eChurch Blog

In response to the recent revelation that a “Late-term” abortionist has been  charged by prosecutors with killing seven babies outside of the womb, born alive during the sixth, seventh and eighth month of pregnancy, this is P Z Myers response:

First, never quote Mother Teresa at me — she was an evil hag who worshipped poverty, who did not help people except to encourage them to suffer more for her faith, while she lived in comfort and traveled far and wide to receive the accolades of the gullible. I would never find the words of that wicked woman persuasive.

Secondly, the standard bullying tactics of waving bloody fetuses might cow the squeamish, but I’m a biologist. I’ve guillotined rats. I’ve held eyeballs in my hand and peeled them apart with a pair of scissors. I’ve used a wet-vac to clean up a lake of half-clotted blood from an exsanguinated dog. I’ve opened bodies and watched the intestines do their slow writhing dance, I’ve been elbow deep in blood, I’ve split open cats and stabbed them in the heart with a perfusion needle. I’ve extracted the brains of mice…with a pair of pliers. I’ve scooped brains out of buckets, I’ve counted dendrites in slices cut from the brains of dead babies.

You want to make me back down by trying to inspire revulsion with dead baby pictures? I look at them unflinchingly and see meat. And meat does not frighten me.

Uh-huh. I literally don’t know what else to say without offending everybody…..

I’m delighted to report on a new EU Resolution condemning violence against Christians in Iraq and Egypt.

So, my question to Egypt would be:

Do the Egyptian authorities intend to withdraw from dialogue with the European Union, as they withdrew from dialogue with the Vatican, following the Pope’s criticism of recent Egyptian Muslim violence against Christians?

Just wondering…..

As President Hu Jintao meets with President Obama this week, some observers say an explosive growth in Christianity may be transforming the officially atheist regime. According to China Aid, the number of Christians in China has increased 100-fold since 1949. Current estimates range from 80 million to 130 million active members. One Chinese Christian businessman predicts that number doubling or even tripling in the next generation.

According to Dr. David Aikman, author of “Jesus in Beijing,” “If the Chinese become Christianized … which doesn’t mean you have a majority of people who are Christians, but it means about 25 to 30 percent of people in positions of influence, in politics, in culture, in the media. If you have that component of a major power that accepts Christianity enthusiastically as a guide to life, (then) that is going to change the world view of the leaders of China.”

Protestant evangelist Dr. Luis Palau, who has preached in China, says Christians are among the country’s most cohesive groups. “They all preach the same gospel. There are no liberals or conservative branches … they all believe the same.”

Supporters say even estimating 80 million Christians in China, a conservative figure, still has them outnumbering the membership of the Communist Party, which at last check, in June 2010, and was 78 million.

China Aid’s Bob Fu says Christianity experienced growth after the Tiananmen Square conflict. Six of the 30 student leaders who were arrested converted to Christianity.

“Ironically,” Fu says, “church history shows that the more the political persecution, the more believers there will be. This is the case in the Roman Empire, and also with China.”

…..continue reading

Fascinating article on the implications of the discovery of extra-terrestrial life for religion.

There’s a surprising research result indicating:

….that the vast majority of religious believers, regardless of religion, see no threat to their personal beliefs caused by potential contact with intelligent neighbours on other worlds. When we asked respondents to distinguish between their own personal beliefs and the beliefs of the religious tradition to which they adhere, anxiety rose just slightly that their religious leaders might face a challenge. Still, religious adherents overwhelmingly registered confidence that neither they as individuals nor their religious tradition would suffer anything like a collapse.

Even if you don’t agree with it all, it’s still worth reading nonetheless.

