Robertson Weighs In On Dems and Gay Marriage

Conservative televangelist Pat Robertson thinks Democrats are committing political suicide with their decision to promote gay marriage for the LGBT community.

Speaking on his television program on Tuesday, Robertson said the Democratic Party has a "death wish" in backing marriage equality as part of its official platform, which will be unveiled at this summer's Democratic National Convention.

"For the Democrats to go out on that limb, it just seems like to me that they are further alienating themselves from the mainstream of America," Robertson said. "If that’s what they want to do, fine, but it will mean the death knell of their party, it seems like to me, and of course that’s what they’re doing but maybe they have a death wish."

Some polling contradicts Robertson's assertion. A survey released on Tuesday by the left leaning Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that 48 percent of the overall public supports same-sex marriage, while only 44 percent oppose it. Among Democrats, 65 percent support the right of gay couples to marry. Whatever the public polls say, respondents are known to answer controversial questions in a politically correct way when polled face to face, and then voting differently in the privacy of the ballot station. 

Robertson, an opponent of same-sex marriage and pro-gay laws in general, has made numerous statements against the LGBT agenda in the past. Robertson has compared homosexuality to "demonic possession," and pointed out that legalizing gay marriage could result in a "downward slide" toward beastialty and child molestation. The recent scandal in the Catholic Church with homosexual priests abusing young boys and teenagers has also been the subject of his criticism. 

Two days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Robertson hosted Rev. Jerry Falwell on his program and together they infamously blamed the tragedy on "the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians, who are actively trying to make an alternative lifestyle." See Chick's DOOM TOWN. 

Dems Go Pro-Gay All the Way

The likely inclusion of a plank supporting marriage equality in the Democratic Party platform reflects a significant shift in opinion among Democratic voters over the last 8 years, according to a new national poll.

The latest survey by the Pew Research Center (a left leaning organization), conducted June 28 to July 9, finds that nearly two-thirds of Democrats nationwide (65 percent) favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally, while just 29 percent are opposed. That finding marks a reversal from just eight years ago, when just 40 percent of Democrats approved of gay marriage and 50 percent opposed it.

Support for same-sex marriage has grown most rapidly among Democrats, according to the Pew Research poll, which also shows support has risen gradually among independents and Republicans over the last eight years. Overall, their July survey now shows slightly more support for gay marriage (48 percent) than opposition to it (44 percent).

While the new survey confirms these long-term trends, it also yields little evidence that President Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage in May has had a significant impact on public opinion on the issue beyond the Democratic base. Forty-seven percent of Americans surveyed by Pew Research in April supported same-sex marriage while 43 percent opposed it. But other polls still show a majority of Americans oppose same-sex marriage, especially among likely voters. Political Correctness also skews the poll results in favor of gay marriage, since respondents answer one way in public, but vote another in the privacy of the ballot box. See Chick's THE UNINVITED.

Obama Blamed For Islamic Wins In Democracy

In an interview with the right-wing Israeli daily newspaper Israel Hayom, Mitt Romney said that the Arab Spring might never have happened had Bush's "freedom agenda" not been prematurely halted by President Barack Obama.

"President [George W.] Bush urged [deposed Egyptian President] Hosni Mubarak to move toward a more democratic posture, but President Obama abandoned the freedom agenda and we are seeing today a whirlwind of tumult in the Middle East in part because these nations did not embrace the reforms that could have changed the course of their history, in a more peaceful manner," Romney said.

Romney argued that with the rise of democratically elected Islamist governments in some of the countries undergoing revolutions -- Egypt and Tunisia in particular -- the Arab Spring has turned out to be less of a boon for Western interests than it initially appeared.

"Clearly we're disappointed in seeing Tunisia and Morocco elect Islamist governments. We're very concerned in seeing the new leader in Egypt as an Islamist leader. It is our hope to move these nations toward a more modern view of the world and to not present a threat to their neighbors and to the other nations of the world," he said.

The interview, which comes in the lead-up to Romney's arrival in Israel on Saturday, was conducted earlier in the week in Reno, Nev., in keeping with his intention to avoid criticizing a sitting president while traveling overseas. Israel Hayom is owned by the Sheldon Adelson, an American citizen who is one of the leading financiers of the Republican Party and a major donor to Romney's campaign.

In his second inaugural address, Bush made an impassioned stand for democratic expression around the world, pledging that "all who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors." (That posture sometimes included change by force.) When the Egyptian government cracked down on political dissent, Bush's Secretary of State took a hard line and canceled a planned visit.

