WordJourney Magazine » News

NYC Seeks to Toss Churches From Schools

Matthew C. Keegan — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:32:36 +0000

City seeks to separate churches from the state.

Religious liberty is under attack in New York City.

The city of New York is a melting pot, one of the most diverse places on earth. Scores of languages are spoken within its five boroughs and with every major religion well represented. Although the city has welcomed hundreds of millions of people with open arms down through the years, a recent city crackdown on Christian churches and orthodox Jewish congregations meeting in public schools has some people upset.

Pending Expulsion

Last December, city officials set a February 12 deadline for the approximately 60 religious organizations that have been holding services in city schools. As of that date the effected churches will be barred from holding worship services in public schools and will be forced to congregate elsewhere reports the New York Times.

Churches only began to meet in New York schools following a 2002 decision by a judge who allowed this practice. Since then, the city has issued more than 60 permits to congregations to meet for religious services. The New York City Department of Education, however, has been battling to overturn that judge’s earlier decision and in June 2011 a full panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit upheld a 3-judge panel’s decision to toss an injunction that allowed churches to meet in NYC public schools for the previous nine years.

ADF Defense

Fighting on behalf of The Bronx Household of Faith, which meets at Public School 15 in the Bronx, is the Alliance Defense Fund. In Bronx Household of Faith v. Board of Education of the City of New York , the ADF sought to have the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case, but in December the court declined. That set up the Feb. 12 deadline by the city.

As the deadline approaches, concerned citizens are contacting city hall and asking Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Board of Education to delay its eviction order. Pastors and other religious leaders have called for people to march with them across the Brooklyn Bridge at 3:30 p.m. this Sunday, Jan. 29, first meeting in Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn to rally and pray before marching. Marchers plan to cross the bridge and meet at City Hall.

Setting a Precedent

Churches and other religious groups that currently meet in public schools around the nation will need to follow what is unfolding in New York. With the U.S. Supreme Court refusing to hear the Bronx case and city officials bent on evicting the churches, this may set a precedent for any city across the United States of America to do likewise.

On Feb. 2, the New York City Council Education Committee will hold a hearing to urge the New York Legislature to require the Board of Education to change its policy. That bill has bipartisan support and is moving to the state Senate floor.

Photo: Wikipedia

FamilyLife Seeks to Aid Military Marriages

Matthew C. Keegan — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:38:04 +0000

Multiple deployments take its toll on military families.

Long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have meant that thousands of our military men and women complete multiple deployments before finally returning home for good. The extended time abroad leads to marital strain, making it difficult for couples to get back together again. Indeed, a FamilyLife initiative to help military couples save their marriages points to an Oklahoma State University study showing that “plans to pursue divorce or separation increase with each subsequent month.”

Coming Home

With the Iraq War over, thousands of men and women have returned home and have begun a critical 90-day post-deployment adjustment. It is during this make or break time that some marriages will unravel while others will begin a lengthy and critical healing process.

Said FamilyLife Founder and President Dennis Rainey, “That window is the proven time frame during which people develop habits and set the tone for the future of their marriage. It’s critical for military couples to establish healthy habits quickly as they struggle to reconnect and restructure their families.”

Frequent Deployments

There are a number of post-deployment stress points that must be factored in for military couples including: unrealistic expectations, rushing the transition, renegotiating roles, realizing that both spouses have changed during deployment and post-traumatic stress disorder. One couple, Air Force Master Sergeant Todd Gaff and his wife, Valerie, began the first of what turned out to be 13 tours of duty when Todd was intially sent to Afghanistan in 2001.

Said Valerie, “We had to renegotiate our roles, routines and relationship,” with each of Todd’s returns home. “While he was away, I was totally in charge and fully responsible for our children and household. When he returned, it was hard to let go of some of those roles. It was also scary getting reacquainted. By necessity, we both changed each time we were apart.”

Marriage Enrichment

FamilyLife has been rallying around military couples by providing much needed assistance to help save marriages. Practical advice, including free resources, is available to couples via a dedicated website. Moreover, FamilyLife is seeking to offer scholarships for military couples to attend a FamilyLife marriage enrichment event.

“We would like to help spark a nationwide movement to ‘give back’ to those who have given so much to our country,” Rainey said. Anyone can give $10 to this scholarship fund by texting the word HOME to 28950. Gifts can also be made at FinallyHomeToFamily.org or by calling 1-800-358-6329.

