Decision in Sebastian case: a serious distortion
Viewpoint of Winfield Casey Jones |
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"...this decision, if sustained, is a judicial overreaching that could easily lead us into uncharted waters which will threaten the peace, unity, and purity of the PCUSA more than any other event or movement ever could..." |
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A mournful mission
Church near corpse-strewn crematory is suited to the challenge
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Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has sent $10,000 to a Presbyterian church near Noble, GA, where authorities responding to an anonymous tip have found more than 330 bodies strewn about a 16-acre crematory site.
Chickamauga Presbyterian Church, of Chicamauga, GA, which is about seven miles north of Tri-State Crematory, will use the money to train counselors to help some of the hundreds of families dealing with grief, anger and stress. |
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 - OGA unveils new online publication |
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The Office of the General Assembly says Perspectives is not a news magazine, but "it does promise some outstanding writing and reflective analysis on our corporate life in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)." Published monthly by the Office of the General Assembly, Perspectives is designed to examine Presbyterian Church life with new eyes. In addition to three or four thought-provoking articles each issue will also feature a column written by either the General Assembly Moderator or the Stated Clerk of the General. Features in inaugural issue:
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CUiC Inauguration by Theo Gill |
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What is the Church? by Jack Rogers |
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Bearing With One Another by Sheldon Sorge |
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Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy by Bradley Longfield |
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The Peaceable Kingdom
Outlook editorial by Robert H. Bullock Jr. |
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"...The condition of peace is justice and the rule of righteousness. Human efforts are always proximate, limited, and will never in and of themselves achieve the shalom of God which is God’s will for all people. To believe that our stratagems have the capacity to do what only God can do is delusion of the highest order..." |
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| Youth for the Truth update |
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"...It has been an exciting first month. We are humbled by the response we have received and ask for continued prayer as we seek to reach out to young people in our denomination..." |
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Deadline extended for family-study comment
ACSWP provides more time for feedback on church's evolving policy |
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The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) has extended the deadline for submitting comments on its church-wide study document, Changing Families, by one month, to June 30.
The ACSWP plans to bring the Changing Families policy statement to
the General Assembly in a little over a year.
Click here for the full text of this 45-page document on the web |
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Alice Cooper goes with God
'Shock-rock' pioneer now 'dedicated to follow Christ'
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Alice Cooper says he loves God but doesn't want to become a 'celebrity' believer.
The father of shock rock whose music and stage antics have outraged parents for more than 30 years told how the fear of hell turned him to God.
Alice Cooper, who sang about necrophilia and chopped up baby dolls during his concerts, said that although he continues to record and tour with a theatrical horror-style show, "My life is dedicated to follow Christ."
"I was one thing at one time, and I'm something new. I'm a new creature now. Don't judge Alice by what he used to be. Praise God for what I am now."
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Triumph or tragedy? - The "Dark Country" of divorce
BreakPoint with Charles Colson |
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Some years ago a book came out called Divorce: How and When to Let Go. In it, the authors wrote: "Your marriage can wear out. People change their values and lifestyles... Getting a divorce can be a positive... growth-oriented step... a personal triumph."
It's a measure of America's own growth that most of us now see this advice as flawed and foolish. An avalanche of evidence has shown divorce to be, not a triumph, but a tragedy... |
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Roman Catholic Church:
The Internet is a challenge, not a threat for the Church
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Yesterday the Pontifical Council for Social Communications presented in the Holy See Press Office two documents devoted to the Internet: "Ethics in Internet" and "The Church and Internet".
"We do not view the internet only as a source of problems; we see it as a source of benefits to the human race. But the benefits can be fully realized only if the problems are solved... ways need to be found to
make the internet accessible to less advantaged groups... prior censorship by government should be avoided... industry self-regulation is best... " |
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God is still Lord in Franklinton, LA
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Civil libertarians won a battle over public religious displays in this small Louisiana town. But residents feel they're victors, too.
More than 1,000 signs proclaiming that "God Is Lord Over All" now dot lawns and store fronts around the town of 4,000.
The signs are a response to a lawsuit from the Louisiana branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU sued Franklinton and forced town officials to remove four signs from public property that said, "Jesus Is Lord Over Franklinton." |
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Atlanta assembly finds common values among religions |
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Some 60 Atlanta-area leaders from a wide spectrum of religious, ethnic, racial and working backgrounds developed a statement of common values among people of differing religious beliefs. The statement also outlines actions that individuals and organizations of faith can take to live their shared values in the public arena and calls for a multi-faith effort to claim responsibility for the well being of metropolitan Atlanta.
