In Good Faith tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401 2011-11-07T15:37:32Z In Good Faith: Christianity, Judaism, Islam and World Religions Movable Type 3.36 Atheists in military seek recognition, acceptance tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.309853 2011-11-06T11:00:00Z 2011-11-07T15:37:32Z Capt. Ryan Jean wanted to perform well on the Army's psychological evaluation for soldiers. But he also wanted to answer the questions honestly. So when he was asked whether he believed his life had a lasting purpose, Jean, an atheist,... Matthew Hay Brown Capt. Ryan Jean wanted to perform well on the Army's psychological evaluation for soldiers. But he also wanted to answer the questions honestly. So when he was asked whether he believed his life had a lasting purpose, Jean, an atheist, saw no choice but to say no. Those and other responses, Jean says, won him a trip to see the post chaplain, who berated him for his lack of faith. "He basically told me that if I don't get right with God, then I'm worthless," said Jean, now an intelligence officer at Fort Meade. "That if I don't believe in Jesus, why am I in uniform, because this is God's army, and that I should resign my commission in order to stop disgracing the military." Jean says experiences such as that confrontation three years ago, when he was serving at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, have spurred him to seek Army recognition as a humanist lay leader — on a par with the lay Christians, Jews and Muslims who help military chaplains minister to the troops. Jean is one of as many as a dozen atheists throughout the U.S. military in the process of applying for the status, which they and their supporters see as necessary to secure for nonbelievers the acceptance and support that they say Christians in uniform take for granted. Read more at baltimoresun.com.]]> Archbishop to mark 9/11 with vespers service tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.305454 2011-09-08T16:17:35Z 2011-09-08T16:37:10Z The Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore will mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with a vespers service at the Baltimore Basilica. Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien will preside over the evening prayer service at 6 p.m. Sunday... Matthew Hay Brown The Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore will mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with a vespers service at the Baltimore Basilica. Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien will preside over the evening prayer service at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary to mark the anniversary and to honor the sacrifices and service of area police, fire and emergency personnel and other first responders. A vespers service consists of hymns, psalms and canticles, a scripture reading, a series of prayers and the benediction. Unlike a Mass, it does not include communion. O'Brien to lead order of knights in Rome tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.304584 2011-08-29T11:20:10Z 2011-08-29T11:27:40Z Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien has been chosen to head a Catholic order of knights based in Rome, the Vatican announced Monday, an appointment likely to move O'Brien closer to becoming a cardinal, but also will make him the first of... Matthew Hay Brown Read more on O'Brien's new assignment at baltimore sun.com. The press release follows, after the jump.]]> POPE NAMES ARCHBISHOP O’BRIEN TO VATICAN POST PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR 10 A.M. TODAY Pope Benedict XVI today named Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, 72, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He succeeds Cardinal John Foley, who retired in February for reasons of health. Archbishop O’Brien had served as 15th Archbishop of Baltimore since October 1, 2007 and will serve as Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese until his successor is named. Archbishop O’Brien will be available to the media at a press conference today: Monday, August 29, 2011 10 a.m. Catholic Center, 320 Cathedral Street Archbishop O’Brien was ordained a priest in 1965 and a bishop by Pope John Paul II in 1996, serving as Archbishop of the Military Services from 1997-2007. During his priesthood, Archbishop O’Brien has served as chaplain at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Vietnam. He was appointed Archbishop of Baltimore, the first Catholic diocese in the United States, in July 2007. Prior to his ordination as bishop, Archbishop O’Brien served as Rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary in New York and the Pontifical North American College in Rome. The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is an ancient Catholic Order under the auspices of the Vatican. The Order seeks to promote and defend Christianity in the Holy Land and to support the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, a priority of Pope Benedict XVI. Report: Archbishop to leave Baltimore for Rome tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.304570 2011-08-28T20:27:32Z 2011-08-28T21:12:25Z Pope Benedict XVI is set to name Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien to a Rome-based order of knights charged with protecting the Christian community and sacred sites of the Holy Land, a prominent Catholic blogger is reporting. Blogger Rocco Palmo writes... Matthew Hay Brown Rocco Palmo writes that O’Brien, 72, could be named pro-grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem as early as Monday. The Baltimore Sun has been unable to confirm the report independently. Messages left for the archdiocese have not been returned. By tradition, Palmo writes on his Whispers in the Loggia blog, the “pro-” designation indicates that the individual is next in line to be named a cardinal, at which point the prefix disappears. O’Brien arrived in Baltimore in 2007, succeeding Cardinal William Keeler as archbishop of Baltimore and spiritual leader of the area’s 500,000 Catholics. He presided over the restructuring of the archdiocesan school system last year, closing 13 of 64 schools, consolidating those that remained and introducing new programs in the hope of attracting more families. More recently, he urged Gov. Martin O’Malley last month against supporting same-sex marriage, which he described in a letter as “a goal that so deeply conflicts with your faith.” O’Brien joined Benedict in 2008 to concelebrate a Mass at Nationals Park in Washington during the pope’s visit to the United States.]]> Palmo writes that O’Brien is likely to continue as the church’s apostolic administrator in Baltimore until Benedict names a successor.]]