Transfigurations

Anglican congregations moving forward after losing church buildings

2012-01-28T15:22:00.000-05:00

By Colette M. Jenkins
January 28, 2012

Excerpt:
The Holy Spirit congregation is among five Northeast Ohio parishes that were displaced after a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge ruled that the church properties they occupied belonged to the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio.

The five congregations — Holy Spirit; St. Luke’s, Fairlawn; St. Barnabas, Bay Village; St. Anne in the Fields, Madison; and Church of the Transfiguration, Cleveland — left the Episcopal Church in 2003 and realigned with the Anglican Communion.

The split grew from disagreements over biblical teaching on salvation and other issues, including homosexuality. After the Episcopal Church consecrated its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, in 2003, some of the more theologically conservative parishes, including the five in Northeast Ohio, disaffiliated from the Episcopal Church and realigned themselves with Anglican organizations that share their views on issues like homosexuality.

In March 2008, the diocese sued, asking the county court to declare that the property associated with the five parishes belongs to the diocese and the Episcopal Church. Last April, the court ruled in favor of the Episcopal Church and the diocese. Several months later, the Anglican congregations began vacating the buildings.

All five congregations have been taken in by other churches — Church of the Transfiguration worships at a former Methodist building on Martin Luther King Drive in Cleveland; St. Anne’s worships in the youth center at Cornerstone Friends Church in Madison and St. Barnabas, now Christ Church Westshore, has weekday services at Bay Presbyterian Church Westshore and a 10 a.m. Sunday service at Bay High School in Bay Village. the rest

Court: 'Tolerance is a two-way street'

2012-01-27T15:27:00.000-05:00

Jody Brown, Charlie Butts, and Bob Kellogg
1/27/2012

The Sixth Circuit has ruled in favor of Christian graduate student Julea Ward, who almost three years ago was expelled from a university counseling program for her religious beliefs.

In a strongly worded opinion earlier today, the Sixth U.S. Circuit of Appeals reversed a district court decision in favor of Eastern Michigan University, sending it back for trial along with this message: "A reasonable jury could conclude that Ward's professors ejected her from the counseling program because of hostility toward her speech and faith ...."

As part of her counseling practicum course in early 2009, Ward had been assigned a potential client who was homosexual and was seeking affirmation of that sexual orientation. Because she was unwilling to violate her own religious beliefs in the context of the counseling relationship, Ward was permitted to refer the client to another counselor -- but was told to remain in the counseling program she would have to undergo a "remediation" program that would help her "see the error of her ways."

When Ward refused, a faculty committee dismissed her from the program. In her subsequent lawsuit, a district federal court ruled in favor of EMU -- a ruling that has now been reversed. the rest

"A university cannot compel a student to alter or violate her belief systems based on a phantom policy as the price for obtaining a degree ...," wrote the Sixth Circuit. "Why treat Ward differently? That her conflict arose from religious convictions is not a good answer; that her conflict arose from religious convictions for which the department at times showed little tolerance is a worse answer."

Rescued Hostage Buchanan Sold Her Belongings to Become Missionary

2012-01-27T13:51:00.000-05:00

By ALYSSA NEWCOMB and DANA HUGHES
Jan. 25, 2012

Jessica Buchanan, the woman rescued from Somalia bandits by U.S. special forces, is so dedicated to helping others that she sold all of her belongings to become a missionary in Somalia.

Buchanan, 32, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She graduated from Valley Forge University, a Christian college in Phoenixville, Pa., in 2007. She was a student teacher in Africa before graduating and her romance with the continent began.

"She fell in love with Africa," Rev. Don Meyer, dean of Valley Forge University told the Associated Press. "She could hardly talk about Africa without tears in her eyes." the rest

Survey: Record number of Israeli Jews believe in God

2012-01-27T13:41:00.000-05:00

First comprehensive study in a decade also shows that 70 percent of Israelis believe the Jews are the 'Chosen People.'
By Nir Hasson
27.01.12

Fully 80 percent of Israeli Jews believe that God exists - the highest figure found by the Guttman-Avi Chai survey since this review of Israeli-Jewish beliefs began two decades ago.

The latest survey of the "Beliefs, Observance and Values among Israeli Jews" was conducted in 2009 but the results were released only on Thursday, after a detailed analysis had been completed. The two previous surveys were in 1999 and 1991.

The study also found that 70 percent of respondents believe the Jews are the "Chosen People," 65 percent believe the Torah and mitzvot (religious commandments ) are God-given, and 56 percent believe in life after death. the rest

Clergyman jailed for sham marriage scam

2012-01-27T13:38:00.000-05:00

An Anglican clergyman who advised the Church of England on how to handle sham marriages has been jailed for two and a half years for conducting dozens of the illegal ceremonies himself.
By John Bingham
26 Jan 2012

The Revd Canon Dr John Magumba married a stream of Nigerian men to EU citizens giving them a “golden ticket” to stay in Britain, a court heard.

At one point he was conducting so many weddings involving foreigners that he was put him in charge of a committee of diocesan working party on how to handle the issue – including how to spot sham relationships, Bolton Crown Court heard.

He "asked no questions" despite a dramatic surge in African men choosing his churches in Greater Manchester to marry Polish, Slovak or Czech women. the rest

Woman set to marry building undeterred by demolition work

2012-01-27T12:10:00.000-05:00

Jan 26, 2012

SEATTLE -- Bruised or not, she says she'll marry her beloved building as planned come Sunday.

Babylonia Aivaz's bride-to-be is a 107-year-old warehouse that sits at 10th and Union in the Capitol Hill neighborwood. She has been planning to enter into what she described as "a gay marriage" with the building.

"If corporations can have the rights as people, so can buildings," said Aivaz, referencing a Supreme Court decision on political advertising. "I'm doing this to show the building how much I love it, how much I love community space and how much I love this neighborhood. And I want to stop it from gentrification.” the rest

"Yes, I'm in love with a 107 year old building! Yes, ITS A GAY MARRIAGE! How is that possible? Well there must obviously be a deeper story," she wrote.

Church of the Holy Trinity (Anglican) Syracuse, NY

2012-01-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

I am posting this info until we get the new website for Church of the Holy Trinity up and running! -PD

Bp. Julian Dobbs and Fr. Chris Moellering, Vicar

Church of the Holy Trinity

2002 Teall Ave.

Syracuse, NY 13208 Map

315 422-4503

Holy Eucharist: Sundays at 10:00 AM
Adult Sunday School at 9:00 AM

Please join us!

Church of the Holy Trinity is an Anglican Church and a member of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) and the Anglican Church in North America.

Biblical + Liturgical + Spirit-filled

Watch for a new Website soon!

Fr. Jeffrey Altman, Bp. Dobbs, Fr. Chris Moellering

Sunday service at 10:00 AM

Look for this sign!

Map

A hidden cause of Baltimore's population loss: abortion

2012-01-25T22:43:00.000-05:00

City's rate of terminated pregnancies is indicative of a wayward society
January 23, 2012
By Diana Schaub

Excerpt:
The decline of marriage, particularly among African-Americans, is all too familiar. Not as well-known is that Maryland has a very high abortion rate (third highest among the states in 2005, the year that the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene stopped collecting abortion statistics). The breakdown by jurisdiction reveals that Baltimore City is driving those deadly numbers, and also that the abortion rate among African-American women is at least triple the white rate.

Even for those in favor of legal abortion, the situation should be dismaying. And it certainly represents what Montesquieu termed "a change of customs." For comparison: In 1970, Baltimore City abortion rates for single white and black women stood at 7.43 and 10 respectively (the abortion rate is the number of abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44), with the married women's rates half that. By 2005, the Baltimore rate was 86.2. The National Abortion Rights Action League, which cites that figure, did not provide the African-American rate, but it would be substantially higher.

Lest one think that poverty accounts for this shift, the poverty rate in Baltimore has remained relatively fixed at around 20 percent for decades. The marriage dearth and the abortion deluge among all races are not attributable to material causes as much as moral causes: young women's loss of respect for themselves as the bearers of new life and their resulting willingness to treat abortion as a method of contraception. the rest

Vatican official warns pope of corruption

2012-01-25T22:38:00.002-05:00

January 25, 2012

VATICAN CITY — An Italian news program has obtained letters from a top Vatican official to the pope in which he begs not to be transferred after exposing corruption in the awarding of Vatican contracts that cost the Holy See millions of euros (dollars).

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano was removed in October as the No. 2 administrator of the Vatican city-state and was named the pope's ambassador to Washington. While the job is highly prestigious, the posting took Vigano far from headquarters and out of the running for the Vatican's top administrative job, which carries with it the rank of cardinal.

The investigative news program "The Untouchables" on the private La7 network broadcast a series of letters Vigano sent Pope Benedict XVI and the secretary of state last year in which he claimed to have exposed corruption and abuse of office in the running of the Vatican's administration. the rest

Steven Spielberg Near Commitment To Direct Moses Epic For Warner Bros

2012-01-25T22:36:00.000-05:00

By NIKKI FINKE AND MIKE FLEMING
Wednesday January 25, 2012

Steven Spielberg is near to etching in stone with Warner Bros on that biopic portraying the Jewish leader as the warrior to beat all warriors. With a working title of Gods And Kings, what’s envisioned is “a movie like a Braveheart-ish version of the Moses story,” an insider tells me. “Him coming down the river, being adopted, leaving his home, forming an army, and getting the Ten Commandments.” And despite the awesome screen possibilities of the parting of the Red Sea, the movie isn’t being contemplated in 3D. Back in 1956, Paramount release The Ten Commandments in VistaVision to give moviegoers a more spectacular experience of scenes like that. But this film is as far from a remake of the Cecile B. DeMille-directed epic as you can get even though they cover similar ground. Instead Warner Bros wants Speilberg to direct it with the gritty reality of Saving Private Ryan, which is considered a masterpiece redefining battle movies. ”There have been glossy versions of the Moses story but this would be a real warrior story,” an insider tells me.

The studio has wanted Spielberg on the project since last September when he first read the script. (See previous, Warner Bros Goes To The Mountaintop For Moses Epic.) Getting Spielberg seemed a long shot because his deals are always complex and his dance card is always full. Talks intensified, and now insiders tell me the dialogue should consummate by the end of the month. Warner Bros wants to start production sometime in March or April of 2013. the rest

Anglican Unscripted Episode 25

2012-01-25T22:24:00.007-05:00

Jan 25, 2012

Yosemite timelapse HD

2012-01-25T14:41:00.001-05:00

Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

Project Yosemite

US Supreme Court backs religious independence in surprise decision

2012-01-25T12:21:00.000-05:00

The unanimous decision is a major setback for the Obama Administration.
James S. Cole
Monday, 23 January 2012

Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court decided a case filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a teacher against a church-operated grade school in Michigan. Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, No. 10-553 (January 11, 2012). (The Slip Opinion, the official pre-publication version of the Court’s decision, is available on-line here.) The Supreme Court's 9-0 decision in favor of the First Amendment is a noteworthy setback to the anti-religious campaign waged by the Obama Administration in the law.

Hosanna-Tabor is a congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod that "called" Ms Perich to teach in its school. To be “called,” a teacher had to complete eight college-level courses in aspects of Lutheran theology and obtain the approval of the local District of the LCMS. After that training and approval, once a congregation “called” the teacher, the teacher was employed indefinitely and was commissioned as a minister in the church. Duties as a teacher included teaching religion, leading a prayer service in class, and occasionally organizing larger religious services for the entire school. The school also employed “lay” teachers, who were not considered ministers and had year-to-year contracts. the rest

'Do not touch me': the wisdom of Anglican thresholds

2012-01-25T11:06:00.002-05:00

By Stephen Hough

January 25th, 2012

This past Sunday I went to Westminster Abbey to attend Evensong, their superb choir conducted by James O'Donnell and accompanied by Robert Quinney. Woven between Thomas Cranmer's matchless words was music of Herbert Howells, William Byrd and a sparkling anthem by Jonathan Dove. If you are visiting London and want a perfect slice of England there's no better place to go.

