Fundamentalist Pastor Arrested on Child Molestation Charges .

-
0
Fundamentalist Pastor Arrested on Child Molestation Charges .

[ad_1]

A fundamentalist pastor allegedly molested multiple children under the age of 10.
A fundamentalist pastor allegedly molested multiple children under the age of 10. (Skitterphoto)

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

An Indiana pastor was arrested after allegedly molesting multiple young girls.

Garry Evans, a fundamentalist pastor at Rushville Baptist Temple, allegedly lured children—some as young as 3—into his office where he would touch them inappropriately and made them touch him.

After a police investigation in September, Evans was charged with three counts of child molest, four counts of sexual battery, and five counts of child solicitation.

One family in the congregation reports three of their girls, ages 3, 5 and 7, were abused at the hands of the clergyman.

When the molestation accusations surfaced, other victims came forward, and four more children under the age of 10 said they were harmed by Evans.

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Will Church School be Forced to Ban Bible, Crosses, and Religious Assembly?

-
0
Will Church School be Forced to Ban Bible, Crosses, and Religious Assembly?

[ad_1]


Will Church School be Forced to Ban Bible, Crosses, and Religious Assembly?


Parents of students at a church school in England have issued complaints leading to a decision by the school to ban a Christian charity.


According to ChristianToday.com, St. John’s Church of England Primary School in Tunbridge Wells is now also considering banning crosses, Bibles, and the presence of Church of England clergy at school assemblies.


The school has already banned CrossTeach, a Christian charity, whose members interacted with students and allegedly told them that “men can’t marry men” and that “they would not go to a good place when they died” if they did not believe in God.


The campaign organized by some of the parents of the school’s students is now calling for the removal of other aspects of faith and Christian symbols from the school. The group has reportedly put together a 13-page document airing their grievances and requesting that the school cease all religious activities.


Some of the church leaders associated with the school, however, believe the parents are stirring up trouble unnecessarily. Rev. Peter Sanlon and Rev. Giles Walter, who have been leading religious assemblies at the school for 24 years, accused parents of throwing a “hand-grenade” into what was a perfectly happy environment and creating conflict.


“This dispute in Tunbridge Wells is highlighting the inability of both our government and the Church of England to effectively preserve freedom of religion and diversity. As the bullies are allowed to have their way, all suffer,” said Sanlon.


 


Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstockphotos.com


Publication date: October 19, 2017

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Protesters Rally to Denounce White Supremacist Addressing Students .

-
0
Protesters Rally to Denounce White Supremacist Addressing Students .

[ad_1]

Demonstrators rally before the speech by Richard Spencer, an avowed white nationalist and spokesperson for the so-called alt-right movement.
Demonstrators rally before the speech by Richard Spencer, an avowed white nationalist and spokesperson for the so-called alt-right movement. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

Protesters chanting “Go home Nazis” sought to drown out the speech by a white nationalist at the University of Florida on Thursday, as the campus erected barricades and deployed hundreds of police officers to guard against unrest.

Richard Spencer’s event at the university in Gainesville, which prompted the governor to declare a state of emergency to prepare for possible violence, comes about two months after rallies by neo-Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, led to a deadly clash with counter-protesters.

The violence on Aug. 12 added fuel to a national debate on race, and Republican President Donald Trump came under fire for blaming both sides for the melee.

On Thursday, several hundred protesters marched outside a campus performing arts center ahead of the speech there by Spencer, who heads the National Policy Institute, a nationalist think tank.

Amid heavy police presence, demonstrators taking part in the rally chanted “Stand up, fight back” and “Go home, Spencer.” A plane flew overhead with a sign that read “Love conquers hate! Love will prevail!”

A man hired as security for media was arrested for illegally carrying a firearm on campus, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said.

Inside the venue, Spencer and protesters yelled at one another.

“I’m not going home,” Spencer said. “We are stronger than you, and you all know it!”

About 15 white men, all dressed in white shirts and khaki pants, raised their hands when Spencer asked who identified with the alt-right, a loose grouping characterized by a rejection of mainstream politics that includes neo-Nazis, white supremacists and anti-Semites.

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Laura Lacey Johnson – Christian News Headlines

-
0
Laura Lacey Johnson – Christian News Headlines

[ad_1]


What Christians Should Know About the Balfour Declaration Controversy


On Wednesday, Palestinian Arab organizations called on Britain to apologize for the “crime of the Balfour Declaration,” a pronouncement that helped Israel become a nation and is almost 100 years old. In recent months, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has gone so far as to threaten to sue Britain over the document.


