Robertson's view of Alzheimer's riles ethics, disability experts

Does Alzheimer's count as a kind of "death" when it comes to busting the marital vow 'Til death do us part?

Christianity Today broke the story and Manya Brachear at The Chicago Tribune took that question to ethics experts after televangelist Pat Robertson told a 700 Club caller that he could dump his stricken spouse to pursue other relationships because the memory-killing disease was "a kind of death." FOLLOW:Faith & Reason blog on Twitter

The Rev. David Gushee, a professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University and author of the book Getting Marriage Right, told Brachear that Robertson might have been stumbling for an answer because evangelical Christians have never developed a clear theology for addressing rampant divorce in today's society.

Gushee pointed to the Gospels where, he said it's clear that "adultery, abandonment and abuse are the only legitimate reasons to end a marriage," Brachear writes.

Even so, Beth Kallmyer, director of constituent services for the Alzheimer's Association, which provides resources to sufferers and their families, told the Associated Press that divorce is uncommon among couples where one partner is suffering from Alzheimer's.

Michael Verde, an evangelical Christian who is founder and president of Memory Bridge, a non-profit that connects Alzheimer's patients with communities, said Alzheimer's victims experience profound loneliness and would be damaged by a spouse disappearing. Verde told Brachear:

Ask Pat Robertson: 'Is there ever a condition in which God would rightfully divorce us?' The answer is no."

Joni Eareckson Tada, wheelchair bound for decades after an accident and founder of Joni and Friends International Disability Center and popular speaker to evangelical audiences, was dismayed. In a press release, she said,

When a Christian leader views marriage on a sliding scale, what does this say to the millions of couples who must deal daily with catastrophic injuries and illnesses?

She said her center deals with

...thousands of couples who, despite living with serious disabling conditions, showcase the grace of God in their weakness every day. Marriage is designed to be a picture of God's sacrificial love for us.

DO YOU THINK... there's a moral exit from marriage vows if your partner is severely physically or mentally disabled? Is it 'a kind of death?'

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Israel concerns Jews at New Year's services

Happy New Year: Now, let's talk Israel politics.

That's how the high holy day of Rosh Hashana, which began at sunset Wednesday, may sound for many U.S. Jews. The 10 days between this day and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are ones of deep reflection. And the synagogues are usually packed.

So this is the traditional time for rabbis to make a sermon pitch for support for Israel, the Jewish homeland, as part of living a life of responsibilty to the community, weaving religious beliefs with political Zionism.

But in recent years, the definition of exactly what it means to support Israel has become complicated. Certainly, in Israel itself Jews are fractious over exactly how they should proceed to establish a peaceful and secure future. Dissent is sharp and vocal from all directions.

But within American Jewish institutions discussing how best to support Israel is a fraught matter. Religion Newswriter of the Year award winner Michelle Boorstein at The Washington Post looked at rabbis' plans for Rosh Hashana sermons:

Recognizing the confluence of Jewish preaching and news about Israel, Kenneth Cohen, a Bethesda rabbi, recently wrote a resource guide to help colleagues talk about Israel during the holidays, which begin when Rosh Hashana starts at sunset Wednesday and end with Yom Kippur next week. The guide was funded by the Israeli Embassy and sent to virtually every rabbi in the country.

The Israel-funded Resource Guide, is unequivocal:

The only way to achieve a true and sustainable peace is through negotiations. A unilateral declaration of statehood violates the basic principle of a negotiated peace. Israel remains keen to engage in bilateral negotiations to resolve the conflict.

The Jewish Daily Forward finds rabbis are not in lock step in their concerns for Israel.

The younger rabbis, consistent with the younger generation, are more oriented toward social issues," said Steven M. Cohen, a prominent sociologist of American Jewish life who conducted the study for the Jewish Theological Seminary. "They have more concern in Israel for societal challenges and problems, [and] less concern with external threats than the older rabbis.

THINK ABOUT IT... Is it kosher to question the binding of Jewish religious beliefs and practices with any one particular political view on the Jewish state?

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Pentagon: Military chaplains may wed gay couples

Gays in the military can wed their partners on base with a military chaplain -- if the ceremony is in a state where gay marriage is legal and the chaplain's religious affiliation permits clergy to officiate at same-sex marriages, according to Religion News Service.

The CNN Belief Blog writes that the two paragraph Pentagon memo, made public Friday,

... carefully stops short of fully embracing the idea of same-sex marriage, saying that "a military chaplain's participation in a private ceremony does not constitute an endorsement of the ceremony by DoD" (the Department of Defense).

The chaplain corps has been in uproar over DADT -- pro and con -- for years and conservative Christian groups say ending the policy puts chaplains in a religious liberty bind. During the summer, the U.S.House of Representatives tried unsuccessfully to block gay weddings on bases.

But even for couples who do wed, benefits won't change much:

Existing standards of personal conduct, such as those pertaining to public displays of affection, will continue regardless of sexual orientation.

There will be no immediate changes to eligibility for military benefits. All servicemembers are already entitled to certain benefits, such as designating a partner as a life insurance beneficiary or as a caregiver in the Wounded Warrior program.

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Bishop: Bread alone will do for Communion at most Masses

What? No wine? The Bishop of Phoenix Thomas Olmsted is crossing wine out of Communion at most Masses, limiting how often the chalice is offered to holy days and special occasions, writes Michael Clancy at the Arizona Republic.

Olmsted bases his unique decision on the Church's new translation of the liturgy for the Mass, called the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, and other church documents, which he says don't really require folks in the pews have wine as part of the Eucharist. The Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine, when blessed by the priest, become the body and blood of Christ.

Clancy writes

The option of offering both bread and wine for Communion has been in place since 1975. Catholics never have been obligated to take both and, until 1975, the practice had been forbidden since the mid-1500s.

The dicocesan press release says

... bread alone makes it possible to receive all the fruit of the Eucharistic grace."

One diocesan priest, Rev. James Turner, told Clancy,

The majority of priests were stunned and aghast at the announcement, and I hear some are planning to meet to see how best to respond. While the bishop has the authority to make this policy change, there is no scriptural, theological or sacramental rationale that makes any sense.

Olmsted is a stickler for Church authority. He was last in national headlines in December when he stripped Catholic credentials off a Phoenix hospital founded by nuns when he disagreed with the hospital's decision to permit an abortion to save the life of a young mother with a life-threatening heart condition.

Clancy points out,

..No other diocese in the country is known to be following suit, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told TheArizona Republic.

But a profile this summer in the Lincoln Journal Star of Bishop of Lincoln, Neb., Fabian Bruskewitz, reputed to be one of the most traditionalist bishops in the country indicated he has been following this approach long before the new Missal.

The new Missal -- a more formal, literally translated text and melodies for the prayers, chants and responses in the Mass -- goes into use in the English-speaking world Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent. The diocesan release didn't say how soon Phoenix Catholics could expect to see less of the chalice.

DO YOU THINK... Olmsted is leading the way back to tradition, or off the rails on this?

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Perry's pastor pal Jeffress called 'a poster boy for hatred'

Have you been condemned by Gov. Rick Perry's pastor pal Robert Jeffress yet today?

If not, you can check out the Mormon-faith-bashing pastor in his own voice at Right Wing Watch. Or read up on how Jeffress told First Baptist Dallas on Sunday that

Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Mormonism are all false religions and I stand by those statements.

Oh, and Catholicism, too. Religion News Service's daily roundup updates us on Jeffress' Catholic-bashing, noting the Catholic League item today on Jeffress, who...

... last year had this to say about Catholicism: "Much of what you see in the Catholic Church today doesn't come from God's word. It comes from that cult-like pagan religion. Isn't that the genius of Satan?"

League voice Bill Donohue calls Jeffress,

a poster boy for hatred, not Christianity.

RNS also catches us up with the questionable legality of the pastor's politicized preaching.

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State has asked the IRS to investigate whether Dallas Pastor Robert Jeffress flouted federal law when he put a video clip about his endorsement of presidential candidate Rick Perry on the church's website.

The Satan-slinging religious exchanges in the presidential primary campaign so far are starting to sound like an episode from South Park.

However, Southern Baptist theologian Al Mohler upholds the idea that voters of faith might likely want to choose a candidate who shares their Biblical worldview. But no way is he climbing out on the ledge with Jeffress. Mohler blogs:

...We must be honest and acknowledge that there are non-Christians or non-evangelicals who share far more of our worldview and policy concerns than some others who identify as Christians. The stewardship of our vote demands that we support those candidates who most clearly and consistently share our worldview and combine these commitments with the competence to serve both faithfully and well.

DO YOU THINK... judging religions is our job or God's? Does it have a place in the presidential race?

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For churches today, the word is 'big'

With evangelical churches today, the word is 'big.'

Outreach Magazine is out today with its latest downloadable lists of the nation's top 100 largest Protestant churches and top 100 fastest-growing churches.

Leading large, as always, is Lakewood Church, Houston, with prolific author and TV broadcaster Joel Osteen at the helm. It's the size of some small towns.

But it also seems to have settled into the same grove of 43,500 people in weekend worship attendance for the past three years. Perhaps it's because overall growth is slowing for megachurches. Or perhaps that's because it's the one church at the top of the list that ignores the biggest trend of the last few years -- multi-site congregatons.

