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 Email us your religion-related notices and stories for inclusion to this email address: religion/at/nhreligion.com
Bishop John
McCormack's Fourth of July Message: Concerned over Weakened "In God We
Trust" Slogan "The national motto
of the United States of America, as we all know, is
“In God We Trust.” Emblazoned on every coin and note of currency,
carved into the marble of government offices, it is so much a part of
our everyday lives that the words seem to have lost their original
meaning. When was the last time you or I took a penny from your
pocket
and gave any thought to those words rounding the coin’s edge?
Probably, it’s been a long time. What does it mean to trust in
God as
Americans? This thought lingers with me on this, our country’s
Independence Day.
The weakened meaning of the words “In God We Trust” have, in fact, been their saving grace more than once. When lawsuits have come before our high courts, arguing the national motto violates the Constitutional separation of church and state, judges have dismissed the claims, arguing the words are solely “ceremonial” and have lost their meaning through “rote repetition.”
This concerns me. As a person who has committed his life to God, I
worry that such bold and simple words in praise of God are permissible
in the public sphere only because our government assumes that nobody
really believes them. (read the full message HERE) Left-Leaning
Peace Activists to Discuss Cuba Aid Mission in Concord Scripture of the
Week: (Submit your favorite! email religion at nhreligion dot com) NH Unitarian Universalists Excited
About New Gay Marriage Law Both bodies had voted earlier to approve same-sex marriage, but Lynch wanted additional language that would allow religious organizations that were opposed to same-sex marriage not to perform those ceremonies. The legislature complied and he signed the new measure. New Hampshire joins Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Iowa, and Vermont in providing marriage benefits to gays and lesbians. Marriages in New Hampshire can begin January 1, 2010. UUs have long been on
the front lines of the campaign for same-sex
marriage in New Hampshire. The Rev. Mary Wellemeyer, of the UU Church
of Manchester, said Thursday, “The mood here is ebullient. Everybody
seems to have now decided that this action on marriage is consistent
with the way we do things in the ‘Live Free or Die’ state. This is
about people being able to live free and marry.” The first chance that the Rev. Kendra Ford at First UU Society of Exeter, had to celebrate was at a program council meeting Wednesday night in the parsonage. “We got out the rainbow flags and we found a stack of colored paper crowns in the religious education rooms and we put them on and had our meeting. I expect we’ll celebrate for a few days.” Trinity United Church of Seabrook
Welcomes New Pastor Dover Church To Say Goodbye to Pastor Who
Goes into Semi-Retirement Sunday Since
he came to First Parish Church in 1988, Slater said he has seen
Dover grow from a former mill town in limbo to a community that has
become proud of its new identity and hopeful about the future.
Likewise, he said he has seen a strengthening of the faith of members
of the church. New Pastor of Milford Church Wants Church
to be Better Known "I'd like the church
to be community oriented," he said recently. "We should get involved in
the Pumpkin Festival, in SHARE, things like that. The church has to get
involved and meet both physical and spiritual needs. It's going to take
time to build relationships," he added. "People need to know we are
here."
Willems, a 2005 graduate of Pensacola Theological Seminary, is originally from San Diego. His wife, Dena, grew up in the Nashua area. They met in college, married and completed their masters' degrees together. Hers is in music education. Each time he came to New Hampshire, he liked it better, he said. Two Bishops, Two Very Different
Reactions as Gay Marriage Is Signed Into Law “I am deeply
disappointed that the bill to legalize same sex marriage in New
Hampshire was signed into law today,” he wrote. “The new law passed our
Legislature through the narrowest of margins with precipitous haste and
without extensive study. The law strikes a blow to the cornerstone on
which our entire civilization is built and sustained: the marriage
between one man and one woman. In a manner unlike any other
relationship, the union of a husband and wife makes a unique and
irreplaceable contribution to the common good of society. A man and a
woman in a marriage bring children to life and model the way in which
women and men live interdependently and commit, for the whole of life,
to seek the good of each other. Our state has an obligation to protect
the unique gift of marriage between one man and one woman. As bishop, I
will continue to teach that marriage is a faithful, exclusive, lifelong
union of a man and a woman joined in an intimate community of life and
love. This is a natural truth that has been confirmed by divine
Revelation in Sacred Scripture.
