The Monday Tour: 4/10/06

Christian Carnival Highlights:

• A good friend of mine at Street Prophets, Elizabeth D, submitted
"Christian Theology: Love Hurts"
• Dave Taylor wants us to avoid "The Poison of Self-Righteousness". That is a very good plan indeed.
• The "Why" is everything.
• John at Light Along the Journey looks at belief and regeneration in "Saint and Sinner":

  "The fact that we will always be saint and sinner, Simul justus et peccator (to use Luther’s Latin), has been recognized for centuries. BUT, sin must be ruthlessly fought against in our lives, “mortified” as the Puritans would say . . . A true lover of Jesus should desire to do anything, make any sacrifice, suffer any hardship, to rid themselves of anything that comes between them and their precious Lord."

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Alex Jordan deals with "A Theological Question" about salvation and the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" being necessary for such. It is interesting in that it came from a United Methodist member confused over the teaching of her pastor. The pastor was more pentecostal than a Pentecostal.
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And the world spins a little more: Those who concern themselves with the "Religious Right" sometimes bring up Chuck Colson as one of the "Religious Right" (wrongly I think). John Fischer, from purposedriven.com wrote at Breakpoint about the "The Separation of Church and Hate":

I recently saw an arresting bumper sticker that has provoked the most informative thinking I’ve taken from a bumper since I first spotted Wise Men Still Seek Him back in the 1970s. The sticker read: I’m for the Separation of Church and Hate.

Now as far as I know, Christians had nothing to do with the creation of this message. I traced the sticker to a website that was clearly non-Christian, even anti-Christian in many of its other messages. And yet this is not an anti-Christian message. In fact, it would make a great sermon title. Hate has no place being connected in any way to a follower of Christ. Jesus went as far as to equate hatred in the heart with murdering someone (Matthew 5:21-22). And, of course, John wrote that God is love, and it is impossible to claim to love God while hating anyone (1 John 2:9-11; 4:7-8).

No, the significance of this statement is its source: that it came from outside the church, and as such is an indication that there are a significant number of people who equate Christians in America with hate.

and

How has this unfortunate situation come about?

1. We have been more focused on sin than the sinner.
2. We have been more concerned with creating a safe society than with making a positive impact on culture.
3. We have bought into the notion that we could effect a change upon society through politics.
4. We have opted for morality over the gospel.
5. We have become the self-appointed last line of defense that God doesn’t need and never asked for.

This is a great article. The hat tip goes to Bonnie at Intellectuelle who examines looks at this article and states "God Doesn't Need Hit Men"; or, as Bonnie says, cheerleaders and supporters.
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Catez Stevens looks at "Changing Opinions in Hawkins Brief History of Time"
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The Buratha Mosque was bombed: there are related threads at Baghdadee and Iraq the Model. Salim at Baghdadee questions Omar's ITM analysis.
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Jesus Creed is an important place to "get in touch" with the Emergent church. Scot McKnight looks at the Gospel of Judas in "Part 1" and "Part 2"
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Jeremy at Parableman also looks at the "Gospel of Judas" and "National Geographic's Gospel of Judas Special"
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Rick Moran thinks there is "Big Trouble for Bush" in the latest Libby revelations.
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Joe Carter at Evangelical Outpost trips off a good discussion with "Ussher’s Error:
Primeval Chronology and Young Earth Creationism"

He also reacts to a Michael Medved - Michael Spencer debate about tongue-piercing (among other things) with "Beyond Legalism: Jesus, Wisdom, and Tongue Piercing"
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From WorldMagBlog:

• How about a black Republican running for the Senate in democratic Maryland: he won Lt. Governor in 2002 despite being dismissed by the Baltimore Sun: "brings little to the team but the color of his skin.". Read "Brother from Another Party" - it is an interesting interview.
• Two high school students doing their science project have scientists interested in their approach to curing Muscular Dystrophy

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Next Week