Devotional: In the secret of God's tabernacle...

In the secret of God's tabernacle no enemy can find us, and no troubles can reach us. The pride of man and the strife of tongues find no entrance into the pavilion of God. The secret of his presence is a more secure refuge than a thousand Gibraltars. I do not mean that no trials come. They may come in abundance, but they cannot penetrate into the sanctuary of the soul, and we may dwell in perfect peace even in the midst of life fiercest storms. ...Hannah Whitall Smith image by Max Wolfe

Powerful earthquakes off Vanuatu trigger warning of tsunami

Eleven countries in south Pacific put on alert, but no immediate reports of injury or damage
Thursday 8 October 2009

A tsunami warning issued for 11 countries and territories, including the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Kiribati, after three powerful earthquakes struck off Vanuatu in the south Pacific was cancelled early this morning.

A tsunami watch, a lower level of alert, had been in effect as far away as Australia and New Zealand. All were cancelled about two and a half hours after the initial earthquakes struck. the rest

Archbishop Duncan Issues Pastoral Letter

Archbishop Robert Duncan released the following pastoral letter to the clergy and people of the Diocese, in response to yesterday's ruling in the Calvary lawsuit (also available in PDF):

7th October, A.D. 2009

A pastoral letter to be read in all the churches on Sunday, October 11th, A.D. 2009 and in Saturday services preceding.

TO ALL THE CLERGY AND PEOPLE:

Beloved in the Lord,

We lost. In human terms we lost. Bishop and Standing Committee, together with Board of Trustees, thought we understood the document that was signed on our behalf in 2005 that ended the first phase of the Calvary lawsuit. But yesterday, the judge found against us on the basis of that document.

The team that has provided extraordinary legal counsel to us, and to others in similar cases across the country, has issued the following statement: "We believe the opinion and order is contrary to applicable law, disregards the agreed assumption of valid withdrawal by the Diocese from TEC, violates the assurances given us that the issue of the 'true diocese' was not part of this proceeding and denies us due process of law." Accordingly we reserve all of our rights to appeal.

We will take a time for further counsel and prayer, seeking God's guidance on whether to file an appeal. After that, we will, of course, fully comply with the court's order to facilitate an orderly transfer of DIOCESAN assets to the Episcopal Church Diocese. We have mostly lived without benefit of these assets since January. We have demonstrated that we can live without them. It will be sad not to have the resources left by previous generations to draw on, but God will be faithful. Two hundred and fifty years ago the first Anglicans at Fort Pitt had nothing. One hundred and forty five years ago the Anglicans who first organized our diocese had nothing. God was faithful to them. He will be faithful to us.

The court's decision has nothing to do with PARISH property, including the funds held in trust for you. The stipulation of 2005 spelled out a mediated process for parishes wishing to leave the "diocese." Your bishop, your standing committee, your diocesan council and your board of trustees will all work with your parish leadership toward this end. We invite the leadership of the Episcopal Church Diocese into working with us for the good of all congregations, both Episcopal Church and Anglican Church congregations.

　 The gospel for this Sunday is Mark 10:17-31, the rich young man. In the passage Jesus promises that those who are willing to leave everything to follow him "will receive back a hundredfold." Jesus is speaking to us and to our situation. Now is the moment we are called to trust Him at His word. I am willing. Your leadership is willing. Are you?

Our future is so bright in the Anglican Church in North America: Converted individuals, in multiplying congregations, fueled by the Holy Spirit. Do not despair. "He who has called you is faithful, and He will do it." (I Thessalonians 5:24)

On Friday night November 6th I invite as many of you as can to join together, physically or by internet or in spirit, in St. Stephen's Church in Sewickley (beginning at 6 p.m.) to thank God for his goodness to us, to offer up the immense transition of this last year, and to celebrate the prospect of our life in our new Anglican Province. The best is still ahead. Our God reigns.

Faithfully in Christ,
[Signature]
Bishop of Pittsburgh
Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America
link

A.S. Haley on the Pittsburgh Decision

Judge James Goes off the Deep End
Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Up until now, I have reserved judgment about the legal abilities of Judge Joseph M. James of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania. Based on the transcripts of the arguments before him, he had seemed to maintain an open mind in the proceedings, which placed at issue the ability of the Diocese of Pittsburgh headed by the Rt. Rev. Robert A. Duncan to hold the assets it had acquired for the benefit of the parishes which made up its membership.

The rest here

How 4-year-old boy mastered 'Miracle' speech in YouTube hit

Story

Why We Don't Have Revival

Joe McKeever
posted October 7, 2009

Ask any church leader why America--or the churches in general or a denomination in particular or all Christians--does not (do not) have revival and the answers will usually come out to something like: "We're not praying," or "We're not praying hard enough," or "This takes prayer and fasting."

Today, I spent an hour on the internet reading some of the hundreds of websites on the subject of revival. Those that attempt to cover the subject of why we are not experiencing revival usually attribute it to sin, complacency, or prayerlessness.

Maybe they're right, but it seems to me those answers are missing the point.

The reason we're not having revival may indeed be that we're not praying for one. After all, Scripture assures us that "you have not because you ask not." (James 4:2)

But that just leads to the question of why we're not praying for revival. The answer, I strongly suggest, is simple: we don't want a revival. We like things the way they are. the rest

The light bulb goes … off

October 6, 2009
by Ed Morrissey

I blame all of our woes on Thomas Edison. If he hadn’t insisted on creating the first practical incandescent light bulb, why, we all would still be living in a Luddite paradise, albeit a dark one. We could still burn oil lamps — er, no, that throws off carbon, too. How about candles? Better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness, after all. And that’s true, as long as it’s a single candle, and not a bunch of them, or your carbon footprint might equal that of Godzilla, or Al Gore, whichever is bigger.

Nick Gillespie at Reason takes a critical look at the abolitionist movement aiming at Edison’s world-changing invention, and the poor replacement that bureaucrats will leave us: the rest image by mattbjrs

Obama and the General

The White House finds a four-star scapegoat for its Afghan jitters
OCTOBER 7, 2009

Democrats have found someone worth fighting in Afghanistan. His name is Stan McChrystal.