On November 2, 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur J. Balfour wrote a letter expressing the British government’s support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. International support for the idea grew after World War II and the Holocaust.  On May 14, 1948, Jewish Agency Chairman David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel, establishing the first Jewish state in 2,000 years.


Wednesday’s statement came after a protest by the national and Islamic forces outside the office of the British Cultural Council in the West Bank.


According to Israel National News, a member of the PLO said the Palestinian Arabs are demanding Britain recognize it made an error.


When a similar demand was made last April, no apology was issued, and a British Foreign Office spokesman described the Balfour Declaration as “an historic statement” but added Britain continued to work for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.


In 2014, Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down.


In his book “Seven Signs of the End Times,” Christian author Mark Hitchcock says the ongoing hostilities between Israel and her neighbors are not accidents but events that set the stage for the final peace process ushered in by the Antichrist (Daniel 9:27).


Some Bible scholars believe the Bible prophesied the rebirth of Israel in the “last days” (Isaiah 66:8-9; Jeremiah 16:14-15; Jeremiah 30:1-3; Jeremiah 31:3-9; Ezekiel 36-39; Amos 9:11-15; Zechariah 10:6-10). 


In Genesis 12:1-3, God promised Abram He would make him into a great nation and bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him.


The Jewish people are descendants of Abram.


 


About the Author:


Laura Lacey Johnson is an experienced radio broadcaster, television news reporter, and Bible study leader who writes regularly about news, culture, and faith at www.lauralaceyjohnson.com. 


Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstockphotos.com


Publication date: October 19, 2017

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Dow Surpasses 23,000, Poverty Level Drops as Americans Get Back to Work .

-
0
Dow Surpasses 23,000, Poverty Level Drops as Americans Get Back to Work .

[ad_1]

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 23,000 yesterday for the first time in history, signaling a strong economy and perhaps the optimistic feelings from both corporations and consumers regarding President Donald Trump’s business-centered agenda.

According to LifeZette.com, Trump spoke Tuesday night at the Heritage Foundation, where he said impending tax reform would mean “bigger paychecks, more jobs and stronger growth.”

“Our tax plan will ensure that companies stay in America, grow in America, and hire in America,” Trump continued. “At the heart of our plan is a tax cut for everyday working Americans.”

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Google Pixels Devices Aren’t Receiving Messages; Update Available on OnePlus 3 and 3T

-
0
Google Pixels Devices Aren’t Receiving Messages; Update Available on OnePlus 3 and 3T

[ad_1]

Facebook/AndroidOfficialAndroid 8.0 Oreo is now available for OnePlus 3 and 3T devices.

The new Android 8.0 Oreo operating system update is causing some Google Pixels users to not receive their text messages. Meanwhile, the new Oreo update is now available for OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T.

Google Pixels users are now complaining about not getting text messages, Android Authority reports. Pixels users have been able to send out texts successfully. However, they no longer receive the replies of the people they previously messaged.

The complaints first came out in the product forums of Google, which 9to5google discovered. Most of the complainants are Verizon users. However, they also shared that neither Verizon Message+ or Google Message has worked in receiving their messages.

Google has yet to create a patch to fix this glitch. However, Google community manager Orrin addressed their Pixels users’ concerns.

“Thanks for all of the reports. The team is aware of this issue and working towards a fix. Some of you have mentioned that rebooting or factory resetting the device resolved the issue. Definitely try to reboot, and if you do factory reset, make sure all of your data/info is backed up,” said Orrin.

When the Android 8.0 Oreo update first came to Google Pixels devices this month, users experienced having problems with their Bluetooth function. Now, those issues are cleared, but Google is left with the problems of Google Pixels users not receiving their text messages.

Meanwhile, the Android 8.0 Oreo update is now available for OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T smartphones, the Economic Times confirmed.

Although the Oreo update was recently made available to these devices through a closed beta program, OnePlus announced that the open beta system will bring other new features to their devices.

“Through the last update, we added various OnePlus 5 features to the OnePlus 3 and 3T and will continue to offer relevant software improvements,” OnePlus said.

