Governor's Directive Striking Down Marriage Based on Out-of-State Court Rulings Demonstrates Need for AFM's Marriage Protection Amendment
WASHINGTON, May 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Alliance for Marriage called upon Congress to pass AFM's Marriage Protection Amendment in response to New York Governor David Patterson's stunning directive ordering New York State to recognize "same-sex marriages" performed in California, Massachusetts, and Canada.
"By executive fiat, New York has become the second state in two weeks to overturn both common sense and the Will of the People on the definition of marriage," said Matt Daniels, president and founder of the Alliance for Marriage. "Today's directive from Governor Patterson illustrates the need for the Marriage Protection Amendment drafted by AFM."
"The anti-democratic fallout of the California Supreme Court decision striking down marriage is not unexpected, and will only continue to crash down upon other states nationwide," said Daniels. "AFM has led the charge in Congress for federal protection of marriage as the only way to prevent the decisions of judges in California and elsewhere being forced on residents of other states."
"Most Americans - and most New Yorkers - want our laws to send a positive message to kids about marriage, family and their future. Today is a sad day for the people of New York who have lost the right to choose the course that is best for them, their families and their children," continued Daniels.
"Americans believe that gays and lesbians are free to live as they choose, but they don't believe they have a right to redefine marriage for our entire society," said Daniels. "But the common-sense definition of marriage - and the values of most Americans - cannot be protected apart from AFM's Marriage Protection Amendment."
The Alliance for Marriage is a non-partisan, multicultural coalition whose Board of Advisors includes Rev. Walter Fauntroy -- the former DC Delegate who organized the March on Washington for Martin Luther King Jr. -- as well as other civil rights and religious leaders, and national legal experts. www.afmusa.org
Christian Newswire
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Human Life Amendment Signatures Certified - Historic Amendment Officially on November's Ballot
DENVER, May 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- For the first time in US history, the issue of personhood will be decided in the public forum by a constitutional amendment. Colorado for Equal Rights has been notified by the Colorado Secretary of State's Office that enough valid signatures were submitted to put the Every Human is a Person amendment on the November 2008 ballot. The Secretary of State's Office's random sampling indicated that there were 103,377 valid signatures, surpassing the 76,047 valid signatures that were required.
"The people of Colorado have spoken, the Secretary of State's Office has certified our signatures, and our equal rights amendment will be on November's ballot," stated Kristi Burton, initiative sponsor. "All humans should be protected by love and by law, and this amendment is a historic effort to ensure equal rights for every person."
Colorado for Equal Rights has demonstrated an unparalleled grassroots effort thus far, with likely more volunteer circulators than any other ballot initiative in the State's history. The grassroots initiative had over 1,300 volunteer petition circulators.
"We at Colorado for Equal Rights are incredibly thankful for our many volunteers who worked so hard for each signature we delivered to the Secretary of State's Office and the churches who stood behind us and supported us," Burton continued. "This victory is the voice of the people and all credit goes our Creator"
Colorado for Equal Rights is a statewide grassroots organization of concerned citizens who value human life. Colorado for Equal Rights is sponsoring the Human Life Amendment to the Colorado constitution, stating "(t)he term 'Person' or 'Persons' shall include any human from the time of fertilization."
For more information, please contact Kristi Burton at 719-661-8827 or via e-mail at kristiburton@gmail.com. www.Personhoodcolorado.com
Christian Newswire
DENVER, May 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- For the first time in US history, the issue of personhood will be decided in the public forum by a constitutional amendment. Colorado for Equal Rights has been notified by the Colorado Secretary of State's Office that enough valid signatures were submitted to put the Every Human is a Person amendment on the November 2008 ballot. The Secretary of State's Office's random sampling indicated that there were 103,377 valid signatures, surpassing the 76,047 valid signatures that were required.
"The people of Colorado have spoken, the Secretary of State's Office has certified our signatures, and our equal rights amendment will be on November's ballot," stated Kristi Burton, initiative sponsor. "All humans should be protected by love and by law, and this amendment is a historic effort to ensure equal rights for every person."
Colorado for Equal Rights has demonstrated an unparalleled grassroots effort thus far, with likely more volunteer circulators than any other ballot initiative in the State's history. The grassroots initiative had over 1,300 volunteer petition circulators.
"We at Colorado for Equal Rights are incredibly thankful for our many volunteers who worked so hard for each signature we delivered to the Secretary of State's Office and the churches who stood behind us and supported us," Burton continued. "This victory is the voice of the people and all credit goes our Creator"
Colorado for Equal Rights is a statewide grassroots organization of concerned citizens who value human life. Colorado for Equal Rights is sponsoring the Human Life Amendment to the Colorado constitution, stating "(t)he term 'Person' or 'Persons' shall include any human from the time of fertilization."
For more information, please contact Kristi Burton at 719-661-8827 or via e-mail at kristiburton@gmail.com. www.Personhoodcolorado.com
Christian Newswire
Friday, May 23, 2008
World's Largest Monstrance to be Unveiled
CHICAGO, May 23 /Christian Newswire/ -- Saint Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church here will unveil what is believed to be the world's largest monstrance at 6 p.m. eastern time Saturday, May 31. A monstrance is container that displays a consecrated Host (which Catholics believe is the body of Christ under the appearance of bread) for veneration. The monstrance will serve as focal point of the new Sanctuary of The DivineMercy, to be built on the grounds of this inner city parish.
The gilded receptacle has taken sculptor Stefan Niedorezo two years to carve from linden wood using Renaissance methods. The iconic monstrance is nine feet tall and weighs 700 pounds. Malgorzata Sawczuk applied the gilding and serves as project conservator.
The monstrance depicts the Blessed Mother as the link between the old and new covenants. She stands over the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred container that held the stone tablets inscribed with the 10 Commandments. Mary is "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars," as depicted in the Book of Revelation (Rev 11:19 and 12:1-2).
The unveiling takes place on the feast of the Visitation, where Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth and found the supposedly barren woman pregnant with a son who would become John the Baptist, forerunner of Jesus (Lk 1:39-57). The public is invited to the ceremony, which will be televised live on EWTN, the worldwide Catholic television network; Catholic TV; and the Latin American TV station El Sembrador. Relevant Radio will provide U.S. coverage. Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago.
The vision for the sanctuary and monstrance began nine years ago when St. Stanislaus Kostka pastor Fr. Anthony Bus, CR, heard a call from Mary asking that he build the sanctuary. He wrote a book about his experience titled A Mother's Plea: Lifting the Veil in Sanctuary (Marian Press). The book, originally published in 2005, has been a popular title in Catholic book circles partly because of its apocalyptic theme. It has been updated this year with information on the painstaking effort to build the sanctuary.
Donations and proceeds from Fr. Bus's book financed sculpting the monstrance.
Following the unveiling, planners will begin raising funds to build the sanctuary. Estimated cost is between $15 million and $20 million.
Christian Newswire
The gilded receptacle has taken sculptor Stefan Niedorezo two years to carve from linden wood using Renaissance methods. The iconic monstrance is nine feet tall and weighs 700 pounds. Malgorzata Sawczuk applied the gilding and serves as project conservator.
The monstrance depicts the Blessed Mother as the link between the old and new covenants. She stands over the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred container that held the stone tablets inscribed with the 10 Commandments. Mary is "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars," as depicted in the Book of Revelation (Rev 11:19 and 12:1-2).
The unveiling takes place on the feast of the Visitation, where Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth and found the supposedly barren woman pregnant with a son who would become John the Baptist, forerunner of Jesus (Lk 1:39-57). The public is invited to the ceremony, which will be televised live on EWTN, the worldwide Catholic television network; Catholic TV; and the Latin American TV station El Sembrador. Relevant Radio will provide U.S. coverage. Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago.
The vision for the sanctuary and monstrance began nine years ago when St. Stanislaus Kostka pastor Fr. Anthony Bus, CR, heard a call from Mary asking that he build the sanctuary. He wrote a book about his experience titled A Mother's Plea: Lifting the Veil in Sanctuary (Marian Press). The book, originally published in 2005, has been a popular title in Catholic book circles partly because of its apocalyptic theme. It has been updated this year with information on the painstaking effort to build the sanctuary.
Donations and proceeds from Fr. Bus's book financed sculpting the monstrance.
Following the unveiling, planners will begin raising funds to build the sanctuary. Estimated cost is between $15 million and $20 million.
