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Line 1: − + − '''Christianity''' is the world's largest [[religion]], having 2.1 billion followers with a presence on all seven continents.<ref>http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html</ref> It is a [[monotheistic]] religion that professes belief in [[Jesus]] (in the Hebrew original, "Yeshua HaMashiach") as the Son of [[God]]. Followers of Jesus are called Christians, meaning "of Christ" or "belonging to Christ".<ref>[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=2661&dict=CALD Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary]</ref> The early Christian faith was sometimes called ''That Way'', (Acts 19:1,9,23; 24:22), and its adherents were also called ''Nazarenes'' (Acts 24:5), evidently after the city of [[Nazareth]] where Jesus lived. The [[Acts of the Apostles|Book of Acts]] (Acts:11:26) records that "the disciples were called Christians first in [[Antioch]]." The title ''Christian'' is also used in Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − == Explosive growth of worldwide Christianity ==+ − − <br /><br /> − <small>(photo obtained from [http://www.flickr.com/photos/mckln/4815046728/in/set-72157624550425162 Flickr], see [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/deed.en license agreement])</small>]] − ''see also:'' [[Global Christianity]] and [[Internet evangelism]] and [[Evangelical Christians]] and [[Resources on becoming a Christian]] − Christianity has seen tremendous growth over its 2000 year history.<ref>http://users.adam.com.au/bstett/BChristianIncrease12.htm</ref> Christianity has recently seen explosive growth outside the [[Western World]].<ref>+ − *[http://pewforum.org/Christian/Faith-and-Conflict-The-Global-Rise-of-Christianity.aspx The global rise of Christianity - Pew Forum] − *[http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077 Is Christianity taking over the planet?] − *[http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/The-stunning-growth-of-Christianity-in-China.aspx The stunning growth of Christianity in China] − *[http://gratefultothedead.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/the-african-apostles-how-christianity-exploded-in-20th-century-africa/ The African apostles: How Christianity exploded in 20th century Africa]</ref> In 2000, there were twice as many non-Western Christians as Western Christians.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077 Is Christianity taking over the planet?]</ref> In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western Christians as there were [[Western World]] Christians.<ref>http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077</ref> There are now more non-Western missionaries than Western missionaries.<ref>http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077</ref> − In 2011, the ''American Spectator'' declared concerning research published in the ''International Bulletin of Missionary Research'':+ − {{cquote|The report estimates about 80,000 new Christians every day, 79,000 new [[Islam|Muslims]] every day, and 300 fewer [[atheism|atheists]] every day. These atheists are presumably disproportionately represented in the [[Western World|West]], while religion is thriving in the Global South, where [[Charismatic movement|charismatic Christianity]] is exploding."<ref>http://spectator.org/archives/2011/02/28/thriving-christianity</ref>}} + − + + + − + − Given the increase in the public's access to global communications, it is thought that the more [[theology|theologically]] [[conservative]] non-Western Christian churches could influence Western Christianity to move in a more theologically [[conservative]] direction.<ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=18774</ref> For example, non-Western [[Anglican]]s are exerting influence within the worldwide Anglican Communion against the stance of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion's North American provinces with regard to [[homosexual]] practices.<ref>http://www.maravipost.com/malawi-politics/district/5751-bishop-mw-anglicans-totally-against-homosexuality.html</ref><ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2156406/Anglican-church-schism-declared-over-homosexuality.html</ref>+ − + − [[Image:Anglican Christ Church.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Anglican Christ Church in Western Australia]]+ − '''The three largest self-governing bodies of Christians are:'''+ + + + + + − * The [[Roman Catholic Church]] (approx. 1.1 billion baptized members) traces its roots back to [[Saint Peter]] whom Catholics believe established their church and the succession of [[Pope]]s as the spiritual leaders of Christendom. + + + − * The [[Orthodox Church]]es (approx. 300 million baptized members) trace their roots back to the Apostles, and are organized in Autocephalous national or regional churches in communion with each other. Differing theological perspectives led to the [[Great Schism]] between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches in A.D. 1054.+ − − * [[Protestantism]]: the largest Communions are the [[Anglican Church|Anglicans]] (approx. 115 million baptized members) and the [[Lutheran]] World Federation (approx. 68 million baptized members). Protestantism has its origins in the European [[Reformation]]. It broke from the Roman Catholic Church under [[Martin Luther]] when differences over the nature of [[faith]] and works in the role of [[Christianity#salvation|salvation]], as well as other practices of the Catholic Church that Luther saw as unBiblical, were raised. − == Christian Beliefs ==+ − Christian beliefs [[Christian apologetics|are well supported via a large body of compelling evidence]]. Theologians, over two millennia, have debated a definitive summary of the Christian faith. While its interpretations vary drastically, probably the most commonly accepted statement of the faith is the [[Nicene Creed| Nicaea-Constantinopolitan Creed]]. − Christians and Christian denominations agree on many points of doctrine while disagreeing on some. According to an online Harris poll from 2003, 99% of all American Christians believe in [[God]], 96% in the [[Resurrection of Jesus Christ|resurrection of Jesus Christ]], 93% in [[Heaven]], 93% in the virgin birth, 92% in the survival of the soul after death, 82% in [[Hell]], 50% in ghosts, 27% in astrology and 21% in reincarnation. <ref>http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=359</ref> Note that the latter two beliefs are in opposition to the religious tenants of most Christian denominations.+ − Nonetheless, the Nicaea-Constantinopolitan Creed offers a general overall picture of what Christian theology looks like, and serves as a useful outline and historic standard. Other creeds may prove helpful in research. See the [[Apostles' Creed]] and the [[Athanasian Creed]].+ − + − {{main|God}}+ − God is a triune being. Though there is only one Divine nature there are three Divine Personages: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three Persons are collectively called the [[Trinity]] or the Holy Trinity. While God is tripartite, this does not imply that Christians are polytheists. The doctrine of the Trinity is central to Christian theology, although several denominations that usually are considered Christian are non-Trinitarian. The God of the Christian is the creator of all things, is everywhere present, exists in all times, is transcendent, all-knowing (omniscient), just, and all-powerful (omnipotent).+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − A major theme of the Bible is [[love]]. In the Hebrew [[Old Testament]] the idea is expressed in the Hebrew word ''hessed'', which is variously translated as loyal love, tender mercy, steadfast love, mercy, goodness, etc. in the [[New Testament]] the same idea is expressed in the Greek word ''agape'', which is variously translated as love, compassion, charity, etc. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − + − [[Image:Jesus' Baptism.jpg|180px|left|]]+ − During the reign of [[Augustus Caesar|Caesar Augustus]] the Son (i.e. the second Person of the Trinity) took flesh from a virgin woman and was incarnated as a man. He was born in the town of [[Bethlehem]] and was given the name [[Jesus]]. At approximately the age of thirty he was baptised by his cousin [[John the Baptist]] and began to preach in the area of [[Judea]] and [[Galilee]]. About three years later, his teachings and works of mercy prompted the Jewish authorities to plot Jesus' death. Jesus was [[crucified]]. He rose from the dead and was seen by over 500 people. He ascended to Heaven. The four [[Gospels]] contain the basic account of what Jesus did and said. − Jesus summarized his moral teachings in two commandments from the Old Testament:+ + − "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." ([[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 22:37-39; [[Book of Deuteronomy|Deuteronomy]] 6:5; Leviticus 19:18)+ + + − ===Morality===+ − The fundamental principle in Christian moral teaching is [[love]] and forgiveness, as expressed by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the New Testament. In the Hebrew [[Old Testament]] the idea is expressed in the Hebrew word ''hessed'', which is variously translated as loyal love, tender mercy, steadfast love, mercy, goodness, etc. in the [[New Testament]] the same idea is expressed in the Greek word ''agape'', which is variously translated as love, compassion, charity, etc. + + + − There has been endless debate over how a person should express love for God in his or her moral behavior. This moral dialogue found expression in the New Testament, where the [[Apostle Paul]] addressed such controversies as [[circumcision]] ([[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 2:25-29), eating meat that was sacrificed to [[pagan]] deities (1 Corinthians 8), speculating about myths and genealogies (1 Timothy 1:3-5), and observing ceremonial dates and seasons (Galatians 4:9-11). + − Regardless of a person's ethical interpretations, adherents commonly point to New Testament passages John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as scriptural depictions of love. The former states that <blockquote>"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."</blockquote> The latter characterizes love, saying <blockquote>"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."</blockquote>+ − Jesus Christ affirmed, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) In trying to understand the reason for the growth of Christianity in a pagan culture, it has been noted that while love of one's neighbor is not an exclusively Christian virtue, it appears that the primitive Christian church practiced it much more effectively than any other group.<ref>E.R. Dodds, 1970:136-137</ref> + + − In addition to sacrificially showing care for those within the community as well as to those without, (cf. Gal. 6:10) the Christians elevated the sanctity of life, opposing abortion, infanticide, child abandonment, suicide, and gladiatorial contests.