Christian Dating News & Commentary

A Response To An Anti-Obama Email I Received

admin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:27:52 +0000

"JACK WHEELER is a brilliant man who was the author of Reagan's strategy to break the back of the Soviet Union with the star wars race and expose their inner weakness. For years he wrote a weekly intelligence update that was extremely interesting and well structured and informed. He consults(ed) with several mega corporations on global trends and the future, etc. I think he is in semi-retirement now. He is a true patriot with a no-nonsense approach to everything. He is also a somewhat well known mountain climber and adventurer. Written by Dr. Jack Wheeler the O-man, Barack Hussein Obama, is an eloquently tailored empty suit. No resume, no accomplishments, no experience, no original ideas, no understanding of how the economy works, no understanding of how the world works, nothing but abstract empty rhetoric devoid of real substance. He has no real identity. He is half-white, which he rejects. The rest of him is mostly Arab, which he hides but is disclosed by his non-African Arabic surname and his Arabic first and middle names as a way to triply proclaim his Arabic parentage to people in Kenya . Only a small part of him is African Black from his Luo grandmother, which he pretends he is exclusively. What he isn't, not a genetic drop of, is 'African-American,' the descendant of enslaved Africans brought to America chained in slave ships. He hasn't a single ancestor who was a slave. Instead, his Arab ancestors were slave owners. Slave-trading was the main Arab business in East Africa for centuries until the British ended it. Let that sink in: Obama is not the descendant of slaves; he is the descendant of slave owners. Thus he makes the perfect Liberal Messiah. It's something Hillary doesn't understand - how some complete neophyte came out of the blue and stole the Democratic nomination from her. Obamamania is beyond politics and reason. It is true religious cults, whose adherents rejects Christianity yet still believe in Original Sin, transferring it from the evil of being human to the evil of being white. Thus Obama has become the white liberals' Christ, offering absolution from the Sin of Being White.

There is no reason or logic behind it, no faults or flaws of his can diminish it, no arguments Hillary could make of any kind can be effective against it. The absurdity of Hypocrisy Clothed in Human Flesh being their Savior is all the more cause for liberals to worship him: Credo quia absurdum, I believe it because it is absurd. Thank heavens that the voting majority of Americans remain Christian and are in no desperate need of a phony savior. His candidacy is ridiculous and should not be taken seriously by any thinking American."

Ah, what a forceful and convincing argument. If I were hypothetically voting for Obama, I surely wouldn't now [wink]. And now my fed up response to those conservatives who send out such nonsense.

"I don’t agree with Obama on a whole host of issues (not to mention his whole worldview perspective) and will obviously not be voting for him … But I could come up with a list of things in that article that are blatantly anti-Christian to even say. Just the way things are phrased reeks of blinding self-righteousness. Unfortunately, it’s that kind of rhetoric that makes conservative Christians look like a bunch of insensitive idiots to the rest of the unbelieving world.

My response to the assertions made such as “he’s half white,” and “The rest of him is mostly Arab” (even if true, which my question is, SO WHAT?): they reek of racism and a feeling of cultural superiority against all others, which is totally rejected and commanded against in the New Testament on many many occasions as an attitude not in line with a life lived out of the Gospel that has saved us poor desperate sinners who deserve only wrath. And Obama “has no real identity?” That’s just a blatant flaming ad hominem against Obama as a person. Yes, he’s a person, a human being, believe it or not. Of course he has an identity. Absurd.

Seriously, before speaking, Christian’s really need to read over basic proper argumentation logic and avoid falling into giant debating pitfalls such as the following . “Obama is not the descendant of slaves; he is the descendant of slave owners.” Again, so what if he was or wasn’t, as an argument for or against him, on either side of the aisle? What relevance does any of this have to him as a valid Presidential candidate or not? Not once have any major political issues been mentioned, or ideological problems one might have against his own. The very fact of the matter is, whether white’s like it or not, race relations in this country have finally reached a point in our society where African Americans can now hold the highest office in the nation. And though I won’t be voting for Obama based on ideological, philosophical, and theological reasons, I for one am glad about that as a believer in the Gospel, in the fact that Christ is redeeming people from every, “tribe, tongue, people and nation,” (Revelation) not just from white “Christian” America.

