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Discovery Channel: We found Jesus? burial site, burried with his child
2007-02-26 20:45:01
The only thing I could say is holy crap, this debunks Christianity. James Cameron on the Today show, 99 percent chance that this is the real thing. The Discovery TV Channel has released new details of the “Lost Tomb of Jesus ” documentary that is to be officially launched at a New York press conference on Monday, including the claim that Jesus was buried in a Jerusalem tomb alongside Mary Magdalene and, possibly, their son Judah. The film also suggests that the so-called “James, Brother of Jesus” ossuary, which surfaced in 2002 in the collection of Israeli antiquities collector Oded Golan, may also have come from the tomb. The “James” ossuary made world headlines, but has been branded a forgery by the Israel Antiquities Authority though it still has many defenders.According to the website of the Discovery Channel , for whom the “Lost Tomb of Jesus” documentary was produced, Israeli-born filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici and his colleagues have...
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Faith-based bill introduced in Oklahoma
2007-02-22 14:40:01
Lawmakers in Oklahoma have introduced a bill that would persuade state prisons to use faith-based groups to reduce repeat offenders. The bill is called the Transformational Justice Act and it will offer state corrections officials bonuses for improving their relapse numbers. The measure would also establish incentives for partnerships between prison officials and faith-based and community groups.  Further incentives are included for establishing relationships with faith-based organizations. A House subcommittee approved the bill. I’m all for the rehabilitation of prisoners but faith is not the answer. Iowa is already using faith-based organizations in their prisons, the measure is being reviewed in the courts. Alex Luchenister, attorney for Americans United for Separation of Church and State says: ?Catholic inmates felt entrapped,? Luchenitser said. ?Some instructors told them their Catholic beliefs were wrong. One volunteer even said a future pope would be the antichrist. Whe...
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Director of Human Genome Project on battle between faith and science
2007-02-22 14:40:01
Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the Human Genome Project , spoke to students at Purdue University the other day. The topic on tap, the relationship between faith and science.  Speaking from a prepared lecture, “The Language of God: A Believer Looks at the Human Genome,” Collins talked about how religion should not be in conflict with science.  Collins notes an increasing escalation between science and faith:  ”This recent battle is unfortunate and destructive,” he said. “We cooked it up; it’s too bad we’ve come to this conclusion.” You see the billboards all the time across the south saying that evolution has no place in religion. You hear evangelical Christians screaming from the pulpit that science is tool of the devil. “How could (science) threaten God if he designed the principles and set them into motion?” Collins said. Collins argued that people are limiting themselves with their current beliefs in faith and scienc...
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Edwards on Israel: Country not a threat to peace
2007-02-21 20:38:01
Hot from the wires.  I really don’t know who to believe– Variety or the politician.  EDWARDS-ISRAEL      Edwards : Israel NOT a threat to world peace            WASHINGTON (AP) - John Edwards’ presidential campaign wants tomake it clear that he doesn’t consider Israel a threat to worldpeace.      A spokesman for the 2008 Democratic candidate issued a statementyesterday denying such a report on Variety.com.      Columnist Peter Bart reports that Edwards told a Hollywoodfund-raiser last month that the possibility that Israel would bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities is perhaps the greatest short-term threatto world peace.      Edwards’ spokesman Jonathan Prince says the article iserroneous. He says Edwards says one of the greatest short-termthreats to world peace is Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon.      Bart says Variety stands by its report. The host of thefund-raiser, Adam Venit of the Endeavor talent agency, didn’t immediately respond to mes...
