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Another deadly clash at Gaza.

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Deadly clashes broke out after Israeli tanks drove into Gaza and launched a ground operation that further escalates the conflict with Hamas.

The military is prepared to widen the offensive, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday.

He told a Cabinet meeting that he instructed the Israel Defense Forces to “prepare for the possibility of a significant expansion of the ground operation.”

The incursion Thursday night follows 10 days of Israeli bombardment of Gaza that has killed more than 250 people. Israel launched the ongoing aerial offensive last week, saying it aimed to halt the firing of Hamas rockets from Gaza into Israel.

“Our forces launched a ground operation in order to destroy tunnels penetrating into Israel from the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said.

Thirteen Hamas militants had used a tunnel Thursday to launch an attempted attack in Sufa, near an Israeli kibbutz, but were stopped by Israeli soldiers, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The IDF said it had sent a “large” force into Gaza that includes infantry, tanks, artillery, combat engineers and intelligence units, with aerial and naval support.

Ramez al Madhoun, a resident of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, told CNN by phone that people were streaming past his house Thursday night to flee the Israeli offensive.

As blasts from airstrikes and artillery barrages went off in the background, Al Madhoun said that he and his family of about 20 people were staying put.

“My father is 78 years old — where am i supposed to go?” he asked. “We are a sitting duck.”

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked Mark Regev, Netanyahu’s spokesman, whether Israel planned to occupy Gaza for a long time.

Regev didn’t answer directly, but said Israel’s goals are to “diminish” the Hamas military force and to show that it cannot attack Israel with impunity.

Hamas warns of ‘heavy price’

Hamas immediately condemned the Israeli offensive. The militant group’s spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told CNN that “the beginning of the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza is a dangerous step with unknown consequences. Israel will pay a heavy price for it.”

Jordan called for an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council following the Israeli incursion. The timing and format of the meeting, which was expected to take place Friday, wasn’t immediately clear.

In an appearance on Aqsa TV, Barhoum said, “the resistance will confront the Israeli ground invasion and will defend the people of Gaza.”

Earlier this week, Hamas rejected an Egyptian cease-fire proposal that Israel accepted and observed for around six hours.

Barhoum said Hamas military forces are “far stronger” than during previous conflicts with Israel in 2009 and 2012. Militants are prepared to capture Israel soldiers and use them to trade for some of the 5,000 prisoners in Israeli jails, Barhoum said.

The IDF said early Friday that one Israeli soldier was killed overnight in northern Gaza. It said it had killed “some 14 terrorists in several exchanges of fire.”

The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 260 people have been killed and more than 2,000 injured in the territory since Israel began its aerial campaign against Hamas last week. Twenty-four of the deaths occurred since the ground offensive started late Thursday, the ministry said.

Most of the casualties in Gaza have been civilians, according to the United Nations.

Before the soldier’s death, Israeli authorities had reported that one civilian had been killed during the conflict.

‘Hit Hamas hard’

“We have hit Hamas hard, and we will continue to hit Hamas hard,” the IDF tweeted at the start of the ground operation. It called up an extra 18,000 reservists into its ranks.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with Netanyahu after the offensive began, expressing the view that it “should be a precise operation to target tunnels,” the State Department said in a statement.

Kerry “emphasized the need to avoid further escalation” and reiterated “the importance of doing everything possible to prevent civilian casualties,” the statement said.

Palestinian security sources said overnight that Israeli tanks had reached Abu Holeh, roughly in the center of Gaza, and that Israeli troops were clashing with Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters along the Kissufim road.

If Israeli forces go from there to the sea, they could split Gaza as they did during their 2009 ground operation in the territory.

Before the incursion, the IDF dropped leaflets in 14 areas of Gaza, urging residents to temporarily leave their homes. Many residents of Gaza have said they have nowhere to flee in the small, impoverished strip of land.

“Since the Israelis started this 11 days ago, they have been telling us to leave. Where our we supposed to go — to the Gaza Sheraton? Or take a hike in the forest?” said Al Madhoun, the resident of northern Gaza.

“We urgently appeal for restraint so that civilians who have suffered enough in this appalling conflict do not suffer further,” Chris Gunness, spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, said in a statement.

The U.N. agency said it is sheltering about 22,000 people in Gaza City and northern Gaza.

Violence reignites after brief halt

The ground operation, which Israeli officials had been threatening for days, followed one of the worst evenings of violence since the war began. The fighting flared after a temporary cease-fire, requested by the United Nations for humanitarian purposes, ended earlier in the day.

The Gaza Health Ministry said seven children were killed in three hours on Thursday, adding to a growing toll.

