Immoral behavior

[Shammu]

Effort aims to counter Christian Zionism

Association will distribute a brochure saying the movement fosters hatred of Muslims and opposition to Mideast peace. A movement leader says the brochure presents a stereotype of Christian Zionists.
By Nathan Olivarez-Giles

9:50 PM PDT, October 24, 2008

Before the year is up, nearly 45 million people will get more than a sermon at their churches -- they'll get a brochure titled "Why We Should Be Concerned About Christian Zionism."

The brochure says Christian Zionism "fosters fear and hatred of Muslims and non-Western Christians" and "can lead to the dehumanization of Israelis and Palestinians." Its distribution reflects the concerns of Christians who are trying to combat what they call the growing influence of Christian Zionism in the U.S.

"If we don't speak up against it -- Christian Zionism -- then people will think we don't care or that we agree with it," said the Rev. John Hubers, supervisor of mission programs in the Middle East and South Asia for the Reformed Church in America.

The Reformed Church in America is one of the 35 Christian church bodies that make up the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, which wrote the brochure and began distributing it this month.

"To say we're dehumanizing Israelis and Palestinians with our support for Israel dehumanizes us," said David Brog, executive director of Christians United for Israel, one of the most prominent Christian Zionist organizations in the United States. The group was started in 2006 by controversial televangelist John Hagee, senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio.

But what exactly do Christian Zionists believe?

Christian Zionists say they believe that the creation of Israel was ordained by God.

Detractors say Christian Zionism fosters the belief that the return of Jews to Israel has fulfilled one of the steps that will set the stage for Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ to Earth. These detractors say Christian Zionists want to hasten that end time by promoting conflict in the Middle East.

About 20 million to 40 million people in the U.S. are Christian Zionists, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

The National Council of Churches includes more than 100,000 individual churches, made up of about 45 million churchgoers, and is hoping it can use its membership to curb the political and social influence of Christian Zionism, said Antonios Kireopoulos, the group's director of interfaith relations.

The brochure will be handed out in member churches.

As a resource for those churches, the council is also creating an analysis of parts of the Bible that Christian Zionists use to justify their views, he said.

"We have to wake up Christians," said the Rev. Gwynne Guibord, of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, also a member of the council.

"We have to show Christians and others that there is another way of looking at these things, a way that isn't so antithetical to who Jesus was," she said.

Guibord and other Christian and Jewish leaders in Southern California formed Christians Concerned About Christian Zionism, which held a conference on the issue Oct. 4.

The conference, "Christian Zionism: Rapture and the Holy Land, Theology and Politics," was held at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Among its speakers was Rabbi Haim Beliak, who teaches at the Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles and spoke on the influence of Hagee and Christians United for Israel.

"My religion and my Zionism have been hijacked by Christian Zionists and their Jewish friends," Beliak said. "Most of us have the view that the outline for the possibility of peace has been sitting in a drawer ready to be implemented for at least 15 years, and most of us think Christian Zionism is an impediment toward peace in the Middle East."

Beliak said at the conference that Hagee and other Christian Zionist leaders are using Israel to further their own Armageddon agenda.

The brochure, which was passed out for the first time at the conference, says Christian Zionism leads to a conclusion that "involves the death of all non-Christians, including Jews, through apocalyptic warfare or divine judgment" and "is not based on traditional teaching or doctrines of the Church."

Brog said Christians United for Israel rejects the brochure.

"I would say the whole flier seems to me to be describing a stereotype of a Christian Zionist," Brog said. "There are some Christian Zionists who are opposed to the peace process in the Middle East, but that does not define a movement of millions of Christian people."

He said the group believes simply that Israel should make all decisions regarding its land use and peace effort -- not the U.S., Palestinians or anyone else.

"Once we start discussing how we go about supporting Israel is when the disagreements come in," he said. "When you get beyond that, there are lots of disagreements, and that's why we don't really speak about that."

As for the argument over Israel's status as political body or godly appointment, Brog said, there is room for disagreement.

"America is a shining city on the hill ordained by God. We have that tradition right here in America, and we do see Israel's promise in the Scripture," he said.

Brog said that one way the group urges the federal government to support Israel is through "A National Night for Israel," in which members of Christians United for Israel gather in Washington to meet with lawmakers. In 2007 about 3,000 members made the trip, he said.

Brog, who is Jewish, said that he's always felt "complete comfort" working with Christians United for Israel and that the group has the best interests of Israel and Jews at heart.

