Benazir Bhutto

I had always been fascinated with the assertiveness and passion that Bhutto possessed. In fact, any woman who takes a stand against the tyrannical powers that be is someone I’d like to emulate. Even though she is no longer with us, I still have the highest respect for her that I could have for any human being.  That woman was courageous! We need more people with similar courage in this world.

When I first learned of her death, I was both shocked and angered.  I simply cannot stand it when extremists take the lives of those fighting for the oppressed. Below is a brief video (courtesy of Al Jazeera via YouTube) of her stand. You will notice her declaring that she and her partners should be prepared for sacrifice, but NOT prepared to surrender Pakistan. I agree with her but would add that freedom fighters all over the world should not surrender period.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3jh91p98Hw&rel=1]

The world lost a great freedom fighter when Benazir Bhutto was murdered. I can only hope that more people will stand up to tyranny so that her death will not be in vain.

Faith Evans! Are You Serious?

 You’ve probably noticed by now that I am a music lover to the 100th degree. One of my favorite artists, Faith Evans, has a cool song called Mesmerized from her album First Lady (2005).  Allow me first to say that I am a huge fan of hers. But there is one part of the song that I find to be just plain weird.  The hit, obviously about “romance”, has a tune similar to a gospel song most popular in the black church.  Ever hear Christians chant, makes me wanna clap my hands, makes me wanna stomp my feet during Sunday morning worship?

You’ll hear Faith’s brief rendition of the song when you reach 2 minutes 32 seconds into the video.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClWz_8kSpmU&rel=1]

On the other hand, the chant could have originated in the secular world, having nothing to do with God, and then later adopted by gospel artists.  That happens as well. While there may not be anything wrong with crossing gospel and secular music, it is best to do it when the lyrics and themes are at least a bit interchangeable.

Oh well. She’s still a great singer.

If You Sin Even Once, You Are A False Convert!!!!

It never ceases to amaze me how some Christians believe that certain sins indicate false conversions. One of my favorite Internet radio programs, Way of The Master Radio, included a segment on the whole Jamie Lynn Spears pregnancy fiasco. Todd Friel suggested that the way to avoid this type of situation is to “get your kids saved.” First, that comment implies that a Christian, even a saved/born-again individual would never fall into sexual sin. He also mentioned that this type of a situation screams false conversion. I disagree. First, we don’t even know if Little Miss Spears ever claimed to be converted. Sure, she attended church. But church attendance means nothing.

Second, committing a sin (including fornication) does NOT indicate that a person had a false conversion. On the other hand, making sin an unrepentant habit indicates a false conversion, IMO. In fairness, the host did mention things like Christians having accountability partners which can work if one is sincere. But the fact is, Christians commit all kinds of sins. The difference is the attitude and willingness to take steps to avoid it.

On the other hand, I do cringe whenever I hear of a young girl getting pregnant. But, I will not focus on pregnancy since God is the only one who gives life. After all, isn’t it better that she became pregnant rather than infected with AIDS? But I do wish that more teens would focus on important things and not rush into physical pleasures.

On a side-note, the father of this child is 19, she is 16. Is that legal? The south is a funny place you know. LOL

Is Lying a Sin? Yes? No? Depends?

I could not help but wonder about a response posted on my “Would You Still Become A Christian If…?” thread. The issue of lying came up as it relates to the ninth commandment which tells us that we should not bear a false witness against our neighbors. First I would like to mention that lying is a lot more general than what the commandment alludes to, but that’s another post.

It was mentioned that lying is a sin and that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire (i.e. end up in hell as implied by the RT). I in turn brought in the story of Rahab who basically lied in order to protect two men sent by Joshua (Joshua 2). Here is the response:

LorMarie: As far as Rahab is concerned, the men had come under unrighteous motives. They came to do wrong, She was responding to that. When a friend asks you how she looks in an outfit, you may be using some discretion in you expanation that may not be totally accurate. But the real question that trumps that argument is this: Have you ever all out lied for your own gain, pride etc. let alone the discretionary stuff? I’m sure you’ve heard it on WOTMR. “All liars will have their part in the lake of fire.” This included me too before I was born again.–Robert Tewart

So if I am correct in my understanding of the response, it is OK to lie as long as it isn’t for your own gain. Also, if a Christian tells a lie, he/she is hell-bound. Not going to speculate since the OP is not here to clarify. But the fact of the matter is, Rahab lied and there is no instance of a condemnation from God or anyone else in the text (or the entire bible for that matter). In fact, Rehab is commended in the popular faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11.

