Pope: Be open to the good, wherever it comes from

Pope Francis advised Sunday that we be open to the good, regardless of whether it comes from someone outside our own “circle”.

The pope reflected Sept. 30 on the day’s Gospel, in which Christ taught his disciples humility and to avoid scandal. He was delivering the Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square.

Study finds increases in gold price increase sex-selective abortions in India

A study from the University of Essex has found a link between the global price of gold and the survival rate for Indian baby girls. Monthly increases in the price of gold between 1972-2005, the study argues, led to girls being more likely to be aborted, die in the first month of life, or suffer from stunted growth.

The study also concluded that dowries are a major contributing factor to India’s gender imbalance. Sex-selective abortion, though illegal since 2015, has been widely practiced since the 1980s, and nationwide men outnumber women by nearly 37 million. There are also an estimated 21 million “unwanted” girls who have been born in the country.

Have You Fallen For This New Age Practice?

Have you wondered if as a Christian woman it is OK to practice self-care?

I don't know about you, but when I see these buzzwords and bandwagons, I grow a little cautious. And here's why. I don't follow a crowd.

Not to overspiritualize something, but Jesus did say that the road to life was narrow and not very populated.

So, not only is it narrow, but you won't even run into a traffic jam on this narrow road.

Vatican signs deal with China on bishop appointments

Flags of China and Vatican City.

An expected agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China on the appointment of bishops was signed Saturday in Beijing, the Vatican announced.

A Sept. 22 communique said that a meeting was held in which a “Provisional Agreement” was signed concerning “the nomination of Bishops, a question of great importance for the life of the Church,” and creating “the conditions for greater collaboration at the bilateral level.”

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said the deal is the beginning, not the end, of a process of dialogue between people from “very different standpoints.”

How the Diocese of Brownsville ensures detained children receive sacraments

Most, if not every, diocese in the United States has some sort of prison ministry. Most do not have a detention center ministry to tend to the spiritual needs of minors detained by the the U.S. Border Patrol.
  
The Diocese of Brownsville, located in southern Texas along the U.S./Mexico border, isn’t like most dioceses.

U.S. Cardiologist Reveals Truth About Dark Spots

If you suffer from dark spots or uneven skin tones you are not alone.

If you are like most people then you think that many of these dark spots are caused by the sun, when in fact that is not the case at all.

These darks spots could actually be signs of advanced aging.

According to a recent European study, dark spots and uneven skin tones can make others think you're up to 20 years older!

If you have dark spots, age spots, liver spots or any other uneven skin tones on your hands, arms, face, or head, it's important that you watch the shocking presentation right now to find out the root cause of these spots and the incredible at home method to help reduce them.

Click here to find out how.

Liberty University Updates 'Hell House' for Next Generation

Liberty University is launching its annual Scaremare program. Scaremare is an update on the classic "hell house" formula, which is structured like a secular haunted house but scares guests with questions of what happens after they die, in an attempt to lead them to Jesus. On its website, Liberty reports, "Approximately 26,000 people have made decisions for Christ over the past two decades. Ironically, this House of Death points to the Way of Life!" Watch the school's promotional video for the event here.

Pope Francis: To honor one's parents, follow the saints

Pope Francis at the general audience Sept. 19, 2018. Credit: Marina Testino

There are many saints who demonstrate that even if one comes from a difficult childhood without good parents, hope can still be found in Christ and the mission received from him, Pope Francis said Wednesday.

The commandment to honor father and mother “can be constructive for many young people who come from stories of pain and for all those who have suffered in their youth,” he said Sept. 19.

What Kids Need Most From Their Parents

Over the years as a pastor, I've talked with people on their deathbeds and have often heard the same thing from parents: If they had it to do all over again, they would spend more time with their children and their spouse. And of course they always add, "I would have been closer to God."

You don't have to wait until your deathbed to realize how important your family is. One father whose children were grown and out of the house looked back and made this statement:

Why Your Spiritual Warfare Isn't Working

The first principle of spiritual warfare is humility. Whenever we notice that we are under attack and in the midst of spiritual warfare, we need to humble ourselves. Most people associate battling in the spirit with aggressive prayer and shouting at the devil. Those may have their place, but if we do not understand the role of humility and submission, our potential victory will turn into a defeat.

