Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. (John 20:17-18)
We can only guess, but it appears that when Mary recognized Jesus, she fell on her face, grabbed Him about the ankles, and held on tenaciously. But the words of Jesus that followed, as He urged her not to cling to Him and then apparently gave a reason why she should not, constitute one of the most difficult texts in all of Scripture to unpack. You would not believe the speculation that has come out of this text, from the sublime to the ridiculous, and not only ridiculous, but blasphemous. Why did Jesus say these things, especially given that, a few hours later, He invited Thomas to touch His hands and side (20:27)?
Some have argued that Jesus' body was metamorphosing to its glorified state and that the process was still in transition. Therefore, He told her, "Don't touch Me, because it's not finished yet; I haven't ascended into heaven." But He hadn't ascended into heaven when He invited Thomas to touch him, so that theory does not seem correct. I could cite other speculative theories, but I think the answer is simple. She was hanging on to Him for dear life because she thought she had lost Him, but now she had Him back. So He siad: "It's OK, I'm not leaving yet. We still have some more time. I'm going to come and be with the disciples. I'm going to be with you for forty days or so. You don't have to hold Me captive."
Jesus then gave Mary a task - to go to His disciples with the news that He was alive and soon to ascend to the Father's right hand. Matthew, relating a similar incident, writes that Jesus told a group of women to let the disciples know He was going to Galilee and they wourld see Him there (Matt. 28:9-10). In any case, Mary Magdalene was sent with the glorious news of the resurrection, and she went faithfuly and did as Jesus commanded.
We, too, are sent as messengers of the incredible news that Jesus who died is alive again. He has overcome death and triumphed on behalf of His people. Will you hear the Savior's voice and take this glorious good news to a world that is lost and dead in sin?
( Dr. R. C. Sproul, JOHN, A St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary)
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The Resurrection
What would we have seen had we been there at the moment at which Jesus was raised from the dead? Would we have seen Jesus stir, open his eyes, sit up, and begin to struggle out of the bandages? That would have been a resuscitation, not a resurrection. It would have been as if he had recovered from a swoon or had merely been raised from death as he had raized Lazarus. He would have been raised in a natural body rather than a spiritual body, that was not the case at all.
If we had been present in the tomb at the moment of the resurrection, we would have noticed either that the body of Jesus would have seemed to have disappeared or else that it was changed into a resurrection body and passed through the graveclothes and out of the sealed tomb just as it was later to pass through closed doors. John Stott says that the body was "vaporized, being transmuted into something new and different and wonderful." Latham says that the body would have been "exhaled," passing "into a phase of being like that of Moses and Elias on the Mount."
What would have happened then? The linen cloths would have subsided once the body was removed because of the weight of the spices that were in them, and they would have been lying undisturbed where the body of Jesus had been. The cloth which surrounded the head, without the weight of spices, might well have retained its concave shape and have lain by itself separated from the body cloths by the space where the Lord's neck and shoulders had been.
This is exactly what John says he and Peter saw when they entered the sepulcher. John was first at the tomb, and as he reached the open sepulcher in the murky light of early dawn he saw the graveclothes lying. There was something about them that attracted John's attention. First, it was significant that they were there at all. John stresses the point, using the word for "lying" at an emphatic position in the sentence. We might translate, "He saw, lying there, the graveclothes" (v. 5). Futhermore, the clothes were undisturbed. The word that John uses (keimena) occurs in the Greek papyrii of things that have been carefully placed in order. One document speaks of legal documents, saying, "I have not yet obtained the documents, but they are lying collated." Another speaks of clothes that are "lying (in order) until you send me word." Certainly John noticed that there had been no disturbance at the tomb.
At this point Peter arrived and went into the sepulcher. Peter saw what John had seen, but in addition he was struck by something else. The cloth that had been around the head was not with the other clothes. It was lying in a place by itself (v.7). What was even more striking, it had retained a circular shape. John says that it was "wrapped together." We might say that it was "twirled about itself." There was a space between it and the cloths that had enveloped the body. When John saw this he believed.
What did John believe? I imagine that he might have explained it to Peter like this. " Don't you see, Peter, that no one has moved the body or disturbed the graveclothes? They are lying exactly as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea left them on the eve of the Sabbath. Yet the body is gone. It has not been stolen. It has not been moved. Clearly it must have passed through the clothes, leaving them as we see them now. Jesus must be risen." Stott says, "A glance at these grave clothes proved the reality, and indicated the nature, of the resurrection."
How foolish in the light of such evidence are non-Christian explanations of the events of Easter morning. Some have taught that the body of Jesus was stolen, but in that case the presence of the graveclothes is inexplicable. They would have been removed along with the body. Others have taught that Jesus revived in the tomb and escaped after having unwound the linen bands. In that case the linen would have been displaced. Even if we can imagine that Jesus replaced the clothes where they had been and somehow moved the stone, there is still a problem with the spices, for these would have been scattered about the tomb. Of this there is not the slightest suggestion in the Gospel. None of these explanations will do. The disciples saw everything in order, but the body was gone. Jesus had indeed been raised, and in a resurrection body.
(by James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John, Volume 5)
If we had been present in the tomb at the moment of the resurrection, we would have noticed either that the body of Jesus would have seemed to have disappeared or else that it was changed into a resurrection body and passed through the graveclothes and out of the sealed tomb just as it was later to pass through closed doors. John Stott says that the body was "vaporized, being transmuted into something new and different and wonderful." Latham says that the body would have been "exhaled," passing "into a phase of being like that of Moses and Elias on the Mount."
What would have happened then? The linen cloths would have subsided once the body was removed because of the weight of the spices that were in them, and they would have been lying undisturbed where the body of Jesus had been. The cloth which surrounded the head, without the weight of spices, might well have retained its concave shape and have lain by itself separated from the body cloths by the space where the Lord's neck and shoulders had been.
This is exactly what John says he and Peter saw when they entered the sepulcher. John was first at the tomb, and as he reached the open sepulcher in the murky light of early dawn he saw the graveclothes lying. There was something about them that attracted John's attention. First, it was significant that they were there at all. John stresses the point, using the word for "lying" at an emphatic position in the sentence. We might translate, "He saw, lying there, the graveclothes" (v. 5). Futhermore, the clothes were undisturbed. The word that John uses (keimena) occurs in the Greek papyrii of things that have been carefully placed in order. One document speaks of legal documents, saying, "I have not yet obtained the documents, but they are lying collated." Another speaks of clothes that are "lying (in order) until you send me word." Certainly John noticed that there had been no disturbance at the tomb.
At this point Peter arrived and went into the sepulcher. Peter saw what John had seen, but in addition he was struck by something else. The cloth that had been around the head was not with the other clothes. It was lying in a place by itself (v.7). What was even more striking, it had retained a circular shape. John says that it was "wrapped together." We might say that it was "twirled about itself." There was a space between it and the cloths that had enveloped the body. When John saw this he believed.