Is anyone on the opposite side of the fence of us conservatives really going to listen to such non-arguments of hatred toward the guy? There is no place for that in a believers life. I’m convinced that for every conservative argument against liberals, there’s an equally condemning argument that could made against us as well. Articles like this prove that fact. Just the attitude with which many conservatives come at liberals just implicitly and explicitly asserts that we are somehow inherently better than them. But we’re not. We’re just as messed up as they are … sinners in desperate need of a Savior. However, we’re the “Pharisees” in this cultural picture, the one’s who are all cleaned up on the outside and dead on the inside, we just do a better job of hiding it (maybe) so we don’t look bad to our peers. And really? “Thank heavens that the voting majority of Americans remain Christian” … um, yeah, not with attitudes like this so much. We’ve become almost as non-Christian and adoctrinal as Europe was ten years ago, and yes, since they've gotten worse since then, it is likely we will as well, save by the grace of Christ. Again, we more resemble the Pharisees in Jesus’ time who hated other people, like the woman at the well, all Gentiles, and those begging at the temple gate … yet those were the people Jesus displayed His power and authority to, opening their eyes, healing their wounds and disabilities, and usually saving them with a mighty hand, something he needs to do for us as a group as well, apparently.

I hope Obama is not President, but certainly NOT for the reasons given in this article. I have disagreements with his policies on healthcare, economics, morality issues, defense issues, etc., but not him as a person. Why don’t you send this back up the chain to how ever many people were on the list …"

Wonderful Conversion Story!

admin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:38:40 +0000

He plopped down on a curb and cried. Sobbed, even. And for the first time since he was a child, he prayed: "Please God, help me."

Mr. Eszterhas was shocked by his own prayer.

"I couldn’t believe I’d said it. I didn’t know why I’d said it. I’d never said it before," he wrote.

But he felt an overwhelming peace. His heart stopped pounding. His hands stopped twitching. He saw a "shimmering, dazzling, nearly blinding brightness that made me cover my eyes with my hands."

Like Saul on the road to Damascus, Mr. Eszterhas had been blinded by God. He stood up, wiped his eyes, and walked back home a new man.

toledoblade.com — ‘Basic Instinct’ author writes book about faith

HiJolly

USING NEGATIVE CAN BE POSITIVE

admin — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:12:11 +0000

A few of my readers asked me why I used negative words in my posts and in my titles. A good pal (who authors a totally awesome blog) in BlogCatalog, Mel expressed in concern that I am attracting readers, but might attract the wrong kind. A blogger friend of mine, Bay Martin told me that "hate" is such an intense word for a blog, knowing that I'm a Christian. But when I explained it to him, he said he understood.

Hate is not actually a bad word when used in the proper context. Hate can sometimes bring change or reformation. It can transform something bad to good. I used the word "hate" to describe the things I don't like and feel uncomfortable about. I also used that word in my blog title because "dislike" doesn't go well with the word "love" in terms of syntax. There is nothing wrong in the word hate unless you say it to humans. Or you actually hate other humans. As a Christian, I am aware that to love God is to love others—even to love the most unpleasant and most annoying ones. That is God's greatest commandment.

But as humans, too we are gifted with senses that includes feelings associated with all these senses. If we hate people, then the problem begins. But if we hate things or events that should not really be there or that stray away from what is right or deviate from the acceptable norms, then hate can be an "initiating tool" to give way to change. We cannot deny that as we try to live in contentment and attain for happiness, we cannot discount the fact that the things around us are despicable. Even if we can escape that, it's always there trying to jump at us almost everyday (unless we live in hibernation in a secluded place in the mountains).

