Atheist's Want National Leaders to Separate Faith from Office

An Atheist group protesting at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., this week has revealed that its prime motivation is to raise awareness for the importance of the separation of church and state.

The Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics (CAA), an American Atheists affiliate, held its first protest late Tuesday afternoon at the corner of Stonewall Street and Caldwell Street, where members from the group spoke about the necessity of freedom from religion.

"The main goal was to demonstrate for the separation of church and state. We feel strongly that keeping religion out of government benefits all citizens, the religious and secular alike," Shawn Murphy from the CAA shared with The Christian Post in an email.

About Tuesday's protest, he added: "The event went very well. Despite the rain, we had a good turn out and plenty of positive interest. I was disappointed that the stage was not covered in any way. We got quite wet. I was delightfully surprised by the level of dedication of our speakers and audience who took the weather in good humor."

The atheist group clarified that its members were not necessarily protesting the Democratic Party, but using the widely-publicized event as an opportunity to draw attention to their mission.

"There is a need, even at the DNC, to make our voices heard in opposition to the overwhelming influence of religion in our political system. True, the Religious Right has a stranglehold on the Republican Party, and they are a huge threat to us, but there are also those in the Democratic Party who refuse to separate their religion from their office," the atheists explain on their Facebook page centered around the protest.

A host of other religiously motivated groups have also made their voices heard at the DNC, before and during the three-day event. On Friday, a confrontation between pro-abortion activists and a pro-life group that had come to pray for aborted babies at the site of the convention resulted in an 11-year-old pro-life girl being brought to tears, after which she wrote a letter describing her ordeal.
Meanwhile, delegates at the convention voted to reinstate the word "God" back in the Democratic National Convention's platform, although it took three roll calls to do so.

"If the narrative that's being presented on your station and through your channel and your network is that Democrats are godless people, they ought to know better. God is not a franchise of the Republican Party," said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin as he criticized Fox News in its coverage of his party striking the words "God" and "Jerusalem" from its platform.

"If you're trying to draw some conclusion that the Democrats are godless, present your evidence. Present your evidence," he added.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheist-protest-at-dnc-demands-leaders-separate-their-religion-from-their-office-81202/#Za6EOEtQEzOJrwVx.99

Nigerian Leader Claims Boko Haram to Use Poison in Jihad Against Christians

By Stoyan Zaimov , Christian Post Reporter

June 20, 2012|11:00 am

The Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram is allegedly planning to declare holy war on Southern Nigeria, where most Christians are concentrated, and might use food poisoning tactics to kill as many as possible, according to the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

"We have information and documents to show that this is a Jihad being sponsored and we have our documents to show where they have dispatched 2,000 people to prepare for Jihad to South East, 2,500 to South-South and about 2,000 to South West," said Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, CAN Chairman and Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese.

The organization also warned that Boko Haram, responsible for killing hundreds of Christians since 2011 with church bombings and shootings, is planning to lace meat in these southern areas with poisonous powder. CAN specifically warned residents to be careful about eating suya, which is a shish kebab-type food that can be made with various types of meats.

According to a report from Vangard, Bishop Chukwuma said: "We are warning our people to be careful of suya because we have now heard that they will start poisoning people through suya. They know the suya they give themselves in the North and suya they give to the people in the South. So people should be careful of suya.

"That is part of the information available to us now. There is a powder that is now being imported which they will spread on suya and after two weeks it will start eating your liver and other organs. We have gotten that information also."

Boko Haram directly admitted in a recent statement to wanting to wipe out Christians from Nigeria and establish Islamist rule.

"The Nigerian state and Christians are our enemies and we will be launching attacks on the Nigerian state and its security apparatus as well as churches until we achieve our goal of establishing an Islamic state in place of the secular state," Boko Haram declared in a statement last week, owning up to terrorist attacks last Sunday that killed at least six people and injured dozens.

Christians account for 40 percent of Nigeria's population, while 50 percent are Muslim, and 10 percent practice indigenous beliefs, according to statistics from the U.S. State Department. Most of Nigeria's Muslims live in the North.

The Vatican, which has condemned the continuous attacks on Christians in Nigeria, once again called for peace this past week.

"I am following with deep concern the news from Nigeria, where terrorist attacks are continuing, especially against Christians," Pope Benedict XVI said in his weekly address.

