Ridley Scott’s ‘Exodus’ banned in Morocco and Egypt

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Ridley Scott’s ‘Exodus’ banned in Morocco and Egypt

Ridley Scott’s biblical epic, “Exodus,” has been banned in Egypt and Morocco for historical inaccuracies, various outlets reported this week.

Morocco announced they were pulling the film just one day before its screening. “Exodus” was filmed in Morocco, as well as Spain and England, but it appears the studio recently fell out of favour with the state-run Moroccan Cinema Centre (CCM).

Cinema owners were told that the ban was nationwide, and at least one owner reported that his business was threatened with closure if he disobeyed the order.

“They phoned and threatened they would shut down the theatre if I did not take the film off the schedule,” Hassan Belkady of Cinema Rif in Casablanca told media24.

CCM Chief Sarim Fassi-Fihri declined to comment on the matter. However, the Egyptian culture minister stated on Friday that the censorship board banned the film for being historically inaccurate.

The minister, Gaber Asfour, took particular issue with the depiction of the Jews building the pyramids.

“This totally contradicts proven historical facts,” he said. “It is a Zionist film. It gives a Zionist view of history and contains historical inaccuracies and that’s why we have decided to ban it.”

Supreme Council of Culture head Mohammed Afifi, who also sits on the censorship board, disputed the accuracy of several scenes in “Exodus.” The climactic parting of the Red Sea was described as a “tidal phenomenon” instead of a miracle, he said, and Moses was shown holding a sword instead of a “stick.”

The biblical figure Moses was a Hebrew adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter, who went on to free the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. The film was criticised in the US for casting white actors in the roles of the royal leads, and minorities as thieves and slaves in the film.

“Exodus: Gods and Kings” has received mixed reviews, and cost $140 million. The film has grossed $107 million internationally.

Source and Original Content by CT

Social Media and Behavioural Psychology Can Help Fight AIDS

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Social Media and Behavioural Psychology Can Help Fight AIDS

Social media such as Twitter and Facebook can be a valuable tool in the fight against HIV, a new study has found.
Researchers demonstrated social media can prompt high-risk populations to request at-home testing kits for the virus that causes AIDS, suggesting a way to potentially boost testing rates.

The study, conducted in Peru among men who have sex with men, found that participants in the intervention arm of a randomised controlled clinical trial were more than twice as likely to be tested for HIV than those who joined a social media group and were provided with traditional HIV prevention services.

The intervention, called Harnessing Online Peer Education (HOPE), combines social media with behavioural psychology to encourage people in high-risk populations to get tested, said Sean Young, from the University of California, Los Angeles.

“This shows that it’s not just social media that got people to test, but the HOPE social media interventions and the psychological ingredients it used for changing behaviour,” said Young.

“In other words, if you’re a public health organisation or worker, don’t just think that throwing something on Facebook or Twitter will be the solution and change people’s behaviours. Social media may be helpful, but the HOPE intervention was significantly more likely to change HIV testing behaviour compared to traditional care through social media,” Young said.

The study was conducted in greater Lima, which reflects the low- and middle-income countries where low-cost interventions such as HOPE could help stem the spread of AIDS.

The 556 Peruvian men who have sex with men were randomly assigned to join control groups or private intervention on Facebook for 12 weeks, with 278 assigned to each group.

The control group received an enhanced standard of care, which included standard offline HIV prevention and testing services offered by local clinics and organisations and participation in Facebook groups that provided study updates and HIV testing information.

The intervention group, by contrast, received the enhanced standard of care and also incorporated the HOPE intervention behaviour change model, which utilised peer leaders who sent messages, chats and wall posts and engaged the participants in general friendly conversation.

The peer leaders also communicated information about HIV prevention and testing to the participants.

Of the 278 participants in each group, 26 from the intervention group did not complete the follow-up survey and 32 were lost to follow-up on the control side.

Of the 252 from the intervention group who provided complete data, 43 (17 percent) went on to take an HIV test, compared with 16 (7 percent) of the controls. In the study, seven participants who tested positive were linked to care at a local clinic.

The study was published in the journal Lancet HIV.

Source and Original Content by Ndtv

Gospel Singer, Vanessa Bell Armstrong Thanks Supporters After Losing Only Son

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Gospel Singer, Vanessa Bell Armstrong Thanks Supporters After Losing Only Son

Seven-time GRAMMY® nominee and Gospel Hall of Famer Vanessa Bell Armstrong, 61, is sending heartfelt thanks to her supporters as she mourns the recent loss of her only son.

Terence Van Armstrong passed away Thursday, Dec. 4 at 38 years old.
His death came just weeks before Christmas and only nine months after Armstrong, a mother of five, lost her mother, Mildred Bell, in March.

“Thanks to everyone who prayed for me and for all the love that you have shown me and my family all the years that I’ve been out here,” the revered vocalist wrote in a social media message.

She continued, “…also for my loss of my wonderful mother and dearest son you really show me that you love me and I love you right back forever.”

