Jeremiah 1:4-5 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to

the nations.

Scripture of the MonthJune 2010 Issue 18

General Information:

www.csn-paper.com337.515.7196337.853.9883news@christianstarnewspaper.comfeedback@christianstarnewspaper.com

Publisher: Monica Soileaumonicasoileau@christianstarnewspaper.com

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Distribution Managers:Derrick Singleton: Louisiana

Christian Star NewsP.O. BOX 5482Lake Charles, La 70606

Contributors:

ABC Pregnancy ClinicAttorney Thomas TownsleyAttorney Ron RichardAmy CarpenterBryan & Claire Coleman, photographerDerrick SingletonE.J. Kemper IIIMario BardKelly Stallings, MS, LPCCarl Comeaux, M.S.Rafael Bastien-Herrera, B.A., M.A., M.DIV.Martie RichmondLA United Methodist Children & Family ServicesNancy Roach, R.N.Vincent & Liles Financial GroupCalcasieu Parish Health UnitRolland SoileauHis Eye for Designsouthernstudies.orgMonica Soileau

Disclaimer:The entire content of this paper is copyrighted June 2010 by Christian Star News. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Christian Star News is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the publisher. Display rates are available upon request. By accepting an advertisement, CSN does not endorse any advertiser or product. We reserve the right to reject advertisements not consistent with the magazines objective.

csn-paper.com June 2010 CSN 3

Christian Star News is seeking highly experienced sales representatives who are established and well-respected within their community. Candidates should have advertis-ing experience; print and/or telephone directory experi-ence a plus. Must have dependable transportation.Must be self-motivated, prepared to meet set sales goals, and be able to work in a team environment.

Positions available in SWLA, Lafayette, & Baton Rouge ar-eas.

Please contact Monica Soileau at 337.257.8972 or send your resume to news@christianstarnewspaper.com

At least 80% of all abortions are performed on unmarried women (CDC). The abortion ratio for unmarried women is 510 abortions for every 1,000

live births. For married women, it is 61 abortions for every 1,000 live births (CDC).

Women between the ages of 20-24 obtained 33% of all abortions (CDC). 50% of U.S. women obtaining abortions are younger than 25; women aged

20-24 obtain 33% of all U.S. abortions and teenagers obtain 17% (AGI). Adolescents under 15 years obtained less than 1% of all abortions, but have

the highest abortion ratio, 773 abortions for every 1,000 live births (CDC). 47% of women who have abortions had at least one previous abortion (AGI). Black women are more than 4.8 times more likely than non-Hispanic white

women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are 2.7 times as likely (AGI).

43% of women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 27% identify themselves as Catholic (AGI).

Hysterectomy and hysterotomy were used in less than .01% of all abortions (CDC).

Medical abortions make up approximately 10% of all abortions reported (CDC).

State abortion stats by rate, rank, total, age, gestation, and procedure type.State abortion statistics are collected privately by The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) and federally by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Because of report-ing lag, the most recent data available is generally a few years old. It should be noted that three states (California, Louisiana, and New Hampshire) do not provide abortion data to the federal government, and AGI (the research arm of Planned Parenthood) openly advocates abortion.

AGI DATA (Louisiana)Total Abortions (2005): 11,400The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) reports that 11,400 abortions took place in Louisiana during 2005. Total Abortions Rank (2005): #23Out of the 50 states (+ Washington DC) that AGI lists data for, Louisiana's 2005 abortion total places it at #23 on the list (#1 on the list is the state or district with the most abortions and #51 is the state or district with the fewest).Abortion Rate* (2005): 11.7The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) reports that the 2005 abortion rate for Louisiana was 11.7. In 2000, the abortion rate in Louisiana was 13.0. The 2005 abortion rate across the entire United States was 19.4. *The abortion rate is the number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years.Abortion Rate Rank (2005): #31 (tie)Out of the 50 states (+ Washington DC) that AGI lists data for, Louisiana's 2005 abortion rate places it at number 31 (tie) on the list (#1 on the list is the state or district with the highest abortion rate and #51 is the state or district with the lowest).Percentage of Pregnancies Ending in Abortion (2005): 13%In 2005, 85,700 women in Louisiana became pregnant. 71% of these pregnancies resulted in live births and 13% in induced abortionsTotal Abortion Facilities (2005): 9In 2005, the Alan Guttmacher Institute reports that there were 9 abortion provid-ers in Louisiana. In 2000, there were 13 providers in Louisiana.All stats found on www.abort73.com

