Showing posts with label america. Show all posts
Showing posts with label america. Show all posts

Friday, 10 April 2020

According to Pew Most White Evangelicals Don’t Think COVID-19 is a Medical Crisis

In 2011 the International Health Regulations Review Committee already gave a warning that
“The world is ill-prepared to respond to a severe influenza pandemic or to any similarly global, sustained and threatening public-health emergency.
In certain countries or states, we the last few years have seen a grow in evangelical and Pentecostal churches. Several of those evangelical denominations slid or slipped off to become very conservative or sometimes even very fundamental Christian groups.

The nonpartisan American think tank, Pew Research Center, based in the Washington, D.C. area does polling, research into American social issues, politics,  public opinion and demographic trends, If you read any newspaper or watch regular news you see their material, as it is used regularly
  In early March of 2020 Pew did a survey of white evangelicals from March 10 through 16. In the United States CoViD-19 was declared a national emergency on March 13, 2020. Here is what Pew says.

 Around three-quarters of white evangelicals (77%) say they are at least somewhat confident that Trump is doing a good job responding to the outbreak, including roughly half who say they are very confident. Majorities of white evangelicals say Trump has assessed the risks of the situation correctly (64%) and that the crisis has been blown out of proportion by the media (76%), while just a quarter (24%) say Trump hasn’t taken risks tied to the coronavirus seriously enough.
By comparison, about half of Americans overall (52%) say Trump has underplayed the risks, including majorities who say this among the religiously unaffiliated (64%), black Protestants (67%) and Jews (73%)
Close to 1,000 students some from high infection areas were encouraged to come back to campus in central Virginia.

We can notice a blatant disregard to face the facts. Pandemics happen and history is full of them. In the United States they, like in many other places, have pandemics every so often. Influenza, small-pox, measles, scarlet fever, etc… have all happened in the history of the United States from colonial times to current. Many evangelicals do not seem to understand that people should be protected and in many cases also receive vaccinations against such diseases to avoid worse scenarios. 

  It is incredible that today when one has so much coverage of bad cases all over Europe that several American churches are still calling their flock to meet and want to have big Easter gatherings this weekend.

This irresponsible attitude to ignore the rules of good public health indicates a totally irresponsible attitude without a deep love for other people.

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Preceding
Using fears of the deadly coronavirus
Observance of the Lord’s Evening Meal
Catholics facing a totally different Holy Week


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Find also to read
  1. The unseen enemy
  2. Making deeper cuts than some terrorist attacks of the near past
  3. Mel Brooks saying “go home” to Max Brooks
  4. CoViD-19 warnings
  5. President Trump shall have to recognise that Immigrant Workers Are Vital to the U.S.A.
  6. In denial, Donald Trump continues to insist that nothing serious is at hand and everything is in control
  7. Under-reporting the total number of coronavirus cases
  8. José Antonio Vergara talking in Esperanto about the outbreak of the epidemic
  9. Margaret Zaleski-Zamenho from Paris telling in Esperanto about the situation in France
  10. Coronavirus on March 11 declared a global pandemic on March 31 affecting more than 177 countries
  11. Europe in Chaos for a Pandemic
  12. Only a few days left before 14 Nisan
  13. Even in Corona time You are called on to have the seder
  14. Observance of the Lord’s Evening Meal
  15. One Passover tradition asking to provide the less fortunate with foods and help
  16. In a time when we must remain in our place
  17. Hosting a Virtual Seder During a Pandemic
  18. Love in the Time of Corona
  19. Recrafting our World
  20. CoViD-19 warnings
  21. Anxiety Management During Pandemic Days~
  22. Hope on the Horizon: Pandemic Anxiety Management II~

Thursday, 24 November 2016

2016 American Bible survey

A presentation edition of a GOD'S WORD bible
A presentation edition of a GOD'S WORD bible (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
When you look at the current political situation in the United States of America you may wonder how it became possible such votes where cast when so many americans say they are Christian.

This year's State of the Bible survey, conducted by American Bible Society and Barna Group, reports that 51 percent of Americans believe politics would be more civil if politicians engaged in regular Bible reading.
This indicates that lots of Americans also believe their politicians do not read often the bible. when they would do so politicians would be more effective, believes 53% of Americans.

