eChurch Blog

If you want something a little more lighthearted and cheery this cold Saturday morn, then hop over and check out this inter-church billboard war:

Jesus Creed: Church Billboard Wars

Nathan says no. Joel says yes. What do you think?

Disclaimer: Please steel yourself for Joel’s awesomeness before clicking the link, or you may become affrightened.

This is literally unbelievable and a totally unscrupulous modus operandi by Answers in Genesis.

Cross-post by Professor James McGrath of Exploring our Matrix:

Answers in Genesis and its “Christian” Users: Creationism and Web Privacy

The “scare quotes” are not mine but theirs. P. Z. Myers has a post today about the way Answers in Genesis has been tracking who reads it and what else they read, and one of the categories is “Christian” Users.

Read Myers’ post for the full story and the relevant HTML script. And here’s a link to the original report.

Whatever one may think of other things Answers in Genesis has done, they have clearly accomplished one thing effectively: they managed to get the category “Religion” onto a list of those who use web-based tracking technology to violate the privacy of those who visit their web site. Otherwise the list would simply have included porn, media, news, shopping, and things like that. Thanks to AiG, “religion” also appears.

This is obviously a very serious matter. But among the more amusing aspects are the fact that Answers in Genesis’ tracking script categorizes those who visit other creationism-related sites as “Creationist Groupies,” and while the quotes may indicate doubts about whether those who visit other “Christian” sites are “Christian,” those who visit Joel Osteen’s site are placed in the category “Other.”

Marc Cortez draws our attention to the top 20 worst nativity sets, which can be found here.

I would say that it is indeed the ‘Cat Nativity’ which is by far the worst. Everyone knows cats are intrinsically evil and that it probably was a cat – and not a snake – responsible for deceiving Eve in the garden.

I thought this one from Marc was rather cool though:

Firstly, happy Chanukah.

Secondly, this from The Jerusalem Post:

What would it have been like had there been Facebook at the beginning of time? The first three things God would have put in His status: “Just created the world.”

Then, “Whoops forgot there’s no one else out there. Gonna create man.”

Then probably something like, “Why on earth did I do that?” Underneath which it’ll say, “Snake likes this.”

God would have sent a message to Noah: “Bringing a flood next week.”

Noah would have responded with something like: “Lol. Bring it on.”

And I suspect the story of Joseph and his brothers would have panned out altogether different. Rather than selling him down to Egypt, Joseph would have put on his status: “Had another dream about my brothers last night.”

The oldest brother Reuben would have replied: “ROFL” (rolling on floor laughing for technophobes). Simon, the second and more hot-tempered brother, would have responded: “Gonna teach you and your technicolor dream coat a lesson.”

Under which it would say, “Andrew Lloyd Webber likes this.”

….continue reading

From Dr Peter Saunders – Christian Medical Comment:

Tonight, the Scottish Parliament has voted overwhelmingly by 85 to 16 to reject Macdonald’s End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill at its first stage debate.

Commenting on this result, Gordon Macdonald of Care Not Killing Alliance, said:

‘This is a fantastic result and a victory for the most vulnerable in our community. The detailed scrutiny and exhaustive investigation that this bill has had over many months and the sheer magnitude of its defeat should settle this issue in Scotland for a generation.

MSPs have voted overwhelmingly today to reject in principle the legalization of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in Scotland recognizing that such a move would seriously endanger public safety. They have instead sent a ringing endorsement to making the very best palliative care widely available and accessible.

….continue reading

Hat-tip Dr James McGrath

I just can’t help myself and I don’t care what anyone thinks, I utterly agree with this blog post by Lauri:

Fiction and the Reading Public – I am so ashamed, so very very ashamed of the not ashamed campaign song.

Archbishop Canmer Tweeted me earlier in the week and had this to say regarding the Not Ashamed song:

@eChurchBlog Laudable effort but song is so typically ‘Christian’ (=2nd rate). Cliff & Little Town are credible.

Indeed. I would rather support Cranmer and Cliff.

In gerneral I’m quite surprised at the muted response to the Wikileaks documents from the Christian blogosphere, however, this may change with the revelation there will be further Vatican related cabals over the next few weeks.

Here’s a few Wikileaks related links from the Christian world which may be of interest:

Fr Z – Wikileak-ed diplomatic cables about the 2005 election of Pope Benedict

The Ugley Vicar – The moral dilemma of Wikileaks

Bishop Nick Baines – The Public Interest

Catholic News Agency – Massive Wikileaks disclosure involves Vatican cables

Clerical Whispers – Wikileaks reveals how U.S. reacted to Pope Benedict XVI’s election at the Vatican

Archbishop Cranmer – Wikileaks: US advises Belgium on how ‘to attain prominence in Europe’

Archbishop Cranmer – Wikileaks demolishes the US-Israel-Zionist conspiracy

CBN – WikiLeaks, Israel and Iran

Bishop Nick Baines is so encouraging and he’s appeared on the channel 4 programme 4thought.tv.

It is such a relief for me personally to hear Nick bucking the trend and arguing against the persecution narrative gripping the Christian fraternity here in the UK.

I encourage you to hop over and watch this, it only takes a couple of minutes and is so worthwhile:

Bishop Nick Baines – 4thought.tv – Are Christians the new persecuted?

A few quotes:

If you define yourself by your victimhood you’ve got a massive problem.

I don’t like it when people moan about being discriminated against.

I do not believe that Christians are a persecuted group of people in this country today.

We live in a society which I sometimes call a hierarchy of victimhood.

If people feel that the job they’re doing requires them to go against their Christian conscience, it could be in areas of sexuality or the wearing of a cross or whatever it is, then they have a choice to make, and if you feel that what you’re being asked to do is incompatible with your faith then you shouldn’t do it, but that isn’t persecution, you have a choice and you can go and do something else

I hardly think we’re a beleaguered minority, we’re everywhere and I think Christians need to be more confident about who they are.

You don’t have to look at the mosque and say “How intimidating”, what about looking at the churches and saying “How encouraging, let’s get out and do more”.

Spot on good Bishop. Doesn’t this sit in stark contrast to the moaning and whinging of Lord Carey today over at the Telegraph? Or this from Nicky Rawlins on 4thought.tv.

Christian Concern launch their We are Not Ashamed campaign today and are endeavouring to have a Christmas number one song and further inculcate the persecution narrative.