<ref>Kenneth Scott Latourette, ''A history of Christianity'' p. 244</ref><ref> Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, Paul Copan, The Apologetics Study Bible, 274 </ref> While the primitive church tolerated the existing and pervasive cultural economic institution of slavery in the [[Roman Empire]], the mandate of equal pay and just treatment (Col. 4:1; Eph. 6:9) greatly ameliorated the treatment of slaves, while advising them to seek freedom if possible, (1Cor. 7:21) and requiring that the escape slave Onesimus be received back not "as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved". (Philemon 1:6) The Christian ethos of love also motivated a great expansion in the building of hospitals.<ref>Albert John Ochsner, Meyer Joseph Sturm, ''The organization, construction and management of hospitals'', p. 17</ref><ref>Roderick E. McGrew, ''Encyclopaedia of Medical Care'', p. 135</ref> By 500 A.D., most large towns in in the Roman Empire had erected them.<ref>George D. Pozgar, ''Legal aspects of health care administration', p. 2</ref>+ − + − [[Image:Dalí The Christ of St. John of the Cross.jpg|thumb|The Christ of St. John of the Cross by [[Salvador Dalí]], 1951.]] − Christians believe with the New Testament that the death of Jesus, in conjunction with His resurrection, is an indispensable event for the reconciliation of lost sinners with God. There are three elements they see to the understanding of His death on the cross. − - Jesus having the knowledge that His path would lead to his own death, desired and willed that that take place, and persevered in that path though there was opportunity for Him to avoid it. "I have power to take my life and I have power to lay down my life. I lay down my life for the sheep."+ + + − - Jesus saw that in His death there would be a way for people to be brought back to the God from whom they were alienated and lost because of their sins. This would involve a substitution of Himself to effect, i.e. atone for, that development. "For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many." How this would take place was not new to the Jews of His day from their understanding of contemporary everyday practice of substitute payment - as in redemption of the first-born (Pidyon Ha Ben), or in the understanding of what aggadic stories such as the Binding of [[Isaac]] implied (see [[Midrash]]), but it was not the prevalent view that the Messiah was to be that payment. Though while alive on earth, he had hinted at it in sayings such as "unless a seed falls and dies, it remains alone, but when it dies, it brings forth..", it was only after He had risen from the dead that He explained Scripture (the Old Testament) clearly about the necessity of His death to have taken place. The disciples would henceforth preach, and Peter among them, that the death of Jesus the Messiah and His resurrection was for-planned and for-ordained by God the Father, and foretold in the Scripture (Isaiah 53). + − - Christians of all generations have looked to the perfect Atonement, and the hope for reconciliation, accomplished by Jesus on the cross, to provide the means of understanding the solution to the vexing problems of the mind and of life itself.+ − ===Salvation===+ − The Bible teaches that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). This is often interpreted to mean that everyone has displeased God and is now separated from him in a kind of alienation and enmity that results from the fundamental conflict between selfish human interests and God's interests (Romans 8:5-8; James 4:4). Jesus offered a solution to this Biblical dilemma in that, by repentance of sins and faith in him (Jesus), their sins would be forgiven. He said that "...the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins." ([[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 2:10) Jesus also said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Mark 2:17).+ + + + + + + − Jesus Christ taught that "unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" ([[Gospel of John|John]] 3:3). Protestant Evangelical Christianity often uses the terms "saved" and "born again" to mean conversion, while other Christians, such as the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, use the phrase ''born again'' as a synonym for [[baptism|baptized]]. + − Christians are expected to continue living by Christ's teachings (John 8:31), as is appropriate for "children of Light" (Ephesians 5:8-10). Some believe that this is necessary in order to be saved. Others say that this is a common misconception of the text, that it refers instead to the "fruits" of saving faith. Christians in the [[Reformed]] tradition (following the teaching of the 16th century French lawyer and theologian [[John Calvin]]) say that salvation cannot be lost. One Bible passage often cited is John 10:28-29 in which Jesus said of his own Apostles that they could not be snatched from his hand.+ − + − + − The [[Resurrection of Jesus Christ|resurrection of Jesus Christ]] is critical to the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul wrote, "if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain" (I Cor:15:14). Traditionally, Christianity has believed in a physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.<ref>http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/crj0056a.txt</ref> + + + + + + − In recent history, Gary Habermas is considered a leading [[Christian apologetics|Christian apologist]] for defending the resurrection of Jesus.<ref>Habermas, Gary, [http://www.garyhabermas.com/articles/dialog_rexperience/dialog_rexperiences.htm Experiences of the Risen Jesus: The Foundational Historical Issue in the Early Proclamation of the Resurrection], ''Dialog: A Journal of Theology'', Vol. 45; No. 3 (Fall, 2006), pp. 288-297.</ref><ref>"Wildcat" and Holding, J.P., [http://www.tektonics.org/books/lichabrvw.html Book review of "The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus"], 22nd June, 2004 (Tektonics)</ref><ref>Habermas, Gary, [http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/NTeSources/NTArticles/CTR-NT/Habermas-Resurrection1-CTR.pdf Jesus' Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic] ''Criswell Theological Review'' 4.1 (1989) 159-74.</ref><ref>Habermas, Gary, [http://www.garyhabermas.com/articles/crj_explainingaway/crj_explainingaway.htm Explaining Away Jesus' Resurrection:+ − The Recent Revival of Hallucination Theories], Christian Research Journal / vol. 23, no. 4, 2001.</ref><ref>Habermas, Gary, [http://www.apologetics.com/default.jsp?bodycontent=/articles/historical_apologetics/habermas-nt.html Why I Believe The New Testament Is Historically Reliable] (Apologetics.com)</ref>+ − Other notable defenders of the resurrection include: [[William Lane Craig]],<ref>Craig, William Lane, [http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/menus/historical.html Articles: Historical Jesus]</ref> [[Lee Strobel]], [[Josh McDowell]],<ref>McDowell, Josh, [http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/articles/josh2.html Evidence for the Resurrection], 1992.</ref> [[Edwin M. Yamauchi]],<ref>Jamauchi, Edwin M., [http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/articles/yama.html Easter: Myth, Hallucination, or History?]</ref> [[N.T. Wright]]<ref>Wright, N.T., [http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Early_Traditions.htm Early Traditions and the Origins of Christianity], ''Sewanee Theological Review'' 41.2, 1998.</ref> and [[Michael Horner]].<ref>Horner, Michael, [http://www.michaelhorner.com/articles/resurrection/index.html Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?]</ref>+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − + − The fact of the Resurrection of Christ is also believed to produce certain effects on the lives of Christians.+ + + + + − 1. It is because Jesus rose from the dead that believers now can resort to a living Savior to help and deliver them from sin and from situations overwhelming for them by their own powers.+ + + − 2. The New Testament sees in the resurrection of Christ a certain vindication of what apparently to the world and to all beings was a failure and an overcoming of Him by His crucifixion.+ − 3. The coming of Jesus back to life means to the believer that, indeed, his sins are totally forgiven. This is because believers know that His death was as a payment for sins - a "wage of death" for our sins that He received in our stead. If He remained dead, believers would know that the wage had not been fully paid. + + − 4. It is a now-living Savior that Christians know can go before them, can closely lead them through life - as He did when He was on earth. This makes following Him practical and real. + + + + + + + + + + + + + − 5. The New Testament reveals that it is the Risen Christ who received from the Father the Holy Spirit and He, through Himself, ascended to the Father, has given the Holy Spirit to us. This gives the believer in Christ both the knowledge and the power to live a godly life and live a life that can be an intimately and personally directed one.+ − 6. The resurrected Christ was no mere reassembling of the molecules and particles of the Body that had been crucified. It was, indeed, a physical body, but one that was fully glorified. It was a "spiritual body". Christians know that likewise, they will one day be granted the nature of a spiritual body, and be full of health. They therefore are full of hope and consolation, and consider that, even now in this life, there is an overcoming through Him.+ − + − In what is called the [[Great Commission]], Jesus sent his disciples out into the world to preach the Gospel (literally "good news") and make disciples.+ − :'''Great Commission'''+ − :''But the eleven disciples proceeded to [[Galilee]], to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in [[heaven]] and on [[earth]]." Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the [[#God the Father|Father]] and the [[#God the Son|Son]] and the [[#God the Holy Spirit|Holy Spirit]], teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."'' --[[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 28:16-20 [[New American Standard Bible|NASB]]+ − [[Image:Gleyre The Departure of the Apostles.jpg|thumb|240px|The Departure of the Apostles by [[Charles Gleyre]].]]+ − <br> − + − see also: [[Internet evangelism]]+ − Campus Crusade for Christ International (CCCI) is one of the world's largest evangelism organizations within Christendom and has over 25,000 full time missionaries. In 2006, Alan Beeber of CCCI predicted that internet evangelism will result in more conversion that all other forms of evangelism for CCCI combined.<ref>http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/pdf/issues/LWP0206.pdf</ref> At [[YouTube]], Christians and Christian creationists have faced problems with [[atheist bullying|atheist cyberbullies]], but they [[Essay: Sharing your Christian/creationist videos on the internet|have developed methods to overcome this problem]].+ − ==Early Church Community and Commitment: The Biblical Period==+ − The Bible records that that, at least initially, the church saw itself as united. In the community:+ + + − "...they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. {43} And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. {44} And all that believed were together, and had all things common; {45} And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. {46} And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common."