> Church deemed unsafe after quake, closed for work tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.304216 2011-08-24T15:50:26Z 2011-08-24T15:51:14Z The Archdiocese of Baltimore has closed St. Patrick Catholic Church indefinitely after engineers deemed the historic Fells Point church unsafe following Tuesday’s earthquake. Founded in 1792, the parish is the oldest in Baltimore. The current church building was completed in... Matthew Hay Brown The Archdiocese of Baltimore has closed St. Patrick Catholic Church indefinitely after engineers deemed the historic Fells Point church unsafe following Tuesday’s earthquake. Founded in 1792, the parish is the oldest in Baltimore. The current church building was completed in 1898. The archdiocese said Wednesday that the church’s badly damaged steeple will be “selectively deconstructed and stabilized,” a process it expects to take several weeks. When the work is complete, the archdiocese said, the church will be reopened for use. In the meantime, the archdiocese is encouraging parishioners to attend Mass at nearby Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Highlandtown, and offering shuttles for those who need transportation. St. Patrick celebrates two Masses each week. Shuttles will leave the St. Patrick parking lot at 7:15 p.m. Wednesdays and 8:15 a.m. Sundays. Archbishop Edwin O’Brien reviewed the damage with the Rev. Father Robert Wojtek, the Sacred Heart pastor who administers St. Patrick. Engineers determined that the parish hall, where the archdiocese had hoped to celebrate Mass temporarily, is structurally unsafe. St. Patrick closed indefinitely after quake damage tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.304131 2011-08-24T00:31:00Z 2011-08-24T00:39:59Z The Archdiocese of Baltimore closed Historic St. Patrick Catholic Church in Fells Point indefinitely Tuesday after its steeple and bell tower were badly damaged in the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Maryland Tuesday afternoon. Archbishop Edwin O’Brien is scheduled to survey... Matthew Hay Brown 5.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Maryland Tuesday afternoon. Archbishop Edwin O’Brien is scheduled to survey the damage to the113-year-old church on Wednesday morning. The archdiocese said it expects to determine then whether the parish hall can be used for Mass until the church is reopened. If the hall is also deemed unsafe, the archdiocese said, parishioners will be encouraged to attend Mass at nearby Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Highlandtown. O’Brien offered prayers for the parishioners of St. Patrick. The church was founded in 1792; the current church was completed in 1898. The Rev. Robert Wojtek, Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus, oversees its operation.]]> Quake a 'warning from God' to president, Congress tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.304164 2011-08-24T00:20:17Z 2011-08-24T00:23:46Z Activist and friend Rocky Twyman, who does great work finding marrow donors for sick patients, has issued a press release describing the earthquake that rocked the region on Tuesday as a “warning from God for Congress and Obama to create... Matthew Hay Brown Activist and friend Rocky Twyman, who does great work finding marrow donors for sick patients, has issued a press release describing the earthquake that rocked the region on Tuesday as a “warning from God for Congress and Obama to create more jobs. Twyman, who founded the Pray at the Pump movement a few years ago to reduce gasoline prices and the Pray Without Ceasing Political Party more recently to address other problems, is organizing an “emergency vigil of hope” outside the White House at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. “Because we are not in an earthquake zone, it was quite unusual for a quake of this magnitude that was felt all the way in Canada to occur,” he explains. “We will proudly carry signs saying CONGRESS AND OBAMA, HEED THE EARTHQUAKE WARNING, COME BACK FROM YOUR PLUSH VACATIONS NOW AND PASS A JOBS BILLS OR WE NEED ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE IN CONGRESS AND THE WHITE HOUSE, AMERICA HELPED LIBYA, NOW LET'S HELP UNEMPLOYED AMERICANS WHO CANNOT AFFORD VACATIONS.” His complete dispatch follows, after the jump. THE 5.9 EARTHQUAKE WARNING FOR CONGRESS AND OBAMA TO END PARTISANSHIP CREATE MORE JOBS NOW-WHITE HOUSE-THIS WEDNESDAY-1:51 PM-THE EXACT TIME THE 5.9 EARTHQUAKE HIT THE METRO AREA ON TUESDAY (Citizens say that God is not pleased with the POLITICAL BRINKMANSHIP between Congress and Obama that is keeping so many people unemployed in this country. Meanwhile, Obama and Congress enjoy plush vacations while many Americans suffer and cannot afford to go to vacation. God decided to shake things up in the Nation's Capitol to get the attention of our warring leaders who have forgotten about the people. Congress and Obama come back from your PLUSH vacations and solve the jobs crisis NOW.) (The country should follow the example of former DC Congressman Fauntroy who is stuck in Libya but looking to a Higher Being for help AND DELIVERANCE FROM THE CRISIS THERE. AMEN TO CONGRESSMAN FAUNTROY) The sudden 5.9 earthquake that hit the metro area on Tuesday at 1:51 PM ALERTED US ALL TO how fragile our lives are. The members of the Pray Without Ceasing Political Party (PWCPP) believe that this earthquake represents a wake-up call from God to Obama and Congress to stop fighting and get a job bills passed to help Americans who are struggling during this horrific recession. They believe that God is a loving God and is not pleased that so many of His children are enduring so much pain while Congress and President Obama enjoy plush vacations. In order to dramatize this belief, concerned citizens and PWCPP will hold an emergency vigil of hope in front of The White House (Lafayetee Park side) on this Wednesday, August 24, from 1:30 to 3:30 PM. They will stop visitors at the White House and hold a moment of silence at exactly 1:51 PM which is the EXACT TIME THAT THE EARTHQUAKE HIT THE AREA. Many of the prayer warriors also believe that this earthquake is a sign of the fulfillment of last day prophecies in the Bible that say that we will have more and natural disasters as we get closer to the coming of Christ. SINCE THIS IS A VIGIL OF HOPE, WE WILL SING THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE, I AM GOING TO LET IT SHINE AS WE FORM PRAYER GROUPS WITH WHITE HOUSE VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. Press who attend can continue to get action to the earthquake from people all over the country. Because we are not in an earthquake zone, it was quite unusual for a quake of this magnitude that was felt all the way in Canada to occur.. We will proudly carry signs saying CONGRESS AND OBAMA, HEED THE EARTHQUAKE WARNING, COME BACK FROM YOUR PLUSH VACATIONS NOW AND PASS A JOBS BILLS OR WE NEED ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE IN CONGRESS AND THE WHITE HOUSE, AMERICA HELPED LIBYA, NOW LET'S HELP UNEMPLOYED AMERICANS WHO CANNOT AFFORD VACATIONS. We