THE CHRISTIAN POST: Wednesday July 11, 2012 Tammuz 21, 5772

health care religious freedom contraception mandate
(Photo: Reuters/Jason Reed)

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Repeal Birth Control Mandate for Religious Employers

By Napp Nazworth

Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and Diane Black (R-Tenn.) introduced legislation Tuesday that would limit the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requirement that employers provide coverage for contraception, sterilization and some abortifacient drugs. The bill would prevent the government from penalizing religious employers who choose not to follow the mandate due to the teachings of their faith.

Persecution Watchdog Group Urges Christians to Pray During Ramadan

By Alex Murashko

The persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA plans to launch a prayer campaign to coincide with Ramadan, the month of fasting in the Islamic calendar, next week.

US

Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood Collected $28M in Medicaid Fraud, Says Former Iowa Director

By Alex Murashko

A Planned Parenthood affiliate in Iowa has allegedly filed nearly one-half million false claims with Medicaid from which the pro-abortion organization received and retained nearly $28 million, say lawyers for a faith-based legal ministry.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is asking his state to reject more than $76 billion in federal funds by not expanding its Medicaid program in order to comply with the Affordable Care Act, better known as "Obamacare."

Jane Pitt, the mother of famed Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, has been forced into silence over a politically motivated letter she recently wrote to her local newspaper.

President Barack Obama's reelection campaign has accused Republican rival Mitt Romney, based upon a Washington Post article, of being a "pioneer" in outsourcing American jobs to other countries. Conservatives have recently criticized Romney's campaign for not defending himself against the charges. Romney is now accusing Obama of sending jobs overseas using, in a stroke of irony, a Washington Post article.

An atheist has called out a Christian pastor for ignoring Bible passages condemning homosexuality to argue that gays can go to heaven.

Church & Ministries

Dobson

James Dobson's 'Building a Family Legacy' Conference Showcases Family Business – Part 1

By Paul Stanley

When Dr. James Dobson started his Focus on the Family radio broadcast in 1977, he had no concept of how big his influence would be on the millions of parents who would listen to advice on building solid Christian families. And neither did his son Ryan.

A legislation that opens the door to transgender ordination passed its final hurdle on Monday and was approved by leaders in The Episcopal Church. The measure passed both the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies.

Michael Salman, the pastor from Phoenix who was fined and sentenced to jail for holding Bible studies in his home, started his 60-day jail sentence at 10 a.m. today.

Lakewood Church Pastor and best-selling author Joel Osteen has tried to explain his popularity in a recent interview by suggesting that it is due to his ability to reach those who have no experience with church, among other factors.

More News

Church Destroyed in Arson Attack, Pastor Describes as 'Spiritual Attack'

The pastor of a church in Jacksonville, N.C., that was destroyed by a blaze has said that while he does not know who exactly burned down the church last Thursday, he believes it was a spiritual attack against the faithful.

Internet Evangelist Says 200,000 Promise to Write in Jesus for President

An Internet evangelist who is advocating that ...

US State Dept to Iran: Release Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Immediately

The U.S. State Department issued a statement ...

Egypt's Government Planning to Destroy the Great Pyramids?

An online magazine has offered translations to ...

Atheist Calls Out Pastor on Gays Can Go to Heaven Comments

An atheist has called out a Christian pastor for ...

Progressive Baptists Rally Support for Gay Marriage Ahead of Nov. Elections

As the same-sex marriage debate intensifies among various Christian denominations in the United States, a group of Baptist progressives is seeking to unite members who oppose the traditional definition of marriage before the ...

Unemployment Benefit Mispayments Top $14 Billion

Through errors and fraud, the U.S. Department of ...

20,000 Sign Boycott of General Mills Over Gay Marriage

What do home improvement supplies, coffee, and ...

Hope Solo Drug Test Results Earns Warning From USADA

Hope Solo, goalkeeper for the United States ...

Church of England Adjourns Vote on Women Bishops

The General Synod of the Church of England ...

Poll: Majority Think Obama Made Country Worse; 1 in 5 Democrats Agree

A recent poll shows that a majority of likely ...

Entertainment

trip lee

Rising Christian Rapper Trip Lee on What Makes Jesus Irresistible

By Ethan Cole

Trip Lee, the stage name of rising Christian rapper William Lee Barefield III, finds Jesus irresistible even though his art tells him God is against him.

Katie Holmes, married to Tom Cruise for five years, was reported to have registered as a parishioner with the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City, where she relocated after filing for divorce from the high-profile scientologist. However, an official with the church said Tuesday that the report was false.

New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow surprised his Twitter followers late last week by starting a spur of the moment trivia competition, in which the winner received items autographed by two other football stars.

Lecrae and his Reach Records labelmates including Tedashii, KB, Andy Mineo, and PRO will embark on this year's Unashamed Tour starting on Oct. 4 in Pittsburgh, Penn.

World

Kirk

Gay Activists Protest in Front of Scottish Parliament With 'Mock Marriage'

By Katherine Weber

About 150 people attended a mock gay wedding ceremony Monday in front of the Scottish parliament house, Holyrood, to push for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

At least 58 people, including two lawmakers, were killed after suspected Muslim herdsmen attacked Christian villages near the city of Jos in central Nigeria over the weekend.

