|
"Fearful
lest it be relegated to the position of an isolated sect, Christianity
seems to be making frenzied efforts at mimicry in order to escape being
devoured by its enemies--a reaction that seems defensive, but is in fact
self-destructive. In the hope of saving itself, it seems to be assuming
the colors of its environment, but the result is that it loses its
identity. . . ."
--Leszek Kolakowski, from Modernity on Endless Trial |
|
|
THE RECORD Online Newspaper
|
|
|
|
In This Issue: |
Friday July 15, 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
• |
Finding a Forgotten
Monument |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
• |
Outrage in Bar Harbor as
Town Threatens
Missionary with Jail for
Preaching the Gospel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The RECORD has warned repeatedly
that if groups such as the ACLU
were allowed to remove Christian
symbols from public places as
“offensive,” the next step would
be to ban all preaching in
public. We also warned of the
immense danger posed by a gay
rights movement which seeks to
marginalize Christians. It is
only reasonable to expect that
the outcome of such a movement
would be to drastically limit
the rights of Christians.
Exactly the same thing we have
been warning about has now
happened in - of all places –
Bar Harbor. We recently learned
that Shenon Parker, an
evangelist from San Antonio has
been threatened with jail for
preaching in downtown Bar
Harbor. When not preaching in
Maine, Parker makes yearly trips
to Nicaragua where he preaches
in the poorest part of the
capitol city of Managua. The
part of the city where Parker
preaches is so poor that the
children pick scraps of food
from the city dump in order to
survive.
“My only concern is to preach
the Gospel, and to have souls
saved,” Parker told The RECORD.
His problems began last week
when a Bar Harbor police officer
approached Parker and told him
that he had received numerous
complaints about Parker’s
presence in the park. Despite
Parker enquiries, the officer
refused to elaborate on the
nature of the complaints.
Parker pointed out a nearby
woman in an immodest bathing
suit, and asked if she would be
entitled to stay in the park if
people complained. The officer
responded she could stay, based
on her First Amendment right to
free speech. Parker reached into
his pocket and pulled out a copy
of the Constitution, and asked
politely if preaching is also
covered under the First
Amendment. The officer answered
by saying that if Parker
returned next Sunday he would be
arrested. Parker has told The
RECORD that he will return to
the same spot on Sunday. In the
event that Parker is arrested,
The RECORD will cover the story
in Monday’s edition.
Parker also told The RECORD that
he feels much freer to preach
the Gospel in Nicaragua than in
America.
The photo at the right shows
Shenon Parker pausing from his
work in building Calvary Chapel
in Managua to lead devotions for
his staff. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finding the monument described
in yesterday’s RECORD involved a
bit of leg work.
The editor of The RECORD often
seeks out the monuments of
Maine, in the belief that these
works of art are relics of a
civilization which has
essentially disappeared. He had
seen many outstanding monuments
in Maine, Boston, New York, and
Philadelphia, but none
approached this particular
monument in nobility of
conception and excellence of
workmanship. He was surprised to
find it in the nearby town of
Farmingdale.
The subject of the statue could
not be immediately identified.
It was only after reasoning over
the meaning of the anchor, that
it became clear that this was a
statue of faith. The meaning of
the star then became apparent.
The RECORD found that a similar
statue of Faith appears in
Plymouth, Massachusetts, the
eighty-one foot high “Monument
to the Forefathers.” In the
Plymouth statue, Faith is shown
triumphant with one hand
pointing to the heavens. Beneath
her lies Tyranny crushed and
defeated. Law sits at her feet,
flanked by Mercy and Justice.
Education is also seated at her
feet with Wisdom and Youth on
either side. Morality is shown
between a Prophet and an
Evangelist, and she holds the
Book of Revelation in her right
hand and the Ten Commandments in
her left.
When told of the monument, Mike
Heath, Executive Director of the
League, immediately wanted to
see it for himself. He made the
trip to nearby Farmingdale,
where he took the photo which
appears on the right. He says
that seeing this ennobling and
uplifting reminder of our
Christian heritage as a nation
was a profoundly enlightening
and moving experience.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
YELLOW TRUMPET FISH
The trumpet fish, despite its
bright yellow color, is a master
of disguise. The same fish can
turn alternately blue, gray, or
brown, and have stripes, spots,
or bars, enabling it to hide in
the coral reefs which are its
home. It can grow up to six feet
in length.
Due to its odd shape, it is an
awkward swimmer, and will move
slowly through the water, until
it makes a quick lunge at its
prey.
The most unusual part of the
trumpet fish, which is not shown
in the photo, is its tail. The
tail is placed at the end of a
long stalk-like structure, and
sweeps back and forth like a
rudder, enabling the otherwise
poor swimmer to turn quickly. It
is interesting to note how the
fins of many tubular fish are
moved to the back of the body,
giving them a rocket-like
appearance.
The trumpet fish was so unusual
that it came to the attention of
the great biologist Carol
Linnaeus, who gave it its
scientific name. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE INEVITABLE - by Sarah K.
Bolton
I like the man who faces what he
must
With step triumphant and a heart
of cheer;
Who fights the daily battle
without fear;
Sees his hope fail, yet keeps
unfaltering trust
That God is God; that somehow,
true and just
His plans work out for mortals;
not a tear
Is shed when fortune, which the
world holds dear,
Falls from his grasp; better,
with love, a crust,
Than living in dishonor; envies
not,
Nor loses his faith in man; but
does his best
Nor ever mourns over his humbler
lot,
But with a smile and words of
hope, gives zest
To every toiler; he alone is
great,
Who by a life heroic conquers
fate. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Christian Civic League of
Maine
70 Sewall Street
Augusta, ME 04330
V-207-622-7634
F-207-621-0035
www.cclmaine.org
The RECORD is published every
weekday at 6 a.m. Forward
this email to your Christian
friends and family. Encourage
them to sign up and stay
informed and praying about
current issues. Please email
your suggestions for segments to
mike@cclmaine.org.
|
|
|