What did John believe? I imagine that he might have explained it to Peter like this. " Don't you see, Peter, that no one has moved the body or disturbed the graveclothes? They are lying exactly as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea left them on the eve of the Sabbath. Yet the body is gone. It has not been stolen. It has not been moved. Clearly it must have passed through the clothes, leaving them as we see them now. Jesus must be risen." Stott says, "A glance at these grave clothes proved the reality, and indicated the nature, of the resurrection."
How foolish in the light of such evidence are non-Christian explanations of the events of Easter morning. Some have taught that the body of Jesus was stolen, but in that case the presence of the graveclothes is inexplicable. They would have been removed along with the body. Others have taught that Jesus revived in the tomb and escaped after having unwound the linen bands. In that case the linen would have been displaced. Even if we can imagine that Jesus replaced the clothes where they had been and somehow moved the stone, there is still a problem with the spices, for these would have been scattered about the tomb. Of this there is not the slightest suggestion in the Gospel. None of these explanations will do. The disciples saw everything in order, but the body was gone. Jesus had indeed been raised, and in a resurrection body.
(by James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John, Volume 5)
Monday, March 25, 2013
Several Items of Interest
Head Start Fails Kids and Taxpayers
(World Service News) - Head Start, the federally funded education program for low-income children, doesn't give participants the developmental boost it's supposed to offer. According to a study released last month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start students aren't any farther along than students in the same demographic who didn't attend the program. Head Start offers traditional classroom education and in-home learning opportunities for children from birth to five years old. The program's apparent failure comes at a high cost. Taxpayers give Head Start $8 billion a year, roughly $7,000 for each of the 900,000 low-income children it serves. "There is little to no academic benefit," said Lindsey Burke, a fellow at The Heritage Foundation. "As far as a preschool, Head Start fails. The kids are no better off than those who didn't go."
Americans Views of Homosexuality and Sin Changing
(World News Service) - According to a survey from LifeWay Research and first reported by Religion News Service, 37 percent of Americans view homosexuality as a sin, down from 44 percent a year earlier. "The culture is clearly shifting on homosexuality and this creates a whole new issue: How will America deal with a minority view, strongly held by evangelicals, Catholics, Mormons, Muslims, and so many others?" said Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research. The number of Americans who do not believe homosexuality is a sin remained nearly the same, at 43 percent in September 2011 and 45 percent in November 2012. There was an increase in the percentage of those who said they were unsure of what they believe. Those who identify as "born-again, evangelical, or fundamentalist Christian" are most likely to say that homosexual behavior is a sin (73 percent). Conversely, those who never attend religious services are the most likely to say they do not believe homosexual behavior is a sin (71 percent).
Same Sex "Marriage" Protest Surges Through Paris
(World News Service) - In a country known for its secularism, hundreds of thousands of people converged Jan. 13 on the Eiffel Tower to protest the French president's plan to legalize gay "marriage" and allow same-sex couples to adopt and conceive children. The opposition to President Francois Hollande's proposal highlights divisions among the secular-but-Catholic French, particularly between more traditional rural areas and urban regions. But while polls show the majority of French still support legalizing same-sex "marriage," the backing tapers off when children come into play.
Demonstrators rallied at three points across Paris, and filled boulevards throughout the city as they walked three miles to the grounds of France's most recognizable monument. Paris police estimated the crowd at 340,000, making this demonstration against marriage, adoption, and assisted reproduction for same-sex couples one of the largest in Paris since an education protest in 1984.
"This law is going to lead to a change of civilization that we don't want," said Philippe Javaloyes, a literature teacher who traveled by bus with 300 others from Franche Comte in the far east. "We have nothing against different ways of living, but we think that a child must grow up with a mother and a father." Spearheaded by religious leaders, public opposition has chipped away at the popularity of Hollande's plan in recent months. Just since August, support for same-sex "marriage " dropped from as high as 65 percent to 52 percent, according to a survey released in January. France has allowed civil unions since 1999, but gay and lesbian couples say the unions are not enough. current law, they argue, has no provisions for adoption or assisted reproduction, which are at the center of the latest debate.
"They're talking about putting into national identity cards Parent 1, Parent 2, Parent 3, Parent 4," said Melissa Michel, a Franco-American mother of five who was among a group from the south of France on a train reserved specifically for the protest. "Mom, dad and the kids are going to be wiped off the map, and that's going to be bad for any country, any civilization." If the French parliament approves the plan, France would become the 12th country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, and the biggest so far in terms of economic and diplomatic influence.
Guns, Abortion, and Tyrants
(World News Service) - Guns and abortion. One is an ennumerated, constitutional right, and the other is not. The Second Amendment guarantees the right of the people of the United States to keep and bear ar ms. It's not a government-given right; it's a natural right - the right to defend yourself, your family, and your freedom. In rare circumstances, abortion might be necessary to preserave the mother's life. But there is no right to kill unborn babies in the U.S. Constitution. But 40 years ago the U.S. Supreme Court contended that abortion is an implied "right of privacy," one that previously had lain hidden in our founding document.
I made the point on social media that conservatives should tie any talk of gun restrictions to abortion restrictions. You want to infringe on an enumerated right? Do the same for an implied right that results in the death of an unborn baby. You want to rid the country of guns? Then rid the country of abortion. Gun control? Then abortion control. Do you seek to reduce gun violence? Then reduce abortion violence.
Imagine the worldwide uproar if a conservative American president began issuing executive orders restricting the "right" of women to kill their unborn babies. If anti-gun types had their wah, I'd be allowed to kill my baby for the sake of convenience (and for free if I can't "afford" it), but I would not be allowed to shoot a thug who breaks into my house or assaults me on the street. I guess I could stab or stun him if I survive long enough. Or perhaps I can ask him if poverty or some chidhood trauma is the root cause of his criminal activity.
People will always manage to get their hands on guns, just as women will always manage to kill babies they don't want, regardless of any laws on the books against it. That's what's known as fallen human nature. As long as there is sin in the world, there will be a need to protect ourselves from those who seek to do us and our loved ones harm. Self-defense, even to the death, is a natural right. I oppose restrictions on the types of guns we can own and the amount of ammunition we can have. It's only the beginning of a cascade of infringement that would hamstring those who seek to preserve themselves.
In the minds of some liberals, unborn children don't count. Non-viable, developing little humans are defenseless against assault. Law-abiding citizens also will be defenseless if only criminals have guns. The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms also protects us in the face of government tyranny.
For the record, tyranny - arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power, despotic abuse of authority - cloaked in socialist sentiment is still tyranny. The Obama administration is considering 19 "executive actions" against our right to keep and bear arms. So-called assault weapons bans, universal background checks,and ammunition restrictions move us that much closer to a kingly denial of a guaranteed right. Meanwhile, how many unborn babies have died today?
