Ancient Biblical city of Shekhem uncovered

A team of Dutch and Palestinian archaeologists have unearthed a biblical ruin inside a Palestinian city in the West Bank and are planning to open it as an archaeological park next year.

The residents of the city of Nablus long used the particular area the archaeologists are working on as an unofficial garbage dump, but it has now been rescued and will help introduce the Palestinians in the area, who have been beleaguered for the last ten years by bloodshed and isolation, to the wealth of antiquities in the middle of their city.

"The local population has started very well to understand the value of the site, not only the historical value, but also the value for their own identity," said Gerrit van der Kooij of Leiden University in the Netherlands, who co-directs the dig team.

"The local people have to feel responsible for the archaeological heritage in their neighborhood," he added.

The ancient city of Shekhem was positioned in a pass between the mountains of Gerizim and Eibal and controlled access to the Askar Plains to the east. It was considered an important regional center more than 3,500 years ago and as such had extensive fortifications. The city was surrounded by fortifications of massive stones, was entered through monumental gates and centered on a temple with walls five meters thick.

A king of Shekhem, Labaya, is mentioned in cuneiform tablets of the Pharaonic archive found at Tel al-Amarna in Egypt, dated to the 14th century B.C. The king had rebelled against his Egyptian overlords, and soldiers were dispatched to subdue him, but failed.

The city also appears often in the Bible. In Genesis, Abraham passes near Shekhem when God promises to give the land of Canaan to his descendants. In another story, Abraham's grandson Jacob was camped outside the walls when a local Canaanite prince raped his daughter, Dinah. Jacob's sons sacked the city in revenge. The remains of the most famous son of Jacob, Joseph, were brought out of Egypt hundreds of years later by fleeing Israelites and buried at Shekhem.

Renowned Christian leader, John Stott, passes away

One of the most significant Christian leaders of the 20th century, John Stott, passed away on Wednesday afternoon, at the age of 90.

Stott was renowned as an Anglican theologian of the highest order, and also a passionate voice for evangelical Christianity in particular.

Stott was the former Rector of the renowned All Souls Church in Langham Place, London and was perhaps most famous for being one of the founders of the Lausanne Movement, a worldwide movement of evangelicals.

He was the chief architect of two of the Movement’s major documents, the Lausanne Covenant in 1974 and the Manila Manifesto in 1989.

Stott was firm in his emphasis on the basics of classical evangelicalism, including the need for personal conversion, the authority of Scripture and the centrality of Jesus’ death for sinners. Yet, he was equally passionate about the moral and social dimensions of the gospel, including justice for the poor and care for creation.

In 2005, Stott was featured in TIME magazine as one of the world's "100 Most Influential People." He was the author of about 50 books published in 65 languages. Among his best known are “Basic Christianity” (1958), “Christ the Controversialist” (1970) and “The Cross of Christ” (1986).

“Basic Christianity” alone has been translated into more than 60 languages and has sold more than 2.5 million copies.

Despite the success of his work, Stott was known by many as 'Uncle John,' and was well regarded for his humility.

“Pride is without doubt the greatest temptation of Christian leaders,” he once said. “And I’m very well aware of the dangers of being feted and don’t enjoy it and don’t think one should enjoy it.”

Upon hearing of his death, tributes from other leaders from around the world immediately began pouring in, including one from another renowned evangelical leader of his generation - Billy Graham.

"The evangelical world has lost one of its greatest spokesmen," said Graham in a statement.

"I have lost one of my close personal friends and advisors. I look forward to seeing him again when I go to Heaven."

Scientists believe 'God Particle' could be found by 2012

Scientists in charge of the research being carried out through the Large Hadron Collider at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) have informed the press that the existence of the sub-atomic "God particle" should be decided by the end of 2012.

Physicists have long wondered about the possibility of the particle, also known as the Higgs boson particle, which is a hypothetical massive elementary particle whose existence would resolve inconsistencies in physics. If this particle does exist, it would help explain how all matter in the universe comes to have mass. This would also complete the puzzle for the Standard Model of physics that was first established in 1970, a theory that explains the Big Bang.

