Immoral behavior

[Shammu]

Outrage Over US Military Bible Burnings In Afghanistan
Posted on: 2009-05-22 04:44:37
By Worthy News Chief International Correspondent Stefan J. Bos with reports from the United States and Afghanistan

WASHINGTON/KABUL (Worthy News)-- The president of a US-based group helping Christians persecuted for their faith has expressed outrage that United States military personnel have burned confiscated Bibles in Afghanistan.

"It really should shake the core of every Christian to realize that Bibles are being burned," said Carl Moeller President of Open Doors USA in an interview with Mission Network News monitored Friday, May 22, by Worthy News.

The Bibles, printed in the two most common Afghan languages, were burned amid concern they would be used to try to convert Afghans, the Cable News Network (CNN) quoted a a Defense Department spokesman as saying.

The unsolicited Bibles sent by a church in the United States were confiscated about a year ago at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan because military rules forbid troops of "any religion" from proselytizing while deployed there, Lt. Col. Mark Wright said.

Such religious outreach can endanger American troops and civilians in the devoutly Muslim nation, Wright added.

"FORCE PROTECTION"

"The decision was made that it was a 'force protection' measure to throw them away, because, if they did get out, it could be perceived by Afghans that the U.S. government or the U.S. military was trying to convert Muslims," Wright said.

The military said a soldier at Bagram received the Bibles and didn't realize he wasn't allowed to hand them out. The Al Jazeera network has shown footage of the Bibles at a prayer service where an unnamed soldier says members of his church raised money for them.

The chaplain later "corrected" the soldier and confiscated the Bibles, Wright said.

However military analyst and Pentagon adviser, Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, criticized the move. "There is no need to burn the Bibles. They could have been shipped back," he said. "Just imagine if we, the same the United States military, were to take a bunch of Korans and burn them. I can imagine the ramifications across the world."

MILITARY OFFICERS

In a statement, the Pentagon said military officers considered sending the Bibles back to the church, but they worried the church would turn around and send them to another organization in Afghanistan -- giving the impression that they had been distributed by the U.S. government.

There is reportedly a tiny Christian minority in Afghanistan, however especially former converts can faith death because of their faith, several rights investigators have confirmed.

The row over the Bible burning comes shortly after the Pentagon announced this week that it no longer includes a Bible quote on the cover page of daily intelligence briefings it sends to the White House as was practice during the George W. Bush administration.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said he did not know how long the Worldwide Intelligence Update cover sheets quoted from the Bible. Air Force Maj. Gen. Glen Shaffer, who was responsible for including them, retired in August 2003, according to his biography.

PSALMS QUOTED

On Thursday, April 10, 2003, for example, the report quoted the book of Psalms "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him. ... To deliver their soul from death." and featured pictures of the statue of Saddam Hussein being pulled down and celebrating crowds in Baghdad, reported the Associated Press news agency.

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand," read the cover quote two weeks earlier, on March 31, above a picture of a U.S. tank driving through the desert, according to the magazine, which obtained copies of the documents.

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has said U.S. soldiers "are not Christian crusaders, and they ought not be depicted as such."

"Depicting the Iraq conflict as some sort of holy war is completely outrageous," Lynn said in a statement. "It's contrary to the constitutional separation of religion and government, and it's tremendously damaging to America's reputation in the world."

While the policy was controversial, supporters said it was aimed at relieving some of the stress faced by President Bush, as the death toll of American troops continued rising in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Outrage Over US Military Bible Burnings In Afghanistan

[David_james]

QUEENS, New York (BNO NEWS) — Two New York City women have been charged after allegedly carrying out a shocking voodoo ritual on a 6-year-old girl, prosecutors said on Thursday.

Marie Lauradin, 29, who is the mother of the girl, has been charged with first-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Sylvenie Thessier, 70, who is the grandmother of the girl, has been charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child.

The 6-year-old girl was transported to William Randolph Hearst Burn Center on February 6 with life-threatening burns over 25 percent of her body. “During the performance of a Haitian voodoo practice known as ‘Loa,’ the child’s mother is alleged to have intentionally poured an accelerant over her young daughter’s body, causing her to be engulfed in flames,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. “Despite the child’s cries for help and the severity of her injuries, both defendants are accused of failing to seek immediate medical attention for the child,” he added.

According to the charges, the girl was home on February 4th with Lauradin, Thessier and a family friend known as “Sketch” when the mother poured an accelerant on her head and in a circle on the floor, better known as a voodoo practice called “Loa.” The mother then set the circle on fire and placed the girl, who was naked, inside the ring of fire, at which point the accelerant on her body ignited and flames engulfed her. Thessier and “Sketch” were allegedly present in the room during the voodoo ritual but neither intervened - even after the girl cried out for help.