(Acts 2:42-47; 4:32) + + + − This community was soon "scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles," due to determined persecution which resulted in the dispersed disciples going "every where preaching the word." (Acts 8:1,4) Christian communities were primarily to be found in two separate cultural and liguistic entities--the Greek and Latin-speaking empires of Europe and the mid-east, and the Aramaic speaking sphere of the Parthian empire of the mid-east and far-east. This latter sphere encompassed not only the eastern portions of Syria, the Arabian peninsula, and Persia, but also extended to portions of southern India and even China. To this day there are many [[Aramaic Church]] members in the Kerala province of south India. + − + + − + − ''' − <blockquote>+ − But we, after we have thus washed him who has been convinced and has assented to our teaching, bring him to the place where those who are called brethren are assembled, in order that we may offer hearty prayers in common for ourselves and for the baptized [illuminated] person, and for all others in every place, that we may be counted worthy, now that we have learned the truth, by our works also to be found good citizens and keepers of the commandments, so that we may be saved with an everlasting salvation. Having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss. There is then brought to the president of the brethren bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands. And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying Amen. This word Amen answers in the Hebrew language to genoito [so be it]. And when the president has given thanks, and all the people have expressed their assent, those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion. (Chapt. LXV - administration of the sacraments)</blockquote> − + − And this food is called among us Eukaristia [the Eucharist = the Thanksgiving], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, "This do ye in remembrance of Me, this is My body;" and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, "This is My blood;" and gave it to them alone... (Chapt. LXVl - of the Eucharist) − − <blockquote>+ − And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead...(Chapt.LXVll - weekly worship of the Christians)+ − </blockquote> − '''Tertullian (A.D. 160 -220), an Early ecclesiastical leader and writer, in his ''Apology'' (response to pagan charges) in describing the early church community wrote, ca. AD 197: ''' + − + − :We are a body knit together by one faith, one discipline and one hope. We meet together as a congregation, uniting together to offer prayer to God. We pray for the emperors and all in authority, for the welfare of the world, for peace and for the delay of the final end. We read our holy scriptures to nourish our faith, hope, steadfastness and good habits. We hear exhortations and rebukes. We take such judging very seriously – as befits those who believe they are in the sight of God – especially seriously when anyone sins so grievously we have to cut them off from our prayer, our congregation and all sacred things. Our elders preside over us, obtaining that honor not by money, but by their established character. There is no buying and selling in the things of God. Though we have a fund, but not because people can buy religion. Once a month, anyone who wants to makes a small donation – but only he who is able and willing; there is no compulsion. It is not spent on feasts, but to support and bury poor people, to provide for orphans, the elderly old persons, victims of shipwreck and those in prison for their faith.<ref>Defense by Tertullian (39), Trans. Rev. S. Thelwall. Modernized, abridged and introduced by Stephen Tomkins. Edited and prepared for the web by Dan Graves.</ref> − − '''Pliny the Younger, the Roman governor of Pontus & Bithynia (northern Turkey) from A.D. 111-113, reporting to emperor Trajan of Christians, whom such pagan rulers found intolerable:''' − − :... Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ--none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do--these I thought should be discharged. Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They all worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ. − − :They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food--but ordinary and innocent food.<ref>Pliny the Younger Letters, 10.96 </ref> − − == Resources related to becoming a Christian == − [[File:Hoffman Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.jpg|thumbnail|170px|[[Jesus Christ|Christ]] in the Garden of Gethsemane by Heinrich Hofmann.]] − ''see also:'' [[Resources on becoming a Christian]] − − '''Below are some resources on becoming a [[Christian]]:''' − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − *[http://www.thewordfortoday.org/?page=C2000 Free audio Bible and Bible audio streaming]+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − *[http://www.allaboutgod.com/ AllAboutGod.com]+ + + + + − *[[Christian apologetics|Evidence for Christianity]]+ − + − *[[Video testimonies of Christians]]+ − + − *[http://www.gotquestions.org/repentance.html Repentance]+ − + − + − '''Tips on choosing a Christian church:'''+ − + − *[http://www.allaboutreligion.org/choosing-a-christian-church-faq.htm Choosing a Christian Church]+ − + − + − '''Spiritual growth as a Christian:'''+ − + − *[http://www.navpress.com/product/9781576839324/The-Pursuit-of-Holiness-Jerry-Bridges The Pursuit of Holiness] by Jerry Bridges+ − *[http://www.navpress.com/product/9780891099413/The-Practice-of-Godliness-Jerry-Bridges The Practice of Godliness] by Jerry Bridges+ − *[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529785.The_Complete_Book_of_Discipleship The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ]+ − + − + − [[Image:Orthodox churches icon artwork.jpg|thumb|Orthodox Church's icon artwork.]]+ − '''Denominations or branches of Christianity'''+ − *[[Roman Catholic Church]]+ − *[[Eastern Churches -- Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East]]+ − *[[Protestantism|Protestant]]+ − **[[Amish]]+ − **[[Anglican]] ([[Church of England]])+ − ***[[Episcopal Church]] (USA affiliate) + − **[[Baptist]]+ − **[[Congregationalist]]+ − **[[Disciples of Christ]] and [[Churches of Christ]]+ − **[[Evangelical Christianity]]+ − **[[Friends]]+ − **[[Fundamentalism]]+ − **[[Liberal Christianity]] − **[[Lutheran]] − **[[Mennonite]] − **[[Methodist]] − **[[Pentecostal]] − **[[Plymouth Brethren]] − **[[Presbyterian]] − **[[Reformed]] − **[[Seventh-day Adventist]] − − − '''Disputed''' − *[[Christian Science]] − *[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] − *[[Latter-day Saints]] − *[[Unitarian]] − − − '''Christianity in the World''' − *[[List of countries by number of Christians]] − − − '''Other articles''' − *[[Essay: The earliest Christian Church, a prison in Armageddon]] − *[[Aramaic Church]] − *[[Cathedral]] − *[[Catholicism]] − *[[Christian apologetics]] (Defense of Christianity) − *[[Christians and the Law of Moses: an essay]] − *[[Christianity and Science]] − *[[Church]] − *[[Conservative Christianity]] − *[[Eucharist]] − *[[Evangelical Apostolic Church of North America (Syro-Chaldean)]] − *[[Christian apologetics|Evidence for Christianity]] − *[[Gospel reading in the Church: the Turgama]] − *[[Inspiration of Holy Scripture: An Eastern Christian and Jewish Perspective]] − *[[Jesus Christ]] − *[[Judaism]] − *[[Messiah]] − *[[New Testament understanding through the Jewish perspective]] − *[[Passover Seder]] − *[[Persecution of Christians]] − *[[Red-letter Christian]] − *[[Sign of the Cross]] − *[[Essay: The Way of Salvation]] − *[[Gates of Hell]] − *[[Anti Abortion activism: a personal essay]] − *[[Transmigration of Words in Religion: an essay]] − *[[Singing the Hebrew Scriptures]] − − '''Internet evangelism:''' − − *[[Essay: Sharing your Christian and creationist videos on YouTube and the internet]] − − ==Further reading== − ===Encyclopedias=== − * Bodensieck, Julius, ed. ''The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church,'' (3 vol 1965), ECLS perspective − * Brauer, Jerald C. ''The Westminster Dictionary of Church History'' (1971), 880pp − * [http://newadvent.org/cathen/index.html ''The Catholic Encyyclopedia'' (1907-1913)], old but highly detailed and online − ** '' New Catholic Encyclopedia'', edited by the Catholic University of America, 17 vol. 1967-1979. − *Cross, F. L., and E. A. Livingstone, eds. ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church'' (3rd ed. 1997), 1840pp; [http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Dictionary-Christian-Church/dp/0192802909/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b excerpt and text search]; online at [[OUP]] − * Elwell, Walter A., ed. ''Evangelical Dictionary of Theology'' (2001) 1312 pages; articles by over 200 Evangelical or Fundamentalist scholars − *Hastings, Adrian et al. eds. ''The Oxford Companion to Christian Thought'' (2000) 808pp; 600 articles by 260 Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox scholars; [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0198600240/ref=sib_dp_pt/105-4292297-2766841#reader-link excerpt and text search]; online at [[OUP]] − *''New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge'' (1911), ), major sources of older scholarly articles; mainline Protestant perspective − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc01.toc.html Vol. 1: Aachen - Basilians] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc02.toc.html Vol. 2: Basilica - Chambers] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc03.toc.html Vol. 3: Chamier - Draendorf] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc04.toc.html Vol. 4: Draeseke - Goa] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc05.toc.html Vol. 5: Goar - Innocent] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc06.toc.html Vol. 6: Innocents - Liudger] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc07.toc.html Vol. 7: Liutprand - Moralities] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc08.toc.html Vol. 8: Morality - Petersen] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc09.toc.html Vol. 9: Petri - Reuchlin] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc10.toc.html Vol. 10: Reutsch - Son] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc11.toc.html Vol. 11: Son of Man - Tremellius] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc12.toc.html Vol. 12: Trench - Zwingli] − **[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc13.toc.html Vol. 13: Index] − − ===Histories=== − *Briggs, J. H. Y., Robert D. Linder, and David F. Wright. ''Introduction to the History of Christianity: First Century to the Present Day'' (2006) [http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-History-Christianity-Century-Present/dp/0800638123/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200823548&sr=8-4 excerpt and text