O. J. Simpson’s arrest and the Charleston massacre: A biblical response to prejudice

Twenty-five years ago today, O. J. Simpson was arrested for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. This after police followed Simpson and his best friend, Al Cowlings, in Simpson’s white Ford Bronco through the streets of Los Angeles.

An estimated ninety-five million people watched the slow-driving chase unfold on television.

On October 3, 1995, Simpson was acquitted of all charges. In a civil trial two years later, he was found liable for several charges related to the killings and sentenced to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ families. Some of his property was seized and auctioned, but most of the judgment has not been paid.

After the 1995 verdict was announced, a CNN poll found that 62 percent of white Americans believed Simpson to be guilty, while 66 percent of African-Americans believed him to be not guilty.

A further window into the racial divide: 58 percent of African-Americans believed whites considered Simpson to be guilty because of race; only 20 percent thought they did so because of the evidence. Sixty percent of whites believed African-Americans who considered Simpson to be not guilty based their position on race; only 23 percent thought they did so because of the evidence.

A movie Stephen Curry and Viola Davis helped produce

Today also marks the fourth anniversary of the Charleston shooting. Dylann Roof, a twenty-one-year-old white supremacist, stood up during closing prayer at the predominantly black Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and began shooting. He killed nine parishioners.

At 10:45 a.m. the next morning, police took Roof into custody.

Tonight and Wednesday night only, a documentary about the shooting titled Emanuel will be shown at theaters around the country. Featuring interviews with survivors and family members, it weaves together the history of race relations in Charleston, the significance and impact of…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Denison Forum.

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Catholic charity urges UK to put pressure on Colombian president to secure peace

The Catholic charity said Iván Duque Márquez’s first official visit to the UK since he was elected last year is a chance to “save the peace deal” with the country’s largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Ulrike Beck, CAFOD’s Colombia Programme Officer, said: “This is a crucial time to address the challenges and rescue the deal.

 

“When Ivan Duque became president of Colombia last year, the future of the country seemed bright – after five decades of internal armed conflict, a peace agreement was reached in 2016, and although fragile, peace seemed possible.”

However, negotiations with the South American country’s second largest guerrilla group – The National Liberation Army (ELN) – have broken down, shattering hopes of a peace deal with FARC.

Beck added: “The UK has a key role in supporting the peace process, being the pen-holder for the UN resolutions establishing the UN missions to monitor its implementation.

“Over the last year, the humanitarian situation has got worse for people living in rural areas and threats and killings targeting rural community leaders and human rights defenders have increased.

“Since the signing of the peace agreement more than 400 community leaders and other human rights defenders have been killed, many of them local leaders who were key for the implementation of the agreement.

“The UK is Colombia’s…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Revitalize Network Convention 2020: A History Begins

In the midst of the gloomy stats and conflicted churches, something amazing has been taking place. In the midst of pessimism and frustration, something hopeful has been arising.

I have heard about it. I have seen it. I have celebrated it.

God is waking many churches out of a deep slumber. Revitalization is beginning to take root in many churches.

Something is happening. You can sense God is up to something in many churches. Many, many churches.

Revitalization was hardly a known word among churches a decade ago. Now it is growing in both awareness and in transformation. God is up to something.

Honoring Those Who Are Laboring and Giving Glory to God

Almost a year ago I announced an organization that, God willing, would walk alongside these churches. We prayed it would be a network where church leaders focused on what God is doing to revitalize His church. We called it Revitalize Network.

We wanted to honor those who are the unknowns laboring in the normative churches. We wanted to recognize churches most people have never known. We wanted to give glory to God for His work in churches like yours.

The First Celebration Together

We committed at Revitalize Network to have a convention of celebration every two years. The first of the celebrations is ready to launch. If you can tell, I am a bit excited. Here are the essentials:

  • We will come together in Bradenton, Florida for two days on April 20 and 21, 2020.
  • We will meet in a neighborhood revitalizing church.
  • We will worship the One True God.
  • We will…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Thom Rainer.

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