http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/nonchristian-religion/ en-us Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:38:18 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050290/posts History's humongous wheel turns and turns and turns again. Over time, mud and sludge accumulate on even the sprucest institutions. Take the 500-year-old Anglican family of churches, Christianity's third-largest, after Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy. With Anglicanism's biggest family event under way - the every-10-years gathering of bishops and archbishops in England - what the world sees, accurately or not, is a family in moral and spiritual disarray. --snip--For all that, Anglicanism's public troubles proceed from the takeover of Western Anglicanism by theological activists whose purpose is the remolding of Christianity into something less like the old-time religion than like the... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2050290/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:38:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2049882/posts Lebanon, Indiana - A woman is recovering in a Boone County hospital after injuring herself with a three-foot sword over the weekend. Katherine Gunther put a hole in her left foot in a cemetery early Saturday with a sword she was wielding as part of a Wiccan ceremony. "The I plunged the sword into the ground and my foot was there," said Gunther, a practicing Wiccan. "I don't do animal sacrifices or anything like that." "I didn't even know they existed in Lebanon, 'til I got the call," said Keith Neher of the Lebanon Police Department. The ceremony involves finding... WTHR http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2049882/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:29:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2049687/posts The Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan today declared that Gene Robinson, the openly gay Bishop of New Hampshire, "should resign for the sake of the church." In a press conference at the decennial Lambeth Conference, the Most Rev. Dr. Daniel Deng Bul said that homosexual ordination "is not what is found in the Bible" and that it is "not the norm of the Anglican world." Catholic Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2049687/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:53:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2049150/posts A leading Anglican bishop has condemned conservatives as "demonic" for using his church as a punch bag. The Bishop of Washington, the Right Rev John Chane, a leading liberal in the Episcopal Church in the United States, accused conservatives of leading the church in a "dangerous" direction. *** "I think it's really very, very dangerous and I think it's demonic ... the Episcopal Church has been demonised. It has been a punching bag and I'm sick of being a punching bag as a Bishop and I'm sick of my church, my province being a punching bag. Times Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2049150/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:52:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2047600/posts James Tramel went from convicted murderer to priest while in prison, a transformation that the Episcopal Church used to successfully lobby for his parole and celebrate him before politicians and the press. But the church is now grappling with the sexual abuse of a parishioner under his care. Tramel has been suspended for sexual misconduct, temporarily stripped of his priestly authority and left searching for a new job. The San Francisco-based Episcopal Diocese of California now faces questions of whether, in its haste to proclaim Tramel's story, it redeemed and promoted him too quickly. Convicted of second-degree murder in a... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2047600/posts#comment Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:57:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2044871/posts Protest disrupts bishop's sermon The man standing up and heckling the bishop Openly gay US bishop Gene Robinson was forced to halt a sermon at a west London church after being heckled. As Bishop Robinson began his sermon a member of the congregation repeatedly called him a "heretic" and said "repent, repent, repent". He began his sermon by saying how sad it was that the Anglican Communion was tearing itself apart. But he was stopped when the man in the congregation shouted that the schism was the bishop's fault. BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2044871/posts#comment Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:14:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2042086/posts The Church of England's ruling body has voted to go ahead with the ordination of women bishops. But the Church was facing a damaging split after members of its General Synod threw out compromise proposals on females in senior ranks. All safeguards demanded by traditionalists were rejected. Sky News correspondent Mike McCarthy said: "It's a historic and very significant moment for the Church of England. "The real test now is how many people will leave (the Church). There are certainly going to be many wrestling with their consciences." The Synod members voted to approve work on a national statutory code... sky http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2042086/posts#comment Mon, 7 Jul 2008 23:12:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2041932/posts It has become a cliché to say that the Church of England is in a mess. But a new chapter of messiness began just recently with the “marriage” of two Anglican clergymen in a festive ceremony in St Bartholomew’s church in London. One of the men is a doctor at the nearby famous St Bartholomew’s Hospital. The wedding – in grand style, with music and flowers and “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…” and vows and bouquets – received widespread publicity.  