MercyMe Tour

FamilyLife is working with the contemporary Christian band MercyMe to reach out to military families. The band’s 2012 concert tour has been dedicated to helping FamilyLife reach these couples. Said lead singer Bart Millard, “FamilyLife has stepped up and said this needs to happen for our troops. Trying to keep military families together is something I take very seriously. [This] gives us all an opportunity to offer these couples a fighting chance.”

The Gaffs 18-year military marriage has survived much hardship. Today, Valerie works with FamilyLife to help other military couples overcome the challenges she and Todd have faced noting, “Civilians often don’t understand that, though the battle overseas may be over, our troops must now come home and fight for their marriage.”

Photo via BigStock: Miroslav Ferkuniak

Operation Christmas Child 2011 Campaign is in Full Swing

Matthew C. Keegan — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:05:36 +0000

Reaching children in the name of Jesus Christ.

Joyful children receive gifts from people just like you.

The 2011 campaign for Operation Christmas Child, the shoe box ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, has started. Individuals, churches, civic groups and other like-minded people are now assembling boxes in advance of this year’s collection week which runs from November 14-21, 2011, in the United States.

Global Effort

Last year, more than 8.5 million shoe boxes were collected in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and elsewhere, and shipped to needy children in more than 100 countries scattered around the world. Each box is individually packed by donors and a gospel tract is included by Samaritan’s Purse where appropriate. Samaritan’s Purse works with local churches and organizations to distribute these boxes, which often represent the only gift that these children receive. Not all boxes arrive in time for Christmas, with some gifts distributed at other times of the year.

Many churches make the annual drive an important outreach event, encouraging congregants to fill shoe boxes with school supplies, personal items such as toothpaste or a comb, toys, hard candies and other child-friendly items, and bringing these gifts to their church. From there, volunteers gather the boxes and take them to local drop off points where Samaritan’s Purse retrieves them. When possible, donors are asked to contribute $7 for each box packed to help defray the cost of shipment.

Collection Centers

In some areas of the country drop-off locations have been few and far between. However, Samaritan’s Purse has been working to open up new, local collection centers especially in thinly-populated areas. West Texas is one area that is benefiting from a new drop off location as Midland Bible Church has been tabbed as a relay station this year reports Audrie Palmer for the Midland Reporter-Telegram. Sherwood Baptist Church in Odessa is another drop off point for that region.

Some volunteers work well outside the normal Christmas preparation season, beginning their work during the long, hot days of summer and continuing on through their national collection week.

In Canada, Gail Maughan has been working for many weeks in preparation for her country’s collection drive which is November 21-27, 2011. Her campaign began at the Wetaskiwin Mall, located 75 minutes south of Edmonton, Alberta. For the past 13 years Maughan has been spearheading the location collection drive and has seen donations increase by more than four-fold from about 700 boxes, to more than 3,000 shoe boxes. Maughan has solicited the assistance of 19 area businesses to participate in the annual collection drive, an effort that has helped yield outsized results.

Age Groups

Samaritan’s Purse asks donors to pack shoe boxes for a boy or girl in one of two age categories: 5- to 9-years-old and 10- to 14-years-old. Please note that there is a pressing need to reach older children as most people pack items for younger kids, finding it easier to locate and buy age appropriate items.

Print out labels are available online or through your collection center. If you make a donation online, you can print out a label with a bar code embedded, and track the shipment of your gift. You probably won’t know who received your gift, but you’ll find out when it was delivered as well as the country where delivered.

If there isn’t a local collection center in your area, you can ship your gift to Samaritan’s Purse. Those details are available on the Operation Christmas Child splash page listed below.

References and Resources

MyWestTexas.com: Operation Christmas Child Kicks Off Shoe Box Drive; Audrie Palmer; October 15, 2011

The Wetaskiwin Times: Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Program Starts Today; Nicole Goetz; October 13, 2011

The Article Writer: A Shoebox Full of Love: Operation Christmas Child

WordJourney Magazine: 49 Christmas Shoe Box Stuffing Ideas

Samaritan’s Purse: Operation Christmas Child

Photos: Samaritan’s Purse

Raising Cain: What Will Herman Do?

Matthew C. Keegan — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:02:12 +0000

If you haven’t heard of Herman Cain by now, then you’ve done an excellent job of avoiding the news. Cain is a black (African-American) businessman and is one of eight Republicans vying for nomination as the GOP candidate who will take on President Barack H. Obama in 2012. But first, Cain may have a “church” problem, one that dogged Obama just before he was elected.

