Protection of Ten Commandments Displays Is on Alabama Ballot

Protection of Ten Commandments Displays Is on Alabama Ballot



The state of Alabama may get more Ten Commandments displays on public property if a proposed constitutional amendment passes next week. 


Voters on Tuesday will decide whether to amend the state constitution so that the Ten Commandments can be displayed on public property, provided it is done so “in a manner that complies” with federal “constitutional requirements”


Known as Amendment 1, the proposal could lead to more displays of the Ten Commandments in public schools and on government land — perhaps surrounded by historical documents to make them more palatable to U.S. constitutional law. 


Mat Staver, president and founder of the legal group Liberty Counsel, supports the amendment.


“It doesn’t change what the U.S. Supreme Court would do on something of this nature other than in that area it would give comfort, I guess, or some guidance to the display of the Ten Commandments,” Staver told he Associated Press. 


Randall Marshall of the ACLU of Alabama said the amendment could lead to lawsuits. 


“A school district just posting the Ten Commandment as a stand alone document is going to find themselves getting sued. It’s going to be held to be unconstitutional,” Marshall told AP.


The amendment reads, in part, “Property belonging to the state may be used to display the Ten Commandments, and the right of a public school and public body to display the…

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Government calls for all church bells in Wales to ring out at same time

Sunday 11th November will mark 100 years since the guns fell silent.

The Government is also asking churches to join in with the national bell ringing at 12.30pm, with a second opportunity to ring church bells at 7.05pm as part of an event organised by the Battle’s Over project.

The Archbishop, John Davies, said: “There is unlikely to be a family in Wales that was not affected at the time, whether directly or indirectly, by the horror of the First World War in which killing, on a scale never before experienced, happened. One hundred years on, the pain, shock and sense of loss and of sheer waste felt by that generation remains tangible.

“The collective memory of that brutal conflict should continue to move us profoundly, reminding us of sacrifices made, and, all too often of the frequent futility of the conflict. Sadly, it was not, as some had expected, the war to end all wars; and conflicts still shatter the lives of people across the globe today.

“I hope that as bells ring out across the nation to mark this unique and important commemoration, we will remember the sacrifice made, the raw relief and the stirrings of hope for a better future that was felt 100 years ago, and that we will once again pledge ourselves to pursuing the peace of Christ in our lives and in our world.”

A spokesman for the Armistice100 campaign organised by the Department for Digital, Culture,…

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Justin Welby to launch new Anglican province

The celebration at the Iglesia Anglicana de Chile (Anglican Church of Chile) in Santiago will mark the 40th province of the Anglican Communion.

Bishop Héctor Zavala Muñoz, also known as Bishop Tito, will become Primate of the new Province.

 

Speaking ahead of the visit, Most Rev Justin Welby said: “The birth of a new province of the Anglican Communion is a moment to rejoice and give thanks and praise to God.

“It is a hope-filled reminder that God’s vision for the Church is always bigger than we can imagine. As followers of Jesus we are called to be part of this ongoing revolution of love that transforms lives and changes the world through dealing with sin and opening the way to salvation.”

The Anglican Communion is a global family of churches that exists in more than 160 countries.

PA

 

Archbishop Justin added: “This new province – the 40th of the Communion – is a young, vibrant, spirit-filled church that has seen huge growth. It is leading people to Christ in Chile and living out His call to serve others.

“We marvel and delight in the ways that God’s love is being seen through the creativity, passion and faithfulness of Chilean Anglicans. In all this, we give thanks for the visionary leadership of Archbishop Tito.”

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily…

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Tennessee Pastor Encourages Churches to Consider Staffing Armed Guards

Tennessee Pastor Encourages Churches to Consider Staffing Armed Guards



A Raleigh, TN pastor is urging churches to consider getting armed security given the current climate in America.    


Pastor Bill Adkins of Greater Imani Church in Raleigh, a suburb in Memphis, Tennessee, hired armed guards to protect his church 11 years ago, and now he is encouraging other churches to consider doing the same.   


