TLC Cancels ’19 Kids and Counting,’ but Will Feature Duggar Family in Upcoming ‘Special Documentary’

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(Photo: Courtesy of Simon and Schuster)

Christian Post Report – Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar with their 19 children, daughter-in-law, Anna, and their granddaughter, Mackynzie, pictured in front of an abandoned house holding their favorite instruments. The family’s popular reality TV show has been on the TLC network for 10 years.

TLC canceled its long-running reality TV series “19 Kids and Counting” on Thursday, two months after the show was suspended in the wake of a decade-old molestation scandal involving Josh Duggar and at least two of his sisters.

In a statement released today, TLC confirmed that the Duggar family’s reality show “will no longer appear on the air” after 10 seasons.

“19 Kids and Counting” followed the lives of the Arkansas-based Christian family whose conservative values and faith-inspired lifestyles made them an instant hit when they first appeared on air back in 2008.

TLC, formerly known as The Learning Channel, did not respond to The Christian Post’s request for further comment by press time.

On May 22, TLC pulled the series following the revelation that 27-year-old Josh Duggar had molested five girls when he was 14 years old, including at least two of his sisters, Jill, 24, and Jessa, 22.

In a Facebook post shared shortly after TLC’s announcement, the Duggar family said that they are “thankful” to have had a platform to share the Gospel for so many years and to have worked with a film crew that became “like family to us.”

“We are so thankful for our film crew that has shown up at our house for over a decade. They have become like family to us,” the Duggars said. “Our desire in opening our home to the world is to share Bible principles that are the answers for life’s problems.”

The statement went on to acknowledge that while the molestation controversy has been “painful,” the family is “pleased” with the man that Josh has grown to become and they look forward to putting the issue behind them. They also shared their hope that their story might bring others closer to God.

“With God’s grace and help Josh, our daughters and our entire family overcame a terrible situation, found healing and a way forward,” they wrote. “We are so pleased with the wonderful adults they have all become.

“It is our prayer that the painful situation our family went through many years ago can point people toward faith in God and help others who also have lived through similar dark situations to find help, hope and healing, as well.”

Josh, who resigned from his position as a director with Family Research Council Action, has not spoken out about TLC’s decision to cancel the family’s reality show, but tweeted a link to the family’s statement.

TLC has not completely cut ties with the Duggar family as they will reportedly continue working together on an upcoming documentary.

“We look forward to working with TLC on this upcoming special documentary and hope that it is an encouragement to many,” the Duggars wrote. “We know Who holds the future and are confident that He will work all things together for good.”

Source : Christian Post

Christians Being ‘Bullied’ by Society to Change Minds on Gay Marriage, Argues Sydney Archbishop

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(Photo: Reuters/David Gray)

Christian Post Report – A gay rights activist holds a placard during a rally supporting same-sex marriage, in Sydney, Australia, May 31, 2015. Bill Shorten, leader of Australia’s opposition Labour Party introduced a bill to legalise same-sex marriage on June 1, 2015, adding the backing of a major party to growing public support for the issue after last month’s landmark “yes” vote in Ireland. Shorten introduced the bill, the first by a leader of a major Australian political party, in the government-dominated lower house of parliament despite opposition from conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who is not expected to allow it to come up for a vote.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney has argued that Christians who hold a traditional view of marriage are being “bullied” by society into changing their minds on gay marriage, noting that couples find themselves in an “uncomfortable position.”

“There are voices in our culture that no longer think marriage need be for life, or be open to children, or be exclusive, or be between man and wife,” Fisher said at a homily, according to a Catholic News Service report on Wednesday.

He added that “some politically, culturally and commercially powerful forces are determined to silence any alternative to the politically correct position in this matter; to bully us all into accepting the deconstruction and redefinition of a fundamental institution; and to relegate questions of what marriage is and is for as secondary to an homogenizing ‘equality.'”

The archbishop argued that for Christians, the “God-given mission [is] to love not just with a self-serving, romantic, heart-shaped Valentine’s Day sort of love, but with a self-giving, redemptive, cross-shaped Easter sort of love.”

