Immoral behavior

[Shammu]

Y'all should have known this was coming.....................
~~~~~~~~~~~

Ford reaffirms commitment to homosexual groups

Ford says more "gay" support could be forthcoming

October 25, 2007

In an interview with The Advocate (Nov. 2007 issue), America's largest homosexual magazine, Ford states more gay-specific ads are a distinct possibility.

In reaffirming its commitment to advancing homosexuality, Ford spokesman Jim Cain said, "We haven't ruled out the possibility of doing more targeted (gay specific) ads…"

The comment came in a four-page article entitled, "Driving the Gay Market," summarizing Ford's past and current advertising practices in gay and lesbian publications. 

Providing evidence of their continued commitment to the homosexual agenda, Ford placed a full-page ad in the November 2007 issue of OUT promoting its new Volvo C30 automobile.  OUT is the nation's second largest homosexual magazine.

Ford reaffirms commitment to homosexual groups

Please sign the Boycott Ford Pledge.

[HisDaughter]

Signed.

It's all about the all mighty dollar isn't it.

[Shammu]

Evangelical Rethink on Divorce?

By DAVID VAN BIEMA Tue Nov 6, 12:30 AM ET

On questions relating to the Bible's treatment of family and morals, one might expect assurance, if not rigidity, from Evangelical Christianity. So, it may surprise many to learn how "live" the topic of divorce remains in Evangelical circles. Last month, the cover story of the monthly Christianity Today was titled "When to Separate What God has Joined: A Closer Reading on the Bible on Divorce." The heated controversy provoked by the story showed how Biblically flexible some Evangelicals can be - especially when God's word seems at odds not just with modern American behavior, but also with simple human kindness.

As the article's author, the British Evangelical scholar David Instone-Brewer, points out, for most of 2,000 years Christians have viewed divorce through two scriptural citations. In Matthew, the pharisees ask Christ, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?" Jesus refers to the Old Testament and then replies, "Whoever divorces a wife, except for sexual indecency, commits adultery." The apostle Paul adds in the book First Corinthians that a Christian is "not bound" to a non-Christian spouse who abandons him. Simple, right?

Instone-Brewer radically reinterprets the first passage using, of all things, quotation marks. The Greek of the New Testament didn't always contain them, and scholars agree that sometimes they must be added in to make sense of it. Instone-Brewer, an expert in Jewish thought during Jesus's era, writes that Christ's interlocutors were not asking him whether there was any cause at all for divorce, but whether he supported something called "any-cause" divorce, a term a little bit like "no-fault" that allowed husbands to divorce wives for any reason at all. Instone-Brewer claims Jesus's "no" was a response to this idea, and that his "except for sexual indecency" condition was not a statement of the sole exemption from God's blanket prohibition, but merely Christ's reiteration of one of several divorce permissions in the Old Testament - one he felt the "any-time" advocates had exaggerated. Finally, Instone-Brewer tallies four grounds for divorce he finds affirmed in both Old and New Testaments: adultery, emotional and sexual neglect, abandonment (by anyone) and abuse.

Christianity Today has written previously on divorce, often bemoaning how easy it is in today's America. However, the Instone-Brewer essay appeared to be its editors' attempt to offer Evangelicals an escape from a classic dilemma. The "plain sense" of Jesus's words without quotes seems clear enough, but also inhumane: how could a loving God forbid divorce, even by omission, in cases of wife-beating, or of abandonment by a Christian spouse?

Each branch of Christianity deals with divorce in its own way: Catholicism bans it entirely, but many divorced and remarried couples nonetheless find that their conscience permits them to take Communion. Liberal Protestantism accepted divorce some decades ago without much engagement of the scriptural issue. Evangelicals define themselves as being tightly bound by scripture. But besides the humanitarian problem, there are some uncomfortable facts on the ground: The divorce rate among Evangelicals, which first became news after polls released by the Barna Research Group in 2001, has been as high or higher than the national average.

