Bush Found 'Inspiration From a Higher Power' to Overcome Alcohol
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,326477,00.html
President Bush on Tuesday referred to his former struggles with alcohol as an "addiction," a blunt characterization of his less disciplined adult days before a reliance on faith help him turn his life around.
"Addiction is hard to overcome," Bush said in speaking at a faith-based center that helps former prisoners get job training and other help.
"As you might remember, I drank too much at one time in my life," Bush said. "I understand faith-based programs. I understand that sometimes you can find the inspiration from a higher power to solve an addiction problem."
Increasingly, Bush has reflected in candid terms about his days of drinking. Last month, he told some young recovering addicts to stick with their fight against drugs and cited his own experiences with alcohol years ago. He said then that "addiction competes for your affection ... you fall in love with alcohol."
Bush, 61, decided to quit drinking alcohol after a boozy night in 1986 celebrating his 40th birthday. He went on to win election and re-election as Texas governor before bidding for the White House.
The president spoke Tuesday at the Jericho Program, which helps former prisoners get their lives in order and contribute to society. The stop came as Bush sought to keep some attention on his faith-based programs, one of the themes from his final State of the Union address on Monday night.
Pastor Murdered in Peshawar, Pakistan
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06812.shtml
Pastor Sajid William (29) was shot and killed by an unidentified masked assailant while he was on his way home in Peshawar on January 17. Pastor William was active in evangelistic work and was the office manager for the Christian relief and development agency Shelter Now. He is survived by his wife and 18-month old daughter.
Pray for God's comfort for Pastor William's family. Pray that his wife and child will know the Lord as their Father and Defender (Psalm 68:5).
Ask God to embolden Pakistani Christians to follow his example of faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:9-14,16).
For more information on the persecution of Christians in Pakistan, go to www.persecution.net/country/pakistan.htm.
American RTL Rebukes Ann Coulter - Coulter Endorses Pro-Abortion Mitt Romney
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06811.shtml
American RTL Action president Steve Curtis is challenging the wisdom and pro-life leadership of Ann Coulter for her endorsement of pro-abortion Mitt Romney for president. The group's ARTLaction.com site documents Romney's recent promotion of child killing with links to official government websites, Romney's own campaign, mainstream sources, and audio and video clips of the candidate himself:
Mitt Romney claims, "On every piece of legislation, I came down on the side of life." "That is a lie," said Curtis, former chairman of the Colorado Republican Party. In April 2006 Romney signed the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Plan that pays for even elective abortions. Today he falsely claims a 1981 court ruling about "medically necessary" abortions forced him to provide tax-funded elective abortion, showing he prioritizes socialized "health care" over protecting kids, even when that "health care" actually intentionally kills children. Romney gave a permanent seat on the Massachusetts payment policy advisory board to the nation's leading abortionists at Planned Parenthood. Romney signed the 2005 bill that promotes chemical abortions with Plan B. As Governor he appointed openly pro-abortion Democrat Matt Nestor to a district court; and disputing a ruling from his own state health department Romney personally argued that pro-life hospitals must dispense abortifacients. Romney claims to have been personally pro-life for many years, but also claims a recent pro-life conversion on Nov. 9, 2004 while talking to Harvard researcher Douglas Melton about embryonic stem cells. However Mitt still openly supports killing the baby of a rapist, and killing the tiniest of humans for research. Dr. Melton has even disputed Romney's account of their conversation, and "pro-life" Romney even attended a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood. During the years that Romney says he was personally pro-life he aggressively claimed to be second-to-none in asserting abortion as an essential right. And in October 2005 Romney asked the federal government for a waiver for a major increase in funding for abortion "counseling" and for tax-funded abortifacients.
Coulter repeatedly suggests in a Jan. 16, 2008 column that pro-lifers should let liberals help them pick their nominee. "The candidate Republicans should be clamoring for is the one liberals are feverishly denouncing... Mitt Romney." Coulter mocked primary voters who "do absolutely zero research on the candidates" and then she concluded without presenting any legislative research but instead mouthing Mitt's own sound bite, that "Romney governed as a pro-lifer."
"She is good at debunking claims," said Curtis, "so she should go to our website and try to disprove our damning evidence that Romney is aggressively pro- abortion. Romney has deceived Ann Coulter and maintained his godless pro-abortion position."