will also have a Book of Hope for More Jobs that people can sign. By signing, you agree to call the White House and your Congressional representatives and PRESSURE THEM TO END THEIR VACATIONS AND COME BACK FOR A WORKING SESSION WITH A SPIRIT OF BIPARTISANSHIP TO CREATE JOBS NOW. BECAUSE OF THE HALF-HEARTED ATTITUDE OF OUR LEADERS TOWARDS PASSING A JOBS BILL, DON'T BE SURPRISED IF GOD DOESN'T SHAKE THINGS UP AGAIN IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. CONGRESS. Even though many on the Hill refuse to raise taxes on wealthy Americans, God will avenge the middle class and poor who are being abused by these selfish policies. The time has come for our Congress, many of whom call themselves Christians, to read and practice the Golden Rule in the Bible that says that we should have compassion for our fellow man and that means Healthcare for the less fortunate in America. WE HOPE THAT THIS EARTHQUAKE WILL FINALLY CONVINCE OBAMA TO DROP HIS POLITICAL PRIDE AND HOLD A MUCH NEEDED NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING EVEN THOUGH HIS POSSIBLE PRESIDENTIAL RIVAL RICK PERRY JUST HELD ONE ON AUGUST 6 IN HOUSTON. PWCPP THINKS THAT OBAMA SHOULD TAKE THE HIGH ROAD AND INVITE RICK PERRY AND ALL REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDERS ALONG WITH OTHER OBAMA ENEMIES TO THIS GATHERING. THIS MUST BE ABOUT THE 20TH TIME THAT WE HAVE STOOD IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE WITH SIGNS URGING OBAMA TO HOLD THIS IMPORTANT GATHERING TO SAVE AMERICA FROM FINANCIAL RUIN. WE REPEAT THAT SIXTY MINUTES PROVED THAT PRAYER WORKS IN THEIR HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM STORY. THE POWERFUL EFFECTS OF PRAYER AND FASTING ARE DOCUMENTED IN DR. JENTEZEN FRANKLIN'S NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER "FASTING " AND IN" HAPPINESS DIGEST" AND THE "GREAT CONTROVERSY", TWO POWERFUL BOOKS WRITTEN BY 20TH CENTURY RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AND END TIME PROPHECY WRITER ELLEN G. WHITE. THE NATION OF ISRAEL PROSPERED WHEN THEY IMPLEMENTED THE POWERFUL SPIRITUAL WEAPONS OF PRAYER AND FASTING. THE TIME HAS NOW COME FOR AMERICA TO TRY THESE OLD TIME PROVEN TOOLS TO BRING AMERICA OUT OF FINANCIAL DISASTER AND CREATE MORE JOBS. WE PRAY THAT THE MEDIA WILL TAKE OUR IMPORTANT AND URGENT STORY TO OBAMA AND CONGRESS NOW. Guest post: Ramadan nourishes soul, citizenship tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.304016 2011-08-22T09:00:00Z 2011-08-22T18:21:29Z Maher Kharma is president of the Islamic Society of Annapolis. In a nutshell, Ramadan is one the five pillars of Islam during which Muslims fast from down to sunset through out the month. During Ramadan, Quran was revealed on Mohammed... Matthew Hay Brown Maher Kharma is president of the Islamic Society of Annapolis. In a nutshell, Ramadan is one the five pillars of Islam during which Muslims fast from down to sunset through out the month. During Ramadan, Quran was revealed on Mohammed over 1400 years ago. Muslims observe Ramadan by abstaining during the days of Ramadan from food, beverages, intimacy, and by observing best manners. At the end of each of the 30 days, a voluntary night prayers takes place in the mosques. The end of Ramadan is marked by celebrating “Eid Al Fiter” or end of Ramadan feast. While the physical aspects of Ramadan involves the act of abstinence, the fast includes much spiritual and moral benefits besides those physical ones. In assessing serious challenges that law makers and law enforcement authorities have to deal with frequently in order to stabilize the society, we realize that crimes, drugs, violence, alcoholism, and abuse constitute some of the top societal ills that drain societal resources and place major kinks in the fabric of a more peaceful society. By large, such acts appear to be rooted in a lack of ability to exercise self control needed to stop one from breaking the law or from infringing the rights of others. For a Muslim, Ramadan comes to be a vehicle that he/she enters as an opportunity to develop better control over own emotions, and to restore superiority over what could be internal or external drivers of deviant behavior. While the fasting month may be perceived as a time of physical hardship, a deeper look at what is behind the actual act of fast reveals many advantages that such an act of worship can produce not only for reshaping ones character, but as well as for creating a more harmonious society.]]> As for the impact on the society, Ramadan gets to be a time when Muslims network more often, especially through inviting one another to break the end of the day fast, sharing a dish with a Muslim or non Muslim neighbor, planning an Iftar (break fast meal) at the mosque for both Muslim as well as non Muslim fellows. Such Ramadan dinners have gotten to be an annual event that now take place at prominent locations such as the white house, some governors’ mansions, army bases, etc. The end of day voluntary prayers provide an opportunity to connect with others and to reestablish the dialogue. The fasting experience furnishes a Muslim an un-equivalent opportunity to have a taste of what hunger can be like, with a difference of the end of the day outcome, consequently forces one who is fasting to sympathize more and understand the suffering of all who are hungry around the world, leading him or he to give more. Further, and to extend an other opportunity to establish social justice, Muslims are required to pay a special charity during Ramadan that is distributed to those who are less advantaged and are able to use some additional income to purchase needed food or those items needed for the end of Ramadan feast. As for the various benefits an individual may be able to crop out of engaging into the fasting time, and in addition to all divine reward one may anticipate from indulging self in seeking to please the Lord, fasting directs one to abstain from consuming commodities that he/she are able to consume on routine basis with a stop/start times that are ordained by divine guidelines, and consequently, placing physical needs in back seat while allowing the spiritual drivers to be in control for the whole month. While health benefits of such fast can be plenty and may include weight loss, boosting the immunity of the body, undergoing a detoxification process, as a well as regulating hormonal functions, the over all function of fasting provides a superior opportunity for self reform through purification of the thought and action for the sake of achieving righteousness. When it comes to moral aspects, Ramadan enhances the ability to elevate an individual’s moral standards as a Muslim is expected to observe the best of manners besides the physical abstinence. This is intended to be the roadmap that is eventually to lead a Muslim to adopt an overall higher level of moral standards following Ramadan’s training period. Through