Politics and religion make strange bedfellows   By Mary Ann Mueller VOL Special Correspondent www.virtueonline.org September 29, 2025   In September, two new Millennial saints were created – the first Carlo Acutis (lifespan 1991-2006) canonized by the Roman Catholic Church; the other Charlie Kirk (lifespan 1993-2025) minted by the American Republican Party.   Both millennials shared a common name – Charles. Carlos is Spanish for Charles and Charlie is a familiar nickname for Charles.   The Millennials – sandwiched between Gen X and Gen Z – born between 1981-1996 are sometimes called the Y Generation. They are the up-and-coming-of-age generation who have already stepped into the mainstream of academia, finance, medicine, entertainment, media, the arts, sports, law enforcement, activism, science, the military, politics, judicial, social action, and religion.   The Millennial generation is a mixture of saints and sinners, heroes and scoundrels, the virtuous and villains. They include: Pop star Beyoncé (1981); World class tennis player Serena Williams (1981); Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg Prince Guillaume (1981); Columbine High School shooting survivor Anne Marie Hochhalter (1981); Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (1982); William, the Prince of Wales (1982); 2019 Miss America Nia Franklin (1983); FOX News White House correspond Kristin Anne Fisher (1983); Social media developer & entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg (1984); Political commentator Ben Shapiro (1984); North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (1984); Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Salman (1985); Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko (1985); Jamaican Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt (1986); Chile President Gabriel Borde (1986); Lubbock, Texas Chief Prosecuting Attorney Laura Beth Fossett (1986); French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecorne (1986); US Sen. Jon Ossoff (1987); Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Federal Judge Whitney Hermandorfer (1987); British Olympian Sir Andy Murray (1887); Ecuador President Daniel Noboa (1987); American Grammy-winning Rapper Lizzo (1988); Iceland Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadóltir (1988); and grieving widow & mother Erika Kirk (1988).   ALSO: CNN Political Reporter Andrew Kaczynski (1989); US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (1989); Competitive Dutch Dart player Michael van Gerwen (1989); American Grammy winning singer Taylor Swift (1989); Washtenaw County, Michigan Sheriff Alyshia Dyer (1990); Federal Judge Joshua Divine (1990); Progressive Episcopal priest Fr. Charles Graves, IV (1990); British NHS Surgeon Dr. Karan Rajan (1991); Catholic Saint Carlo Acutis (1991); British Olympic cyclist Dame Laura Kenny (1992); Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk (1993); PGA Golfer Justin Thomas (1993); Canadian Pop star Justin Bieber (1994); Mass murderer on death row Dylann Roof (1994); alleged Episcopal boarding school sex games participate Owen Labrie (1995); American gymnast Olympic gold medal winner Gabby Douglas (1995); NFL Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (1996); Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvany (1996) … there are an estimated 78 million millennials in the United States alone.   For some reason Kirk's death on the campus of Utah Valley University struck a chord. The death instantly produced a lot of political rhetoric on both sides of the aisle and free speech battles resulting in jobs being lost for perceived unfavorable comments. But, unlike with the 2020 death of George Floyd, the country did not erupt into violence, looting, fire bombs and riots.   Last Sunday (Sept. 21) Kirk was honored at a massive five-hour memorial service which was more political than religious. It drew the heavy hitters of the Republican Party including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, presidential cabinet members and a congressional delegation.   Kirk's memorial service was one of the largest memorial service gatherings in recent memory for a nongovernmental private citizen.   His service drew a total crowd of 73,000 in Phoenix’s State Farm Stadium, another 20,000 overflowing into the Desert Diamond Arena.   In 1977 Elvis Presley drew a crowd of 80,000 in Memphis. The Martin Luther King funeral procession was 150,000 strong in 1968. More than 14,000 showed up to honor Muhammad Ali in 2016 and when Billy Graham died in 2018 more than 13,000 filed past his casket lying in state in Washington, DC's Capitol Rotunda.   Presley was a pop singer, King was a civil rights leader, Ali was a boxer, Graham was a religious leader, and Kirk was a conservative millennial political debater.   Wikipedia lists Kirk's gathering as the third largest memorial/funeral outpouring on American soil in living memory following that of President John F. Kennedy's 1963 State Funeral and MLK’s funeral rites in 1968. As the sitting American president JFK was the highest-ranking government official in the land. His state funeral drew international heads of state. More than one million people lined the streets of Washington to witness his funeral caisson pass by.   But in this age of the Internet and social media millions tuned in to follow Kirk's highly politicalized religious service. Since his untimely September 10 death, he has become idolized and his memory has been met with adulation. FOX reports that more than 100 million followed Kirk's service live online.   Because of his strong attachment to politics his death has been elevated to an assassination. Some have even tried to call him a martyr. But martyrdom is reserved for those who die proclaiming Christ with their final breath or die because they are believing Christians or Jews. Technically the millions of World War II Jewish Holocaust victims at Nazi hands could be considered martyrs because they died specifically because they were Jewish. Although the Jewish mindset sees it somewhat differently.   Others have equated Kirk as a modern-day Old Testament prophet crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord.”   Open Doors reports: “Every day, an average of more than 12 Christians are killed for their faith. That’s one Christian every two hours … murdered because they follow Jesus.”   That is true modern-day martyrdom. Dying for the faith not for political leanings or cultural ideology. Many die daily in Africa at the hands of radical Islamists.   Open Doors, founded by Brother Andrew van der Bijl to smuggle Bibles behind the Iron Curtain, keeps track of violence, persecution and the killing of Christians worldwide.   Charlie Kirk was a millennial political advocate who happened to be a very strong evangelical Christian. He was raised Presbyterian but at his death was a part of the Calvary Chapel network with its charismatic leanings. His widow, Erika, is a Roman Catholic who is reportedly a daily Mass-goer, and some reports say that Charlie had an interest in exploring more about his wife's Catholic faith. He would go to church with her and his children are being raised as Catholics. He had not crossed the Tiber but was apparently testing the waters when he unexpectedly died.   However, Kirk was not defending to his death the Faith once delivered to the Saints as a single bullet felled him in Orem, Utah. He was discussing transgender violence.   Hunter Kozak, a 29-year-old Utah Valley University undergraduate student, was the final person to ask Kirk a question on the first leg of his American Comeback Tour on college campuses.   “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” Kozak asked.   “Too many,” Kirk responded.   “Five,” Kozak noted. “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk queried.   Then a single shot rang out … Kirk was hit in the neck … he was rushed to the hospital where … he died.   Kirk was the public face of Turning Point USA which is aligned with the Christian Right and advocates for conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses.   