Fewer Americans Claim Christian, Media Cheer: Poll

Don't believe the media headline spin . . .

In an effort to make President Obama's claim true (that America is NOT a Christian nation), the mainstream media have incorrectly hyped results of a new Pew Research survey — a poll which actually shows that MORE Americans claim to be devout Christians while formerly nominal Catholics and mainline churchgoers now more honestly report no religious affiliation.

Separately, read academic report:  Christians Will Flourish Demographically

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

20% in U.S. Have No Religion, yet ARE Spiritual

Secularists Revel in Aspirations of an Atheist America

Media, Secularists Revel in Reporting Failure of Christian Religion

However, Atheists & Liberals Lament Recent Supreme Court Religious Liberty Rulings

Also read Liberal Media Ignore 40,000 National Day of Prayer Events

So what is this ObamaNation?  It's a 'Fake Church,' Says Catholic Cardinal



For myriad attacks on the Bible and Christian faith, read CBS Gives Voice to Atheists, Heretics, & Apostates



From "Big Drop in Share of Americans Calling Themselves Christian" by Nate Cohn, New York Times 5/12/15

The Christian share of adults in the United States has declined sharply since 2007, affecting nearly all major Christian traditions and denominations, and crossing age, race and region, according to an extensive survey by the Pew Research Center.

The Christian share of adults fell to 70.6 percent from 78.4 percent between 2007 and 2014, with declines among all major Christian denominations.

The decline has been propelled in part by generational change, as relatively non-Christian millennials reach adulthood and gradually replace the oldest and most Christian adults. But it is also because many former Christians, of all ages, have joined the rapidly growing ranks of the religiously unaffiliated or “nones”: a broad category including atheists, agnostics and those who adhere to “nothing in particular.”

Not all religions or even Christian traditions declined so markedly. The number of evangelical Protestants dipped only slightly as a share of the population, by 1 percentage point, and actually increased in raw numbers [to 62.2 million].

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Study: Americans becoming less Christian, more secular" by Rachel Zoll, Associated Press 5/11/15

The number of Americans who don’t affiliate with a particular religion has grown to 56 million in recent years, making the faith group researchers call “nones” the second-largest in total numbers behind evangelicals, according to a Pew Research Center study released Tuesday.

Researchers have long debated whether people with no religion should be defined as secular since the category includes those who believe in God or consider themselves “spiritual.” But the new Pew study found increasing signs of secularism.

Last year, 31 percent of “nones” said they were atheist or agnostic, compared to 25 percent in 2007, and the percentage who said religion was important to them dropped.

Pew researchers said Christian losses were driven by decreases among mainline, or liberal, Protestants and Roman Catholics.

Mainline Protestants declined by about 5 million to 36 million between 2007 and 2014. Pew found 13 percent of U.S. adults are former Catholics. The study put the number of Catholic adults at 51 million, or just over one-fifth of the U.S. population, a drop of about 3 percent over seven years. In 2007, Catholics made up about one-quarter of Americans.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "American Religion: Complicated, Not Dead" by Emma Green, The Atlantic 5/12/15

. . . the survey actually reveals something more complex than a slow and steady march toward secularization. Those who didn’t identify with any particular religion were asked a follow-up question: “How important is religion in your life?” The answers reveal that this group might be churchless, but it’s not wholly faithless: 44 percent said religion is “very” or “somewhat” important to them, while 56 percent said religion isn't important to them, according to Greg Smith, Pew’s associate director of research. . . .

The survey gives at least a partial look at what the researchers call “religious switching”: People converting to other faiths, joining new kinds of churches, or ditching religion altogether. If you count switches among the major traditions in Protestantism (mainline, evangelical, and historically black congregations), roughly 42 percent of Americans no longer consider themselves part of the religion in which they were raised. . . .

This [survey] may make it sound like Christianity has entered a tailspin, but given its continued prominence in American life, that’s probably overdramatic. America is still a Christian nation, just by a somewhat smaller margin. . . .

The most important caveat to keep in mind in reading this survey is that religion, and particularly Christianity, is not losing its overall influence in American culture. Culture-war rhetoric often implies an epic battle between Christian conservatives and the creep of secularity; in general, that narrative is an oversimplification of American religion. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Nominals to Nones: 3 Key Takeaways From Pew’s Religious Landscape Survey" by Ed Stetzer, Christianity Today 5/12/15

The percentage of convictional [devout] Christians remains rather steady, but because the nominal Christians now are unaffiliated the overall percentage of self-identified Christians is decline. . . .

1. Convictional Christianity is rather steady.

Evangelicals now make up a clear majority (55%) of all U.S. Protestants. In 2007, 51% of U.S. Protestants identified with evangelical churches.

One of the primary reasons it appears as though “American Christianity” is experiencing a sharp decline is because the nominals that once made up (disproportionately) Mainline Protestantism and Catholicism are now checking “none” on religious affiliation surveys.

Nominal Christians make up a higher percentage of Mainline Protestants and Catholics than any other denomination of Christian, and this is why their numbers continue to sharply decline.

2. There have been significant shifts within American Christianity.

One of the most notable shifts in American Christianity is the evangelicalization of church in America. Fifty percent of all Christians now self-identify as “evangelical” or “born again,” up from 44 percent in 2007. In 2007, 44% of American Christians, who made up 78% of the U.S. population identified as evangelical. In 2014, 50% of American Christians, who make up 70% of the U.S. population identify as evangelical.

3. Mainline Protestantism continues to hemorrhage.

Only 45% of those raised in the Mainline Protestant tradition remain in Mainline churches. . . . If Mainline Protestantism continues its trajectory it is only a couple of generations from virtual extinction.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

From "The New Pew Survey on Religion & Lament for Nominal Christianity" by Mark D. Tooley, Christian Post Contributor 5/13/15

Evangelicals are the one Christian group to have grown numerically and almost retained their population percentage, now at 25%. A growing majority of Protestants are now Evangelical, and half of all Christians now identify as Evangelical or born-again. Liberal Mainline Protestantism unsurprisingly continues its fast decline, dropping from 18 to under 15%. Catholics dropped from about 24% to 21%.

The ongoing trend seems to be that nominal, mostly non-practicing Mainline Protestants and Catholics increasingly identify as unaffiliated. Most of this group still professes belief in God, many pray and some attend church. But they no longer claim ties to a specific tradition. Less than a third, about 7%, are atheist or agnostic.