However, scientists have not yet been able to find proof to support the existence of the Higgs boson. Yet interestingly enough, at the International Europhysics Conference on High-Energy Physics in Grenoble, France, researchers recently presented some curious data bleeps that could hint at the existence of this particle.

“This experiment is one of the most significant of this third millennium,” said Dr. Karl W. Giberson of the BioLogos Foundation.

Giberson described the LHC experiment an “extraordinary event for Christian to contemplate” and believes it could lead to further experiments that will one day answer our deepest questions regarding the universe.

“What is most exciting in this experiment is that it lets us push back a bit closer to that mysterious moment almost 14 billion years ago, when our universe emerged in the Big Bang,” Giberson said.

“What the LHC might demonstrate is a piece of the grand puzzle: where does mass come from? If Christians can embrace the Big Bang theory, instead of inventing odd and implausible reasons to reject it, they will be drawn into a most wonderful world of grandeur that will greatly enlarge their concept of God."

(Image shows the Hadron Collider at CERN)

Norway killer labels self as ‘cultural Christian’

Anders Behring Breivik, who has admitted to killing approximately eighty people and injuring many others in a violent rampage across Norway, on Monday pleaded not guilty to charges of terrorism. Breivik informed Judge Kim Heger that he believes the killings were necessary.

“What the court understands (is) the accused believes that he needed to carry out these acts in order to save Norway and Western Europe from among other things cultural Marxism and Muslim take over,” Heger stated after the hearing.

The 32-year-old Breivik posted a 1,500-page manifesto online shortly before the killings where he argued that Marxism and Islam are growing threats to Norway and Europe. Breivik said he had been planning the attacks for years and hoped the massacre would help to market his manifesto.

Breivik wrote of his admiration for the Knights Templar, who he described as “a defensive military organization who only seek to protect the peoples of Europe and our cultures from genocide.” The Norwegian hoped this group would lead the revolution to save Europe from Marxist and Islamic influences.

Breivik has been labelled as a “Christian terrorist” or “Christian fundamentalist” in some sections of the media because he identified himself as a Christian on his Facebook page. In the manifesto, however, Breivik insists he is more of a ‘cultural Christian,’ writing:

“If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God then you are a religious Christian. Myself and many more like me do not necessarily have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God. We do however believe in Christianity as a cultural, social, identity and moral platform. This makes us Christian.”

Norway Shooting: Killer wants his day in court

The man alleged to be responsible for Norway’s horrific killing spree, Anders Behring Breivik (pictured), where at least 93 people are believed to have been killed, will appear in court on Monday and wants the world to hear his side of the story there.

Breivik has confessed to the bombing in Oslo and the mass shooting at a youth camp on Utoya island, but still denies any criminal responsibility.

Instead, the man labelled by the press as an ‘evangelical Christian’ is expected to plead not guilty in court, telling his lawyer the atrocities had been "gruesome but necessary.”

Breivik claimed he "wanted to start a revolution in Norwegian society to defeat liberal immigration policies and the spread of Islam."

It has also come to light that Breivik published online a 1,500-page manifesto hours before he began his killing spree. In this document, he refers to attending events organised by the far rights movement, The Knights Templar.

Breivik also said he had been planning the attack since 2009, while ranting against European liberal elites whom he believes betrayed their Christian heritage by promoting multiculturalism.

Breivik has also in the past blogged about his disgust for the modern church, saying:

"Today's Protestant church is a joke. Priests in jeans who march for Palestine and churches that look like minimalist shopping centres. I am a supporter of an indirect collective conversion of the Protestant church back to the Catholic."

It is becoming harder for Israelis and Palestinians to forgive, admits Christian leader

Patriarch Fouad Twal, the leader of Jerusalem’s Catholic community has admitted it is becoming harder for Israelis and Palestinians to coexist and easier to “demonise” each other, against a backdrop of constant conflict and distrust.

