Monday, May 21, 2012

The Christian Post: Monday May 21, 2012 Iyyar 29, 5772

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(Photo: AP Images / Ted S. Warren)

Expert Claims Over-Praise Drives Bullying

By Anugrah Kumar

Anti-bullying expert Paul Coughlin says serial bullies often have inordinate self-esteem and do not view themselves negatively as many presume. This evil, he stresses, must not be under-reacted to.

Chinese Dissident Chen Guangcheng Arrives in US

By Anugrah Kumar

Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, who escaped house arrest in China last month, made his way with his immediate family out of his country and arrived in Newark, N.J., Saturday evening after three weeks of high-level negotiations between Washington and Beijing.

US

Bishop Harry Jackson

NAACP Endorses Same-Sex Marriage Amid Opposition by Black Pastors

By Paul Stanley

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the nation's oldest African American civil rights group, voted Saturday to support a resolution endorsing same-sex marriage at its board meeting in Miami, Fla.

A year after a devastating tornado killed at least 161 people in Joplin, Mo., a church that was destroyed plans to show who God is by helping victims of recent tornadoes in Indiana.

David Axelrod, a top adviser for President Obama's reelection campaign, said Sunday that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's Mormon faith should not be made an issue in the election. He criticized Romney, though, for not repudiating strongly enough proposals to make Obama's relationship to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright an issue.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius addressed Georgetown University graduates at an awards ceremony Friday despite opposition from conservative Catholics over her invitation.

Church & Ministries

crystal cathedral

Crystal Cathedral Considers Relocating to Nearby Catholic Church

By Luiza Oleszczuk

Crystal Cathedral's newly minted president said Wednesday that the ministry behind the "Hour of Power" might be moving to a Catholic church in their Orange County, Calif., neighborhood, although probably not for another year and a half.

A megachurch in Baltimore, Md., had an emotional service Sunday as Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, hugged each parent whose children had been victims of "senseless violence."

Evangelist Greg Laurie can be seen tracing the steps of the disciple Peter in his sermon filmed last week in Jerusalem to be shown to his church in Southern California and webcast to a global online audience during two worship services Sunday.

Controversial televangelist Pat Robertson recently told audiences that it was only "a question of time before" The Episcopal Church would be declared "apostate" by the Anglican Communion.

3 Charged in Marvin Winans Carjacking Case

Prosecutors charged three men Sunday in relation ...

Santorum, Gingrich Quit Race With Millions in Debt

Federal filings for April show that when Rick ...

First-Grader Can Perform Chris Tomlin Song After Idaho School Reverses Ban

An Idaho first-grader's plan to perform a song by ...

Pelosi Calls Chaplain 'Conscience Clause' a 'Fraud'

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi blasted a ...

TBN Asks Court to Seal Records in Response to Blog Investigation

The Trinity Christian Center of Santa Ana, better ...

Anger Behind Convict's Strong Showing Against Obama, Biden Says

A convicted felon won 40 percent of votes in last ...

Same-Sex Marriage Battle Intensifies in Minnesota

The battle for and against the constitutional ban ...

More Blogs

Missions in Your Church: Is it a Program or a Passion?

One of the reasons churches are not doing more to ...

Sex: We Still Need to Talk About It

In the wake of President Obama’s public support ...

Prayer: You're (Probably) Doing It Wrong.

Prayer is a Conversation So often it seems that ...

Have Pastors Made President Obama More Important Than God's Word?

It is now apparent that a significant number of ...

Entertainment

Lady Gaga

'Godless' Lady Gaga Not Welcomed by Christians in Philippines

By Katherine Weber

Christians in the Philippines are speaking out against upcoming concerts by Lady Gaga, arguing that the singer has a negative influence on young Filipinos because her attitude promotes "godlessness."

Prominent Detroit Minister and Grammy Award-winning singer the Rev. Marvin Winans has expressed disappointment after being beaten and robbed by several young men this week, saying young people, if not raised right, will have no sense of honor and respect.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. weighed in on the same-sex marriage debate recently, opposing rival fighter Manny Pacquiao's views on the traditional definition of marriage.

World

Indonesian Christians and international guests pray at the 80,000-seat Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, during the 2012 World Prayer Assembly, one of the largest evangelical events, on May 17,2012.

Over 9,000 Evangelical Leaders Conclude Joint Prayer Event in World's Largest Muslim Country

By Luiza Oleszczuk

Friday concluded five days of prayer and discussion for more than 9,000 evangelical church leaders from over 60 countries who assembled in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, for the World Prayer Assembly (WPA), a grand Evangelical event that kicked off Monday after four years of preparations.

