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Christian Today

  • Bishops plea as Sri Lankas politicians vote on presidents power
    Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:37:52 GMT
    The Anglican Bishop of Colombo is appealing to the worlds Christians to pray that the Sri Lankan parliament rejects proposals that would significantly boost the powers of the government and presidentimg width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32752/f/517092/s/d8d0aee/mf.gif' border='0'/div class='mf-viral'table border='0'trtd valign='middle'a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/sendemail2.html?title=Bishops+plea+as+Sri+Lankas+politicians+vote+on+presidents+powerlink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiantoday.com%2Farticle%2F3%2Fbishops.plea.as.sri.lankas.politicians.vote.on.presidents.power%2F26661.htm" target="_blank"img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" border="0" //a/tdtd valign='middle'a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Bishops+plea+as+Sri+Lankas+politicians+vote+on+presidents+powerlink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiantoday.com%2Farticle%2F3%2Fbishops.plea.as.sri.lankas.politicians.vote.on.presidents.power%2F26661.htm" target="_blank"img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" border="0" //a/td/tr/table/divbr/br/a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/78869925586/u/0/f/517092/c/32752/s/227347182/a2.htm"img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/78869925586/u/0/f/517092/c/32752/s/227347182/a2.img" border="0"//a
  • Stephen Hawking and God
    Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:26:15 GMT
    If Hawking ever seriously believed in a Creator such a figure bore very little resemblance to the God of the Bibleimg width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32752/f/517092/s/d8ba762/mf.gif' border='0'/div class='mf-viral'table border='0'trtd valign='middle'a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/sendemail2.html?title=Stephen+Hawking+and+Godlink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiantoday.com%2Farticle%2F3%2Fstephen.hawking.and.god%2F26653.htm" target="_blank"img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" border="0" //a/tdtd valign='middle'a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Stephen+Hawking+and+Godlink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiantoday.com%2Farticle%2F3%2Fstephen.hawking.and.god%2F26653.htm" target="_blank"img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" border="0" //a/td/tr/table/divbr/br/a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/78869911443/u/0/f/517092/c/32752/s/227256162/a2.htm"img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/78869911443/u/0/f/517092/c/32752/s/227256162/a2.img" border="0"//a
  • Happy people more likely to give survey finds
    Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:56:16 GMT
    UK comes eighth in new World Giving Indeximg width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32752/f/517092/s/d8b6685/mf.gif' border='0'/div class='mf-viral'table border='0'trtd valign='middle'a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/sendemail2.html?title=Happy+people+more+likely+to+give+survey+findslink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiantoday.com%2Farticle%2F3%2Fhappy.people.more.likely.to.give.survey.finds%2F26660.htm" target="_blank"img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" border="0" //a/tdtd valign='middle'a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Happy+people+more+likely+to+give+survey+findslink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiantoday.com%2Farticle%2F3%2Fhappy.people.more.likely.to.give.survey.finds%2F26660.htm" target="_blank"img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" border="0" //a/td/tr/table/divbr/br/a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/78869907462/u/0/f/517092/c/32752/s/227239557/a2.htm"img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/78869907462/u/0/f/517092/c/32752/s/227239557/a2.img" border="0"//a
  • Martin Smith and Micah Challenge worship with words and deeds
    Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:13:50 GMT
    Fresh up on YouTube is a great little video from Martin Smith in support of the excellent Micah Challengeimg width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32752/f/517092/s/d8a68e3/mf.gif' border='0'/div class='mf-viral'table border='0'trtd valign='middle'a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/sendemail2.html?title=Martin+Smith+and+Micah+Challenge+worship+with+words+and+deedslink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiantoday.com%2Farticle%2F3%2Fmartin.smith.and.micah.challenge.worship.with.words.and.deeds%2F26657.htm" target="_blank"img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" border="0" //a/tdtd valign='middle'a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Martin+Smith+and+Micah+Challenge+worship+with+words+and+deedslink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiantoday.com%2Farticle%2F3%2Fmartin.smith.and.micah.challenge.worship.with.words.and.deeds%2F26657.htm" target="_blank"img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" border="0" //a/td/tr/table/divbr/br/a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/78869984330/u/0/f/517092/c/32752/s/227174627/a2.htm"img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/78869984330/u/0/f/517092/c/32752/s/227174627/a2.img" border="0"//a
