So, has anyone seen the latest on Obama?

Here are the highlights. Pretty interesting stuff…

Barack Obama defended same-sex civil unions Sunday by referring Christians against the practice to look at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which he contends supports gay civil unions. 

"I believe in civil unions that allow a same-sex couple to visit each other in a hospital or transfer property to each other," Obama said, referring to unions that provide all the legal benefits of marriage but the title, according to Christian Broadcasting Network. "I don't think it should be called marriage, but I think that it is a legal right that they should have that is recognized by the state. 

“If people find that controversial, then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans,” the Democratic presidential candidate contends. “That's my view. But we can have a respectful disagreement on that." 

Media agencies speculate that Obama was referring to Matthew 7:12: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” 

Obama was responding to a question posed by a local pastor during an appearance in Nelsonville, Ohio. Pastor Leon Forte had asked the candidate how he plans to win the support of evangelical voters who disagree with him on moral issues. 

But not all Christians were happy with Obama’s use of the Bible to defend civil unions.  Pastor John Barner, manager of pastoral care at Focus on the Family, said: 

"We are always saddened as evangelical Christians when others who identify themselves as Christians do not have the high view of Scripture that we believe is so important. We believe isolated portions of Scripture should not be used to justify a personal preference or a social position that goes in a different direction than the overall message of Scripture.” 

The FOTF pastor said the Scripture is “pretty clear” in defining and affirming that marriage is “an exclusive, lifetime relationship between a man and a woman.” 

“The compromising positions of these candidates are a disappointment to us as evangelical Christians,” he added. 

Sen. Hillary Clinton has also expressed her support for civil unions. 

“It’s a personal position,” she said in August, according to FOTF. “I am absolutely in favor of civil unions with full equality.” 

Denny Burk, professor of New Testament at Criswell College in Dallas, also criticized Obama for insinuating that the Sermon on the Mount should be given greater emphasis than the teaching in Romans about homosexuality. 

"The fact is that Jesus appointed Paul to bear his name before the Gentiles (Acts 9:15), many of whom were living in homosexual sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)," Burk said, according to the Baptist Press. 

"The passage in Romans condemning homosexuality was not obscure to first century readers living in the Roman Empire. It’s only obscure to modern readers when they are looking for biblical grounds to justify that which God condemns,” the New Testament professor argued. 

“As a matter of public policy, the best way to honor God’s intention for marriage and human sexuality is to keep monogamous, heterosexual marriage privileged in law,” he said. “Unfortunately, the policies of Senator Obama fall far short of the biblical ideal." 

Amid ongoing questioning about his religion, Obama defended his personal faith while responding to the Ohio pastor, saying: 

“I am a Christian. I am a devout Christian. I’ve been a member of the same church for 20 years. I pray to Jesus every night and try to go to church as much as I can.” 

The Illinois senator explained that he hasn’t been home on Sunday for several months now.

-joe 

I give you the modern day, Martin Luther King Jr. My hero and yours,

Barack Obama!

(Oh yeah, I'm not giving up. If JP and JoeBib can write 8000 words on the meaning of Matthew 8. Then I can spend a few words discussing Obama!)

Here is a great story from Obama's speach at Ebeneezer Baptist Church in Atlanta!

There is a young, twenty-three year old white woman named Ashley Baia who organizes for our campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She’s been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and the other day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there.

And Ashley said that when she was nine years old, her mother got cancer. And because she had to miss days of work, she was let go and lost her health care. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that’s when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom.

She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches. Because that was the cheapest way to eat.

She did this for a year until her mom got better, and she told everyone at the roundtable that the reason she joined our campaign was so that she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too.

So Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they’re supporting the campaign. They all have different stories and reasons. Many bring up a specific issue. And finally they come to this elderly black man who’s been sitting there quietly the entire time. And Ashley asks him why he’s there. And he does not bring up a specific issue. He does not say health care or the economy. He does not say education or the war. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. He simply says to everyone in the room, “I am here because of Ashley.”

I really encourage you to read the whole thing. Even if you don't agree with his policies, you have to admit, he is inspiring!

Did anyone else see the article in the Oregonian last Friday discussing Karen Minnis's large donation of Republican fundraising money to City Bible Church?

