Government-Run Health Care - Chuck Colson, Breakpoint.com, September 18, 2009
Who do you want answering this question: Should we save a baby born at 21 weeks and 5 days?In the midst of the very heated debate going on about health care reform, one thing is becoming clearer and clearer—most Americans do not trust the government to make health care decisions for themselves or their families. You don’t have to look far to see that their mistrust is well founded. Check out the British press virtually any day online, and you will find horror story after horror story about what can happen when the power of life and death is handed over to a government bureaucracy.
I’ve spoken before about Britain’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (and I’ve also pointed out the sinister irony of that organization’s acronym, NICE, which was the center of evil in C.S. Lewis’s famous novel That Hideous Strength). NICE and similar agencies are setting health-care guidelines for the British National Health Service that are leading directly to a devaluing of human life.
Take the story of Bruce Hardy, who was denied the expensive cancer treatment his doctor wanted him to undergo. He was not even given the chance to pay for part of the treatment himself. Just this month, Rosemary Munkenbeck told the Daily Telegraph that doctors withdrew fluids and drugs from her father elderly father, Eric Troake, after he suffered a stroke. He appears to have been treated according to a National Health Service “pathway scheme” for dying patients—even though it was not clear that he was actually dying, and despite having said that he wanted to live to be 100 if he could. “[Doctors] say my sister and I are cruel and are trying to hold on to our father,” Munkenbeck said. “But this man has a right to life....He’s not suffering from a terminal illness, he just had a stroke. We just feel they decided from the beginning that he’s 95 so they’ve written him off.”
And the Daily Mail recently carried the story of Sarah Capewell and her son, Jayden, who was left to die by doctors because he was born at 21 weeks and five days. Had he been born only two days later, Jayden would have been given medical assistance and might have survived. But British government guidelines for National Health Service hospitals state: “If gestational age is certain and less than [22 weeks] it would be considered in the best interests of the baby, and standard practice, for resuscitation not to be carried out.” Though Jayden, delivered by a midwife, was breathing on his own and moving his limbs, doctors refused to treat or even see him. Capewell says she said to one doctor, “You have got to help,” and he responded, “No, we don’t.”
Some lives may indeed be impossible to save. But what we have here is a government bureaucracy that has the power to determine—as a matter of policy—not to save lives that could be saved. In essence, determining whose life is worth the expense. The proper, biblical role of government is to protect the well-being of its citizens—to provide security and promote justice, not to usher them into the next world by denying them medical care. Do we need health care reform? Of course we do; I’ve said so before. But as Christians, we must not assent to giving unaccountable bureaucrats the power to determine the value of a human life—or to withhold medical care from those whose survival is somehow deemed outside the national interest. [Words in italics and bold in this paragraph mine, for emphasis.]
Further Reading and Information
- Daughter Claims Father Wrongly Placed on Controversial NHS End of Life SchemeTelegraph | September 8, 2009'
- Doctors Told Me It Was Against the Rules to Save my Premature Baby'Daily Mail | September 10, 2009
- That Hideous Strength C.S. Lewis
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
:#42 - The Mission of the Church
Christianity as a Worldview - By Chuck Colson, September 08, 2009
[Have YOU borrowed from the library or bought a copy of "SAVING FREEDOM" by Jim DeMint? It really is the ONE non-fiction book you need to read as soon as possible. If you own a copy, loan it out to friends and have them pass it around. It is THAT good.]
Today I want to tell you about a major new effort to renew the Church and transform the culture.What is the vision of the Church? That was the sermon topic one Sunday a dozen years ago or so when I visited a friend’s church. But as I listened, I found my mind wandering. I had just signed a contract to write a book on Christian worldview, and I was experiencing writer’s remorse. Did this book really need to be written? Suddenly the pastor’s words caught my attention. The mission of the Church, he said, is to prepare for Christ’s return in five ways: prayer, Bible study, worship, fellowship, and evangelism. In that instant, all doubts about writing the book vanished. Of course, these five spiritual exercises are central to the Church’s life, but we can never overlook our responsibility to redeem all of culture as well. Though well-intentioned, the pastor’s words were a prescription for the continued marginalization of the Church. Just like this pastor, many evangelicals define faith strictly in terms of personal salvation. Yet soul-winning is not an end in itself. We are not only saved from sin, we are also saved to something—to the task of cultivating God’s creation. Genesis teaches that on the first five days, God did the work of creating. But on the sixth day, He made human beings in His image to carry on His work—to develop the raw materials of the world He had created.
This is called the “cultural commission,” just as binding as the “Great Commission.” It means our faith is intended to encompass every part of life, every sphere of work, every aspect of the world.In short, our faith must be a complete worldview, the basic set of beliefs that function as a set of glasses helping us to see all of reality through God’s eyes. If God is creator and sovereign over everything, as we confess He is, then everything finds its identity and meaning in relationship to Him—not only our spiritual life but also our work, politics, science, education, the arts, etc. Developing a Christian worldview is not some ivory-tower exercise. It is crucial for every believer—affecting every choice we make. The doctrine of creation tells us that God made the world with a moral and physical order—that there are God-given norms for every aspect of creation.
