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"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart.
Wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27:14 KJ21
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Message from Bishop Anderson
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 The Assent
Dear Friends of the Anglican Realignment,
Within the Anglican family, the role of the English Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the beloved Queen herself are touchstones for much of the Anglican Communion. Recently, many Americans have had their eyes fixed on St. Mary's Hospital, where a new heir (or heiress) to the throne may soon be born. I say new heir while realizing that he or she will have to wait in queue, with a grandfather and father ahead. The birth of royal babies is always a wonderful new chapter, full of hope and expectation for the future, and along with others we wait for word of a new arrival.
However, other news from England has been distressing. I refer to the legislation enabling same-sex marriage which was pushed forward by the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, passed by both houses of Parliament and then placed before the Queen for her Royal Assent. The result of this legislation will be the restructuring of the entire concept of marriage within England (with very little consideration given to the consequences, I might add).
The Queen has a number of responsibilities, and one of them is to give her Royal Assent to legislation presented to her by the Prime Minister. I understand from British sources that for her to fail to give her assent would cause a constitutional crisis. But another responsibility that the Queen holds is head of the Church of England, and she additionally carries the title "Defender of the Faith," and all that may go with this.
It is not clear what would actually happen if the Queen declined to give Royal Assent to legislation because it violated her own standards and beliefs and/or her Coronation Oath....
Read the rest of Bishop Anderson's article here. |
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Message from Canon Ashey
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Canon Ashey is out of the office today and will not be writing an article.
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Gov. Rick Perry signs Texas abortion restriction bill into law
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Source: LifeSiteNews
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Gov. Perry signing bill
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July 18, 2013
By John Jalsevac
AUSTIN, TX - Governor Rick Perry has signed into law a pro-life bill that captured the imagination of both sides of the abortion issue and touched off days of tense confrontation in the state capitol.
"Today's signing builds on our continued commitment to protecting life for more than a decade," the governor said in a short speech before the signing. "This is an important day for those who support life and the health of women in Texas. Signing HB2 further solidifies the foundation on which the culture of life in Texas is built."
The bill prohibits abortions past 20 weeks based upon scientific evidence that unborn babies can feel pain by that point. It also requires that abortion facilities meet the same safety standards as ambulatory surgical centers, and requires abortionists to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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After SCOTUS setback, Prop. 8 supporters ask California Supreme Court to uphold the law
| Source: LifeSiteNews
July 17, 2013
By Kirsten Andersen
In the wake of a June 26 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a homosexual district court judge's injunction against Proposition 8, California's voter-passed constitutional amendment banning same-sex 'marriage,' Alliance Defending Freedom petitioned the California Supreme Court Friday to order the state's county clerks to uphold the law.
ADF's attorneys argued that because the U.S. Court did not rule on the amendment's constitutionality, and the original district court ruling didn't apply to the entire state, county clerks should honor the state constitution and continue to refuse marriage permits to same-sex couples.
But on June 28, just two days after the U.S. Court's ruling, California State Registrar Tony Agurto ordered all county clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to homosexual couples, which ADF says violates the state's constitution.
Technically, the registrar doesn't have the authority to issue such orders to county clerks. However, California Attorney General Kamala Harris publicly stated that she will take legal action against any clerk who declines to follow the registrar's directive.
ADF's petition asks the California Supreme Court to put Harris and Agurto in check, reminding the Court, "This Court's case law requires executive officials charged with ministerial duties to execute those duties regardless of their or others' views about the constitutionality of the laws imposing those duties."
The petition continues, "Article III, section 3.5 of the California Constitution prohibits government agencies and officials from declaring state law unenforceable, or declining to enforce state law, on the basis that the law is unconstitutional, unless an appellate court has first made that determination."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Taking the offensive: New coalition defends religious freedom in military
| Source: OneNewsNow
July 10, 2013
By Chad Groening
Reports of religious discrimination in the U.S. military have prompted a response: a coalition has organized to ensure military members can express their faith.
More than a dozen conservative and pro-family organizations have teamed up to form "Restore Military Religious Freedom."
