The Anglican Bishop of Colombo is appealing to the world’s Christians to pray that the Sri Lanka

The Anglican Bishop of Colombo is appealing to the world’s Christians to pray that the Sri Lankan parliament rejects proposals that would significantly boost the powers of the government and president.

Politicians are voting on the Bill today, which if passed would end the restriction on the number of terms the president can serve, currently set at two. The change would clear the way for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to seek office again in 2016.

It would also hand him substantial powers, including the freedom to appoint the heads of key commissions, including the elections, judicial and police commissions.

Bishop Duleep de Chickera is among the opponents who fear that the country’s fragile democracy will be thrown into jeopardy if the changes are approved.

He said many people in Sri Lanka were “deeply alarmed” by the proposals and that they would signal a “step backwards” for the country.

“It will inevitably lead to a further, dangerous politicisation of our national institutions and a speedier, destructive erosion of our already fragile democratic culture,” he said.

“It is therefore imperative that parliament rejects this Bill, and that all who value democratic freedom in the country voice their objection to it.”

Bishop de Chickera called on the government to uphold the 17th Amendment, which protects the independence of the various commissions.

He said: “It is only after this amendment is given a chance to impact on our shared national life that we will be able to assess the need for any further democratic constitutional amendments.”

President Rajapaksa won nearly 60 per cent of the vote when he was elected for a second time in January. He enjoys strong support among the Sinhalese majority as it was during his first term in office that a 25-year insurgency by Tamil Tiger rebels was brought to an end.

The government is expected to secure the two-thirds majority vote needed to pass the Bill after the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a referendum would not be necessary to make the constitutional changes.

Bishop de Chickera accused the government of rushing the Bill through parliament and said that it must provide “adequate space” for public debate on any future proposed amendments.

“It is when the people are properly informed of the pros and cons of constitutional change, and given a chance to participate in this process and make informed decisions, that democracy prevails and our legislators fulfil their obligations,” he said.

“The political freedom that our legislators are endowed with is determined by the democratic rights and aspirations of the people.

“To disregard these obligations amounts to a misappropriation of the people’s trust.”

10 arrested in Indonesia over attack on church leaders

Police in Indonesia have arrested 10 suspects in connection to Sunday’s attack of two church leaders, authorities reported on Wednesday.

Among the ten is Murhali Barda, head of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI)’s chapter in Bekasi, who police brought in for questioning on Tuesday.

Barda is suspected of inciting Sunday’s attack on the Rev. Luspida Simandjunktak and church elder Hasean Lumbantoruan Sihombing, who were ambushed as they were going to church at around 9am.

After stabbing Sihombing and striking Simandjuntak on the head with a wooden plank, the seven or so attackers reportedly fled the scene on their motorcycles. Both church leaders were then rushed to Mitra Keluarga Hospital in East Bekasi for treatment, where Sihombing remains in critical condition.

The attacks prompted a quick response from Indonesia's president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who immediately called on authorities to investigate and hold accountable those responsible.

Yudhoyono, who relies heavily on Islamic parties in parliament, has been widely criticised for failing to crack down on Islamic hard-liners, who were immediately suspected of carrying out Sunday's attacks.

While most people in Indonesia practice a moderate form of Islam and abhor violence, attacks on religious freedom by hardliners have been steadily increasing, according to human rights groups.

According to the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, there have been 64 incidents this year, ranging from physical abuse to preventing groups from performing prayers and burning houses of worship. In 2009, there were only 18, and in 2008 only 17.

Earlier this month, members from the same church as Sunday’s attack victims - Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP) - were also assaulted. According to reports, at least 300 members of the Islamic People’s Forum and the Islamic Defenders Front broke through a police barricade on August 8 and ordered 20 members of the HKBP church meeting in Ciketing.

When the church members refused, the protesters reportedly assaulted the group with sticks, stones or their bare hands. Some of the church members required hospital treatment.

The previous Sunday, around 300 Muslim protesters and 300 police officers surrounded members of the HKBP as they worshipped in the open field, and one protester hit Pastor Simanjuntak on the cheek, reported Compass Direct News.

