Nigerian Archbishop Upbraids Western Churches for Rejecting Gospel and Accepting Homosexuality

From LifeSiteNews
By James Tillman

In Anglican Archbishop Nicholas Okoh's first press conference on July 14, he addressed the controversy that is sweeping the global Anglican communion and condemned homosexual behavior as well as other Anglican provinces that have adopted an unbiblical acceptance of it.

"In this matter silence can be detrimental to public well-being," he said. "The issue at stake of human sexuality is not an Anglican prerogative and it is by no means limited to the Anglican circle as ... is clearly shown all over the world."

"Same sex marriage, paedophilia and all sexual perversions should be roundly condemned by all who accept the authority of Scripture over human life."

Archbishop Okoh succeeded Archbishop Pete Akinola as primate, or head archbishop, of the Anglican Church of Nigeria on March 25. With roughly 18 million members, the Church of Nigeria is the largest province in the Anglican Communion.

Okoh said that he had spent his first months as primate touring all 14 internal provinces of the Church of Nigeria, and that the conversations and feedback from Anglicans throughout the country had informed his address to the press.

The archbishop said he was alarmed that western churches "had vowed to use their money to spread the homosexual lifestyle in African societies and churches."

Western churches “are pursuing this agenda vigorously and what is more, they now have the support of the United Nations," Okoh said. "We therefore call on parents to ensure that their children obtain their first degree in Nigeria before travelling abroad. Parents and guardians should closely watch and monitor the relationships that their children or wards keep so that deviant behavior can be [corrected]."

He warned that "the sin of homosexuality, it must be re-emphasized, destroyed the communities of Sodom and Gomorrah."

Archbishop Okoh has said previously that Nigeria should consider pulling out of the UN because of the UN's promotion of homosexuality.

“If the UN has made itself an agent for the propagation of homosexuality globally, then it is time for us to pull out of the organization,” he said.

He continued: “This is because the UN has no right to determine for or impose moral standards on us. Let us stand firm and refuse to be bought over by the West."

Other international organizations have also tried to coerce Nigeria into accepting homosexual relationships: the European Union's Intergroup on "gay rights" demanded that foreign aid to Nigeria be suspended after Nigeria's House of Representatives prohibited "gay marriage."

At the recent press conference, Archbishop Okoh also pointed out that the Nigerian Church had recently been categorized as dissenting from the whole Anglican Communion, like Anglican provinces that had ordained gay bishops or approved same-sex "marriages."

The Episcopal Church of the USA, or EC(USA), consecrated the openly homosexual Gene Robinson as bishop in 2003; it consecrated the lesbian Mary Glasspool bishop in 2010. To help those Anglican laymen who disapproved of the EC(USA)'s approval of homosexual behavior, the Nigerian Church has begun missionary activity in America through the Nigerian-sponsored "Convocation of Anglicans in North America" (CANA).

Such intervention in the jurisdiction of other Anglican Churches was condemned by the Anglican Communion's 2004 Windsor Report, which also called on churches not to ordain openly homosexual individuals or bless same-sex "unions."

"We reject being put in the same category with churches conducting gay ordination and same-sex marriage, and the equating of our evangelical initiative (for which we should be commended) with those who are doing things unbiblical," Archbishop Okoh said.

"But for the Nigerian initiative and others like her, many of our faithful Anglican American friends who cannot tolerate the unbiblical practices of the Episcopal Church in America could have gone away to other faiths. The great commission to go in to all the world to save souls is our compelling [consideration]."

Archbishop Okoh congratulated the Pentecostal Ayo Oritsejafor on his appointment as president of the ecumenical network Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

"We invite him and all denominational leaders to protect Christian interests and our cherished way of life, including speaking out against ... homosexuality, lesbianism and bisexual lifestyle[s] under any guise," Okoh said.

Nigeria's population is for the most part Muslim or Christian; roughly 11% of the population is Anglican. Homosexual activity may be punished by death in states that have adopted the harsh Shari'a law (athough in practice the death sentence is rarely, if ever, carried out), and may be punished up to 14 years in prison across the nation.

According to a 2007 Pew Global report, 97% of Nigerians think that homosexuality should be rejected.

Russian Patriarch: Protestant Acceptance of Homosexuality Undermines Ecumenism

From Catholic World News

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, met with the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) on June 28 and said that the acceptance of homosexuality by some Protestant communities undermines ecumenism.

