Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The Underground -- ‘Blessings from above’ mark Reformation Day in Germany

The Underground -- ‘Blessings from above’ mark Reformation Day in Germany

‘Blessings from above’ mark Reformation Day in Germany

Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:04 PM PDT


The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD – the German federation of Protestant churches) marked Reformation Day on 31 October with a soaring, whimsical approach to spreading Martin Luther’s message that the grace of God is available to all.

Across the country, schools, student organizations and church groups organized “flashmobs” that launched “blessings from above” — paper airplanes with inspirational messages. Most flew their gliders from windows or other high vantage points simultaneously at 15:17 (3:17 pm) in recognition of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation on 31 October, 1517.

At Humboldt University in Berlin, a flock of white paper airplanes glided from a high window and landed at the feet of students in the courtyard below. Each carried a message inside — “Wishing you good travel through the new semester” — or a verse from the Bible: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

“Many students in Berlin are not very conscious of their religious heritage and I think it’s a good idea to remind them,” said Julian Titze of the Evangelical Student Community (ESC) in Berlin, who took part in the flashmob.

Reformation Day is a holiday in some German states, though not in Berlin. “It is a very important historical date, but its messages are also very important today,” said Pastor Christoph Roemhild of the EKD in an interview before the event. “Reformation Day reminds us that we are not self-made men. A lot of people don’t feel blessed. They strive for recognition to make themselves bigger. But we want to tell them God already recognizes them.”

The date is also seen as an opportunity to maintain a commitment to keeping the Reformed churches in touch with the modern world. “The work of renewal did not finish in the 16th century,” the Rev. Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, said in a statement. “We do not simply belong to a tradition. As Reformed, we believe the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ is a movement that continues to be renewed — always reforming.”

For the EKD, activities like the Reformation Day flashmobs are a way to keep the message fresh and communicate with a younger audience. “We have to develop new ways to reach people … to surprise people that the church is different from what they would expect,” said Holger Dannenmann, a pastor for ESC, in an interview in Humboldt’s 18th century courtyard.

Dorothee Lütz, studying for a master’s degree in philosophy, hurried to class at the end of her lunch break with a crumpled paper airplane in hand. “I saw it on the ground,” she explained. “It says, ‘Jesus loves you,’ and I thought that’s nice. It’s nice to be reminded of that.”

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An interview with a machine gun preacher and a writer of stars

Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:42 AM PDT


After screening the movie, Machine Gun Preacher the night before, I was pretty intimidated to meet Sam Childers and writer Jason Keller in person.

Childers (pronounced “Chill-dears), is a former drug-dealing criminal who now risks his life to save and take care of orphan children in Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan, Africa. Keller is listed on the movie’s official website as the “go-to writer of muscular, character-driven projects.”

I meet the two in a fancy downtown Seattle hotel – not the kind of place you’d expect to meet the machine gun wielding, Harley Davidson preacher and his macho friend. Instead of intimidation, they both great me with big smiles are hearty handshakes.

Being the last interview of the day of a month-long tour, I ask them if they are getting tired of answering the same questions over and over again.

Childers smiles and politely says that all of the interviewers ask the same questions but in different ways so the conversation stays fresh. Then I couldn’t help myself, so I ask, “What is the stupidest question you’ve been asked?” Keller speaks first.

“What’s on your I-Pod?” Childers laughs and then adds one better,

“Who is better looking, Sam Childers or Gerard Butler?” (Butler portrays Childers in the film). Childers shrugs his shoulders and looks horrified that anyone would rank him below Bulter. I like these guys.

Machine Gun Preacher (MGP) is not a “Christian” film per se, but it is filled with spiritual truth and speaks about faith in a very realistic way.

The film is filled with stories of personal salvation, prayer, worship, and water baptism. I figure that in order for a film to be so honest about the Christian faith, one must be a believer. “Are you religious yourself?” I ask Keller.

He points to Childers and says, “He says I am, but I don’t.”

“Why do you say that?” I ask.

“I believe in God and Jesus, but I don’t do any of the ritual stuff. I grew up Catholic but I don’t go to church on a regular basis.”

Childers says matter-of-factly, “The bible says that those who believe will be saved.” Whether Keller wants to admit it or not, it is obvious that this journey has made a deep impact on him.

Before typing a word of the script, Keller spent about a year researching, interviewing and even living with Childers and his family. During my interview, Keller is no less passionate than Childers is about the Angels of East Africa and Children’s Village ministries.

I ask, “Why do you think that the Marc Forester (Producer and Director of MGP) thought you’d be the best for this writing job?” Childers speaks for Keller and tells me that he is known in the business as a script doctor and would be very good piecing all the parts together.

You may not have heard of Keller before, but this won’t be the last. His next project to come to the screen is the still-untitled Snow White project that is starring Julia Roberts, Sean Bean and Lily Collins. He is also and working on another film, The Tomb, which is set to star Bruce Willis.

