christians

Obama is the Anti-Christ! Obama Hates Babies!! Obama Eats Abortions for Breakfast!!! 

I’ve been hearing a lot of rhetoric about the Obama abortion agenda and as with most rhetoric, it’s half baked. I’m not claiming any support for Obama or the U.S. abortion funding policy, but I do think we, as Christians, should at least have our stories straight (with is often times a rarity). 

Steven Waldman and David Gibson list a bunch of data from a group called Third Way that attempts to prove that lifting the so-called gag rule, which would allow U.S. dollars to go to clinics in developing countries that perform abortions (among a range of health care services), would actually reduce the number of abortions. The data makes a fascinating and complex argument…

A few points to keep in mind:

One, reversing Mexico City will not mean U.S. taxpayers are funding abortions overseas. That remains against the law under the 1973 Helms Amendment. What can happen now is that U.S. money can go to groups that support health clinics, largely in the underdeveloped world, where abortion could be among their services, or they could provide information about abortion or a referral for an abortion.

Two, some might say that is a distinction without a difference, but the key distinction is that in the poorest regions of the world where health care is scarce, if it exists at all, there are no other options. A clinic will do everything, or it will do nothing at all. Especially as regards women’s health, one of the least-addressed problems in poor nations, clinics provide contraceptive and “birth spacing” advice, maternal care when women are pregnant, and deliver babies when they are due. They also treat infants and young children, many of whom would perish otherwise. And some perform abortions or tell women where they can go to get one, although that can be a life-threatening procedure not only for the fetus.

Three, so the well-documented upshot is that the Mexico City policy, when in effect, has cut off a lifeline to untold numbers of health clinics that are the sole outlet for millions of poor people–and has resulted in terrible sufferings for women and children, increased numbers of preganancies, and a greater number of abortions. A fact sheet from Third Way, which is associated with progressive religious groups like Faith in Public Life, has many of the numbers. 

[David Gibson - BeliefNet.com]

Now, I’m not saying that I support abortion or the Mexico City repeal, but I want to say that this argument/discussion is more complicated that we realize. It’s hard to argue black and white when the waters are muddy. There are so many wrongs on both sides of this argument. 

If we, as Christians, are going to condemn and judge something or someone, let’s at least have the facts straight. Then we can wear the Pharisee hat and pick up the bullhorn in good conscience.  Otherwise, follow Jesus, walk with grace, love others, pray and keep our mouths shut.  

Any thoughts?

Ahhh, the Chri$tma$ $ea$on is in full swing and I’m so, so excited – because it’s all about Jesus, right?!?

I know we [Christians] are supposed to be mad because everyone is calling it the politically correct “Holiday Season,” but Jesus hasn’t been a part of Christmas in this country for a long, long time. Let’s embrace the trend and not call it Christmas. I vote that we rename it MEmas. That’s way more appropriate anyway. Did Jesus come to this earth for tree shaped cookies and Santa? We’ve lost the point.

With this dosage of holiday cheer, I bring you a new word that applies to this season (from Daniel Schultz).

Faithiness – (n) 1. Act or quality of valuing appearance of faith more than actual faith.

2. Massive oversimplification of religious belief, theology, etc., in order to create bland, inoffensive or superficial faith.

[definition slightly edited]

If you don’t already have iTunes you really should get it (and it’s free). There are so many speakers, pastors, and churches that podcast their services and are available for download weekly. It’s great for daily commutes or popping in your iPod. Just listen and go.

One I’m currently enjoying is Mars Hill Bible Church’s (Rob Bell) current series on God is Green. The thing I love about Rob Bell is that he’s not into himself. They’ve had so many different speakers come in and fill the pulpit week after week. His heart is getting the message out there, no matter who needs to speak it.

This series has really challenged my views on the environment. I had always prided myself on being pretty ecologically good, but I realize,  we have a ways to go as a family.

I also love the fact that they’re emphasizing that as Christians we should be green. The Bible calls us to do that. It amazes me that this is one area we’ve sorely dropped the ball in. It’s gotten politicized so much that the environment has been left on party lines. I mean, Jesus is of course a Republican and Republicans could care less about the environment, so I should be like Jesus and not care about the environment either. Isn’t that the rationale?

You can either download them via iTunes directly or go to the Mars Hill website here. They’re free, they’re good and they’re worth your time.

