http://www.politicollision.com Working to Restore the Constitutional Republic Sat, 18 May 2013 18:28:03 EDT en http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=-mormon-leaders-landmark-speeches-on-religious-freedom
Yet, it was during this time that church leaders emphatically taught the importance of religious tolerance and liberation. Joseph Smith, the first president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often taught of such acceptance.

Recorded in "The History of the Church," Joseph Smith explained to the early members of the church just how deeply he felt about religious liberty:

"If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing before Heaven to die for a 'Mormon,' I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbytarian (sic), a Baptist or a good man of any other denomination."

When composing a letter with the basic beliefs of the LDS Church — and what would later become known as the "Articles of Faith" — Joseph Smith wrote, "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where or what they may."

While the LDS Church has since become a global and widely respected faith, leaders continue to discuss the importance and necessity of religious freedom. ]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 18:28:03 EDT Pernicious Religion & Faith 13 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=-mormon-leaders-landmark-speeches-on-religious-freedom http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=how-mothers-raise-their-boys-to-do-evil-zubeidat-tsarnaeva-is-all-too-typical-of-a-muslim-world-where-children-drink-in-conspiracy-theories-with-mamas-milk- Sat, 18 May 2013 16:03:09 EDT danielT Religion & Faith 11 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=how-mothers-raise-their-boys-to-do-evil-zubeidat-tsarnaeva-is-all-too-typical-of-a-muslim-world-where-children-drink-in-conspiracy-theories-with-mamas-milk- http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=-who-is-the-most-incredible-christian-ever
Call me crazy, but I vote for the guy who holds birdbaths up in people’s gardens—St Francis of Assisi.

I knew zero about St Francis until I went through a spiritual crisis a few years ago. I was burnt out on ministry, disillusioned with church, fed up with evangelical subculture, and tired of not being able to voice my spiritual doubts and questions without being labeled a ‘backslider.’

At the height of my faith meltdown a friend invited me to visit him at his home in Bermuda to pray about whether to remain in ministry or not. While packing I saw an unread copy of G.K. Chesterton’s St Francis of Assisi on my bookshelf, and without thinking I threw it in my bag.

Over the course of the next week, I devoured it three times.

It was a game changer.
]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 01:45:18 EDT psygremlin Religion & Faith 11 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=-who-is-the-most-incredible-christian-ever http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=linking-with-bgea-to-spread-gospel
Across the United States and around the world in countries like Croatia, New Zealand, Kuwait and the Congo, web administrators are posting links to PeaceWithGod.net on their church websites, blogs and business pages. PeaceWithGod.net presents the Gospel in a simple way and gives visitors the chance to ask questions, indicate commitments to Christ and receive follow-up discipleship materials. More than 12 million people worldwide have visited PeaceWithGod.net, part of BGEA's Search for Jesus ministry, since it launched in 2011. ]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 01:16:42 EDT 4Christ Religion & Faith 9 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=linking-with-bgea-to-spread-gospel http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=why-are-jews-so-afraid-of-evangelical-christians
Shalom,
V

Dear V:

I am with you. I wish Jews were more secure with (and knowledgeable about) Judaism. That is the antidote to proselytizing -- more about that in a moment.

Before that though, I'd like to address your other two points which really are two different issues. Your question about the city putting a Christian symbol of a fish in their flag or emblem is not a matter of Jewish paranoia. Members of other religions fight this sort of thing too because it is a violation of the U.S. Constitution. Unlike Israel -- "the Jewish State" where Judaism is the official religion -- America is built on the concept of the separation of church and state. No religious symbol is appropriate on any government institution, place or symbol, as the Supreme Court has affirmed.

As to your other point about Jews singling out Evangelical Christians, I don't think this is true. Jewish community leadership in my view, is opposed to any religion, including the ones you cite, when they attempt to convert Jews. There are two main reasons. There is a theological argument that Judaism brings something unique to the world. There is also a practical argument: we are not a billion strong! With just a few million of us we cannot afford to lose Jews.

Now, if you are referring to just learning and being influenced from other religions, that is another matter, that I endorse, regardless of the religion. Your Shabbat dinner is good example. I too enjoy this kind of interaction with Christians (and others) and recognize that not all Christians want to convert me.

However, there are many Christians who have a goal of actively seeking converts. One of the main objectives of these Christians is to bring the Gospels of Jesus to the world. If you'll pardon the term, in their theology, this is a great "mitzvah." They believe they are saving the world and the souls of those they convert.

Further, some of these Christians specifically, proactively and very publicly target Jews for conversion. This is an affront to many Jews and does raise the ire of Jewish leadership. Not only does this send a message that Judaism is defective, but the effort brings up the traumatic memory of Jewish/Christian history that continues to cause pain and fear. The most obvious example is the Inquisition and there are many others. Further, many point to Christian (i.e., church taught) anti-Semitism as one of the foundations on which the Holocaust was built. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 20:23:03 EDT psygremlin Religion & Faith 11 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=why-are-jews-so-afraid-of-evangelical-christians http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=israels-messianic-jews-celebrate-shavuot
Shavuot is one of Israel's most revered biblical holidays, as it commemorates, among other things, the giving of God's Word at Mt. Sinai. The holiday has entered the Christian calendar as Pentecost, the day of the outpouring of God's spirit on the local body of Yeshua's followers in Jerusalem. So, for Israeli believers, Shavuot is doubly important.

