer, Not Gun Control, Key to Ending Violence

In response to President Barack Obama's unveiling of new gun legislation, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has recommended prayer instead of a change in gun laws to combat violence in the U.S. "There is evil prowling in the world  -  it shows up in our movies, video games and online fascinations, and finds its way into vulnerable hearts and minds," Perry said in a statement issued shortly after President Obama concluded his Wednesday (Jan. 16) press conference regarding gun legislation, according to the Houston Chronicle.

"As a free people, let us choose what kind of people we will be.  Laws, the only redoubt of secularism, will not suffice.  Let us all return to our places of worship and pray for help.  Above all, let us pray for our children," the governor and former GOP presidential candidate added.  Perry went on to criticize the "political left and their cohorts in the media" for using the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, in which 20 children and six adults were killed, as a tool for pushing their pre-existing political agenda regarding gun control.

On Wednesday (Jan. 16) President Obama introduced a series of Congressional measures supplemented by 23 executive actions which addressed the issues of gun control within law enforcement, the availability of dangerous firearms and ammunition,school safety and mental health, according to The Huffington Post.  Obama proposed background checks on all gun sales as well as the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban which expired in 2004, as part of the package aimed at reducing gun violence in the country.

The president's proposed pacakge comes after a one-month review process of current gun legislation spearheaed byVice President Joe Biden.  Republican lawmakers have rejected Obama's new proposals, arguing that they are unconstitutional in that they do not abide by the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
"Nothing the president is proposing would have stopped the massacre at Sandy Hook," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, said in a statement, as reported by CNN.  "President Obama is targeting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens instead of seriously addressing the real underlying causes of such violence," added Rubio,who is considered by many to be an up-and-coming GOP leader.

Others have commended the president's proposals, arguing that addressing gun control is the most logical and effective way to end gun violence.  Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-New York, whose husband was killed in the 1993 shooting on a Long Island commuter train, told CNN that she believes the U.S. poplulation has become more in favor of gun control since the Sandy Hook school shootings, and the tragedy has "gone to the heart of every mother, father, grandparent thinking about their children and grandchildren.  we have to do something," McCarthy added.

President Obama's recent gun control package has been labeled by some media outlets as possibly the most sweeping legislation of this generation, and critics contend that his call for restrictions on certain semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines will receive strong objections in both the House of Representatives and Senate.
  (Katherine Weber, The Christian Post, Jan. 22, 2013, www.christianpost.com/news)

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Washington's Inauguration

As we enter a new year and inaugurate America's president, it is a pertinent exercise to review the words and actions of our Founding Fathers.

The conclusion of President George Washington's inauguration speech provides a glimpse into his heart as he prayed the following words: "Almighty God, we make our earest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brothery affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large.
   "And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.  Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Might it be a worthy exercise for the modern-day believer to join withh our first president to pray similarly?  George Washington and the people of the newly minted United States of America understood the need for protection during war, famine, and difficult winters.  Even as our lives are much more comfortable today, let us join our Founding Fathers by remembering that we depend on God for food, shelter, and safety.

Secondly, a "spirit of subordination and obedience to government" is essential.  Today, our first inclination may be to pray the exact opposite.  During the early days of the United States, the colonists struggled for unity over what was best for the country.  A lack of agreement was as commonplace then as it is now.  A call to pray for unity is just as urgent in this generation as it was in the 18th century.

PresidentWashngton also prayed for a "brotherly affection and love for each other."  This petition could not be more imperative than it is now.  We live in a day of bitter political rivalry and partisanship.  Our founding president prayed that we would not only love each other, which can be a rational choice, but also have affection for each other, which is a choice of the heart.

President Washington then circled back to the work of our hands as he requested that God would "cause us to do acts of justice and mercy." The words of Micah 6:8 run through our heads as we read this phrase.  If God has done anything through this country, it is to have answered this prayer.  We have been the defenders of justice for the life of our nation, and we have become known as a nation that brings mercy to those who need it.

Our first president knew that our heart attitudes are most critical.  Only the finest attitudes are rooted in the character of God, and George Washinton was aware of this when he asked for the disposition of "charity, humility and a pacific temper."  Charity, the disposition of providing for others first; humility, the disposition of preferring others first; and patience, the disposition of a pacific temper.

