Newsweek Article : An Attack on the Bible and Christians

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Newsweek Article : An Attack on the Bible and Christians

Newsweek is launching the New Year with an old school attack on the Bible and Christians. It was just the sort of holiday hit piece that we’ve come to expect from these anti-Christian pinheads.

I imagine the Yuletide season must bring about near celebrations in the hallways of Newsweek as writers giddily try to find new ways to defile the followers of Christ.

This year’s winner was Kurt Eichenwald—and he certainly spun quite a yarn—one truly worthy to be published in a magazine. Mr. Eichenwald is known around literary circles as a man of words—and he certainly used most of them in his verbose essay.

“The Bible—So Misunderstood It’s a Sin,” was the title of his treatise—of such import that editors demanded it grace the cover of the magazine.

At first glance, I thought Mr. Eichenwald’s essay was a failed attempt at satire. However, by the end of the first paragraph, I realized it was meant to be a scholarly work. By the end of the second paragraph I was overcome by the fumes from this steaming pile of stink.

Newsweek’s 16-page diatribe portrays Evangelical Christians as homophobic, right-wing fundamentalist hypocrites who believe an unbelievable Bible. And just in case the reader misses the writer’s subtle nuance, the essay was illustrated with images of snake handlers, Pat Robertson and the Westboro Baptist Church.

That’s because in the minds of Newsweek’s esteemed editors, most evangelical Christians spend their weekends dancing with snakes and picketing gay nightclubs. Merry Christmas, America.

“They wave their Bibles at passersby, screaming their condemnation of homosexuals,” Eichenwald wrote. “They fall on their knees, worshipping at the base of granite monuments to the Ten Commandments while demanding prayer in school. They appeal to God to save America from their political opponents, mostly Democrats. They gather in football stadiums by the thousands to pray for the country’s salvation…Read More

Source and Original Content by Charisma News

Apple Awarded Patent for Communicating Stylus That Writes on Variety of Surfaces

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Apple Awarded Patent for Communicating Stylus That Writes on Variety of Surfaces

Apple has been granted a new stylus patent by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Tuesday.
The awarded U.S. Patent No. 8,922,530 (via Apple Insider) describes a ‘communicating stylus’ that can write on variety of surfaces, including paper, whiteboards, capacitive touchscreens and more, courtesy its interchangeable nibs.

The patent for the Apple ‘communicating stylus’ also describes the ability to capture handwriting of the user very precisely, because of its onboard 3D motion sensors which can detect the movement in the air, on tablet or at a wall.

Apart from 3D motion sensors, the Apple stylus uses wireless communication hardware and onboard storage to transfer handwritten notes and drawings onto the display of a digital device.

The USPTO patent abstract for Apple’s ‘Communicating stylus’ reads, “A stylus for writing on any type of surface, such as piece of paper or a whiteboard and subsequently displaying the written images or text in display of digital computing device. The stylus may likewise be moved in three-dimensional space and corresponding images displayed on a display of a computing device.

The stylus tracks its different positions while a user is writing or drawing and then either stores the data to be uploaded later or transmits the data simultaneously to a computing device. The computing device then displays the images and text drawn on the surface. The computing device may be located anywhere, as long as it is able to communicate with the stylus, and be able to display the written text or images.”

Notably, the Apple’s stylus patent was filed in January 2010. Now, that it has been granted by the USPTO five years later, the rumours of an upcoming 12-inch iPad with a stylus will certainly takeover.

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Source and Original Content by Ndtv

UAE Bans ‘Exodus’ Movie for Portraying God as a Child

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UAE Bans ‘Exodus’ Movie for Portraying God as a Child

The United Arab Emirates became on Tuesday the latest Muslim nation to ban the “Exodus: Gods and Kings” movie for what Islamic critics say is a series of historical mistakes, including depicting God as a child. The criticism from the Muslim world has partly echoed concerns voiced by Christian reviewers.

“The film shows Moses not as a prophet but as just a preacher of peace,” said Juma Obaid al-Leem, UAE’s National Media Council director of media content tracking. He told AFP that the film, starring Christian Bale as Moses, contradicts the holy books.

