EVOLUTION CONTROVERSY’S OUTDATED, ONE-SIDED EXPOSURE

July 6, 2013

I found this article at the Institute for Creation Research. 

As Christine states in her article, there is now better evidence for the Creationist viewpoint.  At the same time, she doesn’t deny that the footprints are important.

That's Me with the Dino Tracks in August of 2004
That’s Me with the Dino Tracks in August of 2004

I have been to the Paluxi River and had my picture taken next to a Dinosaur footprint.  Unfortunately, the human tracks were not visible, but this picture shows clearly that the dino tracks are there. The picture was taken at the Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas.

It is very close to Dr. Baugh’s Creation Museum where this picture was taken:

At Dr. Baugh's Creation Museum
At Dr. Baugh’s Creation Museum

An important book about the subject was published in 1980.  It was called “TRACKING Those Incredible DINOSAURS” and was written by John Morris, son of the founder of ICR.

Although ICR has backed away from the evidences found in this book, it is filled with eyewitness accounts of man and dinosaur footprints found in the same strata.  I have the book, and the accounts seem authentic to me.

One example is found on page 13.  During the Great Depression, residents of the area sold prints to make money to feed their families.  James and Cecil Ryals estimated that they quarried approx. 100 dinosaur tracks and about 10 human tracks.  Dinosaur tracks were more desirable and a good one could fetch up to 50 dollars.  The same page details how they went about their excavations.

The Ryals are not the only witnesses.  The book has other examples.

I believe in a young earth.  It is not millions and billions of years old.  I believe that man and dinosaur lived contemporaneously.  I agree that the prints discussed here are not the best evidence for Creationism, but how can one completely discount them?

The Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas is another showcase for the Darwinian evolutionists if one reads the signs at the park.  In reality, it is evidence for Scientific Creationists like me.

Chris Reimers

Paluxy River August 2004 002

=====================================================

by Christine Dao

Appealing to public emotions is a tool employed by politicians, media, and anyone trying to win supporters for a specific agenda. Naturally, such efforts can skew or omit facts, as is often the case in mainstream presentations of the ongoing battle between evolution and creation science. A recent Discovery News feature provides a telling example of this particular ploy.

Published online July 11, the feature is titled “Evolution Controversies: A History in Photos” and includes photographs from the Scopes “Monkey” trial of 1925, a cartoon of British naturalist Charles Darwin with the body of an ape, and a photograph of an exhibit in the Institute for Creation Research’s former Museum of Creation and Earth History in Santee, California.1 Of the ten photographs, two portray what the author says are claims used by creationists as “scientific proof of young Earth creationism”: the dinosaur footprints in Glen Rose, Texas, and a petroglyph in Utah that resembles a dinosaur.

Geologist and ICR President John Morris reported on the Paluxy River footprints in 1976,2 which at the time many creation scientists believed showed human and dinosaur footprints together. However, in light of continuing study, he reexamined the issue and wrote in 1986:

Even though it would now be improper for creationists to continue to use the Paluxy data as evidence against evolution, in the light of these questions, there is still much that is not known about the tracks and continued research is in order. We stand committed to truth, and will gladly modify or abandon our previous interpretation of the Paluxy data as the facts dictate.3

So, Discovery News’ statement that “creationists claim that human footprints can be seen right beside dinosaur tracks”1 is about 25 years out of date. Creation science researchers have moved on, a fact that was omitted from the Discovery News’ emotionally oriented appeal.

In the case of the Utah petroglyph, which Discovery News reported was “just a mud stain” in March of this year,4 ICR Science Writer Brian Thomas wrote:

ICR Senior Science Lecturer Frank Sherwin visited this petroglyph a number of years ago. He commented that although it looked interesting to him, he did not consider it to be as compelling as other historical evidence—such as dinosaur original soft tissues, written or sculpted eyewitness accounts of dragon encounters from all over the world, or certain Bible passages like Job 40—that have convinced him that dinosaurs and man were contemporaneous. The case for creation does not hinge on this one Utah artifact.5

So attempts such as Discovery News’ outdated references that try to place creationists in the same unscientific camp as flat-earth believers6 do not take into account that creation science researchers are willing to examine the data and, if necessary, move on to more interesting and securely justifiable discoveries, such as the soft dinosaur tissues or historical worldwide dragon encounters Mr. Thomas mentioned.7

Discovery News’ bias is further demonstrated by the fact that, although the author was careful to include instances that he thought “disproved” creationist claims, he failed to mention examples of the supposed evidence used to support evolution and long ages that have been debunked, such the classification of Tiktaalik and Pakicetus as transitional forms (aka “missing links”),8 and the accuracy of potassium-argon radioisotope-dating techniques.9

Appealing to public emotions can be effective, because it often does not require the appealers to present all the facts surrounding the topic. However, when the dust settles, the facts will not go away. If they demonstrate anything, anti-science presentations such as the Discovery News feature show that emotional appeals are needed to promote evolution because there is no real science behind it.

References

  1. al-Khatib, T. Evolution Controversies: A History in Photos. Discovery News. Posted on news.discovery.com July 11, 2011, accessed July 14, 2011.
  2. Morris, J. D. 1976. The Paluxy River Tracks. Acts & Facts. 5 (5).
  3. Morris J. D. 1986. The Paluxy River Mystery. Acts & Facts. 15 (1).
  4. Niiler, E. ‘Proof of Creation’ Dino Drawing Just a Mud Stain. Discovery News. Posted on news.discovery.com March 25, 2011, accessed July 14, 2011.
  5. Thomas, B. Utah Dinosaur Petroglyph Disputed. ICR News. Posted on icr.org April 7, 2011, accessed July 14, 2011.
  6. Daniel Shenton of The Flat Earth Society told LiveScience in June that he and his followers believe the earth is flat: “To look around, the world does appear to be flat, so I think it is incumbent on others to prove decisively that it isn’t. And I don’t think that burden of proof has been met yet.” LiveScience also reported that Mr. Shenton believes in evolution and global warming. See Wolchover, N. Ingenious ‘Flat Earth’ Theory Revealed In Old Map. LiveScience. Posted on livescience.com June 23, 2011, accessed July 14, 2011.
  7. For examples of fresh dinosaur tissues, see the many examples listed on the “Fresh Tissues Show That Fossils Are Recent” page in ICR’s collection of Evidence for Creation. For a small sampling of archaeological examples of dinosaur interactions with humans, see Morris, J. 2008. The Dinosaur Next Door. Acts & Facts. 37 (6): 13.
  8. Morris, J. D. and F. J. Sherwin. 2010. The Fossil Record. Dallas, TX: Institute for Creation Research, 149, 172. See also Sherwin, F. Banner Fossil for Evolution Is Demoted. ICR News. Posted on icr.org January 27, 2010, accessed July 14, 2011.
  9. Woodmorappe, J. 1999. The Mythology of Modern Dating Methods. El Cajon, CA: Institute for Creation Research, 22.

*Ms. Dao is Assistant Editor at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on July 26, 2011.

The original article appears HERE.

Two of my favorite people visited the park
Two of my favorite people visited the park

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Posted by Chris

THERE IS A FOUNTAIN

July 5, 2013

I believe this was the first post on a wonderful blog that I always enjoyed called: “Be Thus Minded.” Pearl had and has a very Christian take on things and decided to shut her blog down in February of 2012.  One of her posts got 95 comments.  I’ll put that one up someday.  Pearl is busy homeschooling her kids and taking care of her beautiful butterfly garden.

I never told her why I use a butterfly as my “symbol.”  I’ll have to do that soon and send her an email to tell her (and you) why.

Enjoy Pearl’s (I think) first post from “Be Thus Minded.” This was put up in April of 2010.

