Legalize Jesus | Spread The Gospel | End Christophobia | Rise Up http://www.legalizejesus.com Spread The Gospel | Combating Christophobia | News | Pop-culture | Activism | Love Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:25:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 RUSH LIMBAUGH: ABORTION AT THE ROOT OF AMERICAN MORAL DECAY http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/19/rush-limbaugh-abortion-at-the-root-of-american-moral-decay/ http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/19/rush-limbaugh-abortion-at-the-root-of-american-moral-decay/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:25:06 +0000 legalizejesus http://www.legalizejesus.com/?p=2274 I think it’s us against them.  There is no middle ground or grey area.  Your either for God and not murdering the unborn or your against God and for murdering Children.

You CAN’T call yourself a Christian and vote for a RADICAL pro-abortion President.  There is NOTHING more important than GOD, the Bible and trying to save the innocent lives of the unborn.  Period.

RUSH LIMBAUGH: ABORTION AT THE ROOT OF

U.S. CULTURAL DECAY

by DR. SUSAN BERRY Jun 2013 682POST A COMMENT

During his radio show on Friday, Rush Limbaugh told his listeners,

“I think abortion is at the root of so much that has and is going

wrong in this country.”

The conservative host went on to discuss that the reason why amnesty is essential to the liberal agenda is because abortion has, since Roe v. Wade in 1973, wiped out millions of potential taxpayers. The Democrat Party, Limbaugh said, has turned to amnesty as a means to ensure a “permanent underclass” in order to continue its image as the party of big government entitlements.

Limbaugh said:

Folks, let me tell you the way Washington thinks, in many ways, but this is one way they think.  They need money.  The US government needs money.  We are hopelessly in debt.  The tax increases that are coming are already over the top.  Washington knows, much of official Washington knows that they’ve gone beyond the point here, taxation, because the impact on economic growth and productivity and creativity has now been stifled.  I mean, the tax rates are such that real creation of wealth, real opportunity for prosperity is diminishing left and right.

They’ve got to come up with money.  And they know this:  If you use the popularly accepted figure of 1.3 million abortions a year, go back to Roe vs. Wade 1973, 52 million taxpayers haven’t been born, is the way Washington looks at it.  They don’t look at it morally. They don’t look at it in any kind of cultural way or any kind of cultural impact. They just say we’re 52 million people short.  We have 52 million fewer people paying taxes.  We gotta replace ‘em.  Hello amnesty.  The Democrat Party needs a permanent underclass in order to keep themselves alive as Santa Claus, to keep winning elections and stay in power.

“I think that the number of abortions themselves…culturally, in terms of the sanctity of life, how that’s crumbled, I think it’s almost at the root of everything,” Limbaugh went on to say. “And if it’s not at the root of everything, it’s clearly had a profound impact on our culture, our society, and our politics, I think in ways that people don’t even stop to consider.”

Limbaugh discussed the fact that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi refused to answerthe Weekly Standard’s question on Thursday about the morality of late-term abortion.

“And, by the way, that’s it, she wasn’t gonna talk any more about it because she is a devout Catholic,” Limbaugh said. “She has six kids, and it isn’t about politics, and she’s not gonna discuss it anymore, she said, because the interviewer was taking it in the direction of politics, and abortion isn’t politics. Abortion is sacred ground, she said. It is the sacrament of liberalism, is what it is.”

 (breitbart.com)
]]> http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/19/rush-limbaugh-abortion-at-the-root-of-american-moral-decay/feed/ 1 DID YOU KNOW THESE COMPANIES ARE CHRISTIAN? http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/17/did-you-know-these-companies-are-christian/ http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/17/did-you-know-these-companies-are-christian/#comments Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:42:25 +0000 legalizejesus http://www.legalizejesus.com/?p=2272 We Christians should try and support these Christian companies.   I pray more Christian companies will come out of the closet and proclaim their love for Jesus.

All Christians need to come out of the closet and the end the silence.   Stand up for Jesus and our faith.   RISE UP against the Christophobic liberal mob.

Big U.S. Companies You Might Not Know Are

Religious

Business InsiderBy Max Nisen | Business Insider – 4 hours ago

  • <p> Customers stand in line for a Chick-fil-a meal at the chain's restaurant in Wichita, Kan., on Wednesday. Aug. 1, 2012. The crowd was buying meals to show their support for the company that's currently embroiled in a controversy over same-sex marriage. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, declared Wednesday national "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day." Opponents of the company's stance are planning "Kiss Mor Chiks" for Friday, when they are encouraging people of the same sex to show up at Chick-fil-A restaurants around the country and kiss each other. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Travis Heying)

    Associated Press -

    Customers stand in line for a Chick-fil-a meal at the chain’s restaurant in Wichita, Kan., on Wednesday. Aug. 1, 2012. The crowd was buying meals to …more 

Talking about religion and politics can be dangerous among friends. It’s doubly so for businesses.

That double-edged sword became crystal clear last year after Chick-fil-A’s COO made comments about the chain’s opposition to gay marriage. It sparked a massive backlash from the media, gay and lesbian couples, and even the mayor of Boston.

The controversy also helped the company shatter sales records after former Arkansas governor and Fox commentator Mike Huckabee organized a “Chick-fil-A appreciation day.”

Many other big companies in America are also religious, including some that might surprise you.

1. Chick-fil-A provoked a firestorm of criticism after its COO made comments about gay marriage.

AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Travis HeyingFounded by devout Southern Baptist Truett Cathy in 1946 in Hapeville, Georgia, Chick-fil-A has since expanded to become a major American fast-food chain, with more than 1,500 locations in 39 states.

Throughout its success, the company has stuck to its founder’s religiously-motivated decisionto be closed on Sundays, and has donated significant amounts of money to conservative groups.

The chain’s religious bent turned controversial last year after Truet’s son and Chick-fil-A COO Dan Cathy made controversial comments about gay marriage, saying, about the company that “We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit”

2. Forever 21 prints a reference to one of the most oft quoted passages of the New Testament on the bottom of all of its bags.

AP PhotoPurchase a skimpy $15 top or $19 skirt from trendy but budget-conscious clothing retailer Forever 21 and you may notice “John 3:16” printed on your shopping bag.

Printed on the bottom of each of the store’s bags, the biblical reference is perhaps the most obvious reference to the religious beliefs promoted by the store’s owners, the Chang Family, who are born-again Christians.

Mrs. Chang told Bloomberg Businessweek last year that the store had religious roots, citing that “God told her she should open a store and that she would be successful.”

The store provoked criticism in the summer of 2011 when it released a slew of religious-themed tees emblazoned with slogans such as “Jesus ♥ You” and “Holy.”