WHO HAS ABORTIONS?

Louisiana Abortion Facts

Natural Family

PlanningNatural Family Planning is a term used for identifying some methods of achieving or avoid-ing pregnancies without the use of chemicals and drugs. It is based on naturally occur-ring signs and symptoms of a womans fertile and infertile cycles. Natural family plan-ning helps couples to enrich the bond between husband and wife and is more compat-ible with spiritual guidelines referenced in the Bible.

Below are some resources for Natural Family Planning, in-cluding course learning oppor-tunity information.

Office of Family Life & Pro-life (SWLA) 337.439.7426

Find home study courses or online courses at any of these helpful sites:www.familyplanning.netwww.woomb.orgwww.fertilitycare.orgwww.creightonmodel.comwww.ccli.orgwww.nwfs.org/nfp.htmwww.nfpandmore.orgwww.omsoul.com

csn-paper.com June 2010 CSN 7

The ultimate goal of the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review program is to reduce the numbers of infant deaths and stillbirths in each community across Louisiana by un-derstanding the circumstances under which these deaths occur and engaging commu-nity leaders to take action to prevent future deaths.

Louisiana FIMR is sponsored by the Mater-nal and Child Health Section of the Office of Public Health and is a key part of the Loui-siana Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative. The National FIMR initiative is supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

The Louisiana Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative coordinates FIMR and a number of outreach activities.

The Partners for Healthy Babies Campaign links pregnant women to the services they need to help them be healthy and have healthy babies. Information is available online at: www.1800251Baby.org. Partners for Healthy Babies has a free 24/7 phone line, 1-800-251-BABY (2229).

Nurse Family Partnership is a nurse home-visiting program for low-income, first-time mothers and their babies. The program begins during pregnancy and continues until a childs second birthday.

The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Risk Reduction & Safe Sleep Campaign is a public-information campaign to increase awareness about SIDS risk factors and unsafe infant-sleep practices.

The free parenting newsletter Healthy and Happy Kids is packed with tips and helpful information and is mailed to new parents at home until their child turns 5 years old. Parents and parents-to-be can subscribe on the Partners for Healthy Babies website.

FIMR is an anonymous, community-owned, action-oriented process involving careful review of fetal (stillbirth) and infant deaths. A summary of findings and recommenda-tions from these reviews is presented to the community to improve services and resources for women, infants and families.

The FIMR Coordinator for Southwest Louisi-ana, Nancy Roach, R.N., can be contacted at the Office of Public Health in Lake Charles at 337-475-3224.

Louisiana Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Network

csn-paper.com June 2010 CSN 8

A new facility for children is being built near the intersection of Highway 27 and Houston River Road in Sulphur, LA. The Houston River will be the northern bound-ary and Highway 27 will be the boundary to the east. The grounds are comprised of

approximately 40 acres on which a residen-tial facility and an administrative building are nearing completion. This new Home is the realization of the ongoing mission of the Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services, Inc. (LUMCFS, Inc.)

