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	<title> &#187; Fringe Blog &#8211; Writing on Film, Culture, and Things on the Fringe</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.fringeblog.com/category/religious-news/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.fringeblog.com</link>
	<description>The fringe is where the real resides, where substance and style are made one.</description>
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		<title>We Are They, They Are Us</title>
		<link>http://www.fringeblog.com/2005/01/we-are-they-they-are-us/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fringeblog.com/2005/01/we-are-they-they-are-us/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2005 21:51:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jelewis8</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Religious News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[american christianity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[american population]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barna group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[born again christians]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[distinguishable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[evangelical christians]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[findings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gallup organization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hedonistic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[highly respected]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jesus is lord]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[laments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[materialistic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael horton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[national polls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self centered]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self fulfillment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[theologian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unwashed masses]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fringeblog.com/2005/01/we-are-they-they-are-us/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Evangelical Christians are hardly distinguishable from the unsaved, unwashed masses, reveal findings from nearly every polling organizations making these kinds of surveys. Scandalous behavior is rapidly destroying American Christianity. By their daily activity, most &#8220;Christians&#8221; regularly commit treason. With their mouths they claim that Jesus is Lord, but with their actions they demonstrate allegiance to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2005/001/3.8.html">Evangelical Christians</a> are hardly distinguishable from the unsaved, unwashed masses, reveal findings from nearly every polling organizations making these kinds of surveys.</p>
<blockquote><p>Scandalous behavior is rapidly destroying American Christianity. By their daily activity, most &#8220;Christians&#8221; regularly commit treason. With their mouths they claim that Jesus is Lord, but with their actions they demonstrate allegiance to money, sex, and self-fulfillment.<br />
The findings in numerous national polls conducted by highly respected pollsters like The Gallup Organization and The Barna Group are simply shocking. &#8220;Gallup and Barna,&#8221; laments evangelical theologian Michael Horton, &#8220;hand us survey after survey demonstrating that evangelical Christians are as likely to embrace lifestyles every bit as hedonistic, materialistic, self-centered, and sexually immoral as the world in general.&#8221; Divorce is more common among &#8220;born-again&#8221; Christians than in the general American population. Only 6 percent of evangelicals tithe. White evangelicals are the most likely people to object to neighbors of another race. Josh McDowell has pointed out that the sexual promiscuity of evangelical youth is only a little less outrageous than that of their nonevangelical peers.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Christians today suffer from severe spiritual drought and famine, lacking in Christian principles and values, embracing worldly pursuits and pleasures, and most importantly and regrettably, the absence of Jesus-centered lives. In many respects, I&#8217;m just as guilty of contributing to these horrifying statistics as the next Christian.<br />
I think <a href="http://soularmageddon.blogspot.com/2005/01/so-i-talked-to-my-brother-tonight-and.html">my brother</a> may be right. We are approaching a nexus of time, where the final showdown between good and evil takes place and the allegiance of all is called into question. Who will we follow? What lord will we serve? The world takes no prisoners, only slaves, and too many of us are slaves to what makes us feel good, to what gives us earthly comfort and delight. Too many of us fail in every way to engage the spirit. We live by our flesh and scorn extremes on both sides. We are Laodicea.<br />
Fortunately, Jesus does make it possible to make our lives testaments of His work. And He does forgive, even when we can&#8217;t forgive ourselves. The truth of our backslidden nature can be overcome by the truth of salvation, despite our flesh. If there is grace, there is grace in abundance, and like a rope, must be used to pull us over the brink of the abyss to the stable ground of repentence.<br />
I recommend reading the entire article, as it is a sad picture of the state of evangelical Christianity in America today. Pray for changes, not only in the body, but in your own life. I know I will be.</p>
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.fringeblog.com/2005/01/we-are-they-they-are-us/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Progressive Islam</title>
		<link>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/10/progressive-islam/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/10/progressive-islam/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Oct 2004 17:27:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jelewis8</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Religious News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/10/progressive-islam/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s nice to see Islam progressing like this.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s nice to see Islam progressing <a href="http://commonsensewonder.com/mtarchives/006060.shtml">like this</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Churchmongering</title>
		<link>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/07/churchmongering/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/07/churchmongering/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Jul 2004 16:36:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jelewis8</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Religious News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/07/churchmongering/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m not a fan of the Bush campaign recruiting boosters from churches and other religious organizations. And I certainly don&#8217;t think any church has the right to submit a church member directory without gaining permission from the members. All in all, this isn&#8217;t such a good thing, and further turns me off to Bush. It&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m not a fan of the Bush campaign <a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&#038;cid=1803&#038;e=10&#038;u=/washpost/a19082_2004jun30">recruiting boosters from churches</a> and other religious organizations.  And I certainly don&#8217;t think any church has the right to submit a church member directory without gaining permission from the members.  All in all, this isn&#8217;t such a good thing, and further turns me off to Bush.  It&#8217;s churchmongering and belies the purpose of the church, that is, missions and preaching the gospel.<br />
