Charisma Staff

U.S.

Christian Groups React to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal

Charisma Staff

In the wake of the U.S. Senate repealing former President Bill Clinton’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell rule, Christian voices from a wide swath of denominations are protesting the decision.

The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell restricts United States military from efforts to discover or reveal gay, lesbian or bisexual members or applicants. The military still bans applicants who are openly homosexual or bisexual.

Eight Republicans and independent Joe Lieberman agreed with the Democratic Party to repeal the legislation by a 65-31 margin last week. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill into law before the end of 2010.


World

Christians on Endangered Species List in Iraq

Charisma Staff

iraqThe centuries-old Christian community in Iraq is on the verge of extinction, according to Open Doors, an organization that fights for Christian freedom in dangerous countries.

The estimated number of Christians in Iraq has been cut in half from about 700,000 in 2003 to a mere 350,000 today. Open Doors reports that thousands of Christians have fled the country while others have taken refuge in northern Iraq.

U.S.

U.S. Churches Feel Offerings Pinch

Charisma Staff

moneyThe recession may have officially ended in June 2009, but its ripple effect is just catching up to some churches. So says a study from LifeWay Research.

Although Protestant churches felt moderate impacts of the recession during the last two years, the offering plate is coming up thin in 2010. With offerings declining, 79 percent of pastors say the economy is making a negative impact on their churches.

It’s the third year in a row where more churches are seeing fewer offerings than the year before. According to LifeWay, 34 percent of churches report receiving less offering this year than in 2009, as compared to 23 percent in 2009 that received less than in 2008, and 19 percent in 2008 that received less than in 2007.

U.S.

White House Turns to Religious Leaders for DREAM Act Support

Charisma Staff

white houseThe White House is calling on religious leaders to help make the DREAM Act a reality. The White House hosted a call on Thursday morning with rabbis, pastors and Christian leaders who hope to convince at least 60 United States senators to pass the bipartisan legislation before Congress takes its holiday break.

The DREAM Act is legislation that would give students who grew up in the U.S. a chance to contribute to the nation’s well-being by serving in the U.S. armed forces or pursuing a higher education. The limited, targeted legislation would allow only the best and brightest young people to earn their legal status after a rigorous and lengthy process. It applies to those brought to the United States as minors through no fault of their own by their parents.

U.S.

Once-Paralyzed Pastor Knox Dances at Holiday Celebration

Charisma Staff

Remember Delia Knox, the music minister who stood up and walked out of a wheelchair that held her captive for 22 years? Well, now she’s not only walking — she’s dancing.

Knox, a popular singer who pastors Living World Christian Center in Mobile, Ala., with her husband, Bishop Levy Knox, had been paralyzed since a car accident on Christmas Day 1987. A video captured her miraculous healing at the Bay of the Holy Spirit Revival at the Mobile Convention Center in September.

On Thursday night, the Knoxes will host “A Night With the King Celebrating the Miracle.” The night has been organized to celebrate the miracle God performed in Knox’s life. A tweet Knox distributed said, “It’s Time to Dance! One Night With the King! A Christmas Celebration 23 years in the making!” The celebration will feature artist Adlan Cruz at The Battle House Hotel Crystal Ballroom.

U.S.

Some Said It Thundered: Why Some People Don’t Believe Even After They See

Charisma Staff

On Aug. 27, 2010, I watched a miracle happen. There are all kinds of miracles, from the unforgettable birth of a child, to the eternal, grace-filled miracle of someone giving their heart to Jesus, which is the greatest miracle of all. I have seen both and I bow before God in thanks. But on this particular night, I saw another miracle, something I had heard about, but had never witnessed. I saw the lame walk. And so did hundreds of other people in the room. Since that night, more than 160,000 other people have also been witnesses to that same miracle through the Internet.

On Monday, August 23, I called my friend Bishop Levy Knox and asked if he had been to the meetings in downtown Mobile, Ala., that had now been named the Bay of the Holy Spirit Revival. Levy had just returned from a trip out of the country, and he had not yet attended, though he wanted to given a long relationship with Pastor John Kilpatrick, in whose church the meetings had begun. That same church, Church of His Presence, was now graciously hosting these citywide meetings every Thursday through Saturday evenings. Levy said that he would check with his wife, Delia, and possibly meet me there on Friday.

They did come, and what a meeting it was. Before the evening was over, Delia, paralyzed below the waist and wheelchair bound for more than 22 years, got out of her chair and walked.