to Guide Children and Families Home to Experience Gods Love by Following the Teachings of Christ. LUMCFS, Inc. is head-quartered in Ruston, LA where the main campus is home to 106 residential youth. They also operate the Methodist Home for Children of Greater New Orleans on the Northshore in Mandeville. The new resi-dential facility in the Sulphur/Lake Charles area will enable the Home to minister to even more of Louisianas hurting youth and families, which is their ultimate goal. Terrel J. Deville, President and CEO of LUMCFS, Inc., gave a brief history of how the need arose for a facility in the SWLA area, stating that hurricanes Katrina and Rita were the catalyst that helped make us acutely aware of the needs of children and families in the southern area of our state.The campus, to be known as the Method-ist Childrens Home of Southwest Louisiana is slated to hold its Grand Opening and Dedication Services on October 17, 2010 from 2:00 4:00pm. If you are interested in being part of supporting this new facility and want more information on the Home, please visit www.LMCH.org, or call their Public Relations and Development Depart-ment at 318-255-5575 or 866-255-5830.

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Orphan; lonely, abandoned - words I could use to describe myself should I choose to do so. I can honestly say that as a child, and even unto this day, I am without a mother, sibling, aunt, cousin, etc. In the natural, I have pretty much been abandoned emotionally ( as these people do exist but have chosen not to be in my life). I have also suffered great loneliness and pain throughout my marriage. Abandonment and severe loneliness hover over me daily. Most people could take a look at a biography of my life and wonder how Im still sane, much less in possession of any joy. Oddly enough, my adoptive Father has given me that hug when I really needed it, that shoulder to cry on, and has been that faithful friend I could de-pend on when I needed help. In fact, He has sacrificed His all just to have me as His own. There exists no greater love! I want people to know and understand

that no matter what life has thrown at them, even if everyone else in the world including their own parents, have abandoned and orphaned them, there is One who is waiting to adopt them into His family; One who is The King, The Name Above All Names, One who owns the cattle of a thousand hills! He invites all who are willing; as His chil-dren we become princes and princesses. With this sweet adoption comes royalty, love, peace, joy, and an everlasting family! There is also promised security; once you join His family, no one can take that from you; ever! God is waiting to become your father, mother, sister, brother, husband, friend, and your JOY! He is waiting; are YOU willing? - undisclosed

Are you lonely? Please let us help in prayer. (all requests kept confidential)Feedback@christianstarnewspaper.com

Galatians 44 -7 But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, Papa! Father! Doesnt that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, youre also an heir, with com-plete access to the inheritance.

Just to Have ME As HIS Own!

Father of the Year, cont.but once I got over those hurdles things began to move up and I was able to graduate on time in 4 years and then go to grad school. But it was challenging. You had a lot of negative racial attitudes from instructors as well as classmates, so there were some challenges.CSN: Im sure it was hard, but Im sure you realize how important it was for you to push through those hard days.CT: It gave me an opportunity to re-ally do some major character de-velopment and it motivated me to want to excel both on the court and off the court. It motivated me to want to make sure that my sons and daughter dont have the kind of neg-ative experiences that I had and it motivated me to push them. About 2 weeks ago I was given a very nice honor in the Hall of Distinction of LSU Alumni. It gave me an opportu-

nity to reflect on a lot of things that have taken place in the last 4 years. Its been an interesting and a pretty good ride.CSN: Who was your mentor or strong influence when you were a young man?CT: That guy whose picture is on the corner of my piano. My dad. Actually, my mom and dad both were.CSN: In most homes, at least one of the parents is absent. That figure is somewhere around 60%. How do you see that impacting this generation?CT: Its going to have a dire nega-tive effect. Not only are many households without a father, but the father is often incarcerated or has a major chemical dependency problem. All these things impact

the home negatively because you dont have the good role model and you dont have the performance of being responsible parents, which is critical for families to be successful.

Coming from our Father of the Year and very popular former Ti-

ger, those are very good words to ponder. Look for Collis Temple to be traveling the state and speaking out against violence and promoting mentorship programs in the near future.

In most homes, at least one of the parents is absent.

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Financially Speaking...

