Army Should Expect to Answer for Dumping Graham

From OneNewsNow
By Allie Martin

A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee will question military officials about the recent snub of evangelist Franklin Graham to speak at a National Day of Prayer event at the Pentagon.

Last week, officials with the U.S. Army Chaplain's Corp announced they had rescinded an invitation for Graham to speak at the prayer event at the Pentagon. Officials pointed to comments Graham made about Islam in 2001 as the primary reason for the disinvite. (See earlier story)

Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) says the issue will be addressed later. "Of course we'll have Army officials before the Armed Services Committee quite often. I'm going to ask them about this," Wicker vows. "There is a time for proselytizing and a time for preaching. I'm a Baptist; we do that. But that's not to say that I should be unwelcomed at a time when we put our religious disagreements aside."

The Mississippi lawmaker believes the snubbing of Franklin Graham was a dangerous step -- and he adds that if current trends continue, only those who preach a diluted Christian gospel will be invited to speak at public events. Meanwhile, many of Franklin Graham's fellow preachers agree with his views on Islam.

Graham continues to see support

A poll conducted by LifeWay Research of the Southern Baptist Convention surveyed 1,000 Protestant pastors who were read a statement from Frankling Graham about Islam and a statement from former President George W. Bush describing Islam as a "noble religion."

The survey found that 47 percent of pastors agreed with Graham, 12 percent agreed with both, and one-fourth of the pastors agreed only with Bush.

Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, believes that given the recent controversy over Graham's disinvite to the National Day of Prayer event, the subject of Islam will be discussed even more at churches nationwide. (Listen to audio report)

"I think there's a lot of people asking those questions and having those discussions about Islam, and I think [they're] going to continue as people want to understand," Stetzer predicts. "They see Islam in the news, they see discussions about...the National Day of Prayer. I think that's going to continue."

LifeWay's survey also found that most pastors do not believe Muslims and Christians pray to the same god. The poll was conducted about month prior to the controversy surrounding Graham and the prayer event.

Eastern Michigan University: Change Your Christian Beliefs or Leave Program

Legislators Question Expulsion of Christian Students

Lawmakers in Michigan are preparing to call on the carpet leaders of taxpayer-supported universities across the state after top officials at Eastern Michigan University expelled from a counseling program a Christian student who refused to argue in support of the homosexual lifestyle.

Read the rest of this entry >>

U.S. Court: National Day of Prayer is Unconstitutional

From LifeSiteNews
By John Jalsevac

In a decision released Thursday, U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb declared the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional. The decision comes in the case filed by The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a Wisconsin-based organization, which challenged the constitutionality of a 1988 federal law giving the president the authority to designate the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer.

The day of prayer "goes beyond mere 'acknowledgment' of religion because its sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function in this context," Crabb wrote. "In this instance, the government has taken sides on a matter that must be left to individual conscience."

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) which represented 31 members of Congress in an amicus brief defending the National Day of Prayer, said that the decision is flawed and expressed confidence that it will be overturned.

"It is unfortunate that this court failed to understand that a day set aside for prayer for the country represents a time-honored tradition that embraces the First Amendment, not violates it," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ.

"This decision runs counter to well established legal precedent and we're confident that this flawed decision ultimately will be overturned.”

Sekulow said that ACLJ will be appealing the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. If the appeals court refuses to overturn the decision, Sekulow said that the ACLJ will bring it before the Supreme Court.

He said he is conficdent that the Supreme Court would “ultimately determine that such proclamations and observances like the National Day of Prayer not only reflect our nation's rich history, but are indeed consistent with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment."

In its brief filed with the federal district court in Madison, Wisconsin, the ACLJ represented itself and 31 members of the 111th Congress – including Rep. J. Randy Forbes of Virginia, who chairs the Congressional Prayer Caucus.

The ACLJ brief noted that the country has a long history of recognizing a national day of prayer dating back to the late 1700's with the Continental Congress recommending that the states set apart a day for prayer and thanksgiving. The brief states that "the historical evidence establishing a National Day of Prayer as deeply embedded in the tradition and history of this country is indisputable."

