| Headlines for Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 |
Supreme Court Votes for Free Speech in
Westboro Church Case
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in favor of Westboro church, deciding in a nearly unanimous vote that the Kansas church’s right to free speech trumps military families’ right to privacy. By an 8 to 1 vote, the Supreme Court affirmed the U.S. right to free speech, even if the speech is that of the Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church. The church is notorious for picketing military funerals with hateful language and offensive gestures such as dragging the American flag on the ground. Chief Justice John Roberts acknowledged in the majority’s opinion the pain the church’s action may cause. “Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and – as it did here – inflict great pain,” he remarked. However, Roberts conceded, “On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker.” MORE |  |
CNN: Pastor Rob Bell's Book Draws Charges of Heresy
Rob Bell, a pastor and author who has achieved rock star status in the Christian world, is preaching a false gospel, his critics say. And some of those critics are Christian rock stars in their own right. The pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bell has authored a book called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, which ignited a firestorm of controversy over the weekend, weeks before it arrives in bookstores. On Saturday, in a blog post on the popular Christian website The Gospel Coalition, Justin Taylor blasted Bell's new book, for teaching "false doctrine..." MORE |  | SHARPER IRON: Federal Intervention in Higher Education
The federal government is changing its policy toward higher education, and the changes could affect every Christian college and seminary in the nation. The net effect of these changes is a significant federal takeover of the educational process. The vehicle through which the changes are being pursued is accreditation, but non-accredited institutions are likely to feel the bite of federal regulation. In order to under- stand the changes, you have to understand how accred- itation works. Until now, accreditation has been essentially an activity of the private sector. Of course, anyone can establish an accrediting agency, and there are accreditation mills just as there are diploma mills. MORE |
Pastor: Obama's Actions 'Delusional' & Tyrannical
A conservative black pastor is calling for the church and church leadership to rise up and fight against the Obama administration's decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court. Two federal courts have ruled DOMA unconstitutional. That means the ruling will stand in those circuit districts if no one steps up to the plate to defend that law -- and with Barack Obama's decision last week, that means the Justice... MORE | McMahon: Beck's Bogus Beliefs
Glenn Beck, the television and radio talk show host who is best known for his conservative political views, isn't someone whom we would normally address in our newsletter. Our concerns are usually directed at individuals, programs, or organizations that promote spiritual or theological views contrary to the Word of God. Beck, of late, seems to be making himself at home in that realm, and he's attracting many Bible-believing Christians.MORE |
| Ky Senate Passes Bible Class Curriculum
The Kentucky state legislature is out to provide a curriculum for public high school Bible courses. Many teachers and students in Kentucky are all for the bill, agreeing that it serves a useful purpose in the classroom. MORE | | Gov't Spends $200 Billion on Duplicate Programs | | Clinton: Mideast Religious Minorities Under Threat | | Woman, Bible Miraculously Escape Fiery Crash | | Muslims To Rally for U.S. Islamic States | | AG Holder: Black Panther Case Focus Demeans 'My People' | | PATHEOS: The "Christian America" of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| AP, NPR Erroneously Tag Westboro Baptist as 'Fundamentalist' Church
The Supreme Court ruling in Snyder v. Phelps is proving to be yet another occasion for the media to falsely describe the homosexuality-fixated Westboro Baptist Church as a "fundamentalist" congregation. The AP, MSNBC and NPR.org have been among the news outlets using that tag for the Topeka, Kansas, organization that protests funerals of soliders, cele- brating their deaths by claiming God killed them because he hates "fags."
But the AP's own style manual strongly cautions against... MORE | Christians in Shock over Pakistani Minister's Murder
Pakistani Minorities Minister Shabaz Bhatti was shot dead in his car on Monday morning as he traveled near the Islamabad market. Bhatti, Pakistan's sole Christian minister, was on his way to a cabinet meeting when three or four gunmen opened fire on the car. One eyewitness saw three gunmen begin firing at the car. Two opened the door and tried to pull him out, while a third opened fire with a Kalashnikov rifle, The AP reported. MORE |  |
| | Calif. AG to Circuit Court: Allow Gays to Wed Now | | Atheist Ad: You Can Live Moral, Meaningful Lives Without God | | Israel Blamed for Unrest in Arab World | | Equal Access for Christian Student Groups | | Pope Exonerates Jews For Jesus’ Death |
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Be advised that some of the viewpoints espoused on this page may not be held by the editor. News For Christians is a news digest, pulling links from all over the web. The articles found here represent a window into what is being written about religion and Christianity, not necessarily the editor's personal views. Please read with these points in mind. |
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