Too often, workers in the small com-pany arena are much less likely to have retirement plan coverage on the job. The reasons are varied and complex, but they boil down to one basic problem. Many small companies dont think they can afford retirement plans. The U.S. Congress has addressed this attitude head-on by creating federal tax incentives that directly encourage small business retirement plans, while also reducing complexities that made plans costly or difficult to operate. As a result, the gap in plan participation between workers in big companies and small companies is starting to shrink. Whether you own a small company or work as an employee in one, you should know about three basic areas of changes: 1) federal tax credits; 2) enhancements to SIMPLE plans; and 3) other incentives that make small busi-ness retirement plans more attractive.

Federal Tax Credits

Congress has created two federal tax credits related to retirement plans. One is specifically designed for companies with 100 or fewer employees that start new plans. These companies are eligible for a tax credit to offset a portion of administrative and participant education costs during the first three years of the plans life. The credit is capped at 50% of the first $1,000 spent on qualifying costs. The second tax credit is available for low-income and middle-income par-ticipants in qualified retirement plans of all types and sizes, including 401(k)s, SIMPLEs, Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. Taxpayers can receive a govern-ment matching credit on up to 50% of the first $2,000 of their own money they contribute to a plan. To qualify for the highest credit (50%), joint filers must have Adjusted Gross Incomes below $36,000 and single filers must fall below $16,500. Lesser credits are available for Adjusted Gross Incomes up to $55,500 joint or $27,750 single.

Enhancements to SIMPLEs

The SIMPLE, a type of retirement plan created specifically for small com-panies, was introduced by Congress in

1997. The major advantage of SIMPLEs for companies is simplicity. By agree-ing to make minimum contributions on behalf of all eligible workers, the company is relieved of responsibility for performing complex non-discrimination testing or complying with cumbersome top-heavy rules. When the SIMPLE plan is set up with personal IRAs as funding vehicles, the company also has no ongoing investment responsibility. After the first two years of participation, employees are free to transfer from the SIMPLEs IRA into another IRA of their choice, if they wish, with no tax conse-quence or penalty. (A 25% premature distribution penalty applies on transfers in the first two years.)

Other Enhancements

Several other incentives in U.S. tax law have encouraged small companies to set up plans. A variety of funding limits have been gradually raised, rang-ing from 401(k) deferral limits to the formula for calculating defined benefit plan contributions. In general, small business owners willhave more freedom to sock money away for their own retirements with tax advantages. The top-heavy rules that have added red-tape for thousands of small companies in the past have been relaxed too. Now any matching contri-butions made by the company will count toward the minimum contributions re-quired in top-heavy plans. In the future it will be easier for workers to take their plan money with them from job-to-job, or else transfer it into a personal IRA.

In the tax environment of todays Federal Administration, now may be a good time to review the many good reasons to create or participate in a retirement plan with the help of a quali-fied financial professional. The barriers that have prevented so many small companies from offering plans are fall-ing. The opportunities for all workers to set money aside for the future, with tax advantages, have never been greater. For additional information regarding Small Business Retirement Plans contact Stephen Liles at Vincent & Liles Financial Group (337) 562-0900.

Federal Tax Incentives Encourage Small Business Retirement Plans

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A: This question has been

asked numerous times, and just recently it was brought up in my weekly mens Kingdom Builders discipleship class that I teach here locally in Sel-

ma, CA. By the way, if you would like copies of the many answers I provide to the many that e-mail me, please feel free to e-mail me @ rbherrera@thewordwalk.com

To answer this question, we must first differentiate between denominations within the body of Christ and non-Christian cults and false religions. Presbyterians and Lutherans are examples of Christian denomi-nations. Mormons and Jehovahs Witnesses are examples of cults (groups claiming to be Christian but denying one or more of the essentials of the Christian faith). Islam and Buddhism are entirely separate religions.

