Ken Ham slams Richard Dawkins Comments About God

CM Editor
-
0
Ken Ham slams Richard Dawkins Comments About God

Christian Today report– Christian author and creationist Ken Ham has hit back at a video in which Richard Dawkins accuses God of being “lazy”. He said the atheist’s comments “should stand as a warning to those who compromise with man’s ideas of evolution and millions of years.”

Dawkins appeared in a video earlier this month in which he speaks to a character called ‘Mr Deity’ – supposed to represent God – telling him: “As a biologist I am uniquely qualified to understand just how lazy you’ve been.”

“It’s just so clear that no intelligent being had a hand in this mess,” he adds.

“You know, it seems to me that if you really want to be useful you could do us all a favour and simply vanish. The whole of your precious creation was made by evolution and you didn’t have to lift a finger to help it along. You’re completely redundant, not just lazy. Even if you weren’t lazy, there’d be nothing for you to do. And what’s more, we have science now, making you completely unnecessary.”

Ham has criticised the video as an attempt to “make fun of God”. In a blog post, Ham – who debated Bill Nye ‘the Science Guy’ last year on evolution last year – argues for the existence of an all-powerful Creator. “It’s only because God exists and because His Word is true that we can even land a probe on a comet,” Ham says.

The laws of nature and their constancy cannot be accounted for by “an atheistic worldview,” he argues.

“But there is a Creator, and He set the laws of nature in place at the beginning. And we can trust that these laws will work the same tomorrow as they did today because our unchanging God upholds and sustains the universe.

“Dawkins’ comments should stand as a warning to those who compromise with man’s ideas of evolution and millions of years. They are opening the door to compromising with the rest of God’s Word. After all, if you can’t trust God’s Word in the very beginning, then where do you stop doubting? If we can’t trust God’s words in Genesis, then why should we trust God’s Word in the Gospels?”

Ham urges his reads to pray for Dawkins, adding that: “Really, billions of years and evolution are an anti-God religion, and we must recognize them as such.

“Satan is very clever and is using the same attack he used on Eve, the Genesis 3 attack of “did God really say?” to make people question God’s clear Word. Ultimately, he wants to lead people to reject God entirely, like Dawkins does. This is why it is so important to stand on the authority of God’s Word from the very beginning, give solid answers, and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to a dying world.”

Last week, Dawkins dismissed a Christian video that claims to undo atheist reasoning about God and suffering.

Speaking to the Huffington Post, Dawkins said: “If this is the best the faith-heads can do by way of ‘demolishing atheism’, I hope you will give it maximum publicity in order to demonstrate how pathetic the ‘argument’ is. It’s so weak, no reply is needed. To anyone of any intelligence at all, it replies to itself.”

Source: Christian Today

 

African Presidents Source $87m Emergency Fund to Fight Boko Haram

CM Editor
-
0
African Presidents Source $87m Emergency Fund to Fight Boko Haram

Yahoo News report– Presidents from the 10-nation Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC) pledged in an extraordinary meeting on Monday to create an $87 million emergency fund to fight the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

“My counterparts from the CEEAC and I decided to create an emergency fund of 50 billion CFA francs ($86.72 million) to fight Boko Haram,” Gabon’s President Ali Bongo, who attended the one-day summit in Cameroon, said on his personal Twitter account.

The insurgents have killed thousands and kidnapped hundreds in a five-year insurgency in northern Nigeria, and have recently intensified cross-border raids on neighbouring countries in the Lake Chad area. ($1 = 576.5600 CFA francs)

Source: Yahoo News

Boko Haram Attacks Spread into Niger Sparking Mass Exodus

CM Editor
-
0
Boko Haram Attacks Spread into Niger Sparking Mass Exodus

Christian Today report– Thousands of people from Niger’s Diffa region have fled the violence as Boko Haram begins to expand its operations to Nigeria’s neighbouring countries.

According to the World Watch Monitor, the spilling over of insurgent activity to Niger’s Diffa region has prompted a “mass exodus” of thousands of people to Zinder, situated 350 miles west of Diffa, out of fear of being attacked by the militants.

The Diffa region is located in the easternmost border of Niger, straddling the Lake Chad Basin. Nigeria lies to the south of the region, while Chad is to the east. It is described as one of the poorest regions in Niger.

”Hundreds, even thousands of people have left in cars and trucks,” a refugee told the Monitor.

