Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[Christian Post]

After months of revived debate over divorce and its increasing acceptance among Americans, a new study affirmed born again Christians are just as likely as the average American couple to divorce.

The Barna Group found in its latest study that born again Christians who are not evangelical were indistinguishable from the national average on the matter of divorce with 33 percent having married and divorced at least once. Among all born again Christians, which includes evangelicals, the divorce figure is 32 percent, which is statistically identical to the 33 percent figure among non-born again adults, the research group noted.

“There no longer seems to be much of a stigma attached to divorce; it is now seen as an unavoidable rite of passage,” George Barna, who directed the study, stated in the study, which was released Monday.

Read about it here. 

[From me]

What can you say?  Sad.  You would think that people would take their marriages more seriously because of their faith.  Love isn’t a feeling–it is an action.

What do you think? 

[Telegraph]

People who believe in God are happier than agnostics or atheists, researchers claimed yesterday. A report found that religious people were better able to cope with disappointments such as unemployment or divorce than non-believers. Moreover, they become even happier the more they pray and go to church, claims the study by Prof Andrew Clark and Dr Orsolya Lelkes.

Read about it here.

[From me]

Well I have nothing to go on but my own experience.  I wouldn’t say I’m happy all of the time.  But I have joy every day.  I’m not happy when something bad happens but I’ve learned to praise God in everything.  So, I know I have more Joy than many other people I’m around.

I’m curious to know what my atheist, agnostic and believing friends think!

What do you think?

[ABC News]

University of Oxford researchers will spend nearly $4 million to study why mankind embraces God.

The grant to the Ian Ramsey Center for Science and Religion will bring anthropologists, theologians, philosophers and other academics together for three years to study whether belief in a divine being is a basic part of mankind’s makeup.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I’ll save them 4 Million. I believe in God because I have a relationship with Him. I’ve seen God heal family members. I’ve seen Him provide for my needs and my family many times that just can’t be explained. I believe in God because He lives in me and when I’m obedient He lives through me. I’ve experienced God’s power in amazing ways in the last few months. I’ve seen Him consistently prove He is real. I believe in God because He is real and He lives in me.

Of course, they could just give me $30K and I’d be set for the year.

Why do you believe or not believe in God?

[M & C]

The latest Gallup poll and reporter Frank Newport recently analyzed the current percentage of Americans today identify with a Christian religion. About 82% of Americans in 2007 told Gallup interviewers that they identified with a Christian religion.

Read about it here.

[From me]

First, I don’t believe there are that many Christians.  Just because some says they are doesn’t mean they follow Jesus.  But if this is true, why do the laws seem to be changing to favor those who aren’t Christians?

What do you think?

[These are my thoughts and not those of Campus Crusade or my parents]

 Here are the facts about religion and chaplains in the military:

1. In the military, there are Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish, Islamic  etc chaplains.
2. Each chaplain is free to share his faith beliefs all he wants within the military guidelines given him. They are not muzzled.
3. Each chaplain is responsible for providing for the spiritual needs of all the soldiers under him or her. Therefore they provide and announce:

• On Sundays, on many bases, there are different services available for Roman Catholic and Islamic and for any chaplain who chose to provide his.
• Buses pick up some to go off post to Synagogues, Mormon temples, Greek Orthodox etc.
• Even Wiccans can meet as a group as long as the meeting is open to anyone.
• No one is compelled to attend any meeting but can attend any if they choose.

4. Any chaplain can use volunteers to teach classes on Sunday morning as long as that volunteer teaches under his or her supervision.

• Chaplains can recruit their volunteers from the community.

5. All belief groups want to share their beliefs to the world. In the America, they are free to do this as long as they do it by the rules.

For some reason those who are not followers of Jesus have problems with Christian groups ministering to the military.  Here is what I want to know:

• I want to know if there are Pagan, Wiccan,  Buddhists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jewish and other groups who send missionaries to the military who raise their own financial support?
• Are their atheist groups who raise their own financial support to assist the military in their emotional and educational needs?
• Show me where the Military Ministry of Campus Crusade has violated the Constitution?   The Separation of Church and State was to protect the Church from the State not the other way around.
• What harm is being done to our military?
• Do those who have a beef really care about the military personnel or are they trying to make a political statement?

These are questions I want answered.  I’m tired of being called a “right-winged bigot” and a “fundamentalist” and every form of profanity in the book.  Personally I’m ready for the US to leave Iraq but I support or military and our leaders.  I’m a follower of Jesus who wants to fulfill the calling God has given me.  I follow the laws and I’m tolerant of other’s beliefs.  It’s time the “other” beliefs showed a little tolerance of Christ followers too.

What do you think?