Next up:

North Point Community Church, Alpharetta, Ga., led by Andy Stanley (27,429)Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, Ill., led by Bill Hybels (24,377)Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Ky., led by Dave Stone (20,801)Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, Calif., led Rick Warren (19,742).

Saddleback is back in the top five with nine locations now.

Most multi-site churches make this work with a slew of "campus pastors" providing the kind of personalized touch of weddings and funerals while the founding pastor is the overall teaching voice, setting the doctrinal tone.

Of course, most of church-going Christian America still worships in congregations smaller than a few hundred with no fancy auditoriums or coffee bars in the loby to jazz up the experience.

Even so, the list comes packaged online with advice from experts such as a piece by sociologist Scott Thumma of the Hartford Institute of Religion Research at Hartford Seminary, who offers 10 lessons to learn from megachurches with their high-profile pastors. No. 4 on that list seemed to sum up several points:

Make it appealing, then make it challenging. Most visitors want to slip in anonymously and experience worship in a user-friendly manner. But don't leave newcomers at the "spectator stage." Christianity is about maturing in the faith. The goal of pastors and teachers is to help the body of Christ "become mature." Many megachurches provide intentional paths for new persons to move into deeper levels of the faith.

Ed Stetzer of LifeWay Research, which orchestrates the statistics for Outreach based on churches' self-reported numbers, observes that while big church pastors may have advice for start-up and smaller churches, they're out on the frontier themselves. Stetzer says:

The leadership territory for church leaders with attendance near or above 20,000 is such a small group that a lot of those folks have to figure out how to adapt with very little known or understood in "church" leadership circles. That used to be the case for churches over 5,000, now you have over 100 guys who could sit down with you and tell you how to do it.

Do you find the charm in a megachurch or prefer a more cozy setting for worship where you have a personal connection to the pastor?

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Obama is 'ramping up his God talk'

President Obama is "ramping up his 'God talk' for the re-election campaign," says political scientist John Green, director of the University of Akron's Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.

But Green and two other experts who track religious rhetoric in presidential politics speculate this strategy to connect with evangelical voters may not work for Obama.

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Green points out,

Obama didn't talk much about faith during his first two years in office and this has left 40% of Americans wondering just what, exactly, is his faith commitment. Now he is ramping up this kind of language and using it in the right kind of context.

Most recent examples: On Sunday, Obama recited Psalm 46 at the 9/11 memorial event in New York and quoted Psalm 30 that same night at a memorial concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington. In his televised national jobs bill speech, he declared,

We are one nation under God, we always have been and always will be.

These kinds of God mentions won't move the dial for conservative evangelicals but, Green says, they could be just right for ambivalent voters who "don't want a hard-edged faith shaping national politics."

David Domke, professor of communications at University of Washington, who tracks all religious references in candidates' speeches, said Obama's recent ways of raising God's name are big steps up from his routine "God Bless America" speech sign-off.

Domke calls this

a technique for making 'Christian' and 'American' synonymous. He's making a claim about the nation. There's no avoiding that this is a strategic emphasis on his part. He didn't speak this way when he was at 60% public approval.

However, Obama generally doesn't use secular events to speak about how he came to Jesus, the core Christian testimony, says Domke, co-author of The God Strategy: How Religion Became a Political Weapon in America: How Religion Became a Political Weapon in America. It examined the God language of the four preceding presidents.

This is very different than Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who gave his personal Christian conversion testimony as part of a foreign policy speech Wednesday.

Perry speaking at Liberty University, the evangelical college founded by the late Jerry Falwell, staked the Christian claim for himself and for the USA.

According to the Associated Press, Perry said,

America is going to be guided by some set of values. The question is gonna be whose values? It's those Christian values that this country was based upon.

Voters think Perry is sincere. Whether they agree or they are terrified by his rhetoric, they think he means it. But, says Domke, when Obama -- the first multi-cultural, multi-racial president and the only one to mention unbelievers in his inaugural address -- speaks of God, in any setting, his authenticity is suspect.

Forget that he stepped onto the podium in Springfield, Ill., in 2007 to announce his candidacy for the presidential race after a Gospel choir sang and that his opening words gave glory to God. Forget that he's spoken of his personal salvation in churches and prayer breakfasts, Domke says.

For a Republican, you need a prayer rally. For a Democrat, you just need an opening prayer and more than that makes liberals nervous.

Questioning someone's religious sincerity is totally a factor of whether you already like that person. Baylor University sociologist Paul Froese says,

If Obama held a prayer rally, it would never work. People who don't like him won't believe him.

Froese, co-author of America's Four Gods: What we say about God and what that says about us, says his book's comment is true today:

Rather than debate policy, we debate the morality of individuals. And if their image of God does not match our own, we conclude that they are either godless or fanatical.

DO YOU THINK ... Perry and Obama are sincere in their 'God talk'? Does that inspire, comfort -- or frighten -- you?

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Will Romney, Perry race be Christian vs. Christian?

Is it Christian vs. Christian now in the GOP primary race? Will ideas of God trump ideas of the economy in the race for the nomination?

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One could think so, given the news Friday coming out of the Values Voter Summit in Washingon, D.C. One of Rick Perry's retinue of pastor-backers, Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas, told media that evangelicals consider Mitt Romney "a good moral person" but

...not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. It has always been considered a cult by the mainstream of Christianity.

Jeffress' view that Mormons aren't Christian is shared by 75% of Protestant pastors, according to a survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors conducted last October by LifeWay Research.

But it's debatable whether Jeffress, long known for his adamant stance that only fellow deeply conservatives are worthy of Christian's votes, is the voice of the mainstream Protestantism. He was pounding the same path in the 2008 primary months when I heard him speak on the urgency for Christians to choose a fellow believer -- for any elected spot from president to the most minor municipal post -- or God would lift his favor from the USA.

You can hear him expound that view of Christian-rating candidates in a video of that 2008 debate at the Religion Newswriters Conference, a debate sponsored by the public relations firm of Mark DeMoss.

DeMoss is an evangelical Southern Baptist himself and an activist for Romney since 2006 when, he said.

As an evangelical Southern Baptist and a social conservative, I like the leadership Governor Romney provided our movement in defending traditional marriage between a man and a woman and in opposing embryonic stem cell research. I believe his values are consistent with mine in every way, whether or not his theology is.

Just what is that theology and who are its followers? The Mormon Church last week announced a national ad campaign to introduce themselves as mainstream Americans.

It will steer people to the Church website to talk with experts and learn

... about church doctrine, such as "Are Mormons Christians?" "Why don't Mormons drink coffee, tea or alcohol?" and "What do Mormons believe about the Bible?"

Michael Otterson, a spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- as the Mormons prefer to be known -- and one of a stable of bloggers for the Washington Post On Faith site, is well versed on refuting the "cult" slur.

Lest anyone think I am unduly thin-skinned, it's the insult implicit in the word 'cult' that I am objecting to, not the reasonable point that some Christians are indeed uncomfortable with aspects of Latter-day Saint theology. Of course they are. I am equally uncomfortable with some aspects of traditional, orthodox Christianity, which was the very issue that gave rise to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the first place.

Otterson points out some of the theological divides (divides that haven't been a problem for 15 current members of Congress, he also notes) on the Bible, the Trinity and the nature of God.

It is perfectly true that Mormons do not embrace many of the orthodoxies of mainstream Christianity, including the nature of the Trinity. It is not true that Mormons do not draw their beliefs from the same Bible.

And he notes the Bible forecasts the Book of Mormon, which they believe is also revelation.In John 21:25, the apostle concludes:

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.

Ed Stetzer at LifeWay Research, who is both a statistics and a missions specialist, blogged on Saturday that Jeffress' remarks might make people uncomfortable but they're hardly new or shocking.

Stetzer writes,

For Christians, calling yourself a Christian while not believing that God has always existed as the triune Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is as inconceivable.

This is not simply a conservative evangelical Christian view. Methodists have said "the LDS Church is not a part of the historic, apostolic tradition of the Christian faith." Even Roman Catholics (hardly conservative Protestants) don't recognize LDS baptism.

..There is no reason to be shocked that devout Christians consider those with a different view of Christ as non-Christians. In the current cultural climate it may be uncomfortable, but it is anything but shocking.

Meanwhile, Perry is pretty much stuck with Jeffress. Although Perry has told anyone with a mike that he doesn't consider Mormonism a cult, if he starts dropping pastor-backers for their politically inconvenient theology he would have to disassociate himself from a vast swath of the speakers at his August prayer rally, the Response.

Do voters actually care? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe they just don't know.

Among the general public, "don't know" is often the leading response to the Romney religion question. Three in four don't know Mitt Romney is a Mormon, according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute and Religion News Service.

The same survey found:

A majority (56%) of the public says it is very or somewhat important for a presidential candidate to have strong religious beliefs, regardless of whether those beliefs are the same as their own.

Perry, however, told his prayer rally audience, that God is

... wise enough to not be affiliated with any political party.

Michele Bachmann on the Sunday morning talk circuit turned the Mormon/Christian/cult questions straight back to the economy. That, she told CNN, is what voters really care about.