out the fasting day, one who is fasting is required to gain better awareness of own senses including what you say, what you view, and for sure in what you do. In addition, you are to exercise stronger control of own temper, and to forgive when you may have been insulted for such behavior promotes a society wide sense of tolerance and kindness. Such daily practice of these traits is what is meant to foster the ability of a fasting individual to empower his/her self policing capability and to moving him/her further away form being an obedient reactor of own emotions and whims. A stronger society would thrive with members who are in better control of their emotions and senses for sake of decreasing the rates of violence; with citizens who are strong welded to say no to drugs, to bigotry and to racism; with individuals who are more tolerant to accepting others; and with those who are able to translate the love of the Lord into actions that will yield the betterment of their own character and the well-being of others around them. Yes, it is an intense training month of the year, yet, Ramadan comes to be a time when the sincere desire of a Muslim who seeks the pleasure of the Lord crosses with developing a more responsible, passionate and accountable citizen who contributes to building a more tolerant, forgiving, self controlling human being. It is here for better us and for a better society. Bryant, Orlando church remember city-born pastor tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.303530 2011-08-16T11:00:00Z 2011-08-16T15:22:01Z Bianca Prieto and Jeff Kunerth of the Orlando Sentinel report: Members of Pastor Zachery Tims' New Destiny Christian Center packed the sanctuary Monday night for prayers, praise and testimonials following the death of the 42-year-old minister. Tims' ex-wife, Riva Tims,... Matthew Hay Brown Bianca Prieto and Jeff Kunerth of the Orlando Sentinel report: Members of Pastor Zachery Tims' New Destiny Christian Center packed the sanctuary Monday night for prayers, praise and testimonials following the death of the 42-year-old minister. Tims' ex-wife, Riva Tims, told the capacity crowd of 2,000 that Tims enjoyed a family vacation in Puerto Rico a week before his death. The Timses, who were divorced in 2009, have four children. "He was able to have fellowship with his daughters and sons," said Riva Tims, pastor of Majestic Life Church in Orlando. Church officials announced that Tims' funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Orlando. A wake and public viewing will be held from 3-7 p.m. Friday at New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka. Jamal Bryant, a pastor at Empowerment Temple AME in Baltimore and a friend of Zachery Tims' from there, told church members that New Destiny will continue without Tims. "You are not a personality-driven church. You are a purpose-driven church," Bryant said. "Pastor Zack's DNA is now on you. You are infected with excellence." Although much of the service was joyous praise and singing, Bryant told the congregation that it was fitting to mourn the passing of their spiritual leader. "Allow yourself the liberty to grieve. Allow yourself the freedom to cry," he said.]]> New Destiny Minister Wanda Robinson told the congregation that the cause of Tims' death on Friday night in a New York hotel room had not been determined. Church member Jacob Moby said the cause of Tims' death would not change his mind about the pastor who inspired and encouraged his family to become better people. "We celebrate the life he led and the legacy he left," said Moby, 45, of Orlando. Earlier in the day, Tims' fellow pastors said Central Florida lost one of its most promising, up-and-coming ministers. The Rev. Randolph Bracy Jr. said Tims was a charismatic preacher who appealed to young people in a way that few ministers could. He spoke to them about the issues of teen pregnancy, drugs, poverty and crime from a background of growing up troubled in Baltimore. "That is where I think he stood apart. That was the background he came out of, and his ministry was shaped for those who had these kinds of problems," said Bracy, pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church in Orlando. "He filled a void that was tremendously lacking in the Central Florida area." The Rev. Willie C. Barnes, head of the African American Council of Christian Clergy of Central Florida, said ministers will hold a pastoral prayer vigil at noon today at the Mt. Olive AME Church, 2525 W. Church St., Orlando. "We lost one of our leaders," said Barnes, pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Eatonville. Barnes said Tims will be remembered as a minister who reached people who don't normally attend church. "His ministry was very, very powerful, especially to young people. He brought a different style of ministry, and it reached a lot of the younger generation because it wasn't so traditional," Barnes said. Barnes cited Tims' youth ministry and his programs that gave young people a place to go and things to do at night other than hanging out on the streets. "It was a great ministry and a wonderful ministry, and I expect it to continue," he said. On a national level, Dallas megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes sent his condolences out on Twitter: "DEEPLY saddened to hear of the passing of Pastor Tims @ztims ... praying for his family and church" Tims, whose Apopka-based church has one of the largest congregations in Central Florida, was found dead at about 6 p.m. Friday. The housekeeping staff at the W Hotel discovered the pastor dead after attempting to clean the room. It's not clear how long he was dead before he was discovered or why he was in New York City. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner, city of New York, is working to determine how Tims died. His body was claimed from the medical examiner by a Brooklyn funeral home on Monday, according to Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the ME's office there. "The cause of death is pending further study," Borakove said. Toxicology testing is part of the analysis done to determine cause of death, she said. A determination will not likely be available until later this month. A New York City police official told the Orlando Sentinel early Monday that Tims' death did not appear suspicious. Later in the day, NYPD Detective Martin Speechley said, "It's an ongoing investigation. I cannot comment further." New Destiny had a growing membership of more than 7,500 worshippers. Much of Tims' success was his ability to make biblical concepts accessible to people -- using props and visual devices with his sermons. He was also one of the first to utilize billboards to publicize his church and himself. "Zack Tims was one of the first persons, particularly in the African American community, to use billboards to make sure he was seen in the community where the church did not go," said