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Childless by Choice? Selfish, Says Pope; Obama Lied, Marriage Died, and More…

Couple lying in a bed – en

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James Asquith - published on 02/13/15

Asquith's News Tips: A weekly roundup of news stories you don't want to miss

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VATICAN CITY
Couples who choose not to have children selfish
 — Pope Francis speaks out on the Catholic doctrine of pro-creation, saying that it is "selfish" for couples to choose not to have children 
CHRISTIAN TIMES
"The devil is the father of jealousy, lies, hate and war" — Pope Francis 
VATICAN NEWS
Homilies must not be improvised entertainment, says Vatican
CATHOLIC HERALD
Pope Francis "joyfully awaits" visit of Ukrainian bishops to Vatican next week
CATHOLIC HERALD
Cardinals are ready to collaborate with Pope Francis to confront “the new challenges of the third Christian millennium”
ZENIT
Andrea Gagliarducci examines plans to create a Vatican “super-congregation” focused on charity
CNA
Security forces foil assassination attempt on Pope Francis during Philippine visit
DAILY MIRROR
Vatican dismisses reports of foiled assassination attempt as “unreliable”
CNA
Cardinal from Tonga puts the "Catholic" back in Church
CRUX
Francis orders distribution of free umbrellas to homeless
CHRISTIAN TODAY
Benedict XVI, no regrets about resigning
CATHOLIC HERALD
NORTH AMERICA
John Kerry: The anti-Christian
 — Already under fire for the many anti-Christian and pro-Muslim sentiments expressed during his relatively short time in serving under the Obama administration, Secretary of State John Kerry made another assertion that has many Christians up in arms, as he attempted to interpret Scripture to say that America is commanded by the Bible to protect Muslims from “global warming.” 
ONE NEWS
"Obama feigned opposition to gay marriage" — says former senior Obama aide who criticizes the president for being deceitful  
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLECHRISTIAN POST
Chaplains become the new "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" group in military under the Obama administration — Military chaplains are being placed under increasing pressure to conform to a "new oder," as Obama supporters label biblical values as "hate speech " 
CBN
"Obama has undying support for Muslims, but is against Christians and Jews" — Governor of Arkansas 
CHRISTIAN POST
Obama neglects Jews in appraisal of ISIS security threat — Report recognizes threats to Muslims, Christians and others, but no reference to Jews 
CNN
Obama dithered for nearly a month after Britain told US where to look for ISIS hostages Kayla Mueller, James Foley and Steven Sotloff
DAILY MAIL
America’s colleges have become Political Correctness indoctrination centers — Most parents assume that when they send their kids to college that they will receive training which will prepare them for a lifetime of employment 
IWC
The Big Lie: 5.6% Unemployment — Here’s something that many Americans, including some of the smartest and most educated among us, don’t know: The official unemployment rate, as reported by the US Department of Labor, is completely misleading 
TPS
The New America: Student reprimanded by atheist organization for saying “God Bless America” 
FN
CNN Anchor Cuomo: "Our rights do not come crom God"
CNS
The America of the future: Feds extorting Christians with Gestapo-like seizures — (What a sham, and what a disgrace)
CHARISMA
5 dead in Georgia shooting
AJC
US Catholic Relief Services have denied taking part in a “graphic sexuality education program” aimed at Rwandan children
WASHINGTON TIMES
Armies for hire swell across the globe — How private warriors of all stripes are coming out of the shadows to engage in for-profit warfare 
AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
US needs immigration reform, not more enforcement, says bishop
CNH
"Stephen Harper is an enemy of Islam" — says Toronto imam (This seems to be the standard response towards anyone who doesn’t celebrate Islam!) 
JW
NLRB Makes Inroads at Catholic Colleges — Federal government is stepping into the void of decades of inattentiveness to religious identity at several Catholic colleges 
CWR
Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission may ask the Vatican to repeal papal bulls granting explorers the right to conquer the New World
NATIONAL POST
LATIN AMERICA
São Paulo drought raises fears of Brazil energy crisis

FINANCIAL TIMES
ISRAEL
Palestinian Authority rewards jihadis for number of Jews they murder

JW
Finance minister reprimands EU for their immoral treatment of Israel
JERUSALEM POST
Netanyahu: "Israel in profound disagreement with Obama administration" 
ISRAEL TODAY
Abbas to meet Swedish PM after Stockholm’s row with Israel
JERUSALEM POST
Hamas and the nexus of global jihad
CAROLINE GLICK
EU planning to step up sanctions on Israeli settlements after Israeli elections
HAARETZ
Obama’s onslaught against Netanyahu
ISRAEL NEWS
RUSSIA
Russia will pursue independent foreign policy 
— says Putin 
JERUSALEM POST
Obama tells Putin in call to agree to Ukraine peace deal
KYIV POST
Pope Francis renews call for peace in Ukraine
CATHOLIC HERALD
Putin says Russian rebels will begin withdrawing heavy artillery from Sunday after marathon talks 
DAILY MAIL
RECOMMENDED ON ALETEIA
Kayla Mueller’s Letter from ISIS Captivity: "All You Have is God"
 — Young woman’s faith helps get her through most harrowing experience
Saddle-Up your High Horse! Time to Shoot Down Myths about the Crusades, the Inquisition & the War on Women — What you need to know to refute these canards against the Church

