They may not be as large as Catholics or as active as evangelicals, but white mainline Protestants have a big thing going for them this election cycle: they are divided, and possibly persuadable.

That’s according to a new poll released Thursday  that found white mainline Protestants are more evenly split between President Obama and his Republican challengers than other religious groups.

“They’re the most important ignored religious group in the country,” said Dan Cox, research director at the Public Religion Research Institute, which conducted the poll in partnership with Religion News Service.

In a matchup between Obama and GOP front-runner Mitt Romney, mainline Protestant voters are nearly evenly divided, with 41 percent supporting Obama and 43 percent for Romney. The same holds true between Obama and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich — each is the choice of 41 percent of white mainline Protestants.

Mainliners — Lutherans, Presbyterians, United Methodists and others — tend to be well educated and civically engaged. They represent about 16 percent of the electorate, and are clustered in some key battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.

While the poll found lingering evangelical Republican wariness over Romney and a striking preference for Gingrich to lead the party into November, Romney’s campaign remains confident. In a matchup between Obama and Romney, Romney carries evangelicals over Obama, 60 to 22 percent, according to the poll.

“As we’ve seen in the early primaries in South Carolina and Florida, Gingrich has had an edge among these white evangelical Protestant voters,” said Romney pollster Neil Newhouse.

“But importantly, when you look at the general election, Mitt Romney does better at coalescing that voter group against President Obama than Newt Gingrich.”

At 27 percent of the electorate, Catholics remain the largest and most unpredictable swing group. Overall, Catholics went for Obama in 2007, although white Catholics supported McCain while Obama drew support from Hispanic Catholics.

According to the new poll, Catholics support Obama over Gingrich 56 to 32 percent, and also support Obama over Romney, but by a smaller margin: 48 to 40 percent.

Newhouse points out Romney’s relative appeal among Catholics who voted in Florida’s GOP primary on Tuesday: CNN exit polls showed Romney capturing 56 percent of the Catholic vote, compared to Gingrich’s 30 percent and former Sen. Rick Santorum’s 10 percent.

Romney belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Gingrich and Santorum are Catholics.

Romney’s appeal, however, is shaky among white evangelicals, an important Republican voting block and about 23 percent of the general electorate. Many evangelicals have deep-seated wariness about Mormonism.

Despite Romney’s decisive win in Florida, Gingrich edged out Romney among white evangelicals, 38 percent to 36 percent, according to the CNN exit poll. In South Carolina, white evangelicals broke for Gingrich over Romney by a 2-to-1 margin.

So what’s going on with Romney among white evangelicals?

The new poll shows that Romney is not their first choice. Among white evangelical Republican voters, Gingrich drew twice as much support as Romney on who they’d like to see nominated, 35 percent to 17 percent. Santorum drew 22 percent.

“Romney is still having trouble sealing the deal with white evangelical Protestants,” said Cox.  “In Florida, percentage-wise among GOP primary voters, he’s been in the high 40s and in the 50s with women, seniors and many other groups. But with white evangelical Protestants he’s having trouble breaking 4 in 10.”

In other poll findings:

– Issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage take a back seat to the economy. Jobs and unemployment was considered a critical issue by 83 percent of all voters, compared to abortion at 29 percent, and same-sex marriage at 25 percent.

– Even among white evangelicals, social issues pale against economic ones, with 82 percent calling jobs and unemployment a critical issue. Just 41 percent called abortion a critical issue, followed by same-sex marriage at 38 percent.

– Fewer white evangelical Protestants (33 percent) consider the growing gap between rich and poor a critical issue than any other religious group, including white mainline Protestants (48 percent) and Catholics (47 percent).

The PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey was based on telephone interviews with 1,005 adults between Jan. 25 and 29. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Church groups in New Mexico scored a minor victory recently for illegal immigrants when a district judge set limitations on an investigation by the state’s governor into the residency of foreigners holding a driver’s license.

Judge Sarah Singleton ruled that Governor Susana Martinez can continue to investigate the residency of foreigners with a driver’s license, but only, as per the state motor vehicle code, if there is indication that the person has committed fraud.

