Winds_of_Change's Revelife

A Reflection: What Have You Learned From Revelife?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:32:51 GMT

I've been in a reflective mood lately, and a great deal of my reflection has been on things that have grown in importance for me this summer, one of which is blogging for Revelife. It's funny to think about it -- a blogging Web site, something you can engage in only from your computer screen, can play such a huge role in your life.

But it's true -- on the main page, Revelife calls itself "Christian community for the heart, mind, and soul." And I truly think that Revelife comes as close as you can get to "community" online. As a student journalist, from the beginning, my blogging for Revelife was all about the writing. I wanted to improve my writing skills, and through my writing, share my faith with others. But the more that I wrote for Revelife, the more that I came to realize how much my posts affected others, and yes -- how others' posts have affected me. Without a doubt -- reading other people's posts on Revelife have affected me tremendously, and I've learned a lot.

The heartfelt, personal posts (which I wish would generate more comments!!) have always been favorites for me. They helped me to realize that I'm not alone in this journey of faith, and my brothers and sisters in Christ have had their ups and downs as well as they strive to grow closer to Jesus Christ.

The controversial posts (oh, how we all love controversy, as much as we might not like to admit it) have taught me a lot as well. I've learned to articulate my own viewpoints better, and I've become more opinionated! I've learned to accept viewpoints that may vastly differ from mine. I've read posts from others that I've thought -- wow, this is right on the money! I agree 100 percent.

But of course, there have been other posts that I've thought, where are these people coming from? I just can't agree with this! This has been healthy for me, though -- not harmful at all. Just because we are all Christian doesn't mean that we're bound to share the same standpoints on every single issue. That's as ludicrous as claiming that all members of your family will share the same viewpoints, or all college students will agree on everything. That's a resounding "no way!", right? Reading and responding to controversial posts has helped me to grow into the accepting kind of person that we are called to be.

Then there are the posts from non-Christians. In all honesty, I love reading those posts! I enjoy seeing how people of other faith backgrounds (or maybe no faith background) view Christianity. Although I definitely do not agree with all of the points brought up in these posts, they have definitely helped me to become more open to other ideas. A lot of these types of posts also help me to see where we have fallen short as Christians and perhaps failed to treat non-believers with the love and kindness that they, too, deserve.

It's amazing how this online blogging community has taught me so many lessons, simply from its posters and commenters alone. I'm just wondering if Revelife has done the same for you.

What have you learned from Revelife? Has anything in particular inspired you? What do you like the most/least about the site?

Sharing Your Testimony: Your Faith Can Transform Another's Future

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:58:22 GMT

I just read an article promoting a new book by the Christian author and entrepreneur Mark Steele entitled Christianish. In this book, Steele discusses his belief that Christians often put on a false front to outsiders, and fail to let others know how their relationship with Jesus Christ transformed their lives.

Steele urges that although Christ has redeemed us, we should never forget who we used to be. Sharing our stories about the sin, doubt, confusion, or disbelief that once encompassed our lives, and how Jesus "lifted us out" can be an incredibly strong model for those who do not yet know Him as their Savior.

"Christ transforms us, takes us through the rough stuff. But Christ doesn't transform us so we would bury who we used to be, hide it, and somehow put a mask on it," Steele said. "He expects us to allow others to see who we used to be and how he transformed us, so that they can believe they are transformable as well."

He adds that Christians are often too quick to hone in on their own self-righteousness and pointing out the sinful ways of others. According to Steele, Christians often fail to let others know that they are sinners too, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

"It is only in loving people to Jesus that Jesus and his power [are] able to affect them in a way that they are transformed and they are convicted of their sin and they do want to change," Steele explained. "But for some reason we feel guilty if we don't slam every detail about them that is not living perfection. We feel like we have to call that all out on the carpet before we can love someone to Jesus."

This article led me to re-examine how important it is for us as Christians to share our testimonies with others. I was never really one for sharing with others my personal story of spiritual growth. I never really even thought about my personal journey. I knew that I had come to the point of being firm in my faith, and the how didn't really matter -- to me at least.

An evangelism class I took for one semester in college called "Becoming a Contagious Christian" challenged me to think otherwise. "Maybe a non-believer has encountered similar things in life that you have," our instructor told us. "Your story could lead others to Christ."

