Dear loved ones
As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated.
During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer.
It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me.
As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration.
I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face .... and I wanted to be with them and share their table. In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me.
Since I wasn't invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: "Santa Claus, Santa Claus" .. as if the party were in his honor! At 12 Midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and ... do you know ... no one hugged me. Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one?
I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left.
Every year it gets worse. People only remember to eat and drink, the gifts, the parties and nobody remembers me.
I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart.
I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I'm still making the final arrangements. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you.
I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party. Those who don't answer the invite will be left outside. Be prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great party.
See you soon.
I Love you!
Jesus
P. S. Please share this message with your loved ones, before Christmas.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Bolton backs push to charge Iran's leader on Israel hatred
Bolton backs push to charge Iran's leader on Israel hatred
Robert Tait, Tehran
December 14, 2006
THE outgoing US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, is backing a call for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be charged with inciting genocide over speeches calling for the destruction of Israel.
Mr Bolton will appear today among a panel of diplomats and lawyers calling for Mr Ahmadinejad to be prosecuted.
The panel has been convened by a Jewish umbrella group in the US, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organisations.
The call for legal action came as Mr Ahmadinejad repeated his onslaught against Israel at an international gathering of Holocaust deniers in Tehran.
The President, who has dismissed the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis as a myth, told up to 70 visiting speakers that the Israeli state would soon be wiped out. "Thanks to people's wishes and God's will, the trend for the existence of the Zionist regime is downwards and this is what God has promised and what all nations want," he said. "Just as the Soviet Union was wiped out and today does not exist, so will the Zionist regime soon be wiped out."
He was praised by several participants for his "bravery and democratic actions" according to a source who was present.
The US and Britain led a chorus of Western disgust at the conference, which the White House labelled an "affront to the entire civilised world".
British Prime Minister Tony Blair condemned the meeting as "shocking beyond belief". "What further evidence do you need to have that this regime is extreme?" he said.
Mr Blair singled out the decision to invite David Duke, a former leading Ku Klux Klan member, as proof of Iran's extremism. Mr Duke praised the event as "a tremendous step forward" and said Mr Ahmadinejad said "sensible things".
Mr Bolton will be joined at the launch of the legal action against Mr Ahmadinejad by a Harvard law professor, Alan Dershowitz, and the former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Dore Gold, together with experts from the US, Canada and Israel.
A suit will be lodged with the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which will decide whether to hear the action.
The panel said the Iranian President was guilty of inciting genocide "by making numerous threats against the US, calling for the destruction of Israel and instigating discrimination against Christians and Jews". His words violated a 1948 UN genocide convention, to which Iran is a signatory, they said.
GUARDIAN, AGENCIES
Robert Tait, Tehran
December 14, 2006
THE outgoing US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, is backing a call for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be charged with inciting genocide over speeches calling for the destruction of Israel.
Mr Bolton will appear today among a panel of diplomats and lawyers calling for Mr Ahmadinejad to be prosecuted.
The panel has been convened by a Jewish umbrella group in the US, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organisations.
The call for legal action came as Mr Ahmadinejad repeated his onslaught against Israel at an international gathering of Holocaust deniers in Tehran.
The President, who has dismissed the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis as a myth, told up to 70 visiting speakers that the Israeli state would soon be wiped out. "Thanks to people's wishes and God's will, the trend for the existence of the Zionist regime is downwards and this is what God has promised and what all nations want," he said. "Just as the Soviet Union was wiped out and today does not exist, so will the Zionist regime soon be wiped out."
He was praised by several participants for his "bravery and democratic actions" according to a source who was present.
The US and Britain led a chorus of Western disgust at the conference, which the White House labelled an "affront to the entire civilised world".
British Prime Minister Tony Blair condemned the meeting as "shocking beyond belief". "What further evidence do you need to have that this regime is extreme?" he said.
Mr Blair singled out the decision to invite David Duke, a former leading Ku Klux Klan member, as proof of Iran's extremism. Mr Duke praised the event as "a tremendous step forward" and said Mr Ahmadinejad said "sensible things".
Mr Bolton will be joined at the launch of the legal action against Mr Ahmadinejad by a Harvard law professor, Alan Dershowitz, and the former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Dore Gold, together with experts from the US, Canada and Israel.
A suit will be lodged with the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which will decide whether to hear the action.
The panel said the Iranian President was guilty of inciting genocide "by making numerous threats against the US, calling for the destruction of Israel and instigating discrimination against Christians and Jews". His words violated a 1948 UN genocide convention, to which Iran is a signatory, they said.
GUARDIAN, AGENCIES
Creation museum pushes 'true history'
Creation museum pushes 'true history'
By Matthew Wells
BBC News, Kentucky
By Matthew Wells
BBC News, Kentucky
A new hi-tech temple to fundamentalist Christianity is due to open in the heart of Middle America next May, aiming to provide the grandest riposte yet to Darwinian evolutionary theory.
Staff and supporters of the Answers in Genesis organisation call it the Creation Museum.
But secular scientists would take issue with the use of either word to describe the almost completed building that stands just a few miles west of Cincinnati, on the borders of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Wherever you stand on the debate, it is impossible not to be impressed by the effort that has gone into constructing the $27m (£13.5m) museum, which hopes to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
"We have a planetarium to our left, and a virtually-finished bookstore.
"The museum is right under that archway there," said Mark Looy, vice president for ministry relations, standing in the foyer next to an animatronics dinosaur that is munching on a synthetic plant.
Playful dinosaurs
The museum's aim is to bring Genesis - the first book of the Bible - to life for all ages, and promote the belief that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old.
Everybody who works at the museum has to sign on to the belief that the living Earth was created in six 24-hour days - rejecting the convention most scientists view as fact, that life evolved slowly over millions of years.
To hammer that point home, two smiling children clad in tasteful animal skins, work and play alongside a pair of baby Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"You go to some of the major museums and dinosaurs are their teaching icon," said Mr Looy.
"We're going to turn that on its head, and use dinosaurs to show that the Bible presents the true history of the world. We have people, and dinosaurs, together."
There is no mention of dinosaurs anywhere in the Bible, but for every sceptic, there is a committed Christian eager to listen and proselytise.
Alongside the nearly completed museum are the offices and warehousing of Answers in Genesis, which resemble any other medium-sized business complex in the vicinity.
Much of the material is given away free for educational purposes, but the weeks ahead of Christmas are the busiest of the year, as the gift orders pile up.
Even though the complex warren of exhibition rooms is a work in progress, enthusiastic visitors are already appearing.
Qualified staff
Colorado-based Dr Michael Sherwin was touring around with his family:
"I'm a pathologist... When I was studying genetics, it just seemed to me that if I consider one single cell to contain all the information I have to form me - I just don't see how that could evolve."
Answers in Genesis prides itself on having many qualified scientists on staff, including Dr Georgia Purdom, a molecular geneticist by training, from one of Ohio's main universities.
She is concerned that many Christians do not accept the literal truth of the creation:
"It's foundational. If you can't believe Genesis, then why believe any other part of the Bible?
"You can't pick and choose, you can't say this part is right, and this part is wrong," she said, halfway through supervising an online tutorial in her office.
Australian-born Ken Ham is the president of the whole organisation, whose vision has driven the museum project.
He must be one of the very few evangelicals in the US to display a signed photograph of the cricketer Steve Waugh in his office, but touring through the labyrinth of rooms, it is clear what galvanises him most.
Intelligent design
He gives very lukewarm praise to the so-called intelligent design movement, which he sees as giving in to the temptations of evolutionary thinking.
But his attitude towards committed atheist scientists is surprisingly respectful:
"Everyone starts from presuppositions. For example, Richard Dawkins says there is no God: that's his starting point
"He'll admit that he has an a priori assumption of materialism, and we're saying we have an a priori assumption of the Bible."
The sophistication of the animatronics, artwork and modelling, would do justice to the most cutting edge theme park, and the main designer has a distinguished pedigree in Hollywood.
As a born again Christian, he was keen to offer his services, said Mr Ham.
Although professional construction workers are still on site, the cost of the project would probably be in the region of $100m (£50m), if the voluntary effort had been accounted for, he added.
With polls consistently showing that about 40% of Americans believe God created man in his present form, sometime in the last 10,000 years, the museum could focus its efforts entirely on the converted.
Bu Mr Ham says: "We're thinking globally... We've already had indications from people in the United Kingdom and across other parts of Europe, that they're going to be coming here.
"What the Bible would reveal to us, no other book gives an account of the history of the Universe as this one does," he added.
Despite adopting the structure and technology of the most extravagant science museum, it remains that none of it is remotely plausible without first accepting Genesis.
Without taking that leap and rejecting centuries of scientific reasoning, it all resembles just another Disney-style magic kingdom.
Family Centre Could Lose Local Council Funding over Christian Beliefs
Family Centre Could Lose Local Council Funding over Christian Beliefs
Haringey Local Council has warned a family centre wanting to include the word 'Christian' in its new name that it could lose vital funding unless it drops its Christian beliefs.
by Maria Mackay
Posted: Thursday, December 14, 2006, 8:41 (GMT)
The Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship (LCF) has spoken out against Haringey Council in London after it threatened a local family centre last month with the withdrawal of vital funds unless it agreed to renounce all expression of Christianity from the voluntary services it provides.
Gosia Shannon, the organiser of a family centre for Eastern European migrants who have settled in London, received numerous letters from Haringey Council warning her of funding withdrawal after the centre sought to change its name from ‘The Polish Drop-In Centre’ to ‘The Polish and Eastern European Christian Family Centre’. The Council warned that the use of the word ‘Christian’ in particular in the name of the organisation could damage current funding.
One letter from the Council read, “We expect all our services to be inclusive and without religious content, so I was concerned to learn that Gosia leads the singing of songs about loving Jesus in every session. I asked Gosia to leave this song out in future but she is still refusing to do so.”
Ms Shannon set up the voluntary centre as an expression of her faith in Jesus Christ, offering among other things mother and toddler groups to help and meet the needs of Eastern European migrants as they seek to integrate and settle into life in London.
Andrea Minichiello Williams, Public Policy Officer at the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship, warned that cases of this kind could become increasingly common with the introduction of the Sexual Orientation Regulations next year.
“The scenario highlights one of the main threats posed by the government’s controversial Sexual Orientation Regulations,” she said.
“If the regulations come into force unamended, they will require all local authorities to withdraw funding from Christian voluntary organisations, if those organisations wish to espouse the biblical position on sex outside of heterosexual marriage.”
According to the LCF, Ms Shannon’s family centre had sought to explain to Council officials that it welcomed gay people but “will not promote gay values”.
Thomas Cordrey, Public Policy Analyst at the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship, commented, “The dedicated voluntary work done by thousands of Christians across Britain is jeopardised by these regulations. The losers will be the most vulnerable, lonely and isolated people in society who currently benefit from Christian voluntary work. If the government press ahead with these regulations, no Christian organisation in receipt of public funding will be able to refuse to promote or assist homosexual practice.”
Mr Cordrey continued, “The issue is broader than sexual orientation. These regulations deny the ability of Christian organisations to hold to basic truths in the Bible that we should not promote or assist conduct which God says is wrong.”
He called on Christians to oppose the Sexual Orientation Regulations: “Christians must continue to insist that the government alter their stance so that Christian organisations can continue to receive public funding for the work they do, as well as adhere to the Bible’s teaching.”
Copyright © 2006 Christian Today. All rights reserved.
Haringey Local Council has warned a family centre wanting to include the word 'Christian' in its new name that it could lose vital funding unless it drops its Christian beliefs.
by Maria Mackay
Posted: Thursday, December 14, 2006, 8:41 (GMT)
The Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship (LCF) has spoken out against Haringey Council in London after it threatened a local family centre last month with the withdrawal of vital funds unless it agreed to renounce all expression of Christianity from the voluntary services it provides.
