Newslinks 06/06/08

June 6, 2008 at 3:24 pm | Posted in Newslinks | Leave a comment
Tags: 06/06/08, abortion, anarchy, ateasetees, Bible classes, Chinese house churches, Christian, church, evangelism, gay marriage, God, Habitat for Humanity, hate crime, homeschooling, Jesus, Kathleen Sebelius, Newslinks, Obama, Tennessee, Tiller

Friday’s Newslinks brought to you by At Ease Tees

 

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=126426

KS governor’s fete honors abortionist

 

The pro-life group Operation Rescue says that it is almost impossible to get anyone in Kansas to bring criminal charges against abortionist George Tiller because he has an important ally – Governor Kathleen Sebelius. While calls have increased for charges to be brought against Tiller, the governor threw a secret party for Tiller and his staff. Operation Rescue has tried to gain information on who paid for the party under the Kansas Open Records Act. They have been given very little in the way of information. They say that the taxpayers have a right to know whether or not they paid for the party. They also say that it’s become more obvious why criminal charges haven’t been brought against Tiller. Not only that, according to OR, the groups that could bring charges against Tiller are filled with appointees of the governor.

 

As upset as I would be to find out that my money was going to fund things like parties for an abortionist, I can’t say that I’m surprised. Like many corporations, most of those in the government follow the money. The Kansas governor received a lot of funding from Tiller. Should we be surprised if she helps Tiller when he gave her a lot of money? Tiller is an abortionist. He kills children! Why would the government advocate the killing of children and allow this? Because they’re not believers…

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http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=126478

Countdown to Calif. confusion continues

 

As the day draws near, the confusion grows concerning “homosexual marriage” and its legality. The California Supreme court recently made “homosexual marriage” legal in the state. The bill is supposed to take effect June 14^th even though appeals have been made to get the court to delay the ruling. The court has denied delaying the approval. Many in opposition have expressed concern for the fact that if the ban that will be on the November ballot (see below) passes, they will end up revoking all those licenses. In the state of California, for an amendment to get on the ballot, it needs 694,000 signatures. The “gay marriage” ban has received 1.1 million signatures.

 

This country’s judicial, legal, and legislative institutions need a severe overhaul. We have judges legislating their own values from the bench instead of those held by the majority of Americans. We have congressmen and women going to jail for improper conduct. We have governors and senators involved in improper relationships outside of marriage and other despicable acts. These are the people that are supposed to be leading our country! Is it any wonder why our country is where it currently is? Is it any wonder why our nation continues to turn its back on God to pursue its own perverted lusts? And while I want to blame the leaders of our country, the blame isn’t totally theirs. It’s ours too! WE VOTED THEM INTO OFFICE! If someone is in office and they are acting in a way that goes against our desires, then we have the say as to whether or not they stay in office! We need leaders that are going to put our nation and the American people above themselves. We need people that truly care about our country and its people. I pray that the ban passes and this issue gets decided by the people of California…

 

Related Articles:

 

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080603/32641.htm

Gay ‘Marriage’ Ban Qualifies for California Ballot

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http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080530/32594.htm

Presbyterians Divided on Gay Ordination Ahead of Major Meeting

 

The Presbyterian Church is split on whether or not to ordain homosexual clergy. They will have a meeting this month where the issue is expected to be debated again. Those opposed to the ban have varied ideas on what should be done with the ban. Some want it completely removed from the constitution and other want to “soften the language” of the ban. Currently, the constitution says that to be ordained, a person requires “fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman” or “chastity in singleness”. The Presbyterian Church is not the only one that is having trouble dealing with homosexuality. The Methodist Church has also dealt with this issue when they affirmed their ban on homosexual pastors and declared that homosexual pastors are “incompatible with Christian teaching”.

 

I am still at a loss as to why this is an issue in the church. There is nothing in scripture that shows any “wiggle room” to allow homosexuals to be pastors. To be honest, scripture makes it clear that homosexuals are in rebellion to God and therefore can’t be considered Christians. For the church to waffle on this issue shows a lack of understanding of the scriptures, the character of God, and the purpose of the church. The PC(USA) and other churches need to make it clear where the scriptures stand on the issue and then enforce it!

 

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http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080601/32621.htm

Obama Quits Chicago Church Steeped in Controversy

 

Barack Obama recently resigned “with some sadness” from the church he had been going to for the last 20 years. Obama said in his resignation letter, released by campaign officials on Friday, that “he’s not denouncing the church” and that “he’s not interested in the people that want him to denounce the church”. He also said that this was a decision the he and his wife had been discussing since Reverend Jeremiah Wright appeared at the National Press Club in Washington last month. Between the remarks that Wright made and those made by a visiting preacher last week, Obama has been criticized for being a part of the church. Wright was Barack Obama’s spiritual mentor for the 20 years that he was attending the church. Obama said that “this was a pretty personal decision and I was not trying to make political theater out of it”.

