A best-selling Christian author and radio evangelist known as the "Bible Answer Man" has filed a defamation lawsuit against a longtime critic who had accused him of being under investigation for mail fraud. Controversy surrounding Hank Hanegraaff's Rancho Santa Margarita-based Christian Research Institute arose earlier this year after he sent out an urgent fundraising letter, saying that a "bizarre error" by postal workers caused donations to be thrown away. Critic and former Christian Research Institute employee Bill Alnor, a journalism professor at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, posted a story on his online magazine, the Christian Sentinel, saying that Hanegraaff was the focus of a federal mail-fraud investigation. According to Hanegraaff, that was never true. Citing Alnor's "escalating personal attacks," he filed suit this week in Orange County Superior Court because, he said, Alnor's allegations have "crossed the line." He i...

Hello Ex-Christians I thought this research would be useful especially when dealing with fundies--those who go from drugs to Jesus really go from drugs to another drug---God. Sarah When God Becomes A Drug By Leo Booth SYMPTOMS OF RELIGIOUS ADDICTION Inability to think, doubt, or question information or authority Black-and-white, simplistic thinking Shame-based belief that you aren't good enough, or you aren't "doing it right" Magical thinking that God will fix you Scrupulosity; rigid, obsessive adherence to rules, codes of ethics, or guidelines Uncompromising, judgmental attitudes Compulsive praying, going to church or crusades, quoting scripture Unrealistic financial contributions Believing that sex is dirty -- that our bodies and physical pleasures are evil Compulsive eating or excessive fasting Conflict with science, medicine, and [secular] education Progressive detachment from the real world, isolation, breakdown of relationships Psychosomatic illness: sleepless...

Kathryn A.Lindskoog 1344 East Mayfair Avenue Orange, California 92667 From: JASA 29 (March 1977): 44-45. I believe in the biological truth of the virgin birth. That is easy. But it isn't enough. I can't think much about the biological truth of the virgin birth, because I can't find any comment anywhere on the obvious alternatives we have to sort out in order to think clearly about the subject. (How much do we really value a creed if we don't care to think about it?) Here are the six questions about the virgin birth that block me. 1. Could God have used a kind of parthenogenesis within Mary? (As I recall, parthenogenesis is full development of an egg into an animal without benefit of fertilization. It occurs in nature in certain lower animals and has been accomplished in laboratory experiments with certain more complex animals.) 2. If the ovum was never fertilized, then Jesus' genes were all from Mary. What are the biological implications of that for the kind of man ...

- Wherever religions get into society’s driving seat, tyranny results by Salman Rushdie ::link:: I never thought of myself as a writer about religion until a religion came after me. Religion was a part of my subject, of course — for a novelist from the Indian subcontinent, how could it not have been? But in my opinion I also had many other, larger, tastier fish to fry. Nevertheless, when the attack came, I had to confront what was confronting me, and to decide what I wanted to stand up for in the face of what so vociferously, repressively and violently stood against me. Now, 16 years later, religion is coming after us all and, even though most of us probably feel, as I once did, that we have other, more important concerns, we are all going to have to confront the challenge. If we fail, this particular fish may end up frying us. For those of us who grew up in India in the aftermath of the Partition riots of 1946-1947, following the creation of the independent states of India and Pakis...

Christians, Jews and Muslims often allege a moral monopoly; but the facts betray another truth. Consider, for example, the history of Jerusalem—a plot of land each tradition claims as holy. Jerusalem has been fought over 118 times, completely obliterated at least twice, besieged 23 times, attacked an additional 52 times and captured or recaptured 44 times. It has seen 20 revolts, innumerable riots and five distinct periods of violent terrorist attacks during the past century. Jerusalem has changed hands peacefully only twice in 4000 years. Those who killed for Jerusalem believed they alone possessed a God-given right to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sherif. Consider the Christian Crusaders’ own accounts of their sacking of Jerusalem in 1099 CE: “The pagans were mercifully beheaded, others plunged from towers, others tortured and burned to death in searing flames. Piles of heads lay in the streets.” These pious Christians burned or disemboweled the infidels alive simply to pilfer the...

Recently there has been a rash of pre-suppositional worldview adherents posting their particular brand or flavor of Christ cult mentality all over this site. Much like the bird fecal matter that covers park benches, these droppings dot the pages of this site and I decided to provide a short synopsis of the package these “Presuppositional apologists” are trying to sell. First of all, presuppositionalist thinkers make bold admissions. They admit that they simply choose to accept that the Bible is the Word of God without external proof or evidence. They also confess to adopting a circular reasoning pattern to support the position. Reformed in theology, Pre-sups accept Five Point Calvinism as the best representation of Biblical soteriology and remembered succinctly by the acronym TULIP which stands for: the total depravity of man, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace and the perseverance of the saints. TULIP has been rejected by popular Evangelicalism as too harsh ...

(Author Unknown) 10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of other gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of your god. 9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from lower life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt. 8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in three gods- the trinity. 7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" --including women, children, and trees! 6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that some spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got k...

sent in by Steve http://journals.aol.com/geworfenheit2001/MyMusings/ Geworfenheit2001 at aol dot com One of the attributes that are ascribed to God is that of omniscience. Most Christians and theists take the strong definition of omniscience when they apply it to God, meaning that God knows everything, past, present and future, including supposedly free choices made by human beings. I have pondered this idea for quite some time and for me there seem to be many difficulties with this concept, particularly with reference to God’s knowledge of future events and decisions as I will explain shortly. Now, there is a movement in theology by some (open and process theists), who take the view that God cannot know future events with certainty when it involves choices by humans, but only probabilities based on past decisions, the general temperament of the individual and the cumulative affect of the contributing factors. The majority of this article is not directed at those individuals, howe...

