Religion & Faith

“With its mix of jealousy, religion, murder, and sex, the Jodi Arias case shows what happens when the justice system becomes entertainment.”  So reported one newspaper, which likened her trial to O. J. Simpson’s.  The HLN network aired a daily show covering the case, which was featured on 48 Hours Mystery, Inside Edition, and every major media outlet.

Yesterday afternoon, Jodi Arias was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Travis Alexander.  Arias claimed that she acted in self-defense, but he was found shot in the forehead and stabbed nearly 30 times, with his throat slit from ear to ear.  My focus this morning is not in the morbid details of the trial, which you can find anywhere on the Internet.  Rather, I’m interested in the fact that we’re so interested.

Read the entire story at Jodi Arias convicted of first-degree murder on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

“I’ve been kidnapped and I’ve been missing for 10 years, and I’m, I’m here, I’m free now. . . . I’m Amanda Berry.  I’ve been on the news for the last 10 years.”  This 911 call set police in motion to free Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight, three women from the Cleveland area who were abducted in separate crimes between 2002 and 2004.

Amanda’s call wouldn’t have been possible without the help of a neighbor named Charles Ramsey.  He was in his home when he heard screaming coming from the nearby residence.  He later explained: “So I go over there . . . and I say, ‘Can I help?  What’s going on?  And she says, ‘I’ve been kidnapped, and I’ve been in this house a long time.  I want to leave right now.’”  After attempts to pry open the door failed, Ramsey kicked at it.  “Luckily . . . it was aluminum, it was cheap,” he said.  “And she climbed out . . . She went to my house, we called 911.”

Read the entire story at Kidnapped woman found alive 10 years later on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

WELCOME TO DUMP DAY 2013 … This is a day that we stop to consider how blessed we are materially. A day we stop to be the “Good Samaritan” in the story Jesus told, choosing NOT to pass by on the other side of the road. We choose to help today. We choose to make a difference.

THIS is the day will WILL make a difference in the people who live, work and eat at the Tegucigalpa dump. They are the people of the dump. Dirty people. People who have names, lives, needs.

We are blessed people. We eat until we’re full. We don’t go to bed hungry. We live in homes that are MORE than adequate. We have an abundance of everything … food, clothing and “stuff.”  Please understand there’s nothing wrong with being blessed with material things, but not sharing what we have is wrong!  Just “realizing how blessed we are” is not enough. Feeling sorry for the hungry and the poor of this world is NOT what Jesus was looking for from us. Poor people don’t need our sympathy or our pity, they need our compassion. The same compassion that the Good Samaritan had, one that took action. For me to sit back and simply say, “How sad,” makes me no different than the Priest and Levite that passed on the other side.

So what are we going to do today?

Let’s give a little. Any amount would be great. Here are THREE ways to give. You can give via snail mail by sending your check to:

Honduras Hope

PO BOX 9222

Columbus MS, 39705 (attn: Dump Fund).

(This is a tax deductible donation)

Also give ONLINE,

You can give safely and securely online by going to Bread For A Hungry World’s website, and on the top right there’s a “Give to the Dump” donation button CLICK ON THE WORD “GIVE”. Bread for a Hungry World is helping partner in our work at the dump.  (This is also a tax deductible donation.)

I’ll also remind you that my PAYPAL BUTTON is always on this page, and while you’re welcome to use it, please understand that my Paypal is NOT going to be a tax deductible donation. So if you’re okay with that … go ahead and use it.

If you donate today, we’d love to keep a running total of donations. So if you don’t mind, leave a comment on this blog saying something like, “The Morgan family gives $100″, or your comment can be totally anonymous by not adding a name.  That’ll give us the ability to say, “We’re currently at … “

We have 2 giveaways this year…

• For a $30 donation will get you a new Dump Bracelet or new Dump Shirt … your choice. The ONLY way you can get it is by sending an email to “i.want.a.dump.band@gmail.com” and give us your address to send you one. Make sure you tell us if you want a bracelet or a t-shirt when you send that email.  There is a limited amount of these so pledge early in the day tomorrow.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink… I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” ~ Jesus

Thank you VERY much!

