What about the other North Korean political and religious prisoners?


What about the other North Korean political and religious prisoners?

Posted: 06 Aug 2009 09:03 AM PDT


 

San_Francisco_Vigil_for_Laura_Ling_and_Euna_Lee

The following is submitted by Jerry Dykstra, Media Relations Director, Open Doors USA:

Today U.S. journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling returned home to their friends and family in an emotional reunion after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il issued a special pardon. Their return came after former U.S. President Bill Clinton made an unannounced visit to Pyongyang to help secure their release.

Ling and Lee had been found guilty of allegedly entering North Korea illegally across the Chinese border in March and later sentenced to 12 years of hard labor. They reportedly were being held at a "guest house" during their confinement.

The North Korean News Agency said the two reporters’ pardon and release was a sign of North Korea’s "humanitarian and peace-loving policy."

That might be the case in this instance, but let’s look at the facts:

·         North Korea is suspected of detaining more political and religious prisoners than any other country in the world. Open Doors, an international Christian organization which supports persecuted believers (www.OpenDoorsUSA.org), puts the number of prisoners at least 200,000, including 40,000 to 60,000 Christians.

·         North Koreans can be imprisoned for virtually any state-defined crime such as owning a Bible, making a negative comment about the regime, failing to have a picture of Kim Il-Sung in their house and traveling to China to look for food and freedom.

·         KimJong-Il’s government keeps its citizens in its grip through systematic use of torture, public and private executions, brutal imprisonment, lack of due process of law, starvation and even forced abortions.

·         North Korea has been known to arrest not only the suspected dissident but also three generations of his/her family to "root out" the bad influence.

·         This year North Korea was re-designated by the U.S. State Department as one of eight "Countries of Particular Concern" for its severe religious freedom violations. The Open Doors World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians has ranked the hermit country as the worst offender of religious freedom for seven years in a row.

The Associated Press reported last month that North Korea publicly executed a Christian woman for distributing Bibles, based on information it received from South Korean activists. Ri Hyon Ok, 33, was also accused of spying for South Korea and the United States and organizing dissidents, according to the Associated Press. She was executed in the northwestern city of Ryongchon near the border with China on June 16, according to a report from an alliance of several dozen anti-North Korean groups.

Ri’s parents, husband and three children were sent to a political prison camp in the northeastern city of Hoeryong the following day, according to the report, citing unidentified documents it said were obtained from North Korea.

This is the shocking reality of what takes place inside this communist country where there is no basic human rights. One colleague of mine who has traveled to North Korea described North Korea "as an on-going nightmare."

It surely was a nightmare for Kim Young Soon, a special witness during North Korea Freedom Week in April before a group of Congressmen in Washington, D.C. The North Korean refugee is one of the few survivors of the infamous Yodok political prison camp. She was thrown into prison for nine years on a trumped up charge of divulging a secret about Kim Jong-Il’s marriage. Her parents and four children were also imprisoned. In the Yodok prison camp, her parents died of malnutrition, an eldest son drowned. Her husband was shot to death in 1970 while attempting to cross the border to escape from North Korea.  Mrs. Kim’s youngest son was arrested in 1988 while attempting to cross the border and was put in prison for four years. He was executed in 1993 by a firing squad because he tried to escape from North Korea again. Mrs. Kim escaped from North Korea and resettled in South Korea.  She has made it her life’s mission to expose the cruelty and truth about the prison camps in North Korea.

She testified: "I entered prison camp No. 15 at Yodok. I spent nine years there; treated like an animal. What made me feel most mortified was the fact that my father, mother, daughter and three sons, who were innocent of any crime, were also sent to Yodok, all because of me.

"We were forced to engage in heavy labor day and night. On August 5, 1971, I lost my father. I had to wrap his body in a straw mat since there were no coffins in Yodok. Before long, my mother also died of malnutrition. Unbearable sadness cut my heart to pieces.

"Still with tears in my eyes, I was struck by another painful accident when my eldest son drowned. I was nearly mad with grief. Yodok was really a hell to me. I cried to God asking that He might burn them all to death in Yodok with lightning.

