Newboys Starting ‘Love Riot’ After Achieving First Platinum Record

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Newboys Starting ‘Love Riot’ After Achieving First Platinum Record

Newsboys (Photo: Newsboys)

Christian Post Report – (L-R) Jody Davis, Jeff Frankenstein, Duncan Phillips and Michael Tait are Newsboys.

After three decades in the music industry, the Newsboys have decided to do something different.

The Christian rock band, consisting of Duncan Phillips, Jody Davis, Jeff Frankenstein and Michael Tait, has decided to start a Love Riot.

Love Riot is the name of the group’s 19th studio album, which was inspired by their desire to spread love to people who need it.

“When I speak from stage, I often talk about love,” Newsboys frontman Michael Tait said in a statement obtained by CP. “Darkness has been so prevalent in our culture. Let’s have a love riot — it’s time.”

One of the ten songs featured on the record record is called “Guilty,” which also happens to be featured in the upcoming film “God’s Not Dead 2” that the band also appears in. However, the album is not going to focus on what’s wrong with the world, according to the band’s drummer.

“It doesn’t work to get out there and point a finger,” drummer Duncan Phillips said in a statement. “We want to impact the world with a straight and true message, and deliver it with all-encompassing love.”

Last year, the group passed a major milestone by officially receiving a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for their song “God’s Not Dead (Like A Lion).” The song, released on the independent contemporary Christian music record label Inpop Records, was one of the first Platinum certifications in Christian music last year, which means it sold at least one million units.

Mark Lusk, president of Inpop Records, spoke about the importance of the Daniel Bashta written record “God’s Not Dead,” which was released in 2011.

“‘God’s Not Dead’ is among Christian music’s most significant songs of the decade,” Lusk said in a statement. “Newsboys’ impassioned performance of Daniel’s powerfully-penned statement of Truth is not only a defining song in Inpop’s history, but it continues to encourage people around the world to stand for Christ.”

Although Newsboys have sold more than 8 million units, garnered eight Gold certifications with 33 number one radio hits with numerous Dove awards and Grammy nominations, the group only received their first platinum record last year.

In a previous interview with The Christian Post, Newsboy drummer Duncan Phillips spoke about how meaningful each accomplishment is for the band.

“To be in it as long as we have and to kind of be riding the success level that we are, I don’t take it for granted. We’re all stoking so hard saying I can’t believe it,” he previously told The Christian Post. “People still want to come see us play. I’m the most excited about this band than I’ve ever been in my life.”

Love Riot will be available where albums are sold on March 4. For more information, visit http://www.newsboys.com/.

Source : Christian Post

Iran Claims Republicans Worked to Stall Release of Pastor Saeed Abedini, American Hostage Until 2016 Elections

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Iran Claims Republicans Worked to Stall Release of Pastor Saeed Abedini, American Hostage Until 2016 Elections

saeed abedini (Courtesy of ACLJ)

Christian Post Report – Pastor Saeed Abedini is imprisoned in Iran for working with underground churches and his effort to build an orphanage.

A top Iranian official claims that Republican members of Congress directly asked the Iranian administration to hold off on releasing Pastor Saeed Abedini and three other American hostages until the eve of the 2016 elections.

“In the course of the talks for exchanging prisoners, the Republican rivals of the current U.S. administration who claim to be humanitarians and advocates of human rights sent a message telling us not to release these people (American prisoners) and continue this process (of talks) until the eve of U.S. presidential elections,” said Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, according to Tasnim News Agency, a privately owned news agency whose stated aim is “defending the Islamic Revolution against negative media propaganda.”

Abedini and three other Americans were released by Iran back in January following a prisoner swap, after years of campaigning for their freedom.

Admiral Ali Shamkhani(Photo: Reuters/Khaled al-Hariri)Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Director, speaks to the media after his arrival at Damascus airport, September 30, 2014.

Some Republican presidential candidates, such as Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, celebrated the release of the hostages, but blasted President Barack Obama for agreeing to the prisoner swap that entailed giving Iranian regime $1.7 billion in exchange for releasing five Americans.