World

Islamic-Christian Conference Seeks Peace

Charisma Staff

In a quest for peace, more than 400 Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders from across Palestine and around the world gathered on Wednesday at the first International Islamic-Christian Conference in Bethlehem.

Organized by Religions for Peace – Palestine, in cooperation with the Palestinian Islamic Christian Commission, the event aimed to advance dialogue and cooperation among Christians and Muslims in Palestine, and to enhance the culture of co-existence and mutual respect.

World

Europe Escapes Forced Abortion Rule

Charisma Staff

In a case many see as the “Roe v. Wade of Europe,”  the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that the document contains no right to abortion. That’s the Thursday decision in the case A, B and C v. Ireland.

A loss would have forced all countries in the Council of Europe to allow abortion or face large financial penalties in damages if sued. The case is pivotal because the lawsuit was decided in the Grand Chamber of the ECHR and the judgment is therefore binding on all lower chambers and member states.


U.S.

Remembering NRB’s Dr. Ben Armstrong

Charisma Staff
There are seldom words to describe the emotion felt by those who are left, when a giant of the faith passes to glory. That is certainly true this week, as the National Religious Broadcasters mourn the loss of Dr. Ben Armstrong, the association’s first Executive Director. Armstrong’s legacy is far-reaching, and his life was lived well; it is a privilege for us to share even a brief overview of his time at NRB.

Ben Armstrong began working for NRB in 1966, just 22 years after the association’s founding. The early pioneers of religious broadcasting had recognized the dwindling of religious radio, as the “Golden Era” of radio broadcasting in the 1930’s gave way to draconian restrictions on paid religious programming in 1943. Almost overnight, evangelical ministers were unable to purchase radio airtime, and in 1944, 150 forward-thinking leaders met and created the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB). By 1966, NRB was effective, but its reach was still small. The Executive Committee decided to make Armstrong, then the Director of Radio for Trans World Radio (TWR), NRB’s chief administrator. He was given a $9,000 budget, a part-time secretary, and no office space.  Armstrong was already a seasoned religious broadcaster who knew the impact of using media to take the Gospel to the world, and during his 23-year tenure he grew NRB from a small office in his home to an influential association with a full-time staff of 25.

U.S.

Most Americans Don’s Understand Bill of Rights

Charisma Staff

The Bill of Rights protects many freedoms but do you know what they are? An alarming number of American adults can’t tell you what those rights are, according to a Bill of Rights Institute study conducted by Harris Interactive.

When asked questions about the nation’s founding documents, American adults selected the correct answer 32 percent of the time, on average, on questions about the Bill of Rights and the freedoms it protects and American government.

U.S.

ORU Remembers Oral Roberts One Year After Passing

Charisma Staff

It’s been a year since Oral Roberts went home to be with the Lord. But his legacy lives on at the university he founded in 1963. Oral Roberts University (ORU) continues to focus on the vision and mission of one of this generation’s most effective evangelists and the school is paying tribute to its founder in an online collection of photos and videos.

“Oral Roberts was a great man who profoundly impacted the world for Jesus Christ. We are deeply thankful for his life,” says ORU President Mark Rutland. “Nowhere is the imprint of this man of God more evident than ORU. This university is the enduring legacy of Chancellor Roberts.”

U.S.

Tennessee Schools Fight for Right to Celebrate Christmas

Charisma Staff

The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is threatening Tennessee school districts with legal action if students and teachers recognize Christmas. The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is stepping in to offer free legal assistance to protect the constitutional rights of the schools.

The drama started when the ACLU sent letters to public school superintendents in Tennessee warning them that the schools will violate the Constitution if they recognize Christmas without recognizing every other winter holiday.

U.S.

Marriage Group Tackles Apple’s Christian App Censorship

Charisma Staff

The black turtleneck-and-blue-jeans-wearing Apple CEO Steve Jobs has landed smack dab in the middle of Christian censorship controversy.

In response to the iPhone-maker’s decision to remove a pro-life app that supports traditional marriage from its iTunes Store, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has launched a video called “The Iconic Steve Jobs”  that paints Jobs as a “Big Brother.”

Steve Jobs built his reputation as an iconic marketer in the famous 1984 commercial for the Macintosh computer in which Apple promises to take on “Big Brother,”  says Brian Brown, president of NOM. Jobs has made billions taking on “Big Brother,” yet the irony is that in refusing to allow citizens to support pro-life and traditional marriage positions he’s become the very “Big Brother” he has decried.

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