"Every mountain and field in Yodok was covered with dead bodies because of malnutrition and hunger. In 1973, two detainees were killed by public execution at a place between Sector 3 and 4 on charges of trying to escape from prison. Countless numbers of detainees were killed by public execution and torture. Due to malnutrition and hunger, little children withered to death with their stomachs swollen. Adult people were looking everywhere for young rats which they believed to be a kind of medicine to save their children. And they literally ate up all the snakes in Yodok to avoid painful death from malnutrition."

Yes, we should rejoice for Ling and Lee. They now have complete freedom in the United States.

But please join me in praying and advocating for those who have not received pardons; for those languishing in the "hell" that is North Korea.

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2012 Doomsday Prediction: Fact or Fiction?




originally posted here: http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/08/2012-doomsday-prediction-fact...

2012 Doomsday Prediction: Fact or Fiction?

Posted: 04 Aug 2009 01:24 PM PDT


Date inscription for the Mayan Long Count Calendar

Date inscription for the Mayan Long Count Calendar

Seeking Truth About the Much-Debated End of the World

From the Bible-based Left Behind book and film series to the more recent apocalyptic action flicks The Day After Tomorrow and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening, it seems people everywhere are becoming increasingly obsessed with end-of-the-world conjectures.

After all, who wouldn’t like to know how it’s all going to go down? Worldwide floods? A devastating meteor shower? Attacks from an intergalactic alien race?

A number of theories have surfaced over the last several years, all attempting to pinpoint the exact time, day, month, year and event that will ultimately bring humanity to its knees and life as we know it to an end.

One of the many cultural hypotheses gaining scientific attention is the 2012 Doomsday Prediction.

The 2012 belief has been around for quite some time, although it has undergone dozens of alterations and modifications since its birth.

Built on the early beliefs of the ancient Maya civilizations of southern Mexico and Central America (250 A.D. to 900 A.D.), it postulates that a series of cataclysmic events will take place during the year 2012.

This rather unpleasant, doom-and-gloom forecast is supported by the end date on the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar . On this calendar, often referred to as the Mayan or Maya Calendar, the expanse of time is defined as lasting only 5,125 years. December 21 or 23, 2012 will, according to ancient Mayan precepts, mark the calendar’s official end date, after which time will be no more.

Whether you’re eight or 80, an end-of-the-world scenario certainly churns up thoughts about one’s life goals and ambitions, particularly younger individuals who have much of their adult life ahead of them.

“If I knew that the world was going to end in two or three years…I don’t think that I would make that many changes right now,” said Lauren, 19, a college student from TrueNorth Student Ministries of Northside Bible Church in Mobile, Ala.

“It’s human nature to live to that last minute. I don’t know that right now it would change much of anyone’s view.”

Another Northside student, Keri, 23, disagrees with Lauren. She said that impending doom would change the way she lives, acts and thinks.

“If I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that in three years there would be no more chances, my gentle pleadings [in witnessing to] my sister and family would no longer be gentle.”

hwood1Apparently, all of the hubbub surrounding 2012 has also made grounds for an action-packed cinematic experience.

Hollywood Director Roland Emmerich of The Day After Tomorrow fame seems to have an affinity for taking the reins of apocalyptic thrillers.

Emmerich is currently helming a film adaptation of the 2012 legends and prophecies, slated to release Nov.  13, 2009.

2012 will feature a star-studded cast, including John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover and Oliver Platt.

Studio production companies Centropolis Entertainment and The Mark Gordon Company have recently come under scrutiny for their rather controversial marketing techniques for the film.

In an effort to attract a significantly larger movie going audience, they have created the purely fictional Institute for Human Continuity, where Internet surfers can register to win a lottery ticket entitling them to membership in a small group of people selected to be rescued from impending doom.

Questionable promotion strategies aside, action movie lovers of all ages will be likely to give the film a chance.

Of the nine TrueNorth students interviewed for this piece, five admitted they would be interested in seeing the movie.

“I think I’d see it,” said Toby. “But you have to be careful. There’s such a possibility for misinterpretation.”

“I just like big doomsday movies,” said Justin, 21. “I loved Cloverfield…and movies with huge-scale disaster.”

Three students, however, commented they would personally prefer to see more contemporary films based on the Bible’s account of the end times found in the Book of Revelation.

