Despite being a blog advertisement for his book, Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope, Brian McLaren has an interesting article at TPM Cafe that is worth a read.
I don’t always agree with or disagree with McLaren but I think he makes some valid points about the culture and church in the United States.
According to a report in an Italian newspaper, the Chinese government will prohibit Bibles being brought to the country during next years olympics.
Here is the article which was originally found here.
China angrily denounces Games “Bible ban” report
BEIJING (Reuters) - China reacted angrily on Thursday to reports in the European press that the government would ban Bibles during next year’s Beijing Olympics, saying it could not possibly be true.
The reports, one of which appeared in Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, were picked up by the Catholic News Agency and spread to U.S. media sites.
“The facts show that this news is a total rumour,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference. “The Chinese government has not come up with any such rule.
File photo of a security officer on guard at the construction site of the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, November 4,2007. China reacted angrily on Thursday to reports in the European press that the government would ban Bibles during next year’s Beijing Olympics, saying it could not possibly be true. (REUTERS/Jason Lee/Files)
“China’s religious affairs authorities and the Olympic organisers have not — and could not — issue a rule banning the Bible in the Olympic village.”The 2008 Olympics has already become a focus for groups wishing to put pressure on China on everything from Tibet to Beijing’s support of Myanmar’s junta, and this seems set to continue at the opening ceremony gets nearer.
Organisers have already pledged religious services will be offered during the Games.
Liu said foreigners were allowed to bring in religious objects or materials for personal use, and that there would be no change to this during the Olympics.
“We are suspicious of the motivations for why these people would spread such rumours. They should be responsible, and not do things that are not beneficial for them and harm mutual understanding between China and the world,” he added.
Though the Chinese government keeps a close grip on religious activity, the country has large Christian, Muslim and Buddhist communities who are allowed to worship at state recognised churches, mosques and temples.
But rights groups regularly criticise China for restricting the right to worship and arresting those who try to follow their faith outside of state appointed bodies.
The Question I have is; Do we accept the lip service of a government that has been very aggressive against individual forms of expression in the past?
I don’t have the answer to that one but I do think China understands the power it has with the Olympics coming there in 2008. So I expect them to use this event the way any other nation does…PR…to sell the communist dream to the entire world which seems to be eagerly listening.
We shall see.
What do you think?
I just read an interesting report that Ramzi Yousef who was the “mastermind” of the first terrorist attack on New York’s World Trade Center claims to have converted from Islam to Christianity.
To that I say, PRAISE GOD! Isn’t it incredible how NOBODY is gone beyond the ability to experience the grace and forgiveness of Jesus! what a powerful testimony this will be to the Muslim world and to those who are in prison with him.
There are several who are skeptics of the sincerity of his conversion and I suppose that is justified, the man proclaimed himself a radical Muslim and took an oath to die killing infidels in Jihad.
His story is pretty familiar though and it is found in the Bible in the story of the Apostle Paul who prior to his accepting that Jesus is God was one of the most zealous of all Jewish persecutors of those who proclaimed Jesus as THE WAY.
Myself, I am praising God because regardless of this mans truthfulness, Jesus Christ is being recognized as God to potentially millions of people in the Muslim faith, some radical and others are your average person but all who see this will be able to hear that JESUS IS GOD.
Here’s the thing, so many of us think that one sin is worse than another…like there are degrees of sin but all sin is separation from God and the only one who can bridge that distance between our sin and God is His one and only perfect son, Jesus Christ who came to this earth and while being entirely human lived a totally sinless life.
So,
These are only a few examples but nonetheless, separation from God is separation from God and there is no difference in sin in His eyes.
The GREAT NEWS is that you can receive forgiveness of your sins by confessing them to Jesus and acknowledging Jesus as God.
I am praying for Ramzi Yousef, that his profession of faith is sincere and if not that he would be so convicted by the Holy Spirit that he would have no other choice than to acknowledge Jesus as God in his heart and in his mind and in his actions…I will pray for him the same way I pray for the rest of the church and for the rest of those who are far from God.