An oxymoron (plural oxymoron’s or the Greek plural oxymora) (from Greek ὀξύμωρον, "sharp dull") is a figure of speech that combines normally-contradictory terms. Oxymoron’s appear in a variety of contexts, including inadvertent errors such as extremely average, deliberate puns like same difference or pretty ugly, and literary oxymoron’s crafted to reveal a paradox

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxymoron

Episcopal Committee Is Working on Gay Rite

By RICHARD PARKS

Armed with a new $400,000 grant and the support of the Episcopal Church, a Berkeley seminary is convening priests from across the country to craft the liturgical rite for same-sex couples to receive religious blessings.

The new rite, which will take years to complete, will most likely consist of a series of original prayers, Bible readings and two essays: one on the theological meaning of same-sex blessings, and one advising priests who administer the new rite. If approved, the new blessing would be just the third addition to Episcopal liturgy since 1979.

“This is very significant,” said the Rev. Ruth Meyers, chairwoman of the church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, who is heading the effort. “It does acknowledge a fuller participation of gays and lesbians in the life of the church.”

The Episcopal Church approved the development of “theological and liturgical resources” for the blessing of same-sex relationships at its 2009 convention, citing “changing circumstances in the United States and other nations.” It then partnered with the Berkeley seminary, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, which last month received a grant from the Arcus Foundation, a gay rights organization in Kalamazoo, Mich., to coordinate the effort.

Most of the grant money will finance travel and accommodations for a series of meetings to garner contributions from all 110 Episcopal dioceses, most in the United States.

An official blessing would formalize what has long been an unofficial practice at some dioceses across the country. Unofficial blessings have taken place in Bay Area churches since at least the 1980s.

But not all Episcopalians support adding the blessing – Rest of the article here – http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/us/30bcrites.html?_r=3&pagewanted=print

I was reminded of a quote by Soren Kierkegaard  when reading this article –

The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly."
— Søren Kierkegaard

The issue of homosexual marriage/relationships is a non-issue from a Biblical point of view. The Bible never condones,encourages,or suggests that men should marry men. As a matter of fact there are several Scriptures that condemn homosexuality outright. The Scriptures are known by all who discuss this topic,and by the Episcopal Church. The sad fact is that the Scriptures do not matter to those are seeking to legitimize the practice of homosexuality and homosexual marriage.

[Godlessness in the Last Days]
    [3:1] But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. [2] For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, [4] treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, [5] having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. [6] For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, [7] always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. [8] Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. [9] But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
(2 Timothy 3:1-9 ESV)

There is hope for homosexuals. The grace,loving kindness,and power of Jesus Christ can break any bondage.  Here is a testimony to that amazing grace –

A Changed Life, A Changed Man.

by Mike Goeke

View a pdf of this testimony. Copies may be distributed free of charge.

My dad was a loving leader, Spiritual and otherwise, of our family. My parents were equally active in the lives of both my brother and me. I experienced no sexual, emotional or physical abuse. While I know now that my family had its own issues, there were none of the ‘red flags’ often associated with homosexuality. Yet, in the midst of my very typical middle class family existence, I developed an early attraction for men. I was sensitive, insecure and artistic, and the other boys treated me differently and made fun of me. I was called a ‘fag’ for the first time in the sixth grade at my Christian school. I did not know what it meant, but nevertheless the seed of a new identity was planted.
My intense desire to be like other boys turned sexual in junior high school. I was mortified by my desires, and vowed never to act on them and never to tell anyone about them. I suppressed my homosexual desires by seeking perfection in academics and leadership – areas that seemed to be within my control. I was a high achiever throughout high school, college and law school. Suppressing my desires, however, did nothing to stop the feelings and longings that grew within me. My heart began to resemble my exterior less and less. As I became more and more religious, my relationship with the
Lord became less and less real, and more and more contrived.
Following law school, I began dating a fellow Baylor graduate named Stephanie. We had a good group of friends, and were active leaders in Bible Study Fellowship. On the surface our relationship was founded in the Lord, but it was also rooted in deception. My secret struggles had continued to grow, and I was beginning to become depressed. I pursued marriage with the hope that it would squelch rumors about my sexuality and, even more, that it might help ‘fix’ me. Stephanie and I married in September of 1994. We lived in Midland, Texas, where I was an attorney and Stephanie was a teacher. We were involved in church and Bible study and lived a ‘perfect couple’ existence. All the while my secret homosexual desires continued to grow. In December of 1995, I discovered America On Line (AOL). AOL was the beginning of the end.

Rest of the story –

http://www.exodusinternational.org/content/view/22/14

God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners."
— Søren Kierkegaard

Thanksgiving and Prayer]
[3] I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, [4] always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my prayer with joy, [5] because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

• partnership – koinonia -fellowship,community,communion,joint participation
• The partnership is in the gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ.

[6] And I am sure of this, (confident of this very thing)  – that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

[7] It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

• Paul has a strong affection for this body of believers.
• Partakers- sugkoinonos – Partaking jointly of
• defense - apologia – verbal defense – prepared statement or argument.
• confirmation – bebaiosis (from 950)
• defense and confirmation of the gospel

[8] For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

• Paul yearns for them with the affection of Jesus Christ. He is in prison,how much fellowship he has we do not know. This letter shows a very human side of Paul. Phillip is 1200 miles away from Rome.

[9] And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, [10] so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, [11] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

• Paul’s prayer highlights three keys – love,knowledge,and discernment
• love – agape
• knowledge- epignosis – precise and correct knowledge,particularly of the ethical and divine.
• discernment – perception,not only by the senses,but in  moral discernment in ethical matters. Has to do with judgment and also means perception.
• approve- dokimazo – test,approve,scrutinize,to test,as in testing a metal for purity. Examine all things,and approve them if they pass the test.

The abounding of love,knowledge and discernment is to lead to :

• purity and blamelessness- KJV- (sincere and without offence) – in morality,in doctrine,right and wrong,true and false. Perhaps even in differentiating between the good and the best in a given situation. This is the concrete,practical outworking of sanctification.
• and the fruit of righteousness- the fruit of our right standing with God,and with a life rightly lived before God. The key questions in our life are not,”does this make me feel good?,or is it popular?The key question is “ Is it right and will it please the Lord “? We are to live out this goodness by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our motive for good is different from the unregenerate man’s in that  we want to glorify the Lord by doing good.

[The Advance of the Gospel]
[12] I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, [13] so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. [14] And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

• From one viewpoint Paul’s imprisonment was the worst thing that could have happened to the early Church. Their leading evangelist behind bars,no television,radio,internet,papers,or magazines to get the word out. But God does work all things for good for those who love Him.
• Paul was able to witness to his guards-the result being that the imperial guard heard of Christ perhaps for the first time. They probably would not have gone to the home of a common person to hear Paul. But they conversed with Paul as a part of their duty to guard him.
• Paul’s example of faithfulness was an encouragement to the brothers. Five years later when Nero turned on the Christians in Rome,there were large numbers of them.