Bishop Richard T. Davis of the Church of Healing and Prosperity in Orlando. "He coined the phrase, 'A church that is alive is worth the drive.' " A longtime member said Tims' "influence far exceeded the Apopka ministry and his death may be God's way of telling the world to wake up." "He was an international pastor. He was known all over the world," said Madonna Alexis of Waterford Lakes. Alexis said she started attending New Destiny in 1996, but has since left. A bouquet of roses was wedged in the locked front doors of Apopka's New Destiny church early Monday, beneath a sign that said, "The church will make a public statement at 7 p.m." Zachery and Riva Tims were married in Baltimore on Jan. 8, 1994, and two years later started New Destiny in an Orlando hotel room. The congregation quickly began to grow. In 2001, the church purchased 21 acres off East McCormick Road in Apopka after outgrowing a church on Powers Drive in Orlando. Just four years later, New Destiny built a $3.4 million, 34,000-square-foot center as a safe place where area youths could hang out after school. Zachery Tims preached the "prosperity gospel," which is the belief that God answers the prayers of those seeking success. He was an example of his own theology. According to divorce documents, Tims earned about $33,400 a month in 2009, owned a $2.2 million Windermere home, spent $1,500 a month on clothing, had $437,300 in the bank, and drove both a 2004 Hummer and a 2008 BMW. Giving back to the church, he tithed $3,500 a month. He also wrote a book titled "It's Never Too Late: How a teenage criminal found his divine destiny and became a successful millionaire and pastor of a thriving church." Riva Tims said she was fired from the church by her husband a year before she filed for divorce in November 2008. Initially stated as "irreconcilable differences," a reason behind the divorce, according to Riva Tims, was her husband's alleged "multiple and repeated extramarital sexual affairs." Obama: Islam has always been part of America tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.303132 2011-08-11T11:56:00Z 2011-08-11T12:04:19Z As Muslims observe Ramadan, President Obama on Wednesday evening hosted an Iftar -- a meal after sundown to break the fast of the daylight hours -- at the White House. Following are his remarks, as released by the White House... Matthew Hay Brown As Muslims observe Ramadan, President Obama on Wednesday evening hosted an Iftar -- a meal after sundown to break the fast of the daylight hours -- at the White House. Following are his remarks, as released by the White House Press Office. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you so much. (Applause.) Everyone, please have a seat, have a seat. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the White House. Tonight is part of a rich tradition here at the White House of celebrating the holy days of many faiths and the diversity that define us as a nation. So these are quintessentially American celebrations -- people of different faiths coming together, with humility before our maker, to reaffirm our obligations to one another, because no matter who we are, or how we pray, we’re all children of a loving God. Now, this year, Ramadan is entirely in August. That means the days are long, the weather is hot, and you are hungry. (Laughter.) So I will be brief. I want to welcome the members of the diplomatic corps who are here; the members of Congress, including two Muslim American members of Congress -- Keith Ellison and Andre Carson; and leaders and officials from across my administration. Thank you all for being here. Please give them a big round of applause. (Applause.) To the millions of Muslim Americans across the United States and more -- the more than one billion Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a time of reflection and a time of devotion. It’s an occasion to join with family and friends in celebration of a faith known for its diversity and a commitment to justice and the dignity of all human beings. So to you and your families, Ramadan Kareem. This evening reminds us of both the timeless teachings of a great religion and the enduring strengths of a great nation. Like so many faiths, Islam has always been part of our American family, and Muslim Americans have long contributed to the strength and character of our country, in all walks of life. This has been especially true over the past 10 years. In one month, we will mark the 10th anniversary of those awful attacks that brought so much pain to our hearts. It will be a time to honor all those that we’ve lost, the families who carry on their legacy, the heroes who rushed to help that day and all who have served to keep us safe during a difficult decade. And tonight, it’s worth remembering that these Americans were of many faiths and backgrounds, including proud and patriotic Muslim Americans. Muslim Americans were innocent passengers on those planes, including a young married couple looking forward to the birth of their first child. They were workers in the Twin Towers -- Americans by birth and Americans by choice, immigrants who crossed the oceans to give their children a better life. They were cooks and waiters, but also analysts and executives. There, in the towers where they worked, they came together for daily prayers and meals at Iftar. They were looking to the future -- getting married, sending their kids to college, enjoying a well-deserved retirement. And they were taken from us much too soon. And today, they live on in the love of their families and a nation that will never forget. And tonight, we’re deeply humbled to be joined by some of these 9/11 families, and I would ask them to stand and be recognized, please. (Applause.) Muslim Americans were first responders -- the former police cadet who raced to the scene to help and then was lost when the towers collapsed around him; the EMTs who evacuated so many to safety; the nurse who tended to so many victims; the naval officer at the Pentagon who rushed into the flames and pulled the injured to safety. On this 10th anniversary, we honor these men and women for what they are -- American heroes. Nor let us forget that every day for these past 10 years Muslim Americans have helped to protect our communities as police and firefighters, including some who join us tonight. Across our federal government, they keep our homeland secure, they guide our intelligence and counterterrorism efforts and they uphold the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans. So make no mistake, Muslim Americans help to keep us safe. We see this in the brave service of our men and women in uniform, including thousands of Muslim Americans. In a time of war, they volunteered, knowing they could be sent into harm’s way. Our troops come from every corner of our country, with different backgrounds and different beliefs. But every day they come together and