Archive for the ‘Christian’ Tag
Pondering the shock of a NY suicide
Filed under: Christian, religion | Tags: Christian, news, newyork, suicide
Leave a Comment In checking out trends on Google this morning I came across an article from the New York Times that pointed out a very interesting difference in world view between Christians and the secular world. The article recounts the suicide of a young female banker from Manhattan who took her own life by jumping off of an apartment building. The article goes on to say that her friends were shocked because they thought she had everything in the world: a good job working with philanthropies, lots of friends all over the country, a leader with everything well organized (and from articles and a picture I saw she was pretty to boot).
These are the kinds of things the world values. So why am I not surprised to hear this woman would take her own life? I do not know her, I do not know if there were any signs leading up to the event. The article mentions she was suffering from depression but not everyone who does kills themselves. The reason why I am not surprised is because nowhere in this article does it say anything about what she knows about God. (I started to write the word “believes” in the last sentence but “knows” is more accurate).
Now the reporter may not have known anything about her religion or might not have thought it was relevant, however I believe this information is important to understand the question of why she would commit suicide. If a good job, leadership, and looks are the things this woman valued, it creates real problems when considering failure, which we all experience.
Let me make this really clear. This woman may have been very nice, might have done great things for people by raising money for charity. However she was also a sinner. She sinned daily and sinned much against God and His laws. Just like everyone else. Just like me. Had she known the forgiveness of sin offered to everyone, which includes her, for these sins she would know why she is not happy (sin), why she is not fulfilled (sin), why she feels that nothing is good enough (sin). However at the same time she would know that God loves her, and was awaiting her with open arms to forgive her sins and welcome her into His kingdom through repentance and faith.
I think a good follow up or continuation of this article would be an investigation of whether or not she really had anything to look forward to (eternal life with Christ), and what all of us can do to protect ourselves and our families and friends from this horrible fate: to believe the Good News that Jesus died for even a wretched sinner such as me.
What does anyone else think? Do you think I am wrong? Am I being crass? What do you think?
Logical Conclusions: Temple Prostitution
Filed under: Christian, politics, religion | Tags: Christian, church, homosexuality, men, ministry, religion
Leave a Comment I do not normally link to blog posts from others but this time I simply have to make an exception. I first found this post linked at Chris Roseborough’s blog Extreme Theology, which he had linked to the original article. The basic premise here follows the logical conclusion that if liberal churches can accept homosexuality as a viable part of Christianity and not call it sin, why not do the same thing with temple prostitution? I think it is a brilliant piece and absolutely worth reading. If you have any comments, please leave so that we can have a discussion.
Why I signed the Manhattan Declaration
Filed under: Christian | Tags: abortion, Christian, homosexuality
Leave a Comment After hearing quite a bit about it in the news I decided to check out the Manhattan Declaration. If you have not yet read the declaration I suggest you check out the website and read it yourself. If you have not heard of it (living under a rock will do that) it is a position paper put together from leaders of various Christian churches that affirms the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as a union between one man and one woman, and the right of conscience and religious liberty.
In recent years these principles have been attacked by various groups and individuals that want to change society to fit their wants and desires. The document serves as a line in the sand for what we will tolerate and what we will affirm as what is right and just for all society.
Now some Christians have rejected the idea of signing this document for various reasons. Those who call themselves Christians and yet reject Biblical doctrines think we should allow people to make choices about who lives or dies or allow anyone to marry just because they want to declare their love for each other or share work benefits. This is a matter of allowing the culture to dictate truth, which it cannot. Truth is objective and therefore timeless, and cannot be perceived by a culture that changes with the season’s fashions.
I urge everyone who reads this, and who understands the Biblical application of these principles to sign this document. For those that do not, I suggest you investigate who Jesus is, what He has done for you, and how you can receive Him into your life. Amen.
Perinatal Hospice: An Alternative to Abortion
Filed under: abortion | Tags: abortion, Christian, faith, politics, religion
Leave a Comment One of the questions many people ask about abortion is: “What if the baby has a terminal birth defect, shouldn’t he or she be aborted?” In the world’s view, this is usually the first and only choice. But for Christians, as painful a situation as this is, it is still a violation of the sixth commandment prohibiting murder.
Now there is an alternative form of care for these situations that can benefit Christians and non-Christians alike. Called Perinatal Hospice, it allows parents to deliver and care for their child for whatever short amount of time they will be on this earth. It not only allows parents to participate in God’s natural plans for birth, life and death, it allows mothers, fathers, and other family members the opportunity to properly participate in this child’s life and mourn their passing. It allows for the grieving process without the guilt of knowing that a life was terminated in violation of God’s law.
For more information I suggest you check out this article on Lifeissues.net. Fatal birth defects are a tragic situation, they do not also have to be a murderous one filled with guilt and shame.
