Book Comment: When Religion Becomes Evil

     Kimball, Charles, When Religion Becomes Evil (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2008)

     In his book, When Religion Becomes Evil, Charles Kimball is talking more about human corruption of religion than about religion.  He points out the danger signs which indicate that a religious movement could descend into violent and destructive activities and gives concrete examples to make his points.  And, he makes the sad point that religion, while vitally important to millions of people, has not overall caused their behavior to be demonstrably different from that of non-religious people.  Religious people (including Christians) have committed heinous crimes in the name of their deities.

     The warning signs Kimball discusses are:

1. Absolute truth claims

2. Blind obedience to a charismatic leader

3. Trying to force world events to a desired conclusion

4. The end justifies the use of any means

5. Declaring holy war 

     Kimball shows a few biases in his book:  he goes to great lengths to stress how peaceful Islam is;  he dismisses Biblical literalists as ignorant; and he sees Christianity as merely one religion among many.

     When Religion Becomes Evil is an interesting read and has many valid points to make about the temptation to declare one's religious views as the only correct way and to take the step into trying to force others to agree.  The one major criticism I have for the book is that it steps dangerously close to , and perhaps steps over, the line into relativism and denial that there is any Absolute Objective Truth.  

Obama Christ

     This is not, never has been, and never will be, a political blog, so this is not a political post.  This is a comment by a Christian man on a situation involving another Christian brother, President Barack Obama.

     People have fainted in rapturous states at Obama rallies, some have said that Jesus was also a community organizer, others have called him "the One," he is presented as Jesus in a picture posted on http://www.jesus of the week.com,  and The Nation of Islam leader Lewis Farakhan has openly called him the Messiah.  Evan Thomas, a Newsweek editor, declared, "I mean in a way Obama's standing above the country, above - above the world, he's sort of God!" All of this should instantly offend, horrify, and disgust any Christian and President Obama, as a Christian, should insist that it stop.  He is the President of the United States but he is just a man.

exchristian.net

     Exchristian.net is a website dedicated to "encouraging de-converting and former Christians."  To the practicing observant Christian this will seem to be a collection of hateful and intellectually arrogant individuals spewing venom at something which they obviously do not understand.

     In a post by Brendon Rexford, God is referred to as a "fictitious sky phantom."  He says, "I found fundamental extremist Christianity the most hateful, narrow minded, controlling, and contradictory thing I have ever laid eyes upon."  As a Christian, I apologize to Mr. Rexford for what an extremist church may have done to him.  Every thinking well-meaning Christian knows that there are hateful churches like that, arrogant in their ignorance of the true meaning of Christianity and dismissive of anyone not sharing their narrow views.

     In the reader comments following the article a debate arose between several atheists and at least one traditional Christian (possibly more; everyone is using pseudonyms).  The atheists come across as increasingly dismissive, insulting, and abusive, resorting to "aha!" and "gotcha!" statements in response to what they see as unsupported or contradictory arguments.  Everyone, both atheists and Christians, seems to be repeating the same arguments over and over.

     The argument is pointless.  Do not argue with atheists, it merely drives them further into their intellectual do-loops, spinning around repeating their humanistic prideful self-congratulations.  It is not the duty of the christian to convince atheists that they are in error.

The duty of the Christian is to be able to provide a capable and rational explanation for their faith.

"...be ready always to give an answer of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."  1 Peter 3:1

     We really are different from them and they really don't understand.

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned ... but we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:14, 16.

     The Christian should calmly present the truth and then step back.  There is no need to "win." Victory for the Christian is found in obedience to the Lord.  Let the Word of God do the work.

"... no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 1 Corinthians  12: 3b.

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17.

 

Film Comment: I Am Curious(Yellow)/I Am Curious (Blue)

     The Swedish films I Am Curious (Yellow) (1967) and I Am Curious (Blue) (1968) were originally intended to be a single 3 1/2 hour long film.  The colors in the title refer to the Swedish flag.  If you are familiar with European films you know there will be lots of talking and that is what these films seem to be: a series of questions asked of numerous people by a very inquisitive character named Lena Nyman portrayed by an actress named Lena Nyman.

