After months of urging from other Baptists around the country, the Rev. Fred Luter told his African-American congregation that he will seek to become the first black man to lead the predominantly white Southern Baptist Convention.

Several Baptist leaders said Luter becomes the prohibitive favorite for the post, to be filled in a potentially historic election at the Southern Baptists’ annual meeting here in June.

SBC Today, a Baptist-focused news website, carried the announcement on Wednesday (Feb. 1). Youth pastor Fred “Chip” Luter III separately confirmed Luter’s announcement to his church on Sunday.

Luter appears to be the first candidate to declare for the post, which will become vacant this summer when the Rev. Bryant Wright of Marietta, Ga., finishes his second one-year term.

Many began openly promoting Luter for the top job last summer, moments after he was elected the convention’s first African-American first vice president.

“If he runs, he’ll get elected overwhelmingly. He may be unopposed,” said Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.

“A perverse person stirs up conflict and a gossip separates close friends,” states Proverbs 16:28.

That biblical statement is so true, that even atheists agree. What used to be passed around in class on small notes of paper or overheard on community phone lines are now broadcasted through text messages or tweeted through Twitter.

Whether you call it cyber bullying or spreading an urban legend, gossiping is still trendy.

One website in particular taking heat for its part is Topix. The site links news from 67,000 sources to 450,000 new topics. It is a privately held company tied with Gannett, McClatchy and Tribune.

According to the site, “Topix is the leading news community on the Web, connecting people to the information and discussions that matter to them in every U.S. town and city….By giving everyone access to the tools to talk – and an audience to listen – Topix redefines what it means to make the news.”

Topix was one of the topics of the Today Show on September 28, 2011. In a segment called “Talk of the Town,” reporter Kevin Tibbles did a story on a small community in Mountain Grove, Mo where 4,000 residents have gotten into the habit of airing their grievances on the website. One resident calls those who post, “cyber terrorists.”

In the new story, Chris Tolles, CEO of Topix, says “It is really important, especially in civic discourse in a small town, to be able to put your point of view across without getting punished for it.”

He also says that when a complaint is lodged about someone “talking smack” about another, that they “take care of it.”

The Topix website does explain how to get posts removed from the site by sending a direct link to the content through their feedback system.

There, the moderators will review the content for violations of the Terms of Service.

However, the Terms of Service, also clearly states, “We have no duty to pre-screen your content or the content of others, but we have the right to refuse to post or to edit submitted content. You understand and acknowledge that by using Topix, you may be exposed to content that may be offensive, indecent or objectionable.” It even goes as far to say, “If it upsets you that the free expression of ideas is often headed and offensive, please do not use Topix.”

In the September 19, 2011 edition of The New York Times, A.G. Sulzberger featured Topix in a cover story.

In the article, Sulzberger also interviewed Tolles where he admitted that the site at one point tried to remove all negative posts, but stopped after noticing that the commentators had stopped visiting the site.

He also went on to say that the site received about 125,000 posts a day in forum for about 5,000 cities and towns. About nine percent are screened out for offensive content (like racial slurs), and another three percent (mostly threat and libel) are removed AFTER people complain.

To add insult to injury, the site even charged for the expedited removal of offensive comments but stopped after being challenged by more than 30 state attorneys.

Sulzberger also says in his article “Despite the screening efforts, the site is full of posts that seem to cross lines. Topix, as an Internet forum, is immune from libel suits under federal law, but those who post could be sued, if they are found. The company receives about one subpoena a day for the computer addresses of anonymous commenters as part of law enforcement investigations or civil suits, some of which have resulted in cash verdicts or settlements.”

But what about the innocent bystander who hasn’t posted anything to the site, but is talked about by others? Unless you actually read every post, you may not event know that others are talking about you. To get an idea of the kinds of post commenters are making on the site, the New York Times article gives a few examples where people are called out by name and sin.

Originally here.

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.

A Facebook page about Jesus has ranked No. 1 for the last 18 weeks for the highest number of interactions and traffic, a survey said.

The Facebook page, Jesus Daily, ranked No. 1 in a survey by All Facebook, with 3,419,397 interactions as of this writing, outscoring by far Justin Bieber at 630,789 interactions, Lil Wayne at 466,210 and Lady Gaga at 345,254.

Although Jesus Daily didn’t have the most number of fans, at 8,284,774, it scored the highest number of comments, likes, posts and responses.

