Pope presses anti-nuclear call in annual peace message

Francis said the fear of nuclear annihilation embodied by the doctrine of deterrence provides a false sense of security that should be replaced with policies based on fraternity and mutual trust.

His message for the World Day of Peace, which the Vatican celebrates on January 1, was issued on Thursday.

It followed on the major theme of his recent trip to Japan, where Francis denounced as “immoral” not only the use of nuclear weapons but their possession.

He also warned against using nuclear energy, given the environmental risks it poses.

 

As he did in Japan, Francis tied ecological concerns to matters of international peace and security, saying peace requires a new way of interacting with one another and the planet.

He wrote: “Faced with the consequences of our hostility towards others, our lack of respect for our common home or our abusive exploitation of natural resources – seen only as a source of immediate profit, regardless of local communities, the common good and nature itself – we are in need of an ecological conversion.

“All this gives us deeper motivation and a new way to dwell in our common home, to accept our differences, to respect and celebrate the life that we have received and share, and to seek living conditions and models of society that favour the continued flourishing of life and the development of the common good of the entire human family.”

 

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Joel Osteen discusses new friendship with Kanye West

In an interview on US chat show Good Morning America, the megachurch pastor shared how he and the rapper met.

Osteen, who leads Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, said it was an “interesting” situation.

 

“You know, Kanye’s had a turn of events in the last year or so, and I got a text from him, and we just struck up a conversation and a friendship,” he said.

“And he was going to be in Houston for an event and I thought, ‘Hey, you want to come by the church?’ And so it all came together.'”

Last month, West, who’s been very vocal about becoming a Christian, held his “Sunday Service” at Lakewood Church and was interviewed by Osteen during the church’s Sunday morning service where he shared about his journey to faith in God.

“I’m a believer in people,” Osteen said. “I found him to be very genuine and just a fantastic person.”

Osteen also shared advice that he gave to West when they first met.

“He asked me for advice because this world is new to him,” Osteen said.

He told him to “keep God in first place, and keep listening to his heart”.

The pair will team up next year for Osteen’s “Night of Hope” in New York. The event, which tours to eleven cities across the United States promises to be “inspirational nights of hope, worship and encouragement”.
“I’m excited,” Osteen said.

“It’s going to be you know, 50,000 people there in the [Yankee] stadium. He’s bringing his…

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10 Marks of a Good Staff Meeting

By Chuck Lawless

Over the years, I’ve been in a lot of staff meetings in different organizations. As I think about those meetings, here are the characteristics of meetings I thought were most productive:

1. The leader was a man whose spiritual walk I trusted. I cannot underestimate the power of this truth. When I genuinely trust the leader, I’m ready to listen. On the other hand, I dreaded going to meetings led by someone whose walk with God I questioned.
2. The people gathered were people I knew and loved. That is, the team really was a team. We knew each other’s families. We played together outside of the office. Meetings were fun because we were a team living out a vision.
3. The meetings were prayer-saturated. Prayer was not just a perfunctory beginning and ending task. We seriously prayed for each other, for the organization, for God’s vision and guidance. In some meetings, we prayed more than we discussed.
4. They started and ended on time. The amount of time varied, particularly because of our commitment to prayer – but we knew exactly how much time to set aside. The leader respected our time.
5. We had a clear agenda from the beginning. We had no question as we went to the meeting that we were going to discuss stuff that mattered. If we ever varied from the agenda, the reason for doing so was obvious and necessary.
6. Every person there was enlisted ahead of time to contribute. This aspect I especially appreciated – the leader asked each of us ahead of time to bring something to…

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Christ’s manger included in Christmas treasures gifted to abbey, medieval manuscript reveals

Expert study of a 580-year-old manuscript details an array of festive relics that were given to Battle Abbey by William the Conqueror and King John.

The astonishing list of objects stored at the abbey, situated near site of the Battle of Hastings, was revealed by English Heritage.

 

Dating back to the mid-15th century, the manuscript is one of only 30 or so relic inventories to still survive from medieval England, and mentions 175 individual relics.