For around years now, the 1,500-large HKBP has been waiting for local officials to respond to a building permit application filed in 2006. When Muslim neighbors in December 2009 objected to the meetings in a housing complex on the grounds that the church had no permit, officials banned church members from meeting there.

With its building permit application delayed, the church disregarded the ban, leading officials to seal the building on June 20.

About two weeks later, Bekasi Mayor Mochtar Mohammad reportedly said he would allow the congregation to meet in public areas or at the city hall. Simanjuntak, in response, moved worship to the proposed building site.

HKBP has since filed a case against the Bekasi administration, insisting that government officials must grant a permit to the church for its Christian activities in accordance with the constitutional rights of all Indonesians

In addition to being the world's third-largest democracy and the world's largest archipelagic state, Indonesia is home to the world's largest Muslim population.

Muslims account for 86.1 per cent of Indonesia's population of 240 million. Protestant Christians, meanwhile, account for 5.7 per cent, and Roman Catholics 3 per cent.

The Imperials, the legendary vocal group announced September 9 that they have reunited for their first studio album of all new material in over a deca

The Classic Imperials officially announced September 9 that they have reunited for their first studio album of all new material in over a decade.

The new album, 'Still Standing,' will be released October 19 by Hall of Fame Music Group and Infinity Music Distribution (a division of Central South Distribution).

As The Imperials, the legendary vocal group has stayed in the forefront of Christian music for the last five decades, winning four Grammy Awards and 17 Dove Awards, including the inaugural Male Group of the Year award in 1969 and the first ever Artist of the Year award in 1981. In 1998, they were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

But The Imperials are well known to music lovers far outside the spectrum of just Christian and Gospel music, thanks in part to the years they spent backing Elvis Presley on tour and in Las Vegas (as seen in the 1970 documentary film 'Elvis: That’s the Way It Is').

These days, the group is comprised of a rock solid line-up of founding member Armond Morales (bass), 29-year veteran Dave Will (baritone/lead), popular alumni Paul Smith (tenor/lead) and new member Rick Evans (tenor/lead), who has travelled extensively with Billy Graham, Harvest Crusades, Promise Keepers and more.

Unlike most reunion records and tours, The Classic Imperials aren’t just cashing in on the oldies, but are genuinely determined to uplift listeners from all walks of life while remaining a vital vocal and musical force.

“We’re not out here doing this because we can’t make a living doing something else or because we can’t pay our bills,” assures Morales.

“We have four individual voices that people have enjoyed over the years, but now we have a new dynamic together that we want people to hear and are confident that they’re going to enjoy it. God’s given so much to us and we want to give it back to our audience.”

For 'Still Standing,' the group enlisted production help from country sensation Michael Peterson and Nashville heavyweight Ric Web. “This batch of songs is real and relevant, which is meant to appeal to those who’ve walked with us before, plus newer and younger fans,” says Smith. “'Still Standing' is more song driven than sound driven.”

“Our motivation was to do an album that wasn’t necessarily geared to the Christian market even though we’re a gospel group,” reveals Will. “These songs could definitely be played on pop or country radio and reach outside the church. A song like ‘Something’s Wrong with the World’ really speaks to what’s going on in the world today, though we’re reminding people to ‘hold onto God’s unchanging hand.’”

“The Imperials have always been a big melting pot when it comes to their audiences,” notes Evans, who was a lifelong friend and colleague before joining the group. “We all have different subcultures and denominations from the church, but because of our history and the secular acclaim the group had and has, we also have an additional group of people that might not normally listen to Christian music. We’re four guys who are living for the Lord and who want to serve Him, but we also want to meet people wherever they’re at and let the music do the talking.”

“People have referred to the group as pioneers in the sense that the music’s pushed in directions that many others didn’t, and in that regard, the group’s been successful for all these years,” observes Smith. “Though that diligence continues, we’re not as much concerned with our role in the history of Christian music or contemporary music in general. We were more concerned about putting this project together for the impact it would have on people. Past or present, changing lives is still what The Classic Imperials are all about.”