Singleton expressed misgivings by a New Mexico administration move requiring up to 10,000 foreigners with driver’s licenses to personally verify their place of residence, expressing misgivings about doing this simply because the individual was born in another country.

Singleton prohibited the state from sending more of these letters to foreigners with driver’s licenses. Neither can the New Mexico government follow up some 4,200 who did not respond to the letters.

Singleton also put on hold a plan by the administration by Martinez to certify the licenses of up to tens of thousands of foreigners, including illegal immigrants in the country.

The injunction on the program will be maintained dependent on the outcome of a lawsuit that was filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Singleton ruled that an investigation that is conducted merely on the grounds of one’s nationality is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause which applies to both citizens and non-citizens.

Christian opposition

Meanwhile, Christian opposition to Martinez’ plan to repeal the 2003 law which allows illegal immigrants drivers licenses continues to gather speed, with the Albuquerque Interfaith, along with the New Mexico Catholic Conference of Bishops, among protesters in recent rallies.

Martinez has stated that the 2003 law poses risks to public safety, opens the door to license fraud, and draws in illegal immigrants who go to New Mexico for licenses and then leave the state.

New Mexico is one of three states that issue licenses to illegal immigrants, the other two being Washington and Utah. In New Mexico, over 80,000 licenses were issued to foreigners. It is not known how many of them are illegal immigrants.

Illegal immigrants can get licenses in these states because there is no requirement to produce a proof of immigration or Social Security number. However, Utah introduced a new law this year that requires a background check and fingerprinting of immigrants.

Washington has also experienced a drop in the number of foreigners applying for licenses because of stricter rules that require proof of residency in the absence of a Social Security number.

New Mexico has experienced a drop in the number of licenses issued to immigrants, down by 57 percent in the first seven months of Martinez’ administration, largely due to a requirement that foreigners make an appointment at the Motor Vehicle Division office if they wish to apply for a driver’s license.

Christian vigils

Christians have held vigils to challenge the more stringent requirements, citing the moral side of the issue. Nancy Phillips of New Mexico Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice told AP, “We draw our inspiration from scripture. The Hebrew prophets in the Old Testament said if you wanted to get right with God, you have to help the poor, you have to help the stranger. That’s what we’re doing.”

The Christian tradition goes a long way back. In the 1980s, churches were at the forefront in aiding refugees from Central America during the war. Jewish groups and synagogues have long assisted refugees from the former Soviet Union and Asia.

Christine Sierra, political science professor ofUniversityofNew Mexicotold the AP

“They frame the issue as a social justice issue, and that’s powerful,” Sierra told the AP, “They have the power to mobilize immigrants and get them to join in.”

Christian leaders are going beyond lobbying among lawmakers. Kip Bobroff of Albuquerque Interfaith told AP that faith leaders are educating their church members on immigration issues during Sunday sermons and at Sunday school classes.

Bobroff told the AP, “Immigrants are part of our institutions, our communities and our congregations. All you have to do is read the New Testament and the Hebrew scripture to know we have to welcome our neighbor.”

Dr Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, has reportedly told close friends that he will step down next year as head of both the Church of England and the Worldwide Anglican Communion.

Williams, 61, will allegedly announce his stepping down after the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2012, and plans to remain in office until after the Church of England votes on the issue of consecrating women bishops, The Telegraph reported.

A spokesman from Lambeth Palace has declined to comment on the matter.

Williams, in 2003, was elected the 104^th archbishop of Canterbury, and is eligible to remain in his post until he turns 70, which would be in 2020. His early retirement is consistent with previous archbishops, including his predecessor, Lord Carey of Clifton, who also retired after holding the post for 10 years.

The timing of Williams’ retirement is also reportedly a means to enable his successor enough time to prepare for the Lambeth Conference, which gathers all Anglican bishops worldwide every 10 years. The next conference is slated for 2018.

Williams presided over one of the most difficult periods of the Anglican Church which, in 2008, struggled with arguments over homosexual clergy, the issue of women clergy, boycotts and challenges to his authority.

Amid bitter rows within the church, the Roman Catholic Church formed an Ordinariate to accommodate disillusioned Anglicans. (See http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2010/10/first-anglican-defections-to-catholic-ordinariate-announced-14115/).

