NY High School Violates Rights of Christian Students

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NY High School Violates Rights of Christian Students

Educators at Ward Melville High School are either woefully ignorant of the U.S. Constitution or they really don’t like Christian teenagers.

For the second year in a row, the Long Island, New York high school has denied students the right to form a Christian club.

“I feel like they have something against me and my faith,” 17-year-old John Raney told me. “I feel marginalized.”

John is the founder of Students United in Faith, a service-oriented Christian club. Nearly 20 young people wanted to join the club—but the school said no.

“I wanted to start the club because I thought it would provide a safe space for Christians to meet and talk about their faith,” he said.

As John noted, there aren’t many places like that in Long Island—especially at Ward Melville High School.

So here’s the backstory:

Last year, the school pulled the same stunt. They banned John’s club because of its religious nature. Attorneys with Liberty Institute, a law firm specializing in religious liberty cases, stepped in and threatened to sue.

After a school district investigation, Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich reversed the ban and apologized to John.

She told television station WCBS the initial reason for rejection was “apparently inaccurately conveyed.”

And by “inaccurately conveyed” she means they got their hand caught in the religious liberty cookie jar.

Fast forward nine months later and the school once again is telling the Christian kids they aren’t welcome to co-mingle.

I called the school district to find out what was going on. Twice. I also sent an email. They got back to me late Monday afternoon. Superintendent Pedisich sent me a prepared statement denying their decision had anything to do with religion.

Here’s what she said, “The religious club called Students United in Faith was denied because contractual guidelines regarding minimum participation (20 students) in student co-curricular programs was not met, nor did Ward Melville High School have the financial means to fund this program. The district does not have a practice of discrimination of any kind. We embrace our diverse school community and strive to maintain an environment that promotes tolerance, understanding and respect for all.”

Her statement is linked with what Assistant Principal Christian Losee told John. He cited a lack of student interest in the group as well as the school’s “financial limitations.”

So John picked up the phone and called Liberty Institute, a nationally known religious liberty law firm. “I cannot imagine why they would come back a second time to discriminate,” said attorney Hiram Sasser. “For some reason, Ward Melville High School does not want to follow the Equal Access law.”

Sasser fired off a letter to the school district demanding the Christian students be allowed to form their club.

“This is not a complicated issue,” Sasser wrote. “Simply put, public schools cannot discriminate against religious clubs and must treat them equally, and provide them equal access to school facilities, as non-religious clubs.”

Sasser was able to compile a list of all the school’s clubs—33 in all. They’ve got everything from a fishing club to a ceramics club. They even have a Gay-Straight Alliance.

“They let all these other clubs meet with no problem whatsoever,” John told me. “But the second me and my friends mention faith or mention God, they get up in arms about it—like there’s something wrong with believing in these things.”

Sasser said the law is clear. It doesn’t matter if only two people wanted to join the Christian club—the school would have to accommodate them.

“If they allow the fishing club, they have to allow the Christian club, too,” he said. “They cannot exclude the Christian club.”

After what happened last year, I suspect the school knows that. It seems to me they’re just engaged in a bit of bullying and intimidation.

“It sends a chilling message to all faith groups—telling them the school views these clubs as not acceptable,” Sasser said.

John’s mom, Trudy Fischer, told me she’s proud that her son is sticking up for the club.

“I was really surprised in today’s age that children still have to stand up for their First Amendment rights,” she said. “Tolerance is really preached in their school. They talk about tolerance, but when it comes to this—there is no tolerance. They want to shut them up.

That’s right, Trudy. They want your son to shut up. They want to marginalize these young Christian teenagers and make them think there’s something inappropriate, something sleazy about their religious beliefs. But what’s truly sleazy is government-employed bigots continuing to bully Christian teens trying to do good deeds.

Source: Charisma News

It’s All about Jesus

CM Editor
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It’s All about Jesus

In a very real sense the New Testament is the answer to this question. Thus, the best and fullest answer to the question who is Jesus Christ is found through careful study of the four Gospels and the other New Testament writings. The brief description that follows is based upon the New Testament writings, which we believe to be God’s true revelation to mankind. Jesus Christ is the founder of the Christian Religion. He was a Jew, born in Bethlehem, Judea in approximately 4 B.C. and died in Jerusalem in 30 A.D. Other than briefly describing His birth and one incident at age 12, the New Testament focuses upon his three-year earthly rabbinical ministry, begun at age 30. Today nearly two billion people profess allegiance to Jesus Christ.

His Name

The name “Jesus” was the name that God through the angel Gabriel gave him. The name means “The Lord saves.” “Christ” (from the Greek word christos, which in turn is a translation of the Hebrew word mashiyach, i.e., Messiah), means “the anointed one.” This is a title, rather than a name. It means that Christ is God’s long promised Savior.