CR

====================================

This is one of the first hymns Cow­per wrote af­ter his first at­tack of tem­po­ra­ry mad­ness. Cow­per had been prom­ised a post as Clerk of the Jour­nal to the House of Lords, but was dis­mayed up­on learn­ing he would have to un­der­go a pub­lic ex­am­in­a­tion in the House be­fore be­gin­ning his du­ties. The fol­low­ing ar­ti­cle from the North Amer­i­can Re­view, Jan­u­a­ry, 1834, de­scribes his di­lem­ma, and how God pre­vent­ed him from de­stroy­ing him­self:

As the time drew nigh, his agony became more and more in­tense; he hoped and be­lieved that mad­ness would come to relieve him; he attempted also to make up his mind to commit su­i­cide, though his conscience bore stern testimony against it; he could not by any argument per­suade himself that it was right, but this des­per­a­tion pre­vailed, and he pro­cured from an apothecary the means of self-destruction. On the day before his public appearance was to be made, he happened to notice a letter in the newspaper, which to his dis­or­dered mind seemed like a ma­lig­nant li­bel on himself. He im­med­i­ate­ly threw down the pa­per and rushed into the fields, de­ter­mined to die in a ditch, but the thought struck him that he might es­cape from the count­ry. With the same vi­o­lence he pro­ceed­ed to make hasty prep­ar­a­tions for his flight; but while he was en­gaged in pack­ing his port­man­teau his mind changed, and he threw him­self into a coach, or­der­ing the man to drive to the Tower wharf, in­tend­ing to throw him­self in­to the ri­ver, and not re­flect­ing that it would be im­poss­i­ble to ac­comp­lish his pur­pose in that pub­lic spot. On ap­proach­ing the wa­ter, he found a por­ter seated upon some goods: he then re­turned to the coach and was con­veyed to his lodg­ings at the Temple. On the way he at­tempt­ed to drink the laud­a­num, but as oft­en as he raised it, a con­vuls­ive agi­ta­tion of his frame pre­vent­ed it from reach­ing his lips; and thus, re­gret­ting the loss of the op­por­tun­i­ty, but un­a­ble to avail him­self of it, he ar­rived, half dead with an­guish, at his apart­ment. He then shut the doors and threw him­self upon the bed with the laud­a­num near him, try­ing to lash himself up to the deed; but a voice within seemed con­stant­ly to for­bid it, and as of­ten as he ex­tend­ed his hand to the poi­son, his fing­ers were con­tract­ed and held back by spasms.

At this time one of the in­mates of the place came in, but he con­cealed his ag­i­ta­tion, and as soon as he was left alone, a change came over him, and so de­test­a­ble did the deed ap­pear, that he threw away the laud­a­num and dashed the vial to pieces. The rest of the day was spent in heavy insensibility, and at night he slept as usual; but on waking at three in the morning, he took his penknife and lay with his weight upon it, the point toward his heart. It was brok­en and would not pen­e­trate. At day break he arose, and pas­sing a strong gar­ter around his neck, fast­ened it to the frame of his bed: this gave way with his weight, but on securing it to the door, he was more successful, and remained suspended till he had lost all consciousness of existence. After a time the garter broke and he fell to the floor, so that his life was saved.; but the conflict had been greater than his reason could endure. He felt for himself a contempt not to be expressed or imagined; whenever he went into the street, it seemed as if every eye flashed upon him with indignation and scorn; he felt as if he had offended God so deep­ly that his guilt could ne­ver be for­giv­en, and his whole heart was filled with tu­mult­u­ous pangs of despair. Mad­ness was not far off, or rather mad­ness was al­ready come.

Af­ter re­cov­er­ing, Cow­per came to real­ize how God can erase the stain of any sin.

Update :   It didn’t rest with me to allow this very low period of Cowper’s life to represent the true man.  Upon further research, it seems that this bout of temporary insanity was the precursor to his eventual conversion and deep friendship with John Newton. Read more here.

“There is a Fountain”

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine.

                       

[Pearl’s Note:  The most beautiful version of this hymn can be heard on this CD “Hymns Triumphant Volume II”…it’s part of a medley.]

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Posted by Chris

HOPE FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS

June 30, 2013

“When Your Concern For Your Nation Intensifies” was the title of a sermon I heard today.  The sermon was presented by Pastor Mark Cain of Village Bible Church.

So what do we do about all of the things in our society that sadden us?  Pastor Mark mentioned many of the issues that can make one wonder just where we are headed: lack of morality, abortion, ungodly living arrangements, euthanasia, etc.

The answer Pastor Cain gave was not surprising.  It came from the Bible.  Isn’t that where we are supposed to look for our answers? He found a great answer.

“When your concern for America intensifies, calm that concern through the theology of Psalm 46.” 

Here is your answer:

Psalm 46

God the Refuge of His People.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.

46 God is our refuge and strength, [b]A very present help in [c]trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the [d]sea; 3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. [e]Selah.
 
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her [f]when morning dawns. 6 The [g]nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He [h]raised His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
 
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, [i]Who has wrought desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 “[j]Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the [k]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 46:1 Possibly for soprano voices
  2. Psalm 46:1 Or Abundantly available for help
  3. Psalm 46:1 Or tight places
  4. Psalm 46:2 Lit seas
  5. Psalm 46:3 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude
  6. Psalm 46:5 Lit at the turning of the morning
  7. Psalm 46:6 Or Gentiles
  8. Psalm 46:6 Lit gave forth
  9. Psalm 46:8 Or Which He has wrought as desolations
  10. Psalm 46:10 Or Let go, relax
  11. Psalm 46:10 Or Gentiles (1)

Pastor Mark calls the Psalms “God’s Pharmacy.”  This Psalm shows why.

The Psalm is a song or poetry set in three stanzas.  Each stanza ends with the word “Selah.”  As the good pastor stated, no one knows for certain what the word means.  Many feel that “Selah” is word that means pause.  Pausing is always good for reflection.

Dr. Cain broke the Psalm into two sections.

1. (vv. 1-3) GOD IS (a way of saying “theology”) so personally present there is no reason to fear the cataclysmic chaos.

2. (vv. 4-11) God is so powerfully present He can overrule any national threat.

The conclusion:

“Peace and security are not the absence of threatening circumstances, but the close presence of our powerful, personally involved God.”

I appreciate men who are not afraid to dig for God’s nuggets.  I am fortunate to know Christian leaders of integrity, men who are not afraid to talk about moral issues that enter the political arena, in my community.  I must list a few: Pastor Doug Jones of The First Free Will Baptist Church (and head of The Watchmen of Garland County), Pastor Ken Carney of The First Church of the Nazarene, Pastor Bill Carter of Antioch Baptist Church, and Pastor Larry Spader of Living Faith Church.  These are a few of the twenty or so pastors that I have met in my county who are men of God.  Guys like this are getting harder to find.  I am grateful to God for His faithful servants.

Our nation’s celebration of Independence is not far off.  God has richly blessed our nation in the past.  Psalm 46 is a great scripture upon which to dwell in the present.

CR

(1) http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2046&version=NASB

2 Comments | Helps, Sermons, theology, Words that Uplift | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Chris

FALSE PROPHETS

June 29, 2013

17 “For a command came to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’ 18 He said to him, ‘I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord…'”

As I was reading a passage from God’s Holy Word, the verses above leapt off of the page.  How many say they speak “by the word of the Lord,” or say that an angel spoke something of importance to them.

Muhammad is the most followed false prophet in our day.

“The above pic shows Mohammed receiving his first revelation from the angel Gabriel. Miniature illustration on vellum from the book Jami’ al-Tawarikh (literally ‘Compendium of Chronicles’ but often referred to as The Universal History or History of the World), by Rashid al-Din, published in Tabriz, Persia, 1307 A.D. Now in the collection of the Edinburgh University Library, Scotland.” (Wikimedia Commons)

“When Islam’s defenders challenge Christianity and other faiths, their dialogue is based upon their assumption that Muhammad was the ‘Seal of the Prophets.’ According to them, this would give him the authority to supersede and refute the teachings in the Bible with his writings in the Koran.” (1)

I hope you get a chance to watch the video at footnote 1 below.  It quotes Islāmic texts (including the Koran), and clearly identifies Muhammad as a false prophet.  I love my Muslim friends, but the truth must be told.

Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church, is another. Joseph Smith said . . .

(Regarding Joseph Smith’s alleged first vision where celestial personages appeared to him.) . . .) “My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right — and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight: that those professors were all corrupt . . .” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 1, p. 5-6).

“What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world,” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, p. 270.)

(In questions directed to Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. . .) First — “Do you believe the Bible?” If we do, we are the only people under heaven that do, for there are none of the religious sects of the day that do.” Third — “Will everybody be damned, but Mormons?” Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness.” (Teachings, page 119.) (2)

In one of Joseph Smith’s stories, it was the angel moroni.

HERE is an interesting list of modern-day false prophets and teachers.

(There are quotes for the NLT in a few of these sites.  It is not my favorite translation because of its treatment of John 6:37.  I find its treatment unbalanced compared to the KJV or the NASB.  Check it out if you wish.  The NLT is not a bad translation for a new believer who hasn’t dealt with the free will/predestination issue.

Since I’m a rabbit trail guy, I’ll quote the verses now.

John 6:37

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

John 6:37

King James Version (KJV)

37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

John 6:37

New Living Translation (NLT)

37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.

There is a subtle difference in the NLT translation.)

Let me get back on track…

Another modern-day false prophet was L. Ron Hubbard.

He is the founder of scientology and as THIS ARTICLE states:

“The Scripture warns that ‘many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.’ L. Ron Hubbard was such a false prophet. And the Godless ‘religion’ he created truly has deceived many.”

The article linked to above also states:

“The creepy part of Scientology is its teaching that we are all, everyone, descendants of Thetans brought to Earth 75 million years ago by Xenu, the tyrant ruler of the ‘Galactic Confederacy.’”

