Showing posts with label church and state. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church and state. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

A call for moral leadership

From RNS-

Six divinity school deans and seminary presidents release a joint statement on the state of our national leadership

Joint Public Statement

America is facing three immense and immediate crises. Each has a critical moral dimension that has been notably neglected from much of our national leadership.

The first of these crises is the health crisis created by COVID-19 that has sickened more than 2 million Americans and killed 118,000 to date and counting. For many of us, these are not statistics, but members of our families, houses of worship, and cherished friends.

The second is the economic crisis brought on in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease. The necessary shelter-in-place orders under which we have all lived have led to an economic disruption that has caused more than 40 million Americans to file for unemployment since mid-March, taking the unemployment rate from its lowest level in half a century to a level unprecedented since the Great Depression. These are not simply numbers released weekly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they are people struggling to keep their homes.

More here-

https://religionnews.com/2020/06/23/a-call-for-moral-leadership/?fbclid=IwAR1u37jBNd_gPRbHthOWG5praj1jouAe5-1GPifMHbJvU6C1WqfWJRv-MIc

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

I Dare Police To Stop Me – Anglican Archbishop Says As He Holds Church Service Amid Lockdown

From Nigeria-

Archbishop of the Enugu Province and Bishop of Enugu Anglican Diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, yesterday, said the Province will not shut any of its branches over the Coronavirus pandemic.

He said shutting the church at a time like this would mean giving the devil an opportunity to ravage the people and the country, Sun News reports.

Chukwuma faulted the order of government to close and places of worship. He said it is unfortunate and wrong to categorise church and worship centres with drinking parlours, night clubs, markets and companies.

The cleric said he would not shut the because he is not the owner, as the church belongs to Jesus Christ, adding that if people were stopped from “running to their God in worship in a time like now the whole world is in confusion, where would they run to for safety, help and deliverance?”

More here-

https://sundiatapost.com/i-dare-police-to-stop-me-anglican-archbishop-says-as-he-holds-church-service-amid-lockdown/

Friday, April 3, 2020

Pentecostal church in Sacramento linked to dozens of coronavirus cases

From California-


A Pentecostal church in a Sacramento suburb is the epicenter of a coronavirus outbreak with more than six dozen confirmed cases, prompting county officials to warn against religious gatherings.
“It’s outrageous that this is happening,” said Dr. Peter Beilenson, the Sacramento County public health director. “Obviously there is freedom of religion, but when it’s impacting public health as this is, we have to enforce social distancing.”

The church, Bethany Slavic Missionary Church, did not immediately return a call for comment Thursday. But Beilenson said health officials were concerned that church members may still be meeting in private homes to conduct services, despite county orders. 

“Whether or not you have community-wide sermons or meetings in people’s houses, they are all dangers and they are very detrimental to the public’s health,” Beilenson said. 

More here-

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-02/pentecostal-church-in-sacramento-linked-to-dozens-of-coronavirus-cases

Monday, March 30, 2020

Why did you assault priests? Church asks government

From Kenya-

Leaders of the Anglican Church in Kisii have faulted the approaches the government is using to fight Covid-19.

Kisii Bishop John Omangi wants the government to view the church as an ally and not the enemy in the ongoing efforts to stem the spread of the disease.

Omangi said the sporadic raids on churches and arrests of the clergy painted a wrong picture as the country battles to contain the novel virus that has so far killed more than 30,000 people across the globe.

"As clergy, we appreciate the efforts to contain this disease but the raids on churches and clobbering of priests is uncalled for," said Omangi.

More here-

https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/nyanza/2020-03-29-why-did-you-assault-priests-church-asks-government/

Monday, February 24, 2020

Report: C of E's right to 26 seats in Lords should be repealed

From The Guardian-

The Church of England’s automatic right to appoint 26 bishops to the House of Lords should be repealed, a report by a group representing more than 100 parliamentarians will recommend this week.

An all-party caucus of humanist MPs and peers says reform of the way parliament works must include removing the guarantee of seats in the upper house for Anglican bishops.

The All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG), comprised of 115 MPs and members of the Lords, point out that the only other country where senior clerics must have seats in a parliament is Iran.

The APPHG report will be published on Tuesday.

