Will Evangelicals Lift Cruz Above Trump?

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Will Evangelicals Lift Cruz Above Trump?

Will Evangelicals Lift Cruz Above Trump?

Christian Post Report – Evangelical voters were the major reason for Donald Trump’s defeat in the Iowa Caucus, according to polling experts.

Monday evening saw U.S. Senator Ted Cruz gain first place in the Iowa Caucus, with Trump getting second, and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio nabbing third.

According to voter polling data compiled by Edison Media Research for National Election Pool and various media organizations, 64 percent of Republican caucus-goers were evangelical.
Of that number, 34 percent went for Sen. Cruz, 22 percent went for Trump, and 21 percent went for Sen. Rubio.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/iowa-evangelical-voters-cruz-trump-caucus-156571/#TCwFhFUud3rVASjY.99

Source : Christian Post

Gettys to Host Historic 1-Day Global Music Event With Thousands of Churches Worldwide

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Gettys to Host Historic 1-Day Global Music Event With Thousands of Churches Worldwide
Christian Post Report – The Getty’s ‘Joy-An Irish Christmas’ on stage shot of Keith and Kristyn Getty

Thousands of churches and mission agencies on every continent (except Antarctica) will unite in song later this month to sing the powerful hymn, “Facing a Task Unfinished.”

The nearly 100-year-old song, recently remixed by world-renowned contemporary hymn writers The Gettys, will act as an anthem to raise awareness about Christian persecution worldwide.

“Facing a Task Unfinished” was written by China Inland Mission worker Frank Houghton as he reflected on the the Great Commission and the scripture Matthew 24:14 as dedicated his life to sharing the Gospel with people in China.

“Facing a task unfinished, that drives us to our knees.

A need that, undiminished, rebukes our slothful ease.

We, who rejoice to know Thee, renew before Thy throne,

the solemn pledge we owe Thee to go and make Thee known,” the song states.

By the 1930s, the song encouraged 200 missionaries to set sail for China and spread the Good News of the Gospel. Their efforts contributed to what mission experts believe to be the greatest growth of Christianity in the history of the world — an estimated growth of over 80 to 130 million people.

Hoping to do the same in this day and age, popular husband and wife duo, Keith and Kristyn Getty, have teamed up with OMF International to introduce the missions hymn to a new generation. Traditionally based on the Samuel Wesley hymn, AURELIA (The Church’s One Foundation), the couple paired the hymn with a new chorus (seen below).

“We go to all the world

With kingdom hope unfurled

No other name has power to save

But Jesus Christ The Lord”

On their website the award winning Getty’s said they pray that the song will continue to serve as an anthem for “rising up to face the unfinished task and going to all the world to proclaim salvation in Jesus’ name.”

In recent years Christian persecution has progressively gotten worse. Open Doors 2016 World Watch List documented an unprecedented escalation of violence against Christians, making 2015 the most violent and sustained attack on the Christian faith in modern history.

Those alarming statistics is what maintains Keith’s devotion to sharing the Gospel and bringing awareness to global missions. In an interview with The Christian Post he reveled that seeing the darkness of persecution in the world and the ongoing work of missions groups, such as OMF, motivates him and his wife.

“The older I get, and the more aware I become to the reality of the culture we live in, the more I become increasingly determined to continue doing what we’re doing,” he said. “In the aftermath of Kristyn and I doing the new version of “Facing a Task Unfinished,”  we actually decided to postpone our spring tour and just do a two-week tour in June, simply because the need for songs is too great right now. There are more Christians in the world now than ever before and yet we need deep believers if we are going to survive, never mind flourish, never mind change cultures.”

To be a part of this global movement on Feb 21, churches are encouraged to register their involvement at www.gettymusic.com/facingatask.