THE ARTICLE also mentions celebrities who believe the lies, and shows Mr. Hubbard’s hand-written description of Xenu.

THIS POST lists a number of modern-day false prophets.  Some would disagree with one or more of the editor’s choices, but the majority listed leave no question.

HAROLD CAMPING is one of many found at this site.

BENNY HINN is another.

Jim Jones was another who is not listed anywhere I looked.  In 1965, Jones claimed that the world would be engulfed in a nuclear war on July 15, 1967, that would then create a new socialist Eden on earth.”  Manny has also put up a post with A LINK to a slide show about this false prophet.

And here’s the scripture that started this little study:

1 Kings 13: 11-30

11 Now an old prophet was living in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they related to their father. 12 Their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” Now his sons had seen the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it. 14 So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 He said, “I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 For a command came to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’” 18 He said to him, “I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him. 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water. 20 Now it came about, as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; 21 and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the command of the Lord, and have not observed the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, 22 but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water”; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.’” 23 It came about after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 Now when he had gone, a lion met him on the way and killed him, and his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion also was standing beside the body. 25 And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the road, and the lion standing beside the body; so they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived. 26 Now when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God, who disobeyed the command of the Lord; therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.” 27 Then he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. 28 He went and found his body thrown on the road with the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion had not eaten the body nor torn the donkey. 29 So the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back, and he came to the city of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him. 30 He laid his body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!”

False prophets are nothing new.  As this Biblical narrative describes the deception of a “prophet” and its consequences, we must ask God for discernment regarding those who claim special revelation from God.

I found a few verses about false prophets HERE.

They are:

“Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.”

Luke 6:26 KJV

“For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

Mark 13:22 KJV

“For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

Matthew 24:24 KJV

“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”

Matthew 24:11 KJV

“[ You Will Know Them by Their Fruits ] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”

Matthew 7:15 KJV

“Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD had not spoken.”

Ezekiel 22:28 KJV

“Your prophets have seen for you False and deceptive visions; They have not uncovered your iniquity, To bring back your captives, But have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions.”

Lamentations 2:14 KJV

“[ False Prophets and Empty Oracles ] My heart within me is broken Because of the prophets; All my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, And like a man whom wine has overcome, Because of the LORD, And because of His holy words.”

Jeremiah 23:9 KJV

“And the LORD said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.”

Jeremiah 14:14 KJV

“The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?”

Jeremiah 5:31 KJV

Don’t be fooled.

Chris Reimers

(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XGZS_GO8NI&list=PL-y7hT8aCU7BgjetGh2VE6MagVkwFLeuA&index=9&t=722s

(2) http://carm.org/does-mormonism-attack-other-religions

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Posted by Chris

YAHWEH

June 18, 2013

The Name Yahweh in Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts

Note:  This article was published on Saturday, January 9, 2010.  I posted it the very next day on my original news blog also called “Wings of the Wind.”   It was posted over 2 years before I posted this article about Thutmose III. 

I find it interesting that the following article seems to say two different things.  It states:

“The term Shasu is found in a variety of New Kingdom hieroglyphic texts including the military, administrative, and diplomatic documents of pharaohs Thutmosis III (my emphasis), Amenhotep II, Thutmosis IV, Amenhotep III, Akhenaton, Seti I, Ramses II, Merneptah, and Ramses III.”

It then goes on to state:

“If the group in question were Yahweh followers who never went to Egypt, why are they absent in topographical lists from the early period of the 18th Dynasty, for example, from the extensive topographical lists of Thutmosis III?”  (again my emphasis)

There is a difference between hieroglyphic texts and topographical lists.  It is the difference between a carving on a wall and a settlement.

There are a few of us who believe that Thutmose III (or Thutmosis III) was the great Pharaoh that saw and spoke with Moses. (See the above link.)

It is interesting that, no matter which way one finds the Pharaoh’s name spelled, a name similar to Moses appears in it.

CR

An explanation of the Soleb picture above can be found here.

An explanation of the Amarah-West picture can be found here.

Here is a video about the Soleb picture:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGEOZ5YI22M&list=PLSCjggNQLiHg3qxacrHOQnZ-bXwY6GxhW

========================================

The Name Yahweh in Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts

By Charles Aling, Clyde Billington and Gordon Govier
Special to ASSIST News Service

ST. PAUL, MN (ANS) – The oldest historical mention of ancient Israel occurs in the Merneptah stele, an Egyptian monument dated to 1208 B.C. But mention of Israel’s God, Yahweh, occurs even earlier in Egyptian inscriptions in conjunction with a group of people called the Shasu.

Among ancient Egyptian designations for types of foreign peoples in the New Kingdom Period (1550–1070 BC), the term Shasu occurs fairly frequently. It is generally accepted that the term Shasu means nomads or Bedouin people, referring primarily to the nomadic peoples of Syria-Palestine. There are two hieroglyphic references in New Kingdom Period texts to an area called “the land of the Shasu of Yahweh.” Except for the Old Testament, these are the oldest references found in any ancient texts to the God Yahweh.

THE TERM SHASU

The term Shasu is found in a variety of New Kingdom hieroglyphic texts including the military, administrative, and diplomatic documents of pharaohs Thutmosis III, Amenhotep II, Thutmosis IV, Amenhotep III, Akhenaton, Seti I, Ramses II, Merneptah, and Ramses III.

The vast majority of scholars who have written on the Shasu stress that they were a people who were not totally nomadic. There were specific geographic areas associated in Egyptian topographical texts with the Shasu, thus indicating that at least some Shasu lived a somewhat settled existence in defined areas. “Semi-nomadic” is probably a more accurate translation.

The term Shasu is almost exclusively used in New Kingdom texts for semi-nomadic peoples living in parts of Lebanon, Syria, Sinai, Canaan, and Transjordan, and for people groups clearly identified as Semitic herders. The Shasu were rarely if ever under the control of the Egyptian government and were almost always looked upon as enemies of the Egyptians.  For example, at the famous Battle of Kadesh in ca. 1275 BC, there were Shasu soldiers who were allies of the Hittites against Ramses II.

It is very likely that the Egyptians of the New Kingdom Period classified all of the ancient Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, Amalekites, Midianites, Kenites, Hapiru, and Israelites as Shasu. There is even a reference dating to ca. 1250 BC in Papyrus Anastasi I to a group of giant Shasu living in Canaan who may be identified with the giants encountered by the Israelites at the time of the Exodus.

THE LAND OF THE SHASU OF YAHWEH

The New Kingdom inscriptions which refer to “the Land of the Shasu of Yahweh” are found in two topographical lists. The lists are found inscribed on the walls of temples, one at Soleb and the second at Amarah-West.

Soleb, a temple dedicated to the god Amon-Re, was built by the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III around 1400 BC. Today it is located in the nation of Sudan, on the left bank of the Nile about 135 miles south of Wadi-Halfa. Amarah-West, which is also located in Sudan, is a construction of Ramses II in the 13th century. The section of the Amarah-West topographical list which contains the reference to “the land of the Shasu of Yahweh,” is not original with Ramses II, and was almost certainly copied from the earlier list at Soleb.

Egyptologists in general do not question the appearance of the name Yahweh in these two ancient lists.  For example, Donald Redford writes of the reference to Yahweh at Soleb:

For half a century it has been generally admitted that we have here the tetragrammaton, the name of the Israelite god “Yahweh;” and if this be the case, as it undoubtedly is, the passage constitutes the most precious indication of the whereabouts during the late 15th century BC of an enclave revering this god.*

Even though Egyptologists accept the appearance of the name Yahweh in these topographical lists at Soleb and Amarah-West, the implications of its appearance do not seem to have been fully appreciated by Old Testament scholars.  Of course the question remains, who or what is being referred to by the word Yahweh?  Is it a reference to the God of Israel?  Or is it just a reference to a town or city like most of the other Shasu descriptions?

The answer to this is not known with absolute certainty, but even if Yahweh is a place in these hieroglyphic texts, it was clearly a place named after the god Yahweh of the Old Testament.  Anything less seems too coincidental.

There is no topographical site in the entire region today that bears the name Yahweh or anything remotely similar. There is also no biblical reference or ancient historical source that mentions a topographical site named Yahweh.

EGYPTIAN SYNCRETISM AND THE GOD YAHWEH

The Egyptians were known to have worshipped foreign gods and goddesses. The West Semitic goddess Astarte, who probably evolved out of Semitic Ishtar and/or Sumerian Inanna, was a goddess of love and fertility.  She does not appear in Egyptian texts until the reign of Amenhotep II in the 15th century BC, when she is mentioned in that king’s famous sphinx stele.  In the New Kingdom Period Astarte was made a consort of Set and a daughter of Re.  In Egyptian art, Astarte is depicted standing on a horse, with a crown on her head, and holding various weapons.  A temple to her was built at Tell el Daba, biblical Rameses, a city site associated both with the Israelites and the Hyksos.