The Android 8.0 Oreo update will bring advanced security patches, smart-text selection, system enhancements, and other features to the OnePlus 3 and 3T devices.

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Two Christians Hospitalized in Critical Condition After Brutal Assault on Church in India

-
0
Two Christians Hospitalized in Critical Condition After Brutal Assault on Church in India

[ad_1]


Two Christians Hospitalized in Critical Condition After Brutal Assault on Church in India


International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Christians attending a worship service in Jaripara village, located in the Dantewada District of India’s Chhattisgarh State, were brutally assaulted by suspected Hindu radicals on Sunday, October 15. According to witnesses, a mob of more than 300 attacked the Bastar for Christ Movement (BCM) Church and beat the congregants, leaving nine seriously injured, including two in critical condition at the government hospital in Dantewada.


According to witnesses, more than 300 people encircled the BCM Church around noon on October 15 as a worship service was being conducted. The mob then disrupted the service, dragging Christian worshipers out of the church and into the street. There, the mob ordered the Christians to renounce their faith. When the Christians refused, the mob attacked and beat the Christians with sticks and slippers. Christian women were stripped by the mob and even Christian children were not spared. The mob then vandalized the BCM Church and set fire to the church’s furniture.


 


As a result, many Christians were injured, including Raju Sodi and Sangetha Kartami who sustained serious injuries to the head and hands. Both Raju and Sangetha were rushed to a nearby hospital following the attack and were later transferred to the government hospital in Dantewada as their conditions were deemed critical.


 


“The attack on Jaripara’s Christians is inhuman and highly condemnable,” a local pastor, who wished to remain anonymous, told ICC. “These attacks are popping up on the backdrop of the state elections that are nearing. The BJP, who is in power in the state, makes it all the more easy for the Hindu radicals to carry on the hate campaign against religious minorities for the political gains.“


 


Local police refused to file a First Information Report (FIR) when the Christians contacted the police. According to local Christians, Hindu radicals had filed an FIR on the Christians prior to the attack. Jaripara’s Christians had to protest for more than 24 hours to have police accept their complaint about the brutal attack and it remains doubtful that local police will bring the perpetrators to justice.


 


Attacks on Christians and their places of worship have continued to escalate under the rule of the current BJP-led government. Anti-minority rhetoric used by BJP leaders for political expedience coupled with an atmosphere of impunity for those who attack minorities is much to blame for this escalation in violence. According to Open Doors USA, Christians in India were attacked 410 times in just the first six months of 2017. This marked a dramatic increase from the 441 attacks recorded over the entire year of 2016.


 


William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “Attacks on Christians and their places of worship in India are becoming an almost daily occurrence. Hindu radicals across the country seem to have been given a wide berth by local authorities to pursue their hate campaigns against Christians and other minorities. This inability or unwillingness to protect and enforce the rights of Christians must come to an end. While Article 25 of India’s constitution guarantees full religious freedom for all citizens, the lack of India’s enforcement of this freedom leaves Article 25 as just words on paper. India’s leaders must do more to confront the issue of growing religious violence. Until then, Christians across India will continue to feel like second-class citizens vulnerable to religiously motivated assault.“


 


 


To read more Christian persecution news, visit www.persecution.org


 


Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/Thomas Brown


 


Publication date: October 19, 2017

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

PCUSA, Conservative Breakaway Working Together to Fix Congregation Dismissal Process

-
0

[ad_1]

(Photo: Courtesy of PCUSA)The national office for the mainline denomination Presbyterian Church (USA), located in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) and a conservative church created in response to the mainline denomination’s theological direction are working together to help facilitate a less divisive and more unifying dismissal process for congregations.

Representatives of PC(USA) and ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians met in late September for two days to discuss how to properly conduct the dismissal process for congregations seeking to leave the mainline denomination for the newer conservative group.

ECO Synod Executive the Rev. Dana S. Allin told The Christian Post in an interview on Wednesday that the talks came in response to various problems that were arising for some churches trying to seek dismissal from the PC(USA).

“I would say we agreed to do the talks because we saw the pain and damage that was occurring because of dismissal processes that were not handled well,” explained Allin.

Expand | Collapse
(Photo: FPC Haines City)The sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Haines City, Florida. In February 2017, FPC Haines City was officially granted dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA) Presbytery of Tampa Bay. It joined the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians.

“We wanted to be able to have these processes honor God and give witness to the world even in the midst of disagreement.”

