Texas Megachurch At Center Of Measles Outbreak

From Texas-

Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. more than a decade ago. But in recent years, the highly infectious disease has cropped up in communities with low vaccination rates, most recently in North Texas.

There, 21 people — the majority of whom have not been immunized — have gotten the disease, which began at a vaccine-skeptical megachurch.

The outbreak began when a man who contracted the virus on a recent trip to Indonesia visited the Eagle Mountain International Church in Newark, about an hour and a half northwest of Dallas.

Earlier this week, crowds flooded in for regular services. Rose Mwangi had her Bible in hand and said she's not worried "because I know Jesus is a healer, so I know he's covered us with the blood...There's no place for fear."

A Mixed Message

Eagle Mountain is led by pastor Terri Copeland Pearsons, the daughter of televangelist Kenneth Copeland. Church leaders wouldn't grant interviews, but Pearsons released a statement after the outbreak saying she isn't anti-vaccine. But Pearsons added that she still has some reservations about vaccines.

More here-

http://www.npr.org/2013/09/01/217746942/texas-megachurch-at-center-of-measles-outbreak

Wales: Anglican prelate denounces 'presumed consent' for organ donation

From Wales

The Anglican Archbishop of Wales has urged the government to abandon its plan to inaugurate a “presumed consent” policy on organ donation, assuming that all people are organ donors unless they specifically say otherwise.

Dr. Barry Morgan said that organ donation should be seen as a free-will gift. He decried the suggestion that human organs could be treated as an “asset of the state.”

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=11817

Surgeon-priest brings together religion and science

From Georgia-

Healing the sick doesn't always require a medical degree, says the Rev. Dr. Talmadge A. "Joe" Bowden.

The surgeon and Episcopal priest believes all of humanity is called by God to care for each other. Sometimes, that can be as simple as telling someone you've been thinking about them.

"If someone calls you up and tells you 'I miss you,' man, if that don't make your immune proteins jump up in the air, nothing will," he said. "It's concern, like when Jesus talks about compassion."

Bowden brings his message on the ways in which religion and medical science are working together to St. Peter's Episcopal Church on Feb. 27.

The half-day discussion titled "Religion and Health: Separate or One?" marks the Skidaway Island church's fourth annual spirituality and health workshop.

Bowden is chief of general and vascular surgery at the Charlie Norwood Veterans Administration Medical Center and emeritus professor of surgery at the Medical College of Georgia.

He's also an Episcopal priest and an assisting priest at two parishes in Augusta.

More here-

http://savannahnow.com/accent/2010-02-20/surgeon-priest-brings-together-religion-and-science