Tag: Bible

Should Trump have Attended a Black Christian Church?

Heavens Yes. The Christian Church is a very vital and influential component of the American society. The Black Christian church is a very vital and influential component of American Christianity. Mr. Trump’s visit to this congregation is a reasonable gesture acknowledging both. To ignore the importance of the Christian Church and of the black Christian Church would be a grievous mistake.

Many commentators are criticizing Mr. Trump as pandering to the black community. Many say that his attention to black people and especially to black Christians is mere politics. However, these same people praise President Obama for having leaders of the Black Lives Matter protest group to the White House. This does not surprise anyone, since the liberal left has always claimed the right to criticize others while ignoring their own faults.

A candidate for President of the USA should pay attention to the place of the Jewish-Christian religion in the lives of millions of American citizens. There are those who say that the Christian Church must stay out of politics- that the administration, management and government of the USA is none of their business. Such an attitude ignores the faith foundations of the nation. It seeks to sideline and shove those who practice and proclaim their faith into a religious ghetto allowing them freedom that is forced to live behind the walls of Churches. Mr. Trump is a Christian. He is protected by his own civil rights and the US Constitution to attend, speak at and worship God with anyone.

This writer is a Christian. He is glad that Mr. Trump went to Church. He is happy for the recognition and acknowledgement of faith that this gesture of Mr. Trump communicates for all the world to see.

Southern Baptist Leader Right About No Religion Test for President

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/romney-mormonism-christianity-santorum/2012/02/29/id/431034?s=al&promo_code=E4CC-1

I found this article distressing and I disagree with the analysis that Mormon Christianity is not Christianity at all.  And I disagree with the idea that the book of Mormon is the same as the Quran.  However, I do agree that there is not a “religion” test for the Presidency of the USA.  In fact a Hindu, Confucian, Shinto, Moslem, or “no religion at all” person could become President under the Constitution.  The key word in the above sentence is “Constitution”.  The USA is a constitutional Republic and not a Christian State.  Essentially, the USA is a secular government under the prescription that it must respect the freedom of religion opinions of its citizens.  There is also the proscription that the government cannot impose itself upon, regulate, or attempt to destroy the practice of religions by its citizens.

That being affirmed, the opinions of the leader of the Southern Baptist Convention are really the affairs of that denomination of Christianity.  His viewpoint is allowed in USA.  He is even allowed to make it public and to defend his position.  That is our right under the first amendment regarding freedom of speech and freedom of religion.  Unlike, the grossly stated falsehood that the Constitution protects the government from the influences of religiously informed opinions, the Bill of rights, which is the first ten amendments to the Constitution, protects people of religion from the power of the government and the prejudices of people opposed to religion.  That is to say, that you are not required to agree with my religion nor my opinions as informed by my religion but the law guarantees me the liberty to hold and express such opinions.  And while IRS regulations threaten to revoke a congregations 501.3C status if the leaders use the pulpit to preach for or against any political candidate, that is merely an IRS regulation and does not forbid preachers of any type from preaching politically motivated sermons.  Admittedly, sermons such as those of Jeremiah Wright, Senator Obama’s Christian Pastor, in which he damned America and not blessed America, are repugnant to and repudiated by the 99.9 % of Christians, nonetheless, he is allowed to preach that.  (Please, note that no one needs to listen to his rants, and that a Senator of the USA should belong to Rev. Wright’s congregation for ten or more years, is disturbing but not illegal.)

Finally, to the doctrinal theology that informs the SBC speaker.  It is a judgement made because Mormonism supplements the 66 books of the historic Christian Bible with the book of Mormon.  Some Christians regard this as an addition to the Holy Scriptures and therefore as antithetical to Christian teaching that the only authoritative scripture is the 66 book Bible.  In this regard, some Christians would claim that Roman Catholic Christianity is also not true Christianity because they include the Apocryphal books to their publication of the Bible.  And even though Roman Catholic Christians are informed that the Apocryphal books are not regarded as Holy Scripture, nonetheless, their detractors say that publishing them inside of the covers of a Bible is itself condemnatory.