The Church of England's evening service, adapted after the Reformation from the monastic hour of Vespers, is a wondrous phenomenon. Even the word 'Evensong' is poetic, and it seems to chime in perfect harmony with England's seasons: Autumn's melancholy, early evening light; the merry crackle of Winter frost; Spring's awakening, or the lazy, protracted sun strained through the warmed windows of a Summer afternoon.

Evensong hangs on the wall of English life like a old, familiar cloak passed through the generations. Rich with prayer and Scripture, it is nevertheless totally nonthreatening. It is a service into which all can stumble without censure – a rambling old house where everyone can find some corner to sit and think, to listen with half-attention, trailing a few absentminded fingers of faith or doubt in its passing stream.
the rest image by Herry Lawford

Child sacrifice in 21st Century America

2012-01-25T09:12:00.002-05:00

Jan 25, 2012
George Weigel

The Hebrew Bible is not for the squeamish. And its harshest maledictions are called down upon those who practiced the abomination of child-sacrifice.

Thus the Psalmist:

“They sacrificed their sons and daughters to the demons/they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood./Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the harlot in their doings./Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage./… they were rebellious in their purposes, and were brought low because of their iniquity” (Psalm 106:38-40, 43).

And the prophet Ezekiel, delivering the word of the Lord:

“And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them?... Behold, therefore, I stretched out my hand against you, and diminished your allotted portion, and delivered you to the greed of your enemies…” (Ezekiel 16:20-21, 27).

Thirty-nine years after Roe v. Wade created an unrestricted abortion license in the United States, and during the week when hundreds of thousands of Americans pray and march for life, all Americans ought to ponder these words—and the kind of country to which Roe v. Wade led. the rest

Detaching biology from marriage and parenthood

2012-01-25T09:06:00.000-05:00

Washington State House Judiciary Testimony
January 23, 2012

Church of England attendance decreasing, continuing downward trend

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, 25 January 2012

The latest statistics from the Church of England show a two per cent drop in attendance between 2009 and 2010.

Average Sunday attendance fell from 944,400 in 2009 to 923,700 the following year, continuing the long-term downward trend.

The number of children and young people at weekly services also dropped by two per cent, from 223,000 in 2009 to 218,600 in 2010.

Marriages rose in the Church of England by four per cent, from 52,730 in 2009 to 54,700 in 2010.

It is the biggest increase in marriages in any one year in the last decade and follows the launch of a range of initiatives designed to make marrying in the Church of England easier. the rest

More weddings, but fewer worshippers on average

Massive Solar Storm Causes Planes To Be Rerouted

2012-01-24T18:22:00.002-05:00

January 24, 2012

Radiation from an immense solar blast hit the Earth Tuesday -- forcing Delta Air Lines to redirect at least half a dozen airplanes that had been routed over the North Pole.

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center -- the nation’s official source of warnings about space weather and its impact on Earth -- issued a geomagnetic storm warning Monday after a satellite witnessed an ultraviolet flash from the massive solar eruption.

There is no risk to people on Earth, Doug Biesecker of the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center told FoxNews.com.

But as a rare precaution, some polar flights were re-routed to avoid communication lapses and exposing pilots and passengers to excessive radiation. the rest/image

Solar storm expected to fire up northern lights

House bills promote religion at war memorials

2012-01-24T17:45:00.000-05:00

Jan 24, 2012
By JIM ABRAMS

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House on Tuesday passed two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials. One writes into law the propriety of displaying religious markers at war memorials while the other orders that the Interior Department add to the World War II Memorial in Washington a plaque with Franklin Roosevelt's prayer to the nation on D-Day.

The first bill would codify the existing practice of allowing religious symbols at military monuments established or acquired by the federal government. It was introduced by San Diego Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter in response to a 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling a year ago that a cross placed on Mount Soledad in nearby La Jolla, Calif., in 1913 was unconstitutional. the rest

Mere Anglicanism 2012: The Rt. Rev'd Mark J. Lawrence

2012-01-24T14:55:00.000-05:00

posted January 24, 2012

Eternal Father Source of all life and light...

2012-01-23T22:58:00.000-05:00

Eternal Father

Source of all life and light

Whose love extends to all people,

All creatures, all things:

Grant us that reverence for life

Which becomes those who believe in you;

Lest we despise it, degrade it

Or come callously to destroy it.

Rather let us save it

secure it, and sanctify it,

After the example of your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord.

...by Robert Runcie image

Human life is a manifestation of God and His glory...

2012-01-23T22:39:00.001-05:00

“God’s love does not distinguish between the infant in the mother’s womb or the child or the youth or the adult or the older person. In each one God sees His image and likeness. Human life is a manifestation of God and His glory.” ...Pope Benedict XVI

"Nothing we do to defend the human person, no matter how small, is ever unfruitful or forgotten. Our actions touch other lives and move other hearts in ways we can never fully understand in this world. Don’t ever underestimate the beauty and power of the witness you give in your pro-life work." ...Archbishop Charles Chaput image by Richard Topalovich

The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion...

2012-01-23T22:28:00.000-05:00

"But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child - a direct killing of the innocent child - murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love, and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even his life to love us. So the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love - that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts. By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching the people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. " ...Mother Teresa image

India: Sharia Court convicts Anglican priest of blasphemy for baptizing Muslims

2012-01-23T10:25:00.001-05:00

January 21, 2012
by George Conger

The All India Christian Council has condemned an indictment issued by a Sharia law court in Kashmir that charges two priests with blasphemy by enticing Muslims to convert to Christianity.

On 11 January 2012 Muslim leaders in the Northern Indian state issued a statement saying that “it was proved beyond doubt that the accused” the vicar of All Saints Church in Srinigar, the Rev Chander Mani Khanna of the Church of North India, “along with other accomplices was luring Muslim people to change their religion.”

A second priest, Fr. Jim Borst, a Roman Catholic missionary who has worked in Kashmir for 46 years, was also charged with converting Muslims to Christianity. the rest

Obama praises ‘fundamental constitutional right’ to abortion

2012-01-23T10:21:00.000-05:00

by Patrick B. Craine
Mon Jan 23, 2012

(LifeSiteNews.com) - Marking the 39th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, President Barack Obama reaffirmed his commitment to the “fundamental constitutional right” to abortion.

“I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right,” the president said in a brief statement on Jan. 22nd.

“As we mark the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must remember that this Supreme Court decision not only protects a woman’s health and reproductive freedom, but also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters,” he continued. the rest

Obama: Abortion Enables 'Our Daughters' To 'Fulfill Their Dreams'

How to react to a phone going off during your solo

2012-01-23T09:48:00.002-05:00

TODAY! Watch ProLifeCon

2012-01-23T09:22:00.004-05:00

January 23, 2012

This morning Family Research Council will host its annual event geared for online pro-life activists: ProLifeCon.

ProLifeCon is always a fascinating, fast-paced three hours, packed with great speakers and information specifically for those of us with a passion to spread the message of the sanctity of life through blogging and social media. the rest

Watch here

The Unbearable Wrongness of Roe

2012-01-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

by Michael Stokes Paulsen
January 23, 2012

39 years ago, the Supreme Court delivered a radical, legally untenable, immoral decision. It has forfeited its entitlement to have its decisions respected, and followed, by the other branches of government, by the states, and by the people.

Today, thousands of people at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., are commemorating the thirty-ninth anniversary of a legal and moral monstrosity, Roe v. Wade, and its companion case, Doe v. Bolton. The two cases, in combination, created an essentially unqualified constitutional right of pregnant women to abortion—the right to kill their children, gestating in their wombs, up to the point of birth. After nearly four decades, Roe’s human death toll stands at nearly sixty million human lives, a total exceeding the Nazi Holocaust, Stalin’s purges, Pol Pot’s killing fields, and the Rwandan genocide combined. Over the past forty years, one-sixth of the American population has been killed by abortion. One in four African-Americans is killed before birth. Abortion is the leading cause of (unnatural) death in America.

It is almost too much to contemplate: the prospect that we are living in the midst of, and accepting (to various degrees) one of the greatest human holocausts in history. And so we don’t contemplate it. Instead, we look for ways to deny this grim reality, minimize it, or explain away our complacency—or complicity. the rest

The right created by the Supreme Court in Roe is a constitutional right of some human beings to kill other human beings. I do not mean for my description to be provocative, but simply direct—blunt about facts. One need not presume that the human fetus has a right not to be killed in order to recognize that, as a descriptive matter, Roe creates a right for one class of human beings to kill other human beings.

Tens of Thousands Join West Coast Pro-Life March in San Francisco

2012-01-23T09:14:00.000-05:00

Sun, Jan. 22 2012
By Anugrah Kumar

More than 40,000 pro-life activists and supporters participated in the eighth annual Walk for Life West Coast event in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday to celebrate life and proclaim, "Women deserve better than abortion!"

The crowd gathered at Civic Center Plaza in front of the San Francisco City Hall on Saturday morning for an "Info Fair," which featured music, speakers and activities for kids. The march began in the afternoon. The activists walked down Market Street to Justin Herman Plaza at the Embarcadero, filling the length and breadth of the street. the rest

AAC response to Archbishops' report on ACNA

2012-01-23T09:01:00.000-05:00

By The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey
Chief Operating and Development Officer, American Anglican Council
posted January 23, 2012

Dear Friends in Christ,

I wish to make a view brief observations about the Report of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Church of England General Synod which was released today and which we have published in this Update. As you will recall, this Report was requested by the CofE General Synod's response to a Private Member's Motion seeking recognition of the ACNA. The American Anglican Council was there at the Synod on behalf of the ACNA, both before and during the debate, to counter misinformation by TEC about the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), and to provide updates on litigation, canonical abuses and the realignment of Anglicanism in North America. Our brief, "TEC: Unjust Episcopal Acts," clearly helped shape the debate.

The Report of the Archbishops is short, and with less clarity than you or I might have desired. But it reflects a particular culture that abhors a "winner-takes-all" outcome, having fought civil and religious wars where such an outcome was only narrowly averted, and with much bloodshed. In that light, here are some important observations about the Archbishops' report that are, on balance, positive for ACNA:

1. The ACNA as an institution was not rejected, as TEC and its proxies no doubt desired. Our Anglican "bona fides" will be subject to review and discussion while the wounds remain fresh from the realignment here in North America. The Archbishops state that the concept of membership in the Anglican Communion is not straightforward (Paragraph 8). Within that declaration, they discuss the role of both the ACC and the assent of 2/3 of the Primates of the Churches already listed in the current schedule of membership as providing a basis for membership. But in contrast to previous statements by ++Canterbury and the Secretary of the Anglican Communion, there is no insistence here upon the ACNA submitting an application to the ACC or following its "schedule" as necessary steps for recognition. I believe this is a significant concession between the lines to those who have challenged the purported authority of the ACC to make such decisions, especially in light of actual precedent where it was recognition by the Primates that gave membership within the Communion.

2. Given the likely wish of TEC to have the ACNA rejected, I believe it is a back-handed compliment to the development of the ACNA as an Anglican Church within the Communion that the Archbishops found it necessary to allay TEC and The Anglican Church of Canada's fears by reaffirming their communion with TEC and ACoC.

3. With respect to the question about the interchangeability of Holy Orders between ACNA and the Church of England, Paragraphs 11 and 21 make clear that the ministers of ACNA stand in exactly the same place in relation to the CofE as other clergy in the Communion.

Of course, this leaves many questions unanswered. If ACNA clergy seek to be licensed in the Church of England under the Overseas and Other Clergy (Ministry and Ordination) Measure of 1967, how will their applications be received? Will they be received and recognized? Or will they be delayed and put off like the clergy validly ordained in the Anglican Church of Kenya for the Anglican Mission in England, who are still waiting? We will be watching carefully to see how evenhandedly the Archbishops proceed, in keeping with the report.

Where then do we go from here? On mission, of course - to present Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit so that people everywhere (and particularly here in North America) will come to know Christ as Lord and to put their trust in Him as Savior, in the fellowship of the church! the rest

Anglican Church Embraces Working Relationship with Church of England

2012-01-23T08:44:00.000-05:00

Church of England General Synod Report Encourages “Open-Ended Engagement”
Posted January 23, 2012

The General Synod, the national assembly of the Church of England, released a report this week providing further clarity on its working relationship with the Anglican Church in North America, and encouraged an “open-ended engagement with ACNA on the part of the Church of England and the (Anglican) Communion.”