Source : Christian Post

John Piper, Paul David Tripp on Facing the Spiritual Battle With Weight Loss

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John Piper, Paul David Tripp on Facing the Spiritual Battle With Weight Loss

Christian Post Report – Pastor John Piper speaks on “The Plundering of Your Property and the Power of Hope” at Passion City Church, Atlanta Georgia, January 18, 2015.

For many people, maintaining a proper weight and a healthy relationship with food is a constant struggle. In an audio message shared Tuesday on his website, DesiringGod.org, Pastor John Piper, chancellor of the Minnesota-based Bethlehem College & Seminary, talks with pastor and author Paul David Tripp about food and weight loss. The pastors say the battle to lose weight isn’t just physical, it’s spiritual.

“The physical side of weight loss will happen in a lot of different ways for various people,” says Piper. “But there’s a spiritual dimension to weight loss that we all need to be aware of.”

Tripp, who has lost 40 pounds, says fad diets don’t work because they don’t address the spiritual root cause. “You can’t starve yourself forever. It is not healthy to eat packaged frankenfood forever. It is only when your heart is properly satisfied with God that you now have the power to say no to other things that would tempt you to go there for satisfaction.”

Tripp argues that there should be a limit to the satisfaction that believers derive from food. “It is a sweet thing that God created a pleasurable world of food. But that pleasure of food is meant to be a finger that points me to God. It is not meant to be the thing that satisfies my heart.”

Weight gain starts out as a gradual, imperceptible thing, until it amasses into something noticeable. Tripp adds that weight gain is often brought on as “the result of the pleasure of food having too much control over the way you think about a good evening or a good day or a good week.” The pastor further explained that he had to change his own “patterns of gluttony” and his relationship to food and eat what he should for his physical maintenance.

The result was a 40 pound weight loss that the pastor has maintained for four years. “For me, it was not about weight, though that was an issue, as much as living in a more appropriate way.”

Tripp’s son’s wedding is what led him to reflect on his weight gain. As he began to change his eating habits he noticed how hungry and “impoverished” he felt. “But I wasn’t really hungry,” says Tripp. “It was just that I was so used to loading my body with so many more calories than I actually needed. And it was going through that hunger that really alerted me to the fact that food had been too much present in my life.”

“It is not just that I eat different things, but the lifestyle of my heart toward food has changed.”

Source : Christian Post

‘Miracles From Heaven’ Movie Reveals Family’s Powerful Testimony of God’s Healing (Interview)

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‘Miracles From Heaven’ Movie Reveals Family’s Powerful Testimony of God’s Healing (Interview)

Christian Post Report – Actors Jennifer Garner and Kylie Rogers star in Columbia Pictures’ film “Miracles From Heaven,” 2016.

At the tender age of 5, Annabel Beam was diagnosed with antral hypomotility and pseudo-obstruction motility disorder, a rare incurable condition that resulted her being admitted to the hospital serveral times each year. But a life-threatening fall and a trip to Heaven in 2011 changed everything, and now her miraculous recovery and experience is headed to the big screen in “Miracles From Heaven.”

“Miracles from Heaven” is set to prove that there is hope in times of struggle and darkness and an even greater hope awaiting in Heaven.

God’s power to perform miracles in people’s lives every day, as the testimony of Annabel Beam reveals in the film about one girl’s miraculous healing after a tragic fall.

While climbing a hollowed-out cottonwood tree with her sister a branch gave way, sending young Annabel 30 feet head first deep into the tree, trapping her inside. After an all-night rescue mission an emergency fire crew harnessed Annabel out of the tree and rushed her to the hospital in an emergency medical helicopter.

Kicking off a slew of miracles, her fall left no injury and healed her disorders. Furthermore, Annabel revealed that while she was unconscious, she visited Heaven, saw relatives and met Jesus.

Christy Beam, Anna’s mother, tells the supernatural story in the book, Miracles From Heaven, and a film of the same name, which will hit theaters across the country on March 16. The film stars A-list actress Jennifer Garner as Christy, Martin Henderson as Christy’s husband, Kevin, and Kylie Rogers as Anna.