The other night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi went after the commander of U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, "with all due respect," for supposedly disrespecting the chain of command. Around the Congressional Democratic Caucus, we're told Members refer to General McChrystal as "General MacArthur," after the commander in Korea sacked by Harry Truman.

White House aides have fanned these flames with recent leaks to the media that "officials are challenging" his assessment asking for more troops. In the last two days, the White House National Security Adviser and the Secretary of Defense have both suggested that the general should keep his mouth shut. President Obama called him in Friday for a talking-to on the tarmac at Copenhagen airport. the rest

Approval of Congress Falls to 21%.

Planned Parenthood Used Underage Girls in Clinical Trials Pushing Abortion

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 6, 2009

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new report from a Planned Parenthood watchdog group finds the abortion business used underage girls in at least 10 clinical trials over the last two decades to push abortion, birth control, and STD testing.

The news comes at a time when Planned Parenthood is facing criticism for videos showing it ignoring potential statutory abuse cases.

Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League and the head of its STOPP Planned Parenthood effort, released the details in a statement to LifeNews.com. the rest

High school teacher keeps job after handing out pornographic 'banned book'

Planned Parenthood Group Holds Fundraiser at Museum Featuring 'Sex Life of Robots' Exhibit

Devotional: Strive to be as a little child...

Strive to be as a little child who, while its mother holds its hand, goes on fearlessly, and is not disturbed because it stumbles and trips in its weakness. So long as God holds you up by the will and determination to serve Him with which He inspires you, go on boldly and do not be frightened at your little checks and falls, so long as you can throw yourself into His arms in trusting love. Go there with an open, joyful heart as often as possible; if not always joyful, at least go with a brave and faithful heart. ...Francis de Sales image by tamakisono

Pittsburgh Loses on Property Decision

Stand Firm
October 6, 2009

Decision-PDF

Comments at Stand Firm

Envoy sketches vision for U.S.-Vatican relations

October 5, 2009
by Francis X. Rocca
Religion News Service

The new American ambassador to the Holy See met the press on Monday (Oct. 5), for the first time since his nomination was announced in May.

Miguel H. Diaz received a group of 10 American and Italian reporters at the official ambassador's residence on Rome's Janiculum Hill, three days after presenting his credentials to Pope Benedict XVI.

Stressing the priorities that he said the Obama administration has in common with the Vatican, Diaz sketched out an agenda of collaboration against terrorism, religiously inspired violence, HIV/AIDS and human trafficking, and in favor of interracial, intercultural and interreligious dialogue.

"The points where we have coordination today between this president and the Holy See are more than just one," he said, speaking in Italian as he did for much of the meeting. "We have the possibility of collaboration on so many points." the rest

American Library Association Urged to Include Ex-Gay Books in Banned Books Week

CHICAGO, Oct. 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- In recognition of the goals of Banned Books Week by the American Library Association (ALA), Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) is requesting the ALA to include ex-gay books in its annual promotion of ALA's "celebration of the freedom to read" program.

"For several weeks, PFOX has attempted to secure a statement from the ALA opposing the censorship of ex-gay books," said Regina Griggs, executive director of PFOX. "According to Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, ALA policy recommends diversity in book collection development by libraries, regardless of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. However, Caldwell-Stone refuses to state whether that diversity policy includes ex-gay books."

"Books about leaving homosexuality are censored in most high school libraries, although gay affirming books for youth are readily available," said Griggs. "For example, Charlie Makela, supervisor of library services for Arlington County, Virginia public schools, rejected PFOX's donation of ex-gay books although she accepts books from gay groups. Ms. Makela is also the chair of the ALA's Supervisors' Section of the American Association of School Librarians. Shouldn't the ALA enforce its own diversity policy?" the rest

Pope Awards Highest Honor to EWTN Founder Mother Angelica and Chairman

EWTN has consistently given high priority to uncompromising support for Catholic moral principles and the pro-life movement.
IRONDALE, AL

October 5, 2009

(LifeSiteNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI has awarded EWTN foundress, Mother Mary Angelica, and Deacon Bill Steltemeier, Chairman of EWTN's Board of Governors, the Cross of Honor for distinguished service to the Church. The medal, officially known as "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" (literally "For the Church and the Pope"), is the highest honor that the Pope can bestow upon laity and religious.

The acknowledgement of Mother Angelica's work by the Pope is highly significant in light of high profile criticism that the EWTN foundress has sustained over her unwavering fidelity to the faith. Mother Angelica had to endure crushing criticism and even attempts to take over her station by various left-leaning Catholic bishops in the United States. the rest

Egyptian Police Arrest Christian Father for Attempting to Free Kidnapped Daughter

10-5-2009

Alexandria, Egypt (AINA) -- At dawn on Saturday, October 3, 2009, Egyptian State Security forces arrested a group of Christian Copts in different parts of the city in Alexandria, after severely assaulting them in front of their neighbors. Their wives were also arrested, but because of intense objection protests by neighbors at the way they were handled and of the screams of their terrified children, they were released. The men who were arrested are relatives of Rafaat Girges Habib, a man who helped a Coptic father free his kidnapped daughter from her Muslim husband's home. The arrests continued until Habib turned himself in to the police. the rest

Germany: Publisher cancels book on Islamic honor killing over safety fears

House Republican calls for special prosecutor to investigate ACORN

By Molly K. Hooper
10/05/09

A top-ranking Republican lawmaker is calling for a special prosecutor to investigate the Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

In a letter sent to Attorney General Eric Holder and obtained by The Hill on Monday, House Judiciary Committee ranking member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) argues that President Barack Obama’s political ties to the scandal-plagued community-activist group and its affiliates will “taint” any potential Justice Department investigations.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has not announced whether it has launched a probe of ACORN, but Smith said any such investigation could be compromised. the rest

Acorn Woes Hit Union, Democrats
Democratic lawmakers in a handful of states are facing pressure from Republicans to distance themselves from the Service Employees International Union as a result of its ties to Acorn.

ACORN scrubs its website to eliminate SEIU links.