Fisher’s comments come in light of a renewed push for same-sex marriage in Australia, with advocates buoyed by the recent victories in Ireland and the United States.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has maintained, however, that his country will not follow the Irish example and hold a referendum on the issue. Abbott further revealed that he is the last person in his family to uphold traditional marriage.

“Referendums are held in this country when there is a proposal to change our constitution and I don’t think anyone is suggesting the constitution needs to be changed in this respect,” Abbott said in May.

The Roman Catholic Church in Australia has defended traditional marriage in a pastoral letter sent out to congregations, despite some gay marriage supporters threatening to complain to Tasmania’s anti-discrimination commissioner about the contents.

“It is an indication, I think, that if there is a change in the definition of marriage, anybody who opposes it will come under quite intense intimidation,” Archbishop Julian Porteous of Hobart told The Catholic Weekly in Sydney. “It would mean that they would be imposing, really, complete acceptance of a change in the understanding of the nature of marriage.”

Porteous further predicted that Australia’s government-funded Catholic schools would come “under enormous pressure in our efforts to safely present the Catholic teaching” due to societal pressure.

Source : Christian Post

Worship Leaders Kari Jobe, Hillsong United and Crowder Kick Off 12-City ‘Outcry’ Tour in Chicago

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(Photo: Courtesy of Shorefire Media)

Christian Post Report – A poster for the upcoming Christian music and teaching “Outcry” tour.

The “Outcry” tour, a 12-city Christian worship and teaching event that kicks off in Chicago next Friday, will feature several big names in Christian music including Kari Jobe, Trip Lee, Hillsong United and Crowder.

Described as a movement that was “born from an evening Bible study discussion and driven by a desire to champion local churches,” “Outcry” will also feature Cristian artists DJ Promote, Jesus Culture, Passion, DJ Biz, Lauren Daigle and Bethel Music.

“This tour is nothing more than a picture of what God is doing through the local church, worldwide,” said Shane Quick, owner of Premier Productions, which is sponsoring the event. “It’s the new sound of a 2,000-year-old movement. Some of the most gifted worship leaders and musicians in the world will be on one stage with one purpose.

“We want this tour to be a tool to help those sharing the Word of God,” Quick added. “It’s to say thank you to those who give their life to ministry, serving God and sharing the word of the church.”

Jobe, a Grammy award-nominated singer, will be joined on stage with fellow headliner Hillsong United frontman Joel Houston. Hillsong United is known for changing the face of worship music and Houston elaborated on the band’s creative process in producing their latest album Empires during a recent interview with The Christian Post.

“The way we approached this record [is similar to] the idea that you build a boat, and you build the best boat you can. Then you set sail; you push it out and ultimately, God is going to breathe on it, as He will, and make it go however, wherever He wants it to,” said Houston.

“I don’t have any anxiety over whether or not it’s going to be a success, or if people will love it or hate it. Our job is to be true to what God asked us to do, which is to write the most honest songs that were true to our understanding of what God is saying to use right now. And ultimately, our prayer is: if it’s true to us, hopefully it speaks to others as well,” added Houston.

Empires is Hillsong United’s first album since Zion, their fastest-selling album to date. Houston also told CP that their latest project addresses two worlds — the “image-obsessed” world we live in and the mysterious kingdom we cannot see.

We are in this world and also we’re of a different world as well. So it’s playing on that sense of duality that exists,” Houston explained. “It applies to everything. I’m in New York and I look at the buildings. I look at everything in front of me, every single person walking the street, at the thousands of people in city, [and] they are physical bodies and spiritual bodies — two things going on at once.”

Source : Christian Post

Iranian Christians ‘Thank Christ’ for US-Iran Nuclear Deal, Priest Says ‘Prayers Were Answered’

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• (Photo: Reuters/Morteza Nikoubazl)

Christian women attend a church service in Tehran, Iran, in this undated photo.

(Photo: Reuters/Tima)

Iranians gesture as they celebrate in the street following a nuclear deal with major powers, in Tehran, July Christian Post Report – 14, 20Christian Post Report – 15. Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday a nuclear deal with major powers would open a new chapter of cooperation with the outside world after years of sanctions, predicting the “win-win” result would gradually eliminate mutual mistrust.

