Legion of Angels News Archive

WASHINGTON — There may never be a female pastor leading Tony Perkins’ Southern Baptist congregation in Louisiana, but there could be a woman taking over the vice president’s mansion in Washington.

And as Perkins sees it, there’s no contradiction there whatsoever.

“It’s not a spiritual role,” said Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and a church elder, who calls Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin a “brilliant pick” for the Republican ticket.

“An elected official is not a spiritual leader — and that’s what the Scripture speaks to.”

That view — that female politicians are fine, but female pastors are not — has sparked debate about the role of women inside and outside of the home and the church.

“Even though the Bible reserves final authority in the church for men, this does not apply in the kingdom of this world,” says David Kotter, executive director of the Louisville, Ky.-based Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, which believes men and women have separate and distinct roles in the home and the church, in a column on his organization’s “Gender Blog.”

But some evangelical leaders, including women at the helm of prominent conservative Christian organizations, chafe at such viewpoints, arguing that women should be considered for leadership both in and out of the pulpit.

Jane Hansen Hoyt leads Aglow International, a mostly evangelical organization that will bring some 2,000 women to Washington for its national meeting at the end of September. Hoyt, an ordained minister in a Pentecostal denomination, is “disappointed” by fellow religious conservatives who affirm women in politics but not in the pulpit.

“I personally believe that from the beginning — and I’m going back to the third chapter of Genesis … the role of the woman was very strong because that’s when God said he would send a help to the man,” Hoyt said. “Well, it wasn’t just a help to cook his meals. It was a help to walk alongside him, even as we see John McCain and Sarah Palin walking side by side.”

These views appear to be a change for some evangelicals. As recently as March 2007, the Pew Research Center found that 56 percent of white evangelicals viewed the idea of mothers with young children working outside the home as a “bad thing” rather than a good one.

But Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America, said such polling numbers may be a “rather stark” look at situations that vary from family to family, including Palin’s.

“What people have seen as they’ve watched Gov. Palin is that she has integrated her family and her work,” she said. “There are situations where people are able to bring their children to work.”

Palin herself has religious roots in the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination that ordains women but where female clergy still have difficulty getting prominent pastoral roles, said Margaret Poloma, research professor at the University of Akron.

She calls the views of evangelicals — many of them non-Pentecostals — who support women politicians but not women pastors a matter of “selective interpretation” of the Bible.

“The whole thing is contorted, but they really believe that,” she said. “That’s their interpretation.”

The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest evangelical denomination, declares in its faith statement that “the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture” and a wife should “submit herself graciously” to her husband’s leadership.

But those beliefs, based on New Testament teachings, do not apply to women in secular leadership, said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

“Where the New Testament is silent, we’re silent,” he said. “Where the New Testament speaks, we’re under its authority.”

Land’s wife works as a psychotherapist, but he said he couldn’t see himself as “first dude” (a term used by Palin’s husband). Still, he thinks decisions about roles are up to each husband and wife — including Sarah and Todd Palin.

“The only thing that would disqualify Gov. Palin from being governor or vice president, in my opinion, would be if her husband didn’t want her to do it,” he said.

Janice Shaw Crouse, senior fellow at Concerned Women of America’s Beverly LaHaye Institute, said she’s appeared on Christian radio talk shows since Palin’s nomination, and is shocked by callers who complain that the Alaska governor “has no business being in politics.”

Crouse, whose mother is an 85-year-old United Methodist minister, thinks those comments reflect a fear of women not only having a greater role in politics but a greater place in the nation’s pulpits.

“Quite frankly, it is threatening because the more you see Christian women out in the professions and doing things publicly, the more people get adjusted to that idea and the more acceptable it is,” she said.

Source — The Pew Forum

(CNN) – My 2008 calendar could put me on the road for 90 days.

From the BCS Championship in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China; from the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, to the U.S. Open in San Diego, California, travel is a part of my everyday life. Add in those unexpected trips — like a day on Capitol Hill for the Roger Clemens hearings — and you’ll understand if I forget whether I’m coming or going!

But I wouldn’t trade my job for anything, so I’ve found ways to make the travel process easier, regardless of where I’m going, how soon I need to leave, or what I have to do to get there.

Prepack toiletry bags
Spend a few extra bucks to put together separate sets of toiletries. It’s a major time-saver. I keep two of these on hand: One is compliant with Transportation Security Administration carry-on standards so I can bring it for quick overnight trips. The second, which is for longer trips, is larger and goes in my checked baggage.

