Evangelical Leaders Meet President at White House

Christian leaders at the first Evangelical Summit held at the White House Wednesday prayed for President Barack Obama and encouraged him to continue talking about his faith, said Joel C. Hunter, a spiritual adviser to the president.

Obama met with the executive committee of the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents 45,000 churches from 40 denominations across the United States, in the Roosevelt Room.

Religious freedom and the Christian stance on traditional marriage took center stage among the topics discussed, Hunter said. Immigration reform and global poverty were also presented as issues during the 30-minute meeting.

Hunter, who sat next to Obama during the meeting, told The Christian Post that the president also talked about his own faith. Although he did not want to quote the president's conversation on the matter, he said Obama “did bring up his faith and spoke from that perspective.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, Leith Anderson, the president of NAE, asked Obama if he would like the members present to pray for him, Hunter said.

“We prayed for him. Leith commended him on his expression of his faith in the Easter prayer gathering and at other times. We told him that we really do appreciate his being clear about his Christian faith at different events. So we just wanted to encourage him in that,” Hunter said.

Hunter, of Northland, A Church Distributed, near Orlando, Fla., was a member of the White House’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. He told CP that he presently has a pastoral relationship with Obama.

“It was a very constructive meeting. Very honest,” Hunter described. “The president is very good at stuff like that. He wanted to hear our concerns and priorities, and he listened and responded to each one of them.”

The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and a member of the contingent, told Charisma News that the meeting was "very much a conversation among friends. We had about 19 evangelical leaders – all an integral part and members of the NAE – and we had a great conversation with the president."

According to Rodriguez, "Although we may disagree with the president on certain issues, we did it with great deference and civility. Not only was the meeting cordial, it sounded like a conversation amongst believers. The meeting was edifying, to say the least."

Hunter said that members of the NAE wanted to make sure Obama was clear on their views on religious freedom and marriage.

“Certainly, the president’s attention was drawn to religious freedom and our strong advocacy for that. There is a bill in the Senate right now to extend the commission on international freedom,” he said. “We wanted to advocate that we continue that commission because it’s so important.”

Although it is not always clear cut, there appears to be a divide between Obama and many evangelicals on the issue of same-sex marriage. NAE leaders articulated a desire for military chaplains to be able to express opposition to homosexuality, coming on the heels of the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

“I think the president was reminded how important the issue of marriage is to us,” Hunter said. “That we don’t ever want to be in a position that we feel like we are having to compromise what we believe because of federal policies.”

Hunter also said the NAE wanted to make sure that there is future cooperation with the White House in regards to immigration laws and that funding for international aid is not cut.

By Alex Murashko Christian Post Reporter

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://www.christianpost.com/news/white-house-summit-christian-leaders-encourage-obama-to-share-faith-58133/

USA TODAY: The Truth About Evangelicals

In 1976, skeptical Jews in the Northeast and on the West Coast had to be convinced by their Southern cousins that Jimmy Carter, a “born-again” Georgia Baptist, was not too strange to support as the Democratic nominee for president. For a time, Jews made their peace with this growing American phenomenon called evangelical Christianity.

A good deal has changed since then, especially after conservative evangelicals amassed unprecedented access and influence under President George W. Bush and a Republican Congress, pushing a political and cultural agenda most Jews found uncomfortable.

As a result, beginning in 2006 and every two years since in the run-up to the presidential and off-year congressional elections, books and articles suddenly appear — often written by Jews — about the menace and weirdness of evangelical Christianity.

Though some of the writers hail from Brooklyn or Washington, D.C., the tone is what I’d call “Upper West Side hysteric,” a reference to the fabled New York City neighborhood. The thrust of the writing is that these exotic wackos — some escaped from a theological and ideological freak show — are coming to take our rights and freedom.

Connecting the dots

Chief among these are books such as Michelle Goldberg’s Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, Rabbi James Rudin’s The Baptizing of America, and several titles by Sara Diamond.

