Author Archives: Pastor Ed Boston

List of Countries That Listen To the Podcast: Ireland

10 days ago, we started a  New Feature: Let’s See What Countries Listen to the Ed Boston Podcast.

The first country listed in the link above was Sri Lanka.

Today’s country is IRELAND, which is sitting at the #5 position on the list of countries who listen (the list constantly changes).

From Wikipedia:

The Republic of Ireland, the 1922 state, comprising 26 of the 32 counties of Ireland, was “styled and known as the Irish Free State”.  The Constitution of Ireland, adopted in 1937, provides that “the name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland”. Section 2 of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 states, “It is hereby declared that the description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland.” The 1948 Act does not name the state as “Republic of Ireland”, because to have done so would have put it in conflict with the Constitution.

The government of the United Kingdom used the name “Eire” (without the diacritic) and, from 1949, “Republic of Ireland”, for the state;  it was not until the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that it used the name “Ireland”. 

As well as “Ireland”, “Éire” or “the Republic of Ireland”, the state is also referred to as “the Republic”, “Southern Ireland” or “the South”.  In an Irish republican context it is often referred to as “the Free State” or “the 26 Counties”.

Religion

Religion in the Republic of Ireland 
Religion Percent
Roman Catholic
78.3%
Non-religious
10.1%
Protestant
4.2%
Muslim
1.3%
Other
6.1%

Religious freedom is constitutionally provided for in Ireland. Christianity is the predominant religion, and while Ireland remains a predominantly Catholic country, the percentage of the population who identified as Catholic on the census has fallen sharply from 84.2 percent in the 2011 census to 78.3 percent in the most recent 2016 census. Other results from the 2016 census are : 4.2% Protestant, 1.3% as Muslim, and 9.8% as having no religion.  According to a Georgetown University study, before 2000 the country had one of the highest rates of regular Mass attendance in the Western world.  While daily attendance was 13% in 2006, there was a reduction in weekly attendance from 81% in 1990 to 48% in 2006, although the decline was reported as stabilizing. In 2011, it was reported that weekly Mass attendance in Dublin was just 18%, with it being even lower among younger generations.

The Church of Ireland, at 2.7% of the population, is the second largest Christian denomination. Membership declined throughout the twentieth century, but experienced an increase early in the 21st century, as have other small Christian denominations. Significant Protestant denominations are the Presbyterian Church and Methodist Church. Immigration has contributed to a growth in Hindu and Muslim populations. In percentage terms, Orthodox Christianity and Islam were the fastest growing religions, with increases of 100% and 70% respectively.

Ireland’s patron saints are Saint Patrick, Saint Bridget and Saint Columba. Saint Patrick is the only one commonly recognized as the patron saint. Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on 17 March in Ireland and abroad as the Irish national day, with parades and other celebrations.

As with other predominantly Catholic European states, Ireland underwent a period of legal secularization in the late twentieth century. In 1972, the article of the Constitution naming specific religious groups was deleted by the Fifth Amendment in a referendum. Article 44 remains in the Constitution: “The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honour religion.” The article also establishes freedom of religion, prohibits endowment of any religion, prohibits the state from religious discrimination, and requires the state to treat religious and non-religious schools in a non-prejudicial manner.

Religious studies was introduced as an optional Junior Certificate subject in 2001. Although many schools are run by religious organisations, a secularist trend is occurring among younger generations.

 

Scripture of the Day – February 18th and 19th

February 18th

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 3:5-6

February 19th

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

James 3:13-16

Heal Our Land – Please Jesus, Heal Our Land

Starting with an article posted here last week titled – Can We Mourn About The Florida Tragedy Properly? Please!!!!, I feel led to call for American’s to come together, but not in the old COEXIST way, but growing together in the love of Christ. 

Let me mention, the article is directed at the church – those who call themselves followers of Jesus. If you don’t relate to that, you are free to read, and I hope you can take some, if not all of this to heart – but this is directed strictly at Christians.

First, we need to pray this scripture from 2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Next, we need to look inwardly and ask ourselves what can I do – right now – to humble myself and seek the face of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ about this topic.

Then, we need to wipe away the barriers that divide us. We should be Christians first, and then those of us calling the United States home need to call ourselves Americans. No hyphens, no denominations, no race, nothing the separates us, we are AMERICANS first and that’s it.

One of the problems our country has is that even the church does things that divide not the world, but God’s church. We have white churches, black churches, hispanic churches, gay churches, and even denominations at times that HATE other denominations.