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said Israeli bombs hit Wafa Hospital in Gaza while four patients were inside. Seventeen others had evacuated, he said.

Explosions continued to illuminate the sky over Gaza. Rockets screeched into the sky toward Israel. Red tracer rounds flew across the horizon. The repetitive thud of naval guns echoed across the territory.

Talks in Egypt

Before Israel launched its ground offensive, officials from around the region had held talks in Cairo about cease-fire proposals.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Al-Arabi. An Israeli delegation also attended, leaving after several hours, the state-run al-Ahram news agency reported.

“I expect that we will reach an agreement very soon; the efforts of a cease-fire is to stop the bloodshed, killing and destruction in Gaza,” said Nabil Shaath, an Abbas adviser and member of the central committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

He said negotiators were focusing on stopping bloodshed above all else. He said they would later discuss Hamas demands, including opening Gaza border crossings and freeing prisoners whose exit from jail was negotiated in exchange for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

“These are all legitimate demands by Hamas, but the priority is for an immediate cease-fire,” Shaath said.

Hamas leaders had rejected an earlier Egyptian cease-fire proposal, saying they had not been consulted on the deal and complaining that it did not address their broader demands.

Egypt is playing a large role in the talks despite its distrust of Hamas.

Like Israel, Egypt considers Hamas a terror organization because of the group’s roots in the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt’s military-led government banned after the country’s 2013 coup.

The president ousted in that coup, Mohamed Morsy, who was backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, brokered the cease-fire that stopped the 2012 conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Malaysia Aircraft company faces another serious threat.

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Malaysia Aircraft company faces another serious threat.

The loss of a second Boeing 777 in 131 days threatens Malaysia Airlines with another public relations and financial blow as it struggles to overcome industry and consumer fallout after the disappearance of Flight 370…. CNN report. On Thursday, Flight 17 heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed in eastern Ukraine, according to reports from the Russian news agency Interfax. Early speculation centered on the possibility it was shot down at an altitude of more than 30,000 feet. The company confirmed that it lost contact with the flight — coded MH17. Its last known position was over Ukrainian airspace. The plane is said to have crashed in eastern Ukraine near the border with Russia. Russian-backed separatists are fighting the Ukrainian military in the region. As the tragedy unfolds with the obvious potential for significant wreckage and devastating loss of life, the threat to Malaysia Airlines as a company is potentially greater than any single airline disaster, said corporate turnaround expert Ted Gavin, founding partner and managing director of Gavin/Solmonese. “This is a potentially fatal event for that airline, but also it’s an event for them to redeem themselves in how they deal with information and the public,” he said. Missing Flight 370 In the weeks following the disappearance of Flight 370, some family members of passengers were harshly critical of Malaysia Airlines and Malaysian aviation authorities regarding the investigation. Family members accused airline officials of not offering information about how they responded immediately after the plane disappeared. In the months that followed, they expressed distrust of the airline and Malaysia’s government. “The way Malaysia Airlines handled the disappearance of the last jet was a huge hit to confidence,” said Gavin. In the immediate hours following Thursday’s disaster, Gavin said “the airline needs to share every piece of information and every piece of data they have, including the decision making process that led to that plane flying over a recent conflict region.” It also must be unashamed to discuss possible mistakes that were made, said Gavin. “What can’t happen is week-long deliberations where families of crash victims don’t hear from them or don’t know anything.” “Frankly this is an opportunity for them to talk about what they’ve learned and what they’ve done better and what they’ve done differently since Flight 370.” Full story Searchers are apparently no closer to solving the mystery surrounding the Malaysia AIrlines flight which went missing March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew. This month, the airline’s main shareholder was considering restructuring the operation and taking it private, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Journal used the words “turn around” and “resuscitate” to describe the strategy. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak tweeted Thursday that Malaysia is launching an immediate investigation into the loss of Flight 17. In April, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered U.S. airlines to avoid airspace over Crimea, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. It said the region posed the “potential for conflicting air traffic control instructions from Ukrainian and Russian authorities” and the “misidentification of civil aircraft.” It’s unknown if Malaysian aviation officials issued a similar warning. The airline still faces possible lawsuits from family members that could total millions of dollars. Boeing’s twin-engine 777 boasts an excellent safety record and is among the most sophisticated airliners flying today. Its capacity is between 300 and 450 passengers and a range of about 5,700 miles. “There have been bad years for commercial aviation,” Gavin said. “But for one airline to lose two of the same type of airframe in such a short time span? It’s potentially unprecedented for a commercial carrier in the modern aviation age.” Financial troubles Analysts said it may take a government rescue to save the company from financial disaster. Malaysia Airlines has faced increased competition in recent years from new regional airlines. It tried to boost revenue by selling more tickets, rather than raising prices, while keeping operating costs under control. It has also canceled some longer flight routes. But the strategy never took hold, and the difficult business climate has forced the airline into the red for the past three years, leading to a loss of about $1.3 billion over that period. The Malaysian government has helped the largely unprofitable airline before, though its previous efforts seemed only to provide temporary respite

