THE CHURCH MILITANT
Ephesians 5:11-"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". This Christian News Blog maintains a one stop resource of current news and reports of its own related to church, moral, spiritual, and related political issues, plus articles, and postings from other online discernment ministries, and media which share the aims to obey the biblical commands to shed light on and refute error, heresy, apostasy, cults, and spiritual abuse.
It is with great sadness and disappointment I hereby tender my resignation from Troop 501 and the Boy Scout organization. The vote to allow open and avowed homosexuality into Scouting will transform it into an unprincipled and risky proposition for parents – a social experiment, I may add. Sadly, the Boy Scouts' legacy of producing great leaders has become yet another casualty of moral and corporate-driven leaders. May 23, 2013, was a sad day for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and another tragic day for an America in decline.
I have been a Scout and Scout leader for 49 years. I started as a Cub Scout and worked all the way up to earning the coveted Eagle Scout award. During that journey, I attended the National Jamborees, Philmont High Adventure Scout Reservation, Northern Tier Canoe Base, and the Florida Sea Base. I am a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, and a Wood Badge Instructor. For me, it was the greatest positive impact that a youth could have [along with] a solid family and a strong church.
I saw the value in Scouting so much that I encouraged my son to become a Scout and he has progressed much like his father. He is also an Eagle Scout and is currently serving our country in the U.S. Marine Corps.
I make this decision with a clear conscience knowing that it is the BSA that has become subverted, not me. I am upholding my personal integrity as the only way that I, as an individual, can take the lead by "voting with my feet" against a policy that I vehemently oppose.
I have many cherished memories of my years in Scouting, but today I feel as if an old friend has died. So long Scouting...It has been a great ride.
Good luck. Yours truly,
Richard D. Morales
United Airlines 747 Pilot
Eagle Scout
Francis Chan sides with Catholics present at his church and stops question and answer time originally planned for ex-Catholic Mike Gendron of Proclaiming the Gospel, http://proclaimingthegospel.org/, a biblical ministry to present Catholics:
.b pronounced (dot-be), stands for “Stop, Breathe and Be!” This simple act of mindfulness provides the kernel of a nine-lesson course for schools. Written by experienced classroom teachers and mindfulness practitioners, and evaluated positively by the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford Brookes, .b can be used in a wide range of context and age ranges, including adults.
Richard Burnett and Chris Cullen, co-Founders of the Mindfulness in Schools Project, http://mindfulnessinschools.org/, met in 2007. Along with Chris O’Neil, these schoolteachers had experienced the benefits of mindfulness themselves and wanted to bring it to life in the classroom. In approaching the development of a formal course, they tried to answer the following question:
Question: When 25 teenagers tumble into your classroom at 11:45 on a wet Tuesday morning, how are you going to interest them in mindfulness? They are tired. They are hungry. They are playing with their phones, and they’d rather be somewhere else. They’ve never heard of mindfulness, it doesn’t sound very exciting, and if you were to tell them that it involved periods of stillness and silence, you’d lose them before you begun. How are you going to convince them that mindfulness is a skill which could make a real difference to their lives?
Answer:.b (Stop, Breathe and Be)
The .b curriculum is a powerful and proven model for teaching mindfulness to teens. It is now offered in 7 countries and has been integrated into school programs throughout the U.K. This curriculum is considered a valuable resource for professionals in multiple disciplines who work with youth and who are interested in integrating mindfulness into their teaching.
.b and The Mindfulness in Schools Project have been featured in numerous articles and interviews highlighting the benefits of mindfulness training with teens, including a recent TED talk by Richard Burnett, .b co-founder.
