Archive for the 'Current Events' Category

Top Ten Religion Stories of 2008

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on December 10, 2008
in Current Events and Religion
. 0 Comments

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Here are Christianity Today’s top ten religious stories of 2008:

  1. Election 2008: Democrats woo evangelical vote, making only slight gains from Bush era.
  2. Voters turn back California Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision.
  3. Christians in Orissa, India, again become scapegoats for Hindu extremists.
  4. Anglican Communion continues to implode in slow motion.
  5. Christians flee Iraq and Gaza.
  6. Candidates’ religious associations come under scrutiny.
  7. Ministries hold their breath as financial crisis threatens the global economy.
  8. Muslim and Christian interfaith dialogues get serious.
  9. Todd Bentley’s Florida Outpouring divides charismatic movement.
  10. Texas authorities raid FLDS ranch.

I liked CT’s list better than TIME’s list, which for some reason included Extraterrestrials May Already be Saved as part of its top ten. You can click here to vote on CT’s top story of the year.

President Bush Receives PEACE Award

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on December 2, 2008
in Current Events and Politics
. 2 Comments

Pastor Rick Warren presented President George W. Bush with the first “International Medal of PEACE” from the Global PEACE Coalition in recognition of his contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases during the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health, held in Washington, D.C. on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1.   World Magazine reports:

Since its inception five years ago, The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has treated more than 2.1 million people living with the virus around the world, which exceeded the administration’s goal. Prior to the president’s HIV/AIDS program, only 50,000 people were receiving antiretroviral treatment for AIDS.

Foes and friends alike of President Bush showered praise on him for PEPFAR, which promotes antiretroviral treatments administered through local clinics and churches around the world, mainly in Africa. Former President Clinton sent his commendation in a letter, while others did so by video, including President-elect Barack Obama, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates, and rock star Bono, an outspoken activist in the fight against AIDS. “You are a hero, sir,” the leader of the band U2 said in his message to the president.

But the president, in a sit-down conversation with Warren, deflected any credit for the program. “I don’t deserve an award,” he said. “The people who made this policy work deserve an award.”

Destiny City - Church on the Moon

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on November 13, 2008
in Church, Current Events and Music
. 2 Comments

From New Zealand: Church wants to set up self-contained city.

The leader of Destiny Church says plans are underway to create a self-contained “Destiny City” for its followers in the middle of South Auckland … Plans for the city include a 5000-seat church, maraes, medical centres and schools - eliminating the need for residents to ever leave. “Every child of every member of this church will never go to a state school again,” Mr Tamaki said. He urged the church’s 7000-plus members to sell their homes and move to his city “for the purpose of God”. (HT: MMI)

Even beyond the obvious financial abuse and manipulation, there is just so much wrong with this picture. As believers we are called not to isolate ourselves from the world but to reach out to the world. We are to be in the world but not of the world. (John 17:14-15). Jesus himself set the example when he left the glories of heaven in order to walk this planet with us.

Listen to this short cut from the following song and then consider:  In what ways do we sometimes isolate ourselves from the world as Christians? In what ways could we do a better job of engaging the world for Christ?

Click “►” button to play | Length: 0:47

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Sara Groves; “To the Moon” (from the album Add to the Beauty)

“TO THE MOON” - by Sara Groves

It was there in the bulletin
We’re leaving soon
After the bake sale to raise funds for fuel
The rocket is ready and we’re going to
Take our church to the moon

There’ll be no one there to tell us we’re odd
No one to change our opinions of God
Just lots of rocks and this dusty sod
Here in our church on the moon

We know our liberties we know our rights
We know how to fight a very good fight
Just grab that last bag there and turn out the light
We’re taking our church to the moon
We’re taking our church to the moon
We’ll be leaving soon

Pray for IJM Rescue Operation

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on October 21, 2008
in Current Events and Prayer
. 0 Comments

International Justice Mission (IJM) has asked for prayer for a slave rescue operation tomorrow.

There will be a major slave rescue operation tomorrow at a rice mill in South Asia offices (precise location not being disclosed for security reasons).

It is night in South Asia right now. Our staff will begin the raid with the local police at 10am their time. They will not sleep until the operation is complete and the slaves are in safety and perpetrators arrrested. This could take one day or it could (more likely) take many.

