THE CHRISTIAN POST: Sunday July 8, 2012 Tammuz 18, 5772

Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
(Photo: AP Images / Francis Specker)

Episcopal Church Votes to Allow Transgender Ministers

By Anugrah Kumar

A day after a legislative body of the Episcopal Church voted to sell the denomination's New York headquarters amid budget cuts and declining membership, church leaders on Saturday adopted legislation to give transgenders the right to become lay and ordained ministers.

Little Respite Expected From Extreme Heat in US on Sunday

By Anugrah Kumar

Temperatures are expected to drop only a little in much of the United States, where at least 30 people have died in a prolonged heat wave. However, relief is on the way, forecasters assured.

US

jobs

Obama, Romney Trade Blame for June Unemployment Report

By Anugrah Kumar

As the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that the unemployment rate remained at 8.2 percent in June, President Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney responded by trading blame for the state of the country's economy.

A Chicago-based pro-life group has started its annual summer campaign running from July 6-14 and its members hope to show Americans the reality of abortion by displaying signs with graphic images of aborted babies, which they say often upsets parents more than they do children.

Scientists in Switzerland announced on July 4 that they had finally made remarkable progress in their search for the Higgs Boson particle, a particle physicists believe holds the answer to how the universe came into being.

The Ohio Supreme Court agreed this week to hear the case of a teacher who was fired for allegedly injecting religion into the classroom. John Freshwater was officially dismissed from Mount Vernon Middle School in January 2011 and the termination by the district board was upheld by a local judge in October.

Church & Ministries

pcusa

Presbyterian Church USA Rejects Same-Sex Definition of Marriage by Narrow Vote

By Alex Murashko

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted to keep its current definition of marriage "between a woman and a man" by narrowly defeating a proposal to change the wording to "between two people" at its 220th General Assembly Friday evening.

Evangelist Louie Giglio, speaking during the last day of the Hillsong Conference in Sydney Friday, shared about how he was lifted by God's grace from a more than two-month struggle with the physical and emotional symptoms of stress and depression.

Gwendolyn Wilkerson, wife of Pastor David Wilkerson, died Thursday morning. She was 81. Her death comes a year after her husband, who founded Times Square Church in New York, died in a severe car accident in East Texas.

As the East Coast continues to recover from the massive coastal storm that hit a number of states hard this past weekend, Thomas Road Baptist Church in Virginia has been stepping up its efforts to help thousands of people in need of food and water.

More News

Billy Graham Remembers Sterling Huston as 'Indispensable' to Crusades

Evangelist Billy Graham remembered his close ...

Youcef Nadarkhani's Apostasy Charge Still Stands, Says ACLJ

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) is ...

Chinese Father Wants Officials Prosecuted for Wife's Forced Abortion

A father in China is seeking criminal prosecution ...

PCUSA Votes 333-331 Against Divestment From Israeli-Tied Companies

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) held a debate ...

Mars Hill Church Outlines What It Takes to Be a Christian, Member

Mars Hill Church in Seattle is preparing for ...

China Ends 14-Year Ban Against Lesbians Donating Blood

China has lifted its 14-year-long ban on lesbians ...

Colo. Satanist Wants Theft of 'Vote for Satan' Sign Declared a Hate Crime

Luigi Bellavite, a member of the Church of Satan in Colorado, thinks police have wrongfully charged suspected perpetrators with theft after his "Vote for Satan" sign was stolen from outside his home.

PCUSA Passes Resolution Against Spanking Children

The 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian ...

Is Paradise With Jesus Like a Never-Ending Summer Vacation?

The day after many Americans officially began ...

Image of Bible's Samson Discovered at Ancient Synagogue

An archaeological dig in Israel has uncovered a ...

Entertainment

BeBe and Cece Winans with a young Whitney Houston

BeBe Winans Details Whitney Houston's Christian Walk, Relationship With Bobby Brown, 'Unruly' Spirit

By Stephanie Samuel

Decorated Singer Whitney Houston left her loyal fans throughout the world heartbroken when she passed away on Feb. 11. Gospel Singer and personal friend to Houston BeBe Winans hopes to unveil the New Jersey singer's true nature in his soon-to-be-release book The Whitney I Knew.

Jazz Raycole may only be 24 years old, but she has acted in major television shows and movies almost every year since 2005. Still, Raycole says landing her most recent role as a pastor's daughter in TV Land's "The Soul Man" was something that only God could have made possible.

