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29 June 2011 Issue
2. Essay: Free Will and Animal Issues, part 2
3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman
1. Activist Feedback
Ronald, who leafleted at Newsboys Winter Jam in Norfolk, VA, writes:
They came by the thousands - five deep lines from three directions snaked across the Norfolk Scope's upper courtyard. Every available parking space under and around Scope was filled. There I stood, one vegetarian evangel with one box of leaflets among so many. My box was empty in fifteen minutes, and I saw none left on the pavement. One young lady accepted a leaflet and exclaimed, "Wow! You mean there is a Christian Association for vegetarians? This is so timely. I had a discussion about this with my women's group just a few days ago. I felt so inadequate to present a persuasive argument. Now I have your booklet. What a blessing. Can I have three more?" Indeed the harvest was great and the laborer so inadequate, but the Lord of Harvest will use those few booklets among so many to produce the first seeds of CVA's message. Just think what could have happened with five laborers and five boxes?
Upcoming Outreach Opportunities
| 7/6-10 WI OshKosh LifeFest 2011
7/7-9 VA Doswell Kings Dominion - KingsFest 2011 7/9 IL Normal Jars Of Clay @ CornBelters Christian Family Day Baseball! 7/10-15 KY Grayson Summer in the Son - Jr. High 7/11 CA Irvine Benny Hinn Ministries Monday Night Service 7/13-16 MN Wilmar SonShine Festival Christian Music Festival- 7/15 NC Raleigh Joel Olsteen: A Night of Hope Conference 7/15 NC Lexington The Hoppers Gospel Tour 7/16 SD Rapid City Kutless Christian Rock Concert 7/16-17 SD Rapid City Hills Alive Music Festival 7/17-21 TN Nashville Camp Electric Christian Music Learning Camp! 7/18 CA Irvine Benny Hinn Ministries Monday Night Service 7/20-23 WA Enumclaw Creation 2011 Christian Music Fest 7/21-23 MD Fort Wash. Benny Hinn Miracle Conference- 7/21-23 NY Albany Joyce Meyers Ministries Conference 7/21-24 WI Milwaukee Festa Italiana 7/23-25 GA Atlanta Women 'N Power Conference 7/24-28 OH Cedarville Camp Electric Christian Music Learning Camp! 7/27-30 TN Nashville Immerse 2011 7/29-31 IL Zion Ignite Festival Christian Music Fest 7/30 CO Loveland HeavenFest Christian Music Fest 7/28-31 WI Milwaukee GermanFest 8/3-6 NH Gilford SoulFest Christian Music Festival 8/4-6 TX Midland Rock the Desert Christian Music Fest 8/4-6 PA Hershey Joyce Meyers Ministries Conference 8/4-14 WI West Allis Wisconsin State Fair 8/6 IL Chicago Joel Olsteen: A Night of Hope Conference 8/7 NC Asheville TABLE VegFest 8/11-13 MI Muskegon UNITY FESTIVAL 8/12-13 NE Omaha Women Of Faith Conference 8/12-13 GA Atlanta Women Of Faith Conference 8/12-14 CA Anaheim Harvest Crusade 8/13 KS Kansas City Farm Aid 2011 8/19-20 IN Indianapolis Women Of Faith Conference 8/25-9/5 MO Branson Southern Gospel Picnic 8/26-27 TX Dallas Women Of Faith Conference 8/26-27 DC Washington Women Of Faith Conference 9/1-2 PA Pittsburgh Benny Hinn Miracle Services 9/2-4 SD Sioux Falls Lifelight Christian Music Festival 9/9-10 CA Anaheim Women Of Faith Conference 9/9-10 PA Philadelphia Women of Faith Conference 9/10 PA Philadelphia GreenFest Philly 9/10 CA Los Angeles Harvest Crusade 9/15-17 MO St. Louis Love Life Women's Conference- Joyce Meyers- 9/16-17 WA Spokane Women Of Faith Conference 9/16-19 MO Kirkwood Greentree Festival 9/17 OH Mt Vernon SonFest 2011 Christina Rock Festival 9/17-18 MO Kirkwood TABLE 2011 KIRKWOOD GREENTREE FESTIVAL 9/23-24 VA Middleburg Awakening Festival Christian Music Festival 9/25-26 IL Belleville Our Lady of the Snows Youth Day Celebration 9/29-10/1 TX Dallas Benny Hinn Miracle Conference 9/29-10/1 GA Atlanta Joyce Meyers Ministries Conference 9/30-10/2 CA San Diego National Youth Workers Convention 10/7-8 VA Lynchburg Extraordinary Women's Conference 10/7-8 CO Co. Springs Hearts @ Home- Mom Revolution Women's Conference 10/7-8 MA Amherst Acquire the Fire Christian Youth Conference 10/13-15 CA Long Beach Joyce Meyers Ministries Conference 10/14-15 IN Fort Wayne Extraordinary Women Conference 10/21-22 MS Tupelo Extraordinary Women Conference 10/29-30 MA Boston Boston Vegetarian Food Festival TABLE 11/3-5 OH Cleveland Joyce Meyers Ministries Conference 11/4-5 IL Rockford Extraordinary Women Conference 11/4-5 MN Rochester Hearts @ Home Mom Revolution Conference 11/18-20 GA Atlanta National Youth Workers Convention International Events: 7/22-24 CANADA ON Burlington Burlington Jazz'n Blues Festival |
Contact Paris at christian_vegetarian@yahoo.com if you can help. To find out about all upcoming leafleting and tabling opportunities in your area, join the CVA Calendar Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/christian_vegetarian/ .
2. Essay: Free Will and Animal Issues, part 2
The question of free will is important for Christian theology. The notion of salvation through faith suggests that we have the free will necessary to choose what we believe. If we were unable to choose to believe or not believe, then the term “salvation through faith” would be misleading. It would be more accurate to attribute salvation to whatever force compels belief. For example, John Calvin argued faith was a manifestation of salvation, and salvation was predestined and ordained by God. Neither human actions nor choices could influence whether one were saved. It is my understanding that Calvin did not deny that humans have some degree of free will, but he held that the force of human depravity overwhelmed any possibility that we could earn salvation through good works and avoidance of sin.
Still, many Christians hold that salvation is predicated on leading a virtuous life, which appears to presume that humans have free will. While there are differing views on the how much free will human beings have, many Christians seem to be in much greater agreement on how much free will nonhuman beings have – little or none. Yet, animals must make many choices, and the notion that somehow these choices are “hard-wired” by “instinct” makes no sense. In fact, we see that animals can communicate, learn, and adapt. Both humans and nonhumans have certain ingrained behavioral predilections, and it appears that both make choices based on experience.
Therefore, I see similar evidence for free will among human beings and nonhuman beings. If one group has free will, it is reasonable to believe that the other does as well. The source of free will appears to be the same – the need to make choices among many options in a complex, ever-changing world. Next week, I will reflect further on whether humans and nonhumans have free will.
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.
3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman
The More Authority You Have, The More of a Servant You Should Be
http://www.all-creatures.org/sermons97/s5jun88.html
Your question and comments are welcome
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