Lawsuit claims Trinity Baptist Jacksonville hid allegations of sexual abuse

A woman says she was molested by a former pastor when she was 6.

By JEFF BRUMLEY, The Times-Union

Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville covered up multiple allegations of sexual abuse against former pastor Robert Gray to avoid legal liability, according to a negligence lawsuit filed Wednesday.

The civil action, filed in Duval County Circuit Court, was brought by an unidentified Hamilton County woman in her mid-30s who said she was molested by Gray several times when she was about 6 years old and a first-grader at the church's Trinity Christian Academy.

A Trinity spokesman referred all questions about the lawsuit to the congregation's attorney, Ed Trent.
Trent wouldn't comment on the specific allegations Thursday but noted that an investigation he conducted last year cleared the church of deliberately or inadvertently ignoring sex abuse complaints against Gray, who is now 80 and facing a criminal trial in November.

David Barksdale, an attorney defending Gray in his four-count criminal case, declined to comment because he hadn't seen the lawsuit.
Filed by Miami attorney Adam Horowitz, the lawsuit claims the Independent Baptist church failed to provide a safe environment for the plaintiff by concealing reports that Gray had "sexually abused numerous other minors" and by not reporting that information to authorities. The church also misled the congregation about "Gray's fitness to serve in the ministry," the lawsuit says.

The abuse occurred during the 1979-80 school year, growing from a series of nonabusive counseling sessions between Gray and the girl into meetings where he repeatedly molested her, the lawsuit says.
To keep her quiet, Gray told the girl her father could lose his job and she would be sent to live with someone else if she reported the abuse, which occurred in his office, according to the lawsuit.

The woman is seeking a jury trial and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for permanent psychological, emotional and physical injuries resulting from the abuse.
Separately, Gray faces trial Nov. 12 on four counts of capital sexual battery, each carrying a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years.

At least 20 accusers have come forward since May, all claiming some form of abuse by Gray dating as far back as the 1970s. The statute of limitations expired in all but four of the cases, hence the number of criminal charges filed against him. The woman who filed the civil lawsuit is one of the four whose accusations led to criminal charges.

The former pastor was arrested in May, when the first accusations surfaced, and again in July when others came forward. He was released on $25,003 bail and is living at home on house arrest, free to go only to medical and legal appointments.
jeffrey.brumley@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4310

Rape victim files kidnap charges against nun, 3 priests

The Philippine Star
ILOILO CITY – A 25-year-old woman, who earlier accused an assistant parish priest in Iloilo of rape, has filed charges of kidnapping and obstruction of justice against a nun and three other priests.

In a three-page affidavit, the woman alleged that Sister Serafica Tolentino and Fathers Robert Amalay, Neil Antenor Cruz and Ramon Masculino detained her in a religious school for five days and coerced her not to file rape charges against Fr. Martin Alarcon.

Talk of the alleged kidnapping cropped up last week when the woman filed two counts of rape against Alarcon, assistant parish priest in Carles town.

The complainant alleged that on Feb. 15, the nun and three priests brought her to the Assumption Convent on Gen. Luna street here to keep her away from the media.

At first, she said she was convinced that the group only wanted to help her. However, she said she later sensed that their motive was "to stop me from filing a case" against Alarcon and that they were forcing her to take medicines "so it will appear that I am insane."

Tolentino, the woman alleged, "saw to it that whenever she (was) not around at least somebody (would) look after me and I was not allowed to go out of the room without her or any companion."
Although Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo was not included in the complaint, the woman alleged that he tried to stop her from filing the rape complaint against Alarcon.

"He (asked) me to give them time to resolve the incident within the confines of the church and not to file the case," she said in her affidavit. (Snip, article here)

Chris Sligh, Religion, American Idol, his wife and other news...

Many hits on my blog come from people searching for information about American Idol contestant Chris Sligh.

Here are a few bits of information.

1. Chris Sligh is not a Mormon. He is a member of a liberal non denominational megachurch. His pastor, Chris Surratt, is totally supportive of a career in Rock Music for Chris Sligh and claims to have helped Chris plan strategy. Surratt states in his 'church planting' blog, "I always knew that it was just a matter of time before [Chris Sligh] was "discovered", but this is freakin' ridiculous!"


2. Chris Sligh is the son of Chuck and Susan Sligh, Independent Baptist missionaries. (Not Southern Baptist.)

3. His grandfather was also an Independent Baptist preacher and his grandmother had a good testimony among the faithful.

4. He looks like his mother when his hair is long.

5. At one point Chris had short hair, and he looked more like his dad.

6. Chris Sligh is not a fan of fundamentalist Christians.

7. Chris Sligh is married. His wife is Sarah Sligh.



Other Chris Sligh articles can be found here.

Rock music articles.
More rotten fruit from the tree of Rock and Roll


Rock Music and the High Levels of Suicide
By Independent Baptist missionary David Cloud

The Premature Death of Rock Stars by Dr. Terry Watkins

Can Southern Baptists adopt elements of charismania and still be considered Southern Baptist?

Can Southern Baptists adopt elements of charismatic theology and still be considered Baptist?

How Southern Baptists answer this question -— prompted by recent debates about policies regarding speaking in tongues and “private prayer language” at the International Mission Board and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary -- may turn on the historical record.

Is there historical evidence that Baptists were willing to embrace elements of charismatic theology while remaining in the Baptist fold?

For Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, the answer is yes. The 18th-century Sandy Creek Baptists, based in North Carolina, held to elements of what may be regarded today as charismatic theology and were able to unite with Charleston Baptists, based in South Carolina, whose theology rejected such views. Both Baptist movements, according to McKissic, were willing to set aside their theological differences in order to cooperate together in missions.

To advance a similar coalition in Southern Baptist life today, McKissic convened the Sandy Creek-Charlestonian Convergence last December. About 100 Baptists and other Christians from about a dozen states attended the meeting and developed several strategies to gain acceptance of their views in the SBC.

In April, McKissic will host a “Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit” to explore various interpretations of spiritual gifts in Southern Baptist life.

McKissic has argued for “latitude” among Southern Baptists on tongues and private prayer language in correspondence to various SBC leaders, as well as a position paper published to explain the rationale for the Sandy Creek-Charlestonian Convergence. In each, McKissic grounds his argument for religious liberty in these matters on the Sandy Creek-Charleston Baptists analogy. Among McKissic’s objectives is an amendment to the SBC’s statement of faith, the Baptist Faith and Message.

(Snip, press here for more details on Southern Baptist apostasy.)
By James A. Smith Sr.
Baptist Press

More rotten fruit from the tree of Rock and Roll

Watsonville Veterans Memorial Hall Trashed
Angry rock fans destroyed a concert hall sound system, broke windows and shattered bar glasses and set a car on fire when a popular Mexican rock band got stuck in the snow and had to cancel an evening show.

At least 600 people who paid up to $60 a ticket to see the band El Tri on Sunday were told the group was caught in a massive blizzard outside Reno and would miss their appearance.

About 100 fans trashed the Watsonville Veterans Memorial Hall where the band was scheduled to play, said David Ruiz of San Jose, a friend of the band.

