Hawaiian Churches Denied Exemption
A court in Hawaii has refused to exempt churches from being forced to allow their property to be used for civil union ceremonies.
The Emmanuel Temple and the Lighthouse Outreach Center Assembly of God requested a restraining order to block a law that permits same-sex couples to enter civil unions. It exempts clergy from performing the ceremonies, which are the equivalent of marriage, but there is no provision to protect church property. They argued that they would face civil penalties and fines if they refused to rent their property for same-sex civil unions, but U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright denied the request.
Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel Action tells OneNewsNow that creates a clear conflict between government and the free exercise of religion.
"There is no exemption for religious institutions, for churches, houses of worship from being subject to fines and to sanctions as provided in the legislation for refusing to allow their houses of worship to be desecrated through the use of a so-called 'civil union' ceremony," he explains.
But the two churches were unsuccessful in blocking the law for that reason.
"It's unfortunate that this judge has refused to grant injunctive relief here to protect freedom of religious expression," Barber laments, "and this will indeed create a chilling effect on the free exercise of religion in the state of Hawaii -- and it sets a very bad example for the rest of the country."
At the very least, the attorney says the legislature needs to revisit the issue and make sure churches are protected from being forced to host civil union ceremonies. The law went into effect as scheduled on Sunday. –One News Now
A court in Hawaii has refused to exempt churches from being forced to allow their property to be used for civil union ceremonies.
The Emmanuel Temple and the Lighthouse Outreach Center Assembly of God requested a restraining order to block a law that permits same-sex couples to enter civil unions. It exempts clergy from performing the ceremonies, which are the equivalent of marriage, but there is no provision to protect church property. They argued that they would face civil penalties and fines if they refused to rent their property for same-sex civil unions, but U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright denied the request.
Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel Action tells OneNewsNow that creates a clear conflict between government and the free exercise of religion.
"There is no exemption for religious institutions, for churches, houses of worship from being subject to fines and to sanctions as provided in the legislation for refusing to allow their houses of worship to be desecrated through the use of a so-called 'civil union' ceremony," he explains.
But the two churches were unsuccessful in blocking the law for that reason.
"It's unfortunate that this judge has refused to grant injunctive relief here to protect freedom of religious expression," Barber laments, "and this will indeed create a chilling effect on the free exercise of religion in the state of Hawaii -- and it sets a very bad example for the rest of the country."
At the very least, the attorney says the legislature needs to revisit the issue and make sure churches are protected from being forced to host civil union ceremonies. The law went into effect as scheduled on Sunday. –One News Now
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A Kuwaiti Prince Publicly Embraces Christ, Denounces Islam
As a missionary who has also worked among Muslims (12% of the population of Bulgaria is traditionally Muslim), I can certainly appreciate such news, and I know what it means for the convert from Islam to Christianity. Even though Islam in Bulgaria is rather of the more liberal variety, a conversion of a Muslim to Christianity still creates certain risks from his immediate family. For a member of the royal family of Kuwait, a nation that is officially Muslim and its legislation is Sharia-based, such conversion can easily mean death.
The Iranian Christian News Agency, Mohabat News, reports the news from an Arabic Christian agency, Al-Haqiqah, that Abdollah Al-sabah, a Kuwaiti prince, has publicly denounced his Muslim faith and has embraced Christianity. The agency broadcasted an audio file where the prince declared, “First of all, I totally agree with the distribution of this audio file and I now declare that if they kill me because of this audio file, then I’ll go into the presence of Jesus Christ and be with him for all eternity.”
He also said, “I’m satisfied with whatever they do to me, because the truth in the Bible has guided me to the right way.”
This comes to show that Christianity, although small and oppressed, is still very active and alive in the Middle East, if it can reach even members of the royal families in the region. Over the centuries Arabic and Persian Christians have taken active part in their societies, in some instances even working to turn their nations into more civilized and free nations than Islam would have them.
This small but vibrant Christianity has been attacked viciously in the last several years only in the areas which the United States had under their military control, or where the United States government has helped new regimes replace the old ones. The attacks against churches in Afghanistan and Iraq have been numerous under the new regimes, and the US military has been prohibited from helping the local Christians by the administrations of both Bush and Obama. Two years ago, the distribution of Bibles was banned in Iraq, and even the sale to the military of assault weapons with Bible verses on them was stopped. In Egypt, the new authorities helped and financed by the Obama administration and supported internationally by Hillary Clinton, encouraged pogroms against the traditional Christian minority in the country, the Copts.