Egypt's Coptic Christians fear they could face further persecution should an Islamist candidate win next week's presidential elections, and one of the major issues on their agenda is a controversial law that puts heavy restrictions on building and maintaining Christian houses of worship.

Churches are being asked to pray during the 70-day Olympic Games torch relay when it gets underway in England this Saturday.

A court in an underdeveloped southwestern province of Iran has sentenced four men to death by hanging for committing "sodomy," according to a recent report by the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA).

Interview With Serena Miller, Author of 'An Uncommon Grace'

Serena Miller is the author of "An Uncommon ...

Manny Pacquiao Denies Anti-Gay Bible Reference After Flurry of Criticism

World champion boxer Manny Pacquiao has denied ...

Too Much Skin? Christian Minister Talks Lust, Modesty, Fashion

With summer fashions seemingly getting skimpier every season, some men may be finding it increasingly challenging to control wandering eyes and lustful thoughts -- at least that's what one minister has confessed.

Stephen Colbert Argues Christ Never Condemned Gay Marriage

Comedy Central's mock-news host Stephen Colbert ...

UN Makes Urgent Appeal for South Sudan Food Aid

The United Nations launched an urgent appeal on ...

'Imagine No Religion' Canadian Atheist Convention Sells Out

A Canadian atheist conference with speakers from ...

Church of Ireland Upholds Marriage as Between One Man and One Woman

The General Synod of the Church of Ireland has ...

Islamist Website Offers $100,000 Bounty to Kill Iranian Rapper

An Islamist website is offering a $100,000 reward ...

Thousands Deported From Sudan While Violence Continues

The government of Sudan, a mostly-Muslim East ...

Samaritan's Purse Calls Christians to Pray for Peace in Sudan

Refugee pastors are asking Christians to pray for ...

Tech & Biz

laptop, facebook, twitter

Twitter Users Swarm Website With Requests for God's Help

By Katherine Weber

Today, users of the Twittersphere have been offering up their weaknesses to God by using the hash tag "#ThingsWeAskGod2helpUsWith," which pushed the theme to the social platform's "Top Ten World Trends" list Friday for several hours.

Bloomberg is one of the many news sources reporting on the next-generation iPhone and how it will feature a larger display.

Samsung and Google could be taking a cue from Apple's new ads that feature celebrities since the company is reportedly creating its own commercial that features Hollywood megastar George Clooney.

Facebook users can now walk the in the footsteps of Jesus during his time on Earth with the new online game titled "Journey of Jesus: The Calling."

As a Chaplain, Must I Always Publicly Pray in Jesus' Name?

By Russell D. Moore

If you are asked to pray, you can only pray as a Christian. In so doing, you are actually, ironically enough, protecting the rights of other religions and their chaplains. I frankly don't want a Muslim chaplain forced by the government to pray like a Episcopalian.

ENTERTAINMENT

Mindless Entertainment at the Movies

By Eric Metaxas

avengers

Is there anything wrong with a little mindless entertainment? Well, maybe not, but too many of us are engaging in a lot more than just a little of it.

COLUMN

Gay Marriage and Martin Luther King's Dream

By Dan Delzell

Supporters of gay marriage hold placards before hearing the New Jersey Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage in front of the court building in Trenton, N.J., Oct. 25, 2006.

When President Obama spoke at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial dedication last year, he urged the nation to continue to press for the goals and hopes of the "black preacher with no official rank or title who somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams" and helped make the nation "more perfect." By announcing his support for same-sex marriage last week, President Obama is sincerely convinced that now he is helping to make the nation even more perfect.

COUNSELING CORNER

Love and Dating: How Most Singles Have Love Backwards

By June Hunt

June Hunt

Last year, one of the world's largest online dating sites released results of a survey they took of 5,200 singles. Said to be the most comprehensive poll of its type ever taken, the survey of 21- to 65-year-olds (and older) reported that 72 percent of singles would live with someone in the future without marrying.

COLUMN

Relentlessly Relational

By Greg Stier

Greg Stier

We should long to see everyone in our circle of influence (and outside of it for that matter) receive the forgiveness, life and hope of Jesus.

OPINIONS

Would Jesus Approve of Same-Sex Marriage?

By Jerry Newcombe

jesus painting by da vinci

It was one thing for President Obama to call for the legalization of same-sex marriage. But it was quite another to say that it's Jesus who causes him to embrace this position. Today people sometimes say that Jesus never condemned homosexuality.