[15] Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. [16] The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. [17] The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. [18] What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

• Paul’s main concern is that the gospel is preached. If those who do not like him preach it and attack him but are accurate with the gospel message,  it’s ok. The word must get out.
• Envy leads to factious rivalry -afflict is “the painful rubbing of chains on a prisoners wrists and ankles.”

[To Live Is Christ]
Yes, and I will rejoice, [19] for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

• Our prayers matter. We are commanded to make our requests known to the Lord. Paul coveted the prayers of the saints and often asked for their prayers.
• He is looking expectantly for deliverance-

[20] as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

• His desire is to live his life with godly courage – that he would not be ashamed of Jesus Christ and silenced with fear. Fear buttons our lips and changes topics. Fear tells us to talk all around what we should be speaking of,and fear turns us into such cowards that forget our calling,our future,and our great Rock who will never leave us nor forsake us.

[21] For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (From Martyn -Lloyd Jones)

Thomas, you remember, saw him, but you remember what our Lord said to him: ‘Thomas, because thou hast seen me thou hast believed, blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed’ (John 20:29). You may say to yourself, ‘If I had the vision that Paul had on the road to Damascus, I might be able to say that I love him in exactly the same way, but I have never seen him.’ But that is foolish – ‘Whom having not seen, ye love’ says Peter in 1 Peter 1:8. Read some of the great hymns, read the lives of the saints, they loved him. They have seen him with the eye of faith and we have their testimonies to that. The glory of the person of Jesus is the main cause of love. The tragedy is that we stop so much at the benefits of the Christian life. We are so anxious for blessings, that we forget the one who gives them. Paul did not; he saw that that blessed one had actually given his life and had gone to the cross for his sins – ‘The Son of God, who loved me’ – even me -’and gave himself for me’ (Gal. 2:20). it is the glory and wonder of the cross. He gave all his life’s blood for such a wretched sinner.
Next Paul had come to see and to know that apart from Christ there is no such thing as true life. In chapter 3 he uses that strong expression, ‘and do count them but dung’: refuse, worthless. Without Christ no one lives, it is only existence. Life, as we have seen, is meant to be full orbed, the intellect satisfied, the feelings satisfied, the whole life enveloped, the whole man taken up by this complete, rounded life.
And, lastly, he felt and said it because of the new view of life which he had thus obtained. Paul had now been given to see that life in this world is really but a preparation for the great life that is coming. That does not mean to depreciate this world, nor does it mean skepticism or mysticism. If ever anyone lived an active life it was Paul: no, he did not die passively to the world in that sense, but rather to the sin of the world. For Paul had come to see that the world is in a great state of conflict between the kingdom of heaven and evil. He knew a day was coming when the King would return and rout the forces of evil and set up his kingdom. Now, said Paul, I am destined for that; I am going to be in that. I may spend twenty years longer in this world, but think of the glory that awaits me, think of the life that is coming, the real life when the King shall reign and I shall be with him! And that, too, made him live for Christ.
So, then, I end with my question: is living to us, Christ? I wonder whether we can make that statement that was made by Count Zinzendorf, the Moravian leader who helped John Wesley both before and after his conversion. He had never had the vision that Paul had on the road to Damascus, but to him, too, Christ was in the centre. Can we make his motto our own? ‘I have one passion, it is he and he alone.’ ‘To me living is Christ.’

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=532

Who or what do we live for ? Only one Person is worthy of being “lived for”.

[22] If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. [23] I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. [24] But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. [25] Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, [26] so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

• Ultimately our life is in God’s hands. Paul was willing to die for the Lord or live for the Lord. He was content to allow God to be God.
• To be with the Lord is “far better”,but there is much to be done here on the earth. If we live for Him,then to die is “great gain.”
  [27] Only let your manner of life (conversation)be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, [28] and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. [29] For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, [30] engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

• Our manner of life should not be contentious,quarrelsome,filled with envy and back biting,but should instead witness to living in one spirit and one mind for “the faith of the gospel.”
• Like Paul the Philippians believers would have the opportunity to suffer for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul regards this as a privilege,and believes that whatever suffering he goes through will glorify the Lord and result in the furtherance of the kingdom. How can he say such a thing?
• Mathew 5:10-12-[10] “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  [11] “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. [12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
  (Matthew 5:10-12 ESV)
• His example (beyond himself) is Jesus Christ.

[Christ's Example of Humility]
[2:1] So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,

• There is encouragement(consolation-KJV)-Paraklesis-similar to “comforter” in Jn.14:16,26. Jesus is “the Consolation of Israel” Luke 2:25.
• There is comfort in love-agape. Paramuthion-only time used in Scripture -”stimulating force,incentive.We are to reach out and receive the comforting love of Jesus Christ.
• There is participation/fellowship in the Holy Spirit. Christianity is a supernatural religion.

[2] complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. [3] Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. [4] Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

• Again there is the call to unity- the same mind-
• Likeminded- to think the same thing – we can have differing opinions on many things,but there should be agreement on the nature of God,salvation,the gospel,etc.
• same love – actions that illustrate our words-Love is …I Cor.13
• full accord – “soul and soul together”- “Possessed with the idea of sentiment of unity”.
• Deal with differences,disagreements,contentions. Don’t give ground to rivalries,and live selfishly for ourselves. He is not talking about holding to a false humility,but looking out for others,being glad when others are blessed or accomplish something for the kingdom,or do something we could have done. Promote and bless others.

How can we do this? There are so many church splits – is it possible to have a harmonious congregation that puts the Lord first in all things ?

[5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

• Christ Jesus is a messianic title- In God’s grace the Lord Jesus Christ emptied himself -He  was God and made Himself nothing!! Have this mind in you- “think of,be mindful of ” Be of the same mind as the Lord.
• He was in the “form”morphe – the essential form of God - theou
• But He took the “form” morphe – of a servant- doulos
• Jesus was truly human- He clothed Himself with humanity and became a servant. He was God,but laid aside His glory and majesty. He became the bondservant of His Father.

[28] So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
[29] And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” [30] As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
(John 8:28; John 8:29-30 ESV)

[10] Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6:10 ESV

• Jesus humbled Himself -even to the point of an illegal death on the cross. He was the perfect man:in holiness,love,sinlessness,compassion,courage,in all things.
• Jesus was crucified and experienced the pain as a man would. He was raised from the dead and now has been exalted above all things. every tongue will one day confess that He is Lord (confess openly)that He is Lord- Jehovah/Yahweh, to the glory of God the Father.

Here is a song by Phil Keaggy that expresses the wonder of the Maker of the Universe dying on the cross for our sins:

The Maker of the universe,
As Man for man was made a curse.
The claims of Law which He had made,
Unto the uttermost He paid.
His holy fingers made the bough,
Which grew the thorns that crowned His brow.
The nails that pierced His hands were mined
In secret places He designed.
He made the forest whence there sprung
The tree on which His body hung.
He died upon a cross of wood,
Yet made the hill on which it stood.
The sky that darkened o’er His head,
By Him above the earth was spread.
The sun that hid from Him it’s face
By His decree was poised in space.
The spear which spilled His precious blood
Was tempered in the fires of God.
The grave in which His form was laid
Was hewn in rocks His hands had made.
The throne on which He now appears
Was His for everlasting years.
But a new glory crowns His brow
And every knee to Him shall bow.