Here are some quotes:

For Rep. Karen Minnis, unusual political circumstances have added up to an unusual donation: She has given $15,000 in campaign money to her church…

"It's just a way to give back to the community," Minnis said. "People are always saying things like, 'Why don't they take some of that money they raise and use it to help poor people?' "

What is unusual about Minnis' contribution is the size. Charitable contributions from campaign accounts are typically measured in hundreds of dollars, not thousands.

Minnis' donation also comes just as her fellow Republicans are gearing up for the election this fall, when they hope to win back some of the House and Senate seats that Democrats hold as part of their majorities in both chambers.

Watchdog organizations said they see no problem with Minnis giving campaign money to her church.

"It's unusual, but there's nothing wrong with it," said David Buchanan, state board chairman for Oregon Common Cause.

Tithing Campaign Donation money??? Sounds like Karen just locked up the next election for the Republican party. With the kind of blessing God is sure to send them, how can they possibly lose?

This article is just in from the Christian Post:

TWO OF SIX PREACHERS TURN OVER FINANCIAL DATA FOR PROBE

by Lillian Kwon 

Only two faith-based ministries have met a Thursday deadline to turn over financial documents for a Senate investigation on alleged opulent spending. Six were asked to cooperate. 

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) received the requested papers from Kenneth Copeland Ministries on Thursday and Joyce Meyer Ministries earlier this week. "

It’s good that some of the ministries are cooperating. I hope all of them will cooperate in the end," said Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Finance, in a statement. "For the focus of this inquiry, ministries are the same as any other non-profit organization. It’s a question of abiding by tax laws just like any tax-exempt group." 

A month ago, Grassley sent letters to six high-profile ministries – led by Paula and Randy White, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Benny Hinn, Meyer and Copeland – requesting financial statements and responses to pointed questions about salaries, perks and other organizational and personal finances. The Senate probe was launched to determine whether the ministries are abusing their tax-exempt status as churches for extravagant lifestyles. 

Churches, unlike secular nonprofits, are not required by law to make their finances public. And while some of the ministries under investigation stated they comply with tax laws, churches report very little information to the IRS and very little transparency is legally required of them, according to Richard Hammar, editor of Church Treasurer Alert! and Church Law and Tax Report. 

One of the requirements to be tax-exempt, however, is that the organization does not pay unreasonable compensation. And that is a main concern of the Senate investigation. 

Recent media coverage and reports by watchdog groups have alleged the six ministry leaders of generous salaries and amenities such as private jets and Rolls-Royces. Grassley told reporters in a conference call Wednesday that he "can't be impressed" by the argument from some of the preachers that the Internal Revenue Service already monitors them, because his past inquiries have unearthed information that the IRS never knew, according to The Associated Press. 

Creflo Dollar, one of the preachers under investigation, sent Grassley a letter asking that the investigation either be referred to the IRS, which would give greater privacy, or that the Senate committee get a subpoena. 

Dollar's lawyer, Marcus Owens of Washington, explained that turning over information through a subpoena would keep the church's information from being released to the public and "guarantees you privacy," as reported by The Wall Street Journal. 

Early in the investigation, Dollar had released some information about the finances for his church – World Changers Church International in College Park, Ga. – showing that the 30,000-member church took in $69 million in 2006. 

"I generally don't make this public," he said at the time. 

Dollar along with several other pastors have raised concerns about invasions of privacy and violations of religious freedom regarding the Senate probe. 

Dismissing the religious liberty argument, Grassley said, "Forget it. They don't have a leg to stand on." 

Representatives of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., said publicly that the ministry will cooperate with the Senate request but Grassley has not yet received any material or contact from the ministry. Bishop Eddie Long, who leads the Baptist church, has called Grassley's request unjust. 

Texas-based faith “healer” Benny Hinn has asked for more time to respond. A meeting with Hinn's attorneys is set for Friday, Grassley's office said. 

Lawyers for Paula and Randy White of Tampa gave initial contact to Grassley's office Thursday but no further response has been given. 

Grassley said he's willing to give the ministries more time to respond "as long as they’re cooperating and in contact with my office." 

"It’d be very unusual if they don’t cooperate," he added. "I’ve looked at a lot of non-profit groups over the last five years, and they’ve all cooperated. The only possible exception is when I was chairman, and then-Ranking Member Baucus asked for my help in getting a subpoena for charities connected to Jack Abramoff. That was an extreme case.” 

