Baptist Minister charged with abuse of an adult … and more
The Nashville News – Nashville,AR,USA
DIERKS – Mack Chambers, 66 of Pine Bluff has been charged with a Class B misdemeanor count for having inappropriate contact with a resident at the Dierks …
http://www.nashvillenews.org/index.php/comments/4709/
Battle fatigue – 5 yrs. into sex-abuse crisis, some Catholics are …
By Robert J. McClory
CHICAGO, Ill. (US Catholic) – The priest sex-abuse crisis is the US Catholic Church’s Iraq …
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=25036&wf=rsscol
MINNESOTA: Sex Abuse Victims call for Boycott of Episcopal diocese
Virtue Online – West Chester,PA,USA
ask anyone who witnessed, suspected or experienced sex crimes by this former Episcopal minister to come forward, get help, and call thepolice.
…
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6513
Baptist Preacher Models His Style on George W. Bush: Autocracy Rules
By Buck
Sutton’s people deny the pørn and affair, which were investigated by the congregation’s human resources staff and found — surprise — to be baseless. As to maintaining secrecy about the church budget and spending church dough on his …
Did preacher’s wife get away with murder?
MSNBC – USA
By Mike Celizic
Mary Winkler, the Tennessee woman who shot her minister husband to death while he slept, was released back into society this week after …
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20296389/
Diocese abuse settlement reached, but attorneys still arguing
KXLY – Spokane,WA,USA
Attorneys spent thousands of hours, billing millions of dollars to reach a settlement with the victims of priest sex abuse. Documents show how the Diocese …
http://www.kxly.com/news/?sect_rank=2§ion_id=560&story_id=13649
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IS A STILLBIRTH AN ACT OF MURDER? MARYLAND LAW SAYS SO
By Lindsay Beyerstein, In These Times
Maryland’s Viable Fetus Act displays the coercive potential of legislation that gives fetuses rights at the expense of women.
At:
http://www.alternet.org/rights/59887/
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Use Of Religious Book At Florida Charter School Would Violate Constitution, Says Americans United
August 7, 2007
Use Of Religious Book At Florida Charter School Would Violate Constitution, Says Americans United
Hebrew Language Text Promotes Jewish Faith And May Not Be Taught In Broward County Schools, Church-State Watchdog Group Warns
Use of a religiously themed book at a public charter school in Broward County, Fla., would violate the U.S. Constitution, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Americans United today sent a letter to Broward school officials warning that use of the Ha-Yesod Hebrew language curriculum at Ben Gamla Charter School would violate church-state separation.
Said Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn, “Charter schools are public schools and must obey all the commands of the Constitution. The First Amendment does not permit public schools to promote religion.”
http://www.au.org/site/R?i=hrrjyM5mk1s4I4YVH9sVPQ
In the letter, Americans United Assistant Legal Director Richard Katskee wrote, “This textbook is replete with religious content, so its use in a public school classroom violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. We are writing to request that the Broward County School Board and administration disallow the use of this curriculum, and that you review all other materials to be used by Ben Gamla to ensure that they are secular.”
Katskee asserted that court rulings barring promotion of religion in public schools are clear.
“Although a public school may teach Hebrew as a foreign language, just as it may teach Spanish, French, or any other language, the use of the Ha-Yesod textbook in Broward County public schools cannot be squared with the clear constitutional prohibition against governmental advancement of religious views,” Katskee wrote. “For the Ha-Yesod curriculum includes translation exercises that endorse Jewish religious beliefs and present the Bible as truth.”
Katskee noted, for example, that the book presents for translation such sentences as, “God created heaven and earth,” “God will send us blessings from heaven” and “Mount Moriah is a holy mountain because the Temple stood on it.”
The Americans United letter insisted that the constitutional ban on public school promotion of religion is not motivated by hostility to religion. Rather, it protects the rights of individuals to follow their beliefs about faith.
“To put it simply,” Katskee wrote, “parents not schools have the right to direct the religious upbringing of children. Providing Broward County students with foreign-language instruction from a textbook that promotes religion infringes that fundamental right.”
Americans United has been involved with a wide variety of lawsuits upholding the religious neutrality of the public school system. In a recent prominent case, a federal court in Pennsylvania struck down the Dover School District’s promotion of “intelligent design” creationism.
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
Read the full press release:
http://www.au.org/site/R?i=w55QEpQ9E1zN9B9ieDnxTw
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding
religious freedom.
Americans United Press Contacts:
Joe Conn, Rob Boston, Jeremy Leaming
Phone: 202-466-3234, Fax: 202-466-2587
www.au.org/press
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Calif. Pastor Prays For Demise Of Americans United Staff, Following Watchdog Group’s IRS Complaint
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
AU’s Lynn Says Pastor Offers Outlandish Attack Instead Of Answering Concerns Of Improper Electioneering
Americans United for Separation of Church and State today denounced the tactics of a political pastor in California who has urged followers to pray for the demise of staff members of the religious liberty watchdog group.