MGP shows the good, the bad and the ugly about Childers past life. This includes drug use, swearing, and violence. It would make most people cringe to have their lives so exposed, let alone a minister of the cloth.

I ask him if he was happy with the movie’s portrayal of him and if there was anything that he regretted being shown. He tells me that the movie tries to compact about 30 years of his life into 2 hours, so some scenes feel a little false to him.

For instance, in the film, his character decides to give up heroin and the next scene we see him in church. Childers tells me that there was about four years between his giving up heroin and when he gave his life to Jesus as his Savior. He doesn’t like the idea that the film could give some the impression that his addiction just went away overnight.

Another scene in the movie shows him, in a time of frustration, of going to a bar and drinking a lot. He tells me that that didn’t happen. He has visited bars, but he has been sober for 20 some years, so that scene was a little painful to watch. By and large though, he feels that they crew got the story right.

I mention that at times, the film’s language is quite strong and asks if he regrets that. He tells me that it isn’t anything worse you hear in the real world. “Religous people worrry about that,” he says.

His biggest concern isn’t worrying about what others think of him, but that the word can get out letting others know of the atrocities that are still happening in Africa and how they can help.

To learn more about Sam Childers and his ministries, you may enjoy reading the book, “Another Man’s War.”

Originally written in 2009, the book has been re-released with photos of the movie. You may also want to visit his website, MachineGunPreacher.org, where you can watch videos, and read stories from the orphan children themselves.

 

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This year’s White Ribbon Against Pornography focuses on harms of porn

Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:34 AM PDT


Morality in Media kicked off its 24th annual White Ribbon Against Pornography week on Sunday.

According to Dawn Hawkins, MIM’s executive director, this year’s WRAP week campaign events will feature testimony from people such as ex-porn stars, doctors, scholars, therapists, Internet safety experts and feminist leaders.

To show their solidarity against pornography, this week thousands of people will wear white ribbons and attend WRAP events across the country.

The major focus of this year’s WRAP week is how pornography harms society.

The campaign runs until Sunday and will feature more than 20 events across the country designed to help people understand the problems that pornography can cause.

“Pornography is bringing harm to all areas of society,” said Patrick Trueman, president of MIM. “It is destroying families and is the main contributor to the exploitation of women and children. Pornography is the gateway to the sex industry and the harm must end.”

Author and radio host Teresa Tomeo said, “The evidence regarding the impact of pornography on children, women, families, and the institution of marriage continues to mount.”

“That’s why the WRAP campaign is so important. Awareness is key in our efforts to make a difference in our media-saturated culture.”

A major feature of this year’s WRAP campaign is the Be Aware: Porn Harms website. The site features online content such as videos and resources related to the WRAP campaign at www.PornHarms.com/beaware.

“We will be streaming documentaries about the links between porn and human trafficking, hosting discussions with past porn performers, providing education on understanding pornography addiction and offering steps to keep children safe,” said Hawkins.

Morality in Media is an organization that focuses on opposing pornography and indecency by educating the public about pornography. It has been the national sponsor of WRAP since 1987.

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Casting Crowns’ 5th Studio Album: Come to the Well

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 10:42 PM PDT


On October 18,  multi-award winning, contemporary Christian rock band, Casting Crowns, released their fifth studio album, Come to the Well, which has been continuously praised for having deep Biblical lyrics that will definitely speak to people’s hearts.

It is not only an album with great melodies, rhythms, and tunes you’d love to sing along with, but it also contains compelling and heavily spiritual messages that will make a big impact on your Christian life.
Casting Crowns front man, Mark Hall, explains the significance of the album title and how it relates to the story of the woman at the well in the Bible.
“Teaching through the story of the woman at the well with my teenagers and my families is where it all came from,” said Hall. “Your friends aren’t the well. They aren’t always going to do the right thing or be there for you. Your athletic scholarship can’t be the well. If your knee goes out, your well is dry. You need to draw from Jesus, pour into that. That is where it started… with the idea of Jesus being the well versus other things.”
The first single off the album, Courageous, will challenge it’s listeners in so many ways. Hall explains that the message of the song is meant to inspire people not only to be part of the audience, but to be part of the action.

Us Christians aren’t meant to sit by the bleachers and just watch. God gave us an assignment, which was to share the gospel to nations, and make a difference in people’s lives through Jesus Christ. As the song says, “May the watchers become warriors, let the men of God arise.”

That alone is enough to challenge people to fulfill the purpose that God had intended for them.
Another track from the album, Jesus, Friend of Sinners, is an inspiring song that will lead people to so many realizations.