We invite you to join Lorraine M. Hobbs, MA, CHom UCSD Center for Mindfulness Director, Youth and Family Programs and her distinguished co-teachers for the first .b teacher certification program offered on the West Coast, July 18-21, 2013, Francis Parker High School, San Diego, CA _______________________________________________________________
Andy Stanley ignores the following Scripture verses which support the God-inspired nature of all of the Bible, and would rather claim a relativistic view, picking and choosing what suits him:
Romans 10:17-"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
1 Peter 1:23-25-"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."
2 Timothy 3:14-17-"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
2 Timothy 2:15-"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Ephesians 6:17-"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Philippians 2:16-"Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain."
Colossians 3:16-"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
1 Thessalonians 2:13-"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."
The foundation of our faith is not the infallibility of the Bible. The foundation of our faith is something that happened in history and the issue is always 'who is Jesus?' That's always the issue. The Scripture is simply a collection of ancient documents that tells us that story.
So when we talk about the Scriptures, and especially the reliability of the Scriptures, I think anytime that we can tie the Old Testament especially back to Jesus, we have done everybody, Christians and non-Christians alike, an incredible service by letting them know. . .You can believe the Adam and Eve story is a creation myth—so what?—who is Jesus?. . .
Here's why I believe this [Adam and Eve] actually happened. Not because the Bible says so, but because in the gospels, Jesus talks about Adam and Eve. It appears to me that He believed that they were actually historical figures and if He believed they were historical, I believe they were historical because anybody who can predict their own death and resurrection and pull it off, I just believe anything they say. . . .
The foundation of my faith is not an infallible Bible, it's something that happened in history. Jesus came into the world, walked on the earth, represented God, was God, and then rose from the dead. And that's a very, very important part of our approach to the Scripture every single week.
Here's why I believe this [Adam and Eve] actually happened. Not because the Bible says so, but because in the gospels, Jesus talks about Adam and Eve. It appears to me that He believed that they were actually historical figures and if He believed they were historical, I believe they were historical. . .
Delaware doesn't have the staff to routinely inspect abortion clinics, even those run by Planned Parenthood, such as the one in Wilmington:
Pro-Life Grandma Violently Attacked During Botched Abortion
Incident at same Wilmington Planned Parenthood abortion clinic:
Published on Mar 14, 2013 on YouTube above.
63-yr old Catholic grandmother of 12 was violently attacked as she documented the 4th abortion injury at Planned Parenthood in Wilmington, DE on March 13, 2013. The abortionists at that Planned Parenthood need to be investigated. Note: Rae Stabosz gave permission for this video, her likeness, and name to be posted on YouTube.
Also:
Published on Mar 3, 2013 on YouTube above.
Feb. 16, 2013, Wilmington, DE: Planned Parenthood abortion patient suffered heavy, uncontrolled bleeding that required emergency intervention and hospitalization. Video taken by Rae Stabosz, 40 Days for Life, indicates transfusion may have been necessary. 911 obtained through FOIA with the assistance of Operation Rescue. This is the 2nd medical emergency at that PP abortion clinic in 10 days.
Also:
Unconscious Planned Parenthood Abortion Patient Bagged at Wilmington abortion clinic of PP:
Published on Mar 3, 2013 on YouTube above.
Unconscious Planned Parenthood abortion patient struggling to breathe, and required bagging. Caller says 2 abortionists and 3 nurses were on site. Even they could not properly help this woman and required emergency assistance and transport to the hospital ER. Planned Parenthood, Wilmington, Delaware, Feb. 8, 2013.
McLaren is sending the following teaser as his preliminary response to e-mails: (Quoted in full, bold type is ours for emphasis):
Dear friends …
Thanks so much for responding to my recent request for help. What follows is general information and requires no action now. I’ll be back in touch in a week or so with a more personal note and information about next steps.
Here’s the big idea.
For some time I (along with many others) have been seeing the need for some kind of small, non-competitive hub to serve – not control – the many networks that are spontaneously forming and developing in this general space we’ve all been opening but haven’t figured out how to name yet … Emergence Christianity, Convergence Christianity, a new kind of Christianity, Christianity for the rest of us, missional Christianity, progressive Christianity, generous orthodoxy, Red-Letter Christianity, Just Faith, etc.
