Saturday, June 16, 2018
Canada’s top court rules against Christian law school: LGBT ‘rights’ trump religious freedom
Songquan Deng / Shutterstock.com
Fri Jun 15, 2018 - 10:30 am EST
Lianne Laurence
OTTAWA, June 15, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – The Supreme Court of Canada ruled today that LGBT sexual equality "rights" trump religious rights in an unprecedented blow against religious freedom in Canada.
In a pair of 7-2 rulings (here and here), the court ruled that it was "proportionate and reasonable" for the law societies of British Columbia and Ontario to refuse accreditation to future Trinity Western University students because the proposed Christian law school’s "community covenant" would discriminate against LGBTQ people.
"In our respectful view, the [law societies] decision not to accredit Trinity Western University's proposed law school represents a proportionate balance between the limitation on the Charter right at issue and the statutory objectives the [law societies] sought to pursue," the ruling stated.
The ruling means that future grads from Trinity Western University's law school — if the school, in fact, opens — will not be able to practice law in Ontario and B.C.
TWU, a private Christian college associated with the Evangelical Free Church, requires students to sign a commitment to refrain from any sexual activity “that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman.”
OTTAWA, June 15, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – The Supreme Court of Canada ruled today that LGBT sexual equality "rights" trump religious rights in an unprecedented blow against religious freedom in Canada.
In a pair of 7-2 rulings (here and here), the court ruled that it was "proportionate and reasonable" for the law societies of British Columbia and Ontario to refuse accreditation to future Trinity Western University students because the proposed Christian law school’s "community covenant" would discriminate against LGBTQ people.
"In our respectful view, the [law societies] decision not to accredit Trinity Western University's proposed law school represents a proportionate balance between the limitation on the Charter right at issue and the statutory objectives the [law societies] sought to pursue," the ruling stated.
The ruling means that future grads from Trinity Western University's law school — if the school, in fact, opens — will not be able to practice law in Ontario and B.C.
TWU, a private Christian college associated with the Evangelical Free Church, requires students to sign a commitment to refrain from any sexual activity “that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman.”
Thursday, June 14, 2018
VATICAN CONTRIBUTION TO BILDERBERG MEETING REMAINS SECRET
by Juliana Freitag • ChurchMilitant.com • June 10, 2018
Social elites gather to discuss rise of 'populism'
For the first time in history, the Vatican took part in the secretive Bilderberg meeting, a gathering of political and social elites to discuss issues affecting the world.
Vatican Secretary of State Cdl. Pietro Parolin made news last week because of his participation as the only religious member in the 2018 meeting, which took place from June 7–10 in Turin, Italy, a city historically known for its tolerance of anti-Catholic spirituality. The cardinal's attendance wasn't announced by the Vatican, though sources have confirmed his presence.
Parolin is one of the most powerful curial officials, second only to the Holy Father himself, and has been regarded by some Vatican insiders as the possible successor to Pope Francis.
The controversial conference was founded in 1954 by Labour Party member Denis Healey (a man known for his wide network of contacts with socialists across Europe), Joseph Retinger (founder of the European Movement, the lobby who led to the formation of the European Union), David Rockefeller (multibillionaire advocate of "a more integrated global, political and economic structure") and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (first president of the World Wildlife Fund and responsible for precipitating a constitutional crisis in his country).
Each year, around 150 members of European and North American political elites gather with financial, industrial and media figures to discuss worldly issues under the Chatham House Rule, which means the participants can use the information received but aren't allowed to disclose the identity of any of the speakers. Press is not welcome, and accounts of journalists who were harassed by police while trying to cover the meeting are common.
Georgetown called out for urging donations to left-wing groups
Zachary Petrizzo
Wisconsin Campus Correspondent
@Zach_Petrizzo
on Jun 13, 2018 at 11:55 AM EDT
Georgetown University's Law School Library appears to have taken down a web page encouraging students to donate "time and money" to a list of left-wing activist groups after more than 13,000 people signed a petition against it.
The page, which was part of a guide on the history of civil rights in America, directed students who wish to "resist oppression" to groups such as Planned Parenthood, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Lambda Legal and more.