Gay clergy vote dividing Lutherans

Some Lutheran congregations withholding financial support
By Mary Garrigan
Journal staff
Monday, October 05, 2009

Some area Lutheran congregations are withholding financial support to the national Evangelical Lutheran Church in America while they explore their future in the ELCA.

Christ the King Lutheran Church in Newcastle, Wyo., quit sending money to ELCA headquarters in Chicago in September. Earlier this year, the small eastern Wyoming congregation voted to financially support the reform group, Lutheran Coalition for Renewal, which plans to reconfigure Lutheranism in North America because of the ELCA's recent vote to approve of homosexual clergy in committed same-sex relationships. the rest

Obama to speak to gay audience

By PHILIP ELLIOTT
posted October 6th, 2009

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to address the nation's largest gay rights group this weekend in an effort to mollify an uneasy Democratic constituency frustrated with the White House's slow pace.

Obama plans to address Saturday's Human Rights Campaign fundraising dinner gala, the organization and the White House announced Monday afternoon.

"It is fitting that (Obama) will speak to our community on the night that we pay tribute to his friend and mentor Sen. Edward Kennedy, who knew that as president, Barack Obama would take on the unfinished business of this nation — equal rights" for the gay community and for "every person who believes in liberty and justice for all," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

The dinner falls on the eve of the National Equality March, expected to draw thousands of gay and lesbian activists to the National Mall. Many have been critical of Obama's slow pace on redeeming campaign promises to end a ban on gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military and pushing tough nondiscrimination policies. the rest

National Coming Out Day features National Equality March on Washington
Obama's speech to the HRC dinner will be only the second time a sitting president has addressed the group, following President Bill Clinton's address in 1997.

TBN Theme Park Targeted for Gay Day
Members of the gay and lesbian community plan to visit the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday with hopes of bringing "a message of equality."

White House's botched 'op'
In a heavy-handed attempt at reviving support for health-care reform, the White House orchestrated a massive photo op to buttress its claim that front-line physicians support Obama.

Does Obama Get It?
The big question on the domestic front right now is whether President Obama understands the gravity of the employment crisis facing the country. Does he get it? The signals coming out of the White House have not been encouraging.

Obama's Liberalism Boosts Republicans
In nine months, he [Obama] has breathed life into the Republican party, boosted pro-lifers, tarnished the reputation of regulation, bolstered traditional values, increased the public's desire for immigration restriction, and shifted independent voters rightward.

Sowell: A Letter from a Child
Recent videos of American children in school singing songs of praise for Barack Obama were a little much, especially for those of us old enough to remember pictures of children singing the praises of dictators like Hitler, Stalin and Mao.

Exposing Obama
Naked Emperor News reveals the truth about the president one YouTube video at a time

Court won't review Fla. Pledge of Allegiance law

Oct 5, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal to review a Florida law that requires public school students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each day unless they have their parents' written permission excusing them.

The justices declined Monday an appeal filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida on behalf of a high school student removed from his math class because he remained seated during the pledge.
the rest image by respres

New religious artefacts found on Skellig Michael

Monday, September 28, 2009
LORNA SIGGINS
Western Correspondent

A previously hidden staircase has been discovered on Skellig Michael off the Kerry coast, along with an unidentified cross, hewn from rock.

The discoveries were made by archaeologist Michael Gibbons during recent field research as part of a project on pilgrimage mountains and islands.

The staircase is part of an uncharted route above the lighthouse road on an isolated part of the rock’s precipitous flanks. Mr Gibbons believes that it may have linked up to two of the three known routes up to the sixth century monastery. the rest

Episcopal diocese allows graceful exit of former clergy

Monday, October 05, 2009
By Ann Rodgers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh will not take action against the clergy who left the Episcopal Church.

This is the diocese that remained in the Episcopal Church after the 2008 diocesan convention voted to secede from the denomination with Archbishop Robert Duncan.

The decision was announced today, a day after the one-year anniversary of the split. Instead of removing their clergy credentials, the Episcopal diocese will "release" them to become licensed in any church they choose.

Both bodies still call themselves the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. The diocese that remained in the Episcopal Church has 28 parishes, while the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Anglican) has 57 parishes and is affiliated with both the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone in South America and the new Anglican Church in North America.

The decision affects about 100 priests and deacons. Archbishop Duncan was deposed -- stripped of his clergy credentials -- by the Episcopal House of Bishops in September 2008, so this doesn't apply to him. the rest

FTC to Regulate Blogging

Monday, October 05, 2009

The Federal Trade Commission will try to regulate blogging for the first time, requiring writers on the Web to clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products.

The FTC said Monday its commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the final Web guidelines, which had been expected. Violating the rules, which take effect Dec. 1, could bring fines up to $11,000 per violation. Bloggers or advertisers also could face injunctions and be ordered to reimburse consumers for financial losses stemming from inappropriate product reviews.

The commission stopped short of specifying how bloggers must disclose conflicts of interest. Rich Cleland, assistant director of the FTC's advertising practices division, said the disclosure must be "clear and conspicuous," no matter what form it will take. the rest

St. James Church’s Property Rights Battle: U.S. Supreme Court Denies Petition

October 05, 2009

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Supreme Court of the United States today denied a petition by St. James Church, Newport Beach, CA to hear its church property rights battle with the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the national Episcopal Church (TEC). However, the property rights case is far from over and the case continues in the Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana, CA.

