A Christian baker in Northern Ireland is facing legal consequences for refusing to bake a cake with a gay marriage message.

Asher’s Baking Company was targeted by the Government Equality Commission after it declined to make a cake that said, “Support gay marriage.”

The commission said the company discriminated against the customer for his sexual orientation and threatened legal action.

“We’re continuing to hold to the stand that we took originally because we believe it’s biblical, we believe it’s what God would want us to do, and we also think that if we do cave in to the Equality Commission, at this point it’ll put pressure on other citizens who are defending their view of traditional marriage,” Daniel Mcarthur, general manager of Asher’s Baking Company, said.

The Christians Institute is providing legal assistance to the company. Find out more about thecase here.

Source and Original Content by CBN News

New criteria proposals have been launched for GCSE and A Level courses in R.E. as part of a public consultation.

The Catholic Education Service (CES) says the plans will ensure a more ‘academically rigorous’ religious education for pupils.

The organisation, along with The Church of England’s Education Division, worked alongside the Department for Education to draft the proposals, which are now subject to a public consultation.

CES says the reforms will include the teachings of two religions at GCSE and a breadth and depth of study at A-Level to support students progressing to higher education.

The Church of England’s Chief Education Officer, Revd. Nigel Genders, said: “Looking at the world today, it is hard to overstate the importance of equipping the young people of this country with a challenging and rigorous education which includes religious literacy.

“This new set of criteria will provide qualifications which do exactly that, and I hope the government will act to launch them publically as soon as possible.”

Chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Department of Education and Formation, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, added: “We are excited about the opportunities that these will give our schools in delivering an academic study of religious education which conforms with the Bishops’ requirements, and look forward to the imminent launch of the consultation.”

However, the plans have been criticised by some for not giving non-religious views the same weight as religious viewpoints.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) and the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC) want the Government to reconsider the proposals.

They want the subject to include an optional annex on humanism, alongside those on the six major world religions…Read More

Source and Original Content by Premier Christian Radio

In his daily homily for Mass at the Santa Marta residence, Pope Francis urged the faithful against living as lukewarm pagans who are merely Christian in name, for these are “enemies of the Cross.”

Reflecting on the day’s reading from Paul to the Philippians, the Holy Father spoke of two types of Christians: those who advance in their faith, and those who behave as “enemies of the Cross of Christ.”

Pope Francis condemned this latter group as “Christian pagans,” describing them as “worldly, Christian in name,” but living a “pagan life.” They are “pagans with two strokes of Christian paint, in order to appear as Christians.”

There are my Christians today who live out their faith in this way, the Holy Father said. He warned the faithful to be attentive so as to not become like these “Christian pagans,” who are merely “Christians in appearance.”

The downfall of such Christians is their mediocrity, he continued, for their hearts become lukewarm. “Because you are lukewarm, I vomit you from my mouth” the Pope said, citing the Lord’s words against lukewarm Christians.

“They are enemies of the Cross of Christ. They take the name (Christian), but do not follow the demands of a Christian life.”

Continuing his reflection on Saint Paul, Pope Francis said these Christians “are citizens of the world,” not of Heaven…Read More

Source and Original Content by CNA

England’s newest striker tweeted that ‘God is truly amazing’ after his first call up to the senior squad.

Saido Berahino has been in prolific form this season scoring 7 goals in 10 Premier League appearances.

The West Bromwich Albion star’s form was rewarded yesterday when he was called up for the games against Slovenia and Scotland.

Tweeting about his call up he said:

@SBerahino: “Cant believe how far i have come, God is truly amazing, wana thank everyone for the messages”. #GodIsGood #thisoneforyouMUM

Berahino moved to England at the age of ten escaping from war-torn Burundi to join his mother, brother and sisters who had already been granted asylum in Birmingham

He has played for England at every level from Under-16 to Under-21, but this is his first call-up to the senior side.

He regularly proclaims his faith using #GodisGood and #GodisGreat at the end of twitter messages.

Source and Original Content by Premier Christian Radio

Proposals to change the law on assisted dying have their second reading in the House of Lords today.

They’d allow doctors to help end the lives of terminally-ill patients in certain circumstances.

While peers discuss the plans, which have been put forward by Lord Falconer, pro-life campaigners will gather outside Parliament to show their concerns.

The demonstration which has been organised by the groups ‘Not Dead Yet UK’ and ‘Care Not Killing’ will include ten empty wheel chairs, a reference to the concerns that disabled and doctors groups have raised about the lack of protections for vulnerable people.

Former Disability Rights Commissioner Baroness Jane Campbell and former Paralympian Baroness Tani Grey-Thompson will also be present.

Peter Saunders is the Chief Executive of the Christian Medical Fellowship and is part of the Care Not Killing alliance.

He said: “We’re concerned that this will especially affect those who are disabled, elderly, sick or depressed.

“The right to die can so easy become the duty to die and the law that we have at the moment is there to protect vulnerable people from exploitation.”

James Harris is from the group Dignity in Dying and is supporting Lord Falconer’s bill.

He said: “I would much rather prefer that they raise concerns openly, that they have the opportunity to speak to independent carers and their fears can be reassured, rather than leaving them to their own devices to go onto the internet and other forms of communications in order to find ways to end their lives.

Yesterday a new poll found the majority of the public support a terminally-ill person’s right to die.

The ComRes survey found 54 per cent of those questioned agreed that people ‘should have the right to end their lives whenever they choose’.

But 58 per cent accepted it was ‘impossible to make the system completely safe from abuse’.

Source and Original Content by Premier Christian Radio

Pope Francis has excommunicated a convicted paedophile from the Catholic Church.

Argentinian Jose Mercau was the priest at St John the Baptist Church in the San Isidro diocese, which is on the outskirts of Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires.

He also ran a home for destitute children.

Mercau admitted sexually abusing four teenage boys between 2000 and 2005, and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

He spent fifteen days in prison, before he was moved to a monastery in Buenos Aires to serve the rest of his sentence.

Pope Francis asked victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church for forgiveness in a meeting with them earlier this year.

He pledged to hold bishops accountable for the way they deal with paedophile priests and allegations of sexual abuse.

Victims are still criticising the Vatican because it hasn’t banished another Argentinian priest convicted of paedophilia.

Julio Cesar Grassi was sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2009 for sexually abusing a boy.

Source and Original Content by Premier Radio