Yesterday, Americans United asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, Calif., for a potential violation of federal tax law barring electioneering by non-profit groups. Dr. Wiley S. Drake, pastor of the church, issued a press release on church letterhead endorsing Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and subsequently offered the endorsement on a church-affiliated radio show.
Instead of responding to Americans United’s concern of illegal activity, Drake issued yesterday afternoon a plea to his supporters to join in “imprecatory prayers” (curses) every morning for Americans United and its staff.
The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, said it is telling that Drake declined to respond to his group’s charges of tax law violations.
“Instead of addressing our concerns of illegally melding religion and partisan politics, Dr. Drake has launched an outlandish attack on us,” said Lynn. “Calling for curses on us might distract Drake’s supporters, but it won’t help him with the IRS. I trust the tax agents will investigate Drake’s use of church resources to endorse a candidate for public office.”
Drake’s attack included some florid rhetoric.
“In light of the recent attack from the ememies (sic) of God I ask the children of God to go into action with Imprecatory Prayer,” Drake said, in an Aug. 14 press statement issued from the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park. “Especially against Americans United for Seperation (sic) of Church and State.”
“The righteous have dominion,” Drake said, “but only through imprecatory prayer against the ungodly.”
Drake singled out two Americans United staff members whose names appeared as contacts on the press release. The pastor’s missive said the imprecatory prayers should “specifically target” Americans United Communications Director Joe Conn or Communications Associate Jeremy Leaming.
“They are those who lead the attack,” Drake said.
In a message left in Lynn’s voice-mail, Drake said he had been urging his supporters to take similar action against Lynn for many years and would continue to do so.
In a section of his press release called “How To Pray,” Drake includes a long list of biblical citations that call on God to smite enemies. For example, the alleged enemies of God “shall be judged,” “condemned,” and “his days be few….” Additionally, supporters should pray that the enemy’s “children be fatherless, and his wife a widow,” and “his children be continually vagabonds, and beg; let them seek bread also out of their desolate places.”
“Let there be none to extend mercy unto him,” Drake quoted, “Neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.”
From: http://www.au.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pr
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Have Christians Already Accepted The Mark Of The Beast?
by Chuck Baldwin
August 14, 2007
Christians throughout church history have debated the nuances of Eschatology. These debates will doubtless last until Jesus Himself decides to end them. Until then, the theological battles extolling or condemning premillennialism or postmillennialism, pre-tribulation Rapture or post-tribulation Rapture, etc., will continue. To be sure, this column is not an attempt to resolve or even argue these interpretations of Scripture. Let every man be persuaded in his own heart. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth arguing about.
Whether a Christian is premillennial or postmillennial, whether he or she believes in the pre-tribulation Rapture or not is immaterial to our responsibilities. We Christians have a duty to be the “salt” and “light” of society until Jesus returns–whenever that is. And, frankly, the time of His return is His business, not ours. If we would concentrate on those matters that truly belong to us, we would be much more effective. Arguing and battling between Christians over the nuances of Eschatology only serves to advance the cause of the Enemy. It is counterproductive and fruitless to anything worthwhile.
That being said, a brief reference to the belief that a literal antichrist is yet to come is in order. Accepting this interpretation of the Book of Revelation, there will come in the days of “great tribulation” a Western World leader, known as the antichrist, or beast. Christians accepting this interpretation believe that the antichrist will unite the Western World, mainly Europe and the United States, and will implement a satanic despotism.
Part of the antichrist’s reign upon the Western World (called, by some, The Revived Roman Empire) will be the demand that everyone accept “the mark of the beast” in his hand or forehead. Of course, the number Scripture uses is 666. Everyone who does not accept this mark will be deemed to be an outlaw: unable to buy or sell, or contract normal daily business of any kind. However, acceptance of the mark will also mean rejection of God and salvation.
Premillennialists believe they will be “raptured” to Heaven before these events take place. Some believe the church will go through the “great tribulation,” while most postillennialists don’t believe in a literal “tribulation” at all, but believe these Scriptures are related to other events altogether.
Regardless of how one interprets the Book of Revelation, I think most all believers will accept the Apostle John’s warning that the spirit of antichrist is already in the world. (I John 2:18; 4:3) Can we not readily agree that anything that resembles antichrist is a form of antichrist?
Accordingly, did not the German church have an obligation to resist Adolph Hitler? Of course they did. However, at the end of the day, out of over 14,000 pastors and church congregations in Germany at the time, only 800 properly discerned the evil Hitler for who he was and openly opposed him. The rest not only tolerated him, but openly praised him, promoted him, and punished anyone who failed to do the same.
…
Complete article at:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070814.html
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three thousand words
Protect Your Creationist Beliefs in Style!
http://www.atheistnation.net/images/creationist01.php
Peter Mason : don’t like my preaching?
http://www.reverendfun.com/add_toon_info.php?date=20070810&language=en
Jeff Swenson: jesus walks on water …
http://humaniststudies.org/~funnies/freethunk/sf20070815.gif
