TBC NewsWatch

DEFENDING EVOLUTION AGAINST CREATION "BULLYING"

ChristianNews.net, 7/28/14, “Camp Teaches Kids How to Defend Evolution Against Creation ‘Bullying’” [Excerpts]: A Unitarian organization in Missouri hosted an evolution camp for kids earlier this month, during which the kids were taught how to defend evolutionary theory from critics, including Christians.

During the camp, the children were taught the basic tenets of the evolutionary worldview.

“I am the universe,” one of the camp’s Unitarian organizers, Jennifer Lara, recited to the kids. “Like you, I started as a speck about 13 billion years ago....”

“It’s awe-inspiring, an amazing thing, how the earth came together,” Lara told reporters. “We can just enjoy the beauty of the science.”

According to Lara, evolution is “a touchy subject,” but she believes it is important to teach children how to defend their belief in evolution. Moreover, Lara criticized the creation worldview, saying it “can be used to bully other kids.”

Unitarians were not the only ones participating in the evolution camp. Brandy Clory, who brought her 5-year-old son to the camp [said] “I wanted him to have experiences with other children learning science and be around open-minded children,”

Though Clory says she and her son attend a Christian church, she wants her son to be “exposed” to the evolutionary theory from a young age.

“I want him to grow up knowing both paths so he can make his own decisions,” she explained. “My job is to expose him.”

However, others who learned of the program were less enthusiastic, warning of the dangerous doctrines behind evolution and Unitarian Universalism. Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis described the Unitarian group as “a secular (anti-Christian) institution.”

“Secularists…want to indoctrinate children in their worldview of atheism—and they are some of the most intolerant people around,” Ham wrote in a recent blog post. “They only tolerate the views of people they agree with, and they really become intolerant not just of Christian views, but of Christians themselves!”

“Exposing the children to multiple views (except those of Christians) and training them to supposedly be open-minded so that they can decide for themselves seem to be a common theme these days,” he added. “There has been an intense attempt to indoctrinate people in evolution through the education system and the media (and sadly through compromising churches).”

(http://goo.gl/3zDtQa)

MUSLIM VENGEANCE MURDERS IN USA

ChristianHeadlines.com, 8/22/14, “Muslim Man Charged for Four Murders in Washington and New Jersey for ‘Vengeance’” [Excerpts]: A Muslim man has been charged with four murders in New Jersey and Washington. Ali Muhamad Brown, 29, claims he committed the murders to avenge the US military operations in the Middle East.

Brown said, “My mission is vengeance for the lives, millions of lives [that] are lost every day. Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan—all these places where innocent lives are being taken every single day…by America, by this government. So a life for a life.”

Brown killed Leroy Henderson in Washington in April. Brown then committed two more murders in Washington, killing Ahmed Said and Dwone Anderson-Young on June 1st. Brown ended his killing spree in New Jersey with the murder of Brendan Tevlin on July 25.

King County prosecutor Dan Satterberg said, “The defendant was on a bloody crusade, executing four innocent men…with the same murder weapon, over the course of approximately two months, and all under the common and single scheme of exacting ‘vengeance’ against United States [foreign policies.]”

(http://goo.gl/b6hfW9)

DETHRONING CELEBRITY PASTORS

Christianity.com,.8/15/14,.“Dethroning Celebrity Pastors” [Excerpts]: The “celebrity pastor” is now a thing. Maybe it’s always been a thing (1 Cor:1:10-17 [10] Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. [11] For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. [12] Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. [13] Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? [14] I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; [15] Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. [16] And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. [17] For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
See All...), but over the past few years it has become a source of concern and consternation for many. On the one hand I do see a problem, and on the other hand I can’t help but feel that some speak against popular preachers out of a sense of jealousy. I do not think that a pastor whose “platform” is large, influence is broad, and following is numerous is a celebrity pastor. At least, not in a bad way. The real problem is leadership that loses sight of the glory of Christ and focuses on the glory of man. Or, at least one man.

But Celebrity Pastors do not simply build themselves. They are built with the help of fans. It’s not wrong or idolatrous to get a photo with a person you admire. Nor is it dangerous to love the preaching or teaching of a particular leader. But at some point admiration turns into allegiance, and allegiance gives birth to adoration, and adoration, when it is full grown, produces idolatry. I am not sure exactly when the line is crossed—maybe when we start asking well-known pastors to sign our Bibles. Maybe. But the line is well behind us when a leader’s word is more valuable to us than God’s word and when they become our authority.

(http://goo.gl/WkARiK)

PSYCHOLOGY: CHRISTIANS DUMBER THAN ATHEISTS

ChristianNews.net, 7/28, “Ohio State Psychology Course Teaches Christians Are Dumber Than Atheists ” [Excerpts]: Students in an Ohio State University psychology class are being taught that atheists have higher IQs than Christians, according to a college watchdog organization.

Campus Reform notes that a question from a recent online psychology quiz from the university implied that religious beliefs were directly related to IQ levels.

“Theo has an IQ of 100 and Aine has an IQ of 125,” the quiz stated. “Which of the following statements would you expect to be true?”

Students were then asked to select an answer from the following four options:

Aine is an atheist, while Theo is a Christian.

Aine earns less money than Theo.

Theo is more liberal than Aine.

Theo is an atheist, while Aine is a Christian.

According to the school, the correct answer is option #1.

The quiz question was purportedly part of an online homework set for Ohio State’s Psychology 1100 course. Psychology 1100...is a general education requirement, which means many students from a variety of disciplines take the class each year.

The anonymous student who first told Campus Reform about the quiz said that the question was unsurprising, considering the anti-Christian bias prevalent in many public universities.

“I understand that colleges have a liberal spin on things so it didn’t surprise me to see the question, which is a sad thing,” the student said. “But how can you really measure which religion has a higher IQ?”

“Colleges will tolerate pretty much any religion other than Christianity,” he added. “If colleges really want to give everyone a fair shot, they should stay away from making comments about any religion.”

(http://goo.gl/JYmxvS)