Russ Bonchu
Public comments and opinions can be made at the link below, or you may reach me privately at: http://russbonchu.reachby.com
Thoughts on the murder of George Tiller
Filed under: abortion, Christian, government | Tags: abortion, Christian, murder, news
Leave a Comment This past Sunday, one of the US’s most notorious and controversial abortionists was murdered inside his church. I wanted to share some thoughts on this murder.
First, since this death was not one sanctioned by the government, put in place by God to judge human actions, it is murder and therefore falls under the condemnation of the sixth commandment. This was a vigilante action that no Bible believing Christian can rightly sanction, agree with, or celebrate.
Second, I want to make it clear that the end does not justify the means. Situational ethics is an oxymoron, and is no ethics at all. Even though Tiller was a dispicable man and disgrace to the medical profession, who flouted the law by performing abortions up until the last possible moments before birth, the Bible does not allow for his killing by one lone man without trial and sentencing by a court sanctioned by the government where he resides.
That all being said, I wanted to point something out I heard in a podcast today which really made me think. This vigilante probably thougth he was saving lives by killing Dr. Tiller, as it will probably put his clinic out of business. What is really interesting to me is that Dr. Tiller probably felt he was “saving” lives by keeping these women from being “saddled” with an unbanted pregnancy, improving their quality of life. It didn’t matter that they were both ending lives, and ignoring the right to life that these babies and Dr. Tiller shared. I suppose it’s kind of poetic, in a horribly twisted sort of way.
Unfortunately this case will almost undoubtedly do damage to the pro-life movement, making Bible believing Christians look like the domestic terrorists that the Department of Homeland Security accused us of being. Therefore, when your pre-Christian friends ask you about this I would encourage you to denounce this murder, and then quickly shift the subject to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, taking the opportunity to share His love with them.
Amen.
Hate crime legislation: is it Good?
Filed under: Christian, government, religion | Tags: Christian, church, courts, gay, homosexuality, law, politics
Leave a Comment The US Senate is currently considering new hate crimes legislation that would add sexual orientation into existing laws on hate crime. While some people think it is good to add these “enhancements” to the law I submit to you that it is not, and will explain why.
Hate is not a Crime Hate is an emotion,not an action. We can’t punish hate anymore than we can punish love (which we cannot by the way). Only actions are punishable, along with the intent that preceded them. But without action, intent is meaningless. So if we cannot punish emotion, what are we attempting to punish? Thought and speech.
Speech in the US is protected Almost all speech in this country, with the exception of sedition, is protected under The Constitution. Ten years ago the Ku Klux Klan held a small rally here in Cleveland, Ohio where they made racist speeches. Many people here thought our mayor, who at the time was black, should not have given them a permit. But the mayor did the right thing, allowing them to march and rally. While the Klan may be dispicible, they have a right to exist, a right to speak, and those opposed to their views have a right to condem them, which they did. Hate crime legislation would make it illegal for a Pastor of a church to read or expound upon the chapters of Leviticus and Romans in the Bible that condemn homosexuality as a sin. This would not only violate our right to free speech but but also our freedom of religion as well.
Hate crime is not justice The US Constitution guarantees equality under the law. Equal protection as a defendant, equal punishment as the convicted. Hate crime elevates certain crimes to a special status, requiring enhanced punishments. This is not justice it is revenge. What is worse, under the new hate crime bill the defendant is only charged with a hate crime. If he proves that he did not commit the crime based on hate, hw would be found not guilty, receiving no punishment.
No life is more valuable than another. If the victim of a crime is of a different ethnic group then the perpetrator, do they suffer more? Of course not.The Mathew Shepard murder was a despicable crime, but it is no worse than any other murder. Does Mathew Shepard’s mother miss him more than any other mother who has lost a child? No one in their right mind can say yes to this. Therefore this legislation is illogical and unnecessary.
Hate crimes legislation is not needed The only way this legislation would make sense is if someone who committed a hate crime today would not be punished under existing law. But the fact is that people are punished . In the previously mentioned Mathew Shepard case the two men were both given life sentences, one without the possibility of parole. Another good example of a punished crime involving hate is that of James Byrd, Jr. a black man from Jasper, Texas who was dragged to death by three white men in 1998. In this case two of the three men received death sentences, the other life in prison. What would hate crime legislation do? Can we kill them twice? Can we make the third defendant live long enough to serve two life sentences? Of course not. If that is not possible, then it is not possible for this legislation to do anything productive and is therefore unnecessary.
Men, if we want our rights to free speech and free exercise of religion protected we must stand up for them. Thomas Jefferson said: “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” I urge you to call the US Capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask your Senators to not support this bad legislation (S. 909), lest it become bad law. If you do not know who your Senators are, you can simply tell the operator where you live and they will connect you.
I would also ask that you pray for God to grant our elceted officials wisdom in these troubling times, for mercy for our sins, and for repentance and revival to come to our troubled nation.
Amen
Great Podcast on a Great Orphans Ministry
Last week, Brad from the Two Blind Squirrels podcast interviewed my friend Dan Shepherd for his podcast, talking about what Dan does at Visiontrust, a wonderful Christian ministry that cares for orphans all over the world.
