Tag Archives: Christianity

Update for “Sue the Publisher”

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“Don’t like what the Bible says?  Sue the Publisher” is one of the more popular things I’ve written lately.  On Saturday, more people viewed that post than hit my site searching for Outrigger Island.  I’ve learned a little more about this story in the mean time:

Pictured above is Bradley Fowler.  In my original article, I mentioned several publishers that had better get ready to be next, and one of them was Thomas Nelson.  It turns out Fowler has already filed suit against Thomas Nelson as well.  Zondervan says Fowler is putting fault in the wrong place, pointing out that none of the translation they publish were translated in house.  Fowler’s claim is that these publishers intentionally crafted a religious judgment that homosexuals were sinners.  I wonder if Fowler ever read the King James Bible?  In the case of the KJV, it has been around so long it is public domain; there were no copyrights in 1611.  There’s no one to sue if you don’t like what the KJV has to say.  Of course, my original premise has not changed:

HOMOSEXUALITY IS A SIN, IT DOENS’T MATTER WHAT TRANSLATION YOU’RE READING! 

I’ve also learned that people having been sueing publishing companies in Canada – and winning – so we shouldn’t be surprised that it finally happened here.  Fowler is representing himself in both cases, and you know how that usually turns out.  Will someone please hurry up and throw this case out of court so the overworked system can move on to a real case.  May God have mercy on us all.

Update – separation of church and state

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If the image of the cross appeared on every license plate that South Carolina produced, that would be unconstitutional.  Unwilling drivers would have religious symbols thrust at them by the state.  But if you don’t want an “I Believe” plate on your car, all you have to do is not ask for one.  Why should it be illegal for the state to sell me one?  In our society of free-market capitalism, consumer sovereignty says the buyer decidies what get produced and sold, not the government. 

This post is an update to my original article Separation of Church and State.  There is a lively discussion going on over at Americans United for the Separaton of Church and State about the South Carolina lisence plate issue.  Here’s a link. 

Let’s also keep this in perspective: Christians in China would probably find the heated debate over this issue laughable.  Any underground church, hiding from their government in order to meet, has bigger issues to actually worry about.  We are so spoiled rotten by being blessed beyond measure in this country, we don’t know what persecution is.

UPDATE, AUG 12 – Denise Gibel-Molini has written one of the best articles on separation of church and state I’ve read in a long time (yes, including mine).  It’s about the War in Iraq, and is a little long, but is very well researched and I believe historically accurate.

Separation of Church and State

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I recently posted this article about the state license plates in Florida and South Carolina that have set off recent separation of church and state arguments.  I basically assert that to protect the division between church and state, we sometimes compromise our first amendment rights, namely freedom of speech and also of religious expression.  Again, you can click here for that article; for this post I have some new information.

I was discussing the establishment clause over dinner with my department head (it’s a small town).  I mentioned that “separation of church and state” is nowhere to be found in the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, etc.  He asked me if I knew where the statement did in fact come from.  I honestly did not.  I have been informed – by a history teacher with more education and experience than myself – that the term separation of church and state was first used in a private letter written by Thomas Jefferson.  Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence, the document that first declared there was a  United States of America.  A Baptist church was concerned that the Federal government was going to institute the Congregational Church as the state appointed church, and Jefferson wrote a letter to their minister saying there was enough “separation of church and state” that it wouldn’t happen.  That letter was lost to the ages until sometime in the 1950’s when someone dug it up.  Since that time, because of that letter, the establishment clause of the Constitution has been interpreted to mean separation, and the Supreme Court favors that document – a private letter between two citizens – over the Constitution wording and other legal documents.