Another West Semitic female warrior deity revered in Egypt was Anath, who appears as early as the late Middle Kingdom, perhaps as a part of the influx of Semites into Egypt that eventually produced the so-called Hyksos period.  After a brief hiatus in Dynasty 18, Anath enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in Dynasty 19, being credited with military victories of Seti I and his son Ramses II.  The center of her worship was the Delta.

Because of the sexual nature of her worship, Anath was viewed as an associate of a number of sexually-oriented Egyptian deities: Min, Hathor, and Set.  She was depicted either wearing a traditional Egyptian sheath dress or as wearing nothing at all.  She also tended to be shown holding weapons, such as a spear or battle-axe.

Reshef, a Canaanite god of war and thunder, seems to have been introduced into Egypt by the Hyksos.  As king of the netherworld, Reshef was thought to bring plague and war upon humanity. The Egyptians depicted him in a distinctly Syrian style, with kilt, beard, and horned helmet, but he could also be shown wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt and holding the Egyptian ankh and scepter, or sometimes holding Canaanite weapons.  This, along with Reshef’s insertion as a member of a trinity of deities with the god Min and the goddess Qadesh, shows the marked degree of syncretistic integration of foreign deities into the Egyptian pantheon.

However Yahweh was for some reason treated very differently.  Clearly the Egyptians knew about Yahweh as can be seen in the Soleb and Amarah-West topographical lists, but they did not worship him, and they apparently did not want to worship him.

Nor was Yahweh equated to or identified with any Egyptian deity.  There were no temples to Yahweh built by the Egyptians, nor were there any artistic representations made of him, or in fact even any discussions of him in Egyptian texts. It appears that the ancient Egyptians placed Yahweh into a category all by himself. To say the least, this is very strange for the syncretistic Egyptians.  A possible explanation is that Yahweh was seen by the Egyptians as an enemy God, of an enemy tribal group which was a part of the hated Shasu peoples who lived north of Egypt.

THE SHASU OF YAHWEH AND THE DATE OF THE EXODUS

There are two indisputable facts that Old Testament scholars must face when dealing with these hieroglyphic references to the Shasu of Yahweh. First, there is no doubt that the name of the Israelite God Yahweh appears in these hieroglyphic texts at Soleb and Amarah-West. And second, at Soleb the reference to Yahweh dates to 1400 BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.  In other words Pharaoh Amenhotep III, or his scribes, knew about the Hebrew God Yahweh in 1400 BC. This fact is highly significant when trying to date the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt under Moses.

In Exodus 5:2 Pharaoh answers the first request of Moses to allow the Israelites to go into the desert to worship Yahweh by saying: “Who is Yahweh that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh, and besides I will not let the Israelites go.” Pharaoh appears here to be saying that he had never heard of the God Yahweh.  This interpretation of Pharaoh’s statement is reinforced by Exodus 7:17 where God responds to Pharaoh: “Thus says Yahweh, ‘by this you will know that I am Yahweh, behold I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will become blood.’” (NASV)

In his third meeting with Moses and Aaron after the second plague, Pharaoh clearly recognized Yahweh as some sort of deity and asked Moses and Aaron to pray to Yahweh to remove the plague of frogs (see Exodus 8:8). If the Pharaoh of the Exodus had never before heard of the God Yahweh, this strongly suggests that the Exodus should be dated no later than 1400 BC because Pharaoh Amenhotep III had clearly heard about Yahweh by that time.

CONCLUSION

It is clear that there once was a group of Shasu Bedouin/nomads living in Syria-Palestine who were associated with either a deity or a place named Yahweh.  It is also clear that the name Yahweh was known to the Egyptians in the 18th Dynasty during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

But it must be admitted at this point that we also know from the Old Testament that there were other worshippers of Yahweh in Canaan who did not go into Egypt and therefore did not leave Egypt at the time of the Exodus. The question thus arises, were they perhaps the Shasu of Yahweh mentioned at Soleb and Amarah?

Although we do not have all the information that we wish we did, it is significant that there are no mentions of the Shasu of Yahweh in Egyptian texts earlier than the reign of Amenhotep III. If the group in question were Yahweh followers who never went to Egypt, why are they absent in topographical lists from the early period of the 18th Dynasty, for example, from the extensive topographical lists of Thutmosis III?  The reason may very well be because the Shasu of Yahweh were indeed the Israelites and that they were still living in Egypt in the early 18th Dynasty.

The fact that the Shasu of Yahweh first appear in topographical lists under Amenhotep III in ca. 1400 BC fits perfectly with the Early Date of the Exodus, but this fact presents major problems for those scholars who prefer a Late Date for the Exodus during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC.  In any case, these references to Yahweh have been ignored for far too long by both conservative and liberal Bible scholars.

It thus appears very likely that the Shasu of Yahweh, who are mentioned in the topographical texts at Soleb and Amarah-West, were the Israelites who by about 1400 BC had settled into their own land in the mountains of Canaan. It also appears that for the ancient Egyptians the one feature that distinguished the Israelites from all the other Shasu (Semitic herders) in this area was their worship of the God Yahweh.

* Donald B. Redford, Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1993), p. 272

Charles Aling, an Egyptologist and chairman of the History Department at Northwestern College (St. Paul, MN), is the primary author of this article, with additional research and editing assistance from Clyde Billington, also a professor of history at Northwestern College, and Gordon Govier, the editor of ARTIFAX magazine. This is a condensed version of an article that appeared in the Autumn 2009 issue of ARTIFAX.

The Name Yahweh in Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts – Commentary

I always enjoy it when evidence of the Bible’s accuracy emerges.  Christians, in the end live by faith, trusting in a book that only God could have written.  I know that men’s hands wrote the words, but the inspiration came from above.

Years ago, as a young Christian, I wanted proof for Christianity.  I found a book called “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by a man named Josh McDowell.  It helped me at a time that I needed evidence.

I believe that all archaeological, geologic, historic, and all other areas of study relating to who we are and where we came from solidifies the truth of scripture.  Many interpret “facts” found in various areas of science to point away from the accuracy of the Bible.  I think they are misled by their own presuppositions.  They would accuse me of the same.

Despite the true facts, the Bible has been and will continue to be attacked by its detractors.  For whatever reason, some refuse to fall into the arms of a loving God who continually is ready to meet the real need.

I’ve posted this article because I follow the sciences and am always interested in the latest discoveries.  It never surprises me when an article pops up that give validity to God’s Holy Word.  In an era when even some “Churches” think that Noah on an Ark and a virgin giving birth are just stories, items like this are enjoyable.

Chris Reimers

3 Comments | Commentary, Israel, The Middle East, theology, Words that Uplift | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chris

Father, Where Are You?

June 16, 2013

Delight shares some interesting statistics.

I have found it interesting that I have never gotten a complaint from a couple who is living together when I’ve asked to pray with them. I always tell them that I feel it is my responsibility to tell them that marriage is God’s way. Marriage is so important to God that He calls believers The Bride and Himself The Bridegroom. All should know the results that Delight shares here. How many marriages could be saved if parents knew the effects it has on children? I know that free marriage counseling, like the counseling at the parenting center with which I am involved, is hard to find. But one must make the effort to find good, Christian counsel before making a decision that may have lifelong effects.

-CR

Delight in Truth's avatarDelight in Truth

It is Father’s day.

But unfortunately many homes resonate with the questions “where is daddy?” or “who is my daddy?”

As the feminist movement progresses, and as women have become liberated and independent over the years, more and more children are born out-of-wedlock.  The CDC released a report last year with shocking data showing that 40.7% of children in the US are born outside of marriage, and many of these children do not have a father figure in the home to shape a complete family that nurtures them to adulthood.

A boy needs a father  in his life to identify with and show him the world through a God-given priesthood installed in the family by God Himself.

A girl needs her father to give her confidence and a critical approach to future relationships. This is in addition to showing her Christ as the center of the family.

Many families (some…

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2 Comments | Commentary, LIFE, theology | Permalink
Posted by Chris

MORAL OREL?

June 6, 2013

This is an article which I posted on Feb 14th, 2010 on the Wings of the Wind News Blog.  I thought it was interesting enough to repost here when I restarted my blog. I have changed my comment here a couple of times. It is now February of 2026 and this post keeps getting interest. I’ve reread it a number of times along with the comments. I notice that there are now many episodes on YouTube. As time allows, I will check out a few of them and reread this post and maybe add to this commentary. CR

‘Moral Orel,’ Cartoon Network’s assault on Christ

Wilmington Religion & Politics Examiner /Keith Wimer

The evolution of animated features, running parallel with the devolution of traditional, Judeo-Christian values in American society, has sunk to an all-time low as exemplified by the Cartoon Network’s series “Moral Orel,” created by Dino Stamatopoulos, also known for contributions to The Ben Stiller Show and Mr. Show.

