Gunman Abruptly Ends Worship Service With Threat to Kill Everyone at Alabama Church

(Screenshots: Fox 8)Suspect Donald Gean Robinson and Joy Cometh Ministries in Huntsville, Alabama.

Members of a small church in Huntsville, Alabama, are thanking God for their lives after they all escaped unharmed even though a man barged into their service on Sunday, pulled out a gun and threatened to kill them all if they didn’t get out of his way.

“All we heard was ‘Gun!’ and everything went haywire,” Pastor Ava Farr of Joy Cometh Ministries told Fox 8 about what happened at her church after 44-year-old Donald Gean Robinson allegedly barged into the house of worship looking for a family member.

“The children were screaming. People were climbing over each other, falling over one another, trying to get to safety. In the wake of what happened in Florida, you can imagine it was very frightening. We began to pray,” she said.

Robinson, who is not a member of the church, was identified by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency as a homeless convicted sex offender. His dramatic entrance during the service left everyone shaken even though members of the church were eventually able to remove him and keep him subdued until police arrived.

“He was approached by one of our male congregants who was able to stop him from wielding the gun. But he did pull the gun out and the gun fell. He…

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Interest in Bible Translation Has ‘Gone Viral’ Says Leader of Wycliffe Associates

Interest in Bible Translation Has ‘Gone Viral’ Says Leader of Wycliffe Associates



The year 2018 is set to be an historic year for Bible translation, according to Wycliffe Associates.


Bruce Smith, the leader of the Bible translating organization, said that interest in Bible translation has “gone viral” and that the organization is translating the Bible into more languages than ever before.


Wycliffe has been able to make even greater progress in Bible translation due to modern Bible translation technology and methods.


“This is at a pace – and at a scope around the world – that is really unprecedented in the history of the world,” Smith stated, according to OneNewsNow.com. “And so as that happens, inevitably, the Christians in the surrounding communities – and even countries – get curious about how it happens so quickly, and why it’s happening. And when they find out that the tools and resources for them to steward God’s Word  for their own people are now in place, that’s what creates that readiness … and that desire to have Scripture sooner – instead of later.”


Wycliffe has already translated the New Testament into 193 languages in the past three years, and this year they have received requests for 600 new translations which they plan to launch soon.


 


Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/michaelennisphotography


Publication date: February 27, 2018

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Scottish politicians renew calls for Asia Bibi’s hearing

Asia Bibi is a Christian woman, imprisoned since 2010 for blasphemy against the Islamic prophet Muhammad in Pakistan, something she denies.

She has been sentenced to death but has a hearing which could change that decision. However, the hearing has been postponed because one of the three justices refused to hear her case.

The Cross Party Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Scotland have now written to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, to ask him to stop the delay of her hearing.

The group said in a letter: “Ms Bibi has since been waiting for the Supreme Court to fix a date for hearing her case. Can we urge you to please make sure that the court schedules a hearing date as soon as possible?”

John Mason, the MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, is a Christian and the Convenor of the group.

He told Premier: “Some Pakistani government ministers and court lawyers have tried to deal with this [persecution in Pakistan] but actually one or two of them have been executed over the years, just because they stood up for a minority, i.e. for the Christians there.

“So, it’s not easy, I accept, for the government and the courts but if things are going to improve in any country the courts and government have to take a firm line.”

Speaking on whether the letter will help he said: “I think we have experienced in the past that if there’s international people speaking…

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Bible Burning in Southern India Shows Depth of Hostility Toward Christians

Bible Burning in Southern India Shows Depth of Hostility Toward Christians



Hindu extremists in southern India issued harsh threats to Christians distributing Bibles before snatching their car keys, taking Bibles out of their vehicle and setting the Scripture on fire, sources said.

 

Christians associated with Gideons International, all senior citizens, told Morning Star News that their advanced age did not temper the vitriol they received in Singotam village, Nagar Kurnool District, in Telangana state on Jan. 21.

 

“From now on, if any of you distribute Bibles, we will attack you brutally [till your genitalia are damaged],” one of the Hindus warned the Christians, according to a video the extremists took of the attack. “How dare you promote Christianity?”