Cruz, who had spoken out for Abedini’s release, said that the pastor coming home to his family in Boise, Idaho, is great news, but added that the deal is problematic, because “it reflects a pattern we have seen in the Obama administration over and over again of negotiating with terrorists, and making deals and trades that endanger U.S. safety and security.”

Rubio added in a separate statement: “Our enemies now know that if you can capture an American, you can get something meaningful in exchange for it.”

He insisted, however, that he still would have found a way to free the Americans.

“We would have given them sanctions, crippling sanctions … there would have never even been a discussion on these deals until they were released. Iran needs more from us than we need from them. We need to remind ourselves of that,” Rubio asserted.

Shamkhani refused to say which Republicans allegedly asked for a delay in releasing the American hostages, but said Iranian officials “acted upon our independent resolve and moved the process forward.”

The Supreme National Security Council Secretary also argued that Iran decided to release a number of the Americans the regime is holding hostage ‘based on the country’s [so-called] humanitarian approach’.”

Abedini, who Iran claims endangered national security because of his Christian faith, opened up about some of the abuses he suffered during an interview with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren in North Carolina.

The pastor told Fox News that he was beaten and tortured during prison, with interrogators trying to get him to sign confession papers for crimes he didn’t commit.

Abedini also refused to renounce his Christian faith despite pressure to do so, and revealed that he would spend some days in near constant prayer.

“Each day for hours and hours, sometimes more than 20 hours, I just prayed,” he said.

“The best thing I could do over there was [pray],” he added.

Source : Christian Post

Cleveland Cavaliers Coach Latest in NBA to Talk About Jesus and Criticisms

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Cleveland Cavaliers Coach Latest in NBA to Talk About Jesus and Criticisms

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue (Photo: Reuters/USA Today Sports/David Richard)

Christian Post Report – Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue reacts after a 114-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Quicken Loans Arena.

Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue is not worried about the speculation that he schemed behind the scenes to get the position of head coach, saying that people spoke negatively even about Jesus so he doesnt expect to be an exception.

After former coach David Blatt was fired in the middle of the season last month, Lue took over the Cavs’ head coaching position. However, with his new position came rumors and criticism.

“Look, they ridiculed Jesus Christ, so I’m certainly no exception. I don’t care what’s being said,” Lue told Cleveland.com. “I know how loyal I was to Coach Blatt, and the people that know me understand that. I have no control over what people think. I have a job to do and I’m going to do my best.

Since he has heard criticism about himself possibly scheming to get the job, Lue is dispelling the myths concerning the matter.

“Me and Blatt are cool. We’ve spoken a few times since [he was let go]. I texted him a few days ago, so it’s not what people want to think,” he said. “To say I was doing things behind the scenes to get this job is crazy. This job? A team that’s in first place? Come on.”

Lebron James, the 31-year-old Cavs forward, has also exalted the name of Jesus Christ when he suffered trying times during this basketball season. In a Dec. 4 game against the New Orleans Pelicans, James worked hard to score a season high 37 points in his team’s 114-108 overtime loss.

While some questioned if the return of the team’s then injured guards Iman Shumpert and Kyrie Irving would be a solution to some of the Cavaliers’ problems, James used the name of Jesus Christ to quell those questions.

“I hope we don’t think that way. It’s never that way,” James said, in a previous Cleveland.com report.

“When you get your guys back, you prepare just as you prepare before. There’s only one guy ever in the world that everything will be all right when he comes back and that’s Jesus Christ. Other than that, you can’t bank on nobody being OK.”

For Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard D’Angelo Russell, knowing that people like James and Jesus suffered from criticism gives him comfort when facing his public scrutiny. While his shooting has been inconsistent after transitioning from a starter to bench player, Russell brushed off his critics by saying, “LeBron gets criticized. Jesus still gets criticized,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

“Anytime anybody says anything bad about me, that means I’ve got to work,” he said in a Times report last month. “LeBron [James] still gets criticism. Jesus still gets criticized.”

