5B
RELlGlON/rfie Cjwrlottt $eit
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Nigerian places of worship attacked
Continued from page SB
the town, throwing rocks and
pillaging and setting fire to
churches and attacking
pedestrians, singling out stu
dents of the opposite faith.
The mayhem continued until
Wednesday morning, when
police reinforcements were,
deployed.
Ten places of worship,
mainly churches, and several
vicarages and Christian-
owned businesses were badly
damaged during the rioting,
a police official said, speaking
on condition of anonymity.
The pohce officer said at
least one person was reported
killed. Other witnesses spoke
of seeing at least five bodies
on otherwise abandoned
streets.
Mutual suspicions between
Muslims and Christians in
Nigeria have deepened since
a dozen northern state gov
ernments began applying
strict Islamic or Sharia law in
the past three years, spark
ing periodic bouts of sectari
an violence.
More than 10,000 people
have been killed in poUtical,
rehgious and ethnic violence
in this country of 126 miUion
since President Olusegun
Obasanjo was first elected in
1999 ending more than 15
years of brutal niilitary rule.
(§xm Jfuneral ^erbice
-Since 1930-
How sincere are we in showing our thanks?
Continued from page SB
that same-sex couples are
legally entitled to wed under
the state constitution.
• America has gone to war
against Iraq out of fear of
weapons of mass destruc
tion. (Although no weapons
of mass destruction have
been found.)
• In Alabama the statue of
the Ten Commandments
was moved from public prop
erty.
• The Federal Commimi-
cation Commission has
approved the use of the “F’
word for use on any TV show
or radio program, anytime
day or night. The FCC said
the word could be used
whenever desired, as long as
it is used as an adjective or
expletive to emphasize an
exclamation, such as an
insult. They said it couldn’t
be used in sexual situations.
It’s funny that right after
Sept. 11, 2001 that the Pres
ident was quoting the Bible
on television. Billboards and
signs even on restaurant
boards said things like “God
Bless America.” And God did
bless America He allowed
the country to continue to
Critics of Gibson film received hate mail
By Rachel Zoll
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK— Two scholars who have criti
cized Mel Gibson’s film on the crucifixion of
Jesus Christ said Thursday they have received
hate mail in response to their comments.
Sister Mary Boys, a professor at Union The
ological Seminary in New York, said she has
received harassing phone calls, hate mail by
post and has saved about 85 e-mails from Gib
son supporters.
Paula Fredriksen, a Boston University pro
fessor, said she had also been targeted, caUing
the missives ''diive-by e-mail.”
The women made the comments at a panel
discussion about "The Passion of Christ” at a
national meeting of the Anti-Defamation
League. The organization’s national director,
Abraham Foxman, has been among the most
vocal critics of the film, which is scheduled to
be released on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25.
"If the debate triggers that kind of response,
what response will the movie trigger?” Foxman
said during the talk.
Gibson’s spokesman, Alan Nierob, did not
return a call for comment.
Many conservative Christians who have
Poll: American public evenly split on
whether gays can change sexual orientation
By Will Lester
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - The U.S.
pubhc is evenly divided on
whether gays and lesbians
can alter their sexual orien
tation, with white evangeli
cals the most likely to think
homosexuals can change, a
poll released 'Ihesday found.
Most Americans, 55 per
cent, say they feel that homo-
sexuahty is a sin, while 33
percent do not. Nine in 10
highly committed white
evangelicals and nearly
three-quarters of black
Protestants say homosexual
behavior is sinful.
"Evangehcals are far more
likely to say homosexuals
can change, (Roman)
Catholics and mainline
Protestants fall in the middle
and more secular people are
most likely to say they can
not change,” said Scott
Keeter, a pollster with the
Pew Research Center for the
People and the Press, which
conducted the survey on atti
tudes about homosexuals.
The poll also found that
opposition to gay marriage
has grown since midsummer,
with 32 percent favoring it
and 59 percent opposing it.
In July, 53 percent said they
opposed gay marriage.
Massachusetts’ highest
court ruled Tuesday that
same-sex couples are legally
entitled to wed under the
state constitution, but
stopped short of allowing
marriage licenses to be
issued to the couples who
challenged a ban on gay mar
riage. The Supreme Judicial
Court’s 4-3 ruhng ordered
the state Legislature to come
up with a solution within 180
days.
The poll reinforced the find
ing that religious attitudes
sharply affect feelings about
gays. Those with a high level
of religious commitment
oppose gay marriage by 80
percent to 12 percent.
Bush oppose gay marriage,
while those who prefer-that a
Democrat win the presidency
are evenly split on the ques
tion.
