U.S. AMBASSADOR TO EL SALVADOR CREATES FIRESTORM.   Mari Carmen Aponte… the U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador…has taken it upon herself to school [the] nation about the “virtues” of homosexuality. In a controversial op-ed, she lectured the Salvadorians about the need to embrace homosexuality. She also implied that the country’s disapproval of the aberrant behavior was somehow rooted in ignorance. The column sparked such outrage that leaders of the country have called for her removal “as soon as possible so that  El Salvador may enjoy the benefits of having a better person as a government representative... Ms. Aponte they write, “in clear  violation of the rules of diplomacy and international law… intends to impose on El Salvadorians a newer vision of foreign and bizarre values, completely alien to our moral fiber, intending to disguise this as ‘human rights.’”  According to reports, Aponte was just following orders…  In June [2011] Secretary Hillary Clinton ordered all ambassadors  “to publish op-eds in support of LGBT awareness month.”  - Family Research Council.

U.S. RELEASES $40 MILLION TO PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY.  The United States has released $40 million in foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority, CBN News reports. The $40 million amounts to about 20 percent of the $187 million in funds from fiscal year 2011 that was frozen in response to the P.A.’s bid for statehood at the United Nations last September; the Obama administration is urging Congress to release the rest. According to the Associated Press, the administration has requested that Congress allocate nearly $546 million to the Palestinian Authority in the new fiscal year. –Religion Today (1/4/12).  Ed. This doesn’t make sense considering the track record of the Palestinians. But common sense hasn’t been common for a long time.

CHURCHGOERS AS DIGITALLY ENGAGED AS NON-CHURCHGOERS.  American churchgoers are just as likely to use Twitter, Facebook and the Internet as non-churchgoers, according to a study designed to show the impact technology can have on spreading a church’s message, Baptist Press reports. The survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life project showed that 79 percent of churchgoers use the Internet, nearly the same as the 76 percent of the general population. Forty-five percent of churchgoers use social networking sites, compared to 47 percent of all adults. Nine percent of both groups use Twitter, and 60 percent of both groups use text messaging. Ed. I know that this will sound bizarre,  but I don’t think that Christians should use things like YouTube and Twitter. Do we have to be like the world in everything? Are there no other ways to get our word out?  Many things on these venues are dangerous. Someone will say you don’t have to look at them. That’s true, but the old nature being what it is, often does look at things one ought not. I believe my memory is correct when I say that some time ago I read that 25% of all divorces begin with YouTube. It would be a lot safer to be too strict than to be too lenient. We are told in the Scriptures that we should not cause anyone to stumble.

CALIFORNIA STUDENTS REQUIRED TO STUDY CONTRIBUTIONS OF LGBT AMERICANS. On Jan. 1, the California Department of Education began implementing a new law that requires all children in the state’s public schools to study “the role and contributions” of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans to “the development of California and the United States,” CNSNews.com reports. Pro-family group SaveCalifornia.com says additionally that parents will not be notified nor will they be allowed to exempt their children from the new materials. “It’s decision time for parents,” said Randy Thomasson of SaveCalifornia.com. “[The law] absolutely prohibits the government schools from teaching the facts that homosexuality is inherently unnatural and unhealthy with the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases and the highest mode of transmission for HIV/AIDS. ... It’s ironic and sad that children ... will be taught that cigarettes are negative, driving drunk is negative, drug use is negative, but they won’t be taught homosexuality is unhealthy.”  -Religion Today (1/6/12).  Ed. Besides the fact that it is unnatural and immoral (Gen.19; Lev. 18 and 20;  Rom. 1) no one seems to tell you that homosexuality shortens one’ life span due to sexually transmitted diseases like Aids, etc.. I have reading that the average life span of homosexuals is 47 years while for the rest of the population it is around 77 years. 

