The hashtag #CancelNetflix became a top trending topic on social media after the French film Cuties released on Netflix.

The film follows an 11-year-old Senegalese girl in Paris as she befriends a group of pre-teen dancers.

Critics took issue with the presentation of the young children. In an American poster for the film, the cast is dressed in two-piece dance costumes while posed suggestively. Meanwhile, the French poster for the film showed the girls dressed in colorful pants and jackets.

The film “sexualizes young girls, including through dance scenes that simulate sexual activities and a scene exposing a minor’s bare breast,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wrote in his letter to Attorney General Bill Barr on Friday.

After hearing of the backlash, Cruz joined with other Republicans in Congress to ask the Department of Justice to investigate Netflix to determine if the company violated federal laws in the production and distribution of child pornography.

“There’s no excuse for the sexualization of children, and Netflix’s decision to promote the film Cuties is disgusting at best and a serious crime at worst,” said Republican Sen. Tom Cotton. “I urge the Department of Justice to take action against Netflix for their role in pushing explicit depictions of children into American homes.”

The film’s creators, however, say the film is meant to be a critique of the sexualization of…

Grace Community Church on Sunday defied a judge’s order not to meet indoors during the pandemic, with pastor John MacArthur telling attendees that the state’s restrictions for legal outdoor services would make it “impossible” to follow and result in the congregation shutting down.

The church met indoors multiple times Sunday, three days after California state Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff issued an injunction against such services and upheld Los Angeles County’s health restrictions on large gatherings.

Beckloff said the county’s order allows worship to occur outdoors, although MacArthur – during Sunday’s 10:30 a.m. service – said the various restrictions on outdoor worship are impractical.

The California Department of Public Health released a 14-page document July 29 outlining requirements and recommendations for churches to legally meet. Los Angeles County issued its own requirements and recommendations in July that churches in the county must follow.

“The question has come up a number of times about why Grace Church does not just comply with the orders that have been laid down for churches,” MacArthur said. “And I thought it might be helpful to give you the list of things that are required of us as a church, so that you understand how utterly impossible that would be.”

The church, which has several thousand members and attendees, would…

A new survey showing that one in five evangelicals believes in “gender fluidity” suggests that many Christians are following the culture instead of God’s Word, according to a prominent Christian college president.

The LifeWay Research “State of Theology” poll, conducted for Ligonier Ministries and released Sept. 8, revealed that 22 percent of U.S. evangelicals believe “gender identity is a matter of choice,” while three-fourths (73 percent) of American evangelicals disagree.

Ligonier, in an online analysis, said it is “concerning” that so many evangelicals appear “to reject” the “Bible’s teaching that our gender as male or female is given by God our Creator (Gen 1:27).” Ligonier said the issue will be the “battle for the next generation.”

“Children down to the earliest ages are now being told that they have the autonomy to determine whether they are a boy, a girl, or neither,” said Stephen Nichols, chief academic officer of Ligonier Ministries and president of Reformation Bible College.

“Not only does this threaten an entire generation with lifelong trauma, but more ultimately this message is one of treason against the supreme authority of God. Christians must listen and submit to God’s steadfast Word in all that it teaches, but the 2020 State of Theology survey suggests that many American evangelicals are instead listening to the changing voice of…

A California court has issued a preliminary injunction against Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church, banning them from conducting, participating in or attending any indoor worship services until the case is resolved. 

In what lawyers for the Sun Valley-based megachurch described as a “setback,” a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Sept. 10 granted the county’s request for an injunction prohibiting Grace Community from holding indoor services in violation of county health orders. 

Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff ruled that the church must not conduct any outdoor worship services unless it fully complies with the county’s mandates relating to physical distancing and face coverings, according to the nonprofit law firm Thomas More Society.

In an 18-page ruling, Beckloff wrote that the county demonstrated “a likelihood of success on the merits of its claims” and found that the “balance of harms tips in its favor.”

“[T]he Court finds the balance of harms tips in favor of the County,” the judge contends. “The potential consequences of community…

After nearly 50 years of serving as senior pastor at First Baptist Church Atlanta, Charles Stanley announced during a pre-recorded streaming service on Sunday that he is stepping down. The megachurch said Stanley will be replaced by Dr. Anthony George.

“Earlier this month, I informed the board that I felt the time had come for me to step down as senior pastor,” Stanley said. “I have many wonderful memories. But as much as I love being your pastor, I know in my heart this season has come to an end.”

Stanley, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and who will turn 88 later this month, will become pastor emeritus. “To say I didn’t rush this decision would certainly be an understatement,” he said.

Stanley, who’s been with First Baptist since 1969, said he’s not retiring and will remain active with In Touch Ministries, which was founded in 1992.

The church said in a statement on its Facebook page, “We are forever indebted to this man of God—not only our faithful pastor, but also a pastor to millions around the world.”

George, who assisted…

As the United States continues to grapple with racial issues both past and present, a few Christian schools in the South have found themselves at the center of debates regarding their history.

Baylor University garnered headlines in late June when its leadership passed a “Resolution on Racial Healing and Justice,” acknowledging its ties to slavery and the Confederate States.

The resolution also called for the examination of all buildings, monuments, and statues on campus for their historical context and to advance racial reconciliation.

Meanwhile, Harding University, a Church of Christ-affiliated school in Arkansas,  garnered attention for rejecting a petition to change the name of an auditorium.

Many students wanted to change the name of an auditorium named after George S. Benson, a former university president known for his support for racial segregation.

“Rather than remove his name, the University needs to tell the more complete story of Dr. Benson,” stated the university in June, citing Benson’s mission work in China, establishment of the Canton Bible School, eventual integration of Harding in 1963,…

By Leonardo Blair, Christian Post Reporter Follow | Saturday, September 12, 2020

A majority of American adults believe religious belief is a matter of personal opinion, according to new data from the 2020 biennial State of Theology survey, but fewer people are expressing that view.

The survey, commissioned by Ligonier Ministries and conducted by LifeWay Research on March 10-18, involved a sample of 3,002 participants. The results show that while 60% of U.S. adults held the view that religious belief is a matter of personal opinion in 2018, that number dropped to 54% in 2020.

“More than half of respondents to the State of Theology survey say that religious belief is not about objective reality. However, fewer people expressed this view in 2020 than in 2018. It isn’t clear why this is the case, but it may be that our chaotic cultural moment has prompted more people to turn to religion for objective truth,” LifeWay researchers said.

Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research explained that what the results of the survey reveal is that Americans hold a complex set of conflicting religious beliefs.

“Many Americans treat theology like a choose-your-own adventure book,” he said in a recent report. “It’s clear from certain…