DO YOU THINK... voters are waiting for the voice of God to steer their vote or is it really about jobs and taxes.

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Rev. Pat Robertson drops endorsements, says politics 'can't change our world'

One-time presidential candidate Rev. Pat Robertson, who long has made controversial moral pronouncements on topics from Alzheimer's to the weather, says no more political endorsements from now on.

Robertson, 81, told The Associated Press this weekend that.

I've personally backed off from direct political involvement. I've been there, done that. The truth of the matter is politics is not going to change our world. It's really not going to make that much of a difference.

He said he "doesn't have the political influence he once did" from his perch as founder of the Christian Coalition and reigning host of the Christian Broadcasting Network's 700 Club, which marked 50 years on the air on Saturday. He said,

When I was in charge of the Christian Coalition I was available to mobilize grass-roots support for somebody. I don't have any army right now. It's just an opinion, and that isn't quite as good as it used to be.

Not that Robertson lacks for opinions. The AP offered a greatest hits of Robertson statements including:

The federal courts, pornography, abortion rights and church-state separation angered God, allowing the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to occur.American agents should assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.The debilitating stroke suffered by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was divine retribution for his decision to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Haiti was cursed a day after a devastating earthquake.A man whose wife has Alzheimer's disease and was seeing another woman should divorce his wife.

But 90% of the CBN audience is overseas now and less interested in U.S. politics, Duke University professor David Morgan told AP. So maybe there's more marketing than morality at work here.

THINK ABOUT IT... Were you waiting for word of Robertson's political pick? Have his moral views mattered to you? Do they still?

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9/11 prayer events: Where were the evangelicals?

Could it be that evangelicals were "snubbed" when no clergy were invited to the New York City official 9/11 memorial event?

Does it bother you that a rainbow of religious traditions -- but no conservative evangelical voices -- were invited to speak at the Washington National Cathedral's Sunday morning vigil?

Mollie Hemingway at the critique site Get Religion wondered why Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims but no Southern Baptists or pastors from the Lutheran Missouri Synod or the more traditionalist wing of Presbyterians were on the Cathedral program.

Other commentators thought the Episcopal Cathedral's clergy stood for the nation's scores of Christian denomination, just as the rabbi of Washington Hebrew Congregation, a Reform synagogue, stood for a dozen branches of Jewish tradition and so on.

Others argue some evangelicals didn't join the lineup at the microphones because they don't want to blend in to the scene.

After all, these are denominations that assiduously avoid sharing worship services with religions that disagree on core doctrines or fail to expressly insist that salvation is only through Jesus.

As Hemingway, a traditionalist Lutheran herself, points out:

We avoid civil religion and syncretistic worship. (Syncretism is a big word for mixing religions.)

Rev. Franklin Graham, who now leads his father's Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, stood outside the Washington National Cathedral in 2001. While his father spoke inside, Franklin served as a comentator with TV crews.

As this 10th anniversary neared, he wrote in Charisma News about how the sacrifice of innocent lives on that tragic date and thousands of service men and women in the subsequent wars is nothing compared to the "the debt each and every person owes to the Lord Jesus Christ for dying for our sins."

There's no call in Graham's column for brotherhood, forgiveness, mercy or interfaith understanding -- the themes of the services at Catholic Masses and interfaith services in Washington and around the country. His focus is always the same:

... Tell as many people as we can how they can be saved before it is eternally too late."

The daily devotion at BillyGraham.org for today concludes with a prayer: "Lord Jesus, Lamb of God, in adoration I thank You for the love that made You willing to suffer and die on the cross for my sin."

Rev. Rick Warren, pastor of the USA's fifth largest Protestant congregation, is holding his own 9/11 memorial prayer services in Southern California as his rebuttal to the clergy-free New York event.

Saddleback, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, has nine satellite locations in addition to its main campus in Lake Forest. All will hold special services, he wrote on his blog,

...to remember the hope we have in Christ despite the violence that was brought upon our country.

In 2001, clergy of the New York region held an interfaith prayer service in Yankee Stadium where Oprah Winfrey, famed for her spiritual cheerleading, served as the non-denominational host.

But in the aftermath, the head of the 2.6-million member Lutheran Church Missouri Synod's Atlantic Division, Pastor David Benke, was suspended. A higher officer of the national denomination in a letter that said,

Joining in prayer with pagan clerics in Yankee Stadium was an offense both to God and to all Christians."

Benke's suspension was later overturned by a denominational appeals panel. He still leads the district and the text of his 2001 prayer, for God to "un-bind, un-fear, un-scorch, un-sear our souls... in Jesus' name" is on the website.

In the end, on Sunday, there was an evangelical voice, albeit a mainline Protestant voice, at Ground Zero. President Obama recited Psalm 46.

DO YOU THINK ... all prayer, no matter who stands beside you, has equal merit? Or must you pray only with those who see God as you do?

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Is the economy in God's hands?

The new Baylor Religion Survey's findings that religious and economic views are fused together for many Americans intrigued me. So I ran it by two economists for their thoughts.

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Much of Baylor's findings "rang true" to economist Bill Beach, director of data analysis at the Heritage Foundation. He said.

I wouldn't go as far as saying God favors one economic system over another. I don't see a notion in the survey that government is inherently evil or inherently obstructionist but it can get in the way.

If you believe God has a plan for you, it's hard to work the plan and release the graces and talents you've been given if you have a growing dependency on government.

William Galston, a former domestic advisor to Bill Clinton, who now heads Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute, says the liberal view is equally interwoven in history.

If you are speaking to a main-line Protestant or Jewish audience or to those Catholics who stress social justice, the duty of society to the least among us has enormous influence.

There's a fusion between religiously based understandings of social justice —- including economic justice — with the development of liberalism in the 20th century.

DO YOU THINK ... your view of the economy is a matter of faith?

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Occupy Wall Street protests have a spiritual side

As Occupy Wall Street protests head into a new week, religion journal writers are theorizing on the spiritual side of the movement.

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At the Jesuit magazine America, Tom Beaudoin, associate professor of theology at Fordham University, compared the protests to religious rituals:

... when they embody visions of a possible future that influence the larger social imagination, and when they sculpt the desires of the protestors themselves for the better. In these ways, resistance can become symbolic action, protests become like religious ritual -- and in those ways, even more important.

Sunday, Beaudoin was back at America's In All Things blog musing on a Catholic version of Occupy Wall Street or the Arab Spring -- a non-violent revolt by believers in the churches, instead of the streets, to express "their passion for and grievances with their own church."

He writes:

Imagine a group of Catholics whose deep care for the future of their church is matched by their sense of responsibility to name, protest and change what is intolerable about that church today... in the form of consciousness-raising and of direct action.

At the monthly Jewish journal Sh'ma, the new online Sblog looks at social justice dimension of the religious requirement to give "tzedakah" -- to care for the poor and needy while maintaining their dignity and self-esteem.

Jake Goodman, an activist, Jewish educator and actor, sees these protesters as contemporary philanthopists who

... choose to limit the amount of money and creature comforts they could have so that they can fully commit to engaging in work that transforms some part of their ethical ideal into tangible reality. They have a deep love of humanity. ..

Goodman charges,

All people who share a love of humanity should actually make the effort to disrupt the routine of their own lives and take the time to put their feet on the street. It's a shanda (scandal) -- a shanda! -- that, so often, the people who can actually afford to show up choose not to...

He calls for "people with economic privilege " to send support -- food, clothes, sleeping bags -- to the Occupy folks who are "actually philanthropizing with their feet."

A recent study by Baylor University found one in five Americans see God at work in the free market. But what about God at work in the parks and streets outside?

That question made me think of the powerful speech by the priest-of-the-piers, Father Barry (modeled on the Rev. John Corridan) addressing the downtrodden dock workers in On the Waterfront. The character, played by Karl Malden, says:

...You want to know what's wrong with our waterfront? It's the love of a lousy buck. It's making the love of the lousy buck -- the cushy job -- more important than the love of man! It's forgettin' that every fellow down here is your brother in Christ! But remember, Christ is always with you -- Christ is in the shape-up. He's in the hatch. He's in the union hall. He's kneeling right here beside Dugan. And He's saying with all of you, if you do it to the least of mine, you do it to me! ...

If God was in the shape-up, is God in Zuccotti Park, too?

For more, the Catholic journal First Things has a roundup and links of other religious writiers on the movement. In his wrapup, Joseph Knippenberg, professor of politics at Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, slashes through the liberal thinkers (do they think religion supports or undermines capitalism?) and concludes:

I have no doubt that God is with the folks near Wall Street, but I doubt they've recognized Him yet.

DO YOU SEE ... the hand of God in the economy -- inside Wall Street or out with the protesters?

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Missing Japanese Man Suspected Victim of Kidnapping and Faith-Breaking

Missing Japanese Man Suspected Victim of Kidnapping and Faith-Breaking

The 32-year-old man from Nagoya, Japan has not been seen by fellow Unification Church members since September 5. Both the church and his place of work have reported his disappearance to the police.

