Current Events (Religion)

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  • Healing spirits, A shaman helps clients with a variety of problems

    09/05/2008 7:36:49 PM PDT · by Coleus · 3 replies · 102+ views
    northjersey.com ^ | 08.26.08 | SARAH SCHILLACI,
    Jose Juarez is a shaman, a Mesoamerican healer from a village in Mexico. He owns a botanica, called New Age Store Leecatzin, in Clifton's Botany Village. In the background an Aztec drawing represents life, strength and prosperity, with a reminder to rem A shaman helps clients with a variety of problemsAlbert Ponce had a broken spirit. Life for the 25-year-old Clifton resident had recently hit a bumpy patch. He couldn't land a job working in an office. He didn't want to settle for a retail job, or working in a factory; he wanted to make use of his business...
  • WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ORGANIC CHURCH?

    09/05/2008 6:46:22 PM PDT · by guitarplayer1953 · 20 replies · 156+ views
    Organic Church. I’ve been using this term for around fifteen years now. Today it’s become somewhat of a clay word, being molded and shaped to mean a variety of different things by a variety of different people. T. Austin-Sparks is the man who deserves credit for this term. Here’s his definition: "God's way and law of fullness is that of organic life. In the divine order, life produces it's own organism, whether it be a vegetable, animal, human or spiritual. This means that everything comes from the inside . . . function, order and fruit issue forth from this...
  • Some local Jews boycotting strawberries

    09/05/2008 5:30:51 PM PDT · by Coleus · 8 replies · 170+ views
    northjersey.com ^ | 08.26.08 | MEREDITH MANDELL
    The strawberry: luscious, red, juicy — and now forbidden fruit in some of North Jersey’s Jewish communities. Some rabbis have issued edicts classifying the fruit on market shelves as unclean and therefore in violation of Jewish dietary law. The culprit: small bugs called thrips and aphids attracted to strawberries and a variety of vegetables. The controversy, which began with local edicts that have affected Jewish enclaves in the cities of Passaic, Teaneck and Lakewood, has ripened into lively discussion worldwide in cyberspace. It’s also produced a lively debate about the limits of kosher law governing fresh produce. Despite assurances from...
  • Sarah Palin's Amazing Grace

    09/05/2008 2:19:09 PM PDT · by Between the Lines · 44 replies · 827+ views
    Human Events ^ | 09/05/2008
    Liberals and the media seem baffled. They especially don’t know what to make of the reaction by conservative, and more specifically evangelical, Christians to the news that the 17-year-old daughter of the Republican vice presidential nominee is pregnant out of wedlock. The left-wing bloggers who peddled cruel and unwarranted rumors about Palin and her daughter undoubtedly hoped that accusations of a sex scandal and cover-up would destroy her political career. They succeeded only in forcing immediate revelation of a simpler truth -- that Bristol Palin, 17, is five months pregnant, and intends to keep the child and marry the father....
  • Happy New Year - 5769! -A New Sabbatical Cycle Begins on September 29!

    09/05/2008 11:20:30 AM PDT · by XeniaSt · 5 replies · 134+ views
    Prophecy in the News ^ | September 2008 | J. R. Church
    Many are wondering what the next seven years (2008-2015) will hold. Are we looking at Daniel's seventieth week? Will the Tribulation Period be unleashed upon the world? Israel has expressed concern over Iran's nuclear program, saying that if something isn't done about it, Iran will be able to field a nuclear weapon by January 2009. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was outraged over the United States sending a top level negotiator to meet with Iranian representatives after President Bush assured him that we would not do that. Olmert is resigning as Israel's prime minister, effective as of the middle...
  • Italian priest fined $80,000 for church bells’ ‘noise pollution’

    09/05/2008 9:45:49 AM PDT · by NYer · 11 replies · 220+ views
    CNA ^ | September 5, 2008
    Rome, Sep 5, 2008 / 01:34 am (CNA).- An Italian priest has been ordered to pay more than eighty thousand dollars to a woman living near his church because she claims the bells were rung too loud and too long at “unsocial hours.”The judgment was handed down by a court in the town of Chiavari after retired university teacher Flora Leuzzi and others claimed the ringing of church bells created a form of noise pollution, the Guardian reports.Professor Leuzzi lives close to the Carmine church in Lavagna, which is near Genoa. She first voiced complaints about the bell ringing...
  • Papal calendar: Lourdes visit, four new saints and the Bible Synod

