http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/church/ en-us Sat, 2 Jan 2010 00:46:43 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419253/posts A 4-year-old boy attending a New Year's Eve church service with his family was killed when a stray bullet came through the roof, hitting him in the head. The boy, Marquel Peters, was sitting beside his mother in the sanctuary during an intermission, said Lloyd Phipps, senior pastor at the Church of God of Prophecy near Decatur. About 350 people were gathered in the DeKalb County church on Covington Drive, waiting for a concert to begin at 12:30 a.m. Friday, Phipps said. "We heard a loud pop, which we now assume was when the bullet came through the roof," Phipps... ajc.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419253/posts#comment Sat, 2 Jan 2010 00:46:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418781/posts (CNN) -- The brief detention in Havana, Cuba, last week of a Portland, Oregon, church group comes on the heels of the detention of an American contractor and could indicate an increasingly chilly reception for some American visitors, according to the church travelers. The December 26 trip for 14 members of the First Unitarian Church of Portland is a reminder of the entrenched tensions between Cuba and the United States despite the Obama administration's loosening of previous restrictions. cnn http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418781/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 03:38:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2416846/posts LONDON, England - A London planning commission recently ruled that a London developer cannot turn St. Marks Church into a women's wellness center. In the 1800s, the Anglican Church, located in the Mayfair district on London's West End, echoed the sermons of some of Britain's great preachers. It was also the church where Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower and his staff worshipped during World War II. ... Commonwealth Church became a vital part of Mayfair, meeting the needs of the poor and elderly. But last year Commonwealth was evicted from St. Marks by the Church of England so that the... CBN News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2416846/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:52:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415530/posts "President Obama and his family celebrated Christmas in Hawaii on Friday, but with their own twists. The president and his wife, Michelle, started their day at 6:40 a.m. by going to the gym -- a feat unimaginable to most parents of young children eager to open presents on Christmas morning -- and returned more than an hour later. The first couple did not swap presents, aides said. And the Obamas did not attend church services, instead spending the day at the oceanfront home they are renting in Kailua, on the island of Oahu......." Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415530/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:31:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414328/posts SNIPPET: "The Chaldean Church of St. George and Syriac Orthodox Church of St. Thomas hit. One bomb was hidden in a cart carrying vegetables. The explosion kills a Chaldean Christian and two Muslim. Archbishop of Kirkuk: "disturbing message" to two days before Christmas." SNIPPET: "Mosul (AsiaNews) - Two separate bombs struck this morning in Mosul, the Chaldean church of St. George and Syriac Orthodox Church of St. Thomas. The death toll so far is of three dead - a Chaldean Christian and two Muslims - and several wounded. Louis Sako, archbishop of Kirkuk, speaks to AsiaNews of a "disturbing message"... ASIA NEWS.it http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414328/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:33:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412744/posts Poor people who are desperate for cash have been advised to go forth and shoplift from major stores - by an Anglican priest. The Rev Tim Jones said in his Sunday sermon that stealing from successful shops was preferable to burglary, robbery or prostitution. He told parishioners it would not break the eighth commandment 'thou shalt not steal' because it 'is permissible for those who are in desperate situations to take food that they might not starve'. 'I would ask that they do not steal from small family businesses, but from large national businesses, knowing that the costs are ultimately... Daily Mail UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412744/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:23:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2410209/posts Although the Bible clearly does not support the doctrine of celibacy as a requisite to any office of the church (see Pinedo, 2008), the Catholic Church has established celibacy as a distinctive mark of the papacy and other Catholic offices. In fact, the current pope, Benedict XVI, affirmed that celibacy (imposed by Pope Gregory VII in the Council of Rome in 1074) “is really a special way of conforming oneself to Christ’s own way of life” (“Pope Pens...,” 2007). Therefore, whoever wants to serve as a priest, and finally as the Universal Bishop of the Catholic Church (the pope),... Apologetics Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2410209/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:28:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2410445/posts 12/18/2009 Crash of the Year New Penalties Facing Church Roof Flier? In January, David E. managed to drive his station wagon into the roof of a church 23 meters off the ground. Now, he may be in trouble again. For a television re-enactment, he got behind the wheel of a car -- possibly in violation of his driver's license suspension. His year didn't start well. In late January, David E. made headlines in Germany and beyond when he managed to crash his Skoda Octavia station wagon into the roof of a church some seven meters (23 feet) off the ground.... Spiegel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2410445/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:05:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407606/posts TEAYS VALLEY W.Va. -- With two weeks left till Christmas, it seems the Grinch has struck a church in Putnam County, stealing something very special from an 87-year old member. Otis Wells discovered someone stole his 1967 Gibson acoustic guitar, a gift he received 42 years ago. "It's just a part of me. I don't make music or hardly even sing without my guitar." Somehow, someone pulled the amplifier plug from the Gibson stored at the Teays Valley Nazarene Church where he plays on the "praise team," along with a Charleston police officer. "The musician in me just wants him... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407606/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:09:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407304/posts A new Rasmussen poll shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans (76%) support allowing religious symbols on public land. 83% think public schools should actively celebrate religious holidays. This flies in the face of everything we are told by radical left-wing groups like the ACLU about where the American people stand on this issue. It also clarifies just how far out of the mainstream these liberal groups are...like the American Humanist Association, which recently launched its creepy 'No God? No Problem!' ad campaign nationwide for the holidays. And, of course, this poll also shows that the American people openly defy... The Macon County Conservative Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407304/posts#comment Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:27:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403625/posts How could parents put their child out at Christ- mas? That was one question that had been eating away at my heart ever since he knocked on the parsonage door. Michnews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403625/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 13:20:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2402441/posts Mainline Protestant churches seem to have weathered the past decade better than many people have assumed, but the future is raising serious challenges to continued stability, said a Christian pollster. George Barna analyzed data for The Barna Group's latest report examining mainline denominations. Weekend attendance at mainline churches has remained relatively stable, ranging from 89 to 100, over the past decade but the report suggests that they may be "on the precipice of a period of decline." Mainline bodies – which the research group identifies as American Baptist Churches in the USA; The Episcopal Church; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in... Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2402441/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 00:27:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2401580/posts 1983 Chicago Declaration by 100 Church Leaders Resubmitted Because of a computer glitch the Chicago Declaration of 1983 that was revived and submitted on December 5 (2009) did not hold its numbering and paragraphs which made it difficult to read. Due to the good graces of the Editors of Freedom’s Phoenix we are resubmitting it for the benefit of those readers who are interested in circulating the article. Again we give thanks to a loving God of the Holy Bible and our wise Founding Fathers who gave us the inalienable right of Freedom of the press along with the others... Message of Dr. Greg Dixon to John Leland http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2401580/posts#comment Sun, 6 Dec 2009 17:50:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2401356/posts Not much media attention focuses on the leveling of Christian sanctuaries. After all, it’s just a "Christian story." However, the latest mosque burnt to the ground gets plenty of newsfeed with narrative and copious photographs. faithfreedom.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2401356/posts#comment Sun, 6 Dec 2009 04:50:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401098/posts "We consumed your resources, dehumanized your people and disregarded your culture," the Rev. Robert Chase, a minister in the Collegiate Church, told representatives of the Lenape tribe at a "healing" ceremony at Bowling Green. "I had to dig deep in my heart and ask, can I truly forgive?" said Lenape elder Carmen McKosato Ketcher, her voice shaking. "Yes, we forgive you," she added. "But don't forget, we are alive and well." Friday, the two sides played music and exchanged wampum, or shell beads, once used by North American Indians as a medium of exchange. NY Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401098/posts#comment Sat, 5 Dec 2009 19:22:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2400996/posts Earlier this week I attended a Winter Choral Concert at my daughter's public middle school. Some of the songs they performed: - I'm dreaming of a white Christmas - Cantante Domino (Psalm 95) in Latin - Ose Shalom (The one who makes the peace) in Hebrew - Comin' up Christmas time - O Arbol De Navidad (Oh Christmas tree) in Spanish & English I won't post the name of the school or the city I live in just in case someone associated with the ACLU stumbles on this thread. Vanity http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2400996/posts#comment Sat, 5 Dec 2009 16:18:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398737/posts A year ago someone set fire to Wasilla Bible Church. Today, that person is still out there. The Wasilla Police Department is leading the ongoing investigation, but none of the leads they've chased so far have ended up panning out. "The investigation is still open, and we're still asking the public to contact us if anybody has heard anything," Deputy Chief Greg Wood said. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the state fire marshal's office both assisted in the initial investigation, and the state crime laboratory collected evidence at the scene. An ATF press release issued... Alaska Dispatch http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398737/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 21:19:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2396879/posts Video Linky Here YouTube http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2396879/posts#comment Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:48:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2396480/posts [posted on his blog, typos corrected]. There is no need for a government in a highly developed free market society to appoint itself as "provider of healthcare coverage." None, whatsoever. The proposition would be identical to the government taking control of the restaurant and grocery businesses because there are some people who, regrettably, cannot afford to eat. To do so would undermine the market mechanism of distribution, which is quite an effective mechanism. I believe the discussion of "subsidiarity" speaks to this. Furthermore, New York City once was a shining example of what Catholicism, when practiced, can do to generously... My Favorite Blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2396480/posts#comment Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:56:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2393310/posts My wife and I particularly enjoyed her company. She was vivacious, compassionate and knew her Scripture. She would tell me about my sermons, "Preach them straight. I don't mind coming under conviction." The Magic City Morning Star http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2393310/posts#comment Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:09:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387675/posts Escaping the Nazis By: JOHN MULLANE Bucks County Courier Times The memories haunt Danny Goldsmith. Chill night. Nazi troopers storming his street in Belgium, pounding on doors, smashing them. He, his mother and baby sister, Lillian, hid on a rooftop as the beam of a German soldier's flashlight swept past them. It was 1942. He was 10. "At one point, I peeked over the cornice and saw our Jewish neighbors being dragged into the street in their night clothes and put in trucks," he said to a packed room this week in Arlington, Va. His parents' wedding photo was on... Bucks County Courier Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387675/posts#comment Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:30:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387165/posts The D.C. Council is considering a law forbidding discrimination against those in gay marriages. The law would apply to all groups that have contracts with the District, including Catholic Charities, one of the city's largest social services providers. The Archdiocese of Washington says that because of the Church's opposition to same-sex marriage, it would have to suspend its social services to the poor, the homeless and others rather than provide employee benefits to same-sex married couples or allow them to adopt. Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387165/posts#comment Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:04:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2386854/posts BEIJING — Followers of an unapproved church in Beijing were again forced by the government to find a new place to worship Sunday, a move one analyst suggested would be a test for President Barack Obama on religious freedom during his first visit to the country. Worship in China, governed by the officially atheist Communist Party, is allowed only in state-approved churches, but millions of people belong to unregistered churches that often face official harassment. Sunday's banishment was the latest for the Shouwang church, one of the largest underground churches in China with about 800 members. It was forced to... Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2386854/posts#comment Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:49:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2385636/posts Iran: Church Closed Central Assemblies of God Church has been forced to close down its regular Friday afternoon services and can only hold two services on Sundays, Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN) reported. The Assemblies of God authorities announced at the conclusion of their Oct. 30 service that Friday worship services would no longer take place and only Sunday services, in two separate shifts, would be conducted. The church, which is the largest public and formal gathering of Iranian Christians in Iran, was forced to close by the Iranian Ministry of Information. The church has faced extreme pressure from government... Voice of the Martyrs http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2385636/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:55:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385155/posts Swine Flu Forces Changes In Church TraditionsNov 11, 2009 11:26 pm US/Eastern SACRAMENTO (CBS) - The swine flu outbreak has forced local Catholic churches to revamp some rituals in hopes of slowing the spread of the disease, CBS station KOVR-TV reported. The bishop of Sacramento ordered Catholic churches to make changes during mass, so parishioners will no longer drink from the cup, hold hands during the Lord's Prayer or shake hands as a sign of peace. The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is also changing the holy water regularly and wiping down the bowl, and is asking sick church members... CBS 4 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385155/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:40:50 GMT