Courant notices that Dodd received $13M from finance sector contributions

Much of the nation is reviling Senator Dodd, and the Courant has noticed, in an article dated September 29:

"At the end of my tenure on this committee," Dodd said in early 2007, "I want it to be said that the safety and soundness of our financial institutions was not weakened on my watch."

A year and a half later, Dodd acknowledges that the nation's finances are in an "economic maelstrom." And while Washington engages in an urgent search for after-the-fact fixes, there is also plenty of finger-pointing, and there are enduring questions about whether campaign cash — millions and millions in campaign cash — blinded Dodd and other overseers to the excesses of industry.

Financial-sector firms — mortgage firms, insurance companies, accountants, brokerage houses, hedge funds — are among the most generous political donors in America, lavishing more than $1 billion on candidates this decade. And in Congress, few politicians have fared better than Dodd. During the past 20 years, PACs and employees of finance-related firms have contributed more than $13 million to Dodd's election efforts, including nearly $6 million in the past two years. Among members of Congress, only leading presidential candidates — Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain and John Kerry — have collected more money from the sector.

Read more here.

A Call to Repentance

This is Rosh HaShanah or, more biblically, Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets. This is a day commonly celebrated as the Jewish New Year and begins a period of ten days of introspection and repentance known as the Ten Days of Awe. What better time to seek the Lord in repentance?

America is undergoing a shaking not seen since 1929, when the very foundations of our system were shaken. Only the massive spending and industrial production of World War II began to pull us out of the Great Depression.

How much are we going to suffer from our decades of overspending and living beyond our means?

Let us return to the Lord!

Flickr photo believed public domain, courtesy Library of Congress.

This just in: Connecticut property taxes are really high!

I haven't been able to pull down the actual report yet, but WTNH is reporting that we pay twice the national average in property taxes:

Connecticut residents pay an average of $2,042 per year on homes, businesses and vehicles, compared to the national average of $1,123.

Pro-family rally draws large crowd; largely ignored

We know the global financial markets are imploding, but there is a relative news blackout concerning the large rally in Hartford yesterday which, even by the Courant's admission, drew 2,800 people.

In its story, the Courant focused on "progressive" (left-wing) groups who, like the Family Institute of Connecticut, are also seeking a Constitutional Convention.

The only other mention of the rally and the small counter-rally was on the Connecticut News Junkie site, which, to its credit, gave a fairly equal amount of space to both sides - although we would argue that such articles invariably serve as another platform for those promoting the smearing and jettisoning of traditional values.

Anglican leader accepts visions at Lourdes

Flickr photo of Rowan Williams under cc-by-sa-2.0.

I don't shock easily, especially these days, but the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, has succeeded in startling me:

He asserted that 18 visions of Our Lady allegedly experienced by Bernadette Soubirous in 1858 were true.

His words shocked millions of Protestants worldwide because they not only signified a break with Protestant teaching on the Virgin Mary but also Dr Williams’s personal acceptance of the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which is explicitly linked to the apparitions.

The archbishop made his remarks during a three-day visit to the shrine in the French Pyrenees - the first ever by a leader of the Church of England.

In a homily he preached at an international Mass there, Dr Williams spoke about the apparitions without any qualifications.

‘When Mary came to Bernadette, she came at first as an anonymous figure, a beautiful lady, a mysterious “thing”, not yet identified as the Lord’s spotless mother,” Dr Williams said.

‘And Bernadette – uneducated, uninstructed in doctrine – leapt with joy, recognising that here was life, here was healing,’ he said.

‘Only bit by bit does Bernadette find the words to let the world know; only bit by bit, we might say, does she discover how to listen to the Lady and echo what she has to tell us.’

Read the whole thing here.

Smokescreens

To see a true smokescreen, witness this comparison by Rick Green of:

Connecticut pro-family leaders who don't wish to have same-sex marriage imposed upon us by judicial fiat... with:

Racist Southerners opposed to the Voting Rights Act.