India’s president is being pressed to protect Christians in the country’s northern Kashmir region

india’s president is being pressed to protect Christians in the country’s northern Kashmir region after a mob burned down the oldest school there and also attacked other Christian institutions nearby.

“I am pained to state that though the local authorities were informed about a possible attack … no protection was provided,” stated the Rt Rev Pradeep Kumar Samantaroy in a message to President Pratibha Patil.

“You are aware that the Christians in the State of Jammu and Kashmir are a tiny minority who always live and serve under stressful and sometimes threatening situations,” the Church of North India bishop added Wednesday. “The present situation has made the Christians in Jammu and Kashmir feel very insecure.”

On Monday, hundreds of Muslims in the divided region of Kashmir took to the streets in violent protest over the reported desecration of Korans in the United States.

Around two dozen people reportedly died in the clash that ensued between police and protesters, and the Tangmarg Tyndale Biscoe branch school was burned to ashes.

The school, which is managed by Samantaroy’s diocese, the Diocese of Amristar, had been providing education to 550 children from 150 villages around the town of Tangmarg. It had been founded in 1996 by the Tyndale-Biscoe & Mallinson School Educational Society to cater for those in the economically deprived sectors of the community.

After Monday night, however, the three-storey wooden building was completely destroyed by the fire that was set by an angry mob, which was responding to reports of a man in the United States who desecrated the Koran over the weekend.

In a statement on Thursday, the activist who helped to organise the action against the Koran said his group was “truly sad” to hear of the deaths that followed their demonstration in front of the White House on Saturday, but said that to blame them for the violence was "ludicrous”.

“Such logic is like saying that a woman who is abused by her boyfriend or husband is guilty of bringing violence on herself because she said or did something that irritated him,” stated Randall Terry, who founded the anti-abortion organisation Operation Rescue.

In addition to the Tungmarg Tyndale Biscoe branch school in Kashmir, other Christian institutions also came under attack, including the Roman Catholic Good Shepherd High School at Pulwama that was also set on fire and the Church of North India hospital at Anantnag that was stormed by protestors, two of whom were shot and killed by security forces.

“Today the school, the pride of the children who studied here and the staff who have put everything into the school, is a heap of ashes. I cannot express my own shock and sense of loss,” reported Rahinder Kaul, headmaster of Tungmarg Tyndale Biscoe, according to the Anglican Communion News Service.

“[M]any, many students broke down completely while talking to me,” he added. “Theirs is by far the biggest loss.”

Aside from the loss of property, Samantaroy said the burning of the school building caused “irreparable damage to the sentiments of the Christian Community.”

According to estimates, Christians number around 25,000 in Kashmir, 15,000 of which are Catholic.

Worry and Stress Relief for Financial

Frank and Dawn Matthews own a successful sod and seeding company. They specialize in commercial jobs. They bid on contracts and often get them. But the Matthews admit when they first started seeing green, they were foolish about spending the money.

“Things that we wanted to do, we’d just go out and do it,” says Frank.

“We were buying cars, we were taking trips, eating out a lot … just spending money like it was endless,” adds Dawn.

But when the economy took a downturn, job contracts were hard to get.

Dawn says, “We were beginning to get behind some bills two months behind, some bills three months behind. The bills were coming in and stacking up and the money wasn’t. I was paralyzed with fear.”

The Matthews used credit cards to keep the business open. Soon they had $35,000 on plastic in addition to business bills they couldn’t pay.

“Life started becoming very difficult,” says Frank. “I was not sleeping, I was in fear, I was stressed and I was really struggling to get out of bed every day. I just felt like a failure.”

Frank prayed and asked God what was wrong. He says he felt God was telling him his priorities were out of line.

“I just knew that the Lord wanted me to repent. And I said, ‘God, I want to live for you.' I felt His spirit and God restored my life that day,” remembers Frank.

He began to pray for guidance. At the same time, Dawn started watching The 700 Club.

“We’ve always respected Pat and his wisdom. And he’d teach about tithing. I knew that was something that we should be doing and we were out of God’s will.

They not only began tithing to CBN, they also cut up their credit cards.

