Religion News

WA Anti-Discrimination Law Threatens Churches

                A bill has been introduced in Washington State called the Gay Marriage Equality bill, which supposedly will protect clergy from having to conduct gay marriages but actually sets them up for huge lawsuits.  The bill states, "no religious organization is required to provide accommodations, facilities, advantages, privileges, services, or goods related to the solemnization or celebration of a marriage unless the organization offers admission, occupancy, or use of these accommodations or facilities to the public for a fee, or offers those advantages, privileges, services, or goods to the public for sale."  Thus any Washington church that rents their facilities to non-members or holds a bake sale, or has a daycare, would be liable for a lawsuit if they refuse to rent their facility to a homosexual couple for their wedding. 

Men Arrested for Reading Bible

By Becky Yeh - OneNewsNow

                Arraignments were postponed for two Christians who were arrested outside a Department of Motor Vehicles office in Hemet for reading their Bible. Brett Coronado, who was an assistant pastor at Calvary Chapel, Hemet, and Mark Mackey, who worked in the church's evangelism ministry, each face one misdemeanor count for creating a disturbance.              

                The two men were arrested for reading from the Bible to roughly 50 individuals waiting in line outside the DMV. A security guard told Mackey to stop, and when Mackey refused, a police officer was called and Mackey was arrested. Coronado and another church elder then asked the police officer what law Mackey broke, but instead of an answer, they were arrested as well.

                Officials say Coronado and Mackey could not preach on state property without a permit. But attorneys for the two men say the First Amendment rights of their clients were violated, and Esposito believes the men will not face jail time.

Pastors Challenge 'Hate Group' Label

By Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow

                A group of black pastors is protesting at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama because they object to the Center's designation of certain Christian organizations as "hate groups."  Today's protest is led by Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, whose organization is one of several that have been designated a hate group by the SPLC. One of the demonstrators is Dr. Patrick Wooden, senior pastor of Upper Room Church of God in Christ in Raleigh, North Carolina. They have traveled to SPLC headquarters in Montgomery to make a point: do not condemn groups as "racist" and "bigoted" when they adhere to biblical principles.
                "We don't want this group of people to now say to African-Americans, 'Well, it's like being black' -- and we stand idly by and African-Americans not hear from the ministers who have a different point of view," says the pastor.  Wooden believes the SPLC's labeling of mainstream pro-family groups that oppose homosexual activism as hate groups is seriously damaging the SPLC's credibility.

Judge Declares Christian Beliefs Intolerant

                Solomon Metzger, an administrative law judge in New Jersey declared that the  the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association violated anti-discrimination laws when it refused to rent its facilities for a homosexual wedding because the Association viewed same-sex marriage as sin.  The state of New Jersey also denied the Association its property tax exemption because the facility "was not available on an equal basis." The Association's attorney, Jim Campbell, of the Alliance Fund, said that state has no right to force a church to violate their own religious beliefs.  "Religious groups have the right to use their private property in a way that is consistent with their beliefs. That right, protected by both the New Jersey and U.S. constitutions, obviously trumps any law enacted by the state's legislature."

Protestant Pastors Thoughts on Creation and Evolution

                A survey conducted by LifeWay Research asked 1,000 protestant pastors about their views on Creation, Evolution, and the age of the earth.  The survey found that 73% of the pastors did not agree that God used evolution to create man.  Almost the same percentage believed that Adam and Eve were literal people.  When it came to the age of the earth, slightly more pastors believed that the earth is about 6,000 years old than those who believed in millions of years.  Pastors who considered themselves Evangelicals were much more likely to insist that Adam and Eve were literal people (82% of Evangelicals vs. 50% of non-Evangelicals).  Geographically, pastors that believed that god used Evolution to create man were predominantly from the northeast, while those who strongly opposed evolution were in the southern states.