Although I don't have the most life-altering story, a complete 360-degree turn-around moment, I've come to value my testimony more and share it more often than I ever have before. (My initial growth in my faith is best expressed in this post. Another story I like to share with others about how God has helped me through personal struggles along the way is revealed here.)

Do you agree with Steele, that we as Christians need to talk to non-believers about how we used to be and how Christ transformed us, instead of constantly honing in on the sinful ways of others? Do you often share your testimony with others, and do you think it has made an impact?

Beyond the Four Walls: Church Sells Building to Focus on Service

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:49:22 GMT

Rev. Frank Mercer, the pastor of Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is trying to sell his church building so that the congregation would be able to dedicate more money to working in their community, in downtown Atlanta, and in Mexico and Honduras.

The congregation is $150,000 away from paying off $1.4 million worth of land and buildings, a recent article reports.

In Fayetteville, a metropolitan area known for its megachurches and church-owned sports fields, Rolling Hills, with its 100-member congregation, stands out in that it challenges the true meaning of a church.

Mercer and his congregation willingly accept the fact that they will lose the mortgage, air-conditioning bills and insurance costs so they could devote the funds to helping the less fortunate.

Originating at a Charlotte megachurch with 20 pastors, this move is a challenging step for Mercer.

He initially intended to build Rolling Hills into a similar institution, until he visited a church in New York City that challenged him to think otherwise.

That particular church rented space, but was considering the costly option of buying a building. One of the members spoke out against the idea of buying a building.

“I’m afraid if we become a church of bricks and mortar, we’ll cease to be a church of flesh and blood," the member said.

These words inspired Dave Lebby, a Rolling Hills member, to discover "how freeing it would be” to not be confined to the church building.

Mercer completely agrees. “We spend over 50 percent of our budget on a building that we are in less than 10 percent of the time,” he said.

After returning from New York, Mercer began preaching a series explaining to his congregation that the church exists to serve others.

As a result, Rolling Hills members became more active, volunteering their time at local homeless shelters and children's homes.

After negotiating and considering the reservations some members held, the congregation arrived at a 95-to-5 decision to sell the building.

Once the building is sold, the congregation will likely rent a general-purpose building where both services and community programs will be held.

Mercer discusses his transformation through working with Rolling Hills, a church he initially intended to transform.

“I came out of a megachurch in Charlotte with the idea that this church was broken and needed to be fixed,” Mercer said. “I have not saved this little church. It has saved me. I guess I am the one that needed to be fixed.”

What do you think of Rolling Hills' decision to sell their church building to dedicate more money to helping the less fortunate?

How important is the church building to you? Do you agree that "if we become a church of bricks and mortar, we’ll cease to be a church of flesh and blood?"

The Ten Stages of Faith: Do These Apply to You?

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:05:06 GMT

I just finished reading a post entitled "Reality Church?" that lays out the steps the average Christian undergoes when growing in their faith, becoming comfortable at their church, and getting involved in ministries there. Although I don't think the stages are 100 percent accurate, and I doubt that every Christian goes through these steps in this exact order, I think they are still worth examining. Here is the list:

The First Stage: We begin going to a church, exciting, thrilling, love Jesus, the church is exciting, all things new.

Second Stage: We begin getting involved, learn behind the scenes things, feel privileged to know the church staff and leaders more personally, we are totally excited.

Third Stage: We see things you start to question, the thrill of the big church meetings wanes, as it seems more and more predictable, the leaders seem more human now and not as special as first.

Fourth Stage: We start to get tired of serving in ministry. It seems routine now and we only see it as fueling the big meeting that we don't really like anymore. The leaders we once were in awe of now seem not only normal, but there is a suspicion of self-serving vs. serving the church in their motives. We lose excitement and wonder if church is even something we should be part of. We grow more disillusioned by the day.

Fifth Stage: Total disillusionment, begin feeling bitter towards church leaders, and wonder why people don’t question things more. We sit in the big meeting and feel very alone. We look at the crowds around us and don't feel like we belong anymore. Is church just a produced big meeting? We are tired and it even angers us to see excited new people joining the church as we now know how it really works and how they too will eventually become tired like we are and see church is a program and organized religion.