3. Tyson Foods employs 1290 office chaplains to provide “compassionate pastoral care” to employees

AP Photo/Toby TalbotMany customers may not realize it, but Tyson Foods is a very religious company that embraces spirituality in the workplace.

Founder John Tyson speaks openly about his Christian beliefs, and the company’s core values say that it “strive(s) to honor God” and “be a faith-friendly company.”

Since 2000, the company has employed approximately 120 office chaplains who are there to provide “compassionate pastoral care” to employees, according to Tyson’s website.

4. In-N-Out, the California-based burger chain is beloved for its commitment to fresh ingredients and its secretive “special menu.”

flickr/saschopohfleppIt is also well known for the citation of Bible passages printed on the chain’s cardboard cups, containers and wrappers.

The company does not address religion or the passages on their website. Company spokesman Carl Van Fleet told USA Today in 2005 that the founders’ son Richard Snyder instituted the practice. “He told me, ‘It’s just something I want to do.’”

5. Alaska Airlines passes along an inspirational notecard with an Old Testament passage with your breakfast.

flickr/as737700Fly aboard Alaskan Air and you’re likely to get some bible passages along with your in-flight breakfast.

Each breakfast tray comes with aninspirational notecard printed with a passage from the Old Testament, a company tradition dating back several decades.

Salon columnist Patrick Smith took issue with the notecard, and received this message in response from the Seattle-based company: “The quotes have application across manyJudeo-Christian beliefs and are shared as a gesture of thanks which reflect the beliefs of this country’s founding as in the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, Pledge of Allegiance and every U.S. coin and dollar you handle. Alaska Airlines is an international carrier with very diverse customers, and we have no intentions of offending anyone or their beliefs. An overwhelming majority of our customers have indicated they appreciate the gesture, and those who don’t are not forced to read it.”

6. You may still find a Book of Mormon alongside the Bible in your Marriott hotel room.

AP PhotoMarriott Hotel founder John Willard Marriottwas a devout Mormon who held leadership positions within the church at the same time he was building his hotel empire.

While Marriott passed away in 1985, his religious legacy has lived on within the family-run hotel chain, which is known for sometimes putting the Book of Mormons along with Bibles in hotel rooms.

The company also recently announced that it would no longer offer pay-per-view pornography in its hotel rooms.

7. JetBlue founder David Neeleman was featured in a book titled “The Mormon Way Of Doing Business”

REUTERS/Lucas JacksonJetBlue’s so-called “homesourcing“— the relocation of its phone reservation system to 700 stay-at-home workers based in Salt Lake City — provides a hint to its CEO’s religious roots.

Founder and CEO David Neelman, a devout Mormon father-of-nine, once traveled to Brazil as a Mormon missionary, according to a 2002 USA Today profile.

And it’s a big reason Neeleman prioritizes customer service. “My missionary experience obliterated class distinction for me,” he said to author Jeff Benedict in “The Mormon Way of Doing Business.” “I learned to treat everyone the same. If anything, I have a disdain for the upper class and people who think they are better than others.”

8. Interstate Batteries includes references to the glory of God alongside its products in its online mission statement.

flickr/handtrucksentryInterstate Batteries speaks to its own religious identity in its mission statement.

According to the company’s website, the mission is “to glorify God as we supply our customers worldwide with top quality, value-priced batteries, related electrical power-source products, and distribution services.”

Former Company President Norm Millerwas recognized last year by Dallas Baptist University for “his strong Christian leadership at Interstate Batteries as well as in the community.”

9. The Trijicon sight pictured here has a coded reference to Bible verse John 1:7

flickr/dshaboyWeapons-sight maker Trijicon made waves in 2010 when an ABC Nightline investigationfound that the company had inscribed coded biblical references on high-powered rifle sights used by the U.S. military.

Military officials told ABC they were unaware of the inscriptions, which violated U.S. military rules banning the proselytizing of any religion in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The Michigan-based company at the time acknowledged the codes and told ABC that the practice started under its founder, Glyn Bindon, a devout Christian who was killed in a 2003 plane crash.

10. Hobby Lobby sued the government on religious grounds over being required to provide emergency contraception.

AP Photo/Ed AndrieskiHobby Lobby, a national chain of roughly 500 arts-and-craft stores in 41 states makes the company’s religious beliefs quite clear.

The company’s first mission statement is “Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with biblical principles,” according to its website, and ends with, “We believe that it is by God’s grace and provision that Hobby Lobby has endured. He has been faithful in the past, we trust Him for our future.”

Since 1997, the company has run full-page religious ads in every newspaper in which they advertise for holidays including Easter and Christmas.

The company unsuccessfully sued the government over a government mandate requiring that they cover emergency contraception for employees due to the founder’s religious beliefs.

11. ServiceMaster’s core commitment is to “honor God in all we do.”

flickr/lkbmServiceMaster may not be a household name, but several of its brands — which include Merry Maids, Terminix and American Home Shield — are.

Former Minor League Baseball player Marion E. Wade founded the company in 1929 and worked to incorporate his “strong personal faith and a desire to honor God in all he did,” according to the Service Master website.

This translated into the company’s “foundational commitment” to “Honor God in all we do.”


12. Mary Kay founder Mary Kay Ash attributed her success to her company’s commitment to God.

Youtube/ScreengrabIn a 1997 interview Mary Kay Ash, founder of the cosmetics behemoth of the same name,attributed her company’s success to the choice to “take God as our partner.”

She expounded on these views in her biography, “Mary Kay: You Can Have it All,” where she stated, “God has blessed us because our motivation is right. He knows I want women to be the beautiful creatures he created.”

The religious bent has caused controversy from some of the company’s salespeople, who have said it promotes a cult-like environment.

13. Texas based grocery chain H.E.B’s Vice Chairman runs a Christian retreat center.

flickr/rutloH.E.B., a grocery-store chain with hundreds of stores in Texas and Mexico, grew from a single-family owned store opened by Florence Butt in Kerrville, Texas in 1905.

Company Vice Chairman Howard E. Butt Jr. is also a self-described “spiritual reformer,” who joined with Rev. Billy Graham in the 1950s to create “spiritual programs for business professionals.” He left his full time role at the company to become a preacher at Graham’s advice, and now oversees the administration of “Laity Lodge,” a Christian retreat center in Texas.

H.E.B. stores used to be closed on Sundays and prohibit the sale of alcohol until 1976, when a new president changed the rules.

14. Curves founder Gary Heavin is an outspoken Christian and supporter of conservative and religious causes.

Wikimedia CommonsCurves gyms are nationally known for creating a men-free environment where women of all shapes and sizes can work out.

It’s lesser known that the company’s founder Gary Heavin, is a born-again Christian who has garnered criticism for conservative political views and donating to anti-abortion causes, according to a 2004 Houston Chronicle profile.