            Even though a victim of Pakistan's blasphemy law has been released from prison on bail, a human rights activist says she's still in danger.  The Christian woman, identified only as "Ruth" for security reasons, was jailed in February after a Muslim man falsely charged her of blasphemy against Muhammad. Since her release, Ruth has spoken with Jonathan Racho of International Christian Concern (ICC) to share about her experience in prison.
            "A lady prison guard tortured me in prison and cut my hair off," Racho reads from her statement. "The entire Muslim fellow prisoners and prison staff hated me a lot. They were so unkind to me, even when I was on my death bed. They wanted me to die without any medical help. They considered me untouchable."
            Knowing that she suffers from tuberculosis and diabetes, the prison warden tried to bribe Ruth with an offer of better treatment if she converted to Islam, but she stood firm on her faith. And even though she has been released, she must still stand trial.
            "People need to understand that even [though] she's released on a bail, she could still be put to death if found guilty of [the] alleged offense," the ICC spokesman laments. So he is calling for international prayer.

Poll Indicates Democrats Seldom Go to Church

            According to Gallup Poll, 52% of Democrats admit that they seldom or never go to church.  Of the remaining Democrats, 20 percent said they go to church nearly weekly or monthly, and 27 percent said they go weekly.  Unfortunately, Republicans are not much better.  The poll shows that 38 percent of Republicans said they seldom or never go to church.  There is a significantly larger group of regular church attendees among Republicans with 40 percent saying the attend every week.

Majority of Young People Turn Away from Faith in Their 20s

Written by The Friends of Israel

            Nearly two-thirds of young people turn away from their faith once they reach their 20s, research by The Barna Group has found, even despite strong levels of spiritual activity in their teens.
            A majority of those in their twenties - 61 percent of young adults - had been churched at one point during their teen years but they are now spiritually disengaged.
            The 2006 study found that, compared to older adults, twenty-plus year olds have significantly lower levels of church attendance, time spent alone studying and reading the Bible, volunteering to help churches, donations to churches, Sunday school and small group involvement, and use of Christian media.

National Motto Affirmed

            The House of Representatives voted early in November to keep our national motto, "In God We Trust".  The resolution passed overwhelmingly with a vote of 396 to 9.  The representatives hope that this will encourage citizens to publicly display our national motto without fear of lawsuits from those who want to remove God from the public sector.

The State, the Church, & the Future of Foster Care

By James Heiser - The New American

            Across the state, Catholic Charities and the Evangelical Child and Family Agency in Wheaton found that they would no longer be able to continue playing a role in placing children in foster care because the state government was going to require them to place children in the homes of same-sex couples - a practice that both Roman Catholics and Evangelicals believe to be contrary to their faith.

            In short, a religious organization that had been involved in foster care long before the creation of the state agency, which now deigns to oversee such religious organizations, has now brought that service to the children of Illinois to an end, in service of the agenda of the homosexual lobby. Regardless of the decision of various denominations and the charities affiliated with them to either uphold traditional marriage or not, the transformation that is taking place in foster care in Illinois marks a significant development in the relationship of children to the State. A sense of the significance of this transition was noted by Jesse Bogan in early September in an article for Stltoday.com.  "The state oversees the foster care system but contracts 80 percent of the caseload to private agencies, of which many are faith-based....In light of the new civil union law, the state believes that policy is discriminatory, while Catholic groups claim their religious freedom is being violated. Catholic organizations were pioneers in child welfare. Foster care was largely in the hands and budgets of faith groups until agencies like Catholic Charities lobbied for the creation of DCFS in the 1960s."

            By lobbying for creation of the DCFS, Catholic Charities and other organizations may have unwittingly contributed to the current debacle. The more authority that is given to the state by taking responsibility away from families and churches when it comes to the care of children, the worse the plight of children will be, and the weaker all institutions will be when confronted by the power of the state. For Christians, who - regardless of denomination - believe that church and family are instituted by God, the rising power of the state to seize for itself the divinely given responsibilities of church and home is a tragic development.

            Despite a recent Pentagon directive, a coalition of chaplain endorsers that represents more than 2,000 military ministers has pledged not to perform same-sex "wedding" ceremonies under any circumstances. Members the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty are concerned about the memorandum issued by the Pentagon September 30 that authorizes military chaplains to perform same-sex "marriage" ceremonies and military chapel facilities to be used for "any private ceremony.