Romney did not elaborate in the interview whether he believes that Bush's strategy, if it had been seen to fruition, would have resulted in the democratic overthrow of Mubarak's government or the preservation of his administration through internal reforms. See Chick's MEN OF PEACE?

Hotel Replaces Bible With XXX Book

A hotel in England has replaced in-room bibles with the erotic bestseller "50 Shades of Grey."

Instead of the standard Gideon bible, the owner of Damson Dene opted for the steamy novel known for its explicit sexual content because he thought it was the hospitable thing to do.

“Because everybody is reading ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ we thought it would be a hospitable thing to do, to have this available for our guests, especially if some of them were a little bit shy about buying it because of its reputation," hotel owner Jonathan Denby told NBC News.

The hotel said it discretely stashes the bestseller in the bedside table for guests to discover --the place one reserved for the bible.

Denby told NBC he found religious books a “wholly inappropriate” choice for private bedrooms in England’s modern, secular society.

Ironically, Denby bought the Damson Dene Hotel, located in England’s Lake District, from a Methodist group 10 years ago, according to NBC News.

Local vicar The Rev Michael Woodcock said the hotel is trying to cashing in on the EL James novel's runaway success, reports The Telegraph.

"It is just a gimmick really," he said. "But I am sure it will be put back in the future. The more attention that is drawn to this the more bad publicity it gets." See Chick's WHY NO REVIVAL?

Support Chick-fil-A Day August 1

Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and Fox News host, has had enough of what he called the "vicious hate speech and intolerant bigotry" aimed at Chick-fil-A.

On his Facebook page, Huckabee announced that Aug. 1 will be "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day," a day on which he is encouraging people to patronize the fast food chain.

The former presidential candidate is upset that the fast food chicken chain has been the target of criticism in the wake of Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy's saying last week that his company supports "the biblical definition of the family unit."

The National Organization for Marriage, a group organized to oppose same-sex marriage, called him a "corporate hero for marriage," while gay organizations and pandering politicians were quick to condemn his comments.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino even went so far as to tell the Boston Herald that "Chick-fil-A doesn’t belong in Boston."

"You can’t have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population," he said, according to the Herald. However, Chick-fil-A comments were only about diviant marriage laws. The chain itself welcomes all patrons and employees of any race, religion, or sexual origin (it would be against to law to do otherwise).

Huckabee further explained the purpose of his pro-Chick-fil-A campaign on his Facebook Page:

"The goal is simple: Let's affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick Fil-A on Wednesday, August 1. Too often, those on the left make corporate statements to show support for same sex marriage, abortion, or profanity, but if Christians affirm traditional values, we're considered homophobic, fundamentalists, hate-mongers, and intolerant."

State Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Texas) and the group Concerned Women for America have promoted the event, which is not affiliated with Chick-fil-A. So far, more than 80,000 people have signed up to participate in the event. See Chick's DOOM TOWN.

Boston Mayor Discrminates Against Christian Chain

The mayor of Boston is vowing to block Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant in the city after the company's president spoke out publicly against gay marriage.

Mayor Thomas Menino told the Boston Herald  on Thursday that he doesn't want a business in the city "that discriminates against a population."

Using the same logic, the mayor could deny any business that speaks out against multiple wives, since expressing such free thoughts would "descriminate" against Islam and other religions that have permitted the practice for centuries.

Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press this week that his privately owned company is "guilty as charged" in support of what he called the biblical definition of the family.

The fast-food chicken sandwich chain later said that it strives to "treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender."

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A has more than 1,600 stores nationwide but just two in Massachusetts, both located in suburban malls. Gay activists have targeted it for punishment sense it openly supports pro-family organizations that resist efforts to pass gay marriage laws. It also refuses to contribute money to gay agenda programs (like the Gay Olympics) as other corperations like McDonalds  do to pacify the same activists. See Chick's SIN CITY.

Fast Food Chain's Pro-Family Stance Irks Gays

Though Chick-fil-A has come under considerable fire for its documented support of pro-family Christian organizations, officials for the fast food chain have remained mostly tight-lipped about the (what gays consider) controversial issue -- until now.
In a new interview with the Baptist Press, Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy -- the son of company founder S. Truett Cathy -- addresses what the publication describes as his franchise's "support of the traditional family."

Cathy's proud response: "Well, guilty as charged."

He went on to note, "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that...we know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."
Cathy then reiterated his stance during an appearance on "The Ken Coleman Show," Good as You blogger Jeremy Hooper reported.

