5 Things Christians Should Know about the Crisis in Venezuela

                                               Photo courtesy: Getty Images

By Kayla Koslosky
Christian Headlines

In 1999, Hugo Chávez was elected as President in Venezuela. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chávez was seen as a beacon of hope in a nation that was struggling. Before assuming office, the Venezuelan people were disenchanted with the democratic administration that left more than 50 percent of all Venezuelan citizens in poverty. In hopes that he would follow through on promises of prosperity, the Venezuelan people elected Chávez as their president in 1999.

This would be the beginning of social and political unrest in Venezuela.

Chávez – who had taken to overspending the government’s wealth on social programs – would stay in office until his death in 2013. While in office, Chávez managed to nationalize the petroleum sector, telecommunications, electricity, steel and cement companies. He also introduced a referendum in 2009 which eliminated term-limits. The referendum was approved.

After Chávez died of cancer in February 2013, Nicolás Maduro was appointed President.

Within Maduro’s first year as president, inflation climbed to over 50 percent and the economy took a nose dive. The socialist dictator began disregarding legislature’s votes and declaring renewable states of emergency that gave the military more power to “maintain public order.” By 2017, the International Monetary Fund found that the Venezuelan GDP had dropped by 14 percent and the inflation rate was at 2,400 percent.

In what many believe to be a rigged election, Maduro won re-election in 2018. Soon after, the head of the National Assembly and the opposition party's newly elected leader Juan Guaidó declared himself the nations acting president and was widely recognized on the international stage.

Guaidó, however, has little power over the country as Maduro maintains military control.

HERE ARE FIVE THINGS CHRISTIANS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE CRISIS IN VENEZUELA: 

                  Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Joe Raedle/Staff

1. PEOPLE ARE STARVING TO DEATH

According to the BBC, in recent years, some three million Venezuelans have fled from the country because of political corruption, violence, and crippling poverty. According to a 2017 Bengoa-Enconvi survey, eight out of 10 Venezuelans reported that they were eating less because they did not have enough food at home and six out of 10 said they had gone to bed hungry because they could not afford to buy food.

The BBC reports that the survey also found that 64.3 percent of people had lost about 25 pounds on average in 2017, nine out of ten people reported that they could not afford their daily food and 8.2 million people reported having two or fewer meals a day. With hyperinflation destroying the value of the bolivar, most Venezuelan’s are finding it difficult to afford any of the basic necessities including food and toiletries.

                  Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Joe Raedle/Staff

2. THE RELIGIOUS CLIMATE IS DIGRESSING

According to the World Atlas, Venezuela is the home to some 31 million people. Of the 31 million living in the Latin American country, 88 percent of them identify as Christians – 71 percent as Roman Catholic and 17 percent as Protestant. According to the International Mission Board, however, along with the social, political and economic climate, the religious climate is also regressing.

Two IMB missionaries who lived and worked in Venezuela for nearly three decades said that Maduro has immortalized Chavez, exalting him as a god. According to the IMB, “Maduro created a cult that glorifies the ‘eternal commander,’ making Chavez’s burial place a center of worship and prayer to Chavez.” Maduro also shared that “he communes with Chavez,” and performs ritual sacrifices at the presidential palace in honor of Chavez. 

Reportedly, some churches have even removed “our Father” from the Lord’s Prayer in exchange for “Our Chavez, who art in heaven.” The IMB reports that government officials are participating in rampant idol worship, spiritism, witchcraft and materialism.

Continue reading Christian Headlines article here

Israel Terminates 'Government Christian Forum' Shocking Local Christians

                                                           Photo courtesy: Faruk Kaymak/Unsplash

           

By Kayla Kosolosky
Christian Headlines

The Israeli government has canceled a five-year-old forum that works to build relationships between Israeli Christians and the government.

According to CBN News, Israel’s head of the Desk of Minorities Affairs, Dr. Mordechai (Moti) Zaken, announced that the forum – which was founded in 2013 - was outside of the government's scope and it would have to be terminated. In a statement, Zaken said, “I have been informed that the Forum does not fall within the scope of the Public Security Ministry. Therefore, I have no choice but to discontinue the activity of the Forum as part of that ministry.”