“An entire generation of Israelis and Palestinians grew up witnessing and experiencing violence, occupation, separation and hatred,” he said.

“There have been fewer and less opportunities to interact, and a heightened suspicion and apprehension on both sides persist.

“It is harder to forgive and strenuous to start a constructive dialogue,” he added.

Speaking at a conference on the situation facing Christians in the Holy Land held in London, Patriarch Twal mentioned that youth in particular were suffering as a result of the conflict and that hope was being “shattered”.

He fears that the possibilities for a just solution were “rapidly decreasing”, while extremist forces were gaining more and more followers.

The Patriarch also challenged Western Christians to “connect and be in communion with” Christians in the Holy Land and to “come and see” the situation for themselves.

“Share in their joys and suffering, bear their burdens with them, reflect and consider your responsibility towards your mother church,” he added.

“The Christian presence is threatened by virtual extinction, and the land of Jesus cannot become an equivalent of a spiritual Disneyland with beautiful buildings, historic sites and museums on display,” he said.

“All people - Jews, Christians and Muslims suffer the consequences of the conflict. Occupation is a terrible image for any democratic State, as it is horrible for the people of the occupied areas, where hatred and aversion are fostered and nurtured.

“We are aware of the persecution and suffering of our Christians in some Muslim countries in the region, but this is not an excuse to forget the dire reality of our situation in the Holy Land.”

Zondervan dismisses concerns over ‘Murdoch Bibles’

The Christian book and Bible publisher, Zondervan, is presently owned by Harper Collins, which is itself a subsidiary of News Corp. News Corp is of course at the centre of the phone hacking scandal alongside its founder Rupert Murdoch and his son, chairman of News International, James Murdoch.

Zondervan’s link to News Corp has been strongly critiqued in major US news outlets like the Houston Chronicle and USA Today. Blogger Will Braun was one of those who wrote debating the ethics of buying Bibles from a publisher that is owned by Murdoch.

“For those us of [sic] who care about the Christian scriptures, what are we to make of this mix of billionaire media tycoonery, allegations of phone hacking and bribery, and the Holy Word of God?" he said.

“What are we to make of the fact that every time we buy a Zondervan product we contribute to Murdoch’s mogul-dom, which includes a personal fortune that Forbes pegged at $6.3 billion last year.”

Zondervan responded to these concerns through spokeswoman Tara Powers.

"This does not present an ethical dilemma for Zondervan as we will continue to operate with autonomy as we always have,” she stated.

"We are fortunate to have strong and positive relationships with our authors. They know who Zondervan is and how we operate and we have not heard of serious concerns from authors.

“While we are obviously aware of the matter at hand, it does not distract or detract from our work at hand and we will continue to pursue our mission and operate as we have for the past 80 years."

Human rights violations in Sudan are ‘appalling’

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has joined its voice to those urging an investigation into the "appalling" human rights violations in Sudan’s South Kordofan.

A leaked UN report has horrified human rights groups the world over. The report investigated the human rights situation in South Kordofan and found that the government of Sudan has been complicit in the execution of suspected supporters of the ex-rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement of the south and ethnic Nuba in Kadugli.

The report accused the government of aggressively obstructing UN peacekeeping forces in the area after an outbreak of violence on June 5.

Furthermore, civilian areas have been attacked and there is some concern that chemical substances are being used.

The report accuses both sides (north and southern Sudan) of violating the terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement but emphasises that the conduct of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) has been "especially egregious". 



"Instead of distinguishing between civilians and combatants and accordingly directing their military operations only against military targets, the SAF and allied paramilitary forces have targeted members and supporters of the SPLM/A (Sudan People's Liberation Movement and Army), most of whom are Nubans and other dark skinned people," it read.

The report condemns Northern forces of "violent and unlawful acts" against the UN peacekeeping forces, and the summary execution of a UN national staff member.

The report recommends that perpetrators are brought before the International Criminal Court.