The Evangelical movement has actually made tremendous accommodations given the strictures it lives under. Ministries for the newly divorced are common at megachurches; and on the historically less-rigid Pentecostal side of the spectrum, celebrity preachers Juanita Bynum and Paula White both recently announced their intention to divorce. Most experts interviewed for this story attested that whereas 30 years ago, a pastor might well order a battered woman home to return her husband, that is rare today.

More conservative Evangelicals remain uneasy about divorce. If a split itself is inescapable, notes Christianity Today editor Andy Crouch, "remarriage is where the rubber meets the road," and many remarried couples find themselves denied church membership. Says Russel Moore, dean of the 16.3 million-member Southern Baptist Convention's influential Southern Seminary, "We teach our future pastors that marriage is a lifelong, one-flesh union." Any woman in an abusive marriage should "leave that situation," he acknowledges, and a "majority" probably accept remarriage. Asked if he does, Moore demurred: "Let me think about that for a little bit. I could answer in a way that would be very easily misunderstood."

Evangelical conflict on the topic was obvious in reader response to the Instone Brewer essay. Initially the mail was heavily negative. The most stinging broadside sas a column by John Piper, a respected theological conservative, that called the essay not just weak but "tragic." The magazine's editor in chief, David Neff, felt the need to explain online that "Instone-Brewer's article did not... give people carte blanche on divorce." The mail eventually leveled off at 60% negative to 40% positive.

Still, the controversy suggests that even the country's most rule-bound Christians will search for a fresh understanding of scripture when it seems unjust to them. The implications? Flexibility on divorce may mean that evangelicals could also rethink their position on such things as gay marriage, as a generation of Christians far more accepting of homosexuality begins to move into power. (The ever-active Barna folks have found that 57% of "born-again" Christians age 16-29 criticize their own church for being "anti-homosexual.") It could also give heart to a certain twice-divorced former New York mayor who is running for President and seeking the conservative vote. But that may be pushing things a bit.

Evangelical Rethink on Divorce?

[Shammu]

The Word of God tells us that He hates divorce. This looks like another excuse to do mans will through twisting the Word, and not Gods! If God hates it, as a follower of Christ, what more can I say?

Malachi 2:14-16 Yet you ask, Why does He reject it? Because the Lord was witness [to the covenant made at your marriage] between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously and to whom you were faithless. Yet she is your companion and the wife of your covenant [made by your marriage vows]. 15 And did not God make [you and your wife] one [flesh]? Did not One make you and preserve your spirit alive? And why [did God make you two] one? Because He sought a godly offspring [from your union]. Therefore take heed to yourselves, and let no one deal treacherously and be faithless to the wife of his youth. 16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I hate divorce and marital separation and him who covers his garment [his wife] with violence. Therefore keep a watch upon your spirit [that it may be controlled by My Spirit], that you deal not treacherously and faithlessly [with your marriage mate].

That tells me all I need to know. I, as a man, am told to love my wife as Christ loved the church. If I do my part in my house, and act as the spiritual head of my house led by God, then divorce no longer becomes an option.

If only more people would follow Christ, we wouldn't have problems we have today.

[Shammu]

Nation Hotel Bibles Being Replaced With Porn, Intimacy Kits, Free Condoms

By Roya Wolverson

In the rooms of Manhattan's trendy Soho Grand Hotel guests can enjoy an eclectic selection of underground music, iPod docking stations, flat-screen TVs and even the living company of a complimentary goldfish. But, alas, the word of God is nowhere to be found. Unlike traditional hotels, the 10-year-old boutique has never put Bibles in its guest rooms, because "society evolves," says hotel spokeswoman Lori DeBlois. Providing Bibles would mean the hotel "would have to take care of every guest's belief."