Sixth Stage: We silently drop out of church. We read the Bible and early church history and see that they didn't have bigger weekly meetings in the early church. We read "house church" literature and begin thinking this is the real New Testament church. We get excited about really doing church the right way and not the big organized way. We find a few other disillusioned Christians and either form or join some sort of small house church gathering. We want it to be simple and not "organized" or programmed or big, but pure like the early church. Everyone all sharing together, true community will happen here, unlike the bigger programmed meetings.

Seventh Stage: Fairly quickly, we realize it isn't too easy leading people. Even in a small house church. People don't show up, or you have people dominating conversations. There is the same bickering, some gossip, people whispering to others that they are not happy with how the meeting went etc. We sometimes try to sing worship songs with ten people and it feels very odd. So you don't try to sing anymore, but do secretly miss the corporate singing that happens in a larger group. Eventually we find the same disappointments in the smaller house church that we did in the bigger programmed church, but at a different level. We get even more disillusioned, as we realize that even the key leaders (including ourselves) and the people of the house church are just as messed up as the big church leaders and people in those churches.

We also feel subtly uncomfortable that the house church feels a bit inward focused. It would be weird to have non-Christians break up the intimate dialog and prayer we have taken such a long time to establish together. But we know something has to be done, as we keep thinking about those who don't know Jesus and that our house church might not be the best place to invite them. Plus dealing with little kids running around every week during your meeting certainly limits your full engagement into the Bible discussion. We get more disheartened as our 4 year old knocks the entire strawberry shortcake dessert onto the kitchen floor as he was trying to get at it early before it is served at the house church.

Eighth Stage: We stop going to any church of any kind. We forget it all. Watch a lot of TV. Play video games. We go see the Dukes of Hazzard movie.

Ninth Stage: We begin missing other Christians, and regular fellowship. We do some introspection and eventually deal with the disappointments and high expectations that we had. We begin a new level of maturity and thinking about the church and church leaders.

We start thinking about our options. We don't want to go to a preaching-driven church that just has everything revolve around the senior pastor or the preacher, as that subtly creates passive spectators who depend on the preacher to "feed" them weekly - rather than maturing as Christians whom should primarily be "feeding" ourselves (since we aren't infants anymore). We don't want to go to a hyper-Reformed church where we feel guilty all the time and get caught up in the everybody else is worldy and wrong but us mentality. We don't feel good about the seeker-type of churches where everyone is so happy, the music is hyper-cheery and we fill in the blanks in the notes they give out. That excites us for a little while, when we fill in the blanks, because it feels like you are really learning. But after a while we see the stack thickening in our Bibles that we stuff them in and realize that we have never even looked at them since we filled them in. We look at our notes that we filled the blanks in on, and can't remember a single thing from these sermons, even the one from two weeks ago.

Tenth Stage: So, we slowly go back to our original church that we at first felt good in because of the overall vision and mission that drew us to it in the first place. We find that the leaders do admit freely to you there are weaknesses and flaws and mess ups and ego issues, but still try their best to blend both the bigger meetings and smaller home meetings for the purpose of the mission. They try to be organized, without being "Organized".

It's not perfect, but we begin to enjoy and even more appreciate the benefits and momentum of the church. But now we get involved with more realistic expectations of what church is and understand the leaders are just like us, trying their best to serve Jesus. We become happy again with a balanced life and imperfect church family all serving on a mission together.

I certainly have not gone through all of these stages, and I'm having trouble pinpointing what stage I'm currently at. But as I read through each of the stages, I could relate to much of what the poster was discussing. It brought to mind the erratic combination of excitement and dissatisfaction that I experienced during my years singing in the music ministry at my church. (I always returned to the excitement, though.) If it's possible to be at more than one of these stages at once, that's probably where I'm at right now.

Do you think that these stages apply to your faith journey and your experience with your church? If so, what stage(s) are you at?

Catholic Nurse Ordered to Help With Abortion, Against Her Will

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:57:17 GMT

A lawsuit has been filed against Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City for forcing a Catholic nurse who has voiced her conscientious objection to abortion to assist in the dismemberment of a child, a recent article reports.

This case is being brought before the Alliance Defense Fund, which is seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the hospital from retaliating against the nurse, Catherina Lorena Cenzon-DeCarlo.

