Obama Administration Youth Summit: Gov’t ‘Has Finally Come Out of the Closet'

Monday, June 06, 2011
By Penny Starr

(CNSNews.com) – Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius spoke at the first “Federal LGBT Youth Summit” on Monday after being introduced by a homosexual on her staff, who said the secretary “gets us” and is “tireless” in her support of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender youth.

“Your federal government has finally come out of the closet in support of LGBT youth,” said Pam Hyde, HHS administrator for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services.

“It’s great to see so many young faces out there, all gay and proud,” Hyde said. the rest

A photograph of “Max” says: “In high school I dated boys. I was a straight girl. After starting college, I indentified as a card-carrying dyke. Soon I realized that what I was feeling wasn’t about sexual orientation, it was about gender. I came out as a guy the summer of ’99. Now I live my life as a gay man – a punk rock queer boy who happens to also be in love with a girl. Who knows? Maybe next year I’ll grow a tail.”

With nurse shortage looming, America needs shot in the arm

By Claire Courchane
The Washington Times
Monday, June 6, 2011

At a time when many Americans are in desperate need of a job, the field of nursing will soon be in desperate need of Americans.

The economic downturn of the past few years has temporarily eased the nation’s shortage of nurses, but university nursing schools say they are struggling to keep up with what is expected to be soaring demand and chronic shortfalls in years to come.

Employment services routinely list nursing as one of the hot hiring professions of the next decade, but supply never seems to catch up with demand - even as the national unemployment rate tops 9 percent.

The need for more nurses in the coming years stems mainly from an aging baby boomer population as well as a generation of aging nurses who will retire. Although the nursing shortage of the early 21st century has been helped temporarily by the economy, many are predicting a shortage in the next several years. the rest

Shifting sands of religion and politics

Americans tolerate a broader array of religious affiliations in their politicians.
Doyle McManus
June 5, 2011

Of the 44 U.S. presidents, all but a handful have been affiliated with a relatively narrow list of traditional Protestant denominations.

Eleven were Episcopalians (12 if you count Thomas Jefferson, whose adult beliefs are a subject of debate), eight were Presbyterians, four were Methodists and four were Baptists. Others included Congregationalists, Dutch Reformed and Disciples of Christ.

President Obama attended Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, a congregation with traditional Protestant roots despite its untraditional pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. In Washington, Obama has attended services at mostly black Protestant churches.

The only chief executive whose roots were clearly outside that mainstream tradition was John F. Kennedy, a Roman Catholic.

But among the leading candidates for this year's Republican presidential nomination, not one is a member of the Protestant denominations that for so long have dominated American political culture. the rest

Chile volcano ash grounds flights in Argentina

This image of the eruption of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano, Chile was captured by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite on June 6 at 14:25 UTC (10:25 a.m. EDT). The volcano is to the left center of the image and the ash plume is blowing northeast, then turns to the southeast and moves over the Atlantic Ocean. Credit: NASA Goddard/MODIS Rapid Response Team

By Mark Dunphy
Tue Jun 07, 2011

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Stiff winds blew ash from a Chilean volcano Tuesday in a widening arc across Argentina to the capital, grounding most air travel to and from the country.

Since airborne ash can severely damage jet engines, Aerolineas Argentinas and Austral, the country's state-owned international and domestic airlines, canceled all flights within Argentina as well as to and from other countries until further notice. the rest

Census reveals plummeting U.S. birthrates

By Haya El Nasser and Paul Overberg
USA TODAY
posted June 7, 2011

Excerpt:
Children, the mainstay of suburbia and residential neighborhoods across the nation for more than a half-century, are fewer and increasingly sparse in many places.

The share of the population under age 18 dropped in 95% of U.S. counties since 2000, according to a USA TODAY analysis of the 2010 Census.

The number of households that have children under age 18 has stayed at 38 million since 2000, despite a 9.7% growth in the U.S. population. As a result, the share of households with children dropped from 36% in 2000 to 33.5%.

There are now more households with dogs (43 million) than children.
the rest

Two More Catholic Adoption Agencies Opt Out Over Civil Unions

June 4, 2011

Catholic Charities of Peoria and Joliet have followed the lead of Rockford Catholic Charities and informed the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services that they will no longer license families for foster care and adoptions over the state's civil unions law.

In separate letters to DCFS, Catholic Charities of Joliet executive director Glenn Van Cura and Catholic Charities of Peoria chief executive officer Tricia C. Fox each wrote that it was not the policy of Catholic Charities to place children with unmarried cohabiting couples, whether straight or gay. Fox also wrote that Peoria Catholic Charities is temporary if the state can add language to the law that would allow Catholic Charities to refer couples to any of the other 45 adoption agencies in Illinois so that they don't face litigation for refusing adoptions of foster care due to their moral code.