This is why I’m so excited to announce that we have launched the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. This online Center is the culmination of years of work to help believers understand, articulate, and live out an authentically biblical worldview. I believe in this effort so deeply, that I will be devoting my remaining years of ministry to it. When you visit ColsonCenter.org, you will be able to search for all kinds of articles, speeches, and videos by me and many of the leading Christian worldview thinkers today. We’ll also be providing online courses and opportunities to network with Christians who are passionate about renewing the Church and transforming the culture. Visit us at ColsonCenter.org—and come back often.
If we don’t know the norms God as ordained for every area of life, then we will drift with the tide of this postmodern age, and, instead of transforming the culture, as we’re supposed to, we will transformed by it. The mission of the Church is indeed prayer and evangelism, just as that pastor said that Sunday. But to be effective, we must also develop a comprehensive worldview. And that, too, is the urgent mission of the Church in a post-Christian world.
[Just for Laughs: " I gave up jogging for my health. My thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my underwear." - from MickeysFunnies.com]
[Have YOU borrowed from the library or bought a copy of "SAVING FREEDOM" by Jim DeMint? It really is the ONE non-fiction book you need to read as soon as possible. If you own a copy, loan it out to friends and have them pass it around. It is THAT good.]
Today I want to tell you about a major new effort to renew the Church and transform the culture.What is the vision of the Church? That was the sermon topic one Sunday a dozen years ago or so when I visited a friend’s church. But as I listened, I found my mind wandering. I had just signed a contract to write a book on Christian worldview, and I was experiencing writer’s remorse. Did this book really need to be written? Suddenly the pastor’s words caught my attention. The mission of the Church, he said, is to prepare for Christ’s return in five ways: prayer, Bible study, worship, fellowship, and evangelism. In that instant, all doubts about writing the book vanished. Of course, these five spiritual exercises are central to the Church’s life, but we can never overlook our responsibility to redeem all of culture as well. Though well-intentioned, the pastor’s words were a prescription for the continued marginalization of the Church. Just like this pastor, many evangelicals define faith strictly in terms of personal salvation. Yet soul-winning is not an end in itself. We are not only saved from sin, we are also saved to something—to the task of cultivating God’s creation. Genesis teaches that on the first five days, God did the work of creating. But on the sixth day, He made human beings in His image to carry on His work—to develop the raw materials of the world He had created.
This is called the “cultural commission,” just as binding as the “Great Commission.” It means our faith is intended to encompass every part of life, every sphere of work, every aspect of the world.In short, our faith must be a complete worldview, the basic set of beliefs that function as a set of glasses helping us to see all of reality through God’s eyes. If God is creator and sovereign over everything, as we confess He is, then everything finds its identity and meaning in relationship to Him—not only our spiritual life but also our work, politics, science, education, the arts, etc. Developing a Christian worldview is not some ivory-tower exercise. It is crucial for every believer—affecting every choice we make. The doctrine of creation tells us that God made the world with a moral and physical order—that there are God-given norms for every aspect of creation.
This is why I’m so excited to announce that we have launched the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. This online Center is the culmination of years of work to help believers understand, articulate, and live out an authentically biblical worldview. I believe in this effort so deeply, that I will be devoting my remaining years of ministry to it. When you visit ColsonCenter.org, you will be able to search for all kinds of articles, speeches, and videos by me and many of the leading Christian worldview thinkers today. We’ll also be providing online courses and opportunities to network with Christians who are passionate about renewing the Church and transforming the culture. Visit us at ColsonCenter.org—and come back often.
If we don’t know the norms God as ordained for every area of life, then we will drift with the tide of this postmodern age, and, instead of transforming the culture, as we’re supposed to, we will transformed by it. The mission of the Church is indeed prayer and evangelism, just as that pastor said that Sunday. But to be effective, we must also develop a comprehensive worldview. And that, too, is the urgent mission of the Church in a post-Christian world.
[Just for Laughs: " I gave up jogging for my health. My thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my underwear." - from MickeysFunnies.com]
Sunday, September 6, 2009
#41 - “Letters to the Church” – TWO
What Makes Faith Real – Part 2
No One Is "Fine" In A War! - “Be kind. Remember EVERYONE [caps mine] you meet is fighting a hard battle." - T.H. Thompson
Imagine: It’s a typical Sunday morning after the worship service. As usual, you are walking through the crowd of familiar faces. As you walk up to someone, shake their hand and say, “Hi, how’re you doing?” And the person replies, not unexpectedly, “Fine” and they walk away. After several encounters like this, you get in your car and head home. As you leave, you hear the Holy Spirit say to you, “So, what did you learn about the others in your church this week?” Immediately, the word “fine” pops in your head and you realize that you really didn’t learn anything at all about anyone else in your body of Christ. You realize that for all intents and purpose, you might have well met strangers after attending a music concert.
I don’t know about you, after any worship service –especially at a church I am a member – its come to where if I hear someone say they are “fine,” I am tempted to scream! In the August 31st entry in his devotional “Daily in Christ,” Neil and Joanne Anderson write: “Other than Himself, God’s primary resource for meeting your needs and keeping you pure is other believers. The problem is that many go to Sunday School, church, and Bible study wearing a sanctimonious mask. Wanting to appear strong and together, they rob themselves of the opportunity of having their needs met in the warmth and safety of the Christian community. In the process they rob the community of the opportunity to minister to their needs.” It’s as though to be recognized as a “good” Christian among other believers, the idea permeates the body that, while we ALL have struggles in our walk with God, it’s just not “socially correct” when with other Christians to be transparent. I’m not talking about unburdening yourself necessarily to everyone you meet at a Christian gathering. But certainly, we should feel comfortable to share how we’re really not “fine” when someone asks us how we are.
