Muddling Toward Maturity Blog

BEN WITHERINGTON - VARIETIES OF "EVANGELICALS"

Though I can't say I learned anything new from Witherington's post, I still find his listing of sub-cultures under the umbrella of "Evangelicals" worth posting.  Also his comments concerning the "internationalism" of Evangelical faith hints at a story that is only now beginning to unfold.

Though the term Evangelicalism has come to mean different things to different people  (e.g. to very liberal Protestants it seems to be a term hardly distinguishable from the term Fundamentalism) but what it usually connotes is Conservative Protestants, and more specifically white Conservative Protestants.  In fact many African American Protestants are just as conservative as ‘Evangelicals’  but they do not self-identify as ‘Evangelicals’.    A good litmus test is looking at the membership rolls of a group such as the Evangelical Theological Society.  Not many African Americans of any stripe are members of that group,  only a very small percentage.  Whether we like it or not, the term Evangelical is basically a term used by white Conservative Protestants to self-identify and very often in tandem with the phrase ‘not Fundamentalist’.

Even within this swath of Protestantism it takes only a little scrutiny to discover there are a whole series of Evangelical sub-cultures.  There are Reformed Evangelicals and Arminian Evangelicals.  There are Pentecostal Evangelicals and Dispensational Cessationist Evangelicals.  There are pietistic Evangelicals and social-action Evangelicals.  There are Mainline Church Evangelicals and conservative denomination Evangelicals.  There are high church Evangelicals (see the new Anglican Church in America) and there are profoundly low church Evangelicals such as the Salvation Army or the Evangelical Friends.  There are Evangelicals from an Anabaptist tradition (including Mennonites)  and there are various Paedo-baptist Evangelical traditions, and of course there are the Southern Baptists, who, while no longer entirely a breed apart,  only mingle with the larger world of Evangelicals in some respects.  Even just within the Baptist sphere, the Texas Baptists are certainly different from many of the Southern Baptists, not to be confused with the National Baptist Convention, which my colleague Craig Keener was ordained in.

UPDATE ON "NON"-RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN CHINA

 Courtesy of the Family Research Council: 

A group of 19 Chinese Christian leaders has drafted and sent a petition to their Communist government asking that it honor the Chinese Constitution's assurance of religious liberty. "For the last six decades, the rights to liberty of religious faith granted to our country's Christians by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China have not been put into practice," they wrote. The Chinese government is continuing its campaign of repression against the so-called "unofficial" Chinese churches, whose members number as many as 70 million believers. According to China scholar Dr. William Jeynes in a lecture at FRC, the Chinese government realizes that Christianity fosters personal morality and economic growth, but "unofficial" Christians make the government "nervous." Why? Because the government can't control people whose first commitment is not to the state, but to Christ.

One of America 's great champions of religious liberty, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), held an important hearing earlier this month on China's ongoing assault on "unregistered" churches. "Because the Chinese government demands that religious organizations serve the aims of the state," he said, "religious organizations must receive government approval to operate... However, many religious observers adhere to the tenet that they must 'render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, but unto God what is God's,' and as a result, they are persecuted." For up-to-the-minute reports on the crisis of Christian faith in China, go to FRC's RealCompassion.org website and click over to Voice of the Martyrs.

SUSANNA WESLEY'S DEFINITION OF "SIN"

John Wesley's mother, Susanna, was an extraordinary woman!  As a young man, Wesley (the founder of the Methodist Church), once asked his mother for a definition of sin.  She replied in a letter:

"Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself."
                           -- Susanna Wesley (Letter, June 8, 1725)

OSLO: ALL SEXUAL ASSAULTS ENDING IN RAPE COMMITTED BY NON-WESTERNERS

From Gateway Pundit:

Every rape in Oslo the past 5 years, where the rapist could be identified, was committed by a male of non-western background.

 

In Oslo all sexual assaults involving rape in the past year has been committed by males of non-western background this was the conclusion of a police report published today. This means that every single rape assault in the last five years, where the rapist could be identified, he was a man of foreign origin.

ERIC HORNER - "IN GOD WE TRUST"

The American Family Association commisioned the writing of this song.  I think it's excellent.

 

NILE GARDINER - PRESIDENT OBAMA'S TOP TEN INSULTS AGAINST BRITAIN - 2011 EDITION

Many media types have commented on Nile Gardiner's list.  I post it here for the historical record.

Gardiner also contends that Obama was clearly outclassed at the recent Downing Street Press conference.

THE LATEST "SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE REVIEW: THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO PRO-FAMILY NEWS," MAY 26, 2011

These compilations from a variety of sources by the Family Research Council continue to offer interested people a gold mine.  A new edition appears every two weeks.  Readers will find in each a wealth of information not readily found elsewhere. For previous reviews I've posted, click here.   For a complete list of articles from this latest edition,  click "continue reading" below.

JAY NORDLINGER STRONGLY RECOMMENDS "GANG OF ONE"

I always perk up my ears when someone I respect enthusiastically recommends a book.  In a blog post that deals with the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Jay Nordling wrote: (my bolding)

Ten years ago, I wrote a piece about an amazing woman named Youqin Wang, who dedicated her life to memorializing the Cultural Revolution. If you’d like to read it, go here. Also, I reviewed a book called Gang of One: Memoirs of a Red Guard. That was in 2004. (For the review — which comes after two others, in a single piece — go here.) The author is a man named Fan Shen. Frankly, his memoirs are among the best I’ve ever read.

