| | Mike Huckabee, family values group warn Arkansans against voting to legalize marijuana | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It's Thursday, October 13, and today's headlines include former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's warning against the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state, research exploring how the economy is impacting tithes and offerings, and an interview with pastor and author John Amanchukwu. | | Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee appeared in a video produced by the Arkansas Family Council Action Committee (AFCAC) advocating against the passage of Issue 4, which would legalize recreational marijuana in Arkansas. AFCAC, a nonprofit organization created to "promote, protect, and strengthen traditional family values in the political arena," is among the leading opponents of Issue 4, which be voted on next month. If passed, Issue 4 would "authorize the possession, personal use and conception of cannabis by adults, to authorize the cultivation and sale of cannabis by licensed commercial facilities, and to provide for the regulation of those facilities." Huckabee cautioned that states that have already legalized marijuana have seen an "uptick in vehicular accidents and workplace issues."The former governor characterized Issue 4 as a "disastrous proposal" and rejected the claim that "our state and our citizens and especially our children are going to be better off for somehow making recreational drugs part of their daily life." | | Nineteen states have legalized recreational marijuana, per the National Council of State Legislatures, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia and Washington. In another video produced by the AFCAC, the group cautioned that "among children who know their parents use or have used marijuana, 72% have used marijuana themselves." The group also asserts that 1 in 8 children report monthly use in states where marijuana is legal. Similar referendums will appear on the ballot in Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota. Continue reading. | | P.S.Looking for a way to close out your week? Stay in the know with In Case You Missed It, a Friday-only newsletter that features a roundup of the top stories of the week and a selection of faith-based highlights. Subscribe here. |
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| Study reveals how the economy is influencing tithes, offerings | | A report from Lifeway Research has revealed that a majority of Protestant pastors in the United States believe that the current state of the economy is negatively impacting their churches. While 52% of pastors said they believed the economy was negatively impacting their church, just 5% thought the economy was "somewhat positively" impacting their church and 2% said that it was "very positively" impacting their church. The survey found differences along denominational lines, with 58% of pastors affiliated with the Church of Christ selecting "very or somewhat negatively," compared to 39% of Pentecostal pastors. Pastors of congregations with fewer than 50 people were more likely than those from larger churches to describe the impact of the economy as being negative. When it came to giving, 35% of male pastors reported experiencing an increase in donations at their churches, compared to 22% of female pastors. Nearly one-quarter (24%) of Lutheran pastors indicated giving was "above 2021's offerings," with 39% of Pentecostals experiencing a similar increase. Read more. | | Teen boys may be tried as adults for murder of Memphis pastor | | A hearing to decide whether two 15-year-old boys will be tried as adults in the murder of a Tennessee pastor has been postponed until Oct. 24. The teens have been charged with first-degree murder and other crimes, including carjacking, following the July 18 murder of Rev. Autura Eason-Williams, who led Capleville United Methodist Church. A third suspect, 20-year-old Eduard G. Rodriguez Tabora, was also charged with first-degree murder. While Eason-Williams' husband says the teenagers should be tried as adults, the pastor's oldest child, Ayanna Hampton, disagrees, saying her mother was a child advocate who would have opposed it. Read more. |
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| Why struggling churches should merge with healthy churches | | With many churches and ministries failing to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic, it is time for such churches to consider mergers, writes Oscar Amaechina. Thoughtful mergers between Bible-believing churches will enable those churches to become stronger and continue to evangelize for the Kingdom, saving small congregations from extinction, Amaechina says. Read more. | | How the transgender movement hurts everyone | | William Wolfe discusses why the transgender movement harms everyone, asserting that it is built on the lie that people can change their gender, which is impossible because it is impossible to change one's sex. Wolfe details why this movement ruins children, threatens churches, and poisons society, concluding, "If we have any hope of stopping it, it starts with realizing how many people are being truly harmed by transgenderism. And the only honest answer is everyone." Read more. |
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| Put HOPE in a child’s tomorrows | | Looking into the eyes of a child who doesn’t have choices is like looking into a future void of hope. | | That’s what poverty does. It steals choices from kids, draining their tomorrows of abundance and joy. | | It’s time to give those choices back - to honor children living in extreme poverty as fellow image bearers of God! | | You may know that sponsorship empowers children to take hold of their future. But did you know that through Chosen®, World Vision’s unique invitation to sponsorship, it’s the child who gets to experience the joy of choosing you as a sponsor? | | Sign up or learn more about being chosen at worldvision.org/chosen. | | |
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| Amanchukwu: CRT, abortion are 'twin evils' | | Pastor and author John Amanchukwu says that critical race theory and abortion are "twin evils" that "stem from the same diabolical monster: racism." Amanchukwu, a former football player for North Carolina University who is now a youth pastor at Upper Room Church of God in Christ in Raleigh, N.C., has released a new book discussing how CRT is a "far-from-biblical way of thinking" that "has no place being preached in any pulpit." In a recent interview with The Christian Post, Amanchukwu discussed his new release, Eraced: Uncovering the Lies of Critical Race Theory and Abortion, asserting that CRT leads to dangerous rhetoric because through "false cross-disciplinary examination," it eliminates "the biblical truth which says when anyone, including white people, give their life to Jesus Christ they are a born again Christian, who can live lives free from certain sins, such as racism." Read the interview here. | | Woman shares her journey from suicidal ideation to Christ | | Despite her Christian upbringing, Louisiana resident Emma Benoit recalls that her faith took a backseat during her teenage years in favor of popularity among her peers. The summer before her senior year, however, she felt as if she could no longer pretend to be "the always-happy-person" and attempted suicide by shooting herself in the chest with a firearm. She was left with injuries that disabled her, requiring the use of a wheelchair and a walker. Surviving the incident has brought her closer to God because she believes she was given another chance at life. Benoit partnered with the American Association of Christian Counselors for Suicide Prevention Month, which is observed every September, to create a video sharing her testimony in an effort to advance mental health awareness. "My faith has been super crucial for me in my recovery because I've been able to totally give everything to God," says Benoit. Since her suicide attempt, she has seen a therapist whom she says helps her navigate life alongside Jesus. "I believe that some tools that God equipped us with are: therapists, counselors, teachers, knowledge, education and medication—which are all wonderful things that can help lead to break through." Read more. | | | | | | | | Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! -- CP Editors |
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