I’m not going to go into details of what Visiontrust is because you can hear all about it in the podcast (and it’s less typing). I will simply quote Mathew 25:40 40And(A) the King will answer them,(B) ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these(C) my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’
We are called to aid those less fortunate than ourselves, especially widows and orphans. Visiontrust helps us do just that by providing schools, medical care, Christian instruction, and other things as the children have need.
Please check out this brief podcast and prayerfully consider helping through donations, volunteering for a missions trip, and your prayers.
Thank you.
Persecution of Christians in San Diego
Filed under: bible, Christian, family, government, religion | Tags: bible, Christian, government, ministry, politics, religion
Leave a Comment I just found this story about a Christian family in San Diego County being persecuted by the government for holding a home Bible study. I think this is absolutely outrageous. This flies in the face of the rights we take for granted: reasonably doing what we want in our homes, freely getting together with others, and most importantly freely practicing our religion.
For me, I hear these stories all the time from other countries. My heart goes out to them, but then I usually think of how lucky I am to be able to not have to worry about such things. I guess I have been wrong.
Thomas Jefferson said: “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” This fact is true in all times, but especially now. We need to stand strong for our rights, and oppose anyone who tries to take them away.
I think I have said this before, we need to pray for revival to come to our nation. For Jesus to be accepted as Lord and Savior, and for a return to our being a Christian nation.
Amen.
Proposition 8 Upheld in California
Filed under: Christian, religion, sex | Tags: Christian, gay, homosexual, marriage, religion
Comments (1) Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of California upheld Proposition 8 as a true Constitutional Amendment. In case you have been living under a rock for the last year, and your laptop and Internet card just arrived, you should know that prop. 8 was a Constitutional Amendment to the CA constitution defining marriage as one man and one woman. The referendum passed with a 53 percent majority. This is the second time CA voters have made this decision, passing a similar resolution in 2000 that was only a law and found to be unconstitutional last year. After the 2008 election, gay activists challenged the amendment in court, claiming it was somehow not a constitutional amendment.
Now that everyone is on the same page, let’s move on. I am thankful for two things. First, that the people of CA, or at least 53% of the voters, have either recognized the will of God for marriage, or understand the disasterous consequences that gay marriage can have on the family. I have stated before that the Bible only recognizes one type of marriage, and that breaking this commandment could not only lead to his wrath but could lead to legalized incest, pederasty, and even polygamy.
Second, as a proud American, I am grateful that the will of the majority of the people of CA has been heard and allowed to stand. I recognize the purpose of the courts in our system to interpret what the Founding Fathers intendend when they wrote the Constitution, when compared to new laws. But we must do everything we can, including Judicial Impeachment, to prevent our courts from legislating from the bench. When the will of the people and the intent of the Constitution are both ignored, tyranny will reign.
My brothers, we need to thank God for upholding this good law, and we must pray for our friends and neighbors that have chosen the homosexual lifestyle. We must have the strength to gently but firmly bring the law of God down upon them, convicting them of their sin, and then give them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Is America a Christian Nation?
Filed under: bible, Christian, religion | Tags: bible, Christian, politics, religion
Comments (4) Last month, President Obama visited several Asian and Middle Eastern nations, meeting with other heads of state During a press conference on April 6th the President said that the US was not a Christian nation, but a nation of citizens. Now the second half of that statement is obviously correct. All countries are nations of citizens. But are we a Christian nation? Many non-believers would agree with that statement, espousing the false belief that we have some sort of separation of church and state that does not allow us to be a Christian nation, only a nation that contains Christians. Tonight I am going to show you just how ridiculous that statement is.
On May 4th members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus introduced Hourse Resolution 397 which affirms our heritage as a Christian nation. Here are some facts from this document:
- The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that we are a religious people.
- During the Founding Era, the most frequently cited source was The Bible.
- The first act of the first Congress in 1774 was to ask a minister to open with a word of prayer and read from The Bible.
- Congress has appropriated money for missionaries and religious instruction, even after the ratification of the First Amendment.
- The Declaration of Independence identifies God as Creator, Law Giver, Judge, and Protector.
- Congress paid to import Bibles in 1777 and authorize the printing of a Bible for schools in 1782.
- The Treaty of Paris begins with: “In the name of the Most Holy Trinity.”
- Congress not only has paid Chaplains, the military has over 4500 chaplains in it’s ranks.
- The United States Supreme Court has declared
throughout the course of our Nation’s history that the
United States is ‘‘a Christian country’’, ‘‘a Christian nation’’,
‘‘a Christian people’’, ‘‘a religious people whose institutions
presuppose a Supreme Being’’, and that ‘‘we - cannot read into the Bill of Rights a philosophy of hostility
to religion.’”
These are just some of the many facts of this document that disprove the President’s opinion. Men of God, I urge you to check out this inspiring resolution, call your Congressman and ask him or her to co-sponsor it, and pray not only for it’s passage, but also for the revival of the Christian heritage of our great nation.