Heavin acknowledged there has been some business “fallout” from his views, which prompted some members to cancel memberships.

15. The founder Tom’s of Maine is a Harvard Divinity school graduate who emphasizes his faith in his business.

Wikimedia CommonsTom’s of Maine, a natural products retailer best known for its toothpaste, is not that outwardly religious. But its founder Tom Chappell is an active Episcopalian, whograduated from Harvard Divinity School.

Chappell discusses his path from divinity school to business CEO in his book, “The Soul of a Business: Managing for Profit and the Common Good.” While at the school, a professor recommended that he treat his business like a ministry, so that’s what he did.

It has worked its way into Tom’s mission statement, which says it exists, in part, “To help create a better world by exchanging our faith, experience, and hope.”

16. Timberland CEO Jeff Swartz says his Jewish faith motivated him to sever ties with a Chinese factory.

flickr/paparainTimblerland CEO Jeff Swartz is well-known for his commitment to promoting corporate social responsibility.

For example, Swartz moved to sever the company’s ties with a Chinese factory where human rights violations were allegedly occurring despite the fact that it took a hit to the shoe making company’s bottom line. Swartz attributed his motivation to his own personal Jewish faith in a 2008 Fast Company profile.

“I can’t show you the scripture that relates to the rights of a worker, but I can show you text that insists upon treating others with dignity,” he said. “It says in the Hebrew Bible one time that you should love your neighbor as yourself, but it says dozens of times that you shall treat the stranger with dignity.”

17. Meetings at fast food chain Carl’s Jr’s start with the Pledge Of Allegiance and a prayer.

AP PhotoCarl Karcher, who founded the company, was a committed Catholic who funded Catholic charities, and started a tradition of saying the Pledge of Allegiance and having a prayer before meetings that persists to this day,according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

The company’s current CEO, Andy Puzder, was a close friend of the deceased Karcher, and shares the same religious convictionsaccording to The Orange County Register.

18. Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) owns The Los Angeles Galaxy and a variety of other companies. Its founder Phil Anschutz is a prominent Christian activist.

Getty ImagesPhil Anschutz owns a massive array of businesses, ranging from sports teams like the LA Galaxy, to the oil companies that originally made his family’s fortune, and the Coachella music festival.

Anschutz is a large conservative donor whose political and religious leanings make it through to his businesses. He’s the owner of conservative publications The Washington Examiner and The Weekly Standard, and has funded family friendly and Christian leaning films like The Chronicles Of Narnia.

He’s supported controversial legislation, like Colorado’s Amendment 2, which reduced gay rights protections and was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court.

(yahoo.com)

 

]]> http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/17/did-you-know-these-companies-are-christian/feed/ 0 IS THE NEW ‘SUPERMAN’ MOVIE CHRISTIAN? http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/16/is-the-new-superman-movie-christian/ http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/16/is-the-new-superman-movie-christian/#comments Sun, 16 Jun 2013 01:50:58 +0000 legalizejesus http://www.legalizejesus.com/?p=2270

I don’t know if it is “Cristian” or not – but it looks like a great movie.

 

‘Man of Steel’ filled with Jesus, Christianity

references

By 

Published June 14, 2013

FoxNews.com

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s … Jesus?When Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created their iconic comic book hero Superman in 1938, their character wasn’t just a representation of “Truth, Justice and the American Way,” but for many, a metaphor for Jewish immigrants in 1930s America. Created by two young Jewish men, Superman was an allusion to the Jewish faith and history, from his baby Moses-like origins to his golem-esque invincibility, to his outcast status and his ultimate struggle to assimilate in a new land.

But somewhere along his journey since 1938, Kal-El converted to Christianity, which is no more evident than in Zack Snyder’s current “Man of Steel.”

Snyder and his “Steel” co-creators Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer have layered this latest incarnation with quite a few allusions to Jesus Christ. Here are a few:

While there isn’t a miraculous birth per se, Kal-El’s (Henry Cavill) father Jor-El (Russell Crowe) claims that his son is the first “natural” birth in centuries. All children on Krypton are genetically engineered to a pre-determined purpose and thus artificially inseminated. Not Kal-El. Jor-El and his wife Lara had some legitimate baby making going on.

There is some Christ-like imagery planted throughout “Man of Steel.” One blaring symbol occurs during a climactic battle: Superman jumps from General Zod’s (Michael Shannon) ship and hovers in the sky with his arms out-stretched like the crucifix. Freeze-frame it and you can have your own Superman prayer card.

Kal-El says he is 33, a not-too-subtle reference to the same age as Jesus Christ when he was crucified.

The Passion of Superman. Kal-El is more than willing to sacrifice himself to save the people of Earth. Originally reluctant to reveal his identity and powers to the world, Supes decides to turn himself over to Zod to save humanity from annihilation.

When things get tough, Clark Kent seeks advice from a priest. Visible in the background is a large painting of Jesus so you can see Supes and Christ side-by-side.

Superman is a non-violent being. Even though people everywhere seem to want to beat up on Clark Kent, he never returns the favor, always opting to keep the peace.

Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner), Clark’s adoptive father, is somewhat like Jesus’ adoptive dad, Joseph. Both are tradesmen: Joseph a carpenter, Jonathan a farmer. Superman’s ship (or manger, if you will) is even kept in the Kent’s stable.

And finally, don’t forget the Holy Trinity. Jor-El returns to Kal-El on Earth as a ghost, guiding his budding superhero son on his journey to salvation. Before Jor-El sends his son off to Earth baby Moses-style, he tells his wife that, like Jesus, “He’ll be a god to them.” With Superman’s seemingly invincible powers, he is.

(FOXNEWS.COM)

]]> http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/16/is-the-new-superman-movie-christian/feed/ 0 CHRIST-HATING ATHEIST BILL MAHER CALLS SARAH PALIN’S DOWN SYNDROME A “RETARD” http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/14/christ-hating-atheist-bill-maher-calls-sarah-palins-down-syndrome-a-retard/ http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/14/christ-hating-atheist-bill-maher-calls-sarah-palins-down-syndrome-a-retard/#comments Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:02:54 +0000 legalizejesus http://www.legalizejesus.com/?p=2268 Where is all the liberal outrage?  Bully Bill Maher publicly calls a Down syndrome baby “retarded” and it’s not news?  There’s no protesting?  If it was a conservative or a Christian it would be plastered on the front page news paper and on every news station in America.

Once again the Christophobic liberal main stream media refuses to condemn or even mention one of their own for his disgusting HATE-FILLED public comments.