Please pray that the work is swift, that all slaves are rescued, that the authorities are compliant, and that justice is delivered. Pray for healing for these victims of violent injustice, and pray for safety of our staff.

If you have ever read Gary Haugen’s book Terrify No More then you know just how daring and dangerous these rescue attempts can be. Please keep the IJM staff and this particular operation in prayer.

Update: Bethany Hoang reports from IJM: “For those of you who have been praying for the major rescue operations this week, I want to let you know that these operations were successful. I cannot give more detail due to security necessities, but if you have questions please contact me directly.”

Scary Financial Movie Trailer

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on September 26, 2008
in Current Events and Finances
. 1 Comment

Here’s a great quote from Jared Bernstein on Treasury Secretary Paulson’s announcement earlier this week on the $700 billion bailout.

“The situation is like that movie trailer where a guy with a deep, scary voice says, ‘In a world where credit markets are frozen, where banks refuse to lend to each other at any price, only one man, with one plan can save us,’” said Jared Bernstein, senior economist at the labor-oriented Economic Policy Institute in Washington. And yet, the more he looked at the data, the more Mr. Bernstein became convinced the financial system really does require some sort of bailout. “Things are scary,” he said.

I am pretty much a free market guy, but I must admit I am at a loss on this one. What do you think is the best solution at this time?

Note: Here are a few articles dealing with the economic crisis from a Christian perspective.

Related post: Bailing Out the Bailout?

Hurricane Ike’s Destructive Path

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on September 15, 2008
in Current Events
. 2 Comments

The Big Picture has some astounding photos of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ike in Haiti, Cuba and Texas.

Hurricane Ike | Gilchrist Texas
(A single home left standing among debris from Hurricane Ike on September 14, 2008 in Gilchrist, Texas. David J. Phillip-Pool/Getty Images)

My heart goes out to those who are dealing with the aftermath of the storm. We personally went through Hurricane Andrew in Homestead, FL back in 1992, so I have an idea of the power of these storms. As bad as the storm was, living through the aftermath was much worse. It tooks months just to get electricity back and years for life to return to normal.

Jesus in China - A FRONTLINE/World Report

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on June 24, 2008
in Current Events and Missions
. 0 Comments

Jesus in China - Tonight at 9 p.m. ET on PBS:

A massive wave of Christianity has been sweeping across China in recent years, and the Chinese ruling party, officially atheist, is now struggling to figure out how to control it. In “Jesus in China,” a joint project of FRONTLINE/World and the Chicago Tribune, reporter Evan Osnos investigates one of the fastest growing Christian populations in the world, and how it could potentially transform China at this explosive moment in the country’s development.

You can read the accompanying Chicago Tribune article here: Jesus in China: Christianity’s rapid rise

See related post:  Praying for China with Randy Stonehill

Steven Curtis Chapman’s Daughter Killed

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on May 22, 2008
in Current Events and Memorial
. 15 Comments

Update #1:  Click here for In Memory of Maria, a special blog set up just for Maria. There is a video of Steve and Maria goofing around in the kitchen , as well as a place for people to express condolences. There are already over 8,000 comments.

Update #2:  Click here for video from the memorial service.

Please be praying for the family of Christian singer, Steven Curtis Chapman, whose 5-year-old daughter was killed in an accident yesterday afternoon. “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:15)

Steven Curtis Chapman Family | (Left to right Will Franklin, Maria, Steven, Shaoey, Mary Beth, Stevey Joy, Caleb and Emily)
(Left to right:  Will Franklin, Maria, Steven, Shaoey, Mary Beth, Stevey Joy, Caleb and Emily)

From the Christian Post:

The 5-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother, authorities said.

The girl, Maria, was hit in the driveway of the family’s home Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brother, said Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The brother, whose name and exact age weren’t available, apparently did not see the girl, McPherson said. No charges are expected.

“It looks like a tragic accident,” she said.

Several family members witnessed the accident, which happened in Williamson County just south of Nashville. The girl died later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, hospital spokeswoman Laurie Holloway said.

A publicist for Chapman’s charity organization said the family was expected to release a statement later Wednesday night.

From the Steven Curtis Chapman website:

NASHVILLE, TN…5/21/08… At approximately 5pm on the afternoon of Wednesday May 21st, Maria Sue Chapman, 5 years old and the youngest daughter to Steven and Mary Beth Chapman was struck in the driveway of the Chapman home in Franklin, TN. Maria was rushed to Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital in Nashville, transported by LifeFlight, but died of her injuries there. Maria is one of the close knit family’s six children and one of their three adopted daughters.