The injunction request lays out the details of the hospital's actions: "Because it was included in the requirements of her nursing duties as an assistant on the case, Mount Sinai forced Mrs. DeCarlo to watch the doctor remove the bloody arms and legs of the child from its mother's body by with forceps, and then after the surgery, to view the bloody body parts in the specimen cup, put saline in the cup, and take it to the specimen area."

In addition, the complaint pointed out that the abortion was not so urgent that it immediately required DeCarlo's assistance, and there was more than enough time to summon another nurse.

According the the Alliance Defense Fund, the hospital has been aware of DeCarlo's religious objections to participating in the death of a living unborn baby since 2004. Despite this, the hospital allegedly forced her to participate, threatening her with disciplinary measures should she decline. After DeCarlo refused to sign a statement confirming that she assist in future abortions, the hospital dramatically cut her on-call assignments.

ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman strongly argued against the actions of the hospital, labeling them as illegal and unethical.

"Pro-life nurses shouldn’t be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs," Bowman said. "Requiring a devout, Catholic nurse to participate in a late-term abortion in order to remain employed is illegal, unethical, and violates her rights of conscience. Federal law requires that employers who receive funding from tax dollars must not compel employees to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs, but this nurse's objections fell on deaf ears."

The hospital allegedly set up the abortion because the mother had been diagnosed with preeclampsia, but DeCarlo knew such a condition can be treated without the necessity of an abortion.

When DeCarlo was informed that the unborn child was still alive, she immediately refused to assist. However, the nursing supervisor, Fran Carpo, did not take no for an answer.

The complaint elaborates on Carpo's demands, and even threats, forcing DiCarlo to assist in the abortion: "Ms. Carpo said that if Mrs. DeCarlo did not participate in the case, Mrs. DeCarlo would be brought up on charges of 'insubordination and patient abandonment. A charge of patient abandonment would severely jeopardize Mrs. DeCarlo's employment and her nursing license and consequently her career and her and her family's livelihood."

The request for the injunction explains that federal law doesn't condone the actions of the hospital.

"Mount Sinai is bound to respect Mrs. DeCarlo's conscience rights by virtue of several laws, but most notably 42 U.S.C. § 300a-7(c). Mount Sinai has voluntarily subjected itself to this statute by receiving hundreds of millions of federal Health and Human Services dollars in recent years," the request stated. "This statute … states in no uncertain terms that Mrs. DeCarlo is protected from discrimination by Mount Sinai in the conditions or privileges of her employment on the basis of her religious objection to assisting in abortion."

DeCarlo has faced personal trauma due to her assistance in the abortion against her will.

"She has felt intense emotional, psychological and spiritual suffering from having to participate in something she considers profoundly immoral and unjust. She has missed several days of work, has had trouble sleeping, and has had nightmares about the killing of this child. She has even had to deal with feelings of estrangement from God and family members," the law firm said.

Do you think the hospital should have forced DeCarlo to assist in the abortion, despite her conscientious objection to abortion? If you were in DeCarlo's shoes, would you have continually refused to offer assistance, despite the orders of your supervisors?

Decisions for Christian Parents: To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool?

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:29:38 GMT

"Train up a child in the way he should go; Even when he is old he will not depart from it." -- Proverbs 22:6.

High on the list of goals for the average Christian parent is to "train up" their children with the academic knowledge they need to succeed in the world, integrated with (and never compromising) the truth and values of the Christian faith.

Many Christian parents believe the best way to ensure that their children gain academic knowledge, yet still remain rooted in their faith, is through homeschooling.

A new study confirms the success of students who are homeschooled, compared to their public school counterparts. The Progress Report 2009: Homeschool Academic Achievement and Demographics, which surveyed 11,739 homeschooled students for the 2007–08 academic school year, reported that homeschooled students, on average, scored 37 percentile points above public school students on standardized achievement tests. The Progress Report, the most comprehensive study of homeschool academic achievement ever completed, drew homeschoolers from 15 independent testing services, a press release reports.

