Ed Thomas
OneNewsNow.com
A spokesman for the Alliance Defense Fund says the ACLU's now-standard strategy of demanding that opening prayers at government meetings be stopped has worked in Oconee County, South Carolina, as county council members voted Tuesday to drop their invocation and adopt a moment of silence.
Local officials of the Oconee County Council in South Carolina decided Tuesday afternoon to adopt a moment of silence at the start of their government meetings and no longer open with prayer. The decision was made despite a proposed policy from the Alliance Defense Fund that it assured would legally allow the invocations to continue by allowing prayer from spokesmen of any community religions.
ADF senior counsel Gary McCaleb says the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had already used what he described as its now-standard tactic, and threatened a lawsuit if the Council did not stop opening its meetings with prayer. The Oconee Ministerial Association had asked the legal coalition for its help for the county.
"ADF stepped in and tried to offer a solid alternative, which unfortunately the county backed down on and then instead adopted a moment of silence," McCaleb explains.
The attorney called the Oconee Council's choice unfortunate, because the ACLU was once again able to silence the First Amendment by employing what he called the classic fear, intimidation, and disinformation tactics that are being used in demand letters to towns and cities across the country. "It's kind of a sad situation, both from the standpoint of here you have them coming in and getting rid of free speech; and the other is that this is a classic 'victory without a fight' for the ACLU."
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Thursday, February 8, 2007
Haggard denies homosexuality, says Jesus is healing him
Haggard denies homosexuality, says Jesus is healing him
By Staff
Baptist Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BP)--Having been “paralyzed by shame” since news of his involvement with a male prostitute surfaced in November, Ted Haggard emerged from three weeks of intense psychological treatment with an e-mail to members of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, where he formerly served as pastor, Feb. 5.
“We all wanted to know why I developed such incongruity in my life. Thankfully, with the tools we gained there, along with the powerful way God has been illuminating His Word and the Holy Spirit has been convicting and healing me, we now have growing understanding which is giving me some hope for a future,” Haggard said of the treatment he and his wife received in Phoenix.
Tim Ralph, a member of the four-man board of overseers charged with guiding Haggard toward restoration, told The Denver Post that Haggard’s homosexual behavior with a male prostitute named Mike Jones was not a lifelong pattern.
“He is completely heterosexual,” Ralph, pastor of New Covenant Fellowship in Larkspur, Colo., said. “That is something he discovered. It was the acting-out situations where things took place. It wasn’t a constant thing.”
Haggard, 50, told the board that the only extramarital sexual contact he had was with Jones, and Ralph said several people close to Haggard found no contradicting evidence, The Post reported Feb. 6.
“If we’re going to be proved wrong, somebody else is going to come forward, and that usually happens really quickly,” Ralph said. “We’re into this thing over 90 days, and it hasn’t happened.”
Ralph said Haggard continues to receive Christian counseling twice a week, and the board of overseers has advised the Haggards to relocate from Colorado Springs in order to continue the healing process. They also advised him to begin a 12-step program for sexual addiction, The Post reported.
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By Staff
Baptist Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BP)--Having been “paralyzed by shame” since news of his involvement with a male prostitute surfaced in November, Ted Haggard emerged from three weeks of intense psychological treatment with an e-mail to members of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, where he formerly served as pastor, Feb. 5.
“We all wanted to know why I developed such incongruity in my life. Thankfully, with the tools we gained there, along with the powerful way God has been illuminating His Word and the Holy Spirit has been convicting and healing me, we now have growing understanding which is giving me some hope for a future,” Haggard said of the treatment he and his wife received in Phoenix.
Tim Ralph, a member of the four-man board of overseers charged with guiding Haggard toward restoration, told The Denver Post that Haggard’s homosexual behavior with a male prostitute named Mike Jones was not a lifelong pattern.
“He is completely heterosexual,” Ralph, pastor of New Covenant Fellowship in Larkspur, Colo., said. “That is something he discovered. It was the acting-out situations where things took place. It wasn’t a constant thing.”
Haggard, 50, told the board that the only extramarital sexual contact he had was with Jones, and Ralph said several people close to Haggard found no contradicting evidence, The Post reported Feb. 6.
“If we’re going to be proved wrong, somebody else is going to come forward, and that usually happens really quickly,” Ralph said. “We’re into this thing over 90 days, and it hasn’t happened.”
Ralph said Haggard continues to receive Christian counseling twice a week, and the board of overseers has advised the Haggards to relocate from Colorado Springs in order to continue the healing process. They also advised him to begin a 12-step program for sexual addiction, The Post reported.
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FBI to Rescue U.S. Missionary in Haiti
FBI to Rescue U.S. Missionary in Haiti
By Michael F. Haverluck
CBNNews.com
CBNNews.com -- PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- An American missionary of Haitian descent kidnapped on Sunday near Port-au-Prince is hoping for his release, as two FBI hostage negotiators are working to secure him, according to officials.
After driving home from church with three others in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Croix-de-Bouquets, 58-year-old U.S. citizen Nathan Jean-Dieubonne was abducted Sunday afternoon, reported U.N. police spokesman Fred Blaise.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom from Jean-Dieudonne's family for his release, according to a report from Miami by FBI special agent Judy Orihuela. Soon afterwards, family members asked for help in the negotioations, but the amount demanded by the abductors was not disclosed by authorities.
Jean-Dieudonne was not injured and in good spirits when he spoke with family members.
The missionary's place of residence in the U.S. and his church denomination were not made known at the time of the press release.
The impoverished nation of Haiti has seen a substantial rise in kidnappings for ransoms over the past year, yet the numbers over the past few weeks have declined, which could be a result of a peacekeeping force of 9,000 from the United Nations, along with the augmented patrols of Haitian police in and around Port-au-Prince.
Because foreign missionaries are not as heavily protected as diplomats and business people, they have become higher targets for abductors.
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By Michael F. Haverluck
CBNNews.com
CBNNews.com -- PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- An American missionary of Haitian descent kidnapped on Sunday near Port-au-Prince is hoping for his release, as two FBI hostage negotiators are working to secure him, according to officials.
After driving home from church with three others in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Croix-de-Bouquets, 58-year-old U.S. citizen Nathan Jean-Dieubonne was abducted Sunday afternoon, reported U.N. police spokesman Fred Blaise.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom from Jean-Dieudonne's family for his release, according to a report from Miami by FBI special agent Judy Orihuela. Soon afterwards, family members asked for help in the negotioations, but the amount demanded by the abductors was not disclosed by authorities.
