ANOTHER PUSH FOR A MARRIAGE AMENDMENT

A new petition from religious leaders calls for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. This time, the Catholics are on board:

About 50 prominent religious leaders, including seven Roman Catholic cardinals and about a half-dozen archbishops, have signed a petition in support of a constitutional amendment blocking same-sex marriage.

Organizers of the petition said it was in part an effort to revive the groundswell of opposition to same-sex marriage that helped bring many conservative voters to the polls in some pivotal states in 2004. The signers include many influential evangelical Protestants, a few rabbis and an official of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But both the organizers and gay rights groups said what was striking about the petition was the direct involvement by high-ranking Roman Catholic officials, including 16 bishops. Although the church has long opposed same-sex unions, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops had previously endorsed the idea of a constitutional amendment banning such unions, it was evangelical Protestants who generally led the charge when the amendment was debated in 2004.

"The personal involvement of bishops and cardinals is significantly greater this time than in 2004," said Patrick Korten, a spokesman for the Knights of Columbus, a lay Catholic group.

The Catholic bishops and many of the other religious leaders involved have pledged to distribute postcards for their congregants to send to their senators urging support for the amendment. The Knights of Columbus is distributing 10 million postcards to Catholic churches.

I'm generally against the constitutional amendment crazes that blow through from time to time (remember flag burning?), but a simple statement defining marriage would be an appropriate step while leaving the implementation to states. I confess that I still have problems with the desire to nationalize every issue.

For some reason I was not contacted about being an initial signee of the petition. Hmmm, I was out of town, maybe they just weren't able to reach me...

HOMOSEXUALS SUE OVER PHARMACY MONEY
Upset Kentucky Funds New College

A homosexual rights group has sued over funding given to the University of the Cumberlands, which recently suspended a homosexual student for violating stated school policy at the private Baptist college:

Christina Gilgor asked the court to prevent the state from giving public money to the University of the Cumberlands for a new pharmacy school. Gilgor is executive director of the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, which promotes gay rights.

She said the funding is an "unconstitutional appropriation and use of public funds" for "a sectarian and denominational school that treats Kentucky citizens unequally."

Senate President David Williams, a Burkesville Republican who has been pushing funding for the pharmacy school in his district, said the legal relief Gilgor is seeking is "too broad and simply is seeking protective status for gays and lesbians."

Governor Ernie Fletcher, who signed the bill, is also seeking constitutional clarification.

CHURCHES & POLITICS

It's an issue that pops up with some regularity, and so here it is once again. Two Ohio churches are under fire for being too political. The charges are being brought by other clergy:

In a challenge to the ethics of conservative Ohio religious leaders and the fairness of the Internal Revenue Service, a group of 56 clergy members contends that two churches have gone too far in supporting a Republican candidate for governor.

Two complaints filed with the tax agency say that the large Columbus area churches, active in President Bush's narrow Ohio win in 2004, violated their tax-exempt status by pushing the candidacy of J. Kenneth Blackwell, who is the secretary of state and the favored candidate of Ohio's religious right.

The clergy members said the churches improperly held political activities and allowed Republican organizations to use their facilities.

The goal of the challenge is "for these churches to stop acting like electioneering organizations," said the Rev. Eric Williams, pastor of North Congregational United Church of Christ. "I don't want to harm or demonize these churches. I want these churches to act legally."

Of course, it's not quite as simple as it might seem. One wonders when this disinterested group of clergy will file complaints against predominantly black churches who support Democratic candidates, and have done so openly for years. Williams and his cronies themselves are being political; they're primarily upset that the two Ohio churches in question supported Republicans rather than candidates of their choice.

The churches in question counter that free speech ought to exist for them, too:

In Ohio, a perennial battleground that is again coveted territory in this year's midterm elections, the targets of the tax complaint -- World Harvest Church and Fairfield Christian Church -- attribute the filing to philosophical disagreements and partisan politics. One spokesman called it "a campaign of harassment" before the May 2 primary.

"Spiritual warfare," the Rev. Russell Johnson, Fairfield's pastor and chairman of the Ohio Restoration Project, said at a recent news conference. "There's still freedom of speech in this country and it should apply to Christians, as well. People need to get out of their pews, out from behind stained-glass windows, and shine a light for what is good and right."

Well, there is a great deal of truth to that, certainly. When we start letting the government decide what churches can say and what they cannot we are opening a very dangerous door. Canada has already stepped through it, limiting religious speech that is deemed discriminatory.

But when I read things like this I'm just uncomfortable:

Among the project's objectives is to recruit "Patriot Pastors" to become politically active in their counties and their congressional districts, according to the organization's Web site. Each should be ready to register voters "able to shine a light for Godly candidates in the 2006 election cycle."

Churches and preachers have to be very careful they don't simply become partisan political tools. Two problems exist with such a move. One is a loss of independence. You become beholden to an organized political body. There is also the very great problem of a loss of focus on the kingdom of God in favor of the kingdoms of men. Transitory political victories are alluring, but they cannot take away from the real work of expanding the borders of His kingdom, a victory that will last.

The notion that Christians should not participate in the political process is itself a dangerous form of discrimination, however. I once spoke to a fellow who told me that no preacher should be allowed to hold political office. This was during the days of Pat Robertson's run for the Presidency. That's something that sounds nice in some ways, and coforms to the public myth of 'separation of church and state'. But what about someone who attends church regularly and perhaps teaches Bible class? Maybe he even fills in for the preacher on occasion. Should he be banned? Such is a slippery slope the intent of which is to dismiss the seriously religious from the public square.

When we balance 'Patriot Pastors' against an intrusive government determining what churches are allowed to say, I will give the nod to the PPs. Once the government starts nosing and regulating they know no end.

'DA VINCI' FANTASY LAND

Knight-Ridder is pushing a piece on the Da Vinci Code-Judas Gospel soon to be destruction of Christianity as we know it. At least they hope so:

Perhaps one day, Sunday school students will learn that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, seminaries will teach alternative gospels as the true Christian canon and Bible colleges will emphasize Christ’s human attributes over his divinity.

It hasn’t happened yet. But theologians and pastors worry that if Dan Brown’s bestselling theological thriller, "The Da Vinci Code," keeps flying off the shelves, it could potentially rewrite the popular understanding of Christian history....

Some Christians grappling with newfound Gnostic material may long for the days when Judas was seen as a betrayer, Mary Magdalene was seen a prostitute and Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were seen as the only Gospel writers.

Ah, if only to recover those halcyon days of ignorant simplicity.

Despite the best efforts of a 21st Century boilerplate suspense writer (or his counterparts in the press), Christianity somehow will plug along. Yes, defenses must be--and should be--made against popular misconceptions. But no one really interested in anything approaching truth is going to be led astray for long by a beach novel.

CREATIVE USES FOR YOUR BIBLE 101

A Cairo, Georgia woman tried a new use for her Bible:

Grady County investigators say Marie Boatwright took a Bible to her husband Richard at the grady County Jail and jailers found methamphetamine hidden in the spine of the book.

Perhaps she got the idea while reading Revelation 10:9.

PREACHING THIS MORNING...on 'Blessed Are the Meek', continuing my series on the Beatitudes. Appearances by Pinky & the Brain, Hitler and Rudolf Stier, and, of course, Jesus Christ. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

IT LOOKS LIKE I PICKED THE RIGHT THING(S)...

Your Scholastic Strength Is Deep Thinking

You aren't afraid to delve head first into a difficult subject, with mastery as your goal. You are talented at adapting, motivating others, managing resources, and analyzing risk. You should major in: Philosophy Music Theology Art History Foreign language

What Should You Major In?

With two degrees in history and preaching for going on nine years, that seems about right, I guess.

[Thanks to The (All New) Pulpiteer Adventures]

'NEW' GOSPELS DON'T MEASURE UP

Doug Mendenhall wonders if the Gospel of Judas will rock Christianity to the core:

With the National Geographic Society's unveiling of "The Gospel of Judas," a raggedy papyrus book puts a different spin on the traditional stories of Jesus. Many people - including the Geographic - are asking dramatic questions about whether this could destroy Christianity as we know it.

The answer, of course, is no.

(By the way, that's the same answer to the question people keep asking me about whether Dan Brown's "DaVinci Code" could rewrite Christian history. C'mon, people, it's just a novel.)

Just so. And he's got a nice survey of some telling quotes about the other 'new' gospels, too. And people ask why these didn't make into the canon?

THE PRAYER POLICE

The ACLU continues its jack-booted reign of intimidation as it seeks to stop public prayers in the name of Jesus:

As Bunkey Morgan cleared his throat and prepared to deliver the invocation at Monday's County Commissioners meeting, he looked a bit uncertain.

