Latest News For General Discussion

Chinese House Church Members Taken Into Custody After Sharing Meal Together – Christian News Network

Photo Credit: Andrey Filippov/Wikipedia Commons (Bitter Winter) — For Christians, even getting together for a meal is now off-limits in China. It seems that dinners are now considered religious gatherings, which as such should be authorized. That’s the hard lesson 11 believers from a Sola Fide house church in Xiangyang city in central China’s Hubei Province learned on March 13, 2019, the night they were arrested after having dinner together. Just as the believers were leaving the meeting venue, they were surrounded by more…

Florida “Pride Prom” for Teenagers, Where Youth Could Dress in Drag, Canceled – Christian News Network

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A “Storybook Pride Prom” for teenagers that had been scheduled for Friday night, where youth were invited to dress as their favorite book characters — including in drag, was canceled due to stated “emotional and physical safety” concerns and a lack of “adequate security.” The event had generated an impassioned response from both sides, with tickets selling out on one hand but also being opposed by others as being inappropriate for children. “You’re invited to create your own ‘happily ever after’…

Ten Commandments Plaque ‘No Longer on Display’ at Ohio Middle School Following Complaint – Christian News Network

NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio — Although in disagreement, a public school district in Ohio has removed a Ten Commandments plaque from the walls of a middle school following a complaint letter from the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). “In speaking with the district, it is my understanding that the plaque has been taken down and is no longer on display on district property,” wrote attorney Brian DeSantis, representing the New Philadelphia City School District, on June 19. However, the district also said in a statement…

Christ Sacrificed Himself For Others. Are America’s Christians Sacrificing Others for Themselves? | Opinion – Newsweek

This summer marks 400 years since August 1619, when the first slaves were brought to Jamestown, Virginia.The four centuries have been to no small extent shaped by America’s tumultuous relationship with racial injustice, from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement. One of the focal points for this relationship is the question of reparations for slavery, most recently made concrete in the shape of a proposal by Democrats to offer a type of compensation for descendants of the Atlantic Slave Trade. The idea…

The power of prophecy – Jackson Sun

RYAN FRASER, Freed-Hardeman University Published 2:57 p.m. CT June 27, 2019 CLOSE Prophecy is a biblical concept that is filled with mystery, mystique, and misconceptions. Some religious leaders these days seem to push the notion way beyond the parameters set in Scripture regarding prophecy. So-called prophets may be found all over the Internet, particularly on social media sites. They claim to speak for God, alleging to be direct recipients of special divine knowledge and revelation. Prophecy may be divided into two categories: true divinely…

Mark Taylor Is Still Standing By His Failed ‘Red Tsunami’ Prophecy – Right Wing Watch

When radical right-wing conspiracy theorist and so-called “firefighter prophet” Mark Taylor appeared on the “Daily Renegade” program last weekend, he warned that anyone who called him a false prophet was literally risking their lives because God does not take kindly to those who attack his prophets.  During that same program, Taylor struggled mightily to explain away the false prophecies he delivered prior to the 2018 midterm elections, when he repeatedly guaranteed that America would see “a red tsunami” sweep across the nation as Republicans…

52 ideas that changed the world – 3. Christianity – The Week UK

In this new series, The Week looks at the ideas and innovations that permanently changed the way we see the world. This week, the focus is on Christianity. Christianity in 60 seconds See related  Christianity is based on the beliefs and teachings laid out in the Bible. The first part, the Old Testament, describes the creation of the world and the history of the Israelites. The first five books, which include the Ten Commandments, are the central scripture of Judaism, in which they are…

Iranian regime’s repression of Christians ‘shocks the conscience’ – Fox News

A horribly familiar description of the Iranian regime’s persecution of Christians and other minorities emerged from a U.S. State Department report on religious freedom published Friday. “In Iran, the regime’s crackdown on Baha’is, Christians and others continues to shock the conscience,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. The U.S. has classified the Islamic Republic as a “Country of Concern” since 1999, because its regime violates religious freedom as defined by the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act (1998). Richard Grenell, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany,…

Why Christians disagree over the Israel Folau saga – The Conversation AU

For many Christians, Israel Folau has become the talisman in the fight for religious freedom. This week, some Australian Christians rallied behind Folau’s legal battle against Rugby Australia, stepping in when the rugby star’s GoFundMe campaign was shut down. On its first day, the new campaign raised more than A$1 million in donations – and counting. Some Christian leaders have urged the newly re-elected Coalition government to make religious freedom protections a priority in the wake of Folau’s sacking by Rugby Australia. There’s even…

With Hymns and Prayers, Christians Help Drive Hong Kong’s Protests – The New York Times

HONG KONG — Armed with a Bible, a guitar and a drawing of Jesus walking on water, Andrea Wong sat outside the offices of Hong Kong’s central government and booed. Ms. Wong, 18, usually stays out of politics. But in recent weeks, as Hong Kong was swept by mass protests against closer ties with mainland China, she asked herself what a good Christian would do. “I am very certain that Jesus would not have stayed home enjoying the air-conditioning,” Ms. Wong said. “He would…

Kent Ingle: How can we instill the hope of Christianity in a generation tired of tight reins of religion? – Fox News

Recent studies from the General Social Survey found that atheists make up the largest religious group in America. Catholics and Evangelicals fall right behind. Those who identify with “no religion” now account for 23.1 percent, the majority of them under age 50. Americans are losing interest in attending religious institutions, as well as an overall loss of faith in the church. Yet still many identify as spiritual. These findings call for changes – our practice of Christianity needs to change in order to best…

Popular Catholic Worship Artist Audrey Assad ‘Celebrates’ Pride Month in Tweet – Christian News Network

Popular Catholic singer Audrey Assad, known for songs such as “Restless,” “For Love of You” and “Even Unto Death,” as well as a number of hymn renditions, recently tweeted in recognition of Pride Month, stating that she loves and celebrates her homosexual friends. “Happy #Pride month. I love and celebrate you,” she posted on June 16, with four rainbows following. The tweet generated much discussion among her followers, some of whom supported the comment and others who were disappointed by it. “Audrey, thank you!…

Shanxi House Churches Closed for Suspected Foreign Ties – Christian News Network

Photo Credit: Cacahuate/Free Map Viewer (Bitter Winter) — Campaigns to eliminate house churches are underway across China. In May, the United Front Work Department of Yanhu district in Yuncheng city in the northern province of Shanxi convened a meeting for grassroots-level officials to discuss religious affairs. One of the primary messages: to keep an eye on and prevent “foreign forces” from using rural house churches to “infiltrate” China. To ensure proper implementation of the order, each village was instructed to thoroughly investigate and register…

Are You Ready to [Expletive] Party Tonight?’ Joel and Victoria Osteen Attend Lady Gaga Concert, Pose for Sirius/Pandora Merger – Christian News Network

Screenshot YouTube 2017 NEW YORK — Megachurch speaker and author Joel Osteen and his wife Victoria were among a number of celebrities, including drag queens, actors and music industry personalities, who attended the “SiriusXM and Pandora Present Lady Gaga at the Apollo” concert on Monday night in New York City. The two posed on the carpet for a photograph next to a SiriusXM/Pandora/Lady Gaga backdrop, which is posted online. “Are you ready to [expletive] party tonight? Are we making history?” Gaga, whose real name…

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