. . . Active Christianity remains robust in America. Orthodox Christian expressions are displacing declining liberal forms. But there is cause for concern and sadness, as Mainline Protestantism, once central to American life, and a unifying spiritual and civil force, recedes ever more dramatically. An America more and more torn between secularists and the spiritually ambiguous on one side, against Evangelicals and believing Catholics on the other, will be even more polarized, missing the common language that Mainline Protestants offered so effectively for centuries.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

From "5 key findings about the changing U.S. religious landscape" by Michael Lipka, Pew Research Center 5/12/15

1.  Christians are declining, both as a share of the U.S. population and in total number.  . . .

2.  Within Christianity, the biggest declines have been in the mainline Protestant tradition and among Catholics. . . .

3.  The growth of the “nones” has been powered in part by religious switching. Nearly one-in-five U.S. adults (18%) were raised as Christians or members of some other religion, but now say they have no religious affiliation.

4.  . . . the decline of Christians and rise of the “nones” – have occurred in some form across many demographic groups, including men and women, older and younger Americans, and people with different levels of education and different races and ethnicities.

5.  The share of Americans who identify with non-Christian faiths, such as Islam and Hinduism, has grown modestly in recent years, from 4.7% in 2007 to 5.9% in 2014. Muslims now account for 0.9% of the U.S. adult population (up from 0.4% in the 2007 Landscape Study), while Hindus make up 0.7% of U.S. adults (up from 0.4% in 2007).

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "America’s Changing Religious Landscape" posted at Pew Research Center 5/12/15

To be sure, the United States remains home to more Christians than any other country in the world . . .

Because the U.S. census does not ask Americans about their religion, there are no official government statistics on the religious composition of the U.S. public. . . .

While many U.S. religious groups are aging, the unaffiliated are comparatively young – and getting younger, on average, over time. As a rising cohort of highly unaffiliated Millennials reaches adulthood, the median age of unaffiliated adults has dropped to 36, down from 38 in 2007 and far lower than the general (adult) population’s median age of 46.4 By contrast, the median age of mainline Protestant adults in the new survey is 52 (up from 50 in 2007), and the median age of Catholic adults is 49 (up from 45 seven years earlier).

. . . the size of the historically black Protestant tradition – which includes the National Baptist Convention, the Church of God in Christ, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Progressive Baptist Convention and others – has remained relatively stable in recent years, at nearly 16 million adults. And evangelical Protestants, while declining slightly as a percentage of the U.S. public, probably have grown in absolute numbers as the overall U.S. population has continued to expand.

The new survey indicates that churches in the evangelical Protestant tradition – including the Southern Baptist Convention, the Assemblies of God, Churches of Christ, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Presbyterian Church in America, 0ther evangelical denominations and many nondenominational congregations – now have a total of about 62 million adult adherents. That is an increase of roughly 2 million since 2007 . . .

. . . people in older generations are increasingly disavowing association with organized religion. About a third of older Millennials (adults currently in their late 20s and early 30s) now say they have no religion, up nine percentage points among this cohort since 2007, when the same group was between ages 18 and 26. Nearly a quarter of Generation Xers now say they have no particular religion or describe themselves as atheists or agnostics, up four points in seven years. Baby Boomers also have become slightly but noticeably more likely to identify as religious “nones” in recent years.

. . . The evangelical Protestant tradition is the only major Christian group in the survey that has gained more members than it has lost through religious switching. Roughly 10% of U.S. adults now identify with evangelical Protestantism after having been raised in another tradition, which more than offsets the roughly 8% of adults who were raised as evangelicals but have left for another religious tradition or who no longer identify with any organized faith.

. . . Whites continue to be more likely than both blacks and Hispanics to identify as religiously unaffiliated; 24% of whites say they have no religion, compared with 20% of Hispanics and 18% of blacks. But the religiously unaffiliated have grown (and Christians have declined) as a share of the population within all three of these racial and ethnic groups.

. . . The percentage of college graduates who identify with Christianity has declined by nine percentage points since 2007 (from 73% to 64%). The Christian share of the population has declined by a similar amount among those with less than a college education (from 81% to 73%). Religious “nones” now constitute 24% of all college graduates (up from 17%) and 22% of those with less than a college degree (up from 16%).

. . . Since 2007, the share of evangelical Protestants who identify with Baptist denominations has shrunk from 41% to 36%. Meanwhile, the share of evangelicals identifying with nondenominational churches has grown from 13% to 19%.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Liberal Mainline 'Churches' Continue to Wither as they Conform to the Decadent Culture

New Atheist 'Churches' in America Give Competition to Mainlines

Colleges Hire Humanist & Atheist Chaplains for the Nonbelievers

Congress: America No Longer a Christian Nation

Jesus' Virgin Birth NOT Worth Celebrating: Poll

America Going to Hell; Christians Lose Convictions

President Obama Provokes Second 'In God We Trust' Movement

Pres. Obama's Christmas: Behold, a Message is Born

While great presidents of the United States of America gave Christmas messages praising God and speaking in awe of the birth of the Divine Savior of all mankind, Jesus Christ the Lord, today President Obama announced that his family is "celebrating the birth of Jesus – the birth not just of a baby in a manger, but of a message that has changed the world . . ."

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

President Obama's Homosexual Easter at the White House

President Obama Provokes Second 'In God We Trust' Movement

Secretary of State John Kerry Quotes Allah: We Must Fight Climate Change

Global Warming a Religion, Say Climate Scientists

President Obama Prays to an Unknown God

Also read ObamaNation is a 'Fake Church' Says Catholic Cardinal



-- From President Reagan's Christmas address to the nation from the Oval Office 12/23/1981 at 9pm

At this special time of year, we all renew our sense of wonder in recalling the story of the first Christmas in Bethlehem, nearly 2,000 year ago.

Some celebrate Christmas as the birthday of a great and good philosopher and teacher. Others of us believe in the divinity of the child born in Bethlehem, that he was and is the promised Prince of Peace. Yes, we've questioned why he who could perform miracles chose to come among us as a helpless babe, but maybe that was his first miracle, his first great lesson that we should learn to care for one another.

