Clipmarks | Honoradele's 'christianity' clips

Story of Jesus Through Iranian Eyes

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:54:08 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

A new movie in Iran depicts the life of Jesus from an Islamic perspective. "The Messiah," which some consider as Iran's answer to Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ," won an award at Rome's Religion Today Film Festival, for generating interfaith dialogue. The movie will be adapted into a television series, shown on Iranian TV later this year.

LS: What are the key differences between Jesus through Islam's eyes and Jesus through the traditional Christian perspective?

NT: We are talking about the same beautiful man, the same beautiful prophet, the same divine person sent from heaven. In the Koran, it emphasizes maybe three main points: about the birth, about the fact that he was not the son of God, and then, that he was not crucified. The rest is [the same] Jesus ... the sermons, and the miracles, and the political situation.

Tags: jesus, christianity, muslim, islam, bible, iran, movie, film

Santeria: A Growing Problem For The Catholic Church

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:00:36 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.bohemionews.com

If the belief were to stand alone, it would likely simply be considered another cult oriented religious practice, much like an ugly form of shamanism. The problem is that most of its adherents consider themselves to be Roman Catholics and insist on incorporating their heretical practices into Catholic liturgy.

Santería undermines orthodoxy and attacks the very heart of Christian belief by insinuating a pantheon of sub-gods into Catholicism. In Santería, traditional figures in the Church, for example, the Virgen Mary, become the public personas of African deities. Traveling with this conversion of Christianity is a whole liturgical system that incorporates such acts as invoking spirits, assigning magical powers to objects or idols, and opening spiritual portals.

To understand the nature of Santería, it may be useful to look at the origin of the word.

Tags: catholic, church, santeria, religion, belief

Non Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:34:56 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: ''Toeing the party line for the church is not my job; telling the truth is my job. I don't fear saying that certain Republican policies are painful for God to endure.''

Clip Source: www.happynews.com

Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

Donald Miller still loves God and Jesus. Don't misunderstand him.

His problem is with Christianity, at least how it's often practiced.

For him, the word conjured up conservative politics, suburban consumerism and an ''insensitivity to people who aren't like us.''

Supporters say Donald Miller's authentic, graceful approach to God has finally given a voice to their brand of Christianity.

Christians longing to connect to God without ties to the religious right

Christians tired of the ''life is perfect'' mantra

the conservative religious network was many people's baseline for Christianity.

''These people are absurd. I've been a Christian all my life and I don't even know Christians this weird,''

''Unchristian.''

was this underlying hostility for homosexuals and Democrats and, well, hippie types.

your Christian faith doesn't have to look exactly like everybody's else's

God isn't a Republican.

Tags: taking, back, christianity, from, the, weirdos

New Testament - on Women's rights

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:53:18 GMT

clipped by: AcesLucky
clipper's remarks: So many translations; so many interpretations; but sometimes they all say essentially the same thing... women are second class citizens... thus saith the Lord.

Is the word of god "subject to" the culture of the times? Or do we change the interpretation of god's word to fit our sensibilities at the time?

Perhaps we create god's word as we go. Certainly our interpretation does.

Clip Source: bible.cc

<< 1 Corinthians 14:34 >>

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
the women must keep silent. They don't have the right to speak. They must take their place as Moses' Teachings say.

King James Bible
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.

(15) Women are commanded to be silent in public assemblies, and they are commanded to ask of their husbands at home.

1 Corinthians 11:5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.

Young's Literal Translation
Your women in the assemblies let them be silent, for it hath not been permitted to them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith;

Bible in Basic English
Let women keep quiet in the churches: for it is not right for them to be talking; but let them be under control, as it says in the law.

Tags: bible, christian, christianity, dominionism, faith, freedom, morality, religion

The Real Israel Behind the Propaganda

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:30:10 GMT

clipped by: blueridge
clipper's remarks: good article exposing how propaganda rules the truth about Israel.

Clip Source: www.globalresearch.ca

The True Miracle of Israel

Such depictions -- of luminous, civilised Israelis facing wicked, backward Arabs -- are the building blocks of a polemic sold tirelessly by Israeli, American and Western media. Most often, it goes unchallenged, thus defining the West's understanding of Israel and its moral "right to exist". The argument is rooted in the horrors of the Jewish holocaust; however, Israel's handlers have managed to turn deserved sympathy for that tragedy into an unwarranted assertion, somehow equating Palestinians with Nazi Germany in order to justify a constant state of war in the name of self-defence.

This formula has served Israel's strategic purposes well. On one hand, Israel's existence is portrayed as a resurrection of sorts: from near-annihilation to a "miraculous" rebirth.

Such discourse has been used successfully to appeal to a much larger group than those who identify with Israel on ethnic or religious grounds.

Christian Zionists represent the popular backbone

Tags: israel, zionism, christianity, jews

WALL: Strangulation of Christianity's BirthPlace Deliberate Policy?