“We are encouraged by the desire of the Church of England to continue to embrace the Anglican Church in North America and remain in solidarity with us as we proclaim the Gospel message and truth as revealed in Scripture in the way it has always been understood in Anglican formularies,” said Archbishop Duncan.

The Church of England General Synod report can be viewed here.

“As we have demonstrated successfully to the GAFCON primates, the Anglican Church in North America remains committed to our growing relationships with Anglican provinces outside of North America. Our biblical orthodoxy and ministries are strengthening our bond to our Anglican brothers and sisters around the globe. We are gratified that we are already in a relationship of full communion with many Anglican Provinces and look forward to expanding that circle.” the rest

Obama administration refuses to change contraception mandate

2012-01-23T08:39:00.003-05:00

By Michelle Bauman
Jan 20, 2012

(CNA/EWTN News).- The Obama administration announced Jan. 20 that it will not expand an exemption for religious groups that object to its requirement for health insurance plans to cover sterilization and contraception – including abortion-causing drugs – free of charge.

Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in a Jan. 20 statement that religious employers who object to providing the coverage will be required to comply with the new law by Aug. 1, 2013, one year later than the initial deadline.

Sebelius noted that “important concerns” had been “raised about religious liberty.”

Those speaking out against the mandate included many Catholic organizations, such as schools, hospitals and social agencies, which serve all people in need, regardless of their religious affiliation. the rest

"First Time in History Goverment Has Forced Organizations to Buy Product That Violates Conscience"

UK: Ministers ban extra benefits for multiple wives

2012-01-23T08:35:00.002-05:00

Ministers are to bring to an end an "absurd" benefits regime which has seen husbands with multiple wives able to claim extra welfare payments.
By Patrick Hennessy
21 Jan 2012

Although bigamy is illegal in Britain, men who married more than one woman in countries where the practice was legal and then brought them to the UK have been allowed for years to receive multiple benefits.

Critics claimed the controversial system meant the state is effectively "recognising" polygamous marriages, of which there are thought to be about a thousand in the UK.

The practice is largely confined to Muslim men, who are permitted under some interpretations of Islamic law to have up to four wives in a harem – as long as they spend equal amounts of time and money on each partner.

The system of paying extra benefits for multiple wives was reviewed under Labour in an exercise involving four separate Whitehall branches – The Treasury, the Department for Work & Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs and the Home Office. the rest

Arrests made over Nigerian bombings that have killed at least 166 people

2012-01-23T08:28:00.001-05:00

January 23, 2012
NIGERIAN President Goodluck Jonathan has said that arrests have been made over a wave of attacks in the city of Kano that killed at least 166 people and vowed to hunt down the backers of Islamist group Boko Haram.

"Some arrests have been made. Some died in the process. Some were suicide bombers," Mr Jonathan said in a BBC interview during a visit to Kano, the largest city in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north.

"There must be people who are sponsoring them. Terrorists all over the world have their source of income," said Mr Jonathan, whose visit came two days after the coordinated bombings and gunbattles rocked Kano after Friday prayers.

Mr Jonathan is battling with the worst crisis of his rule as the sectarian violence has raised fears of an all-out civil war in Africa's most populous nation and its biggest oil producer. the rest

Nigerian police say four Boko Haram members killed

More churches attacked in Nigeria violence
Two churches and a security checkpoint were attacked in Nigeria as President Goodluck Jonathan visited the country’s second-largest city Sunday, following the wave of Islamic extremist attacks...

Conservative Presbyterians launch new denomination

2012-01-23T08:24:00.000-05:00

By Daniel Burke January 20

Conservative Presbyterians launched a new denomination on Thursday (Jan. 19), saying that the Presbyterian Church (USA) is too consumed by internal conflicts and bureaucracy to nurture healthy congregations.

“This ‘new Reformed body’ is intended to foster a new way of being the church, just as traditional, mainline denominations rose to serve in their day,” wrote leaders of the new Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians.

More than 2,000 people attended the ECO’s meeting in Orlando, Fla., this week, but a straw poll indicated that most have not yet decided whether to leave the PC(USA), according to the Presbyterian Outlook, an independent magazine. the rest

Small bird joins bluegrass band

2012-01-22T15:31:00.002-05:00

posted January 22, 2012

Discipling the Dragon: Christian Publishing Finds Success in China

2012-01-21T11:26:00.000-05:00

Despite stringent controls, 1,300 Christian books are now available—legally—inside the communist country.
John W. Kennedy
1/20/2012

China's communist government may be constricting freedom of worship in some places, such as Beijing's Shouwang house church, but Chinese consumers are gaining access like never before to legally published books by best-selling American evangelical authors.

Since early April, the 1,000-member-strong Shouwang church has held services outdoors rain or shine, and eight of its pastors are under house arrest. The government, citing the church's lack of registration, pressured the church's landlord to cancel Shouwang's lease.

At the same time, there has been a surge across China in the availability of popular Christian titles by authors Rick Warren, Gary Chapman, and Beth Moore, as well as classic titles by C. S. Lewis and others. Statistics on Christian book sales are unreliable in China. But figures on Bible publishing provide one reliable snapshot of the phenomenal growth. Amity, the official publisher of Bibles inside China, increased Bible printing each year from 1998 (2.8 million) to 2008 (10 million). Other than Bibles, top sellers are Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life, with more than 100,000 in print, and the Francine Rivers novel Redeeming Love.

A big reason for this growth is the 2008 debut of the online-only retailer Baojiayin (GoodNewsinChina.com). For decades, the government heavily limited the retail sales of Christian literature. But all that changed with Baojiayin.

For instance, Paul Douglas, an Australian medical doctor living in China, uses Baojiayin to send about $140 worth of books to local churches, creating an instant lending library. Douglas can donate sets of theological commentaries, marital advice books, and biographies of Christian leaders. the rest

Rising violence in Nigeria has reached a critical point

2012-01-21T11:02:00.002-05:00

Condemnation after escape of Christmas Day church bombing suspect
by Setrige Crawford
January 20, 2012

The rising violence in Nigeria has reached a critical point as the main Boko Haram suspect in the Christmas day bombings has escaped custody and officials are struggling to protect their citizens from the violent militant group.

The main suspect of the Christmas Day church bombings in Nigeria escaped after spending less than 24 hours in custody, according to Reuters. Now police officers involved in the case have been detained and will be investigated.

The suspect, Kabiru Sokoto, was arrested on Tuesday by Nigerian policeman. During a trip to his home in Abaji to conduct a search, their vehicle came under fire. the rest

Added:
Boko Haram Islamists Slaughter 80 in Nigeria’s Second Largest City of Kano (Video)
Saturday, January 21, 2012
...At least 80 bodies were piled in a morgue in Nigeria’s second-largest city of Kano on Saturday after coordinated bomb attacks and shootouts the previous night, an AFP correspondent reported.

The journalist was able to count at least 80 corpses in the morgue at Kano’s main hospital, many with gunshot wounds, and the toll was expected to be higher...

Bankrupt Solyndra caught destroying millions of dollars in parts

2012-01-21T10:57:00.000-05:00

...despite owing the taxpayer half a billion
21st January 2012

They are the green energy company that filed for bankruptcy while owing the American public half a billion dollars.

But the Fremont solar company have been taped smashing up millions of dollars worth of glass parts which they haven't even paid for yet.

Solyndra received a $535 million loan guarantee from the Obama administration in 2009 as part of the Energy Department’s drive to build a clean energy economy. the rest

Post Abortion Syndrome Healing Testimony

2012-01-20T17:27:00.001-05:00

posted January 20, 2012

Sydna's Testimony

I'm not a medical doctor or a counselor -- just a woman who chose abortion and lives today without that child in my life. Truly if there was one thing I could go back and undo in my life, it would be that abortion. I was 19 years of age and in college. I had all the wrong reasons but especially because my boyfriend wasn't supportive of a life decision -- he insisted on the abortion. While my head said abortion was the eraser to my mistake, my heart knew the truth because I had already connected to my unborn child. Had my boyfriend been supportive, I would probably have not aborted but I will never know. You have a true choice, more than I did and that provides a great deal of freedom. And I'm glad you are seeking answers to your questions before you abort.

First of all, abortion has an extreme amount of emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual consequences. The fact that 43% of all women have experienced abortion is a good reference (www.agi-usa.org - The Alan Guttmacher Institute, "Facts in Brief: Induced Abortion," 2000). If nearly half of all women have had abortions, why is it that you never hear any of them sharing about their experiences?

I know from ministering to thousands of post-abortive women that the shame and grief keeps them from sharing. We expect judgment from most. Many of us never allowed ourselves to actually grieve our lost children until years afterwards when we couldn't erase the memory of the child from our hearts. While we may have initially felt relief, the forever pain of being the mothers of dead children has long outlasted any initial relief. the rest

Health plans ordered to cover birth control without co-pays

2012-01-20T17:10:00.000-05:00

By Julian Pecquet
01/20/12

Most healthcare plans will be required to cover birth control without charging co-pays or deductibles starting Aug. 1, the Obama administration announced Friday.

The final regulation retains the approach federal health officials proposed last summer, despite the deluge of complaints from religious groups and congressional Republicans that has poured in since then. Churches, synagogues and other houses of worship are exempt from the requirement, but religious-affiliated hospitals and universities only get a one-year delay and must comply by Aug. 1, 2013.

“This decision was made after very careful consideration, including the important concerns some have raised about religious liberty,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. “I believe this proposal strikes the appropriate balance between respecting religious freedom and increasing access to important preventive services."

Congressional Republicans slammed the decision as an assault on religious freedom. the rest

Albert Mohler: “Abortion is as American as Apple Pie”

2012-01-20T15:42:00.001-05:00

— The Culture of Death Finds a Voice
Friday, January 20, 2012

Abortion is now one of America’s most common surgical procedures performed on adults. As many as one out of three women will have at least one abortion. In some American neighborhoods, the number of abortions far exceeds the number of live births.

Most Americans will pay little attention to the 39th anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision. In 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a woman has a constitutional right to arrange the killing of the unborn life within her. Since that decision was handed down, more than 50 million babies have been aborted, at a rate of over 3,000 each day.

One of the most chilling aspects of all this is the sense of normalcy in American life. Abortion statistics pile up from year to year, and each report gets filed. Moral sentiment on the issue of abortion has shifted discernibly in recent years, as ultrasound images and other technologies deliver unquestionable proof that the unborn child is just that — a child. Nevertheless, the larger picture of abortion in America is basically unchanged. the rest

“Abortion is as American as apple pie.” Hoffman made that statement in a recent interview about her book. She laments that abortion is the cause of shame in some women and that shame attaches itself to abortion in the larger culture, even now. In her view, if women would start talking more honestly and directly about their abortions, the shame would be removed and women would discuss their abortions like they speak of “a bikini wax.”

Germany's New Islamic Centers Funded by Taxpayers

2012-01-20T10:40:00.000-05:00

by Soeren Kern
January 19, 2012

One of the oldest universities in Germany has opened the country's first taxpayer-funded department of Islamic theology.

The Center for Islamic Theology at the University of Tübingen was inaugurated on January 16 and is the first of four planned Islamic university centers in Germany.

The German government claims that by controlling the curriculum, the school, which is to train Muslim imams and Islamic religion teachers, will function as an antidote to "hate preachers."

Most imams currently in Germany are from Turkey and many of them do not speak German.

German Education Minister Annette Schavan, who attended the opening ceremony, said the Islamic center was a "milestone for integration" for the 4.3 million Muslims who now live in Germany.

But the idea has been fiercely criticized by those who worry the school will become a gateway for Islamists who will introduce a hardline brand of Islam into the German university system. the rest

Schools spying on students?

2012-01-20T10:37:00.000-05:00

Bob Kellogg
OneNewsNow
1/19/2012

A number of schools throughout the United States are beginning to bypass parental permission and use electronic devices to monitor students as a way to combat obesity. But some critics are wondering how far officials will take the effort.