The rise of denominations within the Christian faith can be traced back to the Protestant Reformation, the movement to reform the Roman Catholic Church during the 16th century, out of which four major divisions or traditions of Protestant-ism would emerge: Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist, and Anglican. From these four, other denominations grew over the centu-ries. The Lutheran denomination was named after Martin Luther and was based on his teachings. The Methodists got their name

because their founder, John Wesley, was famous for coming up with methods for spiritual growth.

Presbyterians are named for their view on church leadershipthe Greek word for elder is presbuteros. Baptists got their name because they have always emphasized the importance of baptism. Each denomination has a slightly different doctrine or emphasis from the others, such as the method of bap-tism, the availability of the Lords Supper to all or just to those whose testimonies can be verified by church leaders, the sovereignty of God vs. free will in the matter of salva-tion, the future of Israel and the church, pre-tribulation vs. post-tribulation rapture, the existence of the sign gifts for the church today, and so on. The point of these divisions is never Christ as Lord and Savior, but rather honest differences of opinion by godly, and yes, imperfect people seeking to honor God and to keep pure doctrine according to their consciences and their understanding of His Word.

Denominations today are many and varied. The original mainline denomina-tions mentioned above have given birth to numerous offshoots such as Assemblies of God, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Nazarenes, Evangelical Free, Independent Bible churches, and others. Some denomina-tions emphasize slight doctrinal differences, but more often they simply offer different

styles of worship to fit the differing tastes and preferences of Christians. But make no mistake: as believers, we must be of one mind on the essentials of the faith, but beyond that there is great deal of latitude in how Christians should worship in a corpo-rate setting. This latitude is what causes so many different flavors of Christianity. A Presbyterian church in Africa will have a style of worship much different from a Presbyterian church in Colorado, but their doctrinal stand (the essentials) will be, for the most part, the same. Diversity is a good thing, but disunity is not. If two churches disagree doctrinally, then, there is a vital need to come together, debate and dialogue concerning the problem from the Word, in a loving manner. This type of iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17) is beneficial to all. If they disagree on style and form, however, it is fine for them to remain separate. This separation, though, does not lift the respon-sibility Christians have to love one another (1 John 4:11-12) and ultimately be united as one in Christ (John 17:21-22).

Is there a downside to denominational-ism? There seems to be at least two major problems with denominationalism. First, nowhere in Scripture is there a mandate for denominationalism; to the contrary the mandate is for union and connectivity. Therefore, as a result, the second problem is that history tells us that denominational-ism is the result of, or caused by, conflict

The Word Walk

"Why are there so many Christian

denominations?"

Divine Prescriptions with E.J. Kemper III

The Problem: The cycle

A wonderful story is told in Mat-thew 4:21-22. It is the story of Jesus calling two of His disciples, James and John. The Bible says that the two brothers were with their father, fishing when they encountered Jesus. After closely examining this scripture, the words began to leap off the printed text and beg to be applied to our lives. Fishing was a common occupation of that day. It was the occupation of many men. Given the context of the scripture Zebedee, the young mens father, was a fisherman also. Though it is not said, this father was probably doing that which he learned from his father. Here we find the sons now fol-lowing in the footsteps of their father and many other men of that erafishing. They had begun their journey through manhood destined to be like every other manfishing. They had set a course bound for a dull, mun-dane, and humdrum existencefish-ing. Here we see also a father at ease with letting his sons follow in the com-monality of his years.fishing. We see here a father gratified to allow his sons to expend their life energy going no further along in life than he did..fishing. This is a scene that transcends the limitations of time. I can remem-ber an age when we were shocked to hear of fatherless homes. Now homes without fathers are as common as rain showers in April. Dead beat dads and dads unaccepting of their roles is a sad but all too familiar occurrence. This cycle has continued largely because sons have followed in the footsteps of their deadbeat dads. Because they were abandoned and not shown how to be men, they abandon their sons

and the cycle continues. The disci-pline of a father is a lost value in many homes. It is the discipline that a young man learns in the home that teaches him discipline outside the home. The evidence of the lack of fatherly disci-pline in the home is apparent in the lack of discipline displayed outside the home. Today many of our young men learn discipline in the halls of deten-tion, juvenile boot camps, and prison. And so the cycle continues.