He is credited with helping to create and galvanize a millennial political coalition which helped to catapult Donald Trump back into the White House in 2024, just as conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh was critical in helping Trump first secure the White House in 2016. For that feat in 2020 Trump rewarded Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom just a year before he died of lung cancer.   Trump has already announced that he will posthumously present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk for the political engagement which cost him his life.   CARLO ACUTIS   The actual Millennial saint that the Catholic Church has elevated is Carlo Acutis who was born two years before Kirk.   Young Carlos developed an interest in computers and was fond of video games. He also was dedicated to his faith and lived it to the fullest as a Catholic. He attended Mass and was devoted to Adoration. He led a fully Sacramental prayer life. Yet, he was a modern teen. He learned how to program and developed a website to track Eucharistic miracles. He died at 15 but showed that ordinary teen-agers and young people can be engaged in the fast-paced Internet world yet be loyal Christians and remain faithful to their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.   Carlos was frequently seen wearing a polo shirt with a laptop stuffed in his backpack. Pope Leo XIV canonized him on Sunday September 7, 2025 the same day that Hunter Kozak’s baby daughter was born and three days before Charlie Kirk met his death.   Initially Carlos Acutis was supposed to be canonized on April 27. But Pope Francis died on April 21, postponing Carlos’ ceremony until after the Conclave and election of a new pope. When the canonization happened on September 7 more than 80,000 from around the world found their way to the Vatican to witness the event. Almost as many as showed up for Kirk's memorial service in Arizona. Saint Carlos' feast day is October 12.   In October 2006, when Carlos died from leukemia, there was no one clamoring “Santo Subito” – Sainthood now! The Pope or the president nor the prime minister of Italy or the mayor Milan took notice. Throngs did not show up to his simple funeral.   Yet, eventually the Catholic Church started to take notice and realized there was something special about this teen. How he used his computer to evangelize. How he quietly lived out his faith. How he remained true to Christ.   Carlos Acutis eventually became the first canonized Millennial saint. Others will surely follow.   The last words the young teen uttered to his mother on his deathbed were: “Mom, don't be afraid. Since Jesus became a man, death has become the passage towards life, and we don't need to flee it. Let us prepare ourselves to experience something extraordinary in eternal life."   Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.

By Toby Cohen http://www.religiousintelligence.org/ June 10th, 2010     Episcopal vacancies are opening up across the Church, and in the next few years the House of Bishops could have a very different complexion. With the Church teetering on the brink of some major changes, there is particular curiosity about the mentality of the new men under the mitres.     The Assistant Area Dean of Southampton, the Rev Canon Geoffrey Annas, was announced last week as the next Bishop of Stafford. As his new Diocesan Bishop, the Rt Rev John Gledhill, makes clear, Canon Annas has just the right sort of credentials: He has won the respect of the whole community and many attribute a drop in serious crime to the neighbourliness and vision of St Christopher [Thornhill, where he was made vicar in 94].He has overseen the establishment of the Southampton Street Pastors Scheme and a new Academy school, under the auspices of the Diocese and Oasis Trust. More recently he has been assistant Area Dean in the large Southampton Deanery, caring for clergy and lay leaders.     Canon Annas expertise in important frontline Church initiatives qualifies him well for service in any part of the organisation, as he acknowledges in an interview during his return to Lichfield last week, 25 years after his only previous visit there on a diocesan retreat. My background has obviously been very much in ministry in the urban setting, but I spend a lot of time today with people in the rural setting and that been fascinating. The links between the two [are fascinating] as well. There not as much diversity between the two as people make out.     He will miss the people he has worked with in Southampton, but is confident in their ability to carry on the good work; he is aware of great achievements being made in Lichfield, but is confident in the call of God and the help of his supportive team.     So far there is little to distinguish him from the other humble and enthused servants of the Church who have been selected for elevation. But Canon Annas himself detects a shift: There a general change in culture at the moment. It not just in the Church, I think the result of the General Election is an indication that people generally are looking now more towards consensual ways forward rather than being competitive all the time.     We sometimes make the mistake that everyone wants something new but there a lot that good about the traditional ways we’ve always done things and it just about bringing the two together really, which is what I meant by the consensual thing.     That might not be the change others in the Church are talking about. And if they are talking about it at Synod this summer, they may have to look hard to find that spirit of consensus which the Archbishop of Canterbury was pleading for in February.     So how has that culture of consensus affected Canon Annas own stance on disputed issues?     I haven’t compromised at all, in that I am totally supportive of women bishops and I very much value the ministry of my female colleagues. And I look forward to the time when they exercise Episcopal ministry as well.     Although I’m 100 per cent behind the ordination of women to the episcopate, I’m also incredibly sensitive to those who find it difficult, and this is again where the consensual thing comes in. The last thing that I want is for anybody to feel alienated, I think the Church should be inclusive and so I think we have to work within that.     So perhaps traditionalists needn’t be too worried just yet. The new Bishop of Stafford joins the large gang of Church liberals who believe in incremental development rather than table-turning reform. He plays the same line on gays: My feelings about openly gay clergy - I personally have no issues with that at all, but I think again like the ordination of women to the episcopate it something where there needs to be enormous sensitivity.     I’m not somebody who will overthrow rules and regulations for the sake of it, because I think if you do that you get chaos and anarchy, but I am somebody who will work to build a consensus to change rules and regulations and I would hope that in the future at some point people could be allowed to be true to themselves.     It is not a sin to be a homosexual, and that is very much the teaching of the Church of England. What the Church does teach is that actually whether you’re heterosexual or gay, outside of a committed married relationship, there should be no physical sexual activity.       Well, as you realise, unless you’re saying to me that gay people should marry, which I personally wouldn’t agree with, you’re going to deprive gay people of that possibility of having a physical relationship, which to my mind seems contrary to what being in a creative loving relationship is all about.       This is where traditionalists and liberals alike may wish to interject. No one is asking him to overthrow rules and regulations for the sake of it. Liberal society is asking him to do it, primarily, for the sake of those still suffering at the sharp end of our culture homophobic heritage. The Church might not like being seen as the great curator of that heritage, but at least this shows that some of that society has not laughed and walked away.       Traditionalists are asking why, if he feels women are entitled to be bishops and people who are gay entitled to physical relationships without being excluded, he doesn’t take a stand and openly challenge the Church, instead of sneakily undermining it.       Talk about a poisoned chalice. At least he is in good company as he steps out on to this tightrope, on which the Archbishop of Canterbury is another balanced with his crosier. Canon Annas is steeled to face these challenges while preserving strength to concentrate on the issues most dear to him, such as climate change and the damage of the recession.       On one line he is united with a great many in the Church: All too often newspapers are focussing on these two particular issues, when there are so many issues... A lot of the Church agenda is dictated by the media so I encourage you and urge you to start broadening it a bit.     Who can blame him?   END