Christian Newswire
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Religion is Vital Element in Boys' Lives
Pediatrician Meg Meeker Emphasizes Importance of Belief in God for Development of Healthy Boys
WASHINGTON, May 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- In Boys Should Be Boys: The Seven Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons, author Meg Meeker, M.D. outlines a necessary guide for parents on how to raise morally upstanding, well adjusted sons in these turbulent times. Many parents read books, seek professional advice, and add controls to electronic media in their home in order to keep their boys on the right track. They want to keep depression from being a part of their son's life. They want their sons to be academically, or artistically, or athletically successful. Ultimately, parents want their sons to be happy and medical studies show that the best way to accomplish this is to give your child a belief in God.
Boys who are religious are less likely to be sexually promiscuous, drink alcohol, smoke, use drugs, and struggle with depression--all powerful incentives for parents to focus on religion in raising their sons. Whether they are three or twenty-three, the single greatest deficit operating in a boy's life isn't education, lack of opportunity, or even lack of stable parenting--it is the faith in a God who cares. Boys who adhere to a traditional religious practice are far more likely to be able to withstand the pressures of life and to have a sense of wholeness and purpose about themselves than boys who have either been raised with no faith or with a formless self-directed faith.
Meeker reveals why God is good for boys:
Hope: God is the best source of hope. He has an advantage over any other provider: He has no limitations; He will not die; He cannot fail.
Love: God is one place he can turn, because if unconditional love can exist, it most certainly can be found in God
Truth: All boys desire to find the truth. Finding truth via wrestling over the existence of God opens a boy's mind like no other mental exercise.
Grace: A boy needs to know that when he makes a mistake he can confront his decision, relinquish bad behaviors, and start again Grace opens the door for a fresh start--whenever parents fail at extending grace, God succeeds.
In Boys Should Be Boys, Dr. Meeker explains how giving your son the security of God is the parental defense you can offer for preventing negative behavior, providing positive comfort and structure, and keeping your boys on track to becoming good men.
Christian Newswire
WASHINGTON, May 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- In Boys Should Be Boys: The Seven Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons, author Meg Meeker, M.D. outlines a necessary guide for parents on how to raise morally upstanding, well adjusted sons in these turbulent times. Many parents read books, seek professional advice, and add controls to electronic media in their home in order to keep their boys on the right track. They want to keep depression from being a part of their son's life. They want their sons to be academically, or artistically, or athletically successful. Ultimately, parents want their sons to be happy and medical studies show that the best way to accomplish this is to give your child a belief in God.
Boys who are religious are less likely to be sexually promiscuous, drink alcohol, smoke, use drugs, and struggle with depression--all powerful incentives for parents to focus on religion in raising their sons. Whether they are three or twenty-three, the single greatest deficit operating in a boy's life isn't education, lack of opportunity, or even lack of stable parenting--it is the faith in a God who cares. Boys who adhere to a traditional religious practice are far more likely to be able to withstand the pressures of life and to have a sense of wholeness and purpose about themselves than boys who have either been raised with no faith or with a formless self-directed faith.
Meeker reveals why God is good for boys:
Hope: God is the best source of hope. He has an advantage over any other provider: He has no limitations; He will not die; He cannot fail.
Love: God is one place he can turn, because if unconditional love can exist, it most certainly can be found in God
Truth: All boys desire to find the truth. Finding truth via wrestling over the existence of God opens a boy's mind like no other mental exercise.
Grace: A boy needs to know that when he makes a mistake he can confront his decision, relinquish bad behaviors, and start again Grace opens the door for a fresh start--whenever parents fail at extending grace, God succeeds.
In Boys Should Be Boys, Dr. Meeker explains how giving your son the security of God is the parental defense you can offer for preventing negative behavior, providing positive comfort and structure, and keeping your boys on track to becoming good men.
Christian Newswire
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Cardinal's warning over Anglican disunity
Saturday, 17th May 2008. 6:30am
By: George Conger.
THE ANGLICAN Communion’s divisions over doctrine and discipline are a hindrance to Christian unity, a top Vatican official said last week. In an interview with the Catholic Herald, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council of Christian Unity, urged Anglicans to put their house in order.
The Roman Catholic Church would “work and pray” for clarity from the Anglican Communion on the divisive issues of doctrine and discipline that were dividing the church, he said. He urged this summer’s Lambeth Conference, where he will address the gathered bishops, to settle its disputes over homosexuality as it was “not sustainable to keep pushing decision-making back because it only extends the crisis.”
Cardinal Kasper said the divisions within Anglicanism were theological and structural. “It is a question of the identity of the Anglican Church. Where does it belong?”
"Does it belong more to the churches of the first millennium -- Catholic and Orthodox -- or does it belong more to the Protestant churches of the 16th century? At the moment it is somewhere in between, but it must clarify its identity now and that will not be possible without certain difficult decisions,” he said.
The Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council, Canon Gregory Cameron commented that “most Anglicans have come to believe that it is part of the spirit of Anglicanism to be faithful both to the ancient tradition of the undivided Church and to the insights of the Reformation.”
“In every age, there have been those who have challenged us to come down on one side or the other. We need to take those challenges seriously because they point to real tensions arising from the quest for such a balance,” Canon Cameron told ReligiousIntelligence.com.
Cardinal Kasper’s comments follow up on a speech given on Jan 13, 2006, at Ushaw College in Durham. While the traditional doctrinal divisions between the Christian Churches were rapidly being resolved, Cardinal Kasper said that new approaches to ethical questions were pushing the churches ever farther apart such that “we are not able to speak with one voice on these issues to a world that needs to hear.”
"The dividing lines which have unfortunately become evident on ethical issues since the latter half of the last century are therefore not secondary or irrelevant for an understanding of the nature of the church," he said, as in “touching on holiness, they touch on the essential nature of the church itself.”
The decision by some Anglican Churches to ordain gay clergy and bless same–sex unions in the belief that they are prophetic actions that demonstrate God’s love and acceptance to all people, was not in conformity with the faith of the Gospel and the early church, he said. "We should not imagine that we possess more of the Holy Spirit today than the church of the early church fathers and the great theologians of the Middle Ages," he said.
By posing the question of what constitutes Anglicanism’s core, Cardinal Kasper asked the Communion whether it can be an ecumenical partner with the Roman Catholic Church. The goal of ecumenism, Cardinal Kasper told the Durham Conference was “a spiritually renewed church, in which the church in its concrete form becomes to the fullest degree that which in its undeveloped nature it always has been and always remains: the one, holy church we profess together in the Apostles' Creed."
If Anglicanism cannot add to the Catholic Church’s fullness by speaking with a common voice on hitherto universally agreed ethical standards, its value as an ecumenical partner was questionable, he said. However, Canon Cameron told ReligiousIntelligence.com the quest for balance within Anglicanism was not an impossible one, “since it is about taking both the history of the Church and the primary authority of scripture seriously,” and Anglicans do not wish to relinquish their “faithfulness to either of them.”
By: George Conger.
THE ANGLICAN Communion’s divisions over doctrine and discipline are a hindrance to Christian unity, a top Vatican official said last week. In an interview with the Catholic Herald, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council of Christian Unity, urged Anglicans to put their house in order.
The Roman Catholic Church would “work and pray” for clarity from the Anglican Communion on the divisive issues of doctrine and discipline that were dividing the church, he said. He urged this summer’s Lambeth Conference, where he will address the gathered bishops, to settle its disputes over homosexuality as it was “not sustainable to keep pushing decision-making back because it only extends the crisis.”
Cardinal Kasper said the divisions within Anglicanism were theological and structural. “It is a question of the identity of the Anglican Church. Where does it belong?”
"Does it belong more to the churches of the first millennium -- Catholic and Orthodox -- or does it belong more to the Protestant churches of the 16th century? At the moment it is somewhere in between, but it must clarify its identity now and that will not be possible without certain difficult decisions,” he said.
The Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council, Canon Gregory Cameron commented that “most Anglicans have come to believe that it is part of the spirit of Anglicanism to be faithful both to the ancient tradition of the undivided Church and to the insights of the Reformation.”
“In every age, there have been those who have challenged us to come down on one side or the other. We need to take those challenges seriously because they point to real tensions arising from the quest for such a balance,” Canon Cameron told ReligiousIntelligence.com.
