For the Love of Christ

Ever notice how Newsweek only portrays Christianity in a negitive light. The word clearly states that in the end times the love of God would wax cold in the heart of man. Lord, have mercy on those who love you in this God Forsaking country.

I feel bad for this man, he is not a true Christian. AChristian does intimidate or put down anyone for Jesus.God is Love and we should be refelction of His love. I think he is just on the wrong road to Jesus, it's great that he loves our Lord Jesus Christ, but maybe he needs to read the Bible and meditate on it. I will surely pray for him, because thier are alot people in this world who would love to bash Christianity and put down anyone who wants to stand up for God and Jesus! I don't need a Theology degree to read and understand the Holy Bible.

First of all, you are entirely off with your interpretation of what Justin does, and who he is. I am an 18 year old high school senior, and I just have to say I have seen Justin change lives. If you don???t know Justin you may think he has a ???swagger??? and looks like a ???white rapper???, but what you don???t realize is he was brought up in an affluent family. Yes, he wears a jersey and listens to hip-hop, but he is trying to send his message to our generation- a generation who responds to exactly that. And that girl you mention, isn???t crying because Justin is yelling at her, she is crying because she just had a life changing epiphany, one that saved her from continuing down the wrong path in life. He does not humiliate these teens, they only share as much as they need to and participate to their own comfort level. In fact, he makes them feel loved. And he is not doing this to ???make a living??? he has had a calling in life, and unlike the rest of us he will not stop until he has saved every hurting person in this world. You may think he is extreme, and you may think he is unethical, however, Justin loves people more than you or I could imagine. If you have ever met him he makes you feel special, and important and like there is a reason for you to live- a reason greater than you could fathom. He is the most likable person you could ever meet, I could stare him in the eyes and tell him I hated him and do you know what he would say back? He would tell me he loves me and thank me for being in this world. Justin has two beautiful children, and a wife he loves. He is a great man, probably the best any of us will ever encounter in this world. And he loves Jesus; he believes in God above all, that is something I know to be true. Nonetheless, you are sadly mistaken if you think he is not helping these kids. He is doing more for them than you or I, and I have seen the change he has made in people. At the assembly I attended he made each teen find someone they had ???beef??? with and go hug them and tell them that they were there for them; that little act in itself could save lives. Justin is going to make an impression on this world that is greater than you could imagine, maybe next time you write an article you will take the time out to get to know the person you are writing about or the kids he is helping. But I have never met a teen that has encountered Justin without him impacting their lives in some way. In the end all I have to say is, everyone who has ever achieved greatness met resistance. I just hope the world lets go of its ignorance, and allows Justin to spread his message of love, there are far too many kids who need to hear it.

DEC. 19,2007 I AM '65YRS. OLD AND A MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER! MY SON WAS IN CHURCH NINE MONTHS BEFORE HIS BIRTH AND MY 13 YR. OLD GRANDAUGHTER IS IN A 'CHRISIAN SCHOOL AND SHE LOVES COMPARED TO "PUBLIC" SCHOOLING. ALREADY KNOWS IN HER HEART WHAT "GOD" WANTS HER TO DO "FOR OTHERS",A "RN". JUSTIN IS ALITTLE "TOO HEAVY" AND "STUDY OF HOW "JESUS ,OUR LORD AND SAVIOR" MINISTERED TO THE PEOPLE;"ALWAYS IN "HIS PERFECT LOVE" I LOVE THE "LAST TWO VERSES IN THE BOOK OF 'JOHN CHAPTER 21:VERSES>24-25" OF ALL OUR "JESUS" DID BEFORE ASCENDING TO THE "FATHER GOD",,25 SAIDS :"THE WORLD ITSELF COULD NOT CONTAIN THE BOOKS "THAT SHOULD BE WRITTEN" OF "ALL "JESUS" DID FOR "ALL THE PEOPLE! FOR "GOD" SO "LOVED THE WORLD!" WHY "GOD" SENT "HIS' ONLY SON TO TAKE OUR "SINS" UPON AND INTO "HIMSELF" AND TAKE THE "HORRIBLE WORST "DEATH" EVER KNOWN TO MAN AND "HANG,"NAILED TO A CROSS FOR "6" HOURS TO PAY FOR OUE "SINS" BY THE SHEDDING OF HIS "BLOOD"! THE GOSPEL IS "SIMPLE; ALL YOU HAVE TO "DO" IS WANT TO "CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOR IT WILL ALWAYS BE IN "DARKNESS";;IS ASK "JESUS" TO WASH "ALL YOUR "SINS" AWAY WITH "HIS BLOOD" "HE IS LOVE,FORGIVING, FATHFUL TO US, HE IS OUR "TRUTH, PEACE ,JOY, AND MORE "BLESSINGS " THAN I CAN WRITE DOWN! GOSPEL IS: "THE DEATH". "BURIAL", "RESURRECTION" OF "GOD'S ONLY SON,"JESUS "IS "HIS NAME" AND "ONLY THROUGH "JESUS" CN ONE "GO TO "GOD THE FATHER"! "JESUS SAID;"I AM THE "WAY", THE TRUTH", AND THE"LIFE" AND "ONLY THROUGH ME CAN YOU GO TO "THE FATHER" PEOPLE AND YOUNG PEOPLE ;"I DO NOT KNOW HOW "ANYONE CAN FACE "A MOMENT "WITH HAVING "JESUS CHRIST" AS THEIR SAVIOR"! LOVE TO ALL IN "JESUS NAME;"FREED BY"JESUS, MY SAVIOR AND LORD"