School officials in Bay Shore, Long Island (New York) recently purchased eight "Polar Active" monitoring devices to electronically monitor students. Schools in St. Louis and South Orange, New Jersey, are doing likewise. Bay Shore superintendent Peter Dion says the devices inform or motivate students by giving them immediate feedback about their fitness.

But John Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, says schools "attaching devices to people, tracking their vital signs, and watching … what they eat and what they're doing, which is really none of anybody's business," is comparable to an electronic concentration camp. "Even with parental approval on this, I think this is still a very dangerous way to go." the rest

MA State Department of Health defends seeking forced abortion for mentally ill woman

2012-01-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

by Christine Dhanagom
Thu Jan 19, 2012

BOSTON, January 19, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – After news broke this week that the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) was seeking to force a mentally ill woman to abort her child, the state agency has dug in its heels in the face of widespread outrage, defending its decision in a statement to the Boston Herald this week.

The DMH had filed a petition to have the parents of a 32-year-old mentally ill woman appointed as the woman’s temporary guardians for the purpose of forcing her to have an abortion.

The woman, who is identified in court documents under the pseudonym “Mary Moe,” suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. According to court documents, she had a psychotic breakdown after a previous abortion and “believed people were staring at her and stating that she killed her baby.” She is also the mother of a son, born after the abortion, who is in the custody of her parents.

Despite the apparent link between the previous abortion and Moe’s mental illness, DMH Commissioner Barbara Leadholm told the Herald the Department believed that a second abortion would be in the patient’s best interest.

“The Department conveyed the request of health-care providers and the parents’ wishes in order to ensure the safety of a patient with severe mental illness,” Leadholm said.

Norfolk Probate and Family Court Judge Christina L. Harms had ruled in favor of the Department’s petition, ordering not only an abortion but a forced sterilization. the rest

Pope: America is “increasingly hostile to Christianity”

2012-01-20T10:15:00.000-05:00

by John-Henry Westen
Thu Jan 19, 2012

(LifeSiteNews.com) - In a meeting with various U.S. Bishops today, Pope Benedict XVI said that the consensus which once existed in America supporting “ethical principles deriving from nature and nature’s God,” has faded. “Today that consensus has eroded significantly in the face of powerful new cultural currents which are not only directly opposed to core moral teachings of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but increasingly hostile to Christianity as such,” he said.

The Pope was emphatic in insisting that the threat posed by current trends threatens not only Christianity but “humanity itself.” He said: “To the extent that some current cultural trends contain elements that would curtail the proclamation of these truths, whether constricting it within the limits of a merely scientific rationality, or suppressing it in the name of political power or majority rule, they represent a threat not just to Christian faith, but also to humanity itself and to the deepest truth about our being and ultimate vocation, our relationship to God.”

The Pope used strong language to describe the grave situation he perceives in America. “(I)t is imperative,” he said, “that the entire Catholic community in the United States come to realise the grave threats to the Church’s public moral witness presented by a radical secularism which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres.” He continued, “The seriousness of these threats needs to be clearly appreciated at every level of ecclesial life.” the rest

New Definition of Autism Will Exclude Many, Study Suggests

2012-01-20T09:54:00.000-05:00

By BENEDICT CAREY
January 19, 2012

Proposed changes in the definition of autism would sharply reduce the skyrocketing rate at which the disorder is diagnosed and might make it harder for many people who would no longer meet the criteria to get health, educational and social services, a new analysis suggests.

The definition is now being reassessed by an expert panel appointed by the American Psychiatric Association, which is completing work on the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the first major revision in 17 years. The D.S.M., as the manual is known, is the standard reference for mental disorders, driving research, treatment and insurance decisions. Most experts expect that the new manual will narrow the criteria for autism; the question is how sharply.

The results of the new analysis are preliminary, but they offer the most drastic estimate of how tightening the criteria for autism could affect the rate of diagnosis. For years, many experts have privately contended that the vagueness of the current criteria for autism and related disorders like Asperger syndrome was contributing to the increase in the rate of diagnoses — which has ballooned to one child in 100, according to some estimates. the rest

Muslims in Egypt Burn Christian Homes and Shops, Attack Church

2012-01-20T09:37:00.000-05:00

1-20-2012

(AINA) -- A Muslim mob attacked Copts today in the Upper Egyptian village of Rahmaniya-Kebly, Nag Hammadi, Qena province, destroying and torching their homes, straw huts and shops, while chanting Allahu Akbar. No one was reported killed or injured (video). According to reports, security forces were present but did not intervene and the fire brigade arrived 90 minutes late.

An eye-witness said that a straw hut belonging to a Copt was torched to clear the area for a mosque. There are more than 300 mosques in the village and one church.

According to Coptic residents, the reason behind the violence was the parliamentary elections. The Salafists wanted to prevent Copts, who number more than 50% of the inhabitants (20,000), from voting because they intended to vote for two moderate Muslims and not the Salafi candidates. "No Copt from Rahmaniya-Kebly was able to vote today, so the Salafists will win the elections," said a witness. Copts were forcefully prevented from voting.

US-based WAY TV, which covered live today's Rahmaniya attacks, called commander Osama, head of security at Rahmaniya, who said "everything was OK" -- despite live pictures on TV of the burning homes. Joseph Nasralla of WAY TV spoke to security and made them aware that the videos of the fires were being broadcast in the U.S. and Middle East, which caused the immediate dispatch of security vehicles. By late evening the violence had stopped. the rest

Begin Sex Ed in Kindergarten, Says New ‘National Standards’ Report

2012-01-20T08:51:00.000-05:00

By Elizabeth Harrington
January 17, 2012

(CNSNews.com) – By the time they leave elementary school, children should be able to “define sexual orientation,” and by the eighth grade be able to “define emergency contraception and its use,” according to a report containing controversial new recommendations for sex education in U.S. public schools.

“Ideally, comprehensive sexuality education should start in kindergarten and continue through 12th grade,” says the “National Sexuality Education Standards” report, drawn up by a range of advocates, academics and public education officials.

The Future of Sex Education (FoSE), an initiative started by sex education advocates, developed the standards “to create a strategic plan for sexuality education policy and implementation.” the rest

Thou didst call, and cry aloud...

2012-01-19T21:47:00.001-05:00

Thou didst call, and cry aloud, and break through my deafness. Thou didst blaze forth, and shine, and scatter my blindness. Thou wert fragrant, and I drew in my breath, and pant for Thee. I tasted, and I hunger and thirst Thou didst touch me, and I burned for Thy peace. ...Augustine image

Nigeria: Believers Gunned Down "while their eyes were closed in prayer"

2012-01-19T21:22:00.000-05:00

First-hand report of a native missionary ministry leader supported by Christian Aid.
Thursday January 19, 2012

Excerpt:
I received this message on 16 January from an indigenous missionary ministry leader supported by Christian Aid. He had called me late at night on 6 January to ask for prayer. He and his family were behind locked doors with others from the ministry, keeping vigil so they would not be slaughtered in their sleep.

"We could never have imagined what would happen next when those two buses drove into town filled with Boko Haram Muslim fanatics. Authorities did nothing, and the next day, two of their young men on a motor cycle sped toward the Christ Apostolic church, raised their AK47's, and coldly and brazenly opened fire on believers gathered for prayer. Twelve people were killed, openly gunned down in daylight, while their eyes were closed in prayer. Twelve died, including three Christian brothers who support our missionary work. Anyone could be a target as it is now. We have no weapon but prayer, and we want you to join with us as the Lord and His kingdom are attacked."

Those murdered comprise only a small percentage of the total number that have been massacred in ruthless attacks by Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist group intent on driving Nigeria's Christians from the nation's Muslim-dominated northern regions and imposing Shariah law throughout the nation.

After the church attack, still thirsty for blood, the killers went to a beauty salon, opened fire, and murdered four more. When several dozen Christians gathered together to mourn the loss of fellow believers murdered the previous day, Boko Haram members surrounded the crowd and began shooting, killing more than 20 people and leaving others severely wounded.

The attacks intensified throughout the Christmas season, leaving more than 50 people dead in a wave of bombings, mostly outside church buildings as services were ending. the rest

One Fifth of Human Race Being Aborted

2012-01-19T21:18:00.000-05:00

Over the past three decades, about 20 percent of all pregnancies around the world have ended in abortion, according to the research.
By MIKAELA CONLEY
Jan. 19, 2012

Excerpt:
From 2003 to 2008, the abortion rate per 1,000 women of childbearing age (15 to 44) changed slightly, from 29 to 28 per 1,000. women But the proportion of unsafe abortions that took place across the world rose 44 percent in 1995 to 49 percent in 2008.

"The stall in the abortion rate coincides with a plateau in the level of contraceptive use, which had been increasing in prior years," said Dr. Gilda Sedgh, lead author of the study and senior researcher at the Guttmacher Institute in New York. "Before the abortion rate stalled, it was declining, and contraceptive use was increasing. Also more abortions are unsafe because a growing proportion of abortions are taking place in the developing world." the rest

Honor Killing in Germany

2012-01-19T21:14:00.000-05:00

Muslim Beats His Girfriend and Kills Her Unborn Baby Because She Saw Male Doctor
January 18, 2012

A Muslim punches his pregnant girlfriend several times in the abdomen because she was examined by a male doctor.

Thanks to the heavy punches the unborn baby suffered cerebral haemorrhages while still in its mother's womb. It was possible for it to be delivered later through emergency Caesarian section, but it died of its serious injuries two days later in the hospital.

As the child was not born at the time of the action, the indictment against the 21-year-old refers only to "abortion" and not to murder.

The starting point for the fateful event was a routine gynaecological examination of the pregnant woman. As the female doctor who was usually responsible for her was on holiday, the examination was performed by a male substitute on an exceptional basis. For the then 20-year-old boyfriend of the heavily pregnant woman, a practising Muslim, this was horrific. the rest

One Happy Dog!

2012-01-19T13:49:00.000-05:00

Flood of ‘de-baptisms’ worries European church leaders

2012-01-19T10:47:00.000-05:00

By Elizabeth Bryant
January 18, 2012

PARIS — A decade ago, Rene Lebouvier requested that his local Catholic church erase his name from the baptismal register. The church noted his demands on the margins of its records and the chapter was closed.

But the clergy abuse scandals rocking Europe, coupled with Pope Benedict XVI’s conservative stances on contraception, hardened Lebouvier’s views. Last October, a court in Normandy ruled in favor of his lawsuit to have his name permanently deleted from church records — making the 71-year-old retiree the first Frenchman to be officially “de-baptized.”

“I took the judicial route to get myself de-baptized because of the church’s excesses,” said Lebouvier, speaking by telephone from his village of Fleury, near the D-Day beaches.

“It’s a sort of honesty toward the church because they have a guy on their register who doesn’t believe in God.” the rest

The bigger worry, experts say, are plummeting rates of new baptisms. Half a century ago, for example, 90 percent of French children were baptized, said Sorbonne University religion professor Philippe Portier. Today, roughly one in three are.

Construction of 40 Russian churches to be underway in Moscow in 2012

2012-01-18T17:34:00.000-05:00

18/01/2012

(Itar-Tass) – Construction of forty Russian Orthodox churches will be underway in Moscow City’s densely populated bedroom communities in 2012, Vladimir Ressin, an advisor to the Mayor of Moscow told reporters Wednesday.

All in all, the authorities plan building some 200 new Russian Orthodox churches in the city’s dormitory districts that have an apparent shortage of church facilities.

“Foundations of twenty church buildings have already been laid and we’re supposed to make arrangements on another twenty land plots this year,” Ressin said after a conference on the Program 200 that envisions the construction of 200 fast-to-build churches. the rest

Parents: Disabled Toddler Denied Kidney Transplant

2012-01-18T17:27:00.001-05:00

Dale Hurd
January 18, 2012

Chrissy and Joe Rivera of Stratford, N.J., say they were shocked when a doctor at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia told them their 3-year-old daughter Amelia was not eligible for a

"He had told us she wasn't eligible for a transplant because of 'mental retardation,' was the word he used," Chrissy Rivera said.