Col. Ron Crews (USA-Ret.), who served as a chaplain for 28 years, is executive director of the Alliance. "We just wanted to let the Department of Defense know that.... some 2,000 chaplains who come from evangelical backgrounds are saying our chaplains will not participate in same-sex ceremonies in the military."  Crews says the Alliance is once again calling on Congress to enact a right of conscience clause in the revised code to ensure that no American service members are forced to deny what the Bible says about homosexuality.

Judge Gives Convicts Choice of Jail or Church Attendance

            A judge in Bay Minette, Alabama, has given misdemenor offenders  the choice of working off their sentence in jail and paying a fine, or attending the church of their choice for a year.  If the offender chooses to attend church, they must check in with the pastor and the police department weekly.  Fifty six local churches have participated in the program.  The judge claims that this is not a violation of church and state because the offender has a choice between jail and church attendance.

Texas Student is Punished for Opposing Homosexuality

            Dakota Ary was sent to the principal's office and sent to in-school suspension for commenting to his friend that he was a Christian and "being a homosexual is wrong." The comment was made during a German class when the teacher's discussion turned to religion and homosexuality. Ary told Fox News, "I guess [the teacher] heard me. He started yelling. He told me he was going to write me an infraction and send me to the office." The high school German teacher had a history of bringing up homosexual topics.  He even displayed two men kissing on his classroom "world wall". After Ary's mother hired an attorney from Liberty Council, the school has revoked the suspension and cleared his record.  Liberty Council is monitoring the case to make sure there are no further retributions to Ary.

No Evangelicals Invited to Join Obama at D.C. 9-11 Prayer Service

By Dave Bohon- the New American

            President Obama was the featured speaker at an "interfaith faith prayer service" at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C  on the evening of September 11th to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the nation. Curiously, while the event also included a "Roman Catholic bishop, a Jewish rabbi, Buddhist nun, a Hindu priest, the president of the Islamic Society of North America, and a Muslim musician," reported Ron Kerby at Beliefnet.com, "…not a single protestant or evangelical has was to participate."

            Most conspicuously absent, noted Kerby, was official representation from the nation's 16.6 million Southern Baptists, by far America's largest Protestant denomination. "Completely left off the program was anybody represented by the National Association of Evangelicals," he added. "No Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Congregationalists, Wesleyans, or Mennonites. Nobody from the Church of Christ or the Assemblies of God."

            Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, said the service was shaping up to look more like a United Nations pep rally than a prayer service. "Three quarters of the American people identify as Christian and nearly a third of them are evangelical Christian," he told Fox News. "And yet, there is not a single evangelical on the program."
            Noting that the event was drenched in political correctness, Perkins told Fox that it is "historically inaccurate that in times of need or mourning that Americans pray to the Hindu or Buddhist gods or the god of Islam. America is overtly a Christian nation that prays to the Judeo-Christian God - and specifically to Jesus Christ."

Media Sites Censor Christian Content

            The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) has issued a report on the censorious nature of media sites when it comes to Christian viewpoints.  The group's study examined the practices of Apple and its iTunes App Store, Google, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, as well as Internet service providers AT&T, Comcast and Verizon.  Among these, only Twitter showed fairness toward Christian content.  Apple's iTunes removed an Ap made by Exodus International, that helps those struggling with homosexuality to leave their lifestyles.  Facebook stated that they will delete anything that appears anti-homosexual.  Google for Non-Profits web tool will not accept any religious groups on their  site that consider religion or sexual orientation in their hiring practices.  Google also prohibited the English Christian Institute from purchasing space for an advertisement about abortion.  All of the sites (except twitter) had prohibitions on hate speech. Colby May of the American Center for Law and Justice told CBN News, "There is a kind of viewpoint censorship that's going on. And we need to go ahead and stand up and say, 'Stop. Not here. Don't do it. Wrong way. Turn around now.'"

