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Mosaic

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Increased Demand For God's Word

Sales of Bibles and books on prophecy are soaring in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Lifeway Christian Stores report that business was up 25 percent over the same time last year. Family Christian Stores reported a 22 percent jump in sales of Bibles for the week following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Zondervan, the world's largest Bible publisher, reported a 9 percent increase in Bible sales to retailers since Sept. 11.

AgapePress, September 28, 2001; WKRN, Nashville, September 26, 2001

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Prayer Back In Public Schools

With so many students deeply affected by the attacks of Sept. 11, a high school assistant principal decided that the "church and state separation" issue could not deter her from allowing the students to gather for a prayer service. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Ingrid Forbes commented that, after all, the president of the United States said we were going to be offering prayers, and he didn't say "except in schools."

Right after the students heard of the terrorist attacks, they began praying together in some schools, with or without permission. One student said that her first reaction was to pray. She explained that a lot of them had been raised up on Christian values, and she realized that it was time "to get right with God."

ReligionToday, September 25, 2001

 


 

Religion Falsely Accused

Since the Sept. 11 attack, some have suggested that religion is the cause of most wars. Vincent Carroll, who oversees the editorial pages of the Denver Rocky Mountain News, is adamant: "Religion is clearly not the major cause of war.

"The two major sources of bloodletting in the 20th century were communism and fascism, or Nazism," he said.

Carroll said some may want to point to the Crusades to support their claims.

"But I would also hope that the public would be equally aware of Christianity's influence on moderating violence that has been a constant throughout the history of Christianity and the West, which is almost wholly unrecognized in my view," Carroll said.

Bob Maginnis, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, agreed that blaming religion for war is unfounded.

"Those that are truly orthodox are people of great compassion, great faith, great generosity, and not terribly warlike," Maginnis said.

He admitted, however, that many who start wars have attempted to use religion as a cover.

"Osama bin Laden is a good example," Maginnis said. "I'm not sure that he's truly a man of Allah, truly a man that's following the principled teachings that certainly are in the Koran."

Maginnis said Christians should confidently bring the truth into conversations.

Family News in Focus, October 4, 2001