Evangelical Christian Couple Insist They Refused Making Gay Wedding Cake ‘Out of Love for God’

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Evangelical Christian Couple Insist They Refused Making Gay Wedding Cake ‘Out of Love for God’

Christian Post Report – Daniel and Amy McArthur of Ashers Baking Company in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in a video posted February 1, 2016.

An evangelical Christian couple from the U.K., who were fined in 2015 for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex couple’s wedding, have insisted that they do not hate gay people, and said that they refused to make the cake “out of love for God.”

The Christian Institute, which represents Daniel and Amy McArthur, said that the couple remain firm in their beliefs despite their Ashers Baking Company being found guilty in May 2015 of discrimination for refusing to make a cake featuring the “Sesame Street” characters Bert and Ernie with a pro same-sex marriage slogan, that was to be used for a gay wedding.

“It was clear we did not hate anyone. We didn’t want to discriminate against anyone. We did what we did because of our Christian beliefs. It’s done out of love for God, to obey Him,” Daniel McArthur said in a video.

The couple was fined U.S. $775 at Belfast County Court for the refusal, however, with District Judge Isobel Brownlie arguing that U.K. law dictated that for-profit businesses must serve everyone.

“The defendants are not a religious organization. They conduct a business for profit. I believe the defendants did have the knowledge that the plaintiff was gay,” Brownlie said at the time.

“As much as I acknowledge their religious beliefs this is a business to provide service to all. The law says they must do that.”

McArthur recently criticized the Equality Commission that went after them, calling it “very one-sided.”

“They wanted to pursue it with everything they had,” he continued. “They wanted to take us to court, maybe teach us a lesson or send out a signal. The signal they were trying to send out was: If you’re a Christian don’t bring it into work.”

He added, however, that the couple have no regrets over their decision:

“And I would say to other Christians facing pressure at work or in public life: don’t be afraid to take your Christian stand because we’ve learned God is with you in all of it and he gives you the grace to stand against these trials and challenges.”

Ashers continues to appeal against the ruling, with its case to be heard on Wednesday.

As for the popular “Sesame Street” characters that were to be featured on the cake, Sesame Workshop clarified in a statement in 2011 that the puppets can not be linked to any kind of sexual orientation.

“Bert and Ernie are best friends,” the statement read. “They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves. Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most Sesame Street Muppets™ do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.”

Amy McArthur meanwhile commented that the she sees the case as a “blessing” for their marriage.

“God has used this to strengthen our marriage and our relationship with God. We have to trust in him and we have seen him answer our prayers time and time again,” she said.

Source : Christian Post

Christian ‘Untouchables’ Planning Nationwide Rally for Equal Rights in India

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Christian ‘Untouchables’ Planning Nationwide Rally for Equal Rights in India

Christian Post Report – A member of India’s lowest caste “Dalits” shouts slogans as he is detained by police during a demonstration in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, April 27, 2014. Dozens of the Dalits on Sunday held a protest outside the venue of a yoga camp in the city demanding action against Indian yoga guru Baba Ramdev for his recent remarks that Dalits said were disrespectful.

Dalit Christians, members of the lower caste “untouchables” in India, are reportedly planning a nationwide rally in March to demand equal rights and stand up to government discrimination that they say targets them for their beliefs.

The Times of India has reported that dalit Christians are organizing meetings and planning a rally in New Delhi in March in protest against a Caste Order that allows dalits to receive government benefits, but mainly for those who still identify with their Hindu background.

National Council of Dalit Christians advisor E D Charles blamed India’s Congress and the ruling BJP party for failing to take into consideration recommendations to provide Christian dalits with equal rights in the country.

“Neither the Congress government when it was in power nor the present BJP government has taken any initiative toward this and has put the commission report on the shelf,” he said, referring to the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission of 2007.

Charles added that “it is evident that the principle of unity in diversity and minority rights on religious and linguistic are followed only for namesake in our country.”

International Christian Concern noted that both low caste Christians and Muslims have been denied government benefits for years, while Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs receive theirs. Christian activists have said that the government excludes Christian and Muslim believers, because Hindu nationalists see such belief systems as anti-Indian.

Back in December 2014, ICC noted that close to 25 million Christian dalits are being forced to choose between their faith and the government benefits.

“This choice has significantly affected the constitutional right India’s citizens have to freely choose a religion for themselves,” ICC reported at the time.

“It also has left millions of Dalits to have to decide between choosing to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior and receiving government benefits that have the ability to take their families out of poverty. All added up, this discrimination has affected the official appearance of India’s religious landscape.”

Dalits face discrimination and poverty throughout India because of their caste status, and many have seen converting to Christianity as a way to escape the trappings of the caste system.

Caste disputes continue producing tragic stories, however, including an attack in Sunped village in Faridabad back in October 2015, where two dalit children were burned alive.

Father Devasagaya Raj of the Catholic Bishops of India condemned the “inhumant act,” noting that such attacks happen all over India against “the poorest, weakest and most vulnerable of Indians.”

