Compass Direct News : IRAN - EX-MUSLIMS DETAINED FOR ‘APOSTASY’: "IRAN: EX-MUSLIMS DETAINED FOR ‘APOSTASY’
Police interrogate converts to Christianity about faith, political activity.
ISTANBUL, July 9 (Compass Direct News) – Iranian authorities have detained two converts to Christianity in the southern city of Shiraz for eight weeks on suspicion of “apostasy,” or leaving Islam. In Iran, apostasy is a crime that can be punishable by death.
Mahmood Matin, 52, and Arash Bandari, 44, remain imprisoned in a secret police detention center known by its address, Sepah Street 100, located in the center of Shiraz since their arrest on May 15 (previously reported as May 13).
A draft penal code under discussion in Iran’s parliament this month may make the death penalty obligatory for those who leave Islam or use the Internet to encourage others to do so."
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BHT was crusing the Baltic and met many fine people among the 3000+ travelers on board. It seems all have political opinions and are not afraid to express them. I usually travel in Christian circles so hearing Jews, Hindus and Atheists express their attitudes toward Islam was interesting. All these people come from "tolerant" positions and teachings. They superimpose this tolerance on Islam, feeling that man is basically good and therefore tolerant inherently. Christians contrarily believe man is fallen and needs redemption and is anything but tolerant in persuasion. Well, Jews sort of believe this as well but finding a practicing Jew is difficult. The ones I meet fall more into the Agnostic realm.
I ran into one opinionated and arogant Brit who pontificated ad nausium on his familiarity of the Koran and how peaceful (and I suppose tolerant) was Islam. So I decided to do a little Koran reading upon my return. Section 9 of the Koran is very revealing but I am not done with the entire entire book. And when we view issues like the ones in the above post, hardly rare, thier actions are lining up with their words.
I wonder if the average Muslim reads his own book? Or are they like average Christians and know very little of the actual text of their most sacred writings. It could be an eye opener for both parties.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Future Tripping and the Presence of Joy (Peace)
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BHT
The Shack author's blog has a great little article on peace and joy in the face of future planning. Very well written. We have talked about the mystery of being close to God in times of distress, times when we feel out of control, when things are not going the way we planned. I've been in times of distress and been far away from God also. So distress, disaster, discomfort only reveals the path to God. Arriving close to God is not automatic. We still have to walk the path of acceptance. Maybe that beautiful path God built to Himself is more distinctly visible when all the roads we have built are seen in their true light, full of pot holes and cracks and leading nowhere.
It always irritated me when people tagged "Lord willing" onto future statements. I've started adding it myself. Not to sound pious but "Lord willing" feels more descriptive of reality. "I will do this thing tomorrow ... Lord willing." It all sounds terribly weak in our culture of achievement, un-American almost.
Many of us Christians identify with Abraham, Moses, Paul ... not as much with their faith in God but in the great things these great men achieved. Then we live our lives in frustration in our own paultry achievements. Lately I identify more with the demoniac of Gadara:
"As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."
We don't all defeat the Kings of Sodom, part the Red Sea or evangelize the world. Some of us just stay home and tell the story to the locals.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Sun-like Stars May Have Low Probability of Forming Planets
Sun-like Stars May Have Low Probability of Forming Planets
Written by Nancy Atkinson
The Orion Nebula shines brilliantly, as it is packed with over 1,000 young stars in a region just a few light-years wide. With all those stars, there's probably the potential for thousands of planets to one day form from the dust and gas surrounding these stars, right? Actually, according to a new study, fewer than 10 percent of stars in the Orion Nebula have enough surrounding dust to make a planet the size of Jupiter. And that doesn't bode well for the planet-forming abilities of most stars, at least in forming planets the size of Jupiter or larger. 'We think that most stars in the galaxy are formed in dense, Orion-like regions, so this implies that systems like ours may be the exception rather than the rule,' said Joshua Eisner lead author of the study from the University of California Berkeley. This finding is also consistent with the results of current planet searches, which are finding that only about 6 percent of stars surveyed have planets the size of Jupiter or larger."
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BHT doesn't mean to be on a kick of some kind but we see a trend developing.
Written by Nancy Atkinson
The Orion Nebula shines brilliantly, as it is packed with over 1,000 young stars in a region just a few light-years wide. With all those stars, there's probably the potential for thousands of planets to one day form from the dust and gas surrounding these stars, right? Actually, according to a new study, fewer than 10 percent of stars in the Orion Nebula have enough surrounding dust to make a planet the size of Jupiter. And that doesn't bode well for the planet-forming abilities of most stars, at least in forming planets the size of Jupiter or larger. 'We think that most stars in the galaxy are formed in dense, Orion-like regions, so this implies that systems like ours may be the exception rather than the rule,' said Joshua Eisner lead author of the study from the University of California Berkeley. This finding is also consistent with the results of current planet searches, which are finding that only about 6 percent of stars surveyed have planets the size of Jupiter or larger."
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BHT doesn't mean to be on a kick of some kind but we see a trend developing.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Amazon.com: Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe: Peter Ward, Donald Brownlee: Books
Amazon.com: Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe: Peter Ward, Donald Brownlee: Books: "Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe (Paperback)"
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BHT has not read this but it appears a couple of scientists with no religious act to grind have some skepticism about life spreading randomly across the universe. So "billions and billions" of stars may not be as determinant in panspermia as Carl Sagan would suggest. Either way we are cool with it, theologically speaking.
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BHT has not read this but it appears a couple of scientists with no religious act to grind have some skepticism about life spreading randomly across the universe. So "billions and billions" of stars may not be as determinant in panspermia as Carl Sagan would suggest. Either way we are cool with it, theologically speaking.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
Doc. 11297
8 June 2007
The dangers of creationism in education
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly: "Draft resolution"1. "The Parliamentary Assembly is worried about the possible ill-effects of the spread of creationist theories within our education systems and about the consequences for our democracies. If we are not careful, creationism could become a threat to human rights, which are a key concern of the Council of Europe."
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BHT finds intresting that the EU sees creationism as a grave threat to the state. Reading this resolution is just plain creepy. We suggest you read the entire resolution for full effect.
English schoolboys get detention for refusing to pray to Allah as part of their schoolwork
English schoolboys get detention for refusing to pray to Allah as part of their schoolwork Two schoolboys were allegedly disciplined after refusing to kneel down and “pray to Allah” during a religious education lesson. A spokesman for Cheshire County Council said ‘Educating children in the beliefs of different faiths is part of Cheshire’s diversity curriculum’" -- Read the whole thing ... cultural diversity training! |
Friday, July 4, 2008
Dominionism
Tom Horn interview on PID Radio
http://rnnradio.com/2006/10/14-1 Horn starts about half way through.
http://rnnradio.com/2006/10/14-2 Fast forward some to get to interview.
http://rnnradio.com/2006/10/14=3
Many Christians are hearing God giving clarity on how His children should approach political attitudes. More of us are seeing (again) the futility of taking over the political (world) system. So I guess when Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world He really meant it.
We in the USA fall easy prey to a Dominionism theology because of our history. Didn't God lead the pilgrims to our shores to escape the oppressive state churches of Europe? Didn't God have a glorious plan to set up the perfect society, one lead by God Himself in the new land? At least some pilgrims believed this. Many Christians even now feel that God may have personally led our revolution (slight overstatement).
Just saying this out loud creeps me out. What Biblical reference supports this type of thinking? What scriptural pattern models this behavior?
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