Saturday, December 6, 2008

Dinesh D'souza- Salvo Mag

What do you think has caused atheists to move from a desire to be tolerated to a desire to make religion—especially Christianity—disappear?

For a number of decades, the atheists had embraced what might be called "the secularization thesis," which maintains that the world is automatically becoming more secular. In other words, they believed that as society becomes more modern, educated, technological, and scientific, it will naturally become less religious. The atheist expectation was that religion is a product of the ignorance of the childhood of man.

Interestingly, the world has not met this expectation. As the last century ended, the atheists looked around the world and said, "Wait a minute. The world isn't becoming more secular; it's becoming even more religious." After all, there are revivals occurring in a number of religions, including Hinduism and Islam. And many people don't realize this, but Christianity is actually the fastest growing religion in the world.

full interview here

I've been reading Dinesh D'souza for at least 8 years now; it's interesting to note his work was originally more political and social than theological.

After seeing his debate with Peter Singer at Princeton on Wednesday I have come to the conclusion that atheism can reasonably try to prove that morality is a vestige of evolution or rather a evolutionary strategy. What I haven't been shown is that, given that, what's the incentive to be good offered by Dawkins, Hitchens, and the rest of the bunch?

Having said that, if atheism ever succeeded in completely eliminating religion from society, what will be the next step? Will we be a civilization of bright, clean, scientific citizens? If there are no consequences to any of our actions in the eternal, then anything that can be justified as a means to an end will be justified. How many millions of dead in the atheistic communist regimes have given us a glimpse of that?

-Steve K.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Jessica Simpson ... the theologian?

In more news that is guaranteed to make you groan, the New York Post reports that Jessica Simpson wants to study Theology after being inspired by the Discovery Channel.

Yeah. Really.

From Mark 10:27, we know that what is impossible for man is possible for God ... so maybe love of TiVo could eventually develop into actual reading.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Atheists Put Condescending Sign by Christmas Display

An atheist group has unveiled an anti-religion placard in the state Capitol, joining a Christian Nativity scene and "holiday tree" on display during December.
The atheists' sign was installed Monday by Washington members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national group based in Madison, Wis.


With a nod to the winter solstice - the year's shortest day, occurring in late December - the placard reads, in part, "There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

article

Get it? Atheists really...really don't believe in God...so they put up a smug, condescending sign.

A Christmas tree is a traditional symbol for the celebration of the birth of Christ. A menorah is a traditional symbol for the triumph of Judas Maccabee.

If the atheists really wanted equal time...they would have put up some traditional symbol for atheism...like...a slouching missing link statue...or a giant empty circle symbolizing how cold and empty existence is. That would make their point valid by actually showing a parallel image of atheist belief and heritage. But no, they pretty much just have to ruin festivity's for everyone else.

-Steve K.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Conservative Episcopalians Forming New Church

Conservatives within the Episcopal Church angered by the liberal views of the church's leaders plan to form a rival denomination.

The new Anglican Church in North America will include four Episcopal dioceses that recently split from the U.S. church, along with breakaway Anglican parishes from Canada.

The announcement comes after decades of debate over what Episcopalians should believe about issues ranging from salvation to sexuality. Tensions erupted in 2003 when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop.

My question: What makes an Anglican "conservative?" Fidelity with the founding tenets of the Anglican communion? Does that mean as Henry VII or Blessed Augustine (the English one...not the "real" one)? The Anglican Church was founded on a tension between Roman Catholicism and English Reformation.

I believe Henry VIII wished for a Church in all things Catholic with the English language as a medium, but settled for what he and his daughter Elizabeth could get. To me that makes a true "conservative" Anglican indistinguishable from a modern Catholic who'd pretty much espouse the same ideas (am I wrong about this??).

The Episcopalian response:

"And we reiterate what has been true of Anglicanism for centuries: that there is room within The Episcopal Church for people with different views, and we regret that some have felt the need to depart from the diversity of our common life in Christ," the Rev. Charles K. Robertson said in the written statement.

Diversity within a single communion? Just because the Anglican Church has committed neither to Catholicism or Protestantism since its very beginning doesn't make it a good idea. There's a good reason why the Church is seeing declining membership in Western Europe, while its more "traditional" branches in Africa and Asia are flourishing. -Steve K.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Do You Mind if I Use a Gift Card for this Horrifying Procedure??

Just in time for Christmas, the Planned Parenthood gift card, for use with all of PP's various products....including abortions.

Let's go over this:


Bad Gift: Abortion
- Steve K.
(photo from yes-zim.com)

Monday, December 1, 2008

Mixed verdict in MySpace bullying trial

From the LA Times, "A federal jury's decision Wednesday to acquit a Missouri mother accused of using MySpace to intentionally perpetrate a cruel Internet hoax on a vulnerable teenage girl marked a setback for prosecutors who had wanted to send a message that cyber-bullying was a serious crime with serious ramifications."

Regardless of the judge's final decision or whether 49-year-old mom Lori Drew is sent to jail, this case is a reminder that we are ALWAYS commanded to lead a Christian life. The Internet creates an illusion that we are not responsible for our words or actions, and clearly this is one example of the sad and terrible results that may occur if we forget who we are and He who's nature we are called to be like.

So When Will We Get Censor-Mobile?


TEL AVIV, Israel — For Muslims who just can't fit the five-times-a-day Salah prayer routine into their busy schedules, an Israeli mobile phone provider has a new solution: Mobile Koran.


Pelephone has begun offering a Koran text service that enables users to tap into verses of choice from the Muslim Holy Book at will. For the modest sum of $1.50 per month, subscribers can download what appears onscreen as an actual book of Koran, and scroll through chapter and verse.

-full article

Now I'm curious as to why "Ultra-Orthodox" Jews are forbidden from surfing the net and using data-services...

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Mourners Lay Knanaya Church Shooting Victim to Rest

"Dennis had a gift for loving life and loving people," Malloosseril's father said in a statement read by a relative. "He gave himself up helping a total stranger."

When family members were called to perform a traditional celebratory chant that would normally be done at a wedding, Malloosseril's parents could be heard wailing in grief, while other family members cried openly.

After the service, priests crowded around the casket to chant and perform last rites. Malloosseril's mother, surrounded by crowds of family, collapsed, unable to view her son's body before the casket was finally closed.


full article from NJ.com

Rev. George Docherty

The New York Pastor who pushed for adding the phrase "Under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance died November 27th.

"On Feb. 7, 1954, with President Dwight D. Eisenhower sitting in Lincoln's pew, Rev. Docherty urged that the pledge to the flag be amended, saying, "To omit the words 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance is to omit the definitive factor in the American way of life."

He borrowed the phrase from the Gettysburg Address, in which Lincoln said, "this Nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom."

...

The phrase "under God" could include "the great Jewish community and the people of the Muslim faith," in his view, but he drew the line at atheists.

"An atheistic American is a contradiction in terms," he said in his sermon. "If you deny the Christian ethic, you fall short of the American ideal of life." "