These days, it’s hard to turn to liberal websites, public radio or MSNBC without encountering some “investigation” or “exposé” of a splinter, marginal figure, such as David Barton or John Haggee, from the evangelical world — followed by some tenuous if not tortured connect-the-dots link to a presidential or congressional candidate. Most recently, Rachel Tabachnick’s Web piece on the New Apostolic Reformation has generated ink and air.

I’m as left wing a Democrat as they come, and I have lived among and reported on evangelicals for nearly 20 years. Let me tell you, this sensational, misleading mishegas has got to stop.

The truth is, the political center of gravity of American evangelicals is in the Sun Belt suburbs, not in rural Iowa, much less Wasilla, Alaska. Think Central Florida’s vaunted ‘I-4 Corridor,’ critical to carrying this swing state, where the last GOP presidential debate was held in Tampa and the next one will take place this week here in Orlando. These evangelicals are, by and large, middle-class, college-educated and corporate or entrepreneurial.

Yes, they tend to vote Republican and oppose gay marriage — although there is a growing generation gap on these issues among younger evangelicals, according to recent Pew Center studies.

“We evangelicals cringe like everyone else at the prominence given to marginal groups labeled with our name,” says the Rev. Joel Hunter, an influential megachurch pastor in Orlando and an ideological centrist. “We know their numbers are small and their influence is grossly exaggerated, but we are not surprised that the majority of common-sense believers are not given equal attention in a society fascinated by extremes.”

Most evangelicals accept some form of evolution and do not subscribe to arcane doctrines, such as “Christian Reconstructionism” and “Dominionism,” that Christians need to rule the world in order to bring about the Second Coming of Jesus. And, contrary to recent writing by some progressive Jews, most evangelicals are comfortable with the notion of theological tolerance and religious pluralism. “The media have been too eager to feature a simpleton image of evangelicals,” says Hunter. “Our part of the faith community is, on the whole, intelligent, accepting of diversity, and wanting the best practical solutions for the common good.

“When a majority of evangelicals hear about some of these theological oddities, it’s like our crazy Uncle Harry got out of the home and ran into city hall wearing a shirt with the family name,” the pastor. “We love him, but he misrepresents us.”

Not so sure Hunter is right? In 2008, analysis suggests enough evangelicals voted for Obama — or stayed home — for the Democrats to carry key swing states such as Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. They are as likely to vote for Republican women as liberals will vote for Democratic women. Evangelicals may be more likely to accept women in the pulpit of large congregations than those in mainline denominations.

Turning the tables

Ironically, the Jewish left is not alone in its self-serving myopia when it comes to evangelicals. Politically conservative, single-issue Jews embrace unquestioning evangelical support for Israel, brushing aside differences over reproductive and gay rights, stem cell research, and especially the separation of church and state. On the incendiary issue of evangelical support of Messianic Jews whose goal is converting the rest of us, including those in Israel, right-wing Jews put their fingers in their ears and shout, “LA-LA-LA!”

If, as Jews, we replace the old caricature of hayseed fundamentalist mobs carrying torches and pitchforks with one of dark conspirators trying to worm their way back into political power at the highest levels, we run the risk of accusing them of doing to others what we are doing to them: demonizing. We didn’t like it when people said we had horns and tails, ate the blood of Christian children and poisoned the wells of Europe with plague, much less conspired to rule the world through our Protocols.

“Evangelicals in the main want the same kind of common-sense solutions and moral integrity as other Americans,” Hunter says. “We do not want to use political means for our faith’s advancement; we just want to vote our values and leave it at that.”

Mark I. Pinsky, former religion writer for the Orlando Sentinel and Los Angeles Times, is author of A Jew Among the Evangelicals: A Guide for the Perplexed.

READ THIS ARTICLE HERE: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2011-09-18/evangelical-christians-republicans/50457192/1

Christian Leaders Stunned by Pat Robertson's Alzheimer's Comments

Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson stunned "700 Club" viewers Tuesday when he said divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer's disease was justified.

Robertson, chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network and former Republican presidential candidate, said he wouldn't "put a guilt trip" on someone for divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer's disease, calling Alzheimer's itself "a kind of death."

The remarks sparked outrage throughout religious and medical communities.