Pastor Intimidated by White House for Calling President 'Dangerous'

             Dr. David Jeremiah, senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church of El Cajon, California told OneNewsNow that he believed President Obama was "a very dangerous person".   The pastor was contacted by the White house for saying this statement, but he will not recant his position.  "I do not believe he has been an asset to our country; I don't believe he's moved us forward in a good direction, and frankly, I am praying, along with many other believers, that in this mid-term election we will find a way to slow down this train that seems to be moving us toward socialism and away from our historical moorings," Dr. Jeremiah explains. "I'm really frightened about that, and I think in that respect, I believe he's a dangerous person."

Denominational Affiliation -- Going, Going, Gone?

By Russ Jones - OneNewsNow

            A new survey finds a majority of pastors with denominational affiliation believes it's vital to be part of a denomination, but a smaller majority believes the importance of identifying with a denomination will diminish over the next ten years.  LifeWay Research says a recent study concludes that of more than 900 American Protestant pastors surveyed, three-quarters (76 percent) personally consider it vitally important to be part of a denomination. Despite the convictions of identity, however, nearly two-thirds of those pastors surveyed (62 percent) believe the importance of identifying with a denomination will decline over the next decade. While many pastors believe denominational affiliation provides some level of accountability, in recent years church planters have avoided including a denominational affiliation in the church name in an effort to attract new believers.
 
 

9th Circuit: Teacher can't display nat'l motto

By Bob Kellogg - OneNewsNow

            The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a San Diego math teacher must take down his classroom banners that display the word "God." The latest ruling, which says the school board has the authority as an employer to limit the speech of employee, overturns a lower-court decision that said making Bradley Johnson remove the banners would be a violation of his free-speech rights.
            "Well, certainly employers can restrict employees' speech, but they must abide by the guidelines that they themselves have established within the context of the First Amendment protections," contends Robert Muise of the Thomas More Law Center (TMLC). The only person who opposed Johnson's banners was the school principal, Dawn Kastner, who did not like them because they expressed a Judeo-Christian point-of-view. However, other teachers at Westview High School have been allowed to hang Dalai Lama and Malcolm X posters, and even a Tibetan prayer flag, according to Muise. "God forbid, no pun intended, that Mr. Johnson would put up our national motto, 'In God we trust.' That apparently runs a foul of the political correctness police in the Poway [Unified] School District," he notes. But he adds that it also "runs a foul of the First Amendment." So Muise plans to appeal this case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary.

Pakistan Passes US Religious Freedom Test

            Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released the U.S. government's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom and Pakistan was not a nation of particular concern.  Recently, a Christian mother of five was sentenced to death for allegedly blaspheming Mohammad.  According to the Pakistani constitution, "Freedom of speech was subject to 'reasonable' restrictions in the interest of the 'glory of Islam." The State Department reported, "The consequences of contravening the country's blasphemy laws were death for defiling Islam or the prophets; life imprisonment for defiling, damaging, or desecrating the Qur'an; and 10 years imprisonment for insulting 'another's religious feelings."  The same report noted that derogatory statements against minority religions were rampant in the Pakistani schools' curriculum. 

City Demands Permit for Bible Study

            City Officials of San Juan Capistrano, California, have fined a couple $300 for holding Bible studies in their home without a permit.  They have threatened Chuck and Stephanie Fromm with an additional $500 fine for any further violations unless they apply for a conditional-use permit which is required for all places of worship. The weekly Bible study draws about 20 people.  The Fromms contend that a small Bible study does not constitute a church.  Brad Dacus, the attorney representing the Fromms stated,"Imposing a heavy-handed permit requirement on a home Bible study is outrageous."  The trial is scheduled for October 7^th.

By Chad Groening - OneNewsNow

            A coalition of chaplains and other service members is urging members of Congress to stand up for religious freedom in the wake of the appeal of the ban on homosexual military service. The Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty comprises mostly retired chaplains who on behalf of their faith groups represent thousands of currently active military chaplains who believe what the Bible says about the homosexual lifestyle.
            Col. Ron Crews (USA-Ret.) served as a chaplain for 28 years, including stints with the storied 82nd and 101st Divisions. He now serves as a chaplain endorser for Grace Churches International. Crews says one of his chaplains attended a briefing by Joint Chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.
 "My chaplain asked him, 'Will those of us who hold biblical orthodox views concerning homosexuality be protected in this new environment to speak about those views?'" the retired chaplain reports. "And the response he received was, 'Chaplain, if you can't get in line with this policy, resign your commission.'"
            "We are taking steps, working with organizations like Alliance Defense Fund and other groups like that, to say that if there are chaplains who are in anyway harmed or become victims in this process that there are some legal recourses we can take to provide protections for them," Crews says.