The ACLJ represented the following U.S. Representatives who are serving in the 111th Congress: J. Randy Forbes, Robert B. Aderholt, Michele Bachmann, Roscoe G. Bartlett, John A. Boehner, John Boozman, Eric Cantor, K. Michael Conaway, Mary Fallin, Virginia Foxx, Trent Franks, Scott Garrett, Louie Gohmert, Wally Herger, Peter Hoekstra, Walter B. Jones, Jim Jordan, Doug Lamborn, Thaddeus G. McCotter, Patrick T. McHenry, Mike McIntyre, Jeff Miller, Sue Wilkins Myrick, Randy Neugebauer, Pete Olson, Mike Pence, Joseph R. Pitts, Heath Shuler, Adrian Smith, Lamar Smith, and Joe Wilson.

The ACLJ amicus brief is available here:
http://www.aclj.org/media/pdf/ACLJAmicibrief-Final.pdf

School Prayer Order 'Blatantly Unconstitutional'

From OneNewsNow
By Bill Bumpas

A school prayer case in Florida has elevated into "nuclear war," declares one Christian attorney.

Liberty Counsel is representing Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) in a lawsuit against the Santa Rosa County School District after a federal judge denied CEAI's request to overturn a consent decree requiring faculty and staff to stop expressing their faith in public schools.

Mat Staver with Liberty Counsel tells OneNewsNow that the superintendent caved to pressure applied by the American Civil Liberties Union, and now this consent decree is putting the clamps on religious expression.

"A teacher, if she or he gets an email from a parent and the parent has 'God bless you' or scripture anywhere in the email, the teacher is prohibited from responding to that email without first taking out those words," Staver explains.

He adds that in another instance "one of the administrative assistants said that they are afraid to even pray with each other in their own cubicles for fear that they will be targets of contempt under this order."

The Liberty Counsel attorney calls the order "blatantly unconstitutional” and is confident that it will be overturned by an appellate court.

Thousands of Vietnamese Catholics Pray for End to Persecution

From Catholic World News

Following the siege of a parish in Hanoi, the brutal beating of a religious, and the desecration of a crucifix, thousands of Vietnamese Catholics gathered on January 24 at the Redemptorist monastery in Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon) in southern Vietnam to pray for the end of the persecution of the Church in the Asian nation. Earlier in the day, thousands of Catholics gathered at the cathedral in Hanoi to pray for the nation.

State-controlled media outlets reported, with evident delight, that the parishioners at Dong Chiem had been forced to remove all crosses from a hill on the grounds of what had long been the parish cemetery. The demolition of a large crucifix there sparked a confrontation between parishioners and police. While the state media reported that Catholics had been persuaded to move their crosses through “a long process of patient reasoning, persuasion, and education,” the parishioners said that they were victims of harassment, intimidation, and violent coercion.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has repeatedly asked the US president and State Department to redesignate Vietnam as a country of particular concern in recognition of its egregious violations of religious freedom, but both the Bush and Obama administrations have chosen not to follow the commission’s recommendations. The nation had been designated a country of particular concern until 2006.

6.8% of the Vietnam’s 85.2 million residents are Catholic.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• “Let us not forget our fellow Redemptorists and the faithful of Vietnam”- Appeal from Redemptorist Superior General (Fides)
• Vietnam: parish under siege; Hanoi archdiocese protests police violence (CWN, 1/21)
• USCIRF Urges President to Designate Vietnam as a CPC in Letter (USCIRF)
• Countries of Particular Concern (USCIRF)

Churches Across UK to Tune in to 3-Minute Warning Video This Sunday

Proposed Legislation greatest threat to "people's private expression of faith since the Reformation"

Churches across the UK will interrupt their worship this Sunday to watch a three-minute warning video about a so-called Equality Bill, promoted by the Labour government and due to be voted on in the House of Commons the following day.

Opposition is being spearheaded by Christian Concern for our Nation which has called the legislation "the biggest state intervention into people's private expression of their faith since the Reformation."

Director Andrea Minichiello-Williams points out that if the legislation is approved, churches will not be able to advertise for a "Christian youth worker", but just a "youth worker". The role of worship leader, often pivotal in any church, would no longer be restricted to Christians.

