Political hostility escalates: “Is America headed toward a civil war?”

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Political hostility escalates: “Is America headed toward a civil war?”

“If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.” This is how Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) urged protesters in Los Angeles to treat Trump administration officials in public.

This after White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave a Virginia restaurant last Friday. That same day, Florida attorney general Pam Bondi was bullied at a movie screening in Tampa by hecklers who had to be deterred by her security personnel. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was jeered at a restaurant, as was White House official Stephen Miller.

The rancor may not stop with political officials. MSNBC’s Donny Deutsch: “If you vote for Trump then you, the voter, you, not Donald Trump, are standing at the border, like Nazis, going ‘you here, you here.’”

By this logic, attacks on Trump administration officials are likely to extend to Trump supporters. And they are likely to respond in kind.

Is this a civil war?

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D¬NY) responded to Rep. Waters by stating from the Senate floor, “No one should call for the harassment of political opponents. That’s not right. That’s not American.” And House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called for “unity from sea to shining sea.”

However, this conflict will not end by calls for civility.

Glenn Harlan Reynolds, a law professor writing for USA Today, responds to the political animosity of these days under the headline, “Is America headed toward a civil war? Sanders, Nielsen incidents show it has already begun.”

Professor Reynolds notes that “Hollywood has basically turned its products, and its award shows, into showcases for ‘the resistance.’ Americans are already sorting themselves into communities that are predominantly red or blue.”

He’s right. And the…

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Actor criticised for comparing Bible to My Little Pony

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Actor criticised for comparing Bible to My Little Pony

The King of Queens star tweeted: “Dear people citing The Bible: It’s a cool book with some wonderful passages but it also has ghost sex & giants & super babies & demons. It’s why we don’t make laws based on Game of Thrones, My Little Pony or Legend of Zelda.”

While Oswalt is known for his atheist beliefs and more than 200,000 people liked his tweet, many users weren’t left laughing from the comedian’s comment.

 

Sylvan Rodriguez tweeted: “Oh perhaps because the words within it being peace and joy to literally billions of Christians. I don’t see Patton denigrating any other religious texts or religions the way he does Christians and our Bible. Would he be so flippant if talking about Muslims and the Koran?”

 

Another user responding said: “Dear person who tweeted this. I don’t care about your opinion of me reading/citing/believing in the Bible. It’s my choice, my believe. It’s called freedom of religion.”

Oswalt’s tweet was in reference to people quoting the Bible in the discussion over separating families at the US-Mexico border.

President Donald Trump’s executive order U-turn has since ended family separation at the border.

Stay up to…

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Jim Carrey paints Donald Trump crucifying Jesus

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Jim Carrey paints Donald Trump crucifying Jesus

The comedian and actor depicted the American leader as a Roman solider nailing Christ to the cross in an artist piece he described as “Christianity, Trump style”.

The image was accompanied with a caption written by Carrey: “Jesus was a loser. A failed carpenter. He’s a saviour because he was crucified. I like people that weren’t crucified.”

 

It has been seen and shared tens of thousands of times across social media.

Responding to the image, Twitter user @phatcapon wrote “there is some truth to this”, while another called @Susej137 said “[you] literally hit the nail on the head with this one, Jim”.

But the striking image was not so well received among everyone, with @JillV373 responding: “This one is extremely difficult for me to read and to look at.”

Meanwhile, another user, @powdercheese_, said: “I feel sorry for you, Jim.

www.jimcarreyonline.com

 

“Not because you mocked Trump it’s because you mock your Lord and saviour… as a Christian I ask you kindly and wholeheartedly please repent repent and repent!

“There’s a place for fools who mock God and it’s really bad.”

Carrey, 56, has been an outspoken critic of immigration policies introduced during the Donald Trump administration. In a recent tweet, he equated Trump’s ideology with discrimination, saying “Trumpism is racism”.

The entertainer also caused a Twitter storm earlier this year after…

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‘Do I have to put it on?’ Smiling Pope awarded World Cup football shirt

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‘Do I have to put it on?’ Smiling Pope awarded World Cup football shirt

The Catholic leader was handed the yellow T-shirt by the Governor-General of Australia Sir Peter Cosgrove during a meeting at the Vatican on Monday.