3:02+

Phil Keaggy – ‘Maker of the Universe‘

Given what the Lord Jesus Christ did, how can we do anything less than serve Him with a servant’s heart ?

[Lights in the World]
[12] Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

• He does not say,”earn your salvation with fear and trembling”.
  

  When Justification Is Marginalized

  “The ultimate concern of most church members is not the worship and service of Christ in evangelistic mission and social compassion, but rather survival and success in their secular vocation.  The church is a spoke on the wheel of life connected to a secular hub.  It is a departmental sub concern, not the organizing center of all other concerns.  Church members who have been conditioned all their lives to devote themselves to building their own kingdom and whose flesh naturally gravitates in that direction anyway find it hard to invest much energy in the kingdom of God.  They go to church once or twice a week and punch the clock, so to speak, fulfilling their ‘church obligation’ by sitting passively and listening critically or approvingly to the pastor’s teaching.

  [ . . .] Since their understanding of justification is marginal or unreal–anchored not to Christ, but to some conversion experience in the past or to an imagined present state of goodness in their lives–they know little of the dynamic of justification.  Their understanding of sin focuses on behavioral externals which they can eliminate from their lives by a little will power and ignores the great submerged continents of pride, covetousness and hostility beneath the surface.  Thus their pharisaism defends them both against full involvement in the church’s mission and against full subjection of their inner lives to the authority of Christ.”

  - Richard F. Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal, 204-05

• vs.. 12- “work out”-katergazomai- ex. working out a math problem. In spiritual terms this is talking about sanctification-the day to day living of doing the will of God.We are justified by faith- Justification properly understood and acted upon works itself out in our daily sanctification.
• vs..13 – God who “works” in you - energeo- “to energize,or work effectively”-has to do with God’s enablement more than our resources. That is good news !
• “to will”-has to do with the Holy Spirit giving us the desire and the determination to do God’s will and please Him. This is where the battle is . Knowing and desiring are sometimes at battle with desiring our own way in opposition to what the Lord wants and what we desire (at least in part).

[14] Do all things without grumbling or questioning, [15] that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, [16] holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. [17] Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. [18] Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
(Philippians 1:3-2:18 ESV)

• Do all things without murmuring- when we murmur and complain we are discontented. It is so easy to get our eyes off of the Lord and His will and to gaze at our problems. Murmuring can often lead to bitterness- the example of the Israelites in the wilderness shows the danger of constant complaining.” they spoke against God and Moses”
• We live in a dark and twisted world. We are surrounded by people with major problems. Sin twists and warps human beings and only the Lord can put us on the straight path.
• We are called to be blameless- amemptos-”without reproach”used in Luke 1:6 of Zacharias and Elizabeth.
• harmless – akeraios-guileless,sincere,simple concerning evil.Unalloyed metal- genuine. Contrast that behavior with quarrelsome,complaining,carnal – big difference in a church body.
• We are to hold forth the word of life- our lives need to match our message.
• Paul believed that the Philippians  would consecrate themselves to the Lord as “living sacrifices”(Romans 12:1-2)- As a sacrifice we are to be consumed on the altar of sacrifice and service. Paul was in the process of pouring out his life as a drink offering as he was persecuted for the Lord.

In old Testament times,when a person brought an animal sacrifice to God,he also brought wine to be poured out as an accompanying libation. The amount of wine depended on the value of the sacrifice. The more impressive sacrifices required greater amounts of wine (Numbers 15:4-12).And since wine is symbolic of joy and exhilaration in the Bible,we could say,”The greater the sacrifice,the greater the joy.”The pouring of wine on the Old Testament sacrifice taught the truth that the way of sacrifice is the way of joy. This truth is what Paul was teaching the Philippians. (Exploring Ephesians and Philippians,John Phillips,pg.103)

Conclusion:

• To really live is to live for Christ,through Christ-experiencing His life in us.
• We are called to walk “worthy of the gospel”.
• We are to be unified in our faith and our desire to share the gospel
• We are to serve one another
• We are to look to Jesus Christ as our example of humility and service and have that “same mind”.
• We are to be bright shining lights in this fallen world.

O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My dear Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad,
The honors of Thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears;
’Tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the pow’r of reigning sin,
He sets the pris’ner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood availed for me.

He speaks, and, list’ning to His voice,
New life the dead receive;
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice;
The humble poor believe.

Just discovered a very interesting website- http://planet-iran.com/ They publish a wide array of articles dealing with Iran. Given the fact that we get close to zero information in the news about anything overseas,you will find this website worth checking out. The following two articles will hopefully whet your appetite for more.

Planet Iran Exclusive: Iranian regime’s sanctioned brothels at Imam Reza’s shrine in Mash’had

Posted by Zand-Bon on Jul 23rd, 2010 and filed under News, PLANET IRAN NEWS FOCUS,

Photos.

Gold dome of Imam Reza’s shrine, Mash’had

July 18, 2010

The following is a direct translation of the below Persian document:

Bismellah al rahman a rahim

Temporary Marriage (Marriage is among the traditions of the Prophet Mohammad)

In order to elevate the spiritual atmosphere, create proper psychological conditions and tranquility of mind, the Province of the Quds’eh-Razavi of Khorassan has created centers for temporary marriage (just next door to the shrine) for those brothers who are on pilgrimage to the shrine of  our eighth Imam, Imam Reza, and who are far away from their spouses.

To that end, we call on all our sisters who are virgins, who are between the ages of 12 and 35 to cooperate with us. Each of our sisters who signs up will be bound by a two year contract with the province of the Quds’eh-Razavi of Khorassan and will be required to spend at least 25 days of each month temporarily married to those brothers who are on pilgrimage. The period of the contract will be considered as a part of the employment experience of the applicant. The period of each temporary marriage can be anywhere between 5 hours to 10 days. The prices are as follows:

• 5 hour temporary marriage – 50,000 Tomans ($50 US)
• One day temporary marriage – 75,000 Tomans ($75 US)
• Two day temporary marriage – 100,000 Tomans ($100 US)
• Three day temporary marriage – 150,000 Tomans ($150 US)
• Between 4 and 10 day temporary marriage – 300,000 Tomans ($300 US)

Our sisters who are virgins will receive a bonus of 100,000 Tomans ($100 US) for the removal of their hymen .

After the expiration of the two year contract, should our sisters still be under 35 years of age and should they be so inclined, they can be added to the waiting list of those who are seeking long-term temporary marriage. The employed sisters are obligated to donate 5% of their earnings to the Shrine of Imam Reza. We ask that all the sisters who are interested in applying, to furnish two full-length photographs (fully hijabed and properly veiled), their academic diplomas, proof of their virginity and a certificate of good physical and psychological health which they can obtain through the health and human services of the township of their residence. Please forward all compiled material and send to the below address by the 31st of the month of Ordibehesht, 1389 (May 21st, 2010).

Attention: For sisters who are below 14 years of age, a written consent from their fathers or male guardian is required.

Rest of the article here -

http://planet-iran.com/index.php/news/20119

Does Hojjatieh Secret Society Runs Iran?

