May 2013 Christian Carnival: #Gosnell & #INHUMAN

Welcome to the May 1, 2013 edition of Christian Carnival!  This month the carnival is Gosnell centered. Especially if you haven't heard of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, please digest and share these articles.

Dr. Gosnell, Abortion, the Church and Adoption on Intelmin by Michael Boling

The hot button issue of abortion is nothing new in today’s society. The passing of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case legalizing abortion is unfortunately celebrating its 40th anniversary. Outside of the yearly demonstrations on the anniversary of the passing of Roe v. Wade and demonstrations at local abortion clinics around the country, the approximately 1 million abortions that take place annually in the United States happen seemingly behind the scenes as an accepted fact of life. Some states have begun to pass legislation in an attempt to tighten the reins on abortion clinics, in particular those operated by Planned Parenthood with some degree of success. READ MORE...

The Gosnell Trial and Destroying the Image of God on The Confident Christian on Christianpost by Robin Schumacher, saying, "This post describes the cultural and spiritual aspects of the Gosnell trial." 

Call for submissions to the Christian Carnival: #INHUMAN

Calling all bloggers: 

Wednesday, May 1st, 8am-8pm, will you please publish and/or tweet (across all your social networks) a post on late-term abortion, using the #INHUMAN hashtag?  

There is going to be an #INHUMAN tweetfest: https://www.facebook.com/events/118639345001205

Here are a selection of pro-life posts you may tweet: http://www.apologeticalliance.com/blog/category/cultural-apologetics/culture-and-ethics/pro-life-2

I've scheduled a post to publish at 8am on May 1 at Christian Apologetics Alliance (new authors welcome and invited!). 

If you let me know you are going to schedule a blog post to publish and/or be tweeted/shared the same day, I will include it in the Gosnell carnival (for the Christian Carnival) that will be published here at Ichthus77 on May 1. Just give me your permalink.

Schedule Hootsuite to share your blog post to all your social networks, using the #INHUMAN hashtag.

See the event page for further details--like a list of relevant tweets (feel free to snag a bunch of mine from the #Gosnell tweetfest), and how to participate if you don't have a Twitter account.

#Gosnell tweets you are free to snag

Please use these tweets to spread awareness about the Kermit Gosnell trial. Fill in any leftover characters by hash-tagging local and main stream media, and your politicians.

Join the #inhuman Tweetfest Wednesday, May 1, 8am-8pm.

***For tweet coverage on Gosnell trial as it comes to a close, follow @jdmullane @whoisgosnell @bryankemper @SeanGOSullivan @JoeSlobo*** Here are 12 news stories from 28th-30th.

I will be (re-)scheduling these out on Hootsuite and encourage others to do the same, but if you'd rather retweet mine, follow me @Ichthus77, or if you want to share, follow me on Facebook (here's my page). These will also be found at +Ichthus77 (which will receive from Hootsuite, whereas my profile will not).

There are three sections below: 1. Media Coverage, 2. Socio-Political Landscape, and 3. Blogs, Adoption & Memes. Have at it:

1. Media Coverage

Jury returns today for Pa. abortion case closings http://abcn.ws/15T1HDW via @ABC #Gosnell

Tune in to @FoxNews May 5 at 9 EST and share this event to spread the word. http://fb.me/FoMJ7tH8 #Gosnell

Why do I tweet so much about #Gosnell?

Before I heard about the Gosnell murder trial, I posted very rarely on abortion, out of sensitivity to the women who have made such a painful choice. I also figured there was no point swimming against the unchangeable culture-of-death tide on this issue, and I assumed current regulations would prevent doctors like Gosnell from practicing.

I was wrong. The Gosnell murder trial opened my eyes: The regulations often go unenforced, and when complaints are made, they are often ignored. People look the other way. After all, most the women who complain are poor, and the babies can't complain.

The main stream media had to be bullied into covering this story when everyone got all tweet-angry (pt.2 going on now) about their blackout (including me) and 72 members of Congress wrote a letter to @ABC http://ow.ly/kczst  @CBSnews http://ow.ly/kczx2  and @NBCnews http://ow.ly/kczCD demanding they cover the Gosnell trial.

Things are looking up. Mainstream media is paying at least more attention, and Fox News will even air a one-hour special on Gosnell, May 3 at 9pm. The most recent news is that the defense rested without calling any witnesses!

Indiana Rep. Congressman Marlin Stutzman is scheduled to lead House members on the floor Thursday after votes to expose the Gosnell horrors. The House floor is viewable at www.C-SPAN.org. Sample tweet: "US Congressmen speaking out about #Gosnell house of horrors and trial tonight on #cspan View the House floor: www.C-SPAN.org." Please livetweet the members' speeches to amplify their bold stand.

I have been tweeting and Facebooking articles from mainstream media since I first heard about the Gosnell trial (even if I disagreed with their spin). I wrote an article on Examiner.com, as well. I followed Planned Parenthood (including locally, and Family Planning Associates), Obama and other local politicians on Twitter and Facebook, and contacted them through those channels, as well as through more standard channels. Here is how to find your representative.