Keep a technology toolkit
A universal power adapter is a must-have for the frequent traveler. I store that with my iPod speakers in a lined golf shoe bag, which lays flat, fits in most luggage, and keeps me from scrambling at the last minute to find my cell phone charger. A small umbrella usually fits in the bag, too.

Stay simple with style
Whether I’m covering a golf match, a basketball game, or a court hearing, my casual clothes stay the same. I keep jeans and a couple of shirts off to the side, as well as a suit and tie. I’ll pick colors to go with only two pairs of shoes — one work and one casual. Why pack a pair of shoes to wear only once? Efficiency is key.

Get to know your home airport
I’m at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport so often that many of the airline crew and TSA agents know me by name. Some delays are unavoidable, but even at the world’s busiest airport, I’ve learned a couple of timesaving secrets.

For example, Delta’s two enclosed lower-level check-in counters at Hartsfield-Jackson have very little traffic, making for one of the quickest places to check in at the airport.

Upon arriving, I park my car in a short-term lot and quickly check my bags before moving my car to a long-term lot. My luggage is ready early to be taken to the plane while I’m parking, and I can go straight to security without any further delays.

Store a travel account file on your mobile device
I have every airline, car rental, and hotel club account number and phone number in a single file on my PDA. This eliminates the need to search through my wallet or shoulder bag at the ticket or rental counter.

Have cash handy
I keep a few dollars in my carry-on bag, just in case I can’t get to an ATM until sometime later. I’m covered if I need to buy food or drinks, or tip a cab driver or bellman.

I got caught without cash when arriving in Detroit, Michigan, for the Ryder Cup in 2004. The driver — who didn’t accept credit cards — had to wait at the hotel for his tip while I hunted down an ATM. I vowed to never let that happen again.

Source — CNN

(CNN) – Edouard weakened to a tropical depression Tuesday afternoon after moving inland from the Gulf of Mexico and bringing much-needed rain to Central Texas.

Edouard was a tropical storm when it made landfall in the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge just west of the Louisiana-Texas border earlier Tuesday, but its movement and wind speed had slowed by early afternoon.

Flooding in and around Houston, Texas, on Tuesday morning closed eastbound lanes along a stretch of Interstate 10 near Hankamer and Wallaceville, “after 10 to 12 vehicles slipped off the road,” a Chambers County sheriff’s deputy said.

No injuries were reported.

At about 5 p.m. ET, Edouard was centered about 35 miles north-northeast of Houston with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph. It was moving west-northwest at 9 mph and was expected to maintain that pace for the next day or so until it dissipates, forecasters said.

“A continued west-northwest motion with some reduction in forward speed is expected over the next day or two … taking Edouard across Central Texas,” the National Hurricane Center said.

High winds downed trees and power lines in Beaumont and Port Arthur, both east of Houston. Four to 6 inches of rain were reported in that area.

“We have a lot of wind and rain right now,” Galveston, Texas, Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas said Tuesday morning. iReport.com: Galveston power lines spark in storm

“Of course, we always feel very fortunate when we don’t get a direct hit,” Thomas said. “Galveston is used to tropical storms. Fortunately, this did not become a hurricane.”

Galveston was nearly wiped out by a hurricane in 1900 that killed 8,000 people. It is the nation’s worst natural disaster.

Two years later, Galveston built a sea wall 17 feet above sea level.

“It’s done a good job since 1902,” Thomas said.

The storm was expected to dump up to 5 inches of rain in some southwestern Louisiana coastal parishes. Isolated amounts up to 10 inches could fall in some areas, the hurricane center said, and tornadoes were possible.

Flooding from the storm surge — which was expected to be 2 feet to 4 feet above normal tide levels in some of the warning areas — would gradually subside during the afternoon, the hurricane center said.

Source — CNN

(CNN) – The Texas and Louisiana Gulf coasts hunkered down early Tuesday as Tropical Storm Edouard gained strength with landfall only hours away.

Winds from the storm’s outer bands were lashing parts of the shoreline before dawn Tuesday and some additional strengthening was expected.

At 5 a.m. ET Tuesday, the center of the tropical storm — the fifth one this season — was about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Port Arthur, Texas and about 85 miles (135 km) east of Galveston, Texas, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Edouard was moving west at nearly 12 mph (19 km/hr), while its maximum sustained winds were near 65 mph (100 km/hr), with higher gusts, the center said. Tropical storm force winds extended up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center.

