"Same-sex Marriage and the School Curriculum"
Legislators tell us that proponents of same-sex marriage, when asked if students have the right to believe that homosexuality is morally wrong, will universally say no, students do not have the right to that belief. The school, they say, is responsible for training students that such a moral belief is bigoted and hateful.
Parents must consider the serious implications of this position for our children and for the schools. The March 28th issue of National Review magazine features an article by David Frum entitled, "A New Word, A New Day," in which he describes a concept that will take hold in school curriculi everywhere if same-sex marriage becomes the law of the land.
The concept is called "Hetero-normative," and it means that words are homophobic if they imply "that standard sexual relationships are only between males and females."
For example, a controversy raged last February when a Harvard speaker described her life this way: "Women, you can have it all -- a loving man, devoted husband, loving children, a fabulous career. They say you gotta choose. Nah, nah, nah... You can do whatever you want. All you have to do is want it."
The gay and lesbian groups filed a complaint because "the content was specific to male-female relationships. "Similarly, the governor of Massachusetts was chastised by the Boston Globe for "mean spirited politics" when he stated that every child "has a right to a mother and a father."
Praise for the traditional family is bigoted in the new world of gender-free marriages.
Frum makes the point that "same-sex marriage does not extend marriage. It transforms marriage." Husbands and wives, mothers and fathers will be required to be removed as concepts from law -- for every citizen, not merely for homosexuals.
Where do these ideas lead us? Frum tells us: "This is not a debate about extending an institution; it is a debate about overthrowing a norm; not about reconstruction, but about destruction." This is what schools will be required to teach our kids -- that hetero-normative language is hate-speech
(EdWatch, Issues and Action in Education, April 11, 2005).
Churches Unite on the Left
Determined not to let conservative Christians dominate the faith, 14 area churches have banded together to convince wavering believers there is more than one way to be a Christian.
Progressivechurches is the name of the new coalition, and it has taken out a catchy ad running in several area newspapers. The group also has a Web site, www.progressivechurches.org.
"Almost given up on Christianity?" it reads. "We understand."
The coalition has so far identified three common issues: the inclusion of gays and lesbians, the need to protect the environment, and a desire to be more responsible global citizens.
"We feel the primary understanding of Christianity in mainstream America is that of the evangelical right," said the Rev. Doug Long, the pastor of North Raleigh United, a United Church of Christ congregation. "We want people to know there are Christians who think of things in a different way."
The churches, belonging to seven different Protestant denominations, do not agree on all the "values" issues so prominent in the news. But that's the point, they say. They don't have to (Shrimron, News Observer, Raleigh, NC, June 3, 2005).
[ The question of right-wing politics versus left-wing politics misses the point. The real question is, "is it biblical and does it conform to the revealed will of God?"] THE BEREAN CALL, Dave Hunt
INDIAN HILL, OHIO - In an effort to understand and discuss the world's major religions, Horizon Community Church is providing a panel discussion with area guest speakers for five Sundays beginning July 10 and ending Aug. 14.
The idea came from teaching pastor Chad Hovan, who sets the church's program schedule. He had been aware of a similar program at Chicago's Willow Creek Church and he brought the idea to Horizon.
"I think the interest was there partially because of world events," says John Kirby, director of operations and communications for the church. "We wanted our emphasis to be on tolerance-to have a clearer understanding of Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Christianity and what their members believe."
Adds Hovan, "Our goal was to make this a safe place for people to compare and explore the world's major religions. It is not an inherently Christian service. We want each faith to be given a fair, neutral chance to present their views, and hopefully in the end we'll understand each other better."
The first Sunday's gathering drew a capacity crowd which came to hear about the beliefs of Islam.
"Those who came discovered a lot more similarities than differences," Kirby said.
[TBC: Professing evangelicals who lovingly embrace false religions of the world in this manner are committing spiritual adultery and are willing accomplices in the delusion and apostasy of the last days prior to the rapture of Christ¹s true Bride, and the subsequent revelation of Anti-("in-the-place-of") christ and his false "christian" church.]
(THE BEREAN CALL, Dave Hunt)
Catholic Church no longer
swears by truth of the Bible
[Excerpts] By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent
The hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has published a teaching document instructing the faithful that some parts of the Bible are not actually true.
The Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland are warning their five million worshippers, as well as any others drawn to the study of scripture, that they should not expect "total accuracy" from the Bible.
"We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or complete historical precision," they say in "The Gift of Scripture."
The document is timely, coming as it does amid the rise of the religious Right, in particular in the US.
In their foreword to the teaching document, the two most senior Catholics of the land, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, and Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrew's and Edinburgh, explain its context.
They say people today are searching for what is worthwhile, what has real value, what can be trusted and what is really true (Gledhill, The [London] Times Online, October 5, 2005).
The Revolve Tour and Ministering to Teen Girls
The very successful Women of Faith Conferences spawned the Revolve Tour for teenage girls. This is funded by Thomas Nelson, that publishing house that produces the Revolve Teen girls Bible-zine. Bible-zines are supposedly a tool to get teens to read the Bible so they put Scriptures in a format that looks like "Cosmo" or "Teen" magazine. Scriptures are found on the same page with advice about boys, skin care and clothing tips, looking sexy etc. I was intrigued to look at the Revolve Tour website and see what they are offering girls spiritually. I searched the website but couldn't find one mention of Jesus. I did see worldly women all over, flawless skin, airbrushed celebrities and music stars writhing in tight clothes on the music videos. Our moral standards have gotten so low in the church
that women in low rider jeans and tight t-shirts are considered wonderful role models for Christian girls. At one point, a teen in the video collage says, "I look at magazines and there are all of these skinny models..." What do you think the Revolve Tour is presenting as beauty? Skinny, heavily made up women who are the farthest thing from the norm. In the Revolve Teen Bible-zine I looked through there wasn't one average looking young
girl. They were all physically thin, immodestly dressed, without a flaw evident in the
photos. Many teen girls with weight trouble or skin trouble or who simply just
don't look like that will view this and say, "Even the Bible(zine) is filled with images of physical perfection. I must really be a loser if I can't even find hope in the Bible!" even worse, many young ladies will look at this mess and conclude that there is nothing wrong with immodest dress, loud boisterous behaviour, and conforming to the world. Very poor messages to be giving to our young girls!
UNITED METHODIST LEADERS SUPPORT HOMOSEXUAL CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.
(Fundamental Baptist Information Service) - The bishops of the United Methodist Church have issued a statement declaring that homosexuality is no barrier to church membership. The Council of Bishops said that while pastors have the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a barrier (United Methodist Bishops Affirm Church Membership Open to All, United Methodist Church News Service, Nov. 3). The bishops heretical decision was unanimous, thus exposing the deep apostasy of this denomination. When we look into the Scriptures, we find that while the Gospel is for everyone, church membership is only for those who have been born again through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, those whose lives have been converted to holy living by the power of the indwelling Spirit. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such WERE some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
Pilgrim -- that's what I am, and if you know the Lord Jesus, so are
you. We have been called out of this world, and the world has been crucified
unto us. In other words, we don't love the world anymore; we have nothing to
give to the world, and the world has nothing to give to us
(see Galatians 6:14).
We are commanded to come out and be a separate, holy people unto God
(see 2 Corinthians 6:17).
--Jim Lucas, missionary