The way I see things is not all about something that stirring me to think if this is really right or wrong. Coming from a traditional, tight-knit Christian family, some of the things I find in America are shocking, disturbing, appalling, horrifying, and even thought/action-provoking. That is why I came up with this blog. About things that are shocking, disturbing, appalling, horrifying, and provoking. I did not blog out of the necessity to edify hatred or to just let off steam just because of anger.

I used "negative words" not only to attract attention but to entice my readers with a top-of-mind statement. In this way, they may think on the basis of my title. For example, my post on "World's Scariest Kids" can incite others to think that parents can turn their kids into terrible monsters and they should stop for a moment and think about that it's true and they should not ignore that reality.

In another post about "Why Bitches Don't Rule", I tried to point out that "speaking rude and nasty words" in order to attain success should never be advocated. Popular media denotes the liberal usage of this "attitude" by justifying it that it's okay to be snippy and catty whch I totally don't agree with. I used the title "bitches" because that is exactly my point.

Jesus hated the Pharisees with their self-righteousness. He didn't hate the them, he hated the sin. He disliked unforgiveness and hypocrisy. There were a lot of things that Jesus didn't like. But He never hated a single person. Not even Judas.

I try not to cuss people in my blog because everybody knows I am a Christian. But I am honest about what I think of the things happening around me. I don't try to be perfect in my posts. I just want to let out what others don't want to let out. A lot of people gripe about stuff that they can hardly change. All they do is complain about it everyday. As for me, I also gripe but I also want to bring change by telling the whole world that this is not right. Maybe my strategy won't work. Maybe I'll be just a small voice forever.

But it doesn't matter. At least I try to present what really is wrong in our society as I also try to hint some resolutions. But at most times, I would never even suggest one. But at least I try to share them with you. If my readers are the wrong kind of readers that go to my blog because of my negative titles, I think otherwise. In essence, they are the kind of readers that I want.

Oh how I HATE it when summer is about to end.

I’ve Finished Watching â€œFireproofâ€

admin — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:03:15 +0000

Last night I had the opportunity to preview Fireproof, the latest release from Sherwood Pictures who also brought you Facing The Giants. This movie has received fairly positive reviews and not the least of which was from Tim Challies who reviewed it here.

The story is about Caleb (a firefighter) and Catherine (a PR professional) encountering marriage problems and crises and eventually finding themselves on the brink of divorce. Through the loving intervention of his father, Caleb is led through a journey that would see him accept Christ, take responsibility for his part in ruining his marriage, and ultimately being the catalyst for the conversion of his wife which results in the reconciliation and restoration of his marriage. The plot line as they say is fairly simple.

It’s when you start looking at the movie beyond the plotline that it really begins to show its flaws. Before I get to those, I want to say that I, like Challies, thought the screenplay for the most part was adequate given the budget and resources that a film like this has at its disposal. You didn’t feel, except for about the first ten minutes of the film, that you were watching something that is one step above a college performing arts play. The dialogue of the film, for the most part, was realistic and engaging and it moved along at a decent pace. Meaning, you weren’t left waiting for the scene to change because it was clearly already done. There were also some very humorous scenes mixed in that made you genuinely belly laugh. You put all this together (budget, screenplay, dialogue, special effects, humor, etc) and that’s where it goes from a zero to a five for me.

Unfortunately, that’s where it stops and why I rated the film in a post-screening survey a 5. I’ll discuss the major issues that I have with the filmâ€¦

First, Caleb and Catherine are show to live in what is clearly a three car garage all brick house and the movie is set in Albany, GA. So given that, doing some basic research, that was at least a 250k - 350k house. So right off the bat, I wonder what percentage of American marriages this is representative of? How many Americans live (a) in their own home and (b) if they do own a home live in a suburban nice development expensive house.

Second, we are presented with Caleb as a firefighter and Catherine as a PR director for the local hospital. Once again, doing some basic research for both Caleb and Catherine, we discover Caleb probably made about $50,000 and Catherine probably made about $130,000. This notion of money being plentiful is definitely not refuted in the movie. So, my question is, what percentage of American marriages have combined incomes of 175k-200k.

