CP World Report: Muammar al-Gaddafi, Same-Sex Marriage, Megachurches, iPhone

By World Report, The Christian Post in partnership with Crossroads, Thursday, September 15, 2011

Welcome to World Report, I’m Christine Williams

Disturbing poverty stats in the U.S.. The Census Bureau reports a rise in poverty rates in 2010 to its highest level in 27 years, while the median household incomes fell to the lowest level in 15 years. The poverty line in 2010 was $22,314 for a family of four and $11,139 for an individual.

Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast has announced Canada plans to fight the Buy American provisions in the new U.S. stimulus package proposed by President Obama. Obama proposed a $447-billion bill to help revive the stalled U.S. economy, but the details unveiled contain protectionist measures, described as unacceptable to Canada. Fast says Ottawa plans on expressing its concerns to the White House and to Congress.

We keep on hearing about NATO battles and challenges globally – including Libya, Afghanistan. But what does it take training wise to coordinate such efforts. Here’s an inside look at NATO soldiers are learning to work as a team ... in Indiana. It's part of a multi-national training mission with a goal of reducing the number of mistakes and injuries on the battlefield.

A precedent setting case in Saskatchewan. A same sex couple has successfully won the right to remove the name of their child’s biological carrier…Mary… from their daughter's birth certificate. The custodial parents—identified as only John and Bill-- won court approval to list John as their the father and Bill as quote…the "other parent." Mary underwent an invitro procedure using John and an anonymous egg donor. It followed that the Saskatchewan's registrar of vital statistics was ordered to amend the Mary’s registration of a live birth.

A New Brunswick appeal court has ordered a new trial for a man convicted of assault for spanking his 6-year-old. The court found that the original trial judge was too "subjective" in determining the severity of the spanking. And that laws in Canada do allow corporal punishment as long a reasonable force is used. Corporal punishment is illegal in more than 20 countries and several attempts have been made to outlaw it in Canada.

Beyond speculation, the whereabouts of Muammar Gadhafi remain a mystery. But Al Rai a pro-Gadhafi satellite network aired an audio statement claiming it’s from the Libyan Leader. No clarity on how they may have gotten this statement. And it’s the second time the channel has had an anchor read aloud a Gadhafi statement. At least supposedly.

The North Carolina Senate has voted in favor of letting the voters decide on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The measure is set to be on a May 2012 ballot. Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage said…the big lie in politics is that the marriage fight is over.

Meanwhile….. black pastors North Carolina recently squared off against Democratic lawmakers over the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Rev. Johnny Hunter, of Cliffdale Community Church in Fayetteville said homosexual-rights advocates have offended the state’s black community by likening the same-sex marriage battle with the black struggle for civil rights during the 1960s.

Outreach magazine has issued its latest report on the top 100 largest and fastest-growing churches in America. According to the annual list, more mega-churches are expanding their reach with multiple campuses. 75 are employing the multisite model; which is: one church, multiple locations and a broadcast video of the preacher delivering his sermon. Most have three or more campuses.

There is an iPhone application out called: “Jew or Not a Jew”. It allows users to consult a database of celebrities and public figures to determine whether they are Jewish or not. Now a French anti-racism group has threatened to sue Apple saying the application violates France's strict laws banning the compiling of people's personal information without their consent. The group “SOS Racisme” has now called on Apple to remove the application from its online store and be more vigilant it what it sells.