From pieces of what was believed to be the manger where Christ was born, to the hair shirt and finger bone of Saint Nicholas -the original Santa Claus, the relics housed at Battle Abbey were some of the most prestigious objects gifted to any abbey in England – some more significant even than those given to Westminster Abbey, English Hertiage said.

Dr Michael Carter, English Heritage historian, said: “The collecting and cherishing of relics was an important aspect of medieval monasticism and I am thrilled to think that I could have been the first person in over 500 years to study the glorious list from Battle Abbey in detail.

“It’s fascinating how connections to our Christmas today can be traced back almost a thousand years and despite Henry VIII’s violent suppression, these great monasteries are still giving up their secrets.

“There’s no greater endorsement than a king giving a gift of relics so this list reveals just…

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Crackdown on Christianity in China Ramps Up

Crackdown on Christianity in China Ramps Up


December 16, 2019 (Morning Star News) – As more government officials in China are empowered to close churches and a “social credit” system threatens to block Christians from schools, bank loans and jobs, authorities have taken harsh measures against more churches, sources said.

In Beijing, Early Rain Covenant Church elder Qin Defu was sentenced to four years in prison on Nov. 29, according to advocacy group China Aid Association (CAA). Qin was charged with illegal business operations as a result of the church using 20,000 Christian books, according to CAA.

Authorities had promised his family that he would be released if he accepted a state-appointed attorney, the group stated.

The charge on which Qin was sentenced could signal a stiff sentence for Pastor Wang, who has been charged with both “inciting subversion of the state” and illegal business practices after being arrested more than a year ago.

“Qin’s attorney said the church’s pastor, Wang Yi, admitted in a testimony that he was involved with these books,” CAA reported. “As such, the lawyer speculated Wang would receive no less than a 10-year sentence.”

Authorities on Dec. 9, 2018 arrested Pastor Wang and more than 100 members of Early Rain Covenant Church; most of them have been released, while Pastor Wang’s wife and child remain under house arrest.

In Shanghai, authorities raided Wheat Church on Dec. 1, broke up the unregistered…

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Brazil Opens Trade Center in Jerusalem, Vows to Move Embassy Too

Brazil Opens Trade Center in Jerusalem, Vows to Move Embassy Too


A new Brazilian trade center has opened in Israel as Brazil has promised to move its Brazilian embassy to Jerusalem.

According to CBN News, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (APEX) office opened Sunday in Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the opening of the APEX office will benefit both countries.

“The APEX office can help Brazil and Israel realize the potential of cooperation between us. Israel is the most dynamic innovation nation in the world,” Netanyahu said in a speech during the trade center’s grand opening ceremony.  “If we merge the great potentials that our two countries have, we can benefit each other unbelievably.

“This office, APEX, will be the spearhead of this vital development because the future belongs to those who innovate. And we are both eager to seize the future. We can do it better together,” Netanyahu added.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, a senior politician and son of Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, said the country next wants to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

“We want to do a movement to Jerusalem, not only for Brazil, but to be an example to the rest of Latin America,” said Bolsonaro, who chairs Brazil’s International Affairs and National Defense Committee.

Earlier in December, President Bolsonaro said moving the embassy to the Holy City would also be important to Brazilian Christians.

“It is only symbolic, but it is…

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New York School District Reverses Decision against Christian Club

New York School District Reverses Decision against Christian Club


After denying a high school freshman from starting a Christian group for being too exclusive, a New York school district has reversed its decision and will now allow the student to organize the club, according to CBN News.

“We are grateful to Wappingers Central school district officials for acting swiftly to ensure that religious students can freely exercise their right to meet together at school,” said Keisha Russell, counsel for First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit First Amendment protection group. “Daniela is thrilled she’ll be allowed to form a club so those who share her faith can express who they are and encourage each other.”

As Christian Headlines previously reported, the controversy began when high school freshman Daniela Barca requested to start a club, “OMG! Christian Club,” at her school and was denied. Principal David Seipp told her that the club would not be recognized because it would be “seen as exclusive.”