Pope Francis has expressed his ‘Deep Pain and Suffering’ With Priest Sex Abuse Victims; Condemns ‘Sacrilegious Cult’ of Abusers

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Pope Francis has expressed his ‘Deep Pain and Suffering’ With Priest Sex Abuse Victims; Condemns ‘Sacrilegious Cult’ of Abusers … CP Reports

“This is what causes me distress and pain at the fact that some priests and bishops, by sexually abusing minors, violated their innocence and their own priestly vocation. It is something more than despicable actions. It is like a sacrilegious cult, because these boys and girls had been entrusted to the priestly charism in order to be brought to God,” the Roman Catholic Church leader declared.

“And those people sacrificed them to the idol of their own concupiscence. They profane the very image of God in whose likeness we were created. Childhood, as we all know, young hearts, so open and trusting, have their own way of understanding the mysteries of God’s love and are eager to grow in the faith. Today the heart of the Church looks into the eyes of Jesus in these boys and girls and wants to weep; she asks the grace to weep before the execrable acts of abuse which have left lifelong scars.”

Vatican Radio noted that six victims were present for the mass in the Vatican guest house where Pope Francis spoke, and also had the opportunity to speak with him privately.
Earlier in May, a Vatican official revealed during a U.N. Committee hearing that the Catholic Church defrocked 848 priests who raped or molested children and sanctioned another 2,572 others since 2004. The Holy See also showed that it paid $2.5 billion in compensation to victims of clerical abuse in America.

The U.N. has accused the Vatican of not doing enough to tackle sex abuse cases, which have plagued it for decades. The church has defended itself against such accusations, however, insisting that it is punishing priest and bishop abusers.

Francis also established the Commission for the Protection of Children last year as another step toward safeguarding minors in the church.

In his speech on Monday, the pontiff noted that the sex abuse crimes victims have had to suffer through have caused them deep emotional and spiritual pain, which has led to the path of addiction and difficulties in relationships.

“Some have even had to deal with the terrible tragedy of the death of a loved one by suicide. The deaths of these so beloved children of God weigh upon the heart and my conscience and that of the whole church,” he said.

“To these families I express my heartfelt love and sorrow. Jesus, tortured and interrogated with passionate hatred, is taken to another place and he looks out. He looks out upon one of his own, the one who denied him, and he makes him weep. Let us implore this grace together with that of making amends.

Francis also asked for forgiveness on the part of church leaders who did not respond to reports of abuse adequately enough, which, he acknowledged, led to even greater suffering.

“You and all those who were abused by clergy are loved by God. I pray that the remnants of the darkness which touched you may be healed by the embrace of the Child Jesus and that the harm which was done to you will give way to renewed faith and joy,” Francis concluded.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which has often criticized the Vatican for its handling of sex abuse cases, applauded the victims who attended the meeting, but said that the church needs to take more significant action to tackle the problem.

“As he has done for millions over the past year, today Pope Francis seems to have won the hearts of six clergy sex abuse victims with his humble, kind personality. Sadly, however, kids and Catholics need a leader who combines these traits with the toughness to fire complicit church officials,” SNAP President Barbara Blaine wrote on Monday.

“Reparations happen when the violence is over. But this is an on-going crisis. Children are being assaulted by clerics right now. Bishops are concealing these crimes right now. And Francis must take decisive action right now, action to expose and remove clerics who commit and conceal heinous crimes against the most vulnerable,” she added.

India’s Supreme Court Banned Muslims From Forcing Shariah Law on the People of the Land

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India’s Supreme Court Banned Muslims From Forcing Shariah Law on the People of the Land

India’s Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Shariah law cannot be legally forced on citizens who do not wish to have the system applied to them. – CP Reports

Judge C. K. Prasad, who sits on the country’s Supreme Court, explained that Shariah Law system is not legally binding in India.

“No religion is allowed to curb anyone’s fundamental rights,” Prasad said, according to The Associated Press.

Petitioner Vishwa Lochan Madanhad argued that Islamic courts often “wielded considerable influence in Muslim-dominated areas, and people often felt powerless to oppose their rulings,” citing a case where a Muslim woman had been raped by her father-in-law and been subsequently forced by the court to live with the perpetrator. The woman and mother of five children was also told to leave her husband.