Georgetown University Law School encouraged students to donate “time and money” to a list of left-wing activist groups, at least until more than 13,000 people petitioned against it.
TFP Student Action, an organization that promotes traditional values, launched an online petition after noticing the web page, which encouraged students to support organizations such as Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, The Center for Reproductive Rights, The National Organization for Women (NOW), EMILY's List, the ACLU, The Southern Poverty Law Center, and Lambda Legal, among a wide variety of others.
"If we all give just a little, it adds up and it keeps our civil rights, our environment—our nation—from being destroyed."
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Pence accused of 'hijacking' evangelical meeting
By Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor
Updated 6:09 PM ET, Wed June 13, 2018
Dallas (CNN) For most of their annual meeting this week in Dallas, Southern Baptists have talked about spiritual matters, particularly their keen focus on gaining new converts.
But the gathering of the nation's largest evangelical group took a political turn on Wednesday morning, when Vice President Mike Pence addressed the nearly 10,000 delegates, known as messengers. And some weren't happy about it.
"I know that sent a terribly mixed signal," tweeted J.D. Greear, a North Carolina pastor who was elected to be the denomination's new president on Tuesday.
"We are grateful for civic leaders who want to speak to our convention -- but make no mistake about it, our identity is in the Gospel and our unity is in the Great Commission." The Great Commission is Jesus' call in the Bible for Christians to "go and make disciples of all nations."
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Catholic leaders denounce Sessions’s asylum decision: ‘We have truly lost our moral compass.’
June 13, 2018
In this April 21, 2017 file photo, with razor wire across the top of the secondary border fence behind him, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions attends a news conference at the U.S.-Mexico border next to the Brown Field Border Patrol Station in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP, File)
A decision to deny appeals for asylum in the United States based on claims of domestic abuse or gang violence has been deplored by Catholic leaders from coast to coast. San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy called a ruling by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reject such claims “a denial of our heritage.”
“For the whole of our history, the United States has been a refuge for people seeking protection from oppression,” he said. “If we are going to begin now to categorize domestic violence and rape as other than an oppression of people’s human dignity, then we have truly lost our moral compass as a country.”
He added, “This is simply the end of the United States being the haven to refugees in the world, the end of our great national tradition.”
In a ruling that could affect thousands of Central Americans who have made a perilous journey north in search of safety in the United States, the attorney general said on June 11 that immigration judges generally cannot consider domestic and gang violence as grounds for asylum.
San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy called a ruling by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reject such claims “a denial of our heritage.”
A decision to deny appeals for asylum in the United States based on claims of domestic abuse or gang violence has been deplored by Catholic leaders from coast to coast. San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy called a ruling by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reject such claims “a denial of our heritage.”
“For the whole of our history, the United States has been a refuge for people seeking protection from oppression,” he said. “If we are going to begin now to categorize domestic violence and rape as other than an oppression of people’s human dignity, then we have truly lost our moral compass as a country.”
He added, “This is simply the end of the United States being the haven to refugees in the world, the end of our great national tradition.”
In a ruling that could affect thousands of Central Americans who have made a perilous journey north in search of safety in the United States, the attorney general said on June 11 that immigration judges generally cannot consider domestic and gang violence as grounds for asylum.
San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy called a ruling by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reject such claims “a denial of our heritage.”
The First Baptist Church in America wishes Muslims a 'blessed' Eid (an Islamic holiday).
Eid Mubarak or (Arabic: عيد مبارك) is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. Eid means "celebration" and refers to the occasion itself, and Mubarak means "blessed"; for example, performing the Eid prayer. So Eid, meaning “celebration,” and Mubarak, meaning “Blessed” literally translates to wishing your friends a blessed holiday. In the social sense, people usually celebrate Eid al-Fitr after Ramadan and Eid-al-Adha in the month of Dhul Haj (12th and Final Islamic month), greetings like "Eid Mubarak". Some state this exchange of greetings is a cultural tradition and not part of any religious obligation. However, it is only used during the celebration of the two Muslim holidays.[1][2] Children get a day off school if it is before or on a school day.
The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as the First Baptist Meetinghouse. It is the oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638. The present church building was erected in 1774–75 and held its first meetings in May 1775. It is located at 75 North Main Street in Providence's College Hill neighborhood and is a National Historic Landmark.