"The evidence is indisputable-- Mitt Romney is lying to get Christian votes," said vice president of ARTL Action, Columbine dad Brian Rohrbough. "When 'pro- life' leaders lie, more innocent children will die, so Ann has either been tricked, or is helping him trick others. American RTL is calling Coulter to account." In the early primary contests the new 527 group American RTL Action ran anti-Mitt TV ads only in Iowa and South Carolina, the two states where Romney was trounced because his pro-abortion actions were exposed.
Corroborating links at www.ARTLaction.com
US Senate Site of Jam-Packed Pro-Life Gathering - Feinstein's Attempt to Block Pro-Lifers Unsuccessful
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06810.shtml
The 14th annual National Memorial for the Pre-born and their Mothers and Fathers, an annual prayer service to remember all the victims of abortion, drew a capacity crowd on January 22nd in the US Senate Hart Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Hundreds of attendees were led in Bible readings and prayers by more than 40 members of the clergy representing numerous Christian denominations and traditions.
This year's event was almost shut out of its normal venue in the US Capitol complex. For the first time in 13 years the Senate Rules Committee tried to block pro-lifers from using the facilities. The new hostility to pro-life groups indicates a complete reversal of policy by the new Democrat senate leadership.
After waiting three months, organizers were told that each of three rooms requested for the event were booked by other groups and therefore were unavailable. When National Memorial founder, the Reverend Rob Schenck (pronounced SHANK), president of the National Clergy Council, asked the chief clerk to see the assignment calendar, his request was denied. Only after Schenck threatened to hold a news conference asking why Rules Committee chairwoman Dianne Feinstein could not find space in any of the usual buildings did the committee offer a hall in what amounts to the attic of the Senate Hart Building. The notice came just three days before the event.
"It's clear that Senator Feinstein's office did not want pro-lifers using these facilities anymore," said Schenck. "When her staff people were backed into a corner, they tucked us as far away as possible. The service was very well attended but it failed to send the strong signal to the senators that our visible presence had in past years."
During today's service, Reverend Schenck briefly left the event and took a video camera to the three rooms he was told would be occupied during the same time period. Each of the venues was empty and unused. Schenck captured the state of each room on video, documenting the time period by panning clocks on the walls used by senators to mark voting and hearing schedules.
"These empty rooms prove that Senator Feinstein's committee staff not only lied to us about their use, but to the three senate offices that requested them on our behalf. It's an egregious ethical failure on the part of the Rules Committee and clearly demonstrates a prejudice against pro-life people and groups by the new senate leadership," said Schenck.
Influential Catholics Criticize 'Call for Civility' in Politics
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06809.shtml
WASHINGTON -- A group of 96 influential Catholics issued a petition today that explicitly criticizes a statement released last November that calls for greater "civility" among Catholics in political discourse.
The signers of the new statement believe the November statement would have the effect of silencing the pro-life movement and silencing criticism of pro-abortion Catholic politicians.
Most of the signers of the new statement are influential actors in the public-square, public policy, or academia. Among the 96 signers are university professors, think-tank scholars, journalists, authors, doctors, lawyers and others. They include such Catholic luminaries as Templeton Prize winner Michael Novak, authors Robert Royal and Peter Kreeft, columnist Russell Shaw and many others.
Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM), and one of the organizers of the statement released today said, "Rather than giving pro-abortion Catholic politicians a pass, we should vote them out of office and encourage them to repent."
Michael Novak of the American Enterprise Institute said, "Too often these days civility is defined as giving in to the way the media define the issue under debate, whereas honesty demands insisting upon a different way of looking on things, even when this attempt is treated as a nuisance."
William Saunders of the Family Research Council said, "I signed this statement because, as the Church teaches, abortion is the most important issue in the world; it is not an issue like others, it is not one on which reasonable people can disagree. We cannot let calls for civility toward pro-abortion Catholic politicians obscure our fundamental obligation to oppose abortion."
The new statement called A Catholic Response to the "Call for Civility" says in part:
"All men and women of good will value civility, but civility is not the highest -- or the only -- civic virtue. Rather, justice is. As Pope Benedict XVI reminds us in Deus Caritas Est, "Justice is both the aim and the intrinsic criterion of all politics."
The statement goes on to say,
"If Catholic politicians advocated segregation or -- even worse -- slavery, would there be a call for civility towards them? If Catholic politicians said the poor are poor because of their bad behavior and we are not obliged to help them in any way, wouldn't we say they are heartless and even un-Christian? Some ask for civility now for one reason, abortion."
"The lack of public civility comes not from pro-lifers but from those Catholic politicians who support the right to kill innocent life in the womb and those who support defining man-woman marriage out of existence. But, some want to treat these politicians differently because they agree with them on important but purely prudential questions like health care, and the minimum wage."
The statement concludes:
"Though not all of its signers intend it, we believe the effect of the "Call for Civility" would be to silence the pro-life and pro-family movements. We oppose this effort root and branch."
"In short, we will feel free even strongly to condemn the public policy positions of Catholic politicians who support abortion, embryo-destructive research, and homosexual marriage. They stand against the teachings of the Church and in favor of morally repugnant practices that are counter to the common good and that should be unwelcome in a just or even polite society."
Illegal Abortion Evidence Prompts Operation Rescue to Call on New KS Attorney General to Reopen Tiller Abortion Investigation
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06808.shtml
WICHITA, Kansas -- A report on evidence gathered by Operation Rescue in their investigation of late-term abortions at a Kansas abortion mill is now available online at www.operationrescue.org.
Because the evidence presented is so compelling, Operation Rescue is demanding that the new Attorney General Stephen Six reopen the Tiller investigation and broaden it.
"This evidence demands further review, which is something that disgraced Attorney General Paul Morrison and District Attorney Nola Foulston have repeatedly refused to do," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, who testified last week before a grand jury investigating Tiller.
"In light of the facts that Foulston has ties to Tiller and that Morrison has been accused of attempting to illegally influence a criminal case against Tiller filed by former Attorney General Phill Kline, Operation Rescue is calling on Six, to reopen the investigation of George Tiller and fully examine his late-term abortion practices from 2004 through the present."
The report was released to the public at a press conference held on Monday, January 21, 2008.
"Any reasonable person looking at this evidence will conclude that there is reason to believe that illegal abortions are continuing at Tiller's abortion mill," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "This evidence demands a verdict."
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.
Pope wades back into debate on 'seductive' science
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/pope.wades.back.into.debate.on.seductive.science/16552.htm
Pope Benedict warned on Monday of the "seductive" powers of science that relegate man's spirituality, reviving the science-versus-religion debate which recently forced him to cancel a speech after student protests.
"In an age when scientific developments attract and seduce with the possibilities they offer, it's more important than ever to educate our contemporaries' consciences so that science does not become the criteria for goodness," he told scientists.
Scientific investigation should be accompanied by "research into anthropology, philosophy and theology" to give insight into "man's own mystery, because no science can say who man is, where he comes from or where he is going", the Pope said.
"Man is not the fruit of chance or a bundle of convergences, determinisms or physical and chemical reactions," Pope Benedict told a meeting of academics of different disciplines sponsored by the Paris Academy of Sciences and Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
The Pope reiterated a plea, made in many speeches since he was elected in 2005, for mankind to be "respected as the centre of creation" and not relegated by more short-term interests.
But the conservative German-born Pope's public stand on issues such as abortion and embryonic stem-cell research lead critics to accuse him of holding antiquated views on science.
Students and teachers at Rome's La Sapienza university - which was founded by a pope more than 700 years ago - cited such views when they protested loundly a papal speech scheduled for January 17 that it had to be cancelled.
In particular they criticised his views on science, saying a speech he gave in 1990 showed he would have favoured the Church's 17th century heresy trial against Galileo.
The Vatican said the protesters misunderstood that speech, made some 17 years ago when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
UN investigator urges end to religious violence in Israel and Palestine
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/un.investigator.urges.end.to.religious.violence.in.israel.and.palestine/16553.htm
A UN freedom of religion investigator urged Israel and the Palestinian authorities to condemn all violence done in the name of religion, the United Nations said Monday.