I found out what local places help pregnant women with alternatives to abortion and will continue to do what I can to promote and support them and become involved with the Pro-Life movement.

To find out more about the Gosnell murder trial and why his clinic was called a "House of Horrors," there are two places to go: Who Is Gosnell? and 3801Lancaster.com. You can also follow the tweets. #Gosnell #GosnellMurders #3801Lancaster #KermitGosnell. Also, you can do a Google News search.

And please speak up until Gosnell-preventing legislation is in place AND regulations enforced. Bare minimum will be a huge victory, and a giant step toward a culture of life.

Thank you.

Groothuis’ “Christian Apologetics” ch.22: The Resurrection of Jesus

This chapter of Groothuis' Christian Apologetics covers the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus (which is evidence that the Father approves of everything he said and did in his ministry on earth).

The significance of the resurrection:  "Of all the world's religions, Christianity alone purports to be based on the resurrection of its divine founder." Matthew 16:21, 12:40, John 2:19-22 (p.526)

Whereas in ch.20 John Frame is quoted to dispel rumors that the virgin birth is stolen from other religions or mythologies, in ch.22 Groothuis quotes Bruce Metzger and J.N.D. Anderson on why the resurrection is not likewise stolen. Perhaps I will combine those two sections into a unique post at some point. However, a) those rebirths symbolized spring, vs. b) resurrection on the 3rd day, and c) mystery religions were not yet well-established at that time.

Groothuis’ “Christian Apologetics” ch.21: Defending the Incarnation

The two major issues covered in this chapter of Groothuis' Christian Apologetics are: 1) the "God or a bad man" argument for Jesus' deity, and 2) the logical coherence of a "Godman" (someone who is both God and man).

The "God or a bad man" argument for the deity of Jesus from p. 507:

1. If Jesus claimed to be divine (in addition to being human), but was not divine, he was a bad man and merely human; that is, he was deceived, or a deceiver.

2. Jesus was not a bad man and merely human; that is, he was neither deceived, nor a deceiver.

3. Therefore, Jesus was divine (in addition to being human).

Groothuis’ “Christian Apologetics” ch.20: The Claims, Credentials and Achievements of Jesus Christ

This chapter of Groothuis' Christian Apologetics shows how Jesus' beliefs and actions in themselves are an apologetic for a high Christology. Since I cannot reproduce the whole chapter, here are some highlights:

Matthew tells of Jesus' virgin birth, which means that he is fully human and fully God (his human origin was supernatural and God-ordained), but he did not inherit a sin nature (one of us, but beyond us). John Frame is quoted (and Acts 17:16-34; 1 Corinthians 1-2 and Colossians 2:8 are referenced) to dispel the rumor that his virgin birth is a copycat of other religions or mythologies. In particular, his birth is dissimilar to Buddha's, as Buddha's mother was not a virgin, Buddha was not considered supernatural, and that birth narrative was written 100s of years later.

Jesus is the transliteration of Joshua: Jehovah is salvation/Savior. Matthew and Luke (2:10-11) call him "Messiah, the Lord" -- Messiah being a title meaning one is anointed by God.  "The Lord" is not used of any OT priests, prophets or kings.

"Objections to Faith" by David Spikes (12 yrs. old)

Sometimes people have objections about Christianity, such as "a loving God would never send people to hell," or "since evil and suffering exist, a good God cannot," or "miracles contradict science, so they cannot exist."

One objection is that a loving God would never send people to Hell. Though Hell exists, it doesn’t mean that God sends people there. People have a choice whether to go to Heaven or Hell. It all depends on whether you accept God or not. If you don’t accept God right off the bat and then all of the sudden die, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be sent to Hell. It says in the Bible, whoever repents God is willing to save. The main consequence of not accepting God into your heart is forever separation from God in Hell.  Though Hell is the worst punishment possible, it is not covered in flames and unimaginably hot.  When it mentions flames in Hell in the bible, it is speaking figuratively. In the Bible it says how Jesus arrived surrounded by flames, with a sword in his mouth. To arrive with a sword in his mouth means that he used very powerful words (and I don’t mean that his words had super powers). Hell is supposed to be a place of darkness anyway. Flames would light things up. Again, God doesn’t send people to Hell; they have the choice to go there. The only sin that could get you into Hell is not accepting God, slamming the door in His face, and mocking Him.

Undesigned Coincidences (resurrected by Dr. Tim McGrew in 2011)

I just updated two previous blog posts written in 2011 on Dr. McGrew's (Library of Historical Apologetics) (EPS author) undesigned coincidences (1, 2).  I added some talks he has given since then, and linked to some of his newer resources, like this video (here is the full series of talks at Calvary Bible Church, with powerpoint and notes!), and the Audio Resources by Tim McGrew, including Internal Evidence for the Gospels by Tim McGrew (notes!) on Apologetics315.