Tonight, in millions of American homes, the glow of the Christmas tree is a reflection of the love Jesus taught us. Like the shepherds and wise men of that first Christmas, we Americans have always tried to follow a higher light, a star, if you will. At lonely campfire vigils along the frontier, in the darkest days of the Great Depression, through war and peace, the twin beacons of faith and freedom have brightened the American sky. At times our footsteps may have faltered, but trusting in God's help, we've never lost our way.

To read the entire Christmas message by Pres. Reagan above, CLICK HERE.

From "Washington’s Christmas Poem: ‘Assist Me to Sing the Morn, On Which the Saviour of Mankind Was Born’" by Ali Meyer, CNSNews.com 12/24/14

The day after Washington took command of the army on July 4, 1775, he issued an order saying, “The General most earnestly requires and expects due observance of those articles of war established for the government of the army, which forbid profane cursing, swearing, and drunkenness. And in like manner he requires and expects of all officers and soldiers, not engaged in actual duty, a punctual attendance on Divine service, to implore the blessing of Heaven upon the means used for our safety and defense.”

About a year later on July 9, 1776, Washington issued another order defining a “Christian soldier.”

It stated, “The honorable Continental Congress having been pleased to allow a chaplain to each regiment, with the pay of thirty-three dollars and one-third per month, the colonels or commanding officers of each regiment are directed to procure chaplains accordingly, persons of good characters and exemplary lives, and to see that all inferior officers and soldiers pay them a suitable respect."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Click headlines below to contrast President Washington's military with President Obama's military

President Obama Tells Generals: Back My Gay Military, or Resign

President Obama's Cross-dressing Military Fantasy is Reality

President Obama's Veterans Administration Strips Jesus & Bible from Chaplains

Pentagon Says Following Jesus' Command is a Court Martial Offense

Also read ObamaNation: Building Alters of Worship to Sexual Deviancy



Below, President Reagan's entire 14-minute Christmas address of 1981:

Jesus' Virgin Birth NOT Worth Celebrating: Poll

The latest Pew Research poll again demonstrates the cognitive dissonance of Americans.

Although 73% of U.S. adults believe, presumably by faith, that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, including 32% of those with no religious affiliation, only half of respondents consider Christmas more than a cultural holiday, complete with Santa Claus.

"Younger adults are less likely than older adults to see Christmas a religious rather than cultural holiday, they're less likely to say they will attend Christmas services and they are less likely to believe in the virgin birth."
-- Greg Smith, director of U.S. religion surveys at the Pew Research Center's Religion and Public Life Project

For background, read Poll Shows Most are Disgusted with American Morals, Yet Favor Sin

Also read Ultrasound of Unborn Jesus: Pro-life Focus on Christmas

In addition, read the latest news of the secular rebellion against Christmas.

-- From "Christmas is more a cultural than religious event for one-third of Americans, new survey finds" by The Associated Press 12/18/13

A poll released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center found only half of Americans consider the holiday religious, even though nearly three-quarters said they believed Jesus was born to a virgin. One-third consider Christmas a cultural celebration.

Church attendance will be higher than usual during the holiday. But the survey found fewer adults are holding to the tradition of attending worship services. Sixty-nine percent of respondents said they attended Christmas services as a child. Only 54 percent will do so this year.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Christmas in America: Belief in the Virgin birth and visits from Santa" by Cathy Lynn Grossman, Religion News Service, Washington Post 12/17/13

Overall, 31 percent of U.S. adults play up the Santa role in their holiday season, according to a survey released Wednesday (Dec. 18) by the Pew Research Center.

The survey finds that 73 percent of adults believe Jesus was born of a virgin — the act of God at the theological heart of the Christmas story, the birth of the Christ child.

That belief is held overwhelmingly by Christians of all stripes and even by some people with no formal religion: 32 percent of “nones” say they, too, believe in the Virgin birth of Jesus.

Women are more certain of this than men, though: 78 percent of women and 69 percent of men say they believe it.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Jesus ahead of Santa Claus in Pew Center survey of Americans' Christmas values (poll)" by Kay Campbell, The Birmingham News 12/18/13

While 72 percent of the 2,001 adults polled in representative samples from across the U.S. during Dec. 3 to 8 said their families pretended Santa Claus visited their home when they were growing up, only 31 percent said they still perpetuate the Santa Claus story in their own households -- although the rate remains at 69 percent of those with little kids still in the house. So while Santa is losing his grip, Jesus is, barely, hanging on. Of the 92 percent of Americans who say they celebrate Christmas, just 51 percent say that Christmas remains more of a religious holiday than a cultural holiday for them.

But then, the observance of Christmas activities in general is showing consistent, if slight, declines, according to the survey, which asked people what they typically did for Christmas as a child and what they plan to do this year.

Attending a religious service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day is decreasing from 69 percent to 54 percent, mirroring an overall decline in religious participation in the United States. But Christmas Eve or Day attendance is still double the 36 percent of Americans who say they typically attend a religious service during an average week. And while caroling, in the surveyed people’s memories, was never a common practice, from a remembered 36 percent who went to sing to someone, only 16 percent of people will carry songs into the streets this year.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Christmas A Non-Religious Holiday For Half Of Americans, Pew Survey Finds" by Jaweed Kaleem, Huffington Post 12/18/13

At 82 percent, evangelical protestants were most likely to see Christmas as a religious holiday, following by white Catholics (66 percent), black Protestants (60 percent) and white mainline protestants (56 percent). About half of Hispanic Catholics said it was a religious holiday.

The Public Religion Research Institute survey also found Americans largely prefer businesses to use the phrase "happy holidays" or "season's greetings" instead of "merry Christmas."

Pew found that religious and non-religious Americans largely celebrate the holiday the same. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Apparently only a minority of Americans who see Santa at the mall ask, "Where's the Line to See Jesus?" (music video):

President Obama Reads Easter Message Speech

At the annual Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House, President Obama awkwardly read a prepared text with scripture passages. The speech referred to Jesus Christ as "A Son of God."

The adoring crowd cheered the president when he read “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

For background, read Obama's Easter Re-election Campaign and also read Obamas' Rare Church Attendance is Easter as well as Obama Declares He's Christian, Again



-- From "Obama says Jesus inspires hope, courage" by UPI 4/4/12

Speaking to a gathering of Christian leaders in the White House's East Room, Obama said Easter is "an opportunity for us to reflect on the triumph of the resurrection, and to give thanks for the all-important gift of grace."

