‘Preachers of L.A.’ Stars Blast TLC for Exploiting, Abandoning Duggars Amid Molestation Scandal

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‘Preachers of L.A.’ Stars Blast TLC for Exploiting, Abandoning Duggars Amid Molestation Scandal

Preachers of L.A. (Photo: YouTube screengrab)

Christian Post Report – Stars of Oxygen’s “Preachers of L.A.”

Stars of Oxygen’s “Preachers of L.A.” reality series recently blasted TLC for exploiting then abandoning the Duggar family who star in the channel’s “19 Kids and Counting” reality series amid the molestation scandal that has rocked the family in recent weeks.

The Duggar family rose to fame on TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting,” but on Tuesday, the future for the embattled Christian family’s television series remains in limbo after allegations arose that the eldest Duggar son, Josh, molested five girls when he was 14.

Discussing the resulting firestorm of criticism against the conservative Christian family, Pastor Deitrick Haddon, Pastor Jay Haizlip and Pastor Wayne Chaney from “Preachers of L.A.” appeared on Extra TV where they said TLC should have supported the family.

“You have a responsibility to stand with the family that you have exploited,” said Pastor Haddon, referring to TLC. “You’ve given them that platform, so you can’t be that quick to walk away from them. I don’t agree with that. That’s not cool, that’s not loyal.”

“19 Kids and Counting” premiered on TLC in 2008 and the series is one of the network’s top-rated programs. Some media reports have speculated that the series has been canceled but TLC has remained silent on the show’s future.

Also sharing his opinion about TLC’s reaction to the Duggar scandal, Chaney said: “If it is reality [television], you want to cover not only the flaws and the mistakes, you want to cover also the road to redemption.”

The “Preachers of L.A.” stars were careful not to defend Josh Duggar who did admit to wrongdoing in an apology, but Pastor Haizlip said that the whole situation “saddened” him.

“When the story broke, it saddened me… for everybody… mostly for the people who were the victims in this situation,” he explained.

All three pastors also voiced the belief in second chances for those who are deserving.

“We definitely do not want to be the group of people who send the message that if you have a past or have made mistakes in your past, particularly in your early teens, that you’re labeled or stigmatized for the rest of your life,” said Chaney. “If there’s true remorse and healing that’s taking place with all parties… You do have a future, there’s still hope, even with a past.”

Pastor Haizlip went on to note that Duggar is not “shifting blame,” but instead, the “19 Kids and Counting” star has “taken responsibility for his actions.”

“There’s nothing, from then ’til now, that I’m aware of, that would say he is what he did,” continued Haizlip. “I believe that if people have changed… they deserve a second chance. People are hurt, but there’s always hope.”

“Absolutely,” Pastor Haddon agreed.

Meanwhile, Josh Duggar was accused of the “forcible fondling” of five unnamed girls in a police report from 2006 that was recently made public. Following the media reports of molestation, Duggar, his wife Anna, and parents Jim Bob and Michelle all issued responses, including Josh’s apology for behaving “inexcusably.”

Watch the clip on Extra TV here.

Source : Christian Post

Kim Kardashian Praying to Get Through Pregnancy Sickness After Asking God for New Child

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Kim Kardashian Praying to Get Through Pregnancy Sickness After Asking God for New Child

Kim Kardashian Instagram/ kimkardashian

Christian Post Report – Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West

Kim Kardashian West, the reality television star married to hip-hop mogul Kanye West, is officially pregnant and praying to get through the turbulent sickness that comes along with the blessing she is getting ready to bring into the world.

Kardashian West, 34, one of the stars on the E! reality series “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” recently took to Twitter to announce her prayers and profanity-laced frustration with her pregnancy.

“So f****** sick today on all levels!!!!! UGHHHHHHHHH I can’t deal,” Kardashian exclaimed on Twitter. “Praying I get through the day!”

Kardashian West first announced she was expecting her child in a preview for her show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” where she revealed the news to her sister Khloé Kardashian.

“I just got the blood test back, and I am pregnant,” Kardashian said in a clip for the upcoming show.

After giving birth to daughter North West in 2013, the Wests have been prayerfully trying to get pregnant again.

“We’ve been trying, we’ve been trying!” Kim told ET earlier this year. “I pray about it.”

The Wests have both publicly spoken about being Christians and Kim previously told Australia’s “Today Show” that they were trusting God for their next child, before the news of her pregnancy broke.

