JPost reports – Efforts to legally differentiate Christian and Muslim Arabs bore fruit on Tuesday as Interior Minister Gideon Saar ordered that the population registry recognize a separate Aramean identity.
Christians who identify with the ancient people can decide to register as Arameans instead of Arabs.
MK Yariv Levin (Likud) has been arguing for such a move and a bill proposed in February would identify Christians as a minority group separate from Arabs, most of whom are Muslim, and give them their own, unique representation on the Advisory Committee for Equal Opportunity in Employment Commission.
The bill called for more representatives on the commission for Christians, Druse and Circassians, as well as for haredim, new immigrants, reserve soldiers, senior citizens, and women.
MK Levin responded to critics, telling the Post at the time: “I don’t try to change the reality; the reality is there. There is a big difference between Christians and Muslims, and they deserve recognition and separate representation.”
Source : Jerusalem Post
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Chrisma News reports – A Pennsylvania banquet hall that refused to host a same-sex wedding because of the owner’s Christian beliefs has come out victorious in a lawsuit.
Following its longstanding policy, Inne of the Abingtons in North Abington politely refused to host the wedding of a lesbian couple and suggested several alternative venues. After the Inne was unfairly shamed on social media for its stance, a heterosexual couple canceled their 100-guest wedding and reception event. Even though there was not enough time for the Inne to rebook the facility, the couple demanded the return of their deposit, which was nonrefundable under the industry-standard contract.
Having no contractual or legal grounds to force the Inne to take a loss on their cancellation, the couple sued the business anyway, seeking not only a return of the deposit, but triple that amount as damages. On the day of trial, the judge agreed with Liberty Counsel, who is representing the banquet hall, that the suit was improperly filed and should be dismissed.
Rather than let the judge enter a formal dismissal, the couple withdrew their lawsuit, essentially giving up in the face of Liberty Counsel’s defense.
“We are happy to host dinners, birthday parties, or just about any other kind of event regardless of a client’s sexual orientation, but not a same-sex wedding,” said John Antolick, the owner of the Inne.
“I don’t want to discriminate against anyone, but my conscience will not allow me to use my business to endorse an event that contradicts God’s design for marriage,” he added.
“A Christian business owner should not have his contracts dishonored or be hauled into court because he operates his business according to conscience,” said Roger Gannam, Senior Litigation Counsel at Liberty Counsel. “This is a victory for religious liberty.”
Our family’s seeing more anxiety through social media recently. People who seldom watch the news are watching it now. Our national leaders are speaking more ominously than we’ve ever heard them speak.
(Photo: hutchcraft.com)
A U.S. Senator said Ebola is “one of the most explosive, deadly epidemics in modern times.” In Africa, the number of cases doubled in just the past month. You feel fine for three weeks after you’ve been infected. It’s so easy to spread.
And each day seems to bring more sobering terrorism warnings. Porous borders killers could cross. A terrorist army growing exponentially – many with passports that would open the door to Western nations.
Grim stuff. But for us who belong to Jesus, we should be hearing our spiritual phone ringing. It’s a wake-up call from God. And this is no time to let it go into voice mail.
Because God’s calling to say, “If you’re ever going to do something about the people who don’t know Jesus, do it now!” Hidden in those disturbing headlines are three life-changing messages from God.
1. It’s time to live for what others are dying for.
You can go online and graphically see the price our brothers and sisters around the world are paying for their allegiance to Jesus. Torture. Rape. Crucifixion.
We have a faith that’s paid for in blood. First by Jesus. Then by countless Jesus-followers, from the first-century Coliseum to crosses today. So I should be intimidated into silence because of what talking about Jesus might cost me? “I might be called a name… marginalized… rejected… disrespected.” If I won’t pay that puny a price, I should be ashamed.”
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The old hymn asks – “Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own His cause, or blush to speak His name? Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease? While others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?”
Spiritual silence is no longer an option. It can cost someone Jesus. And heaven.