"I appeal to those responsible for the violence to immediately stop spilling the blood of innocent people," the head of the Holy See added.

So far, his pleas and the pleas of the Nigerian people have fallen on deaf ears, and many are showing their frustration and anger not only with the terrorists but also with the Nigerian government, which has been unable to contain the deadly attacks.

"Are Christians no longer free to worship God on Sundays? What are the security operatives doing on Sundays when they know that Sundays have become a target to bomb Christians? What is the Inspector General of Police doing? Is changing of uniform the reformation that we want or action to make what is happening in the North to be stampeded and stopped. Again, what are the members of the House of Representatives and Senate doing to promulgate law that will sanction those perpetrating this evil?" asked Bishop Chukwuma.

Chukuwma has also claimed that Christians in Nigeria are prepared to take on Boko Haram "physically and spiritually" in order to maintain their right to worship.

"We also want to put an alert that Christians in the South are ready to face them squarely because we heard that they have infiltrated this place, especially Enugu. We are prepared for war -- physically and spiritually against any form of attack on the church. Time has come for reprisal because nobody can stop us from worshiping our God," the spiritual leader said.

 http://www.christianpost.com/news/nigerian-christian-leader-claims-boko-haram-to-launch-jihad-with-poisoned-meat-76949/

PCUSA Mulls Overtures for Redefining Denomination's Marriage Definition

By Michael Gryboski , Christian Post Reporter

June 19, 2012|5:58 pm

Presbyterian Church (USA) has received overtures from various regional bodies within the denomination in favor of either changing the group's definition of marriage or loosening the enforcement of said definition.

Various presbyteries within PC(USA) have sent the General Assembly messages expressing support and opposition to these ideas for the 220th PC (USA) General Assembly.

According to Presbyterian News Service, the presbyteries of East Iowa, Hudson River, New York City and Redwoods submitted Amendment Overtures, which demand that PC (USA) change its definition of marriage from "a woman and a man" to "two people."

Five presbyteries – Boston, Genesee Valley, Cayuga-Syracuse, Baltimore, and East Iowa once more – have sent Authoritative Interpretation Overtures, which demand that Presbyterian churches in states that have legalized same-sex marriage should be allowed to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies.
Other Presbyteries, like Charleston-Atlantic and Foothills, have sent overtures opposing such changes to the constitution or the enforcement of its rules.

According to the PC(USA) Constitution, W-4.9001, "Marriage is a civil contract between a woman and a man. For Christians marriage is a covenant through which a man and a woman are called to live out together before God their lives of discipleship."

 

In previous General Assembly meetings, amendments to W-4.9001 have been proposed to change the definition of marriage found in the PC(USA) Constitution. These have included broadening the words to include the term "two people" rather than "a man and a woman." Thus far, none of these amendments, the latest being proposed in 2010, have been successful.

Michael J. Adee, executive director of More Light Presbyterians, a pro-gay organization within PC (USA), told The Christian Post that his organization is supportive of these efforts.

"More Light Presbyterians support both kinds of marriage equality overtures," said Adee, referring to the Authoritative Interpretation Overture and the Amendment Overture.

"I hope and pray that the General Assembly meeting soon in Pittsburgh will stand on the side of love and the right side of history."

When asked whether a potential change in the PC (USA)'s constitution on marriage definition would lead more congregations to leave the denomination, Adee said that congregations have left before.
"I am sad when any church feels it must leave because of the removal of barriers to faithful, qualified LGBT persons serving God in ministry within and through the Church," said Adee.

"There is no accurate way to know if a church might leave the denomination when it offers pastoral discretion with same-sex marriage. It is my hope and prayer that no church will leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) over same-sex couples seeking to be faithful in their relationships."

The 220th General Assembly for Presbyterian Church (USA) will take place this summer at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

 http://www.christianpost.com/news/pcusa-mulls-overtures-for-redefining-denominations-marriage-definition-76927/

Josh McDowell Launches Website to Fight Porn, 'Church's No. 1 Threat'

 http://www.christianpost.com/news/josh-mcdowell-launches-website-to-fight-porn-churchs-no-1-threat-75584/

 

By Anugrah Kumar , Christian Post Contributor

May 26, 2012|10:34 am

Apologist and author Josh McDowell launched Just1ClickAway.org, a new website to raise awareness about online pornography which he says is a problem big enough to cause the downfall of the church.

