| | Media suppresses details of trans shooter, Christian school in Nashville shooting headlines | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It's Thursday, March 30, and today's headlines include mainstream media outlets avoiding details of the Nashville shooting, President Joe Biden "joking" about a possible anti-Christian motive for the shooting, and the DOJ arresting a suspect in the firebombing of a pro-life pregnancy center in Wisconsin. | | Despite the loss of six lives at a Christian elementary school, not one of the nation's biggest newspapers used the words "Christian" in their headlines for the mass shooting in Nashville earlier this week. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and even The Chicago Tribune all avoided initially referring to The Covenant School as a Christian school after a heavily-armed woman—who was later identified as trans—forced her way into the school and killed six people, including three young children. Authorities say Audrey Hale, 28, of Nashville, was a former student at the school and self-identified as trans. She was armed with two rifles and a handgun when she entered the school just after 10 a.m. Monday. She was fatally shot during the encounter with officers, police stated. Of her six victims, three were identified as students: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, as well as three staff members: Cynthia Peak, Katherine Koonce, and Mike Hill. | | Media outlets declined to identify the school as Christian: The New York Times wrote "Heavily armed assailant kills 6 at school in Nashville"; The Washington Post ran the headline "6 slain in shooting at Nashville school"; the Chicago Tribune wrote "6 dead in shooting at Nashville school"; and The Wall Street Journal ran its headline as "Six Shot Dead in Nashville Elementary School." Meanwhile, outlets such as NBC News and CBS News avoided mentioning "trans" or "transgender" in the headlines. Their reporting comes as such outlets have repeatedly sought to portray Christians as a threat to the LGBT community, including reports from MSNBC, PBS, Business Insider, and The Intercept. Calvary Chapel Chino Hills founding pastor Jack Hibbs told The Christian Post that while it remains unclear whether Christians were specifically targeted in the shooting, there is no denying that the mainstream media would prefer to portray Christians as a threat to LGBT people, asserting that the "media is responsible" for fostering hostility toward Christians and Christianity in general. Continue reading. | | P.S.From daily news to weekend headlines, we've got you covered. Whether you're interested in religious liberty or inspiring faith stories, there is something for everyone. Check out CP's full newsletter lineup to subscribe to our latest free offerings. See more. |
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| DOJ arrests suspect in pro-life pregnancy center firebombing | | The U.S. Justice Department has announced an arrest concerning the firebombing of a pro-life organization's headquarters in Madison, Wis., more than 10 months after the attack. In a statement released Tuesday, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Wisconsin announced the arrest of Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, in Boston, Mass., on one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division said "Roychowdhury used an incendiary device in violation of federal law in connection with his efforts to terrorize and intimidate a private organization," referring to the pro-life group Wisconsin Family Action. The group was subject to the destructive act of vandalism the morning of May 8—one of the multiple attacks directed at pro-life organizations and churches in the wake of a leaked U.S. Supreme Court decision indicating that justices were poised to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. WFA's damage included Molotov cocktails thrown through the window, which caused fire damage at the facility, and graffiti spray-painted onto the facility's exterior. One message read, "if abortions aren't safe, then you aren't either." The DOJ utilized DNA testing to tie Roychowdhury to the crime, and law enforcement apprehended him as he was about to depart on a flight from Boston to Guatemala. He faces a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars if convicted. Read more. | | Also of Interest... | | House Democrats block resolution condemning violence against churches, pro-life pregnancy centersDOJ sued for lack of transparency in response to violence targeting pro-life groups, churchesAttacks on pro-life groups, churches continue after DOJ arrests pro-life activists: list | | Pope Francis ‘progressively improving’ since hospitalization | | Pope Francis is reportedly doing better after being hospitalized for serious respiratory issues on Wednesday. In a statement released Thursday via Vatican News, the Holy See Press Office said that the 86-year-old pontiff rested well overnight and his condition was gradually improving. Holy See spokesperson Matteo Bruni said that Francis' "clinical picture is progressively improving and he is continuing with his planned treatment." Francis thanked supporters for their prayers in a tweet on Thursday, writing, "I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer." Read more. | | Biden slammed for 'joking' about possible anti-Christian motive for school shooting | | President Joe Biden is facing harsh criticism for seemingly "joking" that he would not consider Monday's Christian school shooting in Nashville, Tenn., an anti-Christian hate crime. While answering questions outside the White House on Tuesday, a reporter asked whether the president believed Christians were targeted in the shooting to which Biden responded by declaring, "I have no idea." When the reporter noted that Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, a staunch conservative and prominent critic of the president, believes that Christians were targeted in the shooting, Biden replied, "Well, I probably don't then." After chuckling, he clarified that he was joking, reiterating, "I have no idea." Hawley joined "The Ingraham Angle" later on Tuesday, where he characterized Biden's comments as "beneath the dignity of the President of the United States," asserting, "This is the guy that has the responsibility of leading this country. Children are dead." Read more. |