“I guess, it’s all in God’s hands,” she said on the “Today Show.”

Source : Christian Post

Former Mars Hill Deacon Says Mark Driscoll Is ‘Unrepentant’ Amid Reports That He Is Plotting Comeback

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Former Mars Hill Deacon Says Mark Driscoll Is ‘Unrepentant’ Amid Reports That He Is Plotting Comeback

<b>Christian Post Report</b> – Mark Driscoll preaches at one of Mars Hill Church’s campus. In 2012, approximately 14,000 people attended services at Mars Hill Church locations weekly.” title=”<b>Christian Post Report</b> – Mark Driscoll preaches at one of Mars Hill Church’s campus. In 2012, approximately 14,000 people attended services at Mars Hill Church locations weekly.” name=”jpg” src=”http://images.christianpost.com/full/61361/mark-driscoll-preaches-at-one-of-mars-hill-churchs-campus-in-2012-approximately-14000-people-attended-services-at-mars-hill-church-locations-weekly.jpg” class=”imgPhoto” width=”550″ height=”450″ /> <small class=(Photo: YouTube/Mars Hill Church)

Christian Post Report – Mark Driscoll preaches at one of Mars Hill Church’s campus. In 2012, approximately 14,000 people attended services at Mars Hill Church locations weekly.

Former Mars Hill megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll has been making a series of public appearances fueling speculation that he is plotting a permanent comeback to the spotlight with a new church plant after his disgraceful resignation from the Seattle-based church in October last year where he was accused of plagiarism, misogyny and emotional abusiveness. Some former church members are warning however that he isn’t ready.

During an appearance on May 17 at Mill Creek’s Gold Creek Community Church in Washington the church’s Pastor Dan Kellog welcomed Driscoll and made a suggestion that has the former Mars Hill community stirring over what could be their former Pastor’s future plans.

“I know you’re probably not going to stay in the area,” said Kellog. “You’re going to go somewhere and start a church?”

This recent appearance was enough to spark a protest from former Mars Hill members who voiced concern that Driscoll has not acknowledged wrongdoing during his time as senior pastor of the church.

“Mark is unrepentant,” Brian Jacobsen, a protest organizer and former Mars Hill deacon told The Seattle Times. “Should Driscoll try to get a new church off the ground,” he said, there would be an “awful lot of people who would oppose him in any way they could.”

Jacobsen has joined with other former Mars Hill members in threatening a lawsuit seeking a full accounting of alleged financial impropriety at the church.

The group sent a letter to an attorney representing the now dissolved church which laid out the case for a civil racketeering lawsuit against Driscoll, various trusts and business affiliated with him and several other former leaders of the church.

The letter charged that money collected from congregants was redirected to buy thousands of copies of Driscoll’s book “Real Marriage” in order to give it placement on The New York Times best-seller list.

Jacobsen also said he would prefer to have their claims go before a Christian mediator before taking legal action. He wants to see Driscoll go through a period of restoration and accountability that would finally provide answers to where the money that passed through Mars Hill has gone.

Despite the distrust amongst former Mars Hill members, one Evangelical leader working with Driscoll during these speaking engagements seems to be seeing a different side of the man who apologized for once calling the U.S. a “pussified nation.”

Ray Johnston of Bayside Church in Northern California hosted the Thrive Conference in May where Driscoll was invited to speak and he said the ex-Mars Hill Pastor seems more humble than ever.

“This guy’s a more humble version of himself than he’s even been,” Johnston said. “I wanted to encourage that process to continue… I thought it would be good for him to be around us and our people.”

Driscoll’s resignation from Mars Hill, a church he planted in 1996 that grew to a 15,000 member congregation, came in the form of a letter after he took a six-week leave of absence from preaching and leading.

His resignation came amid allegations of plagiarism, misappropriation of funds and abuse of power.

The decision sent shock waves throughout the then 13 other Mars Hill locations forcing the eventual dissolving of the brand at the end of 2014.

Each former Mars Hill location is now independently managed by their own lead pastor and/or elder team, according to the church’s former communications director Justin Dean.

“When Pastor Mark resigned we enacted a pre-established succession plan that detailed several options for the church. Those options have always included the independence of our local churches, who already had in place local leaders,” said Dean to The Christian Post in November.