More than five years ago, Chapman and his wife MaryBeth founded The Shaohannah’s Hope Ministry after bringing their first adopted daughter, Shaohannah, home from China. The ministry’s goal is to help families reduce the financial barrier of adoption, and has provided grants to over 1700 families wishing to adopt orphans from around the world. Chapman is a five-time GRAMMY ® winner and 54-time Dove Award winning artist who has sold over 10 million albums and garnered 44 No. 1 singles.

See related posts:

An Evangelical Manifesto

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on May 7, 2008
in Current Events and Theology
. 1 Comment

The document, An Evangelical Manifesto: A Declaration of Evangelical Identity and Public Commitment, was released this morning at the National Press Club.

An Evangelical Manifesto is an open declaration of who Evangelicals are and what they stand for. It has been drafted and published by a representative group of Evangelical leaders who do not claim to speak for all Evangelicals, but who invite all other Evangelicals to stand with them and help clarify what Evangelical means in light of “confusions within and the consternation without” the movement. As the Manifesto states, the signers are not out to attack or exclude anyone, but to rally and to call for reform.

As an open declaration, An Evangelical Manifesto addresses not only Evangelicals and other Christians but other American citizens and people of all other faiths in America, including those who say they have no faith. It therefore stands as an example of how different faith communities may address each other in public life, without any compromise of their own faith but with a clear commitment to the common good of the societies in which we all live together.

For those who are Evangelicals, the deepest purpose of the Manifesto is a serious call to reform—an urgent challenge to reaffirm Evangelical identity, to reform Evangelical behavior, to reposition Evangelicals in public life, and so rededicate ourselves to the high calling of being Evangelical followers of Jesus Christ.

The manifesto was charter signed by more than 70 evangelical leaders.
You can:

Animal Rights, Plant Rights

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on May 5, 2008
in Abortion, Current Events and Environment
. 2 Comments

First there were human rights, then came animal rights, and now there are plant rights. I guess rocks are next.

The most tragic dimension of all this is that a culture increasingly ready to euthanize the old, infanticize the young, and adamant about a “right” to abort unborn human beings, will now contend for the inherent dignity of plants. Can any culture recover from this?

National Day of Prayer 2008

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on May 1, 2008
in Current Events and Prayer
. 3 Comments

Today is the National Day of Prayer for the United States. The purpose of the National Day of Prayer is to gather the people of our country to come together and pray, particularly for our nation and for those in leadership on all levels of local, national, church and educational areas of influence.

Let me encourage you to participate in this special day of prayer for our nation. Over 40,000 prayer events are scheduled to take place this year across the country -– at churches, schools, government buildings and other public gathering places. Some local pastors and I will be hosting an event in Agawam, MA during the lunch hour. To find an event near you, click here.

Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, shares his thoughts on prayer and challenges Americans to unite in prayer in this video.

(Video length: 1:02)

Related articles:

World’s Most Dangerous Enemy and Best Friend

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on April 16, 2008
in Current Events and War
. 0 Comments

Michael Yon reporting from Iraq:

I may well have spent more time embedded with combat units in Iraq than any other journalist alive. I have seen this war – and our part in it – at its brutal worst. And I say the transformation over the last 14 months is little short of miraculous.

The change goes far beyond the statistical decline in casualties or incidents of violence. A young Iraqi translator, wounded in battle and fearing death, asked an American commander to bury his heart in America. Iraqi special forces units took to the streets to track down terrorists who killed American soldiers. The U.S. military is the most respected institution in Iraq, and many Iraqi boys dream of becoming American soldiers. Yes, young Iraqi boys know about “GoArmy.com.”

As the outrages of Abu Ghraib faded in memory – and paled in comparison to al Qaeda’s brutalities – and our soldiers under the Petraeus strategy got off their big bases and out of their tanks and deeper into the neighborhoods, American values began to win the war.

Iraqis came to respect American soldiers as warriors who would protect them from terror gangs. But Iraqis also discovered that these great warriors are even happier helping rebuild a clinic, school or a neighborhood. They learned that the American soldier is not only the most dangerous enemy in the world, but one of the best friends a neighborhood can have.

HT: Bob Krumm (who is currently at Fort Benning getting ready to head for Iraq himself)