Another 200 people spilled into the street, setting fire to a car, vandalizing other vehicles and trying unsuccessfully to turn over a truck, police said.

About 40 officers in riot formation cleared the area, Watsonville police Sgt. Saul Gonzalez said. No arrests were made.

Fundamentalism needs to be saved

It is shocking and somewhat unreal. Two popular Internet forums that present themselves as bastions of fundamentalism are actually full of apostates and people without enough sense to come in out of the rain.

Sharper Iron boasts many blogs and posts for discussion from self identified Independent Baptist fundamentalist. It tries to paint itself as a "serious" place, but the forum is filled with people agreeing with the likes of Rick Warren and Chris Sligh.

The Fighting Fundamentalist Forum takes a less serious view of itself, but the forum is over run with people who are very far off base doctrinally. They have scrapped the bottom of the barrel with this topic, where numerous people who claim to be fundamentalist shill for JOYCE MEYER.

Catholics worship grease stain on pan in Houston, TX

They kneeled. They cried. They asked for healing.

Before them, on an altar of roses and prayer candles, was a metal baking sheet, stained with what hundreds of Houston Catholics now believe is an image of the Virgin Mary.

Guadalupe Rodriguez, a Pugh Elementary School cafeteria worker, discovered the possible miracle on Ash Wednesday, while scrubbing away the last crumbs from the pizza lunch.

By Friday, a steady stream of people were filing through the southeast Houston front yard of Sylvia Calderon, a PTA member who took in the sheet pan after school leaders decided they couldn't accommodate the curious crowds.

At dawn, one woman arrived at Calderon's home in the Denver Harbor neighborhood asking to see the Virgin's image before her 8-year-old son had surgery. That afternoon another woman came for a blessing bearing a picture of her grandson, who has cerebral palsy.

Scientists call this phenomenon religious pareidolia, when the eye sees religious images in objects such as tree trunks and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Believers say it's a miracle.

"It was beautiful," said Angie Bentancur, who left the picture of her grandson beside the sheet pan Friday afternoon.

On Wednesday, Rodriguez, a longtime kitchen worker, was leaning over the sink of the cafeteria at Pugh Elementary washing sheet pans — the kind that normally hold rows of chocolate chip cookies or chicken nuggets.

It was with the last pan, pulled from the cold rinse, that the Virgin appeared, Rodriguez, 59, said.

"I started looking at it, and started looking at it, until I realized it was the Virgin," she said.

The pan appears to be stained, maybe by grease, with an image several inches tall.
Her hands still wet, Rodriguez took the pan to the cafeteria, and held it up to her co-workers. What do you see, she asked?

The Virgin Mary, they said, undeniably — on a sheet pan.

Someone got the cafeteria manager, Coralia Pacay, who said the same: undeniably, the Virgin Mary — on a sheet pan.

Pacay and Rodriguez went to Principal Lyda Guerrero. They asked her what she saw.

"It was a silhouette," Guerrero recalled. "A silhouette of the Virgin Mary."

For believers, there is no doubt about Rodriguez's discovery. It is a message from God. The find created a logistical problem for school officials. When they got home Wednesday, many pupils who had seen the sheet pan told their parents, many of whom returned to school to see for themselves. Pacay propped up the pan near the lunch line.

The crowds grew to include neighbors, and soon district officials, including Houston Independent School District Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra, who agreed the tray had to go somewhere else. That's when the PTA agreed to take it to Calderon's house.

"Right now because it is attracting a lot of attention, we just don't want it in the school," said Rebecca Suarez, HISD spokeswoman. "But we want to treat it with respect."

Calderon, who has a 7-year-old daughter at Pugh, has been up since dawn and stayed awake until near midnight every day since then. She only takes the sheet pan in when she sleeps.

A steady stream of people continue to shuffle into her yard. Most are women, some with children. They walk from neighboring houses or park down the street. Some hold bouquets, others candles or pictures.

They brush the Virgin's image with their palms, fingertips, the backs of their hands. They close their eyes and make the sign of the cross.

Some hope to set up a permanent spot for the baking pan in the neighborhood, where anyone can visit, day or night.

Regardless, school officials say they doubt it will go back to the wash bin any time soon.

"I think someone was watching over us," Guerrero said. "I think someone is watching over this community and this school district and this school."
By SARAH VIREN

Rats and rat droppings infest NYC Kentucky Fried Chicken/KFC asks Pope's blessing

Rats Run Wild in KFC-Taco Bell in N.Y.By VERENA DOBNIK
NEW YORK - A dozen rats were caught on video scurrying around the floor of a New York City KFC/Taco Bell restaurant early Friday, running between counters and tables and climbing on children's high chairs. (snip, full article here.)

In other Kentucky Fried Chicken news, KFC has asked

Pope Benedict XVI to give his papal blessing to their

new fish sandwich. details here

Chris Sligh Information

Many hits on my blog come from people searching for information about American Idol contestant Chris Sligh.

Here are a few bits of information.

1. Chris Sligh is not a Mormon.

2. Chris Sligh is the son of Independent Baptist missionaries. (Not Southern Baptist.)

3. His grandfather was also an IFB preacher and his grandmother had a good testimony among the faithful.

4. He looks like his mother when his hair is long.

5. At one point Chris had short hair, and he looked more like his dad.


6. Chris is not a fan of fundamentalist Christians.

7. Other Chris Sligh articles can be found here.

Preacher to the Pope is a Charismatic Catholic (Raniero Cantalamessa)

Pope Paul IV (1555-1559) created the office of “Apostolic Preacher,” meaning someone designated to preach for the pope and senior Vatican officials. Since 1743, the office has been reserved to the Capuchins, and since 1980, it’s been held by the 72-year-old Cantalamessa, a scripture scholar by training whose last name in Italian means “sing the Mass.”

Though serving as Preacher of the Papal Household is certainly a privilege, it’s not really a full-time job. Cantalamessa is responsible for leading retreats for the pope and senior Vatican officials during Advent and Lent, as well as delivering the Good Friday homily in St. Peter’s Basilica. The rest of the time, Cantalamessa is, in effect, an itinerant preacher, moving around the globe in his simple brown Capuchin habit, clutching a tattered small blue copy of the New Jerusalem Bible.

His Feb. 21 appearance at Seton Hall University was in some ways a homecoming for the Cantalamessa. It was in New Jersey in 1967 that Cantalamessa was first “baptized in the Spirit,” a key term in Charismatic Christianity for a decisive moment in which someone accepts Jesus Christ in a deeply personal way. Since then, Cantalamessa has gone on to become arguably the most prominent adherent of the Charismatic movement in the Catholic Church.

Cantalamessa is not the stereotypical enthusiast associated with the Charismatic scene. He’s low-key, and just as likely to cite Thomas Aquinas as he is to quote hymns or to invoke wonders. Yet he’s deeply committed to seeing Christianity not in terms of formal adherence to a Creed, but as a deeply personal decision to “accept Jesus Christ” and to receive “baptism in the Spirit.”