Source : Christian Post

Is Russell Wilson Influencing Ciara’s Faith? Singer Tweets Bible Verse Amid Dating Rumors

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Is Russell Wilson Influencing Ciara’s Faith? Singer Tweets Bible Verse Amid Dating Rumors

Russell Wilson and Ciara (Photo: Ciara/Instagram)

Christian Post Report – NFL Player Russell Wilson pictured with singer Ciara.

Russell Wilson, the Christian Seattle Seahawks quarterback rumored to be dating sultry pop singer Ciara Harris, now has some onlookers wondering if he is also discipling her after she tweeted a Scripture from Habakkuk touting vision.

Wilson, 26, has been vocal about his Christianity on social media where he often tweets Bible verses and makes it clear that he is a “Jesus follower” who is “too blessed to be stressed” and “too anointed to be disappointed.”

Ciara, the 29-year-old entertainer who portrayed a preacher’s daughter in the 2010 movie “Mama I Want To Sing,” on the other hand, is not known to publicly discuss her faith.

Wilson and Ciara have been exchanging messages on and off social media for weeks and on Sunday she appeared to have picked up his habit of tweeting Bible verses.

“Write The Vision, Make It Plain. –Habakkuk 2:2,” she tweeted.

While it is unclear if Wilson has influenced Ciara’s faith or even her tweet, the NFL player feels blessed to have the singer in his life.

When Ciara announced that she would be modeling new looks for fashion designer Roberto Cavalli’s upcoming Fall-Winter 2015 line, Wilson complimented her in a tweet saying: “I would say #LuckyGuy but I don’t believe in luck… #BlessedMan.”

Minutes later, Wilson glorified God for the people in his life.

“#Grateful for how far God has brought me & continues to Love me,” he tweeted. “The amazing people I have in my life just makes me Praise Him!”

Until Ciara, the NFL player has not publicly appeared with any woman since announcing plans to divorce his wife of two years, Ashton Meem, in 2012. Wilson appeared with Ciara at the Japan State Dinner at the White House in April. The pair held hands, and she even called him “baby,” according to The Washington Post.

Before that, they were also spotted at a Mariners game. Since the Japan State Dinner, they have been seen at San Antonio’s River Walk where Wilson was seen pushing the singer’s 1-year-old son Future’s stroller and holding the boy to shield him from rain on the Memorial Day weekend.

Ciara shares a child with Hip Hop star Future, whom she broke off an engagement to last year.
Although she is not as vocal about her spiritual beliefs as Wilson, Ciara previously said her son is the greatest gift that God has given her.

“Honestly, I feel like everything in life happens for a reason and my son has been the greatest gift that God has given me in my life and been the most game-changing thing that’s happened to my life, in a necessary way,” she said on Power 105.1 FM’s syndicated radio show, “The Breakfast Club” earlier this year.

The Christian Post reached out to Ciara’s representatives to inquire about her faith, but did not receive a response in time for the publication of this story.

Source : Christian Post

Creflo Dollar Will Get $70 Million Gulfstream G650 Jet Says Church; World Changers Board Says It Is ‘Necessary’ for Ministry

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Creflo Dollar Will Get $70 Million Gulfstream G650 Jet Says Church; World Changers Board Says It Is ‘Necessary’ for Ministry

Creflo Dollar, Airplane (Photo: Facebook; gulfstream.com)

Christian Post Report – Televangelist Creflo Dollar (L) and the luxury jet (R) he’s asking the public to purchase for his ministry.

The board of World Changers Church International, founded by popular televangelist Creflo Dollar and conducts business as Creflo Dollar Ministries, said in a strongly worded statement that the organization will acquire the luxury multimillion dollar Gulfstream G650 jet they tried to raise $65 million to purchase through a short-lived crowdfunding campaign which sparked public outcry in March.

The ministry shut down the crowdfunding campaign asking 200,000 of the ministry’s international supporters to donate $300 each in March to purchase the aircraft which reportedly had billionaires waiting in line to purchase one last year.

“It is our belief that this ministry is called to serve people globally — to literally change the world according to the Great Commission — and our infrastructure and operational plan reflect the worldwide nature of that assignment. Our pastors share the gospel of Jesus more than 300 times per year — in churches, arenas, venues, convention centers, stadiums and other facilities across the entire planet — and are committed to aggressive travel schedules that cannot be fulfilled via any means other than private aircraft,” said the WCCI Board in the statement posted on the website of Creflo Dollar Ministries.