“Kirill expressed a serious concern about some difficulties faced by ecumenical dialogue in view of what he labeled as new positions of some Protestant churches on important moral issues, including the understanding of homosexuality,” a WCC press release noted.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• WCC general secretary meets Russian Orthodox Patriarch (World Council of Churches)

Expert Agrees that Pedophilia is Linked to Homosexuality

Our three year experience in the South Carolina blogosphere prompts two observations in regard to the following story:

1. Those who pillory the Church for its unconscionable problem with pedophilia, are the very sort who insist that homosexuals be admitted to ordained ministry.
   
   
2. "Aquilino Polaino, an expert in the field, previously pointed out that homosexuality should be considered a mental disease, and must be addressed with psychiatric treatment, ..." We are convinced daily of the truth in the good doctor's findings.
   

From the Catholic News Agency

The newspaper, El Diaro de Chile, published an article last week by Spanish psychologist Jose Maria Amenos Vidal titled, “Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and the scientific evidence that supports the relationship between homosexuality and pedophilia.” The author asserts that the cardinal was correct in affirming such a link during his visit to Chile.

Since 1984, Vidal has been a professor of Philosophy and Educational Science at the Central University of Barcelona, Spain, where he is also Director of Seminars in the Departments of General and Social Psychology.

In his article, Vidal recalls that the renowned Spanish doctor and psychiatrist, Aquilino Polaino, an expert in the field, previously pointed out that homosexuality should be considered a mental disease, and must be addressed with psychiatric treatment, under the guidance of the model set forth by Gerard J.M. van den Aardweg.

Aardweg is the Dutch professor and psychologist who years ago, “deciphered the keys to this illness and its treatment.” His model directly clashes with those of Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler, Vidal said, “because orthodox and heterodox psychoanalysts have defended the unscientific position that homosexuality is the result of hereditary factors.” He noted that “this hypothesis … has been completely ruled out today because of its incongruence with the results of scientific research.”

He added that one can conclude that the “social environment is indeed (homosexuality's) main trigger.”

From this point of view, Vidal continued, “The recent statements by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, during his recent trip to Chile support the scientific evidence derived from statistical co-relational studies between homosexuality and pedophilia.”

Vidal said these studies show that homosexuality is not the result of genetic inheritance or of evolutionism in relation to pedophilia and that it is not disconnected from environmental influence.

AIDS Rate 50 Times Higher in Homosexual Men: Center for Disease Control

From LifeSiteNews
By Patrick B. Craine

An official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the CDC's estimate Monday that in the United States AIDS is fifty times more prevalent among men who have sex with men ('MSM') than the rest of the population. Dr. Amy Lansky revealed this statistic during a plenary session at the 2009 HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta.

The CDC had already revealed last year that approximately 53% of the estimated 56,300 new HIV cases in 2006 were in homosexual men, with the African American population being particularly affected.

The new statistics, however, estimate the prevalence of HIV/AIDS relative to the homosexual population, which allows comparisons to other groups in the wider population. Because of the difficulty of determining the homosexual population, the CDC had to estimate. Based on a variety of national surveys, they based their statistics on the median estimate that homosexual men constitute 4 percent of the overall male population, reports RH Reality Check.

According to Dr. Lansky, then, based on the 4 percent figure, the CDC estimates that in 2007 there were 692.2 new HIV cases per 100,000 homosexual men - or fifty times more cases than the rest of the population.

While merely an approximation, the CDC's announcement confirms previous statistics and studies that indicate vastly disproportionate occurrence of sex-related diseases in homosexuals. According toa February 2007 study, for example, homosexual men with HIV are 90 times more likely to develop anal cancer than the rest of the population.

Earlier this year, as another example, the Centers for Disease Control released a statistical report indicating that homosexual men made up 65 percent of the reported primary and secondary syphilis cases in 2007. A report from the Public Health Agency of Canada in 2006 revealed that 51 percent of people infected with HIV in the country were homosexual men.

In fact, the statistics on HIV/AIDS led one group, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, to state in 2006 that HIV/AIDS is a "gay disease," in a billboard ad campaign geared to reducing rates of HIV infection.