What might be surprising to many Americans is that the Bible-free room isn't a development just in hip New York City hotels. Across the country upscale accommodations are doing away with the Bible as a standard room amenity. And in its stead have arrived a slew of "lifestyle" products that cater to a younger, hipper (and presumably less religious) clientele. Since 2001 the number of luxury hotels with religious materials in the rooms has dropped by 18 percent, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. The Nashville-based Gideons International, which has distributed copies of the Christian scripture to hotels since 1908, declined to comment on this trend.

Edgier chains like the W provide "intimacy kits" with condoms in the minibar, while New York's Mercer Hotel supplies a free condom in each bathroom. Neither has Bibles. Since its recent renovation, the Sofitel L.A. offers a tantalizing lovers' dice game: roll one die for the action to be performed (for example, "kiss," "lick") and the other for the associated body part. The hotel's "mile high" kit, sold in the revamped gift shop, includes a condom, a mini vibrator, a feather tickler and lubricant. The new Indigo hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz., a "branded boutique" launched by InterContinental, also has no Bibles, but it does offer a "One Night Stand" package for guests seeking VIP treatment at local nightclubs and late checkout for the hazy morning after.

The reason for hotels' shift in focus? Leisure travel is up, business travel is down, and younger generations are entering the hotel market. Leisure now leads business by more than 10 percent in U.S. hotel stays, according to travel research firm D. K. Shifflet & Associates. With the lead in technology, design and nightlife, the boutique market is where Generations X, Y and young baby boomers want to be, says CEO Doug Shifflet. And with the boutique sector booming (boutique hotel rooms have grown by 23 percent since 2001, compared to only 7 percent for standard rooms), more traditional chains, which once catered to business clientele, are now desperate to emulate.

Sofitel's brand, for example, is taking "a new direction," says Daniel Entenberg, the "romance concierge" at the chain's flagship Los Angeles location. He was brought in two years ago in an effort to reposition the entire company's image. The chain once had Bibles in all guest rooms, but the corporate office in Dallas recently removed them due to guest inquiries about why other religious texts weren't available.

Even the staid Marriott chain, founded by a Mormon, is debating whether or not to include Bibles in its yet to be named boutique chain, which is set to launch in partnership with hipster hotelier Ian Schrager, who created the '70s disco Studio 54 and later New York City's Morgans, Royalton and Paramount hotels—which are largely credited with kicking off the boutique hotel craze. Schrager says he hasn't yet discussed the Bible amenity with Marriott, though he adds that his properties have never had in-room Bibles.

Marriott spokesman John Wolf says the Bible question is premature for the new venture, which he describes as "cutting-edge," "more urban" and "less values-oriented." Now, there's a marketing slogan no one's tried yet: "Sleep with us. Leave the values at home."

Nation Hotel Bibles Being Replaced With Porn, Intimacy Kits, Free Condoms

[Shammu]

Silent Indoctrination: Meditating in School
CBNNews.com
November 10, 2007

CBNNews.com - Pencils, papers, books and... relaxation mats - could be coming to a school near you.

It is estimated that the number of public, private, and charter schools in the nation exposing children to a Hindu-based meditation practice will reach 100 by next year - a 75 percent increase since 2006.

Supporters of this practice, known as Transcendental Meditation, say it is not religious and has no harmful side effects. But many disagree.

Mainstreaming Meditation

Over the past four decades, Hindu-based meditation practices have been making steady headway into mainstream culture. You may be most familiar with the image of a person sitting in a yoga posture, chanting "ohm" while resting their hands upon their knees - palms up.

But today, not only has this practice known as transcendental meditation, become a part of the mainstream, it has crept into the public school system with increasing force.

Just this month, 1960s pop star Donovan announced he was joining film director David Lynch to open the Invincible Donovan University in an effort to inject the mind-altering practice into education.

Lynch, who founded the David Lynch Foundation, has actively promoted transcendental meditation in schools across America for years.

The director has toured the U.S. with Donovan to increase the number of schools and colleges using their techniques to "help" students relieve the crime, stress, and violence on campuses. From 2005 to 2006, the David Lynch Foundation gave more than $3 million to fund TM practices at 20 public, private, and charter schools in the U.S.