     These really are masterfully constructed pieces of cinematic art which feature techniques seen in many later films and television programs: audience aware characters, everyone using their real names, intermingling of the twin plots of the actors making the film and the characters being filmed, amateur non-actors, and cameras and sound equipment often being visible within a scene. 

     This may sound strange and it is.  Very little is familiar.  The film may seem plotless, but it's not. The film may seem disjointed, but it's not.  In the end, everything really does tie together and make sense, but not until the very end of Blue.

     The film(s) are always referred to as "our film" and, at their release, were condemned as pornographic for their casual acceptance of nudity and one scene of a sexual nature.  This missed the entire point of the two(one) film(s).  The films are a Marxist assault on almost everything you might recognize: religion, traditional sexuality, capitalism, marriage, the prison system, college education, meritocracy, traditional film making, etc.  The director and actors seem to have basically disappeared after the film(s) were released.

     The film(s) are a window into the Marxist world view.

      

The First Archeologist?

    Nabu-na'id (aka Nabonidus) reigned from 556-539 BCE as the king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.  He is not mentioned in the Bible, being overshadowed by his father, Nabu-kudurri-usur (aka Nebuchadnezzar), and by his son Bel-shar-usur (aka Belshazzar).  On 29 October 539 BCE, he ran away as Babylon was taken by Kurose (aka Cyrus), King of Persia.  In Daniel 5: 2-22 his father is named as the father of his son.  This may have been literally true or the listing may have been due to a common Semitic practice of naming an important  ancestor as the father of a person.

    In northern Bablyon, at Sippur, Nabonidus found a temple platform built by NrimSin, son of Sargon I (2400 BCE).  He had the site excavated for its treasures and catalogued. 

  

i am the neutrino

i am the neutrino

You are the molecule

i am the dendron

You are the brain

i am the hair

You are the head

i am the juice

You are the berry

i am the crack

You are the sidewalk

i am the the grain of sand

You are the beach

i am the street

You are the city

i am the streetlight

You are the sun

i am the moon

You are the cosmos

Make me a star

Make me a shining light

Another light bulb joke

How many Universal Life Church members does it take to change a light bulb?

One.  Ordination and a light bulb changing instruction booklet are available for only $19.99.

  

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

William Holman Hunt: (b. 1827, England - d. 1910) Pre-Raphaelite painter.

Simon: (fl. ca. 61-62 CE) A tanner with whom Peter lived during a visit to Joppa (Yaffo, Israel). (Acts 9: 36-42)

Charles Hadden Spurgeon: (b. 1844. England - d. 1892) English Calvinist Baptist preacher and writer.

Grady Lee Nutt: (b. 1934, Texas - d. 1982)Southern Baptist minister, author, comedian, and television personality. Known as "The Prime Minister of Humor" he based his humor on rural Southern Protestantism.  The Grady Nutt Humor Award  is for excellence in Christian comedy.

Frank Stagg: (b. 1911, Louisiana - d. 2001) Baptist theologian, seminary professor, author, pastor, New Testament and Greek scholar.

Ganesha Chaurthi

Ganesha Chaturthi:  This Hindu festival celebrates the birth of the god Ganesh.

Film Comment: Time Bandits

Film Comments: Time Bandits, 1981, PG, Color, Great Britain.

Directed by Terry Gilliam.  Cast: Craig Warnock, John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelly Duvall, Katherine Hellmond, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Sir Ralph Richardson, Kenny Baker, Peter Vaughn, David Rappaport, David Warner.

