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Reporting from Atlanta -- Will Hairston, a white Virginian, admits it freely: When he goes into the voting booth Tuesday, he will take Barack Obama's race into consideration. It will be, he said, one more good reason to pull the lever for the Illinois senator. "For me, the Obama thing is a giant step forward for America," he said. The 47-year-old's ancestors once lorded over black slaves as owners of one of the Old South's largest plantation empires. Electing a black candidate, he said, would show that "we're not just the slavery nation, the Jim Crow nation." This is the...

The Fall of Satan's Kingdom "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time" (Revelation 12:12). When we consider the whole picture, we can hold no doubt that this is Satan's world rather than God's. Paul even refers to our era as "this present evil age" (Galatians 1:4). However, Satan will not always dominate planet earth. Bible prophecy reveals that an astounding series of events will shake our world as never before and usher in a new age—a 1,000-year...

The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints does not view the atonement of Christ in the biblical and historical Christian manner. Instead of the atonement occurring on the cross, Mormonism teaches that the atonement occurred primarily in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus shed His blood. Please consider the following quotes from a BYU professor and the Mormon apostle Bruce McConkie. BYU professor Robert J. Matthews, who on page 282 of his book, A Bible! A Bible!, wrote, “It was in Gethsemane, on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, that Jesus made his perfect atonement by the shedding...

Many people in the Philippines consider crucifixion and self flagellation good for the soul, but it is bad for your health according to new government advice for penitents. This Holy Week, the thousands of guilt stricken or pious worshippers who will flay the skin off their backs, and the handful who will crucify themselves, are encouraged to get a tetanus shot first and be sure to use a clean whip or nails. The Catholic church frowns upon the crucifixions "We are not trying to go against the Lenten tradition here because whipping has somewhat already become some form of ’atonement...

NEW YORK -- Through cinema history, audacious, lengthy tracking shots have captivated filmmakers and movie buffs who marvel at their grace and choreography. In the middle of Joe Wright's critically acclaimed ''Atonement,'' a 5½-minute shot unfolds as Robbie, a British World War II soldier (James McAvoy), comes upon France's Dunkirk beach, where the final point in the British retreat from the Germans is portrayed as a grim circus of defeat and chaos. In the Ian McEwan novel from which the movie was adapted, the scene is described in just a few pages. McEwan writes: ''It was a rout and this...

In my first article on the Fall High Holy Days, we saw that the Feast of Trumpets is intimately linked by both Yeshua and Sha’ul with Yeshua’s Second Coming on the clouds of heaven, and saw that this corresponded with the expectations of the rabbis. Now we come to the second of the Fall Feastdays, and the holiest day of the Jewish—which is to say, Biblical—calendar: Yom Kippur takes place on the tenth of Tishri, nine days after Rosh Hashanah. On that day, the high priest would put on a special coat of white linen and carry out a very...

The Day of Atonement: Removal of Sin's Cause and Reconciliation to GodWe have already seen-through the symbolism involved in the Passover-that Christ's shed blood atones for our past sins. In fact, atonement means reconciliation. The Day of Atonement symbolizes the reconciliation of God and all humanity. If we are reconciled to God through Christ's sacrifice, why do we need another Holy Day to teach us about reconciliation? If we are already reconciled, why do we need to fast, as commanded on the Day of Atonement? (Leviticus 23:27; Acts 27:9). What is this day's specific significance in God's master plan...

Reiner: Gibson, Come Clean on `Passion' LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mel Gibson's apology for making drunken anti-Semitic remarks isn't enough to redeem him, actor-producer Rob Reiner said. The actor also must acknowledge that "his work reflects anti-Semitism," particularly the 2004 hit movie "The Passion of the Christ," Reiner told Associated Press Radio. "When he comes to the understanding that he has done that, and can come out and say, you know, 'My views have been reflected in my work and I feel bad that I've done that,' then that will be the beginning of some reconciliation for him," Reiner said....

Since so many here want so much to forgive Mel Gibson for his anti-semetic tirade and beligerent behavior towards law enforcement I was trying to come up with the best punishment. I think I got it. Besides the obligatory fine, I think the Judge should sentence him to 500 hours community service at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. What do you all think his sentence should be?

The question considered in this study of the Bible is, "For whom did Christ die?" Some answer, "For all." Others answer, "Only for the elect." What sayeth the Scriptures? Those known as Arminians hold that Christ's death was for all men alike, and that it secured for everyone a measure of common grace whereby all are able to believe if they will. This Arminian view is not the subject of this investigation; only the differences among Calvinists are here being examined. Those who consider that Christ died only for the elect can for convenience be referred to as limited redemptionists....

