ETERNAL FLAME NEWS

Friday, July 1, 2011

Obama Administration Stops Deportation Of Illegal Immigrant /Same Sex Partner

The federal decision to stop deportation proceedings against a Venezuela-born New Jersey man who legally married his same-sex partner in the United States -- effectively recognizing gay marriage -- is an "abuse of executive authority" by the Obama administration, immigration experts told FoxNews.com.

Henry Velandia, a 27-year-old professional salsa dancer from Caracas now living in New Jersey, legally married U.S. citizen Josh Vandiver, 30, in Connecticut last year, but due to the Defense of Marriage Act -- a 1996 federal law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman -- Vandiver was not allowed to sponsor Velandia for a green card in the same way a heterosexual person could for his or her spouse. The Department of Homeland Security nevertheless decided to drop deportation efforts against him Wednesday.

Velandia told FoxNews.com that Wednesday's ruling was a "big, uplifting moment" and the product of a year's worth of hard work on behalf of the couple's attorney, Lavi Soloway.

"I can now be with Josh, my husband, in this country without fear of being torn apart," he said on Friday. "It's like our first day building up our life together. But we know the fight is not over. We're going to keep fighting for marriage equality for all the couple who are in the same situation."

But Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, said the decision is misguided prosecutorial discretion that could "destroy the credibility" of immigration law in the United States.

"This is another instance of the Obama administration's abuse of executive authority on behalf of select groups of removable aliens that it thinks are sympathetic to make a run around Congress and provide amnesty to as many illegal aliens as possible," Vaughan said. "These people are props for the administration, which is uncomfortable in its mission to enforce immigration laws. What they're really doing here with this policy of discretion is giving a free pass to huge numbers of people who have been living here illegally."

President Obama reiterated during a news conference on Wednesday that he had instructed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act in court. He said he supported gay equality, but repeated his position in support of civil unions instead of marriage. At the same time, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is urging its agents to consider a lengthy list of factors in determining whether to move ahead with deportation proceedings -- in a move to crack down on illegal immigrant criminals, but give agents leeway to dismiss cases against those who haven't committed non-immigration crimes.

But by stopping the deportation proceedings against Velandia, the federal government is effectively giving same-sex couples a "status that is not recognized in federal law or in many states," Vaughan said.

"The administration doesn't care about the larger effects," she said. "It's aiming to score political points. And what people don't realize is that they are offering the same thing to lots of other people who are a lot less sympathetic. In reality, it's going to prevent the removal of a lot of many other more troubling individuals, including criminals and repeat immigration violators. It just destroys the credibility of immigration laws."

David Boaz, an executive vice president at Cato Institute, a Washington-based libertarian think tank, said the Obama administration is now in an "awkward position" since announcing it will not continue defending the marriage act in court while promising to enforce existing federal law.

"It becomes difficult to see how you really enforce a law if defendants know that you won't defend its constitutionality if they challenge it in court," he said. "They're probably thinking we can always reopen the deportation case if, ultimately, the courts make it clear that this is the law and it should be enforced."

Boaz said he doesn't expect an imminent decision either way. "I think we're going to get judicial resolution on this, but it could take a couple of years," he said.

United Church Of Christ To Vote To Eliminate God The Father From Their Constitution

TAMPA, Fla., July 1, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Meeting at General Synod 28 in Tampa, Florida this weekend -- July 1-5, 2011 -- the historic United Church of Christ will vote on an amendment to eliminate God the Father from Article 5, lines 9-10 of its constitution. www.ucc.org/synod/pdfs/proposedconstitution.pdf

The Constitution of the denomination has remained unchanged in its theological core since the United Church of Christ's founding in 1957, and remains the covenant connection with the basic truths of Christianity that keeps many churches affiliated who are otherwise alienated by the denominations very liberal agenda.

According to renewal leader David Runnion-Bareford, "Rejecting God as Father in an age of fatherlessness is unthinkable. God acted toward us in amazing grace when He offered to be our Father through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ who offers us life in his name. This is not something we as humans made up in some other time. Rejecting our Father is act of arrogant rebellion in the name of cultural conformity that only further alienates members, churches, but more importantly God himself. We call the delegates to reject the change for God's sake."

