Some Interesting Links . . .

This is no surprise.  Mainline Protestant churches continue to shrink.  Rome holds its own--well, sort of.  Non-denominational churches are growing.  What a great time to evangelize our aimless neighbor!  Click here: ABC News: Protestants Losing Status as U.S. Majority

This is not a surprise either.  If you don't catechize your youth, the culture will do it for you.   Click here: 'Earth worship' on the rise among evangelical youth (OneNewsNow.com)

Have a beer with Jesus?  Jesus and pot smoking?  Think this is an ad for an emerging church?  Guess again.   Click here: The Missoula Project

More on the continuing success story of government run schools . . .  Click here: USATODAY.com

How is this for a title:  "Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, Most Humble Guardian of the Poor of Jesus Christ."  Well, he died.   Click here: Fra Andrew Bertie obituary - Times Online

Here's the ridiculous Muslim demand of the day.  Click here: Muslims want unis to fit prayer time | The Australian

Comments

[Paul]

I'm sure it won't be long before the Missoula guys host the Cheech and Chong film festival.

[Zrim]

Re the public school dig, one thing I have come to rue is the practice of civilians to any specialized craft talking about things they only have disdain for (talk radio, anyone?).

It's a bit ironic that I am currently attending a conference on standardized student assessment. Granted, it's been a long two days so far and there is plenty of room for criticism (the seminar on NCLB was especially brutal). But as one who makes a living in standardized student assessment, a proponent of public education, parent of two public schooled kids and member of the PTC, there is a lot more to the story of public education in America than the sensationalized fact that 53% of 17-year-olds can't date the Civil War. For all the failures and inadequacies admitted by those in the system, there is still a hefty measure of virtue to the endeavor of public education.



Off to have a brew with the Lord,

Zrim

[hb]

Maybe this will be the beginning of logical thinking regarding Islam and the demands of the muslem students. I'd hate to think of the laughter by colleges if Christian students were to make demands.

[Paul]

A little over twenty years ago, Allen Bloom wrote a book called "The Closing of the American Mind." Bloom suggested that the college freshmen he taught in the 1980's were far less prepared to learn than were his students twenty years earlier. Like one of the authors of the USA Today article, Bloom contended that history, the humanities and literature seemed to be less a part of a secondary education than in previous generations. I've not seen anything to suggest that the college preparedness situation has reversed itself since the late 1980's.

Therefore, when a journalist/generalist comes along, breaks with convention and sympathizes with the taxpayer I think they are rendering a public service. It might be a bit much to expect "specialists" in the education establishment to critique themselves. However, if they decide to do so, they ought to do it in a full page ad in the USA TODAY. I'm sure they can afford it.

[Philip Walker]

But there have been accommodations of Christian (and Jewish) students at many universities. At my own, we don't have exams on Saturdays or Sundays. Saturday exams were stopped specifically at the request of the Jewish students' society.

Is that a "ridiculous demand"?

[Greg]

If anyone is interested in the full Pew report:

http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf

"If you don't catechize your youth, the culture will do it for you"... or emergent Leonard Sweet might help through an "evangelical church":

From his e-book Quantum Spirituality available at:

http://www.leonardsweet.com/Quantum/quantum-ebook.pdf

“The world of nature has an identity and purpose apart from human benefit. But we constitute together a cosmic body of Christ.” (pdf page 89)

“Quantum spirituality bonds us to all creation as well as to other members of the human family. New Light pastors are what Arthur Peacocke calls “priests of creation”70--earth ministers who can relate the realm of nature to God, who can help nurture a brother-sister relationship with the living organism called Planet Earth. This entails a radical doctrine of embodiment of God in the very substance of creation.” (pdf page 89) This, he acknowledges, is panentheism.

“We must find ritual ways to make earthlings’ presence felt, their participation solicited, their voices heard, if the ideal of ecological worship is to be realized.” (pdf page 101)

Sweet has co-authored a book, co-produced an audio series, and received an endorsement on another book from...Rick Warren.

Rick has also invited him to speak at Wired, a small groups conference: "Leonard Sweet dispensing his blend of insight and inspiration to stimulate and focus your thinking." (from the pdf flyer)

[Christian Cryder]

Hi Paul, you seem skeptical of the Missoula Project. That's certainly understandable, I suppose, given for what passes for Christianity these days. However, I'd encourage you to be a little more charitable in what you say publicly about other churches, or to at least ask for clarifying information first. Please feel free to shoot me an email (christian.cryder@gmail.com) or call me directly (406-529-5568) if you have any questions you'd like me to answer.

Thanks,
Christian