Christians Everywhere, Meet Your New Spokesmen

These are, as far as the media and many of your un-churched or non-Christ-following friends are concerned, the people who represent everything you believe and stand for.   Meet Harold Camping, Terry Jones and Fred Phelps…

…Notice anything?

To Our Muslim Friends: Everything You Need To Know About Terry Jones

• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Baptists
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Pentecostals
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Charismatics
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Episcopalians
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Roman Catholics
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Quakers
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Methodists
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Calvinists
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Puritans
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Anglicans
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Free Methodists
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Lutherans
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Anabaptists
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Mennonites
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Wesleyans
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Presbyterians
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for non-denominational Christians
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Amish
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Greek Orthodox Church
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Shakers
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Christian & Missionary Alliance
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Salvation Army
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Mormons
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Brethren in Christ
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Evangelical Free Church
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Pentecostal Holiness Church
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Southern Baptist Convention
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Apostolic Church
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Christian Reformed Church
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Church of God in Christ
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Assemblies of God
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Reformed Church of America
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Calvary Chapel Movement
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Church of the Nazarene
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Harvest Bible Fellowship
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Seventh Day Adventists
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the United Pentecostal Church
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the United Methodist Church
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the United Church of Canada
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for the Willow Creek Association
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Sovereign Grace Ministries
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Samaritan’s Purse
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Wycliffe Bible Translators
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for World Vision
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Compassion International
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Youth With A Mission
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Campus Crusade for Christ
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Youth for Christ
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Christian broadcasters
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Christian bookstores
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Christian musicians
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Christian bloggers
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Christian schools
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for Christian universities
  
• Terry Jones doesn’t speak for me.

Get the picture?

…And ditto Fred Phelps…Why do the smallest voices get the greatest media attention?

The Wednesday Link List

“Officially voted the finest Wednesday Link List on any blog called Thinking Out Loud”

Here’s some places my computer took me this week.   What about you?

• Here’s a reprint from a few days of ago of what would be Michael Spencer’s final blog post on February 22 at Internet Monk.
• My choice for in-depth article of the week is Ted Olsen’s online-only piece at Christianity Today suggesting that the annunciation may be more important than Christmas and Easter, especially in view of its relationship to the abortion debate.
• The Ecclesiastical Courts Jurisdiction Act of 1860.  It’s a little-known law in the UK — and some places closer to home — but as this person found out, it’s illegal to disrupt a worship service, as reported at Answers for the Faith.
• They’re “disgusting and disturbing” but does that mean the Hutaree militant fringe group are not Christians?   Julie Clawson at the blog One Hand Clapping tackles an interesting subject in Militias, The Church & Christians.
• David Hayward, aka Naked Pastor, resigns after 25 years at a Canadian Vineyard church.
• The journalism blog Get Religion looks at the story of a church which offered love and compassion to a mentally ill man who later set fire to their church.
• Sometimes I think we get too hung up on the “latest” thing in the blogosphere.   Here’s a post from January of last year about churches coming together to help with a funeral at the blog, 300 Words a Day.
• If you remember my piece on bullying, republished here just a few days ago, you might also appreciate this piece by Mike Furches at The Virtual Pew.
  
• At the blog Arminian Today, the blogger known as The Seeking Disciple asks the musical question, Does Calvinism Make it Easier To Sin?   Easier may not be the right word, but he makes an argument for complacency.
  
• Brian McLaren plays the piano and discusses eschatology and open theology in a video series about his book posted at The Ooze TV.
• Jeffrey Overstreet looks at Christian publishing with a little help from C. S. Lewis, Oscar Wilde and this gem from T. S. Eliot:
  

  “[T]he last thing I would wish for would be the existence of two literatures, one for Christian consumption and the other for the pagan world. What I believe to be incumbent upon all Christians is the duty of maintaining consciously certain standards and criteria of criticism over and above those applied by the rest of the world; and that by these criteria and standards everything that we read must be tested.”
  Continue reading here.

• Shaun Groves returns to the U.S. from Canada and is readmitted only after he gives the border patrol a mini-version of his Canadian seminar on poverty for Compassion International (complete with Q&A time!)
• Author John Shore finds out late in March that his mother passed away — five years ago.
• Cynthia Ware of the Center for Church Communication guests at UrbanMinistry.org with a piece of 5 Trends affecting Church communicators.
• Academic story of the week:  Evangelical scholar and author Bruce Waltke finds his job at Reformed Theological Seminary over after he posts a video which supports evolution.   Details at USAToday, or you can read more at Jon Rising’s Word and Spirit blog.
  
• Blog discovery of the week:  Confident Christianity by Mary Jo Sharpe who has just signed a book contract with Kregel Publishing.
• Classic video discovery the week:  Christian music veteran Kathy Trocolli and the Beach Boys (yes it’s really them) team up for I Can Hear Music.  Posted in 2007.  Turn it up loud.
  
• Jon Acuff is back in classic form as he examines that most unusual species: The Youth Pastor.  “#52. Tells youth group that the Psalms are kind of emo.” Check out Stuff Christians Like # 747.
  
• Our cartoon this week is from the usually-not-so-religiously-oriented cartoon blog Beartoons.com where he also discusses the whole concept of atheist missionaries:

HT for Jeffrey Overstreet piece:  Nathan Douglas at Cinema Truth.