The evidence called "undesigned coincidences" was resurrected from the archives of historical apologetics by Dr. Tim McGrew in early 2011, though a few mentions of it can be found earlier than that. You can find some material posted by the Christadelphians (they are Unitarians). I also found three books, one written in 2009, one it refers back to, written originally in the 50s and updated in the 90s, and one written in 1836, but is not among the ones mentioned by Dr. McGrew in one of my previous posts on u.c. (he does, however, refer back to J.J. Blunt and WIlliam Paley, where it all seems to have started, not counting the Bible).

There are undesigned coincidences I did not cover in my blog posts, which are covered in the newest talks to which I linked, so my posts need further updating (or perhaps I'll just start a new one). I would also like to update the old posts to distinguish between internal and external, and reorder the numbering system accordingly.

I also want in *this* post to give a shout-out to some blog posts that have sprouted since Dr. McGrew's 2011 resurrection of the "undesigned coincidences"...[there are also forums where u.c.s have been discussed: 1 (answered by Tim in a blog post below), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ...some of them are deliberately abandoned, but feel free to resuscitate them if you feel it would be fruitful...]...

Berean church blog: Undesigned Coincidences by Dan Porte

CrossExamined: Undesigned Scriptural Coincidences: The Ring of Truth by Jonathan McLatchie

TC Apologetics: Scott Smith's talk on Undesigned Coincidences

dangerous idea: Tim McGrew responds to Ed Babinski's critique

Christian Apologetics Alliance: One example is used in The Nativity Defended by Jonathan McLatchie, more examples are given in J.w. Wartick's Jesus' Birth: How undesigned coincidences give evidence for the truth of the Gospel accounts, and he also points out that Jim Wallace lists some undesigned coincidences in chapter 12 of Cold Case Christianity (review).

J.w. Wartick: Forgotten Arguments for Christianity: Undesigned Coincidences- The argument stated

A "Twelve Facts" resurrection logic puzzle

Reposting with additions in red. Originally posted July 7, 2011.

I am studying "the twelve facts" and want to get down what I've got so far. After the facts are displayed, we're going to turn the whole thing into a logic puzzle. Added: Scroll down to the red lettering to work on this puzzle yourself. Share this thread on Facebook.

Here are the 12 Facts:

1. Jesus died by Roman crucifixion. [1]

2. He was buried, most likely in a private tomb.

3. Soon afterwards the disciples were discouraged, bereaved and despondent, having lost hope.

4. Jesus’ tomb was found empty very soon after his interment.

5. The disciples had experiences that they believed were the actual appearances of the risen Christ. [2]  [Note that this belief persisted despite Jews believing the resurrection does not happen to 'one' person in the 'middle' of history.]

Biblical faith in the "unseen" does not equal "blind" faith.

2 Corinthians 4:18 "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (retweet)

Believing in the unseen eternal is NOT blind faith. All faith verses need to be read in that light. The "New Atheists" and Christian fideists have a very warped, unbiblical definition of faith.

Faith is about trust and loyalty.  You have faith in your spouse that s/he is faithful.  This faith is not blind, and neither is biblical faith. Everyone in the Bible who has faith in the unseen (God's unfulfilled promises about our eternal relationship with him), bases their faith on the reality that they have seen God fulfill other promises up to that point. The heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11 all based their faith on a God they saw working in their lives. 

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (NIV)

"...about what we do not see..." YET!

Romans 8:24 "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?" (NIV)

So, keep in mind that when you read, "For we live by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV), you are NOT reading about blind faith! You are reading about placing your hope in the unchanging eternal (it is still in the future from your current perspective), rather than getting discouraged by the vicissitudes of the things you see now.

You may not see God working in your life...yet. But there is evidence of him everywhere, and he is drawing you to it--he's been here all along.  Check out the theistic arguments from natural theology.  Check out the evidence from history.  Don't stop with those links--they are not even the tip of the tip of the iceberg for you to explore.  

A.sk, S.eek, K.nock (A.S.K.)

Rejecting grace because the evil don't pay?

Do you reject grace because you want people to pay for evil? Remember: You are relatively good by comparison to evil, but not by comparison to Perfect. (retweet)

When we stop loving/forgiving, it is because we stopped acknowledging God's love and forgiveness, which motivates ours of others. (retweet)

James 2:17 "...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (NIV) If we can't bring ourselves to forgive others, it is because we do not have faith that we are forgiven. (retweet)

Matthew 18:33 "Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?" (NIV) If we have faith that we are forgiven, we have no right to withhold forgiveness of others. (retweet)

Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (NIV) #GoldenRule Forgiveness does not mean the bar is lowered.  The bar is Golden-Rule grace, and we are held to it. We are also forgiven for not measuring up to it, and should extend the same forgiveness. (retweet)

Romans 6:1-2 "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (NIV) Withholding forgiveness brings a death that we have died to through God extending his forgiveness, which brings new life, especially when we extend it to others. (retweet)

Besides that, forgiveness is not the same as letting people get away with evil!...

Matthew 18:6 "...it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." (NIV) God is not going to let people get away with evil. (retweet)

Hebrews 12:6 "...because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son." (NIV) God's love is not weak. (retweet)