After 126 years, the Mississippi state flag will be changed in order to remove the Confederate symbol it is currently displaying.

In a state where 38 percent of the population is Black, Mississippi is the last state in the U.S. to feature a symbol that many view as racist.

The historic decision came on Sunday afternoon by Mississippi Lawmakers, who voted the bill in succession. CBN News reported that the vote in the Mississippi House was passed 91-23 and the vote in the Senate was 37-14 with bipartisan support.

Republican Governor Tate Reeves also expressed his support noting that he will sign the bill following the decision. An official date for the signing has yet to be determined.

Prior to the decision, amid civil unrest, calls to remove the Confederate symbol from the flag increased. Political, business, religious and sports groups also demonstrated support.

Earlier in June, thousands of people cheered as an organizer of a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Reeves’ house urged Mississippi officials to part ways with all Confederate symbols.

As Christian Headlines previously reported, religious groups, such as the influential Mississippi Baptist Convention, also called for the removal of the Confederate symbol, calling it a “moral issue.”

Business groups also pointed to the controversial emblem for impeding the state’s economic development. Mississippi is one of the poorest…

Iran petitioned Interpol for help in arresting President Donald Trump on Monday.

Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr accused the President and 35 other officials of killing Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike on January 3, saying Trump faces “murder and terrorism charges.”

The AP reported that Interpol later rejected the arrest warrant and “would not consider requests of this nature.” But the charges highlight ongoing contention between Iran and the United States, largely sparked by Trump’s withdrawal of support for Tehran’s nuclear deal.

Despite Interpol’s denial, Alquasimehr pledged that Iran would continue to seek out the President and other high-ranking officials. Tehran Attorney General Ali Alqasi Mehr promised to prosecute Trump as soon as his presidency concludes, according to CNN.

Alquasimehr also requested a “red notice” from Interpol, which can limit the suspect’s travel. Other countries are not required to enforce the notice and Interpol is unlikely to honor that request as well.

US special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, found the warrant “foolish,” calling it a “propaganda stunt.” Iran’s request also violated Interpol’s constitution which “strictly [forbids] for the organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.”

A US drone killed Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport earlier this…

June 30, 2020 (Morning Star News) – Legislation passed by parliament in Iran could make it easier to arrest and imprison Christians and other religious minorities, rights advocates said.

Under amendments to articles 499 and 500 of the Islamic Penal Code, those found guilty of “deviant psychological manipulation” or “propaganda contrary to Islam,” whether in the “real or virtual sphere,” could be labeled as “sects,” according to advocacy group Article 18.

The law enables the regime to ban any group as a sect and may lead to punishment that could be escalated to include the death penalty, said Hamid Garagozloo, U.S. representative of The International Organization to Preserve Human Rights (IOPHR), while moderating a recent webinar panel discussion with representatives of religious minorities who could be affected by the law.

Expanding the margin for Iranian authorities to justify discriminatory actions against Christian converts, the law would make it more difficult for lawyers to defend them and other religious minorities, according to a Middle East expert at advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

While the amendment has been in the pipeline for two years, it was recently approved by parliament in the middle of May, according to a researcher at advocacy group Middle East Concern (MEC).

“The last couple of weeks, religious minorities have started to…

Hindu nationalists have unleashed a wave of torment and oppression to the Body of Christ in recent weeks as COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted in India.

According to International Christian Concern (ICC), a Christian based human rights organization, in just two weeks, there have been at least eight incidents of Hindu nationalists threatening and physically assaulting Christians as well as inflicting damage to Christian owned properties.

One incident in particular had a pastor suffer a brutal beatdown by a mob of nearly 150 Hindus as he was praying for a sick person on the morning of June 21.

“They kicked me like they would kick a football,” Pastor Suresh Rao told ICC. “They dragged me into the street and pushed me to the ground. There, they started to trample on me.”

He continued, “They tore my clothes, kicked me all over my body, and punched my left eye. I have sustained a serious eye injury as a result of a blood clot.”

Pastor Rao, who also functions as a church planter, noted that the mob told him that he was conducting illegal conversions of Hindus to Christians.

“They said that India is a Hindu nation, and there is no place for Christians,” Rao explained.

“I am prepared for this kind of eventuality,” Pastor Rao, who has dealt with multiple counts of persecution beforehand. “I know the cost of serving Jesus in these remote…

The U.S. Supreme Court handed supporters of school choice and private religious schools a major victory Tuesday, ruling that a Montana tax credit scholarship program does not violate the federal constitution if the money is used by parents for religious schooling.

At issue was a Montana program that gives individuals a tax credit up to $150 each year for donating to privately run student scholarship organizations. Those organizations then award scholarships to parents who send their children to private schools of their choice.

The Montana Supreme Court struck down the program and ruled it violated the state constitution because the money can be used for religious schools. The state constitution prohibits religious schools receiving government money in either a “direct or indirect” way. It’s sometimes called the “no aid provision” or the Blaine Amendment.

