World News: Nov. 18, 2009

November 18, 2009

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  • The Alliance Defense Fund says it is prepared to protect churches in Maine from the opposition of homosexual advocates, according to WorldNetDaily. Earlier this month the state’s voters overturned a bill passed by the legislature to legalize homosexual marriage. Since then some gay activists have been hinting at retaliation. Maine Marriage Equality has been asking its supporters to file IRS complaints against churches and organizations that were involved in defeating same-sex marriage. Attorneys are also offering free legal assistance to any Maine church being targeted. The ADF has issued a press release to churches urging them not to be afraid of the IRS. ADF attorney Erik Stanley said that “pastors and churches have a right to speak freely about biblical truths and to even support directly legislative efforts” such as the one that was on the ballot in Maine. “ADF will stand with these churches to defend their right to free speech and religious expression against these baseless scare tactics,” promised Stanley.
  • Matt Barber, director of Cultural Affairs with both Liberty Counsel and Liberty Alliance Action, has issued a statement that the left-wing United Church of Christ and other quasi-Christian liberal groups are calling for the Federal Communications Commission to officially investigate talk radio and other conservative media outlets in an effort to “put an end” to “hate speech” and so-called media violence. Barber said that “the election of President Obama and the recent passage of so-called ‘hate crimes’ legislation has galvanized the radical homosexual lobby, the pro-amnesty crowd, the quasi-Christian left and other fringe factions. Now, more than ever, they are emboldened to silence all dissent. We knew it was merely a matter of time until liberals—to include the Obama administration—would begin using the euphemistic terms ‘hate crimes’ and ‘hate speech’ interchangeably. None of us thought it would happen this fast. . . . Unfortunately, the UCC’s leadership is cut from the same counter-biblical, anti-American cloth as President Obama’s racist pastor Jeremiah Wright. The religious-left movement fervently pushes the doctrines of postmodern secularism—all dolled up and tagged ‘Christian.’ ” The UCC is Obama’s denominational background.
  • Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) is urging the American Library Association to include ex-gay books in its annual “Celebration of the Freedom to Read” program, in recognition of the goals of Banned Books Week. “Books about leaving homosexuality are censored in most high school libraries, although gay affirming books for youth are readily available,” noted Regina Griggs, executive director of PFOX. She also cited an example of public schools rejecting donations of ex-gay books while accepting books from gay groups.
  • EUobserver.com reported that the EU Parliament has condemned a Lithuanian anti-gay law that bans discussion of homosexuality from schools and could restrict publication of gay and lesbian magazines and prohibit pride marches. UK Green MEP Jean Lambert, a co-signatory to the resolution of condemnation, said, “The European Parliament has sent a clear message to the Lithuanian government that homophobia has no place in the European Union—not in its society and certainly not enshrined in any of its legislation.” The bill goes into effect in Lithuania in March of next year unless the EU finds a way to stop it.
  • Churches are continuing to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America denomination, following the group’s vote to allow gay clergy and recognize homosexuality and same-sex unions. Central Lutheran Church of Elk River, Minn., a large congregation northwest of Minneapolis, voted 574–171 to leave “after months and years of watching the church’s denomination gravitate further and further away from Central’s vision and purpose.” Rev. Paul Johansson indicated the denomination’s vote “was more than he could take,” adding that the real matter was the authority of Scripture and whether or not someone chooses to live their life according to what Scripture teaches, or it they choose to fit that Scripture into their lifestyle. Among questions grappled with was the cause of someone being homosexual. Johannsen noted in response that “scripture teaches us that our true identity in Christ is often at odds with our most intense, innate urges. Whether we struggle with innate urges or with learned behaviors that are contrary to God’s will, Jesus calls our sinful self to the cross.” Answering the question of why leave when the denomination allows a local congregation to make their own decisions about the sex question, Johanssen noted that this is true only for the short term. The social statement is now the authoritative teaching document of the ELCA that dictates policy on published church materials from Sunday School curriculum to seminary teaching. Regarding the argument of loving everybody, Johanssen replied that “loving a person does not mean affirming everything they do. To the woman caught in adultery Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you.’ But then he also added, ‘Now go and sin no more.’ ” Another key church leaving the ELCA is Calvary Lutheran in Evergreen, Mont., near Kalispell, reported dailyinterlake.com. “The bottom line is that the church [denomination] has walked away from the word of God. They left us. We didn’t leave them,” commented Pastor Kurt Rau. Both congregations are eyeing membership in one of the conservative Lutheran associations.