As a citizen of this state, I am troubled that those who respect and treasure marriage as it has been understood for thousands of years have been marginalized while others position same sex marriage as a “civil rights” issue. Marriage and same-sex unions are essentially different realities. Upholding marriage as it has always been understood is just and neither offends the dignity nor the rights of homosexual persons. Indeed, the New Hampshire civil union law passed by the Legislature in 2007 expressly conferred the same rights offered to heterosexual couples to same-sex couples. I pray that the citizens of this state will recognize the clear need for a constitutional amendment on marriage.” DNA Evidence Could Nab 2005 Vandal Of
Portsmouth Church When investigators
walked into North Church on June 10,
2005, they found a message written in blood on a white marble communion
table that helped lead them to the recent arrest of a Maine man charged
with causing more than $26,000 in damage to the historic downtown
church.
DNA evidence from a 4-year-old blood sample found at a crime scene led to the arrest of Patrick Allen, who was arraigned recently in Portsmouth District Court. Nigerian Cardinal Arinze Gives
Commencement Address at Merrimack, NH Catholic College Cardinal Arinze
emphasized the mission of Catholic universities to
strive to educate students about the relationship “between faith and
reason, on specialization and orientation, and on science and ethics.”
He noted that the marker of success for Catholic colleges and
universities is having “succeeded in forming and turning out model
Christians who are good citizens.”
Arinze continued, “If a Catholic College or University adopts this attitude of ‘courageous creativity and rigorous fidelity,’ it will be able to contribute much to promote a healthy synthesis between faith and culture in society.” “A Catholic college or university educates students to appreciate that moral rules of right and wrong apply also to science, technology, politics, trade and commerce, and indeed to all human endeavors.” “In the complicated world of today, where all kinds of ideas are struggling for the right of citizenship, a university student needs a clear and viable orientation on the relationship between religion and life. The Catholic College or University is ideally positioned to help him see the light and equip himself for a significant contribution in society.” Cardinal Arinze encouraged TMC for its rigorous moral, as well intellectual formation. He asked, “But what does it profit us if a student is an intellectual giant but a moral baby… if he or she can shoot out mathematical or historical facts like a computer but is unfortunately a problem for the parents, corrosive acid among companions in the College, a drug addict and sexual pervert, a disgrace to the school, a waste-pipe in the place of work and Case number 23 for the Criminal Police? It is clear that intellectual development is not enough.”
Catholics Pan Same Sex Marriage Bill
"Religious Exception" Proposed by Gov. Lynch Gov. John Lynch on Thursday said he will sign a bill to recognize same-sex "marriages" contracted in the state if religious liberty protections are added to the bill. Backers of the proposal said they would make the requested changes, which would protect individuals and institutions only "in some instances." Lynch, a Democrat, told reporters he personally opposes same-sex "marriage" but decided to view the issue "through a broader lens," the Associated Press reports. "Throughout history, our society's views of civil rights have constantly evolved and expanded," Lynch said. "New Hampshire's great tradition has always been to come down on the side of individual liberties and protections." Gov. Lynch said he wanted religious liberty protections modeled on Connecticut. He said he wanted protections in cases such as an organist employed by a church opposed to same-sex marriage could legally refuse to perform at a homosexual wedding. If the bill is signed into law, New Hampshire would become the sixth U.S. state to give legal marriage licenses to homosexual couples. House Speaker Terie Norelli, D-Portsmouth, thanked the governor for his "leadership" in providing a way for New Hampshire "to move forward to enact marriage equality and, at the same time, respect religious tolerance." Mo Baxley, executive director of the pro-homosexual "marriage" group New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition, said her group could support the language. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which says it does not take a position on same-sex "marriage," praised Gov. Lynch for "taking religious liberty seriously." "Giving legal recognition to same-sex marriages promises to unleash a host of legal and financial penalties on those who conscientiously object to it, unless states make the effort to enact robust legal protections," Eric Rassbach, National Litigation Director for the Becket Fund, said in a press release. However, the Becket Fund acknowledged that Lynch’s proposal would not protect small business owners such as an Arizona photographer who faces a fine for refusing to photograph a same-sex ceremony. The protections reportedly will only cover the solemnization, celebration or promotion of same-sex "marriage." The Becket Fund said the proposal would protect individuals and institutions "in some instances." Kevin Smith, executive director of Cornerstone Policy Research, characterized Lynch’s religious liberty proposal as a "smoke screen" providing cover for his change of opinion. "There are people with very deeply held convictions on this issue who are now going to have their conscience violated," Smith told the Concord Monitor. He added that the proposed modification "seems like a rather disingenuous attempt on the part of the governor to try and couch his actions today and say it's some sort of compromise. It isn't." "The folks who are not protected are your individual business owners, caterers, photographers, who now will be forced to provide these services for same-sex weddings," he also said, according to the Boston Globe. The Associated Press reports that New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman John H. Sununu also criticized Lynch, saying: "Once again, Gov. Lynch has discovered a way to be against something and for it at the same time." In a May 7 statement, Bishop of Manchester John B. McCormack opposed the proposal, saying "We believe that we should be doing all we can as a society to support and protect marriage, which is a union of a man and woman and has been throughout history." He said the bill
would "redefine marriage on the run" with the
"slimmest of legislative margins." His comments, made before religious
liberty protections were proposed, also emphasized the need to secure
religious liberties. Bishop McCormack warned "unintended consequences"
of the proposal would lead to "unnecessary confusion, litigation and
denial of rights to many people in our state." After Catastrophic Fire, Work of Alton
Center Goes On Although
it was a brisk, chilly wind blowing up from Lake Winnipesaukee Sunday
morning, cars from Maine and New Hampshire packed the parking lot as
the East Dover Church Alpha course wound down to its final day."This
was a tragic fire but the place we used was still there," said Kathy
Michaud of Berwick, Maine. "You should have seen it yesterday," she
continued. "It was packed with people."
