‘Practising’ Homosexuals Could be Ordained by United Methodists

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‘Practising’ Homosexuals Could be Ordained by United Methodists

Christian Today report– United Methodists have signalled a shift in their historic opposition to same-sex relationships after a denomination-wide leadership conference, the United Methodist News Service reports.

At its meeting in Maputo, Mozambique, the United Methodist Church’s Connectional Table, a forum for discussion among national leaders of the world-wide body, affirmed a proposal to remove prohibitive language that makes it an offense under church law for clergy to be “self-avowed practising homosexuals” or to officiate at same-sex weddings.

It adopted the ‘third way’ in preference to leaving the rules as they were or opting for a fully inclusive approach, as some campaigners have demanded.

The approach would leave the question of whether to perform a same-sex marriage up to individual clergy. Clergy would not be required to bless same-sex unions. Conferences would have the option of ordaining openly gay individuals.

However, the proposal notes that the denomination “historically has not condoned the practice of homosexuality and has considered the practice incompatible with Christian teaching.” It also retains the denomination’s ban on using church funds “to promote the acceptance of homosexuality”.

Any legislation adopted by the Connectional Table would go to the 2016 General Conference for a decision.

The Connectional Table’s decision was reached after participants discussed the issue in small groups, and was aimed at preserving denominational unity while allowing national conferences freedom to act in accordance with their own convictions.

Rev Kennetha Bigham-Tsai, a district superintendent in the West Michigan Conference, said: “We’ve tried to allow some exercise of conscience, to allow for varying beliefs, to allow for varying practices within different contexts and to open a space for grace where people can live together in unity with their different beliefs.”

While many North American United Methodists are in favour of allowing the celebration of same-sex relationships and the ordination of ‘practising homosexuals’, in many African countries the issue is regarded as closed.

At the Connectional Table meeting, Matthew “Theo” Williams of the Liberia Conference said: “In Africa, to even discuss the issue of gays or lesbians is taboo.” He later told UMNS that because of church teachings, elders and deacons in Africa are not allowed to have more than one wife. “It is the same thing (about homosexuality), the missionaries told us the Bible says, ‘One man, one wife.'”

Source: Christian Today

UN and WHO Failed to Recognise Vital Role Played by Faith Leaders on Ebola Outbreak, Says Christian Agencies

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UN and WHO Failed to Recognise Vital Role Played by Faith Leaders on Ebola Outbreak, Says Christian Agencies

Christian Today report– The critical role played by faith leaders in the response to Ebola was “overlooked” and must be taken into account  in future, three Christian agencies have warned.

In a statement released yesterday, Christian Aid, CAFOD and Tearfund said that global institutions such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN failed to take into account the role of faith leaders in stemming the crisis.

“There was a significant missed opportunity in not involving faith leaders further at the very start of the outbreak,” the statement reads.

“The role of faith leaders has often been overlooked and in many cases their potential contribution to the Ebola crisis is still not being fully realised.”

Christian Aid Country Manager for Sierra Leone Jeanne Kamara highlighted the “unique position of trust and influence” held and used by faith leaders across the country to educate people on the virus and help stop its spread.

“They have offered comfort and solace to the sick, the suffering and the bereaved,” she said. “In a country characterised by a deep sense of faith, religious leaders have been a source of support at a time of fear, confusion, loss, suffering, financial hardship and trauma.

“We hope the international community acknowledges and validates their vital role in the response to Sierra Leone’s outbreak and integrates them fully in future plans to help rebuild the country.”

The latest figures released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) put the death toll at over 9,100 in West Africa. Christian Aid, CAFOD and Tearfund are urging policy makers to ensure that faith leaders are given a “pivotal” part to play in recovery and prevention programmes going forward.

“As Ebola recovery plans are developed, it is of the utmost importance that faith leaders are fully involved and represented in high-level decision making processes at an international, regional and country level. Faith leaders should be involved in the drafting process,” the statement said.

A parliamentary event hosted yesterday by the three agencies highlighted this call. Two Sierra Leonean clergy – the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Freetown the Rt Rev Edward Thamba Charles and the Director of Caritas in Freetown the Rev Fr Peter Conteh – addressed MPs, peers and policy makers on how religious groups have engaged with the health crisis.

In a joint briefing, sent to MPs, Lords and UK NGOs, Christian Aid, CAFOD and Tearfund say that the influence of religious leaders “can be a crucial part of the countries’ recovery and healing”.