Cardinal Kasper’s comments follow up on a speech given on Jan 13, 2006, at Ushaw College in Durham. While the traditional doctrinal divisions between the Christian Churches were rapidly being resolved, Cardinal Kasper said that new approaches to ethical questions were pushing the churches ever farther apart such that “we are not able to speak with one voice on these issues to a world that needs to hear.”
"The dividing lines which have unfortunately become evident on ethical issues since the latter half of the last century are therefore not secondary or irrelevant for an understanding of the nature of the church," he said, as in “touching on holiness, they touch on the essential nature of the church itself.”
The decision by some Anglican Churches to ordain gay clergy and bless same–sex unions in the belief that they are prophetic actions that demonstrate God’s love and acceptance to all people, was not in conformity with the faith of the Gospel and the early church, he said. "We should not imagine that we possess more of the Holy Spirit today than the church of the early church fathers and the great theologians of the Middle Ages," he said.
By posing the question of what constitutes Anglicanism’s core, Cardinal Kasper asked the Communion whether it can be an ecumenical partner with the Roman Catholic Church. The goal of ecumenism, Cardinal Kasper told the Durham Conference was “a spiritually renewed church, in which the church in its concrete form becomes to the fullest degree that which in its undeveloped nature it always has been and always remains: the one, holy church we profess together in the Apostles' Creed."
If Anglicanism cannot add to the Catholic Church’s fullness by speaking with a common voice on hitherto universally agreed ethical standards, its value as an ecumenical partner was questionable, he said. However, Canon Cameron told ReligiousIntelligence.com the quest for balance within Anglicanism was not an impossible one, “since it is about taking both the history of the Church and the primary authority of scripture seriously,” and Anglicans do not wish to relinquish their “faithfulness to either of them.”
Thursday, May 15, 2008
California High Court Overrules People
SACRAMENTO, May 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- In a 4-3 decision, the Supreme Court of California today overturned Proposition 22. In striking down Proposition 22, the initiative passed in 2000 - by 61.4% of voters - to define marriage in California as only between a man and a woman, the Court declared a right to "same-sex marriage" under the California Constitution.
The majority decision was authored by Chief Justice Ronald George, who stated, "history alone is not invariably an appropriate guide for determining the meaning and scope of this fundamental constitutional guarantee."
"This shocking decision is a wake-up call for the majority of California's citizens, whose votes have been rendered worthless by the Supreme Court's disregard for the democratic system," said Ron Prentice, the executive director of California Family Council. "In November, the people will have an opportunity to overrule the Court's decision by passing a constitutional amendment - and California's voters must respond in strength and number," concluded Prentice.
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Baxter wrote, the majority's decision "relies heavily on the Legislature's adoption of progressive civil rights protections for gays and lesbians to find a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. In effect, the majority gives the Legislature indirectly power that body does not directly possess to amend the Constitution and repeal an initiative statute." CFC's Prentice added, "Since time began, marriage between a man and a woman has served children, families, and societies best. Today, the California Supreme Court dishonored marriage's tradition and historic purposes, as well as the will of the people."
The court's decision will go into effect in 30 days, unless the parties involved seek a "stay." It is likely that attorneys representing the ProtectMarriage.com coalition will request a stay until the people of California have opportunity to vote on a constitutional marriage amendment in the November general election.
ProtectMarriage.com, a coalition of grassroots organizations, churches and voters, has been formed in order to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2008 ballot. The Supreme Court's ruling coincides with the submission of 1.1 million signatures to California's 58 counties. Known as the California Marriage Protection Act, the initiative's signatures are now undergoing a review for validation. Based on the number of raw signatures submitted and the current validation percentages reported, it appears the initiative will qualify for the ballot.
Christian Newswire
The majority decision was authored by Chief Justice Ronald George, who stated, "history alone is not invariably an appropriate guide for determining the meaning and scope of this fundamental constitutional guarantee."
"This shocking decision is a wake-up call for the majority of California's citizens, whose votes have been rendered worthless by the Supreme Court's disregard for the democratic system," said Ron Prentice, the executive director of California Family Council. "In November, the people will have an opportunity to overrule the Court's decision by passing a constitutional amendment - and California's voters must respond in strength and number," concluded Prentice.
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Baxter wrote, the majority's decision "relies heavily on the Legislature's adoption of progressive civil rights protections for gays and lesbians to find a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. In effect, the majority gives the Legislature indirectly power that body does not directly possess to amend the Constitution and repeal an initiative statute." CFC's Prentice added, "Since time began, marriage between a man and a woman has served children, families, and societies best. Today, the California Supreme Court dishonored marriage's tradition and historic purposes, as well as the will of the people."
The court's decision will go into effect in 30 days, unless the parties involved seek a "stay." It is likely that attorneys representing the ProtectMarriage.com coalition will request a stay until the people of California have opportunity to vote on a constitutional marriage amendment in the November general election.
ProtectMarriage.com, a coalition of grassroots organizations, churches and voters, has been formed in order to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2008 ballot. The Supreme Court's ruling coincides with the submission of 1.1 million signatures to California's 58 counties. Known as the California Marriage Protection Act, the initiative's signatures are now undergoing a review for validation. Based on the number of raw signatures submitted and the current validation percentages reported, it appears the initiative will qualify for the ballot.
Christian Newswire
California Pro-Family Response to State Supreme Court Ordering Homosexual 'Marriage' Legalization
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- Veteran California pro-family leader Randy Thomasson, an official party in the consolidated marriage cases and president of Campaign for Children and Families, a statewide pro- family leadership organization, issued the following response to today's California Supreme Court ruling licensing homosexual "marriages":
"On a 4-3 vote, the California Supreme Court has destroyed the civil institution of marriage between a man and a woman, and law-biding Americans must condemn it in the strongest terms. This arrogant judicial activism took 121 pages of contorted logic to explain and is no surprise coming from this San Francisco-based court. By bowing down to homosexual activists and the rebel city of San Francisco, the California Supreme Court has exchanged the rule of law for the rule of unbridled power to destroy all that is good and sacred. However, the terrible example of homosexual 'weddings' should be short-lived. This extremely bad ruling will certainly spur Californians to vote in November to overrule the judges and protect marriage licenses for a man and a woman in the California Constitution. In the meantime, Governor Schwarzenegger should resist any temptation to sign any bill opposing the people's vote on marriage. This terrible opinion authored by Chief Justice Ron George makes him the chief target of California voters who know that marriage is only for a man and woman. George is up for reelection in 2010."
Today in Sacramento at 11:20 a.m., Campaign for Children and Families will hold a news conference to publicly respond to the court decision. The news conference will be on the 10th Street sidewalk on the west side of the State Capitol Building.
CAMPAIGN FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (CCF) is a leading California-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing children and families in California and America. CCF stands for marriage and family, parental rights, the sanctity of human life, religious freedom, financial freedom, and back-to- basics education.
Christian Newswire
"On a 4-3 vote, the California Supreme Court has destroyed the civil institution of marriage between a man and a woman, and law-biding Americans must condemn it in the strongest terms. This arrogant judicial activism took 121 pages of contorted logic to explain and is no surprise coming from this San Francisco-based court. By bowing down to homosexual activists and the rebel city of San Francisco, the California Supreme Court has exchanged the rule of law for the rule of unbridled power to destroy all that is good and sacred. However, the terrible example of homosexual 'weddings' should be short-lived. This extremely bad ruling will certainly spur Californians to vote in November to overrule the judges and protect marriage licenses for a man and a woman in the California Constitution. In the meantime, Governor Schwarzenegger should resist any temptation to sign any bill opposing the people's vote on marriage. This terrible opinion authored by Chief Justice Ron George makes him the chief target of California voters who know that marriage is only for a man and woman. George is up for reelection in 2010."
Today in Sacramento at 11:20 a.m., Campaign for Children and Families will hold a news conference to publicly respond to the court decision. The news conference will be on the 10th Street sidewalk on the west side of the State Capitol Building.
CAMPAIGN FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (CCF) is a leading California-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing children and families in California and America. CCF stands for marriage and family, parental rights, the sanctity of human life, religious freedom, financial freedom, and back-to- basics education.