December 2012     Dear VOL friend and loyal supporter,     2013 was another tumultuous year in the life of the Anglican Communion.     In March 2013, an evangelical, Justin Welby was enthroned as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, putting behind eight years of liberally minded Rowan Williams and what many viewed as a disastrous period in the life of the Anglican Communion with unresolved sexuality issues and a failed Covenant.     The year ended with some 1400 Evangelical and Anglo-Catholic Anglican leaders meeting in Nairobi under the banner of GAFCON II to forge a new way ahead for the Anglican Communion that is orthodox in faith and morals. They left no doubt as to where they stood as guardians of the faith. They greeted the archbishop’s brief presence in Nairobi with polite applause; he offered them nothing that assured them of Canterbury’s commitment to biblical faithfulness in the area of sexual fidelity to marriage between a man and a woman. They were unmoved by his less than sterling support of them and they proceeded to setup the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE).       The polarization within the Anglican Communion only heightened during the year with the Episcopal Church pushing the boundaries on sexuality issues in an attempt to redefine marriage in order to accommodate a handful of men and women who wanted to marry their same-sex partners. Gay Rites were put forth for experimentation by liberal bishops so clergy could legitimize same-sex unions even though gay marriage is still technically off the table. The Washington National Cathedral announced that they would be the first in line to use experimental Rites. Everyone, of course, knows where this is ultimately going. The Episcopal Church decision to endorse marriage equality follows the approval of a Rite for the Blessing of a same-sex relationship at the 2012 General Convention.       Lawsuits against four dioceses continued in 2013 and will continue on in 2014. The roughest and toughest calls will be made in South Carolina where the laws favor Bishop Mark Lawrence and TEC has experienced the most pushback. Tens of millions of dollars worth of real estate are at stake. An estimated $22 million has been spent to date on litigation by The Episcopal Church in an effort to retain or take back church properties in these dioceses. When TEC legally wins properties, the bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut, for example, is forced to sell them off to other denominations and to Muslims for conversion into mosques because they cannot financially support them.       The Global South, which is growing and vibrant, is committed to crossing boundaries and rescuing churches in the West under siege by liberal and revisionist bishops.       The Episcopal Church will continue to splinter in 2014 though at a slower pace. TEC will continue to wither and the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) will continue to grow. The theological divide will only widen in 2014. There will be triumphs and tragedies, winners and losers in the real estate battles. Aging and small TEC congregations will continue to shrink and there will be more diocesan mergers in 2014 (Ex. Quincy to Chicago). There will be ongoing realignment among the Continuers as well. VOL will document it all for you.     Given that we continue to live in a period of confusion and sometimes misinformation regarding the tragic state of the Anglican Church as a result of the unilateral and non-biblical decisions and actions of the North American church we are more grateful than ever for the clarity and relevance of Virtueonline. We thank God for this important and faithful ministry to the worldwide communion. -- Gregory James Venables, Bishop of Argentina and former Archbishop of the Southern Cone     Virtueonline remains a crucial source of information and analysis in the larger Anglican Communion.  I recommend it for its insight and breadth.  In our day it is critical to have news sources that are reliable and conservative. -- Rt. Rev Frank Lyons, Bishop of Bolivia     There is no one except David Virtue who provides us with timely and essential news, as well as searching biblical analysis of that news. In this he serves not only the biblically faithful in North America but throughout the Anglican Communion. It is my prayer and hope that he will be able to continue his service to us for years to come. -- The Right Reverend John H. Rodgers Jr. ThD. AMIA (ret)       The Anglican Communion is in the midst of a complex and critical time in its history and life. The situation is highly fluid at many levels and the events and decisions made impact deeply our mission and ministry. VOL has its finger on the pulse of the Communion, it knows the players and it goes where the action is. It is an essential resource for understanding and navigating the times in which we live. -- Rev. Jerry Kramer, Anglican Missionary to the Muslim World       I have been following his regular news and commentary for more than 10 years.  I continue to do so.  VOL pulls no punches and David is relentless in pursuing truth, particularly when people are abusing God Church.  David does not suffer despots in the Church and takes great trouble to expose their conduct.  Amongst the orthodox who write about the Anglican Communion David is guaranteed to have a strong opinion, take a strong stand and sometimes rub people the wrong way.  David never counts the cost so long as what is hidden may be exposed to the light of truth. -- Rev. Ian Montgomery, Missionary to the Anglican Diocese of Peru       In spite of the remarkable growth in the number of blogs and websites covering Anglican issues today, trying to find truly reliable and balanced Anglican news has actually become more difficult. Agendas and biases have replaced journalistic professionalism and integrity as the new guiding forces behind much of what is reported on the web today. VOL has been delivering the highest quality news and commentary for almost twenty years. David Virtue’s timely interviews and comprehensive analysis always give me the most accurate and insightful reports of what really matters to me and to my Anglican family. I am a VOL supporter, and I encourage you to join me to support VOL for the next 20 years. -- AMiA Bishop Doc Loomis.       Virtueonline allows me to know what is going on all over the Anglican scene, and usually in the words of the people directly involved.  I always read it each and every week. -- The Rt. Rev William Wantland, Bishop of Eau Clair (ret)       VirtueOnline is an incredibly valuable channel of global communication on all matters affecting the wider Christian body, and especially our Anglican part of it. I’ve always been impressed with David own writing that while appropriately acerbic, remains  insightful, theologically rich, and deftly humorous. VirtueOnline format has increasingly become both user friendly and comprehensive. I cannot commend it too highly. -- Peter C. Moore, former Dean and President of Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA     Your loyalty to our faithful reporting makes this unique Anglican news service worthwhile.     END