Archbishop Chaput: When we forget faith, we forget our humanity

When man tries to cling to reason and separate himself from faith, he forgets who he is and loses his source of hope, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia said on Friday.

Chaput gave his Sept. 14 address at the Faith and Reason Institute at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, to mark the 20th anniversary of the encyclical Fides et ratio by St. John Paul II, which he recommended reading in tandem with Veritatis splendor.

Both encyclicals teach that the only way to discover the truths about man is through both faith and reason, which rely upon each other, Chaput said. Because the two are inseparable, when man loses his faith, as he is doing today, he loses much of what it means to be human.

Canada to host coast to coast Rosary October 7 to fight against ‘war’ on life, family

Canada is following the example of Poland, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States and holding a coast-to-coast rosary on October 7.

The event is organized by Children of the Eucharist Canada in partnership with Fr. Richard Heilman, one of the driving forces behind the coast-to-coast rosary the United States.

“We are inviting Catholics across the country to pray together to call upon God through the powerful intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary to heal our country and return it to Holiness,”  according to the group’s website Rosary Coast to Coast.

What Employers Are Looking for When Hiring New Graduates

Dear Chuck,

My husband and I anticipate graduating in May. I've read that our resumes are extremely important. While he has part-time job and internship history, mine is very limited. We have student loans and hope to land great jobs as soon as we can. Could you tell me what employers are really looking for when hiring new graduates and how to land the right job?

Hoping to be Employable

Dear Employable,

Congratulations! My wife and I married our senior year of college and entered the workforce full-time together. It's an exciting season of life: full of hopes, dreams, and many decisions.

Here's my bullet point advice:

• Know what you can do to add value to an employer.

• Don't embellish your résumés.

• Know your "Why."

Here are some key attributes employers look for in recent graduates. Compare this list against an inventory of your strengths and talents.

Faith at work: How Christians can be safe from workplace discrimination

Three Christian organisations have teamed up to produce a resource aimed at helping employers understand issues facing Christians at work.

ADF International, Evangelical Alliance and the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship have produced Christianity in the Workplace: An employer's guide to Christian beliefs, a 26-page booklet addressing issues such as alcohol and gambling, wearing crosses, sharing faith and prayer.

Christians should be able to go to work without fear of facing discrimination.

Christians such as Nadia Eweida, the BA employee banned from wearing a cross at a check-in desk, have fought high-profile legal cases for the right to manifest their faith. The resource is designed to help employers and HR teams understand the issues and avoid costly and damaging conflicts.

'USA Today' Warns: You Will Get Microchipped

At one time, the notion that the general population would be microchipped someday was a "conspiracy theory", but now the mainstream media is coming right out and telling us that we will all get chipped. It is almost as if they are trying to mentally condition us to accept what is coming. Of course, it is being portrayed as "cool" and "trendy," and a lot of people will be fooled by that.

But if someday identity chips are required for the entire population, the potential for tyranny would be off the charts. Unfortunately, some sort of permanent digital identification is increasingly being pushed as the solution to problems such as identity theft, tax evasion, illegal immigration and money laundering. And tech companies would love to have a universal way to confirm the identities of individuals on the Internet. But very few people are talking about the dark side of this technology, and that is a very frightening thing.

Is There More Than One Way to Get to Heaven?

Many people think there are multiple ways to get to heaven. Is this the case? Bill Wiese gives a clear explanation of the directions to heaven.

Government planning changes to make divorce easier

The Government is about to embark on a consultation to shake-up the country's divorce laws, Buzzfeed News reports.

In the first major changes to divorce laws in half a century, couples in England and Wales would be able to seek a no-fault divorce.

Plans being drawn up by the Government would also remove the right of either spouse to contest the breakdown of the marriage.

