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Good afternoon! It's Friday, October 14, and today's headlines include the growing number of attacks on churches and pro-life groups in the months since the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, a jury recommending a sentence of life in prison for the Parkland mass shooter, and a UMC pastor in Florida who invited a man dressed in drag to deliver a "children's sermon."
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As the pro-life movement expresses outrage over the arrest of pro-life activist Mark Houck, attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and churches continue in the United States nearly four months after the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the U.S. Constitution does not contain the right to an abortion. The FBI and Justice Department have faced harsh criticism from the pro-life movement over their early-morning raid on the Pennslyvania home of Mark Houck. While the DOJ contends that Houck "is alleged to have twice assaulted a man because he was a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort," a fundraiser set up for the family says the escort was harassing Mark's 12-year-old son as they prayed outside the clinic: "They walked down the street away from the entrance to
the building. The escort followed them, and when he continued yelling at Mark’s son, Mark pushed him away," the fundraiser reads. The arrest of Houck for violating the FACE Act, which subjects anyone who "intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person" seeking to "provide reproductive health services" to federal charges, prompted backlash from the pro-life community. If convicted, Houck faces up to 11 years in prison.
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Following Houck’s indictment, Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights wrote a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the leading Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the letter, Donohue wrote that "there seems to be much interest in pursuing alleged wrongdoing by pro-life activists, yet little interest in pursuing alleged wrongdoing by abortion-rights activists." In the months following the Supreme Court
decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, multiple incidents of violence against pro-life groups and churches have been largely ignored by the federal government. This list from The Christian Post details the most recent acts of pro-abortion vandalism of churches and pregnancy support centers since Houck’s Sept. 23 arrest. Continue reading. |
P.S. Announcing "Generation Indoctrination," a CP original podcast series that takes a deep dive into the transgender battle. Episode One: Have Schools Become "Indoctrination Centers for Gender Ideology?" is out now—make sure to give us a follow so you never miss an episode. Listen now on Edifi, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. Don't forget to give "Generation Indoctrination" a 5-star rating.
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Listen to the CP Daily Podcast   
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A jury has rejected a request to give the death penalty to Nikolas Cruz, the now 24-year-old man, who, as a 19-year-old student, entered a high school in Parkland, Fla., in 2018 and murdered 17 people in a mass shooting. The 12-person jury recommended life in prison without the possibility of parole, citing factors like Cruz's documented history of mental health issues. Families of the victims have expressed disappointment with the jury's recommendation of life in prison, with Fred Guttenberg, the father of 14-year-old shooting victim Jaime Guttenberg, stating, "I'm stunned. I'm devastated. There are 17 victims that did not receive justice today," per Axios. Cruz told authorities that "demons" instructed him to do the shooting, with evidence indicating that he suffered
from Autism and grief over the then-recent death of his adoptive mother. Later in 2018, a cell phone video was released that Cruz took of himself planning to massacre "at least 20 people with an AR-15 and a couple tracer rounds." In the video, Cruz stated, "Location is Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Florida. It's going to be a big event. When you see me on the news you'll all know who I am. You're all going to die." Read more. |
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Mark Tooley, the president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, is sounding the alarm on the United Methodist Church after Allendale UMC Senior Pastor Andy Oliver in Florida invited a man dressed in women's clothing to preach a sermon with children seated next to him. Oliver said he invited Isaac Simmons, who performs in drag as "Ms. Penny Cost," to deliver the Oct. 2 sermon because he wants "all people to see people like themselves called by God to preach the Gospel." Tooley has cautioned that drag queens like Simmons are becoming the "new public face of United Methodism" and says that Simmons and others like him are among the reasons the denomination has failed to grow for a half-century. "Dying United Methodism faces only further tragedy ahead," Tooley says of
the denomination, which he also describes as "imploding." Simmons, an associate pastor at Hope UMC in Bloomington, Ill., has a video on his website in which he declares "the Bible is nothing," adding, "God must be nothing / Religion must be nothing / It is all nothing / Until we wield it into something." The United Methodist News Service, which serves as the official UMC media outlet, has touted Simmons as the first drag queen to become a certified candidate for UMC ordination. Read more. |
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Mary Adelia McLeod, the first woman to become a diocesan bishop in The Episcopal Church, died at her home in Charleston, W. Va., on Wednesday at the age of 84. The third woman to be consecrated a bishop in the denomination, she was the first female bishop who specifically led a diocese. The Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, the regional body that McLeod was elected in 1993 to lead, announced her death on Wednesday. In the announcement, Bishop Shannon MacVean-Brown, the head of the Vermont Diocese and the first black woman to hold the leadership position, reflected on how McLeod "was always encouraging" to her, stating, "I’m trying my best to continue her work of empowering and supporting lay ministry, promoting inclusion, strengthening our stewardship, improving
transparency around our financial resources, and encouraging the ministry of women." Read more. |
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In this editorial, Christian Post Executive Editor Dr. Richard Land discusses the concept of the separation of church and state and the role religion should—or should not—play in our society. Rather than viewing the debate as varying between "avoidance" and "acknowledgment" when it comes to religious convictions being applied to public policy and culture, Land advocates "accommodation," which he says "would have the government playing the role of 'umpire,' not 'coach' or 'sponsor.' In other words, in the 'accommodation' position, the government just makes sure everyone 'plays fair,' and that no person or group monopolizes the conversation or attempts to silence anyone else." Read more. |
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Joseph Mattera discusses how some Christians neglect the basics of their faith, saying it has resulted "in a dangerous assumption that their salvation is always a settled fact despite how they live." Mattera outlines seven ways people neglect their salvation and shares Scriptures to help believers rethink decisions such as lacking accountability and not pursuing biblical discipleship. Read the full list here. |
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The transgender craze is growing and metastasizing in America and worldwide. Confusion is abounding. And while Western cultures celebrate and elevate gender chaos, the societal and cultural costs are quickly mounting.
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That’s why enterprising journalist Brandon Showalter of The Christian Post is offering a no-holds-barred exploration of the topic in " Generation Indoctrination," a new documentary-style podcast series aimed at exploring the roots and impact of the transgender debate. |
Through in-depth interviews and investigative chops, Showalter, an intrepid reporter at the forefront of covering the movement, helps reframe peoples’ understanding of why our cultural devolution matters and what’s truly at stake.
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Albert Pujols has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball. The move comes more than two decades after his first MLB game. Throughout his career, Pujols played for the Los Angeles Angels, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Cardinals. "All the glory goes to the Lord, not just me. He opened the door for me to come here. All I did, even through my struggles, was just stay faithful and strong and continue to trust my process that it might work out," he said during an Oct. 8 post-game interview. Read more. |
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Willie Spence, who rose to fame on the reality TV show "American Idol" last year, died in a car accident on Tuesday. Just hours before the crash, the 23-year-old, who finished as runner-up to Chayce Beckham on the 19th season of the show, posted a video of himself singing "You Are My Hiding Place," a worship song by Michael Ledner. As a contestant on "American Idol," Spence often led the audience "to church" with his performances. He often left the judges in tears and deeply moved. Lionel Richie, one of the judges on the show, took to Instagram to pay tribute to the young singer, writing, "Your light will always shine in this world. We were so blessed to get a chance to see you shine." Read more. |
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Christian entertainment is booming as Americans' appetite for faith-based content continues to grow. This list highlights 10 faith-based movies available this fall, including an upcoming release about American freedom, the faith of Johnny Cash, and the search for Mount Sinai. Read the full list here. |
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Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again on Monday! -- CP Editors
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