New Al-Qaeda Video Encourages Muslims To Attack U.S Churches

(One News Now)With the recent airing of an al-Qaeda video that encourages Muslims to attack religious institutions, Christian churches are being warned.

In a video released by al-Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn, the American-born Muslim asks jihadists to quickly obtain guns and carry out terrorist attacks against the West. He states that Muslims are placed in the region to "do major damage to the enemies of Islam, waging war on their religion, sacred places, and things and brethren."

"That's very troubling," admits Steve Amundson of the Florida Security Council. "Adam Gadhan lived here in Southern California for a number of years. He studied under Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi at the Islamic Center of Orange County, which is in Garden Grove."

Gadahn's statements to U.S. Muslims follow the death of Osama bin Laden. In response, the Christian Emergency Network has issued a warning for churches in the United States, and Amundson advises Christians to stay alert.

"Churches, just like everybody, I tell them to be vigilant; be aware of your surroundings," he urges. "Don't walk around like everything's okay, because we're in different times now, and it's time for Americans to be vigilant, be aware, [and] be alert because something could happen."

Churches are also advised to have an emergency team ready and to regularly conduct emergency drills.

2,000 Yr Old Ossuary Stone Chest Discovered In Jewish Tomb

(Jerusalem Post) Researchers from Bar-Ilan and Tel Aviv universities published a study this week confirming the authenticity of a recently obtained ancient ossuary with unique historical implications that was plundered by antiquities robbers.

The 2,000-year-old ossuary, a stone chest used for secondary burial of bones, belonged to a daughter of the Caiaphas family of high priests.

The front of the ossuary bears an Aramaic inscription from the time of the Second Temple saying “Miriam Daughter of Yeshua Son of Caiaphas, Priests of Ma’aziah from Beth Imri.”

The high priest Yehosef Bar Caiaphas is known for his involvement in the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, but the prime importance of the inscription is the discovery that the Caiaphas family was related to the Ma’aziah priestly course, one of the 24 divisions of Kohens that took turns maintaining the schedule of offerings at the Temple in Jerusalem.

This is the first reference to the Ma’aziah course in an epigraphic find from the Second Temple period, which was the last of the twenty-four priestly courses that served in the First Temple.

The list of courses was formulated during King David’s reign and appears in the Bible in I Chronicles 24:18.

The ossuary was discovered by antiquities robbers who looted a Jewish tomb of the Second Temple period.

Three years ago, it was acquired by the Antiquities Authority Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery.

Since the ossuary was not found in a controlled, archeological excavation, and due to its extraordinary historical significance, the authenticity of the artifact was tested by Dr. Boaz Zissu of the Department of the Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University and Prof. Yuval Goren of the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University.

The examinations determined that the ossuary and its inscription are genuine and ancient, and came from a burial cave in the area of the Valley of Elah, in the Shephela.

This week the research was published in the Israel Exploration Journal, Volume 61, confirming its authenticity and summarizing the importance of the find.

The Antiquities Authority has expressed distress that this important find, stolen from its original provenance, was removed from its exact archeological context, so it is not possible to know the full story of the burial cave.

The ending of the inscription “from Beth Imri” can be interpreted to mean that Beth Imri is the name of a priestly family – the sons of Immer as described in Ezra 2:36-37 and Nehemiah 7:39-42, whose descendants include members of the Ma’aziah course.

The second possibility is that it refers to the place of origin of the deceased or of her entire family, which may have been preserved in the name Beit Ummar, a village in the North Hebron Hills.

In that village and in nearby Khirbet Kufin, remains of a Jewish settlement were identified from the Second Temple era and the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt.
Read More From Jerusalem Post

2 Houston Texas Schools Criticized For Having Prayer During Graduation

(Chron.com)Two public high schools in Spring are being criticized for including prayer in their graduation ceremonies earlier this month.

