By Laura Koran, CNN
Here's the Belief Blog’s morning rundown of the top faith-angle stories from around the United States and around the world. Click the headlines for the full stories.
From the Blog:
CNN: 2 communities linked to polygamous sect sued for alleged religious discrimination
Two communities dominated by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its jailed leader Warren Jeffs have been sued by the federal government for alleged religious discrimination against citizens who don't belong to the polygamous sect. The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department filed suit against Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, and their local utility companies for taking actions including denying or delaying water to nonmembers of the FLDS faith.
CNN: Bias against Mormon presidential candidate unchanged since 1967, poll finds
Bias against a Mormon presidential candidate hasn’t budged in 45 years, with 18% of Americans saying they would not vote for a well-qualified candidate who happened to be Mormon, according to a Gallup Poll released Thursday. The survey points up potential challenges for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who is vying to be the first Mormon in the White House.
CNN: Harsh anti-gay preaching alarms gay rights supporters and Christian conservatives alike
The little boy with a buzz cut shows no sign of nervousness as he sings in front of the church congregation. Dressed in a pressed white shirt and blue sweater vest, he holds the microphone and sings that the Bible is right, then lets loose the line that brings whoops from the congregation: "Ain't no homo gonna make it to heaven." Next to him, an adult beams as worshippers rise to their feet and cheer.
Tweet of the Day:
[tweet https://twitter.com/ReligionNewsNow/status/215825899050905600%5D
Belief on TV:
Enlightening Reads:
The New York Times: Ultra-Orthodox Men Charged With Trying to Silence Accuser
The Brooklyn district attorney, facing a wave of public criticism about his handling of sexual abuse allegations in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, on Thursday charged four men with attempting to silence an accuser by offering her and her boyfriend a $500,000 bribe, and threatening her boyfriend’s business.
Christianity Today: Barack Obama: Evangelical-in-Chief?
The 2012 campaign has placed evangelicals in a paradox. A recent PRRI/RNS poll reveals that white evangelicals support a Mormon presidential candidate over Obama by an overwhelming 49% margin, but are simultaneously the religious group most likely to say it is important for a presidential candidate to share their religious beliefs (67%).
The Washington Post: Mormonism good for the body as well as the soul?
Forget South Beach. Will the next great nutrition fad be the Provo Diet? Mormon religious beliefs have gotten plenty of scrutiny in this election, but what about the Mormon lifestyle? Turns out there is evidence that Latter-Day Saints are more likely than the rest of us to actually live into their latter days.
The Jerusalem Post: 'Gap between Israel, US Jews due to weak Jewish ID'
Jewish Americans have differences of opinion on how and whether they can criticize Israel from afar. But they agree the bulk of Jewish Americans –especially those who are young and not Orthodox – are increasingly indifferent toward or alienated from the country, mostly because of the weakening of their sense of Jewish identity.
Religion News Service: Donations to religious institutions decline for second straight year
Post-recession America is beginning to open its wallet to charities again, but is not giving as generously to religious institutions. While charitable donations from individuals rose nearly 4 percent overall in 2011, according to the annual "Giving USA" report, donations to houses of worship and other religious bodies dropped by 1.7 percent - a decrease for the second year in a row.
Opinion of the Day:
CNN: Where are the good Christians?
Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is a political comedian and frequent commentator on various TV networks including CNN. He is the editor of the politics blog "The Dean's Report" and co-director of the upcoming documentary, "The Muslims Are Coming!"
Join the conversation…
Ex-priest Jim Smith, opponent of Minnesota's ballot to ban same-sex marriages, says these are difficult days to be Catholic.
CNN: Can 'true Catholics' support same-sex marriage?
Jim Smith is a former Roman Catholic priest who left his post with the church 10 years ago. He's an ex-priest for several reasons, he says, but one of his main concerns was the church's stance against same-sex marriage and other LGBT issues. But Smith remains a Catholic – though he says being a Catholic who actively campaigns for legalized same-sex marriages can be difficult these days.
Idea excellent, it agree with you.
What a slow weekend this is.