Our first president asked that all of this would be granted "through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Notice that the reference to Jesus Christ is not just religious lip service, (used too often), but in the first inauguration, George Washington recognized that it was through Jesus Christ that prayers are answered.  Jesus was His given name, and "Christ" was the descriptor of His role as our Savior and Lord.

Christ's place over our nation and all of creation is profound. During this month of inauguration, please join me in praying as our first president prayed.
   (David Kubat, Intercessors for America, Jan. 2013, www.IFAPray.org)

Monday, January 21, 2013

Persecution: Psalm 119:161

Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
         Psalm 119:161

David here lets us know, 1. How he was discouraged in his duty by the fear of man; Princes persecuted him.  They looked upon him as a traitor and an enemy to the government, and under that notion sought his life, and bade him go serve other gods, 1 Sam. 26:19.  It has been the common lot of the best men to be persecuted; and the case is the worse if princes be the persecutors, for they have not only the sword in their hand,and therefore can do the more hurt, but they have the law on their side, and can do it with reputation and a colour of justice.  It is sad that the power which magistrates have from God, and should use for him, should ever be employed against him.  But marvel not at the matter, Eccl. 5:8.  It was a comfort to David that when princes persecuted him he could truly say it was without cause, he never gave them any provocation.  2. How he was kept to his duty, notwithstanding, by the fear of God: "They would make me stand in awe of them and their word, and do as they bid me; but my heart stands in awe of thy word,and I am resolved to please God, and keep in with him, whoever is displeased and falls out with me."  Every gracious soul stands in awe of the word of God, of the authority of its precepts and the terror of its threatenings; and to those that do so nothing appears, in the power and wrath of man, at all formidable.  We ought to obey God rather than men,and to make sure of God's favour, though we throw ourselves under the frowns of all the world, Luke 12:4,5.  The heart that stands in awe of God's word is armed against the temptations that arise from persecution. 
   (Matthew Henry, 1710,  Matthew Henry's Commentary)

Friday, January 18, 2013

Several Items of Interest

Poll: More Than One-third of Americans See Signs of End Times in Extreme Weather
More than a third of Americans  -  36 percent  -  believe the severity of recent natural disasters is evidence that we are the "end times" described in the New Testament, the Religion News Service reports. "There is a significant proportion of Americans who see these phenomena through a theological lens," said Daniel Cox of the Public Religion Research Institute.  "It's hardly a fringe belief.  It's nealry four in 10 Americans who are embracing this."  The conviction is particularly strong among white evangelical Protestants (65 percent), and less common among Catholics (21 percent) and the religiously unaffiliated (15 percent).  But a majority of Americans connect recent extreme weather to climate change: 63 percent say the severity of recent weather is evidence of global warming, compared to 33 percent who disagree.  Cox noted religious divisions among Americans on recent destructive storms, floods, snowstorms and heat waves.  Sixty-nine percent of religiously unaffiliated Americans link dramatic weather to global warming, compared to 60 percent of Catholics and 50 percent of white evangelicals.  "They're experiencing the same weather, but how they perceive it is very different," Cox said.  The differences among Democrats and Republicans are even starker, with 70 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of independents saying unusual weather patterns are evidence of global warming, compared to 43 percent of Republicans.  The survey also found that 29 percent of Americans believe God sometimes punishes nations for the political decisions of their leaders, though 65 percent reject this idea.

Out-of-Wedlock Births Society's  "New Norm"
The number of children being born outside of marriage has increased sharply, according to a new study by the National Marriage Project and the Institute for American Values, CBN News reports.  The report focuses on what it calls "middle America," the nearly 60 percent of Americans who complete high school but not college.  Among that group, 44 percent of children are now born outside of marriage  -  up from 13 percent in the 1980s.  "Marriage in middle America is at a tipping point, with unwed childbearing threatening to become a new norm," said study co-author Brad Wilcox.  Research shows children born or raised outside of marriage are more likely to suffer from a range of social and emotional problems, including drug use,depression, attempted suicide and dropping out of high school.

Islamist Constitution SpellsTrouble for Egypt's Christians
Egypt has approved a new, pro-Islamist constitution, and Christians and other minorities foresee bleak and repressive days ahead, Patheos.com reports.  Voter turnout in the two-stage nationwide referendum was reportedly limited, and Christians were particularly underrepresented  -  as low as 7 percent in some areas.  Intimidation from Islamists kept many away from the polls, and in one instnace, an estimated 50,000 pro-constitution Egyptians marched through Christian areas of the city of Assiut before the election.  Men on horseback with swords led the way  -  evoking the seventh-century Muslim conquest  -  as marchers chanted that Egypt would be "Islamic, Islamic, despite the Christians."  Under the new charter, the rights of Chirstians and other religious minorities are "undermined beyond salvage," says Hudson  Institute scholar Samuel Tadros.