Younger adults were far
more likely to say they favor
gay marriage, while those
between ages 20 and 30 were
about evenly split. Opposi
tion grew steadily as people’s
age increased. Among those
in their 60s and 70s, oppo
nents outnumber supporters
by more than 4-to-l.
Americans with college
degrees were closely divided
on the question of gay mar
riage,. with 49 percent
opposed, and 44 percent in
favor of allowing that option.
Roughly half those polled
said they have unfavorable
opinions of gays and les
bians. But the survey found
widespread opposition to dis
crimination against homo
sexuals.
'The poll of 1,515 adults
was taken Oct. 15-19 by the
Pew Research Center on
behalf of the Pew Forum on
ReUgion and Public Life. The
survey has a margin of sam
pling error of plus or minus 3
percentage points.
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EMEmZER BAPTIST CHURCH
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[J
Buy an extra copy of
f osit” to share
with a friencj/
Four in five of those who
say they would vote to re
elect President George W.
move forward.
Unfortunately, I along with
my country moved forward
and thanked Him for his
provision with total disre
gard to His Word.
“SERVING THE FAMILY WITH DIGNITY
AND PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING”
Mr. John A McCarroll, President & Genera) Manager
Mr. J.B. Humphrey: CEO
attended private screenings of the film have
called it the most powerful depiction they have
seen of Jesus’ final hours. But Foxman and oth
ers say the portrayal of Jews in the events lead
ing to the crucifixion will promote the idea that
they were collectively responsible for Christ’s
death.
Fredriksen and Boys were among a group of
scholars who had read a script of the movie
earlier this year and wrote a report warning
that it contained historical errors and could
spark antiJewish prejudice.
Gibson’s representatives said the scholars
had stolen the script - which the scholars
denied - and that it did not reflect the final ver
sion of the film.
Boys said some of the e-mails she has
received since then have questioned her faith,
asking “Why have you turned on Jesus?”
One read: “You are the symbol of everything
that is wrong with the Catholic Church.” Some
contained "hard-core anti-Semitism,” she said.
Fredriksen said Gibson feels he is being per
secuted by the scholars, but she said their
intention was only to correct mistakes.
“He doesn’t understand the difference
between criticism and being attacked,” she
said.
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“THE DIVINE REVELATION OF CHRIST” - PART FIVE
J. M. LITTLE - TEACHER
When the Holy Spirit shines the Light (II Cor 4:3-6) into your mind and heart and
lets you see what a lost, ruined sinner you are, you wonder how you could be so
wicked and not be in hell already. Seeing all this under the illumination of the Holy
Spirit, you fall at the Feet of the Lord crying for mercy on the chief of sinners. The
Holy Spirit shows you that you put Christ to death. Have you ever seen that you
put Christ to death? I don't mean intellectually, but experimentally. Practically any
church member will tell you that all are r esponsible for the death of the Son of
God But, has the Holy Spirit driven the Word home to your heart and let you see
that you murdered the Son of God and no one is as guilty of this murder as
you7 It IS one thing to acknowledge that all are responsible for the death of the
Son of God, but it is altogether different when the Holy Spirit lets you see that you
are the one responsible for the death of the Son of God, At the same time the
Holy Spirit is growing a hunger in that sinner’s heart for Christ, whom he has
slain. And that is according toZech. 12:10. And the poor sinner weighted down
by his sins begins to long after Christ as One he must have or die. You come to
want Christ above all others And the Holy Spirit never offers Christ to a sinner
until that sinner wants Christ above ever ybody and everything! And when He
offers Christ to you, you gladly receive Him! You want Him only! That’ll hold true
100% Many of you have told me over the years that these doctrines I am
teaching are not taught in the churches in the main. I realize that, my friends. Our
church members, like the leaders, are just as worldly as they come And I would
not give you two cents a car load for the religious tommyrot in our churches
today The leaders do not know Christ,
■//ves in her own place
with her own stuff.
OZzcEe^ helps to make it possible.
“Margaret is 85 and sharp as a tack. But her health makes it
tough to get around, Tracie wants to help out in her
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them together. It’s people of different faiths who volunteer
to shop, cook, drive, or just check in on some of the
millions of Americans with long-term health needs.
If you’re like me and have wondered how you can
make a difference, volunteer with Faith in
Action. Find out more at (877) 324-841 I
or www.faithinaction.org. A neighbor’s
independence depends on you and me.”
fAITff
IN ACTION
— Della Reese. Entertainment Legend.
Faith in Action Believer.