Barca responded with a letter to the Assistant Superintendent Daren Lolkema with further explanation on the reason for starting the club:

“I am a Christian. But sometimes it seems like I’m the only one,” she wrote. “I want to start this club for other students like me so we can support each other in our beliefs. The school district celebrates diversity and the right to express who you are. All I want is to be allowed to express who I am. Everyone…

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Former Harvest Bible Chapel Pastor James MacDonald Sues Radio Host ‘Mancow’

Former Harvest Bible Chapel Pastor James MacDonald Sues Radio Host ‘Mancow’


CHICAGO (RNS) — Former Harvest Bible Chapel pastor James MacDonald is suing Chicago radio personality Erich “Mancow” Muller for defamation after Muller used his radio show to — in the host’s words — “bring down the cult of MacDonald.”

MacDonald was fired from the Chicago-area megachurch in February after Muller aired clips of a recording of purported remarks by MacDonald in which he allegedly insulted critics, including freelance journalist Julie Roys and several people associated with Christianity Today.

Both Christianity Today and Roys (for both World magazine and her own website) have reported on controversy at Harvest surrounding MacDonald’s leadership.

In the lawsuit filed Thursday (Dec. 12) in Cook County Circuit Court, MacDonald is seeking more than $50,000 in damages. The suit accuses Muller and Cumulus Media — which airs “Mancow” on WLS 890-AM — of multiple counts of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, eavesdropping and more.

As a result, according to the lawsuit, “MacDonald sustained injury to his reputation, humiliation, anxiety, embarrassment, mental anguish, the termination of his position as Senior Pastor of HBC, and monetary damages.”

It points not only to the recording Muller aired but also to instances on his show when Muller called the pastor a “con man” and “big fake,” as well as allegations Muller made…

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Appeals Court Gives Hope to Ohio Down Syndrome Abortion Ban

Appeals Court Gives Hope to Ohio Down Syndrome Abortion Ban


The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals gave Ohio pro-lifers new hope last week when it agreed to hear an appeal of a state law banning abortions based on a Down syndrome diagnosis.

A three-judge panel on the Sixth Circuit struck down the law in a 2-1 decision in October, but on Friday the full Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals took up the case in what is known as an en banc hearing. 

A date for oral arguments has not been set.

The 2017 Ohio law bans doctors from performing abortions if the doctor “has knowledge that the pregnant woman is seeking the abortion, in whole or in part” due to a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis. 

The Sixth Circuit is the same appeals court that upheld a Kentucky law requiring abortion doctors to show an ultrasound to the pregnant woman before every abortion, and also allow her to hear the heartbeat, if one is present. The Kentucky law allows the woman to decline the offer. 

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, filed the appeal to the full Sixth Circuit. 

The state’s petition argues that Ohio has the constitutional right to pass “anti-eugenics laws.”

“Anti-eugenics laws protect the dignity of people living with conditions or traits targeted for abortion,” the petition says. “When society pursues the eradication of unborn children exhibiting a particular trait, it sends a message that people living with that trait are not as valuable as others….

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‘A National Tragedy’ – U.S. Leads World in Single-Parent Homes, Pew Finds

‘A National Tragedy’ – U.S. Leads World in Single-Parent Homes, Pew Finds


A new study showing the United States has the world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent households is being called a “national tragedy” by one sociologist.

The Pew Research Center study of 130 countries and territories shows that 23 percent of U.S. children under the age of 18 live with one parent and no other adults – more than three times the global average of 7 percent.

By comparison, 3 percent of children in China, 4 percent in Nigeria, 5 percent in India and 15 percent in Canada live in single-parent households, according to the Pew study.

Glenn T. Stanton, director of family formation studies at Focus on the Family, called the data “disturbing.” Sadly, he said, it is largely “those in the lower half of the socio-economic scale that live in single-parent homes” and have “babies outside of wedlock.”

“These numbers are growing dramatically for the high school educated and declining for those with college and advanced degrees,” Stanton told Christian Headlines. “This means that the kinds of families they are forming will serve to trap them in the underclass, making it nearly impossible to climb to higher social rungs. This has long been a national tragedy.”

Children in European countries are generally more likely to live in single-parent homes than those in Asia, but still less likely than children in the U.S. The percentages for the…

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