Saturday, January 16, 2010

Radio Show for Focus on the Family Founder

The New York Times weighs on on James Dobson's new radio show here.

Haitian Congregation

A North Carolina Haitian Church Congregates meets for the first time since the Earthquake in Haiti. WGHP-TV in Greensboro reports.

Methodistst Found in Hotel Rubble

Three Methodist relief workers have been pulled from the rubble in Haiti. Two were injured and taken to the hospital. They spent 55 hours in the rubble of Hotel Montana. The three are part of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. They are Sam Dixon who heads the group, Clint Rabb who leads the mission volunteer office and James Gulley a consultant for the group.

Satan Responds

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has published a letter supposedly from Satan written evangelist Pat Robertson. It's responding to his comments on the 700 Club TV show, saying Haiti's troubles come from a pact the nation made with Satan. Lilly Coyle of Minneapolis is the writer taking on the persona of the devil.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Kentucky Commandments OK

An appeals court in Cincinnati has ruled that the Ten Commandments can be displayed at a Kentucky courthouse - as long as other historical documents are included. Grayson County had been prevented from including the Commandments in the display by a lower court. The ACLU had argued it would be a violation of the separation of church and state. By a 2-to-1 vote, the panel decided the display has an educational purpose, not a religious one.

Christian Schools Lose Case

A California appeals court has rejected a challenge to the admission policy at the University of California. The Association of Christian Schools International argued that the policy discriminated against students who had taken biology, history, English, government, and world-religion courses at Calvary Chapel Christian School. The schools claimed that the University is rejecting courses taken at Christian high schools because of an alleged religious viewpoint. But the appeals court said there was no evidence to back up the claim that the policy leads to the suppression of speech.

Missing Missionary Couple

A report from KXAN-TV on a missing missionary couple in Haiti.

Church Group Back from Haiti

An emotional return for a New Jersey church group from Hait. WNYW-TV in New York reports.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Obama Spokesman Comments on Robertson

The White House slammed Pat Robertson for his comments about Haiti. He told viewers the nation had a made a pact with the Devil. Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said to reporters, "It never ceases to amaze me that in times of amazing human suffering somebody says something that can be so utterly stupid. Senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett told ABC's Good Morning America that Robertson's statement left her speechless and it was "a pretty stunning comment to make" not reflective of "the spirit of the American people or the president." Read more about what Robertson said here.

Missionaries will continue to aid Haiti

WIVB-TV in Buffalo reports on Lutheran missionary work in Haiti.

Missionaries Survive Earthquake

Missionaries sent by a Wisconsin church survived the Haiti earthquake. WITI-TV in Milwaukee reports.

Missionaries hold Vigil for Haiti

WUPW-TV in Toledo, Ohio reports on a group of missionaries who have been to Haiti.

Church Cancells Travel Plans

Church group was to visit sister church in Haiti next week. WRTV in Indianapolis reports.

Hollywood Gets Religion

Major movie studios are looking to capitalize on the success of mainstream films with elements of faith- such as The Blind Side. The Book of Eli (the book referred to in the title is a Bible) starring Denzel Washington opens Friday along with the pseudo-spiritual after-life film The Lovely Bones, while Legion, about a war that breaks out after God loses his faith in mankind, opens on the 22nd.

Last year, Nicolas Cage's film Knowing, about t the Apocalypse earned twice as much as predicted ($80 million). Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail, a faith-based comedy, took in even more ($91 million). And The Blind Side, the story of a Christian family that adopts a young athlete was the 8th biggest film of the year ($220 million).

Trapped in Haiti

Some members of the First Baptist church of Orlando are trapped in Haiti. WOFL-TV reports.

Supposed to Be in Haiti

Memphis-area church group misses earthquake by one day. WREG-TV reports.

Virginia Lutherans Leave

St. John Lutheran Church in Roanoke, Virginia is leaving the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America over it's gay clergy policy. The congregation voted 350-104 last Sunday to join the smaller Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. A new ELCA policy, lifting a ban against active gay clergy will take effect in April.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Assisted Suicide Ruling

Montana has become the third state to legalize assisted suicide. In a 4-3 ruling, the state supreme court said there's nothing in state law to prevent patients from seeking physician-assisted suicide. Montana joins Washington and Oregon as the only states that allow it. Opponents plan to fight the decision in the Legislature.

Porn Among Kids Top Searches

Included in the top 5 most-searched terms among kids in 2009 were the words "sex" and "porn." Rounding out the top 5, according to Norton were YouTube, Google, and Facebook. Nearly a third of minor's time spent online was searching for music-related topics. TV and movies got about 12%. The information was gathered through the company's Norton Safety Minder software which tracked their behavior.

Haiti's Pact with the Devil

Pat Robertson says Haiti's earthquake stems from the country's "pact with the devil." On his 700 Club TV show today, the Christian broadcaster told viewers:

“They were under the heel of the French, uh, you know Napoleon the 3rd and whatever, and they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so the Devil said, 'Okay, it's a deal.’ And, they kicked the French out, you know, with Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by, by one thing after another, desperately poor... They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God and out of this tragedy I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now we’re helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable.”

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Textbook Debate

KXAN-TV in Austin takes a look at a textbook controversy over the role Christianity played in the founding of the United States.

Davey and Goliath

The man who created the television series Davey and Goliath has died. Art Clokey passed away at his home in Los Osos, California last Friday at the age of 88. Besides coming up with the stop-motion animated series for the United Lutheran Church in America, Clokey also created the popular Gumby character.

Davey and Goliath was first seen in 1960 and ended its run on TV in 1975. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) gained rights to the show in a merger of Lutheran denominations. A 2003 documentary by the ELCA told the history of the show and it was brought back in 2004 for an hour-long special.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Answer to the Christmas Quiz

1. Nothing. Luke 2:13,14 tells us, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and SAYING, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men on whom his favor rests." No where in the Bible does it say that angels sing. Of course, Scripture never says they don't either.

2. The West. Matthew 2:1,2 reads, "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." The Wise Men were in the East and they saw the star in the Western sky. Had they been traveling toward a star in the East, they would have started from somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea.

3. The house.
Not the stable. Matthew 2:9-11 says, "After (the Wise Men) had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the HOUSE, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him…" By the time the Wise Men would have arrived, Mary and Joseph would have left the stable. It would have taken a while for the Wise Men to arrive. Perhaps a couple of years, since Herod killed children in Bethlehem under the age of two.

4. We don't know.
Three is the traditional number, but Scripture only tells us of three gifts.

5. Probably Spring. Luke 2:8 tells us, "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night." It is unlikely they would have been living in the fields during Winter. Spring is the most likely time.

6. We don't know. Christmas cards may favor a donkey, but Scripture doesn't tell us.

7. We don't know. Christmas cards may favor a camels, but Scripture doesn't tell us.

8. Germany

9. The 4th century
Christmas Carols began in the 14th and 15th centuries. Christmas cards were first sent in the early 19th century.

10. Yes. In 4th Century AD, Nicholas showed acts of kindness and charity early in his life. He served as bishop of Myra (now
in Turkey) and was considered a saint since the 6th century.

11. The nativity scene.

12. No. But he did tell us to remember his death. "…Do this in remembrance of me" Luke 22:19.

Note: All verses from the New International Version

Palin's Serenity

A political strategist in the McCain presidential campaign says he asked Sarah Palin about how she could be so calm right after being selected as the Arizona Republican's running mate. Steve Schmidt tells 60 Minutes her response was simply "It's God's plan."