Baptist Believer

Unlike Jeremiah A. Wright, the flamboyant and sometimes flame-throwing Chicago pastor whom the Obamas sat under for upwards of 20 years, pastor Cameron M. Alexander may be a bit easier to handle. Alexander pastors Antioch Baptist Church North, a 14,000 member church that is located near the home and college of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the famed civil rights leader. The church is highly active and engaged in the community, frequently hosting black politicians who are running for office reports CNN’s Belief Blog.

Antioch, like many black churches is politically liberal, but theologically conservative. The church is engaged in HIV/AIDS ministries and advocates for government involvement in raising up the lives of the poor. However, when it comes to doctrinal matters, many white and other conservatives may be able to identify with the church’s tenets. Antioch is a National Baptist Convention USA Inc. fellowship which generally does not ordain women. Nor did the NBC fall lockstep in with King’s civil rights activism.

Cain’s church problem won’t come from the mainstream media. Rather, concern could come from a body of conservatives who may not be able to see past the church’s advocacy of issues important to the African-American community. The media, of course, could see any disagreement as “racist tendencies” and attempt to undermine the Republican base in that manner.

Education & Career

Cain, who long served as a deacon at the church, was ordained as a minister in 2002. He was born on December 13, 1945, in Atlanta, and credits God, his family and his church with helping to shape his life. Cain came of age as the civil rights movement gained strength, but he notes that he was more involved with getting an education than in participating with the movement.

Cain graduated from Morehouse College in 1967 with a degree in mathematics and from Purdue University in 1971 with a master’s in computer science. In 1995-1996 he was chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He is perhaps best known as the one-time CEO of Godfather’s Pizza.

American Dream

Cain Believes:

Reduce Government Spending
ObamaCare Should be Repealed & Replaced
Borders Control, Then Immigration Reform
Tap America’s Energy Sources
Government Regulation Is Excessive
Modernize Current Social Programs
Strengthen Our National Security
In God Is Our Trust

Cain is a big believer in pursuing and achieving the American dream, and frequently points to that as his motivation while growing up. He notes that his parents did not instill a victim mindset within him, enabling the young Cain to follow his dreams and succeed.Although he was not successful in his pursuit of a U.S. Senate seat in 2004, Cain has many successes under his belt including heading up the National Restaurant Association, a trade group and lobby association. He has also been on the board of Whirlpool, Nabisco and Aquila, among other businesses. On a personal note, Cain married Gloria Etchison in 1968 whom he met while at college. The Cains have two children: Melanie and Vincent, and are grandparents.

In 2006, Cain was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, the most advanced form of any cancer. He was given a 30 percent chance of survival. Five years later his oncologist has said that he is cancer-free, good news that coincides with his bid for the GOP nomination.

Cain Controversies

In recent days, Cain has come under intense scrutiny for his positions on abortion and taxation. With abortion, Cain told CNN, “I believe that life begins at conception, and abortion is [not right] under no circumstances….” From that point on, Cain’s position quickly came undone as he made allowances for personal choice, a decision he believes that the government should not be involved in. Michael Sean Winter, writing for the National Catholic Reporter, hammered Cain for his abortion comments, asking a pair of questions: “Does this man have even a basic grasp of the issue? Can anyone really believe he is ready for prime time?”

The following day Cain attempted to clarify his stance on abortion, stating that he was pigeon-holed by interviewer Piers Morgan to explain his position from a personal perspective as reported by Time magazine. Still, many pro-life people are questioning his ability to defend the unborn.

Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan has come under fire as well. That plan seeks to replace federal taxation with a 9 percent business flat tax, a 9 percent individual flat tax and a 9 percent national sales tax. Following the Western Republican Presidential Debate on Oct. 18, Cain amended his 9-9-9 plan to allow for a 9-0-9 plan for Americans who fall below the poverty line. Though this change has been welcomed by some, Cain has been accused of flip-flopping and for not having the clarity on important issues that a presidential candidate must have.

GOP Run

Yet, Cain still leads or is near the top in some polls, suggesting that the public’s interest in his candidacy is strong. Whether that translates into nomination as the GOP candidate remains to be seen. God may have told Herman to run as Cain asserts, but it doesn’t mean that he’ll become the 44th president of the United States of America. In any case, the 2012 election cycle will be as long as it will be dramatic, with Herman Cain likely helping to shape the political landscape for many months to come.