"I wish [the council] would be more fair and respectful of our teachings," he said. "If they have a problem with us, shouldn't they be the ones to invite us to a debate? We've never attacked the National Council of Churches, and I think it would be fair for them to start that dialogue if they really want it."

Brog said a debate might surprise those who oppose Christian Zionist beliefs.

"If we were sitting in a room together, we might find we don't disagree as much as they might think we would," he said.

Effort aims to counter Christian Zionism

[Shammu]

I wouldn't want to be the leaders of this movement, when God asks them why they spurned the apple of His eye. Failure to support Israel,  is not a "blessing" they will receive from God, but a blessing from satan they will receive.

[Shammu]

Foreign preachers of hate must renounce views or be banned from UK
Foreign-born "preachers of hate" must renounce their views or be banned from entering the UK, under Government plans.
 
By Matthew Moore and Jon Swaine
Last Updated: 6:15PM GMT 28 Oct 2008

 Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, has announced a package of measures aimed at making it harder for extremists to enter the country. The new rules will also affect anyone suspected of advocating illegal action to stir up tensions, including anti-abortionists, far-right groups and animal rights activists.

"Through these tough new measures I will stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country," Miss Smith said. "Coming to the UK is a privilege and I refuse to extend that privilege to individuals who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life. "

Under the new plan, foreign-born extremists will be forced to retract controversial statements, and will have to refute specific allegations made against them. Currently, the burden of proof lies with the authorities, who must show that alleged extremists still hold the views ascribed to them.

Those accused of advocating illegal action may also have to make a public statement of their support for democracy if they want to stay in Britain.

The new rules also hand new powers to the Home Office to name people blocked from entering Britain and share their details with other countries. Currently individuals involved are guaranteed anonymity unless they choose to go public and fight their ban.

On Monday, Miss Smith said the Government planned to "name and shame" some extremists banned from entering the UK.

"Where it is in our interest we will name these people," the Home Secretary told MPs in the House of Commons. Coming to the UK is a privilege, and I don't want to extend that privilege to individuals who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life."

In the past three years, 230 people have been barred from entering the country on grounds of national security and for "unacceptable behaviour" - including inciting hatred and stirring up or glorifying terrorism.

Omar Bakri Mohammed, a radical Muslim cleric, was banned following the terrorist attacks against London in July 2005, on the grounds that his presence was "not conducive to the public good".

Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egypt-born preacher described as "dangerous and divisive" by David Cameron, the Conservative leader, was banned earlier this year.

Patrick Mercer, a Conservative MP on the Home Affairs Committee, said he feared the plan could see resources devoted to targeting low-priority cases.

"It's the people who are working undercover, who aren't known about, who are working inside the community and influencing people there, they are the really dangerous people," Mr Mercer said,

He added that the authorities should focus on advocates of illegal extremism already living here. "Let's try to get rid of them rather than trying to keep new people out," he said.

The Liberal Democrats described the plans as inadequate and also warned that they would not deal with the problem of people already in the UK.

Chris Huhne, the party's home affairs spokesman, said: "The main problem with these sort of eye-catching gimmicks is they don't make us any safer at all. What we're looking for is delivery.

"[The plan] doesn't deal with the people who are already here or indeed the people who are preaching hate over the internet," Mr Huhne said.

Foreign preachers of hate must renounce views or be banned from UK
~~~~~~~~~~

How long before Christianity is  "unacceptable behaviour"??

[Shammu]

Pastor charged with felony for spanking son
Teacher calls social services on father after he paddles child for lying
Posted: October 25, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

WorldNetDaily

A Wisconsin pastor has been charged with felony physical abuse of a child after he spanked his 12-year-old son for lying and a teacher notified social services.

Barry W. Barnett Jr., 43, of Poynette, Wis., is free on a $10,000 bond, but he could face up to three years in prison and fines for disciplining his son, the local Portage Daily Register reported.

At the pastor's hearing, Barnett's son said his father was right to spank him .

"He gave me a chance to tell him the truth, and I just kept lying to him," the boy said.

The boy said his father gave him two "swats" that "hurt a little" on his rear end in June. He told authorities both he and his dad cried while he was disciplined.

The 12-year-old said he was warned he might receive a spanking if he continued to act up and that he understands what he did was wrong.

"You should not lie to your parents and you should not go to places (where you are not allowed)," he said.

One of his siblings mentioned the spanking to a teacher, who called social services, according to the report.

A June 7 report from the Divine Savior Healthcare emergency department indicated that the boy had slight bruising on his buttocks, but it said there was no swelling and he was not experiencing pain. The medical paperwork said the boy told physicians he didn't think he was abused and he loves his father.

The documents show the boy's doctor does not believe he was abused, and he called the event a "social services fiasco."

Barnett is a pastor at Lighthouse Family Ministries in Poynette, Wis. A father of nine children, he founded Guardian Christian Academy.

A judge ruled Thursday that the case will head to trial. Now jurors at the Columbia County Courthouse will decide whether the spanking constituted "reasonable discipline" permitted under state law. The pastor's 21-year-old daughter, Amber, stood outside with a sign that read, "Thank you for spanking me dad" as a showing of support for her father.

District Attorney Jane Kohlwey told the Portage Daily Register the spanking was not reasonable, because it left bruising, though Barnett's attorney claims photographs only reveal red marks.

"We feel that he went beyond reasonable discipline and that it's a pattern," Kohlwey said.

Barnett has been forbidden from spanking any child as part of his bond.
~~~~~~~~~