    GREENBELT, MD, October 02, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- Religious freedom activists expressed concern over a new case of a suspected kidnapping and secret confinement of a Unification Church member in Japan. The International Coalition for Religious Freedom (ICRF) announced the disappearance of the 32-year-old man from the city of Nagoya in Japan's Aichi Prefecture. Mr. "K.M." has not been seen by fellow church members since September 5.

Local church leaders have reported Mr. "K.M." as a missing person to the police. His place of work also reported him absent, and colleagues from the local Okazaki Unification Church, with which he is affiliated, found his residence empty. However, Japanese police routinely reject such reports on the grounds that a church pastor is not a relative. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that in hundreds of such cases, it is the victim's relatives who kidnap and confine him, with the intent to force him or her out of the church.

The practice of kidnapping religious believers for 'deprogramming' was widespread in the U.S. in the 1970s and80s, but came to an end after courts made it clear that such actions were illegal, even when committed by family members. Scientologists, Krishna devotees, Pentecostal Christians and Unificationists were among the victims. Today, the Unification Church remains highly controversial in Japan, and the nation's traditional values hold that 'family matters' - such as spousal abuse, rape, incest and forcing an adult relative to renounce his religion - should be kept private.

The issue of religious kidnapping in Japan has recently gained international attention as the result of the case of Mr. Toru Goto, who was held against his will in a secret location in Tokyo for 12 years because he refused to renounce his Unificationist faith. He sued the alleged perpetrators, who include relatives and a Christian minister, and the case is currently being tried in a Tokyo court.

Out of respect for his privacy the church is not releasing the current victim's full name, but accredited researchers may learn additional details by contacting ICRF.

Website: http://www.religiousfreedom.com

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World Overcomers Christian Church Hosts 6th Annual Harvest Fest Saturday, Oct. 29

World Overcomers Christian Church Hosts 6th Annual Harvest Fest Saturday, Oct. 29

Family-Friendly Celebration Free To Public, More Than 10,000 Expected To Attend

    RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, October 13, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- Senior Pastor Andy Thompson, founder of World Overcomers Christian Church (http://www.wocconline.org), a non-denominational church serving worshippers in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park community, has announced that the church will host its 6th annual Harvest Fest on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 2933 South Miami Blvd. in Durham. The fun-filled alternative to Halloween, expected to draw more than 10,000 participants, is free to the public and will include games, bounce houses, face painting, appearances by firemen and other family friendly entertainment. Over the years, Harvest Fest has become an event not only for children, but one that focuses on fun for the entire family. Costumes are allowed, provided they are event-appropriate. For more information or to register for Harvest Fest, visit http://www.wocconline.org.

QUOTES:
"Reaching out to the local community is an essential part of what we do here at World Overcomers Christian Church," said Thompson. "Our Harvest Fest is one way to do that, and we hope that families from all over the area will attend."

NEW MEDIA CONTENT:
World Overcomers Christian Church Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/worldovercomers

DETAILS:
- Costumes must not be scary, violent, evil or seductive.

- Space for this year's Harvest Fest is more than double of what was available in 2010.

ABOUT WORLD OVERCOMERS CHRISTIAN CHURCH:
World Overcomers Christian Church (WOCC) serves worshippers in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park community and beyond by creating a spiritual experience that is powerful and positive for participants. Since 2003, WOCC has offered a casual, contemporary, dynamic service ministering to people of all ages and backgrounds. Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Andy Thompson ("Pastor Andy"), WOCC provides quality community service as well as Biblical ministry as part of its mission to create a balanced victory with a God-designed life. The church believes that God is as concerned about your life on earth as He is with where you will spend eternity. Its charitable activities include the annual Thanksgiving food drive, Angel Tree donations and volunteer work throughout the year in local shelters and schools. Located at 2933 S. Miami Blvd. at the intersection with TW Alexander Drive in Research Triangle Park, WOCC has more than 8,000 members attending its non-denominational services on Sundays at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and noon and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., and its services air daily on WRDC at 6:30 a.m. and are streamed weekly on its website. For more information, visit http://www.wocconline.org.

Jennifer Fair
MMI Public Relations
(919) 233-6600
jennifer@mmipublicrelations.com
http://twitter.com/MMIPR
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com

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Siar People Will Hear the Gospel on Friday

Siar People Will Hear the Gospel on Friday

Years of learning the culture and language of the Siar people of Papua New Guinea, and months of foundational, chronological Bible teaching, culminate this week in a lesson on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    September 28, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- Years of learning the culture and language of the Siar people of Papua New Guinea, and months of foundational, chronological Bible teaching, culminate this week in a lesson on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Friday, the Siar people of Papua New Guinea will hear the lesson they've been asking for and waiting on for years: the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

"After months of teaching four days a week, twice a day we are just two days away from telling our Siar friends the greatest message of all time," wrote NTM missionary Chris Lujan, "the message that God came down from Heaven to save us from our sins and the punishment that it brings, eternal death."

In 2003, the Siar people sent New Tribes Mission a letter asking for missionaries to come and share Bible teaching with them. They were an unreached people group - a people among whom no effort was being made to establish a church - which is the type of people New Tribes Mission works among. However, at the time, no one was available to send.

In 2006, NTM missionaries visited the Siars to determine whether they still wanted to hear, and how serious they were. Often, tribal people who ask for missionaries are actually seeking prestige among neighboring people groups, or access to material goods - perhaps even supernatural access. The visiting missionaries explained that a missionary team would need to move into their village, learn their culture and language and translate God's Word in order to clearly present the message God had for them.

The Siars welcomed the opportunity.

NTM missionaries Chris and Erin Lujan and their two children and Lane and Karrie Sanford and their three children moved to the village in 2007.

Years of hard work enabled the missionaries to understand the Siar culture - the way the Siars understand the world and interact with it - and learn their language.

When other NTM missionaries experienced in helping with culture and language learning determined they had gained enough proficiency, the Lujans and Sanfords began translating Scripture portions and Bible lessons with the assistance of a team of Siars.

The lessons that they and other NTM missionaries use are specifically designed for people with little or no understanding of the Bible. They are often referred to as chronological Bible teaching, because they follow God's story from Creation to the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

However, the lessons may be more properly understood as foundational Bible teaching. The lessons cover Bible passages in which God progressively reveals Himself to man, and help introduce God to people the same way God introduced Himself to the Israelites: little by little, until a clear picture of God's plan emerges in Christ's sacrifice for sin.

Bible teaching began July 5. Lessons progressed through the Creation account, the Flood, the Law and other important Old Testament passages that teach about God. In August, Amos and Sali, two of the Siar men who have been getting a preview because they are helping develop lessons, embraced the finished work of Christ on the Cross for their salvation.

This week so far, missionaries have already taught about the Last Supper.

"The next three days we will teach on the arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ," Chris Lujan wrote. "Many of our Siar friends ... are hungry to hear the truth."

The final lessons is to be presented Friday in Papua New Guinea, which is Thursday evening in the USA.

About New Tribes Mission:

New Tribes Mission was founded in the USA in 1942. From the beginning, two things have made NTM distinct among missions organizations:

1) New Tribes Mission works only among the world's least-reached people groups

2) New Tribes Mission equips those groups to lead their own churches

NTM is non-denominational, with 2,500 missionaries from a variety of evangelical churches serving in Africa, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific Region.

NTM is international, with missionaries from nearly 30 countries. NTM USA is the US organization. It is a registered 501(c)(3) organization, based in Sanford, Florida.

Media Contact:
Nita Zelenak
New Tribes Mission USA
407-323-3430
http://usa.ntm.org/

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Cathedral of Hope UCC Names New Pastor of CoH Mid-Cities Church

Cathedral of Hope UCC Names New Pastor of CoH Mid-Cities Church

The Rev. Rachel Ciupek-Reed has been named the new pastor of Cathedral of Hope Mid-Cities, a congregation of the United Church of Christ, in the Mid-Cities area between Dallas and Fort Worth.

    DALLAS, TX, October 06, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- The Rev. Rachel Ciupek-Reed has been named the new pastor of Cathedral of Hope Mid-Cities, a congregation of the United Church of Christ, in the Mid-Cities area between Dallas and Fort Worth.

Texan by birth, Rev. Ciupek-Reed joins CoH Mid-Cities from Southern California, where she most recently served as Senior Pastor of Mt. Hollywood Congregational Church UCC.

'With great joy and celebration, we welcome Rachel Ciupek-Reed to our Cathedral of Hope family,' said Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson, senior pastor of Dallas-based Cathedral of Hope UCC. 'Her joy, enthusiasm and deep love for all people will empower our congregation in the Mid-Cities in all areas of faith.'

Her first Sunday in the pulpit at CoH Mid-Cities is October 9, 2011. The congregation (www2.cathedralofhope.com/coh-midcities) meets at The Old Bedford School, 2400 School Lane, Bedford, Texas 76021.

Rev. Ciupek-Reed graduated with a Master of Divinity degree with an emphasis in Systematic Theology from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA in 2007. Prior to entering ministry, she worked in the fields of non-profit development and information technology. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from National American University in Denver.

The third of five children, Rev. Ciupek-Reed grew up in the American Baptist denomination. Her mother, father, step-father, and grandmother are all ordained American Baptist ministers.