Succession in question

With Williams’ pending announcement, succession comes into question. There have been allegations that Rt. Rev. Richard Chartres, bishop of London, has been long saying Williams should step down to give others a chance to succeed him after having held the post for 10 years.

Chartres, who is a close friend of Prince Charles, is alleged to have said it would be good for the church if Williams steps down. A source told The Telegraph, “Richard has been saying it’s time for Rowan to stand down so that Sentamu can take over, but can’t have forgotten that he’s the same age as Sentamu.”

The source further told the Telegraph, “[Chartres] would have just as good a chance of becoming archbishop given his connection with the royal family, but the only problem is his opposition to women’s ordination.”

Chartres denies ever having said that Williams should step down. In the meantime, speculation is that Ugandan-born John Sentamu, archbishop of York, will succeed Williams temporarily as caretaker.

Of late, Williams has become more vocal on political issues, including expressing his opposition to a move by the government to sell publicly-owned forests, and criticizing welfare reforms and the Coalition’s education.

The highest posts of the Church of England are, technically, appointed by the Queen. She is advised by the Crown Nominations Commission, which is comprised of some members of the General Synod, among others.

An openly gay minister in Australia has been appointed to head a major branch of a Christian church in Sydney.

Reverend Ben Gilmour, 34, an Anglican minister for 10 years in Australia’s north coast, will head the Paddington Uniting Church in Sydney. Another branch of the church, Balmain Uniting Church, also in Sydney, is headed by Rev. Nicole Fleming, who is also openly gay.

Fleming, 36, was appointed to head Balmain church last month, while Gilmour, 34, joined Paddington one week later.

Gilmour admitted to the Sydney Morning Herald that the issue of homosexual ministers has been “the dividing issue of our time” within the Anglican denomination. However, he is grateful for the “immense hospitality that is being offered in Paddington.

Gilmour admits that for quite some time, he felt that his situation in his previous post had become untenable because of his sexual orientation. He told SMH, “It really got the point where if I was going to continue on the track I was, I wouldn’t be licensed.”

He considered moving to countries where the Anglican Communion is more open about homosexuality, he told SMH. But in Paddington, “’I still identify as Anglican but I’m happy to journey into what Uniting Church means with an open heart and a sense of generosity of how that is.”

The Uniting Church, in its 2003 National Assembly, introduced the issue of ordination of people in same-sex relationships. In 2006, it determined that each congregation could make its own decision regarding the appointment of a gay minister.

Clergy supporting marriage for gays

The issue of openly gay clergy in Australia has been brewing for quite some time, as has the issue of marriage for gay couples. Christians have been divided on the issue. The movement, Christians 4 Equality in Australia has been lobbying for same-sex couples to have the right to marry.

In its website, Baptist Minister Rev. Rowland Croucher said, “How can I, a heterosexual who’s been very happily married for 50 years, tell anyone else they don’t have the right to form a loving, committed, lifelong union and enjoy the fruits of marriage as I have done? Marriage is not a club to be restricted to some. Like the Gospel, it is a blessing to be shared.”

Platform for respectful debate

Christians 4 Equality seeks to respect the “deeply and sincerely held beliefs of those who oppose marriage equality,” but provides a platform for respectful and mature debate that does not resort to denigrating other people’s views.

The website says, “Just as we acknowledge that it is possible to oppose marriage equality without hating homosexuals, so we ask those who differ with us on this important issue to acknowledge that it is possible to support marriage equality without seeking to undermine marriage, family or religion.”

“We can behave like people who believe in God’s reign, where all people have dignity and hope,” Anglican Rev. Chris Bedding of Perth said in the website. “I urge you … to subvert the narrative of exclusion and call forth a Christianity which rejoices in God-given diversity.”

A psychologist who was raised as an evangelical Christian said on the website, “I have seen the profound danger done by condemning, excluding and discriminating against same-sex attracted people,” Paul Martin, Centre for Human Potential said.

Martin added, “I have also seen the immense healing and wellbeing that comes from people of faith embracing their gay and lesbian Christian peers and standing up for equality.”

Gilmour told SMH that he became open about his sexuality because for him, it was an issue of integrity. “I feel as though I’m on the right journey. It’s about walking the path that’s in front of you with the light that you’ve got.”