E! television network's special on New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow highlighted his influence and the events that led to his superstardom as told through his friends, former teammates and reporters.

World

Youcef Nadarkhani

Iran Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani: Trial Date Set

By Lillian Kwon

A new trial date has reportedly been set for Youcef Nadarkhani, the Iranian pastor on death row, for Sept. 8. Nadarkhani will presumably be tried for crimes against security.

Reports coming from Orissa, India indicate that an evangelist was targeted, attacked and left severely beaten in the street because he was meeting with other Christians in the area and preaching the word of God.

Speaking at an event at Lambeth Palace in London Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams explained that the Church was still grappling with how to deal with the issue of gay marriage, while high ranking members of parliament continue to push for same-sex marriage.

More than 30 people were arrested in Kenya on Wednesday over the twin church bombings in Garissa this past Sunday that killed 17 people, and Muslims and Christians in the country have vowed to push back against attempts to disrupt their peaceful coexistence.

Argentina Baby Theft Trial Sees Former Dictators Convicted

Two former Argentinian military leaders who ruled ...

Stolen Ancient Spanish Artifact of St. James Found in Handyman's Garage

The Codex Calixtinus, believed to be the first ...

Right-to-Die Groups in England Increase Lobbying Efforts

There is considerable attention being brought to assisted suicide and euthanasia in England recently. Several groups in favor of changing laws concerned with such acts have increased their lobbying of members of the British Parliament.

Hotel in Britain Replaces Gideon's Bible With Kindle Carrying Scriptures

A hotel in Newscastel, England, has replaced ...

Tech & Biz

Concept for Wearable iOS Device

Designer Creates a Spider-Like Concept for Rumored Wearable iOS Device

By Vincent Funaro

Federico Ciccarese has created concept for a wearable iOS device that Apple is rumored to be creating that is spider-like in design.

A report from MK Business News has surfaced that reveals Samsung's plans for the successor to the wildly successful Galaxy Note.

Amazon plans on launching a smartphone to compete with Apple's iPhone and other handset manufacturers such as Samsung, HTC and LG.

Apple could be launching an iPad Mini as soon as October 2012, according to a recent reports.

Christians Upset Over LifeWay's Removal of 'The Blind Side'

By Elena Garcia

New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas is among the Christians upset over the decision by LifeWay Christian Stores to remove "The Blind Side" from its shelves because it contained profanity and racial slurs. He says objections over the language miss the point of the film and such reactions make it hard for Christians to be taken seriously in cultural discussions.

POLITICS

Does John Roberts Value Image Above Ideology?

By Dan Delzell

Senate Confirms Roberts; Evangelicals Look Forward

As the dust begins to settle on the Supreme Court's recent decision to uphold ObamaCare, no one is questioning the motives of eight out of the nine justices. Only the Chief Justice has had his motives called into question.

IMMIGRATION

ObamaCare and the Obama DREAM Edict: A Precipitous Disconnect

By Robert Gittelson

hispanics

The President's action, while temporarily protecting these young people for a period of two years (subject to a reversal should the President lose his re-election bid) does nothing to grant actual status to these people. It only places them in a "deferred action" classification, meaning that they will not be placed into immediate deportation proceedings for the duration of their two year increment.

LIVING

The Truth About Prayer: What It Is and How It Works

By Joyce Meyer

Religious Freedom Sunday

I think some people don't pray much because they don't understand how powerful prayer really is. The truth is it's one of the greatest privileges we have as Christians.

N.AMERICA

Interview: Luis Palau on Misunderstandings of the Christian Life

By Katherine T. Phan

luis Palau yakima

In a one-on-one interview, internationally renowned evangelist Luis Palau speaks about his new book for dry Christians, Out of the Desert: Into the Life God Fully Intended, the greatest misunderstanding among believers about the Christian life, and how he guards himself from self-destruction.

CP BLOG

Christian Blogger in Egypt: Many Believers Committed to Staying on Frontlines, Showing Love of Jesus

By Emily Fuentes

Coptic Church Egypt

The following blog is from a co-worker in Egypt about the chaotic, changing situation in Egypt over the past few weeks.

INTERVIEW

Ed Stetzer on The Gospel Project, Why Knowing More Means Being Mission-Driven

By Katherine T. Phan

ed stetzer , gospel project

Ed Stetzer, editor of The Gospel Project, thinks Christians are "knowledge addicts" but have an "application deficit" in living on mission. He talks about how the new Bible study curriculum from LifeWay helps Christians to connect deep theological concepts in the Bible with mission-driven application.