Born in Dallas, Rev. Ciupek-Reed left at the age of 16 months when her family moved to the jungles of southern Mexico sothat her parents could learn first-hand about life as missionaries. The family eventually moved to Northern California and her parents entered seminary.

Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rev. Ciupek-Reed has travelled internationally and visited 49 of the 50 U.S. States (Alaska remains).

Moving to Texas with her is Lily Truly Scrumptious Tomlin, her 14 year old WestiePoo. 'I am delighted to be in Texas,' she said. 'My father lives in Austin, and ' m even closer to my mother, siblings, and nieces who all live in Indiana.'

'Mostly, I have a deep desire to serve the community of the Mid-Cities Church with God-given grace and joy in the years to come.'

About Cathedral of Hope UCC

Cathedral of Hope, a congregation of the United Church of Christ, is based in Dallas,Texas, and is one of the world's largest liberal Christian churches. Local and national church ministries, outreach programs, pastoral counseling, television media and online ministries (www.cathedralofhope.com, touch thousands of lives each day.

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Scott Kay Prevails in Lawsuit Challenging andquot;Heaven's Gatesandquot; Engagement Rings

Scott Kay Prevails in Lawsuit Challenging "Heaven's Gates" Engagement Rings

Tacori abandons its own lawsuit in Scott Kay's favor.

    NEW YORK, NY, October 07, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- Scott Kay, Inc. has obtained a complete victory in the federal lawsuit brought by Tacori Enterprises eight months ago. After the court ruled against Tacori twice on its claims that Scott Kay allegedly copied Tacori's jewelry designs, Tacori last week abandoned the lawsuit in its entirety. Tacori claimed that Scott Kay's spiritually-inspired "Heaven's Gates" engagement ring collection allegedly infringed the "reverse crescent-shaped" designs of Tacori's bridal jewelry. Tacori abandoned its case without receiving anything from Scott Kay in return and did so with prejudice, meaning the case is officially closed and Tacori cannot re-open the case or attempt to sue for the same claims ever again. Scott Kay will continue to create, market and offer the "Heaven's Gates" collection, as it has from the outset.

The dispute began in February 2011 when Tacori filed a lawsuit against Scott Kay in a Los Angeles federal court asserting claims for copyright, trademark and trade dress infringement, as well as unfair competition. Each claim was based on allegations that Scott Kay's guardian angel's wings motif in the "Heaven's Gates" engagement rings were supposedly copied from the pattern of half circle or "crescent-shaped" openings in Tacori's rings. In a sweeping rejection of these allegations, the court held on July 1, 2011, that, "after reviewing the rings in person, it does not believe a jury would consider the rings to be substantially similar, let alone virtually identical." The court's July 1 ruling followed an earlier ruling equally in Scott Kay's favor, issued on March 3, 2011. In that ruling, the court held that "there is no evidence of actual confusion" between Scott Kay's rings and Tacori's rings, "and no credible evidence that [Scott Kay] intended to adopt [Tacori's]" jewelry design.

"I've always prided myself on creating original and meaningful designs. We were prepared to take this case to a jury to prove once and for all that our 'Heaven's Gates' collection was a truly original design," noted Scott Kay, CEO of Scott Kay, Inc. "One of the most offensive things that one could say to an artist is that he copied someone else's work. I always questioned the basis of this lawsuit and was personally insulted by each allegation, now clearly won in our favor." Scott Kay continued: "I am pleased that Judge Fischer looked at the rings side-by-side , objectively and independently weighed all of the evidence, and ruled completely in our favor. I believe that Tacori's decision to voluntarily walk away from their own lawsuit further confirms that the suit had no merit whatsoever. I am committed to creating spiritual and meaningful jewelry designs, and I stand proud that this matter is forever closed in favor of Scott Kay."

Scott Kay, Inc. is a privately held, leading bridal and fine fashion jewelry artisan and manufacturer based in the United States. For more information on Scott Kay and "Heaven's Gates," please visit www.scottkay.com

Legal Reference: Tacori Enterprises v. Scott Kay, Inc., Case No. CVll 01565 DSF (VBKx) (C.D. Cal.)

For Immediate Distribution
Contact: Dan Scott
danscott@scottkay.com
201-287-0100 / 201-294-3697

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New Christian Artist andamp; Sister Trio, 3b4jHoy, Releases Single, andquot;The One I Needandquot;

New Christian Artist & Sister Trio, 3b4jHoy, Releases Single, "The One I Need"

Singing Threesome Prepares For 2012 Release; Artist To Perform At Upcoming 2011 Rhythms Of Africa Showcase In Fort Lauderdale, FL on Saturday, October 15, 2011

    WALDORF, MD, September 29, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- The combination of beauty, talent and anointing is an unstoppable one. Three gorgeous sisters out of South Florida are quickly becoming one of the gospel music industry's newest sensations. 3B4jHoy (pronounced "three before joy") has been described as one of the genre's most unique and talented singing groups. Consisting of Heather, Dominique and Claudette Farquharson, 3B4jHoy's sound, an eclectic blend of Contemporary Christian, R&B, World, and Reggae, is inimitable. Flaunting a flawless vocal symmetry, they have been praised for their angelic harmonies. Gospel industry veteran Jeff Majors says, "Stunning harmony, original songwriting, and clear devotion to the Lord are exemplified by their very name". They've been blessed to share the stage with many industry greats including Smokie Norful, J Moss, Papa San and others. Now the group comes full circle with their third CD and first national debut entitled The One I Need, releasing in early 2012.

3b4jHoy's new project, The One I Need, is a solid artistic work reflecting the love of and need for God. Through beautiful songs, exquisite harmonies and skillful vocal ability, The One I Need is a testament to the growing faith of Heather, Dominique and Claudette. Through the CD's 13 tracks, 3b4jHoy uplifts and inspires and gives the listener multiple doses of encouragement and reminders of the great love of God. The group's joyous sound is a mirror image of their name, 3b4jHoy. Group member Dominique was inspired to name the trio, Joy, in 2001. Claudette says, "Before the second album, the Holy Spirit led us to put the 'H' in the middle for Holy Spirit. Now our name, 3b4jHoy means Father, Son and Holy Spirit going out before joy, just like God went out before the children of Israel in the wilderness and before the Levites went out before battle," shares Claudette.

The group's vocal talents will be on full display at the upcoming Rhythms of Africa event taking place on Saturday, October 15, 2011, at the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale, FL. 3b4jHoy will be performing at the 2PM and 7PM shows. The event, headed by Willie Stewart, the former percussionist of famed group Third World, will include dozens of students from across the globe and the state of Florida. Rhythms Of Africa: Music Around The World is a seven-week workshop which joins teenagers with an interest in music with professional musicians, culminating in the mid-October event. More information about the event can be found at RhythmsofAfrica.net.

Over the years, the sisters have made extraordinary accomplishments, including winning a Hopeton Lewis Caribbean Gospel Music Award for Top Caribbean Gospel Singing Group, and showcasing as new artists on the Gospel of Music with Jeff Majors on TV One. Currently, they are the praise and worship leaders of Mishkan David Messianic Congregation in Lauderhill, FL, as well as Just Life Messianic Ministries in Fort Lauderdale, FL, where their parents are pastors. More information about the trio can be found at www.official3b4jHoy.com.

Publicity:
Tehillah Enterprises, LLC
1.888.844.7701
info@TehillahEnterprisesPR.com

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Town of Colchester Vermont to Vote on Proposed Purchase of Camp Holy Cross Property

Town of Colchester Vermont to Vote on Proposed Purchase of Camp Holy Cross Property

On October 4, 2011, residents of Colchester, Vermont will have an opportunity to vote on the purchase of the Camp Holy Cross property on the shores of Lake Champlain on Malletts Bay, for Town public use.

    BURLINGTON, VT, September 24, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- On October 4, 2011, residents of Colchester, Vermont will have an opportunity to vote on the purchase of the Camp Holy Cross property on the shores of Lake Champlain on Malletts Bay, for Town public use. The 26-acre property is being sold by the Catholic Diocese of Burlington, and includes several outbuildings and cabins, a chapel, and approximately 975 feet of prime sandy beach.

The Diocese will sell the camp to the Town of Colchester for $4.5 million. The purchase would be financed through the issuance of a bond. There are no immediate plans to change the usage of the land and facility, under Act 250. Town resident use of the facility would be in keeping with past and current practices: beach use, fishing, camping, boating, use of the chapel for weddings and ceremonies, community meetings, community events, and winter recreation including ice fishing and snowmobiling.

In an effort to develop a series of options for future use of the site, the Town of Colchester and its residents have established the Camp Holy Cross Vision Committee. The committee is working to develop a series of viable public use options for the Camp property, which will be presented to the Colchester Selectboard during the group's Sept. 27 meeting.

The Town will also host an open house event on Sunday, September 25, to provide residents of Colchester an opportunity to tour the Camp Holy Cross property. The open house is scheduled from noon until 5 pm.

In an effort to inform Colchester residents on the facts and details of this potential acquisition, Town officials have created social media channels through which they are disseminating information. These channels include a Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/voteoncampholycross), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/voteonchc) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/VoteOnCampHolyCross), to which will be posted a variety of informative videos and virtual tours. Residents will able to exchange information and discuss their views on the topic through these channels. More information is also available through the Town of Colchester website at www.colchestervt.gov.