I feel like I know a secret — like I know about a masterpiece, hidden from the world. "Gang of One" is the kind of book that might be read hundreds of years from now. Really. Odd to say, but I feel it true. The publisher is a humble one, the University of Nebraska Press. As far as I’m concerned, they are in possession of a literary, and human, diamond.

I'm making a note of this recommendation.

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU'S CONGRESSIONAL ADDRESS 5/24/11

Complete video coverage available here,. and the text of his speech can be found here.  Charles Krauthammer's take on Netanyahu's address:

I thought the speech that Netanyahu gave to Congress was remarkable, especially in the [audience] response.  After all, Congress is where every district and every state in the union is represented. The 30 standing ovations, the cheers, the applause gave you a sense of something we know is true: Of all the countries in the world, public opinion in America over four decades remained unwavering in its overwhelming support for Israel.

And the Netanyahu speech struck that nerve by talking about the commonality in the values. It was a speech that was not only explaining the Israeli position on negotiations. It was a speech that was in honor — in praise — of freedom, the West, and America. It was [an] endorsement of the West, almost Churchillian in that sense, which I think was extremely important because it is the basis for American support of Israel.

And you saw it in the reaction of the Congress and the remarks made yesterday by the majority leader of the Senate . . .

EGYPT TO OPEN BORDER CROSSING TO GAZA WHICH WILL ENABLE ARMS SHIPMENTS TO HAMAS

Andrew C. McCarthy reports:

Democracy has not even placed the Muslim Brotherhood in power yet, but the organization is powerfully influencing events. Over Israeli objections, Egypt’s military government has announced that it will reopen the Rafah crossing — the country’s border with Hamas-controlled Gaza. [H/T The Snow Report] The move will enable Hamas to defeat Israel’s blockade. Gaza’s other land crossings border Israel, which also patrols Gaza’s Mediterranean coast, but without Egypt’s cooperation, Israel cannot stop major arms shipments and jihadists from getting through to Hamas (the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood).  

As someone once said, it is very foolish to believe the Egyptian military can be relied on to keep the peace with Israel against the wishes of the Brotherhood and Egypt’s heavily fundamentalist Muslim population. Oh, and did I mention that Saif a-Adel, the new head of al-Qaeda, used to be a special forces officer in the Egyptian army?

Me:  Fine and Dandy.  Some Arab spring.   Further proof of the worthless -- indeed, dangerous -- foolishness of Western elite opinion.

MICHELE BACHMANN - FEMALE LEGISLATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE AND POTENTIAL GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

My friend Wintery Knight undoubtedly ranks as Michele Bachmann's #1 supporter, and his various links to her words, speeches, and videos are invaluable.  Check out his latest enthusiastic post, and while you're there, note his links to what he calls the best speech he has heard from her.  "That speech," he says, "covers her Christian faith in some detail, and mentions her interest in Francis Schaeffer’s apologetics . . ."

I found particularly interesting his link to an audio of Michele Bachmann introducing Rav Zacharias to an audience at the MacLaurin Institute in 2002.  The link contains Zacharias' talk on "Christian Apologetics in the 21st Century."  In introducing Zacharias, she expresses her enthusiasm for Zacharias' Christian apologetics.  For a birthday present, she had asked to go hear Ravi Zacharias speak at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School near Chicago.  (At the time Zacharias wasn't scheduled to speak in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for another two years.)

She's one amazing woman.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again, although Bachmann lacks Palin's executive experience, Bachmann's control of facts and her debating ability make her the more formidable candidate for President.   But I don't dislike Palin at all  It looks like a major movie in support of her is soon to be released.

ROBIN COLLINS ON THE FINE TUNING OF THE UNIVERSE

Wintery Knight offers an outstanding post on the work of Robin Collins, professor of philosophy at Messiah College and a specialist in the interface of religion and science.  The post abounds with helpful excerpts and links.  The "fine tuning," incidentally, includes three aspects: the fine-tuning of the laws of nature, the fine-tuning of the constants of physics, and the fine-tuning of the initial conditions of the universe.

AUDIO: SPURGEON'S SERMON ON "PROVIDENCE AS SEEN IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER"

Most evangelicals acknowledge some familiarity with Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), the great English preacher of the 19th century.  The other day I came across a rendition of Spurgeon's sermon on Esther that I thought utterly superb.   The man did such a good job I thought Spurgeon must have sounded much like him.  Spurgeon's sermon was originally preached Nov. 1, 1874 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, England.

The great 20th century German preacher, Lutheran theologian, and university professor, Helmut Thielicke, held Spurgeon up as a preacher to be emulated.  In his book Encounter with Spurgeon, he wrote:

In the midst of the theologically discredited nineteenth century there was a preacher who had at least six thousand people in his congregation every Sunday, whose sermons for many years were cabled to new York every Monday and reprinted in the leading newspapers of the country, and who occupied the same pulpit for almost forty years without any diminishment in the flowing abundance of his preaching and without ever repeating himself or preaching himself dry.  The fire he thus kindled, and turned into a beacon that shone across the seas and down through the generations, was no mere brush fire of sensationalism, but an inexhaustible blaze that glowed and burned on solid hearts and was fed by the wells of the eternal Word.  Here was the miracle of a bush that burned with fire and yet was not consumed (Exod. 3:2).  p. 1

Bill Muehlenberg reviews "A Queer Thing Happened in America" by Dr. Michael L. Brown

Muehlenberg begins his review of A Queer Thing Happened in America by saying:

The fact that this book almost did not get published may be the most telling aspect of this volume. One publisher after another refused to have anything to do with this book. This simply shows the enormous power the militant homosexual lobby now exercises.

