"I became a Christian in my mid-20s because, after years of ridiculing the Bible, I actually read it.
Of course there were many other factors in my thinking and circumstances at the time, but the book that Christians have claimed is divinely inspired certainly inspired me.
Books are a common theme in this blog, particularly by posters, and after themost recent thread delved into the reote recesses in science fiction, I decided I would like to devote a topic to the books that have mattered in people’s lives. And we might even get an invective-free thread....
With the Easter break coming up, which will give many people the chance to relax and read, why not share the books that made an impact? This could be on the world (Darwin’s Origin of Species or Marx’s Das Kapital, Freud, even Hitler’s Mein Kampf) or on you personally, or both. Genre is not important. Which books changed the world, and changed you? How did they do that? What do you turn to for pleasure or improvement, and are they the same.
This being nominally a religious blog, I’d be particularly interested in which books contributed to your spiritual life – or led you to reject religion – and why...."
I have noticed a rather worrying trend in many Christian circles today. It has to do with how some believers will quickly bring a discussion or a debate to a quick halt by throwing out, almost as a cliché, words such as, “that’s not very loving” or “that’s not very gracious”.
It happens quite frequently, and those who do this think it is a sort of trump card that allows them to automatically win any argument, or silence any opposition. It really is the Christian equivalent of how homosexual activists silence debate and seek to demonise their opponents.
In any debate with these guys, they simply have to throw out the term “homophobia” and that’s it – end of discussion. No matter how much logic, data, evidence or reasoning you bring to bear on a debate with them, as soon as they toss this verbal hand grenade into the discussion, it’s all over. They think they have won, because this notion of ‘homophobia’ is seen to trump everything.
A fantastic article appeared last week on Relevant Magazine's website. The authors, Jake and Melissa Kircher, contend that the media has distorted the image of love and sexuality (IMHO they are spot on the money). They challenge us to not be shaped by culture but to shape it.
Adults should be able to tell the difference between over-romanticized love and healthy, realistic love. But in actuality, peoples’ lives are beginning to just echo the stories they see onscreen. The problem is, movies usually end just as a relationship is beginning.
As people consume the media’s view of love, it’s becoming more common for relationships and marriages to be primarily based on a desire for happiness and personal fulfillment. When these feelings fade, people think love is gone and become an emotional train, moving from one lover or spouse to the next. It’s become such a problem that some have begun to refer to this mediated view of romance as “emotional pornography”—insinuating that popular expressions of love and romance rewire the brain in ways that recall the damage done by visual pornography. Just as visual pornography sets up unrealistic expectations for sex and physicality, the media’s fanciful stories of love wire consumers to expect Hollywood-style kisses in the rain and constant, epic moments of dramatic love. How can real life compete?...."
Click here to read the full article and add your comments.
This may be a somewhat cheesy clip but who says Christians can't have fun. Also it was for a good cause and promotes awareness as we move towards Easter.
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Inspired by last year's video:
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If you want to be involved in a Faith Global Dance on Easter Sunday (that is Sunday 24th April) go to Up To Faith and register. There's one happening in Melbourne.
Here's the trailer:
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