“A long-range, high-speed, intercontinental jet aircraft is a tool that is necessary in order to fulfill the mission of the ministry. In light of an unfortunate accident that recently resulted in the ministry’s aircraft being declared a total loss, it is our intention to purchase another airplane at a time, place and price of our choosing,” the statement continued.

It was then confirmed later in the statement that the next plane the ministry intends to acquire is the controversial Gulfstream G650.

“We plan to acquire a Gulfstream G650 because it is the best, and it is a reflection of the level of excellence at which this organization chooses to operate. We, the World Changers family, so value the lives, the safety and the well-being of our pastors and leaders that we wish to provide to them the best air travel experience possible,” said the statement from the WCCI board.

Despite the statement from WCCI, however, it might be a while before the church can acquire the G650 jet even if they are able to raise the nearly $70 million need to purchase the aircraft, according to Gulfstream’s sales director for New Jersey, Delaware and New York, Kevin Valik.

“It’s kind of a tough detail,” Valik told The Christian Post in a telephone interview Tuesday.

He said there are only 120 Gulfstream G650 jets that have been delivered globally since the company started meeting orders on the jet in 2013.

Since 2013, the company has delivered about 50 of the jets annually and they are getting orders for the multimillion dollar aircraft “everyday.” The company now has a backlog on orders for the aircraft through the beginning of 2018.

Getting a used G650 also appears to have gotten a lot tougher since March when the company advertised one on it’s website for $67,950,000.

“We are no longer working with that seller,” said Valik, who noted that he doesn’t know if the seller wants to keep the plane now or might be trying to sell it through other avenues.

  • The Gulfstream G650
    (Photo: gulfstream.com)
    Inside the luxurious Gulfstream G650 airplane.

Earlier in the statement the WCCI board made it clear that the decision to pursue the G650 jet wasn’t made unilaterally by Creflo Dollar.

“All significant projects, policy changes and financial expenditures, regardless of the circumstances, are presented to the Board and approved prior to implementation. A proper system of checks and balances is in place to insure the ministry’s dealings are beyond reproach. When Dr. Dollar steps forward to announce a ministry initiative, please make no mistake that it is actually an action of this Board,” said the statement.

“Our community is centered on biblical principles directly from the Word of God. There is no area of the organization that does not base its foundational principles and operational guidelines on what the Bible has to say to us about God’s love and His grace. We understand that others may interpret biblical truths differently – the freedom to worship as one chooses is a fundamental hallmark of a free society – but wish to assert our God-given right to practice what we believe. This is our faith, the very basis for what we believe, and it is not necessary that we justify it,” the statement noted.

Contact: [email protected]; follow me on Twitter @leoblair

Source : Christian Post

Pope Francis Says Leaving Migrants to Die at Sea Is Like Supporting Abortion and Euthanasia

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Pope Francis Says Leaving Migrants to Die at Sea Is Like Supporting Abortion and Euthanasia

Pope Francis (Photo: Reuters/Alessandro Bianchi)

Christian Post Report – Pope Francis attends during the general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Rome, Italy, February 11, 2015.

Pope Francis has said that leaving migrants to die in the Mediterranean sea, such as the fate of thousands in the past few years, is similar to the “scourge” of abortion and euthanasia. The pontiff spoke out at a meeting of the Italian Science and Life Association, where he warned against several “attacks against life.”

“The scourge of abortion is an attack on life. Leaving our brothers on the boats in the Sicilian channel is an attack on life. Death at work is an attack on life because it does not respect the minimal security conditions,” Francis said, according to an article on LifeNews on Monday.

“The love of Christ urges us to become servants of the small ones and the elderly, of every man and every woman, through which the primordial right to life is recognized and protected.”

The Roman Catholic Church leader also spoke out against “terrorism, war, violence,” but said that euthanasia is also an “attack against life.”

Tens of thousands of people cross the Mediterranean from Africa by boats in an attempt to reach southern Italy and a better life on an annual basis, which sometimes leads to major maritime disasters.

Just this past weekend, more than 5,000 migrants were rescued in a series of naval operations, The Telegraph reported. At least 17 people were found dead by Italian Navy rescuers, however, bringing the total count of men, women and children to die or go missing in the Mediterranean this year to nearly 1,800.

Francis has passionately urged Christians to offer more compassion for the migrants, as much as he has spoken out on the other issues, such as what he calls a “throw-away culture” that supports abortion.

“They are men and women like us, our brothers seeking a better life, starving, persecuted, wounded, exploited, victims of war. They were looking for a better life, they were looking for happiness,” the pope said following another migrant boat collapse in April.

