Vatican Meeting with Bishops Opens Debate on Homosexual, Divorced Couples in Church

The Catholic Church’s current teaching is that homosexuality, while to be respected, is not moral and is against God’s plan for humans. That teaching is currently being pushed and weakened by Pope Francis as he holds a Catholic Synod with the bishops in the Vatican. Usually these meetings are predictable as most bishops affirm the current Pope’s teaching but not this one. Pope Francis is openly challenging the Church’s teaching on homosexuality and divorced couples and their roles in the Church.

Recent reports show that the debates have been heated and have revealed a divided Church between the more liberal bishops in favor of incorporating gays and those more conservative who uphold the current teachings. It seems that Pope Francis is trying to find a middle ground between the two polar extremes and reach an agreeable adjustment to Church teaching. “God is not afraid of new things,” says Pope Francis during the beatification mass held at the Vatican. Pope Francis has said that true strength comes from living “life to the fullest—with our feet firmly planted on the ground—and respond courageously to whatever new challenges come our way.”

Changing a long held Church teaching will take a great deal of time and energy but it is encouraging to see Pope Francis consulting with the bishops before making any major changes to Church teaching. While he has been open to changing teachings regarding the roles of gays and divorced couples in the church, the central teaching on marriage, man and woman, remains the same.

Nazis Bribed with Social Security to Leave U.S.

As if the Nazis needed another hit to their public image, it turns out that Social Security benefits were used to get Nazis to leave the United States. The deal was as follows: leave the United States, keep Social Security benefits. This deal was offered to 66 and accepted by 38 who lived in the U.S after WWII and have kept their Social Security benefits collecting millions of dollars of benefits while living in Europe.

The Justice Department attempted to remove this loophole 15 years ago but it failed due to opposition. The perceived bribing of Nazis was discovered by an AP investigation involving two years of research and interviews. The Justice Department has denied using Social Security benefits as an incentive to leave the United States but research has revealed that to be false. As of today, of the 66 suspects, only four are still alive living in Europe on the dime of U.S. taxpayers.

Obama Shunned By Democrat Candidates, Receives Low Approval Rating

The approval ratings of President Obama are at their lowest in his entire presidency at 40%. That is the same number that President Bush was at during the 2006 midterm elections. That 40% is also the lowest approval rating for the Democratic party in 30 years. Voters are increasingly skeptical and disapproving of his handling of the economy, Ebola, immigration, and foreign policy including ISIS. Many say that he is taking the country in the wrong direction and should focus more on domestic issues such as immigration and the economy. President Obama’s approval ratings have been in a steady decline throughout his presidency and it is not expected for them to rise any time soon.

Even Democrats on the campaign trail are weary of the President and most prefer that he would remain on the sidelines. Most candidates say they don’t want to appear next to President Obama because of his increasingly low approval ratings. Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown of Maryland, who is running for governor, held a speech in a gym with about 8,000 democratic voters including President Obama who gave a speech in support of the Brown. As Obama began to talk, people began a steady stream to the exits and a heckler interrupted his remarks. Candidates continue to distance themselves from the President as the midterm elections near closer.

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