Thursday, April 30, 2009

Fear of the Flu?

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For the past week now, the media's top story all across the world has been what is known as the "swine flu." As of yesterday, there were 2500 suspected cases of swine flu in Mexico and 159 suspected deaths. The U.S. has reached 64 suspected cases of the swine flu with just 1 death reported.

To place things in proper perspective, 20,000 people die from flu related illness each year. Many media sources are suggesting that this outbreak has the potential to unfold into a major pandemic; but does it really? What many media sources will not take the time to say is that many Americans lived through the 1968 "Hong Kong flu" which was very mild and the 1976 "swine flu," for which the vaccine did more damage than the flu itself.

President Obama recently commented on the swine flu, saying that the outbreak warrants concern, but not panic. With that being said, how do you feel about the way the nation is processing the outbreak?
  • Are the media and public officials presenting the world with a dramatization of the flu, where facts and fear are beginning to intermingle?
  • What does the bible say about fear, and how can we implement God's word in times like these?
  • Have you taken any precautions since you heard about the flu outbreak?

Friday, April 24, 2009

The New Abortion Trend

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There seems to have arisen a new trend concerning the topic of abortion in our nation. Just recently, in an Associated Press report, a woman arrived "in flip-flops and in tears" at an abortion clinic after walking for over an hour to get there. She was there to have her fourth child aborted after her boyfriend lost his job. It was reported that the woman originally desired to have the child, as she had previously received prenatal care, but in review of their budget and expenses, they decided not to have the baby.

It's a heart-wrenching story, but it is the latest trend in our country. As pro-choice and pro-life advocates are at different ends of the spectrum concerning their stances on abortion, could anyone have seen this coming? The recent trend is that individuals are having abortions because of the turn in the nation's economy.

Just the other week, there was a British official named Jonathan Porritt, who said it was his desire to cut his country's population in half for the sake of the environment. Even though there might be a scarcity of economic resources, is it o.k. to delete the lives of humans to ensure a better quality of living?
  • How does this new trend affect your stance on being pro-life or pro-choice?
  • What are your views concerning abortion?
  • What measures do you believe need to be enacted to bring closure to this new trend? Or is it something that should take place in our nation?

Timothy Wright: The Life and Legacy

Gospel singer Timothy Wright

The Grammy-nominated gospel singer and song writer Timothy Wright has died at the age of 61. Many knew Wright by his upbeat songs and mass choir appeal that many choirs all over the world sang and patterned themselves after.

In July, Wright was in a car crash that killed his wife, Betty, and their teenage grandson. He was paralyzed from his chest down and was in rehab, but was determined to get back to what he loved to do. Thank God for the gift of Pastor Timothy Wright.

Some of his more notable songs included Certainly Lord, Come Thou Almighty King, I Won't Let Go of My Faith, Who's On the Lord's Side, Yes I'm a Believer, & Trouble Won't Last Always...just to name a few.
  • Were you ever in a choir/group that sang any of Pastor Timothy Wright's songs?
  • If you could take yourself back to that moment, what was your experience singing one of Pastor Wright's songs?

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Same-Sex Marriage: Is It Here To Stay?

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Recently, there has been a resurgence of the topic of
same-sex marriage in various forms of media. Just
last evening there was a very heated discussion on
Larry King live featuring Perez Hilton debating issues
relating to same-sex marriage.

In addition, there is controversy surrounding what Miss
California said about same-sex marriage in Sunday's Miss
U.S.A. pageant. Her answer included the phrase that same-
sex marriage was not "biblically correct". Many people
speculate the reason she lost the pageant is specifically
connected to what the Miss U.S.A. judges classify as a wrong
answer to the question relating to same-sex marriage.
Should she have just communicated a politically correct
answer to preserve her win as Miss U.S.A?

Within the last month the Iowa state Supreme Court ruled that
same-sex couples have the right to marry, and Vermont has
followed the same ruling. The District of Columbia has also voted
to recognize same-sex weddings done elsewhere as official, and
in New York the governor has consented to sign legislation
legalizing same-sex marriage.

  • Is same-sex marriage here to stay?
  • What are your feelings about same-sex marriage?
  • What is the connection between same-sex marriage and politics?
  • What should be the churches stance concerning same-sex marriage?

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

National Eat Out Month

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The Houlihan's Restaurants, Inc. has taken the initiative to
declare the month of April as a national holiday 'National Eat
Out Month'. The Vice President said, "69 percent of adults
with children surveyed say purchasing meals from restaurants,
take-out and delivery places makes it easier to manage their
day-to-day lives."

In what many classify as an economic crisis in our nation, statistics
prove that many individuals are still spending big money on
quick meals.

  • If you were to estimate how much money you spent every month eating out how much would it be?
  • How often did you eat out as a child? How does that affect your patterns of eating out in your adult life?
  • What are some money saving tips you practice that you can share to help save someone else a few dollars at the end of the month?