 

I saw in another place someone asked an interesting question. Jeremiah Wright was Barack Obama’s spiritual mentor for 20 years. The mentor is no longer a part of his life, but what about the 20 years of teaching? I also had to laugh about one comment Obama made. He said that this decision was “a pretty personal decision and I was not trying to make political theater out of it”. If it was so personal, why did his campaign leaders release the letter to the public? If it wasn’t supposed to have anything to do with politics or improving his image to the public, then why was it released? It just seems awful fishy to me… I also have to ask why he didn’t denounce the church? If they are teaching falsely, why shouldn’t he denounce the church? If they are being controversial and saying things from the pulpit that Christians shouldn’t be saying, why wouldn’t he denounce the church? Also, why wouldn’t he want to be involved with the people that expect him to denounce the church? Is it because they’re the same people that are against abortion and homosexuality? Is it because they are solid in their beliefs and understanding of scripture and would have to disagree with Obama himself? I can only hope that those Christians who support Obama will pay attention to what he’s saying and whether or not it lines up with the scriptures…

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http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080602/32625.htm

China Crackdown Hits House Churches Hard

 

China Aid Association says that house churches have been hit hard with a wave of arrests and detentions. House churches have been disbanded and two people have even been arrested as “separatists”. The government has even put up signs saying that local citizens should report “evil cult activity”, which includes house churches. A Bible school was closed on May 13^th and two days later, the Public Security Bureau broke up a prayer meeting being held for the earthquake victims and the Olympics. The government also turned away or arrested house church members who volunteered to help the victims of the earthquake.

 

This is sad. All that the Christians in China want is to be able to worship God freely. To turn away help from volunteers when your country has just suffered a HUGE tragedy and need all the help that they can get, it’s ludicrous. Do the Christians have “cooties”? Why would you turn away the help? Christianity is “evil cult activity”? Are they that afraid of Christianity? It’s sad to see this kind of thing happening in China. I can’t help but wonder if this is where America is headed…

 

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http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08060212.html

UK Officer Tells Preachers: Converting Muslims to Christianity is “Hate Crime”

 

Two Christian preachers were threatened with arrest for preaching the gospel to Muslims. The threats came from a Muslim community support officer who heard the preaching. The officer said that the preaching of the gospel in the Muslim area was equal to a “hate crime”. After the threatening, the officer and a few others called in for help said that the preachers couldn’t count on the police for help if they found themselves in trouble. The pastors expressed their outrage at the lack of support from the police, who refused to apologize for the actions of the officer. They said that they were surprised that the police were so “nonchalant”, considering that Britain is a free country and what the pastors were doing was perfectly legal. To the pastors, this is an example of the “no go” areas that have been said to exist even though they have been denied by the government. The pastors have initiated a legal action against the West Midlands Police, saying their treatment violated articles 9 and 10 of the 1998 Human Rights Act, which guarantees freedom of religious expression.

 

I am truly saddened by the decay that Britain has seen in its Christian culture. I know that things are not altogether gone yet, but it seems to be heading that way. The preaching of the gospel is always going to offend those who don’t believe (as well as those who do at times), it is a freedom given to Americans and others and should be upheld, regardless of what the police think. The police are public servants and need to be serving the public regardless of whether or not they agree with the public. They are to uphold the law, and not to enforce their own beliefs. This is seen in America as well, but I pray that it will change.

 

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http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080603/32655.htm

Tenn. ‘Bible in Schools’ Act Awaits Approval

 

A bill that has passed easily through the Tennessee legislature is currently awaiting signature by the state’s governor. If signed by the governor, the bill would allow Tennessee public school students to have the option to take non-denominational classes on the Bible. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Roy Herron, says that he wants “students to study the greatest and most popular book in history” and “to understand how the Bible has enormously impacted literature, art, music, culture, history and politics”. He also said that he believes “a Bible course will help students understand our culture and our highest and best values”. The bill wouldn’t force schools to teach Bible classes, but it would protect those who do and allow those who don’t to have the option to. 78 of Tennessee’s 95 counties offer Bible courses and that 35 states offer the option of enrolling in elective Bible classes.

 

I hope that this is a growing trend and that it ends up being true in all 50 states. I think that it is necessary for our kids to understand that evolution is not the concrete theory that it’s made out to be and that there are many problems with it even from a scientific standpoint. When you bring scripture into it, it is clear that evolution and Christianity don’t jive. Unless you were to take scripture and “adjust” it to fit evolutionary ideas, it just can’t work. I think that it is wonderful that Tennessee’s students have the option to take classes that actually spread truth of the gospel.

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http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=129886

Home schooling labeled ‘anarchy’

 

 

The California Teachers Association has filed a brief in the courts that says that parents should have no right over the education of their kids, should have no right to homeschool their kids, and that homeschooled kids should be forced back into public schools. The union said that allowing kids to be homeschooled by uncredentialed teachers could result in “educational anarchy”. Those in support of homeschooling say that there are over 200,000 kids being homeschooled in California and that they are continually scoring higher than public school kids as well as kids from traditional private schools.

 

This is a thinly veiled argument for the schools. If I had to guess, this is a tired attempt by the public schools to get money. Because homeschooling is growing, and because the students are doing better than public schools, and because the public schools are having so much trouble with the kids, the public schools have to try and force the state government to force the parents’ hands. The only alternative would be to overhaul the public school system and that’s not going to happen because it would mean that they have to admit they’re wrong. It’s not just California that is seeing problems in public school. Even here in rural Alabama, our schools are seeing troubles. Teachers are being laid off, testing scores are not good, and no one wants to do anything to change it. I’m praise God everyday for my daughter’s mom homeschooling her. It is the most wonderful thing that she could do for our daughter and it has had an amazing effect on her. I would recommend it to anyone who is considering it, as long as you are prepared to pour yourself into your children and work really hard. It’s definitely worth it!

 

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http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200806/CUL20080605a.html

Habitat for Humanity Ends Land Deal With Planned Parenthood

 

This is just an update on the article that I posted last week. Habitat for Humanity of Sarasota has decided to end the land deal with Planned Parenthood.

 

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