 

The video shows the group harassing Christians after one of the group snuck into the car, took the keys and tossed the Bibles out, which the group then began kicking.

 

“You are useless people, and all your activities are useless,” the video shows one saying. “You will give a Bible to whoever you want? How dare you …You shameless idiots. Get the hell out of here.”

 

One of the assailants then poured fuel as his colleagues instructed him to pour it on the copies; he then lit a matchstick and set the Bibles on fire.

 

The hostilities come after “one of the most traumatic” years of persecution of Christians, according to a report released last…

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Church cleaner wins legal battle with vicar

Maria Wright and her family had been members of the congregation at St John the Evangelist Church in Ilford for more than four decades, before she began cleaning the church hall seven days a week in 2004.

However trouble began when Rev Calvert Prentis joined the parish in 2015 and decided it was not “appropriate” for his church to employ a cleaner.

 

Mrs Wright appealed to the Bishop of Barking, Peter Hill, who oversees the parish, but he dismissed her complaint, according to the Evening Standard.

She told the tribunal that she was later told to give up her position after being accused by Rev Prentis of claiming money for hours she had not worked.

However, Judge Moor ruled that the vicar had been “too hasty” in accusing Mrs Wright of fraud and added her job termination was unfair “on a human level”.

“Fraud is a very serious allegation and should only be made, in my view, after careful consideration, which did not happen here. I have accepted her evidence that she worked on all days,” the judge said.

Despite the judge ruling in her favour, the tribunal decided Mrs Wright cannot be awarded compensation because she was not formally a church employee.

Mrs Wright has vowed to return to the congregation and Rev Prentis has since been appointed to a new role in Birmingham, due to begin before Easter.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. 

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Canon Unveils AII-supported Flash

Canon websiteCanon 470EX-AI

Canon unveils new artificial intelligence supported flash that can identify on its own which direction to point.

Through its new device called 470EX-AI, Canon hopes to change how users view flash photography. The new Speedlight model automatically finds the “best” spot to bounce off the light and make photos look more flattering.

The 470EX-AI looks just like any Speedlight flash from the outside but its inside is a bit more intricate. It features motors at the base and the hinge and a sensor located in the corner of the face of the flash.

For professional photographers, using the flash does not mean pointing it exactly at the subject. The trick is to bounce off the light off a wall or a ceiling to make photos look more natural. This could be a pain for photographers, however, and could also take a lot of time.

Canon is taking that struggle away with this new introduction. The process starts when the user double taps the camera’s shutter button. The flash will then point directly at the subject, calculate the distance, point at the ceiling and also calculate the distance, then reorient itself to find what it thinks is the best direction to bounce off the light.

The flash should help photographers, especially those who are new to the trade, to “utilize the ideal lighting and natural brightness of the room.”

The flash will use the same computation as long as the subject and photographer maintain the same position. Once they start moving around though, the flash will have to reorient itself and repeat the process all over again.

Semi-pros will find the semi-automatic…

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Faith-Based Adoption Agencies Can Refuse Same-Sex Couples, According to New Georgia Senate Bill

Faith-Based Adoption Agencies Can Refuse Same-Sex Couples, According to New Georgia Senate Bill



Faith-based adoption agencies in Georgia will now be allowed to decline to place children in families with same-sex couples.


According to WCTV, the Georgia Senate passed the bill granting this freedom to faith-based adoption agencies on Friday in a 35 to 19 vote.


There was contentious debate regarding the bill, especially since the faith-based adoption agencies in question receive taxpayer funding.


“This proposition that we should … protect agencies that are gonna deny loving families the opportunity to adopt a child from our foster care system is just backward on its face,” stated Georgia Sen. Nan Orrock, an Atlanta Democrat.


Proponents of the bill argued, however, that faith-based adoption agencies should not be discriminated against due to their religious convictions.


“Just because you are a faith-based organization, doesn’t mean you have to check your faith at the door and cannot participate in government programs,” stated Georgia Sen. William Ligon, a Brunswick Republican who sponsored the bill.