By The Denver Post     Colorado Episcopal Bishop Jerry Winterrowd expressed regret Thursday about supporting the election of the nation first openly gay bishop, saying the church was not ready. Winterrowd, who is retiring Dec. 31, said he went into August General Convention of the Episcopal Church USA intending to vote against the election of Gene Robinson as New Hampshire bishop.     His rationale: Robinson's election would fly in the face of the church desire to delay setting policy on blessing same-sex unions.     But Winterrowd said he became convinced that each diocese had the right to elect its own bishop.     Subsequently, I would say that I am on very thin ice there, Winterrowd said Thursday.     Winterrowd said he supports same-sex blessings, but some people perceive Robinson's election as tacit approval of such blessings.     That, Winterrowd said, is not the right forum for weighing same-sex blessings.     We have ordained a gay man as bishop, Winterrowd said. Personally, I favor that. But this diocese, and the whole American church, was not ready for that, and a lot of damage has been done.  Asked if he would vote for Robinson again, Winterrowd said he was not sure.   END

(Ventura, CA) - Any objective social analyst would conclude that the United States faces its fair share of moral and spiritual problems. A new research study from the Barna Research Group suggests that a large share of the nation moral and spiritual challenges is directly attributable to the absence of a biblical worldview among Americans. Citing the findings from a just-completed national survey of 2033 adults that showed only 4% of adults have a biblical worldview as the basis of their decision-making, researcher George Barna described the outcome. If Jesus Christ came to this planet as a model of how we ought to live, then our goal should be to act like Jesus. Sadly, few people consistently demonstrate the love, obedience and priorities of Jesus. The primary reason that people do not act like Jesus is because they do not think like Jesus. Behavior stem s from what we think - our attitudes, beliefs, values and opinions.     Although most people own a Bible and know some of its content, our  research found that most Americans have little idea how to integrate core biblical principles to form a unified and meaningful response to the challenges and opportunities of life. Were often more concerned with survival amidst chaos than with experiencing truth and significance.     Not Just Any Worldview     The research indicated that everyone has a worldview, but relatively few people have a biblical worldview - even among devoutly religious people. The survey discovered that only 9% of born again Christians have such a perspective on life. The numbers were even lower among other religious classifications: Protestants (7%), adults who attend mainline Protestant churches (2% ) and Catholics (less than one-half of 1%). The denominations that produced the highest proportions of adults with a biblical worldview were non-denominational Protestant churches (13%), Pentecostal churches (10%) and Baptist churches (8%).     Among the most prevalent alternative worldviews was postmodernism, which seemed to be the dominant perspective among the two youngest generations (i.e., the Busters and Mosaics).     For the purposes of the research, a biblical worldview was defined as believing that absolute moral truths exist; that such truth is defined by the Bible; and firm belief in six specific religious views. Those views were t hat Jesus Christ lived a sinless life; God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and He stills rules it today; salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned; Satan is real; a Christian has a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with other people; and the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings.     The Difference a Biblical Worldview Makes     One of the most striking insights from the research was the influence of such a way of thinking upon people behavior. Adults with a biblical worldview possessed radically different views on morality, held divergent religious beliefs, and demonstrated vastly different lifestyle choices.     Peoples’ views on morally acceptable behavior are deeply impacted by their worldview. Upon comparing the perspectives of those who have a biblical  worldview with those who do not, the former group were 31 times less likely to accept cohabitation (2% versus 62%, respectively); 18 times less likely to endorse drunkenness (2% versus 36%); 15 times less likely to condone gay sex (2% versus 31%); 12 times less likely to accept profanity 3% versus 37%) ; and 11 times less likely to describe adultery as morally acceptable (4% versus 44%). In addition, less than one-half of one percent of those with a biblical worldview said voluntary exposure to pornography was morally acceptable (compared to 39% of other adults), and a similarly miniscule proportion endorsed abortion (compared to 46% of adults who lack a biblical worldview).     Among the more intriguing lifestyle differences were the lesser propensity for those with a biblical worldview to gamble (they were eight times less likely to buy lottery tickets and 17 times less likely to place bets); to get drunk (three times less likely); and to view pornography (two times less common). They were also twice as likely to have discussed spiritual matter s with other people in the past month and twice as likely to have fasted for religious reasons during the preceding month. While one out of every eight adults who lack a biblical worldview had sexual relations with someone other than their spouse during the prior month, less than one out of every 100 individuals who have such a worldview had done so.     Some Groups Are More Likely to Have a Biblical Worldview     Adults who have a biblical worldview possessed a somewhat different demographic profile than those who did not. For instance, individuals who attended college were much more likely than those who did not to have this perspective (6% versus 2%, respectively). Married adults were more than twice as likely as adults who had never been wed to hold such a worldview (5% versus 2%). Whites (5%) were slightly more likely than either blacks (3%) or Hispanics (3%) to hold this ideology. One of the largest gaps was between Republicans (10% of whom had a biblical worldview), Independents (2%) and Democrats (1%).     Residents of Texas and North Carolina were more likely than people in other states to have a biblical worldview. Among the states in which such a worldview was least common were Louisiana and the six states in New England. The nation largest state - California - was average (i.e., 4% of its residents had a biblical worldview). Attributes such as gender, age and household income showed no statistical relationship to the possession of a biblical worldview. Some Churches Are Helping People     The research found that one of the most effective methods of enabling people to develop a biblical worldview is by addressing seven critical questions that consistently lead to beliefs and behaviors that are in tune with biblical teaching. Outlining that process in a new book he has written as an outgrowth of the research, entitled Think Like Jesus, Barna also noted that many churches are already helping their congregants to implement such a way of addressing daily challenges and opportunities.     The emphasis of these churches is to not only teach biblical perspectives, according to Barna, but also to help people connect the dots of the core principles taught. Rather than simply provide people with good material and hope they figure out what to do with it, these are churches whose services, programs, events and relationships are geared to weaving a limited number of foundational biblical principles into a way of responding to every life situation. The goal is to facilitate a means of interpreting and responding to every life situation that is consistent with God’s expectations. These are not perfect people, but once they catch on to the critical principles found in the Bible and train their minds to incorporate those views into their thinking, their behavior varies noticeably from the norm.     