Olive Tree Genealogy Blog: Irish Times Archives 1859-2009 FREE until April 5

Olive Tree Genealogy Blog: Irish Times Archives 1859-2009 FREE until April 5

A Response to Wesley Hill’s “Will the Church be the Church for Homosexual Christians?” � Bekah’s Weblog

A Response to Wesley Hill’s “Will the Church be the Church for Homosexual Christians?” � Bekah’s Weblog: "There is a simple truth about human sexuality, and its implications apply to any sexual sin— pedophilia, rape, adultery, lust, homosexuality, even self-centered sex within a marriage—God created man in His good and perfect Image. He then created woman— equally made in His Image— and instituted the marriage relationship as the very good and perfect union within humanity that would reflect the unified diversity and intimacy of the relationship present within the Triune God. The problem is not within God or His creation. The problem is that mankind has found a plethora of ways to pervert God’s one perfect plan for human sexuality."

News - South Africa: Niehaus has no degree: report

News - South Africa: Niehaus has no degree: report: "Former ANC spokesperson Carl Niehaus does not have a doctor's degree in theology as claimed, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.

According to Beeld newspaper, Niehaus did not get a doctor's degree in theology from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, as he had claimed. This was during his stint as South Africa's ambassador in Den Haag."

Something of an exaggeration, suggesting that he had no degree, when he did.

The National Interest � Blog Archive � Carl Niehaus, Shack-dweller & Mbeki

The National Interest � Blog Archive � Carl Niehaus, Shack-dweller & Mbeki: "I tried to make sense of the tragedy that is Carl Niehaus. I could not help but remember the man who hardly gets remembered these days: Thabo Mbeki. And while I thought of Mbeki and his lecture on the pursuit of wealth at all costs, I read an SMS posted on TV during a debate about the 2009 elections.

A viewer posted a commentary which stated: “Someone who parks a BMW outside his shack…and the shack spots a DSTV dish…is that person poor?” The question could have been asked of Carl. How did he decide to rent a R3 million mansion for R45 000 a month while he had a string of debts around his neck dating back years?"

Niehaus blames prison

East Coast Radio Newswatch: "Former ANC spokesman Carl Niehaus’ current “personal situation” was the effects of his “time spent in prison for his principled opposition to apartheid”, his lawyer said earlier today.

Niehaus was seeking professional help, his attorney, Ian Small Smith, said in a statement."

Andy Borowitz: Obama's Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy

Andy Borowitz: Obama's Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy: "In the first two weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say.

Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama's appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tic, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.

But Mr. Obama's decision to use complete sentences in his public pronouncements carries with it certain risks, since after the last eight years many Americans may find his odd speaking style jarring."

News - South Africa: Woman tells of trauma of muthi claims

News - South Africa: Woman tells of trauma of muthi claims: "Vusi Sixikixa 19 Monwabisi Jali 25 and Sonwabile 'Sbhamu' Qhosha 24 have appeared in court charged with the murders. The case was postponed to May 8. 'Of course the lies are spread by people who know what they are doing. But it doesn t stop ordinary people from believing them ' said Dlongolo. 'It is very sad. If human parts were found in my tavern freezer why was I not arrested and charged I asked people to produce the body parts and tell me what had been done with them. No one has come forward and yet the rumours keep getting worse. 'If I was really a mastermind why have those boys who confessed to the murders not implicated me The police are under pressure to arrest the killers and they would have jailed me and announced they had caught the big fish.' '"

Anglican Wanderings: If You Think This is the Future, Look Away Now!

Anglican Wanderings: If You Think This is the Future, Look Away Now!: "If yes, it's pretty easy, most of them like new people joining and especially would love an ex-Anglican or Roman Priest to join. If no, then avoid GAFCON like the plague, because all the groups listed above are in full, equal communion with them. READ ALL ABOUT IT. I have said before that GAFCON do not share our faith or morals, our sacraments or understanding of the scriptures and that they are (and this is not a criticism, they are as welcome to their views as we are to ours) not, in any recognisable way, Catholic. We would make our bed with them at our absolute peril and at the danger of the destruction of ourselves and our realignment with a body as unconcerned with apostolic succession as they are with the sanctity of the Sacraments."

ORTHODOXY IN THE 21st CENTURY: PERSONALISM: a brief critique

ORTHODOXY IN THE 21st CENTURY: PERSONALISM: a brief critique: "While one cannot consent to the theology expressed in Personalism, it is an admirable philosophy, and since it includes the wonderful Dorothy Day, at least some of its adherents actually put its concepts into real practice. My critique is with regards to the theological precepts, not the philosophical concepts, and certainly not a critique of those self-less people who put those concepts into practice."

Sword in the Fire: Acts 6 - Stephen and the First Deacons

Sword in the Fire: Acts 6 - Stephen and the First Deacons: "Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, & Nicolas were chosen by the Apostles as the first deacons. Although the word deacon never appears in this passage, it seems apparent based on later descriptions of the diaconate. Also Church tradition looks to this as the origin of the office of deacon.