Whether you will find yourself standing in a ticket line for 2012 or waiting for the film to hit DVD, one thing remains certain: the continued research and debate of much of the aforementioned will continue to be the source of controversy within our modern American culture. While scientists continue to ponder the intricacies of the Mayan civilizations and their beliefs about the end of the world, Christians worldwide would do well to ponder the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:34-36:

“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (New American Standard, emphasis added).

-Josh Givens, The Underground Staff Writer

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Black, White & Gray All Over: Part 3



Black, White & Gray All Over: Part 3

Posted: 04 Aug 2009 11:20 PM PDT


Causes & Cures for Carnality: Stop the Sanctified Scrapping

From an early age, my parents were forced to engage with me in “regular disciplinary sessions.” Perhaps that’s putting it mildly. All political correctness aside, I was spanked as a child when I acted up, and rightfully (not to mention scripturally) so. After all, we’re talking about the kid who, for no reason other than his own amusement and selfishness, once bit his younger brother’s toe. And not just a little nibble. We’re talking about a full blown, all out, carnivorous gnawing of human flesh and tissue. Needless to say, my two year-old hind parts remained red, raw, and reeling for much of the day (and my subsequent childhood).

As children, we are greedy, egocentric, and immature. But as we age, particularly as Christians, we are charged and expected by God to become more and more Christ-like and adult in our thinking and lifestyle. Remember Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:11: “When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (New American Standard-updated edition). Thus far in our series, we have discussed how seemingly insignificant issues can divide entire churches and violently split groups of believers. We have subsequently seen the explicit need for clear spiritual eyesight before making decisions in the gray areas of life. But what about all the seriously sanctimonious scrapping that occurs more often than it should within churches in the first place? How can we resolve these unnecessary and often unwarranted fights between born again believers, brothers and sisters in Christ?

We must come to a clear understanding that when Christians do argue and bicker over senseless issues (gray areas included), it leaves a permanent, unmistakable scar on the church, the surrounding community, and immediately damages the sacrifice Christ made on the cross and His testimony in the world.

The first cause of carnality is a diet problem. “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly.” (Paul speaking to the early church: 1 Corinthians 3:1-2, NASU). Keep in mind that carnal Christians are still Christians, still saved, still under grace and the blood of Calvary. Paul reminds us of this by addressing them as “brethren”—they are still part of the body. Unfortunately, they have chosen to act childish and/or lukewarm about and in their faith and spiritual walk. They have not been properly satiated with the solid and sound theologies and teaching of the Word of God and the God of the Word. Thus small gray areas, to them, become life and death arguments.

The second cause of carnality is the walk. Carnal Christians have chosen to walk in their flesh, as unsaved nonbelievers, and ignore the help offered by the Holy Spirit. Remember why the Holy Spirit came into the world in the first place? “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom my Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (Jesus speaking to His disciples: John 14:26, NASU). The farther we get from the control and influence of the Holy Spirit, the more likely we are to walk in the flesh.

Lastly, carnality is often caused by a distorted view of God’s sovereignty. The Corinthian church struggled to see the omniscient hand of God in their midst, as they were too focused on the works, preaching styles, and reputations of other “spiritual” men (i.e. Apollos and even Paul). In doing so, they failed to see the amazing works of God. Paul was forced to remind them that it is “God who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 5:6), not man.

So how do we go about repairing the broken mindset embodied by so much of the aforementioned? What will it take to mend a global, ravaged, ragamuffin church? First and foremost, we must, above all, daily exercise a continuous sensitivity to and embracing of the Cross of Christ (see Paul’s words in Galatians 6:14). After all, as discussed before, once controversial issues and gray matters are held up to the Cross and viewed through the red, redeeming blood of Christ, they soon become not so worth bickering about.

In the book Restoring Broken Things (Integrity Publishers: 2005), co-authored by Senior Pastor Scotty Smith and multi Dove and Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman, Scotty says, “And yet this same promise of Christ likeness [referenced in 1 John 3:2-3] is also threatening, not in a way that causes fear, but in that it calls for change. For just as God’s ways are not our ways, so God’s definition of beauty is significantly different from ours. The Bride Jesus is preparing for Himself is not always the one we instinctively choose to become.”