Jean-Dieudonne was not injured and in good spirits when he spoke with family members.
The missionary's place of residence in the U.S. and his church denomination were not made known at the time of the press release.
The impoverished nation of Haiti has seen a substantial rise in kidnappings for ransoms over the past year, yet the numbers over the past few weeks have declined, which could be a result of a peacekeeping force of 9,000 from the United Nations, along with the augmented patrols of Haitian police in and around Port-au-Prince.
Because foreign missionaries are not as heavily protected as diplomats and business people, they have become higher targets for abductors.
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Iran's Khamenei urges Muslim revenge for Jerusalem dig
Ahmadinejad warns of 'deterioration'
Iranian president says provocative act will lead to the deterioration of hostilities in the region. Iranian supreme leader urges Muslims to revenge Jerusalem dig. Livni: Leaders merely 'inciting religious flames for political gain'
Dudi Cohen Latest Update: 02.07.07, 22:17 / Israel News
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Israel's excavation work at the Mugrabi gate near the Temple Mount was a "provocative action which would lead to the deterioration of hostilities in the region," the Fars news agency reported Wednesday evening.
The Iranian president added that "destruction, conflict and tension constitute the nature of the Zionist regime."
He also called on the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the world Muslim states to "foil the devilish plot of the Israeli regime," and slammed the United Nations over what he described as "their silence in the face of the incident."
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini echoed Ahmadinejad's statement, claiming that "the destruction of al-Aqsa was part of a premeditated plot against Muslims."
Supreme leader calls for revenge
A few hours earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the Jerusalem excavations and called on Islamic nations to retaliate against Israel .
''The world of Islam should show a serious reaction to the Zionist regime's insult to Al-Aqsa Mosque,'' Iranian state television quoted Khamenei as saying during a meeting with Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, leader of the Islamic Jihad organization.
"Silence is not an option given these actions, the Muslim world must respond," said Khamenei. Khamenei did not say what sort of response he intended, but said Israel should be made to ''regret'' what it is doing.
Khamenei also addressed the violent clashes within the Palestinian Authority: "Everyone, including the Palestinian factions and Islamic states, needs to make an effort to agree on a ceasefire soon so that the enemy's plot will fail."
"Hizbullah's victory, the successes of Hamas and Iran's achievements all fulfill Allah's promises and fill the hearts of Muslims with hope and determination," said Khamenei.
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Iranian president says provocative act will lead to the deterioration of hostilities in the region. Iranian supreme leader urges Muslims to revenge Jerusalem dig. Livni: Leaders merely 'inciting religious flames for political gain'
Dudi Cohen Latest Update: 02.07.07, 22:17 / Israel News
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Israel's excavation work at the Mugrabi gate near the Temple Mount was a "provocative action which would lead to the deterioration of hostilities in the region," the Fars news agency reported Wednesday evening.
The Iranian president added that "destruction, conflict and tension constitute the nature of the Zionist regime."
He also called on the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the world Muslim states to "foil the devilish plot of the Israeli regime," and slammed the United Nations over what he described as "their silence in the face of the incident."
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini echoed Ahmadinejad's statement, claiming that "the destruction of al-Aqsa was part of a premeditated plot against Muslims."
Supreme leader calls for revenge
A few hours earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the Jerusalem excavations and called on Islamic nations to retaliate against Israel .
''The world of Islam should show a serious reaction to the Zionist regime's insult to Al-Aqsa Mosque,'' Iranian state television quoted Khamenei as saying during a meeting with Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, leader of the Islamic Jihad organization.
"Silence is not an option given these actions, the Muslim world must respond," said Khamenei. Khamenei did not say what sort of response he intended, but said Israel should be made to ''regret'' what it is doing.
Khamenei also addressed the violent clashes within the Palestinian Authority: "Everyone, including the Palestinian factions and Islamic states, needs to make an effort to agree on a ceasefire soon so that the enemy's plot will fail."
"Hizbullah's victory, the successes of Hamas and Iran's achievements all fulfill Allah's promises and fill the hearts of Muslims with hope and determination," said Khamenei.
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Temple Mount becoming mosque for Muslims only
Temple Mount becoming mosque for Muslims only
Top archaeologist blasts Israeli inaction as Islam 'takes over' Judaism's holiest site
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By Aaron Klein
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM – The Israeli government is "doing nothing" while the Muslim custodians of the Temple Mount discard Jewish artifacts and attempt to turn Judaism's holiest site into an exclusive prayer zone for Islam, a leading Israeli archeologist charged today.
Hebrew University's Eilat Mazor said the Waqf, the site's Muslim custodians, "want to turn the whole of the Temple Mount into a mosque for Muslims only."
"They don't care about the artifacts or heritage on the site," Mazor told the Israeli news site YnetNews.com.
"The Waqf has acted terribly, taking thousands of tons of artifacts from the First Temple, the Second Temple, as well as Muslim artifacts, and throwing them away."
Mazor was referring to Muslim excavations near a new mosque constructed at the Temple Mount's Solomon's Stables. During the excavations, the Wafq reportedly disposed truckloads of dirt containing Jewish artifacts from the First and Second Temple periods. After the media reported this, Israeli authorities froze the construction permit given to the Wafq.
"There is a total ignorance of history and archeology. Artifacts showing ancient history are hidden," Mazor said.
Meanwhile, Muslims here this week are protesting work by the Israeli antiquities authority to repair a ramp near the Temple Mount even though the work, at the Western Wall plaza, is not taking place on the Mount and poses no threat to the holy site. Muslim leaders are calling for a "new intifada" to protest the routine Israeli repair work.
Mazor, a third-generation Israeli Temple Mount archaeologist, is the discoverer and lead archaeologist of Israel's City of David, believed to be the palace of the biblical King David, the second leader of a united Kingdom of Israel, who ruled from around 1005 to 965 B.C.
Mazor slammed the inaction of the Israeli government while Islam "takes over" the Temple Mount.
"The (Israeli) authorities have failed to deal with this issue. The only ones paying attention are the police, and they are only interested in quiet, so they do nothing," Mazor said.
But the Israeli government lately has been active on the issue of the Temple Mount.
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Top archaeologist blasts Israeli inaction as Islam 'takes over' Judaism's holiest site
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Aaron Klein
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM – The Israeli government is "doing nothing" while the Muslim custodians of the Temple Mount discard Jewish artifacts and attempt to turn Judaism's holiest site into an exclusive prayer zone for Islam, a leading Israeli archeologist charged today.
Hebrew University's Eilat Mazor said the Waqf, the site's Muslim custodians, "want to turn the whole of the Temple Mount into a mosque for Muslims only."
