I cannot find any evidence that Alexander Wood was a homosexual.   The news article about the statue is quite biased.   A more detailed and reliable source of information about Alexander Wood.     http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=37856  This is a government of Canada site.

Psalms are good.


I would guess reading the book of Job doesn't help depression.  

The people who answered the phones at the suicide hotline are trained volunteers.

Please use another example to criticize the Canadian government.  

The article didn't say Alexander Wood was a homosexual nor was any proof given that he had this lifestyle.  

The article refers to him being acused of sodomy where the evidence states that he was investigating a crime.  He wasn't doing anything a custom's officer or prison guard couldn't do today (strip search).  

Wood was also called a "Molly", a derogative term for "gay" after the incident.  Maybe the point that O'Connor had was that bullying and name calling is bad.  

The city wouldn't have given any money to fund the statue if he was not such an important historical figure.  I don't find anything vulgar about the statue itself and unless someone knew the area was "gay village" there wouldn't be any association with "gay" and the statue.  I wonder if there is any plaque on it and what it says.  

So they hate men so much they have to make God a female?   Jesus was a man, a fact that can't be changed.  Can't they love Jesus as a man?  

Oddly enough, I always thought of the Holy Spirit as having feminine attritbutes.  And then God created them, man and woman, in his own image, the trinity still makes sense to me.  

Often people confuse pride with self-respect, confidence in one's abilities or realizing one's talents and aspirations.  

Low self-esteem or self-hatred is a sin.  If we are commanded to love our neighbour as ourself, how can one love another if one hates oneself?  It also makes it difficult for the self-loathing to understand that God loves them as their low self-esteem prevents them from thinking that they can be worthy of love at all, from anyone, even God.  That is why care must be taken in counselling others.  If their parents did not love them as a child they will have difficulty understanding what love is.  Yes, Jesus can cure this love sickness but it might take some time for them to realize this.

The opposite of low self-esteem is not to become prideful of one's achievements.  When one can love themselves, they should be thankful of the Lord's gifts to them.  

Some western Christians might have a negative view on Christian television.  But there is some good programming out there that does present just the Gospel.   Christians really have to pray for good programming.

Just as the printed word can bring the Gospel to others, so can the medias of television and radio.  For people who can't get out to go to church, they appreciate that they can watch or listen at home.  Christian broadcasts arent really a substitute for church, a loving group of Christians praying together, but they are a start or help to many.  

I am interested to know if the organizers of the the Promise Keeper event were asking to use the stadium cost free.  They may have a list of charity and non-profits organizations that they allow free or discounted use of the stadium.  This would likely be a limited budget.  

I can't see the University turning down revenue.  I am sure that an organization such as Promise Keepers would require purchasing extra insurance against damages occuring at their event.  If the university is allowing sports games or music concerts there they are likely to have damages due to vandalism by drunken sports/music fans.  Damage or liability is a risk that the university takes in renting out its venues.  Certainly this organization or any family oriented event is low risk.  

I don't know much about the Promise Keepers.  Similarly, I am tired of the arguement about the Salvation Army not being allowed to collect money for charities in shopping malls and Walmart.  I have never found their displays or performances in bad taste.  I have been bothered by groups such as "Save the Dolphins" with aggressive and annoying solictitation (or groups suspected of supporting terrorism).  What happens is aggressive groups are banned.  They complain they are being discriminated against.  I first heard that "gay" activists were asking people to boycott the Salvation Army.  Later I heard some Christians were boycotting Salvation Army because they had to comply to a by-law to provide same-sex benefits to gays in San Franscisco.  (I doubt they had any working for them if they had to sign a morality clause).  Then the host decides that all charities will be banned, even good ones.  Anyway, no one is forcing people to attend the event.  

What other groups have been using the stadium?  

I don't know if you intended this, but your message just seems a little cryptic to me.  Could you offer some Biblical scripture references?

"When one seeks to destroy or discredit someone or something, one might offend certain protective forces or powers that are above their physical understanding."   I am wondering if you might give an example of what one might seek to destroy or discredit.  If it is sin one wishes to destory, fine.  Certain protective forces or powers could be not of God.  Christians are warned of this and are often engaged in spiritual warfare.  