search] − *Gonzalez, Justo L. '' A History of Christian Thought: Volume 1: From the Beginnings to the Council of Chalcedon'' (2nd ed. 1987); [http://www.amazon.com/History-Christian-Thought-Beginnings-Chalcedon/dp/0687171822/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200823941&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search vol 1]; ''A History of Christian Thought: Volume 2: From Augustine to the Eve of the Reformation'' (2nd ed. 1987) [http://www.amazon.com/History-Christian-Thought-Augustine-Reformation/dp/0687171830/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200823941&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search vol 2]; ''A History of Christian Thought: Volume 3: From the Protestant Reformation to the Twentieth Century'' (1987) [http://www.amazon.com/History-Christian-Thought-Protestant-Reformation/dp/0687171849/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200808706&sr=8-12 excerpt and text search vol 3] − *Horsley, Richard A. ''Christian Origins: A People's History Of Christianity, Vol. 1'' (2006), 318pp [http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Origins-Peoples-History-Christianity/dp/080063411X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200886474&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search] − *Latourette, Kenneth Scott. ''A History of Christianity'' (2 vol 1975) [http://www.amazon.com/History-Christianity-Beginnings-1500-Revised/dp/0060649526/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200823548&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search vol 1, to 1500], by leading Baptist scholar − *Latourette, Kenneth Scott. ''A history of the expansion of Christianity'' (7 vol 1939-1970), monumental history of missionary work worldwide − *MacCulloch, Diarmaid. ''The Reformation'' (2005), influential recent survey [http://www.amazon.com/Reformation-Diarmaid-MacCulloch/dp/014303538X/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200808706&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search] − *McGonigle, Thomas D., and James F. Quigley. ''A history of the Christian Tradition: From Its Jewish Orgins to the Reformation'' (1988); ''A History of the Christian Tradition, Vol. II: From the Reformation to the Present'' (1996) [http://www.amazon.com/History-Christian-Tradition-Vol-Reformation/dp/0809136481/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200808706&sr=8-15 excerpt and text search vol 2] − *Pelikan, Jaroslav. ''Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine'' (5 vol 1975-91) [http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Tradition-Development-Doctrine-Medieval/dp/0226653757/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201083460&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search v. 3, 600 AD -1300]]; [http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Tradition-Development-Reformation-1300-1700/dp/0226653773/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201083460&sr=8-4 excerpt and text search vol 4, 1300-1700]; [http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Tradition-History-Development-Doctrine/dp/0226653803/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201083460&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search vol 5, 1700-present] This is the standard history of Christian doctrine. − *Ward, Keith. ''Christianity: A Beginner's Guide'' (2008), 195pp − − ===United States=== − * Ahlstrom, Sydney E. ''A religious history of the American people'' (1979) 1192 pages; classic history from broad perspective [http://books.google.com/books?id=5kFF6a1viGcC&dq=inauthor:ahlstrom&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES excerpt and text search] − * Balmer, Randall. ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism'' (2nd ed. 2004), 655pp [http://www.questia.com/library/book/encyclopedia-of-evangelicalism-by-randall-balmer.jsp ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism'' online edition] − * Lippy, Charles H. and Peter W. Williams, eds. ''Encyclopedia of the American religious experience: studies of traditions and movements'' (3 vol 1988) 1872 pages; standard reference work; long essays by scholars − * Noll, Mark A. '' A history of Christianity in the United States and Canada'' (1992), by leading Evangelical historian [http://books.google.com/books?id=VGF3wbzzy9QC&dq=intitle:christianity+inauthor:noll&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES excerpt and text search] − * Queen, Edward L. et al, eds. Encyclopedia of American Religious History'' (3rd ed. 2 vol. 2009) 1200pp − * Reid, Daniel G. et al. eds., ''Dictionary of Christianity in America'' (199) − * Wooley, Davis C. ed. '' Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists'' (5 vol 1958-19820; 2565 pages − − ==References== − {{reflist|2}} − ==External Links==+ − *[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/christians/ What Liberals Say - Category: Christians], [[Accuracy In Media]]+ − *[http://www.christian.com Christian] Social Network+ − + − + − + − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
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{{Infobox Senator
|birthname=Christopher John Dodd
| image=Christopher Dodd official portrait 2-cropped.jpg
| imagesize=
| nationality=American
| office=[[Motion Picture Association of America|Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America]]
| term_start=March 17, 2011
| preceded=[[Dan Glickman]]
| jr/sr2=Senior Senator
| state2=[[Connecticut]]
| party=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]
| term_start2=January 3, 1981
| term_end2=January 3, 2011
| preceded2=[[Abraham A. Ribicoff]]
| succeeded2=[[Richard Blumenthal]]
| state3=[[Connecticut]]
| district3=[[Connecticut's 2nd congressional district|2nd]]
| term_start3=January 3, 1975
| term_end3=January 3, 1981
| preceded3=[[Robert H. Steele]]
| succeeded3=[[Sam Gejdenson]]
| order4=Chairman of the [[United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration|Senate Committee on Rules and Administration]]
| term_start4=January 3, 2001
| term_end4=January 20, 2001
| preceded4=[[Mitch McConnell]]
| succeeded4=Mitch McConnell
| term_start5=June 6, 2001
| term_end5=January 3, 2003
| preceded5=[[Mitch McConnell]]
| succeeded5=[[Trent Lott]]
| order6=Chairman of the [[United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs|Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs]]
| term_start6=January 4, 2007
| term_end6=January 3, 2011
| preceded6=[[Richard Shelby]]
| succeeded6=[[Tim Johnson (U.S. Senator)|Tim Johnson]]
| order7=[[Democratic National Committee|General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee]]
| term_start7=1995
| term_end7=1997<br><small>with [[Donald Fowler]]</small>
| preceded7=[[Debra DeLee]]
| succeeded7=[[Steve Grossman (politician)|Steve Grossman]] & [[Roy Romer]]
| birth_date={{birth date and age|1944|05|27}}
| birth_place=[[Willimantic, Connecticut]]
| occupation= Attorney
| residence= [[East Haddam, Connecticut]]
| religion= [[Roman Catholic]]
| alma_mater= [[Providence College]] <small>([[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]])</small><br />[[University of Louisville]] <small>([[Juris Doctor|J.D.]])</small>
| spouse=Susan Mooney (1970-1982)<br />Jackie Marie Clegg (1999-present)
| children=Grace Dodd<br />Christina Dodd
| website=[http://dodd.senate.gov/ Chris Dodd]
|signature = Chris Dodd Signature.svg
<!-- Military -->
| branch=[[United States Army Reserve]]
| serviceyears=1969-1975
}}
'''Christopher John''' "'''Chris'''" '''Dodd''' (born May 27, 1944) is an [[United States|American]] [[lawyer]], [[lobbyist]], and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] [[politician]] who served as a [[United States Senator]] from [[Connecticut]] for a thirty-year period ending with the [[111th United States Congress]].
[[File:Hong Kong Christians at Gateway Camp.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px|[[Hong Kong]] Christians at Gateway Camp. In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western World Christians as there were [[Western World]] Christians.<ref>http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077</ref>
Dodd is a Connecticut native and a graduate of [[Georgetown Preparatory School]] in [[Bethesda, Maryland]], and [[Providence College]]. His father, [[Thomas J. Dodd]], was one of Connecticut's United States Senators from 1959-1971. Chris Dodd served in the [[Peace Corps]] for two years prior to entering [[University of Louisville School of Law|law school at the University of Louisville]], and during law school concurrently served in the United States Army Reserve.
Dodd returned to Connecticut, winning election in 1974 to the United States House of Representatives from [[Connecticut's 2nd congressional district]] and was reelected in 1976 and 1978. He was elected United States Senator in the elections of 1980, and was the [[List of United States Senators from Connecticut|longest-serving senator in Connecticut's history]].
Dodd served as general chairman of the [[Democratic National Committee]] from 1995 to 1997. He served as Chairman of the [[United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs|Senate Banking Committee]] until his retirement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.financialnews-us.com/?page=ushome&contentid=2449152880|title=Wall Street experts invade Washington|first=Heidi|last=Moore|publisher=Financial News Online US|date=2007-11-09}}</ref> In 2006, Dodd decided to run for the [[Christopher Dodd presidential campaign, 2008|Democratic nomination]] for President of the United States, but eventually withdrew after running behind several other competitors. In January 2010, Dodd announced that he would not run for re-election in the 2010 midterm elections.<ref name="msnbc.msn.com">[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34714651/ns/politics-capitol_hill Abrupt Dem retirements show tough landscape] Associated Press; Jan 6, 2010</ref> Dodd was succeeded by [[Richard Blumenthal]]. On March 1, 2011, the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] announced that Dodd will head that organization. <ref>{{Cite journal|title=Chris Dodd's leading role|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/01/AR2011030106474.html|publisher=Washington Post|accessdate=2011-03-02}}</ref>
=== Implications of the growth of worldwide Christianity ===
==Early life==
Dodd was born in [[Willimantic, Connecticut]]. His parents were Grace Mary Dodd (née Murphy) and U.S. Senator [[Thomas J. Dodd|Thomas Joseph Dodd]]; all eight of his great-grandparents were born in [[Ireland]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.wargs.com/political/dodd.html|title=The Ancestors of Chris Dodd|first=Robert|last=Battle}}</ref> He is the fifth of six children;<ref>[http://www.lib.uconn.edu/online/research/speclib/ASC/exhibits/humanspirit/partone.html Biography of Thomas J. Dodd]</ref> his eldest brother, [[Thomas J. Dodd, Jr.]], is a professor emeritus of the School of Foreign Service of [[Georgetown University]], and served as the U.S. ambassador to [[Uruguay]] and [[Costa Rica]] under President [[Bill Clinton]].