Alleged Church Vandal Charged Using DNA
Evidence n
Bibles - Apocrypha) Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
40:28-30 (King James Version) Pembroke Conference to Focus on Hunger
Groups' Work Bread for the World,
Church World Service New England and The New
Hampshire Council of Churches will hold a one day conference event,
“Yes We Can…End Hunger Through Advocacy and Service,” featuring four
advocates for reducing local, national and global poverty. The event will be
held Saturday, May 2, from 9 am to 2 pm at the the New Hampshire
Council of Churches, 140 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke. Saturday afternoon
workshops will provide in–depth training for
churches and individuals on how to promote the annual CROP Walk,
conducting a bread letter–writing campaign, and communicate effectively
with our decision makers. New Interim Pastor for Laconia Church Smith
grew up in New Hampton and attended the LifeQuest Church as a teenager.
He has been a pastor since 1962 and has led churches in small
communities in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maine, and New
York.
The church's former pastor, the Rev. Rick Mowery, left recently for Maine, to become pastor at a small congregation where Smith at one time was previously stationed. Coffeehouse Hosts Nashville Singer May 1 NH Pastors Give
Hope During Hard Times The
Easter message of hope and redemption resonates even more deeply in
these hard times, New Hampshire pastors say. And many believe a loss of
trust in material goods might lead to a greater spiritual awakening.
The Rev. Michael Kerper is pastor of Corpus Christi parish in Portsmouth, where some parishioners have told him the economic crisis has changed their lives in positive ways. Fire In Alton
Damages Christian Conference Center Firefighters managed
to protect a historic church hall at the Alton Bay
Christian Conference Center complex on top of the hill, Lockwood said.
Most of the destroyed cabins, however, may have belonged to the
complex. See report in Fosters
Daily Democrat; The
Laconia Citizen Keene Pastor "Pays it Forward" Read more.. SWAT Teams Swarm Into Londonderry Church -
But It Was a Pre-Planned Training Exercise As usual
with Union Leader stories, the online comment board lit up with
comments about the exercises, with comments ranging from condemnation
of the police to praise for their attempt to train for these disasters.
Some
commenters decried the abuse of police power they believe is inherent
in SWAT-like para-military teams, while others questioning the
advisability (or propriety) of doing this training inside a church
during Holy Week. Others
countered that the training is absolutely necessary, due to the random
nature of shootings of recent years (and recent weeks) while some noted
that the event was obviously cleared through the parish priest. NH's Jews Set to Bless the Sun on Wednesday
in Rare Event Not Witnessed Since 1981 Called
Birkat HaChama, or Blessing of the Sun, the ritual commemorates the sun
returning to the exact place in the sky in which it stood when it was
created. Talmudic scholars say this is the 206th 28-year cycle of the
Sun, which always falls on a Wednesday, and in this year, falls on the
same day as the start of Passover. In the 20th and 21st Centuries, it
will always fall on April 8, this year 14 Nisan in the Hebrew Calendar.
The next Birkat HaChema celebration will occur in 2037.
Rabbis
caution that no astrological phenomena - such as an alignment of
planets - is occurring during this event. In fact, the sun
*technically* isn't going to be in the same exact place as it was in
past cycles. And while it is supposedly falling on the Spring Equinox,
it's "late" because it reckons the Spring Equinox in the old Julian
calendar, which began to be replaced centuries ago because it was
astronomically "off" by a few days - and now off by more than two weeks.