"They don't care about the artifacts or heritage on the site," Mazor told the Israeli news site YnetNews.com.
"The Waqf has acted terribly, taking thousands of tons of artifacts from the First Temple, the Second Temple, as well as Muslim artifacts, and throwing them away."
Mazor was referring to Muslim excavations near a new mosque constructed at the Temple Mount's Solomon's Stables. During the excavations, the Wafq reportedly disposed truckloads of dirt containing Jewish artifacts from the First and Second Temple periods. After the media reported this, Israeli authorities froze the construction permit given to the Wafq.
"There is a total ignorance of history and archeology. Artifacts showing ancient history are hidden," Mazor said.
Meanwhile, Muslims here this week are protesting work by the Israeli antiquities authority to repair a ramp near the Temple Mount even though the work, at the Western Wall plaza, is not taking place on the Mount and poses no threat to the holy site. Muslim leaders are calling for a "new intifada" to protest the routine Israeli repair work.
Mazor, a third-generation Israeli Temple Mount archaeologist, is the discoverer and lead archaeologist of Israel's City of David, believed to be the palace of the biblical King David, the second leader of a united Kingdom of Israel, who ruled from around 1005 to 965 B.C.
Mazor slammed the inaction of the Israeli government while Islam "takes over" the Temple Mount.
"The (Israeli) authorities have failed to deal with this issue. The only ones paying attention are the police, and they are only interested in quiet, so they do nothing," Mazor said.
But the Israeli government lately has been active on the issue of the Temple Mount.
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Abortionist arrested in Florida investigation
Abortionist arrested in Florida investigation
Accused of allowing unlicensed workers to perform medical procedures
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 8, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The owner of an abortion clinic where the body of a baby who was born alive and then allegedly killed was found has been arrested on allegations stemming from her operation of a second clinic, authorities report.
Belkis Gonzalez was arrested and jailed on two felony counts related to abortions at A Gyn of Miramar, Inc., an abortion business in Miramar, Fla., which is known as Miramar Women's Center, according to a report from Operation Rescue, an organization of pro-life activists.
Bill Robertson, an information officer in the Miramar police department, told Operation Rescue that Gonzales had been taken into custody at her Miramar abortion business, and released over the weekend on $1,000 cash bond.
And he reported that a suspect believed to be Gonzalez' partner, Siomara Senesis, also had been apprehended.
The arrests are a result of an investigation that began with a tip supplied to Miramar police in November 2004, by a pro-life investigator whose identity was not revealed by Operation Rescue. They were the seventh and eighth arrests, however, that have resulted from that ongoing investigation, officials said.
Operation Rescue said the two are business partners who have run a number of abortion clinics in the Broward County area, and the felony counts name both as defendants. The counts include "Principle in the First Degree" and relates to aiding in the commission of a crime, and "Unlicensed Practice of Health Care," which relates to running the abortion clinics with employees who were not licensed by the state to do those activities.
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Accused of allowing unlicensed workers to perform medical procedures
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 8, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The owner of an abortion clinic where the body of a baby who was born alive and then allegedly killed was found has been arrested on allegations stemming from her operation of a second clinic, authorities report.
Belkis Gonzalez was arrested and jailed on two felony counts related to abortions at A Gyn of Miramar, Inc., an abortion business in Miramar, Fla., which is known as Miramar Women's Center, according to a report from Operation Rescue, an organization of pro-life activists.
Bill Robertson, an information officer in the Miramar police department, told Operation Rescue that Gonzales had been taken into custody at her Miramar abortion business, and released over the weekend on $1,000 cash bond.
And he reported that a suspect believed to be Gonzalez' partner, Siomara Senesis, also had been apprehended.
The arrests are a result of an investigation that began with a tip supplied to Miramar police in November 2004, by a pro-life investigator whose identity was not revealed by Operation Rescue. They were the seventh and eighth arrests, however, that have resulted from that ongoing investigation, officials said.
Operation Rescue said the two are business partners who have run a number of abortion clinics in the Broward County area, and the felony counts name both as defendants. The counts include "Principle in the First Degree" and relates to aiding in the commission of a crime, and "Unlicensed Practice of Health Care," which relates to running the abortion clinics with employees who were not licensed by the state to do those activities.
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Officials urged to resign for lie about border agents
Officials urged to resign for lie about border agents
Congressman calls for ouster of DHS deputies after IG admits agency gave false information
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A Republican congressman is calling for the resignation of Department of Homeland Security officials who he says lied about the case of two Border Patrol agents imprisoned for their actions in the shooting of a drug smuggler.
As WND reported, at a congressional hearing yesterday, Rep. John Culberson of Texas confronted DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner about his agency's claim it had documentary proof of the guilt of former agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.
"Richard Skinner admitted yesterday under oath that his top deputies gave members of Congress false information painting Border Patrol agents as rogue cops who were not in fear for their lives and who were 'out to shoot Mexicans,'" Culberson said in a statement.
Culberson said he believes false information was given to congressmen to "throw us off the scent and cover up what appears to be an unjust criminal prosecution of two U.S. law enforcement officers whose job was protecting our country's borders from criminals and terrorists."
The admission came during Skinner's testimony before the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. Culberson was asking questions about a meeting DHS officials had Sept. 26 with him and three other Republican congressman from Texas, Reps. Ted Poe, Michael McCaul and Kenny Marchant.
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Congressman calls for ouster of DHS deputies after IG admits agency gave false information
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A Republican congressman is calling for the resignation of Department of Homeland Security officials who he says lied about the case of two Border Patrol agents imprisoned for their actions in the shooting of a drug smuggler.
As WND reported, at a congressional hearing yesterday, Rep. John Culberson of Texas confronted DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner about his agency's claim it had documentary proof of the guilt of former agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.
"Richard Skinner admitted yesterday under oath that his top deputies gave members of Congress false information painting Border Patrol agents as rogue cops who were not in fear for their lives and who were 'out to shoot Mexicans,'" Culberson said in a statement.
Culberson said he believes false information was given to congressmen to "throw us off the scent and cover up what appears to be an unjust criminal prosecution of two U.S. law enforcement officers whose job was protecting our country's borders from criminals and terrorists."
The admission came during Skinner's testimony before the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. Culberson was asking questions about a meeting DHS officials had Sept. 26 with him and three other Republican congressman from Texas, Reps. Ted Poe, Michael McCaul and Kenny Marchant.