A sample post said,

LUST … will leave you loveless

POWER … will leave you heartless

DRUGS … will leave you senseless

MONEY … will leave you comfortless

JESUS … WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU REGARDLESS

It received 88,652 “likes” and 4,292 comments.

It’s most recent post, as of this writing, is, “Like if you are proud to call JESUS YOUR FRIEND,” and includes a music video. Although it was only posted 20 minutes ago, it has as of this writing already generated 12,430 “likes” and 359 comments.

Under the “information” section, the page is described saying, “Our mission is to help 50,000 people accept Christ this year. Help us spread the Gospel of Christ around the world … “

Just a hobby

Jesus Daily was set up as just a hobby by Aaron Tabor, 41, a diet doctor from North Carolina, in April 2009. The page was made shortly after Tabor set up his own Facebook page to market his book and products, including protein bars, supplements and soy shakes.

Tabor is the son of a preacher who served in churches in North Carolina and Alabama. He told NYT, “I wanted to provide people with encouragement. And I thought I would give it a news spin by calling it daily.”

Facebook is one among a number of social media tools that have transformed shared communications, work styles and ways of falling in love. Faith discussions also prevail in Facebook, usually fostered by church leaders, religious institutions and synagogues who are also utilizing YouTube and Twitter.

Five of the top 20 interactive sites are Christian. Aside from Jesus Daily ranking No. 1, there is also The Bible (No. 3 with 1,044,350 interactions), Dios es Bueno (No. 4 with 748,217 interactions), Jesus Christ (No. 10 with 513,040 interactions) and Joyce Meyer Ministries (No. 15 with 435,050 interactions).

Used for serious things

“At first people think Facebook is just a place where people go to play games or look at photos or snoop on their friends,” Tabor said to ABC News. “But if you look at Jesus Daily and elsewhere, people are using it for very serious things.”

So far, Tabor has been managing Jesus Daily personally to guard against degrading posts, pornography and the like. However, at times he spends up to 13 hours in a day on the page, and he is considering establishing a nonprofit, so that he can hire a staff to oversee traffic.

Generally, however, he has enjoyed running the page. Tabor told ABC News, “Ministering to others has been the biggest blessing of my life.”

The CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, has ruffled some feathers because he backed out of a speaking engagement, in the last minute, at an event sponsored by a leading megachurch.

Schultz was scheduled to speak last Friday at the two-day Global Leadership Summit, an annual event that is organized by Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Ill.

The evangelical, nondenominational megachurch is the third largest church in the U.S., with a membership of 24,000 worshippers. It is considered by many pastors nationwide to be one of the most influential churches in the country.

Schultz backed off from the speaking engagement one week after Change.org said in a post that his presence at the event would be unacceptable. The organization also posted an online petition, which garnered 799 signatures, for him to snub the event.

The organization also slammed Willow Creek, saying that it is homophobic and referring to links that it formerly had with Exodus International, a Christian organization that councils lesbians and gays, and teaches them strategies by which they can change their ways. The megachurch has not had any working relationship with Exodus since 2009.

Whether or not Schultz made the right decision has yet to be seen. Up to 150,000 viewers normally tune in to watch The Global Leadership Summit annually via satellite, far exceeding the 799 signatories of the online petition.

This year, 1,100 people paid to attend the Chicago summit. Past speakers have included former President Bill Clinton, rock singer Bono and GE’s Jack Welch.

Touchy about Homophobia

Starbucks has been touchy about homophobia since 2008, when a lawsuit was filed against the coffee shop brand by two of its former employees, who claimed that they were fired from their jobs because they were gay.

Last June, Starbucks was again assailed after a blogger from Long Island wrote a post about a homophobic incident she witnessed in her local Starbucks by some of its employees.

In her Lil Family Blog the writer, Alison, described the incident as “one of the most brazen and unapologetic displays of homophobia I have ever witnessed in my entire life.”

The post was picked up by newspapers, including the Seattle Post Intelligencer and the New York Daily News. Many others in the blogosphere also joined in the discussion about the blog post.

In a statement, Starbucks flatly denied that it is homophobic and said that it’s company policy does not tolerate any type of discrimination by its employees.

Christian goodwill

Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek, denied accusations by Change.org that the church is homophobic. He told the AP, “To suggest that we check sexual orientation or any other kind of issue at our doors is simply not true. Just ask the hundreds of people with same-sex attraction who attend our church every week.”

At the summit, Hybels suggested to participants that they show love for Starbucks, saying affably, “Buy a cup of coffee in the next couple of days and show some Christian goodwill.”