Just two days earlier he had received notice from the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina that the prayers he delivers before each county meeting are possibly offensive and could be alienating those who attend.

At issue is not the prayer itself, but rather the use of the name "Jesus Christ" as part of the blessing.

A statement sent by the ACLU requests that the board discontinue its use of "sectarian invocations at Chatham County Commissioners meetings," and cites multiple cases in which municipal governments have changed the wording of their prayers in deference to religious diversity.

But Morgan and the commissioners (sounds like a late '50s singing group) aren't backing down:

Nonetheless, the first words of Morgan's prayer began, "In the Bible, Jesus taught us in prayer," before he delivered the words of The Lord's Prayer to the handful of people in attendance.

Earlier, during a discussion about the ACLU request, the commissioners indicated they were hesitant to change the tradition of invoking Christ's name.

"For the majority of us [the request by the ACLU] just makes us mad," Commissioner Patrick Barnes said, curling his hands into fists. "You can have prayer; you can mention God or Lord but not Jesus Christ. The idea of abandoning it irritates me."

Other commissioners chimed in with similar objections to changing the invocation. All five board members identified themselves as Christians and puzzled as to why a simple prayer could be found objectionable.

"I bet 99 percent of people would be in favor of our prayer," Commissioner Carl Outz said. "We can't keep bendin' over to all these rules put out by individuals that are less than 1 percent of the population."

A hearty 'Amen' to that. As long as the ACLU thinks it can bully people into silence it will do so. The first step in exercising religious freedom (wasn't religious freedom at one time considered a 'civil liberty'?) is actually to exercise it. The one thing the ACLU fears the most is simply to be ignored.

UH, SORRY

US forces in Iraq are offering an apology for the wholesale destruction of one of the world's most important archaeological sites, ancient Babylon:

In an act of at least partial contrition, an officer in charge of the US military occupation of Babylon in 2003 and 2004 has offered to make a formal apology for the destruction his troops wrought on the ancient site.

Colonel John Coleman, former chief of staff for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq, said yesterday that if the head of the Iraqi antiquities board wanted an apology, "if it makes him feel good, we can certainly give him one".

For more than a millennium, Babylon was one of the great cities of antiquity. It reached its greatest glory in the early 6th century BC, as the capital of Nebuchadnezzar II, builder of the celebrated Hanging Gardens.

Babylon declined and fell into ruin after it was conquered by the Persians under Cyrus the Great in around 538BC. But no devastation seems to have matched that inflicted by US troops and their Polish allies after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Saddam himself had not helped. He had much of the ancient site rebuilt and developed as a tourist site as part of efforts to portray himself as Nebuchadnezzar's modern successor and turn Mesopotamia once more into a regional superpower. He built a contemporary ziggurat-shaped palace nearby and carved out an underground car park among archeological deposits.

But after entering Babylon in April 2003, coalition forces turned the site into a base camp, flattening and compressing tracts of ruins as they built a helicopter pad and fuel stations. The soldiers filled sandbags with archeological fragments and dug trenches through unexcavated areas, while tanks crushed slabs of original 2,600-year-old paving.

You like to see such heartfelt apologies. Yet that's not all:

But Babylon is not the only point of archaeological controversy in a country with an estimated 10,000 sites. In a separate complaint, the Iraqi Ministry for Tourism and Antiquities has demanded that US troops pull out of the city of Kish, which dates back 5,000 years, accusing American forces of damaging the precious archaeological site.

It accused the soldiers of preventing anyone from entering the city to assess damage. There has been no comment from the US military.

Well, at least we know Osama isn't in the ruins of Babylon.

[Link via Drudge]

WAPO: MORE BELIEVING IN THE RESURRECTION

The central fundamental fact of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus. If He did not raise none of the rest of it matters. The Sermon on the Mount is useless, even the cross has no point. If Jesus is not raised, Paul tells us, we are of all men most to be pitied. This central fact, the Washington Post finds, is gaining traction in an age of skepticism:

The Easter story is the centerpiece of Christians' faith. For most, the miracle of Jesus overcoming death three days after the Crucifixion -- whether in body or spirit -- is not open to debate. Others do not view the Resurrection in a literal way but as a powerful, transformative metaphor about his message living on.

In the past two decades, there has been a heightened scrutiny of Scripture, with basic Christian tenets such as the Resurrection challenged by biblical scholars and others in their search for historical facts about Jesus. But in recent years, there has been a rise in the popularity and stature of books that embrace [Donita] Dickerson's traditional view of Easter, experts say....

"There seems to be in the past decade a move to embrace the traditional faith of the church, not really in a retrograde way, but in a 'let's take another look at what modernity may have too readily dismissed' sort of way," said Cynthia Lindner, director of ministry studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Good news, very literally.

PREACHING THIS WEEK...my 'I AM' series from the Gospel of John. I'm preaching this week in Kentucky without the benefit of Powerpoint. It's good to keep in practice on that.

Being away from my office and being restricted to dial-up likely will mean restricted posting this week.

'HONEST' ABE: SAVIOR?

My graduate professor commented to us as to why Abraham Lincoln was called 'Honest' Abe: 'For the same reason you call a tall man 'Shorty.' That's not the national myth, of course, a myth perpetuated this Easter season in Richard Wightman Fox's column 'The President Who Died for Us':

by April 1865 the majority of Northerners and Southern blacks took him as no ordinary person. He had been offering his body and soul all through the war and his final sacrifice, providentially appointed for Good Friday, showed that God had surely marked him for sacred service.

At a mass assembly in Manhattan five hours after Lincoln's death, James A. Garfield — the Ohio congressman who would become the second assassinated president 16 years later — voiced the common hesitancy, then went on to claim the analogy: "It may be almost impious to say it, but it does seem that Lincoln's death parallels that of the Son of God."

Jesus had saved humanity, or at least some portion of it, from eternal damnation. Lincoln had saved the nation from the civic equivalent of damnation: the dissolution that had always bedeviled republics. "Jesus Christ died for the world," said the Rev. C. B. Crane in Hartford. "Abraham Lincoln died for his country."

Garfield should have known better, of course. And Fox is aware of the political calculation involved in the instant hagiography of Lincoln, as well as the rather dubious religious convictions of the President. But even Fox falls victim to the myth:

Seven score and one years have passed since Good Friday 1865, and Lincoln has always remained his own man. In his final years, he had set his own course by balancing a pressing sense of the rule of Providence with a persistent belief in the power of reason. Still, he can — and should — stand as historic demonstration that a republican hero's sacrifice for the people comes very close to Christ's ideals of self-denial and self-giving.

I think I prefer to have my Savior a little more sinless.

[For a clearer understanding of Lincoln read M.E. Bradford's fine writings on the subject. And thanks again to theosebes reader SB for the link.]

THEOSEBES: 50K

At 5:51:22 PM EDT the 50,000th visitor stopped by this humble little weblog. Yes, it's taken us awhile to get here, but as I tell people, theosebes is a boutique blog (that means you're in the know). Actually, the theosebes readership has taken a big jump here lately, which I'm quite pleased with.

So thank you person in Loudon, Tennessee who is still using Windows 98. Come back again. And that goes for the rest of you, too.

THE MESS BEHIND 'JUDAS'

The full story behind the Gospel of Judas has caused some to raise questions:

The art dealer was detained several years ago in an unrelated Italian antiquities smuggling investigation. And after she failed to profit from the sale of the gospel in the private market, she struck a deal with a foundation run by her lawyer that would let her make about as much as she would have made on that sale, or more.

Later, the National Geographic Society paid the foundation to restore the manuscript and bought the rights to the text and the story about the discovery. As part of her arrangement with the foundation, the dealer, Frieda Tchacos Nussberger, stands to gain $1 million to $2 million from those National Geographic projects, her lawyer said. There may even be more.

Details of how the manuscript was found are clouded. According to National Geographic, it was found by farmers in an Egyptian cave in the 1970's, sold to a dealer and passed through various hands in Europe and the United States. Legal issues in its transit are equally vague.

No one questions the authenticity of the Judas gospel, which depicts Judas Iscariot not as a betrayer of Jesus but as his favored disciple.

But the emerging details are raising concerns among some archaeologists and other scholars at a time of growing scrutiny of the dealers who sell antiquities and of the museums and collectors who buy them. The information also calls into question the completeness of National Geographic's depiction of some individuals like Ms. Tchacos Nussberger and its disclosure of all the financial relationships involved....

"We are dealing with a looted object," said Jane C. Waldbaum, president of the Archaeological Institute of America, a professional society. "The artifact was poorly handled for years because the people holding it were more concerned with making money than protecting it."

Money was involved? I'm shocked--shocked, I say!

