Mainline Protestant (Religion)
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Institutionalizing Sin It is a very interesting time to be alive. By His grace, may God grant us an outpouring of His Holy Spirit in extra measure that we might resist every urge to accommodate to the philosophy of this age or remain silent on the new institutionalization of sin. Make no mistake, the recent Supreme Court ruling on re-defining marriage will have far-reaching ripple effects on every aspect of our society ... and it will require us as Christians to resist by disobeying every law which would force us to compromise the gospel. And while yesterday may have been...
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An openly gay United Methodist pastor said his "I Dos" in front of more than 30 clergy members and 100 guests Friday, days after he was forced to resign for having a partner.The Rev. Benjamin Hutchison married his partner, Monty Hutchison, in a ceremony on the steps of the historic Cass County Courthouse.Hutchison called it a joyous occasion."Walking around the courthouse and seeing all the support, seeing all clergy there gathered standing there saying that they support it, they're not opposed to it, it really was a blessing today."Hutchison, 31, resigned earlier this week from his position as senior pastor...
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At the level of sweeping stereotypes, most Westerners tend to think of India and its dominant religion, Hinduism, as bastions of tolerance. Ever since the Beatles traveled to an ashram to study meditation, there’s been a chic about Indian spirituality as the ultimate in “all paths lead to the same place.”One might profitably ask Christians in today’s India, however, whether those stereotypes have anything to do with their reality. The answer you’re likely to get is, “Are you kidding?”In truth, India’s small Christian minority has felt under the gun for a long time, and they say things have become considerably...
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How Many Protestants Were Killed in the Inquisition? A friend asked me that question earlier this week. And so I thought it might be helpful to share a few thoughts, from a historical perspective. Opinions about how to answer the question vary widely. Some suggest that just a few thousand people were executed during the Inquisition, while others project that there were tens of millions of victims. So how can the estimates be so widely divergent? There seem to be several explanations: 1. First, the imprecise nature of the historical records means that contemporary historians are forced to extrapolate on...
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You have been subjected to much scorn and many have bludgeoned you with words of iniquity in hatred spite but I AM here to wipe away the tears and touch your heart with ~ ~ The Winds of Forgiveness ~ ~ you find in ME "THE WORD" ! So come Now and be healed in the washing of My waters for I AM your "T"otal and Complete "YES" of your Redemption and in your surrendering all to Me I shall fill you to Overflowing even Now with My Love, Joy and Forgiveness. . . "NOW COME" Rise UP ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZVjKrmvYYQ&list=RDNZVjKrmvY...
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Masses are about to come to Me, Not out of catastrophe but willingly, Soon you shall see My spirit pouring out "FREE", A Mountain of Love, Pouring down from above, And all the Earth shall see, My love for all humanity, A Love so Alive and True! And it's headed right at you, So My question to you from Me? Is "ARE YOU" ready for what you are about to see?! ( (( ( MY GLORY ) )) ) Joel 2:28-32Amplified Bible (AMP) 28 And afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your...
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>Tuesday, July 14 probably passes without much fanfare in your home, but the date, Bastille Day, marks the beginning of the greatest organized persecution of Christians since the Emperor Diocletian. This day, the beginning of the French Revolution, also planted the seeds for the murderous ideologies of socialism and nationalism that would poison the next two centuries, murdering millions of believers and other innocent civilians. Between them, those two political movements racked up quite a body count: In Death By Government, scholar R. J. Rummel pointed out thatduring the first 88 years of this century, almost 170,000,000 men, women and...
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I was torn to lament over situations recently so I asked The Lord to explain His Grace to me and I share it for your consideration . . . Grace is sufficient is more than a statement it is an enactment for many in My Creation ask "Why"? When I have given them the gift to (( ( "DECLARE" ) )) ((( "GRACE" ))) ! And so it is with this enlightenment they "IN FACT" carry the KEY to their own Blessings and Grace ! For I AM GRACE ETERNAL and it is in this manner you must speak and...
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Authorities say church crosses violate policy of 'Sinicization'A Chinese government-led cross demolition campaign has spread from Wenzhou to other dioceses in Zhejiang province with five Catholic churches having their crosses removed last week. The crosses on churches in Songmun, Xinhe, Muyu and Dasi of Taizhou diocese as well as the Xiaoshan Sacred Heart of Jesus Church of Hangzhou diocese were demolished July 2. Authorities said the crosses were removed in order to “Sinicize” the churches, a local source in Taizhou told ucanews.com. “When we asked the officials what means by “Sinicize” the churches, they said they did not know either...
