“Burden,” a powerful new film about a former KKK member whose life was transformed after forming a friendship with a black preacher he once planned to assassinate, will soon hit the big screen. 

Releasing in select theaters Feb. 28, “Burden” follows the true story of Michael Eugene Burden Jr., who in 1996 opened the Redneck Shop and Klan Museum in Laurens, South Carolina, displaying KKK paraphernalia, including white-hooded Klan uniforms and photographs of lynchings.

However, after meeting a woman who persuades him to leave the KKK, Burden renounces his Klan membership and sells his store to the Rev. David E. Kennedy, a black pastor whose own uncle was lynched by the KKK.

Burden’s decision to sell his store infuriates Klan members, who seek vengeance. Because the KKK holds tremendous power over the small town, Burden soon finds himself jobless and penniless.

Despite his own misgivings, Reverend Kennedy, the pastor of New Beginnings Church, decides to shelter Burden, his girlfriend, and her son. In doing so, the pastor and community members set aside their own misgivings in hopes of teaching the former Klan member about love and acceptance. Thanks to the pastor’s kindness, compassion, and grace, Burden embraces Christianity and is baptized.

A trailer for the forthcoming film shows the moment Reverend Kennedy embraces Burden, telling skeptical community members, “I view him as a brother in Christ.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Leah MarieAnn Klett

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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of BCNN1.

You know that American culture has hit an all-time low when it takes a drag queen to tell “woke” parents to keep their kids out of drag bars. Who would have thought?

I just did a search for “drag queen lectures parents,” looking for articles related to the subject of this article.

The results of the search were telling, yielding headlines like this on a wide variety of drag-related stories:

“School Board Scolds Parents for Opposing Drag Queen’s Makeup Lesson.”

“Some Parents Outraged After Drag Queen Speaks At School Career Day.”

“Viral Video Shows Drag Queen Teaching Children To ‘Twerk’ As Parents Look On.”

“Drag Queen Prostitute Visits Texas School.”

“Parents outraged after X-rated drag queen speaks to 11-year-olds at school career day.”

What on earth is going on?

There is even a debate as to whether or not a drag queen flashed toddlers during a recent reading event. I am not making this up.

Adding to this madness is the new phenomenon of little boys being celebrated as drag queens, most famously the little boy known as Desmond Is Amazing. And little Desmond actually performed in a gay bar, leading to a firestorm of criticism. Reporting on this controversy, Pink News reported that, “Drag kid Desmond is Amazing’s mum defends gay bar performance.”

Well, one drag queen has said enough is enough, scolding parents for the insane practice of bringing their children into gay bars where drag queens perform.

As reported by Will Maule on Christian Headlines, “A popular drag queen known as ‘Kitty Demure’ has issued a stark warning to parents who are seeking to involve their children in the crossdressing scene.”

In the video, which is going viral, “Kitty” asks pointedly, “What in the h*** has a drag queen ever done to make you have so much respect for them, and admire them so much, other than put on makeup and jump on the floor and writhe around and do sexual things on stage?”

Precisely so!

SOURCE: Christian Post, Michael Brown

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Today, on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the infamous Nazi death camp known as Auschwitz, the world marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The millions who each year visit Auschwitz, as well as the Holocaust museums in Jerusalem, Washington D.C., and elsewhere become witnesses to an era of almost unimaginable cruelty.

They, and we, are told to “never forget.” And we shouldn’t. But, it is crucial not only that we remember, but how we remember.

Last week, in the online magazine TLS, Nikolaus Wachsmann reflected on the plea of camp victim Zalman Gradowski that future generations would “form an image” of the “hell” of Auschwitz.

“But,” Wachsmann writes, “the Auschwitz of popular imagination often bears little relation to the Auschwitz Gradowski had lived and died in. As a global emblem of evil, the camp has become unmoored from its actuality.”

For example, Wachsmann relates that “It is often said … that Auschwitz was a different planet, so alien that even birds did not sing there.” But that’s not true. The camp’s surroundings were “rich in wildlife.” So rich, in fact, “that employees of IG Farben, the German firm that enslaved thousands of prisoners, went birding together, while a trained ornithologist among the SS guards meticulously surveyed the local species… for scholarly publications.”

In other words, there is a very real human tendency to mis-remember the grave evils of history: to imagine that they happened in a different world; to think that those who perpetuated such evil, or those who scandalously remained silent and complicit, were somehow different kinds of people than we are.

SOURCE: Christian Post, John Stonestreet

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A conservative United Methodist Church leader has stated his support for a proposal that allows UMC churches to leave the denomination over LGBT issues.

The Rev. Joseph F. DiPaolo, member of the Wesleyan Covenant Association Council, said that while he used to support staying with the UMC to “contend for the faith once delivered to the saints,” he stated that “I no longer believe that is possible.”

Recently, UMC leaders representing diverse views on the LGBT debate announced their support for a proposal called the “Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation.”

If approved, the protocol would allocate $25 million for conservative Methodists to vote to leave the UMC and create their own Church, tentatively labeled “traditionalist Methodist.”

DiPaolo argued in a column Friday that the UMC is “irretrievably broken” due to the debate over homosexuality.

“Progressive clergy, churches and conferences stepped up their campaign of resistance, through defiance of our disciplinary covenant,” he wrote.