“I invite you to pray in silence first and then all together for these brothers and sisters.”

Back in September 2013, Francis told a group of Catholic gynaecologists: “Every child that isn’t born, but is unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of Jesus Christ, has the face of the Lord.”

He added: “Things have a price and can be for sale, but people have a dignity that is priceless and worth far more than things.”

Source : Christian Post

Duggar Family Pastor Speaks Out on Molestation Scandal; Says God Can Forgive Anything

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Duggar Family Pastor Speaks Out on Molestation Scandal; Says God Can Forgive Anything

Ronnie Floyd (Photo: Twitter/Ronnie Floyd)

Christian Post Report – Ronnie Floyd, senior pastor of Pinnacle Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas.

Ronnie Floyd, pastor of the Duggar family who star in TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” says the recent allegations that Josh Duggar molested five girls as a teenager can be forgiven.

Floyd, who serves as senior pastor of Pinnacle Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas, addressed the recent reports that accuse Josh Duggar, now 27, of molesting five young women when he was 14.

“Everyone does wrong, and what was wrong was very wrong as to what was testified to and it’s completely unacceptable,” the pastor told People.com. “But I’m thankful, whether it’s him or any other one, that I serve a God who can forgive everything.”

Floyd went on to reveal that the entire church was surprised by the recent scandal since the Duggar family is well known for their conservative lifestyle and strong Christian faith.

“All of us were surprised by the news because… their reputation in Arkansas is that they are a very Christian family,” said Floyd.

Despite the controversy, the pastor said his “evangelical Christian ministry is alive and well,” despite enduring scandals similar to that being faced by the Duggars.

“Things like [the Duggar scandal] have happened before and will happen again,” he said.

Meanwhile, Duggar, who is the eldest of the children who appear on TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting,” was never charged for the molestation accusations because the three-year statute of limitations has passed. Instead of involving the law at the time of the accusations, Duggar’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, decided to punish their son by sending him to the Institute in Basic Life Principles, which “was established for the purpose of introducing people to the Lord Jesus Christ, and… training on how to find success by following God’s principles found in Scripture,” according to the IBLP website.

On Thursday, a police report from 2006 surfaced in the media indicating that Duggar was responsible for “forcible fondling” of five unnamed teenaged girls. Following the reports, Duggar issued an apology for acting “inexcusably.”

“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret,” Duggar wrote on Facebook.

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  • Josh Duggar
    (Photo: Reuters/Brian Frank)
    Josh Duggar, former executive director of Family Research Council Action, speaks at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, August 9, 2014. The pro-family Iowa organization is hosting the event in conjunction with national partners Family Research Council Action and Citizens United.
  • Josh Duggar
    (Photo: Reuters/Brian Frank)
    Josh Duggar, Executive Director of the Family Research Council Action in Ames, Iowa August 9, 2014.

The reality television star explained that he had confessed his wrongdoings to both his parents and authorities at the time, resulting in counseling for himself as well as for those affected by his actions. In addition to the apology on Thursday, Duggar resigned from his position at the Family Research Council.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar also addressed the molestation scandal, referring to it as “one of the most difficult times in our lives.”

“That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before,” they wrote on Facebook. “Even though we would never choose to go through something so terrible, each one of our family members drew closer to God.”

“19 Kids and Counting” first premiered on TLC in 2008 and the series is one of the network’s top-rated programs. However, the future of the show is uncertain today. TLC has reportedly canceled “19 Kids and Counting” and pulled the show from its summer lineup.

Source : Christian Post

Almost 100 Public Schools in Kenya Close After More Than 2000 Christian Teachers Refuse to Work Fearing Attack from Radical Muslims

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Almost 100 Public Schools in Kenya Close After More Than 2000 Christian Teachers Refuse to Work Fearing Attack from Radical Muslims

Kenya (Photo: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)

Christian Post Report – Kenyans attend a memorial vigil for the victims of an attack by gunmen at the Garissa University College, at the “Freedom Corner” in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, April 7, 2015. Kenyan university students marched in the capital on Tuesday to demand more security from the government after gunmen killed nearly 150 people at a campus in the eastern town of Garissa last week. A citizens group planned to hold a vigil in Nairobi’s main park later in the evening, tapping growing public frustration over security in the wake of the attack claimed by al-Shabaab radical Islamists based in neighboring Somalia.