"Not for the first time the Sudanese regime has unleashed unspeakable violence against its own citizens in a manner that is at the very least comparable to the events that precipitated international action against the Gaddafi regime," said CSW’s Special Ambassador Stuart Windsor, adding that the report was further confirmation of the "appalling" human rights violations taking place in the area.

"It is deeply worrying that the international response remains so muted, given mounting evidence of possible war crimes targeting a specific people group.

"CSW reiterates its appeal for immediate and robust international action to end the current violence, and fully endorses calls for an urgent international investigation into events in Southern Kordofan with a view to bringing identified perpetrators and planners of human rights abuses before the ICC."

South Africans serve each other on Mandela Day

Millions of South Africans celebrated Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday yesterday, on a day that has become internationally known as Mandela Day.

The day urges people around the world to take concrete action in service of others and play their part in changing the world for the better.

Mandela has retired from public life, but has given his blessing to this day because it puts into concrete action the ‘Madiba’ spirit. Mandela continues to challenge younger people to take up the fight for a fairer, more peaceful world.

“It is time for the next generations to continue our struggle against social injustice and for the rights of humanity,” he said. “It is in your hands.”

Mandela spent 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity, and so people are asked to dedicate 67 minutes of their time on Mandela Day to serving their community and helping to build a global movement for good.

Millions of South Africans across the country got involved in doing something for others.

Archbishop Tutu, as Chair of the Elders group of leaders, yesterday asked people to get involved: “On his birthday, Madiba has asked us to do something, not for him, but for our fellow human beings.

“Join us in marking Mandela Day by celebrating our collective power to do good for others and making the world we share a happier and fairer place.”

Mandela's wife and fellow founder of The Elders, Graça Machel said: “Mandela Day is a chance for each of us to do what we can for the human family that Madiba cares so much about.

“It is a beautiful way of recognising that we can all do good, that we have love and kindness in our hearts and that we can all make a difference to the lives of our neighbours.”

Mexico gets serious about fighting human trafficking

Mexican President Felipe Calderon is so intent on dealing with the serious problem of human trafficking in his country that he is attempting to push through changes to the constitution.

Calderon wants his congress to approve a new law, which requires an individual to be sent to prison during the trial period if accused of violating human trafficking laws.

The law also guarantees anonymity for the victims of human trafficking, a crime referred to in documents as the “new form of slavery.”

The changes in Mexico’s constitution would also require an individual to be sent to prison during the trial period if accused of violating human trafficking laws.

Calderon informed members of Mexico’s congress that criminal organizations that ship and sell drugs and weapons are now relying on human trafficking to make millions.

“Lawmakers and citizens alike must take action,” Calderon said in a speech to lawmakers last week. "We have to create a unified front to end human trafficking in Mexico. This front is not limited to police or officials, this front starts in the streets, in the neighborhoods and in the communities."

It is believed that approximately 10,000 women have been victims of human trafficking in Mexico's capital, but reports indicate only 40 investigations and three convictions in the city last year.

Tens of thousands of woman and children are pulled into sex rings through human trafficking, and thousands are sent over into the United States for the same purposes. Victims are lured away from their homes in poor rural areas using shady recruitment tactics, such as the promise of false jobs.

"There are thousands and thousands of cases, in a society that is still unaware of the seriousness of this crime," Calderon added. "We have to break through this curtain. We are hiding a criminal reality that is in front of us."

Human rights advocates say that in the last ten years, the issue of human trafficking has become a global phenomenon of unforeseeable proportions

Further Catholic cover-ups discovered

An inquiry into the Irish Catholic Church’s abuse scandals has found evidence of further cover-ups after it discovered that a rural diocese and its bishop ignored Irish church rules requiring all suspected molestation cases to be reported to police officials, and that the Vatican was aware of and encouraged this concealment.

The Irish government, who ordered the investigation into 1996-2009 cover-ups in the County Cork Diocese of Cloyne, warned that parishes across their country could pose a further danger to children’s welfare. It pointed out that Cloyne promised to be adhering to church child-protection policy while actually ignoring it.