For the first time since Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, a distributor will be courting the church-going audience with the release of Universal‘s $200-million Evan Almighty — reportedly the most costly comedy ever made — this weekend. Today’s (Wednesday) Los Angeles Times observed that in recent years, studios have avoided making films with content aimed at the faithful. (Gibson’s Passion was self-financed; Disney‘s The Chronicles of Narnia played down the religious themes, although the studio heavily marketed the film to churchgoers.) However, the Times observed, “If Evan Almighty turns into a summer hit, as several competing studio executives predict, the movie could put Hollywood back in the business of making big-budget movies that intentionally embrace sacred subjects.” According to the newspaper, Universal has partnered with Grace Hill Media, the marketing firm that several studios are using to bring the film to the attention of the country’s estimated 200,000 churches. It has conservatively estimated that the movie will earn $40 million on opening weekend. IMDB

This whole thing just doesn’t settle well with me (yes, I’ve said it before). Hollywood marketing towards churches? I don’t think anything good can come from this. The only thing they want is money. They’re trying to find the best way to get the biggest audience. This is not a Christian film. This is a big budget Hollywood film. It’s made to make money. I just find it interesting that churches are so willing to be marketed to. What does this have to do with the Great Commission or the Gospel?So a big fat “thank you” is in order to Grace Hill Media. Thank you for caring so much about our money. Their slogan is “a window to the religous community.” We just let ourselves be suckered into this and the churches are more than willing to jump aboard.

“Here’s the funniest thing: In trying desperately to reconnect with religious Americans, Hollywood assumes religious Americans are so dumb they’ll laugh at anything,” Michael Booth observes in a review of Evan Almighty in the Denver Post.

The only way you’ll ever get bonafide movies that are good (sorry Bibleman, I’m not talking about you) and of merit are when you finance them yourself. We’ve seen that with Mel Gibson and The Passion. Like it or not, that was a movie with clear personal conviction and beliefs. That’s the only way you’ll get something with a remote amount of integrity. And the reason that Grace Hill Media exists is because there is no integrity left in the country’s “200,000 churches.”

For more on my views on Christian movies check out this post on:

I want more R rated Christian Films

I became aware of this through my friend Kevin Bussey. It’s a testimony from Tony Dungy, the coach of the Indianapolis Colts.  

“Athletes in Action celebrated its 19th Annual Super Bowl Breakfast with Tony Dungy as the first-ever Super Bowl coach to appear in person a day before the most pivotal juncture in his coaching life.”

“Dungy was greeted by multiple standing ovations from the record crowd of 2,500 people clearly appreciative for his many expressions of his faith to the worldwide media in Miami this week in advance of Super Bowl XLI.

“I’m very proud to be the first African American head coach in the Super Bowl along with my friend Lovie Smith,” Dungy said, “but more than that the fact you have two Christian coaches who show you can do things a different way.”                                                                                                                                [BP News]

What an amazing testimony from a godly man. It really took the Super Bowl experience to a different level.

This is in response to a blog I wrote last week about living the Kingdom life. While that is all true, the analogy isn’t complete. So I’m here to add another story.

There is an idea that exists; a grand sweeping idea that lives, moves, and breathes. It has the power to give life and take it. It possesses the hope of something more. Then there is us. We are a people living without a home. We are strangers and aliens in a land foreign to us. Because we don’t belong, the world around us hates us. But we live with the idea buried deep within our hearts. The idea gives us a hope that we have a home somewhere. We know it exists, but only within our hearts. It has the power to change us and those around us; even those that hate us – especially those that hate us!

The idea that I speak of is Christ. He was much, much more than simply a man. He was also a divine being that loved us beyond anything we can comprehend. This idea, this love, is what is meant to fuel us as Christians. But something has been lost.

“The weakness of so many modern Christians is that they feel too much at home in the world. In their effort to achieve restful “adjustment” to unregenerate society they have lost their pilgrim character and become an essential part of the very moral order against which they are sent to protest. The world recognizes them and accepts them for what they are. And this is the saddest thing that can be said about them. They are not lonely, but neither are they saints.”

AW Tozer

We are apart of a Kingdom, yes, but we are pilgrims who are living far from our home. We must not lose our identity and become something we are not. But we are also not called to shrink away and hide. We are called to missional living.

“Jesus comes with saving love for the world. He creates the church as a missional community to join Him in His mission of saving the world. He invites me to be part of the community to experience His saving love and participate in it.”

Brian McLaren

We are meant to live open (Missional) and yet also closed existences (Kingdom). Just as Christ was both man and God, we must remember that we are called to be both Missional (man) and Kingdom (God) minded. At times they may seem to contradict each other, but it is that tension that keeps us in check.

Wikipedia [in describing Missional livng] puts it best, “All believers are missionaries who are sent to be a blessing to the culture around them through a lifestyle that mimics God’s kingdom here on earth.”