Posted by Zand-Bon on Jul 29th, 2010 and filed under News, PLANET IRAN NEWS FOCUS, Photos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry.

Source: Iran Dispatch

July 28, 2010

After the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad there have been rumours about the role of an ‘underground religious sect’ in the government. Ahmadinejad and some of his cabinet members have been accused of being secret members of Hojjatieh Society which is famous for its messianic ideas.

Hojjatieh Society is a Shia sect, founded in Tehran in 1953 by Shaikh Mahmoud Halabi. The organization was founded to fight against another newly established Shia sect, Baha’i faith. Hojjatieh members share this idea with other Shiite Muslims that the Mahdi (the 12th Imam) will return and will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny. But they believe to hasten the return of the Mahdi, they should quicken the coming of the apocalypse by creating chaos and disorder.

Hashemi Rafsanjani writes in his memoir that during the Shah Regime, Hojjatieh members were reluctant to fight alongside Khomeini supporters. They believed there is no point in creating a revolution and an Islamic Republic without the Mahdi as its leader.

After the Revolution Hojjatieh members were not allowed to participate in the political scene. They offered Khomeini to cooperate in building the country with their ‘educated young people’ but Khomeini rejected the offer. Khomeini was against Hojjatieh since they rejected his doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist). Hojjatiya Society was forced to dissolve after Ayatollah Khomeini speech on 12 August 1983.

In last 5 years both conservative and reformist politicians have warned that neo-Hojjatieh is reemerging in the corridors of power in Tehran. Two days ago while Iranians were celebrating the birthday of Imam Mahdi, Resalat newspaper wrote “due to tolerance of the intelligence service with Hojjatieh in recent years,  some of the active members of this sect are now asking the legal authorization for their activities.”

One of the very first politicians who warned from Hojjatieh influence in Ahmadinejad administration was Ahmad Tavassoli, a former chief of staff of Khomeini. He claimed in 2005 that “the executive branch of the Iranian government as well as the Revolutionary Guards have been hijacked by the Hojjatieh.”  Read the rest of the article here -

http://planet-iran.com/index.php/news/20119

Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty: Emerging Conflicts

Edited by: Douglas Laycock, Anthony R Picarello Jr and Robin Fretwell Wilson,
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc, 2008, xiv + 329pp, £22.99
ISBN 978-0742563261

Sweden has recently joined the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Norway, by becoming the fifth European country to pass legislation to permit same-sex marriage.¹ While there are no formal proposals to legislate for same-sex marriage in the UK, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, recently condemned the decision of the Californian electorate to limit marriage to unions between one man and one woman. The Prime Minister declared that the ban on same-sex marriage, backed by a referendum in the American state, was ‘unacceptable’ and would ‘undo good that has been done’.²

The purpose of this title is not to debate the pros and cons of same-sex marriage, but rather to consider the implications for religious freedom if same-sex marriage were to be approved. The book arose out of a gathering of seven prominent legal scholars and practitioners in December 2005 convened by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a legal and educational institute dedicated to protecting the free expression of all legal traditions. The issue is stated very plainly by Marc Stern:

‘The legislation of same-sex marriage would represent the triumph of an egalitarian-based ethic over a faith-based one, and not just legally. The remaining question is whether champions of tolerance are prepared to tolerate proponents of a different ethical vision. I think the answer will be no. Within certain defined areas, opponents of gay rights will be unaffected by an embrace of same-sex marriage. But in others, the impact will be substantial.’

Rest of the article here – http://www.famyouth.org.uk/bulletin.php?number=137#same

From Fox News,an article illustrating the point of the above article :

A federal judge has ruled in favor of a public university that removed a Christian student from its graduate program in school counseling over her belief that homosexuality is morally wrong. Monday’s ruling, according to Julea Ward’s attorneys, could result in Christian students across the country being expelled from public university for similar views.

“It’s a very dangerous precedent,” Jeremy Tedesco, legal counsel for the conservative Alliance Defense Fund, told FOX News Radio. “The ruling doesn’t say that explicitly, but that’s what is going to happen.”

U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh dismissed Ward’s lawsuit against Eastern Michigan University. She was removed from the school’s counseling program last year because she refused to counsel homosexual clients.

The university contended she violated school policy and the American Counseling Association code of ethics.

“Christian students shouldn’t be expelled for holding to and abiding by their beliefs,” said ADF senior counsel David French. “To reach its decision, the court had to do something that’s never been done in federal court: uphold an extremely broad and vague university speech code.”

Eastern Michigan University hailed the decision.

“We are pleased that the court has upheld our position in this matter,” EMU spokesman Walter Kraft said in a written statement. “Julea Ward was not discriminated against because of her religion. To the contrary, Eastern Michigan is deeply committed to the education of our students and welcomes individuals from diverse backgrounds into our community.”

In his 48-page opinion, Judge Steeh said the university had a rational basis for adopting the ACA Code of Ethics.

“Furthermore, the university had a rational basis for requiring students to counsel clients without imposing their personal values,” he wrote in a portion of his ruling posted by The Detroit News. “In the case of Ms. Ward, the university determined that she would never change her behavior and would consistently refuse to counsel clients on matters with which she was personally opposed due to her religious beliefs – including homosexual relationships.”

Ward’s attorneys claim the university told her she would only be allowed to remain in the program if she went through a “remediation” program so that she could “see the error of her ways” and change her belief system about homosexuality.

Read the rest here – http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/28/court-university-expel-student-opposes-homosexuality/#content

Good information from a Pro-Family group in Great Britain:

New UNESCO Guidelines aim to desensitize children, parents and teachers and promote liberal sexual attitudes worldwide

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has prepared some International Guidelines on Sexuality Education as part of a social engineering exercise aimed at foster liberal sexual attitudes and behaviour across the world. The guidelines present sexuality education as ‘part of the duty of care of education and health authorities and institutions’ and a ‘need and entitlement’ of all children from the age of five.

Sex education for 5-8s
According to the guidelines, children as young as 5-8 should be taught that: ‘Many different kinds of families exist around the world (e.g. two-parent, single parent, child-headed, guardian-headed, extended and nuclear families, same-sex couple parents, etc.).’ They should further be subjected to a programme of sex education that includes the following elements:

• Different kinds of love and different ways of expressing it;
• Gender roles and gender bias;
• Examples of gender stereotypes;
• Difference between consensual sexual activity and forced sex;
• Girls and boys have private body parts that can feel pleasurable when touched by   oneself;
• It is natural to explore and touch parts of one’s own body;
• Touching and rubbing one’s genitals is called masturbation;
• Masturbation is not harmful, but should be done in private.