At no time among any Christians at any stage since Christ himself walked this earth – or... MercatorNet http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2041932/posts#comment Mon, 7 Jul 2008 17:43:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2040635/posts Pop icon Madonna is using kabbalah to brainwash Yankee star Alex Rodriguez into believing they are "soulmates," the ballplayer's estranged wife is telling friends. Cynthia Rodriguez, who has bolted to rocker Lenny Kravitz's Paris pad to avoid the limelight, is blaming the Material Girl for breaking up her five-year marriage, a close friend told the Daily News. The 34-year-old stunner has revealed to close confidants that she discovered a note her husband wrote professing his true feelings to Madonna. "I believe he was having an affair with Madonna," she told a friend, who spoke anonymously for fear of angering A-Rod.... New Yok Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2040635/posts#comment Fri, 4 Jul 2008 08:46:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2040092/posts An Episcopal Church court has found a Pennsylvania bishop guilty of concealing his brother's sexual abuse of a minor during the 1970s. Bishop Charles Bennison Jr. could be suspended or removed permanently from ministry, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Thursday. Bennison's lawyers said they planned to appeal the decision. A sentence is not likely to be handed down before late August, the newspaper said. Bennison, 64, became head of the five-county, 55,000-member Diocese of Pennsylvania in 1998. He was suspended in October after a special review committee of the Episcopal Church USA charged him with two counts of "conduct unbecoming a... upi http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2040092/posts#comment Thu, 3 Jul 2008 03:41:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2040380/posts The crisis in the Church of England over homosexuality is a personal one for the Archbishop of Canterbury himself. Whether you are a supporter or not, a Christian or a non-believer, it is increasingly clear - as the threat of schism over homosexuality and women priests intensifies - that the leader of the Established Church is in a false position. Dr Rowan Williams portrays himself as radically inclined, yet on homosexuality he has aligned himself with a conservative cause. --- This false position arises because there is every reason to believe that he is going against his conscience, and that,... The Times [UK] http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2040380/posts#comment Thu, 3 Jul 2008 19:07:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2039258/posts The Archbishop of Canterbury has rounded on rebel Anglicans seeking to bypass his authority over issues such as homosexuality and women priests. Dr Rowan Williams adopted unusually forthright language to accuse the hardline traditionalists of lacking legitimacy One of his staff even suggested the rebels were becoming a "Protestant sect". The Archbishop's comments follow the creation at the weekend of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (Foca), a global network for millions of Anglicans unhappy at the ordination of the openly homosexual Bishop of New Hampshire, Gene Robinson. Dr Williams called for patience from those who want to create an... Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2039258/posts#comment Tue, 1 Jul 2008 17:03:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2039169/posts Marriage laws, lack of church commitment from newlyweds make faith leaders think twice. Some clergy think churches should divorce themselves from the wedding business.The controversy over same-sex marriage – along with a growing sense that many couples who marry in churches never return – has prompted faith leaders to say it's time to reconsider how California couples tie the knot.After the California Supreme Court ruled gay marriage legal, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California began encouraging all couples to marry outside the church. "I urge you to encourage all couples, regardless of orientation, to follow the pattern of... Sacramento Bee http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2039169/posts#comment Tue, 1 Jul 2008 14:59:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2038427/posts The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s highest governing body voted Friday in favor of a proposal that would allow for the ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians. The 218th General Assembly, meeting in San Jose, Calif., this week, voted 380-325 to send the overture – that would delete the requirement that clergy live in "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between and a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness" – to the denomination's 173 presbyteries for approval. Adding to the blow to conservatives, the Assembly also adopted a supplementary authoritative interpretation of the PC(USA) constitution that would allow gay and... The Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2038427/posts#comment Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:09:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2036258/posts NEW DELHI: With Democrat senator Barack Obama busy in the run-up to the US presidential polls, a group of well-wishers in the capital have decided to send him a symbol of his lucky charm, Lord Hanuman, to help him emerge victorious. Obama's representative Carolyn Sauvage-Mar on Tuesday received a gold-plated two-feet-high idol which she will pass it on to the Obama after it is sanctified. The idol is being presented to Obama as he is reported to be a Lord Hanuman devotee and carries with him a locket of the monkey god along with other good luck charms. An hour-long... The Times of India http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2036258/posts#comment Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:25:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2033271/posts The Book of Mormon and the King James Version (1999) Curt van den Heuvel Introduction The King James Version of the Bible is, in all likelihood, the most successful of all the English translations. Volumes have been written on its distinctive and rhythmic style, and it is still regarded as a triumph of modern English literature. So great was the influence of the King James Version that it coloured and directed the development of the English language for decades. English speakers still uses such phrases as `a fly in the ointment', `go the extra mile', and `stick to the straight... infidels.