Roberto Quiñones Haces, a journalist for CubaNet, which is an online newspaper that reports on Cuba for Cubans, was recently released from jail after being detained for covering the Cuban government’s attempt to jail a Christian couple for homeschooling their children.

Amnesty International reported that he was tried and jailed for “disobedience” and “resistance” by trying to document the Cuban government’s assault on this Christian couple’s freedoms.

Roberto Quiñones Haces was reportedly being held in Guantanamo but was reportedly not being held in the same prison as the U.S. Military Prison in Guantanamo Bay. 

According to a statement from Amnesty International, “While imprisoned, Roberto Quiñones has developed gastrointestinal, respiratory and other health complications related to pre-existing conditions, according to his family. Quiñones has also written about the conditions in which he is held, including the overcrowding, poor quality of food and water and the lack of adequate medical care, for which he was punished by the Guantánamo Municipal Prison Disciplinary Council with a ban on any further writing, according to statements that emerged in the press and were gathered by ARTICLE 19. These health factors increase the potential risks posed by COVID-19.”

It is unknown whether Roberto Quiñones Haces has experienced any injuries…

Netflix lost an above-average number of subscribers over the weekend following a backlash against the company for streaming the controversial film Cuties, according to a new report from a data research company.

YipitData says Netflix’s cancellation rate on Saturday was eight times higher compared to the average cancellation rate in August. It was a multi-year high in daily cancellations, YipitData told Variety.

Cuties, rated TV-MA, follows a group of 11-year-old girls who join a dance group named “Cuties” and “become aware of their own femininity through dance,” according to the show’s description. A Twitter clip that has amassed 22 million views shows the girls on stage dressed in risqué outfits while they twerk, touch each other and grind their hips.

The loss in subscribers followed a “Cancel Netflix” trend on Twitter and Google. “#CancelNetflix” was the fourth-highest trending topic on Twitter Sept. 10. Google also showed a major spike in “Cancel Netflix” searches over the weekend.

Roughly 700,000 individuals have signed a petition urging Netflix to pull the movie.

Netflix has defended the film, saying it is a “social commentary against the sexualization of young children.”

The Parents Television Council, though, says the film “sexualizes children.”

“Although the film tackles an important topic – one that under different circumstances we…

White, self-identified Christians in the United States have become less motivated to address racial injustice and are less likely to believe that the country has a race problem compared to last year, according to a new report by the Barna Group.

In findings made public on Tuesday, Barna reported that 33% of white self-identified Christians believe that the United States “definitely” has a race problem, down from 40% last year.

By contrast, 81% of black self-identified Christians agreed that the nation “definitely” has a race problem, up from 75% in 2019. Hispanic self-identified Christians stayed about the same, with 54% responding “definitely” in 2019 and 55% responding the same in 2020.

Barna also found that from 2019-2020, the number of white self-identified Christians who felt “very motivated” to address racial injustice dropped from 14% to 10%.

White self-identified Christians who were “motivated” to address racial injustice also declined from 18% in 2019 to 15% in 2020, with those “not at all motivated” rising from 11%…

Vice President Mike Pence and several Christian leaders referenced Scripture after Israel signed a historic peace deal with two Arab nations Tuesday at the White House.

“Blessed Are The Peacemakers,” Pence tweeted, quoting Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:9.

Blessed Are The Peacemakers pic.twitter.com/CxHTAkc86u

— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) September 15, 2020

As part of the deal, Israel and the United Arab Emirates recognized each other’s sovereignty and agreed to establish embassies and ambassadors. A deal between Israel and Bahrain did the same. The peace agreement was dubbed the Abraham Accords.

It was the first Mideast peace ceremony at the White House since 1994, when President Clinton presided over a ceremony involving Israel and Jordan.

“Together, these agreements will serve as the foundation for a comprehensive peace across the entire region … founded on shared interests, mutual respect and friendship,” President Trump said.

Evangelist Franklin Graham applauded the peace deal.

“The Bible tells us to, ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!’ (Ps 122:6). Today officials from Israel, United Arab Emirates, & Bahrain joined @POTUS Trump to sign peace agreements called the ‘Abraham Accords,” Graham tweeted.

The Bible tells us to, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” (Ps 122:6). Today officials from Israel, United Arab Emirates, & Bahrain joined @POTUS Trump to…

A record number of baptisms took place at a beach in Orange County over the weekend, as believers professed their faith in Jesus Christ at Southern California’s latest “spiritual revival.”

Nearly 1,000 people turned out at the Chino Hills-based Calvary Chapel’s outdoor baptism, which was held at Newport Beach’s Corona Del Mar State Beach on Saturday. While Calvary Chapel hosts a baptism at Corona Del Mar Beach every year, Pastor Jack Hibbs described the baptism as “our biggest to date.”

