Donald Trump and Pope Francis Are 2016 Nobel Peace Prize Nominees

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Donald Trump and Pope Francis Are 2016 Nobel Peace Prize Nominees

Christian Post Report – Donald Trump and Pope Francis are among the nominees for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize, experts confirmed Wednesday.

Along with Trump and the pope, the names of two other candidates have been released, including the Afghan Women’s Cycling Team and Nadia Murad, who escaped Islamic State captivity and is now an activist for rape victims.

More names are expected to be released throughout the month of February, and members of the five-person Norwegian Nobel Committee can submit their own votes for candidates after their February 29 meeting.

According to Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of Oslo’s Peace Research Institute, Trump was nominated for the outstanding award by an anonymous U.S. politician just days before the February 1 deadline.

Harpviken, whose institute analyzes the most probable winner of the prize, told The Telegraph that he had received a letter confirming the U.S. presidential candidate’s nomination.

Although Trump has received criticism for his frequently fiery rhetoric against the U.S. Muslim population, the letter describes Trump’s approach as “a threat weapon of deterrence against radical Islam, ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – ISIL], nuclear Iran and Communist China,” adding that the presidential candidate uses “vigorous peace-through-strength ideology.”

Harpviken added to The Telegraph that while he must keep the identity of Trump’s nominator secret, he can confirm that the letter is valid.

“I have committed not to reveal the identity of the nominator, but what I can say is that the nominator has shared a copy of his nomination letter directly with me, that the nominator has a position which gives him the right to nominate, and that I consider it valid,” Harpviken, an expert on the Nobel Peace Prize, told the media outlet.

Although the pope has been a strong contender for the Nobel Peace Prize for the past two years, he has repeatedly implored the committee to select a different recipient, suggesting there are those who have achieved greater social change than himself.

Francis, who has received the backing of Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu, has been championed as the “people’s pope” for his work reforming the Catholic Church in the 21st Century, making it more accessible and appealing to younger generations and moderate Catholics.

Late last year, the pope privately met with the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, the 2015 winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, calling them “architects of peace” for their work rebuilding Tunisia’s democracy after the Jasmine Revolution in 2011.

Although Pope Francis and Donald Trump are making international headlines for their nominations, world leaders have called on other candidates to be considered for the prize.

Audun Lysbakken, leader of Norway’s Socialist Left Party, told The Associated Press that she nominated Yazidi activist Nadia Murad for the award to call attention to the international issue of sex slavery.

Murad is now an activist for sexually abused women after she escaped captivity by the Islamic State.

“We want a peace prize that can awaken the world to the fight against sexual violence as a weapon of war,” the Norwegian lawmaker said in a statement.

Previous recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize include teenage education activist Malala Yousafzai in 2014, children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi in 2014, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in 2013.

Source : Christian Post

Richard Dawkins Criticized for Sharing Pro Neo-Nazi Propaganda Tweet

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Richard Dawkins Criticized for Sharing Pro Neo-Nazi Propaganda Tweet

Christian Post Report – Well-known atheist and best-selling author Richard Dawkins speaks to supporters during the “Rock Beyond Belief” festival at Fort Bragg Army Base in North Carolina, March 31, 2012.

Well-known atheist Richard Dawkins faced criticism this week after he accidentally tweeted pro neo-Nazi propaganda.

The controversy began when Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, tweeted the cover of a fake book that mocked social justice politics.

The image, posted to Twitter on Monday, shows a photoshopped cover of Dawkins’ book, The God Delusion, with the new title “The Social Justice Delusion.”

A photoshopped image of the book cover’s back includes a description mocking the tenants of social justice politics, with the conclusion: “eat [expletive] and die. All I ever asked was to be left alone.”

A caption accompanying the image read: “For those who- inevitably- won’t get it, this IS a joke. But like most good jokes, it’s also serious.”

Dawkins deleted the tweet shortly after its posting when multiple social media users drew attention to the digital barcode on the back of the book cover.

As several people pointed out, the barcode belonged to a pro neo-Nazi book entitled, We Must Secure the Existence of Our People and A Future For White Children.

Dawkins had evidently retweeted the book image but failed to realize that the barcode accompanying the fake book belonged to neo-Nazi propaganda.

The famous atheist, who is known for his combative language, then sought to defend his actions when asked by fellow tweeters why he shared such an image.

