Clipmarks | boniface's 'christian' clips

The Christian Presidency

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:29:24 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Any illusion one might have had that the race for America's chief executive is a secular affair was thoroughly shattered yesterday at the Saddleback Civil Forum on The Presidency. Evangelical superstar Rick "Purpose Driven Life" Warren got the two candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, to sit down individually in his church, submit to his questions, and expound on concerns most important to evangelical Christians.

"Some of the questions Pastor Warren posed crossed the line and promoted the fiction that the American people are electing a pastor-in-chief, rather than a commander-in-chief. Questions like 'What does it mean to trust in Christ?' create a religious test for public office and should have no place in the political discourse for a secular office. America is the most religiously diverse country in the world, and Christianity is only one of those faith traditions. Millions of voters who tuned in tonight will feel disenfranchised by some of the questions posed in this forum."

Christians demand removal of 'satanic' 10 Commandments

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:23:49 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: Christians can't seem to be able to figure out the difference between "public property" and "private property." You can put any damn monument you want on private property, but NOT on public. Jebus H. Crist how hard is this to understand?

Clip Source: worldnetdaily.com

A Christian organization is pressuring the community of Elberton, Ga., to tear down a massive, granite monument that lists an alternative set of Ten Commandments that the organization labels satanic.

The monument, known as the Georgia Guidestones, was built under a cloud of mystery in 1980. It lists 10 commandments in eight different languages, including a call to establish a new world language, limit human population to 500 million and avoid being "a cancer on the Earth."

"We have atheists and Satanists getting the Bible's Ten Commandments removed from public property," said Mark Dice, spokesman for the group The Resistance, "yet the satanic Georgia Guidestones have stood for decades, and nobody seems to care. Well, we do."

Since the land the monument sits upon is owned by a private trust and is not public property, Dice said, the battle against the monument will have to take place in the court of public opinion, rather than a court of law.

The Trouble of Teaching Biblical Content

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:04:21 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.wildhunt.org

Ah Texas, outside of South Carolina, it is hard to think of a state with more percolating church-state issues. Their judges sanction religiously-motivated torture of teenage girls, they pass laws that their own research tells them will privilege Christian expression, and they aren't too keen on the religious freedom of non-Christian faiths. So is it any wonder that they passed a controversial law mandating a Bible-study elective in their public schools, or that schools taking advantage of this new freedom are abusing it?

You can read Mark Chancey's full report, here. The Texas Freedom Network, far from being an atheist organization, actually supported the legislation that allowed for Bible-based electives. Their problem is that the Texas State Board of Education passed implementation guidelines that they claim throws school districts and teachers "under the bus" due to vague language that will put schools on a collision course for multiple lawsuits.

Pagan Mythology and C.S. Lewis

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:48:22 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: Rather, he was genuinely enamored of mythology and believed the "Story" to take precedence over any preconceived moral. In Lewis's own words:

"Some people seem to think that I began by asking myself how I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument; then collected information about child-psychology and decided what age group I'd write for; then drew up a list of basic Christian truths and hammered out 'allegories' to embody them. This is all pure moonshine. I couldn't write in that way at all. Everything began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion. At first there wasn't even anything Christian about them; that element pushed itself in of its own accord" (Of Other Worlds, p. 36).

Clip Source: www.rapidnet.com

At the age of twenty-seven, after having been elected Fellow and Tutor in English Language and Literature at Magdalen College, C.S. Lewis met John Ronald Reuel Tolkien at a meeting of the English faculty at Menton College (5/11/26). J.R.R. Tolkien, though wary of Lewis at first, enrolled him in the "Coalbiters," a club founded by Tolkien for the study and propagation of Norse mythology. The two became close friends, sharing their common interest in occult fantasy. Tolkien argued that there is an inherent truth of mythology: that all pagan religions point in the direction of God. Through this faulty argument, Lewis reasoned the story of Christ to be a "true myth" -- a myth much the same as others, but a myth that really happened.

It is argued that in presenting a blend of fantasy with analogy to Christian truth, Lewis hoped to encourage his readers to search out the truth further.* This, however, was not Lewis's intention in writing his fantasies.