 
Sting Operation Catches Abortionist

            An Operation Rescue volunteer posed as a minor seeking an abortion without her parent's knowledge.  The El Paso clinic directed her to a New Mexico abortuary to get around Texas' parental -notification law.  The volunteer also found the remains of an aborted baby in the parking lot of the facility.  The clinic will face a disciplinary hearing Oct. 28^th.

Iranian Government Destroys Bibles

            Mohabat News reported that authorities had seized 6,500 pocket-sized Bibles in northwestern Iran in mid August. This is not the first incident of Bible confiscation.  Last February, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and security officials, in a routine inspection of a bus near the Iran-Turkey border, found 600 New Testaments and publicly burned them.  Ayatollah Hadi Jahangosha, a Shi'ite cleric affiliated with the Iranian regime, said, "Everyone in society should feel responsibility in this matter and play his or her role in the spreading of pure Islam and fight false and distorted cultures." The printing of Bibles is illegal in Iran; all Bibles in their language must be smuggled in from bordering countries. 

Florida Teacher Suspended for Opposing Gay Marriage

            Jerry Buell was suspended and an investigation has been launched for his comments on Facebook opposing gay marriage. Buell told FOX News that he was stunned by the allegations against him. "It was my own personal comment on my own personal time on my own personal computer in my own personal house, exercising what I believed, as a social studies teacher, to be my First Amendment rights," he said.

            According to the Florida Baptist Witness, in a July 25 Facebook posting, Buell wrote: "I'm watching the news, eating dinner when the story about New York okaying same-sex unions came on and I almost threw up. And now they showed two guys kissing after their announcement. If they want to call it a union, go ahead. But don't insult a man and woman's marriage by throwing it in the same cesspool of whatever. God will not be mocked. When did this sin become acceptable?"

            Liberty Counsel is representing Buell's case.  They are demanding that Buell be reinstated in his position immediately.

By Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow

            Thanks to the work of a pro-life activist group, New Mexico is taking a closer look at three notorious abortionists. The state has notified Operation Rescue that the investigation is under way, and spokesperson Cheryl Sullinger tells OneNewsNow that announcement comes after her organization went public with calls for ambulances from Southwestern Women's Options in Albuquerque.
            "Those 9-1-1 calls showed a series of very disturbing medical emergencies that occurred during abortions, including a ruptured uterus during a late-term abortion," Sullinger reports. Operation Rescue filed complaints against the owner, Curtis Boyd, and against abortionists Susan Robinson and Shelley Sella. Boyd has publicly admitted to performing abortions before the Supreme Court legalized the practice, and Robinson and Sella used to work for Wichita late-term abortionist George Tiller. If found guilty of violating New Mexico's standards of care, the abortionists could face disciplinary action, including the revocation of their medical licenses.

By Russ Jones - OneNewsNow

            A group of Omaha pastors has issued a proclamation that states homosexuality is not a sin.

 More than 100 ordained Christian ministers have signed the proclamation, including leaders from Lutheran, Episcopalian, United Church of Christ, United Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.
            David Bydalek is executive director of Family First, the family policy council for the state of Nebraska. He deems this effort troubling for many Nebraskans and contends the ministers involved are from liberal denominations that do not respect the orthodox biblical teaching on homosexuality.
            "When they come out with this sort of statement, I think they really do not reflect the mainstream feeling in the state of Nebraska," Bydalek suggests. "When we passed our marriage amendment years ago, we had about 70 percent of those in Nebraska who opposed 'gay marriage.'"
            But when Christians take a stand to support traditional biblical teaching on the issue, the Family First executive director laments that they are often perceived as "bigots" or "homophobes." He suggests, however, that the loving response to those trapped in homosexuality teaches that the lifestyle is indeed sinful, but that freedom can be found through Christ.

