The Oregon Faith Report - Faith News from Oregon

 Book tries to decode Bob Dylan’s faith, depression, music

A book published this week reveals a previously unrecognized illness resulting in Bob Dylan releasing only 1 original album in the entire 1990’s. Dylan has been opening his recent shows with a song that was absent for 29 years. His newly re-written version of “Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking” contains the line: “I’m stepping out of the dark woods, I’m jumping on the monkey’s back.”

Dr. Bradford, a British family doctor and government health Commissioner, says the “monkey” referred to is reactive depression; the “dark woods” of which caused Dylan to release only one original album between 1990-2001.

The cover of Dylan’s 1990 album “Under The Red Sky” contained the dedication, “To Gabby Goo-Goo.” In 1986 Dylan had married his gospel back-up singer, Carolyn Dennis. She filed for divorce in 1990, and the nursery-rhyme songs of “Under The Red Sky” are dedicated to their daughter, Gabrielle Desiree. The marriage, birth and divorce were kept a secret until 2001, and so were unknown to reviewers of his next album, “Time Out Of Mind.”

Black Gold Soil Plants Hope Along With Veggies
By Portland Rescue Mission

Bellevue, WA (July 28, 2011) – Black Gold®, manufacturer of potting soils, amendments and fertilizers, is accustomed to helping gardeners of all kinds plant herbs and veggies, but they recently helped others plant hope as well. Recently, a large donation was made to Portland Rescue Mission, a Portland-based non-profit organization that provides assistance to local homeless men, women and children. The donation, consisting of over 3 pallets of soil and fertilizer with a value of over $2,300, will be used at the Portland Rescue Mission women’s shelter, Shepherd’s Door, to allow for the development of a new community garden.

The women residents will maintain a raised garden where they will have the opportunity to learn gardening skills, supply food for the kitchen, and heal.

Guest Opinion,
The NASCAR opening prayer had a whole lot of hullabaloo to it.  First, the pastor garnered attention for thanking God for his “Smoking hot wife”.  Secondly, the prayer included thanks for several car and tire companies.  Watch teh video to see the whole ordeal.

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By Oregon Christian Post,

The Parents Television Council has launched a campaign to stop NBC affiliates from broadcasting their new series called “The Playboy Club”. The centers around a Playboy Club set in the 1960’s. Already one NBC affilaite in Salt Lake City, KSL-TV, has decided to pull the series. The station cited that the Playboy Club series conflicts with their station’s values. The station also said, “The Playboy brand is known internationally,” Everyone is clear what it stands for. We want to be sure everyone is clear what the KSL brand stands for, which is completely inconsistent with the Playboy brand.” NBC has not yet provided comment to other media outlets to the efforts to take out the show.

Below is a Letter to stations from the Parents Television Council,

About 200,000 Americans are “porn addicts” – meaning they spend 11 hours or more per week looking at pornography. Forty percent of sex addicts lose their spouses, 58% suffer financial losses, one third lose their jobs. Pornography use increases the risk of marital infidelity by more than 300%. Fifty-six percent of divorce cases involved one person having an obsessive interest in pornography. Severe clinical depression is reported twice as frequently among pornography users as among non-users.

Faith News Note: After the national attention of the Casey Anthony verdict, it has brought renewed focus on how state’s deal with parents who fail to report their children missing. Now we are seeing several states, Delaware, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Florida debate whether a new law needs to be passed to fully address this particular type of neglect. Oregon lawmaker, Shawn Lindsay announced this month that he wishes to pass a Caylee’s Law during the February Legislative Session. Shawn Lindsay’s press release is below:

SALEM – Rep. Shawn Lindsay (R-Hillsboro) announced he’ll introduce “Caylee’s Law” during the next legislative session in February. He said the legislation would require parents, guardians and caretakers to report the death or disappearance of a child within 24 hours.
“As a parent, there’s nothing more frightening than the loss or disappearance of a child,” Rep. Lindsay said. “Unfortunately, recent events in Florida show some parents don’t share the same sense of urgency during such an emergency. Caylee’s Law will help ensure that law enforcement is notified immediately so they can pursue justice for an innocent child.”

Popular Captain America cover artist Alex Schomburg has history and roots in Newberg and George Fox University
By George Fox University

NEWBERG, Ore. – The  summer release of Captain America: The First Avenger, a motion picture homage to the Marvel comic book hero of the 1940s and ’50s, is rekindling interest in one of the comic book cover artists who brought the character to life more than a half century ago. Alex Schomburg, who designed hundreds of Marvel comic book covers during the medium’s heyday in the World War II era, moved from New York City to Spokane, Wash., in 1954 and, eight years later, relocated to Newberg, Ore. He remained in the suburban Portland, Ore., area until his death in 1998.

He is best remembered for his depictions of heroes Captain America, the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner single-handedly defeating German and Japanese soldiers and assuring the American public that the forces of evil will not prevail.

Below is a transcript from a Georgene Rice KPDQ-FM interview with Mark Fuhrman, a retired LAPD Homicide Detective and author of the recent book, “The Murder Business: How the Media Turns Crime into Entertainment and Subverts Justice”.

Georgene: In the book you examine some of the most infamous and tragic cases of the last 20 years, and you focus on the inaccuracies, the faulty reporting, the unethical money making and the consequence which is, in some cases, distorted justice. Most people……would be mortified to learn that justice is deferred because of all of what goes into how these cases are prosecuted, either on television or elsewhere.

Fuhrman: A police department….could never compete with one national network in what they have for resources, information, personnel, and money…… They have one function: get ratings. The police not only have to do their job on that murder but on murders that occurred before and murders that occur after…….this is something the national media doesn’t understand…. this creates different logistical issues….the police need to cater to that news presence…..they actually have to take people out of other locations in their department to create a task force because no longer can just two detectives handle a case when the national media descends upon it….

Campus Crusade for Christ drops Christ in rebranding effort to avoid obstacle created by the title when conducting world outreach efforts.
— 60-year-old Int’l Ministry Aims to Increase Relevance and Global Effectiveness

ORLANDO, Fla.—Campus Crusade for Christ in the U.S. is changing its name to Cru. The new name will be adopted in early 2012. The U.S. ministry hopes the new name will overcome existing barriers and perceptions inherent in the original name.

“From the beginning, Bill (Bright) was open to changing our name. He never felt it was set in stone. In fact, he actually considered changing the name 20 or 25 years ago,” said Vonette Bright, who co-founded Campus Crusade for Christ with her husband. “We want to remove any obstacle to people hearing about the most important person who ever lived—Jesus Christ.”

Family Faith Film Review: Captain America

Critics Rating: 72%
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action
Catholic News Rating:  A-II — adults and adolescents.

Plot:  Captain America — After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.

Reason to Like: “And yet there’s an inescapable optimism here, a goodness. Captain America tells us that muscles and nifty shields are great and all, but true heroism comes from within.” (PluggedInOnline) and “delivers an inspiring patriotic punch. Steve Rogers is a hero for everyone, a hero to cheer for.”(Movie Guide.org)

Oregonians helping in the Japan quake zone  
By Sheila Allen
NW Baptist Convention

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. — When Ronny Cooksey and Nathan Prewitt first outlined plans for a small team from Valley Baptist Church to go and minister in Japan, no one knew the devastation that would precede them to the island nation. The McMinnville, Ore., team was prepared to go to help ‘till the soil’ for the gospel alongside International Mission Board missionaries already on the field.

The effects of the monumental earthquake and tsunami changed the course of the trip, but possibly offered more opportunities for the team of four to make a difference in the lives they encountered.