DCFS spokesman Kendall Marlowe acknowledged the requests by the three diocesan Catholic Charities present legal and logistic issues that are being reviewed. "Short term, we will explore every option to prevent further disruption in these children's lives. This isn't a viable long-term solution. Eventually these agencies would attrit their way out of foster care simply because they'd run out of foster homes." the rest 
(h/t Religionclause blog)

105,000 Christians martyred yearly, says European official

June 6, 2011

This shocking figure was disclosed by Italian sociologist Massimo Introvigne, representative of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, at the “International Conference on Inter-religious dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims,” sponsored the Hungarian presidency of the European Union (EU) in Gödöllo, near Budapest.

“Every five minutes”, Introvigne said in his speech, “a Christian is killed for his faith." The figure does not include the victims of civil wars, or wars between nations, but only the people put to death because they are Christians.

"If these figures are not cried out to the world, if this massacre is not stopped," Introvigne continued; "if it is not recognized that the persecution against Christians is the first worldwide emergency with regard to religious discrimination and violence, dialogue between religions will only produce wonderful symposia but no concrete results." the rest

Maryland Episcopal Church Will Be First in U.S. To Join Roman Catholic Church

06/6/11
by Jaweed Kaleem

An Episcopal parish in Maryland announced Monday that it will become the first in the United States to join the Roman Catholic Church under a Vatican process designed to bring disgruntled Anglicans and Episcopalians into its fold.

St. Luke's Episcopal parish in Bladensburg will become part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington within the next few months. It will sever ties from its liberal bishop, who has spoken out in favor of same-sex marriage and other controversial issues.

The bishop, John Bryson Chane, said in a statement Monday that he approved the separation. Chane said the decision was made with "mutual respect," adding that "Christians move from one church to another with far greater frequency than in the past, sometimes as individuals, sometimes as groups."

The parish will lease its land from the Episcopal diocese with the option to purchase. the rest


Md. Episcopal church to become Catholic

Why PBS Is a Public Menace

by David Boaz
June 2, 2011

Excerpt:
So why should working- and middle-class taxpayers be subsidizing the news and entertainment of the rich?

The main point here isn't the money, it's the separation of news and state. If anything should be kept separate from government and politics, it's the news and public-affairs programming that informs Americans about government and its policies. When government brings us the news — with all the inevitable bias and spin — it is putting its thumb on the scales of democracy.

A healthy democracy needs a free and diverse press — but Americans today have access to more sources of news and opinion than ever before: more broadcast networks than before, cable networks, satellite TV and radio, the Internet. Any diversity argument for NPR and PBS is now a sad joke. the rest

"We don't need a government news and opinion network. More important, we shouldn't require taxpayers to pay for broadcasting that will inevitably reflect a particular perspective on politics and culture. The marketplace of democracy should be a free market, in which the voices of citizens are heard, with no unfair advantage granted by government to one participant."

Scientologist charged for 'intimidating' alleged sex abuse victim

Leo Shanahan
The Australian
May 31, 2011

A SENIOR member of the Church of Scientology has been charged by police for intimidating a young girl who wanted to report sexual abuse allegations within the church.

Jan Eastgate, the head of the church's "International Commission on Human Rights" which attacks psychology, has been charged by NSW Police with perverting the course of justice.

According the ABC TV's Lateline, police have alleged Eastgate intimidated a then 11-year-old Carmen Rainer to provide false statements about sexual abuse by her stepfather. the rest

"Ms Rainer had previously said that she was told by senior Scientology members that abuse was punishment for being bad in a previous life."

Jan Eastgate, Scientology Official, Arrested in Australia for Covering Up Sexual Abuse Claims

Pope Benedict: Stop disintegration of the family in Europe

By Philip Pullella
Sun Jun 5, 2011

(Reuters Life!) - Pope Benedict warned on Sunday that the traditional family in Europe was disintegrating under the weight of secularization and called for laws to help couples cope with the costs of having and educating children.

On the second day of his trip to Croatia, a bastion of Roman Catholicism in the Balkans, the pope said an open-air mass for hundreds of thousands of people and hammered home one of the major themes of his papacy.

"Unfortunately, we are forced to acknowledge the spread of a secularization which leads to the exclusion of God from life and the increasing disintegration of the family, especially in Europe," he said in his sermon on the edge of the capital.