Tony Dungy: 2 Major Dangers of Drinking Alcohol All Christians Should Know

In April 2001, a group of us were gathered in Jerry Angelo's office at our team headquarters, having just completed what would turn out to be my final draft with the Buccaneers. It was around 10 o'clock at night and we were chatting about the completed draft and other topics. Shortly thereafter, I headed home. As soon as the door closed behind me, my coauthor, Nathan, who was part of the Bucs' scouting department at the time, was ordered to his feet. "Get up!" He looked around, confused, and the command was given again. As he stood, he realized the towel he had been sitting on was covering the beer cooler. Out of respect for me, they had waited until I was gone.

Priest wants 'decency tax' on brides who wear low-cut dresses

What, nowadays, is appropriate bridal wear for weddings? One Italian priest has been scandalised by what he thinks is a trend towards plunging necklines.

Father Cristiano Bobbo, from Oriago near Venice, is calling for a 'decency tax' so that brides who display too much flesh should face financial penalties.

One of the Most Misunderstood Words in the Entire Bible

"God is love" (1 John 4:8b).

Love is one of the most important words in the Bible and appears roughly 800 times in the Old and New Testaments. In our culture, though, it is one of the most misunderstood words and is used for everything from sexual sin to sloppy sentimentality. In 1 John 4:8, the Bible plainly states that "God is love." Subsequently, to understand love as the Scripture speaks of it, we must begin with the Trinitarian God who is the source and ultimate example of love.

Baltimore's new Catholic school to be named after African American nun

The city of Baltimore will soon see a new Catholic school open for the first time in decades, named after an African American nun who founded the first U.S. school for black children.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore announced Tuesday that the new pre-K through 8th grade school will be named after Servant of God Mother Mary Lange, whose cause for canonization is currently being reviewed by the Vatican.

Aretha Franklin's family slams eulogy as 'offensive and distasteful'

More controversy broke over the funeral of singer Aretha Franklin after a family spokesman hit out at the 'negative agenda' of the minister who delivered the eulogy.

The minister who hosted the event, Bishop Charles Ellis, apologised after appearing to grope Ariana Grande's breast as he embraced her. Pictures shared on social media drove a storm of criticism with the hashtag #RespectAriana.

Now Vaughn Franklin, Aretha Franklin's nephew, speaking for her family, said of Rev Jasper Williams' address: 'He spoke for 50 minutes and at no time did he properly eulogise her.'

The body of the late singer Aretha Franklin lies in state at the Charles H Wright Museum of African American History for two days of public viewing in Detroit, Michigan.

Williams used his slot to address social issues. He appeared to be critical of the Black Lives Matter campaign against police targeting black people, saying: 'Black lives must not matter until black people start respecting black lives and stop killing ourselves.' He also referred to family breakdown, saying: 'there are not fathers in the home no more', adding that a black woman cannot raise a black boy to be a man. Aretha Franklin was herself a single parent of four boys.

South Sudan church mourns murdered youth coordinator

The Episcopal Church of South Sudan's national youth cooordinator has been killed by gunmen who targeted his vehicle.

Joseph Kiri died instantly after he was shot in the chest as his vehicle was sprayed with bullets, according to the executive director of the charity for which he also worked, Across. Elisama Wani Daniel said his driver escaped and ran to a nearby army post, from where soldiers recovered Kiri's body.

Thousands of young people gathered at Kiri's house on Monday to pay their respects, ACNS reported.

5 Essentials to Ensure You Finish Strong

Is it just me, or are you aware of how many leaders and regular Christians seem to be falling by the wayside? Pastors committing suicide, resigning because of sexual escapades, "throwing in the towel" from discouragement or confessing they've just lost their passion for vocational ministry, people committed in local churches for decades simply dropping out and drifting in passivity.

John Calvin, one of the fathers of the Reformation, said in his dying hour, "All that I have done has been of no value. The wicked will gladly seize on the word. But I repeat it again, all that I have done is of no value."

Have you ever felt like him? Can you identify with his feelings of failure and deep discouragement?

'Shame on you!' Cardinal Wuerl hears from protester after Sunday Mass

Cardinal Donald Wuerl.

As Cardinal Donald Wuerl spoke about the sex abuse crisis after Mass in Washington D.C. on Sunday, one man stood up and yelled, “Shame on you!” in protest.

