From six troubles He will deliver you
"From six troubles He will deliver you,
Even in seven evil will not touch you.
- Job 5:19
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Key Moriel
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But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY ? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING ?"
- 1 Corinthians 15:54-55
Urgent Ministry News & Information
Moriel New Zealand Nigel Nicholson With Jesus
| MORIEL MINISTRIES
It is with a predictable combination of joy and sadness that we announce that Brother Nigel Nicholson, Moriel administrator for New Zealand, has been called home to be with Jesus. Nigel had been battling heart disease but was never quite the same after the loss of his beloved wife Jenny three years ago with whom he is now re-united in Christ.
Moriel & Jacob Prasch request prayer for Nigel's three daughters and their families and for the on-going ministry of Moriel in New Zealand.
In Christ our separation from Nigel is of course temporary and he shall walk the earth again in the millennial reign of Jesus with us prior to the eternal reward. Nigel has been greeted in his home coming by The Lord :
"WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT".
Originally posted on the MORIEL website
http://www.moriel.org/Moriel_NZ/Moriel_NZ.html
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Shalom and Greetings in Christ Jesus,
A Hebraic understanding of Scripture helps us to understand the last days
The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo; and on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned. When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, "Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. "Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
- Acts 27:18-22
One of the most profound truths I have learned and consistently put into use in my study and practice of the Scriptures is the original Hebraic or I should say, Judeo-Christian understanding of repetitive pattern, also know as a Midrash. We see this in many of the historical accounts in the Old Testament (OT) and even in the New Testament (NT) such as the passage above in which I recommend everyone reading The Future History of the Church by James Jacob Prasch for the full study.
In the above literal-historical account there is also a picture given to us of the last-days church. In the gospels, God's people (now the church) are pictured as boats or ships, often in storm tossed seas. Earlier in verse 14 of the same chapter we read:
But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind, called Euraquilo;
- Acts 27:14
What is quite interesting is that although the Greek language used in the NT used different words for wind and spirit, the OT did not, and it is Hebraic OT typology that Paul uses in this passage.
With that, in general we have a picture of a violent "spirit" storm-tossing the church and assailing them for many days. They had also gone many days without food (teaching of the Word of God) and had to start abandoning the things of this world in order to "stay afloat."
How many believers fit this condition in the world today? Many in "churches" are receiving teaching but it is anything and everything except the Word of God.
Paul then admonishes them for following their own course (not listening to The word, i.e., the Scriptures?) but he encourages them that there will be no loss of life (none shall perish - Jesus will lose none of His sheep John 10:27-28), but again, the things of this world such as the ship (church buildings etc.) will be lost.
We can apply this passage to many situations in the church today just as we can the seven letters in Revelation. It has been taught by dispensationalists (where my view is generally positioned) that besides being seven literal letters to seven literal churches in what is now modern Turkey, these dictated by our Lord Jesus Christ to the apostle John give us a picture of all types of churches in the world today, and personal application for all believers. These letters also prove to be a prophetic timeline of the church age that is completely accurate to what has occurred. Of course, we should not be shocked at this since God Himself gave us this information, but many will still naysay and ignore this truth.
Additionally some have taught that of the seven churches in Revelation, there is a difference between the first set of three and the second set of four. This distinction is shown between the placements of the statements by Jesus "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches ..." (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 27, and 3:6, 13, 22) and "To him who overcomes ..." (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26, and 3:5, 12, 21). Careful observation will reveal that the "Spirit" statement comes first for Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamum however, it is the "overcome" statement spoken first for Thyatira through Laodicea.
The serpent and the dragon
So, what does the difference between the two sets of churches mean? Some have suggested that a line of those who had a pure and full understanding of Christ's and the apostles teaching went as far as Pergamum before the false teaching of Rome fully encroached and that light was lost. We see this today in that the persecuted church of today is not the Smyrna of old. Not only does most of the persecuted church have to be concerned about the dragon (blatant satanic attack) but also they are constantly facing the serpent (seductive satanic deception). Many of these churches are filled with false teachings and doctrines and the only thing that separates them from the world is that they believe on the name of Jesus and are willing to die for Him.
I personally find it very bothersome when a believer is willing to die for Christ and will not recant his faith in the face of certain death and yet still I receive messages from people that say something along the lines, "he is a false believer, or in a cult" etc. As most of you know, we (I) have no problem pointing out those who malign the truth, however, we are told plainly in Scripture that we cannot judge the heart, only words and deeds. I personally find it much easier to hold to sound doctrine than to live out good deeds and I need my wife and the fellowship of the saints to help me walk every day or I will fall flat. (Those who know me can attest to my daily struggles and mood swings, which I readily concur, are not becoming to the man of God, yet I continue to strive towards the goal.)
It is easy to spot a deceiver in America or the rich Western countries, especially those who talk big on stage and live even bigger and whose deeds do not line up with the that of the Scriptures. We cannot judge their heart or one's salvation, but those who have been "marked" for their divisiveness should get out of the ministry before they do more harm. However, someone willing to die for Christ is either insane beyond hope or are showing the world their heart. In these cases, we should give such the benefit of the doubt and let Jesus be the judge.
Understanding the Days of Lot
Is it not written in the book of Jashar?
- Joshua 10:13c
One of the most troublesome trends in modern Christendom (and one of my personal pet peeves) is how popular books by Christian pastors, teachers and authors have been elevated to a "must read" status that rivals that of the Bible itself.
An example of these fad like, Purpose-Driven� style, mass marketed, junk food publications that the undiscerning sheep have gobbled down because of a "everyone else is doing it" mentality are books like The Shack and A Celebration of Discipline. Few have taken the time to thoroughly compare what they take into their hearts and minds against the Word of God. This we know to be a fact as ministers and ministries beginning with the original Bible Answer Man, Dr. Walter Martin and continuing with those such as The Berean Call, John MacArthur, Moriel and others alike have documented. Nonetheless, most refuse to look at the facts and rather go on blindly and happily into apostasy.
However, there is always one warning I find nearly always mentioned by most Evangelical pastors and teachers that when compared to the modern book market, frankly amazes me. This is the one regarding extra-biblical, non-canonical or Apocryphal books. Now, I am referring to the extra-biblical books that the Scriptures actually quote, Jashar and Enoch, and those included in the Apocryphal and Old/New Testament Pseudepigrapha that are helpful for understanding history such as the time of Antiochus Ephipanes IV. These books do not contain doctrine, but are important for their historical contributions, for example 1 & 2 Maccabees and Jashar et al.
The clearly biblically contradictory pseudo-apocryphal books such as the Gospel of Thomas or any other such books that were not written by those that bare their names, are Gnostic and contain false teaching. These false books and letters (an example of warned of by Paul in 2 Thes 2:2) directly contradict Scriptural doctrine, are garbage and should only studied by those looking to refute them and feel comfortable with their biblical knowledge and discernment as to not to be led astray. Any warnings for reading these should be heeded seriously.
Now I understand why these books, especially books such as Jashar, Enoch or the Book of Jubilees should be read with caution. Although these were trusted historical sources by the biblical authors, we really have no idea how trustworthy the copies of today are. These have not been rigorously tested like the canonical (biblical) manuscripts. Nonetheless, if you know your bible, I suggest reading Jashar 18 & 19 for a further view of Sodom and Gomorrah. What is so striking is not just the gross sexual immorality but also a perverted legal system that was "a trap" to all who unwittingly fell into it. What we have is a system of justice that was completely "lawless" and I am afraid this is what we are beginning to witness in The United States and much of the world today. This is helpful in understanding the trends we are beginning to see worldwide regarding the laws being passed to protect what used to be called "sin" and additionally, laws being passed to prosecute those who preach the truth about it.