At the same time, he acknowledged the issue remains confusing within his new denomination. He told SMH, “I think there are people in the Uniting Church who see this as a grave issue that will destroy the church.”

The issue of same-sex marriage is also undergoing debate in Uniting Church, which officially upholds the definition of marriage as a union between a woman and a man.

Nonetheless, some Uniting Church ministers have expressed support for Christians 4 Equality, as have other leaders of Baptist and Anglican churches.

While polarity exists for some, an underlying question remains: Can this subject be discussed in a mutually respectful way, where each side is given some benefit of the doubt?

The Vatican and Croatia, long a Catholic stronghold in the Balkans, are at odds because of a dispute over a monastery.

Croatia’s justice minister, Drazen Bosnjakovic, obstructed a recent decision by the Vatican to sequester a monastery in Dajla city, Croatia, which falls under the Croatian Diocese of Porec and Pula.

The Vatican has expressed “astonishment” at the refusal by Croatian authorities to recognize the decision of Pope Benedict XVI. Rev. Federico Lombardi said a review of the dispute is “important to both Croatia and the Holy See,” the AP reported.

An unusual step

The Vatican and Croatia have been arguing over the monastery for two and one half years. The Benedictines of Italy were initially seeking $30 million in compensation for the property.

When negotiations faltered, Benedict took an unusual step by appointing Santos Abril y Castello as a special representative. Castello took over as local bishop of the Croatian diocese for just a few minutes — long enough to sign the document of agreement which also authorized payment of up to nine million dollars.

The local bishop, Ivan Milovan, was upset at the move, and expressed concern that such a large compensation could bankrupt the Croatian Diocese. Milovan appealed to the Croatian government to step in.

History of the monastery

The monastery was built in the 19^th century in a town on the Adriatic coast, in the region Istria, which at that time formed part of Italy’s empire. The property was given to the Benedictines of Praglia, Italy.

Italy lost the Istria region after World War II, when it was ceded to the communist government of Yugoslaviain 1948. During the 49-year communist rule many church properties, including the monastery, were nationalized. The monastery became a nursing home for the elderly.

After Croatia gained freedom and independence in 1991 the monastery was placed under the Croatian Diocese of Porec and Pula. The Vatican was among the first nations to recognize Croatia as a nation. Benedict also visited the country last May and supported Croatia’s bid to become part of the European Union.

Osimo Agreements

Croatian authorities do not believe they should have to make any payment on the monastery, citing the 1975 Osimo Agreements where compensation had already been paid to Italy for the monastery and several other properties in the Istria region. Further complicating the issue is the fact that a portion of the land connected to the monastery was sold and now hosts a golf course and a hotel.

The Vatican, in order to transfer the monastery back to the Italian Benedictines, annulled all past government decisions in relation to the property.

Croatia’s prime minister, Jadranka Kosor, cited the 1975 Osimo Agreements, and told the Macedonian Intl News Agency, “[For] us, this chapter is absolutely and definitively closed.”

Kosor said international agreements should not be violated, and called the decision of the Holy See an attempt to infringe on international law. Croatia is also concerned that the Vatican decision may pave the way to future, similar requests, concerning other properties in the territory which was once under Italian rule.

While Croatia is a strong Catholic nation, the populace has responded to the issue with strong nationalist sentiment. The country’s general elections will be held in December.

The Vatican has condemned the fact that the issue is gaining political color in what it views as “a strictly ecclesiastical question” that is being “manipulated … to make it look like a threat to Croatia,” MINA reported.

Last year, a similar dispute arose between the Vatican and the Czech government over the landmark St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. An agreement was reached where the property continues to fall under The Czech Republic’s ownership, but the Cathedral is jointly administered by the Vatican and the Czech governments.

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas led recently a ceremonial signing of a bill that will require women to have a sonogram before having an abortion.

In a room filled with supporters of the bill, Perry said that women will now have access to all the information they will need to make an informed decision whether or not to end their pregnancies, Star Telegram said.

Perry said, “Every life lost to abortion is a tragedy we all must work together to prevent. This important bill will ensure that every Texas woman seeking an abortion has all the facts about the life she is carrying, and understands the devastating impact of such a life-changing decision,” the Star Telegram reported.

