HINDU SACRIFICE OF 250,000 ANIMALS BEGINS ( WORLD'S BIGGEST ANIMAL SACRIFICE )

The world's biggest animal sacrifice began in Nepal today with the killing of the first of more than 250,000 animals as part of a Hindu festival in the village of Bariyapur, near the border with India.
The event, which happens every five years, began with the decapitation of thousands of buffalo, killed in honour of Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power.
With up to a million worshippers on the roads near the festival grounds, this year's fair seems more popular than ever, despite vocal protests from animals rights groups who have called for it to be banned. "It is the traditional way, " explained 45-year old Manoj Shah, a Nepali driver who has been attending the event since he was six, "If we want anything, and we come here with an offering to the goddess, within five years all our dreams will be fulfilled." .
Crowds thronged the roads and camped out in the open, wrapped in blankets against the cool mist. The festivities included a ferris wheel, fortune-telling robots and stalls broadcasting music and offering tea and sugary snacks.
As dawn broke, the fair officially opened with the sacrifice of two rats, two pigeons, a pig, a lamb and a rooster in the main temple, to cheers of "Long live Gadhimai" from spectators pushing against each other for a better view.
In the main event, 250 appointed residents with traditional kukri knives began their task of decapitating more than 10,000 buffalo in a dusty enclosure guarded by high walls and armed police.
Frightened calves galloped around in vain as the men, wearing red bandanas and armbands, pursued them and chopped off their heads. Banned from entering the animal pen, hundreds of visitors scrambled up the three-metre walls to catch a glimpse of the carnage.
The dead beasts will be sold to companies who will profit from the sale of the meat, bones and hide. Organisers will funnel the proceeds into development of the area, including the temple upkeep.
On the eve of the event, protesters made a final plea to organisers by cracking open coconuts in a nearby temple as a symbolic sacrifice. "It is cruel and inhumane. We've always been a superstitious country, but I don't think sacrifice has to be part of the Hindu religion," said the protest organiser, Pramada Shah.
The campaign has the support of the French actor Brigitte Bardot, who has petitioned the Nepalese prime minister, Madhav Kumar Nepal, about the issue. But the government, which donated £36,500 to the event, has shown no sign of discontinuing the centuries-old tradition. An attempt by the previous government to cut the budget for animal sacrifice provoked street protests.
Chandan Dev Chaudhary, a Hindu priest, said he was pleased with the festival's high turnout and insisted tradition had to be kept. "The goddess needs blood," he said. "Then that person can make his wishes come true."

HUNDREDS FLOCK TO PRAYER BREAKFAST

A murmur of praying voices filled the Amarillo Civic Center at daylight Tuesday. Among them, one could hear the names "David Logan, Gary Hinders," and, more generally, "our judges," "the policemen" and "all the teachers at Amarillo High."
A few people clasped hands as they prayed. Others lifted their hands toward heaven.
Logan and Hinders are Canyon city commissioners, two of the many people listed on the prayer guide distributed at the Community Prayer Breakfast on Tuesday.
About 1,300 people gathered at the civic center and asked God to bless and guide them, as did other local, state and federal leaders.
The prayer breakfast, in its 20th year, combines youth, music, sounds of patriotism and an inspirational speaker. Patrick Morley, author of "Man in the Mirror," a look at time, temperament, finances and relationships from a masculine perspective, spoke of emptiness after a life of financial success.
"I realized I wasn't looking for God. He was looking for me," he said.
Morley outlined spiritual struggles facing most people, including the desire to live worldly lives while trying to nurture a spiritual life.
"God loves you, and he wants you to repent," he said.
Roland Shorter Jr., a prayer breakfast guest, studied "Man in the Mirror" at church.
As men's ministry leader at Amarillo Bible Fellowship, he came looking for ideas to help the dozen men involved with the ministry become better Christians.
And he found an idea.
"It's repenting. We've got to repent of the world," Shorter said.
Lucy Karr has been on the prayer breakfast committee for 15 years. Its value as an event is in its emphasis on God and his love, and in the prayer for healing of the land, she said.
"It's the most rewarding thing I've ever done. ... I think it's a little taste of heaven," Karr said.

' HOLY HIP HOP ' TRYING TO BREAK INTO THE MAINSTREAM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Terverius Black believes in hip-hop gospel so much he sold his first home to get the money needed to start his Christian-themed entertainment company.
It was a risky move, but the 34-year-old entrepreneur believes the company's diversity, which is producing music, a film, a reality television show and a gospel cruise, will help boost a struggling genre of Christian music.
Secular hip-hop used radio as a launching pad, but holy hip-hop gets little play on regular hip-hop stations and nearly none on gospel or Christian radio.
"It's tough, but we've got to get a little more creative," said Black, who started Huntsville, Ala.-based Xist (pronounced "exist") Worldwide Record Label three years ago with partner Sean Simmonds.
Both men point to hip-hop moguls like Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jay-Z and Russell Simmons, who succeeded branching outside the music industry. Even though their message is faith-based, Black and Simmonds believe they can find the same success.

"We're trying to create our own blueprint for gospel, but at the same time, make it so that it's respected across the board, and can be followed," said Simmonds, 32.
Hip-hop gospel has been around nearly two decades, but many followers say it didn't start getting recognized until a few years ago. So far this year, there have been more than 500,000 CD and digital sales of hip-hop gospel, according to the Christian Music Trade Association, which operates Christian SoundScan.
Supporters also point to an increasing number of hip-hop gospel fan Web sites.
"I think holy hip-hop music is starting to make a move," said Danny Wilson, a former road manager for rapper-actor LL Cool J and the main organizer of the Holy Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. "Look how long it took regular hip hop to take. You're talking about 25 to 30 years for it to really make an impact to the point that it's a driving culture that's known all over the world."
Wilson said better air play of hip-hop gospel would make it a more effective tool in reaching the unchurched. He cites a syndicated two-hour radio show sponsored by Holy Hip Hop Awards that airs once a week in about 100 cities.
"We get letters from prison all the time," Wilson said. "One man wrote, 'I wish I had this music when I was out on the street, it might have saved my life.'"
Joey Elwood, president of Gotee Records, a small independent label, agrees hip-hop gospel would benefit from more air play on both gospel and secular outlets, but he believes "a lot of the outlets are afraid of offending people."
"If there's any genre where I think that would not be an issue, it would be in hip-hop," Elwood said. "I think hip-hop listeners are less likely to complain about a gospel message in their song. The radio stations have got to get a little bit braver."
Xist could create more awareness and demand for its music with its other ventures, said Kymberlee Norsworthy, director of publicity for Verity Gospel Music Group, a subsidiary of Sony.
"I think only time will tell, but I have faith and confidence that it will be successful," she said of the company.
Xist's film, "Stand," and its reality TV show focus on three young hip-hop gospel artists struggling in the industry who refuse to trade their beliefs for fame.
Black said the gospel cruise, which allows fans to mingle with their favorite artists, is also an opportunity for people to enjoy themselves "and not ... worry about compromising what they believe in."
"We Christians, but we party, too," he said.
The key will be staying true to a Christian message, said Vassal Benford, a top California-based record and movie producer who is working on his first gospel album. Xist needs to clearly distinguish the music from secular hip hop, whose reputation and lyrics are often "centered around a lot of darkness," such as robbing and killing.
"Gospel music has a certain wholesomeness to it," he said. "And whether it's a hip-hop beat or whatever it is under it, the underlying cause of it should always be about God and ... creating a positive influence."
Trey Williams, also known as Andale, is a Nashville gospel rapper starring in Xist Worldwide's film. He said his lyrics focus on humility and encouragement, rather than negativity.
On a track from his latest CD, "White Flag," Williams says: "I'm surrendering ... sick of lying, sick of stealing ... I'm taking my life back the devil he don't really like that but Christ glad I'm waving this here bright white flag."
Williams said he believes the movie will provide valuable exposure for hip-hop gospel.
"If people know we're here and they know the level of quality we're presenting then they'll pay attention to it, but the trick is getting them to pay attention," said the 27-year-old Williams. "We have to get in their face, and a lot of times they just don't know we exist. I think this film will help with that."
Hip-hop gospel pioneer Vicki Mack-Lataillade, whose discoveries include gospel star Kirk Franklin and a group called The Gospel Gangstaz, said she understands the challenges of "doing radical music" and applauds companies like Xist Worldwide for thinking outside the box.
"It's healthy for the industry to have ... new visions," she said. "It's the lifeblood."

