Immoral behavior

[Shammu]

John Grisham and the New Baptist Covenant

Feb 1, 2008 | by David Roach

ATLANTA (BP)--To restore their prophetic voice in the culture, Baptists must reject "narrow" interpretations of Scripture and oppose both the Iraq war and President Bush's tax cuts, plenary session speakers said Jan. 31 at the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant in Atlanta.

The auditorium, which holds 15,000 people, was approximately half full for Thursday's sessions after an estimated attendance of 9,000 for Wednesday night's address by former President Jimmy Carter. Some attendees of the combined winter meeting of the National Baptist Convention of America, the National Baptist Convention USA, the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America and the Progressive National Baptist Convention appeared to have gone home.

Novelist John Grisham said it is time for Baptists to stop reading the Bible with so-called narrow literalness and celebrate diversity.

He criticized the Baptist church he attended during his youth for taking what he said was an inconsistent and intolerant approach to Scripture.

"In the Baptist church of my youth we were taught that the Bible is the infallible, inerrant Word of God -- every word is divinely inspired and it is to be read literally," Grisham said. "It just dropped out of heaven. Five thousand years ago God made the earth in six days, 144 hours. Then He rested on the Sabbath, which is really on Saturday but we're not going to start that debate. Methuselah lived to be a [thousand], and when Paul wrote that women should be submissive, that was the literal interpretation. It was the law.

"However, when Paul told Timothy to have a little wine," he said to laughter, "and when Jesus said in Mark 16 that His followers would be known for speaking in tongues, taking up the serpents with their hands and drinking the poison, well then some things were not so literal."

He called churches holding such beliefs intolerant and harmful to the cause of Christ.

"The church was proudly intolerant of other people, other denominations, other religions," he said. "Sadly, in many ways and in many places, that church still exists today. Many of you know it because you're products of those churches."

Baptists are hated by some people because Baptists "have worked so hard to exclude so many," Grisham said. Citing Galatians 3:28, he said Baptists must restore their image by respecting everyone.

"Who are we kidding when we try to exclude?" he said. "God made all of us. He loves all of us equally, and He expects us to love and respect each other without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, biblical interpretation, denominations or other religions."

He specifically criticized those who limit some roles in the church to men only, citing the church of his youth as one bad example.

"In the Baptist church of my youth, women were expected to stay in their places," Grisham said. "They couldn't preach, couldn't serve as deacons.

"They could run the nursery. They could teach the children. They could sing in the choir, but they could not lead in public prayer. They could be appointed missionaries' wives but not missionaries. And two or three times a year, just for good measure, to remind them of their reduced status, we would hear a long sermon based on the first-century writings of the apostle Paul. How many times have I heard 1 Timothy 2:11-12?"

He remarked of 1 Timothy 2:11-12, "Even as a child I did not understand this."

Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund, called on Baptists to take the lead in lifting children out of poverty.

Millions of children are abused, receive inadequate healthcare, die of preventable causes and lack adequate education, she said. The church must take responsibility for this problem and work for a solution, Edelman said.

"The church ought to be the locomotive and not the caboose in speaking up for the poor children and the neglected children in our country," she said.

One important way the church should help is by rediscovering its prophetic voice to the culture, she said. It is particularly important for the church to speak against making President Bush's tax cuts permanent, she said.

"The number of children in poverty has increased by 2 million since 2000, and our uninsured children have increased by 1 million in the last two years, and our political leaders say we don't have the money to provide five years of $70 billion but say we can afford to give tax cuts to billionaires in the top 1 percent, which costs $76 billion in lost revenue this year alone," Edelman said.

"That money could lift every child out of poverty and provide all uninsured children and pregnant women healthcare. And you need to raise your voices and oppose any efforts to make those tax cuts permanent."

Edelman added that any nation spending more money on defense than social uplift evidences its own spiritual decay.

"Just seven months of our last year's budget on the Iraq war could also lift every child out of poverty and provide every child healthcare," she said. "And we have got to figure out how we find a better balance between protecting our children from the terrors within and protecting our children from the enemies without."

Julie Pennington-Russell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga., said Baptists must move beyond being politely respectful to people different from themselves and embrace all people with Christ-like love.

"Respect, in the end, has no power to change something that's fundamentally broken in you and me and between you and me," she said. "Only love can do that."

Baptists must love like never before those with different politics or theology, Pennington-Russell said.

