If you failed to catch Wednesday night’s episode of Nightline, which pitted actor Kirk Cameron of Growing Pains fame and evangelical minister Ray Comfort against Brian Sapient (and someone known as “Kelly”) of the Rational Response Squad on the topic, “Does God Exist?” then you’re in luck: the segment appears online at ABC News.
What’s your opinion? Who presented the best arguments? Who was just downright awful? Let us know!
A new coalition of more than 100 largely evangelical Christian leaders and organizations asked Congress on Monday to pass bills to strengthen border controls but also give illegal immigrants ways to gain legal residency. The new group, Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, includes members like the Mennonite Church U.S.A.; the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, which represents Latino evangelicals; individuals like Dr. Joel C. Hunter, pastor of Northland, a megachurch in Longwood, Fla.; Sammy Mah, president of World Relief, an aid group affiliated with the National Association of Evangelicals; and Jim Wallis through Sojourners/Call to Renewal.
Wallis touched off a spark at a Sojourners press conference announcing the coalition, when he remarked, “If given the choice on this issue between Jesus and Lou Dobbs, I choose my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Jim Wallis’s statement on Lou Doubs
The first 2 blog posts on Beliefnet responding to Wallis strongly emphasize his previous claims that, “religion does not have a monopoly on morality,” and that our public discourse be steeped in reason rather than trying to convince Congress to bend to scripture. It would be foolish, a blogger cautions, not to include those of other faith traditions (as well as the non-religious) in conversation about moral issues facing our county, and indeed you have to cherry pick one religion to find the points that support your side (as, admittedly, I’m doing here by only include two blog posts).
Christopher Hitchens is either trying to find the most outrageous things to say to sell his book, God is Not Great, or he’s on to a fascinating theory (one which I’ve personally shared in my darker moments).
The following comes from a May 7 New York magazine interview:
“Are You There, God? It’s Me, Hitchens: Christopher Hitchens on religion (no thanks), Iraq (not a mistake), and his own loud reputation.”
Quote:
Boris Kachka: Has anyone in the Bush administration confided in you about being an atheist?
Hitchens: Well, I don’t talk that much to them—maybe people think I do. I know something which is known to few but is not a secret. Karl Rove is not a believer, and he doesn’t shout it from the rooftops, but when asked, he answers quite honestly. I think the way he puts it is, “I’m not fortunate enough to be a person of faith.”
Kachka: What must Bush make of that?
Hitchens: I think it’s false to say that the president acts as if he believes he has God’s instructions. Compared to Jimmy Carter, he’s nowhere. He’s a Methodist, having joined his wife’s church in the end. He also claims that Jesus got him off the demon drink. He doesn’t believe it. His wife said, “If you don’t stop, I’m leaving and I’m taking the kids.” You can say that you got help from Jesus if you want, but that’s just a polite way of putting it in Texas.
And just for fun, Austin Cline over at About.com sets about proving why the Rove thing just might be plausible. See: “Is Karl Rove an Atheist? What Does George W. Bush Believe?”
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