The Catholic Archbishop of Chicago has accused the US
Government of forming its own “State religion” based on “progressive” secular ideals.
He spoke after the government decided to continue legal action against a
Catholic convent (a charity) seeking exemption from the birth control
components of “Obamacare”, even though the Supreme Court decided recently that
many private companies could be exempted from those components. He said, “Since the
biblical vision of what it means to be human tells us that not every friendship
or love can be expressed in sexual relations, the church’s teaching on these
issues is now evidence of intolerance for what the civil law upholds and even
imposes. … Swimming against the tide means limiting one’s access to
positions of power and prestige in society … Since all public institutions will
conform their activities to the demands of the official religion, the practice
of medicine and law will become more difficult for faithful Catholics. It
already means that in some States that those who run businesses must conform their
activities to the official religion or be fined, as Christians and Jews are
fined for their religion in countries governed by Sharia law.”
Meanwhile, Britain’s most senior Catholic bishop has called for the Catholic church to create a ‘culture of mercy’ at the start of an international Synod which is to decide whether remarried divorcees will be allowed to take Mass. Pope Francis has made mercy the theme of many of his public messages.
The debate in Oklahoma that was triggered by state legislators allowing the Ten Commandments to be displayed outside the State Capitol building, and which led to other religions demanding similar access, reached the point where Satanists held a black mass at the Civic Center on Sunday. Despite protests, public officials refused to ban the group‘s use of a public building. However, the rituals were toned down to comply with health and safety laws – for example, vinegar was substituted for urine – and the number of protesters outside the event far outnumbered the 40 or 50 participants.
A BBC undercover investigation has discovered that fake gay marriages are being used by criminal gangs to obtain residency status for illegal immigrants in the UK. It is thought that in parts of London, up to 30% of heterosexual marriages are intended to avoid immigration control; some of these marriages are stopped each year after tip-offs from registrars and church ministers to authorities. However, fake gay weddings are apparently much harder to identify – a criminal gang organiser contacted during the BBC’s investigation said, “You say you are gay. No problem. Easy for you.”
Students in several high schools in Denver, Colorado staged a walk-out on Tuesday in protest against a proposed new history curriculum that is intended to focus on topics that "promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free-market system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights" and don't "encourage or condone civil disorder, social strike or disregard of the law." The proposal is a response to a new national framework for teaching history that supporters say encourages discussion and critical thinking; however, opponents fear it could over-emphasise the nation's problems.
Another (loosely) Christian film being released this year is “8 Days,” which looks at the growth of human trafficking and sex slavery in the USA. The South African director’s own sister is a former sex slave; she won a singing competition “similar to American Idol but smaller” at the age of 11, but a year later her music manager raped her and kept her as a sex slave for five years. She admits turning her back on God for part of those five years – “how could God love me and put me through something like that?” – but now credits her faith in Jesus for helping her overcome the abuse.
In sports news, Liverpool and Middlesbrough played a Capital One Cup match that went to extra time, then to a penalty shootout (because Middlesbrough equalised with a penalty in extra time stoppage time), and was still equal by the time all 22 players had taken a penalty (one had been saved by each goalkeeper). So the first few penalty takers had to be recalled, and five more penalties were scored before a Middlesbrough player finally missed. The Liverpool manager admitted that his side had practised penalties before the game.
And finally, a sci-fi fan submitted a Freedom of Information request to Essex County Council, asking for the number of UFO sightings and investigations into paranormal activity dealt with by the authority in the last decade, and also for a copy of the council’s business continuity plans in the event of a zombie invasion or pandemic virus. The Council gamely replied that the services had all been contracted out to external service providers, and then gave names and contact details – from the TV series X-files, and the films Ghostbusters, Shaun of the Dead, and 28 Days Later.
Meanwhile, Britain’s most senior Catholic bishop has called for the Catholic church to create a ‘culture of mercy’ at the start of an international Synod which is to decide whether remarried divorcees will be allowed to take Mass. Pope Francis has made mercy the theme of many of his public messages.
The debate in Oklahoma that was triggered by state legislators allowing the Ten Commandments to be displayed outside the State Capitol building, and which led to other religions demanding similar access, reached the point where Satanists held a black mass at the Civic Center on Sunday. Despite protests, public officials refused to ban the group‘s use of a public building. However, the rituals were toned down to comply with health and safety laws – for example, vinegar was substituted for urine – and the number of protesters outside the event far outnumbered the 40 or 50 participants.
A BBC undercover investigation has discovered that fake gay marriages are being used by criminal gangs to obtain residency status for illegal immigrants in the UK. It is thought that in parts of London, up to 30% of heterosexual marriages are intended to avoid immigration control; some of these marriages are stopped each year after tip-offs from registrars and church ministers to authorities. However, fake gay weddings are apparently much harder to identify – a criminal gang organiser contacted during the BBC’s investigation said, “You say you are gay. No problem. Easy for you.”
Students in several high schools in Denver, Colorado staged a walk-out on Tuesday in protest against a proposed new history curriculum that is intended to focus on topics that "promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free-market system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights" and don't "encourage or condone civil disorder, social strike or disregard of the law." The proposal is a response to a new national framework for teaching history that supporters say encourages discussion and critical thinking; however, opponents fear it could over-emphasise the nation's problems.
Another (loosely) Christian film being released this year is “8 Days,” which looks at the growth of human trafficking and sex slavery in the USA. The South African director’s own sister is a former sex slave; she won a singing competition “similar to American Idol but smaller” at the age of 11, but a year later her music manager raped her and kept her as a sex slave for five years. She admits turning her back on God for part of those five years – “how could God love me and put me through something like that?” – but now credits her faith in Jesus for helping her overcome the abuse.
In sports news, Liverpool and Middlesbrough played a Capital One Cup match that went to extra time, then to a penalty shootout (because Middlesbrough equalised with a penalty in extra time stoppage time), and was still equal by the time all 22 players had taken a penalty (one had been saved by each goalkeeper). So the first few penalty takers had to be recalled, and five more penalties were scored before a Middlesbrough player finally missed. The Liverpool manager admitted that his side had practised penalties before the game.
And finally, a sci-fi fan submitted a Freedom of Information request to Essex County Council, asking for the number of UFO sightings and investigations into paranormal activity dealt with by the authority in the last decade, and also for a copy of the council’s business continuity plans in the event of a zombie invasion or pandemic virus. The Council gamely replied that the services had all been contracted out to external service providers, and then gave names and contact details – from the TV series X-files, and the films Ghostbusters, Shaun of the Dead, and 28 Days Later.
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