According to the release, the study also indicated that the achievement gaps evident among public school students did not exist among the homeschooled population:

Homeschooled boys (87th percentile) and girls (88th percentile) scored equally well; the income level of parents did not appreciably affect the results (household income under $35,000: 85th percentile--household income over $70,000: 89th percentile); and while parent education level did have some impact, even children whose parents did not have college degrees scored in the 83rd percentile, which is well above the national average for public school students. Homeschooled children whose parents both had college degrees scored in the 90th percentile.

Michael Smith, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association, believes that these results point to the commitment of parents who homeschool their children. He also indicated that homeschooling is a successful education movement that has the potential to become more prevalent in the next generation.

"These results validate the dedication of hundreds of thousands of homeschool parents who are giving their children the best education possible," Smith said. "Homeschooling is a rapidly growing, thriving education movement that is challenging the conventional wisdom about the best way to raise and educate the next generation."

What do you think about the idea of homeschooling? Do you/ would you homeschool your children? Why or why not?

Do You Believe in Guardian Angels?

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:43:18 GMT

A vast majority of Christians believe that they have guardian angels watching over them, according to a survey on Christianet.com.

Of the 1,600 Christians surveyed, 84 percent believed they had a guardian angel. Many of the Christians in this group believed in the presence of these angels because they had personally experienced their protection. One person in this category responded, "I know because I have felt their presence, especially when something horrible happens around me. For some reason I seem to escape unscathed." Another survey-taker cited Matthew 18:10 as biblical evidence for the existence of guardian angels: "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."

Despite the belief that most surveyed Christians held in the existence of guardian angels, twelve percent of those surveyed vehemently denied their existence. "The Holy Spirit and God are who protect us, not angelic beings. God gave them a different purpose," one survey-taker commented. Another person argued that angels exist, but not guardian ones who are assigned to watch over individual people.

Four percent of the survey-takers weren't certain on what to believe about the existence of guardian angels. "I hope so. It sure would be nice and I could sure use the protection that people claim they give," one person in this category commented.

Do you believe that guardian angels exist?

"Just Let Loose:" God's Message to Me at a Casting Crowns Concert

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:49:15 GMT

When people meet me for the first time, they often see me as a person who tends to be too uptight, takes life too seriously, and just needs to let loose.

I find that this uptightness often carries over to my spiritual life. My worship style is typically very refined and uncharismatic...and that's fine -- for some people. But I feel as if I want to want to worship with my whole body, yet I won't allow myself to do so.

While my heart is burning with excitement about my belief in Jesus Christ as my Savior, my body language certainly doesn't reflect it. My hands are folded or at my sides, and I often sit or stand -- motionless and expressionless. I want to throw my hands into the air and dance, but I feel blocked; I just can't bring myself to do it.

I used to blame my unenthusiastic worship style on my denomination. "Catholics don't raise their hands in worship," I told my mom one afternoon. "We don't dance up and down the aisles. I want to, but I can't. No one else does it."

My mother immediately confronted me about my faulty thinking. "This has nothing to do with your denomination," she told me. "It has to do with yourself. If you feel God is leading you to raise your hands in worship, by all means do so. Who is going to judge you?"

She was absolutely right. Not only did I make an uncalled for vast generalization about my own denomination, but I also wasn't opening myself to worshiping in a new way -- the way God was leading me to.

My mother's point was confirmed when I began attending InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a non-denominational Christian group on my campus. At InterVarsity, it seemed like everyone "let loose" when worshiping the Lord -- everyone but me. My hands were still glued to my sides and my feet were firmly planted on the floor.

Week after week at InterVarsity, I felt as if God was telling me, "Lift your hands! Be joyful!" One of my IV friends even asked me one week, "C'mon, Amanda! Aren't you excited?" I responded, "yes," but he wasn't convinced. I was excited about my faith, but I just couldn't let that excitement out, as much as I wanted to.

What was it? I asked myself? Pride? Fear? Nervousness? Self-consciousness? Just my personality? All of the above? I didn't know, but it bothered me to no end.

Whatever "it" was, God helped me break through it when I attended a Casting Crowns concert at Rock the Sound NYC last weekend. When the song "All Because of Jesus" blared through the speakers, the lyrics touched me in a way that I can't begin to describe. "All because of Jesus I'm alive," I told myself. He is who I'm living for!

"ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS I'M ALIVE!" I told myself again. My heart was fluttering with excitement, but I was still sitting in my seat. Once again, I felt as if God was telling me, "Lift your hands, Amanda!"