Quiet Time in Schools

One elementary school in Washington D.C. has already incorporated TM as part of its everyday curricula.

IDEAL Academy principal Dr. George Rutherford argues that meditation helps students deal with outside stress so they can focus on their schoolwork.

"And if a child comes in and they're stressed out, how do we expect them to learn?" Rutherford asked News 21. He says that TM is the answer.

"It feels like you're floating on clouds," 5th grade student Jami Jones told the news service. She takes part in a daily 10-minute classroom meditation, where she recites her mantra.

Should TM Be Used in Schools?

But the claim that TM is not a religious practice has not been supported in the court room.

A 1977 decision by a U.S. district court made it clear that TM and all of its affiliated teachings "are religious in nature within the context of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution."

The case was Alan B.Malnak v. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. District Judge H. Curtis Meanor ruled that the textbook titled Science of Creative Intelligence was also religious in nature, and violated separation of church and state.

Despite this ruling, many state-funded schools continue to endorse the practice.

In October 2006, students and faculty members of Terra Linda High School in San Rafael, Calif., made plans to participate in a TM club funded by the David Lynch Foundation. Lynch had promised to give a $175,000 grant to the public school,

The support was retracted, however, after parents became aware of the campus program.

Still, Terra Linda's principal Carole Ramsey supported the TM program, ignoring the parental concerns raised. In a report from The Associated Press, she accused "a few individuals" for stirring up "an environment that has led to the withdrawal of this grant."

Ramsey said the school would continue to urge students interested in TM to find other similar programs.

TM's Harmful Effects

Although the TM movement touts positive benefits, many detrimental effects have been documented.

A German study published by the Institute for Youth and Society reports that psychological disorders and illnesses accompany 76 percent of those who practice TM.

The study showed that of those practicing TM: 63 percent experienced fatigue, 52 percent underwent "states of anxiety," 45 percent suffered from depression, 39 percent exhibited nervousness, 39 percent showed signs of regression, 26 percent had nervous breakdowns, and 20 expressed suicidal tendencies.

Students who performed well at school before practicing TM were included in the study, making it even more unclear that TM has any positive effect on the student.

In fact, in the German study, 61 percent found it hard to maintain their workload. Only 13 percent said they could handle more. Another 56 percent had decreased concentration, and only 16 percent claimed an improvement.

Dr. William Hathaway, psychology professor at Regent University, said he does not believe TM lives up to its claims.

"If it is just used as a de-stressing method, then I am not aware of any evidence that TM is a better route to this goal than simple rest or other quieting activities," he said.

Hathaway also compared TM to Christian meditation.

"I will say, however, that Christian and biblical meditation can be distinguished from Eastern meditation, as its deliberate focus is on God," Hathaway said. "We may also try to 'quiet' the nervous system, but we focus on an encounter with the divine Other, not an alleged self within."

The TM Experience

TM doctrine declares that stress is the originator of all personal tribulations. However, one former TMer says the practice is not only religious in nature, but deceitful.

"TM doctrine teaches that absolutely all personal difficulties and restrictions are caused by 'stress,' which is some 'abnormality' in the nervous system," Joe Kellet said on the Web site, Suggestibility.org. Kellet is now working to expose the deception behind TM.

Kellet argues that TM teaching claims participants can reach "Cosmic Consciousness," by taking part in a "simple relaxation exercise" twice a day for 20 minutes.

He adds that the "exercise is supposed to produce people who are morally perfect, people who will 'perform spontaneous right actions' in everything they think and do and will receive 'support' from something called 'nature."

When he taught TM, Kellet admits that he regularly deceived his students.

"As a teacher I frequently lied to people 'for their own good" because 'they weren't ready yet' to receive the full truth, and so did my friends who were teachers," Kellet said on Suggestibility.com. "We didn't think of it as 'lying.' We thought we were giving people as much truth as they could handle."