The Justice Minister in charge of the investigation, Alan Shatter promised to enforce a law making it an imprisonable crime to withhold knowledge of suspected child abuse and added that pledges by Irish church leaders to place Irish civil law first and report all abuse cases dating back to 1995 had been “built on sand.”

Shatter said he was concerned that other dioceses, who are yet to be investigated, were withholding similar crimes and therefore posed an ongoing threat to children.

The document details the church’s suppression of information on 19 suspected child-abusing priests, according to The Washington Times.

Backlash over plans for world’s biggest Jesus statue

Plans by the mayor of a major Croatian city to build the world’s biggest statue of Jesus on a nearby hill have been heavily criticised by many in the staunchly Catholic country, with thousands opposing it on social networks.

Mayor Zeljko Kerum said last week he intended to build a 39-metre high statue of Christ, around 3 metres bigger than the world's current largest in Swiebodzin, western Poland.

"It would be a tourist attraction, a new shrine . . . We are however a Catholic town and a Catholic country," said Kerum.

"The project would be financed by donors and the city would not have to give a single kuna for it," he added.

However the idea has sparked vociferous debate with many accusing the multi-millionaire of grandstanding to deflect attention away from his political failings.

A Facebook page entitled: "Kerum, in Jesus' name, don't build Jesus" attracted the attention of almost 4,000 people with many arguing the money could be better spent on windmills or solar panels.

"Mr Kerum, sins cannot be redeemed in such a way," read one posted in an apparent reference to Kerum's private life.

Others insisted this was simply not the right place for such a statue.

"If I want to see the statue of Jesus I will go to a church and pray to Him," posted Marko Gundic.

Almost 88 per cent of Croatia’s population of 4.4 million are Roman Catholics.

Struggling to pronounce difficult Bible names? There’s an App that can help with that

A newly developed iPhone application will help Bible readers to properly pronounce some of the more difficult names, places and terms.

The Bible Audio Pronunciations app offers assistance on over 1,000 of the Scripture's most difficult words to pronounce.

"We wanted to give people an easy tool to raise their level of understanding and enjoyment from reading the Bible," stated the app's developer, Michael Vance. "It will speak out loud some of its most difficult words."

"The Bible is meant to be shared with others, and this app helps people do that with confidence," he added. "It is perfect for reading to your children, speaking at church, or reciting at a Bible study group."

The app is easy enough to use. All you have to do is search or browse a database of words, and then tap the one you want to learn how to pronounce to hear it spoken out aloud. Each word is accompanied by a Google and Wikipedia button so that further research can be done.

The Bible Audio Pronunciations app is available at only $0.99 on iTunes, although if you want to test it first you can download a ‘Lite’ version for free that offers a list of 100 words to choose from. The app is available on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

Kevin McNeese reviewed the app for ChristianiPhoneApps.com and was impressed.

“I can't count the number of times I've stumbled on the pronunciations of different names in the Bible,” he wrote. “And as a worship leader, I make sure that when reading passages during the service, I skip those verses that I know will display my full ignorance in front of everyone.”

“The app is a fantastic learning tool, reference for personal study and would also be a lot of fun with friends to see who can pronounce words the best,” he added. “For what this app does, I can't rate it any lower than 5-stars!”

Three killed by bomb at Christian mission station in Nigeria

A bomb explosion at the All Christian-Fellowship Mission in Suleja, Niger State has killed three people.

The attack happened just after 3pm on Sunday as several church members were participating in a committee meeting after the church service. Two women and a man were killed, while several others were injured.

Suleja is situated close to the Nigerian capital, Abujua. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack although religious tensions have been high in the areas lately with the Islamic militant group Boko Haram warning all Nigerians to avoid Christian, security agents, and government institutions, or else face trouble.

Several other churches in the areas were forced to close on Sunday following violence on Saturday with multiple explosions around the city. The violence included an alleged attack by Boko Haram on an army patrol. The Joint Military Task Force, who are tasked with maintaining security in the city, apparently went on a rampage following this particular attack. Their actions have concerned many, just as much as the terrorist attacks have.