"I expect that in the end we won't have to work hard to get all these folks to cooperate, and I'd be very disappointed if I did," the Iowa senator said.

 YTMND!

-joebib

 I came across the following article this morning:

"The number of Christians in the communist Republic of China is estimated to have reached the 100 million mark. The increase is mainly the result of the virtually mind-boggling growth of local evangelical house churches. These consist of smaller groups who meet in private apartments or houses. Some estimates state that over 70 million Chinese are members of such house churches.

According to the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung, house churches are conspicuously watched by government agents and sometimes persecution is evident. In Beijing alone, there are between two and three thousand house churches.

In contrast, there are only eight officially registered Protestant churches.  

Estimates about the number of Catholics in China run between 12 and 18 million, of which about 6 million, according to the report, are faithful to their church policy.  

Because the government can no longer control house churches, no serious attempt is made to enforce street control. One representative stated: 'The police knows about our churches, but does not try to oppress us. We are advised not to admit foreigners in our groups and not to encourage the house church to become too large.'

In other provinces, however, strict control of house churches is implemented. Between the months of May 2005 and May 2006, approximately 2,000 Christians have been arrested." 

[IdeaSpektrum, Jan. 2, 2007, pg. 12]

Isn't it interesting that in a land of political and religious persecution the Church of Jesus not only exists, but thrives? Interesting how the temptation of becoming too institutionalized large is held in check by the government mandate.  Seems refreshingly biblical to me.

I've always felt that the Lord would one day cause His Church to return wholesale to the pattern of the house-church evidenced in the Book of Acts.

Makes me wonder about the real benefit of our highly-touted religious freedom here in the USA. Freedom to construct opulent, money-driven, religious megaliths that have a questionable affect on winning the world with the Gospel. John 2:13-17 comes to mind.

Maybe we need a healthy dose of heavy-handed, governmental persecution over here.

-joebib 

Just came across this article in USA TODAY:

 ROBERTS RECEIVES "NO CONFIDENCE" VOTE

TULSA (AP) — Embattled Oral Roberts University president Richard Roberts, facing accusations he misspent university funds to support a lavish lifestyle, has received a vote of no confidence by the tenured faculty at the evangelical university.

The resolution was approved by faculty Monday and obtained late Tuesday by the Associated Press. Faculty plan to distribute the non-binding document to the school's Board of Regents and the faculty assembly at an upcoming meeting.

Donald Vance, a professor of biblical languages and literature who voted with the majority, said the vote by a quorum of faculty was "nearly unanimous," but he declined to give the exact tally.

"It's essentially how the university has been run," said Vance, who has taught at the 5,700-student school for 13 years. "We see the Board of Regents as allies wanting to do the right thing, but we're not sure they know everything and we're not sure they knew how the faculty felt."

Jeremy Burton, a spokesman for Oral Roberts University, declined to comment on the vote Tuesday.

Accusations of lavish spending were detailed in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed Oct. 2 by three former ORU professors. The lawsuit includes allegations of a $39,000 shopping tab at one store for Richard Roberts' wife, Lindsay, a $29,411 Bahamas senior trip on the university jet for one of Roberts' daughters and a stable of horses for the Roberts children.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Richard and Lindsay Roberts denied wrongdoing. Richard Roberts has said the lawsuit amounted to "intimidation, blackmail and extortion."

Tulsa attorney Gary Richardson, who filed the lawsuit against ORU on behalf of the former professors, said he was "encouraged" to see that steps are being taken to preserve the university.

"When we filed the suit, I said I really personally believe that this lawsuit is very much like surgery," Richardson said Tuesday. "When there's disease in the body, sometimes it requires surgery in order for there to be healing."

Last week, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley announced a Senate investigation into whether six televangelists violated their organizations' tax-exempt status by living lavishly on the backs of small donors.

The Robertses were not among the six. But those targeted include three members of the school's Board of Regents: Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn.

-joebib

Well, they did it, folks. They tied the score; the gays are on the board.

Gay and lesbian Oregonians won a victory 34 years in the making Thursday when the Legislature passed a law protecting them from discrimination in housing, work and public places

However, City Bible Church, led by coach Nashif and assistant coach Nick Graham, haven't quite given up.

Opponents argued the law was not needed and gives special rights to gays and lesbians. The law raises questions, such as what constitutes discrimination against cross-dressers or what is required of public schools, said Nick Graham, spokesman for the Oregon Family Council, a nonprofit Christian group that opposed the bill.