Abstract

This paper asks about the future of religion: (i) Will confirmation of extra-terrestrial intelligence (ETI) cause terrestrial religion to collapse? ‘No’ is the answer based upon a summary of the ‘Peters ETI Religious Crisis Survey’. Then the paper examines four specific challenges to traditional doctrinal belief likely to be raised at the detection of ETI: (ii) What is the scope of God’s creation? (iii) What can we expect regarding the moral character of ETI? (iv) Is one earthly incarnation in Jesus Christ enough for the entire cosmos, or should we expect multiple incarnations on multiple planets? (v) Will contact with more advanced ETI diminish human dignity? More than probable contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence will expand the Bible’s vision so that all of creation—including the 13.7 billion year history of the universe replete with all of God’s creatures—will be seen as the gift of a loving and gracious God.

…..continue reading

So, the controversial US Pastor Terry Jones – of the burn a Qur’an fame – has been banned from entering the UK by the government.

I’m no fan of Terry Jones and I object to his shenanigans on many fronts. I’ve previously noted my concern of a backlash meted out against our Christian brothers and sisters in Islamic lands, as witnessed following his previous antics.

But what crime has he committed to warrant being banned from the UK?

He hasn’t incited violence as far as I know.

A Home Office spokesman said:

“The Government opposes extremism in all its forms which is why we have excluded Pastor Terry Jones from the UK.”

Really? What about all of the Islamic hate preachers that have been allowed to swan into the UK and spit their bile against all and sundry?

The Home Office also said:

“Numerous comments made by Pastor Jones are evidence of his unacceptable behaviour”

Because he voices his opinion on Islam? Is this the unacceptable behaviour they’re referring to? Or is it really the burning of a Qur’an that never happened?

And again the Home Office:

“Coming to the UK is a privilege not a right and we are not willing to allow entry to those whose presence is not conducive to the public good.”

Is not freedom of speech in relation to Islam conducive to the public good?

Telegraph:

In a statement, Mr Jones said: “This ban exemplifies the sabotage of the basic human rights of freedom of speech and freedom of expression. The ban also proves the effectiveness of the threat of militant Islam in the UK as one is not free to travel to the UK due to the speculation of violence.”

A member of his staff at the Dove World Outreach Centre in Gainesville, Florida, US, said a letter from the Home Office had been received by courier on Wednesday informing Mr Jones of the ban. She said the letter mentioned the risk of “disruption”.

Mr Jones had said that if allowed to visit Britain he would respect the law and say nothing that would incite violence.

“I am a Christian and I have never promoted violence. We are for standing our ground, that is all and we are not against Islam the religion but radical extremist Islam,” he said at the time.

Wayne Sapp, assistant pastor at the church, said that the letter from the Home Office advised that Mr Jones’ views could “foster hatred that might lead to inter-community violence in the UK”.

“That is pure speculation because we have never had any violence at any of our events,” said Mr Sapp.

“We were surprised that the UK had fallen under such fear of Islam that they would ban free speech.”

…..read all

This ban sets a terrible precedent and is nothing less than an assault on freedom of speech and expression.

Welcome to the Jewish and Christian experience Baroness Warsi:

BBC:

Prejudice against Muslims has “passed the dinner-table test” and become socially acceptable in the UK, a senior Conservative is to say.

Baroness Warsi will say anti-Muslim prejudice is now seen by many Britons as normal and uncontroversial, and she will use her position to fight an “ongoing battle against bigotry”.

In extracts of the speech, published in the Daily Telegraph, the peer blames “the patronising, superficial way faith is discussed in certain quarters, including the media”, for making Britain a less tolerant place for believers.

She is expected to reveal that she raised the issue of Islamophobia with Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Britain last year, urging him to “create a better understanding between Europe and its Muslim citizens”.

….continue reading

Just to let you know that I’ve posted on this over at Theology in the News.

Lisa Graas has also posted on this, here and here.

David has a disturbing video news report on this.

I’m not denigrating this initiative, however, I despair at our society if the report is indeed accurate.

Telegraph:

A Coalition-backed report published today warns how many parents, particularly those on low incomes, are “ill-informed or poorly motivated” when it comes to raising their children.