Gosia Shannon, the organiser of a family centre for Eastern European migrants who have settled in London, received numerous letters from Haringey Council warning her of funding withdrawal after the centre sought to change its name from ‘The Polish Drop-In Centre’ to ‘The Polish and Eastern European Christian Family Centre’. The Council warned that the use of the word ‘Christian’ in particular in the name of the organisation could damage current funding.
One letter from the Council read, “We expect all our services to be inclusive and without religious content, so I was concerned to learn that Gosia leads the singing of songs about loving Jesus in every session. I asked Gosia to leave this song out in future but she is still refusing to do so.”
Ms Shannon set up the voluntary centre as an expression of her faith in Jesus Christ, offering among other things mother and toddler groups to help and meet the needs of Eastern European migrants as they seek to integrate and settle into life in London.
Andrea Minichiello Williams, Public Policy Officer at the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship, warned that cases of this kind could become increasingly common with the introduction of the Sexual Orientation Regulations next year.
“The scenario highlights one of the main threats posed by the government’s controversial Sexual Orientation Regulations,” she said.
“If the regulations come into force unamended, they will require all local authorities to withdraw funding from Christian voluntary organisations, if those organisations wish to espouse the biblical position on sex outside of heterosexual marriage.”
According to the LCF, Ms Shannon’s family centre had sought to explain to Council officials that it welcomed gay people but “will not promote gay values”.
Thomas Cordrey, Public Policy Analyst at the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship, commented, “The dedicated voluntary work done by thousands of Christians across Britain is jeopardised by these regulations. The losers will be the most vulnerable, lonely and isolated people in society who currently benefit from Christian voluntary work. If the government press ahead with these regulations, no Christian organisation in receipt of public funding will be able to refuse to promote or assist homosexual practice.”
Mr Cordrey continued, “The issue is broader than sexual orientation. These regulations deny the ability of Christian organisations to hold to basic truths in the Bible that we should not promote or assist conduct which God says is wrong.”
He called on Christians to oppose the Sexual Orientation Regulations: “Christians must continue to insist that the government alter their stance so that Christian organisations can continue to receive public funding for the work they do, as well as adhere to the Bible’s teaching.”
Copyright © 2006 Christian Today. All rights reserved.
Naseem Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy, free after nine months
Naseem Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy, free after nine months
by Qaiser Felix
.jpg)
The 30-year-old woman, who is mentally disabled, was arrested after person or persons unknown reported her for allegedly desecrating an Islamic image. She is the second person charged with blasphemy to be released in a month.
Lahore (AsiaNews) – Kasur district court released Naseem Bibi, 30, in prison since last March, ruling that she was innocent of any blasphemy charges levelled at her by person or persons unknown, Sohail Johnson, chief coordinator for the Sharing Life Ministry, told AsiaNews.
Naseem, who was assisted by the group in her legal defence, is mentally disabled. She was arrested on March 3 after some Muslims stated they saw her urinate against a picture of a Muslim place of worship. Fortunately for her, police intervened quickly to prevent her from being lynched by a mob that had gathered on the site of the alleged incident.
The prosecutor in the case charged her under sections 295-B of the Penal Code, also known as the blasphemy law, which imposes life in prison to anyone found guilty of desecrating Islam's sacred texts. The law also entail lighter sanctions against anyone who "offends the Muslim world". But by and large, the law is used as means to settle private matters at the expense of both Muslims and Christians.
Johnson, who helps people charged with blasphemy, said: "We appreciate the court's decision because this case was concocted. Local police made this false case under the pressure of extremists."
The activist added that this "is the second good news for us in a month after Ranjha Masih was cleared by the Lahore High Court on November 10." Mashi could have been sentenced to an eight-year sentence.
Naseem is married with three children. Now she is free to go home to her small village of Kot Fattah Din, in Kasur district.
"We are thankful," Johnson said, "to all the people who have prayed for prisoners of faith—this happy news is just the answer to their prayers. But they have to continue their prayers because there are many other people who are still in jail for their faith."
by Qaiser Felix
.jpg)
The 30-year-old woman, who is mentally disabled, was arrested after person or persons unknown reported her for allegedly desecrating an Islamic image. She is the second person charged with blasphemy to be released in a month.Lahore (AsiaNews) – Kasur district court released Naseem Bibi, 30, in prison since last March, ruling that she was innocent of any blasphemy charges levelled at her by person or persons unknown, Sohail Johnson, chief coordinator for the Sharing Life Ministry, told AsiaNews.
Naseem, who was assisted by the group in her legal defence, is mentally disabled. She was arrested on March 3 after some Muslims stated they saw her urinate against a picture of a Muslim place of worship. Fortunately for her, police intervened quickly to prevent her from being lynched by a mob that had gathered on the site of the alleged incident.
The prosecutor in the case charged her under sections 295-B of the Penal Code, also known as the blasphemy law, which imposes life in prison to anyone found guilty of desecrating Islam's sacred texts. The law also entail lighter sanctions against anyone who "offends the Muslim world". But by and large, the law is used as means to settle private matters at the expense of both Muslims and Christians.
Johnson, who helps people charged with blasphemy, said: "We appreciate the court's decision because this case was concocted. Local police made this false case under the pressure of extremists."
The activist added that this "is the second good news for us in a month after Ranjha Masih was cleared by the Lahore High Court on November 10." Mashi could have been sentenced to an eight-year sentence.
Naseem is married with three children. Now she is free to go home to her small village of Kot Fattah Din, in Kasur district.
"We are thankful," Johnson said, "to all the people who have prayed for prisoners of faith—this happy news is just the answer to their prayers. But they have to continue their prayers because there are many other people who are still in jail for their faith."
US polygamist leader pleads not guilty, will be tried on charges of forcing girl to marry adult
US polygamist leader pleads not guilty, will be tried on charges of forcing girl to marry adult
The Associated Press
Published: 2006-12-14 13:20:11
ST. GEORGE, Utah: A judge ordered the leader of a polygamist sect Thursday to stand trial on charges of rape as an accomplice on allegations that he forced a 14-year-old girl to marry and have sex with an older cousin in 2001.
Warren Jeffs, 51, pleaded not guilty Thursday in state court. The leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints could face up to life in prison if convicted.
The woman, now 20, was not in the courtroom to hear Washington County Judge James Shumate's decision. She testified last month that she felt "completely trapped and defeated" during a ceremony at a Nevada motel — the "darkest time of my entire life."
The woman, identified as Jane Doe No. 4, left the sect after 3 1/2 years, remarried and had a baby last week.
Jeffs' defense team contends he is being pursued for his religious beliefs.
In his closing argument, defense attorney Wally Bugden told Shumate he would be making a "factual leap" to find probable cause for a trial.
"Saying I don't want to get married is not the same as saying I don't want to have intercourse," Bugden said.
The FLDS sect traces its roots to early Mormon theology, which promoted plural marriage. The modern Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints disavows polygamy and renounced the practice in 1890 as a condition of Utah's statehood.
Members of the FLDS consider themselves "fundamentalist Mormons" who continue to believe polygamy will bring glory in heaven. They also consider Jeffs a prophet of God with dominion over their salvation.
Many sect members live in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona.
Jeffs also faces felony charges in Arizona, accused there of arranging a marriage between a 16-old-girl and a 28-year-old man, who was already married.
Jeffs, at the time one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives, was arrested Aug. 28 in a traffic stop on Interstate 15 just north of Las Vegas. He is being held without bail in county jail.
Copyright © 2006 the International Herald Tribune All rights reserved
The Associated Press
Published: 2006-12-14 13:20:11
ST. GEORGE, Utah: A judge ordered the leader of a polygamist sect Thursday to stand trial on charges of rape as an accomplice on allegations that he forced a 14-year-old girl to marry and have sex with an older cousin in 2001.
Warren Jeffs, 51, pleaded not guilty Thursday in state court. The leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints could face up to life in prison if convicted.
The woman, now 20, was not in the courtroom to hear Washington County Judge James Shumate's decision. She testified last month that she felt "completely trapped and defeated" during a ceremony at a Nevada motel — the "darkest time of my entire life."
The woman, identified as Jane Doe No. 4, left the sect after 3 1/2 years, remarried and had a baby last week.
Jeffs' defense team contends he is being pursued for his religious beliefs.
In his closing argument, defense attorney Wally Bugden told Shumate he would be making a "factual leap" to find probable cause for a trial.
"Saying I don't want to get married is not the same as saying I don't want to have intercourse," Bugden said.
The FLDS sect traces its roots to early Mormon theology, which promoted plural marriage. The modern Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints disavows polygamy and renounced the practice in 1890 as a condition of Utah's statehood.
Members of the FLDS consider themselves "fundamentalist Mormons" who continue to believe polygamy will bring glory in heaven. They also consider Jeffs a prophet of God with dominion over their salvation.
Many sect members live in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona.
Jeffs also faces felony charges in Arizona, accused there of arranging a marriage between a 16-old-girl and a 28-year-old man, who was already married.
Jeffs, at the time one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives, was arrested Aug. 28 in a traffic stop on Interstate 15 just north of Las Vegas. He is being held without bail in county jail.