  • Christians and conservatives in general are becoming more wary following President Obama’s words and actions in recent events. Veteran political analyst Dick Morris told Newsmax that the Obama administration is “deliberately mischaracterizing” the Fort Hood massacre by refusing to admit it was a terrorist attack. Morris also said that the failure to recognize the danger posed by Major Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist accused of the killings, points to “Obama’s failures in the war on terror.” Morris said the administration has been engaged in a “shameful attempt to disguise the true nature of this attack.” Hasan counseled Fort Hood Muslims, according to WorldNetDaily. Hasan’s religious activities “raise the specter that others may have been radicalized,” said the WND report. Frank Gaffney Jr., president of the Center for Security Policy, said that Obama’s “astonishing response to the murderous attack at Fort Hood suggests the commander in chief is not merely a ditherer, but someone who reflexively subordinates national security to political considerations.” Sen. John McCain also issued a statement expressing disappointment with the Obama administration’s decision to try in U.S. civilian courts the al-Qaida terrorists who planned, supported, and conducted the 9/11 attacks. “These terrorists are not common criminals. They are war criminals, who committed acts of war against our citizens and those of dozens of other nations.” Former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani blasted the Obama adminstration for its decision on trying terrorists, saying such a trial would only encourage terrorists to target the city once again. Rasmussen Reports notes that 51 percent of people polled oppose trying terrorists in civilian court, with only 29 percent favoring it, the rest undecided. Walid Phares, senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, warned that “the White House isn’t facing up to the fact that the U.S. faces domestic terrorism, as evidenced by the Fort Hood attack last week. . . . There is an offensive, an attack against U.S. military sites and organizations in the U.S.” Meanwhile, the press noted that President Obama bowed to Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko last week, angering many U.S. citizens. “The conduct of our president when he deals with foreign leaders is a serious matter. After all, he represents the American people and our Constitution. Indeed, when President Obama bows before a foreign leader, the whole country bows with him,” noted commentator Daniel Ruddy. Obama has also been criticized in recent weeks for apologizing about the U.S. in his travels.
  • Sherwood Pictures, operated by a local church in Albany, Ga., has announced its fourth movie, Courageous. The group has already produced highly esteemed movies Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. Courageous is, according to Pastor Alex Kendrick, “about fatherhood. Four fathers who are all in law enforcement—who protect and serve together—go through a terrible tragedy. They begin looking at their role as fathers . . . and they begin challenging one another to fulfill God’s intention for fathers.”
  • Two major billboard companies are allowing signs that slam God and the Christian faith, even though they rejected as out-of-hand a billboard campaign that asked for documentation of Obama’s eligibility as president, reported WorldNetDaily. A recent survey revealed that a full 30 percent of Americans now believe Obama is a foreigner. A recent atheistic billboard says, “Don’t believe in God? You are not alone.”
  • Methodist pastors may not be guaranteed a job in coming days, reports tennessean.com. Methodist bishops and two denominational committees want to end job security for ministers, known as guaranteed appointment. Job security for Methodist clergy began in 1956, when at least one bishop refused to appoint female pastors. But membership in the denomination has dropped. In 1960, United Methodists claimed 10.8 million members. Now it is down to 7.8 million despite large population growth in the country over the same period. Half of Methodist churches draw only 50 or fewer people to Sunday services. Shrinking membership and budgets make the system unsustainable, believe some officials. The United Methodist Church is a denomination in which the headquarters places pastors in its churches, rather than the local church calling a pastor of its own choosing.