GOD'S WORD GOES PUBLIC FOR 90 STRAIGHT HOURS ; 5 DAY BIBLE READING MARATHON TRUMPETS EVERY VERSE FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION

STUART, – "In the beginning was the Word."
And beginning tonight in this small city on Florida's Treasure Coast, those who love the Word of God commenced a nonstop, Bible-reading marathon that will take them from the first verse in Genesis to the last line of Revelation, lasting some 90 hours and finishing up Sunday afternoon.
The outdoor event features people of all ages and beliefs reading the King James Version of the Good Book at a public park owned by the city of Stuart which, for the first time this year, is joining Martin County in endorsing the project.
"Here we are on government property, and we have the Ten Commandments right there in front of the pulpit," said Donna Healton, a pastor with Spirit of Prophecy Ministries who organized the event along with her husband and fellow pastor, Gene Healton. "Our vision is that every county in Florida will be doing a Bible marathon."
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The Christian couple began their first marathon in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
They said God had prompted them to start the event as a "protection of our nation against terrorism." They originally thought it was just going to be a one-year project, but the reading has blossomed over the past years, popular with not only ministers, but just ordinary folk who wish to read Scripture publicly.
Bible-reader-wannabes either sign up in advance for a 15-minute time slot of their choosing, or just show up off the street to jump in whenever there's an availability.

A handful of volunteers actually camp through the night at the park, ready to take over the duties if someone from the public is not at the podium.
At times, reading the Bible can be difficult when it comes to mouthing some of the names found in the Old Testament. For instance, Genesis 10:26 states, "And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah."
When one woman had trouble making it through that list, she ad-libbed a bit, saying, "Lord, you know who they are!"
And why do people come from all over the Sunshine State just to read the Bible out loud?
"We're here basically to pronounce the Word of God," said Father John Bower of the Church of the Holy Comforter in Stuart. "The Word of God is to be pronounced at all times and in all places for the salvation of mankind."
"We're not the minority," stressed Michele Mazone of Jensen Beach, Fla. "We are the majority and we have to put a voice to that majority. We have to let people know that we're not going to go away, we're not going to go away quietly, that we're still going to come out and voice our opinions about the Lord and our commitment to Him and that we commit our lives to him. He is with us and He will always be with us to the end."
In years past, unseasonably cold weather made it uncomfortable for some readers and listeners, as they wore parkas, hats and gloves to stay warm through the overnight hours. This year's forecast has low temperatures expected to remain in the upper 60s.
Gene Healton was sporting a T-shirt with a Christian cross and a message stating, "This shirt is illegal in 52 countries," which he says is a reference to Islamic nations that have little or no tolerance when it comes to promoting Jesus Christ. He says it's important to be public in proclaiming God's truth, and feels there's a growing threat in America that's diminishing freedoms of speech and religion.
"That's for sure," he said. "They're trying to pass the hate bill and taking God out of more and more things all the time. We have to stand in that place and continue to pray. The Bible says there's always going to be a remnant [of those faithful to God], and a remnant is going to do a great work."

POLICE ARREST WOMAN FOR WEARING PRAYER SHAWL AT WESTERN WALL, JERUSALEM

Police on Wednesday arrested a woman who was praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, due to the fact that she was wrapped in a prayer shawl (tallit).

The woman was visiting the site with the religious women's group "Women of the Wall" to take part in the monthly Rosh Hodesh prayer. Police were called to the area after the group asked to read aloud from a Torah scroll.
Police said they arrested the women in the wake of a High Court ruling, which states that the public visiting the Western Wall is obligated to dress in accordance with the site's dress code. Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz said the act was a provocation meant to turn the wall into a fighting ground.

"We must distance politics and disagreement from this sacred place," Rabinowitz said. Chairman of the women's group, Anat Hoffman, said that this is the first time in the history of Israel that a woman has been arrested because she wrapped herself in a tallit and read from the Torah. Rabbi Gilad Kariv, associate director of Israel's reform movement, said that all over the world women are entitled to wear the tallit, and only in the land of the Jews are they excluded from the social custom and even arrested for praying.

"Israeli police should be ashamed of themselves," Kariv said. Last week Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the Shas party's spiritual leader, said during his weekly sermon that the women in the feminist movement are "stupid" and act the way they do out of a selfish desire for equality, not "for heavens' sake." Rabbi Ovadia also said about the groups' custom to pray at the Western Wall that "there are stupid women who come to the Western Wall, put on a tallit (prayer shawl), and pray," and added that they should be condemned.

REPUBLIC AIR CEO BRYAN BEDFORD PUTS HIS FAITH TO WORK

Nine years ago, Bryan Bedford decided to bring God to work with him.
"We've been building a business together ever since," said Bedford, chief executive of Republic Airways, which recently acquired Frontier Airlines.
Bedford has infused his Christian faith into Republic's vision statement and believes it has made the company stronger.
Republic employees may be used to Bedford's tack, but as new members of the Republic family, a number of Frontier workers find it jarring — as do some outsiders.
"It worries me that the environment created by the boss feels like: If you're not with Jesus, you're not on board with Republic," said Buie Seawell, an ethics and legal-studies professor at the University of Denver and a Presbyterian minister.
Bedford says he doesn't try to convert anyone or require faith as an employment litmus test.
But he also says he isn't shy about sharing his religious faith along with his faith in Republic's business plan in company newsletters — signing them: "I pray for God's continued blessings on our families and our airline."
"This tells you where I come from, what makes me tick, and this is what I believe and what the company value system is," Bedford said.
Republic's vision statement says, in part, "every employee, regardless of personal beliefs or world view, has been created in the image and likeness of God."
Some might reel at the mention, but others say it doesn't cross the line.
As the statement doesn't mention Christianity, "there is no reason why that couldn't have been written by someone who is Jewish," said Mark Silverstein, legal director of the Denver office of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Silverstein said Bedford has a right to express his values to company employees as long as he complies with statutes protecting religious freedom.
A devout Catholic, Bedford said he decided nine years ago to avoid compartmentalizing his life by being one person at work, another at home and another on Sundays.
"I needed to be a whole person in all facets of my life each day," he said.
There is a big trend globally to build businesses on religious foundations of integrity, character and trust, said Steve Stanley, chief executive of Christian Business Leaders.
The Texas-based organization helps develop "spiritual business statesmen out of business leaders," Stanley said, "where their public and private conduct is guided by the same principles and values."
DU's Seawell said he's uncomfortable with mixing business and religion, that principles such as respecting co-workers are "universal values."
"God would be pleased if we did that without doing it in his name," Seawell said.
Bedford said in a recent newsletter that he was sure the vision statement reference to God was getting a "fair amount of debate."
"Gasp . . . He talks about God in public and to his employees," mused Bedford, 48.
Some Frontier workers who want to remain anonymous out of concern for their jobs said they have been stunned by Bedford's writings. "Very bizarre!!" one wrote to The Denver Post.
There have been a few complaints, Bedford said, but he also has heard from 300 Frontier employees whom he described as grateful for his words.
Bedford doesn't limit himself to religious views. He also writes on issues that don't directly affect the airline.
Several years ago, Bedford created what he calls a "community dialog" in Republic's home base of Indianapolis when he wrote about abortion.
"This is more than words on a sheet of paper," Bedford said. "God is an important contributor to our business, and there is more going on here than flying airplanes."
On Internet pilot forums, where Bedford is referred to as "Rev. BB," some pilots question how Bedford's "cutthroat" business practices jibe with his expressions of religious faith.
Bedford shrugged off the comments.
"Business is competitive," he said. "I think Scripture quoters — and I'm not — would refer to parables about using your talents, that we each have gifts and are called on to use these gifts to our fullest potential."

