Yes, i am, yet we really do have to be on our guard as Howard and his mob are doing their best to emulate the American in every way from sycophantic subservience to and misguided reflection of the exploitive and obnoxious foreign policy of the good old U.S.A.
Group won't reveal PM's message staff writers and wires January 19, 2007 01:16pm NEWS.com.au
THE Prime Minister has been caught in a religious row after taping a goodwill message for a fundamentalist Christian group previously accused of inciting anti-Islamic hatred.
The Prime Minister has appeared in a DVD message for a major multi-denomination gathering ..
HOW MANY DIFFERENT CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS ARE THERE? Have read there are 33000 different christian sects(not checked).
What is the difference between a denomination and a sect?
Anyhow, here is a sample of a number of different Christian denominations ..
# African Methodist Episcopal (1) # African Methodist Episcopal Zion (2) # African Orthodox Church (1) # American Baptist Churches USA (4)
The Northern Baptist Convention was organized in 1907. Its creation was largely prompted by a need for coordination among the many Baptist mission agencies which then existed. During the early 20th century, the denomination survived a bitter conflict between internal liberal and conservative elements. The battles centered about Higher Criticism, the belief that the Bible should be analyzed as a historical document, including a study of the sources used by its authors.
It changed its name in 1950 to the American Baptist Convention, and again in 1973 to its ]present name, the American Baptist Churches in the USA. They are located at Valley Forge, PA where they also operate a publishing arm, Judson Press. They have about 1.5 million members in 4800 congregations distributed among 34 regional jurisdictions.
At their biennial meeting in 1991 asked that a task force be created to "guide us in our personal and collective thinking and spiritual development of a Christian perspective on sexuality". In their contacts with local congregations, they found that homosexuality was not a major item of concern. ..BUT, BUT BUTT .. The membership had apparently reached the consensus that although human sexuality is a gift of God, that homosexual behavior was incompatible with Christianity. They affirm supportive friendships that are emotionally intimate, but reserve genital sexuality to monogamous, heterosexual couples within a legal marriage. Their final report and bibliography does not even have a section on gay and lesbian issues; the latter are only mentioned indirectly as they relate to other sexual topics, such as celibacy, marriage, etc. The books that they recommend conclude that gays and lesbians should either change their sexual orientation, or remain celibate.
# Amish (24) # Anabaptist (4) # Anglican Catholic Church@ # Anglican Church (136) # Antiochian Orthodox@ # Armenian Evangelical Church (1) # Armenian Orthodox@ # Assemblies of God (21) # Associated Gospel Churches of Canada@ # Association of Vineyard Churches (5)
LINKS FOR ALL AND MULTI MORE, INSIDE .. all the denominations anyone could handle.
.. in Melbourne on Australia Day that is being sponsored by the controversial Catch the Fire ministries.
Organisers are refusing to release the content of the Prime Minister's message, other than to confirm it was on "Australian values" - saying anyone interested in hearing it will have to come to the event.
But it has been reported that in the message, Mr Howard says Christianity has been a force for good in the world. A spokesman for the PM has said Mr Howard does not regret recording the message.
The PM's decision has been described as "dangerous". Muslim community leaders said Mr Howard risked legitimising hateful anti-Islamic views.
Yasser Soliman, a member of Mr Howard's Muslim Community Reference Group and a former president of the Islamic Council of Victoria, said today while Mr Howard is free to address whom he chooses, he should have thought twice.
"What he says is extremely influential and what he fails to say is also influential. I would hope that he would clearly condemn hate speeches in all their forms, irrespective of who the perpetrators are," he said.
"I can't stop the Prime Minister addressing who he wants to, but he should be very cautious, especially with groups which have a history of toxic-hate speech."
Last month the Victorian Court of Appeal threw out the charges brought in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal which had sought to jail Pastor Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot for allegedly inciting hatred, contempt, revulsion and ridicule of Muslims.
The outcry comes as federal police launched an investigation into inflammatory comments by Sydney's Sheik Feiz Mohammed, which included a description of Jews as pigs and calls for children to die as "martyrs of faith".
Friday's Christian rally .. I THOUGHT IT WAS at Melbourne's Festival Hall is expected to attract up to 5000 people of various denominations.
Mr Howard is being promoted in flyers as delivering a keynote message which will be "personally directed to Catch the Fire ministries".
The rally will also say prayers against terrorism, for divine protection for Australia's armed forces and for the Government, according to organisers.
IN 2007 SOME HAVE NOT MOVED FAR IN THE LAST FEW THOUSAND YEARS AND ARE STILL PSYCHICALLY DISEMBOWELED BY AGED SPIRITS AND DOGMA OF THE UNCO COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS.
Pastor Nalliah, one of two Catch the Fire ministers charged with breaking state vilification laws in 2002, has refused to divulge what Mr Howard has said in his recorded message for fear it will be taken out of context.
"I have kept it confidential up until Australia Day," he said.
"The best thing is for the media to come and listen to it firsthand on Australia Day, then say what they believed they heard the Prime Minister said."
He said the event involves a wide range of religious groups including the Salvation Army, Presbyterian and Anglican churches and smaller organisations.
IT IS CURIOUS TO ME that the authors did not write a wide range of CHRISTIAN groups ..
"It's about coming together to pray for a nation and I think it's a great opportunity," he said.
Pastor Nalliah said Treasurer Peter Costello, Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaille and former deputy PM John Anderson had addressed Catch the Fire meetings in the past.
Islamic Council of Victoria board member Waleed Aly described Catch the Fire as "spectacularly ignorant", claiming its members were in alliance with the far-Right League of Rights.
Amid the fallout of Sheik Feiz's lecture DVD becoming public, Acting Attorney-General Kevin Andrews said the Government was worried about a pattern of behavior among outspoken Islamic leaders.
Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd called the sheik's rant obscene and demanded action.
"As I see it, Sheik Mohammed's comments add up to an incitement to terrorism," Mr Rudd said.
Mr Howard is in Brisbane today for the funeral of Liberal stalwart Sir James Killen.
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