Copyright © 2006 the International Herald Tribune All rights reserved
News Briefs
Commentary & News Briefs
December 14, 2006
Compiled by Jody Brown
...The New Jersey Legislature is expected to pass a bill today legalizing civil unions which offer homosexual couples all the rights of marriage without the title. Governor Jon Corzine has said he will sign the bill, which New Jersey's Supreme Court mandated. A Unitarian Universalist minister, Charles Stephens, says his congregation wants lawmakers to legalize same-sex "marriage" -- not just civil unions. Stephens says he does not feel bound by biblical condemnations of homosexuality that were written thousands of years ago. But another New Jersey minister, praying the invocation before the state Senate on Monday, said, "We curse the spirit that would come to bring about same-sex marriage." Moments after Pastor Vincent Fields uttered the prayer, Senate President Richard Codey declared that the pastor is now banned from giving any future Senate invocations. [AP]
...The Anglican Church of Tanzania says it's cutting ties with the Episcopal Church and won't accept any assistance from Episcopalians who condone homosexuality. The Episcopal Church's consecration of an openly homosexual bishop has alienated the American church from fellow Anglicans in much of Africa, Asia and Latin America -- often referred to as the "Global South." The Tanzanian bishops note that they remain "in communion with those who are faithful to biblical Christianity and authority of Scripture who remain in the Episcopal Church." Anglican leaders of the Global South have offered to help conservative Episcopalians set up an alternative structure apart from the Episcopal Church. [AP]
...From Paramount Pictures and Walden Media comes Charlotte's Web, a live-action film adaptation of the classic book by E.B. White that is set to open in theaters on Friday (December 15). The film comes to life through actors of all ages, and both adults and children are likely to be touched by this story of loyalty, trust, sacrifice, self-worth, selflessness, friendship and love. The film not only boasts of positive values and timeless truths, it also plugs reading and writing skills while evoking a number of emotions -- from laughter to crying. Audiences will grow to love the adorable Wilbur the pig who is saved by Fern and befriended by his barnyard gang -- all of whom work together under the leadership of Charlotte the spider to convince others that Wilbur is worth far more than a trip to the smokehouse. Charlotte's Web is rated G and is a top pick for families, especially those with young children. However, it is important to note the film's crude humor that centers on flatulence, belching, and name-calling. Disobedience is seen in Fern's character as well as marital dissatisfaction among a pair of geese who constantly nag each other. But, thankfully, the positive outweighs the negative in this film, and viewers can be sure that the story of Wilbur and his friends will find a special place in their hearts. [AFA Journal]
...If you're a fan of the printed version of Charlotte's Web, yesterday (December 13) was a landmark date as literally thousands of readers around the world joined together to set a new, but as yet uncertified, Guinness World Record for the "Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously in Multiple Locations." The attempt, which was organized by Walden Media as part of campaign to build awareness of the movie version's release next week, took place starting at 12:00 noon (EST) and included readers who gathered in schools, hospitals, libraries, and community centers to read a passage from the story that celebrates the moment Charlotte (the spider) and Wilbur (the pig) meet for the first time. According to Walden.com, 547,826 readers in 2,451 locations, 50 states, and 28 countries read that passage simultaneously during Wednesday's oral offering. The previous record, reports Walden Media, was an oral reading of William Wordsworth's poem Daffodils in March 2004, in which 155,528 students from 737 students through England participated. Walden Media (Walden.com) is encouraging participants to submit all documentation of their reading by January 3, 2007, so the record can be certified. [Jody Brown]
...A pro-democracy activist says a documentary currently being aired in China is nothing more than an effort by the Chinese Communist Party to justify its continued existence to the Chinese people. The 12-part documentary, which is being aired by China Central Television, describes the reasons why nine countries, including the United States, rose to become great powers, and openly discusses how China intends to be one soon. But D.J. McGuire of the China Support Network says the real agenda of the CCP is convincing the Chinese people that it is the only reason why China is moving toward super-power status. "If China were part of the democratic world, it would be much more powerful and much stronger than it is today," McGuire argues. "The Chinese Communist Party is trying to make the Chinese people believe that it is pushing China forward when, in reality, it's holding China back." McGuire says to achieve its goals, the CCP must overcome one huge obstacle: "To maintain the brutal dictatorship at home, they must expand their geopolitical influence abroad," he explains. "And that means directly and indirectly challenging the United States at every turn." McGuire says it is unfortunate that since the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, the Chinese communist regime has embarked on a campaign of radical nationalism to keep its power. [Chad Groening]
...A terrorism expert and New York Times best-selling author says U.S. Airways was completely justified in removing six Muslim imams from a recent flight between Minneapolis and Phoenix. Brigitte Gabriel, founder and president of the American Congress for Truth, recently published Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America. Gabriel shares her pleasure that U.S. Airways is defending its action in removing the suspicious imams from the flight after passengers became concerned about their behavior. "USAir has every right to do what they are doing," she states. "As a matter of fact, USAir just became my official airline carrier because of what they did with the imams." The captain of the airplane made the right decision, she says. "When you look at the behavior of the imams -- they took the seating configurations used by the 9/11 hijackers; they talked about al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden; and they moved around the airplane -- I mean, they were asking for attention," says Gabriel. "So, of course, that's going to arouse the suspicion of the airline passengers, who alerted that crew and who alerted the captain." The former Muslim says it is outrageous that five of the six imams are seeking an out-of-court settlement with the airline. She says she is hopeful U.S. Airways will not buckle to political correctness. [Chad Groening]
...Thanks to their own "sweat equity," people who care, and Habitat for Humanity, several families will be spending their first Christmas in a simple, decent home of their own. For example, after fleeing New Orleans the day before Hurricane Katrina struck, Rana Rose and her six-year-old daughter returned to find that everything they owned had been destroyed. Now settled into their new Habitat home in New Jersey -- just in time for the holidays -- Rose plans to complete her degree in accounting while working at her new job. When the Ansahs of New York City were told they would soon be the parents of quadruplets, their one-bedroom apartment suddenly seemed even smaller than before. On Saturday (December 16), the Ansahs and four other families will be in the South Bronx when Habitat dedicates a five-story building that they helped to renovate as part of their sweat equity. The Ansahs' new two-story duplex has plenty of space for their four crawling nine-month-olds, and is located right across the street from a playground. And single mom Angelique Overstreet of Springfield, Missouri, who is a house painter by trade, used her professional skills to help other Habitat partner families build their homes -- and to teach them how to complete a professional paint job. A local Habitat spokesperson says the hard-working Overstreet and her three children were to have closed on their own Habitat home earlier this month. Since it was founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 200,000 houses, providing shelter for more than a million people worldwide. [Jody Brown]
© 2006 AgapePress all rights reserved.
December 14, 2006
Compiled by Jody Brown
...The New Jersey Legislature is expected to pass a bill today legalizing civil unions which offer homosexual couples all the rights of marriage without the title. Governor Jon Corzine has said he will sign the bill, which New Jersey's Supreme Court mandated. A Unitarian Universalist minister, Charles Stephens, says his congregation wants lawmakers to legalize same-sex "marriage" -- not just civil unions. Stephens says he does not feel bound by biblical condemnations of homosexuality that were written thousands of years ago. But another New Jersey minister, praying the invocation before the state Senate on Monday, said, "We curse the spirit that would come to bring about same-sex marriage." Moments after Pastor Vincent Fields uttered the prayer, Senate President Richard Codey declared that the pastor is now banned from giving any future Senate invocations. [AP]
...The Anglican Church of Tanzania says it's cutting ties with the Episcopal Church and won't accept any assistance from Episcopalians who condone homosexuality. The Episcopal Church's consecration of an openly homosexual bishop has alienated the American church from fellow Anglicans in much of Africa, Asia and Latin America -- often referred to as the "Global South." The Tanzanian bishops note that they remain "in communion with those who are faithful to biblical Christianity and authority of Scripture who remain in the Episcopal Church." Anglican leaders of the Global South have offered to help conservative Episcopalians set up an alternative structure apart from the Episcopal Church. [AP]
...From Paramount Pictures and Walden Media comes Charlotte's Web, a live-action film adaptation of the classic book by E.B. White that is set to open in theaters on Friday (December 15). The film comes to life through actors of all ages, and both adults and children are likely to be touched by this story of loyalty, trust, sacrifice, self-worth, selflessness, friendship and love. The film not only boasts of positive values and timeless truths, it also plugs reading and writing skills while evoking a number of emotions -- from laughter to crying. Audiences will grow to love the adorable Wilbur the pig who is saved by Fern and befriended by his barnyard gang -- all of whom work together under the leadership of Charlotte the spider to convince others that Wilbur is worth far more than a trip to the smokehouse. Charlotte's Web is rated G and is a top pick for families, especially those with young children. However, it is important to note the film's crude humor that centers on flatulence, belching, and name-calling. Disobedience is seen in Fern's character as well as marital dissatisfaction among a pair of geese who constantly nag each other. But, thankfully, the positive outweighs the negative in this film, and viewers can be sure that the story of Wilbur and his friends will find a special place in their hearts. [AFA Journal]
...If you're a fan of the printed version of Charlotte's Web, yesterday (December 13) was a landmark date as literally thousands of readers around the world joined together to set a new, but as yet uncertified, Guinness World Record for the "Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously in Multiple Locations." The attempt, which was organized by Walden Media as part of campaign to build awareness of the movie version's release next week, took place starting at 12:00 noon (EST) and included readers who gathered in schools, hospitals, libraries, and community centers to read a passage from the story that celebrates the moment Charlotte (the spider) and Wilbur (the pig) meet for the first time. According to Walden.com, 547,826 readers in 2,451 locations, 50 states, and 28 countries read that passage simultaneously during Wednesday's oral offering. The previous record, reports Walden Media, was an oral reading of William Wordsworth's poem Daffodils in March 2004, in which 155,528 students from 737 students through England participated. Walden Media (Walden.com) is encouraging participants to submit all documentation of their reading by January 3, 2007, so the record can be certified. [Jody Brown]
...A pro-democracy activist says a documentary currently being aired in China is nothing more than an effort by the Chinese Communist Party to justify its continued existence to the Chinese people. The 12-part documentary, which is being aired by China Central Television, describes the reasons why nine countries, including the United States, rose to become great powers, and openly discusses how China intends to be one soon. But D.J. McGuire of the China Support Network says the real agenda of the CCP is convincing the Chinese people that it is the only reason why China is moving toward super-power status. "If China were part of the democratic world, it would be much more powerful and much stronger than it is today," McGuire argues. "The Chinese Communist Party is trying to make the Chinese people believe that it is pushing China forward when, in reality, it's holding China back." McGuire says to achieve its goals, the CCP must overcome one huge obstacle: "To maintain the brutal dictatorship at home, they must expand their geopolitical influence abroad," he explains. "And that means directly and indirectly challenging the United States at every turn." McGuire says it is unfortunate that since the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, the Chinese communist regime has embarked on a campaign of radical nationalism to keep its power. [Chad Groening]
...A terrorism expert and New York Times best-selling author says U.S. Airways was completely justified in removing six Muslim imams from a recent flight between Minneapolis and Phoenix. Brigitte Gabriel, founder and president of the American Congress for Truth, recently published Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America. Gabriel shares her pleasure that U.S. Airways is defending its action in removing the suspicious imams from the flight after passengers became concerned about their behavior. "USAir has every right to do what they are doing," she states. "As a matter of fact, USAir just became my official airline carrier because of what they did with the imams." The captain of the airplane made the right decision, she says. "When you look at the behavior of the imams -- they took the seating configurations used by the 9/11 hijackers; they talked about al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden; and they moved around the airplane -- I mean, they were asking for attention," says Gabriel. "So, of course, that's going to arouse the suspicion of the airline passengers, who alerted that crew and who alerted the captain." The former Muslim says it is outrageous that five of the six imams are seeking an out-of-court settlement with the airline. She says she is hopeful U.S. Airways will not buckle to political correctness. [Chad Groening]
...Thanks to their own "sweat equity," people who care, and Habitat for Humanity, several families will be spending their first Christmas in a simple, decent home of their own. For example, after fleeing New Orleans the day before Hurricane Katrina struck, Rana Rose and her six-year-old daughter returned to find that everything they owned had been destroyed. Now settled into their new Habitat home in New Jersey -- just in time for the holidays -- Rose plans to complete her degree in accounting while working at her new job. When the Ansahs of New York City were told they would soon be the parents of quadruplets, their one-bedroom apartment suddenly seemed even smaller than before. On Saturday (December 16), the Ansahs and four other families will be in the South Bronx when Habitat dedicates a five-story building that they helped to renovate as part of their sweat equity. The Ansahs' new two-story duplex has plenty of space for their four crawling nine-month-olds, and is located right across the street from a playground. And single mom Angelique Overstreet of Springfield, Missouri, who is a house painter by trade, used her professional skills to help other Habitat partner families build their homes -- and to teach them how to complete a professional paint job. A local Habitat spokesperson says the hard-working Overstreet and her three children were to have closed on their own Habitat home earlier this month. Since it was founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 200,000 houses, providing shelter for more than a million people worldwide. [Jody Brown]
© 2006 AgapePress all rights reserved.
Nigerian gardener plants churches for Christ
Nigerian gardener plants churches for Christ
Dec 14, 2006
By Celeste Pennington
Baptist Press
NIGERIA, West Africa (BP)--Newly formed Zion Baptist Church meets in a clearing near the chief’s compound in Nigeria’s Bauchi State. On a recent Sunday he greeted Harriet Bowman and her 12-year-old son, James, with these words: “The house that does not receive strangers is not a blessed house. As we receive you, our strangers, we are blessed.”
Clint and Harriet Bowman’s own style reflects that Nigerian attention to strangers. Readily, they welcome the new Christians or non-Christians who come to their door. And as they work, their forte is helping, befriending and then mentoring potential leaders. Currently they are investing themselves in a handful of young, Bible school- and seminary-educated Nigerian men.
“Rarely do we start a church. We are behind the scenes, pushing and encouraging,” Clint said, adding that they follow a New Testament model. “In Acts, Paul was always with someone. That is our pattern here.”
Caleb Samuel Mashingil fits that pattern. The Bowmans met him in 1992 when he came to work as their gardener. He was 16 years old and from a broken home.
“I was excited to earn 300 to 400 naira a month,” Mashingil said. “I was also interested in what it would be like to work for them. I thought I would see only the outside of their house, never its inside colors. Instead, they accepted me. I cannot express what it meant when they invited me in.”
Soon friendships developed. One day, Clint asked Mashingil to go with them to the bush to show the “Jesus” film in the Hausa language. Mashingil was interested in what he heard there. With youthful enthusiasm, he told Clint, “Anytime you go to the bush, I will be happy to go with you.”
After Mashingil became a Christian, he felt God’s call to preach. The Bowmans have tried to encourage him in every way possible.
“Our idea is to always be training people,” Harriet said. “When Caleb came to work for us, we made it a matter of prayer. We later found he had a heart for reaching unreached people.”