Often we like pointing fingers at other people, failing to see our own faults. We need to be reminded that Jesus was a friend of sinners and He did not turn His back on us because of our faulty doings. This song can definitely serve as our daily reminder for that.
So Far to Find You and Face Down are two moving songs that are both about knowing who God is as our Creator, and just simply enjoying His presence, instead of just running to Him when we need something. These are the types of songs that you can sing at church, without doubting that you will bring a few people to tears.
The Well has a compact and truthful message about having Jesus as our well, someone that we draw water from so that we will never thirst again.

According to Mark Hall, the main point of the song is that, “Jesus isn’t a life enhancement. Jesus is life.” Often we see Him as something that will make things better, things that we already have. Often times, we fail to realize that He is what we need, and not anything else.
Angel, is a song written about Hall’s wife. The ones who have found that special someone that God had intended for them, will be able to relate to this. It speaks about loyalty, love, and passion.
Other songs in the album, such as Spirit Wind, Just Another Birthday, Wedding Day, My Own Worst Enemy, Already There, and City on the Hill, speak about significant things such as revival, dealing with sin, importance of fatherhood, the coming of Jesus Christ, and so many more things that will lead us back not only to the Bible, but to Jesus Christ himself.
People who bought the album definitely had nothing but praises for it. For them, the songs have ministered to them in various ways that will forever be significant to them.

One fan said, “God uses Casting Crowns to spread His truth and love.” Most of them see the songs as challenging messages that will inspire you to be a better person through God.
This album isn’t only an album made for people to listen to, but also to learn from. Listening to the songs will open your eyes to so many things, even simple things in your Christian life that you have not seen before.
What makes Casting Crowns so successful, especially with this new album, is the fact that even if their songs are like praise and worship, people of different races and religions can still relate to it and appreciate it because of its secular and mainstream sound.
As a conclusion, their new album is definitely something that Christians will love. It’s diverse, it’s moving, and it’s just simply a joy and inspiration to listen to. It is most certainly an album that will help Christians grow in the Lord.

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Germany’s autobahn churches

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 10:39 PM PDT


Germans are famous for their love of fast cars. But for those needing a little respite from the country’s high-speed highways, autobahn churches offer a unique brand of peace and sanctuary for the modern traveler.

“We seek to care for our guests fully — not just for their cars but also for their body, soul and spirit,” said Anna Isabell Strohofer, whose parents opened the ecumenical Light on Our Path Church ten years ago at the family-run Strohofer service station close to Nuremberg in southern Germany. “It was the aim of our family to create a place where drivers can recover mentally.”

A family tragedy also played a role in the decision. “My mother’s brother died aged 18 in a car accident,” said Strohofer in an interview. “My family had always been very religious but this accident made our faith much stronger, and was also a reason to build the church: to remember him.”

The church now draws all kinds of travelers from bus charters to long-distance truck drivers, and even hosts ceremonies where bikers come to have their motorcycles blessed. The tradition of roadside crosses and chapels where pilgrims and other travelers pray for divine protection on the road dates back to the Middle Ages, and seems very much alive at today’s autobahn churches.

“Thank you for your protection over 5,000 accident-free kilometers home to my family,” wrote one visitor in the message book at the Protestant community and autobahn church at the village of Werbellin. “Thanks for this oasis on our path of life,” reads another.

Still, the chance to pause and reflect that these “rest stops for the soul” offer is hardly a throwback to the past, say advocates, but caters to a very modern need.

“What is new is the speed of life today,” said Guenter Lehner, of the Akademie Bruderhilfe-Pax-Familienfuersorg, a Christian insurance company that coordinates Germany’s 38 autobahn churches. “Now we need to slow down, to have a break during the journey because the cars are very fast, and life is very fast,” he said.

The first autobahn church, the Roman Catholic Mary, Protection of Travelers, opened in 1958. It was intended as a monument to be seen from the road, opening just once a week for Sunday Mass. But drivers demanded more.

“People started to visit it and rub their noses at the closed doors,” Father Wolfram Hoyer explained in an interview. “So the church was opened and people flocked in … They wanted simply to get out of traffic, to have a place where they could rest — psychologically, physically, religiously — and then drive on. So these are kind of spiritual filling stations.”

Now, Hoyer says, supermarket-style automatic doors allow the faithful access 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and more autobahn churches continue to open across the country.

Some, like Mary, Protection of Travelers, and St. Christophorus Himmelkron on the main route between Berlin and Munich — with a rocket-like spire and dedicated meditation room — are purpose-built. Others stood in the same spot long before the autobahn thundered past. All are clearly signposted from the highway, and the Bruderhilfe Akademie estimates they attract around one million visitors a year.

“Everyone who drives ends up in autobahn churches,” Hoyer said. “From our message book, I know that we have had several Jews, several Muslims and people who say that they are not faithful — but they are in some way; they stop and pray or meditate.”

Some believe the popularity of autobahn churches at a time when ordinary parish congregations are declining is not only the result of modern modes of transport but also a changing approach to worship.

