American Morning
Kirk Cameron attempts to debunk Darwin
Former teen idol Kirk Cameron is on a crusade to debunk evolution. He's a born-again Christian and part of a group that wrote a new 50-page intro to Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" to mark its 150th anniversary.
Cameron and his group are handing out thousands of copies of the book on universities across the country. CNN's Carol Costello reports.
The Vatican to welcome Anglicans to Catholicism
The Vatican made a historic bid Tuesday to win over dissenting Anglicans, with Pope Benedict XVI's approval of a document called the "Apostolic Constitution" authorizing the creation of "Personal Ordinariates" led by former Anglican priests or bishops.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/10/22/pope.jpg caption="The Vatican says more Anglicans have expressed an interest in joining the Catholic Church."]
Previously, Anglicans could join the church individually, but this new provision will allow them to join in large groups, as well as let them maintain certain traditions such as liturgy and rites. It also includes a provision that allows married Anglican priests to remain married and still become ordained Catholic priests.
The Anglican Church, known as The Church of England when established by King Henry VIII in a break with the Vatican 475 years ago, has seen its membership decline to 80 million in recent times. The offer from Rome could prompt thousands of Anglicans around the world to switch to Catholicism in protest of their church's liberal stance on openly gay clergy and the consecration of women bishops.
In 1992, the Anglican Church approved women priests, prompting members to leave the church in droves. In 2003, the ordination of Gene Robinson as the first openly gay Anglican bishop led to the defection of conservative Anglicans, some of whom converted to Roman Catholicism. By contrast, the Catholic Church is opposed to same-sex marriage and gay clergy, and all Catholic priests must be male and unmarried.
This is the Vatican’s most open embrace of Anglicans since the schism in 1534 following Pope Clement VII’s refusal to annul Henry VIII’s marriage. Many supporters see this as part of the current Pope's goal to promote Christian unity across the globe as well as addressing multiple requests to the Holy See from groups of Anglicans wishing to enter into communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Others feel that it will harm relations between the two Churches and ultimately have a negative impact.
Homegrown Terrorism: We're seeing a new phase in the radicalization of American citizens
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/29/am.intv.emerson.homegrown.terrorism.art.jpg caption="Emerson says if an individual is constantly fed a diet that the U.S. Government is an enemy he will naturally end up radicalized."]
The feds are searching for an eighth suspect accused of being part of a terrorist cell in North Carolina. Their alleged ring leader is accused of hoarding weapons and visiting terror camps overseas. This is just one in a string of recent reports of alleged terrorists here at home. So how safe is America from home grown terrorism?
Steven Emerson, the executive director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism spoke with CNN’s Carol Costello Wednesday.
Carol Costello: So it seems like there are a lot of people here in America, alleged home grown terrorists, being indicted for crimes for jihad. How scared should we be?
Steve Emerson: We’re seeing a new phase, Carol, here, in the radicalization of American citizens as well as American-born Muslim. In the past six months alone, there have been more than 40 arrests of either American-born Muslims or of Americans who converted to Islam in trying to carry out plots overseas or in the United States. This is indicative of what has happened in Europe over the last ten years where the environment there and some of the calls by the Islamic groups have radicalized the Muslim populations there. Were seeing it here but more interestingly we’re seeing American citizens who convert to Islam and stage operations from the safety of overseas and carry out jihad.
Costello: I want to talk specifically about Daniel Patrick Boyd, the guy from North Carolina. He just looked like your average Joe. Neighbors said if he was the terrorist, he's the nicest terrorist we know. He just seemed like such a normal guy. Yet he supposedly carried on this secret life. From 1989 to 1992, he traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan. What did he do there, exactly?
Emerson: Well, in 1989 to 1992, he volunteered against the Soviets who had occupied Afghanistan and he volunteered and trained with the Afghan Mujahedin, the holy warriors. But he kept up and he was interviewed in ‘The Washington Post,’ actually, in 1991 where he called the US a ‘kufr’ or an ‘infidel country.’ He kept up his religious animosity to the United States; even indoctrinating his own kids willing to send them on suicide operations in Israel and elsewhere abroad to carry out jihad. So it shows you the extent to which he was radicalized. What's more interesting here is the extent to which there are other cells across the country, Carol, that have been involved in carrying out plots either here in the U.S. and overseas but using the safety of the United States and becoming radicalized here, even though they were originally not radical or not even born Muslim.
Costello: I want to get to some of the psychology of this. Because Daniel Patrick Boyd allegedly plotted these terror missions overseas, not here in the United States. But then again, who knows, right? But how does one who lives in America, grows up in the American culture, become radicalized like this?