"And for me, and I'm sure for some of you, it's also a chance to remember the tremendous sacrifice that led up to that day, and all that Christ endured -- not just as a son of God, but as a human being," Obama said.

The Democratic president also expressed appreciation for those who pray for him.

"It especially means a lot to us when we hear from folks who we know probably didn't vote for me and yet, expressing extraordinary sincerity about their prayers," Obama said. "And it's a reminder not only of what binds us together as a nation, but also what binds us together as children of God."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Obama: Jesus Is ‘A Son of God’" by Fred Lucas, CNSNews.com 4/4/12

The Christian faith teaches that Jesus is the only Son of God. John 3:16-18: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Obama finally talks about Jesus" by Joe Kovacs, World Net Daily 4/4/12

“This man who claims to be a leader knows nothing of our Jesus,” said Jim Biven. “He wasn’t a wimp and he was not ‘afraid’ of the cross or death. He knew who he was. THAT’s why he was troubled. How would you feel if you HAD TO submit to execution by a bunch of ungrateful wicked people? How would you feel if you HAD TO submit to torture for people who did not care or understand what you were doing?”

Jeff Schueller writes: “This man says the same thing about the Muslim faith when he’s in front of Muslims. He’s a SNAKE, a fake and a fraud!”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Media Missed Largest 9/11 Memorial: Christian Prayer

On the eve of the 9/11 tenth anniversary, 50,000 people filled Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles Saturday night to pray for America and evangelize "the lost" of the nation. In his message to those gathered and watching the broadcast, Pastor Greg Laurie responded to the question, Why does God allow pain and suffering?

For background, read Clergy & Prayer Banned From 9/11 Tenth Anniversary Memorial and also read Obama D.C. 9/11 'Prayer:' Exclude Evangelicals

(click to view webcast video archive)

UPDATE 9/11/11: USA Today asks, Where were the Evangelicals (this weekend)? -- yet, still no mention of Dodger Stadium!

-- From "HARVEST: Reverend speaks of tragedy on eve of 9/11 anniversary" by David Olson, Staff Writer, The Press-Enterprise 9/10/11

Speaking of 9/11, Laurie said, "God did not do that. Wicked people did that."

"How does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" he asked. "You know what my answer is? I don't know."

Laurie said the Bible teachers that believers will find out the answers to this and other questions when they're in heaven.

But Laurie said to go to heaven, people must accept Jesus as their Savior, confess their sins and ask for forgiveness.

Thousands of people then streamed out onto the field to make a profession of faith in Christ, filling the outfield behind the extensive stage that stretched over first, second and third bases.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Greg Laurie: Largest 9/11 Prayer Gathering at Harvest LA Saturday" by Alex Murashko, Christian Post Reporter 9/9/11

Laurie, the pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., and known for leading large-scale evangelistic events worldwide for the last 21 years, made it clear in a statement sent to The Christian Post that prayer continues to be part of the nation’s fabric, even 10 years after the tragedy.

“The LA Harvest will likely be the single largest gathering in the country where Christians will commemorate this solemn event with prayer,” Laurie stated. “There has been a lot controversy over the fact that there are no clergymen or prayer(s) planned for the official remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero on 9/11. I believe that is wrong, since faith has played such a key role in America in the aftermath of this horrific tragedy.”

“We remember prayer vigils on street corners and the members of Congress breaking into ‘God Bless America’ on the Capitol steps. Churches were filled to overflowing after 9/11 as people looked for answers from God and the Bible,” Laurie said.

In addition to Laurie’s message, the outreach [featured] music from well-known Christian musicians . . . Chris Tomlin, Kirk Franklin, Jeremy Camp and The Katinas.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Greg Laurie's Harvest Crusade LA: 50,000 Led in 9/11 Prayer" by Alex Murashko, Christian Post Reporter 9/11/11

Founding Calvary Chapel pastor Chuck Smith . . . [spoke at the event, saying] "We pray that we as a nation become more aware for our need for God."

"We know that the pain of death does last so long. May they feel your comfort and your presence tonight, Lord,” he continued. “We pray for our nation. We thank you, Lord, for the wake-up call and at that time so many people turned to you. The churches were full the next Sunday. Lord, people began to realize how much we need you.

"Lord, how soon we forget and how many times this year as we are needing you again. Somehow, Lord, we sort of declared our independence from you. Lord, we want you to know that we feel very dependent upon you. Lord, we ask that tonight your blessing would be upon America.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Archive video responding to the challenge of why a "good god" allows evil:

Obama Ramadan Proclamation Low-key, Having Missed Easter

In contrast to the President's past years' celebratory proclamations for the Muslim occasion of Ramadan, this year he's sounding a lot less Muslim, lest his supposed Christianity be questioned (again) -- having failed to issue any proclamation for Easter.

UPDATE 8/11/11: Obama Honors 9/11 Muslim Heroes at White House

First, watch President Obama's Ramadan message in August 2009:



This week, the President only issued a written proclamation (no video), which sounds more traditionally "American" than the above video. Here's the document, in full:

From "Statement by the President on the Occasion of Ramadan" by Office of the Press Secretary, The White House 8/1/11

As Ramadan begins, Michelle and I would like to send our best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world. Ramadan is a festive time that is anticipated for months by Muslims everywhere. Families and communities share the happiness of gathering together for iftar and prayers. Bazaars light up the night in many cities from Rabat to Jakarta. And here in the United States, Muslim Americans share Ramadan traditions with their neighbors, fellow students, and co-workers.

For so many Muslims around the world, Ramadan is also a time of deep reflection and sacrifice. As in other faiths, fasting is used to increase spirituality, discipline, and consciousness of God's mercy. It is also a reminder of the importance of reaching out to those less fortunate. The heartbreaking accounts of lost lives and the images of families and children in Somalia and the Horn of Africa struggling to survive remind us of our common humanity and compel us to act. Now is the time for nations and peoples to come together to avert an even worse catastrophe by offering support and assistance to on-going relief efforts.

Times like this remind us of the lesson of all great faiths, including Islam -- that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. In that spirit, I wish Muslims around the world a blessed month, and I look forward to again hosting an iftar dinner here at the White House. Ramadan Kareem.