Global Nones
Back in October the Pew Research Center released a report saying those who have no religious affiliation represent a growing number of Americans  -  perhaps as many as 45 million people.  This week, Pew widens the survey and says the trend is global.  One in six people worldwide answer "none" when asked for religious affiliation.  That makes the "nones' the third-largest group worldwide, behind only Christians (2.2 billion people) and Muslims (1.6 billion).  The study also notes that the world has about 1 billion Hindus and a half-billion Buddhists.
   (above articles from WORLD News Service)

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Did You Know?

Did you Know that as you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers?  And each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view . . it is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!

Did you Know that as you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door?

Did you Know that as you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the on wall, right above where the Supreme Court Judges sit, a display of the Ten Commandments?

Did you Know that there are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C.?

Did you Know that James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the following statement: "We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." ?

Did you Know that every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher, whose salary has been paid by the taxpayer since 1777?

Did you Know that fifty-two of the 56 founders of the Constitution were members of the established Orthodox churches in the colonies?

Did you Know that Thomas Jefferson worried that the Courts would overstep their authority and instead of interpreting the law would begin making law an oligarchy: the rule of few over many?

How then, have we gotten to the point that everything we have done for 220 years in this Country is now suddenly wrong and unconstitutional? Let's let the world see and remember what this great country was built on: The Holy Bible and belief in GOD!
  (sent to us via email)

Monday, January 14, 2013

West Point Dropout Blames Religion but Other Issues Involved

(World News Service)  -  A 24-year-old cadet dropped out of West Point this week (Dec. 7, 2012), less than six months before graduation, saying he could no longer be part of the school's Christian culture.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Blake Page criticized the U.S. Military Academy, where cadets stand silently for prayers, basic training instructors refer jokingly to nonreligious cadets as "heathens" and one officer told him he'd never be a leader until he filled the hole in his heart.


To those who want the nation's military to sever its ties to religion, Page is a hero.

"This is an extraordinary act of courage that I do compare directly to what Rosa Parks did," said Mikey Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an advocacy group with which Page was involved.  Weinstein considers Page's action a milestone in the fight against "fanatical religiosity" in the military.

But Page's decision may have had little to do with the academy's religious climate.

Page told the AP that he was medically disqualified this semester from receiving a commission in the Army as a second lieutenant  -  the commission his classmates will receive in May  -  because of clinical depression and anxiety.  He said his condition has gotten worse since his father killed himself last year.  He admitted West Point's determination he could not become an officer played a role in his public protest against what he calls the unconstitutional prevalence of religion in the military.

Even those who share Page's disdain for religion say his description of persecution at the academy might have gone too far.

Maj. Nicholas Utzig, the faculty adviser to West Point's Secular Student Alliance, for which Page served as president, said he doesn't doubt some of the moments Page described, but he doesn't believe systematic discrimination against nonreligious cadets exists.  "I think it represents his own personal experience and perhaps it might not be as universal as he suggests," said Utzig,who teaches English literature.

One of Page's secularist classmates went further, calling his characterization of West Point unfair.  "I think it's true that the majority of West Point cadets are of a very conservative,Christian orientation," said senior cadet Andrew Houchin.  "I don't think that's unique to West Point.  But more broadly, I've never had that even be a problem with those of us who are secular."

Page, who is from Stockbridge,Ga., was accepted into West Point after serving in the Army. Despite his criticisms, the Army is making his exit as painless as possible. Cadets who drop out of West Point usually do so within the first two years.  After that, they risk penalties. But Page received an honorable discharge and will not have to meet his service commitments or reimburse the cost of his education.  He plans to remain an activist on the role of religion in the military.
  (  Whitney Williams, World News Service, Dec. 7, 2012)

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Hobby Lobby Faces $1.3 Million Daily Fine If Company Defies Obamacare Mandate

The fiscal cliff isn't the only abyss that the Obama Administration and Congress have created for individuals and employers.  Obamacare's mandate that forces employers to provide and pay for coverage of abortion-inducing drugs, contraception, and sterilization has created a cavernous void for religious liberty threatening the existence of many businesses in the new year.