SURVEY: HALF CHURCHGOERS NOT AFFECTED BY TIME IN CHURCH.  A new survey shows that almost half of churchgoing Americans say their time spent at church has not caused any changes in their lives, the Religion News Service reports. Barna Group, an evangelical company based in California, found that 46 percent reported no change from attending church. About 25 percent said their lives were greatly affected by church attendance and another 25 percent said it was somewhat influential. Two-thirds of respondents said they had felt “a real and personal connection” with God while at church. Among weekly church attendees, 44 percent said they felt God’s presence every week and 18 percent said they had that experience once a month. Additionally, three out of five church attendees said they did not walk away from their last church visit with any significant new understandings or insights.  Ed. That is pretty obvious. One of the sad things is that  it is true of all to many fundamentalists. Many who profess saving faith are just as worldly as the unsaved

WASHINGTON GOV. TO SPONSOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL. Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire announced her plans to make the state the seventh to legalize same-sex marriage, WORLD News Service reports. Gregoire, a Catholic, said she had “been on my own journey” and that “it has been a battle for me with my religion,” but that her beliefs should have no bearing on how she did her job. Same-sex civil unions, which Washington legalized in 2009, are not the same as marriage, she said. Joseph Backholm, executive director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, said he was fairly optimistic the bill would ultimately not pass. The state’s best interest is served by creating “the greatest probability that children will be raised by their mother and father,” he said. -Religion Today (1/16/12).  Ed. They just keep pecking away and I am afraid that one day this will be the law of the land.  Let’s face it, who is really putting this sort of thing over? While they push it, it isn’t the homosexuals; there are not enough of them (yet). It is the “straight” people who think it is all right.

SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS RESTRICTIONS ON ‘JESUS’ PRAYERS AT PUBLIC MTGS. The Supreme Court rejected an appeal from a North Carolina county commission over Christian prayers before its public meetings, leaving in place a federal appeals court ruling that the prayers were in violation of the First Amendment, the Washington Post reports. Although the Forsyth County commission said its doors were open to religious leaders of any faith, the appeals court found that more than three-fourths of the 33 invocations given before meetings in 2007 and 2008 referred to “Jesus,” “Jesus Christ,” “Christ” or “Savior.” The ruling doesn’t ban prayers altogether, but requires that the county not favor one religion over another. David Cortman, an attorney representing Forsyth County, said the ruling made Christians second-class citizens: “America’s founders never shied away from referencing the God to whom they were praying when offering public invocations,” he said. “The citizens of Forsyth County should have this same opportunity.”  Ed. I would guess that America is about 75%  “Christian.”  Wouldn’t it only be natural, and right, to expect that there would be more “Christians” represented in this sort of thing.

USE OF SHARIA LAW RISING IN UK.   The BBC reports that the use of sharia -- Islamic law -- is growing in Britain, with thousands of Muslims using it to settle family, financial and commercial disputes each year. The principles of sharia, derived from the Quran, the Hadith (Muhammad’s writings) and fatwas (rulings of Islamic scholars), govern all aspects of a Muslim’s life, and sharia has been operating in the UK in parallel to the British legal system since 1982. There are thought to be as many as 85 sharia councils in Britain, and now some British law firms are beginning to tap into the growing market as well, launching sharia departments to satisfy both the British and Islamic legal systems “all under one place,” according to Muslim lawyer Aina Khan. However, some groups are objecting, arguing that the practice of sharia discriminates against women. Male-dominated sharia councils are “not providing [women] with the justice they seek,” said Diana Nammi of the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organization (IKWRO). A bill has been introduced in the House of Lords to begin regulating sharia organizations in the UK, but groups like IKWRO don’t think the bill goes far enough. “We think there shouldn’t be any religious law practicing in Britain,” Nammi said. “All sharia bodies should be banned.” Ed. From what I have seen over the past several years, Great Britian and Europe have gone too far in yielding to Muslims, to turn back. Many years ago, when I was in England, I was told that there were 700 mosques there then. What must the number be today?

DO NOT DESPAIR!  In spite of world conditions, we who truly know Christ as Savior have a great hope. “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” ~Titus 2:13. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”