Mr. Green apparently believes that, in both cases, it would be simply be too dangerous to allow the "people" to have any input on the matter. What confusion. Mr. Green is either fabricating completely (in hope that the citizenry has been totally dumbed-down), or else he has himself completely failed to understand his own argument.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (misnamed by Mr. Green) was Federal legislation designed to secure valid, already existing Constitutional rights. We the People obviously had input in the process through our elected representatives. (Republicans in the U. S. Senate voted for it 30-1, by the way.)

In our current context, Peter Wolfgang of the Family Institute of Connecticut was absolutely correct when he said:

Our opponents don’t want the people to be heard on this because in some 40 or so states where the people were allowed to vote on it, the pro same-sex “marriage” side lost (and they usually lost by a lot).

No, our opponents would rather have the CT Supreme Court impose same-sex “marriage” by undemocratic fiat–something that may happen any day now–because it’s the only way they can win.

Church added to Connecticut Church Map

We've added a new church to the Connecticut Church Map. Not really a "new" church, but one that's been in the news for a number of years for standing for the truth of orthodox Christian belief:
Bishop Seabury Church, in Groton.

We thank God for this church and its leadership under Rev. Ron Gauss. He is a remarkable individual and I would encourage you to read this profile at Virtue Online.

Connecticut budget woes coming

Says Mrs. Rell:

Rell's budget office estimated Monday that state's budget deficit for the current fiscal year will be about $300 million, more than double previous estimates. Rell said much of that projected red ink is due to falling state revenues, especially from the income and sales taxes and the state's share of the slot machine take at Connecticut's tribal casinos.

The estimate does not account for any fallout from the recent large fluctuations on Wall Street, she said.

Of course, those "fluctuations" will likely hurt us, given how much of our State's income depends on a relatively few people having big capital gains, mostly in Greenwich, as the Courant recently pointed out:

As the good times rolled in recent years, the state budget became increasingly dependent on Greenwich. Despite having only about 60,000 people, the town contributed nearly $600 million in state income taxes in 2006 — more than three times the income taxes paid by the combined populations of Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven and Waterbury. With only 1.8 percent of tax filers, Greenwich provides nearly 13 percent of all state income tax, helping to pay for schools in West Hartford and road repairs in Rockville, not to mention every other cost related to running the state.

Critical rally for marriage this Sunday, September 28th

This Sunday, September 28th at 2:30 p.m. the Family Institute of Connecticut will hold a Rally for Marriage on the steps of the state Capitol in Hartford. FIC says:

This will be Connecticut's most important marriage protection event yet—but it may not succeed unless thousands of people like you turn out to make their voice heard!

Bishop Jeremiah Torres of the House of Restoration Church, Pastor Brian Simmons of Gateway Christian Fellowship, "CT 6" Pastor Christopher Leighton, Rabbi Joshua Hecht of Beth Israel Synagogue, Fr. Greg Markey of St. Mary's Church in Norwalk and other major clergy and politicians will join FIC executive director Peter Wolfgang to speak in defense of marriage and the right to Let the People Decide at the Rally. Parking will be available at The Legislative Office Building Parking Garage, Elm St, Market St and the Bushnell Parking Lot....

News of a "counter-rally" has raised the stakes for the Rally for Marriage. In order for our Rally to be a success, we must turn out substantially more people than our opposition. Please ask your pastor, priest or rabbi to rally fellow believers to attend the September 28th Rally for Marriage. Please arrange to have a bus leave from your church following Sunday services. The success of the rally depends on turnout, and turning out thousands for marriage protection will not happen unless Connecticut's churches are willing to take a stand. Your willingness to organize your church to attend the rally could make the difference between failure and success. The stakes are that high! For more information, contact FIC at 860-548-0066 and ask for Larry....

"See You At The Pole" across the USA tomorrow!

“CONNECT: Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10) is the theme for See You at the Pole this year, with the event scheduled for Wednesday, September 24 at schools throughout the United States and in many other countries.

In 2007, more than 2 million teenagers met for See You at the Pole in all 50 states. Reports also came in from countries around the world. Other countries have launched SYATP movements with their own promotional efforts, including Australia (where it was observed this year on May 22; see stories at www.syatpaustralia.com) and Canada (on the same date as U.S.; www.syatpcanada.com).