“Orel,” named for its main character, Orel Puppington, a young boy from a monumentally dysfunctional family, dishes on the claymation “Davey and Goliath” motif, sans the faithful canine companion. But this stop-action cartoon is, mildly putting it, the antithesis of its Lutheran Church produced counterpart.

The new matrix of the popular 1950’s & 60’s children’s television series has a “moral” message to be sure. But where Davey’s adventures delivered perhaps a watered-down, sometimes oversimplified, yet interminably positive dramatization of Christian teachings, “Orel” is a dark descent into animated hyper-sexuality, violence, and most of all, blasphemy. The type of which must surely have Art Clokey, (1921-2009) creator of Davey and Goliath and pop culture phenomenon “Gumby,” spinning in his grave.
The IMBD (Internet Movie Database) website dilutes the anti-Christian negativity of “Orel” by describing it as, “a parody of past religious geared animated shows starring Orel, an optimistic God fearing young boy in a world of cynicism.” While the show is indeed a parody, “Orel” is anything but optimistic or God fearing.

“Orel,” whose main character is voiced by Carolyn Lawrence of Sandy (the squirrel) Cheeks, SpongeBob Squarepants fame, pushes poor taste and religious vitriol to unfathomable depths. For example, included in Orel’s “God fearing” repertoire is a special song he wrote for a school pageant – and which his church’s congregation joyfully sings – called “I hate you Jesus,” with “inspiring” lyrics that go like this:

I hate you Jesus
You rotten little fink
Your sermon never pleases
And your parables all stink

Your eyes are beady
Nose is weird
A goofy basket case
I’d like to take your stupid beard
And rip it off your face

Prancing gaily on the water
A long-haired scrawny clod
You may be someone’s daughter but
You sure ain’t the son of God…

I hate you Jesus
With your boring miracles
You smell like a hunk of cheese
That’s been shoved right up… my nose

This little ditty “playfully” opens the “Innocence” episode of Moral Orel, originally aired October 17, 2008, but rerun as recently as February 11, 2010. Difficult to comprehend the downward spiral from Davey and Goliath’s theme song, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” to its polar opposite “Orel” and “I hate you Jesus.”

Despite the outrageous desecration of the single most sacrosanct person in Christianity, there are many who think the show has intrinsic worth. A blogger on the haha music website writes, “‘Moral Orel’ is fantastically funny, dirty, and meaningful while still maintaining a complete respect and even reverence for religion and spirituality. It’s clear that the creator of the show doesn’t hate religion, just what some people do with it.”

“A COMPLETE RESPECT AND EVEN REVERENCE FOR RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY?” Wow! One might debate the wisdom of providing internet access to insane asylums, but it would definitely be wise to up the dosage on this individual’s thorazine.

A boycott of Cartoon Network’s Moral Orel sponsors including Quiznos and Burger King may very well be in the offing for the egregious lack of propriety in airing such repugnant programming. After all, Christians, by and large, protest such nonsense peacefully, but meaningfully. By contrast, if this was a show/song about Allah or Mohammed (also Muhammad), radical Islamists could well have long ago ordered a Fatwa calling for the death of Stamatopoulos and his co-conspirators.

If one examines the dramatic difference in the way religions deal with critics, as this column will do in the near future, the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates an enormous gulf between Christianity and Islam in this respect.

For now, the focus is upon Cartoon Network for unapologetically broadcasting this manner of compost, yet hypocritically scrubbing the more offensive episodes like “Innocence” from its “Adult Swim” website and YouTube, presumably to avoid citations in an exposé like this one.

Found at Examiner.com Little Rock Edition

http://www.examiner.com/x-16146-Wilmington-Religion–Politics-Examiner~y2010m2d12-Moral-Orel-Cartoon-Networks-assault-on-Christ

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21 Responses for “‘Moral Orel,’ Cartoon Network’s Assault on Christ”

  1.            sbf2009      says:

February 18, 2010 at 10:22 am

I believe you may be intentionally misleading your audience with this critique. Your single, cherry-picked example of The Judas Song involves 2 episodes, first The School Pageant, and second Innocence. The song was written by a bitter ex member of a Christian folk band for a play he was producing for the school. Orel tries out, wishing to play Jesus, but is instead cast as Judas. He is then pressured by the writer/producer to sing this part, which Orel is very uncomfortable with, but then acquiesces and plays the part, which becomes a runaway hit with the town. In Innocence, Orel opens the episode after the song is sung by the church by addressing to the Reverend that the song should not have ever become popular and is blasphemous. The Reverend, realizing the mistake, gathers everyone back into the church, and proceeds to blame the whole event on Orel, along with many others.

The show’s main premise is of Orel’s innocence and good nature constantly pointing to true moral north, until it is perverted by his elders and their poor interpretation of what Christianity should be. The longest running joke of the show, Clay’s “65 Lost 10 Commandments”, are the best example of this. They speak on matters promoting racism, xenophobia, and excessive prudishness that do not appear in The Bible, but are seen far too often in the “Christian” culture found in 1950’s to present day America.

The show Moral Orel does not speak against Christianity in general or good Christians, just to the perversion of the Word that has developed in our culture. The creator of the show even offers his interpretation of the finale as God’s message to Orel that his life will get better. Yes, many points of the show feature blasphemy as shock value, but this is to point out the flaws in the people, not Christianity itself.

  1.            Chris says:

February 18, 2010 at 1:56 pm

Dear sbf2009,

I have to admit that I get basic cable and do not see the cartoon network.
After reading the words of the song, I don’t see how they would be allowed to be broadcast on a network for children no matter what the context. The content that you describe can be understood by children in a number of unhealthy ways.

I have talked to a few adults who have seen the show. I have yet to get a positive review. One informed me that the episode that he saw was late in the evening when children would be less likely to see it. He mentioned something called “Adultswim,” I believe. Correct me if I am wrong, but Adultswim programs consist of cartoons with adult content.

My question is, “What are the chances that these episodes will be viewed by children in the current time slots, and what guarantee is there that re-runs won’t show up when many children are watching?”
The definition of blasphemy has nothing to do with people. Secondly, a young child cannot process the intentions that you refer to in your last sentence.

The words of “The Judas Song” will cause most Christians to shut the show off.

I will attempt to watch some of the show via the internet so that I am able to make a more personal evaluation. The Wings of the Wind does not endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article posted on this site. It does, however, encourage a healthy and friendly debate on the issues of our day. In this case, with what I know, I’d side with the viewpoint of the article to which you responded.
We don’t see American shows treat other religions in a similar way. You won’t see a show with a song in it that says:

I hate you (name any God other than the one defined in the Bible)
You rotten little fink
Your sermon never pleases
And your parables all stink

As a Christian, I would vigorously oppose this hateful oratory.

It is not surprising that Christianity is the target these days. A reading of 1st John makes it clear that this is to be expected.

You comment, “The show’s main premise is of Orel’s innocence and good nature constantly pointing to true moral north, until it is perverted by his elders and their poor interpretation of what Christianity should be.” If the premise is the truth, why not attempt a straightforward program relating your version of true Christianity.

Lastly, It appears that someone has gone to the trouble to create this “form letter” to be sent to anyone who is offended by Moral Orel, or worse than that, to anyone concerned about how a youngster might be affected spiritually by the show.

I only wish that your energies could be put to more productive purposes.

March 1, 2010,

After watching a little of this show on YouTube, I hardly think I was cherry-picking. It is a bad show.

  1.            David says:

March 12, 2010 at 12:33 am

First, let me say that I agree with sbf2009’s post above, and secondly, I respect you very much for your well thought-out reply to it. I also appreciate your concern for the impressionable minds of children.

I can assure you that there are other shows on Cartoon Network’s late-night Adultswim block that are easily just as likely to give children wrong ideas if not more so than Moral Orel. I can also say that CN is very good about never showing any signs at all of the late night shows during daylight hours.

On a more general note, it’s true that Christianity is almost exclusively targeted in many American critiques of religion, with others such as Islam or Hinduism or Judaism only mentioned in certainly smaller doses. Christianity is a dominating force in American culture and everyone in the United States, be them Christians themselves, Atheists, Muslims, or people of other faiths, experience its influence in some way or another. I think it’s safe to say that, in a perspective of pure numbers, the practices of the various followers of Christ are most likely to be criticized. I’ll admit though that, especially on an international scale and in places like Sweden (where Lars Vilks’ 2007 cartoon drawing of Mohamed is still a hotbed of controversy) many tread with extra caution when dealing with Islam.