“Maybe the Holy Spirit will touch somebody here,” he said at one point. “Maybe later tonight, maybe during Lent, but this could be a life-changing moment for someone here right now.”

Cantalamessa is such a drawing card that at a certain point last night, people turning out to hear him preach in the Seton Hall basketball gym had to be directed to park in a nearby synagogue and then bused to the location.

Cantalamessa candidly told the audience that early in his priesthood, he was “a strong adversary” of the Charismatic movement, so that his reversal of field in New Jersey came as a surprise to most of his Italian family and friends.

“When I got back to Italy, they told me, ‘We sent America Saul, and they have sent us back Paul,’” Cantalamessa joked.

He said that as part of his experience in New Jersey, God spoke to him through an “interior image.” He saw himself standing in a chariot, with the horses’ reins in his hands. He understood this, he said, to be a metaphor for his efforts to control his own life.

Megapastor Rick Warren's controversial trip to North Korea next month has been postponed.

Megapastor Rick Warren's controversial trip to North Korea next month has been postponed.

Originally scheduled for March when Warren was expected to preach to some 15,000 people at the first ever outdoor Christian event in the country, the evangelical pastor plans to pursue a later date possibly in the summer when the weather is warmer, according to his public relations team, A. Larry Ross Communications.

"Details have not been laid out on the reason for the delay, but the communications team says the trip to North Korea is still on.

Warren shocked his Saddleback congregation in July of 2006 when he announced his decision to preach in North Korea - a country listed as the worst human rights persecutor five years in a row by watchdog Open Doors USA. They expressed support, nevertheless, for his trip.

The planned trip to North Korea came at the invitation of a delegation of South Korean businessmen working with representatives from North Korea. The invitation to preach publicly is a rare one. World renowned evangelist Billy Graham was one of the few Americans and religious figures to visit the communist nation. And Graham preached indoors. Warren was invited to preach outdoors at a stadium in Pyongyang, once considered “Asia’s Jerusalem.”

Warren's acceptance of the invitation drew wide criticism from many Christians and the general public. Many believe it is a propaganda exercise to show that North Korea has a free church, and the crowd of 15,000 is not expected to have any real Korean Christians. Although aware of many of the concerns, the megapastor reiterated in several reports that he is not going for political reasons, but to preach the Gospel. The planned speaking engagement is to take place in conjunction with the centennial year of the Pyongyang revival.

(Snip, complete article here)"Lillian Kwon

Southern Baptist preacher defends appearance of non-trinitarian T.D. Jakes at Creative Church Conference

GRAPEVINE, Texas (SBT)—Pentecostal mega-church pastor T.D. Jakes of Dallas, often criticized for holding a non-trinitarian view of God, will speak for the second time during Fellowship Church of Grapevine's Creative Church Conference (C3) for pastors.

Jakes will appear at the Southern Baptist congregation Feb. 22-23 along with fellow preachers Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, LifeChurch pastor Craig Groeschel of Edmond, Okla., and Houston pastor and former SBC president Edwin Young, father of Fellowship pastor Ed Young.

Jakes is internationally known for his media ministry and as pastor of The Potter's House. He has been featured in numerous news articles, including some by Christian watchdog groups questioning his views on the doctrine of the Trinity.

Orthodox Christianity holds that one God co-exists eternally in the three co-equal persons of the godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

"I love Bishop Jakes, but we've had many people in Fellowship Church over the years ... whom I would not agree with concerning all of their theology," Young said. "We've interviewed people here from Jerry Jones [Dallas Cowboys owner], we're in a series of interviews right now with Hulk Hogan, all sorts of people. But when you have a leadership conference, I think it's important to hear from people in different realms, different companies, different churches. So I embrace it. I think it's a great thing. I don't see it as a negative thing at all."

Young said Jakes' address last year on "Moses' Ten Commandments for Leadership" was enthusiastically received by many he figured to be Southern Baptists.

Jerry Johnson, president of Criswell College in Dallas and a theology professor there, said despite Jakes' well-attested oratory skills, "some [pastors] might not have the discernment to separate the meat from the bones there, and really, to beware of the heresy-and that is a heresy against classic Christianity. We are not talking about a Baptist distinctive or even a Reformation distinctive. That is a heresy going against classic Christianity, the confessions and the creeds.

"Christian fellowship stands and falls on [the trinitarian doctrine]. Partnership in ministry is jeopardized by the heresy of that doctrine, according to First, Second and Third John."

Also, Johnson said it is unwise to divide leadership from theology.

"It's confusing," he said. "Christian leadership and pastoral leadership includes and perhaps should be driven by theology, particularly, 'Who is God? Who is Jesus?' And so it doesn't matter what your techniques of leadership and style of leadership and philosophy of leadership are if you don't know who God is. I think that's an important point. God is the first prerequisite to good Christian leadership."

Young told the Texan he has not discussed the doctrine with Jakes, but might do so in the future.

"We've talked about some other issues," Young said. "We've had great discussions about churches and just the issues that we face, that he faces, and things like that. But you know, I've never talked with him about that. I'm sure one day we will though. And I'll look forward to it."

Jakes' views have been critiqued by several Christian apologetics organizations, including the Christian Research Institute, which broadcasts the "Bible Answer Man" radio program and publishes the Christian Research Journal, which featured a lengthy article on Jakes' theology in 1999.

The journal's editor, Elliot Miller, wrote in a e-mail to the Texan: "The fact that the conference is about leadership rather than theology still begs the question of whether the person participating holds to orthodox theology. We don't only insist on orthodoxy for theological discussion but for all expressions of Christian faith, and especially leadership."

"I think Bishop Jakes is a phenomenal guy," Young said. "I love him. He's doing a great work. ... I don't agree with every single thing theologically, just like with other people we've had over the years at the C3 Conferences. That's my thought."


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1788687/posts

Democrat John Edwards claims that Israel is biggest threat to 'World Peace"

Edwards: "Perhaps the Greatest Short-Term Threat to World Peace Is the Possibility That Israel Would Bomb Iran's Nuclear Facilities"


"There are other emerging fissures, as well. The aggressively photogenic John Edwards was cruising along, detailing his litany of liberal causes last week until, during question time, he invoked the "I" word — Israel. Perhaps the greatest short-term threat to world peace, Edwards remarked, was the possibility that Israel would bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. As a chill descended on the gathering, the Edwards event was brought to a polite close.

Really? Israel is the biggest threat? Not Ahmedinijad? Not al-Qaeda? Not a coup attempt in Pakistan? Not a complete breakdown in Iraq drawing in the Saudis, Turks, and Iranians?

Or, you know, perhaps not..."

The Bloody History of Islam by Chuck Sligh, father of Chris Sligh (American Idol contestant)

Until recent history, Islam has had a negative and violent image in the West. However, today we live in the age of “tolerance,” when it is politically incorrect to criticize any religion, with the sole exception of Christianity which is deemed to be the source of all the evils in the world.