“Many bishops have been complicit, either through overt support, or by failing to exercise any meaningful accountability toward those who break their covenantal vows.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Michael Gryboski

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Kirk Franklin gave praise to “Jesus the King, because it is all about Him” after bagging the award for Best Gospel Performance for his song “Love Theory” at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles.

“Gospel music has so many incredible talents and I’m so humbled to be in that category with some of the greatest to ever do it,” said the singer at the 2020 Grammy Awards. “I am such a fan of all these incredible men and women that I get to tell the world about Jesus the King because it is all about Him, amen?”

His fellow nominees were Gloria Gaynor featuring Yolanda Adams (“Talkin’ About Jesus”), Travis Greene featuring Jekalyn Carr (“See The Light”), Koryn Hawthorne featuring Natalie Grant (“Speak The Name”) and Tasha Cobbs Leonard (“This Is A Move (Live)”).

Franklin also won the Grammy for Best Gospel Album for Long Live Love.

The nominees for Best Gospel Album included Donald Lawrence Presents the Tri-City Singers for Goshen, Gene Moore for Tunnel Vision, William Murphy for Settle Here, and CeCe Winans for Something’s Happening! – A Christmas Album.

At the awards ceremony, Franklin sent his prayers to the family of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who died along with his daughter and seven others on Sunday in a helicopter accident in California.

Christian pop duo For King & Country in collaboration with American singer and songwriter Dolly Parton won the award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, for their song “God Only Knows.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Anugrah Kumar

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A coronavirus continues to spread through China and to other countries, presenting new challenges for Asian Access.

The coronavirus first appeared in the city of Wuhan in China. Like the SARS coronavirus in 2003, this currently unnamed virus has mutated to be able to infect not just animals, but humans as well. Precisely how the virus made the jump from animals to humans is unknown. The virus causes pneumonia, making it potentially deadly. With almost 3,000 confirmed cases around China, over 80 have died.

China has quarantined more than 50 million people, and has placed a travel ban on 16 cities. Officials expect the outbreak to worsen, and China is racing to produce enough medical supplies to deal with the crisis. Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and the Unites States have also reported cases, but the World Health Organization has not called it a global health emergency.

Joe Handley of Asian Access says the spread of the virus is disrupting the travel and work of the ministry. “For instance,” he says, “I know of one group that was supposed to meet this year . . .they were going to be gathering in Southeast Asia, and everyone from Wuhan was asked not to come and that was before the government put the restriction on that area.”

SOURCE: Mission Network News, Kevin Zeller

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The Trump administration has authorized millions in federal grants for churches and other houses of worship and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of defending against violence amid rising hostility to religion, specifically anti-Semitism.

In remarks last week in the East Room of the White House before a gathering of American mayors about the economy and community renewal, President Donald Trump noted that “in the face of attacks on synagogues, mosques, and churches in our community — something that is just so horrible — we must work together to reject the monstrous evils of anti-Semitism and anti-religious bigotry.”

“I will sign legislation authorizing $375 million for federal grants to help houses of worship and other faith-based and non-profit organizations defend against violence,” Trump said to applause, adding, “It’s crazy; what’s going on is crazy.”

“We are committed to building a nation where every community is secure, every family is safe, and every child can grow up in dignity and in peace.”

The bipartisan authorization, which substantially increased the funding for the Nonprofit Security Grants Program, allows houses of worship to apply for $100,000 grants to be used for things like fencing, cameras, stronger doors and the hiring of security professionals. The bill passed the U.S. House by voice vote and passed through the Senate via Unanimous Consent.

The move follows increasing anti-Semitic violence and attacks in New York and New Jersey and, most notably, two separate synagogue shootings that occurred in Poway, California, in April and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in October 2018.

For Christian churches, the issue of taking more steps toward greater security measures rose to the fore following the massacre at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, where 26 people were shot and killed in November 2017.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Brandon Showalter

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Last week, Lebanon formed a new government. That’s good news.

Since October, the volume with which people voiced their anger over the economic crisis only increased. Although mostly peaceful, it quickly morphed into an anti-corruption call, which turned into a demand for top officers to step down. In answer, Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned three months ago, taking the Cabinet with him and remaining only as a caretaker. Top officials President Michel Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri remained in place.

Protestors demanded a new government and a new approach to turning the economic crisis around. It would seem that for the new prime minister, Hassan Diab’s appointment, the first job at hand is to get his position confirmed. Then the REAL work begins.

Heart For Lebanon’s Tom Atema explains, “What happens next is approval process from the Parliament. That will take about two weeks to confirm everything and make sure that happens. This new government was formed after Hezbollah and its allies clinched a deal with the Cabinet for the country to tackle some of its worst economic problems that they have had in history.”

For the former education minister and university professor, it’s a lot to handle. “His first big issue is to solve the economic crisis. That is huge,” Atema says. Tackling it will take a vote of confidence and an infusion of cash from the Arab bloc. “If they will do that at very low-interest rates or no interest, then they will not have to go through years of austerity as Greece did. But if they don’t, or don’t give them that much, or have high interest rates or high restrictions, it is very possible that it could be years (for recovery). ”

SOURCE: Mission Network News, R.B. Klama

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