Culture War - Chrisitanity vs. the World

DUTCH BISHOP ABSURDLY SUGGESTS THAT CHRISTIANS CALL THE GOD OF THE BIBLE "ALLAH"

jjkoine@insight.rr.com — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:13:59 -0400

A catholic bishop in the Netherlands suggested that Christians call the God of the Bible "Allah" to ease the tensions between Christians and Muslims. Although there are problems with this concept, the most glaring one is that the God of the Bible is NOT the same as the god of the Qu'ran. Orthodox Christianity teaches that Jesus is God come in the form of a human while maintaining His divinity. Muslims deny that Jesus is divine. They believe that He is a prophet only. This of course denies the foundational doctrine of Christianity that Jesus Christ as God the Son and as the Son of Man is able to atone for the sins of mankind. The apostle Paul wrote "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:8). However, Christians are not to deny the biblically-based tenets of their faith in order to appease the enemies of their faith. "Bishop urges Christians to call God 'Allah'

WORLDWIDE "LIVE EARTH" CONCERT WARNS OF GLOBAL WARMING BUT TRUST ME, THE WORLD HAS NO IDEA HOW HOT IT IS GOING TO GET

jjkoine@insight.rr.com — Sun, 8 Jul 2007 16:15:56 -0400
Across the world yesterday, millions of people watched the "Live Earth" concerts on the internet and television. The purpose of these concerts was to raise awareness of the dangers of human behavior causing the climate of planet Earth to rise to life-changing temperatures. Though there has been some controversy among scientists concerning the validity of global warming, I can guarantee that the earth is going to get warmer, a LOT warmer. I am not a scientist nor an expert in the field of climatology. However, there is one expert who knows more than all the scientists, climatologists, and any other human beings on the face of the earth: God! God, who created the universe and every atom in it has declared in His Word that one day the temperature on earth is going to become almost unbearable for humankind. This event will occur when God is judging humankind for its rebellion against Him. In the Book of Revelation, God is showing His servant John the things that are going to happen in the future near the end of this age. John has witnessed many devastating calamities taking place on earth. As the judgments of God are nearing their end John wrote what he saw next:

"And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given
unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat,
and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and
they repented not to give Him glory" (Revelation 16:8-9).

So is the earth going to get hotter? Yes, and it is 1900 years closer to happening then when John withessed it.

ROSIE O'DONNELL EQUATES CHRISTIANITY WITH RADICAL ISLAM

jjkoine@insight.rr.com — Sat, 7 Jul 2007 12:35:49 -0400
On her television show “The View”, Rosie O’Donnell stated, "Just a minute, radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America where we have separation of church and state." O’Donnell has let her feminist, lesbian hatred for “radical” Christianity blind her to the truth and thus make this irrational, ludicrous statement. A comparison of one basic teaching between Islam and Christianity will illustrate how ignorant O’Donnell is concerning these two faiths. The bible of Islam, The Qu’ran, states in sura 4:34:
“Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.” Though Islamic apologists try to explain away this verse except to say that the Qu’ran teaches that it is okay for a husband to beat his “disobedient” wife. Dr. Ahmad Shafaat (trying to explain the “true” meaning of this verse states, “If the husband beats a wife without respecting the limits set down by the Quran and Hadith, then she can take him to court and if ruled in favor has the right to apply the law of retaliation and beat the husband as he beat her.” Thus, he is saying it is okay to beat your wife as long as it is done within the bounds of the Islamic writings "A Commentary on The Qur'an 4:34"The New Testament states, “25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:” (Ephesians 5:25-29) Also, 18 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.” (Colossians 3:18-19) How did Jesus love the Church? By serving it and laying down His life for it. Wives are to submit to their husbands as the spiritual head of the household. This absolutely does not mean that women are to be slaves to their husbands. As the above verse shows, husbands are to love, cherish, and serve their wives with Christian love just as Christ did the Church.
Also, radical Islamists kill innocent people based on their beliefs concerning the Islamic Holy writings. Not one verse in the New Testament tells Christians to kill in the name of Jesus Christ. Though there have been people in history that have killed in the name of Jesus Christ, they did so without the sanction of the New Testament or the teachings of Jesus.
However, Rosie O’Donnell, a feminist, cannot see any difference between the teachings of these two belief systems.