“We need to hold close in our prayers and our loyalty, our Holy Father Pope Francis. Increasingly it is clear that he is the object of considerable animosity ...” Wuerl said before a Catholic in the congregation, Brian Garfield, shouted at Wuerl and walked out of the Church of the Annunciation, where the cardinal had just completed the installation Mass of a new pastor.

Bishop highlights need for just wages in Labor Day message

The provision of just wages for all workers is a critical component of a moral economy, said the head of the U.S. bishops’ Domestic Justice and Human Development committee in his Labor Day message.

“Today, there are many families who, even if they have technically escaped poverty, nevertheless face significant difficulties in meeting basic needs,” said Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice. “Wages for lower income workers are, by various accounts, insufficient to support a family and provide a secure future.”

In his 2018 Labor Day statement, the bishop emphasized that all Christians share the responsibility of building a human-centered economy.

“The economy must serve people, not the other way around,” he said. “Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of participating in God's creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected, including the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to organizing and joining unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.”

Are You a 'Sunday Stalwart,' 'Relaxed Religious' or 'Solidly Secular'? Pew Releases New Religious Groupings

Pew Research Center has announced a new group of religious classification terms for the U.S. population, in the hopes of better categorizing religious groups.

In a report released Wednesday, Pew stated that their new typology was meant to examine similar traits found in different religious groups.

"The new typology sorts Americans into seven groups based on the religious and spiritual beliefs they share, how actively they practice their faith, the value they place on their religion, and the other sources of meaning and fulfillment in their lives," explained Pew.

People who believe in creationism are also more likely to believe conspiracy theories, say researchers

A team of researchers at the University of Fribourg claims to have found a link between creationists and belief in conspiracy theories.

The study measured over 800 people in the areas of analytical thinking, and esoteric and magical beliefs.

It concluded that those with 'teleological thinking,' in which a person believes that 'everything happens for a reason,' are more likely to buy into creationism and conspiracy theories.

Toronto Closes First-Ever Sex Doll Brothel Week Before Opening Day

Toronto has shut down what was going to be the first-ever sex doll brothel in North America just a week before it was slated to open.

Because of a decades-old bylaw, city officials in the North York region of Canada's most-populous city said last week that the Aura Dolls brothel would be illegal because it falls under the category of "adult entertainment parlor" and is therefore not allowed in the neighborhood in which it had planned to set up shop, Toronto's CityNews reports.

How should Christians view Sunday?

The anonymous author of Hebrews found different ways of describing the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of them, which forms the underlying motif of chapters 3 and 4, is that Jesus Christ gives the rest that neither Moses nor Joshua could provide. Under Moses, the people of God were disobedient and failed to enter into God's rest (3:18). Psalm 95:11 (quoted in Hebrews 4:3) implies that Joshua could not have given the people "real rest" since "through David" God speaks about the rest he will give on another day (Heb. 4:7). This in turn implies that "There remains a sabbath rest for the people of God" (Heb. 4:9).

In speaking of this rest (3:18; 4:1, 3-6, 8) the author consistently used the same word for "rest" (katapausis). Suddenly, in speaking about the "rest" that remains for the people of God, he uses a different word (sabbatismos, used only here in the NT) meaning specifically a Sabbath rest. In the context of his teaching, this refers fundamentally to the "Sabbath rest" which is found in Christ ("Come ... I will give you rest," Matt. 11:28-30). Thus we are to "strive to enter that rest" (4:11).

Since Augustine, Christians have recognized that the Bible describes human experience in a fourfold scheme: in creation, fall, redemption, and glory. We are familiar with echoes of this in the Westminster Confession of Faith (chapter 9) and in Thomas Boston's great book Human Nature in its Fourfold State. It is no surprise then that the Sabbath, which was made for man, is experienced by him in four ways.

3 Simple Ways to Boost Your Savings

Have you ever stopped to consider the potential "future value" of the money you spend today? That is, if you were to save it rather than spend it, what would it be worth as you near retirement, say in 20 years?

