Witch School Opens in Salem, Mass.

As was discussed on this blog a few months ago, Witch School announced that it planned to relocate to Salem, Mass.

Witch School, which is a school offering courses on Wicca and other forms of Paganism recently announced that it will be opening its doors in Salem, Massachusetts.

Witch School originally opened its doors in Roseville, Illinois in 2003 boasting a student enrollment of over 120,000 and now is the most trafficked Pagan website in the world.

Wisconsin Federal Judge Rules Day Of Prayer Unconstitutional

A federal judge in Wisconsin ruled yesterday that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.

According to WCCO in Minneapolis, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb in Wisconsin stated in her ruling, "the government can no more enact laws supporting a day of prayer than it can encourage citizens to fast during Ramadan, attend a synagogue or practice magic. 'In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual's decision whether and when to pray.'"

Joyce Meyer: Jesus Would Have Owned a Jet

Russia: Iran's Nuke Reactor Ready In August

According to a Reuters report yesterday, Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russia's state-controlled nuclear corporation said,

"The launch is scheduled for August. We're on schedule." Bushehr doesn't threaten the regime of nonproliferation in any way. No one has any concerns about Bushehr."

Temple for the worship of dogs built in India

A oneindia piece titled, "People build a temple for dog in Karnataka," reports that Hindus in India have decided to build a temple dedicated to the worship of the dog.

According to the piece, "The common dog has been raised to the status of God in Channapatna's Ramanagar district, where the people not only have built a temple for the animal but are also conducting poojas to the dog-God. Besides idolising the dog for its faithful nature, the worshippers believe that the dog has the capability of donning a far more grave and unplayful avatar, when needed, to stop any wrongdoing or to set things right. This aggressive animal is believed to work alongside the village deity. There are two idols in the temple representing the two faces of the animal."

Iran: if Iran is Attacked Nukes Will Go Off in U.S. Cities

Debkafile had a rather disturbing story yesterday titled "Tehran: If Iran is attacked, nuclear devices will go off in American cities."

According to Debkafile, Iranian leaders said, "If the US strikes Iran with nuclear weapons, there are elements which will respond with nuclear blasts in the centers of America's main cities." The piece goes on to say, "For the first time, Debkafile's military sources report, Tehran indicated the possibility of passing nuclear devices to terrorists capable of striking inside the United States."

Equally disturbing is this statement from Debkafile's military source, "Although Iran has yet to attain operational nuclear arms, our military sources believe it does possess the makings of primitive nuclear devices or 'dirty bombs.'"

A Muslim and a Christian Talk About Jesus

Dr. Jeff Crawford, Senior Pastor of Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas posted a very interesting piece on his blog today.

Grand Avenue Baptist Church hosted a very interesting event yesterday: a debated between a Muslim and Christian apologist, James Walker.

Crawford stated of the event,

"Last night, our church did something that has never been done in our 75+ year history: we hosted a live 2 hour “debate” between a Christian and a Muslim. The topic was Jesus. In fact, I have not known of any church to host, in their own facilities, anything like what we did last night. I am sure somebody has done it but it certainly is not common. We had over 600 people show up to witness the exchange. For two FULL and fast paced hours, James Walker (president of Watchman Fellowship) and Khalil Meek (president and CEO of the Muslim Legal Fund of America) went head-to-head in a warm and civil discussion about Jesus. I found the whole exercise fascinating. Over 150 questions were text messaged into our system. Unfortunately time only allowed for a handful of those to be addressed."

Evangelical Seminary Professor Endorses Evolution and Leaves Seminary

Dr. Bruce Waltke, Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary has reportedly left the seminary over the issue of Evolution.

According to USA Today, Dr. Waltke made a statement in a recent video in which he "not only endorsed evolution, but said that evangelical Christianity could face a crisis for not coming to accept science."

According to the USA Today piece Waltke said, "If the data is overwhelmingly in favor of evolution, to deny that reality will make us a cult ... some odd group that is not really interacting with the world. And rightly so, because we are not using our gifts and trusting God's Providence that brought us to this point of our awareness."

Witch Killed Man as Apparent "Sacrifice"

CBS News reports that a woman involved in Wicca evidently killed a man as her "sacrifice."