"It was upsetting, and I think it was handled the wrong way," Joe Rivera added.

Amelia has Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic condition that has mental and physical effects. She can't walk or talk, but she communicates with her eyes and smile.

"We just love her. She is part of the family," her mother said. the rest

Kuwait: The prince's mysterious conversion

2012-01-18T16:24:00.001-05:00

In an audio file posted on a Christian satellite TV channel, prince Abdullah al-Sabah declared his faith in Jesus Christ. Muslims have attacked him saying “he isn’t a member of the royal family”
Marco Tosatti
01/16/2012

According to reports, a Kuwaiti royal prince has become a follower of Jesus Christ. In an audio file posted with his name, he affirms that if he is killed because of a recording he made where he talks about his conversion, he firmly believes that he will meet Jesus Christ face-to-face. The news comes from Middle Eastern sources which state that al-Haqiqa – a Christian satellite TV channel in Arabic that transmits Christian religious programmes – broadcast an audio file attributed to the Kuwaiti prince, identified as Abdullah al-Sabah. The al-Sabahs are the royal family of Kuwait, a country rich in oil. The name Abdullah (servant of God) frequently appears in the Emir’s family tree.

In his audio file, Abdullah declared: “First of all, I fully agree with the distribution of this audio file and I now declare that if they kill me because of it, then I will appear before Jesus Christ and be with him for all eternity.” In this statement, the prince demonstrates his awareness of the fate in store for a martyr of the faith, according to Christian doctrine. The television channel stated that Abdullah is a member of the royal family, and that he recently renounced his faith in Islam and became a Christian, without specifying which particular branch of Christianity he had chosen. After stating his full name, the prince declared: “I will accept whatever they do to me, because the truth in the Bible has guided me towards the right path.” the rest

Bp. Julian Dobbs: The Anglican Moment

2012-01-18T15:30:00.001-05:00

January 17, 2012
(In the comments section it was noted that this was shared at Sacred Assembly in Raleigh)

Excerpt:
Our risk, even at this very early stage of our development, is that as we establish this new expression of biblical missionary Anglicism it becomes so much an expression of the former structures that it is very difficult to observe the difference between the past and the present. Hierarchical structures, infighting, power struggles, committees, attorneys, insecurities, leaders who say one thing and do another while some take care to secure their own positions at the expense of others. Let us never forget that Moses discovered that not everyone who departed Egypt with him was united with him in his unwavering commitment to obey the commandments and guidance of Almighty God; should we be surprised to discover that we are not immune from these same trials and challenges?

Crucial to the rebuilding process is refurbishing and refining, as the prophet Malachi writes: ‘And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:3)

Part of any true work of God is the refiners’ fire. No one looks forward to the searing heat and the burning away of the dross; personal and communal…but the Word of God promises us that the result is heavenly gold.

In our refurbishing process, we must also recognize that used bricks are very attractive and sought-after for walkways and fireplaces in new suburbs across America and Canada, but, we must remember that not everything in building materials ages well...

...We are witnessing such a new wave. A prime example is the Anglican Communion - an international community of more than 75 million in 164 countries, ordered into 38 separate provinces.

In the good old days mandates, money and missionaries flowed from the traditional power base of London and, more recently, New York to their grateful recipients in the developing world.

In a nutshell, the flattening of hierarchical structures is a way to be as big as a dinosaur and as nimble as a cat at the same time. Consider a swarm of bees: it can effectively be an animal twenty feet wide, a hundred feet long, with a thousand eyes and sophisticated complex behavior--bigger and smarter than most dinosaurs--but it can turn on a dime (in several directions at once, no less!) and is unburdened by the metabolic overhead of a single huge body.

I want to prayerfully and carefully caution our new Anglican movement, let us not be complacent and reinvent the less effective structures of the past. We must be constantly vigilant against an all-too-human temptation to feel that ‘the past was good enough;’ to live in the continual ‘afterglow’ of the great acts of God in past decades. the rest

Anglican Unscripted Episode 24

2012-01-17T15:20:00.000-05:00

posted January 17, 2012

Ruth Miller Dague 9/20/23-1/16/12

2012-01-17T09:42:00.003-05:00

January 17, 2012

Raymond's Mom, Ruth Miller Dague, died yesterday. Raymond was blessed to have visited her in Milwaukee over the weekend and learned of her death while in Atlanta for a board meeting. Funeral services are pending. This is her WWII Navy picture-quite lovely!
-PD

Muslims Converting Empty European Churches into Mosques

2012-01-16T15:35:00.000-05:00

by Soeren Kern
January 16, 2012

Muslims in Europe are increasingly converting empty Christian churches into mosques.

The proliferation of mosques housed in former churches reflects the rise of Islam as the fastest growing religion in post-Christian Europe.

There are now more practicing Muslims than practicing Christians in many parts of Europe, not only in large urban centers, but also in smaller towns and cities across the continent.

As Islam replaces Christianity as the dominant religion in Europe, more and more churches are set to become mosques, which increasingly serve not only as religious institutions but also function as the foundational political building blocks for the establishment of separate, parallel Muslim communities in Europe that are based on Islamic Sharia law. the rest

In Germany as a whole, more than 400 Roman Catholic churches and more than 100 Protestant churches have been closed since 2000, according to one estimate. Another 700 Roman Catholic churches are slated to be closed over the next several years.

Muslim Extremists Strike at Christians in East African Isles

2012-01-16T15:18:00.000-05:00

January 15th, 2012
By Simba Tian

NAIROBI, Kenya (Compass Direct News) – Far from the world media’s gaze in remote islands off the eastern coast of Africa, church buildings are razed and Christians are ostracized and imprisoned for their faith.

On Tanzania’s island of Zanzibar, in one week-long stretch last month Muslim extremists destroyed two church buildings, Christian leaders said. The extremists torched the building of the Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship of Africa in Mtufani Mwera, about 12 kilometers (seven miles) from Zanzibar town, at 7 p.m. on Dec. 3, said Pastor Julius Makoho. Damages were estimated at 1.5 million Tanzania shillings (US$9,350).

“When I arrived at the scene of incident Sunday morning, I found that the church had been reduced to ashes, with bottles seen close by that could be petrol or paraffin that could have been used for the burning of the church building,” Pastor Makoho said.

As the assailants fled, said one church member who requested anonymity, “I heard them shouting, ‘We do not want a church in this area!’”

To date no arrests have being made. the rest

Texas Gives Women a Choice, Planned Parenthood Goes Apoplectic

2012-01-16T15:15:00.000-05:00

Steven Aden
Jan 15, 2012

The basic components of a choice are easiest understood as a selection of one option out of the two or more options that are presented at any given time. Often choices are simple: vanilla or rocky road, for example. But sometimes they are difficult, especially if the choice in view carries life-altering—and perhaps even life-ending—consequences. One thing, however, is for sure—when only one avenue or one side is presented there is no real choice to be made.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott understands this and also understands that Planned Parenthood hasn’t really been providing mothers in Texas with a choice when it comes to abortion. Therefore, he supported passage of a new law that requires doctors to show mothers a sonogram of their babies before aborting them. Once they see the child, they can make a real (informed) choice to allow Planned Parenthood to kill him or her. Or not, more than likely, since studies have shown that mothers who see their babies before making that decision overwhelmingly choose life.

This law—the Sonogram Bill—was immediately challenged in court upon its passage, and federal district court Judge Sam Sparks halted parts of the law’s implementation just two days before they would have gone into effect. In turn, Abbott appealed Sparks’ decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which reversed Sparks’ decision by declaring the law constitutional earlier this week. the rest

But not everyone was happy with the fact that Texas women now have a choice. Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, referred to the 5th Circuit’s ruling as “abhorrent.”

Strange isn’t it? The very organization which has framed the abortion argument around a woman’s “right to choose” is now repulsed by the fact that women have a choice.

It’s a girl: The three deadliest words in the world

2012-01-16T12:25:00.002-05:00

By Ram Mashru
Monday, 16 January 2012

It’s a girl, a film being released this year, documents the practice of killing unwanted baby girls in South Asia. The trailer’s most chilling scene is one with an Indian woman who, unable to contain her laughter, confesses to having killed eight infant daughters.

The statistics are sickening. The UN reports approximately 200 million girls in the world today are ‘missing’. India and China are said to eliminate more female infants than the number of girls born in the US each year. Lianyungang in China has the worst infant gender ratio on record with 163 boys born for every 100 girls. Taiwan, South Korea and Pakistan are also countries in which unwanted female babies are aborted, killed or abandoned.

Gendercide in South Asia takes many forms: baby girls are killed or abandoned if not aborted as foetuses. Girls that are not killed often suffer malnutrition and medical neglect as sons are favoured when shelter, medicine and food are scarce. Trafficking, dowry deaths, honour killings and deaths resulting from domestic violence are all further evils perpetrated against women. This femicide has led the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces to report in ‘Women in an Insecure World’ that a secret genocide is being carried out against women at a time when deaths resulting from armed conflicts have decreased.

The brutal irony of femicide is that it is an evil perpetrated against girls by women. The most insidious force is often the mother in law, the domestic matriarch, under whose authority the daughter in law lives. Policy efforts to halt infanticide have been directed at mothers, who are often victims themselves. The trailer shows tragic scenes of women having to decide between killing their daughters and their own well-being. In India women who fail to produce sons are beaten, raped or killed so that men can remarry in the hope of procuring a more productive wife. the rest

AU: Porn blamed for children's problem sexual behaviour

2012-01-16T12:06:00.001-05:00

Adrian Lowe
January 14, 2012

VICTORIAN children as young as five are being referred to specialist programs to address sexually abusive behaviour - and the number of minors exhibiting such behaviour is exploding.

The availability of pornography through portable devices drastically affects a child's understanding of acceptable sexual behaviour, according to experts, and is being blamed for the rapid escalation in cases. the rest

The Abolition of Gender

2012-01-16T12:04:00.000-05:00

January 15, 2012
By Fay Voshell

Excerpt:
It appears that the powerful group of leaders within the CTA wants to brainwash children into believing that gender neutrality (androgyny) is the new ideal for society.

Maybe our children will learn the new androgyny in ways similar to those being advocated in British Columbia, where a gender coach recently was videotaped earnestly assuring elementary schoolchildren that they can be any sex they choose. The video is found here.

What does all this madness, now being inserted into our public schools, mean?

Quite frankly, if our society accepts gender redefinition as a merely societal construct, it means the end of civilization as we know it -- not mere reformation or transformation, but the abolition of civilization itself.

The entire social construct of any given society is based on gender distinction -- man and woman. The differences in gender are the first and most essential ways in which human beings relate to one another: mother and father, husband and wife; brother and sister, aunt and uncle, daughter-in-law, brother-in law -- just to name a few.

The beginning of individuation is gender; the elimination of it ensures the destruction of individuality and absorption into an amorphous, indistinct communality.

Elimination of gender distinctions means entering a Brave New World in which everybody belongs to everybody else, and all belong to the state. It is to achieve the disappearance of the "other" that complements us. It is to attempt to absorb all of humanity into the All by eradication of distinctions. the rest

Focus on the Family TV Commercial: John 3:16

2012-01-16T11:06:00.001-05:00

Focus On The Family Unveils Tim Tebow-Inspired John 3:16 Ad

The virtual world is her parish

2012-01-16T11:03:00.001-05:00

By Jennifer Armitage
Jan. 13, 2012

When you look at Nicole McGlashen’s trendy photos on her Facebook page, you might not guess that she is a pastor. She is, indeed, a pastor, and her parish is in a virtual world of social media. As pastor of social media for Skyline Church (Wesleyan) located in San Diego, Calif., she is impacting scores of lives that she may never meet in person.

Social media is one of the rising ministries in The Wesleyan Church. Skyline is on the cutting edge of that ministry with a full time staff pastor specializing in missional outreach and discipleship online.

As a fellow colleague in social media outreach, I was interested in hearing more about Nicole’s thoughts on the church’s role in using social media for ministry.