Parents of children who attended a Christian school in northwestern Montana brought the suit and then filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court.

Chief Justice John Roberts, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that the state’s application of the Montana constitution discriminated against religious schools and families in violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Roberts was joined in the opinion by the court’s conservative justices: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil…

Brooklyn Pastor A.R Bernard of Christian Cultural Center was joined by award-winning actor Denzel Washington on Instagram Live Thursday where they discussed Washington’s spiritual journey and relationship with God.

In the 33-minute video, Washington noted that he had given his life to Christ three times when he was younger, Fox News reported.

In one of those moments, the “Training Day” actor described a “supernatural” encounter with the living God back in the 80s during a church service.

“I was filled with the Holy Ghost and it scared me. I said, ‘Wait a minute, I didn’t want to go this deep, I want to party,’” Washington, 65, said of a time at Bishop Charles E. Blake’s West Angeles Church of God in Christ.

 “I went to church with Robert Townsend and when it came time to come down to the altar I said, ‘You know this time, I’m just going to go down there and give it up and see what happens,’” Washington continued. “I went in the prayer room and gave it up and let go and experienced something I’ve never experienced in my life.”

After the service, the Washington reached out to his mother about the intense experience.

He said, “I felt like I was going up in the air, and my cheeks were filled.” In response, his mother asserted, “’Oh no, that’s the devil you’re purging.’”

Washington added: “It was a supernatural, once in this…

The Archdiocese of St. Louis in Missouri is trying to protect a statue of King Louis IX of France as protesters call for its removal.

The statue, which stands in front of the St. Louis Art Museum in Forest Park, Missouri, depicts King Louis IX riding a horse.

“The history of the statue of St. Louis, the King is one founded in piety and reverence before God, and for non-believers, respect for one’s neighbor,” the archdiocese said in a statement on Sunday, the Christian Post reports. “The reforms that St. Louis implemented in French government focused on impartial justice, protecting the rights of his subjects, steep penalties for royal officials abusing power, and a series of initiatives to help the poor.”

Protestors, however, say the statue should be taken down because of the king’s history of persecuting Jews. Demonstrators have started a change.org petition asking for the statue’s removal and calling for the city to change its name from St. Louis.

“In 2017 St. Louis removed the Confederate Monument in Forest Park after protests. In 2020 the statue of Christopher Columbus was removed from Tower Grove Park. It is now time for St. Louis to take the bold step to remove the statue of King Louis IX from Forest Park and rename the city,” the petition says.

“For those unfamiliar with King Louis IX, he was a rabid anti-semite who spearheaded many persecutions…

Disney Channel and Nickelodeon once limited their celebration of LGBT Pride Month to social media platforms, but are now broadcasting commercials placing the issue in front of America’s children.

A June commercial sponsored and aired by the Disney Channel featured a smiling Raven-Symoné, who is lesbian, discussing LGBT pride, even though she never says “gay,” “lesbian” or any other word in the acronym.

“We’re in a new age where it’s not just black and white anymore. We have purple, red and the entire rainbow,” Raven-Symoné says in the ad. “Everybody wants to be treated with respect and it’s beautiful. I love being able to come together with all walks of life – all ages, all colors and celebrating the unity of being our authentic selves. Pride to me is strength. Pride is selfless. Pride is friends, family. Pride is you.”

The Disney Channel ad ends with the phrase “Celebrate Pride” sprawled across the screen against a rainbow background and the Disney Channel logo. The commercial ran over the weekend during an episode of Bunk’d (TV-G).

Nickelodeon broadcast ads in June featuring various LGBT individuals. For example, an ad on Sunday during The Loud House (TV-Y7) spotlighted actress Amandla Stenberg, who is lesbian. The commercial includes images of Stenberg and “Pride Month” graphics.

“We celebrate the activism of Amandla Stenberg,” a…

A U.S. federal judge sided with houses of worship Friday in an injunction against New York officials, saying it’s likely unconstitutional to restrict churches and synagogues to 25 percent capacity while allowing recent protests and not similarly restricting businesses.

The lawsuit was filed by the Thomas More Society on behalf of two Catholic priests and three Jewish congregants against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, claiming a violation of the First Amendment’s protections of free exercise of religion and free speech and freedom to assemble, as well as a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. 

An order by Cuomo limits houses of worship to 25 percent capacity during the pandemic.

Judge Gary L. Sharpe, in a 38-page decision, ruled the houses of worship had demonstrated a likelihood to succeed in their lawsuit.

Houses of worship, Sharpe wrote, had been singled out by the state’s orders.

“On its face, the 25% indoor capacity limitation applies only to houses of worship,” wrote Sharpe, who was nominated by President George W. Bush. “…  “[I]n other words, no other secular entity, save for those that remain closed in their entirety until Phase 4 or beyond, are limited to only 25% capacity.”

Sharpe also criticized Cuomo and de Blasio for limiting houses of worship while supporting mass gatherings of…