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Government says church can?t practice religion
2007-02-21 20:38:01
Interesting story out of Seattle today. A local church was told by the government that it was operating illegally and that it needed to shut down. I brought this point up yesterday, God may be above the law but church’s aren’t. St. Jude’s Church did not apply for the necessary permits to operate and now the parish faces what could add up to $37,000 in fines. The fines stem from the problem that the church decided that it didn’t need the permits and it had a religious obligation to the area to open. The key thing here is that the church set up a tent city– they were not operating out of a building. I don’t know about you, but the permit process seems completely legit to me– I don’t want to wake up one morning and find a circus tent next door. (more…)
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Hollywood set to honor faith-based movies
2007-02-21 20:38:01
Hold on to that movie ticket, the next film you may see released on the big screen could be a part of a new genre called “gospel cinema.” Gospel Cinema? Backstage.com reports industry insiders are looking into faith-based movies after the success of urban films such as “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.” “Holly wood does not understand the people who live between New York and California,” says casting director Reuben Cannon. “Now that I live in the South, religion is probably the biggest activity here. The Bible Belt is not just a name. It is real. Hollywood just hasn’t catered to the Christian faith-based market because it hasn’t been necessary.” Films such as “The Passion of the Christ” and “Narnia” grossed in the hundreds of millions of dollars.  Seeing that Fox Films created a new label FoxFaith .  Nothing major has come out yet, just direct-to-video releases. Recently movie insiders are reported to be g...
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Church officials ?disciplined? for not disclosing Haggards? sexuality in ?S
2007-02-21 08:37:01
In an almost “Star Wars-like” fashion, Ted Haggard’s former church held a “day of hope” inspired by their former leader’s struggle with the “dark side.” Sunday’s day of hope was also intended to bring co-workers back to the “light side.” I hear it already, “Ted, I am your father.” “Concerning Ted and his family, we have done extensive fact-finding into his lifelong battle with a ‘dark side’ which he said in his confession letter has been a struggle for years,” Pastor Larry Stockstill, part of the church’s board of overseers, told the 14,000-member congregation. Turns out several employees knew of Haggard’s sexuality “issues.” “We have verified the reality of that struggle through numerous individuals who reported to us firsthand knowledge of everything from sordid conversation to overt suggestions to improper activities to improper relationships. These ...
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After six years, opposition gaining on George W. Bush?s Faith Based Initiat
2007-02-21 08:37:01
Media Transparency reports that Pres. Bush ’s faith-based initiative is taking some flak, nothing new, I’ve blogged about this before. 2/14/2007 Americans United for Separation of Church and State is suing the state of Iowa for using state funds for government sponsored proselytizing. The kicker, they?re using the funds in prisons. Despite some legal battles currently playing out in the courts, Bush’s program seems to be running quietly under the radar. The National Journal reports: “Under the public radar, federal, state, and local governments are funding, training, and even helping to create religious social service organizations.” I see it right here in my small city of 300,000.  The local school system is farming out their at-risk students to an after-school program put on by a local Baptist church. (more…)
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Congressman gets death threat in name of God
2007-02-19 20:35:01
North Carolina Republican Congress man Howard Coble last week voted in favor of the resolution against the troop surge in Iraq. And now someone wants him dead.  To TRAITOR Coble All traitors to America come to ugly ends either by the hand of God or by the hand of man. This statement reflects perfectly the sentiment in the right-wing religious community. It’s sad how the concept of God is used by those who disagree with people.  It’s the same thing that I hear from non-Jewish religious people– “you’re going to hell.” It’s upsetting, it’s disturbing and it’s scary to know that there are people out there who believe in a God that strikes people down dead. Why not debate, why not take action– why are they so focused on killing those who believe differently? Again, the religious right is so scared of Muslim extremists taking control of the United States they fail to see how their tactics are a mirror image.
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Congressman says evolution is a myth spread by Jews
2007-02-19 20:35:01
Have you heard?  Evolution was spread by Jews in order to bring Christians to the devil. Well that’s what Rep. Ben Bridges (R-GA)  believes anyways. In a memo sent to lawmakers in California and Texas: “Indisputable evidence - long hidden but now available to everyone - demonstrates conclusively that so-called ’secular evolution science’ is the Big Bang, 15-billion-year, alternate ‘creation scenario’ of the Pharisee Religion,” the memo said. “This scenario is derived concept-for-concept from Rabbinic writings in the mystic ‘holy book’ Kabbala dating back at least two millennia.” Now I wasn’t aware that Darwin was able to time travel– I guess that’s another strike against him because that’d make him a witch or something.  And you tell me that Christians are the most discriminated group of people in the United States? Give me a break.  This is an elected official in Congress – he represents ...
