River Jordan Baptismal Site Closes Over Pollution Scare
Thousands of Christian pilgrims immerse themselves in the river’s sluggish water each year in faithful recreation of the biblical story of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist.But officials closed the site this week to test the water’s quality. Local environmentalists have long complained of intolerably high levels of sewage and farming chemicals that, they say, pose a risk to human health.
Holy Communion to be offered on Twitter
Rev Tim Ross will tweet out the lines of the Eucharist next month to his hundreds of followers, who can tweet back Amen while taking bread and wine in front of their PCs.He hoped it would unite the faithful across the world: Where could it lead, who knows? Maybe one day to a baptism by Facebook, he said.
‘In God We Trust’ Again Upheld by Federal Appeals Court
In a 3-0 decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington, DC, ruled that the National Motto, In God We Trust, is constitutional and does not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.Quoting the 1970 decision in Aronow v. United States, the Court wrote: It is quite obvious that the national motto and slogan on coinage and currency In God We Trust has nothing whatsoever to do with the establishment of religion.
You have a decision to make: double or nothing.
For this week only, a generous supporter has offered to fully match all new and increased donations to First Things up to $60,000.
In other words, your gift of $50 unlocks $100 for First Things, your gift of $100 unlocks $200, and so on, up to a total of $120,000. But if you don’t give, nothing.
So what will it be, dear reader: double, or nothing?
Make your year-end gift go twice as far for First Things by giving now.