Christianity – Page 8

October 8, 2014January 15, 2024

David Cameron: I am evangelical about Christian faith

Prime Minister David Cameron speaks up on the significance of the Christian faith.

Cameron has declared himself an “evangelical” about his Christian faith as he criticised some non-believers for failing to grasp the role that religion can have in “helping people to have a moral code”.

David Cameron famously described his Christian faith as being a “bit like the reception for Magic FM in the Chilterns: it sort of comes and goes”. Yet recently, the signal appears to have been amplified. Mr Cameron has already praised the contribution that Christians make to society, referred to Jesus as “our saviour” and spoken of the “moments of greatest peace” that he has experienced attending the Eucharist. But in a new article in the Guardian he appears to go further than ever before, urging Christians to be “more evangelical” about their beliefs – to “get out there and make a difference to people’s lives”.

In his third effort this week to highlight his own strong faith, the prime minister said he wanted to see a bigger role for religion in Britain as a Christian country and urged fellow believers to be more confident in spreading their views.

It comes after several big clashes between the coalition and the church, including a letter this week from 40 Anglican bishops and 600 church leaders calling on all political parties to tackle the causes of food poverty. Previous tensions have been caused by Cameron’s decision to introduce gay marriage, and deep cuts in welfare benefits

Here in Britain “we don’t do God”.

Those who know him say that the Prime Minister has always had a quiet but profound faith, one that helped him come to terms with the death of his eldest son. But this candour is not only new, but something of a departure for those in his position. Tony Blair was certainly a committed Christian, but was urged by Alastair Campbell to keep quiet about it on the grounds that here in Britain “we don’t do God”.

Actually, the British sometimes do “do God”.

How refreshing, then, to have a Prime Minister who is willing to talk openly about the values that motivate him. How refreshing, also, to be reminded that, actually, the British sometimes do “do God”.

We are a Christian country, whose laws, ethics, language and culture are the product of a particular religious foundation. True, church attendance may be falling (although not everywhere, as the Archbishop of Canterbury has reminded us). But polls show that there is a lingering popular desire for the transcendent and the meaning that it brings to believers’ lives. And Christians – along with Jews, Muslims and other faith groups – continue to play a large role in education and charity.

July 31, 2014January 15, 2024

Facebook Has More People than Any Major Religion Except Christianity

Written by Michael J. Coren

The number of Facebook monthly users has surpassed the followers of Islam, and is closing in on the most numerous religion, Christianity. The Pew Research Center reports that Christianity counts 2.3 billion people among its adherents, followed by Islam with about 1.8 billion. By comparison, Facebook reports it now has 1.32 billion daily active users and 2.01 billion monthly active users as of June 2017—all supported by a staff of just 20,658 people.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes his platform could fill the void left behind by the decline of religious and civil communities in the US. Americans are becoming less religious, join fewer community groups, and report record low levels of trust in their fellow citizens. “That’s a lot of people who now need to find a sense of purpose and support somewhere else,” he said this June at a Chicago rally for creators of Facebook groups.

Zuckerberg has even approvingly cited religions role in society, perhaps implying a similar goal for Facebook. “People who go to church are more likely to volunteer and give to charity—not just because they’re religious, but because they’re part of a community,” he said in June. “A church doesn’t just come together. It has a pastor who cares for the well-being of their congregation, makes sure they have food and shelter. A little league team has a coach who motivates the kids and helps them hit better. Leaders set the culture, inspire us, give us a safety net, and look out for us.”

Facebook is growing at an order of magnitude faster than any established denomination. No major religion is expected to grow faster than 1.4% per year (Islam) over the next two decades, predicts Pew. Yet Facebook, despite rivaling them in size, has steadily grown its global user base by about 22% each year. Of course, Facebook’s expansion will slow as it increases in size (see the “law of large numbers“), but even a drastic drop in this pace means Facebook users will exceed the number of Christians before the decade is out.

As it grows, Facebook has gone so far as to change its mission statement from its focus on making “the world more open and connected” to “bring[ing] the world closer together,” Zuckerberg said in an interview with CNN Tech this June. The company’s CEO has ramped up his campaign to portray Facebook as a force for harmony, rather than division, in public life after an election season which saw the social network accelerate the spread of inaccurate news and conspiracy theories. The CEO not known for public outreach announced a 50-state US tour in January to “get out and talk to more people about how they’re living, working and thinking about the future.”