Klein Independent School District is currently reviewing its graduation policies, after Americans United for the Separation of Church and State issued a letter Wednesday calling on Klein High School and Klein Collins High School to no longer include prayer in school events. Student volunteers at each of the schools offered invocations and benedictions at the June 4 ceremonies.

The letter states:

“Graduation is an important rite of passage for young people and all students should feel welcome regardless of their views about religion,” said Americans United Legal Director Ayesha N. Khan. “It’s a matter of simple fairness and decency for school officials to recognize that we live in a diverse society and to include everyone.

“In addition,” Khan continued, “the law is absolutely clear on this issue. Public school officials offer students a poor model of citizenship when they flout the Constitution and the plain rulings of the Supreme Court.”

The high court ruled in 1992 in Lee v. Weisman that public schools may not impose prayer and or other forms of religious worship on students and their families during graduation.

In 2000, the high court ruled against school-sanctioned student-led prayers before football games in a Texas case called Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe.

“The school district takes its legal obligations very seriously, especially regarding the Constitution,” said Judy Rimato, Klein ISD spokeswoman. “We will be reviewing our policies regarding graduation ceremonies.”

On June 3, a day before the Klein ISD graduations, a federal court ruled that a valedictorian at a San Antonio public school would be allowed to offer a prayer at her graduation. Gov. Rick Perry had also voiced his support for the move.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Apple Pulls Anti-Semitic IPad App

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has agreed to the request of an Israeli official to pull an iPad app that encourages anti-Semitism.

Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, Israel's minister of public diplomacy and Diaspora affairs, wrote a letter to Jobs, asking him to take action against an app that called for a "third intifada." The app, which was also compatible with iPhones, encouraged Muslims to violently attack Israel.

"Any promotion of hate or violence should always be removed," contends Gary Ratner, senior development professional for StandWithUs. "iPad users should always assist to ensure that this is the case."

The organization that created the app also launched a Facebook group earlier this year that was removed when the social networking site discovered the group's purpose.

Even though technology and the internet create a window of opportunity for social networking and interaction, Ratner points out that "there's also a great risk, and we've got to be aware of this risk and ensure that it isn't used for nefarious purposes without infringing on people's free speech rights."

Edelstein told Jobs that the app was "disastrous" because it could have potentially brought a large number of individuals against Israel.

Harold Camping Follower Shoots Co-Worker Over Rapture Belief

An Oregon man, believed to be a follower of Harold Camping and in jail for allegedly shooting a co-worker last week, wanted to punish the victim for mocking the California preacher’s rapture prophecy, emerging developments suggest.

39-year-old man from west Eugene, Dale O’Callaghan, shot his co-worker, 33-year-old Jerry Andrews, in the shoulder June 24, calling him “one of those Satanic” people, according to a sworn affidavit filed in Lane County Circuit Court by Eugene Police Detective Ben Hall.

O’Callaghan and Andrews, co-workers at LHM Hydraulics for several years, had argued occasionally over Harold Camping’s prediction that the rapture would cause the end of the world beginning May 21, which turned out to be false, The Register-Guard quoted the victim’s mother, Robin O’Brien, as saying Tuesday.

The suspect, who had no adult criminal record until then, had been teased at work about his apparent belief in the rapture predicted by Camping, who spent millions of dollars on over 5,000 billboards and 20 recreational vehicles carrying the Judgment Day message.

O’Callaghan “expected to be taken up in the rapture, and it didn’t happen … He’d been getting some ribbing from the guys in the shop, and I guess he simmered over that,” O’Brien was quoted as saying. She added that her son did not want to speak with journalists.

While the two were not on bad terms, the suspect took it personally when the victim and other co-workers teased him in recent weeks over his belief in Camping’s prediction that Jesus Christ was to return to Earth May 21, the victim’s mother added.

However, the suspect’s father, Ronald O’Callaghan, said his son was not a believer in Harold Camping.