Source : Christian Post

Lolo Jones Fans Scold Olympian for Retaliating Against Critic

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Lolo Jones Fans Scold Olympian for Retaliating Against Critic

Lolo Jones (Photo: Reuters/Danny Moloshok)

Christian Post Report – U.S. Olympic track and field star Lolo Jones poses at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports 2014 award show in Los Angeles. California, July 17, 2014.

When Lolo Jones retaliated against one critic by posting the person’s personal photo on her Twitter as a form of revenge for negative comments, the Olympian’s followers did not approve.

During Super Bowl 50, the 33-year-old Christian hurdler posted an image of herself during a race and jokingly wrote the caption, “when they say ribs are ready before Super Bowl starts”

A critic who caught wind of the image decided to respond, “well we know you were the last to get yours then.”

Jones decided to react to the message by writing, “When haters try to discourage you, Keep working. Victories don’t come without failures along the way.”

However, she didn’t stop there. The athlete with over 400,000 Twitter followers chose to take things one step further by posting an image of the critic to her social media page.

She proceeded to blast the image by writing, “My face when I wake up in the morning with no makeup on… (y’all didn’t think I would let her off that easy huh).”

However, a number of Jones’ followers did not approve of her retaliation.

“You are an Olympian Lolo,” one person wrote. “Do you really need to do this? C’mon!”

Another referenced Luke 6:29 by telling Jones, “Lolo, you could’ve turned the other cheek…why let it get to you?”

The move may have caused Jones to lose some fans.

“You were one of my favorite athletes and I looked up to you a lot,” one person wrote. “But I just lost so much respect for you.”

While it is unclear why Jones chose to single out the critic, she has admitted to struggling with feelings of defeat after struggling with racing and injuries in recent years. Last year Jones suffered from a torn hip labrum, which resulted in her third major surgery in recent years, and she admitted to feeling defeated.

“It was the first time in my career that I thought, I don’t know if I can try this again. Mentally, I was breaking down,” she told ESPN last year. “I love running and had a desire to go for Rio in 2016, but the setback was mentally draining. It messed with my confidence.”

Although Jones made a name for herself after winning three NCAA titles, she has struggled to earn an Olympic medal in her appearances at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics. While she has yet to earn a medal for the Olympic games, where she competed for hurdling and bobsledding, Jones believes she is better off for the experience after coming up short and being publicly ridiculed.

“It proved to me how mentally tough I am, that I could pour my heart into a sport in the face of failure. This helps going into Rio, where people are saying, ‘She’s been injured, she’s too old, she should throw in the towel,'” Jones told ESPN . “I have already faced failure. You’ve got to continue to pursue your dreams even when it hurts. It’s not how you start, but how you finish.”

Source : Christian Post

Perry Noble on the 6 Signs That Prove Church Is Making a Difference

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Perry Noble on the 6 Signs That Prove Church Is Making a Difference

pastors (Photo: Screengrab/NewSpring Church/Perry Noble)

Christian Post Report – Pastor Perry Noble talks to congregants of NewSpring Church about sin and freedom, Anderson, South Carolina, January 24, 2016.

The Bible points to six ways in which the church has proved it can make a true difference, NewSpring Pastor Perry Noble explained in a recent blog post and sermon.

The six “signs” that prove the church can make a difference include devotion, a sense of awe, unity, generosity, sincerity, and salvation.

Scripture points to four ways to live out devotion, Noble explains, including the Apostle’s Teaching, fellowship, the breaking of the bread, and prayer.

Additionally, as Scripture explains in Acts 2:43, the early church had a perpetual “sense of awe” when witnessing the changes happening in Christianity.

“The early church did not take for granted what was happening. The entire movement began NOT because of an unbelievable new set of teachings or because a new program was launched – it began because a guy named Jesus had been executed in public, was placed in a tomb and three days later walked out ALIVE!” Noble states on his blog.

The focus of the church in Acts 2:44 and 2:45 is to maintain unity and be generous to the community, Noble continues, adding that the early church also practiced sincerity in its commitment to Jesus.