Christians’ Role as Political Players in Middle East Could Be History — The region would look very different today without their influence

Ex-Porn Star, Crissy Moran, Talks About How She Left the Sex Industry for Christianity — Childhood sexual abuse led her there, Jesus helped her escape

Boy Pronounced Dead After Drowning Recovers After Mother Prays Aloud — Doctors call boy’s recovery "a miracle"

BRITAIN & IRELAND
If you live in Britain, then respect our ways
 — Prince Charles 
DAILY MAIL
Bank of England set to slash inflation forecast again raising the prospect of deflation — (This is a ruse in the lead-up to a sharp upward turn in the future) 
DAILY MAIL
Loyal customers leaving Barclays Bank after being told they’re too poor — (Watch out for an evaporation of the "middle class" as we end up with just two "classes," the super rich and the poor) 
DAILY MAIL
Abused Britain: Birmingham school said to have sent £1 million of public money to Pakistan is revealed to have £3 million in debts 
DAILY MAIL
The New Britain: Number of Muslim children in England and Wales doubles in a decade with one in 12 school pupils now brought up in Islamic faith 
DAILY MAIL
Knitting and sewing ONLY for female Islamic pupils in UK
LUTON TODAY
Lancaster shrine saved by Nigerian religious order — St. Mary’s, Fernyhalgh and the Ladyewell Shrine will be run by two priests from the Institute of the Holy Family Fathers and Brothers of the Youth 
CATHOLIC HERALD
Anglican priest banned from using social media sites for six months after posting anti-Semitic comments – Church worker claiming Israel was behind 9/11 (An "anti-Semitic Christian" is in fact no Christian)  
DAILY MAIL
The future of religion in Britain is Islam and black majority churches — (So some say) 
CHRISTIAN TODAY
Bibles on the way out at Aberystwyth University — Thousands of bibles could be removed from university accommodation after they were branded "inappropriate" 
DAILY MAIL
Disposable income slumps by £400 since 2010 as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer — (I fear we may be headed for a time of severe economic challenge in the West) 
DAILY MAIL
The enduring importance of saints’ days — What secular historians of the Reformation have missed is that commemorating saints’ days in medieval Catholic England was a popular celebration of holy life  
CATHOLIC HERALD
400th anniversary of martyrdom of Scotland’s only post-reformation canonized Catholic martyr
CCIEW
EUROPE
Gunmen fire on French police

IRISH TIMES
Swiss priest forced to resign after blessing lesbian couple — Fr Wendelin Bucheli, parish priest of Bürglen in the Swiss diocese of Chur, blessed the couple in his parish church last October. Afterwards he told the press that the ceremony had not differed greatly from a marriage ceremony 
THE TABLETLCH
Greece’s economic disaster should make us question the morality of debt — Debt is a major moral issue, though one that has not received enough attention, given that the economic crisis we have been living through since 2008  
CATHOLIC HERALD
As church-goers wane, Germany’s controversial tax prompts unease — While church attendees dwindle in Germany, questions have arisen once again over the controversial state-imposed church tax, and whether it’s time for the country’s bishops to address the matter 
CNA
Turkish president wants mosque in Cuba to honor Muslim discovery’ of Americas.
SKY NEWS
Ukrainian criticism of Vatican’s reaction to Russian intervention — Myroslav Marynovych, a former Soviet dissident and vice rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, has strongly criticized the Vatican’s position on the Russian military intervention in Ukraine 
CATHOLIC CULTURE
Eight Ukrainian soldiers killed in past 24 hours despite peace deal
JERUSALEM POST
AFRICA
Female suicide bomber kills 15 in Nigeria market

SUN NEWS
Niger to send troops to Nigeria to fight Islamist group Boko Haram — (Well someone has to do something, for it is patently clear that Nigeria is out of its depth when is comes to responding to this crisis) 
CHRISTIAN DAILY
Ghana prelate backs Communion for divorce and remarried
CATHOLIC CULTURE
Muslim uncle beats, imprisons and starves Ugandan girls for turning to Christ
CHRISTIAN NEWS
US slams Sudan on blocking UN investigation into mass rape of 200 women and girls by government soldiers in Darfur
GOSPEL HERALD
UN making Kenyan girls infertile through "vaccines" — (The continuing shame of Bill and Melinda Gates and the UN in this despicable deed)
THE INSIDER
MIDDLE EAST
Iraqi Christians form militia
 — Christians in Iraq have formed their own armed militia in an attempt to reclaim their towns from ISIS 
THE INDEPENDENT
Iraqi archbishop calls for British boots on the ground to fight ISIS
CATHOLIC HERALDALETEIA
Sunday has dawned in the Middle East — "When Saturday is gone, one will find Sunday," is an old, Christian Arab proverb that expresses their fear of sharing the terrible fate that has befallen the Jews. In other words, "when the Jews are persecuted, it is inevitable that the Christians will be next" 
CHARISMA
Saudi historian says US women drive because they don’t care if they are raped
DAILY MAIL
Estimated 20,000 flock from around world to join ISIS
CHRISTIAN NEWS
ISIS disfigure 15 women with acid for failing to dress "correctly"
BASBCN
ISIS reverting to basic brutality
DAILY MAIL
ASIA
Catholic bishop compares Hindu radicals who attack churches to "Nazis"

