Rama what ?? and Christians participating with them!!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-09-18-ramadan-christians_N.htm?csp=34


Sterling Drive Church of Christ pastor Ben Ries and McLaren, Brian from the Emergent church participated in Ramadan. The idea is to honour God- by expression of peace, fellowship and neighborliness.



As Ries stated : "The concern is that somehow, I'm endorsing this other path. But I tell people I believe Jesus is the son of God. I believe he is the way and the truth and the life. But I believe I don't get to say who goes to hell and who doesn't. That's God's job."

Mclaren on the other hand is commited to peace making in response to 9/11.

Others like Dr. Mohler disagree with Brian and Ries.

How then should we as Christians response ? Are there any examples from the Scriptures to gleam from and guide our path ?

I believe we do. It is essential we do not confuse our attempts to out perform our neighbour in kindliness vs True Truth as Frances Schaeffer said. By that I mean what did God reveal to us and how we can know our belief to be true and be passionate about it. In addition, we must be able to understand and define what a loving witness as shown by Christ and his apostles. I love my daughter but I will discipline her when she is out of line. If I fail to do that I not only fail as a father but I really dont love her.

Some basic questions : When Christians participate in Ramadan, what are they trying to share and defend? That Muslims and Christians worship the same God? There are no major doctrinal differences between the two and that these minor differences and they are not impasse. Or maybe they are trying to have a dialogue with each other?

How does Paul 'dialogue' in Act 17. ? He presented his case by articulating coherently, cogently, with evidences. His argument and intent was to persuade them of the truth of the gospel. What they do with the truth was their own responsbilities.

How many of us actually check out Muslim's web sites that challenge Christianity as oppose to Christianity countering their challenge? They outgun us by far. Ravi Zacharias an apologist estimated that there are about 20,000 Muslim trained apologists in the world. How many Christians do we know are apologists--missionary does not have the skills of an apologist.

Back from detour, the bottom line for Paul as the need to persuade people of the truth of Christ's gospel, as he demolish arguments and pretension that are against the knowledge of God and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Cor. 10

Blessings

Eric

My Genes make me do it

Next time someone says that ' their genes make them do it' ask them to check this site out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/science/11gene.html?_r=1&oref=slogin



Blessings


Eric

Death by Strangulation courtesy of Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)

http://www.informz.net/pfm/archives/archive_854811.html

On September 16, 2009 Sen. Baucus has mandate that each individual is required to obtain health insurance or face substantial tax penalties. What transpire is essentially a government gag order . Red flag to anyone who thinks a government insurance plan will play fair with its private competitors. Please read the Humana letter to see the type of free speech that politicians like Mr. Baucus find threatening and are working to subvert. This is one of the reason why government should not be given more power.

Blessings


Eric

Progressive Marriage vs Traditional Marriage

Excellent article on the debate on marriage between a man and a woman or person and person.
This article articulate in a fair manner from legal point of view on both sides.
Thanks to Allen Jang for sharing this article with us


http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/jlpp/Vol31_No1_Stewartonline.pdf

Follow-up on " Importance of being Deceptively Dishonest."

Why are we allowing Joe Wilson the "RUDE, UNCIVIL" man who is suppose to represent his constituent be beaten up by the media, his own republican party and worst by Christian conservative? Was he not civil in his response when the President spoke in front of congress and the American people all those " TRUTH." From my perspective I PRAISE, and am PROUD to stand by Joe Wilson's side and say to THE PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES: YOU LIED to the American people , SIR !
You took and oath to protect the constitution and to serve the PEOPLE of AMERICA, not the special interest .
Some of you readers may say: Wilson was not civil afterall the President did request for civility. To call someone a liar in the middle of his speech smacks of rudeness, barbarianism it seems. Yes, the man who weeks ago told his opponents " I dont want the folks who created the mess doing a lot of talking. I want them to just get out of the way," said with hope in his eyes “I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility.” When the facts are out there and Obama and his administrative and those on the other side of the table are serious about REALLY wanting to HELP, change there are LOTS of GOOD Options which does not require those briefly enumerated in my previous blog.

