(RNS) — Popular pastor and speaker Tony Campolo, 85, is recovering from a stroke he had on June 20, his family shared publicly in a statement on Monday (July 6). The stroke partially paralyzed the left side of Campolo’s face and body.

He is currently in recovery at the Beaumont Health Center, which is part of the retirement community near Philadelphia where Campolo lives with his wife, Peggy Campolo.

Peggy Campolo is unable to see her husband in person due to COVID-19 restrictions. According to the family’s statement, she visits from outside Campolo’s window while helping supervise his care.

“Obviously this is a difficult situation for everyone, but we are grateful that both our parents’ minds, spirits and determination to serve are still strong, and we are genuinely optimistic about their prospects for getting their lives back on track,” wrote Campolo’s children, Bart Campolo and Lisa Goodheart, in the statement.

This is the second stroke Campolo has suffered. His first occurred in April 2002.

Shane Claiborne, a ministry partner and friend of Campolo, said Campolo is responsive and his mind is still sharp, but he’s experiencing challenges with speech and movement.

Campolo is professor emeritus of sociology at Eastern University and co-founder of Red Letter Christians, an evangelical Christian movement also led by Claiborne that focuses on Jesus’ teachings on the…

Television commentator and former NFL coach Tony Dungy sparked a social media debate over the Independence Day weekend after urging Americans to “work to improve” the United States while also celebrating the “blessings” its citizens enjoy.

Dungy, the NBC studio analyst and the former coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts, tweeted his initial comment about America on the morning of the Fourth of July. After receiving pushback by some followers, he stood his ground.

“Over the last few weeks we have focused on America’s faults,” Dungy wrote in his first tweet. “We must work to improve those things but today we should celebrate our country’s birthday. We enjoy a lot of blessings and I’m thankful I live in America. I pray that God will show us how to help our country grow!”

Over the last few weeks we have focused on America’s faults. We must work to improve those things but today we should celebrate our country’s birthday. We enjoy a lot of blessings and I’m thankful I live in America. I pray that God will show us how to help our country grow! 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/hS5VPUPOux

— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) July 4, 2020

It received 4,500 retweets but also 300-plus comments.

Dungy, who was the first black head coach to win a Super Bowl, responded to several black fans who criticized his viewpoint.

One person wrote, “Coach I love…

Israel’s Defense Ministry has successfully launched a new reconnaissance satellite into space.

“This is another extraordinary achievement for the defense establishment, for the defense industries as a whole, and for Israel Aerospace Industries in particular,” said Israeli Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz.

Added Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “We never stop our security efforts. The success of Ofek 16 enlarging our capabilities to fight Israel’s enemies, close and far, in the sea, on the ground, in the air and in Space.”

According to CBN News, satellite Ofek-16 is working and will undergo a series of tests before becoming fully operational. The launch team included the Space Administration in the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMoD), and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

“The fact that Israel is one of the 13 countries in the world with satellite launching capabilities is not a given, and was made possible by the people who have been investing in these systems and advancing breakthrough capabilities over the years. We will continue to strengthen and maintain Israel’s capabilities on every front, in every place,” Gantz said.

The satellite will add to Israel’s other military satellites orbiting in space and will be managed by the Israel Defense Forces.

“Our network of satellites lets us…

Pro-lifers are more likely than pro-choicers to be single-issue voters and say they will only vote for someone who shares their beliefs about abortion, according to a new Gallup survey.

The poll of 1,028 adults found that 30 percent of pro-life adults but 19 percent of pro-choicers say they would “only vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion.”

It’s the widest gap between pro-lifers and pro-choicers on the question since 2001. Pro-lifers have led on the question every year.

“The latest findings … show the continuation of a trend seen since 2001 whereby Americans who consider themselves to be pro-life are more likely than those who identify as pro-choice to say abortion is a threshold issue,” Gallup’s Megan Brenan wrote in an analysis.

“While these groups have placed varying degrees of importance on the abortion issue in the past, the gap in their views has widened.”

All total, 24 percent of U.S. adults say they will only vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion.

Although there is a major difference between pro-lifers and pro-choicers on the issue, there is little difference between Republicans and Democrats. A total of 26 percent of Republicans, 27 percent of Democrats and 19 percent of Independents are single-issue voters on abortion. A full 47 percent of Republicans, 47 percent of Independents and 50 percent of Democrats say…

NEW DELHI, July 7, 2020 (Morning Star News) – Tribal Hindus persecuted a widowed, Christian mother of four before her body was found severely mutilated in the wilderness near her village in Chhattisgarh, India, sources said.

The body of 40-year-old Bajjo Bai Mandavi was initially unrecognizable as it appeared to have been eaten by wild animals when it was found two miles into the wilderness near her native Kumud village, Kuye Mari, on May 29. She was last seen going into the wilderness of Kondagaon District to collect firewood on May 25.

The death threats, deprivation of water and shunning she had suffered at the hands of villagers who were upset that she left their blend of Hindu and traditional tribal rituals led family members and area Christian leaders to believe she was raped and killed before animals fed on her body, they said.