“It’s truly a matter of survival of the fittest,” he said, adding that establishments providing essential services to the population have already closed down, including schools, government buildings and hospitals. He revealed that some patients have been left behind in the hospitals because there are no longer any medical staff to assist them.

“These patients are in despair,” the refugee described.

Among the offices that closed its doors in the Diffa region is the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, which told WWM that the mass exodus presents a humanitarian crisis. According to UNHCR spokesperson in Nigeria Benoit Moreno, the displacement of people from Diffa adds one more problem to “an already complex situation.”

After expanding its operations into Cameroon in December, Boko Haram militants launched simultaneous attacks in Diffa and Bosso on February 6 but were repelled by the Niger’s military forces. However, the attacks sparked a 15-day state of emergency in Niger on February 10, allowing government forces to search homes for possible militant hideouts as well as ban the use of motorcycles.

AFP reported that a suspected Boko Haram suicide attack was repelled by the Niger government forces on February 11 after a woman was shot dead before she could detonate her explosive device.

Niger, Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Benin have formed an 8,000-strong multinational task force to combat the escalating radical Islamist threat posed by Boko Haram

Source: Christian Today

Humour May Help Fight anti-Semitism

CM Editor
-
0
Humour May Help Fight anti-Semitism

Christian Today report– One man’s anti-Semitic diatribe is “another man’s show” according to a leading member of the Jewish community.

Simon Kelner, chief executive of Seven Dials public relations, has described how even at a time of rising antisemitism, spreading “like a virus” through parts of mainland Europe, his community has not lost the art of laughing at itself.

He says humour may be the best defence, as well as a powerful expression of free speech.

Writing in The Independent, which he edited until 2011, he singles out comedian Ivor Dembina for praise for eschewing political point-making while finding hour in Jewish customs, culture and conventions.

Describing a gig in a converted cellar beneath a pub in north London, he writes: “With no build-up or introduction, a man in a hat took the microphone and, for just over an hour, we listened to how Jews are obsessed with money, how they control the media, how they are sensitive, bordering on paranoid.”

He says there were jokes about Israel, and even the holocaust. He adds: “We Jews are perfectly happy to laugh at ourselves, as long as it’s another Jew making the jokes. We are not alone in this: Chris Rock makes black people fall about at their own peccadilloes, likewise Dylan Moran with the Irish.”

The comedian, aged 63, who was in 1994 the first comedian to do a one-man show of Jewish jokes at the Edinburgh Festival, told Kelner afterwards that his parents had told him he could not trust anyone who wasn’t Jewish. “We were told not to stand out, not to draw attention.”

Keller says he has himself never encountered outright antisemitism, but adds: “I hear the news coming from Copenhagen and Paris, and feel a twinge of fearfulness. Humour may well be the best defence (and also one of the most powerful expressions of free speech), and Dembina is doing his bit. His test of a joke, he says, is simple: is the Rabbi laughing?”

Source: Christian Today

 

ISIS will Bow to Jesus One Day, Says Franklin Graham

CM Editor
-
0
ISIS will Bow to Jesus One Day, Says Franklin Graham

Christian Today report– In the wake of more brutality by militant group Islamic State, Franklin Graham has said that even they will one day bow to Jesus.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, wrote: “The evil of ISIS really shouldn’t shock us – it is fully in keeping with their ultimate agenda of hastening a final apocalypse. God’s Word tells us that there will be a final battle one day, but it will result in the defeat of Satan and all those allied with him.

“One thing is for sure – one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Graham highlighted the video released by IS on Sunday showing the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya, as well as the fatal shootings in Denmark over the weekend by a gunman suspected to have been inspired by the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris.

The evangelist criticised President Obama for failing to “acknowledge the truth and call Islamic extremism what it is.”

“After a weekend of terrorism in Libya and Denmark, beginning today the White House is hosting a three-day “Summit on Countering Violent Extremism.” I am perplexed as to why our President will not acknowledge the truth and call Islamic extremism what it is,” Graham wrote.

“In a statement the White House even called the 21 Christians who were beheaded ‘Egyptian citizens,’ refusing to identify them as Christians. The truth is–their barbaric murderers openly said they killed them because they were ‘people of the cross.’ Why is the President seemingly continuing to protect Islam and refusing to open his eyes to the truth?”

On Monday, Graham posted a statement to his Facebook page warning that “the storm is coming”.