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Church leader: ?That damn MTV?
2007-02-19 20:35:01
Oh that damn MTV–We all hear it muttered.. that damn MTV. Now the head of the World of Council of Church es is shouting it. Dr. Samuel Kobia told a group of youth leaders in India that the Church is heading towards losing a whole generation of new leaders to MTV culture. Yes, MTV is the spawn of the devil. Or maybe religion is. Kobia speaks about a competition between the God and popular western culture.  Of course the competition is all man made– religion almost always fails to adapt and is quick to slam the new. It’s not MTV that’s shaping the identity of teens like Kobia claims, MTV is a reflection of teens today.  If MTV stops dishing out pop culture someone else will do it. I don’t understand the conflict between God and pop culture.  They call it the entertainment industry for a reason– it entertains.  Religion is something personal. (more…)
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?MTV-like? tactics used by church to promote hate
2007-02-19 20:35:01
I blogged earlier today on how a world church leader is blaming MTV for ruining today’s teens. How about religious leaders using “MTV-like” tactics to brainwash young people? From yesterday’s Christian Post: SEATTLE (AP) - Minutes before the pastor walks to the pulpit, loud indie rock blasts from speakers to a crowd of mostly 20-somethings. The band on stage wears black, and the lead singer, with his scruffy five o’clock shadow and hair slicked down in rock-star style, croons about Emmanuel and rejoicing. Alright religion is adapting– that’s a good thing. But take a closer look and you’ll see nothing has changed. The leader of this church says he preaches that the Bible is the literal truth.  That means heaven and hell, no sex before marriage and homosexuality is a sin among other things. They also preach that women aren’t allowed in the clergy and must submit to their husbands. In fact this same preacher blames Ted Haggard’...
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Real evolution: not talk-radio evolution
2007-02-14 20:31:02
Edward Humes, author of “Monkey Girl: Evolution , Education, Religion and the Battle for America’s Soul,” writes in the LA Times that there are two versions of evolution in America today. The first version is the talk-radio version. The talk-radio version had a packed town hall up in arms at the “Why Evolution Is Stupid” lecture. In this version of the theory, scientists supposedly believe that all life is accidental, a random crash of molecules that magically produced flowers, horses and humans ? a scenario as unlikely as a tornado in a junkyard assembling a 747. Humans come from monkeys in this theory, just popping into existence one day. The evidence against Darwin is overwhelming, the purveyors of talk-radio evolution rail, yet scientists embrace his ideas because they want to promote atheism. The second version is the real theory of evolution. Real evolutionary theory explains how life forms change across generations by passing on helpful traits to ...
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Clear Channel blocks anti-gay billboard
2007-02-14 14:30:02
A plan by the conservative Christian organization Focus on the Family to rent a billboard in Phoenix was rejected by Clear Channel Outdoor. The proposed billboard was to read “I questioned homosexuality: Change is Possible, Discover How.” No matter how you feel on this topic you have to realize that science says a person’s sexual orientation is not a choice. From the American Psychological Association: Is Sexual Orientation a Choice? No, human beings can not choose to be either gay or straight. Sexual orientation emerges for most people in early adolescence without any prior sexual experience. Although we can choose whether to act on our feelings, psychologists do not consider sexual orientation to be a conscious choice that can be voluntarily changed. Can Therapy Change Sexual Orientation? No. Even though most homosexuals live successful, happy lives, some homosexual or bisexual people may seek to change their sexual orientation through therapy, sometimes pres...