The simple truth is, they have effectively imposed an iron curtain of censorship, intimidating and bullying anyone who dares to question their radical agenda. Thus those voices that are willing to stand up and speak truth are few and far between.

(Note:  Not long ago I posted a link to a debate between Dr. Brown and Dr. Eric Smaw on the topic "Should Same-Sex Marriage be made Legal?") 

But to continue with Muehlenberg's book review, Muehlenberg, who lives in Australia produces a website well worth frequent browsing.  Of Brown's book, he says:

Totalling nearly 700 pages (with nearly 100 of those pages devoted to endnotes), this volume is a careful and detailed examination of the homosexual agenda and the threat it poses to faith, family and freedom. In 15 meaty chapters all the important issues and debates are covered.

In addition to covering all the usual topics (eg., the unhealthy lifestyle of homosexuals, myths about discrimination, ‘I was born that way’ arguments, and so on), he especially highlights how very successful this relatively tiny activist movement has been in implementing its agenda, and silencing any critics along the way.

And to say the activist movement has been successful is a gross understatement.  According to Muehlenberg, Michael Brown has

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN IRAN

Take two minutes to view the face of Iranian Christians recently imprisoned for their faith:

 

I hadn't heard of Elam before.  It seems like a fine organization doing important work. It is endorsed by Ravi Zacharias, Stuart Briscoe, George Verwer, and many others.  I found this paragraph from a page on Elam's website encouraging:

In 1979, there were less than 500 known Christians from a Muslim background in Iran. Today the most conservative estimate is that there are at least 100,000 believers in the nation. Church leaders believe that millions can be added to the church in the next few years-such is the spiritual hunger that exists and the disillusionment with the Islamic regime. If we remain faithful to our calling, our conviction is that it is possible to see the nation transformed within our lifetime. Because Iran is a strategic gateway nation, the growing church in Iran will impact Muslim nations across the Islamic world.

CAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS TAKE AWAY KIDS' RELIGIOUS FREEDOM?

The "Candy Cane Case" will be argued tomorrow (Monday, 5/23/11) before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.  How important is it?  Informed officials say, "This is widely considered one of the most important religious liberty cases in the nation."

What happened?  According to the Liberty Institute:

First, they banned eight-year-old Jonathan Morgan from handing out candy canes with Jesus’ name on them to classmates at a school holiday party.

Then they confiscated a little girl’s pencils after school because they mentioned “God.” But that’s not all…

They even banned an entire classroom from writing “Merry Christmas” on cards to our troops serving in Iraq!

Where is this?  Plano, Texas.  Liberty Institute, along with two former U.S. Solicitors General--Ken Starr and Paul Clement (of Defense of Marriage Act fame)--will go to battle for the rights of American students before all 17 judges on the Court.

 

THE FRENCH WINK AT SEXUAL LICENSE; SO DO LIBERAL AMERICANS

Jonah Goldberg makes the point in his article, "French Should Feel Shame, But We're No Puritans."

HEDGE FUNDS BUYING FARMLAND - SOARING IN VALUE AS DOOMSDAY FEARS TAKE HOLD

Here's an article to give one pause.  (HT: Drudge)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Thomas Sowell - "I think that we’re raising whole generations who regard facts as more or less optional."

View the entire 7 minute Uncommon Knowledge video interview.  (It's well worth one's time.)

WINTERY KNIGHT POTPOURRI

I am a fan of Wintery Knight's blog. It should be checked frequently.  In case you haven't done so lately, here are some links to recent posts:

- If Obamacare is so great, then why do so many Democrats get waivers?

- Do pro-lifers care about people who are already born?

- Wayne Grudem defends what the Bible says about same-sex marriage

- Former alarmist scientist admits global warming is a “fiction”

- Does sex education reduce teen pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections?

- UK Telegraph on Richard Dawkins’ cowardly refusal to debate William Lane Craig

I have referred to Wintery Knight's website many times (e.g. here, here, here, and here)

NYC: HUNDREDS PROTEST ISLAMIC SLAUGHTER OF CHRISTIANS IN EGYPT

The following words and pictures are from Pamela Geller's Atlas Shrugged website, the place to go to stay abreast of the Islamisation of the world.  Geller writes:

Today in Manhattan, within a stone's throw of that collective negation of humanity, the UN, hundreds came out in protest of the Muslim slaughter of the Coptic Christians in Egypt, more of the bloody fruit borne of the "Muslim Spring."

GAY ACTIVISTS EMPLOY CORPORATE THUGGERY AGAINST ORBITZ

Gay activists can only be described as tiresome, disgusting, intolerant, shakedown bullies.  I've blogged about this before.  As FRC points out,

. . . it's not enough to make a few concessions to these extremists. Once they have a foothold, a little bit of acceptance turns into a full-blown demand to co-opt your business. They want corporations to join them in the assault on real tolerance. Unless you cower and give them what they want, these activists will make sure you can't function in society. Over the years, gay activists have perfected this kind of corporate terrorism.