From "Obama Issues Statement Marking Ramadan, But No Easter Statement This Year" by Penny Starr, CNSNews.com 8/2/11

A review of presidential statements documented at whitehouse.gov indicates that Obama has apparently not issued a statement specifically about Easter since taking office in January 2009.

In 2009, Easter fell on April 12. During that month, Obama made multiple statements on a wide range of issues, including Armenian Remembrance Day, World Malaria Day, the Month of the Military Child, and the passage of the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights.

In 2010, Easter fell on April 4. The numerous statements issued by Obama during that month included one on financial reform and, for the second year in the row, Armenian Remembrance Day. Obama also issued statements that month on Earth Day, his planned trip to Poland, voters’ rights in the District of Columbia, a Russian plutonium reactor, and Holocaust Remembrance Day.

This year, Easter was celebrated on April 24. During that month, Obama again issued a statement marking Armenian Remembrance Day. Statements were also made by Obama on the 16th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, the 17th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda, and the work of the United Nations in Afghanistan. He also issued a Passover message on April 15.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.



Also read Obamas' Rare Church Attendance is Easter

Bible is from God, Say 79% of Americans

Gallup's latest poll regarding belief in the Bible provides the usual fodder for journalists, such as: Devout believers are the least educated, low-income, church-going Americans; AND more Democrats and liberals view the Bible as a "book of fables."

UPDATE 7/14/11: Correlation of greater Bible belief with higher national unemployment level

-- From "In U.S., 3 in 10 Say They Take the Bible Literally" by Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup 7/8/11

Three in 10 Americans interpret the Bible literally, saying it is the actual word of God. That is similar to what Gallup has measured over the last two decades, but down from the 1970s and 1980s. A 49% plurality of Americans say the Bible is the inspired word of God but that it should not be taken literally, consistently the most common view in Gallup's nearly 40-year history of this question. Another 17% consider the Bible an ancient book of stories recorded by man.

To read the entire analysis from Gallup, CLICK HERE.

From "Poll: 3 in 10 Americans Say They Believe the Bible Word for Word" by R. Leigh Coleman, Christian Post Reporter 7/9/11

Gallup polls have tracked whether Americans take the Bible literally for the past 40 years.

. . . highly religious Americans, particularly those of Protestant faiths, still commonly believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible.

Respondents to the Gallup poll were given three options as responses to the poll:

- The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word. [30%]

- The Bible is the inspired word of God, but not everything in it should be taken literally. [49%]

- The Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history, and moral precepts. [17%]

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Gallup Poll on the Bible" by John W. Martens, America (Catholic weekly) 7/8/11

. . . I am slightly confused by what the poll was attempting to measure, as it seems to confuse "literal interpretation" of the Bible with belief in the Bible as the "actual word of God." . . .

. . . I suspect the pollsters mean that the Bible as "the actual word of God" indicates that God has directly "spoken" these words as opposed to a view of the Bible as written by human beings, somehow under the inspired direction of God, or inspired by God, yet that is not clear. I do, for instance, think the Bible is the word of God, inspired by God and written by people. . . .

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

From "Bible Is Word Of God Say 4 In 10 Republicans And Low-Education Americans" by David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement 7/8/11

The Bible is the actual, literal word of God, say four out of every ten Republicans and four out of every ten low-education Americans, according to a new study released by Gallup today. The belief that the Bible is the actual word of God, and not the inspired word of God that should not be taken literally, drops dramatically in people who have any exposure to college, who attend a religious institution less than once a week, or who grow to middle-income or above. In short, the typical portrait of those who believe the Bible is the actual word of God are Republican weekly church-goers who are lower-income, lower-educated Americans.

Specifically, 42% of Republicans, 23% of Independents, and 27% of Democrats believe the Bible is the actual word of God.

46% of those with a high school or less education, 22% of those with some college, and 15% of college graduates believe the Bible is the actual word of God.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Liberals, Democrats More Likely to Disbelieve Bible, Says Gallup Poll" by Terence P. Jeffrey, CNSNews.com 7/9/11

Liberals and Democrats are more likely than conservatives, moderates, Republicans and independents to believe the Bible is nothing more than a book of fables and legends made up by man, according to a new Gallup poll.

When the respondents were broken down by political ideology and party, liberals and Democrats were more likely to reject the divine origin of the Bible. Almost a third of liberals and almost a quarter of Democrats said the Bible was a book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.

Seven percent of conservatives, 20 percent of moderates and 31 percent of liberals said that the Bible was an ancient book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.

Fifty-five percent of moderates, 48 percent of liberals, and 45 percent of conservatives said the Bible was the inspired word of God.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Americans Believe in God: Gallup Poll

Following God's Will: Michele Bachmann for President

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., says that she prayed to God about whether or not to run for political office and that those prayers provided her with a "sense from God" of "assurance about the direction" she was taking.




For background, read Media Prepare Anti-Christian Campaign for 2012 as well as ABC News Scrutinizes Faith of GOP Candidates

UPDATE 8/27/11: Bachmann's Florida sermon encourages Christians to follow God's will

-- From "Bachmann: Got 'sense' from God to run for office" by Lucy Madison, CBS News 6/26/11

"I am a Christian, as is my husband. I became a Christian when I was 16 years old. I gave my heart to Jesus Christ," Bachmann told CBS' Bob Schieffer. "Since that time, I've been a person of prayer. And so when I pray, I pray believing that God will speak to me and give me an answer to that prayer.

"That's what a calling is," continued the Tea Party favorite. "If I pray, a calling means that I feel like I have a sense from God."

Bachmann says she asked God about running for political office.

Bachmann also reiterated her opposition to same-sex marriage, noting that "I stand for the proposition that marriage is between a man and a woman."

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Pastor Denounced for Prayer in Jesus' Name

Friday's session [in the Minnesota legislature] opened on a jarring note from the Rev. Bradlee Dean. He closed his prayer invoking Jesus Christ as the "head of the denomination ... as every president up until 2008 has acknowledged" -- implying President Barack Obama is not a Christian.

For background, read about the Minnesota legislature approving the marriage amendment vote for the 2012 ballot



-- From "Pastor's words shock Minnesota House" by UPI 5/21/11

Dean denies being "anti-gay" but has said homosexuals should be imprisoned for sodomy.