Finally, we must commit to spending time in the Word of God and with the God of the Word. In Psalm 119:11, David penned these words many of us know so well: “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you.” (NASU). According to Merriam-Webster’s 10th ed. Dictionary “to treasure” means to, “collect and store up (something of value) for future use; to hold or keep as precious.” The daily memorizing of and reflection upon Scripture will keep us grounded in God’s value system and keep us from our own selfish desires and human values. When we practice God’s values in the midst of life’s gray areas, we become more able to think like Him, more able to make Godly decisions.

-Josh Givens, The Underground Staff Writer


Religious groups to public:Don’t blame religion for Tel Aviv murders

Originally posted at: http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/08/dont-blame-religion-for-tel-aviv-murders/

Religious groups to public:Don’t blame religion for Tel Aviv murders

Posted: 03 Aug 2009 03:22 PM PDT


On Saturday night a gunman entered a community center for gay teenagers in Tel Aviv.

The gunman murdered two people and wounded at least 10 others.

“Someone walked in and began firing left and right,” said Tel Aviv Police Chief Shahar Ayalon. “The shooter escaped and we are making every effort to find him.”

As the perpetrator hasn’t be captured, police don’t know what was the gunman’s motive.

Many in the community, however, are speculating that it was a hate crime against homosexuals, calling the shooting spree “Israel’s worst crime against homosexuals.”

“This is undoubtedly the worst incident aimed at the gay community in Israel,” said Nitzan Horowitz, the only openly gay member of Israel’s Knesset.

“This act was a blind attack against innocent youths, and I expect the authorities to exercise all means in apprehending the shooter,” he said.

Because religious leaders in Israel, such as those from the ultra-Orthodox Shas party have made statements in the past about homosexuality’s sinfulness, some are already beginning to link religion and the violent crime.

“It is not surprising that such a crime can be committed given the incitement of hatred against the homosexual community,”  Mai Pelem, a prominent member ofTel Aviv’s gay and lesbian community, told AFP reporters.

According to AFP, “Pelem was referring to verbal attacks against gays from the religious community.”

This assumption to which some already are jumping is something religious leaders are trying to quell.

The Shas party released a statement recently denouncing the killings.

In the United States, religious groups are speaking out to denounce such an act of hatred and quiet any murmurs about Christian intolerance.

Dr. Michael Brown, leader of the Charlotte-based Coalition of Conscience and a Jewish follower of Jesus, said he was “shocked and saddened” to hear the news of the killings.

“We don’t have the details yet, but this has all the markings of an act of raw hatred, and as such it must be utterly renounced,” he said.

“True moral and cultural revolution does not come about through hatred or intimidation or violence. It comes about through prayer and service, through influencing people’s hearts and minds, overcoming wrong ideologies with right ideologies; but violence only begets violence.”

Even Mission America, a Christian organization that has worked “to expose the harmful gay agenda directed at youth, and maintains that homosexuality is not an inborn condition” also denounced the murders.

Mission America president Linda Harvey said, “We are deeply saddened by this violent act and the deaths of these young people, and pray for the perpetrator to be found and brought to justice. Our greatest hope for all youth is that they live long and healthy lives. These kids’ chance to do that has been stolen from them. Our prayers are with their families in this time of loss.”

“At the same time, it is deplorable this incident is already being used by the homosexual community to blame this act on those holding a traditional moral viewpoint. Israelis, just as anyone else on earth, should still have the right to oppose homosexuality for religious or other reasons without being called accessories to murder. The motive is still unknown; why engage in slanderous speculation?”

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Pop Culture Moments by Mo: Republicans and Dems agree — We’d better read this bill

Originally posted at: http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/08/pop-culture-moments-by-mo-republicans-and-dems-agree-wed-better-read-this-bill/

Pop Culture Moments by Mo: Republicans and Dems agree — We’d better read this bill

Posted: 03 Aug 2009 08:21 AM PDT


read-the-bill 

As the White House pushes for a new healthcare plan U.S., lawmakers in the U.S. Congress are under increased pressure—to actually read the bill. With the economic bailout bill, many in Congress signed off without actually reading the document, which some have said they now regret. The bill which pushes 1000 pages aims to revamp the U.S.’s existing system.