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STD vaccine campaign sweeping the nation
STD vaccine campaign sweeping the nation
26 states could mandate Merck drug for schoolgirls in coming months
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Posted: February 8, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
State laws requiring young girls to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease soon could be controlling the decisions parents make regarding their daughters in 26 states, as a result of the financial influence of drug maker Merck & Co. and the support it has gotten for its campaign from Women in Government as well as a prominent Republican lobbyist.
The drug manufacturer, the only company now making the vaccine for human papillomavirus, stands to be the immediate beneficiary – with estimates of up to $4 billion in sales – as well as those few thousand individuals whose complications from the HPV virus may well be eliminated.
The powerful connections behind the apparently separate but simultaneous state legislative proposals to mandate the HPV vaccine across the nation became apparent when Fran Eaton, the editor for the Illinois Review blog posted a commentary on the situation in Illinois.
There she noted with dismay that Texas Gov. Rick Perry had signed into law by executive fiat a requirement that all schoolgirls be vaccinated – at costs that have been estimated at up to $400 per student – with the vaccine created by Merck.
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26 states could mandate Merck drug for schoolgirls in coming months
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 8, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
State laws requiring young girls to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease soon could be controlling the decisions parents make regarding their daughters in 26 states, as a result of the financial influence of drug maker Merck & Co. and the support it has gotten for its campaign from Women in Government as well as a prominent Republican lobbyist.
The drug manufacturer, the only company now making the vaccine for human papillomavirus, stands to be the immediate beneficiary – with estimates of up to $4 billion in sales – as well as those few thousand individuals whose complications from the HPV virus may well be eliminated.
The powerful connections behind the apparently separate but simultaneous state legislative proposals to mandate the HPV vaccine across the nation became apparent when Fran Eaton, the editor for the Illinois Review blog posted a commentary on the situation in Illinois.
There she noted with dismay that Texas Gov. Rick Perry had signed into law by executive fiat a requirement that all schoolgirls be vaccinated – at costs that have been estimated at up to $400 per student – with the vaccine created by Merck.
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Evangelists beaten for handing out tracts
Evangelists beaten for handing out tracts
Four took Christian message to conference that taught Islam
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Posted: February 8, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Four evangelists who are supported by Voice of the Martyrs have suffered beatings by a crowd of irate Muslims, but they first succeeded in handing out more than 13,000 Christian tracts at a conference on Islam.
Officials with VOM, a U.S.-based Christian group helping members of the persecuted Christian church worldwide, said one of the beatings was so severe that the Christian apparently suffered internal bleeding as a result.
But the message was delivered, much as Jesus described in Matthew 16:18, where he announces that "thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Gates, of course, generally are immobile, implying that it is the Christian message that advances. That is what happened at the Pakistan conference, VOM said.
"We are thrilled to stand with such courageous Christians," said Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for VOM. "These men bravely carried Christ's message of love to some of those who need it most, even though it was costly to do so.
"We are blessed to be able to provide medical care for them, and to continue to provide gospel materials to Pakistani Christians who risk so much to live for Christ," he said.
The team was at a Muslim festival in the city of Pakpattan on a Friday late last month. The four-member team handed out more than 13,000 Christian messages at that event before being attacked by radical Muslims.
VOM reports that three members of the team were beaten up, then taken to the police station where they were detained and questioned before being released.
The fourth member, however, "was badly beaten by a mob of more than 100 angry Muslims, who then dragged him through the crowd before taking him to the police station," the VOM reported. "He was beaten so severely that he reported blood in his urine and his stool."
VOM said workers on the scene are overseeing his hospitalization and care.
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Four took Christian message to conference that taught Islam
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 8, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Four evangelists who are supported by Voice of the Martyrs have suffered beatings by a crowd of irate Muslims, but they first succeeded in handing out more than 13,000 Christian tracts at a conference on Islam.
Officials with VOM, a U.S.-based Christian group helping members of the persecuted Christian church worldwide, said one of the beatings was so severe that the Christian apparently suffered internal bleeding as a result.
But the message was delivered, much as Jesus described in Matthew 16:18, where he announces that "thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Gates, of course, generally are immobile, implying that it is the Christian message that advances. That is what happened at the Pakistan conference, VOM said.
"We are thrilled to stand with such courageous Christians," said Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for VOM. "These men bravely carried Christ's message of love to some of those who need it most, even though it was costly to do so.
"We are blessed to be able to provide medical care for them, and to continue to provide gospel materials to Pakistani Christians who risk so much to live for Christ," he said.
The team was at a Muslim festival in the city of Pakpattan on a Friday late last month. The four-member team handed out more than 13,000 Christian messages at that event before being attacked by radical Muslims.
VOM reports that three members of the team were beaten up, then taken to the police station where they were detained and questioned before being released.
The fourth member, however, "was badly beaten by a mob of more than 100 angry Muslims, who then dragged him through the crowd before taking him to the police station," the VOM reported. "He was beaten so severely that he reported blood in his urine and his stool."
VOM said workers on the scene are overseeing his hospitalization and care.
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Men jailed for being on public sidewalk
Men jailed for being on public sidewalk
Gideons arrested after school officials complain they were handing out Bibles
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Posted: February 8, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Two men who are members of Gideons International, the Christian organization that is famous for, among other ministries, placing Bibles in motels and giving them to children, have been arrested after trying to hand out Bibles on a public sidewalk in Florida, according to a law firm.
Officials with the Alliance Defense Fund have confirmed they will be representing Anthony Mirto and Ernest Simpson, who were arrested, booked into jail and charged with trespassing.
Jeremy Tedesco, one of the ADF's lawyers on the case, confirmed to WND that the organization's clients were on a public sidewalk when they were handing out Bibles and school officials summoned police.
"The First Amendment protects the right to engage in religious speech on a public sidewalk," ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman said. "Members of the Gideons have been highly respected for decades as peaceful providers of free Bibles to those who want them."
The arrest happened Jan. 19, when Mirto and Simpson were on the sidewalk outside of Key Largo School in Key Largo, Fla., and were distributing copies of the Bible to those interested.
"Neither man entered school grounds," the law firm said. "After the school's principal called police, a Monroe County sheriff's officer asked the men to leave immediately or face trespassing charges. As the men prepared to leave, the officer decided to arrest both individuals."
A hearing is scheduled March 5 in Monroe County Court in the cases, and ADF attorneys are preparing motions to dismiss the charges.
"Officials cannot use fear of arrest as a means of bullying law-abiding Christians into silence," Cortman said. "These men broke no laws when they decided to communicate their message on a public sidewalk."