The following is an edited transcript of Christy’s interview with The Christian Post in which she shares the family’s frightening plight, Anna’s miraculous healing and their new found ministry to share hope with others ahead of the film’s release.

CP: Miracles From Heaven started as a book and now it’s a movie, how amazing is that for you and your family?

Christy: It is so very amazing! It is such an honor that our story is being used to offer hope to so many. I receive messages from all over the world that the book has changed someone’s life. I cannot wait to see and hear the results after people see the movie.

CP: People sometimes have a hard time believing that all things happen for good, can you briefly walk us through your thoughts and emotions from when Anna had the fall up to when she was pronounced healed?

Christy: After the fall I was just so grateful for the miracle of her walking away without any injury. I was often thanking God for his unending hand of mercy and protection for Annabel. It took me a while to come to accept that she really was healed — the fear of accepting she was healed — and it just being coincidence or a fluke terrified me. It came to a point there was no denying the reality of Annabel’s healing.

CP: While Anna was stuck in the tree you and your family prayed, what can you tell people about the power of prayer?

Christy: I can tell you that God absolutely hears each and every one of our prayers! At times I more cried out to God than prayed, but He knew my heart and He knew my anguish. Once I accepted the hard to believe reality that God loves Annabel more than I do, I felt we had a common bond in prayer.

Source : Christian Post

TD Jakes Partners With Inspire Properties to Release New, Interactive Bible App

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TD Jakes Partners With Inspire Properties to Release New, Interactive Bible App

Christian Post Report – Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potters House preaches about the trauma of making transitions in life at the Woman Thou Art Loosed conference at MegaFest on Aug. 30, 2013, in Dallas, Texas.

Megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes has partnered with Inspired Properties to create an interactive Bible app that allows users to explore Scripture while also engaging with Christian music, prominent speakers, Bible studies, and more.

The T.D. Jakes Ministries Bible App, available through iTunes for $19.99, includes access to live-streamed services from The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas, keynote speakers from Christian conferences like ManPower and Woman Thou Are Loosed, and Christian music.

Users of the new product will not only be able to read the Scripture but also hear a dramatic narration of various biblical stories.

Jakes said in a statement that the purpose of the app is to provide accessibility for Christians, especially in the 21st Century.

“The key to biblical understanding is accessibility,” Jakes said. “It’s critical to get bibles in the hands of the people in an easy, user-friendly way so that they may experience its power to transform lives in a personal way. Technology allows the Word of God to be experienced fully against the backdrop of the digital language.”

The app was introduce to the general public on January 21 after having a successful run with The Potter’s House congregation in December 2015. Since it was introduced late last year, the app has received over 10,000 downloads.

Dr. Antipas L. Harris, associate professor of practical theology & ministry at Regent University, praised the T.D. Jakes Ministries Bible App on The Potter’s House website, saying the product takes advantage of modern technology to make the Word of God more accessible.

“The 21st century presents us new technology for innovative means of communication.  Bishop T.D. Jakes once again, has broken the mold! His new Bible aid joins a rich Christian tradition of Bible translators and missionaries,” Harris said.

“The Bible app makes the Word of God more easily accessible to this generation. Indeed, the Word has become like one of us and has made its residence in modern technology,” he added.

Jakes has previously encouraged Christian leaders to take advantage of modern technology to reach a greater audience, telling those in attendance at the 2014 International Pastors and Leadership Conference that their leadership is pointless if they are not seeking to make a change.

“If God gave you two or five talents and He comes back and you still have what he gave you, you didn’t lead […] if you’re not making any change, you’re taking up space,” Jakes said during the 2014 conference that focused on technology, church infrastructure, and leadership.

Along with Jakes, several other Christian leaders have hopped on the new wave of faith-inspired technology. Rick Warren, lead pastor of Saddleback Church, has received positive feedback for his Purpose Driven Life Devotional App, and Pope Francis brought the Catholic Church into the digital age through his mobile Missio app and The Pope App.