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:35:00 GMT

clipped by: righthand
clipper's remarks: "The fear is that the birthplace of Jesus, home of the oldest Christian church and the oldest Christian communities in the world, will have nothing left of its history other than the cold stones of empty churches within a few generations," he added.

The Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, "has consistently expressed his fear that the "churches of the Holy Land will become museums," he said,adding that now there were "more Palestinian Christians in Sydney, Australia than in Jerusalem and more Christian Palestinians in North America than there are in the Holy Land."

He recalled that last June, on a visit to Dublin to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, Mr Sabbah reminded his Irish audiences that "all peoples are equal in dignity. Hence independence and security are needed for all".

Fr Fahim extended "a special invitation to Irish pilgrims to come and bear witness to the still living churches of the Holy Land. We invite th

Clip Source: www.ireland.com

Political situation in Bethlehem may force Christians to leave

People in the town were "living under extraordinarily difficult circumstances", Fr Samuel Fahim, parish priest at the Church of the Nativity has said.

In a letter to The Irish Times, he continued that the "once bustling cultural and spiritual centre" had been turned into "an isolated town"

The ongoing construction of a wall "around the churches, mosques, villages and refugee camps of the Bethlehem district is suffocating the social and economic life of people here.Regarding the spiritual life, the difficulties of living here for some has caused a crises in their faith," he

This "strangulation" of Bethlehem was most deeply felt by its Christians, he said

"We recall the times when the Christian population of Bethlehem stood at 70 per cent of the total population. Now, it stands

30 per cent, with only 40,000 Christians left in the Bethlehem district

Since the year 2000 alone, more than 400 Christian families have left the area."

The battle of the books

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:37:22 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: economist.com

The business of marketing the Bible and the Koran says a lot about the state of modern Christianity and Islam

CHRISTIANS and Muslims have one striking thing in common: they are both “people of the book”. And they both have an obligation to spread the Word—to get those Holy Books into the hands and hearts of as many people as they can. (The Jews, the third people of the book, do not feel quite the same obligation.)

Spreading the Word is hard. The Bible is almost 800,000 words long and littered with tedious passages about begetting. The Koran is a mere four-fifths of the length of the New Testament; but some Westerners find it an even more difficult read. Edward Gibbon complained about its “endless incoherent rhapsody of fable and precept”. Thomas Carlyle said that it was “as toilsome reading as I ever undertook; a wearisome, confused jumble, crude, incondite”.

Yet over 100m copies of the Bible are sold or given away every year.

Tags: religion

Is Christmas truly Christian?

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:17:49 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.chroniclelive.co.uk

Is Christmas truly Christian?

TO ALL those people complaining about other festivals hijacking the traditional English Christmas, I would like to enlighten you on the following point: the Christian faith is not the original faith of the British Isles, and the Christian church hijacked the Pagan festival of Yule and turned it into the celebration you know as Christmas.

Winter Solstice for pagans is a time of feasting and the exchanging of gifts and is the original holiday that the Christian religions modified into their own Christmas.

Most theologians who have spent time studying the alleged birth of Jesus admit he was born in either March or April, not the celebrated Christmas date we all know from the standard calendar. It was moved to this date to help induce Pagans to give up their old ways yet allow them their holidays during the spread of Christianity through Europe and the British Isles.

The Pagan Christ NT based on Egyption Mythology

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:04:14 GMT

clipped by: photowriter
clipper's remarks: I grew up as a fundamentalist Xian X= Greek letter chi for Christ. I have read several of Tom Harpers books and have found him to be one of the most honest Anglican Priests I have ever met in book and person.

What we find now is that the literal interpretation of the Bible is producing a very dangerous culture, focused in the US where military culture and war are often seen as part and parcel of the religious right's political theology.

Clip Source: www.cbc.ca

THE PAGAN CHRIST

There are 2.1 billion Christians on the planet – roughly one third of the entire human population. At the heart of their religion is the New Testament and the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. To Christianity, the written word is the glue that binds the faith of its followers.

Based on Tom Harpur’s national bestseller, The Pagan Christ examines these very questions. During his research, Harpur discovered that the New Testament is wholly based on Egyptian mythology, that Jesus Christ never lived, and that – indeed – the text was always meant to be read allegorically. It was the founders of the Church who duped the world into taking a literal approach to the scriptures. And, according to Harpur, this was their fatal error – and the very reason Christianity is struggling today.

So, what if it could be proven that Jesus never existed? What if there was evidence that every word of the New Testament

is based on myth and metaphor?

Tags: christmas, christianity, pagan, bible, literal, mythology, myth

Christian Prison Program can’t get tax dollars

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 02:19:47 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: desmoinesregister.com

Spending the public's money on a faith-based rehabilitation program in which Iowa prisoners immerse themselves in evangelical Christianity is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 28-page decision, concluded the program at the Newton Correctional Facility has advanced religion at government expense. The eight-year-old program now operates solely on donations after Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat, signed legislation earlier this year eliminating a state appropriation.