Egyptian Protestors Call for an Islamic State

            Thousands gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square to demand that the country's caretaker authority, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, cease its plans to form a new constitution.  The crowds claim that only an elected parliament can set terms for a constitution.   Islamic groups like the Muslim Brotherhood fear that a bill of rights might thwart their efforts to create of a state run by Islamic laws.    These groups hope that they can pull enough support from the people to dominate such a parliament.  Crowds of ultraconservative Salafis chanted "The people want to implement Sharia," throughout the protest.  The protests provoked some violence as just south of the capital, gunmen fired on a car killing two Christians. 

Homeland Security Surveillance Detected on Christian Website

By Bob Unruh- WND

            The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has begun watching a blog posted by a Christian who was forced to flee Brazil because of the conflict between that nation's pro-homosexual "hate crimes" agenda and his advocacy for traditional marriage. Exactly why the U.S. government, which several times has linked Christians and conservatives with terrorism, is watching Julio Severo's unabashedly Christian Last Days Watchman blog isn't clear.

            WND reported in 2009, shortly after Obama took office, that a Department of Homeland Security report warned of the possibility of violence by unnamed "right-wing extremists" - people concerned about illegal immigration, increasing federal power, restrictions on firearms, abortion and the loss of U.S. sovereignty. The report pointed to returning war veterans as particular threats.

             Severo said he monitors his websites periodically and then occasionally does a visitor-by-visitor review of who is reading his writings. "A few times that I have examined [them] one by one, I was able to find federal law enforcement agencies as my visitors," he said.

            He said on his blog after he found the DHS visits, "Obviously, LDW has no terrorist or Islamic connection. It is conservative Christian - which is reason enough to be labeled 'terrorist' by leftist and anti-Christian activists. And such is the Obama administration."

By Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow

            Last October, a pregnant New Mexico teenager was forced to go to Planned Parenthood clinic to have an abortion -- against her will as well as that of her boyfriend. A relative, however, contacted sidewalk counselor Tara Shaver outside the clinic, providing Shaver the young girl's cell phone number. Operation Rescue's Cheryl Sullinger tells OneNewsNow modern technology was then put to use.  "They began texting back and forth while the sidewalk counselor was out on the street and the young lady was inside the abortion clinic," the pro-life activist explains. "The sidewalk counselor was able to text her a picture of a six-week baby, which was exactly how far along she was, so she could see what her baby looked like [in the womb]."
            Operation Rescue points out texting allowed the conversation to remain private without alerting the clinic staff or the girl's mother, who accompanied her and who was insisting on the abortion.  At some point, the 17-year-old mustered enough courage to walk out of the clinic and call her father for transportation.  "On May 10, she gave birth to Baby Manuel," says Sullinger. "He's a healthy, seven-pound baby boy -- and they are all very, very happy that little Manuel is with them today."  The week after giving birth, the teenager walked across the stage to receive her high school diploma.  Sullinger says the opposition often tells pregnant girls a baby will ruin their lives and they will not be able to finish school. The new graduate and mom has proven them wrong.

Following Jesus While Rejecting the Bible?

Yet another tragedy in mainline Protestantism

By Albert Mohler

            Yet another denomination has voted to ordain openly homosexual candidates to its ministry. Yesterday, the Presbyterian Church (USA) presbytery of the Twin Cities in Minnesota voted to approve a change to the church's constitution that will allow the denomination's 173 presbyteries to ordain persons without regard to sexual orientation. The action not only concludes over three decades of controversy over the ordination standards; it also reverses actions taken in 1997, 2001, and 2008, when similar efforts failed. In 1996, the denomination restated its ordination requirements to include "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness." That policy had also required that candidates "refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders or ministers of the Word and Sacrament." The new constitutional section will read:  "Standards for ordained service reflect the church's desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life."