"Chances are in some ways they've been blinded toward you, and chances are you've been a little blind toward them too," she said. "And you and I have no power to heal ourselves of our blindness, but love does."

Tony Campolo, professor emeritus at Eastern University, said Christians must make personal sacrifices to help the poor. He asked the hypothetical question, "Can a Christian own a BMW?" and said Jesus would spend His money helping the poor rather than buying an extravagant luxury item.

"Can you imagine Him (Jesus) having to choose between feeding starving kids in Haiti and buying a BMW (and) saying, 'Forget those kids. I'm buying me a status symbol?'"

In the midst of alleviating poverty believers must never forget that telling the message of salvation to all people is the most important duty they have, he said.

"Even as we feed the hungry, clothe the naked -- even as we reach out to the poor and the oppressed of our age, which is the calling of this convocation, we do have to say this: We must also and above all bring the message of salvation, for man (and) woman shall not live by bread alone."

The New Baptist Covenant meeting is scheduled to conclude Friday with an address by former President Bill Clinton.

John Grisham and the New Baptist Covenant

[Shammu]

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

I take scripture literally. I see no reason to change, and I sure won't change it because of some writer who's stuff I never read anyway says it's wrong. It is so easy to see, how the anti-christ will pull the wool over so many people's eyes.

[HisDaughter]

Jury Duty Scam

This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; y our identity w as just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado . This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm

And here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp

[Soldier4Christ]

Scam artists are continually coming up with more and more ingenious ideas for performing their illegal activities. I never give my soc sec number out over the internet or phone, not even a portion of it. This also goes to say for any other of my personal info. If I am asked for any of it by anyone my response is that I will be there in their office in a short while and we can finish our business then. That way I am face to face with those that might need it and I know for sure who has my information.

[nChrist]

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

I take scripture literally. I see no reason to change, and I sure won't change it because of some writer who's stuff I never read anyway says it's wrong. It is so easy to see, how the anti-christ will pull the wool over so many people's eyes.

Amen Brother!

GOD is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. GOD lets us know in dramatic and very clear ways when HIS Will and directions to mankind change. As the best example, many wonderful things changed at the CROSS. This was and is the most precious and impacting event in human history.

Many are being deceived, and it's easy to see large bodies of people being mislead. Sadly, many are blindly following the leader, and that leader isn't working for GOD. Those who were never really Christians in the first place will be the easiest to deceive.

[nChrist]

Jury Duty Scam

This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; y our identity w as just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado . This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm

And here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp

Hello Grammyluv,

Sister, thanks for the information. This one is a very clever con game, and I can see where it would work very well with most people. It might also be difficult to catch and prosecute these people. A method might be devised to appeal to their greed and get them caught. As an example, I might offer to pay a fine in cash. A real court system never rejects cash. However, most real court systems don't do business like this over the phone. The person is required to appear before a judge. Average people might not know things like this and be fairly easy to deceive.

[Maryjane]

Then let us all be committed unto death to the One who gives us the power to withstand what ever the world throws at us..For greater is He that is in us than he that is in thr world. We are not pushovers, we are overcomers and no matter what the behavior is in this world, The Lord Jesus Christ dwells within us and shines the light that the lost can find their way for ther is hope even in the darkest hour for those who do not know the way..

[Shammu]

Then let us all be committed unto death to the One who gives us the power to withstand what ever the world throws at us..For greater is He that is in us than he that is in thr world. We are not pushovers, we are overcomers and no matter what the behavior is in this world, The Lord Jesus Christ dwells within us and shines the light that the lost can find their way for ther is hope even in the darkest hour for those who do not know the way..

AMEN!!

[nChrist]

Another Amen MaryJane!

JESUS CHRIST is the LIGHT of the World, and HIS LIGHT will never be put out. As Children of the LIGHT, we should love the LIGHT and desire to stay in it. We are safe and secure in the LIGHT, and no power can snatch us out of HIS Hands.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable GIFT, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour Forever!

[Soldier4Christ]

Observation: Little about evangelism from Baptists' Atlanta gathering

Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, says it's no surprise that most of the speeches and workshops coming out of the recent meeting of liberal and moderate Baptists had little or nothing to do with evangelism.

The three-day event, which started January 30, was called "Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant." It was organized by former President Jimmy Carter and featured speeches by former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore. After speaking to the gathering on the topic of global warming, Gore was labeled a "Baptist prophet" by the leader of a Baptist group based in Nashville.
 