Emerson: You’ve raised an excellent question. I think part of the question lies in the fact that once you make the conversion to Islam, and most Muslims are not radical. Once you make a conversion to Islam, sometimes the Islamic groups, the national groups that control the distribution of literature, of the media, of the educational system, teach them jihad and teach them that the United States is the enemy. Just the other day, letters from Congress representing seven Islamic radical groups claimed to be mistreated by the U.S. government and they themselves in statements in the last ten years have been saying the U.S. government is the enemy. If you constantly are fed a diet that the U.S. Government is an enemy, that the U.S. government is part of the conspiracy to suppress Islam; you will naturally end up radicalized, hating the U.S. and even willing to carry out violence to advance that goal.
Pro-gun pastor says come armed to church
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/06/30/intv.pagano.art.jpg caption="Pastor Kenneth Pagano is a gun rights advocate who encourages his parishioners to bring their firearms to church."]
You may not think that God and guns go together, but a pastor in Kentucky certainly does. He's encouraging his congregation to embrace their Second Amendment rights by coming to church armed.
On Saturday, Pastor Kenneth Pagano sponsored an “open carry celebration” at his church. He spoke to John Roberts on CNN’s “American Morning” Tuesday.
John Roberts: A question a lot of people might have is – what do God and guns have in common?
Kenneth Pagano: Well, the idea that a deep-seated belief in God and an appreciation for firearms, which was the basis for the founding of this country, which was also settled by very religious people evidently has not - has historical precedence for not being incongruous, and we also agree with the same.
Roberts: But the question is do guns belong in church? Even in the frontier days there were many churches that said to people, “Leave your weapons outside. No firearms inside the church.”
Pagano: There were also many churches that said you can have them. There are still congregational buildings in New England that go back to the colonial eras where there are actually gun racks that are there. It was also mandated that you had to bring your firearm with you with ammunition when you went to church, if not, you would have been fined. So this is not something new. It’s new in our generation, but it's not a new concept at all. We're trying to promote responsible gun ownership, that there are community-minded, legal law-abiding citizens such as myself and others who appreciate firearms as a sports tool, but also believe in the right for self-defense and self-protection. Church is not a building. A church is a gathering of people. People have the right to defend themselves wherever they are.
Roberts: Pastor, I was doing a lot of looking around this morning at the reaction to the event you had on Saturday night and some of the critics were asking things like “Would Jesus carry a weapon?” And “What would Jesus think of a pastor who beat plow shares into swords?”
U.S. not a "Christian nation?" Call our hotline 1-877-MY-AMFIX
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/04/06/art_obama_mon_gi.jpg caption="President Obama and Turkish President Abdullah Gul hold a joint news conference Monday."]
President Obama visited Turkey Monday where he said that "one of the great strengths of the United States" is that it does not consider itself "a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."
Do you agree with the President's comments?
We want to know what you think. Call our hotline at 1-877-MY-AMFIX and we will play some of your comments on-ar tomorrow.
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Pro-gun pastor says come armed to church
Editor’s Note: Kenneth Pagano is pastor of New Bethel Church in Louisville, Ky. On Saturday, he sponsored an “open carry celebration” at his church and encourages his congregation to embrace their Second Amendment rights by coming to church armed.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/06/30/intv.pagano.art.jpg caption="Pastor Kenneth Pagano is a gun rights advocate who encourages his parishioners to bring their firearms to church."]
By Kenneth Pagano
Special to CNN
One year ago I began thinking of creative ways that we as a church could host events that would give us opportunities to meet some new people and create venues with which we could share our faith in Christ. All things would be considered but everything would be implemented.
However, since I have been a sport shooting enthusiasts for as long as I can remember and a certified pistol instructor I came up with the idea of an open carry celebration.
As one who has been in public ministry for almost 30 years and having obtained my doctorate, I am not unfamiliar with theology or church history. Since I know that not all Christians are pacifists and that Christian pacifism in an option not a requirement, I knew this event was not unbiblical.
Being raised in New Jersey and familiar with the American Revolution, I knew that this event was not unhistorical. Pre-Colonial America had laws that required people attending worship to bring their firearms and ammunition or face a fine.
Being a certified concealed carry deadly weapons instructor with the Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Justice, I knew this event was not illegal.
And being a former Marine who considers himself a patriot, I knew this event was not unconstitutional. I thought everyone knew these things. Boy was I wrong.
FULL POST
Filed under: Commentary • Gun rights • Religion