I believe that for this conversation to develop and mature towards being a lasting and effective movement leading to concrete action for the common good, we now need some coordination, facilitation, and behind-the-scenes encouragement and support. I want to continue doing what I’m doing – writing and speaking and networking, and I don’t want to run anything. But I want to find some ways to help others use their gifts to help all of us move forward with more intentional synergy, shared positive identity, and joyful collaboration.
I’m envisioning two or three people working full time, along with a number of stipended part-time people spread around the country. Grace and I are making a large personal financial commitment to this project (basically, it will be our tithe of gross income for the next three years), and I’m hoping you will join in doing what you can too.
I don’t think we need one organization trying to bring everybody under their umbrella. I do think we need some people who aren’t trying to build anything on their own, but rather build alignment and synergy among the many good groups who are exploring the leading edges of what is emerging in and among us.
Here’s what I’m hoping we could make happen initially: a website, a preliminary face-to-face gathering, a “press office” (to provide media-trained spokespeople to represent the movement as it continues to grow), perhaps a speakers bureau (or network of speakers bureaus), and positive participation in a global network that is forming as well.
I’d also like to see us scout out a cadre of diverse younger leaders who would be the face of this movement. Established/older leaders (like me) would do all we could to support, mentor, encourage, and promote a new generation of emerging leaders – young women and men who demonstrate the racial and denominational diversity that we need to move forward.
Many of us have been talking about this for quite a while now, but I wanted to let you know that I’m ready to do what I can to help next steps to happen, and of course I hope you’ll be a central part of this.
One reason I believe we need to move ahead now is what’s happening in terms of a global movement. A number of grass-roots “emergence/convergence” movements in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe have found one another and come together under the name Mesa. They’ve announced a preliminary gathering in Bangkok, Thailand, October 24-30. I’m planning to go. (There’s more info on Mesa here:www.mesa-friends.org.)
I like Mesa’s emphasis on ethos, since we know we’re very diverse and flexible in terms of culture, theological frameworks, church forms and structures, etc. Mesa has no money, but it is rich in relationships with grass-roots networks that are part of this “emergence” around the world. I’m very impressed with the group, and grateful they’re moving forward in this way.
Mesa’s development globally has meant that we need to take some new steps here in the US. As you can imagine, it’s important for us not to dominate this global group, but to model humility and service and collaboration.
Nothing is set in stone, but I’ve been working with some others on a first draft of a document that describes a network hub for the US. (The document is included below.) Our placeholder name is “NewNet.” We’re considering the name CANA (something I’d love your feedback on – more information is in the document).
That’s what I’m working on, and what I’m asking you to help me get started.
Dr. Philip Clayton (http://www.claremontlincoln.org/academics/faculty/profile/philip-clayton/) of Claremont Lincoln University (http://www.claremontlincoln.org) has graciously agreed to help us get started by receiving tax-deductible donations. We’re getting the logistics worked out and will be able to receive your donation soon. When NewNet (or CANA initiative or ???) is up and running as a 501(c)3 entity, funds will be transferred there. Obviously, we’ll be sure that all funds are handled ethically. And just to reiterate – I’m giving funds to this cause, not receiving funds from it.
If you have additional questions or suggestions, please let me know at this email address.
Grateful for your partnership -
Brian
PS: Here’s the draft document. Feel free to share it with interested individuals who may want to help, but I ask that it not be posted anywhere publicly, since this is really just a starting point.
FIRST DRAFT (not for public distribution) “NewNet” (Potential Name: CANA Initiative)
NewNet is a collective of faith-engaged organizations, individuals, institutions and networks rooted in a generous Christian tradition, who seek to embody a new Christian ethos leading to constructive collective action in the United States.
NewNet seeks to create a healthy ecosystem for connection among existing and emerging individuals, organizations, and networks and will serve as an influential “network of networks”.
