Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Dec. 22, 2005, edition 1 / Page 14
Part of The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
■ mmm 6B RELIGION/C)e Clailatte $ot Thursday, December 22, 2005 Liberal Catholics, Protestants unite against Christmas stories Take care o By Richard N. Ostling 77/£ ASSOCIATE!) PRESS Hiere has been ample tumult about efforta by buai- nessee, cities and schools to avoid the label “Christmas” ot downplay seasonal obser vances, and much of the protest has ccnue from secular rather than church sources. lb many parishicwiers, per haps the more important Chinches are Protestant and Catholic scholars who doubt the entire Christmas story as recorded in the Bible and reg ularly get attention in TV documentaries and news arti cles. Various historical details are involved, but the central, long-running issue is the report in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke that Mary was a virgin who mirac ulously conceived through divine intervention emd gave birth to Jesus That debate is revived in “A Feminist Companion to Mar- iology,” edited by Vanderbilt University's Amy-Jill Levine. Though liberal Protestants at the United Church of Christ’s Pilgrim Press published this anthology, the lead skeptics are liberal Roman Catholics from church-related campus es: Jane Schaberg of the Uni versity of Detroit Mercy and John Dominic Crossan, a retired professor at Chicago’s DePaul University Nfeanwhile, popular- level defense of the Nativity stories are included in “The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity! of the Child in the Manger” (Zondervan) by evangelical writer Lee Strobel. In the feminist anthology, Schaberg updates her “The Illegitimacy of Jesus,” issued in 1990 by Crossroad, which specializes in Catholic and other religious titles. Schabeig dismisses miracu lous virginal conception (what Protestants call the ‘Virgin birth”) so she figures Mary was impregnated by someone other than Joseph before the rouple married. That raises three possibili ties: The unknown biological father raped Mary, he seduced her, or she chose to have sex with him and got pregnant. (dbnservatives protested graphic references to those scenarios by Den nis Leary in a sched uled CTuistmas weekend special on TV’s Comedy Central, and the U.S. Catholic bish ops’ president denounced the net work’s “ugly” and “especially offensive” treatment of Mary on the “South Park” show.) business Expand your customer base by advertising in The Post (7(H) 376-(H96 ADVERTISEMENT Schaberg theorizes that the story about Mary's pregnancy outside wedlock was making the rounds, so the early church invented the viiginal conception idea “under pres sure” fiom the existence of this scandalous “illegitimacy tradition.” Muslims seek order against searches THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BUFFALO—A group of Muslim-Americans has asked a federal judge to allow them to travel to a religious conference in Canada later this month without being fin gerprinted. photographed and held at the border, like they were on the way home fiom last year’s gathering. In a case that wei^is the government’s emti-terrorism efforts against the ri^ts of its citizens, the New York Clivil Liberties Union argued on the group’s behalf for a court order prohibiting bor der agents fix>m stopping and searching Muslim-Americans based solely on their atten dance at the annual “Reviv ing the Islamic Spirit” confer ence in Tbronto Dec. 23-29. Homeland Security officials acknowledged subjecting those who attended last year’s conference to lengthy security checks upon their return to the United States, but said they had reason to believe that people associated with terrorism planned to attend the conference or oth ers like it. NYCTjU attorney CTiristo- pher Dunn accused the gov ernment of trampling