Third, Caleb and Catherine are presented as having no children. While this is an interesting character choice for the movie, it was probably done to cut down on having to develop extra characters (the kids) in an already low budget movie. But once again, what percentage of American marriages have no kids?

Why do I bring these things up? Because you put them all together and we’re given a marriage to watch that has very few external pressures other than a porn addiction for the husband and a flirting rich doctor at work for the wife. No money problems. No kid problems. No external surrounding issues. No extended family issues (in fact, both extended families have both parents living and are presented as being there to support this couple as they work through their problems). Those are all neatly taken care of for us and we’re left to watch a very affluent, externally comfortable, self absorbed couple work through their marriage problems. Sorry to say, that may be representative of about 5% of marriages in the United States. And that ain’t how it is in the real world.

What I’m left wondering is why weren’t we presented with a couple that’s been married for five years, has two kids, the husband just got laid off and the house their living in needs serious work but they can’t afford to do it because money is tight. Why weren’t we presented with that couple and shown how the Gospel helps that couple get through life and their marriage. You may say that it’s not important and that I’m nitpicking, but if this thing is going to be billed as a MAJOR outreach tool, I have to believe that most people who have no connection to Christianity are going to go watch this film and see a couple and a marriage situation on the screen that they cannot identify with. It’s a lot easier to work through problems when you have nice neighbors, a lot of money, food on the table, two cars, good jobs, and a good education. Most American marriages don’t have that luxury.

Not only that but we’re presented with a lost couple that yells at each other and never swears and we’re also shown an angry husband, yelling at his wife in her face, but never hitting her. This is an interesting choice considering that between 1/3 and ½ of all women in America have been abused by their partner at some point in their life. I realize it was all probably done the way it was to keep the PG rating on it and the fact that a church ministry is producing it but real life is real life. It seemed all to vanilla and put together to really make a huge impact.

I know I’m going against the grain here, not to mention Challies, but while I hope and believe that God can use this film to change a marriage (I’ve received an email already testifying to that very fact), I suspect that this film will appeal to Christians mainly and will have very little appeal to the larger segment of non-believers. I hope I’m wrong,

Go Get This Book!

admin — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:07:10 +0000

Hey there!

As you know I love books… at Oxford I was surrounded by thousands of books, so I rarely recommend any to anyone as I’m pretty picky! But one of my dearest friends just wrote a brilliant new devotional and I HAVE to tell you about it!

My favorite thing to speak or write about, is that worship is a lifestyle. Worship is SO much more than singing songs, or attending church gatherings. It’s about being a LIVING sacrifice - walking in purity and holiness, day in and day out, honoring God in the nitty gritty of our daily lives.

One of the people who MOST shines this truth is my dear friend Rebecca! So I’m delighted that she’s written a new book to share her thoughts and insights about living a life of purity.

Bec is the right person to be writing this devotional book because lots of people TALK the talk, but few people WALK it out. It’s beautiful to see the things she shares from stage walked out, and I’m constantly challenged and inspired by the way she is committed to purity whether she’s in front of thousands or unseen in her run-of-the-mill daily life.

It’s awesome to have a friend who shares my same commitment of saving sex for marriage, and believes as I do, that purity is anything but boring! God is the giver of true joy, and living HIS way is totally the most joyful and fun….and we certainly have plenty of FUN!….

Take the journey of reading this devotional and see how God can change and impact your life and heart. The “PURE” book is available Sept 3rd, so pre-order it now and gets yours!

Here’s the link to get your copy: http://rsjames.com

And here’s a photo of the great publishing team!

On this theme of friendship here’s a question for our blog community here, as our discussions are my favorite part about Blogging!

“Friendship is a powerful thing in life - Proverbs says that ‘those who walks with the wise will become wise’ and that ‘iron sharpens iron’. Choosing friends that pull you into God and His ways is really important. Obviously not everyone in our lives needs to share the same beliefs, but if you are following Jesus it’s crucial to have some friends to share that journey with you. Do you have that kind of community in your life? Is your family, or some friends, or are you still searching and praying for those people in your life? Share below!”

