‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Premieres Friday

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‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Premieres Friday

Ridley Scott discussed Moses’ moral compass in his latest film “Exodus: Gods and Kings” just in time for its debut in theaters on Friday, Dec. 12.

Helmed by Scott, “Exodus: Gods and Kings” stars Christian Bale as Moses, who frees thousands of Hebrews enslaved by Rhamses, portrayed by Joel Edgerton.

Promoting the film ahead of its release, Scott addressed Moses’ heroic endeavor as it appears on the big screen, voicing his own opinion on why the prophet followed God’s orders to lead the slaves to freedom. The award-winning director told The Christian Post that Moses may have examined the state of affairs in Egypt after he heard the voice of God, therefore realizing the wrongness behind slavery.

“Conscience, the power of conscience can unearth all kinds of things,” Scott said before noting that the number of slaves in Egypt during Moses’ period are indeterminate, but that Exodus features 400,000 slaves.

“In some ways I cannot believe that any clear thinking, normal-minded person could not have second thoughts about what is perceived as status quo, which was fundamentally slave labor,” Scott added.

According to Edgerton, who stars in “Exodus: Gods and Kings” as Rhamses, Scott was drawn to this telling of Moses since the script stressed a brotherhood between the prophet and the Pharaoh. The 77-year-old director is the last of three brothers alive today, and he dedicated the film to his youngest brother, Tony Scott.

“Rhamses, as per our story, our telling of the story — the script that Steve Zaillian wrote, was underpinned by the foundation of the beginning of the story, this the deep love between the two brothers,” the Australian actor told CP. “I suspect that was part of the reason why Ridley was drawn to this telling of the story, and why I responded to it, because I have a deep relationship with my brother.”

As a result of the film’s emphasis on Rhamses and Moses, Scott deviated from the norm of having strong female characters as lead roles. Characters such as Moses’ sister, Miriam, and his wife, Sefora, were present in “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” but were not explored in-depth.

“At the end of the day the way the script was set up, it wasn’t really about that,” Scott said, referring to the female characters. “There was no need for more, it was about the evolution of Moses in relation to his relationship with, if you like, his brother, Rameses. As much as we tried to give more stuff to various characters, it didn’t really make sense.”

“Exodus: Gods and Kings” also stars Aaron Paul of “Breaking Bad,” Ben Kingsley, and Sigourney Weaver. The film opens in U.S. theaters on Friday, Dec. 12. Watch the trailer below:

Source and Original Content by CP

US 8th Grader Arrested and Violently Treated by Police After Refusing to Remove Rosary Beads

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US 8th Grader Arrested and Violently Treated by Police After Refusing to Remove Rosary Beads

In what activists are claiming is a clear use of excessive police force and a violation of civil liberty, an eighth grader at a Texas middle school was arrested and slammed face-first in the ground by a police officer during a school football game after the student refused to remove his spiritually beloved rosary beads from his neck.

Jacob Herrera, an eighth grade student at Sam Houston Middle School in in Amarillo, Texas, was arrested and detained overnight by local police in late October after he argued with an officer over his right to wear rosary beads on school grounds. The rosary was given to him by his now-deceased brother and has religious and sentimental value to him.

While the Amarillo Police Department holds that rosary beads are symbolism for association with gang violence and asks that students in the Amarillo Independent School District not wear them on school property, Herrera had acquired prior approval from the school’s principal that allowed him to wear rosary beads underneath his clothing while in school.

Before Herrera attended one of the school’s football games on Oct. 29, he was granted further approval from administrators allowing him to wear and display his beads while at the football game, without having to keep them underneath his clothing, his mother claims.

At the game, Herrera was confronted by a police officer working security who told him to remove the beads. Herrera didn’t want to remove the beads and tried to explain to the officer that he had been given permission to wear them.

When Herrera refused to remove the beads, police statements indicate that Herrera was told to put his hands behind his back, which he refused. He additionally did not comply with any of the officer’s other demands, which ultimately led to his arrest and painful physical police treatment.

“My son passed away two years ago, 2012, and he was teaching Jacob, you know about God and how you know, he should wear the rosary to protect him. So Jacob believes that that rosary protects him and its of his remembrance to his brother,” Herrera’s mother, Lori Martinez, told a local CBS affiliate.

According to a witness, Herrera was detained and was treated cruelly by the officers. Later, he had to be taken to the hospital due to injuries inflicted by the officer.

“You know, he handcuffed him, and then crossed him across the street right there and slammed him again and he repeatedly slammed the child on the floor,” witness Marviell Chavez said.

