Buy Black Experiment

Blowing the dust off this place to link to an article on MSNBC, and hopefully spark some discussion. I got the link from a blogger in my home state of Wisconsin, about a couple in Chicago who made a commitment at the beginning of the year to buy only from black-owned businesses. Now, as a white person, if I made the commitment to buy from only white-owned businesses, I'd be called a racist and a bigot, and probably rightfully so. But what I'm wondering is, how is this any different than the commitment so many in the church make to buy only from Christian-owned businesses? We have Christian business directories in many cities around the country (including Milwaukee, where I live), and I know from firsthand experience that some Christian owned businesses will only spend radio advertising dollars on the local Christian station. To some extent, I can understand that; Christian radio stations don't take ads from just anyone, and Christian businesses see it as a win-win for them, but the question still exists; how is this different than believers buying only from believers?

Your thoughts are welcome and appreciated.

Ray Boltz "Comes Out"

I was saddened to see in my feed reader this morning a post from Slice with a link to this article from The Washington Blade, a gay newspaper. Yep, Ray Boltz, famous for such songs as "Watch the Lamb," "Thank You," and others, came out to his family almost four years ago, the same day of the deadly tsunami in the Indian ocean. While I'm not a fan of Ray's music, I am saddened by this, but I must take issue with a few things.

First and foremost, Ingrid turns this into an indictment against the CCM industry as a whole, especially the incidences of Christian and gospel singers coming out as either gay or having committed other infidelities. I don't think that's fair. Yes, there is a lot of emotion in CCM, but there is a lot of emotion in all music. If there wasn't emotion, it wouldn't be music; it would just be noise. Even the great hymns of the past and present appeal to our emotions, to the very nature of who we are (for lack of a better term), and speak to us on a deeper level.

Next, I have to take issue with the Blade's conclusions about CCM. They publish a quote from Joe Hogue, a former CCM producer who found himself with no job offers after he came out, who says that there are "a lot of closeted people in Christian music," and yet nothing is offered to back this up. Forgive me, but with no evidence, I find that hard to believe. They also hit on the allegations against some prominent figures in the Christian world, who have been questioned about being gay because they are still single, such as Mark Lowry, although they did admit it's not fair to assume such people are gay just because they're still single. Not all of us get married, and not all of us intend to or have the desire to. That doesn't make it a sin. Jesus Himself addressed this in Matthew 19:12.

In the end, I do think it's sad that Ray Boltz chose this path. And yes, I do think it is a choice. He could have gotten help, and he chose to simply push this under the rug and let it fester for years. That's never a good choice to make. And, now, we've seen where it's led him. Pray for Ray, pray for his family (he and his wife split amicably, and are still on good terms), and pray for those who will be affected by this announcement.

Much ado about...

well, nothing, really.

After all the hubbub, the wailing, the posts railing against Richard Abanes and his handling of an article by Ken Silva, after all the virtual screaming and hollering about Apprising Ministries being taken offline (which could have been easily avoided if Ken had simply taken the high road and deleted the post, even temporarily), Apprising.org is back online, with a new layout which, in my opinion, is much more attractive than the old one.

Ah, well, the beat goes on, as they say.

Like bits of data on the Internet...

...these are the posts of our blogs.

I hesitated to post on the dispute between Richard Abanes and Ken Silva, but as Pastor Silva's site, Apprising.org, appears to be offline at this hour, I decided now is as good a time as any. I was going to post a brief rundown of what has brought us to this point, but I decided that if you're reading this post, you probably know what's going on by now, and if not, do a little poking around, I'm sure you'll get caught up pretty quickly.

OK, here goes...

I have a lot of issues with Ken Silva and the things he posts at Apprising Ministries. To be brutally honest, it's hard for me to get through even one of his articles/missives, what for his liberal use of name calling (heretical this, neo-liberal that, ecumenical church of deceit, Roshi, Yogi, Guru, etc. etc. etc...). However, I read the original article in question (link is to Google cache copy), and I can certainly see where Richard Abanes would see that he was being libeled by Ken Silva. Why he has chosen to wait this long to bring up the issue, I do not know, and I do not pretend to know the motives of Pastor Silva or Rev. Abanes. Just wanted to make that clear.