Source : Christian Post

Donald Trump and Pope Francis Are 2016 Nobel Peace Prize Nominees

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Donald Trump and Pope Francis Are 2016 Nobel Peace Prize Nominees

Christian Post Report – Donald Trump and Pope Francis are among the nominees for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize, experts confirmed Wednesday.

Along with Trump and the pope, the names of two other candidates have been released, including the Afghan Women’s Cycling Team and Nadia Murad, who escaped Islamic State captivity and is now an activist for rape victims.

More names are expected to be released throughout the month of February, and members of the five-person Norwegian Nobel Committee can submit their own votes for candidates after their February 29 meeting.

According to Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of Oslo’s Peace Research Institute, Trump was nominated for the outstanding award by an anonymous U.S. politician just days before the February 1 deadline.

Harpviken, whose institute analyzes the most probable winner of the prize, told The Telegraph that he had received a letter confirming the U.S. presidential candidate’s nomination.

Although Trump has received criticism for his frequently fiery rhetoric against the U.S. Muslim population, the letter describes Trump’s approach as “a threat weapon of deterrence against radical Islam, ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – ISIL], nuclear Iran and Communist China,” adding that the presidential candidate uses “vigorous peace-through-strength ideology.”

Harpviken added to The Telegraph that while he must keep the identity of Trump’s nominator secret, he can confirm that the letter is valid.

“I have committed not to reveal the identity of the nominator, but what I can say is that the nominator has shared a copy of his nomination letter directly with me, that the nominator has a position which gives him the right to nominate, and that I consider it valid,” Harpviken, an expert on the Nobel Peace Prize, told the media outlet.

Although the pope has been a strong contender for the Nobel Peace Prize for the past two years, he has repeatedly implored the committee to select a different recipient, suggesting there are those who have achieved greater social change than himself.

Francis, who has received the backing of Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu, has been championed as the “people’s pope” for his work reforming the Catholic Church in the 21st Century, making it more accessible and appealing to younger generations and moderate Catholics.

Late last year, the pope privately met with the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, the 2015 winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, calling them “architects of peace” for their work rebuilding Tunisia’s democracy after the Jasmine Revolution in 2011.

Although Pope Francis and Donald Trump are making international headlines for their nominations, world leaders have called on other candidates to be considered for the prize.

Audun Lysbakken, leader of Norway’s Socialist Left Party, told The Associated Press that she nominated Yazidi activist Nadia Murad for the award to call attention to the international issue of sex slavery.

Murad is now an activist for sexually abused women after she escaped captivity by the Islamic State.

“We want a peace prize that can awaken the world to the fight against sexual violence as a weapon of war,” the Norwegian lawmaker said in a statement.

Previous recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize include teenage education activist Malala Yousafzai in 2014, children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi in 2014, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in 2013.

Source : Christian Post

Richard Dawkins Criticized for Sharing Pro Neo-Nazi Propaganda Tweet

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Richard Dawkins Criticized for Sharing Pro Neo-Nazi Propaganda Tweet

Christian Post Report – Well-known atheist and best-selling author Richard Dawkins speaks to supporters during the “Rock Beyond Belief” festival at Fort Bragg Army Base in North Carolina, March 31, 2012.

Well-known atheist Richard Dawkins faced criticism this week after he accidentally tweeted pro neo-Nazi propaganda.

The controversy began when Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, tweeted the cover of a fake book that mocked social justice politics.

The image, posted to Twitter on Monday, shows a photoshopped cover of Dawkins’ book, The God Delusion, with the new title “The Social Justice Delusion.”

A photoshopped image of the book cover’s back includes a description mocking the tenants of social justice politics, with the conclusion: “eat [expletive] and die. All I ever asked was to be left alone.”

A caption accompanying the image read: “For those who- inevitably- won’t get it, this IS a joke. But like most good jokes, it’s also serious.”