At least 95 public schools in north Kenya have been closed indefinitely after Christian teachers in the area refused to work due to fear of an attack from radical Muslim groups such as al-Shabaab whose members slaughtered 148 Christian students at Garissa University in April.

Many of these schools employ Christians as teachers leaving them unable to operate after this latest walk-out.

“Teachers left and did not report back, so some schools have since closed down,” said Roman Catholic Joseph Alessandro of the Garissa Diocese.

Jacob Kaimenyi, the cabinet secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Education confirmed that about 95 schools have been closed, with nearly 500 others facing the possibility of shutting down as more than 2000 teachers refuse to resume work.

Although the area is predominantly Muslim, many of its teachers are Christian, according to the Catholic publication Crux.

Church schools have also been affected by the walkout, however, many are still open with fewer students and teachers present.

“We are trying our best not to shut down,” said Kaimenyi. “Parents had asked for security in schools and the government has provided some.”

Christian teachers fear the radical Muslim group al-Shabaab which took responsibility for the vicious attack at Garissa University in Kenya where 148 Christian students were shot and killed last month.The terror group reportedly separated Christian students from Muslim students before killing the Christians. Authorities took hours to respond to the attack and arrived at the scene after politicians and journalists and were able to shoot and kill four terrorists carrying out the attack 10 hours after it started.

Activists in the region such as Boniface Mwangi blamed corruption among the security forces for allowing al-Shabaab to kill so many students before a proper response from authorities.

“Entrenched corruption in the security system allows al-Shabaab to move freely in and out of Kenya and carry out such attacks with ease,” said Mwangi in an online statement.

Manoa Esipisu, a spokesman for Kenya’s president and deputy president claimed at the time of the attack that authorities did everything that they could with the information they had.

“With the benefit of hindsight you can always say things could have been done better,” said Esipisu who argued that Kenyan authorities saved a lot of students and “got the job done.”

The government identified radical Islamic jihadist and al-Shabaab senior leader Mohamed Mohamud as the prime suspect behind the attack and posted a reward of 20 million Kenyan shillings which is equivalent to $215,000 for his capture.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his administration vowed to “respond in the severest ways possible” to the slaughter, and will “fight terrorism to the end.”

Contact: [email protected]; follow me on Twitter @vinfunaro

Source : Christian Post

Marvin Sapp Says Ruth’s Chris Steak House Employee Snubbed Him; I Have ‘Never Been So Offended in My Life’ He Says

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Marvin Sapp Says Ruth’s Chris Steak House Employee Snubbed Him; I Have ‘Never Been So Offended in My Life’ He Says
  • Christian minister and recording artist Marvin Sapp.
    (Photo: Marvin Sapp)
    Christian minister and recording artist Marvin Sapp.

Christian Post Report – Popular contemporary gospel artist and pastor of Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Marvin Sapp, says he was snubbed so badly by an employee at a Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Chicago the offense became a lifetime record for him.

Sapp, 48, took to his Facebook page to speak out about the Ruth’s Chris Steak House Chicago encounter where he had gone with six members of his entourage to dine.

“#‎ToWhomItMayConcern‬ This evening in the city of Chicago as a guest of this city, (Chicago GospelFest) I have been never so offended in my life,” he wrote on Saturday. “At ‘Ruth’s Chris’ a restaurant that I have eaten in across this country on many occasions, turned six members of my party and I away because of our attire. Stating they only serve individuals dressed in business casual attire.”

Sapp insisted, however that others in the restaurant were dressed in casual attire including “ripped jeans, sneakers, t-shirt etc.” The preacher decided he would post the business card of the individual who turned him and his party away.

“We had on the same as many sitting and or waiting to be seated however we were asked to leave. Even after asking for a private room, explaining that we were from out of town and so on we were still turned away,” Sapp wrote. “…. So I decided to post the card of the individual who made the decision not to serve us. ‪#‎doublestandardmaybe.”‬

While thousands of Sapp’s 2 million Facebook fans shared the post, one fan named Leah-Courtney Kelly who said she was at the Ruth’s Chris Steak House at the time of the alleged incident, offered a different account of what happened.

“I was sitting in the restaurant eating that day and actually sir you were wearing sweatpants and they have a business casual dress code that is printed and VISIBLE when you walk in. The manager asked if he had pants to change into, or if he wanted to come back he would buy him some appetizers but he was being ignorant,” Kelly wrote “I wish people would stop using this as a race thing..SERIOUSLY there are people dying of starvation in this world and here we have someone b******* that he’s not allowed to eat at a steak house.”