“Increasingly, people aren’t attracted to the religious service on Sunday but they need and they enjoy the silence of churches,” said Lehner. “I think this is a very modern use of churches.”

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India Briefs: Recent Incidents of Persecution

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 10:28 PM PDT


Kerala, India, October 31 (Compass Direct News) – The government on Oct. 20 deported U.S. evangelist William Lee, blacklisted him and prohibited him from visiting India again after police arrested him on Oct. 14 for participation in a musical concert in Kaloor Stadium, Cochin and jailed him for allegedly violating terms of his visa by preaching, according to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC). Lee participated in an in-door musical program organized by Faith Leaders Church of Lord, Tiruvalla. After three days in jail, the evangelist complained of chest pain and was admitted to a hospital. The Ernakulam magistrate’s court fined him 10,000 rupees (US$202). The GCIC condemned Lee’ arrest as selective, releasing a statement that, “The moral policing, sectarian violence and the selective arrest of Christian evangelists demonstrate very clearly a failure of secular institutions in India.”

Karnataka – On Oct. 17 in Sullia, South Kanara, Hindu extremists along the with village head exhumed the body of a Christian woman, alleging that Christians were guilty of an illegal burial. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that a pastor identified only as Moses V. conducted the funeral service of Asha Latha of Bethsaida Assembly of God Church on land he had bought as a burial ground. Just as the Christians had completed the ceremony and interned the body, the village head and about 100 extremists forced them to exhume the body and bury it elsewhere and complained to Sullia police. Officers arrived and took the pastor to the police station. As Christians buried Latha’s body on her land at Ivara Nadu, police questioned the pastor till about midnight, GCIC reported. He was released only after area leaders’ intervention, but on Oct. 18 police took him back to the station for further questioning.

Andhra Pradesh – Police on Oct. 16 detained Christians after Hindu extremists beat them and damaged a pastor’s car in Ramagudam. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that about 100 Hindu extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) barged into the evening youth meeting, beat the young Christians and took them to the police station. A pastor identified only as Suresh rushed to the station, but the RSS stopped him and damaged his car. After beating the pastor, the RSS members filed a false charge of forcible conversion, according to the GCIC. Pastor Suresh also filed a police complaint against the attackers, after which the youth leaders were released without charges.
 
Karnataka – Police on Oct. 15 seized the passport of a pastor who runs an orphanage after he reported a missing orphan in Kadugodi, near Bangalore. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that Joseph Victor notified authorities that a 15-year-old girl at his Navajeevan Orphanage left the facility to attend a tailoring class. Police told him he could file a written complaint the next morning, and Pastor Victor sent his associate pastor and a clerk to the police station the next day to do so. While police made the Christians wait, the station inspector and sub-inspector went to the orphanage and demanded to know whether Pastor Victor had permission to operate the facility. After questioning, they took him to the police station. Detaining the Christians till evening, police and forced them to sign a statement that they themselves should search for the missing girl, demanded that they produce all documents for operating the orphanage and a house church and confiscated the pastor’s passport, reported the GCIC.

Andhra Pradesh – Hindu extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Oct. 15 accused Christians of forceful conversion and att

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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Underground -- Steven Curtis Chapman’s album re:creation looks back with new understanding

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The Underground -- Steven Curtis Chapman’s album re:creation looks back with new understanding

Steven Curtis Chapman’s album re:creation looks back with new understanding

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 12:01 PM PDT


Steven Curtis Chapman has gone through some hard times since he lost his five-year-old daughter in a tragic accident in 2008.

Still, he has kept the faith and in his newest offering, re: creation, wants people to know that he believes God creates wonderful things for the Chapman family, even after such a terrible loss.

Chapman also takes a look back and tries to re-imagine a hopeful future with his newest offering, re: creation.

The Christian music star has been the author of some of the greatest hits in Christian music including Heaven in the Real World, The Great Adventure, More to This Life and For the Sake of the Call.

It all began when he first entered the music scene in 1987, and there has been no turning back. Today, he has accumulated eight certified gold albums, two platinum albums, an American Music Award, five Grammys and 56 Dove Awards, making him the most awarded artist in Christian music.

In so doing his fans have grown up with him and in many ways, experienced the difficulties he has experienced in his life. Chapman and wife Mary Beth have long advocated adoption, and even started the charity organization, Show Hope, which urges people and communities, through international efforts, to care for orphans.

Show Hope also sought to help more orphaned children to find loving homes in the U.S. by facilitating adoption grants. Three children from China, in fact, became part of the Chapman family, along with three biological children.

On May 21, 2008, one of Chapman’s children, five-year-old Maria Sue Chunxi Chapman, died in a tragic accident in the family driveway when she was hit by the SUV driven by son Will Franklin. She died that same day due to her injuries and loss of blood.