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Faith, family values lead to high retention at Michigan McDonald’s

Originally posted at: http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/08/faith-family-values-lead-to-high-retention-at-michigan-mcdonalds/

Faith, family values lead to high retention at Michigan McDonald’s

Posted: 03 Aug 2009 09:52 AM PDT


Most people see McDonald’s as a stepping stone—a place to make extra cash before moving on.

563px-McDonaldsOne franchise in Michigan is bucking that stereotype.

The franchise, owned by Mark and Barb Dahlke, has seven employees who are approaching two decades with the company.

The Dahlkes credit faith and family values for their retention rates.

"We have had extremely low turnover rates," Mark Dahlke said to the Muskegon Chronicle.

"I credit that to running a Christian, family business."

Two employees with more than 40 years of combined service, Janet Chapman and Marlene Wickerink retired earlier this month.

Both Chapman and Wickerink praised the Dahlkes for the family-oriented work environment, which they say contributed to their longevity.

"I love working for McDonald’s … they are good people," Chapman said. "I was very shy before working here. This place ‘brought me out."

Though longtime employees, Chapman and Wickerink had nothing but good things to say about the Dahlkes, the praise goes both ways.

"These are exceptional people who have taken the job well beyond that, " Mark Dahlke told the Chronicle. “These two people have been great examples to other crew, showing such great commitments to the customers and having such great work ethics."

Pop Culture Moments by Mo: Republicans and Dems agree — We’d better read this bill

Posted: 03 Aug 2009 08:21 AM PDT


read-the-bill 

As the White House pushes for a new healthcare plan U.S., lawmakers in the U.S. Congress are under increased pressure—to actually read the bill. With the economic bailout bill, many in Congress signed off without actually reading the document, which some have said they now regret. The bill which pushes 1000 pages aims to revamp the U.S.’s existing system.

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Campaign gears up to get people back into church pews

Originally posted at: http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/08/campaign-gears-up-to-get-people-back-into-church-pews/

Campaign gears up to get people back into church pews

Posted: 03 Aug 2009 12:07 PM PDT


As children across the country head back to school, San Diego-based Outreach Inc. and churches across the nation are gearing up for the “Back to Church Sunday” campaign.

backtochurch The campaign, which will kick off Sept. 13, aims to reach the un-churched, those who have never attended church, and the de-churched, people who used to go to church but no longer attend.

LifeWay Research, an arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, found in a recent survey that 82 percent of un-churched people would visit a church, if a friend or family member invited them.

President of LifeWay Research, Thom Rainer, said few active church members invite their friends and neighbors to church.

"Only two percent of church members invite an un-churched person to church," he said.

Since many of the de-churched stop attending church because of changes in life circumstances or habit, Mark Batterson of the National Community Church in Washington, D.C. said that the de-churched are in the same boat as the un-churched as far as invitations go.

"Many de-churched people are a simple re-invitation away," said Batterson.

To help those who will join the quest to get the un-churched and de-churched back into the pews, Outreach Inc. has created a campaign planning guide and a social networking page on Facebook.

The planning guide offers advice on everything from sermon planning to instructions for greeters.

"When people come to church for the first time, or come back after a long absence, they notice
everything," said Nelson Searcy, lead pastor of The Journey in New York City.

"In fact, most of them form innate judgments about the environment within seven seconds of walking through the door."

In addition, the organization has created a "Rethink Church" booklet, which addresses the 10 top reasons people leave the church, along with videos, articles and other resources.

 

For more information: www.backtochurch.com

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Christian rapper gets jail time for Myspace rant


Christian rapper gets jail time for Myspace rant

Posted: 03 Aug 2009 12:26 PM PDT


Florida-based Christian rap artist, Illyte, is headed to the big house.

Christian rapper Illyte gets two years in prison for threatening cops

Christian rapper Illyte gets two years in prison for threatening cops

The rapper, whose real name is Antavio Johnson, pleaded no contest to two counts of corruption by threat of public servant on July 24, for which he will receive two years in prison.

Johnson’s charges stem from a song, “Kill Me a Cop,” that was posted on his Myspace page earlier this year.

The song has since been removed from his page.