What's the latest intimidation?  It concerns Orbitz, one of America's biggest travel sites.  The amazing thing is that it already caters to gays and lesbians with special deals, web pages, and pride events.  But apparently that's not enough.  FRC reports:

Unless the company devotes itself exclusively to the homosexual agenda, the Left's biggest bullies will try to shut it down. In their latest campaign, groups like GLAAD and Equality Matters are warning Orbitz to stop advertising on Fox News because the network tolerates free speech. In a letter to Orbitz CEO Barney Harford, they threaten to boycott the site, despite its perfect rating from the Human Rights Campaign. "Orbitz loves gay dollars and, we hope, LGBT people," the organizations write, "but by funding homophobes and charlatans like hosts Bill O'Reilly and Mike Huckabee, Orbitz sends the wrong message... We count on Orbitz to do the right thing and stop buying advertising on Fox News Channel so that LGBT people can continue to shop with Orbitz. The alternatives are clear," they warn.

But Orbitz is holding firm for now.  More companies need to do the same. 

A spokesman for the company threw the Left's favorite argument back in its face. "Our advertising... will continue to respect and serve the needs of ALL travelers," they fired back, "no matter their politics, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender."

AUDIO FOR THE 2011 GOSPEL COALITION WORKSHOPS

I'm grateful to JustinTaylor for the post and the link:

Training the Next Generation of Pastors and Other Christian Leaders R. Albert Mohler, Jr. Mark Driscoll, David Helm, Don Carson, and Ligon Duncan

The Pastor’s Counseling Ministry David Powlison

The Gospel for Muslims Thabiti Anyabwile

Is Your Church a Safe Place for Sad People? Learning to Walk with Each Other Through Loss Nancy Guthrie

Old Testament Narrative: Letting the Literature Speak Kathleen B. Nielson

Women Teaching Women the Bible: A Suggested Model Jenny Salt

Justification Versus Self-Justification Ray Ortlund Jr.

Preaching a Christ to Whom We Can Come Colin Smith

Orphans and Adoption Russell Moore and Voddie Baucham

Power Through Weakness Tim Savage

Signs of Grace in Inner-City Church Planting Eric Mason

Gospel Faithfulness and Business Leadership in Tumultuous Times Bob Doll

Christianity Explored - A Biblical Strategy for Effective Evangelism in the Local Church Craig Dyer and Alistair Begg

ROUND 2

What Should a Local Church Look Like? Tim Keller, Crawford Loritts, and Mark Dever

Pastoring with Discernment: Applying the Gospel to the Hearts of Those You Serve C. J. Mahaney

Asian American Christian Thought and Theological History: Pastoral Implications for Diversity and Innovation in a Multiracial Church Stephen Um and Julius Kim

An Invitation to Hispanic Pastors and Would-Be Pastors Juan Sanchez

Humble Orthodoxy Josh Harris

Gospel-Centered Pastoral Leadership Sandy Willson

The Feminist Mistake Mary Kassian

Literary Beauty and Gospel Truth: Celebrating the Biblical Union Kathleen B. Nielson

Pure Desire: Gospel-Centered Morality in a Sex-Saturated Society Gary Inrig

Mixing Whites and Colors Without Making Them Run: Building Gospel-Centered, Intentionally Multicultural Churches John Mahaffey

‘They All Look Alike To Me’: The Implications of a Christ-Centered Identity on the Issue of Racial Reconciliation in the Church K. Edward Copeland

Writing Corporate Worship Music Keith and Kristyn Getty

ROUND 3

The Spirit-Filled Missional Ministry of Jesus Mark Driscoll

Trellis and Vine Tony Payne and Colin Marshall

Fostering a Praying Church Scotty Smith

The Genesis of Gender Mary Kassian

When Despair Invades Gospel Work: Learning from Elijah Paige Benton Brown

One-on-One Discipleship: Grass-Roots Church Growth Jenny Salt

Biblical Theology: What It Is and Why It Matters Stephen Um and Richard Lints

Substitutes for the Gospel: A Modest Critique of Modern Evangelicalism Erwin Lutzer

The Mission of the Church Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert

Leading Corporate Worship Music Keith and Kristyn Getty

Seizing Global Gospel Opportunities: Why and How You and Your Church Can Get Involved Michael Oh

Questioning Evangelism Randy Newman

The Heart of the Expositor Kent Hughes

Scientists Cast Doubt on TSA Tests of Full-Body Scanners

Drudge linked to this article questioning the alleged safety of body scanners  (Incidentally, see the NYT's discussion on "How the Drudge Report Got Popular"). 

Michael Grabell writes:

The Transportation Security Administration says its full-body X-ray scanners are safe and that radiation from a scan is equivalent to what's received in about two minutes of flying. The company that makes them says it's safer than eating a banana [1].

But some scientists with expertise in imaging and cancer say the evidence made public to support those claims is unreliable. And in a new letter [2] sent to White House science adviser John Holdren, they question why the TSA won't make the scanners available for independent testing by outside scientists.  [more..]

Me:  It's outrageous that the "TSA won't make the scanners available for independent testing by outside scientists."

RICHARD WURMBRAND - TORTURED FOR CHRIST

As Justin Taylor wrote, "Richard Wurmbrand (1909–2001), whose many years of imprisonment in Romania for the gospel included three years in solitary confinement, went on to write Tortured for Christ and to found Voice of the Martyrs."

Taylor posted a 9 minute video which is well worth seeing.  I just visited YouTube and discovered a number of additional videos of Wurmbrand speaking.  I plan to watch many more.