Facebook already owns three of the five largest online communities in the world: its own network, WhatsApp, and Instagram. The other two, Chinese services WeChat and TenCent, have about 2 billion users between them. To fuel this growth, Facebook has gone on a relentless acquisition spree of any platform where it sees its future audience heading next. For now, that means Facebook can sustain meteoric growth while counting about a quarter of the world’s population as its users. It shows no signs of stopping.

Godinterest is a work in progress. We do hope we get it right, and we firmly believe that getting it right means using our voice online, even on controversial topics. The Christian voice is important, and silence does no one any good. It’s worth the trouble to figure out how to do this, even if it means stumbling along the way.

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:14-16)

July 18, 2014January 15, 2024

Teaching Christianity in Christian Schools Is ‘Extremist’?

Updated October 28th 2007 – A Christian organisation has been banned from a church-run primary school following complaints by non Christian parents who claim their children were being “exposed to potentially damaging ideology” and “extremist” views about sin.

Some parents apparently complained that their children were told that if they don’t believe in God, “they would not go to a good place when they died.”

Wayne Harris, national director of the Christian charity Crossteach, denies these allegations and said;

“Wherever possible we work in partnership with local churches and we reflect their teaching, always aiming to be sensitive to the local context, and recognizing that churches vary. We teach mainstream Christianity,” Wayne Harris, national director of the Christian charity Crossteach.”

“In 16 years of Christian schools work no teacher has ever raised a concern that something has been said that could be interpreted as in any way ‘hateful’ or ‘extremist’ and we strongly refute this current parental allegation. On the contrary, schools have consistently expressed appreciation for the contribution that Crossteach has made and for the quality of the work,” Harris added.

As The London Telegraph reported that another parent who wasn’t named said,

“I do know some of the children have been upset by what they have heard. No one minds Nativity plays and Bible stories but considering most of the parents at the school aren’t practicing Christians, I think the feeling is that it’s all too much.”

Furthermore the The Guardian reported:

“We recognize and respect the school’s Christian values but think there is a brand of Christianity that is abusing that respect. The basis of [our] complaint relates purely to concerns over the welfare and safeguarding of children who we believe are being exposed to potentially damaging ideology.”

The headmaster of the school said that he is “deeply saddened” to be cutting ties with the Crossteach Christian group, but that however.

“I do not believe Crossteach has done anything wrong,” Turvey added. “They do not deserve the tarnishing of their good name and allegations of extremism that have taken place over the last few months.”

Although the faith school St. Johns has a mandate to promote the Church of England and Christianity, it’s still has an obligation to follow Department for Education DfE guidelines when it comes to non-discrimination and respect and tolerance for other faiths, The Guardian noted, which in this case presumably superseded the Christian groups biblical bible teachings.

Conservative Christian parents have also clashed with Church of England schools. Nigel and Sally Rowe said last month that they’re considering taking legal actions against a school in Portsmouth after officials dismissed their concerns regarding allowing transgender children.

The Rowes have said that their son was left confused after a boy in his class began wearing a dress to school.

“Our children first said ‘they’re a boy and they’re my friend, and now I’ve got [to] say she instead of he,'” the couple explained.

The school said it must follow guidelines and “acknowledge a transgendered person’s [so-called] true gender”.

The Rowe’s stated that officials “should have provided support for the transgender child in a more discrete way with people who are trained professionals.

July 17, 2014January 15, 2024

The Success of Marketing via Image-Based Websites

First there was MySpace, a fun network that ruled the roost online and captured independent music fans a-plenty. In time, Facebook soon enough came along and blew that old social networking site out of the water and almost off the web. Later, in a near sneak attack, the runaway success of mostly image-based social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest would displace a portion of Facebook’s throne.
The recent major buyouts of various social sites that focused on featuring photos prominently – over and above the words and captions adjacent to them – proved that a picture really is worth 1,000 words, and that loads of pics truly possess the power to draw many eyeballs on the World Wide Web. It is no wonder that many specialized segments of websites using similar layouts and replicated business model designs of these popular image-based sites would also become a hit with users. Take for example Godinterest.com, a website that looks a whole lot like Pinterest, however, the main focus is in providing the type of image-based content that is popular with Christians, from clothing emblazoned with Scripture to inspirational quote memes to sermon videos and beyond.

