Apparently Georgia is going to war...

with Tennessee.

I found this over at Billy Ockahm today.

This is why I like Country Music

Okay, I admit it, I do like Country Music. Or at least this kind.



This has been a difficult week for me personally, for a number of reasons. The chorus of this song has been going through my head since Sunday. It's always good to remember this: There is victory in the Lord. Just cling to the Father and His Holy Name.

J. I. Packer's parish leaves the Anglican Church of Canada

This is HUGE news:

Members of what is described as the largest congregation in the Anglican Church of Canada voted strongly Wednesday to split with Vancouver-area Bishop Michael Ingham over his support for same-sex blessings.

"It means that the community speaks with one mind," said St. John's Shaughnessy Anglican Church spokeswoman Lesley Bentley, after a preliminary count showed that out of 495 ballots cast, only 11 opposed the split and nine abstained.

"What it is is very uniting."

The vote means the church, which has more than 700 members, will break with Ingham and join with the conservative Anglican bishops of the Diocese of the Southern Cone, which includes Argentina and Paraguay.
Read the rest...

This is a very significant move, as one of the posters on Stand Firm points out:

Americans might not realize the import of St. John’s decision. Several reasons make this a very important decision indeed.

1. St. John’s is the largest Anglican parish in Canada and very influential.
2. St. John’s had rejected earlier moves to join the Canadian version of the AMiA, believing the time was not yet right to leave. Now they have voted to leave, and everyone expects that they will be the first of many parishes to leave the ACC over the next few months.
3. This parish is home to J.I. Packer.
4. The parish rector, David Short, has many very strong connections to the Diocese of Sydney in Australia.
5. This parish has a lot of well-connected parishioners (judges, lawyers, aldermen, etc.). It is my expectation that if Michael Ingham wants a legal fight, he will more then get one. And note that the Diocese of New Westminster is in steep decline and has recently been forced to close several parishes.
6. Regent College, a graduate theological school located at the nearby Univ. of British Columbia, attracts a lot of Anglican and Episcopal students from around the world. Many of them make St. John’s their church home. So St. John’s decision will be heard throughout the world.

It is my guess that this decision of St. John’s will very likely be heard all the way to Lambeth Palace and will likely have a much greater impact on the likes of N.T. Wright et.al. then the similar decisions by the DSJ and various American parishes.
[6] Posted by james

Happy St. Cyril & Methodius Day!

Okay, I know it's Valentine's Day. But these guys have always been favorites of mine.
What a passion for the Gospel - to create an alphabet for the sole purpose of putting the Bible into the language of the people. Europe needs such patron saints today.

Useful Idiots

I often disagree with the Bovina Bloviator's churchmanship, but I am in hearty agreement of this analysis of the recent statements by the Archbishop of Canterbury:

The left has always been of two camps: the much smaller one containing the hard-core element who actually believe in, argue and work for the implementation of a Marxist-Leninist state and world government. Being an exceptionally unattractive lot, in the west they find refuge in the academy where their activities seem mainly to be forming "ad hoc coalitions" to promote "peace and justice" and slapping stickers on lamp posts advertising upcoming (and ill-attended) marches on Washington. But they can dream. In the west the hard left may appear harmless: they have no friends, are never invited to parties and must rely on others to further their agenda. Alas, however, the others are there, in quantity.

Those others, who vastly outnumber the hard left, are the more socially desirable sympathizers ("fellow travelers" in former days) found in the media, government, financial institutions and, of course, the church. Most sympathizers are not absolutely persuaded the efficacy, nor terribly knowledgeable the economy, of collectivism but kinda-sorta think it's the"fairest" way, thus are willing to embrace causes and actions that weaken and bring down existing western institutions; making it easier for the Marxists to fill the vacuum. The Soviets had an expression to describe these well-placed enablers: "useful idiots." Idiots they were, for they were the first to be liquidated once the Bolsheviks took over.

Iowahawk rules the world

I bow in awe to the Iowahawk. This is brilliant.

A New Canterbury Tale:

15 All sondry folke urbayne and progressyve

16 Vexed by Musselmans aggressyve.

17 Hie and thither to the Arche-Bishop's manse

18 The pilgryms ryde and fynde perchance

19 The hooly Bishop takynge tea

20 Whilste watching himselfe on BBC.

21 Heere was a hooly manne of peace

22 Withe bearyd of snow and wyld brows of fleece

23 Whilhom stoode athwart the Bush crusades

24 Withe peace march papier-mache paraydes.

25 Sayeth the pilgryms to Bishop Rowan,

26 "Father, we do not like howe thynges are goin'.