When my kids did good they were praised, and rewarded. When they were bad, I spanked them.

[Soldier4Christ]

Teacher gives kindergartners 'gay' pledge cards
Asks 5-year-olds to promise to defend transgender, bisexual students



A California school system refuses to say what action, if any, it will take after it received complaints about a kindergarten teacher who encouraged her students to sign "pledge cards" in support of gays.

During a celebration of National Ally Week, Tara Miller, a teacher at the Faith Ringgold School of Arts and Science in Hayward, Calif., passed out cards produced by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network to her class of kindergartners.

The cards asked signers to be "an ally" and to pledge to "not use anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) language or slurs; intervene, when I feel I can, in situations where others are using anti-LGBT language or harassing other students and actively support safer schools efforts."

The school has acknowledged that the exercise was not appropriate for kindergartners.

Parent Adela Voelker, who declined to be interviewed in depth for this report, said she was furious when she found her child's signature on one of the cards. She said she contacted a non-profit legal defense organization specializing in parents' rights.

Meanwhile, a school board member, Jeff Cook, says some type of action should be taken.

"We have a general rule that all instruction should be age appropriate, and this clearly was not," said Cook, who has served on the school board for five years.

Val Joyner, a school district spokeswoman, told FOXNews.com in an e-mail that when deciding what to teach on this subject matter, educators "gather materials from community agencies and other education groups" and that "the materials have grade level indicators which help determine what is age-appropriate."

The district said the pledge cards were intended for middle school and high school students.

Asked last week if the district planned to take action against Miller, Joyner said she would have to look into the incident. On Thursday she told FOXNews.com that she did not have an answer for the question and that she would no longer be doing any media interviews.

Joyner said in an e-mail that Miller, the teacher, "planned to teach students how to become an ally and conflict-mediation through various activities." She added that the district doesn't advocate for a specific cause and/or lifestyle, and it has "no curriculum for gay, lesbian and transgender lifestyles."

The district employs a "Professional Learning Specialist: Equity," who is in charge of gathering material and helping teachers decide what should be taught on the subject matter.

Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, the group representing Voelker, said parents at the Faith Ringgold School weren't notified of what was going to take place in the classroom.

He said that teaching students as young as pre-school about gay, lesbian and transgender issues is common in California, but that there are "all kinds of material the average parent could find highly objectionable or potentially harmful" to their children.

When asked if the school district did anything wrong, he said, "possibly," but he declined to go into detail or say whether Voelker would sue the district.

Dacus would not comment specifically on whether children who signed the pledge could be held responsible if the school determined that they were not honoring it. He said they are minors and there are certain degrees of limited liability, but from a psychological and emotional perspective, it's a whole different ballgame.

"[There is] tremendous peer pressure put on children to accept a pro-homosexual philosophy and attitude," Dacus said.

Meanwhile, opponents of gay marriage are up in arms over the incident, which occurred as California voters prepare to vote Tuesday on Proposition 8, which would overturn the state Supreme Court's ruling legalizing gay marriage.

"How do you teach a 5-year-old to sign a pledge card for lesbian, gay and transgender issues without explaining what transgender and bisexual is?" asked Sonja Eddings Brown, a spokeswoman for Protect Marriage California.