"I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say 'we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage' and I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about," Cathy said in that interview, which can be heard here.

The Atlanta-based company's contributions have been both well reported and the subject of a number of high-profile protests. Earlier this month, Equality Matters published a report on a newly-released analysis of Chick-fil-A's charitable work that found that the fast food chain donated nearly $2 million to pro-family groups over the course of 2010. Among those to reportedly receive donations through Chick-fil-A's WinShape Foundation were the Marriage & Family Foundation ($1,188,380), Exodus International ($1,000) and the Family Research Council (also $1,000).

Gay activists call such contributions "controversial" and "offensive", yet other companies give donations to the Gay Olympics and other pro-gay causes, despite such agendas being well out of the mainstream. However, the mainstream is not as shrill or comfrontational as the gay community. Many gay activists are organizing boycotts and protests of the fast food chain.

In February, Northeastern University officials reportedly squashed plans for a campus-based franchise of the fast food chain, after "student concerns reflected [Chick-fil-A's] history of donating to anti-gay organizations," according to The Boston Globe. One month earlier, New York University student Hillary Dworkoski launched a petition calling for NYU to close its Chick-fil-A franchise, reportedly the only one in Manhattan. (It failed.)

Cathy had previously shrugged off the criticisms in a 2011 interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, calling blogosphere reports on his company's donations "folklore." Cathy also noted, "We're not anti-anybody. Our mission is to create raving fans." See Chick's THE GAY BLADE.

Report Shows PC Police Allowed Terror Attack

The FBI was too concerned about political correctness and did not launch an investigation into a man who was later charged with killing 13 people in the 2009 attack in Fort Hood, Texas, despite significant warning signs that he was an Islamic extremist bent on killing civilians, according to a lawmaker briefed on a new report about the terrorist attack.
In emails to a known terrorist, Army Maj. Nidal Hasan expressed his support for suicide bombings and killing civilians, while the terrorist, Anwar al-Awlaki, encouraged Hasan to stay in touch, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told The Associated Press Wednesday after he was briefed on the findings of a new review of the attack.

The review was done by former FBI Director William Webster and was more than two years in the making. FBI Director Robert Mueller asked that Webster conduct an independent review, and the bureau is expected to release an unclassified version this week.

Much was already known about the series of oversights and missteps the government made leading to the terror attack at the Fort Hood Army post. Soon after the attack, it was revealed that members of two FBI anti-terrorism task forces saw emails between the Army psychiatrist and al-Awlaki beginning in December 2008. Those task forces reviewed the communications and decided they were in keeping with Hasan's research at the time, and as a result, no formal investigation of Hasan was opened. Hasan was writing a research paper about the effects of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But McCaul said Webster's report offers some new details that show the FBI was concerned about investigating an American Muslim in the military, and that is why an investigation was not pursued.

The FBI in San Diego had been investigating al-Awlaki, a former San Diego resident, for his possible connections to the 9/11 hijackers. When agents saw emails between Hasan and al-Awlaki, they asked the FBI's Washington office to talk to Hasan's bosses, according to a government official briefed on the findings who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the Webster report. But the Washington agents thought that interviewing American Muslims who visit extremist websites was a sensitive issue and did not reach out to Hasan's bosses at the Defense Department, the official said.

"It shows you the length of the political correctness stuff going on," McCaul said after he was briefed on the findings of the independent review Wednesday.

Neither the FBI nor Webster responded to requests for comment. But the FBI and Defense Department have said that they've made several policy changes since the 2009 attack to help stave off similar attacks in the future.

One major change was that if al-Awlaki comes up as part of a terror investigation, FBI headquarters would be alerted, Mark Giuliano, assistant director for the FBI's National Security Branch, said last year.

Al-Awlaki, implicated in other terror plots, was killed in a drone strike in Yemen last fall.
Hasan, charged with killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in the November 2009 shooting rampage, is currently being tried in a military court. See Chick's WHO CARES?

Mormon Under Garments Explained

(Reprinted from the net) Nobody really likes to talk about their underwear, and Mormons probably have better reason than most to be reticent. They don't even call it "underwear." The term they prefer is "garments," which is taken from the King James Bible, and gives these scraps of white cloth a formal name to go along with the vaguely talismanic character they hold in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They don't look like anything special: a white T-shirt and boxer briefs, slightly longer than average, distinctive in nothing much but their color and the fact that all adult, devout Mormons, men and women, wear them.