Muslim leaders in India expressed their frustration with the ruling and have told their fellow Muslims to continue abiding by Shariah Law.

“This is a malicious propaganda which is going on against religious beliefs,” said Kamal Farooqi, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. “We are for Shariah courts, and we are spreading it all over the country.”

According to the Pew Research Center, after Indonesia, India is home to the world’s second-largest Muslim population, boasting more than 176 million adherents out of its total population of 1.2 billion. Overall, Muslims make up 14.4 percent of the total population.

Earlier this year, the Hindu Narendra Modi was sworn in as prime minister. In the months leading up to his election, Modi had been criticized for the brutal massacre of more than 1,000 Muslims in the state of Gujarat that occurred in 2002 while he served as chief minister of the region. Many claimed that Modi either enabled the attacks or acted insufficiently to halt them, accusations that later led the United States to ban him from entering the country.

According to a Quartz piece from earlier this year, “Since Modi’s political ascendancy has been largely based on a right-wing Hindu nationalist platform, many analysts are questioning the future of 140 million Muslims in India, relegated to second-class citizenship in their own country of birth. Modi came to power on a promise of turning around India’s economy. It’s worth remembering that though Muslims represent the largest religious minority within India (roughly 13% of India’s total population), they are also the demographic which suffers the most in terms of economic disenfranchisement and poverty.”

Earlier this year, Mod called upon the government to streamline its judicial system.

A Christian bakery sued for not making cake for a gay marriage refuses to back down insisting he should be allowed to run his business in line with his beliefs

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A Christian bakery sued for not making cake for a gay marriage refuses to back down insisting he should be allowed to run his business in line with his beliefs

Report according to Daily Mail & Breitbart ….

A who refused to make a cake with a slogan supporting gay marriage insists he will not back down, even if he is taken to court.Ashers Baking Company – based in Northern Ireland and named after a verse in the Bible – has been warned by the Equality Commission that the law does not allow them to turn down an order to bake the cake.

But general manager Daniel McArthur said his company would not be baking the cake under any circumstances, insisting that Christians should be able to apply their beliefs to the day-to-day running of their businesses.
A Christian bakery owner in Belfast is facing legal action after he refused to make a cake with the words “support gay marriage” on it. Ashers Baking Company staff initially accepted the order but when it was reviewed by the owners they decided the cake went against their Christian beliefs, according to the Daily Mail.Ashers Baking Company – based in Northern Ireland and named after a verse in the Bible – has been warned by the Equality Commission that the law does not allow them to turn down an order to bake the cake.

But general manager Daniel McArthur said his company would not be baking the cake under any circumstances, insisting that Christians should be able to apply their beliefs to the day-to-day running of their businesses.

In the past, Christians have been fired for refusing to take part in Civil Partnership ceremonies, or for denying sex therapy but this is thought to be the first time a Christian has been sued for refusing to campaign in favour of gay rights.

The dispute began in May when an activist from QueerSpace ordered a cake from the bakers supporting gay marriage and featuring two characters from Sesame Street. But the family that own the shop decided they were unwilling to make the cake and offered a full refund, this is something they claim to have done before when asked to produce cakes they deemed to be obscene. Due to modern icing methods the cakes could in theory have almost any picture put on them.

Colin and Karen McArthur, and their son Daniel, who is manager, offered the refund because they took the view production of the cake was contrary to their beliefs. Mr McArthur said: “I would like the outcome of this to be that any Christians running a business could be allowed to follow their Christian beliefs and principles in the day-to-day running of the business and that they are allowed to make decisions based on that.”

He has said that he will not back down whatever the legal threats, but the government-funded Equality Commission’s Northern Ireland branch, has now warned him that they now face a legal claim.

A letter from the Commission said: “We have advised Mr Lee that you have acted unlawfully and contrary to Regulation Five of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 which prohibits discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services to a person seeking or obtaining to use those goods, facilities or services on the grounds of sexual orientation.” It said county court proceedings would start within seven days of the letter.

If Ashers Bakery is successfully sued it will establish a precedence that businesses must produce campaign material for causes even if they disagree with them if it can be proved to be related to gender, sexuality or religion.

The legal duty to produce campaign material for a group you strong disagree with is likely to be fought all the way to the Supreme Court.

