Eleven Christians Jailed In Philadelphia For Preaching God’s Word
(Press Release from Repent America)The City of Philadelphia has shown itself intolerant of the Gospel and those who proclaim its message. On Sunday, October 10, eleven Christians were arrested on the streets of Philadelphia as they shared the truth of the Scriptures and called upon hundreds of celebrating homosexuals to repent and believe the Gospel. The event took place on a public street where thousands were milling.
The ministry team was immediately accosted by the "Pink Angels", a militant mob of homosexuals who attempted to drown out the call to repentance with dozens of loud whistles, and sought to hide the message with dozens of large sheets of pink styrofoam. Even though the Christians obeyed all laws, city ordinances, and lawful requests by the Philadelphia police officers on hand, they were promptly and without warning, arrested and hauled off to jail where they spent 21 hours before being released Monday.
The Country Hangs In The Balance of the Supreme Courts
Those of us who respect the rule of law and the function of a judiciary that respects law, rather than imposing [it’s] values, need to work just as hard to energize our base.
I don't think it is too much to say that the culture may well hang in the balance with the appointment of Supreme Court justices in the coming years.
The domestic security of our Christian culture demands a president and Senate that will fight aggressively for judges who value the law.
Lets encourage the Senate leadership and the president to make the fight for constructionist judges a priority of his administration.
Quoteworthy
: "Officeholders are the agents of the people, not their masters." -- President Grover ClevelandHigh court refuses to hear Moore’s appeal
( Steve Jordahl, correspondent)SUMMARY: Alabama's former chief justice will not get another day in court. Roy Moore won't be getting his job back as chief justice of Alabama.
The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear his appeal, Moore won't reassume the duties he lost last year after refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama state courts building. Advocates for the former chief justice say the real reason Moore was ousted was his assertion that government should recognize its dependence on God.
Ministry Watchdog Calls for TBN to Submit to Investigation
( Allie Martin and Jody Brown October 5, 2004 Agape Press) -A North Carolina group that monitors the finances of more than 500 Christian nonprofits is calling for the founders of the (TBN) to step aside while a panel of Christian leaders investigates its finances.
A division of Wall Watchers, has issued the alert asking donors to consider withholding contributions to TBN comes on the heels of a series of articles in the Los Angeles Times focusing on the network's finances and the luxurious lifestyles of TBN founders Paul and Jan Crouch.
According to those articles, the Crouches receive combined annual salaries of more than $750,000 ("considerably higher than the average for executive pay for nonprofits,") MinistryWatch says the ministry holds more than $230 million in U.S. Treasury bonds and more than $30 million in cash reserves. Michael Barrick.
Washington
— (AP) Thirty states are poised to make abortion illegal within a year if the Supreme Court reversed its 1973 ruling establishing a woman's legal right toabortion.
Hate-crimes' bill to muzzle Christians?
October 6, 2004© 2004WorldNetDaily.com The House of Representatives has voted to urge a conference committee to add "sexual orientation, gender and disability" to federal hate-crimes law, a development some observers say would muzzle Christians who speak out against homosexuality.On Sept. 28, the House to pass a procedural motion encouraging a conference committee to include the hate-crimes legislation in the final version of the Defense Authorization Act. In June, Sens. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., introduced the new language meant to protect homosexuals as an amendment to the Senate's version of the Defense Authorization Act.
The Senate measured passed by a vote of 65-33. The bill imposes special fines for those who commit a "hate crime" against a protected class and provides federal assistance to those prosecuting such crimes. Existing hate-crimes law provides federal help to states and localities in prosecuting crimes based only on the victim's race, religion or national origin. Christian activists believe that if passed and signed into law, the legislation could be used to target Americans who voice their opposition to the homosexual lifestyle including pastors preaching and reading the Bible.
“Passage would literally throw open the door to attacks against people of faith, who could be prosecuted with federal monies for expressing their views on homosexuality!" warns Gary Cass, executive director of Reclaiming America Bob Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute, says if it becomes law the legislation could be used to "muzzle public discussion of homosexuality and even someday silence pastors." Knight commented, "It's a very dangerous bill, because it adds 'sexual orientation' to hate-crimes law, and it greatly expands federal jurisdiction."Homosexual activists have redefined any opposition to homosexuality as 'hate speech.'
Laws already criminalize speech that incites violence. It's easy to imagine a scenario in which any incident involving a homosexual can be blamed on people who have publicly opposed homosexual activism." Because it offers special protection to specific class of people, the legislation "violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution," Cass stated.
The Human Rights Campaign Group: "We laud Congress for this vote, especially Minority Leader Pelosi for offering this motion and working to get the overwhelming support of her peers. A new law was passed in Canada that adds sexual orientation as a protected category which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison Canadian criminal code in certain instances, as evidenced by the case of a Skaskatcawan man fined by a provincial human-rights tribunal for taking out a newspaper ad with Scripture references to verses about homosexuality.
Earlier this year in Sweden, which also has strict hate-crimes laws, a pastor was arrested at his church after he began reading Bible verses condemning homosexuality. Some states have included sexual orientation in their state hate-crimes laws. Last month, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill expanding that state's statute to include not only homosexuals and transgendered people but also people who merely associate with those who are part of a protected group.
While every hate crime represents a personal tragedy for the victim, hate crimes also are an attempt to intimidate a larger group or community of people, the bills' author, Senator Sheila Kuehl, told 365gay.com. "Hate crimes tear at the fabric of our society and it is important that we have a strong and effective response to them."
The Center for Reclaiming America is urging citizens to contact the conference committee to ask them to remove the hate-crimes language from the final bill.
Howard Wilson hwilson@texasmoralaction.org