As members erupted in outrage, a shaken [GOP House Speaker Kurt] Zellers went to the floor and promised: "That type of person will never, ever be allowed on the House floor again."

Dean was not sorry.

"I said a prayer. If a prayer starts a firestorm, so be it," he said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "GOP scrubs mention of prayer" by Baird Helgeson, Minneapolis Star Tribune 5/21/11

Dean's prayer caused such an uproar that Republicans restarted the session and had the Rev. Grady St. Dennis, the House chaplain, give a new prayer. The official House journal lists St. Dennis as offering the Friday prayer.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Constroversial pastor's prayer draws outrage at Capitol" by Heather J. Carlson, The Post-Bulletin (Austin MN) 5/21/11

Bradlee Dean with Old Path Church in Minneapolis violated the House Chamber's long-standing policy that the prayer be nondenominational. He also implied that President Obama is not a Christian.

“It's not about the Baptists. It's not about the Catholics alone or the Lutherans or the Wesleyians or the Presbyterians, evangelicals or any other denomination but rather the head of the denomination and his name is Jesus as every president up until 2008 has acknowledged," he said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Rev. Graham Talks Jesus, Obama Talks Graham

In Easter Sunday morning's interview, ABC News gave Rev. Franklin Graham the opportunity to give a remarkable Christian witness, but the White House focused on Rev. Graham's suggestion that Obama provide America with his birth records.



UPDATE 4/26/11 Franklin Graham amplifies ABC interview on FOX News:


UPDATE 2/29/12: Graham apologizes for implying that he can't discern if Obama is a Christian

-- From "'This Week' Transcript: God and Government" ABC News 4/24/11

ABC NEWS CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: What's the word that you most dearly associate with Easter? Is it sacrifice, is it love? What is it?

REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM: It's all of that. It's God's love, it's the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for me. When I look at Easter, I look at my sins and realize that Jesus Christ paid my debt in full when he died on that cross, he died for me, he died for you, Christiane

AMANPOUR: you have also said that we live in the time of the anti-Christ.

GRAHAM: Yes.

AMANPOUR: How do you reconcile those two?

GRAHAM: I look at the world in which we live today, and the secularism is anti-Christ. It's every bit anti-Christ. We can't talk about Jesus in our schools. God has been kicked out of our government. Whether it's Europe or whether it's here, yes. The spirit of anti-Christ is in the world today.

AMANPOUR: So, describe what sort of era we are, Biblically right now, in terms of a second coming, in terms of a change.

GRAHAM: Well, I believe we're -- no question, I believe we are in the latter days of this age. When I say "latter days," could it be the last hundred years or the last thousand years or the last six months, I don't know. But the Bible, the things that the Bible predicts, earthquakes and famines, nation rising against nation, we see this happening with more frequency and more intensity. But there's other things. When the anti-Christ comes, we talk about the number of the anti-Christ, that he'll have an economic mark that will be on your forehand -- or, on your right hand or your forehead. And that economic mark, you can't buy, sell, or trade unless you have that number.

AMANPOUR: And you believe in that? [She asked with amazement on her face]

GRAHAM: I believe the Bible, Christiane, from cover to cover. Absolutely word-for-word. I believe the Bible.

To read the entire transcript above, CLICK HERE.

Read related article Obamas' Rare Church Attendance is Easter



From "Obama spokesman fires back at Franklin Graham" by Richard Wolf, USA TODAY 4/26/11

Graham, who 10 years ago delivered the opening prayer at the first inauguration of George W. Bush, told ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour Sunday that Obama "has some issues to deal with" when it comes to proving his nationality.

"He can solve this whole birth certificate issue pretty quickly," the son of the Rev. Billy Graham said. "I was born in a hospital in Asheville, N.C., and I know that my records are there. You can probably even go and find out what room my mother was in when I was born. I don't know why he can't produce that."

In the last question tossed at him during Monday's White House briefing, [White House spokeman Jay] Carney was asked to comment on Graham's musings, as well as his recent allegation that the Muslim Brotherhood had infiltrated the Obama administration.

"I think it's unfortunate that a religious leader would choose Easter Sunday to make preposterous charges," Carney said. "And I'll leave it at that."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "White House: Franklin Graham Made 'Preposterous' Charges Against Obama" by Ethan Cole, Christian Post Reporter 4/26/11

The eldest son of renowned evangelist Billy Graham, who was often affectionately called the pastor to presidents, also seemed to question Obama’s definition of Christian when he was asked if he believes Obama is a Christian or Muslim. Graham said that Obama has told him he is a Christian, but the evangelical leader said the debate is how does Obama define Christian.

“For him, going to church means he’s a Christian. For me, the definition of a Christian is whether we have given our life to Christ and are following him in faith, and we have trusted him as our Lord and Savior,” said the BGEA president. “That’s the definition of a Christian; it’s not as to what church you’re a member of. A membership doesn’t make you a Christian.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Pagans, Liberal 'christians' Celebrate Earth on Good Friday

With today's convergence of the Christian recognition of Good Friday, and the modern pagan celebration of Earth Day, the divergence of reverence could not be more distinct: Those who worship the Creator, and those who worship the creation.

For background, read Evangelicals Warn of Cult of Environmentalism and also read Environmentalist 'christians' Say Man Controls Nature, Not God

-- From "Good Friday and Earth Day: Freedom and Slavery" by Anthony J. Sadar and Susan T. Cammarata, American Thinker 4/22/11

The two occasions could not be more dissimilar.

The message and acts of Jesus focused on people. And, in addition to love and grace, freedom was one of his main evangels. This freedom was from all ungodly yokes, which includes the sacrosanct norms and standards of today's progressive environmentalism.

While familiarity with the structure and strictures of world religions is quite common, familiarity with environmentalism as religion is not as common. Progressive environmentalism from its modern inception in 1962 with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring quickly emerged as a kind of faith that rivals the traditional religions of the world. It has all the trappings of a religion including a god (Mother Earth or Gaia); holy writs (Silent Spring, The Population Bomb); mantras ("Love your Mother," "Save the Planet"); doctrines (capitalism and industrialization are evil; socialism and eating low on the food chain are righteous); dead saints (John Muir, Rachel Carson); and, of course, holidays. Besides Earth Day, there is the U.N. sponsored World Environment Day on June 5 and World Ozone Day on September 5, among others.