HOLLYWOOD STRIKES AGAIN! CHRISTIAN MOVIE RECEIVES A PG RATING BECAUSE IT EMPHASIZES CHRISTIANITY TOO MUCH

jjkoine@insight.rr.com — Sat, 7 Jul 2007 12:34:44 -0400
A low-budget Christian-themed movie received a PG rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) because it is too Christian. Kris Fuhr, vice president for marketing at Provident Films, which is owned by Sony Pictures, said she was told by the MPAA that their movie "Facing the Giants" was "heavily laden with messages from one religion and that this might offend people from other religions." Terry Mattingly of Scripps Howard News Service reports, "The movie includes waves of answered prayers, a medical miracle, a mysterious silver-haired mystic who delivers a message from God and a bench-warmer who kicks a 51-yard field goal to win the big game when his handicapped father pulls himself out of a wheelchair and stands under the goal post to inspire his son's faith. There's a prayer-driven gust of wind in there, too. But the scene that caught the MPAA's attention may have been the chat between football coach Grant Taylor _ played by Alex Kendrick _ and a rich brat named Matt Prader. The coach says that he needs to stop bad-mouthing his bossy father and get right with God. The boy replies: "You really believe in all that honoring God and following Jesus stuff? ... Well, I ain't trying to be disrespectful, but not everybody believes in that." The coach replies: "Matt, nobody's forcing anything on you. Following Jesus Christ is the decision that you're going to have to make for yourself. You may not want to accept it, because it'll change your life. You'll never be the same." "Narrow focus draws 'PG' rating for Baptist-backed film." The industry that gives us cannibalistic criminals, knife-slashing bogeymen, chain-saw massacres, demon-possessed children, gratuitous sex and nude scenes, and profanity-laden diatribes is concerned that some people may be offended by the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Once again Hollywood has demonstrated its anti-Christian bias. The only thing that seems to overcome their prejudice is the possibility that a Christian movie may make a lot of money for them.

IT IS THEOLOGICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR JESUS TO HAVE BEEN MARRIED, CONTRARY TO THE CLAIMS OF THE BOOK "THE DA VINCI CODE."

jjkoine@insight.rr.com — Sat, 7 Jul 2007 12:33:08 -0400
I just finished reading Dan Brown's book "The Da Vinci Code." Though the author claims his book is a novel, the information his characters discuss is presented as fact. There are many books and television shows that have thoroughly debunked the historicity of the statements he makes concerning the Christian Faith. The New Testament itself is a clear refutation of his assertion that Jesus was not considered divine by the first Christians. However, I want to address one claim of "The Da Vinci Code" in particular. The author writes that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and that they had a child. The biblical and historical evidence never mentions such an event taking place. No Church Father of the 1st, 2nd or 3rd Century ever hints that Jesus was married. The New Testament writers never broach the subject of a marriage between Jesus and anyone else. The only Biblical reference to a bride for Jesus Christ refers to the spiritual marriage of the Christian Church to the Lord Jesus. In fact, according to the New Testament it would have been theologically impossible for Jesus to be married to another human being. In Romans 3:23 the apostle Paul wrote, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." This means that every human being that has lived is sinful. The writer of the Book of Hebrews gives one exception to this truth, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:14-15). Jesus Christ alone, being divine and human, was without sin and therefore was an acceptable sacrifice for the sins of humankind. The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Corinth in Greece, "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:14-20) According to the New Testament, if Jesus had married a sinful human being, He would have become one with her and inherited her sinfulness. Jesus would have become sinful and thus would not have been an acceptable sacrifice to God. The Bible and Church history make it clear that Jesus was never married.

ANNUAL CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS ELICIT ANNUAL ABSURDITY

jjkoine@insight.rr.com — Sat, 7 Jul 2007 12:31:30 -0400
There is something that you can count on happening every year: Naysayers will come out of the woodwork just before Christmas and just before Easter. During the Christmas season, ludicrous controversy occurs surrounding the inclusion of Jesus Christ in this holiday. During the Easter season, the controversy usually includes those who would try to impugn the truth of the Christian faith. This year's absurdities came from different fronts. The first one stated that Jesus walked on ice instead of water: "Jesus Walked on Ice, Study Says." Three of the Gospels tell the story of Jesus walking on the water. The disciple Matthew wrote (Matthew 14:22-33) that at first the disciples were afraid that they were seeing a ghost. Once they realized it was Jesus walking on the water Peter became emboldened and asked to join Jesus on the water. However, while Peter was on the water he took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind of the storm and he began to sink. Jesus saved him and they entered the boat. What was the the disciples' reaction to this event? "Nice try Jesus but anyone can walk on ice." No, their reaction was: "Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God." If Jesus was trying to deceive them into thinking He was supernatural then that would make Him a fake and a deceiver. Thankfully, as the New Testament clearly points out, Jesus is neither but is God incarnate come to save the world from their sins (such as the sin of unblief).