He said one of the frequent lies is that TM is not a religion.

Is TM a Religion?

Christian apologists argue that the rituals TMers must go through in seeking to relieve stress don't comply with claims that the practice is not religious.

"TM, however, is not a neutral discipline that can be practiced without harm to the individual," Christian authors Josh McDowell and Don Stewart said in their Handbook of Today's Religions. "In actuality, TM is a Hindu meditation technique that attempts to unite the meditator with Brahman, the Hindu concept of God."

In fact, McDowell and Stewart said that the religious content of a simple initiation ceremony TM instructors read contain phrases that hail, give offerings, and bow down to Hindu gods.

Silent Indoctrination: Meditating in School

[Shammu]

Mainstreaming Meditation

Not Religious??

TM is nothing but Hindu spirituality. It was created by a Hindu guru & has is inseparable from hinduism and is tied into the occult and paganism. Sadly many people, probably practice it just to relax and have no idea that it's nothing but hinduism repackaged as a form of relaxation.

[Shammu]

Head of Google Israel refuses to censor hate material on the Web
By The Associated Press

Google is not the address for stopping online hate, the Israel director of the well known search engine told a conference on Monday.

Organizers of the conference representing the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish group that counters anti-Semitism, brought examples of anti-Jewish hate material freely available on the Internet, and participants called for more action to stop it.

But Google Israel Director Meir Brand explained his company's free-access philosophy that puts it on the sidelines of the war against cyberhate.

"At Google, we have a bias in favor of people's right to free expression," he said. "Google is not and should not become the central arbiter of what does and does and does not appear on the Web. That's for elected governments and courts to decide," Brand said.

He said Google removes results from its search index only when required to by law, for example, when copyright infringement is an issue. In Germany and Austria, he said, Google removes Nazi content, which is against the law there.

Recognizing the problem, however, Google has instituted a warning system for hate entries, taking viewers to a page warning that some of the search results may be offensive, and noting that opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect Google's views.

"The problem with using law to combat hate speech online is that technology changes so quickly," said Brian Marcus, director of Internet monitoring for ADL North America. "By the time the law is amended to prohibit certain sites," he said, "those sites have changed names and addresses."

"The law is simply one tool in the toolbox for dealing with hate speech," said Christopher Wolf, chairman of the International Network Against Cyberhate. "We [also] need the voluntary cooperation of the Internet industry."

"I applaud the efforts of Google," he said, but he called for more. He said social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook have been accused of hosting racist and religiously offensive content, and that must be dealt with.

Avi Aviv, head of the Israeli police computer crimes unit, said the law has not yet adapted to the many types of cybercrime, including hate speech that leads to violent acts.

"The traditional 'scene of the crime' is changing," Aviv said. "In the past there were street gangs [who] rumbled. Today, these rumbles take place on the Internet."

Head of Google Israel refuses to censor hate material on the Web

[HisDaughter]

Not Religious??

TM is nothing but Hindu spirituality. It was created by a Hindu guru & has is inseparable from hinduism and is tied into the occult and paganism. Sadly many people, probably practice it just to relax and have no idea that it's nothing but hinduism repackaged as a form of relaxation.

And next?  A peyote induced sacramental vision?

[Soldier4Christ]

It is various forms of this TM that we see infiltrating many of our churches today right along with many other subtle paganistic teachings. I don't mean just the universal ones either but those that are otherwise fairly fundamental in their teachings.

[HisDaughter]

It is various forms of this TM that we see infiltrating many of our churches today right along with many other subtle paganistic teachings. I don't mean just the universal ones either but those that are otherwise fairly fundamental in their teachings.

Pretty scary when you can't trust the church.  Those of us that have been around awhile can hopefully see though something like this, but what about new Christians looking for a church home?