CHINESE GOVERNMENT TRAMPLES ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BEFORE OBAMA VISIT

BEIJING -- Beaten, banned, and berated, house church Christians have endured increased religious persecution over the last two months in China. The Chinese government has stepped up its central government-led campaign repressing all religious activities, targeting registered and unregistered churches alike.

Read the most recent stories of persecution:
11/13/2009 - Linfen Fushan Church Leaders Rushed to Trial without Notice.
11/13/2009 - 2,000 Wanbang Church Members Hunted, Interrogated and Threatened after Stand-off with Shanghai PSB.
11/12/2009 - Beijing Continues Relentless Crackdown on Shouwang Church.
11/11/2009 - Wuhan Religious Spies Infiltrate Enguang Church and Officials Takeover with Three-Self Leaders.
11/04/2009 - Shanghai Wanbang Church Banned by State Agencies.
11/03/2009 - Prominent Chinese Legal Researcher Abruptly Dismissed for "Political Reasons."
11/02/2009 - Shouwang Church Members Forced to Sing in the Snow.
ChinaAid President Bob Fu expressed deep concern over the lack of accountability of Western powers to uphold human rights: "The Obama Administration's total silence on this issue has been seen as a green light and certainly emboldens the Chinese government's resolve to carry out this sweep, without worrying about international consequence.
"From the violence against the 50,000 members Linfen Fushan Church in Shanxi on Sept. 13 (with five church leaders facing trial among 9 still arrested), to the repression of Shouwang and Wanbang Churches on Nov. 1-2, as well as the forced dismissal of prominent moderate legal scholar and church leader Dr. Fan Yafeng; and from beating up human rights lawyers Zhang Kai and Li Chunfu in May in Chongqing to disbarring at least 18 human rights lawyers so far, neither the White House nor the U.S. Department of State has issued any public statement to show its concern on the deteriorating situation."
As President Obama travels to China on Sunday, November 15, a great opportunity arises for the United States to reclaim a strong stance on human rights, and specifically reassert the vital importance of religious freedom. Each time a key Western leader remains silent on these issues, the Chinese government is empowered to suppress even more freedoms. The cycle must be broken.
ChinaAid calls on the international community and President Barack Obama to bring these cases to light, and to take a strong stance in favor of religious freedom for all.

MAX LUCADO'S " FEARLESS " MAKES ALL TIME BEST LIST

The well-established magazine “Guideposts” has included Max Lucado’s latest book “Fearless” among the Top 10 among reader-selected life changing books.
This may seem surprising since the book was just released in September and shares company in the Top 10 with familiar reads such as Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life,” Joseph P. Young’s “The Shack” and “Tuesdays With Morrie” by veteran sports columnist Mitch Albom.
I’ve read the book and found it filled with helpful and practical advice for Christians to live confidently despite any number of concerns which gum up our lives. Lucado is also a polished storyteller who does a good job of weaving personal anecdotes throughout.
A chapter excerpt discussing the fear the God doesn’t exist.

MISSIONARY ACTIVITY COULD BE RESTRICTED IN RUSSIA BY THE NEW LEGISLATION : PRAY & MAKE A DIFFERENCE

MOSCOW --New legislation being considered by Russian lawmakers could drastically restrict missions activity if made into law.

Restrictions could include requiring missionaries and Russian Christians to obtain permission to engage in missionary activity and limiting its locations and participants, such as tourists and minors.While the proposals are currently in the draft stages, language introduced by the Russian Ministry of Justice Oct. 12 indicates that if these laws are enacted they will greatly restrict religious freedom.

Russian Baptist officials say they believe the new language primarily targets Roman Catholics and Protestants and believe it has already found favor with leaders of Russian Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism -- Russia's four most prominent religions."Of course, when measures like this are talked about, we are always concerned and we should look at them with a measure of seriousness," said Ed Tarleton, a leader of IMB work in Russia.

"Evangelicals have enjoyed days of openness and freedom, so when lawmakers start talking about language that is contrary to that, we become concerned."The proposed changes include allowing only religious groups who have been registered in Russia for at least 15 years to apply for permission to engage in missionary activity. Foreigners in Russia on a temporary visa, such as a tourist visa, would be excluded from engaging in missionary work.Russian Baptist leaders add that wording in the proposed legislation makes no distinction between professional missionaries and average believers.

"Practically all believers will become susceptible to penal sanction," says Yuri Sipko, president of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists.In addition, the new language indicates that missions activity will not be allowed in hospitals, orphanages or homes for invalids and the aging without the approval of government officials. Missionary activity would be prohibited on the grounds of government buildings. The proposed measures also take aim at minors, saying that Russian minors may not be present at religious activities or be given media materials without their parents' consent.

Over the past decade, Baptists in Russia, as well as other Protestants, have been involved with social work -- addressing the issues of drug and alcohol abuse. Sipko recently wrote, "Without missionary activities, drunkenness and the abuse of narcotics will only increase. If the state begins to destroy the social ministry of churches, it will be forced to build more prisons.

"IMB missionary Andy Leiniger has been working with Russian Baptists in Siberia as they develop social ministry programs. "If these laws were to pass and be enforced, they would officially shut them [the ministry centers] down," Leiniger said. "But I think it would be very hard to unofficially stop the work that is being done when it comes to helping people get away from their addictions."Baptist leaders are most concerned about the ambiguity of the language in the proposals. "Right now, it is like we are driving down the road and have speed limit and stop signs to tell us what we can and cannot do and police to enforce those specific rules," Tarleton said.

"If these new proposals remain as ambiguous as they appear to be at this stage, it would be like changing everything to caution signs, and religious groups would constantly be evaluated by officials making judgment calls based on their interpretation of the new laws.

"Tarleton and Russian Baptist leaders have urged the worldwide religious community to join them in prayer as Russian lawmakers consider the proposals, praying that language restricting missionary activity in Russia be excluded from new legislation, for Russian Baptist churches and leaders as they work with government officials, and for IMB missionaries serving in Russia as they continue to minister in these uncertain times.

VATICAN KEEPS CELIBACY IN RULES ON ANGLICANS

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican said on Monday that its new rules facilitating the conversion of Anglicans, including married Anglican priests, did not “signify any change” in its rules for priestly celibacy.
The announcement seemed aimed at dampening recent debate about whether in creating a new Anglican rite within the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican had brought in a kind of Trojan horse — married former Anglican clergy — a practice that might someday normalize the acceptance of married Catholic priests.
In a watershed in Catholic-Anglican relations, Pope Benedict XVI announced three weeks ago the creation of a new structure in which Anglicans could convert to Catholicism yet keep certain parts of the Anglican ritual, including liturgy. The move was widely seen as an effort to attract traditionalist Anglicans uncomfortable with the ordination of women and gay clergy members.
On Monday, the Vatican released the rules governing the new structures. They uphold current practice; the rules say married Anglican priests can become Catholic priests only on “a case-by-case basis, according to objective criteria approved by the Holy See.”
The new norm “does not signify any change in the church’s discipline of clerical celibacy,” the Vatican press office said in a statement.
It added that the new structure was “consistent” with the church’s “commitment to ecumenical dialogue.”
The Vatican has emphasized that the new norms were not aimed at poaching Anglicans but were created in response to requests by traditionalist Anglicans. In its statement on Monday, the Vatican said the new structure was “a generous response from the Holy Father to the legitimate aspirations of these Anglican groups.”
Nevertheless, the creation of an Anglican rite within the Catholic Church has been widely perceived as a bold and even aggressive act capitalizing on the weaknesses of the Church of England, which in recent years has been increasingly divided over the issue of female and gay clergy members.
A recent headline in The Times of London read, “Rome Parks Tanks on Rowan’s Lawn,” referring to the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury and the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion. Archbishop Williams, who jointly announced the new norms with the Vatican at a news conference on Oct. 20 in London, is expected to meet the pope in Rome next week.
The new rules stipulate that men who were baptized as Catholics and subsequently became Anglicans cannot become priests. They also say that Anglican bishops who convert to Catholicism will remain priests but will lose the rank of bishop.
Called Personal Ordinariates, the new structures are akin to dioceses but without geographic bounds. They are to be overseen by bishops or priests chosen by the pope. The ordinariates will work in conjunction with local dioceses but will not answer to them, and will belong to the local bishops conference.
It remains to be seen how many Anglicans will take the Vatican up on the offer.