No sensible, caring person denies that good stewardship is required for the wise use of natural resources and arable lands. However, what has arisen with progressive environmentalism is a careless denial of the sensible.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

From "Christians reflect on Good Friday/Earth Day concurrence" by ENInews, postd at The Christian Century 4/21/11

[Liberal "christian" Earth Day] Proponents say that planting trees and meditating on ways humanity has wounded the earth can parallel devotions that mark Jesus' sacrifice, but opponents say that a political message, even a pagan one, is being pushed onto sacred territory.

"This year's Earth Day falls on Good Friday. This is a right and appropriate occasion to remember the cross, which was made out of trees, leads us from bondage to liberation, death to life," said the National Council of Churches in India, which groups 30 Orthodox and Protestant churches.

Earth Day has been observed on 22 April since 1970 and is considered one of the seminal events in the modern environmental movement; Good Friday is on a different date each year since it moves according to the observance of Easter.

In the U.S., the Episcopal Church, based in New York, has compiled resources for incorporating earth-care themes into services and celebrations, according to Episcopal News Service.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Episcopal Church: This Good Friday, let’s celebrate Earth Day" by Chris Moody, The Daily Caller 4/7/11

Two of the world’s holiest religious holidays are set to fall on April 22 this year — Good Friday for Christians and Earth Day for environmentalists — and some religious leaders are preparing their flocks to celebrate both.

The Episcopal Church’s office of Economic and Environmental Affairs released a statement urging followers to stay mindful of global warming, recycling and reducing carbon dioxide emissions while celebrating the ancient Christian holiday in 2011.

The church set up a website for the celebration of Earth Day, complete with links to resources on how to best get involved on the extra special day.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Abilene faithful, others discuss Good Friday, Earth Day convergence" by Brian Bethel, Abilene Reporter-News (Texas) 4/21/11

"This year Earth Day falls within Holy Week, specifically on Good Friday, a profound coincidence," said Mike Schut, the economic and environmental affairs officer of the Episcopal Church, in a statement.

To "fully honor Earth Day," he said, Christians must reclaim the theology that "knows Earth is very good."

"On Good Friday, the day we mark the crucifixion of Christ, God in the flesh, might we suggest that when Earth is degraded, when species go extinct, that another part of God's body experiences yet another sort of crucifixion — that another way of seeing and experiencing God is diminished?" Schut said.

"Good Friday is indeed Earth Day, for we of faith realize anew ... the cost of God loving this world," said Cliff Stewart, pastor of First Central Presbyterian Church.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Good Friday: Google Celebrates Earth, Ignores Jesus" by Erin R. Brown, Culture and Media Institute 4/22/11

For nearly 2,000 years, Christians and Catholics around the world have celebrated the day Jesus Christ died upon the cross at Calvary for the sins of the world - but by looking at Google, you wouldn't know that today is that day. Google's homepage, famous for its ever changing logo to reflect important holidays, accomplishments and achievements, is not displaying any acknowledgement of the Christian holiday known as 'Good Friday.'

The company has instead decided to portray its logo hidden in a lush animated garden to commemorate 'Earth Day.' Earth Day, while internationally recognized as a day for the eco-friendly and environmentally conscious, was concocted 41 years ago, born out of the anti-war hippy movement and spawned in part by Rachel Carson's book, 'Silent Spring.'

The Culture and Media Institute found that 65 percent of stories that discussed 'Easter' among network evening news shows in 2010 were negative, and 91 percent of those stories connected the holiday with the pedophilia scandal that surrounded the Catholic Church. Not surprisingly, every Earth Day story that ABC, CBS, and NBC nightly news shows broadcasted were glowingly positive about saving Mother Earth.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

From "Google Doodle celebrates Earth Day" by Relaxnews 4/22/11

Google has frequently added images to its homepage to mark significant events; recent Google Doodles were created to mark the 50th anniversary of the first man in space on April 12 and Charlie Chaplin's birthday on April 16.

Now in its 41st year, Earth Day is an international environmental campaign aimed at raising awareness of climate change. Celebrities, businesses and individuals around the world are supporting the campaign through a series of events.

The organizers behind Earth Day are also encouraging individuals to publically pledge to do an environmentally friendly action, such as recycle more, as part of Earth Day's Billion Acts of Green campaign. The organizers hope they can collect a billion public pledges before the global Earth Summit in Rio in 2012.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Environmentalism Greatest Threat to Civilization

Liberal Media Use Heretic to Counter Christ

Rob Bell of the "emergent church" movement is finally being fully exposed as a "wolf in sheep's clothing" and the liberal media just can't get enough of him.

For background, read Heretical Preacher Embraced by Liberal Media

-- From "'Love Wins': Pastor's book kindles firestorm over hell" by Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY 3/14/11

Bell's new book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, has provoked weeks of fierce infighting among pastors, theologians and anyone else who scans the Christian blogosphere where critics rage that he's a hipster heretic.

But Richard Mouw, president of the world's largest Protestant [liberal] seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary based in Pasadena, Calif., calls Love Wins "a great book, well within the bounds of orthodox Christianity and passionate about Jesus.

In Love Wins, which arrives in stores Tuesday, Bell claims:

• Heaven and hell are choices we make and live with right now. "God gives us what we want," including the freedom to live apart from God (hell) or turn God's way (heaven).

• Death doesn't cut off the ability to repent. In his Bible, Bell sees no "infinite, eternal torment for things (people) did in their few finite years of life."

• Jesus makes salvation possible even for people who never know his name. "We have to allow for mystery," for people who "drink from the rock" of faith "without knowing who or what it was."

• Churches that don't allow for this are "misguided and toxic."

Small wonder that traditionalists call him a false teacher of a Jesus-optional Gospel, leading innocents to damnation and a traitor to the evangelical label.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.


From "Hard-hitting Rob Bell interview goes viral" by Michael Foust, Baptist Press News 3/16/11

"What you've done is you're amending the Gospel -- the Christian message -- so that it's palatable to contemporary people who find, for example, the idea of hell and heaven very difficult to stomach ... That's why you've done, isn't it?" [MSNBC reporter Martin] Bashir asks Bell at one point.

At another point, Bashir asks Bell if it is "irrelevant" for someone to follow Christ in this life if -- as Bell argues -- non-Christians will be saved anyway.