ALL'S NOT WELL IN THE CUMBERLANDS

Although I do support the right of the University of the Cumberlands (aka Cumberland College) to expel a student practicing homosexuality, it appears they've been having some trouble with heavy handidness lately. This censure doesn't paint a pretty picture.

[Thanks to theosebes reader SB for the link.]

HOMOSEXUAL STUDENT KICKED OUT OF BAPTIST UNIVERSITY

Back in the day it was just Cumberland College (hey, I competed in math competitions there in high school), but now it's the University of the Cumberlands. They were and are a private Southern Baptist college in Kentucky. As such, they have expelled a student for practicing homosexuality:

Jason Johnson, a sophomore majoring in theater arts, was expelled from the university Thursday because he declared online that he is gay. In a statement released last week, the university's president, Jim Taylor said students are held to a "higher standard" and that "students know the rules before they come to this institution."

But a copy of the student handbook provided by the university confirmed the policy was not spelled out in 2003-04, when Johnson chose to attend. The school did not provide a copy of the policy for the 2004-05 school year. The 2005-06 student handbook says: "Any student who engages in or promotes sexual behavior not consistent with Christian principles (including sex outside marriage and homosexuality) may be suspended or asked to withdraw."

School officials said that although the 2003-04 policy did not explicitly mention homosexuality, it did say that students must "conduct themselves, on and off the campus, in a manner which is consistent with the objectives of the College and with its standards of conduct."

Reading the article I will concede that the university acted somewhat heavy handidly in expelling him from classes with only a few weeks to go in the term. It seems as though a compromise of removing him from the dorm and forcing a transfer after the end of the semester would have been a bit less harsh.

That said, 1) can you say private and Baptist? This policy could not come as a surprise. And, 2) can you say stupid for posting this stuff on myspace?

It's interesting that all the 'privacy' advocates have little respect for the decisions made by a private institution. No one forced him to go to a private, conservative Southern Baptist college in what is essentially rural Kentucky. Yes, the college handled it poorly, but they're the ones who get to set the rules here.

BEING SERIOUS ABOUT UNITY

There is a move underway on the left wing of (particularly institutional) churches of Christ to bring about 'unity' with Independent Christian Churches. Now, unity is a good thing, I think we will agree. And, of course, churches of Christ and Independent Christian Churches have common historical roots. This is the centennial of the recognition of the two religious groups being separate, a date that is itself somewhat relative as it was simply the year the US religious census first declared there were two separate groups. It was then simply a recognition of the existing fact of different practices. The wedge issue between the two has been the use of instrumental music in public worship, churches of Christ maintaining the practice of a capella singing only. Now while this has been the most visible issue of separate practice, the real root of these divisions, as historian Dr. David E. Harrell has often noted, is more findamental. Those who practice so differently do so because they approach the Bible differently. The wedge issue simply is a way that manifests itself, but you find also different attitudes and approaches from the two different groups.

Those who currently are pushing for unity between the groups are doing so with the attitude that this unity would be a good in and of itself, a good that trumps any other good. But Drew Kizer makes an excellent point about the Price of Unity:

Whenever reconciliation takes place between two parties, one or both of the parties have to make concessions, which, in effect, are statements that condemn one's own history and practices. This is why [Jeff] Walling is "ashamed" and [Mike] Cope is "sorry." Their capitulation communicates penitence to the other side.

Don't hold your breath waiting on the Christian Churches to make any concessions. They're not changing. They're comfortable right where they are.

He's exactly right, of course. The assumption on the part of those pushing for this unity is that 'conservative' principles have caused it, thus we should repent of these needless restrictions and bring out the guitars. There is no request that the Christian Churches drop the innovation of the instrument out of respect for the conscience of those who do not use it. There is no expectation that the Christian Churches come to 'us' in tears regretting their importation of the practice.

The cost of this kind of unity is principle. Men of no principle can be unitied on everything because nothing matters. I recognize that is an extreme, but the message in this instance is 'this principle does not matter to us' so everyone should drop it and be unified. This, of course, is not about the instrument qua instrument, but rather about a shift in attitudes as discussed above. In fact, I think some in Independent Christian Churches might find that the Wallings, Atchleys and Copes have moved further to the left in their approach than they themselves are willing to go.

The calls to give up practices that lead to division sounds wonderful, but they ignore clear Biblical principle. If someone feels conscience bound by Scripture not to use instruments of music in public worship then it would be a sin for that individual to do so, whether the practice itself is wrong or not. Paul makes this clear in his discussion of conscience issues in Romans 14:23:

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats [meat, nac], because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.(NASB)

There is also a misunderstanding of the very issue of unity. On what level will these churches become unified? Churches of Christ truly are independent, not just calling themselves Independent then having a convention anyway. There is no organization or controlling body above the local congregation. That is where unity resides. I join in joint practice with fellow Christians with whom I can worship in good conscience. Are there differences of understanding and personal practice in local congregations? Certainly there are. This is expected, as we read in Romans 14 and also Ephesians 4. The work of the local congregation to move people from possessing the unity of the Spirit (4:3) only to attaining the unity of the faith (4:13).

This is a perpetual process, only possible on the local level. It strives for an ideal, but it can only be done as long as the joint practice conforms to the individual consciences of the members. I might disagree with someone in the congregation on the issue of the use of instrumental music in worship, but as we are coming to a common understanding of that issue we cannot both practice our views together because it necessitates joint participation.

All of this seems inefficient and messy, but people tend to be that way. The way of being 'efficient' imports solutions that I believe themselves are unscriptural: denominational superstructures, conventions and creeds. I believe that God thinks the perpetual process of building unity through knowledge, faith and principle is good for us spiritually.

Might God accept in final judgment disciples of different practices? I believe he will as Paul makes clear in Romans 14. To argue the necessity of perfect practice is to 1) assume you have it, and 2) ultimately call for works salvation. But what are the limits of what God will accept in His final judgment? That, I do not know. That is for Him to determine ('Who are you to judge the servant of another?'). I do know that He has His limits, and that He will not accept simply anything.

What I am called to do is take seriously what God says in His word, and to practice what I believe God's word teaches. I am also compelled to teach others what I believe God's word commands. For me to abandon matters of Biblical principal and conscience for the sake of an artificial unity certainly is not what God wants.

'GOSPEL OF ARNOLD' FOUND?

David Kopel imagines so:

Suppose that sometime around the year 3,800 A.D., someone wrote a newspaper that began: "According to a recently-discovered document, which appears to have been written sometime before 1926, Benedict Arnold did not attempt to betray George Washington and the American cause, as is commonly believed. Rather, Benedict Arnold was acting at the request of George Washington, because Washington wanted Arnold to help him create a dictatorship of the proletariat and the abolition of private property."

A reader who knew her ancient history would recognize that the newly-discovered "Arnold document" was almost certainly not a historically accurate account of the relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold. The reader would know that the terms "dictatorship of the proletariat" and "abolition of private property" come from a political philosophy, Marxism, which was created long after Washington and Arnold were dead. The reader would also know that the most reliable records from the 18th century provided no support for the theory that Washington or Arnold favored a dictatorship of the proletariat or the abolition of private property.

This Friday's coverage of the so-called "Gospel of Judas" in much of the U.S. media was appallingly stupid. The Judas gospel is interesting in its own right, but the notion that it disproves, or casts into doubt, the traditional orthodox understanding of the betrayal of Jesus is preposterous.

Meanwhile, Scrappleface 'reports' that

Christian book stores expect a flood of customers for the new gospel, and are already selling handcuff bracelets with the inscription WWJD: “What Would Judas Do?”

Be sure to ask for it at the counter.

SERMON THIS MORNING: 'The Gospel & Judas: What's the Gospel Truth About Judas Iscariot?' The next installment on my Beatitudes series will have to wait as I thought this was a bit more immediately timely.

One of the ironic things about the current trend of promoting Gnosticism is how inherently anti-egalitarian it is. The Gnostics claimed to have 'insider' information, and the point of the 'Gospel of Judas' is that Jesus had the inside scoop about the Kingdom for Judas, which would elevate him above the other apostles. This flies in the face of the universality of the true Gospel message.

By its very nature the gospel is revealed truth; it is no longer hidden and inaccessible. It also contradicts everything that Jesus said to his apostles in response to their constant bickering about who was the greatest. Gnosticism, despite its claim to shun the material, is simply another call to arrogant carnality, the desire to be superior by having special knowledge. The true Gospel calls us to be brothers, fellow heirs with Christ and reflections of His nature through humility and service.