the plaintiffs’ right to practice religion in the name of home land security “We fully respect the gov ernment’s concerns about ter rorism. That does not mean, however, that the C!k)nstitu- tion disappears at the bor der,” Dunn said An attorney for the govern ment said that while the stops may have taken too long, border agents did what was necessary to protect the country in light of credible intelligence “The concern was not that they went to a rdigious con ference. The concern was that individuals, money, docu ments or weapons were going to get smuggled across the border,” said Anthony (Top- polino, who argued against the group’s request. The five plaintiffs, all New York residents, are among at least three dozen Muslim- American men and women who were corralled for as long as 6 1/2 hours at two western New York border crossings while trying to re-enter the United States by car. The Prophet’s Column, Inc. 9626 Feldbank Drive Charlotte, NC 28216-2131 December, 2005 Newsletter - Part III J.M. Little, Teacher A Bible teacher said years ago: "That is the Xmas Tree!" She was right. And what did the Lord say about it? "LEARN NOT THE WAY OF THE HEATHEN." The heathen, old Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah, started this celebration. You ask: "Bro. Little, do you think I am a heathen because I celebrate Xmas?" Well, that is what the heathen did, and it is a good sign you are. You may say you don't bow down to the idol. Hold it! When you place that gift under the tree, you bow down. See, you didn't know that you were bowing down to the heathen god, did you? The Jews were in Babylonian captivity during this time. You look forward to the Xmas celebration, but you do not look forward to the Coming of Christ. A person will talk about what or whom he loves. Now, what are you talking about in your daily life? For more than three decades I've been making it personal how Christ is real to my heart and I long for Him to be real to your heart. I would you wanted Christ instead of the Xmas Tree. There is no salvation in your heathen customs. How dare you link the Name of our blessed Lord in the muck and mire, the idoltry of Nimrod! I plead with you to depart from it. The Lord's Command is: "Come ye out from among them and touch not the unclean thing." What will you do about it? You may say like a co-worker of mine years ago when I was playing the radio at the office and Bro. Shelton asked that question. My co-worker said sarcastically: "I'm going out and buy me a Xmas present." My answer was then and now: "Go on and buy it and go to hell." Weeping Willow AME Zion Church “Moving Fnm Saltation To Discipicship" 2220 Mikoi Rd. • Ouikiltc. Noth Carolina 2S2I5 Moniinf WonUp; 8:10 AM ll.-0«AM Swida.v School: 9:J«AM Wtd. PratM & Pnycr: 7KH PM (7W)532-911S 'THE CaiittCU THAT CARES" Jfirst Jit. Hion ?^aptist Cljurcl) 1515 Remount Rd. • (Tel.)332-8335 (Fax)372-7548 . . 28208 ' .4 Sunday Morning Worship Services... 8:30 - 9:30 - 11:00am Sunday School 9:45- 10:45am Singles Ministries (Mon.) 6:30 - 7:30pm Senior Citizens (Mon.) 10:30 - 4:00pni V Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9:00am - 4:00pm Dr. C.V. Owen? You are cordially invited to worship with us! (^rccnlHllf ftlciHonal Sl.iil.l!:. 3on Cljiirrl) ‘*A Teaching Ministn Making Spiritual Dfeidples" Sunday Worship Service 10A.M. Sunday School 9A.M. BiWe Study: Tuesday 7 P.M. & Wednesday 12 Noon Clilld Devek)pmt'nt Center 6116 Montieth Dr. Charli'ttc, NC 28213 (Ph) 704-5964742 (Fax) 704-597-8314 “A Word of Hope” Television Mini.stry Wednesdays @ 8 p.m. Channel! 