''see also:'' [[Global Christianity]] and [[Internet evangelism]]
Dodd attended [[Georgetown Preparatory School]], a [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] boys' school in [[Bethesda, Maryland]]. He graduated with a [[bachelor's degree]] in [[English literature]] from [[Providence College]] in 1966. He served as a [[Peace Corps]] volunteer in a small rural town in the [[Dominican Republic]] from 1966 to 1968. While there, he became fluent in [[Spanish language|Spanish]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/2629/1010583.html |publisher=Peace Corps Online |date=2002-10-25 |accessdate=2008-08-18 |title=Florida Capital News: Dominican Republic RPCV Senator Chris Dodd campaigns in Florida to help Democrats with Hispanic vote}}</ref> Dodd then joined the [[United States Army Reserve]], serving until 1975 (and thereby avoiding active duty service in Vietnam).
In July 1970, Dodd married Susan Mooney; they [[divorce]]d in October 1982. Afterwards, he dated at different times [[Bianca Jagger]] and [[Carrie Fisher]], among others.<ref name=Horowitz>{{cite web | title = Can ’08 Race Make Dodd Bedfellows? | url = http://www.observer.com/node/36357 | work = observer.com | accessdate=2007-10-18 |date=2006-12-03 | first = Jason | last = Horowitz}}</ref> In 1999, he married his second wife, Jackie Marie Clegg, who is a member of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. The couple has two daughters, Grace (born September 2001) and Christina Dodd (born May 2005). Dodd is also the godfather of singer/actress [[Christy Carlson Romano]], who once interned in his office.
== Main Christian Divisions ==
Dodd was part of the "[[Watergate Babies|Watergate class of '74]]" which CNN pundit [[David Gergen]] credited with bringing "a fresh burst of [[Liberalism|liberal]] energy to the [[United States Capitol|Capitol]]."<ref>{{cite book
|title=Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership from Nixon to Clinton
|first=David
|last=Gergen
|authorlink=David Gergen
|page=119
|isbn=074321949X
|publisher=Simon and Schuster}}</ref> Elected to the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Connecticut's 2nd congressional district]] and reelected twice, he served from January 4, 1975 to January 3, 1981. During his tenure in the House, he served on the [[United States House Select Committee on Assassinations]].
==U.S. Senator==
===Overview===
Dodd was elected to the U.S. Senate in the 1980, and was subsequently reelected in 1986, 1992, 1998, and 2004. He is the first senator from Connecticut to serve five consecutive terms.
Facing a competitive reelection bid for his Senate seat in 2010 and trailing against both of his likely Republican challengers in public opinion polling,<ref name="realclearpolitics.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/senate/2010_connecticut_senate_race.html|accessdate=January 6, 2010|title=2010 Connecticut Senate Race}}</ref> Dodd announced in January 2010 that he would not seek re-election for a sixth term in the Senate. Polls of Connecticut voters in 2008 and 2009 had consistently suggested Dodd would have difficulty winning re-election, with 46% viewing his job performance as fair or poor and a majority stating they would vote to replace Dodd in the 2010 election.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.courant.com/news/politics/wtic-dodd-not-running-1-06-09,0,6215699.story|accessdate=January 6, 2010|title=Sen. Chris Dodd To Retire|date=January 6, 2010|newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]]|publisher=[[Hartford Courant]]}}</ref>
During the 1994 elections, the Republicans won the majority in both houses of Congress. Dodd therefore entered the minority for the second time in his Senate career. He ran for the now vacant position of Senate Minority Leader, but was defeated by South Dakota Senator [[Tom Daschle]] by one vote. The vote was tied 23-23, and it was Colorado Senator [[Ben Nighthorse Campbell]] who cast the deciding vote by absentee ballot in favor of Daschle.
Dodd briefly considered running for President in [[United States presidential election, 2004|2004]], but ultimately decided against such a campaign and endorsed fellow Connecticut Senator [[Joe Lieberman]]. He then was considered as a likely running mate for his friend, eventual Democratic nominee [[John Kerry]]. He was also considered a possible candidate for replacing Daschle as [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Minority Leader]] in the [[109th United States Congress|109th Congress]], but he declined, and that position was instead filled by [[Harry Reid]].
On July 31, 2009, he announced he had been diagnosed with [[prostate cancer]], which his aides said was at an early stage and would result in surgery during the Senate August recess.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/01/nyregion/01dodd.html?_r=1&hpw Dodd Has Prostate Cancer, but It Was Caught Early]</ref> Dodd has since had the operation, and says his operation was fully successful.
===God===
===Committee assignments===
*'''[[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Committee on Foreign Relations]]'''
**[[United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs|Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs]] (Chairman)
**[[United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs|Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs]]
**[[United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs|Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs]]
**[[United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs|Subcommittee on European Affairs]]
*'''[[United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs|Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs]]''' (Chairman)
**As Chairman of the committee, Dodd may serve an ''ex officio'' member of all subcommittees of which he is not already a full member.
**[[United States Senate Banking Subcommittee on Economic Policy|Subcommittee on Economic Policy]]
**[[United States Senate Banking Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance|Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance]]
**[[United States Senate Banking Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment|Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment]]
*'''[[United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions|Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions]]'''
**[[United States Senate Health Subcommittee on Children and Families|Subcommittee on Children and Families]] (Chairman)
**[[United States Senate Health Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety|Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety]]
*'''[[United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration|Committee on Rules and Administration]]'''
*'''[[United States Congress Joint Committee on the Library|Joint Committee on the Library]]'''
*'''[[Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe]]'''
===Legacy===
From 1995 to 1997, he served as General Chairman of the [[Democratic National Committee]]. As General Chairman, Dodd was the DNC's spokesman. [[Donald Fowler]] served as National Chairman, running the party's day to day operations.
Dodd has also involved himself in children’s and family issues, founding the first Senate Children’s Caucus<ref>{{cite news
| title = Two for the Senate; Christopher Dodd for Connecticut
| publisher = The New York Times
| date = 1992-10-23
| url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEFDA1539F930A15753C1A964958260
| doi =
| accessdate = 2008-11-09}}</ref> and authoring the [[Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993|Family and Medical Leave Act]] (FMLA),<ref name="bloomberg1">{{cite web
| last = Sperling
| first = Gene
| authorlink = Gene Sperling
| title = Biden, Dodd Showed Depth of Democrats
| publisher = Bloomberg News
| date = 2008-01-10
| url = http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_sperling&sid=aQZtOcobvKK4
| accessdate = 2008-11-10}}</ref> which requires larger employers to provide employees unpaid leave in the event of illness, a sick family member, or the birth or [[adoption]] of a child. To date, more than 50 million employees have taken advantage of FMLA mandates. He is working to support a bill that would require employers to provide paid family and medical leave. For his work on behalf of children and families, the National [[Head Start Program|Head Start]] association named him “Senator of the Decade” in 1990.<ref name="bloomberg1"/>
===Jesus===
==2008 Presidential campaign==
{{Main|Christopher Dodd presidential campaign, 2008}}
On January 11, 2007, Dodd announced his candidacy for the office of [[President of the United States]] on the ''[[Imus in the Morning]]'' show. On January 19, 2007, Dodd made a formal announcement with supporters at the [[Old State House (Hartford)|Old State House]] in Hartford.
[[File:Chris Dodd speaking at SEIU event, Jan 27, 2007.jpg|thumb|left|Dodd speaking on the campaign trail, January 2007.]]
The watchdog group [[Center for Responsive Politics|opensecrets.org]] pointed out that the Dodd campaign was heavily funded by the financial services industry, which is regulated by committees Dodd chairs in the Senate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opensecrets.org/pressreleases/2007/PresidentialMoney.4.18.asp|title=Financiers, Along with Lawyers, are Underwriting the Race for the White House, Watchdog Finds|date=2007-04-18|accessdate=2007-12-17|publisher=Opensecrets.org|author=Ritsch, Massie
| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071214185105/http://www.opensecrets.org/pressreleases/2007/PresidentialMoney.4.18.asp| archivedate = December 14, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.asp?id=N00000581&cycle=2008|work=2008 Presidential Election Campeign Money|title=Christopher J. Dodd|accessdate=2007-12-17
}}</ref>
In May, he trailed in [[Statewide opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 2008|state]] and [[Nationwide opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 2008|national]] polls and acknowledged he wasn't keeping pace with rival campaigns' fund raising. However, he said that as more voters became aware of his opposition to the [[Iraq War]], they would support his campaign.<ref name=0526-AP>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/05/26/politics/p183134D66.DTL&type=politics|title=Sen. Dodd Calls For End To Iraq War|agency=Associated Press|date=2007-05-26 | work=The San Francisco Chronicle}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=RjwilmsiBot}}</ref>
However, his prospects did not improve; a November 7, 2007 [[Gallup poll]] placed him at 1%.<ref>{{cite news|first=Frank|last=Newport|authorlink=|author=|coauthors=|title=Hillary Clinton’s Big Lead in Democratic Race Unchanged|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/102601/Hillary-Clintons-Big-Lead-Democratic-Race-Unchanged.aspx|format=|work=|publisher=Gallup|id=|pages=|page=|date=2007-11-07|accessdate=2007-11-20|language=|quote=|archiveurl=|archivedate=}}
</ref>
Dodd dropped out of the [[primary election|primary]] race on the night of the January 3, 2008 Iowa caucuses after placing seventh with almost all precincts reporting, even though he had recently moved from his home state to Iowa for the campaign.<ref name="withdraws">{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/01/dodd_withdraws.html|title=Dodd withdraws from Democratic field|publisher=Boston Globe|first=Foon|last=Rhee|date=2008-01-03}}</ref>
Among eight major candidates for the nomination Dodd, even with later states where he was on the ballot after withdrawal, won last place by popular vote in primary (after [[Barack Obama]], [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]], [[John Edwards]], [[Bill Richardson]], [[Dennis Kucinich]], [[Joe Biden]] and [[Mike Gravel]], also including uncommitted delegates and scattering votes).<ref>[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=6315 US President - D Primary Race - Jan 03, 2008]. Our Campaigns. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref> He won a total of 25,252 votes in delegates primaries and 9,940 in penalized contests.