Perry had designated the bill as an emergency item during the house session. The law will take effect on Sept. 1, and requires doctors to make available to women who plan to have an abortion the image of the fetus, with the sound of the fetal heartbeat.

Under the law, a woman may choose not to see or hear the sonogram. In such case, the doctor will describe the fetus’ size and condition of organs and limbs, Star Telegram said.

The woman will then have to wait for 24 hours before the abortion is performed. However, if she lives more than 100 miles from the abortion clinic, she will only have to wait for two hours, the Star Telegram reported.

Exemptions will be permitted in case of emergency, if the fetus has abnormalities, or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, Star Telegram said.

During the ceremony Perry told supporters, “I’m very proud to say Texas is a state that respects and defends life,” according to The Houston Chronicle. Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, said, “Standing for life is not a partisan issue. It’s a God issue.”

Legal challenge

Meanwhile a pro-abortion group is preparing its own legal challenge. Bebe Anderson, counsel for the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York, told Star Telegram that her group plans to file a lawsuit in Texas that will challenge the law.

Anderson told Star Telegram, “One of the big problems is the way it forces women to hear or see information when they have chosen not to do that. It gets the government in between the doctor and the patient in a totally inappropriate way.”

Anderson also told the Star Telegram it “treats women as too immature and incompetent to make this decision themselves. It implies women don’t know the information they need.”

Information they deserve

However, Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston disagrees. He told Star Telegram, “Women are finally going to get the information they deserve before making a decision on an issue that can never be reversed. I believe at least one out of five women may decide to keep the baby or put it up for adoption. [This is] the beginning of the end for abortion.”

Kyleen Wright, president of Texans for Life Coalition told Star Telegram, “We are thrilled Texas women considering abortion finally have all the information every other surgical patient takes for granted. The window to the womb is forever open and there is no going back.”

Good news

Patrick told the crowd, “We had a 31-year-old nurse this year that testified that she aborted a child when she was in school, and if she had only seen the sonogram, she would be sitting in there with a 10- or 11-year-old son or daughter,” The Houston Chronicle reported.

Patrick continued, “The good news is – the good news is — through the blood of Jesus Christ he forgives and women who have aborted children need to know that message. I believe this can be the beginning of the end of 75,000 abortions we have every year in Texas,” according to The Houston Chronicle.

The Presbyterian Church voted recently to permit openly gay men and women to be ordained as members of the clergy, making it the fourth U.S. Protestant denomination to do so.

The deciding vote was cast by the Twin Cities Presbyterian church at a vote of 205 to 56 (with three abstentions). This made
Twin Cities the 87^th presbytery to support the new policy on openly gay clergy, that was introduced last summer by the national assembly, Star Tribune said.

Under the rules of the church, a majority of the total of 173 presbyteries in the U.S. must vote to support new policies by the national assembly prior to its final approval. While 87 presbyteries agreed with the new policy, which takes effect on July 10, some 62 other presbyteries disapproved of it.

With the new rules, the Presbyterian Church (USA) which has up to three million members, will allow the ordination of openly gay members to serve as elders and deacons as well, Reuters said.

Near tears

Rev. Timothy Hart-Anderson, founder of Covenant Network of Presbyterians and pastor of downtown Minneapolis’ Westminster Presbyterian told Star Tribune, “It’s very exciting. I found myself welling up with tears.”

Hart-Anderson told Star Tribune, “Up until now they’ve had to be closeted. Now they’ll be able to come out. It will honor them as individuals and as full human beings like anyone else serving the church.”

Not everybody is happy with the new policy. Peter Hwang of Korean Presbyterian Church told Star Tribune, “It’s very unfortunate we have to have this discussion today. I think we should be ashamed of ourselves. This homosexual issue is breaking our church. We need to abide by Scripture.”

The issue of the ordination of openly gay clergy had rendered sharp divisions in the Presbyterian Church in the last five years, with some 100 congregations leaving the denomination out of a total of 11,000 congregations, according to Reuters.

One issue cited by critics is the Presbyterian Church USA’s constitution, which stated that its clergy are required to live “in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness,” Reuters said.