Sex education for 9-12s
For children aged 9-12, ‘a broad, rights-based approach to sexuality education’ will cover:

• Importance of gender equality in terms of roles and responsibilities within families;
• Specific steps involved in obtaining and using condoms and contraception, including emergency contraception;
• Overcoming gender bias and inequality;
• Specific means of preventing unintended pregnancy;
• Correct and consistent use of condoms and contraception to prevent pregnancy, HIV and other STIs;
• Relationship between excitement and vaginal lubrication, penile erection and ejaculation;
• Masturbation is often a person’s first experience of sexual pleasure;
• Definition and function of orgasm;
• Concept, examples and positive and negative effects of ‘aphrodisiacs’;
• Options available to teenagers who are unintentionally pregnant;
• Definition of abortion;
• Legal status of abortion locally and globally;
• Legal abortion performed under sterile conditions by medically trained personnel is safe.

Sex education for 12-15s
At 12-15, pupils progress to learning:

• If sexual active [sic], using communication skills to practice safe and consensual sex;
• Respect for the different sexual orientations and gender identity;
• Masturbation is a safe and valid expression of sexuality;
• Contraceptives and condoms give people the opportunity to enjoy their sexuality without unintended consequences;
• Both men and women can give and receive sexual pleasure with a partner of the same or opposite sex;
• Regardless of their marital status, sexually active young people have the right to access contraceptives and condoms;
• Obtaining and using condoms and contraceptives (including emergency contraception where legal and available);
• Overcoming barriers to obtaining and using condoms and contraception;
• Identify local sources of condoms and contraceptives;
• Use and misuse of emergency contraception;
• Access to safe abortion and post-abortion care;
• People living with HIV have a right to sexuality education and to express their love and feelings via sexuality

.Read the rest here – http://www.famyouth.org.uk/bulletin.php?number=137#same

This curriculum mirrors the sex-ed curriculum causing a great deal of controversy in Helena,Montana.

http://www.famyouth.org.uk/bulletin.php?number=137#same

Make no mistake,UNESCO,Planned Parenthood,SIECUS,and others are working out of the same playbook,and  the desensitization of the children is considered as the key to the breaking down of the moral barriers of the students.

http://www.raymondibrahim.com/ . The following is a portion of an article written for the Middle East Quarterly with a link provided.

How Taqiyya Alters Islam’s Rules of War
Defeating Jihadist Terrorism

by Raymond Ibrahim
Middle East Quarterly
Winter 2010, pp. 3-13

Islam must seem a paradoxical religion to non-Muslims. On the one hand, it is constantly being portrayed as the religion of peace; on the other, its adherents are responsible for the majority of terror attacks around the world. Apologists for Islam emphasize that it is a faith built upon high ethical standards; others stress that it is a religion of the law. Islam’s dual notions of truth and falsehood further reveal its paradoxical nature: While the Qur’an is against believers deceiving other believers—for “surely God guides not him who is prodigal and a liar”[1]—deception directed at non-Muslims, generally known in Arabic as taqiyya, also has Qur’anic support and falls within the legal category of things that are permissible for Muslims.

Muslim deception can be viewed as a slightly less than noble means to the glorious end of Islamic hegemony under Shari’a, which is seen as good for both Muslims and non-Muslims. In this sense, lying in the service of altruism is permissible. In a recent example, Muslim cleric Mahmoud al-Masri publicly recounted a story where a Muslim lied and misled a Jew into converting to Islam, calling it a “beautiful trick.”

Taqiyya offers two basic uses. The better known revolves around dissembling over one’s religious identity when in fear of persecution. Such has been the historical usage of taqiyya among Shi’i communities whenever and wherever their Sunni rivals have outnumbered and thus threatened them. Conversely, Sunni Muslims, far from suffering persecution have, whenever capability allowed, waged jihad against the realm of unbelief; and it is here that they have deployed taqiyya—not as dissimulation but as active deceit. In fact, deceit, which is doctrinally grounded in Islam, is often depicted as being equal—sometimes superior—to other universal military virtues, such as courage, fortitude, or self-sacrifice.

Yet if Muslims are exhorted to be truthful, how can deceit not only be prevalent but have divine sanction? What exactly is taqiyya? How is it justified by scholars and those who make use of it? How does it fit into a broader conception of Islam’s code of ethics, especially in relation to the non-Muslim? More to the point, what ramifications does the doctrine of taqiyya have for all interaction between Muslims and non-Muslims?

The Doctrine of Taqiyya

According to Shari’a—the body of legal rulings that defines how a Muslim should behave in all circumstances—deception is not only permitted in certain situations but may be deemed obligatory in others. Contrary to early Christian tradition, for instance, Muslims who were forced to choose between recanting Islam or suffering persecution were permitted to lie and feign apostasy. Other jurists have decreed that Muslims are obligated to lie in order to preserve themselves,[2] based on Qur’anic verses forbidding Muslims from being instrumental in their own deaths.[3]

This is the classic definition of the doctrine of taqiyya. Based on an Arabic word denoting fear, taqiyya has long been understood, especially by Western academics, as something to resort to in times of religious persecution and, for the most part, used in this sense by minority Shi’i groups living among hostile Sunni majorities.[4] Taqiyya allowed the Shi’a to dissemble their religious affiliation in front of the Sunnis on a regular basis, not merely by keeping clandestine about their own beliefs but by actively praying and behaving as if they were Sunnis.

However, one of the few books devoted to the subject, At-Taqiyya fi’l-Islam (Dissimulation in Islam) makes it clear thattaqiyya is not limited to Shi’a dissimulating in fear of persecution. Written by Sami Mukaram, a former Islamic studies professor at the American University of Beirut and author of some twenty-five books on Islam, the book clearly demonstrates the ubiquity and broad applicability of taqiyya:

Taqiyya is of fundamental importance in Islam. Practically every Islamic sect agrees to it and practices it … We can go so far as to say that the practice of taqiyya is mainstream in Islam, and that those few sects not practicing it diverge from the mainstream … Taqiyya is very prevalent in Islamic politics, especially in the modern era.[5]

Taqiyya is, therefore, not, as is often supposed, an exclusively Shi’i phenomenon. Of course, as a minority group interspersed among their Sunni enemies, the Shi’a have historically had more reason to dissemble. Conversely, Sunni Islam rapidly dominated vast empires from Spain to China. As a result, its followers were beholden to no one, had nothing to apologize for, and had no need to hide from the infidel nonbeliever (rare exceptions include Spain and Portugal during the Reconquista when Sunnis did dissimulate over their religious identity[6]). Ironically, however, Sunnis living in the West today find themselves in the place of the Shi’a: Now they are the minority surrounded by their traditional enemies—Christian infidels—even if the latter, as opposed to their Reconquista predecessors, rarely act on, let alone acknowledge, this historic enmity. In short, Sunnis are currently experiencing the general circumstances that made taqiyya integral to Shi’ism although without the physical threat that had so necessitated it.

Rest of the article here – http://www.meforum.org/2538/taqiyya-islam-rules-of-war

From The Sword and the Pen we have this explanation -

The Arabic word, “Takeyya”, means “to prevent,” or guard against. The principle of Al Takeyya conveys the understanding that Muslims are permitted to lie as a preventive measure against anticipated harm to one’s self or fellow Muslims. This principle gives Muslims the liberty to lie under circumstances that they perceive as life threatening. They can even deny the faith, if they do not mean it in their hearts. Al-Takeyya is based on the following Quranic verse:

“Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah:except by way of precaution (prevention), that ye may Guard yourselves from them (prevent them from harming you.) But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah.” Surah 3: 28

According to this verse a Muslim can pretend to befriend infidels (in violation of the teachings of Islam) and display adherence with their unbelief to prevent them from harming him.