“We do not allow the distortion of religions. … When it comes to religious and historical movies, we care about having a correct narrative and avoiding hurting the feelings of others,” Leem added.

Among the historical mistakes Islamic critics have pointed out is that God is depicted in the film as a young boy who sometimes speaks to Moses.

Egypt and Morocco also banned the movie from theatres last week for similar reasons, with Egypt’s censorship board head Abdul Sattar Fathy arguing that it “contains historical fallacies.”

Director Ridley Scott’s representation of Moses’ story, the biblical figure highly revered in Islam, Judaism and Christianity, has come under fire by Christian groups as well, such as entertainment-review website Faith Driven Consumer.

The website wrote in its review of the movie that “all sorts of liberties are taken with the biblical text to propel the story and the supernatural events surrounding the plagues and parting of the Red Sea are largely portrayed as coincidental or are given naturalistic explanations.”

Faith Driven Consumer, which asked Christians to boycott the movie, pointed out that God is never portrayed as “a sovereign God of magnificent and overwhelming glory,” but as a “somewhat dirty young boy who chats with Moses while serving tea.”

In the Muslim world, representations of biblical figures in movies are forbidden, and Islamic nations have banned other Hollywood movies for such reasons before. Darren Aronofsky’s epic “Noah” was banned in several Arab countries in March, including the UAE, for depicting Noah and several other Genesis figures on screen.

Leem insisted, however, that the UAE very rarely bans films, and most movies receive approval for release.

“It is normal if we express reservations about one movie out of 1,000,” he said.

“Exodus: Gods and Kings” received mixed reviews from secular critics, and was given a B- score by moviegoers on opening night, as reported by the Cinemascore website.

It has earned $52 million in the U.S. and $148 million in total worldwide based on a $140 million production budget since its release domestically on Dec. 12.

Source and Original Content by CP

Movie ‘Unbroken’ Exceeds Expectations at Box Office

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Movie ‘Unbroken’ Exceeds Expectations at Box Office

Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken” blew away industry estimates during its opening over the Christmas weekend, earning an astounding $47.3 million.

The World War II epic is Jolie’s second directorial effort starring Jack O’Connell as Louis Zamperini, an American Olympic athlete who went on to become a soldier and survived 47 days adrift at sea and two years at a POW camp.

“Unbroken” beat out other new releases at the box office this weekend including “The Gambler” and “Into the Woods.” However, the film did not topple the newly released “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” which earned $41.4 million over the holiday weekend.

“At this time of year stories about faith and how strong the human spirit is do huge numbers,” Jeff Bock, an analyst for Exhibitor Relations, said of “Unbroken,” according to Variety.

“Unbroken” is based on Laura Hillenbrand’s book of the same name, and the film reveals Zamperini’s grit and determination through epic challenges. The movie grossed more than any other film in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day, earning $15.6 million. The number ranks “Unbroken” the third highest-grossing film ever on Christmas Day, behind only “Sherlock Holmes” and “Les Miserables.”

“It’s an inspirational film that played to all the quadrants,” Universal Studio’s distribution chief Nikki Rocco explained to Variety. “The studio did an incredible marketing job telling the story of this hero.”

Also in theaters during the four-day Christmas weekend was “The Imitation Game,” the story of British math genius Alan Turing who, like Zamperini, was also an Olympic runner. The film, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch, also outperformed at the box office, earning $3.1 million in its third week in theaters.

Both “Unbroken” and “The Imitation Game” are creating Oscars buzz, and the ladder has already grabbed five Golden Globes nominations. As for reviews, “Unbroken” has a 51 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes while “The Imitation Game” is very well-liked at 89 percent. Watch the trailer for both films below.

Watch the Trailer:

Source and Original Content by CP

$20,000 Stolen From a New York Church During Service

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$20,000 Stolen From a New York Church During Service

The staff and congregation at the Church of the Magdalene in New York’s Pocantico Hills are stunned following the Christmas day robbery of $20,000 in offerings.