Coming to the legal defense of Herrera, The Rutherford Institute, a legal group dedicated to the defense of civil liberties, sent a demand letter to the Amarillo Independent School District on Dec. 4 demanding that the district rescind its dress code policy that states that students may not wear anything deemed as “gang apparel” by local law enforcement.

The letter also asked the school district to encourage law enforcement to drop its criminal prosecution of Herrera, and also said that the school district should issue a statement condoning the police department’s use of excessive force on young students.

“I think it was excessive force. The school should not be allowing this to happen. He is just an eighth grader,” Rutherford Institute founder John Whitehead said in a Monday interview with The Christian Post. “I understand that this [could be seen as] a gang symbol, but you can’t repress the symbol. It is a matter of religious freedom and is a First Amendment right. I think that they are overreacting to the gang issues, and if you have somebody wearing it legitimately, yes, they should be allowed to wear it. I think it is an important issue or we wouldn’t be involved.”

The Rutherford Institute has given the school district until Friday, Dec. 12, to respond to their demads. If the school district does not respond or give in to the demands by then, Whitehead said the institute has found a local lawyer who will take up Herrera’s case and could pursue a lawsuit against the school and police department.

Although Whitehead said that the letter was sent last Thursday, the Amarillo Independent School District’s communications director, Holly Shelton, told CP that they did not recevied the letter until Monday morning and will conduct a review of the the district’s policy.

“We will be reviewing our policies with the concerns addressed in the letter in mind,” Shelton said.

Herrara’s case is just one case representing a larger issue of school boards and local governments wrongly implementing rules that infringe upon the religious expression rights of their students and even teachers, Whitehead further addedd.

“I have heard of schools that say teachers can’t wear a cross. They can’t wear a reef on their lapel. Well, no court cases have ever held that. It is just an overreaction for political correctness,” Whitehead asserted. “I can see concern over gang symbols, but when you are lumping rosary beads in there with it, and Christian symbols, you got a problem.

“Then, when you have the cops slamming somebody face-down, and he had to go to the hospital over it, an eighth grader, holding him in detention like he is a master criminal, just doesn’t make any sense to me,” Whitehead added.

Source and Original Content by CP

Hit Tv Show Airs Controversial Christmas Episode, Sparks Outrage

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Hit Tv Show Airs Controversial Christmas Episode, Sparks Outrage

A controversial episode of hit TV show Family Guy aired last night entitled ‘The 2,000-year-old virgin’, in which Peter and his friends meet Jesus and try to help him lose his virginity.

“After running into Jesus at the Quahog Mall, Peter is stunned to discover that the Son of God is still a virgin. So, he enlists Quagmire and Cleveland to help him throw Jesus the best birthday ever by finding a way to help him become a man,” the episode synopsis reads.

Creator Seth MacFarlane, a staunch atheist, regularly uses his hit animated show to poke fun at religion.

“I do not believe in God. I’m an atheist. I consider myself a critical thinker, and it fascinates me that in the 21st century most people still believe in, as George Carlin puts it, ‘the invisible man living in the sky’,” he has said in an interview.

“Do I have that much contempt for Christianity? I guess maybe I do…The Big Bang has got a lot of support, live with it,” he added in the Family Guy Season 4 commentary.

In last night’s festive episiode, Jesus is taken on speed dates and says “Who cares? I’m not even real. Merry Christmas”.

Despite the programme being known for its sometimes offensive comedy, last night’s offering has already caused some outrage.

Source and Original Content by CT

Obamacare Birth Control Challenged by 4 Christian Colleges, Group of Nuns

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Obamacare Birth Control Challenged by 4 Christian Colleges, Group of Nuns

In the latest religious challenge to the federal health care law, faith-based organizations that object to covering birth control in their employee health plans argued in federal appeals court Monday that the government hasn’t gone far enough to ensure they don’t have to violate their beliefs.

Plaintiffs including a group of Colorado nuns and four Christian colleges in Oklahoma argued in the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver that a federal exemption for groups that oppose contraceptives, including the morning-after pill, violates their beliefs.

The groups don’t have to cover such contraceptives, as most insurers must. But they have to tell the government they object on religious grounds in order to get an exemption. They argued Monday that because they must sign away coverage to another party, the exemption makes them complicit in providing contraceptives.

“It is morally problematic” to sign the forms, argued Greg Baylor, lawyer for Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma.

“There are plenty of other ways the government could put (emergency contraception) in the hands of the people without us,” Baylor said.

