Current Events

[thecountrydoc]

Bishop: Radical Islam emerging in England


A leading authority in the Church of England said the declining influence of Christianity in England opened the door for the emergence of radical Islam.

Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali said in the political magazine Standpoint the lack of Christian ideals in England created a "moral and spiritual vacuum" that radical Islam seeks to fill, The Telegraph said.

He claims political and church leaders aren't embracing traditional Christian values.

"We are now confronted by another equally serious ideology, that of radical Islamism, which also claims to be comprehensive in scope," Nazir-Ali writes.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 05/29/2008

 

[honorthesabbath]

Well Doc, this is not surprising when we realize which church and it's daughters dominated the European continent for the past 2,000 years.

With no true biblical teachings and understanding of the character of God and His government, what defenses would people have against such added heresies as Islam?

Israel was no different. When the truths of God would be trampled underfoot, then they would immediately turn to the pagan religions around them.

There is nothing new under the sun.

 

[thecountrydoc]

Church of England blasts gov't secularism


The Church of England claims the British government lacks a strong moral direction, discriminates against Christians and favors Islam in its actions.

A report endorsed by the Archbishop of Canterbury says the governments of Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have presided over an era of "deep religious illiteracy" that has allowed discrimination against Christian faiths take hold, The Times of London reported Saturday.

The report calls for the establishment of a "minister for religion" who could act as a liaison between all levels of government and religious groups and brings into focus the extent to which the Church of England feels betrayed by the secular policies of a government that emphasizes notions of equality among all religions.

"The government has focused so intensely on minority faiths that it has failed to develop a coherent evidence base for the largest religious body in the U.K., the Christian church," the report states, adding, "The government is planning blind and failing parts of civil society. The government has good intentions, but is moral without a compass."

Among the recommendations in the report is a call to fund research on what roles "theology" and "spirituality" play in charity.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/09/2008
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YBIC,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Catholic agency to defy gay rights law


A Roman Catholic adoption agency says it will not comply with the British government's controversial gay equality laws.

The Westminster Catholic Children's Society, headed by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, will ignore new rules that require it to place children with same-sex couples, The Daily Mail reported Sunday.

The Westminster Society says it will continue its policy of placing children only with married heterosexuals and single people.

The adoption agency's advisers say they have found a legal loophole that could allow the agency to remain open and adhere to church beliefs against homosexuality.

The agency has been advised by lawyers that if it amended its by-laws to refer directly to married heterosexual couples, it could comply with the Sexual Orientation Regulations, which take effect next year.

The new rules are intended to end discrimination against gays by businesses.

"I fully support the decision of the trustees in their endeavors to continue the valuable work of the Society," the cardinal said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/09/2008
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YBIC,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Police: Prayer books used as toilet paper


Police investigating loud partying in Haifa, Israel, said Sunday they found an anti-Semitic nest in which pages of a prayer book were used as toilet paper.

Six suspects between the ages of 18 and 20, described as recent immigrants from Russia, were arrested and brought to court for questioning Sunday. Police said they were discovered in an apartment containing the defiled prayer books as well as swastikas and hate slogans, the Israeli Web site Ynetnews.com reported.

Authorities told the Web site they were investigating the possibility the suspects could be responsible for a recent upsurge in the amount of swastikas and malicious graffiti appearing in certain Haifa neighborhoods.

"The sight they saw was not an easy one," Haifa Police Chief Dudu Ben-Atiya said. "The police found pages from a prayer book ripped out and used as toilet paper. In addition, evidence was found connecting the suspects in one way or another to a demonic cult or to some kind of organization."

All six suspects are denying the charges, Ynetnews.com said, adding that police plan to request to extend the suspects' detention.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/09/2008
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YBIC,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Southern Baptists worry about future


INDIANAPOLIS (UPI) -- After decades of growth, declining numbers are concerning Southern Baptists as they gather in Indianapolis for their annual convention.

Membership was down slightly last year and, even more troubling to church leaders, the number of baptism conversion rituals also has declined. In 2007, Southern Baptist churches performed just 345,941 baptisms, down 12 percent from 2002 and 22 percent from 1972, The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., reported Monday.

"We have peaked," Southern Baptist statistician Ed Stetzer has written. "... For now, Southern Baptists are a denomination in decline."

Some observers blame the downturn on doctrinal divisions that led to a conservative shift in the denomination. Others blame a lack of enthusiasm for evangelism in an increasingly secular culture. Yet others suggest Southern Baptists are merely feeling the delayed effects of demographic trends contributing to even more dramatic membership losses among other predominately white denominations such as Presbyterians and Episcopalians.



Copyright 2008 by United Press International

This news arrived on: 06/09/2008
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YBIC,
Doc

 

[honorthesabbath]

Well Doc--lol--what the article is not telling us is that this 'decline' in the baptist ranks is because the members are now calling themselves, "non-Denominational'!! (But still baptist to the bone).