“Can you imagine the outcry if 21 Muslims had been beheaded by Christians? Where is the universal condemnation by Muslim leaders around the world?” he asked.

“As we mourn with the families of those 21 martyrs, we’d better take this warning seriously as these acts of terror will only spread throughout Europe and the United States. If this concerns you like it does me, share this. The storm is coming.”

Graham has previously encouraged Muslims to turn from Islam and accept Christ.

In a live panel interview on Fox News in January, he said: “I want to say something to all the Muslims that may be watching this that are confused and are afraid themselves. I want them to know that God loves them and that Jesus Christ died for their sins – and Christ will forgive them and heal their hearts.

“And they don’t have to die in a jihad, they don’t have to kill somebody else to please God. God loves them and he will accept them through faith and through his son, Jesus Christ.”

In an interview with Christian Today in December, he said Islam is “a religion of war”.

Extremist groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram have not “hijacked” the religion, he added. “This is Islam. It has not been hijacked by radicals. This is the faith, this is the religion. It is what it is. It speaks for itself.”

Source: Christian Today

ISIS Militants Shot at Pregnant Woman for Breaking Curfew

CM Editor
-
0
ISIS Militants Shot at Pregnant Woman for Breaking Curfew

Christian post report– The Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq and Syria has begun imposing strict curfews in some towns that it controls, and in the Syrian town of Tel Abyad there was no exception, even for a pregnant mother rushing to the hospital in the middle of the night trying to save the life of her baby.

According to the monitoring group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, a team of activists who risk their lives to report on the atrocities of ISIS from inside Raqqa, the militants in the North Raqqa province town of Tel Abyad are preventing people from leaving their homes “under any circumstance.”

The group reported that the town’s curfew spans from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. and anyone who leaves their home during those hours is liable to be shot, no matter what their reason is.

“[T]he group’s patrols have spread and shot towards anything that moves, as they arrested anyone who breaking curfew,” the report states.

Although it would be plausible for such a curfew policy to include some exemptions for people who have medical emergencies or other types of issues that require them to leave their house in the middle of the night, militants refuse to accept reasonable excuses for why an unauthorized person is wandering the streets past curfew.

Relatives informed Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently that a pregnant woman, who had gone into labor in the middle of the night and was severely in danger of losing her baby, was caught rushing to the hospital by ISIS patol troops. A patrol guard shot at her and her husband and forced them to return to their home.

“[T]he husband risked his life, to go and bring a midwife, after her situation became very dangerous, knowing that the militants have shot him during his return to the house,” the report added.

One man was shot in the arm by an ISIS patrol guard after he was caught in the streets during the night. The report explained that the man was going to the hospital to get medicine for his sick brother, who was suffering from a severe asthma attack caused by a dust storm. Although he was shot and wounded, the man continued his journey to the hospital, walking nearly a half a mile on his own, because no one wanted to risk being shot at to assist him.

Although ISIS sources claim that the reason for the curfew is to help prevent defections from the caliphate, as many have used the road of Tel Abyad during the night to defect into Turkey, the reason for why the curfew is so strictly enforced is likely to prevent citizens from witnessing ISIS’ smuggling operations.

An alleged drug smuggler told the monitoring group that “goods smuggling operations” are taking place at night, shipping goods to and from Turkey. The smuggler said that smugglers pay ISIS a lot of money to make travel easy for them in the middle of the night.

“Note that most smuggled goods to Turkey are tobacco, the group knows this, and gets one million Syrian pounds for every car packed with tobacco in order to allow it to cross,” the report stated.

Source: Christian Post

 

The Episcopal Church of South Carolina Files Appeal Against Breakaway Diocese with Aim to Takeover $500 Million Property

CM Editor
-
0
The Episcopal Church of South Carolina Files Appeal Against Breakaway Diocese with Aim to Takeover $500 Million Property

Christian Post report– An appeal has been filed on behalf of The Episcopal Church of South Carolina against a diocese that voted to break away from the denomination, and is seeking to takeover the local church’s properties that are estimated to be worth $500 million.

A group loyal to the national denomination, called The Episcopal Church in South Carolina, filed the appeal against the Diocese of South Carolina, which earlier this month won a court judgement in which it retained ownership of dozens of church properties.