Dawkins deleted the tweet shortly after its posting when multiple social media users drew attention to the digital barcode on the back of the book cover.

As several people pointed out, the barcode belonged to a pro neo-Nazi book entitled, We Must Secure the Existence of Our People and A Future For White Children.

Dawkins had evidently retweeted the book image but failed to realize that the barcode accompanying the fake book belonged to neo-Nazi propaganda.

The famous atheist, who is known for his combative language, then sought to defend his actions when asked by fellow tweeters why he shared such an image.

“@RichardDawkins Hi Richard, are you aware you tweeted a link to Nazi propaganda (via QR code)? I see you deleted the tweet,” Rob Price asked of Dawkins, to which the author, speaker and activist responded: “Yes. That’s of course why I deleted it.”

Dawkins has been criticized for offensive, controversial tweets in the past, receiving a rash of condemnation last week for poking fun at feminists and extremist Muslims, while also implying that Muslim men condone rape as consensual.

A YouTube video shared by Dawkins shows a cartoon feminist and a cartoon Muslim extremist singing a duet together, in which they impy that their “ideologies are essentially the same.”

The video ends with the Islamic extremist asking the feminist: “So do you mind if I rape you now?”

“Don’t be silly; it’s not rape when a Muslim does it!” the woman replies.

Dozens of social media users had strong reactions to the cartoon, accusing Dawkins of comparing feminism to Islamic extremism.

The video proved so offensive to some that the Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism [NECSS] announced it would be dropping Dawkins as their keynote speaker for an upcoming event.

“We have taken this action in response to Dr Dawkins’ approving retweet of a highly offensive video,” the conference said in a statement. “We believe strongly in freedom of speech and freedom to express unpopular, and even offensive, views. However, unnecessarily divisive, counterproductive, and even hateful speech runs contrary to our mission and the environment we wish to foster at NECSS.”

Despite widespread backlash, Dawkins sought to defend himself, tweeting: “Criticising SOME feminists is not the same thing as criticising ALL feminists. Please tell me that’s obvious. Some is not all. Or even many.”

Source : Christian Post

Carolina Panthers’ Jerricho Cotchery on His Christian Faith in the Locker Room and Playing in the Super Bowl (Interview)

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Carolina Panthers’ Jerricho Cotchery on His Christian Faith in the Locker Room and Playing in the Super Bowl (Interview)
Christian Post Report – Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (82) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys strong safety Jeff Heath (38) during the third quarter of a NFL game on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium. Nov 26, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA.

The NFL’s Carolina Panthers are getting ready to play in the franchise’s second Super Bowl. Their team is filled with high-character players on and off the field. Panthers wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery recently joined Christian Post contributor Bryce Johnson on his syndicated UNPACKIN’ it radio show to talk about his faith and the team’s exciting season.

Bryce: We know there are teams in the NFL with talented players, but they don’t necessarily click as a team. However, this Panthers team has lots of talent, but also appears to be really team-minded. It’s on the same page … really likes each other … and you’ve called the team special. So, how do you describe the uniqueness of this team?

Jerricho Cotchery(Photo: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)Carolina Panthers receiver Jerricho Cotchery addresses the media at press conference prior to Super Bowl 50 at the San Jose McNery Convention Center. Feb 2, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA.

Jerricho: I think we’re one. We’re just a selfless group of guys that genuinely want to see the next man succeed. When you’ve got a bunch of guys like that you’re going to end up with a special group, and we truly have that.

We have guys that are willing to work and enjoy being around each other — that enjoy those informal moments where we get to sit down and have those conversations about anything. It’s been a pleasure to be around this group. It was no different last year when we were 3-8-1. It was still a pleasure to come into work because of the guys this organization has brought into this locker room.

Bryce: Have the players created this culture, or is it a combination of the coaches also creating it? Is it intentional or is it that guys just naturally get along and click?