Lastly, the sixth sign of a healthy, impactful church is salvation, the megachurch pastor concludes, explaining that the early church “carried a conviction that the Gospel was the greatest message in the world and that as they boldly declared it, along with the moving of the Holy Spirit, lives would continue to be impacted, entire communities would be changed and God would get the glory for it all.”

Noble also sought to explain how the church can make a real difference in his latest sermon on February 7, in which he provided several examples of how NewSpring gives back to its community and changes peoples’ lives.

Although he provided several instances of NewSpring’s dedication to the community, he spoke specifically about the church’s Gauntlet 2016, an annual student ministry conference that seeks to bring new youth to Christ.

After outlining the several ways in which NewSpring has made a difference, Noble explained that “the best is yet to come in this place,” adding, “Some of you are like ‘this sounds like bragging,” but no it’s not bragging ‘it’s boasting in the Lord.'”

Source : Christian Post

Nuns’ Soup Kitchen Face Eviction After Heavy Rent Increase

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Nuns’ Soup Kitchen Face Eviction After Heavy Rent Increase

Sisters of Fraternite of Notre Dame (Photo: Screengrab/WLS-TV)

Christian Post Report – A group of Chicago nuns facing eviction from the building where they run a soup kitchen in San Francisco, California, seen distributing food to the homeless in a WLS-TV report in Chicago, Illinois, on February 9, 2016.

A soup kitchen run by an order of nuns in the San Francisco area faces eviction after their rent was substantially increased by their landlord.

The Fraternite Notre Dame Mary of Nazareth Soup Kitchen were told last month that their rent was to increase from about $3,400 to $5,500.

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle published Monday, Fraternite Notre Dame member Sister Mary of the Angels stated, “All we want to do is help the homeless.”

“Homeless people often have no affection, and here we can say hello and give them some good food. I give my heart,” explained the nun.

Based in Chicago, Illinois, the Fraternite Notre Dame is an order that came to the United States from France, where it was found in 1977.

In 2008, Fraternite Notre Dame opened a mission in the Tenderloin area of San Francisco, dubbing the location the Mary of Nazareth Soup Kitchen.

“Our Sisters serve a good, hot meal to 300 persons a day, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.,” stated the order on its website.

“They also go and bring full meals to senior citizens, and on a different day, they do the same to 25 AIDS patients living in their homes, near the Soup Kitchen.”

According to ABC Chicago, while the order does its share of charity work, Fraternite Notre Dame owns millions of dollars worth of property and is not in good official standing with the Roman Catholic Church.

“They call themselves a ‘traditional Catholic religious order’ and some donors may believe that the organization is approved by the church, but it isn’t,” reported ABC.

“They are part of an unsanctioned French order and overseen by a priest who the Chicago Archdiocese has said is not in good standing with the church.”

Local media noted that the Sisters are not taking the situation passively, having hired an attorney to fight the eviction.

“The sisters’ lawyer, Daniel Fitzpatrick, said the building’s owner wants the nuns to pay the higher rent or leave. Fitzpatrick is fighting the eviction, pro bono, on the grounds that the soup kitchen is also the nuns’ residence because they sleep in the back,” reported the Chronicle.

“Fitzpatrick said the rent was raised from $3,465 to $5,500 a month as of Jan. 15, and he advised the nuns to fight it. As it is now, he said, they can barely meet the lower rent by selling their pastries.”

Nick Patel, the landlord for the Mary of Nazareth Soup Kitchen, is out of the country. For the time being, the matter being put “on hold” according to his lawyer.

Source : Christian Post

Tina Campbell Gets Fired From ‘Mary Mary’?

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Tina Campbell Gets Fired From ‘Mary Mary’?

Tina Campbel (Photo: AMC Networks)

Christian Post Report – Mary Mary’s Tina Campbell

Tina Campbell’s position in the award-winning gospel duo Mary Mary is in jeopardy in the fifth season of her WEtv hit show with her sister and fellow group member, Erica Campbell.

“How about we just cast another Mary Mary,” Erica Campbell’s husband and the group’s producer, Warryn, asks in an upcoming trailer for the show provided by WEtv.