Source: Wikipedia
Photo credit: Arsenio A. Lembert Jr. 6-13-18, Providence, RI.
Photo credit: Arsenio A. Lembert Jr. 6-13-18, Providence, RI.
How 139 bills across the country are redefining religious freedom
These bills cover everything from LGBT rights to free speech, health care and adoption, among other topics.
AP
Opponents of Indiana Senate Bill 101, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, march past the Indiana Statehouse en route to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, April 4, 2015 to push for a state law that specifically bars discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
By Kelsey Dallas | June 12, 2018 at 10:14 pm MDT
Opponents of Indiana Senate Bill 101, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, march past the Indiana Statehouse en route to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, April 4, 2015 to push for a state law that specifically bars discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
By Kelsey Dallas | June 12, 2018 at 10:14 pm MDT
Editor's note: This is the first in an ongoing series of in-depth stories and analyses dissecting and understanding religious liberty in America and the place of faith in the public square.
▲
Adoption
On Campus
Service
Refusals
LGBT Rights
Health Care
Misc
.
Summary
The turf war over the place of faith in the public square is accelerating, and the stakes are rising like never before. Today, nearly every strata of society is affected, from kids in foster care outside Detroit, to college freshmen in Arizona, to florists and cake shop owners in America's heartland.
On one side are believers who say their faith communities are threatened by an encroaching secular and godless movement seeking to silence and shun them. On the other side are LGBT and women's rights activists who say Americans are being denied basic human rights and enduring ongoing discrimination under the guise of religious freedom. Many others, including long-time religious liberty advocates, both gay and straight, are alarmed by the direction of today's religious freedom debates, arguing that this value is meant to unify, not tear people apart.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
This Is What a Nuclear Bomb Looks Like
If America is attacked, the strike probably won’t come from North Korea. And it will be even scarier than we imagine.
Photo: Getty Images/photo-illustration by Gluekit
06/12/2018 8:00 am
In his efforts to Make America Great Again, Donald Trump has succeeded in reviving at least one aspect of America’s past: the fear of nuclear war. Since taking office, the president has boasted about the size of his “Nuclear Button,” jettisoned the nuclear deal with Iran, and threatened to unleash “fire and fury like the world has never seen” on North Korea. His national-security adviser, John Bolton, openly advocates a first-strike policy against nuclear-armed enemies, and the Pentagon, after decades of careful disarmament, wants to spend $1.2 trillion to upgrade its nuclear arsenal. If you’ve felt a new shiver of nuclear fear over the past year, you’re not alone: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved its “Doomsday Clock” to within two minutes of midnight — closer than it has been since the height of the Cold War. In January, when a state employee in Hawaii mistakenly triggered an emergency alert, warning that a ballistic missile was inbound, many islanders raced to take shelter and unite with their loved ones, believing they were only minutes away from utter devastation.
What made the false alarm all the more frightening is just how plausible the prospect of a nuclear strike has become. The U.S. and Russia, both of which maintain massive nuclear arsenals, are increasingly at odds. Iran has announced plans to ramp up its production of enriched uranium. North Korea may already have nuclear missiles capable of striking anywhere in the U.S., and there is no way to know whether Trump’s negotiations with Kim Jong-un will wind up increasing or decreasing the prospect of nuclear war. But the current state of dread, while entirely understandable, has overshadowed two crucial realities about the threat of a nuclear calamity. First, a nuclear attack on the United States could well come not from the skies but from the streets. Experts warn that it would be relatively easy for terrorists to build an “improvised nuclear bomb” and smuggle it into America. Building a ten-kiloton bomb nearly as destructive as the one dropped on Hiroshima would require little more than some technical expertise and 46 kilograms of highly enriched uranium — a quantity about the size of a bowling ball.
The second reality we have failed to understand is what a nuclear detonation and its aftermath would actually look like. In our imaginations, fueled by apocalyptic fictions like The Road and The Day After, the scale and speed of nuclear annihilation seem too vast and horrific to contemplate. If nuclear war is considered “unthinkable,” that is in no small part because of our refusal to think about it with any clarity or specificity. In the long run, the best deterrent to nuclear war may be to understand what a single nuclear bomb is capable of doing to, say, a city like New York — and to accept that the reality would be even worse than our fears.
