By Jason Hines – But how do you kill Christ? An examination of how it actually happened in the Bible reveals an interesting answer.Matthew 27: 1, 2 describes the process. Christ is first condemned to death by a religious tribunal. He is then sent to the state to have this religious determination ratified and executed. This is the essence of a union of church and state. The church has the moral authority but not the tangible power to condemn Christ to death, and so they turn to the state to legitimize their moral proclamation.
Category: Current Events
Editor’s Southern Hometown Repeals Blue Law Prohibiting Alcohol Sale on Sunday
EDITOR’S NOTE: [dc]I[/dc] live in this town of Calhoun, GA. For the two years that I have resided here, I have noticed several curious differences between this small southern town and the cities where I lived in California, Washington State, and the United Kingdom. One of which is the illegality of selling alcohol on Sunday. While…
Giving An Account: William Wilberforce and the Abolition of the Slave Trade
By David C. Read – [dc]W[/dc]illiam Wilberforce (1759-1833) was the grandson of a British merchant who had made his fortune trading with the Baltic nations. William’s father died when William was nine, and his temporarily overwhelmed mother sent him to live with an aunt and uncle who were Methodists. At the age of 17, William…
Smelling an Old Man’s Feet: Reflections on Footwashing, the Ordinance of Humility
By Martin Surridge – While the state of some feet and certain odors might not be too pleasant, some are downright ugly; the ritual itself is incredibly beautiful. I am reminded of both Christ washing our sins away and the spiritual importance of serving the elderly and helping others. It makes me sad when I see how many people skip out on this opportunity because of feelings of embarrassment. I won’t argue that the process isn’t uncomfortable; however, there is incredible value in such discomfort. Following the words of Christ—turning the other cheek, loving our enemies, rejecting the ways of the world—are not supposed to be easy instructions.
Sikh Group Develops App to Report Airport Profiling (CNN)
EXCERPT: Airline travelers who feel they’ve been harassed at airport check-ins by screeners now have a speedier outlet on which to complain right at their fingertips. The Sikh Coalition, a civil rights advocacy group, on Monday released a mobile application on iPhones and Android phones giving passengers who feel they’ve been racially or religiously profiled…
Tom McClintock – CISPA Cyber-security Bill – A Truly Orwellian Measure
Pepperdine Conference Addresses The Claims of Law and Religion
EXCERPT: “The problem is that there isn’t an understanding among the general public of the heart of the issue,”said Michael Peabody (JD ’01), an employment attorney with Bradford & Barthel, LLP in Tarzana, California. “These issues become heated conflicts. When they hit the news, people become angry. They feel that their way of life is…
Key California Committee Passes Workplace Religious Freedom Act
Photo Credit www.istockphoto.com/ Amelia Johnson [dc]I[/dc]n August 2010, Noor Abdallah, a Muslim woman who worked as a hostess at Disneyland’s Grand Californian hotel complained that Disney had refused to allow her to wear her hijab, or headscarf, which she wore as a sign of modesty in front of her customers. Disney, which had been working…
June is National Torture Awareness Month
Join the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) and congregations across the country in marking Torture Awareness Month this June. Under the theme “2012 – Confronting the Culture of Torture,” NRCAT has provided a variety of resources and suggested activities that congregations can use throughout the month. Worship resources; DVDs with discussion guides; banners, posters and bumper…
Taking Alarm: The Importance of the International Religious Liberty Association
“It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties. We hold this prudent jealousy to be the first duty of citizens and the noblest characteristic of the American Revolution. The freemen of America did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself by exercise and entangled the question in precedents. They saw all the consequences in the principle, and avoided the consequences by denying the principles.”