(1) US Catholic bishops vote overwhelmingly in favour of pornography as a ’mortal sin’
From their document, “Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography”
“The moral status of pornography is clear from this passage: producing or using pornography is gravely wrong. It is a grave matter by its object. It is a mortal sin if it is committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent. Unintentional ignorance and factors that compromise the voluntary and free character of the act can diminish a person’s moral culpability. This sin needs the Lord’s forgiveness and should be confessed within the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. The damage it causes to oneself, one’s relationships, society, and the Body of Christ needs healing. Pornography can never be justified and is always wrong.”
(2) STD Rates Hit Record High in U.S.
Cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) increased significantly in 2014, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The new report shows that cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have gone up for the first time since 2006.
(3) Trump Questions Feasability of Religious Test for Refugees
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(4) Jesus portrait in Kentucky courthouse could draw lawsuit
“Drawings of Jesus, Mr. Magoo and some beautiful landscapes share wall space in the main hallway of the courthouse in Breathitt County. Whether that will stave off a lawsuit over the Jesus portrait remains to be seen. The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to Breathitt County Judge-Executive John Lester “JL” Smith in August, asking him to remove the drawing of Jesus. Having the portrait displayed in a government building is an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion, said Rebecca S. Markert, an attorney with the foundation. “This picture conveys to all visitors of the Breathitt County Courthouse that Christianity is the favored religion of government,” Markert wrote.”
(5) Immigration Policy Is More Than Compassion, by Kevin DeYoung (TGC)
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“I don’t know how to fix the United States’ broken immigration system, and I don’t know how many Syrian or Turkish refugees should be admitted into this country. This is not to suggest that Christians shouldn’t care deeply about both of these issues. It is to admit, however, that the issues are of such a complexity that they cannot be solved by good intentions and broad appeals to Christian compassion.”
(bonus) Mainliners Criticize Governors Over Refugees, by Jeffrey Walton (Juicy Ecumenicism) For example, Why Methodists Should Ignore GOP Governors, by Wes Magruder (United Methodist Review)
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