While the cause of Terence’s death has not been publicly released, those with insider knowledge say he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis…Read More

Source and Original Content by BCNN1

Top Nigerian Pastors Prophecy On Happenings in Ekiti State

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Top Nigerian Pastors Prophecy On Happenings in Ekiti State

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, and Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi, the General Superintendent of Deeper Life Church, have prophesied what will occur in Ekiti State.

The men of God prophesied that there will be a brighter future for the state, saying God will intervene in the various problems confronting the state, otherwise known as the Fountain of Knowledge.

Pastor Adeboye and Pastor Kumuyi made the prediction when they visited the Governor’s Office at Ado Ekiti, on evangelical visit during the Christmas celebration.

They prayed that Ekiti State would witness a breakthrough and total transformation and also prayed for the state governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, and some members of his cabinet.

Adeboye, who was in Ekiti for a programme tilled ‘Let’s Go A-fishing’, revealed that it was not in his habit to visit governors in their offices, except on invitation.

He prayed that his visit to Ekiti State would usher in good tidings and bring rapid transformation in the coming years.

“Everything you propose to do for Ekiti State will succeed .God will take Ekiti to greater heights. You are the burden bearer, come and bear the burden of the governor in all areas of his life. As from now, we shall continue to hear good news from Ekiti State,” Adeboye said.

Meanwhile, Fayose, while speaking earlier, expressed his concern over the economic problems confronting the state and stated that only prayers can get the state out of its present predicament.

Source and Original Content by JustGospel

VIDEO: Nigerian Pastor who Prophesied Air Asia Crash

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VIDEO: Nigerian Pastor who Prophesied Air Asia Crash

During a live Sunday Service at The SCOAN, Prophet T.B. Joshua prophesied regarding the nation, Indonesia. He called on them to look into the geographical atmosphere as he revealed that he saw a crash that would cost many lives.

Former Archbishop makes Fresh Call for Right to Assisted Dying

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Former Archbishop makes Fresh Call for Right to Assisted Dying

The former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has made fresh calls for assisted dying to be made legal in the UK, along with 80 others in a letter to the Daily Telegraph.

It says an “overwhelming majority” of the public now supports a change in the law to allow assisted dying, and that refusing to debate the issue in Parliament would be “heartless”.

It also claims one Briton goes abroad to end their own life every two weeks.

Other signatories include the Booker Prize-winning author Ian McEwan, whilst notable backers of the campaign include actors Hugh Grant, Sir Patrick Stewart and Zoe Wannamaker.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said MPs will be given a free vote if the issue is debated in Parliament.

The Falconer Bill, which is currently going through the House of Lords, would allow doctors to help terminally-ill people take their own life, but only if they had less than six months to live and had demonstrated a “clear and settled intention” to end their lives.

The Bill does not have enough time to become law before next year’s general election in May.

It’s not the first time Lord Carey has given his backing to assisted dying.

Writing in the Daily Mail in July he announced he had changed his mind on the issue and would no longer ‘fiercely oppose’ the move.

“I would have used the time-honoured argument that we should be devoting ourselves to care, not killing.

“I would have paraded all the usual concerns about the risks of ‘slippery slopes’ and ‘state-sponsored euthanasia’.

“But those arguments which persuaded me in the past seem to lack power and authority when confronted with the experiences of those approaching a painful death.

“It fails to address the fundamental question as to why we should force terminally ill patients to an unbearable point. It is the magnitude of suffering that has been preying on my mind as the discussion over the right to die has intensified.

“Today we face a central paradox. In strictly observing the sanctity of life, the Church could now actually be promoting anguish and pain, the very opposite of a Christian message of hope.”

Source and Original Content by Premier Christian Radio

Archbishop Expresses Appreciation for Prayers as He recovers from Pneumonia

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Archbishop Expresses Appreciation for Prayers as He recovers from Pneumonia

The Archbishop of Canterbury has thanked Christians for their prayers as he recovers from a bout of pneumonia.

Most Revd Justin Welby had to miss his Christmas Day service because of his illness which was initially thought to be a bad cold.

He was ordered to take bed rest by doctors who had visited him at his home in Canterbury.

On Twitter he said:

“Grateful for prayers & support from so many, & to such a gracious God. Better fast, brill @NHSEngland, a gift! Sorry for missing Christmas”

On Christmas Day the Archbishop was unable to attend read his own sermon and instead the Dean of Canterbury, the Very Revd Robert Willis, delivered a homily.

Pneumonia is swelling of the tissue in one or both of your lungs and is usually caused by an infection.

Symptoms include a cough, fever and difficulty breathing and in patients with other health conditions it can be very serious.

Lambeth Palace has stressed that Archbishop Justin is on the mend.

Source and Original Content by Premier Christian Radio

US Female Bishop in Hit and Run Death

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US Female Bishop in Hit and Run Death

A newly ordained female Episcopal bishop in the US has killed a bicyclist, before reportedly fleeing the scene in the state of Maryland.

Police on Saturday said a 58-year-old female motorist drove away as the fatally injured 41-year-old father and custom bike maker Tom Palermo was taking his final breath.