No renewal of the Church without renewal of prayer’ – Archbishop in South Africa

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No renewal of the Church without renewal of prayer’ – Archbishop in South Africa

Report by Bellah Zulu of ACNS from Johannesburg

In an address to the Anglicans Ablaze conference in Brynston yesterday, Archbishop Justin spoke of the importance of reconciliation and the renewal of prayer. Listen to the talk below.

The Archbishop urged Christians to commit to the disciplines of prayer and of spending time in “contemplation and wonder”, saying “there has never been a renewal of the Church without the renewal of prayer.”

Listen to the Archbishop’s talk – from www.archbishopofcanterbury.org

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has called on Christians to the disciplines of prayer and spending time in “contemplation and wonder” saying “there has never been a renewal of the Church without the renewal of prayer.”

The spiritual leader of the world’s 85 million Anglicans made the call yesterday during his keynote address to delegates at the Anglicans Ablaze conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“Jesus calls us ‘the light of the world’ but our internal issues make us hide the light under a cover,” he said. “However, prayer changes us and the closer we are to the Light the more we change.” Archbishop Welby referred the delegates to the many instances in history and Scripture when prayer changed people and drew them into communion with God and others.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby

Reconciliation is complicated, fragile

Archbishop Welby also talked about the need for reconciliation in the world. “Reconciliation is a complicated, fragile product and it takes time,” he explained. “The mistake is to ignore it. It’s like a bicycle, when you stop riding, it will fall.”

“Are we going to be like a political party in the Church by excluding those that disagree with us?” he asked. He explained that the Church does not have the luxury of throwing out people with whom it disagrees. He challenged the Southern Africa Church to be a beacon of hope on diversity and many other issues in the church.

“The Anglican Church is building bridges and it seems building bridges is one of the charisms of Anglicans,” he said. He warned of a storm that brewing in some parts of the world that was already raging in others and said “Anglicans are the beacons of hope in this storm.”

The Anglican challenge: Be ourselves reconciled

During a Q & A session moderated by Bishop Peter Lee of the Diocese of Christ the King in Johannesburg, Archbishop Welby addressed the various issues affecting the Church today. “The first challenge is to be ourselves reconciled,” he said. “We have to learn to find a way of the Communion holding together.”

“The gap between poverty and wealth is another of the biggest challenges in the Communion and not just the issues of sexuality,” he added. The Archbishop expressed his love for Africa and the Church there, explaining that it was where he met Christ back in the 70s.

Archbishops remember

Archbishop Justin’s programme for his time in South Africa included a visit to Alexandra, one of the oldest – mainly black and poor – townships located close to the wealthy area of Sandton.

While there he held a service at St Michael and All Angels Parish before leading a walk of witness to a small one-roomed house in the heart of the township where Nelson Mandela first lived when he moved to Johannesburg in 1941.

Connecting with young Anglicans

During a special session with young people at the Anglicans Ablazeconference centre, Archbishop Welby washed the feet of twelve young people; an act which made a number of participants shed tears. He referred to Jesus’ teaching that whoever wants to become a leader must become the servant of all.

Some of the young people expressed their gratitude to the Archbishop for his visit and for his interaction with them.

Nkanyiso Radebe is a young Anglican from Christ Church Mayfair Parish in Johannesburg. He said, “The session with the Archbishop Canterbury touched me very much because he has a way of connecting with the youths. However the washing of feet is what was most touching and such a huge step and example to us.”

One of those who had their feet washed was Mhleli Makabongwe. She is a young leader and a passionate Anglican from the Diocese of Natal who is involved in various ministries in her church including evangelism and helping to train servers.

Describing what she likes about the conference Miss Makabongwe said, “There are more programmes and activities in this conference than the last. I especially love the praise and worship and the attendance. But what has challenged me the most are the discipleship sessions because [discipleship] helps lay the foundation for building a church.”

Archbishop Welby’s visit to Southern Africa is part of his commitment to meet all Anglican Communion Primates. He came to South Africa from Zambia where he met with the Primate of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, the Most Revd Albert Chama, and is going on to Mauritius to meet Archbishop Ian Ernest, the Primate of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean.

Justin Welby on Homosexuality

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Reported by CT …image by Instinct Magzine

Homosexuality acted as a “lightning conductor” in the power struggle between evangelicals and liberals for dominance in the Church of England, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

Some of the quotes are drawn by Atherstone from a conversation recorded a decade ago when the Archbishop was a canon at Coventry Cathedral but were only made public today. Others come from an earlier speech at a New Wine conference. According to the biography, the future Archbishop asked: “How can we go around the world trying to talk about reconciliation…when we don’t live it out in our own community?”

Some at the cathedral did not want to invite evangelicals to preach, “because they’re homophobic European versions of the Taliban,” he is quoted as saying in a new biography out this week. Others refused liberals, “because they don’t preach the gospel.”