Mashingil is a church planter among the Zari people, and Clint is his model as he mentors other potential leaders.
“I thank God for the Bowmans,” the young believer said.
Nigeria, with its 910,000 square miles, is about the size of Texas and Oklahoma. Its 127 million people -- roughly half the U.S. population -- are scattered throughout its rural countryside and crowded into its sprawling cities. Because of its relative stability and size, Nigeria is influential both throughout West Africa and the rest of the continent. It represents about one-fourth of Africa’s total population.
The Bowmans are part of a nine-member engagement team for the International Mission Board in West Africa. Their job is to research and locate all the unreached or unengaged people in Nigeria and then initiate strategies for starting work among the nearly 200 groups.
Some of the people groups with new works among them include the Afizere, the Bamburo, the Chawai, the Jahr and the Zari. Southern Baptists are urged to pray for the success of missionary efforts among these people.
Dec 14, 2006
By Celeste Pennington
Baptist Press
NIGERIA, West Africa (BP)--Newly formed Zion Baptist Church meets in a clearing near the chief’s compound in Nigeria’s Bauchi State. On a recent Sunday he greeted Harriet Bowman and her 12-year-old son, James, with these words: “The house that does not receive strangers is not a blessed house. As we receive you, our strangers, we are blessed.”
Clint and Harriet Bowman’s own style reflects that Nigerian attention to strangers. Readily, they welcome the new Christians or non-Christians who come to their door. And as they work, their forte is helping, befriending and then mentoring potential leaders. Currently they are investing themselves in a handful of young, Bible school- and seminary-educated Nigerian men.
“Rarely do we start a church. We are behind the scenes, pushing and encouraging,” Clint said, adding that they follow a New Testament model. “In Acts, Paul was always with someone. That is our pattern here.”
Caleb Samuel Mashingil fits that pattern. The Bowmans met him in 1992 when he came to work as their gardener. He was 16 years old and from a broken home.
“I was excited to earn 300 to 400 naira a month,” Mashingil said. “I was also interested in what it would be like to work for them. I thought I would see only the outside of their house, never its inside colors. Instead, they accepted me. I cannot express what it meant when they invited me in.”
Soon friendships developed. One day, Clint asked Mashingil to go with them to the bush to show the “Jesus” film in the Hausa language. Mashingil was interested in what he heard there. With youthful enthusiasm, he told Clint, “Anytime you go to the bush, I will be happy to go with you.”
After Mashingil became a Christian, he felt God’s call to preach. The Bowmans have tried to encourage him in every way possible.
“Our idea is to always be training people,” Harriet said. “When Caleb came to work for us, we made it a matter of prayer. We later found he had a heart for reaching unreached people.”
Mashingil is a church planter among the Zari people, and Clint is his model as he mentors other potential leaders.
“I thank God for the Bowmans,” the young believer said.
Nigeria, with its 910,000 square miles, is about the size of Texas and Oklahoma. Its 127 million people -- roughly half the U.S. population -- are scattered throughout its rural countryside and crowded into its sprawling cities. Because of its relative stability and size, Nigeria is influential both throughout West Africa and the rest of the continent. It represents about one-fourth of Africa’s total population.
The Bowmans are part of a nine-member engagement team for the International Mission Board in West Africa. Their job is to research and locate all the unreached or unengaged people in Nigeria and then initiate strategies for starting work among the nearly 200 groups.
Some of the people groups with new works among them include the Afizere, the Bamburo, the Chawai, the Jahr and the Zari. Southern Baptists are urged to pray for the success of missionary efforts among these people.
Mass. amendment supporters sue legislators in fed. court
Mass. amendment supporters sue legislators in fed. court
Dec 14, 2006
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press
WORCESTER, Mass. (BP)--Supporters of a proposed constitutional marriage amendment in Massachusetts filed a federal lawsuit Dec. 13 against state legislators in an effort to keep the proposal on track for the 2008 ballot.
Legislators have met three times this year but have recessed each time without voting on the amendment, which both supporters and opponents say has the votes for passage. It must pass the legislature twice in order to make it to the ballot.
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court's Massachusetts Central Division asks the court to declare the legislators' actions unconstitutional and to advance the amendment to the next legislative session. The suit names the 109 legislators who voted to recess during the latest constitutional convention in November.
Legislators are scheduled to meet again Jan. 2 on the last day of the legislative session, but both sides expect opponents to try and adjourn without voting. Such a move would kill the amendment, which received approximately 170,000 signatures to quality it for legislative action. The amendment essentially would reverse the 2003 ruling by the Massachusetts high court legalizing "gay marriage."
The lawsuit, filed by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of VoteonMarriage.org and 10 petition signees, asserts the legislators' actions violated supporters' U.S. Constitutional rights to free speech, to petition the government, to vote and to due process of law.
"Defendants intend, by thwarting a vote on this initiative through administrative delay and denial tactics, to prevent the Plaintiffs and the people of Massachusetts from exercising their right to amend the state constitution," the complaint reads.
Article 48 of the Massachusetts constitution, the complaint asserts, "requires" legislators "to vote on a proposed citizen initiative." Article 48 says, in part, citizen-driven amendments in the legislature "shall be voted upon."
The lawsuit also asks the court to award compensatory and punitive damages to amendment supporters, who, the complaint says, spent in excess of $500,000 to gather the signatures. A jury should determine the exact amount awarded amendment supporters, the complaint states.
“Elected officials should be held accountable when they deliberately violate the law,” ADF attorney Glen Lavy said. “We’re in big trouble if the people who have sworn to uphold the Constitution can ignore it with impunity once they're in office. Holding elected office does not mean that a person is above the law.”
It is the second lawsuit filed in the last month related to the proposed amendment. In November, Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney filed suit at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court -- the highest court in the state -- asking the justices to place the amendment on the ballot if legislators fail to act. The court will hear oral arguments Dec. 20.
The Massachusetts constitution requires citizen-driven petitions receive the support of only one-fourth of all legislators in two consecutive sessions in order to quality for the ballot. Supporters say they have more than that.
Dec 14, 2006
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press
WORCESTER, Mass. (BP)--Supporters of a proposed constitutional marriage amendment in Massachusetts filed a federal lawsuit Dec. 13 against state legislators in an effort to keep the proposal on track for the 2008 ballot.
Legislators have met three times this year but have recessed each time without voting on the amendment, which both supporters and opponents say has the votes for passage. It must pass the legislature twice in order to make it to the ballot.
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court's Massachusetts Central Division asks the court to declare the legislators' actions unconstitutional and to advance the amendment to the next legislative session. The suit names the 109 legislators who voted to recess during the latest constitutional convention in November.
Legislators are scheduled to meet again Jan. 2 on the last day of the legislative session, but both sides expect opponents to try and adjourn without voting. Such a move would kill the amendment, which received approximately 170,000 signatures to quality it for legislative action. The amendment essentially would reverse the 2003 ruling by the Massachusetts high court legalizing "gay marriage."
The lawsuit, filed by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of VoteonMarriage.org and 10 petition signees, asserts the legislators' actions violated supporters' U.S. Constitutional rights to free speech, to petition the government, to vote and to due process of law.
"Defendants intend, by thwarting a vote on this initiative through administrative delay and denial tactics, to prevent the Plaintiffs and the people of Massachusetts from exercising their right to amend the state constitution," the complaint reads.
Article 48 of the Massachusetts constitution, the complaint asserts, "requires" legislators "to vote on a proposed citizen initiative." Article 48 says, in part, citizen-driven amendments in the legislature "shall be voted upon."
The lawsuit also asks the court to award compensatory and punitive damages to amendment supporters, who, the complaint says, spent in excess of $500,000 to gather the signatures. A jury should determine the exact amount awarded amendment supporters, the complaint states.
“Elected officials should be held accountable when they deliberately violate the law,” ADF attorney Glen Lavy said. “We’re in big trouble if the people who have sworn to uphold the Constitution can ignore it with impunity once they're in office. Holding elected office does not mean that a person is above the law.”
It is the second lawsuit filed in the last month related to the proposed amendment. In November, Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney filed suit at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court -- the highest court in the state -- asking the justices to place the amendment on the ballot if legislators fail to act. The court will hear oral arguments Dec. 20.
The Massachusetts constitution requires citizen-driven petitions receive the support of only one-fourth of all legislators in two consecutive sessions in order to quality for the ballot. Supporters say they have more than that.
Statue honoring Billy Graham’s evangelistic reach on display
Statue honoring Billy Graham’s evangelistic reach on display
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Local celebrities, Southern Baptist leaders, denominational employees and other guests gathered Dec. 13 to dedicate a statue in honor of a man who wants no honor -- the Rev. Billy Graham.
The statue -- a representation of the evangelist standing in the shadow of a 17-foot cross, arms outstretched, his hand cradling a Bible -- is fitting of a man who stood in the shadows of the cross of Christ and pointed millions around the world to its redemptive power.
The statue, unveiled during last June’s SBC annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C., now is permanently located at LifeWay Christian Resources’ facilities at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Commerce Street in Nashville.
During the dedication ceremony, LifeWay President Emeritus James T. Draper Jr. recalled the initial discussion of building a monument to honor the life and ministry of Billy Graham.
"[Then-Southern Baptist Convention President] Bobby Welch was on a bus trip when he called me saying he had a dream of building a statue of Billy Graham as a reminder to all Southern Baptists that we are soul-winners for Jesus Christ," Draper said. "Today, we are not only honoring a man, we are honoring Christ."
Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell spoke of the impact Graham’s ministry has had on the city throughout the years.
Graham "made many visits to Nashville and each visit has had a lasting impact on this community," Purcell said. "He brought in the millennium in Nashville at a stadium filled night after night with people needing that message.
"Now 10 million visitors through Nashville have the opportunity to see and understand what this messenger has meant to us."
Frank Page, current president of the SBC, shared a personal testimony of the impact Graham has had on his life. Not raised in a Christian home, Page remembered as a child seeing Graham on television.
"Now we stand here recognizing the legacy of a saint of God. More than that, we are recognizing that Southern Baptists are Jesus people. We are here to honor a Jesus man."
Speaking on behalf the family, Graham’s grandson, Will Graham, expressed appreciation for the statue but was quick to express glory to God first and foremost.
"My friends, I know we are honoring Billy Graham, but statues will come and go, cities will come and go, but the Word of God is forever. This is about Jesus Christ," Graham said. "My grandfather is a man who did not compromise, who loved the Lord with all of his heart and was faithful to what God placed before him. He sets an example for us all, not to be great evangelists, but to preach the simple Gospel."
Cliff Barrows, who has traveled and ministered with Graham for 60 years, shared at the dedication ceremony the five passions he saw displayed through the Graham statue: Graham’s passion for the Word of God, exhibited by the Bible grasped in the statue’s hand; his passion for preaching, displayed by the figure’s open mouth; Graham’s passion for the message, with three nails and John 3:16 etched on the base of the sculpture; his passion for the invitation, evidenced by the statue’s outstretched arms; and his passion for the cross.
Barrows left a charge for those who would pass the statue and see these passions. "May those passions captivate your hearts and souls, and as you dedicate your life to those, you will experience power in your life and ministry like you’ve never dreamed."
Atlanta businessman Chris Fryer, one of two private financiers of the statue, expressed delight in seeing the "fruition of the vision."
"The size of the statue and the message is compelling -- this is a great man with a great message," Fryer said. "It will speak to those who pass it telling them that there is ‘room at the cross for you.’"
The statue’s sculptor, Terrell O’Brien, spoke of the process he took to develop his vision for the figure.
"As I began to think of what this should look like, I wanted to go beyond the man. For me, it was about the heart of the Gospel."
Closing the Dec. 13 dedication ceremony, Welch quoted a passage from Joshua 4, when the Israelites built a memorial as a testimony to future generations of what God had done for them.
"This stands here not only to celebrate the Lord’s work through Billy Graham," he said, "but for all generations now and who come after us to know of our commitment to evangelism and discipleship as Southern Baptists."