St. James’ Senior Pastor, the Rev. Richard Crocker, said, “While it is obviously disappointing, we always felt the court might prefer to wait until the trial proceedings were final. Our battle is far from over. We look forward to having the trial court rule on a written promise from the Episcopal Church in 1991 that they would never lay claim on our property. Our members have engaged in much prayer in order to discern God’s will for our congregation and what His call might be for us. We believe God has asked us to stand steadfast for His Gospel as well as to remain steadfast on this legal battlefield.” the rest

A.S. Haley: Supreme Court Denies (for now) St. James Petition for Review

Court refuses to get involved in church dispute

Stand Firm: St. James Newport Beach Responds to SCOTUS Development

Bible Verse Ban at Football Field Angers Town

They Really, Really Want To Kill For Organs

Saturday, October 3, 2009
Wesley J. Smith

I reported the other day that Nature editorialized in favor of loosening the rules to allow living patients to be killed for their organs (more about which, soon). And now, we see more advocacy for lethal medicine in The Journal of Medical Ethics, an international publication. From the article by Dr. F.G. Miller (No link, here’s the abstract):

Revisiting the still-provocative essays of Jonas on brain death and organ donation helps in mapping present and future ethical and policy options. Four options seem most salient. First, we can follow the lead of Jonas by adopting a stance of deontological rectitude that abandons vital organ procurement from brain-dead, but still-living patients. This position is logically tidy and unassailable if its major premise is endorsed: (1) doctors must not kill patients; (2) brain-dead patients are alive; (3) procuring vital organs from brain-dead patients would cause their death; therefore, (4) this practice is wrong and must cease. However, the validity of the first premise is debatable; and if applied consistently, it would have drastic consequences. For not only would it put a stop to the life-saving practice of vital organ transplantation using the organs of brain-dead individuals; it also arguably would rule out the routine practice of deliberately stopping life-sustaining treatment, assuming the reasonable, but unorthodox, view that this practice involves causing death. the rest

Governmental Capriciousness Rising

October 04, 2009
Aaron Gee

There is a troubling pattern of capriciousness that has emerged from our current government. No one can take for granted that our government will do as it says. The word of the US government used to be something that world leaders, companies, employees, and the citizens of this great land could bank on. The breadth of the current administration's instability is unprecedented. From CIA interrogators to the Eastern European missile shield, keeping up with the number of on-again-off-again promises requires a full time staff to keep count.
the rest

Breaking: Obama's White House ACORN Operative Fined $775,000 For Election Violations- Used Rapists & Burglars in Door-to-Door Registration Drives

Now will Congress investigate ACORN?

You Can't Say That: At the UN, the Obama administration backs limits on free speech.

The Kerala Exception. A Trip to India's Most Christian and Peaceful State

There are ten times more Catholics there than elsewhere, but they live in peace with the Hindus and Muslims. Education is generalized, with equality between men and women. The only threat to this miracle comes from a Marxist government
by Sandro Magister

ROME, October 5, 2009 – The synod of bishops on "The Church in Africa," which runs from yesterday until October 25, calls attention back to the continent that over the past century has seen the most explosive missionary expansion of Christianity.

The Christian fertility of Africa contrasts with that of another continent, Asia, which instead shows itself to be much more impervious to the Gospel.

In Asia, the Philippines is the only nation with a Christian majority, and South Korea is the only nation in which Christianity is growing. Elsewhere, Christians are a more or less scant minority, in many cases busy resisting persecution, oppression, hostility of every kind. the rest

Pope Benedict calls for revolution of holiness in Africa

Vatican City
Oct 4, 2009

(CNA).- In St. Peter’s Basilica, during Sunday’s Opening Mass for the Synod of African Bishops, Pope Benedict XVI preached holiness as a means to societal reconciliation and peace. The Holy Father also called for a new evangelization of Africa, highlighting the primacy of God, marriage and protecting children from violence as the areas most in need of the Gospel.

Benedict XVI, who visited Cameron and Angola in March of this year, began by stating the unity between this Synod and the first one opened in 1994 by Pope John Paul II.

This “spiritual lung” that is Africa risks two “dangerous diseases,” he warned. "First, a disease that has spread throughout the Western world, namely practical materialism, combined with relativistic and nihilistic thinking.” The second, he said, is “religious fundamentalism. Mixed with political and economic interests, groups claiming different religious affiliations are spreading in Africa.” the rest

Will small business "Going Galt" be Obama's downfall?

Sunday, October 4, 2009
By Helen Smith

As I read about the unemployment numbers going up, now to 9.8%, I can't help but wonder if small businesses will be the catalyst that brings down this administration. The commenters to a blog post at Don Surber's Daily Mail blog seem to be on the right track in understanding why small businesses are not hiring:

Commenter Sean says:

Businesses aren’t hiring because no one knows what in the hell our economic system is going to look like 5 years, or even 5 months, from now.
Will “Cap and Trade” get implemented as the Democrats hope?
How much of an upheaval will “Healthcare Reform” end up being?
Is the administration and Congress done overhauling regulation of the Financial Industry?
No prudent investor is going to bet their money (i.e., invest in growth) when it is conceivable that the government is going to radically alter how 50% of this nation’s economy functions. the rest

Queen 'appalled' at Church of England moves, claim Vatican moles

When Pope Benedict visits this country next year, he is expected to stay at Buckingham Palace as a guest of the Queen. The warmth of her welcome will come as no surprise to the Pontiff, if senior sources at the Vatican are to be believed.
By Richard Eden
03 Oct 2009

According to informants quoted in The Catholic Herald, the Queen has "grown increasingly sympathetic" to the Catholic Church over the years while being "appalled", along with the Prince of Wales, at developments in the Church of England.

The usually well-informed newspaper adds that the Queen, who is the Supreme Governor of the C of E, is "also said to have an affinity with the Holy Father, who is of her generation".

In July, The Sunday Telegraph disclosed that the Queen had told the heads of a traditionalist group, formed in response to the liberal direction of some parts of the Anglican Communion, that she "understood their concerns" about the future of the 80 million-strong global church. the rest

Devotional: Peace with God is of greater value...

Satan knows that he can undermine the structure of the church by slyly removing just one fundamental doctrine at a time. He frequently loosens a large foundation gradually, chiseling it away bit by bit. That is why tolerance for the sake of peace may be dangerous. One step by giving in will lead to a next step, and will not God visit us with blindness if we deliberately darken the truth He has graciously entrusted to us. How shall we justify ourselves if we permit even a little of the truth to be laid aside? Is that ours to do? When peace is injurious to the truth, peace must give way. Peace with God is of greater value than peace with men. ...Abraham Kuyper image by mx.

