Clipmarks | Eaglewings's 'religion' clips

First President could teach the 44th a few things.

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 01:29:39 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings
clipper's remarks: As we race toward another election and we consider our votes for the next occupant of the White House perhaps it would do us all well to travel back in time and remember the virtues that made this country great.

Avoid political factions and entangling alliances sounds like good advice to me. Perhaps our current bunch of political leaders would do well to heed the words of America's founding father George Washington.

Washington went on to say that popular government depended on virtuous citizens and that only religion, which in the American context meant Christianity, could inspire such selfless behavior.

He frequently asserted that religion helped promote virtue, order, and social stability, and praised the efforts of churches to make people "sober, honest, and good Citizens, and the obedient subjects of a lawful government."

What say you?

Clip Source: www.christianitytoday.com

As commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first president of the United States, George Washington played an indispensable role in achieving American independence and safeguarding the infant republic. Risking his reputation, wealth, and life, he commanded an undermanned and poorly supplied army to a victory over the world's leading economic and military power. As president, he kept the new nation from crashing on the shoals of anarchy, monarchy, or revolution.

But he longed to return to his beloved Mount Vernon. In September 1796 he published his "Farewell Address" in a Philadelphia newspaper to make clear he would not consider a third term and to offer his prescription for how best to preserve the fragile republic. To prevent their nation from unraveling or being conquered by England, France, or Spain (which still laid claim to land in North America), he warned, Americans must avoid political factions and entangling alliances.

Tags: washington, presidency, constitution, republic, election, politics, virtue, honor

ACLU trying to control public prayer

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:23:38 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings
clipper's remarks: I thought the ACLU sought to protect people from the overreaching government and discrimination against religion, race, or creed. I guess I was mistaken.

The mission statement of the ACLU states:

The mission of the ACLU is to preserve all of these protections and guarantees:

Your First Amendment rights - freedom of speech, association and assembly; freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.

I wonder what changed?

Clip Source: www.onenewsnow.com

The American Civil Liberties Union is asking the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to tell private citizens how and what they can pray before meetings of the Cobb County, Georgia, Board of Commissioners.

The ACLU actually suggested to the court that Cobb County officials be ordered to send letters to invited clergy telling them "not to invoke religious messages" in their opening prayers and the commissioners' meetings.

This is religious bigotry; it's anti-free speech; it's everything that they're supposed to be against. The idea that the ACLU would want the government to tell people how they should or should not pray is outrageous."

the fact that the ACLU is trying to use the power of the government to tell people how to pray is just an incredible invasion of freedom, and [it] shows that they are not about freedom and liberty at all. They're about oppression and trying to stamp out religious speech."

Tags: aclu, government, prayer, free speech, religion

Senator blames Government and courts for silencing religion

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:00:12 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings
clipper's remarks: How horrible it will be for those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn what is bitter into something sweet and what is sweet into something bitter. Isaiah 5:20 (GW)

Clip Source: www.onenewsnow.com

Senator Jim DeMint says many Christians and their pastors are afraid to state their moral convictions about abortion, homosexuality, pornography, and other issues.

The South Carolina Republican is co-author of a new book titled Why We Whisper – Restoring Our Right To Say It's Wrong. DeMint blames government, and courts in particular, for turning wrongs into rights and barring religious views from public debate. Government rulings, he argues, have changed American culture.

"Before the 1960s, it was pretty clear that abortion was wrong, that sex outside of marriage was wrong, that unwed birth was wrong, and pornography, homosexuality – all this was considered wrong by the society," DeMint contends. "But government came in and turned right and wrong upside down."

DeMint says religious appeals have essentially been barred from public debate.

DeMint adds. "But the government essentially said that religion must be separated from public life.

Tags: religion, state, church, senator, government, courts

Salad Bar Christianity

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:33:09 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings
clipper's remarks: This is just another example of a man-made god. Taking the parts we like from all religious practices and mixing them together to form a hodgepodge of beliefs that Jesus warned against. Jesus declared unashamedly that he was the way the truth and the life not just one of many.