The 84-year-old Benedict's sermon was the latest in a series of salvos against what the Church sees as growing anti-Catholicism and "Christianophobia" in Europe. the rest

54 Anglican Clergy to Defect to Catholic Church in Pentecost Ordinations

Sat, Jun. 04 2011
By Daniel Blake
Christian Post Contributor

The first of a series of ordinations are set to take place, which will see former Anglican clergy defect from the Church of England and become Roman Catholic priests, on Saturday.

Overall more than 50 former Anglican clergy will complete their defection over the next two weeks in a series of Pentecost ordinations.

The first of these will see seven former Church of England clergy be ordained in London by the Most Rev. Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark. The event will further establish the new Ordinariate formed by Pope Benedict XVI for Anglicans that wished to defect from the Anglican Church of England in protest against its moves to accept women bishops.

In excess of 900 laity have already moved to the Catholic Church and have been waiting for their clergy to complete training for Catholic priesthood at a seminary in West London. the rest

Message from Bishop David Anderson

June 2, 2011

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Having spent the first sixty-two years of my life in the American Episcopal Church (TEC), thirty-six of them in Holy Orders, I thought that I knew something of TEC and its ways. While I was in active ministry, I served in the dioceses of Washington, D.C., Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and finally in Los Angeles, where I retired.

Now in so-called retirement and as a Bishop Suffragan for CANA (Nigeria), I have had closer contact with many African Anglican provinces as well as the Church of England. I have discovered the complexity and, at times, the confusion of the family called "Anglican." As the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) builds its body of canon law, and as its constituent dioceses build theirs, there is an examination of the TEC tradition behind the canon law and custom, as well as that of the Anglican Church of Canada. It is fair to pose the question - what is authentic Anglican tradition? Much like quantum physics and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, it depends on where you are and when you ask the question.

In the old days when I was growing up as a lay person in TEC, it seemed like a diocese worked best when the bishop was like a weak English monarch (No, seriously! Bear with me.) who had to work with both the House of Commons and the House of Lords to see desired outcomes reached. In those days, the bishop needed to have the support of key, powerful parishes whose laity would work with him, and he needed the support of the cardinal rectors of the diocese, who would help build consensus among the clergy. All in all, when things were in balance, no one order unduly abused the other, and the (non-Hooker) three-legged stool was more or less level. Or at least that is how it was perceived to work.

Today, with TEC's new Title IV canon law revisions due to go into full force and effect in less than 30 days, it is clear that a decades-long process of power shifting has taken place. Vestries and the local incumbent priests have lost power to the office of the diocesan bishop, and the local diocesan bishop is about to lose considerable power to the Presiding Bishop and her/his top leaders. We note that Bishop Stacy Sauls, who is also an attorney and has played a major part in defining TEC's legal strategy toward departing congregations, has just been appointed as TEC's Chief Operating Officer. Does the timing of this appointment have anything to do with the upcoming canon law revisions? the rest

Mid-Atlantic Dreads Bad Summer of Foul, Hungry Stink Bugs

By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS
May 20, 2011

The voice on the answering machine at SBS Pest Control in Pittsburgh offers an unusual valediction.
“We hope your day,” it says, “is stink bug free.”

Ask people around Pittsburgh and much of the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region and they are likely to say there have been far too few stink-bug-free days of late, a harbinger of what promises to be another challenging summer, a year after tens of millions of the inchlong pests wreaked havoc on crops and homes.

As the temperatures rise and stink bugs emerge from their winter quarters, entomologists say, the infestation could prove even worse this year, with the bugs making their way into new areas of the country.

The brown marmorated stink bug is believed to have arrived here from Asia in the 1990s. It has made its way from Pennsylvania to at least 33 states, and has been spotted as far west as California and Washington. A continuing advance is inexorable, scientists say, because the bugs have no natural predators and can travel long distances — not by flying, but via a more convenient method: covertly hitching rides in vehicles.

The insect has caused tens of millions of dollars in damage, munching apples, peppers, corn and soybeans, and has proved to be a general irritant — in no small part because of its foul odor, which the bug secretes as a defense mechanism.  the rest image by Stephen Klein

“The feeling in the bug world is this is the worst bug we’ve seen in 40 years,” said Michael J. Raupp, an entomologist at the University of Maryland. “It eats peaches and grapes and soybeans. It’s annihilated organic growers who can’t use pesticides. And guess what? After it eats your crops, it comes inside your home. I’ve never seen another bug do that.”

The best stink bug trap ever!

Devotional: If you make a habit of sincere prayer...

