Bias?

The AP is chronicling President Barack Obama's visit to Africa.
What caught my eye at first was how Obama "clashed with his African host" when he praised the Supreme Court's ruling in support of same-sex marriage.
Obama called the High Court's 5-4 ruling yesterday a "victory for American democracy."
But what surprised me, even in this day where there is little pretense of objectivity, the AP reporter, Nedra Pickler, writes that Obama's clash over gay rights was "a sign of how far the movement has to go internationally."
Isn't Pickler picking sides?
If the court, say, ruled in favor of "Separate But Equal" and Obama visited a post-Apartheid South Africa and praised the court's ruling in favor of segregation, then clashed with his hosts, would the AP write that this segregation movement still has a ways to go?
We think, as Americans, that we corner the market on wisdom and truth.
Why should I have been surprised by this?

Because a Pew Research Center recently released a study that found most coverage of same-sex marriage was in support of gay marriage.  The Huffington Post takes the "gay wedding cake," according to the study.
The New York Times, reporting on the study, wrote: "News organizations are far more likely to present a supportive view of same-sex marriage than an antagonistic view."
By a margin of 5-to-1 on stories that weren't deemed to be either balanced or expressed no views at all.

"The study lends credence to conservative charges that the nation’s news media have championed the issue of same-sex marriage at the expense of objectivity," continued the Times. "Others have argued that news organizations are right not to overly emphasize opposition to what many see as a core civil rights issue."

Thoughts?

Evolve?

President Barack Obama was brilliant when he years ago announced his "evolving" position on gay marriage.
He'd run solidly for president as opposing gay marriage.
So did Hillary Clinton. And Bill Clinton, who signed the Defense of Marriage Act in the 1990s. Now he's praising the Supreme Court for overturning it. He's "evolved."  (Here's a list of other politicians that have "evolved").
But he is evolving. It's a smart turn-of-phrase that former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (now Secretary of State) could have used to describe his decision to vote for a measure before voting against it.
We called it flip-flopping then.
We call it evolving now.
We can all evolve, I guess. I once thought it was wrong to get divorced. But I've changed my mind...I mean, I've evolved.
I once thought it was wrong to take something that wasn't mine but I have' had a change of heart, I've evolved.
Evolved. It gives a sense of superiority. It signals a sense of maturity. If I still hold on to a view that something is wrong, I'm stupid, I just haven't "evolved" enough yet. We evolve to believe that a baby isn't a baby until it is practically born (and in some cases, even after he or she is born). I just can't do these mental gymnastics.
But in essence to evolve means no one holds on to any belief too strongly. If the tide changes, I can evolve with them. Look at the slideshow (linked above) of the politicians who have flip-flopped, err. evolved. Some even say, People should feel free to marry whoever they love.
So, does that mean polygamy? Does that mean couples marrying couples? Does that mean adults marrying children? If we should discriminate against no one (if discriminate is the right word, and I'm not sure it is) then we can have no laws determining who can get married. Why not two 10 year olds? You can take this to it's logical conclusion: If you can redefine marriage, what else can we redefine?  Already the gays have taken over the wonderful rainbow symbol of God's promise not to flood the earth again? But they can't take away its true message.
The pacifists took the dove, God's symbol of His peace.
But there's more to crafting your message than cheap imagery. But in essence it means no one holds on to any belief too strongly. If the tide changes, I can evolve with them.
The Bible has a verse that says,"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." [1 Corinthians 13:11.
That's not evolving. That's maturing.
Evolution is the belief that something grows out of nothing. It was once a negative word in a world or at least a country that believed in Creation by a Creator.Now it means "To develop or achieve gradually." But it does not mean to completely turn around and go in an opposite direction as one was headed. 
Oh yeah, that's called repentance. Something our country will need to do for all it's so-called evolving.
For now, Obama was able to change the definition of the word. Everyone seems to be evolving.
Or are they? 

Is it OK to be offended anymore?

QB Tim Tebow, bowing here in high school, has offended
people because of his public demonstrations of his faith.

