Shortly after the world learned of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Nashville’s WSMV carried a message from Rev. Pat Robertson that alarmed many locals, some of whom distanced themselves from Robertson’s vision of Christianity.
Mere hours after the island nation was devastated by the quake, Robertson suggested on his “700 Club” program Wednesday night that the disaster was payback for a “pact with the Devil” that Haitian slaves made to gain their independence from France more than 200 years ago:
“Something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it,” the televangelist said. “And they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said, ‘We will serve you if you’ll get us free from the French.’ True story. And so the Devil said, ‘Okay, it’s a deal.’ . . . But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after another.”
Here’s what area bloggers are saying about Rev. Robertson’s views:
1) The majority of Christians do not agree with this statement. I can’t think of any that I know, and I’d love to say that no other Christian agrees with this, but I also know that a lot of people watch Pat Robertson’s show, so there are probably many who do agree with him. But in the majority, Christians think Pat Robertson is wrong about this.
Even worse, WSMV airs Robertson’s program right after The Today Show. Last time I was at my doctor’s office, they had The Today Show on in the waiting room. As we waited, the programming switched over to the 700 Club. I was appalled at what I heard. Although the waiting room was full, I asked everyone in the room if they minded if I changed the channel. Universally, to a person, they all expressed great relief. No one wants to hear that crap, WSMV. If they do, let them hunt for it on community access.
I don’t mean to be flippant, but if the got Pat Robertson worships would do this to the people of Haiti, and that’s what he’s claiming, that his god actively did this–not just sat back and let it happen or that it’s all part of some plan or we just don’t understand or whatever stuff we tell ourselves to try to reconcile these kinds of tragedies–but actively and deliberately did this, how can you tell the difference between that god and the Devil?
I would say that Pat’s comments oppressed any Haitian that would have heard them. I’m sure that some Christians out there are not giving to help the Haitians because Pat Robertson implied it was because of their satanic activities that they were killed or wounded. That is the height of absurdity but some people will believe that. If even one person doesn’t give because of Pat’s words then he and Pat are violating the first part of that proverb.
The ACLU threatened to file a lawsuit on behalf of a student who felt pressured to take part in an official school event where Gideon Bibles were given to school children by public school officials.
The ACLU is constantly battling public school officials across the state of Tennessee who show little regard for religious freedoms and liberties protected by the United States Constitution.
In November, the ACLU filed suit against Cheatham County Schools alleging school officials distributed Bibles in class rooms, allowed teachers to lead Christian-based prayers and school-sponsored prayers at official school events.
The agreement prohibits all Wilson County Schools employees from “promoting, endorsing and acquiescing in the distribution of Bibles to students of the Wilson County Schools on school grounds during school hours.” Wilson County school officials had previously allowed representatives from The Gideons International to distribute Bibles containing the books of the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs to fifth-grade students during school hours at Carroll-Oakland Elementary School.
“Decisions about religion should be left in the hands of families and faith communities, not public school officials,” said Edmund J. Schmidt III, an ACLU cooperating attorney. “The vital constitutional principle of religious liberty is best protected when the government stays out of religion. Students and their families cannot feel comfortable expressing their religious beliefs when their teachers and administrators are imposing their own particular religious beliefs.”
(via WPLN) A new study by Lifeway, the Nashville-based publisher of the Southern Baptist Convention, finds two thirds of America’s pastors believe Islam is a dangerous religion.
The study further validates the fact that the more educated a pastor is the more likely they are to not believe Islam is dangerous.
Pollsters say they weren’t shocked to hear a majority of preachers agree with the statement “Islam is a dangerous religion.” Ed Stetzer is director of LifeWay Research, which conducted the poll.
“To me, the surprise was the difference in opinion was so stark between evangelicals and mainline pastors.”
More than three-fourths of the evangelical ministers polled either somewhat or strongly agreeing Islam is dangerous. By comparison, less than half of the other protestant ministers felt the same way. And many more of them said they “strongly disagree” with the statement.
And the more educated a pastor is, the less likely he is to agree Islam is a dangerous religion.
Angel Tree and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots, two of the nation’s largest holiday gift programs, require parents to produce Social Security numbers for themselves and their children, along with proof of income and personal identification. The local leader of one group said such policies protect the programs from fraud and satisfy donors who want to be sure only local families are being helped.
But the result is that children, some of them U.S. citizens, are excluded because of immigration decisions beyond their control.
“It makes you wonder how many thousands of children here in Nashville, who were born here and live here, don’t have Christmas because this is the way these programs work,” said Melissa Garcia, a Nashville mother who discovered the program rules this year when she applied.
AuntB wants donors to these programs to be more like Jesus and allow anyone who shows up for toys to take what they please.
Oh, I know. Rules are rules. Surely, Jesus would understand that it’s better that some kids get no toys than it is for a few kids to get too many. I’m sure that’s what happened during the miracle of the loaves and fishes–the disciples just didn’t give food to the most vulnerable, desperate kids, in order to ensure that the kids of con artists wouldn’t get too much.
Oh, wait, that’s not what happened at all.
