Harry Potter: So good, even the Pope approves

 Originally posted at http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/07/harry-potter-so-good-even-the-pope-approves/

Posted: 16 Jul 2009 09:56 AM PDT

In the past, Pope Benedict XVI has criticized British author J.K. Rowling and her popular Harry Potter series as "subtle seductions," that can lead young Christians away from their faith.

imageBut if an article recently published by the Vatican’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, is any indication, it seems as if the Pope and the Vatican may be warming up to franchise.

According to the Associated Press, the Vatican gives the latest installment in the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” a thumbs-up for its treatment of the forces of good versus darkness.

“The newspaper said the film, which opens Wednesday, was the best adaptation yet of the J.K. Rowling series about the adventures of the bespectacled child wizard Harry Potter and his Hogwarts chums as they battle Harry’s nemesis, the evil sorcerer Voldemort.”

The Vatican also gave the flick rave reviews for its realistic portrayal of adolescent love.

However, the Vatican still doesn’t approve of the fact that God is MIA in Harry Potter books and movies.

The sixth movie in the popular franchise, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” raked in the cash in a special screenings last night earning $22.2 million dollars, which was about $4 million more than last year’s other tale of good versus evil, “The Dark Knight.”

Many industry critics are expecting the film to be the biggest hit of the summer, outpacing even "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."

 

–Tiffany Orr, The Underground managing editor

 

 

7 Believers Beheaded in Somalia, 4 Killed in Violence in Iraq

Originally posted at http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/07/7-believers-beheaded-in-somalia-4-killed-in-violence-in-iraq/


SANTA ANA, Calif., July 13 /Christian Newswire/ — At least 11 Christians were killed in attacks in Somalia and Iraq over the weekend.

Al-Shabaab, Somalia’s hard-line insurgents, reportedly beheaded seven Somalis for being "Christians" and "spies."

This news was announced by Reuters News Agency on Friday. The report stated that the incident took place in the south-central town of Baidoa.

In Iraq, the Associated Press reported a car bomb exploded near a church in Baghdad, killing three Christians and a Muslim.

Another Christian was killed in the northern city of Kirkuk. Several more churches were also bombed in Baghdad over the weekend.

The Reuters report from Somalia pointed out that although al-Shabaab has carried out similar severe punishments in regions under its control, these executions allegedly are the largest number done at the same time.

Somalia is believed to have a 99 percent Islamic following. There are only a handful Somali Christians inside the country and they have been forced underground. Some Christians have taken refuge in neighboring countries.

These decapitations follow an incident in Mogadishu on June 25 in which al-Shabaab amputated a hand and a leg each of four teenagers accused of stealing mobile phones and other possessions. With these actions al-Shabaab is extending its reign of terror across Somalia.

Somalia is ranked No. 5 on this year’s Open Doors World Watch List which ranks the top persecutors of Christians. The previous year Somalia was ranked No. 12.

"Those who come to Christ in Somalia do so at a huge risk. Most of them are Muslim Background Believers who face unbelievable pressure and persecution, even death as reported this weekend," said Open Doors USA President and CEO Carl Moeller.

"Somalia desperately needs our prayers as conditions deteriorate. This country needs both physical and spiritual nourishment. Please join me in praying for the tremendous needs of Somalia and for the few brave believers inside the country."

 

Iraq Christians Living In Fear

The car bomb detonated outside the Virgin Mary Church in east Baghdad. In addition to the four deaths, at least 16 others were wounded in the attack, according to the Los Angeles Times. The paper also reported five other bombs were exploded outside churches around Baghdad on Saturday night and Sunday.

CNN reported a gunman shot and killed Rizko Aziz Nissan on Sunday morning outside his home in central Kirkuk. Nissan was an Iraqi Christian, but the motives behind his killing were not immediately clear since he was also a government official.

One survivor of one of the bombings in Iraq told CNN that "if this [violence]continues, there will be no Christians left in Iraq."

Although it is difficult to state how many Iraqi Christians are in the country, the number in 2003, prior to the fall of Saddam Hussein, was around 550,000. Church leaders in Iraq conservatively estimate that almost 165,000 Christians live outside Iraq – in Syria, Jordan or the West – and that another 70,000 have fled to northern Iraq.