I might add that I had the privilege of hearing Richard Wurmbrand speak in person in London in the late 60's.  My impression was the same as those who described the first Christian martyr, Stephen:  “And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”  – Acts 6:15

HAROLD CAMPING PREDICTS JUDGEMENT DAY MAY 21, 2011

I put up a blog post before, but today I came across Justin Taylor's valuable post that explains why Harold Camping's views, supposedly based on the Bible, are all wrong.  Taylor writes:

Albert Mohler has some good background on Harold Camping’s latest claims (part of a larger pattern of false teaching), and closes his article with some helpful reminders:

First, Christ specifically admonished his disciples not to claim such knowledge. In Acts 1:7, Jesus said, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” In Matthew 24:36, Christ taught similarly: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

To state the case plainly, these two verses explicitly forbid Christians to claim the knowledge of such dates and times. Jesus clearly taught that the Father has not revealed such dates and timing, but has reserved that knowledge for himself. It is an act of incredible presumptuousness to claim that a human knows such a date, or has determined God’s timing by any means.

NYC MUSLIM HATE MARCH AGAINST ISRAEL AND JEWS

Pamela Geller has coverage with photos and video.

MICHAEL BROWN AND ERIC SMAW DEBATE "SHOULD SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BE LEGAL?"

Wintery Knight provides YouTube videos and his own summary of opening statements.  WK calls it a "MUST SEE" debate!  That's good enough for me.  I've appreciated the amount I've been able to look at so far.

ED MORRISSEY REVIEWS "SOUL SURFER" MOVIE POSITIVELY

In my book, if Morrissey says "it's good," then it's worth seeing. 

ISRAEL'S BIRTHDAY

Whatever you think of Sarah Palin, she gets one thing very right indeed:

-- Note also:  Caroline Glick of the Jerusalem Post offers a helpful survey of the Hamas-Fatah partnership and its implications for Israel.  She also talks about Obama's speech to be given next week to the Muslim world, plus Netanyahu's visit to Washington also scheduled for next week.  Her article is titled "Obama's newest ambush." - Highly recommended. 

-- The late OFRA HAZA sings "Jerusalem the Golden." (HT: Pamela Geller)

 

From the introduction at YouTube:  "Jerusalem of Gold" (Hebrew: ירושלים של זהב‎, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav) is an extraordinary Jewish song written by Naomi Shemer in 1967.

The original song described the Jewish people's 2000-year longing to return to Jerusalem; Shemer added a final verse after the Six-Day War to celebrate Jerusalem's unification under Israeli control. At that time, the Old City was under Jordanian rule; Jews had been barred from entering, and many holy sites had been desecrated. Only three weeks after the song was published, the Six-Day War broke out. The song was the battle cry and morale booster of the Israeli troops. Shemer even sang it for them before the war and festival, making them among the first in the world to hear it. On 7 June, the Israel Defense Forces captured the eastern part of Jerusalem and the Old City from the Jordanians. When Shemer heard the paratroopers singing "Jerusalem of Gold" at the Western Wall, she wrote a final verse, reversing the phrases of lamentation found in the second verse. The line about shofars sounding from the Temple Mount is a reference to an event that actually took place on 7 June.

 And here is "Hatikvah" - the National Anthem of Israel

HEARTWARMING

Jonah Goldberg posted this YouTube video and wrote:

If this isn’t the best thing you see all weekend, you’re living a charmed life. A man with autism stumbles on the National Anthem and the crowd comes to the rescue. Just a wonderful display of humanity.

Me: Just wonderful... 

 

1.7 PERCENT OF THE 18 AND OVER POPULATION IDENTIFY AS GAY

David Pruden reports:  (HT: VirtueOnline)

SAN FRANCISCO — Gary Gates, a demographer-in-residence at the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, a think tank based at the University of California, Los Angeles has a new estimate of the percentage of adults who identify as being gay or lesbian.

Gates’ best estimate, derived from five studies that have asked subjects about their sexual orientation, is that the nation has about 4 million adults who identify as being gay or lesbian, representing 1.7 percent of the 18-and-over population.

This subject has been debated since sex researcher Alfred Kinsey said in the 1940s that 10 percent of the men he surveyed were “predominantly homosexual.” Later, a much respected University of Chicago study estimated the figure to be closer to the 3 to 5 percent and that oft cited figure has been the conventional wisdom in the last two decades.

One reason a better estimate has been difficult to judge , according to Gates, is that until recently, few surveys attempted to differentiate respondents who identified as gay or lesbian from those who sometimes engaged in homosexual acts or were attracted to people of the same sex. All were lumped into the gay category. Gates found, for example, that another 1.8 percent of the adult population, or a little more than 4 million Americans, identifies as bisexual, according to his research brief published last Thursday by the Williams Institute.

He also estimated that 19 million people, or 8.2 percent of the population, have engaged in sex with a partner of the same sex. That includes all groups, such as gays, bisexuals and heterosexuals who have experimented with same-sex behavior.

Another two studies, conducted by state agencies in California and Massachusetts, yielded what Gates thinks is the first credible estimate of the nation’s transgender population. He puts it at about 700,000 adults, or 0.3 percent of the population.

THE LATEST "SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE REVIEW: THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO PRO-FAMILY NEWS," MAY 13, 2011

These compilations from a variety of sources by the Family Research Council continue to offer interested people a gold mine.  A new edition appears every two weeks.  Readers will find in each a wealth of information not readily found elsewhere. For previous reviews I've posted, click here.   For a complete list of articles from this latest edition,  click "continue reading" below.