Research Source and Methodology     The data described above are from telephone interviews with a nationwide random sample of 33 adults conducted during September through November 03. The maximum margin of sampling error associated with the aggregate sample is B12.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All of the interviews were conducted from the Barna Research Group telephone interviewing facility in Ventura, CA. Adults in the 48 continental states were eligible to be interviewed and the distribution of respondents coincided with the geographic dispersion of the U.S. adult population. Multiple callbacks were used to increase the probability of including a reliable distribution of adults.     The data from the 03 survey was compared with figures on worldview possession compiled from Barna Research Group surveys conducted in 02 in order to assess the reliability of the new data. The 02 surveys also showed that just 4% of the aggregate population and 9% of the born again segment ha d a biblical worldview. Other repeated measures were compared, producing virtually identical results to the current measures.     Born again Christians were defined in these surveys as people who said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still import ant in their life today and who also indicated they believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Respondents were not asked to describe themselves as born again. Being born again is not dependent upon any church or denominational affiliation or involvement.     The Barna Research Group, Ltd. is an independent marketing research company located in southern California. Since 1984, it has been studying cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. If you would  like to receive regular e-mailings of a brief overview of each new bi-weekly update on the latest research findings from the Barna Research Group, you may subscribe to this free service at the Barna Research web site (www.barna .org).     END

by George H. Gallup Jr. Senior Staff Writer     After dipping to an all-time low in the wake of the recent sex abuse scandals afflicting the Catholic Church, weekly church attendance among Catholics appears to be on the rebound. However, historical  Gallup Poll data show that Protestants have now clearly overtaken Catholics in church attendance, for the first time in Gallup polling history. Between March 2002, when the news of the scandals broke, and February 2003, weekly church attendance among Catholics fell nine percentage points to 35%, the lowest measurement since Gallup began asking the question in 1955. By November 2003*, however, the figure had climbed 10 percentage points to 45%. Protestants levels of church attendance, meanwhile, remained fairly stable during this same period.     While it is up from earlier this year, that 45% figure among Catholics is 29 percentage points lower than the 74% recorded when this question was first asked in 1955. Comparatively, Protestants church attendance is actually slightly higher in November 2003 (48%) than it was in 1955 (42%).     George Gallup Jr. is the Chairman of the George H. Gallup International Institute and is recognized internationally for his research and study on youth, health, religion, and urban problems.   END

Associated Press COLUMBUS, Miss. - The Rev. Sandra DePriest has become the first Mississippi Episcopal priest to step down to protest the ordination of the church first openly gay bishop. DePriest told The Commercial Dispatch newspaper in Columbus that she could no longer actively serve as a priest until the gay bishop issue is resolved.     DePriest finished up with the Church of the Good Shepherd in Columbus and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Aberdeen on Christmas Day.     DePriest told the newspaper she was not resigning her vows for the time being, but could no longer actively serve as a priest until the gay bishop issue was resolved.     Earlier this year, Bishop V. Gene Robinson became the first openly gay man elevated to that rank in any major Christian body. Robinson was ordained after an August vote at the Episcopal Church USA General Convention in Minneapolis.     Many Episcopalians who believe in a traditional interpretation of the Bible want Robinson removed as bishop and have won the support of several American bishops.     DePriest said she is one of those opposed to Robinson ordination and her stance on the issue meant she could not continue leading worship.     I believe that my vows have been placed in conflict, DePriest said. I took vows to uphold Scripture when I was ordained ... and at the same time I took vows to uphold the doctrine and discipline of the Episcopal Church of the United States. And I cannot teach those doctrines and disciplines.     DePriest joined the priesthood after a 17-year career as a lawyer. She joined the seminary in 1996 and was ordained in 1999.     After spending two years as the priest of Christ Episcopal Church in Tuscaloosa, Ala., DePriest took her position with the two churches in Columbus and Aberdeen.     DePriest said the appointment of Robinson to a senior position within the church was a deal breaker for Episcopalians who believe in a traditional interpretation of the Bible.     DePriest said these Episcopalians consider homosexuality a sin that must be repented a belief completely at odds with Robinson openly gay lifestyle.     DePriest said for the moment, she is not willing to leave the church completely while there is hope that the rift can be repaired.     DePriest said the Episcopal Church USA was willing to provide alternative pastoral care for priests and congregations who were opposed to Robinson ordination. This arrangement, she said, is supposed to keep disgruntled members of the faith under the Episcopalian banner by allowing them to shift their churches under the authority of another bishop.     DePriest said this is unacceptable to members of the faith who are thinking about splitting from the church because they no longer support its leaders. DePriest said under present arrangements, those Episcopalians would have to abandon their churches and sever financial links with the church.     Bishop Duncan Gray of the Mississippi Diocese said the Anglican faith that Episcopalians practice - founded in England over 400 years ago - was based upon diversity of belief and tolerance.     We were founded in theological conflict, Gray said. Gray said the church had the ability to broker a compromise with in its DNA. He claimed a number of the 13 bishops who had been identified as working against the church leadership had since clarified and even retracted earlier statements.     Gray said a great deal of work is going on behind the scenes to broker a compromise.     This is certainly something that will be ongoing, but I’m very pleased with the efforts (of the church) to respect individual conscience, Gray said.     END