The second story concerned the discovery and translation of the Gnostic "gospel of Judas". This "gospel" declares that Jesus asked Judas to betray Him and that Judas would exceed the rest of the disciples by helping Jesus to remove the flesh from His spiritual nature. The New York Times ran a large article concerning this discovery where they state: "The Gnostics' beliefs were often viewed by bishops and early church leaders as unorthodox, and they were frequently denounced as heretics. The discoveries of Gnostic texts have shaken up Biblical scholarship by revealing the diversity of beliefs and practices among early followers of Jesus. As the findings have trickled down to churches and universities, they have produced a new generation of Christians who now regard the Bible not as the literal word of God, but as a product of historical and political forces that determined which texts should be included in the canon, and which edited out. For that reason, the discoveries have proved deeply troubling for many believers. The Gospel of Judas portrays Judas Iscariot not as a betrayer of Jesus, but as his most favored disciple and willing collaborator." This is wishful thinking on the part of the New York Times. I am not in the least "troubled" by these discoveries. What is the truth behind this "gospel"?

Gnostic comes from the Greek noun "gnwsiV" which means: comprehension, intellectual grasp of something, knowledge. Gnosticism or "Christian" Gnosticism arose in the first century as an alternative to orthodox Christianity. Basically, Gnostics subscribed to the belief that salvation came through knowledge. This knowledge took the form of insight into the mysteries of the universe whereby rendering the Gnostic as a superior human to those "not in the know". All the Gnostic gospels were rejected by the early Christian Church as not being canonical but heretical. The early church father Ireneaus (180 A.D.) wrote disparagingly of the "gospel of Judas: "Others again declare that Cain derived his being from the Power above, and acknowledge that Esau, Korah, the Sodomites, and all such persons, are related to themselves. On this account, they add, they have been assailed by the Creator, yet no one of them has suffered injury. For Sophia was in the habit of carrying off that which belonged to her from them to herself. They declare that Judas the traitor was thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that he alone, knowing the truth as no others did, accomplished the mystery of the betrayal; by him all things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus thrown into confusion. They produce a fictitious history of this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas." [Book I; Chapter XXXI - Doctrines of the Cainites; "Against Heresies"] The apostle Paul may have been referring to Gnosticism in one of the last letters he wrote. In 1 Timothy he warned: "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you." [1 Timothy 6:20-21; NASB]
The Bible has been called "an anvil which has worn out many a hammer". God's word will continue to stand against all attacks throughout eternity - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not...And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." [Gospel of John 1:1-4,14] Have a blessed Easter, Resurrection, and Firstfruits Sunday!

HOLLYWOOD OUT OF TOUCH? MORE THAN THEY KNOW.

jjkoine@insight.rr.com — Sat, 7 Jul 2007 12:29:54 -0400
The Academy Awards were held last night and the results show that Hollywood is out of touch with the rest of the country. The five nominees for Best Picture were: "Brokeback Mountain" (a gay cowboy love story), "Crash" (about racism and intolerance), "Capote" (gay author's involvement with a murder case), "Munich" (look at the Israeli retribution killings of the Palestinian terrorists who murdered Israeli Olympic Athletes), and "Good Night and Good Luck" (media takes on anti-communist politicians). The surprise winner was "Crash" which contained 182 expletives, including 99 utterances of the F-word. One of the stars of this movie had his own take on the relevancy of these movies to the rest of society: "First-time Oscar nominee Matt Dillon said the five movies up for best picture this year reflect audiences' desire for "authenticity." Which audiences is he referring to? The Five Best Picture nominees garnered less than 250 million dollars combined. The "Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (Christian-based story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) had earned 287 million dollars by itself. George Clooney won the Oscar for the best supporting actor for his role in "Syriana". In his acceptance speech he declared, "We're the ones who were talking about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular ... I'm proud to be a part of this academy, proud to be a part of this community and proud to be out of touch." This shows how out of touch he and others in Hollywood are. AIDS didn't come into prominence in the American Culture until Rock Hudson (who had hidden his homosexuality for decades) died of the disease. Hollywood was also at the forefront of promoting sexual immorality and promiscuity with the movies they put out starting in the late 1960s. As far as civil rights are concerned, Hollywood was instrumental in stereotyping black actors in the movies for decades ("The Birth of a Nation", Ingrid Bergman calls Sam "the boy playing the piano" in "Casablanca", etc). One Hollywood actor who was involved in the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s is the conservative, Charlton Heston. He read a speech at the 1963 Civil Rights march on Washington yet Mr. Clooney made fun of him having Alzheimers Disease. When asked about the insenstivity of his joke Mr. Clooney responded, "I don't care. Charlton Heston is the head of the National Rifle Association; he deserves whatever anyone says about him." Please, Hollywood spare us your views on where our society needs to go. Until you get Hollywood to clean up its act, please leave the rest of America alone. Thank you.