One final comment I would like to make regarding the current events transpiring worldwide. I recently have found myself 'subscribed' to a Preterist email newsletter to which I occasionally do read since I want to better understand their positions. This last one was on Isaiah 17:1 and a question was asked somewhere in the thread of comments that if God was going to "curse those who curse" why did he not curse Germany? First, that person obviously does not understand the wall that separated Berlin until Israel was a nation for forty years. But, that is for another time. However, God's judgment begins in His own house, and this we are currently seeing with faithful believers and congregations being separated from unfaithful ones despite the association or denomination that they may be affiliated.
God takes His stand in His own congregation - Psalms 82:1
For many this may not be so encouraging but for me it is very encouraging and it also should be for the persecuted church that is much larger than the affluent and lesser persecuted Western church. It is also doctrinally sound and although many dispute last-day issues for the church, no can dispute that the above situation is quite common for many within the church.
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
BE/\LERT!
Scott Brisk
*To Forward this newsletter to others, send the link for the online posting (see click here above) or use the "Forward Email" link at the bottom. This way you can be sure you won't be unsubscribed by someone else. |
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Banks foreclosing on churches in record numbers
Church foreclosures have hit all denominations across America, black and white, but with small to medium size houses of worship the worst
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Church Foreclosure (Parody)
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REUTERS [Thomson-Reuters] - By Tim Reid - March 8, 2012
LOS ANGELES - Banks are foreclosing on America's churches in record numbers as lenders increasingly lose patience with religious facilities that have defaulted on their mortgages, according to new data.
The surge in church foreclosures represents a new wave of distressed property seizures triggered by the 2008 financial crash, analysts say, with many banks no longer willing to grant struggling religious organizations forbearance.
Since 2010, 270 churches have been sold after defaulting on their loans, with 90 percent of those sales coming after a lender-triggered foreclosure, according to the real estate information company CoStar Group.
In 2011, 138 churches were sold by banks, an annual record, with no sign that these religious foreclosures are abating, according to CoStar. That compares to just 24 sales in 2008 and only a handful in the decade before.
The church foreclosures have hit all denominations across America, black and white, but with small to medium size houses of worship the worst. Most of these institutions have ended up being purchased by other churches.
The highest percentage have occurred in some of the states hardest hit by the home foreclosure crisis: California, Georgia, Florida and Michigan.
"Churches are among the final institutions to get foreclosed upon because banks have not wanted to look like they are being heavy handed with the churches," said Scott Rolfs, managing director of Religious and Education finance at the investment bank Ziegler.
Church defaults differ from residential foreclosures. Most of the loans in question are not 30-year mortgages but rather commercial loans that typically mature after just five years when the full balance becomes due immediately.
Its common practice for banks to refinance such loans when they come due. But banks have become increasingly reluctant to do that because of pressure from regulators to clean up their balance sheets, said Rolfs.
"A lot of these loans were given when the properties were evaluated at a certain level in 2005 or 2006," Rolfs said. "Banks have had to reappraise the value of these properties, whether it's a church or a commercial office building. Values have gone down, so the loans cannot continue in the same form."
The factors leading to the boom in church foreclosures will sound familiar to many private homeowners evicted from their properties in recent years.
During the property boom, many churches took out additional loans to refurbish or enlarge, often with major lenders or with the Evangelical Christian Credit Union, which was particularly aggressive in lending to religious institutions.
Then after the financial crash, many churchgoers lost their jobs, donations plunged, and often, so did the value of the church building.
CONGREGATIONS IN TROUBLE
Solid Rock Christian Church near Memphis, Tennessee, took out a $2.9 million loan with the Evangelical Christian Credit Union at the beginning of 2008, to construct a new, 2,000 seat, 34,000 square-foot building to house its growing congregation.
In the middle of construction, the economy crashed. The church raided its savings to finish the project, but ended up defaulting on the loan.
The ECCU foreclosed and put the church up for auction. ...
At the iconic Charles Street African American Episcopal Church in Boston, Massachusetts, churchgoers and clergy accuse the bank of being unwilling to negotiate.
The church is being threatened with foreclosure and a March 22 auction by its lender OneUnited bank, America's largest black-owned bank.
The bank says the church, which was founded in 1818 and played a major role in the anti-slavery movement, has defaulted on a $1.1 million balloon loan that came due in December 2011.
A balloon loan is a long-term loan, often a mortgage, that has a large, or balloon, payment due upon maturity. They often have very low interest payments and require little capital outlay during the life of the loan due to the large end payment. ...
Axel Adams, an Atlanta, Georgia official with the Rainbow PUSH coalition, the civil rights and economic justice organization led by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, said he had seen a "tremendous increase" in churches facing foreclosure.
"And some pastors have not notified their congregants," Adams said. "They are fearful that if they do, they will lose congregants prematurely."
Flat Rock Church in Lithonia, Georgia, which dates back to 1860, took out an $850,000 balloon loan with Sun Trust Bank in 2005 to fund a new 300-seat church.
In May 2010 the loan became due. The bank foreclosed and the church is due to be auctioned off next month.
"The bank has refused to negotiate and to this day I just don't know why," said Binita Miles, the church pastor. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/09/us-usa-housing-churches-idUSBRE82803120120309
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Israel and the Plight of Mideast Christians
Just as Jews were once expelled from Arab lands, Christians are now being forced from countries they have long inhabited |  THE WALL STREET JOURNAL [Dow Jones & Co - NewsCorporation/Murdoch] - By Michael Oren - March 9, 2012
The church in Bethlehem had survived more than 1,000 years, through wars and conquests, but its future now seemed in jeopardy. Spray-painted all over its ancient stone walls were the Arabic letters for Hamas. The year was 1994 and the city was about to pass from Israeli to Palestinian control. I was meeting with the church's clergy as an Israeli government adviser on inter-religious affairs. They were despondent but too frightened to file a complaint. The same Hamas thugs who had desecrated their sanctuary were liable to take their lives.
The trauma of those priests is now commonplace among Middle Eastern Christians. Their share of the region's population has plunged from 20% a century ago to less than 5% today and falling. In Egypt, 200,000 Coptic Christians fled their homes last year after beatings and massacres by Muslim extremist mobs. Since 2003, 70 Iraqi churches have been burned and nearly a thousand Christians killed in Baghdad alone, causing more than half of this million-member community to flee. Conversion to Christianity is a capital offense in Iran, where last month Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was sentenced to death. Saudi Arabia outlaws private Christian prayer.
As 800,000 Jews were once expelled from Arab countries, so are Christians being forced from lands they've inhabited for centuries.
The only place in the Middle East where Christians aren't endangered but flourishing is Israel. Since Israel's founding in 1948, its Christian communities (including Russian and Greek Orthodox, Catholics, Armenians and Protestants) have expanded more than 1,000%.
Christians are prominent in all aspects of Israeli life, serving in the Knesset, the Foreign Ministry and on the Supreme Court. They are exempt from military service, but thousands have volunteered and been sworn in on special New Testaments printed in Hebrew. Israeli Arab Christians are on average more affluent than Israeli Jews and better-educated, even scoring higher on their SATs.