The unexpected announcement reportedly sent shock waves through the Christian community in Israel. According to CBN News, several local Christians voiced their disappointment noting that by eliminating the forum, the Christian community in Israel will have no place to air their grievances.

In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a local Christian named David Pileggi of Rector Christ Church Jerusalem, voiced concern for the cancellation saying, “Only Dr Moti Zaken, the head the Minority Affairs desk at the Ministry of Public Security has been consistently helpful. 

This group meets to find practical solutions to the problems of the evangelical community here in Israel, issues such as visas, harassment at the airport, finding ways for young Christians to serve in the IDF and more. Unfortunately, this Forum has been terminated by the Ministry of Public security leaving us in the Christian community no real address to take our problems.”

Former Chair of the Evangelical Alliance Israel Pastor Chuck Kopp voiced his disappointment in a statement to CBN News saying he was “saddened to know about this negative step that isolates millions of Evangelicals around the world who look to Jerusalem as their spiritual home.”

He continued, “We want communion and connection to the government of Israel and the efforts of Dr. Moti Zaken, Phd. have helped in countless ways to foster this relationship. We have treasured our time together and to have the rug pulled out from under him at this time is very tragic.”

Reportedly, during the forum’s last meeting, government officials met with local Christian organizations in order to find a solution that would help Christian’s avoid harassment in airports. 

Website: Christian Headlines

US Supreme Court Struggling to Determine Fate of 40-Foot Tall Bladensburg Cross

"If this decision stands, other memorials, including those in nearby Arlington Cemetery, will be targeted for destruction as well."

By Michael Gryboski
Christian Post

U.S. Supreme Court justices appear to be struggling with whether a 40-foot tall cross honoring the veterans of World War I should be removed from a memorial, according to supporters and opponents who attended oral arguments today.

Last November, the Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments in the consolidated cases of America Legion, et al. v. American Humanist Association and Maryland-National Capital Park v. American Humanist Association, et al. Those arguments were held on Wednesday morning.

Alexandra McPhee, director of Religious Freedom Advocacy at the Family Research Council, helped draft their amicus brief and attended the oral arguments.

In an interview with The Christian Post following oral arguments, McPhee explained that the Supreme Court justices appeared to be searching for a “limiting principle,” which involves finding clear limits on government powers.

“What I found interesting was the idea of where to draw the line is so unclear in current Establishment Clause law,” explained McPhee.

McPhee said the American Legion, which is arguing in defense of the Bladensburg Cross, was supporting a more “objective standard” which has “greater historical grounding.”

McPhee cited Town of Greece v. Galloway, the 2014 Supreme Court decision which concluded that town meetings could open with sectarian prayers, noting that in that case the high court “looked at the nation’s traditions, especially at the time of the founding.”

“And what the American Legion argued was that at the time of the founding something like a religious display would not be a violation of the Establishment Clause unless it was somehow coercive,” continued McPhee.

Richard B. Katskee, legal director at Americans United for Separation of Church and State who also attended oral arguments Wednesday morning, told CP that he believed the high court was unpersuaded by the American Legion.

“The justices clearly were not buying the argument from the American Legion for a simple clear test. ‘You can just look for coercion and that settles everything.’ They were frustrated by that,” said Katskee.

“I think in general the justices were struggling to figure out whether there is or can be one clear simple test, and I think that they came out with the same questions they went in with.”

In 2012, the American Humanist Association told the Maryland National Park and Planning Commission to remove the cross from the memorial.

In February 2014, the AHA sued the Planning Commission on behalf of two members who lived in the area and another person who lived in Beltsville.

Christian Post article continues here

Persecution Rising in China: And Things Could Get Worse

By John Stonestreet, Roberto Rivera
Breakpoint 

The steadily deteriorating state of religious freedom in China has been a frequent topic of late, both here on BreakPoint and other media outlets. The picture is bleak. An estimated one million Muslim Uighurs have been detained in what are essentially re-education camps, as part of an attempt to erase their religious and cultural identity.

There’s also been a strong assault on Chinese Christianity. What little freedom Chinese Christians had is now being taken away: Provincial officials have demolished crosses, cracked down on house churches, arrested pastors, and put officially-recognized churches under tighter control.

Thus, the recent report out of Liaoning province, a region near the border with North Korea, shouldn’t surprise us. It should trouble and appall us, but not surprise us.