JUDGE KICKS GEORGE WASHINGTON OUT OF SCHOOL

jjkoine@insight.rr.com — Sat, 7 Jul 2007 12:21:31 -0400
A federal judge ruled that a picture of George Washington praying in the snow at Valley Forge had to be removed from a Virginia high school classroom. A Spanish teacher filed a lawsuit contesting the forced removal of this painting from his class. He also was ordered to remove other news articles that spoke of President Bush's religious faith, John Ashcroft's prayer meetings with his staffers when he was attorney general, and a pamphlet promoting the National Day of Prayer. Do these modern day judges actually think that the Founding Faters of our country would march down to the local school house and demand they they remove items that were Christian in nature? Thomas Jefferson (the supposed "Father of separation of Church and State) attended church services in the U.S. House of Representatives!http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06-2.html
James Madison, the primary author of the U.S. Constitution, likewise attended church services in the U.S. House of Representatives. Either the modern judiciary is completely in error concerning religion's role in government or the Founding Fathers are some of the biggest hypocrites to ever live in America.
"Judge backs school in flier removal"

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL PROHIBITS 10 YR OLD STUDENTS FROM READING BIBLE AT RECESS

jjkoine@insight.rr.com — Sat, 7 Jul 2007 12:17:30 -0400
The principal at Karns Elementary School in Knox County, TN ordered students to quit reading the Bible at recess after receiving a complaint from some parents. With all the problems that exist in the public school system of America, it is incredible that students would be prohibited from reading the Bible. The principal's order will be overturned because the Supreme Court has already ruled that student-initiated religious activities are protected by the Constitution. This is however, another example of how America is on the downhill slide when our children are being told by adult authorities to hide their Christian beliefs. Christians had to hide their beliefs during the Roman Empire, in the Soviet Union, and currently in Islamic countries and China. America, through its judiciary and their rulings based on the fallacious separation of church doctrine, is heading toward the same attitudes that the totalitarian governments listed here had toward Christians.
"Bibles banned on playgrounds."

CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT JUDGE DECLARES AMERICA IN THE THROES OF A FAITH WAR

Sat, 7 Jul 2007 12:05:27 -0400
Conservative California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers
Brown declared this past Sunday that secular humanists are
at war with Americans who hold traditional religious beliefs.
She stated, "There seems to have been no time since the
Civil War that this country was so bitterly divided. It's not a
shooting war, but it is a war. These are perilous times for people of faith, not in the sense that we are going to lose our lives, but in the sense that it will cost you something if you are a person of faith who stands up for what you believe in and say those things out loud." It is comforting to know that there are judges who are not antagonistic toward those who are members of the Christian faith. The evidence confirms what Judge Brown is saying. The ACLU attacks the Boy Scouts of America while at the same time defends organizations such as the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) which promotes the idea that adult men should have the right to have consensual sex with boys. Homosexuals are on the offensive in trying to force Americans to accept their sexuality as an alternative life style through the court systems and public schools. Abortionists continue to fight for their "right" to kill unborn babies including those babies that are almost completely out of the mothers womb. The liberal media supports the idea that the government has the right to starve and dehydrate to death an incapcitated human being while at the same time opposing the execution of rapist-murderers by swift lethal injection. The movie "The Passion of the Christ" is excoriated by secularists as being anti-Semitic (which it wasn't) while promoting movies such as "Kinsey" which tells the story of sex behaviorists and their quest to convince Americans that anything goes in the area of sex. God spoke a warning that pertains to the current state of American culture: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah 5:20-24)
"Faith 'War' Rages in U.S., Judge Says".

Culture War - Chrisitanity vs. the World

DUTCH BISHOP ABSURDLY SUGGESTS THAT CHRISTIANS CALL THE GOD OF THE BIBLE "ALLAH"

WORLDWIDE "LIVE EARTH" CONCERT WARNS OF GLOBAL WARMING BUT TRUST ME, THE WORLD HAS NO IDEA HOW HOT IT IS GOING TO GET

ROSIE O'DONNELL EQUATES CHRISTIANITY WITH RADICAL ISLAM

HOLLYWOOD STRIKES AGAIN! CHRISTIAN MOVIE RECEIVES A PG RATING BECAUSE IT EMPHASIZES CHRISTIANITY TOO MUCH

IT IS THEOLOGICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR JESUS TO HAVE BEEN MARRIED, CONTRARY TO THE CLAIMS OF THE BOOK "THE DA VINCI CODE."

ANNUAL CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS ELICIT ANNUAL ABSURDITY

HOLLYWOOD OUT OF TOUCH? MORE THAN THEY KNOW.

JUDGE KICKS GEORGE WASHINGTON OUT OF SCHOOL

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL PROHIBITS 10 YR OLD STUDENTS FROM READING BIBLE AT RECESS

CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT JUDGE DECLARES AMERICA IN THE THROES OF A FAITH WAR