This does not mean that Israeli Christians do not occasionally encounter intolerance. But in contrast to elsewhere in the Middle East where hatred of Christians is ignored or encouraged, Israel remains committed to its Declaration of Independence pledge to "ensure the complete equality of all its citizens irrespective of religion." It guarantees free access to all Christian holy places, which are under the exclusive aegis of Christian clergy. When Muslims tried to erect a mosque near the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, the Israeli government interceded to preserve the sanctity of the shrine.
Israel abounds with such sites (Capernaum, the Hill of the Beatitudes, the birth place of St. John the Baptist) but the state constitutes only part of the Holy Land. The rest, according to Jewish and Christian tradition, is in Gaza and the West Bank. Christians in those areas suffer the same plight as their co-religionists throughout the region.
Since the Hamas takeover of Gaza in 2007, half the Christian community has fled. Christmas decorations and public displays of crucifixes are forbidden. In a December 2010 broadcast, Hamas officials exhorted Muslims to slaughter their Christian neighbors. Rami Ayad, owner of Gaza's only Christian bookstore, was murdered, his store reduced to ash. This is the same Hamas with which the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank recently signed a unity pact.
Little wonder, then, that the West Bank is also hemorrhaging Christians. Once 15% of the population, they now make up less than 2%. Some have attributed the flight to Israeli policies that allegedly deny Christians economic opportunities, stunt demographic growth, and impede access to the holy sites of Jerusalem. In fact, most West Bank Christians live in cities such as Nablus, Jericho and Ramallah, which are under Palestinian Authority control. All those cities have experienced marked economic growth and sharp population increase-among Muslims.
Israel, in spite of its need to safeguard its borders from terrorists, allows holiday access to Jerusalem's churches to Christians from both the West Bank and Gaza. In Jerusalem, the number of Arabs-among them Christians-has tripled since the city's reunification by Israel in 1967.
There must be another reason, then, for the West Bank's Christian exodus. The answer lies in Bethlehem. Under Israeli auspices, the city's Christian population grew by 57%. But under the Palestinian Authority since 1995, those numbers have plummeted. Palestinian gunmen seized Christian homes-compelling Israel to build a protective barrier between them and Jewish neighborhoods-and then occupied the Church of the Nativity, looting it and using it as a latrine. Today, Christians comprise a mere one-fifth of their holy city's population.
The extinction of the Middle East's Christian communities is an injustice of historic magnitude. Yet Israel provides an example of how this trend can not only be prevented but reversed. With the respect and appreciation that they receive in the Jewish state, the Christians of Muslim countries could not only survive but thrive.
Mr. Oren is Israel's ambassador to the United States.
Unedited :: Link to Original Posting
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203960804577239923033348982.html
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Muslim Community in America 'Increasing Dramatically,' Says Researcher
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THE CHRISTIAN POST - By Michael Gryboski - February 29, 2012
The number of mosques in the United States has nearly doubled since 2000, according to recently released research on religion in American life.
"The subtext is that 9/11 has apparently not detracted, has not been an obstacle in that continued growth of the Muslim community," said Ihsan Bagby, associate professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky. "We counted a little over 2,100 mosques in America. And that's a substantial increase from (the year) 2000. Mosque participants have also increased."
Bagby was the lead researcher of "The American Mosque 2011: Basic Characteristics of the American Mosque, Attitudes of Mosque Leaders," which was released Wednesday. ...
"The Muslim community in America is growing, healthy, vibrant, and becoming more and more a part of the American landscape." ...
David Roozen, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, said that in American congregational life Islam is "one of the few growth spots in America's religious mosaic." ...
"Against this kind of a backdrop of a slow overall erosion in American congregational vitality the fifty percent plus growth in mosques and the thirty percent plus growth in mosque participation overall the decades...is especially dramatic," said Roozen. ...
Regarding mosque construction, the study found that although New York and California have the most mosques of all the states, it is the American South that has the most mosques in the nation. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.christianpost.com/news/muslim-community-in-america-increasing-dramatically-says-researcher-70570/
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Penn Judge Tosses Case in Which Muslim Was Accused of Attacking Atheist
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YAHOO! CONTRIBUTOR NETWORK - Commentary by Mark Whittington - February 24, 2012
UPDATE: This commentary has been corrected to reflect the judge's official reason for throwing the case out. Also, even though -- in the recording of the proceeding -- the judge seemed to say he is a Muslim convert, Judge Martin is in fact a Lutheran.
COMMENTARY | Jonathon Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, wrote on a disturbing case in which a state judge in Pennsylvania threw out an assault case involving a Muslim attacking an atheist for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
Judge Mark Martin, an Iraq war veteran, threw the case out after ruling that there was insufficient evidence. But then he berated the plaintiff in what appears to be an invocation of Sharia law.
The incident occurred at the Mechanicsburg, Pa., Halloween parade where Ernie Perce, an atheist activist, marched as a zombie Muhammad. Talaag Elbayomy, a Muslim, was accused of attacking Perce. He was arrested by police.
Judge Martin threw the case out on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence, refusing to allow a grainy video of the incident to be entered in. But then he suggested to Perce that Elbayomy was obligated to attack Perce because of his culture and religion. Judge Martin stated that the First Amendment of the Constitution does not permit people to provoke other people. He also called Perce, the plaintiff in the case, a "doofus." In effect, Perce was the perpetrator of the alleged assault, in Judge Martin's view, and Elbayomy the innocent. The Sharia law that the Muslim attacker followed trumped the First Amendment.
Words almost fail.
The Washington Post recently reported on an appeals court decision to maintain an injunction to stop the implementation of an amendment to the Oklahoma state constitution that bans the use of Sharia law in state courts. The excuse the court gave was that there was no documented case of Sharia law being invoked in an American court. Judge Martin would seem to have provided that example, which should provide fodder for the argument as the case goes through the federal courts.
The text of the First Amendment could not be clearer. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof-" It does not say "unless somebody, especially a Muslim, is angered." Indeed Judge Martin specifically decided to respect the establishment of a religion, in this case Islam.
That Judge Martin should be removed from the bench and severely sanctioned goes almost without saying. He clearly had no business hearing the case in the first place, since he seems to carry an emotional bias. He also needs to retake a constitutional law course. Otherwise, a real can of worms has been opened up, permitting violence against people exercising free speech.
It should be noted that another atheist, dressed as a Zombie Pope, was marching beside the Zombie Muhammad. No outraged Catholics attacked him.
Unedited :: Link to Original Posting
http://news.yahoo.com/penn-judge-muslims-allowed-attack-people-insulting-mohammad-210000330.html
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As in the days of Lot ...
Christians who signed petitions investigated
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Opponents of El Paso mayor's same-sex benefits plan targeted for prosecution
WND [WorldNetDaily] - By Bob Unruh - March 10, 2012
A prosecutor has decided to pursue and possibly charge members of El Paso area churches who promoted petitions opposing the city administration's decision to implement benefits for same-sex partners even after voters decided not to allow that.
The result is an emergency appeal to the state Supreme Court by attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, which has been working on the freedom of speech dispute.
The organization today warned that hundreds of Christians and other El Paso citizens "are facing jail time for exercising their constitutionally protected right to speak out against Mayor John Cook's policies."
