Quantcast
Channel: Response Action Network - Religion

Government Harassing Pastors

0
0
Bible Church Holy Book - Government Harassing Pastors

Houston's city government has decided to tear up the First Amendment and subpoena the sermons of area pastors who disagree with the city's new equal rights ordinance:

"Houston's embattled equal rights ordinance took another legal turn this week when it surfaced that city attorneys, in an unusual step, subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who oppose the law and are tied to the conservative Christian activists that have sued the city.

"Opponents of the equal rights ordinance are hoping to force a repeal referendum when they get their day in court in January, claiming City Attorney David Feldman wrongly determined they had not gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. City attorneys issued subpoenas last month during the case's discovery phase, seeking, among other communications, 'all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession.'

"The subpoenas were issued to several high-profile pastors and religious leaders who have been vocal in opposing the ordinance. The Alliance Defending freedom">freedom">Freedom has filed a motion on behalf of the pastors seeking to quash the subpoenas."

Criminalizing free speech . . . silencing opposing views...that's the American left in a nutshell.


The Pope turns down lunch with John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi

0
0
The Pope turns down lunch John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi

Pope Francis made his first visit to the United States, addressing congress">Congress, meeting the President, seeing the sights. And while we profoundly disagree with Francis on economic policy, and a host of other issues, we admire and support his decision to turn down a power lunch with congressional big-wigs and instead, minister to the homeless in Washington, DC:

Passing on the opportunity to dine with politicians after addressing Congress this morning, Francis instead said a prayer blessing a meal for homeless clients of St. Maria's Meals, a food program run by Catholic Charities in Washington, D.C.

Just before the meal, Francis drew a powerful comparison between the plight of the homeless and the christmas">Christmas story about Jesus’ birth in a stable.  

“The son of God knew what it was to be a homeless person,” Francis said, during a speech at nearby St. Patrick's Catholic Church. “What it was to start life without a roof over his head.”

“I want to be very clear. We can’t find any social or moral justification,  no justification whatsoever for lack of housing,” he continued. “We know that Jesus wanted to show solidarity with every person. He wanted everyone to experience his companionship, his help and his love. He identified with all those who suffer, who weep, who suffer any kind of injustice. He tells us this clearly, ‘I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’"

Here is an instance of a man of faith living that faith -- attending to the physical and spiritual needs of the poor. And doing it all without the government's interference, permission or sanction.

Churches and church members of all denominations are among the largest providers of charity in the world. They give and serve because their faith asks it of them. There are many on the Left who disparage these efforts, saying government -- not private individuals and organizations -- should be aiding the poor, housing the homeless, and feeding the hungry.

All that does is feed, house, and clothe bureaucrats.

And the Left has also gone to great political and legal lengths to punish people of faith for doing good works, or living their faith. The Obama administration, for example, is fighting Catholic nuns to court to force them to provide birth control and abortion services to their non-religious employees. 

Again -- we think the Pope is wrong on free markets. The free market is the most effective tool for advancing humanity, and bettering lives across the globe.

But we also salute him for his dedication to living his faith, providing hope to those who have none, and comforting those who are suffering.

If you would like to share your support for the Pope and his mission to spread the Good News, please click here

Categories: 

ISIS crucifies priest in Yemen

0
0
ISIS crucifies priest in Yemen

Easter weekend was deadly for Christians in some parts of the world, as a suicide bomber linked to a Taliban splinter group killed nearly 70 in Pakistan...

The suicide blast, in the eastern Pakistan city of Lahore, killed at least 69 people, a local government spokesman told CNN.
More than 341 others were injured, according to Punjab government spokesperson Jehangir Awan. 
It comes at a difficult time for Pakistan's Christians, some of whom were in the city's Gulshan Iqbal Park to celebrate the holiday Sunday evening, only to see their Easter Sunday fragment into terror and chaos. 
The religious group makes up only 2% of the population, and tensions are high between them and a hardline Muslim core which wants to see a strict interpretation of Islamic law take precedence in Pakistan's legal system.

While ISIS terorrists crucified a Catholic priest in Yemen:

The Indian Catholic priest kidnapped by ISIS-linked terrorists in Yemen earlier this month was crucified on Good Friday, it has been claimed.

Father Thomas Uzhunnalil, 56, was taken by Islamist gunmen, reportedly linked to ISIS, who attacked an old people's home in Aden, southern Yemen, killing at least 15 people, on March 4.The terrorists reportedly carried out the heinous murder on Good Friday, after threatening to do so earlier in the week, according to the Archbishop of Vienna.

And yet we are still urged to believe that Islam is a "religion of peace."

Categories: 

Christian Voters Critical to Stopping Clinton

0
0
Christian Voters Critical to Stopping Clinton

While the press continues to spin various theories on why Donald Trump, and not their favorite, Hillary Clinton, won on November 8, they have overlooked the role evangelical and Catholic voters played in the results.