Jerricho: I think the organization has identified guys that they want to be in this locker room and that they want to represent the Carolina Panthers. They are Ron Rivera guys — guys that put the team first. The coach talks about the team all the time. It’s about the team — it’s not about one individual.

Guys have truly bought into that and everyone feels like their part of this thing. That’s a special thing and you have to have a special coach in order to make that happen. Coach Rivera has done an excellent job, and the staff he has working for him are doing a great job as well.

Bryce: The other aspect of it is the faith side for a lot of these players, and yourself included, so what role has that played in some of the unity of this team and the deeper relationships that exist in that locker room because of the common thread of your beliefs and faith?

Jerricho: Faith always plays a role in the strong group of guys we have on the team. When you have that solid part in there, there’s always that go-to group — especially in those moments that you have to deal with off the field.

I know people see these men on television and forget that they are regular people. They don’t get to understand and see what guys are actually going through in their lives, so being able to be in those relationships through our faith has been a good thing for all of the guys — even the guys not part of the faith because they get to see us live it out day to day.

Bryce: That’s huge for sure! What has God been personally teaching you throughout this season? What’s something that’s been on your heart throughout the year?

Jerricho: That as a Christian everything is always about grace. Not only when you are first saved, but throughout the entirety of your life — your growth as a man, as a husband, as a father, and even as a football player. It’s all about grace.

Being undeserving is an understatement, but I am truly thankful for it and appreciate every moment. I thank God for everything that He is doing.

Bryce: What role do you have as being one of the veterans in the locker room, and being a husband and a father, when not all of the guys are at that stage of life? What is that dynamic like from your perspective — wanting to represent being a good husband and father for some of the younger players?

Jerricho: That’s at the center of everything I do. At the end of the day, being a Christian is my agenda … it’s a heavenly agenda.

I just want to make sure that I represent God the right way before these young men, so that they can see what a husband looks like, what a man looks like, what a dad looks like, and have God glorified from that. So I won’t do anything to put a stumbling block before them as far as how they are to see God. When they see that, it’s a wonderful thing … and guys gravitate toward that. There are always those opportunities.

I don’t necessarily try to detach the things that I say from the things that I do because I believe when you’re married you can’t detach those two from each other. Whatever they see me doing, they are able to match it up with my words and able to see a complete picture of what God represents … and it makes sense for them.

Bryce: Thank you for sharing your heart today, Jerricho. We wish you the best. Thank you so much for joining us on UNPACKIN’ it!

You can listen to this and other UNPACKIN’ it interviews here: Podcasts.

Bryce Johnson is the host of the nationally syndicated sports and faith radio show, UNPACKIN’ it. As the president of UNPACKIN’ it Ministries, his vision is to daily impact sports fans everywhere. Bryce interviews well-known and faithful sports figures about their lives on and off the field while also giving a Biblical perspective on intriguing stories in sports.

Source : Christian Post

Emanuel AME Church Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

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Emanuel AME Church Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Christian Post Report – A crowd gathers outside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church after a prayer vigil nearby in Charleston, South Carolina, June 19, 2015.

A group of politicians from Illinois have nominated the Emanuel AME Church of Charleston, South Carolina, where nine people were brutally gunned down during a Bible study last June, for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Thornton Township, Illinois, supervisor Frank Zuccarelli noted in a WBBM-TV report Monday that the nomination was inspired by the stunning decision of the church family to forgive the accused killer of the nine and avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof, just days after the attack.

“If anyone was responsible for promoting the peace, it was Mother Emanuel and the church leadership,” said Zuccarelli, who traveled to Charleston with other politicians in the aftermath of the attack, according to The Post and Courier. “They demonstrated more love, peace and forgiveness than we have ever seen before. … They are a great example for us all to follow.”

The church was nominated by four U.S. congressmen from Illinois, a state senator, and U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. An Illinois state senator, two college professors and Clyburn also signed on, explained the Courier report.