The issue arose when voters in November 2010 placed on the ballot and passed an ordinance prohibiting unmarried domestic partner benefits in their city.
Several members of the city council refused to follow the will of the vote, and voted to rescind the ordinance approved by voters. The mayor joined in the effort.
That produced a grassroots recall campaign seeking to remove the mayor and council members who violated the will of the people.
The mayor subsequently sued Tom Brown Ministries, Word of Life Church of El Paso, El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values and other local citizens who circulated recall petitions. He cited a Texas election law, arguing that it prohibits churches from circulating a petition.
While ADF attorneys have filed a separate federal suit against the law to have it declared unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds, a state judge denied Cook's request to order the election halted.
Then the Court of Appeals for the 8th District took up the mayor's cause and ordered the election stopped and the petition signatures decertified. Almost immediately, El Paso District Attorney Jaime Esparza subpoenaed the petitions and convened a grand jury to proceed with possible criminal indictment of those behind the petition effort.
That leaves those who worked on petitions expressing their opposition to the decision by the mayor and council to ignore the voters' intentions subject to criminal charges, the ADF said.
"El Paso citizens should not live in fear of being arrested and jailed for exercising their constitutionally protected right to free speech," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Joel Oster, who argued before the appeals court on Jan. 24 in Cook v. Tom Brown Ministries.
"We have more than 250 signed affidavits from local citizens who are terrified that they may go to jail for their legitimate political and free speech efforts. This is America, and the mayor can't be allowed to put his opponents in jail just because he doesn't like the fact that they participated in a valid effort that he doesn't favor," said Oster.
The ADF reported former Texas Supreme Court Justice Raul Gonzalez, ADF-allied attorney and election law expert James Bopp, ADF-allied attorneys with Liberty Institute, and local counsel Theresa Cabellero and Stuart Leeds have joined with ADF lead attorneys to represent the constitutionally protected rights of El Paso citizens. In addition to the expedited petition, the legal team also filed a motion to stay the appellate court ruling, which would put it on hold until the high court decides the matter. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/christians-who-signed-petitions-investigated/
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Bill lets chaplains hold biblical view of 'gays'
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WND [WorldNetDaily] - By Bob Unruh - March 17, 2012
A congressman who has introduced legislation to restore religious freedom to military chaplains says Barack Obama's decision to permit open homosexuality in the armed forces has created an unconstitutional divide that protects the rights of supporters of homosexuality but disciplines adherents to biblical standards of behavior.
"When President Obama put his hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the constitutionally protected rights of all Americans, no exception was made against those in the military," U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., said in a statement on his website.
"Whether it is expressing the tenets of one's faith on the issue of marriage or abortion or contraception, it is a violation of the most fundamental of rights - the free exercise of religion - to coerce a chaplain to act in contravention of the tenets of his faith."
His statement addressed the Obama administration's attempt to stifle a statement by Roman Catholic chaplains that the president's requirement that Catholic groups pay for abortion-causing drugs would not be followed.
His H.R. 3828, the Military Religious Freedom Protection Act, is pending in a House committee and already has dozens of cosponsors.
An analysis of Huelskamp's bill by the Center for Military Readiness explains that while the First Amendment to the Constitution "guarantees rights of conscience and religious freedom to both chaplains and military personnel" a need has developed to "deter infringements on religious liberty." ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/bill-to-let-chaplains-hold-biblical-view-of-gays/
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St. Pat's Day massacre of religious liberty
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Obama expands contraception insurance mandate to Catholic university students
WND [WorldNetDaily] - By Drew Zahn - March 17, 2012
While much of the nation was focused on the St. Patrick's Day weekend, the White House quietly released news that has nonetheless caught the attention of - and outraged - many Catholics and defenders of religious liberty.
In a late-week news release, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Resources announced it was taking "the next step" in implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - commonly called Obamacare - by finalizing a rule that requires universities offering insurance to students to add contraception coverage, regardless of the school's moral or religious stance on the issue.
In other words, if a Catholic university like Notre Dame offers students insurance plans, those plans must also, after a one-year transition period, include birth control coverage, despite Catholic doctrine to the contrary.
Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, blasted the news as a "profound violation of religious liberty."
"The reality is that the HHS mandate forces women like me to violate our consciences by paying a premium to an insurer who will then provide free coverage of drugs and devices that can cause abortions," Monahan said in a statement. "At the end of the day ... the mandate forces religious organizations to pay health insurance companies for coverage to their employees with drugs and services that simply violates their religious convictions.
"You may not agree with such religious beliefs," she continued, "but freedom to exercise one's religion is a constitutional right and should be protected by the president under the First Amendment." ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/st-pats-day-massacre-of-religious-liberty/
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Ugandan 'gays' sue American over beliefs
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WND [WorldNetDaily] - By Bob Unruh - March 14, 2012
A organization of homosexuals in Uganda, with the help of what the New York Times calls a "liberal legal advocacy" team, has sued an American evangelist over his biblically based religious beliefs that homosexuality is a sin, and his statements about his beliefs.
"I am an American citizen [being targeted] over the persecution of homosexuals as they define it as a crime against humanity - for speaking the truth of the Bible in a foreign country," Scott Lively, of Abiding Truth Ministries, told WND today after he found out about the legal action.
He said the definition of "crime against humanity" comes from European progressives, and the accusations appear to be based on his speeches and writings about the Bible's perspective on homosexuality.
The lawsuit, signed by attorney Luke Ryan and Pamela Spees, whose admission to the court for the purpose of the lawsuit is pending, demands compensatory damages, punitive damages, exemplary damages, attorneys' fees and a ruling that Lively's conduct "was in violation of the law of nations."
Spees is with the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York.
It was filed on behalf of the "Sexual Minorities Uganda," or SMUG, alleging Lively has "waged, in coordination with his Ugandan counterparts," a campaign "to persecute persons on the basis of their gender and/or sexual orientation and gender identity."
It says "persecution is defined in international law as the 'intentional and severe deprivation of fundamental rights contrary to international law by reason of the identity of the group or collectivity.'"
The New York lawyers claim Lively contributed to a "conspiracy to persecute LGBTT persons in Uganda."
Because of Lively, Ryan and Spees allege, their clients live in "persistent fear of harassment, arbitrary arrest and physical harm, including death."
The lawyers say Lively "and co-conspirators, [Ugandans Stephen} Langa, [Martin] Ssempa, Minister of Ethics and Integrity James Buturo and Member of Parliament David Bahail coordinated a dramatic, far-reaching" campaign. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/ugandan-gays-sue-american-over-beliefs/
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Debunking Kirk Cameron's Christianity [?]
(No, just parading your hatred for the One True God)
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THE WASHINGTON POST [Wash Post Group/Graham] - By Becky Garrison - March 19, 2012
Since, I was too old to obsess over Mike Seaver, I never got caught up in the whole Kirk Cameron switcheroo from teen idol to Christian activist. My first encounter with him occurred in 2007 when I caught a live taping of the first ever "Nightline Face Off." During this episode, Cameron and evangelist Ray Comfort debated the existence of God with an atheist group called the Rational Response Squad (RSS). Very quickly this creationism v. evolution debate devolved to the point where I felt I was viewing a second rate sketch comedy group instead of an actual news program. ...