Prayerful Americans Called to 'Adopt a Liberal'

By Lawrence D. Jones
Christian Post Reporter
Sat, Oct. 03 2009

A Christian legal group has introduced a new initiative to encourage prayerful Americans to “adopt” liberal leaders.

Fla.-based Liberty Counsel’s “Adopt a Liberal” program, inspired by the exhortation of the Apostle Paul, as recorded in 1 Timothy 2:1-3, invites prayerful conservatives to pick out a liberal or two who is in a position of authority to be the target of “regular, intense prayer in accord with St. Paul's admonition to his disciple, Timothy.”

“Prayer is powerful! It allows God to change the minds of those for whom we are praying. In fact, we fully expect that many of our adoptees will ‘graduate’ from this prayer program with vivid testimonies of God having changed their lives and worldviews,” Liberty Counsel stated.

While the legal group admitted that there is a certain amount of tongue-and-cheek humor associated with their new program, they said they do want it to conform with the biblical passage in Paul's letter and for it to move liberal leaders and cause them to be the kind of leaders who will encourage others to lead "a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." the rest

Judge to Prop. 8 backers: Turn over your papers

Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, October 3, 2009

Plaintiffs in a federal suit seeking to overturn Prop. 8 - two same-sex couples, a gay-rights organization and the city of San Francisco - contend that the measure's real purpose was to strip a historically persecuted minority group of rights held by the majority.

If the courts find that the ballot measure was motivated by discrimination, they could strike it down without having to decide whether gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry.

"The intent or purpose of Prop. 8 is central to this litigation," Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker declared Thursday in requiring backers of the November 2008 measure to give the opposing side their internal campaign communications. the rest

Albert Mohler: Morality, Hollywood Style

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Moral hypocrisy is an ugly thing, regardless of its source. Hypocrisy is a moral trap of constant threat -- the price of holding any moral standards at all. To hold to the truth of moral judgment and then to allow for the transgression of that moral judgment is hypocrisy in its essence. The only total escape from the threat of hypocrisy is to forfeit any claim to moral standards at all.

Hypocrisy is found in ample supply among both conservatives and liberals. The conservative variant seems most evident when political or religious leaders are found guilty of transgressing the very principles they preach. The hypocrisy spreads in both extent and significance when those who claim to be conservatives attempting to conserve moral wisdom excuse those who flaunt their personal disregard for that wisdom.

The liberal variant seems most evident when, for example, moral relativists all of the sudden discover moral scruples. It turns out that even postmodern relativists and the children of the 1960s do believe in moral principles after all. Yet, the cultural left has always found sexual morality most difficult to define or defend. the rest

Hundreds leave pioneering Fla. megachurch

By MATT SEDENSKY
The Associated Press
Thursday, October 1, 2009

MIAMI — Hundreds of congregants have left a pioneering megachurch in Florida to form their own congregation because they were unhappy with leadership at the church that's seen as a bedrock of the religious right.

The new congregation met for its first service last Sunday, and organizers said more than 450 people attended. The people who formed the new congregation had lost a Sept. 20 vote to fire Tchividjian. Organizers of the still unnamed church said nearly all of their attendees had been among Coral Ridge's roughly 2,000 members.

Coral Ridge said it's not worried about maintaining its membership after the departures. About 200 people enrolled in a class for new members after Tchividjian took over in March. the rest

A.S. Haley: The Law Inches Forward in Fort Worth

Friday, October 2, 2009

To understand the significance of the rulings today, you might first want to review two earlier posts explaining what has happened up to this point: here and here. Here is the official post from the Diocese of Fort Worth.

Judge Chupp in Fort Worth had three motions before him today. The first was a motion by the defendants Bishop Iker and his co-trustees of the Diocesan Corporation to continue (postpone) the court's hearing of the plaintiffs' motion for partial summary judgment (without having a trial) on the first claim in its complaint: asking the court to declare that Bishop Iker and his co-trustees were replaced on the Board of the Diocesan Corporation by the "Special Convention" held on February 7, 2009. The court GRANTED this motion and continued the hearing from October 15, 2009 to January 22, 2010 to give time for discovery concerning the issues.

The second motion asked Judge Chupp to reconsider the order he signed at the end of the Rule 12 hearing on September 16. This order declared that the plaintiffs' attorneys could not represent Bishop Iker's Diocese or its Corporation, but refused to strike the pleadings they had filed on behalf of those same entities. The Court DECLINED to revise its Order.

The third motion was to grant Bishop Iker et al. leave to file a third-party complaint joining Bishop Gulick and the persons elected as the "Standing Committee" in February as defendants, and to make them prove that they were lawfully elected to their positions. The Court GRANTED this motion. the rest

The Living Church Editorial: Toward a Better Way

October 2, 2009

During the past decade, the Episcopal Church has participated in approximately 60 court cases concerning property ownership. These cases involve, to one degree or another, the Dennis Canon, named for the late Rt. Rev. Walter Dennis, former bishop suffragan of the Diocese of New York. The Dennis Canon says this:

“All real and personal property held by or for the benefit of any parish, mission or congregation is held in trust for this church and the diocese thereof in which such parish, mission or congregation is located. The existence of this trust, however, shall in no way limit the power and authority of the parish, mission or congregation otherwise existing over such property so long as the particular parish, mission or congregation remains a part of, and subject to, this church and its Constitution and Canons.”

The Supreme Court of South Carolina ruled in September that the Dennis Canon does not apply to the formerly Episcopal parish of All Saints Church in Pawleys Island, S.C., because that parish predates the Episcopal Church. Many conservatives have greeted that ruling with joy, and they hope it sets a legal precedent across the nation. the rest

More Protestants Find a Home in the Orthodox Antioch Church

By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN
October 2, 2009

LINTHICUM HEIGHTS, Md. — Cal Oren was threading his way through the Santa Cruz Mountains of California early one evening in 1993, driving his wife, brother and three tired children back from a day of hiking amid the redwoods. As their car neared the town of Ben Lomond, Mr. Oren said, his brother pointed to a church on the roadside and said: “I’ve been inside this. It’s really neat.”