While homosexualists have actively suppressed such statistics in the past and focused on portraying HIV/AIDS as a disease affecting the whole population in an equal fashion, the statistics' increasing undeniability has forced their hand. Rather than admit any inherent problem with homosexual practice itself, however, the apparent prevalence of disease among practicing homosexuals has led them to switch tactics and use these statistics to urge governments and other organizations to increase support to the homosexual communities.

Asking why it has taken so long for the CDC to make its estimate about the high prevalence of AIDS among homosexual men, homosexual activist Dr. Senterfitt chalked it up to 'homophobia'. "Seems clear to me," he says, "that this was at least an indirect effect of the pervasive homophobia still affecting much of government, public policy, media and societal norms in this country."

"We must fight for funding and adequate social investment to end HIV/AIDS wherever it continues to persist and thrive," he argues, "which is almost always where concentrated social injustice also thrives."

Pro-family advocates, on the other hand, maintain that the prevalence of sex-related diseases among homosexuals is clear evidence of the disorder of homosexual practice. For example, in a commentary for LifeSiteNews.com published last year, J. Matt Barber stated, "By recently admitting that 'HIV is a gay disease,' Matt Foreman, outgoing Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, acknowledged what the medical community has known for decades: the homosexual lifestyle is extremely high-risk and often leads to disease and even death."

Info on Homosexual Health Risks Squelched

A pro-family activist group is calling for a federal study of the health risks of homosexual conduct.

From OneNewsNow
By Charlie Butts

Americans for Truth about Homosexuality president Peter LaBarbera tells OneNewsNow it only makes sense because the government will investigate the dangers of such habits as smoking and work to curb it. He cites information released by the Food and Drug Administration.

"[Men who have had sex with men since 1977 have] an HIV prevalence rate 60 times higher than the general population, 800 times higher than first-time blood donors, and 8,000 times higher than repeat blood donors," LaBarbera says.

The pro-family activist also notes an increased level of STDs and hepatitis.

"The people have a right to know about the health risks of homosexual activity just like they had a right to know about the health risks of smoking," he contends. "There was a huge effort to cover up the risks of smoking, just like there's a massive politically correct effort today to hide the true health risks of homosexual sex -- and the people have a right to know about that."

LaBarbera especially wants to warn school children who are being taught to accept the homosexual lifestyle as normal and healthy.

Shock! Lancet Reports Sodomites Responsible for AIDS in Africa

Hat Tip to Notes on the Culture Wars
From Americans for Truth About Homosexuality

Here’s an interesting “Global Update” from the New York Times — after decades of homosexual activists pointing to Africa to change the subject whenever the obvious causal link between male homosexual practices and HIV is brought up. Note the last line: can you imagine the Times‘ indignation if all affected African countries were to report that truth that “gay” male sex is far riskier than normal sex?

We presume based on the Times‘ summary that the Lancet article is rife with pro-homosexual political correctness, as Western elites generally yearn to bring their decadent “First World” attitudes to economically underdeveloped countries that still regard homosexuality as deviant. —

Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.com

The New York Times reports (emphasis added):

Aids: Role of Gay Men in Spreading Virus Is Ignored in Africa, Study Finds

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
New York Times, July 20, 2009

The role of gay sex in the transmission of the virus that causes AIDS in Africa has been long ignored, say the authors of a new study in the medical journal Lancet.

While most transmission of the virus in Africa is heterosexual, 19 recent studies of African men who have sex with men show that they have “considerably higher” infection rates than other adult men in their respective countries, said the authors, who were from Oxford University and research institutions in Ghana and Kenya.

These men also have less access to prevention and care; most African countries have allocated no money to gay men, and homosexual sex is illegal in 31 African countries, in four of which men risk the death penalty.

African male sexual networks overlap with male-female ones, the authors found, since many of the men also report recent sex with women or are married. In three genetic studies the authors compared, gay white men in South Africa had a virus from a type common among gay European and American men, while gay black men in Kenya and Senegal had the type circulating in their country’s black populations.

Gay men face ridicule from their families and health care workers and harassment by the police, the study reported. And because African governments and media aimed very little safe-sex information at gay men, false rumors were common — including rumors that gay sex or anal sex were safer than heterosexual sex.