"They broadened it out quite a bit," said Tim Nashif, political director for the Oregon Family Council. He said that while the council still opposes the law, it felt like it was heard.

The council is weighing whether to challenge the bill by collecting 55,179 signatures of registered voters and putting the measure on the November 2008 ballot, Nashif said. If it is not challenged, the law will go into effect Jan. 1, 2008. 

Guess that mass email alert by Frank Damazio didn't quite garner the bump in support, the church was hoping for. So sad! Oh well, I look forward to the November 2008 showdown at the Oregon Ballot box.  Who will take the lead?

I'll  see if I can create a Gay Madness Bracket for 2008. We can place bets on who wins. I trust it'll be a smashing good time.

I know true Christian Democrats are as rare as pink unicorns, but it appears we may have found one.

Here is Presidential Candidate Barack Obama (the black guy) sharing how he accepted Christ:

The church offered me a second insight: that faith doesn't mean that you don't have doubts. You need to come to church precisely because you are of this world, not apart from it; you need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash away – because you are human and need an ally in your difficult journey.

It was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ one day and affirm my Christian faith. It came about as a choice, and not an epiphany; the questions I had did not magically disappear. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt I heard God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.

I like it.

(Thanks Andrew)

Pastor Wendell Smith recently wrote a blog post defending President Bush's decision to send 20,000 more troops to Iraq. 

I am not exactly sure what he is trying to say other than, "Hey Bush. I support you and I'm starting a church right next to your home, so maybe we could get together sometime and talk about how you're such a great President and I'm such a great Pastor." It seems to ramble.

However, he does make this rather compelling statement:

While there are plenty of fears, concerns and even vicious criticisms of this new step by President Bush, we can nevertheless appreciate that he has a plan. With no plan or the over-simplistic approach of “just get out,” most thinking people and discerning leaders realize that Iraq would probably collapse into chaos and end up worse than her beginning. Even Jesus says that when an evil spirit is cast out, it attempts to return with seven other spirits more evil than itself, and finding the house swept and clean enters back into a man and the end will be worse than before. There must be a strategy to replace what has been eliminated.

And while I oppose escalating the war, let me quote a Christian pro-life Republican from Nebraska named Chuck Hagel, who yesterday made this statement to his colleagues on the Senate Floor regarding Bush's Plan to increase the troops:

I don't think we've ever had a coherent strategy. In fact, I would even challenge the administration today to show us the plan that the president talked about the other night. There is no plan. There is no strategy. This is a ping-pong game with American lives…. We'd better be damned sure what we're doing, all of us, before we put 22,000 more lives into that grinder…. and I want every one of you, every one of us, 100 senators to look in that camera, and you tell your people back home what you think. Don't hide any more, none of us."

Wendell Smith is in for a long two years, if his plans to succeed in DC are based on supporting this increasingly unpopular War.

Not to beat the tithing drum to death, but a Business columnist in yesterday's Washington Post discussed legislation that will allow those in bankruptcy to continue to tithe before paying their creditors. Currently, the law makes no exceptions for tithing.

Key part:

"Many who practice their faith and believe that they are bound by creed to tithe a portion of their income will find that Congress effectively decided that what credit cards want is more important than the deeply personal religious practices of Americans."

Littlefield's decision prompted Sens. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to propose legislation that would allow individuals in bankruptcy to continue giving to churches and charities.

In the online edition of the WaPo, you are allowed to comment on articles. And many of the commenters took issue with the potential new law.

When you tithe with money that should have been going to pay your debts, you are not giving *your* money to God — you are giving other peoples money — and without their permission. It is not scriptural to tithe with money that belongs to others. If you want to be able to tithe, you should either cut expenses or work enough that you have some of your own money to tithe.

And another:

The Mormons use their tithe money to pay rent, buy food, and otherwise prop up the devout who run into trouble. This seems sensible - if you ask for 10, be prepared to help the people for whom that percentage could tip into despair. God doesnt spend money, people do.

And lastly, taking a shot at the church:

Bills first, always. Tithing is for discretionary income. If you have none, you dont tithe. God asks for faith only, not money. It is the church that wants your money. If the church requires its cut before your responsibilities are taken care of, then it isnt much of a church.