More here-

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/24/report-c-of-es-right-to-26-seats-in-lords-should-be-repealed

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Archbishop Kaziimba faces uphill task to revamp Anglican church

From Uganda-


When the House of Bishops convened on August  28, 2019 to elect the ninth Archbishop of the Province of Church of the Uganda (COU), one indeed felt most happy that Bishop Kaziimba of Mityana diocese, had emerged best-suited for the role.

We trust that in Kazimba, the province has received a non-worldly chief shepherd equipped to offer the much-desired leadership, to inspire afresh the spirit of Anglicanism among its youth, especially to refocus the administration of both its affairs and programmes so as to inspire its holistic growth across the entire province, and not just some sections of it.

The archbishop-elect comes at a time when the COU lacks a sound political theology necessary to counter the intrigues of Uganda’s secular politics. In fact, his immediate predecessor has several times hushed critics who resolutely dared him to discharge his ‘political’ mandate.  

More here-

https://observer.ug/viewpoint/63575-archbishop-kaziimba-faces-an-uphill-task-to-revamp-anglican-church

Monday, February 17, 2020

ACK Archbishop urges government not to relent in the fight against graft

From Kenya-

The  Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit has hailed the progress made in the fight against corruption and urged the head of state and investigation agencies not to relent in the fight against graft.

Speaking at ACK St Paul church in Lodwar on Sunday, ole Sapit said the war on corruption had reached unprecedented levels and urged the institutions mandated to fight the scourge to keep up the war.

“If you see a governor being locked in and hounded out of office because of corruption it means the country is headed in the right direction,” he said.

The clergyman said there should be no sacred cows and anyone found guilty of corruption should carry their own cross.

He said the corrupt must not be made heroes and the nation must guard against introducing language that normalises theft.

More here-

https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/ack-archbishop-urges-government-not-to-relent-in-the-fight-against-graft/

13 Christian leaders criticize Trump policies they fear will increase poverty

From Christian Post-

Thirteen Christian leaders have signed onto a letter speaking out against President Donald Trump’s budget proposal and other administration policies that they say will add to the nation’s poverty and hunger issues. 

The Circle of Protection, a coalition comprised of leaders from various Christian organizations, published an open letter Tuesday calling out “administration actions that affect people in poverty.”

“As leaders from all the families of U.S. Christianity, representing church bodies and networks serving more than 100 million Americans, we are concerned about administration action to cut safety net programs that help low-income people,” the letter reads. “The gospel of God’s love for all people moves us to speak together on this issue.”

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/13-christian-leaders-criticize-trump-policies-they-fear-will-increase-poverty-235180/?fbclid=IwAR3VgVV2TR3kVljoNgK8-v6s_aM9Lr5i5pcXr3na3bXMpMnFLmFNoZun8l4

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School scrambles for solution as access to free breakfast, lunch program ends

From Central PA.-

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School is appealing for community support after learning that funding soon will end for its free breakfast and lunch program.

The school recently lost its “at risk” status due to changes in federal regulations, said Head of School Ellen Hartman.

“We’re truly an inclusive school, where you can attend regardless of your socioeconomic status,” she said. “That’s why we deal with issues that so many other private schools don’t have. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution here.”

Of the 145 students who attend the pre-K-8 school, about 40 children are in the breakfast program and 60 children in the lunch program, she said. As of Jan. 31, those programs will end, as the federal government continues to tighten regulations for its food programs, including the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program.

More here-

https://theburgnews.com/news/st-stephens-episcopal-school-scrambles-for-solution-as-access-to-free-breakfast-lunch-program-ends

Friday, January 17, 2020

Secular group blasts National Cathedral Bible blessing as 'vile, Christian supremacy’

From Christian Post-

A secular legal organization announced its outrage over the blessing of a Bible for the swearing-in of commanders of the newly created Space Force, calling it a “shocking and repulsive display of only the most vile, exclusivist, fundamentalist Christian supremacy.”

On Sunday, the Washington National Cathedral held a ceremony to bless a King James Bible that will be used to swear in all commanders of America’s newest military branch, the U.S. Space Command, if they so choose.

"Today @WNCathedral blessed the official Bible for the new @SpaceForceDoD, which will be used to swear in all commanders of America's newest military branch," the cathedral's official account tweeted Sunday.

The Rev. Carl Wright, the Episcopal Church's bishop suffragan for armed services and federal ministries, offered the blessing as Maj. Gen. Steven Schaick, Air Force chief of chaplains, held the Bible donated by the Museum of the Bible in Washington, according to The Washington Post.