Narnia owes more to Pagan mythology than christian

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:36:06 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.time.com

How to Tell if The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a Christian Film

Lewis always insisted that his seven Narnia books were not a point-by-point Christian allegory. Much of The Lion, the Witch owes more to English folktales or Norse and classical myth than to the New Testament. The passage of the four Pevensie children through the magic closet into a world laboring under a spell of eternal winter is not Christian, nor are the cruel white witch, talking animals, centaurs, and even a duo of Roman gods who inhabit it. True, the description of the redeeming figure of the lion Aslan as "the Son the Great Emperor-Beyond-the- Sea" is a big hint. But even Aslan's sacrifice on a huge stone table (not a cross; and performed with a stone knife, Aztec-style), and his subsequent miraculous recovery could have been borrowed from any number of world religions.

What the Lion's filmmakers do with the charming storytelling that surrounds them is—theologically—optional.

In Defense of the CS Lewis's Pagan Prince Caspian

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:23:55 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: CS Lewis professed to be a Christian, but if you really want to see how Pagan he actually was, read the chapter "The Inklings and the Gods" in the book by Ronald Hutton "Witches, Druids and King Arthur."

Clip Source: www.christianpost.com

When they appeared in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, it was easy to look the other way in the face of the undeniable Christian imagery of Aslan dying and rising and conquering the White Witch. Bacchus and Silenus, ancient pagan gods, dance with nymphs and dryads. With Jesus so clearly figured, it was easy to ignore such things, but what to do when Bacchus and Silenus appear not once, but twice, in Prince Caspian, where such Christological imagery is not so obvious?

Is it possible that the writings of the “apostle to the atheists” actually smuggles in pantheism and Paganism? There are some who believe exactly that.

This is a stumbling block for many people, including Christians themselves. Christianity may be true but does it satisfy?

What is so appealing about heaven if it just means sitting in a pew for eternity? Many people in church are bored out of their minds right now. Who wants that experience forever? “No thanks,” many say.

A scouting organization founded by Pagans

Tue, 06 May 2008 16:22:26 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: abclocal.go.com

The local troop leader of Spiral Scouts says it's dedicated to reverence for nature and religious tolerance. Becky Tatrault says for her son and daughter it's an alternative to Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. She says," Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts tend to separate boys and girls and I wanted them to be able to scout together. "

The National Spiral Scouting organization was started by Wiccans, who believe in an Earth God and Goddess, and practice witchcraft. But Spiral Scouts is open to all faiths. That's one reason Angela Rahn says she wants her kids in Spiral Scouts. "I would just like to have my children involved with other children who are being raised the way my children are, which is being open to all religions even ones that are outside of the Christian faith."

Scottish pagan gathering spells worry for some Christians

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:14:57 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.ekklesia.co.uk

Some Christian groups in Scotland are anxious about druids, wiccans and other traditional religionists from across the UK gathering in a small north-east community this summer, reports the Scotsman newspaper.

The Rev Graham Swanson of Elgin Baptist Church, told the newspaper: "I have grave concerns and reservations about this event taking place. As a Christian I believe the Bible warns us about dabbling in such things as witchcraft."

But Moray resident Joanne Campbell, who is behind the event, said: "People like to sensationalise our gathering and speculate that we are up to all sorts of strange things. But the reality is that we really just want to get together and socialise with friends and like-minded people.

Along with humanists, pagans in Britain are denied official membership of many inter-faith bodies. The dispute is over the meaning and antecedence of 'belief', and the question as to the representativeness of bodies such as the PF.

Religous zealots are at it again: HR888

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:35:10 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.talk2action.org

Think the "Christmas Resolution" was Bad? Check Out H. Res. 888

On December 18, 2007, Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA) introduced H. Res. 888, a resolution "Affirming the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation's founding and subsequent history and expressing support for designation of the first week in May as 'American Religious History Week' for the appreciation of and education on America's history of religious faith."

This resolution, which purports to promote "education on America's history of religious faith," is packed with the same American history lies found on the Christian nationalist websites, and in the books of pseudo-historians like David Barton. It lists a total of seventy-five "Whereas's," leading up to four resolves, the third of which is particularly disturbing --

Theocracy!