So Mr. Oren pulled to a stop, and as the children stayed in the car, the grown-ups gingerly padded into the sanctuary of Saints Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church. A lifelong Presbyterian, Mr. Oren knew virtually nothing about the Antiochians or, for that matter, Orthodox Christianity in general. He had always associated Ben Lomond with hippies, geodesic domes, and marijuana fields.

As he entered the sanctuary, a vespers service was underway. Maybe two dozen worshippers stood, chanting psalms and hymns. Incense drifted through the dark air. Icons of apostles and saints hung on the walls and adorned the altar. The ancientness and austerity stood at a time-warp remove from the evangelical circles in which Mr. Oren normally traveled, so modern and extroverted and assertively relevant.

“This was a Christianity I had never encountered before,” recalled Mr. Oren, 55, who is a marketing consultant in commercial construction. “I was frozen in my tracks. I felt like I was in the actual presence of God, almost as if I was in heaven. And I’m not the kind of person who gets all woo-hoo.”the rest

Alpha: A Force to Be Reckoned With in the Catholic World?

Friday, October 2, 2009

I can't believe that I'm blogging at 7:52 am on a day that I'm due to travel. Usually my wake-up call on a travel day is at 2:45 am, I leave the house at 4:30 and take off about 6:00 am. I should be over the Dakotas by now. But the miracle of a 1pm direct flight changes everything. So I'm sipping a home made a "slim" Hazelnut latte and nibbling a home made wholewheat scone while I type. Such luxury!

Every once in a while, I like to check on the status of the spread of the Alpha course. Alpha is the nearly ubiquitous "low cringe factor" 10 week evangelization course that emerged out of charismatically oriented (and Toronto Blessing linked) Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Brompton (London) in 1992 and rapidly became a phenomenon.

How much of a phenomenon? the rest

Pastor defends gays' place in church

October 2, 2009
By NICK SWEDBERG
Sun-Times News Group

Some recent decisions regarding how churches view homosexuals might be leading to some significant changes -- or resistance -- among congregations.

The governing groups of two Christian denominations -- the Episcopal Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America -- have put forth ideas more in line with a progressive view of homosexuals. And one area pastor already has adopted the idea of welcoming everybody, regardless of his or her sexual orientation.

"God can and does use everybody," said the Rev. Dave Daubert of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Elgin. the rest

California Parishes Await High Court Announcement

October 2, 2009

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce as early as Monday whether it will hear a property-rights case between the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and St. James Anglican Church in Newport Beach.

The court's decision on whether it will hear the case could affect another parish formerly associated with the Episcopal Church: St. Luke's Anglican Church in La Crescenta.

On Sept. 30, Judge John Shepard Wiley, Jr., of the Los Angeles Superior Court, Fourth Appellate District, ordered St. Luke's to surrender the church property to the diocese by Oct. 12. The diocese plans to re-establish St. Luke's-of-the-Mountains Episcopal Church. The Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Bishop of Los Angeles, will preside at a service of reconciliation at 2 p.m. Oct. 18, the feast day of St. Luke. the rest

Rio Wins Race To Host 2016 Olympics

Friday October 02, 2009

It will be the first time the Games will be held in South America.

Nearly 50,000 people erupted in celebration on Rio's Copacabana beach when the announcement was made.

People jumped and cheered in a Carnival-like atmosphere at the famous Brazilian attraction.

The party was expected to go on well into the night, and officials said the crowd would easily surpass 100,000 people.

Athlete Denise Lewis, who won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, said giving it to Rio was the right decision. the rest

Bishop David Bena sees revival among American Anglicans

Allie Martin
OneNewsNow
10/2/2009

Clergy and lay delegates representing the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV) are meeting this weekend to look at the future of Anglicanism in the United States.

The ADV is holding its annual synod. The theme is "Living as Anglicans: Impacting the Present - Preparing the Future." Since its formation more than two years ago, the Anglican District of Virginia has grown to 31 congregations that left the Episcopal Church USA because of that denomination's liberal leanings.

Bishop David Bena says the growth of the ADV shows there are many Anglicans who want to follow God's Word instead of following changing cultural trends.

"We have about 9,000 people in the pews on a given Sunday, [but] what's being said is probably more important than numbers," he shares. "I see a real revival of Christianity going on across the continent, and it's having an effect in the Anglican realm as well."

Bena says evangelism will be emphasized during the synod. "We have inherited a wonderful way of sharing the gospel in word and deed, sometimes from a little more intellectual level," he says. "Our commission from God is to bring people into a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ, and then to disciple them so that they can make new disciples." Here

The ADV is part of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America

Afghanistan Casualty Trend Interrupted by Prayer Patrol?

Oct. 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- Prayercentral.net today posted a casualty chart for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The chart draws a dynamic relationship between the recent launch of the Afghan Prayer Patrol and the sudden decline of U.S. casualties in September.

Wayne Dillard, director of the Afghan Prayer Patrol, commented, "Maybe it's a coincidence, or maybe there really is a God who answers the prayers of His people -- I'm putting my faith in God."

The chart shows a steady increase in U.S. casualties from April 2009 through August. Then a sudden 20% drop in casualties for the month of September. "We began mobilizing prayer in late August, then officially launched the Prayer Patrol in September", explains Dillard. "We saw the same results with the Baghdad Prayer Patrol back in 2007," he continues, "As soon as we had 800 to a 1000 people praying daily in unity, we started seeing a decline in casualties."

Afghan Prayer Patrol is an online effort to mobilize prayer for the troops and people of Afghanistan. Visitors are presented with a short Bible-based prayer each day to cover various topics of need for the Troops and people of Afghanistan. Those who sign up, receive a daily email with a link to their prayer assignment, and other prayer resources, such as maps, news, etc. Participants can also post their own prayers and agree with the prayer of others. link

Information on the Afghanistan Prayer Patrol is available at:
Afghan Prayer Patrol

Aid Groups Reaching Quake-Ravaged Indonesia

By PETER GELLING
October 2, 2009

PADANG, Indonesia — International aid organizations began arriving in force in this Sumatran port city on Friday in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that destroyed huge swaths of this provincial capital two days ago.