"I'm just flabbergasted," said Joel Hunter, senior pastor of the 15,000 member Northland Church in Orlando, Fla. "I just don't know how anyone who is reading Scripture or is even familiar with the traditional wedding vows can come out with a statement like that. Obviously, we can all rationalize the legitimacy for our own comfort that would somehow make it OK to divorce our spouse if circumstances become very different or inconvenient. ... That's almost universal, but there's just no way you can get out of what Jesus says about marriage."

Hunter, who is also a presidential appointee to an advisory council on faith-based and neighborhood partnerships, said Robertson's words could lead people to interpret typical marital woes as proof that the spouse they married is symbolically dead, and they are therefore free to move on.

"Obviously, you could do this for anything. ... My husband watches and plays video games and so he has left the marriage and it's kind of like a death," he said. "It's not death and so we can't start describing things as death that are really not death and we have to stop trying to mischaracterize what scripture says for our own convenience."

Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said marriage is a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman that calls for faithfulness in the best of times and the worst of times. Quoting Corinthians, Kropp said "The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. You can't quit your own body with Alzheimer's so you shouldn't quit your husband's or wife's body either."

Doctors and social workers who work with families affected by Alzheimer's disease were similarly dismissive of Robertson's advice.

"To condone abandoning one's spouse in the throes of this mind-robbing illness is absurd," said Dr. Amanda Smith, medical director at the University of South Florida Health Alzheimer's Center in Tampa. "While Alzheimer's certainly affects the dynamic of relationships, marriage vows are taken in sickness and in health."

An estimated 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease – a figure expected to rise sharply as baby boomers enter their older years. And about 80 percent of Alzheimer patients who live at home are cared for by family members.

Robertson's comments came after a viewer asked what advice he should give a friend who had been seeing another woman since his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

"I know it sounds cruel, but if he's going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her," Robertson said.

But the Rev. A.D. Baxter, a social worker with Cole Neuroscience Center at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, said care from a loved one is irreplaceable.

"When being cared for by a spouse, the love of that spouse is often what enables a person with Alzheimer's disease to continue on and not feel abandoned," said Baxter, adding that caregivers need support, too. "Many believe a true friend does not abandon in the time of need."

Alzheimer's Strains Relationships

The progressive symptoms of Alzheimer's can put stress on relationships, leaving caregivers to cope with the loss of intimacy and other aspects of adult romantic relationships, said Dr. Jason Karlawish, a professor of medicine and medical ethics and assistant director of the Penn Memory Center in Philadelphia.

"There's no question that this is an issue," said Karlawish. "But to a spouse who's struggling with this kind of issue, I would want to say after the patient has left this world, you want be able to look back and say you treated that person with dignity."

New technologies are making it possible to diagnose Alzheimer's disease earlier, while patients have the ability to understand the road ahead of them.

"I think this highlights the need for couples and families to have discussions early in any illness, and preferably before illness strikes so that person's decisions and preferences are known and respected," said David Loewenstein, a clinical neuropsychologist at University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.

Robertson's advice was for a male caregiver. But sometimes it's the patient who wants to start a new relationship.

"I have seen both caregivers and patients enter into new relationships during the course of dementia. How they choose to handle it is up to them. All parties dealing with this disease suffer to some extent and deserve to find happiness," said USF's Smith. "Ultimately, the decision for any couple to divorce, for any reason, is a private and difficult one."

Some couples stay married but form new relationships, too.

"There are many spouses who are devoted to the affected person with Alzheimer's, and yet form new relationships as they also care for their spouse," said Darby Morhardt, a social worker and director of education at the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "It's hard to negotiate living with Alzheimer's disease but dictating what's good and bad is not useful.

"Every person needs to make their own decisions and to consider all parties involved. I sincerely hope the good reverend never has to have Alzheimer's to experience his advice first hand."

Tim King, spokesman for the Christian organization Sojourners, said Robertson's controversial statement was encouraging in at least one regard.

