New Study Identifies Evangelicals’ Top Public Policy Priorities for the 2020 Election

New Study Identifies Evangelicals’ Top Public Policy Priorities for the 2020 Election



As the 2020 election season draws near, a new study conducted by LifeWay Research reveals which issues evangelicals view as their top priorities and how Christians should engage in politics to solve those issues.


The online survey of 1,317 evangelicals, which was conducted last November, asked respondents to identify their top three public policy priorities from a number of choices.  Atop the list was healthcare at 51%. The economy at 46% and national security at 40% came in as the second and third highest priorities for evangelicals. Also on the list, though with considerably lower percentage figures, were abortion at 29% and addressing racial division at 21%.


However, abortion is still an important issue for many evangelicals.  According to the study, “Only half of evangelicals by belief (51%) say they will only support a candidate who wants to make abortion illegal…” And while still a significant percentage the study points out that this commitment to supporting only pro-life candidates is less than the commitment to support candidates who will fight racial injustice (67%) among other issues.


The study also highlights evangelical voters’ commitment to civility when discussing politics.  “Two in 3 Americans with evangelical beliefs (66%) believe being civil in political conversations is productive.”


In response to the survey,…

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Nun inspired by Mother Theresa released on bail after 15 months in prison

Campaigners have been calling for Sister Concelia Baxla to be released during that time.

She was arrested on charges of human trafficking after one of her co-workers allegedly took money for facilitating an adoption.

 

After those charges were dropped, she remained in prison.

Supporters claimed her imprisonment was an attempt to harm the Church in India.

Tehmina Arora, director of religious freedom charity ADF India, said: “Nobody should be persecuted because of their faith.

“We are thankful that Sister Concelia has been granted bail after more than a year in prison pending trial.

“While others were released sooner, it seems that Sr Concelia was punished for symbolic reasons due to her faith and her position as a member of the Missionaries of Charity.”

There are growing fears over the persecution of Christians in India.

More than 200 incidents of attacks on believers have been recorded so far this year.

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‘Once again the Spirit’s work has humbled us, stretched us and taken breath away’, Justin Welby marks growth of prayer movement

A new report out this week shows millions of Christians from 65 different traditions and denominations have now taken part in the movement which sees people praying for friends to come to know Jesus during the time between Ascension and Pentecost.

It’s received support from the Pope and the Queen.

 

A survey of 2,600 people who took part this year showed 92 per cent were praying for friends and family members to come to know Jesus – with nearly two thirds of this group planning to follow up or talk to the people they were praying for.

70 per cent said they felt more encouraged to share their faith while 99 per cent said they want to take part again next year.

Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: “Once again the Spirit’s work in Thy Kingdom Come has humbled us, stretched us and taken breath away.

“I have previously said I cannot remember in my life anything that I have been involved in where I have sensed so clearly the work of the Spirit.

“My sense of this only grows as we learn that this year we had engagement from followers of Christ in over 170 countries, take-up across the denominations and traditions and the clear focus on seeking the empowering work of the Spirit for our effective witness.

“I am looking forward to all God is doing in answer to our prayers.”

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Eric Metaxas on Trump, Bonhoeffer, and the Future of America

Eric Metaxas on Trump, Bonhoeffer, and the Future of America



LAS VEGAS (RNS) — Eric Metaxas might be the most perplexing evangelical in America. 


A best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio host, Metaxas spent his early career writing children’s books and video scripts for Rabbit Ears Productions and VeggieTales before becoming a cultural commentator and author of popular biographies of religious figures like William Wilberforce and Martin Luther.


At one point, he was best known for founding Socrates in the City, a series of conversations with writers and thinkers like NT Wright, Francis Collins, Lauren Winner and Sir John Polkinghorne, where he developed a reputation for thoughtful commentary on faith and public life.


Then he discovered Donald Trump.


Since then, the once-genial Christian author who penned “Lyle the Kindly Viking” has become a full-throated supporter of the president and critic of the liberal forces he believes pose a threat to American culture.


His latest book, “Donald Builds the Wall,” features a blond-headed caveman dressed in an American flag saving his people from the forces of evil by building a wall to keep out swamp creatures and a “caravan of troublemakers.”


Metaxas was recently in Las Vegas to appear on a panel during a meeting of the Religion News Association. Bob Smietana, RNS editor-in-chief, spoke with him there about his support for the president and his concerns about the…

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Washington D.C. Based Mission Group Works to Provide Food, Housing to the Homeless

Washington D.C. Based Mission Group Works to Provide Food, Housing to the Homeless



A Washington, D.C. mission is hoping to provide shelter and biblical teaching to the growing homeless population in the city.


According to CBN News, Central Union Mission offers housing to some 170 people, but the group also offers something more.


“The gospel is faithfully presented here every day, not only in the shelter but in the family ministry center. The cross of Christ is meeting the needs of the homeless and hurting in this city,” Central Union Mission chair Dee Dee Collins told CBN News.


The Central Union Mission has educational programs and job placement help as well.


“We have a restoration and transformation program that’s biblically based … we layer that with cognitive programming for those that have addiction issues. We also have education and workforce development opportunities,” said Rev. Deborah J. Chambers, the mission’s VP of development and partnerships.


A report from the mayor’s office in the city said there are some 6,500 people in Washington, D.C. without homes, including many veterans.


“I think the one thing we can all agree on is our veterans deserve to have a place to live after they’ve served…one of the things we have here is a veteran’s suite, where we have it decked out for the veterans and try to afford them a sense of dignity while living in a shelter,” Chambers said.