My take? Both of them went too far. In spite of the fact that Richard Abanes felt that talking to Ken Silva directly would have been fruitless (and based on exchanges I've seen online between Ken and others, I'd say Richard is probably right about that), he should have at least tried to resolve the issue with Ken directly. He has also, I feel, added some unnecessary fuel to the fire over the last few days.

Now, lest you think I am letting Ken off the hook... Ken Silva has, in my assessment, blown this whole thing completely out of proportion. This is one article among THOUSANDS on his site. Ken had the chance to be the bigger person and simply pull the article from his site, no harm no foul. Instead, he posted the message from iPower (his hosting company) for all to see, and stoked the fires that soon spread across the blogosphere. Not to mention, he violated copyright laws by posting an email from Richard Abanes that had a clear copyright notice at the bottom. Furthermore, I find it hard to believe that Ken had no form of recourse with iPower. He could have called them, explained his side of the story, and discussed possible solutions to this problem. He could have gotten in touch with Abanes directly and resolved this, at which point Abanes could have redacted his complaint to iPower. It's possible Ken could have sought some sort of arbitration with iPower to prevent the deletion of his site.

Long story short, this whole thing has gone too far. While I disagree with almost everything Ken Silva has posted at apprising.org, it didn't need to come to this.

That's my opinion. That and $1.50 will get you a copy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tomorrow morning.

Chapman Family Update

By now I'm sure you've all heard about the tragedy that struck Steven Curtis Chapman's family (link is to the Associated Press story), and I simply wanted to post to put out some updates on what's going on.

First, a brief summary: One of the boys (I believe the younger of the two boys), Will, was driving an SUV down the driveway where the girls were playing, and hit Maria, the youngest of the Chapman's adopted daughters. She was airlifted to nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Please, please, PLEASE pray for Will especially; I'm sure he's beating himself up over this to no end.

At this time, SCC's official site has been reduced to only the front page, due to high traffic. Services for Maria have been set; visitation is tomorrow, service on Saturday at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, see the official site (link above) for details. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to Shaohannah's Hope. If you would simply like to send condolences to the family, head over to In Memory of Maria, a blog set up for this purpose.

Miley Cyrus: Two Responses

I invite you to compare and contrast these responses to the dustup over Miley Cyrus' photo shoot for Vanity Fair.

1st Response

2nd Response

Which of these responses is seasoned with grace?

Willow Creek Changes Course

After several years and multiple millions of dollars spent, Willow Creek discovers that it's still the basics that are the most effective; prayer, study, and fellowship. An interesting read, to be sure, from the Out of Ur blog of Leadership Journal at Christianity Today, which I am adding to my blogroll.

The Top 100 Christian Blogs

As reported by The Evangelical Outpost. I intend to take a look at quite a few of these, and I imagine there will be some additions to the blogroll in the near future. After all, I have to have something to distract me while I'm at work.

A few highlights:

Boars Head Tavern and Pyromaniacs tied for the #9 slot. Interesting, in that they tend to take very different views on the issues.

Internet Monk comes in at #61. (Really must add that one to the blogroll)

TallSkinnyKiwi landed at #89.

Go check it out, especially if you've been looking for some new additions to your own blogroll, or just some new places to explore. I know I've got quite a few I'd like to take a look at, and who knows? Maybe I can improve this blog to the point of being included next year. :-)

[HT: Hugh Hewitt]

TIME Pays Tribute

Simply had to share this article from Time magazine. Ruth Graham is high on the list of people I am looking forward to meeting when we all get to Heaven.

If Rick Warren should boycott Zondervan...

then so should John MacArthur.

