Episcopal Apostates Give a Little

From Breitbart.com:

In a move aimed at preventing a split in the global Anglican Communion, the US Episcopal Church on Tuesday agreed to halt the ordination of gay bishops and the blessing of same-sex unions.

Church leaders, however, vowed to continue to fight for the recognition of the civil rights of homosexuals.

It's unclear whether this concession of the most egregious violation of the Bible by the US Episcopal Church will be enough to satisfy the worldwide body of Anglicans who had imposed a deadline for the US branch to get back to the Bible they claim to believe in.

The church leaders also pledged "not to authorize or use in our dioceses any public rites of blessing of same-sex unions until a broader consensus emerges in the Communion or until (the) General Convention takes further action."

But it was not clear whether clergy would be allowed to carry out unauthorized blessings of same-sex unions.

My hope is that the Anglican leadership worldwide will hold fast and not compromise Biblical truth, even for the worthy goal of maintaining the relationship with the reprobate American branch. As the Bible tells us, sometimes it's necessary to disassociate with a person or group who is unwilling to follow Scripture, in order to preserve the integrity of the larger group, and in the hopes that the person or group in question will eventually find their way back.

Meanwhile, from the UK Times Online, a high-ranking diocese bishop in the Episcopal church has left the denomination, choosing obedience to God and His Bible over denominational loyalty:

The Bishop of Rio Grande, Jeffrey Steenson, who was educated at Oxford and is in the Anglican Catholic tradition of the Church, said that to remain in his post in the Episcopal Church may lead him "to a place apart from Scripture and tradition”.

In a statement to American bishops meeting in New Orleans in an attempt to avert schism, in which he requested permission to resign both from his post and his orders, the Bishop Steenson said: “I am concerned that if I do not listen to and act in accordance with conscience now, it will become harder and harder to hear God’s voice.”

Perhaps that is why many of the leaders in the Episcopal Church are able to sanction practicing homosexuals for their leaders, and the concept of homosexual "marriage"--they have so long ago abandoned a commitment to following Christ that they can no longer even hear his voice.

However, not all Episcopalians have abandoned obedience to God, as the efforts of the worldwide Anglican leadership and other reports shows.

Study: Are Medical Checkups Worthwhile?

Wondering why 1/6 of our economy in the United States goes to health care?

Consider this from Scientific American:

The customary annual physical check-up at the doctor's office may not be worth the time or money, researchers said on Monday.

About 63 million U.S. adults visit a doctor annually for a routine medical or gynecological check-up at a total cost of $7.8 billion, according to a study intended to help answer questions about the value of this trip to the doctor's office.

More than 80 percent of preventive care provided by doctors does not take place during this annual check-up, the study showed. And more than $350 million worth of potentially unnecessary medical tests are performed, the researchers said.

And John Edwards wants to force you to waste your time and money on this.

ENDA Not About Civil Rights

In his column today, Mychal Massie, chairman of the National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives-Project 21, rejects the claim that homosexuality is a civil right, and is on a par with one's skin color:

Homosexuals and cross-dressers may in fact be a lot of things, but an oppressed minority they are not. And I, for one, resent their temerity in suggesting that a rejection of their chosen lifestyle is in any way equivalent to what truly oppressed peoples in this country went through for the right to vote, sit at a lunch counter and/or stay in the hotel of their choice.

Massie gives us a glimpse of what we could see if HR 2015 the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) passes Congress:

In layman's terms, said lawyer-speak means, if ENDA becomes law (and I am in no way attempting to inject humor here), the branch manager of your local bank could, without fear of penalty, come to work looking like "Boy George in Liza Minnelli 1980s drag makeup, complete in his working girl commuter-friendly disco sneakers." And there wouldn't be a thing the bank could do or say about it – no matter how offended its customers might be or how uncomfortable it would make the other employees.

Passage of ENDA means that the surgeon scheduled to perform your operation could decide to do same in his blond wig with full mascara and his Playtex plus-size bra, and there wouldn't be a thing the hospital could say or do.

It means that your child's second-grade teacher could decide she was going to dress like a man, complete with makeup to simulate facial hair, and the school would have no recourse. And it goes without saying that the owner of a local Bible bookstore would be powerless to prevent a homosexual employee from holding hands with his or her homosexual lover within the workplace. Any attempt to prevent said behavior would result in immediate litigation.

Nice, huh?

None of us has the right to display our most depraved lusts and activities for the whole world to see, especially in the workplace. The workplace is a place for getting a certain job done, not broadcasting every sick proclivity that enters our heads.

Kathy Griffin's So-Called Sense of Humor

By Carrie K. Hutchens

Kathy Griffin wants to know if she is the only Catholic left that has a sense of humor?

Sense of humor?

Griffin is reported by WorldNetDaily.com to have said, "'I guess hell froze over. A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this. He had nothing to do with this. ... Suck it, Jesus! This award is my god now,' she said. " (Full Article)

 

Should schools be closed for low attendance or economic factors?

By Gordon Garnos

AT ISSUE: Members of the South Dakota Legislature are expected next year to open the door again for more school consolidations. A task force recommended that schools with less than 200 students should be forced to consolidate with another school or close its doors. The Legislature bounced this around quite a bit, but finally settled on the magic number of 100 students are needed to keep a school open. Prior to this legislation, a school's future was primarily based on economic factors, whether or not a school district could get a tax limit opt out passed by the voters. (Full Article)