  • Hitchens Dont trouble deaf Heaven with prayers for me
    Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:50:51 GMT
    With less than two weeks before Everybody Pray for Hitchens Day cancerstricken Christopher Hitchens admits he would be happy if Christians did not botherimg width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32752/f/517092/s/d8a373f/mf.gif' border='0'/div class='mf-viral'table border='0'trtd valign='middle'a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/sendemail2.html?title=Hitchens+Dont+trouble+deaf+Heaven+with+prayers+for+melink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiantoday.com%2Farticle%2F3%2Fhitchens.dont.trouble.deaf.heaven.with.prayers.for.me%2F26658.htm" target="_blank"img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" border="0" //a/tdtd valign='middle'a href="http://res.feedsportal.com/viral/bookmark.cfm?title=Hitchens+Dont+trouble+deaf+Heaven+with+prayers+for+melink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiantoday.com%2Farticle%2F3%2Fhitchens.dont.trouble.deaf.heaven.with.prayers.for.me%2F26658.htm" target="_blank"img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" border="0" //a/td/tr/table/divbr/br/a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/78869892348/u/0/f/517092/c/32752/s/227161919/a2.htm"img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/78869892348/u/0/f/517092/c/32752/s/227161919/a2.img" border="0"//a

Christian news from Ekklesia

  • Labour leadership candidates reluctant to take a stand on arms trade issues
    Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:18:05 +0000
    !-- google_ad_section_start --div class=field field-type-text field-field-teaserdiv class=field-itemsdiv class=field-item oddpCampaign against Arms Trade has asked the Labour leadership candidates where they stand on arms trade issues./p/div/div/divdiv class=field field-type-text field-field-bodydiv class=field-itemsdiv class=field-item oddpWhere do the Labour leadership candidates stand on arms trade issues? Do they believe that the UK government should give financial and other support to arms exports? Would they act to redirect public funds from the promotion of arms exports to investment in renewable energy technologies? And how would they deal with private security companies? These were the questions that Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) directed to the five leadership contenders ? Diane Abbott, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham, David Miliband and Ed Miliband./ppTo date, three of the five candidates have replied to CAATs questions. Two candidates ? Ed Balls and Ed Miliband ? have yet to comment. /ppDiane Abbott stated that she opposed government support and subsidy for the arms trade; that UK Trade amp; Investment Defence amp; Security Organisation should be closed; that export credit cover should not be used for military goods and that private military and security companies should be licensed./ppAndy Burnham had no firm views on the issues. On the question of UKTI DSO, he stated that the organisation should perform well for the taxpayer while posing no risk to to health and security at home and abroad. He would welcome questions on whether and how UKTI DSO should carry out its work. He said that he would welcome debate within the Labour Party on the other areas brought forward by CAAT./ppThe leading contender, David Miliband did not answer CAATs specific questions. His policy team sent a four-paragraph statement which focused on Mr Milibands work as Foreign Secretary in the Brown government. It stated his continued support for the proposed Arms Trade Treaty and for the new Cluster Munition Ban. It also reiterated his support for continuing multinational nuclear disarmament./ppAs Foreign Secretary, David Miliband decided not to regulate the private security industry, despite calls to do so from the industry association and from NGOs. Media reports state that his leadership campaign received a donation from lobbyist Anthony Bailey, whose clients include arms company BAE Systems./ppSarah Waldron, CAATs Core Campaign Co-ordinator, said: All the candidates for the Labour Party leadership have stated that they want to see the best economic and social outcomes for Britain, yet most seem willing to ignore the vital ethical, security and economic issues around the arms trade./ppShe continued, David Milibands statement focuses on issues around the Arms Trade Treaty, which will not affect UK arms exports, and ignores the questions posed by CAAT. Andy Burnham is non-committal on all areas. Diane Abbott is the only candidate to respond and pledge an end to government support and subsidy for arms exports./ppRead the candidates full responses here a href=http://www.caat.org.uk/resources/lab-cand.php title=http://www.caat.org.uk/resources/lab-cand.phphttp://www.caat.org.uk/resources/lab-cand.php/a/pp[Ekk/4]/p/div/div/div!-- google_ad_section_end --