Here are a summary of the lives of these men after they were chosen (taken from the OCA website)."

Yosuke YANASE on TEFL and general affairs: Keywords for Prof. Alastair Pennycook's Critical Applied Linguistics #3

Yosuke YANASE on TEFL and general affairs: Keywords for Prof. Alastair Pennycook's Critical Applied Linguistics #3: "Keywords for Prof. Alastair Pennycook's Critical Applied Linguistics #3
1.2 Hisitorical / political terms

1.2.1 Enlightenment

A dictionary definition of the Enlightenment is 'a philosophic movement of the 18th century characterized by an untrammeled but frequently uncritical use of reason, a lively questioning of authority and traditional doctrines and values, a tendency toward individualism, and an emphasis on the idea of universal human progress and on the empirical method in science.' (Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary)."

phislosophical definitions, with useful web links. Includes liberalism, Marxism, feminism -- good summaries

How pluralism distorts biblical salvation

How pluralism distorts biblical salvation: "A clear definition of postmodernism can be elusive. One might say the view of postmodernism is characterized by irrationality of thought. Instead of saying a thing is either black or white, postmodernism says a thing can be black and white at the same time. Or, though a thing is obviously white, it can be non-white at the same time. The definition of postmodernism can be just as slippery as the phenomenon it attempts to label."

Postmodernism from a conservative evangelical Protestant point of view.

A fairly well-argued position.

Humanist weddings grow in popularity in Scotland | Ekklesia

Humanist weddings grow in popularity in Scotland | Ekklesia: "The recent growth in humanist marriages in Scotland means they have overtaken Episcopal ceremonies for the first time, say organisers of the ceremonies. Since they were first made legal their number rose from 82 in 2005 to 710 in 2007.

The Humanist Society of Scotland (HSS) now says it expects to marry over 1,000 couples this year and predicts it will help 1,500 more to tie the knot in 2009, reports Scotland on Sunday newspaper."

Northern KwaZulu-Natal Courier, Dundee: Dundee man’s important, relevant book

Northern KwaZulu-Natal Courier, Dundee: Dundee man’s important, relevant book: "RA Burns ran the local newspaper, The Northern Natal Courier. A family friend, Mr DL Paul, worked there for years.
The Savoy cinema and Murugan Talkies were our weekend entertainment. I worshipped at St James Anglican Church.

I remember, as a boy, Reverend Tomes and later, Reverend Ivor Glass. Our Sunday school teacher was George Robson, Evan Jones, our youth mentor, guided us in our Youth Group on Friday evenings.

On Sunday, we window-shopped and enjoyed the company of family and friends."

Contact Online Weblog: Why Postmodernism and the Emerging Church threaten Missions and World Evangelism

Contact Online Weblog: Why Postmodernism and the Emerging Church threaten Missions and World Evangelism: "I am told that there are Anglican churches here in South Africa embracing this new deviation of the Christian faith. which, as I understand it so far, seems to be a kind of neo-liberalism. There is more on the site linked below on the Emerging Church which may be of interest to readers"

BlogExplosion - Puppy And Dog Training Secrets..

BlogExplosion - Puppy And Dog Training Secrets..

Presbyterian Gal: MICHELANGELO GOES HOME

Presbyterian Gal: MICHELANGELO GOES HOME: "After a two year visit to the United States, Michelangelo's David goes home to Italy"

Sub Ratione Dei

Sub Ratione Dei: "Most will by know of seen, or at least heard of Sarah Palin’s remarks on the occasion of attending a graduation service for Wasilla Assembles of God Church. This is not a post about Palin. The truth is I am highly suspicious when politicians refer to their faith, I do not know whether Palin’s religion is genuine of a ploy. However, if a ploy then this is just as concerning for it indicates something of pentecostalism’s current identity crisis."

World's Most Successful AIDS Prevention Programme in Uganda "Sabotaged" by Western "Experts"

World's Most Successful AIDS Prevention Programme in Uganda "Sabotaged" by Western "Experts": "World's Most Successful AIDS Prevention Programme in Uganda 'Sabotaged' by Western 'Experts'
Western advisors used their control of international funding to force a change in direction to condoms and casual sex

By Hilary White

KAMPALA, Uganda, July 11, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - While the US Senate considers a proposal to allocate US$50 million more for AIDS prevention programmes, one Ugandan expert says it will be wasted money if the attitudes of the Western AIDS prevention community towards AIDS transmission do not change. In a column appearing in the Washington Post on June 30, one of Uganda's leading AIDS prevention experts called on the Western 'experts' to 'Let my people go.'"

PAF-LUG BLOG: GenCircles & MyHeritage Merge

PAF-LUG BLOG: GenCircles & MyHeritage Merge: "We have a very exciting announcement to share with you! Pearl Street Software, maker of GenCircles and Family Tree Legends, has merged with MyHeritage.com. In the first of many positive developments that will come from this merger, Family Tree Legends and GenCircles are now 100% free!"