“@RichardDawkins Hi Richard, are you aware you tweeted a link to Nazi propaganda (via QR code)? I see you deleted the tweet,” Rob Price asked of Dawkins, to which the author, speaker and activist responded: “Yes. That’s of course why I deleted it.”

Dawkins has been criticized for offensive, controversial tweets in the past, receiving a rash of condemnation last week for poking fun at feminists and extremist Muslims, while also implying that Muslim men condone rape as consensual.

A YouTube video shared by Dawkins shows a cartoon feminist and a cartoon Muslim extremist singing a duet together, in which they impy that their “ideologies are essentially the same.”

The video ends with the Islamic extremist asking the feminist: “So do you mind if I rape you now?”

“Don’t be silly; it’s not rape when a Muslim does it!” the woman replies.

Dozens of social media users had strong reactions to the cartoon, accusing Dawkins of comparing feminism to Islamic extremism.

The video proved so offensive to some that the Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism [NECSS] announced it would be dropping Dawkins as their keynote speaker for an upcoming event.

“We have taken this action in response to Dr Dawkins’ approving retweet of a highly offensive video,” the conference said in a statement. “We believe strongly in freedom of speech and freedom to express unpopular, and even offensive, views. However, unnecessarily divisive, counterproductive, and even hateful speech runs contrary to our mission and the environment we wish to foster at NECSS.”

Despite widespread backlash, Dawkins sought to defend himself, tweeting: “Criticising SOME feminists is not the same thing as criticising ALL feminists. Please tell me that’s obvious. Some is not all. Or even many.”

Source : Christian Post

Carolina Panthers’ Jerricho Cotchery on His Christian Faith in the Locker Room and Playing in the Super Bowl (Interview)

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Carolina Panthers’ Jerricho Cotchery on His Christian Faith in the Locker Room and Playing in the Super Bowl (Interview)
Christian Post Report – Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (82) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys strong safety Jeff Heath (38) during the third quarter of a NFL game on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium. Nov 26, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA.

The NFL’s Carolina Panthers are getting ready to play in the franchise’s second Super Bowl. Their team is filled with high-character players on and off the field. Panthers wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery recently joined Christian Post contributor Bryce Johnson on his syndicated UNPACKIN’ it radio show to talk about his faith and the team’s exciting season.

Bryce: We know there are teams in the NFL with talented players, but they don’t necessarily click as a team. However, this Panthers team has lots of talent, but also appears to be really team-minded. It’s on the same page … really likes each other … and you’ve called the team special. So, how do you describe the uniqueness of this team?

Jerricho Cotchery(Photo: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)Carolina Panthers receiver Jerricho Cotchery addresses the media at press conference prior to Super Bowl 50 at the San Jose McNery Convention Center. Feb 2, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA.

Jerricho: I think we’re one. We’re just a selfless group of guys that genuinely want to see the next man succeed. When you’ve got a bunch of guys like that you’re going to end up with a special group, and we truly have that.

We have guys that are willing to work and enjoy being around each other — that enjoy those informal moments where we get to sit down and have those conversations about anything. It’s been a pleasure to be around this group. It was no different last year when we were 3-8-1. It was still a pleasure to come into work because of the guys this organization has brought into this locker room.

Bryce: Have the players created this culture, or is it a combination of the coaches also creating it? Is it intentional or is it that guys just naturally get along and click?

Jerricho: I think the organization has identified guys that they want to be in this locker room and that they want to represent the Carolina Panthers. They are Ron Rivera guys — guys that put the team first. The coach talks about the team all the time. It’s about the team — it’s not about one individual.

Guys have truly bought into that and everyone feels like their part of this thing. That’s a special thing and you have to have a special coach in order to make that happen. Coach Rivera has done an excellent job, and the staff he has working for him are doing a great job as well.

Bryce: The other aspect of it is the faith side for a lot of these players, and yourself included, so what role has that played in some of the unity of this team and the deeper relationships that exist in that locker room because of the common thread of your beliefs and faith?

Jerricho: Faith always plays a role in the strong group of guys we have on the team. When you have that solid part in there, there’s always that go-to group — especially in those moments that you have to deal with off the field.