'Gay' Family Kids 7 Times More Likely to be Homosexual

. . . But report shows researchers concealing information

From WorldNetDaily
By Bob Unruh

A licensed psychologist with both clinical and forensic practice outreaches is warning that it appears children of homosexual couples are seven times more likely to develop "non-heterosexual preferences" than other children, but lawmakers establishing policy often don't know that because the researchers

have concealed their discoveries.

"Research … although not definitive, suggests that children reared by openly homosexual parents are far more likely to engage in homosexual behavior than children raised by others," said the online report by Trayce L. Hansen.

Studies she reviewed suggest children raised by homosexual or bisexual parents "are approximately seven times more likely than the general population to develop a non-heterosexual sexual preference."

Read the rest of this entry >>

Sunlit Uplands: We "Rejoice" in Being #1 in More Ways than One

Sunlit Uplands' #1 ranking by BlogNetNews is not the only proof of our effectively promoting the traditional values of "Faith, Freedom, Defense of the West, and Renewal of the Culture" in South Carolina's blogosphere.

Our effectiveness can also be measured and validated by the volume and intensity of vitriol sent our way by obviously disturbed and threatened liberals. The more effective we are at promoting our values, and thus the greater the threat the Radical Left perceives us to pose to theirs, the more intense and hostile will grow their attacks.

And on that scale, Sunlit Uplands is hurtling headlong toward the top as well. As evidenced by one particularly disturbed liberal, whose reactionary bile can only be described as over the top.

Perhaps overcome by a rush of wishful thinking, South Carolina's #4 Liberal Blogger wore his religious bigotry and personal hostility (dare we say "hate"?) on his sleeve Monday when he gleefully imagined my death:

"One can only wonder what [Cassidy's] last thoughts would be if someone ran him to ground in his parish at confession (surely, as an aside, those sessions must be truly marvelous exercises in magical realism) or taking communion for the astonishing and popular spew of hate and bigotry his blog presents daily, and pumped a few lead rounds into him."

Several observations...

First, this is an instructive example of what the word "hate" means to the left-wing hypocrites who seek ultimately to criminalize the free speech and thought of anyone who dares disagree with them.

1. If a conservative traditional values advocate merely expresses disagreement with or opposition to liberals' repressive political agenda, such mere expression constitutes "hate and bigotry."

2. On the other hand, if a member of the anointed left publishes a blog post graphically fantasizing about the violent murder of a conservative, that is of course merely reasoned discourse.

We also note that South Carolina's #4 Liberal Blogger makes frequent reference to all things "gay," even posting at the top of his blog a running count of how many times even our socialist president has failed to sufficiently safeguard the "rights" of those who engage in homosexual behavior.

Thus, we feel comfortable simply asking if SC#4LB should be judged by the same standard routinely demanded by professionally-aggrieved homosexual activist groups.

Their repressive thought- and speech-control rationale goes something like this, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force: "Anti-gay rhetoric and anti-gay violence go hand-in-hand. The right wing is creating the most hostile atmosphere for (homosexual) people in recent memory. Hate violence is a logical extension of these rhetorical, legislative, and electoral attacks. When anti-gay rhetoric escalates, so does anti-gay violence. Hate crimes are a result of that intolerance. No one should condone violence against any group of people, nor should they contribute to an atmosphere that fosters such intolerance and violence."

Thus, because Dr. James Dobson publicly advocates traditional Biblical morality, he is accused by homosexual activists and their left-wing media allies of being morally responsible for inciting the beating death of Matthew Shepard. (In other words, by merely expressing a traditional moral code, Dobson is characterized as evil, hateful, and reprehensible.)

If Cardinal Maida of Detroit publicly supports in his state a Marriage Protection Amendment such as that approved by 77 percent of South Carolina voters, then homosexual activists say he is morally responsible for inciting the falsely alleged beating death of a homosexual senior citizen in Detroit -- who as it turned out, according to the medical examiner, died of arthritic paralysis. (In other words, merely by defending the mainstream value of traditional marriage, Cardinal Maida is portrayed as both evil, hateful, and reprehensible -- or as one prominent homosexual activist called him, "recklessly wicked.")

Similarly, if Sunlit Uplands regularly posts comments promoting traditional American values, Biblical morality, or even sacred music, then -- in the eyes of disturbed leftists such as SC#4LB -- this author obviously must also be both evil, hateful, and reprehensible. (And in good company, at that.)