The
Talmud (Brachot 59b) teaches: "He
who sees the sun at its season, the moon at its strength, the stars in
their paths, and the constellations in their order, recites "Blessed is
the One Who performs the act of creation." Some
are using the Sun celebration to call attention to global warming
issues and the need to care for the Earth. (See this
Wall Street Journal article) Congregants
at Temple Israel in Manchester is planning to commemorate the event at
, followed by the Siyyum of the First Born, in which the fast of the
first born sons (which occurs before Passover) is broken. Members of
the Etz Hayim Synagogue in Derry will meet at 6:15 a.m. for a brief
ceremony, followed by singing of Psalms and a Kaddish for those who
have died. The
Birkat HaChama prayers can be downloaded
here (.pdf format, in English and Hebrew.) Check
this link for more
Biblical and Talmudic background on the timing and reasoning behind
this rare celebration, and this
one for more detail on its celebration.. Congregationalists in Concord Unite for
Holy
Week Events • Holy
Week Labyrinth Walks will be offered daily at South Congregational
Church. • Yoga
for families will be held Monday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at South
Congregational Church. The cost is $12; the fee benefits a youth group
trip to New Orleans. • The
last book study of Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard will be
held Thursday from 6 to 7:25 p.m. at South Congregational Church. • "The
Cross of Nonviolent Love: A Contemplative Walk with Jesus" will be held
Good Friday from noon to 3 p.m. at East Congregational Church; • Easter
Vigil and Labyrinth Walk will begin Good Friday at 6 p.m. and continue
through Easter morning at 6 a.m. at South Congregational Church. • Easter
Sunrise Service will be celebrated at 6 a.m. at the Society for the
Protection of New Hampshire Forests. The conversation between Bishop John
McCormack and Terry McKiernan of BishopAccountability.org
happened after a Sunday mass in Manchester while McCormack was greeting
parishioners in the church hall, the New Hampshire Union-Leader reports.
McCormack said he would think about the diocese listing the names of priests who have been defrocked or assigned to prayer and penance, and are no longer active in the ministry. Last week, BishopAccountability.org called for eliminating the statute of limitations on sex-abuse cases after files released by the attorney general’s office included the names of 26 newly accused clergy members. Most of the alleged abuse took place decades ago. NOTICE: New England Revival
Coffeehouse concerts
are held at Calvary Fellowship Church, 60 Bailey Ave.( off of
Candia Rd.) Manchester, NH. Featuring quality regional and national
Christian contemporary artists. “LIVE at NERCH”
performances are videotaped and broadcast on MCAM TV on Comcast 23 Manchester NH
and several other local cable access stations. Be a part of our
“studio” audience. Free admission and refreshments. Donations accepted.
All are welcome. Visit www.nerch.org for map and schedule, or call
(603)625-9550. NYT: Catholic Diocese
Releases Names of 27 Clerics Who Were Accused of Abuse
MANCHESTER (3/27/09) - The New
York Times is reporting that the NH Attorney General’s Office has
released dozens of sex abuse accusations against clergy members,
including 27 whose names previously haven’t been released. Muslim Mosque Featured in
Union
Leader Article Sparks Outrage, Online Critiques of Islam The
paper reports: Relatively small in scale, the project is epic in scope. Not only did it take more than a dozen years of planning and persistence against countless obstacles to get this far, but the mosque means Muslims will join the world's other monotheistic faiths -- Christianity and Judaism -- in having a permanent place of worship in the Granite State. "This is the place that God has given us," Mahboubul Hassan said on a recent visit to the nearly 4-acre Karatzas Avenue site. Hassan is president of the Islamic Society of Greater Manchester, which is building the mosque to serve the region's estimated 3,000 to 3,500 Muslims. Currently, the nearest mosques are in Methuen, Mass., and Boston.
Despite
this relatively innocuous article, mosque opponents came out in force
in the comment section below the online article, however. As of Tuesday
afternoon (4 p.m.) there were 91 comments. "Quit
bickering people and do something about it if you are against the
mosque," urged Kevin from Portsmouth. Guy Plante of Manchester, among
others, raised issues of how women and Christians were treated in
European and Arab nations where Muslims are predominant.. "Why
do Muslims in many cities in Europe insist on having "no go zones" or,
in France "zones sensibles", where non-Muslims, even the police, the
firefighters and other emergency responders, are not allowed in? Is
that found in the Qur'an?" said Plante. Many
others pointed to the terrorist reputation of Islam, while others -
including sefl-identified Muslims - pleaded with the commenters to "get
the facts" and not paint the entire religion with one brush. "To
all of you who are attacking us with all these comments, Please try to
build bridges not walls and come meet with us and get to know us better
like many other that they invited themselves to our mosque," writes
Ahmed of Hooksett. The
newspaper's open and rarely edited comment boards often attract
attention from readers - sometimes from across the nation - on
controversial topics. Most often, those topics are political in nature,
rather than religious, however. This, of course, being an exception. A
drawing of the proposed mosque has graced our nhreligion.com header for
several years.
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