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:55:29 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.news-leader.com

Theocrats must answer question

There are a lot of people out there advocating a Christian theocracy for this nation. After all, if it was good enough for our Founding Fathers it should be good enough for us. But the question they refuse to address is, "Which Christian God?"

Are you going to tell me that there is no difference between a Baptist and a Methodist? And I know it's not something simple like one prefers brown-colored seat cushions and the other likes blue. Maybe we should make Catholic brand Christianity the official religion. After all, they do a bang-up job in their school system. And Lord knows, we sure could stand to improve our present one. At least we could pray more in the schools.

Face it, after you've gotten rid of the heathens, Jews, Muslims, etc. you're going to have to decide which Christian sect is the right one. They can't all be right.

First Dec. 25 Xmas Tied to Pagan Shrine

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:36:00 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: ap.google.com

First Dec. 25 Xmas Tied to Pagan Shrine

Italian archaeologists last month unveiled an underground grotto that they believe ancient Romans revered as the place where a wolf nursed Rome's legendary founder Romulus and his twin brother Remus.

A few feet from the grotto, or "Lupercale," the Emperor Constantine built the Basilica of St. Anastasia, where some believe Christmas was first celebrated on Dec. 25.

In 325, he convened the Council of Nicaea, which fixed the dates of important Christian festivals. It opted to mark Christmas, then celebrated at varying dates, on Dec. 25 to coincide with the Roman festival celebrating the birth of the sun god, Andrea Carandini, a professor of archaeology at Rome's La Sapienza University, told reporters Friday.

The "Lupercale" shrine — named after the "lupa," Latin for she-wolf — is 52 feet below ground.

Rooted in Pagan celebrations

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:31:11 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.sfgate.com

Rooted in pagan celebrations, German Christmas has many rituals

When I tell my friends that in the German style, we don't decorate our Christmas tree until Dec. 24, they pity me a bit. "What's the point?" one of them asked, assuming that this custom indicated a lack of holiday spirit. Nothing could be further from the truth. Christmas is by far the most popular German holiday and has been celebrated since the 16th century.

This quintessentially Christian holiday has pagan roots. Centuries ago, Germanic tribes celebrated the winter solstice by lighting fires and candles and bringing evergreens into their homes to symbolize the returning light and the coming of spring.

Adults have the job of building anticipation by putting up decorations, baking cookies, lighting candles, singing carols and, yes, shopping for gifts that remain hidden until the evening celebration. Various celebratory markers help to pass the time until the big day arrives.

Merry Excesses

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:26:24 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.telegram.com

Christmas — pagans, Christians and mammon

Christmas is arriving with its usual sleighful of hype, indulgence and greed. And, as usual, people are deploring the consumerist excesses of the holiday and wishing for a return of the good old days and the old-time religion. They know not what they are yearning for.

Early on, bishops banned the use of evergreens and deplored the drinking, hoodlumism, fighting and looting that went on in many places in the darkness of deep December all over Europe. But the decrees made little difference.

Nobody knows when Jesus was born, but in the 4th century the church decreed it to be Dec. 25, an unlikely time for shepherds to be watching their flocks in the field.

And so, over the centuries, Dec. 25 gradually took on some of the trappings of the Christian religion, although much of the old pagan festivities continued.

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.

Poor Christians - Thrown to the Lions Again

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:36:16 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: For all the Liberals out there who have fallen in love with Mr. Paul, I suggest they take another look at the real Ron Paul. Sure he's against the war in Iraq but that's not his entire agenda. This quy is more of a nut than most think.

Clip Source: www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com

Ron Paul sees a war on Christianity?

One of Ron Paul’s selling points as a presidential candidate is his willingness to reject Republican orthodoxy.

But what I did not realize is that when it comes to the religious right’s theocratic worldview, Paul is surprisingly in line with TV preachers like Pat Robertson. An alert reader emailed me this Ron Paul commentary from December 2003, in which the Texas Republican laments “the ongoing war against religion” in general, and Christianity in specific.

Through perverse court decisions and years of cultural indoctrination, the elitist, secular Left has managed to convince many in our nation that religion must be driven from public view. The justification is always that someone, somewhere, might possibly be offended or feel uncomfortable living in the midst of a largely Christian society

Tags: politics, ron paul, theocracy, atheism