Christian Newswire
California High Court Decision Striking Down Marriage Underscores Need for Congress to Pass AFM's Marriage Protection Amendment
Marriage Protection Amendment Drafted by AFM is Essential to Protect Views of the Vast Majority of Americans
WASHINGTON, May 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Alliance for Marriage Foundation urged the people of California to constitutionally protect marriage in their state, while calling upon Congress to pass AFM's federal Marriage Protection Amendment in the aftermath of a California Supreme Court decision striking down marriage.
"In the most populous state in the Union, radical activists have convinced judges to ignore the will of the people and to follow the destructive lead of the Massachusetts courts in striking down the common sense definition of marriage," said Matt Daniels, president and founder of the Alliance for Marriage Foundation. "California is now ground-zero in the Battle to Protect Marriage, and the fight in California must now be joined in the Congress."
Recently, California voters delivered over 1.1 million signatures to protect marriage with a constitutional amendment. The signatures are being verified by county election officials for the constitutional amendment to be approved for the November 2008 ballot.
"The future of marriage in California should be determined among the 36 million residents of the State of California -- not by the personal, closed-door deliberation of seven judges," said Rev. Sam Rodriguez, Jr., an Advisory Board Member of the Alliance for Marriage Foundation. "For several decades, America has been wandering in a wilderness of social problems caused by family disintegration. Tragically, as bad as our current situation may be, today's decision by the Court can only make the situation dramatically worse."
"Given the continuous attacks upon marriage in courts across the country, AFM's Marriage Protection Amendment is clearly the only hope for the American people to determine the future of marriage under our laws," Daniels added.
"Americans want our laws to send a positive message to children about marriage, family and their future," said Daniels.
The Alliance for Marriage is a non-partisan, multicultural coalition whose Board of Advisors includes Rev. Walter Fauntroy -- the former DC Delegate who organized the March on Washington for Martin Luther King Jr. -- as well as other civil rights and religious leaders, and national legal experts.
Christian Newswire
WASHINGTON, May 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Alliance for Marriage Foundation urged the people of California to constitutionally protect marriage in their state, while calling upon Congress to pass AFM's federal Marriage Protection Amendment in the aftermath of a California Supreme Court decision striking down marriage.
"In the most populous state in the Union, radical activists have convinced judges to ignore the will of the people and to follow the destructive lead of the Massachusetts courts in striking down the common sense definition of marriage," said Matt Daniels, president and founder of the Alliance for Marriage Foundation. "California is now ground-zero in the Battle to Protect Marriage, and the fight in California must now be joined in the Congress."
Recently, California voters delivered over 1.1 million signatures to protect marriage with a constitutional amendment. The signatures are being verified by county election officials for the constitutional amendment to be approved for the November 2008 ballot.
"The future of marriage in California should be determined among the 36 million residents of the State of California -- not by the personal, closed-door deliberation of seven judges," said Rev. Sam Rodriguez, Jr., an Advisory Board Member of the Alliance for Marriage Foundation. "For several decades, America has been wandering in a wilderness of social problems caused by family disintegration. Tragically, as bad as our current situation may be, today's decision by the Court can only make the situation dramatically worse."
"Given the continuous attacks upon marriage in courts across the country, AFM's Marriage Protection Amendment is clearly the only hope for the American people to determine the future of marriage under our laws," Daniels added.
"Americans want our laws to send a positive message to children about marriage, family and their future," said Daniels.
The Alliance for Marriage is a non-partisan, multicultural coalition whose Board of Advisors includes Rev. Walter Fauntroy -- the former DC Delegate who organized the March on Washington for Martin Luther King Jr. -- as well as other civil rights and religious leaders, and national legal experts.
Christian Newswire
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost Letter to the Bishops of the Anglican Communion
Posted On : May 13, 2008 1:41 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO Related Categories: Lambeth
ACNS: http://aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2008/5/13/ACNS4403
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has sent an open letter to the bishops of the Anglican Communion, in advance of the Lambeth Conference.
The full text of the letter can be found below:
The Feast of Pentecost is a time when we give thanks that God, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, makes us able to speak to each other and to the whole world of the wonderful things done in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a good moment to look forward prayerfully to the Lambeth Conference, asking God to pour out the Spirit on all of us as we make ready for this time together, so that we shall indeed be given grace to speak boldly in his Name.
I indicated in earlier letters that the shape of the Conference will be different from what many have been used to. We have listened carefully to those who have expressed their difficulties with Western and parliamentary styles of meeting, and the Design Group has tried to find a new style - a style more reflective of that Pentecost moment when all received the gift of speaking freely about Christ.
At the heart of this will be the indaba groups. Indaba is a Zulu word describing a meeting for purposeful discussion among equals. Its aim is not to negotiate a formula that will keep everyone happy but to go to the heart of an issue and find what the true challenges are before seeking God's way forward. It is a method with parallels in many cultures, and it is close to what Benedictine monks and Quaker Meetings seek to achieve as they listen quietly together to God, in a community where all are committed to a fellowship of love and attention to each other and to the word of God.
Each day's work in this context will go forward with careful facilitation and preparation, to ensure that all voices are heard (and many languages also!). The hope is that over the two weeks we spend together, these groups will build a level of trust that will help us break down the walls we have so often built against each other in the Communion. And in combination with the intensive prayer and fellowship of the smaller Bible study groups, all this will result, by God's grace, in clearer vision and discernment of what needs to be done.
As I noted when I wrote to you in Advent, this makes it all the more essential that those who come to Lambeth will arrive genuinely willing to engage fully in that growth towards closer unity that the Windsor Report and the Covenant Process envisage. We hope that people will not come so wedded to their own agenda and their local priorities that they cannot listen to those from other cultural backgrounds. As you may have gathered, in circumstances where there has been divisive or controversial action, I have been discussing privately with some bishops the need to be wholeheartedly part of a shared vision and process in our time together.
Of course, as baptised Christians and pastors of Christ's flock, we are not just seeking some low-level consensus, or a simple agreement to disagree politely. We are asking for the fire of the Spirit to come upon us and deepen our sense that we are answerable to and for each other and answerable to God for the faithful proclamation of his grace uniquely offered in Jesus. That deepening may be painful in all kinds of ways. The Spirit does not show us a way to by-pass the Cross. But only in this way shall we truly appear in the world as Christ's Body as a sign of God's Kingdom which challenges a world scarred by poverty, violence and injustice.
The potential of our Conference is great. The focus of all we do is meant to be strengthening our Communion and equipping all bishops to engage more effectively in mission; only God the Holy Spirit can bind us together in lasting and Christ-centred way, and only God the Holy Spirit can give us the words we need to make Christ truly
known in our world. So we must go on praying hard with our people that the Spirit will bring these possibilities to fruition as only he can. Those who have planned the Conference have felt truly touched by that Spirit as they have worked together, and I know that their only wish is that what they have outlined for us will enable others to experience the same renewal and delight in our fellowship.
This is an ambitious event - ambitious for God and God's Kingdom, which is wholly appropriate for a Lambeth Conference. And our ambition is nothing less than renewal and revival for us all in the Name of Jesus and the power of his Spirit.
May that Spirit be with you daily in your preparation for our meeting. As Our Lord says, 'You know him, for he lives with and will be in you' (Jn 14.17).
+ Rowan Cantuar
Ends
ACNS: http://aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2008/5/13/ACNS4403
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has sent an open letter to the bishops of the Anglican Communion, in advance of the Lambeth Conference.
The full text of the letter can be found below:
The Feast of Pentecost is a time when we give thanks that God, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, makes us able to speak to each other and to the whole world of the wonderful things done in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a good moment to look forward prayerfully to the Lambeth Conference, asking God to pour out the Spirit on all of us as we make ready for this time together, so that we shall indeed be given grace to speak boldly in his Name.
I indicated in earlier letters that the shape of the Conference will be different from what many have been used to. We have listened carefully to those who have expressed their difficulties with Western and parliamentary styles of meeting, and the Design Group has tried to find a new style - a style more reflective of that Pentecost moment when all received the gift of speaking freely about Christ.
At the heart of this will be the indaba groups. Indaba is a Zulu word describing a meeting for purposeful discussion among equals. Its aim is not to negotiate a formula that will keep everyone happy but to go to the heart of an issue and find what the true challenges are before seeking God's way forward. It is a method with parallels in many cultures, and it is close to what Benedictine monks and Quaker Meetings seek to achieve as they listen quietly together to God, in a community where all are committed to a fellowship of love and attention to each other and to the word of God.