I know people see these men on television and forget that they are regular people. They don’t get to understand and see what guys are actually going through in their lives, so being able to be in those relationships through our faith has been a good thing for all of the guys — even the guys not part of the faith because they get to see us live it out day to day.

Bryce: That’s huge for sure! What has God been personally teaching you throughout this season? What’s something that’s been on your heart throughout the year?

Jerricho: That as a Christian everything is always about grace. Not only when you are first saved, but throughout the entirety of your life — your growth as a man, as a husband, as a father, and even as a football player. It’s all about grace.

Being undeserving is an understatement, but I am truly thankful for it and appreciate every moment. I thank God for everything that He is doing.

Bryce: What role do you have as being one of the veterans in the locker room, and being a husband and a father, when not all of the guys are at that stage of life? What is that dynamic like from your perspective — wanting to represent being a good husband and father for some of the younger players?

Jerricho: That’s at the center of everything I do. At the end of the day, being a Christian is my agenda … it’s a heavenly agenda.

I just want to make sure that I represent God the right way before these young men, so that they can see what a husband looks like, what a man looks like, what a dad looks like, and have God glorified from that. So I won’t do anything to put a stumbling block before them as far as how they are to see God. When they see that, it’s a wonderful thing … and guys gravitate toward that. There are always those opportunities.

I don’t necessarily try to detach the things that I say from the things that I do because I believe when you’re married you can’t detach those two from each other. Whatever they see me doing, they are able to match it up with my words and able to see a complete picture of what God represents … and it makes sense for them.

Bryce: Thank you for sharing your heart today, Jerricho. We wish you the best. Thank you so much for joining us on UNPACKIN’ it!

You can listen to this and other UNPACKIN’ it interviews here: Podcasts.

Bryce Johnson is the host of the nationally syndicated sports and faith radio show, UNPACKIN’ it. As the president of UNPACKIN’ it Ministries, his vision is to daily impact sports fans everywhere. Bryce interviews well-known and faithful sports figures about their lives on and off the field while also giving a Biblical perspective on intriguing stories in sports.

Source : Christian Post

Emanuel AME Church Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

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Emanuel AME Church Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Christian Post Report – A crowd gathers outside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church after a prayer vigil nearby in Charleston, South Carolina, June 19, 2015.

A group of politicians from Illinois have nominated the Emanuel AME Church of Charleston, South Carolina, where nine people were brutally gunned down during a Bible study last June, for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Thornton Township, Illinois, supervisor Frank Zuccarelli noted in a WBBM-TV report Monday that the nomination was inspired by the stunning decision of the church family to forgive the accused killer of the nine and avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof, just days after the attack.

“If anyone was responsible for promoting the peace, it was Mother Emanuel and the church leadership,” said Zuccarelli, who traveled to Charleston with other politicians in the aftermath of the attack, according to The Post and Courier. “They demonstrated more love, peace and forgiveness than we have ever seen before. … They are a great example for us all to follow.”

The church was nominated by four U.S. congressmen from Illinois, a state senator, and U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. An Illinois state senator, two college professors and Clyburn also signed on, explained the Courier report.

Zuccarelli and politicians, including U.S. Reps. Bobby Rush and Robyn Kelly, submitted Emanuel’s nomination Saturday to meet Tuesday’s nomination deadline, according to goupstate.

“In some other city, an incident of such hatred and racist horror might have sparked an outpouring of anger, violence and divisiveness — driving crowds into the streets in clashes with each other and police. Instead, something unexpected happened — an outpouring of unity and forgiveness,” explained the Nobel Peace Prize for Charleston petition on the Thornton Township website.

“The entire community of Charleston — church, ordinary citizens, political leaders, business leaders and law enforcement, came together to support those families who lost loved ones. They came together in a spirit of forgiveness, love and peace — not anger or hatred,” it said.

Liz Alston, the Emanuel historian who contributed to the entry, told The Post and Courier that she and other members of the church were in awe of the nomination’s significance. U.S. President Barack Obama received the Nobel Prize in 2009 during the first year of his presidency, and Al Gore, the former vice president, was honored for his advocacy on climate change.

“The mere fact that the church is in the same realm as Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the highest honors,” Alston said. “That our church contributed to peace in this world is just phenomenal, and it’s unequaled in Charleston history.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which has five members, usually receives more than 200 nominations that are kept secret for 50 years, says the Courier. Lawmakers of national governments and past winners can make nominations.