In addition to global warming, topics at the Atlanta meeting included poverty, the war in Iraq, education funding, religious liberty, and religious diversity. Those attending the meeting represented 30 Baptist conventions and organizations, all of which are aligned with the North American Baptist Fellowship. Dr. Land said for most groups at the meeting, evangelism was not a high priority.
 
"If they were strong on evangelism, then all of these groups would not have declining membership," he observes. "And every one of the groups that was there either has declining membership or is stagnant in its membership growth."
 
Membership decline is an example, he contends, of what occurs when religious leaders exchange the true gospel for a social gospel. "That's what happens when you don't emphasize evangelism and when you compromise with the culture," Land argues.
 
"Some call it diversity and worship of diversity; I call it compromise with the culture," the Southern Baptist official continued. "We're going to stand over against the culture and bear witness to the culture, not be seduced by the culture."
 
Dr. Land also said the timing of the meeting, less than a week before Super Tuesday, was no coincidence. He expects there will be a lot of rhetoric from the "New Baptist Covenant" leading up to the November elections, but not much afterwards.

[nChrist]

The three-day event, which started January 30, was called "Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant." It was organized by former President Jimmy Carter and featured speeches by former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore. After speaking to the gathering on the topic of global warming, Gore was labeled a "Baptist prophet" by the leader of a Baptist group based in Nashville.

YUK! - Pardon my revulsion! - Prophet Al Gore anointed!

I think this tells us all that we need to know. By the way, GOD is the ONE who makes Covenants with mankind, and HE is the ONLY ONE who can change them.

[Shammu]

The three-day event, which started January 30, was called "Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant." It was organized by former President Jimmy Carter and featured speeches by former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore. After speaking to the gathering on the topic of global warming, Gore was labeled a "Baptist prophet" by the leader of a Baptist group based in Nashville.

The gift of prophet seems to have been a temporary gift given by the Christ for the laying of the foundation of the church. Prophets were foundational to the church (Ephesians 2:20). The prophet proclaimed a message from the Lord to the early believers. Sometimes a prophet’s message was revelatory (new revelation and truth from God) and sometimes a prophet’s message was predictive (Acts 11:28 and 21:10). The early Christians did not have the complete Bible. Some early Christians did not have access to any of the books of the New Testament. The New Testament prophets “filled the gap” by proclaiming God’s message to the people who would not have access to it otherwise. The last book of the New Testament (Revelation) was not completed until late in the first century. So, the Lord sent prophets to proclaimed God’s Word to His people.

If the purpose of a prophet was to reveal truth from God, why would we need prophets if we have the completed revelation from God in the Bible?? If prophets were the “foundation” of the early church, are we still building the “foundation” today? Can God give someone a message to deliver to someone else? Absolutely!! Does God reveal truth to someone in a supernatural way and enable that person to deliver that message to others?? Absolutely!! But is this the biblical gift of prophecy?? NO!!!!!

Whenever a person claims to be speaking for God (the essence of prophecy) the key is to compare what is said with what the Bible says. If God were to speak through a person today, it would be in 100% complete agreement with what God has already said in the Bible. God does not contradict Himself.

1 John 4:1 BELOVED, DO not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 Do not spurn the gifts and utterances of the prophets [do not depreciate prophetic revelations nor despise inspired instruction or exhortation or warning]. 21 But test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good; [to that] hold fast.

Compare what is said to what the Word of God says. If it contradicts the Bible, throw it out. If it agrees with the Bible, pray for wisdom and discernment as to how to apply the message!!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), 17 So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

James 1:5 If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, says it's no surprise that most of the speeches and workshops coming out of the recent meeting of liberal and moderate Baptists had little or nothing to do with evangelism.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition), 4  Who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and insolently against and over all that is called God or that is worshiped, [even to his actually] taking his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God.

[bronzesnake]

His new name is Al Goreacle! 



John

[nChrist]

His new name is Al Goreacle! 



John

           ROFL!

I'm just glad to see that he's dressed for the COLD! NOW, all we have to worry about is knitting sweaters for the Polar Bears!

[Soldier4Christ]

'Dear Abby' a shock jock for promiscuity?
'Logical result of advice is fewer marriages, more sexual experimentation'

A new report is warning Americans to beware of reading or following the Dear Abby column, especially when writer Jeanne Phillips dispenses advice about sex.

