Happy Reformation Day!

A blogging friend sent me this photo..... "cheers!" he said

I AGREE!!!!

The Emergent and Post Modern theme song

Manamana

A thoughtful look at the Christian voting and hierarchy of issues

Over at Purgos there is a great article written on what Christians "in the Kingdom" should be considering when they go to the voting booths. This article is very articulate and fair on this issue.

The need for a hierarchy of issues when going to the voting booth is obvious since there is no candidate whose worldview matches completely the biblical worldview that the Scripture calls each Christian to possess. But we measure worldviews in degrees not merely in “right” and “wrong”. Some are more right than others and some are more wrong than others.

Politics, Voting and Christianity

At least until the election I think it is imperative that we as Christians are well informed and we look at this election through a right understanding of the Bible.

Lets see what the candidates say about some issues....from some of the debates.

Most important issue Abortion

McCain


Obama



Christianity
McCain

Obama


Education- Think Homeschool or true "Choice"
McCain

Obama


Healthcare- Question do we really want the Government doing the same thing to Healthcare that they have done to Mortgages, Taxes, Roads, etc.?
McCain


Obama


So how should our Christian worldview look at these candidates and their stance on the issues. Discuss in the comments section if you would like.

Mainstream media finally covers the Christian persecution in India

Bloody anti-Christian riots broke out here in late August, rampages by Hindu hard-liners that since then have left at least 38 people dead, as many as 30,000 homeless and dozen of churches destroyed. The worst of the violence ended after a week or so, when authorities finally deployed soldiers to set up checkpoints and relief camps.

Since Eastern Philosophy has permeated our Culture this is coming to a town near you. Especially considering the potential if Obama takes office.

Reformed Band- Mainstay

This is one of my favorite Christian bands they are called Mainstay and the messages in their songs are good, reformed truth.

Liberal vs. Conservative with McCain and Obama

So many people thought that Todd Friel was wacky with his portrayal of the candidates I would love your feedback after you watch these videos.



Nice concise answer, truth is recognized it is apparent there is no political jockeying.
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I am not even what sure he said, he dodged the issue, jumped over the question and tried to sound "Christian". Yes there is a moral and ethical element to the issue because it is "wrong". There is NO COMMON GROUND if it is morally wrong! He says he is in favor of stopping "late term abortions" yet he supports FOCA (see few posts below) which will allow abortions into the 9th month!


This is the reason I think as Christians we have to vote for a guy who will help the "least of these". Even in spite of everything else. I would appreciate your thoughts on this.

More Liberal vs. Conservative arguments

By the way I fixed the old post so you can scroll back to see part 1 if you would like.

Freedom of Choice Act and Obama

Here is a great quote from Randy Alcorn's Blog
This is not speculation, it is not a spin, it is demonstrable fact: Barack Obama IS committed to continuing the legalized killing of unborn children in this country.

Some Christians claim otherwise. But in his July 17, 2007 speech to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Obama said,

"We know that a woman's right to make a decision about how many children she wants to have and when— without government interference—is one of the most fundamental freedoms we have in this country. . . . I have worked on this issue for decades now. I put Roe at the center of my lesson plan on reproductive freedom when I taught constitutional law. . . So, you know where I stand. . . The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do."



What is the Freedom of Choice Act?

The pro-abortion lobby is pushing this bill which will knock down every single restriction on abortion in this country. Effects of this bill include:

1. Partial-birth abortion, or the dismembering of babies as they are being born, will now be legal.

2. Parental consent laws for minors will no longer be in effect. Although a seventeen-year-old girl has to have her parents present in order to get acne medicine, a thirteen-year-old can get an abortion without her parents knowing. Think of the injury done to these young women, as well as to their children!

3. Laws prohibiting public funding of abortion will be struck down. The American taxpayer will now have to fund something many of us know to be murder.

4. Laws requiring women to be shown information about and alternatives to abortion will be struck down.

5. Laws allowing medical staff and hospitals to refuse to perform abortion on grounds of conscience will be struck down. (Where's the freedom of choice here?)

6. Laws prohibiting medical personnel other than licensed physicians from performing abortions would be invalidated because they may "interfere with" access to abortion. (Talk about protection for women!)

7. Government agencies and officials are prohibited from taking any action that would "discriminate against the exercise of" the FOCA-created legal rights, with respect to any "benefits, facilities, services, or information," would leave government officials open to lawsuits for anything that anybody thought "discriminate(s)" against abortion.

Barack Obama said that he will pass this law if he is elected (http://www.barackobama.com/2008/01/22/obama_statement_on_35th_annive.php).

Legalized abortion on demand has pitted mother against child and has created a culture of death that forces women to choose between their children and their educations, jobs, and housing. We need REAL, life-affirming solutions to difficult pregnancies, not more of the same. We need laws that support the rights of mothers and babies, not laws that, like FOCA, abandon women and their children to the unregulated greed of the abortion industry.

FOCA defends "to the death" a choice that is invalid in the first place - the idea that mothers and their children are enemies. Legalized abortion perpetuates the status quo - that a pregnant woman must choose between meeting her child's needs and her own. We can do better than that - we can and we must love them both. We can and we must change the status quo in this country that says that abortion is an acceptable solution to an unexpected pregnancy. We can and we must offer creative and practical solutions that identify and solve the root causes that drive women to abortion. FOCA perpetuates more of the same and does NOTHING to eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion in the first place.

Furthermore, FOCA eliminates the freedom of pro-life doctors to refuse to perform abortions. Doctors who continue to refuse to perform abortions could be sued and barred from practice. Fewer doctors = higher healthcare costs for Americans and unemployed doctors.

So how can anyone who follows Jesus Christ consider this guy for President? I do not think you can do both.

More info can be found here

Leaving the Church

The Church Growth "relevance" movement becoming not so relevant.

Go see Fireproof!

Seriously one of the best movies I have ever seen. And even though I know Kirk I am really not being biased when I say he gave one of the best performances I have ever seen.

Definitely go see this movie no matter what you think, it is phenomenal. There is the clearest presentation of the Gospel I think I have seen in a Movie, which just adds to my love of it.

Mark Driscoll on quite a few things

Thanks to Aaron Shaf for getting this up over at Mormon Coffee

Watch this, and he discusses many topics, careful though Mark is "edgy"

Liberal vs. Conservative arguments

Ironically this also seems to match up with Orthodox vs. Emergent thoughts as well. Since many Emergents line up to the left this seems to nail the point.

God chooses those who are saved