    09/05/2008 9:40:44 AM PDT · by NYer · 3 replies · 86+ views
    CNA ^ | September 4, 2008
    Vatican City, Sep 5, 2008 / 09:50 am (CNA).- This morning the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff published a list of celebrations that Pope Benedict will preside over through the month of November.Among the notable celebrations are: the visit to Lourdes for the 150th anniversary of the apparitions there, the opening of the Synod of Bishops on the Bible, and the canonization of four blesseds.The full schedule is as follows: SEPTEMBER Sunday 7: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Pastoral visit to Cagliari, Italy. Friday 12 - Monday 15: Pastoral visit to France for the occasion of the...
  • 400 goats visit Golden Gate Seminary

    09/05/2008 8:55:36 AM PDT · by Gamecock · 16 replies · 225+ views
    Baptist Press ^ | Sep 4, 2008 | Phyllis Evans
    MILL VALLEY, Calif. (BP)--Four hundred goats descended on the verdant hillsides of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in July, cutting the grass as well as the seminary's costs for landscaping staff. "We save approximately $5,000 in labor and materials by contracting with Goats-R-Us," said Robert Dvorak, the seminary's facilities management director. Additional potential costs if Golden Gate staff did this work are possible injuries from attempting to use mowers and weed whackers on the steep terrain or potential poison oak infections, both of which could incur medical treatment and loss of work time. The goats, which were stationed for three...
  • The Dictators of Relativism [Open]

    09/05/2008 7:52:57 AM PDT · by NYer · 6 replies · 215+ views
    NCR ^ | September 7-13, 2008 | Mark Shea
    Show me a person who cannot distinguish cleverness from wisdom or a good brain from a good heart, and I will show you somebody who is a fool.These words to live by returned to mind a few weeks back when I read a complaint piece on Apocalypto by a scholar specializing in Mayan civilization. She protested: “They’re shown as these extremely barbaric people, when in fact, the Maya were a very sophisticated culture.”A quote like this can only mean that somewhere in higher education impressionable minds are being formed by somebody who knows all about the Mayans — and nothing...
  • Holy Hour Emphasizes Prayers of Little Ones (Urge Participation of World's Children)

    09/04/2008 4:21:44 PM PDT · by NYer · 5 replies · 71+ views
    ZNA ^ | September 4, 2008 | Karna Swanson
    >WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPT. 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is counting on the prayers of children, as he knows they have an important mission in the Church, says the general secretary of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood Association.Father Patrick Byrne, who will lead the 6th Annual Worldwide Children's Eucharistic Holy Hour, said this in a video message inviting Catholic school children to participate in the event, which will take place in dioceses worldwide Oct. 3. The theme for this year's holy hour is "Jesus, the Children of the World Wish to Console You."An initiative of the World Apostolate of...
  • Priest Survivor: The Hindu Radicals are 'Terrorists'

    09/04/2008 3:07:19 PM PDT · by tcg · 3 replies · 176+ views
    Catholic Online ^ | 9/05/08 | Nirmala Carvalho
    Fr Edward explains what happened to him: "On Monday August 25th, around 1.30 pm, as I was having lunch, there was a knock on the door. When I opened it, a huge crowd of more than 500 people were outside and asked 'Who is the priest?'. This is nothing strange, as often people come requesting my help, for my vehicle to drive them to a hospital or other such emergencies. As soon as I identified myself, they raised their arms holding all the weapons - axes, shovels, spades and iron rods.They took me outside in the courtyard and began hitting...
  • Vatican discipline for priest involved with Medjugorje [Catholic Caucus]

    09/04/2008 1:06:11 PM PDT · by NYer · 8 replies · 232+ views
    Catholic Culture ^ | September 3, 3008
    Father Tomislav Vlasic, a Franciscan priest who was prominent in the first efforts to publicize the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje, has been placed under interdict by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith because of his flagrant disregard for ecclesiastical discipline. Father Vlasic-- who eventually broke with the Medjugorje "seers" and founded his own quasi-religious community, was cited for "suspicion of heresy and schism, as well as scandalous acts contra sextum, aggravated by mystical motivations." Source(s): » Statement by Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar
  • Thank Archbishop Chaput for His Courage!