Instead of seeking immediate medical attention for the girl, the grandmother allegedly bathed her with cold water and placed her in bed at around 4 p.m. local time, where she was discovered the following evening by another relative who insisted that the child be taken to hospital. “The child has suffered permanent scarring — both physically and emotionally,” Brown said.

The girl was admitted to hospital with second- and third-degree burns covering 25 percent of her body, including her face, torso and legs. As part of her treatment, the girl was placed in a medically-induced coma and hooked up to a respirator. Her current condition is unknown although she was released from hospital in May.

At the time, the mother told police that, in the early afternoon of February 4th, she was in the kitchen preparing rice on the stove and that as she was transferring the pot from a front burner to a back one, the girl approached her from behind and hit her hand, causing her to spill the pot of boiling water on the child. The girl’s grandmother, Thessier, was said to have been in the bathroom at the time of the incident. The mother told police that she “did not see any burns” on her daughter until they arrived at the hospital. After the girl was released from the hospital and placed into foster care, however, she told her foster family a different account of what had happened.

If convicted, the mother faces up to 25 years in prison and the grandmother faces up to seven years in prison. The investigation was conducted by Detective Michael McNelis of the New York City Police Department’s Queens Child Abuse Squad, under the supervision of Sergeant Robert Garrity. Although the identity of the girl is known, it is BNO News’ policy to not identify victims.

The defendants are awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court and both deny the allegations. The girl remains in foster care.

[Shammu]

This world is getting more wicked every day, with this kind of garbage. I'd hate to be in tribulation period if this is just a example of that wickedness..........

[Shammu]

Church blesses fathers with beer

Bottles of beer will be given to fathers who attend church, in an alternative "blessing" for Father's Day.

By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent
Published: 9:00PM BST 20 Jun 2009

A senior bishop has backed the move, which is part of a Church of England initiative to put a Christian emphasis on the annual celebration of fatherhood.

Concerns over the lack of men attending services year-round has led clergy to offer a range of incentives today, including free beer, bacon rolls and chocolate bars.

It is the first time that the Church has attempted to treat Fathers' Day in the same way as Mothering Sunday, which has traditionally formed part of its calendar.

The plan to distribute ale has upset groups working to tackle alchohol abuse, but the Rt Rev John Inge, the Bishop of Worcester, said that it could help churches to attract more men.

He argued that the free beer was intended to be symbolic of "the generosity of God".

Men at St Stephen's church in Barbourne, Worcester, will be handed bottles of beer by children during the service. A prayer will be said for the fathers before the gifts are distributed.

The Ven Roger Morris, archdeacon of Worcester, who will be leading the service at St Stephen's today, said that it was a practical way of sending a message to fathers.

"I don't see any other time that we can stop and remember fathers, and this is a gesture saying 'Here's something that will bless you,'" he said.

"Posies of flowers are given to mums on Mothering Sunday and we wanted to give a laddish, blokeish gift to the men. A bottle of beer hits the mark. The whole of life is to be celebrated in church."

However, Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, criticised the Church, claiming that it was acting irresponsibly.

"Bearing in mind the country is facing rising health harms from its high level of alcohol consumption, anyone in a position of authority or respect should perhaps think twice about promoting alcohol to the public," he said.

Bishop Inge said that it was wrong to claim that the move would encourage alcholism, and encouraged churches to use it as a way to reach out to men.

"Jesus created a lot more wine at a point in the party when some thought that there had already been enough drinking. He was all in favour of partying," the bishop said.

"We give wine away every Sunday, so giving away beer could be said to going downmarket a bit, but it's an attempt to speak of God's generosity.

"It's something that could be used as part of a service to encourage fathers to come. Once they are in church, hopefully they will be challenged by the deeper questions around fatherhood."

The bishop said that the Church was keen to support fathers and "to do everything possible to encourage them to take their responsibility very seriously".

A survey conducted by Opinion Business Research (ORB) found that less than a fifth of men claim to attend some type of church service once a month, compared with more than a quarter of women.

Some churches are trying to lure men back with the offer of free food. St Michael's, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, is holding a Hog Roast on the church forecourt and St Mary's, Arnold, Nottingham, will serve bacon rolls as men arrive at its service.

The Church has also published resources for clergy to use to hold special Fathers' Day services, including prayers for children to thank their fathers.