Mormons don't use the word "underwear" to talk about their garments, and they certainly don't use the word "magic," or really believe that garments have any special powers to stop bullets or keep them from getting sick or serve as a sort of nylon-and-cotton flame retardant. There are stories of some of these things, like there are stories of the relics of Catholic saints curing epilepsy or blindness, but to most Mormons these are faith-promoting rumors, evocative but archaic folklore. The garments are a sign of devotion, a marker of faith, to be respected for the same reasons that it's considered rude to burn a Koran, but hardly mystical.

When confronted with raised eyebrows, Mormons often point to Jewish yarmulkes and tzitzit, or the communion dresses of Catholic children, or the turbans of Sikhs and collars of some Christian clergy. Sacred clothing is hardly an innovation Joseph Smith came up with, and surely mockery of a yarmulke or a Sikh turban would be horrifying and verboten in most of the tolerant Western world, even in the genealogically Protestant United States, where "religion" is supposed to be something that you believe, not something that you wear, and sacred clothing seems strange and exotic. But, of course, Mormon garments are underwear. In the determinedly public world of modern America underwear is rather less dignified - and more chuckle-inducing - than something you put on your head. 

Mormons know this. Many of them find the garments as awkward as any other American might. They are manufactured by the church, and particularly for women, wearing them can be a chore: the cut might be slightly off, or the bottoms baggy, or the collar chafing. And, of course, garments mean that wearing a sleeveless dress flashes your underwear to the world, which is frustrating in Texas or Arizona. In the past forty years or so, covering the garments has become a marker of modesty for Mormons, particularly women, and sleeves are therefore essential. Combine that with the scoop neck garment shirt that many older Mormon men still wear, and you can usually pick out Mormons on vacation in Florida.

That is, in part, the point. When Bill Clinton fielded questions about his boxer shorts on MTV in 1992, there were lamentations for the American dignity the brash young candidate and his audience of chortling teenagers had flushed down the toilet. Mormons, unlike Bill Clinton, don't want to talk about their underwear. They are given their first pair of garments in young adulthood, after they participate in the endowment ceremony, a sacrament comparable to Catholic First Communion. This ceremony takes place in the temple, which is closed to non-Mormons, and Mormons are told not to speak too much about it outside the temple. The garments themselves are a token of that ceremony, and the fact that they are undergarments, worn beneath clothes, is a reminder of its private intimacy.

The endowment is a sacred drama depicting the fall of Adam and Eve from God and the Garden of Eden and their eventual return to heaven. Along the way, Mormons are periodically told to view those first parents as models for themselves. The word "garment" derives from Genesis 3:24, in which the narrator tells us that God, having just cast his children from the Garden of Eden, clothed them in a "garment of skins" before sending them into the bleak and painful world. This, then, is what the garments mean for Mormons: they can be bunchy and uncomfortable, and they remind both Mormons and everybody else that these people are of a different faith; many young Mormons have felt a moment of panic in the locker room. But the clothing reminds them always of their faith that God offers care, and that this land east of Eden might be less alien than it appears. See Chick's THE VISITORS. 

Another Virgin Mary Sighting

Hundreds of Catholics are flocking to a tree in West New York where onlookers think they have spotted an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Roman Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary.

According to NBC New York, Johanna Ramos was one of the first to see the image. "It took me awhile, but when I realized the colors and shape of it, it was really noticeable," she told the station.

Crowds have flocked to the tree's 6-inch-long image, leading police to erect barricades near the intersection of 60th Street and Bergenline Avenue to better direct the flow. Many believe the carving holds mystical powers, reports Fox5.

According to CBS2, residents say the carving appeared after a man from Mexico was killed in a crash in the area.

What does it mean? "It's something special for the people of West New York," said one onlooker, Jose Alequin, to The Jersey Journal. "I think it's a message for the good people to take care of their families."

As of this writing, The Archdiocese of Newark has not found the tree to be anything other than a "phenomenon," cautions CBS2, though priests at nearby churches will happily speak with anyone in need of counsel. See Chick's ARE ROMAN CATHOLICS CHRISTIAN?

Pakistan Christian Acid Victim Gets Citizenship

When Julie Aftab was 16 years old, a man walked into the office in Pakistan where she worked and asked if she was Christian. When she told him she was, the man sprayed her in the face with battery acid, then grabbed her by the hair, and forced it down her throat -- burning her esophagus, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Aftab suffered bone-deep burns on her chest, arms and much of the right side of her face.