    09/04/2008 10:44:58 AM PDT · by NYer · 22 replies · 202+ views
    American Papist ^ | September 4, 2008 | Thomas Peters
    Fidelis has created an easy-to-sign public thank you letter: From the press release: Fidelis is urging Catholics and all people of good will to publicly thank Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput for his unwavering defense of Catholic teaching on the dignity of all human life, likening him to former Archbishop Joseph Rummel, who led the Archdiocese of New Orleans from 1935 to 1964 during a period of deep division over the civil rights of African Americans. Fidelis President Brian Burch commented: “Like Archbishop Rummel, who stood up against the prevailing culture of his time to defend the intrinsic dignity of every...
  • RI Catholic bishop leaps into public arena [Open]

    09/04/2008 10:07:36 AM PDT · by NYer · 5 replies · 222+ views
    York Daily Record ^ | September 4, 2008 | RAY HENRY
    PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The motto of Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin comes from a Bible verse reminding believers that God has given them "no cowardly spirit." And he has not been timid during three years as the most prominent religious leader in Rhode Island, the nation's most heavily Catholic state. Tobin used his edgy humor last year to publicly skewer former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is Catholic and supports abortion rights. In the diocesan newspaper, during the Republican presidential primary, Tobin addressed the candidate by first name—"Hey Rudy"—and called his stand on abortion pathetic. Tobin recently took on U.S. immigration...
  • Do Americans Really Know Who Evangelicals Are? (New study shows that they have no idea)

    09/04/2008 9:21:31 AM PDT · by Between the Lines · 11 replies · 332+ views
    The Christian Post ^ | Sep. 04, 2008 | Audrey Barrick
    The word "evangelical" floats around in churches, the media and particularly this year's election but Americans often have no idea what an evangelical is, a new study shows. As Christians themselves still have a hard time agreeing on what exactly defines an evangelical, Ellison Research asked the average adult American what they believe is an "evangelical Christian." Thirty-six percent of them said they had no idea. "I'm not sure; all I can think of is Billy Graham," said one 40 year-old woman from Florida who does not attend worship services, in the survey. "I am not sure, and I am...
  • Pope launches crackdown on world's largest illicit Catholic shrine and suspends 'dubious' priest

    09/03/2008 7:38:05 PM PDT · by nickcarraway · 43 replies · 715+ views
    The Daily Mail ^ | 03rd September 2008 | Simon Caldwell
    The Pope has begun a crackdown on the world’s largest illicit Catholic shrine – by suspending the priest at the centre of claims that the Virgin Mary has appeared more than 40,000 times. Benedict XVI has authorised ‘severe cautionary and disciplinary measures’ against Father Tomislav Vlasic, the former ‘spiritual director’ to six children who said Our Lady was appearing to them at Medjugorje in Bosnia. The Franciscan priest has been suspended after he refused to cooperate into claims of scandalous sexual immorality ‘aggravated by mystical motivations’. He has also been accused of ‘the diffusion of dubious doctrine, manipulation of consciences,...
  • India: After 'Savage' Beating, Priest Still Wants to Serve

    09/03/2008 4:31:39 PM PDT · by tcg · 116+ views
    Catholic Online ^ | 9/04/08 | Thomas Chellan
    Fr Thomas Chellan, 57, was one of the first victims of the anti-Christian pogrom launched by the Vishva Hindu Parishad after the assassination of Swami Laxamananda Saraswati on August 23, 2008.Only after being beaten, abused, wounded and stripped was he rescued by the police.A nun was subjected to the same violence, perhaps treated with even greater brutality. The Pastoral Centre in Kandhamal was one of the first Christian institutions to be destroyed, torched. Father Thomas, who is now recovering in hospital, has agreed for the first time to talk about his ordeal. Forcing himself to speak, he is still hard...
  • Paul's Conversion

    09/03/2008 3:26:41 PM PDT · by ELS · 6 replies · 137+ views
    Zenit News Agency ^ | September 3, 2008 | Benedict XVI
    Paul's Conversion "We Are Christians Only If We Encounter Christ" VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father continued today the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul.* * *Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today's catechesis will be dedicated to the experience St. Paul had on the road to Damascus, commonly called his conversion. Precisely on the road to Damascus, in the first 30 years of the first century, and following a period in which he persecuted...
  • A Lesson on Liberals and Feminism

    09/03/2008 7:35:23 AM PDT · by Yosemitest · 6 replies · 364+ views
    rushlimbaugh.com ^ | September 2, 2008 | Rush Limbaugh
    A Lesson on Liberals and Feminism September 2, 2008 BEGIN TRANSCRIPTRUSH: Let's talk about the religion of liberalism for just a second, ladies and gentlemen. What do liberals believe? Well, among other things -- listen to me on this -- what do liberals believe? They believe that a woman is more than just being a mom at home. It's what they say they believe. They believe that a woman is every bit as qualified to hold public office as a man. They believe that premarital sex and sex by teenagers is normal, natural, and we shouldn't try to stop...
  • Orissa: six more churches set on fire, hundreds of homes destroyed