FAITH

‘AN AWFUL, GHASTLY, HORRIBLE LIBERAL’:

PROMINENT ATHEIST SCIENTIST LASHES OUT

AT BILL MAHER AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY CALLED

PALIN’S SON ‘RETARDED’

Jun. 2013 11:36am 

It seems PZ Myers, an atheist scientist who has made a name for himself in the non-theist and “freethought” movement, is less-than-pleased with Bill Maher. Following allegations that the comedian recently called former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s son, Trig, “retarded,” Myers lashed out on his blog. In a stinging, yet short, rebuke, he called Maher “an awful, ghastly, horrible liberal.”

In the blog post, entitled, “God***nit Bill Maher,” Myers opened by decrying attacks on children, calling them “disgusting.” He also said that, in the past, conservatives who laughed at quips about Chelsea Clinton when she was a child showed “the derangement of the right wing.”

PZ Myers Lashes Out at Bill Maher After He Allegedly Called Palins Son Trig Retarded

But his words were no less excoriating for Maher, a liberal, who, as TheBlaze reported last night allegedly insulted Palin’s son during a recent Las Vegas event.

“Now Bill Maher is laughing at Sarah Palin’s Down syndrome child. It’s the same thing,” Myers wrote. “The one thing I can respect about Palin, that she seems to treat all of her children equally, is a joke to Maher.”

From there, he became even more candid about his views on Maher and his comments, writing, “Thanks, guy, for being such an awful, ghastly, horrible liberal, and for lowering yourself to mocking the children of your political opponents.”

PZ Myers Lashes Out at Bill Maher After He Allegedly Called Palins Son Trig Retarded

Palin, too, reacted strongly. The former Republican vice-presidential nominee sent two messages in response to the alleged comment.

“Hey bully, on behalf of all kids whom you hatefully mock in order to make yourself feel big, I hope one flattens your lily white wimpy a#*,” she wrote, adding in a subsequent tweet, “I’m in your neck of the woods this weekend, little Bill. Care to meet so I can tell you how I really feel?”

A YouTube video that shows a portion of Maher’s Las Vegas show doesn’t include the exchange that unfolded between the comedian and Las Vegas television personality Ron Futrell. The journalist claims he was escorted out of the event after he confronted Maher several times during the show after the “retarded” quip was made.

(theblaze.com)

]]> http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/14/christ-hating-atheist-bill-maher-calls-sarah-palins-down-syndrome-a-retard/feed/ 0 TIM TEBOW’S LOVE FOR JESUS REASON WHY PATRIOTS OWNER SIGNED HIM http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/13/tim-tebows-love-for-jesus-reason-why-patriots-owner-signed-him/ http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/13/tim-tebows-love-for-jesus-reason-why-patriots-owner-signed-him/#comments Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:38:00 +0000 legalizejesus http://www.legalizejesus.com/?p=2264 God bless the Patriots owner Robert Kraft.  They are my new favorite team ; )

Please pray for Tim Tebow to be protected from the all the Jesus hating Christophobes. He is a true warrior for Jesus and a unabashed, unafraid, unashamed Christian of the highest order.

Owner says Tebow’s ‘spirituality’ a big reason why

Patriots signed former Jets QB

  • By BART HUBBUCH

 

Patriots quarterback Tim Tebow is in New England partly because of his spirituality, according to owner Robert Kraft.

AP

Patriots quarterback Tim Tebow is in New England partly because of his spirituality, according to owner Robert Kraft.

 

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — It turns out the Patriots signed Tim Tebow in part because their owner thinks the team’s “spirituality” was lacking.

That was the surprising word today from Robert Kraft, who is more than happy to fill in the numerous blanks left by tight-lipped coach Bill Belichick when it comes to explaining New England’s surprise decision this week to sign the polarizing ex-Jets quarterback.

“For me personaly, having Tim Tebow on this team, he’s someone who believes in spirituality, he’s very competitive, works hard and has a great attitude,” Kraft said at a charity event at Gillette Stadium honoring his late wife.

“He’s a winner, and the fact that spirituality is so important to him is very appealing to me,” Kraft continued.

Kraft also labeled Tebow’s openly religious nature “an added dimension” that helped convince the Patriots to sign him to a two-year deal (with no guaranteed money) after five weeks on the NFL unemployment line.

Kraft even echoed the infamous comment by Jets owner Woody Johnson last summer that “you can never have enough Tebow” — a comment Johnson came to regret after the Jets barely used Tebow during the regular season and then released him in April.

“You can’t have enough good people around you, and [Tebow] has the added dimension of spirituality being so important to him, and that personally appeals to me a lot,” Kraft said.

That was certainly more of an explanation that Belichick was interested in providing. Once again showing his short patience for Tebow-related questions, the coach refused to say this morning how he thought the newcomer performed Tuesday in the first day of the Patriots’ three-day mandatory minicamp.

“We’re not going to get into a minute-by-minute evaluation of a player,” Belichick said. “I don’t think that’s the way to go, especially at this time of year.”

Belichick’s boss wasn’t afraid to do exactly that, however, and Kraft raised more eyebrows in the process by praising Tebow’s much-criticized throwing skills.

Kraft went so far as to compare the awkward lefthander favorably to fellow Patriot passers Tom Brady (he of the three Super Bowl rings) and top backup Ryan Mallett.

“Watching Tebow throw yesterday [in a minicamp workout], to me, he looked pretty good,” Kraft said. “It’s fun having him here. It’s nice to have three quarterbacks who can throw it really well.”

But Kraft contradicted his own organization’s actions by saying Tebow “is just one of 90” players on the Patriots’ current roster, which was curious in light of the team continuing to hype sales of his No. 5 jersey on its website.

Moreover, all NFL clubs are allowed by league rules to have two “star” players who only have to speak to the media once per week, and the Patriots announced yesterday that Tebow — a third-stringer — and Brady are their two designated stars.

Kraft, who has said repeatedly that he doesn’t want Brady to ever come off the field when the Patriots are on offense, appeared to shoot down the prospect of Tebow ever being used at quarterback in a gadget-play situation.

“In my mind, we have the greatest quarterback of all time on our team,” Kraft said. “And every time he has the ball in his hand, we have a chance to do something great. Nothing has changed in that regard for me.”

Brady didn’t seem to keen on that possibility, either, when asked this afternoon by The Post how he would feel about coming off the field for even one play when he’s healthy.

“That’s a very hypothetical question,” Brady said. “So maybe we’ll deal with it if it happens.”

bhubbuch@nypost.com

 

]]> http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/13/tim-tebows-love-for-jesus-reason-why-patriots-owner-signed-him/feed/ 0 TOP ATHEIST SCIENTIST CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/11/top-atheist-scientist-converts-to-christianity/ http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/11/top-atheist-scientist-converts-to-christianity/#comments Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:03:15 +0000 legalizejesus http://www.legalizejesus.com/?p=2261 Praise Jesus.  The Head of ‘Human Genome Project’ becomes a Christian.  Wow.  So one of the SMARTEST men and biggest intellectuals in the world is a unashamed, born-again Christian.  Hallelujah.