WHY THE NEWS MEDIA IS SO LIBERAL -- MULTIPLE TIES TO GEORGE SOROS!

Dan Gainor reports that Soros has ties to over 30 major news organizatins.  (HT: Drudge)  Gainor writes:

When liberal investor George Soros gave $1.8 million to National Public Radio , it became part of the firestorm of controversy that jeopardized NPR’s federal funding. But that gift only hints at the widespread influence the controversial billionaire has on the mainstream media. Soros, who spent $27 million trying to defeat President Bush in 2004, has ties to more than 30 mainstream news outlets – including The New York Times, Washington Post, the Associated Press, NBC and ABC.

Prominent journalists like ABC’s Christiane Amanpour and former Washington Post editor and now Vice President Len Downie serve on boards of operations that take Soros cash. This despite the Society of Professional Journalists' ethical code stating: “avoid all conflicts real or perceived.”

This information is part of an upcoming report by the Media Research Centers Business & Media Institute which has been looking into George Soros and his influence on the media.

The investigative reporting start-up ProPublica is a prime example. ProPublica, which recently won its second Pulitzer Prize, initially was given millions of dollars from the Sandler Foundation to “strengthen the progressive infrastructure” – “progressive” being the code word for very liberal. In 2010, it also received a two-year contribution of $125,000 each year from the Open Society Foundations. In case you wonder where that money comes from, the OSF website is www.soros.org. It is a network of more than 30 international foundations, mostly funded by Soros, who has contributed more than $8 billion to those efforts.

ANDREW ROBERTS IS EMBARRASED BY BRITS' REACTION TO THE KILLING OF OSAMA BIN LADEN

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Andrew Roberts, author of The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War, says:

"I never thought I'd say this... but my countrymen's reactions to the death of Osama bin Laden have made me doubt my pride in being British.

The foul outpouring of sneering anti-Americanism, legalistic quibbling, and concern for the supposed human rights of our modern Hitler have left me squirming in embarrassment and apology before my American friends. Yet what I most despise my fellow Britons for is their absolute refusal, publicly or even privately, to celebrate the most longed for news in a decade. . . .

"From Britain's pathetic and ignoble reaction to the death of our greatest ally's No. 1 foe, I fear for our fortitude in the continuing war against terror.  The British government in London and the British Army in Afghanistan are magnificent, but if the people themselves are shot through with what Winston Churchill called 'the long, drawling, dismal tides of drift and surrender,' I wonder whether we can be counted upon for much longer." . . .  Today all I feel is shame at my country's pathetic reaction to your own great day of joy.  [more . . .]

AYAAN HIRSI ALI - "WILL MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SUCCEED WHERE OSAMA BIN LADEN FAILED?"

On issues related to Islam and jihad, Ayaan Hirsi Ali is always important reading.  In her latest essay, she explains the "gradualist" strategy the Muslim Brotherhood is employing in Egypt and elsewhere.  She also describes what a country controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood looks like.   A few excerpts:

[...] Unlike Al Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood has evolved and learned the hard way that the use of violence will be met with superior violence by state actors. The clever thing to do, it now turns out, was to be patient and invest in a bottom-up movement rather than a commando structure that risked being wiped out by stronger forces. Besides, the gradualist approach is far more likely to win the prize of state power. . .

Make no mistake: The Brotherhood are working to realize the vision summarized in their motto: "Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Qur'an is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."

A series of concrete goals derived from this motto used to be available on their website, though this is (perhaps not surprisingly) unavailable at the present time. Fortunately, some of the contents have been republished at http://mideastweb.org.. . .

A GENERAL LOST HIS JOB FOR OPPOSING CHANGING "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL"

Here's the story of a genuine hero in my book.  He lost his job over his conviction that revolutionizing military policy to a politically correct "gay-friendly" stance was unwise.  He continues to speak out as a post-military civilian. From The Family Research Council (FRC):

Lt. General Benjamin Mixon may have left the Army, but that doesn't mean he'll stop fighting for the U.S. military. On May 1, the 35-year veteran hung up his boots after a three-star career. But his service to the country didn't end when his tour of duty did. Less than two weeks into his retirement, the Army's Pacific Commander is picking up where he left off in March of last year. In the heat of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) debate, Gen. Mixon was one of the few active-duty officers to speak out against the military's coming out party. Knowing the criticism could cost him his job, Mixon took the chance and published an open letter in the Stars and Stripes newspaper.

It is often stated that most service members are in favor of repealing the policy. I do not believe that is accurate. I suspect many service members, their families, veterans, and citizens are wondering what to do to stop this ill-advised repeal of a policy that has achieved a balance between a citizen's desire to serve and acceptable conduct. Now is the time to write your elected officials and chain of command and express your views. If those of us who are in favor of retaining the current policy do not speak up, there is no chance to retain the current policy. --March 8, 2010

The response from the Pentagon was swift and severe. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who had heavily lobbied for repeal, ripped into Mixon for not keeping his objections to himself. Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, furiously phoned the Army brass and called for Mixon's resignation. A three-star general, he said, should never use his influence to buck the President. "The answer," Mullen fumed, "is not advocacy; it is in fact to vote with your feet." In the months after Gen. Mixon's rebuke, military leaders fell silent. "After folks saw the reaction to my letter," Mixon said later, "there was no chance of anyone else speaking up." That chilling effect reverberated through the Force--most of whom wouldn't dare to answer the Pentagon's anonymous survey on repeal. Now that General Mixon has called it a career, he intends to do everything he can to pull back the curtain on repeal and help our troops from the outside.

