Current News & Events

Muslims And Christians And Jews, Oh My!

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Treatment of Women Under Sharia Law in the UK

A recent report from the Times of London have highlights the challenges faced by Muslim women in the UK seeking Islamic divorces. An investigation by The Times reveals that some women encounter significant obstacles when attempting to dissolve their marriages through sharia councils.

These councils, estimated to number around 85 in Britain, often impose stringent conditions that favor men, leaving women like Aisha—who was asked for a large financial payment by her husband—feeling as though they must “pay ransom” to exit their marriages. The report underscores concerns about discriminatory practices within these councils and calls for greater oversight to ensure fair treatment of women.

Thankfully there are no U.S. communities currently under sharia law or subject to sharia councils. Lets be sure to keep it that way.

Clergy Sexual Abuse in Michigan

This from the New York Post:
A five-year investigation by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has identified over 50 clergy members, including 48 priests, accused of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Lansing, with cases dating back to the 1950s. This investigation led to 11 charges and nine convictions, highlighting systemic issues within the diocese.

Bishop Earl Boyea has issued an apology, condemning the abuse and expressing deep sorrow for the victims.

Jesus also had something to say about this kind of behavior: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (KJV)

Resisting the Draft in Israel

In Israel, Ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews are facing increased pressure to serve in the military, despite their traditional exemptions. Recent conflicts have intensified calls for their enlistment, leading to thousands of draft notices and arrest warrants for non-compliance.

The Haredi community argues that their religious studies are essential for Israel’s spiritual protection and fear that military service would force them to abandon their religious practices.

This issue has created tensions within the coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is attempting to balance national security needs with the demands of his Haredi political partners.
https://www.thetimes.com/world/middle-east/israel-hamas-war/article/ultra-orthodox-jews-israel-military-service-gaza-xqkwzr688

Haredi Jews, often referred to as Ultra-Orthodox Jews, are a religious subgroup within Judaism characterized by their strict adherence to Jewish law (Halakha) and traditional practices. They prioritize Torah study and observance of commandments, often maintaining a distinct lifestyle that separates them from broader secular society.

Latest Holy Land Updates – 12/17/24

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Israel’s Occupation of Syrian Buffer Zone

Israel has occupied a buffer zone within Syria, coinciding with ongoing Israeli military operations against Hamas in Gaza.

In Syria, the new rebel administration has expressed willingness to cooperate with the UN on humanitarian aid, and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have proposed demilitarizing Kobani to address Turkey’s security concerns. Despite these developments, efforts for a permanent ceasefire have failed. Additionally, countries like Qatar and France have reopened their embassies in Damascus, indicating a shift in diplomatic relations following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The discovery of mass graves in Syria has further highlighted the atrocities committed during Assad’s rule.

Meanwhile, Hamas remains hopeful for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza amid ongoing international efforts to resolve the conflict stemming from Hamas atrocities against Israeli citizens and the taking of hostages, including Americans, on October 7, 2023.
AP News

Discovery of Ancient Chinese Inscription in Jerusalem

Archaeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered a porcelain bowl at Mount Zion bearing the oldest-known Chinese inscription in the city. Dating back to the 16th century, likely from the Ming Dynasty, the inscription reads, “Forever we will guard the eternal spring.”

This finding underscores historical trade relations between Imperial China and the Ottoman Empire, with records indicating Ottoman delegations visiting Beijing and Chinese merchant colonies in regional cities like Beirut, Tripoli, and Jerusalem. The discovery highlights Jerusalem’s historical significance and its extensive trading connections.
New York Post

Vatican’s Nativity Scene Controversy

A Nativity scene in the Vatican featuring a manger draped with a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian identity, has garnered significant attention. Unveiled on December 7 and crafted by Bethlehem-based artisans, the scene initially included the keffiyeh. However, by December 11, both the keffiyeh and the infant Jesus were removed, aligning with Vatican tradition of placing the infant on December 24.

A Palestinian official confirmed the removal without providing an explanation. The Vatican reiterated the adherence to tradition, while the Israeli Embassy did not comment on potential complaints regarding the keffiyeh. Pope Francis has reiterated his call for peace and recognition of Palestine’s struggles and is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Vatican soon.
AP News

Watchdog Alert: Is Legal Pot A Good Thing?

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Elton John says legalizing marijuana was a mistake

There’s an interesting news piece on CNN reporting on Elton John’s view of weed.

In an interview with Time magazine as part of their Icon of the Year coverage, the legendary singer shared his thoughts about the legalization of cannabis in parts of the US and Canada.
“I maintain that it’s addictive,” he said. “It leads to other drugs. And when you’re stoned—and I’ve been stoned—you don’t think normally.”
“Legalizing marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”

This is a bigger deal than it appears at first blush. Sir Elton is a living legend with tons of influence globally, and his statement about marijuana addiction and it’s effect on one’s thinking abilities is worth noting. Is the cultural landscape as it relates to marijuana legalization shifting?

School shooting at Wisconsin private Christian school

What a brutal, sad, and tragic day on Monday. One student dead. A teacher dead. Teen shooter dead. Six more injured.

Fox News report and updates here.

There are lots of questions that come to mind about this horrible incident, but the obvious one is: Why does God allow this kind of evil to happen?