2. Hearts are open because the world is crazy.
God calls us to make “the most of every opportunity because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). This is opportunity time. Because hearts that are usually looking inward are suddenly open to looking upward. With storm clouds in every direction, folks are feeling vulnerable, unsafe. In the Bible’s words, “like the tossing sea, which cannot rest… there is no peace” (Isaiah 57:20-21).
These are Jesus-times. Not to be missed. He’s the One who speaks to the storm in the human heart, “Peace, be still!” And “do not let your hearts be troubled.”
3. We have the hope people are starving for.
“The reason for the hope you have” (1 Peter 3:15). That’s what God says will interest people in my Jesus. Especially now. But only if I tell them about His unloseable love, proven on a cross.
There’s never been a better time to tell my “hope story” than now. In Jesus we have “this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19).
My friend Dave used to keep his sailboat in Stamford Harbor in Connecticut. Where a hurricane gate closed in the face of an approaching storm. Protecting every craft that made it into the harbor. My friend actually rode out a hurricane on his boat! Blown around but safe.
Jesus is the harbor where I’m safe in a Category 5 world.
How can I know where the peace is, where the anchor is and not tell the people in my personal world? No more silence. No more letting fear win. No more wimping out on sharing my Jesus.
Reyhaneh Jabbari was set be hanged tomorrow morning after seven years in prison. She killed a man she said was trying to rape her
A 26-year-old Iranian woman who was going to be hanged tomorrow after killing a man she claims was trying to rape her has had a stay of execution.
Reyhaneh Jabbari was sentenced to death by a criminal court in Tehran in 2009 after what Amnesty International called a ‘deeply flawed investigation and trial which failed to examine all of the evidence’.
In 2007 the former decorator stabbed Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi, a former employee of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, who she claims lured her to his house with a promise of work and tried to sexually assault her.
Her mother, Shole Paravan, confirmed the execution had been postponed. Today she and other supporters of Jabbari went to Rajaiy Shahr Prison, about 20 miles west of Tehran, to protest the pending execution.
Amnesty International said the execution has only been delayed for 10 days.
Paravan told Fox News about the heart-breaking farewell phone call she received from her daughter before the postponement.
‘I am currently handcuffed and there is a car waiting outside to take me for the execution of the sentence,’ Jabbari told her mother.
‘Goodbye, dear Mum. All of my pains will finish early tomorrow morning.
‘I’ll see you in the next world and I will never leave you again because being separated from you is the most difficult thing to do in the world.”
There are concerns over the way the case was handled by Iranian authorities. Amnesty reports she was placed in solitary confinement for two months, where she did not have access to a lawyer or her family.
Earlier Jabbari’s mother said in a Facebook post that prison authorities told her she would have to go to the facility to ‘collect the body’ tomorrow.
‘Instead of continuing to execute people, authorities in Iran should reform their judicial system, which dangerously relies on processes which fail to meet international law and standards for fair trial,’ said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director at Amnesty International.
‘Under international human rights standards people charged with crimes punishable by death are entitled to the strictest observance of all fair trial guarantees.’
The Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which opposes the nation’s leadership, said she was secretly transferred between prisons in a bid to prevent protests by other inmates who are sympathetic to her plight.
Christian Post reports – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday before the United Nations in New York that those who support the fight against ISIS but not Palestinian group Hamas don’t understand how similar the two Islamic militant groups really are. He also said that Iran and its nuclear capabilities are even more dangerous than ISIS.
“Last week, many of the countries represented here rightly applauded President Obama for leading the effort to confront ISIS, and yet weeks before, some of these same countries, the same countries that now support confronting ISIS, opposed Israel for confronting Hamas. They evidently don’t understand that ISIS and Hamas are branches of the same poisonous tree,” Netanyahu asserted.
The Israeli PM talked about his country’s recent war with Hamas over the Gaza strip, which left over 2,000 people dead.
“ISIS and Hamas share a fanatical creed, which they both seek to impose well beyond the territory under their control,” he said.