Derrick Hayes had just helped his Columbus high school relay team qualify for state.  As he crossed the finish line in the 4×100-meter relay, he pointed his finger toward heaven.  Track officials disqualified his entire team, barring it from competing at the state championships.  Critics complained that the students’ religious freedom was violated.  A petition was even created to protest the decision.

However, officials explained that Derrick’s gesture violated rules that prohibit raising one’s hands as an act of celebration.  After Derrick made his gesture, a meet official warned him of a possible disqualification should such behavior continue.  The student reacted disrespectfully in the opinion of the official, leading to the disqualification.  His parents later submitted a letter to authorities stating that “his religious rights were not violated.”

Read the entire story at Texas athlete disqualified after pointing to heaven on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

QUESTION: What can I do to REALLY make a BIG difference on Dump Day tomorrow? (3 Things…)

1. Pray and ask God to bless our day.
2. Make a donation.
3. One of the most important things is tell everyone you know. Tomorrow use your Facebook, Twitter, blog, email, etc to spread the word. That is the key to making this work. Post on your Facebook about Dump Day and tell people to come over here and pledge.

QUESTION: How do we give this year? There are several ways to give this year …

1. You can send a check via snail mail to: Honduras Hope, PO BOX 9222, Columbus MS, 39705 (attn: Dump Fund). This is a tax deductible donation. You can also give to the Childress Church of Christ, PO Box 239, Childress TX 79201 (attn: Dump Fund).
2. You can give online by going to Bread For A Hungry World’s, website and on the top right there’s a “Give to the Dump” donation button. Bread for a Hungry World continues to partner in the work at the dump.  This is also a tax deductible donation.
3. I’ll also remind you that my Paypal button is always on this page, and while you’re welcome to use it, please understand that my Paypal is NOT going to be a tax deductible donation.

QUESTION: Why and How do I make a pledge?

• We try hard to keep up with how much has been donated throughout Dump Day (tomorrow), so we always ask you to make a comment on my blog saying that you just pledged (or will give) a donation of “$100″ (or whatever the amount). You can do it anonymously or just make the comment. This is not so we can say, “Look what we’ve given,” or “Look what we’ve done,” but so we can keep up with a close estimate on the total … and give God the glory.

QUESTION: How do I fast?

• I’m encouraging a food fast for 30 hours. I’ll start mine at bedtime tonight and end it Thursday morning when I get up. No food on Dump Day. If you want to do yours for 24 hours, that’s okay. If you want to start and end at a different time than mine, that’s okay. But consider a fast of some kind tomorrow. I will fast from food but will drink liquids. If you can’t fast from food (because of health reasons), fast from something else like television, eating out, driving (walk tomorrow), etc. Use tomorrow to remind yourself how blessed you are materially and how some are NOT so blessed as you and I.

QUESTION: How do I get a Dump T-Shirt and or a Dump Bracelet? 

• For a $30 donation will get you a new Dump Bracelet or new Dump Shirt … your choice. The ONLY way you can get it is by sending an email to i.want.a.dump.band@gmail.com and give us your address to send you one. Make sure you tell us if you want a bracelet or a t-shirt when you send that email.  There is a limited amount of these so pledge early in the day tomorrow.

Any other question???

Last Thursday was America’s annual “National Day of Prayer.” Hopefully we’re still praying for our country today.  Let’s pray that we don’t turn into Great Britain.

According to a new survey, only 17 percent of adults in the U.K. believe the church has “their best interests at heart.”  This “trust rating” ranks religious institutions with Google and behind supermarkets.  However, young people rank Google much higher than churches, giving the search engine a trust rating of 28 percent.

Read the entire story at Churches trusted less than supermarkets on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

Chris Broussard, a basketball analyst on ESPN, was asked this week to comment on Jason Collins’ announcement that he is gay.  His reply: “I’m a Christian.  I don’t agree with homosexuality.  I think it’s a sin, as I think all sex outside of marriage between a man and woman is.”  He later added, “I believe Jason Collins displayed bravery with his announcement today and I have no objection to him or anyone else playing in the NBA.”  Nonetheless, his network immediately apologized for his statement and he was widely branded “homophobic.”