[HisDaughter]

This is absolutely outrageous!  A 5 year old doesn't even know what sex is let alone gay sex and they don't need to!  In my eyes this is nothing short of child ABUSE!  And it is being pushed and encouraged by every establishment in the country.  They all need to go back in the closet and keep their perversion to themselves and may they rot in hell.  There are many groups that I look forward to God's judgement coming upon, but I especially look forward to the ones that in any way shape or form, harms a child.  This is dispicable and shame on our country for allowing it.  SHAME, SHAME SHAME!

[HisDaughter]

'Jesus was not God' book written by Catholic Priest being sold in churches     

Jesus Christ was not God, and Mary was not a virgin, according to a controversial new book written by an Australian Catholic priest.

In the booklet, ‘God is Big. Real Big’, which has gone on sale for $20 in several churches, Bathurst priest Peter Dresser argues Jesus could not have been God.

“This whole matter regarding Jesus being God ... not only does violence to my own intelligence, but must be a sticking point,” he says.

“For millions of people trying to make some kind of sense of the Christian religion ... No human being can ever be God, and Jesus was a human being. It is as simple as that.”

Father Dresser claims Joseph was Jesus’s father, Mary was not a virgin – and actually had six children – and that the story of the resurrection should not be taken literally.

The booklet has angered conservative Catholics, such as Sydney priest Anthony Robbie.

“What a breathtaking know-all, to claim he knows the mind of Christ contrary to scripture and tradition. His words rob Christianity entirely of its meaning and purpose,” Father Robbie told News Ltd.
-----------------------

The catholics are and have been moving right into position.

[HisDaughter]

'There's probably no God': atheists start advertising   

British atheists have raised a pile of cash to tell Londoners there's probably no God and to get on with life.

The nation's first atheist advertising campaign has beaten its funding target in less than 24 hours, raising nearly nine times the amount it needed to posts its ads on public buses in London.

Organisers hope to run more than 5,000 ads in the city over a month, telling people: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life".

By last night, less than a day into fundraising efforts, pledges of more than STG47,900 ($A118,300) had rolled in, organisers told The Guardian newspaper.

Writer Ariane Sherine suggested the idea in a blog carried on The Guardian website.

She believes an atheist advertising blitz will provide a reassuring counter-message to religious slogans threatening non-Christians with hell and damnation.

"Ours is a fun and light-hearted message but it does have a serious point to it - that atheists want a secular country, we want a secular school and a secular government," she told The Guardian.

"The strength of feeling has been shown with so many people willing to pay for this campaign."

Sherine said she was surprised and pleased with the level of support, and the extra cash would fund a more ambitious ad campaign.

"We could go national, we could have tube posters, different slogans, more buses, advertising inside buses. The sky's the limit - except, of course, there's nothing up there," she said.

A spokesman for the Church of England said seven in every 10 people in Britain described themselves as Christian and understood the joy faith could bring.

"Christian belief is not about worrying or not enjoying life. Quite the opposite: our faith liberates us to put this life into a proper perspective," he said.

The bus ads will begin to run in January.

[Shammu]

'There's probably no God': atheists start advertising   

British atheists have raised a pile of cash to tell Londoners there's probably no God and to get on with life.

The nation's first atheist advertising campaign has beaten its funding target in less than 24 hours, raising nearly nine times the amount it needed to posts its ads on public buses in London.

Organisers hope to run more than 5,000 ads in the city over a month, telling people: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life".

Boy are these folks going to be in for a surprise.

[Shammu]

TV networks battle FCC indecency rules
'Fleeting expletives' revive debate
Kara Rowland (Contact)
Monday, November 3, 2008

Attorneys for the government and the four big TV networks face off before the Supreme Court on Tuesday over regulation of profanity on the public airwaves, marking the first time in 30 years that the nation's high court has considered broadcast indecency rules.

Associated Press Lead U2 singer Bono's comment on winning a 2003 Golden Globe award has led to a review of indecency on television.

At issue is whether the isolated broadcast of a curse word can be considered indecent and punishable by hefty fines. A lower court rejected the policy last summer as an "arbitrary and capricious" departure from long-standing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) precedent.

The stakes in the debate over "fleeting expletives" are high, both sides say. Networks warn that the regulations produce a chilling effect that risks the very existence of live broadcast television. The FCC, meanwhile, said its policy prevents broadcasters from having free rein to air curse words at any time of day.

The last time the Supreme Court considered broadcast indecency was in 1978's FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, a case that stemmed from a New York radio station's afternoon broadcast of comedian George Carlin's "Filthy Words" monologue.

In a 5-4 decision, the court justified government censorship at hours when children are likely to be watching, based partially on the "first blow" theory that indecent material on the airwaves enters a person's home uninvited and without warning.