(Photo: Reuters/Joshua Roberts)

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference about the recent nuclear deal reached with Iran, in the East Room of the White House in Washington July Christian Post Report – 15, 20Christian Post Report – 15.

(Photo: Reuters/Leonhard Foeger)

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif waves after a plenary session at the United Nations building in Vienna, Austria, July Christian Post Report – 14, 20Christian Post Report – 15. Iran and six major world powers reached a nuclear deal on Tuesday, capping more than a decade of on-off negotiations with an agreement that could potentially transform the Middle East, and which Israel called an “historic surrender.”

(Photo: Reuters/Joe Klamar/Pool)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammon, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz (L to R) pose for a group picture at the United Nations building in Vienna, Austria, July Christian Post Report – 14, 20Christian Post Report – 15. Iran and six major world powers reached a nuclear deal on Tuesday, capping more than a decade of on-off negotiations with an agreement that could potentially transform the Middle East, and which Israel called an “historic surrender.”

While the recent nuclear deal between Iran and six major world powers has stoked debate in the U.S. over the Obama administration’s negotiating tactics, Iranian Christians are reportedly “thanking Christ” and view the agreement as an “answer to prayers,” one Iranian priest has said.

“I can certainly say that all Christians, along with all the Iranian people are rejoicing because their prayers were answered,” Chaldean Iranian priest Hormoz Aslani Babroudi, national director of the Pontifical Missionary Society of Iran, told Fides News Agency.

“From now on it will be easier for the world to have a positive outlook toward Iran, the desire for harmony will prevail and it will be easier to show everyone that Iran is not what some media networks report. We can work and use science for the good of the country, we can develop technologies to live better.”

Babroudi added that the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran, in exchange for the Islamic Republic restricting its nuclear program, is of great joy to the minority Christian community in the country.

“We are all happy with this result, we do not consider ourselves foreigners, but Iranians and we are proud of it,” the priest said.

“We pray our Lord Jesus Christ and give thanks to Him for this good news. We ask Him to protect us. We also ask Him to bless and give strength and courage to all the people and all our beloved Iran, including those who take care of us and lead the country.”

President Barack Obama has faced criticism over the deal from several sources, and on Wednesday slammed suggestions that he is “content” with the continued imprisonment of four Americans in Iran after the deal failed to secure their release.

“Nobody is content, and our diplomats and our teams are working diligently to try to get them out,” Obama responded to a question at a White House press conference. “Now, if the question is why we did not tie the negotiations to their release, think about the logic that that creates. Suddenly Iran realizes, ‘You know what? Maybe we can get additional concessions out of the Americans by holding these individuals.'”

“And, by the way, if we had walked away from the nuclear deal, we’d still be pushing them just as hard to get these folks out,” Obama added. “That’s why those issues are not connected, but we are working every single day to try to get them out and won’t stop until they are out and rejoined with their families.”

The American Center for Law and Justice said that Obama “broke his promise” to the family of one of the imprisoned Americans, pastor Saeed Abedini, who is serving an eight year sentence for his Christian faith.

The ACLJ has argued that the international community should not be giving Iran any sanctions relief until it proves it is willing to improve its human rights record.

“President Obama told the Abedini family face-to-face that he considered the release of pastor Saeed a ‘top priority.’ How could that be a ‘top priority’ when a deal is reached and pastor Saeed is left behind? What happened today makes a bad deal even worse,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ.

Other world leaders, such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have also spoken out against the deal.

“From the initial reports we can already conclude that this agreement is a historic mistake for the world,” Netanyahu said on Tuesday. “Far-reaching concessions have been made in all areas that were supposed to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons capability.”

Babroudi argued that the lifting of sanctions will make life easier for regular Iranians, however, and said that the country is “rich in culture, inhabited by civilized and tenacious people,” noting that in the past few years it has made advancements “in the field of science, education, technology and information technology, and also in that of medicine” despite the limitations.