What does your job as social media pastor consist of?
It is a very unique position, to say the least. And maybe it’s even a little weird. But we find ourselves in a weird time. Social settings are changing; relationship dynamics take place in spaces that are no longer limited to physical locations or in person interactions, so I basically try to meet people there. I meet and engage Skyliners and “friends” in the spaces of the internet, mainly through Facebook. I am responsible for maintaining Facebook, Twitter accounts for Skyline, in addition to facilitating an online small group.

You mentioned doing small groups online. What does that look like? Who is it for? Why does it work to connect with people?

Basically, the online small group is another “location” for one of the many Skyline small groups to gather on a weekly basis to discuss and process the chosen curriculum. I read the same assigned chapter the rest of the groups are going through and then compose a reflection/ discussion prompt on a blog I created for this very purpose. To maintain a consistent communication flow and accountability for the group, I e-mail the updated post to group members every week, and they can respond either on the blog or their Facebook group.

Many people think social media is causing disconnection between people. Why is it an effective medium ministry?
Sure, there are drawbacks to the medium. Yet they are some real positives. For one—if you are in any way an observant or nosey person like me—it’s not difficult to notice how a “friend” is really doing in life. Oddly enough, there is a high level of candor people are willing to display online. Now obviously this can pose some challenges, but yet it invites (if directed properly) a healthy transparency which furthers a deeper conversation of faith and the deeper meaning of everything.
the rest

Man’s Life Saved With Artificial Trachea Using Stem Cells

2012-01-16T10:59:00.001-05:00

by David Prentice, Ph.D.
1/16/12

A 30-year-old Baltimore man is now back home recuperating from surgery in Sweden that implanted an artificial trachea made with his own adult stem cells.

Christopher Lyles was diagnosed with inoperable tracheal cancer. He found Italian Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, who is a Visiting Professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, who has constructed and transplanted replacement tracheas, using the patient’s own bone marrow adult stem cells to build the new tissue. Lyles traveled to Sweden in November to have the surgery; he returned home this week with his new implanted trachea.

In a telephone interview, Lyles said he was “feeling good”, and “just thankful for a second chance at life.” He was looking forward to watching his 4-year-old daughter grow up.

“He went home in very good shape,” said Dr. Macchiarini. Macchiarini said that Mr. Lyles adult stem cells were placed onto the synthetic windpipe scaffold and grown in a bioreactor for two days, then transplanted into his body after removal of his tumorous trachea.
the rest

Church of England faces court battle by gay clergyman who claims he was blocked from becoming a bishop

2012-01-16T10:36:00.001-05:00

Church sources say the Very Rev Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans, believes he could sue officials under the Equality Act 2010
By Jonathan Petre
16th January 2012

A gay senior clergyman who claims he was blocked from becoming a bishop has threatened to take the Church of England to court.

Church sources say the Very Rev Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans, believes he could sue officials under the Equality Act 2010, which bans discrimination on the grounds of sexuality.

He has instructed a leading employment lawyer after being rejected for the role of Bishop of Southwark in 2010.

The dean is one of the most contentious figures in the church.

In 2003 he was forced to step down as Bishop of Reading by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams after it became known that he was in a gay, though celibate, relationship. the rest

Added: Jeffrey John 'likely to lose' sexuality lawsuit against Church of England

Christian community...

2012-01-15T21:16:00.006-05:00

Christian community is not an ideal that we must realize, but rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate. The more clearly we learn to recognize that the ground and strength and promise of all our community is in Jesus Christ alone, the more calmly shall we think of our community and pray and hope for it. ...Dietrich Bonhoeffer image by James Thompson

Site of Hindu Attacks on Christians Sees Conversions

2012-01-15T20:30:00.000-05:00

Many of those who persecuted Christians in India are themselves becoming Christian. Kandhamal proves Tertullian right.
by ANTO AKKARA
01/13/2012

GADRAGAM, India — Two dozen Christians were dancing excitedly to the tune of Christian hymns on New Year’s Day at Gadragam village in the Indian state of Orissa.

That may not be a surprise, considering the red-letter day. But this is the Kandhamal jungles of eastern Orissa state, where just a few years ago, fundamentalist Hindus let loose a severe attack on their Christian neighbors, taking the lives of more than 100 people.

Plus, the rejoicing was in front of the remains of a burnt-out house in which a disabled Christian youth had been burned to death during the widespread violence.

“Our people are no longer afraid; they are ready to profess their faith boldly,” exclaimed Rabindra Pradhan, elder brother of 28-year-old Rasanand Pradhan, who was torched alive in his house during the orchestrated anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal.

“The martyrdom of my brother has not gone in vain. Half a dozen Hindu families are now regularly attending our worship,” pointed out the retired Indian soldier. the rest

The unfaltering witness of the Christians in Kandhamal, with many of them harboring no ill will towards their tormentors, Father Pradhan said, has touched the hearts of hundreds of Hindus.

Doctors Recommended Football Star Tim Tebow Be Aborted

2012-01-15T20:15:00.001-05:00

by Randy Alcorn
1/13/12

Excerpt:
In 1985, the Tebow family, with four children, was living in the Philippines as missionaries. Pam Tebow contracted amoebic dysentery, likely from contaminated drinking water. She fell into a coma and received strong drugs to combat the infection.

It turned out she was pregnant with her fifth child. Those drugs caused the placenta to detach from the uterine wall, depriving the fetus—which I prefer to call the child—of oxygen.

When it was realized that she was pregnant, doctors stopped the drugs but said that the high doses of medicine had already damaged the fetus (you don’t call him or her a baby when you want him aborted, but in fact that “product of conception” was Timmy Tebow, the same person who is now just older and bigger).

The doctors believed there was danger to Pam and that the baby would not survive, or if he did, would have very serious problems.

His parents went to the best doctor in their area of the Philippines. The doctor told his mother in a slow monotone that “An abortion is the only way to save your life.” the rest

Stop anti-Tebow knee-jerk reaction

Neat photo!

Lawyers Join Forces to Create Formidable Organization

2012-01-15T19:45:00.000-05:00

posted January 15, 2012

Having collaborated for over four years on many high-profile cases, attorneys David Yerushalmi and Robert J. Muise have decided to formalize their working relationship by together launching the American Freedom Law Center (AFLC). Yerushalmi, an orthodox Jew, and Muise, an orthodox Catholic, describe AFLC as the Nation’s first truly authentic Judeo-Christian, public interest law firm.

According to Yerushalmi and Muise, they formed AFLC because they share the firm conviction that the strength of our Nation lies in its commitment to a Judeo-Christian heritage and moral foundation and to an enduring faith and trust in God and His Providence. This intersection between our Judeo-Christian values and the preservation and security of our Nation has garnered the interest and support from several prominent leaders, including former CIA Director R. James Woolsey; former Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan and current President of the Center for Security Policy Frank Gaffney; Notre Dame law professor Charles Rice; former Inspector General for the Department of Defense Joseph Schmitz; and former Assistant U.S. Attorney and current contributing editor to National Review Andy McCarthy, all of whom will be serving on the AFLC advisory board.

Through AFLC, Yerushalmi and Muise seek a return to what they describe as “America’s founding commitment to receive God’s continued blessing for America.” Yerushalmi commented, “AFLC will fight for faith and freedom by advancing and defending America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and moral foundation through litigation, education, and public policy programs. Fighting for our Judeo-Christian values is more than simply defending religious liberty; it is fighting for the very survival of our Nation.” He added, “Throughout history, great nations have fallen from within. Make no mistake, America is a blessed Nation, but only so long as it remains faithful to the Judeo-Christian values upon which it was founded.” the rest

India: Islamic court charges Anglican and Catholic with prosyletism

2012-01-15T19:40:00.000-05:00

Final sentence within days. Grand Mufti of the region claims the two men are guilty of forced conversions. Rev. Khanna: "I fear for my life." John Dayal of the All Indian Christian Council (AICC): "Islamic Court has no authority, India is a secular and democratic state".
Friday, January 13, 2012

"I fear for my life. I am in danger”, is the cry of alarm launched by Rev. CM Khanna,...pastor of All Saints Anglican Church to AsiaNews after he was indicted by a Islamic court in Kashmir for proselytism and forced conversions to Christianity. With him, the Shariah court (which has no legal authority in the State, ed) has also indicted Fr. Jim Borst, a Catholic priest from The Netherland and a Mill Hill missionary on the same charges. The Grand Mufti Muhammad Nasir region-ul-Islam said that the court will announce the sentence "as soon as possible."

In November 2011, the Islamic court had summoned the Rev. Khanna, charging him with having led 7 young Muslims to baptism in exchange for money. To these accusations - always strongly rejected by the pastor and the converted themselves – led to the man being arrested and only released after a week. A similar fate for Fr. Jim Borst: the missionary had to respond to allegations of proselytizing before the Shariah court of Kashmir state in which he has lived for 49 years. the rest

A.S. Haley: Full Analysis of the Virginia Decision

2012-01-15T19:33:00.001-05:00

Once Burned, Twice Shy: the Cautious Jurisprudence of Judge Randy Bellows
January 14, 2011

Excerpt:
But once Judge Bellows placed the Episcopal Church (USA) into the "hierarchical" category, the result under Virginia law and precedent followed, as the night follows the day. And it is not right, under our First Amendment, that there should be such a profound dichotomy in our religious jurisprudence. The States (and the federal Government itself) are forbidden from establishing any Church. That means they cannot favor any one church over another -- but that is exactly what the courts do when they call a church "hierarchical", and then allow it to circumvent all manner of civil property law and recorded notice.

The irony is that the distinction was introduced in the first place as a means of keeping the courts from getting too involved in the internal polity of churches -- by way of respecting the restrictions imposed through the First Amendment! But the distinction has now been carried way too far to the other extreme, so that the courts have erected a privileged class of religious litigants who are able to control real property in a way that no other citizen can. The consent necessary for such an arrangement has to be implied, because it is rarely express or explicit. And to imply such an all-yielding consent requires judges to fill up a hundred pages with minute details of every sort, just to make it appear as though there really is some substance there -- that by using ECUSA's Hymnal and Prayer Book, and by putting a sign out front that they are an "Episcopal" church, the parishes in question really did mean to surrender final control of all of their property and bank accounts to outside entities who do nothing to sustain that property.

Not only that, but the consent thus "implied" has to be taken to cover even the case where neither the Diocese nor the national Church has any use for the properties, except to turn them into cash and prevent their continuing use for purposes of worship.

Passing national canons in General Convention does not excuse the bishops from their fiduciary duty to advise and warn parishioners constantly and in advance of the consequences of giving money to their local church. For as Bishop O'Neill of Colorado famously testified in court there, "No one expects church members to know about the canons." It is up to the Bishops to see to it that every parish is made fully aware of the consequences of belonging to ECUSA, and they have failed miserably to do that. And for that very reason, we have the spectacle of the shock and surprise that comes after contributing millions and millions of dollars -- only to be told that what you were supporting really belonged to distant authorities who would never be able to put your good works to the use that you did, for so long.
the rest

Hosanna in the Highest!

2012-01-13T14:01:00.000-05:00

In a recent decision, the Supreme Court has held that the First Amendment provides additional and independent rights to religious organizations, beyond those to which non-religious groups are entitled.
by Michael Stokes Paulsen
January 13, 2012

Excerpt:
The decision in Hosanna-Tabor is an occasion for celebration, for dancing in the streets (or, for some Baptists, simply praising the Lord). Essentially everything the Court said was right. And every right thing it said is important—a point brought home by considering the consequences if the Court had ruled the opposite way, as the Obama administration had urged and as many feared possible.

Consider for a moment, point by point, what makes Hosanna-Tabor so praiseworthy:

First, the Court specifically grounded the so-called “ministerial exception” to employment discrimination laws in an affirmative First Amendment constitutional right of religious organizations to select their own faith leaders and exemplars, free of government interference. The “ministerial exception” originated in a series of lower court decisions, beginning forty years ago, reading into federal anti-discrimination employment statutes an implied exception for a church’s hiring (and firing) of ministers. The exception had the feel of judge-made law, carving out of the law as written an unwritten escape hatch (of indeterminate breadth) for churches and synagogues. The lower courts then struggled with how to apply an unwritten statutory exception, creating all the problems, in principle and practice, common to legal rules seemingly made up by judges as they go along, in disregard of the text.