Speaking through the translator, the South American-born pope asked: “Does he [I] have to put in on?”, to which Sir Peter replied: “No, no, no. Not now. When you’re watching the game”.

 

Last year, Francis, who comes from Argentina, was presented by the former President of Peru Pablo Kuczynski with a football jersey of the national football team.

A statement released by the Vatican press office said global and regional migration, and climate change were discussed.

 

A statement continued: “Mention was also made of the role of the Church in Australian society, and the current discussion on the protection of minors and vulnerable people, reiterating the commitment of all members of the Church in this regard.

“Attention then turned to the social situation of the country, and to the question of peace and stability in the entire region of the Pacific and of Asia.”

Australia’s clash with Peru kicks off at 3pm UK time inside the First Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

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What Comes Next for Turkey After Election Grants Erdogan Vastly Expanded Executive Powers – Urban Christian News

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What Comes Next for Turkey After Election Grants Erdogan Vastly Expanded Executive Powers – Urban Christian News

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is ushering in a new era for Turkey after weekend elections saw him win a presidency granting him the vastly expanded executive powers he has long sought. But his governing party saw its parliamentary majority slip, leaving him reliant on the support of a small nationalist party.

Critics have reacted with alarm to Erdogan’s victory, saying the results usher in what will effectively be one-man rule, putting someone with increasingly autocratic and intolerant tendencies at the helm of a strategically significant NATO country.

Here is a look at what’s at stake, and what the election results mean for Turkey and its international relations.

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ECONOMY

The fate of Turkey’s increasingly shaky economy is critical, and much will depend on how Erdogan handles it. In his victory speech, he said his goal was to make his country one of the world’s top 10 economies by 2023, the centenary of the Turkish Republic. But how he will achieve that is unclear.

Turkey has been hit by rising inflation and a struggling currency, which has lost about 20 percent of its value against the dollar since the start of the year. Although the country’s economy grew by about 7 percent last year, analysts warn this was largely fueled by unsustainable grandiose construction projects.

“There are lots of fragilities. When we look at the overall macro picture, the inflation is high, exchange rate is high, interest rates are high, fiscal deficit is high, current account deficit is high,” said economic analyst Ozlem Derici Sengul.

Fadi Hakura of the London-based Chatham House…

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New details of Prince Louis’ christening revealed

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New details of Prince Louis’ christening revealed

The youngest member of the royal family was born on 23rd April and will be christened in a service led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rt Rev Justin Welby, at the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, on 9th July.

A statement from the palace said the service is due to take place from 4pm and last around 40 minutes with further details announced on the day.

 

Louis, a younger brother to Prince George and Princess Charlotte, is fifth in line to the throne and a great-grandchild of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

George was also christened in the Chapel Royal, but Charlotte was baptised at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham.

Louis was born in the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, on St George’s Day, weighing 8lb 7oz.

PA

 

The baby prince, who will be 11 weeks old at the time of the christening, will be welcomed into the Christian faith dressed in the same frilly, cream gown used for George and Charlotte.

The robe is a replica of the intricate lace and satin dress made for Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter in 1841.

Prince Louis’ godparents will be expected to be announced on the morning of the christening, with William and Kate again likely to choose mostly close friends for the role.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily…

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Algeria Has Expelled Over 13,000 Migrants and Abandoned Them in the Sahara – Urban Christian News

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Algeria Has Expelled Over 13,000 Migrants and Abandoned Them in the Sahara – Urban Christian News

From this isolated frontier post deep in the sands of the Sahara, the expelled migrants can be seen coming over the horizon by the hundreds. They look like specks in the distance, trudging miserably across some of the world’s most unforgiving terrain in the blistering sun.

They are the ones who made it out alive.

Here in the desert, Algeria has abandoned more than 13,000 people in the past 14 months, including pregnant women and children, stranding them without food or water and forcing them to walk, sometimes at gunpoint, under temperatures of up to 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit).

In Niger, where the majority head, the lucky ones limp across a desolate 15-kilometer (9-mile) no man’s land to Assamaka, less a town than a collection of unsteady buildings sinking into drifts of sand. Others, disoriented and dehydrated, wander for days before a U.N. rescue squad can find them. Untold numbers perish along the way; nearly all the more than two dozen survivors interviewed by The Associated Press told of people in their groups who simply could not go on and vanished into the Sahara.