But a lawyer for the government insisted the exemptions aren’t a significant burden on the groups’ exercise of religion.

Adam Jed of the Department of Justice argued that the government has done enough to accommodate religious exceptions to the birth-control mandate. He said that not requiring some sort of action by the groups would force the government to act as a “detective agency” to determine why any employer is not covering the contraceptives.

“We disagree that the act of opting out constitutes a substantial burden on their religious belief,” Jed said.

Even opting out violates those beliefs, the groups said.

“You can’t say, sister, you should really sign that form because it’s not really a big deal,” said Mark Rienzi of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who argued for the Denver nuns.

The three judges concentrated their questions on whether the opt-out forms amount to a “substantial burden.”

Judge Bobby Baldock asked why the exemption process burdens religious groups when the form essentially tells the government, “You can go pound sand because we don’t condone it, we don’t agree with it.”

Baldock seemed perplexed about why the government needs any form at all from religious objectors.

“You already know that the (nuns) raised their hands and said, ‘We’re not going to do this,’” Baldock said.

The judges didn’t indicate when they might rule.

The same court ruled last year that for-profit companies can join the exempted religious organizations and not provide contraceptive coverage. The U.S. Supreme Court later agreed with the 10th Circuit in the case brought by the Hobby Lobby arts-and-crafts chain.

The birth-control rule has been among the most divisive aspects of the health care overhaul. Some advocates for women praise the mandate.

Under the health care law, most health insurance plans have to cover all Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives as preventive care for women, free of cost to the patient.

Churches and other houses of worship are exempt from the birth control requirement, but affiliated institutions that serve the general public are not. That includes charitable organizations, universities and hospitals.

In addition to the Denver nuns and Southern Nazarene University, the 10th Circuit heard challenges from Oklahoma Baptist University, Mid-America University and Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Also challenging the waiver process was a group called Reaching Souls International, an evangelist Oklahoma organization that does Christian mission work overseas.

Source and Original Content by BCNN1

Pastor Recounts Violent Death of Five-Year-Old Boy

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Pastor Recounts Violent Death of Five-Year-Old Boy

A five-year-old boy found dead in his home with “sickening and violent” injuries on Friday has been described as “a lovely boy who was part of the life” of his local church.

“We are mourning the tragic loss to our community, of a lovely boy who was a part of the life of the church,” a statement posted on Facebook by Alva Baptist Church reads.

“We pray for the entire family during this difficult time…We also are seeking the Lord as His church, for the way forward as a faith community, to find healing and consolation.”

Pastor David Fraser led a tribute to Scott Chirashi during his sermon on Sunday, describing the schoolboy as a “friend of God”.

“We are deeply grieved at this extinguishing of a life. And God grieves with us in the face of this violence,” Fraser said, branding Scott’s death a “blasphemous” act.

“Lord, we do not understand what has happened,” he added in a prayer.

“There seems to be no sense in the ending of Scott’s life so we are puzzled and distressed.

“We are forced to trust you and how you will bring us through this tragedy and comfort all who mourn. Please bring hope and healing into our lives.”

Scott Chirashi’s body was discovered by police at his home in Alva, Clackmannanshire in Scotland on Friday morning.

Police have described his body as having “significant injury” and a member of the emergency services said he suffered a “sickening and violent death”.

Scott’s mother is thought to have recently split from her husband, Tichakunda, after he became involved with the Agape for All Nations Ministries International church.

The church has been accused of covering up financial, sexual and spiritual abuse, and founder Dr Walter Masocha was arrested earlier this year on allegations of multiple sexual offences.

There is no suggestion that the church had any involvement in Scott’s death. In a statement, a spokesperson for Agape said his father was a “valued member of our congregation”.

“This is an absolutely tragic incident and the boy’s family and friends are in our prayers.”

An investigation is currently underway.

Source and Original Content by CT

Pastor Prayed for Suicide of Gay Christian Author

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Pastor Prayed for Suicide of Gay Christian Author

A Baptist pastor says he stands by his email to a gay Christian author who he referred to as a “filthy child molesting fag”.

“I pray that you will commit suicide,” Pastor Logan Robertson of the Westcity Bible Baptist Church wrote in a response to an email from Jim Marjoram, who was promoting his book detailing his struggles as a gay Christian.

“We’re not interested in your filthy lifestyle or book.” Robertson said in an email now posted online.

“Romans 1 clearly says God has rejected homos and they are worthy of death. You cannot be saved…The bible says you are vile, strange (queer), reprobate, filth, sodmote, natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed (2 Peter 2:12).”