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/secular-group-attacks-bible-blessing-at-national-cathedral-calling-it-vile.html

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Space Force Bible Blessing At National Cathedral Sparks Outrage

From Capital Public Radio-

The blessing of what's being called "the official Bible for the new U.S. Space Force" at the Washington National Cathedral on Sunday is drawing an outpouring of criticism on social media and condemnation from a prominent religious freedom advocacy group. 

"The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) condemns, in as full-throated a manner as is humanly possible, the shocking and repulsive display of only the most vile, exclusivist, fundamentalist Christian supremacy," MRFF founder and president Mikey Weinstein wrote in a statementdenouncing the Bible blessing. "The utilization of a Christian bible to 'swear in' commanders of the new Space Force or any other [Department of Defense] branch at ANY level is completely violative of the bedrock separation of church and state mandate of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."

In a tweet on Sunday, the Washington National Cathedral posted a statement describing the Bible that was blessed during a morning service as a Space Force official Bible "which will be used to swear in all commanders of America's newest military branch."

More here-

http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=796028336

Monday, December 23, 2019

Nearly 200 evangelical leaders condemned Christianity Today editorial on Trump

From Fox-

Nearly 200 evangelical leaders condemned Christianity Today's editorial calling for the removal of President Trump, which “offensively questioned the spiritual integrity and Christian witness of tens-of-millions of believers who take seriously their civic and moral obligations," they wrote to the magazine's president.

Christianity Today, one of the nation's top Christian magazine publications called for the removal of Trump on Thursday, one day after the House of Representatives passed two articles of impeachment against him.

The letter to Timothy Dalrymple, the president of the magazine, also condemned the editorial for dismissing evangelicals who oppose its views as "far-right," the Christian Post reported.

More here-

https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/nearly-200-evangelical-leaders-condemned-christianity-today-editorial-on-trump

Friday, December 6, 2019

Akinyemi, Obi, Agbakoba decry graft, offer path for economic development

From Nigeria-

One-time Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has called on government to publicly expose corrupt Nigerians as obtained in other climes. He also urged the church to sustain education of the people on the danger of identifying with perverse politicians, reminding them that the handouts they get for vote inducement were mortgaging their future.

Akinyemi spoke yesterday in Lagos during the centenary anniversary lecture organised by the Diocese of Lagos Anglican Communion at All Souls Anglican Church, Lekki with the theme, “The church and good governance in Nigeria”, where the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, President of the National Industrial Court, Justice Osat Obaseki-Osaghae and Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay, also spoke against graft.

More here-

https://guardian.ng/news/akinyemi-obi-agbakoba-decry-graft-offer-path-for-economic-development/

A Christian and a Democrat: A Religious Biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt

From Presbyterian Outlook-

This book contributes to the growing literature of religion and the presidents of the United States. Franklin D. Roosevelt, a master politician, might not spring to mind when pondering the religious convictions of presidents, but this work makes a convincing argument that his political philosophy had roots in his religious background.

Roosevelt’s parents adhered to a liberal Episcopal form of Christianity that embraced the Social Gospel; that ideology was reinforced at Groton School, and headmaster Endicott Peabody remained influential in Roosevelt’s adult life. Roosevelt affirmed that God was involved in the world, ordering and guiding it for the betterment of the whole and for individuals.  There was a vision for a good society in that theology, which Roosevelt understood to promote such values as the common good, equity, justice, security (economic and otherwise) and the importance of each person. Roosevelt understood that government could play a role in that work of God, and the New Deal grew out of that conviction.

More here-

https://pres-outlook.org/2019/12/a-christian-and-a-democrat-a-religious-biography-of-franklin-d-roosevelt/

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Perhaps The Time Has Come

From The Living Church-

It is an idea which has been mooted on each side of the marriage debate aisle. It has in the main garnered no popular support. But the time has come once more within the Church to debate whether we should cease to perform any marriages—whether same-sex or traditional—which are also legal acts of the State. Should we cut the final Constantinian tether by which the priest serves simultaneously as civil agent? Should we “go European” such that the couple would be declared to be married when they go to get their license, and then receive a blessing, with vows and rings, in a nuptial liturgy in Church.

Let me clear up some immediate misunderstandings. Yes, your child can have the very same service (and reception), except for a few small liturgical emendations. And no, this does not really change much the divide between traditionalists and progressives on marriage.