NewNet is comprised of Roman Catholic, Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, and other Christians who believe the future for Christian life and mission will be different in many ways from the past and present.
NewNet brings together innovative leaders from all streams of the faith to collaborate in the development of new ways of being Christian…new ways of doing theology and living biblically, new understandings and practices of mission, new kinds of faith communities, new approaches to worship and spiritual formation, new integrations and conversations and convergences and dreams.
NewNet participants share a sense of exploration, creativity, challenge and opportunity in this pivotal and dynamic moment.
Because we are rooted in a generous Christian heritage, we are eager to collaborate with people of other faiths, and those seeking the common good. Our networks of dialogue and action thus extend beyond Christian communities to persons of all faiths, as well as to communities that are not themselves faith-based. We welcome allies and allegiances wherever we find common cause.
NewNet seeks to translate critical thinking about the past and present into creative collective action for the future, and to do so in a spirit that is positive, irenic, sympathetic, and generous.
In this way, NewNet seeks to support and encourage what is often called Emergence Christianity. The word emergence means coming into view, arising from, occurring unexpectedly, requiring immediate action (hence its relation to emergency). It often involves crossing boundaries (as between water and air) and evolutionary processes. All these meanings resonate with the spirit and vision of NewNet.
We welcome people from a wide spectrum of theological, political, and ethnic traditions. We encourage a wide range of ecclesial structures. NewNet sees this diversity as a sign of health and vitality.
NewNet Convenes, Advocates, Networks and Acts (CANA)
Convene – Provide the context for people and organizations to more publicly identify with the movement and collaborate within the United States.
We aggregate and promote events and conversations for the the generation of friendship, shared thought, and collective action among organizations and leaders around the country.
We provide online resources – to connect related organizations, affiliates, allies, resources
We build and strengthen alliances between leaders, organizations, and networks who together build the movement
We provide a means by which “NewNet” can relate to parallel regional networks around the world.
Advocate - Speak on behalf of the movement to potential participants, the press, critics, and opponents.
We produce key documents – to identify values, ethical standards, questions for conversation, and proposals for action.
We develop a press office – to provide secular and religious media with trained, responsible spokespeople for this emerging Christian ethos.
We disseminate movement news and provide an edited news/commentary aggregator
We select and support a group of gifted, trained, committed, and diverse leaders to represent and advance the movement.
Speakers’ Bureau – to provide growing numbers of spokespeople for Emergence Christianity.
Network – Champion Ideas and help insure voices have what is needed to articulate bold and meaningful proposals for collective action
Create transparent communication and decision-making structures
Welcome and include new participants into the network
Assist fundraising for participants by telling the larger story and inviting financial participation
Help people find churches, organizations cohorts, staff, jobs, etc., to promote the larger goals of the movement.
Identify issues and opportunities of participation among NewNet participants
Act – Collectively collaborate more consciously and effectively in six areas that are essential to vital movements
Understand opportunities and challenges
Articulate our message
Engage in strategic collective action
Mobilize people and resources
Build movement culture
Enrich participant lives
Outcomes:
Encourage new, expanding, generative and meaningful expressions of Christian faith in North America
Create exposure for media and other practitioners to learn about and access the movement
Highlight more attractive public opinion of Christian faith, spirituality, and mission
Connect with and inspire new generation of leaders
Generate a collaborative environment for shared participation among leaders
Network with parallel networks globally
Create pathways for a new kind of interaction between faith traditions
Generate pathways for faith-based organizations to collaborate with non-faith focused endeavors
Support systems that generate new innovative initiatives – communities, churches, learning centers, media organizations, causes, etc
Assumptions:
We are moving from largely independent innovative entities to a more collaborative eco-system
We are not asking existing efforts to be part of our whole, but asking existing efforts to see what they are doing as contributing to a larger whole
We are in transition from a generative conversation to an ecumenical spiritual movement
We need a hub that is not seeking to compete or control, but coordinate and serve
If we maximize the larger system, we will maximize the sub-systems
More and more of us are ready for a collaborative rather than competitive philosophy of ministry
This is not about a polarized “right or left”, but about a polarized past, a convergent now, and a future full of collaborative possibilities.