“Faith leaders and faith-based organisations must be allocated dedicated funding for training and related materials, and on-going mentoring, particularly in counselling,” they added.

Source: Christian Today

 

All-night Ukraine Peace Talks Might End with Hopes of Agreement

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All-night Ukraine Peace Talks Might End with Hopes of Agreement

Christian Today report– The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France may be close to agreement following all-night talks on resolving the Ukraine conflict, diplomatic sources said on Thursday.

Details remained unclear after more than 12 hours of peace talks in the Belarus capital Minsk, with one source saying there was hope agreement could reached and another saying a document would be signed.

But the document, which may be a joint declaration rather than a full agreement, may be signed by lower level envoys rather than by the leaders themselves, the sources said.

The sources said any agreement would however be sent to a “contact group” which includes representatives of the pro-Russian rebels, whose involvement could be crucial.

The discussions came as pro-Moscow separatists tightened the pressure on Kiev by launching some of the war’s worst fighting on Wednesday, killing 19 Ukrainian soldiers in assaults near the railway town of Debaltseve.

Fighting has already killed more than 5,000 people, and Washington is now openly talking of arming Ukraine to defend itself from “Russian aggression”, raising the prospect of a proxy war in the heart of Europe between Cold War foes.

The summit was held in neighbouring Belarus under a Franco-German proposal to try to halt the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Francois Hollande joined Ukraine’s Petro Poroshenko and Russia’s Vladimir Putin for a longer-than-expected meeting that began early on Wednesday evening and continued well into Thursday morning.

A Ukrainian presidential aide, Valeriy Chaly, had earlier described the four-way talks as “a battle of nerves”.

As the talks began, Poroshenko said that without a de-escalation of the conflict and a ceasefire the situation would get “out of control”.

The outcome of the talks is expected to influence discussions at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, when sanctions against Moscow will be on the agenda.

FUND BAILOUT

The talks were taking place while an International Monetary Fund mission was negotiating a bailout to save Ukraine from bankruptcy.

Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Wednesday he hoped for a deal in the next 48 hours and IMF chief Christine Lagarde said she would make a statement early on Thursday.

Kiev and NATO accuse Russia of supplying separatists with men and weapons. Moscow denies it is involved in fighting for territory Putin calls “New Russia”.

If the French and German leaders hoped their peace initiative would be met by conciliatory moves on the ground, the prospect of talks appears to have encouraged the pro-Russian rebels determined to drive home their advantage.

Armoured columns of Russian-speaking soldiers with no insignia have been advancing for days around Debaltseve. Last week they captured the small town of Vuhlehirsk next to Debaltseve.

On the Russian side of the border, Moscow announced war games on Tuesday on the eve of the talks.

The United States has been openly discussing arming the Ukrainian government, a move that is opposed by European allies who say it would escalate the conflict while falling far short of giving Kiev the firepower needed to win.

President Barack Obama says he has yet to make up his mind on the question of sending weapons. He spoke by phone to Putin on Tuesday, and the White House said he warned the Russian leader that the costs would rise if Moscow kept aiding the separatists.

Source: Christian Today

 

Religious Leaders Call for Placement of Ban on the Use of Lethal Drones

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Religious Leaders Call for Placement of Ban on the Use of Lethal Drones

Christian Today report- America should immediately halt its attacks on suspected terrorists using unmanned aerial weapons systems or ‘drones’, according to a declaration from the first Interfaith Conference on Drone Warfare.

The statement released this week is from more than 150 religious leaders who attended the conference at Princeton Theological Seminary in January. It says that “Our concerns center on the nature of lethal drones as a weapon, namely their use in targeted killings of specific individuals most of whom are Muslims, their impact upon targeted communities, their operation by remote control, and the consequences that drones increase hostilities.”

US president Barack Obama has massively increased the use of drones in the ‘war’ against terrorists, on the grounds that they are more effective and less risky for the US military than using air strikes or ground troops. However, campaigners have pointed to the high levels of civilian casualties from drone attacks as a result of faulty intelligence and pour scorn on the idea that they represent ‘surgical strikes’; a recent Guardian article featured a 13-year-old Yemeni boy, Mohammed Tuaiman, killed in error by a drone, who had already lost his father and brother.

The statement called on the Obama administration to halt the drone attacks, to be “transparent and accountable on the past use of such strikes” and to commission an independent study on the impact of lethal drones on drone operators, targeted persons and affected communities.