"I'm actually encouraged to hear someone like Pat Robertson say we're not really in a position to judge another person," King said. "I can't imagine the difficulty that a spouse would have to see someone go through that type of change and transformation. ... I don't know anyone who is in the position to judge another type of person who is having to make those type of decisions. It should never be taking lightly; it should never be an easy decision. Dealing with marriage is serious and making a big decision like that should be hard."

A representative for Robertson's network told the Associated Press that there would be no further comment on the matter.

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AlzheimersCommunity/pat-robertson-alzheimers-makes-divorce/story?id=14526660

FAITH IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE: INTERFAITH COOPERATION

Part 8 in a series of teachings from Dr. Joel C. Hunter about how to approach today’s issues biblically, respectfully and effectively.

50 Most Powerful People in Orlando

Screen shot 2011-07-12 at 3.01.54 PM

Florida Pastor Joel C. Hunter of Northland Church was named one of the “50 Most Powerful People in Orlando” on Orlando Magazine’s eighth annual list, released in the July issue.

Hunter, who has made the list two other times, is 43rd on the list of Orlando residents, who are selected for their success in the areas of politics, philanthropy, business, and community involvement, said the magazine’s Editor In Chief Mike Boslet.

Serving as one of President Barack Obama’s spiritual advisers certainly helped Hunter, 63, solidify his place on the list, Boslet told The Christian Post.

“[Hunter] has a lot of influence on his church, which is the one of the largest in the area, and the church reaches in influence beyond the confines of the church property,” Boslet said. “Of course, there’s the White House connection he has, too.”

Orlando Magazine's editor also said the church, which has three locations in Central Florida and 15,000 members, is noted for helping in times of disaster outside the community. Northland (also called Northland, a Church Distributed) recently sent a disaster relief team to Pleasant Grove, Ala., to help those ravaged by a tornado.

Hunter told The Christian Post that being selected for the list was a reflection of his church and not an accolade that should be considered as giving him sole credit.

“Anytime that a religious leader can be among those that have an impact on a community it basically says that the pastor’s church is playing a role that is being evaluated by all of society as being valuable,” Hunter commented. “It gives some value to the church that’s beyond just the church’s religiosity.”

Hunter and his church have been involved in the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, providing food, clothing, and shelter. The pastor’s service on the board and the community action taken in Seminole County by church members to fight homelessness were other reasons for the magazine’s selection.

“The county commissioners and the head of the school system came to us and said that we each of have a role, and the faith community has a significant role to play here,” he said. Hunter is asking for the participation of up to 200 churches of all faiths to combat the problem of school children who are homeless, an issue recently highlighted on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”

Also, impressing the magazine’s selection committee was the church’s use of the Internet and social media. The church has more than 7,200 fans on Facebook and more than 3,100 followers on Twitter. Church services are broadcast live on Facebook.

A link to the magazine’s “50 Most Powerful” list on the church’s Facebook page had several church members giving the pastor kudos.

"And as if we Northlanders didn't already know this – all joking aside, congratulations and God bless," commented Rick Davis, 61.

When asked about his impressions of the pastor beyond his recent notariety, Davis said he is one of “the most sincere, down-to-earth ministers I've ever had the pleasure to listen to. He certainly is a believer in the word, preaches the word, but is not one to condemn or speak out harshly about a person and/or group of people.”

Alex Murashko Christian Post Reporter

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-joel-hunter-named-one-of-50-most-powerful-people-in-orlando-52154/

Pastor Joel C. Hunter Named to Orlando Magazine's "50 Most Powerful"

The magazine says of Dr. Hunter: "You won’t get any fiery sermons out of this pastor. Hunter has a way of reaching people with a message delivered in a plainspoken manner, which may help explain why he has remained a spiritual adviser to President Obama. His high-tech, Internet-wired mega-church also reaches people outside of the area, and not just for preaching. Northland recently dispatched a disaster response team to Pleasant Grove, Ala., to help victims of a killer tornado."