Limits:
NewNet will not:
Provide funds, but will seek to link to others who do
Advocate particular expressions of faith, but will support a wide variety of expressions
Start new churches, but will encourage their development
We need a variety of people to bring NewNet into being:
Spokespersons – Shared Participation:
Give voice of NewNet within their networks
Give voice of their network within NewNet
Identify with NewNet in bio and social networks
Participate in National Gathering of NewNet
Movement Representatives – Additional Participation:
Participate in a strategic twice-a-month call/video chat
Meet in twice-a-year in face to face national working group meeting
Contribute to setting the direction and strategy of NewNet
Host “invitation/recruitment” meetings among their network
Funders:
NewNet will operate a lean and effective budget. We will support a small staff, provide stipends for Movement Representatives, underwrite meeting and travel costs, and develop and curate an interactive website. Toward that end, NewNet is based on a $200,000 a year budget. Funders can help us by making one-time initial contributions, providing monthly support, and introducing us to potential funders.
Proposals: (From the Mesa Friends Working Document: “Mesa Friends“ is a global conversation among emerging Christian Leaders in which NewNet will be a partner)
We seek to new engagement in the following areas, making demands upon ourselves and others:
1. The Bible: In light of how the Bible has been abused in the past and present, we know that we need a new way of describing what the Bible is, how it reached its current form, how we should interpret and teach it (especially to children and youth), etc. 2. The Church: A vision of integral mission and missional church prompts us to challenge the church to move beyond institutional maintenance towards forming Christ-like people who become a blessing to the larger community, and thus embody the message we proclaim. 3. The Poor: The growing gap between rich and poor calls for a multi-faceted partnerships that expresses compassion, seek justice, confront exploitation and marginalization, and create opportunity, especially in a global economy. 4. The Planet: The environmental crisis must evoke from us proposals that will benefit the birds of the air, the flowers of the field, and the ecosystems that maintain them, so that followers of Christ will pioneer a new lifestyle and help create the regenerative economy the planet needs. 5. Pluralism: To love our neighbors in today’s world means to learn to appreciate our neighbors’ diverse religions. We must propose new ways of encountering the other the provide alternatives to both combative fundamentalism on the one hand and loss of Christian identity on the other. 6. Peace: After two thousand years, it is time for the Christian faith to distinguish itself not just by advocating for war with less injustice, but by proclaiming an attainable ideal of peace, along with equipping Christians as practical peacemakers. 7. Equality: Women and men, minority and majority, alien and native-born, unbeliever and believer, gay and straight, occupied and occupier, one percent and ninety-nine percent - our world is torn by divisions that put some in a position of of privilege and power, and others in a position of disadvantage and danger. Sadly, our churches are often laggards, not leaders, in confronting prejudice and standing for the dignity and equality of all people. 8. Families, Women, and Children: Families face multiple challenges today, including greed-based economies that corrode humane values, exploitive entertainment industries that undermine human dignity, and patriarchal religious systems that reward a crude form of masculinity. We must challenge churches to propose and embody family life that can overcome these challenges. 9. Business/Economics: We must challenge business and economic leaders to create new forms of business that seek a triple bottom line – lasting social, environmental, and economic benefit, not just maximized short-term profit. In a world of rising population and increasing mechanization, we must also challenge business leaders to seek to maximize employment along with profit, and to discover new ways to reduce economic inequality by expanding opportunity. 10. Personal Dimensions: In what way must those who articulate demands like these make demands on themselves? How can those demands be sustainable and life-giving rather than burdensome and restrictive? And how can we model gracious collaboration in some areas when we maintain honest disagreement in other areas?
Mark 9: 38-40: "John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us." Jesus said, "Don't stop him! No one who works a miracle in my name can turn around and speak evil of me. Whoever isn't against us is for us."