That means less than 400,000 Christians remain in mainland Iraq. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has estimated that at least two million Iraqis have fled the country since 2003 and another two million are displaced inside the country.

"With U.S. troops pulling back from cities on July 1 and these weekend bombings, Iraqi Christians fear that this could mark a resurgence of anti-Christian violence," said Moeller.

"Christians have always been caught in the crossfire in Iraq. Many have fled the country. We need to lift up in prayer those who remain. They are scared and living in daily fear. Please pray that these bombings will end and believers can worship in peace."


Obama’s rear-view stare: The real picture

 
Expressions of shock, disgust and even some “OMG’s” greeted the release of a photo appearing to  show President Barack Obama staring at the posterior of a Brazilian teenager at the recently convened G8 conference.
 
The image shows Obama and French President Nicholas Sarkozy looking at the back-end of a young lady as she situates herself on the steps for a photo op Thursday.
 
“Very funny, laughed till I cried,” said one user about the image on a popular Internet forum. “I know a check out when I see one.”
 
Another user expressed empathy with the president.
 
“I would sure hate it if our president was human,” he said. “Even if he was checking out a butt, he is a man.”
 
Even though opinions are mixed on whether or not Sarkozy was looking at the teen, Obama was definitely watching his footing, as the video footage clearly shows.
 
 
 
From Thomas Jefferson to JFK to Clinton, it seems as if American presidents have had a hard time turning the other way when temptation called their names.
 
Obama’s ability to avert his gaze even in the face of temptation shows that he’s different.
 
Though Obama is arguably the most powerful man in the world, and he could probably have any woman he wants, it’s good to have a president who loves his family dearly.
 
It’s also good that like Job, Obama knows that all eyes are always on him, so he watches himself:
 
“I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?” (Job 31:1 World English Bible Translation)
 
It gives me a modicum of hope in this age of rampant infidelity and lies.
 
–Tiffany Orr, the Underground managing editor
 
 

Some still skeptical as Sotomayor vetted by Judiciary Committee


Originally posted at: http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/07/some-still-skeptical-as-sotomayor-vetted-by-judiciary-committee/

Today, Sonia Sotomayor made history as the first Latina to be publicly vetted by the Senate Judiciary Committee for a spot on the bench of America’s highest court.

Committee Chairman, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, praised Sotomayor as a trailblazer, likening her to Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice and Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female justice.

sotomayor and obamaSome on the committee, however, failed to share Leahy’s enthusiasm.

Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona voiced his objections to Sotomayor’s perceived lack of impartiality.

“From what she has said, she appears to believe that her role is not constrained to objectively decide who wins based on the weight of the law, but who, in her opinion, should win.”

Some Christian groups share Kyl’s reticence concerning Sotomayor.

“She has also shown a disturbing propensity for allowing her personal beliefs to impact her legal decisions,” said Troy Newman, a spokesman for Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion organization.

“Judge Sotomayor has shown disregard for the lives of [the unborn] with her personal support for abortion.”

“For this reason, Operation Rescue opposes the confirmation of Judge Sotomayor, and will encourage the new pro-life majority of the American people to immediately contact their senators to voice their opposition to this nominee as well.”

Others Christian groups, though, are hopeful about Sotomayor and what she can bring to the table.

The Christian Defense Coalition, which was scheduled to hold a prayer vigil Sunday in front of the steps of the United States Supreme Court, believes that Sotomayor could be an agent for change in the on-going debate on abortion.

“Through prayer, Judge Sotomayor could bring the vote that brings down Roe. V. Wade,” said Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, the director of the organization.

Though the group does not condone Sotomayor’s past actions as a federal judge, they said they “will be praying that if she is confirmed, God “will direct her heart to embrace justice” and America’s “founding principles.”

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James Wait “raps” with Jhan Doe

Originally posted at: http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/07/james-wait-raps-with-jhan-doe/

Jhan Doe, a.k.a Meiko Gilliam,  is a rapper and musician, I am glad to call him a great friend and a former college buddy.

