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t continues to be a source of amazement that the mainstream Christian churches in the West and in the Middle East pay so little, if any, attention to the plight of Christians and the destruction of their churches in Arab and Muslim countries.  Rather, they prefer to focus on the “oppression of Palestinians” so completely that they are blind to the real tragedies. LINK

A 65-year-old Swedish man was acquitted of sexual assault after pleasuring himself on a beach in Stockholm in June. The district court of Södertörn tossed out the charge on the grounds that he didn’t look at anybody while fondling himself. The court ruled he had committed no offense, as he did not direct his “activities” at any particular target. LINK

Pope Francis has been making headlines ever since he was elected the Roman Catholic Church’s leader six months ago, and now he’s getting even more attention. “I believe in God, not in a Catholic God,” he said in an interview, essentially taking a dig at the Catholic Church hierarchy by condemning its “Vatican-centric view.” LINK

Between the Armored Personnel Carriers locking down main streets inmajor American cities – mimicking our MRAPs in Afghanistan – or Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) and Special Forces units canvassing our country, if we’re not careful, this militarization of our domestic policing will make-over America, and fast. LINK

The Federal Government has put into place contingency plans for if this happens implementing a virtual “government shutdown” of 16 states. Which 16 states? Well that depends on the map, as two are in play. One shuts down the biggest welfare states, the other redraws the map of the Civil War! 

First there was a website that predicted when your parents would die; now there’s a watch that not only predicts when you will die, it also begins counting down.   Users fill out a questionnaire about their medical history before subtracting their age from the overall results to get their death score. LINK

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John Schlageter, general counsel for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services USA (AMSUSA) said that military priests are facing arrest if they celebrate mass or practice their faith on military bases during the government shutdown.LINK

Record-setting amounts of snowfall blanketed parts of South Dakota Friday while unseasonal tornadoes churned elsewhere in the state and across the Great Plains region, causing millions of dollars in damage. Trees and power lines are down in Lawrence County, S.D., where the town of Lead saw a record-setting 43.5 inches of snow Friday. LINK

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Defendants and witnesses in British courts will no longer swear on the Bible to tell the truth under controversial plans being considered by a powerful body of judges. The traditional religious oath could be scrapped amid concerns that many giving evidence in criminal cases no longer take it seriously. LINK

Thanks to personal genomics companies like 23andMe, it’s becoming quicker and easier for us to find out who we are. But will the same technology one day allow us to decide who our babies will be — before they’re even born? LINK