According to the Australian website MercatorNet, the Education Bureau of Lishan district” in Liaoning “issued a plan for the campaign to resist religious beliefs in kindergartens.”

The plan prohibits schools from “hiring [new] teachers who hold religious beliefs.” With regard to existing teachers, it calls for increased supervision, including “comprehensive inspections of teachers’ preparation for lessons in order to root out any and all religious content.”

But the plan doesn’t stop with teachers. Students, as well as teachers, are now required to “sign a commitment statement promising they won’t browse religious websites or participate in religious forums.” The statement reads in part, “I will adhere to the correct political direction, advocate science, promote atheism, and oppose theism.”

These are kindergartners!

It’s not only in that province. Students in other parts of China have also been coerced into signing anti-religious pledges. And there are reports of students who, because they refused to sign, have been beaten.

Unfortunately, short of divine intervention, it may be that things will get significantly worse. As I’ve told you before on BreakPoint, Xi Jinping has become the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao. Like Mao, Xi has fostered a cult of personality. He calls himself lingxiu, a reverential term for “leader” not heard since the days of Mao. It’s very similar to what Fuehrer means in German. Fawning coverage of Xi in official media borders on self-parody.

Christians have been in the crosshairs of the Xi Jinping cult. Believers in south China have been forced to take down pictures of Jesus from their walls and replace them with pictures Xi Jinping.

Not only is he a jealous would-be god, he’s also an insecure one. To understand why, you need to understand that the source of the Communist Party’s legitimacy has been economic growth. For the past forty years, the Chinese people have been asked to trade certain freedoms that we take for granted, such as freedom of speech and religion, for increasing prosperity. That trade has preserved a measure of social order.

But now, many economists see signs that the good times are coming to an end in China. In fact, that may be an understatement. It could be something even worse. 

As the Wall Street Journal reports, “China’s consumers and businesses are losing confidence. Car sales have plunged. The housing market is stumbling. Some factories are letting workers off for the big Lunar New Year holiday two months early.”

In other words, the Communist Party may not be able to keep up its end of the bargain. If they fail, ordinary Chinese people could remember everything they’ve had to put up with and get angry. Very angry.

So how will Xi respond to this? We already know the answer to that question. He will crack down even harder. Cult leaders don’t admit mistakes, much less give up their power voluntarily. They look for scapegoats and hunt for heretics.

In China, Christians qualify as both. As adherents to what many Chinese regard as a “Western” religion, their loyalties can be called into question. And they’ll likely not join Xi’s cult of personality, so they will be ideal targets.

All of this is why our brothers and sisters there need our prayers. And our voice. We must urge our government and U. S. corporations that do business in China to use their influence on behalf of persecuted Chinese Christians.

Website: Christian Headlines

Persecution Unveiled has been called to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to pray for, speak up and act on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith. Follow us on Pinterest, and Google and like us on Facebook.

‘Islamophobic’ Christian Man Arrested in London for Preaching the Gospel

By Martin M. Barillas   
Life Site News

A viral video depicts a street preacher facing arrest in England for supposed “racism” as he shares the Gospel.

Now shared more than two million times, the video shows the exchange between the as-yet-unidentified preacher and two police officers. Beginning in mid-conversation, the preacher told the two officers, "I can be arrested if you want." The preacher told an officer, “Give your life to the Lord, Jesus Christ.” When one of the officers asked him what he was doing, the preacher responded, "I am preaching."

The officer in the video told the man "I'm going to require you to go away." When the preacher told officers he would not leave, the officers informed him that he will be arrested for breach of peace. In response, the preacher proclaimed, "I will not go away because I need to tell them the truth. Because Jesus is the only way, the truth — because Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life." To this, the officer replied: "I appreciate that, but nobody wants to listen to that."

EyeOnAntisemitism@AntisemitismEye

A Christian preacher this afternoon was arrested at Southgate station London N14 for preaching about Jesus . @CConcern the police told him it’s because public had said he was being islamophobic . We have the full video and wondered when preaching was now illegal ? @Campaign4T

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"You don't want to listen to that? You will listen when you are dead," the preacher says. It is then that the officers cuffed the preacher and seized his Bible. When the man asked the officers not to take his Bible, the other officer retorts, "You should have thought about that before being racist."

