Speakers for LGBT Christian Conference ‘Revoice’ Defend Event

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Speakers for LGBT Christian Conference ‘Revoice’ Defend Event

(Screenshot: revoice.us)The first-ever Revoice Conference, scheduled for July 26-28, 2018 at Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri.

Participants for the LGBT Christian conference Revoice are defending the event from criticism that the gathering will promote pro-LGBT ideas at the expense of biblical teaching.

The Revoice Conference, a multiday event scheduled for July 26–28 at Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri has garnered controversy well before its opening session.

According to its website, Revoice seeks to “encourage, support, and empower gay, lesbian, and other same-sex-attracted Christians so they can experience the life-giving character of the historic, Christian sexual ethic.”

Though organizers of the event hold to the traditional biblical teaching of marriage, some argue that the conference is designed to advance an LGBT agenda in churches at the expense of sound Christian teaching.

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(Photo: Facebook/Memorial Presbyterian Church)Memorial Presbyterian Church of St. Louis, Missouri.

Stephen Black, executive director of First Stone Ministries, an organization that seeks to help people with what the group calls “sexual brokenness,” is one of the critics.

In an interview with The Christian Post earlier this year, Black…

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Researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Tennessee Suggest Shunning Religion Makes Nations Richer and More Tolerant for Individual Rights – Urban Christian News

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Researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Tennessee Suggest Shunning Religion Makes Nations Richer and More Tolerant for Individual Rights – Urban Christian News

Shunning religion can boost a country’s prosperity, a study has found.

Researchers at the universities of Bristol and Tennessee found that higher levels of secularism led to higher wealth and a greater tolerance for individual rights.

They examined output figures for 109 countries and the importance of religious faith in those states.

A modest increase in secularisation corresponded to an average £800 increase in output per head within a decade, a £2,000 increase in 20 years and a £4,000 increase within 30.  But Damian Ruck, of the University of Bristol’s population health sciences institute, told The Times: ‘Of course, there’s no reason why you can’t be religious and also respect individual rights.’

The researchers noted: ‘A century ago, Emile Durkheim [a French sociologist] proposed that technological and socioeconomic advances come to displace the functions of religion, whereas Max Weber [a German Philosopher] contended the opposite, that monotheistic religion, the so-called Protestant ethic, made the development of capitalism possible.’

Belief and religious participation have been on the decline in recent decades in most rich nations – but have remained high in developing countries.

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Source: Christian Post

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Google translate tells you about end times when you type ‘dog’

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Google translate tells you about end times when you type ‘dog’

When typing ‘dog’ 19 times into google translate and then setting the original language to Maori, the search engine somewhat creatively translates it as: “Doomsday Clock in three minutes at twelve We are experiencing character and a dramatic developments in the world, which indicate that we are increasingly approaching the end times and Jesus’ return.”

This was first discovered by Jon Christian at Motherhood and Tristan Green made this video to prove it:

Other examples have been posted across the internet, with Old Testament language being a common occurrence:

One possibility for this happening is that Google may be using religious texts as its training text for translations from languages with a less widely translated texts of their own – the Bible therefore provides opportunity for cross-referencing in many languages as it’s widely translated. This also fits in with the idea of Google also wanting to provide at least a coherent answer based on the texts that it know, regardless of whether it corresponds with the nonsense written. 

Tristan Green says: “But, in a twist nobody could see coming, we’re going to say that it’s at least cosmically possible that the AI is functioning exactly as it’s intended — because it’s alive, found religion, and is now proselytizing.”

Stay up to date with the latest news…

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Heat Waves Can Lead to Death Without Access to Ways to Cool Down

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Heat Waves Can Lead to Death Without Access to Ways to Cool Down

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(Photo: Unsplash/David Law)High temperatures are being recorded all over the world

Rising temperatures are continuing to adversely affect many people in different parts of the world, but beyond the heat, there are other factors that contribute significantly to raising the risk of fatalities in the midst of a heat wave.

According to a recent NPR report, most of the people who died in Canada’s Quebec province when temperatures soared to 95 degrees were older individuals who lived in homes that lacked air conditioning and who were also suffering from chronic health ailments.

