Pastor Issues "30 Day Sex Challenge"

By now you’ve either seen it on the news or read about the 30 Day Sex Challenge issued by Pastor Paul Wirth of Relevant Church in Tampa. The challenge goes like this: Single men and women can’t have sex for 30 days, and married couples are urged to have it every day. Pastor Wirth says he hopes that in 30 days people can form "good habits".

Read the rest of the story HERE.

While I believe that the church should absolutely deal with the topic of sex in a Biblical fashion, my problem with this - is not only the titillation used to promote the topic, which is clearly over the top - but the implication of the challenge itself.

Encouraging married couples to have sex for thirty straight days may sound noble to some, but isn't that making sex the goal, instead of intimacy? Intimacy leading to sex will strengthen a marriage - but to robotically have sex with your spouse simply for the purpose of accepting a challenge - how romantic. The '30 day' bit seems to be a Television-ized version of sex born out of societies sex-crazed distortions and perversions.

Encouraging single Christians to abstain from sex for 30 days? Shouldn't that standard be uplifted 365 days a year? Also there is the implication of "if you can't form the good habit of abstinence after 30 days, oh well - at least you gave it a try." We're not talking about brushing and flossing your teeth here. These are issues that affect the souls of men and women. The standard of abstinence before marriage found clearly in God's Word doesn't change with our ability to keep it. Being obedient to the Word should go well beyond my whims of successful habit forming.

Passive Endorsement

From our friends over at Save The A/G:

"The second part of his answer was no better. When he began to address the homosexual question he remarked rather off-handedly, “Well, when you have people who are born with something that they can’t control…” and then went on. Later in the same statement he appealed to the compassionate hearts of our pastors when he said, “Which one of you, having a lesbian couple in your church with children, would counsel them to separate? Think of the affect it would have on the kids!” I nearly fell out of my chair! Why was I so flabbergasted? Not because some outside guest speaker said something that is obviously outside the witness of Holy Scripture as well as Assemblies of God doctrine, but because he went unchallenged both during or after the council by our District leadership!"

Read the rest HERE.

Books You Won't Find On My Bookshelf...

Hmmm...just face value here, but think of how great that sweater's gonna smell after it gets wet.















Ahhh...the Kentucky waterfall, the achey breaky mistakey - however you want to remember this monstrosity. Now here's a book to help the 'business in the front party in the back' haircut live on. Why? I don't know.














Actually saw this one in the Christian bookstore. Thought it was joke. The joke was on me. A mullet wearing, tobacco chewing, Mona Lisa dressing dude - I guess this is what you read when every other book on the planet has fallen into the abyss.

"Fundamental" Is Not A Bad Word

By Tim Wildmon

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6

I am Christian fundamentalist. Meaning, for one, that I believe in the above declaration by Jesus Christ. This claim by Christ I believe to be absolute truth. For sure, when compared to other religious belief systems, this is an exclusionary statement.

It divides people. Either you subscribe to it, or you don’t. There is no in between. This is not a gray area. There are other quotes like this from Jesus found in the scripture. For instance in John 3:3 he says this: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” In Luke 13:3 he said: “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Christian fundamentalists like me take these words literally. Jesus wasn’t talking metaphorically. He wasn’t talking in parables, as he was apt to do. He meant what he said and said what he meant.

In the last couple of years there have been a plethora of books written about the “dangers” of Christian fundamentalism. Some have reached the best-seller list such, as “American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century,” by Kevin Phillips; “Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism,” by Michelle Goldberg; “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America,” by Chris Hedges; “The Theocons: Secular America Under Siege,” Damon Linker; and, probably the world’s most famous atheist, Christopher Hitchens’ new book. “God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything....”

Read the full article Here.

I Don't Think I Can Go On Being A Christian

Those are the words of an 18 year old girl in a letter she wrote to her pastor. He posted the letter on his blog in order to receive feedback. Below is her letter:

"I am 18 an have been a member of Seacoast for about a year or so. I am looking for some answers to some big issues I am struggling with. My boyfriend and I are both Christians, but we are at a crossroads right now and though we believe in God, Jesus, and WANT to believe in Christianity, we are struggling.

First off, we started reading the old testament and a good bit doesn't make sense. For example, in the story of Job, towards the end God starts to talk about a fire breathing dragon. Another example, I do not remember the specific book, but a woman looked back and was "turned to a pillar of salt...."

Read the rest HERE. Feel free to leave a comment there or here.

What resource or book would you recommend to someone like this who is having a faith crisis? What would you tell them?

So Much For The Bible Critics...

...who have been saying ad naseum that "we can't take the Bible literally". This new scientific discovery proves that human bodies do indeed have the built in capability to live hundreds of years. Genesis 5:27: "So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty nine years; and he died." These scientists say that 800 year life spans are not only "possible", but "inevitable".

From The Independent

"A genetically engineered organism that lives 10 times longer than normal has been created by scientists in California. It is the greatest extension of longevity yet achieved by researchers investigating the scientific nature of ageing.

If this work could ever be translated into humans, it would mean that we might one day see people living for 800 years. But is this ever going to be a realistic possibility?

Valter Longo is one of the small but influential group of specialists in this area who believes that an 800-year life isn't just possible, it is inevitable. It was his work at the University of Southern California that led to the creation of a strain of yeast fungus that can live for 10 weeks or more, instead of dying at its usual maximum age of just one week."

Read more HERE.