Love,

Vicky

What Does The Democratic Platform Really Say?

admin — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:07:57 +0000

Unfortunately, I know a few Christians who think voting Democrat is biblical. The problem with that is that it isn’t. All you have to do is read the Democratic platform and see exactly what they believe and stand for. It’s kind of like reading a purpose statement or faith statement when you visit a church.

If you’re interested in reading the actual Democratic Platform, click here and read the PDF

Page 50 of the platform supports murdering the preborn. Not a Christian or biblical value.

Choice
The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right
to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all
efforts to weaken or undermine that right.

Page 52 on homosexual relationships.

It is not enough to look back in wonder at how far we have come; those who came before us
did not strike a blow against injustice only so that we would allow injustice to fester in our time.
That means removing the barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding that still exist in America.
We support the full inclusion of all families, including same-sex couples, in the life of our nation,
and support equal responsibility, benefits, and protections. We will enact a comprehensive
bipartisan employment non-discrimination act. We oppose the Defense of Marriage Act and all
attempts to use this issue to divide us.

This is all I need to know in order to never vote Democratic.

Coming To A Pharmacy Near You

admin — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:12:57 +0000

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Just as I predicted back in October, there’s a move by three area Christian colleges to churn out hundreds of Christian worldview pharmacists.

Just as Regent University was founded to churn out God’s legal team, we’ve got Union, Lipscomb and Belmont ready to pop out morning after pill-opposing, Gardasil-hating, pharmacists. The fundamentalist Christian worldview is not one shared by the majority of Americans, but by hook or by crook they will impose their belief system on you. Whether you agree with it or not.

Don’t for a moment think this won’t be very, very bad for women’s health. In a state like Tennessee, which is predominantly rural, there simply is not the plethora of pharmacy choices that one finds in urban areas. Come to think of it, with increasing corporatization, urban areas are losing out in that respect, too. Competition used to be a hallmark of the free market economy, but not anymore. Everything is Wal-mart and Walgreen’s these days.

Don’t even start that free hand of the market crap with me. That’s a fantasy that Ayn Rand sold on a bunch of idealists too naive to realize they were being pressed into the service of Acme Holdings, Inc. In the global economy, there is no free hand of the market, there’s a jackboot ready to kick citizens into submission. When one corporation has grown into the world’s largest retailer and America’s largest private employer, the notion of any free hand of the market is an adolescent fantasy.

And don’t for a moment underestimate what this means for us politically.

Because sure as the GOP used anti-choice and anti-gay-marriage state amendments to flog their base to the polls every four years, we’re going to start seeing conscience clause legislation work its way through the state legislatures. You can count on it. I used to wonder what this crowd would do once they’d played out flag-waving, abortion, and gay-bashing. But the truth is, they’ll never run out of issues. There’s always going to be one more issue that appeals to the lizard brain of the American mind.

Just in time for mid-terms in 2010. Why is that important? Because 2010 is a census year, which determines each state’s Congressional seats:

Federal law requires the Clerk of the House to notify each state government of its entitled number of seats no later than January 25 of the year immediately following the census. After seats have been reapportioned, each state determines the boundaries of Congressional districtsâ€”geographical areas within the state of approximately equal populationâ€”in a process called redistricting.

Yes, elections do have consequences–even in off-years.

There is no Christian worldview of the law, and there is no Christian worldview of the pharmacy. The only worldview is in the hands of the consumer. If you think birth control equals murder, then don’t use it. If you don’t think you can in good conscience dispense birth control, or morning after pills, or anything else, then find another line of work. There’s no opt-out option here. There aren’t too many vegans working at the butcher shop at Kroger, are there? See any Scientologists working as psychotherapists? How about Mormons working at beer distributorships?