I have heard of churches doing surveys of their own congregations and local neighbourhoods.   Over time neighbourhoods change.  Maybe some 50-60 yrs ago, people would attend their local neighbourhood church.  Most likely, the neighbourhood did build the church.  If a congregation's survey shows that most of the people attending have moved out of the neighbourhood, that church is doing a good job retaining members but they should also check attendance records as well.  If there are no new people coming in from the neighbourhood that don't have a family history with the church, the church might want to look at a local survey.

One church doing a local survey found different answers to why local folks were not attending.  They were not Christians - there is an opportunity to evagelize.  There were a variety of answers from people who were Christians but didn't attend that church:  they went to another church/denominations, they didn't know the church was there/open/welcome to them, they just moved there and didn't know where any churches were, no one had invited them,  there was no sign outside to say when the services were, would like an earlier, later service,   etc.   Some churches just might relocate into another neighbourhood.

If the people had attended the church once and were turned off, the church might like to know for what reasons.  

There were physical limitations: there were no parking spaces, no disabled parking/access, couldn't find the worship sanctuary/door, couldn't find church from main road, no/inadequate washrooms at church.  

There were people limitations:  ushers weren't friendly/no ushers,  were embarrassed to put sitted at the front when arriving later (no free space in the back),  people won't move over in pews or told them "that was their family pew", no nursery/inadequate child supervision/pressure to separate children from parents when it isn't comfortable, being told "your type of people worship at the 'other' church" (subtle or obvious racial discriminiation), strict dress code (either all to dressed up or all too dressed down),  no one invited them to coffee fellowship after service.  

Rarely do seekers mention that they don't like the doctrine.  Sometimes you will see people armed with a paper pad and Bible taking notes during the sermon.  They will check their notes on the sermon against scripture later.  These people will also ask to see the church's creed or statement of faith.  They will ask about church government, a copy of the church budget, etc.  These people most likely are not new believers but they might be looking for a new church.  

Seekers who are nominal Christians or non-believers will be more impressed by the physical and personal presentation of the church.  They will less likely tolerate an indequate sound system, poor choir, disrepair of church facilities.  That may make them seem shallow to strong believers but their faith is shallow.  These seekers will be looking for quality in the presentation of the message rather than the message of the Gospel itself.  This might be something to consider for some churches.  If not, ask yourself if the Lord's House shouldn't be as clean and comfortable as any of our own homes?

How can a church be seeker-friendly?  Be friendly and prepared for people's questions.  Train members in how to give a personal witness of the Gospel to others.  If someone asks them why they like church their answer shouldn't be they go there just because all their friends do.  Have detailed message or someone answering the phone for information.  Put up signs around the church with the church's name, time of services and phone number.  Put up signs from the main roads.  

More about the personal witness to Christ.  If the church is more than a social/family club then people need to hear about it.  People can learn to witness effectively to others about how believing in Jesus and serving Him has affected their lives and the lives of their family members.  Actually requiring church members to do this (going door-to-door, standing on corners) doesn't work unless they want to do it.  Ineffective  and poor witnessing doesn't credit the church or Christ.  Some people do have a gift for it, others can be trained.  They need to be prepared with answers for common questions and be prepared in spirit.  Witnessing is sometimes a difficult job but very neccessary.  

As for church marketing schemes, big bucks spend by churches for marketing and advertising are wasted if the church members are not friendly and don't want to bring the Gospel to others.  Some churches might need to look at their own members and get them active in ministries and trained, and even tithing.  Increasing the numbers sitting in the pews without that will just overburden the pastor.  

If you could give a definition of "seeker-friendly Christianity" that might help.  

Some churches are using marketing strategies to promote their church ministries.  Often they are using the same strategies that are used in advertising for selling products or political ideas.  Using tools like marketing or technology to aid in spreading the Gospel shouldn't be a bad thing.


However, it is interesting to note that most marketing theory is based on
Maslow's Hierachy of Needs

http://web.utk.edu/~gwynne/maslow.HTM

There are five levels of needs according to Maslow.  The lowest level is satisfying physical needs (food, shelter).  One must move up through the levels to finally get to the top one (self-actualization).  