“It’s a shame when we can’t go into God’s church and pray and not have to turn around and look at our backsides and wonder who’s coming up behind us,” Adkins told Fox 13 in an Interview.


Reportedly, the pastor received criticism from his community and congregants when he decided to bring trained armed guards to his church over a decade ago. The pastor told Fox 13 that some people even argued with him saying that armed security was not appropriate to have at a place of worship, but Adkins said he made the decision to protect his almost 2,000 congregants and to assure that they can worship without having to watch their backs.


“These are just times in which we have to make a decision, either we’re going to look out for ourselves and protect our people or we’re going to remain soft targets,” Adkins said.


The Greater Imani Church security team, known as the Greater Imani Watchmen, is made up of trained professionals that were either former military or law enforcement officers and who frequently work with local law…

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Christian climate change activist arrested outside parliament

Nick Cooper, a shoemaker and Catholic, locked himself to a gate outside the Palace of Westminster as part of the ‘Extinction Rebellion’, which gathered around 400 people in Parliament Square to demand that the government take more urgent action to tackle climate change.

Before his arrest, Nick said: “I came today to lend my body to the Extinction Rebellion and defend God’s creation which we are crucifying with climate change. We are called to follow God’s law even when it means breaking the laws of our time and place.”

Nick is one of around five people who have been arrested.

Those attending the event blocked the road outside Westminster for around three hours.

11 members of Christian Climate Action where present, one of whom is Phil Kingston, a man in his 80s, who was led away by the police without being arrested after lying in the road for several hours.

Phil said: “The current path of climate breakdown presents enormous dangers. None of the main political parties are responding with the level of ambition which is essential if we are to respond with the necessary commitment and sacrifice.’

The Extinction Rebellion crowd wanted the UK to declare a state of emergency around climate change, to create a zero carbon economy by 2025 and form a national assembly to decide what a zero carbon future would look like.

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Terrorist Connected to 9/11 Attacks Released from Prison Early, Welcomed Home as ‘Hero’

Terrorist Connected to 9/11 Attacks Released from Prison Early, Welcomed Home as ‘Hero’



A known terrorist who is connected to the 9/11 attacks in the United States on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the White house, was released early from prison this week in Germany.


The Daily Mail reports that Mounir el Motassadeq, 44, was convicted of accessory to murder in connection with the September 11attacks in 2006. Investigators determined that the Moroccan man handled the money for the Al Qaeda cell that was responsible for the plane hijackings and attacks, deeming him the cell’s treasurer. He was sentenced to 15 years for the aiding and abetting of the murder of the 246 passengers killed in the planes that crashed into the Twin Towers on that fateful day. 


According to Fox News, el Motassadeq was released several months early because of time he served in 2001 when he was originally arrested for the acts of terror. The man was set to be released in January 2019. After being released early this week, el Motassadeq was deported to his home country of Morocco where he was welcomed home to what many are calling a “hero’s welcome.”


On Wednesday, el Motassdeq returned to his suburban town in Marrakesh, where he was greeted by his wife and kids. The terrorist who helped set the attack that killed 2,996 people into action was reportedly greeted by ‘elated’ community members and well-wishers who were celebrating his return.


The…

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Israel Houghton, Yolanda Adams, Hezekiah Walker Working With Group That Thinks Jesus Failed

(Photo: REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won)South Korean evangelist Reverend Moon Sun-myung and his wife Han Hak-ja (R) bless newlyweds during a mass wedding ceremony at Sun Moon University in Asan, south of Seoul October 14, 2009.

The Unification Church, properly known as Family Federation for World Peace and Unification USA, is hosting an major event this month titled, “Peace Starts with Me” and has invited high profile Christian artists, such as Israel Houghton, Yolanda Adams and others to help spread the mission of self-described “mother, the only begotten daughter of God,” Hak Ja Han Moon.

A new video promotion for the Nov. 12 event held in New York City’s Nassau Coliseum, announced that Grammy award winner Houghton will join Bishop Noel Jones, along with gospel singers Yolanda Adams, and Hezekiah Walker for the Unificationism gathering.