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Gideons arrested after school officials complain they were handing out Bibles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 8, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Two men who are members of Gideons International, the Christian organization that is famous for, among other ministries, placing Bibles in motels and giving them to children, have been arrested after trying to hand out Bibles on a public sidewalk in Florida, according to a law firm.
Officials with the Alliance Defense Fund have confirmed they will be representing Anthony Mirto and Ernest Simpson, who were arrested, booked into jail and charged with trespassing.
Jeremy Tedesco, one of the ADF's lawyers on the case, confirmed to WND that the organization's clients were on a public sidewalk when they were handing out Bibles and school officials summoned police.
"The First Amendment protects the right to engage in religious speech on a public sidewalk," ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman said. "Members of the Gideons have been highly respected for decades as peaceful providers of free Bibles to those who want them."
The arrest happened Jan. 19, when Mirto and Simpson were on the sidewalk outside of Key Largo School in Key Largo, Fla., and were distributing copies of the Bible to those interested.
"Neither man entered school grounds," the law firm said. "After the school's principal called police, a Monroe County sheriff's officer asked the men to leave immediately or face trespassing charges. As the men prepared to leave, the officer decided to arrest both individuals."
A hearing is scheduled March 5 in Monroe County Court in the cases, and ADF attorneys are preparing motions to dismiss the charges.
"Officials cannot use fear of arrest as a means of bullying law-abiding Christians into silence," Cortman said. "These men broke no laws when they decided to communicate their message on a public sidewalk."
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Saturday, February 3, 2007
Fox's John Kasich interviews atheist Brian Flemming about the Blasphemy Challenge.
Fox News Blasphemy Challenge
Fox's John Kasich interviews atheist Brian Flemming about the Blasphemy Challenge.
Click here to watch the video!
Very foolish...They know not what they do! Professing to be wise, they became fools. They will have to bow down to the God they deny one day soon. Then, it will be too late.
Fox's John Kasich interviews atheist Brian Flemming about the Blasphemy Challenge.
Click here to watch the video!
Very foolish...They know not what they do! Professing to be wise, they became fools. They will have to bow down to the God they deny one day soon. Then, it will be too late.
Police take home-taught student to psych ward
Police take home-taught student to psych ward
Government objected to her parent-led courses in math, Latin
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Posted: February 3, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A nation whose education officials already have warned that they will, when necessary, "bring the religious convictions of the family into line" with state requirements, now has removed a 16-year-old girl from her family and placed her in a child psychiatry unit after she turned in below-expected grades in math and Latin.
The news of nearly two dozen officials and uniformed police officers physically taking the teen from her home in front of her shocked family is just the latest horror story to come out of Germany, where homeschooling was placed under a ban by Adolf Hitler and der Fuhrer's law still is enforced.
The stories are concerning to homeschoolers in the rest of the world, including the United States, because of the real potential that international law eventually could be used to ban such activities in places where it now is legal.
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Government objected to her parent-led courses in math, Latin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 3, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A nation whose education officials already have warned that they will, when necessary, "bring the religious convictions of the family into line" with state requirements, now has removed a 16-year-old girl from her family and placed her in a child psychiatry unit after she turned in below-expected grades in math and Latin.
The news of nearly two dozen officials and uniformed police officers physically taking the teen from her home in front of her shocked family is just the latest horror story to come out of Germany, where homeschooling was placed under a ban by Adolf Hitler and der Fuhrer's law still is enforced.
The stories are concerning to homeschoolers in the rest of the world, including the United States, because of the real potential that international law eventually could be used to ban such activities in places where it now is legal.
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Christians Concerned for Venezuela as Chavez Granted Sweeping Powers
Christians Concerned for Venezuela as Chavez Granted Sweeping Powers
Christians are concerned for the future of religious freedom in Venezuela after the country's Congress granted President Hugo Chavez powers to rule by decree.
by Maria Mackay
Voice of the Martyrs, a Christian persecution watchdog, has expressed its concern for the future of religious freedom in Venezuela after the country’s Congress granted President Hugo Chavez powers earlier in the week to rule by decree for 18 months.
Chavez’s new powers come as he attempts to force through nationalisations key to the new era of “maximum revolution” in which he aims to transform 11 broadly defined areas, including the economy, energy and defence.
Voice of the Martyrs’ Todd Nettleton said, "President Hugo Chavez is gaining almost dictatorial powers over that country. He will be allowed to stay in office as long as he wants and basically rule the country by his decree."
The future for Christians in the country looks uncertain and Nettleton says Chavez doesn’t have a good track record, reports Mission Network News.
"Chavez is very fond of Fidel Castro. We know he's not a friend of the church in his country. So, you just look at the evidence and you look at the past and you look at who Hugo Chavez' friends are, it's got to make you nervous if you have Christian workers in Venezuela."
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Christians are concerned for the future of religious freedom in Venezuela after the country's Congress granted President Hugo Chavez powers to rule by decree.
by Maria Mackay
Voice of the Martyrs, a Christian persecution watchdog, has expressed its concern for the future of religious freedom in Venezuela after the country’s Congress granted President Hugo Chavez powers earlier in the week to rule by decree for 18 months.
Chavez’s new powers come as he attempts to force through nationalisations key to the new era of “maximum revolution” in which he aims to transform 11 broadly defined areas, including the economy, energy and defence.
Voice of the Martyrs’ Todd Nettleton said, "President Hugo Chavez is gaining almost dictatorial powers over that country. He will be allowed to stay in office as long as he wants and basically rule the country by his decree."
The future for Christians in the country looks uncertain and Nettleton says Chavez doesn’t have a good track record, reports Mission Network News.
"Chavez is very fond of Fidel Castro. We know he's not a friend of the church in his country. So, you just look at the evidence and you look at the past and you look at who Hugo Chavez' friends are, it's got to make you nervous if you have Christian workers in Venezuela."
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Abortion Bill Rejected in Wyoming
Abortion Bill Rejected in Wyoming
CBN News
CBNNews.com – Wyoming’s House of Representatives recently rejected a bill requiring a 24-hour waiting period for women who want an abortion.
Women are also required to look at materials showing the risks and side effects of abortion.
Supporters called it the “Women’s Right to Know Act.”
One sponsor said he’d talked to women who were harmed physically and mentally by abortion.
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CBN News
CBNNews.com – Wyoming’s House of Representatives recently rejected a bill requiring a 24-hour waiting period for women who want an abortion.
Women are also required to look at materials showing the risks and side effects of abortion.
Supporters called it the “Women’s Right to Know Act.”
