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ROME - A persistent line of criticism heading into next month’s Synod of Bishops on the Amazon, generally coming from more conservative and traditional quarters of Catholicism, is that the whole exercise is a distraction from the Church’s core mission of evangelization, meaning bringing souls to Christ. That, for instance, was the gist of a complaint by German Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, who’s pointedly asked, “What do ecology, economy, and politics have to do with the mandate and mission of the Church?” What’s sometimes overlooked is that for Pope Francis, such subjects do not constitute an alternative to evangelization. As he...

Christian business can opt out of pro-gay messagingA Christian business in Arizona can now opt out of same-sex "weddings" without being punished — that ruling from the state's Supreme Court this past Monday. In a 4-3 decision, the court ruled that Brush and Nib Studio — an art and calligraphy company in Phoenix — has the right to refuse to make handmade wedding invitations for a same-sex couple. The owners filed a complaint in 2016 against a law they say requires Christian business owners to violate their deeply held religious beliefs by forcing them to promote gay marriage. In a...

The government wants to destroy the mountain top "Heaven’s Gate". Perhaps a motorway will pass through the area. Great security measures to control thousands of faithful. The sanctuary was built in 1924. Every year, on September 15th, tens of thousands of pilgrims come from all over China.Taiyuan (AsiaNews) - Thousands of faithful came on pilgrimage to Dongergou, near Taiyuan (Shanxi), to the shrine of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is celebrated on September 15 in the Church. This year, in addition to reasons of faith, the faithful were further concerned...

Hubbard named in new Child Victims Act lawsuitALBANY — Former Catholic Bishop Howard J. Hubbard has been accused of sexual abuse in a second civil complaint — this one alleging he and two other Albany priests sexually assaulted a teenage girl repeatedly in the rectory of Immaculate Conception Church in Schenectady in the late 1970s. In a statement released Monday, Hubbard denied the new claim and reiterated his earlier assertion that he has never sexually abused anyone.

"Oh he's had a facelift, there's no question," said leading New York-based cosmetic surgeon Dr. Arthur Perry, who is also an associate adjunct professor at Columbia Medical School. He described the size of Biden's incisions as "incredible" and "fairly recent." He said: "The scars come too far from his ear. This is very hard to correct." Perry noted that hair was protruding from Biden's tragus, the piece of cartilage on the outside of the ear. Typically, the skin of the patient's face is pulled to the edge of the tragus. In Biden's surgery, however, he said the skin was pulled...

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. FReeper Canteen Come on in, we're open Need a place just to hang out? This is it. It's casual FRiday here at the Canteen. Pull up a seat and relax. We serve coffee, tea, conversation and music. Our AWESOME military, our AWESOME allies, and their families are welcomed and honored here. No worries in the FReeper Canteen Just Hangin' Cafe. Grab a cup or a glass, and start a conversation....

Judicial Watch is hot on the trail of a potentially explosive revelation: that an agent who had previously worked for the FBI and CIA as an informant actively tried to set up a business deal between the Trump Organization and Russian interests, in order to implicate Trump with “collusion.” Sater reportedly "began working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1998, after he was caught in a stock-fraud scheme." It was Andrew Weissmann who, as supervising assistant U.S. attorney, signed the agreement that brought Sater on as a government informant. Federal prosecutors wrote a letter to Sater's sentencing judge on...

**SNIP** We’ve only just begun to see how far Epstein’s influence reached into the science and technology communities, but what we know so far is disturbing. Harvard University, to which Epstein donated before his guilty plea in 2008, said it hadn’t taken any of his money afterward. He found other ways to donate indirectly, though, including by giving $110,000 to a nonprofit run by Elisa New. (New, as it happens, is married to Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard who publicly wondered in 2005 if women were just innately not equipped for STEM careers.) Harvard professor Joscha Bach was...

President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday the Environmental Protection Agency will revoke California's waiver that allows the state to require automakers to build cleaner vehicles than federal requirements demand – a move that will set off a massive legal battle. Reuters and other media outlets reported on Tuesday the administration was set to formally announce the decision as early as Wednesday. The Trump administration will announce in the coming weeks a separate rule to roll back Obama-era fuel efficiency standards for light vehicles. Trump urged automakers to back the action, but so far none have publicly supported revocation of California's...

Former Florida governor and Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden’s candidacy for president. Crist, who was a Republican while serving as governor from 2007 to 2011, said that Biden has the ability to appeal to “independent and disaffected Republicans” needed to win Florida in a race against President Trump, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “Joe Biden’s record of getting things done speaks for itself,” Crist said in a Thursday statement. “He has always put the American people above party lines and will continue to as President.” “We need a president whose objective at the end...