However, the new policy overrides this and re-casted the former language to simply saying that clergy are required to live “joyfully submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ,” Star Tribune said.

Other denominations that accept ordination of people in same-gender relationships are The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (the largest Lutheran group in the U.S.), The United Church of Christ (which also allows same-sex marriage), and the
Episcopal Church.

On the other hand, the country’s biggest mainline Protestant denomination, The United Methodist Church (with eight million members), continues to disallow ordination of openly gay clergy and is likely to continue to require celibacy for unmarried ministers, Star Tribune said.

With the present vote it is expected that a 2008 controversy over Rev. Erwin Barron, former associate pastor of Westminster Presbyterian church, should be resolved, according to Star Tribune.

Barron, who is now a professor at a college in San Francisco, caused a furor when in 2008 he married his gay partner. Critics said the act violated the church constitution.

Barron was acquitted by a panel with a 3-3 vote and retains his church credentials with the Twin Cities Area presbytery. It was largely thought that the ruling would be appealed, but with the adoption of the new policy, the issue is expected to become moot, Star Tribune said.

The White House said recently that it was regrettable that an Evangelical leader would make absurd claims on Easter Sunday about issues that had long been belied.

Jay Carney, White House spokesman, said remarks by Evangelical leader Franklin Graham suggesting that President Barack Obama may have been born in a country other than the U.S. are unbelievable and sad, the New York Daily News said.

Carney said, “I think it’s unfortunate that a religious leader would choose Easter Sunday to make preposterous charges,” according to the New York Daily News.

Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, was responding to a question from Christiane Amanpour, who asked the son of Billy Graham if he was bothered by questions that have been raised by “Birthers,” Christianity Today said.

Graham replied, “Well, the president, I know, has some issues to deal with here. He can solve this whole birth certificate issue pretty quickly. I don’t—I was born in a hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, and I know that my records are there. You can probably even go and find out what room my mother was in when I was born. I don’t know why he can’t produce that. So, I’m not—I don’t know, but it’s an issue that looks like he could answer pretty quickly,” Christianity Today reported.

Graham told Christianity Today that the ABC program where he questioned Obama’s birth had actually been taped one week before Easter, and that his statements were merely in response to questions he had been asked.

Graham told Christianity Today, “I’m not going out making speeches about where the President was born. I could care less. I’ll continue to answer reporters’ questions.”

His statements however reflected that of Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn) who also suggested that Obama should produce a birth certificate. A few days afterwards, George Stephanopoulos of ABC presented Obama’s birth certificate to Bachmann. She replied, “Well, then, that should settle it,” Christianity Today reported.

Obama had actually released his birth certificate as early as 2008 when he was campaigning for the presidency, the New York Daily News said.

Despite this, rumors of Obama’s birth continue to float with some saying he was born in Kenya, and others saying he was born in Indonesia or the U.K. According to the president’s birth certificate, he was born in Hawaii, New York Daily News reported.

The “issue” of Obama’s birth has been noisily banded about of late by Donald Trump, who is posturing to run for the presidency as a Republican candidate. Graham told Christianity Today that he sees Trump as a viable candidate.

Graham told Christianity Today, “Donald Trump, when I first saw that he was getting in, I thought, well, this has got to be a joke. But the more you listen to him, the more you say to yourself, ‘You know? Maybe the guy’s right.’”

Other candidates that get Graham’s nod are Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. Graham told Christianity Today,
“We’ve got to have some new leadership, new Republicans, more Tea Party people.”

A congressman urged recently President Barack Obama to raise the issue of human rights violations in China stemming from its one-child per couple policy, when the president meets with China’s President Hu Jintao this week.

Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, in a press conference, said women in China are forced to abort their babies and oftentimes, because they can only have one child, they are pressured to abort females, Life News said.

Smith said, “[China’s one-child policy] is ‘marked by pervasive propaganda, mandatory monitoring of women’s reproductive cycles, mandatory contraception, and mandatory birth permits, coercive fines for failure to comply, and…forced sterilization and abortion,’” Life News reported.

Smith said that in China, “illegal children” cannot have access to health care, education and marriage. Fines to bear illegal children are ten times the yearly income of both parents, and families who fail to pay may be jailed or their child may be killed, Life News said.

