My new personal blog

I am now posting entries at blog.phillipallen.net; please visit me there!

Huckabee's Mischief

Brent Walker of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty has an excellent response to Mike Huckabee's following statement:

"we need . . . to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view."

Go to the Washington Post's Main Page to read Walker's statement.

Muslim Violence, Christian Non-Violence: People in Glass Houses Should Not Throw Words

Read this exceptionally superb article by Sheila Musaji, the founding editor of The American Muslim.

EthicsDaily.com

Why are Christians ignoring the ultimate moral-values issue?

I might suggest that any Christian theology or ethic that believes human beings are too puny to affect the planet’s ecosystem, that God will not let anything bad happen to us; that anything that happens (good or evil) is the result of God’s direct will and purpose, that social ethics and morality are unimportant, that gay marriage and judicial activism are the key values issues in 2008, or that nothing must be done to hinder or regulate the free market, is part of the problem, not part of the solution. That attitude needs to change before it is too late. For evangelicals, our responsibility is great indeed.

The above is the last paragraph of an article written by Dr. David Gushee; read the entire piece at abpnews.com

My "award winning" photo

OK, I know it may be a little hokie, but go to Sanibel Sunset to vote on my picture.

Willow Creek Repents?

Diana Butler Bass has a wonderful entry at God's Politics Blog regarding church congregational growth.

The article tells us again what today's "new" church generation is looking for - they want a church that is doing something meaningful, and taking the gospel seriously!

What Happened to You, Mr. President?

As Bush threatens to veto the bill expanding children's health care, read this excellent piece by Jim Wallis at the God's Politics Blog

Tonight's war message!

Tonight George Bush gets free air time for pushing his illegal and immoral war.

At 9:00 PM on MSNBC, John Edwards, Democratic candidate for president will challenge Bush's remarks with a strong call to end the war now.

My 09/11 anniversary experiences

Three incidents marred my observance of 09/11/01. The following statements prove to me we have learned very little in six years.

General Petraeus in his Iraq War report to Congress, when asked by a Republican senator, could not say that this country is safer because of what we have done in Iraq! He could not say this war was worth the lives that have been and will be lost.

A Buncombe County official interviewed by WLOS TV used the worn out line that it is better that we " fight them over there rather than over here." I am sick of such arrogant language to justify our self-serving attack on Iraq. That kind of talk says we have no concern for the millions of dead and displaced Iraqis.

I saw two of the despicable TV ads encouraging us to "not surrender" in Iraq. One of them tied Iraq to 9-11, which everyone knows is a lie. The other ad featured a soldier calling this country our "sacred USA." As a Christian I resent the use of that word in describing a geopolitical nation. By definition, sacred means "devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose." What kind of deity are we following that would lead us to implement the policies that this deranged administration has put into place - it is for sure not the God of the Bible known through the Prince of Peace! And this President, who believes that God led him to invade Iraq, and to stay there indefinitely, also is following a different God than the one known through Jesus Christ!

Another reason to grieve on 9/11

abpnews.com