Welby was of the opinion that “we’re going to have to take some risks if the cathedral community is going to find a safe place to work out its issues in a reconciled way, not with conflict.”

In the recording of the conversation, he made his own position clear, that “sexual practice is for marriage, and marriage is between men and women, and that’s the biblical position.” Such a view was pastorally difficult, he admitted, “but it’s what the Bible says.”

Archbishop Welby was a canon at Coventry cathedral, a pioneer in the work of reconciliation and conflict resolution, from 2002 to 2007.

The exclusive account was of a “shared conversation” between Archbishop Welby and Canon Adrian Daffern, his friend and then precentor of Coventry cathedral, in 2004.

Details are published for the first time this week in Andrew Atherstone’s new biography, Archbishop Justin Welby: Risk-taker and Reconciler (DLT).

The debate models the “free and friendly” exchange of views the Archbishop has in mind as the Church of England published a new paper on dealing with the conflict over sexuality in advance of next month’s General Synod in York, according to Atherstone.

The recording only came to light during the writing of the new biography. Atherstone admits the Archbishop says some “remarkable things”.

Dr Jeffrey John

It came soon after Dr Jeffrey John, a vocal advocate for the blessing of same-sex unions, was nominated in May 2003 as the new Bishop of Reading. He was then forced to stand down by the then Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams after protests from evangelicals.

Atherstone writes: “The Jeffrey John Affair of 2003 created ripples at the cathedral, where a significant number of the congregation were gay. The appointment was greeted with furore. Protest letters rained down, bishops broke ranks and the secular press had a field day. After seven weeks of mounting pressure from across the Anglican Communion, and amidst mutual recriminations, John was forced by his friend Archbishop Rowan Williams to withdraw his acceptance of the position. ”

In the recording, Archbishop Welby says the question of right and wrong in the Jeffrey John affair “matters enormously…truth is essential.”

Nonetheless, he was perturbed at the manner in which John’s nomination as a bishop was debated by the Church: “The public arguing through the columns of the Times, the Telegraph and over the BBC has not helped evangelism… I’m not saying that the issue isn’t important, it’s just not the right way of doing it.”

He said that whatever people might think about the principles at stake, “it cannot be right that the secular press is a substitute for dialogue between Christians, a vitriolic go-between that makes our communication with other people who follow Christ more difficult not more easy.”

The “open conversation” took place during a Sunday evening service in January 2004.

The future Archbishop said that in his former parish, Southam, he had only preached once about sex in seven years, “so it’s not an obsession… Can the church actually talk about anything else?… There are plenty of other sins that matter… There are a lot of serious issues which, in the words of the New Testament, quench the Holy Spirit of God, which we tend to overlook.”

Speaking from “an evangelical tradition”, the key issue for Welby was the authority of Scripture. He acknowledged that sometimes the Church had been captive to non-Christian views, foolishly trying to defend slavery or apartheid from the Bible, for example. Nevertheless, he observed that in the great periods of renewal in Christian history, the call was always “back to the Bible”.

He said: “The Bible is actually clear that homosexual practice is not permitted, is against the will of God.”

Daffern gave the example of a gay couple, friends whom he had introduced to each other, one of them an Anglican clergyman in a parish in south London which was “on any measure blessed by God, a most remarkable ministry, with a thriving church, with amazing things going with young people and the community, and with a passionate, passionate commitment to evangelism, to the gospel of Jesus, and yet they are gay.”

Canon Welby was not convinced by this argument from fruitfulness, and replied that he was increasingly conscious that “if the success of my ministry depended on my own good behaviour, I would be a total and complete failure from beginning to end, and nothing would have ever happened at any time in my ministry. The fact is that God’s grace works despite human failure and that therefore, it seems to me, to look at a ministry and say ‘that’s very successful’, tells us wonderful things about God’s grace but not necessarily wonderful things about the ministers – it may very often, but it doesn’t necessarily. It doesn’t follow that because the ministry’s a success, the ministers are good.”

According to Atherstone, this was the inverse of his subsequent controversial aphorism as Archbishop of Canterbury that “where you have a good vicar you will find growing churches.” A good vicar might mean a growing church, but according to Canon Welby a growing church did not necessarily mean a good vicar.