In addition to declining to place children with same-sex couples, the bill would grant religious freedom to faith-based adoption agencies that decline to place children with other couples whose lifestyles are at odds with the agency’s values, such as unwed couples, single parents, and transgender couples.




 


Photo courtesy:…

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82 complaints for vicar taking heroine in church in Coronation Street

The scene saw vicar Billy Mayhew, played by Daniel Brocklebank, taking heroin in a church alongside his brother Lee, played by Richard Crehan.

After taking the Class A drug, Lee tells Billy: “This must be what heaven feels like.”

It aired before the 9pm watershed during the second episode of Monday’s double bill.

A spokeswoman for Ofcom said: “We are assessing these complaints under our broadcasting rules, before deciding whether or not to investigate.”

An ITV spokeswoman said: “Coronation Street has a strong tradition of tackling serious contemporary issues in a responsible way.

“In upcoming episodes we will be showing the very negative side of drug taking as Billy’s life starts to fall apart.”

The spokeswoman added that the storyline was researched thoroughly with the help of the team at Addaction. 

Many fans of the ITV soap took to Twitter to complain about the depiction of drug use shown.

One wrote that it was “disgusting” to air before 9pm, and that “someone needs to be sacked”.

Another said: “@itvcorrie I used to enjoy watching Coronation Street with my teenage daughter – not anymore.

“What are the script writers trying to achieve? Disgraceful heroin scene.”

One added: “Not sure the message that sends out… ‘what heaven feels like’ @itvcorrie #CoronationStreet.”

Viewers have seen Billy descend into a downward spiral of drug addiction in recent episodes.

The latest…

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Nokia brings back banana phone from ‘The Matrix’

Reuters/Yves HermanThe new Nokia 8110 is displayed during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 25, 2018.

Nokia once again banks on nostalgia as it brings back the iconic banana phone popularized by the 1999 movie “The Matrix.”

Following the surprise hit of the Nokia 3310 revival at the 2017 Mobile World Congress, the now HMD-owned Nokia brand is bringing back another retro hit — 8110 4G. The retro phone was announced at the 2018 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The so-called banana phone was first launched in 1996 but it was Keanu Reeves who made it iconic after using it in his hit movie, which came at a time when Nokia was the “world’s leading mobile phone supplier.” The 8110 unit was also a highly-coveted item back then, with Nokia describing it as the “first of its kind in terms its ergonomics.”

The 8110 4G is a slightly curved handset with the old-time slider that lets users answer or end calls. The one featured in “The Matrix” was a black unit fit for lead character Neo but now, it also comes in bright yellow to give justice the phone’s “banana” nickname.

The 2.4-inch QVGA display screen is a bit small for the usual tasks one does on big screen smartphones. It is just a basic feature phone after all and will not have access to the usual applications found in other Nokia phones. HMD, however, explained that the phone will have its own store for basic apps like Facebook. Soon, third parties could start creating their own apps made specifically for the 8110.

The phone comes with a…

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What Should Be the Place of Religion in Public Schools?

What Should Be the Place of Religion in Public Schools?



Public school officials in one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities are being accused of violating the separation of church and state.


The controversy has been simmering in this once-tiny cotton-farming community, about 30 miles north of Dallas, since last summer when Rick McDaniel, superintendent of the McKinney Independent School District, prayed at a pulpit adorned with a Christian cross — during a mandatory school employee meeting at a church.


Last month, under pressure from concerned parents, the 24,500-student school district decided to end a decade-plus practice of conducting high school commencement ceremonies at the same church, Prestonwood Baptist, a Southern Baptist megachurch in nearby Plano.


The change outraged Prestonwood Pastor Jack Graham, one of President Trump’s evangelical advisers and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention.


“It appears religious freedom is under attack at the McKinney Public Schools,” Graham said in a Twitter post. “It was our refusal to remove the cross from view that created this cowardly decision.”


In a follow-up post, Graham added, “Just wondering on what planet a church,synagogue, or mosque would be expected to cover its religious symbols to host a public school graduation.”


And in another tweet, the pastor alleged that school administrators had “yielded to the pressure of atheist groups and…

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