Smith also said the family of an illegally pregnant woman who flees may be beaten and jailed, and neighbors and colleagues may be denied birth permits because of her. Women are also physically forced to have abortions, according to Life News.

Chai Ling, a former Tiananmen Square student leader, showed a petition of 1,500 signatures and photos of 300 people around the world urging Obama to raise the issue of abortion and gendercide with Hu, Christian Newswire said.

Chai said over 35,000 coerced and forced abortions take place daily in China, and a baby dies every 2.5 seconds. One of every six girls is aborted for her gender, and 500 women commit suicide, “five times the world average rate,” Christian Newswire reported.

Chai also said 3,000 baby girls are abandoned in street corners daily, while over 200 women and children are sold to slavery. Chai said, “The brutal and violent enforcement of the one-child policy is the largest crime against humanity; it is the inhuman secret slaughter against mother and babies,” according to Christian Newswire.

During the press conference Smith told the story of Wujian, a victim of forced abortion. Wujian hid from the population police but was found and brought forcibly to a hospital where she saw “hundreds of pregnant moms,” who were “like pigs in a slaughterhouse,” Life News reported.

Wujian’s baby was cut into pieces in her womb, and then sucked out. In her testimony she said, “I could hear the sound of the scissors cutting the body of my baby…one nurse showed me part of a bloody foot with her tweezers,” Life News reported.

Borrowing from the words of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Chai said she had a dream of children in China growing up with “brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts,” of  “mothers [who] mourn no more because they are with children, and of tears wiped from the “faces of parents whose children were taken,” Christian Newswire reported.

Chai also said she dreamed that “justice will roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream…that God would bless his promised land of China and the World,” according to Christian Newswire.

Don’t discount Billy Graham just because he is now 92 years old. If anything, the man who has counseled sitting presidents for some 50 years, starting from Truman up to Obama (who visited Graham in his home), still has a lot to say that all of us can benefit from, whether it’s about old age, or citing the most important issues today.

Graham spends most of his time at home, and receives round-the-clock care. His son Franklin Graham, as president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, is now charged with giving sermons and making public appearances, Christianity Today said.

Billy Graham is having the normal trouble that a 92-year-old man would have with his sight, hearing and overall health. Four years ago his wife, Ruth Bell, died at the age of 87. But son Franklin said his father might preach again on video, although there is as of now no set date, Christianity Today reported.

About aging

The elder Graham did however take time to answer questions from Christianity Today. He acknowledged that being unable to do many things he used to be able to do is not easy, nor is having to depend more on others. At the same time he realizes that physical challenges “will only get worse,” he said.

Graham also said aging is a lonely time with the loss of spouse and friends, and children living independently and having families of their own. “But God has a reason for keeping us here (even if we don’t always understand it), and we need to recover the Bible’s understanding of life and longevity as gifts from God—and therefore as something good,” Graham said.

Noting that the bible often mentions those who died at “a good old age,” Graham told Christianity Today that it’s important to “learn to be content, and that only comes as we accept each day as a gift from God and commit it into his hands. Paul’s words are true at every stage of life, but especially as we grow older: ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain’ ” (1 Tim. 6:6).

Children of aging parents

To children of aging parents, Graham says one should be prepared for this stage of one’s parent’s life and accept it, along with the new responsibilities that go with it. He said the changes will call for patience and sometimes children will have to take charge for the safety of the aging parent, Christianity Today said.

“They [elderly parents] may resist, and you need to put yourself in their shoes and realize the turmoil these changes can cause them. But they need to realize that you’re doing it because you love them and want what’s best for them,” Graham told Christianity Today.

Graham also said children should pray for the aging parent, “that they will experience God’s peace and comfort as they grow older,” Christianity Today reported.

Most important issue today

Billy Graham has had an insightful experience into politics, having counseled so many sitting presidents, but he said if he had it to do over again, he would have kept away from politics, according to Christianity Today.

Instead, he says the most important issue today is not economic, social or political, but rather moral and spiritual. He told Christianity Today, “Our calling is to declare Christ’s forgiveness and hope and transforming power to a world that does not know him or follow him. May we never forget this.”