He continued: “Pastorally I would love to say, ‘It’s fine’…. I know gay Christian couples who I respect hugely for their spirituality, and in many ways consider infinitely better people than I am – but what I’ve also discovered in my life since I was a Christian, despite some real failures of the most desperate kind, is that God knows best… God speaks through Scripture, and if we follow what Scripture says that is the best love that there is. And although we constantly fail to do that, if we at any point say, ‘Well, in this particular area, actually because of more recent understandings or whatever, we’re going to do something different’, that pastorally, however we feel, however hard it is – and I can’t begin to describe how difficult it is to say this – however hard it is, we will be letting down the people that we are dealing with pastorally, because God knows best and the Scripture in the end is clear.”

He spoke not only of the pain of gay people within the Coventry Cathedral community, but also the pain experienced by conservative Anglicans in Africa. For example he had attended an ordination service in Nigeria in the summer of 2003 at which the bishop described developments among Anglicans in North America and the United Kingdom. Canon Welby remembered: “I’ve never heard 2,000 people groan in pain before. There was a gasp.” Speaking to his own cathedral congregation he concluded: “I see and I feel the pain of fellow members of this community. But I come back to the fact that I believe at the bottom of my heart that what the Bible says is true…genital sex between people of the same gender is not permitted by Scripture.”

Canon Daffern said: “It’s a wonderful thing in this cathedral that we have a team of clergy who are passionate about their love for Jesus, and their longing to see this place be alive for God, and yet within the team we have our differences on some issues. And I think that makes us stronger not weaker, because we stay together, we pray together, we study Scripture together, we love each other… It’s amazing what God is doing in us.”

Elton John Believes Jesus Would Support Gay Marriages

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Elton John Believes Jesus Would Support Gay Marriages

— Report by CP Reporter
British musician Sir Elton John has said in an interview that he believes Jesus Christ would approve of gay marriages, and shared his admiration for the work Pope Francis has done so far, calling him “wonderful.”

John’s comments come days after the Vatican released a major new document speaking out against unjust discrimination against gay people but affirming traditional teachings on marriage, a viewpoint that Francis has supported.

“These are old and stupid things. If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him, as the Christian person that he was and the great person that he was, saying this could not happen,” John told Sky News on Sunday, speaking out against Church of England rules banning gay clergy from getting married.

“He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together and that’s what the church should be about.”

John, who is planning on marrying his partner David Furnish next year in what he says will be a low-key wedding, added that Pope Francis is a “wonderful” man who has done a lot to push for tolerance and humility.
“The new Pope has been wonderful, he’s excited me so much,” the musician said.

“He’s stripped it (the Church) down to the bare bones and said it’s all basically about love.”
But last week’s Instrumentum Laboris, a report resulting from the pope’s call in October 2013 for Roman Catholic bishops around the world to convene and discuss matters of family and the Christian faith, said that the Church finds same-sex marriages to be incompatible with the faith.

“On unions of persons of the same sex, the responses of the bishops’ conferences refer to Church teaching. ‘There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family. […] Nonetheless, according to the teaching of the Church, men and women with homosexual tendencies ‘must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided,'” the lengthy document reads.
It added that every bishops’ conference has spoken out against redefining marriage between a man and a woman.

Pope Francis said in a September 2013 interview about homosexuality: “The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.”
He added that the Catholic Church’s catechism condemns homosexual acts, but called on the Church to love gays and lesbians, who “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity.”
John has long been campaigning for gay rights issues, and back in January spoke out against Russia’s controversial law that seek to protect children from gay “propaganda” ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games that were held in Sochi.

“Whatever the intention of Russia’s homosexuality and paedophilia propaganda laws, I am absolutely clear from my own personal experience that it is proving deeply dangerous to the LGBT community and deeply divisive to Russian society,” John wrote in a blog post, and added that he would like the opportunity to speak with President Vladimir Putin the next time he visits Russia.
“I will see Putin and talk to him – I don’t know what good it will do though,” the musician told Sky News about a planned meeting in November with Putin, who has shared of his admiration for the singer and said that millions of Russians loved John “despite his orientation.”

Last July, John again praised Francis after the pope was named “Man of the Year” by the Italian edition of pop-culture magazine Vanity Fair.
“Francis is a miracle of humility in the era of vanity,” John wrote for the magazine. He added that he hopes that the pope will be able to bring his message “to the most marginalized in society, to those communities which, at this time of their lives, they desperately need your love.”