SEE THE ENTIRE LIST HERE: http://www.orlandomagazine.com/Orlando-Magazine/July-2011/50-Most-Powerful/

Political Standoff Over U.S. Debt Ceiling Begins: "National Debt Is A Moral Threat to the U.S.," Say Christian Leaders

President Barack Obama has invited congressional Republicans to the White House for negotiations Wednesday following the defeat of a bill to raise the U.S. debt ceiling. While the House will likely raise the government’s borrowing ability sooner or later, it may not come without deep spending cuts and budget revisions.

Strangely, but not surprisingly, Tuesday’s bill seeking a raise in the debt limit by $2.4 trillion was sponsored by the Republicans who have a majority in the House. The bill’s chief sponsor, Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, was quoted by the media as saying, “This vote, a vote based on legislation I have introduced, will and must fail.” It failed on a vote of 318 to 97 – far below the two-thirds majority required for passage.

The vote was held to tell Obama that the House will not increase the debt limit unconditionally. Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, senior Democrat on the Budget Committee, termed the move as a “political stunt,” The New York Times reported. Other Congressional Democrats warned this could rattle financial markets at home and abroad.

Soon after the government hit the $14.29 trillion debt ceiling on May 16, Politico suggested that Congressional Republicans were planning to use the debt limit as a “negotiating chip to extract deeper spending cuts and long-term fiscal reforms” from the White House.

While Republicans want the government to slash its spending before seeking to raise the borrowing limit, Democrats intend to hike tax, especially for wealthier Americans, to shield funding entitlements such as Medicare or Social Security. But the timing of the crisis is in Republicans’ favor, as the strain on the U.S. Treasury – due to the war against terror and the depression – reached a saturation point during Obama’s presidency.

The face-off may continue well into the summer, thinks New York Times reporter Jackie Calmes. Consequences will be for both parties and, potentially, for the economy and Wall Street, where the bond market in particular is watching the standoff closely, she said in an article Tuesday.

But Calmes played down the possibility of a major crisis coming out of it. “Yet for all the talk of crisis should Congress fail to raise the debt ceiling by Aug. 2, when the Treasury Department says it will run out of room to meet all the government’s obligations without further borrowing, the financial markets are likely to yawn at yesterday’s proceedings.”

However, some analysts are worried. JPMorgan Chase head Jamie Dimon fears a delay in raising the debt limit could do a significant harm to the U.S. economy leading to uncertainty in the bond market and hike interest rates, according to The Wall Street Journal. It could raise capital costs for struggling U.S. businesses and cash-strapped homebuyers and rising interest rates might divert future taxpayer money away from much-needed capital investments such as infrastructure, education and healthcare, according to Jonathan Masters at Council on Foreign Relations.

Earlier this year, a group of Christian leaders echoed what House Speaker John Boehner has said – that the national debt is a moral threat to the U.S. and that fixing it is a moral priority.

The group, which includes leaders such as Fuller Theological Seminary President Richard Mouw, Sojourners' Jim Wallis and Northland Church pastor the Rev. Joel Hunter, offered a Christian proposal to take on the federal debt while being mindful of the poor. They called for cuts to wasteful corporate and agricultural subsidies, the defense budget and salary increases to federal employees. They also called for reforms to social security and for lawmakers to control health care-related expenses rather than just trimming government budgets.

Anugrah Kumar Christian Post Contributor

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://www.christianpost.com/news/political-standoff-over-us-debt-ceiling-begins-50716/

Bin Laden's Death Brings Healing To Old Wounds

Bin Laden's death brings healing to old wounds

(CNN) -- The hijacked jet planes that roared out of a clear blue sky one sunny September morning ten years ago killed nearly 3,000 people, but the hurt they did spread far beyond the immediate death and destruction at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The harm was mental, psychological, even spiritual.

And the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of U.S. special forces may help to start some healing, one of America's top pastors said Monday.

"There is a sense that justice has been done," said Joel Hunter, senior pastor of the 12,000-member Northland Church in Orlando, Florida and a spiritual advisor to President Barack Obama.

"There is a Scripture (verse), Genesis 9:6, that says 'He who sheds man's blood, by man his blood be shed.' There is a certain kind of sense of relief that that has been accomplished," Hunter said.