The Prescription: Break the cycle

Many fathers are content with let-ting their sons raise themselves. Many fathers have ceased to challenge their sons and have accepted the usual life goals: rapper or athlete. But fathers, now is the time to stand up. Now is the time to be a father. Being a father does not only mean to be present in the home. It means much more. It means to challenge our sons to excel-lence. We must lead our sons to break the cycle of commonal-ity. We must lead our sons to Christ. In the aforemen-tioned scripture, Jesus passed by as the father and sons were mending their nets. Jesus then calls the sons by their names and tells them to follow Him. My friends, not only did Jesus call the young sons of Zebedee, but Jesus is calling our sons today. Jesus is calling our sons to break the cycle. He is calling our sons to have a greater impact on this world than the one that you and I have had

heretofore. We must lead our sons to be the judges who will take up the gavels though we only took up shov-els. We must challenge our sons to be doctors, lawyers, and congressmen though our dreams never reached that high. Jesus is calling our sons to do greater than we have done. He is calling our sons to break the cycle. He is calling our sons to be different, holy, and set apart. Our scripture then says, And immediately they left the ship and their father and followed Him. What is not seen in this scripture is obvious in the context: This father let his sons go. This father apparently wanted more for his sons and when given a way to break the cycle, he let them go. This father could have easily stood in the way of the challenging yet overwhelmingly valuable future of his sons. There are many fathers who alter the futures of many sons by their absence and unwillingness to accept their responsibility. There are many sons who cannot see the calling of Jesus in their lives because of the pain caused by a distant dad. When fathers rekindle their role as fathers we will see the cycle broken!

In store now is the new book by E.J. Kemper, No More Baggage: Over-coming the strongholds that keep us from healthy relationships! Get your copy today at www.ejkemper-ministries.com

Break the cycle

csn-paper.com May 2010 CSN 33

Fair Weather Faith?

Southerners are religious, but how many actually go to church?

What makes people religious: How important faith is in their lives, or how often they actually attend services?

According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, there's a big difference between the two, even in Bible Belt states in the South.

Last month, Pew ranked all 50 states by their "religiousness," using four different measures (importance of religion to those being surveyed, worship attendance, frequency of prayer and belief in God).

Unsurprisingly, Southern states ranked high. In all 13* Southern states the Institute and Facing South follow, the people surveyed scored above the national average in each category.

But by using four different lenses on what it means to be "religious," the survey revealed some interesting discrepancies.

For example: The difference between the percentage of people who say "religion is very important in their lives" and those who "attend religious services at least once a week." By my calculations, there's roughly a 20-point difference between the two in South. I compiled a chart that breaks it down by state:

As you can see, the gap is largest in Arkansas and the smallest in South Carolina.

There are lots of reasons people who view themselves as religious might decide to skip going to services, ranging from frustration with a local minister/priest or sheer laziness, to broader

reservations about the direction of their denomina-tion or organized religion in general.

It also might reflect something I wrote about last year: The significant decline of people who identify as Protestant Christians -- long the backbone of Southern religion -- in the South. Between 1990 and 2008, the number of people who identified as Protestant Christians dropped in every Southern state except Louisiana; in nine Southern states the drop was 10% or more.

An interesting area for further study would be the impact this has on politics. These Protestant denominations are the driving force behind the religious right in the South, and the church itself is the organizing platform. Will this decline in the number of people who identify with these denominations -- and the large number of Southerners who dont attend church -- affect the ability of fundamentalists to mobilize come election time?

* The 13 Southern states the Institute follows are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia

Reprint: This article is from southernstudies.org

IN 2010!

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