If you make a habit of sincere prayer, your life will be very noticeably and profoundly altered. Prayer stamps with its indelible mark our actions and demeanor. A tranquillity of bearing, a facial and bodily repose, are observed in those whose inner lives are thus enriched. Within the depths of consciousness a flame kindles. And man sees himself. He discovers his selfishness, his silly pride, his fears, his greeds, his blunders. He develops a sense of moral obligation, intellectual humility. Thus begins a journey of the soul toward the realm of grace...
—Alexis Carrel image

Ryan and Van Hollen Debate Medicare Proposals

70 Methodist Clergy Agree to Wed Gay Couples

Fri, Jun. 03 2011
By Elena Garcia
Christian Post Reporter

Same-sex marriage is illegal in Minnesota but 70 United Methodist clergy in the state have signed a statement saying they will marry gay couples.

"We joyfully affirm that we will offer the grace of the Church’s blessing to any prepared couple desiring Christian marriage," reads the statement introduced this week at the 2011 Minnesota Annual Conference.

"We are convinced by the witness of others and are compelled by Spirit and conscience to act. We thank the many United Methodists who have already called for full equality and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the life of the Church." the rest

Albert Mohler: The Church and the ‘Clobber Scriptures’ — The Bible on Homosexuality

When the Bible, in part or in whole, is dismissed as “clobber Scriptures,” it is not only the Bible that is subverted, but also the Gospel. The Church must recognize that fact clearly — and fast.
Friday, June 3, 2011

Is the Church guilty of beating people with the Bible? As strange as that argument might sound, it is actually a powerful weapon in the hands of those who are determined to normalize homosexuality and same-sex marriage within the Church. Those pushing for the acceptance of homosexuality now argue that Christians opposed to that agenda are “clobbering” sinners with the biblical text.

There seems to be no authoritative original source for this very powerful rhetorical innovation, but it has become increasingly popular in recent years, and it is deployed as a way of subverting the Bible’s condemnation of same-gender sexuality. the rest

CDC issues travel notice about E coli. outbreak in Germany

By Mary Forgione
Los Angeles Times
June 3, 2011

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an outbreak notice Friday about the deadly and virulent new strain of E. coli sweeping Germany. The notice advises Americans visiting the country, especially northern Germany, to avoid eating raw tomatoes, fresh cucumbers and leafy salads. And anyone who has traveled to Germany and has become ill with bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps or more serious symptoms should immediately see a doctor.

Authorities haven't yet tracked the outbreak to a specific food or cause. Media reports say more than 1,700 have been sickened and 18 have died from what has been identified as a strain of the disease known as E. coli O104:H4, producing Shiga toxin. the rest

Assisted Suicide Advocate Jack Kevorkian Dies at 83

June 03, 2011FoxNews.com

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the Michigan pathologist who championed physician-assisted suicides, died early Friday after being hospitalized with kidney problems and pneumonia.

The 83-year-old Kevorkian, who said he helped some 130 people end their lives from 1990 to 1999, died about 2:30 a.m. at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., close friend and attorney Mayer Morganroth said.

An official cause of death had not been determined, but Morganroth said it likely will be pulmonary thrombosis. the rest

Kevorkian's 'fixation' tainted his view of life

‘Dr. Death’ Kevorkian passes at 83

Appeals Court Bans Church From Renting School Building

03 June 2011
Jennifer LeClaire

In a decision that runs contrary to established U.S. Supreme Court precedent, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled 2-1 on Thursday that New York City Public schools can keep churches from renting school facilities for weekend meetings.

It’s a long-fought battle between the Bronx Household of Faith and the Board of Education of the city of New York—a 16-year battle to be exact. The outcome could cause a negative ripple effect on churches across the country that want to meet at schools on the same terms as other community groups.

The Alliance Defense Fund represents the Bronx church in the case. ADF attorneys intend to appeal the 2nd Circuit’s decision to ensure that churches are not tossed out of the schools. An injunction has protected churches for the past nine years. the rest

Christians face crackdown in Algeria

by Gerald Butt
Middle East Correspondent
3 June, 2011

THE antagonism felt by minority Christian communities in several Middle Eastern and North African countries appears to have reached Algeria. A Christian convicted of proselytising has been jailed, and an order has been issued for the closure of a number of churches. Algerian Christians report that, over the past few months, they have noticed a sig­ni­ficant tightening of restrictions.

A court in Oran province in the north-west of the country last week sentenced Siagh Krimo to five years in prison for talking to his Muslim neighbour about Christianity and giving him a Christian CD. He is also said to have defamed Islam. Those present at the trial said that no witnesses or evidence was pre­sented.