I am going to be politically incorrect and state the obvious: the hijackers who inflicted such horrible devastation and suffering in New York, Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh on September 11, 2001 were not evangelical Christians or, for that matter, even fundamentalist Christians. Nor were they Israelis. There are hundreds of religions in the world, yet almost two-thirds of all terrorism worldwide is carried out by the followers of one religion--the religion of Islam.

If you have watched TV, listened to the radio, or read the print media in the weeks since the horrendous acts of terrorism in the United States, you have heard repeated over and over like a broken record such statements as this: “The religion championed by the terrorists who perpetrated these acts of terror are unrepresentative of the true spirit of Islam.” Prime Minister Tony Blair, careful not to offend Muslim voters, said gingerly a few days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, “Such acts of infamy and cruelty are wholly contrary to the Islamic faith.” President George W. Bush has made numerous statements, echoed by other government leaders on both sides of the Atlantic, to the effect that we must distinguish between terrorism perpetuated by extremist Islamic groups and Islam itself, which is peaceful. Muslims have stated over the airwaves in no uncertain terms that Islam is “a religion of peace,” which has been parroted by journalists, TV presenters and government officials alike. The word Islam itself means “peace” the mantra goes.

In the aftermath of the catastrophes in New York, Washington, and Pittsburgh, Karen Armstrong, a former Catholic nun converted to “the truth found in all religions,” soothingly informs us in the October 1, 2001 issue of Time,

There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world, and Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion. If the evil carnage we witnessed on Sept. 11 were typical of the faith, and Islam truly inspired and justified such violence, its growth and the increasing presence of Muslims in both Europe and the U.S. would be a terrifying propect. Fortunately, this is not the case.

The very word Islam, which means “surrender,” is related to the Arabic salim, or peace.... In the Koran...the only permissible war is one of self-defence.... Islam is not addicted to war, and jihad is not one of its “pillars,” or essential practices.... Islam did not impose itself by the sword....1

In this study, I will show beyond doubt that these statements are categorically not true. In fact, true scholars of Islam, both Islamic and non-Islamic, know that Islam has been the most bloody religion in history. Furthermore, I will prove to you that war, violence, and the type of terrorism we witnessed with horror on September 11 are not aberrations of Islamic teaching and culture, but are, in fact, part of the warp and woof of much, if not the majority, of Muslim thinking and practice around the world and throughout much of its history.

In doing so, I must be fair and add that though violence, war, and terrorism against non-Muslims is an intrinsic aspect of Islam in its purest, most historical form, that does not mean that all Muslims agree with terrorist actions, at least with the scale of suffering inflicted by the September 11 attacks. Just as there are liberal Christian theologians who deny the basic doctrines of Christianity and many others who believe them but do not live consistently according to them, there are many Muslims who are more moderate or even liberal in their Islamic beliefs. However much we wish there were more like them(!), in reality, what the extremists believe is more representative of the actual history and teachings of Islam and its holy writings. In other words, the “extremists” are the “true believers” of Islam--the faithful guardians of Islamic faith.

Some of my commentary quotations will be from non-Muslim sources. However, most of my original sources will not be non-Muslims who have a bone to pick with Islam. Rather we will hear from the Muslim historians and clerics themselves. We will look at the very words of the Qu’ran for ourselves. We will examine the Qu’ranic Hadiths2 and let them speak for themselves.

So, is Islam truly a religion of peace and toleration, abhorring violence and terrorism, as has been so often claimed in the aftermath of the grisly death and destruction of September 11? Consider the following:

ISLAM’S FIRST TERRORIST

As shocking as it may seem, Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was himself a terrorist. No one reading the biographies of Muhammad written by Muslims themselves could come to any other conclusion.

(Snip, full article here)

Homosexual pornography being sold at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral (Catholic church)

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation held an art exhibition and auction last night at the conference center of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles to raise money for clinics it sponsors in Tijuana and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

A California Catholic Daily reader who saw a preview of the event on a Los Angeles television program alerted the newsaper via email regarding the event. "They showed some of the items, and it was really gross -- men hugging, tops bared, nude males back scenes," said the reader in the email.

The title for the event was “Amigos y Amantes” (Friends and Lovers).

“Showcasing the work of notable and emerging Latino artists, this lively celebration of Latino art and culture will take place on Saturday, February 10th from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Conference Room in downtown Los Angeles. Entrance is $25.00 and includes complimentary appetizers and no host bar,” said an AIDS Healthcare Foundation flyer promoting the event.

Among the artists whose works were on display were Joey Terrill and Miguel Angel Reyes. A biography on the AIDS Healthcare Foundation website has this to say of Terrill: “a man whose art and identity -- as a Latino, a gay man, a person living with HIV, an activist and an artist -- have always been closely connected. Several of Joey’s paintings, which often document his relationships with friends, lovers and family, will be up for auction as part of AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s art exhibition and fundraiser to benefit its free AIDS treatment clinics in Mexico.”

And, of Reyes, the website offers this insight: “Miguel counts as a primary influence his friendship with Morris Kight, gay civil rights pioneer and AIDS activist, whom many consider to be the founder of the West Coast gay rights movement. When they met, Morris was older than Miguel by more than forty years.

“When asked about his current projects, Miguel offers: ‘I’m working on a series of drawings of men grooming -- combing their hair, taking a shower, drying themselves. Simple, everyday actions.’ He adds with a laugh, ‘Naked, of course.’”

21-Week-Old Miracle Baby Survives

Her name means resilient fighter and her doctors and nurses said she is more than that -- Amillia Sonia Taylor is making history.

"To me it's just a miracle," a nurse on staff at Baptist Children's Hospital said.
Amillia is the new world record holder for a baby to survive through gestational age, according to the University of Iowa's national registry for the tiniest babies.


"We have a special baby here today because she was extremely premature at birth 21 weeks and 6 days," said neonatologist Dr. William Smalling. "There is no known survivor born this early to ever go home and not only is the baby going home she is thriving and doing well. It's a special day for us all here."
Snip, article with video here

Catholic Cardinal sanctions special mass for practicing homosexuals

"Homosexual rights campaigners have gained permission from the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales to hold Mass for gay parishioners.

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor will allow a gay group to hold fortnightly Masses in his Westminster diocese
While the Church has allowed celibate gays to receive holy communion, traditionalist Catholics believe that practising homosexuals should be barred from the sacramental rite because their way of life defies Church teaching.
Now, however, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has taken the controversial step of allowing fortnightly Masses in his Westminster diocese specifically for homosexuals." Snip, article here

Muslim cabbie in Nashville runs down students

Article posted here

Churches back plan to unite under Pope

Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent
Radical proposals to reunite Anglicans with the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope are to be published this year, The Times has learnt.

The proposals have been agreed by senior bishops of both churches.

In a 42-page statement prepared by an international commission of both churches, Anglicans and Roman Catholics are urged to explore how they might reunite under the Pope.

The statement, leaked to The Times, is being considered by the Vatican, where Catholic bishops are preparing a formal response.

It comes as the archbishops who lead the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion meet in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in an attempt to avoid schism over gay ordination and other liberal doctrines that have taken hold in parts of the Western Church.