Zuccarelli and politicians, including U.S. Reps. Bobby Rush and Robyn Kelly, submitted Emanuel’s nomination Saturday to meet Tuesday’s nomination deadline, according to goupstate.

“In some other city, an incident of such hatred and racist horror might have sparked an outpouring of anger, violence and divisiveness — driving crowds into the streets in clashes with each other and police. Instead, something unexpected happened — an outpouring of unity and forgiveness,” explained the Nobel Peace Prize for Charleston petition on the Thornton Township website.

“The entire community of Charleston — church, ordinary citizens, political leaders, business leaders and law enforcement, came together to support those families who lost loved ones. They came together in a spirit of forgiveness, love and peace — not anger or hatred,” it said.

Liz Alston, the Emanuel historian who contributed to the entry, told The Post and Courier that she and other members of the church were in awe of the nomination’s significance. U.S. President Barack Obama received the Nobel Prize in 2009 during the first year of his presidency, and Al Gore, the former vice president, was honored for his advocacy on climate change.

“The mere fact that the church is in the same realm as Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the highest honors,” Alston said. “That our church contributed to peace in this world is just phenomenal, and it’s unequaled in Charleston history.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which has five members, usually receives more than 200 nominations that are kept secret for 50 years, says the Courier. Lawmakers of national governments and past winners can make nominations.

The first judging meeting for the nominations will be on Feb. 29.

Source : Christian Post

Christians Among Happiest of All Faith Groups, Non-Religious the Least, Survey Reveals

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Christians Among Happiest of All Faith Groups, Non-Religious the Least, Survey Reveals
Christian Post Report – Messengers at the 2015 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting worship together in between small group and corporate prayer time during the June 16 evening session dedicated to prayer at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Statistics from Britain’s national happiness index have suggested that Christians are among the happiest people the nation, while those who don’t identify with any particular religion generally scored the lowest life satisfaction numbers.

The Office for National Statistics posted numbers pertaining to several happiness and life satisfaction questions measured between April 2012 and March 2015.

The study, released Tuesday, found that Christians, with all denominations grouped together, reported an average mean of life satisfaction at 7.60. This was the highest mean in the table, alongside Hindus, who also posted the same number. The groups with the lowest average score were the non-religious at 7.41, and the “any other religion” group, at 7.31.

When it came to the question of whether life is worthwhile, Jews and Christians were on an average most likely to answer yes, at 7.90 and 7.86 mean respectively. The non-religious were at the lowest end of the scale, with a 7.58 mean.

Similar results were also marked in the general happiness question, with Hindus and Christians scoring the highest average means, at 7.57 and 7.47 respectively. Once again the non-religious had the lowest number, at 7.22.

The detailed survey, which had a sample size of 304,740 people, explored the questions in a variety of other categories as well, including geographic locations within the U.K., age groups and health status.

The statistics showed that the 65 to 79 age group was the happiest of all, while those aged 45 to 59 reported the lowest levels of life satisfaction.

As for the religious group results, Dr. Paul McLaren, a consultant psychiatrist at the Priory Hospitals, said that faith can indeed be a protective factor for many people.

“With it usually comes strong social support which is a recognized protective factor against psychological trauma,” McLaren said, according to The Telegraph.

Other studies in the past, such as a December 2014 release by the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture, have also found that there is a strong link between happiness and religion.

The results found that 45 percent of those who attend church weekly would describe themselves as “very happy,” while only 28 percent of those who never attend said the same.

On the other end of the scale, 4 percent of those who never attend church said they were “very unhappy,” compared to 2 percent of those that attend weekly.

“Greater levels of church attendance predict higher life satisfaction even when we account for how important religious faith is in people’s lives,” the study said at the time.

“This result offers tentative evidence that actual integration into a religious support network through attendance at religious services may in part be responsible for the increased happiness observed among religious people.”

Source : Christian Post

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