References

CNN Belief Blog: The Liberal Church of Herman Cain; Eric Marrapodi and John Blake; October 18, 2011

KWTV.com: Cain: God Told Me To Run; October 10, 2011

National Catholic Reporter: GOP Ignorance & Its Remedy; Michael Sean Winters; October 21, 2011

Time: Cain Clarifies Abortion Stance; October 21, 2011

Herman Cain for President: 9-9-9 Plan

Photo: Gage Skidmore (Wikipedia)

See Also – Why Christians Can Vote For Romney

Why Christians Can Vote For Romney

Matthew C. Keegan — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:18:31 +0000

The 2012 presidential election is still more than a year away, but on the Republican side of the political spectrum, eight candidates are vying for nomination to oppose President Barack Hussein Obama. Two of the candidates are professed Mormons, at least one is a Roman Catholic, and Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain have professed their faith in Jesus Christ.

Republican Candidates

Personally, I like Bachmann and Cain very much, believing the latter has the better vision for America. I respect the wisdom of Newt Gingrich, although his three marriages strongly suggest he isn’t the most moral person of the bunch. Ron Paul has some good ideas and Rick Santorum seems to offer likewise. Governor Rick Perry shot up to the top of the polls, but his recent performances at the Republican debates has cast doubt on his ability to win it all.

That leaves Jon Huntsman, Jr. and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney as the remaining candidates. Both are Mormons. Huntsman, the former ambassador to China and Singapore, and one-time governor of Utah, is putting up a minimal challenge. Romney, on the other hand, has consistently polled at or near the top among GOP candidates and has strong financial backing. He also has clarity of vision and has defended his handling of the Massachusetts health care law, something he developed and backed, quite well.

Quite frankly, this Christian can vote for Mitt Romney without batting an eye. Most importantly, I can do this in good conscious before God and man.

Mormon Beliefs

Romney has been attacked for his Mormon beliefs, but in the words of Chuck Colson, “Let’s stop criticizing candidates for their religious convictions.” There are more significant matters at stake — how someone approaches God is between that person and God alone. Certainly, I disagree with Mormonism and I do not consider the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints to be a Christian denomination.

As Colson has argued, there is no religious test for public office in the U.S. Constitution. That “test” arrived much later, usually from well meaning, but sometime overzealous evangelicals who will often fail to realize that God’s man (or woman) isn’t always a believer. Go back to the Old Testament and you’ll see how God used Babylonian, Assyrian and Persian kings to advance his will. Of Cyrus, king of Persia, God said in Isaiah 45:1 –

“This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut….”

Yes, this pagan king was God’s tool to enable the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild His temple. God could have used the Jews directly, but He chose to work through the secular leaders of the world of that day. In my opinion, He still does today.

Character & Standing

Mitt Romney is a moral man. He does tend to flip-flop on some issues, which is a cause for concern. Mormons are, for the most part, people who pursue righteousness, uphold liberty and are pro-life. Of course, there are variations within the LDS and some politicians, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Mormon, are blatant liberals.

Like Colson, I want our next president to be someone of “good moral standing and character.” Romney, I believe, understands what marriage is all about. President Obama, seems confused or at least is not eager to defend DOMA — the Defense of Marriage Act — legislation that upholds that marriage is between one man and one woman. There are other differences between the two including how America promotes itself around the world, the way the government taxes and spends, and views on job creation.

Election 2012

I’m not endorsing Romney and WordJourney is not a website where we seek to advance our political opinions. You’ll be sorely disappointed if you expect to find an endorsement for president here next year — you won’t. There is, however, one idea that I can endorse: voting for the person who is best suited to lead the United States forward once he or she takes office in January 2013. Let’s pray that whoever is in office provides the leadership this nation desperately needs.

Photo: Jessica Rinaldi

How Christians Can Help Orphans

Matthew C. Keegan — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:40:14 +0000

Cry of the Orphan campaign continues.

My wife and I have a passion for orphans, and have been able to demonstrate our concern for these children by adopting two boys from Guatemala while they were still very young. Our oldest came to us when he was 3-months-old. His younger brother when he was 15-months-old. These boys are our only children, begotten in our hearts and representing our posterity.