Marketing via specialized social network sites

It seems natural that like-minded individuals would want to branch off from the free-for-all types of social networking websites into their own specialized interests where they can bond freely with one another over one centralized topic or theme. Expect that momentum to grow, because no one can deny the power of a viral joke, product, or even a story that has been set on fire by web users sharing it with one another.

Even entrepreneurs that appear on popular television shows such as Shark Tank admit that a lot of their marketing success could be directly attributed to social media websites where one photo has been spread of viral nature, which causes even new companies to experience quite an uptick in sales beyond their wildest imaginations. Such was the circuitous path to stardom for a company called “Grace and Lace,” whose photos of their long, thick lacy socks that extended beyond the tops of boots went viral on Pinterest and exploded the startup firm’s sales.

Therefore, taking advantage of the innate desire folks have to share good and pretty things with one another can become s bih part of a viral marketing campaign that might not cost a ton of money – even if it does take time to “pin” or upload various images to your company’s virtual board. Let’s say you’re a maker of faith-based clothing. One good marketing strategy could mean using a site like Godinterest to both gain exposure to your brand and to try and get buzz going for your line of gear for believers. It could take plenty of sharing, re-tweeting and uploading, however it may take only one interesting image or meme to spread like wildfire across the Internet, and make the time well worth the sacrifice.

This is especially a good method for entrepreneurial individuals who have a whole lot more time than money to throw at their marketing strategy.

Sign-up: https://godinterest.com

June 11, 2014October 7, 2017

Inspired by the Need for Wholesome Content Sharing, Godinterest Offers a Pinterest Alternative

By CrossMap

(LONDON, ENGLAND 2014) CROSS MAP – For those Christians, entrepreneurs and ministries that use Pinterest but want to share within a Christian environment, Godinterest could be the answer to your dreams.

Speculation is growing about the content the owners of Godinterest will and will not permit, but how does it actually differ from Pinterest?

Godinterest was founded by Dean Jones, a Christian, to allow people to post within an
environment that prohibits ill-mannered language and distasteful images.

Jones, a 35-year-old Project Manager from London, said, “Pinterest is one of the leading social media sites; however, posts on Pinterest are not always guaranteed to be suitable for the whole family. We are mindful of the values that we as Christians are bound by and therefore Godinterest will help to provide an additional cushion of safety. I see this as a ministry and to that degree, non-Christians are most welcome; however, Christianity is not up for debate.”

Godinterest strives to have Christian content and like Pinterest, people can use Godinterest to collect and share photos of their favorite events, interests and hobbies.

Coffee with God

ALLOW GOD TO SPEAK TO YOU?

In the quiet, allow God to speak to you (you might want to write your thoughts down in a journal) and if you want to, let us know how daily Bible study and ‘Coffee with God’ is helping to impact your life.

BE GRATEFUL.

It’s really simple. What is one thing today you are really grateful for? What is another? If you can list 3 things a day, you’ll see you have much more going for you than you thought. Soon your list will get so long you’ll be beaming with energy.

May 13, 2014May 13, 2018

Dear Christian: You Stink Of Death

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a sneer? Someone scrunching up their nose in distaste? According to Scriptures, it’s because you stink of death. Now, I’m not saying that you literally smell of a decomposing body, but you, dear Christian, represent death for those that are perishing.

We have a lot of hate directed towards us. It seems as though professing our faith is becoming as bad as declaring war on a defenseless country! To top it all off, people are throwing historical events and facts in our faces, blaming Christianity and not individual people for the destruction, control, and death of people for centuries. So, would it be accurate of us to say that we hate Germans because from the 1930’s to 1945 they executed a multitude of Jewish people as well as many other ‘unmentionables’? Should we hate the Belgian people for their horrific ill-treatment of the Congolese people during colonial times? Should the people of colour in South Africa hate Afrikaners because of Apartheid? Anyone with any sense in their head would realize that this should not be the case- you cannot blame a whole country or race for the acts of a select group of people! So why is it acceptable to identify a few bad eggs out of a nest and then seek to destroy the rest of that nest with perfectly good and nutritious eggs? I’ll tell you why- because to the majority of the world who are perishing, we are the aroma of death that leads them to their death.