    09/03/2008 7:23:12 AM PDT · by Publius804 · 5 replies · 161+ views
    www.asianews.it ^ | 09/03/2008 | N/A
    INDIA Orissa: six more churches set on fire, hundreds of homes destroyed More and more Christian villages are being plundered and set on fire as police remains idle. Death threats are made against Christians if they practice their faith. but according to the government of Orissa the situation is “under control”. Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) – The anti-Christian pogrom in the state of Orissa shows no signs of a let-up. In the past three days six churches have been attacked, set on fire and destroyed; hundreds of Christian-owned houses have been devastated and then torched. The number of refugees and missing people...
  • Novena for Gov. Palin and her family

    09/03/2008 5:11:10 AM PDT · by paterfamilias · 45 replies · 458+ views
    3 Sept 2008 | me
    Please join me in saying a Novena to the Sacred Heart for Gov. Sarah Palin and her family, that they receive God's grace and strength in the trying times to come. This Novena is the same one that Padre Pio prayed daily for the intentions of all those who came to him for help. It is entitled "Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart" because of its great power. I know, because I have experienced it. I will start the Novena today, and complete it on September 11th. For those unfamiliar with this Novena, here is a link: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/heart/sh_novena.htm
  • India's Christians Suffer and Die While the World Watches

    09/02/2008 4:36:03 PM PDT · by tcg · 3 replies · 240+ views
    Catholic Online ^ | 9/03/08 | Sandro Magister
    On Friday, August 29, 2008 the 25,000 Catholic schools in India closed their doors for the entire day. The Indian Catholic Church has called for a day of prayer and fasting for the first Sunday in September, with peaceful processions all over the country. The reason is the new wave of violence that has struck the Christians in the state of Orissa. Every day, there is news of killing, wounding, rape, assaults against churches, convents, schools, orphanages, villages, carried out by Hindu fanatics. Thousands of people have had to abandon their homes and flee to the forests. The spark for...
  • First Catholic internet TV station goes live

    09/02/2008 10:50:38 AM PDT · by NYer · 25 replies · 453+ views
    CathNews ^ | September 2, 2008
    A US company has launched what it claims to be the world's first exclusively internet TV station. IBL News reports that Amigot Corp New York has designed and engineered for a group of businessmen of Indiana, Real Catholic TV.com, said to be the first television station ot its kind on the internet. Starting September 1, the station features daily news, daily political commentary, daily features on saints and history as well as regular episodes on morality, movie reviews, entertainment, apologetics and much more. With its own proprietary technology, the station will provide viewers with free access to home page content,...
  • Vatican Warns of Growing "Christianophobia"

    09/01/2008 6:54:24 PM PDT · by Publius804 · 9 replies · 302+ views
    www.newstalk590.com ^ | 2008 | Reuters
    Vatican Warns of Growing "Christianophobia" ROME (Reuters) - "Christianophobia" is a growing problem around the world and it must be fought with the same determination as anti-Semitism or Islamophobia, the Vatican said on Friday. Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican's foreign minister, spoke in the wake of attacks against Christians in India that have left at least 13 people dead this week. Mamberti, addressing a conference in northern Italy, said religious freedom was a vital part of international relations and human dignity. "In order to promote this dignity in an integral way, so-called 'Christianophobia' should be combated as decisively as 'Islamophobia'...
  • President of Pennsylvania Anaimal Shelter Slanders Mennonites

    09/01/2008 12:58:21 PM PDT · by Ikemeister · 13 replies · 365+ views
    Chambersburg Public Opinion | August 28, 2008 | Nancy Gardner
    You have to be careful about who you insult in today's America, but if you're a liberal activist, you can freely attack religious groups without fear of reprisal. Nancy Gardner, well-know animal activist and President of the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter, slandered the Mennonite Sect in a leter to the Chambersburg, PA Public Opinion. Trying to drum up support for legislation regulating 'puppy mills' she singled out Mennonites in her letter trying to draw some weird conspiracy theory between local Mennonite farmers and two dog breeders who recently shot 80 of their dogs in response to pending action from the...
  • Prayer for Hurricane Gustav