Plot Synopsis:   A young boy named Kevin (Warnock) hears a commotion in his closet  and, then, is surpised when an armored knight comes crashing into his bedroom.  The next night, a group of overly excitable dwarves abduct the boy and take him on a wild adventure across time as they run from Evil Incarnate (Warner) and also from the angry Supreme Being (Richardson).  It seems that the dwarves have stolen God's map of the universe and are using it to collect treasure and wealth.  God, otherwise totally uninterested in His universe, is annoyed at the loss of His map.

     A final confrontation between Evil Incarnate and the Supreme  Being leaves everything destroyed.  God gets His map back and Kevin is unceremoniously returned to his home, orphaned, and left to fend for himself. 

     The message of the film is that there is no meaning to life or anything else.  We exist as specks of dust on an insignificant speck of dust within a massive dust cloud.  God may exist, but He is uninterested in our affairs and will be irritated if we bother Him.  

     This nihilistic philosophy has been adopted by many modern people, especially in the form known as materialistic determinism, which holds that we are merely the sum of our chemical and physical processes, completely devoid of free will, and, in the most extreme versions of this philosophy, even of conscious thought.  Since there is no meaning outside of the physical processes involved, there are no moral absolutes. 

Woody Allen on Trees

"As the poet said, 'Only God can make a tree,' - probably because it's so hard to figure out how to get the bark on."   Woody Allen 

Another light bulb joke

How many Discordians does it take to take to change a light bulb?

Grapple non-consecutive Nimrod! 

Rumspringa

     At first glance, the Rumspringa seems to be an odd, even cruel, religious practice, especially when one realizes that it is practiced by the ultra-strict, ultra-conservative Plain People, the Amish.

     Since they have Anabaptist origins, the Amish utterly reject any idea of infant baptism or of the idea that being raised in an Amish family makes one Amish.  The strongly believe that to be Amish one must make a conscious decision to adopt the life.

     Not all Amish teens (at age 16) participate in the Rumspringa (the "running around") during which they leave the community to live among the "English" (the outside world) and have no rules whatsoever.  Sex, drugs, alcohol, wild parties, telephones, fashionable clothing, smoking, profanity: anything goes.

     The hope is that the teens will be shocked and disgusted by the depravity they see and will voluntarily return to be baptized and assume their rightful place in the community.  This seems quite harsh to outsiders but the Amish see it as respect for the free wills of their  children.  No one is forced to be Amish, the life must be chosen.

     The Plain People know that their life can be seen as hard but most of their adults don't think that it is.  They do know what they're missing.

     For further study on this subject:

1. Schactman, Tom, Rumspringa: To Be or Not To Be Amish (North Point Press, 2007)

2. Video: The Devil's Playground.

 

Open Call for Christian Blog Links

     Choosing the Right Path  (http://choosingtherightpath.blogspot.com/) is an eclectic Christian blog about any subject relating to religion and, specifically, to Christianity.  The underlying themes of the blog are the believer's personal responsibility, God's sovereignty, the gospel of God's freely given gift of saving grace, and the notion that Christians should be, and are, in every nook and cranny and that they should excel in every human endeavor in which they engage.

     I invite readers of any religious persuasion to comment, ask questions, and to suggest topics for discussion.

     I plan to add links to blogs on numerous subject areas which feature themes of how Christianity relates to their specific subject.  Some of the interest areas include abortion, acting, animals,  apologetics, art, Bible, biography, business, cartoons, children, Christology, circus, clowns, comic books, comparative religion, conservatism, counseling, cults, devotionals, doctrine, ecology, education, ethics, ethnic, fiction, film, finance, genealogy, health, history, humor, languages, liberalism, literature, manhood, marriage, mathematics, medicine, men, metaphysics, missions, music, mysticism, occult, pastoral, philosophy, politics, race, science, sports, theology, translation., religious place names, women, and writing.  I'm sure there will be others.

     If you would like to have your blog listed here leave me a comment.  If I decide to link to your blog, I will also request that you add a link on your blog to Choosing the Right Path.     