Hosanna-Tabor was the Supreme Court’s first case involving the “ministerial exception.” The justices might have chosen to embrace the exception on a more namby-pamby, “we-construe-the-statute-in-such-a-way-as-to-avoid-the-possibility-of-its-creating-constitutional-difficulties” approach—not exactly embracing a constitutional rule but adopting an awkward rule of interpreting statutes in such a way as to avoid possible constitutional problems. (The Court has done this a fair bit, including in the religious freedom context.) Chief Justice Roberts’s opinion would have none of that: the right embraced in Hosanna-Tabor is a First Amendment constitutional right.

This right is not a judge-made interpolation into a statute; it is not a rule of construction; it is not an avoidance of deciding a constitutional question. It is a right supplied “by the text of the Constitution itself.” Hosanna-Tabor is a constitutional holding that where the Constitution supplies one rule (here, that religious groups have the right to hire and fire, free from government interference, those who personify and represent their faith communities, as an aspect of the free exercise of religion) and a statute supplies a contrary rule (that government generally may regulate employment practices, for example, to forbid practices it considers discriminatory), the Constitution’s rule trumps the statute’s. This is straight, old-fashioned, Marbury v. Madison-style judicial review: the Constitution is law and prevails over inconsistent statutes, to whatever the extent of the inconsistency. There is nothing judge-made, narrow, ad hoc, or uncertain about this. Hosanna-Tabor is a rule of First Amendment constitutional law.

Second, the rule that Hosanna-Tabor embraces is a broad, principled rule of First Amendment constitutional law. the rest

Children 'dumped in streets by Greek parents who can't afford to look after them any more'

2012-01-13T12:57:00.000-05:00

Youngsters abandoned as parents struggle-4-year-old found clutching note: 'I can't afford her'
-Country also running out of medicine
-Aspirin stocks low as austerity measures bite
By Lee Moran
11th January 2012

Children are being abandoned on Greece's streets by their poverty-stricken families who cannot afford to look after them any more.

Youngsters are being dumped by their parents who are struggling to make ends meet in what is fast becoming the most tragic human consequence of the Euro crisis.

It comes as pharmacists revealed the country had almost run out of aspirin, as multi-billion euro austerity measures filter their way through society. the rest

Update on Tourette-Like Illness in Leroy

2012-01-13T10:15:00.000-05:00

Jan 12, 2012
by Matt Pitts

LEROY, NY -- Administrators in the Leroy Central School District updated parents and students about a mysterious disorder that's affected twelve female high school students, causing them to exhibit symptoms similar to Tourette Syndrome.

Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder defined by involuntary motor and vocal tics.

Wednesday night, administrators said all 12 students have been diagnosed and are being treated. They are not releasing causes due to HIPAA laws. They said they found similarities among some cases but wouldn't elaborate. the rest

Crow roof tubing

2012-01-13T08:44:00.000-05:00

Fundamentally Freund: Who’s afraid of Tim Tebow?

2012-01-12T08:42:00.002-05:00

8 New York Giants football players knelt down on one knee, bowed their heads, and offered a silent prayer.
By MICHAEL FREUND
01/11/2012

Excerpt:
WATCHING THE Giants kneel filled me with a sense of awe. What humility! Surrounded by 80,000 screaming admirers, with millions more watching on television, these grandees of the gridiron had no qualms about engaging in a public act of such profound self-effacement.

Like anyone about to undertake a monumental and daunting task, they sought solace in spirituality, acknowledging that we humans ultimately owe everything to the Head Coach in heaven.

At a time when society so badly lacks positive role models, it is refreshing to see some of America’s top athletes setting such an excellent example for the countless number of kids who look up to them.

Indeed, as Jews, we should welcome and encourage this development because it can only help to restore a healthy sense of perspective, one that can serve to counterbalance the West’s increasingly materialistic mores.

But not everyone, it seems, shares this point of view.

Last month, the New York Jewish Week ran a vile and hateful column by one Rabbi Joshua Hammerman entitled “My problem with Tim Tebow.”

Hammerman had the gall to claim that should Tebow lead his team to the championship, it could incite people to torch mosques and attack gays.

Yes, you read that correctly. the rest-awesome!

Tebow Makes Kids’ W15Hes Come True

Added Jan. 13, 2012:
Thank You, God, for Tim Tebow
WASHINGTON -- I have officially called off my boycott of the National Football League (NFL). I do not care how many felons or frotteurs play the game. Now there is Tim Tebow to redeem it. He can pass and run. He inspires his teammates. He inspires many returning fans like me. I shall follow him through the playoffs and maybe even next year as the season resumes anew. He is an American original -- and he is controversial. I am for him....

Best hands-free page turner ever!

2012-01-11T21:02:00.000-05:00

IRD: Episcopal Property Ruling a Pyrrhic Victory

2012-01-11T16:38:00.000-05:00

Washington
Jan. 11, 2012

Christian Newswire/ -- On January 10, Judge Randy Bellows of the Fairfax County Circuit Court ruled in favor of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia in a lawsuit against parishes that have departed the U.S.-based church. The court ordered that all property subject to its ruling be turned over to the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.

A majority of members in the seven Anglican churches in 2006-2007 voted to sever their ties to the Episcopal Church and the diocese following disputes over the redefinition and reinterpretation of Scripture. They included some of the diocese's largest and fastest growing churches.

The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia has drawn from a line of credit to fund litigation, expecting to sell some properties following a favorable court ruling. According to self-reported statistics, the diocese has lost 26 percent of its attendance in the past decade and has ceased planting new churches, despite significant population growth in Virginia.

The 1.9 million-member Episcopal Church is engaged in ongoing litigation against departing parishes and dioceses across the country. Denominational officials maintain that parishes are not free to depart the church and that internal church rules enacted in the 1970s mandate that all local property is held in trust for the diocese and denomination. the rest

+Minns: Reflections on the Judgment Against the VA-7

2012-01-11T14:46:00.003-05:00

Reflections on the judgment against the seven CANA congregations in Virginia by the Rt. Rev'd Martyn Minns, Missionary Bishop of CANA and former Rector of Truro Church

01-11-12

Dear Friends,

The judgment against the seven churches came as a great disappointment to me especially in light of earlier rulings. We all know that Christ's church is built in the hearts of men, women, and children - not in stones, bricks and mortar no matter how historical, beautiful, or valuable. But there are so many personal connections to the buildings that will likely be disrupted by the potential loss of these properties: baptisms performed, marriages celebrated, and funerals remembered. It will be painful and yet we have the assurance that God will not leave us comfortless and we also know that the decision that we all made to stand for Christ and the trustworthiness of the Scriptures will be vindicated. The future of each of the churches is bright and secure because the cornerstone is Jesus Christ and He will have the victory.

Be assured of our love and prayers during these coming days,
+Martyn Found here

Anglican Perspective: Reconciliation

2012-01-11T14:40:00.000-05:00

Rev. Canon Phil Ashey
January 11, 2012

Supreme Court sides with church on decision to fire employee on religious grounds

2012-01-11T13:24:00.001-05:00

January 11, 2012
FoxNews.com

The Supreme Court has sided unanimously with a church sued for firing an employee on religious grounds, issuing an opinion on Wednesday that religious employers can keep the government out of hiring and firing decisions.

In the case of Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC, Cheryl Perich, a "called" teacher, argued that the Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School of Redford, Mich., had discriminated against her under the Americans With Disabilities Act by refusing to reinstate her to her job after she took leave for narcolepsy.

But the high court found that Perich's was properly classified as a "minister," meaning she falls within the "ministerial exemption" from many employment laws.

"Because Perich was a minister within the meaning of the exception, the First Amendment requires dismissal of this employment discrimination suit against her religious employer," reads the ruling written by Chief Justice John Roberts. "The EEOC and Perich originally sought an order reinstating Perich to her former position as a called teacher. By requiring the Church to accept a minister it did not want, such an order would have plainly violated the Church's freedom under the Religion Clauses to select its own ministers. ...

"The exception ... ensures that the authority to select and control who will minister to the faithful is the church's alone," the ruling reads.
the rest

Reuters: US Supreme Court: ministers can't sue churches for job discrimination‎

Episcopal Abandonment

2012-01-11T13:20:00.003-05:00

By Charlotte Hays
January 11, 2012

I am sorry to say that I can’t share my friend Phil Terzian’s pleasure that a court in Virginia has ruled that the Episcopal Church can reclaim property from a so-called breakaway Anglican group.

Phil says: “If people want to abandon the Episcopal Church, they are free to do so; but they cannot take historic Church property with them, or deprive Episcopalians of their parish homes.”

But who has abandoned the Episcopal Church? I would argue that the real abandoners of the Episcopal Church more rightly include those who have kept the miters and want to keep the property but have ditched all semblance of doctrine.

Of course, the Episcopal Church always had a certain latitude regarding faith and morals (good taste, not so much), but sadly it has become in many ways a post-Christian institution. This was most recently and outlandishly manifested in the first sermon given by the Rt. Rev. Marianne Budde in her capacity as spiritual leader of Episcopalians in the nation’s capitol. The bishop took as her text a poem by New Age poet David Whyte and referred to “Jesus and all of the great spiritual masters before and after him.”

Long ago, back when I was an Episcopalian, Christ was the Son of God, which ranks even higher than a “great spiritual master.” I have many dear friends like Phil who are hanging in there with the Episcopal Church, and I don’t want to offend them. I know the love that the Episcopal Church inspired in all of us. I will always be grateful that my parents — the two least literary people you’d ever meet — gave me the gift of hearing Thomas Cranmer’s English as a living thing.

But I am willing to bet that the people buried in historic cemeteries on Episcopal Church property would hardly recognize what their church has become. They might even hope that those who stand for the Church’s historic character be allowed to have the historic properties.

Of course, property is a matter of law, not sentiment. I am only sorry that the Episcopal Church has decided to spend so much money suing for property. I wish the church as a whole would follow the path of the Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence, the highly orthodox bishop in South Carolina who has sent quitclaim deeds to all the churches in his diocese. That way parishes get decide about the property — in all likelihood bought and endowed by their ancestors — rather than Episcopal HQ in New York. the rest

Praying for the Virginia churches!

2012-01-11T08:46:00.000-05:00

Psalm 25

In you, LORD my God,

I put my trust.

I trust in you;

do not let me be put to shame,

nor let my enemies triumph over me.

No one who hopes in you

will ever be put to shame,

but shame will come on those

who are treacherous without cause.

Show me your ways, LORD,

teach me your paths.

Guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long.

Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,

for they are from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth

and my rebellious ways;

according to your love remember me,

for you, LORD, are good.

Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

He guides the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful

toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

For the sake of your name, LORD,

forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Who, then, are those who fear the LORD?

He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.

They will spend their days in prosperity,

and their descendants will inherit the land.

The LORD confides in those who fear him;

he makes his covenant known to them.

My eyes are ever on the LORD,

for only he will release my feet from the snare.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

Relieve the troubles of my heart

and free me from my anguish.

Look on my affliction and my distress

and take away all my sins.

See how numerous are my enemies

and how fiercely they hate me!

Guard my life and rescue me;

do not let me be put to shame,

for I take refuge in you.

May integrity and uprightness protect me,

because my hope, LORD, is in you.

Deliver Israel, O God,

from all their troubles!

God of our life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies grey and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage. Flood the path with light, run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to Your honour and glory. ...Augustine image

Episcopal Presiding Bishop Spins Church and Its Future

2012-01-11T08:16:00.000-05:00

The following interview with Katharine Jefferts Schori took place on Lutheran Public Radio with Issues, Etc. hosted by Todd Wilkens
By David W. Virtue
January 10, 2012

Audio

Excerpt:
WILKEN: What do you see the central message of Scripture is, Bishop?

JEFFERTS SCHORI: Love God and love your neighbor.

VOL: One wonders if that applies to Archbishops Bob Duncan, Rowan Williams or Nicholas Okoh. Talk is cheap.