“When we cut the cards, it was a celebration. It just felt so good. A feeling I had not felt in a long time.”

And the Matthews started to see a change.

“Work started picking up. Checks would come in that we did not expect to come in. The phone was ringing. People were calling on jobs we quoted in the past and people would say, ‘Hey I’ve got this job and we want you to come out and start immediately.' Our lives were really starting to get exciting again."

Dawn and Frank continued to tithe and decided to give over and above their tithe. Six months after they increased their giving to CBN, the Matthews landed their largest seeding contract ever … nearly $1.5 million.

“We were so excited,” says Dawn. “We jumped up and down, praise God! We’ve got a chance at life again. We were being obedient and God was blessing that. And we just wanted to do more and more and more!”

2009 has been one of the best seasons for the Matthews. They hope to have their credit cards paid off by the end of the year.

“If you are struggling with your life and your finances and you just don’t see a way out, I would just encourage you to become obedient to the Lord and start tithing,” says Frank. “When we are obedient, He is going to bless us for that.”

The Matthews saw the rewards of applying the Law of Reciprocity — "Give and it shall be given to you" — by giving to CBN. Here is your chance to give to the Lord and see your dollars bring truth to hurting people: feed and clothe needy children; keep The 700 Club Prayer Counseling Center phone lines operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and provide medical care to those who need a tangible touch of God's love. Become a CBN partner today!

Stephen Hawking's Leap of Faith - New Book Said God is unnecessary after all.

Western culture has an undeniable fascination with scientists, and with good reason. Patiently using the scientific method, they have brought us many good things, from the telephone to the airplane to antibiotics. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many of the world’s first scientists were Christians who were seeking to discover not whether God created, but how he created the universe. Because science is based on the premise that God created an orderly universe. And the scientific method was a Christian contribution to our civilization. But later some scientists, in their pursuit to find the Holy Grail, began to question the God hypothesis. Many today (at least the most outspoken among them) have become determined atheists, insisting that science makes the God hypothesis unnecessary.

Christian School in Kashmir Attacked Over Reported Quran Desecrations

Hundreds of Muslims in the divided region of Kashmir took to the streets Monday night in violent protest over the reported desecration of Qurans in the United States.

Over a dozen people have reportedly died in the clash that ensued between police and protesters, and a Christian private school was set ablaze in the volatile Himalayan region.

While violence and protests in Kashmir have been ongoing since June, Monday’s protests shifted from India’s rule over the disputed region to anti-Quran actions in the United States, where footage was taken of demonstrators tearing out pages from Islam's sacred text over the weekend.

A Kashmiri protester is silhouetted as they shout slogans during a late night protest on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Monday, Sept. 13, 2010. Indian forces battled Kashmiri protesters in the streets of the disputed territory Monday in demonstrations fueled in part by a report of a Quran being desecrated in the United States.

Judge Strikes Down Don't Ask, Don't Tell . Military Homosexual cover up.

The "don't ask, don't tell" policy infringes the fundamental rights of United States servicemembers and is unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips concluded that the Clinton-era policy that bars gays from serving openly in the military violates the First and Fifth Amendments. She said she will issue an order barring enforcement of the policy.

Disappointed by the ruling, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins commented, "Once again, homosexual activists have found a judicial activist who will aid in the advancement of their agenda. This is a decision for Congress that should be based upon the input of the men and women who serve and those who lead them."

Report Reveals Salaries of Megachurch Pastors

The average salary for a lead pastor in a megachurch is $147,000, according to a recent survey.

Salaries for lead pastors go as high as $400,000 to as low as $40,000, Leadership Network reported in its 2010 Large Church Salary and Benefits Report.

Executive pastors at churches that have a weekend attendance of 2,000 or more persons earn, on average, $99,000 a year and worship pastors get paid $75,000.

Meanwhile, high school pastors earn $54,000 and the church technology director earns $58,000. The salary figures do not include the value of benefits.

Leadership Network has been tracking salary and benefits in large churches since 2001. It has found that the median salary has largely remained the same over the past few years even as attendance at those churches increased.