See You at the Pole is a student-initiated and student-led movement that started in the Ft. Worth suburb of Burleson, Texas, in 1990. SYATP brings students to their school flagpoles to intercede for their leaders, schools, and families, asking God to bring moral and spiritual awakening to their campuses and countries.

The San Diego-based National Network of Youth Ministries coordinates SYATP promotion. Paul Fleischmann, president of the Network, observed: “Every year, we have seen this day serve as a springboard for unity among teenagers on their campuses. See You at the Pole unites students in prayer at the beginning of the semester. Young people have taken unprecedented leadership through this to have a positive impact at their schools.”

For more information about See You at the Pole and local event leaders, visit the See You at the Pole web site, www.syatp.com.

Move of the Holy Spirit in Salem, Massachusetts

I've just become aware of a move in Salem, Mass. with claimed healings. Meetings are being held at Wesley United Methodist Church, 8 North Street in Salem. Services are also being webcast at: http://www.praytv.org/

We pray that God's revival fire will sweep across New England this year!

Praying for mercy

Amid the reports of increased church unity and hints of revival comes a barrage of disaster news from across the U. S. If it isn't floods, it's tornadoes, record heat or June snowstorms - there seems to be something of this sort happening on a daily basis. To say nothing of $5 a gallon gas staring us in the face and the phasing out of the American economic dominance we have experienced since 1945.

Our forebears would have wondered if we were praying "aright." Should we be crying out for God's mercies on our nation?

Change is good. Sometimes.

Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, author of Love and Economics:It Takes a Family to Raise a Village, will not buy into the hoopla concerning same-sex marriages:

Advocates of same-sex “marriage” insist that theirs is a modest reform: a mere expansion of marriage to include people currently excluded. But the price of same-sex “marriage” is a reduction in tolerance for everyone else, and an expansion of the power of the state.

Read the rest here.

Thank God for America

Yesterday was D-Day, a day which is receding into the background of our public life and our private memory. Some 2,500 American soldiers paid the ultimate price to begin the last chapter in the story of Hitler's defeat. It's also a day we need to hold on to in a world that still demands sacrifice - not the hundred trendy calls to action which are thrown at us these days and which I suspect, ultimately, are only meant to enslave us while making us feel noble.

In my mind's eye I can still see the World War II vets in the parades of my boyhood. They were only in their late forties then and seemed so full of good cheer, still able to march along with the Cub Scouts and the Little League teams. For them, every parade and gazebo celebration was a chance to laugh and remind each other that they had survived and had gotten a chance to build something other than a defensive perimeter.

This video is a parody of how the D-Day landings might be covered today. It tells you everything you need to know about where we have arrived.

Hartford hit and run shocks state, nation

Police Chief Roberts says it well, "Our moral values have changed."

Please pray for this accident victim.

Haitian Health Foundation Benefit, July 11

Click to enlarge

Come out for an exciting evening of Contemporary Christian Music performed by three talented bands and a chance to help the Haitian Health Foundation (HHF) battle the current food crisis in Jeremie, Haiti. All tax deductible donations and proceeds from this event will be donated to the Haitian Health Foundation of Norwich, CT for the Emergency Food Crisis Fund.

This event will be held at St. Bernard High School, Uncasville, CT, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM on July 11, 2008.

Tickets will also be sold at the Gate; Adults: $10.00; Ages 12-18: $8.00; Children under 12: Free. Advance Tickets may be purchased by sending check made payable to the Haitian Health Foundation to: Benefit Concert C/O Leone, 18 Judd Brook Road, Colchester, CT 06415. Pre-paid Tickets will be ready for pick up on the night of the event.

Musical gusts include: Musical Guests: Spiritn3D, PS32, and Roy Dunn-Maclean.

For more information, phone: 860-537-1424.

Revivalist James Levesque in West Haven, May 24, June 1

James Levesque

Revivalist James Levesque will be ministering at Gateway Christian Fellowship in West Haven on May 24 and June 1.