Church blesses fathers with beer

[Shammu]

Minister compares fight against homosexual clergy to resistance of Nazis

A minister in the Church of Scotland, Rev Ian Watson, has compared an increasingly bitter campaign against homosexual clergy to the war against the Nazis.

By Alastair Jamieson
Published: 9:44AM BST 13 May 2009

The preacher gave a sermon condemning homosexual lifestyles, claiming any acceptance of them by the church would "turn the grace of God into a licence for immorality."

His comments will widen divisions within the Kirk over the appointment of an openly gay minister to a parish church last year. The row threatens to overshadow next week's annual General Assembly, which is due to debate a petition signed by one third of ministers calling for a ban on homosexuals in the pulpit.

Rev Kenneth MacKenzie, the minister at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, which is attended by the Queen, has warned a schism would occur if his appointment was confirmed.

"Life in the Church will never be the same again and my fear is that a sizeable minority of the clergy, and perhaps a majority of its people, may consider leaving the church, causing a rift felt in every parish," he said.

The row is similar to that in the Anglican Church about the ordination of homosexuals between conservatives who cite Bible texts that condemn homosexuality and liberals who argue many traditional teachings in the Bible are no longer observed literally.

Rev Watson has posted on his blog a sermon he delivered at Kirkmuirhill Church in Lanark in which he mentioned the failure of the French Army to stand up to the Nazi annexation of the Rhineland in 1938. "[Hitler] guessed correctly that the French had no stomach for a fight. If only they had, then the tragedy of a Second World War might have been avoided."

Rev Watson is a prominent opponent of Scott Rennie, a divorced father of one who now lives with his partner, David, and has the support of his Aberdeen Presbytery.

The motion at next week's General Assembly urges the Kirk not to "train, ordain, admit, readmit, induct or introduce to any ministry of the church anyone involved in a sexual relationship outside of marriage between a man and woman".

Rev Peter Macdonald, the leader elect of the Iona Community and minister of St George's West, Edinburgh, told The Times he found the sermon disturbing while Rev Lindsay Biddle, chaplain of Affirmation Scotland, a pro-homosexual group, said: "If you don't like homosexuals, then get on with it – but don't use the Bible to justify opinions."

Rev Watson defended his sermon: "There is no doubt that there is a conflict," he said. "I was trying to explain why I am engaged in this. People say to me, 'This is not a hill to die on', but I think it is a fight worth fighting. "Evangelicals seek to defend the historic and orthodox Christian faith. If we don't what are we? I am a man of convictions."

Minister compares fight against homosexual clergy to resistance of Nazis

[Shammu]

Chinese woman boiled man's head to cure daughter's psychiatric problems

A Chinese woman boiled a man's head in a soup because she believed it would cure her daughter's psychiatric problems, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Published: 11:20PM BST 23 Jun 2009

Lin Zongxiu, from the southwestern province of Sichuan, heard in 2008 that soup made with a man’s head could help cure her daughter who had suffered from psychiatric problems for years, the Chengdu Commercial newspaper reported.

Lin and her husband decided to enlist the help of a man in December who knocked unconscious a drunk 76-year-old passer-by before beheading him, the paper claimed.

The couple then gave their 25-year-old daughter soup made from the man’s head, and duck.

A local court sentenced the murderer to death with a two-year reprieve on Monday, and Lin was convicted of helping to destroy evidence that included the culprit’s bloody clothes and shoes, the paper said.

The murderer’s reprieve means that his sentence will likely be commuted to life in prison as long as he commits no further offences in the next two years.

Chinese woman boiled man's head to cure daughter's psychiatric problems

[Shammu]

Over 60 religions' delegates to attend world forum in Astana

Astana, June 22, Interfax - The 3rd Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions will take place in Astana on July 1-2, Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Yerzhan Ashikbayev told a Monday press briefing.

"Delegates of three world religions and traditional beliefs will attend the congress. In all, there will be over 60 delegations representing various religions, guests of honor and representatives of international organizations - the UN, the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe], the UNESCO and the OIC [Organization of the Islamic Congress]," he said.

Acclaimed politicians and public figures will attend the forum as guests of honor, he said.

The first day of the congress will offer a plenary session on the role of religious leaders in the creation of a world order based on tolerance, mutual respect and cooperation, while the second day will present debates on moral values and world ethics, dialog and cooperation, and solidarity in the time of crisis.

Over 60 religions' delegates to attend world forum in Astana
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Same ole same ole...... It will it be another "people shouldn't say bad things about islam" meeting. And let's make it a hate crime to "say bad things about islam"!!