  • Reforming Catholics send questions to pope ahead of UK visit
    Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:19:29 +0000
    !-- google_ad_section_start --div class=field field-type-text field-field-teaserdiv class=field-itemsdiv class=field-item oddpCatholic campaigners seeking reform within their Church have published six questions for the Pope to consider during his visit to the UK next week./p/div/div/divdiv class=field field-type-text field-field-bodydiv class=field-itemsdiv class=field-item oddpCatholic campaigners seeking reform within their Church have published six questions for the Pope to consider during his visit to the UK next week. /ppThey include questions on the ?present over-centralised Church structure? and the lack of accountability highlighted by the child abuse crisis. There are also questions on womens ordination, sexuality, priestly celibacy and the Churchs new English-language liturgy. /ppCatholic Voices for Reform, an umbrella organisation for pro-reform groups, delivered the questions yesterday (7 September) to Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. They asked him to pass them to the pope during his trip./ppBenedict XVI will visit Glasgow, London and Birmingham during his state visit to the UK from 16 ? 19 September./ppSpeaking at a press conference prior to handing in the questions, Simon Bryden-Brook of Catholics for a Changing Church urged the Pope to listen more carefully to his flock. He said, ?A pope who does not listen to the sheep is not doing his job properly?. Pat Brown of Catholic Womens Ordination (CWO) added, ?If the institution doesnt start listening, I really dont see a future for it?. /ppBernard Wynne of the group Stand up for Vatican II added, ?Lay people are denied a role in the central government of the Church. Theyre also denied a role in the diocesan and sometimes the parish government of the Church.? Bryden-Brook criticised a system that allowed power to be concentrated in ?one person and his cronies?. /ppBryden-Brook described the requirement for priests to be celibate as incredibly damaging and pointed out that it appears to be waived when it comes to Anglican clergy converting to Rome. He emphasised that we do not denigrate celibacy for those priests who wish to adopt it,? but argued that it should not be compulsory. /ppEmpowering the laity is a central theme of the reformers agenda. Valerie Stroud of the group We Are Church bemoaned the lack of adult education in the Roman Catholic Church and suggested that there is a ?vast swathe of Catholics whove never learnt any more about their faith than what they learnt when they were seven years old?. /ppAsked if they were abandoning church teaching in favour of secular notions of human rights, Bryden-Brook insisted that Christianity is about the incarnation and ?God being revealed in humanity?. He said that such Christian teaching fitted naturally with a commitment to human rights./ppBrown was challenged on the level of support for the ordination of women. She insisted that it is not only a western concern and that she has worked with Catholics from various parts of the global south calling for womens ordination. She admitted that CWO could not give a precise membership figure because of the fluid nature of its membership, but Wynne said that they would welcome an independent opinion poll to measure support./ppThe panel were asked by Ekklesias reporter if they also wished to see change in the Vaticans approach to economic justice, given the current Popes campaign against liberation theology in his previous role as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Wynne admitted that, ?The Church was very peremptory in the way it handled liberation theology? but argued that ?compared to many governments?, the Churchs position on social justice has been ?pretty good?. /ppThe groups that make up Catholic Voices for Reform are keen to emphasise that Catholic opinion is much broader than the views promoted by the Vatican. Bryden-Brook yesterday encouraged grassroots Catholics to take the initiative, insisting that, ?change at the top will only come from pressure from below?. /pp[Ekk/1]/p/div/div/div!-- google_ad_section_end --
  • Indigenous Colombian groups face extinction, warns UN
    Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:13:27 +0000