A year later, the Christian songwriter released the album, Beauty Will Rise, which in many ways told the story of the emotions that came amid the tragedy. Now Chapman is back with his 17th album, re: creation under Sparrow Records.

The album features six new songs, and new recordings of his eight biggest hits, refashioned with an acoustic sound that is fresh and new. It is also Chapman’s way of telling his fans that he believes that God continues to recreate wonderful things for his family, even after having lost their daughter.

When asked why he chose this unique approach on his 17th album, which includes new takes on his hits, Live Out Loud, Dive and Speechless, Chapman told Billboard, “When I look back on singing The Great Adventure, it meant something to me when I wrote it and I had some understanding of it, but there’s so much more now.”

Chapman told Billboard, “All those songs are rooted in life experience. They are all songs about my journey in faith … Three years ago, when Maria Sue went to heaven, all of my songs took on a much, much deeper meaning. I found myself singing these songs with a different passion and different purpose. I wanted to reinvent them in a way that they really represent what they mean to me now.”

“Over the course of his nearly 25-year career, Steven Curtis Chapman has chronicled his own journey through song while creating a soundtrack for our lives,” Wendy Lee Nentwig, Christian editor, Rhapsody, said. “We’ve watched him grow from a baby-faced Kentucky boy … His new album, re:creation, finds Steven Curtis emerging from a family tragedy to revisit some of his classic tunes, giving them a creative overhaul. Time and experience gives these songs new meaning, while Chapman delivers six brand-new tracks.”

Catholic rioters attack police due to Protestant march in Ireland

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 12:00 PM PDT


Catholic rioters attacked recently police in Northern Ireland, throwing bombs, hijacking and torching vehicles, and causing a general melee in Londonderry, Ireland. No serious injuries were reported.

The rioting sprung from tensions amid an annual Protestant parade that was held in the Catholic-majority city. The parade commemorates the anniversary of the 17th century victory over Irish Catholic Forces who had laid siege to Protestants in the city.

Four masked men hijacked a Royal Mail postal van, tossed bombs inside the vehicle and then sped away. Other cars were torched and explosives were lobbed at police officers in the city center.

“A pipe bomb-type device was thrown at officers in the area of Free Derry Corner some time before 7:00 p.m.,” a spokeswoman told the AFP. “It exploded. However, there were no injuries or damage to property.”

Two cars were hijacked. In one instance, the spokeswoman told the AFP, “A woman and her daughter were pulled from the vehicle [by masked men on Creggan street]. [Another] car was set alight in Fahan Street around 5:15 p.m. and a van hijacked on Lecky road.”

A number of bombs were also lobbed at Land Rovers belonging to police, and at the Memorial Hall.

The violence ensued after a generally peaceful parade, as some 15,000 people from the British Protestant brotherhood, Apprentice Boys of Derry, marched through Londonderry, with 140 bands playing.

This is something that they do every year, and normally it leads to unrest from Irish republican extremists. They were celebrating the 17th century victory of the military over Irish Catholic forces after a 105-day siege was laid on the Protestants living in the city.

Traditionally, the Irish republican extremists are stirred to riot because of the parade and festivities. Hours before the march, Molotov cocktails were tossed at the headquarters of the Apprentice Boys, causing light damage.

There were also scuffles with the police along the fringe of the parade, by supporters of splinter groups from the Irish Republican Army. Nine Molotov cocktails were seized by police.

Past incidents of violence

The riots last Saturday were preceded the night before by unrest in northwestern Northern Ireland, along the border. Four men were arrested, namely a 32-year-old man for resisting arrest, a 24-year-old-man for possession of a fire bomb and assault, and two men (aged 18 and 19) for disorderly behavior.

They will appear on Sept. 9 before the Derry Magistrates Court.

Earlier, the U.K.had just experienced its nastiest rioting in decades. The melee began last Saturday in North London, then spread out to eight other areas, including outside of London. (See http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2011/08/anarchy-in-the-uk-christians-call-for-practical-action-in-aftermath-of-riots-16960/).

Last month, amid annual parades in Northern Ireland by the Orange Order, another major Protestant group, clashes ensued for two nights before and after the parade. Police responded with water cannons and plastic bullets, and 40 were injured.

 

How Christians interpret the Bible is influenced by education level of church members, study says

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 08:56 AM PDT


A new study reveals that the way a person interprets the Bible can be influenced by the level of education of the co-parishioners in one’s church. 

The study, Education and Religion: Individual, Congregational, and Cross-Level Interaction Effects on Biblical Literalism, is the work of Samuel Stroope, a sociology student pursuing his doctorate at Baylor University.

Stroope’s paper won the Robert J. McNamara Award for Outstanding Student Paper, awarded by the prestigious Association for the Sociology of Religion.