I will never forget visiting a church during a time of great turmoil in my life. After the service, I happened upon a friend I had not seen in awhile and began sharing with him the things I was struggling with. Not having had anyone else to share with in awhile, I suddenly became overwhelmed with emotions and before I knew it, I burst out crying so hard that my body not only began to shake, but I found myself falling at his feed crying. After awhile, I noticed that he had not said anything and frankly, might not have known what to say. That was “fine” with me (really!) because all I had needed was someone to just listen to me and allow me to unburden myself. But as helpful as that experience was for me, do you know what was the unexpected result? Someone in the church saw my outburst and reported it to the youth minister whom I had approached about helping with the youth group. Several days later, that youth minister called me, and he stunned me by saying that they could not have someone who had emotional issues as I working with the youth. When he said it, I was so stunned I couldn’t respond. But later, I was so incredulous, afraid I might “get emotional” and lose my temper over the phone, I emailed that youth minister. I simply told him that I was exactly the kind of person he needed to be helping him with the church youth. The youth – and adult Christians as well – need the example of someone who was real about their struggles. What the Church doesn’t need are people who wear the spiritual mask of “The Super Christian.” Sadly, he still saw me as a potential liability rather than an asset and refused to let me work with the youth. (I never returned to that church.)
The Andersons also say: “We all have basic human needs to feel loved, accepted, and worthwhile. When these needs go unmet, it’s very important that we express them to our family members and fellow Christians in a positive way and allow others to minister to those needs. [This is what I find especially insightful.] I believe that one basis for temptation is unmet legitimate needs…By denying the fellowship of believers the privilege of meeting your legitimate needs, you are acting independently of God. You are vulnerable to the temptation of thinking that you can have your needs met in the world, the flesh, and the devil.” I ran across this by chance when I attended a weekly neighborhood gathering while visiting another church. Sometime during the discussion on prayer, the elderly gentleman sitting next to me that I had met just minutes earlier suddenly burst out saying, “I’ve been mad at God since last year when He didn’t answer my prayers for my sick friend last year and he died.” As I reflect back on that statement in light of the Andersons’ teaching, I realize that that man had held in that pain until somehow the discussion that night awakened it and gave him an opportunity to express it. Because of his disappointment with God, that man had been led by Satan to believe the lie that God did not really care for his friend, allowed him to die, and so that man had a right to be mad at God. (Unfortunately, that’s not exactly what I shared with that man but at some future time I will share what I did about how God ALWAYS answers prayer.)
I believe every church sanctuary, every youth group meeting room should have the above quotation over their door: “Be kind. EVERYONE you meet is fighting hard battle.” I agree with John Eldridge. The Christian life is a continuous war – against our fleshly desires, the world’s values, and Satan’s lies. If a Christian is not struggling in some way, than he/she has surrendered in some way. Whenever we are among other believers, we need be feel free to be vulnerable, to not feel that somehow we need to “not bother others with our problems.” We need to ask ourselves if our hesitancy to be vulnerable with others does not reveal the problem of pride in our lives and that we just might have fallen for Satan’s lie – that others will reject us if we are honest with them.
SUGGESTIONS: So how do we create an environment of vulnerability? Well, I believe it might start with the leaders – beginning with the pastor – feeling free to be vulnerable in front of the rest of the church body. Individually, when someone asks us, “How are you doing?” we should begin to catch ourselves if we reply with a simple “Fine.” We could say something like, “You know, I have been struggling with this one thing. Do you have a few minutes I could share it with you?” Afterwards, you could just thank the person for listening to you share and then ask if that person could briefly pray for you. In this way, you’ve demonstrated that it’s okay to be vulnerable AND you’ve given the other person the chance to minister to your need in the best way possible – by lifting you up to God’s throne. Then afterwards, you might ask the person if THEY have something they would like to share and that you can join them in praying about. (If they happen to be in a rush, you can also offer to call that person later in the day to share over the phone.) In my mind, THIS is when real Christian community takes place, THIS is real Christianity. (I believe that tens of thousands are leaving evangelical churches each year in part because people do not sense a real community of caring in the midst of seeker-friendly services and flashy programs.)
An “I dare you to try this” suggestion. Many years ago, I became aware of how little I got to know people on Sunday mornings. And so one Sunday, after the service, I made a point of walking up and introducing myself to the brother of one of the members who was visiting that day. After he told me his name, he started to release his grip on my hand that he had been shaking and was turning to greet someone else. Well, I decided I just wasn’t going to let go of his hand and continued to engage him in conversation. I remember the stunned look on his face as I was not acting “socially correct.” But despite his being uncomfortable, I just asked him question after question trying to learn all I could. We must have been standing there for at least 5 minutes (way beyond the “acceptable” time of no more than 15 seconds) before I finally let go of his hand. Throughout that conversation, I had to fight to keep a straight face because I was so tempted to burst out laughing as I literally had that poor guy prisoner. I just wouldn’t settle for a quick “greet and release (the hand you’re shaking).” If I ever meet you at a Christian gathering, if you shake my hand, I am hereby warning you not to expect a quick “shake and release.” It’s not going to happen.
