I was perusing the other blogs here at Patheos when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a post on Get Religion that contained a blurb about a news story concerning the pastor of a Nazarene church that’s about … ummmmm … eight blocks or so from my house. It seems that Pastor Lance Schmitz, of the Capitol Hill Church of the Nazarene, delivered a nationally-based petition to the Hobby Lobby headquarters here in Oklahoma City. The petition protested Hobby Lobby’s... Read more
I’m going to call it The Solidarity Cross. The idea began last week with a post about a British woman who was fired for wearing a cross to work. All these stories of Christian persecution, which range from verbal harassment to genocidal mass murder, lead us to the same questions. What would we do if it was us? What are we going to do to help them? And finally, how do Christians from all over the world, stand together? Christianity... Read more
India: Converting from Hinduism An Indian state’s draconian “anti-conversion” law has been partially struck down in a legal challenge brought by Christians and celebrated as “a triumph for religious freedom” in the country. The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) took its case against the Himachal Pradesh Religion Act 2006 to the state’s high court, which ruled on 30 August that some provisions of the law were unconstitutional. Indian Supreme Court Legaleagle86 at en.wikipedia The court removed a section that required a person intending... Read more
I’m not a long-time, big-time star blogger like many of the folks you’ll find here at Patheos. I’m more of a beginner, little-time, obscure blogger. What I do have going is a sense of purpose and a definite understanding of what I want to accomplish with my tap, tap, tapping on the computer keyboard. That’s why deciding to wave good-bye to some prodigious commenters earlier this week was an easy decision to make. Public Catholic had attracted a small but... Read more
Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk. Credit: ACN. Kirkuk, Iraq, Sep 7, 2012 / 04:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Iraqi Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk has asked the Catholic patriarchs and bishops of the Middle East to speak with Pope Benedict XVI about their fears that the survival of Christianity in the region is at risk. “The patriarchs and the bishops should go beyond the formalities to speak directly and openly with him about their fears and concerns. We should make clear our... Read more
More Nigerian Church Bombings by John Campbell September 25, 2012 A woman cries during a mass funeral for the victims of Christmas day bombing at St Theresa Catholic church, outside Nigeria’s capital Abuja 01/02/2012. (Afolabi Sotunde/Courtesy Reuters). On Sunday, September 24, immediately after an early mass, a suicide bomber attacked St. John’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Bauchi. Five were reported killed with another forty-six injured. Doctors warn that many of the wounded are in bad condition, and may die.... Read more
www.LC.org Washington, DC – Today the U.S. Supreme Court opened its new term and directed the federal government to respond to Liberty Counsel’s Petition for Rehearing within 30 days. Liberty Counsel filed the petition on behalf of Liberty University and two private individuals. An appeals court in Richmond, VA, ruled that the Anti-Injunction Act (AIA) barred the court from addressing the merits in Liberty Univ., Inc. v. Geithner, which challenged the individual mandate (Section 1501) and the employer insurance mandate (Section 1513) of... Read more
I couldn’t make this stuff up. Judge Bill Graves, former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, has issued a ruling that is being appealed by the Oklahoma ACLU whose director is Ryan Kiesal, another former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. I know both these men well. They are both take-no-prisoners advocates for their decidedly oppositional positions in the culture wars. Judge Graves served in the Oklahoma House from 1978 to 2004 with a two-year hiatus to run... Read more
I’ve got to lose weight. I will not tell you how much I weigh. I will admit that my blood pressure is edging up and my energy level is dropping down. It’s time to stop buying bigger clothes. Time to stop hiding from mirrors. Time to quit avoiding the scale and “forgetting” to go get those blood tests the doctor ordered. It’s time for me to drop a pound or 50. The trouble is, I don’t want to. Eat less, I... Read more
I thought you might like to read the Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter proclaiming the Year of Faith. It will begin October 11. Have a blessed Sunday. APOSTOLIC LETTER “MOTU PROPRIO DATA” PORTA FIDEI OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF BENEDICT XVI FOR THE INDICTION OF THE YEAR OF FAITH 1. The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross... Read more
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