Do you know where Jesus was born?

[Daily Mail]

The Christmas carollers may have already been heard singing O Little Town of Bethlehem the length and breadth of the country. But it appears a huge chunk of their audience may have no idea why the town should be worthy of such reverence.

In an alarming survey published today into knowledge of the Christmas story, it appears that one in four adults do not know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Among younger Britons – between 18 and 24 – the total for those who could not give the correct location rose to 36 per cent.

[From me]

This isn’t surprising.  I was sharing with a young boy a few years ago and I asked him what he knew about Jesus and he said he didn’t know anything about him–O, except what he had seen at Blockbuster.

What do you think?

mother of newborn twins dies after refusing a blood transfusion

[The Sun]

A woman whose life could have been saved after complications set in – ticked a form before the birth insisting she should not be given blood.  Medics begged her husband and other members of family to overrule her after she suffered severe blood loss and began slipping away.

Blood ban … a legal notice, quoting the Bible, spelling out Jehovah’s Witnesses’ opposition to life-saving transfusions. But because Jehovah’s Witnesses are barred from having transfusions they refused – insisting the young mom would not want to betray her principles.

“What makes it even more sad is Emma had time to hold and start to bond with her twins before the complications set in.”

Read about it here and here.

[From me]

It is sad that someone could distort the Bible to allow someone to have adequate medical treatment.  The passage in Acts 15 isn’t talking about blood transfusions.  It is about drinking blood from animal sacrifices.  Now twins have no mother.  Sad.  That isn’t the God that I know.

What do you think?

How much would Jesus charge?

Joel Osteen is speaking in NYC at Madison Square Garden next week. Someone paid $134.89 to get floor tickets.

Read about it here.

How much would Jesus have charged?

Americans Familiar with Big Mac Ingredients than 10 Commandments

[Christian Post]

Despite living in a country with a rich and still prevalent Christian heritage – as evident from the Pledge of Allegiance to the nation’s motto, “In God We Trust” – Americans were found to be more familiar with the ingredients of the McDonald’s Big Mac hamburger than some of the Ten Commandments.

In a new study conducted by Kelton research in conjunction with the upcoming release of the animated feature film, The Ten Commandments, 80 percent of respondents knew “two all beef patties” were among the ingredients of the Big Mac but only six out of ten could identify “Thou shalt not kill” as one of the Ten Commandments. Also, while 43 percent of respondents – including those who regularly attend worship – could recall Bobby and Peter, two of the least-recalled names from the Brady Bunch, they were less familiar with two of the least recalled commandments – “Remember the Sabbath” (34 percent) and “Do not make any false idols” (29 percent).

Read about it here.

[From me]

This doesn’t really surprise me.  I would imagine that a large number of church people don’t know them.  How would I know that?  Because I see how many Bibles are left in the lost and found at every church I’ve served.  Last week I read that over 60% of Evangelicals don’t read their Bible.

How can you ever know someone if you don’t spend time with them?  The way people get to know God is reading the Bible and through prayer.  I don’t spend as much time as I should but I do spend everyday praying and studying God’s Word.

What do you think?

What’s wrong with the religious right?

[Politico]

Did you miss last week’s Values Voter Debate? Don’t worry. So did Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney and John McCain — the four leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination.  In their place was businessman John Cox, a White House hopeful so minor he has not been invited to the other GOP debates, and perennial candidate Alan Keyes.

No Republican presidential hopeful doing better than the 4 percent Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul each drew in the latest Gallup Poll bothered to show up.

When Democratic constituencies hold candidate forums, their party’s presidential candidates come running. The Democrats have already debated in front of labor unions, African-Americans and the gay community.

Yet when organizations purporting to represent religious conservatives — arguably the GOP’s largest voting bloc — try to hold a debate, the top-tier Republicans all cite scheduling conflicts.

Read about it here.

[Newsweek]

Now the Democrats see a crack in the evangelical voting machine.  Read here.

[From me]

Why don’t these magazines and political pundits interview me?  I’ll tell you what is wrong.  Those of us who have voted for candidates who promised to represent our morals and standards have none of their own.  Even our most outspoken “conservative” voices are hypocrites.  Look at Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich.  I could care less if they are “right” because they aren’t living “right.”

Personally I want a servant who is going to serve the best interest of our country.  I would love to have a truly Christian candidate who will vote according to their beliefs and stop sticking their fingers in the air to see which way the political wind is blowing.  I want to see a candidate who doesn’t care about re-election but cares about pleasing God.   I’m tired of selling out for money and candidates who say they are pro-family but they have skeletons in the closet.

What’s wrong with the religious right?  They aren’t very religious and they aren’t right!

What do you think?

Study says Christianity No Longer Looks Like Jesus

[Christian Post]

Young Americans today are more skeptical and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a decade ago, says a new study. Negative perceptions toward the Christian faith have outweighed the positive as a growing percentage of younger Americans associate with a faith outside Christianity.

Only 16 percent of non-Christians aged 16 to 29 years old said they have a “good impression” of Christianity, according to a report released Monday by The Barna Group. A decade ago, the vast majority of Americans outside the Christian faith, including young people, felt favorably toward Christianity’s role in society. Young people have an even lesser positive impression of evangelicals. Only 3 percent of 16- to 29-year-olds who are not of the Christian faith express favorable views of evangelicals. In the previous generation, 25 percent of young people had positive associations toward evangelicals.

Among other common impressions, 23 percent of young non-Christians said “Christianity is changed from what it used to be” and “Christianity in today’s society no longer looks like Jesus.” Young born-again Christians were just as likely to say the same (22 percent).

Read about it here.

[From me]

This really grieves me. I’m reading Bill Hybels book Holy Discontent and I believe this is my Holy Discontent that God has place on my heart. I am so concerned about the next generation. We are so busy alienating everyone that they won’t be open to listen because we have done a poor job being the hands and feet of Jesus. Too many Christians want to be “right” and become judgmental and arrogant. When did Christianity become being right over loving and ministering?

“Christianity is changed from what it used to be”

“Christianity in today’s society no longer looks like Jesus.”

Ouch!

Judges 2:10

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.

 

What do you think?

Why are more Americans rejecting religion?

[Decatur Daily]

According to a recent article in The Washington Post, atheism is on the rise in America. Margaret Downey, president of the Atheist Alliance International, reports that her organization’s membership has doubled in the last year. She also reports that the Alliance’s annual convention already has a 500-person waiting list.

The Barna Group, an organization of pollsters that specializes in religious issues, conducted a survey and found about 5 million adults in the United States refer to themselves as atheists.

Their poll also found a number of additional people who say they have no religious faith or that they are agnostic. Combine these folk with the 5 million atheists, and the number of Americans detached from any sort of religious life rises to about 20 million.

Read about it here.

[From me]

As many of you who frequent this site know, I have regular atheists, agnostics and others who comment and contribute to the discussion. I’m glad they feel welcome even though I disagree with their beliefs. I’m looking forward to meeting Ask an Atheist in person next week when I go to the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta.

I want to see why those who read my blog or those who happen to stumble upon it today through the search engines are rejecting religion.

• I won’t make any other comments.
• I won’t make any judgments.
• I’m just curious why you reject religion, God, Jesus, etc…
• What would change your mind?
• How can followers of Jesus do a better job of not turning you off?
• Can I help you? How?

[BTW] Anyone should feel free to comment. Just be respectful of my non-believing friends.