31By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

My first pastor would always declare that Rahab was in the faith hall of fame for lying. But look closely at the passage again. What is she admired for? Lying or receiving the spies with peace? Now take a look at the passage below:

James 2

25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

Notice how both passages admire Rahab for everything except the actual lie. I understand that critics will still find contradictions, but that’s their business. So what is a person to do? Perhaps it is better to “not say anything at all” than to lie. Dilemmas, dilemmas, LOL.

Bible passages courtesy of BibleGateway.

Is It The Way Of The Master Or Not?

And now for some random, scattered thoughts about a YouTube video I discovered…

Below is a wonderful video, courtesy of Fellowship of the Martyrs (FOTM), critiquing the technique of another Christian organization, The Way of the Master (WOTM). I’m not too familiar with FOTM, but was intrigued with the truths contained in the video. It describes how WOTM evangelists use the Ten Commandments as a witnessing tool with every single person they encounter. Now I will be the first to admit that WOTM techniques appear to be scripted, repetitious, and oh so predictable. But, I wouldn’t go as far as saying their way of approaching the gospel is not what Jesus would have used or even approved of. At the same time, using the law or even reminding a person that he/she is not good in God’s sight isn’t the only way to lead a person to repentance; certainly not for the we’re not ready crowd. That crowd consists of people who know full well that they are sinners but “aren’t ready” to repent. I’ve met plenty of them. Such a person is having too much fun sinning and feels that he/she has all the time in the world to repent.

FOTM implies that demonstrating the power of God is the only way to lead a person to repentance; thus separating the power of God from WOTM methods. The problem is, not every believer is able to tell others the “secrets of their hearts” as claimed in the video.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qKsRxQAL44&rel=1]

The fact is, neither WOTM nor FOTM have the market cornered on evangelism.

How Would You Handle Your Teen If She Didn’t Want To Wear a “Scarf” Over Hear Head?

Ever get into a fight with your teen over what he or she chooses to wear? Clothing can certainly be a source of strife between parents and teens. Some parents demand that their teen dress modestly. Others allow for some creativity but still draw the line where they consider it appropriate.

Then there are parents who simply kill their children over articles of clothing. Unfortunately, that is the method preferred by Toronto resident, Muhammed Parvez. According to this article in AOL News, the 57-year-old Parvez, a devout Muslim, was staunch in his belief that his daughter should wear the hijab in order to show devotion to her religion. She did not share his view and met a terrible fate as a result.

As of now we can only speculate as to exactly how Parvez killed his daughter. We do know that the victim was found in her home with no pulse. Paramedics were able to resuscitate her and bring her to two hospitals for treatment, but in the end, her life could not be saved.

Aqsa Parvez, age 16, was just like every other young lady. I imagine her wanting to wear trendy clothing just like her friends. It just so happened that her self-expression did not include the hijab, a traditional head scarf worn by Muslim women. This probably had nothing to do with rejecting her culture or religion, but was simply a matter of choice. Her father apparently could not have cared less about her motives.

What exactly was so offensive to Mr. Parvez that he had to kill his daughter over a head scarf? It does not matter whether he intended to kill her; she is dead, and over something so trivial. Yes, I said trivial. The dispute over wearing the hijab was not even worth fighting over, not to mention killing. I wonder if he was the man who called 911. Or was it Aqsa’s older brother Waqas Parvez, who was arrested for obstructing justice? Hopefully, swift justice will be served.

For more information  on the Hijab,  check out the following:
The Veil Unveiled: The Hijab in Modern Culture

Mentally Disturbed Youth Goes On Anti-Christian Shooting Spree

Here is a sad and extremely frightening story. Gunman hated Christians What disturbs me is that two opposing groups will likely use this horror for their own gain. Over zealous atheists will indeed find some way to “blame Christians” for this. Christian fundies will avoid problems that exist in the church (which sometimes leads unstable people even further into destruction) and tarnish the image of atheists or ex-Christians. The sickness never ends.