In recent posts (here and here) over at Christian Research Network, Rev. Ken Silva calls on Rick Warren to boycott Zondervan, the publishing house that prints his book The Purpose Driven Life. His reasoning behind this is that Zondervan is owned by News Corp, which is in turn owned by Rupert Murdoch. News Corp owns several pornography channels in Europe, and Rick Warren has apparently claimed to be Murdoch's pastor (this is still hotly contested, and is not an issue I'm going to get into here). Among its other holdings, News Corp also owns HarperCollins, which publishes The Satanic Bible. So what?

I'm glad you asked.

Zondervan, owned by News Corp/Rupert Murdoch, who also owns the company that publishes The Satanic Bible, publishes two of John MacArthur's books: The Gospel According to Jesus, and Charismatic Chaos. If Rick Warren should boycott Zondervan because of it's connection to The Satanic Bible, then Ken (and other discernment ministries that have picked up this story) should call on John MacArthur to do the same. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Ingrid Misses the Point... Again

It seems Ingrid over at Christian Research Net is all worked up over an email she received today from the father-in-law of one of the American Idol contestants, who also happens to be a pastor. In true CRN fashion, he can't be a true Christian because the world approves of him. Chris at Fishing the Abyss/CRN.Info has written some insightful posts about this very subject, which I encourage you to read.

The summary of Ingrid's arguement seems to be that because Phil Stacey (the contestant in question) is seeking success in the entertainment realm, he can't be a "true Christian" because the Bible says that if we are true believers, we will be persecuted. Apparently she's gotten the impression that the music business is easy. Not only that, she apparently doesn't understand that when Christ came to the earth, He went to where the people were; the synagogues, the marketplaces, the city gates, etc., and spoke to them in words they could understand. Not only that, there are multiple admonishments in the New Testament for us to encourage each other; two that leap to mind are Jude 20 and Ephesians 4:29. So what does this have to do with American Idol? Quite simply, Phil is trying to influence the culture around him, which, whether or not Ingrid and company like it, is exactly what Christ did. We are not called to hole up in our churches and our homes; we are called to be a light to a dark world, a "city on a hill" as Jesus said it in the book of Matthew. Phil is doing exactly that, and I say more power to him.

For the record, I have not been watching American Idol this season; I'm just not home to watch much TV to begin with anymore, and the stuff I record on the DVR is plenty for me to keep up with.

Boy Scouts 1, ACLU 0

It seems that some time ago, the ACLU got all hot and bothered because the Boy Scouts hold their Jamboree every four years at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. As usual, they thought this was a violation of the separation of church and state. Nice try, guys. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the ACLU had no standing to bring the lawsuit. World Net Daily has the full story.

[H/T: Air1 Radio]

"Hate Crimes" Bill Expected This Week

We've discussed this here before, and now it's definately time to act. Representative John Conyers of Michigan is planning to introduce the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in Congress this week. And the President is the only one who can stop it. The full story is at The Christian Post.

Lucado Steps Down

The Christian Post is reporting this afternoon that Max Lucado, author of such books as When God Whispers Your Name, He Chose the Nails, In the Grip of Grace and Just Like Jesus is stepping down as senior minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, citing health reasons. He was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat last summer, and stated he "needs to slow down."

Lucado will stay on staff with the church, continuing to write and speaking occasionally. He will also assist the chuch in their search for his successor.

God be with you, Max. We love you, and we're praying for you.

[H/T: Christian Post via Air1 Radio]

San Francisco Pulls In the Welcome Mat

"What's so offensive about teens finding hope in God and not in a bed, a bottle, or a pill?" asks 18 year old Charlotte Hamilton, one of the organizers of the upcoming Battle Cry rally in San Francisco, set to happen this weekend. Battle Cry is an organization that is "inspiring hundreds of thousands of teens across the United States to rise up, reject destructive pop culture messages, and recreate teen culture on their own terms." More power to them, I say.

Unfortunately, the City of San Francisco disagrees with me, to the point that the city's Entertainment Commission is imposing what amounts to custom noise restrictions for the group's planned rally at AT&T Park; stricter than those imposed for mainstream rock concerts.