The 36 primates at the gathering will be aware that the Pope, while still a cardinal, sent a message of support to the orthodox wing of the Episcopal Church of the US as it struggled to cope with the fallout after the ordination of the gay bishop Gene Robinson.

Were this week’s discussions to lead to a split between liberals and conservatives, many of the former objections in Rome to a reunion with Anglican conservatives would disappear. Many of those Anglicans who object most strongly to gay ordination also oppose the ordination of women priests.

Rome has already shown itself willing to be flexible on the subject of celibacywhen it received dozens of married priests from the Church of England into the Catholic priesthood after they left over the issue of women’s ordination.

There are about 78 million Anglicans, compared with a billion Roman Catholics, worldwide. In England and Wales, the Catholic Church is set to overtake Anglicanism as the predominant Christian denomination for the first time since the Reformation, thanks to immigration from Catholic countries.



(Snip, complete article here)

Filed under: The Bible told you so

Cargo Cults: Worshipping Jon Frum (John From America)

Cargo cult lives on in South Pacific
By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Tanna, Vanuatu


At the base of a sacred volcano in an isolated corner of the South Pacific young men play the "Star Spangled Banner" on bamboo flutes.


Every February they parade in old US army uniforms with wooden weapons.
Others go bare-chested with the letters "USA" painted in bright red letters on their bodies.

Nearby, a giant Stars and Stripes flutters in the breeze from the main flagpole.

This is the heart of John Frum country on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu.


Villagers at Sulphur Bay worship a mystical figure who they believe will one day bring them wealth and happiness.

Time of upheaval

"John is our god," declares village chief Isaac Wan, who beats his fists into the ground to emphasise his words.


"One day he will come back," he says.

Believers are convinced that John Frum was an American.

The name could well have come from war-time GIs who introduced themselves as "Jon from America."
(Snip, the rest of this very interesting story is here)



What is a cargo cult you ask? Go here to find out!

Romans 1:19 ¶Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Free Christian Music and Hymns for your IPOD, MP3 player or personal computer

Click here, piano!

More here! Congregational style

The Modesty Survey: Young Christian Men plead for modesty from Christian girls

• Details here
  (from the Rebelution Website of Alex and Brett Harris)
  
  Sample comments:
  How do you feel about girls who purposely flaunt their bodies?
  
  Text Responses
  
  Age 22
  The way a woman conducts herself externally is one of the few glimpses of what is in her heart. If she acts like the world externally, then it begs to question how much she is longing for this world in her heart.
  
  
  Age 23
  It is hard for me to respect them. I love them, and pray that God might save them, if they are lost, and sanctify those whom He has called, but I do have a sense of dislike toward them because of how hard they make life for me. Our lives are to be lived in a way that glorifies God, that is in no way glorifying Him or making me better able to glorify Him.
  
  Age 21
  Ladies, this is where you can get confused. Many women would think guys are 'all about' women who flaunt their bodies. I am here to attempt to speak for us Christian men fighting the fight for purity. Women like this disgust and frustrate me. They take advantage of something that God intended to be beautiful. They lure men away from that which they truly love. They make men like me fight and struggle, and cause many to fall. THESE WOMEN SHOULD NOT BE ADORED OR FOLLOWED! Christian sisters, please do not think that this attention is anything more than a result of short-sighted shallow men who are sexually frustrated and unwilling to follow God's plan for sex. To me, women who flaunt their bodies make me turn my head, repulsed, and pray that God would guard my heart, eyes, and mind, and that somehow He would show them His infinite love, and that they don't need to act in this way to be loved.
  
  
  Age 22
  Saddened; disappointed; sometimes angered. They're distracting good men, dishonoring God and marriage, and offering themselves cheaply--which makes me desire even more strongly a girl who is modest, who is valuable. I would be disingenuous if I didn't concede that these kinds of girls are a temptation. But I always remind myself that if a girl flaunts herself before I marry her, she'll do the same thing afterward. As a husband, that would make me pretty mad.What would make me happy is dedicating all my energy to loving a young woman who reserves herself for me.
  
  Age 40
  I believe that many of them understand that flaunting their bodies gives them power over men. I don't believe that they fully understand what they're playing with or how much it devalues them. I also believe that some girls have no understanding at all of the effect they are having on men.
  
  Age 19
  I find it terribly sad. The girls I have known who do this often do so in a sort of desperate attempt to get the attention of guys. Most often, the girls are desperate for some sort of emotional security. Yet they don't realize that they're catching flies and not men. Certainly there are some women who are just "looking for action," but it seems that in my experience, the majority of girls who dress provocatively do so because they want *someone* to care about them. They just think that is the only way to find someone. And so they are constantly disappointed because they find that the only guys they can attract are only drawn by what they can see -- a body.
  
  Age 35
  Yes, you can turn me on, but don't expect me to respect you. Yes, I might find you attractive on the outside, but that won't make me think of you as attractive on the inside. Sure you might get my attention, but it will be negative attention.Men are easily stimulated visually. It doesn't take rocket science to figure that out. But this leads to lust - not love.Love is a commitment. In order to get a commitment from a guy, he needs to perceive you as respectable and of immeasurable worth. Flaunting your body communicates that you don't have a lot of self-worth. God made women and by flaunting their bodies, they are insulting the creator and cheapening his invaluable creation.
  
  Age 14
  They make me wary and uncomfortable. The first thing I plan to consider in my wife (besides being a Christian) is whether she has pursued the battle for purity all her life.
  
  Age 17
  If a girl flaunts herself, it changes everything about what I think of her. To start with, I automatically assume she is not a Christian or is not taking her walk with Christ seriously (I might even try witnessing to her). If she is a Christian, I'll probably tell her that she is being a sexual distraction (much more gently, of course). If you flaunt yourself, you have the attention of lots of guys, but you instantly lose their respect and admiration. I would never consider courting a girl that advertises her body like a product.
  
  Age 28
  Makes me angry. Yet, I wonder if it's intentional or ignorant.
  
  Age 13
  They need someone to love them and compliment them so that they do not feel obligated to flaunt their beauty.
  
  Age 30
  I don't relate as freely with them, because I have to be so guarded. Conversations are usually more awkward, less humorous, less spontaneous and more hurried. I'm getting to the point and, generally, getting out of there.
  
  Age 16
  If they are doing it to attract mates then they are misguided.If they are doing it because their friends do it then they are conforming to the world.If they do it purposely to inspire and encourage lust then they are encouraging sin.The third option is, in my opinion, the most dangerous and sinful of the three.How does it make me feel? Insulted, and rather frustrated. Insulted that my (and other males') natural desires are considered to be so easily trifled with and frustrated that someone would so blatantly sin.
  
  Age 22
  I think that girls who flaunt their bodies are struggling with the concept of true beauty. In an attempt to get attention, they're playing games that will ultimately come back to hurt everyone involved. Through flaunting, they're showing their foolishness. What kind of a guy would be interested in a marriage with a loose girl? Flaunting is an immediate red flag to the guys that want to please the Lord. It might attract some guys, but they won't be interested in the girl, they're only thinking about her body.
  