What Happens When a Nuclear Bomb Hits
Pope Francis Accepts Resignation Of Bishop Juan Barros Over Chilean Abuse Scandal
June 11, 20186:46 AM ET
BILL CHAPPELL
Bishop Juan Barros, long accused of helping to cover up a notorious sex abuse case in the Catholic Church in Chile, has resigned. He's seen here during Pope Francis's visit to Chile in January.Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a controversial figure at the center of Chile's child sex abuse scandal along with two other bishops, according to the Vatican. Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno was accused of covering up the acts of a notorious abuser, and the pope enraged thousands of Catholics in Chile when he appointed Barros as bishop in 2015.
PARALLELS
'Pope Cannot Claim He Was Misinformed': Chilean Abuse Survivor After Vatican Meeting
Francis also accepted the resignations of Bishop Gonzalo Duarte of Valparaiso and Bishop Cristian Caro of Puerto Montt.
Vatican-backed family rally to have speech on welcoming gays
NICOLE WINFIELD
June 11, 2018
People watch Pope Francis as he recites the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, June 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
VATICAN CITY (AP) — An international family rally the Catholic Church is hosting in Ireland will feature workshops on hot-button issues facing Catholic families, including protecting children from clergy sexual abuse, weathering divorce and ministering to lesbian and gay faithful.
Pope Francis will join the Aug. 21-26 World Meeting of Families for the last two days and preside over the final Mass in Dublin.
Organizers on Monday unveiled the pastoral program leading up to Francis' arrival, and it includes some surprising entries. Perhaps none is more surprising than the inclusion of the Rev. James Martin, an American Jesuit scheduled to deliver a presentation on welcoming LGBT Catholics and their families into parishes.
Martin, author of "Building a Bridge," about Catholic outreach to the LGBT community, has had several talks canceled in the United States in recent months because of pressure from conservative groups who oppose his call for the church to better accompany gay Catholics.
Martin told The Associated Press it was "immensely significant" that a Vatican-backed meeting would include his presentation, saying it showed "that LGBT Catholics and their parents are an important part of our church."
"The message from the Vatican to LGBT Catholics is this: you belong," he said.
Martin recalled that during the previous World Meeting of Families, held in Philadelphia in 2015, the only official event about gay Catholics featured a gay man and his mother speaking about chastity.
Martin's talk is not the only meeting event indicating that organizers were keen to follow Francis' lead and reach out to some of the most marginalized Catholics. Other workshops are on Catholics suffering from addiction and domestic violence, coping with family members in prison and homelessness.
Others are perhaps addressed to a broader audience: how to find time to pray in a digital age, women in leadership, teenagers in the digital world.
One of the major panels is on child protection, and features the pope's top adviser on sexual abuse prevention, Cardinal Sean O'Malley. Joining him is Marie Collins, an Irish survivor of abuse who resigned from O'Malley's panel last year in frustration over the Vatican's resistance to listening to victims.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — An international family rally the Catholic Church is hosting in Ireland will feature workshops on hot-button issues facing Catholic families, including protecting children from clergy sexual abuse, weathering divorce and ministering to lesbian and gay faithful.
Pope Francis will join the Aug. 21-26 World Meeting of Families for the last two days and preside over the final Mass in Dublin.
Organizers on Monday unveiled the pastoral program leading up to Francis' arrival, and it includes some surprising entries. Perhaps none is more surprising than the inclusion of the Rev. James Martin, an American Jesuit scheduled to deliver a presentation on welcoming LGBT Catholics and their families into parishes.
Martin, author of "Building a Bridge," about Catholic outreach to the LGBT community, has had several talks canceled in the United States in recent months because of pressure from conservative groups who oppose his call for the church to better accompany gay Catholics.
Martin told The Associated Press it was "immensely significant" that a Vatican-backed meeting would include his presentation, saying it showed "that LGBT Catholics and their parents are an important part of our church."
"The message from the Vatican to LGBT Catholics is this: you belong," he said.