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2033271/posts#comment Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:30:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2032317/posts On the second-to-last day of school in Seattle, the fifth-grade class at B.F. Day Elementary School is bustling around the art room, cutting streamers, trying on hats and testing out their twirls. Volunteers from the Fremont Arts Council are also busy, helping students scissor through fabric, glue on streamers and parade their wares around the school......Like many Fremonsters, the kids who attend B.F. Day are excited about next Saturday’s parade.The Fremont Solstice Parade will be held on June 21st at noon- directions can be found on the Fremont Arts Council’s website. Metblogs http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2032317/posts#comment Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:22:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2031322/posts LONDON — A "wedding"-like ceremony between two male priests broke the Church of England's rules, a spokesman for the Anglican body said Saturday. The two clergymen exchanged rings and vows last month at a ceremony in St. Bartholomew the Great in London, according to The Sunday Telegraph, a preview of which was made available Saturday. The paper said the ceremony included traditional marriage liturgy, hymns and a Eucharist. The ceremony took place in defiance of the Bishop of London, in whose diocese it took place. It is likely to embolden liberal clergy who have been reluctant to offer a full... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2031322/posts#comment Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:51:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2031127/posts In 2Ne5:5 Nephi and his family and friends separate from the Lamanites 12 years after landing in the Americas. They quickly develop a complex metallurgical culture that other civilizations in history required centuries to create. Here are the cast of characters: *Nephi and family - wife and possibly a possibly some children *Zoram and his family - wife and possibly some children *Sam and his family - again a family *Jacob - a young man or boy *Joseph - an even younger man or boy *Others of Nephi's sisters - perhaps as many as 3-4 women. *"and all those who... exmormon http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2031127/posts#comment Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:41:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2030405/posts Church trial begins for Episcopal bishop By JOANN LOVIGLIO – 3 days ago PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An Episcopal bishop accused of concealing his brother's sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl decades ago twice walked in during the abuse and never did anything to stop it, the now-adult victim testified Monday at a church trial. The testimony came as the trial opened for Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. His brother became a priest after the abuse is alleged to have begun. A panel of bishops, priests and church members will decide whether Bennison, the leader... Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2030405/posts#comment Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:04:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029730/posts He maintains he is following the Holy Spirit in calling for this radical revision of Christian orthodoxy. Yet, he argues against the clear teaching of the Scriptures and unbroken teaching of the Christian tradition that reserve sexual activity to the loving, lifelong marriage bond between a married man and woman. Clearly, Bishop Gene Robinson views himself as a liberator, and he is doing more to foster the splintering of the Anglican Communion worldwide singlehandedly than anyone else. He seems to take delight in both his celebrity and his self appointed task. Now, the controversialist crusader for homosexual equivalency with marriage... Catholic Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029730/posts#comment Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:48:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029867/posts California's Episcopal bishop has praised the state Supreme Court ruling that gives same-sex couples the right to marry and is calling on the faithful to defeat a November ballot measure that would restrict marriage to unions of one man and one woman. "For far too long the onus has fallen on marginalized people to bear the burden of inequalities that exist within the Church, and the decision by our state's Supreme Court has given us the opportunity to level the playing field," Right Rev. Mark Andrus wrote in a pastoral letter dated June 9. The letter appeared on the Diocese... Contra Costa Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029867/posts#comment Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:22:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2028499/posts An elusive group just outside of Abilene, Texas is claiming the end of the world is coming in less than a week. The House of Yahweh recently gave ABC reporter Brian Ross access to their west Texas compound. Yahweh leader Yisrayl Hawkins says a nuclear holocaust will come June 12th and only members of his group will be saved. All group members change their last names to Hawkins and live in the compound. Local authorities claim the group is dangerous and practices polygamy. Shane Dee, the local district attorney, says there's no way to describe the group except as a... KLTV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2028499/posts#comment Mon, 9 Jun 2008 21:29:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2025613/posts Police -- Stonington Pastor Provided Alcohol For Minors http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=bd09de68-90d0-408b-aa22-6d3f42ec354e http://tinyurl.com/6jdj56 Priest arrested during party after 2 girls hospitalized for intoxication Published on 6/3/2008 By Joe Wojtas Stonington - Police arrested the Rev. Mark Robinson of Calvary Episcopal Church Monday and charged him with hosting a graduation party at his Barnes Road home Sunday night that resulted in two 17-year-old girls being taken by ambulance to The Westerly Hospital for treatment for intoxication. The 50-year-old Robinson, who has led the borough church since 1993, was charged with delivery of alcohol to minors, second-degree reckless endangerment and permitting minors to possess alcohol.... The Day http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2025613/posts#comment Wed, 4 Jun 2008 01:38:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2024990/posts "Anonymous" While we go about our daily lives--surfing the web, using it to pay bills or catching up on the latest news and chatting with friends and family--little do we realize that just beneath the digital surface of the worldwide web a war is being waged: the first Cyber World War, between a modern-day David versus Goliath. Goliath is the Church of Scientology, a multi-billion dollar enterprise, who is being systematically unmasked by the group known as Anonymous, the modern day David. ALSO at DBKP.com: * 'Anonymous' Hackers Vow to Destroy Scientology * Anonymous Issues Warning Number III to... DBKP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2024990/posts#comment Mon, 2 Jun 2008 21:26:05 GMT