Sapp however countered Kelly’s account.

“Didn’t have on sweat pants… Had on a pair of Robbins Cargo pants, black t-shirt and Jordan’s. Also there was a 8 month pregnant woman with us,” Sapp noted. “None of us were dressed differently from anyone else in the restaurant respectfully. My issue is seeing people seated with ripped jeans and being told a rule that wasn’t being applied to all patrons…. Rules are made to be followed but not selectively enforced.”

Sapp is no stranger to being vocal on his social media page, and has even used the platform to previously admit some of his own mistakes and reveal how he has overcome being disrespected.

“I made many mistakes, hurt individuals who are very important to me,” Sapp wrote last year. “I’ve been slandered, stalked, accused, disrespected by people that I have helped and more. Yet to the best of my ability I maintain my integrity when I wanted to lose it.”

Source : Christian Post

ISIS Kidnaps Over 500 Children in Iraq Who Could Be Used as Suicide Bombers, Gov’t Officials Claim

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ISIS Kidnaps Over 500 Children in Iraq Who Could Be Used as Suicide Bombers, Gov’t Officials Claim

Syrian child fighter (Photo: Reuters/Muzaffar Salman)

Christian Post Report – Abboud, 12, rests with fellow Free Syrian Army fighters in Aleppo’s Sheikh Saeed neighbourhood, Syria, September 28, 2013. Abboud and his brother Deeb, 14, both school-going children before the civil war, joined the Free Syrian Army after the deaths of two of their brothers and an uncle in the conflict.

The Islamic State terrorist group is being accused by local government officials of kidnapping over 500 children from the Anbar and Diyala provinces in Iraq, and there is fear that some of the children could be forced to carry out suicide bomb attacks.

Farhan Mohammed, a member of Anbar’s Provincial Council, told the Turkish news organization Anadolu Agency on Saturday that the Islamic State abducted approximately 400 children in the Anbar towns of Ar Rutba, Al-Qaim, Anah and Rawa in raids that took place over the course of a week.

Mohammed further added that he believes more children in the area will be recruited to join ISIS and that they could be used to carry out jihadi attacks.

“Daesh [Arabic acronym for ISIS] has kidnapped at least 400 children in the western province of Anbar and taken them to their bases in Iraq and Syria,” Mohammed was quoted as saying.

Additionally, Kasim Al-Saidi, lieutenant general of the Diyala police force, told the agency that ISIS recruited over 100 children from the Diyala province and he believes they will be used as suicide bombers.

Al-Saidi added that the terrorist group will likely give children military and religious training at jihadi boot camps and that some of the child recruits could be taken to other regions under ISIS control, such as the group’s Syrian strongholds.

ISIS (Photo: Screencap/EllieNews video)

ISIS has released a slickly-edited propaganda video showing boys as young as 5 being indoctrinated at a military-style training camp for “cubs,” February 2015.

“Daesh has recruited about 100 children under the age of 16,” Al-Saidi said. “They are going to brainwash these kids into being suicide bombers.”

Although Al-Saidi claims that ISIS could use the abducted children as suicide bombers and other reports have indicated that ISIS has trained at least 1,000 children to carry out suicide attacks, Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior fellow and Long War Journal Editor Bill Roggio told The Christian Post on Monday that he believes claims of ISIS using children as suicide bombers are a bit of a stretch.

Roggio reasoned that because ISIS has “long lines” of willing adults who want to sacrifice their lives to carry out suicide attacks, it makes little sense for the group to use children to carry out such operations.

Roggio further added that it doesn’t make sense for ISIS to kidnap children from towns inside its own territory and force them to carry out suicide attacks, adding that there is “no easier way” for ISIS to make enemies inside its self-proclaimed caliphate.

In April, Rehab al-Abouda, chair of Iraqi Parliament’s Committee for Women, Family and Childhood, said that hundreds of abducted boys have already been used as fighters in battles against Iraqi security forces.

Abouda’s statement came about a week after it was reported that ISIS kidnapped over 120 children from schools in the northern Nineveh province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported in late March that ISIS recruited over 400 children to join its military ranks in Syria from Jan. 1 through March 23.

“They use children because it is easy to brainwash them,” Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory, told Reuters. “They can build these children into what they want. They stop them from going to school and send them to IS schools instead.”

Source : Christian Post

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