http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=338193 FUSSY JESUS AD OUTRAGES CHURCH GROUPS 19 December 2007 (Edited by DCB) Christian leaders have slammed an advertisement showing baby Jesus throwing gifts back at the three wise men, branding it tacky and offensive. The Betta Electrical commercial recreates the nativity scene, where Jesus lies in his manger as the three wise men offer their gifts. The television commercial then shows him tossing the gifts out of the crib as the message "Give a better gift" flashes up on the screen. Christian leaders and groups have criticised the advertisement, saying it perverts the true meaning of Christmas." The company defended the ad by saying it "was intended to be a tongue-in-cheek approach to Christmas." They also accepted "that this could have been seen as offensive, but that was not the intention at all." The company spokesperson did say that "Only two people had complained about the advertisement but…the ad would be canned if complaints grew."

Editor’s Comment: I emailed the company but as of yet I have not received a reply. I must admit I did not see the ad again so maybe enough people did complain. These kinds of ads just show how little the world views the birth of the Saviour!

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22947905-5001028,00.html December 19 2007 BBC BLEEPS POGUES' CULT CHRISTMAS SONG (Edited by DCB) "THE BBC was forced today to reverse a decision to bleep out potentially offensive words from a cult Christmas hit, the Pogues' Fairytale of New York." This is a song sung by Shane MacGowan and the late Kirsty MacColl. "But after a vocal intervention by McColl's mother, station controller Andy Parfitt said: "After careful consideration, I have decided that the decision to edit the Pogues song Fairytale of New York was wrong." Mr. Parfitt said "While we would never condone prejudice of any kind, we know our audiences are smart enough to distinguish between maliciousness and creative freedom." Not surprisingly seeing the way society is going this song "has become a perennially popular Christmas song in Britain and elsewhere."

Editor’s Comment: We must remember that music is not amoral!

http://news.theage.com.au/uruguay-legalises-gay-unions/20071219-1hzg.html URUGUAY LEGALISES GAY UNIONS 19 December 2007 (Edited by DCB) In the Roman Catholic majority country of Uruguay the "…Congress has legalised civil unions for homosexual couples in the first nationwide law of its kind in Latin America." Under this new law sodomites and heterosexuals "will be eligible to form civil unions after living together for five years. They will have rights similar to those granted to married couples on such matters as inheritance, pensions and child custody."

Editor’s Comment: Sodomy may be accepted by the world but the Word of God says it is "unnatural".

http://dubbo.yourguide.com.au/news/world/general/three-wise-men-story-a-legend/1149476.html Dubbo Daily Liberal 20 December 2007 THREE WISE MEN STORY A 'LEGEND' (Edited by DCB) "The leader of the world's Anglicans has described the Christmas story of the three wise men as nothing but a ‘legend’ and says not all followers must believe in the virgin birth of Jesus." Williams said "while he believed" in the virgin birth " himself, new Christians need not leap over the ‘hurdle’ of belief in the virgin birth before they could join the church." He said his belief in the doctrine of the virgin birth was "part of what I have inherited." But then he alleged "his approach was to stick strictly to what the Bible says."

Editor’s Comment: Rowan Williams has many listeners but his words are like "wells without water". The lost needy souls that listen to Williams and his like will go away as thirsty as they came without knowing of that "living water" which only the virgin born Son of God gives.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22966007-5001028,00.html EX-PM BLAIR CONVERTS TO CATHOLICISM 23 December, 2007 (Edited by DCB) "FORMER British prime minister Tony Blair has converted to Roman Catholicism…during a weekend ceremony in central London." The "Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, wished Blair well" saying "A great Catholic writer of the last century said that the only reason for moving from one Christian family to another was to deepen one's relationship with God."

Editor’s Comment: Sadly this change from the C of E to the RC does not mean much for Mr. Blair’s spiritual life.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22977430-5001028,00.html December 27, 2007 FATHER CHRISTMAS DOES EXIST, SAYS RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT (Edited by DCB) "Russia's Government has ridden to the rescue of children by banning a television ad that declares Father Christmas does not exist" a daily newspaper said. This all stems from an ad run by an electronics store that said "that Father Frost does not exist" which is Russia’s Santa Claus. The Federal Anti-monopoly Service deputy director said "It means that parents are not telling the truth to children when they say Father Frost exists. In that way the ad induces negative relations between children and their parents."

Editor’s Comment: I wonder if the rights of a born again Christian parent to teach Bible truths would be upheld as much by the Russian authorities?

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23025860-5001021,00.html ISLAM PUSH FOR AUSTRALIAN-BRED LEADERS January 9, 2008 (Edited by DCB) "THREE more Muslim schools are on the drawing board for Sydney within the next six years in a drive to develop home-grown religious leaders." The vice-president of Forum on Australia's Islamic Relations, Silma Ihram, said the problem has been that "many of the controversial statements by Muslim leaders in Australia over the past two years had been made by religious figures ‘imported’ from overseas." "The proposed new schools would bring the total number of Islamic schools in Sydney to 16. Nationwide there are about 30 Islamic schools."

Editor’s Comment: With the above story in mind it might be good to read a portion of a radio interview by Sydney radio host Alan Jones. You may read the entire transcript at the following web address: http://www.2gb.com/index.php?option=com_yoursay&id=180&task=view&Itemid=173 ISLAMIC OR WESTERN CULTURE - WHICH IS MORE TOLERANT? (Edited by DCB) Ayaan Hirsi Ali was "Born a Muslim in Somalia" and "now argues that ‘Western culture is superior to Islamic culture’ and that Islam as a body of ideas is not compatible with human rights or with the idea of modern democracy." "When Islam says that its values are compassion, tolerance and freedom, Hirsi Ali says ‘Look at reality, at real cultures and Governments and I see that simply isn't so.’"

God is still on the Throne so therefore rejoice!

Because of Calvary,

David C. Bennett, D. Min.