Interesting article.
It goes both ways though. Many X’ers and older Millennials grew up in conservative Christian boomer homes and have abandoned their faith in God.

Speaking of protests, this one is almost as ridiculous. I say almost only because no one was killed. Nevertheless, people like Fred Phelps repulse me and I am angered by his continued actions and statements that are an absolute disgrace to the Christian faith.

I pray that those who see this idiot will not assume that this is an accurate depiction of Christianity.
I also pray that God would convict Fred Phelps and his ignorant, un-Biblical congregation of legalists.

Furthermore, any 5 minute investigation will find that the vast majority of Christian evangelicals despise this man’s actions.

“Police fought back against Coptic Christians, who were encircled by a security cordon around the Saints Church in downtown Alexandria after hurling stones and bottles from inside the police line. Fellow demonstrators tossed Molotov cocktails from the balconies of nearby buildings.
Police could be seen repeatedly beating a boy of about 12, who was among the crowd of Coptic young people who fled into the church, slamming the doors behind them, or dashed down narrow streets surrounding the church. Most of the protesters were between the ages of 12 and 25.”

Later in the NY Times article, it says that a Muslim 24 year old Muslim man was killed. If he was killed out of retaliation, that was wrong. If he was killed out of self-defense as he was rioting, that is different.
“We have warned the government that Alexandria is a volcano that could erupt at any time,” Dr. Sewiris said. “The Coptic youths overreacted to this incident, but their response comes after long years of violations of our civil rights. These tensions are the harvest of 30 years of Muslim fundamentalists spreading hate speech from the mosques.” Coptic Christians constitute at least 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 71 million people.

As claimed, a crazy man kills a Christian (although there were three separate incidents happening simultaneously). More likely – only one man was apprehended.
1. Why is only one man considered “crazy”
2. What is with the Middle Eastern’s infatuation with this word?
3. For me to believe this is true would make me … crazy.

My other problem is that why is their rioting form Muslims? (They like that word too. It’s like a past-time). They are the guilty party. If they are trying to label the attacker as “crazy” and separate themselves from this act, then why not offer condolences and denounce this man’s actions? Instead they riot.

“Violence subsided Monday but sectarian feelings remained high,” the news service reported. Bishop Bemwah Ghali told the AP, “There was a sort of a truce, but this is not the end of the crisis. We really need a radical solution that can quell this anger.” As CT has regularly reported in the past, it’s hard to be a Copt in Egypt.”

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/116/31.0.html

Egyptian muslim protesters throw rocks past a burning gas canister near the St. Maximus Church in the northern Mediterranean city of Alexandria in Egypt Sunday, April 16, 2006. Police fired live ammunition into the air and lobbed tear gas into rioting crowds of Christians and Muslims Sunday
in a third day of sectarian violence in Egypt’s second-largest city. (AP Photo/Nasser Nouri)

I think Jack White is an interesting guy and I enjoy the White Stripes’ music and look forward to listening to his new project the Raconeteurs. This is his second Coke commercial he’s done. Aside from sharing the colors of red and white – I am still not sure why he is into the jingles. But hey, it’s Jack White.

There is a lot of discussion about the Emerging Church. There’s even a lot of discussion about what it is labeled. Brian McLaren prefers to say “the Church that is emerging”. But you say tomatoes, and I say why would anyone want to eat tomatoes. They are horrible. Here’s an interview with Dam Kimball, a pastor on the West Coast, (Santa Cruz), that has written a couple of books on the subject and is a speaker as well.

80% of adults in the U.S.  call themselves “Christian”
68% call themselves a “committed Christian”
60% describe themselves at “deeply spiritual”
45% call themselves “born again”
29% who attended  a church service, prayed to God or read from the Bible in the past week
16%  who say faith is the highest priority in their lives

Source: Barna Research Group

Came across these statistics – found them relevant.

1 dead, 17 wounded by knife-wielding assailants
Unbelievable. Attacks during Holy Week. If I start, I won’t stop …

http://blackcoffeereflections.com/2006/04/15/112/

“Golgotha, the place of the skull, where nails smashed through the wrists and feet of Jesus, the teacher from Nazareth in Galilee, can stand for the skulls of every genocide. Betrayal by friends, self-preserving denial, making sport with prisoners, the mockery of crowds, spectators drawn to the spectacle, the soldiers doing their duty and dicing for his clothes, a mother in agony, and a knot of women helplessly looking on—it happens time, and time, and time again.”
Richard John Neuhaus, First Things

IN THE CROSS IS SALVATION, in the Cross is life, in the Cross is protection from our enemies, in the Cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness, in the Cross is strength of mind, in the Cross is joy of spirit, in the Cross is the height of virtue, in the Cross is perfection of sanctity. There is no salvation of the soul, nor hope of everlasting life, but in the Cross.
Thomas á Kempis, The Imitation of Christ