God bless this unabashed brilliant man.  Please pray for Dr. Collins – I’m sure he gets attacked constantly by  the Christophobic liberal secular progressive mob.

He is probably PUBLIC ENEMY #1 in the science and academic community for believing in everything (God-Jesus-Bible) they hate.

The SECOND video is utterly mind-bending, funny, enlightening, thought-provoking, emotional, educational & entertaining.

What a brilliant Christian man.

 

Francis Collins

photo of Francis Collins

Francis Collins

No one knows better than Dr. Francis Collins how easy it might be for scientists to play God. As the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute since 1993 — what some call the most prestigious job in science — Collins has led the effort to decode human DNA, along the way developing a revolutionary method of screening genes for disease. Yet according to this widely respected scientist, the newfound power to “read our own instruction book” is no obstacle to faith in the existence of God. He converted from atheism to Christianity in his twenties after seeing how radically his patients’ faith transformed their experience of suffering, and after reading several works by C.S. Lewis. Some 30 years later, he stands by his convictions, positioning science not as substitute for theology, but as a subset of it. Here, Collins traces out his personal path to God, and explains how his faith affects his work. What follows is an edited transcript of an interview conducted for the making of The Question of God.

An Interview with Francis Collins

You describe yourself as a rather obnoxious atheist in your youth. Tell me more about what you mean by that.

FRANCIS COLLINS: Well, growing up, I was vaguely aware of things that went on in church, because I was in the boys’ choir at the local Episcopal church. But I got the clear message that I was supposed to learn music there, and not pay too much attention to the rest of it, and I followed those instructions very carefully. When I got to college and was challenged about what my beliefs were, I realized I had no idea what they were. I listened to others make an argument that religion and beliefs were basically a superstition, and I began to think — Yeah, that’s probably what I believe, too.

“God gave us an opportunity through science to understand the natural world, but there will never be a scientific proof of God’s existence.”

Then I went off to be a graduate student in quantum mechanics at Yale, where I was very compelled with the notion that everything in the universe can be described in a second-order differential equation. I read a little bit about what Einstein had said about God, and I concluded that, well, if there was a God, it was probably somebody who was off somewhere else in the universe; certainly not a God that would care about me. And I frankly couldn’t see why I needed to have any God at all. I was in a very reductionist frame of mind. That’s often what science imposes upon your thought process, and it’s a good thing when you apply it to the natural world. But I sought to apply it to everything else. Obviously the spiritual world is another entity.

So I concluded that all of this stuff about religion and faith was a carryover from an earlier, irrational time, and now that science had begun to figure out how things really work, we didn’t need it any more. I think you wouldn’t have enjoyed having lunch with me when I was in that phase. My mission then was to ferret out this squishy thinking on the part of people around me and try to point out to them that they really ought to get over all of that emotional stuff and face up to the fact that there really wasn’t anything except what you could measure.

Lewis was not concerned with scientific endeavor like you were, but he shared some of those views. How did you come to discover his work, and why did that have an influence on you?

COLLINS: I finished up my graduate degree in quantum mechanics, but underwent a bit of a personal crisis, recognizing that I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life. It was too abstract, too far removed from human concerns. And so in considerable disarray as far as my own intentions of what I would want to do with the rest of my life, I decided to go to medical school as a way of trying to explore this more human side of science, namely biology.

So it was really as a medical student, and later as a resident, encountering the realities of what disease and the specter of death does to human beings, that I began to wonder about this. Some of my patients were clearly relying very heavily on their faith as a source of strength in circumstances that were pretty awful. They had terrible diseases from which they were probably not going to escape, and yet instead of railing at God, they seemed to lean on their faith as a source of great comfort and reassurance. They weren’t, somehow, perceiving it as the really awful thing that it seemed to me to be. And that was interesting and puzzling and unsettling.

As I began to ask a few questions of those people, I realized something very fundamental: I had made a decision to reject any faith view of the world without ever really knowing what it was that I had rejected. And that worried me. As a scientist, you’re not supposed to make decisions without the data. It was pretty clear I hadn’t done any data collecting here about what these faiths stood for.

Now, I was still pretty sure that faith traditions were all superstition and something that would not apply to me, and something that I wouldn’t be interested in. But I did feel compelled to find out a bit more about what it was that I had rejected. So with an intention of shooting this all down, I went to speak to a Methodist minister in Chapel Hill, which is where I was at the time. I sat in his office and made all sorts of accusations, and probably said blasphemous things about the faith that he stood for, but sincerely asked him to help me find out what it was all about. And he was very tolerant and patient and listened and suggested that, for starters, it might be good if I read a little bit more about what these faiths stood for. And perhaps the Bible would be a good place to start. I wasn’t so interested in that at that point. But he also said, “You know, your story reminds me a little bit of somebody else who has written about his experience — that Oxford scholar, C.S. Lewis.”

I had no idea, really, who Lewis was. The idea that he was a scholar, though, that appealed to my intellectual pride. Maybe somebody with that kind of a title would be able to write something that I could understand and appreciate.

So this wonderful minister gave me his own copy of Mere Christianity, Lewis’s slim tome that outlines the arguments leading to his conclusion that God is not only a possibility, but a plausibility. That the rational man would be more likely, upon studying the facts, to conclude that choosing to believe is the appropriate choice, as opposed to choosing not to believe.

That was a concept I was really unprepared to hear. Until then, I don’t think anyone had ever suggested to me that faith was a conclusion that one could arrive at on the basis of rational thought. I, and I suspect, many other scientists who’ve never really looked at the evidence, had kind of assumed that faith was something that you arrived at, either because it was drummed into your head when you were a little kid or by some emotional experience, or some sort of cultural pressure. The idea that you would arrive at faith because it made sense, because it was rational, because it was the most appropriate choice when presented with the data, that was a new concept. And yet, reading through the pages of Lewis’s book, I came to that conclusion over the course of several very painful weeks.

I didn’t want this conclusion. I was very happy with the idea that God didn’t exist, and had no interest in me. And yet at the same time, I could not turn away. I had to keep turning those pages. I had to keep trying to understand this. I had to see where it led. But I still didn’t want to make that decision to believe.

The decision was an important step that I hadn’t been aware of. You can argue yourself, on the basis of pure intellect, right up to the precipice of belief, but then you have to decide. I don’t believe intellectual argument alone will push someone across that gap, because we are not talking about something which can be measured in the same way that science measures the natural world, and then you decide what is natural truth. This is supernatural truth. And in that regard, the spirit enters into this, not just the mind.