There is something within the perishing world that wants us gone, or at least, they want us to revoke our faith and deny Christ, but that would lead to our death, and not just a physical death, but a spiritual death as well. You see, we smell of Christ and it’s a wonderful scent to us who are saved. There is something special within us that is offensive to the perishing world, and that is the knowledge of the truth. The truth is that Jesus came down to earth in the form of man, died on the cross for our sins, arose from the dead on the third day and now sits on the right-hand side of GOD as our Mediator. Because we believe this, we are thus the fragrance of Christ.

Some people will go so far as to show us a point. For example, the members of the Temple of Satan have sought to push their religion wherever and however they can to come against the Christian faith. In the past few years, they have tried to set up their own monuments to Satan wherever Christians monuments have been installed. The Ten Commandment monument in Oklahoma was set to get a rival in the form of a Baphomet monument (which is now installed in Detroit), the metal silhouette of an infantryman kneeling before a cross (which was removed by the way) in Minnesota, had the Satanic temple wanting their own monument in the shape of a solemn black cube holding an upturned helmet, its sides adorned with an upside-down pentagram (it thankfully got the axe). They even want to introduce ‘After school Satan clubs’ in challenge to Christian evangelical groups that sponsor after-school religious programming. Oddly enough, Lucien Greaves aka Doug Mesner (founder of the Temple of Satan), said that his organization does not worship the devil, but that they are a nontheistic religious organization. Lies. When the Baphomet monument was put up, a video was shown of people coming to pay their respects to the monument, and to worship their dark lord- Lucifer.

The state of California is also trying their best to control the Christian faith. People in other countries are dying because of their beliefs and many Christians are meeting in secret for fear of persecution just to come together to praise and worship GOD. I recently came across an article based in Scotland that stated that Christians are finding it difficult to practice their faith because they are being questioned about it- a young child saying grace before eating her meal was questioned by her peers and teachers about her purpose in praying! It seems as though some people no longer know what the purpose of praying is.

Let’s just face it, more and more people are finding us troublesome, harmful and dangerous. Can you imagine that? We, who are meant to be as gentle as doves, are the dangerous ones! What is the world coming to? To put it bluntly, they are coming to their death.

Honestly though, are we really that dangerous? It seems that people choose either the flight or fight option when they encounter a Believer: they will run away from us, or they will attack us and demonize us for all the world to see. I watched a news report that claimed Chick-fil-A has infiltrated New York City with their ‘pervasive Christian traditionalism’. Infiltrated and pervasive are rather strong words, don’t you think? This method of publicly attacking us is gaining supporters from all walks of life who would like to see the demise of the Christian faith. It’s a war out there, people, and it’s only getting worse.

I know that Christians have been preaching about the End Times for centuries, but that preaching is needed. We need to be ready for the return of Jesus, and it seems as though He is well on His way to coming back to earth to collect His saints. You may stink like death now, but to those who hear the Word of GOD spoken from your mouth and choose to believe in Jesus, you become an aroma of life leading to life.

Ending Thoughts: To one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.” 2 Corinthians 2:16. You may be the aroma of death to some, but most importantly, you are the aroma of life that will lead a once lost soul to life.

May 7, 2014October 8, 2017

Christian Version of Pinterest

About.com | By Por Ana Fermin

A Christian in London has created a social environment similar to options for those who wish to avoid offensive language and images that one sometimes finds on the site. This new project is called Godinterest.com and has a lot of components of options, including the same categories.

“Pinterest is one of the major social media sites;. However, the messages options do not always ensure that they are suitable for the whole family We are aware of the values that we, as Christians, we are subject and therefore Godinterest help provide an additional level of security, “said Dean Jones, creator of Godinterest via a press release.

“I see this as a ministry and to that extent, non-Christians are welcome, however, Christianity is not a topic of discussion,” Jones said in reference to the focus of your page.

As a new site, the content is still limited to a small group of users who have contributed.

August 9, 2001April 24, 2020

3 Truths About Christianity

Is Christianity about religion? Is it about a particular group of people, organization, or movement? Christianity can be viewed in so many ways. Here are 3 truths about what Christianity is about.

1. It’s about being in a relationship with Christ.

John 1:12 says that all who receive Christ and place their faith in His name are children of God. By faith in the saving work of Jesus on the cross, we are given new life. We become born of God. Before salvation, God is just our Creator, but at the point of salvation, our Creator God becomes our actual Father. Galatians 4:6 says through the Holy Spirit given to us, we can now boldly cry “Abba, Father.” Strong’s explains this Greek word Abba to be a [tender endearment by a beloved child – i.e. in an affectionate, dependent relationship with their father; “daddy,” “papa.”] The highlightt is not just on our position in God but on our relationship with Him. We enter into this new relationship once and forever. No one and nothing can ever take us out of God’s hand and love. (John 10:28 and Romans 8). No one can take our sonship away and God Himself will in no way disown us.

