Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[Time]

Interfaith dialogue has become an important exercise in finding the right words to overcome both extreme violence and ordinary misunderstanding. True progress, however, is best measured in deeds. The inauguration last week of Qatar’s first Christian church — a small Catholic chapel bearing neither bells nor visible crosses — has been hailed as a welcome step forward in relations between Catholicism and Islam. But an even more dramatic development is under discussion just across the border: The Vatican has confirmed that it is negotiating for permission to build the first church in Saudi Arabia.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I wonder if this means evangelical churches can go in there legally?

What do you think?

[From me]

[Pilot Online]

Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson, who has made predicting the future an annual tradition, predicts a recession and a major stock market upheaval are on their way for the United States. Aside from a recession this year, Robertson suggested Wednesday that Americans will be paying much more for gas at the pump as the price of a barrel of oil rises by 50 percent in the coming months.

Specifically, he said oil would reach $150 a barrel - the price hit $100 on Wednesday - with the dollar continuing to lose value in 2008.

“I also believe the Lord was saying by 2009, maybe 2010, there’s going to be a major stock market crash,” said Robertson, who is a millionaire businessman as well as an evangelical leader.

Read about it here.

[From me]

How is Pat any better than Jean Dixon and the kooks who claim to be psychics?   Can we believe him anymore than Madam Joan or the psychic hotline?

What do you think?

[Christian Post]

So what really makes someone between the ages of 13 and 24 happy? It’s not what most parents or even MTV might think. According to an extensive survey, spending time with family makes the young cohort happiest. Next was spending time with friends and then a significant other.

While parents worry over a sexualized culture, sex was one of the least mentioned things that make America’s young people most happy. Being sexually active actually leads to less happiness among 13-17 year olds, according to the survey. For those 18 to 24, sex might lead to more happiness in the moment, but not in general.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I didn’t need a poll to tell me this. Isn’t it interesting how the Bible addresses the real issues that make people happy?

What do you think?

[From Send to Press.com]

The world’s first spiritual perfume - Virtue(R) - was premiered this week by IBI, a niche fragrance company in Orange, CA. Based upon an inspired Biblical formula, the perfume is designed to be a reminder of God, Christ, spiritual self and soul.

“We turned to the Bible to seek inspiration about which items to include and became convinced that a formulation would reveal itself,” explains Rick Larimore, IBI’s chief executive officer. “Creating Virtue(R) has been an adventurous journey through fragrance and scripture, with remarkable miracles confirming our choices.”

It is available in a 1.7-fluid ounce French bottle and over cap, with 24-kt gold raised lettering on the bottle and embossed gold foil lettering on the box, pamphlet enclosed. Virtue(R) retails for $80 and is available only via the Internet at www.virtueperfume.com.

Read about it here.

[From me]

Is the formula taken from the manger scene?

[From Christian Post]

Over the past decade, the unchurched population has remained stable at one third of the American population, the latest Barna Group survey showed.

The Barna study found that 33 percent of adults are classified as unchurched – people who have not attended a religious service of any type during the past six months. The statistic has remained relatively the same since 1994 when 36 percent were reported to be unchurched.

Still, the unchurched population in numbers is staggering. An estimated 73 million adults are presently unchurched. The number nears 100 million when teens and children are added to the population segment. That also includes an estimated 13 to 15 million born-again adults and children. On its own, the unchurched population of the United States would be the eleventh most-populated nation on earth, the Barna Group noted.

Among Christians, only 1 percent of evangelical Christians, 16 percent of non-evangelical born-again Christians, and 32 percent of self-claimed Christians who are not born again were found to be unchurched.

Read about it here.

[From me]

Obviously we have a lot of work to do. What I found it strange that anyone who considers themselves a Christian would not go to church. I can’t imagine not having the hope that Christ offers.

What do you think?