HUNDREDS OF CHRISTIAN TEENS GOING TO VISIT COSHOCTON FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING CITIZENS THEY DON'T KNOW

COSHOCTON -- Some 400 teens will descend on Coshocton next summer from across the country for the purpose of helping citizens they don't know.
"You can go to band camp, you go to soccer camp, you can go to football camp and you can go to a work camp. And they've chosen not to go to another country or to a big city, inner city, but to go to places throughout the United States and work," said project co-chair Mayor Steve Mercer.
The work camps program started in 1975 in Colorado when a storm caused a flood that wiped out a small town and church. Locals from around the area, particularly youth, pitched in to help with the rebuilding of the city and the program grew from that.
Project co-chair Brad Fuller recently spent a week in Colorado where he learned more about the program and its workings. Fuller is in charge of home selection and assembling the needed materials.
"It's a well oiled machine," Fuller said. "They're teenagers, they're not skilled laborers, but they're all coming to this camp because they have some degree of skill."
The program will see 400 youths and 100 adult supervisors stay in Coshocton from June 13 to 19. They will do light repair and painting on 70 to 80 homes. When staying in Coshocton for the week, they will sleep and eat at Coshocton High School.
The youths ages 12 to 18 pay $424 to take part in the program, which pays for transportation, food and other needs. Those who wish to have their house worked on pay nothing.
"I see it as something that will be such a tremendous help to our community and to people in need. It's geared toward low to moderate income, the elderly or disabled, and certainly the economy the way it is it is difficult for that demographic to do much maintenance. So to have a group like this to come in at a time like this is just a perfect fit to give our community a real shine," Mercer said.
The program is Christian-based and provides more than physical repairs and work to the teens taking part and the communities they go to.
"It's not just home repair. That's a nice by-product. What happens is, it's a spirit that happens in the community and people really get on board with it and see this community spirit and take more pride in their homes," Fuller said. "Spiritually what happens (with the teens taking part) is a great thing. It's building them up personally. They know they have the ability to help their fellow man. The by-product is we get out town looking a little better."
Locally, $19,000 needs to be raised to pay for materials and supplies for the work. Paint, tools, ladders and other equipment also can be donated.
"I'm confident that we'll be able to raise the dollar amount that we need without city funds," Mercer said. "That money stays right here, it goes nowhere else."
The Coshocton Baptist Church is acting as fiscal agent for the project. Checks can be made to Coshocton Work Camps and mailed to the Coshocton Baptist Church, 1631 Denman Ave., Coshocton, OH 43812.
Applications for the project soon will be available at City Hall and those who wish to donate materials or some how aide the project can call the mayor's office at 622-1373 or Brad Fuller at 623-8027.

PASTOR TED HAGGARD GOING TO LEAD WORSHIP AGAIN

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - Ted Haggard, who was dismissed from the megachurch he founded after a man alleged a cash-for-sex relationship with him, plans to lead people in worship again.
The pastor told The Gazette he is holding a "prayer meeting" November 12 in his Colorado Springs living room, but said it would also be correct to call it a church.
Haggard says he has no goals of building something like New Life Church, which began with about 25 people in his basement in 1985 and grew to thousands of members.
Haggard resigned from the church in 2006 after a Denver man said Haggard paid him for sex.
The gathering on Thursday will include music, an offering to New Life Church, and a talk from Haggard about the power of prayer.

CHRISTIANS PROTEST AT POTRAYAL OF JESUS AS A TRANSSEXUAL WOMEN

More than 300 Christian protesters demonstrated in the centre of Glasgow last night against a publicly funded play that portrays Jesus as a transsexual woman.
The demonstrators, who waved placards and sang hymns and gospel songs, blocked Chisholm Street for about two hours from 6.30pm as they held a candlelit vigil outside the Tron Theatre where Jesus, Queen of Heaven will run until Saturday.
A ecumenical congregation including Catholics and evangelical Christians voiced their disapproval of the show, which presents Christ as a man who wants to become a woman.
One placard said: “Jesus, King of Kings, Not Queen of Heaven”.
Another stated: “God: My Son Is Not A Pervert”.
The production is part of the Glasgay! arts festival, Scotland’s annual celebration of homo­sexual culture, which receives funding from Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Arts Council.
The Christian Institute, which is opposed to equality for gay people, has said the festival is “further proof of an agenda to use taxpayers’ money to fund assaults on Christian values.”
Protesters said last night that they did not feel their demonstration would give more publicity to the show they wanted banned.
Jack Bell, pastor of the Zion Baptist Church in Polmadie, said: “We are here to protest against the blasphemy of this play.”
Another demonstrator, Peter Campbell of St Andrew’s Roman Catholic Church in Greenock, said: “I am here to say enough is enough. I feel I have to do something because I don’t feel this is right and I have to stand up for the cause of Jesus.”
Publicity material for the play shows the writer and lead performer of the piece – transsexual Jo (formerly John) Clifford – posing as Christ with crucifixion wounds and a halo.

READER'S DIGEST AND RICK WARREN ENDS MAGAZINE VENTURE

Less than a year after starting a hybrid magazine and paid membership organization, the Rev. Rick Warren and the Reader’s Digest Association said Wednesday that they were pulling the plug.
Their plan was to capitalize on Mr. Warren’s best-selling books, like “The Purpose Driven Life,” to create a group patterned on his calls to Christian evangelism and charitable works.
They sold $29 annual memberships to Purpose Driven Connection, built around local chapters and online social networking tools. Members received a quarterly magazine of the same name — edited by Mr. Warren — DVDs and study guides. The magazine were also sold through retailers.
But their timing could not have been worse; the project began near the worst of the financial crisis, in the depths of the recession.
“The numbers for the membership were quite disappointing,” said William K. Adler, a spokesman for the Reader’s Digest Association. The partners declined to release sales figures for the memberships or the magazine.
They plan to keep operating the organization’s Web site, purposedriven.com, which has been free.
“Our biggest discovery was learning that people prefer reading our content online rather than in print, because it is more convenient and accessible,” Mr. Warren said in a statement.
The fourth and last issue of the magazine will be published this month. The Reader’s Digest Association said it had just one employee who worked on it full time, Frank Lalli, the editorial director, who recently left the association.
The company filed for bankruptcy protection in August under a plan that would make its lenders its majority owners, while reducing its $2.2 billion in debt to $550 million.

DRUG LORD PABLO ESCOBAR BURNT $2 MILLION TO KEEP HIS DAUGHTER WARM FOR A SINGLE NIGHT !

Drug lord Pablo Escobar burnt cash worth Rs 9 crore to keep his daughter warm and cook food, during a night on the run, his son saysColombian drug lord Pablo Escobar burnt $2 million (Rs 9.4 crore) to keep his daughter warm during a single night on the run, it has emerged. The infamous cocaine baron is said to have lit a bonfire using wads of US dollars at a mountain hideout while he was being hunted by authorities.
Terror: Escobar's cartel controlled 80% of the global cocaine marketHis son, Sebastian Marroqui­n, who has changed his name from Juan Pablo Escobar, claimed his father burnt the notes when he realised his daughter Manuela was suffering from hypothermia.

Escobar's son, who moved with his family to Argentina after his father's death 15 years ago, also told the Colombian magazine Don Juan that the security-mad billionaire bought his own taxi firm to find out when outsiders arrived in their native Medellin.He also moved his family every 48 hours between 15 hideaways he had all over the city.

He even blindfolded them before each move so that they could never work out the whereabouts of each house and give the locations to torturers if they were captured.Escobar, head of the infamous Medellin Cartel, was shot dead in 1993 as he tried to escape police.Rich & PowerfulAt the height of his power in 1989, he was ranked the seventh richest man in the world by Forbes magazine with an estimated £18 billion (Rs 85,000 crore) fortune, while his Medellin cartel controlled 80% of the global cocaine market.