Each day's work in this context will go forward with careful facilitation and preparation, to ensure that all voices are heard (and many languages also!). The hope is that over the two weeks we spend together, these groups will build a level of trust that will help us break down the walls we have so often built against each other in the Communion. And in combination with the intensive prayer and fellowship of the smaller Bible study groups, all this will result, by God's grace, in clearer vision and discernment of what needs to be done.
As I noted when I wrote to you in Advent, this makes it all the more essential that those who come to Lambeth will arrive genuinely willing to engage fully in that growth towards closer unity that the Windsor Report and the Covenant Process envisage. We hope that people will not come so wedded to their own agenda and their local priorities that they cannot listen to those from other cultural backgrounds. As you may have gathered, in circumstances where there has been divisive or controversial action, I have been discussing privately with some bishops the need to be wholeheartedly part of a shared vision and process in our time together.
Of course, as baptised Christians and pastors of Christ's flock, we are not just seeking some low-level consensus, or a simple agreement to disagree politely. We are asking for the fire of the Spirit to come upon us and deepen our sense that we are answerable to and for each other and answerable to God for the faithful proclamation of his grace uniquely offered in Jesus. That deepening may be painful in all kinds of ways. The Spirit does not show us a way to by-pass the Cross. But only in this way shall we truly appear in the world as Christ's Body as a sign of God's Kingdom which challenges a world scarred by poverty, violence and injustice.
The potential of our Conference is great. The focus of all we do is meant to be strengthening our Communion and equipping all bishops to engage more effectively in mission; only God the Holy Spirit can bind us together in lasting and Christ-centred way, and only God the Holy Spirit can give us the words we need to make Christ truly
known in our world. So we must go on praying hard with our people that the Spirit will bring these possibilities to fruition as only he can. Those who have planned the Conference have felt truly touched by that Spirit as they have worked together, and I know that their only wish is that what they have outlined for us will enable others to experience the same renewal and delight in our fellowship.
This is an ambitious event - ambitious for God and God's Kingdom, which is wholly appropriate for a Lambeth Conference. And our ambition is nothing less than renewal and revival for us all in the Name of Jesus and the power of his Spirit.
May that Spirit be with you daily in your preparation for our meeting. As Our Lord says, 'You know him, for he lives with and will be in you' (Jn 14.17).
+ Rowan Cantuar
Ends
The Diocese of Lichfield has issued an Emergency Appeal for Myanmar
Posted On : May 13, 2008 1:32 PM Posted By : Admin ACO Related Categories: England
ACNS: http://aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2008/5/13/ACNS4402
The four bishops in the Diocese of Lichfield have issued an emergency appeal for prayers and money in response to the disaster in Myanmar (Burma). They say:
Like us, you are no doubt watching the pictures from Myanmar (Burma) with a feeling of helplessness, and asking 'What can I do to help?' It is difficult to know what to do when faced with a disaster on this
magnitude: tens of thousands dead, 40,000 people missing and one million people homeless.
But there are two things we can do which will make a big difference. We can pray and we can give. Some people have already given through the Disasters Emergency Committee. However, we wish to commend a way of responding further, following the lead of our companion diocese of West Malaysia, which has close ties with the Anglican Church of Myanmar.
The Anglican dioceses in Burma are already engaged in long-term agricultural, educational and sustainable development initiatives. Local churches in the country are already deeply involved in the current relief efforts, but they are already looking to the rebuilding and replanting work that will be essential in the coming weeks and months.
We are now making an emergency appeal for funds to assist the long-term rebuilding work that will be needed in Burma.
Every penny received from this appeal will be used to aid the people of Burma, primarily through the Anglican Church in Myanmar working with the mission agency USPG: Anglicans in World Mission.
We invite all churches:
to hold separate collections, in addition to their usual collections, on Sunday 11th or Sunday 18th May - or on another suitable occasion - and to encourage congregations to respond generously and positively, using Gift Aid envelopes where they can
to give details of this appeal on their websites, in parish magazines and on pew-sheets pointing people to the website www.lichfield.anglican.org/emergency.
In addition, we would invite:
all church councils to consider making a special one-off gift, either as part of or in addition to their usual charitable donations
all youth groups to consider staging special fundraising events, such as car washes, talent auctions, etc, to raise funds to help in this desperate situation.
Our partners in West Malaysia have already sent an immediate cash gift to the Church in Burma, and Bishop Ng Moon Hing has appealed to his congregations for funds and also for two or three volunteers to go to Burma and report back on what more needs to be done.
Of course, in addition to financial gifts, we also need to pray for the victims of the disaster - those who are bereaved, those who are injured, the homeless, the suffering; we need to pray for the leaders of Burma and for the international community - including the United Nations -- that a way will be found for the international community to play a full part in the relief efforts; we need to pray for the Christian community of Burma, for strength and wisdom as they respond to the disaster around them; and we need to pray for international aid agencies, including British organisations such as the Disasters Emergency Committee, and its members, which include Christian Aid and Tearfund, as they consider how best to bring relief from the suffering.
Please respond positively to this disaster and demonstrate the love of God in a practical way to desperate people.
+Jonathan Gledhill, Bishop of Lichfield
+Alan Smith, Bishop of Shrewsbury
+Gordon Mursell, Bishop of Stafford
+Clive Gregory, Bishop of Wolverhampton
You can support the Bishop of Lichfield's Emergency Appeal by sending a cheque, payable to "Bishop of Lichfield's Emergency Appeal" to Saint Mary's House, The Close, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 7LD, or through Internet Banking (details below). If you are a tax-payer please Gift-Aid your donation using the pledge form below.
Note: Churches should visit the link for the appeal letter with the Gift Aid instructions and form: http://www.lichfield.anglican.org/DynamicContent/Documents/bolea_burma.pdf
ACNS: http://aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2008/5/13/ACNS4402
The four bishops in the Diocese of Lichfield have issued an emergency appeal for prayers and money in response to the disaster in Myanmar (Burma). They say:
Like us, you are no doubt watching the pictures from Myanmar (Burma) with a feeling of helplessness, and asking 'What can I do to help?' It is difficult to know what to do when faced with a disaster on this
magnitude: tens of thousands dead, 40,000 people missing and one million people homeless.
But there are two things we can do which will make a big difference. We can pray and we can give. Some people have already given through the Disasters Emergency Committee. However, we wish to commend a way of responding further, following the lead of our companion diocese of West Malaysia, which has close ties with the Anglican Church of Myanmar.
The Anglican dioceses in Burma are already engaged in long-term agricultural, educational and sustainable development initiatives. Local churches in the country are already deeply involved in the current relief efforts, but they are already looking to the rebuilding and replanting work that will be essential in the coming weeks and months.
We are now making an emergency appeal for funds to assist the long-term rebuilding work that will be needed in Burma.
Every penny received from this appeal will be used to aid the people of Burma, primarily through the Anglican Church in Myanmar working with the mission agency USPG: Anglicans in World Mission.
We invite all churches:
to hold separate collections, in addition to their usual collections, on Sunday 11th or Sunday 18th May - or on another suitable occasion - and to encourage congregations to respond generously and positively, using Gift Aid envelopes where they can
to give details of this appeal on their websites, in parish magazines and on pew-sheets pointing people to the website www.lichfield.anglican.org/emergency.
In addition, we would invite:
all church councils to consider making a special one-off gift, either as part of or in addition to their usual charitable donations
all youth groups to consider staging special fundraising events, such as car washes, talent auctions, etc, to raise funds to help in this desperate situation.
Our partners in West Malaysia have already sent an immediate cash gift to the Church in Burma, and Bishop Ng Moon Hing has appealed to his congregations for funds and also for two or three volunteers to go to Burma and report back on what more needs to be done.
Of course, in addition to financial gifts, we also need to pray for the victims of the disaster - those who are bereaved, those who are injured, the homeless, the suffering; we need to pray for the leaders of Burma and for the international community - including the United Nations -- that a way will be found for the international community to play a full part in the relief efforts; we need to pray for the Christian community of Burma, for strength and wisdom as they respond to the disaster around them; and we need to pray for international aid agencies, including British organisations such as the Disasters Emergency Committee, and its members, which include Christian Aid and Tearfund, as they consider how best to bring relief from the suffering.
Please respond positively to this disaster and demonstrate the love of God in a practical way to desperate people.