1. The early Christians were persecuted, starting under Nero and reaching one of it's highest peaks in the 3rd and 4th centures. I am not sure where you get the idea that they were fishermen, and exactly whom went back to fishing or not.. I dont think they exactly traversed the world, although Christanity did spread through various parts of the empire. The Pagans did believe there was life after death, the Christians were simply a messianic movement that attracted the poor during the time of Romes decline. It gave them a sense of community, and the teachings generally said they would be rewarded in heaven for their hardwork and poverished life, you didn't see Pagan philosphers and upper classmen convert to Christanity. Maytrdom was especially believed to be rewarded, so not only was their persecution, but many Christians were quite willing to be persecuted, in effect drawing even more appeal to the movement by the convictions of their followers. Yes the Christians converts probably did believe in the ressurection, but that really doesn't say much. It's no suprise that the uneducated would have probably believed anything that was an attachment of the Christian faith, or any faith for that matter. Why did the poor (and his rich wife) follow Mohammed, surely this must prove he was a genuine prophet. Why did people follow Apollonius of Tyana, who had many miracle claims attributed to him? Why did people follow Buddha, or Confucious, or Joseph smith?

2. And Paul or Christians writing about him would have no reason to exaggerate a few details, none what so ever right? I think you are referring to Acts, and neither of us really know what events portrayed there actually as described. All we really know about him is that he was a Christian who commented on theology, wrote to churches, and preached to gentiles. Assuming he was quite extensively persecuted by the Jews, so what? I am sure Joseph Smith and his followers were also quite persecuted, doesn't mean they knew the will of God. I am sure Muslims could consider Pauls story amazing, still doesn't help us learn what his story and past actually was.

3. What is a Scientific Historian, maybe you mean Liberal Historian? The Jesus Mythist view is a very very small minority in history and NT scholarship, granted. However we also know very little about the actual life of Jesus, a lot of it depends on speculation. Anonymous third hand accounts written for preaching to groups of Christians based off of one another that have contradictory chronogical events, moods, themes, created to suit the audiance they were being preached to don't do us much good. We can still try to derive some historical truth from it, but we frankly don't really know which parts or how much of the Gospels we could accept to formulate a picture of the historical Jesus.

It's disgusting to see Christians using fear, intimidation and guilt-tripping to pound their message into rooms filled with frightened children... And the very message itself is unethical. What kind of ethical person would allow someone else to be punished for his sins? I wouldn't. If someone else offered to be punished for something I did wrong, I would tell him NO, as I hope any responsible person would do. Being an adult means taking responsibility for your own actions, not looking for someone else to take the punishment for them.

Humiliating children is wrong. Jesus would not humiliate. What is this man's credentials. Does anything just think that he could actually just be crazy, and perhaps we are supporting a crazy man's idea? Vunerable teenagers need love, attention, education - a chance and reason to live. Perhaps additional funding in good social programs, bringing morality - not religion back into public schools - allowing teachers to teach and forcing children to abide by rules, parents - no matter what "type" of family the child comes from decides to get involved with there children. Let's start with a grass roots approach to reaching our children. Mr. Fatica's was of reaching children is abusive, embarrasses my idea of Catholicism, and makes me sad for the children who must endure the abuse. I will say an extra prayer for lives for these children hope that they can find an inner peace and find a way to survive in a world that each day presents a challenge for all.

I'm at a loss for trying to understand how working out cures the sin of masturbation. I thought that's why Jesus went to the cross. Didn't He go there to give us continuing victory over our flesh? Why all the talk about the cross if this man turns away from Christ to doing a workout to gain the victory over sin? I think he had better take a look at his theology. Either it's the cross of Christ that buys our salvation and the cross of Christ and His victory over death that gives us the victory or it's part Christ and part me that saves me. If I have to depend on myself for sanctification, then I am still lost and in my sins and Christ died for nothing.

Brian