Just Something I Read
- Author Tim Lahaye, answering the question, "Does the Christian Church care about Social Security, taxes, and the war in Iraq?" Larry King Live, February 1
"If all our righteousness is considered lawlessneess; filthy rags; unfit to save us; and renders us unprofitable, useless servants damning us to an eternal hell - then how much more our sin, even the most insignificant or trivial of our failings from the standard of God's law, His holy character and prefect Word, is sufficient to incarcerate us all in hell forever! Today, this very moment, such is the horrifying plight of Pope John Paul II if he continued in the false gospel of Romanist works righteousness to be saved (which he never recanted of during his life in any manner whatsoever). The gospel of this Pope and of Rome has always been a false gospel"
- Evangelical singer and pastor Steve Camp, April 6
"We Protestants got our name e because we're 'protesters' - we were against some things in the Catholic church of that time. Unfortunately, that nexus has become part-and-parcel with who we have continued to be...Tony Jones has a great thought about this: wouldn't it be wonderful if we saw ourselves as 'embracients' instead? Let's focus more of our energy on embracing others than on protesting and drawing away...For all of us Protestants (embracients!), this is a key point in history where we have the opportunity to embrace our Catholic brothers and sisters - our co-heirs in the church of Jesus Christ, fellow children of God. And there's no better way for you to live this out this week and next than by praying for, and connecting with, Catholic youth workers in your area."
- Mark Oestreicher, president of Youth Specialties, in response to the death of Pope John Paul II, April 4
"Here is the dirty little secret that no CEO wants to tell you: they are not just outsourcing to save on salary. They are doing it because they can often get better-skilled and more productive people than their American workers."
- Thomas Friedman in article "It's a Flat World After All" NYT April 3
"Remember, in China, when you are one in a million, there are 1,300 other people just like you."
- Microsoft Research Asia talent scout, NYT April 3
"I firmly believe that the next great breakthrough in bioscience could come from a 15 year old who downloads the human genome in Egypt. Bill Gates has a nice line: He says 20 years ago, would you rather have been a B-student in Poughkeepsie, NY or a genius in Shanghai? Twenty years ago you'd rather be a B-student in Poughkeepsie. Today?''
- Thomas Friedman response to question in Wired Magazine May 2005 issue.
5 comments:
"The future of democracy and ordered liberty actually depends on the outcome of this struggle"
Focus on the Family founder James Dobson at the "Justice Sunday" anti-filibuster rally at a church in Louisville, Kentucky
"Religion should not be a wedge issue. It should be a bridge."
Rev. Jim Wallis
"36Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." -Jn 18:36
Okay, I'm not going to address Tim Lahaye because I'd get off into a rant about the Left Behind series and the gullibility and desire for separationism and judgmentalism within many modern Christian communities. Instead, I'll address Mr. Steve Camp, who doesn't seem to have a CLUE what his religion is about.
Our righteousness is NOT considered lawlessness. Through Jesus, righteousness is granted to us and we, therefore BECOME keepers of the law written on our hearts (Rom. 2:15). And it IS fit to save us, but not because of anything we have done. Rather, what we have been graciously and unduly given...
"For OUR sake, (Yahweh) made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that IN Him we might become the righteousness of Yahweh." 2 Cor. 5:21.
Sin is lawlessness, not righteousness. (1 Jn 3:4)
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of Yahweh, not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which Yahweh prepared beforehand to be our way of life." Eph. 2:8-10
Not only this, but Mr. Camp is presuming a knowledge of the judgment of Almighty Yahweh!!!
Why in the world would he focus on the "works" aspect of Catholicism as the evil part?
"Faith without works is dead." James 2:26.
What's so bad about "works"? In the Ephesians verse I cited, "works" are what Yahweh created us to do! The only fault lies in claiming to have been SAVED by your works, not the works themselves. So, why focus on that aspect of Catholocism? Especially when claiming divinity is a much thornier problem...
"An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth will make the whole world blind and toothless."
- Mahatma Gandhi
"Hate is a prolonged form of suicide."
- Douglas V. Steere
"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at some else: YOU are the one who gets burned."
- Buddha
"Do not judge, so that you may not be judged."
- Jesus; Matthew 7:1
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