Racism, and any kind of hate, has no business in our world! I know there are plenty of things in our past that can and do divide us. Stop looking in the mirror and look forward. The past cannot be changed, but the future can change RIGHT NOW – and only you can change it. It’s not about what race we are, in the video below, Mandisa tells us we all “Bleed The Same”. Take the time to listen to the words, and start thinking this way.

Step back from the topic for just a second and let me address some things that are sure to be said.

  • I’m not talking about COEXIST – this is to Christians.
  • I’m not talking about condoning sin.
  • I’m not talking about there being any way to heaven other than through Jesus Christ.
  • I’m not talking about politics (that needs to get out of most topics).
  • I’m not talking about conservative vs liberal.
  • This is certainly not a feel good topic and I’m not singing Kumbaya.
  • I’m not saying people don’t have legitimate issues with past history.

Finally, what I am saying, is that if we want to have America to be healed by the Lord,  God Almighty, then we must move forward from this point in history on, and Do The Right Thing!

These three songs with videos are perfect, Bleed the Same by Mandisa with Toby Mac and Kirk Franklin; Love Broke Thru by Toby Mac; and We Believe by The Newsboys. I encourage you to watch the videos (they all tell a great story) while you listen too the music.

We can’t expect God to heal our nation, if we aren’t willing to put forth the effort on our own.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i

Breaking News – Friend Of The Podcast Jeff Jarrett Going In To The WWE Hall of Fame

Friend of the podcast and personal friend, Jeff Jarrett is heading to the WWE Hall of Fame it was just announced. Here is the release from WWE.com.

You can also follow this breaking story at Wrestling News Blog.

This awesome news for a wonderful man, who is not afraid to share his faith.

 

Looks Like I’m Not The Only One Disgusted With “The View”

My post,  This Is Disgusting, But Par For The Course From “The View”seems to be holding true with the opinions of several different people. The Vice-President himself had these comments  during a C-Span interview when asked about the situation:

Vice President Mike Pence delivered a jaw-dropping rebuke of ABC News after “The View” host Joy Behar compared Christianity to mental illness.

“To have ABC maintain a broadcast forum that compared Christianity to mental illness is just wrong,” Pence said Wednesday on C-SPAN. “It is simply wrong for ABC to have a television program that expresses that kind of religious intolerance.”

Pence said on C-SPAN that his faith is the most important thing in his life.

“My faith sustains me in all that I do,” he said.

The vice president said “The View” hosts insulted the “vast majority of the American people who cherish faith.”

“It demonstrates how out of touch some in the mainstream media are with the faith and values of the American people that you could have a major network like ABC permit a forum for invective against religion like that,” he said.

Watch VP Pence’s comments on C-Span below:

//www.c-span.org/video/standalone/?c4715081

Pastor Robert Jeffress had the following article on his website, Pathway To Victory:

Courtesy: Fox News Insider:

Dr. Robert Jeffress went off on the co-hosts of “The View” for mocking Vice President Mike Pence’s Christian faith on Tuesday.

It all started when “The View” played a clip from “Celebrity Big Brother,” in which former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman said the Vice President “thinks Jesus tells him to say things.”

Sunny Hostin expressed concern about Pence’s religious fervor and said she doesn’t want her Vice President “speaking in tongues.”

“It’s one thing to talk to Jesus. It’s another thing when Jesus talks to you,” Joy Behar said, adding that hearing voices is a “mental illness.”

Jeffress wondered on “America’s Newsroom” what would have happened to Behar if she had mocked a devout Muslim.

“ABC would have fired her in a nanosecond. To the left, when it comes to attacking conservative Christians, it is always open season.”

He pointed out that many liberals preach the importance of tolerance, but when it comes to beliefs with which they disagree, they can often be the least tolerant.

He said Christians are tired of being bullied in the public square for their faith, and the 2016 election was in some ways a reaction to these types of “despicable attacks.”

Watch the video with Pastor Jeffress on Fox News

 

 

Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren slams ‘The View’ co-host Joy Behar for ridiculing Vice President Pence’s conservative Christian faith.

Shayne Blaze and Liz Morris from VIA Music Promotes Ellipsis on the Ed Boston Podcast

Via Ellipsis - Album Art copy

The album cover above is for VIA Music’s first album – Ellipsis. Click on the cover to go to the interview and to hear two of the tracks from the album.

Here is the group’s bio:

Via Music combines an eclectic group of both musicians and musical styles to offer a diverse and unique new “way” to worship. An extension of the Fresno Church, the band’s innovative style and desire for Jesus drives its mission to reach out to the lost. Via Music’s first album, Ellipsis, is set to release Friday, February 9th, 2018 as a leading statement to the message they have to deliver. The band hopes to carry out their mission to create new ways of reaching out to people in a place where Jesus can meet them just as they are.