I personally think we Christians have become too 'political correct', we as Christians do not reform to society, we change society. We stand up for things like Jesus, anti abortion, beliefs on homosexuality and the list goes on and on.

We cannot be afraid of what people think. The people who took in the orphans did not worry about what people saidand neither did the monks, scientists etc that are listed above. We've become too soft and week…

In regards to poverity, you have to change the mindset, beliefs and ideology before poverty will be defeated. One perfect example is that in areas of India, rats are a religous icon and they eat, destroy and keep the tribes in poverity because they cannot touch or destroy the rats that ruin the crops.

This isn't to say we shouldn't try to do anything about the reputation the church has earned itself (the "God hates gay people" crowd is an example). That I'd love to correct.

Still, don't take to the task of a PR makeover for the church. The world will always have a perception of Christians that is largely inaccurate and full of fear and even hate. That's the nature of the church alongside the world. As it should be.

Just some things to remember. I'm all for doing what we can, but not in the name of earning the world's approval. 

I love the idea of starting Christian services that have a must-have quality about them, are free (donation funded), and go beyond what's already out there—and places that others do not want to go. For example, starting a charity that pays for medical coverage, medications, and all services for those with AIDS. After all, if we say that we are to love the sinner, then we have to prove that. The witnessing there is two-fold: to those suffering and to the taxpayers.

Also, I'd love to see premium-style Internet/desktop/phone services offered up for free—that is, a Christian open-source project that builds free servers, applications, and even network platforms. What better way to impact the net culture than to make the things that make the net go. Perhaps it could even be called, "Light So Shine." 

Lou then pointed out that the REAL way to stop abortion is abstinance programs.

He then addressed the young men in the audiance, and laid the blame of aborted children on thier shoulders for not keeping it in thier pants. I was really impressed — I had never really thought of it like that. (Of course, I'm not saying that it's only the guy's fault, but rarely do we think of the would-be-father, only the mother.)

Anyway, I think Christians tend to fight for the surface issues without realizing they aren't treating the wound. In the case of abortion, it is absitnence. In the case of poverty, Jermyn made a good point. Those in India need missionaries to lead them to Christ so they stop seeing rats as sacred.

We need to look at the root of the problem in whatever situation we feel called to make a stand for. 

I too would like to see the "God hates gay people" eliminated from our culture. He doesn't hate gay people any more than he hates prostitutes. The root problem of being gay seems to step from children not being able to relate/connect to the smae-sex parent. (Often, they were abused by the same sex-parent, and not necessarily sexual, emotional abuse is enough to cause them to seek healing with a same-sex partner. If a girl is abused by her father, she often times seeks abusive men in a subcousnious attempt to heal herself from the pain of her childhood. The same applies to a boy abused by his father.)

The only thing I can think of that would solve this, is getting some sort of Emotional Healing progam in elemntary schools and highschools, under a different name of course or the kids who attended would be harrassed. Maybe it could be disgused as Emotional Well being, and cover other topics, but still have a comprehensive heal-from-abuse aspect.

The other thing is for the men in the church to stand up. So often it is the women who are willing to volunteer thier time and efforts into children programs and functions. But very few men seem to realize their importance and the impact that they NEED to have on male youth. We need men in our churches to take them to the movie, to a ball game, or out to play basketball and be the godly father-figure and role model they need.