Col. Ron Crews (USA-Ret.), who served as a U.S. Army chaplain for 28 years, says the  coalition launched a campaign to inform military personnel about their religious liberties, using thousands of printed palm cards. The purpose of the cards is "to say these are what your God-given and constitutionally protected religious liberties are," he tells OneNewsNow.
Crews now serves as executive director of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, one of the 17 coalition members....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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England: Churches and gay rights activist alike mark 'watershed' moment as gay marriage is legalised
| Source: Telegraph
 | | Campaigners drive a bus past the Houses of Parliament - Photographer: Andrew Cowie/AFP via Getty Images |
July 17, 2013
By Rowena Mason, and John Bingham
MPs cheered in the House of Commons as it was announced that royal assent had been given to the new Bill, paving the way for the first same-sex weddings next spring. The Queen, who is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, gave her formal approval to the Bill - one of the most radical pieces of social legislation of her reign - this afternoon.
But it marks the end of the centuries-old understanding of marriage as being solely between a man and a woman in the UK.
The Roman Catholic Church described it as a "watershed" in English law and said that it marked a "profound social change".
Ben Summerskill chief executive of Stonewall, said the move would "bring joy to tens of thousands of gay couples and their friends and families." But the Evangelical Alliance, which represents thousands of churches and Christian charities claimed it had turned marriage into a "fluid, gender-neutral institution" defined by "consumer demands and political expediency"....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Philippines: Reproductive Health Law suspended indefinitely by Supreme Court
| Source: LifeSiteNews 
July 16, 2013
By Adam Cassandra
Pro-life advocates in the Philippines received some much needed good news on Tuesday in the fight against the anti-life Reproductive Health (RH) Law. The Supreme Court voted 8-7 to suspend implementation of the law "until further orders" from the Court. A status quo ante order issued by the Court in March to delay the law's implementation was set to expire on July 17....
The Constitution of the Philippines provides that, "The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception." But critics charge the RH Law gives the State powers and directives aimed at destroying the family unit and killing unborn life based on the misguided belief that the country's population must be controlled to achieve economic prosperity.
The law mandates that couples will not be issued marriage licenses without a "Certificate of Compliance" issued by the local Family Planning Office certifying that they "received adequate instructions and information on responsible parenthood" and "family planning." The law also forces medical professionals and businesses to provide a full range of "reproductive health services" using taxpayer funds, including contraceptives, abortifacients and sterilization services, regardless of conscientious objection. And the RH Law imposes fines or imprisonment on those who engage in one or more "prohibited acts" defined in the legislation, including engaging in "disinformation about the intent or provisions" of the law.
Dr. Ligaya Acosta, regional director of Asia and Oceania for Human Life International, said that although the delay in implementation only passed by one vote, "it is nevertheless a sweet victory for us, considering the intense pressure placed upon the Court by the Philippine government and the international death peddlers."
"We ask for continued prayers for our lawyers, and the enlightenment of our Justices," she said, "as well as the conversion of the RH Law supporters, and strength and perseverance for all of us in the battlefield."
The rest of the article may be found here.
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| Source: Anglican Curmudgeon
July 18, 2013
By A.S. Haley
Scene: Hell - SATAN's Throne Room. Flickering flames and sulfurous smoke all around. From far off are heard the tortured cries of the eternally damned.
BEELZEBUB enters and flings himself at SATAN's feet.
BEELZEBUB: You called, my Lord?
SATAN: Yes, Beelzebub my boy - I've been thinking.
BEELZEBUB: Then I await your command, Master.
SATAN: I think it's time to lure more academics and college students this way.
BEELZEBUB: How? We already have Sex Week at most campuses; we have Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins still writing and lecturing, although you called in your contract on Christopher Hitchens ...
SATAN: No, I want something different. We need a new book on "the historical J.C." (Evil laugh.) I always get goosebumps when I say that - J.C., instead of (whispering) "He Whose Name We Never Say."
BEELZEBUB: You're right, Master. It's been too long since Bart Ehrman's or John Crossan's or Marcus Borg's last books. There's a whole new generation of readers out there to capture.
SATAN: Yes - well, so what do we have in the warming oven, so to speak?...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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