Robertson then refused to speak to ONE news reporter, Matt McClean, who is gay, about the incident.

He allegedly told McClean that he would not give an interview to a “filthy faggot”.

In a separate interview, however, he stood by his earlier claims. “I think every single one of them [gay people] should be put to death,” Robertson said.

“Christians shouldn’t be doing it. I’m not going to do it, it’s the Government’s job to be doing it.”

His words have been condemned by the National Leader of Baptist Churches of New Zealand, Rev Craig Vernall.

Vernall confirmed that Westcity Bible Baptist Church is not a member of the union, and said he was “appalled” by Robertson’s comments.

“It’s unfathomable to be that any Christian would pray for someone to commit suicide,” Vernall told GayNZ.com.

“We cannot and never would endorse his comments.”

Robertson is described as having a “love for the lost” on his church’s website, but Marjoram has said: “what you’re preaching isn’t love”.

“And if you call yourself a Christian…Jesus wouldn’t go anywhere near that,” he added.

Source and Original Content by CT

Parishioner Saves Life of Her Priest by Donating Kidney

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Parishioner Saves Life of Her Priest by Donating Kidney

A parish priest whose life has been extended for decades after being given a kidney by a parishioner has described it as a miracle.

Fr Michael Whyte arrived at St Catherine of Siena Parish in 2007 and has been parish priest there since 2008. A type 1 diabetic, he began experiencing extreme tiredness and nausea at about that time, signs of kidney failure as a result of diabetes.

Doctors gave him three choices: go on dialysis and live five or six more years; do nothing and die within six months; or get a kidney transplant and – if it’s from a live donor – live 20 to 25 years.

Two years ago, he announced at Mass that he was on the waiting list for a kidney.

More than one parishioner offered to be tested to see if they would be qualified donors, but Margaret Domashinski, a parishioner who lives in West Suffield, Massachusetts, already knew she would be the one.

“I knew I was a match,” she said during an interview at the parish rectory. “I know that’s kind of spooky, but it’s true. I knew.”

Asked what it was about Fr Whyte that prompted her to make the offer, Mrs Domashinski said, as if puzzled by the question: “He needed a transplant. He needed a kidney.”

Fr Whyte, looking fit as he sat beside his donor 10 weeks after transplant surgery, said, “I think it is very difficult when someone tells you that they’re considering getting tested or they would like to give you a body part. It is very hard to say – [a mere] thank you doesn’t seem to be appropriate.”

When Mrs Domashinski made the offer about a year ago, after a daily Mass, Fr Whyte was struck by her matter-of-fact attitude. She offered him her kidney “like it was a doughnut”, he said.

Of course, knowing instinctively that you are a match is not quite good enough for the medical profession, and Mrs Domashinski underwent many levels of testing to ensure that both she and Fr Whyte would have good chances of recovery. Their blood types had to match, and they do.

Despite having family members with diabetes, the risk at her age – mid-50s – is minimal that she would develop it. Her overall health is good.

Other, more subjective factors came into play also, Fr Whyte said. He said doctors asked Mrs Domashinski: “How are you going to feel if your other kidney has an issue or if your child needs one…Read More

Source and Original Content by Catholic Herald

Kenyan Christians in ‘Living in Fear’ after Latest Attack

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Kenyan Christians in ‘Living in Fear’ after Latest Attack

Christians in Kenya “are living in fear, wondering where the next attack will be” since Somali militants killed 36 non-Muslim quarry workers in early December, a bishop has said.

Bishop Emanuel Barbara of Malindi, in the east of the country, said there was much “confusion and anxiety” among Christians following the massacre by al-Shabab.

As Church leaders, “we are telling our people, ‘Be cautious and pay attention to what’s happening around you; but don’t let anger and vengeance grow in your hearts,’” Bishop Barbara said.

At the same time, Kenya’s Catholic bishops are “putting pressure on the government to change the way the security forces deal with this situation,” he said.

Corruption in Kenya’s security forces is a major problem, he said, noting that to prevent further escalation of tensions, the government needs to ensure that its security forces are strong.

“We would like to see our security forces taking the lead and to have a sense that they are in charge,” Bishop Barbara said, noting that most Kenyans now feel “that it’s the Muslim militants who will decide when and where to attack next.”

On December 2 attack near Mandera, which borders Somalia, militants separated the non-Muslims and shot them dead.

Bishop Barbara said it was the latest of many incidents that “make it very clear that fundamentalists are attacking Christians.” A week before this attack, 28 people were killed in an attack on a bus targeting non-Muslims in the same area.

