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February

2010

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Feb 15 – Presidents’ Day

44 US Presidents

 

Though every president of the United States has thought of himself as a Christian, some have denied the central doctrines of orthodox Christianity.  Using original sources, Daniel Mount, in his book, The Faith of America’s Presidents, examines how their religious beliefs affected their Presidency, examines their beliefs on God’s role in American history, and examines pertinent historical controversies.

Prayer – The Secret Weapon

Isa 54:17 - No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

 

The 40 Days for Life Kick-Off is on Feb 16th at PDL. The Mass starts at 6 PM, followed by a prayer gathering and potluck social. The 40 Days for Life prayer vigil runs from Feb 17th – Apr 2nd. Nationwide over 600 babies were saved during the Fall 40 Days. Join us in prayer, fasting, and public witness during Lent in front of the Planned Parenthood at 701 San Mateo NE or at PDL’s Holy Innocents Chapel, 625 San Mateo NE. For more information, go to this web site: www.40daysforlife.com/albuquerque. 

 

Mat 6:8b - Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.

 

Why pray since God knows everything (omniscient)?  Apparently, He desires our communication and interaction.  Though He knows everything, we do not.  He has given us opportunity through prayer to ask and through the Holy Spirit to know.  1Ki 4:29 - And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.  To varying degrees, American Presidents have been men of faith.  This leadership has likely brought America great blessings of prosperity and power.

 

Praying for Haiti.  A Christian Aid ministry leader was one of those trapped in the rubble for 18 hours.  He was in a coma after having his arm amputated at the shoulder.  His wife’s leg was broken and had to be amputated below the knee. 

 

44 US Presidents – From George Washington to Barack Obama

 

President Barack Obama took the setting of the National Prayer Breakfast – an annual Washington event that has drawn criticism from several quarters this year due to its sponsorship by The Fellowship, aka The Family – to strongly denounce the proposed "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" currently being considered in Uganda as ''odious.''  The Fellowship creates “an environment where persons are free to live their individual truth without regard to race, ethnicity, social class, age, gender/gender identity, or affectional orientation - especially women, same-gender-loving individuals and their allies.”

 

All the homosexual activists, Western political leaders, and critical evangelicals seem to be up in arms over the fact that the Ugandan bill would imprison (perhaps for life) anyone found guilty of engaging in homosexuality and would potentially execute someone found guilty of "aggravated homosexuality," the latter of which would include performing homosexual acts upon a minor or when the offender was in a position of authority (e.g., parent, teacher, etc.) or if one knew they were HIV-positive at the time. The bill also explicitly prohibits promotion of homosexuality by any individual or organization and further equates same-sex marriage with the offense of homosexuality.

 

Generally, according to FRI's analysis, this is a good bill for those of a traditionalist bent. While no law can end a particular kind of crime, the proposed law makes clear what is not acceptable and should discourage some from acting on their same-sex desires. Interestingly, only acts (not 'desires' or 'orientation') are condemned, and only rape, especially of children, or recidivism can lead to a death sentence. And those carrying HIV/AIDS have no business engaging in and no right to engage in activities that could infect others.

 

Commentary by Family Research Institute, Dec 2009

 


 

 

The War Between Science and Religion: A Modern Myth

 

Today, anyone who is truly informed knows that science and religion are at war with each other.  They have always been at war, are still at war and will forever be at war because they represent two fundamentally different ways of viewing the world.  We are told that religion is based on subjective faith while science is based on objective reason.  There are thousands of different beliefs which vary from culture to culture and from person to person and from time to time but science produces hard facts that are singular and unchangeable.  The inescapable conclusion is that science and reason lead to objective knowledge, a materialistic understanding of reality and an enlightened worldview free from the rule of God.  Only the ignorant and superstitious could believe otherwise. 

 

We are taught that following the fall of Rome it was the oppressive influence of the Church that plunged Europe into the Dark Ages - 800 years of ignorance, superstition and misery which ended only when Europe was finally rescued, first by the Renaissance and then by the Enlightenment.  In the early 1600’s it was the Church that tortured and imprisoned Galileo because of his heliocentric views and today it is Christianity that is the enemy of science and social progress. 

 

All of this makes a great story but the problem is that none of it is true.  These ideas constitute a mythology constructed during the past 200 years by bitterly anti-Christian intellectuals and have been repeated so often that they have become common knowledge.     

 

Recent works however by scholars such as Rodney Stark, author of the book The Victory of Reason are beginning to set the record straight providing a dramatically different account of the relationship between science and Christianity and the impact Christianity has had on Western Civilization.  