27 You know we are as Lefte as thee,

28 But of layte have beyn chaunced to see

29 From Edinburgh to London-towne

30 The Musslemans in burnoose gowne

31 Who beat theyr ownselfs with theyr knyves

32 Than goon home and beat theyr wyves

33 And slaye theyr daughtyrs in honour killlynge

34 Howe do we stoppe the bloode fromme spillynge?"

35 The Bishop sipped upon hys tea

36 And sayed, "an open mind must we

37 Keep, for know thee well the Mussel-man

38 Has hys own laws for hys own clan

39 So question not hys Muslim reason

40 And presaerve ye well social cohesion."

(Thanks to CJ for this link.)

Excuse me???? I must not have heard you correctly.

From the "Independent":

Archbishop of Canterbury warns sharia law in Britain is inevitable

By Ben Russell and Colin Brown
Friday, 8 February 2008

The Archbishop of Canterbury provoked a chorus of criticism yesterday by predicting that it was "unavoidable" that elements of Islamic sharia law would be introduced in Britain.

Christian and secular groups joined senior politicians to condemn Rowan Williams' view that there was a place for a "constructive accommodation with some aspects of Muslim law" over such issues as marriage.

Dr Williams told BBC Radio 4's The World At One: "It seems unavoidable and, as a matter of fact, certain conditions of sharia are already recognised in our society and under our law, so it is not as if we are bringing in an alien and rival system. We already have in this country a number of situations in which the internal law of religious communities is recognised by the law of the land as justifying conscientious objections in certain circumstances."

read the rest here:

I echo the thoughts of this government official:

A government minister said: "I can't understand what the Archbishop was thinking of. This is very unhelpful."

h/t to Titusonenine

Ash Wednesday

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent, create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission
and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Britain recognizes polygamy

Britain has now recognized polygamy
February 5, 2008
by “Jimmy Bradshaw”

Britain has now recognized polygamy in its latest capitulation to sharia law. Fortunately, writes “Jimmy Bradshaw”, medical professionals are showing more backbone when it comes to Muslim doctors refusing to disinfect themselves before dealing with patients. In today’s UK, it’s a war between multiculturalism and universalism, and so far the latter is on the ropes.

British political scandals involving wives invariably revolve around politicians cheating but the latest controversy goes way beyond a middle-aged MP having an affair with his secretary.New guidelines on income support welfare benefits from the U.K’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have de facto recognized polygamy. The guidelines state: “Where there is a valid polygamous marriage the claimant and one spouse will be paid the couple rate … The amount payable for each additional spouse is presently £33.65.” the rest

h/t to Transfigurations

Dylan Eucharist

(h/t to BabyBlue)


Okay, this kinda bothers me.

I don't really like this whole idea of crafting a Eucharist around one particular artist or group. The whole "U2charist" thing focuses on a band and our particular musical tastes, rather than being the Great Thanksgiving, focused on Christ.

I don't have a major problem with using some Dylan songs in the service, but this looks more like going to a karioke concert than a worship service.

Will it bring in people? Probably. But that still doesn't mean it should be done. It wouldn't bring me in. I'm not a big Dylan fan. (Sorry, BabyBlue.) If forced to choose, I'd pick this over a clown eucharist or polka mass any day. But I'd rather not participate in any of them.

Women 'tricked into suicide blasts'

More from the religion of peace. It is beyond comprehension how evil these people are.



Two women suicide bombers who have killed nearly 80 people in Baghdad were Down's Syndrome victims exploited by al Qaida.

The explosives were detonated by remote control in a co-ordinated attack after the women walked into separate crowded markets, said the chief Iraqi military spokesman in Baghdad General Qassim al-Moussawi.

Other officials said the women were apparently unaware of what they were doing in what could be a new method by suspected Sunni insurgents to subvert toughened security measures.

More than 70 people died and scores were wounded in the deadliest day since the US "surge" of 30,000 extra troops were sent to the capital this spring.

In the first attack, a woman detonated explosives hidden under her traditional black Islamic robe in the central al-Ghazl market. The weekly bazaar has been bombed several times since the war started but recently had re-emerged as a popular place to shop and stroll as Baghdad security improved. At least 46 people were killed and more than 100 wounded.

The second woman then struck a bird market in a predominantly Shiite area in south-eastern Baghdad killing up to 27 people and wounding 70.


read the rest here...