Man loves to remake God into their own image, changing the absolute rightness of God for a rightness that suits each individual. The salad bar analogy works good here because the tendency of people is to take what they like and leave what they do not like. Most times it is the food that is best for us that we leave on the salad bar.

Clip Source: www.usatoday.com

Religion today in the USA is a salad bar where people heap on upbeat beliefs they like and often leave the veggies — like strict doctrines — behind.

There are so many ways of seeing God, public policy expert Barry Kosmin says, that "the highest authority is now the lowest common denominator."

"Americans believe in everything. It's a spiritual salad bar," says Rice University sociologist Michael Lindsay. Rather than religious leaders setting the cultural agenda, today, it's Oprah Winfrey, he says.

"The impact of Oprah is seen throughout this survey. She uses the language of Bible and Christian traditions and yet includes other traditions to create a hodgepodge personalized faith. Exclusivism (one religion has the absolute and exclusive truth) has gotten a bad name in America today," he says.

Tags: religion. oprah, christianity

"In God We Trust" still stirring controversy after 50 years

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:59:22 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings

Clip Source: www.christianpost.com

After 50 years of appearing on the back of U.S. dollar bills, the words “In God We Trust” continue to be at the center of debate with some courts examining whether references to God in the public sphere violates the Constitution’s separation of church and state.

Critics often argue that references of God in public domains exclude faith groups that don’t believe in God and amount to the government’s endorsement of religion, in particular Christianity.

You can turn the argument around and say that to have no recognition of a supreme being would favor atheists

A 2003 Gallup poll found that an overwhelming 90 percent of Americans approved of the use of the motto on coins.

“In God We Trust” began appearing on coins in 1864.

Tags: motto, in god we trust

Gay Last Supper spurs controversy

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:26:08 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings
clipper's remarks: Sometimes we make much to do about nothing. Considering all the parodies in the world depicting art or movies or other iconic symbols this is just one of another examples of the type of people who participate in these activities.

To think that the promoters of this event want people to look upon them as anti- Christian makes one pause to wonder why? I mean if I was promoting an event that I want to make mainstream why would I go out of my way to invoke ridicule by mocking mainstream?

Could it be that is exactly how these people think? They really are not mainstream and they hate mainstream thinking and they want to be IN THE Face of mainstream America?

If that is the case then I say do unto others as you would have them do unto you?

Just to make it clear to the folks at Folsom Street Fair. The Christ of the Da Vinci original Last Supper died to forgive the most vilest of sinners yourself included. Perhaps you should embrace Him and not mock Him?

Clip Source: www.cnsnews.com

The ad is promoting the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco -- essentially a multi-city block party for homosexuals. It shows a group of men and women scantily clad, at a long table, laden with sex toys and sado-masochistic implements.

The group behind the ad said it was not intended to be either "pro-religion or anti-religion," but the poster -- a parody of Leonardo da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper" -- continued to draw fire from Christian organizations on Tuesday.

Tags: homosexuality, gay pride, parody

Resources for systematic theology

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 04:14:19 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.monergism.com

The Nature and Function of Theology
David F. Wells

Theology for Everyman
John H. Gerstner

Basic Doctrine
Reformed Bible Church

Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin

Westminster Confession of Faith Commentary
A.A. Hodge

Systematic Theology
Vincent Cheung

Summary of Christian Doctrine
Louis Berkhof

Systematic Theology: Theology Proper (Volume 1)
Charles Hodge

Systematic Theology: Anthropology (Volume 2)
Charles Hodge

Systematic Theology: Soteriology (Volume 3)
Charles Hodge

Systematic Theology: Index
Charles Hodge

Systematic Theology
R.L. Dabney

Abstract of Systematic Theology
James P. Boyce

Manual of Theology
J.L. Dagg

Soteriology
Gary E. Gilley

Theology Proper
Gary E. Gilley

Growing in Christ
Gary E. Gilley

Survey Studies in Reformed Theology
Bob Burridge

Objective Soteriology: The study of the provision of salvation
Bob Burridge

Subjective Soteriology: The study of the application of salvation
Bob Burridge

Calvin's Institutes: Study Guide
Chuck Baynard

Tags: theology, christianity, faith, apologetics

Pastor with 666 tattoo claims to be divine

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 01:26:01 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings
clipper's remarks: I can not believe people actually believe guys like this and follow after them like stupid dogs on leashes. But I guess when you do not believe in God you will believe anything.

