An Atheists View of Christians: Christians for Torture

Brothers and sisters, the world is watching us. Don’t you get that? They seem to sometimes know more how we should act that we do! My friend Steve Lay who has a blog called The Groundworks emailed me this article and really, it breaks my heart…

iggy

Christians for Torture

So what in the world is an atheist to think when he sees the widespread Christian support for torture? Yes, torture. But don’t Christians claim to follow the ethics of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament? These are unbelievable poll results. Christian torture advocates should be ashamed of themselves for being so ignorant of New Testament ethics. We associate torture with the Soviet Union under Stalin, China under Mao, …..

It is pastors who ought to be teaching and warning their congregations about what is wrong with the U.S. empire, the U.S. military, the CIA, U.S. wars, and U.S. foreign policy. Instead, we have pastors that lead their congregations to pledge to the flag, sing praise to the state on every national holiday, and honor the U.S. war machine on special military appreciation days.

What have we come to in the United States when people who name the name of Christ support torture? How dare Christians criticize Muslims for saying that Islam is a religion of peace and then advocate the torturing of suspected terrorists? By their support for torture, Christians have given “great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme” (2 Samuel 12:14).

Continue the article from: lewrockwell.com

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Show me how to live…

Each day we struggle with being a fallen creature who God has redeemed. If one is honest they will look in the mirror and see there is really nothing “special” about them that God would stoop low and offer salvation to any of us.

Yet, through Jesus we have just that! Audioslave is not a “Christian” group, yet within some of their lyrics there is this sense of struggle to live true to one’s beliefs. Taking in that balance of coming into faith and believing God does see you as you are and loves you… and wills not to leave you how you are but to draw you ever deeper into Jesus Christ and show us how to live… and overcome our broken and fallen being and enter into something deeper that we could even imagine. “You gave me life now

Show me how to live”…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5Ww8AHt49U

Show Me How To Live Lyrics

Artist(Band):Audioslave

In with the early dawn

Moving right along

I couldn’t buy an eye full of sleep

And in the aching night

Under satellites

I was not received

built with the stolen parts

A telephone in my heart

Someone get me a priest

To put my mind to bed

This ringing in my head

Is this a cure or is this a disease

Nail in my hand

From my creator

You gave me life now

Show me how to live

Nail in my hand

From my creator

You gave me life now

Show me how to live

In the afterbirth

On the quiet earth

Let this things remind you

You thought you made a man

You better think again

Before my role defines you

Nail in my hand

From my creator

You gave me a life

Now show me how to live

Nail in my hand

From my creator

You gave me life now

Show me how to live

And in your waiting hands

I will land

And roll out of my skin

And in your final hours I will stand

Ready to begin

Ready to begin

Ready to begin

Ready to begin

Nail in my hand

From my creator

You gave me life now

Show me how to live

Nail in my hand

From my creator

You gave me life now

Show me how to live

Show me how to live

Show me how to live

Show me how to live

Show me how to live

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New Podcast site is up!

I finally found a new home for my podcast. Not saying it is great, but it will only get better.  You should be able to find it on iTUNES soon.

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Just a thought…

Many want to interpret the bible through their words; I resolve to interpret the bible through my actions.

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Great quotes: Walter Martin versus Ken Silva

I find it interesting that I am called a heretic when I state that Adam was created “innocent”. Many have attacked me over this over the years. Yet, tonight I was skimming through a book by Walter Martin who states:

“…Adam was created innocent, and God put his divine stamp of approval on that creation by calling him, “the son of God” (Luke 3:38)…”



“Even though Adam was created innocent, by an act of free will he fell into imperfect practices which God allowed so as to not violate the freedom which alone makes it possible for men and angels to choose to love Him.” ~ Essential Christianity by Walter Martin page 17

Many so called “Discernment” ministry people have argued with me… one in particular states I am a “semi-pelagian” (Hi Ken Silva) Yet, it is Ken who claims to have been “mentored” by Walter Martin… this same Walter Martin from whom most likely I first heard this teaching from… (Oh and Ken Silva’s definition of mentoring is that he has listened to Walter Martin tapes… he never met the man so if that is the case, I listened to him live for many years as well as listened to tapes and read his books… so I am also “mentored” as Ken Silva… so have all the same credentials or lack of that he does)

So, as I read this, I find it sad that Ken Silva uses the name of Walter Martin to legitimize himself, yet never met the man… then attacks others for the very thing Walter Martin taught! It is as if Ken Silva is the Anti-Walter Martin.