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Government sponsored religious indoctrination
2007-02-14 14:30:02
I’m going to take some flak here, I just feel it. Americans United for Separation of Church and State is suing the state of Iowa for using state funds for government sponsored proselytizing. The kicker, they’re using the funds in prisons. An attorney for the state argues the program is a success because it modifies inmate behavior.  The thing is, there are other alternatives to using religion. Therapy, education, work, psychitry, science — all are good alternatives to fix behavioral problems. The problem with the religious program is that it immerses inmates in evangelical Christianity on the tax-payer’s dime.  But the worst thing is inmates who completed the 18-month program received special treatment. While inmates weren’t required to participate in the program, those who did won material benefits like better prison housing, jobs and parole options, and were punished if they opted ou. (more…)
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Here we go again: God, Darwin Clash in Kansas
2007-02-14 14:30:02
Four times in eight years, that’s how many times the Kansas Board of Education took up the issue of evolution and how it should be taught. Roll up your sleeves because here we go again. The board now has a moderate majority and last night they met to overturn science standards seen as critical of evolution. The board voted 6-4 to replace the old text with mainstream science that eliminates criticisms of evolutionary theory. The new standards will take effect immediately. The old standard was put in place by a conservative majority back in 2005.  They changed the education policy citing evolution’s  incompatibility with religious doctrine.
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Real evolution: not talk-radio evolution
2007-02-14 02:30:01
Edward Humes, author of “Monkey Girl: Evolution , Education, Religion and the Battle for America’s Soul,” writes in the LA Times that there are two versions of evolution in America today. The first version is the talk-radio version. The talk-radio version had a packed town hall up in arms at the “Why Evolution Is Stupid” lecture. In this version of the theory, scientists supposedly believe that all life is accidental, a random crash of molecules that magically produced flowers, horses and humans ? a scenario as unlikely as a tornado in a junkyard assembling a 747. Humans come from monkeys in this theory, just popping into existence one day. The evidence against Darwin is overwhelming, the purveyors of talk-radio evolution rail, yet scientists embrace his ideas because they want to promote atheism. The second version is the real theory of evolution. Real evolutionary theory explains how life forms change across generations by passing on helpful traits to ...
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Brainwashed teens ready for spiritual war
2007-02-14 02:30:01
It’s sad to see the efforts of our youth being used for all the wrong reasons. It’s such a waste, with the same amount of effort and prodding we can put these kids to work in our soup kitchens, nursing homes… use them to save the environment instead of saving souls. From the Christian Post: Recently, Caite and her youth group from The Vine, in Spring Hill, Florida, went to the local mall to visit Victoria?s Secret. They entered the store one at a time and pleaded with the manager to take down the posters because they have been destroying a generation. One at a time, the manager kicked them out and the next teen entered the store. How is Victoria’s Secret destroying a generation? Victoria’s Secret empowers women, allows them to look good and feel good about their bodies.  I forget, for some bras and underwear equals sex. (more…)
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Frank Rich on Imus: America craving diversions
2007-02-14 02:30:01
New York Times columnist Fran k Rich on Imus in the Morning today came up with an interesting theory. He believes the reason why America ns are so fascinated right now with stories like Anna Nicole Smith’s death and the diaper wearing astronaut is because we are so fed up with Iraq that we’re craving something else. As a news producer this got me thinking. I worked at ABC News for a small amount of time during the whole Natalee Holloway craziness.  I worked the war in Iraq beat and I was astonished at the amount of money and resources the network dedicated to the missing teen. But of course the resources didn’t come until market studies showed the higher ups that Americans craved the coverage. And now we see it with Anna Nicole Smith. (more…)
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Bill introduced in NC Senate allows use of different books of faith
2007-02-12 14:28:02
A bill introduced into the North Carolina Senate yesterday will allow people to take courtroom oaths on their holy book of choice. It’s sad that in the 21st century we still have institutionalized prejudices such as this. The bill was introduced after the North Carolina appeals court agreed to hear a lawsuit challenging the existing state law. Current state law says you can only take a court room oath on a Christian Bible. It was a miracle that the lawsuit even made it to the state level, several groups challenged the constitutionality of the case. Believe it or not, a lower court actually agreed with that argument. (more…)
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Florida officials settle lawsuit with faith-based charity organization
2007-02-12 14:28:02
I actually agree with this ruling. Florida officials settled with the Associate of Faith -Based Organization s– now state employees can donate to faith-based charities. The government shouldn’t be in the business of telling people what they can spend money on.  Plus, not all faith-based organizations are bad.  The the Reform Action Center for example. We owe the settlement to the Christian legal aid organization, Alliance Defense Fund. Recently I’ve been taking flak for being down on Christians.  I’m not downing, I’m just reporting the news as it comes in.   I for one don’t support every case the ADF takes up, but I’m liberal enough to realize that there’s good in everything. I truly believe in the last lines of Anne Frank’s diary: Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart. Back to the case at hand. Florida’s government said that the Florida State Employees’ Charitable Campaign could not give mo...