EVANGELICAL MARCH IN BRAZIL DRAWS 1.5 MILLION

SAO PAULO — More than 1.5 million evangelical Christians joined Brazil's annual "March for Jesus" on Monday, an event sponsored by a church whose leaders recently returned after being imprisoned in the U.S. for money smuggling.
Now in its 17th year, the march unites faithful from hundreds of evangelical churches and attracts dozens of Christian bands, preachers and local celebrities.
It is organized by the powerful Reborn in Christ Church, whose leaders said they expected 5 million people to gather around a central Sao Paulo plaza where the main stage was located.
Hundreds of thousands followed Estevam Hernandes Filho and his wife, Sonia Haddad Moraes Hernandes, along the 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) route of the march, and still more gathered at the plaza.
Police said more than 1.5 million people turned out by mid-afternoon.
The couple returned to Brazil in August after serving five months in prison, five months under house arrest in Florida and two months of probation for not declaring $56,000 in cash they were carrying on a flight from Sao Paulo to Miami. The money was hidden a child's backpack and a Bible case, among other bags.
Filho said the theme of this year's gathering — "March to Topple Giants" — refers to evangelicals' battle against "discrimination, misunderstanding and mainly the stereotypes" in Brazil.
Brazil is home to more Roman Catholics than any other country but has seen a steady increase in the number of evangelicals in recent decades.
According to the 2000 census, 74 percent of Brazilians identify as Catholics, down from 84 percent in 1990. Fifteen percent classified themselves as evangelical Protestants, up from 9 percent in 1990.
Andrea Pazin, a 33-year-old human resources manger, bundled her two young children and husband into a car and drove 150 miles (240 kilometers) from interior Sao Paulo state for the march.
"It's one giant party for Jesus," she said, standing among a noisy throng of revelers.
While this year's march is a homecoming of sorts for Filho and Hernandes following their stint in prison, Pazin said the parade was a show of force for a higher power.
"We march every year, with or without them. They are important to us — they founded the church," she said. "But what is happening here is bigger than them. It's a celebration for Jesus."

15,000 BIBLES SEIZED IN MALAYASIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian authorities have confiscated more than 15,000 Bibles in recent months because they referred to "God" as "Allah," a translation that has been banned in this Muslim-majority country, Christian church officials said Thursday.
The alleged seizure of the Bibles, imported from neighboring Indonesia, is certain to reignite complaints by religious minorities that their right to practice their faiths freely has come under threat as the government panders to the Muslim majority.
A growing sense of discrimination among the minorities is chipping away at Malaysia's reputation as a harmonious multiethnic nation that practices a moderate brand of Islam.
The Rev. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, said authorities seized a consignment of 10,000 copies sent from Jakarta to Kuching in Sarawak state on Sept. 11 because the Indonesian-language Bibles contained the word "Allah."
Indonesian language is similar to Malaysian language, both of which use "Allah" as translation for God in both Islamic and Christian traditions.
Another 5,100 Bibles, also imported from Indonesia, were seized in March, said an official from the Bible Society of Malaysia, who asked not to be named for fear of angering the government.
A Home Ministry official said he was not aware of the seizures. He said he couldn't be named without his superiors' clearance.
Malaysia has banned non-Muslims from using the word "Allah" in their texts, saying the word is Islamic and may upset Muslims. About 60 percent of the country's 28 million people are Malay Muslims while 25 percent are ethnic Chinese and 8 percent are Indians. Many of the Chinese and Indians are Christians.
The Roman Catholic Church is challenging the "Allah" ban in court, saying it is unconstitutional and discriminates against those worshipping in Malay language. The case has been stuck in preliminary hearings for almost two years.
Shastri said the church council is concerned over the continued detention "of our holy book, which is depriving congregations ... and denying them the use of their Bible."
"For most of the Christians, this is not an issue of going against the authorities. They have been using (the word "Allah") for a long time," he said.
Church officials say Allah is not exclusive to Islam but is an Arabic word that predates Islam.
Besides the Bible seizures, Malaysia has been embroiled in other religious disputes. Some were over the conversion of minors to Islam and the religion of deceased people who are said to have converted to Islam secretly before their death. Hindus have also protested the demolition of several temples by authorities.

WORLD'S LARGEST CRUISELINER SET TO SAIL FROM FINLAND

HELSINKI: The world's largest cruise liner today began its maiden voyage to Florida, gliding out from a shipyard in Finland with an amphitheater, basketball courts and an ice rink on board. The 16-deck Oasis of the Seas spans 360 meters from bow to stern.

Its 2,700 cabins can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew. Commissioned by Royal Caribbean International, the ship cost euro1 billion ($1.5 billion) and took two and a half years to build at the STX Finland Oy shipyard in Turku, southwestern Finland. The liner has four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, and a youth zone with theme parks and nurseries for children.

There is also an ice rink that seats 780 spectators and a small-scale golf course. The Oasis of the Seas is due to make its US debut on November 20, when it will be unveiled on ABC's "Good Morning America" show at its home port, Port Everglades in Florida.

The official naming ceremony will be 10 days later. The ship will embark on its first cruise, a four-day trip to the port of Labadee in Haiti, on December 1. The Oasis of the Seas left Finland's frosty shores today and is set to exit the Baltic Sea tomorrow, when it must squeeze under the Great Belt Bridge between two Danish islands.

OBAMA OFFERS NEW MULTI MILLION TECHNOLOGY FUND FOR MUSLIM NATIONS

The White House Friday highlighted a new multi-million-dollar technology fund for Muslim nations, following a pledge made by President Barack Obama in his landmark speech to the Islamic world.
The White House said the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) had issued a call for proposals for the fund, which will provide financing of between 25 and 150 million dollars for selected projects and funds.
The Global Technology and Innovation Fund will "catalyze and facilitate private sector investments" throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the White House said in a statement.
Eligible projects would advance economic opportunity and create jobs in areas like technology, education, telecoms, media, business services and clean technology, the White House said.
OPIC said sample projects could help foster the development of new computer technology or telecommunications businesses, or widen access to broadband Internet services.
Proposals must be submitted by the end of November, and managers of funds that make a final short list will make presentations in Washington in January.
Final selections will be announced next June.
In his speech to the Muslim world in Cairo last June, Obama argued that "education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century" and that under-investment was rife in many Muslim nations.
As well as the fund, Obama also said he will host a summit on entrepreneurship this year to deepen ties between business leaders in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.
In his speech on June 4, Obama vowed to forge a "new beginning" for Islam and America, promising to purge years of "suspicion and discord."
In what may be one of the defining moments of his presidency, Obama laid out a new blueprint for US Middle East policy, pledged to end mistrust, forge a state for Palestinians and defuse a nuclear showdown with Iran.

NIGERIA : CHRISTIAN MOVIE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, SPIRITUALITY FUELS NOLLYWOOD'S BOOMING FILM INDUSTRY