Under the concept of Takeyya and short of killing another human being, if under the threat of force, it is legitimate for Muslims to act contrary to their faith. The following actions are acceptable:

• Drink wine, abandon prayers, and skip fasting during Ramadan.
• Renounce belief in Allah.
• Kneel in homage to a deity other than Allah.
• Utter insincere oaths.

The implications of the principle of Al-Takeyya

Unfortunately, when dealing with Muslims, one must keep in mind that Muslims can communicate something with apparent sincerity, when in reality they may have just the opposite agenda in their hearts. Bluntly stated, Islam permits Muslims to lie anytime that they perceive that their own well-being, or that of Islam, is threatened.

In the sphere of international politics, the question is: Can Muslim countries be trusted to keep their end of the agreements that they sign with non-Muslim nations? It is a known Islamic practice, that when Muslims are weak they can agree with most anything. Once they become strong, then they negate what they formerly vowed.

The principle of sanctioning lying for the cause of Islam bears grave implications in matters relating to the spread of the religion of Islam in the West. Muslim activists employ deceptive tactics in their attempts to polish Islam’s image and make it more attractive to prospective converts. They carefully try to avoid, obscure, and omit mentioning any of the negative Islamic texts and teachings.

Rest of the article – http://www.islamreview.com/articles/lying.shtml

The practical outworking of this doctrine for the West means that many Islamic groups will lie and deceive  non-Muslims to obtain the objective of Islamic supremacy. Beware of those who say “peace,peace” when there is no peace.

Brigham Young University is well known for its football team. The University is named after Brigham Young,the successor to Joseph Smith . From Wikipedia  we learn  the following about the University -

The history of Brigham Young University begins in 1875, when the school was called Brigham Young Academy. The school did not reach university status until 1903, in a decision made by the school’s Board of Trustees at the request of BYU President Benjamin Cluff. It became accredited during the tenure of President Franklin S. Harris, under whom it gained national recognition as a university. A period of expansion after the Second World War caused the student body to grow many times in size, making BYU the largest private university of the time. The school’s history is closely connected with  its sponsor, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Rest of the Wikipedia article here – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Brigham_Young_University

From a Biblical point of view Brigham Young was a controversial leader,a so-called prophet, and a false teacher. Rick Branch has written a very good article about Brigham Young. Here is a sampling -

Brigham Young exclaims: Thus Saith The Prophet of God?

By Rick Branch

Brigham Young, second Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was certainly a prolific speaker. Some modern members of the LDS Church would say too prolific for their wishes. In fact, over his 42 years as an Apostle and Prophet in the LDS Church, Young gave numerous speeches on a variety of topics. The following segments will provide modern readers an overview of Brigham Young’s vast theological repertoire.

Jesus’ Atonement is not sufficient:

Young boldly asserted, “And furthermore, I know that there are transgressors, who, if they knew themselves, and the only condition upon which they can obtain forgiveness, would beg of their brethren to shed their blood, that the smoke thereof might ascend to God as an offering to appease the wrath that is kindled against them, and that the law might have its course.

“I will say further; I have had men come to me and offer their lives to atone for their sins. It is true that the blood of the Son of God was shed for sins through the fall and those committed by men, yet men can commit sins which it can never remit” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, pp. 53-54, See also, Blood Atonement: Doctrine Unto Death).

Joseph Smith’s consent is necessary to enter heaven:

On several occasions, Young made statements such as, “Joseph Smith holds the keys of this last dispensation, and is now engaged behind the vail in the great work of the last days”.

He continued with, “No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are I with you and you with me. I cannot go there without his consent” (Ibid, Vol. 7, p. 289).

Read the rest here -

http://www.watchman.org/lds/youngsay.htm

What about  Brigham Young and the  murdering Danites ? A link -http://1857massacre.com/MMM/danites_index.htm

Mormons are placed in the position of either having to deny a Mormon prophet,or having to accept some very bizarre beliefs. My bad,many do hold to very bizarre beliefs. However,for those who have recognized that Brigham Young is a false prophet, how about re-naming BYU in honor of someone more in line with current LDS beliefs ?

Pop quiz – How many wives did Brigham have?

Short answer – he was probably sealed to 56. For more info on polygamy in Mormonism – http://www.i4m.com/think/polygamy/polygamy_summary.htm

Rob Bowman does outstanding research on various religious topics. Here is a short post by him with a link to good info on the similarities and differences between the Jesus of Christianity and Jesus of Mormonism.

Apologists for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or LDS Church) frequently take exception to the criticism that they believe in “another Jesus.” A common strategy for refuting this criticism is to list various beliefs that Mormons have about Jesus that agree with the Bible and even with traditional or orthodox Christianity. The LDS apologetics group FAIR, for example, points out that they affirm that Jesus is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament, that Jesus lived a sinless life, that he performed the miracles recorded in the Gospels, and other traditional beliefs about Jesus. Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. Ricks presented a table in their book that listed twenty points of belief about Jesus where they clearly agree with the Bible and traditional Christianity: Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Jesus was Jewish, Jesus’ mother was Mary, Jesus taught in the temple, Jesus held no public office, and more (Offenders for a Word: How Anti-Mormons Play Word Games to Attack the Latter-day Saints [Aspen Books, 1992], 58).

I think it is quite reasonable for Mormons to point out that they do share some beliefs about Jesus in common with traditional Christians. If it’s not sufficient for critics to list only the differences, however, it’s also not sufficient for apologists to list only the similarities. Perhaps it would be helpful to list both the similarities and the differences in order to get a more accurate picture of the situation.

That’s what I have tried to do in my response to chapter 11 of Gospel Principles. It’s the latest installment of our Gospel Principles Scripture Study Guide, a free online resource that provides a chapter-by-chapter analysis and response to the LDS doctrinal manual. I explain why Joseph Fielding Smith was correct when he stated that Latter-day Saints “part paths with historical Christianity” in their view of Jesus Christ on a number of crucial issues. I also agree with him that “there is no salvation in the worship of a false Christ.” I list a dozen different issues on which Mormons and orthodox Christians agree, and ten issues on which LDS doctrine differs from the teaching of the Bible.