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

John William Colenso: (b. 1814, Cornwall - d. 1883) aka: Sobantu (Zulu = "father of the people"). Anglican Bishop of Natal, mathematician, social activist, theologian.  He wrote Bible commentaries, translated the New Testament into Zulu, and published the first Zulu grammar and the first Zulu-English dictionary.  Controversially, he loowed converted polygamists to retain their plural wives.

Johann Koch: (b. 1603, Germany - d.1669) aka: Johannes Cocceius.  Calvinist dogmatic theologian, university professor (Hebrew, theology).  He stressed that the relationship between God and man is a personal relationship.

Demetrius: A disciple of the Apostle John. fl. ca 60-62 CE. (3 John 12) 

Steven Demetre Georgiou (b. 1948, England) aka: Steve Adams, Cat Stevens, Yusuf Islam, Yusuf.  British musician, singer, songwriter, peace activist, cartoonist.  Raised as a Greek Orthodox/Lutheran/Catholic, he converted to Islam in 1977.

Ippolito Aldobrandini: (b. ca. 1536, Italy - d. 1605)  He served as Pope Clement VIII from 1592-1605.  he was known as an ecclesiatical reformer.

Sports Competition

     In yesterday's post I spoke against the Get Out of My Way or I'm Gonna Run Over You mentality.  I knew as I wrote it that it could be taken as a swipe against sports competition.  That's not what I meant at all.  In fact, in football, you're supposed to run over your opponent.  I support that.  The difference is in the underlying attitude.  One attitude is demeaning and belittling, the other shows respect for your opponent.

     It has become common for football players to want to gloat and to perform elaborate celebration rituals after scoring a touchdown or making a good play.  Some even want to stand over a knocked down  opponent and to glare menacingly at him to produce intimidation.  

     Football leagues have rightly established penalties for such behavior and the punishments are  appropriate not just because the behaviors delay the game.  The actions are demeaning and insulting to the team and/or players against whom they are directed.

     The legendary football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant was certainly no stranger to rough, physical football and he was not, to my knowledge, particularly religious.  There were rumors about his personal failings, but, as a coach, he knew how to train young men in the proper attitudes for sports competition.  He taught them how to be proper men and most of his players came to remember him as almost a second father.

     When a player scored a touchdown, Bryant told him to act like he had done it before and as if he planned to do it again.  Players who would not comply lost playing time.

     Players who gloated over a successful quarterback sack, or a great block, or a brilliant interception, lost playing time.

     Coach Bryant was no stranger to the tactic of intimidation, but it was an intimidation which paradoxically showed a respect for the opponent.  He told his players to knock their opponent down and then to offer him a hand up.  Then to turn around and knock him down again.  After a few rounds of this process, the opponent would begin to expect to be knocked down.

     There are people who would like to ban competitive sport altogether because they say it crushes the spirits of the less talented.  The reality is that properly administered sports can teach teamwork, self-confidence, how to deal with failure without loss of self-esteem, how to deal with success, and how to engage in equitable and honorable competition without malice toward one's opponent.  The lessons which can be learned in competitive sports can be applied to one's work career and interpersonal relations.

     The Apostle Paul saw nothing wrong with competitive sports and even used a sports analogy to make a point.

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?  So run, that ye may obtain."  1 Corinthians 9:24.   

      

Christian Meekness

     The 3 August 2009 issue of The Sporting News (Vol. 233, No. 16) has on its cover a picture of professional football players Adrian Peterson (the Minnesota Vikings one) and the retired Hall of Famer Jim Brown.  Both are glaring at the reader as if they would like to inflict physical injury.

     Peterson and Brown may, in their private lives, be the sweetest guys ever.  The photo seems, however, to play into a modern mentality that strong men are dangerous hostile men who take no prisoners.  It's the Get Out of My Way or I'm Gonna Run Over You mindset which has many proponents in sports, entertainment, business, and politics.  It sees the other person as merely an obstacle to be overcome at any cost.