+Jonathan Gledhill, Bishop of Lichfield
+Alan Smith, Bishop of Shrewsbury
+Gordon Mursell, Bishop of Stafford
+Clive Gregory, Bishop of Wolverhampton
You can support the Bishop of Lichfield's Emergency Appeal by sending a cheque, payable to "Bishop of Lichfield's Emergency Appeal" to Saint Mary's House, The Close, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 7LD, or through Internet Banking (details below). If you are a tax-payer please Gift-Aid your donation using the pledge form below.
Note: Churches should visit the link for the appeal letter with the Gift Aid instructions and form: http://www.lichfield.anglican.org/DynamicContent/Documents/bolea_burma.pdf
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Looks like all is well in (VERY LIBERAL) Upper South Carolina
AN OPEN LETTER TO PARISHIONERS OF TRINITY EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL
From Bam Gressette, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Vestry
The Finance Committee has undergone the most difficult budgeting process in which I have ever participated over 2 vestry terms and 6 years on the Finance Committee. After reviewing the pledge payments from 2007 and the 2008 annual pledges, the Finance Committee proposed and the vestry approved a significant across-the-board budget cut versus the initial 2008 spending plan.
The cuts are primarily the result of two factors:
1.) The total of 2007 pledges that have not been paid is more than $100,000. (Use actual)
2.) We have not received pledges for 2008 from over 100 pledging units that pledged last year.
Because we have received significantly less income than was pledged last year, and we have not received the usual number of pledges for 2008, the Finance Committee had no choice but to make some serious cuts in the budget. If you have an outstanding balance on your 2007 pledge, please make every effort to complete your pledge as soon as possible, preferably by May 30th. Statements reflecting 2007 balances were recently mailed to those with an outstanding balance. Even if you cannot fully complete the pledge immediately, please let us know if we can count on receiving the balance over the course of 2008.
Many of us find it uncomfortable to discuss money in a church setting, and ideally we should not have to. I generally feel this way. However, the reality is that if we want to have first class programs, worship, facilities, music, mission, clergy, etc., it takes money. Just like every family has to pay its bills, the church has to pay utilities, insurance, salaries, and so forth. To take our experience at Trinity to an even higher level (such as enhancing our outstanding and growing youth programs), it will take even more money. We need your pledge.
It also means paying what you pledge on a timely basis, and sending your pledge card in PROMPTLY so the Finance Committee knows the approximate amount of funds from which we can budget. We would love to be able to expand the programs and mission work, but to do that, we need prompt pledges and payments. Many parishioners wait until yearend to make the bulk of their pledge, which further strains the budget. However, if you are able to pay throughout the year, doing so would significantly help the Cathedral’s cash flow which could further enhance the overall programming for the church. We are grateful to those of you that pledge and pay promptly, and we are equally grateful that so many have already made pledges to the Restoration Project.
While this letter does not apply to most parishioners, I feel that it is necessary to let everyone know our current financial situation and the cumulative effect everyone’s pledge and the payment thereof has on our church. The Finance Committee thanks you for your support.
Respectfully Submitted,
L. M. Gressette III
Chairman, Finance Committee
From Bam Gressette, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Vestry
The Finance Committee has undergone the most difficult budgeting process in which I have ever participated over 2 vestry terms and 6 years on the Finance Committee. After reviewing the pledge payments from 2007 and the 2008 annual pledges, the Finance Committee proposed and the vestry approved a significant across-the-board budget cut versus the initial 2008 spending plan.
The cuts are primarily the result of two factors:
1.) The total of 2007 pledges that have not been paid is more than $100,000. (Use actual)
2.) We have not received pledges for 2008 from over 100 pledging units that pledged last year.
Because we have received significantly less income than was pledged last year, and we have not received the usual number of pledges for 2008, the Finance Committee had no choice but to make some serious cuts in the budget. If you have an outstanding balance on your 2007 pledge, please make every effort to complete your pledge as soon as possible, preferably by May 30th. Statements reflecting 2007 balances were recently mailed to those with an outstanding balance. Even if you cannot fully complete the pledge immediately, please let us know if we can count on receiving the balance over the course of 2008.
Many of us find it uncomfortable to discuss money in a church setting, and ideally we should not have to. I generally feel this way. However, the reality is that if we want to have first class programs, worship, facilities, music, mission, clergy, etc., it takes money. Just like every family has to pay its bills, the church has to pay utilities, insurance, salaries, and so forth. To take our experience at Trinity to an even higher level (such as enhancing our outstanding and growing youth programs), it will take even more money. We need your pledge.
It also means paying what you pledge on a timely basis, and sending your pledge card in PROMPTLY so the Finance Committee knows the approximate amount of funds from which we can budget. We would love to be able to expand the programs and mission work, but to do that, we need prompt pledges and payments. Many parishioners wait until yearend to make the bulk of their pledge, which further strains the budget. However, if you are able to pay throughout the year, doing so would significantly help the Cathedral’s cash flow which could further enhance the overall programming for the church. We are grateful to those of you that pledge and pay promptly, and we are equally grateful that so many have already made pledges to the Restoration Project.
While this letter does not apply to most parishioners, I feel that it is necessary to let everyone know our current financial situation and the cumulative effect everyone’s pledge and the payment thereof has on our church. The Finance Committee thanks you for your support.
Respectfully Submitted,
L. M. Gressette III
Chairman, Finance Committee
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Anglicans must choose between Protestantism and tradition, says Vatican
By Anna Arco
Catholic Herald
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/articles/a0000273.shtml
May 6, 2008
The Vatican has said that the time has come for the Anglican Church to choose between Protestantism and the ancient churches of Rome and Orthodoxy.
Speaking on the day that the Archbishop of Canterbury met Benedict XVI in Rome, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council of Christian Unity, said it was time for Anglicanism to "clarify its identity".
He told the Catholic Herald: "Ultimately, it is a question of the identity of the Anglican Church. Where does it belong?
"Does it belong more to the churches of the first millennium, Catholic and Orthodox, or does it belong more to the Protestant churches of the 16th century? At the moment it is somewhere in between, but it must clarify its identity now and that will not be possible without certain difficult decisions."
He said he hoped that the Lambeth conference, an event which brings the worldwide Anglican Communion together every 10 years, would be the deciding moment for Anglicanism.
Cardinal Kasper, who has been asked to speak at the Lambeth Conference by the Archbishop of Canterbury, said: "We hope that certain fundamental questions will be clarified at the conference so that dialogue will be possible.
"We shall work and pray that it is possible, but I think that it is not sustainable to keep pushing decision-making back because it only extends the crisis."
His comments will be interpreted as an attempt by Rome to put pressure on the Church of England not to proceed with the ordination women bishops or to sanction gay partnerships, both serious obstacles to unity.
They have come at an extremely sensitive time for the Anglican Communion, as cracks between different factions in the church are beginning to show ahead of the conference in July.
Dr Rowan Williams faces rebellion from conservative and liberal Anglicans over homosexuality and women bishops.
The Rt Rev Gene Robinson, the Anglican bishop of New Hampshire, whose attempts to enter into a civil union with his gay partner have angered conservative Anglicans, plans to attend the public events of the conference despite the fact that he has not been invited by Dr Williams.
On the other side of the spectrum, rebel conservative bishops, headed by Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, dismayed by the Archbishop of Canterbury's refusal to condemn homosexuality outright, plan a rival conference in the Holy Land in June.
Ecumenical dialogue between Rome and the Anglican Communion ground to a halt in 2006. Cardinal Kasper said at the time that a decision by the Church of England to consecrate women bishops would lead to "a serious and long lasting chill".
But last month the Church of England's Legislative Drafting Group published a report preparing the ground for women bishops, who are already ordained in several Anglican provinces.
Catholic Herald
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/articles/a0000273.shtml
May 6, 2008
The Vatican has said that the time has come for the Anglican Church to choose between Protestantism and the ancient churches of Rome and Orthodoxy.
Speaking on the day that the Archbishop of Canterbury met Benedict XVI in Rome, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council of Christian Unity, said it was time for Anglicanism to "clarify its identity".
He told the Catholic Herald: "Ultimately, it is a question of the identity of the Anglican Church. Where does it belong?
"Does it belong more to the churches of the first millennium, Catholic and Orthodox, or does it belong more to the Protestant churches of the 16th century? At the moment it is somewhere in between, but it must clarify its identity now and that will not be possible without certain difficult decisions."