One sponsor said he’d talked to women who were harmed physically and mentally by abortion.
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Current birth rates could produce Muslim domination
Chad Groening
OneNewsNow.com
The Population Research Institute says the Western world is facing a crisis as virtually every country has birth rates well below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman.
A pro-family organization has done extensive research into birth rates around the world and has concluded that if the Western world wants to survive, it better start having more children. The Population Research Institute (PRI) says virtually every Western or Westernized nation on the planet is slowly dying off because birth rates have fallen below the 2.1-child-per-woman replacement level.
PRI spokesman Joseph D'Agostino says for the most part, only Muslims have high birth rates. "It's because Christians and Jews are refusing to have children, refusing to get married, [and] having such low birth rates that the Muslims are going to inherit the Earth," he explains. "It's not anything the Muslims are doing; it's what Christians and Jews are not doing."
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OneNewsNow.com
The Population Research Institute says the Western world is facing a crisis as virtually every country has birth rates well below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman.
A pro-family organization has done extensive research into birth rates around the world and has concluded that if the Western world wants to survive, it better start having more children. The Population Research Institute (PRI) says virtually every Western or Westernized nation on the planet is slowly dying off because birth rates have fallen below the 2.1-child-per-woman replacement level.
PRI spokesman Joseph D'Agostino says for the most part, only Muslims have high birth rates. "It's because Christians and Jews are refusing to have children, refusing to get married, [and] having such low birth rates that the Muslims are going to inherit the Earth," he explains. "It's not anything the Muslims are doing; it's what Christians and Jews are not doing."
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Pastors can motivate church members to evangelize, LifeWay Research says
Allie Martin
OneNewsNow.com
A Lifeway Research study finds the churches that are most successful in the area of evangelism are those whose pastors set the tone for an emphasis on soul winning and lead their congregations by example.
A new study by the research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) finds churches that excel in evangelism have pastors who emphasize soul winning. LifeWay Research interviewed staff from several SBC churches and found that the senior pastor’s involvement was the most important determiner of a church’s success at evangelistic outreach.
In its study, LifeWay Research wanted to focus on churches that met the following criteria: churches that had baptized at least 26 people each year for 10 consecutive years; had overall worship attendance growth during the same 10 years; and had a membership to baptism ratio of no more than 20-to-1.
Out of more than 43,000 churches in the denomination, only 22 Southern Baptist congregations met those criteria. In interviews conducted with staff members from 19 of those churches, LifeWay’s researchers found the involvement of a senior pastor to be the most critical factor when it came to soul winning.
"In every case,” LifeWay Research director Brad Waggoner says, the study showed that senior pastors “set the tone for the whole church,” leading not only in terms of preaching and encouraging people but also by example. “Once again,” the LifeWay official notes, “we were reminded of the importance of God calling out leaders who set the pace."
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OneNewsNow.com
A Lifeway Research study finds the churches that are most successful in the area of evangelism are those whose pastors set the tone for an emphasis on soul winning and lead their congregations by example.
A new study by the research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) finds churches that excel in evangelism have pastors who emphasize soul winning. LifeWay Research interviewed staff from several SBC churches and found that the senior pastor’s involvement was the most important determiner of a church’s success at evangelistic outreach.
In its study, LifeWay Research wanted to focus on churches that met the following criteria: churches that had baptized at least 26 people each year for 10 consecutive years; had overall worship attendance growth during the same 10 years; and had a membership to baptism ratio of no more than 20-to-1.
Out of more than 43,000 churches in the denomination, only 22 Southern Baptist congregations met those criteria. In interviews conducted with staff members from 19 of those churches, LifeWay’s researchers found the involvement of a senior pastor to be the most critical factor when it came to soul winning.
"In every case,” LifeWay Research director Brad Waggoner says, the study showed that senior pastors “set the tone for the whole church,” leading not only in terms of preaching and encouraging people but also by example. “Once again,” the LifeWay official notes, “we were reminded of the importance of God calling out leaders who set the pace."
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'Amazing Grace' film about Wilberforce called inspirational
'Amazing Grace' film about Wilberforce called inspirational
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--William Wilberforce isn't a household name in America, but an upcoming motion picture is trying to change that.
"Amazing Grace" is the story of Wilberforce, a devout Christian and a member of the British Parliament who, beginning around 1787, sought to do what then seemed impossible -- lead the British Empire to abolish the slave trade, what supporters called the lifeblood of the economy. He failed year after year before, finally, in 1807 -- 200 years ago -- his bill became law, abolishing an evil that had resulted in the enslavement and death of millions of Africans. Shortly before his death in 1833, he learned that another bill -- to abolish the practice of slavery itself in the empire -- would soon become law
The movie -– to be released Feb. 23 and rated PG for mild language -- gets its name from Wilberforce's friendship with John Newton, the author of the hymn "Amazing Grace" and a former slave trader who -- several years after becoming a Christian -- teamed up with Wilberforce to abolish the trade.
Christian leaders today say the church could learn much from the way Wilberforce's faith drove him to moral action and kept him from giving up, despite obstacles.
"Anyone would be uplifted by seeing this movie, and people of faith should be inspired by it," said Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Richard Land, who saw the movie at a January screening. "I thought it was an excellent movie that shows what happens when a man of true faith takes seriously the command to be salt and light. Wilberforce should be an inspiration to every person of faith who takes seriously the obligation, responsibility and commission to make a difference in society."
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By Michael Foust
Baptist Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--William Wilberforce isn't a household name in America, but an upcoming motion picture is trying to change that.
"Amazing Grace" is the story of Wilberforce, a devout Christian and a member of the British Parliament who, beginning around 1787, sought to do what then seemed impossible -- lead the British Empire to abolish the slave trade, what supporters called the lifeblood of the economy. He failed year after year before, finally, in 1807 -- 200 years ago -- his bill became law, abolishing an evil that had resulted in the enslavement and death of millions of Africans. Shortly before his death in 1833, he learned that another bill -- to abolish the practice of slavery itself in the empire -- would soon become law
The movie -– to be released Feb. 23 and rated PG for mild language -- gets its name from Wilberforce's friendship with John Newton, the author of the hymn "Amazing Grace" and a former slave trader who -- several years after becoming a Christian -- teamed up with Wilberforce to abolish the trade.
Christian leaders today say the church could learn much from the way Wilberforce's faith drove him to moral action and kept him from giving up, despite obstacles.