Dodd later said he was not interested in running for [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] or [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Majority Leader]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2008/01/06/failed_white_house_bid_could_boost_dodd_among_democrats/|title=Failed White House bid could boost Dodd among Democrats|publisher=Boston.com|date=2008-01-06|accessdate=2008-01-06 | first=Andrew | last=Miga |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080507192517/http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2008/01/06/failed_white_house_bid_could_boost_dodd_among_democrats/ |archivedate = 2008-05-07}}</ref> Dodd endorsed former rival [[Barack Obama]] on February 26, 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/02/dodd_obama_has.html|title=Dodd: Obama has tapped 'hearts and souls'|first=Scott|last=Helman|publisher=The Boston Globe|date=2008-02-26}}</ref>
==Post-senatorial career==
In February 2011, despite "repeatedly and categorically insisting that he would not work as a [[lobbyist]],"<ref>[[Glenn Greenwald|Greenwald, Glenn]] (2011-03-02) [http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/03/02/dodd/index.html Chris Dodd shows how Washington works], ''[[Salon.com]]''</ref><ref>Nagesh, Gautham (2011-03-01) [http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/personnel-notes/146769-mpaa-names-former-sen-chris-dodd-chairman-a-ceo Dodd to be Hollywood's top man in Washington], ''[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]''</ref> Dodd was identified by ''[[The New York Times]]'' as the likely replacement for [[Dan Glickman]] as chairman and chief [[lobbyist]] for the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] (MPAA).<ref>{{cite web| url= http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/m-p-a-a-and-christopher-dodd-said-to-be-near-deal/ | work= Media Decoder (blog) | title= M.P.A.A. and Christopher Dodd Said to Be Near Deal | first= Brooks| last= Barnes | date= February 20, 2011 | publisher= [[The New York Times]] | accessdate= 2011-02-20}}</ref> The hiring was officially announced on March 1, 2011,<ref>Carney, Timothy (2011-03-01) [http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/03/great-2010-cashout-dodd-writes-regulations-hollywood-likes-gets-h The Great 2010 Cashout: Dodd writes regulations Hollywood likes, gets hired as Hollywood lobbyist], ''[[Washington Examiner]]''</ref> with his salary estimated at $1.5 million per year. <ref>{{cite web|last=Barnes|first=Brooks|date=March 1, 2011|title=Motion Picture Industry Group Names Ex-Senator Dodd as Its New Chief|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/business/02dodd.html|publisher=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=2012-01-19}}</ref>
{{side_box|text="Don't ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don't pay any attention to me when my job is at stake" - Dodd on the failure of SOPA, Fox News, Jan 19 2012<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/19/exclusive-hollywood-lobbyist-threatens-to-cut-off-obama-2012-money-over-anti/ EXCLUSIVE: Chris Dodd warns of Hollywood backlash against Obama over anti-piracy bill] By Ed Henry, January 19, 2012, FoxNews.com</ref>}}
===Atonement===
On January 17, 2012, Dodd released a statement criticizing "the so-called '[[2012_Wikipedia_blackout|Blackout Day]]' protesting anti-piracy legislation."<ref name=doddjan172012>{{cite web| title=Senator Dodd Responds to Blackout Protests |url=http://www.mpaa.org/resources/c4c3712a-7b9f-4be8-bd70-25527d5dfad8.pdf| first = Christopher | last = Dodd | date = 2012-01-17 | publisher = M.P.A.A.}}</ref> Referring to the websites participating in the blackout, Dodd said, "It is an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely on them for information and use their services. It is also an abuse of power... when the platforms that serve as gateways to information intentionally skew the facts to incite their users in order to further their corporate interests."<ref name=doddjan172012/> In further comments, Dodd threatened to cut off campaign contributions to politicians who did not support [[PROTECT IP Act|PIPA]] and [[SOPA]], legislation supported by the MPAA.<ref name="doddtakesbribes">{{cit web|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/205491-consumer-group-accuses-hollywood-of-threatening-politicians|author=Brendan Sasso|title=Consumer group accuses Hollywood of 'threatening politicians'|date=January 20, 2012}}</ref>
==Controversies==
===Countrywide Financial loan controversy===
{{further|[[Countrywide financial political loan scandal]]}}
In his role as chairman of the [[United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs|Senate Banking Committee]] Dodd proposed a program in June 2008 that would assist troubled [[sub-prime mortgage]] lenders such as [[Countrywide Financial]] in the wake of the [[United States housing bubble]]'s collapse.<ref name="Angelo's Angel">{{cite news |date=2008-06-19 |title=Angelo's Angel |work=[[Wall Street Journal]] |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121383295591086669.html?mod=googlenews_wsj }}</ref> ''[[Condé Nast Portfolio]]'' reported allegations that in 2003 Dodd had refinanced the mortgages on his homes in Washington, D.C. and Connecticut through [[Countrywide Financial]] and had received favorable terms due to being placed in the "[[Angelo Mozilo#"Friends of Angelo" VIP program|Friends of Angelo]]" VIP program, so named for Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo. Dodd received mortgages from Countrywide at allegedly below-market rates on his Washington, D.C. and Connecticut homes.<ref name="Angelo's Angel"/> Dodd had not disclosed the below-market mortgages in any of six financial disclosure statements he filed with the Senate or Office of Government Ethics since obtaining the mortgages in 2003.<ref>[http://www.journalinquirer.com/articles/2008/06/19/connecticut/doc485936db8abf6602319864.txt Journal Inquirer > Archives > Connecticut > Dodd defends his Countrywide mortgages<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Dodd's press secretary said "The Dodds received a competitive rate on their loans", and that they "did not seek or anticipate any special treatment, and they were not aware of any", then declined further comment.<ref>Damian Paletta, [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121332396326070639.html "Dodd Tied to Countrywide Loans"], ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', June 13, 2008</ref> The ''[[Hartford Courant]]'' reported Dodd had taken "a major credibility hit" from the scandal.<ref>[http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hcu-doddmortgage-0613,0,4496903.story Elections - Courant.com]{{Dead link|date=September 2008}}</ref> At the same time, the Chairman of the [[United States Senate Committee on the Budget|Senate Budget Committee]] [[Kent Conrad]] and the head of [[Fannie Mae]] [[James A. Johnson (businessman)|Jim Johnson]] received mortgages on favorable terms due to their association with Countrywide CEO [[Angelo Mozilo]].<ref name="CFC Friends Loans">{{cite news |title=Countrywide Friends Got Good Loans |date=2008-06-07 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121279970984353933.html?loc=interstitialskip | first1=Glenn R. | last1=Simpson | first2=James R. | last2=Hagerty}}</ref> ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', ''[[The Washington Post]]'', and two Connecticut papers have demanded further disclosure from Dodd regarding the Mozilo loans.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602207.html | work=The Washington Post | title=A Friend in Need | date=June 17, 2008 | accessdate=April 29, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121357125417575867.html?mod=googlenews_wsj | work=The Wall Street Journal | title=Beltwaywide Financial | date=2008-06-16}}</ref><ref>[http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2008/06/17/opinion/348737.txt Sen. Scandal: Dodd's sweet deal The Republican-American]. Rep-am.com (2008-06-17). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref><ref>[http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=8f1f73cf-294e-4e6d-91ab-47e4431aae55 Selected Item<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
On June 17, 2008, Dodd met twice with reporters and gave accounts of his mortgages with Countrywide. He admitted to reporters in Washington, D.C. that he knew as of 2003 that he was in a VIP program, but claimed it was due to being a longtime Countrywide customer, not due to his political position. He omitted this detail in a press availability to Connecticut media.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Hamilton
| first = Jesse A.