While it is not clear what the man was preaching before the camera began to roll, the Twitter account that posted the video, Eye on Antisemitism, claimed that police told him he had been accused of Islamophobia. EyeonAntisemitism wrote that just before the incident unfolded, the preacher had been engaged in a debate with a Muslim man that became heated. According to the group, the Muslim man who debated the Christian preacher referred to the Bible as “s**t.”

Life Site News article continues here

Persecution Unveiled has been called to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to pray for, speak up and act on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith. Follow us on Pinterest, and Google and like us on Facebook.

Iranian Cleric Warns Against Spread of Christianity

By Claire Evans
International Christian Concern

Iranian cleric Hujjat al-Islam Naser Rafiei delivered a speech in Qom (home to the largest Islamic seminary in Iran) which warned against the spread of Christianity throughout the country. He specifically named house churches and evangelical networks as an attraction for Iranian youth whose faith in Islam is diminishing.

This growth in the Iranian church has led the regime to increasingly persecute Christians on the basis that they are seeking to overthrow and occupy Islamic land. The regime, which is heavily influenced by Iran’s clerical class, is feeling pressured because of the widespread discontent of the population. 

Many Iranians are tired of the strict Islamic moralism imposed upon them by the government. The youth in particular are curious about alternatives, thus opening the door for the spread of the Gospel message.

The Iranian regime does not recognize the religious status of Muslims who convert to Christianity. They are often harassed, detained, imprisoned, and interrogated by the authorities. 

Christians who can prove their family was Christian before the 1979 Revolution are freer to practice their faith, but still face heavy restrictions. They cannot share their faith and may only worship in designated spaces in a language other than Farsi (Iran’s official language). Any perceived breach of these restrictions can also lead to imprisonment.

Website:ICC Persecution

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UN Threatens to Blacklist Major Companies with Locations in Israeli Settlements

                                 Photo courtesy: Unsplash/Robert Bye

By Sarah Martin

Christian Headlines

The United Nations is set to release a blacklist, warning international and Israeli companies against their business operations in Israeli settlements, which the UN identifies as occupied territory.

The UN Human Rights Council has warned companies such as Coca Cola, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Africa Israel Investments, Bank Leumi, Bank Hapoalim and Israel’s main transportation and utility companies, about their potential inclusion on the list of 206 businesses operating in the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and eastern Jerusalem, Ynet News reports.

“The UN began publishing the blacklist in 2016 when the body passed a resolution condemning companies that operate directly or indirectly in Israeli settlements. The list has been updated each year since then, CBN News writes.

The resolution passed 32-15, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accuse the UN Human Rights Council of being an “anti-Israel circus.”

Israel and the United States, who pulled out of the UN Human Rights Council last year, have opposed the publishing of the list, but it is scheduled to be released in March at the 40th UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, according to Ynet News.

Netanyahu called on “responsible governments not to honor the decisions of the Council that discriminate against Israel.”

CEO of Hot Telecommunications Tal Granot-Goldstein appealed for help from Netanyahu.

“We believe the inclusion of Israeli companies in the UN Human Rights Council's blacklist might expose those companies to legal procedures, prompting international corporations to pull out of their investments in Israel,” she wrote in a letter.

“Therefore, we request that the Israeli government and the Foreign Ministry intervene to prevent the publication of this list. Handling this matter is a national interest of the utmost importance.”

By releasing this blacklist, Granot-Goldstein claimed the UNHRC intends to “apply economic pressure on Israeli companies, while attempting to hurt their image and profits by shaming and threatening to expose them to legal procedures.”

The resolution of the UNHRC followed a fact-finding mission’s investigation, which reported in 2013 that business enterprises working in the territory had “directly and indirectly, enabled, facilitated and profited from the construction and growth of the settlements,” according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner.

Website: Christian Headlines

‘We’re Not Allowed to Print Anything’ about Jesus, Chinese Print Shop Tells Church

By Michael Foust
Christian Headlines    

Christians in China’s Henan province hoping to celebrate the new year with Christ-centered calendars learned in recent days that such items are prohibited.

A member of De’en Church in the district of Xigong told Bitter Winter that his congregation prepared a calendar for members but was told by a local printer that faith-based calendars are banned by the government.