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Jesus - He Lived Among Us

Pastor invites Muslims to Church

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Pastor invites Muslims to Church

As fears about the rise of the Islamic State (IS) increase, an Australian church minister is challenging discrimination against Muslims in his own community.

“Images of arrested Muslims dominated our airwaves for quite a few days,” Michael Barnes of Gordon Uniting Church in New South Wales told the Huffington Post after increased anti-terrorism efforts by the Australian government took hold.

“I was concerned that this, unwittingly, fed into and exacerbated general fear and anxiety in the community and more importantly that it made Muslims feel unwelcome in their own country.”

Barnes said that discrimination against minority groups in Australia is increasing, and “misunderstanding and anxiety expressed about Muslims” is particularly prevalent.

He has therefore had the words “Muslims welcome here” put on a sign outside the church, and has begun an Interfaith Month, during which services exploring other religions and traditions will be held.

A discussion entitled “Why jihadists do not represent Islam” will also take place, led by a local Muslim.

It’s all part of extending Gordon Uniting Church’s motto, which challenges its congregants to “Love wastefully” and care for all those around them, no matter what their beliefs.

“From my connections with the Muslim community, I know that they live with anxieties about attitudes to them in the community,” Barnes explained.

“So many people don’t meet with Muslims and yet have strong views about them.”

Barnes says he wants his church to “offer a different message” – of unconditional love and acceptance – and explains that his own inter-faith connections have helped him on his personal journey.

“It has caused me to rethink many views on life, God and the future,” he said.

“While it can at times be challenging, it is very rewarding and, in our world, utterly necessary.”

Australia has recently joined the US-led anti-jihadi coalition in an attempt to stop the spread of IS.

According to the Guardian, Australian Super Hornet jets have already begun “non-combat reconnaissance operations” over Iraq, and will soon take part in air strikes.

A poll conducted for News Corp shows that 62 per cent of Australian voters support this move, with just 21 per cent opposed.

Source:Christian Today

Pope Admonishes Bishops about Virtues

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Pope Admonishes Bishops about Virtues

During the opening session for the extraordinary synod on the family, Pope Francis told participants not to be afraid of saying what they truly think, and that only by doing this can they reach real conclusions.

“You have to say all that which in the Lord you feel you have to say: without human respect, without timidity,” the Pope told synod participants in his Oct. 6 opening remarks.

“And, at the same time, you must listen with humility and accept with an open heart what your brothers say. Synodality is exercised with these two attitudes.”

Initiated yesterday with a mass presided over by the pontiff, the Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family reflects on the theme “The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization,” and was called for by the Pope in order to form a more concrete reflection for the Ordinary Synod to take place in 2015.

The synod will conclude with the beatification of Pope Paul VI, institutor of the synod of bishops, by Pope Francis on Oct. 19.

Speaking directly to the synod rapporteur, secretary-general and the three president delegates of different episcopal conferences present, Pope Francis explained that they bring to the meetings “the voice of the particular Church, gathered at the level of local churches by the Episcopal Conferences.”

“This voice you bring in synodality. It’s a great responsibility: to bring the realities and problems of the Church, to help them walk that road that which is the Gospel of the family,” the Pope continued.

And one basic condition of synodality, he said, is to “speak clearly. No one say ‘You can’t say this; think of me this way or that…’ You have to say everything that you feel with frankness.”

Pope Francis then recalled how he received an email from a cardinal after the consistory that took place in February, saying “it’s a shame that some cardinals didn’t have the courage to say some things out of respect of the Pope, feeling, perhaps, that the Pope was thinking something different.”

“This is not good, this is not synodality, because you have to say all that which in the Lord you feel you have to say,” the Pope explained, saying that they must also be humble and open to the opinion of others.

“I ask you, please, (to have) these attitudes of brothers in the Lord: speak with frankness and listen with humility.”

The Roman Pontiff also expressed his “deep and sincere thanks to all the people who have worked with dedication, patience and with competence for many months, reading, evaluating and developing themes, texts and works for this Exraordinaty General Assembly.”

He gave special appreciation to Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod, Msgr. Fabio Fabene, Undersecretary, as well as all of the speakers, writers, consulters, translators and staff of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.

“They have worked untiringly, and continue to work, for the good outcome of this Synod: thank you very much and may the Lord reward you!”

Also recognizing the various cardinals, patriarchs, bishops, priests, religious men and women and laypersons present, the Bishop of Rome explained that their presence “enriches the work and the spirit of collegiality and synodality for the good of the Church and of the family!”

He encouraged discussion to take place “with tranquility and peace, because the synod always takes place with Peter and under Peter, and the presence of the Pope is a guarantee for all (in the) safeguarding of the faith.”