CHRISTIAN TODAY
Sri Lanka: Attempted coup failed because of Pope’s visit
VATICAN INSIDER
Virginity tests for High School girls dropped by Indonesian officials after public outcry
CHRISTIAN TIMES
FAMILY MATTERS
Schoolboy, 12, was turned into sexual predator who attacked string of girls after getting hooked on online pornography

DAILY MAIL
Why trans-humanism won’t end well —  "We’re going to have to learn to adapt to the concept that we are a software-driven species and understand how it affects our lives. Change the software, you can change the species, who we are" 
CHRISTIAN POST
Christian activist suggests "Religious Liberties Act" to safeguard against upcoming wave of same-sex discrimination cases — (This is something which should have been suggested and spearheaded by the Catholic Chuch, I hope instead we can fully support such an initiative) 
GOSPEL HERALD
North Carolina church leaves Presbyterian fold over compromises relating to redefined marriage
CHARISMA
"Fifty Shades of Grey is a direct assault on Christian marriage" — warns Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cincinnati 
CHRISTIAN POST
US Bishops: Forget 50 Shades of Grey. Here are 50 Hues of Holiness — Catholic bishops in the US are speaking out on the movie Fifty Shades of Grey, encouraging people to look past it and keep their sights on God’s plan for romance and marriage 
LIFE SITE
Another gay parenting study finds children do best with mom and dad; but will the Supreme Court care? — (No, the Supreme Court will "toe the politically correct line," would be my guess) 
CHRISTIAN POST
Top Italian court finds no constitutional right to same-sex marriage
CATHOLIC CULTURE
Woman aborts baby because she was having a boy but wanted a girl
LIFE NEWS
ADDITIONAL
Doomsday clock advanced, now just 3 minutes to Apocalypse

TIME
Washington, DC 
"Museum of the Bible" underway
CHARISMA
Distorting Christian history to defend Islam
WALL STREET JOURNAL
The New World: Samsung reveal smart TV which captures "every word" of your private conversations 
DAILY MAIL
What the bankers are saying — If recent warnings from prominent bankers all over the world are to be believed, we may be facing an economic crisis in the months ahead 
IWC
Central banks hoarding gold — (There has to be a reason for this, and the reason is .. stocks and currency are likely to take a massive hit in the near future) 
BLOOMBERG
Why Obama wants to regulate the Internet — US mainstream media, which is predominantly owned by six corporations with close ties to the government, is used by the establishment to control public opinion, but for the past several years it has lost influence as the public seeks alternative sources of information 
IWC
Beautiful Shades of Grey
CATHOLIC NUNS
ASQUITH’S COMMENT
The Curse of Debt:
 Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith, writes about the 
morality of debt
, in which he raises a valid point by suggesting the matter has received insufficient attention. However, Alexander points to the borrower in his piece, saying: 
"
Is it right to borrow, especially when you have good reason to think you will never repay?" 
His observations remain borrower-critical when he queries the role of banks, asking: 
"When should banks refuse to lend to people?" 
The inference being that if a borrower fails to take the "moral" stance of declining a loan, then the banks should do this on the borrower’s behalf, and which, given the nature of banking, seems a little naïve. The most important observation about debt has, sadly, been missed; and which is that national debt is completely unnecessary, and totally avoidable. The accrual of national debt is the deeply wicked construct of a tiny cabal of influential bankers, who control much of the global economy. Senior government economists and those at the sharp end of global banking, have confessed this for decades, but more readily obvious, these facts are borne out by numerous publicly available documents in which the "arrangement" of borrowing money (by government) at interest, is in plain view. Such an arrangement was abhorrent to political leaders in times past, many of whom fought vehemently against such a practice, some of them paying the ultimate price for their opposition. 
Lending
 fiat money at interest to 
create
 national debt is where Alexander should be pointing his finger, and not at the borrower, who is already unduly burdened. Moreover, as a clergyman, he should be drawing attention to the Scriptural condemnation of usury, a plague (fueled by unrestrained greed) which (together with the manipulation of the money markets by this same gang of bankers) is the root cause of the severity of today’s financial inequality. 

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