The Wall Street Journal of Friday, September 1, 2006 had a great piece regarding the two Fox journalists, Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig, who were recently forced to convert to Islam while being held by Palestinian terrorists.
The article also touches on the sad state of affairs in American Christianity. Below are a couple of excerpts and a link to the full article. [Emphases mine.]
R.J.
P.S. Below the link ot the WSJ article is some of the text from a postcard I received in the mail from a local "ministry" called Fair Haven Ministries . They're an offshoot of the Reformed Church in America. It seems to provide a great example of what this article is talking about.
"Under the sheltering wing of the First Amendment and a core civic belief that religious faith is a private matter and a private choice, religious Americans have overwhelmingly made the selection of their private faith as normal as choosing a breakfast cereal. Sometimes the selection seems to be as inconsequential as well. Disouragingly, large numbers of church-going Christians have no idea what their churches claim to believe."
"For Americans, on the other hand, variety of choice in any domain of life is seen as an inherent virtue, the greater it is, the greater the virtue. Americans like to experiment, to "mix and match," and in religion it's no different than in the department store. A friend who attended Yale divinity school a few years ago had a classmate who signed herself in as a "Catholic Buddhist."
"That eclecticism was not offered to Messrs. Centanni or Wiig when they faced a choice between death and converstion at the end of a gun barrel. In Islam, the supermarket of religious choice hasn't opened yet."
A Chance of Faith
Partial text found on a postcard from Fair Haven Ministries in Hudsonville, Michigan:
At Fair Haven Ministries, Fall is for Families!
Cheering your school team at Friday night football. Shopping for back-to-school supplies. Raking leaves, then jumping in the pile. Autumn was made for families. This fall, is it time to nurture the spiritual dimension of your family life as well? Join us at Fair Haven for a time of strengthening your family and yourself with inspiring messages, upbeat music and plenty of new friends. See you this weekend!
DON'T MISS FALL KICK-OFF! Sunday, September 10 9:00 and 10:45AM
Exciting Worship Celebrations
Kick-Off BBQ @ 11:45 AM
Activities for Kids & Students @ 10:45 AM
Outer Vibe Band
Car Show
A Place for the Whole Family!