Williams commented, "Christians and Churches across this nation need to be aware that this bill has enormous implications for their day-to-day functioning. If it is passed in its present form, the Equality Bill will result in churches and Christian organisations having to recruit people to key positions who are unsympathetic to the need to reflect Christ and to worship Him through their work. That will in turn affect the way in which Jesus Christ is perceived by those served by the Church and its ministries."

The video to be seen in churches throughout the United Kindom follows:

British Christians are also urged to sign David Skinner's anti-Equality Bill petition on the No 10 Downing Street website, which again can be accessed via www.ccfon.org.

Visiting Evangelicals Silent on China's Persecuted House Churches

The Institute on Religion & Democracy (IRD) is dismayed at the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA)'s having ignored religious persecution in China during its recent visit. Instead, it spoke only of cooperation with the government-registered church while disregarding restrictions by the communist regime on unofficial churches. The vast majority of Chinese Christians, conservatively estimated at 80 million in number, worship in unregistered congregations that meet in homes and other settings.

In the past week alone, leaders of the Chinese House Church Alliance were detained by the authorities in Hebei province according to China Aid. House churches in both Beijing and Shanghai have also been closed recently by the police. In Shanxi province, authorities demolished the Fushan House Church's building, giving church leaders long prison sentences. In December, a Ugyhur Christian convert from Islam was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for his faith.

In response, IRD's Religious Liberty Program will launch Ten Thursdays of Prayer for China's Church beginning on January 21 in Religious Liberty Program director Faith McDonnell's e-newsletter, Faith on Freedom and on the IRD website. Each Thursday will have a special focus with information from China Aid. McDonnell is asking for aggressive intercessory prayer on behalf of the Church in China.

IRD Religious Liberty Program Director Faith J.H. McDonnell commented:

"We are glad that the WEA was able to minister to and encourage China's officially registered church. But we cannot do service to one part of the Body of Christ at the cost of doing disservice to another.

"One would not be able to discern the presence of any other church in China from the WEA's report. We find it staggering that there was no acknowledgment of the 80 million or more Chinese house church Christians or what they face from the Chinese government.

"Acknowledgment of the Chinese house churches, and of those who are in prison for their faith, is our duty as fellow Christians.

"We see the inability of good intentions and legislation to stop the persecution of Christians around the world. We see what appears to be a juggernaut of policies and politics crushing freedom and democracy. But have we seen the power of God released in these circumstances by faithful and constant prayer? We must get serious about praying for the persecuted church."

Muslim Mob Destroys Church in Pakistan

From Catholic World News

In the seventh instance of anti-Christian violence in Pakistan this year, a Muslim mob destroyed a Protestant church in Jaytike after a young Christian man was accused of tearing pages of the Qur’an. The accusation came after a Muslim family discovered that the young man was romantically interested in their daughter.

Jaytike is located in the eastern province of Punjab, historically the center of Christianity in the nation.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Islamic Extremists Set Fire to Church in Pakistan (Vatican Radio)
• Muslim mob burns Church after blasphemy allegations (UCAN)

British Preacher Warned by Police for Quoting Bible on Homosexuality

From Catholic World News

A British Evangelical street preacher was warned by police that he could face arrest if he continued to cite Bible passages that suggest the immorality of homosexual acts, the Christian Legal Centre reports. Miguel Hayworth was "clearly told that reading the Bible and preaching can be offensive and that they could be arrested," the group charges, adding that Hayworth and his father, who was preaching with him "were subjected to abuse and intimidation."

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Preacher threatened with arrest for reading out extracts from the Bible in public (Daily Telegraph)

San Diego Public School Dance Teacher Fired for Playing Song with Christ in It

From Christian Newswire

Kathy Villalobos was a dance teacher for two San Diego Public Middle Schools. For five years she taught young teens how to dance. One day in class she played a song to her students that had the name "Christ" in it. Within five days, she was fired. That event transpired 4 1/2 years ago.

This Monday August 24, jury selection and her trial begins at the El Cajon East County Courthouse - along with a lively protest beforehand of the rights that were violated as a result of this firing.

"This is a tremendous injustice and violation of religious liberties" said Mary Kuper, Protest Organizer "Our Country was founded upon 'In God we Trust' and 'One Nation Under God', mentioning the name of Christ is an honor and a blessing, certainly not a reason for termination of employment. We hold the public school system accountable for this unreasonable act of injustice."

Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is representing Ms. Villalobos. Brad Dacus, President of PJI, will speak at the protest Monday morning.

Protest of Injustice Against Religious Liberties
Monday August 24, 2009
9:00am
El Cajon County Courthouse steps
250 East Main Street
El Cajon, CA 92020

Canadian Court Hands Christians a Religious Freedom Setback

From Mission Network News

A court decision in western Canada reveals the tenuous state of religious liberty in Canada.

Adele Konyndyk with Voice of the Martyrs Canada explains. "Saskatchewan's Court of Queen's Bench upheld the ruling that said marriage commissioner Orville Nichols did not have the right to refuse to marry a same-sex couple in April 2004 on the basis of his Christian beliefs."

The tribunal had also ordered Nichols to pay the complainant $2,500 in compensation. According to Voice of the Martyrs Canada sources, Nichols appealed the May 23 ruling, arguing that his religious beliefs should be protected under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Justice Janet McMurty dismissed his argument, however, in her 39-page ruling dated July 17, concluding that the human rights tribunal was "correct in its finding that the commission had established discrimination and that accommodation of Mr. Nichols' religious beliefs was not required." Nichols has 30 days to appeal the decision. He has not indicated whether he will do so.

There is hope that the Saskatchewan government will introduce legislation allowing marriage commissioners to refuse to perform same-sex marriages for religious reasons. The government has referred two versions of new legislation containing a religious exemption to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal to rule on their constitutionality.

In the meantime, Konyndyk notes that the ruling sets a chilling precedent for evangelical Christians. "Essentially the message that this sends is that his religious beliefs are to be kept private, and that he cannot make a decision in line with his religious beliefs."

Could it be a legal precedent under hate crimes? It's the beginning of a slippery slope. "There is a concern that Christians could be forced to stay silent and not be able to share publicly their beliefs on Scripture and their religious convictions."

It's also a wake-up call. Konyndyk says, "Pray that Christians in Canada will recognize when their religious rights are being violated and rely on the Lord to guide them as to how to respond to such challenges."

Pentagon Denies Flyover of Patriotic 'God and Country Rally' in Nampa Idaho Because of its Christian Content

From Christian Newswire

This marks the first time in the 42 year history of the event that a flyover request was denied by the Pentagon.

The event is held ever year to honor the spiritual foundations of our country with a special emphasis on the men and women who serve in the armed forces.

In past years, the "God and Country Rally" has focused on honoring and paying tribute to those veterans who have served our nation in the past and those who are currently on active duty.

At the rally this year, all five branches of the armed services were featured with over 60 new recruits sworn into the military at the event.

After a phone conversation and an e-mail response from the Pentagon, Rally Director Patti Syme says they were denied the request for a flyover this year because of the "Christian" nature of the event.

The e-mail from the Pentagon can be seen here.

The Christian Defense Coalition says this is a "slap in the face" to all those who have proudly served or are currently on active duty in the armed services.

The group is concerned that this new policy may indicate an open hostility toward public expressions of faith by the Obama Administration.

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, states,

"For years, flyovers have been allowed by the Pentagon at the 'God and Country Rally' in Nampa Idaho. These flyovers were not to endorse or promote any one religious faith tradition. Rather, they were held to honor and pay tribute to our heroic men and women who have served or are currently serving in our armed forces.

"For the Obama Administration to deny a flyover for the first time, is a slap in the face to all those who proudly serve our country especially when we are at war. These flyovers have been a special part of the 'God and Country Rally' for many years.

"Will the new policy of President Obama be that a person has to surrender their faith tradition to honor and pay tribute to our courageous men and women who serve in the military?

"With respect to the economic concerns that the Pentagon mentioned, I would answer this way. If we can pay hundreds thousands of dollars for President Obama to go on a date with his wife to see a Broadway show and have an expensive dinner in New York City, we can certainly find a way to honor our brave men and women who serve in the armed services with a simple flyover.

"The Christian Defense Coalition will diligently work to reverse this unjust policy and determine why this flyover was denied in the first place."