As expected, religious right "pro family" groups quickly came to Cameron's defense. For example, Tony Perkins from the Family Research Council, a group designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, cited a survey by the Alliance Defense Fund. in his quest to prove the majority of Americans believed that "marriage should be defined ONLY as a union between one man and one woman." This data produced by an group that describes itself as "a servant organization that provides the resources that will keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel through the legal defense of religious freedom, the sanctity of life, marriage and the family" runs counter to the data produced by Gallup, a professional polling organization, that indicates the majority of Americans (53 percent) now support marriage equality. ...
As a counter to Cameron's bigotry, why not check out the voices speaking out on sites like Believe Out Loud? Here one will find a rising tide of Christians speaking out in support of fulfilling the baptismal covenant whereby those who profess to follow Jesus Christ are to welcome all as full members of the body of Christ. This radical welcome includes granting LGBT folks equal access to the same rights and rites granted to everyone else.
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/debunking-kirk-camerons-christianity/2012/03/08/gIQAzzIYzR_blog.html
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Christian persecution continues to increase on campus across the US
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Christian High school student refuses to sing Islamic 'Allah' song
'This is worshipping another God'
KDVR-TV FOX31/32 DENVER, CO [News Corporation/Murdoch] - By Julie Hayden - February 15, 2012
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - A Grand Junction High School student is dropping out of choir rather than sing an Islamic song he says goes against his strong Christian beliefs.
The song is "Zikr," and was written by internationally acclaimed composer A.R. Rahman.
Rahman won an Oscar and a Grammy for his songs in Slum Dog Millionaire. Zikr was written for a 2005 movie about an Indian independence leader. The song contains the phrase "There is no other truth but Allah."
It's that phrase to which senior James Harper objects.
"This is worshipping another God" and prohibited by the Bible, Harper says.
But Imam Abdur-Rahim Ali, from the Northeast Denver Islamic Center says "Allah translated into English is only saying 'the God, one God." He says the student is misunderstanding the language.
"I think it's a lack of knowledge," he says. "There's some ignorance on his part concerning the name Allah. It's the same God that Jesus prayed to, Moses prayed to, Mohammed prayed to."
School District 51 stands by its decision to perform the song and says this is not the school endorsing or promoting any particular religion or other non-educational agenda. The school says the song, which has been performed by other schools, was chosen because of its rhythms and other qualities.
The composer tells FOX31 Denver the song is not intended for worship ceremonies, but respects the student's decision to opt out of singing it.
Choir is a voluntary club.
Unedited :: Link to Original Posting
http://kdvr.com/2012/02/15/high-school-student-refuses-to-sing-islamic-song/
Pastor: School calls cops to shut down preaching
WND [WorldNetDaily] - By Bob Unruh - March 14, 2012
A Christian minister who believes he should follow the biblical mandate to "go and tell" the Gospel message is outraged that officials at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall called local police to threaten him with a citation for trespass. ...
Chisham said he and another "campus minister," Jake Larson, were "proclaiming the gospel in the open air on the SMSU campus prior to their weekly meeting of Change Collegian Network." ...
"At no time were the officers able or willing to give a reason for the removal other than 'they do not want you here,'" Chisham's report said. "Chisham repeatedly asked Capt. Ehlenbach and the officers what law he was breaking, or what policy he was transgressing on the campus. The officers and Capt. Ehlenbach were unable or refused to answer."
Yant also told WND he was unaware of any campus speech restriction policy that the university made available to the public. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/pastor-school-calls-cops-to-shut-down-preaching/
Surveilling homeschoolers, the 2nd try ...
The latest on bill collecting information on students
WND [WorldNetDaily] - February 15, 2012
For the second time in just months, an attempt to assemble information such as names and addresses on all homeschool students in one Mississippi judicial district and provide those details to judges has been defeated. ...
The Home School Legal Defense Association, which has asked constituents to contact Mississippi lawmakers about the proposal, announced today that no more calls were needed at this point, because it was told the plan, House Bill 464, would not advance either in the House Education Committee or the House Judiciary B Committee.
"While we believe that this bill is dead for all practical purposes, it is important that all homeschoolers in Mississippi know about it," the organization said in its announcement.
"Should the unexpected happen and this bill rear its ugly head again, we will let you know." ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.wnd.com/2012/02/surveilling-homeschoolers-the-2nd-try/
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Not ashamed of my chains ... US Church need to speak up
Persecuted Christian?
Don't expect these pastors to speak up
|  Half don't plan to mention martyrs - but 3 in 4 members say they want to know
WND [WorldNetDaily] - By Michael Carl - November 5, 2011
About half of all the pastors in America's churches today do not want to tell their congregations that there are forces in the world that persecute Christians for their beliefs, because it's a "downer," according to the results of a startling new poll.
The Barna Research Associates survey, commissioned by Open Doors USA, says a significant majority of American Christians, some three out of four, want to hear about the persecuted church.
But the same study showed that 52 percent of America's pastors don't want to talk about persecution and have no plans to talk about it.
In the nationwide poll of more than 800 Christians, 74 percent of America's churchgoers want to hear about the persecuted church.
But the same survey said only 48 percent of the pastors want to discuss the issue.
Open Doors President Carl Moeller says the survey shows that American Christians are not isolationists.
"Much of what we've been hearing from people and in my experience of speaking with people all over the country would indicate that American Christians really want to know what's happening to their brothers and sisters in Christ all around the world, particularly those that are suffering for their faith in Christ," Moeller said. ...
"And so, we did a survey with Barna that was two parts. The first part was asking pastors when they think they might preach on persecution or the suffering church around the world," Moeller said.
"We had several options there, but 48 percent said they weren't ever planning on preaching about persecuted Christians. Some said they would be preaching on it sometime in the future and a few said they preach on it regularly," Moeller said. ...
"Seventy-four percent of American Christians who go to church regularly said they would like to hear sermons from time-to-time on the suffering church or persecuted Christians," Moeller said.
"That was a huge gap, we thought. Almost half of the pastors in American were never planning on preaching on something but three-quarters, almost three-quarters of their congregations want to hear on it regularly," Moeller said.
"We thought that that was worthy of reporting back to the American press and to the American church, pastors in particular," he said. ...
Christian human rights group International Christian Concern's Middle East Area Specialist Aidan Clay believes the problem comes from the pulpits.
"The persecuted church reminds us that the decision to follow Christ is all or nothing," Clay said. "It reminds us that Jesus promises persecution in the Scriptures and that the Christian life was not intended to be easy."
Clay said the reality about Christian persecution isn't popular.
"That's a difficult teaching to swallow in some American churches today that are centered on self-improvement and feel-good sermons. And, perhaps pastors fear that the topic of Christian persecution will drive complacent Christians or those who are unsure what they believe out of the church," Clay said. ...
Clay said he's pleasantly surprised that the message of persecution has a solid impact on American Christians.
"However, I've learned when speaking to Western Christians that the opposite is true. Upon hearing the stories of the persecuted, Western Christians are enlivened, driven to prayer, and begin seeking ways to assist and raise awareness," Clay said.
"Even complacent Christians often find greater purpose when awakened to the harsh realities Christians face in other parts of the world. We are strengthened and encouraged when hearing the stories of Christians who remain joyful and continue to trust God after being imprisoned or even tortured for following Jesus," Clay said.
Moeller agreed, saying that sometimes persecution stories bring out the best in American churches.