With lyrics such as “Call me crazy but I think I fell in love with the sound of hearing the dispatcher saying, ‘Officer Down,” as well as a mention of two officers, including a deputy who was murdered in 2006, a sheriff with the Polk County gang squad decided to investigate.

His search led him to Johnson, who was already in jail for violating his probation on a 2007 cocaine possession charge.

According to Illyte’s brother, Gerald Johnson, Illyte wrote the song when he was still a teenager as a way to protest the ill-treatment he felt that he had received at the hands of police officers.

According to Hip Hop Database, Johnson, who also goes by “T.O” released his first Christian mixtape, “The Life & Rhymes Of Antavio Johnson Volume 1″ in 2006.


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Pride: The unseen problem behind Henry Louis Gates’ arrest

Originally posted at: http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/08/pride-the-unseen-problem-behind-henry-louis-gates-arrest/



Pride: The unseen problem behind Henry Louis Gates’ arrest

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 12:12 AM PDT


A few weeks ago, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates returned home from a trip to China. He  was in China filming for a documentary tracing the ancestry of cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

When he got to his house, he tried to open his front door, but it was jammed. He tried to force his way in.

A neighbor called the police on Gates.

When the police arrived, after some choice words, including some “yo mama’s,” Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct.

05_Flatbed_2 - JULY

Though charges were eventually dropped, in light of all that has happened, especially the 24-7 media coverage of the incident, I’m sure Gates probably wished he had stayed in China a few more days.

If he had extended his trip, maybe he would’ve avoided the arrest and all the hoopla that has followed.

He wouldn’t have people scrutinizing his comments to the police or wondering if he reacted prematurely.

Life would’ve still been simple for “Skip.” He’d be busy with speaking engagements and being scholarly–researching genealogies and stuff.

Instead “new” revelations concerning his case are coming out every day.

Personally, I’m glad that this happened to Gates.

Not because he was arrested or felt harassed in his own home, but because the post-racial fantasyland in which many Americans were living is on the outs, and reality is making a come back.

It doesn’t matter if Gates was actually a victim of racism or not. The fact that he can tick the “racism” box is telling.

It tells me that racism is alive and well in the United States.

Anybody who says it’s not hasn’t been reading or watching the news lately.

Examples of racism are everywhere: Little black children getting kicked out of swimming pools; TV pundits alienating entire people groups; black and white only proms, and the list goes on.

After Barack Obama was elected last year, it was easy to think that people of color had finally broken through the racial glass ceiling.

And maybe we have, but even if a glass ceiling is broken, it takes time for everyone to reap the benefits for which a pioneer makes strides.

If blatant racism is still taking place in 2009, America is still not “there” yet.

How do we get there?

First we have to realize that there is a problem. Though racism exists, the problem isn’t racism. There’s something deeper going on.  If we peeled back the surface of racism, we’d see something deeper— the sin of pride.

Saint Augustine described pride as “the love of one’s own excellence.”

As such, pride makes us think we are better than each other. That’s why the person with blond hair and blue eyes or the person with a dark complexion is able to assume he’s better than everyone else.

C.S. Lewis said of pride in Mere Christianity, “It is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began.”

“Other vices may sometimes bring people together: you may find good fellowship and jokes and friendliness among drunken people or unchaste people. But Pride always means enmity–it is enmity. And not only enmity between man and man, but enmity to God.”

Pride transcends race and is the root of other forms of discrimination as well.

Pride is the reason the person with a doctorate is esteemed more than the person who only has a GED.

Pride is also part of the reason taxpayers are paying to ship the homeless out of their city centers, so that City A is a “clean” place where people can be proud to live.

I know it sounds “pie in the sky,” but once we get rid of our pride, then we will be blessed.

Jesus said in Matthew 5, that those who are poor in spirit, or humble, will be blessed.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says something similar:  “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

As the opposite of pride is humility, if we turn from our pride, we will actually be able live in an environment in which we can truly accept each other –We’ll live in a post racial world, and care not about how much melanin a person has.

Then, and only then will racism disappear from the front pages of our newspapers. People who look Middle Eastern won’t be subjected to racial profiling.

Glen Beck won’t feel like he has to call Obama a racist, and Brian Kilmeade won’t have to apologize for making statements concerning the racial purity of Americans.