I especially liked this quote from the editorial staff of the San Francisco Chronicle, in regards to last year's rally:
"...the attempt by counter protesters and some of the city's elected officials to call them 'fascist' and 'hateful' was totally at odds with the tone of the ballpark event... The young people who came to San Francisco to affirm their faith... deserved to be welcomed by a city that was as tolerant and progressive as its sanctimonious supervisors like to profess."

Don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel.

You can read the full press release on the Battle Cry website.

[HT: Air1 Radio]

Ninth Circuit Court Strikes Again

They're at it again. In a recent ruling, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California, in a suit filed by employees of the city of Oakland, decided that "municipal employers can completely censor the terms 'natural family,' 'marriage' and 'family values' as hate speech." But, apparently, memvers of the city's Gay-Straight Employee's Alliance (not to mention high-level city officials) are allowed to slam the Bible and Christiantity openly across the city-wide email network, and call the employee's "hateful." When the affected employees compained, they were threatened with the loss of their jobs, and the court decided that had no effect on free speech. Huh?

In their decision, the court wrote "the district court correctly held that [the City of Oakland] had a more substantial interest in maintaining the efficient operation of their office than appellants had in their speech, appellants cannot establish a viable free speech claim." Again I say, huh?

Thankfully, the Pro-Family Law Center is willing to fight this in the Supreme Court. Makes you glad John Edwards made it onto the bench, doesn't it?

This is an absolutely critical issue. Our rights as Christians are being taken away bit by bit, and we can't simply stand by and let it happen. I encourage you to get the word out about this, and keep following the story. I also recommend reading the full article at ChristiansUnite.com for more.

Examining the 'Jesus Tomb' Evidence

Not suprisingly, Cameron's sources come up short. Head over to Real Clear Politics for an in-depth look at the sources used for Sunday night's documentary. For the record, no, I didn't watch. I was out having dinner with my family.

[HT: John at Verum Serum]

They've Found the Casket of Jesus: 45 Comebacks

NOTE: This is in no way an endorsement of the blog on which I found this article.

Jon at A Young Pastor's Perspective has posted 45 comebacks to the "discovery" of the casket of Jesus. Have a look.

Dangerous New "Hate Crime" Legislation *UPDATED*

UPDATE: Rather than get into a flame war with readers of this blog, I have chosen to be the bigger person and edit the introduction to this article. If you saw the original, please understand this: my opening sentence was in no way a swipe at Joseph Farrah or anyone at World Net Daily. I do not doubt Mr. Farrah's credentials or experience, and if he ever reads this, please know that I apologize. However, I am leery of *anything* that is written online. Eternally cynical and perpetually skeptical, you know. We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog...

While I'm weary of anything I read online (just because someone put it out there doesn't make it true, you know), I would like to draw your attention to World Net Daily and their article "Christian belief a 'hate crime' under plan." Apparently, if you say something to someone that they consider offensive, you could be fined or even jailed. If anyone had any doubts about the federal government going too far, I hope they are now gone. Not to mention that Nancy Pelosi could very likely put this bill, or a similar one, in front of the full House quickly. We can at least be thankful that we have John Roberts presiding over the Supreme Court. This law clearly violates the First Amendment, and I hope that this law will be fought that far if it passes. Jay Sekulow, I hope you're paying attention.

Dan Brown's New Disciple

It seems James Cameron is trumpeting his discovery of the remains of Jesus, proving that he was married, had a family, and was buried in southern Jerusalem, according to an article from the Associated Press. So, basically, we're going to have The DaVinci Code all over again, but this time with James Cameron at the helm. Archaeologists are already slamming Cameron and the lunacy of what he's claiming, in spite of his claims that statisticians found "in the range of a couple million to one" in favor of his conclusions.

Dan Brown wrote a complete work of fiction and tried to pass it off as fact, even though his claims can be easily refuted. I recommend James Garlow's The DaVinci Codebreaker to see what I mean; Brown's geography of Paris isn't even correct, much less the architechtural descriptions he claims as "fact." Now James Cameron wants to cash in too. I can only hope he will be soundly shot down by people who actually know what they are talking about. He clearly doesn't.