Today, in an exclusive interview with the Washington Times, the former Army Commander held nothing back. "There's no doubt in my mind that this is driven by politics and not military necessity. Pushing this kind of social agenda in the military, especially during a time of war, is not appropriate. We're taking a great risk." After the policy was railroaded through Congress, Mixon was left to pick up the pieces. Like other officers, he felt the training materials "left [more] questions than answers." "There's a good number of people in the military, who, whether for reasons of religious faith or moral conscience, view homosexuality as unacceptable. How do we protect those folks' right to serve?"

Good question--one that Congress should take very seriously as it weighs our next steps. Mixon, meanwhile, has nothing to gain from speaking out on this issue. As a high-ranking retiree, he has everything to lose in the way of prestigious board positions and other post-service opportunities. Out of his concern for the military, Mixon risks cutting himself off from consideration for a whole range of honors. Yet he still takes that chance--not because it's the popular thing to do but because it's the right thing to do. America owes the General a debt of gratitude for his courage over the last 35 years--and his continued leadership for our troops. Tomorrow, the House Armed Services Committee will vote on Restore Military Readiness Act of 2011, which would give service chiefs a voice in the repeal process before it's implemented. Help Rep. Duncan Hunter pass the measure by urging committee members to support it today!

CONDI RICE VS. LAWRENCE O'DONNELL

Several people on TV are unbearable to watch.  One such is MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell.  I came across a recent interview  he conducted with Condi Rice (video and transcript here)   It's worth viewing if only to witness the gauche, condescension, fact-challenged rudeness O'Donnell displays.  After seeing it you will have had your fill of O'Donnell, and never need view him again.  Condi Rice not only holds her own, but whips him good.  [Leftists and liberals disagree.  You decide}

A couple of years ago (it hardly seems that long), I posted another example of O'Donnell's ignorance of  a subject on which he was pontificating.   Hugh Hewitt produced the take down.

E-TOTALITARIANISM AT GOOGLE

Scott Cleland, author of the new book “Search & Destroy: Why You Can’t Trust Google Inc.” (Telescope Books, 2011) has penned a fine shorter article on Google I found worth reading.  It reinforces impressions I have been steadily developing.  "Totalitarianism" may be just the right word.

TIM PAWLENTY - A GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DESERVING SERIOUS ATTENTION

I respect Stanley Kurtz's opinion about most anything, including his thoughts about Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota.  Kurtz writes: [my bolding]

[...]  Instead of pining away for Chris Christie, Mitch Daniels, Paul Ryan, or Scott Walker to enter the race, why not wake up and recognize that Tim Pawlenty has already got everything the GOP is looking for — with two successful gubernatorial terms worth of experience to boot. What’s not to like?

Tim Pawlenty has already beaten the Democrats in a government shut-down battle. He’s defeated public-employee unions in a high-stakes strike. He was regularly rated as one of the most fiscally conservative governors in the nation. And he managed to do it all in a blue state. Pawlenty is Scott Walker with experience. It’s just that nobody knows it because Pawlenty’s clashes with his state’s public unions and big Democratic spenders happened some time ago. If anything, Pawlenty ought to be getting extra credit for having faced down public-employee unions and profligate Democratic legislators before it was cool. Are we really so dense — so utterly dependent on the latest news cycle — that we are going to let a major opportunity like Pawlenty slip away out of the misplaced worry that he’s got “no name recognition?”

That is a solvable problem. Just watch: “Hey, Tim Pawlenty was a great conservative two-term governor of Minnesota! He’s tough on defense, conservative on social issues, and well liked by people from both sides of the aisle. He’s faced down Democrats time and again and won. He’s got the biography of a lunch-bucket Democrat and the outlook of a fiscally conservative Republican. And he can win! Yes, Tim Pawlenty can beat Barack Obama in a head-to-head battle for the presidency of the United States. Wake up, Republicans! The answer to your prayers is already running. And if all the pundits would just stop fantasizing for a minute about everyone who’s not running, maybe they’d pay more attention to who actually is.”

ALS - LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE

Tom White explains the disease.  Read to the end of the article to learn Tom's current physical condition (it's not good, unfortunately).

The month of May is National ALS Awareness Month. Forty thousand people in the U.S. and Canada have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ALS is also called “Lou Gehrig's disease” after the great New York Yankees first baseman whose career and life were cut short by the disease. There is no cure. It is a fatal illness and most of its victims die within three to five years of diagnosis.

ALS is a motor neuron disease because it attacks the long nerve cells, or neurons, that lead to the voluntary muscles. As the neurons die, the muscles they control atrophy and weaken to the point of uselessness. First symptoms of the disease vary for different people and include difficulty walking, inability to perform tasks like buttoning a shirt, and slurring of speech. As the disease progresses, ALS patients lose their ability to walk, talk, eat, get in and out of bed, and lift their arms. Most die of pneumonia or suffocation because their diaphragm and intercostal (between the ribs) muscles become so weak they cannot cough or breathe. Life can be prolonged by accepting a tracheotomy and mechanical ventilation, although many ALS patients choose instead to receive hospice care and die. If life is extended through artificial means, the deterioration of muscles continues, leading to a locked-in state in which the victim is completely unable to move.