To the fundamentalist Christians I say: you cannot force your beliefs on other people. To the Republican Party I say: You cannot keep manipulating your way into a Republican majority. These issues are deeply interconnected to me. And to both groups I say: this will backfire on you, miserably.

Mac: Exodus 16 - A Prophetic Event

admin — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 07:51:56 +0000

Dan teaches from Exodus at MacArthur Christian Church in Vancouver. Outline notes will be below, if I can get to them!

Part 1: The One Anothers of the Church

I. Wait for one another. 1 Corinthians 11:33

A. Corinth was in need of help to be orderly.

B. Paul directed their attention to the needs of the poor in their midst.

II. The broader application for us.

A. Always be looking out for others to see their needs are met.

B. Meet the needs of strangers.

C. Care for those who are without.

Part 2: A Prophetic Event. Exodus 16:1-21

I. Review - Chapter 15. The honeymoon is over; the growing begins.

A. Challenges follow a time of excitement and joy. The four stages of community.

1. Stage one: Initiation - the honeymoon; the thrill of new things.

2. Stage two: Alienation - New gives place to routine; problems become evident.

3. Stage three: Transformation - Growth happens; relationships deepen; patience develops in relationships.

4. Stage four: Incarnation - the community begins to reflect the character of their King.

B. God will provide the needs of his people. His work at Marah is the evidence.

C. God has begun to establish a trust relationship with His people (v. 26).

1. Pay careful attention.

2. Actively respond to the voice of God.

II. The parts of a prophetic Event.

A. The immediate need.

B. The spiritual lesson.

C. Prophetic fulfillment.

III. The immediate need in the story is nourishment for the people.

A. Their grumbling may have been due to the need to consume their flocks for food.

B. God makes good on his promise at Marah.

C. Manna provides for their immediate need.

IV. The spiritual lesson.

A. God is willing to provide for the needs of the people.

B. His faithfulness is day by day. He is dependable.

C. He prepares them for the concept of the Sabbath as a weekly reminder of His faithfulness.

V. The Prophetic fulfillment.

A. Prophetic events are like a cocoon.

1. Cocoons remain until the time they burst open for the butterfly.

2. This event is the cocoon. Jesus is the butterfly (John 6).

B. Jesus fulfills two historical antecedents.

1. The manna signifies the source of life, namely heaven.

2. The bitter water signifies the source of redemption, namely God’s provision for sin at the cross.

Biblical Principles For Dating Relationships: Introduction

admin — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:44:22 +0000

I have had two very close friends come to me recently with some questions with regard to dating relationships. These questions have focused around specifics such as boundaries in relationships to knowing whether or not the relationship that they are currently pursuing is God’s will and desire for their lives. Both of these discussions led to a realization that the Bible is not a rule book of black and white rules for dating or a guidebook for how to date well while you wait. Instead in scripture we see principles that are presented that help to guide our decisions in dating relationships. So over the next week, I am going to post some of my thoughts and gatherings from my Biblical study on this topic. This will consist of five principles for dating and some concluding questions for personal discussion and discussion for the couple pursuing a dating relationship. I pray that these are of help to you as you seek God together through the context of a dating relationship. Please feel free to shoot me an email or comment your thoughts on these principles and how they may look practically in the context of a relationship.

Christian Singles Dating Rejoice: You Have More Singles Websites Than Others!

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:03:05 +0000

In the past, Christian singles dating were very limited with regards to the websites that they could actually sign up for and find other Christian singles dating. But as the demand for more Christian singles dating websites has grown, the fact of the matter is that they now outnumber the normal dating websites. Perhaps it is because there are more Christians in our country than those of other faiths. Or maybe there are just more Christian singles dating than others. Regardless of why or how, if you are Christian and you are single, there are so many good websites out there that will allow you find other single individuals of your faith. And you can simply rejoice knowing that one day you can and will find that special someone. The best part is that many of these dating websites offer a free trial usage period, where you and sign up and use all of the features for free, for typically two-three weeks. So no more wondering how you are going to meet that other person, get online and meet them todayâ€”you have more options than anybody else!