To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Religion in the News
As I was wandering through the news today, I noticed a bunch of articles that had one thing in common- religion (or, in one case, a lack thereof). It was kind of interesting... no, really. I mean it.
- First, we have this story about Michael's Graham's assertion on his radio show that Islam is a "terror organization at war with America", which CAIR evidently took exception to.
Graham suggested the fault lies with Muslims generally because religious leaders and followers haven't done enough to condemn and root out extreme elements. "The problem is not extremism," Graham said, according to both CAIR and the station. "The problem is Islam." He also said, "We are at war with a terrorist organization named Islam." CAIR denounced the comments yesterday as "hate-filled" and "Islamophobic" and asked its members to contact the station's advertisers to express their dismay.
Let's get a couple of things straight with the fine folks from CAIR. Yes, we are hate-filled when it comes to people killing our friends and family. We're kind of funny that way. And, speaking personally, I'm quite phobic where philosophies that preach the destruction of my way of life are concerned. So... until CAIR and Muslims in general prove him wrong, I'll have to side with Mr. Graham. - The Church of England is a little... daft.
The Church of England is to allow gay clergy to enter into civil partnerships but only if they promise to abstain from sex, according to guidance issued yesterday. (emphasis mine- B)
Uh... um... sorry... ain't gonna happen. Maybe they should look at the Roman Catholic Church and what happens when you make sex a big no-no (and I'm not just talking about the scandals... I'm talking about the stories through the centuries about priests- popes, even- having mistresses and children). Just a thought. They need to make a decision- either homosexuality in toto is acceptable or not to their faith. (Do I even have to tell you where I fall on this one?) - Computer game developers are getting religion. Goodbye Resident Evil, hello Armagedon?
That emerging market segment will be in focus at the fourth annual Christian Game Developers Conference (July 28-30, Portland, Ore.), which hands out awards for the best Christian games of the year and looks to "equip game developers to glorify God." ...Sector insiders suggest that like the Christian music market, the religious gaming market has strong potential.
I wish them luck. If they make quality products, I'll be buying them for my kids. I'm just afraid of what I call the "cheese factor". Many times, in an effort to be wholesome and good, Christians get so sappy and cheesy that they're hard to take seriously. (Yes, I know we're not supposed to be of this world, but... can you show me where it says we're supposed to be sticky sweet?) - From the "Choose another Denomination, Ladies" Department, we have this:
Nine Roman Catholic women were unofficially ordained Monday as priests and deacons, undeterred by the threat of excommunication from their church...The ordinations are not valid within the Catholic Church and seven women who tried it in 2002 were excommunicated by the Vatican.
There are how many denominations within Christianity? And how many of them allow women into ministry? Why do these women feel the need to break the rules of the Church they claim to love? Considering the fact that Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger signed the statement of excommunication, do you really think he'll be more lenient now that he's changed his name and gets to wear the funny hat? If you want to be a priest, Ladies, I'd suggest you check out the Anglicans. - And, finally, from the "Get Over Yourself" File, we have this group of whiners:
Nicole Ward grew tired of having to pray during the hot activity-filled days of her summer camp experience; especially since she comes from a family that doesn't believe in God. "I really didn't enjoy having to say a million prayers a day at other camps," said Ward. Thanks to Camp Quest, she no longer has to. Camp Quest is a secular camp operated in Butler County, Ohio, by a group incorporated in Kentucky. It is for kids who come from families who are atheist or agnostic. For these kids, Camp Quest provides a refuge from a society where God feels omnipresent.
A million prayers a day? A society where God feels omnipresent? Sign me up. But seriously... they can't really mean to say that there weren't any non-religious summer camps for them to choose from. Sports camps... science camps... other academic camps... there are plenty of places in this country to get far away from God. But... capitalism rules... I guess there was a market for atheist kids to learn the dictates of their religion (don't even tell me atheism isn't a religion- it takes more faith to believe that God doesn't exist than to believe that He does.) Here's an idea... a Christian church camp should take this camp on as a prayer request. Their campers could pray daily for the kids at Camp Quest. I mean... if Camp Quest is right, then there's no harm, right? But... if they're wrong... think of the impact those prayers could have (God willing).