Rolf Harris sentence to prison for several abuse cases

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Rolf Harris sentence to prison for several abuse cases

Report & Picture by mail.com | AP
LONDON (AP) — Television entertainer Rolf Harris, who for decades cultivated an image of the affectionate uncle with numerous children’s television programs, was sentenced Friday to five years and nine months in prison for a string of abuses against young girls.
Judge Nigel Sweeney told London’s Southwark Crown Court that the performer, a fixture on British and Australian screens for years, had abused the trust of millions. Ignoring the appeals of Harris’ attorney that the trial had punished him enough, Sweeney ruled that he must spend time behind bars for the 12 counts of abuse that took place from the 1960s to the 1980s.
“You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all,” Sweeney said. “Your reputation lies in ruins, you have been stripped of your honors. But you have no one to blame but yourself.” The sentence was a spectacular fall from grace for the Australian-born celebrity who had been well respected in both countries.
He was granted the privilege of painting an official portrait for Queen Elizabeth II for her 80th birthday, and performed at the monarch’s Diamond Jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace in 2012. His conviction follows investigations into sex abuse allegations from decades ago against a number of British celebrities, including the late BBC TV host Jimmy Savile, who was a friend of Harris. After he died in 2011, police determined Savile had molested hundreds of young people.
Wearing a colorful tie, Harris smiled briefly but did not respond to reporters shouting questions about whether he had anything to say to his victims. Once in court, prosecutors read out statements by victims, including one describing how the attacks made her feel “dirty, grubby and disgusting.”
“The knowledge of what he had done to me haunted me,” the statement said. “However, his popularity with the British public made it harder for me to deal with.” Harris was accompanied in court by his daughter Bindi, whose friend was one of his victims.
Harris’ sentence prompted at least 12 new allegations against him to emerge, according to the law firm Slater & Gordon.

Pastor Perry Noble Confesses: I Almost Walked Away From Ministry Because of Porn, Doubted My Salvation

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Pastor Perry Noble Confesses: I Almost Walked Away From Ministry Because of Porn, Doubted My Salvation

Reports from Christian Post …
Pastor Perry Noble doubted his salvation after getting addicted to porn, which began at the age of 14. However, he found ways to get over his lustful obsession after realizing that he was doomed to ruin his marriage and ministry if he continued to feed his flesh’s desire.
In a guest blog post for XXXChurch.com, Noble, who leads NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina, admitted that he did not consider porn to be a big deal at first, but now he realizes how big a deal it is.
“Porn was my ‘secret sin’ no one knew about. The struggle was real and emotionally and spiritually intense,” writes Noble. “I doubted my salvation, I almost walked away from the ministry, I thought that God hated me…I just could not get control of the addiction.”
As surprising as it is for a megachurch pastor to admit such addiction, porn remains a prevalent issue within the church and it is a topic that rarely gets addressed. According to porn watchdog organization Covenant Eyes, 50 percent of Christian men and 20 percent of Christian women say they are addicted to porn. What is more surprising according to their statistics is that 91 percent of self-identified fundamentalists are more likely to watch porn than regular church attendees.
Although some Christians will admit to viewing porn, 75 percent of pastors who have the addiction do not make themselves accountable to anyone for their internet use, which was the first step Noble took to overcome his addiction.
“Ask for accountability. I am challenging you to find someone who does not struggle with the problem…and ask them to get in your face,” writes Noble.

To this day, day, Noble notes that one of his best friends and teaching pastor at NewSpring, Clayton King, helps to keep him accountable. He writes that the two made a pact that if either of them watches porn, they have to write the other person a check for $1,000. Although it might not work for everyone, Noble says there have been times when he has been tempted but stops when he thinks about his checkbook.
Furthermore, he suggests staying away from the internet completely in order to avoid falling into temptation.
“Jesus said if your right eye causes you to sin then gouge it out so I don’t think it is a stretch to say if your computer causes you to sin then get rid of it,” writes Noble. ” … For about five years, I did not have the internet in my house because I did not trust myself…”
When it comes to accountability, men should not travel alone, urges Noble. He emphasizes that especially those who serve in ministry should continue to be held liable because temptation is oftentimes “a big deal” when travelling.
Since porn use thrives in privacy, church members who are addicted do not find the help they need because of their shame. However, Noble says an important step to overcome addiction for married men is to tell their spouses.
“I told Lucretia about my struggles before we were married and she still prays for me and holds me accountable today,” writes Noble. “This will hurt her and it will put a strain on things but if she finds out in some other way — and she will — then not only does she feel like you cheated on her but she feels lied to as well.”
In addition to the steps above, Noble says it is important to ask God to help an individual develop a healthy view of women. He notes that this realization was especially hard for him even before he became a father.
“When I realized that woman is some man’s daughter and when I have a little girl I don’t want other men viewing her in a lustful way, I have to admit, this one really impacted me. I have a daughter and I want her to be treated with respect and not as an object for someone’s self-gratification,” writes Noble.
For more information on overcoming porn addiction, visit XXXChurch.