A man is suing the U.S. Postal Service on the grounds that he was unconstitutionally arrested while distributing Christian literature on the sidewalk near the front of the Oakland, Tenn. Post Office.

Michael Choate, who is being represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, was arrested last year while passing out Christian tracts 40 feet from the entrance to the Oakland, Tenn. Post office.

In his complaint, Choate said the arrest is unconstitutional and violates his First Amendment right to free speech, his right to due process of law and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Last year, on July 2010, Choate distributed tracts beside a flagpole that stands some 40 ft. from the Post Office entrance. The location does not block people going inside or outside of the Post Office.

Choate’s complaint noted that he never tried to enter the Post Office, nor to distribute leaflets inside the premises nor leave any tracts on any property of the Post Office. Neither did he disturb, nor bother the Postal Service, its customers, nor the operations of the Post Office.

Choate distributed the tracts for two weeks in July last year. Then on Aug. 6, 2010, he returned to this same spot near the flagpole at 11:00 a.m. to quietly distribute more tracts.

After an hour, Postmaster Terrena Moore walked up to Choate and told him that he had to leave, or he would be arrested. According to his complaint, “Choate tried to calm Postmaster Moore down, and explained that he would wait for the police.”

Within minutes, two policemen arrived and told Choate he had to leave because he was trespassing. Choate, pointing out that he was standing on a public sidewalk, questioned how he was trespassing. The policemen said, “[If] the Postmaster says you are trespassing on postal property, you are trespassing, and must leave,” the complaint said.

Because Choate believed he was within his rights to express his opinions on public property, he stood fast. The police arrested him, but later the criminal charges of trespassing were dropped, and he was not asked to pay a fine nor serve time in jail.

In Sept. 2010, Choate approached Moore and asked her why he was considered by her to be a trespasser. She referred him to 39 C.F.R. 232.1(e), which is a “disturbance provision.” Moore told Choate that his activities “annoyed” some customers.

In November 2010, the ADF sent a letter to USPS noting that Choate was constitutionally protected and had a right to pass out tracts on public property in front of the Post Office.

The USPS responded the following month with a letter that said if he “tends to impede or disturb Postal Service employees or customers,” he cannot distribute the tracts, Choate’s complaint noted.

Choate has charged that his First Amendment rights were violated and the Postal Service regulations are vague and not narrowly tailored, leaving interpretation largely to the discretion of its officials, which opens the door to unbridled discretion.

Finally, Choate said in his complaint that the enforcement of 39 CFR 232.1(e) inhibited his ability to exercise the rights due him under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

“Christians shouldn’t be arrested and silenced for peacefully sharing their beliefs on public property,” ADF’s Nate Kellum, one of Choate’s attorneys, said in a statement.

“The post office isn’t above the law and cannot take away citizens’ constitutionally-protected rights just because it or its customers might not agree with the content of someone’s speech or literature. Our client isn’t harassing anyone; he’s simply desiring to quietly share his faith in a completely public forum,” Kellum said.

For the first time, the Lutheran World Foundation installed recently a Latin American as its new general secretary in the chapel of the Ecumenical Center in  Geneva, Switzerland.

Rev. Martin Junge, a 48-year-old Chilean will, as eighth general secretary of the LWF, lead some 70 million Christians in 79 countries. He succeeds Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko from Zimbabwe, according to the Lutheran World website.

Junge will hold the post for seven years. He stressed in his installation sermon the importance of continuing to foster inclusion, dialogue, healing and transformation, the website said.

Basing his sermon, entitled Together on the Road to Emmaus, on Luke 24, Junge posed the question Jesus asked, “What are you talking about as you walk?” and said the church should embrace an attitude of “listening before speaking, giving space to ongoing conversations that individuals and entire societies are having,” and seeking to understand life experiences within their contexts, the website said.

Junge cited his own experience, the website said, having grown up in a context where intense discussion of liberation theology prevailed. He said the biblical sharing of bread at the table is like the “communion of churches.”

Junge said, “Tables become the very place of inclusion, healing and transformation. The gathering of different people around an inclusive communion table is very much in line with the fundamental Lutheran theological understanding of justification by grace,” the website said.

Junge is married and has two children. He was previously area secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean at the LWF Department for Mission and Development since Sept. 2000, the LWF website.

His major accomplishments in this post were to lend vision and strength to the LWF’s work, and to implement and build its advocacy program towards the issue of illegitimate foreign debt in the region, the LWF website said.