In this file photo, thousands attend a Sunday worship service at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

911 Mosque Site in New York Imam Says Proposed Site Not Sacred with Strip Joint and betting parlor at the corner.

The proposed site for the Islamic center and mosque near the former World Trade Center is not sacred, says the Muslim cleric who envisioned the project.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, chairman of the Cordoba Initiative, said Monday it is an “absolutely disingenuous” argument to call the planned site for the Park51 project “hallowed ground.”

“[W]ith a strip joint around the corner, with betting parlors, to claim it is hallowed ground is … it doesn’t make sense – it doesn’t add,” said Rauf at the office of the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York-based think tank. “So let’s clarify that misperception.”

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, executive director of the Cordoba Initiative, addresses the Council on Foreign Relations, Monday, Sept. 13, 2010, in New York. Rauf is now in the midst of a polarizing political, religious and cultural debate over his plans for a multi-story Islamic center that will feature a mosque, health club and theater about two blocks north of ground zero in New York.

Christians Warn Against Double Standard in Wake of Quran Burning Row

The head of the world’s largest evangelical body said Friday that he welcomed the unanimous condemnation of one church’s plan to burn copies of the Quran but challenged world leaders and the media to do the same for radical actions committed against Christians.

“Speaking out strongly against the proposed burning of Korans was the right thing to do and we warmly welcome the unanimous condemnation from politicians, religious leaders and the global media in this case,” expressed Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director of the World Evangelical Alliance.


“As we consider the outcry against this one small, obscure group, we now plead that the world’s leaders and media demonstrate the same kind of outspoken condemnation when radical actions on an equal or larger scale are committed against Christians.”

Afghans shout anti-U.S. slogans as they burn tires and block a highway during a protest in reaction to a small American church's plan to burn copies of the Quran, at Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 10, 2010. Religious and political leaders across the Muslim world welcomed a decision by the church to suspend its plans to torch copies of their holy book but some said Friday the damage has already been done

Iran Arrests 9 Christians for Evangelism, Reports State Media

Iran has arrested nine Christians on the charge of evangelism, according to a report picked up by a Persian language Christian news agency Tuesday.

Seven Christian Iranians were accused of cooperating with two foreigners who were supported by “Christian-Zionist organizations,” reported the Farsi Christian News Network based on a state news program that aired Sept. 10 on the Fars News Agency. The Fars News Agency is connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, a branch of Iran’s military.

According to the report, the Christians were accused of proselytizing – which is illegal in Iran – outside of the Northwest city of Hamedan. The term “Christian Zionists” is often used by the Iranian government to refer to evangelical Christians and does not imply any relationship with Israel or Zionists.

Imam Refuses to Back Down on Ground Zero Mosque

The Imam behind the plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero is back in the United States and weighing in on the issue for the first time in nearly two months.

On Wednesday, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf published an editorial in the New York Times saying he will not back away from the project.

He also said the Muslim center will focus on building bridges between all faiths, noting the mosque will have prayer rooms for many different religions.

The Imam also reminded critics of President Obama's support.

Gen. Petraeus: Church Burning Quran Could Endanger Troops

The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said Monday that a Florida church’s plan to burn Qurans on Sept. 11 could be detrimental to American troops overseas.

"It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort in Afghanistan,” said Gen. David Petraeus in a statement. “It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community."

There are about 140,000 U.S. and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan.

Faith Scholars: Stephen Hawking 'Missing the Point' - said universal can be created from nothing.

Physicist Stephen Hawking made headlines this past week for taking on arguably the most influential scientist in human history, Sir Isaac Newton.

Newton, who left enduring legacies in mathematics and the natural sciences, had centuries ago warned against using the law of gravity - which he discovered - to view the universe as a mere machine, like a great clock.

“Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done,” the 17th century scientist and non-Trinitarian Anglican stated.

“This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent Being,” he added.

Hawking, however, says “the universe can and will create itself from nothing” because there is a law such as gravity.

In this April 29, 2010, file photo, Stephen Hawking watches the first preview of his new show for the Discovery Channel, Stephen Hawking's Universe.