No Vuvuzelas for the Pope!

The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales is worried that when Benedict XVI visits England in September, he will be greeted with the constant cacophony of vuvuzelas (you know, the plastic trumpets that require you watch the World Cup with the sound muted).  Pope's upcoming trip to England 

With the whole trumpet blast theme and all, John Knox came to mind--I know that the Pope is not a queen with a vendetta, but he does at times dress like one--A Fashion Statement. 

In case you hadn't heard, Ted Haggard is starting a new church.  He states, "I think we're qualified to hold people's hands" in times of trouble.  I didn't realize that holding people's hands in times of trouble was a biblical qualification for pastoral ministry.  Admitting that he's neither qualified nor entitled to serve as a pastor again, Haggard is not one to let something as trivial as biblical qualifications to stop him from starting a new church.  People need their hands held!  I guess none of the existing evangelical churches in Colorado Springs can do that as well as Haggard can.  Not sure I would want Ted Haggard to hold my hand.  Haggard's back

Beware of the Caliphate.  A prominent Iranian cleric wants to see Iran rule over "the entire Middle East and Central Asia."  He believes this will prepare the way for the Islamic messiah.  No question, Islamic eschatology will be a factor in the geo-politics of the Middle East for some time to come.   Some might say the same thing of dispensationalists here, regarding US foreign policy towards Israel and the Palestinians.  But dispensationalists don't have the desire nor the power to coax a client army (Hezbollah) to actually provoke a war with Israel.  Iranian apocalyptists do.  Calls for a Caliphate

Comments

[MikeR]

I didn't think there could ever be a sports game noisemaking device more annoying than ThunderStix, but the South Africans proved me wrong. Ugh.

[Lloyd I. Cadle]

I love World Cup Soccer. I really root hard for the German team. The U.S. team I will root for second. (It is great to see our U.S. team doing so well. Germany always does great--accept for today!)

Even though I don't speak Spanish, (My wife does) I always watch the World Cup in Spanish. The U.S. announcers are so boring, while the Spanish announcers are truly great.

Listening to the U.S. announcers do soccer is tantamount to listening to North Korean announcers doing NFL games.

Try it in Spanish.........gooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaal!

["lee n. field"]

"But dispensationalists don't have the desire nor the power to coax a client army (Hezbollah) to actually provoke a war with Israel. Iranian apocalyptists do."

The dispensationalists I see mostly seem to be interested in cheerleading for the modern secular state of Israel, and in keeping the USoA in God's good favor by favoring the modern secular state of Israel.

I'm seeing things around about folks who might have higher aspirations. "New apostolics", combining "God told me" charismaticism with a theonomic postmil eschatology (roughly). I hear tell it's big.

< sigh>. Yet more stuff to read up on. Bad Eschatology Has Consequences.

[Matt S Holst]

I live in Colorado Springs and so have to put up with the non-sense of Ted Haggard. There is a big difference between saying "I am not worthy" and "I am not qualified." But to boldly state that he is not qualified but will serve as a pastor anyway is completely unfaithful to the Scripture he supposedly will preach from. I just hope the name of Christ is not further smeared by the likes of Ted Haggard. May God grant the man true repentance.

[Tom Dennert]

Sad. I have been listening to Amillennialism 101 and hear you bemoaning the "cheap shots" the dispensationalists take at the 'amills' and how they misstate the (your) amillilennialist position (e.g. equating Israel and the church) seemingly to want a broader understanding and appreciation for eachother's Biblical stance, toning down the language, etc. Well, at least I thought that's what you were saying. Based on your remarks here and your restatement of the dispensationalist position in your series, creating a strawman that you then pull a part, I must be wrong. I was hoping for something better.

[Manfred]

Re: Haggard's return to the pulpit;

From the Fox report: "Haggard told the AP that after his downfall, he doesn't feel qualified or entitled to return to the ministry, but that he feels compelled to do so by love for others. He cited conversations he had this week with a woman fighting drugs and with an unmarried couple expecting their second child."

STILL - Haggard's foundation for ministry is the opinion of man, not the Word of God. Just as it has been his entire ministerial life.

[Lloyd I. Cadle]

Watched the U.S. this morning in Spansh. Wow, great win. Now Germany is on. Go Germany and U.S.A.! They may meet in the next round! Even if you don't speak Spanish, treat yourselves to the passion of the Spanish announcers!

[Jenny]

Hmm. The unconditional support of the Dispensationalists for whatever the modern state of Israel does (thinking God is on their side), plus Muslims being whipped into a frenzy by their hateful clergy, PLUS the press fanning the flames of panic and fear of the Muslim world among the non-Dispensational Americans . . . PLUS Israeli misbehavior . . . looks like the makings of "Armageddon" to me. Or maybe just WWIII. Let's love our neighbors and and our enemies. For perfect love casts out all fear.

[Jenny]

Oops, I wish I could "edit" the previous post.

Consider this added in--

PLUS, a group of postmillenial "Reformed" Christian brethren being subtlely groomed to become the new Christian Taliban (or at least perceived that way by secular Americans) . . .

[Jenny]

Oops, I forgot to add this in, too.

I can't think of a perfect decoction for the utter ruination of my beloved country.

Let's love our neighbors and love our enemies.

(Dr. R, maybe you could kindly edit my 3 comments for me and make them one. Thanks!)--Jenny

[Will S.]

Why any of us in the West should care whether a new caliphate arises in the Islamic world, I can't see.

And why we, as Reformed Christians, should even care about Israel vs. Palestine, I also can't see. If we were dispies, yeah, then it'd make sense to me. But I don't get how amil Reformed people knee-jerkedly take a side on the matter, and as it happens, the same one as the dispies.