A Final Suggestion: During the typical church service, there is always the time when everyone is invited to stand and greet the people around them. Well, for a change, what if people were asked to introduce themselves to one person they have either never met or do not know very well. Then, they would each be required to learn two things about that person: 1) their favorite movie of all time (or some such icebreaker question, and 2) what was the one thing they prayed about the most. (If the person says they are not (yet) a believer, you could ask them what they would have most liked someone to pray for them during the past week.) Finally, each person, in turn, would pray no more than 30 seconds for the other person. Later, the pastor or worship leader might ask someone to share what he or she learned about the person they met and what they prayed for them about. That would give a whole new meaning to the usual time of greeting during a service. And, I might be wrong, but that just may be the part of the service that a visitor most remembers and might most incline him/her to return. After all, the one thing someone visiting (as well as any human being) wants to experience is a sense of feeling accepted and loved.
No One Is "Fine" In A War! - “Be kind. Remember EVERYONE [caps mine] you meet is fighting a hard battle." - T.H. Thompson
Imagine: It’s a typical Sunday morning after the worship service. As usual, you are walking through the crowd of familiar faces. As you walk up to someone, shake their hand and say, “Hi, how’re you doing?” And the person replies, not unexpectedly, “Fine” and they walk away. After several encounters like this, you get in your car and head home. As you leave, you hear the Holy Spirit say to you, “So, what did you learn about the others in your church this week?” Immediately, the word “fine” pops in your head and you realize that you really didn’t learn anything at all about anyone else in your body of Christ. You realize that for all intents and purpose, you might have well met strangers after attending a music concert.
I don’t know about you, after any worship service –especially at a church I am a member – its come to where if I hear someone say they are “fine,” I am tempted to scream! In the August 31st entry in his devotional “Daily in Christ,” Neil and Joanne Anderson write: “Other than Himself, God’s primary resource for meeting your needs and keeping you pure is other believers. The problem is that many go to Sunday School, church, and Bible study wearing a sanctimonious mask. Wanting to appear strong and together, they rob themselves of the opportunity of having their needs met in the warmth and safety of the Christian community. In the process they rob the community of the opportunity to minister to their needs.” It’s as though to be recognized as a “good” Christian among other believers, the idea permeates the body that, while we ALL have struggles in our walk with God, it’s just not “socially correct” when with other Christians to be transparent. I’m not talking about unburdening yourself necessarily to everyone you meet at a Christian gathering. But certainly, we should feel comfortable to share how we’re really not “fine” when someone asks us how we are.
I will never forget visiting a church during a time of great turmoil in my life. After the service, I happened upon a friend I had not seen in awhile and began sharing with him the things I was struggling with. Not having had anyone else to share with in awhile, I suddenly became overwhelmed with emotions and before I knew it, I burst out crying so hard that my body not only began to shake, but I found myself falling at his feed crying. After awhile, I noticed that he had not said anything and frankly, might not have known what to say. That was “fine” with me (really!) because all I had needed was someone to just listen to me and allow me to unburden myself. But as helpful as that experience was for me, do you know what was the unexpected result? Someone in the church saw my outburst and reported it to the youth minister whom I had approached about helping with the youth group. Several days later, that youth minister called me, and he stunned me by saying that they could not have someone who had emotional issues as I working with the youth. When he said it, I was so stunned I couldn’t respond. But later, I was so incredulous, afraid I might “get emotional” and lose my temper over the phone, I emailed that youth minister. I simply told him that I was exactly the kind of person he needed to be helping him with the church youth. The youth – and adult Christians as well – need the example of someone who was real about their struggles. What the Church doesn’t need are people who wear the spiritual mask of “The Super Christian.” Sadly, he still saw me as a potential liability rather than an asset and refused to let me work with the youth. (I never returned to that church.)
The Andersons also say: “We all have basic human needs to feel loved, accepted, and worthwhile. When these needs go unmet, it’s very important that we express them to our family members and fellow Christians in a positive way and allow others to minister to those needs. [This is what I find especially insightful.] I believe that one basis for temptation is unmet legitimate needs…By denying the fellowship of believers the privilege of meeting your legitimate needs, you are acting independently of God. You are vulnerable to the temptation of thinking that you can have your needs met in the world, the flesh, and the devil.” I ran across this by chance when I attended a weekly neighborhood gathering while visiting another church. Sometime during the discussion on prayer, the elderly gentleman sitting next to me that I had met just minutes earlier suddenly burst out saying, “I’ve been mad at God since last year when He didn’t answer my prayers for my sick friend last year and he died.” As I reflect back on that statement in light of the Andersons’ teaching, I realize that that man had held in that pain until somehow the discussion that night awakened it and gave him an opportunity to express it. Because of his disappointment with God, that man had been led by Satan to believe the lie that God did not really care for his friend, allowed him to die, and so that man had a right to be mad at God. (Unfortunately, that’s not exactly what I shared with that man but at some future time I will share what I did about how God ALWAYS answers prayer.)