Brandi Swindell, national Christian activist and Director of Generation Life, based in Idaho, adds,

"For the Pentagon to deny this flyover for the first time in the history of our state is deeply troubling and disturbing.

"During a time of war and especially around the 4th of July we should be doing all within our power as a nation to honor and respect our military.

"It must be stressed that the flyover was not to honor Christianity but to honor our fallen heroes who have proudly given their lives to protect our country and advance the cause of liberty around the world.

"Does this mean in the future that all public rallies must be stripped of any expressions of faith to respect our military? This Administration should be protecting religious expression in the public square not crushing it.

"I hope that President Obama will reverse this unjust policy and next year we will be allowed to give the military the honor they deserve."

Christians, Here Come the Lions

From WorldNetDaily
By Pat Boone

WARNING: This column is written for, and addressed to, America's Christians only. Well, maybe devout Jews as well, but no one else. People of other faiths, or no particular faith at all, probably won't comprehend the looming danger or see anything to be concerned about.

But this is a three alarm, red alert wake-up call for people who are serious about their Judeo-Christian religion. The end of our religious freedom in America could be at hand.

Can you believe it? In "the land of the free, the home of the brave," the one country in human history whose original purpose was to create and preserve absolute religious freedom for all? The nation whose foundational documents, its Declaration of Independence and Constitution, and its subsequent Bill of Rights, specifically guaranteed that government would absolutely keep its grubby hands off its citizens' freedom to exercise their faith however, whenever and wherever they choose?

Read the rest of this entry >>

Help Free Gao Zhisheng

From Voice of the Martyrs

Christian human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng, disappeared February 4, and was last seen being taken away by a dozen police officers. Gao Zhisheng has been repeatedly kidnapped, arrested, imprisoned and tortured by Chinese authorities, because he has defended the persecuted and has been an unyielding voice for justice in the Chinese courts.

Read Gao's account of 50 days of torture in 2007.

Read Gao Zhisheng's letter to the U.S. Congress in 2007.

Read Geng He's open letter to the U.S. Congress.

Read Senator Dorgan's speech from the Senate floor.

ChinaAid together with Mr. Gao's wife and children are deeply concerned about Mr. Gao, and reports from inside China indicate he is experiencing severe torture.

Please sign the petition on the page that The Voice of the Martyrs has dedicated to this brave Christian man.

New Video Exposes Christian Genocide

Stating that "the Muslim persecution of Christians has reached Genocidal proportions," the Freedom Center has produced a shocking flash video about the "millions of Christians being put to death for the sole reason that they are Christian." (Viewer discretion is advised-very disturbing images.) The video can be seen here.

The Center is raising funds so that The Muslim Persecution of Christians can be used to spread the truth and expose the nature of Islam and the threat it poses to all peoples of the world and in this case specifically, the plight of the Christians. The once vibrant Christian communities of the Middle and North Africa are disappearing before our eyes.

Black Ministers Arrested on National Day of Prayer

From CharismaMag.com

Although President Obama did not host a National Day of Prayer observance, two African-American ministers prayed outside the White House today, even though it led to their arrest.

The Rev. Johnny Hunter and the Rev. Stephen Broden, both longtime pro-life activists, were taken into custody briefly after holding a "prayer picket" outside the White House to publicly oppose the president's decision not to participate in the National Day of Prayer (NDOP). They were released after just a few hours.

"[It's] the National Day of Prayer, and the president refuses to participate in it?" said Hunter, who leads the Life Education and Resource Networks (LEARN) in Fayetteville, N.C. "Before at least presidents were nice enough to open their doors and let some Christians come in and pray. ... Not this one. So since he wouldn't do it, we took the prayer to him."

The ministers said they knew they were risking arrest but held signs saying: "Jesus Christ Is Our Lord and Savior. BHO is not" to protest what they see as a dangerous trend toward broader abortion access and acceptance of homosexuality that has occurred under the Obama administration.

"We believe this republic is under great duress right now and stress, and we believe prayer is the means by which we can change things here in America and in this government," said Broden, pastor of Fair Park Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas.