The biblical response to the Pope's twisting of Scripture is to refute his false gospel with Scripture that applies to the Catholic "salvation by works". Below are some pertinent biblical quotes to answer the Pope, including any and all Catholics who may be deceived by this so-called "vicar of Christ", but who is thoroughly "anti-Christ". Ephesians 2:8-9-"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Ephesians 1:7-"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace"
Matthew 7:22-"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" Acts 4:12-"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Revelation 17:14-"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." 1 Peter 2:9-"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" Ephesians 1:4-"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" John 15:19-"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." John 15:16-"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." Galatians 3:13-"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" Galatians 4:5-"To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."
Mark 2:17-"When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Luke 24:47-"And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
Acts 20:21-"Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
2 Peter 3:9-"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Salvation is not in the Catholic Church but in and through Jesus Christ. This pope is like all the others. As a Jesuit priest, he has been well trained and practiced in the goals of the Inquisition, to reverse and eliminate all the gains of the Protestant Reformation. Protestants were once called heretics because they stood for biblical truth; now they are called "lost brethren" and are being seduced back to the Catholic church with sweet soft words of reconciliation and ecumenism. Beware!
Angry Atheists Display Intolerance of Christianity
by Ken Ham, AiG–U.S.
May 21, 2013
A recent video of an atheist chat session on the internet is a must watch for all Christians! Every pastor, Christian leader, homeschooler, teenager, Christian parent, and, in fact, all Christians need to see this video chat featuring a number of very intolerant atheists (and some are hateful and angry). In fact, watch it at your Bible study, youth group meeting, home group, home, and so on—you will hear for yourself some of the best practical illustrations of many passages of Scripture come to life, including Romans 1, 2 Peter 3, and many other passages of Scripture that refer to people who oppose Christians. This can be an excellent practical Bible study for you.
The atheist video is one of the best I’ve seen to illustrate atheists exhibiting the following traits:
Intolerance and arrogance
Hatred of biblical Christians
Hatred of the Bible
Ignorance
Wanting to control education and capture your kids’ hearts and minds
Extremism
Fighting against freedom of religion
Wanting to close down or limit biblical, Christian homeschooling
Seeking to control what private organizations teach
Desiring to control what you teach at home
Claim Christians are scientifically ignorant but are themselves scientifically inept
Sanctimoniously determining morality for themselves
Attempting to shape the culture according to their anti-God beliefs
This video session is also an excellent illustration of a generation of people in their thirties or thereabouts who have been brought up in a culture where the following had occurred:
Christianity had by and large already been removed from much of the public education system
Abortion was legal
Christian influence was already waning in the culture
Evolution on the whole was taught as fact in the public schools
Many churches had compromised with evolution
Most churches had not taught apologetics to defend the Christian faith against secularism, evolution, millions of years, etc.
This is the generation of those people who went to church but no longer attend, which is discussed in our book Already Gone. This book documents the mass exodus of young people from the church.
As you watch, you will notice that these atheists are very self-centered, arrogant, and self-righteous. In essence, they are acting as little gods (just as was recorded with the temptation in Genesis 3). They are so focused on themselves—and that what they believe is above question, and biblical Christians are totally wrong. Ironically they call their chat session “Home School Abuse by Creationists,” yet for all their concern about children, I understand they condone the killing of children by abortion.
In case you can’t set aside the two hours to watch this video (although we urge you to do so), we will include video excerpts in this article and also direct you to a 25-minute section of the video we suggest you should watch at the very least.
These atheists have discovered (the information can be found on the internet, just as with all our speaking engagements) that I will be speaking at a homeschool convention in Texas—the Texas Homeschool Coalition Convention, August 1–3.