“Women were lying dead, men….. Other people got missing in the desert because they didn’t know the way,” said Janet Kamara, who was pregnant at the time. “Everybody was just on their own.”

Her body still aches from the dead baby she gave birth to during the trek and left behind in the Sahara, buried in a shallow grave in the molten sand. Blood streaked her legs for days afterward, and weeks later, her ankles are still swollen. Now in Arlit, Niger, she is reeling from the time she…

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Church of Scotland ‘deeply uncomfortable’ about Glasgow weapons conference, covener says

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Church of Scotland ‘deeply uncomfortable’ about Glasgow weapons conference, covener says

Faith groups will join members of the Sink the Arms Fair Coalition to call for an end to such events.

Around 1,100 people from more than 40 countries are expected at the three-day Undersea Defence Techology conference at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) which will discuss new subsea weaponry and technology.

 

A protest is planned for 10am and a prayer calling for peace is due to take place at noon.

The convention team for Glasgow City Council arm’s length organisation Glasgow Life has provided practical support for the event and campaigners have written an open letter of protest to the council and other politicans.

The venue for the event is run by a company 90 per cent owned by the local authority.

Rev Dr Richard Frazer (pictured above), convener of the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland, said: “We are disappointed that Glasgow City Council has chosen to support an international festival of the arms trade.

“To facilitate such a gathering is deeply uncomfortable at a time when so many innocent people around the world are suffering from effects of war and the damage and destruction caused by weapons.

“Such a venture may bring income for some Scottish businesses, but we should be investing in a future that brings conflict and the need for…

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Six Ways the #MeToo Movement Has Affected Local Church Life – Rainer on Leadership #444

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Podcast Episode #444

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio

Sexual abuse in the Church has become a major issue for pastors and church leaders. Today, we discuss why this is an important moment for the Church to get right in the way things are handled.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

  • Because of so many sexual abuse coverups in the past, the Church has lost respect and trust of many.
  • Every church is vulnerable to a potential sexual abuse case. Don’t think it can’t happen in your church.
  • Churches should stand with victims of sexual abuse, not against them.
  • Churches have a responsibility to do everything within their power to prevent sexual abuse, harassment, and assault.

Six ways #MeToo has affected churches are:

  1. Local church leaders are often the first line of communication on issues of abuse.
  2. Leaders must not hesitate in responding with urgency.
  3. The unchurched world trusts church leaders less.
  4. Greater awareness is healthier for local churches.
  5. Local church leaders need female input.
  6. The issues will only grow, creating greater time and resource demands for churches.

Episode Sponsors

Applications are now open for Vanderbloemen’s fall pastor coaching network at their Houston headquarters in September and November. There are two networks – one for Lead Pastors and one for Executive Pastors. Each group is limited to 16 people. It’s a roundtable, close-knit network where you will grow as a leader so that you can grow…

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UK Parliament Approves Big Expansion for Heathrow Airport – Urban Christian News

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UK Parliament Approves Big Expansion for Heathrow Airport – Urban Christian News

Parliament approved plans to make Europe’s biggest airport even bigger, backing on Monday what the government described as the most important transportation decision in a generation.

The House of Commons voted overwhelmingly, 415-119, to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport after hours of debate on the 14 billion-pound ($18.6 billion) project. The decision follows decades of study and argument over how to expand airport capacity in southeastern England, and it is certain to be challenged in the courts.

Prime Minister Theresa May believes the project will boost economic growth while signaling the country’s commitment to expand international trade and transport links as it prepares to leave the European Union.

Neighbors and environmentalists object because of concerns about pollution, noise and the communities — some dating back hundreds of years — that will be destroyed.

Business groups strongly backed the government. They argued that increasing the capacity at Heathrow would be tantamount to putting out an “open for business” sign as Britain prepares to leave the European Union.

“This is a really important moment in the history of this House and the history of this country,” Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told the House of Commons as he appealed for lawmakers to “move on from decades of debate and set, to my mind, a clear path to our future as a global nation in the post-Brexit world.”

Opponents object to the third runway on environmental, noise and financial grounds. Friends of the Earth described it as a “morally reprehensible” move that would…

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