    !-- google_ad_section_start --div class=field field-type-text field-field-teaserdiv class=field-itemsdiv class=field-item oddpA report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that at least 34 Colombian tribes face extinction due to continuing violence./p/div/div/divdiv class=field field-type-text field-field-bodydiv class=field-itemsdiv class=field-item oddpA report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that at least 34 Colombian tribes face extinction due to continuing violence on their lands. /ppThe report found that, ?In spite of new efforts by the state? the risk of physical or cultural disappearance remains, and in some cases has risen?./ppAn increase in murders, death threats, and the forced recruitment of indigenous youth into armed groups are just some of the dangers reportedly facing Colombia?s Indians. /ppInternal displacement is also cited as a major issue that disproportionately affects Colombia?s tribal peoples. Of the country?s four million internal refugees, Indians make up 15 per cent of the total, despite the fact that they represent just two per cent of the national population./ppJust two weeks before the report was released, leader Luis Socarrás Pimienta of the Wayúu tribe was shot dead by an alleged paramilitary outside his home in the northern Colombian province of la Guajira. /ppAccording to the report, murders of indigenous Colombians rose by 63 per cent between 2008 and 2009, and 33 members of Colombia?s Awa tribe were killed in 2009 alone. /ppThe Awa are mentioned alongside one of the Amazon?s last nomadic tribes, the Nukak, as requiring ?special attention?. More than half of the Nukak have been wiped out since the arrival of coca-growing colonists on their land. The Nukak are said to be trapped in a cruel limbo between oppressive refugee shelters on the outskirts of a town and the violence-stricken forest./ppAn earlier UN report cites a suspected programme of ?ethnic cleansing? in the country to make way for illicit crops or ?to establish large-scale agro-business ventures, including palm oil plantations and beef cattle production?. /pp?We can move around less and less, even to hunt or collect food,? said a leader of the recently displaced Wounaan tribe, who blames the presence of armed groups and heightened violence on an influx of coca cultivation in Wounaan territory./pp?Colombia?s former President lays claim to his successful campaign against violence, yet this report has again illustrated the country?s abysmal record of human rights abuses against its indigenous population,? said Stephen Corry of Survival International yesterday (7 September). /ppHe added, ?Juan Manuel Santos? new government must act once and for all to protect its most vulnerable citizens from being wiped out, before it?s too late?. /pp[Ekk/1]/p/div/div/div!-- google_ad_section_end --
  • Christians arrested for disarming nuclear base
    Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:10:38 +0000
    !-- google_ad_section_start --div class=field field-type-text field-field-teaserdiv class=field-itemsdiv class=field-item oddpThree Catholics arrested after cutting through the fence at the Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment say they were ?inspired by the message of Jesus?./p/div/div/divdiv class=field field-type-text field-field-bodydiv class=field-itemsdiv class=field-item oddpThree Catholic peace activists who were arrested after cutting through the fence at a nuclear base say that they were ?inspired by the message of Jesus?. /ppThe three, who include a priest, entered the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston, England and put up a sign declaring ?Open for Disarmament: All Welcome?. /ppThe incident follows UK government plans to build a new multi-million pound nuclear testing facility at the Aldermaston site. One of the gates of the establishment was blocked on Monday (6 September) by around twenty members and supporters of Trident Ploughshares who disrupted access to the site during the morning rush hour. /ppThe three Catholics have all been arrested in the past for nonviolent direct action. They include Father Martin Newell, 43, a Passionist priest from London Catholic Worker. The others are Susan Clarkson, 63, of Oxford Catholic Worker and Chris Cole, 47, also from Oxford. /ppThey said that they were at Aldermaston to open ?a new gateway into this tightly guarded factory of death?. /ppIn a statement issued shortly after they entered the base, they declared, ?We come inspired by the message of Jesus to love our enemies, to be peacemakers and to live and act nonviolently at all times?. /ppThe activists pointed out that this week marks the thirtieth anniversary of the first act of direct nuclear disarmament, the ?Ploughshares 8?. They said that their action was inspired by the same ?spirit of disarmament?. /ppThey added, ?We believe that AWE Aldermaston and its extensive and expensive new development programme needs to be exposed for what it is: a factory for the creation of weapons of mass destruction which have the power to destroy this beautiful world, given to us by God, our loving creator, to care and tend?. /ppIn addition to Newell, Clarkson and Cole, three of the Trident Ploughshares activists were also arrested for their role in blocking one