Author: Texas Gospel

Daily thought: Do all Christians cherry-pick the Bible?

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Cherries

Have you ever had an atheist complain that Christians cherry pick the Bible and only follow the parts with which they agree?  I read the work of an on-line atheist this week.  He wrote that nearly everyone, from every denomination of Christianity, cherry picks the Bible.  Is this the case?  Do most Christians edit the Bible to meet their desires?

Well, over the decades I’ve visited a very large sample of churches, including Pentecostal, Baptist, Catholic, and others – a very nice sampling of congregations – and I have yet to meet a serious Christian who picks and chooses what parts of scripture he or she accepts.  I’m not saying there are none who do this. I am saying it is unfair to say most Christians do this; and it is based on a very self-inflated opinion of one’s own ability to understand the Bible.

It’s been my experience that the cherry-picking compliant comes from those who believe no one could read the Bible and walk away with a different understanding than they have reached.  To be clear, I am not saying the Bible means whatever you want it to mean.  I am saying the opposite.  The Bible has one meaning, and it is possible to misunderstand it.  An atheist who complains of Christian cherry picking is often doing exactly what they claim Christians are doing; they are editing the Bible to meet their desires.

The next time a non-believer makes this claim, look at it as a door they’ve opened to discuss scripture.  Have them show you the scripture and explain their belief.  If they are honest and not simply looking for an argument, you may end up with a chance to share your faith. If it becomes apparent they are not interested in truth, and only want to “win” an argument, do as Matthew 10:14 says and shake the dust off your feet.

What do you think?

 

Colorado congregation holds Easter Sunday service after vandals cause $80K in damage

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File: Vandals damage the sanctuary of the North Huron Christian Center.

The sanctuary of a Colorado church was filled with the sounds of worship and praise just days after three people were arrested for causing over $80,000 in damage to the building.  The congregation of the North Huron Christian Center and Destiny Outreach Ministries held an Easter Sunday service in spite of the senseless vandalism.

Sarah Crawford, a church member, posted online, “WOW!! It’s been amazing to be a part of the cleanup efforts at Destiny Outreach Ministries over the past few days!! All the generosity of time, resources, and finances has blown us away!”

The three people arrested for causing the damage face felony charges including second-degree burglary and criminal mischief.  Police have not released a motive for the vandalism.

A Gofundme page has been set up to help the church cover the cost of the damage.

Daily thought: Is the church full of hypocrites?

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EDITED CONGREGATION

Is the church full of hypocrites?  Absolutely!  Go to any church and you’ll find liars, adulterers and a list of sins so long I won’t even try to name them all.  Being a Christian does not mean never having sinned.  In fact, it means the opposite: it means knowing that everyone needs remission of sins. To be clear, remission is the act of deliverance from sin.   By definition, a Christian is one delivered from sin.  Because of this, all Christians are sinners, but they have been redeemed.

Being redeemed does not mean that Christians do not struggle with temptation to sin again.  Jesus told us not to puff up our chest and dare the devil to give us his best temptation. He said to ask that God deliver us from temptation.  Christians do struggle with sin, and this includes hypocrisy.

When someone asks, “is the Church full of hypocrites,” I sometimes wonder if they are actually asking if the people in the church are hypocrites BECAUSE they are Christians.  Of course not!  Hypocrisy is found among atheists, Buddhists, communists.  In short, it is a flaw in the human character. When critics point out there are hypocrites in church, it is kind of like the old joke where someone yells, “we’re all gonna die!” in a manner that insinuates something terrible is about to happen, when they are actually just saying that death is a certainty for everyone.  Christians are not hypocrites because they are Christians, they are imperfect people who acknowledge their imperfection.

Can you name any group as large as Christians, according to NPR around 2.2 billion, that does not have members involved in all of the above mentioned sins?   Perhaps rather than ask if this group or that group sins, we should ask what do men need because of their sins?

What do you think?

NJ congregation targeted by vandals for third time

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2018-03-30 CHURCH VANDALISM
Photo: Vandalism suspect caught on surveillance video

A New Jersey congregation is victim of vandalism for the third time.  It’s something that leads church members of Our Lady of Victories Church in Jersey City to believe they are being targeted.  WABC television Thursday aired surveillance video of a man ripping a Ten Commandments display from the building. Previous attacks have involved the destruction of statues.

Rev. Michael Gubernat told NBC New York, “It’s happening a lot more and that’s a dangerous sign.”

Jersey City Police have not yet determined a motive behind the attacks. Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call the department at 201-547-5477.

Daily thought: Why do few scientists openly proclaim Christ?

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

When President Barack Obama announced in 2009 that he would nominate renowned geneticist Dr. Francis Collins as director of the National Institutes of Health, a number of scientists publicly questioned whether the nominee’s devout Christian faith should disqualify him from the position.  This observation is not mine, it is that of the very well-respected Pew Research Center and is noted in respected publications like the New York Times.

I find it amazing that such bigotry exists among some in the scientific community.  This is a group that should be focused on science, facts and numbers and not allowing bigotry to guide leadership decisions. But the fact that some scientists hold this view, that is, openly promote discrimination against anyone with a belief in God, answers (to a point)  a complaint some atheist are quick  present: Why is the percentage of those who say they believe in God lower among scientists than among the general public.

Given that such discrimination exists, and given there is no professional reason for a scientist to proclaim his or her faith while in a laboratory, wouldn’t you expect some scientists to choose to remain silent about their belief, especially when grant money and prestigious positions are on the line?

I’m not saying Christians should disobey God and keep their faith to themselves; I am saying that the anti-Christian bigotry some atheists claim does not exist is very much alive and well. Too, this bigotry is partially responsible for the higher percentage of those identifying as atheists in science compared to the general public.  This is not to say bigotry is the only thing preventing men and women of science from making an open profession of faith.  Bigotry, even among well-educated people, is not the way to promote truth.

What are your thoughts?

If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.

John 15:18

This article was originally published by Texas Gospel Canada in 2018