James Levesque ministers powerfully in the prophetic under an open-heaven atmosphere. After a life-changing encounter with God in his teen years, he has operated as an evangelist and a church planter. James has a burning passion to see people step into divine destiny through a mighty move of God. Most recently, he has started Engaging Heaven Ministries, a committed team of radical believers who long to see Christ’s fullness established on the earth. Through crusades, a fresh approach to street ministry, teaching and training, James has a vision to see New England, the nation and the world changed by the power of Jesus Christ.

For more information visit www.engagingheaven.com.

To see or submit Christian events in our area, visit the Connecticut Christian Events Calendar.

New England Prayer Journey, June 3 - 5

Pray for God's glory to touch New England again...

I've received the following notice from the New England Alliance and the Connecticut House of Prayer.

On June 3, 4 and 5th, 2008 there will be a historic Prayer Journey that will cover the six New England States. This Prayer Journey is being sponsored by the New England Alliance, which is a movement of pastors, ministry leaders, and intercessors from a broad spectrum of Christian denominations representing prayer and ministry networks from the six states of New England.

The NE Alliance has been meeting since the summer of 2006 for monthly prayer gatherings and quarterly retreats to seek the Lord together. The group includes a steering committee made up of two representatives from each New England state. Rick McKinniss and I (Barbara Lachance) have been meeting with this group since its inception in 2006.

The NE Alliance beliefs are compatible with the essential teachings of Evangelical, Pentecost/Charismatic, Main Line, and Catholic/Orthodox churches. Our main focus is sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ including upholding traditional marriage and the value of life. The ultimate vision is to trust the Lord to bring about the transformation of our society by a four-part-process of preparation, repentance, agreements to united action, and ongoing transformation

Our intention for this Prayer Journey is to come before the Lord:

To seek revival and awakening

To share the vision of the New England Alliance

To establish connections with state leaders and

To pray together for the Lord to move in each of the New England States

On June 4, at 7:00 PM the Prayer Journey will be arriving at Wellspring Church, 202 Lincoln Street, Kensington, CT. Leaders from the six New England States will be traveling on this Prayer Journey representing their regions and will join with us here in Connecticut. The agenda for the service will be worship, share vision and prayer for revival.

Please prayerfully consider attending this meeting. It is open to all who want to see an Awakening in Connecticut.

Blessings in Christ,

Rick McKinniss
Barbara Lachance

If you can, please participate and seek the Lord's mercies on our region!

Flickr photo of Old Saybrook, CT by Dan Crosley; some rights reserved.

State Supreme Court allows limits on adult businesses

Some good news on the family front where the Connecticut Supreme Court has upheld the right of the Town of Berlin to regulate so-called adult businesses.

The high court's unanimous ruling comes a month after hearing arguments from attorneys representing the town and VIP, an adult novelty store. The dispute is over the legality of a Berlin ordinance regulating the location of sexually oriented businesses.

At least five other municipalities around the state enacted similar laws, said Berlin lawyer Erika Amarante.

"I'm obviously pleased," Amarante said. "I'm sure those municipalities are happy as well."

Berlin officials contend the ordinance is a way to control the adult businesses that have popped up in recent years. The ordinance bars adult-themed businesses from being within 250 feet of a residentially zoned area.

Give thanks for this good news and let's pray for sanity to make more inroads. More here from the Connecticut Post.

Christian events in Connecticut this week (May 19-25)

Dove Award winner Mitch McVicker in Danbury this Saturday

For more complete information or to submit events, please visit the Connecticut Christian Events calendar.

Monday, May 19
Litchfield County Regional Prayer meeting (Torrington)

Wednesday, May 21
Intercessory Prayer (Colchester)

Friday, May 23
Good Fridays Christian Coffeehouse (Naugatuck)

Saturday, May 24
Tom Conlon @Studio 150 Coffehouse (Wethersfield)

Mitch McVicker @ Community Coffehouse, appearing with Courtney Reid of Maeve (Danbury)