By Dr. Chris Seitz     As President of the Anglican Communion Institute I am pleased to announce the appearance of a new document drawn up for the orthodox Anglican presence within the United States and Canada. It is titled The Theological Charter for Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes of ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada. It follows in the same line as other ACI documents, including Claiming Our Anglican Identity and Steps of Discipline but is meant to serve as the theological mission statement for Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes in North America. It has been adopted as such by the Bishops who form the leadership for this network, whose Moderator is the Rt Revd Robert Duncan.     The Theological Charter will be a topic of discussion at the ACI January Conference in Charleston, SC on The Future of the Anglican Communion (St Philip Church, 8-9 January). The Archbishop of the West Indies, The Most Reverend Drexel Wellington Gomez, will be the keynote speaker at that event. Please join us for a lively discussion of important issues now facing Anglicans in the United States and in the wider Communion.     This site has on it the Theological Charter for our times. Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes is the umbrella organization in Communion with the wider Anglican Communion, with oversight by an international coalition of Primates, Bishops, Clergy and Laity, and exists for all those in their various situations who want the Episcopal Church to more than a mere reflection of the culture, but to be again a real witness to the joy lives dedicated to obedience and discipleship.     Here is offered a place where Dioceses, individual parishes or congregation, Bishops, Priests, Deacons and Laity can register their opposition to the current leadership and error of the national church, but more importantly express their hope and plans for the future, for rebuilding the Anglican presence in the United States.     The central document the undergirds the work of this coalition is available at VIRTUOSITY website www.virtuosityonline.org .     For more details see anglicancommunioninstitute.org , or contact The Revd Donald Armstrong at GraceRector@aol.com . http://www.AnglicanCommunionDioceses.org/     END

Anglican congregation challenges its bishop by refusing to perform gay marriages     Michael Higgins National Post December 23, 2003     An Anglican church defying its bishop by refusing to support same-sex unions has been terminated only days before Christmas.     The decision by Bishop Michael Ingham to close Holy Cross in Abbotsford, B.C., is the latest action in a dispute that is threatening to split the Anglican church worldwide. Despite the closure, the priest at Holy Cross, the Rev. James Wagner, vowed yesterday to celebrate mass on Christmas Day with parishioners.     As far as the diocese is concerned we do not exist. We are a nonentity, Mr. Wagner said yesterday. But I will not abandon these people. I will continue to pastor and pray for them in the midst of this crisis.     He said the decision to close the church was a surprise because it so close to Christmas.   Ronald Harrison, executive archdeacon of the Diocese of New Westminster, said Holy Cross brought the closure upon itself by seeking episcopal oversight from another bishop. He said that a result of the church declaring itself independent was that its funds had been stopped and eventually the bishop was forced to close it.     The decision by Bishop Ingham to sanction same-sex unions and the broader issue of homosexuality are dividing Anglicans. In October, church leaders met at a crisis conference in London called in part because of Bishop Ingham approval of same-sex unions. The Canadian House of Bishops has also set up a task force to look at parishes opposed to Bishop Ingham's decision.     Holy Cross, a mission church that relies on its funding from the diocese, is part of a group of breakaway churches in New Westminster that was seeking episcopal oversight by Bishop Terry Buckle of the Yukon.     In October, the Diocesan Council of New Westminster voted to close Holy Cross but needed Bishop Ingham approval. However, funding was withdrawn from the church.     In a letter dated Dec. 18, Bishop Ingham informed Mr. Wagner that he had decided to close the church.     Mr. Wagner said he told parishioners the news on Sunday. They were shocked and surprised that it would come at this time. When they got the news it was four days before Christmas.     None of the other churches in the breakaway group has been closed. Because they are incorporated individually, and don’t rely on funding from the diocese, they have been able to carry on.   Mr. Wagner said his church was being ostracized within the diocese though it is aligned with Anglican thinking worldwide.     Substantially we are right in step with Anglicans throughout the world and that has great consolation for them [the parishioners] because they very much want to be Anglicans. They are not doing things rebelliously and very much want to be a part of the family of Anglicans throughout the world, Mr. Wagner said.     The termination of the church meant they were like sheep without a shepherd, he said.     He said although they would celebrate Mass on Christmas Day, they would not be recognized as Anglicans. It not just that the Diocese of New Westminster will not recognize us as Anglicans, the really sad thing is that, unofficially, there are many Anglicans who want to recognize us, but, officially, there is no one that will recognize us as such.     Mr. Wagner had already had his pay cut off by the diocese and said he now needed to consult with his lawyer to see what his position is.     I don’t regret what I am doing or the circumstances I find myself in. I think that Jesus often talked about his disciples having to count the cost and having to take up their cross, he said.     He called on the Canadian House of Bishops and primates internationally for clear leadership.     Mr. Wagner said the parish had already been in discussion with the House of Bishops task force. The task force was set up to establish adequate provision for Episcopal oversight of dissenting minorities.     It followed a call from Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, to warned the Anglican Church was in danger of splintering over the issue of homosexuality.     After the task force was set up, Bishop Ingham wrote to Holy Cross offering to restore its funding if it accepted his authority.     Mr. Harrison said the bishop had never had a satisfactory reply except from Mr. Wagner, who said he was consulting his lawyer.     We support and fund all kinds of things, including mission initiatives, but if they have openly declared their hostility to the diocese and the diocesan bishop and will not rescind that even when the bishop has stepped back from the plate, the question is: Why would we fund that?     The decision was made months ago and the bishop withheld his decision while he waited for the parish to respond favourably. They didn’t correspond with him. It has nothing to do with Christmas. We have been waiting for their response for some time.     +++     Church at home with the Lord Holy Cross celebrates Christmas in priest living room.     Ai Lin Choo, Vancouver Sun December 26, 2003     ABBOTSFORD Surrounded by Christmas wrappings, presents and excited children, about 20 members of Abbotsford newly terminated Church of the Holy Cross gathered in their priest living room for Christmas service Thursday.     While the gathering was mostly upbeat and included the usual Christmas songs and nativity stories, the reasons behind the domestic gathering were still on the minds of many.     We as a church community will continue as we always have. It unfortunate that the diocese has felt the need to close down the mission, said Dave Chapman, who has been a member of the church since it opened in 2001.     Thursday was the first time parishioners had met for a service since hearing that Bishop Michael Ingham had decided to terminate their mission. The small church has been battling Ingham ever since he decided to sanction same-sex marriages in the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster.     Reverend James Wagner said the service renewed his commitment to his congregation, adding, we will continue to worship, even though were apparently not recognized formally.     The makeshift church looked like any other Christmas-morning household. Children ran around excitedly displaying and playing with their new toys. But for the parishioners, the atmosphere reiterated a sense of loss -- of not feeling like they belong to a larger community.     