I believe every church sanctuary, every youth group meeting room should have the above quotation over their door: “Be kind. EVERYONE you meet is fighting hard battle.” I agree with John Eldridge. The Christian life is a continuous war – against our fleshly desires, the world’s values, and Satan’s lies. If a Christian is not struggling in some way, than he/she has surrendered in some way. Whenever we are among other believers, we need be feel free to be vulnerable, to not feel that somehow we need to “not bother others with our problems.” We need to ask ourselves if our hesitancy to be vulnerable with others does not reveal the problem of pride in our lives and that we just might have fallen for Satan’s lie – that others will reject us if we are honest with them.
SUGGESTIONS: So how do we create an environment of vulnerability? Well, I believe it might start with the leaders – beginning with the pastor – feeling free to be vulnerable in front of the rest of the church body. Individually, when someone asks us, “How are you doing?” we should begin to catch ourselves if we reply with a simple “Fine.” We could say something like, “You know, I have been struggling with this one thing. Do you have a few minutes I could share it with you?” Afterwards, you could just thank the person for listening to you share and then ask if that person could briefly pray for you. In this way, you’ve demonstrated that it’s okay to be vulnerable AND you’ve given the other person the chance to minister to your need in the best way possible – by lifting you up to God’s throne. Then afterwards, you might ask the person if THEY have something they would like to share and that you can join them in praying about. (If they happen to be in a rush, you can also offer to call that person later in the day to share over the phone.) In my mind, THIS is when real Christian community takes place, THIS is real Christianity. (I believe that tens of thousands are leaving evangelical churches each year in part because people do not sense a real community of caring in the midst of seeker-friendly services and flashy programs.)
An “I dare you to try this” suggestion. Many years ago, I became aware of how little I got to know people on Sunday mornings. And so one Sunday, after the service, I made a point of walking up and introducing myself to the brother of one of the members who was visiting that day. After he told me his name, he started to release his grip on my hand that he had been shaking and was turning to greet someone else. Well, I decided I just wasn’t going to let go of his hand and continued to engage him in conversation. I remember the stunned look on his face as I was not acting “socially correct.” But despite his being uncomfortable, I just asked him question after question trying to learn all I could. We must have been standing there for at least 5 minutes (way beyond the “acceptable” time of no more than 15 seconds) before I finally let go of his hand. Throughout that conversation, I had to fight to keep a straight face because I was so tempted to burst out laughing as I literally had that poor guy prisoner. I just wouldn’t settle for a quick “greet and release (the hand you’re shaking).” If I ever meet you at a Christian gathering, if you shake my hand, I am hereby warning you not to expect a quick “shake and release.” It’s not going to happen.
A Final Suggestion: During the typical church service, there is always the time when everyone is invited to stand and greet the people around them. Well, for a change, what if people were asked to introduce themselves to one person they have either never met or do not know very well. Then, they would each be required to learn two things about that person: 1) their favorite movie of all time (or some such icebreaker question, and 2) what was the one thing they prayed about the most. (If the person says they are not (yet) a believer, you could ask them what they would have most liked someone to pray for them during the past week.) Finally, each person, in turn, would pray no more than 30 seconds for the other person. Later, the pastor or worship leader might ask someone to share what he or she learned about the person they met and what they prayed for them about. That would give a whole new meaning to the usual time of greeting during a service. And, I might be wrong, but that just may be the part of the service that a visitor most remembers and might most incline him/her to return. After all, the one thing someone visiting (as well as any human being) wants to experience is a sense of feeling accepted and loved.
Friday, September 4, 2009
#40 - What Makes Faith Real - Part 1
[Have YOU borrowed from the library or bought a copy of "SAVING FREEDOM" by Jim DeMint? It really is the ONE non-fiction book you need to read as soon as possible. If you own a copy, loan it out to friends and have them pass it around. It is THAT good.]
“The Dark Night of the Soul” - By Chuck Colson, August 28, 2009, Breakpoint.com
"Be kind. Remember EVERYONE [caps mine] you meet is fighting a hard battle." T.H. Thompson
[Note: (1) Do you sometimes feel like others seem to be "more spiritual," to have it all "together" as a believer than you, so much so that you feel somewhat guilty, as though you don't measure up as a Christian? Well, I have, and I doubt there has ever been a Christian who many times feels that way. This article addresses the subject and while it is a bit of heavy reading, note the points I've put in bold type. I will address it further in another special "Letters to the Church" on another special posting this coming Sunday. You won't want to miss checking the posting for this Sunday!; (2) Don't miss my "Just for Laughs" joke at the end of this posting. It's something I'll try to add at the end of every posting. If YOU have one you'd like me to pass on, sent it to me as a comment.; and (3) ]Guess what? I've made some additions to my "Life Truths" posting (#`11)on the movie "Saint Ralph" on my youth blog: (a) First of all there is now an intro to help you make this a truly family friendly movie that you can even show to those in grade school;and (b) points 16, 19, and 22 are NEW.]