Coinciding with London's gay pride celebration this past weekend, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg hoisted a rainbow flag, an emblem of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual activism, over the Whitehall building, considered the center of government in the country.

A father in China is seeking criminal prosecution against government officials after they forced his seven months pregnant wife to undergo an abortion last month.

Christian Psychologist in Brazil Threatened After Expressing Faith

A Brazilian psychologist is being threatened with having her license to practice therapy revoked after she publicly affirmed her Christian beliefs on her blog and Twitter accounts, which is in conflict with the countries Federal ...

Singapore Relaxes Death Penalty Laws, But Human Rights Groups Call for Mercy

The Singapore government announced on Monday that ...

China Ends 14-Year Ban Against Lesbians Donating Blood

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

Image of Bible's Samson Discovered at Ancient Synagogue

An archaeological dig in Israel has uncovered a ...

Evangelist Attacked by 50 Hindu Extremists in India, 20 Others Injured

Reports coming from Orissa, India indicate that ...

Tech & Biz

MacBook Pro

13-Inch MacBook Pro to Be Released With New iPhone?

By Vincent Funaro

Apple could be launching a new 13-inch MacBook Pro as early as this year, according to a recent report from DigiTimes.

Verizon appears to be pushing back the release of the Samsung Galaxy 3 to July 12, according to their website.

The Windows 8 release date has finally been confirmed and announced by Microsoft, and it appears the latest version of Windows will be available, as predicted by many sources, in October 2012.

RIM is readying the release of the Blackberry 10 and hopes to have it out by January 2013.

We Could Use Some Rest: Busyness and Angst

By Eric Metaxas

The busyness being complained about is "almost always...self-imposed: work and obligations they've taken on voluntarily, classes and activities they've 'encouraged' their kids to participate in."

THEOLOGY

Tim Keller Responds to Claims That the Bible Is 'Inconsistent'

By Audrey Barrick

tim keller

Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, gets frustrated every time he hears the argument that Christians are inconsistent because they "pick and choose" what to follow in the Bible.

COLUMN

The Power of Words and the Nature of Sin

By Kevin DeYoung

Kevin DeYoung

To be a Christian is to be a person who cares about words. We care about definitions and implications. Our aim is not to be contentious or obstreperous. Our aim is to be true and to speak in a way that strengthens the truth.

OPINION

Jesus Was Not Born Again in Hell

By Dan Delzell

jesus

This one here is a doozy. Did you know that there have been religious teachers in the "Word Faith" movement over the years who have taught that Jesus was born again in hell? Seriously. Talk about a blasphemous doctrine. Anyone who teaches this heresy is presenting a different "Jesus" in their "ministry" than the Jesus of the Bible. God does not need to be born again. He is God....without sin....and without the need for the new birth.

CHURCH

Megachurch Pastor: How to Biblically Conquer Insecurity

By Michelle A. Vu

james macdonald

Pastor James MacDonald noticed that he struck a nerve – in a good way – during a sermon two weeks ago on insecurity. Feeling that it wasn't the right time to move on, MacDonald delivered an emotionally-charged and revealing follow-up sermon – complete with his own biggest insecurity as well as that of his late mother, which he has never shared publicly – on Sunday.

CP BLOG

The Best Argument Against Christianity

By Robin Schumacher

In my opinion, the problem of evil and God is not the number one arrow in the skeptic’s quiver. If I were asked to present the best case possible against Christianity, I would rather zero in on one very sad observation that I’ve made over a number of years: The best argument against Christianity is sometimes the life lived out by a professing Christian.

ENTERTAINMENT

Why Mayberry Resonates in the American Heart

By Robert Knight

Andy Griffith

The most important part of "The Andy Griffith Show" was not the idealized portrayal of small town American life. It is the Christian-inspired warmth and wisdom, which never goes out of style.

CP BLOG

Dear Gay Kid

By Matt Moore

Dear Gay Kid, I spent my whole life trying to be someone I wasn't. From the time I was 4 feet tall I was lying to everyone around me, pretending to be a person that I knew I really wasn’t. I hated myself. I hated who I really was. I hated that I was gay. I hated that I lived in a world where that wasn’t normal. I hated that I had to hide.

COUNSELING CORNER

Understanding and Dealing With a Dysfunctional Family

By June Hunt

June Hunt

Cathey Brown knows the painful dynamic of a dysfunctional family. She knows it because she has lived it. She learned to pretend that everything was "great" when paraded to church on Sundays … even though most weekends she avoided her drunken father … and tried not to notice her mother's bruises.

DANGEROUS CALLING

What Does It Look Like to Celebrate Grace?

By Paul Tripp

Paul tripp

Like David and all those he speaks for in Psalm 122, we cannot – we must not – let the grace we minister to others become commonplace to us. We must keep in view that we are not just instruments but also recipients of daily grace and will never outgrow our need of what grace alone is able to provide.

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.

ENTERTAINMENT

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

By Elena Garcia

blind side

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.

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

4 Reasons Men Like Porn

By Christian Post Guest Voices

One of the tasks of a good friend or accountability partner to someone who is entrenched in pornography is to help them understand their own heart. Why do they run to porn again and again? Solomon reminds us that “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water."

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

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.

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