Rev. Joseph Dietz told the Journal News “I was shocked and our parishioners were shocked. We’ve never had anything like this happen here.”

According to Mount Pleasant police, the thief struck during the church’s Christmas morning mass. The person reportedly pried open a back door, broke in into the church office and stole the money from a desk drawer. The $20,000 was collected from attendees of its two Christmas Eve mass.

Mount Pleasant Police Chief Paul Oliva told the Christian Post the church depends on the holidays for part of its income. Other news reports state the money taken would have covered one-fifth of the church’s annual operating budget.

According to the parish website, the church services nearly 400 families from more than 15 towns and villages in Wetchester County. Although Dietz’s said his church has never experienced a crime of this manner, Chief Oliva said he has seen incidents of money being taken from churches during his 26-year career and noted that many area houses of worship are taking extra precautions to prevent theft.

Though astonished by the burglary, Dietz said members continue to give and in some cases are writing new checks after canceling the stolen ones. “People are responding and it’s very gratifying to see,” he said of church’s generosity.

As for the thief, Dietz expressed a desire to meet with the person, noting that it is “sad” that someone would chose to exhibit such behavior on a day set aside for faith and family.

Oliva said he could not comment on whether or not the police department has any suspects for the crime. However he said he is working closely the clergy to get to the bottom of it. Oliva alsod expressed optimism that the case would be solved soon. “What happens in the dark, comes out in the light,” he said of the crime.

Source and Original Content by CP

Pastor Shoots Assailant in Gun Battle

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Pastor Shoots Assailant in Gun Battle

A Florida church was the scene of a gun battle between the pastor and a former employee.
Pastor Terry Howell, minister of Living Water Fellowship in Osceola County, met with Benjamin Parangan, a maintenance worker at the church, at around 8 am on Tuesday to terminate his employment there.

However, the disgruntled Parangan pulled out a gun and fired several shots at Howell, who had also gone armed to the meeting and returned fire, badly wounding his assailant.

Parangan is believed to be in a stable condition in hospital and will be charged with aggravated assault with intent to kill. Pastor Howell’s actions will be treated as shooting in self-defence.

Living Water Church issued a statement saying: “We are in full support of the on-going Osceola County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the traumatic incident that occurred at our church this morning. We will continue to cooperate with the investigators in every way that we can. Until the investigation is complete, we will not be making any public statements.

Thank you for understanding. The members of our church will continue to pray for all those involved in this morning’s incident. We would ask all who read this release to do the same…Read More

Source and Original Content by CT

SCOAN Pastor, TB Joshua Set To Host Families Of Building Collapse Victims

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SCOAN Pastor, TB Joshua Set To Host Families Of Building Collapse Victims

Latest reports informed that the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, Prophet TB Joshua will host a New Year’s memorial service for the families of those killed in a building collapse at his Lagos mega church.

According to Vanguard newspaper report online, the spokesman of SCOAN, Patrick Iwelumor, informed that no fewer than 44 South Africans have arrived Lagos to attend the ceremony.

It would be recalled that about 116 people were reported to have lost their lives in the Synagogue guest house that collapsed in September in Ikotun area of Lagos.

About 81 South Africans reportedly died in the disaster.

TB Joshua “is going to lead the service to commiserate and offer spiritual support,” said SCOAN spokesman Patrick Iwelumor.
“As the chief mourner, there is a need for (Joshua) to connect with these people,” he added.

Joshua is one Nigeria’s most influential and wealthiest pastors whose followers include prominent politicians and business leaders across Africa and around the world.

The Lagos state coroner is carrying out an inquest into the causes of the guest house collapse within the church’s compound.
While Experts have said that the structure was unsound and lacked proper permits, followers of Joshua have insisted the building came down as a result of foul play to destroy the powerful religious leader.

Among the theories advanced by Joshua loyalists is that a plane flying in the area at the time of the collapse dropped an explosive device on the building.