Walter Martin for all his flaws was a great man in my view. He taught me much… such as not attacking the person but addressing their doctrine when you are trying to lead them to Christ. Ken seemed to miss that point I guess… The point here is that I have addressed Ken Silva’s doctrine… and even now am. He is a brother in Christ… though I see him as very confused. Unlike his words to me, I consider him saved if he claims Jesus. I think his actions and words dishonor Walter Martin greatly and that Ken Silva may need to bone up on Walter Martin as it seems to Ken Silva, Walter Martin was a semi pelagian heretic as he believed and taught many of the same things I do.

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TO SCATTER FLOWERS

To Scatter Flowers

O Jesus! O my Love! each eve I come to fling

My springtide roses sweet before Thy Cross divine;

By their plucked petals fair, my hands so gladly bring,

I long to dry Thine every tear!

To scatter flowers!—that means each sacrifice:

My lightest sighs and pains, my heaviest, saddest hours,

My hopes, my joys, my prayers—I will not count the price—

Behold my flowers!

With deep untold delight Thy beauty fills my soul,

Would I might light this love in hearts of all who live!

For this, my fairest flowers, all things in my control,

How fondly, gladly would I give!

To scatter flowers!—behold my chosen sword

For saving sinners’ souls and filling Heaven’s bowers:

The victory is mine—yea, I disarm Thee, Lord,

With these my flowers!

The petals in their flight caress Thy Holy Face;

They tell Thee that my heart is Thine, and Thine alone.

Thou knowest what these leaves are saying in my place:

On me Thou smilest from Thy Throne.

To scatter flowers!—that means, to speak of Thee—

My only pleasure here, where tears fill all the hours;

But soon, with Angel Hosts, my spirit shall be free

To scatter flowers.

June 28, 1896.

________________________________________

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/therese/autobio.xxxii.iv.html

From: ST. THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX

THE STORY OF A SOUL (L’HISTOIRE D’UNE ÂME):
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ST. THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX

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November 17th World Prayer for Uganda

I recieved this on Facebook.com and thought I would pass it along.

Hello Everyone,

Thank you all for continuing to spread the message that regardless of one’s theological belief system, this legislation is wrong. Dr. Warren Throckmorton and I (Andrew Marin – author of Love is an Orientation) are assembling a day of prayer.

Dr. Throckmorton and I know that there are many of you in this group who are not religious, and we are not asking you to do something you are not comfortable with. But for those who do have a faith tradition we ask that on Tuesday November 17th, you take at least 30 minutes to pray for the following:

1. That this legislation be thrown out

2. For protection and peace for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters living in this oppression in Uganda and around the world

3. That the Ugandan Church realize this legislation is not morally or Scripturally correct – as there has been disturbing news recently coming from some of my contacts in Uganda and Parliment that the Ugandan Church is starting to make official statements in favor of this bill. I will be posting those as soon as they are official.

The world will feel this impact! I know that on the evening of November 17th I have a large group gathering in Chicago that will be focusing our time in prayer for the aformentioned three requests. This Facebook group has members located all over the world, and we have a unique opportunity to gather throughout the globe to lift these injustices to our Creator to make a divine impact. If your belief urges you to do so, please join us in this day of prayer. Thank you.

Much love,

Andrew Marin

Dr. Warren Throckmorton

Related post

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Do You Love Gay People? – A Love Issue

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The comments are really revealing as to how blind and hateful some really are. Sadly many do not even realize how hateful their words are… when someone states:

We should love people the way God loves them; with truth, and pure love. There is gay people outthere who would be willing to change their lives and accept Jesus as their personal Savior. We as christians, cannot decide who will accept Jesus or who won’t. Our duty is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our own testimony, and with Love. I have known gay people who repented and now are living a normal life (according to God’s purpose). Believe me, God can still change people’s lives. Let’s pray for all those beautiful people (including gay people) who need Jesus as their personal Savior. Amen.

Sadly this is one of the more “loving” comments posted on the site. Yet, when a gay person hears a Christian say the word “change” they hear us saying they must clean up their lives before they come to Jesus! That is NOT the Gospel… We are saved by Grace, straight or gay.