All of a sudden, I felt my right arm rising, ever so slightly. My friend who was sitting next to me (also a typically uncharismatic worshipper), tapped me on the shoulder and started giggling, as if to say, "What are you doing?" My arm instantly went down again.

But God wouldn't let that be the end of it. "Lift your hands to Jesus!" Mark Hall, the lead singer of Casting Crowns cried out. "Just let loose, Amanda! Let loose!" I felt like God was telling me.

And I did. I turned to my friend and said, "I just can't help it." Then, it all happened at once -- I raised my hands, danced, clapped my hands -- everything. Finally was the only word that went through my head at that moment. It felt like an amazing release, an indescribable breath of fresh air.

Did you ever feel like God was telling to "just let loose" as He told me? Did you resist as first? How did it feel for you when you finally "let loose?"

Most Americans Would "Try Out" Church Through Friends' Invitations

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:10:57 GMT

A new study reports that over half of Americans are likely to attend church if they are invited by a close family member or friend, an article in the Christian Post reports.

As revealed in the most recent Lifeway Research survey, 63 percent of individuals are willing to hear about a local congregation through a family member, and 56 percent are likely to find out through a friend or neighbor from the church. A minority -- fewer than half -- are open to receive information about a church any other way, such as through an advertisement.

These results are timely and of the essence as some of the nation's largest churches, including Southern Baptists, are facing a marked decrease in their congregations. (Membership in the SBC dropped 0.24 percent in 2007, the largest drop ever reported for the largest Protestant denomination in the country.) This prompted many Christian leaders, including Ken Weathersby, senior strategist for evangelization at the North American Mission Board, to look into the best ways to reach the lost and regain members.

"We want to help Christians discover what approaches work best in today’s culture," Weathersby said. "It’s not about changing the Gospel, but determining how best to share it."

According to Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, many non-Christians are open to invitations to church. It's the job of the Christian to pose these invitations.

"The primary lesson North American believers should learn from this research is that many of your unchurched friends are ready for an invitation to conversation," Stetzer said. "Unbelievers next door still need a simple, personal invitation to talk, to be in community and to church. Clearly, relationships are important and work together with marketing."

Were you introduced to church by friends or family members? If not, did your family members or friends play any role in your decision to continue attending church?

What other factors influenced your decision to begin/ continue attending church?

Displayed Bible Covered in Obscene Comments: Is the Church at Fault?

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:15:31 GMT

A Bible placed on display at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow as part of an art exhibition is now covered in obscene comments, according to a recent article.

Beside the Bible display, there is a notice written by Metropolitan Christian Church alongside a handful of pens. The notice, directed at museum visitors, read: “Are there any gay people in the Bible? Out of the tens of thousands of people who appear in the Old and New Testaments, there must have been. Same-sex love, such as that between Ruth and Naomi, existed, but has been written out over time. If you feel you have been excluded from the Bible, please write your way back into it.”

Many visitors took this opportunity to vent their anger, scribbling abuse all over the pages of the Bible. Of the many comments, some of the most offensive were, “F*** the Bible” and “I don’t want a fascist God.” The most offensive pages have been removed from the Bible.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, director of the Christian Legal Centre, expressed her disappointment about the desecration of this Bible.

“Sadly, it is a failure of the wider Christian church to adequately live and demonstrate the message of God's reconciliation which is the issue," Williams said.
“The Bible stands for everything this art does not: for creation, beauty, hope and regeneration.”

Eddie Arthur, Executive Director of Wycliffe Bible Translators, is also horrified at the abuse that has covered the pages of this Bible, but he does understand that people who feel excluded by the Bible may feel the need to react in this way. Arthur points the accusing finger at the church for not being accepting and forgiving of these individuals.

"It's disappointing that people feel the need to deface a Bible when offered the opportunity. But it is understandable that people who feel excluded would react to that exclusion. However, it is not the Bible that has marginalized people," Arthur argued. “Sadly, it is a failure of the wider Christian church to adequately live and demonstrate the message of God's reconciliation which is the issue.”

Where do you stand on this issue? Should the visitors have been allowed to write on the Bible in the first place? Do you agree with Arthur, that the wider church is at fault?