[nChrist]

Brothers and Sisters,

We are witnessing an explosion of EVIL and the chaos that it causes. The time will come when EVIL is unleashed and nothing will hold it back. I think that time is growing nearer by the day. It appears to be mass insanity, but it's just EVIL. The world will like it until it starts to consume them, and it will.

[HisDaughter]

Fury as Apple allows teenagers to buy porn for their iPhones   

dailymail.co.uk

Family campaigners are furious over a new Apple application which allows teenagers to access softcore pornography via the popular iPhone.

Dubbed 'iPorn' it is the first time the country's one million iPhone users can view such images with an application approved by the computer company.

The 'Hottest Girls' package, which costs little more than a cup of coffee at £1.19, is an X-rated version of an older application that used to offer bikini and lingerie shots.

Previously users have been able to download softcore content from the web on to the iPhone but this is the first time such images have been available with Apple's permission.

The application is rated for those aged 17 and over, although this relies on teenage iPhone users telling the truth about their age when they sign up to the App Store.

Parents in the know can set controls on the new iPhone3GS that will stop the controversial app appearing.

Miranda Suit, co-founder of the voluntary watchdog MediaMarch told MailOnline she was appalled.

'We are very concerned about the mainstreaming of pornography,' she said.

'It is being packaged in a tempting way and will be disastrous for youngsters who are not equipped to deal with such content.

'And what about the growing number of sex addicts? I know of cases where they are trying to avoid certain films and magazines, but now even their phone will be a risk for them.

'We urge the Government to look at the affect pornography has on children and vulnerable adults.'

Those who download the application will be able to save their 'favourite' images to their photo library, send them to their friends and set them as images for phone contacts.

[HisDaughter]

Churches prepare in case gun violence shows up at the altar   

latimes.com

One Sunday in March, a man strode down the aisle of the First Baptist Church in Maryville, Ill., pulled out a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol and fired at the pastor.

The Rev. Fred Winters deflected the first bullet with his Bible, sending bits of it into the air like confetti. But the next three rounds hit Winters, killing him.

It wasn't the first church shooting of 2009 -- in February, a man knelt before a cross at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove and killed himself with a gun -- and it wasn't the last. This month, Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas physician who performed late-term abortions, was shot to death in the foyer of his Wichita church by an anti-abortion protester.

Violence in churches is on the rise, experts say.

As more shootings at houses of worship make headlines, churches around the country are stepping up security, training their staff on how to detect and confront violent assailants, and asking congregants with licenses to carry guns during services.

That's what brought 15 Southern California church leaders to Garden Grove last week to attend an "Interfaith Intruder Response" course.

"I think that we're living in a violent time and we have a duty to ensure the safety of our flock," said Fred Rodriguez, a senior pastor at Elsinore First Assembly in Lake Elsinore.

Rodriguez said he came to the seminar because he worries that church violence will get worse. "The Scripture says we're living the last days," the clergyman said. "A person doesn't have to look too far to see evidence."

"There are practical things we can do," he added, "and we let God take care of the rest."

The class, which met in a nondescript hotel conference room, was led by Vaughn Baker, who owns a security company called Strategos International. Baker is one of several church security consultants who travel the country like itinerant preachers, teaching seminars and writing up security plans for church leaders.

After an opening prayer, Baker offered some grim statistics. In the last decade, he said, 50 people were killed and 30 wounded in 35 church shootings. In 2007, there were six church shootings. In 2008, there were 18.

In most cases, the shooter was someone with a connection to the church.

"You guys know the world's not getting better," said Baker, who, along with many church security consultants, is a churchgoer and has a background in law enforcement. "We've got to protect ourselves. . . . The trick of it and the art of it is protecting the congregation and ministry without compromising their sense of worship and refuge and sanctuary."

Traditional security measures, like metal detectors or pat-downs, might compromise that sense of sanctuary, Baker said. So he proposed other, subtler methods. He suggested that churches organize undercover security teams -- and recommended that some members come armed with concealed weapons.

If violence breaks out at church, it could take minutes for even the fastest police and rescue crews to respond, Baker said, "and there's a whole lot of bad that can happen in two to three minutes."

Baker, like other security consultants, said churchgoers need to fight back instead of hiding if they're being attacked, as many students have been coached to do in the event of a school shooting. "If I'm going to get beat, I'm going to get beat doing something," Baker said. "I'm not going to get beat doing nothing."

Seminar attendees -- all men except for two women -- nodded as Baker spoke.

One attendee, Al Brown, of Abundant Living Family Church in Rancho Cucamonga, said the pastor at his church at first was reluctant to let parishioners carry firearms into services. But with some persuasion from Brown, the former police chief at UC Irvine, the pastor came around. "He saw what was happening around the country," Brown said.