"Persecution teaches us what the global church, the suffering church, has learned that maybe we've forgotten. I think that maybe there's a disconnect in this way," Moeller said. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=363681
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After attack, MK calls on Jews to leave France
Ya'akov Katz says Jews' fate cannot be left in hands of world leaders
|  THE TIMES OF ISRAEL [founding editor David Horovitz,UK/capital partner Seth Klarman, US] - By Aaron Kalman - March 19, 2012
MK Ya'akov Katz called Monday for Jews to leave France in the wake of a deadly attack on a Jewish school in Toulouse.
"There is no Jewish future in France," Katz, of the National Union party, said, adding that the state of Israel is the future of the Jewish people, and that Jews should not trust their fate to "Sarkozy, Obama or other world leaders."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry, by contrast, expressing shock over the attack, said Israel was confident the French authorities would do "everything possible" to bring the perpetrator to justice.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has pledged to use the full resources of the French police and judicial system to track down and punish those responsible. ...
In the wake of the deadly attack, MK Danny Danon (Likud), called for an urgent session Tuesday of the Knesset's Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee, which he chairs, to discuss the attack.
"We will not allow the pogroms of the beginning of the 20th century to return to Europe," Danon said.
The French ambassador to Israel, Christophe Bigot, is expected to attend the session, entitled "Manifestations of Anti-Semitism in Europe."
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.timesofisrael.com/sarkozy-condemns-toulouse-shooting/
Also:
Al Qaeda fanatic is DEAD: Serial killer jumps out flat window with all guns blazing in dramatic end to 32-hour siege
LONDON DAILY MAIL [Associated Newspapers/DMGT] - By Peter Allen - March 21, 2012
- Mohammad Merah is dead after vicious gunfight
- Three police officers injured, one seriously, as they stormed his flat
- Decision to seize him 'came after he threatened to kill police'
- Had broken out of Afghan jail in 2008, was being tracked 'for years'
- Has Uzi machine gun, Kalashnikov assault rifle and other weapons
- Three police officers wounded as they tried to arrest him yesterday
Video:
http://youtu.be/MeYOmhIS_dA
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2118052/Toulouse-shooting-First-picture-Al-Qaeda-fanatic-Mohammed-Merah-suspected-killing-7.html?printingPage=true
French shooting suspect was self-styled al Qaeda jihadist
CNN [Turner Broadcasting/Time Warner] - March 21, 2012
Mohammed Merah, a 23-year-old man described by French authorities as a self-styled al Qaeda jihadist, has been named as the chief suspect in a series of shootings that have left seven people dead.
A picture is emerging of a man who was already known to the police and had apparently sought out Islamist jihadists in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
"He claims to be a jihadist and says he belongs to al Qaeda," Interior Minister Claude Gueant told reporters in Toulouse. "He wanted to avenge the Palestinian children and take revenge on the French army because of its foreign interventions."
A French national of Algerian origin, he had been under surveillance by French intelligence for a couple of years, having "already committed certain infractions, some with violence," Gueant told CNN affiliate BFM-TV. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/21/french-shooting-suspect-was-self-styled-al-qaeda-jihadist/
4 Killed at Jewish School in Southwestern France
NEW YORK TIMES [NYTimes Group/Sulzberger] - By Scott Sayare and Steven Erlanger - March 19, 2012
TOULOUSE, France - The French authorities were searching on Monday for a man suspected in a string of methodical killings that have terrorized this city and the surrounding area in southwestern France, ...
It was the third murderous attack on unarmed people in the region in little over a week, and the most deadly attack against Jews in France since a 1982 assault on a Paris kosher restaurant. The police said that the same gun, a .45-caliber automatic pistol, was used in all three shootings, the one Monday and two earlier attacks on French paratroopers, and that the modus operandi was the same - a man on a powerful motorbike, also the same in each instance, who shot and then fled. ...
Officials identified the victims as Rabbi Jonathan Sandler, 30, a religious instructor at the school; his two sons, Arye, 6, and Gabriel, 3; and Miriam Monsonego, 8, who is the daughter of the school principal, Yaacov Monsonego. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/20/world/europe/gunman-kills-3-at-a-jewish-school-in-france.html
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Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia: It Is 'Necessary to Destroy All the Churches of the Region'
|  THE BLAZE [TheBlaze LLC/Glenn Beck] - By Billy Hallowell - March 16, 2012
The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia has made some statements that have religious freedom critics bouncing between scratching their heads and curling up in horror. Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh recently announced that it is "necessary to destroy all the churches of the region." The "region" he was referring to, of course, is the Arabian Peninsula (including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman).
Christians throughout the Middle East, of course, have responded sharply, finding themselves dismayed that such a statement could be made.
Russia Today (RT) has more about these comments:
Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah made the controversial statement in a response to a question from a Kuwaiti NGO delegation. A Kuwaiti parliamentarian had called for a ban on the construction of new churches in February, but so far the initiative has not been passed into law. The NGO, called the Society of the Revival of Islamic Heritage, asked the Sheikh to clarify what Islamic law says on the matter.
The Grand Mufti, who is the highest official of religious law in Saudi Arabia, as well as the head of the Supreme Council of Islamic Scholars, cited the Prophet Mohammed, who said the Arabian Peninsula is to exist under only one religion.
The Sheikh went on to conclude that it was therefore necessary for Kuwait, being a part of the Arabian Peninsula, to destroy all churches on its territory.
ArabianBusiness.com reported very similar details:
Speaking to a delegation in Kuwait, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, stressed that since the tiny Gulf state was a part of the Arabian Peninsula, it was necessary to destroy all of the churches in the country, Arabic media have reported.
Saudi Arabia's top cleric made the comment in view of an age-old rule that only Islam can be practiced in the region.
In February, RT reports that Osama al-Munawar, a member of the Kuwaiti Parliament, was planning to submit official legislation that would remove all churches from the country. He later clarified that any church currently in existence would be allowed to stay, but that new houses of worship that were not Islamic in nature would not be allowed to be constructed.
What's most interesting in this case is that al-Sheikh is calling for the houses of worship to be destroyed - a radical ideal to say the least. The proposal in Kuwait - a nation that he is not a resident of - calls, as stated, for a ban on any new buildings, not to destroy current houses of worship.
Elliot Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, though, explains why the Grand Mufti's statement is unsurprising:
...the reported statement by the Grand Mufti came as no surprise to me. Nor is it a surprise, considering his interpretation of Islam, that the religious police make it so difficult for Christians even to worship privately, in their homes. In a better world, the UN Human Rights Council would be denouncing these violations of freedom of religion, as would the whole Organization of Islamic Cooperation-given that Saudi Arabia is the only one of its 57 member countries that absolutely bars churches. In the world in which we actually live, denunciations of the Saudis for this are almost non-existent.
In Saudi Arabia, Islam is the only permitted religion and there are no houses of worship for individuals who subscribe to different faiths.
Unedited :: Link to Original Posting
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/grand-mufti-of-saudi-arabia-it-is-necessary-to-destroy-all-the-churches-of-the-region/
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Christian women report being assaulted after arrests
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WND [WorldNetDaily] - By Michael Carl - February 4, 2012
BOSTON - Saudi Arabian authorities are adding sexual assault to their routine for processing prisoners when they are Christian women, according to a new report that is imploring the international community to pressure the restrictive Islamic nation on basic human rights.
International Christian Concern's Jonathan Racho says the 35 women prisoners were arrested for meeting for a prayer time, and they are reporting that they were molested.