I struggled with that for many months, really resisting this decision, going forward, going backward. Finally, after about a year, I was on a trip to the northwest, and on a beautiful afternoon hiking in the Cascade Mountains, where the remarkable beauty of the creation around me was so overwhelming, I felt, “I cannot resist this another moment. This is something I have really longed for all my life without realizing it, and now I’ve got the chance to say yes.” So I said yes. I was 27. I’ve never turned back. That was the most significant moment in my life.

Of Lewis’s arguments, which one was the most difficult for you to dispute?

COLLINS: To my surprise, I found myself fairly easily compelled by his arguments about the existence of some sort of a God, because even as a scientist, I had to admit that we had no idea how the universe got started. The hard part for me was the idea of a personal God, who has an interest in humankind. And the argument that Lewis made there — the one that I think was most surprising, most earth-shattering, and most life-changing — is the argument about the existence of the moral law. How is it that we, and all other members of our species, unique in the animal kingdom, know what’s right and what’s wrong? In every culture one looks at, that knowledge is there.

Where did that come from? I reject the idea that that is an evolutionary consequence, because that moral law sometimes tells us that the right thing to do is very self-destructive. If I’m walking down the riverbank, and a man is drowning, even if I don’t know how to swim very well, I feel this urge that the right thing to do is to try to save that person. Evolution would tell me exactly the opposite: preserve your DNA. Who cares about the guy who’s drowning? He’s one of the weaker ones, let him go. It’s your DNA that needs to survive. And yet that’s not what’s written within me.

Lewis argues that if you are looking for evidence of a God who cares about us as individuals, where could you more likely look than within your own heart at this very simple concept of what’s right and what’s wrong. And there it is. Not only does it tell you something about the fact that there is a spiritual nature that is somehow written within our hearts, but it also tells you something about the nature of God himself, which is that he is a good and holy God. What we have there is a glimpse of what he stands for.

I know this is not a new idea that Lewis came up with. It builds upon long traditions over centuries of careful scholarship and thought. But I’d never seen it before, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it explained as well as it is in his book.

Now, you describe a very intellectual process that led you to change your worldview. What about the emotional aspect of what happened on that day, and thereafter?

COLLINS: It certainly did carry with it this experience that life is now different. And along with that, this sense that God is not some distant concept, some ethereal, fuzzy entity. God became personal for me at that point. That really was the decision I was making, to believe not just in God, but in a God who wishes fellowship with me. That God is a God who both created the universe, and also had a plan that included me as an individual human being. And that he has made it possible for me, through this series of explorations, to realize that. It is not just a philosophy, it is a reality of a relationship.

For someone who has not had that experience, it sounds like a really elating and wonderful occurrence, that one would wish in one’s own life. However, both you and Lewis describe it as something rather painful and chaotic. Can you talk a little bit about that?

COLLINS: That day of making the decision was a whole mix of emotions. There was this sense of great relief, because I felt like I had been running from this for a year, and maybe for my whole life. And finally that pursuit was over.

But there was also this sense of deep discomfort. Even in my rudimentary way, I had a sense that if you’re going to accept the existence of God, at some level you have to give up control, and you can’t just do what you want to because it feels good. And I liked very much being in control. I liked not having to answer to what was holy and vote for what was right. Maybe in some way, I was aware already without having put words to it, of the moral law — and aware that I wasn’t living up to it.

So in recognizing my desire to have relationship with God, I also had to come face to face with my own massive imperfections. If God is holy, and if you can see God in some ways as a mirror to yourself, you realize just how far you fall short of anything that you could be really proud of. And that is a terribly distressing kind of experience for anybody who’s first coming to that. So I would not say I was an ecstatic convert. I was very much, as Lewis was, a bit dejected about the whole thing.

I guess at that point, as an early believer, I had the sense that I had to fix all of those to become acceptable. This was before I really figured out that even though I’m imperfect and God is perfect, the person of Jesus Christ is that bridge that brings us together. And that’s what Christ was all about. That took me a long time to begin to really absorb and accept and feel comforted by.

Now, when you went back to the office on Monday, how did that decision change the way you looked at what you do?

COLLINS: Well, this all came at an interesting time. I came to this belief at age 27, when I was a medical resident. I was already convinced that the area I wanted to work in was medical genetics, or the way in which inheritance influences disease. Some would say that that would be the most godless of all possible disciplines, because if misused, it tends to take the wonders of humanity and reduce it to the language of this organic chemical called DNA. Certainly, to many outside perspectives, the idea of both starting down a path towards that branch of science and becoming a convicted believer didn’t seem like a very compatible circumstance. I think they have turned out to be intensely compatible, but at the time I wasn’t so sure. I wondered, “Is this going to lead to some explosion within me? Am I going to find that there are parts of me that are at war?”

And it took me a while to get comfortable sharing this experience with other people in science. I was happy to talk about it with my family and with other people who were not in the scientific arena. But like most scientists, I had this fear that having accepted something in the way of a spiritual worldview, I would be perceived as having gone just a little bit soft; that this was not compatible with the rigorous “show me the data” attitude that a scientist is supposed to have towards all things.

Now, I might say that particular conclusion is, itself, all wrong. There will never be a scientific proof of God’s existence. Science explores the natural, and God is outside the natural. So there is going to be no substitute for making a decision to believe, and that decision will never be undergirded by absolute data-driven proof.

As a scientist, do you believe in miracles?

COLLINS: If God is who God claims to be, and who I believe he is, then he is not explainable in natural terms. He is outside the natural world; outside of space and time. So if God chose to intervene from time to time in the natural world by allowing the occurrence of miraculous events, I don’t see why that is an illogical possibility. Once one accepts that idea that there could be something outside the natural, then miracles also become possible. Lewis writes about this extremely well in his little book called Miracles.

However, I don’t think miracles happen frequently. It seems to me reading the Bible there were times when miracles were occurring at greater frequency, such as in the time of Moses or Elijah or the time of Christ. I have not personally witnessed a spiritual miracle. And I reject the comments that people make sometimes like the fact that a flower is blooming is a miracle. I don’t think so. That’s a matter that science can actually explain. How did you go from that seed to that blooming flower? I can answer that. Now, why did the seed exist in the first place? That, perhaps, is a miracle. We don’t really know how the universe got here.

Actually, I don’t see that any of the issues that people raise as points of contention between science and faith are all that difficult to resolve. Many people get hung up on the whole evolution versus creation argument — one of the great tragedies of the last 100 years is the way in which this has been polarized. On the one hand, we have scientists who basically adopt evolution as their faith, and think there’s no need for God to explain why life exists. On the other hand, we have people who are believers who are so completely sold on the literal interpretation of the first book of the Bible that they are rejecting very compelling scientific data about the age of the earth and the relatedness of living beings. It’s unnecessary. I think God gave us an opportunity through the use of science to understand the natural world. The idea that some are asking people to disbelieve our scientific data in order to prove that they believe in God is so unnecessary.