Right now, he is based out of Colorado. My interview with Jhan is transcribed in its entirety below.

Thanks!

Meiko Kwesi Peter Gilliam

 

JW: What age did you start playing music?

JD: I started in music at age 13. I hated it. That was the funny thing. Dad put me in a church choir to keep me off the streets.

JW: Who or what are some influences in music?

JD: T-bone, Grits, Gospel Gangstaz, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Michael Jackson, 2Pac were my early influences along with A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, The Fugees, just to name a few.

JW:  Can you tell me a little about you? Where did you grow up? What you like doing for fun? When did you get saved?

JD:  I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. I played basketball for fun when I wasn’t stealing, but God did great work in my life.

Even unto this day. “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.”

I write poetry and make music now. Those are my fun things. I got saved at age 8 and was really walking probably by 15.

JW: What are some of your favorite verses?

JD: I have a few fav bible verses Matthew 6:34 Hosea 4:6 and Isaiah 40:31.

JW: Are you coming with any new albums or singles? Or doing any touring days?

JD: As soon as I get replanted in a church (just moved to Denver), I will start releasing music again. It’s about the gospel, not the records, or the tours.

Like Sho Baraka said, “Turn Ya Life Up.”

If you want to find more information about his music you can send a message to him on Facebook .

 

–James Wait, The Underground staff writer

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Note to Missionary Critics — The Persecution of Christians in Mauritania is a Human Rights Issue



Originally posted at http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2009/07/note-to-missionary-critics-the-persecution-of-christians-in-mauritania-is-a-human-rights-issue/

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 11:43 AM PDT

July 9 /Christian Newswire/ — Mauritania is a land of striking beauty.

With sand dunes lined against the sky, Bedouins riding camels in the countryside, and flying beetles that look like they come straight from the abyss of the Apocalypse; Mauritania is a land of extremes–extreme beauty, extreme hospitality, and lately, extreme religion.

A saharaman/sxc.hu/al_aiila

As the world mourned the death of Michael Jackson, another man went not so quietly into the night, though largely unnoticed by mainstream media.

On Tuesday, June 23rd 2009, an American Christian worker named Chris Leggett was gunned down by Al Qaeda for the alleged "crime" of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.

To give you an idea of what kind of man Chris Legget was, the 39-year old native of Cleveland, Tenn. not only taught computer science in a low-class neighborhood in the capital city of Nouakchott, he also, according to the Cleveland Daily Banner, worked with the prison systems to train and equip women and young boys to re-enter society, directed a training center providing training in computer skills, sewing, and literacy, and oversaw a micro-loan program which fostered the growth of hundreds of small businesses.

Although the miniscule media coverage has been fairly straightforward, I was saddened to see some of the nasty comments on the Huffington Post when Ahmed Mohammed posted the Associated Press story on the site.

Although a few of the comments unequivocally condemned Leggett’s murder for what it is, a cowardly act of violence motivated by extremists, far too many seemed to think that Leggett was somehow "asking for it" because of the nature of his work in a Muslim land, as if Chris Leggett somehow deserved to die because of his passion for sharing his faith.

One commenter wrote, "Well, you know, it is their country. You go walking around with arrogant disregard of their laws, you better be prepared to pay the consequences. Non-story." Another commenter cut from the same cloth replied, "I agree.

It doesn’t take much intelligence for non-military Americans to keep out of these countries. You not only go there at your own risk – you ask for it."

My beef isn’t so much with the Huffington Post (who likely has little control over what people comment on the site), but to the people who made those nasty comments (there were some that were far worse) I would like to say feel free to criticize Christian missionaries working in Muslims lands, but I hope you realize that you’re criticizing from a position of privilege.

Many of you live in countries that allow you to choose your religious beliefs without fear of torture, imprisonment, or death.

Hundreds of millions of Muslims live in countries that deny them that right. How do you know that out of the worlds’ roughly 1.2 billion Muslims, that some of them don’t want to hear another perspective?

Chris Leggett most likely wasn’t banging the Bible over anyone’s head, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a few curious Muslims quietly asked him about his religious beliefs.

After all, most Muslims I know–unlike most Westerners I know–like to discuss religion in every day conversation and enjoy hearing other people’s perspectives.