6 DAYS, 20 COMMANDMENTS

Easter, for some reason, means the showing of the DeMille classic The Ten Commandments. This year there is a new mini-series adaptation called, well, The Ten Commandments. Jill Vejnoska gives us a 'Ten Commandments' guide to sort it all out:

VI Thou Shalt Not Kill All the Cornball Dialogue: We're all for reverence, but what's a self-respecting, sand-and-sandals spectacle without the likes of DeMille's Princess Nefretiri (Anne Baxter) batting her eyes at Moses and breathing heavily, "When you are Pharaoh, you can free your people, worship whatever gods you please. So long as I can worship you ... ." The miniseries has few laughs, intentional or otherwise. It's mostly heavy on the drama as Moses struggles to unify his people, although the occasional bout of self-help-speak makes him sound like the Dr. Phil of the desert. ("Because a man is born in slavery, that doesn't mean that he is a slave. He has to think of himself as a slave before he is one!")

The whole thing is pretty funny.

DA VINCI CODE IDEAS NOT STOLEN

A British judge has cleared Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown of stealing ideas for his bestseller:

In issuing his opinion, Justice Peter Smith said Mr. Brown had indeed relied on the earlier work, "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail," in writing a section of "The Da Vinci Code." But he said two of the authors of "Holy Blood," Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, had failed in their effort to prove that Mr. Brown had stolen their "central theme" because they could not accurately state what that theme was.

In fact, Justice Smith said, in a ruling that was at times sharply critical of the plaintiffs — as well as of Mr. Brown and his wife, Blythe, who does much of his research — the earlier book "does not have a central theme as contended by the claimants: it was an artificial creation for the purposes of the litigation working back from 'The Da Vinci Code.' "

Mr. Baigent and Mr. Leigh sued Random House U.K. (which is also their publisher), claiming that "The Da Vinci Code" had stolen the "architecture" of their book — the steps they took to reach their conclusions — and thus was guilty of copyright infringement. (The book's third author, Henry Lincoln, did not take part in the suit.) "It would be quite wrong if fictional writers were to have their writings pored over in the way 'The Da Vinci Code' has been pored over in this case by authors of pretend historical books to make an allegation of infringement of copyright," Justice Smith wrote in his decision.

Ah, the line "authors of pretend historical books" makes the whole suit worth it.

JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS
Judas Gospel: No, Judas didn't write it

The National Media is all in a frenzywith the release of the ancient document dubbed 'the Gospel of Judas'. Let's establish this right off the bat, as Ben Witherington states:

"The manuscript tells us nothing about the historical Jesus or the historical Judas," said Ben Witherington III, professor of New Testament interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky. "It tells us a lot about a group that were labeled heretics in their own day."

Scholars on all sides agree that the text was probably produced by a scribe in a Gnostic community of Cainites — early Christians who regarded the traditional villains of the Bible, including Cain and Judas, as heroes.

"There is no evidence that any of these documents ever represented mainstream Christianity," Professor Witherington said. "The Cainites were always on the fringes of their own movement."

He said that unlike the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which were written in Christianity's first century, Gnostic works were produced in the second century and afterward. To say that the Gospel of Judas reveals anything factual about Judas, Dr. Witherington said, "is like saying a document written 150 years after George Washington died tells us the inside truth about George Washington."

He is exactly right, of course. We have here nothing of value to help us understand Jesus, but rather an important document in understanding a splinter group from decades later.

The document comes from a Gnostic sect, which were groups that claimed to have 'insider' knowledge about God and Christ. In their view the real, hardcore information just wasn't for everybody:

Some of the scholars on National Geographic's advisory committee said the text should prompt a reassessment of Judas. In it, Jesus speaks privately to Judas, telling him he will share with Judas alone "the mysteries of the kingdom." Jesus asks Judas to turn him over to the Roman authorities so that his body can be sacrificed.[emphasis mine, nac]

The real laugher is that these 'scholars' try to give this view some validity:

Craig Evans, a professor of the New Testament at Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and a scholar on the National Geographic panel, conjectured that some of the dialogue between Jesus and Judas may have been spoken in private, and so did not make its way into the New Testament Gospels, which are more likely to treat Jesus' public statements.

"It is possible that the Gospel of Judas preserves an old memory that Jesus had actually instructed Judas in private, and the other disciples did not know about it," Dr. Evans said.

Somehow it preserves an old memory, although the memory was private and no one knew it...well, except for an heretical faction decades later with no direct ties to Jesus at all.

We'll call this the 'Da Vinci effect'. The terrible desire on the part of moderns to find the real story about Jesus. This discovery is interesting, and even important, within the context of Gnostic studies. For the Christian and his faith in the historical veracity of the gospel accounts the 'Gospel of Judas' doesn't even rate a blip on the radar.

ANOTHER ALABAMA CHURCH FIRE

The Talladega, Alabama church that burned down Tuesday has been ruled arson. There seems to be no connection to the February church fires, although one of those ten remains unsolved.

MISSING LINK FOUND?
The last day for theosebes?

A long sought 'missing link' between sea and land life has been discovered according to scientists:

Scientists have discovered fossils of a 375-million-year-old fish, a large scaly creature not seen before, that they say is a long-sought missing link in the evolution of some fishes from water to a life walking on four limbs on land.

In two reports today in the journal Nature, a team of scientists led by Neil H. Shubin of the University of Chicago say they have uncovered several well-preserved skeletons of the fossil fish in sediments of former streambeds in the Canadian Arctic, 600 miles from the North Pole.

The skeletons have the fins, scales and other attributes of a giant fish, four to nine feet long. But on closer examination, the scientists found telling anatomical traits of a transitional creature, a fish that is still a fish but has changes that anticipate the emergence of land animals — and is thus a predecessor of amphibians, reptiles and dinosaurs, mammals and eventually humans.

In the fishes' forward fins, the scientists found evidence of limbs in the making. There are the beginnings of digits, proto-wrists, elbows and shoulders. The fish also had a flat skull resembling a crocodile's, a neck, ribs and other parts that were similar to four-legged land animals known as tetrapods.

Other scientists said that in addition to confirming elements of a major transition in evolution, the fossils were a powerful rebuttal to religious creationists, who have long argued that the absence of such transitional creatures are a serious weakness in Darwin's theory.

Perhaps I'll stick around just in case.

REGISTER OFFICE OR CHURCH?

Simon Jenkins ponders the sad history of 20th-century church design. He's a little too worried about weddings, but he's certainly on the mark.

THAT'S HOW HE DID IT!

Scientists have discovered how Jesus walked on water:

Rare conditions could have conspired to create hard-to-see ice on the Sea of Galilee that a person could have walked on back when Jesus is said to have walked on water, a scientist said today.

The study, which examines a combination of favorable water and environmental conditions, proposes that Jesus could have walked on an isolated patch of floating ice on what is now known as Lake Kinneret in northern Israel.

Looking at temperature records of the Mediterranean Sea surface and using analytical ice and statistical models, scientists considered a small section of the cold freshwater surface of the lake. The area studied, about 10,000 square feet, was near salty springs that empty into it.

The results suggest temperatures dropped to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (-4 degrees Celsius) during one of the two cold periods 2,500 –1,500 years ago for up to two days, the same decades during which Jesus lived.

With such conditions, a floating patch of ice could develop above the plumes resulting from the salty springs along the lake's western shore in Tabgha. Tabgha is the town where many archeological findings related to Jesus have been found.

Amazing considering the violent waves and wind that day.

Now if they can just figure out how He raised from the dead we've got this thing licked.

EXERCISE, EAT WELL & GO TO CHURCH

Want to live longer? A new study finds you need to add church attendance to your regimen:

There are many things you can do to increase your life expectancy: exercise, eat well, take your medication ... and go to church.

A new study finds people who attend religious services weekly live longer. Specifically, the research looked at how many years are added to life expectancy based on:

Regular physical exercise: 3.0 to 5.1 years

Proven therapeutic regimens: 2.1 to 3.7 years

Regular religious attendance: 1.8 to 3.1 years...

In a telephone interview, Hall speculated that the social aspect of religion could play a role in the results.

"There is something about being knit into the type of community that religious communities embody that has a way of mediating a positive health effect," he told LiveScience.

Perhaps, he said, being involved in a religion "can then decrease your level of stress in life or increase your ability to cope with stress."

Another possibility: "Being in a religious community helps you make meaning out of your life," Hall suggested.

And it not only gives meaning to your life, but it's also cheaper:

Hall also looked at the cost of these three approaches, examining typical gym membership fees, therapy costs from health insurance companies and census data on average household contributions to religious institutions.

The estimated cost of each year of additional life apparently gained by each method:

Regular physical exercise: $4,000

Proven therapeutic regimens: $10,000

Regular religious attendance: $7,000

An unexpected result of the study: now we know a contributing factor to low Sunday contribution numbers.