So “we collaborate with all because it affirms with clarity the dynamic of synodality.”

Source: Catholic News Agency

Fire guts Indianapolis Church

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Fire guts Indianapolis Church

An Indianapolis church built in the 1940s was destroyed by fire overnight.

Firefighters battled the two-alarm fire at Friendly Church of the Nazarene on W. Ray Street and S. Holmes Avenue for nearly an hour Thursday morning.

The call came in at 12:02 a.m. and the Indianapolis Fire Department arrived within four minutes and found heavy flames and smoke coming through the roof. Thirteen IFD crews and two units from Wayne Township had the fire under control by 12:56 a.m.

The south part of the church was built in 1945 and the north end was added in 1967. The church recently finished renovations.

Damage is estimated at $300,000. IFD says the church has insurance.

Arson investigators were on the scene Thursday, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. IFD says it’s unclear at this time if there were working smoke detectors.

There are about 35 members of Friendly Church of the Nazarene.

A civilian at the scene was treated for slight smoke inhalation.

Source: Fox 59

A Good Marriage isn’t something You find; It’s something You Make

CM Editor
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A Good Marriage isn’t something You find; It’s something You Make

 Author Gary Thomas explains how a husband and wife can foster oneness in their marriage by pursuing God together.

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A Good Marriage isn’t something You find; It’s something You Make – Gary Thomas

Credit – Focus on the Family

Ebola: American Aid Workers to Provide Chlorine and other Supplies in Liberia

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Ebola: American Aid Workers to Provide Chlorine and other Supplies in Liberia

American charity Operation Blessing International has announced it’s sending a team of aid workers with multiple chlorine generators and a shipping container full of critically needed hospital supplies to Liberia, one of the countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak.

The faith-based relief group is the latest to join in the fight against the deadly virus, which has killed over 3,400 people throughout West Africa, and has reached the United States.

“Chlorine is one of the most important tools in the fight against Ebola because it kills the virus on contact,” OBI president Bill Horan explained in a press release.

“As a result of this crisis, chlorine is needed in massive quantities by not only health workers, but also by the Liberian government because they have set up hand-washing stations all around the country in an attempt to prevent the spread of Ebola. But supplies are nearly depleted in the country and, as far as we know, Operation Blessing is the only group making chlorine in Liberia.”

Other Christian groups like SIM USA and Samaritan’s Purse are also in the region, treating patients with Ebola at special treatment centers. Both organizations saw members of their medical staff come down with the virus, namely Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, who were successfully treated back in America and were subsequently discharged from hospital.

The U.S. government has responded by sending over 3,000 medical personnel to West Africa to help build treatment tents and educate the public on prevention measures. SIM USA President Bruce Johnson praised President Barack Obama’s initiative last month, pointing out that American aid is greatly needed in the crisis.

“The multifaceted response to the Ebola crisis announced today by President Obama is what we have been hoping for and what is needed in Liberia and West Africa,” Johnson said at the time. “Three things are vital right now: more beds and equipment, more trained medical professionals, and more training of Liberians and West Africans. This plan addresses these desperate needs.”

Reports noted over the weekend that Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to be diagnosed with the Ebola in the U.S., is in critical condition. He is said to have came from Liberia to Dallas, Texas, with the intention of marrying his girlfriend, with whom he has a 19-year-old son.

Ten people with the highest risk of exposure from Duncan had been placed under isolation by Friday.

OBI, which has provided aid in Liberia for over a decade, said that the chlorine made by its team will be sent to Partners in Health, to the Liberian government and to another partner, Lutheran Hospital, the largest public health institution in Liberia.

“Because Ebola is spread through bodily fluids, health workers are burning the used hospital linens rather than laundering them. Supplies are running out very quickly and these items are critically-needed,” Horan added.

David Darg, vice president of international operations for OBI, is scheduled to arrive in Lieria Monday to speak with the Liberian Minister of the Interior and organize the efforts.

Source : Christian Post

ISIS:Kurdish Commander Resorts to Suicide Bombing

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ISIS:Kurdish Commander Resorts to Suicide Bombing

A female Kurdish fighter killed numerous militants of the Islamic State, or ISIS, by blowing herself up as the terrorists were fighting to seize a strategic Syrian town on Sunday night, according to a monitoring group.

The woman commander, belonging to the YGP, or People’s Protection Units, the official armed wing of the Kurdish Supreme Committee of Syrian Kurdistan, launched the attack at an ISIS position east of the border town of Kobane, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

The woman, identified on social media as Arin Mirkan, attacked ISIS as Kurdish fighters backed by U.S.-led airstrikes fought the militants for control of the town on the Turkish border, according to The Telegraph.

“The operation caused deaths, but there is no confirmed number,” observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman was quoted as saying.