WILKEN: I think that the central message is: of man's sin ...his fallen condition - alienation from God, thereby loss of the image of God, thereby... And it's complete restoration in the Incarnation ... the perfect life -- sinless life ... death and resurrection ... the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And I think that is the central thread of Scripture. Am I wrong?

JEFFERTS SCHORI: I think that is a piece of it. But clearly God is at work communities and contexts beyond the Christian one. If you see that as the primary thrust of the Jewish Scripture I think that is a misreading. Certainly the Jews are understood as "Chosen People" in our Biblical texts. God is clearly at work in all of creation and part of our task as Christians is to discern and affirm at where we find God at work beyond our comfortable places.

VOL: In other words Christianity is not exclusively the way to the Father there are other pathways - Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu. The Presiding Bishop is on record saying she would never seek to convert a Muslim to Christ as their pathway to God is just as valid as her pathway, which, presumably, is still Christian. She also publicly denied the need for personal salvation.

WILKEN: The passage that I guess I go to repeatedly in taking that position is to Jesus, Himself, where He says: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6] Jesus is claiming to be the ONLY revelation of God; the ONLY revelation of the sacred in His Incarnation; and most certainly, the ONLY way to the True God. What are your thoughts there?

JEFFERTS SCHORI: He also says in another place [John 10:16] that He has flocks, that He is called to care for flocks - sheep that aren't already in a particular fold, and that He has words of truth for them as well.

WILKEN: So what do you think He is referring to there, specifically?

JEFFERTS SCHORI: I think He is referring to people beyond our comfort zone.

WILKEN: Beyond Christianity?

JEFFERTS SCHORI: Could be...

WILKEN: Well, do you think it is beyond Christianity?

JEFFERTS SCHORI: I think the work of Jesus has changed reality for all human beings whether they acknowledge themselves Christians or not.

Full transcript and commentary at Virtueonline

Press release: VA Anglicans Remain Prayerful Amid Church Property Ruling

2012-01-11T08:01:00.001-05:00

Jan 10, 2012

Seven Anglican congregations in Virginia that are parties to the church property case brought by The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia are reviewing today’s ruling by the Fairfax County Circuit Court that the property should be turned over to the Episcopal Diocese.

The Circuit Court heard the case last spring after the Virginia Supreme Court remanded it in June 2010. The congregations previously had succeeded in their efforts on the Circuit Court level to defend the property that they bought and paid for.

“Although we are profoundly disappointed by today’s decision, we offer our gratitude to Judge Bellows for his review of this case. As we prayerfully consider our legal options, we above all remain steadfast in our effort to defend the historic Christian faith. Regardless of today’s ruling, we are confident that God is in control, and that He will continue to guide our path,” said Jim Oakes, spokesperson for the seven Anglican congregations.

The Rev. John Yates, rector of The Falls Church, a historic property involved in the case, stated, “The core issue for us is not physical property, but theological and moral truth and the intellectual integrity of faith in the modern world. Wherever we worship, we remain Anglicans because we cannot compromise our historic faith. Like our spiritual forebears in the Reformation, ‘Here we stand. So help us God. We can do no other.’”

The seven Anglican congregations are members of the newly established Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic, a member diocese within the Anglican Church in North America. Bishop John Guernsey of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic has expressed to leaders of the seven congregations, “Our trust is in the Lord who is ever faithful. He is in control and He will enable you to carry forward your mission for the glory of Jesus Christ and the extension of His Kingdom. Know that your brothers and sisters in Christ continue to stand with you and pray for you.” Here

Court Rules for Diocese of Virginia Vs. Breakaway Group on Church Properties

2012-01-11T07:59:00.003-05:00

By Nicholas F. Benton
Tuesday, January 10 2012

Tuesday night, the Fairfax Circuit Court issued its ruling in favor of the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church in litigation seeking to recover Episcopal church property, according to a report from the Diocese of Virginia. "Our goal throughout this litigation has been to return faithful Episcopalians to their church homes and Episcopal properties to the mission of the Church," said the Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, bishop of Virginia.

The court ruled that the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia have "a contractual and proprietary interest" in each of the properties subject to the litigation. The court ordered that all property subject to its ruling be turned over to the Diocese. the rest

Ruling-pdf

A.S. Haley: Fairfax Circuit Court Awards Parish Properties to Episcopal Diocese
...The opinion is remarkable for its exhaustive consideration of every possible Virginia statute and previous case (including an unreported one) that could bear on the issues at stake. Along the way, it notably holds that the Dennis Canon (and its local diocesan equivalent) were ineffective per se to create a trust interest in favor of the diocese or national Church. But the bulk of the opinion appears (on a very quick first read) to be devoted to arriving at the same result (i.e., as if the Dennis Canon and its local equivalent had established a trust) by other means. It reaches its conclusion in favor of ECUSA and its diocese by drawing upon a minutely detailed analysis of the course of conduct between the parishes in question and the former entities over more than a hundred years (and in the case of Falls Church and a few others, for many more years than that -- but in the case of the Church of the Epiphany, on a course of conduct extending for just the first twenty of the last twenty-four years).

In doing so, however, the court ends up equating what it terms a "proprietary and contractual interest" of the diocese in individual parish property to the functional legal equivalent of an express or implied trust in favor of the diocese (and the national Church). And since it recognizes that Virginia law does not allow express or implied trusts in favor of denominations, the marvel is that Judge Bellows can still conclude, by drawing heavily upon his interpretation of a Virginia statute (§ 57-16.1), that the parishes effectively controlled their own properties only for so long as they remained constituent member of the Episcopal Church (USA) -- which is exactly what the Dennis Canon states, in haec verba.

The result is a carefully-crafted holding that appears (at first blush, at any rate) to be insulated against any federal constitutional grounds for overturning it -- unless it can be argued that the "proprietary and contractual interest" which the court found to be decisive is simply the inherent byproduct of being affiliated with what the Virginia Supreme Court already deemed (without any distinctions) to be a "hierarchical church." If that is the net effect of this decision, one has to wonder whether or not Judge Bellows has given the Episcopal Church (USA) an unassailable preference by the back door, and so thereby "established" it as a specially preferred type of church for purposes of resolving property disputes, in violation of the First Amendment.

It will take some time to analyze the opinion more carefully, because Judge Bellows is nothing if not painstaking and thorough. I also have to prepare for a court proceeding of my own tomorrow, and so it may be a day or two before I can publish a full assessment and analysis. Baby Blue has more background and first-person reportage at this post.

Comments at Stand Firm

Added:
Washington Post: Va. judge rules against conservative churches in property case
A Virginia judge has ruled against seven conservative congregations that broke away from the Episcopal Church in 2006. The decision rejected the congregations’ arguments that tens of millions of dollars of historic real estate should be theirs because their members stayed true to the Bible...

Be free, simple, a child....

2012-01-10T23:04:00.001-05:00

Be free,... simple, a child. But be a sturdy child, who fears nothing, who speaks out frankly, who lets himself be led, who is carried in the arms; in a word, one who knows nothing, can do nothing, can anticipate and change nothing, but who has a freedom and a strength forbidden to the great. This childhood baffles the wise, and God Himself speaks by the mouth of such children. ...Francois Fenelon image by Nisha A.

Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood protects churches for Coptic Christmas

2012-01-10T22:05:00.001-05:00

by Jayson Casper
10th January 2012

The Coptic Orthodox Church and the Muslim Brotherhood celebrated Christmas together in churches throughout Egypt on Saturday, in a display of national unity.

Christmas, celebrated in Egypt on January 7, has in recent years been a holiday of sorrow and worry, with attacks on churches and an intensifying politics of religious identity.

Many Copts are fearful over a parliament dominated by Islamists, who are poised to claim around 75% of the seats following a third round of elections.

Two Christmasses ago a church in the town of Nag Hamadi witnessed a drive-by shooting that killed six Christians exiting mass.

A church in Alexandria was bombed last New Year’s Eve, killing twenty-three.

Yet this year, Christmas passed off without violence, in a show of national unity by both church and Brotherhood. the rest

Non-citizen Voting in Connecticut

2012-01-10T22:04:00.000-05:00

January 10, 2012
By Jon N. Hall

The Mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, John DeStefano, a Democrat, wants to let non-citizens vote in city elections. One might ask the good mayor if he also thinks it OK for non-citizens to run for city offices, too -- like for mayor. According to a news story in New Haven Register, Pat O'Neill, spokesman for the state GOP House Republicans, asked when told of DeStefano's proposal: "When are they going to extend voting rights to the dead?"

One inconvenient little snag for Mr. DeStefano's expansion of the franchise is the Constitution of the State of Connecticut, which stipulates in Article 6, Section 1 that voters must be U.S. citizens. One might think that in requiring citizenship to vote, Connecticut's Constitution is merely reaffirming the U.S. Constitution. But there is no such requirement in the original Constitution, nor is there even an instance of the word "citizen" in the Bill of Rights. Indeed, in all of the U.S. Constitution (including the other amendments), it is not explicitly stated that to vote in America, one must be a citizen.

The U.S. Constitution leaves eligibility requirements for voting to the states. Some states, for example, don't allow incarcerated felons to vote. So, could the states amend their constitutions and strike down the citizenship requirement for voting? the rest

Nigeria: Muslim sect kills 2 Christians

2012-01-10T13:51:00.000-05:00

posted January 10, 2012

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's army says suspected members of a radical Muslim sect have killed two Christians in separate attacks despite an increased security presence in the area.

Col. Victor Ebhaleme said Boko Haram gunmen attacked two Christian homes Monday evening in back-to-back attacks in the northeastern city of Maiduguri.

At least 54 people have been killed in recent days by Boko Haram, according to an Associated Press count. the rest

Boko Haram Members in Nigerian Government

No worst thing ever done in the name of Christianity...

2012-01-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

No worst thing ever done in the name of Christianity, no vilest corruption of the Church, can destroy the eternal fact that the core of it is the heart of Jesus. Branches innumerable may have to be lopped off and cast into the fire, yet the word “I am the Vine” remaineth. ...George MacDonald image

A.S. Haley: The Republican Nomination Process in 2012

2012-01-09T11:01:00.000-05:00

January 8, 2012

Today I start a new category of posts: "Election 2012." Although this is not a political blog, part of its leavening consists of commentary on the contemporary scene -- and that certainly includes politics. And since this will be a decisive election year for our country, I will do my small part to illuminate the various forces which are at work even now, eleven months ahead of the election, to shape our future.

Some disclosures at the outset: I am registered with neither major political party, but vote as an Independent. That being said, I am very much against allowing Barack Obama another four years in which to wreak his particular brand of havoc more than he has already.

As for the current crop of Republican candidates, I have to say I am not yet enthusiastic about any of them. At the same time, one of my most strongly held beliefs is that January or February is way too early to settle upon a candidate who will oppose Obama in November.

To do so simply plays into the media's hands. For make no mistake, the media is desperate to control the outcome of the forthcoming election. And the sooner the Republicans pick a candidate, the sooner the media can send out their legions to pry into every nook and cranny of his or her life -- in a manner they have never inflicted upon Barack Obama -- and never will. That is the scandal of the present-day hacks who populate the "media" in this country. the rest

Anglican Unscripted Episode 23

2012-01-09T10:59:00.000-05:00

January 9, 2012

Kevin and George deliver news and commentary on apossible civil war in Nigeria and the latest news (andcommentary) from PEAR and the Anglican Mission inAmerica. Allan Haley talks about last years news andthe good news of 2012. oh... and then there is thattattoo story....

Extremists ‘infiltrating’ Christian groups in India

2012-01-09T08:32:00.000-05:00

Monday, January 9, 2012

Islamic and Hindu extremists in India are reportedly posing as Christians to obtain information about them and pass it on to radical groups.

The Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) said in a report to the Fides news agency that the radicals have infiltrated churches and Christian NGOs.

They are gathering information about church property and members of the Christian communities, including conversions and baptisms.

The CSF believes the information is being passed on to extremist political parties and terrorist organisations to be used against Christians.

Although Christians in most parts of India enjoy religious freedom, there are pockets in the country, most notably Orissa, where Christians are being targeted by radicals. the rest