Anyway, back to the show. Moral Orel is an example of satire, and sometimes this genre can be more effective at convincing people than “a straightforward program relating” the beliefs of an author, for sure it has more opportunity to be comical (a trait most Adultswim programs try to pull off). The creator, Stamatopoulos, is presenting a caricature of the kind of people and behavior he strongly opposes, in order to ultimately present his opinion that while there are honest Christians in America, the religion can be corrupted to serve other, more secular, malignant motives.

And it’s fair to call it a bad show, you are entitled to your opinion, especially on matters of taste in entertainment.

  1.            explosivo says:

March 12, 2010 at 2:05 pm

This is kind of ironic.

If you had watched the show in its entirety you’d understand this show is not hating on religion but misinterpretations of said religion.

I wonder if the “misinterpretors” make those mistakes because they haven’t read the Bible completely/thoroughly?

  1.            Chris says:

March 12, 2010 at 2:30 pm

David,

I’ve received many comments about my thoughts on Morel Orel. I’ve printed 95% of reader comments until responses to this issue. People who’ve identified themselves as Christians have called me names that I didn’t want to repeat.
It is nice that someone wrote back in a civil manner. I must admit that I still haven’t seen an entire episode of the show. I’ve only seen short bits on You Tube. After the little I saw, I really don’t want to watch any more. If I get a chance, because of your civil tone, I’ll give it another look.
I grew up in an era when cartoons didn’t have an agenda. Cartoons were made for kids. Many adults watched them to get a short break from the issues of everyday life. I don’t read the Sunday Comics anymore because they are filled with political speech. (Family members will show me those that are worth reading.)
We are in absolute agreement that religion can be “corrupted to serve other, more secular, malignant motives.” Last night, I watched a 90 minute “teaching” by a lady who is currently in great demand as a speaker by Christian churches nationwide. Of the five Bible verses that were used in the lecture, given to a mostly female audience in a large church, only one was used properly. The other four were twisted to teach a concept that the Bible opposes. “Heresy” would be the term for much of the speech in days of old.
I am very critical of many current teachings being spread within church walls. My example comes from Jesus Christ. His harshest words were directed at “religious” leaders.
sbf2009 stated that “many points of the show feature blasphemy as shock value.” The little that I saw proved sbf2009 correct. I was very uncomfortable with several things that I saw and heard. I understand why many Christians have an unfavorable view.
Although we disagree about the show, I appreciate your friendly manner.

God’s blessings,

Chris

  1.            Chris says:

March 12, 2010 at 3:08 pm

Dear explosivo,

It is true that Christians make mistakes when they don’t do simple things like read a scripture in context. An example would be taking a verse out of the 10th chapter of Hebrews and making it means something it doesn’t. Generally, however, one can read the previous chapter to determine the meaning of the text. One doesn’t have to read the entire book of Hebrews, although that would be best. The best way to view any scripture, or course, in in light of the entire Bible.
Since I don’t get the Cartoon Network, I’ll make you a deal. If you email me a complete episode, or a link to a complete episode, I will watch it. Please don’t send me to the tamest episode, nor to the brashest. It would be better if you sent me three episodes. If you could do that, I will watch them and be better able to make an assessment.

God’s blessings,

Chris
Email address: chris@hswingsofthewind.com

  1.            Jessi says:

March 12, 2010 at 11:15 pm

Moral Orel is supposed to be offensive. Everything on Adult Swim is. Deal with it.
I might have a bit of sympathy for you all if it weren’t for the fact that I know many Christians that act so much like the characters on Moral Orel.

  1.            Chris says:

March 13, 2010 at 10:18 am

Dear Jessi,

This “newsblog” is compiled by one person. My name is Chris Reimers. I have not asked for sympathy from anyone. My concern is that a child might see such a program and be influenced by it. Young children are not developed enough to understand this type of material. The “Judas song” is not something to which children should be exposed.
I now know that Adult Swim is aired late in the evenings. For that I am thankful. I am saddened, however, that there is so much anger directed towards those you call Christians. The Bible identifies Christians as those who display love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control. These are fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Obviously, Morel Orel focuses on folks who don’t seem to have these qualities. God will be the final judge when it comes to salvation (something I believe is based on grace), but the Bible says that we will know a person by their fruits. If the fruits aren’t evident, how can there be true belief?
I know many people who display the fruits upon which the Bible elaborates. None of them are perfect. Many of them would be shocked if they heard the “Judas Song” no matter what its purpose. That’s the truth and I suppose we are forced to deal with it.
My experience with those whose lives have been changed by Jesus Christ is that they make every effort to be kind. There are times when they must stand for issues that they believe are based on Biblical principles no matter what the cost.

God’s blessings,

Chris

  1.            Rachel says:

March 14, 2010 at 12:22 pm

If a parent lets their child watch this, then the show is not to blame, the parents are. Honestly, if I was a parent I would have better control of my children and what they watched, since the show airs at 1:00am.

Content with sexual scenes, more violence and blood than what’s shown in this show play earlier, and at times where kids can get to it, but no one says a thing about it until it hits Christianity.

Free speech is free speech, and Christianity is something that the writer of this show is close to. How better to show the problems of people within a religion than to know them yourself.

The writer of this article was not very nice at all, since any view that disagrees with his own is considered crazy:

‘“A COMPLETE RESPECT AND EVEN REVERENCE FOR RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY?” Wow! One might debate the wisdom of providing internet access to insane asylums, but it would definitely be wise to up the dosage on this individual’s thorazine.’

Only parts of the show were looked at, not all of it together. The show has been taken out of context, just like how people take parts of the bible out of context to use it for their own selfish propaganda. The people that listen and blindly follow it without getting any real evidence are just that, blind followers, and I think a large majority of people know enough symbolism to at least figure that one out.

  1.            Chris says:

March 14, 2010 at 5:01 pm

Dear Rachel,

I approved your comment a few hours ago. My program unapproved it. I have been working on a couple of things and my response to your comment. I just found that your comment had been unapproved and have re-approved it. It should stay since I am now posting a reply.

I agree with much of what you’ve written. Your first sentence is particularly true.
Your comment about sexual content and violence on television can’t be overstated. The things that we are seeing on television at all hours of the day are a reflection of the culture in which we now live.
We no longer live in a Christian nation. I base this statement on the fact that, in 100% of public school science classrooms nationwide, our kids are taught one religious view about their origins. That we came from God is not a possibility. A second reason I believe we no longer live in a Christian nation – How can a Bible believing nation allow millions of the most defenseless, the unborn, to be killed every year? These are just two of the many reasons that I believe that our nation is faltering. How can God bless a nation that has turned its back on Him?
Many Americans are Christians in spite of these facts.
I agree with you that the author of the article was irresponsible with his “dosage on this individual’s thorazine” quote.
After watching several more clips of the show, I can’t say that the entire show was “bad.” I think that the “Judas Song” was a huge mistake. As I have written before, we don’t see other religions treated similarly, even sarcastically. You won’t see a show with a song in it that says:
I hate you (name any God other than the one defined in the Bible)
You rotten little fink
Your sermon never pleases
And your parables all stink
As a Christian, I would vigorously oppose this hateful oratory.
There are limits to free speech. On this issue, one of the 10 commandments is a good place to start.
Even though I can’t say the entire show was bad, every clip that I saw was very sad.
Why would anyone stay up until 1:00 in the morning to watch such sadness?
I watched the end of episode 31 (the final show) and thought it was heartbreaking. These were the words as I heard them:
“ …and I hope I never get sober. And I hope of when you think of me years down the line, you can’t find one good thing to say. And I hope if I had the strength to walk out, you stay the h___ out of my way.”
The song stops and there’s the conversation between Orel and his Mom about Dad’s drinking.
Then the song continues…“I am drowning. There is no sight of land. You are coming down with me… Hand in unlovable hand, and I hope you die. I hope we both die.”
From my point of view this is a good illustration of our hopelessness apart from Christ. The only problem is, as far as I know, the show never makes this point.
The short bits that I did watch seemed to be more critical of an alcoholic father than Christianity; but the “Judas Song” really is indefensible.
Maybe people watch the show because they grew up in homes like the one portrayed in the show.
Every day I talk with people who grew up in homes like Orel’s. They have anger issues that go back decades.
Forgiveness is the only answer for those who have been hurt by a father like Orel’s. Hate and bitterness are not answers. I know many who have been set free from these controlling emotions by asking God to help them to forgive.
The show seems to illuminate a great deal of hurt and pain. It doesn’t seem to have any answers.

God’s blessings,

Chris

  1.            Rachel says:

March 15, 2010 at 1:50 am

Dear Chris ,

Well, on of the other sad parts about the show is that it wasn’t supposed to end on such a hopeless note, it was canceled, so the show will just air in reruns.

