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Church cancels teen gun giveaway
An Oklahoma church canceled a controversial gun giveaway for teenagers at a weekend youth conference. Windsor Hills Baptist had planned to give away a semiautomatic assault rifle until one of the event's organizers was unable to attend. The church’s youth pastor, Bob Ross, said it’s a way of trying to encourage young people to attend the event. The church expected hundreds of teenagers from as far away as Canada.
“We have 21 hours of preaching and teaching throughout the week,” Ross said.
A video on the church Web site shows the shooting competition from last year’s conference. A gun giveaway was part of the event last year. This year, organizers included it in their marketing.
“I don’t want people thinking ‘My goodness, we’re putting a weapon in the hand of somebody that doesn’t respect it who are then going to go out and kill,'” said Ross. “That’s not at all what we’re trying to do.”
Ross said the conference isn’t all about guns, but rather about teens finding faith.
“You make a lot of new friends down here,” said Vikki Goncharenko, who attended the conference. “You get to meet new people. There's a bunch of things that are going on. It's just, you have a wonderful time.”
Friday evening, Ross said the gun giveaway had been canceled. Pastor emeritus Jim Vineyard, who ran the event, injured his foot and wouldn’t be able to attend. The gun giveaway was also removed from the church Web site.
Ross said the church would give the gun away next year instead. He said the church spent $800 buying the guns for the promotion. An Oklahoma church canceled a controversial gun giveaway for teenagers at a weekend youth conference. Windsor Hills Baptist had plann... more -
The Dwingling of the Baptists?
Not Really.
ARE SOUTHERN BAPTISTS "dwindling"? Recent headlines about the annual meeting of the 16.27 million member Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) refer to its ostensible struggles with membership decline. Having lost 40,000 members last year, America's second biggest religious body was described as "dwindling" by a Washington Post headline, which other media echoed.
In contrast to Mainline Protestant denominations like Episcopalians and Presbyterians, the SBC is overwhelmingly conservative. During the 1980s, conservative Baptists, derided as "fundamentalists" by critics, were alarmed by liberal inroads and solidified their governance of church agencies and seminaries. Southern Baptist and other evangelical churches have enjoyed almost unfettered growth in recent decades, while the once dominant Mainline denominations are now in their fifth decade of decline.
In fairness to the Post, a subsequent article reported that besides last year and 1998, the SBC hasn't suffered a year of membership loss since 1926. By comparison, the once dominant United Methodist Church was surpassed in membership by Southern Baptists 40 years ago and is now outnumbered 2 to 1. Still, the SBC's once surging growth has certainly flattened, and at their annual meeting, the 9,500 SBC delegates fretted about the decline in baptisms and other ill omens.
Not Really. ... more -
Al Gore's Green Message Resonates With Baptists
Amen, Mr. Gore. It seems only logical to me that if you are religious or even a spiritual being who does not associate with organized religion, that you have a bond to this Earth and a charge to keep as its steward. Although, I do not think a moral responsibility for preserving this planet is reserved for religious people alone. Atheists as well that I know also have a deep abiding love for this Earth and for keeping it whole. Therefore, they as well should not be excluded from this message, but it is ironic in particular that we see those who claim to be religious to be the biggest hypocrites when it comes to preserving this planet. So it is good to see this message resonating across all boundaries. Amen, Mr. Gore. It seems only logical to me that if you are religious or even a spiritual being who does not associate with organized ... more
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Al Gore Among Speakers Expected At Baptist Meeting
A non partisan meeting to discuss issues of the day including religious liberty put together by President Jimmy Carter.//////Excerpt://////Associated Press///// 12/14/07/////Major political figures from both parties are tentatively planning to come to a conference in Atlanta next month that aims to unite Baptists from more than 30 denominations, organizers say.////// Former Vice President Al Gore, former President Bill Clinton and Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Charles Grassley of Iowa, are scheduled to appear at the event, organized by former President Jimmy Carter and others./////Among the conference topics are evangelism, criminal justice, preaching, interfaith relations, racism, HIV/AIDS and religious liberty. The meeting is scheduled for Jan. 30-Feb. 1./////The gathering is part of an effort, called the New Baptist Covenant, that's meant to pool the resources of the many Baptist groups and escape the shadow of the conservative Southern Baptist Convention./////
"For the first time in more than 160 years, we will have a major convocation of Baptists in America with neither our unity nor freedom threatened by differences of race, politics, geography, or legalistic interpretations of the Scriptures," Carter said in a statement this week./////Organizers want "to speak and work together to create an authentic and genuine prophetic Baptist voice in these complex times," according to the central document for the effort./////end of excerpt.
A non partisan meeting to discuss issues of the day including religious liberty put together by President Jimmy Carter.//////Excerpt:/... more -
Current.com makes.
While the Current Beta was illusively down early this morning, I took my dog out for a walk and noticed a flyer on the windshield of a car. Moist and warped, at least a few days old: it was the only one on the block. Perhaps the owner of the vehicle never noticed it. I thought to myself, whatever the message may be, some one made an effort to get it out. If the driver of this vehicle wasn't going to partake, then they probably would not mind if i do. I went back to retrieve it.
"Everybody needs a home" and inside was a message from a local church harvestbaptistdalycity.org reaching out to the community. Since I am already set with my faith, I thought, do I return it? It may only find it's way to the trash. I should recycle it.
Then I thought, what if I held on to this for a while, use it as a book mark or something, then leave it somewhere else, in a library or center, where it might find more exposure; where someone interested might stumble upon it.
Reminds me of loose change. The coins we often do not stop to pick up on the street. Should I pick up the dirty penny or leave it for someone who needs it more than I? What if no one picks up the penny? What if I pick up the penny and bring it to someone who needs it? What if we all did?
Current.com
The penny you found on the street and gave to someone else.
While the Current Beta was illusively down early this morning, I took my dog out for a walk and noticed a flyer on the windshield of a... more -
Current.com makes.
While the Current Beta was illusively down early this morning, I took my dog out for a walk and noticed a flyer on the windshield of a car. Moist and warped, at least a few days old: it was the only one on the block. Perhaps the owner of the vehicle never noticed it. I thought to myself, whatever the message may be, some one made an effort to get it out. If the driver of this vehicle wasn't going to partake, then maybe I should. I went back to retrieve it. "Everybody needs a home" and inside was a message from a local church harvestbaptistdalycity.org reaching out to the community. Since I am already set with my faith, I thought, do I recycle it or return it to where I found it. Then I thought, what if I just hold on to this for a while, use it as a book mark and leave it somewhere else, in a library or center, where it might find more exposure; where someone interested might stumble upon it.
I thought about loose change. The coins we often do not stop to pick up on the street. Should I pick up the dirty penny or leave it for someone who needs it more than I? What if no one picks up the penny? What if I pick up the penny and bring it to someone who needs it? What if we all did?
Current.com
The penny you found on the street and gave to someone else.
While the Current Beta was illusively down early this morning, I took my dog out for a walk and noticed a flyer on the windshield of a... more -
Do you think activists should be allowed to protest at funerals?
These people are absolutely insane and messed up in the head.
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