The group agreed that a foundation of shared values exists beneath the wide spectrum of spiritual belief and that those values should play a role in the shaping of Atlanta.
The Atlanta Regional Assembly was convened by El Amin, Rabbi Arnold M. Goodman of Ahavath Achim Synagogue, and The Rev. Joanna Adams, former pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church. |
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RCRC commends Sen. Barbara Boxer
PC(USA) is part of this pro-choice alliance
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The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice commends Senator Barbara Boxer for holding a Senate hearing February 27 to address the freeze on U.S. funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, founded in 1973, is the national alliance of 40 organizations from 16 denominations and faith groups, including the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, Unitarian Universalist Association, and Reform and Conservative Judaism. |
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Lawsuit targets New York City
Claims denial of pastor to pray in community center unconstitutional
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The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has filed a lawsuit against a New York City housing agency, alleging that a local pastor was denied access to a public housing facility where she wanted to lead groups in prayer following the Sept. 11 attacks.
The ACLJ alleges that pastor Joan Daily applied to reserve a room at the Woodside Community Center in mid-October to conduct a Bible study and pray for those affected by the Sept. 11 attacks. The suit says her request was rejected by the New York City Housing Authority, which said NYC statutes prohibited the use of its facilities for religious or political purposes.
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AP's weekly religion news in brief |
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• Muslims told to get out the vote
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Retired L.A. bishop appointed interim head of Berkeley Divinity at Yale
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Assemblies of God hopes to keep presence in Belgium despite permit problems
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Southern Baptists choose Greensboro, Nashville for upcoming annual meetings
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Churches consolidate to serve changing congregations |
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The vote on Amendment 01-A: 41 yes - 113 no (3/01)
Details on our acclaimed, fast-loading Vote chart
See Graph: Cumulative Presbytery Votes by month (updated 3/01)
and the Chart of votes per Synod (updated 02/28) |
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Results of this week :
YES: Monmouth (switch, voted "no" on 97-A)
NO: Mission; Kendall; Atlantic Korean; Savannah; South Dakota; Detroit (switched sides, a big surprise); Philadelphia; Charlotte; Cherokee
If the remaining presbyteries vote on 01-A as they did on 97-A, amendment 01-A will fail by 46 yes - 127 no (latest adjustment: 2/28)
(See our analysis "Will results be close to those of 97-A?")
Please,
to us. Thank you!
Official tally on all 8 amendments
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| Letters from readers |
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John McNeese "In "How the Church failed by reinventing Christianity", Edward Norman laments the trend in Western societies toward a deeply secular society.. He is disturbed that Christianity is being relativised as only one among a number of faiths.
"I see such trends as highly desirable... As a gay man, I am much safer in secular society than the church..." |
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Michael Bush "Good for Mark Achtemeier! He did a brilliant job of describing what life transformed in Christ might best mean in a Christian church, while flattening whatever nascent or actual self-righteousness was floating around the room." |
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Jeff Martin writes in response to Jane Spahr's statement on the defeat of Amendment 01-A: "...the church is being most relevant in maintaining Biblical and confessional standards by rejecting 01-A..." |
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Doug Hucke "Mike Riggins has a clear view of the bigger picture in this denomination.... We are standing on the precipice of division. I would urge the Stated Clerk and those charged with upholding the Constitution to look down: we have a long way to fall." |
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Tim Meredith "The Confessing Church Gathering in Atlanta was, for me, a wonderful time of spiritual renewal and refreshment... The church of Jesus Christ exists in the PC(USA) as a remnant. When we, as a remnant, come together to worship Jesus Christ, God's Spirit overwhelms us with peace and joy. There is an immediate oneness of purpose and mutual affection for one another. If you have been to one of these gatherings you know exactly what I mean. Anger, fear, bitterness, and frustration fade. Faith, hope, and love grow. I am dramatically different now after these gatherings...I see the kingdom of God more clearly and confidently... I sincerely believe that the local pieces of the remnant suffer when they are isolated from one another..." |
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Tim Cahn "I pose a question responding to Jack Sharpe’s letter of 2/27, in which he expressed his opinion that “orthodox” Christians must “reclaim” the true, Biblical understanding of “love.”... What are we to make, then, of the Bible’s use of the term “love” to describe a relationship between two men (Jonathan and David)..." |
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Number of Presbyweb users keeps on growing |
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February was the sixth month in a row breaking the record of the previous month, even though it has three days less. |
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Daily visitors to Presbyweb - in percentages
over the last 6 months
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See our article Hits which explains why we don't dazzle you with (practically always misleading and exaggerating) real numbers - although we very easily could...
Click here for a similar graph for the last 30 months.
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