On January 1, religious business owners whose employee health plans renew at the beginning of the year faced the impossible decision to either violate their deeply held beliefs by complying with the mandate or jump over Obamacare's conscience cliff and face ruinous fines.

Among those employers peering over the Obamacare ledge is Hobby Lobby.  Last week, the Supreme court denied a request to temporarily stop enforcement of the mandate against the family-owned business while its appeal moves forward.  The company now faces the possibility of devastating penalties in 2013.  It became subject to the anti-conscience mandate on New Year's Day, the day on which its employee health plan renewed.

Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Hobby Lobby has grown from one garage to over 500 stores in 41 states, employing more than 22,500 individuals.  The Green family, which founded and runs the company, invests in communities through numerous Christian ministries, closes all its locations on Sundays, and seeks to operate in accordance with Christian pronciples  -  including offering an employee health care plan that aligns with those values.

Under the Obamacare mandate, however, Hobby Lobby will be forced to provide and pay for abotion-inducing drugs  -  such as the "morning after" and "week after" pills  -  regardless of their religious or moral objections to doing so.  David Green, who founded the company in 1972 and now serves as its CEO, explains the difficult position placed before his family and his business: "We seek to honor God by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.  The conflict for me is that our family is being forced to choose between following the laws of the country that we love or maintaining the religious beliefs that have made our business successful and have supported our family and thousands of our employees and their families."

The Green family is left to either violate their beliefs or fall off the Obamacatre cliff into a cavern lined with devastatingly high fines.  If Hobby Lobby refuses to comply with the mandate at the beginning of the year, the company could see fines of up to $1.3 million per day.

Represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Hobby Lobby and the Green family maintain hope that a court may eventually strike down the mandate. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor emphasized in her opinion, Hobby Lobby's lawsuit over the mandate's unconstitutional coercion can continue  -  even though a current injunction against the mandate appears out of reach.

Court action the 42 other cases will likwise continue to try to stop enforcement of the mandate against the more than 110 plaintiffs suing the federal government.  The ultimate solution, however, is to repeal Obamacare in its entirely, walking religious liberty back from the steep edge of the Obama Administration's disregard for faith.
  (Culture Watch, Heritage Foundation, Jan. 3, 2013,   www.heritage.org)

Friday, January 11, 2013

"The Mind of Christ"

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."  2 Corinthians 10:5  NIV

The above Scripture suggests to me that people may give their heart to Jesus and keep their head under their own control and that is a dangerous way to travel through life.  A dedicated heart and a rebellious mind cannot successfully co-exist.  Our mind must be obedient to Christ!  Our heart must feel comfortable with what our mind decides.  I once knew a person whose business dealings would not bear close scrutiny and it was said of him that, "He did not let his Christianity interfere with his business."  The Scripture maintains that our Christianity should interfere with our business as well as every area of our lives.

Some have said, "I wasn't thinking when I did that!"  I'm not sure that anyone can "stop thinking" as long as we are awake but we can stop thinking right, and live to regret it.  Some may say, "Bringing every thought into obedience to Christ is impossible!"  It is true that we cannot control what thoughts pop into our mind but do have something to say about which ones we shall entertain.

If our heart is dedicated to Christ and our mind dwells on thoughts that are displeasing to Christ; our heart will reveal it to us and our mind then has a decision to make.

The same one who wrote the Scripture above also said, "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." (1st Corinthians 2:2)  Paul maintained that he could decide what thoughts he would receive and what thoughts he would reject.  It is well to remember what the writer of Proverbs said about the matter, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:" (Proverbs 23:7)  We shall become according to the thoughts that we receive and dwell upon.

If we are to be like Christ, we must think like Christ and to do that we decide what thoughts we will welcome and what thoughts we shall cast out.