They had five loaves and two fish and yet somehow that was enough to feed the multitude. Even the jackasses, and you know every crowd has them.
The Portland Chamber of Commerce this year had a tough time interesting local businesses and residents to celebrate the birthday of Jesus by entering the annual Christmas parade, so they canceled it.
A majority of the 13 parade entries the Portland Chamber of Commerce received were churches, a little too lite on the Santa quota for the Portland Chamber of Commerce.
Amy Wald, president of the Portland Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the parade, told News 2 “that’s just not enough entries to make a parade.”
Churches, schools and some businesses have sponsored floats in the past.
There were 30 participants last year and Wald believes the drop this year may be due to the economy.
“That’s one thing I’m hearing,” she said. “People just don’t have the resources like they have had in the past to put floats together.”
Wald said the majority of entries she received this year were churches.
Jim Tucker, 47, was arrested in Lawrence County on allegations of sexual misconduct by an authority figure at Summertown High School.
Tucker, who is also the director of the Tabernacle Music Ministries, was recently hired to be Summertown High’s band director.
Tucker’s Facebook page says his interests are: “Christian music, Deer hunting, Vehicle extrication, Smallmouth bass fishing, the mountains.” His favorite book is the Bible, and one of his favorite quotes is from his dad: “What goes around comes around.”
Tucker’s bond hearing was hours ago in Lawrence County. The Lawrence County School Board will issue a statement within the hour.
UPDATE 1:15pm: Here’s a statement from Lawrence County Schools:
Director of Schools Bill Heath was made aware of allegations against an employee Tuesday afternoon. In accordance to Tennessee Code and Lawrence County School System Policies, the employee has been suspended pending the outcome of the law enforcement investigation. Additional employee actions may be taken at the conclusion of the current investigation and any legal proceedings that may follow.
Controversy at Ole Miss’ over the song “From Dixie with Love” has gotten the attention of the state’s Ku Klux Klan. They aren’t happy that Ole Miss’ has demanded students stop shouting “the South will rise again” during the song at games.
They’ll be the ones in the white hoods, most likely.
Shane Tate, the North Mississippi great titan for the Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, confirmed via e-mail the KKK will rally on Ole Miss’ campus in protest of the Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones’ decision to remove “From Dixie with Love” from the Ole Miss band’s song selection.
…
“We are coming to Ole Miss to say enough is enough on attacking our Christian, southern heritage and culture, and it’s time for every person to have a right to freedom of speech,” Tate said.
Lago confirmed Ole Miss has been contacted by the KKK and said the group has the right to voice its opinions as long as it doesn’t interfere with university activity or the personal rights of others.
“We aren’t coming there to cause problems or cause trouble,” Tate said. “Trouble has already been caused by a handful at Ole Miss, including the black student body president, who wants to shape Ole Miss into yet another liberal sodomite college.”
In a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Tennessee in the United States District Court of Middle Tennessee, the civil liberties group alleges Cheatham County’s public school system violated the United States Constitution by promoting Christianity to students.
The lawsuit alleges a “pattern and practice of the promotion and endorsement of religious activity” since at least 2001. The ACLU says school officials distributed Bibles in class rooms, allowed teachers to lead Christian-based prayers and school-sponsored prayers at official school events.
ACLU-TN only filed this lawsuit after six months of negotiations with the school district failed to produce any change in policy. In fact, based on reports from the Doe plaintiffs, it appears as if the school-sponsored religious activities have only increased during the current 2009-2010 academic year.
Hedy Weinberg , ACLU-TN Executive Director said, “It is unfortunate that we had to go to Court to protect religious freedom but we had no other choice. This pattern and practice of school-sponsored religious activities in Cheatham County erodes the principle of religious freedom that is so central to our democracy.”
It’s difficult for some people to understand how preventing use of tax-funded public institutions to promote religious beliefs ultimately protects our religious freedoms, but it doesn’t matter if Cheatham County school officials get it or not.
If Cheatham County school officials feel so strongly about their faith and so little about the rule of law, maybe they should consider working at a church or mosque or any other private institution where they can legally teach whatever beliefs they want about spiritual matters. Right now, Tennessee is having a hard enough time teaching math and science and lifting our state out of poverty and an embarrassing educational abyss.
As I said, Tucker’s biased reporting is typical of his history of covering faith-based issues. His comment that the sign advertises the belief that there is no God seems to be designed to incite drama where there may not be any. His bias is probably going to end up as an unintentional fundraising catalyst for a project that otherwise would have had less.
Just as amusing is a Channel 2 news report, which seems like it could have run on the Christian Broadcasting Network. (You can see it here.) In the teaser, Bob Mueller says, “A sign meant to drum up attention raises a few eyebrows–the advertisement against religion expected to spark a conversation among the faithful.” Well the advertisement is no more against religion than a sign for a church is against Judaism. But let’s not confuse the situation with facts.
Wilson County schools have 
The Portland Chamber of Commerce this year had a tough time interesting local businesses and residents to celebrate the birthday of Jesus by entering the annual Christmas parade, 
Jim Tucker, 47, was arrested in Lawrence County on allegations of sexual misconduct by an authority figure at Summertown High School.
NIT
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