MANY IN THE UK BANKING INDUSTRY MOVING TOWARDS CHRISTIAN FAITH

Alex Preston wrote an interesting article titled,  "UK:  God's bankers: How evangelical Christianity is taking a hold of the City of London's financial institutions"   (HT: VirtueOnline)

Many young workers in the UK banking industry are moving towards Christian faith and thereby a grounding in ethics.   They feel it necessary to keep their developing faith hidden from colleagues.  At the same time they are making new acquaintances among like-minded people.   Read the whole thing...

BARACK OBAMA - THE "I" PRESIDENT

Victor Davis Hanson:

Here are a few excerpts from President Obama’s speech on Sunday night about the killing of Osama bin Laden.

“Tonight, I can report . . . And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta . . . I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden . . . I met repeatedly with my national security team . . . I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action. . . . Today, at my direction . . . I’ve made clear . . . Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear . . . Tonight, I called President Zardari . . . and my team has also spoken. . .These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief . . . Finally, let me say to the families . . . I know that it has, at times, frayed. . . .”

Most of these first-person pronouns could have been replaced by either the first-person plural (our, we) or proper nouns (the United States, America). But they reflect a now well-known Obama trait of personalizing the presidency. . . .

It's noteworthy, as Hanson says, that "President Obama takes credit for operations that would have been impossible had Senator Obama’s views prevailed."  [more . .]

"MOTHER'S DAY" CAN BE PAINFUL

Justin Taylor's blog post raised my consciousness.  He linked to Russell Moore's post on being sensitive to the infertile.  A reader of Taylor's post added:

Pastors, if there are two things I would add they would be as follows.

First, please avoid making a distinction between mothers and non-mothers in a physical way (e.g. having all the moms stand up or giving flowers to all the moms). I well remember sitting in a Father’s Day service where all the dads were asked to stand. I felt like there was a huge neon sign over me that kept flashing “not able to have kids, not able to have kids.” My wife felt it keenly as well: she began to weep. The most pastorally sensitive leaders I know avoid this like the plague. Instead, they acknowledge the day and proceed to pray earnestly for the full range of emotions that are being experienced on that day (since it is often quite painful, not just for those unable to have kids, but for those estranged from their moms, those moms who are estranged from their kids, those who have recently lost a mother, etc.).

This leads to the second thing. As Moore indicates, it is important to recognize that there are many conflicting emotions going on during a Mother’s Day service. It is crucially important to pastor all the people through that time. Here is the prayer I would offer on Mother’s Day:

NORWAY FEELS STING OF CHINA'S NOBEL ANGER

 Bjoem H. Amland of the AP reports:

OSLO — Norway used to be China's top fresh salmon supplier, sending steadily growing volumes to exclusive restaurants in Beijing and Shanghai.

But since the Norwegian Nobel Committee gave the Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, Norwegian salmon exporters say their fish is being held up for days or even weeks by Chinese food safety inspectors — devastating its freshness.

"We cannot get fish in there at all," said Henning Beltestad, the CEO of Norway's Leroey Seafood Group. . .   [more...]

Me:  China plays for keeps ...

I'VE BEEN BUSY PREPARING A SUNDAY MORNING BIBLE CLASS ON EXODUS

I've not had time to do the amount of blogging I usually do.   Sunday mornings I am leading a discussion at my church on "God and History: Exodus 1-20."   We had our first session last Sunday and we have eight more to go.   For background preparation I am making my way through two outstanding commentaries:  Philip Graham Ryken's Exodus (1200 pages) and Douglas Stuart's Exodus (800 pages).  I can't recommend these two books highly enough.  Ryken's book offers scholarship and devotional richness intimately wedded together; every page crammed with nourishment for mind and heart.  Stuart's book complements Ryken's.  Both read so nicely it is a pleasure to pick up and "read some more" in either.

KEN TADA (JONI EARECKSON TADA'S HUSBAND) SPEAKS AT FRC MEN'S PRAYER MEETING

The Family Research Council hosted the National Day of Prayer Task Force (NDPTF) annual men's meeting at FRC headquarters yesterday. A video of the event can be seen here (and below). Ken Tada, husband of 29 years to Joni Eareckson Tada (Joni is the 2011 National Day of Prayer Honorary Chairman), shared a profound message and personal testimony about our call to serve.  Tada begins speaking around the 28 minute mark.  (The picture below is of Tony Perkins.  It disappears after only a couple of seconds).

 

C.S. LEWIS ON GENDER DIFFERENCES

From Letters to an American Lady -

“I have a notion that, apart from actual pain, men and women are quite diversely afflicted by illness. To a woman one of the great evils about it is that she can’t do things. To a man (anyway a man like me) the great consolation is the reflection “Well, anyway, no one an now demand that I should do anything”. I have often had the fancy that one stage in Purgatory might be a great big kitchen in which things are always going wrong — milk boiling over, crockery getting smashed, toast burning, animals stealing. The women have to learn to sit still and mind their own business: the men have to learn to jump up and do something about it. When both sexes have mastered this exercise, they go on to the next.” . . .
-- written at Magdalene College, Cambridge, 31/7/62

“My idea of the Purgatorial kitchen didn’t mean that anyone had lately been “getting in my hair”. It is simply my lifelong experience — that men are more likely to hand over to others what they ought to do themselves, and women more likely to do themselves what others wish they would leave alone. Hence both sexes must be told “Mind your own business”, but in two different senses!”
-- written at The Kilns, Headington Quarry, Oxford, 3 Sept 62