http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/charlescolson/ en-us Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:39:52 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2053369/posts Evangelicals: Change of Heart toward Catholics Evangelicals have been going through a major change of heart in their view of Catholicism over the past 15 years or so. In the 80’s when I was in college I lived in the Biblebelt and had plenty of experience with Evangelicals–much of it bad experience. The 80’s was the height of the “Are you saved?” question. In Virginia, the question often popped up in the first 10 minutes of getting to know someone. As I look back, Isurmise that this was coached from the pulpit or Sunday school as it was so well... The Black Cordelias http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2053369/posts#comment Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:39:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1976020/posts There are an estimated 1.6 million Muslims in Great Britain. By some estimates, more people attend mosque than go to Anglican churches every week. Judging by recent comments by the Archbishop of Canterbury, it is easy to see why. As most of you by now know, Archbishop Rowan William said in a recent interview that the “UK has to ‘face up to the fact’ that some of its citizens do not relate to the British legal system.” He left no doubt who those “citizens” are: British Muslims. So according to Williams, British Muslims should not have to choose between “the... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1976020/posts#comment Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:36:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1970544/posts Note: This commentary contains sensitive information that may not be suitable for children. Tonya was only 12 when she was approached by a man as she walked down a city street. Over the next few months, his gifts and compliments impressed her—and soon, she thought she was in love. The minute he gained Tonya’s trust, the man—who was actually a pimp—took her to another city and forced her into a nightmare world of sexual slavery. She was forced to sell her body to countless men. To keep her in line, the pimp beat her violently. He kept all the money... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1970544/posts#comment Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:57:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1969304/posts Last month, the president announced his intention to sell Saudi Arabia some of our most sophisticated weapons. This is a bad idea, and you should let your representative know it right away. The proposed $20 billion deal includes “satellite-guided weaponry” and “high-tech munitions,” including 900 JDAM bombs. The JDAM is arguably the smartest “smart bomb” in our arsenal. Its electronics can “guide the bomb to its target regardless of weather.” And, it is also resistant to the jamming of its GPS system. According to Reuters, the deal appears to be part of an “effort to persuade Saudi Arabia . .... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1969304/posts#comment Tue, 12 Feb 2008 23:25:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1958423/posts Is it possible, or even worthwhile, for Christians to reach a consensus on impacting culture—from the performing arts, to music, to literature? Well, there are probably as many answers to that question as there are Christians. But theologian T. M. Moore, in his compelling new book Culture Matters, explains why it is so important that Christians reach a cultural consensus: “All culture,” he says, “is a gift from God. The challenge to us is in learning how to take what is good in contemporary culture, reclaim and retool it, and put it to work in a Christian framework for forming... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1958423/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:06:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1957299/posts As Americans observe Martin Luther King Day today, I am reminded of the rich Christian tradition of activism in this country. For millions of Christians who have gone before us, activism was considered fruit of the faith. Not only was the civil-rights movement led by evangelical Christians like Dr. King, so too were campaigns for abolition and women’s suffrage heavily influenced by Christians expressing their faith. But for much of the twentieth century, Christians—especially white evangelicals—shied away from activism. Part of the reason is that from about the 1920s to the 1970s, many evangelical Christians simply withdrew from the public... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1957299/posts#comment Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:20:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1948281/posts As I discovered in Watergate, we humans have an infinite capacity for self-justification—which is why it is pretty good to get a reality check and find out how others see us. After all, only your closest friends tell you if you have bad breath. That is a service David Kinnaman, president of Barna polling, and Gabe Lyons, one of our Centurions, have performed for us with their new book, unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity . . . And Why It Matters. Kinnaman and Lyons spent three years polling young, unchurched Americans to find out what they... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1948281/posts#comment Fri, 4 Jan 2008 15:58:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1947724/posts If you’re like I am, your New Year’s resolutions seldom make it to the end of January. So rather than lay out resolutions today, I want to simply share some thoughts about the New Year—a year that will be dominated by this year’s presidential election. The official kickoff is tomorrow, with the Iowa caucuses. I am almost relieved. It has been a long, tiresome campaign that began the night the 2006 election returns were coming in. I am sure many of us are so tired of the perpetual campaigning that we are tempted to think, Please let it be over,... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1947724/posts#comment Thu, 3 Jan 2008 16:00:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1931920/posts As part of the Economist magazine’s coverage of religion’s role in the twenty-first century, a recent story covers the “new wars of religion.” The magazine’s emphasis on religion represents a nearly 180-degree turn from the publication’s 1999 declaration that belief in God had “passed into history.” But while the magazine is looking in the right direction, it does not understand what it is seeing. The graphic accompanying the story could not be less subtle: an arm reaching down from heaven holding a hand grenade. According to the story, “faith will unsettle politics everywhere this century; it will do so least... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1931920/posts#comment Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:26:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1931362/posts On the eve of the new millennium, the prestigious Economist magazine published what amounted to an obituary for belief in God. Fast forward to November 2007: The cover story of a recent issue of the magazine is titled, “In God’s Name.” In it, the editors admit that they were wrong eight years ago and tell their readers that “religion will play a big role in this century’s politics.” What happened to change their minds? For starters, they began looking through the correct end of the telescope. In 1999, the magazine cited the many different conceptions of God as possible evidence... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1931362/posts#comment Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:55:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1923195/posts Since late September, the crackdown on pro-democracy forces in Burma has brought unwelcome attention to one of the most oppressive regimes on Earth. For many people, the defining image of the Burmese struggle for human rights has been Buddhist monks in red robes staging demonstrations. Reports about Burma focus on the plight and plans of the estimated 400,000 Buddhist monks in the country. Given the coverage, people might be surprised to learn that Burma not only has a substantial Christian population, but that these Christians have long been the junta’s preferred target. Late last month, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1923195/posts#comment Fri, 9 Nov 2007 05:10:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1880752/posts According to its Academy of Social Sciences, China “suffers from the world’s most severe brain drain.” Approximately two-thirds of the Chinese who have studied abroad in the past two decades did not return home. The BBC offered many possible explanations for this drain: the lack of opportunities at home; a lack of freedom, especially after Tiananmen Square, and a preference for the Western “lifestyle.” One factor that was not mentioned but should have been was a concern about spending the rest of your life alone. According to China’s State Population and Family Planning Commission, “by 2020 some 30 million Chinese... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1880752/posts#comment Tue, 14 Aug 2007 01:43:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1875066/posts As the summer grinds on, the war of words over the real war in Iraq is growing hotter every day. Critics of the war are saying that the American people are fed up and want the troops to come home; that the Iraqi government needs to step up and take responsibility for the growing violence; that the war is straining our military—and our soldiers—to the breaking point. Meanwhile, the war’s defenders are claiming that if the troops leave now, the enemy will have won. Instead of fighting terrorists in Iraq, we’ll be fighting them here in our homeland. Leaving now... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1875066/posts#comment Thu, 2 Aug 2007 03:24:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1864221/posts When you think of God, what comes to mind? A.W. Tozer once said, “We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.” If our ideas about God are coming from the wrong places, then our God will be too small. God’s Word, His Son, and creation give us ideas about the Creator. In Romans 1, Paul tells us that creation reveals God’s glory, but men have suppressed this knowledge. In her latest book, Time Peace, my friend and colleague Ellen Vaughn has come up with a wonderful way to blast our too-small... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1864221/posts#comment Wed, 11 Jul 2007 15:00:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1861201/posts Quick, what famous event do we commemorate on the Fourth of July? Not sure? A little rusty on your sixth-grade civics? Well, you're in good company. One Gallup poll revealed that one out of every four Americans doesn't know that July Fourth commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It's a poor patriotism that doesn't even know our national history and traditions. This Fourth of July, let’s ask what it means, in the light of Scripture, to be an American citizen. Patriotism used to be a simple matter. Most of America's traditions were rooted in a Christian heritage. To... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1861201/posts#comment Thu, 5 Jul 2007 14:43:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1861177/posts On June 27, Tony Blair left office after having been Britain’s prime minister for 10 years. His next job will be that of envoy for the so-called “Quartet” of Mideast negotiators: the United States, the U.N., the European Union and Russia. Let’s hope that his new employers appreciate him more than his old ones. Blair leaves 10 Downing Street with the dubious distinction of having been the “most unpopular Labour Prime Minister of modern times.” Last November, his approval rating sank to 26 percent. In other words, Blair is less popular than the Labour leaders who presided over Britain’s economic... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1861177/posts#comment Thu, 5 Jul 2007 14:06:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1698954/posts The full-page ad in the New York Times featured head shots of Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, and Pat Robertson. Above them, in giant type, were the words, “Meet America’s Most Influential Stem Cell Scientists.” The ad charges evangelicals with trying to turn America into a theocracy and outlaw scientific research. This ad was one of many hysterical, vicious, and untruthful ads paid for by a group called the Campaign to Defend the Constitution, or “DefCon.” But far from defending the Constitution, DefCon, which does not have to report who they are or who is paying for these ads, is an... Breakpoint http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1698954/posts#comment Sun, 10 Sep 2006 19:38:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1675970/posts There they go again. The liberal media, it seems, likes nothing better than to play up what they see (or create) as divisions in the evangelical ranks. This Sunday’s New York Times featured a front-page story about Gregory Boyd, an evangelical pastor in Minnesota who is highly critical of the religious right and refuses to talk about abortion or other cultural war issues from his pulpit. The article paints him in heroic terms, willing to stand against the tide. It quotes other Christian leaders who support him, but none of those who might give the other point of view. It... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1675970/posts#comment Tue, 1 Aug 2006 21:07:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1675922/posts A few years ago, a professor at Pasadena City College led a class discussion on the famous story “The Lottery.” In the story, a seemingly normal village carries out a bizarre ritual involving human sacrifice. The professor, Kay Haugaard, had taught the story many times over the years and was anticipating the usual shocked reactions from her students. Instead, she found that she was teaching a room full of moral relativists who thought that the ritual might be all right “if it’s a part of a person’s culture . . . and if it has worked for them.” To Haugaard’s... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1675922/posts#comment Tue, 1 Aug 2006 19:50:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1675915/posts In the first chapter of their new book, 20 Compelling Evidences that God exists, Ken Boa and Robert Bowman write, “We don’t mean to discourage you from reading the rest of this book. But in the interest of full disclosure, we should tell you that, in a sense, there is only one good reason to believe that God exists: because it’s true.” That statement is both profound and well expressed. Unfortunately, these days it’s not the kind of statement you can make in public without having scorn heaped upon your head. As the authors jokingly point out, the popular viewpoint... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1675915/posts#comment Tue, 1 Aug 2006 19:42:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1669924/posts What do you get when you hold a conference with 1,200 people who are all afraid of offending one another? I’ll tell you what you don’t get. You don’t get unity, and you don’t get agreement on anything. That’s what happened when the Spiritual Activism Conference took place recently in Washington, D.C. According to the New York Times, this group of religious liberals came together to discuss “taking back religion from the conservative Christians.” But the conference members had trouble getting anything specific done. The Times hit it right on the nose when it explained, “Turnout at the Spiritual Activism... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1669924/posts#comment Fri, 21 Jul 2006 16:23:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1665835/posts Next week the House of Representatives will be voting on the Marriage Protection Amendment, which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman. Our opponents say there is no need for this amendment because the states will do it, and they cite last week’s New York Court of Appeals decision supporting heterosexual marriage as evidence. Well, they’re wrong. Yes, the Court of Appeals in New York did uphold New York’s law limiting marriage to one man and one woman. But in holding that there was a “rational basis” for this, the New York court is swimming against the... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1665835/posts#comment Fri, 14 Jul 2006 18:33:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655695/posts What are you taking on vacation this summer? Probably the iPod, the Gameboy, maybe even the DVD player—nothing wrong with that. Music and movies can be enriching as well as relaxing. But they’re no substitute for that classic summer tradition of reading books. Unfortunately, many of us are so hooked on technology that we’re in danger of losing our taste for good books. But we need books to exercise our mind, to explore important ideas, and to provide great topics for family discussion. So I’ve got a few recommendations for summer reading, starting with a book by one of my... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655695/posts#comment Mon, 26 Jun 2006 13:29:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1655865/posts Earlier this year, Britain’s Channel Four aired a two-part special entitled “The Root of All Evil.” No, it wasn’t about money, greed or materialism. Nor was it about racism and other forms of hatred. The “root” was religion, specifically Christianity. The special featured Oxford professor Richard Dawkins, arguably the most famous apologist for the Darwinian worldview. While Dawkins may be an expert on Darwin, it’s clear that he knows little about history, especially the history of Christianity. Besides the old saw that religion causes violence—as opposed to peaceful atheism, as practiced by Stalin and Mao—Darwinists charge Christianity with promoting superstition... BreakPoint Commentaries http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1655865/posts#comment Mon, 26 Jun 2006 18:14:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1633390/posts A few months ago, I told you about the agonizing choice facing Catholic Charities of Boston: Either serve the needy or remain faithful to Catholic teaching. Specifically, the only way it could continue to handle adoptions according to Massachusetts law was to include same-sex couples among its clientele. While the Massachusetts law is not new, a new interpretation of the legal protection afforded sexual orientation threatens to undermine religious liberty not just in Massachusetts but also across the nation. It’s important to understand the background. In March, Catholic Charities, citing a “dilemma we cannot resolve,” announced that it would no... Breakpoint with Chuck Colson http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1633390/posts#comment Tue, 16 May 2006 23:33:52 GMT