We hear a lot about tolerance and diversity and that diverse views should be respected. It seems to me a strange way to resolve conflict, said Chapman. He said he has been feeling frustrated and disappointed since hearing that the church has been cut off from the New Westminster diocese. He finds it ironic that a church is closing down a mission when, in his view, churches are supposed to be about opening new missions.     There just something strangely ironic and surreal about all this. And although the mission church is only three years old, member Rachel Weiland said she is very hurt by the closure.   We follow the minority these days and we stick to the word of God and the diocese doesn’t, so they just cut us off, she said.     While the New Westminster diocese does not place an obligation on priests to perform same-sex marriages, Wagner says the issue is only part of the fight with the diocese. Members of the mission church say they differ from their diocese in their belief that gays and lesbians can be cured of their sexual orientation.     Wagner says the controversy is now being looked at by a task force at the Canadian House of Bishops for dissenting parishes and hopes the decision to terminate the church will be overturned. Beyond that, he says, he has no plans for what he will do next. I haven’t thought that far yet.     Because the New Westminster diocese withdrew funding to the church in October, Wagner doubts the congregation will be able to continue to meet in the location where it has been holding services lately – a senior’s room at the Matsqui Recreational Centre.     But Jeremy Smyth, who described the mood Thursday as quiet and reflective, said that doesn’t mean it lacked joy. In a strange way, I am joyful because as a Christian, I find it a joy to be persecuted for Jesus’ sake -- especially at Christmas time when were caught up in the stress and activities of preparing for it, he said.     END

Over 2000 orthodox Episcopalians to gather this week at AAC plano east meeting in Virginia     This Friday and Saturday, January 9-10, 2004, the Virginia and Washington DC Chapters of the American Anglican Council (AAC) will host their Plano-East gathering at the Hylton Memorial Chapel in Woodbridge, Virginia.  The event, theme A Place to Stand, A Call to Mission, is designed as a follow-up to the AAC A Place To Stand: Declaring, Preparing conference that was held in Dallas, Texas in October 2003 (also known as the Plano (Conference).Over 2000 people have already registered for the Virginia event and registrations continue to come in at a rapid pace. (Over 2700 Episcopalians attended the Dallas conference.)     The Virginia gathering will feature several of the keynote speakers from the Dallas event, including the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh and acting Moderator/Convener of the newly forming Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes. (An organizational meeting for the Network will be held in Plano, Texas on January 19-20, 2004.)     Also speaking in Woodbridge will be the Rev. Canon Dr. Kendall Harman, Canon Theologian of the Diocese of South Carolina, as well as a number of leaders in the local Virginia Episcopal community, including the Rev. John Yates, rector of the Falls Church, the Rev. Canon Martyn Minns, rector of Truro Church, and the Rev. John Guernsey, rector of All Saints Church.  All Saints is serving as the host church for the event.   This conference is about proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and moving forward with the mission of the Church, said the Rev. John Guernsey. It is also another opportunity for orthodox Episcopalians to take a strong and unified stand against the grievous actions of the Episcopal Church.     Registrations have been received from 49 dioceses and 25 states and they keep pouring in, added Fr. Guernsey. The overwhelming response shows that Episcopalians remain deeply troubled by the actions of ECUSA.     The conference has four goals:     -- To declare our faith and commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Anglican Communion.   -- To encourage faithful Episcopalians and help us understand and prepare for the emerging realignment of an orthodox and vital Anglicanism in the United States.   -- To prepare and strengthen ourselves and those whom we serve to become a missionary church dedicated to the Great Commission.   -- To inspire the next generations to seek the face of God and to equip them to stand on His Word and share the Good News of Jesus     The conference is free and parallel tracks are offered for youth and children, including babysitting for infants.  More information can be obtained on the conference and on registration by visiting the AAC-Virginia website at http://www.aacvirginia.org .     Media are welcome to attend the Plano-East gathering and should contact Bruce Mason or Claire Whitehill at the AAC office to register   (202-296-5360).  On Friday afternoon, Fr. Guernsey, Canon Minns and others will be available for interviews. Bishop Duncan may also be available.     -----     EVENT LOCATION:   The Cecil D. Hylton Memorial Chapel 14640 Potomac Mills Road Woodbridge, VA. 22192 Phone: (703) 590-0076 For directions, visit: www.hyltonchapel.org   EVENT SCHEDULE:   FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2004 4:00 pm - Registration begins 7:00 pm - Gathering Call to Worship 7:30 pm - Welcoming Address: The Rev. John A.M. Guernsey Festival Eucharist: The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh, preacher and celebrant   SATURDAY JANUARY 10, 2004 8:00 am - Late Registration 8:30 am - Gathering Worship, Morning Prayer and Bible Teaching: The Rev. Dr. John W. Yates 9:15 am - Anglican Essentials: The Rev Dr. Kendall Harmon 10:00 am - Panel Discussion: Latest Developments & the Emerging Realignment   The Rev. Canon Martyn Minns, Diane Knippers, The Rev. Canon Dr. Kendall Harmon, Hugo Blankingship, Andrew Pearson   11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Lunch, on your own 1:00 pm - It All About Mission: International Mission, Local Mission, Youth and Young Adult Mission   4:00 pm - Closing Address: The Rev. Canon Martyn Minns 4:30 pm - Adjourn     END

News Analysis     By UWE SIEMON-NETTO UPI Religion Writer The following question is of course highly speculative and may sound slightly off the wall, but it still makes some sense: Could 2004 be a Nigerian year? Consider the following: Chances are that pope John Paul II, who is very ill and tired, will not last for another 12 months. Who will take his place? One of the likely prospects is Cardinal Francis Arinze, 71, an Ibo from Nigeria and now prefect of the Vatican Congregation on Divine worship. He is tough, energetic knows how to handle youth -- and most importantly perhaps - - is an expert on Islam.     Then consider another branch of Christianity -- the Anglicans. The most powerful traditionalist voice is that of archbishop Peter Akinola, primate of the Anglican province of Nigeria with 17 million-18 million faithful.     His see, Abuja, may well become the Canterbury of the 21st century, just as Constantinople once proclaimed itself the second and Moscow the third Rome. As conjecture in Anglican circles goes, the current archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, will continue to waffle on the crisis in the Episcopal Church USA.     But time is running out. Ten out of the 11 African primates want to cut ties with the tiny American offshoot of Anglicanism, or at least the diocese of t he first openly homosexual bishop, Gene Robinson. Most Asians and Latin Americans feel the same way. And Peter Jensen, archbishop of Sydney in Australia, has already mused aloud about the possibility of shifting his allegiance from Canterbury to Abuja, Nigeria capital.     Akinola has already made clear that he will not let Americas wealth persuade him to make doctrinal concessions to what he considers the Western heresies.     In other words, there’ll be a split in world Anglicanism.   Now let guess on: Nigeria is not only home to two of the most powerful Christian prelates involved in the lesser clash of cultures -- the one pitting Scripture against false doctrine. Nigeria is also the place where the big culture war is being fought -- the conflict between radical Islam and Christianity, both growing rapidly.     