Warryn’s threat to fire Tina comes after the singer refuses to cooperate in expediting the process of creating another Mary Mary album. For over two years, both Erica and Tina took a hiatus from the group to focus on their solo music efforts.

While Tina is not quite ready to make another group album, the pair are contractually obligated to do so or may have to pay back over $1 million to the Sony record label. The former Mary Mary group manager Mitchell Solarek arrives on the scene in a trailer for the upcoming show, pitching one of his clients to join the award-winning music duo.

That client happens to be 18-year-old singer and former contestant on “The Voice,” Koryn Hawthorne.

While Tina tells her sister that the financial repercussions for not giving Sony their promised album would be Warryn’s problem, she refused to believe that there would be another version of the group without her.

“There’s never going to be another Mary Mary,” Tina said in a trailer for the show.

Last year, Tina told JET magazine that she refused to engage in drama on her show this season.

“I’m contractually committed, yet I want to reflect my God even with these executives and behind the scenes people,” Campbell told JET. “I’m not compromising my faith by no stretch of the imagination.”

While Tina is the more outspoken of the sisters, she admits that this season was harder for her to film because of her decision to release negativity in her life.

“I’m not what TV likes. TV likes drama and I have a very big personality, [and] I think TV likes that kind of person, but, they’re looking for fear and problems,” Tina added. “I ain’t that. So it’s challenging for me at times. They’ve got to be creative when they’re taping my life and things.”

The singer has publicly documented her decision to forgive her husband and drummer, Teddy Campbell, for stepping outside of their marriage and even renewed their vows. After engaging in a number of interviews, taking to social media, creating an album and devotional book about overcoming marital strains, Tina is ready to document the results of forgiveness on her show.

“All we’re doing is literally showing people what the process of forgiveness looks like — not just in marriage but in everything in our life,” she told JET.

Season five of Mary Mary airs March 3 on WEtv at 9 p.m. ET.

Source : Christian Post

Erica Campbell First Gospel Music Artist to Break 1 Million Instagram Followers

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Erica Campbell First Gospel Music Artist to Break 1 Million Instagram Followers

Erica Campbell (Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Alcorn)

Christian Post Report – Erica Campbell and Warryn Campbell pose with their Grammy award for Best Gospel Song for “Go Get It” backstage at the 55th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, February 10, 2013.

Erica Campbell has another reason to “luh God.” She has officially become the first gospel singer to reach 1 million followers on Instagram.

The 43-year-old “I Luh God” gospel singer took to Instagram to show her fans appreciation for helping her expand her reach.

“I love you and I appreciate your kindness, love and support,” she wrote. “You’ve poured into my life and my ministry.”

This week, Campbell will show her fans how much they mean by providing a sneak peak of her hit WEtv show, “Mary Mary” and her upcoming music video “God You Are,” which was created from fan submissions.

“In celebration of 1 Million IG followers, I’m giving it right back to you,” she wrote.

Campbell’s reach has expanded beyond the Mary Mary group that she started close to two decades ago with her sister, Tina Campbell. After embarking on her solo music career in 2013, Erica released her luxury hair extension line last year.

These days Campbell is beyond busy with her Mary Mary reality television show, solo career and responsibility as first lady of the California Worship Center church. She previously spoke to The Christian Post about balancing her multiple ventures.

“You just take one day at a time. It is a lot, but I don’t feel overwhelmed,” the “Help” singer revealed to CP last year. “I feel like I’m busy, but if God gives you the vision, He will give you the provision to handle it. So I have a great staff of people. I don’t do anything in my own strength or by myself.”

“I just say thank you for the support, I believe there are people that pray for me and lift me up so I say thank you so much. I couldn’t do this without the power of prayer, so I’m very grateful for everyone who’s been supportive up until this point,” Campbell previously told CP. “There’s still much more to come. Erica Campbell stays busy.”

While there is no simple explanation for how Campbell keeps all of her ventures together, she does make sure to prioritize her family.

“At some point you shut it all off and I’m just a mommy and Warren’s wife. I make the best of it and take it one day at a time,” she said. “I don’t think there’s a specific ABC or 1,2,3 for how to manage my life.