Now, 10 years and 31 surgeries later, the paper is reporting Aftab has found a new life in Texas, majoring in accounting at the University of Houston-Clear Lake and preparing to take the United States citizenship test this month.

Aided by host parents Lee and Gloria Ervin, the now 26-year-old woman says the attack has cemented her faith even further.

"Those people, they think they did a bad thing to me, but they brought me closer to God," Aftab told the paper. "They helped me fulfill my dreams. I never imagined I could be the person I am today."

Since the attack, Aftab has gone on to accomplish things no member of her family had done, including graduating from high school and going to college.

"I'm the first person in my whole family who graduated from high school ... and the first person who entered to college in my whole family, I changed my family's history,"Aftab told Fox 26 News.

Persecution of Christians in Pakistan is an ongoing problem. Last year, Christian schools in Pakistan closed for a three-day protest of the murder of the country's Minister for Religious Minorities.

Christian leaders in the country have said that if the persecution of people who "exercise their freedom of conscience and expression," is allowed to continue, then "criminals" vying to take over the country will be validated,according to the Associated Press.  See Chick's MEN OF PEACE?

Bible Study Raided by Police, Leader in Jail

Bible study leader Michael Salman is sitting in jail today after his home was raided earlier this week by more than a dozen Phoenix, Ariz. police officers and city officials. His offense? The city says people aren’t allowed to hold private Bible studies on their own property.


Salman was sentenced to 60 days in jail, three years probation and received a $12,180 fine for “the crime.” His wife Suzanne spoke with Fox and Friends this morning to express her shock and disbelief at the entire situation. According to Suzanne, the city told her that her husband was essentially arrested because the Bible study was at a private house .. and that essentially, it’s a church. Since they weren’t zoned for church, they were told they were breaking the rules.

“It defies logic, honestly. I don’t understand … that something so small got so large like this,” Suzanne said. “People do it all over the United States all the time.”

John Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute believes the family is being discriminated against because of their faith. “The key is — the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion … the right to assemble and talk to each other wherever you want to be – in public or in your home,” he said. “The thing that I think is so shocking is that you might expect this in Iran or [some place] around the world … but happening in the United States, this is so shocking it’s beyond belief.”

Phoenix City Prosecutor Vicki Hill said in a statement: “It came down to zoning and proper permitting. Anytime you are holding a gathering of people continuously as he does, we ave concerns about people being able to exit the facility properly in case there is a fire, and that’s really allt his comes down to.”

See Chick's THE ATTACK.

Holmes Returns To Catholic Faith

Five years after revealing that she had started to study Scientology, Katie Holmes has officially returned to the Catholic faith, registering as a parishioner at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City.

“Everyone is thrilled to have Katie join us,” a member of the church's choir told me. “She has not yet attended a service, but when she does she will be welcomed with open arms.”

The church, located on 16th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, is known for non traditional Catholic positions, like welcoming of many gay and lesbian Catholics. Its mission statement indicates that the Roman Catholic Church parish “strives to be a prophetic, welcoming community, inclusive witness to the presence of Christ Jesus in our midst.” Its website proclaims that it is a respectful community, “where seekers and their questions are welcomed, where injustice is challenged, where the poor, the alienated and marginalized find a home, and where people are refreshed, reconciled and renewed.”

Cruise and Holmes just issued a joint statement saying, "We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents."

The New York parish is no stranger to celebrity faces: Liberal Nancy Pelosi was seen pressing the flesh there while serving as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. See Chick's MEN IN BLACK.

FDLS Suspected in Cat Torture

A live cat was found recently half-buried in concrete, and the man who rescued the kitten believes it was a message from a pro-polygamy religious group.

The incident happened recently in Colorado City, Ariz., a major center for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a Mormon sect that split off in the early 20th century in order to continue the controversial practice of plural marriage.

The kitten was discovered at the home of Isaac Wyler, a former church member, who has spoken out against the church and its controversial former leader Warren Jeffs,according to AzFamily.com.

Jeffs, who was found guilty last year of sexually assaulting two underage girls he had wed, is currently in protective custody in a prison in Palestine, Texas, serving a life term plus 20 years.

Andrew Chatwin, who, like Wyler, is a former member of the FDLS, found the cat inside one of a metal tube used to construct cement posts, according to RightThisMinute.com.

In order to rescue the cat, Chatwin had to cut the post and dig out the footing. He took the feline to an animal sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, where it died a few days later.