COLUMN

Tebow, Kardashian and Our Worship of Idols

By Jim Daly

Kris

All it takes is a 30-second perusal of the supermarket tabloids to confirm what you already know: There is an excessive, if not obsessive, draw to celebrity in the culture. From Tim Tebow to Kate Middleton to Kim Kardashian, people are drawn to certain individuals, for any number of reasons.

OPINION

Juxtaposing Belief About Baptism and Saving Faith

By Dan Delzell

Oscar Sanchez

How did we get to this point in the Christian church where so many believers dig in their heels when it comes to their view of baptism? It's not like your belief about baptism gives you any more of the Holy Spirit than is given to those born again disciples who believe differently about baptism.

OPINION

Photoshopping a Fetus: Denying the Obvious

By Eric Metaxas

The pro-choice worldview's logical conclusion is there for all to see: In order to maintain the supreme good of a woman's choice, pro-choicers must always and everywhere deny the humanity of the unborn child. Even when their own eyes tell them otherwise.

U.S.

Jerry Sandusky, Sin and Grace

By Nicola Menzie

Penn State

Jerry Sandusky's systematic assaults against 10 boys over a 15-year period appear clear cut – he is a monster who deserves to be locked up, and in some minds, die and be sent directly to hell. But instead of whooping over the fact that Sandusky, 68, will likely die behind bars, voices appealing to God's grace say Christians ought to take a good look in the mirror.

U.S.

The Idea of America

By Kevin DeYoung

flag

It has often been said that America was founded upon an idea. The country was not formed mainly for power or privilege but in adherence to a set of principles. Granted, these ideals have been, at various times in our history, less than ideally maintained. But the ideals remain. The idea persists.

OPINION

Conservatives Should Tone Down Criticism of Roberts

By Ken Connor

redmass

Conservatives are apoplectic that John Roberts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, sided with the liberal wing of the court in largely upholding the constitutionality of The Affordable Care Act (ACA). Their rhetoric has been filled with invective and they have described Roberts as "a traitor to his philosophy" who is "forever stained in the eyes of Conservatives."

WORLD

Interview: American Woman on 5 Years of Intimate Life in Afghanistan

By Michelle A. Vu

in the land of blue burqas

Kate McCord (protective pseudonym) recently spoke to The Christian Post about her five years in Afghanistan and the Afghan people, including common misperceptions – on both sides – the life of Afghan women, child marriage, and the underground Christian population.

OPINION

The Death of Elitist Leadership

By Thom S. Rainer

LifeWay Rainer

It is indeed an understatement, but it's true. Leadership is changing. The overall thrust of the changes is that elitist leadership is dead; at the very least it is dying. The demand for greater transparency, honesty, and just plain decent behavior has never been higher.

COLUMN

We Need Firefighters!

By Lane Palmer

fire

Even as I write this, I can see the once piercing blue horizon of my beautiful Colorado skies transformed into a thick haze of billowy smoke. In nearly every direction, the flames stretch skyward as they are fed by howling winds that sing a grim tune.

EVANGELISM

Drop the J Bomb

By Greg Stier

Greg Stier

All too often all too many churches subtly imply that a life well lived is enough. They imply that if you're a good neighbor, co-worker, student or friend then, at some point, others will ask what makes you so different.

OPINION

A Moment to Be Clear: Courage, Not Silence

By Eric Metaxas

NC marriage

Evangelical Christians are in danger of tragically misapplying the gospel. It's a mistake we've seen before.

COLUMN

What They See When They Come to Your Church

By Thom S. Rainer

Bronx Bible Church

In the context of serious theological discussions, it may seem trivial to write about first impressions of guests when they visit your church. But, if we could understand that a returning guest has more opportunities to hear the gospel and experience Christian love and fellowship, we might take the issue a bit more seriously.

CP BLOG

The Average Salary Of A Pastor In America

By Duke Taber

Now, remember, most students coming out of Bible college do not become a pastor right away, they usually have to start as a youth pastor, associate pastor, or some other entry level position within the church. Because of this, their salary will be even less than what is listed here.

POLITICS

SCOTUS Arizona Immigration Law Decision: Who Wins? (Pt. 1)

By Lisa Sharon Harper

health care supreme court

As if from inside an echo chamber, one expert after another reinforced lived experience with proven statistical data: Not only does racial, ethnic, and religious profiling violate the civil rights of U.S. citizens, but this kind of profiling also makes law enforcement less (not more) effective.

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