The first judging meeting for the nominations will be on Feb. 29.

Source : Christian Post

Christians Among Happiest of All Faith Groups, Non-Religious the Least, Survey Reveals

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Christians Among Happiest of All Faith Groups, Non-Religious the Least, Survey Reveals
Christian Post Report – Messengers at the 2015 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting worship together in between small group and corporate prayer time during the June 16 evening session dedicated to prayer at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Statistics from Britain’s national happiness index have suggested that Christians are among the happiest people the nation, while those who don’t identify with any particular religion generally scored the lowest life satisfaction numbers.

The Office for National Statistics posted numbers pertaining to several happiness and life satisfaction questions measured between April 2012 and March 2015.

The study, released Tuesday, found that Christians, with all denominations grouped together, reported an average mean of life satisfaction at 7.60. This was the highest mean in the table, alongside Hindus, who also posted the same number. The groups with the lowest average score were the non-religious at 7.41, and the “any other religion” group, at 7.31.

When it came to the question of whether life is worthwhile, Jews and Christians were on an average most likely to answer yes, at 7.90 and 7.86 mean respectively. The non-religious were at the lowest end of the scale, with a 7.58 mean.

Similar results were also marked in the general happiness question, with Hindus and Christians scoring the highest average means, at 7.57 and 7.47 respectively. Once again the non-religious had the lowest number, at 7.22.

The detailed survey, which had a sample size of 304,740 people, explored the questions in a variety of other categories as well, including geographic locations within the U.K., age groups and health status.

The statistics showed that the 65 to 79 age group was the happiest of all, while those aged 45 to 59 reported the lowest levels of life satisfaction.

As for the religious group results, Dr. Paul McLaren, a consultant psychiatrist at the Priory Hospitals, said that faith can indeed be a protective factor for many people.

“With it usually comes strong social support which is a recognized protective factor against psychological trauma,” McLaren said, according to The Telegraph.

Other studies in the past, such as a December 2014 release by the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture, have also found that there is a strong link between happiness and religion.

The results found that 45 percent of those who attend church weekly would describe themselves as “very happy,” while only 28 percent of those who never attend said the same.

On the other end of the scale, 4 percent of those who never attend church said they were “very unhappy,” compared to 2 percent of those that attend weekly.

“Greater levels of church attendance predict higher life satisfaction even when we account for how important religious faith is in people’s lives,” the study said at the time.

“This result offers tentative evidence that actual integration into a religious support network through attendance at religious services may in part be responsible for the increased happiness observed among religious people.”

Source : Christian Post

LGBT Activist Now Supports Irish Bakery’s Right to Refuse to Make Pro-Gay Marriage ‘Bert and Ernie’ Cake

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LGBT Activist Now Supports Irish Bakery’s Right to Refuse to Make Pro-Gay Marriage ‘Bert and Ernie’ Cake
Christian Post Report – Daniel McArthur (C) general manager of Ashers bakery involved in a “gay cake” legal dispute speaks to the media outside Laganside court in Belfast. March 26, 2015. Ashers refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan on it which was to be given to Andrew Muir, Northern Ireland’s first openly gay mayor. The bakers refused to make the cake on the grounds that it contradicted their religious beliefs according to local media.

A gay rights activist who previously favored prosecuting an Irish bakery for refusing to make a pro-gay marriage cake has changed his mind on the matter.

Peter Tatchell, a prominent LGBT activist in the U.K., penned a column for the Guardian that was published Monday in which he took to defending the rights of Ashers Bakery in Belfest, Northern Ireland.

Tatchell stated that while he disagreed with Ashers’ opposition to homosexuality, he nevertheless believed that the business had a right to refuse to make a pro-gay marriage cake.

“Much as I wish to defend the gay community, I also want to defend freedom of conscience, expression and religion,” wrote Tatchell.

“In my view, it is an infringement of freedom to require businesses to aid the promotion of ideas to which they conscientiously object. Discrimination against people should be unlawful, but not against ideas.”

Bert and Ernie (Photo: The Christian Institute Youtube screenshot)Bert and Ernie “support gay marriage” cake turned down by U.K. Christian bakery, facing threat of legal action in June 2014.

Tatchell also argued that the initial ruling against the bakery last year, which included fining them about 500 pounds, “sets a worrying precedent” that may lead to many troubling incidents.