By the way, I don’t think (and I don’t know anyone else who does, either) that Mormons believe in a literally existing but different Jesus than the one who is the central figure of the New Testament. That is, we don’t think that there’s some other guy out there named Jesus that the Mormons are following by mistake. When Paul warned about those who preach “another Jesus” (2 Cor. 11:4), he was warning about those whose teaching about Jesus fatally distorted the truth about him. In a sense, it’s “the same Jesus,” but a fundamentally different understanding of his identity, nature, work, or message, against which Paul is warning. Likewise, our concern about the LDS Church is that its teaching about Jesus Christ gravely distorts the truth about Jesus.

http://www.religiousresearcher.org/?s=mormon+beliefs

How much unbelief exists in the minds of the Latter-day Saints in regard to one particular doctrine which I revealed to them, and which God revealed to me—namely that Adam is our Father and God…. Our Father Adam helped to make this earth, … he and his companions came here. He brought one of his wives with him…. Our Father Adam is the man who stands at the gate and holds the keys of everlasting life and salvation to all his children who have or who ever will come upon the earth…. We say that Father Adam came here and helped to made the earth. Who is he? He is Michael…. He was the first man on the earth, and its framer and maker. He, with the help of his brethren, brought it into existence. Then he said, “I want my children who are in the spirit world to come and live here. I once dwelt upon an earth something like this, in a mortal state. I was faithful, I received my crown and exaltation. I have the privilege of extending my work, and to its increase there will be no end. I want my children that were born to me in the spirit world to come here and take tabernacles of flesh, that their spirits may have a house, a tabernacle or a dwelling place as mine has, and where is the mystery?” (Deseret News, June 18, 1873).

Brigham Young teaching that Adam is the god of this earth. It doesn’t get any more heretical than that.

[The Preeminence of Christ]
[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn (pre-eminent one) of all creation. [16] For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. [17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. [19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
(Colossians 1:15-20 ESV

MAY 2, 2010

tags: Christian warfare, faith, J.C.Ryle

by daniel56

J.C. Ryle was born in 1816, in Macclesfield,England. In 1837,he was attending Oxford University when the Lord did a work in his heart.

One Sunday afternoon he casually attended a service at one of Oxford’s churches. The Scripture reading for the day was drawn from Ephesians 2,and the reader enunciated verse 8 slowly and clearly:””By grace are you saved-through faith-and that not of yourselves-it is the gift of God.”
Those words illuminated his darkened soul like lightning. “Nothing to this day appeared to me so clear and distinct as my own sinfulness,Christ’s presence,the value of  the Bible,the absolute necessity of coming out of the world,and the need of being born again,”he later wrote . He had become a Christian. ( Holiness,Its Nature,Hindrances,Difficulties,and Roots,J.C.Ryle,Foreward)

Ryle later became pastor with a large book and tract ministry.He eventually became a Bishop(with Evangelical convictions) in the Anglican church. Christians never live in times that do not demand vigilance and preparedness. However,there are times that are especially perilous and that call for a  battle that goes beyond the normal day-to-day skirmishes. Here is some advice from Ryle for the Christian fight:

Would anyone fight the fight of a Christian soldier successfully and prosperously? Let him pray for a continual increase of faith. Let him abide in Christ,get closer to Christ,tighten his hold on Christ every day that he lives.Let his daily prayer be  that of the disciples-”Lord increase my faith.” (Luke 17:5) Watch jealously over your faith,if you have any.It is the citadel of the Christian character,on which the safety of the whole fortress depends. It is the point which Satan loves to assail. All lies at his mercy if faith is overthrown. Here,if we love life,we must especially stand on our guard.” (ibid,pg.76)

(photo by Dinah)

Do we need faith for the days we live in? Tough economic times,a society that is hostile to the gospel,many opportunities to succumb to the world’s ways and give in to idolatry. At the same time, we have many encounters in everyday life to bear witness to Jesus Christ ,either in word or deed. Let us remember the following;

Let us settle in our minds that the Christian fight is a good fight-really good,truly good,emphatically good. We see only  part of it as yet. We see the struggle,but not the end; we see the campaign,but not the reward; we see the cross,but not the crown. We see a few humble,broken-spirited people,enduring hardships and despised by the world;but we see not the hand of God over them,the face of God smiling on them,the kingdom of glory prepared for them. These things are yet to be revealed.Let us not judge by appearances. There are more good things about the Christian warfare than we see. (ibid.pg.80)

J.C. Ryle – a name to remember !

From Fox News-

White House Spent $23M of Taxpayer Money to Back Kenyan Constitution That Legalizes Abortion, GOP Reps Say

By Tess Civantos

Published July 22, 2010

Reuters

May 15, 2010: Kenyan supporters cheer at a rally to launch campaigns for the constitution referendum, in the capital Nairobi.

A Republican lawmaker is accusing the White House of “unconscionable” and “illegal” acts for its role in Kenya’s referendum on a new constitution, which would legalize abortion in the country for the first time.

Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey cited a report by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, that estimated that more than $23 million in U.S. taxpayer funds have been spent on the referendum. Smith and other conservatives have complained that at least some of that money has been spent in support of the proposed constitution, possibly violating U.S. law.

“Under no circumstances should the U.S. government take sides,” Smith said at a news conference Wednesday. “Yet that is precisely what the Obama administration has done.”

The proposed constitution will curtail the vast powers of the Kenyan president, offering more balance among the different branches of government in an effort to bring order and stability to the political process of a nation often torn by tumultuous exchanges of power.

Vice President Biden told the Kenyan people in a recent speech, “Let me repeat, this is your decision, your decision alone. And the people of Kenya must make this choice — a choice for Kenya by Kenyans.”

Smith and other lawmakers have accused the Obama administration of offering incentives to Kenya to approve the controversial new constitution, promising that passage would “allow money to flow” into the nation’s coffers. A federal law known as the Siljander Amendment makes it illegal for the U.S. government to lobby on abortion in other countries.

“We were unable to get any information prior to asking for those (USAID) reports,” Smith said. “There’s been no transparency in this process. Rest of the article here – http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/21/gop-lawmaker-blasts-white-house-m-spent-kenya-constitution-vote/

Albert Mohler has  a very interesting article that deals with a  new abortion strategy-  hopefully there will  be little appetite among doctors for practice of abortion.

Coming to a Doctor’s Office Near You? The New Abortion Strategy

Monday, July 19, 2010

The tragedy of abortion remains one of this nation’s greatest reasons for shame, and the fact that over a million abortions are performed each year is nothing less than horrifying. In light of this tragedy, it is at least encouraging to know that abortion, though an industry of death, is not a growth industry. At least for now.

All that may change if a new movement meets with success. As reported by Emily Bazelon, a new movement seeks to move abortions from abortion clinics to your local hospital, medical school, and physician’s office. In other words, those behind this new movement intend to mainstream abortion as medical practice, and to hide it behind a facade of medical respectability.

Bazelon’s report, “The New Abortion Providers,” appears as the cover story in the July 18, 2010 edition of The New York Times Magazine. As she reports, this new movement is training family physicians and other doctors to perform abortion as a standard part of their medical practice. As the cover of the magazine states, “They are doctors seeing patients in their offices. They have quietly learned how to terminate pregnancies.”

Rest of the story here – http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/07/19/coming-to-a-doctors-office-near-you-the-new-abortion-strategy/

From Life Training Institute an interesting blog post by Jay Watts. They have a very informative website. http://www.prolifetraining.com/index.asp I first heard of them when I read The Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf – an excellent book.