"Anyone would be uplifted by seeing this movie, and people of faith should be inspired by it," said Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Richard Land, who saw the movie at a January screening. "I thought it was an excellent movie that shows what happens when a man of true faith takes seriously the command to be salt and light. Wilberforce should be an inspiration to every person of faith who takes seriously the obligation, responsibility and commission to make a difference in society."
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Tortured brickmakers refuse to embrace Islam
Tortured brickmakers refuse to embrace Islam
Steadfast Christian faith sustains them through month-long imprisonment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Two brothers who used to work at a brick kiln have escaped from what they describe as a kidnapping and torture by the business owner, who wanted them to convert from Christianity to Islam, according to a new report from Voice of the Martyrs, a U.S.-based Christian group helping members of the persecuted Christian church worldwide.
The two now have had to move to a new location in Pakistan, since the kiln owner continues to search for them, alleging they owe him a sum of about $750 – or 45,000 rupees
The brothers, Shahzad, 18, and Saraj Bashir, 20, were working for the kiln company – at the rate of about 200 to 300 rupees per 1,000 bricks, but were being pressured by the owner to forsake Christianity.
One day their steadfast Christian faith brought their Islamic boss to a breaking point.
"When Shahzad and Saraj refused to convert, the brick kiln owner took them away," according to a VOM source within Pakistan. "He put them in a small, empty room with a mud floor without a bed, chair or mattress."
The source continued: "He kept them there for a month. He gave them food once a day and beat them with a stick when they refused to convert back to Islam. He also threw acid on their arms, but they remained true to their Christ."
The tension between the kiln owner's demands and the brothers' faith had been building for some time. The brothers had been paid for the first few weeks of work, but then the owner, angered by meetings the Christians held, stopped paying for the work and instead told the family they owed him the 45,000 rupees.
"What angered the brick kiln owner more were the prayer meetings conducted by Pastor Emmanuel. Christians attended the prayer meetings and refused converting to Islam," the VOM source reported.
Throughout the time the brothers were held, they prayed daily and asked God to rescue them, VOM said.
One day, their chance came.
"When they discovered the door [to their prison] was open, they bowed before God and thanked Him for the miracle and then escaped," the informant told VOM. The brothers fled for days, without food, until they could reach their family.
Their fear of the kiln owner's anger and potential future actions have forced them now to move from the area. Reports are that the kiln owner continues searching for the brothers in order to get repayment of their "debt," according to VOM.
The brothers pray their experience will bring other Muslims to a knowledge of Christianity, VOM said.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Steadfast Christian faith sustains them through month-long imprisonment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Two brothers who used to work at a brick kiln have escaped from what they describe as a kidnapping and torture by the business owner, who wanted them to convert from Christianity to Islam, according to a new report from Voice of the Martyrs, a U.S.-based Christian group helping members of the persecuted Christian church worldwide.
The two now have had to move to a new location in Pakistan, since the kiln owner continues to search for them, alleging they owe him a sum of about $750 – or 45,000 rupees
The brothers, Shahzad, 18, and Saraj Bashir, 20, were working for the kiln company – at the rate of about 200 to 300 rupees per 1,000 bricks, but were being pressured by the owner to forsake Christianity.
One day their steadfast Christian faith brought their Islamic boss to a breaking point.
"When Shahzad and Saraj refused to convert, the brick kiln owner took them away," according to a VOM source within Pakistan. "He put them in a small, empty room with a mud floor without a bed, chair or mattress."
The source continued: "He kept them there for a month. He gave them food once a day and beat them with a stick when they refused to convert back to Islam. He also threw acid on their arms, but they remained true to their Christ."
The tension between the kiln owner's demands and the brothers' faith had been building for some time. The brothers had been paid for the first few weeks of work, but then the owner, angered by meetings the Christians held, stopped paying for the work and instead told the family they owed him the 45,000 rupees.
"What angered the brick kiln owner more were the prayer meetings conducted by Pastor Emmanuel. Christians attended the prayer meetings and refused converting to Islam," the VOM source reported.
Throughout the time the brothers were held, they prayed daily and asked God to rescue them, VOM said.
One day, their chance came.
"When they discovered the door [to their prison] was open, they bowed before God and thanked Him for the miracle and then escaped," the informant told VOM. The brothers fled for days, without food, until they could reach their family.
Their fear of the kiln owner's anger and potential future actions have forced them now to move from the area. Reports are that the kiln owner continues searching for the brothers in order to get repayment of their "debt," according to VOM.
The brothers pray their experience will bring other Muslims to a knowledge of Christianity, VOM said.
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Investigation of pastor's shooting death sought
Investigation of pastor's shooting death sought
Government forces gun down Tamil Mission Church leader
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 3, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Church officials who oversee the work of Christian ministers in Sri Lanka are calling for international intervention in that nation, after a church pastor was gunned down by Sri Lankan government security forces.
The report comes from Assist News Service.
It identifies the victim of the government-forces shooting as Rev. Nallathamby Gnanaseelan, the pastor of Tamil Mission Church Jaffna, and the father of four children, ages 1 to 7.
ASSIST reported that the bishop of Colombo noted the pastor had taken his wife Serena and his daughter to the hospital on his bike.
"The killing took place at Chapel Street when Rev. Gnanaseelan was returning, after dropping his wife and daughter at the hospital. He was heading to his church to conduct a fasting and prayer event," the bishop said.
Reports reaching the bishop's office from the Clergy Fellowship of Jaffna indicate that Rev. Gnanaseelan was shot in the stomach and then as he lay on the street, shot in the head and killed. "His Bible, bag, identity card and motorcycle were taken away and he was left lying on the road," the report said.
"The security forces reports initially indicated that Rev. Ghanaseelan was carrying explosives. Subsequently it was said that he was shot as he did not stop when challenged to do so. This is a deliberate attempt to frame Rev. Gnanaseelan," according to the bishop's report on the Jan. 13 death.
Lanka Nesiah, personal assistant to the bishop of Colombo, told ASSIST: "Rev. Gnanaseelan was a member of the National Christian Evangelical Alliance Clergy Fellowship in Jaffna and was not involved in any political activity. He was a law abiding citizen and a pastor to his congregation. His death is not an isolated incident, but one of many, which takes place in the North East of Sri Lanka, daily."
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Government forces gun down Tamil Mission Church leader
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 3, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Church officials who oversee the work of Christian ministers in Sri Lanka are calling for international intervention in that nation, after a church pastor was gunned down by Sri Lankan government security forces.
The report comes from Assist News Service.
It identifies the victim of the government-forces shooting as Rev. Nallathamby Gnanaseelan, the pastor of Tamil Mission Church Jaffna, and the father of four children, ages 1 to 7.