Martin recalled that during the previous World Meeting of Families, held in Philadelphia in 2015, the only official event about gay Catholics featured a gay man and his mother speaking about chastity.
Martin's talk is not the only meeting event indicating that organizers were keen to follow Francis' lead and reach out to some of the most marginalized Catholics. Other workshops are on Catholics suffering from addiction and domestic violence, coping with family members in prison and homelessness.
Others are perhaps addressed to a broader audience: how to find time to pray in a digital age, women in leadership, teenagers in the digital world.
One of the major panels is on child protection, and features the pope's top adviser on sexual abuse prevention, Cardinal Sean O'Malley. Joining him is Marie Collins, an Irish survivor of abuse who resigned from O'Malley's panel last year in frustration over the Vatican's resistance to listening to victims.
Monday, June 11, 2018
Sunday, June 10, 2018
How the Image to the Beast Evolves - June 10
He exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. Revelation 13:12.
In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends....
The “image to the beast” represents that form of apostate Protestantism which will be developed when the Protestant churches shall seek the aid of the civil power for the enforcement of their dogmas....
When Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. He is paying homage to Rome and to the power which enforces the institution ordained by Rome. He is worshiping the beast and his image. As men then reject the institution which God has declared to be the sign of His authority, and honor in its stead that which Rome has chosen as the token of her supremacy, they will thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome—“the mark of the beast.” And it is not until the issue is thus plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive “the mark of the beast.”...
In the issue of the contest all Christendom will be divided into two great classes—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark. Although church and state will unite their power to compel “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond” (Revelation 13:16), to receive “the mark of the beast,” yet the people of God will not receive it. The prophet of Patmos beholds “them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God” and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Revelation 15:2, 3.
Maranatha, p.169.
Transcript: Former Ambassador Susan Rice on "Face the Nation," June 10, 2018
Face The Nation
Susan Rice slams Trump for "disgraceful" Russia co...
CBS News June 10, 2018, 11:11 AM
Transcript: Former Ambassador Susan Rice on "Face the Nation," June 10, 2018
President Trump arrived in Singapore on Sunday ahead of this week's historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He flew to Singapore straight from a meeting of the G7 nations in Canada, one that turned contentious over Mr. Trump's trade demands of Western allies.
Susan Rice served as U.N. ambassador and national security adviser in the Obama administration. She joined us to discuss U.S. goals at the Singapore summit, Mr. Trump's comments about Russia and more.
The following is a transcript of the interview with Rice that aired Sunday, June 10, 2018, on "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to President Obama's national security adviser and former U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice. Ambassador it's good to have you here on Face the Nation.
FORMER UN AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE: Great to be with you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: This is a historic summit. For you, what do you think the best possible outcome could be?
AMBASSADOR RICE: I think the best possible outcome is that we have more than a photo op or even a cordial conversation, but the two leaders agreed to some very concrete steps that they can then pass on to their negotiators in the form of a framework that the negotiators can then flesh out into a substantive agreement. It's going to take quite a while. This is very complicated set of issues and success can't be declared on the basis of a happy meeting.
MARGARET BRENNAN: President Obama liked to embrace diplomacy. Why did he choose not to try to negotiate with Kim Jong Un?
AMBASSADOR RICE: Well in fact there were efforts at discussions we had them during the Clinton administration, we had them during the Bush administration, and we even had opportunities and efforts during the Obama administration. The problem is that at every turn the North Koreans would make commitments and then break them and we need to be mindful that that is again what might happen in this context.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But this is a different diplomatic structure right? It's flipped on its head. You're starting with--
AMBASSADOR RICE: Starting with the leaders
MARGARET BRENNAN: --the leaders.
AMBASSADOR RICE: Yeah.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So do you give the president some credit for being willing to take this high level of risk?
AMBASSADOR RICE: Well, I think- you know it's clear that the past set of efforts have not succeeded. I am a believer in diplomacy and I am open to- to new methods of trying to accomplish the- the consistent objective that we have of full denuclearization. I think the question is are we walking in prepared? Are we walking in with our allies behind us? Are we in a position to understand that one meeting it's not going to be one and done. This is the start of a serious negotiating process.
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