The mission also provides three meals a…

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Christian business owners in war-torn Syria given fresh start

After violence subsided in the city of Aleppo and people started to return to the city, many found their livelihood destroyed.

In Vartouhi Abajian’s case, it was her sweets and food shop, which had been looted and badly damaged.

 

Abajian said: “There was damage to the shop, some parts had collapsed. I needed to work so I started making food at home but my kitchen was too small. My situation had become impossible, so this rebuilding of the shop was vital to restore my livelihood.”

She was able to give a fresh start to her business with the support of her local church, which was turned into a Centre of Hope – one of 16 such centres across Syria – through which Open Doors is providing vital aid to thousands of vulnerable families, as well as vocational training and loans.

In her restored shop, Abajian cooks takeaway food from the Armenian cuisine, both meals and sweets, and takes special orders. 

Her business is now “going very successfully”, she said.

“As women, we can do it, we can be productive, even in this difficult period we can produce.”

Open Doors

Vartouhi standing near her food shop

 

Another business that successfully restarted recently is the hair salon of Rober Karageozian. When Aleppo came under siege, he had to flee to Lebanon with his wife and two children.

Karageozian said: “It was a…

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Kanye West to release Jesus is King film, no longer making secular music

After attending a listening party for his new album Jesus Is King on Sunday, people in the music industry have been tweeting about the upcoming film and his new direction in music.

 

 

IMAX announced it will release the film exclusively in IMAX theatres around the world on 25 October.

Meanwhile, West’s fans are getting impatient as the release date for the album keeps getting postponed.

West’s wife, Kim Kardashian-West, originally announced the Christian-themed album will be released on 27 September, and then changed the date to 29 September.

On 30 September, still with no sign of the album, fans took to Twitter complaining about the delay and questioning if the album even exists.

 

 

The anticipation got #JesusIsKing trending on Twitter with some Christians bashing the rapper for using Christianity to draw attention to himself…

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Rosh Hashanah and Chuck Colson’s impeachment wisdom: Three urgent questions as I return from Israel

An Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man prays near the Mediterranean Sea during a Tashlikh ceremony in Herzeliya, Israel.

I am returning from the Holy Land this morning after having led a study tour of Israel. As our group left last night, Rosh Hashanah was beginning. This is the Jewish New Year, celebrating what Jewish tradition considers the birthday of the universe.

Unlike the American New Year, which is observed with parties and celebrations, Rosh Hashanah is a time of contemplation, repentance, and spiritual purification. 

This afternoon, Jews will go to a body of water to perform the Tashlikh ceremony during which they ceremonially cast their sins into the water. They will spend much of the day in their synagogue, followed by special feasts in the evening. 

Observant Jews will then mark the following days as the Ten Days of Repentance, concluding with Yom Kippur, when they gather in their synagogue for twenty-five hours of fasting and prayer. This entire period is known as the High Holidays. 

As one Jewish website notes, “The season of the High Holidays is a time for an epic journey for the soul, and Rosh Hashanah is where it all begins.” 

Why should we emulate them this week? 

Chuck Colson’s wise words on impeachment 

As the impeachment inquiry into President Trump continues to dominate the news, the Colson Center’s John Stonestreet invites us to consider wise words written by Chuck Colson in 1999 after President Clinton’s impeachment ended with his acquittal by the US Senate

Colson noted that while 80 percent of Americans believed Mr. Clinton to be guilty, two-thirds did not want him removed from office. By not convicting the president, Colson believed the Senators made a decision motivated by politics rather than the facts of the case. 

Then he observed: “Politics is nothing but an expression of culture. It is not enough to win elections, for political power alone cannot change how people live or change…

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Jerusalem voted UK’s favourite hymn

Members of the public chose from the 100 hymns that have featured most on the show over the past five years.

How Great Thou Art and In Christ Alone came in second and third.

 

Songs of Praise host Aled Jones made the announcement in a Songs of Praise special on Sunday which was filmed at De Montfort Hall in Leicester.

Jerusalem did not feature among the top 10 the last time the public voted in 2013.

Top 10 hymns, 2019

Jerusalem

How Great Thou Art

In Christ Alone

Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind

Abide With Me

I Vow To Thee My Country

Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer/Jehovah

Amazing Grace

Be Still For The Presence Of The Lord

I, the Lord Of Sea And Sky

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Church leaders ‘gravely concerned’ by changes to abortion

Heads of the Church of Ireland, Methodist Church in Ireland, Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church and the Irish Council of Churches are calling on members and congregations to pray, call for change, and to lobby their locally elected representatives.

Unless devolution at Stormont is revived within weeks, the Government is bound to liberalise the law surrounding terminations following the passage of Westminster legislation.

 

The church leaders said: “There is no evidence that these changes reflect the will of the people affected by them, as they were not consulted.

“They go far beyond the ‘hard cases’ some have been talking about.”

They said they were gravely concerned that the imposition of Westminster legislation:

– Removes from law all explicit protection for the unborn child up to 28 weeks of pregnancy;

– Offers no specific protection for unborn babies with disability;

– Does not prohibit abortion based on the sex of the baby;

– Creates a potential vacuum of up to five months in Northern Ireland for unregulated abortion to exist with all the attendant health risks to women.

They invited their members to sign an online petition created by Baroness Nuala O’Loan, and added: “Our Northern Ireland political parties have it in their own hands to do something about this.

“They all need to take risks and make the compromises necessary to find an accommodation that will…

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