Christian Groups Draw Attention to Typhoon-Hit Areas in Cambodia, Vietnam

RedRyder »

Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:36 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Garageguy - That is not the conventional explanation and is certainly not the one I nor most Christians I know subscribe to. I can't explain all of the reasons for these events but neither can I rule out the possibility of necessary reasons either. I have to relly on His words which say these good works are prepared for us in advance by His will. Having personally served in these specific instances (Thailand, Burma, Cambodia) I can tell you there is value to me and those that I served by those activities. The rest I have to leave in the hands of God and trust in his reasons.

Is There Asbestos in The Shack?

RedRyder »

Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:02 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

Great points by the author. As Christians, we have largely ignored our critical thinking education. I have grown the most in my faith and relationship with Jesus when I have been the most challenged. We need not be afraid of learning to discern.

Students Challenged to Study Evolution, Think for Themselves

RedRyder »

Thu Aug 27, 2009 10:47 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Veritas Forum has a good lecture by Faz Rana from RTB on ID and Science. Well balanced. It's worth a listen.

Gay Activists and Religious Freedom

RedRyder »

Fri Jun 19, 2009 12:11 pm Agree: 2   Disagree: 2

Alockslee - Wow, quite a rant. Do you think a Jainist should be able to force Ruth Chris to add vegetarian choices to its menu, especially if RC felt that catering to only the steak crowd was its core market segment? Seems that's what eHarmony is being forced to do. Its a business. They should be able to decide to prosper or failure based on their own.

Burmese Civilians Flee amid Fears of Attack by Army

RedRyder »

Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:38 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

I've been to this village on past mission trips. The people and the pastor there are an incredibly resilient and hospitable people. This annual trip is the highlight of my year.

If you want to see what this village looked like prior to the attack, footage of it starts at position 4:49 on the attached video.

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9772fe7bd5e5b7df5341

Univ. of Md. Students to Protest President's Prayer Reinstatement

RedRyder »

Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:35 pm Agree: 2   Disagree: 3

Rhia Bran - interesting, so you willing then to always abide by majority vote - maybe in instances of same-sex marriages? Such long standing traditions, such as prayers at these events, have been consistently upheld in the courts, and for good reason. I amazed that how "insulted" people can be for prayer to a God they don't think exists.

Renowned Apologist and Atheist Debate 'Does God Exist?'

RedRyder »

Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:24 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Here is the site for the audio/video

http://www.doesgodexistdebate.com/

Pastor Urges Christian Parents to Avoid 'Fortress Mentality'

RedRyder »

Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:33 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Amen Pastor! But don't forget the only thing we do worse then reflecting the true image of Christ these days is preparing our children to do it. We have to do a much better job educating them in basic apologetics and world-views before sending them to the wolves. Knowledge won't save our kids but it can better prepare them for the conversations they will inevitably have.

Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Names New Head

RedRyder »

Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:25 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

ECFA is a voluntary organization. I expect that most, if not all, of those you cite are not members of ECFA. I always check out the ministry before I contribute. ECFA is one way to do that with some confidence. Its a good organization.

Creationist Conference on Refuting Darwin Draws 4,500

RedRyder »

Tue Feb 17, 2009 7:11 pm Agree: 3   Disagree: 4

Bobxxxxx - I can't believe people still think Hitler was a christian or represented views consistent with orthodox Christianity. There is a reason why Hitler gave both Stalin and Mussolini a copy of Nietzsche and not the Bible. Hitler's core philosophy and motivation are completely consistent with the outworkings of Nietzsche, which denies even the existence of God. Cite: The Madman in his work, The Gay Science. On the other hand, the crusades and other heinous actions perpetrated by some claiming to be christian are completely contrary to the core ideas of Christ. If you still deny this, contrast the last words of Eichmann, a committed Nazi, with those of Bonhoeffer, a committed christian put in the camps for his faith and denouncement of Hitler. I didn't add those words hoping you may actually do some research yourself instead of relying on slogans and misinformation. Your history and context is blatantly wrong.

Judge Refuses Anonymity to Prop. 8 Donors

RedRyder »

Fri Jan 30, 2009 10:27 am Agree: 3   Disagree: 2

In a free democratic society, I think it is important to know who contributes to what cause, on both sides. But, the authorities should take seriously any threats and I am not confident that they would or could. I can't see the reason for releasing employer information however. Employers should not be held accountable for personal decisions of the employee. Seems like it created the potential for a lot of legal issues around retaliation and discrimination which it could otherwise be avoided.