It called for international agreements on banning the use of lethal drones, concluding: “As people of faith, we advocate the rigorous pursuit of Just Peace, based on upholding dignity and human rights for all, with resources dedicated to this alternative at a level matching that spent on the current drone warfare program.”

Source: Christian Today

 

Obama Asks Congress to Approve War Power to Fight ISIS

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Obama Asks Congress to Approve War Power to Fight ISIS

Christian Today report– US president Barack Obama on Wednesday sent Congress his long-awaited formal request to authorise military force against Islamic State, meeting swift resistance from Republicans as well as his fellow Democrats wary of another war in the Middle East.

Republicans, who control Congress and say Obama’s foreign policy is too passive, want stronger measures against the militants than outlined in the plan, which bars any large-scale invasion by US ground troops and covers the next three years.

Obama acknowledged that the military campaign is difficult and will remain so. “But our coalition is on the offensive. ISIL is on the defensive, and ISIL is going to lose,” he said in a televised statement from the White House.

With many of Obama’s fellow Democrats insisting the plan is too broad because it includes no blanket ban on ground troops, it could be difficult for the authorisation to pass, even though six months have passed since the campaign began.

Obama consulted with Republicans and Democrats in writing the resolution, and said he would continue to do so. He said the time frame was intended to let Congress revisit the issue when the next president takes office in 2017.

The proposal says Islamic State “has committed despicable acts of violence and mass execution.” Its militants have killed thousands of civilians while seizing territory in Iraq and Syria in an attempt to establish a hub of jihadism in the heart of the Arab world.

They have also generated international outrage by beheading western aid workers and journalists and burning to death a Jordanian pilot.

Obama sent his request to Congress a day after his administration confirmed the death of Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old aid worker who was the last known American hostage held by the group.

Both the Senate and House of Representatives must approve Obama’s plan. Lawmakers said they would begin hearings quickly as Republicans made clear they thought the plan fell short.

The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, told reporters he was sure the plan would change as it moved though Congress. “I’m not sure the strategy that has been outlined will accomplish the mission the president says he wants to accomplish,” he added.

Obama has defended his authority to lead an international coalition against Islamic State since August 8 when US fighter jets began attacks in Iraq. The formal request eased criticism of Obama’s failure to seek the backing of Congress, where some accused him of breaching his constitutional authority.

SEEKING A UNITED FRONT

With Republicans in control of Congress after routing Obama’s Democrats in November elections, the president also wants lawmakers to share responsibility for the campaign against Islamic State and present a united front.

The plan does not authorise “long-term, large-scale ground combat operations” such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama said those operations would be left to local forces, but lawmakers worried they would not step up. “What is the role, really, that regional partners are playing in this battle against ISIL?” asked Democratic Senator Tim Kaine.

The draft allows for certain ground combat operations including hostage rescues and the use of special forces. It permits the use of US forces for intelligence collection, targeting operations for drone strikes and planning and giving other assistance to local forces.

Many Democrats, especially liberals in the House, said Obama’s proposal was too broad. They want any authorisation to place stricter limits on the use of ground troops and expressed concerns Obama set no geographic limits on the campaign.

“The language … is very broad, very ambiguous,” said Democratic Representative Adam Schiff. “None of us really know what ‘enduring offensive combat operations’ means.”

It was the first formal request for authority to conduct a military operation of Obama’s six years in office. If passed, it would be Congress’ first war authorisation since then-President George W. Bush’s 2002 authority to wage the Iraq War.

Obama’s objection as a US senator to that authority helped fuel his successful 2008 campaign for the White House.

Obama’s text includes a repeal of the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force. But it leaves in place an open-ended authorisation, passed days after the September 11, 2001, attacks, for a campaign against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

Rights groups and many lawmakers said they want the new AUMF to set an end date for the 2001 authorisation, which the White House has invoked to carry out drone and missile strikes against suspected al Qaeda militants in Yemen and Somalia.

Obama said he remained committed to working with Congress to “refine, and ultimately repeal” it.

Source: Christian Today

 

Florida School Board Bans Bibles to Prevent Satanic Group From Gaining Access to Students

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Florida School Board Bans Bibles to Prevent Satanic Group From Gaining Access to Students

Christian Post report– The school board of Orange County, Florida voted on Tuesday to ban the distribution of Bibles and all other religious materials at its public schools in order to prevent The Satanic Temple organization from handing out Satanic coloring books to students.