A letter from the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland revealed on Sunday that it was, Bishop Heather Cook, Maryland’s first female Episcopal bishop, who disappeared from the fatal crash before finally returning to take responsibility.

Bishop of Maryland, Right Revd Eugene Taylor Sutton said :”I am distressed to announce that Bishop Heather E. Cook was involved in a traffic accident Saturday afternoon, Dec. 27, that resulted in the death of a bicyclist, Thomas Palermo, 41. Bishop Cook did not sustain any injuries.

“Together with the Diocese of Maryland, I express my deep sorrow over the death of the cyclist and offer my condolences to the victim’s family. Please pray for Mr. Palermo, his family and Bishop Cook during this most difficult time.

There is an ongoing police investigation into the accident. Several news organizations have reported this as a ‘hit and run.’
“Bishop Cook did leave the scene initially, but returned after about 20 minutes to take responsibility for her actions.

“Because the nature of the accident could result in criminal charges, I have placed Bishop Cook on administrative leave, effective immediately. I will meet shortly with the Standing Committee to discuss ways we can move forward. Also, I have decided to delay the beginning of my sabbatical to Jan. 24 to be pastorally present in this difficult time.”

According to Mail Online, the local cycling advocacy group Bikemore released a statement on their friend Palermo’s death, which read in part:”Tom was a passionate bicycle builder, a father, and a friend to many people who ride bicycles in Baltimore.

“While details of the crash are still emerging, we know the driver of the car involved initially fled the scene, leaving Tom to die on the street.”

Source and Original Content by Premier Christian Radio

Google Glass to Help Mothers Monitor Newborns

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Google Glass to Help Mothers Monitor Newborns

A US hospital is set to use Google Glass to enable mothers stay in contact with their newborns even after the infants are shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU).
The experiment is to be conducted at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston next week, Glass Almanac, the leading website for Google Glass enthusiasts, reported.

The suggestion for the test was mooted by the hospital’s nurse Stephanie Shine, whose baby remained in newborn ICU for 101 days.

Hundreds of babies have to be separated from their mothers after birth because one or both of them need immediate care.

As per the experiment, a participant visiting the ICU will wear Google Glass and the images they see will stream live to a tablet computer in the mother’s hands.

It will allow the mothers to hear the nurses talking about her baby and ask questions, as if she were in the room.

The experiment aims to find out if using Glass can help relieve the stress that a mother feels when she is separated from her kid.

“You should be the most important person in your baby’s life, but suddenly, you’re not involved. I want to take this super-high-tech device and capture what could be thought of as one of the strongest and basic human connections there is,” the Boston Globe quotes Shine to say.

Source and Original Content by Ndtv

Prayers for Iranian Pastor on Fourth Anniversary of his Arrest and Detention

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Prayers for Iranian Pastor on Fourth Anniversary of his Arrest and Detention

While many are celebrating Christmas cozy at home with family and friends, Pastor Farshid Fathi is celebrating the birth of Christ away from his loved ones in a prison cell in Iran.

Fathi, who has now been four years behind bars, was arrested and detained in Tehran’s Evin Prison in December 2010 for leading a network of underground evangelical house churches. He was later on found guilty of ‘acting against national security’ and sentenced to six years in prison.

But according to Miles Windsor, a London-based public affairs strategist who works on behalf of persecuted Christians in the Middle East, Fathi was convicted simply for being Christian in an Islamic country.

The 35-year-old father of two was born a Muslim but converted to Christianity when he was 17. Windsor wrote that being a Christian convert in Iran, wherein the official state religion is Shi’a Islam, is a dangerous thing.

Windsor stated in his Wall Street Journal article, “The mullahs reserve the most vicious treatment for Iranian Muslims, like Pastor Fathi, who have dared to convert to Christianity.

“Persian-language Bibles are banned in the country, and apostasy is punishable by death under Shariah law, which lies at the heart of the Iranian penal code.

“Yet to mask its naked persecution of Christian converts, the Tehran regime usually jails them on national-security charges or on the pretext that they spy for foreign powers.”

In his opinion piece, Windsor also detailed the abuses that the Christian cleric endured in prison, including being one of several inmates who were beaten during an attack by security forces on Ward 350 of Evin.

Windsor added, “More recently, he was transferred to a different prison, Rajai Shahr, outside Tehran, where he shares a cell with hardened criminals.

“His right to family visits, guaranteed under Iran’s own laws, is routinely violated. He isn’t permitted to sing Christians hymns, and prison authorities have confiscated his Bible.”

Fathi’s supporters, who have created a Twitter and Facebook campaign calling for his release, and were holding a day of prayer for the pastor on the fourth anniversary of his detention.

They wrote in their most recent post, “God can do the impossible and secure an early release for this greatly loved man.”

Fathi wrote in his most recent letter to his supporters, “Although the beauty of Christmas or the signs of Christmas cannot be found in this prison, with the ears of faith I can hear the everlasting and beautiful truth that: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.'”

The pastor signed the letter “your captive brother who is free in Christ.”

Source and Original Content by CT

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