Obama to Appoint Pastor to Faith-Based Office

RedRyder »

Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:53 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 2

I'm with schemeroo on this. Even if we assume this guy is a solid christian, there is no way he can effectively run an organization of this size, complexity and diversity (of issues and interests) at 26. In my field, we call this kind of product "vaporware" - looks good but little substance.

Moment of Silence in Ill. Schools Ruled Unconstitutional

RedRyder »

Fri Jan 23, 2009 12:29 pm Agree: 2   Disagree: 1

A moment of silence is not prayer. Pray, pick your nose, mediate, doze off - doesn't matter. The point is the student should have the freedom to choose.

Given the significant amount of research recently published in by both secular and religious organizations on the value of either spirituality or religion to a person's mental health, it seems like a case could be made that a moment of silence is like "mental PE." PE is a requirement not just an option in school.

I am a Christian but I do not believe we should force prayer in school.

PhatDajuan, if you were a believer (I assume you are not), you would understand that prayer MUST permeate every segment of a believer's life. That doesn't mean I should force it on you, but it is essential to a true relationship with Christ - just like talking to your family or loved one is for those relationships to be healthy.

Rick Warren: Obama's Abortion Answer Not Clear Enough

RedRyder »

Tue Aug 19, 2008 11:56 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

While innocent life should always be protected where possible and I truly morn for those innocents lost, I believe the only pragmatic way to achieve your goal would be for us to do nothing. Ignoring the alternatives that Saddam and other's offered these innocent completely for the moment, if we were to do nothing with regards to abortion then by definition abortions would not occur and the fetus would be protected. If one cannot clearly answer the question of when life begins (as Obama could not) then it seems to me that he should have a moral obligation to err on the side of possible life. But, then again I don't have to appease voters with my statement.

Non-Believers Take On Challenge in 'Make Me a Christian'

RedRyder »

Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:37 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

While I like the idea, this has the potential to be either really good or really bad. Unfortunately the average Christian is woefully ignorant on many basic tenants of the faith and are untrained to deal with non-believers. I hope the hosts and educators are well equipped, balanced, loving but firm in their orthodoxy. It would be really nice to see this replayed on US TV.

Evolution Challenged in Maine School District

RedRyder »

Tue May 13, 2008 7:29 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

This is so disappointing. We have well intentioned but misinformed or uninformed people taking this battle forward in the wrong way and wrong time with the wrong approach. I am sure they are well intentioned and honest Christians and we cant stop them from exercising their beliefs. But we will have no success in the ID movement if this keeps happening. It saddens me.

'Expelled' Explodes into Top 10 Box Office

RedRyder »

Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:06 pm Agree: 4   Disagree: 0

I can be corrected here but I think we need to clarify what we mean by science. There is a difference between empirical science and forensic science. Evolution cannot be empirical science because we cannot recreate and actually test these events on a recurring basis in the lab. But, we do not discount evolution because of that and rightfully so. We can however come to reasonable conclusions based on our interpretation of the facts using forensic science techniques. And because you cannot test evolution in a lab like you can with chemistry or physics, you cannot apply the same criteria nor claim the same level of confidence as you would with those hard sciences. I believe ID is a valid application of forensic science technique, a technique which is also used but not admitted to by evolutionist. Acknowledging that would erode the "supernatural" status science has today (forgive the pun). We can have an honest disagreement about the facts without restricting the term science unnecessarily or inappropriately just to confuse and constrain. This is what happens to our society when we have CSI on every channel for hours on end with ludicrous "scientific" capabilities on-demand with instantaneous results. As society we drastically misunderstand the limitations and constraints of science because we have ignored the philosophy of science necessary to keep it in check and ensure responsible debates and reasonable results.

Poll: Evangelical Democrats Matter in '08 Election

RedRyder »

Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:29 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

I was back home in MO during the primary and spoke with a few white evangelical friend. Unsolicited, they told me they cross over to vote for Hillary only b/c they thought it would give the Republicans a better chance when the election came around in Nov. I don't deny liberal christians are moving to the Dems but its not clear to me that these studies go deep enough to really capture whats going on this year. Seems like more studies are calling it wrong than in the past.