According to the CBS story, "Angela Sanford, an Albuquerque woman thought to be a practitioner of modern witchcraft, killed a man in an apparent sacrifice, authorities say. A detective reviewing Sanford's cell phone said the victim's phone number was actually programmed under the word 'sacrifice.'"

Atheist Evangelist Preaches at Atheist Church in Dallas

Atheist evangelist, Brother Sam Singleton, recently preached at the atheist North Texas Church of Freethought according to the church's website. That statement sounds like a caricature, but it is apparently true.

According to the church's website, "BROTHER SAM SINGLETON will be performing at the April 4th Regular Monthly Service of the NTCOF! You can find out about the ministry of Brother Sam, the Atheist Evangelist, at http://www.samsingleton.com/Foyer.html which includes videos of his preaching. It will be noticed that Brother Sam, like the "Holy Bible" itself, frequently includes profanity and sexual references in his material. But the presentation for the NTCOF on April 4th will be family friendly without such references.

Atheist group places billboard on busy highway in Springdale, Arkansas

KFSM in Northwest Arkansas had an interesting story yesterday.

According to the KFSM story the atheist group, Northwest Arkansas Coalition for Reason, placed a billboard along the busy highway in Springdale, Arkansas.

I find it interesting that atheist groups refer to themselves as "Free Thinkers" and a "Coalition for Reason" inferring of course that theists do not think for themselves and are unreasonable. Ironically, it seems that the atheists are becoming more and more engaged in proselytizing as evidenced by the recent rash of billboards, the birth of atheist churches such as the North Texas Church of Freethought and even an atheist evangelist.

Emerging Church Leader Brian McLaren Blasts Evangelicals and Wonders Why They 'Dislike' Him

Brian McLaren, who in my view, fancies himself as some sort of modern-day Reformer, is wondering why Evangelicals "don't like him." McLaren has been a leading critic of Evangelicals urging them to reconsider their position on issues such as who Jesus is and homosexuality and embrace more liberal positions on these issues.

Newsbusters has a very interesting piece on McLaren titled, "Liberal Preacher McLaren Blasts Evangelicals; Wonders Why They Dislike Him." Not surprisingly, McLaren, blames the "authoritative" leaders of the religious right for Evangelicals' disliking of him as if Evangelicals cannot think for themselves. McLaren's blaming conservative Evangelical leaders for his unpopularity is reminiscient of the tactic liberals have used in politics recently in blaming George W. Bush for all that is wrong in the world. McLaren who routinely labels his critics would likely resist labels on himself, but interestingly, it appears that he is now closely tied to the left as evidenced not only by his beliefs, but also by his writing for the liberal blog, The Huffington Post. Hence, perhaps McLaren is not some kind of new Christian at all, but is a liberal.

New Age guru, Deepak Chopra, says his meditation caused earthquake

New Age guru, Deepak Chopra, is receiving some criticism due to his absurd remarks regarding the recent earthquake in Southern California.

Chopra said this on Twitter on April 4, "Had a powerful meditation just now - caused an earthquake in Southern California."

UNCONFIRMED REPORT: IRANIAN LEADER MAY BE IN CRITICAL CARE AFTER CAR EXPLODES

Joel Rosenberg published a blog piece today that is shocking!

According to Rosenberg, "Pars TV, a Farsi-language satellite TV network, first reported that the Ayatollah Khamenei was critically wounded by a car explosion. The reporter was Mr. Morteza Lutfi who broadcasts from Paris using first-hand accounts from sources inside Iran. Akbar Hashemi Mr. Rafsanjani, a top Iranian official, has reportedly travelled to the city of Ahvaz to visit Khamenei. 'I just watched Pars TV news at 2pm [eastern],' wrote an Iranian national that I know and trust in an email I just received. 'The reporter in the U.S. while talking to Mr. Lutfi in Paris was explaining to the viewers that the explosion report has not been officially confirmed yet and the validity of the report is at this time uncertain….Mr. Lutfi, who is a well-respected reporter, was very offended and reassured the Pars TV reporter and the viewers that his information is always valid otherwise he would not report it.'"

Rosenberg concluded by cautioning his readers on the story's validity at this point.

Congressman Cantor received death threat from Muslim convert

Pamela Geller posted an interesting blog piece at Bigjournalism.com that probably has not been reported widely.

Apparently, U.S. Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA) was issued a death threat by Muslim convert, Norma Leboon.

According to Geller's piece, Leboon stated in his YouTube video, "Remember Eric…our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given. You are a liar, you’re a Lucifer, you’re a pig, a greedy [expletive deleted] pig. You’re an abomination. You receive my bullets in your office. Remember they will be placed in your heads. You and your children are Lucifer’s abominations."

CIA says Iran can now produce nuclear weapons

The Washington Times published a story yesterday that is quite chilling. According to the piece, the CIA in its annual report to Congress stated, "Iran continues to develop a range of capabilities that could be applied to producing nuclear weapons, if a decision is made to do so."

The piece also noted that Iran "producing more capable medium-range ballistic missiles remains one of its highest priorities. Three test flights of a new 1,240-mile-range Sejil missile were conducted in 2009, the report said, noting that assistance from China, North Korea and Russia 'helped move Iran toward self-sufficiency in the production of ballistic missiles.'"

US researchers postulate Israeli tactical nuclear strike on Iran

Debkafile has a very informative piece today regarding the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.

According to the Debkafile piece, "Scenarios of a potential Israeli attack on Iran - usually without Washington's assent - abound in leading US media in the last 24 hours....Debkafile's military sources point in particular to the work of two eminent experts on Iran's nuclear program, Anthony Cordesman and American-Jordanian Abdullah Toqan for the Washington Institute for Strategic Affairs, who report the belief in some American military circles that '…nuclear weapons are the only weapons that can destroy targets deep underground or in tunnels'… In their latest work, the two researchers find that 'Ballistic missiles or submarine-launched cruise missiles [such as those with which Israeli Dolphin submarines are armed] could serve for Israeli tactical nuclear strikes without interference from Iranian air defenses.'"

Certainly no one knows who will initiate the next clash in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, but it is for certain that the conflict is becoming a big concern to many people and it seems almost a given that the conflict will erupt into a major military battle probably sooner rather than later.

Televangelist Benny Hinn Confronts Joel Osteen

Skeptic Challenges Famous Guru to Kill him on TV

The UK's Times Online had an interesting story yesterday.

Apparently, famous tantric guru, Pandit Surender Sharma, said in a television interview that he could kill another man using his mystical powers. Skeptic, Sanal Edamaruku, answered the challenge from the guru requesting him to use his mystical powers to kill him. According to the Times Online, "First, the master chanted mantras, then he sprinkled water on his intended victim. He brandished a knife, ruffled the sceptic’s hair and pressed his temples. But after several hours of similar antics, Mr Edamaruku was still very much alive — smiling for the cameras and taunting the furious holy man."

The incident is still on Youtube.

Israel's Ynet News: US shipping arms ahead of strike on Iran

Ynet News in Israel has an interesting story today.

According to the Ynet News piece, the Scottish newspaper, The Herald, reported that "the American government signed a contract in January to transport 10 ammunition containers to the island. According to a cargo manifest from the US navy, this included 387 “Blu” bombs used for blasting hardened or underground structures."

The Ynet News piece also said, "The report quoted experts as saying that the bombs are being put in place for an assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities. According to the newspaper, although Diego Garcia is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, it is used by the US as a military base under an agreement made in 1971. The report said Superior Maritime Services, a shipping company based in Florida, , will be paid $699,500 to transport many thousands of military items from Concord, California, to Diego Garcia. The cargo includes 195 smart, guided, Blu-110 bombs and 192 massive 2000lb Blu-117 bombs, said The Herald."

Christian Minister turned Atheist Activist

The Age published an interesting story about Dan Barker, the co-President of the atheist group, Freedom Religion Foundation.

Barker was a Christian and a minister for 19 years of his life until 1984 when he announced to his friends that he decided to be an atheist.

The Age piece paints a not so surprising picture of how Barker went from Christian minister to atheist activist. The piece states, "Exposure to more liberal Christians pushed him from preaching hellfire and damnation. Then, in his early 30s, he studied theology, philosophy, history and science. Slowly, his beliefs began to unravel."

