faith

FAITH AND THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF MENTAL ILLNESS

Adrian WarnockQuestion: How has faith shaped our view of mental illness?

Dr Adrian Warnock comments…

There are really two questions here:

1) How has your religious community historically seen mental illness? and
2) How does your faith, today, shape the way you see mental illness?

First, let me share some of my own perspective on this.

I believe that Christianity has historically a mixed report card on this subject. Fundamentally our faith has always valued people as inherently of worth because all of them were made in the image of God. Thus, when practised correctly, our faith should lead to compassionate care for the weak. (more…)

NEEDED TODAY – SPIRITUAL GIFTS OPERATING IN THE BODY

Shaun Mawson

Shaun Mawson is excited about something he believes God wants for his church:

I began to think of what the church would look like if every Christian started to develop and use his or her gift to its full potential.

Now I know there are many people within the church right now that are well and truly operating in their gifts, but I believe that number is way below what is acceptable and God’s expectation.

Six valid questions
As I started to open up this reality of days gone by in the church, questions started to come: (more…)

ASK THE DOCTORS – MIND

Question: Why are most medical practitioners wary of Christians talking about faith and healing?

dan-wooding-portrait-2

Dan Wooding, ASSIST Ministries Founder (http://www.assistnews.net), can answer this reader’s question positively and encouragingly.

The award winner journalist and author recently attended an outstanding conference in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital city, where some 240 WCDN (World Christian Doctors Network) doctors and medical professionals from 38 countries had gathered to discuss and explore whether miracles still happen today and, if they do, to provide and examine medical data to prove them. (more…)

NOAH, JESUS and NEW BEGINNINGS

Robert and Maureen McQuillan write:

Seen the movie Noah yet? It has attracted much attention everywhere. Good casting, very creative, well thought out, full of godly righteous principles and attention-gripping all the way.

But it’s Hollywood style and only a little biblical, like DeMille’s Bible-inspired The Ten Commandments. Diehard ‘black and white only Christians’ eyebrows have been raised and it’s felt that ‘far too much artistic licence has been taken.’ Any who dare suggest believers should see the movie have been slammed. (more…)

PRESIDENT OBAMA AFFIRMS FAITH IN JESUS AT PRAYER BREAKFAST

Mark Ellis

By Mark Ellis

President Barack Obama spoke to faith leaders gathered at the White House April 14 for the annual Easter Prayer Breakfast, affirming his Christian faith.

The President’s affirmation of Easter
He began his remarks with ‘This Easter Week we recognise that there’s a lot of pain and a lot of sin and a lot of tragedy in this world, but we’re also overwhelmed by the grace of an awesome God. We’re reminded how he loves us, so deeply, that he gave his only begotten Son so that we might live through him.’

The president affirmed the true meaning of Easter. ‘And in these Holy Days, we recall all that Jesus endured for us – the scorn of the crowds and the pain of the crucifixion, in our Christian religious tradition we celebrate the glory of the Resurrection – all so that we might be forgiven of our sins and granted everlasting life.’

(more…)

FACTS, FAITH AND FEELINGS

Question: Sometimes I feel very close to God and at other times I feel that he is a million miles away. When I don’t feel that he is near, does that mean that I have done something that has offended him?

Jim McClureDr Jim McClure, noted theologian, responds:

This question raises the more fundamental question of how reliable our emotions are in experiencing God’s presence and in sensing his speaking to us.

First of all it has to be said that our capacity to have emotions is a gift from God. When he made us, part of the human package was what we call ‘feelings.’ Some of them make us feel good, such as happiness, love, wonder, and pleasure; other have a negative effect on us – such as, sadness, disappointment, shame, anger and envy. Still others include such feelings as sympathy, compassion and courage. On and on the list goes! It would be hard to imagine life without feelings. Yet… (more…)