“The Catholic Church in India stands with the weakest people and has raised a voice with the government and in society calling for protection and respect for the dignity of the outcast and the poor,” he added.

Source : Christian Post

Three Coptic Christian Teens, Accused of Insulting Islam, Face Egyptian Court

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Three Coptic Christian Teens, Accused of Insulting Islam, Face Egyptian Court

Christian Post Report – Christians leave after Sunday service at the Al-Galaa Church at Samalout Diocese, in Minya governorate, south of Cairo, May 3, 2015. Copts have long complained of discrimination under successive Egyptian leaders and Sisi’s actions suggested he would deliver on promises of being an inclusive president who could unite the country after years of political turmoil. However, striking out at extremists abroad might prove easier than reining in radicals at home. Orthodox Copts, the Middle East’s biggest Christian community, are a test of Sisi’s commitment to tolerance, a theme he often stresses in calling for an ideological assault on Islamist militants threatening Egypt’s security.

Three Coptic Christian teens are set to stand trial in Egypt this week over allegations that they insulted Islam.

The three teens, all in high school, are scheduled to appear in court in the southern city of Minya this Thursday after they appeared in a video that allegedly mocked Islamic prayers and verses from the Quran.

The teens are shown in the video pretending to slit each other’s throat, presumably to mock ISIS.

The teens’ lawyer, Maher Naguib, told the Associated Press that his clients’ teacher, who is Christian, is also facing trial under the same charges.

Naguib has told local media outlets that the teens’ actions should be taken as the foolish antics of young men, saying: “This is all because of random and spontaneous action by some youngsters inside a bedroom and for only few seconds.”

The lawyer also argued that the boys were forced to hide in their homes after the video was released “to avoid insults, beating and harassment” from the local community.

According to Fox News, if the three teens are found guilty, they could face up to five years in a juvenile detention center for violating the country’s strict blasphemy law. The boys’ teacher would be forced to serve his sentence in prison.

Coptic activists have also come to the defense of the teenagers, with Mina Thabet, a researcher at the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, telling Fox News that the boys’ actions were harmless.

“They are some kids who decided to have fun in a private place,” Thabet said, adding, “They were on a trip with their teacher, but somehow rumor got out that they’d thrown down the Quran, and had insulted Islam, so that led to their arrests.”

The students had reportedly been on an overnight school trip with their teacher when they were filmed in a hotel room.

“They use some words that are used in Muslim prayers, but they are in no way being disrespectful to Islam,” Thabet continued, adding, “and even if they were, they should have the right to free speech ­­– but in Egypt we have this law.”

Source : Christian Post

No Human Condition Is Unworthy of God’s Love, Pope Francis Says

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No Human Condition Is Unworthy of God’s Love, Pope Francis Says

Christian Post Report – Pope Francis waves with two children as he leads his Angelus prayer at Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican, January 31, 2016.

No human condition is unworthy of God’s love, Pope Francis said Sunday while speaking from St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.

The pope made his comments on Sunday during the International Day of Leprosy, telling the crowd gathered at St. Peter’s Square that “No human condition constitutes grounds for exclusion from the heart of the Father.”

“The only privilege in the eyes of God is to not have privilege, to have no protectors and to surrender oneself into his hands,” the pope added.

He also referenced the biblical story of Jesus’ neighbors threatening to kill the Messiah because he did not immediately perform a miracle.

Francis told the audience that while it is tempting for Christians to expect things from God in exchange for their faith, the real purpose of religion is the existence and love of God.

“It is the temptation to treat religion like a human investment and, therefore, begin to ‘bargain’ with God, seeking one’s own interests. Instead, true religion is a matter of welcoming the revelation of a God who is Father, and cares for all his creatures,” the pope told the audience.

Adding to this, the pontiff said that while some Christians may feel as though God has abandoned them, the reality is that God “always comes looking for us.”

“[God] holds out His hand to draw us back from the abyss into which we have been driven by our pride, and invites us to welcome the consoling truth of the Gospel and to walk on the right paths: He always comes looking for us,” he said.

The pope has spoken on the topic of God’s love before,

“God thinks of each of us and loves each of us. He ‘dreams’ about us. He dreams of how He will rejoice with us. That’s why the Lord wants to ‘re-create’ us, He wants to renew our hearts so that joy can triumph,”  he said while speaking from Casa Santa Marta in 2015.

“To have faith is to make space for God’s love, to make space for his power, for God’s power. Not for the power of a powerful person, but for the power of one who loves me, who is in love with me and who wants to rejoice with me. This is faith. This is believing: making space for the Lord so that he can come and change me,” he added.

Source : Christian Post

Justin Bieber Shares Daily Devotional on Putting God First in ‘Jesus Calling’

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Justin Bieber Shares Daily Devotional on Putting God First in ‘Jesus Calling’

Christian Post Report – Singer Justin Bieber stands on stage during a concert in Oslo October 29, 2015. Canadian pop singer Bieber, who made a triumphant return to the European stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Milan on Sunday, abruptly canceled his concert in Oslo on Thursday night after performing just one song.

