An atheist group is demanding an Illinois city remove a well-known cross from a mural, saying it is “inappropriate” and “unconstitutional” for such a symbol to be on government land.

The mural in Effingham, Ill., was painted on an overpass near Effingham High School and shows a United States flag alongside a white cross – an obvious reference to the Cross at the Crossroads, a 198-foot white cross that rests on private land in Effingham and is one of the city’s top tourist attractions. It even has a visitor center. The tall cross was completed in 2001 and dedicated on Sept. 16 that year, five days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

Although the cross itself resides on private land, the mural is on government property. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to Effingham’s mayor in December demanding its removal. FFRF calls itself an organization of “atheists, agnostics and skeptics of any pedigree” that promotes the complete separation of church and state.  

“It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for a government-owned mural to prominently feature a religious display, such as a Latin cross,” the letter says. “It is especially inappropriate where the display is placed in a location where it will predominantly be viewed by public school children and staff moving from one part of their campus to another.” 

Effingham City Administrator…

Televangelist Jim Bakker, who resurrected his career after serving nearly five years in prison for fraud, ignited Twitter Monday by declaring on his show that support for President Donald Trump is a “test [for] whether you’re even saved.”

“Only saved people can love Trump,” Bakker added during the taped episode of “The Jim Bakker Show.” The comment brought laughs from at least one guest and several members of the audience.

“No,” Bakker responded to the reaction. “You gotta really be saved. You gotta forgive. You forgive when you’re saved …”

Bakker made the statement during a segment in which guests were promoting their books and viewers were asked to make monthly donations to the “PTL Voice of the Prophets Gold Member Network,” the Charlotte Observer reported.

One of the guests was Robert Henderson, who talked about his book, “Praying for the Prophetic Destiny of the United States and the Presidency of Donald J. Trump from the Courts of Heaven.”

During the show, Bakker also touted Trump’s commitment to Israel.

“He keeps signing things to protect the church, and he’s helped Israel, and recognized Israel,” the evangelist said. “He’s fulfilling (the) Bible, whether you like it or not.”

Bakker’s comments were met with a fair amount of backlash after an 18-second clip from the show was shared to Twitter.  Amee Vanderpool, a contributing…

White evangelical Protestants widely believe that religion should play a large role in government policies, according to a recent survey released by the Associated Press.

The survey also found that this bloc of voters often hold more conservative views than the rest of Americans, including Catholics and non-evangelical Protestants.

Eighty percent of this group believed religion should have “a lot” or “some” influence on abortion policies while only 41 percent of other Americans agreed, according to the Christian Post. A majority of non-evangelical Americans believe religion is already playing a strong role in the abortion issue while evangelicals disagree.

A similar trend was found with LGBT policies: 62 percent of evangelicals want religious influence on the issue while only 30 percent of the rest of America agrees; and with laws to help those in poverty: 76 percent of evangelicals compared to 48 percent of Americans.

Immigration was a little lower on the scale with only 60 percent of evangelicals wanting their beliefs to dictate policies with 32 percent of non-evangelicals agreeing. Education fared similarly with 69 percent of evangelicals.

But after these issues, evangelicals’ desire for religious influence actually wanes. A little less than half of white evangelicals want faith to dictate gun policy and climate change.

White evangelicals polled similarly to…

Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was killed by U.S. forces in Iraq Friday morning after violating a travel ban prohibiting him from entering Iraq and for allegedly planning attacks against U.S. diplomats.

President Trump ordered the strike against Soleimani, a popular, top commander in Iran’s military, as a “decisive, defensive action” after repeated attacks by Iranian-backed forces on U.S. troops in Iraq.

But now Soleimani’s death is causing alarm in countries throughout the Middle East and here in the United States. Retaliation is expected by Iran and its allies. Iraq has condemned the strike by the U.S., as well.

Gen. Soleimani, 62, was over Iran’s Quds Forces, which are said to aid terrorist organizations in countries like Iraq. He was once referred to by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, as a “living martyr of the revolution” and was the second most powerful man in Iran. It is believed many organizations will want to avenge his death. All Americans currently in Iraq have been advised to leave the country immediately.

That’s why we should take the most powerful action possible in the face of this volatile situation — pray.

Here’s how you can pray for the current rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran:

Pray for our leaders. Ask God to grant discernment to our government leaders as they navigate this tense situation and seek a solution that’s…

As the bushfires continue to rage on in Australia, New South Wales police have taken legal action against more than 180 people for fire-related offenses, including two dozen individuals who are believed to have intentionally started fires.