I must stop here and make a statement. Eric why are you going into politics like Health Care and Global Warming when Christianity is about Spiritual aspects of things.
Do you think I am going off on the deep end of Christianity ? Your thoughts on that


Blessings



Eric

Global Warming : SPPI report

SPPI’s Monthly CO2 Report is now posted:http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/monthly_report/august_co2_report.htmlNo heat buildup in the oceans = no global warming:SPPI’s authoritative Monthly CO2 Report for August 2009 announces the publication of a major paper by Professors David Douglass and Robert Knox of the Physics Department in the University of Rochester, New York, demonstrating that the heat buildup in the oceans that is a necessary fingerprint of manmade global warming is not occurring. This is another mortal blow to the alarmist cause in the climate debate. Report, page 4. “Science should be done by observation, meditation, calculation, and verification. Politicized science cannot usefully inform political decisions.” Editorial comment: Page 3. The IPCC assumes CO2 concentration will reach 836 ppmv by 2100, but, for almost eight years, CO2 concentration has headed straight for only 570 ppmv by 2100. This alone halves all of the IPCC’s temperature projections. Pages 5-6. Since 1980 temperature has risen at only 2.3 °F (1.4 °C)/century, not the 7 F° (3.9 C°) the IPCC predicts. Pages 7-9. Sea level rose just 8 inches in the 20th century, and has scarcely risen since 2006. The oceans are not warming. Pages 10-11. Arctic sea-ice extent is currently at its summer low, but there is more summer ice than there was in 2007 or 2008. In the Antarctic, sea ice extent reached a record high in 2007. Global sea ice extent shows little trend for 30 years. Pages 12-15. Hurricane and tropical-cyclone activity is almost at its lowest since satellite measurement began. Pages 16-17. The Sun is still very quiet. There were no sunspots in August at all. Page 18. The (very few) benefits and the (very large) costs of the Waxman/Markey Bill are illustrated at Pages 19-21. Science Focus this month reprints a paper giving the reasons why the great ice sheets will not collapse. Pages 22-28. As always, there’s our “global warming” ready reckoner, and our monthly selection of scientific papers. Pages 29-34. And finally, a Technical Note explains how we compile our state-of-the-art CO2 and temperature graphs. Page 35.

Took the liberty in posting this information from email send to me from Allen

America the Land of Free ??

Please see this link :

Come to conclusion yourself


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3DDKNG2uvI&feature=related

Blessings


Eric

Importance of being Deceptively Dishonest

What a Title ! This is to point out some highlights from Obama speech to the Joint Session of Congress on his health care.

Highlights:

1. Presumption that more government involvement will solve medical crisis. Truth of the matter--only about four percent of a nation’s population actually has no health insurance, that is not a crisis. It is a problem, not a crisis.
2.Obama wants to eliminate inefficiency and waste . This can be done by creating an Independent Medicare Advisory Council—an unelected, largely unaccountable group of 'experts' charged with containing Medicare costs such a group, working outside of "normal political channels," should guide decisions regarding that "huge driver of cost . . . the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives . . . ." In Reality nonpartistan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) doesn't think so: Its director, Douglas Elmendorf, told the Senate Budget Committee in July that "in the legislation that has been reported we do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount."
3.Employer Mandates Would Make Coverage Affordable. In other words Obama wants to provide every American with some basic consumer protections that will finally hold insurance companies accountable." The opposite is True. How? Workers bear the full cost of their health coverage, either directly through contributions or indirectly through lower wages. An employer mandate really means that workers must receive a portion of wages in health benefits. Is it not common sense that if you provide a “public option” that the current system of employer-based health insurance will collapse? Remember, employers voluntarily provide coverage for their workers. With the added mandates the President seeks to impose, what’s to stop them from simply paying a fine and transferring their employees into a federally run system – and thereby both dramatically increase the costs to the federal government, leading inevitably to rationed care?
4.No federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place. Truth is Capps amendment to the House bill (HR 3200) explicitly allows abortion coverage in the public health plan and subsidizes health plans that cover abortion. In fact, every amendment to exclude abortion coverage from health care legislation was defeated by the liberal sponsors.

Again the Truth in really taking care of those who are uninsured would be to have a patient and market centered and oriented driven policy respectively. How ? Tax benefits for those who have no insurance coverage, similar to those who received coverage through their employer. Vouchers for Medicare patients as this would allow them to pay for their own coverage.Reform tort laws will save billions each year in wasteful spending; and changing costly state regulations to allow people to buy insurance across state lines. Rather than another top-down government plan, let's give Americans control over their own health care.

What are your thoughts on Obamacare?



Blessings


Eric