Junge said he would like the 60-year-old LWF to acknowledge and celebrate diversity while continuing to foster dialogue. Last July the LWF, in seeking more balance, resolved that leadership bodies will have at least 40 percent lay people, 40 percent women, and 20 percent young people aged 30 or younger, The Christian Post reported.

Regarding churches that disapprove ordaining of women, LWF has urged these churches to prayerfully consider the fact that these women may have a God-given calling which such conservatism curtails, The Christian Post said.

According to The Christian Post, the LWF said, “The pain of this exclusion and the loss of their gifts mean suffering and loss for the whole of the church.”

A woman professor from Oxford University filed charges recently against the school, claiming she was discriminated against when she converted from Judaism to Christianity.

Dr. Tali Argov of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew & Jewish Studies told the Reading Employment Tribunal hearing that she was unfairly dismissed and discriminated against after she became an Anglican in 2008.

Argov said she was bypassed for promotion, lost her privileges and was treated coldly by her peers at social gatherings.

She said the staff wanted to check her lectures to ensure she does not criticize Israel. Eventually she was dismissed although she had offered to undertake new roles, the Telegraph said.

Argov said, “It is my belief that, following firstly the conversion of my husband and then the conversion of myself, the treatment which I received as an employee of the Respondents was very different and a number of incidents occurred which led me to believe that I was being discriminated against,” the Telegraph said.

Argov said she and her husband, Eran, were raised as Jews and formerly lived in Israel. In 2000 they moved to England when Argov was offered a lector of modern Hebrew post at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew & Jewish Studies, the Telegraph said.

At first she was well accepted by her peers, but when her husband converted to the Church of England in 2005, “all those kind, heart-warming gestures disappeared overnight,” the Telegraph said.

She was treated even worse when she also became an Anglican in 2008, and became active with St. Mary Magdalene church, which is situated at the center of Oxford, the Telegraph said.

Argov said, “It is very rare for an Israeli Jew to convert to Christianity and I was aware that not only would this be frowned upon but many Jews would believe I was a traitor who had betrayed the faith,” the Telegraph said.

She said she noted strange looks from some colleagues and hushed silence whenever she approached. When she applied for a lectureship post a colleague told her, “Don’t bother – you will be kicked on your teeth.” She claims a less qualified candidate got the post.

She also said she felt humiliated as the only full-time staff who was not included in a photo shoot for a brochure. In due time her office was taken from her, as was her pigeonhole, the Telegraph said.

A lesser title was placed on her University ID card, which meant loss of her email account and admission to the library. These privileges were later reinstated, the Telegraph said.

She was not invited to a London fundraising event, but she and her husband were permitted admission. However the Center’s president at the time, Peter Oppenheimer, seemed to sneer at the couple and gave her a “limp handshake” when they arrived, she said. Other colleagues ignored them and made them feel very uncomfortable, the Telegraph said.

Argov also said that in 2008, the year when she became an Anglican, she was told that her lectures would need to be cleared in advance. She regarded this as an insult to her professionalism and an incursion on her academic freedom, the Telegraph said.

In October of that year she was also told that she would henceforth be paid hourly because the Center was confronted with financial difficulties. However, she noted that new staff were still being accepted. She was later dismissed, the Telegraph said.

Dr. David Ariel, president of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, declined in a statement to comment on the case because it is still ongoing. However, he said the Center adheres to a policy of respect for the religious beliefs of all its employees, the Telegraph said.

Faith progressive democrats expressed apprehension recently that the party may be missing the boat by giving less emphasis to their faith outreach—more so with democratic control of Congress at stake in this fall’s general elections, the Washington Post reported.

The Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) faith staff of six has now dwindled to one part-time slot–a huge difference from the 2008 elections when the democrats hired faith consultants, advertised regularly on Christian radio and featured candidates, including President Obama, who spoke openly about their relationship with God, the Washington Post said.

Faith progressives are apprehensive after high-profile losses in the November Virginia gubernatorial race, and in a special election to fill the US Senate seat of the late Edward M. Kennedy in Massachusetts in January.  In last week’s Democratic Senate primaries, there was little visible new faith outreach, to the dismay of party religious activists, the Washington Post reported.

New strategy

When Obama took office he expanded the faith office that was established by President George W. Bush, which includes branches in a dozen federal agencies and a core staff that communicates with faith leaders about policy issues, according to the Washington Post.

Office director Joshua DuBois declined to comment on Democratic political outreach, but did say the White House is in frequent contact with faith leaders.

However, Timothy M. Kaine, chair of the DNC, and other party leaders attribute the decrease in paid faith staff to a new strategy in how the party does outreach, the Washington Post said.