Authors of a controversial new book about Brett Kavanaugh said Democratic presidential candidates calling for his impeachment were engaged in a “rush to judgment” without having actually read their “nuanced” account of the sexual misconduct allegations leveled against him. “It’s dismaying to see the rush to judgment,” said Kate Kelly, a New York Times reporter and co-author “We definitely have been grappling with it,” said co-author and fellow Times reporter Robin Pogrebin about the firestorm the initial accounts of their book triggered. “There was a sense going into this that nuance doesn’t make headlines, ... that people were going to...

So, at least the drag queen story tellers are being honest about who they answer to! A pentagram and Satan’s signature – yeah, we get it. I am so glad that this church leadership had the courage to speak out against the satanic Drag Queen Story Hour. It’s sick and foul, and many of these drag queens have pedophilia listed on their very long rap sheets. “…but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” Luke 22:53 (KJV) But when I look at photos of these drag queens, the people I am most angry about are the parents of...

On the eve of a “global climate strike,” a new report revealed that none of the global warming doomsday predictions of the past 50 years have come true. “Modern doomsayers have been predicting climate and environmental disaster since the 1960s. They continue to do so today,” said the analysis from the Competitive Enterprise Institute shared with Secrets. “None of the apocalyptic predictions with due dates as of today have come true,” it added. The report cites 30 predictions made by experts, government scientists, and global leaders, including former Vice President Al Gore and Britain’s Prince Charles. **SNIP** “While such predictions...

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) backed up “The Princess Bride” star Cary Elwes’s dismay at the notion of a potential remake of the 1987 classic on Wednesday. “There’s a shortage of perfect movies in this world. It would be a pity to damage this one,” Elwes tweeted Tuesday, paraphrasing a line from the film, in response to a Variety article that quotes Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra as saying “very famous people whose names I won’t use” want to remake the film. “I have never agreed with a statement more,” Cruz tweeted Wednesday, quoting Elwes’s tweet. Cruz has repeatedly discussed...

A White House and Department of Justice proposal containing gun control ideas is now available for public consumption. CNN White House correspondent Elaina Plott tweeted a copy of the document: The document clearly shows the White House and DOJ adopting the structure of the Manchin-Toomey gun control bill as a guide: “Consistent with the Manchin-Toomey-draft legislation, a background check requirement would be extended to all commercial sales, including sales at gun shows.” The document shows the Manchin-Toomey background checks–i.e., universal background checks–would include issuance of a “bill of sale” and the preservation of a “chain of title.” Sellers would have...

Astrophotography is probably one of the most difficult and specialized types of photography to try your hand at, but if you manage to get it right the rewards are some of the most astonishingly breathtaking images you are ever likely to see. The Royal Observatory Greenwich has just revealed the winners of its annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, and the quality of the entrants was nothing short of spectacular. This year the competition attracted 4,602 entries from 90 different countries across the world, all presenting the universe in a new light and vying for the coveted prize of...

Jimmy Page was interviewed for a cover story in the latest issue of Uncut, where he talks about the potential of a LED ZEPPELIN film, career regrets (or not), and carrying on the legacy of ZEPPELIN as the best band in the world. Speaking to writer Michael Bonner about why he feels no other bands could come close to LED ZEPPELIN, Page said: "It's really hard to say something like that and not sound conceited, but over the years, a lot of other musicians have told me they thought we were the best. I'm not talking about record sales or...

September 19, 2019MEMRI Daily Brief No.198 No Principles, No Dignity, No Power, No Deterrence By: Yigal Carmon* People without principles and dignity do not understand that these are sources of tangible power that create deterrence. People who evade projecting those elements of power are doomed to be deterred by those with dignity and principles – however odious and deplorable – such as Iran, Russia, and China down to the level of Turkey. They treat the US with constant verbal contempt and actual provocations, in the knowledge that they can bait the US with impunity. [1] The attacks of 9/14 on...

Faulds is Nevada’s state geologist and director at the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, and he has spent years looking into the impact that plate tectonics will have on our area. “Some of the major faults in western Nevada could reorganize themselves into becoming the major plate boundary.” Faulds says the course of 8 to 10 million years, plate movement will essentially result in the gulf of California extending all the way to northern Nevada, along a zone known as the Walker Lane, which runs along the land where you will currently find U.S. 395.

Former President Barack Obama on Monday met with Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg as part of her visit to Washington, DC, to promote environmental issues. “Just 16, @GretaThunberg is already one of our planet’s greatest advocates,” Obama tweeted after his meeting with Thunberg. “Recognizing that her generation will bear the brunt of climate change, she’s unafraid to push for real action.” **SNIP** Video of the meeting between Thunberg and Obama released by the Obama Foundation on Tuesday shows the former President asking Thunberg about recent climate strikes she participated in while she visited New York and Washington. “Everyone is...