  Age 17
  When a girl is flaunting her body, my opinion of her character lowers quite a bit. I get the strong impression that she does not respect the Biblical standards of modesty and purity, or the Biblical injunctions to avoid causing your brothers in Christ to sin.
  
  Age 21
  Two primary feelings. First, as a guy who struggles with lust I see her as a trap to stay away from, just to protect myself. Second, my opinion of her (and the people who hang out with her) drops, significantly. A final note would be an apology to all the girls who strive diligently and who are willing to pay the price of time and money to protect their brothers. (And themselves ultimately.) The apology is this: I don't value you enough. And at times this quiz has shown me that I hang out with girls who have dressed in a way that I have just deemed immodest. For this I am humbly apologetic before the ladies. This has served quite effectively as quite an educational tool for me.

Daily Dose: Catholic Church Scandals

[Since the scandals in the Roman Catholic church seem to be happening on a regular daily basis, I am condensing the report.]

Catholic Priest exposed as homosexual Robert A. Sirico

Priest charged with stealing cash from collections Marian Drozd

Priest to plead guilty to theft by deception Stephen J. Gutgsell

Pilfering Priests Francis Guinan, John Skehan

'PERV'-PRIEST AX SHOCKS FLOCK Robert McConnin


Four priests accused of sexual misconduct

Families of Murderous Priests To Speak Out

Bruce Metzger dies at 93

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Bruce Manning Metzger, professor emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary and an 'authority' on Greek manuscripts of the Bible, has died at age 93.

Premature Death of Rock Stars (For Chris Sligh)

The fear of the LORD prolongeth days:but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.Proverbs 10:27
Average Age at Death of Included Rock Stars (1)
36.9 Years
Average Age at Death of Americans (2)
75.8 Years

(Snip)
Satan certainly knows the power and influence of music. Ezekiel 28 gives some descriptive insight into Satan before his eventual fall, verse 13 reads:

"Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy TABREST and of thy PIPES was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created." Ezekiel 28:13
Tabrets and pipes are the basis of musical instruments! Satan knows the power of music – and he knows the vulnerability of the teenage years – and you’d better believe he knows, far better than Barna Research, the fact that most people will receive Jesus Christ as their Savior before the teenage years!

With those FACTS clearly in focus – Satan will aim his attack at the impressionable, fragile, young person!

The battle-plan is simple:

"Rock" that young person through the teenage years. . . Fill that spiritual void with "good ol’ rock’n roll" – and chances are – they’ll never accept Jesus Christ as Savior!

And another soul "rocks" into a lake of fire – for ever and ever!

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15
George Harrison, a devout follower of the Hindu god – Krishna, knows the vulnerability of the teenage years. Harrison told Rolling Stone Magazine:

"The main thing is to get the kids. . . nail you when you’re young and brainwash you, then they’ve got you for the rest of your life."
George Harrison, Beatles, (Loose Talk, Rolling Stone Magazine, p. 70)
And you’d better believe Satan is aware of this fact!

And there is nothing more influential to the average young person than their music. It dictates to them how they dress. . . how they wear their hair. . . their vocabulary. . . They "dance" to the "tune" of today’s musical "pied pipers"!
Professor Alan Bloom writes in his best-selling book, The Closing of the American Mind:

"Today, a very large proportion of young people between the ages of ten and twenty live for music. It is their passion; nothing else excites them as it does; they cannot take seriously anything alien to music. . . "(Dr. Alan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind, p.68)

And the music is especially "aimed" at young people – at a time in their life, according to Barna Research, when they most likely will accept Jesus Christ as Savior!

Professor Alan Bloom details this important fact in his book:

"Never was there an art form directed so exclusively to children. . . The music business is peculiar only in that it caters almost exclusively to children, treating legally and naturally imperfect human beings as though they were ready to enjoy the final or complete satisfaction." (Dr. Alan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind, p.74, 77)
Rock music is their "god"! It is their RELIGION!

Dr. Paul King, medical director of the adolescent program at Charter Lakeside Hospital, in Memphis Tennessee, says more than 80 percent of his teenage patients are there because of rock music. Dr. King, says, "the lyrics become a philosophy of life, a RELIGION."

(Written by Dr. Terry Watkins)

Complaint lodged over courthouse Bible study

A complaint has been lodged protesting the use of the St. Charles County Courthouse for a men-only Bible study.

Judge Matt Thornhill leads the group, which has been meeting each Wednesday at noon in any meeting room at the courthouse not being used for official purposes.

Judges of the 11th Circuit met en banc Monday afternoon to discuss a letter from a St. Charles attorney sent to Presiding Judge Ted House.
In the letter, the lawyer argues against the use of public facilities for a "men's only, lawyers only" Bible study group.

"It is my belief that by allowing Judge Thornhill and these attorneys to conduct a private segregated Bible study group the 11th Circuit court has and is inadvertently violating the Constitution of the State of Missouri," the unidentified lawyer wrote.

American Idol contestant Chris Sligh cites Patch the Pirate as early influence on road to rock stardom

Many hits on my blog come from people searching for information about American Idol contestant Chris Sligh.

Here are a few bits of information.

1. Chris Sligh is not a Mormon. He is a member of a liberal non denominational megachurch that practices charismanic. His pastor, Chris Surratt, is totally supportive of a career in Rock Music for Chris Sligh and claims to have helped Chris plan strategy. Surratt states in his 'church planting' blog, "I always knew that it was just a matter of time before [Chris Sligh] was "discovered", but this is freakin' ridiculous!"


2. Chris Sligh is the son of Chuck and Susan Sligh, Independent Baptist missionaries. (Not Southern Baptist.)

3. His grandfather was also an Independent Baptist preacher and his grandmother had a good testimony among the faithful.

4. He looks like his mother when his hair is long.

5. At one point Chris had short hair, and he looked more like his dad.

6. Chris Sligh is not a fan of fundamentalist Christians.

7. Chris Sligh is married. His wife is Sarah Sligh.

9. Strangely enough, Catholic members of Freerepublic are claiming that Chris Sligh's mother and father are members of a cult. Nothing could be further from the truth!!!!!


Other Chris Sligh articles can be found here.

Additional Rock music articles.
More rotten fruit from the tree of Rock and Roll


Rock Music and the High Levels of Suicide

HOW CHRISTIAN HOMES PRODUCE ROCK & ROLL REBELS
The Premature Death of Rock Stars by Dr. Terry Watkins

From Chris Sligh's blog
"At home, my parents had discovered the records of a Christian recording artist who called himself Patch the Pirate. Basically, Patch would record a batch of Christian songs and form a play around it, complete with dialogue and a batch of memorable characters. As a kid, I thought that Patch the Pirate was the coolest thing ever and I learned every word to every song, as well as most of the dialogue from the plays."(Chris Sligh)

NEW Chris Sligh information PRESS HERE
PATCH THE PIRATE TAPES Warning

CCM leads BJU/PCC student Chris Sligh to 'American Idol'

"Recently, Chris Sligh auditioned for American Idol and got through the early rounds. His first audition was a song by the artist Seal. He claims to be a Christ-follower and a rock star, and says that if you find that to be inconsistent, he feels sorry for you."