LIVING

8 Things to Keep in Mind in Regards to Conflict at Work/Church

By Perry Noble

Perry Noble

Email DOES NOT WORK! It often drags out the conflict way longer that it should be. It can easily be misinterpreted, thus causing new conflicts.

U.S.

Should Tithing Count as 'Charitable Giving?'

By Nicola Menzie

tithe

GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was recently criticized for counting money given to his Mormon church and affiliated charities as charitable giving. The issue has sparked the question is it "charitable giving" when the faithful donate or tithe to their churches if it is not directly aiding the poor or doing similar work?

MISSIONS

North American Mission from Judsons to Global Christianity

By Todd M. Johnson

Burmese refugee

It might be tempting, on this 200th commissioning anniversary of the first ordained American foreign missionaries, to directly attribute the current status of global Christianity to their courageous obedience to the Great Commission. Even limiting the scope of their influence to Burma, the commendable work of these missionaries would produce a very incomplete explanation for the growth of Christianity around the world from 1812 to 2012.

Why Every Christian Is a Disciple

By Dan Delzell

Indonesian Christians and international guests pray at the 80,000-seat Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, during the 2012 World Prayer Assembly, one of the largest evangelical events, on May 17,2012.

There is plenty of talk these days about which term or terms to use when defining those who belong to Christ. I know it can be tempting to want to define "disciple" differently than you define "Christian."

THEOLOGY

Can People Who Have Never Heard of Jesus Be Saved?

By Lillian Kwon

cross

Pastors confronted with questions and some dissent over the idea that no one can be saved apart from faith in Jesus Christ are reaffirming what they assert is a hard yet clear truth.

OPINION

Ghoulish 'Art:' The Body Worlds Exhibit

By Eric Metaxas

body worlds

Why should we care about how human corpses are treated? Your answer depends on your worldview.

THEOLOGY

What the Bible Really Still Says About Homosexuality

By Kevin DeYoung

bible

It is simply not true that Paul, or Jesus for that matter, never considered homosexuality an ethical matter. Paul thought the prohibition against homosexuality in the Old Testament was still relevant and the sin was still serious.

COLUMN

The Christian's Ultimate Graduation

By Lane Palmer

Students attend a 2009 graduation ceremony at Notre Dame.

I remember watching each of my friends as they crossed the stage to receive their diploma and being smacked with the reality that I had blown chance after chance after chance to share the love of Christ and the gospel of salvation with them.

OPINION

Playing the Stooge: Georgetown and Kathleen Sebelius

By Eric Metaxas

Georgetown University

How has the nation's oldest Catholic University responded to the HHS mandate? I almost don't want to tell you.

DANGEROUS CALLING

Ministry: Kingdom of Self or Kingdom of God?

By Paul Tripp

Paul tripp

It took God employing pastoral hardship for me to embrace the inescapable reality that everything I did in ministry was done in allegiance to, and in pursuit of, either the kingdom of self or the kingdom of God. This truth is best exegeted for us in Matthew 6:19-34. I'm convinced that this passage is an elaborate unpacking of the thoughts, desires, and actions of the kingdom of self.

EVENTS

Chuck Colson Honored as 'Champion' of Christian Faith at Memorial Service

By Katherine T. Phan

Patty Colson, Chuck Colson Memorial

The impact that evangelical leader and Prison Fellowship Ministries founder Charles W. "Chuck" Colson left on the lives of his family, friends and the Christian world was celebrated during a public memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral on Wednesday.

SERIES

How Should the Church Love a Gay Couple? (Part 2)

By Jeff Schapiro

new york gay marriage

Behind the church's debate over homosexuality, behind the theology and the politics, lies a community of people who need Jesus Christ. Regardless of a church's stance on homosexuality, understanding gay couples and how they view the church may provide some key insights into how this group of people can be better reached with the Gospel.

FAMILY

The Greatest Untapped Evangelistic Opportunity Before the Modern Church

By Scott Brown

Come What May

There are many mission fields, but family presents what may be the greatest untapped evangelistic opportunity before the church today. What is at stake is the salvation of millions of children under the evangelistic and discipleship ministry of fathers and mothers in the home. This is not the only mission field, to be sure, but it is perhaps the most neglected mission field before the church in our time.

INTERVIEW

Jonathan Haidt on Social Conservatives, New Atheists and Civility in Politics

By Napp Nazworth

Jonathan Haidt

In his new book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Religion and Politics, Jonathan Haidt, a social psychology professor at University of Virginia, argues that our intuitions come before our reasoning and our reasoning is usually a post-hoc justification for those intuitions. As a result, humans do a horrible job at understanding those with whom they disagree.

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