According to the study, which culled data from the U.S. Congregational Life Survey, churchgoers who have a greater frequency of contact with co-parishioners who attended college, are less likely to interpret the Bible literally, regardless of their own educational level.

Stroope explained that when a churchgoer hears a college educated person discussing the Bible analytically as opposed to literally, it can influence his own understanding of the Bible.

Stroope based his study on data that was gathered in 2001 from 387 congregations nationwide, with more than 100,000 parishioners. He examined the effect that the interaction of parishioners with different educational background levels had on each other.

In conclusion, the study noted that regardless of the educational background of an individual, his or her approach to the interpretation of the Bible tends to be less literal when a larger number of co-parishioners had gone to college.

“When you go to Sunday school and everyone is talking about the cultural and historical background of a passage and its literary genre-a way of reading often learned in college-it’s likely to rub off on you,” Stroope said.

Stroope added that the findings of his study show that social influences inside a church congregation can shape the way that people read the Bible.

Stroope chose this topic of study because of another recent research paper that indicated that there is a strong relationship between the level of education that a person has, and that person’s view of the Bible.

He is referring, here, to a study by Philip Schwadel, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln sociologist, who learned that for every additional year of education one has, one’s likeliness to go to church is raised by 15 percent, and one’s tendency to read the Bible is raised by nine percent.

Stroope noted that based on the Schwadel study, no one had yet explored the impact that the level of education of fellow churchgoers could have on an individual parishioner.

For this reason, he chose to investigate the social dynamics of churches and how it can influence the way that a churchgoer reads and interprets the Bible.

Stroope’s paper will be presented on August 20 at the 73rd annual conference of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, which will be held in Las Vegas.

The paper will also be published in the journal, Social Science Research. The edition will be released in the fall.

“I am not at all surprised to learn that Sam Stroope has won a national student paper award,” Dr. Charles Tolbert II, who heads Baylor’s department of sociology, told Science Blog.

“It has been a pleasure to watch him develop as a scholar and to collaborate with him,” Tolbert told Science Blog. “You can see the passion he has for his research and the tenacity with which he digs in.”

“This award reflects well … also on the trajectory of our doctoral program,” Tolbert told Science Blog. “For a number of years, our students have been winning paper awards from regional professional associations. Now, Sam’s accomplishments show that we can compete with the very best nationally.”

Dr. Rachel Kraus, chair of the reviewing committee, said Stroope’s paper “examined an interesting topic and had a strong discussion of the findings and implications.”

Kraus, who is also an associate professor of sociology, Ball State University, Muncie, Ind., said Stroope’s paper also had a “strong social structural component to the analysis. [It] moves beyond description in an attempt to explain social phenomena.”

 

Crystal Cathedral frontrunner bidders are university, Catholic diocese

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 08:55 AM PDT


The leading bidders for the Crystal Cathedral in Orange County appear to be a University and a Roman Catholic diocese, but a new buyer (unnamed in court documents) appears to be coming into the picture, among other bidders.

Meanwhile, Crystal Cathedral Ministry is still hoping to keep the cathedral and is trying to raise the funds through pledges and donations. It also announced that the campus is not for sale, putting it directly against its creditors committee.

The creditors committee allowed the cathedral to choose a buyer at a minimum purchase price of $50 million. However, failure of the church to cooperate may mean losing out on buyback options, and perhaps, having to leave the cathedral sooner that it was expecting to.

Front-runner bidders

Chapman University and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange are in stiff competition for the bankrupt Crystal Cathedral. Court documents that were filed last Tuesday also state that a third, unnamed buyer has emerged.

Bids have also been lodged by Hobby Lobby, a nationwide retailer of arts and crafts which is controlled by David Green, an evangelical Christian; and My Father’s House Church International, which is Norco-based. The documents did not mention who the new potential bidder is.

Crystal Cathedral, a 31-year-old church with 10,000 panels of glass, became known internationally through its Hour of Power television program. In October last year the ministry filed for bankruptcy after accumulating a $50 million debt.

The church, which lies in Garden Grove city, 30 miles from Los Angeles, was founded in 1955 by Rev. Robert Schuller and wife Arvella. They started out by renting a drive-in theater for services, and continued to grow and prosper until Robert Schuller retired in 2006. (See http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2011/07/crystal-cathedral-mulls-50-million-offer-from-roman-catholic-church-16749/ and http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2011/05/crystal-cathedral-sold-to-pay-off-creditors-16086/).

Diocese of Orange

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange upped its original bid of $50 million to $53.6 million. Crystal Cathedral’s ministry may also rent space temporarily, but would have to vacate after three years.

Stephen Bohannon, diocese spokesman, said the original plan of the diocese was to build a new cathedral which would have cost $100 million. However, they realized that they could cut expenses in half by simply purchasing the Crystal Cathedral.