(LaShawn Barber writes for www.worldmag.com)
(World Service News) - Head Start, the federally funded education program for low-income children, doesn't give participants the developmental boost it's supposed to offer. According to a study released last month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start students aren't any farther along than students in the same demographic who didn't attend the program. Head Start offers traditional classroom education and in-home learning opportunities for children from birth to five years old. The program's apparent failure comes at a high cost. Taxpayers give Head Start $8 billion a year, roughly $7,000 for each of the 900,000 low-income children it serves. "There is little to no academic benefit," said Lindsey Burke, a fellow at The Heritage Foundation. "As far as a preschool, Head Start fails. The kids are no better off than those who didn't go."
Americans Views of Homosexuality and Sin Changing
(World News Service) - According to a survey from LifeWay Research and first reported by Religion News Service, 37 percent of Americans view homosexuality as a sin, down from 44 percent a year earlier. "The culture is clearly shifting on homosexuality and this creates a whole new issue: How will America deal with a minority view, strongly held by evangelicals, Catholics, Mormons, Muslims, and so many others?" said Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research. The number of Americans who do not believe homosexuality is a sin remained nearly the same, at 43 percent in September 2011 and 45 percent in November 2012. There was an increase in the percentage of those who said they were unsure of what they believe. Those who identify as "born-again, evangelical, or fundamentalist Christian" are most likely to say that homosexual behavior is a sin (73 percent). Conversely, those who never attend religious services are the most likely to say they do not believe homosexual behavior is a sin (71 percent).
Same Sex "Marriage" Protest Surges Through Paris
(World News Service) - In a country known for its secularism, hundreds of thousands of people converged Jan. 13 on the Eiffel Tower to protest the French president's plan to legalize gay "marriage" and allow same-sex couples to adopt and conceive children. The opposition to President Francois Hollande's proposal highlights divisions among the secular-but-Catholic French, particularly between more traditional rural areas and urban regions. But while polls show the majority of French still support legalizing same-sex "marriage," the backing tapers off when children come into play.
Demonstrators rallied at three points across Paris, and filled boulevards throughout the city as they walked three miles to the grounds of France's most recognizable monument. Paris police estimated the crowd at 340,000, making this demonstration against marriage, adoption, and assisted reproduction for same-sex couples one of the largest in Paris since an education protest in 1984.
"This law is going to lead to a change of civilization that we don't want," said Philippe Javaloyes, a literature teacher who traveled by bus with 300 others from Franche Comte in the far east. "We have nothing against different ways of living, but we think that a child must grow up with a mother and a father." Spearheaded by religious leaders, public opposition has chipped away at the popularity of Hollande's plan in recent months. Just since August, support for same-sex "marriage " dropped from as high as 65 percent to 52 percent, according to a survey released in January. France has allowed civil unions since 1999, but gay and lesbian couples say the unions are not enough. current law, they argue, has no provisions for adoption or assisted reproduction, which are at the center of the latest debate.
"They're talking about putting into national identity cards Parent 1, Parent 2, Parent 3, Parent 4," said Melissa Michel, a Franco-American mother of five who was among a group from the south of France on a train reserved specifically for the protest. "Mom, dad and the kids are going to be wiped off the map, and that's going to be bad for any country, any civilization." If the French parliament approves the plan, France would become the 12th country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, and the biggest so far in terms of economic and diplomatic influence.
Guns, Abortion, and Tyrants
(World News Service) - Guns and abortion. One is an ennumerated, constitutional right, and the other is not. The Second Amendment guarantees the right of the people of the United States to keep and bear ar ms. It's not a government-given right; it's a natural right - the right to defend yourself, your family, and your freedom. In rare circumstances, abortion might be necessary to preserave the mother's life. But there is no right to kill unborn babies in the U.S. Constitution. But 40 years ago the U.S. Supreme Court contended that abortion is an implied "right of privacy," one that previously had lain hidden in our founding document.
I made the point on social media that conservatives should tie any talk of gun restrictions to abortion restrictions. You want to infringe on an enumerated right? Do the same for an implied right that results in the death of an unborn baby. You want to rid the country of guns? Then rid the country of abortion. Gun control? Then abortion control. Do you seek to reduce gun violence? Then reduce abortion violence.
Imagine the worldwide uproar if a conservative American president began issuing executive orders restricting the "right" of women to kill their unborn babies. If anti-gun types had their wah, I'd be allowed to kill my baby for the sake of convenience (and for free if I can't "afford" it), but I would not be allowed to shoot a thug who breaks into my house or assaults me on the street. I guess I could stab or stun him if I survive long enough. Or perhaps I can ask him if poverty or some chidhood trauma is the root cause of his criminal activity.
People will always manage to get their hands on guns, just as women will always manage to kill babies they don't want, regardless of any laws on the books against it. That's what's known as fallen human nature. As long as there is sin in the world, there will be a need to protect ourselves from those who seek to do us and our loved ones harm. Self-defense, even to the death, is a natural right. I oppose restrictions on the types of guns we can own and the amount of ammunition we can have. It's only the beginning of a cascade of infringement that would hamstring those who seek to preserve themselves.
In the minds of some liberals, unborn children don't count. Non-viable, developing little humans are defenseless against assault. Law-abiding citizens also will be defenseless if only criminals have guns. The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms also protects us in the face of government tyranny.
For the record, tyranny - arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power, despotic abuse of authority - cloaked in socialist sentiment is still tyranny. The Obama administration is considering 19 "executive actions" against our right to keep and bear arms. So-called assault weapons bans, universal background checks,and ammunition restrictions move us that much closer to a kingly denial of a guaranteed right. Meanwhile, how many unborn babies have died today?
(LaShawn Barber writes for www.worldmag.com)
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Praying For Politicains
Having been a minister for twenty-six years and an editor of a church magazine for some of that time, I can safely say that there is no subject more likely to get you into controversy than the troubled relationship of the gospel to politics, unless you dare to touch the modern-day idol of people's children. So when I was asked to write this column, my heart sank; I knew the heresy antennas of many would already be raised. To make matters worse, I write this just after the re-election of President Obama, a result that caused many of my American friends to despair, although may of them did not see the alternative as being much better. But rather than despair, perhaps we shoud follow the Bible's pattern for the church's involvement in politics.
The church must be involved, but not in the way we so often have been. When the church seeks political power, the church inevitably ends up being corrupted. Creating or supporting particular political parties, policies, or philosophies is not the way of Christ. For the church to be identified with one political party is a sure-fire recipe for disaster.
Does that mean we are doomed to be pious pietists, huddling in our small groups as the world rots, just waiting for the Lord to return? God forbid. the Bible gives us very clear instructions on how we are to participate in the political process - instructions that, if we followed them today, would make an enormous difference to the politics and government of our countries. These instructions are found in 1 Timothy 2:1-4: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (NIV).