"We prayed that God would either stay the hand of judgment or quicken the hearts of men and women of faith for them to recognize that they need to come to the streets, they need to come to the public square and make it clear that we are not in favor of same-sex marriage, we are not in favor of this scourge ... [of abortion], we are not in favor of the kind of trickery and gamesmanships that are being played in the house of Congress and the house of the Senate. We are fed up, and we are tired of what this nation is doing and what our leaders are doing relative to their role and responsibility for protecting our freedoms."

The ministers joined some 2 million Christians, who met in at least 40,000 venues nationwide to pray for the U.S. A national service was held this morning in Washington, D.C., led by NDOP Task Force Chairman Shirley Dobson, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and Bible teacher Beth Moore.

The event was broadcast live on GOD TV, Sky Angel and at the NDOP Task Force Web site. It will re-air at 7:30 p.m. PDT during another prayer event in Los Angeles.

"The fact that up to 50,000 communities will have public observances of prayer is strategically very important because it points to the awakening of the believing body of Christ that is going on," said Gary Bergel, president emeritus/editor of Intercessors for America in Washington, D.C.

"That's what we know we're laboring for, the restoration of the church as the ongoing daily house of prayer for all people. ... Not only for all men and women to come to know freedom and redemption through Jesus Christ but all in authority, all heads of state, that we could live quiet, peaceable, worshipful, enterprising, free lives here"

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said President Obama would pray privately on the NDOP. The president also issued a proclamation recognizing the day and calling on Americans to "to pray in thanksgiving" for the nation's freedoms and blessings and "to ask for God's continued guidance, grace, and protection for this land that we love." (Read President Obama's proclamation.)

Christian leaders widely decried Obama's decision to break from President George W. Bush tradition of holding an official observance.

"We are disappointed in the lack of participation by the Obama administration," Shirley Dobson said. "At this time in our country's history, we would hope our president would recognize more fully the importance of prayer."

In addition to praying for the nation, faith leaders and members of Congress were to hold a bipartisan press conference today to affirm America's Christian heritage.

"America was birthed in a prayer meeting led by our Founding Fathers," said Mathew D. Staver, founder of the law firm Liberty Counsel and dean of the Liberty University School of Law.

"After dissention arose among the Revolutionary leaders about the proper form of government, and when all hope seemed lost, Benjamin Franklin arose and said: ‘Have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance?' The Founders convened a three-day prayer meeting and America was born."

Twenty-four members of Congress were to join Staver at the press briefing, including Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Va., who on Monday introduced the America's Spiritual Heritage Resolution to recognize the role prayer played in the nation's history. The measure also calls on Congress to designate the first week in May as "American Religious History Week."

The legislation and the press conference are aimed at countering Obama's recent statement that Americans "do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."

"The United States Supreme Court has acknowledged that America is a ‘Christian nation,' that we are a ‘religious people,' and that our ‘institutions presuppose a Supreme Being,'" Staver said in a statement. "Yes, Mr. President, America was born on a Christian and Judeo foundation. At critical times like these, we ought to heed the words of Benjamin Franklin and humbly ask almighty God to bless America."

Last week, prayer leaders Cindy Jacobs and Dutch Sheets called on Christians to help "turn the nation back to God" by praying on April 30. On that day in 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling the nation to humble itself "before the offended Power," to confess its national sins and to pray for "clemency and forgiveness."

The prayer effort was to continue through the NDOP, when intercessors were asked to intensify their prayers for national healing and renewal.

"Let's come into agreement with what President Lincoln said and let's make a statement to this nation, to the spiritual powers that are trying to steal from us our Christian heritage, and let's say: ‘The war isn't over. We are not going to give this nation away, and the culture war isn't over,'" said Sheets, pastor of Springs Harvest Fellowship in Colorado Springs, Colo. "God is going to help us reform this nation. We are going to get it done."

This year is the 58th annual NDOP, which President Harry Truman signed into law in 1952 after the Rev. Billy Graham led a crusade in Washington, D.C. In 1988 President Ronald Reagan set the observances on the first Thursday in May.

In March, the Obama administration asked that a lawsuit claiming the NDOP violated church-state separation be dismissed, the Associated Press reported. The administration argued that the tradition dates back to 1775 and that most presidents have invoked faith in a higher power.