American Bible Society President & CEO Roy Peterson believes God's Word has a key role at this pivotal moment for American culture.
 "As America is shaken by skepticism, this is the time to renew hope in the promises of God's Word," 
Peterson says.
 "When people are battling extreme violence, poverty and oppression, this is our time to open the healing words of Scripture."
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Monday, 1 June 2015

Overdracht van mening te vrijwaren

English: Statue of William Tyndale, Victoria E...
Standbeeld van William Tyndale, Victoria Embankment Gardens Bronzen standbeeld onthuld op 7 mei 1884. De beeldhouwer was Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In hoe verre mogen ouders, opvoeders of met kinderen omgaanden hun mening over brengen op die kinderen?

Hoe ver reikt de vrijheid van meningsuiting?

Eeuwen hebben mensen getracht vrij hun gedachten te uiten. Eeuwen is er weerwerk geboden aan hete vrij uiten van gedachten. Ook is er eeuwen druk uitgeoefend op mensen om hun kinderen op een of andere wijze op te voeden. Van alle kanten heeft men pogingen ondernomen om de mensen te indoctrineren en hun vrijheden te beperken.

Eeuwenlang bestond er geen vrijheid van meningsuiting, geen vrijheid van godsdienst en geen persvrijheid. Wie zich uitsprak tegen de gevestigde orde (de kerk of staatshoofden) kon rekenen op zware vervolging, verbanning of in veel gevallen zelfs de doodstraf. Het vuur werd je vaak letterlijk aan de schenen gelegd.

Vele gezinnen zijn heel voorzichtig geweest om de buitenwereld niet te laten weten wat zij in huis beleefden, hoe godsdienst hielden, wat zij lazen of waarin zij geïnteresseerd waren.

Heel wat mensen die toch durfden in het openbaar te zeggen wat zij dachten werden goed onderhanden genomen en indien zij toch niet wilden zwijgen werd er wel komaf met hen gemaakt.  Johannes Hus, William Tyndale, Michael Servet, Latimer en Ridley en vele anderen werden op de brandstapel terechtgesteld omdat zij het waagden om vraagtekens te zetten bij de leringen van de machtige katholieke kerk. 

De vluchtelingen stromen die wij vandaag in de wereld zien zijn niets nieuws onder de zon.  Ook in de oude tijden gebeurde het dat massa's mensen de vlucht moesten nemen omdat datgene wat zij wensten te geloven en op te volgen niet strookte met de regeringsleiders of met de 'mainstream' godsdienstige groepering, weze het zogenaamde christenen, maar ook boeddhisten, hindoes, mohammedanen en anderen.

Wij moeten niet zo ver terug gaan in de geschiedenis om te zien hoe een gestoorde geest er op stond dat er slechts één waar ras ter wereld mocht zijn met één waar geloof in een eigen volk. Voorheen kende Europa religieuze vervolging van Franse Hugenoten, Engelse puriteinen, en andere groepen protestanten die noodgedwongen elders een veiliger heenkomen moesten gaan zoeken.

Velen van ons kennen nog de hevige discussies in eigen streek omtrent geloof,  puriteins of veel te libertijns gedrag.

Zij die zulk een gekibbel rond het gedachtegoed beu waren zochten hun toevlucht in een Nieuwe Wereld, maar daar ziet men nu dat vele van die achterkleinkinderen hun eigen familiezoektocht naar vrijheid van meningsuiting verraden. In de Verenigde Staten van America dreigt het zeer puriteinse denken het te halen en proberen zeer conservatieve christenen hun wil op te dringen aan anderen.

Daartegenover krijgt men diegenen die zich meer in de hoek gedrongen voelen en heftiger gaan reageren. Geen wonder dan ook dat in de States de atheïsten fel te keer gaan.

In onze maatschappij komt na het voorval met Charlie Hebdo en de veroordelingen van rechtbanken in bepaalde landen van gelovigen, de vraag van vrije meningsuiting weer in het vizier. Tot hoe ver kan men gaan bij het zeggen van dingen of bij het uitvoeren van dingen.