While Fireproof, Facing the Giants, and The Passion of the Christ have generated talk of a Christian filmmaking renaissance in the United States, Nigerian Christians are actively contributing to the booming Nigerian film industry known as Nollywood.
Nollywood recently surpassed Hollywood in film production, according to a UNESCO survey released in May. The Lagos-based industry has existed for less than 20 years, yet produced 872 feature-length films in 2006, nearly twice Hollywood's 485 productions. (Both trailed India, which produced more than 1,000 films.)
Most Nigerian films, almost all of which are low-budget affairs shot on location and released on DVD, are spiritual in nature. About 20 percent are Christian, according to Obidike Okafor, an arts and culture reporter at Nigerian newspaper Next. Others champion Islam, animism and witchcraft, or simple morality.
The Christian-themed movies often aim at encouragement and evangelism more than sheer entertainment. Groups or churches often screen the films and follow them with discussions or an altar call.
"Nigerian movies are really watched," said Sunday Oguntola, religion reporter for Nigerian newspaper The Nation. "[People] like to watch stories. I rent an average of five movies every weekend to watch with my family."
Oguntola's Baptist church shows movies two or three times a month during the evening service. "People like to see life in movies," he said. "They can watch them for hours." Showing movies is usually more effective than preaching, and church leaders are capitalizing on that, he said.
The films are also a major part of witnessing in Nigeria, said Philip Jenkins, professor of history and religious studies at Pennsylvania State University. "This is particularly good where you're dealing with people who are technically literate but like to have their material packaged in a more interesting way," he said.
Unlike Hollywood, which looks nervously at devotional movies such as Mel Gibson's Passion, Nollywood can't be separated from the Christian film component, Jenkins said. "The lines between the two—Christian and secular—are actually pretty thin."
Some Nigerian Christians would disagree. While Nollywood looks remarkably Christian compared to Hollywood, some Lagos pastors and film producers think Nigeria's film industry is full of idolatry and social evils and don't want their ministries associated with it. In 1995 the National Film and Video Censors Board tracked almost 200 G-rated movies and few others. By 2005 over 1,300 movies rated 18-and-older were outpacing G movies by 6 to 1.
"Half of the Christian movies are not done by faith-based organizations, but by directors who want to take advantage of the strong religious inclinations of Nigerians to sell [movies]," Okafor said. "The others do it to promote their faith."
Independent companies, ministries, and large churches producing hundreds of Christian films often see themselves as an alternative to Nollywood. Nevertheless, they have enjoyed mainstream success and many of the films can be seen on state television channels.
Lagos pastor Olabode Ososami uses Christian films to evangelize youth but is very selective in the films he chooses. "I have not shown any of the Nollywood films because these are primarily actors not known to me as Christians. Indeed, they portray other violent, non-Christian roles in other films," he said. "The spirit in the actor is important for me to screen a film to congregations."
Not all Nollywood actors realize this distinction is important to Christians, Ososami said. Many professional actors have seen the large demand for Christian films and are cashing in on it.

Ososami said he is more comfortable with companies that produce only Christian movies, such as Mount Zion Films and Freegift International.
"I am very uncertain about Nollywood's agenda in the Kingdom and what is behind it—apart from money, of course," he said.
International Church Growth Ministries began producing films in Nigeria two years ago to show to church leaders. "They are very effective in that they are practical to what is happening in the church and people adjust their lives by watching them," said president Francis Bola Akin-John. Watching a lesson is more effective than listening to one, said Akin-John.
Nollywood's Christian films offer revelations into what one of the world's fastest-growing Christian populations believe, Jenkins said. "When people are discussing splits within [Nigerian] churches, or moral issues, it helps to know the supernatural vision underlying some of these concerns. … If you went to America in 1800 and wanted to find out about the nature of their religion, you'd listen to the hymns. These videos also give you a good snapshot [of what Nigerians believe.]"

CHRISTIAN IN SOMALIA WHO REFUSED TO WEAR VEIL IS KILLED

NAIROBI, Kenya — Three masked members of a militant Islamist group in Somalia last week shot and killed a Somali Christian who declined to wear a veil as prescribed by Muslim custom, according to a Christian source in Somalia.

Members of the comparatively “moderate” Suna Waljameca group killed Amina Muse Ali, 45, on Oct. 19 at 9:30 p.m. in her home in Galkayo, in Somalia’s autonomous Puntland region, said the source who requested anonymity for security reasons. Ali had told Christian leaders that she had received several threats from members of Suna Waljameca for not wearing a veil, symbolic of adherence to Islam. She had said members of the group had long monitored her movements because they suspected she was a Christian.

The source said Ali had called him on Oct. 4 saying, “My life is in danger. I am warned of dire consequences if I continue to live without putting on the veil. I need prayers from the fellowship.” “I was shocked beyond words when I received the news that she had been shot dead,” the source in Somalia told Compass by telephone. “I wished I could have recalled her to my location. We have lost a long-serving Christian.”

Ali had come to Galkayo from Jilib, 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Kismayo, in 2007. She arrived in Puntland at the invitation of a close friend, Saynab Warsame of the Darod clan, when the Islamic extremist group al Shabaab invaded Kismayo, the source said. Warsame was born in Kismayo and had lived in Jilib but moved to Puntland when war broke out in 1991. The source said it is not known if even Warsame knew of Ali’s conversion from Islam to Christianity. “She might not have known, because Warsame is not a Christian,” he said.

In 1997 Ali, an orphan and unmarried, joined the Somali Christian Brothers’ Organization, a movement commonly known as the Somali Community-Based Organization. As such she had been an active member of the underground church in the Lower Juba region. Muslim extremists have targeted the movement, killing some of its leaders after finding them in possession of Bibles.

The organization was started in 1996 by Bishop Abdi Gure Hayo. Suna Waljameca is considered “moderate” in comparison with al Shabaab, which it has fought against for control over areas of Somalia; it is one of several Islamic groups in the country championing adoption of a strict interpretation of sharia (Islamic law). Along with al Shabaab, said to have links with al Qaeda, another group vying for power is the Hisbul Islam political party. While al Shabaab militia have recently threatened forces of Hisbul Islam in Kismayo, Suna Waljameca has declared war on al Shabaab.

Among Islamic militant groups, Suna Waljameca is said to be the predominant force in Puntland. It is unknown how many secret Christians there are in Somalia – Compass sources indicate there are no more than 75, while The Economist magazine hedges its estimate at “no more than” 1,000 – but what is certain is that they are in danger from both extremist groups and Somali law. While proclaiming himself a moderate, President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has embraced a version of sharia that mandates the death penalty for those who leave Islam.

Christian ServantsIn 1994 Ali worked with the Belgium contingent of United Nations Operations in Somalia as a translator. The same year she was a translator during a peace conference aimed at bringing together warring clans in the lower Juba region. Her death follows the murders of several other Christians by Islamic extremists in the past year. Sources told Compass that a leader of Islamic extremist al Shabaab militia in Lower Juba identified only as Sheikh Arbow shot to death 46-year-old Mariam Muhina Hussein on Sept. 28 in Marerey village after discovering she had six Bibles. Marerey is eight kilometers (five miles) from Jilib, part of the neighboring Middle Juba region.

On Sept. 15, al Shabaab militants shot 69-year-old Omar Khalafe at a checkpoint they controlled 10 kilometers (six miles) from Merca, a Christian source told Compass. Al Shabaab controls much of southern Somalia, as well as other areas of the nation. Besides striving to topple President Ahmed’s Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu, the militants also seek to impose a strict version of sharia. In August al Shabaab extremists seeking evidence that a Somali man had converted from Islam to Christianity shot him dead near the Somali border with Kenya, sources said. The rebels killed 41-year-old Ahmed Matan in Bulahawa, Somalia on Aug. 18. In Mahadday Weyne, 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, al Shabaab Islamists on July 20 shot to death another convert from Islam, Mohammed Sheikh Abdiraman, at 7 a.m., eyewitnesses told Compass. The militants also reportedly beheaded seven Christians on July 10. Reuters reported that they were killed in Baidoa for being Christians and “spies.” On Feb. 21 al Shabaab militants beheaded two young boys in Somalia because their Christian father refused to divulge information about a church leader, according to Musa Mohammed Yusuf, the 55-year-old father who was living in a Kenya refugee camp when he spoke

BIBLICA INTRODUCES E-BOOKS

As the demand grows for digital books, Biblica, formerly IBS-STL, will now be offering e-book through authenticpublishing.com.
"Our passion is to equip the missional community with great content," said Biblica marketing director Mike Dworak on their Web site. "With our e-books, people anywhere in the world have the ability to select a book and be reading in seconds."
This new format will allow Biblica to impact even more of the Christian community. Digital formats will enable Christians to access titles in places where print costs are too expensive or Christian materials are restricted.
"Digital downloads can provide isolated believers with essential resources," according to Biblica's Web site.
These e-books are available in Kindle and MobiPocket formats, as well as PDF downloads. So far, Biblica already has more than 70 popular titles available.
"Although publishers worldwide have reported shrinking book sales during the global recession, e-book sales have been exploding," according to the Biblica.
As they celebrate their launch, Authentic Books is offering a free missions e-book at their Web site: "The Missional Mind," along with a free monthly e-newsletter and an excerpt from the new Operational World missions handbook.
In addition to this, all books come with a satisfaction guarantee, and if customers are unhappy, their books will be replaced for free.
"Digital media is increasingly in demand from consumers who want or need a nonprint book format," Dworak said. "Eventually we plan to have all of our titles available in digital format."
Authentic Publishing is a division of Biblica, and you can visit their Web site at authenticpublishing.com.
Biblica's vision, according to their Web site, "is to transform lives through God's Word by translating, producing and distributing Bibles, Scripture materials and other Christian resources through ministry, distribution and retail channels so people around the world may become disciples of Jesus Christ."
Visit Biblica.com for more information.