Chances are, then, that Nigeria may become the main focus of religion reporters in the New Year -- or perhaps not. To begin with, nobody can predict when the pope will die, and who will take his place. Given the Church 2,000-year history it is very likely that after the polish pope 25-year reign, it will once again be an Italian turn.     It could be that Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Vienna will succeed him, or Cardinal Phillippe Barbarin, archbishop of Lyon and a man of great personal holiness, or maybe even the ageing Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, the German prefect of the Pontifical Congregation for the doctrine of Faith, who might bring theological order back into the Roman Church.     Or it could be anybody. Suffice it to say the biggest religion story of 2004 will presumably come from Rome, and that five things can be considered a given about the new man on St. Peter throne:     1. He is a disciplinarian, which John Paul II is not, which accounts for a considerable theological chaos in the Church.     2. He has John Paul passion for the young.     3. He is, like John Paul, able to garner the respect of representative of other faiths, especially Islam.     4. He shares his commitment to ecumenism, without which it would be hard t o accomplish the next pontiff perhaps most important task:     5. He must continue John Paul strategy of re-evangelizing Europe and thus strengthen the Christian Church against the potential onslaught of Islamic radicalism.     There are many small signs pointing to Europe slow spiritual recovery: There is the fact that 70 percent of the new ordinands in the Church of England are evangelical. There is the reawakening of Christian intellectual life in France -- and the missionary zeal of the Catholic and Protestant churches in that most secularized of all European nations.     There is substantial evidence for a reawakening of religious interests in Germany, where pastors suddenly rank second-highest in the public estimation of various professions, and where on regional television religious programs are the most popular. Another sign is that the American feature film Luther is a resounding success in the land of Luther, where only 20 years ago Protestant theologians called the Reformer passe.     These developments tend to be subtle -- less obvious than bloody acts of terrorism committed by terrorists in the name of Islam, or conflicts between Sunni and Shiite Muslims dominating the television news from Iraq.     But for the moment, sociologists of religion from both sides of the Atlantic agree, it looks as if in 2004 vibrant Christianity will be the most powerful faith in the world. Meanwhile, Islam may well provide bigger headlines, but has yet to find the ground it has lost 1,000 years ago.     Unless, of course, you consider militant Islamism the true voice of that religion. In that case, most Christian, Muslim and Jewish theologians would beg to disagree.     END

EDITORIAL   The TELEGRAPH 28/12/2003     It is a regrettable aspect of modern life, as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, asserted in his Christmas Day sermon, that those who show religious faith should sometimes be treated as figures of fun. The nervous sniggering about the Prime Minister's religious faith which ripples over the surface of the media from time to time, he asserted, is part of the same fear and unease towards religion that manifests itself in the proposal to ban the wearing of Muslim headscarves in French schools.     Dr Williams would be wrong, however, to assume that when people show irreverence towards religious figures it is necessarily a scornful response to their faith. If Dr Williams feels personally the object of mirth, he should reflect on some of the secular aspects of his work. The leaking of his Christmas Day sermon, much of which was trailed in a newspaper last Sunday, is typical of the tawdrier political practices developed by the New Labour spin machine but is unworthy of the office of Archbishop of Canterbury. A sermon is supposed to be a private communion between the priest and his congregation, not a media event, leaked and spun in advance to favoured journalists.     Dr Williams has become adept at using the media to his own ends. Yet he does so not to offer spiritual guidance but to advance a soft-Left political agenda. A full page of the Daily Mail last week was devoted to a piece by Dr Williams proffering family financial advice. The credit explosion has made life a lot easier in all sorts of good ways, he wrote. But it is in danger of slipping out of control unless we have some better regulation and some new attitudes. The Archbishop would more likely find himself being taken seriously were he to render unto the Government the business of financial regulation and concentrate a little more on spiritual leadership.     Since Dr Williams became Archbishop of Canterbury the Anglican Church has been riven by the debate over homosexual clergy. It is not easy to see how politically-correct Episcopalians from Virginia can be reconciled with fundamentalists from central Africa who are driven to preach blood and hellfire whenever the word homosexuality is mentioned, nor to see how schisms can be prevented. Dr Williams approach to the problem, however, seems to be not even to try.     In June, during the controversy over the abortive appointment of Dr Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading, Dr Williams secretary for public affairs, Jeremy Harris, penned a memo worthy of Alistair Campbell. The issue of homosexuality, suggested the memo, has to be managed in media terms by seeking to take the sting out of it and displacing it in the public mind. The memo went on to suggest a number of attractive alternative stories by which the media might be deflected from the issue of Dr John. ABC, as the memo referred to the Archbishop, was advised to deliver a reading of his own poems, make a high profile Lords intervention or announce a theological prize.     Unfortunately for Jeremy Harris, a former BBC journalist, the media turned out to be less gullible and less trivia-obsessed than Lambeth Palace imagined. Most newspapers stuck to the real story, the disquiet over the appointment of Dr John and into the circumstances of Dr John late decision to step down.     Dr Williams has been no less morally flabby on the issue of Islamic terrorism. On Christmas Day the Pope appealed to God to rid the world of the scourge of terrorism. The Archbishop of Canterbury, on the other hand, reserved his clearest condemnation for the West counter-terrorism campaign. Imprisoning terrorist suspects in Guantanamo Bay and Belmarsh prison, he complained, sends out the wrong message to Muslim societies. Those of the Christian faith, he said, should show themselves to be on the side of humanity by making sacrifices for the sake of justice.     The sacrifices to which Dr Williams refers presumably involve risking another terrorist attack on the scale of September 11. So far, the counter-terrorist campaign has been remarkably successful in preventing al-Qaeda attacks in Europe and America, in spite of that organisation strikes elsewhere in the world. Moreover, this has been achieved without any curtailment of the rights of ordinary Muslims in Britain and America, who are free to practise their faith with a degree of freedom of which Christians in many parts of the Islamic world can only dream. Does Dr Williams really suggest that humanity would better be served by refusing to imprison those who, given the chance, would delight in making a nuclear attack on a Western city?     Dr Williams has yet to deliver a poetry reading in the manner suggested in the Lambeth Palace memo. But if he does treat us to his poetry we hope it will give us greater reason to take him seriously than many of his public pronouncements, which, thus far, have echoed Edward Lear rather than Alfred Lord Tennyson.     END