Here’s a good link for further research: http://everynation.wordpress.com/2007/04/09/is-separation-of-church-and-state-in-the-bible/

Christ Centered Preaching

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I’ve thought some more on what Christ centered means, and wish I could say this to every preacher everywhere: Preach the gospel.  Are you preaching on the Law being given to Moses?  Great; just make sure to mention how Christ fulfills the Law and the Prophets, and perhaps include Paul’s statement that the Law is like a tutor to him.  Teaching from Job?  Be sure to include “I know my Redeemer lives,” before you’re finished.  The story of how God deals with fallen man is the central thematic element that runs through the entire Bible.  Continue reading →

God honoring, Christ centered

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I don’t know how well that shows up on your screen in the banner. Is that just a slogan? Well, sort of. When creating a wordpress page, you’re asked to write a title, and then a brief description of what your blog is about. “God honoring, Christ centered” is there as much as anything to remind me what I’m doing here. What does it mean? Now that my friend is the right question. Continue reading →

A Look Back: Read my blog – or not

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I first began blogging in February of this year.  Let’s be honest; I didn’t know what the heck I was doing.  A lot of those first few posts were bad, but not all of them.  It was okay, because there wasn’t really anyone reading my blog either.  I’ve been going through the archives, and found a couple of gems.  In response to another blog I read, I drew an analogy between blogging and gardening, and described how they’re both types of therapy for me.  Unless you’re one of about 4 people, this isn’t a repost for you; enjoy it for the first time.

I just read a post on Internetmonk entitled “10 Reasons I Don’t Read Your Blog.”  I just couldn’t say everthing I wanted to in the comment box.  Then I remembered: I have blog.  Perfect. Continue reading →

When it rains, it pours.

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Here’s a useful illustration you’re welcome to.  Or perhaps just a funny story.

There was a family watching anxiously as floodwaters came up around their home. They had a great deal of faith, however, and trusted in God to save them. As the water came up into their yard, a 4-wheel drive truck pulled up to their house, and told them it was time to evacuate. “God will take of us,” was the father’s reply, and the truck moved on to help other families in that same neighborhood. As the waters came into the first floor, the family moved upstairs. A boat came up to one of their windows, and warned that the water would continue to rise. “God will provide,” was the only response the father would give, and finally the rescuers moved on to search for others in need. At last the family climbed onto the roof, and a helicopter tried to pick them up. After much argument with the reluctant family, the helicopter moved on as well. The flood water continued to rise, and all the family members drowned. As they stood before God, the man was confused and distressed. “I told all of those people that I trusted in you to save us. Why did you let us perish in the flood?” God replied “I sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter. What else did you want me to do?”

Even when opportunity knocks, we must open the door.

 

 

Leaps of Faith

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Remember those team-building seminars that had you fall backwards into the arms of your co-workers? That trust fall activity was about building trust and forming community, etc. The video below is something like that, but a lot more fun to laugh at.

Let me give you all the background first. In the Sunday a.m. service, I preach a straightforward, classic sermon on faith. Genesis 15 and Luke 8 were used as the main texts, and other examples from the Old and New Testaments were illustrated briefly. In the first text, Abram’s faith was counted to him as righteousness, and the second is the story of the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years. I explained that faith was more than believing, it was about trust. Faith causes us to act. In the Sunday evening service, I read the many examples of how people of faith took action found in Hebrews 11. Then we did the fun stuff.

Each of the volunteers was taken out of the room and kept in isolation, being brought back in one at a time. What they were told was that after being blindfolded, we would be raising them up 5 or 6 feet, and asking them to jump. I told each to have faith that we would be providing for their safety, and they wouldn’t get hurt if they took the leap of faith. In reality, they were never more than about 6 inches off the floor. They could feel the sensation of movement, while at the same time I’m kneeling down. In all the times I’ve done this, I’ve never had a kid not jump. Most fall (as do our 3 people of faith in the video), since they expect to drop several feet to the floor.

How is abortion not killing babies?

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Kurt says:

Enough with this nonsense already!
The abortion “issue” is the biggest scam the GOP has ever come up with.
Think about it. If republican politicians and religious leaders truly thought we were killing babies, abortion would be stopped in an instant.

I’m a religious leader, and I think we’re killing babies. We have been doing so legally in the U.S. since the early 1970’s. Continue reading →

Rantings about “stupid” Christians

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If I was writing a book on theology, I couldn’t just go off on a tangent and rant about whatever comes to mind. That’s the benefit of a blog. A good blog entry is almost bite sized; just enough for a mouthful in one sitting. Some of my online friends post 3 or 4 times a day. Some of them have no unpublished thoughts. I don’t often rant, but if you want to know what just burns my grits, it’s stupid Christians that make us all look bad. Continue reading →