More here-

https://livingchurch.org/covenant/2019/11/08/perhaps-the-time-has-come/

Friday, November 1, 2019

Paula White, Trump’s Personal Pastor, Joins the White House

From The New York Times-

Paula White, a televangelist based in Florida and personal pastor to President Trump whom he has known since 2002, has joined the Trump administration in an official capacity, according to a White House official.

Ms. White will work in the Office of Public Liaison, the official said, which is the division of the White House overseeing outreach to groups and coalitions organizing key parts of the president’s base. Her role will be to advise the administration’s Faith and Opportunity Initiative, which Mr. Trump established last year by executive order and which aims to give religious groups more of a voice in government programs devoted to issues like defending religious liberty and fighting poverty.

More here-

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Anglican Bishop prays for peace during elections

From Namibia-

As eligible Namibians go to the polls on 27 November 2019 to elect a state president and National Assembly members for the next five years, the Anglican Bishop of Namibia, Right Reverend Luke Lungile Pato, has called for peaceful elections.

From its independence in 1990, Namibia has held orderly and fair elections.
In a statement, Pato enjoined Namibians to uphold that peaceful tradition, which he said was essential for socio-economic development.


“Namibia’s democratic architecture has a pluralistic political system characterized by regular, free, and fair elections. Namibia is also known for its political stability and commitment towards the deepening of democracy, which are strongly anchored in its constitution. We, therefore, encourage all eligible citizens to peacefully vote for the leaders of their choice. This would cement the nation-building project in Namibia,” the Bishop Pato said.

More here-

https://neweralive.na/posts/anglican-bishop-prays-for-peace-during-elections

Episcopal Church in Minnesota wants Whipple name removed from immigration court building

From Minnesota-

The Episcopal Church in Minnesota is calling for the removal of Bishop Henry Whipple’s name from the Fort Snelling federal courthouse that processes deportation cases — or the eviction of immigration enforcement offices from the building.

The church and other faith groups denounced the immigration court as a “deportation machine” and pointed out that Whipple, the first Episcopal bishop of Minnesota who died in 1901, was known for his advocacy for Native Americans. He sought clemency for 303 Dakota men set to be executed after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, though President Abraham Lincoln still approved the killing of 38.

“The activities that go on in this building are a violation not only of the spirit of this sacred land but they are a violation of that name, Bishop Whipple,” said the Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs, director of racial justice at the Minnesota Council of Churches. If the federal government will not evict U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from the facilities, he added, “we demand that you remove … this good name from this horrible building.”

More here-

http://www.startribune.com/episcopal-church-in-minnesota-wants-whipple-name-removed-from-immigration-court-building/564040182/ 

and here-

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/10/29/ice-critics-protest-outside-bishop-henry-whipple-building-demand-name-change/

and here-

https://www.courthousenews.com/minnesota-clergy-want-bishops-name-off-ice-building/

Monday, October 28, 2019

Boris pouring petrol on divided Britain, says Anglican primate

From Australia-

The Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, has rebuked Boris Johnson, warning the British Prime Minister that the use of “inflammatory” language risks pouring “petrol” on Britain’s ­divisions over Brexit.

Justin Welby said Britain had become consumed by “an abusive and binary approach to political decisions” in which Brexit rivals treated their opponents as “my total enemy”.

The archbishop warned that social media meant it had become “extraordinarily dangerous to use careless comments” in a society that was “polarised and volatile”. He was “shocked” by Mr Johnson’s recent dismissal of warnings about extreme language encouraging death threats against politicians as “humbug”.

More here-

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Bishops highlight Church’s responsibility to show support and pray amid Brexit anxiety

From Premier-

Anglican Church leaders in Exeter have made an appeal for churches be supportive to their communities amid the uncertainty of how the UK will leave the European Union.

Rt Rev Robert Atwell Bishop of Exeter, and the two Suffragan Bishops of Plymouth and Crediton, the Rt Rev Nick McKinnel and the Rr Rev Jackie Searle, have written to all the churches in about their responsibility to respond to Brexit anxiety in their local area.

The bishops said the letter was in response to the worries of many in the county, particularly in the farming community, and their “concern at the deep divisions in our nation”.

More here-

https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Bishops-highlight-Church-s-responsibility-to-show-support-and-pray-amid-Brexit-anxiety