Churches, and other institutions in the city, are now on high alert against possible further attacks.

Stuart Windsor, Special Ambassador for Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said that:

“If the alleged Boko Haram statement is accurate and their target is now shifting increasingly towards the church, Christians are in greater danger than ever, as their places of worship provide soft targets.

"It is vital that state and federal authorities ensure that adequate protection is afforded to these establishments, and that security is deployed during church services.

"However, reports of possible irregular actions and extra-judicial executions by some members of the Joint Military Task Force are deeply worrying and must be investigated as a matter of urgency.

"It is crucial that security arrangements for the country as a whole and for Maiduguri in particular are conducted with sensitivity, in order not to alienate and further victimise innocent members of the public, who are already traumatised by the actions of this violent group.”

Uncovering the Philistines

Archaeologists are making some exciting discoveries at the ancient city of Gath in Southern Israel as they uncover some of the secrets of the people remembered in the Bible as the ultimate bad guys - the Philistines.

Around 3000 years ago, Gath was on the frontier between the Philistine and the Israelite territories. When David was on the run from King Saul, he tried to seek asylum at Gath by pretending to be mad. Gath, of course, is also famous for producing one of the biggest of the ‘bad guys’ in history in the giant Goliath.

The Philistines "are the ultimate other, almost, in the biblical story," Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University, the archaeologist in charge of the excavation, told the Associated Press.

Scholars now think the Philistines arrived by sea from the area of modern-day Greece around 1200 B.C. They went on to rule large parts of what is now Palestine and Israel, with most of their power centred around the Mediterranean coastal plain while Israel controlled the inland hills.

Archaeologists have discovered from the site of Gath that while the Philistines adopted aspects of local culture, they never forgot their roots as they still worshipped gods with Greek names five centuries after leaving Greece.

Archaeologists have also discovered that the Philistine diet was very similar to the Greeks, while evidence at Gath shows they ate pigs and dogs, which were considered unclean by the Israelites.

The archaeologists believe the city of Gath was destroyed sometime in the the 9th century B.C., an incident mentioned in the Book of Kings as being the work of the Aramean king Hazael.

"Gath fills a very important gap in our understanding of Philistine history," said Seymour Gitin, director of the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem and an expert on the Philistines.

Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon stamped the Philistines out of history in 604 B.C. when he destroyed all the Philistine cities, after which no further evidence of them as a culture has been found.

Three Out Of Ten Take Bible Literally

In its latest poll, Gallup has found that three in ten Americans interpret the Bible literally, believing it is the actual word of God. 49% of Americans say the Bible is the inspired word of God but that it should not be taken literally, while a further 17% consider the Bible an ancient book of stories written down by people with no divine assistance at all.

In terms of subgroups, a majority, 54%, of those who worship on a weekly basis believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, which is twice that of those who attend church less often.

Gallup also found that belief in a literal interpretation of the Bible declines as educational attainment increases, with 46% of those with a high school education or less taking the Bible literally, compared to 22% of those with some form of tertiary education.

There was also a difference in economic levels, with 50% of lower-income respondents believing the Bible is the actual word of God, compared to 27% of middle-income and 15% of high-income respondents.

Two-thirds of Protestants who attend church weekly believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible.

Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted May 5-8, 2011, with a random sample of 1,018 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Reaching out to Lily Allen

Pop singer Lily Allen has often spoken out angrily against the church and religion, even putting these strong feelings into a song on her album ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’. So it comes as a surprise that she recently revealed a compassionate vicar was instrumental in assisting her to cope with the loss of her unborn baby and in inspiring her to get married in a church.

Allen informed Elle magazine during an interview how their local vicar in Cranham, Gloucestershire, reached out to her and fiancee Sam Cooper after they lost their baby boy at six months.

“People wouldn’t have thought I’d have a church wedding, but since I had the really traumatic experience last year, our local community all pitched in,” she said.