On top of that, it may be illegal, due to tax exemption status laws.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/07/churchmongering/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Natural Religion</title>
		<link>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/06/natural-religion/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/06/natural-religion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jun 2004 17:24:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jelewis8</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Religious News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/06/natural-religion/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Why is religion natural for humans to believe in and follow? Psychologists say it&#8217;s not the leap out of logic that skeptics make it out to be.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.csicop.org/si/2004-03/religion.html">Why is religion natural</a> for humans to believe in and follow?  Psychologists say it&#8217;s not the leap out of logic that skeptics make it out to be.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/06/natural-religion/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bible Class Ban</title>
		<link>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/06/bible-class-ban/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/06/bible-class-ban/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jun 2004 16:49:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jelewis8</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Religious News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/06/bible-class-ban/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[News of the Bible class ban for Rhea County, Tennessee schools depressed me this morning, so I&#8217;ve decided to spread it around. Judges have once again called upon the fallacious and errant &#8220;Separation&#8221; argument to support activism concerning religious activities in conjunction with government-sponsored programs and institutions. Here, a voluntary Bible class has been deemed [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>News of the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/06/08/bible.ruling.ap/index.html">Bible class ban</a> for Rhea County, Tennessee schools depressed me this morning, so I&#8217;ve decided to spread it around.  Judges have once again called upon the fallacious and errant &#8220;Separation&#8221; argument to support activism concerning religious activities in conjunction with government-sponsored programs and institutions.  Here, a voluntary Bible class has been deemed in violation of the separation of church and state because it teaches the Bible as a religious truth.<br />
Wouldn&#8217;t want that, would we?  Unfortunately, I don&#8217;t see any increased desire for the truth of any kind, much less religious truth, so this ruling, while distressing, is not unexpected.  The fact that this is a judicial ruling rather than a people&#8217;s ruling continues the trend of people losing rights by judicial fiat.  I&#8217;m not arguing for the inherent reinstating of religious doctrinal teaching in schools; rather, I&#8217;m arguing against blanket rulings based on fallacy and civil rights violating precedents.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Christian State</title>
		<link>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/05/christian-state/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/05/christian-state/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 May 2004 16:03:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jelewis8</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Religious News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/05/christian-state/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Christians who are looking to secede from the Union and gain their own state are highly delusional and should not be viewed as representative for the rest of us who aren&#8217;t, you know&#8230;crazy.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Christians who are looking to <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38571">secede from the Union</a> and gain their own state are highly delusional and should not be viewed as representative for the rest of us who aren&#8217;t, you know&#8230;crazy.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/05/christian-state/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Targeting Christians</title>
		<link>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/04/targeting-christians/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/04/targeting-christians/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2004 15:27:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jelewis8</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Religious News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fringeblog.com/2004/04/targeting-christians/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This should have Middle America quaking in its boots. With anger, maybe, but not fear. When Muslims start deliberately targeting Christians and Christian churches in Iraq, you&#8217;ll see an upsurge in support for the war, especially in the MidWest and South.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This should have Middle America quaking in its boots.  With anger, maybe, but not fear.  When Muslims start <a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&#038;u=/nm/20040410/ts_nm/iraq_christians_threat_dc">deliberately targeting Christians and Christian churches</a> in Iraq, you&#8217;ll see an upsurge in support for the war, especially in the MidWest and South.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Christianity Up in China</title>
		<link>http://www.fringeblog.com/2003/12/christianity-up-in-china/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fringeblog.com/2003/12/christianity-up-in-china/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 2003 18:28:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jelewis8</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Religious News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fringeblog.com/2003/12/christianity-up-in-china/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[China counts 90 million Christians in its population. Of course, that&#8217;s less than a tenth of its overall population, but still, it&#8217;s interesting to see how China is/will deal(ing) with a growing spiritual hunger and people who say that God really does exist, and it&#8217;s not Mao.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1224/p01s03-wosc.html">China counts 90 million Christians</a> in its population.  Of course, that&#8217;s less than a tenth of its overall population, but still, it&#8217;s interesting to see how China is/will deal(ing) with a growing spiritual hunger and people who say that God really does exist, and it&#8217;s not Mao.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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