For example, let's say you spend $7 each workday for lunch on the job. What if you decided to fast just once a week and save that $7 rather than spend it? Over 20 years, you would accumulate $7,280. Not bad. But if you were to invest that $7 a week in a Roth IRA earning 6%, your small weekly investment would grow to . . . (drum roll) . . . $14,078!

Surprised? We thought so. Now, start applying that same logic to other adjustments you can make in your lifestyle.

Boost Savings By Changing a Habit

3 Ways to Recognize False Prophets

How do you recognize a false prophet? They aren't really dressed up in sheep's clothing. Here are three ways to recognize false prophets according to Scripture.

Satanists protest Ten Commandments monument at Arkansas State Capitol by unveiling giant goat-headed statue

Satanic Temple unveils Satanic statue of a goat-headed, winged creature called Baphomet at the Arkansas State Capitol on August 16, 2018.

Some Christians recently protested against a giant Satanic Temple statue unveiled at the Arkansas State Capitol, holding Bible verse messages against a Satanic rally.

CBS News reported that in total 150 people, both Satanists and Christians, were present at the unveiling of the Satanic statue of a goat-headed, winged creature called Baphomet at the state capitol last Thursday.

The Danger of Living Like Satan and Demons Don't Exist

Unless you dish out $10.75 to watch some poor fictional family be terrorized by them on the big screen, you aren't going to hear much talk about Satan or demons nowadays.

Contemporary thinking is far too "advanced" to entertain the existence of such entities. Most westerners classify the devil and his demons alongside trolls, poltergeists, and vampires — they're a little scary to think about, but make-believe nonetheless.

North and South Korean families allowed rare reunions after decades apart

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shake hands after signing agreements during the inter-Korean summit at the truce village of Panmunjom, in this still frame taken from video, South Korea April 27, 2018.

Families split apart since the Korean War decades ago have been given the rare chance to meet each other again this week.

It is the first time since 2015 that reunions have taken place between North Koreans and their South Korean relatives. The resumption of family reunions was made possible by the Panmunjom Declaration signed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their historic meeting earlier this year.

Authentic Christianity changes culture, US nuncio says

Many have forgotten that authentic Christianity has a positive influence on history and brings about greater human fulfillment, Archbishop Christopher Pierre said Sunday at a cultural event organized by the lay movement Communion and Liberation.

“When faced with change, conflict, relativism, and bleak prospects for the future, people are beginning to despair under the burden of daily life and have forgotten how to be protagonists in history,” the apostolic nuncio to the US said Aug. 19 at the Rimini Meeting.

“Meeting Christ and being changed by Him – the revolution of the heart – this is what turns the wheel of history! This is the true revolution!”

3 Things That Deceive You Into Settling for a Fake God

1. The pleasures of the flesh.

2. The pursuit of success.

3. The approval of man.

Unfortunately, this is not a television game show but the way we live our everyday lives.

For example, many people today try to find meaning and satisfaction in sex. This is why pornography is so rampant. Sexual immorality and promiscuity may make us feel safe, loved, looked after and in control, but in the end, they leave us feeling more guilty, broken and demeaned.

China backtracks on one-child policy in face of massive demographic crisis

After decades of limiting families to one child via forced abortions and sterilization, the Chinese government is undertaking a campaign to encourage more babies in hopes of staving off a demographic crisis.

China began implementing its one-child policy in 1980, amid fears of food shortages and hopes of cutting the country’s population to under 1.2 billion by the end of the 20th century. In 2016, concerns that there would be too few young workers to replace and support an aging population led the Communist regime to allow couples to have two children. That concession sparked a brief population spike that year, but it didn’t continue into 2017.

3 Stages of Prayer That Lead You Into Deeper Intimacy With Jesus

Richard J. Foster, a Quaker and author of the modern-day Christian classics Celebration of Discipline and Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, is a longtime student of various forms of prayer. Through his studies and experience, he has encapsulated contemplative prayer into three stages: recollection, the prayer of quiet and spiritual ecstasy.

Recollection. Phase one is recollection, which means letting go of all competing distractions. That is the idea behind Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God."

What to Expect in a 'Ruth' Year

It's a Ruth year. That's one of the revelations Chuck Pierce has been sharing in the Hebrew year 5778. But what does that mean?