"This man was symbolic of much that threatened our country and our way of life," the pastor said.

Hunter also cited the verse promising that "those who mourn will be comforted," saying they might "find some sort of solace in this event."

Those verses are much more relevant than Jesus' admonition to "turn the other cheek," he said.

"That particular Scripture has to do with insult and not with self-defense," he said.

The terror attacks that bin Laden authorized are "not even in the category of forgiveness," so killing him "really is in a category that, for 99.9% of Americans, would be beyond question... the right thing."

Diana Massaroli, whose husband died in the World Trade Center, certainly has no questions about it.

Michael Massaroli, 38, with a 6-year-old son, was working for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101st floor on September 11, 2001, when a jet plane slammed into the building below him.

His body was never found.

His widow has been grieving ever since.

But early Monday, at ground zero where the towers once stood, she said she was finally experiencing some catharsis.

"I'm missing him, but I feel that justice has been done," she said, holding a picture of Michael.

"I feel some overall calm that I haven't felt in 10 years. I never thought it would happen... never thought it would give me a feeling of closure," she said. Now, she added, "I feel better... like I can start a new chapter in my life."

Relatives of the victims are not the only Americans feeling relief Monday morning -- American Muslims also hope the death of bin Laden will open a new chapter in history.

The 2001 attacks opened a "wound has never quite healed," said Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf of the controversial Park51 Muslim community center planned for lower Manhattan, not far from the former site of the twin towers.

"The killing of Osama bin Laden is a major milestone," he said. "It expresses the sense that there is a sense of healing beginning to take place."

Far from New York City, American Muslim lawyer Asma Hasan agrees that Osama bin Laden wounded the country's Muslims, but is not sure his death with heal anything.

"The 9/11 attacks changed my life forever in a very challenging way," said Hasan, who lives in Denver, Colorado. "It's 10 years later and people still question us" American Muslims.

"We have all had to become ambassadors for our religion, we have had to condemn every terrorist attack or be labelled a supporter of terrorism," she said.

"None of us can be a quiet person that just goes to our jobs, we have all had to become multifaith activists who reach out," said Hasan, the author of "Red, White and Muslim."

"I don't think the death of Osama will change that," she said.

Steve Bernstein, whose older brother, Billy, worked in the World Trade Center, said he was "very elated" at the news bin Laden was dead.

"We have been waiting for this for a long time," he said. "I felt that it was just a great moment for the country."

He said the scenes of jubilation across the United States should not be seen as people celebrating somebody's death, but as a recognition that "everyone feels that capturing bin Laden or killing bin Laden was something that needed to be done."

Bernstein had another brother who also worked in the World Trade Center but left the building to go to the bank just before the first plane hit.

"He said as soon as he saw it, he knew" Billy was dead, Bernstein said. Unlike some others in the towers, Billy Bernstein did not call to say goodbye, Steve Bernstein said.

"We never heard from him," he said.

Hunting down bin Laden at last "shows the strength of America, shows we're not going to put up with it," he said, adding it would "make the terrorists think twice."

Bernstein was "a little surprised" bin Laden was buried at sea immediately after his death, he said, fearing it would fuel conspiracy theories.

But in the final analysis, he said, "the world can feel a little bit safer right now."

Another 9/11 widow, Kristen Breitweiser, said the death of bin Laden would change the world.

"My 12-year-old daughter will wake tomorrow to a safer world, hopefully a more peaceful world. And that brings me a rare sense of relief," she said in a statement, adding that she was "enormously grateful for the tireless effort and incredible courage and bravery of our counter-terrorism agents.

There were also more raucous celebrations going on at ground zero, including groups of young local men waving flags and chanting "USA! USA!"

"It took 10 years, but the fact that it happened today, we're all rejoicing," one of them told CNN, adding that "everybody in America" was celebrating the death of bin Laden.

Far away in Oxford, Ohio, Miami University student Mike Chase celebrated by shaving a friend's hair into the letters "USA" with two red stars.

"The announcement means that when we set out to accomplish something we follow through. It's a great milestone on the fight against terrorism," the 21-year-old said.