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Catholics slam liberal bloggers hired by Edwards
2007-02-12 14:28:02
Everyone knows that bloggers have opinions and everyone knows that politicians also have opinions. What happens when you put both together, well apparently you offend the Cat holic Church. Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, is demanding that presidential candidate John Edwards fire two bloggers hired on for the campaign.  Their offense? Apparently the two criticized the pope and the church for its opposition to homosexuality, abortion and contraception, sometimes using profanity Well hot damn. (more…)
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Wider Death Penalty Sought
2007-02-12 14:28:02
I don’t get it, how can you be pro-life and pro-death penalty? If you supposedly value life so much, what gives you the right to take it from a grown adult? I’m pro-choice because it’s not my decision to make for other people, it’s not about the rights of a fetus or when conception happens.  It’s all about the fact that I cannot make the difficult decision for someone else. But the same people who “value” life so much now want to broaden the death penalty. USA Today reports at least a half-dozen states are considering broadening the death penalty. If the measures pass, child molestation, accomplices to murder, murdering court witnesses will all send you to the death chamber. The article cites Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R-Texas) as saying:   “The hope is that these monsters will see that Texas is serious about protecting children. If they understand they could face the ultimate punishment, they might ‘think twice.’” You ...
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NC Senator says holy book law will not pass
2007-02-12 14:28:02
State Senator Robert Pittenger (R-Mecklenburg) told a North Carolina television station that a recent bill introduced into the Senate will not pass. The bill calls for the use of other holy books in courts.  I’ve been blogging about this for quite some time now. Mecklenburg says the bill has a “five percent chance of passing.” He says that he and fellow Republicans won’t support the bill because using the Christian Bible is what he calls a “matter of tradition.” He quickly added that it is in no way a slight on other faiths. Rrrrrright.  He also says that if we allow the use of other books of faith, “i think you would see very clearly that there would not be respect for our American liberties, traditions and freedoms.” So in other words, being Jewish, Muslim or anything else is an assault on America. Got it.
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Disgusting: Elie Wiesel accosted at peace conference
2007-02-12 14:28:02
How disgusting and hateful. My grandfather is a survivor, haven’t these people suffered enough? I seriously felt sick to my stomach after reading this. There is no excuse for hatred. This is no ordinary “crime.”  Investigators must treat this as a hate crime. SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) — Nobel laureate and Holocaust scholar Elie Wiesel was dragged from an elevator and roughed up during a peace conference at a San Francisco hotel last week, police said Friday. The author was not injured. The assailant approached Wiesel in an elevator February 1 at the Argent Hotel and requested an interview, police Sgt. Neville Gittens said. When Wiesel consented to talk in the hotel’s lobby, the man insisted it be done in a hotel room and dragged the 78-year-old off the elevator on the sixth floor, Gittens said. The assailant fled after Wiesel began to scream, and Wiesel went to the lobby and called police. Gittens said police are investigating the incident as a cri...
