LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY the_flowergirl)

But I laughed at this.

http://www.tyndale.com/products/details.asp?isbn=978-1-4143-1680-2

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY wyldraven)

John Hagee Online

( Excerpt. Click link above, but only if you don't mind going to a Hagee site. )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY lupie_stardust)

This made me laugh.

Especially this bit:

"These condoms are real, quality condoms. Quantity discounts apply! We are proud to ship free within the God-blessed USA! (and at reasonable rates to other places God also loves)."

:D

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kalibex)

FAITH & FUNDRAISING

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY hummingwolf)

Those of you who enjoy Slacktivist's excellent series of Left Behind critiques might also be interested in the Cynic Sage's posts on Every Man's Battle. For those unfamiliar with EMB, it's a series of books (and seminars and lunchboxes(?)) marketed to Christian men who are concerned about their masculinity and sexual purity. If you tune into your local Christian radio station, there's a good chance these books or books like them will be part of the conversation after a while. Interesting look at the intersection of marketing and cultural warfare.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY wyldraven)

Yesterday, on T2A, we were introduced to The Purpose Driven Life Takers. An ultra-violent video game, Left Behind: Eternal Forces, based on scenes from the first four novels in the Left Behind novel series, puts you "on a mission - both a religious mission and a military mission -- to convert or kill Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, gays, and anyone who advocates the separation of church and state". It's to be rated T for Teens, meaning it is targeted at the 13-19 year old age group, and is "slated for release by October 2006 in advance of the Christmas shopping rush".

You can read another article on this travesty here: So Much For Rick Warren Being a Warm-and-Fuzzy Evangelical.

This is NOT what Christianity is about. Period, end of sentence. It's just so sad to see such a great man's philosophy so seriously corrupted.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37ff)

wyldraven

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY diala)

I talked about this in my journal, and I figured that it would be best mentioning it here.

The Timothy Plan

The Timothy Plan® is a family of mutual funds offering individuals, like yourself, a biblical choice when it comes to investing. If you are concerned with the moral issues (abortion, pörnography, anti-family entertainment, non-married lifestyles, alcohol, tobacco and gambling) that are destroying children and families you have come to the right place.

The Timothy Plan® avoids investing in companies that are involved in practices contrary to Judeo-Christian principles. Our goal is to recapture traditional American values. We are America's first pro-life, pro-family, biblically-based mutual fund group.

While cultural conservatives focused their efforts on schools, churches, state houses, and Main Streets, environmentalists, animal rights activists, homosexuals and feminists wielded their power as corporate shareholders to change corporate policy.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kalibex)

Evangelical teens rally in S.F.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kiji_kat)

I had to share this with you guys. It's some hilariously cracked-out article that sounds like a bad D&D plotline dreamed up by a youth leader who is trying desperately to integrate himself with those "outsider" kids so he can save them from the evils of 20-sided dice. Yes kids, it's like an RPG, and the evil villain in this plotline is none other than one of the Seven Deadlies, LUST!

( In which I pose some serious questions )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

This LA Times article tells a not-so-bright story about the "Painter of Light".

Registration required.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY exotic_princess)

Dealing with post-rapture times, finding converts and training them to lead the fight against the Antichrist.

wheee fun!


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11567350/site/newsweek/

Pee Ess: Just a tidbit, also from MSNBC.com

Next up — Brokeback clothing
Here’s something you won’t see Heath Ledger wearing: a Christian clothing company is making a bible-quoting T-shirt mocking Brokeback Mountain.

Second Coming Clothing Company — which says it sells "Christian T-shirts with attitude" — is hawking a shirt emblazoned with the words: "The Original 10 Commandments, BrokeBack on the Mountain." It shows an irate Moses staring at people dancing around Golden Calf and quotes the Bible: "In his anger, Moses broke the two tablets of stone that the Ten Commandments were written on while walking back down the mountain." (Emphasis ours.)

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY dunesong)

On a lighter (but still serious) note I would like to direct your attention to the following links.

One is an article by a personal fav blogger Prof. PZ Myers:

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2006/02/biblically_correct_tours.php

It concerns biblically correct tours. This is a group that takes people on tours of natural history museums and gives them the "biblically correct" version of what they find on display. The website for the group involved is hilarious.

http://www.creationtours.com/tours.htm

One of the bits that just knocked me out of my chair was on their store page about halfway down there is a VHS for Jack Theist Meets Dr. Secular. The description is priceless.

http://www.creationtours.com/store.htm

Jack Theist Meets Dr. Secular

AUTHOR: Bill Jack FORMAT: VHS PRICE: $19.95

Many Christians cower in mindless fear at secularism's persuasive power. Yet, we are exhorted to be transformed by the renewing, not the removing, of our minds. In this video you will hear Dr. Secular's followers chant the merits of a secular worldview. You will witness firsthand its chokehold on our culture. Then watch as Jack Theist destroys Dr. Secular's arguments with Biblical Truth. Once again you will be able to step out into the culture with renewed confidence. As a Christian you have not been given a spirit of fear, but of love and discipline and a sound mind.


On a serious note, this sort of thing does concern me. It could merely be that I am becoming more aware of this sort of thing, but these people seem to be infesting avery aspect of our culture. And even though most of it is painfully pathetic and embarrassingly funny it seems that so many people are buying into it anyway. It has a sort of 1950s body snatchers horror movie aspect to it. Is it really that bad or is it a problem of perspective for me?