Although District Court Judge Diane Goodstein ruled on Feb. 4 that the Protestant Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina rightfully owns the church properties and not The Episcopal Church, it was expected that the national denomination was going to file an appeal in an attempt to gain control of the church’s assets.

In the 182-page motion for reconsideration, the defendants argued that the decision did not address key legal points of concern.

The motion by The Episcopal Church and its local allies also argued that the original decision erred on multiple points.

“The court erred by failing to recognize that the parties are all part of a religious organization and that their status as incorporated or unincorporated entities does not eradicate the application of First Amendment legal protections,” continued the motion.

“The court erred by applying corporate definitions of membership to the relationship between The Episcopal Church and the Diocese, and by failing to recognize clear evidence establishing that the diocese is in union with and part of The Episcopal Church, which is a hierarchical religious organization.”

In November 2012 at a meeting held at St. Philip’s Church in Charleston, the Diocese of South Carolina voted to leave The Episcopal Church.

Diocesan leaders took this action due to the national denomination’s increasing acceptance of homosexuality and the reported mistreatment of the Rev. Mark Lawrence, bishop of the diocese.

“This has never been about who is welcome or not welcome in our church. … It’s about what we shall tell them when they come,” stated Lawrence.

In January 2013, the diocese filed a lawsuit over who had control of the diocesan name and property, the breakaway leadership or those who remained loyal to The Episcopal Church.

The breakaway leadership garnered some early legal victories, such as getting an injunction allowing them to use the name Diocese of South Carolina while the lawsuit was processed.

Episcopalians loyal to the denomination changed their name to The Episcopal Church in South Carolina and eventually elected the Rev. Charles vonRosenberg as their provisional bishop.

Last July, for several days Goodstein heard arguments between the two sides over the diocesan name and property.

Earlier this month, Goodstein ruled in favor of the diocese, issuing a 46-page decision in which she ordered the name and property to be given to the breakaway leadership.

“It is … undisputed that there is nothing in the deeds of their real property referencing any trust in favor of TEC,” wrote Goodstein.

Regarding the Goodstein order, Lawrence issued a statement expressing gratitude for the result while being wary that an appeal was expected.

“There is a need for us to persevere. Persevere in defending our identity both as congregations and diocese. Persevere in continuing litigation,” said Lawrence.

“But most importantly to persevere in our commitment to move forward with our God-given dreams and mission.”

Source: Christian Post

 

Tony Perkins Slams Obama for Failing to Recognise Coptic Christians Beheaded by ISIS as Christians

CM Editor
-
0
Tony Perkins Slams Obama for Failing to Recognise Coptic Christians Beheaded by ISIS as Christians

Christian Post report– Family Research Council President Tony Perkins slammed President Obama Monday, saying that it’s “troubling” the president refuses to call the Egyptians beheaded by ISIS “Christians.”

“ISIS made very clear in this video that this was an execution of ‘people of the cross.’ ISIS apparently has no difficulty saying ‘Christian,’ while the White House has a very difficult time,” Perkins said during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Kelly File” Monday night.

Critics of Obama have also questioned why the president refuses to call ISIS “radical Islamic terrorists;” unlike his British counterpart, Prime Minister David Cameron, who has on many occasions spoken out against the global “Islamist extremist terrorist threat.”

During his interview with Kelly, Perkins further suggested that the United States should take a different approach and offer sanctuary to Christians being persecuted by ISIS or any other terrorist organizations in the Middle East.

“Why not say to these Christians who are being killed for their faith that they’re welcome to come here and have refugee status here in the United States or safe haven here in the United States?” he asked.

Perkins compared his idea to that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has encouraged Jews being persecuted in Europe to return to Israel. Netanyahu issued a statement earlier this week calling for Jews who feel threatened to move to Israel and said that the country is their home.

“Jews were killed on European land just because they were Jewish,” Netanyahu said. “This wave of attacks will continue. I say to the Jews of Europe — Israel is your home.”

Obama issued a statement on Sunday evening as news of the beheadings of 21 Coptic Christians began to spread. He called the act a “despicable and cowardly murder of 21 Egyptian citizens in Libya by ISIL–affiliated terrorists. ISIL’s barbarity knows no bounds. It is unconstrained by faith, sect, or ethnicity,” he continued. “This wanton killing of innocents is just the most recent of the many vicious acts … including the murders of dozens of Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai.”

“Clearly, this is a global jihad right before our eyes,” retired Gen. Jack Keane, said on “The Kelly File.”