Does it seem to you that the “train” on accepting homosexuality and gay marriage has left the station?  Where does this trend leave those who believe the Bible on this issue?  San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone recently gave a fascinating interview to USA Today; I commend it to you in its entirety.  It closes with his response to the question, “Are you worried about the recent trend in courts and states going against you?”

Read the entire story at The best response to gay marriage I’ve seen on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

The “morning-after pill” will soon be available to anyone age 15 and older, with no prescription or parental notification required.  Marketed as “Plan B One-Step,” the pill is intended to prevent unwanted pregnancy by affecting ovulation or interfering with the fertilization of an egg.  Unlike RU-486, it does not cause miscarriage or abortion.

The Food and Drug Administration had limited sales to those age 17 or older.  While lowering the age to 15, the FDA is also requiring proof of age.  Some are criticizing the government for requiring such proof and want the drug available to women of all ages.  According to others, “it makes no sense that kids need parental permission to take aspirin at school, but they’re free to buy and administer Plan B.”  They point out that a prescription is required for birth control pills but not for Plan B, which contains 40 times the dosage of hormone.

Read the entire story at Morning-after pill to be sold to 15-year-olds on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

Our 5th annual Dump Dayand 30-Hour-Fast is next Wednesday the 8th.  Many have started giving early, and that is totally okay. If you do give early, please make sure you stop back by this blog next Wednesday and let us know what you gave so we can kind of keep a running total. We’re hoping to use this blog as a place to make pledges and point you to ways to make donations.  Here’s several things I want to let you know … first and foremost … understand that everything you and I give goes to the ministry at the dump. That’s important to know.

GIVEAWAY …

• If you make a donation of $30 or more, I’ll send you a “Honduras Dump Ministry” 1 inch neoprene band (See Picture Below). These aren’t the little silicone bands; these are the nice ones. You can show off your support of the Dump Ministry with one of these bracelets. I’ve been wearing mine for about a month now, and I love it.  There is only a limited amount of these, so it’ll be first come first serve. After you make a donation, the ONLY way to get yours is send your name and mailing address to the following email address i.want.a.dump.band@gmail.com … you’ve got to send me an email to that address to receive one.

Here are your options for giving next Wednesday …

* Send a check to … Honduras Hope, PO Box 9222, Columbus MS, 39705 (attn: Dump Fund)   (This is a tax-deductible donation)

Also give ONLINE,

You can give online by going to Bread For A Hungry World’s website, and on the top right there’s a “Give to the Dump” donation button next to an old woman in a yellow shirt. Bobby Moore and Bread for a Hungry World is helping partner in the work at the dump. We love and appreciate very much what Bread for a Hungry World does throughout the world.  (This is also a tax-deductible donation.)

I’m trying to encourage everyone to use one of these two forms of giving I just mentioned. I suggest the above link of Bread for a Hungry World because it’s the easiest.  I’ll also remind you that my Paypal button is always on this page; and while you’re welcome to use it, please understand that my Paypal is NOT going to be a tax deductible donation.

That’s the conclusion of a new Barna Group study.  The nationwide survey sought to determine whether Christians have the actions and attitudes of Jesus as we interact with others, or if we are more akin to the self-righteous beliefs and behaviors of Pharisees.

Barna researchers presented a series of 20 agree-or-disagree statements to self-identified Christians.  Five described “actions like Jesus” such as, “I regularly choose to have meals with people with very different faith or morals from me.”  Five statements described “attitudes like Jesus” such as, “I see God working in people’s lives, even when they are not following him.”  Five described “self-righteous actions” such as, “I try to avoid spending time with people who are openly gay or lesbian.”  And five statements described “self-righteous attitudes” such as, “I feel grateful to be a Christian when I see other people’s failures and flaws.”

Read the entire story at The majority of Christians are Pharisees on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture