Religion in the News.

[eyeshaveit]

Germany Bans ?True Religion? Muslim Group and Raids Mosques

BERLIN ? A German organization that calls itself the True Religion and that is known for distributing German-language copies of the Quran was outlawed on Tuesday, after the authorities accused it of recruiting jihadists to fight in Iraq and Syria.

Thomas de Maizi?re, the German interior minister, said the government had banned the True Religion organization, which is also known as Read (as in the instruction to read the Quran), because it acted as a ?collecting pool? for would-be Islamist fighters.

Starting on Tuesday morning, officers raided 190 premises in more than half of Germany?s 16 states. Materials were secured, but there were no detentions, Mr. de Maizi?re said.

?The organization brings Islamic jihadists together under the pretext of the harmless distribution of the Quran,? Mr. de Maizi?re told reporters in Berlin, stressing that the authorities were acting against the group because of its work to foster violence, not because of its faith. ?A systematic curtailment of our rule of law has nothing to do with the alleged freedom of religion,? he said.

The move comes after months of surveillance of the organization, whose bushy-bearded members have become a common sight in pedestrian shopping areas in major German cities. Mr. de Maizi?re said that 140 of the group?s supporters are known to have traveled to Syria or Iraq to fight on behalf of the Islamic State.

?The translations of the Quran are being distributed along with messages of hatred and unconstitutional ideologies,? Mr. de Maizi?re said. ?Teenagers are being radicalized with conspiracy theories.?

The move comes a week after the authorities arrested five men who were accused of aiding the Islamic State in Germany by recruiting members and providing financial and logistical help.

The True Religion is the sixth Islamist organization to be banned in Germany since 2012, under an effort to ensure domestic security and to prevent radicalized young people from leaving the country to fight for extremists abroad."

By Melissa Eddy
For complete article, see New York Times - Europe - Nov 15, 2016 

[RegalSin]

Give me a break. Germany is has been annihilated for years since WW2. They are great people but the reality is that the US has been working hard alongside Zionist Israel to make the genocidal war look bad. Banning religious activities just makes things more and more stupid and makes Germanic a bigger target for such activities. They should leave these peasants alone and eventually nobody would care.

They are creating bigger problems by attacking religious people in general. Hiding behind racism is the case here and racism where that points to Zionist rule.
I have heard nothing but post WW2 pro-Jue propaganda with Germanic people for years to come.

All I know is that whole idea of recruitment is bs. This is stupid and is slowing down society while being racist towards the melting pot in general.

Racism, racism, racism is all that I see. I mean seriously the more they attack rights the bigger target they are trying to be. I guess it is Europe turn to look like the badguy since the USA had to look like the badguy for years.

[eyeshaveit]

Viet Nam National Assembly adopts law on belief and religion

"With 84.58 per cent of approval votes, the 14th National Assembly passed a Law on Belief and Religion in the second session?s November 18 sitting.

With 68 articles in 9 chapters, the freshly-adopted law stipulates that everyone has the right to freedom of belief and religion, following or not following any religions. Everybody has the right to exercise religious practices and attend religious festivals.

Authorised religious organisations are allowed to operate in line with their charters and regulations; hold religious activities; publish religion-related documents; build or upgrade religious establishments; and receive legal donations from individuals or organisations both in and outside the country.

In order to ensure the right to freedom of religion, the law clearly prescribes that the State respects and protects everyone?s right to freedom of belief and religion, and ensures that all religions are equal before the law.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front is responsible for uniting religious followers and non-followers to build the great national unity bloc for national construction and defence; and timely reporting the people?s opinions, aspirations and petitions on religious issues to competent State agencies;

The Vietnam Fatherland Front is assigned to participate in drafting legal documents on belief and religion, as well as monitoring activities of people-elected agencies, organisations, officials and civil servants in the implementation of religious laws and policies.

All discriminations for religious reasons; actions that force or hinder others from following or not following religion and belief; actions that offend belief and religion or taking advantage of religious activities to seek profit are prohibited.

The law also bans religious activities that infringe on national defence, security, sovereignty, and social order and safety; harm social ethics, personal lives and assets; offend other persons? honour and human dignity; prevent the performance of civil rights and obligations; and disunite the nation, religions and among belief and religion followers and non-followers."

Viet Nam News - November 19, 2016:
http://vietnamnews.vn/politics-laws/346545/national-assembly-adopts-law-on-belief-and-religion.html#DCOPh1ulblBVU47P.99

[Inertialmass]

You do realize, Eyes, that the mixing of church and state is even today the norm?

Even those few nations with explicit Constitutional injunctions against all government entanglements favoring or restricting religions rarely adhere to this ideal, including and especially the US.

[eyeshaveit]

The 'state church' has been the historic norm, in a fallen world, over the many centuries of written records. Sadly we often take for granted the blessings of a constituted wall, placed between church and state.

[eyeshaveit]

Israel's Attempt to Silence Muslim Prayer Call is Not Well received:

A bill aimed at banning mosques from broadcasting the Muslim prayer call over loudspeaker has been slammed as ?an attempt to erase the religion?. The draft law, proposed by the Israeli government, has sparked outrage among Muslims who claim they are being discriminated against.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims the bill is not intended to suppress Islam, but aims to protect citizens from noise disturbance. Coalition parties are expected to back the legislation, which would ban the prayer call from being broadcast at night and early morning.

Moni Aloleimi, 44, a Muslim originally from Jordan now living in Jaffa, Israel, described the bill as ?an attempt to erase the religion?.
He added: ?People can?t accept this. If there is no call to prayer, there is no prayer. And if there is no prayer, there is no religion.?Mr Aloleimi, who runs a manpower company, said the prayer call, which is broadcast five times a day and dates back to the time of the prophet Muhammed, is required to ?rouse and remind people that there is a god and to not do evil deeds.?

He warned that if the law goes through, ?there will be an explosion and it will end very badly?. He added: ?You don?t infringe on the religion of an Arab. It starts with this and then they will take other steps like telling us we don?t need 20 mosques, that five is enough.?

Complete Sunday Express (UK) November 20, 2016 article:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/734258/islam-muslim-prayer-call-religion-jews-jewish-jaffa-israel-jerusalem-neanyahi

Similar reports:
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&authuser=0&q=israel+religion&oq=israel+religion&gs_l=news-cc.3..43j43i53.12308.18365.0.18857.15.7.0.8.8.0.114.576.5j2.7.0...0.0...1ac.1.F0VvsEsc3X8#hl=en&gl=us&authuser=0&tbm=nws&q=israel+muslim+prayer+call+ban

[eyeshaveit]

"Poll after poll shows the majority of Australian people of faith are in favour of marriage equality. The old argument of gay versus God is bogus. It is not a choice of picking one or the other and the members of churches see that.

"Most of our faiths are built on the foundation stones of respect, human dignity, the sanctity of the person and social justice. These values do not contradict same-sex marriage, rather they lead us to supporting it. Across Ireland and Australia many of the leading advocates for marriage equality are people of faith. Australia is undoubtedly more religiously diverse than Ireland but since I came here I have been struck by the amazing voices from every faith who are making the case for marriage equality through the prism of their faith.

"Sadly, most of the time the loudest voices we hear from the hierarchy of our churches is one that is out of step with their flocks. It is a cold, strident and marginalising message about our lesbian and gay friends, family and neighbours that has done so much damage over the centuries. It is a tone that contradicts the values of love, compassion and dignity that most religious people adhere to in Australia today." - Tiernan Brady - The Guardian (US Edition) - November 20, 2016.

Complete article: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/nov/19/religious-faith-is-no-obstacle-to-support-for-marriage-equality

"Public support to legalise same-sex marriage is at its highest level in almost five years, the latest Fairfax/Ipsos poll reveals. The poll finds 68 per cent of voters support gay marriage whereas one quarter, or 25 per cent, are opposed." - Phillip Coorey - The Australian Financial Review - June 14, 2016.

Complete article: http://www.afr.com/news/politics/fairfaxipsos-poll-gay-marriage-support-at-record-20150614-ghnjhi#ixzz4QdiZ4skY

[eyeshaveit]

South Africa's new Hate Crimes Bill needs Tweaking.

"It is necessary to introduce legislation against hate speech, but in its current form, the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill fails in its purpose ... The Department of Justice and Correctional Services has extended the deadline for the public to comment on the bill from December 1 to January 31.... William Bird, director of Media Monitoring Africa, said that, given South Africa?s history and recent developments ? such as the one currently before the Middelburg Magistrates? Court, in which two white men put a black man in a coffin ? it ?makes sense for government to act and introduce a bill of this nature?.

"?That said, the way it is formulated is too broad.? For instance, in terms of the bill in its current form, the definition of hate speech will make it impossible to make jokes of any occupations or trades. Satire will also be unlawful. Freedom of Religion South Africa (For SA) asked for the deadline to be extended until March 1 because the upcoming holiday period and the ?logistics for faith-based groups to consult their members? make it difficult to formulate a substantive response to the bill. The organisation, which acts on behalf of 69 denominations, says that the apparent intent of the bill is to combat racism and xenophobia, but the broad definition of hate speech could have a serious effect on freedom of speech and, in particular, on freedom of religion." - By Jan Gerber - Media 24 (SA) - November 22, 2916.

Complete article including a link to the hate crimes legislation:
http://city-press.news24.com/News/hate-crimes-bill-makes-sense-but-tweaks-and-contributions-are-needed-20161121

[eyeshaveit]

China Protests the Dalai Lama's Religious Visit to Mongolia

"Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia ? The Dalai Lama preached to thousands of Buddhists in Mongolia despite demands from China that the visit by the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader be scrapped, at a time Mongolia seeks a critical aid package from its powerful neighbor. The Dalai Lama addressed followers at the Gandantegchenlin monastery on Saturday and spoke about materialism at the start of a four-day visit that Mongolia says is purely religious in nature and won?t include meetings with officials. On Sunday, the Dalai Lama is scheduled to chant special sutras at a large sports facility built by Chinese companies through Chinese aid.

"The trip could have repercussions for land-locked Mongolia?s relationship with China, which protested previous visits by the Dalai Lama by briefly closing its border in 2002 and temporarily canceling flights from Beijing in 2006. China?s Foreign Ministry had demanded that the Dalai Lama?s visit be canceled. Spokesman Geng Shuang said Friday that the Dalai Lama is a ?political exile who has long been engaging in splitting China activities in the name of religion with the aim of alienating Tibet from China. Geng appealed to Mongolia to maintain ?the general picture of a sound and steady development of bilateral ties (and) earnestly stick to its commitment on Tibet-related issues.?

"The Dalai Lama has been based in India since fleeing Tibet during an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. His visit comes as Mongolian leaders are seeking a $4.2 billion loan from Beijing to pull the country out of a deep recession. With commodity prices slumping, Mongolia is running out of hard currency to repay foreign debts and is seeking help from a neighbor that accounts for roughly 90 percent of its exports. Mongolian Buddhism is closely tied to Tibet?s strain and many in the heavily Buddhist country revere the Dalai Lama, who made his first visit in 1979.

"Mongolian religious figures say the visit could be the last for the 81-year-old spiritual leader, and some of his followers traveled hundreds of miles to see him while braving the coldest November temperatures in a decade."

Ganbat Namjilsangarav?- Associated Press Asia - November 19, 2016.

[eyeshaveit]

Religion Can Make or Break Your Love

"No, he didn't cheat. He didn't lie to her. He was not abusive. In fact, on paper, he was practically perfect. He had a good job, was good looking and had a great personality. So why would Xoliswa break up with him? "He was a hardcore, Bible-hitting Christian and I couldn't take it any longer," she says. Xoliswa says that when they started dating in 2013, she knew that he was a churchgoer, but when he started preaching to her, she had to draw the line.

"I consider myself to be spiritual, meaning that I have my own relationship with God. I just choose not to go to church or belong to any kind of affiliation, for my own reasons. So when I met my ex, I knew that he was a member of a charismatic church, but I liked him regardless. "After a few dates, we discussed beliefs and that's when I explained my stance on religion to him. He told me that he understood."

"But Xoliswa says that as time went by, her ex would put her in uncomfortable situations, insisting on praying together, even before a meal in a restaurant. "I had made it clear that I only pray when I'm alone because I believe that a relationship with God is one of the most intimate ever. He would ignore that and would ask that we pray before we ate, even going to the extent of stopping me from taking a bite of my food before prayer. Then he started inviting me to church, constantly. I initially would politely remind him that I don't do church, but when he persisted I started getting irritated. When he started wanting to 'share the word' with me, that's when I had enough. I realised that he was trying to change me, that I was not good enough for him as I am. I had to end it ..."

"Can partners of different beliefs coexist in harmony within a relationship?"

SowetanLive - South Africa - [Dear Abby Column?] by Karabo Disetlhe-Mtshayelo - Nov 24, 2016
http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/goodlife/2016/11/24/religion-can-make-or-break-your-love

[eyeshaveit]

China Closely Monitoring Uyghur Religious Activities in East Turkestan

"The Communist Party has decreed that Uyghurs will now be required to report to the local authorities any religious activities they perform. While the Chinese government falsely claims that this measure is intended to help curb ?religious extremism?, it is but part of a large-scale strategy of state-sponsored suppression of religious freedom in East Turkestan. For instance, this measure must be seen in the context of increased monitoring of mosques since late last month and it is, as pointed out by Turghunjan Alawudun of the World Uighur Congress, designed solely to ?exploit religion for socialism? ...

"In fact, Radio Free Asia reported late last month that Beijing has sent more than 350 officials to the Heitan prefecture in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region for a three-year stint "monitoring mosques". A Communist Party school professor is quoted by Global Times as saying "reporting" on religious activities is to help local governments offer better "services to religious activities.""

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization - UNPO - November 24, 2016.
Complete article - http://unpo.org/article/19661

[eyeshaveit]

The Triple Talaq Heads To India's Supreme Court

"On 7 October, the government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that the practice of triple talaq is not an ?essential religious practice? because it violates the fundamental right of equality and women?s dignity, which are safeguarded by Article 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution.

"From a legal perspective, the practice of triple talaq ? where under Sharia law, a man can divorce his spouse by saying the word talaq three times ? has been contested on the grounds of whether the practice qualifies as an ?essential religious practice? under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution.

"In this regard, the Indian Supreme Court will need to decide to what extent it is fair to interpret triple talaq as an ?essential religious practice? and if the practice contradicts the court?s aim to provide protection against the violation of other fundamental rights (Article 14 and 15 of the Indian Constitution). How the Supreme Court rules on this issue may affect its institutional credibility and legitimacy within minority communities in India."

Deepanshu Mohan (Jindal Global University) - East Asia Forum - November 26, 2016.
Complete article: http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/11/26/triple-talaq-a-test-case-for-religious-pluralism-in-india/

[eyeshaveit]

Looking for Harry Potter's religious side

"Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile, graduates of the Harvard Divinity School, started a podcast in May that explored the religious side of ?Harry Potter.? The idea behind the podcast, called Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, was that the two wanted to practice their faith through their shared adoration of the beloved book series. Zoltan and ter Kuile are embarking on a 199 episode journey through J. K. Rowling?s novels to see what wisdom and meaning they can gain from the text.

"The pair releases another installment every week and so far there are 21 episodes. They have already finished the first book of the Harry Potter series, and have soared to the top of the religion and spirituality chart on iTunes. As of right now, the podcast brings in about 55,000 to 60,000 listeners each week.

"The hosts treat the books as ?Sacred Text,? meaning that they are taking the text seriously and acknowledging that the text is worth their attention as well as contemplation. They are also doing rigor and ritual, which means that they are repeatedly reading the text with concentrated attention and, in those efforts, they are making the text more sacred. Each episode covers another chapter in the series."

Julia Mach - Religion Editor - Lewis University Flyer - November 26, 2016:
http://thelewisflyer.com/finding-religion-through-harry-potter-and-the-sacred-text/

[Dexter]

Well here we go. Are they going to have a look or not?

http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/67612/20161031/jesus-tomb-uncovered-what-discoveries-lie-within.htm

[eyeshaveit]

The Lutheran Church Condemns Martin Luther?s Anti-Semitism

"The Church of Norway, the state?s Lutheran church, condemned church founder Martin Luther?s anti-Jewish legacy. The church made the statement ahead of the 500-year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, started by the 16th century German theologian, The Associated Press reported.

"The Church of Norway?s General Synod acknowledged that Luther?s writings were used in Nazi propaganda and were spread through Nazi-occupied Norway during World War II.  Luther called for the persecution of Jews in his later writings. "In the Reformation anniversary year of 2017, we as a church must clearly distance ourselves from the anti-Judaism that Luther left behind,? read the statement, according to the AP."

Marcy Oster - Forward - November 27, 2016.

Was Luther Anti-Semitic?

"Set fire to their synagogues or schools,? Martin Luther recommended in On the Jews and Their Lies. Jewish houses should ?be razed and destroyed,? and Jewish ?prayer books and Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies, cursing, and blasphemy are taught, [should] be taken from them.? In addition, ?their rabbis [should] be forbidden to teach on pain of loss of life and limb.? Still, this wasn?t enough.

"Luther also urged that ?safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews,? and that ?all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them.? What Jews could do was to have ?a flail, an ax, a hoe, a spade? put into their hands so ?young, strong Jews and Jewesses? could ?earn their bread in the sweat of their brow.? ...

"Luther was but a frustrated biblical scholar who fell victim to what his friend Philipp Melanchthon called the ?rabies of theologians?: drawing conclusions based on speculations about the hidden will of God. Luther erred because he presumed to know God?s will."

Eric W. Gritsch - Christianity Today:
Complete article - http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/theologians/martin-luther.html

[eyeshaveit]

Is Halacha (Jewish Religious Law) Out of Control?

"Judaism is in trouble. More and more unacceptable things are being done and said in its name ... Many are repelled when they witness horrible scenes of Jews attacking each other in the name of Judaism. Media outlets around the world portray religious Jews in most distressing ways. While it cannot be denied that antisemitism plays a role in this, the unfortunate fact is that much of it is based on truth. .

"Twenty one years ago, Yigal Amir assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in the name of halacha (Jewish law), claiming that the prime minister was a rodef (someone who is attempting or planning to murder), because he brought all of Israel?s citizens into mortal danger by participating in the 1993 Oslo accords. In 1994, Baruch Goldstein killed 29 Arabs in a mosque, because he believed that Judaism obligated him to create havoc in order to stop Arab terror attacks ? which had already killed thousands of Jews. Several years ago, the book Torat HaMelech was published. Its authors, learned rabbis, argued that it was permissible to kill non-Jews, even without proper trial, if they became a serious potential threat to Jewish lives ...

"Anyone who has the slightest knowledge of Judaism is fully aware that nothing within genuine Jewish law would condone, or even suggest, such outlandish ideas and immoral acts. Why does this happen? Over the years, several rabbinical authorities have made the major and dangerous mistake of reducing Judaism to a matter of law alone ... The main reason for this terrible mistake is that these rabbis have failed to study the basic moral values of Judaism in the book of Bereish1t (Genesis). It is well known that, with a few exceptions, this book does not contain laws; it is mainly narrative. To appreciate this, one needs to consider the following.

"In this first biblical book, we encounter Abraham, Yitzhak [issac] and Yaakov [Jacob] as the foremost players. They are considered the first Jews in history. But this makes little sense. How could they have been Jews if the Torah was given only hundreds of years later to Moses at Mount Sinai? Although a Jew is a Jew even if they do not observe the laws of the Torah, it is still the Torah that defines them as such. How, then, could the Patriarchs be full-fledged Jews when the Torah was denied to them? Would it not have been logical to have given the Torah to Abraham, Yitzhak Yaakov, and their wives long before Moses? Only upon receiving the Torah could they have been real Jews! So why was it withheld from them?

"The answer is crucial. No law, including divine law, works if it is not preceded by a narrative of the human moral condition and an introduction of basic ethical and religious values. These values cannot be given; they must develop through life experiences. No academic instruction, not even when given by God, would be of any benefit. Such ethics need to develop gradually, on an existential level, and be predicated on innate values that God grants to each person at the moment he or she is born ? a kind of categorical imperative in the human soul. More than that, laws become impersonal and therefore dangerous because they cannot deal with emotions and the enormous moral paradoxes encountered by human beings. As a result, they run the risk of becoming inhuman and even cruel ... There is almost nothing worse than divine law operating on its own, without primary, innate moral values. It runs the risk of turning wild and causing great harm. It needs to be constrained.

"This is the purpose of Sefer Bereish1t. It is a biting critique of the halachic system when the latter is applied without acknowledging that these prior moral values are needed in order for society to function. The book of Bereish1t, then, keeps halacha under control. It restricts and regulates it, and ensures that it will not wreak havoc."

Nathan Lopes Cardozo - The Algemeiner [Jewish Newspaper] - 29 Heshvan 5777 (November 28, 2016):
https://www.algemeiner.com/2016/11/28/the-abuse-of-halacha-keeping-religious-law-under-control/

[eyeshaveit]

So This Is Christmas

"Those who want a new twist on the traditional cr?che can buy a 10-piece Hipster Nativity scene that features Joseph sporting a lumberjack beard taking a selfie; baby Jesus and a peace-flashing Mary, holding a Starbucks cup, are included. The three wise men show up on Segways holding Amazon boxes full of presents; there is also a cow draped in a sweater with a ?100% Organic? seal on it. This depiction is more trendy than it is offensive.

"A gun-rights activist in Columbia, South Carolina has hijacked Christmas to make his case defending the Second Amendment. It is the work of the Palmetto State Armory. Billboards are being displayed in several South Carolina cities, all of which feature assault weapons or shotguns, cribbing from Christmas themes and songs. ?Do you hear what I hear?? and ?All I want for Christmas is you? are two examples. This depiction is more offensive than it is trendy.

"Reality TV star Brandi Glanville posted a Facebook picture of herself squatting over baby Jesus, posing as if she were giving birth to him. It didn?t go over with the public, which is why she deleted it from her Facebook and Instagram accounts. However, Glanville refused to apologize. Instead, before she deleted the photo, she said, ?Why is everyone so butthurt? I guess cause I?m an Atheist this doesn?t bother me in the least bit. But seriously why should people need to ?respect? this religion while this religion is so disrespectful to everyone else? Get over yourselves. Seriously.? She then tweeted, ?People need to chill the f*** out and take a joke.? There is nothing trendy about this depiction, but it is egregiously offensive. It is also quite revealing. Glanville reasons that because she is an ?Atheist? [notice she capitalizes her master status], it doesn?t bother her that Christians are offended. Why would it? After all, that was exactly her point. Not all atheists, of course, are haters, but increasingly many are. Glanville?s stunt, and her response to critics, move her toward the top of the line"

By William Donohue - OP-Ed - Eurasia Review - November 26, 2016

[eyeshaveit]

First Ever Indigenous Freedom of Religion Case Heads to Canada's Supreme Court

"A precedent-setting case that could affect the ability of First Nations to protect their sacred sites and which has implications for indigenous rights worldwide, is heading to Canada?s top court Thursday.

"The Ktunaxa First Nation, based in Cranbrook, [British Columbia] in a lawsuit against the B.C. government and Glacier Resorts Ltd, is arguing the first Canadian case based on aboriginal spirituality and freedom of religion and the case has drawn interveners from faith groups, human rights organizations and business groups from across Canada. Lawyers acting for the Ktunaxa Nation and Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Council Chair, will argue that, in 2012, the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources violated the First Nation?s religious rights by approving the master plan for the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort in an area known as Qat'muk, the home of the grizzly bear spirit, where many key Ktunaxa spiritual beliefs and practices are centred.

"The argument, which also claims the B.C. government failed to adequately consult Ktunaxa on their constitutionally protected aboriginal rights, was previously rejected by B.C. Supreme Court and the B.C. Court of Appeal, but, in March the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear an appeal. Teneese said both the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Constitution Act provide for traditions to be practiced and it is unfortunate the lower courts failed to recognize those rights. ?But we are confident the Supreme Court of Canada will uphold the rights of all Canadians to practice their religions and traditions free from interference and the threat of destruction of sacred places,? she said.

"Qat?muk, the name of the land in the central part of the Purcell Mountains, where Glacier Resorts planned to build the massive ski resort, existed long before the Jumbo Glacier proposal and before Canada became a country, Teneese said. ?As a Nation we have spent too much money fighting in the court system to prove what we have always known. Qat?muk is vital to Ktunaxa ? as well as to local wildlife populations and biodiversity ? and must be protected,? she said. The Nation has fought the Jumbo Glacier proposal since it first surfaced in 1991, both on the belief that Ktunaxa spirituality depends on the fate of Qat?muk and on concerns for water quality and the effect of the resort on the grizzly bear population," she said ... "This is the first time that a freedom of religion argument will be heard in the Supreme Court on indigenous spiritual and cultural rights. The list of interveners is as long as it is diverse ? from Amnesty International to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to a number of other First Nations. The implications of this case will be far-reaching," she said.""

By Judith Lavoie - "Desmog Canada" - November 30, 2016.
Complete article - https://www.desmog.ca/2016/11/30/first-ever-indigenous-freedom-religion-case-heads-canada-s-supreme-court

[eyeshaveit]

"UK urged to protect Religious Freedom in new Bill of Rights - Report suggests a 'reasonable accommodation' clause to protect freedom

"A new report by think tank Respublica, several of whose past recommendations have influenced government policy, has suggested a ?reasonable accommodation? for religious beliefs in law. The report, Beyond Belief, written by James Orr, a philosophy fellow at Christ Church, Oxford, was launched this morning in Parliament. It follows a series of cases in which Christians have lost their jobs or businesses, or been otherwise penalised, for acting on their consciences, especially in disputes over LGBT rights.

"Most recently, Ashers bakery in Northern Ireland was fined for refusing to bake a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan. The decision was upheld on appeal, a widely criticised decision which gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell described as ?a defeat for freedom of expression?. It follows similar cases, such as that of Lillian Ladele, a registrar who lost her job after asking not to preside at same-sex civil partnerships. Beyond Belief warns that at the moment, ?rights accrue not to who is right, but to whoever is the most politically connected and can persuade the state to take their side?.

"It proposes a return to ?the original and more reasonable account of rights, where reasonable accommodation is made once more between different minorities and nobody is more equal than anyone else.? The report suggests that the British Bill of Rights, a piece of legislation which has been proposed by the Conservative government, could include a ?reasonable accommodation? clause. A draft Bill of Rights has not yet been published. Beyond Belief calls for the government to ?set the principle of reasonable accommodation of religious belief on a constitutional footing?. Employers and public sector bodies would have to accommodate religious practice. In a similar way, the law already grants ?reasonable adjustments? to some groups. For instance, Sikhs are allowed to wear a turban instead of a crashhelmet when riding a motorcycle.

"The ?reasonable accommodation? law would oblige public-sector employers to take steps so that religious employees were not placed in a difficult situation by their beliefs. What counted as ?reasonable accomodation? might include ?the degree to which an accommodation would be practical; the financial and/or other costs of implementing the accommodation; the availability of resources necessary to make an accommodation; and the degree of disruption that making an accommodation would entail.? It explains that the clause would mean that ?the employee would no longer bear the burden of proof ? he would not need to show that a rule or requirement puts him at a disadvantage.

?Instead, the employee need only make a request that his religious beliefs or practices be accommodated, and the burden of proof rests with the employer to assess whether reaching an accommodation would impose an unreasonable degree of hardship.? The report also recommends that the Equality and Human Rights Commission introduces a Religious Freedom Code of Practice, to help employers and service-providers work through difficulties over freedom of conscience. And it calls on universities to address their statutory duty to protect freedom of speech, after a series of cases in which .

"The report argues that failure to protect religious freedom will harm the economy, if believers cannot engage in commerce (like running a bakery), and will hurt civil society, by making religious people less likely to volunteer. The ?privatisation? of religion will also accelerate the decline in social trust, the report suggests."

Dan Hitchens - Catholic Herald (UK) - November 30, 2016:
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/11/30/government-urged-to-protect-religious-freedom-in-new-bill-of-rights/

Beyond Belief report pdf - http://www.respublica.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Religious-Liberty.pdf

[eyeshaveit]

Lithuania: When Pagans Worshiped Dievas and Vaidilutes Guarded Holy Fires

"Before 1387, when the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was finally baptized into Roman Catholicism as a condition of the dynastic union with Poland, its people were pagans. The central characteristic of their religion was the veneration of the forces of nature held to be sacred, personified in the form of various deities. At the top of the pantheon was Dievas, who ruled the universe from his kingdom in the sky. Other gods included Perkunas, god of thunder, lightning and the atmosphere, and Patrimpas, protector of flowers and plants.

"These gods were worshiped in sacred groves and forests where priests called krivis expressed the will of the gods at stone altars, and holy fires were guarded by vaidilut?s, the Lithuanian equivalent of vestal virgins. Lithuanians offered regular sacrifices and held a strong belief in the afterlife, burying their dead with food and household goods. In 1382, just five years before conversion to Christianity, a grand duke called Kestusis was buried in the company of his horses, falcons and hounds.

"Even after conversion, paganism never fully died out and eventually enjoyed a small revival between the two world wars under the title of Romuva, a name taken from one of the last ancient pagan temples. It enjoyed another revival following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and today a small pagan community keeps the ancient traditions alive."

Dan Cossins - BBC History Magazine - December 2, 2016.

[eyeshaveit]

Atheists Panic - "Bring Your Bible to School Day" - Creates a Ruckus

A third-grade teacher in Alabama has come under fire by an atheist group for promoting a ?Bring Your Bible to School Day.? Patsy Smithe, a third-grade teacher at Vestavia Hill Elementary East in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, is being investigated after the Freedom From Religion Foundation notified the school on the behalf of a parent who complained about the promotion. Smith had told her students that if they wanted to voluntarily participate in the event, they could bring a Bible if they had received permission from their parents.

The FFRF contends that the promotion violated the constitutional principle of the separation of state and church, however, Pacific Justice Institute (which defends religious freedom, parental rights and other civil liberties) president Brad Dacus has argued that such announcements are legal as long teachers make them appropriately and don?t give overt preference to a particular religion. Dacus said that ?teachers need to make it clear that students who would like to bring something other than a Bible ? that?s reflective of their faith or that?s inspirational to them personally ? they should feel free to bring something to class as well.?

Dacus also said he thought the investigation is unnecessary, but that ?teachers in the future need to recognize that they need to go way our of their way in such situations to make it clear they are not showing explicit favoritism.?

Randolph County Herald Tribune.- December 1, 2016:
http://www.randolphcountyheraldtribune.com/news/20161201/religion-news-teacher-comes-under-fire-for-bring-your-bible-to-school-day-promotion

[eyeshaveit]

Worship of Kim Il Sung's Family is the only Religion Permitted in North Korea

The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB), an organization investigating human rights in North Korea, published its 2016 White Paper on Religious Freedom in North Korea on November 10. NKDB has been publishing its annual white paper on the subject since 2008. According to a survey of 11,730 defectors, 298 (2.8%) of the 10,689 respondents in total answered that they received a sentence of forced labor for religious activities, considered the weakest form of punishment. In addition, 1,217 respondents (11.4%) reported that they were sent to a correctional camp (prison) for the same charge, while 5,539 (51.8%) answered that they were sent to a political prison camp, a more severe form of punishment in North Korea. An overwhelming 99.6% of the respondents (11,069 people) answered that they were not permitted to freely engage in religious activities in North Korea.

Religious persecution in North Korea is known to have begun before the Korean War. The regime began to classify organized religious groups including members of the Chondogyo religion, Christians, and Buddhists as ?hostile? from the late 1950s, and began a campaign of suppression and persecution. Religious activists were deported to farms or mines located deep in the mountains and sentenced to forced labor under harsh conditions. The United Nation?s Commission of Inquiry also sought to address religious persecution in North Korea, stating that in practice the regime permits no other religion except for worship of the Kim family.

Defectors have provided consistent testimony stating freedom of religion is likely impossible in North Korea as long as the ?Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System? exists. The Ten Principles represent an enforced ideology ruling over every aspect of life for the North Korean people. Kim Myung Hun (alias, aged 37), who defected in 2013, stated, "In North Korea, there are the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System. The fourth of which stipulates that ?We must make the Great Leader comrade Kim Il Sung's revolutionary ideology our faith and make his instructions our creed.? This effectively means that in North Korea, no divine figure can be accepted other than Kim Il Sung."

NKDB has focused on conducting surveys and interviews with North Koreans who have defected after 2007, providing relatively recent insights into human rights violations and freedom of religion in North Korea

Kim Seong Hwan - Daily North Korea:
http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=14187

[eyeshaveit]

Tough Questions - Does Integration Mean Government Control Of Religion in the UK?

"The [199 page] Casey Review into "opportunity and integration" in the UK makes sobering reading. It's a forensic look into how isolated and deprived communities actually work. Dame Louise Casey says in the foreword that she wanted to look at "what divides communities and gives rise to anxiety, prejudice, alienation and a sense of grievances." Well, she found plenty. Many parts of the country don't offer opportunities and aren't integrated. Black boys still don't get jobs, white working class kids on free school meals still do badly in the education system, Muslim girls do brilliantly at school but don't go on to get great jobs.

"More troublingly, there are "cultural and religious practices" in some communities ? particularly Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslim ? that are "not only holding some of our citizens back but run contrary to British values and sometimes our laws". There are, Casey says, "too many religious leaders condoning or promoting intolerant and hateful teachings" and the peace-loving majority are "not being loud enough or bold enough to protect vulnerable individuals or to reduce the fear and suspicion of others". She goes into considerable detail about in the full report If you're pressed for time, the summary is here.

"The key section, though, is subtitled 'Leadership'. It says that for generations we've welcomed immigrants to our countries without really trying to integrate them. Now there are lots more of them and "leaders in public office" have failed to rise to the challenge. They don't want to be thought of as racists or Islamophobic. So abuse in particular communities might go unchallenged, like in the Rotherham child abuse case. Sharia courts can be badly run and leave women and children traumatised. "Accommodation" can go too far and "play into the hands of extremists". Casey also says: "As a nation we have lost sight of our expectations on integration and lacked confidence in promoting it or challenging behaviours that undermine it."

"The Casey Review explictly raises issues of huge importance. How far can communities be left to develop separately from the UK mainstream? Are we OK with supporting enclaves in our cities where people don't speak English and are still spiritually and mentally in rural Pakistan? How far should they be required to integrate? Much of it is timely and needs saying. It can't really be right that the Department for Communities and Local Government spent more on promoting the Cornish language than English. And communities that don't relate to the world outside their own few streets are inevitably ? and avoidably ? impoverished, and not just materially

"However, there are implicit questions that the report doesn't seem to acknowledge at all. It is severe, and rightly, on religious leaders who teach hateful or extremist ideology. But in a telling comment, it says: "Too often, these views appear to be based on warped theology, designed to sustain the power of particular individuals or groups and to excuse or even legitimise their transgressions." Earlier it cites approvingly the work of Dilwar Hussein, who promotes a "modern British understanding of Islam". What's happening here is that the state ? in the person of Dame Louise ? is attempting to do theology. It approves of certain kinds of religion and not of others. It wants religion to serve the purposes of the state. It has decided what "British values" are, and it is prepared to judge ? and potentially control ? anything that departs from them. There are serious implications here for religious liberty, a term that does not appear in the report (though "individual liberty" does).

"The Casey Review is obviously right to highlight the dangers from Saudi investment in mosques teaching ultra-conservative Salafi Islam. It's also right to worry about misogynistic and homophobic teaching. But another example of what it thinks is unacceptably divisive is a leaflet urging Muslims to boycott a community music festival in a local park. Now, to a non-religious person this might seem odd, but it is absolutely no business of government to tell religious communities whether they should listen to music or not

"It also refers to "the treatment of women in some strictly Jewish Orthodox communities (with children reportedly being taught that a woman's role is to look after children, clean the house and cook) and newer Christian churches (with activists seeking to 'cure' people of homosexuality). All such instances undermine integration and should be challenged." Let's be clear: women can do anything they want, and homosexuality can't be 'cured'. But when the state starts prescribing to faith communities what they should and shouldn't teach, it runs the risk of crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed. Of course, one of the problems is that government does not understand religion ? as the Archbishop of Canterbury said recently, it has "no grip" on what it means to be religious. It cannot grasp that for anyone serious about their faith ? Muslim or Christian ? it is not the state that judges the faith, but the faith that judges the state. The Casey Review includes these words, which are correct: "For all those involved, faith is not something incidental to their actions. It is fundamental: the font, the origin, the thing that makes these people who they are and do what they do." It demonstrates its tone-deafness to faith, however, in the next sentence: "To them, their faith is realised in action: in commitment to others; in caring; in compassion; in an all-embracing feeling of solidarity." In other words, it's just about being nice. The civil service recoils from the idea that it might be about God. 

"No one with any sense believes that any of the abuses identified in the Casey Review ought to be unchecked. But where these arise from religion, any attempt by a liberal democracy to impose a solution is going to fail. If the government really wants genuine integration it needs to find a way of working with the grain of religion. There is little evidence as yet that it intends to try."

Above - Mark Woods - Christianity Today - December 5, 2016

Article by Losise Casey  of The Casey Review:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/04/tough-questions-social-integration-laws-values-every-person-britain

PDF Summary of The Casey Review:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/574566/The_Casey_Review_Exec_Summary.pdf

[eyeshaveit]

Roman Catholic Church in a ?Religious Civil War? says Famed Catholic Historian

"Italian Catholic historian Roberto de Mattei has stated that Pope Francis? refusal to answer questions by the four Cardinals about whether Amoris Laetitia* conforms to Catholic teaching is itself ?already an answer,? the implications of which, he says, indicates that the Catholic Church has entered into a ?religious civil war. This situation is so grave that a neutral position is no longer possible. Today we are in a war, a religious civil war,? de Mattei told LifeSiteNews in an exclusive interview in Rome last month.

?It is important to comprehend that today there is a clear choice between fidelity to the Church, to the perennial Magisterium, or infidelity, which means errors, heresy, and apostasy,? he said. De Mattei, a professor at the European University of Rome and the president of the Lepanto Foundation, stated that there is ?tremendous confusion inside the Church? caused by the pope?s ambiguous moral teaching, especially as found in his April exhortation Amoris Laetitia, which he said has caused ?division? and  ?fragmentation? among bishops, priests, and the faithful.

"The exhortation specifically has been criticized by faithful Catholics for undermining the indissolubility of marriage, opening a door for couples in adulterous relationships to receive Holy Communion, and for making conscience the final arbiter of morality. As some critics feared, the exhortation is already being used by some liberal bishops to welcome openly homosexual ?families? into parishes and for allowing adulterous couples to receive Holy Communion in certain cases.

"When the four Cardinals privately asked the pope in September ? following a standard procedure within the Church ? whether the exhortation conforms to Catholic teaching on marriage, the sacraments, and conscience, the pope failed to answer their questions. Specifically, they asked: 1) whether adulterers can receive Holy Communion; 2) whether there are absolute moral norms that must be followed ?without exceptions;? 3) if habitual adultery is an ?objective situation of grave habitual sin;? 4) whether an intrinsically evil act can be turned into a ??subjectively? good? act based on ?circumstances or intentions;? and 5) if, based on ?conscience,? one can act contrary to known ?absolute moral norms that prohibit intrinsically evil acts.?

"The cardinals then went public with their questions last month, only to receive harsh criticism from high-ranking prelates, including two who were recently made cardinals by Pope Francis. The four stand accused of being ?troublesome,? in need of ?conversion,? of committing ?apostasy? and ?scandal,? of giving the pope a ?slap in the face,? and of creating ?difficulty and division.? But de Mattei argued that it was not the four cardinals who created the problem, but the pope."

Pete Baklinski  -  LifeSite News - December 5, 2016.
Complete article -  https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/watch-pope-francis-started-religious-civil-war-by-refusing-to-answer-4-card   

*Amoris Laetitia pdf - https://w2.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia_en.pdf

[eyeshaveit]

Rare Bibles and Manuscripts Auction Results

"On 5 December 2016, Sotheby?s had an auction of one of the world?s largest private collections of Bibles and manuscripts. The collection was Charles Ryrie?s, former professor of Systematic Theology at Dallas Seminary. For many years I would take my students to visit his home and see the treasures in his collection. Every year he would bring out new marvels that astonished me. I never saw the whole collection, but he was always generous in bringing out scores of volumes.

"Ryrie died earlier this year. He was just a month shy of his 92nd birthday. I had been keeping a close eye on his collection and had discussed it with him many times over the years. Among other things, he owned three Greek New Testament manuscripts, one of only eleven vellum Luther Bibles in the world, and the finest copy of the 1611 King James Bible anywhere. He also owned several of Erasmus and Stephanus editions of the Greek New Testament, a couple of leaves of the Gutenberg Bible, and virtually every major English Bible from Wycliffe to the KJV. Altogether, nearly 200 items were auctioned.

"His Wycliffe Bible sold for $1.4 million, which was way over the anticipated price. The KJV sold way under its expectations?only $320,000. The Greek New Testament manuscripts were auctioned for $140,000 to $250,000. Codex 669, the Benton Gospels manuscript, was the most important (and most expensive) of these.

"Sotheby?s does not let one know who the bidders are. We?re all given a paddle number and we bid with that, protecting our identities. But clearly someone was buying up a lot of these treasures, and the desire to get them no matter the cost (or so it seemed) certainly brought the price up. I bid on two small items, which quickly escalated out of my price range.

"Ryrie did not own junk. His printed books were in excellent condition. The selling price reflected this. The very first published Greek New Testament, Erasmus?s Novum Testamentum (1516), sold for $24,000. The third edition (1522)?the first one to have the comma Johanneum in it?was a bargain at $5500.

"A second edition of Tyndale?s New Testament (Ryrie owned nearly a dozen of these!) sold for $75,000. There were also several copies of the Matthew?s Bible ($22,000), Coverdale Bible ($11,000?$21,000), Great Bible ($4,000?$28,000), Geneva New Testament ($30,000), Bishops Bible ($48,000), Douay-Rheims Bible ($18,000), a rare copy of the KJV ?Wicked Bible? (1631; so-called because the printer left out the ?not? in the seventh commandment; thus, ?Thou shalt commit adultery?!) for $38,000.

"The Luther vellum Bible sold for $260,000. It is probably the most beautiful book I?ve ever seen. This was more than double the expected sale price.

"A rare Complutensian Polyglot (only 600 were printed) came in under expectations at $70,000. This included actually the first printed Greek New Testament, though it was not published until six years after Erasmus?s work was out. The Textus Receptus?the Greek that stands behind the KJV?was essentially Erasmus?s Greek New Testament, with some wording from the CP as well as later editions of the Greek New Testament that were largely based on Erasmus.

"A very rare certificate of ordination signed by Luther brought $60,000. And the third edition of Pilgrim?s Progress netted $75,000?as much as three times the expected sale price. Finally, the Gutenberg leaves each garnered only $38,000, way under what was anticipated.

"The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts owns a 10th?11th century Greek copy of Luke?s Gospel that was appraised at a price that is significantly lower than any of these Greek New Testament manuscripts. Now we have more recent comparisons and the value of such a manuscript can be weighed in light of these other manuscripts. I think we need to up the insurance value!

"I hope that these books and manuscripts have found decent homes, and that the new owners will take the best possible care of them. And I also hope that the owners will reveal who they are and make known their remarkable volumes to others. I especially would like to see them digitally preserved and the images posted on the Internet?in particular, the Greek NT manuscripts. CSNTM would be more than happy to digitize these manuscripts. It?s a good time of year to express such hopes. This is more than my bucket list?it?s my Christmas list! Owners, please do not hide your light under a bushel, but let the world see these historical items that all of us may be enriched by Ryrie?s collection."

Daniel Wallace - December 6, 2016:
https://danielbwallace.com/2016/12/06/ryries-bibles-and-manuscripts-auctioned-off/

[eyeshaveit]

Controversy rages as Guam's patron saint is honored

"This year, there were: multiple sex abuse allegations against Guam's highest leader, Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, whose canonical trial is ongoing at the Vatican; a multimillion seminary property fight; the reassignment of priests; and Pope Francis? appointment of an Apuron successor, Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes ...

"Francis ?Ankie? Toves, a 53-year-old Mongmong resident, said this is a year of reconciling within the church, starting with the temporary leadership of Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai in June. ?Archbishop Hon started the changes necessary to heal the church. With Archbishop Byrnes? appointment, it basically cements the changes that started during Hon?s time. We are hoping for the best,? Toves said. He said the procession crowd this year looked larger than last year?s, and he is thankful for that.

"The Vatican sent Hon to Guam to temporarily administer the church while Apuron was placed on leave over multiple allegations that Apuron sexually abused and raped former altar boys in Agat in the 1970s. As of Wednesday, 12 former altar boys have filed lawsuits alleging that priests raped and/or sexually abused them. Named defendants in the dozen lawsuits are priests, including Apuron, the Archdiocese of Agana and up to 50 other unnamed individuals who may have helped, abetted, concealed or covered up the clergy abuses. For many, the challenges the Catholic Church has gone through has made them stronger in their faith ...

"Santa Marian Kamalen, or Our Lady of Camarin, is Guam?s patron saint. Legends and beliefs revolving around the patron saint abound, from the discovery of the statue floating in the waters off Merizo more than 300 years ago to why a strong typhoon hit Guam in 2002 just days after the Legislature removed Santa Marian Kamalen Day from the island?s list of government holidays.

Haidee V Eugenio - Pacific Daily News - Guam - USA Today Network - December 8, 2016.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/12/08/amid-church-controversy-thousands-honor-guams-patron-saint/95178530/

[eyeshaveit]

Anglican Bishop in Zimbabwe Censored for Burying His Wife in Church

"The Anglican Church has moved to sever ties with a retired bishop who last month pulled a shocker by digging a grave and burying his late wife in a chapel. The church said it was implementing a series of proposals to salvage "what is left of our dignity and integrity" after the saga, adding that "we cannot be insulted any worse than this". Controversial philanthropist and retired Anglican cleric Lazarus Muyambi buried wife, Neddie, inside a chapel on November 26 in a development that reportedly baffled the Gokwe community and divided the Anglican church. Despite retiring, Muyambi is reportedly engaged in a row over ownership and control of church facilities and properties that include a girls' high school. Relatives dismissed criticism of what was widely seen as a bizarre decision, saying the chapel is a private family facility and that what use it was put to is no business of the Anglican church.

"But church authorities disagree. In a December 5 letter to local clergy, the Anglican Diocese of Central Zimbabwe indicated that a decision had been taken to server ties with Muyambi. The Diocese said it was moving from the "toxic environment" at St Agnes Mission which Muyambi controls and setting up a separate church at Gokwe Centre. "Burying a dead body in a chapel or private dwelling is not part of our tradition as the Anglican Diocese of Central Zimbabwe or the Anglican council of Zimbabwe," said Diocese head, Bishop Ishmael Mukuwanda. Bishop Mukuwanda also responded to Muyambi family arguments that there was nothing unusual about their decision as church burials were common in the Anglican church of old. "We are neither the Church of England were this used to happen centuries ago, nor the colonial Anglican Church where this might have happened," said Mukuwamba."

Staff - AllAfrica.com - December 8, 2016:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201612100011.html

[eyeshaveit]

Nigerian Church Roof Collapses, 160 Dead

"Mortuaries overflowed with bodies Sunday from a church collapse in southern Nigeria that killed at least 160 people, and worshippers said construction of the building had been rushed. Hundreds had been inside the Reigners Bible Church International in the city of Uyo on Saturday for the consecration of founder Akan Weeks as its bishop when the metal girders fell and the corrugated iron roof caved in. Screaming survivors streamed out amid cries from the injured inside.

"Hundreds had been inside the Reigners Bible Church International in the city of Uyo on Saturday for the consecration of founder Akan Weeks as its bishop when the metal girders fell and the corrugated iron roof caved in. Screaming survivors streamed out amid cries from the injured inside.

"There were trapped bodies, parts of bodies, blood all over the place and people's handbags and shoes scattered," said computer analyst Ukeme Eyibio. Officials feared the death toll could rise. Weeks and Akwa Ibom state Gov. Udom Emmanuel were among the survivors. Eyibio had parked his car outside the complex to make a phone call when he heard a deafening crash and saw that the church had disappeared.

"He and three others dragged 10 injured people from an overflow area for worshippers just outside the collapsed church. They did not enter the main structure because a construction worker warned it was not safe. The worker called his boss at Julius Berger construction company, which sent a crane to help lift debris off bodies.

"While they waited for the crane, Eyibio helped a man whose legs were trapped under a girder. "I rushed to my car, got out the tire jack and used that to get the beam off his legs," the 27-year-old said by telephone. "We managed to get him out, but we saw others dying all around us," he added. "I'm so traumatized I could not sleep last night for the horrors repeating themselves in my mind."

"Mortuaries in Uyo were overwhelmed by the disaster, medical director Etete Peters of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital told The Associated Press.
Many of the dead were taken to private mortuaries scattered across the city, said youth leader Edikan Peters. Some people were taking the bodies of relatives to their homes because of the overcrowding. Peters said he counted 90 bodies removed from the church before he was stold to stop his tally Saturday night. Journalists also said that church officials sought to prevent them from documenting the tragedy, trying to seize cameras and forcing some to leave the area.

"The church had been still under construction and workers had been rushing to finish it in time for Saturday's ceremony, congregants said. The governor's spokesman, Ekerete Udoh, said the state government will investigate if any building standards were compromised.

"Buildings collapse often in Nigeria because of endemic corruption, with contractors using substandard materials and bribing inspectors to ignore shoddy work or a lack of permits. In 2014, 116 people died when a multistory guesthouse of the Synagogue Church of All Nations collapsed in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city. Most victims were visiting South African followers of the megachurch's influential founder T.B. Joshua. Two structural engineers, Joshua and church trustees were accused of criminal negligence and involuntary manslaughter after a coroner found the building collapsed from structural failures caused by design and detailing errors. Efforts to bring them to court have been foiled by repeated legal challenges."

Associated Press - December 11, 2016.

[eyeshaveit]

Forgot the Ten Commandments? New app has a list for you and helps to find a nearby priest to take your confession

"Catholics seeking to confess their sins to a priest in Spain can now turn to a new app to find the nearest available cleric. Confesor GO detects a user's location and shows the location of priests around them who are ready to listen to their sins as well as the shortest route to get to him. It also provides basic information about the priest, including his name, date of birth and the year he was ordained as well as a list of the Ten Commandments. "The priest may be in a confessional in a church or some place down the street or at a park in your city," reads the description of the app on Apple's iTunes store.

"The app will be launched on Thursday. A beta version has been downloaded several thousand times since it was made available to the public in late September. The bishop of the northern city of San Sebastian, Jose Ignacio Munilla, is one of around 100 clerics across Spain who have so far signed up to use the app to signal when they are available to hear confession, which usually involves admitting sins to a priest in a confessional booth. Father Ricardo Latorre, who came up with the app, said he hopes the service will become available in other Spanish-speaking nations in Latin America next year. "It has generated a great deal of interest and there are many priests from these countries that ask to join. What happens is things take time and it is impossible to do it faster," he told Catholic news website Verdad en Libertad earlier this year.

"While Catholicism remains deeply embedded in Spanish culture, regular church attendance in Spain, like elsewhere in Europe, has steadily fallen. The majority of Spaniards, 59.3 percent, say they "almost never" attend mass, according to a survey published Monday by the Sociological Research Centre (CIS). Just 15 percent said they went every week."

Agence France-Presse - December 16, 2016

[eyeshaveit]

Fake News - Is Religious Liberty at Stake?

"As the world's largest web companies are being pressured to crackdown on websites that produce "fake news," there are growing concerns that efforts to censor what is deemed to be fake news could have a negative impact on religious news websites and sites that report from a conservative or biblical perspective. The term fake news has been circulated by the media and Hillary Clinton following her defeat to President-elect Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 presidential election, with many accusing so-called pro-Trump fake news sites of having a decisive impact on the outcome of the election. Just days after the election, Google and Facebook announced that they would take concrete action to cut off fake news websites from their ad networks and revenues.

"Google said it would ban websites that produce fake news from using its AdSense network, which is a vital source of revenue for many news organizations. Meanwhile, Facebook made changes to its Facebook Audience Network policy to ensure that no advertisements will be displayed on websites that produce fake or misleading news. Although most people would agree that steps need to be taken to curb the flow and influence of fake news on the internet, some are warning Google, Facebook and other tech giants to be cautious in how they go about censoring fake news.

"Jeff Hunt, the director of the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University and founder of one of Colorado's largest conservative advertising agencies, Avinova Media Group, told The Christian Post what the changes Google and Facebook made in their policies actually mean. "Any website that wants to host Google advertising has to be approved and go through an approval process to join what is called their AdSense network. You are typically banned from joining the AdSense network if the content on your website is pornographic or violent," Hunt, who is also CCU's vice president of public policy, said. "They won't allow banner ads to run on those types of websites. What they are now adding is this notion of fake news. So, you recognize that is a worthy cause and it is good that they are trying to do that," Hunt continued. "The challenge that they are going to run up against, especially when it comes to religious issues is what is fake news, especially within the religious community."

"Hunt explained that different people have different views about religion and the truth of God. "If we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, therefore is God Himself, and Google does not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, are Christian blogs now fake news?" Hunt asked. "They don't really get into how they are going to determine what is fake news. We would look at other religions as having information that doesn't line up with our definition of truth. As they kind of embark on this effort to eliminate fake news, they have to be very careful about what they determine within religious communities would fall under categories of fake news." There are many different aspects within religion that are contested and debated. Even within Christianity, Christians argue back and forth about minor and major theological differences. Hunt wonders if websites that report on differing and controversial views of religion will be deemed to be websites that promote fake views.

"We believe things about the Bible, about the flood, about Noah, about the End Times and all that stuff. Somebody who is not a believer in that would deem that fake news or fake information," Hunt said. "They have got a mountain to climb when it comes to determining how they are going to deal with religious content. But for the content sites that are just purely propagating fake news to generate revenue, I think that is good that they are trying to figure out a way to stop those. But they have to be careful when it comes to religious websites."

"Hunt does not believe that Google algorithms will adequately censor fake news to ensure that religious content does not get censored. He believes that ultimately, it will have to fall to humans to determine what is and is not fake news. However, he warned that every person has his or her own biases. "They are going to have to have somebody that understands that just because you don't agree with someone's religious position, it doesn't make it OK to deem their website fake news and therefore, shut down ad revenue," he said. "I think this is a big problem that the Left makes. They kind of bet on this idea that religion is going away in the world."

"I grew up public educated, where religion was scoffed at. If that carries over into this area of fake news where they are going to ban advertising on religious websites because they deem it as fake news, they are missing out on how a majority of the world communicates, where religion is deeply important, debated and discussed," Hunt continued. "There is news within religions. There is news within the Catholic Church, evangelical, the Jewish community the Muslim community. They have got to be careful that they don't deem religion that they disagree with as fake news and therefore penalize the vast majority of the populations of the world." Rob Bluey, the vice president of publishing at The Heritage Foundation and editor in chief of The Daily Signal, told CP that liberals have in the past displayed a double standard in their attitude toward fake news. He explained how liberals claimed last year's undercover Planned Parenthood videos were doctored and faked, but never considered Dan Rather's false reporting in 2004 on President George W. Bush's service in the Air National Guard to be "fake news."

"The concern that you have, particularly in these tech companies, which are located in a very liberal area of Silicon Valley, is will you be able to get the diversity of opinion where you are catching fake news but you are not flagging other conservative sites or news about religion that somebody may not agree with," Bluey said. "The thing that concerns me most, as we saw in the case of Facebook, are concerns that surfaced about whether or not they were restricting conservative content, and I think Google has come under fire for this as well." Hunt warned that Google and Facebook must have an appeals process by which news organizations can prove that they are not a fake news website, adding that many on the Left have already shown that they will try and gang up against conservative organizations and pressure social media companies to censor them. He pointed to YouTube's censoring of videos produced by Prager University.

"Most recently, YouTube censored a video of a pro-Israel Muslim explaining that his visit to Israel de-radicalized him. The Google-owned video sharing site considered that to be "hate speech. Prager University has run into an algorithm problem and YouTube is owned by Google, where Google is getting a number of complaints by the Left about a particular video and they are automatically shutting it down without reviewing the content of it. Prager University is having to go through a pretty arduous appeals process," Hunt explained. "The Left is absolutely trying to shut down content and websites like Prager University, not because it is fake news or because it is actual hate speech or anything like that, but simply because they don't agree with the content of it."

Samuel Smith - Christian Post - December 13, 2016