As I was reading the Book of Ruth, I received a revelation we can hang our faith on. Although there is more to be understood about the Ruth year, the second chapter of this book reveals five points that we can contend for in 2018 as we stand at the open door and prepare to move into a foreign land: divine connections, divine strategy, divine protection, divine favor and divine harvest.

In Ruth 2, we find Ruth and Naomi in Bethlehem. Although this was Naomi's homeland, it was a foreign land to Ruth. She followed her mother-in-law there out of loyalty. When you follow the Lord into a foreign territory out of allegiance to His heart, you can expect the following.

3 Key Ingredients to See the Prophesied Transfer of Wealth

Have you ever wondered what it's going to take for you to experience the transfer of wealth that the Bible predicts?

Sometimes, huge concepts like the wealth transfer seem like distant, pie-in-the-sky concepts ... especially when we have not experienced them yet.

Proverbs 13:22 says, "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just."

We believe God and desire the prosperity He promises. So, we pray and pray for the fulfillment of His Word, but we often don't know what else to do to see the things we are praying for manifest. However, anytime we dissect a historical occurrence of a phenomenon such as a transfer of wealth, we find patterns we can replicate in order to see that phenomenon happen in our own lives.

Recently, the Lord showed me three key ingredients of the wealth transfer that we can each replicate in our own lives in order to see that wealth transfer come to pass.

3 Dangerous Traps That Can Blind Seers

The enemy wants to blind seers and is working overtime in this season to fulfill that mandate. Listen in as Jennifer teaches three dangerous traps that can blind seers.

How family structure affects the likelihood of child abuse

Amid a renewed public conversation about what can be done to keep children safe from abuse, studies show that unstable family structure is a major risk factor for abuse.

When looking at overall trends in child abuse, Dr. W. Bradford Wilcox, director of the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project, told CNA that studies show children who come from unstable homes with unmarried parents are most likely to be abused, especially by someone close to them.

“Family drama and family chaos are breeding grounds for abuse,” Wilcox told CNA. “Kids who are exposed to instability are more likely to be exposed to unrelated adults, especially unrelated adult males.”

Kids in chaotic family situations are also more likely to be emotionally distraught, a vulnerability that adult abusers are likely to prey on, Wilcox said.

8 Signs You Are Under Spiritual Attack

Many people are facing spiritual struggles as they attempt to advance in the things of God. One of the primary tricks of the enemy is to get a person deceived and not realizing the depth of what is taking place in their lives.

Oftentimes people assume that the struggle they are facing is just a natural battle yet just beneath the surface there is something far more complex taking place. They are under a spiritual attack!

US bishops welcome change to Catechism on death penalty

Bishops across the US have welcomed the modification made to the Catechism of the Catholic Church saying the Church teaches that capital punishment is “inadmissible.”

Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles welcomed the changes, stating Aug. 3: “I am grateful for Pope Francis’ leadership in working for an end to judicial executions worldwide.”

Team Breakers Break Dreams

I had the privilege to interview T.D. Jakes. Many of his sermons have moved me over the years, as have his writings.

Along the way, I learned that Bishop Jakes is a successful entrepreneur and knows his pastoral calling is linked to helping others succeed by helping them pursue their dreams of business ownership.

One of the takeaways from the interview was this quote: "Build a team to build the dream." He spoke of building a team of doers with complementary skills and gifts. Too many dysfunctional teams are known for how they internally compete.

Should Christians Date?

It's apparently more complicated than you'd expect. Pure Flix Entertainment's new documentary, The Dating Project, recently challenged people on the street to define dating. Their answers may surprise you. Watch the video to see what a few people said.

Tarot, palm readings are idolatry, says Francis

Tarot cards and palm readings are idolatrous, according to Pope Francis, and should be shunned alongside other modern 'idols'.

The pope was speaking at his weekly audience yesterday after a month-long summer break. He asked his hearers: 'How many of you go to pray with tarot cards to see your future? How many of you go to get your hands read to see your future, instead of praying to God?'

He said: 'God is living, the rest [of these] are idols, and they aren't useful.'

Francis was expounding the first commandment, 'You shall have no other gods before me.'