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Each month on BreakPoint we examine a great book that helped shape Western Christendom. This month, Dr. Ken Boa shines a light on a difficult subject. Perhaps you remember the media frenzy over Mother Teresa’s letters, which were published after her death. Because revealed depression, doubts, and spiritual darkness, many argued that Mother Teresa’s Christian faith could not possibly have been real. Atheist Christopher Hitchens, for instance, insisted that she must have realized that “religion is a human fabrication.” Well, nonsense. Hitchens had no way of understanding Mother Teresa and her faith, but there’s another author who would have understood perfectly. In fact, this man might have said that Mother Teresa’s struggles actually showed just how real her faith was.
John of the Cross, who lived in the 1500s, is the writer, friar, and priest featured in Ken Boa’s latest Great Books Audio CD Series. Ken tells us that this man’s “spiritual development was forged in a life of pain, conflict, and passion for God.” The title of John’s most famous work, The Dark Night of the Soul, is familiar to all of us because we’ve all experienced this, as Christians have through the centuries, the “seasons of darkness and dryness in the spiritual journey. Too frequently, our modern attitude about prayer is to make it all about ourselves instead of about Christ. We focus on a “technique or set of steps” that’s supposed to bring sure results. But this approach can leave us unprepared to deal with the doubts and darkness that can overwhelm even the most faithful Christian. John of the Cross contended that the dry seasons teach us about our own powerlessness and our own need for complete reliance on Christ. He talked about not one, but several different kinds of “nights” that we may go through.
There’s the night that we experience in our senses. But then there’s the far darker kind that we experience in our soul, which leads to terrible feelings of “desolation” and “abandonment.” We may experience these nights in “active” ways, when we must work to reach out to God, and “passive” ways, when we must be still and allow God to act upon us. Of the dark night of the senses, Ken says this: When “the senses are stripped of all pleasure and joy in prayer,” our attention can be drawn toward God, who purifies us and takes us “through dread to eventual joy, not despair.” But we can only experience this kind of growth if we willingly submit to God even when all our feelings seem to be pulling us away from Him. As for the dark night of the soul, John of the Cross explained that it may be used to teach the soul “renunciation and deprivation,” “faith,” and finally, “the ultimate rapture of union with Christ.” As you can imagine, this teaching has been tough for many to take. Even one translator acknowledged that it can be “repelling.” But, as Ken says, it nonetheless has something important to teach us about “the cost of discipleship”—even those of us who will never experience a night as dark as the one Mother Teresa knew. Inspired by The Dark Night of the Soul, we can respond to Christopher Hitchens and others like him that they’ve got it exactly backwards. It’s the shallow faith, the kind that focuses only on our own happiness, that can’t last. The times of darkness, the dark nights of the soul, ultimately serve to make our faith stronger and deeper.
Further Reading and Information
The Dark Night of the Soul - John of the Cross
[Just for laughs (from Reader's Digest, 5/09, pp. 29-30): Johnny's mother stops to watch her son read the Bible to her cat. "Isn't that sweet?" she says. But an hour later, she hears a terrible racket. Running out the door, she finds Johnny stuffing the cat into a bucket of water. "Johnny, what are you dong?" "I'm baptizing Muffin," he replies. "But cat's don't like to be in water." "Well then, he shouldn't have joined my church."]
“The Dark Night of the Soul” - By Chuck Colson, August 28, 2009, Breakpoint.com
"Be kind. Remember EVERYONE [caps mine] you meet is fighting a hard battle." T.H. Thompson
[Note: (1) Do you sometimes feel like others seem to be "more spiritual," to have it all "together" as a believer than you, so much so that you feel somewhat guilty, as though you don't measure up as a Christian? Well, I have, and I doubt there has ever been a Christian who many times feels that way. This article addresses the subject and while it is a bit of heavy reading, note the points I've put in bold type. I will address it further in another special "Letters to the Church" on another special posting this coming Sunday. You won't want to miss checking the posting for this Sunday!; (2) Don't miss my "Just for Laughs" joke at the end of this posting. It's something I'll try to add at the end of every posting. If YOU have one you'd like me to pass on, sent it to me as a comment.; and (3) ]Guess what? I've made some additions to my "Life Truths" posting (#`11)on the movie "Saint Ralph" on my youth blog: (a) First of all there is now an intro to help you make this a truly family friendly movie that you can even show to those in grade school;and (b) points 16, 19, and 22 are NEW.]
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Each month on BreakPoint we examine a great book that helped shape Western Christendom. This month, Dr. Ken Boa shines a light on a difficult subject. Perhaps you remember the media frenzy over Mother Teresa’s letters, which were published after her death. Because revealed depression, doubts, and spiritual darkness, many argued that Mother Teresa’s Christian faith could not possibly have been real. Atheist Christopher Hitchens, for instance, insisted that she must have realized that “religion is a human fabrication.” Well, nonsense. Hitchens had no way of understanding Mother Teresa and her faith, but there’s another author who would have understood perfectly. In fact, this man might have said that Mother Teresa’s struggles actually showed just how real her faith was.