Friends, these are matters of internal Christian denominational belief and although we can go on, this writer will again state, as he has repeatedly, that Mormonism is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and that its doctrines regarding the essentials of the Christian faith make it another, albeit disputed, Christian denomination.

Hopkins an Individual inside of Society

http://news.yahoo.com/47-hopkins-knows-end-finally-near-050257090–boxing.html  Today seems to be the day for great stories of individuals who stand out for their individuality while remaining inside society.  All the stories featured today involve persons who are variously thrown out of the “normal” society and yet, they barge back into that society and thereby make the society that rejected them, bigger.  Wonderful reading.

Blogtalkradio

The author of these posts produces a Internet Radio broadcast.  You can check out the website portal at http://www.blogtalkradio.com.  The title of the broadcasts is Perspectives-on-the-Bible.  They are archived podcasts so you can choose which you want to download.  It is a Christian based website, so be prepared.  But don’t be scared.  You will not have baptismal water splash from your monitor and force you to be baptized.  Be brave and open  minded and give it a look.  You never know, there may be some there that interests you!

An Answer to one those annoying anti religion people.

This is a response to an article about NASA and an asteroid.  The blog comments on the asteroid had a goodly number of people responding that this proves there is no God, that science is the answer to everything and that all religious people, (excluding muslim) should wake up and get with the program!  So I wrote the following:  The asteroid has nothing to do with religion. The rock in space is what it is, namely, a rock in space. The space probe and the magnificent scientists who brought it so close, have nothing to do with religion. They are simply magnificent scientists. Bravo to them and keep up the great work. We all benefit from the extension of knowledge and the practical improvements that result. People who are always seeing everything as a proof for or a proof against religion, well, they are the ones with the problem. Grow up, dear friends, religion and spiritual matters have to do with humans and their comprehension and understanding of the forces that made all of this stuff. Sure, you have every right to be an evolutionist. Have at it. But also examine what evolutionary philosophy, not evolutionary science, has to say about you. Evolutionary science is just that science. Evolutionary philosophy, which is extrapolated from the science, has this to say about you. 1. You are a freak of nature because you are an accident. Yes, your parents had at it, but you could have just as well been the drip down your daddy’s pants. 2. All human life is accidental. It is the result of helter skelter, serendipity. Therefore, there is no reason for your existence, you just are a mistake. Even planned births are open to at least a fifty fifty chance of failure. 3. Since you are a mistake, there is no purpose for your life other than to eat, drink and shit. Oh, yeah, if you want to create others like yourself, you can have sex without a condom. Maybe a bull in rut, so to speak. 4. You have achieved whatever it is that you may have achieved by the random forces of blind and uncaring fate. Therefore, be proud of being the top of the food chain, the killer carnivore who alone among all creatures, kills for the mere enjoyment of the kill. 5. When you die, you just disintegrate into nothingness. There is no after life. There are no ghosts or disembodied spirits. You just turn to shit. All that you are, all that you have thought, felt, loved, maybe even created, merely rots into mush and mud. Friend, that’s all great, and believe it all you want. And hope that others do not believe it, because as they too are in the same situation, then you are their target and their next meal. So too are your family, especially your children since they are the easiest prey. Conclusion? Well, for me, I will serve God. And so does my household. And if ontologically there is no God, at least religion will bring me the benefits of self-esteem, encouragement, psychic healing, a wholesome regard for myself, my earth and my co travelers. And if existentially I make the decision to believe and so to live, that is my choice and I am a getting big thrill out of it.

Christian Church Radio

Saturday February 12 will see a new playlist on http://www.christianchurchradio.com.  Listeners  can hear a combination of Classical, Inspirational and Christian music throughout the day 24/7.  Go to the webpage and choose the media device best for you.  A flash player, MP3, Winamp, Media Player.    Give it a try.  Let your visit be a vote of support for more Christian Church Radio.