Which raises this simple "what's good for the goose" question:

By painting Dr. Dobson and Cardinal Maida and myself as evil, hateful, and reprehensible, and thus obviously worthy of contempt, do homosexual activists and their allies create a climate of hostility in which someone might be encouraged to commit acts of violence against us? Does anti-conservative rhetoric and anti-conservative violence go hand in hand? When anti-conservative rhetoric escalates, does anti-conservative violence follow? No one should condone violence against any group of people, so should liberals continue to contribute to an atmosphere that fosters intolerance and violence toward conservatives?

If merely expressing a different point of view amounts to "hate," as leftists define the term, does that term not all the more so apply -- in the real world -- to SC#4LB's graphic imagining of my being pumped full of lead while at church? Should I now go running to the federal government to demand special protection? If someone gives me a dirty look, or worse, should I demand specially-enhanced prison sentence for my assailant? Should SC#4LB be held criminally responsible, arrested, and charged with inciting a "hate crime"?

Forbid it, Almighty God.

In the meantime, we are promised by Christ Himself that we are "blessed" when we are reviled and persecuted for righteousness' sake, when they say all kinds of evil against us falsely for His sake, and we are under His direct instruction to "rejoice and be exceedingly glad" when it happens.

It is in that spirit that we know that the time, energy, personal hostility, and intensity with which the Left attacks us is one of the surest measures of how effectively Sunlit Uplands is threatening their repressive agenda.

Along with our #1 ranking in South Carolina's blogosphere, that's cause for a lot of rejoicing.

And so we shall. And be exceedingly glad while we're at it.

Homosexuals More Likely to Molest Kids, Study Reports

From Baptist Press
By Ken Walker

A social researcher who has studied sexual behavior for 24 years believes the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has sound reasons for maintaining its prohibition against gay scoutmasters.

A homosexual cannot automatically be considered a child molester, said Judith Reisman, president of the Institute for Media Education in suburban Louisville, Ky.

But with 17-24 percent of boys being abused by age 18, nearly as many as the 25 percent of girls, there is cause for concern, she said.

Since heterosexuals outnumber the homosexual population about 44 to 1, as a group the incidence of homosexuals molesting children is up to 40 times greater than heterosexuals, she said.

"You're looking at a much higher rate of abuse," said Reisman, a former university research professor who recently completed a study titled, "Crafting Gay Children." "The Department of Justice just released data and the rate of abuse are off the charts."

BSA's policy has been the subject of constant attacks from gay activists, who have convinced a number of school boards to oust the Scouts from board property.

In a story that aired Apr. 1 on CBS, "60 Minutes" also questioned its validity. After California congressman Dana Rohrabacher called the prohibition common sense, reporter Lesley Stahl remarked that common sense turns out to be a myth.

According to the FBI and several clinical studies published in reputable journals, gay men aren't more likely to sexually abuse boys, she said.

"In fact, the largest database of child molesters in the country shows that those who molest boys are over three times more likely to be heterosexual in their adult relationships than homosexual," she said.

But Reisman points to figures from a 1991 population study by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

It showed that 8 million girls were abused by age 18 by heterosexual men, a ratio of 1 victim to 11 adult men. However, 6-8 million boys were abused by age 18 by 1-2 million adult homosexuals, a ratio of 3-5 victims for every gay adult.

Questioned about Reisman's claims, CBS stuck by its story.

Spokesman Kevin Tedesco said "60 Minutes" staffers spoke with leading sources of information on child molestation, including the FBI, American Psychological Association and several clinical researchers.

The database was assembled by psychologist Dr. Gene Able, director of the Behavioral Sciences Institute in Atlanta, he added.

However, Reisman also cites a past study by Able to bolster her contention that BSA has reason to fear admitting homosexuals to the scoutmaster ranks. It found that 150 boys are abused by one male homosexual offender, compared to 19.8 girls by heterosexual offenders.

In a study published in 1987 in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Able said homosexuals sexually molest young boys with an incidence five times greater than the molestation of girls. (Calls to Able seeking further comment were not returned.)

"We looked at the leading gay travel guide," Reisman said of her research. "Forty-seven percent of the 139 nations they talked about identified places to find boys. The average heterosexual travel guide is not concerned with finding children."