I know that's a funny headline, like "Man, can't I be offended!? I wanna be offended! Wahhhh!"
That's not what I'm talking about, thought. I asking if Christians are even allowed to voice their concerns ... yes, on even little things ... that really don't reflect well on Christ (if we wear His name as Christians).
I don't think there's a fine line between Pharisee and a Christian truly desiring to live holy.
And yet, have you ever found that voicing your offense to something will wind up putting you in the Pharisee category? Self-righteous? Legalistic?
Didn't Christ come to give us freedom? they ask.
Yes, freedom. But not freedom to sin. Not freedom to be like the world. Freedom to serve Him recklessly.
Can a Christian be offended by a movie, a song, a post? And if those items are from Christians, then do they have an obligation to raise that concern?
Or are we to mind our own business?
Some say MYOB.
And there is a time to MYOB. When traitor Judas was falsely "offended" at the lavish love shown to Jesus by the breaking of an expensive perfume jar, Judas gave the "Sunday School" answer of wondering aloud "Why the waste," that perfume could have been sold at a high price to help the poor.
Gimme a break, Judas.
Jesus, in essence, told Jesus to mind his own business and leave the woman alone. She was praising Jesus.
But that's not the kind of offense I'm talking about. And I'm not talking about people who seem to go out looking to be offended. You know what I mean. But I'm talking about those who have an offense put in their face (a crass gesture, a profane video clip, etc.) -- by a professing Christian.
I know there's a lot of questions here. Some will say "Jesus offended people." That's true. And that kind of offense is the kind of offense we as Christians are supposed to live out. We are to offend people, I suppose, with holy living (not self-righteous, but true righteousness).
We should not be offending fellow believers with things of this world. If we're offending people because we're just a crass as the world, well, that's not the same thing as the offense Jesus caused.
It's like Jesus said in Matthew 5, blessed are those who are persecuted for My name's sake.
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
BECAUSE of ME. That's the key!
In John 15 Jesus says:
   18“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.19“If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.20“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also."
Again, this hatred comes from us not being of this world. If we were like the world, it would love us.
1 Peter 3 weighs in on this as well:
"13Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?"
Well, I can say firsthand there are people who proclaim to be Christians who are out there to harm you for being zealous for what is good!
Please continue, Peter:
"14But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED,15but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;16and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame."
That's a God thing. That's not for me to do. The Holy Spirit does the convicting.
"17For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.18For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;19in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,20who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water."Of course, one key aspect to this is how do we approach the person who offended us. If we don't know them, but they're putting out a public post to a public audience that's questionable, I think we still have a right or even obligation in love to point that out -- or at least least, seek God's will for that.
Although Proverbs gives us plenty to chew on when dealing with foolish behavior.
Proverbs 29:9: "If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet."
Or Proverbs 26:4-9 says it best:
"4 When arguing with fools, don't answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are. 5 When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation.  
  6 Trusting a fool to convey a message is as foolish as cutting off one's feet or drinking poison! 7 In the mouth of a fool, a proverb becomes as limp as a paralyzed leg. 
  8 Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot. 9 A proverb in a fool's mouth is as dangerous as a thornbush brandished by a drunkard."
Something to chew on.

Is "funny" a defense for Christians?

A Christian speaker who tours, speaks at various events and even has a book out, posts a questionable video on his Twitter account.
He labels it childish, yet funny.
So, hey, I'm all for childish and funny.
I'm not up for dirty. I'm not up for things that are unholy. I'm not up for things that displease God.
Certainly I shouldn't be directed to such things from a minister of the word.
And yet I was.
I won't be specific. But the joke is a new commercial and it's a trick that makes you hear a swear word but in essence, you're not hearing a swear word at all.
Yet what makes it "funny" is that you hear people saying this word, over and over and over again.
So, I tweet this ministry speaker whose motto is "inspiring and empowering this generation."
His response: "There's an 'unfollow' button and I encourage you to use it." Oh yeah, he ended with ;).
I think that's a wink. Not sure, does that mean, "I'm not THAT mad?"
I'm not big on these smiley faces, etc. Doesn't feel very "adult." Would the Apostle Paul have done that after a line or two with Timothy. LOL. Not sure.
[Side note: Can you imagine Paul saying to Timothy: "There's an unfollow button. I encourage you to use it"? No, Paul pressed on toward the prize and urged his followers to follow him as he followed Christ].
So, I responded. I thought we could have a dialogue. I mention this idea that because something is funny doesn't make it right. I had to stop watching Seinfeld because I didn't want to laugh at sin. I don't want to laugh that which put Christ on the Cross.
Is this too serious?
: )
Sorry, tried to be hip there.
So I unfollowed (if there is such a word) this person. But then I went to his website. Clicked the first video. It's all about accountability. The need for men to be have accountability partners. I clicked the next video. Even more on accountability. This is a talk he gave at some large gathering, behind a podium, scriptures on the podium.
Good word. Isn't this what we all need. "Hey, brother, I think that joke crossed a line." Or "I think you may have handled that wrong" or fill in the blank. It's accountability. Not punitive, Just another person who has my back, helping me be all that God has created me to be. And what He's created me to be is someone who points people to Him. Someone who puts no obstacles in someone's way. Someone who puts no stumbling blocks in another's way.
Well, I had to "follow" this person again briefly to point out his "accountability" talks.
Then I promptly unfollowed him again. It was his wish. He thanked me for watching his video.
Some people don't practice what they preach, I suppose. I know that's true sometimes with me, but Lord I pray you help me to live out what I believe, to live out what I say and to do nothing that would encourage others to laugh at sin. You paid far to high a price to ever to do that!
- Word Smith