21 (Public Access TV) Rev. Dr. Sheldon R. Shipman, Senior Pa.stur Greater Gethsemane A.M.E. Zion Church "Ihe Oiunfi nftfi the Community at Heaf 531 Campus Street • Chartotte, NC 28216 gonws-sm - Fax 372-0614 Worship Services: SAM 11AM Sunday School: 9:30AM Bible Study: Wed. 10:30AM a 7PM Daycare & Afterschool Available E-mail: gam€z531@tellsoittfLnet The Reverend CaMn L Milter • Pastor Reverend Karen Roberts Miller - Spouse Greater Myers Chapel PENTECOSTAL FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES - You’re Invited to Worship With Us - Intercessory Prayer. 8:30ani Victory in the Word 9:lSam Worship l():30am Sunday Evening Total Praise 7:00pm Hour of Power/l'iitorial avail.Wed....7:(K)pm Visit our WebSite: www.greatermyerschapel.org 6(M) Jordan Place, Charlotte, NC 28205 “WAR Fellowship Ministry Covenant Partner” For Van Ministry 704-377-1799 KAPtltl ( M.l At' .smv I lis last comniandmrnt is our first mrwwnlutombcofg assignuicnt. Missionary Baptist Church Wortkip Soadfty BahoolJ.. - tiODua • IliOOua • AJtpoi I ■ I W»hMiwfay -.Jfoeti Day Waraklp Study,.11:00 I Bvaniug Worship Study| CUffbrd JfaIfkMM, Ptufor • 37^9690 1600 Norris Avo. • ChprioUo, NC 26206 • PAX: 375-6397 Macedonia Baptist Church of CHARLOTTE, INC. 'A MiHiiU'i at Love and ExctlUnce’ Dr. John H. VC^alker, Pastor df Ministery Rosie VC^alker .Vr«' Sunday 10am Worship Experience “Family First Worship" "As For Me and My House We Shall Worship The Lord" SUNDAY * Physical Food - (serving breakl^.) * Spiritual food - Clhristian Education School 9 am. * Main Courae - "Familv Fir« Wonhip" 10 xm. WEDNESDAY "Hour of (Vjwer” .Midday Worship 12 Noon W.O.W - Word On Wednesday Bible Scudy. 6:30 p.tn. TVand RADIO BROADCAST MINISTRY: CMPAC 21 • THa^in* • Refoicc Radio 1370am • Wed. 10:45a 704-392-8496 *1300 Haitcras Ave..» www.macedoniaoh;hariottc.urg St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church Senacce Sat., December 24th, 11:00 P.M. into Christmas Day Senmee Sal., December 31, 11:0(7 P.M. into New Years Day No Sunday 10:30 service December 25, 2005, or January 1, 2(506 4228 Hovis Rd„ Charlotte, NC 28208 • 704-399-3151 ~ Rev. Wendell Phillips, Pastor - SIMPSON-GILLESPIE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH JI Open Hearts. Open .Hinds. Open Doors" -Join Us For Service - Ij iunday School, 9:30ani • Sunday Worship, llani Wednesday: Bible Snidy. 'pm ^1 1st & 3td Saiuniay: 'Coniemporan' Worship," 6pm...".|eans .Mloaed' Rev. 'Walter Pegues. Pastor 3545 Beatties Fd Rd, Char., .NC 28216 •704-399-27r • Van.Minisln “We Can Do All Things Through Christ '^'bo Strengthens Us” Come Share the Vision and Share the Journey Sunday Worship Services 8:00 am and 10:45 am Sunday School 9:30 am ^ ...km Reeder Memorial Baptist Church 3725 Beatties Ford Road Charlotte, North Carolina 28216 www.reederchurch.org PARKWOOD INSTITUTIONAL Christian Meihcxlist Episcopal Church 802 Tom Hunter Road • Charlotte. NC 28213 704-9214915 (Ph) • 7(4-9214917 (Fajc) Wedsile: w^^.parkwoodcme.c"oni Sunday Worship 8:00 & 11:00 AM Sunday School 9:30 AM Bible Study Wednesday 12 Noon Thursday 6:30 PM TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE Roderick D. Lewis. Sr. Pastor Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church . “A Church Putting Love Into Action” 700 SUGAR CREEK ROAD. WEST CHARLOTTE. NORTH CAROLINA 28213 Sunday Church School 9:30a.m. Worship Service 11 ;00a.m. and 6:00p.m. Baptist Training Union 5:00p.m. Prayer Meeting & Bible Study Wedneiiays 7:30pm Office 1704)596-7935 • Fax (704)596-1204 Residence (704)597-1249 St. Paul Baptist Church Our Purpose: “To convince the unconvinced to be convinced and make disciples" Sunday Worship at 7:30 A.M. and 10:30 A.M. Sunday Morning Breakfast 8:45 A.M. Sunday School at 9:25 A.M. -10:25 A.M. Radio Broadcast Sunday 11:00 A.M. (1370 A.M. Dial) Bible Study Wed. 12 Noon - 6:45 P.M. - 800 P.M. Youth CJiurch 2nd & 3rd Sunday 10:30 A.M. 1401 North Allen Street, Charlotte. NC 28205 Office: 704-334-5309 (jn^oty K-Moss & Pastor
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 22, 2005, edition 1
14
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75