APRIL MADNESS

In honor of UCLA's championship game appearance tonight one ought to read Dan Wetzel's column, "Everyone loves a winner":

"If the UCLA teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s were subjected to the kind of scrutiny (other schools) have been, UCLA would probably have to forfeit about eight national championships and be on probation for the next 100 years."

Read the whole thing.

FOCUS MAGAZINE: RELOADED

For the past several years I have written articles all along that Focus Magazine has been kind enough to publish. Through the grapevine I heard that Focus would cease publication. As you might imagine religious publications aren't exactly money making machines (for some reason my 'Bible Women We Love' issue idea hasn't gained any traction...), and I understand some of the editors actually have other things to do (read: a life). I have found Focus to be thoughtful and firmly Biblical without the kneejerk reactions one sometimes can find in religious publishing.

I was heartened today when a new issue of Focus arrived at my door. On the back it states: Revived, Revamped, Refocused. That's good to see, and I'm sure they could use your support. To subscribe to six bi-monthly issues (1 year) send $20 to Focus Magazine, 7854 LaBarrington Blvd, Powell, TN 37849.

BRITS FLUNK BIBLE QUIZ

A test of basic Bible chronology was too much for British Christians:

Less than a quarter of Christians in the United Kingdom possess enough knowledge of the Bible to be able to place key events in the order they appear, according to the results of a new survey by the Bible Society released last week.

The Christian evangelical organization carried out a survey of regular churchgoers, which revealed that 76 percent of people were unable to put a series of ten popular Bible stories in the order that they appear in the Bible.

Events used in the survey included Noah’s Ark, Solomon’s building of the Temple, and Jesus feeding the five thousand, among other similar incidents.

The survey was carried out by asking the questions in a quick-fire quiz style, and was designed to assess the common assumption that Christians possess an in-depth knowledge of the Bible.

If it makes them feel any better Americans wouldn't score higher.

PREACHERS' WIVES

The Matthew & Mary Winkler case has brought with it a focus on preacher's wives:

[E]xperts say preachers' wives often struggle with depression and isolation, expected to be exemplars of Christian virtue while bearing unique pressures on their private and public lives.

Gayle Haggard, author of "A Life Embraced: A Hopeful Guide for the Pastor's Wife," said ministers' wives can feel isolated because of a misconception about leadership, since they and their husbands are leaders of their congregations.

They can feel trapped, she said, by unrealistic expectations "to live a certain way, to dress a certain way, for their children to behave a certain way."

And ministers' wives often find themselves handling more jobs than they expected to take on, said Becky Hunter, current president of the Global Pastors Wives Network.

"You're not really hired, and yet there is some expectation in most church settings that the pastor's wife comes along in a package deal," Hunter said.

Too often, ministers and their wives are reluctant to seek emotional help from members of their congregations because they're looked up to as leaders, said Lois Evans, a former president of the Global Pastors Wives Network. They can become isolated, lonely and depressed.

Well, I've been married to a preacher's wife for several years now, and I can say that there is a lot of truth in that. I don't think that Preacher's Wife Syndrome is an excuse for murder, but I can understand that a preacher's wife could feel trapped with nowhere to turn.

NOT MUCH LONGER?
7 Endangered Wonders

Luxor Egypt tops the listof the 7 Most Endangered Wonders of the World:

Luxor, Egypt
Dating back to the 14th century B.C., the Luxor temple complex on the west bank of the Nile River—which includes the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, more than 40 temples and the tombs of thousands of nobles—is threatened not only by the ravages of tourism and theft, but by the Nile itself. The construction of the Aswan Dam 40 years ago has caused salt to build up in the newly fertile soil around the temples, eroding their ancient foundations and filling many tombs with water. The World Monuments Fund is currently devising a management plan for the site, and hopes to give the complex its biggest renovation since Alexander the Great.

Also on the list is Babylon (not a surprise) and Machu Picchu.

'SEEK THE TRUTH'
cough cough

Well, that's the tagline for the upcoming movie version of the The Da Vinci Code (no, really, it is). Some Christians are seeing the movie's release as a teachable moment:

Instead of planning boycotts or staging protests, many Christians are looking to use the film as a tool for evangelism—and there's an increasing number of books, DVDs and study guides on the market to help them do it. Campus Crusade for Christ, an interdenominational network of campus ministries, created a 20-page magazine disputing the movie's claims and professing Christian beliefs. The organization is printing more than a million copies, which will be given free to unbelievers and can be bought at cost by Christians. Outreach, a provider of church evangelism tools, is selling dozens of items, from bulk direct-mail postcards—"Got Questions?" one reads, showing a picture of the Mona Lisa with a milk mustache—to bookings with New Testament scholars.

Well, I don't disagree with that, although using the movie as an opportunity to teach and actually 'embracing' it are two entirely different things. I will--and have--used the Code as a foil to express certain truths, but I will do my best to avoid giving Dan Brown, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard any of my money.

This new attitude, according to Newsweek, seems to indicate that Christians have grown and matured in their reaction:

This is an unusual response from a community that has, in the past, reacted defensively to movies that were demeaning to the faith. Mike Licona, director of Apologetics at the North American Mission Board, was at the forefront of boycott efforts against "The Last Temptation of Christ" in 1988. "I think it was a mistake," he says. "It created the impression that we weren't interested in truth or critical discussion." This time around, he's encouraging Christians to take unbelievers to the movie.

Why would I want to take someone to see The Da Vinci Code, much less The Last Temptation of Christ? I guess I've got more growing to do.

Prayer Study: Humans Fail to Manipulate God, Scrappleface reports.

BOOKS WRITTEN: 2, BOOKS READ: 0

Okay, normally I don't follow the career of Victoria Beckham, but this came up on another search, and I couldn't resist. Apparently the lovely Ms. Beckham has a new 'fashion bible' coming out. She also published her autobiography four years ago, although she's only 31 now. But with all this, um, literary activity going on she has never read a book:

“I haven’t read a book in my life. I haven’t got enough time. I prefer to listen to music, although I do love fashion magazines,” she told Spanish Chic magazine.

Even more amazing than that is I assume people will actually buy a book 'written' by her.

THE ITALIAN AFGHAN

Abdul "Just Call Me Joel" Rahman has landed in Italy:

"Here it is, look, my death sentence". Abdul Rahman, the Afghan who converted to Christendom for which he was imprisoned and risked the death penalty and who since yesterday has been in Italy in political asylum, showed with trembling hands the court order written in Dari that charged him with apostasy, ordered his detention in a Kabul prison and ordered that he be subject to the death penalty - all according to Islamic law....

But be warned anyone who calls him Abdul. I've converted, he says, and my Christian name is Joel. He tells of having converted eight years ago after having read the bible, a bible that had been given to him as a present by a Belgian friend: in it he found only words of love for everyone. He then thanks Pope Benedict XVI, the Italian government and all Italians. In my country, he says, they kill you if you're not Muslim. Whoever changes religion suffers the death penalty. He then tells of having a brother in Germany and that his family have rejected him. He says that he is afraid for his children who are now in Kabul with their mother. I'm a father he says and for this reason I'm anxious about my children.

Okay, he fled the country, but left his wife and children? Are they still minors? Hmmm. That doesn't sound like a good idea.

UPDATE: Just heard from theosebes reader Mark that the attempt to get custody of the children is what 'outed' Rahman as a Christian in the first place. His wife has not converted. Thanks for the clarification, Mark. I had missed that.

QUEEN HAT AT THE MET

The Met has an extensive exhibit of Queen Hatshepsut, the review says it's a bit overwhelming, but it looks like a fun time:

CAN a queen be a king, too? Consider the case of Hatshepsut, an Egyptian ruler of the 15th century B.C. The eldest daughter of Thutmose I and his principal queen, she married her younger half-brother, Thutmose II. His untimely death left her regent for Thutmose III, his son by another wife. At some point, she decided to govern jointly with the boy and took on the title of king. Later, she assumed the supreme title of pharaoh and ruled Egypt in that powerfully masculine role until her death.

During her reign (about 1479-1458 B.C.), when Egypt was emerging as a world power, the country prospered, the arts flourished, and peace, more or less, prevailed. In these respects, her rule might be compared to that of Elizabeth I of England, though Elizabeth had to make do with the less impressive title of queen.

Depending on how you calculate, her reign was within a generation or two of the Exodus. Hebrews may have made some of the items on display at the Met.

NO BOND FOR MARY WINKLER
Grand Jury Set For June

Attorney's for Mary Winkler did not seek bond, waiving her right to a preliminary hearing:

The judge ordered Mary Winkler, who has been charged with first-degree murder, to be held in custody until her next court appearance after her lawyers told the court she was not seeking a bond.

Speaking to the press outside the courthouse, her lawyers said there were a number of reasons why bond was not sought.