It would be recalled that an expert called by SCOAN lawyers, Beidomu Iguniwei, has testified that the collapse could have been caused by an “infrasonic weapon,” although there appears to be no credible evidence to support that claim.
Testimony at the inquest has dismissed sabotage as a cause, including evidence from aviation officials who said that the air force plane in question was on a routine training mission and had in fact landed before the building collapsed.

Source and Original Content by Naij.com

Fellowship of Christian Athletes Celebrates 60 Years

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Fellowship of Christian Athletes Celebrates 60 Years

Sixty years ago, a young basketball coach wondered why athletes endorsed products like shaving cream and cigarettes, but not a Christian lifestyle. That insight became the backbone for one of the largest organizations in the world that seeks to serve athletes and coaches, all while bringing glory to Jesus Christ.

Now, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is celebrating six decades of touching lives—one heart at a time.

“To look back over 60 years and realize the athletes and coaches who have been shaped by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes is remarkable,” said Les Steckel, FCA President and CEO. “We are so thankful for all who have helped FCA grow to where it is today and have encouraged young athletes to lead lives that are dedicated to Christ, both on and off the playing field. Athletics offers continual opportunity either to portray Christ or to elevate the world’s standards.

By choosing to honor Christ, players and coaches impact not only their own teams but also all who interact with them, look up to them and even oppose them on the playing fields.”

That young basketball coach with a vision was Don McClanen, who founded the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in 1954. But for seven years before that, he prayed about what the organization would look like and whom it would serve. He joined forces with the other FCA “Founding Fathers”—Dr. Louis H. Evans, Dr. Roe Johnston and Branch Rickey, among others—who made FCA come to life.

Evans had encouraged McClanen to write to other athletic greats who were also strong in their faith—greats like football stars Doak Walker and Otto Graham; baseball players Carl Erskine, Robin Roberts and Alvin Dark; Olympians Bob Mathias and Bob Richards; coaching and front office legends Amos Alonzo Stagg, Bud Wilkinson and Clarence “Biggie” Munn; and even broadcasters Tom Harmon and Red Barber.

In all, 19 letters were mailed, each carefully laying out McClanen’s God-given desire for what would become FCA…Read More

Source and Original Content by BCN

Papuan Natives Celebrate for Receiving the Bible in Their own Language

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Papuan Natives Celebrate for Receiving the Bible in Their own Language

An exciting celebration took place earlier this month, one that called for a feast of over 200 pigs with song and dance and presents.
Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) reports that the Hupla translation of the Bible is now complete, and they recently distributed copies to the Hupla people in Papua, Indonesia.

Mike Brown of MAF says, “We’re here to celebrate the finishing of the complete Bible in the Hupla language. So this is it! This is exciting stuff for us. We’ve been partnering with the missionaries that have been working to translate this thing for years and years and years. So it’s just great to be able to come and join them in the celebration.”

This project has been in the works since 1980, though MAF has been involved in the community even before then.

And if it wasn’t enough to distribute newly-printed Bibles, there were 29 baptism as well.

David Holsten of MAF says, “This is a party! This is a day of celebration. And, man, it’s fun to be a part of that.”

He explains that the Hupla have had the New Testament for a while now: “What really makes this dedication today unique is that it completes the story: it’s the Old Testament. I get excited thinking about what it’s going to be like for them to see God’s story of salvation that begins in Genesis…Read More

Watch the Celebration:

Source and Original Content by BCN

Two Iranian Pastors Regain Freedom

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Two Iranian Pastors Regain Freedom

An appeals court in Iran has thrown out the convictions of three pastors accused of committing crimes against national security, according to the Christian News Network.

The church leaders had been sentenced to six years in prison for “creating a network to overthrow the system.”

Two of the men, Abdolreza Ali-Haghnejad and Reza Rabbani, have been released. The third, Pastor Benham Irani, still has two years remaining on an earlier sentence.

Irani leads a 300-member church in Karaj and was detained in 2006 for holding a Bible study.

He was convicted of action against the state and sentenced to five years in prison. An additional charge added more time to his sentence.

International Christian Concern rejoiced after learning that the men had been vindicated…Read More

Source and Original Content by BCNN1

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