According to an exit poll analysis from FedUp PAC founder Richard Viguerie, evangelicals and Catholics were an essential part of Trump’s winning coalition.

“Overall,” Viguerie said, “81 percent of white evangelicals and 60 percent of white Catholics nationally cast their vote for Trump.”

Mirroring changes seen in how some states cast their ballots in 2016 versus 2012, Viguerie said “Catholics overall voted 52 percent for Trump and 45 percent for Clinton.” In 2012, Catholic voters chose Barack Obama over Mitt Romney 50 to 48 percent.  

In Florida, which polls long showed was a toss-up, Viguerie said “20 percent of the voters in that key battleground state are white evangelicals, 85 percent of them voted for Trump, compared to 13 percent for Clinton.”

Viguerie said FedUp PAC focused its efforts on mobilizing Catholic voters in 14 key states, sending more than “3.4 million online get-out-the-vote (GOTV) communications in those battleground states.”

“For conservatives,” Viguerie said, “it is always necessary to use the new and alternative media to go around the mainstream media and speak directly to the voters.”

Ronald Reagan did that using direct mail,” Viguerie said, “and the media were shocked the morning after Election Day 1980.”

Viguerie said the 2016 election results, “in terms of the shock it sent to the mainstream media, is perhaps on par with that great day in 1980.”

Categories: 

The left's disdain for prayer

0
0

In the wake of the Texas church shootings over the weekend, a number of people took to social media to express their shock, horror, and to offer both thoughts and prayers to those affected. But almost as quickly as though offerings of prayer were published, the denunciations began. To call some "ugly" doesn't do them justice. But the Wall Street Journal's William McGurn took a look at the vileness that erupted over prayers, and wrote:

Here’s one of the more charming: “The murdered victims were in a church,” tweeted actor Wil Wheaton to Mr. Ryan. “If prayers did anything, they’d still be alive, you worthless sack of [expletive].”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren chose less inflammatory wording for her own tweet. “Thoughts & prayers are not enough, GOP,” wrote the Massachusetts Democrat. “We must end this violence. We must stop these tragedies. People are dying while you wait.” In short, if you are a Republican praying instead of passing gun control, you’ve got blood on your hands.

And it gets worse:

Here’s how these new theologians put it. Keith Olbermann: “ ‘Thoughts and prayers’ again, @realDonaldTrump, idiot? These people were in CHURCH. They WERE praying.” Actress Marina Sirtis: “To all those asking for thoughts and prayers for the victims in #churchshooting, it seems that your direct line to God is not working.” Or MSNBC’s Joy Reid: “Remember when Jesus of Nazareth came upon thousands of hungry people, and rather than feeding them, thought and prayed?”

Putting aside Ms. Reid's blistering ignorance of the Gospel for a moment, these responses, and countless more, expose a profound difference between the supposedly enlightened left, and everyone else:

The smugness is illuminating in three important ways. First and most obvious, progressives simply cannot contain their distaste toward symbols and beliefs important to ordinary Americans. Until Sunday this columnist thought it impossible to match the obtuseness of millionaire athletes showing disrespect for the national anthem and the fans who pay their salaries. But give credit where it’s due: the thoughts-and-prayers police make the NFL protesters look like Gandhis.

Second, those doing the taunting apparently have no idea how childish their understanding of prayer is. As the families that come each week to the First Baptist Church appreciate, prayer is not a magic talisman against suffering. In a faith that commands its adherents to pick up their crosses, prayer is a way to praise the Almighty and, when necessary, ask for courage and resolve to do the right thing.

Finally, isn’t it curious how the same folks who blasted Mr. Trump for politicizing the recent attack in Manhattan by an Islamic terrorist are now denouncing prayer because of a political preference?

They believe the answer is federal gun control, and this is their right. But it’s hard not to notice they believe this with an absolute faith that seems immune to reason or evidence to the contrary—a secular faith even the most fervent Christian might envy. Or that in their disdain for prayer they ironically appear to have more in common with the shooter than his victims.

Surely it is possible to make the case for gun control without mocking prayer. But as with Mrs. Clinton and her infamous remarks about Trump voters—not only deplorable but irredeemable—those denouncing Messrs. Trump and Ryan’s offer of prayers don’t really want an argument. They want to express their feelings of moral superiority.

When one has placed all of one's faith in the power of the state, then all other faith's are heresy. They must be shouted down, mocked, and ultimately extinguished in the defense of the truth faith -- the state.

In the process, they transcend smugness, and become, rather, a breed of noxious inquisitors constantly on the lookout for heretics. It leaves them hollow, and very angry. We will keep them in our prayers.

Categories: 




Latest Images