"Her condition is pretty fragile," defense attorney Leslie Ballin said. "We think it is in her best interest not have bond at this time."

Another member of the defense team, Steve Farese, said that while his client had been a part of every decision involved in the case, she was "having a difficulty staying on point."

They also said Mary Winkler wanted to try to protect her three young daughters from painful details that would emerge at such a hearing.

"We feel it does no one any good to hear bad things said about the mother of children. We don't feel that it does anyone any good to hear gruesome things about their late father," Farese said.

Which means they're not getting much out of her, and they don't want the details to come out yet, either. After her attorney's reference to the 'alleged' confession, I wouldn't be surprised if they try to suppress that. And 'fragile'? Yes, I'd say probably so.

BURN AS MANY CHURCHES AS YOU WANT

According to news reports at Birmingham's NBC13, the three boneheads men charged with burning nine Alabama churches can face no more than seven years for the crime. It's not in the printed report linked, but in a broadcasted interview with the local Federal prosecutor the sentences for each arson would be "stacked", which she defined as running concurrently. In other words, regardless of how many churches they burned they could face no more than seven years. I'm open for correction if this is not the case, but that's what she said. Of course, that's not including the possibility of plea bargaining.

Oh, and according to the defense attorney "the fires were not crimes of hate." Certainly not. Clearly they were motivated by peace and love.

CNN CULT ALERT, PART DEUX

CNN's Nancy Grace revisited the cult issue tonight:

Tonight, we`ve got an all-star panel of clergy, lawyers, shrinks and profilers trying to make sense of it, as we take a closer look at the Church of Christ. It has been called a cult.

Yes, it's been called a cult by your guest on your show last night.

So, Nancy Grace pulls Rubel Shelly out of mothballs to discuss the Church of Christ phenomenon. You can scroll down at the link above and read what he said. He did a pretty good job, with the expected Rubel Shelly-esque qualifications. Nancy Grace pushed on the role of women issue again, and reading his comments and Rukalah's from last night, I suspect Rukalah is actually the more conservative of the two on the issue.

I suppose it could have been worse: they apparently asked Mike Cope first. Talk about being in a strait betwixt two: a cult on the one hand, associated with Shelly and Cope on the other. Hmmm--tough choice.

CNN CULT ALERT

The network founded by noted atheist Ted Turner has brought in a Baptist commentator, a Tom Rukala (perhaps 'Ruhkala'--he appears to be a missionary in Finland), to 'discuss' the church of Christ in the context of the Matthew Winkler homicide. His take?

It kind of is a borderline cult, unfortunately.

That's nice. Yet Rukula backs off churches of Christ when ol' Nancy Grace asks them about the attitude of churches of Christ toward women:

GRACE: To Pastor Tom Rukala, how are women positioned within the Church of Christ?

RUKALA: As far as I understand, they`re treated with dignity and honor. It`s the traditional Christian view that men lead the church and women are to play a secondary role, and I think that they`re treated with dignity, certainly, in the Church of Christ.

GRACE: A secondary role, but with dignity?

RUKALA: Yes.

And why the sudden magnanimity? Because his view of the role of women likely is very similar to the view of many in churches of Christ, therefore that view is not "cult like".

But according to Rukala's own definition of what a Christian is, and contrasted with the chuckle everyone apparently got according to the transcript about the possibility of going to hell, I doubt Nancy Grace would qualify as a Christian. She doesn't seem to be an evangelical--would she consider Rukala and his friends "cult like"?

Apparently Rukala himself isn't all open arms when it comes to other Christian groups himself. According to the Baptist Mid-Missions website referencing the Ruhkalas' work in Finland:

The Ruhkalas have not found other traditional Bible-believing churches in Finland with which to fellowship. Nor have they found camps, radio ministries, youth works, or Bible institutes they can recommend wholeheartedly to the Finns. Also, most of the Christian literature that is currently being published in Finnish promotes Lutheranism or the Charismatic Movement and is therefore unusable.

That sounds troublingly narrow to me. Do they believe that Lutherans and charismatics are not going to heaven? If they think they are, then why are they bothering trying to convert them and finding their material 'unusable'? Hmmm. Is that narrow and cultlike? I just wondered, Mr. Rukala.

[Thanks to Jeff Barnes who has more to say.]

AMERICAN CONSERVATISM: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA

I returned home a couple of weeks ago to find an unexpected package waiting for me. Now usually when packages arrive addressed to me and I get that "what is this?" look from my wife I either have to think of something quick or slink away quietly. It's nice when I can say, "I have no idea what it is, honey--I've certainly not ordered anything."

Lo and behold it was a complimentary copy of American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia (available in hardcover or paperback)

Now, why would they send such a thing to me? Well, many moons ago, when I had a lot more hair, I actually wrote an entry for this project (see, "Clay, Henry"). The project languished, editors were changed, some were, I believe, abducted by aliens. The project seemed, as they say, snakebit. I started to doubt it would ever be released. In the meantime I married, had three kids, traveled to far corners of the world. The century changed. Still, no book. Then recently, the publisher--ISI--began plugging a genuine publication date. 'Yeah, sure,' I thought. But then, it actually appeared. Even more impressive, they apparently sent a complimentary copy to every contributor. Don't assume that always happens. As you might imagine, this book likely will not knock The Da Vinci Code off the New York Times bestseller list (or even Marley & Me--it's tough to compete with dog books).

At any rate, I'll make absolutely nothing if you buy one (well, I will if you buy through the link above), but it's a very well done book, and knowing many of those who contributed entries, written by good people (and a few soreheads). Buy yours today.

Far be it from me to plug myself, but if I don't who will?

GEORGIA'S NEW BIBLE CLASS
And this is controversial why?

Georgia has passed a bill to allow classes on the Bible in public schools:

Public school students will be able to take state-funded courses devoted to the Old and New Testaments under a bill that received final legislative approval Monday, making Georgia the first state in the nation to legally sanction Bible classes....

If Gov. Sonny Perdue accepts the bill, the State Board of Education must adopt curricula for two high school electives — "History and Literature of the Old Testament Era" and "History and Literature of the New Testament Era" — no later than February.

Local school systems then could decide if they want to offer the classes, which would be optional for students in ninth through 12th grades.

Patrick McAllister, a junior at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City, liked the idea of having a class about what is often referred to as the world's best-selling book.

"We do have the opportunity to learn about it in church, but it is a work of literature," McAllister said. "We shouldn't exclude it [from school] just because it's religious."

The courses are supposed to be designed as an academic study of the Scripture's influence on law, history, government, literature, art, music and culture.

The Bible would be the "basic text" for the courses, but teachers could use other religious books, too.

Would there be any problems raised if the class were called "History and Literature of the Era of the Koran" or "Confucius: His Writings & Times"? Yeah, that's what I thought.

COOL WEBSITE ALERT!

Biblical Art on the WWW. Maybe you were familiar with it, but I wasn't. It has been appropriately bookmarked.

AFGHAN CHRISTIAN FREED
May Go to Italy

Abdul Rahman, the Afghanistan Christian who faced capital charges for converting from Islam, has been released, and may find asylum in Italy:

An Afghan man who had faced the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity has been released from prison after the case was dropped, the justice minister said Tuesday. Italy's foreign minister will ask his government to grant 41-year-old Abdul Rahman asylum.

Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, who was among the first to speak out on the man's behalf, will ask for the permission at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Italian ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

The announcement came after the United Nations said Rahman has appealed for asylum outside Afghanistan and that the world body was working to find a country willing to take him.

Just yesterday he was crazy, today he's probably going to Italy to live. Crazy? Crazy like a fox!

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY...

...in your sleep. You may wake up to find yourself divorced. Mental divorce I've heard of, but never sleeping divorce.

CONFESSED, BUT 'NOT GUILTY'

Mary Winkler has pleaded 'not guilty' in the shooting death of her husband, minister Matthew Winkler although she has reportedly confessed. This brings up the issue of justification, it seems to me. (Where are all those attorney friends of mine when I need them--Dave? Bill?). Her attorney seems to be backing off his statement about a 'dangerous situation' leading to the shooting:

Attorney Farese said media speculation that the case hinged on a "dangerous situation" at the Winkler home was misguided.

"It was taken out of context," he said. "It was only a theory that something was going on in the home that in and of itself was dangerous."

Why exactly he's floating a 'theory' of the crime when he's the defense attorney I'm not exactly sure. He did add this:

The woman's attorney, Steve Farese, also was circumspect about her motive following their first jailhouse conversation.

"I think the accumulations of the pressures of life in and of itself certainly would have some factor in the case," Farese told WAFF-TV in Huntsville, Ala.

Still, 'accumulated pressures of life' don't lead to that.