Justin Bieber is encouraging his fans to start reading the Christian devotional Jesus Calling, which has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.

In an Instagram post on Saturday, Bieber shared a quote from Jesus Calling, written by missionary Sarah Young, that includes two Bible verses from Psalms and 1 Corinthians, in which Christians are advised to trust in the Lord.

More than 1.1. million people have liked Bieber’s Instagram post and over 23,000 people have shared comments about the daily devotional’s message:

Worship Me only. Whatever occupies your mind the most becomes your god. Worries, if indulged, develop into idols. Anxiety gains a life of it’s own, parasitically infesting your mind. Break free from this bondage by affirming your trust in Me and refreshing yourself in My presence. What goes on in your mind is invisible, undetectable to other people. But I read your thoughts continually, searching for evidence of trust in Me, I rejoice when your mind turns towards Me. Guard your thoughts diligently; good thought-choices will keep you close to Me. Psalm 112:7; 1 Corinthians 13:11.

Leading up to and since the release of his new album Purpose, the pop star has said he’s striving to be more like Jesus Christ.

During an interview with Complex magazine last year, the 21-year-old said: “I just wanna honestly live like Jesus. Not be Jesus. … I don’t want that to come across weird. He created a pretty awesome template of how to love people and how to be gracious and kind.”

Bieber admitted in the same interview, however, that he has often rejected his faith and communion with other Christians.

“Christians leave such a bad taste in people’s mouths. I was like, ‘I’m not gonna go to church.’ I had these church friends and I was like, ‘You guys are cool, I like you guys, but I’m not going to church,'” Bieber said.

Bieber rose to fame as a teen idol at 13, but by 2011 he was equally well known for his bad boy antics —smoking marijuana, vandalizing his neighbor’s property, using racial slurs and drag racing. But since that time he’s been work hard to transform his life.

Back in November, a Los Angeles Times reviewer described his experience at Bieber’s world tour as part pop concert, movie premiere, skateboarding demonstration and a church service.

“He talked about the importance of maintaining a positive spirit and surrounding himself with encouraging people. He credited his connection with God for helping him to get back on his feet after a string of widely publicised tabloid troubles. And when a fan in the audience — one of a dozen or so selected by the singer’s team for a question-and-answer session — asked if he had any advice on how to get through a romantic breakup, he demurred, flashing a bit of the humility that every religious leader knows is crucial in establishing a bond with one’s flock,” the Times reported.

Source : Christian Post

Archaeology Discovery: 4,500-Y-O Funeral Boat Found Near Egyptian Pyramid

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Archaeology Discovery: 4,500-Y-O Funeral Boat Found Near Egyptian Pyramid

Christian Post Report – Czech archaeologists have discovered an ancient boat used for a wealthy funeral procession near the famous pyramids in Cairo, Egypt.

Miroslav Barta, who oversaw the Czech-led archaeological dig near the Abusir pyramids for the Czech Institute of Archaeology at Charles University, told the AFP that the funeral boat was likely built for a wealthy, prominent member of society due to its proximity to the well-known pyramids.

The wooden, 4,500-year-old boat was found near one of the pyramids’ Mastaba, or large tomb meant to house the dead.

Barta told the AFP that the boat’s proximity to the mastaba shows the “extraordinary social position of the owner of the tomb.”

According to Archaeology.org, the well-preserved boat dates back to 2550 B.C., with its wooden planks and wooden pegs still in good condition, as well as its ropes and plants used to bind the boat together.

It remains unclear who the boat and the tomb it was parked near belong to, although Barta says a bowl with the name “King Huni from the Third Dynasty” has been found inside the tomb.

“In fact, this is a highly unusual discovery since boats of such a size and construction were, during this period, reserved solely for top members of the society, who usually belonged to the royal family. This suggests the potential for additional discoveries during the next spring season,” Bárta said in a press release.

The well-preserved nature of the ship will offer archaeologists a clear insight into ship making techniques from 4,500 years ago, the press release adds.

The Czech Institute of Technology at Charles University has made other important discoveries near the Abusir pyramids since it started its excavation project in 2009.

Earlier this month, Barta announced that his team had discovered the tomb of Queen Khentkaus III located near the pyramid of King Neferefre.

It is believed that the queen’s proximity to the king’s tomb means that she was the wife of King Neferefre and therefore the mother of his son, King Menkauhore, who served as successor to his father’s kingdom.

“If we can assume that the queen was buried during the time of King Nyuserre (2445 B.C.-2421 B.C.), based on a seal that bears his name that was found on the tomb, we could say that Khentkaus III is the mother of King Menkauhore who was the successor of Nyuserre,” Jaromir Krejci, a member of Barta’s excavation team, told The Luxor Times earlier in January.

Source : Christian Post