I think it was supposed to have a more light hearted ending if it had continued. The people were supposed to grow and change and the town was supposed to really be moral in the end.

However, while we all like to think on the bright side, there are sad things in life that should be brought to people’s attention. I think the show does a good job of that after drawing people in from the more comedic beginning season. Though, even all throughout the comedy, there was always that slight hint of sadness.

I watched the show with a friend and even as the episodes ended, we realized that there was a sort of deeper meaning than what it showed on the surface. It shows an innocent boy changed, for better or for worse. I believe for better, by some parts of the end as he moves past the conflicts that never should have been and has a happy life.

I do think that instead of the article being written in a way that completely trashes the show, that there could have been some sort of silver lining. Maybe going into how the young character tries to be good and Christian at heart, but has some problems along the way, like.. many young Christians, I’d think.

There are people who use the Gods of different religions in ways that other people wouldn’t like, but Christianity is still a large religion that people think has a large majority race in. Especially if you are of that race or religion, people accept it more than if you used satire on a religion or race that you aren’t apart of. The political correctness…. even if some of it doesn’t make too much sense

I also must say that you actually watching the entire show is a feat. That’s the least most people ask and you had an open mind going into it, or at least coming out of it. I commend you for that.

I also hope this came out making sense this early in the morning.

  1.            Chris says:

March 15, 2010 at 5:59 am

Dear Rachel,

Your thoughts on how you saw the show playing out are telling. I hope you are right. I also know about the sad things of which you write.

You’re quote about being “good and Christian at heart” says to me that you do have an understanding about what it means to be a Christian. As Christians grow they can relate more to this Bible verse: “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” We continue to have a sinful nature until we die, but the fruits of the Holy Spirit become more a part of our lives as we read His Word.

I’m glad you shared that the first season had some comedy in it. Every clip that I saw was very depressing and must have come from other seasons. You Tube classified the show as a comedy. I didn’t agree with this classification after the parts that I saw.

I never did get to see an entire episode. I don’t get the Cartoon Network, so I had to rely on bits and pieces from You Tube.

God’s blessings,

Chris

  1.            Joseph says:

March 18, 2010 at 12:47 pm

Wow, Chris,

You have no idea how dilluded you sound.

I use to be like you. Religious. Dogmatic. Legalistic. Like the Apostle Paul.

Then God showed me something. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. It was His love. The love that God has for all people. And it allowed me to see things in a much different light than how you are seeing things now.

Yes, Moral Orel is graphic. It is profane, but only because it speaks of the most profane thing in our existance. The warping of God’s image. Which leads people like yourself astray.

If you had the eyes to see God’s truth, you would see it quite blatantly in this show. But because you are blind, because you only see the surface of things, you cannot see the heart. And that brother is where you find the love of God.

I reccomend you read scripture. Read, brother, of David’s relationship with Absalom. Read what the wise woman says in 2 Samuel 14: 14 of God’s way, the love by which God moves. And understand that this relationshp between Father and prodigal son is thee example by which God chases after us. Even when we go against God, God loves us and seeks to save us.

When you have realized the depths of this love, it will change you. It will save you. It will transform you. It’s not magic and superstition. Its real, and its powerful. And I promise you, it will change the way you see people. Like the creators of this show.

You will stop your reckless judging of others and have compassion and mercy that is real and true, not just because it is commanded to us by Christ in the Gospel to love one another, but because you will actually love others.

May God’s Wisdom find you. And like His love, may it overwhelm you.

Joseph

  1.            Joseph says:

March 18, 2010 at 1:01 pm

Chris,

I fully know how the world works. When I person tries to express the love of God, the “devil” tries to steal the seed. I know what I wrote might be too much for you. Pride may get in your way. And the lies that fill your head, about my beloved savior Christ Jesus and God our Father… the warped image that keeps you from knowing God’s love, I know it will be hard to read, let alone understand.

But I pray, brother, you will at least read the message once and see if God will speak to your heart. Please. Read Scripture with open eyes and and open heart, and let the Word sink in.

Here is my post, one more time. Please try to read it this time:

Wow, Chris,

You have no idea how dilluded you sound.

I use to be like you. Religious. Dogmatic. Legalistic. Like the Apostle Paul.

Then God showed me something. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. It was His love. The love that God has for all people. And it allowed me to see things in a much different light than how you are seeing things now.

Yes, Moral Orel is graphic. It is profane, but only because it speaks of the most profane thing in our existance. The warping of God’s image. Which leads people like yourself astray.

If you had the eyes to see God’s truth, you would see it quite blatantly in this show. But because you are blind, because you only see the surface of things, you cannot see the heart. And that brother is where you find the love of God.

I reccomend you read scripture. Read, brother, of David’s relationship with Absalom. Read what the wise woman says in 2 Samuel 14: 14 of God’s way, the love by which God moves. And understand that this relationshp between Father and prodigal son is thee example by which God chases after us. Even when we go against God, God loves us and seeks to save us.

When you have realized the depths of this love, it will change you. It will save you. It will transform you. It’s not magic and superstition. Its real, and its powerful. And I promise you, it will change the way you see people. Like the creators of this show.

You will stop your reckless judging of others and have compassion and mercy that is real and true, not just because it is commanded to us by Christ in the Gospel to love one another, but because you will actually love others.

May God’s Wisdom find you. And like His love, may it overwhelm you.

Joseph

  1.            Chris says:

March 18, 2010 at 5:55 pm

Dear Joseph,

You are very wrong. I could only wish to be like the Apostle Paul. I am not. You call me deluded and then compare me to the Apostle Paul. In my mind, this comparison would be the highest compliment.

I really don’t understand.

You say, “I used to be like you…Then God showed me something. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. It was His love. The love that God has for all people. And it allowed me to see things in a much different light than how you are seeing things now.”

Would you explain how God showed you this? I would also like to know how the Apostle Paul was legalistic.

As to my reckless judgment of others, I’m not concerned about your assessment after your strange comments. If you don’t accept the words of the Apostle Paul, what part of the New Testament is from God?

I appreciate your complementary close. I wish you the same.

God’s blessings,

Chris

Also: I usually only check the blog a few times a day. If I don’t get to you within a certain time, it doesn’t mean that I am ignoring you. I reply to comments as time allows. The comments that I won’t print are the ones that I find crude or offensive to others.
This blog will go off-line on April 1. I hope you feel free to comment at my new site
https://chrisreimersblog.wordpress.com

Lastly: I have read the verse from 2 Samuel. You may not agree with what the Apostle Paul says, but I think he understood the love of God as well as anyone. An example from Ephesians 3:

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

  1.            John      says:

March 22, 2010 at 7:53 pm

You do know that the show was canceled ages ago and all that’s airing is reruns and it comes on at around 1 or 2 in the AM? So boycotting sponsors, not going ot work.

And one could say that one of the core themes in the show is striving to keep one’s faith and morals IN SPITE of the people you look up to or suppose to be your leader corrupting them and using them and telling that YOU are wrong when they’re the ones ignoring the message.

  1.            Chris says:

March 22, 2010 at 8:26 pm

Dear John,

Yes, I know about the cancellation. The portions of the show that I saw never articulated the core theme that you are describing. I have been told that Orel represents the type of person to which you refer. I can only speak of the parts of the show that I have seen. Anyone who keeps their faith in spite of persecution or poor influences is a person to be respected.

God’s blessings

  1.            Alani says:

March 25, 2010 at 12:24 am

Jeeze, and religious people wonder why they get made fun of so hard by everyone who dosent believe in their every way. When you overact about a show like this you only cause more people to think your just like most of the annoying versions of religious people, stuck up, shallow minded, and judgemental. It’s a show, if kids young enpugh to be persuaded by a tv show are watching adult swim, then that’s their own fault for watching something they shouldent. It’s all just a joke, the creators never said they hate jesus, so just get over it, don’t watch it, and leave the people who made it, air it, and watch it alone.

  1.            Steve says:

March 25, 2010 at 7:52 am

I have to say I am struggling with this. As a non-Christian with a large amount of respect for both Jesus and the core tenets of the religion as I see them (mostly the ‘love thy neighbor’ tune), I get a lot of sidelong responses when I try to speak honestly with Christians about… well, much of anything.

So, since you sincerely admit to knowing next to nothing about the show, I will offer two things. One is advice not to write articles on things you know nothing about (not the classiest move, btw). The other is a brief synopsis of the show and why I think it’s respectful of your faith (if not all of its followers).

Moral Orel follows the backwards capers of Orel Puppington, the only (or pretty close to it) moral character in the twisted, sad town of Moralton. While Orel tries desperately to follow the spirit of the teachings of Christianity and considers himself “Jesus’s #1 Fan!” in an innocent, childlike way, the adults of his town give either incomplete or completely backwards advice which leads him blithely- heck, EAGERLY- tromping down the wrong path.