A total of 104 inmates participate in the Newton program, spending seven days a week in work, counseling and prayer, with a heavy emphasis on Bible teachings.

The court case has attracted national media attention as a test of President Bush's initiative for faith-based government services. Similar treatment programs are sponsored by Prison Fellowship at prisons in Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Texas.

Tags: religion, government, law, constitution, prison, faith-based, taxes

Papal letter blames atheism for world's worst woes

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 01:01:11 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

Pope Benedict XVI strongly criticized modern-day atheism in a major document released today, saying it had led to some of the "greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice" ever known to mankind.

But in his second encyclical, Benedict also critically questioned modern Christianity, saying its focus on individual salvation had ignored Jesus' message that true Christian hope involves salvation for all.

In the 76-page document, Benedict elaborates on how the Christian understanding of hope had changed in the modern age, when man sought to relieve the suffering and injustice around him. Benedict points to two historical upheavals: the French Revolution and the proletarian revolution instigated by Karl Marx.

Benedict sharply criticizes Marx and the 19th and 20th century atheism spawned by his revolution, although he acknowledges that both were responding to the deep injustices of the time.

Tags: atheism, church, catholic, mankind, christianity, religion

CBC Floats Show On How Christ Didn't Really Exist

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:32:41 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.lifesite.net

Canada's government funded National Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has offered its annual Christmas season refutation of Christianity, this year in the form of a documentary entitled, "The Pagan Christ" based on the book of the same name by popular Canadian liberal "theologian" Tom Harpur.

The CBC webpage for the documentary asks, "So, what if it could be proven that Jesus never existed? What if there was evidence that every word of the New Testament - the cornerstone of Christianity - is based on myth and metaphor?"

The idea was popularized by radical feminist and lesbian writers like the self-styled "witch" Miriam Simos, who goes by the nom de plume of "Starhawk", and is one of the foremost voices of ecofeminism. These writers were instrumental in founding a "goddess" worshipping neo-paganism in the 1970's and '80's that was zealously anti-Christian and particularly hostile to Catholicism and has grown in popularity in Canada and the US.

Tags: canada, christmas, jesus, christian, documentary, myth, book

Church, state and the founding fathers

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 04:21:27 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.tribstar.com

Quick quiz.

How many times does the U.S. Constitution mention God?

How many times does it talk about the Bible?

In what sections does it address Christianity?

The answers: None, none and none.

As for religion, as physicist Ellery Schempp recently observed, the Constitution “mentions religion just twice, and both times the word ‘no’ is attached.”

“The Bible never once mentions democracy, a republic or anything related to American values,” he said. “The Bible never once mentions freedom of speech or freedom of religion … separation of powers and limitations on the power of the executive; nor an independent judicial branch … elections or voting. The Bible provides no model for ‘good’ government or for personal freedoms. It is a purely religious/theological document.”

Tags: church, state, government, religion, constitution, god, bible, law

Coulter: We Want Jews To Be "Perfected"

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:04:48 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.cbsnews.com

The conservative commentator said this week that the nation would be better off if all Americans were Christian and that she wants "Jews to be perfected, as they say."

"Christian ... so we should be Christian?" Deutsch interrupted. "It would be better if we were all Christian?"

Coulter answered "Yes" once, and after being asked the same question again by an obviously surprised Deutsch, answered "Yes" a second time.

DEUTSCH: ... we should just throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians, then, or ...

COULTER: Yeah.

DEUTSCH: Really?

COULTER: Well, it's a lot easier. It's kind of a fast track.

DEUTSCH: Really?

COULTER: Yeah. You have to obey.

DEUTSCH: You can't possibly believe that.

COULTER: Yes.

"We just want Jews to be perfected, as they say," Coulter said later in the show. "That is what Christianity is. We believe the Old Testament, but ours is more like Federal Express."

Tags: religion, christian, jews, america, talk show, bigot

One Atheist's Take on Christianity

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:56:23 GMT

clipped by: faberglas

Clip Source: richarddawkins.net

Christianity: The belief that some cosmic Jewish Zombie can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him that you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree.

That's patent humorous insanity, but the Nicene creed is worse: it's patent insanity that takes itself seriously. That anyone could look at it "very closely" with any objectivity at all and accept it, from triune god to virgin birth to 'dead' god to resurrection and ascent to final judgment, and argue that it is right is incredible

what I'd like to see is one scrap of evidence for any piece of the exceptionally silly Nicene creed — not proof, but just some rational reason for me to believe one single line of this dogma

if the Nicene creed is the core of the belief, I don't see how we're misrepresenting it: it's a collection of absurdities

Tags: religion