Crime statistics also pose concerns. Figures released last summer by the Justice Department reveal that adults are not the primary victims of sexual assault, she said.

They showed that 67 percent of all reported sex abuse victims are children and 64 percent of forcible sodomy victims are boys under 12.

Read the rest of this entry >>

American Psychological Association Changes Tune on Genetic Nature of Homosexuality

From LifeSiteNews
By A. Dean Byrd, Ph.D., MBA, MPH

In 1998, the American Psychological Association (APA) published a brochure titled "Answers to Your Questions about Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality."

This particular document was ostensibly published to provide definitive answers about homosexuality. However, few of the assertions made in the brochure could find any basis in psychological science. Clearly a document anchored more in activism than in empiricism, the brochure was simply a demonstration of how far APA had strayed from science, and how much it had capitulated to activism.

The newest APA brochure, which appears to be an update of the older one, is titled, "Answers to Your Questions for a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality."

Though both brochures have strong activist overtones (both were created with "editorial assistance from the APA Committee on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Concerns"), the newer document is more reflective of science and more consistent with the ethicality of psychological care.

Consider the following statement from the first document: "There is considerable recent evidence to suggest that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality."

That statement was omitted from the current document and replaced with the following:

"There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles..."

Although there is no mention of the research that influenced this new position statement, it is clear that efforts to "prove" that homosexuality is simply a biological fait accompli have failed. The activist researchers themselves have reluctantly reached that conclusion. There is no gay gene. There is no simple biological pathway to homosexuality. Byne and Parsons, and Friedman and Downey, were correct: a bio-psycho-social model best fits the data.

On the question of whether or not therapy can change sexual orientation, the former document offered a resounding "no." However, the current document is much more nuanced and contains the following statement: "To date, there has been no scientifically adequate research to show that therapy (sometimes called reparative or conversion therapy) is safe or effective."

Of course, no mention is made of the Spitzer research, the Karten research, or the recent longitudinal research conducted by Jones and Yarhouse -- all of which support the conclusion that some people can and do change.

Of the Spitzer research, psychologist Dr. Scott Hershberger (who is a philosophical essentialist on questions of sexual orientation) conducted a Guttman analysis of the study sample, and declared:

"The orderly, law-like pattern of changes in homosexual behavior, homosexual self-identification, and homosexual attraction and fantasy observed in Spitzer's study is strong evidence that reparative therapy can assist individuals in changing their homosexual orientation to a heterosexual one."

The Spitzer study found no evidence of harm. Neither did the Karten study, nor the Jones and Yarhouse study.

For the rest of this commentary please see the website of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality here:

http://www.narth.com/docs/deemphasizes.html

Head of LGBT Youth Group and 7 Others Guilty of Child Porn and Sex Charges

Eight members of a global pedophile ring were found guilty of a catalog of child pornography and abuse charges, including the sexual assault of a three-month-old baby.

From The Telegraph
By Auslan Cramb

Ringleaders Neil Strachan (bottom, far right) and James Rennie (top, second right) befriended the families of the children they abused.

The groundbreaking court case uncovered Scotland's biggest pedophile network and revealed the shocking crimes of a "spider's web of apparently respectable men".

A jury at the High Court in Edinburgh took ten hours to return verdicts on 54 separate charges.

It emerged during the case that the ringleaders Neil Strachan and James Rennie befriended the families of the children they abused.

Rennie, 38, was the chief executive of LGBT Youth Scotland, a group dedicated to helping young lesbian and homosexual deal with their sexuality.

Strachan, 41, a paint firm engineer who was previously jailed for molesting a young boy, was the former secretary of a Celtic boys club and a campaigner on homosexual issues.

The court was told that he was "polluted by deviant compulsion". Dorothy Bain QC, prosecuting, said: "In reality he is someone who allowed his profound interest in the sexual abuse of children to engulf his entire life."

Some of the evidence the jurors sat through was so disturbing that consideration was given to offering them counseling at the end of the case.

Rennie circulated photographs of his abuse of a small boy, allowed Strachan to join him in the assault, and offered the child to other pedophiles.

The family of his victim – described in court as Child F - said after the verdicts were announced that their life had been "turned upside down".

They added: "For over 15 years James Rennie seemed the closest of family friends and it is hard to put into words the extent of the betrayal he has exacted upon us, as many of the details may identify our family and son.