In a separate development, the Protestant Church in Bejaia province, in northern Algeria, has been told that seven churches will have to close because they are un­authorised places of worship. Last year, four Protest­ants were arrested for “practising religious rites without authoris­ation”. the rest

Nepal Plans New Criminal Code Forbidding Evangelism

Closure of an important Islamic centre-Moscow seeks control of Islam

The Supreme Court ordered the Centre linked to the Council of muftis, to cease all activities. According to analysts and members of the Centre, the Kremlin wants to bring the Muslim community under the control of a single organization loyal to the state.
05/30/201
1 by Nina Achmatova
Moscow

 (AsiaNews) – According to analysts administrative irregularities, but also political motives are behind the Supreme Court decision to close, a popular Islamic organization with offices throughout Russia last week. They also maintain that the closure of the Centre for Islamic culture is linked to the Kremlin's desire to bring the large Muslim community in the country under the control of a single organisation loyal to the state.

On 25 May, the Supreme Court upheld the Ministry of Justice decision to close the center for "multiple violations of financial regulations." "This is a bureaucratic order given by people who want a puppet representatives for Muslims," the leader and founder , Abdul-Wahid Niyazov, told Russian media. He explained how documentation submitted by the Ministry for Justice was obtained under pressure from the Security Service (FSB), the notorious Russian secret services. Niyazov added that several directors of the Centre resigned following threatening phone-call by the FSB. The intention now is to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. the rest

China: Christian Groups Draw Professional Elites And Social Activists...

...and Put Authorities On Red Alert

The Shouwang Church and other Protestant Christian groups have a potentially powerful mix of Calvinist ideology, social activism and influence among China's educated elite -- even members of the ruling Communist party.
June 2nd, 2011
By Ursula Gauthier
LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR/Worldcrunch

BEIJING – Every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. sharp, you see them coming to the unwelcoming square in the middle of the university neighborhood in Beijing. Skinny young girls dressed in jeans and wearing ponytails, elegant couples in their 40s, distinguished men that look like retired teachers: they all gather here with a funny mix of hesitation and bravery on their faces. Minutes later, the anti-riot police intervene and arrest them without encountering any resistance. On the bus that takes them to the police station, they open their prayer book and start singing liturgical songs.

The people who so bravely defy the formidable security forces every week belong to the Protestant Shouwang church, the biggest and best known “house” church in Beijing. Shouwang means “to keep watch” in Mandarin. Notoriously independent, they refuse to let themselves be absorbed by the official “patriotic” church, which sits entirely in the government’s fold. This autonomous group of worshippers holds their services at one of their member’s homes, or in a simple conference room rented especially for the occasion.

The devotees elect their ministers – the members of the small “elders” committee charged with governing the church – and they are deeply dedicated to the life of their community. the rest

"With its 40 Biblical reading groups, choir, catechism, its faithful (typically members of the new bourgeoisie – professors, doctors, lawyers, students, and even Party members), Shouwang gains dozens of new converts each month. For the regime, it is the strongest symbol of the wave of religious conversion that has swept over the country of late. Urban, educated, disgusted by the “red” discourse served by the media, and fed up even with the cult of consumerism, the new, Christ-conscious Chinese upper class is on a moral collision course with a government that it perceives as soulless."

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

KC Bishop Faces Calls For Resignation

Diocese Deals With Two Scandals Involving Priests
June 3, 2011

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The bishop of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Catholic Diocese is facing growing calls for his resignation amid two scandals involving priests.

Bishop Robert Finn will meet with parishioners at St. Thomas More in south Kansas City Friday night. KMBC's Peggy Breit reported that is the parish where the Rev. Shawn Ratigan served from 2004 to 2005. Ratigan is charged with possessing child pornography. the rest

TV Executives Admit in Taped Interviews That Hollywood Pushes a Liberal Agenda

6/1/2011
by Paul Bond

Some of TV’s top executives from the past four decades may have gotten more than they bargained for when they agreed to be interviewed for a politically charged book that was released Tuesday, because video of their controversial remarks will soon be hitting the Internet.

The book makes the case that TV industry executives, writers and producers use their clout to advance a liberal political agenda. The author bases his thesis on, among other things, 39 taped interviews that he’ll roll out piecemeal during the next three weeks.

The Hollywood Reporter obtained several of the not-yet-released clips, embedded below. Each contains a snippet of an interview, usually some historical footage of the TV shows the interviewee was responsible for and, naturally, a plea to purchase the book, “Primetime Propaganda” by Ben Shapiro and published by Broad Side, an imprint of HarperCollins. the rest