All across Padang, rescue workers raked through rubble beneath a scorching sun — but admitted they were finding few survivors. Many said they were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the destruction. By some estimates, more than half of the buildings in this city of 900,000 collapsed in the 7.6-magnitude quake.

The United Nations Office for Coordination and Humanitarian Affairs arrived at the governor’s mansion on Friday morning to begin organizing the international relief effort. A spokeswoman for the agency said they were expecting the death toll, which she put at 1,100, to “rise significantly.” the rest

Philippines Declares ‘State of Calamity’ as Typhoon Approaches

Unemployment Rate Rises To 9.8 Percent; U.S. Economy Shed 263,000 Jobs In September

CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER
10/ 2/09

WASHINGTON — The unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent in September, the highest since June 1983, as employers cut far more jobs than expected. The report is evidence that the worst recession since the 1930s is still inflicting widespread pain.

Persistently high unemployment could weaken the recovery as consumers, concerned about their jobs and incomes, restrain spending. Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of the nation's economy.

The Labor Department said Friday that the economy lost a net total of 263,000 jobs last month, from a downwardly revised 201,000 in August. That's worse than Wall Street economists' expectations of 180,000 job losses, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters. the rest

Jack Webb Schools Roman Polanski on Sex with Children

Where Have All the Christians Gone?

Bruce Feiler
FOXNews.com
September 25, 2009

The number of people who claim no religious affiliation, meanwhile, has doubled since 1990 to fifteen percent, its highest point in history.

Christianity is plummeting in America, while the number of non-believers is skyrocketing.

A shocking new study of Americans’ religious beliefs shows the beginnings of a major realignment in Americans’ relationship with God. The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) reveals that Protestants now represent half of all Americans, down almost 20 percent in the last twenty years. In the coming months, America will become a minority Protestant nation for the first time since the pilgrims. the rest

Life Will Triumph

Life Will Triumph-Part II

Life Will Triumph-Part III

Council of Europe Pushes Abortion as Part of Cairo Conference Anniversary

October 1, 2009
By Samantha Singson

Excerpt:
A major theme of the accompanying explanatory memorandum is the need to reduce maternal mortality as part of the development agenda, particularly by reducing unsafe abortion. While the report pays lip-service to state sovereignty by mentioning that the legality of abortion remains in the hands of national governments, it also attempts to make the case that "restrictive abortion laws” increase the incidence of unsafe abortion.

The report fails to mention that the two countries in the EU with the most restrictive laws on abortion – Ireland and Malta - are also two of the countries with the lowest maternal mortality in the world, not just in Europe. Conversely, the report cites Moldova as a country where maternal mortality due to unsafe abortion is high. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, Moldova is listed a country with one of the most liberalized laws in the world. the rest

The 'Veritas' About Harvard

By Kevin Carey
September 28, 2009

What happens when the gods of high finance dump a gigantic pile of gold on the richest university in the world?

It sounds like the kind of hypothetical one might pose in a smoke-addled dorm room at 2 a.m. But it is, of course, what actually happened to Harvard University, along with a few of its elite competitors, over the last 20 years.

The answer is that the university reveals its true self. It shows the world what it cares about—and what it doesn't.

In 1990, Harvard had an endowment of about $4.7-billion. That was still a lot of money, about $7.7-billion in today's dollars. Only five other universities have that much money now. Over the next two decades the pile grew to colossal heights, $36.9-billion by mid-2008.

Harvard spent the money on many things. But not a dollar went to increasing the number of undergraduates it chose to bless with a Harvard education. In 1990 the university welcomed slightly more than 1,600 students to its freshman class. In 2008, $32-billion later, it enrolled slightly more than 1,600 freshmen. the rest
image by Fiona Bradley

Hard Times for Harvard Law Students

Devotional: Whatever the particular call is...

Whatever the particular call is, the particular sacrifice God asks you to make, the particular cross He wishes you to embrace, whatever the particular path He wants you to tread, will you rise up, and say in your heart, "Yes, Lord, I accept it; I submit, I yield, I pledge myself to walk in that path, and to follow that Voice, and to trust Thee with the consequences"? Oh! but you say, "I don't know what He will want next." No, we none of us know that, but we know we shall be safe in His hands.
...Catherine Booth image by p_a_h

EEOC nominee signed radical marriage manifesto that praised polygamy

Washington D.C.
Sep 30, 2009

(CNA).- A law professor nominated by President Obama to become a commissioner for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was a signatory to a radical 2006 manifesto which endorsed polygamous households and argued traditional marriage should not be privileged “above all others.”

Georgetown University Law Center professor Chai R. Feldblum, nominated as a commissioner for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), is listed as a signatory to the July 26, 2006 manifesto “Beyond Same-Sex Marriage: A New Strategic Vision for All Our Families & Relationships.”

The manifesto’s signatories said they proposed a “new vision” for governmental and private recognition of “diverse kinds” of partnerships, households and families. They said they hoped to “move beyond the narrow confines of marriage politics” in the U.S. the rest

New Anglican Church, Christ the King, Forms in Albuquerque

Source: Christ the King Anglican Church Press Release (Via Email)
October 1, 2009

A majority of the members of St. Mark's-on-the-Mesa Episcopal Church are leaving their church property and endowments worth over $2 million to form a new parish, Christ the King Anglican Church.

This past Sunday, September 27, the former priest-in-charge of St. Mark's, The Rev. Roger Weber, along with two other clergy members, eight of ten staff members, and eleven of twelve members of the church governing board (vestry) announced their decision to leave the Episcopal Church and form the new Anglican parish. They will become part of the Anglican Church in North America, which was recently formed in response to widespread un-biblical teaching and practice in The Episcopal Church (U.S.) and the Anglican Church of Canada.