Specifically, the Supreme Court said indecency is "intimately connected with the exposure of children to language that describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory activities and organs, at times of day when there is a reasonable risk that children may be in the audience."

In the wake of Pacifica, the FCC limited its enforcement to material that mirrored Mr. Carlin's monologue, involving the repeated use of swear words "for shock value." In 1987, the agency noted that material could be indecent even if it did not contain profanity so long as it was functionally equivalent to verbal "shock treatment."

A 2001 policy statement articulated a two-pronged indecency test taken largely from Pacifica: 1) The material must fall within the subject matter scope, describing or depicting sexual or excretory organs or activities; and 2) It must be patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium.

Three decades after Pacifica, FCC v. Fox Television Stations Inc. involves several instances in which the FCC concluded that "fleeting" uses of curse words were indecent. The most notable example involved the January 2003 broadcast of the Golden Globe Awards on NBC. Accepting the award for best original song, singer Bono said, "This is really, really [expletive] brilliant."

In response, the FCC concluded that the particular expletive, though it was not being used to describe or depict sexual or excretory organs or activities, is indecent because it "inherently has a sexual connotation." Noting that this represented a change in policy, the commission didn't issue a fine.

The agency used the same reasoning in 2006 when it issued a sweeping order that included numerous findings of indecency, including two separate Fox broadcasts of the Billboard Music Awards to be indecent. In 2002, Cher, speaking about her critics, said, "[expletive] 'em." The following year, Nicole Richie asked: "Have you ever tried to get cow [expletive] out of a Prada purse? It's not so [expletive] simple." Again, the commission didn't levy fines.

The2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling against the FCC last summer hinged on its finding that the agency violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) because it did not give a reasonable explanation for its change in policy. Although the court did not base its decision on First Amendment grounds, it did question whether the policy could withstand constitutional scrutiny.

The government is urging the court to limit its review to the APA. U.S. Solicitor General Gregory Garre, who is arguing in favor of the FCC's position, declined to comment on the case, citing Justice Department policy not to discuss pending litigation. But the government's brief refers to the 2nd Circuit's decision as an "inappropriate second guessing of policy judgments committed to the agency by Congress."

As for criticisms of the FCC's finding the same expletive indecent in one case, such as the Golden Globes broadcast, but not indecent in others, such as a broadcast of the movie "Saving Private Ryan," the government defends the agency's weighing of "contextual factors."

Family groups that have filed amicus briefs in the case supporting the FCC's policy on fleeting expletives stressed the importance of protecting children from curse words. The Parents Television Council, an advocacy group that encourages its members to file complaints with the agency over perceived indecency violations, said broadcast television is still "uniquely pervasive in America and accessible to children."

Broadcasters contend that the FCC did not follow its own contextual analysis in finding the expletive used by Bono indecent.

"In lieu of analyzing whether Bono's words actually depicted or described sexual or excretory activity - as required by the first step of the commission's test - the commission held that 'any use of [expletive] or a variation, in any context, inherently has a sexual connotation,' " according to the joint brief for NBC Universal Inc., CBS Broadcasting Inc. and ABC Inc.

In addition to supporting the 2nd Circuit's finding that the FCC violated the APA, the networks are calling for the court to rule on the First Amendment implications of the case.

In an interview, Carter Phillips, a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP, which is representing Fox, said it would be "totally artificial" for the court to divorce the APA from the First Amendment.

"At some point, the commission has to explain why it is prohibiting more content and whether that explanation is adequate without the First Amendment concerns seems to be a completely academic issue that the court ordinarily would not decide," Mr. Phillips said. "I think there is a strong likelihood that the court will address the First Amendment issue at least to the extent that it imposes a burden on the FCC to do more than simply announce that it has changed its policy."

The Fox brief makes the case that the FCC's policy has chilled speech. Mr. Phillips said small stations that cannot afford time-delay equipment will be disproportionately affected.

Broadcasters and their supporters further argue that things have changed since Pacifica. They say advances in technology mean that over-the-air television is no longer a "uniquely pervasive" medium given the rise of the Internet, and they cite parental controls and devices like the V-chip that they say can protect children.

Legal analysts are divided when it comes to the chances that the Supreme Court will limit the scope of its decision to the APA or wade into constitutional issues.

"I think that revisiting the 1978 Pacifica decision, which is essentially what would happen if the court opens up the First Amendment questions, is incredibly complicated and challenging," said Stephen Wermiel, an adjunct professor at the American University Washington College of Law.