In the church, black people won’t feel like they have to go to black churches, or white people to their own enclaves.

People would just be people, and love each other – just the way Christ demands.

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Black & White & Gray All Over: Part 2

Originally posted at: http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/07/black-white-gray-all-over-part-2/



Black & White & Gray All Over: Part 2

Posted: 29 Jul 2009 12:30 PM PDT


Of Bird Watching & Spiritual Eyesight

“Wow, lookie there! That’s a Yellowthroat sparrow!” Those were the words of a twelve year-old boy, perched on a neighborhood fence, peering through the eyepieces of a pair of camouflaged Simmons binoculars, furiously scribbling notes.

“And look over there! That’s a…well, it sort of resembles a….Ugh, I can’t see anything through these stupid binoculars!” These were the words of a frustrated, and often squinting, twelve year-old boy who decided not to take his father’s advice and clean the lenses of said binoculars. Bird-watching doesn’t work too well when your visual enhancement tool isn’t so visually enhanced anymore. In fact, it can be easy to mistake one bird for another, as that young boy would learn on more than one occasion.

But what about statements and questions like this: “Can you believe the pastor let’s them play that kind of music in the church!”? or “Shouldn’t we be taking communion at a table together, instead of at the altars or in the pews? Isn’t that what Jesus and the disciples did?…I think I remember a verse somewhere that says…well, I can’t remember, but it’s in there somewhere!” I’d be willing to bet most of us have heard statements such as these countless times from countless fellow Christians and churchgoers.

Whether its confusion over bird watching or internal church issues, the conversations can often and easily turn into embittered, finger-pointing dialogues between participants—and the reason remains the same in both areas: poor eyesight and a need for clear visual enhancement. For believers, that enhancement comes in the form of the Scriptural truths found in the Word of God, our spiritual binoculars. And in the case of today’s Christians and church members, there is a desperate need for a regular renewal and cleansing of our spiritual eyesight, before attempting to make a discernment, ruling, or even form an opinion on a gray area. Unfortunately, the majority of contemporary Christians know what they believe, yet many remain unable to support these beliefs, stances, and opinions with solid Scripture.

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul is writing to the Corinthian church, discussing the controversies over certain Christian liberties and freedoms. Note his words in verse 23: “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.” (New American Standard-updated edition). If you know you’re New Testament well, you know this isn’t the first time Paul has used this phrase: “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12, NASU, emphasis added).

According to renowned Christian author, pastor, and speaker John MacArthur, three of the most important questions to ask yourself when confronted with a controversial decision or gray area within your spiritual walk are: 1. “Will it benefit me spiritually?”, 2. “Will it bring bondage?”, and 3. “Will it further the cause of evangelism?” (Grace To You Radio Ministries-2003: “What To Do in the Gray Areas”). Besides matters such as entertainment choices and clothing (some of which can easily imprison us), these same questions can and do apply to ambiguous issues within the church. For instance: “Will implementing contemporary worship music benefit and build up church members spiritually?” (Edification). Or “Will adding such music aid us in our desire to reach the local un-churched, unsaved youth and college students in our area?” (Evangelism). MacArthur notes that when Christian individuals (as well as churches) begin to run controversial issues through the aforementioned grid of principles, what was once unclear will soon become clear. What was once seen as useless can become eternally useful. And what was once dividing can become uniting.

After being careful to discuss and warn about the dangers in such divisions and decisions becoming a stumbling block for fellow believers (1 Corinthians 8:8-9), Paul, in chapter 10, concludes by masterfully communicating that everything is done for the ultimate glory of God: “Whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God…not seeking my [or our] own profit, but the profit of many, so that they may be saved.” (1 Cor. 10:31, 32b-c, NASU, emphasis added). Granted, this may (and likely will) mean sacrifice on our part. We may not always have the kind of church music we want. We may not be able to go see the kinds of movies or purchase the kinds of CDs we think we should be able to. But once again, for Paul, it’s all about respecting our fellow believers, giving God his due eternal glory, and furthering the Gospel. And isn’t that the ultimate purpose of the church anyway? Isn’t that the ultimate purpose of the Christian life?

-Josh Givens, Underground Staff Writer & Childhood Bird Watcher

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