The Real Meaning of Religious Persecution

From The American Spectator
By Doug Bandow

"The persecution of Christianity in America has begun," complains Rick Scarborough of Vision America. He points to criticism of Christian supporters of California's Proposition 8, banning gay marriage, and cites an email to him "so vile that I cannot reprint the letter." He asks for contributions "to assist us as we confront the growing threat of domestic terror being perpetrated by homosexual activists."

The protests against Prop 8 backers, particularly the Mormon Church and individual Mormons, took an ugly turn. There may even be "growing hostility against religion in America and particularly against Christians," as Scarborough asserts, at least in the cultural realm. But this hostility does not amount to persecution. After all, America's outgoing president is an avowed evangelical, the Republican Party's 2008 vice presidential nominee was an outspoken evangelical, and the new president is a self-identified Christian. The last chose a high-profile evangelical minister to pray at the inaugural. Some Christians may be treated badly, but Christians are not being persecuted.

In America, that is.

Elsewhere in the world there is persecution of Christians and other religious believers. Real persecution. The faithful are arrested and imprisoned. Their homes and churches are invaded and confiscated. And hundreds or thousands every year are martyred -- sometimes by mobs and other times by governments.

Read the rest of this entry >>

Some Christians Under Siege in 'Season of Hope'

An Indian Christian prays on Christmas Eve in New Delhi

December 25, 2008

From Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
By Jeffrey Donovan

On the snowy outskirts of Moscow, beneath a tent awning flapping in the freezing wind, Pastor Bakur Azaryan is preparing for Christmas service at Emmanuel Pentecostal Church. He's got all the essentials: Bibles, hymnals -- and electricity generators to power portable heaters to warm his flock of 700 faithful.

It will be a cold Christmas, for sure. Over the years, Azaryan's church -- part of a Protestant movement with 130 million global followers -- has faced such hostile red tape from local officials that worshipers have been forced to pray in a tent next to the church building, which was also hit by arsons last year.

"They cannot use the building for worship because bureaucrats won't complete the paperwork on it to allow it to be used," says author Felix Corley, the news editor of Forum 18, a Norway-based religious rights news service. "So they've got to set up a tent. They've got to bring in benches. They've got to bring in portable heaters and generators. It's expensive. And a lot of people don't want to come because it's cold."

Read the rest of this entry >>

Court to Decide Whether Campus Evangelism a Crime

From OneNewsNow
By Charlie Butts

The so-called "free-speech code" of Yuba Community College District is under federal court scrutiny.

California student, Ryan Dozier, decided to spend some time on campus sharing his faith and handing out tracts to fellow students, generating conversations about Christianity. Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorney Heather Hacker comments on the situation.

"A campus police officer came over and told him that if he continued to do so without a permit that he would be possibly expelled or arrested, and so Ryan stopped immediately," she explains.

Hacker says Dozier thought the case was closed, but he was apparently mistaken. "Three weeks later he got a certified letter from the president of the college stating that his actions were the subject of a campus crime report," she adds. "Last time I checked, sharing your faith on a public college campus was not a crime."

But the letter informed him he could face expulsion if he shared his faith on campus again. ADF filed suit, and a federal judge has ordered the college to suspend enforcement of its highly restricted free speech policies until the lawsuit is resolved.

Iran: Sixteen Christian Converts Arrested

From Adnkronos

Sixteen Iranians who converted from Islam to Christianity were arrested on Tuesday in Malakshahr, on the outskirts of the central Iranian city of Isfahan.

The six women, eight men and two adolescents who were arrested were assisting in a conversion ceremony and baptism of three new members of the church at a private house that had been transformed into an evangelical church.

The owners of the home, an elderly couple, were allegedly beaten up before they were locked up in an unmarked lorry.

In April, 10 Christian converts were arrested in Shiraz.

The official evangelical churches in Isfahan received orders not to allow any Muslims to attend their ceremonies and not to facilitate in any way the conversions.

Iranian law does not stipulate any punishment for those who convert from Islam to other faiths, even if the converts are subject to repression.

A few months ago, the government presented a bill which is currently being discussed in parliament, to include in the penal code the crime of "Ertedad" which is the act of abandoning the Muslim faith.

If the parliament does approve the law, the punishment for abandoning Islam will be the death penalty.