CROSS LIKE T-SHIRT DESIGN SPARKS CONTROVERSY IN PENN STATE UNIVERSITY

A blue, cross-like design emblazoned on T-shirts at Penn State University has some critics seeing red.
The shirts — intended to foster school spirit — sport a vertical blue line down the center with the words "Penn State White Out" emblazoned across the chest, forming a design that some say resembles a cross. The back of the shirt depicts the same blue line obscured by the words, "Don't be intimated … It's just me and 110,000 of my friends." Roughly 30,000 of the shirts have been sold.
Penn State says it has received six complaints about the shirt, including one from the Anti-Defamation League's Philadelphia branch, from people who say it connotes a Christian cross. The logo design also has become the focus of controversy in the student newspaper, "The Daily Collegian," which has received several letters to the editor on both sides of the issue.
Michal Berns, a junior majoring in media law and policy, said she refused to buy the $15 shirt because of its religious connotations.
"At first glance, you don't necessarily think that's what it looks like, but when you look at it more, it does look like a cross," Berns told Foxnews.com. "That's the reason I didn't purchase it."
Berns said students can purchase the shirts when they buy season tickets for the university's nationally ranked football program or during the football season at the campus bookstore and other stores. The shirts are typically worn at Penn State's annual "White Out" game, at which a crowd of 100,000 screaming Nittany Lions fans creates a virtual sea of white at Beaver Stadium.
While Berns acknowledged the shirt's single blue stripe resembles the stripe on the team's football helmet, she and others at the university's Hillel Jewish organization plan to show their school pride in other ways.
"There always has to be some sort of separation," said Berns, referring to the state-funded school and religious affiliation. "Me personally, I'm not going to buy the shirts and I know others at [Penn State Hillel] who won't, either."
Bill Mahon, vice president for university relations, said six people have contacted Penn State to voice their objections to the shirt's design.
"Six complaints is not a controversy," Mahon wrote Foxnews.com. "Students submit shirt designs to the student paper each year. Students then vote for their favorite design and they are sold in the campus bookstore."
Mahon said the design was based on the single blue stripe on the football team's helmets and will not be pulled from store shelves as some have asked. "The shirts have sold out and no changes are planned," he said.
Stephanie Bennis, a senior at the school, said she created the shirt's design in March with fellow public relations major Emily Sabolsky, and in no way did they intend to create religious overtones. Like Mahon, she said the single blue stripe is a nod to the university's football program.
"That was the entire idea," she said. "And all we thought was normally wording goes right across the chest. That's truly the reason why we did it."
Bennis said she was "very shocked" when she learned the university had received complaints about the design.
"It's just sad to see that in this day and age, the most offensive thing on a shirt can be what people see as a religious symbol," she said.
"Are we going to ban lowercase t's in the alphabet? Where do you draw the line?"
Barry Morrison, regional director of the Eastern Pennsylvania-Delaware region of the Anti-Defamation League, said the organization contacted Penn State officials last month after receiving a complaint regarding the shirt.
Morrison said the similarity to a cross appeared to "inadvertent and unintentional," but he acknowledged that some could take exception.
"This is not intended to be a cross," he said. "But some people clearly saw this connection and decided to complain about it."
Other students contacted by Foxnews.com said if there is a hidden religious message in the shirts, they haven't seen it.
"It's a little blown out of proportion," senior John Shoemaker said. "I kind of see where they're coming from, but I don't think it was designed as a religious statement."
Shoemaker, who purchased one of the shirts for $15 to wear at Penn State's loss to Iowa last month, said they're "relatively common" on the State College, Pa., campus.
Nick Mangus, a senior majoring in East Asian studies, described the controversy as "ridiculous" and said images of crosses can be seen virtually anywhere, even in "tiles on the floor."
"Honestly, I think it's basically people just trying to stir up controversy over something that's ridiculous," Mangus said. "If you don't want to buy it, don't buy it. It's that simple. You don't have to try and force everyone else to change their ways because you think it's offensive."

BARRED FROM FIELD , RELIGIOUS SIGNS MOVES TO STANDS

FORT OGLETHORPE, Ga. — In response to the Sept. 11 attacks, the football cheerleaders at a public high school here wanted to make the Bible a bigger part of Friday night games. So, to the delight of fans, they painted messages like “Commit to the Lord” on giant paper banners that the players charged through onto the field.

That eight-year-old tradition ended last month after a parent expressed concern that it could prompt a First Amendment lawsuit. Church and state were not sufficiently separate, the school district agreed, and the banners came down.
Now, a month later, the new policy has produced an unexpected result: more biblical verses than ever at football games, displayed not by cheerleaders but by fans sitting in the stands.
Startled and dismayed by the district’s policy, this town of 9,600 people has taken up the cause — and the signs — of the cheerleaders. Calling themselves Warriors for Christ, a twist on the school’s Warriors nickname, fans have held rallies at churches and a local polo field and sold more than 1,600 T-shirts bearing passages from Deuteronomy and Timothy.
On game nights, the stadium of the school, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High, just south of Chattanooga, is dotted with signs reading, “You Can’t Silence Us” and “Living Faith Outloud,” along with biblical verses. Even Caleb Wickersham, a 17-year-old atheist from nearby southern Tennessee, acknowledges that fans are exercising a legal right to free speech. “From an atheist’s standpoint, it’s frustrating because I don’t want more religion in my face,” Caleb said. “But it’s their constitutional right.”
The 15 cheerleaders on the varsity squad, most of them Baptist, had painted their banners with New Testament verses like “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me in Christ Jesus” (Philippians) and “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline” (II Timothy).
But after the school was cautioned about the risk of a constitutional challenge, the school board struck down the banners, drawing a flurry of attention from news organizations and even a reference on “Saturday Night Live.” The parent who contacted the school, Donna Jackson, is a graduate student at Liberty University, the evangelical Virginia institution founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Ms. Jackson, who had taken a law class, says she was just trying to protect the school from litigation.
Federal courts have ruled that public school students are free to promote their faith, but not in school-sponsored clubs. With salaried coaches and the school’s name on their uniforms, the cheerleaders would most likely be considered school-sponsored, said the district’s lawyers.
Constitutional experts agree. Charles C. Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center in Washington, said the cheerleaders could display biblical verses only if they were a student-led club and were not performing at a school-sponsored event.
But the backlash demonstrates the difficulty of separating church and state in communities, especially in the South, where many prefer the two merged.
Most of those in and around Fort Oglethorpe seem to disagree with the policy. More than 16,000 people have joined a Facebook group in support of the cheerleaders, while only 77 have joined a group favoring the ban.
A leading Republican candidate for governor, Insurance Commissioner John W. Oxendine, drove to the school to endorse the cheerleaders’ cause, and a Tennessee newspaper cartoonist depicted them painting a sign that said “Go Big Red!” with the G, O and D capitalized.
“It’s the Bible Belt,” said Jeff Porter, the owner of C & C Custom Tees, which has sold 800 shirts supporting the cheerleaders. “I understand that the majority doesn’t rule, but it seems unfair that one lady could complain and cause all of this to stop.”
Kaitlynn Corley, an 18-year-old cheerleader, said the ban had put a damper on her senior year, preventing her from singing “Jesus Loves You” with other fans. The new banners display secular messages like “We Love Our Seniors” and “Prepare, Compete, Finish” that she finds less inspirational.
“I’m a Christian, and I think it’s really neat to be part of a program that wasn’t afraid to express its beliefs,” Kaitlynn said. “We are representatives of the school, but we’re also individuals, and we have the right to believe whatever religion we want.”
Many Christians, however, said that in losing a battle, they had won a war. There are now more displays of religious belief at the games, and Tracey Reed, Kaitlynn’s mother, said students “who may never have even heard these Scriptures are thinking about them and maybe going home and looking them up in their Bibles.”
Before a game last Thursday, the football team prayed on the 50-yard line, huddling around the captain, Zack Lewis. “In Jesus's name!” he shouted as players in red helmets surged out of the huddle. It was a voluntary prayer, led by students, but all the players took part.
“God has prevailed on this issue,” said Brad Scott, a local youth minister. “It’s caused Christians who were silent before to stand up for what they believe in — to come to rallies, to meetings, to find out what’s happening in their government.”
Mr. Haynes, of the First Amendment Center, said the protesters had inadvertently served as actors in the proper workings of the First Amendment: they have failed to reverse the ban, but they have promoted Christianity within constitutional boundaries.
“They’ve just proven that Jefferson and Madison got it right,” he said. “It’s a reminder of the difference between religion that’s state-sponsored and religion that is vital, voluntary and robust.”
Many of the Warriors for Christ have stopped even asking the school board to reverse its decision. They understand the risks of a lawsuit, especially in a cash-short county. But the biblical quotations are seemingly here to stay.
“As far as I’m concerned, they’ll be with us at every game,” said Mark Humphrey, the father of a cheerleader. “Home or away.”