John of the Cross, who lived in the 1500s, is the writer, friar, and priest featured in Ken Boa’s latest Great Books Audio CD Series. Ken tells us that this man’s “spiritual development was forged in a life of pain, conflict, and passion for God.” The title of John’s most famous work, The Dark Night of the Soul, is familiar to all of us because we’ve all experienced this, as Christians have through the centuries, the “seasons of darkness and dryness in the spiritual journey. Too frequently, our modern attitude about prayer is to make it all about ourselves instead of about Christ. We focus on a “technique or set of steps” that’s supposed to bring sure results. But this approach can leave us unprepared to deal with the doubts and darkness that can overwhelm even the most faithful Christian. John of the Cross contended that the dry seasons teach us about our own powerlessness and our own need for complete reliance on Christ. He talked about not one, but several different kinds of “nights” that we may go through.
There’s the night that we experience in our senses. But then there’s the far darker kind that we experience in our soul, which leads to terrible feelings of “desolation” and “abandonment.” We may experience these nights in “active” ways, when we must work to reach out to God, and “passive” ways, when we must be still and allow God to act upon us. Of the dark night of the senses, Ken says this: When “the senses are stripped of all pleasure and joy in prayer,” our attention can be drawn toward God, who purifies us and takes us “through dread to eventual joy, not despair.” But we can only experience this kind of growth if we willingly submit to God even when all our feelings seem to be pulling us away from Him. As for the dark night of the soul, John of the Cross explained that it may be used to teach the soul “renunciation and deprivation,” “faith,” and finally, “the ultimate rapture of union with Christ.” As you can imagine, this teaching has been tough for many to take. Even one translator acknowledged that it can be “repelling.” But, as Ken says, it nonetheless has something important to teach us about “the cost of discipleship”—even those of us who will never experience a night as dark as the one Mother Teresa knew. Inspired by The Dark Night of the Soul, we can respond to Christopher Hitchens and others like him that they’ve got it exactly backwards. It’s the shallow faith, the kind that focuses only on our own happiness, that can’t last. The times of darkness, the dark nights of the soul, ultimately serve to make our faith stronger and deeper.
Further Reading and Information
The Dark Night of the Soul - John of the Cross
[Just for laughs (from Reader's Digest, 5/09, pp. 29-30): Johnny's mother stops to watch her son read the Bible to her cat. "Isn't that sweet?" she says. But an hour later, she hears a terrible racket. Running out the door, she finds Johnny stuffing the cat into a bucket of water. "Johnny, what are you dong?" "I'm baptizing Muffin," he replies. "But cat's don't like to be in water." "Well then, he shouldn't have joined my church."]
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
#39 - Mr. President, the FACTS are ...
What Are the Facts? [on Abortion and Health Care Reform] By Chuck Colson| August 31, 2009, Breakpoint.com (bold notations mine)
[Note: As I've said previously, I have read about a dozen books on public policy issues during the past year, books that have been a whole lot scarier than any murder mystery novel I have ever read. However, of all the books, the one I am reading now, "Saving Freedom" is by far the best at explaining the source of why America has been headed in the wrong direction for several decades now. I believe if every American were required to read this book to qualify to vote in the 2010 and 2012 election, our country could again have the leaders to lead us in the right direction. Yes, it's that good. If you can handle the $27.95 price (which incredibly is the about the price of so many books on public policy these days - though you can get about 1 1/3 discount at Amazon.com), please get a copy, read it and pass it around to your friends. If you don't have the bucks as I don't, you should be able to borrow a copy from your public library as I have. However you do it, if you read one non-fiction book in the next year, let it be this one. Again, IT IS THAT GOOD. - Stan ]
It’s hard to figure out what’s in the various health care bills. But one thing has become alarmingly clear.From having worked in the White House, I know how important it is for a President to get his facts clear when he is speaking to the American people. Well, I’m sorry to say, it appears that President Obama has not done that regarding whether or not his health care plan would force Americans to pay for abortions.During a recent conference call with religious leaders, the President said, “I know there’s been a lot of misinformation in this debate, and there are some folks out there who are frankly bearing false witness.”And then he himself said the following: “You’ve heard that this is all going to mean government funding of abortion. Not true. These are all fabrications.”
Are they fabrications? What about the Capps Amendment, which was passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee? The amendment would require “at least one plan covering elective abortions in every federally subsidized exchange,” notes John McCormack of the Weekly Standard. It also gives the secretary of Health and Human Services “the authority to include abortion coverage in the public plan and requires that the public plan cover abortion if the Hyde amendment...is repealed.” The Associated Press, which on August 2 claimed that the President wanted to continue the tradition of not forcing Americans to fund abortions, has backed off its story. On August 5, AP [Associated Press] reporter Ricardo Alonsozaldivar acknowledged, “Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions.” And Douglas Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee called the Capps amendment “a sham.” The more recent AP article “confirms what we’ve been saying,” Johnson said. “Under both Obama-backed bills, House and Senate, the federal government would run a huge system of subsidizing elective abortion.”
Finally, FactCheck.org says the bills now before Congress “would allow a new ‘public’ insurance plan to cover abortions, despite language added to the House bill that technically forbids using public funds to pay for them.” FactCheck concludes “that the president goes too far when he calls the statements that government would be funding abortions ‘fabrications.’” There’s also the fact that Congress has shot down every attempt to allow wording that explicitly prevents government funding of abortions. Now, I’m the first to agree that politics is about the art of compromise. But there are some things that Christians simply cannot compromise. One of them is federal funding of abortion—which is nothing more than the killing of unborn children. And it’s very clear that, the President’s statements to the contrary—that you and I will see our tax dollars pay for abortions under the current health care reform bills. Some Congress people, like Rep. Zoe Lofgren, are even telling their constituents that abortion coverage is in the bill.I hope you will let your representatives know that you cannot support, and will not, any health care bills that allow your tax dollars to pay for the slaughter of innocent children. And don’t let them tell you that you are misinformed—because the facts are out there.