By Irene Peroni BBC News Dan Brown sparked controversy with his novel based on Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper - now a French clothing company has followed suit in Italy. The authorities in Milan have banned a billboard featuring an all-female version of the 15th Century fresco, which the fashion house itself says was inspired by the hotly debated book. The campaign has run without controversy in both Paris and New York. But its use of religious symbols could offend Milan, the town hall ruled. The advert for the Marithe et Francois Girbaud fashion house features well-clad women surrounding what seems to be a female Christ. The only male in the picture is a young bare-chested man sitting on a woman's lap in a provocative pose. Italy's advertising watchdog, the IAP, said the ad's use of Christian symbols including a dove and a chalice "inevitably recalls the very foundations of the Christian faith". This kind of image cannot be parodied for commercial ends ...

External Link

provided by Ed Babinski Did you know that Michael Denton has changed his view from evolution being a "theory in crisis," to evolution being a fact of nature? Denton even told the Discovery Institute that he no longer wished to be described as an "associate" of that institute. Although Denton's book, Evoultion: A Theory in Crisis preceded Behe and Dembski's works, Denton no longer finds evolution to be in such a "crisis" not anymore. I also wonder what creationists and I.D.ists think of Christians who accept Darwinistic evolution, and reject I.D. arguments? Dr. Colling (fundamentalist Christian and chair of Biology at a fundamentalist Christian college) is O.K. with Darwinian evolution and has even composed a book on the subject titled, Random Designer: Created From Chaos To Connect With Creator. ''It pains me to suggest that my religious brothers are telling falsehoods'' when they say evolutionary theory is ''in cri...

External Link

Just like the spousal syndrome it's named after, this disorder is characterized by the inability to see anything but love in the actions of the abuser. Every hit is the victim's fault as this is the only rationalization to keep the image of someone who is loving alive. And so it is with the believer. No matter what terrible event happens in their life they can't see their god as anything but a loving father. He never gets any of the blame. It's either a lack of faith, too much sin or perhaps not enough praise that day. Suppose a believer's child was murdered. Can she conceptualize her god idly watching as the event took place, doing absolutely nothing? Yes, but it was for a reason. Her god still loves her, of course -- that's what she been programmed to believe. She'll probably come up with the standard answer designed to preserve the love like "god works in mysterious ways," "it was for the greater good," or "god...

by AtheistMommy Our Funding Fathers had a grand plan. A plan to create a wonderful place where all can be free, free to believe in anything, free to speak their minds, free to voice their opinions. Our Founding Fathers were not Atheists. They were not quite Christian, either though. Some didn't even attend church on Sunday or any other day. What they were, even better than belonging to a religion or not, they were Freethinkers. How is it we can call this land free? Religious tolerance has hit an all time low. Atheists are now speaking their minds and standing up for their rights instead of lurking in the shadows and denying their lack of beliefs. We now have church on TV every Sunday. Religious radio stations both on FM, AM, and internet broadcasting, mostly Christian. We have a man in the highest of political offices claiming to be God's president. Public fights about the pledge, the religious slogan on our money, and who's God is real. Let's not forg...

America is a nation wherein citizens of all religions and of none are welcome to participate freely in all of its social and political functions. The essence of the religion commandments of the Constitution, as drafted by the Founding Fathers and added by the First Congress, is voluntarism in matters of religion. Government is the essence of coercion; therefore, "no religious test shall ever be required" (Constitution, Art. 6., Sec. 3.) and Congress shall make "no law" respecting an establishment of "religion" (First Amendment). In other words, it is a "religious" test which shall not be required, not just a church test, and it is "religion" which shall not be established by law or Congress, not just a church. I hope your readers find "America's Real Religion" of value in understanding the Constitution's commandments and the resulting freedom guaranteed every American. Gene Garman, M.Div. America's Real R...

2004-12-31 / Knight Ridder / By Tom Schaefer The death toll from Asia's devastating tsunami could surpass 100,000. One hundred thousand men, women and children. One survivor, describing the scene, said, "Hell was unleashed." How are we to make sense of the senseless? The answer is, we can't. The problem of evil in this world has never been fully understood and cannot be completely explained. Watching the unbelievable devastation of Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and other parts of Asia only heightens the anxiety about the role of the divine in the midst of destruction. How can God allow the innocent to suffer and die so horrendously? When the Reverand Billy Graham spoke at the National Cathedral following the September 11, 2001, attacks, he recounted how he is often asked why God permits evil in the world. He paused and said that he has never been able to find a fully satisfactory answer. Not even America's pastor, as he's been called,...

by Mark Twain (1909) The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. Behind him stretched the illimitable continent of heaven, steeped in a glory of light and color; before him rose the black night of Space, like a wall. His mighty bulk towered rugged and mountain- like into the zenith, and His divine head blazed there like a distant sun. At His feet stood three colossal figures, diminished to extinction, almost, by contrast -- archangels -- their heads level with His ankle- bone. When the Creator had finished thinking, He said, "I have thought. Behold!" He lifted His hand, and from it burst a fountain- spray of fire, a million stupendous suns, which clove the blackness and soared, away and away and away, diminishing in magnitude and intensity as they pierced the far frontiers of Space, until at last they were but as diamond nailheads sparkling under the domed vast roof of the universe. At the end of an hour the Grand Council was dismissed. They left the Pr...