So according to Maslow's theory, soup kitchens who preach the Gospel are just wasting their time.  

It makes me wonder about churches that run several different types of programs but don't have basic Bible study classes for adults.  Some churches feel they must offer programs to lure people into the church and then they will offer the Gospel as a side dish.  It is great if Christian teaching can be the focus of every church ministry.  

Some churches do statistical studies to find who is going to their church (ages, families/singles, male/female ratio) and whether people from the neighbourhood are attending the church services.  Then they can find out how to better serve people with programs/ministries.  

Sounds very interesting.  Most Christian churches require ministers to be ordained and have some specific training.  Some churches also have rules about who can lead worship services in churches and preach sermons.  Some churches only allow ordained minister to preach sermons; guest speakers are under supervision of ministers and they give "messages" or "talks" not sermons.  

By contrast, as I have heard, Mosques sometimes allow anyone to "preach".  There is less formal acreditations for imans than Christians have for ministers.  I have heard that most imans will go to study in Saudi Arabia but most muslims do try to make their pilgrimage there anyway.  

This is something like what the apostles, Paul and Stephen (Acts) were doing; going into the synagogues to preach.  Some Jews believed and others didn't.  Jesus himself taught in at the temple and synagogue (anyone have a scripture references?)

Christians are being persecuted in Columbia.  Several clergy have been assassinated.  Clergy and Christian aid workers are regularly threatened.  

http://www.worldevangelical.org/persecute/persec_columbia_10apr02.html

If a Columbian priest is threatened and told not to enter a certain area controlled by terrorists, is he disrespecting the terrorists if he goes there to say mass, give last rites and baptize babies?  Or is he serving God?   If the priest was told he would be killed if he said mass, would he be foolish to disrespect a death threat?  

Not all non-Christians are enemies of Christ.  There is a great difference between someone who has not yet accepted Christ and someone who rejects Christ and hates Christ.   What I would like to know is why some governments absolutely will not allow Bibles and Christian literature into their countries?  I have heard that some countries like Arab Emirates do allow Christian services to be attended by Christians (or maybe this is underground).  

As for respect - disrespecting the sovereignty of Christ will only lead to one destination.  Any attempt, using any method,  to bring Christ to a muslim is considered disrespectful to Islam.  

As for "Protestant" Christians trying to convert "Catholic" Christians or vice versa - get over it.  All one needs to say to the "Coverter" is "thank you, I am a Christian.  Perhaps you could better use your time to tell someone else the good news."  

I thank God everyday that I am not being persecuted for loving him.

Even when we repent and ask God for forgiveness, we have to remember that we will still have to face consequences of our past in the world.  

You may seek forgiveness from your family and not get it.  You could also face criminal charges depending on your age at the time.  Becoming a Christian doesn't make everything all right.  God will help you deal with your problems but they will not magically go away.  God will forgive you if you ask and you must try to understand what repentance is.   Pray about it everyday for some time and ask for guidance.  But it is important that you can go to a pastor for help.  

I am not sure what you are looking for.   I suppose you may have several reasons for wanting an on-line course of study.

If you are just looking for a more advanced Bible study course, there are excellent resources available on the internet.  Try  http://www.blueletterbible.org/index.html   There are other websites if you do a search.  Most on-line Bible studies are not very advanced.  You might also find some Bible study books at Christian bookstores.  

If you are looking to be an ordained minister or want to work as a pastor, contact your church.  They will refer you to a Bible college that can offer correspondence courses.  (some Bible colleges do require a church to recommend their students)  If you are in hosptial, jail or living in Antarctica, well that might be a good reason for wanting to do everything over the net.  You will have to do some practical courses and some internships as well to become accreditted and get a diploma.  If money or transportation is the problem, your congregation or church organization might have some funding/scholarship available.  

It might just be too big a step to come right out and say "I want to be a minister".  You might like to take a few courses first and study the Bible before going to your church and asking for sponsorship.  Most Christians do study the Bible on their own.  Buy a good study Bible, the best you can afford.  A concordance is very important (such as Strong's) and a Bible dictionary and maps.  Then pick a book, pray and start reading.