Investigators said the accused used a .357-caliber revolver to shoot Andrews once in the shoulder area as they first saw each other at work on the morning of June 24. O’Callaghan is in the Lane County Jail facing a felony charge of first-degree assault.

The bullet traveled across Andrews’ upper back and became lodged behind his left shoulder and “just missed paralyzing him,” his mother said, adding that he suffered a fractured shoulder and a fractured vertebra. Andrews is being given an outpatient treatment.

LHM Hydraulics, where the two work, is owned by the suspect’s parents.

The suspect insisted on having a lawyer at the time of police interrogation, but when he was taken to Circuit Court Monday he said he didn’t want representation by an attorney. However, after Judge Charles Zennaché explained that the mandatory minimum sentence for the crime was seven and a half years in prison, he finally agreed.

O’Callaghan is apparently one of the hundreds of people who actually believed Camping’s prediction would come true. Some of his followers sold their homes, left their jobs or donated their life savings in anticipation of the rapture of 200 million Christians to heaven.

Muslims and Christians Clash Over Construction Of Christian Church In Egypt

CAIRO -- A security official says Christians and Muslims have clashed in southern Egypt over the construction of a church.

A local security chief, Assem Hamza, says Muslim residents of the Awlad Khalaf village rallied Saturday outside Christian-owned land where construction of a church was under way.

Hamza said the construction was illegal. Security forces deployed as Muslim residents, including ultraconservative Salafis, moved in with bulldozers to try to bring down the construction.

Hamza said Christians fired gunshots and the two sides scuffled. Three Muslims were shot, including one in serious condition. A Christian has stab wounds.

Christians make up 10 percent of Egypt's population and complain of attacks by increasingly assertive Salafis.

Cross Set On Fire In Front Of Church

There is new information on a "chilling" crime in a green country community.

Now investigators with the Creek County Sheriff’s office say they know who set a cross on fire in front of a church.

It happened just last week outside St. Johns Church near Sapulpa in Creek County.

April Slavens has fond memories of many Sundays spent worshiping at the church.

But now, she says she is left with an image of a burning cross in her mind that just won’t go away.

"I had just left the house and I was heading into town and it was setting up against the fence and it was still smoking,” says April.

The image left her shocked, and so she called the sheriff’s department to report it.

“It was a wooden cross leaned up against the fence and it had white cloth leaned over against it and you could see where there were places on the ground where the cloth had fell and burnt,” she says.

Deputies found the same style of wood at a mobile home park right across the street.

“Through their interviews, they were able to find three people that were involved in it. One was an 18 year old and the other two being juveniles. Basically, they didn't have anything to do and got bored and thought that was something fun to do,” says Lt. Charles Redfern.

It’s a reality that’s hard for many in the community to believe.

“I didn't know if it was kids with nothing better to do, but it was wrong,” says April.
Read More From Fox 23

Atheist Billboard Placed On Church's Property Removed

(Columbus Dispatch)An atheist billboard didn't last long on church property on the East Side.

The smiling image of Dylan Galos was accompanied by the words "I can be good without God."

It was one of seven billboards posted across Columbus last week by the Freedom From Religion Foundation to introduce central Ohio residents to their atheist neighbors.

The message didn't sit well with the pastor of Christ Cathedral Church, 3350 Allegheny Ave., which owns the land where one of the billboards went up on a Clear Channel Outdoor sign.

The Rev. Waymon Malone ordered it removed, said Carolyn Kelley, his mother-in-law. Malone and his wife, Kimberlee, were out of town yesterday and could not be reached for comment.

"It upset him because of what it said," Kelley said. "It said we don't need God, and we're at church, so we do need God."

The billboard was removed days after it was installed on June 21, said Jay Schmidt, account executive for Matrix Media Services.

It was reposted on E. Main Street, just west of Alum Creek Drive, visible to eastbound traffic, Schmidt said.

Schmidt helped the Freedom From Religion Foundation find the billboard locations but didn't realize that the Galos billboard was on church property. That billboard is visible from Stelzer Road north of Allegheny Avenue, just as Stelzer turns into James Road.