[Littleboy]

We really turned to Paganism in a BIG way When Constitine seen HIS Vision of a Firey Cross & had his Conversion and the Offical Religon became Christianity! Somewhere around 323 AD...
I'm Sure alot Christians back then said ALLRIGHT no more being fed to Lions No More being used as human torches to light their Gardens at night, No more having to hide to seek God & Love Jesus!
But, what came with that is: A Rabbit & a Egg that was mixed with the Day that our Lord Rose from the Dead...
What ever the word is for "sunday" in italian, was used by them for the 1st day of the Week,
Because they Worshipped the Sun on that day...
They changed the names from HOLYDAYS too HOLIDAYS...
They celebrated the birth of Jesus too & they put it on a day that they use to Worship ALL their GODS,
Like they did the Rabbit for it's reproduction qualities, the Egg for it's fertility & some Godess named Estar,
These of course only being a couple of the 100's of Gods they had...
THIS was done to appease the Roman citizens that was just told that they are all Christians now & not to neglect the
Christians that have been around for awhile...

Think about it, After almost 300 yrs. Satan seen he was'nt gaining any ground by trying to Kill us off,
SO he became that Angel of Light that we have all been told that he can Become. And HAS wormed his way(s) into OUR WAYS...
Do you know that right now in some of those old christian churches in and around Jerusalem have some stuff
made out of the Gold that TITUS took back to Rome after he destroyed the Temple and took all it's Gold, and when Constitines Mother went their some 250 or so yrs. later She had a few Churches Built in certain places and took some of that Gold as did her son and had things made and put them in these churches...
TEMPLE GOLD....
YLBD
P.S
I hope someone enjoys this and looks up all the other things that has happened because of this...
Gods Will Be Done...

[HisDaughter]

So Long, Gideons
The one thing travelers could reliably count on in their hotel rooms: a Bible in the bedside table. But like many traditions, this one may be dying.

By Roya Wolverson
Newsweek Web Exclusive
Updated: 3:16 PM ET Nov 8, 2007

In the rooms of Manhattan's trendy Soho Grand Hotel guests can enjoy an eclectic selection of underground music, iPod docking stations, flat-screen TVs and even the living company of a complimentary goldfish. But, alas, the word of God is nowhere to be found. Unlike traditional hotels, the 10-year-old boutique has never put Bibles in its guest rooms, because "society evolves," says hotel spokeswoman Lori DeBlois. Providing Bibles would mean the hotel "would have to take care of every guest's belief."

What might be surprising to many Americans is that the Bible-free room isn't a development just in hip New York City hotels. Across the country upscale accommodations are doing away with the Bible as a standard room amenity. And in its stead have arrived a slew of "lifestyle" products that cater to a younger, hipper (and presumably less religious) clientele. Since 2001 the number of luxury hotels with religious materials in the rooms has dropped by 18 percent, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. The Nashville-based Gideons International, which has distributed copies of the Christian scripture to hotels since 1908, declined to comment on this trend.

Edgier chains like the W provide "intimacy kits" with condoms in the minibar, while New York's Mercer Hotel supplies a free condom in each bathroom. Neither has Bibles. The new Indigo hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz., a "branded boutique" launched by InterContinental, also has no Bibles, but it does offer a "One Night Stand" package for guests seeking VIP treatment at local nightclubs and late checkout for the hazy morning after.

The reason for hotels' shift in focus? Leisure travel is up, business travel is down, and younger generations are entering the hotel market. Leisure now leads business by more than 10 percent in U.S. hotel stays, according to travel research firm D. K. Shifflet & Associates. With the lead in technology, design and nightlife, the boutique market is where Generations X, Y and young baby boomers want to be, says CEO Doug Shifflet. And with the boutique sector booming (boutique hotel rooms have grown by 23 percent since 2001, compared to only 7 percent for standard rooms), more traditional chains, which once catered to business clientele, are now desperate to emulate.