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda says he is God, and his followers believe him.

De Jesus says he learned he was Jesus reincarnate when he was visited in a dream by angels.

Followers have protested Christian churches in Miami and Latin America, disrupting services and smashing crosses and statues of Jesus.

De Jesus preaches there is no devil and no sin. His followers, he says, literally can do no wrong in God's eyes.

The church calls itself the "Government of God on Earth" and uses a seal similar to the United States.

Doing God's work with a Lexus and Rolex

And what about the tattoo of 666 on his arm?

Although it's a number usually associated with Satan, not the son of God, de Jesus says that 666 and the Antichrist are, like him, misunderstood.

The Antichrist is not the devil, de Jesus tells his congregation; he's the being who replaces Jesus on Earth.

"Antichrist is the best person in the world," he says. "Antichrist means don't put your eyes on Jesus because Jesus of Nazareth wasn't a Christian. Antichrist means do not put your eyes on Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Put it on Jesus after the cross."

Tags: religion, antichrist.cults, devil. 666, satan

Global Warming a New Religion?

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 03:03:26 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings

Clip Source: www.americanthinker.com

A man who ceases to believe in God does not believe in nothing; he believes in anything.
- G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

The apocalyptic vision of global warming serves a deep need of the environmentalist credo, the dominant pseudo-religious tendency of our age in the prosperous West.

For good or ill, human beings are constructed to believe, and faith has its demands.. Along with the concrete elements that demand belief (that fire burns and that it's not wise to walk off cliffs, for example) there exists an apparent necessity for a belief in "the rock higher than I" - a belief in a superior entity that can inspire awe and gratitude, that can be turned to in hard times, that can act as witness to injustice and dispenser of mercy.

In fact, the apocalyptic is the major fulcrum of environmentalism, the axis around which everything else turns. It's environmentalism's major element of concern, its chief attraction, and the center of discussion and speculation, in much the same way that some Protestant variants of Christianity are obsessed above all with sin. So crucial is the apocalypse to environmentalism that there has been a whole string of them, one after the other, covering every last aspect of the natural world. If one don't git ya, the next one will.

The lessons of previous environmental panics have been carefully applied to global warming No other environmentalist program has been prepared with such detail, purpose, and conviction. A skilled cadre of scientists, activists, and publicists exist who have devoted entire careers to nothing else. A vast literature has appeared analyzing not climate as a whole, not the interactions of the entire system, but solely and uniquely global warming. In many ways, warming has become both more and less than an ideology: it has become an industry, one that with such financial elements as carbon offsets can easily support itself.

Tags: global warming, environment, environmentalism, darwinism, evolution, religion, atheism

Christianity as Seen on TV

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 22:43:21 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings

Clip Source: thepoint.breakpoint.org

There's an interesting study over at the Parents Television Council on the depiction of faith on television. Here are a few of the more salient factoids from the study:

"CBS was the network with the highest percentage of pro-religious incidents, with 47% of its treatments of religion being positive. WB followed with 41.3% positive treatments and ABC with 37.7%. NBC (27.8%) and Fox (27.2%) nearly tied, while UPN (19.3%) had the lowest percentage of positive religious portrayals.
"Fox had the highest percentage of anti-religious depictions, with 1 of every 2 depictions of religion – almost exactly half (49.7%) – being negative. NBC closely followed, with 39.3% of their depictions of religion being negative, while 35.4% of UPN depictions were negative. 30% of ABC’s portrayals were negative, followed by 29% of CBS’ and 21% of WB’s.
"Program format was a heavy determinant of the portrayal which religion received. Of all negative treatments of religion, 95.5% occurred on scripted drama and comedy programs. Only 4.5% of such negative treatments occurred on reality programs. Furthermore, 57.8% of positive treatments of religion also occurred on reality programs, while only 42.2% of positive portrayals occurred on scripted programs. "

Tags: television, christianity, family values, family, faith

What Has Jesus Done for You?

