Category: News

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.


World

Jars of Clay Builds 1,000 Wells in Africa

Charisma Staff

Jars of Clay plus 1,000 Wells  equals 70,000 Africans with clean drinking water.

That’s the equation the Christian rock band hoped for when its Blood:Water Mission, a call to personalize the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, launched the 1,000 Wells Project, a five-year initiative to provide clean drinking water to 1,000 African communities.

Blood:Water Mission first stepped into funding a late stage AIDS hospice and discovered the vital link between living with HIV/AIDS and the need for clean water. As a result, Blood:Water Mission launched the 1000 Wells Project in 2005.

U.S.

Christian Billionaire Pledges to Donate Half His Wealth

Charisma Staff

What does David Green have in common with Warren Buffet, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, and Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg? First, they are all billionaires. Second, they are all giving away half their wealth to charity.

The CEO of Hobby Lobby, Green, a devout Christian, is among a growing list of billionaires who have pledged to give away most of their money. Green and his wife, Barbara, are officially part of The Giving Pledge, an effort to invite the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to giving the majority of their wealth to the philanthropic causes and charitable organizations of their choice either during their lifetime or after their death.

U.S.

Oregon Professor Fired Over Islam Teaching

Charisma Staff

Lane Community College should rehire a teacher that was fired after the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, complained about a class he was scheduled to teach about Islam. So says the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).

The ACLJ is arguing that the Eugene, Oreg.-based community college violated the contractual and constitutional rights of the teacher, Barry Sommer, by firing him and canceling the class in the wake of pressure from CAIR.

World

What Will Europe Do If Israel-Iran Options Fail?

Charisma Staff

As Israel once again begins firing retaliatory missiles into Gaza, the European Coalition for Israel, or ECI, is calling on the European Parliament to take a stand for Israel.

The ECI wants the European Union to support Israel’s right to defend itself “and the Jewish people” against Iran using all means necessary if diplomacy fails, if sanctions don’t work, if nothing else works, and if Iran is about to get nuclear weapons.

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