2. It’s about being a follower of Christ.

A Christian bears the name of Christ. He is marked by Christ. To be a Christian is to bear the identity and character of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that one who is in Christ is a new creation. Everything is not instantly perfected but literally all things are in the process of becoming new and better. As a Christian, I am now enabled to living and becoming better than before. As I abide in Christ I am transformed into His image from one degree to another. There is no stand still for a Christian and there is no hopeless case. It is false to believe that “I am just this way. I can’t help it. There’s nothing I can do about it. Life’s just bad. I can’t do anything about it.” 2 Timothy 1:7 says God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.

3. It’s about having a family stronger than flesh and blood.

John 1:13 talks about being born into the family of God. The family of God is also referred to in the Bible as the Church. Romans 12:5 talks about the church being one body while Colossians 1:18 talks about Christ being the head. In these passages we understand that all of God’s children are related and connected. Our bond is spiritual. The Holy Spirit links us all. He is our spiritual genetic trace. Our connection is tight. Ephesians 4 16 says the whole body is joined and held together.

All of God’s children have one Father, one Lord. Black Panther says in the MCU movie, “More unites us than separates us.” The same holds true among God’s people. Denominations and methodologies vary but there is only one Lord and one fundamental to faith and relationship with God. It’s sad that preferences and traditions become a point of heated conflict among Christian groups and churches today. It should not be so. Error to faith and doctrine is a serious thing that Christians should guard and reason against. But when it comes to extra Biblical matters, no Christian should hate or disown a brother just because they differ in the way of worship, music, evangelism, or even holding church worship programs and events. There is what we call respectful and loving disagreement and Christians should apply that when necessary.

August 11, 2000August 11, 2018

The Perils of Living in a Technologically Advanced Age

Technological advancements have provided Christianity a greater platform to propagate the Gospel of Christ and to further the cause of God’s Kingdom on earth. There is a downside to this, however. Perils may surround the unwary Christian and sweep him away from right living.

Idleness

In a 2016 survey, adult Americans spent an average of 5 hours on the television. A survey on Australian kids revealed an average of 12 hours of online watching and 10.5 hours of television watching. The figures give insight to a likely trend ongoing worldwide. Those with access to television and Internet programming are pouring a big chunk of their time into this form of entertainment.

1 Corinthians 6:12 teaches us an important principle through Paul: “You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.” Christians, young and old, must find a right balance between relaxation and productiveness.

Materialism

There are lots to see and discover online and thru print media. New innovations, new products, new services, new places to visit, new experiences to try; information to all these are within reach. The curious and the adventurous will want to try them all. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Caution must be exercised so that one doesn’t become addicted to buying things and accumulating stuff. Addicted hoarders and spendthrifts started out with a few finds.

Caution must also be exercised so that one doesn’t fall prey to the practice of “Keeping up with the Joneses.” Social Media does a great job in updating us of the latest trends and news. We see what new thing our friend or celebrity idol has recently acquired and we start to desire the same thing for ourselves. What others acquire and achieve may become our standard for success and happiness if we are not careful. Jesus warns us in Luke 12:15 to “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Pride

It’s fun to share one’s experiences online. That bargain you were able to get, that fun trip you had, that awesome view that you were able to see; these are good things you can share with others. In most instances, what people share on social media inspires others or gives information which other people may need one day.

Caution must be exercised that this doesn’t become a habit with an underlying motive to brag or be prideful about something. In Galatians 6:4 we are reminded in this way: “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.” So, when you post something online, ask yourself what you really hope to achieve and be careful not to share anything under false pretense or to gain unnecessary attention to yourself. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that whatever we do, the honor should be towards God. Self-exaltation is never right.

Let technological advancements be fruitful for you. Access and enjoy these innovations with moderation and whatever you do, maintain the right motives and mindset.

References:

(https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/01/business/media/nielsen-survey-media-viewing.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-15/children-now-spend-more-time-online-than-watching-tv/8272708)

ALLOW GOD TO SPEAK TO YOU?

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