He said he hoped that the Lambeth conference, an event which brings the worldwide Anglican Communion together every 10 years, would be the deciding moment for Anglicanism.
Cardinal Kasper, who has been asked to speak at the Lambeth Conference by the Archbishop of Canterbury, said: "We hope that certain fundamental questions will be clarified at the conference so that dialogue will be possible.
"We shall work and pray that it is possible, but I think that it is not sustainable to keep pushing decision-making back because it only extends the crisis."
His comments will be interpreted as an attempt by Rome to put pressure on the Church of England not to proceed with the ordination women bishops or to sanction gay partnerships, both serious obstacles to unity.
They have come at an extremely sensitive time for the Anglican Communion, as cracks between different factions in the church are beginning to show ahead of the conference in July.
Dr Rowan Williams faces rebellion from conservative and liberal Anglicans over homosexuality and women bishops.
The Rt Rev Gene Robinson, the Anglican bishop of New Hampshire, whose attempts to enter into a civil union with his gay partner have angered conservative Anglicans, plans to attend the public events of the conference despite the fact that he has not been invited by Dr Williams.
On the other side of the spectrum, rebel conservative bishops, headed by Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, dismayed by the Archbishop of Canterbury's refusal to condemn homosexuality outright, plan a rival conference in the Holy Land in June.
Ecumenical dialogue between Rome and the Anglican Communion ground to a halt in 2006. Cardinal Kasper said at the time that a decision by the Church of England to consecrate women bishops would lead to "a serious and long lasting chill".
But last month the Church of England's Legislative Drafting Group published a report preparing the ground for women bishops, who are already ordained in several Anglican provinces.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Two Democrats Could Join the Pro-Life Caucus in the U.S. House
Special Elections in Louisiana and Mississippi could turn red to blue
WASHINGTON, May 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- Two pro-life Democrats are poised to go to Washington in the next 30 days. Special elections will be held in Louisiana on May 3rd and in Mississippi on May 13th.
Pro-life Democrat Don Cazayoux will be on the ballot Saturday in Louisiana and Travis Childers in Mississippi on May 13th.
"When pro-life Democrats win, we expand the big tent of the Democratic Party. We have endorsed both candidates and are looking forward to seeing them turn both districts from 'red to blue' in May," said DFLA Executive Director Kristen Day.
Pro-life Democrats gradually decreased in the Democratic Caucus post Roe v. Wade. But pro-life Democrats are on the rise after major victories in the 2006 elections. For the first time in decades the number of pro-life Democrats in the House and Senate increased instead of decreased.
"This is an exciting time for pro-life Democrats because we're working to protect women and children by reducing the abortion rate," said Kristen Day, Executive Director of Democrats For Life of America. "We have worked with our Party to send more Democrats to Congress and advance a serious public agenda that both pro-life and pro-choice Democrats and Republicans can embrace."
Victories in the special elections in Louisiana and Mississippi could give pro-life Democrats a stronger voice and more influence over the 2008 Democratic Party Platform. Additionally, the Reverend Tony Campolo, author and evangelical leader, has been appointed to the Platform Committee and has vowed to represent pro-lifers "to the highest members of the Democratic Party."
"Some have called our goal for a more moderate platform not realistic or window dressing," said Day. "I call it wishful thinking on their part. A united Democratic Party with a pro-life or neutral position on abortion will be unstoppable."
Christian Newswire
WASHINGTON, May 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- Two pro-life Democrats are poised to go to Washington in the next 30 days. Special elections will be held in Louisiana on May 3rd and in Mississippi on May 13th.
Pro-life Democrat Don Cazayoux will be on the ballot Saturday in Louisiana and Travis Childers in Mississippi on May 13th.
"When pro-life Democrats win, we expand the big tent of the Democratic Party. We have endorsed both candidates and are looking forward to seeing them turn both districts from 'red to blue' in May," said DFLA Executive Director Kristen Day.
Pro-life Democrats gradually decreased in the Democratic Caucus post Roe v. Wade. But pro-life Democrats are on the rise after major victories in the 2006 elections. For the first time in decades the number of pro-life Democrats in the House and Senate increased instead of decreased.
"This is an exciting time for pro-life Democrats because we're working to protect women and children by reducing the abortion rate," said Kristen Day, Executive Director of Democrats For Life of America. "We have worked with our Party to send more Democrats to Congress and advance a serious public agenda that both pro-life and pro-choice Democrats and Republicans can embrace."
Victories in the special elections in Louisiana and Mississippi could give pro-life Democrats a stronger voice and more influence over the 2008 Democratic Party Platform. Additionally, the Reverend Tony Campolo, author and evangelical leader, has been appointed to the Platform Committee and has vowed to represent pro-lifers "to the highest members of the Democratic Party."
"Some have called our goal for a more moderate platform not realistic or window dressing," said Day. "I call it wishful thinking on their part. A united Democratic Party with a pro-life or neutral position on abortion will be unstoppable."
Christian Newswire
Thursday, May 01, 2008
No Ordinary Funeral
STATEN ISLAND, Ny., May 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, called upon all of the nation's Catholic priests today to offer a Mass within the next few days for the "Hodari babies," a group of aborted children who were discovered over the last two months in the trash dumpster at Woman Care abortion clinic on Southfield Road in Lathrup Village, Michigan. Through the efforts of Citizens for a Pro-life Society, there will be a funeral Mass celebrated this Saturday, May 3, by Bishop John Quinn of Detroit, and the babies will then be buried.
"This is not the first time that my friend Monica Miller has organized such a work of mercy for discarded children like this," Fr. Pavone stated. "Her work spans the last couple of decades, and it has been my honor to participate with her in similar funeral services in the past."
"This Saturday's service is no ordinary funeral. There are still too many of our fellow citizens who don't even acknowledge that the people who will be buried this Saturday are people at all. To mourn their deaths publicly, therefore, is not just to honor them, but to sound a wake-up call to our nation that we are living amidst the biggest holocaust of all time. That is why I call upon my brother priests nationwide to bring to the attention of their congregations this weekend that children are being buried who were brutally, legally killed, and that the killing has to end," Fr. Pavone concluded.
Priests for Life has posted photos of some of the babies who will be buried. See www.priestsforlife.org/images. For more info, see www.ProLifeSociety.org
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro- life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.
Christian Newswire
"This is not the first time that my friend Monica Miller has organized such a work of mercy for discarded children like this," Fr. Pavone stated. "Her work spans the last couple of decades, and it has been my honor to participate with her in similar funeral services in the past."
"This Saturday's service is no ordinary funeral. There are still too many of our fellow citizens who don't even acknowledge that the people who will be buried this Saturday are people at all. To mourn their deaths publicly, therefore, is not just to honor them, but to sound a wake-up call to our nation that we are living amidst the biggest holocaust of all time. That is why I call upon my brother priests nationwide to bring to the attention of their congregations this weekend that children are being buried who were brutally, legally killed, and that the killing has to end," Fr. Pavone concluded.
Priests for Life has posted photos of some of the babies who will be buried. See www.priestsforlife.org/images. For more info, see www.ProLifeSociety.org
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro- life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.
Christian Newswire
Remarks by the President on the National Day of Prayer
WASHINGTON, May 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following text is of remarks by President Bush on the National Day of Prayer:
East Room
10:12 A.M.
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Welcome to the White House. And I am honored to join you for the National Day of Prayer.
I'm sorry Laura is not here -- she's out selling her book. (Laughter.)
Shirley, thank you very much for being the Chairman of the National Day of Prayer. Glad you brought old Jim with you. (Laughter.) Dr. Zacharias, thank you for being the Honorary Chairman. I appreciate the members of my Cabinet who are here today, thank you all for coming. It's good to see members of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. Appreciate you all taking time out of your busy schedule to come by. It's always good to be with you.
I want to thank our military chaplains who are with us. Thank you for doing the Lord's work with our troops. I'm proud to have prayer leaders here. Rabbi Fishman, thank you, it's good to see you again, sir. Father Coughlin, from the United States House of Representatives, it's good to see you, sir. I want to thank Pastor Mays, who will be following me here shortly, for coming. I'm looking forward to hearing the choir of Saint Patrick's Cathedral, New York City, New York. It's going to be a great moment to have this East Room filled with the joy of song. So I welcome them here today.