Mr. Wermiel said his "hunch" is that the court will rule in favor of the FCC's authority.

On the other hand, Jerome Barron, a professor at the George Washington University School of Law, said the fact that the court agreed to hear the case indicates at least four justices probably see the case as a First Amendment issue.

He noted, however, that even if four justices were interested in revisiting the constitutionality of the FCC's indecency policy, it doesn't necessarily mean a majority would support doing so.

"If the broadcasters can convince five of them to see it as a First Amendment issue, I think they're likely to decide against the FCC," he said. "I think the FCC is out on a limb here, and I think that the court might take its First Amendment sword and cut them down."

TV networks battle FCC indecency rules

[Shammu]

Somali rape victim, 13, stoned to death

Sat Nov 1, 11:34 am ET

MOGADISHU, Somalia – A 13-year-old girl who said she had been raped was stoned to death in Somalia after being accused of adultery by Islamic militants, a human rights group said.

Dozens of men stoned Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow to death Oct. 27 in a stadium packed with 1,000 spectators in the southern port city of Kismayo, Amnesty International and Somali media reported, citing witnesses. The Islamic militia in charge of Kismayo had accused her of adultery after she reported that three men had raped her, the rights group said.

Initial local media reports said Duhulow was 23, but her father told Amnesty International she was 13. Some of the Somali journalists who first reported the killing later told Amnesty International that they had reported she was 23 based upon her physical appearance.

Calls to Somali government officials and the local administration in Kismayo rang unanswered Saturday.

"This child suffered a horrendous death at the behest of the armed opposition groups who currently control Kismayo," David Copeman, Amnesty International's Somalia campaigner, said in a statement Friday.

Somalia is among the world's most violent and impoverished countries. The nation of some 8 million people has not had a functioning government since warlords overthrew a dictator in 1991 then turned on each other.

A quarter of Somali children die before age 5; nearly every public institution has collapsed. Fighting is a daily occurrence, with violent deaths reported nearly every day.

Islamic militants with ties to al-Qaida have been battling the government and its Ethiopian allies since their combined forces pushed the Islamists from the capital in December 2006. Within weeks of being driven out, the Islamists launched an insurgency that has killed thousands of civilians.

In recent months, the militants appear to be gaining strength. The group has taken over the port of Kismayo, Somalia's third-largest city, and dismantled pro-government roadblocks. They also effectively closed the Mogadishu airport by threatening to attack any plane using it.

Somali rape victim, 13, stoned to death

[Shammu]

Scientists, Theologians Gather for Vatican Conference on Evolution

Pope Benedict XVI opened a five-day Vatican meeting on evolution Friday morning by affirming that the world did not emerge out of chaos but was intentionally created by "the First Being."

Sat, Nov. 01, 2008 Posted: 12:09 PM EDT

Pope Benedict XVI opened a five-day Vatican meeting on evolution Friday morning by affirming that the world did not emerge out of chaos but was intentionally created by "the First Being."

"In order to develop and evolve, the world must first be, and thus have come from nothing into being,” the pontiff told an audience of 80 scientists, philosophers and theologians who have gathered for the conference, themed "Scientific Insights into the Evolution of the Universe and of Life."

“It must be created, in other words, by the First Being who is such by essence," he added, according to Zenit News.

Benedict also went further to assert that the Creator was not only involved in the origins of the universe but continually sustains the development of life and the world.

The Creator, he said, “is the cause of every being and all becoming.”

The five-day conference, sponsored by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, is the latest initiative in an effort by the Vatican to promote dialogue between scientists and theologians. It also comes as debates over creation and evolution continue to rage on.

Like many Christians today, most members of the Catholic Church accept a brand of evolution known as "theistic evolution," which teaches that evolution was a tool used by God in the creation process.

During a press gathering in September, the Vatican said the theory of evolution was compatible with the Bible and that it was even planning to hold a new interdisciplinary conference to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species next March in Rome.

The Catholic Church rejects a fundamentalist interpretation of the Creation story in Genesis, regarding the six-day account as an allegory. Though this view aligns with that of many Protestant Christians, many conservatives maintain the belief in a literal six-day Creation.

On Friday, Benedict said he saw no contradiction between believing in God and empirical science.

"There is no opposition between faith's understanding of creation and the evidence of the empirical sciences," he said, quoting from Popes Pius XII and John Paul II.

He also cited Galileo, whom, he said "saw nature as a book whose author is God in the same way that Scripture has God as its author."