“Our call to all the young men and women of Kurdistan is to come to be part of this resistance,” the YPG said in a statement. “Every street and house will be a grave for them (ISIS).”

It was the first reported instance of a female Kurdish fighter carrying out a suicide attack against ISIS, according to the UK-based monitoring group.

ISIS seized a section of the Mishtenur hill late Saturday, but airstrikes slowed them down Sunday.

However, a Kurdish official, Idris Nahsen, said airstrikes alone cannot prevent ISIS from taking the town. “They are not enough to defeat terrorist groups. The strikes are helping but we need heavy weaponry, armoured vehicles, cannons, rockets. They are one kilometre away in some places and two or three kilometres in others,” Agence France Presse quoted him as saying.

ISIS has taken over about 350 villages around the city of Kobane, and over 150,000 people from the region have fled to Turkey.

ISIS released a video Friday showing the beheading of a British aid worker, Alan Henning. Last month, the Sunni terror group released footage showing the execution of another British hostage, David Haines. In two previous videos, the group showed the execution of U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

ISIS, an al-Qaeda offshoot and also known as ISIL, has gained control of large swathes of territories in Iraq and Syria.

In Iraq, ISIS men have killed hundreds of civilians. Numerous members of the Christian and Yazidi minorities have also been killed, and tens of thousands of them have fled their homes.

ISIS, or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, wants to form an Islamic emirate in the Levant region through “jihad.” According to the CIA, ISIS has about 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria.The terror group is believed to have hundreds of foreign fighters, including those from the United States and Europe.
Source-Christian Post

Religious Faithfuls unite for Alan Henning

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Religious Faithfuls unite for Alan Henning

Mourners from many faiths united in a service of reflection on Sunday for aid worker Alan Henning, killed by Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria.

More than 500 people, including Henning’s widow, Barbara, and their two children, Lucy, 17, and Adam, 15, attended the service at Eccles Parish Church in Manchester.

The 47-year-old taxi driver was captured by IS in December while he was delivering aid to Syria.

A video was released late on Friday purporting to show his death by beheading, in the same manner as three other American and British IS hostages.

The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev David Walker, who was at the service, described Henning as a “martyr” who had paid the “ultimate sacrifice”.

“Within the Greater Manchester area it’s part of our tradition to come together at times of tragedy,” Bishop David said, according to the Times. “This won’t divide us, it will simply reaffirm us in our commitment to one another and to the future of the world of which we are a part.”

Yellow ribbons have been tied around his hometown in remembrance, and flowers have been laid outside the Hennings’ home and the minicab office where he used to work.

A memorial fund has been set up in his name by Dr Shameela Islam-Fulfigar, who was with Henning on the aid convoy from which he was captured.

Bishop David said in a statement on Saturday: “In his life Alan Henning united people across the boundaries of nationality and faith. He did so both through his humanitarian actions and by the love that drove him on. That his tragic death continues to unite people across Britain and beyond is demonstrated today by the range of people and organisations paying him tribute.

“To ISIS we say: You no longer have the power to shock us, now you just sicken us. Your brutality, against any who don’t share your narrow, perverted worldview, doesn’t undermine our determination, it stiffens our resolve. Your destiny is not to be a force in human history, merely one of its sad footnotes.”

Many Muslims had campaigned for Henning’s release after the threat of his beheading was released on September 13.

Imam Asim Hussain said at Manchester Central Mosque yesterday: “The killing of Alan Henning was a cowardly and criminal act of appalling brutality, by a group who do not represent Islam at all, and in fact are an insult to the Islamic faith.”

Hussain, who attended the memorial service, described Henning as a “local and national hero”.

Source:Christian Today

Israel has a right to the Land: PM

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Israel has a right to the Land: PM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hosted his sixth open Bible study at the official Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem since reestablishing the practice two years ago.

The event was attended by dozens of leading rabbis and academics, many of them members of Knesset and the current government.

One of those participating in the round-table discussion was Education Minister Shai Peron, who spoke on the topic of why the Bible begins with the story of creation, rather than jumping straight into God’s relationship with and commandments to the Nation of Israel.

Peron cited the famous 11th century Jewish sage Rashi, who taught that the Bible begins with the story of creation to demonstrate that the whole world belongs to God, and He gives this land or that to whom He will.

Netanyahu noted that there are many in the world today who do not accept Israel’s divine appointment to this particular land, and who seek to defame the Jewish people and deny their birthright.

The prime minister said that while these open Bible studies have only been held a handful of times, the Word of God is studied in his home at least once a week. Netanyahu’s younger son, Avner, won the National Bible Quiz for Youth in 2010, and, according to the prime minister, often leads their home sessions.

Source: Isreal Today

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