Increasing Intolerance of Christianity
So these atheists have discovered that Ken Ham is speaking at a distinctively Christian homeschool convention, but they can’t allow that! These atheists found my upcoming appearance so shocking that they are now having meetings to decide what to do about it. It seems they are surprised to learn I of all people am speaking to parents and kids—and teaching the Bible and science—at a distinctivelyChristian conference. They act as if this is such an unbelievable situation. They appear to be saying, “How could this happen?” Of course, I’ve been a keynote speaker at dozens of homeschool conventions over the years, and apparently some atheists are just finding this out!
Actually, I believe this backlash is occurring during a time in American history that features a political climate that fosters increasing attacks on Christianity. Atheists have become much more aggressive against Christians, particularly this year. Consider controversies surrounding the IRS debacle in regard to some groups that are theologically conservative, the pushing of the homosexual agenda, etc. Anything that smacks of biblical morality or the Christian worldview is being aggressively attacked, even in the private arena (e.g., a small Christian school under assault in South Carolina).
Recently, an atheist helped to arrange it so that two atheist women would attend AiG’s Answers for Women conference undercover—and then write a scathing attack on AiG and the Creation Museum (not so surprising). Atheist blogs and YouTube videos are increasing in their attacks on AiG, on me personally, and on Christians in general.
Many atheists are so upset by the fact that I am speaking at this homeschool conference that they decided to hold a two-hour internet chat (that is now on YouTube). Apparently more meetings are being organized to deal with this “terrible problem” of Ken Ham speaking to parents and kids at a privately run homeschool conference in Texas.
Why Are These Atheists So Angry?
I have watched these two hours of intolerance, ignorance, sanctimony, and abuse by atheists, all in response to the fact they discovered I will be a keynote speaker at this homeschool convention. Here is my summary and paraphrase of the atheists’ arguments presented in the video:
What can we do to fight Ken Ham speaking at this homeschool convention? This shouldn’t be allowed. Ken Ham pushes biblical creation on kids and adults. We can’t have this. We need to protest. We will bus in atheists from other cities. We’ve already scouted out the best places to conduct the protest. We need to confront Ken Ham at the conference.
This situation is intolerable. How dare a Christian organization host Ken Ham? And look at this homeschool group—you can see what they are doing. Their three keynote speakers are Christians. They are obviously pushing Christianity at a homeschool convention. How dare they have Christian speakers at this convention? Who do they think they are?
Christian homeschooling parents are ignorant and illiterate. They can teach their religious junk at home, but when it comes to education, they can’t teach Ken Ham’s stuff to children—this can’t be allowed. We’ve got to stop this. We are angry—we are really angry.
To get a flavor of this two-hour video chat, I encourage you to at least watch the section from around 45 minutes to about the 1:10 mark. The utter intolerance that they display toward biblical Christians will probably shock you, but they really represent today’s increasingly secularized generation.
It’s probable that the featured atheists in this chat session are likely not using their real names. They call themselves Sister Lilandra, Sister Shayrah, Neeley Fluke, and Vic Wang. (Please see the note below to learn more about them, which will also help you understand why they are so antagonistic to biblical Christianity—and biblical creationists in particular.)
Revealing Their Ignorance and Intolerance
While these atheists call us scientifically illiterate, their ignorance of science is amazing to watch! For instance, Lilandra discusses each of the topics that I will give at the Texas conference, and in regard to my presentation on the origin of “races” and racism, she states the following:
[Ken Ham is] so averse to evolution that he thinks that there are no biological races, because any kind variation is anathema to him, because he would have to admit that species change over time. . . He says there is only one race but there’s two spiritual races.
Actually, the human genome project confirmed there is only one race. All the quotes I use in my talks to present the case that there is only one race of humans come from secular sources! This atheist woman doesn’t seem to understand that humans are classified as one species. And for the first 30 minutes of my anti-racism talk, I discuss the mechanism for speciation and the changes we see in animals in regard to genetic variability. She is frankly ignorant and confused, yet while she calls us scientifically incorrect, it’s her claims that are the scientifically illiterate ones!
