ETERNAL FLAME NEWS: Feb 9, 2011

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

U.S Judge Throws Out Atheist's Case Over Cross Grant

ST. LOUIS – A federal judge in Illinois has tossed out a Chicago-area atheist's quest to force the return of a state grant given to restoration efforts of a southern Illinois cross landmark.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael McCuskey, central Illinois' chief federal jurist, threw out Rob Sherman's lawsuit Tuesday.

McCuskey accepted the recommendation of U.S. Magistrate David Bernthal, who late last week refused to reconsider his decision to reject Sherman's lawsuit over the $20,000 grant to the 11-story tall Bald Knob Cross of Peace.

Bernthal ruled the state's economic-development agency has discretion in how it doles out its money.

Sherman has pledged this week to take the matter to a federal appellate court in Chicago if McCuskey ruled against him.

North and South Korea Talks Collapse

Texts Reveal Muslim Brotherhoods Radical Creed

One of the greatest beneficiaries of the unrest in Egypt has been the Muslim Brotherhood

Banned but tolerated for decades by successive Egyptian regimes, the Islamist movement is now emerging as a central player in the country’s resurgent opposition.

On Tuesday, two Brotherhood representatives participated in an opposition delegation that met with Vice President Omar Suleiman for the first set of talks over implementing political reforms.

Pundits have portrayed the Brotherhood as uncompromising zealots or beneficent providers of social services that long-deprived Egyptians desperately need.

But a translation released Tuesday of a 1995 book by the movement’s fifth official leader sheds light on just how Egypt’s Brotherhood views itself and its mission. Jihad is the Way is the last of a five-volume work, The Laws of Da’wa by Mustafa Mashhur, who headed the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt from 1996-2002.

The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday saw excerpts of the text, compiled by Palestinian Media Watch founder Itmar Marcus and analyst Nan Jacques Zilberdik.

They detail the Brotherhood’s objectives of advancing the global conquest of Islam and reestablishing the Islamic Caliphate, the public and private duties of jihad and the struggle Muslims must wage against Israel.

The full text, translated by PMW, will be posted Wednesday on the organization’s website, Palwatch.org.

“The Islamic ummah,” it says, referring to the supranational community of Muslims, “can regain its power and be liberated and assume its rightful position which was intended by Allah, as the most exalted nation among men, as the leaders of humanity.”

Elsewhere, it exhorts Muslims, “Know your status, and believe firmly that you are the masters of the world, even if your enemies desire your degradation.”

Read More from the Jerusalem Post

New Iphone App Allows Catholics To Confess Their Sins Through Their Phones

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A new app for devices like the iPhone and iPad aims to take the intimidation factor out of Confession for Catholics — and the Church is giving it the thumbs-up.

You’ll still have to tell a priest your sins in person, but “Confession: A Roman Catholic App” holds your hand through the process via your hand-held.

Katie, a Temple University sophomore, likes how the app takes you step-by-step, preparing you for the sacrament by asking questions that might point out a sin or two you’ll want to divulge.

“I like how you have the ‘in the name of the Father’ — like what they should say,” Katie said.

Teresa, a senior at Temple, says that’ll help — as long as you’re not blasting Jay-Z when you enter the confessional.

“Confession for some people can be kind of intimidating, so I think this will make it a lot easier for them to go through it,” Teresa said.

Father Jerry Wild at the University’s Newman Center says when it comes to absolution, touchscreens can’t replace the face-to-face, but support for the app shows the Church is keeping up with the times.

“We certainly live in a technological age, so the Church has to be aware of that and respond to that reality.”

Survey Says: Children Today Prefer Virtual Lives To Real World

Children are often happier with their online lives than they are with reality, a survey has revealed.

They say they can be exactly who they want to be – and as soon as something is no longer fun they can simply hit the quit button.

The study also shows that, despite concerns about online safety, one in eight young people is in contact with strangers when on the web and often lies about their appearance, age and background.

Researchers for children’s charity Kidscape assessed the online activities of 2,300 11- to 18-year-olds from across the UK and found that 45 per cent said they were sometimes happier online than in their real lives.

The report – Virtual Lives: It is more than a game, it is your life – lays bare the attitudes of children today to the internet and includes revealing insights into how they feel when they are on the web.

One told researchers: ‘It’s easier to be who you want to be, because nobody knows you and if you don’t like the situation you can just exit and it is over.’

Another said: ‘You can say anything online. You can talk to people that you don’t normally speak to and you can edit your pictures so you look better. It is as if you are a completely different person.’

One teenager admitted the only place he or she felt comfortable admitting they were gay was on anonymous internet forums.

Around 47 per cent of children said they behaved differently online than they did in their normal lives with many claiming it made them feel more powerful and confident.

Psychotherapist Peter Bradley, who is also deputy director of Kidscape, said that the desire for so many to adopt a different identity online was a cause for concern because the children were being divorced from reality.