ASSIST reported that the bishop of Colombo noted the pastor had taken his wife Serena and his daughter to the hospital on his bike.
"The killing took place at Chapel Street when Rev. Gnanaseelan was returning, after dropping his wife and daughter at the hospital. He was heading to his church to conduct a fasting and prayer event," the bishop said.
Reports reaching the bishop's office from the Clergy Fellowship of Jaffna indicate that Rev. Gnanaseelan was shot in the stomach and then as he lay on the street, shot in the head and killed. "His Bible, bag, identity card and motorcycle were taken away and he was left lying on the road," the report said.
"The security forces reports initially indicated that Rev. Ghanaseelan was carrying explosives. Subsequently it was said that he was shot as he did not stop when challenged to do so. This is a deliberate attempt to frame Rev. Gnanaseelan," according to the bishop's report on the Jan. 13 death.
Lanka Nesiah, personal assistant to the bishop of Colombo, told ASSIST: "Rev. Gnanaseelan was a member of the National Christian Evangelical Alliance Clergy Fellowship in Jaffna and was not involved in any political activity. He was a law abiding citizen and a pastor to his congregation. His death is not an isolated incident, but one of many, which takes place in the North East of Sri Lanka, daily."
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Church 'Super Bowl' festivities may go on
Church 'Super Bowl' festivities may go on
NFL says just don't charge admission fees to parties
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Posted: February 2, 2007
5:00 p.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Churches across the U.S. planning Super Bowl parties Sunday, as the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears meet in the 41st edition of the classic first won by the Green Bay Packers, have been given sweeping permission by the NFL to go ahead – just as long as no admission fees are charged.
A dispute arose several days ago in the Midwest when the NFL sent a letter to one church based on its website advertisement for a "Super Bowl Party." That letter to Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis said the church couldn't use the words "Super Bowl," it couldn't charge admission, it couldn't use its projection screen for the game, and a number of other things.
Those limits, coupled with the fact no church felt willing to take on a financial behemoth like the National Football League in court, sparked a series of cancellations of those parties.
"We regret to inform you that we have had to cancel our bash to view the Colts game this Sunday in a family friendly environment due to the fact that the NFL believes we would be in violation of the Copyright Act, because we had planned to show the game on a screen bigger than a 55 inch diagonal," said a website statement from Pastor John D. Newland of Fall Creek Baptist.
However, a written statement given to WND by the NFL late today made no mention of many of those restrictions. It was attributed only to "an NFL spokesman."
"The National Football League has absolutely no objection to churches and others hosting Super Bowl viewing parties as long as they do not charge admission and show the game on a television of the type commonly used at home.
"We are simply following copyright law and have done so with regard to any type of commercial establishment including hotels, theatres, museums, schools, arenas and others.
"This is nothing new. It is a matter of longstanding policy and the law.
"We have no rules that relate to viewing at home on any type of television."
NFL officials, after the statement was released, could not be reached by WND for any elaboration.
Earlier, they forwarded to WND their "Policy On The Public Performance Of Game Broadcasts," which expressed the league's "exclusive" ownership of the games and broadcasts.
The policy also describes the "homestyle exemption," which allows that in certain circumstances "conduct that otherwise violates the public performance right is deemed noninfringing. Specifically, 17 U.S.C. Paragraph 110(5)(A) provides that performance of a televised game will be excused if such performance is 'on a single receiving apparatus of a kind commonly used in private homes, unless (1) a direct charge is made to see or hear the transmission; or (2) the transmission thus received is further transmitted to the public.'"
The NFL policy notes that the league doesn't object to having games played on a single television receiver, "set up in a room or bar, provided payment is not a condition of entry."
Elaborate performances, such as those using a movie theater with multiple, oversized television monitors and entry fees would, however, cause objections.
Pastor Mark Miller, of Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis, said his church's party was cancelled, but when he heard from WND the NFL was committed to being flexible, said it would depend on whether the youth ministry team could re-group – again – that fast.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
NFL says just don't charge admission fees to parties
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 2, 2007
5:00 p.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Churches across the U.S. planning Super Bowl parties Sunday, as the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears meet in the 41st edition of the classic first won by the Green Bay Packers, have been given sweeping permission by the NFL to go ahead – just as long as no admission fees are charged.
A dispute arose several days ago in the Midwest when the NFL sent a letter to one church based on its website advertisement for a "Super Bowl Party." That letter to Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis said the church couldn't use the words "Super Bowl," it couldn't charge admission, it couldn't use its projection screen for the game, and a number of other things.
Those limits, coupled with the fact no church felt willing to take on a financial behemoth like the National Football League in court, sparked a series of cancellations of those parties.
"We regret to inform you that we have had to cancel our bash to view the Colts game this Sunday in a family friendly environment due to the fact that the NFL believes we would be in violation of the Copyright Act, because we had planned to show the game on a screen bigger than a 55 inch diagonal," said a website statement from Pastor John D. Newland of Fall Creek Baptist.
However, a written statement given to WND by the NFL late today made no mention of many of those restrictions. It was attributed only to "an NFL spokesman."
"The National Football League has absolutely no objection to churches and others hosting Super Bowl viewing parties as long as they do not charge admission and show the game on a television of the type commonly used at home.
"We are simply following copyright law and have done so with regard to any type of commercial establishment including hotels, theatres, museums, schools, arenas and others.
"This is nothing new. It is a matter of longstanding policy and the law.
"We have no rules that relate to viewing at home on any type of television."
NFL officials, after the statement was released, could not be reached by WND for any elaboration.
Earlier, they forwarded to WND their "Policy On The Public Performance Of Game Broadcasts," which expressed the league's "exclusive" ownership of the games and broadcasts.
The policy also describes the "homestyle exemption," which allows that in certain circumstances "conduct that otherwise violates the public performance right is deemed noninfringing. Specifically, 17 U.S.C. Paragraph 110(5)(A) provides that performance of a televised game will be excused if such performance is 'on a single receiving apparatus of a kind commonly used in private homes, unless (1) a direct charge is made to see or hear the transmission; or (2) the transmission thus received is further transmitted to the public.'"
The NFL policy notes that the league doesn't object to having games played on a single television receiver, "set up in a room or bar, provided payment is not a condition of entry."
Elaborate performances, such as those using a movie theater with multiple, oversized television monitors and entry fees would, however, cause objections.
Pastor Mark Miller, of Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis, said his church's party was cancelled, but when he heard from WND the NFL was committed to being flexible, said it would depend on whether the youth ministry team could re-group – again – that fast.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
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