| title = Dodd Tells Different Stories at News Conferences
| publisher = [[Hartford Courant]]
| date = 2008-06-17
| url = http://blogs.courant.com/on_background/2008/06/dodd-tells-different-stories-a.html
| accessdate = 2008-11-10}}</ref>
On July 30, 2009, Dodd responded to news reports about his mortgages by releasing information from the Wall Street Journal showing that both mortgages he received were in line with those being offered to general public in fall 2003 in terms of points and interest rate.<ref>[http://dodd.senate.gov/?q=node/5119 Feinberg Allegations Against Dodd are Old News, Facts Show that Dodd's Loans were at Market Rates | U.S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd]. Dodd.senate.gov. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref>
On August 7, 2009, a Senate ethics panel issued its decision on the controversy. The Select Committee on Ethics said it found "no credible evidence" that Dodd knowingly sought out a special loan or treatment because of his position, but the panel also said in an open letter to Mr. Dodd that the lawmaker should have questioned why he was being put in the "[[Angelo Mozilo#"Friends of Angelo" VIP program|Friends of Angelo]]" VIP program at Countrywide: "Once you became aware that your loans were in fact being handled through a program with the name 'V.I.P.,' that should have raised red flags for you."<ref>Crittenden, Michael R.. (2009-08-07) [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124966517496114909.html Senate Ethics Panel Clears Dodd, Conrad on Countrywide Loans - WSJ.com]. Online.wsj.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref>
== Resurrection of Jesus Christ ==
===Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac controversies===
[[Image:Jesus resurrected.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"The Resurrection" by Carl Heinrich Bloch]]
{{further|[[Federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac]]}}
Dodd was involved in issues related to the federal takeover of [[Fannie Mae]] and [[Freddie Mac]] during the 2008 [[subprime mortgage crisis]]. As part of Dodd's overall mortgage bill the [[Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008]] before Congress in the summer of 2008, Treasury Secretary [[Hank Paulson]] sought provisions enabling the Treasury to add additional capital and regulatory oversight over these [[government sponsored enterprises]]. At the time, it was estimated that the federal government would need to spend $25 billion on a bailout of the firms.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Sen. Dodd: Fannie, Freddie 'Too Big To Fail'
| publisher = [[NPR]]
| date = 2008-07-23
| url = http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92809556
| accessdate = 2008-11-09}}</ref>
During this period, Dodd denied rumors these firms were in financial crisis. He called the firms "fundamentally strong",<ref>{{cite web
| last = Crittenden
| first = Michael R.
| title = Sen. Dodd calls Fannie, Freddie 'fundamentally strong'
| publisher = [[MarketWatch]]
| date = 2008-07-11
| url = http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/sen-dodd-calls-fannie-freddie/story.aspx?guid={6D500286-5BDC-433B-A2EF-A9B3CE520ADE}&dist=hpts
| accessdate = 2008-11-09}}</ref> said they were in "sound situation" and "in good shape" and to "suggest they are in major trouble is not accurate".<ref>{{cite web
| last = Michak
| first = Don
| title = Dodd defends Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, rips Bush and the Fed
| work =
| publisher = Journal Inquirer
| date = 2008-07-14
| url = http://journalinquirer.com/articles/2008/07/16/connecticut/doc487b4ff58727c620830661.txt
| doi =
| accessdate = 2008-11-09}}</ref> In early September, after the firms continued to report huge losses,<ref>{{cite news
| last = Duhigg
| first = Charles
| title = Mortgage Giants to Buy Fewer Risky Home Loans
| work =
| publisher = The New York Times
| date = 2008-08-08
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/business/09fannie.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
| doi =
| accessdate = 2008-11-09}}</ref> Secretary Paulson announced a federal takeover of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Dodd expressed skepticism of the action, which the Treasury estimated could cost as much as $200 billion.
===The Meaning of the Resurrection for Christians===
Dodd is the number one recipient in Congress of campaign funds from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Invest in Democrats
| publisher = Center for Responsive Politics
| date = 2008-07-16
| url = http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/07/top-senate-recipients-of-fanni.html
| accessdate = 2008-11-09}}</ref>
===Irish Cottage controversy===
In February 2009, Kevin Rennie, a columnist at the ''[[Hartford Courant]]'', ran an op-ed concerning Dodd's acquisition of his vacation home in [[Roundstone, County Galway|Roundstone, Ireland]].<ref>[http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/op_ed/hc-rennie0222.artfeb22,0,4471645.column Dodd's 'Cottage': A Cozy Purchase]. Courant.com (2009-02-22). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref>
The article alleged that Dodd's former partner in buying the home had ties to disgraced [[Bear Stearns]] principal [[Edward Downe, Jr.]] who has since been convicted of [[insider trading]] by the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975748,00.html | work=Time | title=Business Ethics of the Rich and Famous? | date=June 15, 1992 | accessdate=April 29, 2010}}</ref> After paying an $11 million fine for his role in the scam, Downe later obtained a [[pardon]] in the waning days of the [[Bill Clinton]] administration. The controversial pardon was granted after Dodd lobbied Clinton on Downe's behalf. Dodd's letter to the President said, "Mr. President, Ed Downe is a good person, who is truly sorry for the hurt he caused others".<ref>[http://www.wfsb.com/politics/18976290/detail.html Dodd Delivers Heated Response To Critics - Politics News Story - WFSB Hartford]. Wfsb.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref> After Downes' pardon, Dodd bought out the interests of his partner for a price allegedly based on a 2002 bank appraisal of the Roundstone home, which yielded little profit for Dodd's partner.<ref>[http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-rennie0222.artfeb22,0,3796755.column Dodd's 'Cottage': A Cozy Purchase]. Courant.com (2009-02-22). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref><ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123681364667801647.html Chris Dodd's Irish 'Cottage' - WSJ.com]. Online.wsj.com (2009-03-12). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref> Rennie criticized Dodd for claiming the Roundstone home was worth less than $250,000 in Senate ethics filings; some observers estimated the likely value in excess of $1 million USD.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2009/02/24/how_politics_works_senator_christopher_dodd_and_his_cosy_irish_cottage | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | title=How politics works: Senator Christopher Dodd and his cosy Irish cottage | date=February 24, 2009 | accessdate=April 29, 2010}}</ref>
In June 2009, Dodd provided a new statement to the Senate reporting the actual value of his Irish property at $658,000.<ref>[http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-rennie-dodd-ireland-house.artjun14,0,2736710.column Topic Galleries]. Courant.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref> The ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' later compared this issue to the ethical charges which led to the political demise of [[Alaska]] Senator [[Ted Stevens]].<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124545642440632999.html Dodd's Irish Luck - WSJ.com]. Online.wsj.com (2009-06-20). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref>
===AIG federal assistance and bonuses controversy===
From the fall of 2008 through early 2009, the United States government spent nearly $170 Billion to assist failing insurance giant, [[AIG]]. AIG then spent $165 million of this money to hand out executive "retention" bonuses to its top executives. Public outrage ensued over this perceived misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Dodd was responsible for the inclusion of a clause limiting excessive executive pay in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. On February 14, 2009, the Wall Street Journal published an article, Bankers Face Strict New Pay Cap, discussing a retroactive limit to bonus compensation inserted by Chris Dodd into the stimulus bill that passed in the Senate.<ref name="solomon2009">{{cite news
|first=Deborah
|last=Solomon
|coauthors=Mark Maremont, David Enrich, Dan Fitzpatrick
|title=Bankers face strict new pay cap. Stimulus bill puts retroactive curb on bailout recipients; Wall Street fumes
|url=http://gbcs.tamu.edu/DotNetNuke/LinkClick.aspx?link=Bankers.pdf&tabid=158&mid=944
|format=PDF
|work=The Wall Street Journal
|page=A1
|date=2009-02-14
|accessdate=2009-03-21
|archiveurl=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123457165806186405.html
|archivedate=2009-02-16}}</ref>
The same article went on to mention that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers "had called Sen. Dodd and asked him to reconsider".
When the bill left conference, Dodd's provision had been amended to include a provision preventing limits on bonuses previously negotiated and under contract. This provision was lobbied for by Geithner and Summers.
==Evangelism==
As Dodd explained in his March 18 interview on CNN,<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/breaking-i-was-responsible-for-bonus-loophole-says-dodd/
|title=BREAKING: I was responsible for bonus loophole, says Dodd
|work=CNN
|date=March 18, 2009}}</ref> at Geithner and the Obama Administration's insistence he allowed his provision's original language to include Geithner and Summers' request, which in turn allowed AIG to give out bonuses under previously negotiated contracts. However, Dodd's provision also includes language allowing the Treasury Secretary to examine bonuses doled out and, if they are found to be in violation of the public interest, recoup those funds.