OCONOMOWOC MISSIONARY DIES IN PLANE CRASH

OCONOMOWOC - The West family has the kind of faith you don't see much these days. They gave up a job and a new house to do missionary work in Africa. After a plane crash took the life of Adam West last week, family and friends are once again finding strength through their faith.
It was six years ago that Adam and Carrie West found a new calling. "God called him and said, "I want you to be a missionary pilot," So Adam gave up his job at Briggs and Stratton, they sold their home," said friend Doug Harper. For years, Adam worked as a mechanic, training to be a pilot. The Wests were months away from realizing their dream, flying for missionaries in Zambia, Africa.
Then, last week, the unthinkable happened. Adam, 38, and his flight instructor were killed in a plane crash in Tennessee. The cause is still unknown. "This has kind of rocked our worlds. I remember when we all got the call, we were just stunned. This isn't what we expected," said Luke Dye, senior pastor at White Stone Community Church in Oconomowoc. On Sunday night, friends at White Stone Community Church remembered West at a harvest festival. They now hope to help Adam's wife Carrie and their children, 6-year-old Micah and 2-year-old Holly. "Literally, they gave up everything. Everything they had was what they fit in their car," Dye said. The church is hoping to raise funds to help the West family in their time of need. They are asking anyone who can to donate for the family.

THE PRIESTS - A CLASSICAL MUSIC GROUP WITH A DIFFERENCE

The Priests are:

· Father Eugene O’ Hagan, aged 50, of the Parish of Ballyclare and Ballygowan: Church of The Sacred Heart and Church of The Holy Family. Diocese of Down and Connor
· Father Martin O’ Hagan, aged 46, of the Parish of Cushendun: Church of St. Patrick (Craigagh), Church of St. Mary, The Star of the Sea (Culraney). Diocese of Down and Connor
· Father David Delargy, aged 46 of the Parish of Hannahstown: Church of St. Joseph and Church of St. Peter, the Rock , Diocese of Down and Connor

Accolades to date:
Global music phenomenon of the year with more than 2 million copies of their debut album sold worldwide
Bigger than Pavarotti - The Priests was the fastest selling classical debut album of all time – an official Guiness World Record holder.
Press highlights include Time magazine, Observer Music Monthly, UK broadsheets and national TV
They have pledged never to give up their "day jobs"
The Priests are a classical musical group made up of Fr Eugene O’Hagan, Fr Martin O’Hagan and Fr David Delargy. The trio met for the first time at St MacNissi’s College, County Antrim, and quickly realised their musical prowess as a singing trio. Singing was both part of prayer plus, in their spare time, they performed in local operas, musicals and choirs.
The Priests continued following their vocational training at The Seminary in Belfast and concluded their training at the revered Irish College in Rome after studying there for a total of 16 years between them. It was in Rome that their combined and rare talent was recognised, signified by the invitation of the Pope’s private secretary, the Papal Master of Ceremonies, to sing for the Pope in the sacred liturgy.
The Priests talent was soon recognised by Nick Raphael, a Sony Music record label head, and they signed to the label for a £1Million contract on the steps of Westminster Abbey in April 2008. The Priests were adamant to never allow their music commitments to stand in the way of their day jobs and parish obligations, and this is written into their contract.
The Priests debut performance was a spectacular event in Northern Ireland’s Armagh Cathedral in September 2008 where they sang a collection of classical and religious songs for a packed cathedral as well as for film cameras that were later to be broadcast coast to coast on the United States PBS channel. The concert was later released on DVD and soon became a best seller.
Their debut album, The Priests, was produced by legend Mike Hedges and Sally Herbet and released in Ireland on the 14th November 2008 by Epic Records. Globally it sold almost 2 million copies in more than 40 countries and topped the charts in Ireland, going platinum seven times over, as well as making the top tens in album charts and hitting platinum in countries as diverse as Spain, Norway and Sweden. To mark the album release an ITV documentary was broadcast detailing their extraordinary rise from obscurity to global stardom.
The Priests have since scooped the Guinness World Record for ‘Fastest-selling UK debut for a classical act’ and been nominated for a Classical Brit. They have played in venues across the world, playing live to 3,000 people in Sydney and to 6,000 people at a homecoming gig in June 2009. Other accolades include a personal invitation to sing for The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall as well as starting out their tour with a performance in the presence of HM The and Mary McAleese, the President of Ireland at a huge peace and reconciliation charity.
Their rise to global stardom has been documented across the world’s print including headline features in the Washington Post, Time Magazine and Observer Music Monthly and they have appeared in TV shows across the world with artists from Tom Jones to The Killers including the BBC’s coveted Jonathan Ross show and the News at Ten with Sir Trevor MacDonald.
Their second album, Harmony, is out on the 23rd November by Sony label Epic. The album will feature tracks such as The Lord’s Prayer and Amazing Grace and will be released once again by Sony label, Epic.

COMPLETE HARMONY FOR THE SINGING PRIESTS - A CLASSICAL MUSICAL GROUP WITH A DIFFERENCE

The Priests, the singing global superstars who broke the Guinness world record for the fastest selling classical debut album of all time, are releasing their second album in November. The album, entitled Harmony, will feature tracks such as The Lord’s Prayer and Amazing Grace and will be released once again by Sony label, Epic.
The Priests, brothers Fathers Martin and Eugene O’Hagan and Father David Delargy, were young school friends when they first sang together at the age of 12 (Martin and David) and 15 (Eugene). Their love of singing continued whilst studying for the priesthood in Rome. Once ordained, all three took up parish commitments. Singing was both part of prayer plus, in their spare time, they performed in local operas, musicals and choirs. In February 2008, a record company scout knocked on their door and asked them to make a demo. The rest, as they say is history. The Priests never allow their music commitments to stand in the way of their day jobs and parish obligations. So adamant are they that their priestly duties must come first, their recording contract stipulates that they will never be asked to put record promotion ahead of their pastoral work.
Since signing the £ million contract on the steps of Westminster Cathedral in April 2008, the Priests have enjoyed phenomenal global success. The release of their first album The Priests lead to them being nominated for a Classical Brit. If that wasn’t enough they have given one off performances to The President of Ireland, The Prince Of Wales and The Duchess Of Cornwall and last but no means least, Her Majesty The Queen.
The full time Priests and part time pop stars have performed live shows in Australia, the UK, America, Canada and Ireland, been front page news in some of the world’s largest publications, including Time magazine and The Washington Post. They have appeared on TV shows across the world with artists from Tom Jones to The Killers and made whistle stop visits to over 17 countries. They have even been interviewed by Jonathan Ross on his coveted prime time chat show as well as making the 10 o’ clock news with Sir Trevor McDonald. Their attraction then is evident, but Harmony proves once again that their talent is their most enduring feature and that 30 years of practising paid off.