Just consider what a great blessing we shall receive, what a great blessing we shall be to others and the trouble that we can avoid if we have "the mind of Christ" and therefore act like Christ.
   (Pastor Bill Cummins, Sheridan, Wyoming,  drbc@bresnan.net)

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Several Items of Interest

Christianity "Close to Extinction" in the Middle East
According to a new study by the think tank Civitas, Christianity faces being wiped out in the "biblical heartands" in the Middle East because of mounting persecution of Christians  -  with militant Islam the primary reason for the oppression, The Telegraph reports.  The report, entitled "Christianophobia," warns that Christians suffer greater hostility around the world than any other religious group, and asserts that politicians have been "blind" to the extent of violence faced by Christians in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.  It also claims that oppression in Muslim countries is often ignored because of a fear that criticism will be seen as "racism." Study author Rupert Shortt, a journalist and visiting fellow of Blackfriars Hall, Oxford, wrote: "Exposing and combating the problem ought in my view to be political priorities across large areas of the world.  That this is not the case tells us much about a questionable hierarchy of victimhood.  The blind spot displayed by governments and other influential players is causing them to squander a broader opportunity. Religious freedom is the canary in the mine for human rights generally."


Fathers Vanish in U.S. as Single Motherhood Continues to Rise
In every U.S. state, the portion of families where children have two parents, rather than one, has dropped significantly over the past decade, the Washington Times reports.  Even as the country added 1600,000 families with children, the number of two-parent households decreased by 1.2 million.  Fifteen million U.S. children, or one in three, currently live without a father  -  compared to 1960 when just 11 percent of American children lived in homes without fathers. And in an America awash in crime, poverty, drugs and other problems, Vincent DiCaro of the National Fatherhood Institute ultimately points to absent fathers: "[People] look at a child in need, in poverty or failing in school, and ask, 'What can we do to help?' But what we do is ask, 'Why does that child need help in the first place?' And the answer is often because [the child lacks] a responsible and involved father."


U.N. Estimates 60,000 Killed in Syria
As the civil war in Syria nears its two-year anniversary, the United Nations estimates that more than 60,000 people have been killed, with monthly casualty figures steadily increasing, reports Yahoo!News. The death toll, based on reporting by seven different sources, is a third more than the figure of 45,000 given by activists opposed to the regime of President Bashar Assad  -  the first time that the U.N.'s estimates are higher.  "The number of casualties is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking," said Navi Pillay, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Syria Rebels Behead Christian, Feed Him to Dogs as Fears Grow Over Islamist Atrocities
Syrian rebels beheaded a Christian man and fed his body to dogs, according to a nun who says the West is ignoring atrocities committed by Islamic extremists, ASSIST News Service reports.  According to Britain's Daily Mail, Sister Agnes-Miriam de la Croix said taxi driver Andrel Arbashe, 38, was kidnapped after his brother was heard complaining that fighters against the ruling regime behaved like bandits.  She said his headless corpse was found by the side of the road, surrounded by hungry dogs.  He had recently married and was soon to be a father. "His only crime was his brother criticized the rebels, accusing them of acting like bandits, which is what they are, " Sister Agnes-Miriam said.  According to the Daily Mail, there have been a growing number of accounts of atrocities carried out by rogue elements of the Syrian Free Army, which opoposes Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and is recognized by the West as the legitimate leadership. "The free and democratic world is supporting extremists," Sister Agnes-Miriam said.  "They want to impose sharia law and create an Islamic state inSyria . . .The uprising has been hijacked by Islamist mercenaries who are more interested in fighting a holy war than in changing the government.  It has turned into a sectarian conflict  -  one in which Christians are paying a high price."  An estimated 300,000 Syrian Christians have been displaced in the conflict, with 80,000 forced out of the Homs area alone.  Many have fled abroad, raising fears that Syrian's Christian community may vanish like others across the Middle East.  Since the uprising against the Assad regime began in March 2011, some 60,000 have been killed.

15 Christians Have Throats Slit by Boko Haram Extremists in Northern Nigeria
At least 15 Christians were killed by suspected Boko Haram militants in northern Nigeria on Dec. 28 when the militants snuck into Musari, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Maiduguri, early in the morning and slit the throats of the Christians in their own homes, International Christian Concern reports.  Nigerian military officials  -  who often under-report the casualties in Boko Haram attacks  -  put the death toll at five, but residents of Musari and other relief organizations put the number at 15.  According to a resident, the militants were specifically targeting Christians because they  broke into only Christian homes in an area of Musari that is predominantly Christian.  A relief offical added that the victims "were selected because they were all Christians, some of whom had moved into the neighborhood from other parts of Maiduguri hit by Boko Haram attacks."  Since beginning its armed insurgency in 2009 in a campaign to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria's north, Boko Haram has killed more than 3,000 people in Nigeria.  Christians in the region continue to live in a constant state of fear amid an increasing number of bombings, shootings and violent attacks.