The White House is hosting a summit to “counter violent extremism” this week.

Source: Christian Post

 

Former American Megachurch Pastor Rob Bell Tells Oprah the Church Is ‘Moments Away’ From Embracing Gay Marriage

CM Editor
-
0
Former American Megachurch Pastor Rob Bell Tells Oprah the Church Is ‘Moments Away’ From Embracing Gay Marriage

Christian Post report– Former Mars Hill Bible Church pastor and best-selling author Rob Bell told media mogul Oprah Winfrey on Sunday that the American church is “moments away” from embracing gay marriage and thinks “it’s inevitable.”

Bell made the statement during a Valentine’s weekend episode of Winfrey’s “Super Soul Sunday” television show where he appeared with his wife, Kristen, to discuss marriage and their new book, The ZimZum of Love: A New Way of Understanding Marriage.

The same-sex marriage discussion portion of the episode, which can be viewed below, starts at around the 29-minute mark where Kristen begins reading an excerpt from the book.

“Marriage, gay and straight, is a gift to the world because the world needs more not less love, fidelity, commitment, devotion and sacrifice,” she noted.

Winfrey then tells the couple that she thought it was great that they made a conscious choice to include gay marriage in the book, and asked them why?

“One of the oldest aches in the bones of humanity is loneliness,” replied Rob Bell. “Loneliness is not good for the world. Whoever you are, gay or straight, it is totally normal, natural and healthy to want someone to go through life with. It’s central to our humanity. We want someone to go on the journey with.”

His response then prompted Winfrey to ask: “When is the church going to get that?”

“We’re close,” he began, answering slowly before his wife interjected “I think it’s evolving.”

He then added: “Lots of people are already there. We think it’s inevitable and we’re moments away from the church accepting it.”

Bell warned that if the church keeps resisting same-sex marriage it would “continue to be even more irrelevant.”

“I think culture is already there and the church will continue to be even more irrelevant when it quotes letters from 2,000 years ago as their best defense, when you have in front of you flesh-and-blood people who are your brothers and sisters, and aunts and uncles, and co-workers and neighbors, and they love each other and just want to go through life,” he said.

“There are churches who are moving forward and there are churches who are almost regressing and making it more of a battle,” added his wife.

Source: Christian Post

 

Narendra Modi Promise to Protect Christians Following Recent Church Attacks

CM Editor
-
0
Narendra Modi Promise to Protect Christians Following Recent Church Attacks

Christian Today report– Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi today promised to protect all minority religious groups following outrage over a wave of recent attacks on Christian institutions in Delhi.

Speaking at an event celebrating the beatification of two Indian saints, Modi said: “The world is increasingly witnessing division on the basis of religion. My government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has undeniable rights to retain the religion of his or her choice.

“I appeal to all religious groups to act with restraint.”

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) is right-wing, with links to extremist Hindu groups which have been using a nationalist ideology to promote ‘Hindutva’ – equating being Indian with having a Hindu faith. Five states in India currently have anti-conversion laws which state that those who wish to convert to another religion must first gain official permission. Religious leaders are also required by law to report conversions or risk a three-year jail sentence themselves.

However, a fifth of the population identify with other religions, and there has been increasing calls for the government to increase protections for minority groups.

The BJP appear to be losing popularity, and Modi’s latest attempt to promote religious freedom could be an attempt to win back the Christian vote.

Last week, his party won just three of 70 seats in the Delhi state elections, with the Aam Aadmi Party taking the other 67.

“My government will not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly,” Modi said today.

Despite the string of attacks on five churches and a Christian school in the capital, he insisted that his government gives “equal respect to all religions”.

“We cannot accept violence against any religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence. My government will act strongly in this regard.”

India is currently 21 on the World Watch List, which ranks the most difficult countries to be a Christian. There were more than 600 attacks on Christian and Muslim groups in the first 100 days of the BJP’s rule.

Last month, President Obama highlighted the tensions surrounding freedom of religion during a trip to India, and called on Modi’s government to protect vulnerable groups.

“Your Article 25 [of the constitution] says that all people are ‘equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion’,” Obama told a town hall address in New Delhi.

“In both our countries, in all countries, upholding this fundamental freedom is the responsibility of government, but it’s also the responsibility of every person.”

Source: Christian Today

1...3,6833,6843,685...3,893Page 3,684 of 3,893