I can hear the protests already: "That's it? Pray? I thought you were against pietism. Is that what you call practical?" Yes, it is. Praying for our leaders is the most pratical thing we can ever do. It is realistic, revolutionary, and leads to great results.
First, prayer is realistic because it recognizes our own weakness and causes us to humbly bow before God, conscious that we do not have the power to accomplish anything. With all our money, strategies, techniques, and human wisdom, there really is nothing we can do that will control or change the course of history. True prayer recognizes the sovereignty and agency of God. Prayer stops us relying on ourselves and thus stops the frustrations and panic when we and our political philosophies and strategies fail. It is important at this stage to note that prayer is not to be used as a political tool, as though by holding prayer meetings we are courting or forcing God's vote. Prayer is not protest. It is petition, which realizes that even the hearts of President Obama or Prime Minister David Cameron are not out of God's control. Proverbs 21:1 says: "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD. He directs it like a water-course wherever he pleases" (NIT).
Second, prayer changes the dynamics of politics by enabling the revolution of love and changing the political atmosphere. John Chrysostom, in his homily on this passage, declares, "First hatred towards those who are without is done away; for no-one can feel hatred towards those for whom he prays; and they again are made better by the prayers that are offered for them, and by losing their ferocious disposition towards us." One of the most disturbing things in American politics recently has been the level of vitriol and hatred that has come from all quarters, sadly even from many in the church. It is not helpful to demonize those who disagree with us politically. It is surely the duty of every church in the United States ( and many outwith) to pray for President Obama - and let me dare to suggest that it not be a "Smite the Amalekites" style of prayer. People may not like his politics, his view of the Christian faith, or his personality, but none of that excuses us from praying for him and for all our leaders, of whatever political hue. You will note that Paul does not distnguish between just and unjust rulers. To publically pray positively for our leaders, whether liberal or Mormon, is not an optional extra - it is a command from the Lord.
Third, we see the results. We want to be able to live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness - even under non-Christian leaders. This in turn results in the advancement of the good news and the knowledge of the truth. I know it is fashionable among Christians who live in comfortable circumstances to lament the lack of persecution and to equate persecution with growth, but here Paul equates gospel growth with peace. We should pray for this. As gospel growth continues in a peaceful and stable community, Christ the Mediator is exalted and lifted up as the testimony given in its proper time.
Let us involve ourselves politically in our churches by praying for our political leaders and crying out to the Lord to grant His blessing and peace upon them as His servants and on us as His people.
(by Rev. David A. Robertson, minister of St. Peter's Free Church in Dundee, Scotland, Tabletalk, March 2013)
The church must be involved, but not in the way we so often have been. When the church seeks political power, the church inevitably ends up being corrupted. Creating or supporting particular political parties, policies, or philosophies is not the way of Christ. For the church to be identified with one political party is a sure-fire recipe for disaster.
Does that mean we are doomed to be pious pietists, huddling in our small groups as the world rots, just waiting for the Lord to return? God forbid. the Bible gives us very clear instructions on how we are to participate in the political process - instructions that, if we followed them today, would make an enormous difference to the politics and government of our countries. These instructions are found in 1 Timothy 2:1-4: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (NIV).
I can hear the protests already: "That's it? Pray? I thought you were against pietism. Is that what you call practical?" Yes, it is. Praying for our leaders is the most pratical thing we can ever do. It is realistic, revolutionary, and leads to great results.
First, prayer is realistic because it recognizes our own weakness and causes us to humbly bow before God, conscious that we do not have the power to accomplish anything. With all our money, strategies, techniques, and human wisdom, there really is nothing we can do that will control or change the course of history. True prayer recognizes the sovereignty and agency of God. Prayer stops us relying on ourselves and thus stops the frustrations and panic when we and our political philosophies and strategies fail. It is important at this stage to note that prayer is not to be used as a political tool, as though by holding prayer meetings we are courting or forcing God's vote. Prayer is not protest. It is petition, which realizes that even the hearts of President Obama or Prime Minister David Cameron are not out of God's control. Proverbs 21:1 says: "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD. He directs it like a water-course wherever he pleases" (NIT).
Second, prayer changes the dynamics of politics by enabling the revolution of love and changing the political atmosphere. John Chrysostom, in his homily on this passage, declares, "First hatred towards those who are without is done away; for no-one can feel hatred towards those for whom he prays; and they again are made better by the prayers that are offered for them, and by losing their ferocious disposition towards us." One of the most disturbing things in American politics recently has been the level of vitriol and hatred that has come from all quarters, sadly even from many in the church. It is not helpful to demonize those who disagree with us politically. It is surely the duty of every church in the United States ( and many outwith) to pray for President Obama - and let me dare to suggest that it not be a "Smite the Amalekites" style of prayer. People may not like his politics, his view of the Christian faith, or his personality, but none of that excuses us from praying for him and for all our leaders, of whatever political hue. You will note that Paul does not distnguish between just and unjust rulers. To publically pray positively for our leaders, whether liberal or Mormon, is not an optional extra - it is a command from the Lord.
Third, we see the results. We want to be able to live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness - even under non-Christian leaders. This in turn results in the advancement of the good news and the knowledge of the truth. I know it is fashionable among Christians who live in comfortable circumstances to lament the lack of persecution and to equate persecution with growth, but here Paul equates gospel growth with peace. We should pray for this. As gospel growth continues in a peaceful and stable community, Christ the Mediator is exalted and lifted up as the testimony given in its proper time.
Let us involve ourselves politically in our churches by praying for our political leaders and crying out to the Lord to grant His blessing and peace upon them as His servants and on us as His people.
(by Rev. David A. Robertson, minister of St. Peter's Free Church in Dundee, Scotland, Tabletalk, March 2013)
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Rising Persecution & Aborting the Future
Rising Persecution
Open Doors International's annual rankings show a grim reality for Christians in many countries around the world.
(World News Service) - For the 11th straight year, Christians in North Korea suffered the most persecution in the world, according to 2012 rankings released Jan. 8 by Open Doors International, a U.S.-based group that keeps track of worldwide persecution of believers. Its annual World Watch List revealed persecution is on the rise worldwide, especially in Arab Spring countries and areas around the Sahel belt of Africa.
"All of the Arab Spring countries are going to get worse for the church for the next five to 10 years," Ron Boyd-MacMillan, Open Doors' chief strategy officer, told me after announcing the report at a press conference Tuesday (March 5) at the National Press Club. Boyd-MacMillan said the one exception is Egypt,which dropped from No. 15 to No. 25 on the list of 50 because "while the {Muslim} Brotherhood is still maneuvering, the church is fairly free." The reporting period ended in October, so rankings do not include violence sparked by Egypt's new constitution.
North Korea's No. 1 ranking came as no surprise, since between 50,000 and 70,000 Christians continue to suffer in brutal labor camps. Not only has the situation not improved under new leader Kim Jong Un, Boyd-MacMillan said the conditions for Christians may have even worsened.