Allin provided CP with a copy of the letter he sent out to ECO presbytery leaders, in which he explained that the two parties agreed to better communicate and work together on issues of dismissal, including a joint effort to “highly discourage civil litigation.”

“When a PC(USA) church approaches ECO and is contemplating court, we want to encourage those congregations to pursue alternative resolutions,” wrote Allin. “When PC(USA) presbyteries consider entering litigation against a church, the PC(USA) will encourage them not to do so.”

Also called the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians, ECO was formed in 2012 in response to the increasingly liberal theological direction of the PC(USA).

Since then, hundreds of PC(USA) congregations have sought dismissal from the mainline denomination to join ECO.

At times, these dismissals have resulted in litigation over church property, as well as claims of mishandling the proper process of seeking dismissal.

The talks were facilitated by the World Communion of Reformed Churches, a Europe-based global body of which both the PC(USA) and ECO are member organizations.

WCRC spokesman Phil Tanis told CP that the dialogue between the two member churches was “open and honest” and had “both painful and uplifting moments.”

“We believe that both denominations took away a better understanding of the other’s perspectives and concerns. We believe there were commitments made that each denomination will work to fulfil,” said Tanis.

“We have committed to follow-up with both. As a Communion we are called to support our member churches, and we hope that we have been able to do so through this process and in the time to come.”

For his part, PC(USA) General Assembly Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson II, explained to denominational leadership at a Sunday meeting that while meeting with the ECO “has given us some clarity” they are “not done” with the issue.

Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Pope marks 50 years of Catholic-Methodist dialogue

-
0
Pope marks 50 years of Catholic-Methodist dialogue

[ad_1]

Speaking to members from both traditions, the Catholic News Agency reports that he said speaking about reconciliation wasn’t enough and reconciliation can only be achieved with action.

He said: “This is the journey that awaits us in the new phase of the dialogue, devoted to reconciliation: we cannot speak of prayer and charity unless together we pray and work for reconciliation and full communion.”

The pontiff however commended the value of dialogue between the two groups and said they “are no longer strangers” but rather, through their shared baptism are “members of the household of God”.

He went on to say: “We too have been freed from the slavery of estrangement and mutual suspicion.”

  

The members were all in Rome to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Joint International Methodist-Catholic Dialogue Commission – the first of which was held in the hill town of Ariccia in Rome on October 1967.

Citing the Second Vatican Council, the pope said that since then, both communities have striven to continue along the path of knowledge and mutual esteem through dialogue that is carried out “in a spirit of honesty and integrity” with “love for the truth, with charity and with humility”.

He added: “Now is the time to prepare ourselves, with humble hope and concrete efforts, for that full recognition that will come about, by God’s grace, when at last we will be able to join one another in the breaking of the bread.

“So let us advance together, knowing that our journey is blessed by the Lord. It began from him, and it leads to him.”

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Atheist Bullying Tactics Fail as Prayer Prevails in the U.S. House .

-
0
Atheist Bullying Tactics Fail as Prayer Prevails in the U.S. House .

[ad_1]

This was yet another victory for religious freedom. (lc.org)

The D.C. District Court recently dismissed the lawsuit brought by Daniel Barker, an atheist and co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), in his attempt to become a guest chaplain for an opening session of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Barker, who has publicly proclaimed his atheism but maintains ministerial credentials, applied to the House of Representatives to deliver a secular invocation in lieu of a prayer. His application was rejected, and he sued, claiming that the Supreme Court’s decision in Town of Greece v. Galloway, which had ruled permitting ministers to pray before legislative gatherings, requires his inclusion as a guest chaplain.

The D.C. District Court rejected FFRF’s claims, stating that Barker’s interpretation of the Town of Greece is flawed and does not require what he demanded. The legislative prayer practice of the House of Representatives is consistent with the decisions of the Supreme Court and the D.C Circuit, as well as the Rules of the House.

Judge Rosemary Collyer stated that Barker could not piggyback on Town of Greece to demand that the House allow a “prayer” to what or whoever he wanted: “[C]ontrary to Mr. Barker’s hopeful interpretation, Town of Greece did not reference atheists—who are, by definition, nontheists who do not believe in God or gods—but ‘any minister or layman who wished to give [a prayer].'” 

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

1...2,9042,9052,906...3,893Page 2,905 of 3,893