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The life of Ulrich Zwingli will be brought to the big screens, confirmed C-Films, a company which produced films like “Midnight train to Lisbon.” Many have discovered the Protestant Reformation through films about Martin Luther (especially “Luther”, lead by Joseph Fiennes), but not many other Christians leaders of his age have been portrayed in cinemas. Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) was the most well known Reformer of the Swiss city of Zürich, a focus of the Reformation in the country alongside Calvin’s Geneva. The script is being written by journalist Simone Schmid, who is working on historical material of the Reformed Church...
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One measure of the decline of mainline social justice activism can be found in a recent Facebook exchange between the Methodist civil rights leader Maxie Dunnam and the Methodist civil rights official Bill Mefford. Dunnam was a heroic opponent of Jim Crow as a young pastor in Mississippi and went on to become the president of Asbury Theological Seminary. He also happens to believe in the historic Christian understanding of marriage, so in response to Obergefell v. Hodges, he made the following post on his Facebook wall:To which Mefford, the “Director of Civil and Human Rights” for the United...
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Ben Franklin is the prototype for the celebrity-as-politician. His autobiography is still in print; if he were alive, he’d be on Drudge’s columnists’ list, and command speaking fees that would turn Hillary Clinton green with envy. A popular T-shirt has a quote erroneously attributed to Franklin: ‘Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.’ But John Witherspoon? He wasn’t a fan of self-promotion, which was no less prevalent then. Today, in D.C., his statue stands at a tiny triangle where Connecticut Avenue intersects with N Street and 18th Street N.W. It is routinely ignored. At...
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... Findings from PRRI's American Values Atlas, which draws on 40,000 interviews among a random sample of Americans, provides the most in-depth portrait to date of attitudes on same-sex marriage by religious affiliation. ... All Americans [percentages]... Strongly Favor 25 Favor 29 Oppose 18 Strongly Oppose 20 White Evangelical Protestant [Baptist, Methodist, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Church of Christ]... Strongly Favor 10 Favor 18 Oppose 27 Strongly Oppose 39 White Mainline Protestant [Baptist, Methodist, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Church of Christ]... Strongly Favor 28 Favor 34 Oppose 16 Strongly Oppose 14 ...
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Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson with a friend The AP reports here from the Episcopal Church’s General Convention  that the Episcopal Church of the USA is now formally permitting same sex weddings.  Episcopalians voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to allow religious weddings for same-sex couples, solidifying the church’s embrace of gay rights that began more than a decade ago with the pioneering election of the first openly gay bishop.the House of Bishops prayed and debated the issue for five hours earlier this week before passing it on to the House of Deputies.The Rev. Bonnie Perry of Chicago, a lesbian married to a...
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Episcopal Church has completed its embrace of gay rights, changing church law to allow same-sex religious marriages throughout the denomination, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide. The new policy won overwhelming approval from the top Episcopal legislative body Wednesday, following decades of debate and conflict. It came 12 years after the denomination blazed a trail by electing the first openly gay bishop. "To finally get to this day is an incredible moment," said the Rev. Cynthia Black, of Morristown, New Jersey, a lesbian who has been campaigning for gay...
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Episcopalians are set to vote Wednesday on allowing religious weddings for same-sex couples, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide. In 2003, the denomination made the trailblazing move of electing the first openly gay Episcopal bishop. Since then, many dioceses have allowed their priests to perform civil same-sex weddings. Still, the church hadn't changed its own laws on marriage. The vote on gay marriage is expected around midday in Salt Lake City at the denomination's national assembly. The proposal would eliminate gender-specific language from church laws on marriage so religious weddings...
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Nearly 5,000 people have signed a petition protesting a proposal to turn a Catholic hospital chapel into a Muslim prayer room.
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“Because the fetus feels no pain, a function of the brain as yet undeveloped, and the woman acts under her own will and conscience, it is still not violence to a human being.… It is not enough to say that abortion is not violent. Abortion is a positive decision and not a lesser evil. It gives women control over their lives, their fertility, their education, their vocations, and their responsibility to their families, and is therefore profamily and pro-life.” Pro-choice Methodist pastor John M Swomley John M Swomley Compulsory Pregnancy: the War against American Women (Amherst, New York: Humanist Press,...
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Our semi-Liberal Catholic parish recently changed hymnals. Today was the first Sunday since the change that A Mighty Fortress is Our God was on the hymn list. Now, I come from 500 years of German Lutherans. I know the words to Ein Feste Burg, and I know the English version by heart (a bulwark never failing, Lord Sabaoth His name, etc, etc). So, anyway, the words in the new hymnal are different. My first thought, of course, was "Damn Liberal Catholics, can't leave any of our good old hymns alone", BUT, when I looked down, I saw the copyright was...
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