WFTV reported that board members voted 7-1 to amend school policy and ban all religious materials. The move is in response to The Satanic Temple attempting to offer coloring books and fact sheets to students in the Fall of 2014, after another group, World Changers of Florida, had offered Bibles.

The Liberty Counsel, which is representing the Christian group, argued that the school blocking the distribution of religious material is unconstitutional, and it may decide to sue.

“If my client is turned away because my client is a religious organization, then I think we’ll have grounds to sue the school board based on an unconstitutional policy,” said Roger Gannam of the Liberty Counsel.

Orange County School Board Chairman Bill Sublette said, however, that the school is ready to deal with any legal cases.

“This board has been fully briefed on the legal issues,” Sublette said.

The local Satanic Temple chapter argued that the message it is promoting is one of “tolerance and personal liberty,” and accused the school board of not wanting anyone but Christian groups to distribute religious material.

Satanic Temple spokesperson Lucien Greaves said in a message back in September on the group’s website: “We would never seek to establish a precedent of disseminating our religious materials in public schools because we believe our constitutional values are better served by respecting a strong separation of Church and State.”

He added: “However, if a public school board is going to allow religious pamphlets and full Bibles to be distributed to students — as is the case in Orange County, Florida — we think the responsible thing to do is to ensure that these students are given access to a variety of differing religious opinions, as opposed to standing idly by while one religious voice dominates the discourse and delivers propaganda to youth.”

The Orlando Sentinel noted that the board members had debated whether to ban materials from all outside groups and protect the school from lawsuits.

“It is not the School Board’s job to promote religion of any kind,” said Warren Geltch of Orlando.

Some student, such as Conway Middle School seventh-grader Rhiannon Dodson, said that the policy should not have been changed.

“Don’t bar kids from learning and growing,” she said.

The Satanic Temple in Florida has been looking to gain presence in the state, and in December won for the first time the right to put up a holiday display at the Florida Capitol. The display, which had been rejected in all previous years, featured a biblical scene found in Isaiah 14:12 of Satan descending into hell.

Source: Christian Post

 

World’s Oldest Methodist Chapel Set to Use Lottery Funds for Starting Building Programme

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World’s Oldest Methodist Chapel Set to Use Lottery Funds for Starting Building Programme

Christian Today report– The oldest Methodist chapel in the world is to embark on a major building programme to bring it into the 21st century thanks to a massive grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The 276-year-old New Room in Bristol, founded by John Wesley, has been awarded a grant of £2.5 million. The money will be used alongside a grant of £1.4 million from the Bristol Methodist District to enable the existing facilities to be updated and the erection of a new three-storey building in its courtyard.

The ground floor of the new building will feature a shop and a café for visitors. On levels 2 and 3 there will be a large multi-media lecture and education room for up to 60 people, an extensive resource library on Methodist history, an archives room and offices.

A lift will connect the floors and the existing museum will be completely revamped to reflect John Wesley’s work in Bristol, in 18th century Britain, and around the world. The interior of the chapel, an architectural gem, will not be changed.

Rev Ward Jones, Chair of the New Room Trustees and the Bristol Methodist District, said: “We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded us this significant grant. The New Room has been situated in the heart of Bristol for over 275 years and we now have the chance to look to the future in a very exciting way.

“We will be able to upgrade our current facilities so that we can properly welcome and inform visitors from the local area, from schools and colleges, and from all over the world.”

(Christian Today)
(Christian Today)

The New Room, as Wesley called it, was the starting point for the growth of the Methodist Church, which currently has 75 million members around the world.

Rev Mandy Briggs, Education and Outreach Officer, said: “Wesley’s original focus was on education and we want to develop our work in this area, as well as being a place of history and faith that the people of Bristol and beyond can explore, enjoy and treasure.

“We will be able to offer tours, workshops and talks to schools and colleges as well as events for all ages in our new education room.”

Source: Christian Today

 

Mormon Blogger Excommunicated from Church

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Mormon Blogger Excommunicated from Church

Christian Today report– Controversial blogger John Dehlin  is no longer a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints after an excommunication hearing held on Sunday.

Dehlin said that three family members and two friends spoke on his behalf before a council of 15 church leaders, but the evidence against him was damning.

“It’s hard for me to imagine an outcome other than excommunication,” he admitted following the proceedings.

On Tuesday, Dehlin was found guilty of apostasy because of his “categorical statements opposing the doctrines of the church, and their wide dissemination via your Internet presence, which has led others away from the church,” according to North Logan stake president Bryan King.