“There was no way to find out who the people were who raped my sister-in-law and then murdered her, so police and the authorities thought best to call it an attack by a wild animal,” a sobbing Bhajnath Mandavi, her brother-in-law, told Morning Star News.

Bhajnath Mandavi is the younger brother of Bhola Mandavi, who died of an illness four years ago, leaving Bajjo Bai Mandavi with children who are now 6, 8, 12 and 17.

Villagers had met four times to discuss action against her, area pastor Rupesh Kumar Salam told Morning Star News.

“She was threatened and…

Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain was recently infected with COVID-19 but is gradually recovering in an Atlanta-based hospital.

His team has been posting updates on Herman Cain’s official Twitter account since the initial announcement last Thursday, according to the Christian Post.

Cain, 74, first tested positive for COVID-19 on June 29. Then on July 1, Cain’s team noted on Twitter that the business executive had developed more serious symptoms that required hospitalization.

“There is no way of knowing for sure how or where Mr. Cain contracted the coronavirus, but we do know he is a fighter who has beaten Stage 4 cancer,” the statement read. “With God’s help, we are confident he will make a quick and complete recovery.”

We are sorry to announce that Herman Cain has tested positive for COVID-19, and is currently receiving treatment in an Atlanta-area hospital.
Please keep him, and all who are battling this virus, in your prayers.
Our full statement appears below. Updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/lDRW7Rla4e

— Herman Cain (@THEHermanCain) July 2, 2020

On Sunday, Cain’s team posted an encouraging update, citing the power of prayer as a reason his condition has been improving.

“Update: Herman wants to thank everyone for praying for him. It’s making a difference.” the team wrote Sunday evening. “He’s still in the hospital but he’s…

The against-all-odds story of former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner will soon be a faith-based movie.

American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story will be directed by Jon and Andrew Erwin and released by Lionsgate. Kingdom Story Company is making it. A release date has not been set, although the movie is in pre-production.

The Erwins also directed I Still Believe, I Can Only Imagine and Woodlawn.

Warner’s story seemingly was made for a Hollywood film: He was working at a Hy-Vee grocery store in the 1990s when he won a job as quarterback for an Arena Football League team, the Iowa Barnstormers. He was so impressive that he eventually was signed by the St. Louis Rams, which he guided to two Super Bowls, winning it in 2000 (the 1999 season).

He’s also an outspoken Christian.

Zachary Levi (Shazam!) will play Warner, according to Deadline. Mark Ciardi, Kevin Downes and Kurt and Brenda Warner will co-produce it.

Jon Erwin called the story “incredible.”

“It’s one of the greatest underdog stories I’ve ever heard,” Erwin told Christian Headlines. “And the story behind the story – the story that people don’t know – is even stronger. Kurt and Brenda are amazing friends. They’re amazing partners. That movie is going to be extraordinary. It’s like Jerry Maguire meets Rocky – from the supermarket to the Super Bowl.”

Warner played college football at Northern Iowa and…

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to be lifted in China, churches across the country are starting to plan their reopening.

It appears, however, some churches are not being allowed to reconvene until congregants sing the national anthem and the national flag is raised under the instruction of the Chinese Communist Party, Bitter Winter reports.

On June 14, The Lishiting Catholic Church in the Shunhe district of Kaifeng reopened for the first time in five months.

In a gathering of around 20 people, a priest rang in the church’s reopening with a flag-raising ceremony. According to Bitter Winter, government officials attended the ceremony in a supervisory capacity.

“We solemnly raise the national flag here today after the epidemic, witnessing the fruits of all people working together under the leadership of Xi Jinping who directs the government and the Party,” the priest said.

Also on that day, in the Shunhe district, the Gangxi Christian Church reopened under the aforementioned conditions. According to one congregant, Church leaders were also instructed to commend Chinese leaders’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The church finally reopened after five months, 147 days, or 21 Sundays, but instead of singing hymns to praise God, the government required us to raise the national flag and sing the national anthem, praising Xi Jinping’s ‘victory in fighting the…

States are allowed to enforce sanctions against “faithless electors” who do not vote for the popular winner, according to a new ruling from the Supreme Court.

Fox News reports that the justices upheld state laws that require “faithless electors” to back the popular vote. The case was sparked by the “Hamilton Electors” in 2016 who chose moderate Republicans instead of Hillary Clinton in an attempt to push votes away from Donald Trump.

The court ruled unanimously, 9-0, that the sanctions imposed on the electors in Washington and Colorado were constitutional.  Michael Baca of Colorado was removed and replaced while Bret Chiafalo of Washington received a fine.

“We’re trying to be that ‘break in case of emergency’ fire hose that’s gotten dusty over the last 200 years,” Chiafalo told The Atlantic  in 2016. “This is an emergency.”

Electors cast the final official ballot for the presidential election based off of the popular vote in the state. In rare cases, the electors will break off from the popular vote and instead cast a vote for a different candidate.

“Among the devices States have long used to achieve their object are pledge laws, designed to impress on electors their role as agents of others,” said Justice Elena Kagan. “That direction accords with the Constitution—as well as with the trust of a Nation that here, We the People rule.”

Washington…