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 22:39:52 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings
clipper's remarks: Time for some personal testimony peeps. We overcome them by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

Clip Source: thepoint.breakpoint.org

Tell me one thing that Jesus has done for you that can be considered of quality to help you successfully navigate through life other than "he died for my sins." Help me understand by responding with something that I did not learn or acquire from a childhood lesson.

Tags: jesus, testimony, religion, sunday school, salvation

Religion is like Underwear.

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 20:05:19 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings
clipper's remarks: This might just explain Brittney and Lindsay going sans panties, perhaps, they were just showing off their lack of religion?

Clip Source: ansab.newsvine.com

I find that all of religion can conveniently be explained by a simple and humorous metaphor: underpants.

It's true, the different belief systems of people all around the world can be similarly explained by an article of clothing (or two) that many people wear underneath their outer apparel.

You underwear is designed to support you, comfort you, and get you through scary situations, and likewise so is your religion. Each is a best fit and people usually experiment with a few types before settling on one, which they may even change in later life.

There are a few groups of underwear, such as boxers, briefs, "whitey-tighties," etc., and people choose one of those classes to belong to.

But despite important differences, your underwear still goes under your clothes, where people don't see it. Likewise, religion should not be displayed and flaunted to all others because it is considered bad manners. There are those who run around in nothing but their underwear, but most people think of them and the religious extremists as crazy. People may talk to each other about what religion they adhere to and the tightness of their boxer-briefs, but it tends to make men uncomfortable and is generally left alone for the most part.

And then there are those who don't even wear underwear. After all, why should they? It seems like a perfectly good waste of time. You spend extra time and money on it, and for what? What does it do for you? It may feel warm, but the reality is that the world can be a cold and dark place and no underwear can change that fact. In fact, some argue that those without underpants are only distracting themselves from the truth.

Tags: satire, metaphor, humor. religion, odd-news

Atheists challenge the Religious Right

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 03:04:21 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings

Clip Source: www.csmonitor.com

Growing religious influence in the US government has led some nontheists to take positions some describe as 'secular fundamentalism.'

For some time, the religious right has decried "secular humanism," a philosophy that rejects the supernatural or spiritual as a basis for moral decisionmaking. But now, nonbelievers are vigorously fighting back.

Only a small percentage of Americans admit to being nontheists (between 2 and 9 percent, depending on the poll), but that equates to many millions. And religionists' role in debates over stem-cell research and evolution vs. intelligent design - as well as radical religion in world conflicts - have galvanized some atheists to mount a counteroffensive.

Tags: atheism, religion, religious right, government

Is Jesus the Only Savior?

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 02:57:20 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings
clipper's remarks: Today many question the idea that there is only one way to heaven (or that Christianity is the only true faith) -- even some people who identify themselves as Christians. In a world where we are likely to have neighbors of differing faiths, to profess Jesus as the only Savior may be viewed as arrogance and intolerance. Religious "pluralism" is gaining popularity. Many believe that there are many ways to salvation and that the biblical account of Jesus only is at best misquided and at worse bigoted. What do you think?

Clip Source: www.zondervan.com

Is There Salvation in Other Religions? Is There a Second Chance After Death? What About Those Who Have Never Heard? Is Sincerity Enough?

Tags: jesus. christianity, salvation, faith, religion

Beware of Iran

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 02:03:38 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings

Clip Source: www.assistnews.net

AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- According to the Shia Islam of Iran, in the end times the Muslimprophet Jesus will return with the Imam Mahdi, the hidden 12th Imam -the Shiite Messiah. The Shiite Jesus will worship the Imam Mahdi andlead the final jihad. As it says in the Quran, '. . . and on theDay of Resurrection he [Jesus] will bear witness against [those whoutter the "monstrous falsehood" that Jesus was crucified].' (Sura4:155-160)

Clip Source: www.assistnews.net

1-11 Iran: Seduction and persecution of the Church
According to the Shia Islam of Iran, in the end times the Muslimprophet Jesus will return with the Imam Mahdi, the hidden 12th Imam -the Shiite Messiah. The Shiite Jesus will worship the Imam Mahdi andlead the final jihad. As it says in the Qura...

Tags: iran, armagedon, current events, religion, terror, persecution