 

Modern science emerged in Christian Europe, there and nowhere else.  The science we know today has its roots in rational Christian theology which presupposes a personal knowable God who makes Himself known through Revelation and is Creator of all things.  

 

The cosmos exhibits a rational order because it is a Created Order.  Man has the capacity to reason because he was created in God’s image.  The rationality of man and the rationality of the natural world are the same rationality because they have the same Author.  Thus, the natural world is comprehensible to the mind of man and science is possible.  The natural philosophers of the 16th and 17th centuries such as Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler and Newton all believed these things and for them, when they were doing science, they were doing God’s work.  

 

Christian Faith and Reason led to an understanding of the true nature of reality and from that understanding - and only from that understanding - science emerged.  

 

As for the so-called “Dark Ages”, after the barbarian invasions and the fall of Rome in the 5th century, Europe, far from descending into centuries of misery, experienced a renewal that brought creativity, industry, innovations and technological advances that could never have been imagined under Roman rule.  Optimism returned to Europe and the lot of the average man was greatly improved.    

 

How can we account for such a transformation?  In a word – taxes - or rather, lack of taxes.  When Rome fell the crushing taxes imposed to support its hedonist excesses and maintain its power around the Mediterranean Basin fell with it.  And as for the influence of Christianity, the re-Christianization of Europe in the centuries that followed led to the establishment of centers for learning, the development of towns, trades, industry and commerce.  Christian Europe rapidly established a 200 year technology lead over the rest of the world.  As the mythology goes, Galileo was tried, tortured and thrown into prison by the Church because he held to the Copernican view.  In reality, the Church was quite open to the Copernican view but insisted that because of its implications for scriptural interpretation it be treated hypothetically until such time that sufficient evidence was available to establish its proof.  Galileo agreed and was granted permission to publish his book Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems which contrasted the Copernican heliocentric view with that of the accepted Aristotelian geocentric view.

 

However not only did Galileo present the Copernican view as absolute fact, on the last page of his book he ridiculed his old friend Pope Urban VIII who had personally encouraged and authorized Galileo to write his book.  Consequently, Galileo was brought before the Inquisition.  He was tried and found guilty but allowed to return to Florence where he lived out the last ten years of his life under house arrest in comfortable quarters where he was allowed to pursue his studies and entertain guests.  It was also during this time that he published his most important works on mechanics.  No torture.  No prison.

 

As for Christianity being the enemy of science and social progress, it is the Christian concepts of personal liberty and Natural Law that provide the moral foundation of our culture and it is that foundation that accounts for the spectacular success of the U.S. as an economic, military and technological superpower. 

 

During the past 100 years Europe has abandoned its Christian heritage for socialism and humanism which always lead to economic and moral bankruptcy.  If we look to our Christian roots for guidance, we will do well.  If we look to modern Europe, we will follow them to economic and moral ruin.  

 

There is no war between science and religion but there is a war, a war that is raging between Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Truth and Lie.  The mythology that there is a war between science and religion is a Lie told in the service of Evil.  

 

Joe Renick

Intelligent Design Network

New Mexico Division

 


 

2010 NM Legislation Update

 

Sign up for action alerts at www.tvacnm.com.

 

·          SB183 Homosexual Marriage – stalled in Senate Finance (as of press time)

·          HB121 Traditional Marriage – stalled in House Rules

·          HJR8 Traditional Marriage Constitutional Amend – stalled in House Public Affairs

·          SB146 Change Marriage Forms (Homosexual) – stalled in Senate Committees

·          SJR1 Traditional Marriage Constitutional Amend – stalled in Senate Rules

·          HJM33 Study Homosexual Marriage – House Health & Govt Affairs

·          HB123 Same Day Voter Registration (no photo ID required) – House Voters & Elections

·          SB161 Same Day Voter Registration (no photo ID required) – Senate Judiciary

·          HB166 Biomedical [Embryonic Stem Cell] Research – House Calendar (Floor Vote)

·          HB44 Comprehensive Sex Ed – Senate Education

·          Reimpose Food Tax

 

For a short session, there was significant activity on moral issues in spite of the “budget crisis,” “ethics crisis,” and “investment crisis” quoted by Senator McSorley prior to the session.  Thanks to Nora Espinoza and Bill Sharer for courageously introducing Traditional Marriage legislation and for all who opposed the homosexual marriage legislation.  The Governor specifically called for homosexual marriage legislation (by letter) while ignoring traditional marriage legislation that was declared “not germane” to the economic session.  A representative from the Alliance Defense Fund testified on the Senate Floor against SB183.  Read Jill Norton’s testimony regarding the extensive agenda of homosexual activists in NM.  Miki Vasquez challenged the financial impact of homosexual marriage in NM.  SB183 had been estimated to cost $50K (one time) whereas Vasquez detailed why homosexual marriage in NM would actually run $6-8M (recurring).  With a “budget crisis” looming over NM, taxpayers cannot afford the financial impact of homosexual marriage, to say nothing of the social impact of discarding our foundational values.  Interestingly, the 816 page bill, SB183, included “40A-2-1. [NEW MATERIAL] MUTUAL OBLIGATIONS OF DOMESTIC PARTNERS.--Domestic partners contract toward each other obligations of mutual respect, fidelity and support."  This sounds like a religious, marital commitment, not enforceable law.