“Any violence committed in the name of religion, where violent acts by zealous (Israeli) settlers or, even worse, in the form of suicide bombings by militant Islamists, should be denounced, investigated and sanctioned,” said Asma Jahangir, a Pakistani human rights activist, according to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Jahangir made the remark Sunday in Jerusalem after a weeklong visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. She met with Israeli and Palestinian officials and visited several cities, but not Gaza.
She criticised Israel for banning non-religious people from marrying in the state, condemned the mistreatment of women, and the “intolerance” of Christians in the Gaza Strip.
The UN special rapporteur on Freedom of Religion said women are in a “particularly vulnerable situation” and “bear the brunt of religious zeal”. Some women in Gaza have been forced to cover their heads due to fear rather than religious conviction, she said pointing to reports. She also heard of “honour killings” performed with impunity in the name of religion.
Jahangir also spoke about the plight of the small Christian community living in the Palestinian territory that is facing increasing intolerance. The murder of Rami Ayyad, 32, was highlighted as an example of the growing attacks against Christians.
Ayyad, the manager of a Christian bookstore, was kidnapped and brutally murdered in Gaza last October. Muslim extremists accused him of carrying out missionary activities and sent him several death threats before his murder.
“The question whether he was engaging in missionary activities or not is entirely irrelevant,” Jahangir argued. “This was a hideous crime and also a violation of his right to manifest his religion or belief."
Hundreds of Christians in Gaza are believed to have fled the territory after Ayyad’s death out of fear of rising violence targeted at Christians. There are about 75,000 Palestinian Christians but only about 3,000 were living in Gaza, which has a Muslim population of 1.5 million, prior to Ayyad’s death.
Jahangir ended her report by noting that any measures taken to combat terrorism must observe international law, “including freedom of religion or belief”.
The Pakistani human rights activist has faced punishment under the order of her own government for her outspoken advocacy. She was briefly detained last year by the Pakistan Government for her criticisms, and is also often attacked by Islamic radicals for what they consider to be her liberal stance on religion.
Huckabee: We're Playing All Nine Innings
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/312919.aspx
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee didn't say too much about the results of the Florida primary while speaking to a crowd in St. Louis, Missouri, Tuesday night.
He spoke briefly and resigned to come in either third or fourth in the Sunshine State.
"We are rehearsing for the victory speech we'll be able to give about Missouri next week," he said to supporters gathered there.
"Between now and seven days from now there's going to be something that we'll all be shouting about," he added. "And it won't be just a Missouri thing, but also that same night they'll be one in Georgia and Alabama and Tennessee and they'll be one in Arkansas and Oklahoma and maybe a few other places that people aren't even expecting it to happen."
He assured everyone in attendance, "We're playing all nine innings of this ball game - even the Cardinals occasionally have a rough inning but they know how to win championships."
Huckabee explained that they had only expected about 100 people to show up for tonight's rally, but the small banquet room at the Drury Inn was packed with close to 300, according to ABC News.
Huckabee apologized to his supporters for his brevity, citing the weather and the fact that he had campaign and debate obligations in Southern California tomorrow and that he would be leaving tonight, directly from the event.
"We've gotta be at the Reagan library tomorrow night. I'm gonna be on that stage tomorrow night. I'm not sure everybody's gonna be there but I will be."
Operation Orissa: Annihilate Christians
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/312279.aspx
KANDHAMAL DISTRICT, Orissa State, India - It's been several weeks since Hindu radicals launched a brutal attack against Christians in the Indian state of Orissa.
Hundreds of homes and churches were destroyed. More than 2,000 Christians are in refugee camps. Hundreds more are hiding in the jungles for fear of another attack.
Getting to the hardest-hit areas is no easy task. For the past several weeks, Indian authorities have not allowed journalists, religious leaders, or aid workers to travel to some of the most affected villages.
But with the help of local contacts, CBN News got a first-hand look at communities gripped with fear and anxiety.
"As the mob was destroying our churches I could hear them chanting 'Victory to our Hindu gods,'" said Kandhamal pastor Solomon Nayak. "All we could do was hide in our homes and pray."
Troubling Attacks Near Christmas
The troubles started on December 23. Christians in a village, some 800 miles southeast of New Delhi, were preparing for a special Christmas service. According to church leaders, Hindu radicals were opposed to the event and began attacking Christian homes and churches.