The world is a dark and broken place. Evil is real. It’s all too obvious that the ‘Christian’ designation on a school, or church, or person doesn’t provide an automatic exemption from the harm our spiritual adversary always seeks to inflict.

God can and does protect his people, but that requires an intentional applied faith through ever vigilant prayer on OUR part.

We are also advised to be wise as serpents. It is reported that the Wisconsin Christian school doesn’t have metal detectors or a school resource officer.

Watchdog Report: Church Of Satan

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But of course the ‘Church of Satan’ has a website. And of course it includes a ‘latest news’ page.

Part of our responsibility as watchers on the wall is to notice such things and monitor their impact on our faith, our families, our culture and society, and our hearts and minds.

In the latest news from the Church of Satan website I noted a promo for a book by Thomas Denis called Survival—How Becoming a Satanist Saved My Life. Yeah, probably not on a book that would be on very many Christmas gift idea lists, right?

Anyway, Mr. Denis says this about his book: Survival—How Becoming a Satanist Saved My Life is my autobiography on how living the Satanic philosophy gave me the strength not only to survive significant abuse of every imaginable horror, loss, suicide, family addiction and sexual assault, but also succeed at levels that would have been impossible to achieve without the Satanic philosophy. I have travelled the world, am a community leader and a leader in a major corporation, and have enjoyed the hedonistic lifestyle.

So the ‘Satanic philosophy’ gave the author the strength to survive a bunch of horrible stuff – suicide, sexual assault etc. – which all originate from Satan in the first place? Doesn’t make much sense.

I’m not sure what community Denis is a ‘leader’ in but I’m sure glad I don’t live there while he’s enjoying the ‘hedonistic lifestyle’ and worshipping the father of lies.

What’s The Latest From Various Denominations?

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Catholics

Well, according to the Catholic News Agency, in his Wednesday message at St. Peter’s Square Pope Francis said he wants preachers to keep their preachin’ to 10 minutes or less.

Here’s an excerpt from the recent CNA article which you can find here:

“Preachers must preach an idea, a feeling, and a call to action. Beyond eight minutes the preaching starts to fade, it is not understood,” Pope Francis said to applause from some pilgrims.

I kind of like that idea for the most part, because most of the sermons I’ve sat through in my life bored me to tears because they were too long. I can’t imagine someone telling Jesus to “wrap it up” after 10 minutes into the Sermon on the Mount, though. 😉

Evangelicals

There’s an interesting piece in First Things about Trump’s support among evangelical Christians:

Though evangelicals are theologically unified in certain respects, they can be divided sociologically into three categories: Jacksonians, who generally exhibit low social capital; Tocquevillians, who exhibit high social capital; and elites, who live at the heights of American culture. As in 2016 and 2020,  Trump carried the Jacksonians and Tocquevillians while losing the elites.

Hmmm, “elite evangelicals” should sound like an oxymoron but somehow it kind of doesn’t.

Mormons

From the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints news bulletin:

The Old Brewery Mission (OBM), one of Canada’s oldest and largest homeless shelters, recently inaugurated new living spaces at its men’s shelter due to a C$1 million donation (US$769,230) from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The renovation project was part of the OBM’s vision to phase out dormitories at its facilities, transforming them into semi-private rooms, or chambrettes in French.

Say what you want about the Mormons and those magic glasses J. Smith wore, the LDS Church walks the talk for the most part when it comes to giving.

Methodists

There are some ongoing debates and structural changes in the United Methodist Church:

  1. Disaffiliation Updates: After years of division over LGBTQ+ inclusion, approximately 7,500 UMC congregations have disaffiliated, often joining the conservative Global Methodist Church. New proposals aim to extend or revise the guidelines for disaffiliation to accommodate ongoing tensions. Some petitions suggest expanded reasons for disaffiliation and altered voting procedures, extending deadlines to 2027 or later ​Christian Post​The United Methodist Church.
  2. Structural Reforms: The UMC recently approved measures to restructure its global operations. While five out of eight reforms were passed, the remaining ones focus on the U.S. and are still under review. These changes aim to address the denomination’s governance amid ongoing debates over human sexuality and other theological issues ​RNS.

One has to wonder how close we are to our Savior’s return.

Monday’s News & Events

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What in the world…

…of culture
I came across an article on the Den Of Geek website about the political and cultural content of the new movie Wicked, which is the film adaptation of the 2003 Broadway musical of the same name.

Here is an excerpt from the piece on denofgeek.com: “When Universal Pictures dated its lavish adaptation of Broadway’s most popular musical for this Thanksgiving, we imagine executives were not thinking too hard about its proximity to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. However, for any viewer even vaguely aware of the news cycle these days, the parallels between Wicked’s Oz and the tone and tenor of emerging American policy for the New Year are eerily linked...

Wicked is not about Donald Trump. But it paints a picture of rising fascism and bigotries that remarkably resemble the vision of America Trump is selling.“

Really? These people are still trotting out the ‘Orange Man Bad’ and ‘fascist’ garbage using a kids movie as prop? Even after the resounding rejection by voters of that kind of rhetoric three weeks ago when Trump and the Republicans followed the Yellow (Red) Brick Road all the way to an electoral landslide, popular vote victory, and takeover of the Senate.

The movie is getting mixed reviews – some say its great, some say it’s just a bunch of woke nonsense. I haven’t seen it and almost certainly never will.

Rick Tryon