"I personally know Chris and I am just so concerned for his future. He is headed the wrong direction and he believes it is Gods will in his life. When I saw him on "Idol' I noticed his attitude and demeanor was different. He seemed more cocky and acted cool. I am suprised he did not mention anything Biblical. He has always been a Contemporary Christian Musician as long as I have known him and seemed to be on fire for the LORD. This is where CCM leads you....back to the world!"

Click here for new Chris Sligh information!

Imam prays for Democrats to convert to Islam

Chad Groening OneNewsNow.com
February 8, 2007

Robert Spencer, one of the America's foremost experts on Islam, says members of the Democratic National Committee may have been ignorant what the words meant when an Islamic imam recently gave the invocation at the party's 2007 winter meeting.


One of the nation's leading experts on the Islamic religion says those in attendance at the Democratic National Committee's 2007 winter meeting were apparently unaware of what an Islamic imam was really saying when he gave the invocation.

Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch, a project of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, says the imam from a Shiite Muslim mosque in Dearborn, Michigan, essentially asked Allah to assist in converting the party members to Islam. But "because they don't know anything about Islam," says Spencer, those at the meeting do not realize the words used by the iman "don't mean the same thing to non-Muslims that they mean to Muslims -- and this is what fools them."

According to Spencer, the imam spoke of being guided to a "straight path," which -- to a Muslim -- is the path of Islam. Explaining further, he says in traditional Islamic theology it is the Jews who have incurred God's anger and the Christians who have gone astray, and both must be guided to that "straight path."

Spencer says the DNC is obsessed with multi-culturalism. He suggests it is highly unlikely that the Democrats would have asked a Christian to deliver the invocation at their meeting. But he says it is even more unlikely that they would have remained silent if the Christian leader had spoken as the imam did.

"FROM A CATHOLIC HIPPY TO A BAPTIST PREACHER"

"FROM A CATHOLIC HIPPY TO A BAPTIST PREACHER"

"FROM A CATHOLIC HIPPY TO A BAPTIST PREACHER is our video for the week. This interview was made recently in Groton NY. The transition from bring a longhaired hippy to being accepted in Christ Jesus is really remarkable. Please inform your friends about the new video, and let us have your comments or better still post them on the Google site."

Muslims stab Christian Kosovo Serb woman, stone school

February 6, 2007 -- Twenty seven year old Kosovo Serb woman Milica Delevic was repeatedly stabbed, then robbed and left for dead on the streets of the northern Kosovo town of Kosovska Mitrovica. She is hospitalized and is under intensive care after undergoing surgery.

Milica Delevic was ambushed by the group of Albanian Muslims around 7 p.m, in the dark part of the street near the Red Cross building where she worked. Stabbings were done on her abdomen.

Regional spokesperson for the UNMIK police, Larry Miller, confirmed that young woman of Serbian nationality was attacked with the knife and seriously wounded but said that the motive was robbery and not the fact that she was Christian Serb. Miller says that they are holding two men in custody but they are not the attempted killers but alleged witnesses.

Serbs are under constant intimidation by dominating Muslims in Kosovo who have expelled over 200,000 Christian Serbs out of the province in an attempt to make a religiously pure Islamic state.

Meanwhile, a Serbian elementary school in Lipljan was stoned by the group of young Albanian Muslims who broke windows and damaged walls then fled the scene as the police was arriving.

In a village of Crvena Vodica, Serbian residents were exposed to verbal abuse and threats of expulsion by a marauding Muslim mob that was shouting slurs at them, demanding independence and threatening forced expulsion by sending all "Serbs to Serbia".

In another Kosovo village of Obilic, another Muslim mob was intimidating Christian Serbs and the police personnel while addressing the UN envoy Marti Ahtisaari with a slogan of "How much more should we pay you for independence?".

February 6, 2007 (10:58 EST) serbianna (c)

Priest rages against couple that withheld donation (Kicks them out)

HAZLETON, Pa. - A couple who withheld a donation to their church, leaving a note to protest the closure of a Roman Catholic high school instead, were suspended by the pastor.

"You raise your hand to strike at the parish that has nourished your faith through the years. That says volumes," the Rev. Thomas Cappelloni of Our Lady of Grace Church in Hazleton wrote in a letter to the couple. He said the parishioners should have talked to him about the closure of Bishop Hafey High School.

Cappelloni said that he was temporarily suspending the couple's registration at the parish "as long as you willfully seek to harm Our Lady of Grace by your nonsupport" and that the termination would be permanent if they did not reconsider.

Snip, more at link

Did Bishop Gumbleton obstruct justice?

Matt C. Abbott Matt C. Abbott
February 5, 2007


Retired Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, who for some time has been a favorite among dissenting Catholics, was recently shunned by Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson.

Catholic journalist Jay McNally said the following in a recent e-mail:


"You may have noticed in the last few days that Bishop Gumbleton is being hailed as an 'outspoken advocate' for the victims of sex abuse by priests.

Having spent five years (1990-1995) in the Archdiocese of Detroit, where I watched the local scandal unfold, I have no recollection whatsoever of Gumbleton doing anything but being part of the cover-up. Indeed, in one instance, I believe he obstructed justice, as he did not comply with archdiocesan policy."

[Note: A better question might be which Catholic Bishop didn't, obstruct justice.]

Will Pope Benedict become a Mormon after he dies?

By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor

PARIS (Reuters) - Pope Benedict was baptised at birth and will most likely be baptised again one year after his death, not by his Roman Catholic Church but by a Mormon he never met.

The Mormons, a U.S.-based denomination officially named the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), encourage members to baptise the dead by proxy in the belief they are helping the deceased attain full access to heaven.

Church members are told to focus on their ancestors, a rite understandable in a relatively new denomination founded in 1830. But so many now perform the rituals for celebrities, heroes and perfect strangers that the practice has spun out of control.

Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Genghis Khan, Mao Zedong, King Herod, Al Capone and Mickey Mouse have all appeared for a short time in the International Genealogical Index for proxy baptisms, said Helen Radkey, a researcher specialised in the IGI.

"It seems that any kind of name at all may be submitted," said Radkey from Salt Lake City, where the Church is based. The IGI also accepts names for rites that "seal" spouses in eternal marriage or parents and children in eternal families.

This has outraged Jews and baffled Christians who see it as usurping the memory of their departed relatives. The Church says it cannot stem the tide of dead baptised in its own temples.

"The only way we could prevent it would be to undertake independent genealogical research on every name that came in, an utterly impossible task with the many tens of thousands of names that are submitted each year," Church spokeswoman Kim Farah said in an email responding to questions from Reuters.

So Benedict looks set to join his predecessor John Paul and a centuries-long list of popes Mormons have baptised -- despite the fact that he, back when he was the Vatican's top doctrinal authority, ruled that Mormon baptisms were not even Christian.

"There is no reason theologically why a former Pope or any other church leader shouldn't be offered the same opportunity given to the rest of mankind," Farah said.