The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association hailed the "annihilation" of bin Laden as "triumphant news."

"I would say, 'May God have mercy on his hideous soul,' but I don't think he had one," the organization's president, Jon Adler, said. "As we draw near September 11 and mourn the loss of our loved ones, let this victory remind all that the indomitable American will stands strong and eternal."

CNN's Eric Marrapodi, Jason Carroll and Ali Velshi contributed to this report.

Find this article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/05/02/bin.laden.catharsis

(CNN) -- The hijacked jet planes that roared out of a clear blue sky one sunny September morning ten years ago killed nearly 3,000 people, but the hurt they did spread far beyond the immediate death and destruction at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The harm was mental, psychological, even spiritual.

And the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of U.S. special forces may help to start some healing, one of America's top pastors said Monday.

"There is a sense that justice has been done," said Joel Hunter, senior pastor of the 12,000-member Northland Church in Orlando, Florida and a spiritual advisor to President Barack Obama.

"There is a Scripture (verse), Genesis 9:6, that says 'He who sheds man's blood, by man his blood be shed.' There is a certain kind of sense of relief that that has been accomplished," Hunter said.

"This man was symbolic of much that threatened our country and our way of life," the pastor said.

Hunter also cited the verse promising that "those who mourn will be comforted," saying they might "find some sort of solace in this event."

Those verses are much more relevant than Jesus' admonition to "turn the other cheek," he said.

"That particular Scripture has to do with insult and not with self-defense," he said.

The terror attacks that bin Laden authorized are "not even in the category of forgiveness," so killing him "really is in a category that, for 99.9% of Americans, would be beyond question... the right thing."

Diana Massaroli, whose husband died in the World Trade Center, certainly has no questions about it.

Michael Massaroli, 38, with a 6-year-old son, was working for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101st floor on September 11, 2001, when a jet plane slammed into the building below him.

His body was never found.

His widow has been grieving ever since.

But early Monday, at ground zero where the towers once stood, she said she was finally experiencing some catharsis.

"I'm missing him, but I feel that justice has been done," she said, holding a picture of Michael.

"I feel some overall calm that I haven't felt in 10 years. I never thought it would happen... never thought it would give me a feeling of closure," she said. Now, she added, "I feel better... like I can start a new chapter in my life."

Relatives of the victims are not the only Americans feeling relief Monday morning -- American Muslims also hope the death of bin Laden will open a new chapter in history.

The 2001 attacks opened a "wound has never quite healed," said Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf of the controversial Park51 Muslim community center planned for lower Manhattan, not far from the former site of the twin towers.

"The killing of Osama bin Laden is a major milestone," he said. "It expresses the sense that there is a sense of healing beginning to take place."

Far from New York City, American Muslim lawyer Asma Hasan agrees that Osama bin Laden wounded the country's Muslims, but is not sure his death with heal anything.

"The 9/11 attacks changed my life forever in a very challenging way," said Hasan, who lives in Denver, Colorado. "It's 10 years later and people still question us" American Muslims.

"We have all had to become ambassadors for our religion, we have had to condemn every terrorist attack or be labelled a supporter of terrorism," she said.

"None of us can be a quiet person that just goes to our jobs, we have all had to become multifaith activists who reach out," said Hasan, the author of "Red, White and Muslim."

"I don't think the death of Osama will change that," she said.

Steve Bernstein, whose older brother, Billy, worked in the World Trade Center, said he was "very elated" at the news bin Laden was dead.

"We have been waiting for this for a long time," he said. "I felt that it was just a great moment for the country."

He said the scenes of jubilation across the United States should not be seen as people celebrating somebody's death, but as a recognition that "everyone feels that capturing bin Laden or killing bin Laden was something that needed to be done."

Bernstein had another brother who also worked in the World Trade Center but left the building to go to the bank just before the first plane hit.

"He said as soon as he saw it, he knew" Billy was dead, Bernstein said. Unlike some others in the towers, Billy Bernstein did not call to say goodbye, Steve Bernstein said.

"We never heard from him," he said.