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| Why American companies are going woke and what Christians can do about it (part 1) | | "Corporations are not just propagating secular, left-wing ideology in their marketing strategies, but they are influencing lawmakers to write it into state and federal legislation," writes activist and influencer Reagan Scott. In this op-ed, Scott calls out large corporations for going "woke" in the name of "Environmental, Social, Governance" (ESG), usurping the rights of "We the People" in the process. Scott breaks down the social credit framework, explaining the score system's purpose is to "incentivize 'responsible investing' by 'screening out' companies that do not possess high ESG scores while favorably rating those companies and funds that make positive contributions to ESG’s three overarching categories." More simply put, "[C]ompanies who aren't woke get canceled, and companies who are will get investment dollars, loans, government grants, regulatory favor, and other benefits that allow them to not only continue to exist but also to thrive in the market—even if their bottom line is suffering." Read more. | | Outcomes and entanglements: Theology, science testify Good Friday, Easter (part 2) | | In the lead-up to Easter, Wallace Henley continues his discussion on the unification of theology and science. Explaining that the earthly events of the crucifixion had cosmic implications, Henley writes, "Jesus Himself revealed it when He told the repentant thief, 'Today you will be with Me in Paradise.' Just so, Entanglement means that Jesus has wrapped Himself in the punishment for our iniquities, and entangled us in His heavenly victories." Read more. |
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| NHL reconsiders LGBT pride night events | | National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman, the longest-serving active commissioner in pro sports, says the league will reevaluate its annual pride night events in the offseason. Bettman's comments come as several players have made headlines this year for refusing to wear their teams' jerseys promoting LGBT causes, citing religious beliefs. "I think that's become more of a distraction now because the substance of what our teams and we have been doing and stand for is really being pushed to the side for what is a handful of players basically have made personal decisions, and you have to respect that as well," he said. Read more. |
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| 'Superstar' Billy Graham wrestler hospitalized | | "Superstar" Billy Graham, a devout Christian professional wrestler who adopted a stage name in honor of famed evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, is currently hospitalized and battling a serious illness. A statement from the wrestler's official Facebook page announced that the retired pro-wrestler has been dealing with serious medical issues for the past few months and is "in the fight of his life." The statement included comments from Graham’s wife, Valerie, who described her husband's "horribly difficult" situation, saying he "is struggling and still not home." The 79-year-old Graham, who was born Eldridge Wayne Coleman, is deaf and has lost 65lbs, according to his wife. "It's breaking my heart not being able to see him. This Friday will be 12 weeks since he's been home," she shared before adding that things can "get very overwhelming but I know the Lord is with us and He will provide." A gofundme page has been set up to help pay Graham's medical bills. It has raised more than $9,400 as of Thursday morning. Read more. | | Andrea Bocelli sings at Times Square ahead of film release | | World-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli took to New York City's Times Square to sing the hymn "Amazing Grace" ahead of the release of his upcoming film, "The Journey: A Music Special from Andrea Bocelli." The film includes performances from Bocelli and famous Christian singers including Michael W. Smith, 2CELLOS, Tori Kelly, and Clara Barbier Serrano, who joined him on a tour of cathedrals and burial sites of the apostles and saints. "We learned so much about trust, trusting the process, the exercise of faith, trusting in providence and in turning fatigue into energy and positivity. We approached our journey with two main goals: first to pay homage to these sacred places and the second to make music together, and the two goals are strictly correlated because music is in fact a form of prayer," Bocelli told CP. To purchase tickets for "The Journey," which will be in theaters from Palm Sunday (April 2) through Easter Sunday (April 9), click here. Watch the trailer and learn more now. | | | | | | | | Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! -- CP Editors |
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