It seems that one of the main strategic goals for the US military presence in the Middle East is the eradication of traditional Christianity there.
Which also gives us some foresight of one of the possible outcomes of a war with Iran and the occupation of Iranian territory. Iran has a large Christian minority which, while under oppression, is left relatively alone by the authorities. If Afghanistan and Iraq can teach us anything, a US military invasion will only lead to its extermination. That’s what so many evangelical voters who vote for neo-conservative war-mongers refuse to even consider.
The conversion of a Kuwaiti prince is important news. It is shameful that the American church is not there with its missionaries to complete the task but supports the war drums banging of the liberal-progressive government in Washington DC. –Godfather Politics
As a missionary who has also worked among Muslims (12% of the population of Bulgaria is traditionally Muslim), I can certainly appreciate such news, and I know what it means for the convert from Islam to Christianity. Even though Islam in Bulgaria is rather of the more liberal variety, a conversion of a Muslim to Christianity still creates certain risks from his immediate family. For a member of the royal family of Kuwait, a nation that is officially Muslim and its legislation is Sharia-based, such conversion can easily mean death.
The Iranian Christian News Agency, Mohabat News, reports the news from an Arabic Christian agency, Al-Haqiqah, that Abdollah Al-sabah, a Kuwaiti prince, has publicly denounced his Muslim faith and has embraced Christianity. The agency broadcasted an audio file where the prince declared, “First of all, I totally agree with the distribution of this audio file and I now declare that if they kill me because of this audio file, then I’ll go into the presence of Jesus Christ and be with him for all eternity.”
He also said, “I’m satisfied with whatever they do to me, because the truth in the Bible has guided me to the right way.”
This comes to show that Christianity, although small and oppressed, is still very active and alive in the Middle East, if it can reach even members of the royal families in the region. Over the centuries Arabic and Persian Christians have taken active part in their societies, in some instances even working to turn their nations into more civilized and free nations than Islam would have them.
This small but vibrant Christianity has been attacked viciously in the last several years only in the areas which the United States had under their military control, or where the United States government has helped new regimes replace the old ones. The attacks against churches in Afghanistan and Iraq have been numerous under the new regimes, and the US military has been prohibited from helping the local Christians by the administrations of both Bush and Obama. Two years ago, the distribution of Bibles was banned in Iraq, and even the sale to the military of assault weapons with Bible verses on them was stopped. In Egypt, the new authorities helped and financed by the Obama administration and supported internationally by Hillary Clinton, encouraged pogroms against the traditional Christian minority in the country, the Copts.
It seems that one of the main strategic goals for the US military presence in the Middle East is the eradication of traditional Christianity there.
Which also gives us some foresight of one of the possible outcomes of a war with Iran and the occupation of Iranian territory. Iran has a large Christian minority which, while under oppression, is left relatively alone by the authorities. If Afghanistan and Iraq can teach us anything, a US military invasion will only lead to its extermination. That’s what so many evangelical voters who vote for neo-conservative war-mongers refuse to even consider.
The conversion of a Kuwaiti prince is important news. It is shameful that the American church is not there with its missionaries to complete the task but supports the war drums banging of the liberal-progressive government in Washington DC. –Godfather Politics
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Imprisoned Gays In Cameroon Send Message – As More Arrests Reported
Seven jailed gay men in Cameroon have issued a New Year’s message thanking all those who have supported them.
Also, Cameroonian activists have shared a photo of one of those jailed with the lawyer and activist Alice N’Kom.
The message reads:
Although you’ve accompanied us with a lot of sadness, you’ve especially shown us a lot of kindness, love and determination throughout this year. We exhort you to never give up in to the discouragement and to never weaken in your mobilization for us and for the LGBT cause. Because your support represents for LGBT in Cameroon in general and specially for us who are in prison… the HOPE. The HOPE to be one day, released from the PRISON in which we’ve been thrown, but also the HOPE that one day, LGBT people can walk quite freely in Cameroon, without any humiliation.
We wish you, from the bottom of our heart, to be of happy, healthy and that the coming year be full of promises and success.
Happy New Year.
On behalf of:
Jean Claude Roger Mbede
Singha Jonas
Ndome Ndome Frankie
Ombwa Joseph Magloire
Tiomela Lontsie Emma
Ntamack Nicolas
Ntsama Séraphin
As reported here last month, Cameroon is extending anti-gay laws and, according to N’Kom, doing this quietly to try to avoid international attention — a clear sign that international focus on Cameroon’s repression of gay people is having an impact.