Outside of Quebec, Canada, there were people in other parts of the world who fell victim to the heat and an inability to escape its oppressive effects.

A recent Vox article notes that 65 people died in Karachi, Pakistan, in May from a combination of the extreme heat and having no readily available access to fans or air conditoning because of a power outage. In Japan last weekend, eight people died and over 2,000 were injured as temperatures reached 101 degrees. 

Speaking recently to NPR, David Kaiser, a physician manager at the Montreal Regional Department of Public Health, highlighted certain factors that can put someone’s life at greater risk whenever the temperatures spike.

After examining the nature of the deaths accounted in Montreal from June 29 through July 7, Kaiser found that nearly all of the people who died were over 50, with some even being as old as 85. Furthermore, the majority of the older men who already had pre-existing health problems were the ones who proved to be the most adversely…

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Pray for Zion Hill Baptist Church

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Location: Centralia, Illinois

Pastor: Kyle Emery

Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Central

Fast Facts: In the early morning hours of July 15, the Zion Hill church building was struck by lightning. The resulting fire completely destroyed the church building. Pastor Kyle and his family were on vacation at the time of the fire and returned the next day. This week, the church will meet at the local Baptist association building. They are planning to rebuild the building, but that will take an extensive amount of money, planning, and time. Please pray for Pastor Kyle as he leads Zion Hill through this difficult time. Also, pray for the people of Zion Hill that they not lose courage. Also pray that this event can be used to share the gospel to those in the Centralia communitym and that it will strengthen the witness of the church in the area.

Website: Church Facebook Page

“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.

If you would like to have your church featured in the “Pray for…” series, fill out this information form..

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Prisoners in England Sexually Assaulted by Transgender Inmate

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Prisoners in England Sexually Assaulted by Transgender Inmate


Prisoners in England Sexually Assaulted by Transgender Inmate


Four female inmates at a women’s jail in West Yorkshire say a transgender prisoner sexually assaulted them.


According to The Daily Mail, the first assault happened within days of the transgender prisoner, Karen White, arriving at the jail.


One woman says the transgender prisoner was visibly aroused during the attack. Another female inmate says the transgender prisoner talked inappropriately about oral sex, and a third inmate says the transgender prisoner attacked her. The fourth inmate says the transgender inmate kissed her on the neck.


The BBC says the offenses took place between September to November 2017.


The transgender prisoner has been sent to a Category B men’s jail. She will appear at Leeds Crown Court in August.


According to The Daily Mail, there were 125 transgender prisoners in England and Wales at the end of March 2017. The year prior, there were only 70.


Transgender women can legally change their gender with a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria and have lived as a woman for two years.


Judges use this law to decide which gender facility that transgender prisoners will be sent to— male or female.


Officials from the Ministry of Justice told the BBC that in the “great majority” of cases, transgender inmates are allowed to “experience the system” in the gender they identify.


Officials also said “strict safeguards” were in place to…

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Federal Court to Decide if Church Can Fire Pastor for Not Attracting Members and Spending Too Much Money

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Federal Court to Decide if Church Can Fire Pastor for Not Attracting Members and Spending Too Much Money

(Photo: Becket)The Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church of Pittsburgh.

A federal appeals court is set to decide this year if a historic black church in Pittsburgh has a First Amendment right to fire its pastor after church expenses doubled and membership plummeted under his leadership.

Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church of Pittsburgh, a historic church founded in the late 1800s and located in one of the city’s poorest communities, is defending its right to choose its own religious leaders free from government interference, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

The church’s former pastor, the Rev. William David Lee is suing the church for $2.6 million for breach of contract for dismissing him in 2015. The church hired Lee in 2012 and approved, at his insistence, a 20-year contract early in his tenure as senior pastor, according to court documents cited by Trib Live. Lee’s lawsuit was previously rejected by a federal trial court, citing Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC, which Becket won at the Supreme Court in 2012.