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY lillybeloved)

So, in chapel today (oh the joys of attending Christian univeristy), and Tiger Dawson of Halftime spoke to us. While a lot of it was pretty cool, there was the "no rain before the flood" comment harped on, which most people around me nodded in assent. But I was curious about what kind of orginization Halftime was...
It's an initiatve of the Leadership Network, which is partnered with Lifeway Christian Resources, Zondervan and Church Communication Network, among others. The thing that bothers me about all of these programs is that while I know they're Christian, they're first and foremost buisnesses and selling things. . . It's no doubt to me that this is conservative, but that doesn't make it dominionst. It's more the emphasis on money that makes me think.
Does anyone have any ideas about these groups?

...or, will Microsoft start going after Salem Communications?

At this link, there is discussion going on in regards to an advert being used by a group connected with "CrossWalk" that is almost a direct ripoff of the Xbox 360 logo:
( copy of the offending advert )
Now, CrossWalk is one of those names that tends to throw up *major* alarm bells for me. For those who aren't aware, CrossWalk is actually a division of Salem Communications--owner of a large "godcasting" radio empire that has connections to (among other things) Calvary Chapel's wholescale hijacking of radio translator licenses and which itself has engaged in deliberate attempts to hijack licenses of "full power" public broadcasting stations. More directly of note, however, CrossWalk is also one of the more than 40 documented front groups of the Assemblies of God and, in typical fashion, is also apparently a brand-name heavily used by Assemblies-connected groups in general including at least one group specifically targeting children.

This particular "CrossWalk" does use the same logo as the one used by Salem Communications' CrossWalk, but (in a notable exception) claims to be a Lutheran church. However, it happens to be a member of a dominionist synod of the Lutheran church (the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod; per at least one report this is one of the dominionist branches of Lutheranism (and probably the most hardline of all of them); the Wisconsin Synod is considered so far to the right of most Lutheran groups (even making the Missouri Synod look moderate in comparison) it can be considered a dominionist breakaway sect).

Of note, the group seems to be explicitly targeting children, not just in the advertising but in that it is promoting the "CrossWalk for Kids" meetings. (From what little I've been able to find out, it does seem connected to Salem Communications' CrossWalk.com.)

At least two separate blogs dedicated to gaming, including the unofficial blog of the director of XBox Live programming.

EDIT: The website Church Marketing Sucks has an excellent commentary on the issue of "religious ripoffs"--almost direct ripoffs of trademarks and service marks to advertise dominionist churches, promote "bait and switch" evangelism, and generally try to be terribly clever.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY tinhuviel)

It's been up for a while, but I had a chance to capture it today. This is what travellers coming from the South and going North get to see at the 290 exit near Duncan South Carolina. I'm so proud.

( here I come! )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY heartlikeawheel)

I'm wondering if anyone can help me...

I'm hoping there is a complete list online somewhere that lists all the major Dominionist-friendly businesses and corporations.

I wish to make sure that I do not patronize these businesses in any way, shape or form, and I want my friends to be aware of them as well. They like to hit businesses in the wallet who do not fall into goose-step behind their "cause", I in turn wish to withhold my consumer dollars from any business that either has Dominionist roots, Dominionist backing, or that has caved in to their demands and threats.

Thanks for any assistance.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY multiclassgeek)

X-posted to my own journal

There was a throwaway article in London's Evening Standard newspaper about this... I'd have ignored it, but the mention of Pat Robertson's name got me worried...

Dominionists and Isaeli tourist board to build Holy Land Theme Park

Plans for this seem to have been floating around since November last year, but this seems to be a fairly major step towards its realisation (or it might just be that UK news agencies are only picking up on this now, I'm not entirely sure)

Either way, it seems more-than-slightly disconcerting, especially in the context of Milleniallist dogma regarding the Holy Land.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY navytron89)

While visiting my mother at Christmas I stopped at a truck stop and found a nasty little dominionist-type book called "Armed & Dangerous" the author is named Ken Abraham and has over 60 pro-Christian books under his belt as well as several biographies of famous Christian individuals (including Bill Gaither, Chuck Norris & Jim "Sleaze and  Grade: A Scumbag" Bakker).

Other books by this guy include the Progidal Project (basically an end-times series), Promises of a Messiah (another dominionist pile of used toilet apper),  & Stand up and Fight back :a (dominionist) guide for teenager.

I've googled and looked for him in several places, yet have found little information other than a basic bio.

Can anyone else fill in the blanks on him and where he rates on the scumbag scale of dominionism?

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY thoth_moon)

( CNN interviewed Brian Welch )

. . . Giving it some consideration, I think it's cool that he managed to clean up his act and it's fine if religion was his means to do that, but that other stuff . . . well, people like him kind of disgust me, in a way. You know what I'm saying?

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

What the "Left Behind" series really means

These media products are more than harmless American Christian kitsch culture or just more American religious swill. Swill it may be, but it is also dangerous propaganda and the writers know damned well that propaganda value. Just as the propaganda value of associating Jewish people with rats in Nazi Germany helped the German populace accept persecution of the Jews, the Left Behind books foster a morality that excuses horrors done to "non-believers." Forget about sanity and reason. Christian fundamentalist media promotes a hermetic worldview cut off from reason. From the standpoint of those who consume such media messages, it is not so much propaganda as it is an abundant offering so complete as to be a parallel bizarro world of its own. It gives answers to questions not even asked.