            All references to marriage and chastity are gone, along with the language about refusal to repent of sin. The new language speaks instead of submission to the Lordship of Christ and being guided by Scripture and confessions. In any other context, that language might not seem revolutionary, but in this case, it means the denomination's surrender to those pushing for the normalization of homosexuality. Clearly, this action could not have happened without this denomination having abandoned any required belief in the full authority, inspiration, and truthfulness of the Bible long ago. This most recent decision sets the stage for the total capitulation of this church to the normalization of homosexuality - an act of open defiance against the Scriptures.

Noah's Ark Replica Gets Tax Breaks After All

           The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority voted unanimously to grant tax incentives to the proposed theme park called The Ark Encounter. The committee granted the park $50 million in state tax incentives despite opposition from some, due to its religious nature. The theme park is a division of the Answers in Genesis Ministry and other private investors. The attraction will feature a life size replica of Noah's Ark and other Biblical themes and will cost about $172 million to complete.

Beck's Jerusalem Conference Denounced

           A journalist and biblical prophecy teacher doesn't think evangelical Christians should take part in talk-show icon Glenn Beck's "Restoring Courage" rally in Jerusalem this summer. Beck explains on his website that the event will be similar to last summer's "Restore Honor" rally in Washington, DC, which drew hundreds of thousands of people to the nation's capital. He says, "It is time to return inside the walls that surround Jerusalem and stand with people of all faiths, all around the world."
          Dr. Jimmy DeYoung, host of the Prophecy Tay Radiodo Network, travels the world to educate the Body of Christ about the future events foretold in the Bible. While he agrees with Beck politically, he does not agree that the talk-show icon should be viewed as a spiritual leader. "You might remember the Washington rally last year, and Glenn Beck said repeatedly, 'this is not a political rally; this is a spiritual rally.' He is not my spiritual leader," DeYoung contends. "He should be nobody's spiritual leader. I don't believe he knows Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He is a Mormon, and the Mormon religion says that Jesus Christ is a brother to Satan."

Proposed Ten Commandments Monument at LA State Capitol

         The Louisiana Senate agreed to debate whether to allow a ten commandments monument at the Louisiana capitol building as a reminder of their role in the state's lawmaking history. According to Sen. Mike Walsworth, the main supporter of the resolution, the country's laws were devised from the concepts of the Ten Commandments, and lawmakers should acknowledge that. The privately funded monument would be 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide and would also contain other legal documents such as the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

School Denies 1^st Amendment Rights for Children

            Eight-year-old Jonathan Morgan  was prohibited from distributing candy to classmates because the candy had the name Jesus printed on it.  The teachers also confiscated pencils with "God" written on them  from other students.  While this is disturbing, the most disturbing part is yet to come.  The case was brought to court on behalf of Morgan and school officials pleaded that children do not have first amendment rights!  Attorney Kelly Shackelford, who is representing the case at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, said, "Think of what this would mean: no religious freedom, no right to respectfully express a different opinion than the government, religious discrimination permitted, and no way for parents to protect their children."

California Man Arrested for Reading Bible

            A security guard arrested Mark Mackey, assistant pastor of Calvary Chapel of Hemet, because he read his Bible out loud in front of a closed DMV office.  They were allegedly charged with "impeding an open business"  but the business was closed and Mackey and two other church members were more than 50 feet from the entrance.  The three men were later released and the district attorney has not pursued criminal charges.

Public Universities'  Opposition to Christians

            Lawsuits continue to mount against public universities' violation of Christian students' and professors' first amendment rights. Last month, University of North Carolina-Wilmington  associate professor Michael Adams sued the university for withholding a promotion to full professorship due to his conservative Christian articles that he writes for an independent magazine. The district court ruled that Adams' speech was not protected by the 1^st amendment but the 4th Circuit Court judges sided with Adams saying, "no individual loses his ability to speak as a private citizen by virtue of public employment." In recent years, the Alliance Defense Fund has taken over 70 cases involving students who were bullied, marginalized, and denied their basic constitutional rights merely for speaking about their faith or having a conscientious objection to certain assignments like promoting homosexuality.