"Publications that carry Abby might want to consider carrying a label: 'Warning: Although Abby has a reputation as the stern aunt who can deliver a well-placed kick to your backside when needed, on sexual topics her foot will push you further in the wrong direction at least half the time,'" said a report from the Culture and Media Institute.

The organization, which is designed to "advance, preserve, and help restore America's culture, character, traditional values, and morals against the assault of the liberal media elite," has examined the publications of "Dear Abby."

An icon in America, the advice column runs in 1,400 newspapers worldwide and reaches an estimated 110 million readers daily – about three times the combined viewership of ABC, CBS and NBC, the report said.

"Phillips enjoys a tremendous platform to promote her beliefs on everything from wedding etiquette to handling the crazy uncle in the attic," the report, assembled by research assistant Colleen Raezler, said.

However, the CMI analysis noted that 30 percent of her 2007 columns addressed issued associated with sex, and in more than half of those, she took "a distinctly non-traditional approach toward moral questions."

"Many of her columns on sex could have been written by Dr. Ruth (the sex therapist)," the report said.

"Fifty-four columns address sex between unmarried adults, and only one column suggests that sex should be preceded by marriage," the report summary said. "Thirty-six columns address infidelity. In only 10 of these columns does Abby suggest breaking off an affair, or not getting into an affair in the first place. Only once does Abby flatly state that an affair is 'wrong.'"

"At times Abby appears to condone adultery, even homosexual adultery," the report said. "'Confused in Illinois' wrote Abby that she had no interest in intimate relations with her husband, but she is now involved in a 'passionate sexual relationship' with a female friend. Abby told her to 'look at the bright side. At least you now finally understand what has been missing…'"

Of 12 columns dealing with teen sex, only three times did she suggest abstinence, and that was only for teens who were not yet sexually active, the report said.

Ten columns addressed homosexuality, "and Abby never says homosexual behavior is morally wrong. Instead she treats it as normal and ignores the well-documented, associated health risks."

She even adopts as normal quirky behavior. "Twenty of Abby's sex columns address topics such as stripping, nudism and cross-dressing," the report said. To a woman whose "significant other" wanted to dress as a woman, she said, "If I really cared about him, I think I'd ask to spend some time with his 'other self.'"

The column, founded by 1956 by Pauline Phillips and now taken over by her daughter, Jeanne, doesn't view sex as part of traditional morality that is "limited to married, heterosexual couples," the report said. It said a review of columns back to 1981 supported the fact that "Dear Abby … has consistently espoused sexually 'liberated' viewpoints for the past 30 years."

There have been alarms raised in the past. In 1997, W. Patrick Cunningham wrote about "Abby" and her sister, Ann Landers, who until her death in 2002 wrote that advice column.

"Their pithy dictums have seduced many into accepting the reasonableness of moral relativism; they have, over the past 40 years, helped legitimize the revolution in morality that has taken Western culture to the brink of extinction."

Among her other causes, Ann Landers advocated abortion and legalization of prostitution, the report said.

"Abby" regularly refers teens to Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, for information about "family planning.'

And for her work, column founder Pauline Phillips was awarded the Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood. She explained why she referred to Planned Parenthood.

"I knew that Planned Parenthood would advise her about her entire range of options," she later explained.

Crisis pregnancy centers, however, should be avoided, she said, because of the "color videos of aborted fetuses."

On homosexuality, the 2007 columns were unanimous in their sympathy to the homosexual agenda in the United States. In October, Phillips told the Associated Press that she supports same-sex "marriage." She said, "I believe if two people want to commit to each other, God bless 'em."

On sex between unmarried individuals, she endorsed it 53 of 54 times the subject arose. And the one exception was, in fact, a joke.

"Only once did Abby suggest waiting until marriage before engaging in sexual activity, and that was to a 59-year-old widow who asked how to respond to her 71-year-old widower companions' question about how she feels about sex. Abby suggested, "The next time the gentleman asks how you feel about sex, say, 'I love sex. How do you feel about marriage?'"

The Media Research Center, parent of the Culture and Media Institute, said it was offering a way for concerned newspaper readers to take action. It is providing a link that allows readers to demand that newspapers print a disclaimer above the "Abby" columns, "warning readers that she is not an accredited professional and her advice on sexual morality cannot be trusted."

"The logical result of following Abby's advice is fewer marriages, more sexual experimentation and fewer strong families producing self-governing citizens," the report concluded.