    08/31/2008 11:28:35 PM PDT · by eaglesnest1 · 16 replies · 244+ views
    self | 08/31/08 | eaglesnest1
    For all those who feel called to pray in one accord.... August 31, 2008 9:45pm PDT Lord God, You are the Holy One. You are the One True God. There is no other God but You. There is no power beyond Yours and nothing which can defeat Your purposes. You are the only One with the plan and ALL things are in Your hands. Lord God, three years ago Hurricane Katrina brought death, destruction and misery to areas which have yet to fully recover. Lord God, as Hurricane Gustav now threatens that same coast, we who are called by Your...
  • Catholic leaders accused of failing to enforce church law

    08/31/2008 1:01:40 PM PDT · by wagglebee · 31 replies · 544+ views
    OneNewsNow ^ | 8/31/08 | Rusty Pugh
    The leader of the American Life League says Catholic bishops in America missed a golden opportunity to enforce the law of the Catholic Church when it comes to abortion.  Cardinals and bishops continue to rebuke House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for attempting a theological defense of her support for abortion. Pelosi, a Catholic school graduate who has expressed pride in her religious heritage, said last Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press that "doctors of the church" have not been able to define when life begins. Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik says Pelosi "completely misrepresented the teaching of the Catholic Church in regard...
  • Readings for the week of 8/31-9/6 (Jewish/Noachide caucus)

    08/30/2008 6:17:45 PM PDT · by Zionist Conspirator · 8 replies · 129+ views
    Bible, calendar, and prayerbooks | 8/30/'08 | Zionist Conspirator
    Sunday 8/31--First Day Ro'sh Chodesh 'ElulKohen--Numbers 28:1-3Levi--vs. 3-5Shelishi--vs. 6-10Revi`i--vs. 11-15 Monday 9/1--Second Day Ro'sh Chodesh 'ElulKohen--Numbers 28:1-3Levi--vs. 3-5Shelishi--vs. 6-10Revi`i--vs. 11-15 Thrsday morning 9/4Kohen--Deuteronomy 16:18-20Levi--16:21-17:10Yisra'el--17:11-13 Strday 9/6--Shabbat Parashat ShofetimMORNING Kohen--Deuteronomy 16:18-17:13Levi--17:14-20Shelishi--18:1-5Revi`i--18:6-13Chamishi--18:14-19:13Shishi--19:14-20:9Shevi`i--20:10-21:9Maftir--21:7-9Haftarah--Isaiah 51:12-52:12 EVENING Kohen--Deuteronomy 21:10-14Levi--vs. 15-17Yisra'el--vs. 18-21
  • Sugar Land church to house Fort Bend's newest Starbucks

    08/30/2008 10:53:59 AM PDT · by Between the Lines · 5 replies · 132+ views
    Houston Chronicle ^ | August 29, 2008
    The Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Sugar Land is opening a new Starbucks with a unique twist. The coffee shop, part of the church's new Family Center, will be located inside -- next to the worship area and adjacent to a large, two-story play center. Patrons can sip lattes and surf the web with free Wi-Fi while their children shoot down slides and tumble through the padded obstacle course. A bookstore will provide Christian reading materials, gifts, apparel, movies and music. With a grand opening scheduled for Sept. 7, this may be Fort Bend County's first not-for-profit Starbucks. I guess...
  • Sarah Palin Wants Creationism Taught In Schools

    08/30/2008 6:02:26 AM PDT · by e.Shubee · 82 replies · 1,569+ views
    Dvorak Uncensored ^ | August 29, 2008 | KD Martin
    Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin wants creationism taught in science classes. In a 2006 gubernatorial debate, the soon-to-be governor of Alaska said of evolution and creation education, "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of education. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."
  • Beauty and the Beast? (Insightful Analysis of McCain's potential pick for VP)

    08/29/2008 8:28:07 AM PDT · by NYer · 36 replies · 933+ views
    CMR ^ | August 29, 2008 | Patrick Archbold
    Is Sarah Palin, the ardently pro-life Governor of Alaska, set to become the Republican Vice Presidential nominee? This would present an opportunity for all those wanna be history makers to vote for something historic without handing the reigns to Barack Stalin Obama. Palin is enormously popular in her home state and among conservatives of all stripes. She has only been governor for two years but that is more qualification than the dog catcher from Illinois has. Is this potential veep pick a game changer? We shall see. Stay tuned! CMR wrote a story on the recent birth of Palin's fifth...
  • "Let the Drop Kick Begin" (Installation of Green Bay Bishop David Ricken)