The hate just keeps on coming proving the video over and over again as right on, yet as you can see they are blind to their own hate. It is time to stop hating and start loving… Will you take a stand for Unconditional Love?

New Constitutional Amendment

Proposed 28th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States:

“Congress shall make no law that applies to any citizen of the United States that does not apply equally to all U.S. Senators and Representatives and Congress shall make no law that applies to any U.S. Senator or Representative that does not apply equally to all citizens of the United States. All existing laws and regulations that do not meet these criteria are herewith null and void.”

 Not sure who started this but I like it. Feel free to pass it along.

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…"Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” Matthew 26:40

…”Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” Matthew26:40

Lately I have had some people state I seem to only focus on what is wrong with the Church but seem to not offer any solutions. I somewhat took some offense to this at first, but then realized it was an honest opinion. I have written much as far as answers to issues and ways to look at how we current do things like evangelism or church… yet I think one of the core things we as the Body of Christ need to grasp is the importance and even urgency of prayer.

So many times I am approached by someone who asks me, (of all people) how one can go through tough times and stay hopeful and faithful. Honestly, I often fail that test myself, yet at times I am able to rise above fear and circumstances when others cannot. I do not mean this as bragging as I owe so much to one thing… Prayer.

When I pray, I am faced with myself. It is often like I am looking in a mirror and seeing who I was, who I am and yet who I will be in Christ when He is finished with me. Of course I do not see clearly who I will be, when Jesus is finished with me. In fact I wonder if Jesus will ever finish with me or if I will be an ongoing hobby in all eternity.

In this mirror though I see flashes of my past that humble me yet give me great hope as I see how far I have come from where I was, and yet also see how much more I need to learn. I also see where I am and at times, Lord willing, I see where I am going and who I will be. Again, there is not single technique… in fact most often the one rule is to pray as simply and honestly as I can.

I was given the gift of tongues early in my walk. For years it was something I struggled with… not in believing it of doing it, but in how it fit into my life in a practical way. I know many do not believe in this gift, yet I cannot deny what God has done in my life, so if you do not believe bear with me a bit out of Grace.

Tongues to me are like a spiritual laxative. I know that sounds a bit too earthy for some, but that is what I found. At times I am so blocked mentally and spiritually I just have not clue how to pray. I will try words, yet they fail me. Often I used to just give up… Yet, I found this wonderful gift will kick in and I will have the Holy Spirit pray in and through me. As I pray, I do most often begin to have a clear idea as to how I am to pray. I may not always be given understanding to the words I spoke, yet also sometimes this weird language will begin to blend and become English and I gain full comprehension of what I was saying. Yet, in the end, it is out of this I gain a heart of worship and praise… I then am brought to a sense of pure humility as to the greatness of God’s Grace.

Now sometimes when I pray nothing great or awesome happens… sometimes it feels like going through the motions. Maybe I am. I do know that even in those times God gives me focus. I can’t recall the movie, yet the scene is that of a Jewish man on a bicycle. He is heading down a hill on and realizes he has no breaks. He begins to pray, “GOD BE WITH ME NOW!” Often that is my simple prayer… yet I found anther way also. I now pray not that God blesses me as I go about my day, but that I am part of what God has already blessed! Think about that. Often we want God to trail behind us as if He had nothing better to do. Then when we need Him, we are like the man on the bicycle… We expect God to be there when we need Him. Now He is, yet, I found in this simple portion of a verse a powerful truth. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” (Matt 26:40) We are to watch with God as He blesses us. Jesus was praying for strength to do His Father’s will at this time. He needed those who would later be the pillars of the Church to watch with Him. To pray WITH Him. In other words be a part of what Jesus was doing. In stead we tend to do as the disciples and do what we want believing God will bless us…even as we fall asleep when God needs us most. We tend to make things all about us… we create a self centered world and still want to be our own god… and want God to bless us as we do this!

Now I am not trying to condemn anyone. We are all on this journey of faith together. But I challenge you to start praying this way. I believe you will find a new power not only in your prayers but in your daily life you never had before. It is learning to turn prayer from a self centered practice to a way of seeing outside ourselves and into what God is doing. In this God will still bring you to the mirror, yet now it is not about keeping the focus on you, but on you in Christ and Christ in you… and together doing the work of the Father you were created to do.

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