Tag: God & Religion

Reach Out of the Darkness: New Examiner Series

With this week being the start of the Holy Week of Easter, I am relaunching a popular article series that ran locally on Examiner.com last year. This year the series is entitled “Reach Out of Your Darkness” and is about appreciating differences. The series first ran this time last year as “No Matter Our Differences: God Loves Us All” and was hugely popular. 

This year, I am using the old Friend & Lover song, “Reach Out of the Darkness” as my inspiration. It’s a great song about peace and learning to appreciate our differences. So much of what we focus on these days is what divides us (our religious differences, our political differences, our sexual orientation, our citizenship status, etc…). What the bible reminds us time and time again is that we are all God’s creation. All created for good. This needs to be our theme for this Easter season.

Who did Christ die for this Easter season? A select group? He died for the salvation of everyone. In the spirit of this, I launch this series this week.

Click here to read \”Reach Out of the Darkness: God Loves Everyone!\”

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Hope for All in Loving Your Enemies!

I just had to share this verse and commentary today. I receive daily scripture emails and this one really struck me this morning. I like what Whitehead says in his commentary about how loving your enemies creates hope that God loves everyone. No matter what wrong we do, what we believe or don’t believe, God is still there for us.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. – Matthew 5:43-45

Jesus was stretching the imagination of the Jewish listeners. To love your enemies is to acknowledge that God loves them too. This is another way of saying that there is hope for anyone. No matter how evil or unrighteous someone may seem, the sun still shines upon them. We are challenged to live in the love of our heavenly Father, who wishes for none to perish and all to come to repentance. 

by: Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org
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Is the U.S. a Democracy Hypocrite?

As the protests turn violent today, the question of the United States not actively supporting democracy in Egypt seems hypocritical. Supporting dictators never seems to be in the best interest of the United States. Whether its support for the Shah of Iran, Saddam in Iraq, or now the Egyptian president, when will the U.S. learn that when we don’t support and push for democracy, we end up the villain.

I’ve written a two-part article today for Examiner.com where I talk about how hypocritical it is for the U.S. to sit by and wait for an outcome in Egypt. Read today’s article and let me know what you think.

Click here to read \”Is the U.S. a Democracy Hypocrite?\”

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Is Your Pastor a Bully? Understand the Religious Political Agendas of Churches

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Too often people take words from “authorities” as law. Whether it’s an email forward we receive or in the case of my latest Examiner article, your pastor, you have to be cautious about what we hear and believe.

Some of the comments and e-mails I have received about my various articles feel generated by people whose views are very closed off to real possibilities. When we’re talking about God, there are no limits to the possibilities. “No one can say with absolute authority what the limits are of God’s favor and salvation”.

When I hear churches having lecture series on the evils of other faiths (like Islam) it angers me. I doubt very much that Christ would want that. Is a church a place where political agendas should be discussed? Neil Saavedra of “The Jesus Christ Show” has said on the show that churches only political agenda should be to ensure that the freedom of religious freedom is secure. Beyond that there should be not political agendas in our churches. This would include those against Islam, same sex-marriage or battles over denominational issues.  For me, it goes back to the “Unity in essentials, liberty in non-essentials and in all things charity”.

Continue reading my article on Examiner.com: Is Your Pastor a Bully? Understand the Religious Political Agendas of Churches – National religion & politics | Examiner.com

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Is Religion a Scam?

This week’s National Examiner.com article responds to this billboard posted by American Atheists in Alabama that all religions are scams. It’s an interesting read no matter what side you are on. My biggest concern here is the insulting way people trying to convert insult their audience. Do atheists think they can win over doubting believers by telling them they are being scammed? Christians do the same thing when they condemn certain sinners to hell publicly. It’s interesting that neither side really seems to get that compassion not insult and condemnation win people over.  Click the link below to read the article – I think it’s thought provoking. I especially like the definitions of religion I include in the end and how that equates.

Click here to read \”Is Religion a Scam?\” at Examiner.com

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The War on Christmas: Lessons from Dr. Seuss

“This is the lesson we should be teaching our kids; Grinches and Scrooges live in our lives. They can tear down our Christmas trees and replace “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays” but they can’t take away the warmth the season brings to those who celebrate it.”

Easily the best article in the series “The War on Christmas” I wrote. We worry too much about what other people do, think and believe when we should be focusing on the joy of the holidays.

Click here to read \”The War on Christmas: Lessons from Dr. Seuss\”

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