Dec 14, 2006
By Jenny Rice
Baptist Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Local celebrities, Southern Baptist leaders, denominational employees and other guests gathered Dec. 13 to dedicate a statue in honor of a man who wants no honor -- the Rev. Billy Graham.The statue -- a representation of the evangelist standing in the shadow of a 17-foot cross, arms outstretched, his hand cradling a Bible -- is fitting of a man who stood in the shadows of the cross of Christ and pointed millions around the world to its redemptive power.
The statue, unveiled during last June’s SBC annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C., now is permanently located at LifeWay Christian Resources’ facilities at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Commerce Street in Nashville.
During the dedication ceremony, LifeWay President Emeritus James T. Draper Jr. recalled the initial discussion of building a monument to honor the life and ministry of Billy Graham.
"[Then-Southern Baptist Convention President] Bobby Welch was on a bus trip when he called me saying he had a dream of building a statue of Billy Graham as a reminder to all Southern Baptists that we are soul-winners for Jesus Christ," Draper said. "Today, we are not only honoring a man, we are honoring Christ."
Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell spoke of the impact Graham’s ministry has had on the city throughout the years.
Graham "made many visits to Nashville and each visit has had a lasting impact on this community," Purcell said. "He brought in the millennium in Nashville at a stadium filled night after night with people needing that message.
"Now 10 million visitors through Nashville have the opportunity to see and understand what this messenger has meant to us."
Frank Page, current president of the SBC, shared a personal testimony of the impact Graham has had on his life. Not raised in a Christian home, Page remembered as a child seeing Graham on television.
"Now we stand here recognizing the legacy of a saint of God. More than that, we are recognizing that Southern Baptists are Jesus people. We are here to honor a Jesus man."
Speaking on behalf the family, Graham’s grandson, Will Graham, expressed appreciation for the statue but was quick to express glory to God first and foremost.
"My friends, I know we are honoring Billy Graham, but statues will come and go, cities will come and go, but the Word of God is forever. This is about Jesus Christ," Graham said. "My grandfather is a man who did not compromise, who loved the Lord with all of his heart and was faithful to what God placed before him. He sets an example for us all, not to be great evangelists, but to preach the simple Gospel."
Cliff Barrows, who has traveled and ministered with Graham for 60 years, shared at the dedication ceremony the five passions he saw displayed through the Graham statue: Graham’s passion for the Word of God, exhibited by the Bible grasped in the statue’s hand; his passion for preaching, displayed by the figure’s open mouth; Graham’s passion for the message, with three nails and John 3:16 etched on the base of the sculpture; his passion for the invitation, evidenced by the statue’s outstretched arms; and his passion for the cross.
Barrows left a charge for those who would pass the statue and see these passions. "May those passions captivate your hearts and souls, and as you dedicate your life to those, you will experience power in your life and ministry like you’ve never dreamed."
Atlanta businessman Chris Fryer, one of two private financiers of the statue, expressed delight in seeing the "fruition of the vision."
"The size of the statue and the message is compelling -- this is a great man with a great message," Fryer said. "It will speak to those who pass it telling them that there is ‘room at the cross for you.’"
The statue’s sculptor, Terrell O’Brien, spoke of the process he took to develop his vision for the figure.
"As I began to think of what this should look like, I wanted to go beyond the man. For me, it was about the heart of the Gospel."
Closing the Dec. 13 dedication ceremony, Welch quoted a passage from Joshua 4, when the Israelites built a memorial as a testimony to future generations of what God had done for them.
"This stands here not only to celebrate the Lord’s work through Billy Graham," he said, "but for all generations now and who come after us to know of our commitment to evangelism and discipleship as Southern Baptists."
3 executions of church leaders in China leave others wary
3 executions in China leave others wary
Dec 14, 2006
By Matt Sanders
Baptist Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The Chinese government executed three house church leaders in November on murder convictions in what the leaders of two Christian organizations ministering in China describe as part of a vicious government campaign to eliminate one of the country’s house church groups.
Despite evidence that the defendants from the Three Grades of Servants movement had been severely tortured into confessing, the Chinese government secretly executed the group’s founder Xu Shuangfu along with Li Maoxing and Wang Jun in late November for the murders of leaders of Eastern Lightning, widely regarded as a violent Chinese cult.
“Chinese government officials know the West will not tolerate such blatant religious persecution,” said Paul Hattaway of Asia Harvest. “But if they manage to pass it all off as a domestic criminal matter, the West is largely silenced.
“In the past the Chinese have even cleverly defended such crackdowns by asking, ‘If America is able to prosecute the Branch Davidians, and Japan the cult that let off sarin gas in the Tokyo subway, then why can’t we also deal with dangerous cults in our country?’”
The government’s persecution against Three Grades, which has been ongoing for several years, has included the imprisonment of hundreds of members, according to other house church pastors, and the deaths of at least 15 people. Along with the three men executed, three other leaders were given two-year suspended death sentences and 11 were sent to prison for sentences of three to 15 years.
The three men had been convicted of murder earlier this year in Shuangyashan City in China’s Heilongjiang Province. Their appeal was heard in October and the verdicts were upheld.
Defense attorneys contended that no direct evidence linked the men to the crimes other than the confessions the men and other church members made after being tortured. Chinese law prohibits the use of confessions obtained through torture.
“The defense lawyers have clear evidence that those three were tortured,” said Bob Fu, president of China Aid Association. “During the trial, they saw the scars and wounds on [the defendants’] bodies.”
According to news reports, as many as 20 Eastern Lightning leaders were killed in 2002 as a result of clashes with Three Grades of Servants. Eastern Lightning has been accused of using kidnappings, violence and seduction of pastors in an effort to take members from other groups. Fu called Eastern Lightning “a mafia group with Christian uniforms.”
In April 2004, Xu was kidnapped and relatives received a demand that a ransom of more than $350,000 be paid. Later, it was learned that Xu was under arrest by the government. About 90 other leaders of his group also were arrested during this time.
During his imprisonment, Xu, who was believed to be in his 60s, and most of the others arrested were subjected to severe torture. Xu’s ordeal included being shocked with electrical devices, hung by his wrist for hours at a time and sleep and food deprivation, according to his lawyer.
He finally confessed, according to his defense lawyer, because the torture was so severe “that he would rather die than live in such a dreadful condition.”
According to the religious rights group Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Xu’s daughter said her father revoked the confession immediately after interrogation records were read in court and stated that it was signed under severe torture.
Lawyers and relatives were not informed of the executions until after the bodies of the three men had been cremated. Fu believes the bodies of the three men were cremated by the government to eliminate physical evidence of the torture.
The appeal process and executions were completed about a month before the Jan. 1 enactment of a new law that gives the Supreme People’s Court sole authority to sentence people to death.
Fu said he believes Three Grades of Servants had been targeted by the government because it has been so successful. With as many as 500,000 members, the group is aggressive in church planting and evangelism, well financed by members and well organized, Fu said.
The group has been labeled a cult by the government, but Fu and Hattaway believe that label is unwarranted partly because it is difficult to know the group’s beliefs and practices because of the secrecy many Chinese house churches require to protect themselves from the government.
Fu said he has never read anything by the group that contradicts essential Christian doctrine, but he does have concerns about their practices, which reportedly include corporal punishment for church discipline.
“Given the evidence that I have so far, I still think their main doctrines are orthodox, but I don’t have sufficient knowledge to know more about accusations, especially regarding their practices,” Fu said.
Regardless of whether the group is a cult, other house church leaders are concerned that the Chinese government disregarded its own laws to convict the men and will do the same to other house churches.
The government’s strategy, Hattaway said, is to label a group an “evil cult,” usually by the China Christian Three Self Patriotic Movement, one of two government-sanctioned Protestant groups in China. An article usually comes out in the Three Self magazine Tianfeng listing a group’s crimes and heretical beliefs and practices. The government then arrests, interrogates, prosecutes and even executes members of the group
“The worst part of the process is that so many Christians believe what they read and do not question the validity of the information,” Hattaway said. “This is a very dangerous thing to do.
“[The Chinese government] is conducting a similar attack on the South China Church at the moment, with as many as 700 of their members being arrested and prosecuted for belonging to an ‘evil cult,’” Hattaway said.
He added that the “Born Again” house church movement suffered a similar fate and several other main house church movements in China are on the government’s cult list.
“Any house church now will likely be called ‘evil cults’ if they refuse to register with the Chinese government,” Fu said, “and they will face severe persecution like this. No church should feel they will be exempted.”
Said Hattaway, “Some of the house church leaders I know have told me they are deeply concerned that a similar fate awaits them.
“If their group is one of those placed on the list of ‘evil cults’ they know it is a matter of time before they are also targeted for systematic destruction,” Hattaway added.
Fu called on Christians worldwide to find out what’s really going on in China and not rely only on news reports. When they know of specific cases, he asks that they pray.
“We ask our American brothers and sisters to take more action,” Fu said. “Write to President Bush and other elected officials to take specific action against the persecution and to urge the Chinese government to obey its own constitution and its own laws.”
Members in the house church movement in China also need to learn from what happened to the Three Grades of Servants and realize that the government will use any means to destroy a group, Fu said.
“Church members should be careful before the Lord, before the people and before the government,” Fu said. “If there are any unbiblical practices, even among church members, it will be used by the government to damage the whole church.”
If a church member is even suspected of a crime, “the government’s real motivation is not to seek justice,” Fu said, “but to destroy the house church group.”
Dec 14, 2006
By Matt Sanders
Baptist Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The Chinese government executed three house church leaders in November on murder convictions in what the leaders of two Christian organizations ministering in China describe as part of a vicious government campaign to eliminate one of the country’s house church groups.
Despite evidence that the defendants from the Three Grades of Servants movement had been severely tortured into confessing, the Chinese government secretly executed the group’s founder Xu Shuangfu along with Li Maoxing and Wang Jun in late November for the murders of leaders of Eastern Lightning, widely regarded as a violent Chinese cult.
“Chinese government officials know the West will not tolerate such blatant religious persecution,” said Paul Hattaway of Asia Harvest. “But if they manage to pass it all off as a domestic criminal matter, the West is largely silenced.
“In the past the Chinese have even cleverly defended such crackdowns by asking, ‘If America is able to prosecute the Branch Davidians, and Japan the cult that let off sarin gas in the Tokyo subway, then why can’t we also deal with dangerous cults in our country?’”
The government’s persecution against Three Grades, which has been ongoing for several years, has included the imprisonment of hundreds of members, according to other house church pastors, and the deaths of at least 15 people. Along with the three men executed, three other leaders were given two-year suspended death sentences and 11 were sent to prison for sentences of three to 15 years.
The three men had been convicted of murder earlier this year in Shuangyashan City in China’s Heilongjiang Province. Their appeal was heard in October and the verdicts were upheld.
Defense attorneys contended that no direct evidence linked the men to the crimes other than the confessions the men and other church members made after being tortured. Chinese law prohibits the use of confessions obtained through torture.
“The defense lawyers have clear evidence that those three were tortured,” said Bob Fu, president of China Aid Association. “During the trial, they saw the scars and wounds on [the defendants’] bodies.”
According to news reports, as many as 20 Eastern Lightning leaders were killed in 2002 as a result of clashes with Three Grades of Servants. Eastern Lightning has been accused of using kidnappings, violence and seduction of pastors in an effort to take members from other groups. Fu called Eastern Lightning “a mafia group with Christian uniforms.”
In April 2004, Xu was kidnapped and relatives received a demand that a ransom of more than $350,000 be paid. Later, it was learned that Xu was under arrest by the government. About 90 other leaders of his group also were arrested during this time.
During his imprisonment, Xu, who was believed to be in his 60s, and most of the others arrested were subjected to severe torture. Xu’s ordeal included being shocked with electrical devices, hung by his wrist for hours at a time and sleep and food deprivation, according to his lawyer.
He finally confessed, according to his defense lawyer, because the torture was so severe “that he would rather die than live in such a dreadful condition.”
According to the religious rights group Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Xu’s daughter said her father revoked the confession immediately after interrogation records were read in court and stated that it was signed under severe torture.
Lawyers and relatives were not informed of the executions until after the bodies of the three men had been cremated. Fu believes the bodies of the three men were cremated by the government to eliminate physical evidence of the torture.
The appeal process and executions were completed about a month before the Jan. 1 enactment of a new law that gives the Supreme People’s Court sole authority to sentence people to death.
Fu said he believes Three Grades of Servants had been targeted by the government because it has been so successful. With as many as 500,000 members, the group is aggressive in church planting and evangelism, well financed by members and well organized, Fu said.
The group has been labeled a cult by the government, but Fu and Hattaway believe that label is unwarranted partly because it is difficult to know the group’s beliefs and practices because of the secrecy many Chinese house churches require to protect themselves from the government.
Fu said he has never read anything by the group that contradicts essential Christian doctrine, but he does have concerns about their practices, which reportedly include corporal punishment for church discipline.
“Given the evidence that I have so far, I still think their main doctrines are orthodox, but I don’t have sufficient knowledge to know more about accusations, especially regarding their practices,” Fu said.
Regardless of whether the group is a cult, other house church leaders are concerned that the Chinese government disregarded its own laws to convict the men and will do the same to other house churches.
The government’s strategy, Hattaway said, is to label a group an “evil cult,” usually by the China Christian Three Self Patriotic Movement, one of two government-sanctioned Protestant groups in China. An article usually comes out in the Three Self magazine Tianfeng listing a group’s crimes and heretical beliefs and practices. The government then arrests, interrogates, prosecutes and even executes members of the group
“The worst part of the process is that so many Christians believe what they read and do not question the validity of the information,” Hattaway said. “This is a very dangerous thing to do.
“[The Chinese government] is conducting a similar attack on the South China Church at the moment, with as many as 700 of their members being arrested and prosecuted for belonging to an ‘evil cult,’” Hattaway said.
He added that the “Born Again” house church movement suffered a similar fate and several other main house church movements in China are on the government’s cult list.
“Any house church now will likely be called ‘evil cults’ if they refuse to register with the Chinese government,” Fu said, “and they will face severe persecution like this. No church should feel they will be exempted.”
Said Hattaway, “Some of the house church leaders I know have told me they are deeply concerned that a similar fate awaits them.
“If their group is one of those placed on the list of ‘evil cults’ they know it is a matter of time before they are also targeted for systematic destruction,” Hattaway added.
Fu called on Christians worldwide to find out what’s really going on in China and not rely only on news reports. When they know of specific cases, he asks that they pray.
“We ask our American brothers and sisters to take more action,” Fu said. “Write to President Bush and other elected officials to take specific action against the persecution and to urge the Chinese government to obey its own constitution and its own laws.”
Members in the house church movement in China also need to learn from what happened to the Three Grades of Servants and realize that the government will use any means to destroy a group, Fu said.
“Church members should be careful before the Lord, before the people and before the government,” Fu said. “If there are any unbiblical practices, even among church members, it will be used by the government to damage the whole church.”
If a church member is even suspected of a crime, “the government’s real motivation is not to seek justice,” Fu said, “but to destroy the house church group.”
U.S. warns of threat to satellites
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration warned Wednesday against threats by terrorist groups and other nations against U.S. commercial and military satellites, and discounted the need for a treaty aimed at preventing an arms race in space.
Undersecretary of State Robert G. Joseph also reasserted U.S. policy that it has a right to use force against hostile nations or terror groups that might try to attack American satellites or ground installations that support space programs. President Bush adopted a new U.S. space policy earlier this year.
"We reserve the right to defend ourselves against hostile attacks and interference with our space assets," Joseph said in prepared remarks to the George C. Marshall Institute.
Joseph, the senior arms control official at the State Department, said nations cannot all be counted on to use space purely for peaceful purposes.
"A number of countries are exploring and acquiring capabilities to counter, attack, and defeat U.S. space systems," Joseph said
He also said terrorists "understand our vulnerabilities and have targeted our economy in the past, as they did on 9/11." He said terrorists and enemy states might view the U.S. space program as "a highly lucrative target," while sophisticated technologies could improve their ability to interfere with U.S. space systems and services.
Joseph did not identify terror groups or nations that might have such motives. An aide to Joseph, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, said that information was classified.
"For our part, we must take all of these threats seriously because space capabilities are essential" to the U.S. economy and government, Joseph said. He said the U.S. is more reliant on space than any other country.
"No nation, no state-actor, should be under the illusion that the United States will tolerate a denial of our right to the use of space for peaceful purposes," he said.
Wade Boese, a spokesman for the private Arms Control Association, challenged the adminstration's policy. He said rejecting additional international arms controls for space runs counter to U.S. security interests "because the United States has the most to lose from an unregulated space arena."
Boese said he believes the administration wants to avoid negotiations in order to preserve the possibility of deploying space-based missile defense systems, such as interceptors.
Joseph listed telecommunications, transportation, electrical power, water supply, gas and oil storage, transportation systems, emergency services, banking and finance, and government services as relying heavily on data transmitted by satellites.
"The United States views the purposeful interference with its space systems as an infringement on our rights," he said, adding. "If these rights are not respected, the United States has the same full range of options — from diplomatic to military — to protect its space assets as it has to protect its other critical assets."
Joseph ruled out negotiating a new international space agreement, saying the 1967 Outer Space Treaty established an effective arms control regime. The treaty bans the stationing of weapons of mass destruction in outer space and declares outer space should be used only for peaceful purposes.
A new agreement is not necessary, Joseph said. "We should concentrate on real threats," he said, citing Iran and North Korea.
"There is no arms race in space and we see no signs of one emerging," he said.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2006 USA TODAY
Undersecretary of State Robert G. Joseph also reasserted U.S. policy that it has a right to use force against hostile nations or terror groups that might try to attack American satellites or ground installations that support space programs. President Bush adopted a new U.S. space policy earlier this year.
"We reserve the right to defend ourselves against hostile attacks and interference with our space assets," Joseph said in prepared remarks to the George C. Marshall Institute.
Joseph, the senior arms control official at the State Department, said nations cannot all be counted on to use space purely for peaceful purposes.
"A number of countries are exploring and acquiring capabilities to counter, attack, and defeat U.S. space systems," Joseph said
He also said terrorists "understand our vulnerabilities and have targeted our economy in the past, as they did on 9/11." He said terrorists and enemy states might view the U.S. space program as "a highly lucrative target," while sophisticated technologies could improve their ability to interfere with U.S. space systems and services.
Joseph did not identify terror groups or nations that might have such motives. An aide to Joseph, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, said that information was classified.
"For our part, we must take all of these threats seriously because space capabilities are essential" to the U.S. economy and government, Joseph said. He said the U.S. is more reliant on space than any other country.
"No nation, no state-actor, should be under the illusion that the United States will tolerate a denial of our right to the use of space for peaceful purposes," he said.
Wade Boese, a spokesman for the private Arms Control Association, challenged the adminstration's policy. He said rejecting additional international arms controls for space runs counter to U.S. security interests "because the United States has the most to lose from an unregulated space arena."
Boese said he believes the administration wants to avoid negotiations in order to preserve the possibility of deploying space-based missile defense systems, such as interceptors.
Joseph listed telecommunications, transportation, electrical power, water supply, gas and oil storage, transportation systems, emergency services, banking and finance, and government services as relying heavily on data transmitted by satellites.
"The United States views the purposeful interference with its space systems as an infringement on our rights," he said, adding. "If these rights are not respected, the United States has the same full range of options — from diplomatic to military — to protect its space assets as it has to protect its other critical assets."
Joseph ruled out negotiating a new international space agreement, saying the 1967 Outer Space Treaty established an effective arms control regime. The treaty bans the stationing of weapons of mass destruction in outer space and declares outer space should be used only for peaceful purposes.
A new agreement is not necessary, Joseph said. "We should concentrate on real threats," he said, citing Iran and North Korea.
"There is no arms race in space and we see no signs of one emerging," he said.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2006 USA TODAY
Groups urging Wal-Mart to pull Christian game that glorifies violence
Critics say Christian game glorifies violence
Groups urging Wal-Mart to pull 'Left Behind: Eternal Forces' from shelves
A screenshot from the game "Left Behind: Eternal Forces," which the developers term as "inspirational entertainment." Critics, including the Christian Alliance for Progress, say the game glorifies religious violence.
By David Crary
NEW YORK - Targeted largely at conservative Christians, it’s a violent video game with a difference: Combatants on one side pause for prayer, and their favored interjection is “Praise the Lord.”
Critics say “Left Behind: Eternal Forces” glorifies religious violence against non-Christians. Some liberal groups have been urging a boycott, and on Tuesday they urged Wal-Mart to withdraw the game from its shelves.
However, Troy Lyndon, CEO of Left Behind Games Inc., defended the game as “inspirational entertainment” and said its critics were exaggerating. He expressed greater concern about poor reviews from some video-game aficionados, saying the company would offer a free technical upgrade by Dec. 24.
Lyndon’s company, based in Murrieta, Calif., has a license to develop games based on the popular “Left Behind” novels, a Bible-based end-of-the-world-saga that has sold more than 63 million copies.
Lyndon, in a telephone interview, said “Eternal Forces” has been distributed to more than 10,000 retail locations over the past four weeks. He said sales were going well, but declined to give specifics.
The real-time strategy game has received a T (for teen) rating, as its makers had hoped. It offers more violence than an E-rated children’s game, but less graphically than M (for mature) rated games that have often been criticized by conservative Christian groups.
“Our game includes violence, but excludes blood, decapitation, killing of police officers,” the company says on its Web site, noting that a player can lose points for “unnecessary killing” and regain them through prayer.
The game’s story line game begins after the rapture, when most Christians are transported to heaven. Earth’s remaining population is faced with a choice of joining or combatting the Antichrist, as embodied by a force called the Global Community Peacekeepers that seeks to impose one-world government.
The game’s critics depict the ensuing struggle, set in New York City, as one fostering religious intolerance.
“Part of the object is to kill or convert the opposing forces,” said the Rev. Tim Simpson of Jacksonville, Fla., who heads the Christian Alliance for Progress. “It is antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Simpson, whose group was formed last year to counter the influence of the religious right, joined in a news conference Tuesday at which he and other speakers urged Wal-Mart to discontinue sales of “Eternal Forces”.
Wal-Mart indicated it would continue selling the game online and in selected stores where it felt there was demand.
“The product has been selling in those stores,” said spokeswoman Tara Raddohl. “The decision on what merchandise we offer in our stores is based on what we think our customers want the opportunity to buy.”
The game’s makers contend that the violence from the good side — the Tribulation Force — is exclusively defensive, and should not be seen as contrary to church teachings.
“Christians are quite clearly taught to turn the other cheek and to love their enemies,” the company Web site says. “It is equally true that no one should forfeit their lives to an aggressor who is bent on inflicting death.”
Lyndon said he and his fellow executives hoped to ease critics’ concerns.
“They’re good-minded people,” he said. “They want to keep us from making games that are jihad in the name of God.”
Simpson, a Presbyterian Church USA pastor, said he was dismayed by the concept in “Eternal Forces” of using prayer to restore a player’s “spirit points” after killing the enemy.
“The idea that you could pray, and the deleterious effects of one’s foul deeds would simply be wiped away, is a horrible thing to be teaching Christian young people here at Christmas time,” Simpson said.
Another participant in the critics’ news conference, author Frederick Clarkson, argued that “Eternal Forces” — though less violent than many other video games — was more troubling in some ways.
“It becomes a tool of religious instruction,” he said. “The message is. ... there will be religious warfare, and you will target your fellow Americans, people from other faiths, people who you consider to be sinners.”
Clarkson faulted Focus on the Family, a Colorado-based Christian ministry often critical of violent video games, for publishing a positive review of “Eternal Forces” on one of its Web sites.
“Eternal Forces is the kind of game that Mom and Dad can actually play with Junior and use to raise some interesting questions along the way,” wrote the reviewer, Bob Hoose.
Other online reviewers — writing for hardcore gamers — have been less impressed.
“Don’t mock ’Left Behind: Eternal Forces’ because it’s a Christian game. Mock it because it’s a very bad game,” wrote GameSpot reviewer Brett Todd.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Groups urging Wal-Mart to pull 'Left Behind: Eternal Forces' from shelves
A screenshot from the game "Left Behind: Eternal Forces," which the developers term as "inspirational entertainment." Critics, including the Christian Alliance for Progress, say the game glorifies religious violence.By David Crary
NEW YORK - Targeted largely at conservative Christians, it’s a violent video game with a difference: Combatants on one side pause for prayer, and their favored interjection is “Praise the Lord.”
Critics say “Left Behind: Eternal Forces” glorifies religious violence against non-Christians. Some liberal groups have been urging a boycott, and on Tuesday they urged Wal-Mart to withdraw the game from its shelves.
However, Troy Lyndon, CEO of Left Behind Games Inc., defended the game as “inspirational entertainment” and said its critics were exaggerating. He expressed greater concern about poor reviews from some video-game aficionados, saying the company would offer a free technical upgrade by Dec. 24.
Lyndon’s company, based in Murrieta, Calif., has a license to develop games based on the popular “Left Behind” novels, a Bible-based end-of-the-world-saga that has sold more than 63 million copies.
Lyndon, in a telephone interview, said “Eternal Forces” has been distributed to more than 10,000 retail locations over the past four weeks. He said sales were going well, but declined to give specifics.
The real-time strategy game has received a T (for teen) rating, as its makers had hoped. It offers more violence than an E-rated children’s game, but less graphically than M (for mature) rated games that have often been criticized by conservative Christian groups.
“Our game includes violence, but excludes blood, decapitation, killing of police officers,” the company says on its Web site, noting that a player can lose points for “unnecessary killing” and regain them through prayer.
The game’s story line game begins after the rapture, when most Christians are transported to heaven. Earth’s remaining population is faced with a choice of joining or combatting the Antichrist, as embodied by a force called the Global Community Peacekeepers that seeks to impose one-world government.
The game’s critics depict the ensuing struggle, set in New York City, as one fostering religious intolerance.
“Part of the object is to kill or convert the opposing forces,” said the Rev. Tim Simpson of Jacksonville, Fla., who heads the Christian Alliance for Progress. “It is antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Simpson, whose group was formed last year to counter the influence of the religious right, joined in a news conference Tuesday at which he and other speakers urged Wal-Mart to discontinue sales of “Eternal Forces”.
Wal-Mart indicated it would continue selling the game online and in selected stores where it felt there was demand.
“The product has been selling in those stores,” said spokeswoman Tara Raddohl. “The decision on what merchandise we offer in our stores is based on what we think our customers want the opportunity to buy.”
The game’s makers contend that the violence from the good side — the Tribulation Force — is exclusively defensive, and should not be seen as contrary to church teachings.
“Christians are quite clearly taught to turn the other cheek and to love their enemies,” the company Web site says. “It is equally true that no one should forfeit their lives to an aggressor who is bent on inflicting death.”
Lyndon said he and his fellow executives hoped to ease critics’ concerns.
“They’re good-minded people,” he said. “They want to keep us from making games that are jihad in the name of God.”
Simpson, a Presbyterian Church USA pastor, said he was dismayed by the concept in “Eternal Forces” of using prayer to restore a player’s “spirit points” after killing the enemy.
“The idea that you could pray, and the deleterious effects of one’s foul deeds would simply be wiped away, is a horrible thing to be teaching Christian young people here at Christmas time,” Simpson said.
Another participant in the critics’ news conference, author Frederick Clarkson, argued that “Eternal Forces” — though less violent than many other video games — was more troubling in some ways.
“It becomes a tool of religious instruction,” he said. “The message is. ... there will be religious warfare, and you will target your fellow Americans, people from other faiths, people who you consider to be sinners.”
Clarkson faulted Focus on the Family, a Colorado-based Christian ministry often critical of violent video games, for publishing a positive review of “Eternal Forces” on one of its Web sites.
“Eternal Forces is the kind of game that Mom and Dad can actually play with Junior and use to raise some interesting questions along the way,” wrote the reviewer, Bob Hoose.
Other online reviewers — writing for hardcore gamers — have been less impressed.
“Don’t mock ’Left Behind: Eternal Forces’ because it’s a Christian game. Mock it because it’s a very bad game,” wrote GameSpot reviewer Brett Todd.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
‘Would Jesus shop at Wal-Mart?’ ad asks
‘Would Jesus shop at Wal-Mart?’ ad asks
Preacher enlisted for union-backed TV spot calling policies un-Christian
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A new television ad by the union-backed group WakeUpWalMart.com features a pastor asking, “Would Jesus shop at Wal-Mart? Should you?”
Accompanying the ad, is a letter to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Lee Scott that was signed by more than 130 clergy members. The letter asks Wal-Mart to provide a “higher standard for its employees and their families,” which the letter says would reflect “the best of Christian values.”
WakeUpWalMart.com provided the ad to The Associated Press on Wednesday and said the spot is to run in 43 media markets.
Pastor Joe Phelps of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., asks in the ad, “Can we continue to shop at Wal-Mart without insulting God?” He lists allegations that Wal-Mart has violated child labor laws and engaged in gender-based discrimination, and says half the company's 1.3 million U.S. employees aren't covered under the company health plan.
Wal-Mart spokesman Dave Tovar said the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is backing negative attacks while Wal-Mart is creating jobs.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Preacher enlisted for union-backed TV spot calling policies un-Christian
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A new television ad by the union-backed group WakeUpWalMart.com features a pastor asking, “Would Jesus shop at Wal-Mart? Should you?”
Accompanying the ad, is a letter to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Lee Scott that was signed by more than 130 clergy members. The letter asks Wal-Mart to provide a “higher standard for its employees and their families,” which the letter says would reflect “the best of Christian values.”
WakeUpWalMart.com provided the ad to The Associated Press on Wednesday and said the spot is to run in 43 media markets.
Pastor Joe Phelps of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., asks in the ad, “Can we continue to shop at Wal-Mart without insulting God?” He lists allegations that Wal-Mart has violated child labor laws and engaged in gender-based discrimination, and says half the company's 1.3 million U.S. employees aren't covered under the company health plan.
Wal-Mart spokesman Dave Tovar said the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is backing negative attacks while Wal-Mart is creating jobs.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Romney Again Says He's Anti-Gay Marriage
WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, who is weighing a White House bid, dismissed criticism that he has flip-flopped on the issues of gay marriage and abortion and reaffirmed his opposition to both.
"Like the vast majority of Americans, I've opposed same-sex marriage, but I've also opposed unjust discrimination against anyone, for racial or religious reasons, or for sexual preference," Romney said in an interview with the National Review magazine published online Thursday.
Regarding abortion, Romney said - as he has said previously - that although he campaigned for governor as an abortion-rights supporter, he changed his position several years ago after being briefed on embryonic stem-cell research.
"I'm committed to promoting the culture of life," the Massachusetts governor told the conservative magazine. "Like Ronald Reagan and Henry Hyde and others who became pro-life, I had this issue wrong in the past."
The comments were Romney's first public explanation of his stance on the two key social issues since the publication last week of a 1994 letter - sent in the final weeks of his failed campaign against Sen. Edward M. Kennedy - in which he cited his sensitivity to the concerns of Log Cabin Republicans, the gay GOP group.
The governor returned earlier this week from a trip to Asia.
"As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever before that as we seek to establish full equality for America's gays and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent," Romney wrote in the letter.
During that same campaign, Romney also stated his personal opposition to abortion, but said he would not seek to change state abortion laws. As proof, he cited his mother's own 1970 candidacy for the U.S. Senate as an abortion rights supporter.
The letter and his history on abortion have prompted conservative religious activists - a key constituency in the GOP - to question whether Romney is truly committed to a conservative social agenda and to demand he explain his positions.
Also in the magazine interview, Romney rejected the findings of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which called for a new U.S. diplomatic initiative to engage Syria and Iran in finding a solution to the violence in Iraq and a withdrawal of most U.S. troops by spring 2008.
"Their recommendations real like the product of a flawed process - one more focused on reaching consensus for the sake of reaching consensus," said Romney, who leaves office in January.
"Inferring that our troops may be withdrawn from combat positions before Iraq is secure runs counter to my view and the views I have heard from some of America's most accomplished military leaders," Romney said.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All right reserved.
"Like the vast majority of Americans, I've opposed same-sex marriage, but I've also opposed unjust discrimination against anyone, for racial or religious reasons, or for sexual preference," Romney said in an interview with the National Review magazine published online Thursday.
Regarding abortion, Romney said - as he has said previously - that although he campaigned for governor as an abortion-rights supporter, he changed his position several years ago after being briefed on embryonic stem-cell research.
"I'm committed to promoting the culture of life," the Massachusetts governor told the conservative magazine. "Like Ronald Reagan and Henry Hyde and others who became pro-life, I had this issue wrong in the past."
The comments were Romney's first public explanation of his stance on the two key social issues since the publication last week of a 1994 letter - sent in the final weeks of his failed campaign against Sen. Edward M. Kennedy - in which he cited his sensitivity to the concerns of Log Cabin Republicans, the gay GOP group.
The governor returned earlier this week from a trip to Asia.
"As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever before that as we seek to establish full equality for America's gays and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent," Romney wrote in the letter.
During that same campaign, Romney also stated his personal opposition to abortion, but said he would not seek to change state abortion laws. As proof, he cited his mother's own 1970 candidacy for the U.S. Senate as an abortion rights supporter.
The letter and his history on abortion have prompted conservative religious activists - a key constituency in the GOP - to question whether Romney is truly committed to a conservative social agenda and to demand he explain his positions.
Also in the magazine interview, Romney rejected the findings of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which called for a new U.S. diplomatic initiative to engage Syria and Iran in finding a solution to the violence in Iraq and a withdrawal of most U.S. troops by spring 2008.
"Their recommendations real like the product of a flawed process - one more focused on reaching consensus for the sake of reaching consensus," said Romney, who leaves office in January.
"Inferring that our troops may be withdrawn from combat positions before Iraq is secure runs counter to my view and the views I have heard from some of America's most accomplished military leaders," Romney said.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All right reserved.
Terror Fears as Blind Sheikh Faces 'Medical Emergency'
Terror Fears as Blind Sheikh Faces 'Medical Emergency'
December 14, 2006 11:31 AM
Richard Esposito Reports:
The imprisoned al Qaeda spiritual leader known as the "Blind Sheikh" suffered a "medical emergency" at the Springfield federal prison last week, and the FBI is warning his death could lead al Qaeda to launch terror attacks against the United States in reprisal.
According to an FBI bulletin, obtained by ABCNews.com, the 68-year-old Omar Abdel-Rahman began to spit up blood on Dec. 6, and was rushed from prison to the emergency room of St. John's Regional Hospital in Springfield, Mo.
"He accepted a needed transfusion to replace lost blood. While he was under examination, medical authorities also discovered a tumor on his liver," the FBI situational awareness bulletin noted.
Omar Abdel-Rahman, convicted in 1996 of conspiring to blow up New York City landmarks, has long suffered from diabetes and heart ailments and has spent much of his imprisonment at the Springfield Medical Center for federal prisoners.
The FBI bulletin reminded authorities that the sheikh had previously called for reprisal attacks in the case of his death in prison.
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
The bulletin cited what it said was his last will and testament distributed at an al Qaeda press conference in 1998.
"My Brothers...If they [the Americans] kill me, which they will certainly do – hold my funeral and send my corpse to my family, but do not let my blood be shed in vain. Rather, extract the most violent revenge, and remember your brother who spoke the truth and died for the will of God...The Mujahid Sheikh Omar Abdel al Rahman. In the name of God the kind and merciful."
The FBI bulletin also notes, "During Ramadan of this past year, al-Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI) released a videotape encouraging all Muslims in Iraq to exert efforts in capturing Western personnel so that they may be exchanged for the release of the Blind Sheik, suggesting that the Blind Sheikh remains a significant source of inspiration for AQ and their sympathizers."
Following emergency treatment at St. John's, Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman is now back at the federal medical facility where he has been housed.
December 14, 2006 11:31 AM
Richard Esposito Reports:
The imprisoned al Qaeda spiritual leader known as the "Blind Sheikh" suffered a "medical emergency" at the Springfield federal prison last week, and the FBI is warning his death could lead al Qaeda to launch terror attacks against the United States in reprisal.According to an FBI bulletin, obtained by ABCNews.com, the 68-year-old Omar Abdel-Rahman began to spit up blood on Dec. 6, and was rushed from prison to the emergency room of St. John's Regional Hospital in Springfield, Mo.
"He accepted a needed transfusion to replace lost blood. While he was under examination, medical authorities also discovered a tumor on his liver," the FBI situational awareness bulletin noted.
Omar Abdel-Rahman, convicted in 1996 of conspiring to blow up New York City landmarks, has long suffered from diabetes and heart ailments and has spent much of his imprisonment at the Springfield Medical Center for federal prisoners.
The FBI bulletin reminded authorities that the sheikh had previously called for reprisal attacks in the case of his death in prison.
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
The bulletin cited what it said was his last will and testament distributed at an al Qaeda press conference in 1998.
"My Brothers...If they [the Americans] kill me, which they will certainly do – hold my funeral and send my corpse to my family, but do not let my blood be shed in vain. Rather, extract the most violent revenge, and remember your brother who spoke the truth and died for the will of God...The Mujahid Sheikh Omar Abdel al Rahman. In the name of God the kind and merciful."
The FBI bulletin also notes, "During Ramadan of this past year, al-Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI) released a videotape encouraging all Muslims in Iraq to exert efforts in capturing Western personnel so that they may be exchanged for the release of the Blind Sheik, suggesting that the Blind Sheikh remains a significant source of inspiration for AQ and their sympathizers."
Following emergency treatment at St. John's, Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman is now back at the federal medical facility where he has been housed.
Pro-Family, Media Watchdogs Protest CBS's Sex-Charged Christmas Carol Parody
Pro-Family, Media Watchdogs Protest CBS's Sex-Charged Christmas Carol Parody
By Jim Brown and Jenni Parker
December 14, 2006
(AgapePress) - CBS Television is once again under fire from conservatives, this time over a sexually-charged rendition of a popular Christmas carol. A pro-family media analyst is denouncing the network over its airing of a song that uses the melody from a familiar Christian-themed holiday song to glorify sexual anarchy.
The Monday (December 11) episode of the network's popular sitcom Two and a Half Men featured actor Charlie Sheen singing a song about extramarital sex to the tune of "Joy to the World," a well-known hymn about the birth of Christ. In the parody song, Sheen boasts in anticipation about having sex on Christmas Eve on his second date with a woman.
Bob Knight is director of the Media Research Center's Culture and Media Institute. He says the airing of Sheen's irreverent song suggests that CBS has gone into "Hollywood mode" in an effort to shock and to get more press.
"You know, it's bad enough that Two and a Half Men is a non-stop sex joke with a kid right in the middle of the set," Knight observes. "But when they take on a Christmas carol that's beloved by millions and pervert it into an anthem of alley cat culture -- which is what the show's all about; it's not about men, it's about alley cats -- then they've gone over the line," he says.
Apparently, CBS feels the need to compete with other broadcasting companies when it comes to pushing the envelope, the pro-family media analyst asserts. "The network with the worst track record against Christians has been NBC in recent years," he notes, recalling how that network "tried to pull off The Book of Daniel and the Madonna special."
But now, Knight says, "CBS seems to feel that it's okay to trash Christianity and pervert one of the most beloved carols of all time." This begs the question, the Institute spokesman contends, of whether the network would do this to a Muslim cultural icon or to a Jewish one. "It seems as if Christians are the special target," he says.
From what happened on the Monday Two and a Half Men episode -- and from countless other incidents like it on the various TV networks -- the Media Research Center official insists that Hollywood's religion is clear. It is not Judaism or Christianity, he says; it is sexual anarchy.
And unless there is a pushback by viewers letting the sponsors know they are disgusted with this sort of fare, Knight warns, American families are likely to see a lot more of the same.
Christian Leader Calls on Pro-Family Viewers to Protest
Pro-family activist and decency advocate Don Wildmon, founder and chairman of the American Family Association (AFA), is encouraging fellow Christians to contact CBS and voice their displeasure over the December 11 episode of Two and a Half Men.
Wildmon says CBS and Sheen "have used the Christmas season to ridicule and mock Christ, Christmas and Christians," and the network apparently approved the actor's "vulgar adaptation of a favorite Christian Christmas carol," knowing full well that the parody would offend believers.
An online Action Alert (Caution: This alert contains the sexually suggestive lyrics of the parodied song) on the AFA website urges supporters to use a provided link to send an e-mail message to CBS stating that they "deeply resent" the network's mocking of Christ and Christmas and asking for a public apology for the insult. According to the ministry's chairman, failure to issue such an apology would demonstrate CBS officials' continued approval of the mocking content in the Two and a Half Men episode, even after its offensive nature had been brought to the network's attention.
CBS knew the sexualized lyrics to the tune of "Joy to the World" would greatly offend Christians "but did not hesitate to air them," Wildmon contends. If CBS does not apologize for this incident, he adds, pro-family viewers should not hesitate to let the network know their future viewing of its programs will be "extremely limited."
© 2006 AgapePress all rights reserved.
By Jim Brown and Jenni Parker
December 14, 2006
(AgapePress) - CBS Television is once again under fire from conservatives, this time over a sexually-charged rendition of a popular Christmas carol. A pro-family media analyst is denouncing the network over its airing of a song that uses the melody from a familiar Christian-themed holiday song to glorify sexual anarchy.
The Monday (December 11) episode of the network's popular sitcom Two and a Half Men featured actor Charlie Sheen singing a song about extramarital sex to the tune of "Joy to the World," a well-known hymn about the birth of Christ. In the parody song, Sheen boasts in anticipation about having sex on Christmas Eve on his second date with a woman.
Bob Knight is director of the Media Research Center's Culture and Media Institute. He says the airing of Sheen's irreverent song suggests that CBS has gone into "Hollywood mode" in an effort to shock and to get more press.
"You know, it's bad enough that Two and a Half Men is a non-stop sex joke with a kid right in the middle of the set," Knight observes. "But when they take on a Christmas carol that's beloved by millions and pervert it into an anthem of alley cat culture -- which is what the show's all about; it's not about men, it's about alley cats -- then they've gone over the line," he says.
Apparently, CBS feels the need to compete with other broadcasting companies when it comes to pushing the envelope, the pro-family media analyst asserts. "The network with the worst track record against Christians has been NBC in recent years," he notes, recalling how that network "tried to pull off The Book of Daniel and the Madonna special."
But now, Knight says, "CBS seems to feel that it's okay to trash Christianity and pervert one of the most beloved carols of all time." This begs the question, the Institute spokesman contends, of whether the network would do this to a Muslim cultural icon or to a Jewish one. "It seems as if Christians are the special target," he says.
From what happened on the Monday Two and a Half Men episode -- and from countless other incidents like it on the various TV networks -- the Media Research Center official insists that Hollywood's religion is clear. It is not Judaism or Christianity, he says; it is sexual anarchy.
And unless there is a pushback by viewers letting the sponsors know they are disgusted with this sort of fare, Knight warns, American families are likely to see a lot more of the same.
Christian Leader Calls on Pro-Family Viewers to Protest
Pro-family activist and decency advocate Don Wildmon, founder and chairman of the American Family Association (AFA), is encouraging fellow Christians to contact CBS and voice their displeasure over the December 11 episode of Two and a Half Men.
Wildmon says CBS and Sheen "have used the Christmas season to ridicule and mock Christ, Christmas and Christians," and the network apparently approved the actor's "vulgar adaptation of a favorite Christian Christmas carol," knowing full well that the parody would offend believers.
An online Action Alert (Caution: This alert contains the sexually suggestive lyrics of the parodied song) on the AFA website urges supporters to use a provided link to send an e-mail message to CBS stating that they "deeply resent" the network's mocking of Christ and Christmas and asking for a public apology for the insult. According to the ministry's chairman, failure to issue such an apology would demonstrate CBS officials' continued approval of the mocking content in the Two and a Half Men episode, even after its offensive nature had been brought to the network's attention.
CBS knew the sexualized lyrics to the tune of "Joy to the World" would greatly offend Christians "but did not hesitate to air them," Wildmon contends. If CBS does not apologize for this incident, he adds, pro-family viewers should not hesitate to let the network know their future viewing of its programs will be "extremely limited."
© 2006 AgapePress all rights reserved.
CBS, Charlie Sheen bash Christ, Christmas and Christians
CBS, Charlie Sheen bash Christ, Christmas and Christians
Charlie Sheen makes Joy to the World into a cheap sex song
CBS and actor Charlie Sheen have used the Christmas season to ridicule and mock Christ, Christmas and Christians. CBS approved actor Charlie Sheen’s vulgar adaptation of a favorite Christian Christmas carol. On the December 11 program, the network included in their Two and a Half Men an episode featuring Sheen singing about his sexual activity to the tune of the traditional Christmas hymn "Joy to the World."
CBS and Sheen knew that the lyrics would greatly offend Christians, but did not hesitate to air them. Click here to see the episode on CBS.
The episode opens with series star Charlie (Sheen) singing:
“Joy to the world, I’m getting laid; I’m getting laid tonight. We’ll light the yule log, deck the halls, and then we’ll play some jingle balls. It’s been a real long wait – this is our second date! It’s Christmas Eve and I’m getting laid.”
His housekeeper/cook comes in and asks:
“Hey, I’m mixing up the egg nog. You want this broad lit up or just slightly glowing?” “Well,” Charlie says, “let’s see, we’re celebrating peace on earth and good will towards all mankind, so let’s get ‘er plowed!” “Hallelujah!” says the cook.
Charlie returns to singing, “Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria, tonight I’m boinking Gloria!” CBS punctuates every single line with a laugh track.
Take Action
Such actions send a signal from CBS and Hollywood: “It’s ok to bash Christians, their religion and their God.” If you are tired of this bigotry from CBS and Hollywood, please take action and then forward this to your friends and family.
Click here to send an email to CBS.
Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
P.S. Please forward this e-mail message to your family and friends!
Charlie Sheen makes Joy to the World into a cheap sex song
CBS and actor Charlie Sheen have used the Christmas season to ridicule and mock Christ, Christmas and Christians. CBS approved actor Charlie Sheen’s vulgar adaptation of a favorite Christian Christmas carol. On the December 11 program, the network included in their Two and a Half Men an episode featuring Sheen singing about his sexual activity to the tune of the traditional Christmas hymn "Joy to the World."
CBS and Sheen knew that the lyrics would greatly offend Christians, but did not hesitate to air them. Click here to see the episode on CBS.
The episode opens with series star Charlie (Sheen) singing:
“Joy to the world, I’m getting laid; I’m getting laid tonight. We’ll light the yule log, deck the halls, and then we’ll play some jingle balls. It’s been a real long wait – this is our second date! It’s Christmas Eve and I’m getting laid.”
His housekeeper/cook comes in and asks:
“Hey, I’m mixing up the egg nog. You want this broad lit up or just slightly glowing?” “Well,” Charlie says, “let’s see, we’re celebrating peace on earth and good will towards all mankind, so let’s get ‘er plowed!” “Hallelujah!” says the cook.
Charlie returns to singing, “Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria, tonight I’m boinking Gloria!” CBS punctuates every single line with a laugh track.
Take Action
Such actions send a signal from CBS and Hollywood: “It’s ok to bash Christians, their religion and their God.” If you are tired of this bigotry from CBS and Hollywood, please take action and then forward this to your friends and family.
Click here to send an email to CBS.
Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
P.S. Please forward this e-mail message to your family and friends!
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