(Snip, more at link)

Kannapolis churches abuzz about 'disruptions' (Three men enter churches, speak in Hebrew and leave)

Kannapolis Police say something very bizarre happened at several churches this past Sunday. It was a disruption, they say, that left some church goers fearful and others saying “it's a God thing.”

Nearly a dozen churches reported the same thing to police: three men walked into their church during Sunday morning’s service. They walked right up to the pulpit and began speaking Hebrew.

David Lewkowicz is the pastor at West Point Baptist Church and understood what they were saying.

“They said things like, ‘God is peace, God is love, God is comfort, God is joy.’ That is all they said to me,” Lewkowicz said.

The men stayed at the churches for about two or three minutes, then left.

“They didn’t say anything bad about God or offend the church in anyway. They came in peace and left in peace,” Lewkowicz said.

Still some other congregations are concerned about exactly what the men may have been up to. One church reported the men dropping to their knees as they entered the door, then they got up and left.

Lewkowicz said it comes with the territory of being a pastor – he has to be ready for just about anything on Sunday mornings.

“We have to be open minded to anyone that may walk through those doors. Some people thought it was cool that some Hebrew guys came in and I understood them. They think it was a ‘God thing.’ We will have to wait and see,” Lewkowicz said.

Police said these men didn’t commit a crime. If they had refused to leave, it would have been a misdemeanor offense. But the church pastors said they were peaceful and posed no threat at the time.

Nevertheless, police want to know who these men are and what their intentions were. If you have any information you are asked to contact the Kannapolis police department, 704-920-4000.

A partial list of the North Carolina churches involved:

• Mount Zion Freewill Baptist.
• Memorial Baptist.
• Kimball Memorial Lutheran.
• New Hope Lutheran.
• Ben Avenue Freewill Baptist.
• Franklin Heights Baptist.
• Bethpage United Methodist.

"It's easier to grow a church by having quality children's programs"

More church designs focus on children

GREG GARRISON News staff writer
Noah and his ark are definitely in the building.
When fast-growing churches start construction projects, one of their first priorities is adding educational space for children. These days, that often means adding bright artwork of Noah, the ark and animals, but also making children's church more technologically savvy and specialized.

Ric Callahan, who supervises age-group ministries at Hunter Street Baptist in Hoover, notes that Valleydale Church, Westwood Baptist Church in Alabaster and Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Vestavia Hills are among the churches that recently have developed new specialized areas for children.
"Something we all have found is that it's easier to grow a church by having quality children's programs," Callahan said.

The three-story addition just opened by NorthPark Baptist Church features two floors designed for children, with custom artwork by Bruce Barry's Wacky World. Barry also did the artwork for Hunter Street Baptist Church's $7 million children's building that opened in 2003.
"It's really a state of the art children and youth area," said the Rev. Bill Wilks, senior pastor of NorthPark. "We looked at demographic studies. The future is young families with kids. We need to build for what our mission field is."

The NorthPark preschool floor, with a Noah's ark theme, features large animals and park scenes. The children's floor has two large studios with audio-visual equipment for children's church.

(Snip)

At Hunter Street, children's ministers create a series of sermons tailored for teens; all the children's worship is age-appropriate and meant to groom youngsters in the faith.
Hunter Street offers programs for more 1,000 children from babies to sixth grade every Sunday, and about 500 from seventh grade through high school. When they enter the building, it's like walking into a cartoon world.

Bruce Barry, president of Wacky World Studios, has designed cartoons and theme-style worship rooms for dozens of churches across the country including NorthPark and Hunter Street. He previously designed some of the scenery for the Rainforest Cafe in Orlando and the look of E.T.'s home planet in the E.T. theme ride at Universal Studios.

Now, Barry's business is almost exclusively devoted to designing children's worship space for churches. Barry, whose father was an animator for Disney during the "Three Little Pigs" early animation era, creates the designs, then has teams of artists project the designs onto walls and paint them.

It has created an atmosphere of excitement and set a tone for growth at Hunter Street, Callahan said.
"The week we opened our building, we increased by 100 children," he said.

"It lets families know that our church loves kids, loves families and is willing to invest in them," Callahan said. "Children want to be a part of learning that becomes fun. Kids will bring their parents, families and friends."

Southern Baptist Megachurch in Alabama: $8 million addition emphasizes youth ministry

$8 million addition emphasizes youth ministry


GREG GARRISON
NorthPark Baptist Church has moved into its $8 million addition on a 42-acre campus on Deerfoot Parkway, a facility that emphasizes the latest trends in youth ministry.

NorthPark started as a Birmingham neighborhood church called Roebuck Park Baptist in 1955, but since a relocation and name change has morphed into a suburban megachurch overlooking the Cahaba River in Trussville.

Worship attendance was about 625 when Sunday services moved from Roebuck to Trussville, then grew to 975 when the first phase opened.

The second phase included a 300-seat balcony to expand seating to about 1,300, plus a 200-space parking lot. There's also a coffee shop in the lobby, called Common Grounds, open on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights and for special events to encourage fellowship, [Pastor Bill] Wilks said.

"It's about building relationships," he said.

The church emphasizes casual dress, upbeat, celebration music and drama in the services.

(snip)

The new worship room for high school students seats 300, with specialized lighting, sound and flat screen for Wednesday night and special event programs. The teens also have a game room and their own coffee-cocoa bar. (Called Area 52 on the website.)

Goodbye From Birmingham

The end of an era of sorts.

$100K Missing, Priest Resigns (New Case)

OMAHA, Neb. -- An Omaha priest may have stolen more than $100,000 from the Archdiocese of Omaha, according to a news release from the Archdiocese.

Stephen J. Gutgsell was investigated by the Archdiocese internally. An audit showed that $100,000 is missing, the news release said. The matter was handed over to Omaha police on Friday morning.

KETV

Southern Baptists present religious liberty award to Bush

y ROSE FRENCH
Associated Press Writer


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Southern Baptists, who have long been among the most vocal Christian groups supporting the Bush administration, have given the president an award for advocating religious freedom.

"I can't think of another president in my lifetime who has done more to promote religious liberty specifically as a fundamental human right around the world than Bush," Land told the Baptist Press.

The award called the president a "faithful witness to his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to both his countrymen and the world's leaders" and cited him as an advocate for people to practice their faith without fear.

In Other news.......
"UPDATE -- Aug. 20: From Reuters: U.S. concedes ground to Islamists on Iraqi law

U.S. diplomats have conceded ground to Islamists on the role of religion in Iraq, negotiators said on Saturday as they raced to meet a 48-hour deadline to draft a constitution under intense U.S. pressure.


Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish negotiators all said there was accord on a bigger role for Islamic law than Iraq had before.

But a secular Kurdish politician said Kurds opposed making Islam "the," not "a," main source of law

"We understand the Americans have sided with the Shi'ites," he said. "It's shocking. It doesn't fit American values. They have spent so much blood and money here, only to back the creation of an Islamist state ... I can't believe that's what the Americans really want or what the American people want."