To this day, the need for orphan care remains critical, but my wife and I are heartened that so many Christians are responding. Children who were once orphans fully understand the need to belong and families are demonstrating their willingness to help distressed children by providing them with a loving, permanent home.

Video Program

A new video program features the impact that some people are having on the lives of orphans and gives Christians genuine examples of people who are making a difference. Importantly, Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope, explains how you can help too.

Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope is being made available as part of the annual Cry of the Orphan campaign, led by Hope for Orphans (a ministry of FamilyLife), Focus on the Family, the James Fund (Family Christian Stores Foundation) and Show Hope. The project’s goal is to raise awareness and prompt action to help the more than 140 million orphans worldwide.

Making a Difference

Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope is hosted by best-selling author Eric Metaxas. The program will be available for free through CryoftheOrphan.org or by visiting any of the Family Christian Stores nationwide beginning Oct. 14. Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope is an impactful program that people can use during an Orphan Sunday event, at church, in small groups and Bibles studies or to share with their families. It addresses how every Christian can have an impact on the life of an orphan and touching examples of how some people are already helping to change the lives of orphans, including:

Two 15-year-olds experienced radical inspiration after working with orphans during separate mission trips overseas. Caroline and Sarah decided to start a club to get fellow students involved in helping orphans. The club has now expanded to nine chapters.

A 9-year old girl was placed into foster care, separated from her younger siblings, after the tragic death of her baby sister. Thirteen years later, Tiffany speaks to thousands of Christians every year, encouraging them to adopt children in need of loving families.

A three-week-old baby girl with a cleft palate was left at the gates of an orphanage in China with a short note and a small financial donation. Twenty years later, Lydia has been adopted, graduated from college, and is now serving in that very same orphanage.

When Matt and Elizabeth heard about an orphan in South Korea, it wasn’t the kind of adoption most families would pursue. Little Ben had a terminal heart condition. The couple knew this would be a challenging situation, but fell in love with Ben and brought him home so that he would not have to face his frightening illness alone.

Raising Awareness

Along with Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope, the Cry of the Orphan campaign is working with FamilyLife and Focus on the Family during October and November. Both ministries have national radio program that will devote some of their daily broadcasts to raise awareness of orphan, foster care and adoption issues.

Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Faces Execution

Matthew C. Keegan — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:32:35 +0000

Christian pastor may face death this weekend.

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been convicted by an Iranian court for committing apostasy, a crime that is punishable by death. The 32-year-old church leader, husband and father of two small children, was told to renounce his faith by an Iranian court. When he refused to do so, the court imposed its death penalty in keeping with Islamic Sharia law.

White House Response

The Christian Broadcasting Network learned about Nadarkhani’s plight from the American Center for Law and Justice, becoming the first major news outlet to share this news with the world. Word of Nadarkhani’s pending execution has reached the White House where Press Secretary Jay Carney issued a statement in his September 29, 2011, briefing which said:

“…regarding Mike’s question about Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, the United States condemns the conviction of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani. Pasto Nadarkhani has done nothing more than maintain his devout faith, which is a universal right for all people. That the Iranian authorities would try to force him to renounce that faith violates the religious values they claim to defend, and crosses all bounds of decency and Iran’s own international obligations.

“A decision to impose the death penalty would further demonstrate the Iranian authorities’ utter disregard for religious freedom and highlight Iran’s continuing violation of the universal rights of its citizens.

“We call upon the Iranian authorities to release Pastor Nadarkhani and demonstrate a commitment to basic, universal human rights, including freedom of religion.”

Prayer & Petition

Christians are being asked to pray that Nadarkhani’s life be spared and his sentence commuted. In an interview with CBN, the ACLJ’s Jay Sekulow noted that three of the five judges are considering annulling the sentence. However, Nadarkhani could face life in prison under very harsh conditions. If freed, he could also be killed a few days after his release, as sometimes happens to those who profess faith in Jesus Christ.

Mounting Pressure

Despite the country’s relative political isolation, world opinion does affect Iran. Nadarkhani’s execution could have been carried out sooner, but as international pressure has increased, authorities have delayed the pastor’s execution.

You can sign a petition on the ACLJ website asking U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton to get involved, specifically with her calling upon Iran to overturn the pastor’s death sentence.

In Iran, any person who leaves Islam can face the death penalty. Nadarkhani was not a practicing Muslim, but the court convicted him nonetheless because his family heritage is Muslim.