FREE SPEECH & DISSENT?

You can forget open arms for Evangelicals in perhaps the nation's most liberal city. San Francisco has condemned an Evangelical teens rally

More than 25,000 evangelical Christian youth landed Friday in San Francisco for a two-day rally at AT&T Park against "the virtue terrorism" of popular culture, and they were greeted by an official city condemnation and a clutch of protesters who said their event amounted to a "fascist mega-pep rally."

"Battle Cry for a Generation" is led by a 44-year-old Concord native, Ron Luce, who wants "God's instruction book" to guide young people away from the corrupting influence of popular culture.

Luce, whose Teen Mania organization is based in Texas, kicked off a three-city "reverse rebellion" tour Friday night intended to counter a popular culture that he says glamorizes violence and sex....

That's bad news to Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who told counterprotesters at City Hall on Friday that while such fundamentalists may be small in number, "they're loud, they're obnoxious, they're disgusting, and they should get out of San Francisco."

Ah, it's high time cities crack down on those rowdy Evangelicals.

BRITAIN'S B&B BIBLE BACKLASH

A new 'Bed & Breakfast' law in Britain has Christian B&B owners up in arms:

When the Government decided to outlaw people being discriminated against because of their religion or sexuality, it hoped the move would guarantee equal treatment for all of Britain's increasingly diverse population.
But nobody in Whitehall foresaw the backlash that would unfold when hundreds of committed Christians who run bed-and-breakfasts were deprived of their right to ban gays, unmarried couples and people of other faiths from staying under their roof.

Hundreds of B&B owners across the country have been writing to ministers complaining that the new rules will force them to 'betray God' and their consciences by allowing 'undesirables' to enjoy their hospitality.

'We've had a lot of correspondence from Christian B&B operators who don't want to be forced to accept Satanists, Muslims, gays and even unmarried couples as guests,' said a Home Office official. 'Protestants have been writing in saying they shouldn't have to admit Catholics because they have an issue with their religion, Catholics saying they didn't want Jews under their roof and objections from followers of other types of faith.'

The law grew from a real case where a B&B owner refused, um, service to two homosexual men who wished to stay in the same double bed:

The new protection for gays and lesbians is partly inspired by the case of Tom Forrest, the proprietor of the Cromasaig B&B in the Highlands, who, in 2004, refused to let two gay men share a bed in a double room. Forrest has condemned the new regulations as 'atrocious'.

Dr Don Horrocks of the Evangelical Alliance, however, currently operates under a tragic misconception:

'Homosexuals have human rights, but so do religious people...'

Ah, and that's where he would be wrong.

THE DAY BEFORE THE WINKLER MURDER

Newsweek has information on Mary Winkler's behavior the day before she shot her husband to death:

Mary Winkler's behavior was odd last Tuesday when she debuted as a substitute teacher in Selmer, Tenn. Normally quiet and introverted, she talked incessantly on her cell phone, pacing about. "Several teachers complained about it," says assistant principal Pam Killingsworth. Winkler, 32, also got annoyed with her daughter Patricia—whose third-grade class she taught that afternoon—for acting up. Something was clearly the matter. The next day, Winkler's husband, Matthew, 31—minister of the local Fourth Street Church of Christ—didn't show up at the Wednesday-evening service. When church elder Drew Eason and his son Will went to the parsonage, they found Matthew facedown in a back room, blood-soaked from a fatal gunshot wound.

I saw her attorney on television this morning who guardedly spoke of her reacting to "a dangerous situation" and fleeing because she felt "no one would believe her."

IS THE AFGHAN CHRISTIAN CRAZY?

Well, of course he must be--he converted to Christianity, didn't he? Mental health evaluation will be conducted on Abdul Rahman:

Court officials said the mental health of the defendant, Abdul Rahman, 41, would be evaluated. Although prosecutors vowed to continue the case, a finding of mental illness by public health authorities could thwart their effort....

The court said two of Mr. Rahman's relatives, a daughter and a cousin, had told the court that Mr. Rahman had mental problems, according to Abdul Wakil Omari, a spokesman for the Supreme Court.

"Also, during his preliminary court hearing, he had said that he was hearing strange voices and that he was not feeling well spiritually," Mr. Omari said.

But the prosecutor, Abdul Wasei, said he doubted the claim. "I did not see any kind of mental problem in this case," he said. He said that Mr. Rahman, when asked about his mental health, insisted that it was fine.

"I am O.K., you can prosecute me, I can answer your questions," Mr. Wasei said Mr. Rahman told him.

If a hospital examination bears that out, Mr. Wasei said, he expects to have the case back before the court in a week.

But if Mr. Rahman is found to be mentally ill, Mr. Wasei conceded in an interview, "that's another thing and of course things will change."

Mr. Wasei dismissed as inaccurate press reports that Mr. Rahman was about to be released. "When his mental examination is finished, maybe he will be released," he said. "But I don't see any possibility of his being released before that."

I can see the new hip t-shirt in Family Bookstores now: "I'm Crazy for Christ!" (Hey, if they can do this one, they can do that.)

PREACHING THIS MORNING on 'If the Lord Wills' from James 4:11-17, the latest in my series on James. James continues his focus on active Christianity: not allowing oneself to be distracted by judging others or being consumed by worldly concerns without thought to God.

IF YOU WERE CHARGED WITH BEING A CHRISTIAN...

...would there be enough evidence to convict you? Well for the Afghan Muslim charged with converting to Christianity the answer apparently is: no. Charges have been dismissed for lack of evidence:

An Afghan court on Sunday dismissed a case against a man who converted from Islam to Christianity because of a lack of evidence and he will be released soon, officials said.

The announcement came as U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai faced mounting foreign pressure to free Abdul Rahman, a move that risked angering Muslim clerics who have called for him to be killed.

An official closely involved with the case told The Associated Press that it had been returned to the prosecutors for more investigation, but that in the meantime, Rahman would be released.

"The court dismissed today the case against Abdul Rahman for a lack of information and a lot of legal gaps in the case," the official said Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

I don't know if he should be relieved or worried.

THAT LIBRARY THING

The new Library Thing, which allows you to catalog your books online, could be interesting.

LISTENING TO 'Streets of Bakersfield' with Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens, who died today. I remember watching 'Hee Haw' with my parents back when it was actually a new show. RIP.

MUM'S THE WORD

Although Mary Winkler has confessed to murdering her husband--and is charged with first degree murder, which requires premeditation--police are tight lipped as to why she shot her husband, minister Matthew Winkler. They have indicated they do not believe that the motive involved infidelity. For her to do what she did, though, it would seem to indicate a building conflict, not a momentary flash of passion. My suspicion is that her stated motive is such that the police want to confirm facts independently in order not to muddy the name of others without something solid. I'll refrain from speculating further for the same reason.

NOW READING...

A few weeks ago I read Alan Moorehead's The White Nile,a fascinating and engrossing book on the history of the discovery of the Nile's headwaters. Yesterday I picked up the companion book, The Blue Nile.Here's hoping it's as good.

DON'T WORSHIP THE BUNNY

In order to avoid promoting religion, the St. Paul, Minnesota City Hall has removed the Easter Bunny:

A small Easter display was removed from the City Hall lobby on Wednesday out of concern that it would offend non-Christians.
The display - a cloth Easter bunny, pastel-colored eggs and a sign with the words "Happy Easter'' - was put up by a City Council secretary. They were not purchased with city money.

Tyrone Terrill, the city's human rights director, asked that the decorations be removed. Terrill said no citizen had complained to him.

Council Member Dave Thune called it a shame.

"This has just gone too far,'' he said. "We can't celebrate spring with bunnies and fake grass?''

The council president, Kathy Lantry, said the removal wasn't about political correctness.

"As government, we have a different responsibility about advancing the cause of religion, which we are not going to do,'' she said.

It's not the first time a holiday symbol has been removed from City Hall. In 2001, red poinsettias were briefly banned from a holiday display because they were associated with Christmas.

I just hope no one wore green on St. Patrick's Day.

THE OTHER DETROIT
My wife and I made it back yesterday morning from a wonderful trip to Oregon to preach for the Market Street church in a special series of studies. On Wednesday we drove up to Detroit, Oregon, a lovely little town in the mountains. You can just about count the buildings on one hand. Here is a picture of me with my new friend Sasquatch (I'm the one on the left).

CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER

The shocking murder of Tennessee minister Matthew Winkler is now leading investigators to look at his wife as a suspect. Considering he was found shot to death in their bedroom and she simply picked up the kids at school and then drove to the Alabama coast certainly raises eyebrows. I'm afraid when all of this comes out it's going to be pretty ugly. As a father of three daughters myself all I can say is pray for those poor children.