  • The American Family Association is calling on Christians to boycott Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic stores over their censorship of Christmas. Tens of thousands of consumer requests have been sent to the stores to no avail. “Christmas is special because of Jesus. It’s not just a ‘winter holiday,’ ” said AFA President Tim Wildmon. In related news, the AFA reported that it has secured over half a million signatures from people pledging to boycott PepsiCo over the company’s support of same-sex marriage and homosexual advocacy. The boycott began in January 2009, after PepsiCo had given a million dollars to homosexual organizations that tried to defeat Proposition 8 in California.
  • PlainGames.com is a website that reviews video games from a Christian perspective, providing parents and youth with tools and information necessary to make wise video game purchasing decisions. Also, the Gospel Music Channel says that two family-friendly shows are now being aired on its network: Doc, and Sue Thomas: F. B. Eye. GMC is said to be the fastest growing cable channel.
  • Hate speech charges were urged in Sweden by a politician against another political leader who wrote an article critical of Muslims, reported Christian Observer Foundation. He said that “today’s multicultural Swedish power-elite are totally blind to the dangers of Islam.” He noted that more than 10 Muslim terrorist organizations have established themselves in Sweden, and that Sweden has the most rapes in Europe, with Muslim men highly overrepresented among the perpetrators.
  • The Alliance Defense Fund reported that the city of St. Louis has agreed to pay $80,000 for censoring the speech of Christians during a gay pride festival on city property. The order protects the distribution of literature at all public parks, public squares, and other locations in St. Louis, including public sidewalks.
  • Rasmussen Reports finds that 61 percent of those recently polled support the death penalty. Opposing it were 23 percent, and the rest were not sure.
  • Gov. Don Carcieri vetoed legislation in Rhode Island that would give same-sex couples in the state the same rights to make funeral arrangements for their late partners as married couples, according to CBS News. The governor felt that guidelines were vague and that the legislation represented a “disturbing trend” in the erosion of traditional marriage. The Democrats hold a veto-proof majority in the Legislature, and sponsors of the bill said they would try to override the veto.
  • GOP Chairman Michael Steele has discontinued abortion coverage for Republican National Committee employees after it was confirmed that elective abortion coverage had been available to staff through its Cigna insurance plan since 1991.
  • A bricklayer in Brazil showed up at his own funeral, shocking the mourning family, reported msnbc.msn.com. He was originally reported to have been killed in a car crash. Some family members did have doubts about the badly disfigured corpse, but the person was dressed in similar clothing.
  • Pew Research says that the worldwide Muslim population is 1.57 billion, 23 percent of the total world population.
  • National Geographic News reports that up to one-third of dinosaur species may not have existed.
  • LifeSiteNews reports that a federal judge has upheld a South Dakota anti-abortion law in which doctors must inform patients that abortion kills a human being.
  • Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that pressure on religious leaders in Cuba has increased significantly over the past year. Ministers have been harassed and imprisoned.
  • Baptist Press reports that two Illinois pharmacy owners have gained at least a temporary victory in their effort to conduct their practice according to their pro-life consciences.
  • Citizen reports that “bold new leadership offers hope for reinvigorating the conservative base in next year’s election season.” Candidate Bob Vander Plaats is “leading the chorus” by running for governor. Political novice Kent Sorenson also won a state House seat by 183 votes last year and is now spoken of as “leading light in the Legislature.” He decided to run for the seat in order to “stand for marriage.” However, a gay rights organization in Iowa has made Sorenson its number-one target for 2010 as he runs for the state Senate.
  • A team of scientists has sent a letter to all U.S. senators warning that a claim that there is a consensus in the scientific community on the climate change is false, reported NewsMax. Said part of the letter, “The claim of consensus is fake, designed to stampede you into actions that will cripple our economy, and which you will regret for many years. There is no consensus, and even if there were, consensus is not the test of scientific validity. Theories that disagree with the facts are wrong, consensus or no.” The five signers of the letter include professors from Princeton, the University of Virginia, and the University of California–Santa Barbara.
  • NewsMax also reported that more than three million registered voters in the U.S. are dead. “With deadwood exceeding one in seven in some counties, candidates might as well spend a day a week campaigning in the cemetery,” commented John Aristotle Phillips, CEO of Aristotle International, Inc., a Washington, D.C., based company that provides voting data to political consultants and others.