 

[AndrewK788]

Well Doc--lol--what the article is not telling us is that this 'decline' in the baptist ranks is because the members are now calling themselves, "non-Denominational'!! (But still baptist to the bone).

Yes, that is true. I have several friends who were Baptist but now say they are non-denominational. The ironic thing I've discovered though, among young people at least, is calling yourself non-denominational is usually the result of no longer attending any church. It's hard to say you're a Baptist if you don't go to a Baptist church. Because now they have gotten jobs and such on sunday they no longer do anything with the church, thus they call themselves "non-denominational."

I know that's not true for all. But surprisingly the majority of my non-SDa Christian friends have done that.

 

[thecountrydoc]

Minister launches drive-in church


A Georgia church had its first drive-in service Sunday attracting worshipers who remained in their cars while the minister preached.

The Rev. Norman Markle of New Hope Methodist Church in Marietta, Ga., says he has been pondering the idea of a drive-in church for a couple of years, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday.

Markle sees drive-in spirituality as the logical next step for people who eat in their cars and conduct business by cell phone.

To launch his new service, Markle purchased a low-powered AM transmitter and posted signs along Cobb Parkway urging people to "Worship in Your Car Just as You Are."

"I thought we could get some new people to come out and see what the word of God is on Sunday," Markle told the newspaper.

About a dozen cars showed up for the first service on Sunday but Markle says he is optimistic the number will increase, the Journal-Constitution reported.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/10/2008
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YBIC,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Secularists post 'no religion' billboard


A group of secularists in Denver said they have taken their beliefs to the streets with a billboard near the state Capitol reading "Imagine No Religion."

The billboard was launched with a countrywide ad campaign and will remain posted until the end of July, The Denver Post reported Monday.

"The religious right is not a majority, but it has a strong voice and a lot of influence. We want to uphold the separation of church and state," said Michael Lee Smith, spokesman for the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Smith said the billboard is expected to cost nearly $3,000 for foundation supporters in the area to keep it up.

Critics say the foundation is ignoring the influences organized religion has on society.

"I always support their freedom of speech," council director Jim Ryan said. "But the foundation is failing to acknowledge all the moral values and work for the common good that has grown out of faith traditions."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/10/2008
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YBIC,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Laura Bush visits Afghanistan


U.S. first lady Laura Bush met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai Sunday and visited Bamiyan, home of the giant statues of Buddha destroyed by the Taliban.

Bush's half-day visit was meant to highlight social progress in the country since U.S. and NATO forces overthrew the Taliban-led government in 2001, CNN reported, adding the First Lady also met with female police trainees and toured the construction site of an orphanage being built by the Afghan-U.S. Women's Council.

Bush has long been associated with efforts to restore human rights to Afghan women and to promote education and training for them, CNN said.

At Bamiyan, the first lady marveled at what remained of the colossal, 6th-century twin Buddha statues carved into the face of a sandstone cliff. The Taliban government partially destroyed them in 2001. UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural agency, is attempting to restore one of the statues, CNN reported.

"It's more important than ever for the international community to support Afghanistan, certainly for the United States to support Afghanistan … because we don't want it to be the way it was when the Buddhas were destroyed," Bush said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/09/2008
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YBIC,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Israeli police examine New Testament blaze


Israeli police Wednesday are reviewing a series of photographs showing students torching hundreds of New Testaments, a police spokesman said.

Uzi Aharon, the mayor of Or-Yehuda, told the Israeli media he tried to stop the distribution of Christian literature in his city by collecting New Testaments and other "Messianic propaganda." He said students then torched about 200 of the volumes but noted he save another 200, CNN reported.

Messianic Jews, who holds both Christian and Jewish beliefs, expressed concern over the event and attorney Calev Myers said he will file a formal complaint with the national police. Myers says the torching violates a law forbidding the destruction of sacred items and another banning people from offending religions.

"I hope the people who are responsible for breaking the law will be indicted and prosecuted," he said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 05/28/2008
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YBIC,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Site provides post-Rapture e-mail


A new Web site set up by a Massachusetts supermarket worker allows people who expect to be swept up in the Rapture to leave messages for those left behind.

Mark Heard told ABC News he got the idea for Youvebeenleftbehind.com several years ago while trading stocks online.

"How (can I) send my password to my wife if the Rapture happened at this moment?" was the thought that went through his head.

The Web site also offers clients a "last chance to snatch them from the flames" by leaving religious messages for family and friends. Clients pay $40 per year until the Rapture.

Some Christians believe that at the time of the Rapture the faithful will be taken up to heaven while the rest remain on Earth for the seven-year rule of the Anti-Christ. That belief system is the basis for the best-selling "Left Behind" novels.

Heard said the Web site is set up to begin sending out post-Rapture messages if three of his five employees fail to log on for six days.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/11/2008
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Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Catholic boy refuses duty to queen


The mother of an 8-year-old Catholic boy in Scotland says he has been told he cannot become a Cub Scout because he refuses to swear allegiance to the queen.