According to The Australian, since the fires started in July 2019, 184 people have been charged or cautioned with fire-related crimes across Queensland, New South Wales (NSW), Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Some of the fire-related crimes individuals have been charged with include discarding lit cigarettes, setting off fireworks and failing to comply with a total fire ban. 

In Queensland, police report that 101 people – 32 adults and 69 juveniles – have been arrested for fire-related crimes. In Victoria, 43 individuals have met similar charges. Four were also caught and arrested in Tasmania while setting fires to vegetation.

Additionally, 24 individuals have been arrested for deliberately starting fires in NSW. 

According to a statement from the NSW Police force, “starting a bushfire and being reckless as to its spread” is punishable with up to 21 years imprisonment.

The NSW Bureau of Crime and Statistics and Research reports that 29 fires were intentionally lit in the Shoalhaven region of the state while 27 were lit in the Kempsey region.

The NSW Rural Fire Service reported Wednesday that 127 bush and grass fires – 56 of which are uncontrolled – were…

Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy says in a new letter that the company “inadvertently discredited” what he calls “outstanding organizations” when it changed its giving strategy and pulled funding last year from the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. 

Cathy, in the letter to the American Family Association, also says the company has not waned in its corporate purpose to “glorify God.” 

Cathy addressed the letter to AFA President Tim Wildmon, who had written Cathy and asked the Chick-fil-A CEO two questions, including, “Will Chick-fil-A publicly state that it does not believe the Salvation Army and FCA are hate groups because of the ministries’ beliefs about sexuality, marriage, and family?”

Cathy, in his letter, applauded the ministries. 

“As you have seen, recently we announced changes to our giving strategy at the Chick-fil-A Foundation,” Cathy wrote. “These changes were made to better focus on hunger, homelessness and education. We understand how some thought we were abandoning our long-standing support of faith-based organizations. We inadvertently discredited several outstanding organizations that have effectively served communities for years. Some also questioned if our commitment to our Corporate Purpose was waning. Let me state unequivocally: It is not.”

Earlier in the letter, Cathy had said he agreed with his late…

ORLANDO, Fla. (RNS) — Reinhard Bonnke, the German evangelist known as “The Billy Graham of Africa,” was lauded at a Saturday (Jan. 4) memorial service as “a giant and a general in the army of God.”

The Pentecostal pastor died Dec. 7 at the age of 79 in Orlando, where he moved his international ministry, Christ for All Nations, in the early 2000s. He retired as head of Christ for All Nations in 2017, citing declining health.

During more than four decades of mass crusades in Africa, Bonnke preached in 51 of the continent’s countries and claimed to have converted 79 million people to Christianity.

About 2,000 people gathered from around the U.S. and around the world in the sanctuary of the Faith Assembly of God for a three-hour celebration of Bonnke’s life and ministry.

More than a dozen speakers, including a number from African ministries and denominations, lauded Bonnke, for both his zeal and his personal humility. Other Pentecostal leaders, including T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn and Paula White, appeared on the three large screens above the sanctuary’s stage with filmed tributes.

Members of the racially diverse crowd sang Bonnke’s favorite hymns, waving their arms.

A large, red floral arrangement in the shape of the African continent was placed on an easel next to the speaker’s lectern. Along the front of the stage stood sheaves of wheat, symbolizing the…

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake rocked the island country of Puerto Rico in the early morning hours on Tuesday, leaving one person dead and eight others injured.

The U.S. Geological Survey said that the Tuesday morning quake hit at 4:24 am with a shallow depth of six miles below the surface. 

According to the Associated Press, below southern Puerto Rico, tectonic plates along three different fault lines have been grinding together causing a series of earthquakes over the last ten days.

On Monday, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit Puerto Rico triggering landslides and causing houses to collapse.

Since the Tuesday morning quake struck, the Associated Press reports that more than a dozen aftershocks were triggered. While most of the aftershocks were between a magnitude 2.5 and 5.6, less than three hours after the initial temblor, a powerful magnitude 6.0 aftershock hit the area.

Initially, a tsunami alert was also issued for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The alert was later canceled.

The powerful quake is reported to have knocked out the island’s power. Power plants have shut down to protect themselves and the country’s main airport is operating with the use of a generator. Power is expected to be restored later in the day Tuesday. 

In Ponce, Puerto Rico, authorities have evacuated more than 150 people from two historic buildings at risk of collapse. Among those evacuated were more than…