The Utah man’s blog serves as a forum for Mormons questioning their faith to talk to like-minded individuals. Dehlin also became an ordained minister in another faith, and has openly supported same-sex marriage.

Dehlin, 45, faced numerous disciplinary actions over the years, but refused to give up the controversial activities.

“My wife, Margi, and I are proud to stand in support of both free expression and gender/marriage equality within Mormonism,” Dehlin said in a statement following the church’s decision.

“While we are saddened that the LDS Church has chosen to excommunicate me for publicly supporting these values, we support the church’s right to make this decision.”

The Church denied that Dehlin was ousted because of his support for gay marriage and female priests in the LDS Church.

Instead, King’s letter took issue with Dehlin’s “statements that the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham are fraudulent and works of fiction,” and “teachings disputing the nature of God and the divinity of Jesus Christ,” according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Source: Christian Today

 

Obama Hid His Support For Gay Marriages in 2008, Says Former Advisor David Axelrod

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Obama Hid His Support For Gay Marriages in 2008, Says Former Advisor David Axelrod

Christian Post report– President Barack Obama intentionally misled voters when he stated that he supported traditional marriage during his 2008 presidential election campaign, former Obama advisor David Axelrod claims in his new book.

Obama supported same-sex marriage when he was an Illinois state senate candidate in 1996, but claimed he opposed same-sex marriage when he ran for president in 2008.

“I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman,” Obama told pastor Rick Warren at Saddleback Church in 2008, adding that he supports civil unions for same-sex couples.

But that was not true, Axelrod wrote in Believer: My Forty Years in Politics, which was published Tuesday.

According to Time’s Zeke Miller, who recieved an advance copy, Obama did not think he pulled off the deception well. He turned to Axelrod after the Warren interview and said, “I’m just not very good at bullshitting.”

Obama already supported same-sex marriage, and spoke with his campaign advisors, including Axelrod, about how to speak about the issue, given his conviction that marriage should be redefined to include same-sex couples, according to the book.

By his own admission, Axelrod, along with campaign manager Jim Messina, advised Obama to lie about his position because it could cost him the state of North Carolina (which he won in 2008).

Throughout most of his first term, Obama claimed he was “evolving” on the issue of gay marriage, but “as a Christian” still believed that marriage was between one man and one woman.

“Yet if Obama’s views were ‘evolving’ publicly, they were fully evolved behind closed doors. The president was champing at the bit to announce his support for the right of gay and lesbian couples to wed — and having watched him struggle with this issue for years, I was ready, too,” Axelrod wrote.

In May of 2012, Obama claimed he had changed his mind and was in support of gay marriage. The announcement came reluctantly. After Vice President Joe Biden accidentally claimed he supported gay marriage in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Obama was under increased pressure to clarify his views about marriage.

“At a certain point I’ve just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think that same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama said in an interview with ABC News.

Miller’s subtitle referred to the book’s revelation as “a striking admission of political dishonesty.”

Source: Christian Post

Franklin Graham Urges Christians to Take Part in Politics

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Franklin Graham Urges Christians to Take Part in Politics

Christian Today report– Reverend Franklin Graham, CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, is strongly urging Christians to be more involved in politics in the face of secularists who are denying that Jesus ever existed, the Tea Party Organisation reports.

As much as Christians want to avoid politics, Graham said they have to get involved now because “gays and lesbians are in politics” along with “all the anti-God people.”

As a result, students in public schools are now prevented from praying in public, passing out religious paraphernalia, and even forming Christian clubs.

“I’m here to tell you, church, God loves each and every one, and Christ died for our sins, and we’ve got a responsibility to take this message to the ends of the Earth. And I want to encourage you to take a stand in your communities. Get involved in government,” said Graham.

If Christians do nothing, the evangelist warned that secularists will take control of the country, and their beliefs that Jesus never existed could become standard.

“America has changed and it’s not coming back unless the church takes a stand. Now I’m not talking about Baptists or Republicans or Tea Party. I have no confidence that any of these politicians or any party is going to turn this country around,” Graham explained. “The only hope for this country is for men and women of God to stand up and take a stand.”

Graham just returned from a recent trip to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Burma, which he visited with the Samaritan’s Purse organisation that he heads. “It’s terrible,” he described the countries’ situation. “There is so much suffering in the world. We need to pray for that area of the world.”

He prayed that the Christian youth of today would take on the challenge of improving the conditions in impoverished countries and help spread the word of God there.

Source: Christian Today

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