At least 10 men have been arrested and imprisoned for homosexuality in Cameroon last year, not only for what they allegedly did, but for who they are, or even appeared to be.
In November, ADEFHO and other groups announced that there is a government-organized campaign run by youth brigades to entrap gay men on the Internet.
Four more gay men were arrested at the end of December, Cameroon gay activists report.
N’Kom was threatened with arrest by a government representative a year ago. –Care 2
Seven jailed gay men in Cameroon have issued a New Year’s message thanking all those who have supported them.
Also, Cameroonian activists have shared a photo of one of those jailed with the lawyer and activist Alice N’Kom.
The message reads:
Although you’ve accompanied us with a lot of sadness, you’ve especially shown us a lot of kindness, love and determination throughout this year. We exhort you to never give up in to the discouragement and to never weaken in your mobilization for us and for the LGBT cause. Because your support represents for LGBT in Cameroon in general and specially for us who are in prison… the HOPE. The HOPE to be one day, released from the PRISON in which we’ve been thrown, but also the HOPE that one day, LGBT people can walk quite freely in Cameroon, without any humiliation.
We wish you, from the bottom of our heart, to be of happy, healthy and that the coming year be full of promises and success.
Happy New Year.
On behalf of:
Jean Claude Roger Mbede
Singha Jonas
Ndome Ndome Frankie
Ombwa Joseph Magloire
Tiomela Lontsie Emma
Ntamack Nicolas
Ntsama Séraphin
As reported here last month, Cameroon is extending anti-gay laws and, according to N’Kom, doing this quietly to try to avoid international attention — a clear sign that international focus on Cameroon’s repression of gay people is having an impact.
At least 10 men have been arrested and imprisoned for homosexuality in Cameroon last year, not only for what they allegedly did, but for who they are, or even appeared to be.
In November, ADEFHO and other groups announced that there is a government-organized campaign run by youth brigades to entrap gay men on the Internet.
Four more gay men were arrested at the end of December, Cameroon gay activists report.
N’Kom was threatened with arrest by a government representative a year ago. –Care 2
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Adult Stem Cells Save Man's Life
Thanks to adult stem cell research, a Baltimore cancer patient now has a new trachea -- and a senior fellow for life sciences says the approach shows great promise for the future.
The 30-year-old man was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor in his windpipe, according to Dr. David Prentice of the Family Research Council (FRC), and the patient was out of options.
"They tried chemotherapy and radiation, but they just couldn't get rid of this tumor," he reports. "They couldn't take it out because they had nothing to put back in in terms of his windpipe, and it was slowly going to choke him to death."
But Christopher Lyles found Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, an Italian who is a visiting professor at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Macchiarini had developed a technique using the patient's own bone marrow adult stem cells to build new tissue and save many lives. In this case, adult stem cells were used on a sort of scaffold.
"The cells started to grow. They realized they were supposed to be windpipe because that was the position they were in his chest," Dr. Prentice explains. "They grew a whole new windpipe for him."
The case adds to the more than 70 different ways in which adult stem cells have successfully been used in a medical treatment. Meanwhile, research using human embryos has produced no usable results.
Lyles is back home now, celebrating with his four-year-old daughter. –One News Now
Thanks to adult stem cell research, a Baltimore cancer patient now has a new trachea -- and a senior fellow for life sciences says the approach shows great promise for the future.
The 30-year-old man was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor in his windpipe, according to Dr. David Prentice of the Family Research Council (FRC), and the patient was out of options.
"They tried chemotherapy and radiation, but they just couldn't get rid of this tumor," he reports. "They couldn't take it out because they had nothing to put back in in terms of his windpipe, and it was slowly going to choke him to death."
But Christopher Lyles found Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, an Italian who is a visiting professor at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Macchiarini had developed a technique using the patient's own bone marrow adult stem cells to build new tissue and save many lives. In this case, adult stem cells were used on a sort of scaffold.
"The cells started to grow. They realized they were supposed to be windpipe because that was the position they were in his chest," Dr. Prentice explains. "They grew a whole new windpipe for him."
The case adds to the more than 70 different ways in which adult stem cells have successfully been used in a medical treatment. Meanwhile, research using human embryos has produced no usable results.
Lyles is back home now, celebrating with his four-year-old daughter. –One News Now
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