“You literally have to make sure that peace is always present. And peace is not the absence of trouble, it’s the presence of Jesus Christ,” she revealed. “So I wake up in the morning and I go, ‘Jesus be with me today in every phone call, in every issue, in every problem, in every triumph … be with me in every moment so I handle it right.'”

Source : Christian Post

Young Christian Thinker Jefferson Bethke on the Root Cause of Objectifying Women

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Young Christian Thinker Jefferson Bethke on the Root Cause of Objectifying Women

Jefferson Bethke (Photo: Courtesy of McClure Muntsinger PR)

Christian Post Report – Author and YouTube star Jefferson Bethke

Inspirational Christian speaker Jefferson Bethke recently spoke on the objectification of women in modern culture and what Christians can do to combat the degradation.

In his most recent YouTube video, Bethke, the author of It’s Not What You Think, explains that he chose to focus his weekly video message on the objectification of women because he believes it’s a “huge cultural problem” that also carries a lot of nuance, adding that the root of the problem can be found in Scripture.

The young evangelical speaker begins his talk by pointing to several cultural disadvantages that plague women and turn them into sex objects, including overly-sexualized advertisements, pornography, and technology.

Although there are several examples of objectification in today’s culture, Bethke says that Christians fail to see what Scripture describes as the “problem behind the problem” in regards to this disturbing issue.

The origin of the problem can be found in Genesis 3, Bethke explains, when Eve and Adam ate the apple in the Garden of Eden, causing “sin [to] first [fracture] the world.”

“We saw [in this passage] that we actually went from image-bearers to now, the inclination in all of humans’ hearts, is to make another human a commodity or an object,” Bethke explains, adding that when “sin entered the world, we no longer see people as fellow brothers and sisters, but now as competition, as objects, as enemies.”

He adds that sin and objectification not only applies to women but also to forms of abuse, including sweatshops, pornography, and reality television.

“The problem behind the problem is not sexual objectification of women in particular, it’s commodification of image bearers in general,” Bethke explains.

Ultimately, male and female Christians must work to combat this abuse together, the young Christian thinker says, suggesting that it is a woman’s responsibility to present herself in a certain way, just as it is a man’s responsibility to view the opposite sex with respect.

“We should all ask: are we making ourselves more a product, or are we making ourselves more and more about being an image-bearer?” Bethke suggests.

The 27-year-old Christian leader has spoken on the topic of objectification before, explaining at a Q Talk last spring that there is a connection between pornography, technology, and the objectification of women.

The advent of internet porn is, to some degree, “remaking humans, and not in a good way,” Bethke said during an April 2015 Q Talk.

When porn and technology interact with each other, he said, there is an “utter death of intimacy” between women and men because porn, by its nature, cannot provide the type of intimacy required for a loving relationship.

Bethke adds that due to the distraction of modern technology and all of its temptations, including pornography, Christians are no longer able to understand “what it means to be ‘known'” by someone else.

“In fact, I think we’re terrified of being known, not realizing that joy is hiding right on the other side of that,” Bethke said.

Source : Christian Post

Would Donald Trump ‘Get Medieval’ on America’s Foes?

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Would Donald Trump ‘Get Medieval’ on America’s Foes?

Would Donald Trump "Get Medieval" On America's Foes?

Christian Post Report – Donald Trump may authorize “chopping people’s heads off” as an appropriate method of torture should he become president, the 2016 candidate said in a recent interview.

Trump made his comments in a Sunday appearance with George Stephanopoulos on “This Week,” saying that if he were elected commander-in-chief, he would implement tactics that go “beyond waterboarding.”

“I would absolutely authorize something beyond waterboarding. And believe me, it will be effective,” Trump said on the weekend program, adding, “If we need information, George, you have our enemy cutting heads off of Christians and plenty of others, by the hundreds, by the thousands.”

“You have to do it that way,” Trump continued, adding, “And I’m not sure everybody agrees with me. I guess a lot of people don’t.”

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/chopping-off-heads-torture-donald-trump-157199/#kwTxv41dDb6PX2MA.99

Source : Christian Post

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