Brown said he had attended three church security seminars. He said he did so in part because he worried that his church might be victimized because of its support for Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

Some of the churches that have been the scenes of recent shootings appear to have been targeted because of their stances on political issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion. Last year, a gunman who police said had a "stated hatred of the liberal movement" killed two people during a children's performance at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville because the church advocates for gay rights.

Other shootings have been acts of domestic violence that just happened to occur in a church. That was the case last year when a man shot and killed his estranged wife at St. Thomas Syrian Orthodox Knanaya Church in Clifton, N.J.

Synagogues and black churches, frequent targets of racial vandalism and violence, have long had security measures in place. Even so, some are now boosting their efforts in the wake of several high-profile hate crimes, including this month's shooting at the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.

"For us, it's an old threat that's just lifting its head again," said Paul Goldenberg, the director of the Secure Community Network, which provides security training to Jewish communities. "We have to do all we can."

No matter the shooter's motivation, churches are easy targets, experts say.

"During a church service, you've got a large number of people in a very confined and close space, and an armed gunman can put a lot of lead down the range in a very short amount of time," said Greg Crane, who owns a security consultant firm called Response Options.

"If the devil comes to visit someday," he asked, "how ready are you going to be?"

[nChrist]

It's obvious that the devil wants into our churches REAL bad, and he's already taken over quite a few big churches. He isn't just in one of the pews, rather behind the pulpit in a growing number of sad examples. He also wants in our homes, and we must kick him out. The same is true of our government. The devil is going to win some rounds in the fight, but Jesus Christ will make short work of the devil at HIS Appointed Time.

In the meantime, Christians are in great need of the FULL ARMOR OF GOD! GOD knew that we would need it, and we do!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Ephesians 6:11-20 ASV   11  Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  12  For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  13  Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.  14  Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  15  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  16  withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.  17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  18  with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,  19  and on my behalf, that utterance may be given unto me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,  20  for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

[nChrist]

'American decadence' invades Baghdad
Jim Brown - OneNewsNow - 5/30/2009 4:20:00 AM

A U.S. Embassy in a Muslim country has sponsored an event to celebrate the homosexual lifestyle.

Last night the U.S. Embassy in Iraq held a "Gay Pride Theme Party" at a pub called Baghdaddy's. Embassy employees were encouraged to attend the Baghdad event dressed in drag or as a homosexual icon.

Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, says homosexual activism at U.S. embassies was prevalent during the Bush administration, but it has gone a step further under the Obama administration.

"This is insanity to rub America's gay pride in the face of a country filled with Muslims who reject homosexuality as shameful," he contends. "It is bad foreign policy, bad diplomacy, and it's another reason for these people to hate the United States."

LaBarbera says the American gay pride event in Iraq gives the Arab press yet another opportunity to criticize American decadence.

[HisDaughter]

Well for Pete's sake!  What a thing for the US to represent in ANY country let alone in IRAQ!  Are they trying to start a war all by themselves at our expense?  Evil is running amuck no matter what direction you turn.  Most are so blinded to what Satan is doing and how extensive his last day actions are.  It is utterly amazing to me that folks just don't know what is going on.  Some times I feel like standing on a street corner with a sign: Repent!  The End Is At Hand"!  I know it wouldn't do any good and would probably get me thrown in jail, but for crying out loud, WAKE UP people!  I hate being surrounded by idiots and fools.  My emotions run between, sorrow and outrage to see everyday what is happening around us.  The truth is though that everytime we think we've heard it all, Satan will turn around and outdo himself from his last atrocity.

[nChrist]

Well for Pete's sake!  What a thing for the US to represent in ANY country let alone in IRAQ!  Are they trying to start a war all by themselves at our expense?  Evil is running amuck no matter what direction you turn.  Most are so blinded to what Satan is doing and how extensive his last day actions are.  It is utterly amazing to me that folks just don't know what is going on.  Some times I feel like standing on a street corner with a sign: Repent!  The End Is At Hand"!  I know it wouldn't do any good and would probably get me thrown in jail, but for crying out loud, WAKE UP people!  I hate being surrounded by idiots and fools.  My emotions run between, sorrow and outrage to see everyday what is happening around us.  The truth is though that everytime we think we've heard it all, Satan will turn around and outdo himself from his last atrocity.

Sadly, it's going to get much worse when the Tribulation Period is ushered in. Only God knows how bad things will be before CHRIST comes to take us HOME.

[Shammu]

Only God knows how bad things will be before CHRIST comes to take us HOME.

AMEN and I am ready to go, to my real home.