I must say, the most humorous part of the video was when Lilandra made the following statement:
I grew up not knowing my own biological origins and I could have died and never known the truth about it. . .I think that’s ridiculous because you’re an ape, you’re an animal, and to deny that is ridiculous. You’re still one anyways. And this is why this angers me, because they’re raising people to beget more ignorance. Some people think that they’ll find out the truth eventually, but if that’s the case, why are there so many politicians who fight for creationism in the classroom? And why do so many Christians take their children to see Ken Ham?
Think about it! She is saying that she could have died not knowing she was an evolved animal—an ape! I find it so sad that an atheist, who believes she’ll cease to exist one day, would be depressed at the prospect of dying not knowing she was an evolved animal.
Share This Article with Homeschoolers and Christians Everywhere
I urge homeschoolers in Texas to spread this article throughout the homeschool movement in their state. In fact, I ask homeschoolers across America to distribute this article far and wide. Everyone needs to experience this video chat for themselves to get an understanding of the increasing intolerance and aggressiveness of many atheists against biblical Christianity.
We urge all Christians in Texas, not just homeschoolers, to attend this homeschool conference in the Houston area. And let’s get churches in Texas aware of this intolerance by atheists and publically get out the word, including alerting the Christian media. Pastors should speak out about the increasing intolerance of atheists to their congregations. In fact, these video excerpts should be used by pastors across this nation to warn their flocks about the growing intolerance being directed at Christians and then equip their people to stand against these secular attacks.
We have reached a point in America where a minority view like atheism is shaping how decisions are made in the culture, and America continues to move farther to the secular end of the spectrum. The minority is essentially dictating for the majority.
So, let’s use this video chat by atheists as a tool to offer some practical teaching about those people who oppose the Bible’s messages.
For more information on the Houston, Texas homeschool convention, go to this web page.
To watch the two-hour video chat (or to view my suggested 25-minute section beginning at the 45-minute mark), go to this YouTube video.
The Atheist Chat Participants
The Dallas, Texas, group that sponsored this video chat is called “The Nones.” They present what they state is “a secular podcast of women, by women, and for women!”
Three of the participants in this chat are in an internet talk show called the “Secular View,” which they describe as “an interweb talk show hosted by five atheist women discussing everything from sex and relationships to gaming and Doctor Who.” They also state, "The five amazing sex positive women of Secular View naturally discuss reproductive rights or keeping a separation between church and state.”
The Two Hosts
1. Sister Shayrah (i.e., Shayrah Akers) claims to have become an atheist in 2004 and was a former Christian blogger.
Her bio from a Secular Students website states, “She is also a pansexual, genderqueer LGBT and atheist activist, and the proud parent of a godless child.” She apparently lives in Dallas, Texas.
2. Sister Lilandra (also known as Lilandra Nelson) teaches primary and secondary education in Garland, Texas. The bio on her husband’s blog states, “She also contributes regularly on the topic of education to a major metropolitan southern newspaper that leans a bit to the right. This forum has allowed her to expand her sphere of influence ever so slightly into the realm of people who would not otherwise be exposed to progressive viewpoints.”
Lilandra’s husband is known on the internet as Aron Ra, a “YouTube atheist.” He has produced YouTube videos (“Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism” and “Falsifying Phylogeny”) that critique creationists. Aron Ra has been interviewed by creationists like Eric Hovind and had a radio “debate” with evangelist Ray Comfort last September.
Guests
1. Neeley Fluke (also known as Neeley Rebel Fluke and Neeley D. Whyte) is a secular homeschooling parent who lives in Los Angeles, California. She is a member of a California atheist group.
2. Vic Wang lives in the Houston, Texas area. He is a member of the Houston Super Secret Science Club, Greater Houston Skeptic Society, Humanists of Houston (vice president), Houston Atheists Association (co-organizer), and Houston Oasis (vice president). The Houston Oasis is basically a church for atheists that meets Sunday morning and was started by a pastor who declared himself an atheist in 2012.