The African country of Mali presented the biggest surprise of the list, jumping from unranked last year to No. 7 - one of 11 countries where Open Doors reports "extreme persecution." Islamic extremism accounts for the deteriorating conditions after Sharia law was instituted last year in the northern part of the country.
In Syria, where 40,000 peope have reportedly died, civil war has pushed the country from No. 36 to No. 11 on the list. Ethiopia jumped from No. 38 to No. 15 after members of the Muslim group al-Shabaab came from neighboring Somalia to establish "enclaves of Islam" that wreak havoc on Christians.
Clashes are increasingly occurring around the Sahel belt of Africa as Christianity pushes up from the south, and Islam pushes down from the north. One of those battlegrounds is northern Nigeria, which, despite sustained violence against Christians, remained at No. 13 because conditions also deteriorated in other countries. Christians are technically free to practice their religion in Nigeria, although attacks from the Islamic terrorist groups Boko Haram have killed tens of thousands over the last decade. Boyd-MacMillan said the Nigerian city of Jos is the "taproot of evangelization" in Africa, leading him to wonder if extremists have strategically targeted the area because they realize its significance to the rest of the continent. Nigerians "are good at taking the gospel around the world," he said. "But if the taproot gets turned off in northern Nigeria, that would be very significant for world evangelization."
China, ranked in the top 10 five years ago, represented the most significant improved country in the rankings, dropping from No. 21 to No. 37. The fall is due primarily to intensifying persecution elsewhere, but conditions are also improving for Christians in the world's most populous country.
Other countries making big drops were Bhutan ( No. 17 to No. 28) and Comoros ( No. 24 - No. 4 1).
(By J. C. Derrick, World News Service)
"Aborting the Future"
Alarm about low birthrates brings official attention to abortion in South Korea.
(World News Service) - South Korea is mired in contradictions when it comes to abortion. Abortion there is illegal, and has been since 1953 for all cases except rape, incest, or severe genetic disorder - and last year South Korea's highest court upheld the ban. But for six decades abortions have been common and cheap, costing only about $200. South Korea has had one of the highest abortion rates in the world - largely because the government has ignored the problem. A 2005 study estimated that south Korea had about 340,000 abortions a year in a population of 50 million: that's about double the U.S. rate. Only 30 cases have come to court, and most led to puny fines and probation instead of the heavy fines and prison sentence the law mandates.
The law hasn't changed, but the government's position has. A generation ago South Korean officials worried about the country's increasing population. South Korea's birthrate hovered at 4.5 children per woman in the 1970s. The government even offered men exemption from mandatory army reserve duty in exchange for free vasectomies. Now, with South Korea's birthrate dipping to 1.19 children per woman, one of the lowest in the world, officials want more babies. In 2009, President Lee Myung-bak called for "bold" steps to increase the nation's birthrate. The government started blaring public service announcements saying, "With abortion, you are aborting the future."
The South Korean pro-life movement is also growing. The most vocal group is an organization of obstetricians and gynecologists called Gynob, spearheaded by Seoul obstetricians Shim Sang-dik and Choi Anna. Shim in 2009 stopped doing abortions and held a press conference with other abortionists to ask for forgiveness. Then he essentially sent a cease and desist message to fellow obstetricians, beseeching them to stop all abortion practices - or he and other pro-life doctors would report their illegal abortions to judicial authorities.
Shim said he received trickles of support from Christian churches but "severe criticisms" from his fellow doctors and from feminists. Shim's Ion Women's Clinic has suffered financially since the cash flow from abortion ceased: "Even so," Shim said, "I don't regret my decision in the least." Shim, who is nonreligious, said he "sold his soul" by performing about 4,000 abortions in the past 20 years. He decided to stop when he could "no longer deny the cost of tragic destruction to unborn victims, women, and the sanctity of medical profession." He has "faith that one day medical professionals in South Korea will reform and practice their profession with self-dignity and pride."
( by Sophia Lee, World News Service)
Open Doors International's annual rankings show a grim reality for Christians in many countries around the world.
(World News Service) - For the 11th straight year, Christians in North Korea suffered the most persecution in the world, according to 2012 rankings released Jan. 8 by Open Doors International, a U.S.-based group that keeps track of worldwide persecution of believers. Its annual World Watch List revealed persecution is on the rise worldwide, especially in Arab Spring countries and areas around the Sahel belt of Africa.
"All of the Arab Spring countries are going to get worse for the church for the next five to 10 years," Ron Boyd-MacMillan, Open Doors' chief strategy officer, told me after announcing the report at a press conference Tuesday (March 5) at the National Press Club. Boyd-MacMillan said the one exception is Egypt,which dropped from No. 15 to No. 25 on the list of 50 because "while the {Muslim} Brotherhood is still maneuvering, the church is fairly free." The reporting period ended in October, so rankings do not include violence sparked by Egypt's new constitution.
North Korea's No. 1 ranking came as no surprise, since between 50,000 and 70,000 Christians continue to suffer in brutal labor camps. Not only has the situation not improved under new leader Kim Jong Un, Boyd-MacMillan said the conditions for Christians may have even worsened.
The African country of Mali presented the biggest surprise of the list, jumping from unranked last year to No. 7 - one of 11 countries where Open Doors reports "extreme persecution." Islamic extremism accounts for the deteriorating conditions after Sharia law was instituted last year in the northern part of the country.
In Syria, where 40,000 peope have reportedly died, civil war has pushed the country from No. 36 to No. 11 on the list. Ethiopia jumped from No. 38 to No. 15 after members of the Muslim group al-Shabaab came from neighboring Somalia to establish "enclaves of Islam" that wreak havoc on Christians.
Clashes are increasingly occurring around the Sahel belt of Africa as Christianity pushes up from the south, and Islam pushes down from the north. One of those battlegrounds is northern Nigeria, which, despite sustained violence against Christians, remained at No. 13 because conditions also deteriorated in other countries. Christians are technically free to practice their religion in Nigeria, although attacks from the Islamic terrorist groups Boko Haram have killed tens of thousands over the last decade. Boyd-MacMillan said the Nigerian city of Jos is the "taproot of evangelization" in Africa, leading him to wonder if extremists have strategically targeted the area because they realize its significance to the rest of the continent. Nigerians "are good at taking the gospel around the world," he said. "But if the taproot gets turned off in northern Nigeria, that would be very significant for world evangelization."
China, ranked in the top 10 five years ago, represented the most significant improved country in the rankings, dropping from No. 21 to No. 37. The fall is due primarily to intensifying persecution elsewhere, but conditions are also improving for Christians in the world's most populous country.
Other countries making big drops were Bhutan ( No. 17 to No. 28) and Comoros ( No. 24 - No. 4 1).
(By J. C. Derrick, World News Service)
"Aborting the Future"
Alarm about low birthrates brings official attention to abortion in South Korea.