Hindu hard-liners insist the fighting started only after Christians tried to attack a prominent Hindu leader in the area.
More than 700 homes were destroyed in three days of fighting.
"They burned everything I had. This is all I have left, what I'm wearing," resident Obed Diggal said.
Four people lost their lives.
"I saw my grandfather burned to death right in front of my eyes and I could do nothing to save his life," Nabaghana Naik said.
And across the Kandhamal district, church after church became targets for the raging mob.
Sunderson Digal stands in what's left of his small village church.
"They warned us not to spread the love of God and not to tell others about Jesus," he said.
Coordinated Attacks
Digal's church is just one of the close to 100 churches that were destroyed in the attacks that began on December 23.
Despite all of the violence and destruction, all of the residents that CBN News spoke with said that in due course, these churches will all be rebuilt.
Dr. Sajan George, who heads the Global Council of Indian Christians, was asked if he had any evidence that the violent onslaught was a coordinated and planned attack.
"This was well coordinated, well orchestrated because it has happened in 80 different places," he replied.
George's organization documents the persecution of Christian in India. He says the attacks weren't just random acts of violence.
"They marked the houses, they knew were the churches were and they spontaneously went and attacked," George said.
George and other Christian leaders believe the attacks are part of a much larger campaign by Hindu fanatics to stop lower-caste Hindus known as Untouchables or Dalits from converting to Christianity.
"God is moving among the Dalits and setting us free. The Hindus don't like this. So they accuse us of bribing and forcing others to convert and this is not true," Dalit convert Daniel Digal said.
Stopping Dalits from Converting to Christ
Umasankar Acharya is a top leader of Bajrang Dal, a Hindu extremist group that often uses violence against Christians and other minority faith groups. He accuses Christians and foreign missionaries of using conversions to try and lower the number of Hindus in India.
"This is a problem and we will deal with it. We will get all the Hindus together, the whole Hindu nation, and whoever stands against the rights of Hindus, we will finish them," he said.
In an effort to counter the spread of Christianity, Orissa and several other Indian states have laws that require people to get permission before they can change their religion.
"They want to annihilate the Christians of India. They want to turn this country into a Hindu nation," Pastor Nayak said.
It is a goal that Archarya and other extremist Hindu leaders say is worth fighting for.
"Every time you read the pages of history you see that Hindus have fought for this nation and for their religious rights. India has always been, is, and forever will be a Hindu nation," Archarya said.
Such words do little to comfort the Christians living here in Kandhamal district.
On a recent Tuesday morning, a group of Christian villagers stood in the ruins of their church and sang of their commitment to the faith and a determination to pray for those who've carried out these acts of terror.
"I am praying that through this devastation people will experience the love of Jesus," said Sunderson Digal, a resident of Minia village.
"And the bottom line is that if we live, we'll live for Christ. If we die, we'll die for Christ," said Kandhamal pastor Babulok Maliga. "Whatever happens, we will worship the Lord!"
Evangelist to Celebrate 111th Birthday
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/312502.aspx
A retired evangelist turns 111 tomorrow in Zeeland, Mich.
Nellie Jones and her late husband helped start the Full Gospel All Nation Pentecostal Church in 1942. Jones can still recite passages from the Bible and sing hymns she sang during her days as an evangelist.
After receiving birthday greetings at the local nursing home where she now lives, Jones said, "What? I'm how old?"
Reminded that she was about to turn 111, she remarked, "I'm really getting old."
Jones is one of only 74 people in the world who are known to be 110 or older.
Is that a crowbar in your pants?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080130/ap_on_fe_st/odd_telltale_crowbar&printer=1;_ylt=AmVzbslREYvgzOztw7rItnEuQE4F
SWEETWATER, TN -- A woman has been charged with possession of burglary tools after police said a crowbar slipped out of her pants as she was lurking around a church.
McMinn County Sheriff's Deputy Rick Shadrick pulled into the church parking lot early Saturday morning after he spotted a car parked near the building.
He found Jennifer Hunt, 35, walking from behind the building, where she said she was going to bathroom. When she was walking to her car to get her ID, a crowbar dropped from her pants
The officer also found Hunt had a screwdriver and observed pry marks on church doors. Hunt was being held on $2,000 bond pending a Tuesday arraignment.
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