A Tale of Two Students [Jay Watts]

At Summit Ministries in Dayton, Tennessee a student raised his hand to ask Scott a question. “When did the idea for abortion first come up?” Later at lunch another young man was talking to me about the myth of “the good old days” and was explaining to me all the ways that the modern world is better than the past. Both of these young men were missing an important fact in understanding their faith and the people around them.
Humanity is not more evil today than we were 50 years ago or even 2,000 years ago. We are also not less evil than we were 50 years ago or 2,000 years ago. We are as we have always been and Ecclesiastes tells us that nothing under the sun is new to man. The Bible gives us ample illustrations of the selfish and evil nature of man even in the life of some of our greatest heros. It would be difficult to imagine a person doing something more selfish than King David did in taking the faithful and good Uriah’s wife and then killing Uriah to try to make it all right again. And how is this selfish fear and desire not to face the consequences of our actions spiritually different from the root causes of abortion?
My answer to the first question is that people have sought to deal with their fear and desperation by eliminating other people, including their own children, for as long as fallen man has been in relationships with other fallen men. Which is to say that we have been capable of and attempting evils like abortion for as long as we have been mankind. Whether it was abandonment of children to exposure on a hill, infanticide, or even abortion (which prior to the mid 1800′s was synonymous with suicide when attempted by the mother by taking poison or more often murder when men would beat the women carrying children they did not want in order to produce abortions) we have sought to sinfully serve our self interest from the beginning. Surgical abortion as we perform it today began as an idea about one second after we discovered we were capable of reaching into the womb and destroying the life of the child without necessarily taking the life of the mother. Abortion is not evil because it represents a new low for mankind, it is merely a new manifestation of the evil of man enhanced by our current medical and scientific capacities. It is not necessary for people to be bothered by the constant discovery of murdered newborns as 17th century France was. We now sanitize and hide our evil so that the shame we face as a society can be avoided.

Rest of the post here – http://lti-blog.blogspot.com/

Margaret Sanger was the founder of Planned Parenthood. She had some elitist and diabolical ideas -

Sanger also had a pretty negative view of Australian, Jewish, and Italian families. She called aboriginal Australians “the lowest known species of the human family, just a step higher than the chimpanzee in brain development.” She said the following of the “Jewish people and Italian families”:

“(They) are filling the insane asylums, (they) are filling the hospitals and filling our feeble-minded institutions, (they) are the ones the tax payers have to pay for the upkeep of, and they are increasing the budget of the State, the enormous expense of the State is increasing because of the multiplication of the unfit in this country and in the State.”

Is it any wonder that Sanger spoke at a KKK rally in 1926? Is it any wonder that she said that “The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it”?http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles4/AdamsSanger.php

Hamas’ 54 Democratic Congressmen

Keith Ellison, widely hailed as America’s first Muslim congressman, could more accurately be described as CAIR and Hamas’ man in Congress. Congressman Ellison has been a regular presence at CAIR fundraisers and at pro-Hamas rallies in the United States. As a former member of Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam, Ellison has enough anti-semitic and Islamist credentials to satisfy anyone, and had expressed openly anti-semitic beliefs in the past.

Since Ellison got his start with CAIR , his attempt to provide support for Hamas is completely unsurprising. Both Hamas and CAIR are projects of the Muslim Brotherhood, which also helped birth Al Queda. Organizations like CAIR do the same work in America that Hamas does in Israel. The difference is that CAIR does its work on a political level, while Hamas functions on both a political and a military level. Like CAIR, Ellison is careful to cloak his pro-Hamas agenda, which he does by mentioning that all violence is wrong and that Israelis probably shouldn’t be shelled– but the thrust of his agenda is to force Israel to open its border with Hamas.
The entire “Free Gaza” movement is a Hamas propaganda project that allows it to demand that Israel open its borders, without actually using the P word, for peace, since Hamas doesn’t even believe in phony peace negotiations. So Pro-Hamas activists, whether it’s former Saddam supporter, George Galloway’s Viva Palestina or their American flavors talk only about “The People of Gaza”, deemphasize Hamas and emphasize the supposed “suffering” within Gaza.
But the call for Israel to open its borders is nothing more than a way of making it easier for terrorists to strike. Ellison’s letter buries its real agenda in paragraphs of prose about how everyone will be better off, except somehow Hamas, if Israel complies with their demand… that Israel ease the movement of people in and out of Gaza. This of course is a fancy way of saying, “Let my Suicide Bombers go”.
None of this is up till now is shocking. But what Congressman Keith Ellison accomplished was to convince 53 other Democratic congressmen to join him in this venture. It is not particularly surprising to find the House’s most radical anti-Israel voices signing their names onto Ellison’s letter. It would be inconceivable if a letter aiding Hamas did not carry the signatures of Barbara Lee, Jim Moran or Jim McDermott, who helped Ellison spearhead the whole campaign. It is essentially inconceivable that any letter circulated in congress opposing Israel would not get their signature.

Rest of the article – http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/

Tim Tebow Super Bowl Commercial Hype

There is a lot of hype going around right now about the Tim Tebow pro-life commercial that is going to air during the Super Bowl.  You can read a bit about this here.  Many pro-choicers are calling for CBS to retract it.
Jay Watts writes in response:

Tim Tebow and his mother Pam in conjunction with private donors and Focus on the Family have legally purchased commercial air time during the Super Bowl to tell the story of how his mother was advised to abort him over medical concerns. Specifically there was something wrong with Tim that made it medically advisable to terminate his life. The content of the ad has been reviewed and approved by the network as acceptable. The theme of the brief spot is “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life.” And according to abortion supporters, supposedly obsessed with freedom and choice, you should not be allowed to see this spot.
Odd isn’t it? Freedom, they cry! Liberty and equality for all and don’t you attempt to force your view of morality on others. And yet it is that very same group that is now demanding that CBS not allow this perfectly legal and approved spot to air. Their desire for freedom is so specifically and narrowly defined as their own right to destroy inconvenient human life that the hypocrisy of this stance remains hidden from them. It is not freedom but fiat that they seek, and this fact is embarrassingly clear every time they seek to bully and quash the basic right to express contrary opinions.

Terrell Clemmons also writes:

An advertisement about a mother and her successful football player son, shown during a football game, is “not being respectful of other people’s lives.” Really?

“It is offensive to hold one way out as being a superior way over everybody else’s.” Really? Or is that merely Ms. O’Neill’s way being held out as superior?

Yet to be determined: What will CBS deem to be the superior way?

Just as an aside, would you please please please join me in advocating for the complete stoppage of all the “tolerance” talk. Tolerance is not the issue and it never has been. If anyone tells you to stop being “intolerant”, or that you should be more tolerant because of a view that you hold, just suggest something like this:

“Why are you asking me to be more tolerant?  That in itself is not very tolerant.  If you were really consistent in your view of tolerance you would accept ALL views, including mine, as valuable.  But we both know that is impossible.  No one wants to be “tolerant” of Hitler and his views on the Jews. So we both know that real tolerance is an impossibility.
Let’s just get down to what really is going on here.  We both disagree about something.  I think I am right, and you think you are right.  Most likely, we both can’t be right.  Do you think we can give reasons for or against our beliefs and not kill each other?  I do.  So why don’t we cease with all the “tolerance” talk that really doesn’t get either of us anywhere and give reasons for why we believe what we believe.  That way, maybe we can find out what is really true.  Peace-loving truth is what matters here much more than tolerance.”