Mij valt het zo bijvoorbeeld op dat als men de Gay pride heeft daar niet wordt opgetreden wanneer twee mannen seks bedrijven in het openbaar met een penetratie langs achter. Maar moesten een man en vrouw normaal een intense lichamelijke liefde-akte uitvoeren in het openbaar zouden zij opgepakt worden wegens zedenschennis. Waarom is het enige (meer beestachtige) wel toegelaten terwijl het andere (voortplantingselement) niet toegelaten is?

Waarom gaat men nu tekeer tegen mensen die hun kinderen in het christelijk of in het islamitisch geloof willen opvoeden terwijl anderen hun atheïstische en discriminatoire gedachten wel vrij op hun kinderen mogen poneren?

Wie geeft het recht om een rechter te laten bepalen hoe een moeder binnenshuis haar kind welke opvoeding wenst mee te geven. Waar haalt een rechter het vandaan om zo bijvoorbeeld te besluiten dat het praten over God en het bidden waarbij kinderen aanwezig zijn schadelijk zou zijn voor het kind.

Heeft hij zich al eens beraden over wat de televisie in vele huiskamers binnen brengt terwijl er daar ook kleine kinderen aanwezig zijn? Zijn die ouders die zulke beelden voor de ogen van hun kinderen laten verschijnen dan niet meer strafbaar?

In welke mate mag of mag een ouder niet zelf kiezen in welk geloof hij of zij een eigen kind kan opvoeden?

Iedere ouder moet zelf het eigen recht hebben om vrij te kiezen in welk geloof het kind moet opgebracht worden. Het is trouwens de ouders hun eigenlijke taak om de kinderen ethische en geestelijke vorming te geven. Zij zijn in de eerste plaats verantwoordelijk om aan hun kinderen te leren wat goed is en wat slecht is.

Datgene wat de rechter Clifford Bellamy, van het vredegerecht of Family Court in de zitting in Leicester beslist heeft kan een gevaarlijk precedent vormen om de vrijheid van ouders in te perken.

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Reactie op voorgaand artikel: 

Parents forbidden to pray in front of their children or to take them to church

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Thursday, 19 February 2015

American religious right will be quaking in their boots

Pie chart of religions of African Americans
Pie chart of religions of African Americans (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The religious right will be quaking in their boots, or perhaps saying that atheists are lying, when they read a new report (PDF) from the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life. A third of Millennials, particularly the under 30 group, are declaring themselves religiously unaffiliated. That is an unprecedented number, and it is on the rise. Right now, according to Pew, 46,000,000 Americans are non-religious. Now, more than ever, America is on the road to eradicating religion. Perhaps the rabidly religious know this, too, which could be why there has been so much gnashing of teeth regarding “sins” such as abortion and marriage equality lately.
writes  in

Pew Research Report: A Third Of Millienials Have No Religion



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Monday, 3 November 2014

Amount of Muslims living in your country

English: The Ethnic composition of Muslims in ...
The Ethnic composition of Muslims in the United States, according to the United States Department of State based on the publication of Being Muslim in America as of March 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Americans have a tendency to overstate the number of Muslims living in the United States -- and at least 13 other countries are dealing with the same misconception.

Only 1% of America’s more than 319 million residents are Muslim, according to the research group Ipsos MORI. But during a recent global survey, Americans told researchers that the Muslim population is 15 times greater than it really is.

On the other hand, Americans grossly underestimated the number of Christians living in the country -- with an average guessing around 56% when the true figure is closer to 78%.
The countries that fared the worse at accurately guessing the number of Muslims within their borders were France and Belgium, both of which guessed 23 percentage points too high. Belgium is standing equal 2° with France with an overrating of 23% according the researchers who use the official numbers. But for the real ciphers the governments only count the registered Muslims by the officially recognised Muslim federations, thought there are many more Muslim groups like there are other groups of Christian which are not recognised by the state and do not receive funding from the state. Only the official religions have their pastor and imam paid by the government, others like the ones in charge for the Christadelphians, Jehovah Witnesses, Church of God, a.o. have to take care of their own income

Friday, 14 February 2014

President of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations considers of undoing the Unitarian idea

English: USVA headstone emblem
USVA headstone emblem (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When we look at the reason why people do come to preferring to be part of a trinity-church it is clear most of them would find themselves weakened more when hey would have to worship only "One God".