Bitter Winter, which follows stories about the persecuted church in China, visited two print shops. Both said they would not print Christian material.

“A desk calendar or a picture to hang on the wall -- we’re not allowed to print anything if it has any content related to Jesus,” the owner of the small print shop told Bitter Winter.

Government officials from the Bureau for Industry and Commerce “frequently” visit the shop, the owner said.

“They have always prohibited us from printing such things,” the owner said. “If they discover that we have printed religion-related items, the government will punish us according to the quantity printed. Now, the control is even stricter. If anyone dares to print religious materials secretly and is caught, in minor cases, they will be fined, and their shops will be closed down; in severe cases, they will face the prospect of being detained.”

The manager of a medium-sized print shop agreed.

“The government doesn’t allow printing of materials related to religions like Buddhism and Christianity. Sometimes, a small printing house secretly prints religious materials. As soon as the government catches them, a fine will be imposed. Formal print shops never dare to print [religious materials],” the manager told Bitter Winter. 

“If anyone is found [to have printed religious materials], they will be fined a large amount of money. The print shops that have been cracked down on and forcibly closed are not in the minority.”

Website: Christian Headlines 

Persecution Unveiled has been called to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to pray for, speak up and act on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith. Follow us on Pinterest, and Google and like us on Facebook.

The Cost of Faith for Egyptian Christian Converts: Part 1

By International Christian Concern

When Bashar grad­uated from high school, his life appeared to be on track. But five years ago, every­thing changed. Shortly after graduation, Bashar began watching Christian satellite programs. He would come to know Christ, and overnight, lost everything that had previously defined his life.

Looking at the various types of Christians in the Middle East, Muslim-background believers (MBBs) are the fastest growing group. Sadly though, if their conversion becomes public knowledge, their life as they’ve known it is immediately over. They lose their family, their job, and sometimes even their life.

Bashar knows this firsthand. When his brothers discovered his new faith, he was severely beaten and left bound by ropes on the house’s roof. For three days, he was fed nothing except scraps reserved for the family’s chickens. While he was eventually released by his sister, his family was unfor­giving. They stripped him of his inheritance and kicked him out of the house. For days, he slept in remote coffee shops until he was able to find work. Today, Bashar is only 26 and struggles with the severe consequences of his choice to follow Christ.

Zaki, who ministers to MBBs, explained, “[Sometimes], when the family of an MBB discovers that he became a Christian, they make a complaint in the police station. Then, the police arrest the MBB and give him a hard time.”

Thankfully, Bashar escaped this situa­tion, but Zaki knows of many examples where this has happened. He recalled an incident which happened last year. When the police discovered that a Muslim named Mohammed converted to Christianity, they arrested him. They beat Mohammed relentlessly, demanding that he deny Christ and return to Islam.

“Many police officers think that when a Muslim decides to change his religion, that he has strayed from the right path,” contin­ued Zaki. “The police officer considers any way to let him return to Islam by any means, as is his duty as a Muslim. The more he is violent and heartless in treating the MBB, he believes he is pleasing God because he is defending Islam.”

Stay tuned for Part 2, coming tomorrow.

Website: ICC Persecution 

Persecution Unveiled has been called to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to pray for, speak up and act on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith. Follow us on Pinterest, and Google and like us on Facebook.

Rwandan Genocide Victim Learns to Forgive, Befriends Man Who Cut Off Her Hand

Alice Mukarurinda (R) shares her personal experiences as a Tutsi during

the Rwandan genocide of 1994 with a group of reporters on Feb. 18, 2019,

at her home in the village of Nyamata, Rwanda. To her left is World Vision 

staffer Goreth Mbabazi. To Mbabazi's left is Emmanuel Ndayisaba, the man

 who cut off Mukarurinda's hand. | WORLD VISION / BRIAN DUSS

By Samuel Smith
Christian Post

She had her hand chopped off, her head bludgeoned and saw her 9-month-old daughter split in two, but 25 years later, 48-year-old Alice Mukarurinda and the man responsible for cutting off her limb, Emmanuel Ndayisaba, are now good friends.

The two have preached the need for forgiveness and reconciliation that has encompassed the central African nation in the last quarter-century since one of the worst human rights atrocities in world history took place — the genocide against the Tutsi.