Pat Robertson Fails the Marriage Commitment Test

Matthew C. Keegan — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:54:26 +0000

Matthew 19:9 (NLT) – “And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery – unless his wife has been unfaithful.”

Television evangelist Pat Robertson raised more than eyebrows last week when he gave spouses of Alzheimer’s patients an “out” in their marriages. Robertson raised the ire of many Christians who quickly criticized him for stating that having the disease is a “kind of death,” offering instruction on how the healthy spouse could quietly divorce their ailing, but very much alive spouse and remarry. Provided that they still took care of their sick loved one, of course.

God’s Sex Manual

We live in a generation where men think that with Viagra, Cialis or Levitra, they can and should maintain their sex lives until they die. There is nothing wrong with having sex – read the Song of Solomon for God’s instruction manual. There is everything wrong with sex outside of marriage which the Bible clearly shows is between one man and one woman. If you have another agenda, you’re wrong.

If you’re an unmarried couple and are having sex, then you’re committing a sin – the Bible calls that fornication. If you’re married and having sex with someone else, then you’re committing adultery. Just for the record, the Bible doesn’t grade sins although we sometimes do. And that is wrong.

Weighing Sins

The list of unrepented sins that will keep you out of heaven includes fornication, adultery, homosexuality, covetousness, murder, thievery and more – see 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Unfortunately, some in the church weigh sins, minimizing or dismissing some while elevating others. That’s a problem we need to confess while also admitting that God’s word is inerrant.

Today, we have a number of silly preachers who twist and shape the Bible to read as they want. That’s because they do what many false teachers do – they pull out a nugget of scripture to shape their agenda, leaving to the side context and misapplying what God says.

Skeptics Respond

Which is why you’ll always have skeptics who may point to a verse in the Old Testament and utter something like, “how can a loving God approve such bad behavior?” He doesn’t – the Bible never whitewashes man’s actions — this book reveals it. And we’re always shown a path of repentance which goes only through Jesus Christ. God’s people are not sinless, but we know that redemption for our sins was made at Calvary and, therefore, we cling to that truth as we confess our sins and move on. We’re in a process of being perfected — we sin less even though we’re not sinless.

That is what the church is all about – it isn’t a showplace for people to demonstrate their fine clothes or supposed superior morality. “Church” is a hospital for sinners and we’ve all sinned and have fallen short – see Romans 3.

Critical Response

It isn’t just people who are in the church that are astounded by Robertson’s comments, but includes those in the medical community. New Jersey Newsroom quoted Sandra Weintraub, professor of neurology and psychiatry at the Northwestern University school of medicine, who said that Robertson’s viewpoint “strikes me as ludicrous.” Robertson attempted to backpedal a bit when he said that a professional ethicist should weigh in.

Ummm…that is why we have the Bible, Pat. God’s word has served mankind for thousands of years. Or don’t you read His book?

Forgive me if I seem as if I’m casting stones at Robertson. I am not. What I am saying is that Pat Robertson is one in a long line of silly preachers whose babbling is held up by many who don’t follow Jesus Christ as an example of their supposed Christian wisdom.

If you’re looking for the truth, then ask God to show you that and He will. Also know that God warns us in Matthew 7:15-20 that many false teachers will seek to lead you astray.

Photo: Paparazzo Presents

How Will You Remember 9/11?

Matthew C. Keegan — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:50:40 +0000

10th anniversary of terrorist attacks arrives.

Next Sunday, the date will be September 11, 2011, marking exactly 10 years since America experienced a devastating series of terrorist attacks. On that day Muslim terrorists flew a pair of airliners into the World Trade Center towers in New York, hijacked another plane and crashed that into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and had a fourth attempt at massive murder thwarted when passengers heroically rose up and forced a plane to crash into a field in rural Pennsylvania.

I grew up in an era when people often recalled what they were doing the exact moment when they learned that President Kennedy had been assassinated. That event burned into the hearts and souls of Americans like nothing else of that generation, perhaps even more so than the first lunar landing in July 1969. What happened on September 11, 2001, has had a similar effect, with most Americans who are old enough to recall those events understanding the significance of this anniversary.

My Story

On September 11, 2001, I was working in my office in Teterboro, New Jersey, just 9 miles from what is now known as Ground Zero, or the location of the World Trade Center. At that time I was a technical writer for a business aviation company, charged with maintaining and updating flight crew and maintenance technician manuals, revising checklists and issuing newsletters.