On January the 8th, 2014, the Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, indicated that there is serious consideration of undoing the Unitarian heresy his denomination was founded on.
  ”When you think about it, God as one is just less effective.  You can get so much more done if God is in three persons. Our lawyers are researching alternative names and websites, like Trinitarian Tunaversalists.  We can eat fish on Fridays or on any days, or never at all if we are vegan, so why not put Tuna into  our name?”   A Vatican spokesman said Pope Francis was open to this development.   “In the Catholic Church, we take anybody.  Why not some former heretics?  And we could always use a few more Prius drivers.  It’s good for the soul.”
This teacher who should bring the flock on the right path, shows clearly he himself is going astray or lost track.  Problem here is that he wants to get a whole denomination in changing direction. Though it is good he took some lawyers under his arm to find a proper name for the group he wants to create.

On Ironicschmoozer’s Weblog we can find the important question:
What about the reaction out in the Unitarian Universalist hinterlands?  When contacted by the press, Rev. Roger Jones of Sacramento said that he has no opinion on the matter until he determines whether 90% of his congregation thinks it’s a good idea.  ”Until January 26, I am sticking with my usual talking point:  Unitarians believe in one God at most.”
Are you a Unitarian without knowing it?
Are you a Unitarian without knowing it? (Photo credit: severinus)
Naturally you also could say "Unitarian" does not really holds in the "Unit" being a single thing or person, but also a single element, section of a whole, section of item, and as such I encountered already some unitarians which did have similar ideas as Rev. Peter Morales.
But according to what we came to understand under the name it should only be used for  those who assert the Unity of the Godhead, not as a god being made of three godheads, but ascribing divinity as being the Being of the Total divine Creator which stands for the God the Father only.
On the other hand the Unitarianism stands also for being united without having one governing organisation other than the Cornerstone Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Unitarians believe that each congregation should have independent authority, having their members believing in the unity of God, in freedom of, and tolerance of the differences in religious believes.

In that American church or in the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, you can see the weakness of human people who want to be able to do more. Them expressing “You can get so much more done if God is in three person” explains a lot why the majority is not pleased with the Only One True God and why the prefer to have a triune God.


English: Unitarian Universalist Church of Medf...
Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford Massachusetts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Preceding articles:
Old orthodox Dissenters and Unitarians in 19° Century London

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Wednesday, 13 October 2010

Around C.T.Russell

On the Multiply Group of the Bibleresearchers "Bijbelonderzoekers" in the article "Wie kan zich beroepen op C.T. Russell" is written in Dutch that a lot of organizations mention Charles Taze Russell as their clergyman father.
It is shown that the family Russell was influenced by many preachers and thoughts that where spread in the 19th century. Already in the 15th and 16th century several people were not happy with what the Roman Catholic church preached and distantiated themselves from their ideas. It was only a tiny minority who really tried to understand Gods Word and took enough time to study it. In the 16th and 17th century there were Bible Students who considered them selves to be Brothers of Christ or Brothers in Christ. In the Anabaptist and baptist movements there were many people convinced that the Holy Trinity was a reprehensible heathen thought. Lots of those Baptist preachers had to flee Belgium, went up north and crossed the see from Amsterdam going westward to England and New England. In America the non-Trinitarian preachers independently went cross the country and tried to reach as many people as they could. John Thomas came in contact with many of those itinerant preachers and put order in their ideas. Thomas succeeded to get some more people interested to travel all round to preach the Gospel and to show the people that there was only One God and that it was He who send His son to save all mankind. The Russell family came in contact with those teachings and agreed mostly with them but Charles Taze Russell as a good businessman new how to get better to the people then those Christadelphians. His financial means were also perhaps better than Dr Thomas his possibilities.