The hurricane center said the storm was moving west-northwest in the Gulf of Mexico and probably will be near hurricane strength when its center reaches the coast near the Texas-Louisiana state line before midday.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River west to Port O’Connor, Texas. The warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area within 24 hours.

A hurricane watch, which means hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours, was in effect from west of Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to Port O’Connor.

The U.S. Census Bureau on Monday said more than 5.4 million people could be affected by the storm, which started as a depression in the Gulf of Mexico early Sunday afternoon.

Edouard is expected to dump up to 5 inches of rain along the Louisiana coast, and “maximum amounts of 10 inches are possible over southeastern Texas,” the hurricane center advisory said.

As the storm approached, Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas said the city has activated its emergency management center.

The Gulf Coast city’s Web site warned residents to create an evacuation plan in case they have to flee the storm.

Thomas said Galveston’s city hall will be closed Tuesday for the storm, but emergency workers would be working and ready.

Authorities in Houston, about 50 miles north of Galveston, also said they were prepared for the storm.

“Everything is in place,” said Ed Emmett, director of the office of Homeland Security in the county that encompasses Houston.

Emmett said 200 buses, 19 ambulances, numerous shelters and helicopters were ready in case there is need for the evacuation of homes or hospitals.

Source — CNN

(CNN) – Tropical Storm Edouard is not expected to make landfall in Texas until Tuesday morning, but forecasters warned the storm could spawn tornadoes as soon as Monday evening.

Forecasters expanded warnings early Monday along the Gulf Coast in Texas as Edouard picked up speed.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River, just south of New Orleans, Louisiana, to Port O’Connor, Texas.

A warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within 24 hours.

A hurricane watch, which means hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours, was in effect from west of Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to Port O’Connor.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, said in its 2 p.m. ET advisory, “Isolated tornadoes are possible over portions of southern Louisiana and the upper Texas coast later today and tonight.”

Despite the threat of inclement weather, Edouard seemed to be causing few problems in the Gulf of Mexico, where employees on thousands of oil rigs and platforms produce and search for oil.

The price of oil dropped $3.69 Monday to settle at $121.41 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

“That’s going to be a nonevent,” said Tom Orr, head of research for Weeden & Co. “It’s moving away from oil-producing facilities.”

Some companies reported minor disruptions and small-scale evacuations, but others said Edouard posed no threat to their workers, some of whom are more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) offshore.

ConocoPhillips said Edouard is not disrupting its exploration or production activities. Shell Oil reported that it had evacuated about 40 personnel from its operations in the western Gulf, but the company didn’t expect any impact to its production activities.

Rowan Cos., a drilling outfit with nine rigs in the Gulf, left most of its workers in place, except on its rig about 30 miles off the coast of Galveston, Texas. Employees also were preparing for flooding at a company shipyard in the Sabine Pass, on the Texas-Louisiana border.

Rowan spokesman Bill Provine said Monday morning that one of its rigs was in Edouard’s eye and employees were reporting winds of about 35 mph.

“They’re probably shooting pool or probably eating,” Provine said of the rig workers. “It’s not a big deal.”

Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. also expects to evacuate a rig outside Galveston, said Senior Vice President Gary Krenek.

Richard LeBlanc, spokesman for ENSCO International Inc., said the storm formed too quickly to evacuate workers but said oil rigs in the Gulf were designed to withstand tropical storms.

“We’ve certainly ridden out much tougher storms than this,” he said.

Edouard’s center could be “very near the upper Texas coast or the coast of southwestern Louisiana by Tuesday morning,” according to the hurricane advisory.

“Edouard could be nearing hurricane strength before reaching the coastline,” it said.

The storm started as a depression Sunday in the Gulf of Mexico.

At 2 p.m. ET, the center of the tropical storm — the fifth one this season — was about 145 miles south-southeast of Lafayette, Louisiana, and about 240 miles east-southeast of Galveston, the hurricane center said.

The storm was moving west-northwest at nearly 8 mph. Its maximum sustained winds were near 45 mph, with higher gusts, the hurricane center said.

Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 45 miles from the center.

Edouard is expected to dump up to 5 inches of rain along the Louisiana coast, and “maximum amounts of 10 inches are possible over southeastern Texas,” the hurricane center said.

Source — CNN