    08/29/2008 8:09:09 AM PDT · by NYer · 8 replies · 345+ views
    WITL ^ | August 29, 2008 | Rocco Palmo
    He might've been in Green Bay, but Bishop David Ricken's western roots were on display this afternoon as the Colorado-born, Wyoming-seasoned prelate took the reins of the northeast Wisconsin diocese: As part of his sermon Thursday, at his installation ceremony, Ricken burst into a classic truck-driving song, followed by a verse of “Drop kick me, Jesus, through the goal posts of life.” The congregation roared with laughter and applause. It was the one light moment in an otherwise solemn but glorious affair, attended by bishops from all over the country — and one from Italy — about 400 priests...
  • Fr. Augustine: On the Ongoing Persecution in India

    08/28/2008 4:59:11 PM PDT · by tcg · 4 replies · 167+ views
    Catholic Online ^ | 8/29/08 | Fr Augustine Kanjamala, SVD
    Fr Augustine Kanjamala is a Verbite clergyman who teaches at the University of Mumbai. He appeals to the Churches of the world to “express their protest to the government of India” which has remained “inactive” with regards to anti-Christian violence. He openly charges the Orissa state government for its increasingly explicit collusion with the pogrom currently underway against the community of faithful. According to Father Kanjamala a plan to cleanse Orissa of its Christian population has been in the making for years, especially in the district of Kandhamal (where most of the atrocities have taken place) where Christians now constitute...
  • Georgians pray for nation after war with Russia

    08/28/2008 4:05:39 PM PDT · by Tailgunner Joe · 8 replies · 188+ views
    reuters.com ^ | Aug 28, 2008 | Mark Trevelyan
    TBILISI, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Georgians flocked to churches on Thursday to pray for their country reeling from military defeat by Russia and the secession of two of its provinces. Hundreds of worshippers packed into Tbilisi's riverside Sioni church for a three-hour service led by Orthodox Patriarch Ilia the Second to mark the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the entry into heaven of the mother of Jesus. They crossed themselves repeatedly as a bell chimed to mark the start of the service and a column of bearded priests filed through the church in vestments of red, green, white or gold....
  • Young African woman crawls 2.5 miles to attend Sunday Mass

    08/28/2008 1:37:43 PM PDT · by NYer · 25 replies · 644+ views
    CNA ^ | August 28, 2008
    Olivia (Photo courtesy of AVAN) Valencia, Aug 28, 2008 / 01:42 am (CNA).- The Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly in Chissano (Mozambique) took into their home this week a 25 year-old African young girl named Olivia, who despite not being baptized at the time and not having any legs, crawled 2.5 miles every Sunday to attend Mass. According to the AVAN news agency, the nuns said that one day, they saw “something moving on the ground far away,” and when they drew near they saw, “to our surprise, that it was a young woman.” “We were able to...
  • Do you see Jesus in this moth?

    08/28/2008 12:42:02 PM PDT · by Between the Lines · 41 replies · 1,060+ views
    KLTV ^ | Aug 27, 2008
    PITTSBURG, Texas (KLTV)The stories come from all over the world - people who see the face of Jesus on everything from furniture to snack foods. Now, some east Texans say they've spotted Jesus on a moth. Now, members of a local church show KLTV 7's Courtney Lane their heavenly catch. From rocks to a Cheeto, it seems people are finding the image of Jesus everywhere. Now from east Texas, check out this living, breathing moth! "His hair right here and you can see the mustache and the beard and there's a little slit right there that looks like His mouth...
  • Abp. Chaput continues to steal spotlight from DNC

    08/28/2008 10:10:21 AM PDT · by NYer · 16 replies · 668+ views
    American Papist ^ | August 27, 2008 | Thomas Peters
    The Washington Times reports: In retrospect, maybe the Democrats should have included Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput in their convention activities after all. The party was accused of deliberately snubbing the outspoken archbishop by failing to invite him to lead prayers or participate on its religion panels. Archbishop Chaput is the leader of Denver´s estimated 385,000 Catholics, the area´s largest religious denomination. But Archbishop Chaput may have gotten the last laugh. Democrats are doing a slow burn over the archbishop´s headline-grabbing criticism of party bigwigs and his decision to schedule major events this week during the convention´s prime-time speeches. Gosh,...
  • Sr. Helen Prejean, God's Gift to Capital Punishment Enthusiasts (DNC speaker doubts crucifixion)