Sofitel's brand, for example, is taking "a new direction," says Daniel Entenberg, the "romance concierge" at the chain's flagship Los Angeles location. He was brought in two years ago in an effort to reposition the entire company's image. The chain once had Bibles in all guest rooms, but the corporate office in Dallas recently removed them due to guest inquiries about why other religious texts weren't available.

Even the staid Marriott chain, founded by a Mormon, is debating whether or not to include Bibles in its yet to be named boutique chain, which is set to launch in partnership with hipster hotelier Ian Schrager, who created the '70s disco Studio 54 and later New York City's Morgans, Royalton and Paramount hotels—which are largely credited with kicking off the boutique hotel craze. Schrager says he hasn't yet discussed the Bible amenity with Marriott, though he adds that his properties have never had in-room Bibles.

Marriott spokesman John Wolf says the Bible question is premature for the new venture, which he describes as "cutting-edge," "more urban" and "less values-oriented." Now, there's a marketing slogan no one's tried yet: "Sleep with us. Leave the values at home."

[Soldier4Christ]

There may be a number of hotels/motels that are not allowing it anymore yet the Gideons are placing more Bibles in peoples hands than they ever have before. Annually, The Gideons International is placing and distributing more than 63,000,000 Scriptures worldwide. This averages one million copies of the Word of God placed every six days, or 120 per minute!

Over the years their ministry has expanded to include more than just hotels/motels.

Jails and Prisons. Gideons are permitted to enter jails and prisons to place Scriptures and share the love of God with prisoners.

Hospitals. Attractive Testaments are placed beside the patients' beds, and many patients and their loved ones have found comfort and peace in the Lord Jesus Christ by reading God's Word. These Testaments are also available to residents of nursing and convalescent homes.

Military. Military personnel have been given Testaments since 1941. New Testaments with Psalms and Proverbs are given to men and women of the Armed Forces. Gideons personally distribute Testaments at military entrance processing stations and also make Testaments available to military chaplains in unlimited quantities for Armed Forces personnel.

Youth. Colorful New Testaments with Psalms and Proverbs are distributed to students from the fifth grade up, at both public and private schools.

Colleges and Universities. The college program was inaugurated in 1972. There have been many favorable responses from college and university students who have received Scriptures. One student stated: "I always believed there was a God, but He was unknown to me. I never read a Bible until The Gideons gave me one and spoke to me about Jesus. Today I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ."

Medical. The wives of Gideons present white New Testaments to those in public nursing fields: those who work in hospitals, offices, institutions, clinics, private homes, and are otherwise engaged in bedside nursing care as their livelihood. Nursing students are included.

The association has more than 250,000 members, located in more than 180 countries of the world.

[nChrist]

Brothers and Sisters,

"Immoral Behavior" is a great title for this thread. Evil and immorality is growing and on the move everywhere. It's sad that most of us already know that we can't stop it, and our children and grandchildren will have to put up with it. I doubt that any of us have seen a time where things are changing so rapidly. It should become apparent that the devil wants everything, most certainly including our homes and children.

Now is not the time for any Christian to get weak-kneed and sit down. Just the opposite - we should stand up and demand to be heard. Our duties and responsibilities as Christians are greater than ever. We should all stand tall and strong until JESUS comes to take us home.

The Gideons are a beautiful example for all of us. They won't give up and will continue their work. GOD has work for all of us to do and we should never give up. Christians have faced challenges, danger, beatings, imprisonment, and death around the world since Bible Times. We've had an easy time in this part of the world. It might be our turn and time for challenge and danger. I pray that we all accept that challenge and simply yield to GOD for HIS Use however he pleases. That is our reasonable service to GOD. We all need to pray for the strength, courage, and guidance to do HIS Will until the last moment.

We are Children of the KING OF KINGS and this world isn't our HOME. Truly, we need to become Strong in the LORD and the Power of HIS MIGHT! Truly, we need to put on the Whole Armour of GOD and go forth.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Colossians 1:29 NASB
For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Colossians 1:9-12 NASB
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Ephesians 6:10-17 NASB
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.