“California may be experiencing a spiritual revival,” Calvary Chapel Church Director Gina Gleason told CBN News in an interview. She said that the turnout at this year’s outdoor baptism was “remarkable and a significant number,” far exceeding the typical turnout of around 300 attendees.

“Spiritual revivals” at the beach have become a common sight in southern California as believers grapple with restrictions imposed on religious services amid the coronavirus pandemic. In July, the group Saturate OC held…

Hurricane Sally made landfall early Wednesday morning near Gulf Shores, Alabama, displacing residents as floodwaters continue to rise.

“There are entire communities that we’re going to have to evacuate,” Sheriff David Morgan said according to the Associated Press. “It’s going to be a tremendous operation over the next several days.”

In Orange Beach, at least 50 people were rescued. In Escambia County, more than 40 people were rescued.

In downtown Pensacola, the National Weather Service reported nearly 3 feet of water, and near the Naval Air Station Pensacola, more than 2 feet of rain was recorded.

“It’s not common that you start measuring rainfall in feet,” said forecaster David Eversole in Mobile, Alabama. “Sally’s moving so slowly, so it just keeps pounding and pounding and pounding the area with tropical rain and just powerful winds. It’s just a nightmare.”

Some half-a-million homes and businesses also lost power.

In Pensacola, resident Kenneth McElroy said a tree fell through his house into his living room.

“You can’t get down on yourself, it will make it worse,” he said. “At least everybody is accounted for.”

He added, however, that he is still hopeful.

“A pandemic, and a hurricane, what’s next?” he said. “Sunny days and good times.”

Sally pummeled the coast as a Category 2 storm but weakened to a Category 1 storm. Heavy rain is expected to continue into…

Hillsong Worship recently announced a new children’s book called “What a Beautiful Name,” inspired by their award-winning song of the same name.

Written by Hillsong’s Brooke and Scott Ligertwood, as well as Ben and Karalee Fielding, the 40-page book features a little boy named Oliver who goes on an adventure with his monkey pal Leo to discover the name in a song his mother sings. According to The Christian Post, Oliver was inspired by the Fieldings’ son and his stuffed animal.

“Every single week we receive emails, social media postings and YouTube videos of children the world over singing this song,” the authors told The Christian Post. “Some know the words perfectly, others make up their own. Regardless, their little hearts are being opened to the gospel message, and we want to help make this message even more accessible.”

The book opens with the line, “On a regular Monday, in Oliver’s room, in through the door came a familiar tune…”

Oliver sails the high seas and travels through a jungle to discover the name. It’s in a moment of rest that he remembers the name: “Creator and Savior, who made everything, Beautiful, Wonderful, Powerful King…JESUS.”

The authors hope the book engages little readers to explore the wonder and beauty of God.

“Worship is wonder,” they said. “Teaching children about worship is to teach them about the…

Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen will be opening his doors to congregants on October 18th, The Christian Post reports.

After 7 long months of simply streaming the services online and on SiriusXM satellite radio, Osteen’s church has decided to open its doors again. But congregants must sign up online, as capacity is limited to 25% of the chapel and everyone is required to wear a mask.

The Lakewood, Texas, church’s website states they will be adhering to the CDC guidelines.

Osteen said in a statement that “For the past six months we have been consulting with medical experts here in Houston and adhering to the guidelines set by the Texas Governor and the Houston Mayor and feel that it is the appropriate time to begin reopening the church for in-person worship services.”

He continued, “We are moving forward carefully and will reopen in a steady, gradual manner. We have undertaken many effective safety precautions, as well, that are designed to create a safe environment for our members who wish to attend.”

Osteen’s church isn’t the only one to have begun reopening, but it is one of the more prominent ones.

Big House Church in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia Beach reopened its doors months ago making it one of the first megachurches around the country to reopen. Like Osteen, they have taken the proper precautions, urging people who have Coronavirus to stay home and recommending churchgoers wear a…

(RNS) — Giving to congregations has shifted upward after churches closed their buildings earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey shows.

The new State of the Plate research finds that close to two-thirds (64%) of churches across the country reported in August that giving is either up (22%) or steady (42%). By contrast, in April, a similar share of churches (65%) said they had seen a drop in giving.

“This is encouraging news for churches across America,” said Brian Kluth, a former pastor who is now national spokesperson for the National Association of Evangelicals’ Financial Health initiative. “These new findings show that most churches and their families are figuring out ways to survive and even thrive in the midst of all the challenges that the pandemic has thrown their way.”

The findings are based on responses from 1,076 mainline, evangelical and independent Protestant churches. Seven in 10 of them had less than 200 attenders before the pandemic.

A third of the responding churches were in cities or suburbs, almost another third were from towns, about a quarter were from rural areas or small towns and 9% were from large cities.

The vast majority of respondents — 87% — said their congregations are currently meeting for in-person worship services. But more than half (58%) said attendance in person is half or less compared with pre-pandemic times. Six percent said…