"The downfall of the church will not come from a lack of apologetic teaching; it will come from disintegration of the families in the church," says a video posted on the website, which was launched this week, just in time for summer vacation when students' media consumption significantly increases.
"The greatest threat to the cause of Christ is pervasive sexuality and pornography," McDowell, known as an articulate speaker, said in a statement Thursday. "Today we have, by and large, lost control of the controls because an intrusive immorality is just one click away from our children. With just one keystroke on a smartphone, iPad, or laptop, a child can open up some of the worst pornography and sexually graphic content you can imagine. There's never been such access in history. "

McDowell, who has written or co-authored 120 books since 1960, backs his claims with stunning statistics about the destructive impact of pornography on the Christian family.

More than 1 billion pornographic websites are one click away, and the average age of first-time viewers of pornography is 9 years old. About 80 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds have been exposed to hardcore porn, and the adult pornography industry reports that 20-30 percent of their traffic comes from children. More shockingly, half of all Christian families report that pornography is a problem, and 30 percent of pastors have viewed pornography in the last 30 days.

The newly produced video on the website shows that pornography aggressively preys on and attacks its victim, virtually in plain view of unsuspecting family members.

It features a boy, who looks below 10 years old and is seated on his bed with a tablet computer in the privacy of his bedroom. "Doing your homework?" asks a young woman, portrayed as a tempter. The boy, seeing her in his imagination, nods to say, "Yes." "Can I ask you something?" the girl says. "What's your favorite part about me? Do you wanna see more? I can show you whatever you want." Just then the mother comes into the room and tells him, "Honey, dinner is almost ready." Seeing her child's surprised reaction, she asks, "What's wrong?" "Nothing," he replies, pressing his laptop against his chest. "Finish up what you're doing and come on downstairs," his mother says.

The video goes on to feature a husband as well as a teenage girl as consumers of pornography and whose family members are also unaware of the dangerous viewing.

The video, which has a warning label for its mature content, later portrays each consumer being tortured by their addiction to pornography.

Offering hope and help, McDowell has made available resources to both spread awareness about the pervasiveness of pornography viewing and offer solutions. The Bare Facts, McDowell's "biblically based, medically sound and culturally relevant campaign" provides youth and those who influence them with an understanding of love, sexuality and relationships.

As part of a 45-city speaking tour in 15 countries throughout 2012, McDowell is touring Latin America with his Bare Facts campaign. With over 50 years in ministry, he has addressed more than 10 million young people, giving over 24,000 talks in 118 countries. McDowell lives in southern California with his wife Dottie and four children.

Hot Button Issue!

Today there is a real hot button issue with same sex marriage.  Here is an in depth and lengthy argument about that very topic.

http://www.firstthings.com/article/2011/05/religion-reason-and-same-sex-marriage

Tongues-What are the Rules?

Tongues is an interesting topic within the church and can cause division and controversy.  I like this article and this pastor's perspective on it.  When I read the article it reminded me of a time some friends from India came over to visit ant they told me about an incident they encountered when a church let the whole body speak in tongues at once.  They were in the church and everyone started speaking in tongues and as they listened they heard something interesting from the couple in front of them.  After they were all done, the Indian couple tapped the couple in front of them on the shoulder and asked them if they wanted to know what they were saying.  The couple responded by saying that is impossible because they were speaking in tongues, but the Indian couple told them they were actually speaking Hindi their native language.  They continued to tell them they were worshiping the God Shiva in Hindi and were not speaking in an unknown language.  What they thought was a worshipful time with God turned out to be something completely different.

I think we have to be careful with spiritual gifts and truly seek out their place and how they function in our lives. 

http://www.christianpost.com/news/nc-megachurch-pastor-says-its-a-sin-to-forbid-speaking-in-tongues-74184/

The CTS Economic Recovery Plan

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We want to do our part to help you. From now through 30 April 2012, you can take a 10% tuition scholarship toward your next class or two. When you make your order from our Payment Center, just select the box that says " Member of the US Armed Forces?" This offer is not retroactive and does not apply to anyone already receiving the 10% scholarship discount.

Thank you for being diligent in your studies.

In His Grip,

Dr. Gary Tryzbiak