Lee is appealing that decision, arguing that the First Amendment shouldn’t apply because his failure to “attract new souls to Christ” was a “secular” failure, in the same vein as a sports manager failing to “attract new fans to…

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Colombian Rebels-Turned-Politicians Sworn Into Congress – Urban Christian News

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Colombian Rebels-Turned-Politicians Sworn Into Congress – Urban Christian News

With the swipe of a taupe shade of eyeshadow and the swearing of an oath, Sandra Ramirez’s transformation from rebel guerrilla to senator was complete.

Eight ex-combatants with Colombia’s once-largest rebel group were sworn into office Friday in another crucial step in implementing the country’s peace accord, taking seats in Congress alongside some lawmakers who for years were bitter enemies.

“This is a big responsibility we’ll be shouldering,” said Ramirez, the widow of a legendary guerrilla leader. “It’s a change from life in the mountains, from boots in the mud.”

The fledging politicians represent a small faction in a Congress that has the task of pushing forward key aspects of the peace agreement. The rebels were guaranteed 10 seats in the legislature as part of the accord, a stipulation that has angered many Colombians.

In his address to the new legislature, outgoing President Juan Manuel Santos acknowledged the hesitation of Colombians to embrace the former rebels as lawmakers, but he said including them in politics is a powerful demonstration of democracy.

“It fills me with satisfaction that those who for more than half a century fought the state and its institutions with arms today bow to the constitution,” Santos said.

The oath ceremony comes just weeks before conservative Ivan Duque assumes the presidency amid signs that the peace accord remains on shaky ground. Duque vowed throughout his campaign to modify important aspects of the agreement, though he has softened some of his positions since the polarizing election.

Two of the former leaders of the…

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Trump-Putin summit begins: How to navigate volatile times

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Trump-Putin summit begins: How to navigate volatile times

When the World Cup began a month ago, Argentina was favored to defeat Brazil in the final. France was predicted to lose in the knockout stage; Croatia was not expected to get that far.

As half the world watched yesterday, France defeated Croatia to win the title.

Before Saturday morning, few people had heard of Angelique Kerber, while Serena Williams has been recognized as the greatest tennis player of all time. Then Kerber defeated Williams to win the Wimbledon championship.

This time last year, Novak Djokovic was out of tennis and dealing with an elbow injury that required surgery. Yesterday he won the men’s Wimbledon title in straight sets.

Now the world is watching as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin prepare for their summit in Helsinki, Finland. According to Fox News, the two are expected to discuss Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election, Putin’s forcible annexation of Crimea, sanctions imposed by the US in response to that annexation, the conflict in Syria, and nuclear arms control.

However, it is impossible to predict what will actually come from their meeting.

Facing an unpredictable future

The Soviet Union was our World War II ally, then it became our bitter Cold War enemy, then it became our ally in democracy, then it became whatever it is today under Putin. Are the Russians helping us defeat ISIS and counter Iran in the Middle East? Or are they undermining our democracy and electoral process? Or both?

Is a recession more likely after ten years of economic expansion, twice the average length since 1945? Or are market fundamentals so sound that a continuing bull market is more likely?

The legal status of abortion has been secure since the Supreme Court’s tragic Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. Now the nation is asking whether abortion will become more restricted if Judge Brett Kavanaugh wins confirmation to the Supreme Court.

Religious liberty was a bedrock value of American democracy before the Supreme Court legalized same-sex…

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19 year old woman to go to court for spending 6 hours on a church roof

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19 year old woman to go to court for spending 6 hours on a church roof

The 19-year-old was on top of Greyfriars Church in Aberdeen for more than five hours on Saturday.

The tall Gothic structure is on the corner of two streets. 

A congregation haven’t met there in over 7 years but there are plans for it to be internally converted into a restaurant and bar. 

It’s unknown why the woman was up there. 

The Press and Journal report that emergency services were called at around 10.30am.

Fire and ambulance crews came to find a way to get the woman off the church roof.

The action of getting on top of the 1903 building means the woman is expected to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff court on Monday.

A police spokesman said: “Following an incident today at Greyfriars Church, Broad Street, Aberdeen, Police Scotland can confirm that no persons were injured as a result of the incident, which has now been resolved.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

 

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