Bell's evasive answers to questions have frustrated Christian leaders. Even in the interview, he denies he is a universalist, and then proceeds to make universalistic arguments.

To read a partial transcript of the YouTube video above, CLICK HERE.

From "What Happened to Heaven and Is Gandhi There?" by John Wilson, Wall Street Journal 3/18/11

Something strange has happened in evangelical churches over the past generation. Not in every congregation, but in the main, sermons devoted to the grim prospect of hell have become rare, and even talk of heaven is muted.

. . . So is Mr. Bell one more Christian liberal describing God as a mountain you can climb any way you want? Not exactly.

. . . anyone who carefully reads "Love Wins" will see that Mr. Bell is not a universalist. As C.S. Lewis did, he suggests that God grants free will to all, including those who do not want his divine company and therefore choose damnation.

Still, the account of heaven and hell that he rejects does sound a lot like what most Christians have taught and been taught for 2,000 years . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Rob Bell and the (re)emergence of liberal theology" by R. Albert Mohler Jr., President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 3/16/11

For the last 20 years or so, a movement identified as emerging or emergent Christianity has done its determined best to avoid speaking with specificity. Leading figures in the movement have offered trenchant criticisms of mainstream evangelicalism. Most pointedly, they have accused evangelical Christianity, variously, as being excessively concerned with doctrine, culturally tone-deaf, overly propositional, unnecessarily offensive, aesthetically malnourished, and basically uncool.

And yet, even as many of these [emerging/emergent] leaders insisted that they remained within the evangelical circle, it was clear that many were moving into a post-evangelical posture. There were early hints that the direction of the movement was toward theological liberalism and radical revisionism, but the predominant mode of their argument was suggestion, rather than assertion.

Rather than make a clear theological or doctrinal assertion, emerging figures generally raise questions and offer suggestive comments. Influenced by postmodern narrative theories, most within the movement lean into story rather than formal argument. Nevertheless, the general direction seemed clear enough. The leading emerging church figures appeared to be pushing Protestant liberalism -- just about a century late.

. . . Rob Bell uses his incredible power of literary skill and communication to unravel the Bible's message and to cast doubt on its teachings.

Bell clearly prefers inclusivism, the belief that Christ is saving humanity through means other than the Gospel, including other religions. But he mixes up his story along the way, appearing to argue for outright universalism on some pages, but backing off of a full affirmation. He rejects the belief that conscious faith in Christ is necessary for salvation, but he never clearly lands on a specific account of what he does believe.

. . . Yes, we have read this book before. With Love Wins, Rob Bell moves solidly within the world of Protestant liberalism. His message is a liberalism arriving late on the scene. Tragically, his message will confuse many believers as well as countless unbelievers.

To read all of the above in-depth analysis of Rob Bell's "theology," CLICK HERE.

UPDATE 5/3/13: Rob Bell and Andrew Wilson debate homosexuality & the Bible (video):

Heretical Preacher Embraced by Liberal Media

Demonstrating its ignorance of Biblical Christianity (as usual), the liberal media is quick to refer to Rob Bell as a voice of evangelicals, but in promotions of his yet-to-be-released book, Bell refutes Jesus Christ in regards to the doctrine of Hell (for starters).

". . . but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions . . ."
-- 2 Tim. 4:3 (ESV)

UPDATE 3/15/11 Interview with Rob Bell (video):


-- From "Pastor Stirs Wrath With His Views on Old Questions" by Erik Eckholm, New York Times 3/4/11

A new book by one of the country’s most influential evangelical pastors, challenging traditional Christian views of heaven, hell and eternal damnation, has created an uproar among evangelical leaders, with the most ancient of questions being argued in a biblical hailstorm of Twitter messages and blog posts.

In a book to be published this month, the pastor, Rob Bell, known for his provocative views and appeal among the young, describes as “misguided and toxic” the dogma that “a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better.”

Such statements are hardly radical among more liberal theologians, who for centuries have wrestled with the seeming contradiction between an all-loving God and the consignment of the billions of non-Christians to eternal suffering. But to traditionalists they border on heresy, and they have come just at a time when conservative evangelicals fear that a younger generation is straying from unbendable biblical truths.

Mr. Bell, 40, whose Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., has 10,000 members, is a Christian celebrity and something of a hipster in the pulpit, with engaging videos that sell by the hundreds of thousands and appearances to rapt, youthful crowds in rock-music arenas.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Christian author's book sparks charges of heresy" by Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor 3/1/11

Universalism, in its broadest terms, preaches that everyone goes to heaven and that there is no hell. Critics say it represents a break from traditional Christianity, which they say holds that heaven and hell are very real places. In most Christian circles, universalism is a dirty word.

Last year, Brian McLaren – a popular Christian author and a former pastor - was accused of breaking with Christian orthodoxy and delving headlong into universalism in his book A New Kind of Christianity.

But it's rare that theological arguments become top ten trending topics on Twitter, as Rob Bell did . . .

In the promotional video [for the new book,] Bell refers to the nonviolent Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu, and asks, "Gandhi's in hell? He is?"

"And someone knows this for sure?" Bell continues. "Will billions and billions of people burn forever in hell? And if that's the case how do you become one of the few? "

The video follows a trend in Bell's career as a pastor . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Universalism as a Lure? The Emerging Case of Rob Bell" by Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 3/1/11

. . . Rob Bell and others within the Emerging Church movement represent what can only be described as a new form of cultural Christianity. Bell plays with theology the way a cat plays with a mouse. His sermons, videos, books, and public relations are often more suggestive and subversive than clear.

. . . [Bell's raises] the question of the exclusivity of the Gospel of Christ. With that question come the related questions of heaven, hell, judgment, and the fate of the unregenerate. The Bible answers these questions clearly enough, but few issues are as hard to reconcile with the modern or postmodern mind than this. Of course, it was hard to reconcile with the ancient mind as well. The singularity of the person and work of Christ and the necessity of personal faith in him for salvation run counter to the pluralistic bent of the human mind, but this is nothing less than the wisdom of God and the power of God unto salvation.

The Emerging Church movement is known for its slick and sophisticated presentation. It wears irony and condescension as normal attire. Regardless of how Rob Bell’s book turns out, its promotion is the sad equivalent of a theological striptease.

. . . Universalism is a heresy, not a lure to use in order to sell books.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.