Further Reading and Information
^Obama Says "Government Funding of Abortion" is "Fabrication" National Right to Life | August 19, 2009
^Abortion: Which Side Is Fabricating?FactCheck.org | August 21, 2009
^Obama Bears False Witness, Saying Abortion Coverage in Health Bill is a "Fabrication" John McCormack | Weekly Standard | August 19, 2009
^Associated Press Misleads Readers on Abortion, Health Care, and President Obama LifeNews.com | August 3, 2009
^Gov't Insurance Would Allow Coverage for Abortion Associated Press | August 5, 2009
^Health Care and Religious Freedom: Forced to Choose? Chuck Colson | BreakPoint Commentary | August 26, 200
[On the lighter side: I'm not into exercising. Yesterday my wife said, "Let's walk around the block." I said, "Why? We're already here." - comic Wendell Porter]
[Note: As I've said previously, I have read about a dozen books on public policy issues during the past year, books that have been a whole lot scarier than any murder mystery novel I have ever read. However, of all the books, the one I am reading now, "Saving Freedom" is by far the best at explaining the source of why America has been headed in the wrong direction for several decades now. I believe if every American were required to read this book to qualify to vote in the 2010 and 2012 election, our country could again have the leaders to lead us in the right direction. Yes, it's that good. If you can handle the $27.95 price (which incredibly is the about the price of so many books on public policy these days - though you can get about 1 1/3 discount at Amazon.com), please get a copy, read it and pass it around to your friends. If you don't have the bucks as I don't, you should be able to borrow a copy from your public library as I have. However you do it, if you read one non-fiction book in the next year, let it be this one. Again, IT IS THAT GOOD. - Stan ]
It’s hard to figure out what’s in the various health care bills. But one thing has become alarmingly clear.From having worked in the White House, I know how important it is for a President to get his facts clear when he is speaking to the American people. Well, I’m sorry to say, it appears that President Obama has not done that regarding whether or not his health care plan would force Americans to pay for abortions.During a recent conference call with religious leaders, the President said, “I know there’s been a lot of misinformation in this debate, and there are some folks out there who are frankly bearing false witness.”And then he himself said the following: “You’ve heard that this is all going to mean government funding of abortion. Not true. These are all fabrications.”
Are they fabrications? What about the Capps Amendment, which was passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee? The amendment would require “at least one plan covering elective abortions in every federally subsidized exchange,” notes John McCormack of the Weekly Standard. It also gives the secretary of Health and Human Services “the authority to include abortion coverage in the public plan and requires that the public plan cover abortion if the Hyde amendment...is repealed.” The Associated Press, which on August 2 claimed that the President wanted to continue the tradition of not forcing Americans to fund abortions, has backed off its story. On August 5, AP [Associated Press] reporter Ricardo Alonsozaldivar acknowledged, “Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions.” And Douglas Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee called the Capps amendment “a sham.” The more recent AP article “confirms what we’ve been saying,” Johnson said. “Under both Obama-backed bills, House and Senate, the federal government would run a huge system of subsidizing elective abortion.”
Finally, FactCheck.org says the bills now before Congress “would allow a new ‘public’ insurance plan to cover abortions, despite language added to the House bill that technically forbids using public funds to pay for them.” FactCheck concludes “that the president goes too far when he calls the statements that government would be funding abortions ‘fabrications.’” There’s also the fact that Congress has shot down every attempt to allow wording that explicitly prevents government funding of abortions. Now, I’m the first to agree that politics is about the art of compromise. But there are some things that Christians simply cannot compromise. One of them is federal funding of abortion—which is nothing more than the killing of unborn children. And it’s very clear that, the President’s statements to the contrary—that you and I will see our tax dollars pay for abortions under the current health care reform bills. Some Congress people, like Rep. Zoe Lofgren, are even telling their constituents that abortion coverage is in the bill.I hope you will let your representatives know that you cannot support, and will not, any health care bills that allow your tax dollars to pay for the slaughter of innocent children. And don’t let them tell you that you are misinformed—because the facts are out there.
Further Reading and Information
^Obama Says "Government Funding of Abortion" is "Fabrication" National Right to Life | August 19, 2009
^Abortion: Which Side Is Fabricating?FactCheck.org | August 21, 2009
^Obama Bears False Witness, Saying Abortion Coverage in Health Bill is a "Fabrication" John McCormack | Weekly Standard | August 19, 2009
^Associated Press Misleads Readers on Abortion, Health Care, and President Obama LifeNews.com | August 3, 2009
^Gov't Insurance Would Allow Coverage for Abortion Associated Press | August 5, 2009
^Health Care and Religious Freedom: Forced to Choose? Chuck Colson | BreakPoint Commentary | August 26, 200
[On the lighter side: I'm not into exercising. Yesterday my wife said, "Let's walk around the block." I said, "Why? We're already here." - comic Wendell Porter]
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