Chatwin, who left the FLDS 13 years ago, believes the cruel act was done by members of his former church. He claims both the threats and the animal killings have been going on for years.

Chatwin also claims that when he reported the cruel act to Colorado City sheriffs, they didn't seem too concerned.

"[The officer] kind of chuckled and laughed a little bit and then he said that if it was up to him, he'd just throw dirt on [the cat]," Chatwin said. "And this is coming from a city marshal who's a member of the FLDS Church."

Neither the FLDS or the Colorado City Sheriffs Dept. returned phone calls from The Huffington Post.

The U.S. Justice Department recently filed a lawsuit against government officials in Colorado City, and the neighboring border town of Hildale, Utah, for alleged civil rights violations, including acting as de-facto agents for the church, denying ex-members and non-members of the FLDS Church access to everything from police services to housing and utilities, according to KSTU-TV.

At the time the lawsuit was filed, Chatwin told the station that the Colorado City government was “a theocracy.”

“They keep starving people right out of the community,” he said. “To where they can’t get employment, they can’t get decent service. I can’t even use the Hildale clinic that (is) here. I have to travel a half-hour, 45 minutes just to get a doctor’s visit.” See Chick's THE VISITORS.

Christians In Israel Fight Over Church

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) -- The annual cleaning of one of Christianity's holiest churches deteriorated into a brawl between rival clergy Wednesday, as dozens of monks feuding over sacred space at the Church of the Nativity battled each other with brooms until police intervened.

The ancient church, built over the traditional site of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, is shared by three Christian denominations — Roman Catholics, Armenians and Greek Orthodox. Wednesday's fight erupted between Greek and Armenian clergy, with both sides accusing each other of encroaching on parts of the church to which they lay claim.

The monks were tidying up the church ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations in early January, following celebrations by Western Christians on Dec. 25. The fight erupted between monks along the border of their respective areas. Some shouted and hurled brooms.

Palestinian security forces rushed in to break up the melee, and no serious injuries were reported. A Palestinian police spokesman would not immediately comment.

A fragile status quo governs relations among the denominations at the ancient church, and to repair or clean a part of the structure is to own it, according to accepted practice. That means that letting other sects clean part of the church could allow one to gain ground at another's expense. Similar fights have taken place during the same late-December cleaning effort in the past.

Tensions between rival clergy at the church have been a fact of life there for centuries and have often been caught up in international politics.

In the 1800s, friction between the denominations at the church — each backed by foreign powers — became so fraught that Russian Czar Nicholas I deployed troops along the Danube to threaten a Turkish sultan who had been favoring the Catholics over the Orthodox.

Those disagreements threaten the integrity of the church itself, which was originally built 1,500 years ago and parts of which have fallen into disrepair. Although the roof has needed urgent work for decades, and leaking rainwater has ruined much of the priceless artwork inside, a renovation has been delayed all these years by disagreements among the denominations over who would pay.

Only recently, the Palestinian Authority brokered an agreement to move ahead with replacing the roof, and officials hope work will begin in 2012. See Chick's WHY NO REVIVAL?

Woman Murdered by Muslim Husband for Demonic Possession

A Muslim woman's husband and his family were convicted of killing her in 2009 because they thought she was possessed.

The verdict was reached this month.

Mohammed Mumtaz, 25, of Birmingham, England was convinced his pregnant wife, Naila Mumtaz, 21, was possessed by an evil spirit, according to the BBC. He claimed during the trial that the spirit made her strangle herself to death.

Prosecutor Christopher Hotten quoted details of Mumtaz's account to police after his wife's death, according to the BBC.

"He said she started to grab her own face and was screaming in anger. It was like she couldn't remember who we were. She suffocated herself by putting her hand in her mouth and she tried to strangle herself."

But the jury did not believe Mumtaz killed herself. The Birmingham Post reports that the panel found all four defendants -- Mohammed, his parents, and his brother -- guilty.

"This was a tragic and deeply upsetting case, where a young woman had her life so horrifically ended by those she loved and trusted," said Detective Inspector Simon Astle, according to the Post. "It is unthinkable that those she was closest to would take her life in the belief that she had been possessed by evil spirits."

Wendy Bounds, a lawyer from the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said the verdict should provide some hope.

"This case demonstrates that it is possible to achieve justice for girls in Naila’s situation who are far away from their family, unable to speak English and with no one to turn to for help," she said, according to the Daily Mail. "Our thoughts are with Naila’s family at this time and we hope that today’s conviction brings some comfort to them." See Chick's MEN OF PEACE?