"The female prisoners have told us about how they were sexually harassed. When the Saudis arrested them, they knew the Ethiopians were Christians," Racho said.
"They took off the women's clothes and touched them. When the strip searching was going on, the officers were touching the women," Racho said. ...
"This is a very, very serious accusation of harassment and we want the international community to look into this," Racho said. "The Saudis have to stop harassing these Christians."
Racho adds that the treatment of the Christians is the opposite of Saudi public statements. ...
Racho says the Christians have been behind bars for over a month, but ICC is not content to let the incarceration continue. ...
WND reported in January that Open Doors' America's "World Watch" puts Saudi Arabia as the third worst country for religious persecution. Muslim nations lead the pack. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.wnd.com/2012/02/christian-women-report-being-assaulted-after-arrests/
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Christians rounded up across Iran
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CHRISTIAN TODAY - March 9, 2012
According to Barnabas Fund, the Iranian authorities have initiated a wave of arrests across the country, targeting ordinary church members and leaders.
Security agencies have swept house churches in Ahwaz, Shiraz, Esfahan, Tehran and Kermanshah since Christmas.
The arrests have taken place inside homes and workplaces, and even some members of the officially registered churches have been seized.
Churchgoer Giti Hakimpour, 78, was arrested in a raid on her home in Esfahan at 6am on 22 February. Officers searched her apartment and confiscated some of her belongings. She was released three days later.
Hekmat Salimi, the pastor of a church in Esfahan, was arrested on the same day as Hakimpour. Security agents ransacked his home and seized his computer, books and other personal belongings.
In some swoops, entire congregations have reportedly been rounded up. In Kermanshah, authorities entered a house church and arrested all 13 Christians present. Three are still in custody.
Barnabas Fund said the international pressure on Iran from the West over its nuclear programme could make the Iranian authorities intensify their campaign against Christians, who are regarded as allies of foreign powers because of the misconception that Christianity is a Western religion.
Despite the wave of arrests, Barnabas Fund reports that the church in Iran is experiencing rapid growth.
An Iranian Christian told the organisation: "I feel sorry for the Iranian authorities because they don't realise that they're up against the Holy Spirit."
Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, said: "The authorities are turning the screw on our brothers and sisters in Iran and it appears that none of them, not even elderly church members, are safe from this campaign of intimidation and harassment.
"Those who are detained, and their families, often need practical assistance.
"As pressure on Iranian Christians intensifies, this need is growing, so I urge our supporters to give generously to this sensitive ministry."
Barnabas Fund also expressed concern for Masoud Delijani, a Christian convert from Islam, who has been jailed for three years. The charges relate to being a Christian, holding illegal house church gatherings, evangelising Muslims and action against national security.
According to the organisation, Masoud, a school teacher in Kermanshah, was held in solitary confinement following his arrest in March last year and was not given the opportunity to defend himself in court.
Unedited :: Link to Original Posting
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christians.rounded.up.across.iran/29447.htm
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Iran: Churches Forced to Stop Farsi Worship
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CDN / COMPASS DIRECT [Compass Direct News] - February 17, 2012
ISTANBUL - Iran's Ministry of Intelligence has ordered the last two officially registered churches holding Friday Farsi-language services in Tehran to discontinue them.
Emmanuel Protestant Church and St. Peter's Evangelical Church were the last two official churches offering Farsi-language services on Fridays in Tehran, according to Middle East Concern (MEC). Officials issued the order on Feb. 10
Authorities had ordered the Central Church of Tehran to close its Friday Farsi services in December 2009. The Central Church, an Assemblies of God (AOG) congregation, had conducted multiple services on Fridays.
Friday services in Tehran attracted the city's converts to Christianity as well as Muslims interested in Christianity, as Friday is most Iranians' day off during the week. Authorities told the churches they can hold the services on Sunday, a working day when most Iranians are not able to attend.
"This decision means that there are now no Farsi-language services on Fridays in any officially registered church in Tehran," an MEC report issued this week stated.
Emmanuel and St. Peter's are Presbyterian churches, and, along with the Central Church, are among Tehran's few registered churches. They exist mainly to serve the Armenian and Assyrian communities. The three churches' Armenian- and Assyrian- language services are typically held on Sundays.
Because these churches belong to minority groups, government officials cannot stop them from operating but are doing what they can to limit them and the spread of Christianity to Farsi speakers, an Iranian Christian who requested anonymity told Compass. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/iran/article_1406358.html
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Indonesia: Red Cross logo aggravates Islamic fundamentalists
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VATICAN INSIDER | LA STAMPA of Turin, Italy [Fiat S.p.A.] - By Giacomo Galeazzi - March 4, 2012
VATICAN CITY - A war against symbols has been declared in the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. Representatives of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), it is a symbol that is too "closely identifiable" with the Christian tradition. But the Indonesian Red Cross is refusing to give in to Islamists: the cross will not be removed from its traditional logo, as any changes to the symbol would be tantamount to "giving in" to fundamentalists. In the past, Indonesia's former president, Kalla, a Muslim, had praised the work of the organisation. The Indonesian Red Cross, or PMI (Palang Merah Indonesia) as it is widely known, announced that it "will never change" the traditional logo that has made it famous around the world, AsiaNews, the news agency of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions reported.
The declaration came as a direct response to the criticisms made against it in recent days by politicians from the Muslim friendly Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). The party claims that the red "cross" featured in the logo of the Indonesian Red Cross is "too easily identifiable with Christian culture and traditions." The criticism was rebuked by Red Cross volunteers and activists who believe that any modification to the logo would mean "giving in to the extremists," while former deputy head of State, Jusuf Kalla said "the demand is baseless." Executive member of the Indonesian Red Cross, Muhammad Muas told AsiaNews that the logo had been "agreed" at the Geneva Convention of 1949, which Jakarta "officially ratified" and must respect." The symbol has no ties with Christianity, he added, and "Indonesia is a secular, not a Muslim-based state." It "is a state that respects pluralism," the PMI representative stressed. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/world-news/detail/articolo/indonesia-13208/
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Cross removed at base in Afghanistan
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THE POLITICO [Allbritton Communications Co] - By Tim Mak - November 23, 2011
A large cross that had been prominently displayed outside a chapel on an isolated military base in northern Afghanistan was taken down last week, prompting outrage from some American service members stationed there.
"We are here away from our families, and the chapel is the one place that feels like home," a service member at Camp Marmal told POLITICO. "With the cross on the outside, it is a constant reminder for all of us that Jesus is here for us."
"Not having it there is really upsetting," added another. "I walk by the chapel daily on the way to chow and the gym, and seeing the cross is a daily reminder of my faith and what Jesus accomplished for me. It is daily inspiration and motivation for me to acknowledge my faith and stay on the right path."
Camp Marmal is a German base that hosts NATO forces. The interfaith chapel in question is supervised by the U.S. Army.
The soldiers said they found great comfort in the chapel - and the cross visible outside. "Sometimes the Church and the ability to openly express religious views ultimately gets people through the deployments over here," one told POLITICO by email.
The service member said he asked the base chaplain, a military officer, what had happened to the cross. "I had to take it down," said the chaplain, according to the solider, without further explanation.
Pentagon spokesperson Commander William Speaks confirmed the cross was removed and told POLITICO, "The removal was, in fact, in accordance with Army regulations" and pointed out that the Army chaplain manual prohibits permanent display of religious symbols.