"It is a book whose history, whose evolution, whose ‘writing’ and meaning, we ‘read’ according to the different approaches of the sciences, while all the time presupposing the foundational presence of the Author who has wished to reveal Himself therein," said the pontiff, according to Catholic News Service.

Following Benedict’s opening remarks, world renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, a professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, was scheduled to give a lecture Friday afternoon entitled "The Origin and Destiny of the Universe."

The physicist’s appearance was to mark his second at a Vatican scientific conference since 1981, when Hawking had attended at Vatican conference on cosmology.

Though he has never professed a belief in God, Hawking has never denied the existence of God either. Furthermore, in his 1988 publication, A Brief History of Time, Hawking discussed the possibility of a creator.

"So long as the universe had a beginning, we could suppose it had a creator,” wrote Hawking, who later said that his theories show the possibility for the laws of science to dictate how the universe began.

The world renown physicist has also admitted to being religious, though not “in the normal sense," in an interview with Reuters last year.

"I believe the universe is governed by the laws of science," he told Reuters.

"The laws may have been decreed by God, but God does not intervene to break the laws," he added.

Aside from Hawking, other notable scientists scheduled to speak at the five-day Vatican conference, which concludes Nov. 4, include Swiss chemist Albert Eschenmoser, who will discuss the search for the chemistry of life’s origin; U.S. biologist David Baltimore, who will examine evolution at the genetic level; and Greek biologist Fotis Kafatos, who will speak on evolution and the insect world.

Those addressing the theological and philosophical aspects of evolution will include Italian Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini and Father Stanley L. Jaki, a professor of physics and the philosophy of science at Seton Hall University.

Scientists, Theologians Gather for Vatican Conference on Evolution

[Shammu]

Indonesians appease volcano gods with sacrifices
By DITA ALANGKARA, Associated Press Writer Dita Alangkara, Associated Press Writer Sun Nov 2, 4:20 pm ET

MOUNT BROMO, Indonesia – Indonesian legend has it that six centuries ago, a princess hurled her youngest child into a fiery volcano to appease mountain gods who had granted her fertility.

Today thousands of pilgrims flock to Mount Bromo on East Java each year to offer the spirits food, live animals and money and ask for prosperity and health. Bromo, a 7,641-foot volcano, is one of Java's most popular tourist attractions.

The poor arrive days ahead of the ceremony, carrying fishing nets to catch money and anything edible. They camp under tarps in the crater atop the mountain's chilly slopes.

Yadnya Kasada, as the ritual is known, started in the 15th century in the final days of the Majapahit Hindu empire. As the story goes, Princess Roro Anteng and her husband, Joko Seger, settled in the foothills of the volcano.

Unable to have children, the ruling couple went in despair to pray to the mountain gods who, according to the tale, agreed to help in exchange for the ultimate sacrifice of their last child.

The couple consented and had 25 children. But when the time came to give up their son, they refused and the gods became furious. They threatened disaster and the destruction of the village unless the couple made good on the deal.

Kesuma, as the boy was named, was flung into the depths of Mount Bromo. The dying child is believed to have called out to villagers to visit the mountain each year and bring gifts to express their gratitude.

Indonesia straddles the "Pacific Ring of Fire," a system of faultlines stretching across the tropical archipelago, that give it more active volcanoes than any other country. Bromo usually roars to life once a year, often blasting pumice, smoke and ash into the sky. The last major eruption in 2004 killed two hikers.

Indonesians appease volcano gods with sacrifices

[Shammu]

Catholics, Muslims open landmark talks at Vatican
By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor
Nov 4, 12:27 pm ET

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Senior Vatican and Islamic scholars launched their first Catholic-Muslim Forum on Tuesday to improve relations between the world's two largest faiths by discussing what unites and divides them.

The three-day meeting comes two years after Pope Benedict angered the Muslim world with a speech implying Islam was violent and irrational. In response, 138 Muslim scholars invited Christian churches to a new dialogue to foster mutual respect through a better understanding of each other's beliefs.

In their manifesto, "A Common Word," the Muslims argued that both faiths shared the core principles of love of God and neighbor. The talks focus on what this means for the religions and how it can foster harmony between them.

The meeting, including an audience with Pope Benedict, is the group's third conference with Christians after talks with United States Protestants in July and Anglicans last month.

Delegation leaders Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Bosnian Grand Mufti Mustafa Ceric opened the session with a moment of silence so delegations, each comprising 28 members and advisers, could say their own prayers for its success.