“Come and join all of New York and Americans everywhere to honor of the men and women of every creed and color who sacrificed and gave so much for the sake of this nation and to the cause of freedom around the world,” a press release about the event described.

It’s unclear why these popular Christians would link arms with this un-Christian faith. Houghton, Adams, Walker or Jones have not responded to media inquiries regarding their involvement at…

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LGBT chaplaincy team planned by diocese in response to past ‘hurt and exclusion’

The Diocese of Oxford said the proposed group – based on similar ministries operating in Wales and elsewhere – would also support the relatives and beloved of LGBTI+ people. It comes after “many” requests for guidance on the issue.

In a letter, four local bishops said chaplains would be available to guide clergy and lay readers, in light of past “hurt, exclusion and misunderstanding” that members of the LGBTI+ community have experienced within the Church.

 

They wrote: “The role of the chaplains will be to listen, to offer support and to advise local clergy and congregations and ourselves in our welcome and support of LGBTI+ people and their families, and to learn from the insights of LGBTI+ people about being church together.”

The Bishop of Oxford Rt Rev Stephen Croft (pictured above), along with three suffragan – or junior – bishops also set out five principles to promote a climate of “inclusion and respect” across the diocese.

They include welcoming “all people” into church, banishing “intrusive questioning” about someone’s sexuality or experience of gender and ensuring people are not told their sexuality or gender difference reflects a lack of faith.

Under the tenets, nobody should be excluded from taking part in Holy Communion because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and LGBTI+ people should not be excluded from positions of church leadership.

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The Three Buckets of Internal Funds for Church Revitalization – Revitalize & Replant #065

SUBSCRIBE TODAY: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play

We continue a discussion that was started on Episode 63 about giving in churches and how it can impact churches in need of revitalization.

Episode Highlights:

  • We often take giving for granted in churches.
  • Churches often have tight financials because of their spending habits, not because of low income.
  • Seeking out capital giving is typically not discussed in churches but should be.
  • The reason members don’t give capital funds or legacy gifts to the church is often because the church or pastor doesn’t ask for them.

The three income buckets that we discuss are:

  1. First bucket: income giving
  2. Second bucket: capital giving
  3. Third bucket: legacy giving

We also give a quick overview of an upcoming episode of Rainer on Leadership (Episode #482) on Should the Pastor Have Visibility to Members’ Giving? Look for that episode on November 6.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and revitalization in your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.

Submit Your Question:

Do you…

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How I felt when I voted yesterday

I voted in the midterm elections yesterday.

I’m not going to tell you what candidates I supported–this ministry is intentionally as nonpartisan as possible, hoping to reach people of any and all political persuasions.

Rather, I’m writing to tell you how it felt to vote.

This is the twenty-first time I’ve voted in a presidential or midterm election, but this one felt different. In the midst of the most virulent political animosity I can remember, I walked out of the voting precinct with an overwhelming sense of gratitude to be an American.

I felt gratitude for our founders–they risked everything to fight the most powerful nation on earth in defense of an idea and a new nation. I felt enormous gratitude for the soldiers who have served and died for my freedom.

I felt gratitude for those who defend and protect us today. I felt gratitude for the women and men who love their country enough to run for office. I felt gratitude for all those who serve to make our political system work. And I felt gratitude to be an American.

Courage changes culture

On this All Saints’ Day, when Christians around the world remember the faith heroes who have gone before us, I’d like to explore with you this fact: courage changes culture.

Abraham left his home to follow God to a promised land. Moses confronted Pharaoh, the most powerful man on earth. Joshua and his people stepped into a flooded Jordan River. David faced Goliath. Galilean fishermen left their vocations to follow Jesus. Peter preached to the Sanhedrin. Paul testified before kings.

It takes courage to change the status quo. Friedrich Nietzsche was right: the “will to power” is the dominant drive in our fallen human nature. People who have achieved power will typically do anything to keep it. And those who seek power will do anything to achieve it.

Warren Bennis, the brilliant management scholar, observed that an “unconscious conspiracy” exists in every organization. Its purpose is to…

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