I feel, and the Spirit seems to accord, that the most important doctrine I can declare, and the most powerful testimony I can bear, is of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. His atonement is the most transcendent event that ever has or ever will occur from Creation’s dawn through all the ages of a never-ending eternity. It is the supreme act of goodness and grace that only a god could perform. Through it, all of the terms and conditions of the Father’s eternal plan of salvation became operative. Through it are brought to pass the immortality and...

Merit Abridged by Annalex FOREWORD This is an abridgement of long and detailed Catholic Encyclopedia article on Merit where I condense the necessary definitions and distinctions in a more concise manner, omitting discussion that seemed to me too arcane. I follow the same subtitle structure as the original and invite the reader to study the original sections for deeper understanding. Much of this abridgement is directly copied from the original, but for the ease of reading I do not use quotation marks. None in this is my own thoughts; my only input was in shortening and paraphrasing. MERIT Merit (meritum)...

An indulgence is an action of the Church which spreads her treasure of merits to the suffering members of the family of God. Indulgences: Spreading the wealth By Dermott J. Mullan I. Introduction Indulgences have to do with how God handles evil and good. To God, sin is always horrible, but humans do not always think so. The Church’s teaching on indulgences is meant to impress on us some of God’s horror of sin. The Church says sin is never an isolated event: rather, each sin has after-effects, not only in the person who sins but also in other parts...

Why Some Christians Don't Celebrate Christmas Many feel that Christmas marks Christ's birthday and that it honors Him. After all, can 2 billion professing Christians be wrong? At the same time, some few Christians don't observe Christmas, believing that Jesus didn't sanction it and that it dishonors Him. Who is right—and why? by Jerold Aust One day, years ago, someone asked me why I kept Christmas. "The Bible says to keep it," I responded. "Somewhere in the Gospel of Luke, it speaks of the nativity scene. An angel told some shepherds that were keeping their sheep in the fields at...

She told her audience that Western civilization owes much to the Jewish faith for the tradition of beginning the new year in this way. "How fortunate we are to have an opportunity to take time out as you are doing here on Yom Kippur to think of the large issues that really matter in life," she said. "Each year, going back to Leviticus, the Jewish people have recognized both the psychological and theological power of atonement and forgiveness."

In every period, the church is tested for its faithfulness to the apostolic witness to Christ and him crucified. The great Liberal theologians of the last century viewed the doctrine of justification as one of those Jewish ideas out of which the church had not grown until the dawn of the Enlightenment. Sacrifice and satisfaction: a God of wrath and love simultaneously requiring and satisfying justice in one act of blood atonement, it was just more than the sophisticated Greeks of modern culture could bear. After all, God is love and exists simply to make sure everyone is happy and...

Something God Cannot Do by Michael S. Horton © 2004, Modern Reformation www.modernreformation.org Can God make a rock so big that he can’t lift it? Is there anything that God cannot do? According to Scripture, God cannot violate his own character. He cannot sin or tempt people to sin. And, Scripture declares, he cannot acquit the guilty. That is, he cannot just forgive he cannot just let bygones be bygones when his justice, holiness, and righteousness are at stake. We live in a sentimental age. Love has become the pretext for all sorts of infidelities between friends, parents and children,...

It's not that I mind giving charity to all and sundry, but I do mind being rooked. That's why my "don't think you can fool me" persona went on high alert when the girl approached our table at an outdoor cafe one evening this summer. My husband and I were having supper with another couple, distant relatives from America. The girl wore blue jeans, a halter-top, dangling pink earrings that must have been six inches long, and gobs of makeup. Her hair was streaked with purple. I guessed that she was probably 16 years old. She mumbled that she belonged...

Craftiness of Christ (The) To be included in a volume entitled Mel Gibson's 'Passion' and Philosophy: Challenges in the Trial, Conviction and Crucifixion of Christ, edited by Jorge Gracia, published by Open Court Publishers, forthcoming. ----------------------------------------------------- The Passion of the Christ is a work of art. This means that it utilizes a medium to convey a vision of some serious aspect of the human condition. The medium in the case of a film has several levels: the roll of celluloid that can be produced, maintained or destroyed like any other physical object; the visual and auditory images that appear to...

For some, the controversy is over who killed Jesus. But for others, it's why he died – whether his death was necessary to atone for the sins of humanity. Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, which opens in theaters Wednesday, raises questions other than anti-Semitism for some Christians. At issue is whether the death of Jesus was necessary to reconcile the world to God – a view no longer sacrosanct in some circles. The movie, reflecting the deeply held views of its director, answers affirmatively on the side of traditional Christianity. But in churches and religious schools, some believers...