==Internet Evangelism==
Dodd retreated from his original statement that he did not know how the amendment was changed.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GoK0539Gl4 Chris Dodd Admits To Adding Loophole In Stimulus That Allowed A.I.G. Bonuses]. YouTube. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref> Dodd was criticized by many in the Connecticut media for the apparent flip-flop.<ref>[http://blogs.courant.com/helen_ubinas/2009/03/stick-a-fork-in-him-hes-done.html Dodd KO'd - Helen Ubinas | Notes from HeL]. Blogs.courant.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref><ref>Wayn, Michael. (2009-03-19) [http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2009/03/chris-dodd-changes-explanation.html Sen. Chris Dodd Changes Explanation on AIG Bonuses - Capitol Watch]. Blogs.courant.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref> In a March 20, 2009 editorial the [[New Haven Register]] called Dodd "a lying weasel"<ref>[http://www.newhavenregister.com/articles/2009/03/20/opinion/doc49c2ce54e5064525023132.txt EDITORIAL: Dodd lied about AIG bonuses- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut]. The New Haven Register. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref> The same day, [[Hartford Courant]] columnist Rick Green called on Dodd not to seek re-election in 2010.<ref>[http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-dodd-aig-countrywide-rgreen-col,0,4783493.column Dodd Needs To Say He Won't Run In 2010]. Courant.com (2009-03-20). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref>
The Hill.com described Dodd as "reeling" from the controversy<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/storm-center-hanging-over-chris-dodd-2009-03-19.html http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/storm-center-hanging-over-chris-dodd-2009-03-19.html]</ref> and having "stepped in it" after changing his story as to the bonus amendment.<ref>[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/19/aig_bonuses_light_a_fire_under.html?wprss=44 http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/19/aig_bonuses_light_a_fire_under.html?wprss=44]</ref>
At a press conference in Enfield, Connecticut, on Friday, March 20, Dodd responded to critics and explained that his original answer to a CNN answer was based on a misunderstanding of the question.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhTn3n0EuTM Dodd Sets the Record Straight About AIG]. YouTube. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref> He also said he was disappointed that the Treasury officials who asked him to make the legislative changes had not identified themselves, refusing to confirm the actual identity of the individuals responsible for changing the amendment.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/20/dodd.bonuses/ | work=CNN | title=Dodd defends actions as an AIG exec returns $6 million bonus - CNN.com | date=March 20, 2009 | accessdate=April 29, 2010}}</ref>
The next day, voters in Ridgefield rallied against Dodd and the Obama economic agenda<ref>[http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/03/023137.php Power Line - Another Weekend, More Tea Parties]. Powerlineblog.com (2009-03-21). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref><ref>[http://www.connpost.com/ci_11968731 ]{{dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref> The Manchester [[Journal Inquirer]] suggested that "Chris Dodd's explaining may have only begun".<ref>[http://www.journalinquirer.com/articles/2009/03/21/chris_powell/doc49c3b4ae30555118582197.txt > Archives > Chris Powell > Chris Dodd's explaining may have only begun]. Journal Inquirer (2009-03-21). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref>
Opensecrets.org reports Dodd has received over $223,000 from AIG employees, many of whom were Connecticut residents, for his recent campaigns.<ref>Ritsch, Massie. (2009-03-16) [http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/03/before-the-fall-aig-payouts-we.html Before the Fall, AIG Payouts Went to Washington - OpenSecrets Blog]. OpenSecrets. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref> Additionally, it has recently been revealed that Dodd's wife is a former Director for Bermuda-based IPC Holdings, a company controlled by AIG. She held this position before she married him.<ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/dodds_wife_a_former_director_o.html Articles - Dodd's Wife a Former Director of Bermuda-Based IPC Holdings, an AIG Controlled Company]. RealClearPolitics (2009-03-23). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref> On May 3, 2009, the Courant reported Dodd's wife served on a number of corporate boards, including the [[CME Group]] and could be earning as much as $500,000 annually for her service on said boards.<ref>[http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-jackie-clegg-dodd-0503.artmay03,0,4153099.story?page=2&track=rss Board Of Compensation - Hartford Courant]. Courant.com (2009-05-03). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref>
On March 30, 2009, it was reported that former AIG Financial Products head [[Joseph Cassano]] personally solicited contributions from his employees in Connecticut via an e-mail in fall 2006 suggesting that the contributions were related to Dodd's ascension to the chairmanship of the [[Senate Banking Committee]].<ref>[http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-chris-dodd-email-donations-0330,0,7052877.story Topic Galleries]. Courant.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.</ref>
'''
==Political positions==
{{Main|Political positions of Christopher Dodd}}
[[File:Sen Dodd speaks at a Navy ceremony at New London, Conn, July 6, 1985.JPEG|thumb|right|Dodd giving a speech at [[Naval Submarine Base New London]], July 1985.]]
Dodd has supported amending the [[Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993|Family and Medical Leave Act]], which he authored in 1993, to include paid leave,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chrisdodd.com/issues/labor|title=Economic Opportunity|work=Christopher Dodd Presidential Campaign 2007|accessdate=2007-12-17| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071216003054/http://chrisdodd.com/issues/labor| archivedate = December 16, 2007}}</ref> and a corporate [[carbon tax]] to combat [[global warming]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48722990_2008_presidential_election_chris_dodd_dodd_touts_energy_plan_biodiesel_plant_kitchen_tables|title=Chris Dodd: Dodd Touts Energy Plan At Biodiesel Plant, Kitchen Tables In Southeast Iowa|author=Chris Dodd Campaign|date=2007-05-11|accessdate=2007-05-29}}</ref>
==Early Church Community and Commitment: the Post-Biblical Period==
Dodd is credited with inserting the last-minute pay limit into [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]]. The pay restrictions included prohibition of bonuses in excess of one-third of total salary for any company receiving any money from the plan and was retroactive to companies that received funds under [[Troubled Assets Relief Program]].<ref name=BFSNPC>{{cite news|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123457165806186405.html|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|publisher=[[Dow Jones & Company]]|date=2009-02-14|page=A1|author=Solomon, Deborah and Mark Maremont|title=Bankers Face Strict New Pay Cap: Stimulus Bill Puts Retroactive Curb on Bailout Recipients; Wall Street Fumes}}</ref>
[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] magazine however, panned this provision as likely to "drive the craftiest financial minds away from the most troubled institutions". This article also pointed out the Dodd bill delegated to the Treasury Secretary the right to approve appropriate restaurants for client entertainment.<ref>{{Cite news|first1=Geoff|last1=Colvin|url=http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/06/magazines/fortune/colvin_bonus.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009030609|accessdate=January 6, 2009|title=Chris Dodd wants to scrap your bonus|date=March 6, 2009|newspaper=[[CNN Money]]|publisher=CNN}}</ref>
'''Justin martyr 100 A.D. - 165 A.D. From the "First Apology" (Defense)
In May 2009, Dodd was the author and lead sponsor of the [[Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009]], which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on May 22, 2009. The law requires card companies give cardholders 45 days notice of any interest rate increases, prevents card companies from retroactively increasing interest rates on the existing balance of a cardholder in good standing for reasons unrelated to the cardholder's behavior with that card, and prohibits card companies from arbitrarily changing the terms of their contract with a cardholder, banning the so-called practice of "any-time, any-reason repricing." Also included in the bill were provisions requiring companies to give cardholders time to pay their bills by requiring card companies to mail billing statements 25 calendar days before the due date and individuals under the age of 21 to either show income or have a co-signer in order to obtain a credit card. In a conference call with reporters after the bill was signed, Dodd stated his intention to continue work on capping [[credit card interest]] rates at thirty percent and to establish limits on fees that merchants pay when a customer uses a credit card for a purchase.<ref>[http://www.courant.com/business/hc-dodd-credit-cards.artmay23,0,25650.story]{{Dead link|date=January 2010}}</ref>
Dodd announced on June 22, 2009, that he supports [[same-sex marriage]]. He had opposed gay marriage in the 2008 election, but stated that his daughters are growing up in a different generation than his and that his views have evolved over time.<ref>{{Cite news|first1=Ben|last1=Smith|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0609/Dodd_backs_gay_marriage.html|accessdate=January 6, 2010|title=Dodd backs gay marriage|date=June 22, 2009|newspaper=[[The Politico]]|publisher=[[Allbritton Communications Company]]}}</ref> Same-sex couples have been able to marry in Connecticut since November 12, 2008, following the Connecticut Supreme Court's ruling.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/nyregion/13marriage.html?_r=1 Gay Marriages Begin in Connecticut]</ref><ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE4AB67920081112 Gay weddings begin in Connecticut as debate rages]</ref> In April 2009, the legislature overwhelmingly passed and Governor [[Jodi Rell]] signed a bill making all references to marriage in law gender neutral.<ref>[http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/ACT/Pa/pdf/2009PA-00013-R00SB-00899-PA.pdf AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE GUARANTEE OF EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE FOR SAME SEX COUPLES]</ref><ref>[http://chicago.gopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7272400 Connecticut Gov. signs gay marriage into law]</ref>
<blockquote>
Dodd was also responsible for writing and getting passed S. 1858 (Public Law 110-204): [[Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act]] of 2007.<ref>http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1858</ref> The implications of this law are many, including that any child born after April 2008 have a sample of their blood taken for DNA analysis. This sample is taken without consent or knowledge of the parents and then becomes property of the Federal Government. This data is supposed to be used for the good of the children such as testing for rare genetic disorders but is controversial in that it is not optional.<ref>http://www.wired.com/medtech/genetics/news/2008/05/newborn_screening</ref>
</blockquote>
==Electoral history==
{{Main|Electoral history of Christopher Dodd}}
==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}} <!-- multi-column mode unusable -->
*[http://creation.com/good-news Good news of Christianity]
==External links==
{{Wikisource author|Christopher Dodd}}
{{Commons category}}
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*[http://www.chrisdodd.com Chris Dodd] ''official campaign site''
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<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
{{Persondata
|NAME= Dodd, Christopher
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Dodd, Christopher John
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=[[United States|American]] [[lawyer]] and [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] from [[Connecticut]]
|DATE OF BIRTH=May 27, 1944
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Willimantic, Connecticut]]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodd, Chris}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Willimantic, Connecticut]]
[[Category:American Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:American lobbyists]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Connecticut Democrats]]
==Also See==
[[Category:Cancer survivors]]
[[Category:Connecticut lawyers]]
[[Category:Democratic National Committee chairs]]
[[Category:Dodd family]]
[[Category:Expatriates in the Dominican Republic]]
[[Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut]]
[[Category:Motion Picture Association of America]]
[[Category:Peace Corps volunteers]]
[[Category:Providence College alumni]]
[[Category:Subprime mortgage crisis]]
[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]
[[Category:United States presidential candidates, 2008]]
[[Category:United States Senators from Connecticut]]
[[Category:University of Louisville alumni]]
[[Category:Democratic Party United States Senators]]
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