He pointed to the Greek origin of the word 'idol', which means 'to see'. Idol worship, he said, was 'a vision which becomes a fixation, an obsession'.

Zimbabwe's ruling party wins majority in parliament, opposition questions poll

The presidential candidate for Zimbabwe's main opposition accused the ruling ZANU-PF of trying to steal the general election on Wednesday after official figures gave President Emmerson Mnangagwa's party a majority in parliament.

Nelson Chamisa, 40, and the 75-year-old Mnangagwa were the main contenders in Monday's vote, the first since Robert Mugabe was forced to resign after a de facto coup in November after nearly 40 years in power.

The Incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's results showed Mnangagwa's ZANU-PF cruising to a big majority after picking up 109 seats against 41 for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Another 58 seats are yet to be declared.

Pope Francis to altar servers: Holiness is not for the lazy

Everyone is called to pursue sainthood through living the Works of Mercy, though it is not for the weak of heart, Pope Francis told more than 60,000 young altar servers in St. Peter’s Square Tuesday.

“It is true, it is not easy, but remember – I will say it again – the way of holiness is not for the lazy,” the pope said July 31.

4 Ways Porn Will Ruin Your Sex Life

A couple of years ago, Huffington Post published an article with this title: "5 Reasons Why Watching Porn Together Can Be Good For Your Relationship." Their reasons?

Papal aides say prosperity gospel is distorted take on the ‘American Dream’

After publishing a highly controversial essay in July 2017 alleging the existence of an “ecumenism of hate” between Catholics and Evangelicals in the U.S., close papal confidantes Fr. Antonio Spadaro SJ and Marcelo Figueroa in a new article issue a scathing critique of the “prosperity gospel,” which they say is based on a reductionist view of the American Dream.

In the new essay, run July 18 in the Jesuit-run magazine “La Civilta Cattolica,” which is directed by Spadaro, the authors argue that the prosperity gospel, rooted in late 19th century America, is closely tied to the Protestant Evangelical movement in the U.S., and sees power, wealth and success as the result of one's faith, while poverty and misfortune are signs of a lack of faith.

The Shocking Reason Some People Don't Get Slain in the Spirit

When talking to the leadership team at Catch the Fire in Toronto, they confirmed that when they pray for people, not everyone is slain in the Spirit. For those who don't know, being slain in the Spirit is falling over (generally backward), when someone is in front of you praying for you. The understanding is that the Holy Spirit is coming upon them and this weakens them so they fall down, and then normally they rest under the Spirit's power as they lay on the floor and He ministers to them.

My questions was: "Is it the left-brainers who don't get slain in the Spirit?"

They paused and thought for a moment and then said, "Yes, it is the left-brainers who don't fall down."

The One Dream Symbol You Should Never Interpret Figuratively

A fundamental principle we must always remember about dreams is that they are not usually literal; they are most often symbolic. They are pictures that represent something else, thus need to be interpreted. That is true with most dreams, and with most symbols, except for numbers. Every time in the Bible that someone had numbers in their dreams, those figures represented the exact same number in waking life. However, the number will probably be linked to something which needs to be interpreted symbolically.

For example, when Joseph dreamed of 11 stars, the 11 was literal, but the stars were symbolic and actually represented his brothers. Joseph was dreaming about his 11 brothers (Gen. 37:1-11). Likewise, the cupbearer's dream of three branches stood for three days (Gen. 39:12), and for the chief baker, the three baskets represented three days (Gen. 39:18). In Pharaoh's dream, the seven cows were seven years (Gen. 41:26).

Embryo gene-editing poses inescapable ethical problems, critic says

Genetic editing of human embryos, even in special circumstances, ignores the complex ethical problems related to creating and destroying human embryos, a Catholic bioethicist has said.
“On first glance, genetic editing of human embryos to treat diseases seems like a laudable project. But the reality is far more complex,” Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, director of education of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, stated.

The most likely approach for genetic modification of an embryo or embryos would require their creation through in vitro fertilization, said Fr. Pacholzyck, who holds a doctorate in neuroscience. This step “violates their human dignity and ‘objectifies’ them.”