Prayer really changes things
Oh this time the troll really means it. LOL
Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things stated once again and again and again Ad Nauseum,
"Prayer changes things"
Earlier I challenged you to do something positive for humanity by praying to stop the international forced sëx trafficking of the estimatated 800,000 people.
To wit,
I see your prayers to stop the estimated 800,000 people who are forced into sëx traficking across international borders have not worked.
Oh wait, since prayer changes things that means you have not been praying to stop this scourge on humanity.
Why won't you pray to stop this repulsive human abuse?
Matthew 21:21:
I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
____________________________
[A true believer can tell a mountain to throw it self into the sea and it will be done. LOL.
____________________________
Mark 9:23
All things are possible to him who believes.
Luke 1:37:
For with God nothing will be impossible.
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 14:14 If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.
Nothing could be simpler or clearer than Jesus' promises about prayer in the Bible.
So there you have it, straight from Jesus himself in the New Testament in clear, simple, and unequivocal terms.
You are a sincere believer are you not?
Well since you are why do you not pray to end this horrible and repulsive human abuse.
Jesus says very unequivocally that if you have faith and do not doubt that you will receive whatever you ask in prayer and nothing is too big to ask for.
Sinnce this horrible practice has not ended, that means you are not praying to end it.
Why not?
Knowing that you could put a stop to such practices but don't implies you are a sicko enjoying the schadenfreude.
How is that cognitive dissonance in you brain knowing that you could stop this human abuse but choose not to stop it?
Put up or shut up you TROLL
Prayer changes things
Proven conclusively
"Jesus"... It seems that you do not understand the difference between something not working AS EXPECTED and something not working, PERIOD... Would you agree with someone declaring tht electricity is NOT WORKING because he was not awarded by a candy after sticking his finger into an electric outlet?
Given that "God's will" will be done, the outcome would have been the same whether you pray or not. Some people just happen to pray for the right outcome.
Jack... How do You know God's will? Maybe, God wants people to praise Him?
"Prominent atheist blogger converts to Catholicism." The comments section has exploded. Almost 500 posts.
It's bound to happen from time to time. After all, christians and other believers are becoming atheist by the thousands each week. And not all of them for logical reasons as they should.
Does the Economy have any faith in America?
Sadly, no.
Restore my faith in human nature America.
Germany has already restored my faith in human nature.
Meet me halfway on this & we'll go the distance.
If your state persists in doing wacky things, then guess where all the jobs are going ...
If your nation persists in doing wacky things, then guess where all the jobs are going ...
The Economy is sensibly moving away from America because America went wacky.
You have a very major credibility problem America.
The Economy has picked up on this.
Amen.
Prayer changes things
Prayer doesn’t not; you are such a LIAR. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.
An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.
The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs!
Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things stated once again and again and again Ad Nauseum,
"Prayer changes things"
Earlier I challenged you to do something positive for humanity by praying to stop the international forced sëx trafficking of the estimatated 800,000 people.
To wit,
I see your prayers to stop the estimated 800,000 people who are forced into sëx traficking across international borders have not worked.
Oh wait, since prayer changes things that means you have not been praying to stop this scourge on humanity.
Why won't you pray to stop this repulsive human abuse?
Matthew 21:21:
I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
____________________________
[A true believer can tell a mountain to throw it self into the sea and it will be done. LOL.
____________________________
Mark 9:23
All things are possible to him who believes.
Luke 1:37:
For with God nothing will be impossible.
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 14:14 If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.
Nothing could be simpler or clearer than Jesus' promises about prayer in the Bible.
So there you have it, straight from Jesus himself in the New Testament in clear, simple, and unequivocal terms.
You are a sincere believer are you not?
Well since you are why do you not pray to end this horrible and repulsive human abuse.
Jesus says very unequivocally that if you have faith and do not doubt that you will receive whatever you ask in prayer and nothing is too big to ask for.
Sinnce this horrible practice has not ended, that means you are not praying to end it.
Why not?
Knowing that you could put a stop to such practices but don't implies you are a sicko enjoying the schadenfreude.
How is that cognitive dissonance in you brain knowing that you could stop this human abuse but choose not to stop it?
Put up or shut up you TROLL