If a few of these same Muslims through peaceful dialogue came to the conclusion that Chris’s beliefs were correct, where’s the crime in that? If Chris Leggett did break Mauritanian law, then it was an unjust law that he broke.

Last time I checked, breaking unjust laws is called civil disobedience. Acts of civil disobedience have been crucial to every major advance in human rights.

As a matter of fact, there are hundreds of secret believers in Mauritania right now. Many of them have been abducted, tortured in horrific ways, and forced to name their fellow believers–while the Mauritanian government looks the other way.

According to many persecution watchdogs, the persecution of Christians in Mauritania is particularly ferocious, but the same story can be found in countless other countries like Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, and Pakistan.

It’s time that the decent people of the world wake up to the fact that roughly a billion people live under governments that don’t allow them the freedom to obey their conscience in choosing their religious beliefs. The right to choose one’s religion is the most basic of human rights. After all, why should human rights apply to everyone except for Muslims?

–Aaron D. Taylor

He is the author of "Alone with a Jihadist: A Biblical Response to Holy War" available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

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Man-made sperm: Are scientists running out of things to research?



Man-made sperm: Are scientists running out of things to research?

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 08:23 AM PDT

Recently, a group of British scientists claimed to have created human sperm in a laboratory.

According to an article from the Associated Press, Karim Nayernia, the lead scientist on this project, said that within the next decade his team’s research will enable men with fertility issues father children.

First, I have a problem with the way in which this story is being presented.

The headlines in all the papers claim that these scientists created sperm.

This isn’t really accurate.

Only God creates things ex nihilo (See Genesis 1).nosperm

The scientists just took embryonic stem cells and modified them to resemble and function as human spermatozoa.

Though stem cell research is legal in the United Kingdom, this whole experiment seems counterproductive to me, since embryonic stem cells themselves come from embryos right after fertilization (the union of sperm and an egg).

According to Answers in Genesis, a pro-creation ministry,  "Many involved with the research of embryonic stem cells do not believe a new person begins at conception or don’t care. Embryonic stem cells are viewed as property, not people.

"However, the Bible clearly indicates that life does begin at conception (Psalm 51:5, 139:13–15; Jeremiah 1:5). We are made in God’s image and are image bearers from conception to death (Genesis 1:27).2 Therefore, harvesting ESCs violates God’s commandment not to murder."

The functionality of Nayerina’s "sperm" also draws a red flag.

According to the AP, scientists familiar with Nayerina’s research, say the “sperm” don’t even do what they were designed to do.

"I am unconvinced from the data presented in this paper that the cells produced by Professor Nayernia’s group from embryonic stem cells can be accurately called ’spermatazoa,’" said Allan Pacey, a professor at the University of Sheffield via a statement.

All this makes me wonder if scientists are running out of things to research because within the past couple of months, we’ve seen nightlight monkeys; scientists pondering the reasons why the thumb of the right hand is on the left-hand side; and now Frankensperm.

Though I’m not afraid of cloning, as it occurs in nature (potatoes and other plants reproduce by cloning), and might be beneficial in some ways,  I’m actually having flashbacks about an episode of the "Outer Limits" just thinking about Dr. Nayernia’s experiments. In an episode, aptly entitled “Unnatural Selection,“ genetically modified children are all the rage.

From childhood and even into adulthood, these designer children are smarter, more attractive and wittier than unenhanced children. Though having all these traits is desirable, there’s a dark side. The genetic enhancements can turn children into monsters.

glowing Japanese marmosets

How’s that for a plot twist? Pretty good I think–Especially since it drives home the point that some human genetic modification has potentially harmful consequences.

If scientists can manufacture sperm in the lab, pretty soon they will be able to manipulate the sperm’s core DNA so that specific genes turn on on-demand.

Though the scientists may not have intended for such, I really can see this leading to designer babies in the vein of Huxley’s “A Brave New World.”

However, instead of creating a society comprised of manufactured, caste-imprinted clones, people will tote their clones around in their purses instead of the little dogs that are so popular now.

And that’s so, not hot.

 

–Tiffany Orr, The Underground managing editor

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