Being that our company was so involved with flying, when news came in that an airplane had hit the first tower, we turned on the television and thought that the plane may have come from our airport. Teterboro Airport is the main business airport for the greater New York area, serving Manhattan executives and celebrities alike. It is also an important general aviation airport, one that allows operators of Cessna and other small aircraft to come and go as they please.

The Call

That was the type of plane we thought that hit the towers, but soon learned otherwise. Within 10 minutes, I received a very anxious phone call from a family friend, Anne, who explained that her brother-in-law, John, was working at the WTC. We chatted for a few moments, I urged her to contact my wife at home, and we didn’t talk again until much later in the day. By then, the horror of what was happening began to unfold, plunging us into an awful nightmare that included people leaping from tall buildings, running from falling debris and learning about loved ones looking for a missing relative,friend or business associate.

Like most people, I left work early that day, leaving before noon, returning home to be with my wife and our oldest son. Our second child was on his way, living overseas and awaiting our adoption. What happened following 9/11 raised up a wall of uncertainty, one that lasted for many months and had us wondering if our family would ever welcome home our newest member. The following January, Andrew joined Thomas to complete our family, providing a bright moment in what seemed like lasting and penetrating darkness.

God’s Touch

I would certainly be remiss if I didn’t mention God’s work and mercy throughout the days, weeks and months following the attacks. For my young family, our experience was a mixture of horror, mercy, sadness and gratitude as we comforted those who lost loved ones and rejoiced with those who escaped death. The intervening years also had a profound effect on our family as I lost my job 14 months after the attacks, my wife and I lost our mothers within two years, and then left the New York area 7 years ago to start life anew and escape the pall that continued to hang over our area.

It is fitting that the 10th anniversary of the attacks is taking place on a Sunday. My prayer is that churches across America will acknowledge the anniversary, pray for surviving family members and friends and truly lift up to the Lord those who hate us including people bent on harming us again.

Extending Forgiveness

We cannot love our enemies as Jesus commands without the love of Jesus penetrating our hard hearts. I’m also praying that God grants us mercy, taking hearts of stone and transforming them into tender hearts of flesh, clearly demonstrating to the world that only through Jesus will personal peace and salvation be found.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:32-35)

Photo: Wikipedia

Sept. 11th Film to be Shown in NYC Parks

Matthew C. Keegan — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:33:01 +0000

Christian group overcomes resistance to win the right to publicly show its film.

NEW YORK – A nonprofit Christian group has won its battle against the city of New York to show its film, “Sacrificed Survivors: The Untold Story of the Ground Zero Mega-Mosque,” at parks across the city. The film, which is about survivors of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, also addresses the controversy of a proposed Islamic building just blocks from Ground Zero. As of publication, we have not seen this film.

The Christian Action Network, a Forest, Va., organization founded in 1990 that “is based on Biblical principles, values and traditions,” has produced the film. Martin J. Mawyer, former editor of Jerry Falwell’s “Moral Majority” report, is the group’s president, claiming more than 250,000 CAN members. Mawyer has written three books about radical Islam; the “Ground Zero” movie is his latest endeavor.

NYC Parks

City parks in New York are routinely used to show films by private groups in accordance with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. However, CAN asserts that the city resisted its request to air the film at its parks, an effort CAN wanted to undertake leading up to the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

The American Center for Law and Justice sent a demand letter to New York City on July 28, to urge the city to show the film or be subject to a possible lawsuit. The city granted the group’s request, noting that it was concerned about the documentary’s content and viewpoint.

First Amendment

“The law is clear: the City has violated the Christian Action Network’s rights under the First Amendment,” the demand letter stated. “The City’s refusal to approve CAN’s applications due to disagreement with the content and viewpoint of the documentary violates CAN’s First Amendment rights. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the government from ‘abridging the freedom of speech.’ ”

The ACLJ is headed up by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, a law firm that focuses on constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C. CAN has not announced dates, times and places for the film to be shown in New York yet. Local media, including the city’s leading newspapers and television stations, have been silent about the Christian Action Network’s battle with the city. The so-called “Ground Zero” mosque – Park51 – is the project of the American Society of Muslim Advancement. This group is led by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf who, with his wife, Daisy Khan, have sought to build what they call a Muslim Community Center in lower Manhattan.

Resources

Christian Action Network

American Center for Law and Justice

American Society of Muslim Advancement