In April 1994, Alice and her husband were among the hundreds of thousands of Tutsis left to die after being beaten, hacked, speared, burned, smashed or shot to death by mobs of angry citizens and security forces driven by an extremist ideology pushed by officials in Rwanda’s Hutu-led government.

The goal was to “exterminate” their social class. Many were killed by their neighbors and friends they thought they could trust.

Although they were brothers and sisters in Christ, toxic propaganda incited the majority Hutus to try to completely drive the minority Tutsis (portrayed socially as tall, wealthy cattle herders favored by Belgian colonists) into extinction.

As the strong majority of the Rwandan population is uneducated, the ideology spread through propaganda radio broadcasts and newspapers. It corrupted the minds of many Hutus, including church leaders. Others were coerced into participating out of fear of their own lives.

In the span of three months beginning in April 1994, it is estimated that as many as 1 million were killed in the 90 percent Christian country with many of them massacred inside churches.

Most were Tutsis and others were moderate Hutus who refused to participate in the extermination of Tutsi "cockroaches" that the government at the time considered to be fake Rwandans.

Fortunately for Alice and her husband, they survived despite the physical harm they suffered. However, their baby daughter, her mother, her siblings and many of their neighbors were not as fortunate.

Christian Post article continues here

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Supreme Court Lets Ruling Protecting Texas Bishops From Subpoena on Abortion Talk Stand

Planned Parenthood went back to the district court and asked for a
temporary restraining order to block the law late Tuesday
night, May 29, 2018. | Pixabay/Free-Photos

By Michael Gryboski
Christian Post

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear an appeal from a case on whether a Texas-based Roman Catholic Church body must disclose its private discussions on abortion and fetal burial.

In an order released Tuesday, the high court denied certiorari in the case of Whole Woman’s Health et al v. Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, allowing an earlier decision in favor of the Catholic body to stand.

Eric Rassbach, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, a law firm involved in the case on behalf of the Catholic Bishops, celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision.

“Thank goodness the Supreme Court saw this appeal for what it was: a nasty attempt to intimidate the bishops and force them to withdraw their offer to bury every child aborted in Texas,” said Rassbach in a statement released Tuesday.

“Abortion groups may think the bishops ‘troublesome,’ but it is wrong to weaponize the law to stop the bishops from standing up for their beliefs.”

In 2016, multiple abortion providers filed a lawsuit against Texas over regulations requiring that aborted fetuses be given a proper burial rather than disposing of them in landfill or sewers, as previously allowed.

The abortion providers argued that the regulations violated Due Process rights by placing a burden on the woman seeking an abortion to find and arrange for a dignified burial.

At the preliminary injunction hearing, Catholic Conference Executive Director Jennifer Allmon testified in favor of the regulations, noting that the Conference was willing to work with Catholic churches to provide free common burials.

In March 2018, the abortion providers served the Catholic Conference a “third-party subpoena” demanding all documents regarding abortion, embryonic and fetal tissue remains, as well as all communication, including confidential, the bishops may have had with state government officials or the state legislature.

In response, the bishops filed a motion against the subpoena in April of last year, arguing that the order violated the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Last July, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled 2-1 in favor of the bishops, with Circuit Judge Edith Jones writing the majority opinion.

Christian Post report continues here

Future of Homeschooling: Less Religious, More Regulated?

By Michael Gryboski
Christian Post

The homeschooling movement in America is experiencing potential changes in its religious makeup and new challenges from government regulation.

Steven Craig Policastro, founder and executive vice president of the International Association for Creation, told The Christian Post that in recent years, the biggest change in state-sponsored resistance to homeschooling has been a “shift” from attempts to ban homeschooling to “extremely oppressive” regulations.

“Opponents of home education have realized that since they are unable to make homeschooling illegal, they can at least attempt to place extremely burdensome regulations on parent-led, home education to make it difficult or nearly impossible,” said Policastro.

“There also are constant attempts by school districts all over the country to require things of homeschool students and parents that are not required by law. There are times in which the school districts do not properly know the law, but in other instances the school board leaders do not care and they want their regulations mandated regardless of the law.”

The International Association for Creation is a Christian Young Earth organization and will be hosting its annual “National Homeschool Day” observance on Feb. 23. Speakers from dozens of locations will address people worldwide in a livestream online to discuss topics related to homeschooling and Christian resources for home education.