As with every year, hundreds of Messianic Jews and Christians living in Israel made their way to Yad Hashmonah for the festive event. Among those addressing the gathering was a Ugandan pastor who two years ago had acid poured over his head by an angry Muslim gang. He is currently living in Israel to undergo treatment in Tel Aviv.

The African visitor said he was raised a Muslim who hated the Jewish state, but after finding the Bible realized that every passage made clear that the God of Israel is the one and only true God. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 18:16:47 EDT 4Christ Religion & Faith 12 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=israels-messianic-jews-celebrate-shavuot http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=has-the-western-world-lost-god
It's long been accepted that the breakdown of the family is a result of the West losing its religion.

But Eberstadt says the opposite is true. She believes that the loss of family values is what led to the loss of faith. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 02:35:42 EDT 4Christ Religion & Faith 13 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=has-the-western-world-lost-god http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=loonwatch-fraud-walid-shoebat
Now there is a website documenting the fraud Shoebat is perpetrating: www.walid-shoebat.com. Please follow the site, favorite it and share with your networks. ]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 19:56:44 EDT psygremlin Religion & Faith 12 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=loonwatch-fraud-walid-shoebat http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=praying-for-the-persecutors
Let’s remember that God had an amazing plan for Saul, one of the worst persecutors of the early church. And although some describe it as the hardest commandment to keep, Jesus was absolutely firm on the importance of loving our enemies, and blessing those who persecute us.

This week please:
Pray for Than Shwe,the leader of the military junta in Burma,
Pray for Boko Haram, an Islamic extremist militant group in Nigeria,
Pray for China’s leaders,
Meditate and pray about Matthew 5, particularly verses 43-48.

A Reflection from CSW's Mervyn Thomas
In the last issue of Response I talked about what could be the hardest commandment in the Bible: to love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). It’s one of the most difficult, but also one of the most powerful prayers we can pray.

I want to encourage you to recommit yourself to praying for the persecutors. When a CSW staff member visited Turkey in 2010, she met a lady who had just fled Iran in awful circumstances because of her faith. With painful memories still fresh in her mind, the woman gently but firmly told my colleague, “I cannot pray for those responsible.” We need to stand in that gap for them – praying for the persecutors of those whose emotional wounds are too fresh to forgive.

You can start doing that today using the persecutors’ prayer. Use it in your church, prayer and Bible study group. We all need to play our part in these prayers. May God continue to bless you throughout 2013.
Mervyn

Persecutors’ Prayer
Lord when I can’t bring myself to pray for my enemies,
Remind me of the grace you showed me.
When I struggle to forgive those who persecute others,
Be there to give me grace.
As I try to follow the example of Christ in suffering,
Show me what it means to live in your grace.
Your grace is sufficient, now and forever.
Amen ]]> Sun, 12 May 2013 02:53:17 EDT 4Christ Religion & Faith 9 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=praying-for-the-persecutors http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=perhaps-your-church-needs-rocked- Sat, 11 May 2013 22:27:14 EDT danielT Religion & Faith 10 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=perhaps-your-church-needs-rocked- http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=how-can-i-understand-the-book-of-revelation Sat, 11 May 2013 21:42:15 EDT 4Christ Religion & Faith 10 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=how-can-i-understand-the-book-of-revelation http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=-crucified-again-the-new-islamic-war-on-christians
In Egypt, security forces recently launched an unprecedented assault on Cairo's St. Mark's Cathedral.

Last March in Pakistan, an angry Muslim mob forced 170 Christian families from their homes after a Christian was accused of blasphemy.

Meanwhile in Iran, American house church pastor Saeed Abedini is suffering internal bleeding from the beatings and torture he's endured in Tehran's notoriously brutal Evin Prison.

And in Iraq, Islamic extremists say their goal is to drive all Christians out of the country.

In his new book, Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War on Christians, author Raymond Ibrahim suggests that in the aftermath of the Arab Spring the world is facing a growing human rights crisis, with Christians being the primary targets.

"I wrote the book to fill the vacuum, since the mainstream media and others-such as the Obama administration have, to varying degrees, decided to ignore or whitewash this otherwise growing epidemic of human pain and suffering," Ibrahim told the Inquisitr. ]]> Sat, 11 May 2013 02:15:25 EDT 4Christ Religion & Faith 7 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=-crucified-again-the-new-islamic-war-on-christians http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=how-to-watch-tv-without-compromising-your-values
In the 50’s we had “Ozzie and Harriet.” After that came “The Brady Bunch” and “The Waltons” and “Little House on the Prairie.” Even as recently as the ‘90’s we had “The Cosby Show,” “Full House” and "Home Improvement."