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Israel Tour Connection, LLC (ITC) Announces 2011 Interfaith Israel Adventure

Israel Tour Connection, LLC (ITC) Announces 2011 Interfaith Israel Adventure

ITC has announced the 2011 Interfaith Israel Adventure, which will take place from October 24 to November 8, 2011. The tour will visit both Jewish and Christian sites with the aim of strengthening their connection to the Holy Land and its people.

    LIVINGSTON, NJ, October 10, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- Award-winning tour operator Israel Tour Connection, LLC (ITC) has announced its 2011 Interfaith Israel Adventure. Led by Rabbi Leonard Cahan and Pastor Jan Lookingbill, the Interfaith Israel Adventure is designed to deepen mutual respect and understanding between followers of both faiths. Rabbi Cahan and Pastor Lookingbill strive to make Israel come alive for visitors of all ages with their collective energy, knowledge, creativity, and experience.

ITC's Interfaith Israel Adventure caters to Jewish and Christian individuals, as well as interfaith couples and families. The tour connects visitors to the history, politics, and religious aspects of Israel. Moreover, the tour helps Jews and Christians to explore their roots while teaching them about the birth of both religions in the Holy Land.

ITC CEO Larry Ritter said, "The Interfaith Israel Adventure doesn't aim to convert non-Jewish participants. It encourages a mutual respect of Christian and Jewish heritage, which are connected by a common spirituality. That being said, the tour has motivated many interfaith couples and families to bring Jewish values into their homes."

The Interfaith Israel Adventure will take place from October 24 to November 8, 2011 There is a land only package available for $3095 and an air and land package for $4445. Additionally, there's an optional Eilat-Petra tour extension from November 7-11, 2011 that costs an extra $1065 per person.

The Interfaith Israel Adventure will include all breakfasts, five dinners, and a roundtrip bus from Maryland to Newark, from which the flight to Israel will depart. Tour participants will ride in a deluxe motor coach and stay in three luxurious hotels: the Don Panorama Hotel in Jerusalem, the Don Panorama Hotel in Tel Aviv, and the Galei Kinnereth Hotel in Tiberas. Highlights of the tour include visits to the following sites:

- Church of Dominus Flevit
- Mount Zion
- Holocaust Memorial Museum Yad Vashem
- Church of the Holy Sepulcher
- Caperneum Synagogue
- Upper Room Site of the Last Supper
- Southern Wall Excavations
- Golan Winery
- Port of Haifa

The Interfaith Israel Adventure gives participants the opportunity to see, smell, taste, hear, and touch Israel. The trip is designed for people from all walks of life, from Christians who want to explore the historical roots of their faith to Jews who want to strengthen their bond with their ancestral homeland.

Israel Tour Connection is the premier Israel tour operator in North America. Founded by Marlene and Larry Ritter, ITC has been providing professional services and consultations to individuals and groups for over 25 years. ITC has offices in New Jersey, Florida, California, and Israel and specializes in Jewish and Christian travel. For more information about ITC's Interfaith Israel Adventure, please visit the web site http://www.israeltours.com/ or call 1-800-2-ISRAEL (1-800-247-7235).

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Scott Kay Overcomes Tungsten Carbide Wedding Band FTC Challenge

Scott Kay Overcomes Tungsten Carbide Wedding Band FTC Challenge

Misleading information about tungsten carbide wedding rings can now be exposed.

    NEW YORK, NY, October 04, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- After six months of research, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) completed its investigation of certain advertising claims made by Scott Kay Inc. and has determined no action is warranted. The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (NAD) referred Scott Kay Inc.'s advertising to the Federal Trade Commission after the company declined to participate in a NAD proceeding. The NAD and FTC inquired about Scott Kay Inc.'s claims in advertising, point-of-purchase collateral material and personal demonstrations following a challenge by Frederick Goldman, Inc., a primary supplier of tungsten carbide wedding rings to the jewelry industry.

Claims that Scott Kay, Inc. defended from an attack by Frederick Goldman include:

Tungsten carbide wedding bands are not solid.
Tungsten carbide wedding bands are "at risk of breaking, cracking or shattering" in ordinary consumer use. Video
Tungsten carbide is a not a practical metal for use in bridal jewelry.
Scott Kay's BioBlu27 Cobalt wedding bands are scratch-resistant.
Scott Kay's BioBlu27 Cobalt wedding bands are four times harder then platinum.
Scott Kay's BioBlu27 Cobalt wedding bands can be removed safely with equipment available in most emergency medical facilities.

The FTC agreed to close its investigation and Scott Kay, Inc. has agreed to ensure that the company will not make expressed or implied claims that tungsten carbide wedding bands are fragile unless the company possesses adequate substantiation for such claims. Nothing in this agreement precludes Scott Kay, Inc. from using the word "brittle" as associated with the hardness factor of Tungsten Carbide as substantiated. Scott Kay, Inc. will refrain from making unsubstantiated claims about the environmental impact of the manufacturing process for BioBlu27 cobalt rings. For a copy of the FTC letter, please visit: www.ftc.gov/os/closings/110823scottkay.pdf. To view the NAD letter, click here

"I will continue to demonstrate my strong conviction to the jewelry industry in disclosing the confusion and clarity of the performance of tungsten carbide for use in wedding bands," stated Scott Kay, CEO. "As new contemporary metals are introduced into our industry, especially non-molten metal, such as "cemented carbides" (cemented metals) it is our fiduciary and moral responsibility to test and substantiate all claims, and then release the findings and facts. Fact: Tungsten carbide is brittle. We can't be afraid to admit and represent the truth. Wedding bands should never be at risk of cracking, fracturing or breaking."

Scott Kay, Inc. is a privately held, leading bridal and fine fashion jewelry artisan and manufacturer based in the United States. BioBlu27 Cobalt is the only known cobalt to be produced in the U.S.A. For more information on BioBlu27 Cobalt benefits and features, please visit www.bioblu27.com

For Immediate Release
Contact: Dan Scott
danscott@scottkay.com
201-287-0100 / 201-294-3697

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Luke2, a Christian / Political Novel, has just been Published by Biographical Publishing Company

Luke2, a Christian / Political Novel, has just been Published by Biographical Publishing Company

It will be available in major bookstores on November 6, 2011.

    PROSPECT, CT, October 12, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- Vice President Luke Harris is vacationing in Israel when he learns of the untimely death of President Max Alvarez. As Luke steps into the office of president, he becomes increasingly aware that he is literally empowered with the power and spirit of Luke the Apostle.

President Harris' son Alex works at IBM Research and assists his father in the deployment of substantial technological advances - interactive television, micro-loan technology, speech recognition, machine-assisted language translation and natural language analyses. As President Harris accomplishes significant achievements, we are left to ask if his successes were due to his empowerment or to the use of technology. What is coincidence and what is the grace of God? Readers will repeatedly face this question as President Harris grows in faith, overcomes political obstacles, and works to create social reform on a grand scale. Luke2 is truly unique in terms of the frequent use of biblical references and the infusion of modern technological concepts.

Luke2 was written with an underpinning of extensive research. Two brothers, John Altson and George Altson, collaborated to write Luke2. John brought to bear his technical background and his analytical skills while George incorporated his in-depth knowledge of the Bible. The collective goal in writing Luke2 was to create a provocative book, rich with reference material.

Video links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7JNCk6fw_w (Overview)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6txI4YEZ5zM (Technology)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaAgwCKPlsU Christian)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UidMqDqoI3U (The writing of Luke2)

For more information or to schedule an interview, please e-mail John Altson at jaaltson@gmail.com

Biographical Publishing Company is a family-run business that prides itself on personal service. We provide services to publish, market, and sell books.

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Siawi Bible Translation Team Moving Two Books Closer to New Testament

Siawi Bible Translation Team Moving Two Books Closer to New Testament

The translation of 2 Corinthians has received its final check, meaning it is ready for printing. The Bible translation team is now doing comprehension checking on the book of John, to determine how well it communicates to the Siawi people.

    September 16, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- The translation of 2 Corinthians has received its final check, meaning it is ready for printing. The Bible translation team is now doing comprehension checking on the book of John, to determine how well it communicates to the Siawi people.

The Siawi Bible translation team and NTM missionary Linda Krieg are two steps closer to the day the entire New Testament will be assembled and printed in one book.

Krieg, 66, has been part of the missionary team to the Siawis since 1986. That's the year the Siawis, an unreached people group, invited New Tribes Mission to begin planting a church among them. And she's still there now, after Siawi church leaders have been ordained and the last other missionaries, Jason and Shannon Swanson, moved out.

That's because Krieg is still translating God's Word into the Siawi language. So far, she's completed 76 percent of the New Testament translation.

In August, 2 Corinthians was checked and approved for publication, with a few final corrections. It will be printed as a separate booklet, as others books have been, so it is available to the Siawi believers even as they await a complete New Testament.

Now the Bible translators have turned their attention to the book of John. Specifically, they are doing comprehension checking of the draft translation. Comprehension checking ensures that the translation clearly conveys to the Siawis all that is wrapped up in each verse - and points to passages or verses that need more work.