On regulation, Policastro noted the importance of “state organizations” and the Home School Legal Defense Association in monitoring proposed legislation and maintaining good communication with school districts.

“Such government oversight is a continual battle, it has not let up; it has merely changed forms, going from the outlawing of parent-led education to now having parent rights constantly in jeopardy due to ever-changing regulations,” he noted.

“The famous quote, ‘the price of liberty is eternal vigilance,’ is very apropos here because that's what all of us who believe in educational freedom and parental rights do. We seek to be vigilant so that our God-given right to train up our children is not impeded upon by bureaucrats and legislatures.”

A recent example of this regulation effort can be found in Iowa, where earlier this month Democrat State Rep. Mary Mascher introduced House File 272, which if passed would, among other things, require school districts to conduct "health and safety visits" for homeschooled children. 

Christian Post article continues here

Muslim Who Sought to Kill Christian Cousin Embraces Faith after Jesus Appears in Dream

By Leah MarieAnn Klett
Christian Post

An Egyptian Muslim who planned to kill his cousin for converting to Christianity has shared how he embraced the religion he once hated after Jesus delivered a powerful message to him in a dream.

Mostafa, a new convert in Egypt, recently shared with persecution watchdog Open Doors how he traveled to Cairo with the intention of killing his cousin, Mohammad, who had converted from Islam to Christianity.

In Egypt, converting from Islam to Christianity is seen as a betrayal of one’s family and heritage. Christian converts risk losing their family, friends, and even their lives.

After finding his cousin sitting in a Christian worship service, Mostafa slipped behind him and waited to make his move. But as he listened to the songs and prayers, he noticed that the words he was hearing appealed to him.

Following the service, Mostafa approached Mohammad with tears in his eyes: “I came all the way from our family’s village to spy on you and see if you had indeed become a Christian,” he said. “I should inform your family about what I saw, but I just can’t. I think the choice you made might have been the right one. Can you tell me more? Why did you leave Islam for Christianity?”

That evening, the cousins spent hours talking about the Gospel. That night, Mostafa had a dream. He saw Jesus on the cross, looking at him and saying: “I did all of this because I love you, and I want you to be free from your sins.”

The next morning, Mostafa told Mohammed what he saw in his dream and asked his cousin to pray together with him for his salvation.

Mostafa recalled telling God: “I planned to kill my cousin, Your follower. But now I am prepared to give my life for You myself.”

The following month, Mostafa was baptized with his cousin standing next to him. He hasn’t told his family that he and Mohammed are now followers of Jesus, and the two men are currently living as secret believers.

Egypt is No. 16 on Open Doors' World Watch List and continues to be a country that poses extreme danger and violence for Christians, according to the persecution watchdog. Various Islamic extremist groups remain the largest persecutors of Christians in the country.

Despite continued persecution, a number of Christians across the Middle East have embraced Christianity. Officially, about 10% of the 95 million population are Christian, although many believe the figure is significantly higher.

Continue reading Persecution Unveiled report here

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Florida Professor Who Demanded Student Stomp On Jesus Gets Just Deserts

 

By John Hawkins

Right Wing News

Apr, 2013: It all started with a conflict between an antagonistic professor and one brave student at Florida Atlantic University. Ryan Rotela was told by his professor to write Jesus Christ’s name on a piece of paper and stomp on it. Rotela defiantly refused and in retaliation, a formal disciplinary action was started against him.

But, before the system could roll over Rotela, a funny thing happened. The word about what was happening to him got out, Christians became outraged, and suddenly the university’s tune quickly changed. “FAU’s Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Charles Brown, has since issued a groveling formal apology.” Next thing you know, the disciplinary action was waved off.

Now, comes word that the professor, Deandre Poole, has been put on administrative leave following a withering public response, that included complaints from the Governor of Florida, Rick Scott.

It’s just like Norman Vincent Peale used to say, “Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.” Ryan Rotela stood up and it turned out that the bullies at his college weren’t as tough as they thought they were.