If God chose to create you and me as natural and spiritual beings, and decided to use the mechanism of evolution to accomplish that goal, I think that’s incredibly elegant. And because God is outside of space and time, He knew what the outcome was going to be right at the beginning. It’s not as if there was a chance it wouldn’t work. So where, then, is the discordancy that causes so many people to see these views of science and of spirit as being incompatible? In me, they both exist. They both exist at the same moment in the day. They’re not compartmentalized. They are entirely compatible. And they’re part of who I am.

Picture of Francis Collins courtesy of the National Human Genome Research Institute.
Copyright © 2004 WGBH Educational Foundation

]]> http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/11/top-atheist-scientist-converts-to-christianity/feed/ 0 ‘CRUCIFIED AGAIN’ THE NEW ISLAMIC WAR ON CHRISTIANS http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/10/crucified-again-the-new-islamic-war-on-christians/ http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/10/crucified-again-the-new-islamic-war-on-christians/#comments Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:41:35 +0000 legalizejesus http://www.legalizejesus.com/?p=2259 ‘CRUCIFIED AGAIN The New Islamic War On Christians‘ is an amazing & frightening new book out.  It’s written by the talented writer Raymond Ibrahim.  The book is fast paced, scary and enlightening.  THE WAR ON JESUS is real and Raymond really proves it in this book.

Raymond is an unabashed, unashamed Christian activist of the highest order and an authority on Christian persecution.  He is also a highly sought after speaker and reoccurring guest on FOX NEWS and other cable networks.

He is one of the guys I look up to in the Christian activist world and his book ‘CRUCIFIED AGAIN’ does not disappoint.  I highly > highly recommend this book.  It’s great!  Guys like Glenn Beck and  Bill O’ Reily love this book.

I pray Christians buy this book, educate themselves on Christian persecution and then help fight  THE WAR ON JESUS.

One innocent Christian is murdered every five minutes just for believing in Jesus.  Christianity is illegal in 51 countries.

Christians need to come out of the closet and end the silence. RISE UP.  Combat Christophobia.

Crucified Again: The New Islamic War on Christians

By Gary Lane

CBN News Sr. International Correspondent

Like an unrelenting drum beat echoing throughout the Islamic world, perpetual acts of violence and murder are being committed against those belonging to the Christian faith.

In Egypt, security forces recently launched an unprecedented assault on Cairo’s St. Mark’s Cathedral.

Last March in Pakistan, an angry Muslim mob forced 170 Christian families from their homes after a Christian was accused of blasphemy.

Meanwhile in Iran, American house church pastor Saeed Abedini is suffering internal bleeding from the beatings and torture he’s endured in Tehran’s notoriously brutal Evin Prison.

And in Iraq, Islamic extremists say their goal is to drive all Christians out of the country.

In his new book, Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians, author Raymond Ibrahim suggests that in the aftermath of the Arab Spring the world is facing a growing human rights crisis, with Christians being the primary targets.

“I wrote the book to fill the vacuum, since the mainstream media and others-such as the Obama administration have, to varying degrees, decided to ignore or whitewash this otherwise growing epidemic of human pain and suffering,” Ibrahim told the Inquisitr.

(cbn.com)

]]> http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/10/crucified-again-the-new-islamic-war-on-christians/feed/ 1 LOSE TO GAIN: ALWAYS GOOD NEWS http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/08/lose-to-gain-always-good-news/ http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/08/lose-to-gain-always-good-news/#comments Sat, 08 Jun 2013 17:11:12 +0000 legalizejesus http://www.legalizejesus.com/?p=2257 Billy Graham’s new video series.  Good stuff.  I love Billy Graham.

My Christian buddy Brian Sumner is one of the featured people on this.  Great message.  Please pass it on.

Christians need to come out of the closet and end the silence.  Stand up for Jesus and our Holy faith.  Combat Christophobia.  RISE UP against the liberal progressive Christophobic mob.

]]> http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/08/lose-to-gain-always-good-news/feed/ 0 NFL SUPERBOWL STAR SKIPS WHITE HOUSE VISIT BECAUSE OF OBAMA & WIFES RADICAL PRO-ABORTION STANCE http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/07/nfl-superbowl-star-skips-white-house-visit-because-of-obama-wifes-radical-pro-abortion-stance/ http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/07/nfl-superbowl-star-skips-white-house-visit-because-of-obama-wifes-radical-pro-abortion-stance/#comments Fri, 07 Jun 2013 19:58:30 +0000 legalizejesus http://www.legalizejesus.com/?p=2254 You won’t read this story in the liberal L.A. TIMES or uber-liberal NY TIMES.

NFL star player refuses to go to White House to meet with Obama because of the Presidents (and his wifes)  radical demonic PRO-ABORTION stance.  How can any true Christian support Obama knowing he gleefully & publicly supports abortion???

Obama  is and his wife are radical pro-abortion supporters/ financiers.

God bless Matt Birk and please pray for him.

Baltimore Ravens Player Skips White House Visit Because Obama

Backs Abortion

by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 13 1:50 PM

“I wasn’t there,” Birk told The Power Trip. “I would say this, I would say that I have great respect for the office of the Presidency but about five or six weeks ago, our president made a comment in a speech and he said, ‘God bless Planned Parenthood.’”

Birk, who also took a public stance during the recent gay rights movements that swung through our country last year, is a very open and public Catholic and claims that he took offense to these comments that were made by President Obama. So much so, that he declined a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and be honored by the President at the White House.

“Planned Parenthood performs about 330,000 abortions a year,” Birk explained. “I am Catholic, I am active in the Pro-Life movement and I just felt like I couldn’t deal with that. I couldn’t endorse that in any way.”

Planned Parenthood is one of the nations leading sexual and reproductive health care providers. Their stances on birth control, abortion and the morning after pill have often pinned the in a head on clash with many Catholic and Conservative Christian groups across the nation.

“I’m very confused by [the President's] statement,” Birk questioned. “For God to bless a place where they’re ending 330,000 lives a year? I just chose not to attend.”

Birk is a longtime pro-life advocate who has a thoughtful position against abortion and a family story to share.
Birk grew up in St. Paul Minnesota, where Planned Parenthood did abortions for decades and then the godfather of one of Birk’s five children opened a pregnancy center across the street from the abortion facility. Adrianna, Birk’s wife, volunteered at the center, and eventually the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic closed.
Birk was a featured speaker at the Maryland March for Life previously and he said his Catholic faith and being a father are two of the big reasons he is pro-life and he shared how he was overwhelmed to hold his first child.“It was unbelievable the love that I felt for her,” he said in a prior interview, “and any parent knows exactly what I’m talking about. At that point, you know it’s not a choice. Life is a gift that’s given to us.
We are supposed to accept it. It’s not our choice whether we decide a baby lives or not.”Birk said participating in the March for Life is “one of the coolest things I’ve done.”“It seems like our society and media want to push pro-lifers to the side and hope that we would shut our mouths and go away quietly,” said Birk. “Let’s not do that.”“We all need saving,” he said, “and there’s one thing that can save us all, and that’s prayer,” he added.“I don’t think I’m a superstar by any means,” Birk said, “but I’m glad (for) the platform that football allows me. I’m glad to use it to support causes that I passionately believe in and this is one of them. For me, it comes down to what’s right and what’s wrong – what’s God’s will and what’s not.”