"Distinctive religious symbols, such as crosses... will not be affixed or displayed permanently on the chapel interior, exterior or grounds," reads the manual.
Speaks said the cross had been up since mid-October; the service members said it was longer.
The two characterized the removal of the cross as an attack on their religion and noted that there had been no complaints from Muslims - there are two mosques on the base - or Jews, who had recently conducted a service in the chapel without incident.
"I really don't understand why Christians are always attacked. If it was a crescent moon on top of a mosque, it would never be taken down," said an Army serviceman. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69039.html
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Uganda: Muslim Converts to Christianity Under Attack
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JIHAD WATCH - By Raymond Ibrahim - February 2012
With only a 12% Muslim minority, and an 84% Christian majority, Uganda may not seem a hotspot of Islamic activity. Yet, in recent weeks and months, story after story of attacks on Muslim converts to Christianity have emerged, with troubling implications beyond the intrinsic level. ...
Last Christmas Eve saw Muslims throw acid on a church pastor, leaving him with severe burns, blinding one eye and threatening sight in the other. In his own words: "I was attacked by a man who claimed to be a Christian. He called out to me shouting 'pastor, pastor,' and as I turned to see who he was, he poured acid which burnt part of my face. ...
After announcing his conversion to Christianity, Hassan Sharif Lubenga, formerly a prominent member of an Islamist organization, suffered the usual consequences: "They [former colleagues] were furious. They then kidnapped me and blindfolded me for three days, coupled with beatings. They demanded I deny Jesus as the Son of God, which I consented to because I feared that they were going to kill me.... ...
Another Muslim convert to Christianity, Hassan Muwanguzi, also experienced the usual treatment. Upon conversion, his "family immediately kicked him out of their home, and enraged Muslims beat him. His wife left him that same year, and he lost his job as a teacher." ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/02/apostasy-attacks-bode-ill-for-uganda.html
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Archbishop of Canterbury: wearing a cross just decoration, says Dr Rowan Williams
|  LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH [Barclay] - By John Bingham - March 12, 2012
Dr Rowan Williams said it had become something "which religious people make and hang on to" as a substitute for true faith.
He made his comments on the day it emerged that the Government is to argue in the European Court that Christians do not have the "right" to wear a cross as a visible manifestation of faith.
His remarks angered Christian campaigners who accused the Archbishop of failing to stand up for the right of believers to wear crosses.
Judges in Strasbourg are to consider a test case on religious freedom in Britain later this year.
It will bring together four separate cases, including that of Nadia Eweida, a British Airways employee who faced disciplinary action for wearing a cross at work.
Documents drawn up by the Foreign Office argue that wearing a cross is not protected under the European Convention on Human Rights because it is not viewed as an essential component of Christianity.
Speaking at a church service in Rome, where he met the Pope at the weekend, Dr Williams said the cross had been stripped of its meaning as part of a tendency to manufacture religion.
Taking as his text the account of Jesus driving the money changers from the temple in Jerusalem he said the temple had become a "religion factory" rather than a place of worship.
"I believe that during Lent one of the things we all have to face is to look at ourselves and ask how far we are involved in the religion factory," he said.
"And the cross itself has become a religious decoration." ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9137510/Archbishop-of-Canterbury-wearing-a-cross-just-decoration-says-Dr-Rowan-Williams.html
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Hungary deputy PM Semj�n appalled at British gov't position on Christian cross
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POLITICS.hu [All Hungary Media Group/Sz�p Dolgok (Fine Things Media) Ltd.] - March 13, 2012
The co-ruling Christian Democrats are "shocked and appalled" by the British government's claims that Christians should not wear a cross or crucifix openly at work because it is not a "requirement" of the Christian faith, party leader Zsolt Semjen said on Monday.
The ban is clearly anti-Christian and a harsh and provocative violation of the freedom of religion, said Semjen in a statement sent to MTI. The issue is especially serious in light of the fact that the British government's decision emerged after its plans to legalise same-sex marriages had been attacked by the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in Britain.
The Christian Democrats highlight expressions of increasingly anti-Christian sentiments in the European Union and the double standards that while the EU have attacked parts of the Hungarian church law, it assists to the persecution of Christians, Semjen said.
The Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday that the British government is to argue in a case at the European Court of Human Rights that Christians should not be allowed to wear a cross or crucifix openly at work. The paper said that a British Airways worker and a nurse had taken their conflict to the European Court in Strasbourg after both faced disciplinary action for wearing a cross at work.
Unedited :: Link to Original Posting
http://www.politics.hu/20120313/hungary-deputy-pm-semjen-appalled-at-british-govt-position-on-christian-cross/
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UK: Christian hotel owners consider gay couple appeal at Supreme Court
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BBC NEWS [PSB operated by BBC Trust] - March 12, 2012
Two Christian guesthouse owners are considering taking their legal fight against rulings of discrimination to the Supreme Court.
Judges have twice ruled Peter and Hazelmary Bull, from Cornwall, broke equality laws in 2008.
The couple had refused to allow civil partners Steven Preddy and Martyn Hall, from Bristol, a double room at Chymorvah House in Marazion.
The Christian Institute said it was backing Mr and Mrs Bull's case. ...
Mike Judge, from the Christian Institute, said: "I think this is a leading case, and it may even go to the European Court of Human Rights if we are not successful at the Supreme Court."
Mr Judge said Mr and Mrs Bull had applied their policy to all unmarried couples, not just same-sex couples. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-17336310
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US: 'Sovereign citizen' movement now on FBI's radar
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LOS ANGELES TIMES [Tribune Company] - By Brian Bennett, Washington Bureau - February 23, 2012
In two recent unpublished studies, the Homeland Security Department and the National Counterterrorism Center ranked the sovereign citizen movement as a major threat, along with Islamic extremists and white supremacists. The FBI assigned a supervisor to coordinate investigations of the movement last year.
"This is a movement that has absolutely exploded," said Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit organization based in Montgomery, Ala., that tracks domestic terrorists and hate groups. More than 100,000 Americans have aligned themselves with the sovereign citizens, the center said.
Adherents cite a patchwork of beliefs, including that the U.S. is essentially under martial law, that some U.S. constitutional amendments are invalid, and that dollars have been illegitimate since the U.S. Treasury went off the gold standard during the Great Depression.
Most important, some followers believe they are entitled to use armed force to resist arrest and fight police.
The FBI also is investigating followers for alleged mail fraud and harassment of federal officials through nuisance lawsuits and property liens. Such cases are clogging courts in every state, said Casey Carty, who heads the FBI's sovereign citizen unit.
Until recently, federal officials had steered clear of any extensive focus on right-wing extremist groups. In 2009, some members of Congress complained after a Homeland Security Department report warned that such groups might seek to recruit disaffected military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as others. The report highlighted several groups, including the sovereign citizen movement.
Bowing to the criticism, Homeland Security officials gutted the office that had focused on right-wing extremism. They also canceled planned presentations and shelved a reference guide that the office had produced to inform local police about the movement.
"The topic had become too politically charged," said Daryl Johnson, who headed the team that wrote the 2009 report.
That changed after the West Memphis shootout with Jerry Kane Jr., a sovereign citizen proponent who had traveled the country offering $100-a-head seminars that taught spurious ways to avoid paying taxes, among other movement tactics. ...
Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-terror-cop-killers-20120224,0,5474022.story
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