Bohannon told Reuters that the slash in costs is part of the reason why Bishop Tod Brown and diocese officials made the offer. Also, “[Bishop Brown] feels very strongly that Crystal Cathedral should remain a place of worship.”

Chapman University

Chapman University, a rival bidder, upped its original bid of $46 million to $50 million, the minimum bid required by the creditors’ committee. The University is an affiliate of Disciples of Christ, a Protestant denomination.

The University is also offering the services of two individuals with “extensive experience in business, financial and operational strategy,” at no charge, a service valued at $500,000 annually.

Chapman also said it may lower the repurchase price from $23.5 million to $21 million if Crystal Cathedral is able to repurchase the property, and may consider a longer lease term to Crystal Cathedral than its original proposal of 15 years, but this would be subject to approval.

Church ministry wants to stay put

Crystal Cathedral ministry said less recently that they will try to raise $50 million so that they will not have to sell the cathedral. Sheila Coleman, director of the ministry and daughter of Robert Schuller made this announcement during service less than two weeks before.

Coleman said, “I believe with every fiber of my being that God turned the eyes of the world on Crystal Cathedral because God wants to make a big bold statement,” Reuters reported. “He wants the world to know that he is a God who still does miracles.”

The creditors committee, however, issued a warning that it would proceed with a sale even if the ministry is against it, court documents said. It is also possible that the final deal might not include provisions for repurchase or lease-back.

 

The Vatican, Croatia clash over 19th century monastery

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 08:42 AM PDT


The Vatican and Croatia, long a Catholic stronghold in the Balkans, are at odds because of a dispute over a monastery.

Croatia’s justice minister, Drazen Bosnjakovic, obstructed a recent decision by the Vatican to sequester a monastery in Dajla city, Croatia, which falls under the Croatian Diocese of Porec and Pula.

The Vatican has expressed “astonishment” at the refusal by Croatian authorities to recognize the decision of Pope Benedict XVI. Rev. Federico Lombardi said a review of the dispute is “important to both Croatia and the Holy See,” the AP reported.

An unusual step

The Vatican and Croatia have been arguing over the monastery for two and one half years. The Benedictines of Italy were initially seeking $30 million in compensation for the property.

When negotiations faltered, Benedict took an unusual step by appointing Santos Abril y Castello as a special representative. Castello took over as local bishop of the Croatian diocese for just a few minutes — long enough to sign the document of agreement which also authorized payment of up to nine million dollars.

The local bishop, Ivan Milovan, was upset at the move, and expressed concern that such a large compensation could bankrupt the Croatian Diocese. Milovan appealed to the Croatian government to step in.

History of the monastery

The monastery was built in the 19th century in a town on the Adriatic coast, in the region Istria, which at that time formed part of Italy’s empire. The property was given to the Benedictines of Praglia, Italy.

Italy lost the Istria region after World War II, when it was ceded to the communist government of Yugoslaviain 1948. During the 49-year communist rule many church properties, including the monastery, were nationalized. The monastery became a nursing home for the elderly.

After Croatia gained freedom and independence in 1991 the monastery was placed under the Croatian Diocese of Porec and Pula. The Vatican was among the first nations to recognize Croatia as a nation. Benedict also visited the country last May and supported Croatia’s bid to become part of the European Union.

Osimo Agreements

Croatian authorities do not believe they should have to make any payment on the monastery, citing the 1975 Osimo Agreements where compensation had already been paid to Italy for the monastery and several other properties in the Istria region. Further complicating the issue is the fact that a portion of the land connected to the monastery was sold and now hosts a golf course and a hotel.

The Vatican, in order to transfer the monastery back to the Italian Benedictines, annulled all past government decisions in relation to the property.

Croatia’s prime minister, Jadranka Kosor, cited the 1975 Osimo Agreements, and told the Macedonian Intl News Agency, “[For] us, this chapter is absolutely and definitively closed.”

Kosor said international agreements should not be violated, and called the decision of the Holy See an attempt to infringe on international law. Croatia is also concerned that the Vatican decision may pave the way to future, similar requests, concerning other properties in the territory which was once under Italian rule.

While Croatia is a strong Catholic nation, the populace has responded to the issue with strong nationalist sentiment. The country’s general elections will be held in December.

The Vatican has condemned the fact that the issue is gaining political color in what it views as “a strictly ecclesiastical question” that is being “manipulated … to make it look like a threat to Croatia,” MINA reported.

Last year, a similar dispute arose between the Vatican and the Czech government over the landmark St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. An agreement was reached where the property continues to fall under The Czech Republic’s ownership, but the Cathedral is jointly administered by the Vatican and the Czech governments.

Starbucks CEO backs out of megachurch-sponsored summit at last minute

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 08:42 AM PDT


The CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, has ruffled some feathers because he backed out of a speaking engagement, in the last minute, at an event sponsored by a leading megachurch.