The White House has opted to expand its network of grass-roots volunteers and shrink its national staff of organizers who were in the past broken down by race and religion, the Washington Post reported.

Patrick McKenna, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said that the current economic climate has led to more focus on issues of recession rather than on faith based issues such as abortion, according to the Washington Post.

Faith vote

In the past many major democratic wins were credited in part to spending by national democratic organizations on faith outreach and by recruiting candidates who framed policy positions in terms of religious morality, the Washington Post said.

Notable among these were the 2005 victory of Kaine as governor of Virginia in 2005, a number of anti-abortion congressional Democrats in 2006, and Obama, who won more churchgoing voters in 2008 than any other Democratic presidential candidate in a decade, the Washington Post reported.

The Republican Party has a far more extensive infrastructure to connect with religious voters, especially evangelical Christians.  It has databases filled with tens of millions of e-mail addresses as well as long-standing ties to religious broadcasters and conservative religious groups such as the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family, according to the Washington Post.

According to Kaine, a staff mem

Are Democrats bungling their faith outreach?

ber who also does African American outreach has been assigned to oversee faith as well, but had been on medical leave.  Kaine said the party will be hiring more faith staff and crafting a faith outreach plan as the fall election season gets close, the Washington Post said.

Brian Jones, a strategist and former communications director for the Republican National Committee said, “It’s not done in one or two or three political cycles.”  The Republican party’s faith outreach dates as far back as the presidency of Ronald Reagan, the Washington Post reported.

The owner of the Be With Me, The Children’s Playseum in Bethesda, Md. was told recently that no Montgomery public school would send children to her facility because her website mentioned the words “God,” “life,” and “family,” according to The Washington Post.

From her website:

“We Value

LIFE-Every child is God’s gift to this earth.

FAMILY-The most vital part of our community. We treasure the opportunity to offer you a place to create family moments and memories while using our proceeds to help a family far away.

GOD-Giver of breathe and we endeavor to honor Him in all of our affairs.”

Be With Me, The Children’s Playseum is an indoor space that mixes creative play and education.

Geina Seebachan, owner of the children’s activity center, was told however that if she edited her website, schools would send children to the playseum.

Sean Bulson, an acting community superintendent for the county system, said he was “not aware” of any countywide decision about the playseum.  He did say that many parents expressed discomfort with their children going to the facility, The Washington Post reported.

The issue came to Seebachan’s attention when Westbrook Elementary School canceled a scheduled trip to the center.

All four of Seebachan’s children had attended Westbrook Elementary School.

However, according to Seebachan, Jeff Ewald, principle, told her that parents expressed concern that the Playseum was overtly or covertly religious, The Washington Post said.

Seebachan, an evangelical Christian, has among her teaching staff one from Peru, one from Sri Lanka, one vegan, one kosher Jew, a fellow from Trinidad and a woman from Congo, according to The Washington Post.

According to the play calendar on their website, there will be activities to celebrate Jerusalem Day, Waisak Day in Indonesia, Corpus Christi in Chile, and Memorial Day in the United States.

Seebachan, who studied international relations in college, also has activities at Pthe activity center that celebrate Thai and Shinto holidays, the prophet Muhammad’s birthday, Chinese New Year and Jewish holidays.

But on her Web site, she also advertises a Christian youth group she runs, according to the Washington Post.

Seebachan had experience in leading after school clubs and daycamps, has taught in China, and lived and visited over 22 nations.  The playseum’s on-hands activities are diverse, sensitive in spirit and reflect what she has gained from her travels, according to their website.

However now the Be With Me Playseum is being sabotaged through a whisper campaign and Seebachan has been receiving threats.

Anonymous Web postings saying Seebachan handed out antiabortion literature at the Playseum, accepts support from right-wing Christian groups and plays Christian rock music at the play space, according to The Washington Post.

One anonymous post from someone who claimed to be Jewish said that Seebachan told her that unless she accepted Jesus as her personal savior, the client and her children would go to hell, The Washington Post reported.

Seebachan said she has no literature about abortion, her sponsors are all secular, including Safeway and Strosniders hardware store, and if she knew anyone of her staff who told a client that she and her family might go to hell, she would fire them on the spot, according to The Washington Post.

“I’m not marketing to Christians,” Seebachan says.  “I imagined this place like a big, refreshing swimming pool for anybody to come to and be together with their children in a different way, without computers, TVs or cellphones,”  Seebachan told The Washington Post.