    08/28/2008 9:30:40 AM PDT · by NYer · 23 replies · 630+ views
    Catholic and Enjoying it ^ | August 28, 2008 | Mark Shea
    The preliminary pretense of Abrahamic piety over, the Dem leadership could then return to their New Age devotions. Yesterday, they held some interfaith gathering in which Sr. Helen Prejean made clear that she utterly rejects what the rest of us call "orthodox Christian faith": Following the hot topic of abortion, Sister Helen Prejean tackled another: calling for abolition of the death penalty to raucous applause at the DNC's interfaith gathering. She received nothing but a stony silence, however, when she questioned the basis of the biblical crucifixion story as a "projection of our violent society." "Is this a God?" Prejeans...
  • Ain't That America, Little Pink Condoms For You and Me (Protect Yourself From John McCain)

    08/28/2008 9:19:24 AM PDT · by NYer · 8 replies · 325+ views
    CMR ^ | August 28, 2008 | Matthew Archbold
    The wonderful darlings over at Planned Parenthood are handing out more than 700 pounds of condoms encased in a pink matchbook that reads: “Protect Yourself From John McCain (In This Election).” One question: 700 pounds? Is there nothing else to do in Denver? For goodness sakes, take in a ballgame. The back reads, “10 Things Everyone Should Know About John McCain,” and includes one of 10 "frightening" facts about McCain’s record on reproductive rights. For example, No. 10: “Has voted against women’s reproductive rights and privacy 125 times in his 25 years in Washington, D.C.” No. 9: "Said he was...
  • Winning $3M lottery ticket answers church's prayers

    08/28/2008 6:48:49 AM PDT · by Between the Lines · 13 replies · 410+ views
    Newsday ^ | August 27, 2008 | Laura Alabanese
    -snip- "Unless God drops a million on us, we're going to have to rent a facility somewhere," he recalled joking from the pulpit Wednesday. He never thought that one of the congregation members would take it as a suggestion. Weeks later, an anonymous member donated the entire jackpot prize of a Ba-Da Bling scratch-off lottery ticket, worth $3 million, the New York Lottery announced Wednesday at Eldorado Southern Grille in Port Jefferson Station. The church will receive $150,000 a year, minus taxes, for 20 years. Because True North, a nondenominational Christian church with 650 members, is a nonprofit, the church...
  • Biden: "My views are totally consistent with Catholic social doctrine..." (Ignorance Alert!)

    08/28/2008 5:56:19 AM PDT · by NYer · 36 replies · 598+ views
    Insight Scoop ^ | August 27, 2008 | Carl Olson
    Yet another catechetical moment arrives. This from today's Christian Science Monitor: Against long odds, Senator Biden aims to be No. 4. He sees faith and values, as well as his own deep experience in public policy, as a key to that race.        "The animating principle of my faith, as taught to me by church and home, was that the cardinal sin was abuse of power," he said in an interview with the Monitor. "It was not only required as a good Catholic to abhor and avoid abuse of power, but to do something to end that abuse."...
  • [St.] Paul's Biography

    08/27/2008 8:05:09 PM PDT · by ELS · 4 replies · 116+ views
    Zenit News Agency ^ | August 27, 2008 | Benedict XVI
    Paul's Biography "He Dedicated Himself to the Proclamation of the Gospel" VATICAN CITY, AUG. 27, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered during today's general audience in Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father continued today the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the figure and thought of St. Paul. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, In the last catechesis before the holidays -- two months ago, at the beginning of July -- I began a new series of topics on the occasion of the Pauline Year, reflecting on the way St. Paul lived. Today I...
  • RIP: Fr. Thomas Pandippally, Martyr of a New Missionary Age

    08/27/2008 4:05:23 PM PDT · by tcg · 3 replies · 171+ views
    Catholic Online ^ | 8/28/08 | Deacon Keith Fournier
    The whole Christian world watches, weeps and prays as anti-Christian violence continues in the Indian State of Orissa. Fr. Thomas Pandippally, of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate, has watered the ground with his blood, martyred at the hands of what appear to be, from reliable reports, Hindu extremists. The outpouring of love for this holy young priest continue to pour in from his brothers in the religious community with whom he shared his life and from those touched by his genuine witness to the love of Jesus Christ, especially for the poor. This good witness in life has now been...
  • Flash: Open Dissent In The Weekly Bulletin (Rochester Diocese) [Catholic Caucus]