Russell must well have been very eloquent and have had a good understanding of how to approach the people in that time. He encountered a lot of people who were in a kind of religion vacuum or did not believe at all. Charles managed to get them interested by his 'shows' and with the flyers and many tracts. He built a beautiful association to witch many stayed faithfully, but found also men and women who just clung at a group of men, that could give them them social peace. Especially the doom-mongering attracted a lot of frightened people. Lots of people wanted to secure  or insure their future. That we live "in the last days" "the day of the Lord" — "the end" of the Gospel time and consequently, in the dawn of the "new" time, became facts named that not only perceptibly were through those who took the Bibles at hand  to study. According to Russell could the student of the Word, become led by the Spirit, but for him the signs of the end times, that were recognizable through the world, carried the same testimony, and must we be desiring  that the "master of the household of belief" totally awake showed us to the fact that — "We live in a very important time".
Charles went into lots of discussions, found some interested people who wanted to come together with him to study the Bible. He had a time of constant growth in grace and knowledge and love of God and his Word.
What he did with it you can read in Charles Taze Russell and what he started.
Dutch, Flemish and South-African speaking people can read more in:
Nederlandstalige lezers kunnen meer vinden over C.T. Russell in de onderstaande artikelen:

Friday, 30 October 2009

I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday  Morning  Commentary.

  My confession:  I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish.  And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.  I don't feel threatened.  I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.  It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me.  I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto.  In fact, I kind of like it.  It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu .  If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.  I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians.

  I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.  I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country.  I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.  Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?  I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.  But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.  In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different:  This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

  Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).  Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.  She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives..  And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out.  How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'  In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc..  I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.  Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school.  The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself.  And we said OK.  Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide).  We said an expert should know what he's talking about.  And we said okay.

  Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves..  Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out.  I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'  Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.  Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.  Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.  Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

  Are you laughing yet?  Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.  Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.  Pass it on if you think it has merit.   If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did.  But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

      My Best Regards,  Honestly and respectfully,  Ben Stein

Thursday, 4 June 2009

Casual Christians

In a wide-ranging discussion about the state of faith in America, veteran researcher George Barna recently addressed questions raised by his new book, The Seven Faith Tribes: Who They Are, What They Believe, and Why They Matter. That book outlines seven diverse faith segments, profiling their lifestyles, religious beliefs and practices, values and life goals. The seven tribes include Casual Christians, Captive Christians, Mormons, Jews, Pantheists, Muslims and Skeptics. In this week’s Update we are providing the portion of that conversation regarding the largest – and potentially most powerful – tribe, the Casual Christians, a tribe that represents 66% of the adult population of the U.S.

Barna: Casual Christianity is faith in moderation. It allows them to feel religious without having to prioritize their faith. Christianity is a low-risk, predictable proposition for this tribe, providing a faith perspective that is not demanding. A Casual Christian can be all the things that they esteem: a nice human being, a family person, religious, an exemplary citizen, a reliable employee – and never have to publicly defend or represent difficult moral or social positions or even lose much sleep over their private choices as long as they mean well and generally do their best. From their perspective, their brand of faith practice is genuine, realistic and practical. To them, Casual Christianity is the best of all worlds; it encourages them to be a better person than if they had been irreligious, yet it is not a faith into which they feel compelled to heavily invest themselves.
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Casual Christianity, because of its moral receptivity and pliability, generally eliminates spiritual backbone from moral discussions. And yet, Casual Christians would typically embrace the 20 shared values that all seven of the tribes adopt as part of their moral code.

Read > Barna article -casual-christians-and-the-future-of-america

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2014 update
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Sunday, 4 January 2009

Robertson: God says U.S. will accept socialism

Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, announced at his staff's annual prayer retreat that God told him Americans would embrace socialism in 2009 "in order to relieve their pain" and that the economy would rebound under an Obama administration.
"The Lord said the economy of your nation will recover," Robertson told a group assembled at Founders Inn on the campus of Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va., a university Robertson founded.
Robertson said God also declared, "The steps taken will lead to a dramatic increase in the power of government. The people will welcome socialism in order to relieve their pain. Nothing will stand in the way of a plan by Obama to restructure the economy in the same fashion as the New Deal in the '30s."
Read more > Broadcaster's annual predictions also assure economic turnaround
In the interview with Meeuwsen, Robertson assures Americans that contrary to many economists' opinions, the economic recovery will be swift.
Socialist policies and massive government spending, Robertson told Meeuwsen, could lead to heavy hyperinflation, sending prices through the roof and the value of the dollar through the floor.