"This has been a difficult decision, but after the 2009 Episcopal General Convention in July, we have finally come to the point where we cannot continue in a denomination that rejects the authority of scripture and increasingly characterizes the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as tangential and non-essential, rather than Son of God, Lord and Savior," said The Rev. Weber. "We're excited about our future as part of the Anglican Church in North America, which is aligned with the majority of Christians worldwide who uphold biblical faith and teaching." the rest

Pew Forum: Support for Abortion Slips

Issue Ranks Lower on the Agenda
Oct. 1, 2009

Polls conducted in 2009 have found fewer Americans expressing support for abortion than in previous years. In Pew Research Center polls in 2007 and 2008, supporters of legal abortion clearly outnumbered opponents; now Americans are evenly divided on the question, and there have been modest increases in the numbers who favor reducing abortions or making them harder to obtain. Less support for abortion is evident among most demographic and political groups. the rest

Judge orders church to turn over property to Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles

St. Luke's Anglican Church in La Crescenta broke away from the Episcopal Church in 2006 in a dispute over biblical authority and interpretation, including consecration of an openly gay bishop.
By Duke Helfand
October 1, 2009

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Wednesday ordered leaders of a former Episcopal church in La Crescenta to turn over church property by Oct. 12 to the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, marking the latest wrinkle in a long-running legal dispute.

St. Luke's Anglican Church and the diocese have been feuding since 2006, when a majority of the parish's congregants voted to pull out of the diocese and the 2.1-million-member Episcopal Church because of differences over biblical authority and interpretation, including the national church's decision to consecrate an openly gay bishop.

After the La Crescenta church left, the diocese sued to retain its property. the rest

Thousands feared dead after Indonesia quake

By John Nedy and Sunanda Creagh
posted October 1, 2009

PADANG, Indonesia (Reuters) – Rescue teams struggled on Thursday to reach scores of people trapped under debris and survivors pleaded for aid after a powerful quake hit the Indonesian city of Padang, possibly killing thousands.

The 7.6 magnitude quake struck the bustling port city of 900,000 people on Wednesday, toppling hundreds of buildings. Telephone connections were patchy, making it hard for officials to work out the extent of destruction and loss of life.

"I have been through quakes here before and this was the worst. There is blood everywhere, people with their limbs cut off. We saw buildings collapsed, people dying," said American Greg Hunt, 38, who was at Padang airport. the rest

Why a prayer a day keeps the doctor away

Quentin de la Bédoyère says there is a wealth of evidence suggesting that the devout lead healthier and happy lives than non-believers
25 September 2009

It is of course well known that religious people, and especially Catholics, live a miserable life. Obliged to worship an egotistical and vengeful deity who demands nothing but praise and endless sacrifice, they are trapped in a web of sinfulness which touches every aspect of their lives. They are ultimately motivated by the selfish reward of eternal happiness, the nature of which they do not know, but they are extremely unlikely to get there. They are much more likely to arrive in a place of eternal torment - in which fire and brimstone is the expected environment. And should they be fortunate enough to avoid this they will undergo a lengthy and painful cleansing process continuing until the least sin has been expiated.

No wonder Catholics live out their lives in anxiety, guilt and fear. They, and others, need to be told that "there is probably no God. So stop worrying and enjoy your life.

"The only problem with this conclusion is that it does not concur with what actually happens. Let's look at the evidence. We might start with a study, reported in March 2008, by the University of Toronto. The researchers concluded: "We found that religious people or even people who simply believe in the existence of God show significantly less brain activity in relation to their own errors. They're much less anxious and feel less stressed when they have made an error." They actually had greater cognitive control. "Believing in God can help block anxiety and minimise stress" was the summary headline. the rest

Minneapolis church votes to leave ELCA over gay clergy

by Cathy Mayfield
Jessica Mador
Minnesota Public Radio
September 30, 2009

St. Paul, Minn. — Members of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneapolis decided to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America after a 96 percent vote by members on Sunday.

The decision to leave came after the ELCA Church-wide Assembly vote on Aug. 21 in Minneapolis, that allowed gays and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy.

Before the ECLA's decision, gay clergy were allowed to be ministers only if they were celibate. Some church members object to the new policy, saying it goes against Scripture. the rest

Empire State Building lights commemorate China, cause controversy

By The Associated Press
October 01, 2009

NEW YORK -- Red and yellow lights shone from the top of the Empire State Building at dusk Wednesday, a tribute to communist China's 60th anniversary that protesters labeled "blatant approval" of totalitarianism and criticized as inappropriate for an icon in the land of the free.

The building is routinely lit with different colors to mark holidays and big events, but opponents questioned whether it's right to commemorate a sensitive political issue, particularly when China has such a poor human rights record. the rest

Archbishop Nicholas Okoh - Revealing a Truth-Bearing Ministry

Emma Maduabuchi
1 October 2009

Lagos — Elected to take up the leadership of the Church of Christ (Anglican Communion) by March 25 next year, the Primate-elect Archbishop Nicholas Okoh has already started drawing media attention. On Monday, September 28, he was widely reported as speaking out powerfully against the country's rulers.

Okoh, speaking in Abuja, the nation's capital, on the country's independence, berated Nigeria's leaders for the plight of the country, cautioning that unless they mended their ways, the country would remain stagnant.

Providing more details, he said unless leaders of the country change their attitude, have the fear of God, shun thuggery, ballot box snatching, political assassinations and treasury looting, that Nigeria would remain backward, "even if it celebrates its 1,000-year anniversary."

A father of five and retired lieutenant-colonel in the Nigerian Army, Nicholas Okoh will be taking the Anglican mantle of leadership in March 25 next year. But that will be after he has undergone some months of tutelage under the outgoing Primate, Peter Akinola. the rest

Funniest license plate. Ever.

Found here

Partner abuse industry flirts with a hateful agenda

September 30, 2009
By Carey Roberts

Many persons think of women's libbers as a bunch of over-zealous but basically well-intentioned souls. That's what I used to believe. But last week news of two incidents came out that put feminism in whole different light.

First, columnist Mike Adams reported on the plight of Mark Harwood, psychology professor at Humboldt State University which is located in Birkenstock-addled northern California. Based on extensive research, Harwood informed his students that women were as likely as men to engage in partner aggression.

Harwood probably was thinking of Sahel Kazemi who murdered former NFL star quarterback Steve McNair in July as he slept. Or Real Housewives starlet Kelly Bensimon who was arrested for hitting her boyfriend. the rest