succeed together, as one American team. During the 10 hard years of war, our troops have served with excellence and with honor. Some have made the ultimate sacrifice, among them Army Specialist Kareem Khan. Galvanized by 9/11 to serve his country, he gave his life in Iraq and now rests with his fellow heroes at Arlington. And we thank Kareem’s mother, Elsheba, for being here again tonight. (Applause.) Like Kareem, this generation has earned its place in history, and I would ask all of our service members here tonight -- members of the 9/11 Generation -- to stand and accept the thanks of our fellow Americans. (Applause.) This year and every year, we must ask ourselves: How do we honor these patriots -- those who died and those who served? In this season of remembrance, the answer is the same as it was 10 Septembers ago. We must be the America they lived for and the America they died for, the America they sacrificed for. An America that doesn’t simply tolerate people of different backgrounds and beliefs, but an America where we are enriched by our diversity. An America where we treat one another with respect and with dignity, remembering that here in the United States there is no “them” or “us;” it’s just us. An America where our fundamental freedoms and inalienable rights are not simply preserved, but continually renewed and refreshed -- among them the right of every person to worship as they choose. An America that stands up for dignity and the rights of people around the world, whether a young person demanding his or her freedom in the Middle East or North Africa, or a hungry child in the Horn of Africa, where we are working to save lives. Put simply, we must be the America that goes forward as one family, like generations before us, pulling together in times of trial, staying true to our core values and emerging even stronger. This is who we are and this is who we must always be. Tonight, as we near a solemn anniversary, I cannot imagine a more fitting wish for our nation. So God bless you all and God bless the United States of America. Thank you. (Applause.) O'Brien urged O'Malley against backing gay marriage tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.302891 2011-08-09T01:06:28Z 2011-08-09T02:29:18Z In the days before Gov. Martin O’Malley came out in support of same-sex marriage, Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien privately urged him against “promoting a goal that so deeply conflicts with your faith.” “Preserving the central role of the natural family... Matthew Hay Brown In the days before Gov. Martin O’Malley came out in support of same-sex marriage, Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien privately urged him against “promoting a goal that so deeply conflicts with your faith.” “Preserving the central role of the natural family unit has always been — and should continue to be — the reason why our government recognizes marriage as existing between one man and one woman,” the archbishop wrote to the governor in a letter dated July 20. Two days later, O’Malley said he would introduce legislation next year to allow gay couples to marry. “As a free and diverse people of many faiths, we choose to be governed under the law by certain fundamental principles or beliefs, among them ‘equal protection of the law’ for every individual and the ‘free exercise’ of religion without government intervention,” O’Malley said. “Other states have found a way to protect both these rights. So should Maryland.” A same-sex marriage bill cleared the state Senate this year, but it was pulled from the House floor after vote-counters determined they were a few delegates shy of a majority. With O’Malley’s active support, backers are hopeful of success next year. O’Malley, who is Catholic, opposed same-sex marriage when he first ran for governor in 2006. He said at the time that he had been “raised to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.” His announcement last month came weeks after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that made New York the sixth state to allow gay couples to marry — and enjoyed a boost in his national profile. “I am well aware that the recent events in New York have intensified pressure on you to lend your active support to legislation to redefine marriage,” O’Brien wrote, in a letter released Monday by the governor’s office. “Maryland is not New York,” O’Brien wrote. “We urge you not to allow your role as leader of our state to be used in allowing the debate surrounding the definition of marriage to be determined by mere political expediency.” O’Malley responded to O’Brien last week. In a letter dated Aug. 4 and released by his office on Monday, he listed the many areas in which they agree, including efforts to eradicate poverty, support for a progressive income tax and opposition to the death penalty. “But on the public issue of granting equal civil marital rights to same sex couples, you and I disagree,” O’Malley wrote. “As governor, I am sworn to uphold the law without partiality or prejudice. When shortcomings in our laws bring about a result that is unjust, I have a public obligation to try to change that injustice.” Menken: Not getting what we didn't pay for tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.302265 2011-08-02T09:00:00Z 2011-08-02T00:36:33Z Rabbi Yaakov Menken is the Director of Project Genesis, a Jewish cyber-outreach organization based in Baltimore. Two weeks ago, as the mercury soared to record highs across much of the United States, electrical demand rose with the temperature as air-conditioning... Matthew Hay Brown Rabbi Yaakov Menken is the Director of Project Genesis, a Jewish cyber-outreach organization based in Baltimore. Two weeks ago, as the mercury soared to record highs across much of the United States, electrical demand rose with the temperature as air-conditioning systems ran full blast. Years ago, Baltimore Gas & Electric created a program called Peak Rewards, intended to help reduce demand when it neared capacity. Roughly 453,000 customers (including the Menkens) were given remotely programmable thermostats with free installation -- and a catch: when necessary, BGE could shut off our air-conditioning compressors for 50%, 75% or even 100% of each hour during extraordinary situations. And for years, those customers were rewarded with monthly credits on their electricity bills during the summer months, whether or not the system was ever activated. Friday of that week, the system was activated -- and people reacted as if they'd been coerced rather than given hundreds of dollars to participate in the program. Among the more intemperate [sic] remarks given to the Baltimore Sun: "What outrages me is there's no alternative for people in special circumstances." There was, of course, always an alternative: not participating in the program. I'm not saying that it wasn't uncomfortable; our upstairs thermostat reported temperatures in the high-80s by 5 pm. But "Peak Rewards" was designed for times of peak demand, not when the outdoor temperature is 75. It might not be the bargain we expected, but it was the agreement we made. Even in circumstances like this one, we have to accept responsibility for the choices we have made. And personally, I still think we made the right decision!]]