“This raises the question: should Muslim printers be obliged to publish cartoons of Mohammed? Or Jewish ones publish the words of a Holocaust denier? Or gay bakers accept orders for cakes with homophobic slurs?” continued Tatchell.

“If the Ashers verdict stands it could, for example, encourage far-right extremists to demand that bakeries and other service providers facilitate the promotion of anti-migrant and anti-Muslim opinions. It would leave businesses unable to refuse to decorate cakes or print posters with bigoted messages.”

In 2014, Ashers Bakery was taken to court by LGBT activist Gareth Lee for their refusal to bake a pro-gay marriage cake featuring Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie.

Last May a Belfast County Court judge found the owners of Ashers guilty of discrimination, concluding that while the employees had “genuine and deeply held” religious beliefs, as a business they were not exempt from anti-discrimination law.

Ashers’ General Manager Daniel McArthur told BBC News following the May ruling that their refusal had nothing to do with Lee’s sexual orientation, but rather the specific message he wanted on the cake.

“We’ve said from the start that our issue was with the message on the cake, not with the customer and that we didn’t know what the sexual orientation of Mr Lee was, and it wasn’t relevant either,” said McArthur.

“The ruling suggests that all business owners will have to be willing to promote any cause or campaign, no matter how much they disagree with it.”

Tatchell’s column comes the same week that the Ashers Bakery owners have a hearing before an appellate court in Belfast.

Source : Christian Post

Hip-Hop Producer DJ Cooley Shares Testimony on Trading in the Clubs for Christ

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Hip-Hop Producer DJ Cooley Shares Testimony on Trading in the Clubs for Christ

Christian Post Report – New Jersey Rapper Fetty Wap poses with DJ Cooley.

Christian rapper DJ Cooley is sharing his testimony in a 6-minute video on YouTube in which he talks about his experiences in the hip-hop industry since the age of 15, and the moment that led him to fully seek God.

Cooley says that while he was partying and drinking during the week he was still going to church on Sundays but was beginning to feel convicted for the lifestyle he was leading.

“I was doing that stuff all week long and still going to church on Sunday. That’s crazy,” He admits. “You know how that goes, you have flexing Fridays, syrup sippin’ Saturdays, then you trying to be sanctified on Sunday. That was me.”

As he sat in church week after week, listening to sermon after sermon, the Camden, New Jersey-native said it “finally hit him.” A battle raged within him every time the pastor made an altar call and he described feeling nothing at times when everyone else around him basked in the presence of God, but then curiosity set in.

“I said ‘You know what, I’ma give this two months. I’ma seek God with all my heart for two months straight. No social media, no facebook, no instagram, no snapchat, no twitter, none of that,” he continues.

DJ Cooley(Photo: YouTube/DJ Cooley)DJ Cooley sits on a throne throwing money in rap music video, 2016.

Cooley reveals that he cut off his friends, stopped making music, and refrained from drinking and clubbing during that time and devoted himself to prayer, which is something he admits was not easy to do because of temptation.

“When you focus on God, God will put you around the right people,” he adds, acknowledging a crew of people who encouraged him along the way.

“Basically, what I’m trying to say is that God delivered me. God delivered me from that urge of wanting to be in the music industry, that urge for riches and fame. You know, seeking things of this world,” he attested. “Stop seeking the things of this world, start seeking the riches of God, start seeking the Kingdom of God.”

The rapper then urges his fans to earnestly seek God, with the assurance that God will show up and turn lives around.

“God will take you out the wilderness! God will take you out of that depression! God will take those suicidal thoughts out your head! God will remove the enemy out of your life that’s trying to attack you,” he declares. “All you gotta do is just seek Jesus. Just ask Jesus in your life. Just give him your heart.”

The young convert passionately went on to say that salvation is easy because Jesus in return fights all battles on behalf of his children. He quoted the Bible verse found in John 14:6 and gently assured his viewers that Jesus was the only way into the Kingdom of God.

With thousands of views the video testimony is making its rounds on the Internet and many are hoping that Cooley will witness to the rappers in the industry. He has produced for “Trap Queen” rapper Fetty Wap and many others in the industry and is credited as the producer of “Spaceships,” a song featuring Nikosi, Fetty Wap and North Maine.

Source : Christian Post