Category: modern church

Jimmy Carter Teaches Sunday School Hours after Grandson Dies

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Jeremy Carter died after his heart stopped and couldn’t be revived, former president says.

CHR Comment: The death of Carter’s 28-year old grandson was a surprise and not well explained in the article. Also missing was any discussion of heaven and the promise of the resurrection through faith in Christ. Perhaps all of that was discussed but was not included in the write up. Former Pres. Carter was recently in the news having announced at this same Bible class that his cancer was in remission.

Source: Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school hours after grandson dies

Palestinian Christians Disappearing from Gaza

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Worshipers say they may be the last group of Christians in Gaza.

CHR Comment: Joblessness is causing many Palestinian Christians to leave Gaza and the West Bank. The article describes peaceful relations with Hamas Muslims but anger toward Israeli policies that restrict opportunities for Palestinians. The history is more complex and troubling than the article describes. The second link below explains how a Palestinian Christian, George Habash, was an early leader in terrorist acts during the 1970s, which stemmed from his Marxist views rather than his faith.

Source: After 2,000 years, Christians disappearing from Gaza

http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1707366,00.html

Archipelago Islam and Christianity in Indonesia

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Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim nation, but are its local Islamic traditions in danger of being overtaken by fundamentalism?

CHR Comment: Archipelago Islam is, according to Yenny Wahid, a more peaceful form of Islam that developed in the islands of Indonesia. Such Muslims have tended to be more tolerant of Christians. However, Muslims in Indonesia are becoming less tolerant. Large majorities now support Sharia law and the formation of a Caliphate. Christians there are experiencing increased persecution. Indonesia has the largest number of Muslims of any nation in the world. If they radicalize, as has happened in other nations, persecution of Christians might greatly increase.

Source: Is Indonesia winning its fight against Islamic extremism? – BBC News

Pope Francis Approves Mother Teresa for Sainthood

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Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor.

CHR Comment: Mother Teresa (1910-1997) was declared a saint by Pope Francis. The leader of the Missionaries of Charity was widely respected for her work among the poor in Calcutta, India, and as an advocate for human dignity. The article includes a fine infographic that explains the process by which someone is approved for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church as well as biographical information.

Source: Pope Francis approves Mother Teresa for sainthood

Scanning a Bishop’s Brain

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In an unusual new paper, a group of German neuroscientists report that they scanned the brain of a Catholic bishop: Does a bishop pray when he prays? And does his brain distinguish between different religions? The researchers were Sarita Silveira and colleagues of Munich, and they used fMRI to measure brain activity in “a German …

CHR Comment: Silveira and other researchers were exploring whether there was a notable difference in brain activity while the bishop prayed the Lord’s Prayer repeatedly in his mind. The experiment seems poorly formed since reciting the Lord’s Prayer repeatedly would produce a restful state similar to the control activity of resting and thinking of nothing in particular.

Source: The Case of the Bishop’s Brain – Neuroskeptic

Ian Howard Marshall, Courageous and Winsome Bible Scholar

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A tribute to the New Testament expert who kept the flame of evangelical scholarship from burning out.

CHR Comment: I. Howard Marshall (1934-2015) was a well established New Testament scholar who supported and advanced academic study and publishing among Evangelicals. The article provides anecdotes from other scholars who valued his service and influence.

Source: Died: Ian Howard Marshall, Courageous and Winsome Bible Scholar | Christianity Today

Wheaton College Professor States that Christians and Muslims Have the Same God

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(RNS) The “Harvard of evangelicalism” penalizes a professor for saying Muslims and Christians worship the “same God.”

CHR Comment: Professor Larycia Hawkins raised concerns as she sought to show solidarity with Muslims by wearing a hijab and stating that Christians and Muslims have the same God. Hawkins, an Episcopalian who teaches political science at Wheaton College, made statements that are viewed as incompatible with the Evangelical school’s statement of faith.

Source: Wheaton College must decide hijab-wearing prof’s future – and its own – Religion News Service

Star Wars Based Service at German Church

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Zion Church in Berlin will host a special service using the themes of good versus evil from the Bible and from the Star Wars film series. The article explains the theological and outreach aims of Ulrike Garve and Lucas Ludewig in arranging the service. Zion Church is know as a congregation served by the German martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer in the 1930s and as a gathering place for dissenters during the Cold War.

North Korea Sentences Canadian Pastor to Life in Prison

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Hyeon Soo Lim received life in prison with hard labor Wednesday for what was called crimes against the state.

CHR Comment: Pastor Lim, who was in North Korea offering aid at a nursing home, a nursery, and an orphanage, confessed to using religion to undermine the North Korean state as well as other charges. However, the article points out that such confessions have been coerced from prisoners in the past. Lim was pastor at Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto.

Source: N. Korea sentences Canadian pastor to life in prison

Syrian Refugees Arrive in South Carolina Despite Objections

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Another family also is expected; Gov. Nikki Haley asked federal officials not to send Syrians because of security concerns.

CHR Comment: Lutheran Services Carolinas, a charity-based social services agency, is helping to settle Syrian refugees in South Carolina despite the security concerns raised by immigration. The article explains the issues of inadequate security checks as well as the disagreements between federal and state officials.

Source: Syrian refugees arrive in S.C. despite gov’s objections