of the establishments gates. /ppTrident Ploughshares are drawing attention to the ongoing £1 billion-a-year modernisation programme at Aldermaston, which includes the Orion laser, an enriched uranium handling facility and three new supercomputers. /ppThe campaigners say this will enable the UK government to develop a new generation of nuclear warheads, circumventing obligations under the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and undermining its disarmament commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. They are also concerned about the health and safety and environmental implications of the new developments, particularly in light of the lack of public disclosure./ppAnn Kobayashi, a Trident Ploughshares activist and retired social worker from Wickford, Essex, said, ?We don?t need new nuclear weapons, but we do need the skills and knowledge of the AWE workforce to address the significant challenges of decommissioning existing nuclear weapons and nuclear waste disposal, which will affect future generations?. /pp[Ekk/1]/p/div/div/div!-- google_ad_section_end --
  • Wittenbergs mini Luther statue unrest
    Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:10:39 +0000
    !-- google_ad_section_start --div class=field field-type-text field-field-teaserdiv class=field-itemsdiv class=field-item oddpEight hundred miniature figures of Martin Luther on display in the central market square of Wittenberg, where he lived and worked, are causing offence./p/div/div/divdiv class=field field-type-text field-field-bodydiv class=field-itemsdiv class=field-item oddpEight hundred colourful miniature figures of the 16th-century Protestant Reformer Martin Luther on display in the central market square of Wittenberg, where he lived and worked, are causing offence - emwrites Anli Serfontein from Trier, Germany/em/ppVisitors have been walking around the market place between the black, green, red and blue figures, picking them up and placing them in other parts of the town./ppThis art show has, however, been heavily criticised by prominent theologians such as Friedrich Schorlemmer from Wittenberg, who played a prominent role in the peaceful protests that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall more than 20 years ago./ppSchorlemmer told the Leipziger Volkszeitung, a newspaper in eastern Germany, in August, This is theological and aesthetic rubbish. Martin Luther cannot be mass produced./ppThe installation by German artist Ottmar Hörl is part of the Luther Decade celebrations commemorating the period between Luthers arrival in Wittenberg in 1508 and the beginning of the Reformation in 1517./ppSchorlemmer called the fact that the figures will later be sold for 250 euros each a tasteless trade off with plastic figures./ppPetra Bahr, the culture representative of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), the umbrella organisation for Germanys Protestants, told the epd news agency, I understand his criticism but I find the reaction humourless./ppThe chairperson of Wittenbergs Cranach Foundation, Eva Löber, also condemned the installation of the figures. No one will discover what was Luthers message, she told the Leipziger Volkszeitung, a daily newspaper in the region./ppOn the other hand the EKD representative for the Luther Decade in Wittenberg, Stephan Dorgerloh, praised the art. With the installation Martin Luther is also present without a monument and Hörls modern art leads us, at the same time, in the 21st century, he told the Leipziger Volkszeitung./ppThe Luther figures, which are each about one metre (39 inches) in height, are based on an 1821 statue of Luther that normally stands on the Wittenberg market but is currently being restored. The installation is on display until 12 September 2010./pp[With acknowledgements to ENI. a href=http://www.eni.ch/Ecumenical News International/a is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Conference of European Churches.]/pp[Ekk/3]/p/div/div/div!-- google_ad_section_end --

BBC News

  • Erdogan raps rivals ahead of poll
    Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:07:22 GMT
    Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticises the tactics of his opponents, in a BBC interview ahead of Sunday's constitutional referendum.
  • Fees rise 'best' for universities
    Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:56:06 GMT
    Vice chancellors are expected to be told raising student tuition fees is the best way to ensure future finding for higher education.
  • Brilliant Federer beats Soderling
    Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:38:10 GMT
    Five-time champion Roger Federer produces a stunning display to beat Robin Soderling and reach the semi-finals of the US Open.
  • Mexico crime 'like an insurgency'
    Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:12:42 GMT
    US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Mexican drug violence is looking increasingly like an insurgency, a comment strongly rejected by Mexico.