"It was a very cordial atmosphere," one delegate said.

Tauran, head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, told the French Catholic daily La Croix on Monday that the Forum "represents a new chapter in a long history" of often strained relations.

He said discussing theology was difficult because of different understandings of God. The closed meeting started with a Catholic official spelling out the Christian teaching that humans can only approach God through Jesus Christ.

Muslim theologian Seyyed Hossein Nasr responded that such a view excluded non-Christians from salvation and suggested ways to see Islamic parallels to Christian views of God's love.

Delegates said the discussion that followed was friendly and respectful, not a clash of opinions. "We need to speak openly so we get to know each other," said one Muslim delegate.

NEW URGENCY

Christianity is the world's largest religion with 2 billion followers, just over half of them Catholic. Islam is next with 1.3 billion believers.

Saudi King Abdullah visits the United Nations next week to promote a parallel interfaith dialogue he launched last summer.

These and other meetings reflect a new urgency among Muslims since the September 11 attacks, the "clash of civilizations" theory and Pope Benedict's Regensburg speech showed a widening gap between the two faiths.

The Vatican was at first cool to the Common Word initiative, arguing that talks among theologians had little meaning if they did not lead to greater respect for religious liberty in Muslim countries, where some Christian minorities face oppression.

"We can only have a real dialogue if all believers have equal rights everywhere, which is not the case in some Muslim countries," said one Catholic delegate who requested anonymity.

The agenda reflects the different views. Tuesday's talks centered on theological issues proposed by the Muslims, Wednesday's meeting will focus on religious freedom issues the Vatican wants to raise.

The Vatican delegation includes bishops from minority Christian communities in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan. Among the Muslims are Sunnis and Shi'ites from around the world and converts from the United States, Canada and Britain.

There are three Catholic and two Muslim women participating.

The delegations will have an audience with Pope Benedict on Thursday and hold a public discussion that afternoon, the only session open to the media.

The Forum is due to meet every two years, alternately in Rome and in a Muslim country.

Catholics, Muslims open landmark talks at Vatican

[Shammu]

Hold on to your pumpkins, nude runners invading Boulder
Submitted by SHNS on Thu, 10/30/2008 - 17:59.

By LANCE VAILLANCOURT
BOULDER,Colo. -- Feel that draft?

Dozens of hearty runners expected to bare it all - except for the carved-out pumpkins placed over their heads - and run naked down the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colo., on Halloween night certainly will.

Halloween marks the 10th anniversary of the Naked Pumpkin Run, and organizers and participants are gearing up for another brisk night of in-the-buff fun downtown.

"Once the pumpkin goes on your head, it's definitely such a group mentality that you just have to go with it," said Winston Voigt, a recent University of Colorado graduate who participated in last year's run for the first time and intends to do so again this year.

"It's super liberating," he said. "It just feels like we're all in this together and we're all having fun together."

Yet those donning pumpkins might want to watch out for the cops.

Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said his department won't send officers out specifically to bust participants. But he noted that officers who observe the nude sprinters do have the option to enforce indecent-exposure laws.

"I would not recommend anyone participating in it," Beckner said of Friday's night's run. "We certainly do not condone the behavior."

The Naked Pumpkin Run's origins date back to 1999, when - according to the event's Web site - two men, having worked their way through an undisclosed number of six packs, came up with the idea of running nude with "20 pounds of orange flesh thrashing atop their heads."

Since then, the event has grown - 150 people participated last year - and spread to locales such as Seattle, Phoenix and Bloomington, Ind., according to the run's Web site.

The Boulder installment begins Halloween night at one of the organizer's homes, Voigt said. That person hosts a pre-run festivity, where participants enjoy music, home-brewed beer and socializing as they design and carve their pumpkin headgear.

Then, at a designated time -- Boulder police say they're not sure when it will start -- everyone is given a trash bag and told to file out to meet at a separate location near where the run begins

."Then there's a count, and everybody strips down, puts their clothes in the bag, and runs down Pearl street," Voigt said.

Because of the difficulty in holding a pumpkin over one's head with one hand while grasping a trash bag full of clothes in the other, Voigt described the event more as a "leisurely jog rather than a run."

Hold on to your pumpkins, nude runners invading Boulder
~~~~~~~~~~

Never mind the children that also inhabit the city. Don't worry about them.

Hmmmmmmmm, is it already snowing there yet?? I have a little bit of a mischievous streak in me. I'd never do anything though.......