Schultz was scheduled to speak last Friday at the two-day Global Leadership Summit, an annual event that is organized by Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Ill.

The evangelical, nondenominational megachurch is the third largest church in the U.S., with a membership of 24,000 worshippers. It is considered by many pastors nationwide to be one of the most influential churches in the country.

Schultz backed off from the speaking engagement one week after Change.org said in a post that his presence at the event would be unacceptable. The organization also posted an online petition, which garnered 799 signatures, for him to snub the event.

The organization also slammed Willow Creek, saying that it is homophobic and referring to links that it formerly had with Exodus International, a Christian organization that councils lesbians and gays, and teaches them strategies by which they can change their ways. The megachurch has not had any working relationship with Exodus since 2009.

Whether or not Schultz made the right decision has yet to be seen. Up to 150,000 viewers normally tune in to watch The Global Leadership Summit annually via satellite, far exceeding the 799 signatories of the online petition.

This year, 1,100 people paid to attend the Chicago summit. Past speakers have included former President Bill Clinton, rock singer Bono and GE’s Jack Welch.

Touchy about Homophobia

Starbucks has been touchy about homophobia since 2008, when a lawsuit was filed against the coffee shop brand by two of its former employees, who claimed that they were fired from their jobs because they were gay.

Last June, Starbucks was again assailed after a blogger from Long Island wrote a post about a homophobic incident she witnessed in her local Starbucks by some of its employees.

In her Lil Family Blog the writer, Alison, described the incident as “one of the most brazen and unapologetic displays of homophobia I have ever witnessed in my entire life.”

The post was picked up by newspapers, including the Seattle Post Intelligencer and the New York Daily News. Many others in the blogosphere also joined in the discussion about the blog post.

In a statement, Starbucks flatly denied that it is homophobic and said that it’s company policy does not tolerate any type of discrimination by its employees.

Christian goodwill

Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek, denied accusations by Change.org that the church is homophobic. He told the AP, “To suggest that we check sexual orientation or any other kind of issue at our doors is simply not true. Just ask the hundreds of people with same-sex attraction who attend our church every week.”

At the summit, Hybels suggested to participants that they show love for Starbucks, saying affably, “Buy a cup of coffee in the next couple of days and show some Christian goodwill.”

Christian leaders in Alabama file lawsuit against state immigration law

Posted: 15 Aug 2011 11:58 AM PDT


Christian leaders filed recently a lawsuit challenging Alabama’s new law on immigration, which they fear may affect their freedom to exercise their religion by being Good Samaritans.

Rev. Mitchell Williams,First United Methodist Church (Cullman, Ala.), Roman Catholic Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile, and Andy Heis, pastor of Desperation Church (a new, nondenominational church) in Cullman, filed a lawsuit against HB-56, Alabama’s new anti-immigration law, saying it is mean spirited and inconsistent with Christian ministry values.

“The law,” Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile told the New York Times, “attacks our core understanding of what it means to be a church.”

Andy Heis, pastor of the nondenominational Desperation Church told New York Times, “I understand legally where they’re coming from. But spiritually, I have to do what God calls me to do.”

The law has gathered much ire. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit earlier in the month challenging the Alabama law and stating that it is in conflict with federal immigration policy.

Education groups, civil rights groups and women’s rights groups have also challenged the law through an amicus brief in support of the federal lawsuit challenging the state’s anti-immigrant law which was passed in June.

The measure was signed into law by Republican Gov. Robert Bentley. It is the most recent among a number of anti-immigrant laws passed in other states that were patterned after Arizona’s SB 1070.

The other states with similar laws are Georgia, Utah, Indiana and South Carolina. However, it is only in Alabama where organized opposition was raised against the state by high ranking church leaders.

Harshest in the nation

The Alabama law, deemed by many to be the harshest in the nation, empowers local police officers to investigate non-criminals for their immigration status, including people they have pulled aside for traffic violations.

School officials are required under the law to gather information on the citizenship of students. The law further deems illegal the transport, harboring and rental of property to people who are known to be illegal immigrants. Any contracts with such will be rendered null under the new law.

Church leaders say this will put them at risk if they offer rides to people, invite them to church or perform baptisms and marriages. In this way, it criminalizes basic facets of a Christian ministry’s practice.

Rev. Andrew Dawkins, Montgomery Improvement Association, told People’s World, “We’re totally against this bill because it’s an abuse of political power. It’s even more dehumanizing than the segregation laws under the Jim Crow era. It’s a hateful law and doesn’t respect people. In fact, it’s a ploy to undermine the Obama administration.”

Defenders of the new law say that the provisions apply more to human traffickers and employers trying to get around the law, rather than to churches.

“It’s not as explicit as the churches would obviously like,” state Sen. Bryan Taylor, a Republican, told New York Times. “But I do not think that any church or any clergyman is subject to prosecution for doing their Christian mission.”
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