(World News Service) - South Korea is mired in contradictions when it comes to abortion. Abortion there is illegal, and has been since 1953 for all cases except rape, incest, or severe genetic disorder - and last year South Korea's highest court upheld the ban. But for six decades abortions have been common and cheap, costing only about $200. South Korea has had one of the highest abortion rates in the world - largely because the government has ignored the problem. A 2005 study estimated that south Korea had about 340,000 abortions a year in a population of 50 million: that's about double the U.S. rate. Only 30 cases have come to court, and most led to puny fines and probation instead of the heavy fines and prison sentence the law mandates.
The law hasn't changed, but the government's position has. A generation ago South Korean officials worried about the country's increasing population. South Korea's birthrate hovered at 4.5 children per woman in the 1970s. The government even offered men exemption from mandatory army reserve duty in exchange for free vasectomies. Now, with South Korea's birthrate dipping to 1.19 children per woman, one of the lowest in the world, officials want more babies. In 2009, President Lee Myung-bak called for "bold" steps to increase the nation's birthrate. The government started blaring public service announcements saying, "With abortion, you are aborting the future."
The South Korean pro-life movement is also growing. The most vocal group is an organization of obstetricians and gynecologists called Gynob, spearheaded by Seoul obstetricians Shim Sang-dik and Choi Anna. Shim in 2009 stopped doing abortions and held a press conference with other abortionists to ask for forgiveness. Then he essentially sent a cease and desist message to fellow obstetricians, beseeching them to stop all abortion practices - or he and other pro-life doctors would report their illegal abortions to judicial authorities.
Shim said he received trickles of support from Christian churches but "severe criticisms" from his fellow doctors and from feminists. Shim's Ion Women's Clinic has suffered financially since the cash flow from abortion ceased: "Even so," Shim said, "I don't regret my decision in the least." Shim, who is nonreligious, said he "sold his soul" by performing about 4,000 abortions in the past 20 years. He decided to stop when he could "no longer deny the cost of tragic destruction to unborn victims, women, and the sanctity of medical profession." He has "faith that one day medical professionals in South Korea will reform and practice their profession with self-dignity and pride."
( by Sophia Lee, World News Service)
Monday, March 11, 2013
Miss America Settles in to College Life
Winning the title was rewarding but challenging, says Teresa Scanlan, who attends Patrick Henry College and aspires to political office.
(World News Service) - Bright-eyed and nervous, 13-year-old Teresa Scanlan jumped out of the car and waved good-bye to her mom. As the car sped away, Scanlan walked into the local theater to compete for the title of Miss Scotts Bluff County. Wearing a $12 dress from the after-prom sale at J.C. Penney, self-applied make-up, and a mouth full of braces, the frizzy-haired, glasses-wearing girl from rural Nebraska just wanted to try something different from piano competitions.
She won.
"I knew she was good, but I didn't know she would win," said Scanlan's mother, Janie.
Four pageant seasons later, Scanlan won Miss Nebraska. She went on to win the title of Miss America 2011. At 17, she was the youngest Miss America since 1938 and the only Nebraskan to hold the title.
Scanlan also is the fourth of seven homeschooled children in a conservative Christian family. Her parents initially were skeptical of pageants. They talked to her about their concerns and made sure she made conscious decisions. But the more her parents learned about the competition, the more they liked it, Scanlan said.
Now that her reign is over, Scanlan has just finished her first semester at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, VA. She divides her attention between classes and speaking opportunities. "The balance has been interesting," she said. "I think I overestimated myself and underestimated the classes." She has pulled six all-nighters so far and has been "two seconds away from quitting." While she wants to be more involved in the college, Scanlan depends on Miss America speaking engagements for income. Still, she's happy she came, even though the past year has been tough on her faith.
Some students a Patrick Henry were unsure of how a national figure would fit in at the 300-student school. "I thought a major icon would shake things up a bit at PHC," said freshman Noelle Garnier, but added that students are finding her down-to-earth and friendly. "People are realizing she's a person just like anyone else."
Despite the attention that comes with participating in pageans, Scanlan learned early how to come to terms with loneliness. She met new people every day, but everyone came and went. Often she cried herself to sleep in her hotel room. "It was just me and Him sometimes," she said. "That's why Jesus is my best friend now."
Even harder was the criticism from fellow Christians who accused her of immodesty. But the Miss America pageant is not about appearance, Scanlan said. The majority of the points come from the competitor's scores in the talent and interview competitions. The winner becomes a public speaker, not a model.
Once she won, Scanlan faced other challenges: "The fame is very flattering and I appreciate it, but it starts to feel empty when people are just a fan because of your title. It becomes meaningless very quickly." But the experience also has been very rewarding, she added. Scanlan has had the opportunity to speak on behalf of charities like the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. She created a piano album called The Dueling Pianos with Calvin Jones, the creator of the 2016: Obama's America soundtrack and her competition piece, "Whitewater Chopsticks."
Scanlan hopes to attend Harvard Law School after Patrick Henry. After that, she wants to be a stay-at-home mom and work on a future political career. She's already eying one of Nebraska's U.S. Senate seats and repeatedly tells interviewers she plans to run for president one day.
Meanwhile, Scanlan makes news even when she's not trying. The Washington Examiner reported Dec. 4 that Scanlan bought dinner just before Thanksgiving for the car behind her in the Purcellville McDonald's drive-through line. The driver ran up to thank her and recognized her as soon as she rolled the window down. "She said, 'I believe everybody should have something nice done for them every day,'" Jennifer Helbert told the newspaper. "I reached in and gave her a hug."
(World News Service) - Bright-eyed and nervous, 13-year-old Teresa Scanlan jumped out of the car and waved good-bye to her mom. As the car sped away, Scanlan walked into the local theater to compete for the title of Miss Scotts Bluff County. Wearing a $12 dress from the after-prom sale at J.C. Penney, self-applied make-up, and a mouth full of braces, the frizzy-haired, glasses-wearing girl from rural Nebraska just wanted to try something different from piano competitions.
She won.
"I knew she was good, but I didn't know she would win," said Scanlan's mother, Janie.
Four pageant seasons later, Scanlan won Miss Nebraska. She went on to win the title of Miss America 2011. At 17, she was the youngest Miss America since 1938 and the only Nebraskan to hold the title.
Scanlan also is the fourth of seven homeschooled children in a conservative Christian family. Her parents initially were skeptical of pageants. They talked to her about their concerns and made sure she made conscious decisions. But the more her parents learned about the competition, the more they liked it, Scanlan said.
Now that her reign is over, Scanlan has just finished her first semester at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, VA. She divides her attention between classes and speaking opportunities. "The balance has been interesting," she said. "I think I overestimated myself and underestimated the classes." She has pulled six all-nighters so far and has been "two seconds away from quitting." While she wants to be more involved in the college, Scanlan depends on Miss America speaking engagements for income. Still, she's happy she came, even though the past year has been tough on her faith.