Apparently, this young man grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home. Is that what led him to go on a shooting rampage? No, of course not. Being raised in a fundy home does not in and of itself make you a murderer. I do believe that something was wrong in this young man’s mind that led him to commit these horrible acts. But what happened? We can only speculate. But until we know the truth, let’s not be so quick to point fingers. Lives were lost and families, including a church family, have been left devastated.

Save Unborn Babies Even If The Mother’s Life Is In Danger…

In my younger days, I was very passionate about the pro-life cause. Unborn children were and are being terminated without thought. It horrified me to find out that abortion is legal up until the ninth month. I wanted to get involved, to fight for the unborn. So, I went to a small crisis pregnancy center and had a “preliminary” interview with the director, a nun. This was all to make sure that I was really pro-life. Some of the questions were:

Would you support a woman’s right to an abortion if she were raped or the victim of incest? I said no.

Are you certain that you would not support an abortion if the mother’s life were in danger? I assured her that I still would be against abortion in that case. Or so I thought.

I have come to realize that it is a huge stretch to allow a mother to lose her life for an unborn child. Yes, the baby is just as human as she is. But when it comes down to who should live and who should die? It is the mother, hands down. Is it really fair to allow a 35-year-old woman to die in favor of a life that hasn’t entered the world yet? What if that woman has other children? Should they lose their mother in favor of their unborn sibling? Absolutely not. Now if a woman makes a decision to have her baby fully aware of risks to her health (say she is a cancer patient), that is her right and she should be respected. However, it is unreasonable to demand a woman sacrifice her life for her unborn child. I suspect that there aren’t too many husbands who would choose their unborn child over their wives.

I will say this, I do not feel sorry for, nor do I respect the rights of women to have abortions after “careless” activities. Authentic medical issues justify abortion, IMO. I learn more and more about my real views everyday, LOL.

It Has Finally Hit The Fan Within The Episcopal Church

Personally, I think a church has the right to follow what they believe is the right path. As long as they don’t ban gays and lesbians from the pews (or single them out from any other group of sinners), then this is fine with me. With that said, I applaud them for going against the grain. Take a look

Split within the Episcopal Church

Is Christopher Hitchens A Man Of Faith?

I heard the funniest thing as I watched the debate between Al Sharpton and Christopher Hitchens. Sharpton joked that Hitchenshad to be a person of faith in order to believe that WMD’s are in Iraq. It may have been hilarious, but there is a lot of truth within it. I remember attending a debate he had with Scottish politician, George Galloway. Hitchens argued passionately in support of the war in Iraq. How does a man abhor the actions of the Old Testament God but support any war (men, women, and children are killed during war, you know)? This is absolutely baffling to me.

One of the books I’m currently reading is God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, by Hitchens. We all know that he is a strong atheist who leaves no room for the consideration of religion, let alone God. I am enjoying the book but there is one chapter that I find hellishly annoying (lol, hell)…that being Chapter 17.

Hitchens attempted to address the question of atrocities committed by atheists in the chapter. The only thing it showed me was just how much of a brilliant debater he is. I say this because Hitchens managed to find a reason to keep the blame on religion rather than atheism. Far be it for me to summarize the whole chapter, but if you own the book, take a look again at chapter 17. He basically claims that it wasn’t atheism that caused the horrors, but the desire for power. I should point out that that line of reasoning doesn’t work at all. Just think about it. Why did this desire for power (on the part of atheist tyrants) include the oppression and sometimes slaughter of theists? Why are there underground churches in China?

The fact is, atheists *have* committed atrocities against humanity. If one takes the position of it not being committed in the name of atheism, just tell that to those who have lived under such governments and survived. Do you honestly believe that it makes a difference to a religious person persecuted by nonreligious governments?

I believe atheists are the only group outside of Muslims that refuses to acknowledge the wrongs committed by its members. Hitchens is simply following suit.

He goes on to talk about his experience in North Korea. Upon leaving that evil empire, he “realized” that it was not only totalitarian, but religious. North Korea? A religious state? According to Hitchens, it had all the trimmings of ancestor worship. I understand the concept of the cult of personality, but I wouldn’t call it religion.

All in all, I admire Hitchens as a writer and a skilled debater. So if you are a Hitchens fan or simply want a good book, consider God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.

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