Website: Right Wing News
 

California Christians Found ‘Not Guilty’ of Reading Bible Near Gov’t Offices

By Warner Todd Huston

Night Wing News

August 2013: A court has said that a pair of Christians were “allowed” to read the Bible aloud outside the Department of Motor Vehicles in Hemet, California. Wasn’t it kind of the government courts in California to say that these Christians were allowed to have their rights to free religious expression?

Back in 2011 Mark Mackey and Bret Coronado were arrested and charged with misdemeanor offenses for reading the Bible outside the DMV location.

But on August 13, Superior Court Judge Timothy Freer found the men “not guilty” of any offenses.

Prosecutors had to prove that the men needed a permit for their Bible reading, but were not able to make that case.

According to a full report at Advocates for Faith and Freedom,

In order for the prosecution to prove that a permit was required under Title 13, Section 1860 of the California Administrative Code, it was required to prove that the defendants were engaged in a “demonstration or gathering” as defined in Section 1851. Judge Freer ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the men conducted either a “demonstration or gathering.” 

Both definitions require that the conduct of defendants was such that it had “the effect, intent or propensity to draw a crowd or onlookers” and the prosecution couldn’t prove that to be the case.

“The prosecution failed to meet its burden of proof that our clients committed a crime when they read the Bible aloud in front a line of people,” said AFF attorney Robert Taylor. 

Interestingly, the judge also pointed out that the law prosecutors tried to invoke was likely unconstitutional as it gave law enforcement overbroad powers to quash public gatherings in the first place. Sadly, this case did not go toward settling the constitutionality of the law, but it was a victory of sorts to have the judge even mention the fact.

Website: Night Wing News

10 Times Democrat Senators Questioned Trump Nominees' Religious Beliefs

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., asks CIA Director Mike Pompeo 

questions about his beliefs during a Senate Confirmation 

Hearing, April 12, 2018. | (Screenshot: NBC News)

By Samuel Smith
Christian Post

One of the nation’s leading Christian conservative advocacy organizations has called out 12 senators who have employed “unconstitutional religious tests” on Trump nominees in the past two years.

Since the Trump administration came into power in 2017, a noticeable trend has occurred in which Democrat senators have questioned Trump judicial and political nominees about their religious beliefs and religious affiliations as to suggest that such beliefs and affiliations should disqualify them for public office.

The Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council released on Wednesday a new publication that documents 10 incidents over the past two years in which senators have interrogated nominees concerning their personal religious beliefs even though Article VI of the U.S. Constitution states that there shall be no religious test for public office.

The document was written by Alexandra McPhee, the director of religious freedom advocacy at Family Research Council.

“It is important to distinguish what questions should generally be considered appropriate or inappropriate,” the document “Rebels Without a Clause: When Senators Run Roughshod Over the ‘No Religious Test’ Clause of the U.S. Constitution” explains.

 “For instance, ‘[m]erely asking a nominee whether their beliefs might stop them from fulfilling their Constitutional duties is a relevant question.’ But ‘[r]ejecting someone over their faith alone is unquestionably a religious test.’”

The document stresses that a senator should not deem a nominee “fit or unfit according to his or her formal affiliation with one religious group or another.”

“And as Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) explained, ‘asking [a] nominee about the particulars of his or her religious beliefs’ is inappropriate because it will ‘inevitably expose those beliefs as somehow a qualifier or a disqualifier for public office,” McPhee wrote.

Neomi Rao

Earlier this month, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a candidate for president in 2020, questioned Trump judicial nominee Neomi Rao, who currently serves as the administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, during a confirmation hearing.

“Do you believe gay relationships are a sin?” Booker asked the nominee selected to replace Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the D.C. appellate court.

Rao responded by saying: “Senator, my personal views on any of these subjects are things that I would put to one side and I would faithfully follow [the precedence of the Supreme Court].”

“Senator Booker suggested this was an appropriate line of questioning because ‘religion [has been] used as a ruse to discriminate against African Americans,” the FRC document explains.

Booker’s question came during his line of questioning about Rao’s previous writings on past court rulings that favored gay marriage.

William Barr

Trump’s nominee to replace Jeff Sessions as attorney general, William Barr, who served as attorney general during the George H.W. Bush administration, was questioned by Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse in January.

Whitehouse brought up a 1992 speech in which, according to Whitehouse, Barr “blamed secularism for virtually every contemporary societal problem.”

Continue reading Christian Post article here