"As we work our way through John, as in all the other books we've done, we are constantly being blessed by the nuggets of precious truths," Krieg said.

With 2 Corinthians completed and John well under way, the Siawi New Testament is now 76 percent complete.

About New Tribes Mission:

New Tribes Mission was founded in the USA in 1942. From the beginning, two things have made NTM distinct among missions organizations:

1) New Tribes Mission works only among the world's least-reached people groups

2) New Tribes Mission equips those groups to lead their own churches

NTM is non-denominational, with 2,500 missionaries from a variety of evangelical churches serving in Africa, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific Region.

NTM is international, with missionaries from nearly 30 countries. NTM USA is the US organization. It is a registered 501(c)(3) organization, based in Sanford, Florida.

Additional resources:

Previous stories for background information on the Siawi people:

http://usa.ntm.org/field-news/group/siawi

Video of Linda Krieg talking about Bible translation:

http://usa.ntm.org/videos-pics/videos/siawi-bible-translation/

Photo album of the Siawi church:

http://usa.ntm.org/videos-pics/photo-albums/siawi/

Media Contact:
Nita Zelenak
New Tribes Mission USA
407-323-3430
http://usa.ntm.org/

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I Am A Woman Of God Launches Their Buy A Shirt - Change A Life Program

I Am A Woman Of God Launches Their Buy A Shirt - Change A Life Program

I am a Woman of God launches their Buy a Shirt - Change a Life program which aims to change lives one shirt at a time.I am a Woman of God launches their Buy a Shirt - Change a Life program which aims to change lives one shirt at a time.

    NORWALK, CT, September 21, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- IamaWomanofGod.com is happy to introduce their Buy a Shirt Change a Life program which aims to raise funds not only for charities but for individuals who are having a tough time receiving the help they need.

The program was launched with the intention of blessing others. What the program is developed to do is to provide a donation to individuals, families and charitable that may be have a hard time raising funds or making ends meet. Our program's motto is Buy a Shirt, Change a Life which was inspired by Galatians 6:2 which states Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. As we read this verse we must realize that It is our duty as Christians not to look the other way when our brothers & sisters, our family members, our friends or even someone we don't know personally going through a tough situation but rather it is our duty to extend a helping hand. We know that we can't change everyone's life but if we can change 1 life today then we must do so.

The program works in the following manner. We will feature a person, family or organization that we know through our extensive research needs a helping hand. We then will sell a shirt designed just for the specific cause for 2 weeks. At the end of the 2 weeks we will send the recipient a check. The shirts will retail for $15.00 of which 46% ($7.00) of the proceeds will go to the recipient. The difference will be used to print more shirts and cover the costs of marketing, overhead and other production costs. A different person or charity will be the recipient of the proceeds every 2 weeks.

We will be conducting social media promotions via our facebook pages www.facebook.com/iamawomanofgod & www.facebook.com/iamamanofgod and through our website IamaWomanofGod.com as well as other social sites. We are also working closely with our affiliates and different bloggers to get the word out. If one person shares our program with someone they know, think of how many lives can be changed.
The first recipients will be the Burhart family. They are the parents of Andrew Burhart who is 4 years old and suffers from Cerebral Palsy. Mother (Kellie) left the workforce a few years ago to meet Andrew's needs. Father (Andrew Sr) currently a high school math teacher. The medical bills have been too much for them hence Andrew Sr has had to work side jobs just to try to pay the bills ($800 a month). Son (Andrew) is a little blessing. He is 4 years old and is such a happy and fun little guy! He has the most infectious giggle in the world and when he smiles, he does so with his whole face (eyes, mouth, etc)...so much so that you can tell he is smiling even when you are standing behind him! We are blessed to be a part of lending a hand to the Burkharts.

If you want information on how you can bless little Andrew by purchasing a shirt please visit http://www.iamawomanofgod.com/shirts-for-a-cause-andrew. You can also check out andrew's personal page at http://prayforandrew.wordpress.com.

IamaWomanofGod is open to new designs & suggestions. For more information on how to get involved or how to be featured as a charity or a family please contact Cathy Hall at shirtsforacause@iamawomanofgod.com

I am a Woman of God is an online Christian Apparel retailer. For more information, please contact us at (203) 992-9014

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Title VII Protection for Workers of Racial or Religious Discrimination

Title VII Protection for Workers of Racial or Religious Discrimination

The Civil Rights Act protects workers from discrimination based on race, national origin, sex and religion.

    September 17, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), employers cannot discriminate against people because of race, color, national origin, sex or religion. The federal agency responsible for enforcing this law, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), also states that people cannot be discriminated against because of pregnancy, age, disability or genetic information. While all types of employment discrimination are inappropriate and unacceptable, racial and religious discrimination are two forms that are particularly heinous and widely abused.

Racial Discrimination

Title VII ensures that employers consistently apply job requirements to all people, regardless of race or color. This law protects anyone who feels he or she was treated unjustly during the application process or after employment begins or ends. While employers may need to collect information about the race of their employees and applicants for affirmative action and applicant statistics purposes, they cannot use this data in decisions about hiring, termination, promotion, compensation, or any other employment term, condition or privilege under Title VII.

Both neutral and intentional employment policies, not related to a position, that unfairly exclude candidates based on race are prohibited. Practices that segregate or assign certain duties only to minority employees are also illegal. Employers also violate Title VII by discriminating against a person's physical appearance, minority-related medical condition or cultural practices when they do not prevent performance of job duties.

Religious Discrimination

Title VII also forbids employers from using a person's religious affiliation in making any employment-related decisions. Employees cannot be forced to pay union dues when religious beliefs prohibit supporting labor unions, nor can employers retaliate because of these or other beliefs that are in opposition to other common employment practices. Under Title VII, employers must also consider religious needs when scheduling required applicant or employment-related events.

If employees need reasonable religious accommodations, and employers will not suffer hardship by providing them, accommodations must be supplied or made. This includes work environment adjustments, shifts in job duties, allowance of position transfers and dress code alterations to settle any conflicts between religious tenets and employment policies. According to Title VII and the EEOC, employers may claim undue hardship if making religious accommodations will greatly increase expenses, decrease job performance or clash with other worker rights or safety.

Employment Protection

Employers have the power to create policies and procedures that limit or eliminate all forms of employment discrimination. When they do not address the obstacles that prevent certain people from employment opportunities or success, they violate federal law and the basic human right to equal opportunity to employment provided under Title VII. Employees should report racial or religious discrimination as well as any other types of discriminatory practices to the EEOC as soon as they occur.

If you have experienced any form of employment discrimination, contact an employment attorney in your area today to discuss your options.

Article provided by Nacht Law
Visit us at www.nachtlaw.com

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Law of Attraction Unites with PMA in Universal Mind Hive ManifestMyWorld.com launches Global Community to Manifest Dreams

Law of Attraction Unites with PMA in Universal Mind Hive ManifestMyWorld.com launches Global Community to Manifest Dreams

Manifestmyworld.com launches a global mind hive offering like-minded individuals the opportunity to stand together to manifest their dreams, hopes, desires and aspirations.

    SANTA MONICA, CA, October 14, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- Manifestmyworld.com launches a global mind hive offering like-minded individuals the opportunity to stand together to manifest their dreams, hopes, desires and aspirations. The idea stems from a combination of traditional religion's biblical references to writing the vision and making it plain to the gathering of two or more like believers. However, it capitalizes on new thought's Law of Attraction and visualization made popular by the film "the Secret" in 2006 and Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), introduced by Napoleon Hill in his book, "Think and Grow Rich".

Mark Yadisernia, the visionary founder, saw the opportunity to build a resource that helps light seekers exercise visualization and positive mental attitude to activate the Law of Attraction to manifest their dreams in an online global collective. Yadisernia imagined a community where millions of people throughout the world can share their desire statements in an interactive forum, energizing the collective consciousness for the manifestation of each individual. The power of each individual's vibrational energy is magnified exponentially when a collective manifestation takes place. Imagine the power of millions of people putting forth positive energy and high frequency vibrations simultaneously.

By posting the desire statement it becomes the vision made plain that benefits from the collective vibrational energy of millions increasing the frequency for the manifestation of each individual request.

Because we each have the power to manifest our desires, Manifestmyworld.com grants each person in the community the opportunity to manifest their dreams in the midst of fighting the daily battle to stay in the right consciousness of positive thought over the ups and downs of everyday life.

When "The Secret" was introduced in 2006 people were hyped about the idea that they could use this so called secret to manifest the life of their dreams. While many took on the pursuit of higher awareness to learn more about the Law of Attraction, others became disillusioned after finding the mere force of will does not generate the desired life results. Fortunately, the Secret is not just hype, it introduced one of the major keys in the manifestation process; visualization.

Because we are vibrational beings living in a vibrational Universe, our thoughts are very powerful. Once we visually observe and interpret our thoughts as the written word our bodies release the very vibrational frequencies that are necessary to unleash the powers of the Universe to manifest our desires.