Media reports said al-Shabab, which said it carried out the attacks, has stepped up its campaign in Kenya since 2011, when Kenya sent troops into Somalia to help battle the militants, according to the BBC.

Last year, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for an attack on a Nairobi shopping mall in which 67 people were killed by gunmen.

St Joseph Brother John Mwangi Wambugu told CNS that attendance in churches has waned because of fears of more attacks in places where people are gathered together.

“There is a lot of insecurity and fear among Christians, especially in the coastal regions and northeastern Kenya,” because of their proximity to Somalia as well as the large number of Muslims living in these areas, said Brother Wambugu, director of Caritas for the ecclesiastical province of Mombasa, which includes the Archdiocese of Mombasa and the dioceses of Garissa and Malindi.

Divisions between Christians and Muslims are growing “and people are not as close as they used to be,” Brother Wambugu said in a December 5 telephone interview…Read More

Source and Original Content by Catholic Herald

Church Receives $20M From Anonymous Donor to Renovate Cathedral

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Church Receives $20M From Anonymous Donor to Renovate Cathedral

A California Roman Catholic diocese that owns the property that once was the Crystal Cathedral has received a $20 million donation for its renovation work.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange announced that an anonymous donor gave $20 million to aid the estimated $113 million renovation of the former Crystal Cathedral.

In a statement made by the donor and released by the Diocese of Orange, the person said, “I hope this gift will inspire other donors in our community to give as well.”

“I am blessed to offer my faithful and financial support to the diocese’s efforts to restore and renovate the campus and make its vision for the Christ Cathedral a reality.”

For decades, the Orange County located Crystal Cathedral was the notable megachurch headed by the Rev. Robert Schuller and his family.

However, financial scandals and in-fighting led to Crystal Cathedral Ministries filing for bankruptcy and eventually being compelled to sell their iconic property.

In February 2012, the Catholic Diocese of Orange purchased the building and grounds, renaming the sanctuary Christ Cathedral.

The diocese sought to redesign the facility at a price tag of approximately $113 million, with Bishop Kevin Vann of Orange explaining reasons for the projects in a statement made in September.

“Through this innovative design process, an insightful plan has emerged that will establish Christ Cathedral as a place for involvement in the sacraments, a place to hear the word of God proclaimed and a place for personal prayer and devotion,” said Vann.

For the multiphase renovation endeavor, this latest donation of $20 million will go to the second phase of the plan, according to Chris Haire of the Orange County Register.

“The $20 million is the first donation toward the second phase’s $60 million goal; this phase targets large donations and will be spent on campus renovations,” reported Haire.

“During phase one, meant for various diocese projects including the campus renovations, the diocese received more than $85 million from about 24,000 parishioners.”

As part of its deal with the diocese, Crystal Cathedral Ministries moved into a smaller church facility known as St. Callistus Catholic Church and dubbed their congregation Shepherd’s Grove.

Bobby Schuller, the 33-year-old grandson of the Schuller who founded Crystal Cathedral, is the lead pastor of the replanted congregation.

A graduate of Oral Roberts University in 2003 and Fuller Theological Seminary in 2008, Sculler also re-launched the “Hour of Power” series once overseen by his grandfather.

Source and Original Content by CP

Two US Churches Merge to Send Positive Message on Race Relations

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Two US Churches Merge to Send Positive Message on Race Relations

Two Florida churches are soon expected to undergo a merger that pastors hope will help send a message on race relations throughout the state — and beyond.

On Jan. 4, 2015, Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville — a predominantly black church — will take over Ridgewood Baptist Church in Orange Park. Ridgewood’s congregation is mostly white.

The latter has struggled financially and Shiloh Pastor H.B Charles Jr., who is black, along with Ridgewood Pastor Michael Clifford, who is white, decided that a union would be the best course of action.

“None of this would have happened without the leadership of Michael. He’s a good man,” Charles told The Huffington Post in a phone interview.

Charles, who serves as the lead pastor for more than 8,000 churchgoers, said his congregation is overwhelmingly excited and looks forward to the possibilities the merger will bring.

“We’re hoping we’ll be a witness of racial reconciliation in our city and beyond and that we can come together beyond the things that divide us and work together to make the community better,” he said.

Charles said he is aware of potential challenges the merger could bring, but he remains confident the church will overcome them.

“We’re learning to love beyond our culture and others learn to love beyond theirs,” he added. “It requires humility, unity and a willingness to change and grow, but they’re good challenges that we’re looking forward to facing…Read More

Source and Original Content by BCNN1

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