    08/27/2008 10:12:55 AM PDT · by NYer · 4 replies · 434+ views
    CMR ^ | August 27, 2008 | Patrick Archbold
    There has been much in the news lately about politicians who claim to be devout and ardent Catholics even though they openly hold positions contrary to clear and consistent Church teaching. Many of us have hoped for some time that our Bishops would stand up for the faith and unequivocally hold these pols accountable. It is one thing for a politician Catholic politician to oppose the Church's teaching, entirely another when a Catholic priest, a pastor, does the same thing. Meet Father Dan Holland of St. Pius X in Rochester NY. Father writes to his parishioners in the weekly bulletin...
  • Married, ex-Baptist minister to become Catholic priest

    08/27/2008 9:51:03 AM PDT · by Between the Lines · 56 replies · 669+ views
    Clerical Whispers ^ | August 26, 2008
    David Harris never considered his conversion to Catholicism six years ago to be a rejection of the Baptist faith that nourished him from childhood in Eastern Kentucky. But as a married man, Harris did think the switch meant he would leave one thing behind -- his status as an ordained minister. He was wrong. Early next month, he'll make history as the first married, former Baptist minister to become a Roman Catholic priest in the United States. He'll also be only the second married man from any former denomination to become a priest in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Harris, 53,...
  • Clarity of New Chronological Bible at Question (Chronological Study Bible)

    08/27/2008 9:50:05 AM PDT · by Between the Lines · 13 replies · 307+ views
    The Christian Post ^ | Aug. 27 2008 | Katherine T. Phan
    A new Bible that arranges Scripture according to when the events occurred – as opposed to when it was written – has stirred debate in the Christian blogosphere on whether the chronological ordering leads to clarity or confusion. The Bible publishing giant, Thomas Nelson, is set to debut the Chronological Study Bible next month, marketing the book as the "only study Bible that presents the text of the New King James Version in chronological order." In the edition, well-known books in the Bible like the Gospels, Psalms and the Epistles of Apostle Paul are chopped up and re-woven with other...
  • Southern Baptists' views of Scripture studied

    08/27/2008 5:51:50 AM PDT · by Between the Lines · 6 replies · 314+ views
    Baptist Press ^ | Aug 26, 2008 | Mark Kelly
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Research from two studies by LifeWay Research indicates a disconnect between Southern Baptist pastors' view of Scripture and those of the people in their pews. The research arm of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention conducted one study this spring among a representative sample of 778 Southern Baptist pastors. A second study, in 2007, surveyed 2,500 adults who attend a Protestant church at least once a month, including 260 who attend Southern Baptist churches. Southern Baptist pastors were asked to indicate their level of agreement with the statement, "I believe in the divine inspiration of Scripture."...
  • Franklin Graham Among 'Billy' Movie Critics

    08/27/2008 5:46:31 AM PDT · by Between the Lines · 2 replies · 203+ views
    The Christian Post ^ | Aug. 26 2008 | Josh Kimball
    While the upcoming movie based on the life of Billy Graham has been rallying supporters months ahead of its Oct. 10 release, it has also garnered some critics – the most prominent of which is the renowned evangelist’s son. “The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has not collaborated with nor does it endorse the movie, 'Billy: The Early Years,'” expressed Franklin Graham in a written response as the organization’s CEO last week. “While the move covers many aspects of my father’s early years, it depicts events that never happened or are greatly embellished,” he added. According to The Guardian, the film’s...
  • 7 Habits of a Highly Successful Mormon, Stephen Covey

    08/27/2008 12:45:22 AM PDT · by Gamecock · 80 replies · 661+ views
    4Truth.Net ^ | Bill Gordon
    It may come as a surprise to many Christians, but the popular personal growth programs written and promoted by Stephen R. Covey are meant to subtly promote his Mormon beliefs. Ironically, one of the reasons his materials, such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, are so popular among Christian leaders is because they give a prominent place to spirituality in personal growth. Yet 7 Habits contains many of the same principles, anecdotes, and illustrations found in Covey's earlier book, The Divine Center. This book was written to promote Covey's Mormon beliefs and show that any spiritual model other...
  • Breaking: Pelosi's home archdiocese republishes USCCB statement

    08/26/2008 2:02:16 PM PDT · by NYer · 44 replies · 1,016+ views
    American Papist ^ | August 26, 2008 | Thomas Peters
    Over at the news section of the San Francisco Archdiocese (Pelosi's home diocese), instead of a personal statement by Archbishop Niederauer, they've chosen to republish the USCCB press release from yesterday: "The Catholic Church is a Pro-Life Church."It's something. update: Rocco reports: "San Francisco church spokesman Maurice Healy told Whispers earlier today that Archbishop George Niederauer would publish his response to Pelosi in a Friday column for the archdiocesan weekly, Catholic San Francisco."