> Menken: Bias has consequences tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.299221 2011-06-24T20:20:17Z 2011-08-02T00:39:42Z Rabbi Yaakov Menken is the Director of Project Genesis, a Jewish cyber-outreach organization based in Baltimore. According to a new book from a professor at UCLA, the media's left-wing bias is so overwhelming and pervasive that the few balanced news... Matthew Hay Brown Rabbi Yaakov Menken is the Director of Project Genesis, a Jewish cyber-outreach organization based in Baltimore. According to a new book from a professor at UCLA, the media's left-wing bias is so overwhelming and pervasive that the few balanced news outlets appear to have a conservative slant. "It's like concluding that six-three is short just because it is short compared to professional basketball players," writes Professor Tim Groseclose. He asserts that by a neutral standard, Fox News and the Drudge Report are centrist, with perhaps even a minor left-wing tilt -- but due to the steep liberal bias of every other major outlet, "commentators mistake relative bias for absolute bias." From the article:
Groseclose opens his book quoting a well-known poll in which Washington correspondents declared that they vote Democratic 93 percent to 7 percent, while the nation is split about 50-50. As a result, he says, most reporters write with a liberal filter. "Using objective, social-scientific methods, the filtering prevents us from seeing the world as it actually is. Instead, we see only a distorted version of it. It is as if we see the world through a glass—a glass that magnifies the facts that liberals want us to see and shrinks the facts that conservatives want us to see."
If the liberal media tends to "shrink" conservative facts, this is true to a still more extreme degree with anything concerning religion. The Deseret News, the commercial paper of the Mormon Church, recently published a two-part series on news coverage of religion -- or the lack thereof. Journalists not only tend to be much more liberal, but much less religious, then the American population.
A 2002 survey (the most recent data available) of 1,149 randomly selected journalists conducted by the Indiana University found that 34 percent of journalists say they have no religious affiliation, compared with 13 percent among the general population who said the same in a 2002 Pew Research Center survey. The journalists were also asked how important religion or religious beliefs were to them. Roughly a third (35 percent) said they were “very important.” By comparison, the figure among the general population, as measured that same year by Gallup, was nearly double at 61 percent.
]]> “Journalists are afraid of religion not because they don’t understand it’s a big part of the story, but because it can be so contentious, especially when it’s a situation they haven’t been exposed to,” said Elizabeth Tenety, editor of The Washington Post’s On Faith forum. “It feels like a landmine, and when they have so much else to report on the story, it’s easy to say, ‘I’m on a deadline. This is relevant, but I don’t have time to get to it.’ ” While I agree with the Deseret News about the ignorance, they do not give adequate coverage to the issue of bias, which is certainly as present with religion as it is with politics. Let me start with an example. Recently, the Yediot Acharonot published a story that the Jerusalem Rabbinical Court (for financial matters) had sentenced a dog to stoning. It wandered into the court building, and one of the judges recalled that they had cursed a secular lawyer, one known to fight against the court over religious issues, that he be reincarnated as a dog. The judges concluded that this was in fact the very dog bearing the reincarnated spirit of the lawyer, and that local children should stone the dog to death. The only true element of the story is that a dog did, in fact, walk into the Rabbinical Court building. Every other line of the story, from beginning to end, was fiction -- and only a fool would call it an innocent mistake. There was no secular lawyer. He didn't exist, so, needless to say, he was not cursed to be reincarnated as a dog. The judges did not say that the dog should be stoned, and they certainly did not say that children should deliver the punishment. Ma'ariv quoted Chief Justice Yehoshua Levin in its retraction, translated by HonestReporting: “There is no basis for the abuse of an animal, neither from the Halacha nor common sense.” If ignorance was the only factor at work, then this was an ideal story to ignore. A trivial tale of antiquated rabbis demonstrating cruelty to animals is hardly worthy of being called "news" -- or is it? Apparently, not only other Israeli papers, but the AFP, BBC, Daily Telegraph, Time Magazine and others all thought this worthy of international news coverage. Drudge Report linked to it, and readers lapped it up [pardon the pun], making the BBC story the most shared item of the day. The BBC admitted, "We should never have written the article and apologise for any offence caused." The underlying problem is not the simple publication of an obviously false story. It is that the reporters were so ignorant in matters religious, especially with regards to Orthodox Judaism, that they found the story even remotely believable. It is, further, that no one bothered to fact check with an Orthodox Rabbi. There are tens of thousands of Orthodox rabbis, not one of whom seems to be reachable when it comes time to fact check a story like this. The people most injured by this sort of "news coverage," which trumpets the real and imagined misdeeds of any religious person or organization while ignoring or sidelining much more typical acts of selfless generosity and spiritual greatness, are those who know no better than the journalists who so poorly serve them. The Mishpacha magazine of June 15 included a feature story on Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Kosel, the Western Wall. His father, Rav Chaim Yehuda Rabinowitz, is Chief Justice of the Jerusalem Rabbinical Court. He gave an example of the incredible damage done by negative coverage:
"Let me give you an example. An elderly couple came to Beis Din[Religious Court] asking for a divorce. It turns out they had been separated for seven years. After a long, drawn-out conflict in the secular courts, they decided to come to Beis Din. The husband, however, did not want a divorce. Yet after analyzing the case thoroughly, the dayanim finally ruled that he was required to grant one. Then I asked the wife why she had waited seven years to come to us. She replied, "Because of the public image of a Beis Din in the secular world!" After the get was concluded, the couple admitted that their perception of Beis Din had changed. A case that had been drawn out in secular court for seven years was resolved in a single day! The woman was in shock. "Why didn't we know about you?" she asked. "This didn't cost us a single shekel, but the courts wiped us out. We spent all our resources on lawyers who squeezed the last cent out of us over seven years."
It should be noted that Rav Levin, speaking to a religious journalist for a religious magazine, was introspective, using this story to underscore the importance of being careful in word and deed because "the way the dayan [judge] behaves will determine how they perceive Orthodox Jews... if one person acts improperly, all of traditionally Orthodox Jewry is blamed for it, so the individual responsibility is great." The same weekend this story appeared, so did the fictional account accusing the same Jerusalem Rabbinical Courts of gratuitous animal cruelty, and encouraging it on the part of children, as well. Sometimes, nothing but an individual's twisted imagination is required to further color the false picture delivered by the media.]]> Pawlenty leads GOP hopefuls in evangelical poll tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.299095 2011-06-23T17:51:18Z 2011-06-23T17:53:03Z Nearly half of evangelical leaders want to see Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty win the Republican nomination for president in 2012, according to a poll of the National Association of Evangelicals. Asked whom they would name the GOP nominee, 45 percent... Matthew Hay Brown Nearly half of evangelical leaders want to see Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty win the Republican nomination for president in 2012, according to a poll of the National Association of Evangelicals. Asked whom they would name the GOP nominee, 45 percent of the leaders said Pawlenty, the association reported Thursday. Fourteen percent said former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; Twenty-two percent were undecided. Pawlenty met with the association’s board of directors in 2008. “Tim and Mary are devoted followers of Jesus, bright, articulate, a proven record and have none of the negatives of the other candidates,” said George Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God. The National Association of Evangelicals posed the question in the June edition of the Evangelical Leaders Survey, its monthly poll of “CEOs of denominations and representatives of a broad array of evangelical organizations including missions, universities, publishers and churches.” The association asked: “Assuming Barack Obama is the Democratic candidate, if you were to choose a preferred Republican presidential candidate for 2012, who would you name?” Association President Leith Anderson said Pawlenty’s popularity “might be expected since he is so often identified as an evangelical.” “Like the rest of the nation, there are still many undecided,” Anderson said. “With more than a year before the national nominating conventions, a lot can change.” Romney is a Mormon. The association said none of the evangelical leaders polled mentioned Romney’s religious beliefs as a reason for naming another candidate. “He has the executive experience, business background, moral principles, and electability to become the next President of the United States,” said Ron Boehme, Director of Youth With A Mission, U.S. Renewal. Four years ago, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was the top choice of leaders polled by the association. Poling: Plus ça change ... tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2011:/news/faith//401.297936 2011-06-10T11:45:13Z 2011-06-10T11:50:10Z The Rev. Jason Poling is Pastor of New Hope Community Church in Pikesville. The good citizens of San Francisco have managed to tear themselves away from a crippling state budget crisis long enough to place a ballot measure outlawing circumcision.... Matthew Hay Brown The Rev. Jason Poling is Pastor of New Hope Community Church in Pikesville. The good citizens of San Francisco have managed to tear themselves away from a crippling state budget crisis long enough to place a ballot measure outlawing circumcision. Being represented by Nancy Pelosi would unbalance me, too, so I don't want to be too judgmental. Nah, I do. What is at stake here is nothing less than the choice between the French and American visions of the social good. Liberté or liberty, sometimes the choice is clear. In San Francisco it couldn't be any clearer. Our revolutions took place within a stone's throw of one another, chronologically. But while the French sought to institute a creedal secularism, we set out a constitutional vision of church protected from state, and vice versa. Our experiment was a lot less bloody, and a lot more successful. Fast forward to today and in France Muslim girls are prohibited from covering their heads in school. This approach reflects an understanding of secularism as a militant opposition to religion, a strict requirement of conformity to prescribed standards however much said conformity might violate the consciences of citizens. When our founding fathers pointed us toward a novus ordo seclorum, they had in mind a worldliness that allowed a variety of religious movements to express themselves in virtually any way that wouldn't impinge upon others. So while we don't allow the recreational use of peyote our society allows it as an expression of Native American religious observance. We'll make you take off the veil for your driver's license picture, but we'll let you wear it in class. And we'll allow you to raise your children according to the dictates of your religion, unless doing so presents an imminent threat to the child's physical health. How is this definition adjudicated? With care, and with great respect -- at least in this country -- for the deeply held religious convictions of the people involved. If there's no overwhelming medical reason to oppose a practice, we're going to defer to the scruples of our fellow citizens. We do so in part because we would want them to do the same to us; we do so in part because most of us have a hard enough time making difficult decisions for ourselves, let alone for others. But mostly we do so because to be American is to be free to exercise, or not, our religious beliefs, and to have that free exercise protected against the prejudices of our neighbors.]]> The anti-Semitism of the anti-circumcision movement is impossible to miss, but even if we were able to cleanse the "intactivists" of that taint we would still be right to choose the American rather than the French version of religious freedom. Here we're as concerned about freedom for religion as we are about freedom from it.