Some students a Patrick Henry were unsure of how a national figure would fit in at the 300-student school. "I thought a major icon would shake things up a bit at PHC," said freshman Noelle Garnier, but added that students are finding her down-to-earth and friendly. "People are realizing she's a person just like anyone else."
Despite the attention that comes with participating in pageans, Scanlan learned early how to come to terms with loneliness. She met new people every day, but everyone came and went. Often she cried herself to sleep in her hotel room. "It was just me and Him sometimes," she said. "That's why Jesus is my best friend now."
Even harder was the criticism from fellow Christians who accused her of immodesty. But the Miss America pageant is not about appearance, Scanlan said. The majority of the points come from the competitor's scores in the talent and interview competitions. The winner becomes a public speaker, not a model.
Once she won, Scanlan faced other challenges: "The fame is very flattering and I appreciate it, but it starts to feel empty when people are just a fan because of your title. It becomes meaningless very quickly." But the experience also has been very rewarding, she added. Scanlan has had the opportunity to speak on behalf of charities like the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. She created a piano album called The Dueling Pianos with Calvin Jones, the creator of the 2016: Obama's America soundtrack and her competition piece, "Whitewater Chopsticks."
Scanlan hopes to attend Harvard Law School after Patrick Henry. After that, she wants to be a stay-at-home mom and work on a future political career. She's already eying one of Nebraska's U.S. Senate seats and repeatedly tells interviewers she plans to run for president one day.
Meanwhile, Scanlan makes news even when she's not trying. The Washington Examiner reported Dec. 4 that Scanlan bought dinner just before Thanksgiving for the car behind her in the Purcellville McDonald's drive-through line. The driver ran up to thank her and recognized her as soon as she rolled the window down. "She said, 'I believe everybody should have something nice done for them every day,'" Jennifer Helbert told the newspaper. "I reached in and gave her a hug."
Friday, March 8, 2013
Several Items of Interest
Virginia Passes Ban on Campus "All-Comers" Policies
The Virginia state legislature passed a measure giving college student groups the right to grant membership only to those who share their beliefs and mission, CBN News reports. The bill is meant to ban universities from instituting an "all-comers" policy that forces religious groups to admit members who don't share their faith. Last year, Tennessee's Vanderbilt University created an uproar with a nondiscrimination policy that forbade student ministries from restricting their leadership to Christians only; Virginia legislators said they wanted to keep that from happening in their state. The bill now awaits the signature of Gov. Bob McDonnell.
C. Evertt Koop, Surgeon General Who Taught Evangelicals to Hate Abortion, Dies at 96
C. Everett Koop, the Christian physician and former U.S. Surgeon General who brought abortion to the forefront of evangelical social action, died Feb. 25 at age 90, Christianity Today reports. Together with theologian Francis Schaeffer, Koop - a pioneering pediatric surgeon - exposed the issues of abortion and euthanasia in a series of films and books in the early 1980s. Their arguments began the movement against abortion that continues within American evangelicalism today. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Cornell Medical College and the University of Pennsylvania, Koop established the first neonatal surgical intensive care unit and was the first surgeon to separate twins conjoined at the heart. "Operating on newborns with life-threatening birth defects, spending nights at the bedside of a sick or dying child, and consoling bereaved parents gained Koop acclaim as a pioneering surgeon and empathetic healer, and led him to reexamine his Christian faith and the ethical implications of medical procedures, above all abortion and euthanasia," according to the National Institutes of Health. Koop continued to speak out on abortion as recently as 2009, when he wrote and hand-delivered a letter to Congress to voice his opposition to proposed federal funding for the procedure.
Massachusetts Schools to Allow Boys in Girls' Restrooms
Under a sweeping directive issued by the Massachusetts Department of Education, boys and girls who identify as the opposite sex are now allowed to use whichever school bathroom and locker room they feel most comfortable in, and schools are discouraged from using gender-based clothes and from conducting gender-based practices such as lining up children based on their sex, Baptist Press reports. The 11-page directive to the state's public schools was issued Feb. 15, supposedly in light of a new Massachusetts law that adds "gender identity" to the state's nondiscrimination code. Traditional groups argue the new law did not require such a wide-sweeping directive from the education department, but say it demonstrates the repercussions of passing any law that adds gender identity to state non-discrimination policies. "Transgenderism is only part of what same-sex marriage is plowing the way for," said Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family. Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Insitutute, says the new policy puts students - particularly girls - in harm's way: "The School Commissioner's first duty is to protect all students....not endanger them. The overriding issue with this new policy is that opening girls' bathrooms to boys is an invasion of privacy and a threat to all students' safety."
Obama to Urge Supreme Court to Allow California Gay Marriage
President Barack Obama's administration will urge the U.S. Supreme Court to allow same-sex marriages to resume in California, the furthest step Obama has taken in favor of gay rights, an administration official said Thursday, Reuters reports. Thursday was the deadline for the administration to file a friend-of-the-court
brief in a case that is due to be argued on March 26 regarding whether Proposition 8 - California's 2008 voter-approved measure that defined marriage in the state as between one man and one woman - is constitutional. In a brief submitted last Friday, the Obama administration also urged the Supreme Court to strike down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. The court will hear oral arguments on DOMA on March 27.
Hundreds of Corporations Sign Supreme Court Briefs in Support of Gay Marriage
Hundreds of major corporations from across the country have collectively signed on two supreme Court briefs supporting gay marriage, the Christian News Network reports. Approximately 250 high-profile corporations and general business entities lent their name to an amicus, or "friend of the court," brief that challenges the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Among those included were Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks,Citigroup, Marriott International, Johnson and Johnson, Walt Disney, The Jim Henson Company, Twitter and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The document filed on behalf of the corporations asserts that DOMA "requires that employers treat one employee differently from another, when each is married, and each marriage is equally lawful." A second brief, signed by approximately 45 corporations, seeks to overturn California's Proposition 8, which sought to define marriage in the state constitution as between one man and one woman. The brief argues that the states that have banned same-sex marriage are harming workplace morale. Companies that signed their name to the brief include Apple, Morgan Stanley, Nike, eBay, Panasonic, Office Depot, Barnes and Noble, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Facebook.
(Religion Today Daily Headlines, www.religiontoday@crosswalkmail.com)
The Virginia state legislature passed a measure giving college student groups the right to grant membership only to those who share their beliefs and mission, CBN News reports. The bill is meant to ban universities from instituting an "all-comers" policy that forces religious groups to admit members who don't share their faith. Last year, Tennessee's Vanderbilt University created an uproar with a nondiscrimination policy that forbade student ministries from restricting their leadership to Christians only; Virginia legislators said they wanted to keep that from happening in their state. The bill now awaits the signature of Gov. Bob McDonnell.