     The Christian ideal is one of meekness.  Forget the usual understanding of this word as "weak," "wimpy," cowardly," or "shy."  That is not at all the biblical meaning of the word.  The Bible meaning of "meek" has to do with endurance without resentment; humble quiet gentle restrained strength.  Both Moses and jesus are described in the Bible as meek.

"But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Psalm 37:11.

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5.

     Jesus on the cross was both at His strongest (He could have called down armies of angels to rescue Him, Matthew 26:53) and in His most meek state. He willingly (though He was reluctant for one brief moment, Matthew 26:39, Luke 22:44) submitted to the will of the Father.  Jesus knew exactly what was coming and He obeyed anyway.

     [See tomorrow's post for a follow up comment on sports competition.]

Krishna Janmaashtami

Krishna Janmaashtami:  This Hindu festival celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna.

Prayer Pups

     Since July, 2007, the Prayer Pups comic strip by cartoonist Jeffrey Smith has appeared on the internet.  This is a Christian children's comic strip starring five cute dogs named Amos, Connie (Constantine), Nim (Nimrod), Abby (Abigail), and Jerry (Jeremiah).

     The site has materials available for use by Sunday Schools and church schools.

http://www.prayerpups.com

Film Comment: Video Fireplace

     The ultimate exercise in vacuity!  Video Fireplace (1991) is, as the title declares, a video of a fireplace: logs blazing before an unmoving camera.  The show ends when the logs burn down to ashes.

     I think this film reflects on the modern American film industry and also on modern pop culture: an appealing bright facade which requires nothing of the viewer and gives you nothing in return, not even a little heat.

     A companion video is Video Aquarium (1991), which has twenty-five tropical fish as its stars.

     My suspicion is that most people merely viewed these films as one-joke novelties, like Billy Bass, the singing fish mounted on a wall plaque.  The question then becomes why in the world someone would spend money for them.

     I'm not just being a Grinch.  News flash!  Christians are allowed to have fun, even stupid, silly, or ridiculous fun, but we are reminded in Philippians 4:8 that our usual or continual focus should be on pure, praiseworthy things.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on those things." Philippians 4:8.

     Our modern western culture is in many ways like that of the intellectuals in Athens in Paul's time, always searching for the next thrill, the next trend, the next fad, to entertain their bored, spiritually empty minds.

"16. Now while Paul waited for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

  17. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

  18. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him.  And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods; because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

  19. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

  20. For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

  21. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)" Acts 17: 16-21.

Another light bulb joke

How many Quakers does it take to change a light bulb?

No light bulb is needed, we all have an inner light.

Jesus of the Week

     http://www.jesusoftheweek.com is a sarcastic humor website which posts just what it says in its name, weekly pictures of Jesus, some photoshopped, some naturally occurring, some drawn, some painted, fictional characters as Jesus, celebrities as Jesus, etc.  The pictures are of Jesus as seen in a piece of toast, Jesus as seen in a candy bar, Hulk Jesus, boat captain Jesus, Mr. Potato Christ, Jesus on the phone, and even Obama Jesus.  The entire thing smacks of overkill. We get your point, you think we're silly.  We will see. 

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14. 

 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit  reap everlasting life." Galatians 6:7-8.

    

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

William of Ockham: (b.ca. 1288, England - d. ca. 1348) English Franciscan friar, scholastic philosopher, and scientist who published works in logic, physics, theology, and politics.  He is best known for Occam's Razor, a philosophy which states that theories should make as few assumptions as possible and that the best answer is the simplest explanation which explains the most observed facts.

Florus: (d. ca. 860) Deacon of Lyons.

Geoffrey Chaucer: (b. 1343/1344, England - d. 1400)  English clerk, poet, soldier who translated many Latin works into English.  He is best known for The Canterbury Tales, a collection of short stories.

Ugaccio of Ferrara: 12th Century Italian university professor.

   

Another light bulb joke

How many Saucerians does it take to change a light bulb?

I won't be needing to change a light bulb when I leave this little rock.

