Monday, June 30, 2014

Missouri church gives away assault rifles to get more young men following Jesus

Ignite Church, in Joplin, is catching serious heat for giving away two Black Rain AR-15s on Father’s Day in a bid to connect with 18 to 35-year-olds in the area.

Critics said the initiative was “seriously messed up,” could “give way to new violence” and questioned what the reaction would be if a mosque held a similar give-away.

But tattooed mohawked pastor Heath Mooneyham defended the scheme – telling the Joplin Globe that “if we get people in the door, we get to preach the gospel.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

6 Things The Church Can Learn From Jimmy Fallon

http://www.thegodarticle.com/7/post/2014/03/6-things-the-church-can-learn-from-jimmy-fallon-ordainjimmyfallon.html
The Church could learn a few things from Jimmy Fallon, the new host of the "Tonight Show." And it’s no surprise, really. Jimmy has said in interviews he once wanted to be a priest in the Roman Catholic Church and was influenced early in life by his experiences as an altar boy. But he never felt he could really be a priest because he couldn’t keep a straight face. As a priest myself, it’s always good to be reminded that our image in culture is often a dour one when it should be a joyful one.
  1. Embrace the Joy and Enthusiasm in the moment. 
  2. Embrace Divine Playfulness. 
  3. Embrace Others’ Talents and Accomplishments. 
  4. Embrace that It’s All Bigger than You.
  5. Embrace the Change. 
  6. Embrace Hope.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

The Arguments For Creationism vs. Evolution

http://www.theonion.com/articles/creationism-vs-evolution-the-arguments-for-each-si,35804/
The question of whether life was intelligently designed or evolved over billions of years has been a major point of contention since Darwin’s On The Origin Of Species was first published in the mid-19th century. Here are the strongest arguments from each side of this ongoing and heated debate.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Homeless Jesus

http://www.npr.org/2014/04/13/302019921/statue-of-a-homeless-jesus-startles-a-wealthy-community
The $22,000 statue depicts Jesus as a vagrant sleeping on a park bench. St. Alban's Episcopal Church installed the homeless Jesus statue on its property in the middle of an upscale neighborhood filled with well-kept townhomes.

Jesus is huddled under a blanket with his face and hands obscured; only the crucifixion wounds on his uncovered feet give him away.

The reaction was immediate. Some loved it; some didn't.

"One woman from the neighborhood actually called police the first time she drove by," says David Boraks, editor of DavidsonNews.net. "She thought it was an actual homeless person." That's right. Somebody called the cops on Jesus.

"Another neighbor, who lives a couple of doors down from the church, wrote us a letter to the editor saying it creeps him out," Boraks added.

Some neighbors feel that it's an insulting depiction of the son of God, and that what appears to be a hobo curled up on a bench demeans the neighborhood.

Monday, June 02, 2014

Biologists Confirm God Evolved From Chimpanzee Deity

http://www.theonion.com/articles/biologists-confirm-god-evolved-from-chimpanzee-dei,35755/Challenging long-held views on the origins of divinity, biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, presented findings Thursday that confirm God, the Almighty Creator of the Universe, evolved from an ancient chimpanzee deity.

The recently discovered sacred ancestor, a divine chimp species scientists have named Pan sanctorum, reportedly gave rise over millions of years to the Lord Our God, Maker of Heaven and Earth.