 

]]> http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/07/nfl-superbowl-star-skips-white-house-visit-because-of-obama-wifes-radical-pro-abortion-stance/feed/ 0 WOW > AMAZING: ‘THE HILL OF CROSSES’ http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/06/wow-amazing-the-hill-of-crosses/ http://www.legalizejesus.com/2013/06/06/wow-amazing-the-hill-of-crosses/#comments Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:53:21 +0000 legalizejesus http://www.legalizejesus.com/?p=2252 This is so awesome.  Pleas watch the video – it’s really good.

Who ever wants to help me build one of these on Highway 15, on the road to Las Vegas / Sin City  please contact me at LegalizeJesus@gmail.com

We need more Christian destination sites in America.

Christians need to come out of the closet and end the silence.  Stand up for Jesus and our Holy faith.  Combat Christophobia. Rise up. Legalize Jesus.

2013 

Mysterious hill of crosses where pilgrims actually

believe Christ can perform miracles

  • The tradition of leaving crosses began after an uprising against the Russian tsar was put down in 1831
  • Relatives of the dead rebels, with no bodies to bury, instead left crosses on this hill to commemorate their fallen
  • Today there are some 200,000 crosses, carvings and shrines at the site made out of everything from wood to metal

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

PUBLISHED: June 2013 | UPDATED: 12:16 EST, 3 June 2013

The Hill Of Crosses in northern Lithuania has been a site of pilgrimage for hundreds of years.

Consisting of a hill bristling with hundreds of thousands of crosses of every size and design, it is a powerful testament to religious devotion – where pilgrims descend to plead with Jesus for miracles.

The tradition of leaving crosses began after an uprising against the Russian tsar was put down in 1831.

Scroll down for video

Eery: The Hill Of Crosses in northern Lithuania has been a site of pilgrimage for hundreds of yearsEery: The Hill Of Crosses in northern Lithuania has been a site of pilgrimage for hundreds of years

 

Consisting of a hill bristling with hundreds of thousands of crosses of every size and design, it is a powerful testament to religious devotion. Powerful: Consisting of a hill bristling with hundreds of thousands of crosses of every size and design, it is a powerful testament to religious devotion

 

Ritual: The tradition of leaving crosses began after an uprising against the Russian tsar was put down in 1831Ritual: The tradition of leaving crosses began after an uprising against the Russian tsar was put down in 1831
Bodiless grave: Relatives of the dead rebels, with no bodies to bury, instead left crosses on this hill to commemorate their fallenBodiless grave: Relatives of the dead rebels, with no bodies to bury, instead left crosses on this hill to commemorate their fallen

Relatives of the dead rebels, with no bodies to bury, instead left crosses on this hill to commemorate their fallen.

When the Russians again occupied Lithuania, during the soviet period, religion was forbidden.

 

Crosses appearing on the hill became a symbol of resistance to the communist regime and in response the KGB twice bulldozed the hill.

Prayers: Vygandas Drazdauskas with a cross asking for helath for his father, success for his girlfriend for her exams, and a peaceful lifePrayers: Vygandas Drazdauskas with a cross asking for helath for his father, success for his girlfriend for her exams, and a peaceful life
Plea for divine help: Some of the crosses bear messages to GodPlea for divine help: Some of the crosses bear messages to God
Keeping faith: When the Russians again occupied Lithuania, during the soviet period, religion was forbiddenModesta Vaisvilaite ties a cross to the hill: When the Russians again occupied Lithuania, during the soviet period, religion was forbidden

 

Struggle: Crosses appearing on the hill became a symbol of resistance to the communist regime and in response the KGB twice bulldozed the hillStruggle: Crosses appearing on the hill became a symbol of resistance to the communist regime and in response the KGB twice bulldozed the hill

 

When crosses continued to appear the soviet authorities stationed KGB agents around the site to stop people sneaking through the forest to plant crosses
When crosses continued to appear the soviet authorities stationed KGB agents around the site to stop people sneaking through the forest to plant crosses

Wood and metal: Today there are an estimated 200,000 crosses, carvings and shrines at the site made out of everything from wood to metal

 

Hill of hope: In 1991, when Lithuania acquired its long awaited independence, the hill became a dual symbol of Lithuania's Catholic faith and her national identityHill of hope: In 1991, when Lithuania acquired its long awaited independence, the hill became a dual symbol of Lithuania’s Catholic faith and her national identity

 

Defiance: When crosses continued to appear the soviet authorities stationed KGB agents around the site to stop people sneaking through the forest to plant crosses
Defiance: When crosses continued to appear the soviet authorities stationed KGB agents around the site to stop people sneaking through the forest to plant crosses

Defiance: When crosses continued to appear the soviet authorities stationed KGB agents around the site to stop people sneaking through the forest to plant crosses

In the mist: Some stand as much as three meters tall, while there are also countless tiny examples hanging upon the larger crossesIn the mist: Some stand as much as three meters tall, while there are also countless tiny examples hanging upon the larger crosses
Rosaries, pictures of Jesus and the saints, and photographs of Lithuanian patriots also decorate the area.Decoration: Rosaries, pictures of Jesus and the saints, and photographs of Lithuanian patriots also decorate the area

When crosses continued to appear the soviet authorities stationed KGB agents around the site to stop people sneaking through the forest to plant crosses.

In 1991, when Lithuania acquired its long awaited independence, the hill became a dual symbol of Lithuania’s Catholic faith and her national identity.

Silhouetted in red: Pilgrims arrive at all times of day and night to pray to God Silhouetted in red: Pilgrims arrive at all times of day and night to pray to God

 

Silhouetted in red: Pilgrims arrive at all times of day and night to pray to God
Mysterious hill of crosses where pilgrims actually believe Christ can perform miracles

Believers: Here pilgrims believe Christ, right, can perform miracles

 

Today there are an estimated 200,000 crosses, carvings and shrines at the site made out of everything from wood to metal.

Some stand as much as three meters tall, while there are also countless tiny examples hanging upon the larger crosses.

Rosaries, pictures of Jesus and the saints, and photographs of Lithuanian patriots also decorate the area.

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