Today, we have “Family Guy” and “Two and a half Men.” Even good shows like "NCIS" and "The Mentalist" have foul language from time to time that we could do without.

Christians in America are faced with a constant struggle: How to be in this world without being of this world. And that struggle is rarely clearer than when it comes to television...

On one hand, we want to stay current, we want to be well-informed citizens, and sometimes we even want to be entertained.

On the other hand, every time we turn on the TV, we are at risk of compromising our values and even teaching our children to do the same.

Here are a few things you can do to keep offensive content at bay: ]]> Sat, 11 May 2013 01:27:09 EDT 4Christ Religion & Faith 6 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=how-to-watch-tv-without-compromising-your-values http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=evangelicals-for-hamas
The group is touring to muster support to alleviate “Christian Persecution,” or so they claim.

The organization’s motto is “non-violent resistance against the Israeli Zionist occupation.” “Zionism is the obstacle to peace,” they write, and they want to “educate evangelical Christians” to “understand the Bible from a Palestinian Christian perspective,” which openly supports a “divided state” as the solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The main dynamo and sponsoring agent of these tours is Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem, Israel. Its Second International Conference was led by a Palestinian family, the Awads, including Sami Awad, Bishara Awad and Alex Awad. Claiming to be evangelical Baptists, the Awads were able to muster some influential figures. Several American evangelicals they recruited had taken action to bring them into American churches.

But what many in the West do not know is that this group has nothing to do with being Baptists, nor are involved in any way shape or form with Christian persecution. There is no mention whatsoever by this group of any persecution by Islamists against Christians in the Middle East. The persecution against Christians, they say, emanates from the Jewish presence in all of biblical Judea, Jews they claim confiscated Arab lands. ]]> Sat, 11 May 2013 00:22:13 EDT Pernicious Religion & Faith 12 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=evangelicals-for-hamas http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=world-news-briefing Sat, 11 May 2013 00:17:52 EDT 4Christ Religion & Faith 5 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=world-news-briefing http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=don%E2%80%99t-let-eric-barger-rock-your-church
At the appointed time, the pastor discovers this is really a test — with an agenda. Questions that did not originate with the questioner start to flow.

Questions like: “Do you believe in a literal hell, yes or no?” “Is that a Brian McLaren book on your shelf?”

Recently, a long-term, effective pastor told me that his North Carolina congregation experienced two years of turmoil resulting from this kind of encounter. And the whole disruptive action was carried out by a foot soldier (and other recruits) of Eric Barger of “Take a Stand! Ministries” who is on a mission to straighten out all churches he deems errant.

Barger, based in Rowlett, Texas, proudly claims that his “ministry” exists to “see the church changed.”

He instructs his followers to look for the signs of “emergent” influence or liberalism in churches and to “conduct spiritual warfare” — by asking these kinds of questions, confronting leadership, warning other members of the dangers, and if all else fails, by fleeing! The problem, of course, is that those who import such trouble don’t flee soon enough.

Barger fits the typical profile of such aggressive, religious know-it-alls. He lived a hellish life of drugs and self-absorption for which he has found divine forgiveness — but loves to post photos and give full descriptions of such glorified experiences including his drug use and sexual exploits. ]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 03:06:23 EDT Pernicious Religion & Faith 15 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=don%E2%80%99t-let-eric-barger-rock-your-church http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=3-reasons-your-life-can-be-a-comedy
Since I was out of town for the weekend my wife and I both wrote up our versions and emailed them to him separately. He enjoyed reading of our first meeting. ]]> Thu, 09 May 2013 23:53:13 EDT gbudavid Religion & Faith 14 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=3-reasons-your-life-can-be-a-comedy http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=reporter-covering-gosnell-murder-trial-changes-his-mind-on-abortion Thu, 09 May 2013 06:57:47 EDT 12th_Man Religion & Faith 14 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=reporter-covering-gosnell-murder-trial-changes-his-mind-on-abortion http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=what-to-do-if-eric-barger-is-in-your-church
* Prayer (conduct Spiritual Warfare!)

* Dialog (ask questions)

* Confront (Matthew 18)

* Warn Others!

Finally, we recommend NO eye contact!

Discernmentalist: An expert discerner who knows all, is able to read minds, re-interpret quotes, and misinterpret quotes biblically. Typically involved in the “special ops” of discernment, and has the right to mislead the public when defending the truth or orthodoxy against the unrighteous (ie almost everyone). ]]> Thu, 09 May 2013 03:29:23 EDT Pernicious Religion & Faith 10 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=what-to-do-if-eric-barger-is-in-your-church http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=resurrecting-sodom Thu, 09 May 2013 02:04:24 EDT Temlakos Religion & Faith 14 http://www.politicollision.com/story.php?title=resurrecting-sodom