Hunting down bin Laden at last "shows the strength of America, shows we're not going to put up with it," he said, adding it would "make the terrorists think twice."

Bernstein was "a little surprised" bin Laden was buried at sea immediately after his death, he said, fearing it would fuel conspiracy theories.

But in the final analysis, he said, "the world can feel a little bit safer right now."

Another 9/11 widow, Kristen Breitweiser, said the death of bin Laden would change the world.

"My 12-year-old daughter will wake tomorrow to a safer world, hopefully a more peaceful world. And that brings me a rare sense of relief," she said in a statement, adding that she was "enormously grateful for the tireless effort and incredible courage and bravery of our counter-terrorism agents.

There were also more raucous celebrations going on at ground zero, including groups of young local men waving flags and chanting "USA! USA!"

"It took 10 years, but the fact that it happened today, we're all rejoicing," one of them told CNN, adding that "everybody in America" was celebrating the death of bin Laden.

Far away in Oxford, Ohio, Miami University student Mike Chase celebrated by shaving a friend's hair into the letters "USA" with two red stars.

"The announcement means that when we set out to accomplish something we follow through. It's a great milestone on the fight against terrorism," the 21-year-old said.

The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association hailed the "annihilation" of bin Laden as "triumphant news."

"I would say, 'May God have mercy on his hideous soul,' but I don't think he had one," the organization's president, Jon Adler, said. "As we draw near September 11 and mourn the loss of our loved ones, let this victory remind all that the indomitable American will stands strong and eternal."

CNN's Eric Marrapodi, Jason Carroll and Ali Velshi contributed to this report.

Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/05/02/bin.laden.catharsis

President Offers Prayers, Thoughts to Tornado Victims at Easter Prayer Breakfast

By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor

Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama offered his thoughts and prayers Tuesday to victims of weekend storms that spawned dozens of tornadoes that cut a swath through the South, killing more than 40 people.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families that have been affected down there," the president said during an Easter prayer breakfast at the White House.

The twisters hit 12 states in the South, cutting a path of destruction from Oklahoma to Maryland between Thursday and Saturday. At least 45 people were killed, including 22 from hard-hit North Carolina.

Politics were not on the menu during the prayer breakfast. It was the second year the president has held such an Easter prayer event.

The president used the breakfast to call for prayer and reflection to mark the start of the Easter season. He was joined by about 130 clergy and faith leaders from a wide range of backgrounds including Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox clergy.

He said Easter served as a reminder that during "these national critical debates" that "we must always make sure we are keeping things in perspective."

"I pray that our time here this morning will strengthen us both individually as believers and as Americans," the president said.

Among the clergy in attendance were Bishop T.D. Jakes, pastor of the Potter's House in Dallas, Texas; Joel Hunter pastor of Northland Church outside of Orlando, Florida; and Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.

For Keller, a prominent Presbyterian pastor and author, it was his first trip to the Obama White House, his office said.

"It's a time of great togetherness where we can focus on the one person we have in common," Hunter told CNN before the breakfast. "That's Jesus Christ, not the president," he clarified with a chuckle.

Hunter said he always enjoys getting together with other Christian leaders and wanted to be supportive of the president's event.

Hunter said he is still sending a weekly devotion via email to the president through Joshua DuBois, the head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

"We're going through the sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke." Hunter said. "I call it reading the red," he said referring to the red text which some biblical translations mark the words of Jesus.

Hunter said politics were not a topic he and the president have discussed often during their time together.

"My role with him is as a pastor," he said. While some policy issues arise like care for the poor, he said, "we don't discuss politics or policy per se. My role is to help him get closer to God."

The Easter prayer event was held Tuesday so pastors can return to their home parishes and churches to conduct their own Holy Week celebrations.

The president has struggled to convince some segments of the American public he is a Christian. He has repeatedly affirmed his faith and speaks of it often in public.

A survey by the Pew Forum found nearly one in five Americans believe the president is a Muslim while just 34% correctly identified him as a Christian.

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/19/president-to-hold-easter-prayer-breakfast/

FULL SPEECH: President Obama at the Easter Prayer Breakfast