On this day, Americans come together to thank our Creator for our nation's many blessings. We are a blessed nation. And on this day, we celebrate our freedoms, particularly the freedom to pray in public and the great diversity of faith found in America. I love being the President of a country where people feel free to worship as they see fit. And I remind our fellow citizens, if you choose to worship or not worship, and no matter how you worship, we're all equally American. (Applause.)
I think one of the interesting things about a National Day of Prayer is it does help describe our nation's character to others. We are a prayerful nation. A lot of citizens draw comfort from prayer. Prayer is an important part of the lives of millions of Americans. And it's interesting, when you think about our faith you can find it in the Pledge of Allegiance, you can find an expression of American faith in the Declaration of Independence, and you can find it in the coins in our pockets. I used to carry coins -- (laughter) -- in about 10 months I'll be carrying them again. (Laughter and applause.)
The fidelity to faith has been present in our nation's leaders from its very start. Upon assuming the presidency, George Washington took the oath of office and then added the famous plea, "So help me God." On John Adams's first day in the White House, he wrote a prayer that is now etched in marble on the fireplace in the State Dining Room, and he prayed, "May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof." Now we'll leave it to the historians to judge whether or not that happened throughout our history. (Laughter.)
During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln turned to prayer. His second Inaugural Address quoted from Scripture. He stood before the United States people and quoted from Scripture. And he sought to heal a people who "read the same Bible and prayed to the same God" -- his words.
As William McKinley lay dying from an assassin's bullet, one of his final words on earth focused on the Almighty. On his deathbed he was heard to say, "Nearer, my God to thee."
As American forces risked their lives on D-Day, Franklin Roosevelt delivered a presidential prayer over the radio. He asked God to protect our troops as they liberated "a suffering humanity" and he prayed for "a peace that will let all men live in freedom." When Roosevelt died, his successor, Harry Truman, said he "felt like the moon, the stars and all the planets" had fallen on him. And he told reporters: "Boys, if you ever pray, pray for me now."
John F. Kennedy attended mass in Florida during the last week of his presidency, and during the last week of his life. It was at that mass that he heard the parable where our Lord compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed that grew into a large tree and offered shelter to God's creatures.
Three days after the worst terrorist attack on American soil, Laura and I joined our fellow citizens in prayer before the Lord. It was in the middle hour of our grief. We prayed for those who were missing. We prayed for the dead. We prayed for those who loved them. I recalled the words of a woman from New York, who said, "I prayed to God to give us a sign that He is still here."
Well, sometimes God's signs are not always the ones we look for. And we learn in tragedy that His purposes are not always our own. But we also know that in adversity we can find comfort through prayer.
Over the last seven years, our country has faced many trials. And time and time again we have turned to prayer and found strength and resilience. We prayed with those who've lost everything in natural disasters, and helped them heal and recover and build. We prayed for our brave and brilliant troops who died on the field of battle. We lift up their families in prayer. And as we pray for God's continued blessings on our country, I think it makes sense to hope that one day there may be a International Day of Prayer, that one day the national -- (applause.) It will be a chance for people of faith around the world to stop at the same time to pause to praise an Almighty. It will be a time when we could prayer together for a world that sees the promise of the Psalms made real: "Your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth."
I want to thank you all for coming. Particularly want to thank you for your prayers. You know, somebody asked me one time, when I was there over seeing the Sea of Galilee, they said, what did you think about what you were there, Mr. President? I said I have finally understood the story of the calm on the rough seas. I may have been a little hardheaded at times, but I'm absolutely convinced it was the prayers of the people who helped me understood in turbulence you can find calm and strength. And I thank you for those prayers. (Applause.)
END 10:20 A.M. EDT
Christian Newswire
East Room
10:12 A.M.
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Welcome to the White House. And I am honored to join you for the National Day of Prayer.
I'm sorry Laura is not here -- she's out selling her book. (Laughter.)
Shirley, thank you very much for being the Chairman of the National Day of Prayer. Glad you brought old Jim with you. (Laughter.) Dr. Zacharias, thank you for being the Honorary Chairman. I appreciate the members of my Cabinet who are here today, thank you all for coming. It's good to see members of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. Appreciate you all taking time out of your busy schedule to come by. It's always good to be with you.
I want to thank our military chaplains who are with us. Thank you for doing the Lord's work with our troops. I'm proud to have prayer leaders here. Rabbi Fishman, thank you, it's good to see you again, sir. Father Coughlin, from the United States House of Representatives, it's good to see you, sir. I want to thank Pastor Mays, who will be following me here shortly, for coming. I'm looking forward to hearing the choir of Saint Patrick's Cathedral, New York City, New York. It's going to be a great moment to have this East Room filled with the joy of song. So I welcome them here today.
On this day, Americans come together to thank our Creator for our nation's many blessings. We are a blessed nation. And on this day, we celebrate our freedoms, particularly the freedom to pray in public and the great diversity of faith found in America. I love being the President of a country where people feel free to worship as they see fit. And I remind our fellow citizens, if you choose to worship or not worship, and no matter how you worship, we're all equally American. (Applause.)
I think one of the interesting things about a National Day of Prayer is it does help describe our nation's character to others. We are a prayerful nation. A lot of citizens draw comfort from prayer. Prayer is an important part of the lives of millions of Americans. And it's interesting, when you think about our faith you can find it in the Pledge of Allegiance, you can find an expression of American faith in the Declaration of Independence, and you can find it in the coins in our pockets. I used to carry coins -- (laughter) -- in about 10 months I'll be carrying them again. (Laughter and applause.)
The fidelity to faith has been present in our nation's leaders from its very start. Upon assuming the presidency, George Washington took the oath of office and then added the famous plea, "So help me God." On John Adams's first day in the White House, he wrote a prayer that is now etched in marble on the fireplace in the State Dining Room, and he prayed, "May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof." Now we'll leave it to the historians to judge whether or not that happened throughout our history. (Laughter.)
During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln turned to prayer. His second Inaugural Address quoted from Scripture. He stood before the United States people and quoted from Scripture. And he sought to heal a people who "read the same Bible and prayed to the same God" -- his words.
As William McKinley lay dying from an assassin's bullet, one of his final words on earth focused on the Almighty. On his deathbed he was heard to say, "Nearer, my God to thee."
As American forces risked their lives on D-Day, Franklin Roosevelt delivered a presidential prayer over the radio. He asked God to protect our troops as they liberated "a suffering humanity" and he prayed for "a peace that will let all men live in freedom." When Roosevelt died, his successor, Harry Truman, said he "felt like the moon, the stars and all the planets" had fallen on him. And he told reporters: "Boys, if you ever pray, pray for me now."
John F. Kennedy attended mass in Florida during the last week of his presidency, and during the last week of his life. It was at that mass that he heard the parable where our Lord compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed that grew into a large tree and offered shelter to God's creatures.
Three days after the worst terrorist attack on American soil, Laura and I joined our fellow citizens in prayer before the Lord. It was in the middle hour of our grief. We prayed for those who were missing. We prayed for the dead. We prayed for those who loved them. I recalled the words of a woman from New York, who said, "I prayed to God to give us a sign that He is still here."
Well, sometimes God's signs are not always the ones we look for. And we learn in tragedy that His purposes are not always our own. But we also know that in adversity we can find comfort through prayer.
Over the last seven years, our country has faced many trials. And time and time again we have turned to prayer and found strength and resilience. We prayed with those who've lost everything in natural disasters, and helped them heal and recover and build. We prayed for our brave and brilliant troops who died on the field of battle. We lift up their families in prayer. And as we pray for God's continued blessings on our country, I think it makes sense to hope that one day there may be a International Day of Prayer, that one day the national -- (applause.) It will be a chance for people of faith around the world to stop at the same time to pause to praise an Almighty. It will be a time when we could prayer together for a world that sees the promise of the Psalms made real: "Your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth."
I want to thank you all for coming. Particularly want to thank you for your prayers. You know, somebody asked me one time, when I was there over seeing the Sea of Galilee, they said, what did you think about what you were there, Mr. President? I said I have finally understood the story of the calm on the rough seas. I may have been a little hardheaded at times, but I'm absolutely convinced it was the prayers of the people who helped me understood in turbulence you can find calm and strength. And I thank you for those prayers. (Applause.)
END 10:20 A.M. EDT
Christian Newswire
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