It recommends that a national parenting campaign – primarily aimed at pregnant women – should be launched to give all children “healthy, stable and strong social and emotional foundations” in the early years.

The report says that mothers-to-be need to learn how to speak to their unborn babies because research shows the tone of a pregnant woman’s voice can “influence the child growing inside her”.

It also says that other parents must be taught how to appreciate the importance of child development in the vital first 18 months, adding: “They need to appreciate the importance of talking frequently with a baby, and all the things that would make a positive difference such as cuddling, looking and smiling”.

The report, by the Labour MP Graham Allen, recommends that a parenting campaign should form the centrepiece of a cross-government strategy to give children a better start in life.

It should also include:

Regular assessments of children’s emotional and social development from birth to the age of five to make sure children are ready for full-time school;

Putting children in “year groups” from birth to give early education the same status and recognition as primary and secondary schooling;

Creating a super quango – the “early intervention foundation” – to co-ordinate cross-government action on the issue;

Giving all vulnerable young mothers access to a family nurse to give them hands-on support in raising their children;

Increasing the number of graduates working in early years education.

…..continue reading

I just wrote loads on this and deleted it, as it simply exposed by current belligerent and depressed state of mind, and so I ask for your thoughts on this.

Is dysfunctionalism born of poverty, or poverty born of dysfunctionalism?

A stunning Orthodox prayer by St Nikolai of Ohrid – Original Source: Prayers by the Lake

You who have buried all hopes, so that you might be wealthy in a single hope;

Who have awaited the end of many human aspirations, and seen the ashes;

Who have seen many tear-stained eyes returning from the graveyard of their hopes;

Who have heard many confessions concerning the evil stench of every worldly hope from the other realm;

And who have permitted yourselves to be crucified[1] for one special hope, which does not end in ashes, nor in a graveyard, nor in an evil stench.

To you we bow down and pray: “Pray to God for us.”

I saw a child chasing after a bird with dappled feathers and a golden beak for a long time, and when he caught it, the bird pecked him and the child began to cry.

I said: “Such are you with your hopes, human children, and such is your end.”

Again I saw a child running after a swarm of spring butterflies for a long time, and when one butterfly was near him, he left it and ran off after the others, which seemed to him to be more beautiful.

I said: “Such are the sons of men, and such is their running through the whole of life after many desires.”

Truly, your race is tiring and futile. If the hour of death comes upon you, you will not be able to say what it is that you have been pursuing. And you will enter into the other world with empty hands and a perplexed heart.

The race of the sons of heaven is also tiring, but is not futile. And when the hour of death comes upon them, they will be able to say what it is that they have been pursuing. And in the other world they will have full hands and a restful heart.

An eagle beneath the clouds sees a lamb in the field and descends toward it, and asks the sparrows perched on the back of the lamb: “Do you not see the lamb?” And they answer him: “No, we do not see it.” So it is with martyrs of good hope. At a great distance they spot their nourishment, while those next to the nourishment are walking over it without seeing it.

The race for good hope is a long one. But a champion sets his mind on the race, and casts all illusory hopes beneath his feet and tramples over them like dry leaves. There are many, very many hurdles between him and his hope;–and death is one of the hurdles. But he leaps over them all; he even leaps over death, and pursues his hope.

Martyrs of good hope, who flutter around the Light of Heaven like a flock of white doves, pray to God for us.
____________________________

1. Cf. Rom. 6:6, Gal. 2:20 and 5:24.

A few links I found interesting for one reason or another:

Epiphenom – There’s no such thing as a gene for religion

Lisa Graas – Thanks to CNN, You Now Have the Anti-Pope, Radical Muslim Conspiracy Theory from the Streets of Pakistan

Archbishop Cranmer – Our children are not the property of the state

Richard Littledale – A commentary culture – Digital Fellowship?

Faith in Hand – Texting and walking

A Minor Friar – Praying for Apologists

Zwinglius Redivivus – Hitler as Herod