Tracy McVeigh of Neilston, Renfrewshire, told The Daily Mail that her son, Matthew, wanted to change the wording so that he would swear to do his duty to "God and my country" instead of to "God and the Queen."

While McVeigh said that her son was motivated by religion, the Rev. Jim Byers, scouting chaplain in the Paisley Catholic Diocese, said most Catholics are willing to swear. He called Matthew McVeigh's objections "uncharted territory."

The Scouting Association said that Scouts who are not Christian are allowed to change the reference to God to match their religious beliefs. Those who are not British subjects but living in Britain promise to do their duty to the "country in which I am now living."

McVeigh said her family objects to swearing allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II because the 1701 Act of Settlement bars Catholics from the throne.

"I was gobsmacked that the Cub scout commissioner said that if Matthew didn't say the Promise then he would effectively be out the door," she said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/13/2008
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Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Do higher IQs mean less faith?


A British scientist argues that intelligence and religious faith are inversely related.

Richard Lynn, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Ulster, made his case in the journal "Intelligence," The Telegraph reported.

Lynn points to a study that showed that only 3.3 percent of fellows of the Royal Society, Britain's leading group for scientists, say they believe in God, while 68.5 percent of the general public do. Lynn argues that religious faith has declined because of rising intelligence and that young children give up believing in God as they become older and wiser.

"Why should fewer academics believe in God than the general population? I believe it is simply a matter of the IQ," Lynn said.

A number of academics have criticized Lynn.

Alistair McFadyen, a lecturer in Christian theology at Leeds, said Lynn's article combines "a slight tinge of Western cultural imperialism as well as an anti-religious sentiment."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/13/2008
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Whats your take?

Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Pope Benedict welcomes Bush to Vatican


U.S. President George Bush and Pope Benedict XVI strolled Friday through the Vatican garden during Bush's second official meeting with the pontiff.

The Vatican said the pope wanted to show his appreciation for the warmth he was shown when he visited the United States, the BBC reported.

"It's a great honor," Bush told Benedict, who met the president at his car, ANSA, the Italian news agency, reported. First lady Laura Bush also spoke with the pontiff, thanking him for the invitation.

Bush and the pope agree on issues such as abortion, stem cell research and humanitarian aid to Africa. However, the two disagree on Iran -- the Vatican has open diplomatic relations with Tehran unlike the United States.

Bush flew to Europe this week to attend the EU summit in Slovenia and to visit several countries, likely for the last time as president. Bush's next stop is Paris, where he will meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/13/2008
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Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Two male Anglican priests may have married


The Anglican bishop of London has ordered an investigation into claims that two gay priests have been married in the church, officials said.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that the Rev. Peter Cowell and the Rev. David Lord exchanged vows and rings in a ceremony last month that was conducted using one of the church's most traditional wedding ceremonies.

The newspaper reported that if carried out, the ceremony broke Church of England guidelines and was conducted in defiance of the Bishop of London, in whose diocese it took place.

Both conservative and liberal wings of the Anglican communion expressed shock at word of the ceremony, the newspaper reported.

The Rev. Henry Orombi, the Archbishop of Uganda, said the ceremony was "blasphemous."

He called on Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to take decisive action if the Anglican Church were not to "disintegrate."

"What really shocks me is that this is happening in the Church of England that first brought the Gospel to us," he said. "Our respect for the Church of England will erode unless we see a return to traditional teaching."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/16/2008
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Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Priest fined $400 for keying car


A Catholic priest in Britain said it is not fair he was ordered to fork over nearly $400 for scratching a key along the side of a car parked in his way.

Michael Voinus, 60, was found guilty of keying a car in a busy area of Burslem, England, and telling an observer he did it to teach the driver a lesson, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He turned and looked at me and said, 'that will teach them to park on the pavement,'" witness Heather Johnson said.

Voinus is accused of yelling "the police are all protestants" and saying he was targeted for wearing a collar.

"The church had to contend with this for the first 300 years of its existence," he said.

Voinus was found guilty of criminal damage, ordered to pay nearly $400 and handed an 18-month conditional discharge, the newspaper said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/16/2008
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Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Catholic bishops reject gay marriage law


As California officials prepared for gay nuptials Monday, Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony and other bishops said marriage should be between and man and woman.

In a statement, the Roman Catholic officials said marriage "has a unique place in God's creation, joining a man and a woman in a committed relationship in order to nurture and support the new life for which marriage is intended," the Los Angeles Times reported.

"The meaning of marriage is deeply rooted in history and culture, and has been shaped considerably by Christian tradition. Its meaning is given, not constructed," their statement said.

The earliest time gay and lesbian couples in California were to be allowed to marry was 5:01 p.m. PDT Monday.

A handful of counties were to begin issuing marriage licenses at that time, but most will begin Tuesday, the newspaper said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/17/2008
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Your brother in Christ,

Doc

 

[AndrewK788]

I'm not sure if you already posted this or if you are aware or not but Norway also has voted to allow gay marriage.