By far, the worst perpetrator of misleading Orel is his own father, Clay Puppington. He punishes Orel for the utterly wrong things (laughably spanking Orel for using dirty slang instead of illicit drugs which lead him to use the slang in the first place) and insists on misquoting God’s Word by adding a backwards lesson at the end of many episodes in the form of The Lost Commandments (“Thou Shalt Be Ashamed of Thy Natural Anatomy”, “Thou Shalt Not Bastardize the American Language”, “Thou shalt only have sex face-to-face, man on top”, and other things). Over the course of the series, Clay is proven to be, despite his glib and confident mistellings of… everything, to be a loveless, hateful alcoholic with no responsibility over his own doings, much less ownership of the traumas he inflicts on his innocent son.

Most fans will maintain that, though your average Evangelical will shy away from it, Moral Orel doesn’t satirize Christianity in and of itself (though it happily uses such as a vehicle), but hypocrisy. The citizens of Moralton, almost to a citizen, are utterly miserable. They deny any human urges, stay in loveless, toxic relationships out of a desire to “look good” and the tyrannical “matriarch” Ms. Censordoll even browbeats young ladies into picketing their own weddings as “sinful affairs”. The only thing tying them all together is a hypocritical sneer at all behaviors deemed “unfit” paired with a moral cowardice. This is shared by just about every member of the cast (a few exceptions) except for Orel. I sincerely believe this is why -he’s- the happy one.

I even posited in a conversation the other day that we could see the show as having God’s Will as a potent force within its continuity. Every good person gets good things (a sweet lady who cares warmly for Orel gets in touch with her estranged father and forms a meaningful bond with him; Orel’s story ends happily; and Clay and Bloberta’s toxic relationship could be seen as retribution for them both hurting those in their lives meaninglessly, refusing to do -any-thing to fix it and, in fact, building the gallows for their own misery themselves).

I hope this helped. Trust me, Moral Orel is not anti-Christian. I could even argue that Orel himself is an example of what many modern Christians try to be.

  1.            Chris says:

March 25, 2010 at 9:42 am

Dear Alani,

Please read the previous comments. You are making the same basic statement that some of them did. My response to you would be the same.

This blog will be moving to https://chrisreimersblog.wordpress.com on April 1. Please feel free to comment there also.

God’s blessings

  1.            Chris says:

March 25, 2010 at 10:30 am

Steve,

I can understand if you have an issue with me posting something that I didn’t know much about. As I didn’t write the article, I don’t think you can hold me responsible for the article itself. I have posted many articles that contain information with which I’m not completely familiar. I have always thought that dialogue like this would follow if I missed something. In this case, I’m satisfied because not only have I learned something, I have had folks like you write to me who would not have otherwise.
The more I read the original article, the more I can see that the author may have overlooked some of the underlying messages in the show. I also understand how any appearance of blasphemy would bother any Christian. I would have liked more than one article on Christian sites relating to the show. I’m glad I ran into this one though since I would never have been aware of Orel otherwise.
Thanks for your take on the show. Sadly, it sounds like the world we live in today. I know that you think that Moral Orel is not anti-Christian. Nevertheless, we Christians (I include myself here) need to take a very hard look in the mirror. We have to start reading our Bibles again. Entire denominations are walking away from what used to be considered simple truth.
I think I have received many comments on this post because, unfortunately, many can relate to Orel. It’s a “look out for #1″ world. As a Christian, this is no surprise; 1 John chapter 5, among many other passages, gives us a good sense that things would be this way.
Yes, your effort was helpful. When you put together your own blog, please send me the address. I particularly find truth in your comment about how people who treat others badly are only building their own gallows. There is a scripture that articulates this: “You reap what you sow.”
This blog will be moving to https://chrisreimersblog.wordpress.com beginning April 1st. I hope you can check in occasionally.

God’s blessings…

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Posted by Chris

SIDNEY WAS A PIRATE

May 24, 2013

This is a song by a group that few have heard of.  Mustard Seed Faith was one of the early “contemporary Christian” bands that traveled on the West coast and made little financial gain for their efforts. (It was released the year I graduated from high school.)

They came to my Jr. College, gave a great concert, and got $80 for their efforts.  Actually, they asked for nothing, but the Christian Club that I was involved with felt we needed to offer them something. Four guys in two vans loaded with musical equipment; that’s all there was.  Yet, these guys were very talented.

Oden Fong, the lead singer, couldn’t make the trip that day, but the fill-in lead singer gave an excellent message to the student body.

Bands like this don’t exist anymore.  Some of today’s contemporary music is very good, but the contracts and the money weren’t around when Sail on Sailor was recorded (I have the album).

This was one of the early groups that did it from the heart and not for financial gain.

We are all pirates, like Sidney, until we come to know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

CR

(If you watch the video, I recommend the full screen mode.)

The lyrics:

Sidney The Pirate by Mustard Seed Faith. It appeared on the Maranatha 5 album.

Oh Sydney was a pirate he sailed the seven seas With his cannons charged and crossbones flying high. And for adventure he would rob the mightiest of ships And for this life he knew that he would die.

Well he’d steal the gold and sink the ships For murder was he famed never did he leave a man alive Hate was there within his heart and blood was in his eyes And for this life he knew that he would die.

Chorus: Oh Sydney who will save you, From the sin there in your soul? Who is there who can change you, When there’s no where else to go?

And then one day the sun was settin’ swirls of colored red And Sydney sat himself down on his bed And he heard a voice so gently speaking softly in his ear. Sydney wept and shed a million tears

I love you said the voice to him, I died to set you free I suffered that you might not feel this pain As I bled the life I shed has power to make you free For your deed I took the total blame

(Chorus)

Sydney’s now a sailor he sails the seven seas With his face aglow and spirit flying high And for adventure he doth ride the mightiest of ships That sails the blessed voyage to the sky

Related:

http://delightintruth.com/2013/05/22/the-degeneration-of-modern-worship-music/

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YES, THERE IS STILL PRAYER IN SCHOOL

May 23, 2013

In 1962, over 50 years ago, the Supreme Court of the United States of America, decided it was a good thing to take prayer out of the nation’s schools.

Look at the results. They have been catastrophic.

Growing up in California, I entered school in 1963. I never heard a Christian prayer in school. It was a great place to grow up, but thankfully California is no longer my place of residence.

Not all schools have thrown Christian prayers to the wind.

This is a prayer that will be spoken tonight, at a public high school graduation, here in America:

“Dear Heavenly Father,

     “We are grateful that You have allowed us to come together tonight in this final celebration of our friendship and achievements.  We thank You for our families, teachers and friends who have encouraged, guided, and given of themselves so that we might be here this evening. We pray that You would send Your blessings upon them.

     “Throughout the school years, You have been with us, protecting us, providing for our needs, and directing our paths.  You have brought us through experiences, some good and some, not so much, that have helped us mature and grow.  Help us to continue to see Your hand in our lives.

     “During this transition from high school student to adult, we will experience many changes.  Let us rely more and more upon Your Word, which never changes.  Grant us courage to face new challenges and overcome obstacles in order to achieve our goals.  Forever (name of school mascot), let us remember the words of Isaiah: ‘Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they run and will not grow weary, they walk and not be faint.’

     “We pray for Your blessing upon this graduation ceremony and all of the people here tonight.  In the name of Your holy Son Jesus Christ, Amen.”

How do I know that this prayer will be spoken, tonight, at a high school graduation in America?  I know because I am blessed to have a son who wrote the prayer himself and who is happy to say it.

I can think of nothing else to write except, “God bless America.”

CR

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MARKETING THE OCCULT

April 29, 2013

I recently stumbled on THIS ARTICLE and found it very interesting.  The article took me to ANOTHER ARTICLE  that I found equally educational.  Here is one quote from the latter:

“…we see new forms of ‘Christianity’ rising all around us  — flexible, evolving models  shaped to fit both the global quest for connectedness and the personal quest for  ‘feel-good’ experiences.  Naturally, the same process is also squeezing witchcraft, Buddhism, moderate (not militant) Islam, and even Satanism into its universal mold.”

When I joined a church a few years ago, I was asked about my favorite Bible verse.  It changes from time to time.  As a youth it was Matt. 6:33.  The pastor read my verse to the church:

“…we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-12

I was going through a very trying ordeal at the time and felt that much of it had to do with the powers to which this verse refers.  I can still remember the reaction to the verse as it was read.  Maybe it was what I was going through, but I got a sense of “That’s his favorite verse?”

Thankfully, I don’t feel the principalities I thought I was sensing then.  However, I believe the world is becoming a darker place every day.

And thankfully, I have read the last three chapters in the Bible.

Hope reigns.

CR

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