"To subsequently learn that he abused our son, and invited others to do the same, has been devastating. As a family we have had to learn to live, and cope with, the effect these horrific events have had."

The mother of an 18-month-old boy abused by Strachan said she would never be able to forgive him for the "sick" attacks on her son.

She added: "The anguish I feel towards Mr Strachan is indescribable. I feel that no matter what punishment given to Mr Strachan it will never be able to compensate for the hurt, devastation and great deal of stress brought to me and my family.

"Mr Strachan used and abused our trust in order to satisfy his and others' sick needs."

In a legal first in a Scottish court, five of the men were convicted of a charge of conspiring to commit sex offenses against children.

The group was caught after an international investigation called Operation Algebra was launched in response to the discovery of photographs on the computer of one of the men.

More than 125,000 images were seized in the inquiry and officers discovered links with pedophiles in the US and the Netherlands.

Strachan, Rennie, Ross Webber, 27, a bank worker from North Berwick, Craig Boath, 24, an insurance claims adjuster, and John Milligan, 40, a civil servant from Glasgow, were found guilty of plotting to turn their fantasies into reality by arranging access to children to carry out acts of sexual abuse.

The same five were also found guilty, along with Colin Slaven, 23, an IT worker from Edinburgh, John Murphy, 44, a receptionist in a sauna in Glasgow, and Neil Campbell, 46, a cake firm manager from Glasgow, of charges relating to child pornography.

The offenses were committed in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and East Lothian between February 2004 to May 2008.

They will be sentenced later.

Pastor Warren, Like Peter, Denies Christ (at least His teachings) During Holy Week

Perhaps his Holy Week betrayals account for Pastor Rick Warren canceling his Easter Sunday appearance on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" moments before he was to appear. Being caught in lies is damaging for a politician, fatal for a spiritual leader.

From LifeSiteNews
Editorial By John-Henry Westen


Rick Warren, the popular pastor who seems to have taken on the mantle of 'America's Pastor' from Billy Graham, was a strong defender of the family, and of marriage - until recently. One of the areas of greatest conflict between Christian morality and worldly morality today is homosexuality.

With the advent of modern ultra-sound technology and thus the increasing awareness of the humanity of the unborn child, many today will forgive you for being pro-life. After all it's a human rights issue; you're standing up for those smaller and weaker than yourself. But when it comes to homosexuality, there's no disagreement allowed in this day and age.

Pastor Warren came at the issue of homosexuality from a thoroughly Christian perspective - out of concern for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of those practicing destructive sexual lifestyles. But on April 6, the Monday of Holy Week, Rick Warren appeared on CNN's Larry King Live program where he said he was "oblivious" to the Iowa court decision to legalize same-sex 'marriage', explaining, "that's not even my agenda."

"I am not an anti-gay or an anti-gay marriage activist. Never have been, never will be," Warren told King at the outset of the interview. "During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop 8 was going." (see the video of it here: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/04/07/lkl.ric... )

When pressed, Warren admitted that he did tell his congregants to vote in support of Prop 8. "I just simply made a note in a newsletter" he said. He likely did not recall that he had in fact video taped a message of over 2 minutes length in support of Prop 8. That video was featured on the Prop 8 website and is still available on Warren's own Saddleback Church website here: http://saddlebackfamily.com/blogs/newsandviews/index.html?co...;

The two videos, the CNN clip and the Prop 8 promo by Warren, make for a rather embarrassing juxtaposition when played back to back. The seriousness of Warren's denials on Monday, however, go way beyond any kind of misrepresentation or forgotten video.

Warren is chastised in his own words. On the video Prop 8 promo video he says: "If you believe what the Bible says about marriage, you need to support Proposition 8."

For an evangelical Christian, believing the Bible is literally all there is. In denying the Bible - you deny Christ. Warren has point blank denied supporting Prop 8, and, given his own previous assessment of the matter, that raises a question about denying Biblical truth and thus denying Christ.

Just over 2000 years ago this week, another follower of Christ denied his Lord out of fear. Peter on this very Holy Thursday night, after Jesus' arrest, denied that he knew Jesus three times before the cock crowed - just as Christ had predicted he would. The crowing of the cock reminded Peter of Jesus' prophesy and brought him to tears of repentance.

