Tuesday, October 2, 2007, 02:39 PM - Articles
From the Alliance Defense Fund:
PADUCAH, Ky. — Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund have filed suit in federal court on behalf of a Christian prevented from exercising his free speech rights on the campus of Murray State University. School officials barred James Gilles, a frequent speaker on the campus since the 1980s, from speaking and distributing literature on campus due to university “policy.”
“Christians seeking to express their faith in public should not be treated as second-class citizens,” said ADF Senior Counsel Nate Kellum. “Officials at MSU violated Mr. Gilles’ constitutional rights by suddenly choosing to enforce a discriminatory policy.”
Gilles, who speaks and distributes literature on campuses across the country, utilized public areas on MSU’s campus for approximately two decades before the director of the school’s Curris Center for Student Life informed him in 2004 that speakers were required to secure a “sponsorship” in order to continue their free speech activities.
The same official initially made an offer to sponsor Gilles so that he could distribute literature but not speak on campus. Gilles declined, and the offer was later rescinded. The school later barred Gilles from speaking or distributing literature at the school because he didn’t have a sponsorship.
Read the whole thing here.
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Thursday, September 20, 2007, 12:25 PM - Articles
In light of Luke's recent presentation on the relationship between Christianity and politics, some may find this editorial thought-provoking:
SEN. John McCain, on the stump in South Carolina, told reporters over the weekend that he's a Baptist and has been for years, a bit of information that might have attracted little attention were it not for the fact that the Arizona Republican as recently as June referred to himself as an Episcopalian in an interview with McClatchy Newspapers.
While proclaiming his Baptist faith might be of some utility in South Carolina, only four presidents have been Baptists while 11 were Episcopalian, making it unlikely that Mr. McCain's announcement was made for political advantage. It does, however, raise the question of how much faith might matter in the coming presidential election.
The short answer is: a lot, although it is unclear whether the candidates' faiths are more likely to hurt or help.
Read the rest here.
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Sunday, September 9, 2007, 06:13 PM - Articles
From the UK Guardian:
University Christian Unions (CU) have won the right to restrict leadership to those practising the faith in a set of guidelines designed to ease tensions between religious groups and student leaders on campus.
The joint guidance, published today by the National Union of Students and the UCCF: the Christian Unions, the umbrella body for university CUs, and the Equality Challenge Unit, says societies can hold members-only meetings and can make membership a requirement for anyone wanting to hold leadership positions.
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Friday, August 17, 2007, 03:29 PM - Articles
Here's an excerpt from Bob's presentation last week on developing and practicing a rule of life:
Before going further, it should be emphasized that this is not salvation by rules or laws but rather the practices that redeemed believers adopt to pursue and deepen their walk with the God who has loved and called them to be his own. A rule of life is not a “spiritual health checklist” or a measure of spirituality but rather our personal answer to how will I love, listen to and pursue the Lord my lover in daily life?
What then might a rule of life look like? Here’s one example: On a daily basis I will set aside the first 20 minutes after I’ve showered and gotten coffee to read, reflect and pray. I’ll do this before I turn on any electronic media. As I return from lunch, I will review the morning and commit my afternoon activities to God. In the evening, I will aim conclude my work by 10 pm, spending time with roommates and conclude the day with a short time of prayer reviewing the day. On a weekly basis I will gather with my grad fellowship Bible study and take Sundays as a sabbath for worship and rest. During sabbaths, I will take part of the time for more in-depth Bible study or reading of Christian literature. Once a quarter, I will take a day-long time away for personal prayer and reflection, during which I will review my rule and make changes as needed.
How does one go about forming a rule? One thing if this is really new is to keep it simple at first--maybe one daily and one weekly practice, or one personal and one community practice. And then develop from there as God nourishes your desire for him. If you have been a Christian for awhile, you probably already have an “implicit” rule. Recognize this and explore with God whether this is continuing to help you go deeper with Him. If it is--then great. Probably there will be some things you continue and maybe one or two new practices God may lead you into.
Here are some questions you might ask:
Around time: What daily, weekly, monthly or other interval of practices can nurture my walk with God?
Around desire: Notice what words you are using to express your longing for God. These may point you to practices of solitude (prayer, study, silence), practices of the body (fasting, self-care and exercise), and practices of community (corporate worship, home groups, service).
Around temperament: What disciplines nourish and complement my temperament? What disciplines counter-balance my temperament? (for example introverts are refreshed by solitude and reflection but also need to be in community, grad students may need to pursue disciplines of Christian reflection but also need bodily disciplines so they don’t live all their lives in their heads).
A few other things I would encourage. One is to recognize that a rule of life will change as your life changes. What doesn’t change is the presence of God’s Spirit in your life, continuing to transform you to be like Christ. Also, continue to explore the various practices believers have found helpful in attending to God. Some will be very helpful--some just won’t fit--at least for now--and some will cease to fit in the same way over time. Your practices will grow and change as you do and so will your rule of life.
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Friday, August 17, 2007, 02:22 PM - Articles
From The Discovery Channel:
Non-biblical evidence for individuals named in the Bible is rare, particularly for people who were not royals. But an ancient Babylonian tablet provides further proof that a king and his servant — both named in the Book of Jeremiah — existed in the 6th century B.C.
According to an announcement by Assyriologist Michael Jursa and the British Museum, the small clay tablet from the museum's collections bears the name of Babylonian officer Nebo-Sarsekim. In chapter 39 of the Book of Jeremiah, this individual is described as being with King Nebuchadnezzar II at the siege of Jerusalem in the year 587 B.C.
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