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Mad at CNN over Wiesel coverage
2007-02-12 14:28:02
Okay CNN what the hell? Why not report on all the details.  I mean I work in news and I think that it’s only fair to give people all the information. This is how they reported on the attack on Elie Wiesel. He was dragged out… person asked for an interview… investigating it as a crime. How about talking about the other details?  I mean come on guys, this is crucial to the story: ELIE WIESEL ATTACKED IN SAN FRANCISCO HOTEL The Examiner SAN FRANCISCO - In a bizarre attack, a well-known author and Holocaust scholar was dragged out of a San Francisco hotel elevator by an apparent Holocaust denier who reportedly had been trailing him for weeks. In a posting Tuesday on the anti-Zionist Web site ZioPedia, a writer using the name Eric Hunt takes credit for the attack: “After ensuring no women would be traumatized by what I had to do (I had been trailing Wiesel for weeks), I stopped the elevator at the sixth floor. I pulled Wiesel out of the elevator. I said I ...
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Evolution Sunday links science and religion
2007-02-12 14:28:02
Finally, some people in religion are using their nicely evolved brains to realize that you can believe in God and believe in evolution. SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)  — Coinciding with Charles Darwin?s birthday, hundreds of churches across the nation are taking part in ?Evolution Sunday,? a day to recognize the connections between religion and Darwin?s theory of evolution. “Evolution Sunday is a day to celebrate the compatibility of science and religion, to recognize that evolution has no incompatibility with the Christian faith,” said Reverend Jim Burklo of Sausalito Presbyterian Church. The day is intended to let people know they don?t have to choose between one or the other. But Burklo suggests the public has a long way to go in learning about the subject. This brings up my old posting on this matter. A miracle in evolution, a much larger Christian fish ate a much smaller Darwin fish on the back of a late 198os minivan yesterday. Sorry, hate to break this to you, really ...
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Obama: I Take Christian Faith Seriously
2007-02-12 14:28:02
That’s nice Obama , who cares?  Better yet, why should we care? Why is religion being discussed so much in this election?  How about making sure a Katrina never happens again?  How about poverty?  Education maybe?  For some reason religion is becoming the number one issue in the upcoming 2008 election. IOWA FALLS, Iowa Feb 11, 2007 (AP)? Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Sunday he does not think voters have a litmus test on religion, whether evangelical Christ ian ity or his childhood years in a largely Muslim country. “If your name is Barack Hussein Obama, you can expect it, some of that. I think the majority of voters know that I’m a member of the United Church of Christ, and that I take my faith seriously,” Obama said in an interview with The Associated Press. (more…)
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Conservative Christians move in to take over local politics
2007-02-12 14:28:02
Call it an unusual tactic, several upstate South Carolina pastors say they are very concerned about more conservative Christian s moving into the area to take over local politics. The movement is called Christian Exodus and the founder says they have moved 15 families in from various parts of the country and another dozen are planning to relocate. One area pastor sums this tactic up nicely: “I think it’s pretty tragic and pretty frightening stuff,” said Tom Ritchie, pastor at Young Memorial Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.  “If the people of Anderson allow it to happen, we probably get what we deserve.” Christian Exodus says they’re not trying to create a theocracy — but they will run its own candidates for election and there are plans to set up a low-power FM radio station. (more…)
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?The New World? one of the top 10 most redeeming films?
2007-02-04 14:27:01
Yesterday the Christian Post released their top ten most redeeming films of 2006. 10. Children of Men directed by Alfonso Cuarón 9. Akeelah and the Bee directed by Doug Atchison 8. The Three Burials of Mequiades Estrada directed by Tommy Lee Jones 7. Tsotsi directed by Gavin Hood 6. Charlotte’s Web directed by Gary Winick 5. The Second Chance directed by Steve Taylor 4. Joyeux Noel directed by Christian Carion 3. Sophie Scholl: The Final Days directed by Marc Rothemund 2. The N ew World directed by Terrence Malick 1. The Nativity Story directed by Catherine Hardwicke No surprise about number one, but number two? I’m really confused. I actually saw “The New World” on Showtime last night. How in the world was “The New World” redeeming? It’s a film about European brutality and assimilate in the name of the king or be killed. (more…)
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