“We hadn’t been there long, but after the news got out we received flowers and really heartfelt, beautifully written cards.

“Our vicar said a similar thing had happened to his family, so he would come over and sit with me. It feels really nice. We feel protected.”

Allen said that on her wedding day she was able to announce that she was expecting again.

Global survey finds that a majority of people believe religion is important

A new Ipsos MORI poll has discovered that religion is still important to seven out of ten people globally. The survey investigated the views of over 18,000 people across 24 countries, including both developed and developing countries.

The survey also found that there was a notable difference between Christian and Muslim-dominated countries when it came to the role faith played in everyday life.

In Muslim-majority countries, 94% of those with a religion agreed that their faith was important in their lives, compared to 66% in Christian-majority countries.

61% of people in Muslim-majority countries believed their religion was the only true path to salvation compared to 19% in Christian-majority countries, while 61% of people Muslim-majority areas were likely to give time and money to others in need because of their faith compared to only 24% in Christian-dominated societies.

Interestingly enough, 73% of youth (people under the age of 35) around the globe affirmed that faith was important to them.

Chief executive of Ipsos MORI, Ben Page said: “The survey is a good reminder to many in western Europe of how much religion matters – and is a force for good – in much of the world.

“Our analysis shows people would rather keep politics separate from religion, but that in a globalising world, it still matters more than many in old Europe think.”

The former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, a practising Catholic and patron of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation was impressed by the results of the survey.

“This survey shows how much religion matters and that no analysis of the contemporary world, political or social, is complete without understanding the relationship between faith and globalisation," he said.

“The evidence is that, though people fear the prospect of religious strife, even here in Britain, there is much to encourage the view that people can learn to respect those of another faith and live with them peacefully.

“Inter-faith dialogue and action today is not just an interesting but peripheral minor subject, it is the essence, central to creating greater social cohesion and harmony.”

Royal couple join prayer service

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, in the midst of a Royal tour of Canada, attended a prayer service with 200 sailors on board the Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal.

The couple spent the night on board the ship in the captain’s quarters before joining the interdenominational prayer service that lasted 45 minutes and interceded for the Queen as well as the couple themselves.

Prince William and Kate then visited an organisation that works with at-risk youth called Maison Dauphine.

Prince William told the children from the centre: “Don't ever let people put you down – because a prince looks up to you.”

UK sends £38m to assist starving Ethiopia

Spiralling food prices have worsened a food crisis in Ethiopia caused by a severe drought, and in response Britain has promised £38m in food aid to the struggling east African country.

There are approximately 3.2 million Ethiopians in need of food aid, and this grant from the UK will feed around 1.3 million for three months.

The donation was announced by International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell, who urged other countries to supply similar assistance.

“Through no fault of its own, the Horn of Africa is experiencing a severe drought caused by the failed rains,” he said.

“Britain is acting quickly and decisively in Ethiopia to stop this crisis becoming a catastrophe. We will provide vital food to help 1.3 million people through the next three months.

“This situation needs an international response and Britain is calling on the international community to provide fast, effective relief.”

The entire region of the Horn of Africa is experiencing their driest conditions in 60 years putting around 10 million people at risk of starvation.

Christian Aid has also been appealing for water and food to affected villages and families.

“The crisis has been building for some time, especially in Kenya and Ethiopia, and is fast escalating across the region,” said Nick Guttmann, Christian Aid’s humanitarian director.

“People are desperate and if we don’t act now we could be looking at one of the worst humanitarian situations the world has seen in a long time.”

Purpose Driven pastor backs the Church as best way to combat AIDS

The author of ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ and pastor of one of the biggest churches in the world, Rick Warren, has stated that in the battle against HIV/AIDS, the local church is the "single fastest way to mobilize at the grassroots level around the world."

In an article for CNN, Warren detailed exactly why he saw the church as the "world's most powerful weapon against AIDS."

Warren began by pointing out that the church has the largest distribution network on the planet.