Southern Baptist Church Hosting Point-Counter-Point Dialogue Between a Muslim and a Christian

Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas will be hosting a most interesting event. On Sunday, April 11 the church will host a point-counter-point between Christian apologist and President of Watchman Fellowship, James K. Walker and Muslim and CEO of the Muslim Legal Fund of America, Khalil Meek. The point-counter-point will deal with Jesus, the cross and the resurrection.

Senior Pastor of Grand Avenue Baptist Church, Dr. Jeff Crawford, announced the event on his blog today saying, "For two hours, on April 11^th, James Walker and Khalil Meek will go head-to-head, each sharing their story and then engaging in a point-counter point dialogue over the topic: Jesus, the Cross, and the Resurrection (remember, this is the week AFTER Easter.) We have already received word from groups within an hours driving radius that are interested in coming to this event. We will be inviting the congregations of both Islamic Centers in Fort Smith as well as the Mormon community. Needless to say, I am extremely excited that Grand will be hosting this unique event where the clear message of Jesus Christ will be proclaimed."

This could be an event that many Evangelical churches would be interested in hosting for their city.

The church has also produced a TV commercial of the event that is being broadcast on the local stations.

Is Joel Osteen the New Face of Christianity?

The UK's Guardian has an interesting story today about American Christianity. The Guardian apparently believes Osteen is the new face of Evangelical Christianity.

According to the Guardian, "Powerful politicians from both parties crave to be seen with him, just as in the past they paid homage to Billy Graham (who has endorsed Osteen). The Republican governor of Texas, Rick Perry, made sure to attend the grand opening of Lakewood in July 2005; Osteen in turn led the prayer during Perry's inauguration two years later. But Osteen doesn't pick political favourites; when Houston elected its first openly gay mayor this year (a Democrat), he said the prayer during her inauguration. The Clintons like to be seen worshipping at Lakewood when they're in town, and John McCain was happy to sing the praises of Osteen while campaigning in 2008. And while Obama is yet to pay a visit, last December he found the time to receive Osteen at the White House. These disparate and often opposed politicians recognise one thing: if anybody is the face of evangelical Christianity in America today, it is Joel Osteen."

The way the Guardian article begins, however, is most interesting. The piece says, "Forget Billy Graham and Jimmy Swaggart – the most popular and influential pastor in the US is Joel Osteen. On the surface he is modest and quietly spoken, but his belief in the 'prosperity gospel' is changing the way people pray."

It's interesting that the piece notes Osteen's Word-Faith theology because that may be something about Osteen that many people are unaware of.

Has Emerging Church Leader Brian McLaren Endorsed Homosexuality?

In the January 23, 2006 edition of Christianity Today's Leadershipjournal.net, Emerging Church leader, Brian McLaren, made this statement in regards to whether or not homosexuality is immoral, "Perhaps we need a five-year moratorium on making pronouncements. In the meantime, we'll practice prayerful Christian dialogue, listening respectfully, disagreeing agreeably. When decisions need to be made, they'll be admittedly provisional. We'll keep our ears attuned to scholars in biblical studies, theology, ethics, psychology, genetics, sociology, and related fields. Then in five years, if we have clarity, we'll speak; if not, we'll set another five years for ongoing reflection. After all, many important issues in church history took centuries to figure out. Maybe this moratorium would help us resist the "winds of doctrine" blowing furiously from the left and right, so we can patiently wait for the wind of the Spirit to set our course."

Evidently, McLaren's 5-year moratorium is over in less than 5 years. In a piece in The Washington Post, McLaren said, "Since I come from an Evangelical background, most of my good friends sincerely and passionately hold the strict conservative view on homosexuality with which we all were raised. They can't understand why I don't stand side by side with them on this issue any more."

Psychic Charged with Investor Fraud

Sean David Morton, a self-proclaimed psychic who calls himself, "America's Prophet" was arrested recently and charged with investor fraud. Apparently, "America's Prophet" says he was able to predict stock market changes and therefore could bring a great profit to his clients.

According to the ABC News piece, Morton said, "I have called all the highs and lows of the market, giving exact dates for rises and crashes over the last 14 years." But he apparently could not foresee that the SEC was going to catch him.