All the world is waiting for the powerful message in Mel Gibson's ground-breaking film, The Passion of Christ. Post here your own personal reactions after seeing the film set to open tomorrow, Ash Wednesday. Passion has previewed in some areas. Also post reviews and pertinent comments from your state and area's newspapers and publications.

Every person, of whatever religious denomination he may be, is a DEIST in the first article of his Creed. Deism, from the Latin word Deus, God, is the belief of a God, and this belief is the first article of every man's creed. It is on this article, universally consented to by all mankind, that the Deist builds his church, and here he rests. Whenever we step aside from this article, by mixing it with articles of human invention, we wander into a labyrinth of uncertainty and fable, and become exposed to every kind of imposition by pretenders to revelation....

The Day of Atonement: Removal of Sin's Cause and Reconciliation to God We have already seen-through the symbolism involved in the Passover-that Christ's shed blood atones for our past sins. In fact, atonement means reconciliation. The Day of Atonement symbolizes the reconciliation of God and all humanity. If we are reconciled to God through Christ's sacrifice, why do we need another Holy Day to teach us about reconciliation? If we are already reconciled, why do we need to fast, as commanded on the Day of Atonement? (Leviticus 23:27; Acts 27:9). What is this day's specific significance in God's master...

Faith aloneThe remedy for paralyzed sinners, fallen saints, and provincial cowardice By John Piper GOD DID HIS MOST DEADLY WORK TO DESTROY hopelessness and futility and provincial cowardice. He gave up His Son to torture and death. A perfect life, a perfect death, and the decisive work was done. But millions are numb to hope because of the God-belittling things they have done and how ugly they have become. They don't lift lofty arguments against God's truth; they shrug and feel irretrievably outside. They don't defy God consciously; they default to cake and television. Except for the periodic rush of...

The Preacher and the Seeker by C. Matthew McMahon The following is a fictional conversation between a young unconverted inquirer and a minister.I say fictional though in reality such conversations take place, and should take place, for all those who desire their conversion.It demonstrates the need to wed together two ideas in relation to salvation: the sovereignty of God and the depravity of the human soul but it must do this without rendering men inactive in their duty to repent and be saved, or ascribing to some form of fatalism in salvation. PREACHER:Hello young man, how are you doing on...

Baptized believers are called to be a light for the world 07/12/2002 Archbishop John Vlazny In the life of every person, there comes a moment when his or her personal existence must be anchored to a truth which is recognized as final. This is a truth that confers a certitude no longer open to doubt. For Christians, it is the historical fact of God in human flesh. The Incarnation did take place some 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. But the mystery of the Incarnation is repeated time and time again whenever and wherever the Lord chooses to be present...

GOD’S WILLINGNESS and MAN’S UNWILLINGNESS A Problem For Extreme Calvinists Introduction In no uncertain terms the Bible declares that God is a sovereign God who “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” and who has “done whatsoever He hath pleased” (Eph. 1:11; Psalm 115:3). We must, however, be careful to distinguish between two kinds of decrees, both of which have to do with the sovereign outworking of God’s eternal plan. There are efficacious decrees whereby God purposes to accomplish something directly by Himself (examples of this would be the creation of the world, the sending of the...

The Cross-Work of Christ Is It Limited or Unlimited?  What Does the Bible Teach? SALVATION Unlimited Salvation Limited Salvation "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men..." (1 Tim. 4:10a). "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son... "The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (1 John 4:14; compare John 12:47). "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17; and compare...

UNLIMITED ATONEMENT Definition of Unlimited Atonement: "A reference to the doctrine that Christ's redemptive death was for all persons." "Representative Passages Offered in Support of Unlimited Atonement (Note: To clarify my position on a few of these verses, I have added some expositional text and quotations from various biblical scholars.) Luke 19:10: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (The "lost" seems to refer to the entire world of lost humanity, not just the lost elect.) John 1:29: "The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of...

  WHAT REALLY HAPPENED ON THAT FIRST PALM SUNDAY? SERIES: JESUS, SAVIOR OF THE LOST by Ron Ritchie On May 22, a Friday afternoon, my wife Anne Marie, Carl Gallivan, and I drove from Strasbourg, France across the Rhine river into Germany and then north through Heidelberg and on for another fifty miles, then east to the small mountain village of Reicheishelm, Germany. Here we were to meet our German host, a young Lutheran pastor named Wolfgang Breithaupt, and a group of Ukrainian engineers at a Christian retreat center. Ray Cookingham was to arrive later that evening from Frankfurt....