"There are more churches in the world than all the Wal-Marts, McDonald’s and Starbucks combined. The church was global 200 years before anyone else thought of globalization. We could take you to thousands of villages around the world where the only institution to speak of is a church," argued Warren.

Secondly, Warren said that the church is growing more quickly than even the HIV/AIDS infection rate. The church gains 35,000 converts daily in China alone while there are 7,000 new people infected with HIV/AIDS every day.

Finally, Warren emphasised that "these church members have a non-profit motivation to serve. We are commanded by Jesus Christ to 'love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Warren has already sent out 14,869 members of his church to 195 nations in the world as part of a Christ-centered humanitarian program called the P.E.A.C.E. Plan.

The acronym for the plan is based on the five actions Jesus modeled: Promote reconciliation; Equip servant leaders; Assist the poor; Care for the sick; and Educate the next generation.

Warren has previously stated that he aims to mobilize 1 billion Christians worldwide to participate in the P.E.A.C.E. initiative.

New software sheds light on Biblical authors

New software developed by team from Israel is generating new understanding on the various authors and editors of the Bible.

Scholars and theologians have long known that the Bible was written by a number of different authors, and that some texts have been rewritten to fit into a larger editing process or particular theological emphasis.

Now software that uses an algorithm to examine texts from the Bible is being used to analyse style and word choices to distinguish parts of a single text written by different authors, and when applied to the Bible it is able to find different author’s voices in the larger work.

The program forms part of a sub-field of artificial intelligence studies known as authorship attribution, and is providing interesting food for thought. One of its more interesting findings is that the traditional scholarly division of the Bible between different authors is about 90% correct — effectively recreating years of work by multiple scholars in minutes.

"We have thus been able to largely recapitulate several centuries of painstaking manual labor with our automated method," said Moshe Koppel of Bar Ilan University near Tel Aviv, the computer science professor who headed the research team.

One interesting point of difference is that scholars have always known that Isaiah was written by two different authors, with the second taking over from Chapter 39. However, the software results show that the second author actually takes over a little earlier, from Chapter 33.

The differences "have the potential to generate fruitful discussion among scholars," confirmed Michael Segal of Hebrew University's Bible Department, who was not involved in the project.

Baseball star saves church

New York Yankees baseball star Mariano Rivera has agreed to buy and renovate a crumbling century-old church building in the city of New Rochelle, N.Y.

Rivera agreed to become part of this project alongside other members of his Spanish-speaking church, Refugio de Esperanza.

In terms of the agreement they have entered into with the city, Rivera’s congregation will lease the building and restore it at no cost to the municipality, and then buy it for $1.

The church was originally built in 1907 and once housed the biggest Presbyterian church in the area, but has since fallen into such disrepair that it is considered a safety risk. Experts say it could cost up to $3 million to properly restore but Rivera wants it nevertheless.

During a press conference announcing the project, New Rochelle's Mayor Noam Bramson spoke highly of the North Avenue church facility, describing it as “a much beloved structure that's had a significant role in New Rochelle's history.”

“Today, we are here to observe and to celebrate an agreement that will bring the church back to its former luster, and with its original purpose, as a house of worship,” he told the Associated Press.

Bramson also praised Rivera, saying that the closing pitcher is thought highly of “for his skill and grace and for his deep faith.”

Rivera, who is a previous resident of New Rochelle and owns a restaurant there, said: “We have a lot of goals that we want to fulfill, but the main goal right now is to restore the church. You know, make the church the way it was before.

“The moment that I saw the church I fell in love with the church,” he added.

Once the facility is fully renovated, Rivera was looking to use it to minister to youth in the area. “I love the youth,” he said. “I always say that that's the future. That's our future.”

Lohud.com reports that Rivera informed them his church would hold after-school programs and possibly even sponsor a youth baseball team, thus combining his two passions.

“The game is my job, but life continues,” Rivera said. “Baseball will stop one day and I will have to step up. This is what I want to do.”

(Image from Wikipedia.com).