“As Hamas’ charter makes clear, Hamas’ immediate goal is to destroy Israel, but Hamas has a broader objective. They also want a caliphate. Hamas shares the global ambitions of its fellow militant Islamists, and that’s why its supporters wildly cheered in the streets of Gaza as thousands of Americans were murdered in 9/11, and that’s why its leaders condemn the United States for killing Osama bin Laden whom they praised as a holy warrior.”
In his detailed speech he made reference to Iran leaders, including General Mohammad Ali Jafari, calling for an Islamic world government, even if Iran has declared itself opposed to ISIS’ attacks in Iraq and Syria.
“Make no mistake: ISIS must be defeated. But to defeat ISIS and leave Iran as a threshold nuclear power is to win the battle and lose the war,” Netanyahu proclaimed.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has criticized both ISIS and the American response, telling NBC News earlier in September that ISIS militants “want to kill humanity.”
Many says Traveling can be a pain when you forget things or lose personal items, especially after a long flight. But, not so anymore, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is on a mission to reunite lost items as soon as possible with their legitimate owner. A perfect solution to recover your lost items
Even just watching this had my heart racing. Don’t get me wrong, I love amusement park rides, but this one is on a whole other level. Its name is Talocan, and it’s located in Phantasialand in Germany. This is one ride that is sure to take your breath away. Would you be brave enough to ride it? – says SF Globe
The story of 13 year old Taylor Storch is so heartbreaking and inspirational. After she tragically died in a ski accident, she left behind her organs to save the lives of others. This is the video of her mother meeting the women who has taylor’s heart now and hearing it beat again!
When the stethoscope gets put up to Patricia’s chest, the emotions start flying. Even the news casters can’t keep back their tears.
This woman had just given birth to a healthy child when she, and everyone else in the delivery room got a major surprise. While being held, this newborn clutches to her mother’s face in a moment of pure love.
SF Globe says can’t stop replaying this powerful footage. Everyone needs to see this.
Christian Post reports – Taking the stage at the Values Voter Summit Gala with her husband, Daniel Wani, Meriam Ibrahim encouraged Naghmeh Abedini, the wife of imprisoned pastor Saeed Abedini, with stories about caring for her children Martin and Maya.
With the help of an interpreter, Ibrahim called Naghmeh Abdini “her sister” and told her “Do not fear; be strong. Take care of your kids and the Lord will be with you.”
Naghmeh Abedini shared a video during the gala from her children. In the video, 6-year-old Jacob said his heart is “crying” because he “misses Daddy a lot, lot, lot, lot, lot, lot, a thousand lots.” Eight-year-old Rebekka said “I prayed that dad comes back home but he’s still not back home”
Abedini also said that although many people praise her, she does not feel courageous at all. Instead she feels tired.
The Sudanese Christian shared her struggles to care for her children while in jail. She said it was particularly hard to care for her son who was also very sad and confused by his father’s absence.
Ibrahim married Wani, a Sudanese immigrant to the United States, in 2011. In August 2013, a relative charged that Ibrahim is a Muslim because her estranged father was a Muslim. Although Ibrahim was raised as a Christian and never practiced Islam, the relative asserted that Ibrahim unlawfully converted to Christianity to marry Wani and was committing adultery. She was jailed in February 2014 and later sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging.
Ibrahim was pregnant with Maya in prison. Her son Martin was also by her side. Wani was able to visit his wife and children in prison but only for 10 minutes at a time.
“That was the most difficult time for me because Martin would want to go with him and grab on to him and I would stand there unable to do anything because he’s a child. He didn’t understand why he was in jail through no fault of his. He didn’t understand why kids were able to play outside and enjoy themselves and be with their parents, their fathers and mothers,” described Ibrahim.
Ibrahim tried to encourage him saying “Do not be sad; you must be proud of your mother. I am not a criminal. The Lord is with us.”
Ibrahim was finally released in June after an appeals court overturned the lower court’s ruling. Wani and Ibrahim were escorted out of the country by Italian officials after the couple was detained during their first attempt to travel to America.
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