C. Evertt Koop, Surgeon General Who Taught Evangelicals to Hate Abortion, Dies at 96
C. Everett Koop, the Christian physician and former U.S. Surgeon General who brought abortion to the forefront of evangelical social action, died Feb. 25 at age 90, Christianity Today reports. Together with theologian Francis Schaeffer, Koop - a pioneering pediatric surgeon - exposed the issues of abortion and euthanasia in a series of films and books in the early 1980s. Their arguments began the movement against abortion that continues within American evangelicalism today. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Cornell Medical College and the University of Pennsylvania, Koop established the first neonatal surgical intensive care unit and was the first surgeon to separate twins conjoined at the heart. "Operating on newborns with life-threatening birth defects, spending nights at the bedside of a sick or dying child, and consoling bereaved parents gained Koop acclaim as a pioneering surgeon and empathetic healer, and led him to reexamine his Christian faith and the ethical implications of medical procedures, above all abortion and euthanasia," according to the National Institutes of Health. Koop continued to speak out on abortion as recently as 2009, when he wrote and hand-delivered a letter to Congress to voice his opposition to proposed federal funding for the procedure.
Massachusetts Schools to Allow Boys in Girls' Restrooms
Under a sweeping directive issued by the Massachusetts Department of Education, boys and girls who identify as the opposite sex are now allowed to use whichever school bathroom and locker room they feel most comfortable in, and schools are discouraged from using gender-based clothes and from conducting gender-based practices such as lining up children based on their sex, Baptist Press reports. The 11-page directive to the state's public schools was issued Feb. 15, supposedly in light of a new Massachusetts law that adds "gender identity" to the state's nondiscrimination code. Traditional groups argue the new law did not require such a wide-sweeping directive from the education department, but say it demonstrates the repercussions of passing any law that adds gender identity to state non-discrimination policies. "Transgenderism is only part of what same-sex marriage is plowing the way for," said Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family. Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Insitutute, says the new policy puts students - particularly girls - in harm's way: "The School Commissioner's first duty is to protect all students....not endanger them. The overriding issue with this new policy is that opening girls' bathrooms to boys is an invasion of privacy and a threat to all students' safety."
Obama to Urge Supreme Court to Allow California Gay Marriage
President Barack Obama's administration will urge the U.S. Supreme Court to allow same-sex marriages to resume in California, the furthest step Obama has taken in favor of gay rights, an administration official said Thursday, Reuters reports. Thursday was the deadline for the administration to file a friend-of-the-court
brief in a case that is due to be argued on March 26 regarding whether Proposition 8 - California's 2008 voter-approved measure that defined marriage in the state as between one man and one woman - is constitutional. In a brief submitted last Friday, the Obama administration also urged the Supreme Court to strike down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. The court will hear oral arguments on DOMA on March 27.
Hundreds of Corporations Sign Supreme Court Briefs in Support of Gay Marriage
Hundreds of major corporations from across the country have collectively signed on two supreme Court briefs supporting gay marriage, the Christian News Network reports. Approximately 250 high-profile corporations and general business entities lent their name to an amicus, or "friend of the court," brief that challenges the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Among those included were Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks,Citigroup, Marriott International, Johnson and Johnson, Walt Disney, The Jim Henson Company, Twitter and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The document filed on behalf of the corporations asserts that DOMA "requires that employers treat one employee differently from another, when each is married, and each marriage is equally lawful." A second brief, signed by approximately 45 corporations, seeks to overturn California's Proposition 8, which sought to define marriage in the state constitution as between one man and one woman. The brief argues that the states that have banned same-sex marriage are harming workplace morale. Companies that signed their name to the brief include Apple, Morgan Stanley, Nike, eBay, Panasonic, Office Depot, Barnes and Noble, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Facebook.
(Religion Today Daily Headlines, www.religiontoday@crosswalkmail.com)
Monday, March 4, 2013
Relevant, Old Paths
My dad was fifty-two years old when I was born. When I was thirteen, he asked me if I was embarrassed that he was so much older than my friends' dads. I told him I wasn't embarrassed but that I respected him and learned more from him because he was older. He was born a few years after the end of World War I and fought in World War II. He had a newspaper route during the Great Depression, and he told me stories about real cowboys, bank robbers, and his father, who grew up at the turn of the twentieth century in the old West in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. My dad wasn't just older than my friends' dads, he was from a different era, an era when young men respected old men and when old men raised young men to be men and not just guys. It was a time when older men and older women took seriously the biblical charge to teach and train younger men and women in old values such as integrity, service, loyalty, sacrifice, honor, wisdom, hard work, and humility.
My father's valaues were old, traditional values. But just because they were old and traditional didn't necessarily make them good. They were good values because they were biblical values, and biblical values are relevant in every generation. But although they are relevant in every generation, they are disappearing from the rising generation. The problem today is not so much that young people have consciously rejected ancient biblical values but that they have not been taught what they are, much less been trained in them. Many teenagers simply do not know the old values that many of us take for granted. For decades now, many parents have turned over to Hollywood the responsibility of teaching values to their children. As a result, many young people have been left to fend for themselves and figure out their own personal sets of values, whether or not those values are biblical or conflict with other people's sets of values. The result is that many young people, in the world and in the church, not only don't know right from almost-right and truth from half-truth, they don't even know right from wrong and truth from falsehood. They have not been taught the old values and they have not been guided down the old paths. Thus, they have had to make new paths, not knowing the old paths of their fathers or the ancient path of the Lord.
These new paths have, in turn,become the path of our culture. Much of society is being overtaken by a youth-driven culture because we have neglected God's call to train up the next generation of young people in the way they should go. If we are to redirect the current paths of young people, we must begin in the church by taking up the charge to come alongside younger men and women, and teach them the old, ancient values of God's Word.
(Dr. Burk Parsons, Tabletalk, March 2013)
My father's valaues were old, traditional values. But just because they were old and traditional didn't necessarily make them good. They were good values because they were biblical values, and biblical values are relevant in every generation. But although they are relevant in every generation, they are disappearing from the rising generation. The problem today is not so much that young people have consciously rejected ancient biblical values but that they have not been taught what they are, much less been trained in them. Many teenagers simply do not know the old values that many of us take for granted. For decades now, many parents have turned over to Hollywood the responsibility of teaching values to their children. As a result, many young people have been left to fend for themselves and figure out their own personal sets of values, whether or not those values are biblical or conflict with other people's sets of values. The result is that many young people, in the world and in the church, not only don't know right from almost-right and truth from half-truth, they don't even know right from wrong and truth from falsehood. They have not been taught the old values and they have not been guided down the old paths. Thus, they have had to make new paths, not knowing the old paths of their fathers or the ancient path of the Lord.
These new paths have, in turn,become the path of our culture. Much of society is being overtaken by a youth-driven culture because we have neglected God's call to train up the next generation of young people in the way they should go. If we are to redirect the current paths of young people, we must begin in the church by taking up the charge to come alongside younger men and women, and teach them the old, ancient values of God's Word.
(Dr. Burk Parsons, Tabletalk, March 2013)
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