Nigeria Leader: Islamists Won't Stop Christians From Worshiping
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan told Christians gathered at a church in Nigeria's capital on Sunday that "the church is one of the main targets" of terrorist attacks by the Islamist group Boko Haram, but "if the idea of Boko Haram is to stop Nigerians from worshiping God, they will not succeed."  Boko Haram carried out several attacks over Christmas, including Christmas Eve attacks on two churches and the slaughter of 15 Christians in the village of Musari, but Nigerian security agencies suppressed other planned attacks on Christmas Day and during the Christmas holdiay, Jonathan said.  He added that the government would do everything possible to curtail the activities of Boko Haram in the new year. "With your persistent prayer we shall defeat them," he said.  The Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans has been urging the U.S. to label Boko Haram a foreign terrorist organization, a move that could hurt its funding and support.

( Religion Today Daily Headlines, Jan. 2, 3, & 4)

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Should Christians support politicians of other faiths?

"No matter how rich you become, how famous or powerful," quipped comedian Michael Pritchard, "when you die the size of your funeral will still pretty much depend on the weather."  It might also depend on your religious beliefs.  When thomas Paine died   -  the man some called the "Father of the American revolution"  -  only six people attended his funeral.  He had been ostracized largely because of his cynical views of Christianity and passed away in obscurity.

The newly elected 113rd Congress which convened this week includes members who, like Thomas Paine, are not adherents of the Christian faith.  Included in the mix: the first Buddhist to serve in the Senate, the first Hindu to serve in the House, and the first member to describe her religion as "none."  This diversity reflects the makeup of the nation as a whole, but is it a good thing?  And should Christians be alarmed?

The pursuit of diversity, as it has come to be defined in modern America, has become the Holy Grail in academia and in much of the political world.  Many major Universities, for example, now employ a "Chief Diversity Officer" or "Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion."  These are high-level positions which frequently pay more than $200,000 per year and come with staffs of twenty or more  -  all to ensure that an acceptable number of "underrepresented persons" are recruited to enroll as students, or teach.  The idea that Americans should "celebrate diversity" has become so ingrained that the election of lawmakers who are followers of other major world religions did not generate much interest.

Living with  -  and learning from  -  people of different backgrounds is a valuable experience that adds to our understanding and empathy.  It is much more difficult to condemn or caricaturize people who are our neighbors and friends.  Jesus certainly associated with people who were not at all like Him, and commanded us to love the world ( John 3:16).

But diversity has come to mean much more than treating people fairly.  To embrace diversity now requires affirmation, not just acceptance and tolerance.  This becomes a particular issue when every religious belief system is deemed equally valid.  Buddhism is no threat to take over the world, and Hindu has its violent elements, but a great danger lies in the explosive growth of Islam, which has often proven itself unable to peacefully coexist with other belief systems.  European nations are experiencing the consequences of their own diversity initiatives and discovering that when Musims reach majority status in neighborhoods and cities, the rights of others are blotted out.

When it comes to individual politicians, though, Christians should be looking beyond religious labels.  There was a time when a politician who identified as Protestant or a Catholic could be counted on to respect the Judeo-Christian values upon which our nation was founded. That's no longer true. While Muslims or Hindu legistlators will predictably have scant regard for the Bible as a source of truth, just as much harm can be done by politicians with Christian credentials who in reality are more faithful to the gospel of diversity, or multiculturalism.

Though he wasn't a Christian,Thomas Paine believed in liberty as a supreme right and rejected other forms of government that many are now trying to present as respectable and equal alternatives, though they have through the ages produced tyranny and untold suffering.

Diversity, in its true sense, has been a good thing for America.  Thomas Paine's funeral, were it held today, would undoubtedly be well-attended and he would be appreciated even by those who disagreed with his religious views.

But in this quest for diversity, you should not diminish America's unique role. "The leadership of the free world was thrust upon us two centuries ago in that little hall in Philadelphia," Ronald Reagan once said.  "Into the hands of America God has placed the destinies of an afflicted mankind.  We were indeed  -  and we are today  -  the last best hope of man on earth."

And as you pray for your neighbors and leaders today, remember that while America is the last best hope on earth, Christ is the only hope in heaven.  "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne....crying out with a loud voice. 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'" (Revelation 7:9,10 ESV).
  (Jim Ray, www.presidentialprayerteam.com/issues, Jan.5, 2013)