Rick Warren is a beloved brother in the Lord. He has defended life and family, he has promoted the love of Christ and been steadfast for many years. He has also grown immensely popular, even to the height of delivering the invocation at the Presidential inauguration.

But what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

Like Peter, Rick Warren has a chance of becoming a real leader and being crucified with Christ, receiving the Kingdom which is not of this world. He could also betray him for 30 pieces of silver, the soon to be worthless coinage of fame, popularity and the world's esteem.

This is the choice now set before Pastor Warren.

Peter repented after he denied Christ, and thereafter became a great leader in the Church. After the resurrection Christ asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" and when Peter responded in the affirmative Jesus instructed him "feed my sheep".

I believe that Pastor Warren will be similarly tested, specifically on the issue of gay marriage. With four states having already succumbed to the massive pressure against the traditional family, that's not a hard prediction to make.

The pro-family movement needs Christian leaders like Pastor Warren to continue their strong defense of the family, especially at this critical time.

After Peter repented and reaffirmed his love for Christ, Jesus informed him that when he was young went about as he would, but when older he would be led where he did not want to go and have his hands stretched out (signifying Peter's later crucifixion). Yes, this road of following Christ's truth on hard issues such as homosexuality may lead to unpopularity, vilification and even worse.

But that should only cause you to rejoice. Since, as the Scripture says: "Blessed are you when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven."

I'm a Bad Catholic But Even I Must Defend My Church Against Mr Blair's Belief He's Now God

From The Daily Mail
By Tom Utley

How typical of Tony Blair. He's been a Roman Catholic for only 20 minutes, yet he's already lecturing the Pope on how to 'modernise' the founding Church of Christendom, so as to make its doctrines more congenial to Anthony Charles Lynton Blair. I honestly think the poor man has gone mad. He really does seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that he's God.

In an interview with the gay magazine Attitude, the former Prime Minister rebukes Benedict XVI for his 'entrenched' views on homosexuality, telling him that he must recognise how the world is changing and adapt accordingly.

Now, if you ask me, it's rather the point of a Church's moral teachings that they're bedded-in and resistant to the shifting breezes of public opinion and fashion. But, of course, 'entrenched' has always been a boo-word in Mr Blair's vocabulary. In his philosophy, any idea or institution that has stood the test of more than a couple of years must self-evidently need digging up and pulling to bits.

Two unmovable forces - the Pope's doctrine and Tony Blair's ego

But I must let him explain himself in his own, hilarious, words, which must surely consign parodists to the dole queues for ever.

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Conservative Senator Blasted for Pro-Family Stance

From OneNewsNow

By Charlie Butts and Marty Cooper

A Utah state senator has been disciplined over remarks about homosexual activism.

State Senator Chris Buttars recently commented to a documentary filmmaker that he believes the homosexual lifestyle is immoral, adding that militant homosexual activism poses a grave threat to American culture. Matt Barber, director of cultural affairs at Liberty Counsel, says Utah's Senate president Michael Waddoups caved in and took punitive action against Buttars instead of supporting his own constituent.

"What's unfortunate is the Republican leadership has thrown him under the bus," he contends. "Senator Buttars' comments and beliefs are shared by the vast majority, certainly of Utahans, and by the conservative majority of Americans."

Waddoups has removed Buttars from his post as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, a move which Barber calls a validation of the radical left-wing agenda. Barber believes action taken against Buttars indicates the Republican Party is deserting the traditional values that helped make it strong.

"Until they start defending those values unapologetically and boldly as Senator Buttars has done here, they will continue to lose membership," he points out. "And who needs Democrat-Lite? So having a bunch of RINOS, Republicans in name only, in the GOP has just decimated the Republican Party."

In a Liberty Counsel press release, Barber claims the Republican Party is "spiraling into the abyss of political irrelevancy." He also states that America's conservative majority is starved for leaders to represent traditional values.

Barber is asking people to contact Senator Waddoups and urge him to reinstate Senator Buttars.

Homosexual ‘Pig Sex’ Orgy Planned for Obama Inaugural Weekend

WARNING: Graphic descriptions and photos.

Americans for Truth About Homosexuality has revealed the details of a homosexual orgy to be hosted by the Doubletree Hotel in Washington, D.C. during the Inaugural Weekend.