 

Expect a special session later this year as departing Gov Richardson gives a final shot at homosexual marriage during his term.  This is a battle of worldviews.  God designed marriage for one man and one woman for a lifetime.  This is the inviolate, immutable, unalienable, sanctity of marriage.  Reports of billboards around town indicate a heightened attack on the foundations of Christianity – "Beware of Dogma.”  Another sign, “In case of rapture, we'll have the world to ourselves" indicates more of a defiance, rather than disbelief.  As John Adams, Second President, put it, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.” 

 

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.   And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. (Rev 16:8-9)

 


 

Christian Association of Parent Educators - New Mexico is sponsoring the annual state Christian Home School Convention and Curriculum Fair April 22, 23, and 24 at Calvary of Albuquerque, 4001 Osuna Road NE.  The convention is the largest gathering of home schoolers in the state.  Keynote speakers are Bill Jack of Worldview Academy, Mary Schofield, author of The High School Handbook, Steve Demme, author and founder of Math-U-See, and Mark Hamby of Cornerstone Family Ministries and Lamplighter Publishing.  A children’s conference will be held concurrently with the convention.  Free activities on Thursday include a “getting started” workshop and an evening celebration featuring the New Mexico Home School Showcase. 

 

Song! Dance! Musical solos! Celebrate the talents of New Mexico’s home educated students at Christian Association of Parent Educators - New Mexico’s Home School Showcase Thur,  Apr 22, 6:30p at Calvary of Albuquerque, 4001 Osuna Road NE.  Inspirational speaker Mark Hamby of Cornerstone Family Ministries and Lamplighter Publishing will follow the Showcase.  The Home School Showcase kicks off CAPE’s annual state home school convention and curriculum fair.  This free evening is designed for the entire family.

 

For more information, call 505-898-8548 or visit www.cape-nm.org.

 


 

APS Bond Election Results

Eight percent voted on Feb 2.  The vote was split 70-30, giving APS $616M for capital improvements.  That means about 5% of the electorate decided that property taxes would not go down and taxpayers would finance the interest on $225M.  In spite of a constitutional amendment passed in Nov 08 allowing combined elections, APS benefits from dedicated elections with small turnout and continues to hold separate elections.  The Albuquerque Journal reported “a coalition of builders and architects partnered to campaign for the bond. (Feb 3, 2010)”  For the first time in such an election, the package also included $40M for charter schools. 

 

Millie Pogna, State School Board Member running for reelection, wrote “I am going to run for reelection to the Public Education Commission, even though our great Governor stripped the constitutionally elected members of all powers and duties for education and turned us into a nebulous ‘advisory’ entity.  We were given authority to authorize the charter schools by the legislature two years ago under the Charter School Act of 2007.  It is a tremendous amount of work with thousands of pages of applications to study, holding public hearings, then studying the recommendations for approval/denial from the Dept of Education’s Charter School department.  But I do consider it important work.  People no longer care to go to the work and expense of becoming a candidate for election to the PEC, so unfortunately the positions are left vacant and the Governor appoints his people to the vacancies and there are a number of his appointees. (Dec 1, 2009)” 

 

Split district.  Another issue complicating this election cycle has been the possibility that the West Side may split into its own school district.  Earlier this year a group of residents, including several state legislators, petitioned Secretary of Education Veronica Garcia to create a new district.  And although split proponents have been supportive of the bond campaign, the issue has raised questions about how tax money and bond debt would be divided in the event of a split.  Superintendent Winston Brooks said he would likely hold off construction of a West Side sports complex until the split question is resolved.  The Albuquerque Journal reported “Gary Johnson vetoed a bill aimed at breaking up APS after the APS Board agreed to consider hiring private companies to manage failing schools.  Johnson threatened to sign the bill, but said APS Board President Leonard DeLayo had pledged the board's support for getting proposals from private companies to manage some APS schools. (Mar 6, 2002)”  We have yet to see any privatization in APS, so splitting the district sounds like a GREAT idea!


 


 

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