However, the intention can become unattainable through negative thoughts as it begins to lose power through a weakened vibration, like a pin hole in a balloon. The global mind hive uplifts and inspires the group to stay faithful in their desires through the exercise of positive mental attitude, which promotes the mental phenomenon that one can increase achievement through optimistic thought processes. By employing a state of mind that continues to seek, find and execute ways to win, or find desirable outcomes, regardless of circumstances. PMA rejects negativity, defeatism and hopelessness and the global creative gives members a support system to stay in the right consciousness until they see the demonstration of the manifestation.

"I am a very firm believer in the power of positive thought and I can cite countless occasions over the past 5 years where my manifesting process has literally given me the exact outcome which I desired," says Yadisernia. "I built this Global Collective so that thousands, millions of people can connect on a world-wide basis to share the vibrational energies and positive thoughts that keep us mentally elevated to manifest our dreams, ideas and higher levels of spiritual awareness."

Through the global mind hive, Manifestmyworld.com gives each person the opportunity to stay in the right consciousness to achieve their dreams. The site offers a 14-day free trial period with monthly, quarterly and annual subscriptions starting at just 99 cents. For more information visit Manifestmyworld.com and add your desire statement to the global community.

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Avis Israel Serves Tourists from 28 Convenient Locations

Avis Israel Serves Tourists from 28 Convenient Locations

Avis Israel reports significant growth in the number of car rentals following a sharp increase in international tourism, and continues to offer excellent service nationally.

    TEL AVIV, ISRAEL, September 20, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- Tourism to Israel from abroad experienced a sharp increase this summer season, and as a result, a record number of people rented cars through Avis. In the first half of 2011, 1.6 million visitors arrived in Israel, similar to the 1.63 million of the same period last year, which was Israel's record-breaking year for incoming tourism. All of Avis Israel's 28 branches, from Nahariya in the North to Eilat in the South, also enjoyed record-breaking rental sales for the same time period.

Avis's international reputation for safe, quality, well-maintained automobiles is well-known, and all cars are new and repaired according to explicit manufacturer's instructions. The Avis Israel staff is devoted to providing business and private customers with excellent service nationwide: 24/7/365. For overseas customers wishing to return their rental cars to the airport prior to their return flight, car return can be done within a speedy 60 seconds.

"We are very pleased with the substantial growth of the Avis rental car business in the past year, and are happy to be able to serve our loyal customers from all over the world." commented Gil Sagiv, Head of Marketing for Avis Israel, "Our fleet includes over 6,500 new and constantly up-kept vehicles, and we are very proud of the service we provide to help make the Israel Experience a positive one. Our goal is to continue to be the leading car rental agency in Israel."

We Try Harder... Avis is the leading Israel car rental company.

Avis provides business and private customers with a variety of auto services at 28 locations in Israel, with more being added soon. Our service center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Tel. +972-3-6170000 or *2722 (for calls from Israel)
Web: http://www.avis.co.il/avis/site/local/avis/english/IsraelRentals.jsp

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Divine Religions Started in French Chauvet Cave!

Divine Religions Started in French Chauvet Cave!

Over 30,000 years ago, a spectacular Story of Creation was finger-puttied into the cave wall of Chauvet's Hillaire Chamber.

    September 22, 2011 /Religion PR News/ -- Over 30,000 years ago, a spectacular Story of Creation was finger-puttied into the cave wall of Chauvet's Hillaire Chamber. 'Genesis of the World' appears to be a foundational cornerstone for subsequent Scripture. Indeed, religious symbolism dawned in southern France with this six meter mural. The star of this magical scene is a Winged Horse! A Universal Holy Being who symbolizes the spiritual bodies of both God and man. The first religious artifact (predating Noah's Ark and Ark of the Covenant): details still found throughout Traditional Lore and Holy Books....
www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/chauvet/en/owpt14.htm

*The Horse Cherub's front hoof (artfully tapered/pointed for emphasis) is shown symbolically striking a mountain- gushing forth a waterfall of Inspired Life/Being/Creation. 28,000 years later, the Bible's Book of Genesis records Adam being made from the earth's clay at basically the same time Pegasus of Greco-Roman Lore was credited with "using its front hooves to strike the ground of the earth and generate the Fountain of the Muses- Inspiring the root of all Creativity." (Origins and Consciousness, Erich Neumann)
*The Creator's Steed multitasks- urinating a white cloud of (most certainly) holy, life sustaining water, while fertilizing and seeding the earth. These streams ("previously unexplained parallel lines under the horse") clearly point back to the Steed's most male parts!
*This Inspired Parade of Creation continues with the Mammoth White Elephant- who symbolizes the Universal Monarch for Hindus/Buddhists. Incredibly- the Shaman drew a 'parade dress tassel' that springs forward from the high point of this Majestic Beast's front shoulders- indicating body adornment/jewelry, domestication and celebration! Very impressive.
*Resembling the ancient Tarpan wild horse, this Angel of the Lord demonstrates effort and wide eyed determination- its head is lowered and wing(s) swept back. The thick mane crests and falls to the far side of the neck, allowing full view of that stylized wing. Known by many names: Magic Carpet; Tree of Life; Conductor of Souls; Emblem of Atlantis; Wheel; Throne; Unicorn; Christopher (Christ Bearer); Burak; Kalki; Odin's Steed; Paraclete; Guardian Angel- the Holy Books honor this Living Angelic Creature from Creation to the Story of Judgment Day!
*A huge, snooted, earthbound pig/boar looks on facing/confronting this parade. The pig/boar has dual symbolism. This Adversary/Devil/Sloth of the Earth stands ready to tempt, but known in the Orient for luck, prosperity and fertility- it also welcomes/promotes life. Insightful!
*God's Steed is the Creator's Holy Spirit in this Chauvet masterpiece. Located by design in the Hillaire Chamber- it intentionally overlooks the cave's sinkhole. The Shaman used this site's geography, contours, reliefs and spectacular abyss to 'stage' a most complete creation story. This cave's water path exit and darkness are symbolic of the River Styx and Hades/Hell. A vivid reminder of our future and most certainly used for ceremonial burial- explaining the complete absence of human bones. Wow!
*The Angel of the Lord's presence at this original Story of Creation may help explain Genesis 1:26 from the Bible. "Let us make man in our own image after our likeness." Image/likeness here refers to spiritual being, not the temporary body. Angels indeed predate mankind, attending our Creation. The concepts of Angels; Trinity; The Creator's Holy Spirit and Judgment Day are also shared by the Holy Books!
*The Angelic Horse/Holy Spirit is truly the Big Wheel, who at times travels in that form- do we see it here? That impressive quite round sinkhole is the ceremonial portal to and from the hidden Spiritual world. Jesus Christ went 'down' to Hades first after dying! The Angelic Horse with Its Wheel are now the first Religious Symbol followed by: the Circumpunct/Solar Cross (tie); Hindu Swastika; Tree of Life/Paisley and many Crosses. No lost symbol!
*The Chauvet Grotto features a Noah's Ark variety of animals- appropriate for the Creation theme! Wooly Rhinoceros is the most numerous, but expected- as the single horn symbolizes eternal salvation by pointing the 'Way to Heaven'. Mentioned in the Bible, the legendary Unicorn was born right here, an inspired variation of God's Steed which honors The Creator. The Lone Centaur poses on a hanging rock- symbolizing ascension/enlightenment, the metaphysical unification of Soul and Spirit. Centaurs are present in all religions today. Inspired art of Divine Creation is on display at Chauvet. Enjoy!
*Immense credit and thanks to the Inspired and very Holy Shaman Artist who pushed back our earliest known comprehensive narrative composition another 15,000 years! The Shaman's lucid Vision of Creation while in a psilocybin powered, entranced altered higher state of consciousness (ASC) apparently opened the Channel to Heaven's Mysteries and Universal Cognitive Truth. Clan members could now be shown the Story of Creation and answer to the age old question we all seem to ask- "Why are we here?" This is a cornerstone for subsequent Traditional Lore! Many Spiritual, Religious and Academic/Scientific (Johns Hopkins University 2006) use Magic Mushrooms to amplify their spirituality- i.e. Take the Magic Carpet Ride; Stairway to Heaven; Vision Quest; and the Ascension Dream, which Stars our heart based Guardian Angel- the Winged Horse. These hunter/gatherers prized the Fungus among us Mushrooms which were painted/recorded in other French cave art. Their incredible, edible value is reflected in Chauvet by the prominence given to their sources- Wooly Rhinoceros and Wooly Mammoth. Picture a warm, fresh cow pie giving off apparent steam on a frigid day- now envision mammoth Patties insulating/incubating the ice age mushrooms. Imagine the glee felt by the tribe members who simply harvested them, with one hand. Truffles from Snuffles!
God's Steed- Key to World Peace (C) 2011 Breese/D?Aoust is a unique non-fiction that cites Scripture, Lore, science, many witnesses and a plethora of cherubim graphics- all confirming the existence of this fine Angelic Beast. Horsefeathers? January 3, 1994: God's Steed visited Breese's living room, who detailed a report to the Church and they Knighted him. Chauvet-Pont-d?Arc was discovered December 18th, 1994. This Holy Site may help dawn the predicted Age of Aquarius.

keytoworldpeace@hotmail.com Sir Knight Daryl Breese

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