U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team star Megan Rapinoe is speaking out after the International Olympic Committee published a new set of guidelines for the upcoming games stating that athletes are forbidden from participating in political statements and protests during the games.

Rapinoe, who made headlines last year after she refused to sing the national anthem, responded to the IOC’s policy change noting that she will not be silenced. 

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“So much being done about the protests. So little being done about what we are protesting about. We will not be silenced,” Rapinoe shared on her Instagram story. 

Megan Rapinoe responds to the IOC banning protests at the Olympics: “We will not be silenced” pic.twitter.com/69PljKC8u5

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 10, 2020

According to Sports Illustrated, Olympic athletes will not be allowed to kneel or make political hand gestures while participating in a sport. The guidelines also note that athletes will not be allowed to show any disrespect during the medal ceremonies. 

As Christian Headlines previously reported, Rapinoe first made headlines for her activism in 2016 when she joined former 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick in protesting inequality and injustice by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem at professional sports games. In 2019,…

For over 20 years, Awaken 2020 has ministered to thousands of people, but this year, it’s seeing unprecedented attendance numbers, largely in thanks to Kanye West, according to Faithwire.

When the controversial rapper turned outspoken Christian announced earlier this week that he and his Sunday Service choir would perform at the free Christian event, attendees flooded the website. Tickets for the show, which is held in the Sun Devil Stadium and holds 50,000 people, were sold out in minutes and eventually crashed the website.

Lou Engle, founder of Awaken, is encouraged by the momentum West is causing.

“We believe Kanye is a sign to this nation that in a moment, thousands and thousands can be swept into the kingdom when [God] converts key people and their voices will be like thunder,” he said. “Sun Devil Stadium has hosted the Super Bowl and college football championship games, and was even featured in the 1996 hit movie ‘Jerry Maguire,’ but what is about to happen there in terms of national, long-term significance may eclipse them all.”

In a press release, organizers also expressed their enthusiasm for this year’s event: “The gathering is a monumental movement launching a new decade of awakening America back to God at a critical time in our nation’s history,” they said. “[This] will be the spark to America’s 3rd great awakening.”

Other…

Abortion remains one of the most important issues among Americans heading into another election, with Republicans more likely to say it is “extremely important” for how they vote, according to a new Gallup poll.

The survey of 1,025 U.S. adults in December listed a series of issues and asked those polled to label each one as “extremely” important, “very” important, “somewhat” important or not important in their vote for president. 

Abortion tied for eighth in Americans’ list of “extremely” important issues, trailing topics like health care, education, the economy and immigration but leading seven other issues, including taxes, the deficit and foreign affairs.

Republicans, though, are more likely to call abortion “extremely” important in how they vote for president. Twenty-eight percent of Republicans but 23 percent of Democrats called it “extremely” important, giving the GOP a 5 percentage point edge on the issue. Gallup data shows that most Republicans consider themselves pro-life and most Democrats call themselves pro-choice.

On nearly all other issue, though, Democrats had the edge. For example, 49 percent of Democrats but 22 percent of Republicans said health care was “extremely” important to their vote, giving Democrats a 27 percentage point lead. Democrats had similar edges on climate change (+36), distribution…

JOS, Nigeria, January 13, 2020 (Morning Star News) – Suspected Boko Haram terrorists killed a woman and her bridal party in northeast Nigeria five days before her planned New Year’s Eve wedding, and eight other Christians were killed in separate attacks, sources said.

Martha Bulus and her two bridesmaids were stopped on Dec. 26 as they made their way from Gwoza, Borno state to Martha Bulus’ hometown in Adamawa state for her wedding, were ordered from their vehicle, identified as Christians and then beheaded, church leaders said. Eight other Christians were killed in the same area on the same day, one church leader said.

Bulus and her two Christian friends were traveling on the Maiduguri-Yola highway when they were stopped near Gwoza and killed. Bulus was a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Maiduguri, according to the Rev. Francis Arinse, director of communications for the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri.Maiduguri.

“They were beheaded by Boko Haram insurgents at Gwoza on their way to her hometown,” Arinse told Morning Star News in a text message.

The Rev. Naga Williams Mohammed, chairman of the Borno State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), confirmed the killings in a text message to Morning Star News, adding that assailants also killed eight other Christians and kidnapped two Christian women at the same spot on the same day, but at different…

One of Major League Baseball’s best pitchers is reading through the Bible in a single year – and he’s inviting everyone to take the journey with him.

Adam Wainwright, a veteran pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, told his Twitter followers last week that he would begin reading selections each day from the Old and New Testaments and Psalms on Jan. 12 as part of an endeavor to read through God’s Word in one year. 

He also set up a Twitter account dedicated to the effort and invited fans to read with him. Thus far, 13,500 have followed his new account Walking With Waino, where he posts updates about the daily readings.

“This is a cool opportunity for me to walk through God’s Word in community with you,” he wrote. “It’s my prayer that this would be a blessing and a daily encouragement to you all.”

Hey guys, I am so glad y’all joined this group. This is a cool opportunity for me to walk through God’s Word in community with you. It’s my prayer that this would be a blessing and a daily encouragement to you all. I can’t wait to start on January 12th! – https://t.co/4SnW3Z1YuY

— Walking With Waino (@walkingwwaino) January 9, 2020

Wainwright, 38, is a two-time World Series champion and three-time National League All-Star. He’s also led the league twice in wins.

His Bible study invitation began with a simple message posted on his primary Twitter account, which has 285,400…

President Trump enjoyed an extremely warm welcome when he showed up at the College Football Playoff National Championship game in New Orleans Monday night. Arriving at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, the power couple was met with rapturous applause, a standing ovation and relentless chants of “USA!”

It wasn’t all positive, however. True to form, many liberals bemoaned the sight of actor Vince Vaughn shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with President Trump and his wife. “I always knew he was Republican but this, so gross,” one Twitter user lamented. Another added that they were “just profoundly disappointed” by the interaction, which was caught on camera.

The absurdity of the situation was commentated on by Jim Daly at Fox News, who noted that many of the proponents of today’s corrosive “cancel culture” trend consider Trump “such a pariah that they even suggested Vaughn’s acting career should be effectively over for deigning to even talk with him.”

Also at the game, was acclaimed Christian recording artist and Louisiana native, Lauren Daigle. As Christian Headlines previously reported, Daigle performed a stunning rendition of “Star-Spangled Banner” which was quickly met with praise on Twitter.

Fixer Upper star Chip Gaines praised Daigle tweeting, “THE Lauren Daigle!!  Ladies and…

Northern Ireland has officially legalized same-sex marriage.

According to the Christian Post, starting Monday, Jan. 13, same-sex couples were able to register to marry in the country and those who were already married would be able to have their union recognized by the law.

England’s parliament passed the legislation last year to legalize both gay marriage and abortion in Northern Ireland.

The rest of the United Kingdom legalized gay marriage in 2014, and in July 2019, the United Kingdom government said that Northern Ireland’s then restrictive laws on abortion and gay marriage were out of compliance with human rights laws.

Christian leaders, however, say with the approval of same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland, they are worried about free speech.

“When same-sex marriage registration starts on 13 January another set of robust protections will be needed to protect those in Northern Irish society who disagree with same-sex marriage,” said Colin Hart, director of The Christian Institute, a nondenominational Christian charity.

Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith said that the legislation “is being amended to underline that mere criticism of same-sex marriage is not an offense.” He also said that equality law is also being amended to protect religious organizations and employees from “being sued for declining to take part in a blessing or other event marking a civil same-sex…