BOB BUNTING, RIP
I received news earlier today that Bob Bunting passed away this past Saturday. Brother Bunting dedicated his life to preaching the word of God, and touched countless lives. He deliberately chose many smaller, more obscure works in order to help where he would be needed the most. He was someone who deserved far more recognition and appreciation than he received. If anyone should have been on the meeting and lecture circuit it was brother Bunting. A native of Michigan, over the years he preached in Camden, SC; New Jersey; Hueytown, Alabama; Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and finally, Bartlett, Tennessee. He was a true Southern gentleman.

It was in Bartlett that I first met him when I traveled there to court my future wife. He and his wife were kind enough to open their home to me one summer. The following December he officiated our wedding.

Brother Bunting was always a model of Christian conduct, Biblical scholarship and pulpit practicality. After retiring from full time preaching, he remained at Bartlett to serve as an elder, finally resigning due to age and failing health. He moved to Middle Tennessee with his wife Sara Bain to live out his remaining years.

As long as I knew him Bob was being told he was dying and near death. But he never would die. He kept preaching and kept working. His doctor once told him that there must be a good reason why he was still alive because he shouldn't be. From time to time word would reach us that Bob was near death. Weeks and month would pass and still he held on. In the end, I believe, death was welcome. As with Paul, to live is Christ, to die is gain.

Robert Bunting will be laid to rest on Wednesday. Regrettably I will be unable to attend the funeral as I will be in Oregon until Thursday. Please remember his wife, Sara Bain, and their children in your prayers.

The picture is from June 2004 when brother Bunting gave a weekend lectureship at the Westvue congregation in Murfreesboro. It was the last time I saw him, and it is the way I will remember him: preaching on preaching. From left is my brother-in-law Mitch Stevens, me, Bob Bunting and Rick Duggin.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THEOSEBES?

If you're in Salem, Oregon over the next few days, stop by.

HE WROTE THE BOOK...

On Wednesday I had the good pleasure of hearing Dr. David E. Harrell speak at UAB on "The Pentecostal Century." I had the good pleasure of traveling to India with Ed last summer and hope to again soon. The Birmingham News did a nice feature previewing the lecture. It also discusses his new history textbook, which gives religion its due:

Harrell notes there are some 800,000 churches in America that constitute one of the most influential social networks in the country. "A large portion of the charity dispensed in America is through churches," he said. "What shocks foreigners is how many churches there are in America."

That omnipresent religiosity has affected politics and the economy from the nation's founding. "The nation has a pervasive religious underpinning," he said. "You can't understand our policies without the feed-in from religious ideas."

Harrell, who retired from Auburn last year, and his colleagues have been working on the book for nearly 15 years.

"A lot of textbooks acknowledge that the Puritans were religious, and give a distorted summary of the Scopes trial, and that's about it," Harrell said.

Okay, I admit it. I don't have a copy yet, but I'll get one soon. You should, too.

CHURCH IN DA HOUSE

One of the latest hot religious trends is without question the house church movement. Partly a reaction to the megachurches of the '90s (and today) many people are rejecting the overly produced church shows in stadium sized auditoriums, sometimes in actual stadiums. They recognize a need for something more genuine, and a religious expression that is not simply left to professions that one goes to watch. There is a desire for participatory religion. That's not a bad thing at all. I have no issue with real churches--as opposed to the above mentioned religious 'events'--of any size. The Jerusalem church of the early chapters of Acts clearly numbered in the thousands.

But there are some issues of concern, I think. A couple of weeks ago TIME Magazine took a look at house churches and, well, I'm just now getting around to posting about it.

TIME certainly shows well the type of church the house church movement is about:

On a Sunday at their modest, gray ranch house in the Denver suburb of Englewood, Tim and Jeanine Pynes gather with four other Christians for an evening of fellowship, food and faith. Jeanine's spicy rigatoni precedes a yogurt-and-wafer confection by Ann Moore, none of the food violating the group's solemn commitment to Weight Watchers. The participants, who have pooled resources for baby sitting, discuss a planned missionary trip and sing along with a CD by the Christian crossover group Sixpence None the Richer. One of the lyrics, presumably written in Jesus' voice, runs, "I'm here, I'm closer than your breath/ I've conquered even death." That leads to earnest discussion of a friend's suicide, which flows into an exercise in which each participant brings something to the table--a personal issue, a faith question--and the group offers talk and prayer. Its members read from the New Testament's Epistle to the Hebrews, observe a mindful silence and share a hymn.

The meeting could be a sidebar gathering of almost any church in the country but for a ceramic vessel of red wine on the dinner table--offered in communion. Because the dinner, it turns out, is no mere Bible study, 12-step meeting or other pendant to Sunday service at a Denver megachurch. It is the service. There is no pastor, choir or sermon--just six believers and Jesus among them, closer than their breath. Or so thinks Jeanine, who two years ago abandoned a large congregation for the burgeoning movement known in evangelical circles as "house churching," "home churching" or "simple church." The week she left, she says, "I cried every day." But the home service flourished, grew to 40 people and then divided into five smaller groups. One participant at the Pyneses' house, a retired pastor named John White, also attends a conventional church, where he gives classes on how to found, or plant, the house variety. "Church," he says, "is not just about a meeting." Jeanine is a passionate convert: "I'd never go back to a traditional church. I love what we're doing."

Now that type of Christian closeness is attractive. And, I would argue, shows the kind of close personal relationships that Christians ought to have. But in reaction to the megachurch drift away from intimacy and personal relationships, and focus on public worship, the house church movement essentially has swung the opposite direction. They have done away with public worship and replaced it with the intimate relationship.

Now, there is a certain attraction for restorationists to house churches. It strikes us as more genuinely expressive of New Testament Christianity. Didn't those in the New Testament frequently meet in homes? Certainly they did. this is the premise of F. LaGard Smith's wildly popular book, Radical Restoration, which lays out a blueprint for doing house church the LaGard Smith way. And many groups have left more traditional and established congregations, some with purer motives than others, in order to break the bonds of Traditionalism in order again to restore the church to the way God intended.

Although I poke a little fun there, those of us interested in the restoration of New Testament worship must always remember that it is always an ongoing work. Each generation can calcify expediency to tradition. My recent overseas work reminds me of that danger. We must be careful that the 20th Century American way (the model I am familiar with) is not confused with the First Century New Testament way, regardless of how well the two may harmonize.

The point is that it is well that we have those who ask questions and challenge, even those we may consider gadflies, as they require that we are ever justifying ourselves by Scripture and not simply preference.

That said, some of those drawn to the house church movement strike me as sophisticates who are rising above the bounds of traditionalism qua traditionalism. They border on gnostics who have discerned a New Way known to them but not appreciated by the masses. Thus there is a removal from Biblical responsibility, which is in part reflected in the local church leadership:

More recent arrangements can seem more ad hoc. Tim and Susie Grade moved to Denver a year ago. They had attended cell groups subsidiary to Sunday services but were delighted to learn that their new neighbors Tim and Michelle Fox longed for a house church like the ones they had seen overseas. Now they and seven other twenty- and thirtysomethings mix a fairly formal weekly communion with a laid-back laying on of hands, semiconfessional "sharing" and a guitar sing-along. Says Tim: "We have some people who come from regular churches, and were a little disenfranchised. And people who joined because of friendships, and people who are kind of hurting, kind of searching. My age group and younger are seeking spiritual things that they have not found elsewhere."

Critics fret that small, pastorless groups can become doctrinally or even socially unmoored. Thom Rainer, a Southern Baptist who has written extensively on church growth, says, "I have no problem with where a church meets, [but] I do think that there are some house churches that, in their desire to move in different directions, have perhaps moved from biblical accountability." In extreme circumstances home churches dominated by magnetic but unorthodox leaders can shade over the line into cults.

So I wonder what Biblical accountability house churches are holding themselves to. Are they striving for elders as Paul commanded should be appointed in every church. The New Testament example also points to churches with permanence, that would last beyond one family's job transfer. House churches tend to be anonymous and fleeting by their very nature. I have no issue at all with churches meeting in homes, but the new 'house churches' often seem to be a different kind of animal.

The danger of anti-traditionalism is the never ending search for novelty, the desire simply to be different. It can become a conceit that the initiates are not only on the cutting edge, but are on a superior spiritual plane. Very often it will lead to that loss of Biblical mooring the article mentions, the introduction of heresies and the ultimate loss of faith of its participants.

Will that happen in every situation? No, it won't. But I'm generally of the belief that most areas really do not need more churches; they need churches with more focus. Those frustrated with an existing congregation's direction in many cases would do well to put in the patient hard work to help bring a more Godly focus to that group. I recognize that is not always possible. But it seems to me that a retreat to the kitchen table isn't really the answer.