Tax exemption for churches

     501 (c) (3) in IRS Publication 557 lists the organizations eligible for income tax exemption because of their charitable nature.  The exemption applies only to the organization's exclusively charitable, scientific, educational, literary, philanthropic, public safety, prevention of cruelty to children or animals, or religious activities.  Any strictly commercial activities of an otherwise eligible organization are taxable.  Another provision, 26 U.S.C 170, provides a federal income tax deduction for donors to exempted organiziations.

     Jesus recognized the authority of governments to make tax laws but he added that God also had requirements which must be met.  The principle is that civil authorities should be obeyed except when their claims on a believer's actions are superceded by God's claims.

"Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things which are God's"  Matthew 22:21 (also Mark 12:17 and Luke 20:25)

     The current United States administration has shown a tendency to attach "strings" to it's programs and policies.  I would suggest that churches strongly consider repudiating their tax exempt status in order to prevent possible governmental interference in their activities.  

     The church I attend has members of every race, nationality, and ethnic origin but we don't and probably never will, reflect the national percentages of these various groups.  Also, the vast majority of our members would oppose openly gay clergy.  Pressure (the threat of removal of the tax exemption) could be exerted upon us and others like us to change our policies and beliefs.

     One thing to consider: repudiation of the tax exemption would also remove the individual donor's tax exemption for donations to the church.

    

Lailat al Bara'ah

Lailat al Bara'ah: The "Night of Freedom from Fire" occurs overnight between the 14th and 15th days of the Muslim month of Shaban.  On this night Muslims receive divine blessings as they visit the graves of their loved ones and recite special prayers and verses from the Quran. 

Raksha Bandhan: This Hindu festival celebrates the special bond of filial love between a brother and sister.   

Another light bulb joke

How many Whirling Dervishes does it take to change a light bulb?

One.  If his aim is good, he just has to push straight up.

Religious Use of Twitter

     For centuries, religious people have written short prayers on pieces of paper and stuffed them into the cracks in the Western Wall (the Kotel) in Jerusalem.  As the technology developed, people outside of Israel began to send faxes and e-mails which religious Jews would dutifully carry daily to the Wall.

     Now, Alon Nil, an Israeli economist, has begun such a service based on the social networking service known as Twitter.  The free service is only three weeks old and already receives thousands of prayers a day.  Nil says he is overwhelmed but intends that no prayers will be lost and that every prayer will be placed into the Wall.

                      http://twitter.com/theKotel

                      http://tweetyourprayers.info

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

 Sir Philip Mawer: (b. 1947, England) Anglican.  Advisor to British prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Hilary Hinton Ziglar: (b. 1926, Missisippi) (aka: Zig Ziglar) American motivati0onal speaker and self help author.

Ernie Chiaradonna: Universal Life Church minister, firefighter.  Member of the International Federation of Chaplains.  Specializes in performing non-denominational, inter-faith marriage ceremonies.

Frederick J.  Eikerenkoetter II: (d. 28 July 2009, California)  (aka: Rev. Ike) Minister who preached a prosperity gospel based on receiving material benefits.

Elizabeth Olson: (b. 1912 - d. 19 July 2009, Alabama) (aka: Sister Mary Joseph) One of the co-founders, with Mother Angelica, of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Irondale, Alabama.  She also assisted in the founding of the Eternal Word Television Network, a Catholic cable and satellite network which reaches over 150,000,000 viewers in over 140 countries.

Victor Duang Deng (b. ca. 1979, Sudan) One of the “Lost Boys of Sudan,” orphaned when armed gunmen destroyed his village, killed the men, and carried off the women and girls.  He walked to Ethiopia and then to Kenya, before being resettled in the United States.  He works for Make Way Partners, a ministry in Birmingham which runs several Christian orphanages in Sudan.  

 

 

Orthodox Fast Day

Today is the fast day observed by Orthodox Christianity to honor the Holy mother of Jesus.