3 - Cheerleaders prevail in banner case
The year was 2012 - high school cheerleaders in Kountze, Texas, were told by the school district that they could no longer display banners containing Scripture for the school's football team to run through prior to the games. According to the First Liberty website, a lawsuit was filed by that organization and a Texas attorney, and the cheerleaders were allowed by a judge to continue to display the Scripture banners through the end of that school year.
The website states that in 2013:
Hardin County District Court Judge Steven Thomas found that the Kountze Cheerleaders had the legal right to display their Bible verse banners at KISD sporting events. He determined that the banners were “constitutionally permissible” and rejected the school district’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit based on the claim that the banners were government speech.
An appeals court upheld the ruling, but the district maintained it still had the right the censor the banners, according to First Liberty. The organization, along with volunteer attorneys, asked the state Supreme Court "to review the case and reaffirm the student’s rights to free religious expression, free from government censorship." The website says:
2 - Puerto Rico churches face devastation, challenges
While a number of Christian organizations are working to bring relief to the citizens of Puerto Rico, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria, the Church is suffering on that island, a U.S. Territory. A Christianity Today article states that approximately 3,000 churches were "damaged or destoyed" by the hurricane, according to the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.
Pew Research estimates that, "About half of Puerto Ricans go to church at least once a week," according to the Christianity Today story, which quotes evangelist and doctor Luis Paz, who says, “We don’t have buildings right now to have meetings,” adding, “We are outside, bringing hope to people, the ones that need the most. We have brothers and sisters who don’t have homes right now, but the church is open to them.”
The article says, "The NHCLC partnered with Convoy of Hope to call upon congregation in the United States to sponsor damaged churches in Puerto Rico as well as in Mexico, after its recent earthquake." Also, the North American Mission Board will facilitate "church partnerships with Southern Baptist congregations, in addition to sending care packages to pastors, Baptist Press reported."
Franklin Graham conducted a crusade in Puerto Rico earlier this year and one of the organizations he leads, Samaritan's Purse, "has connections with congregations that participate in its iconic Operation Christmas Child shoebox program, as well as pastors like Paz who took part in president Franklin Graham’s crusade there in February." Daniel Zeidan with Samaritan's Purse states, "We know churches are not relief agencies, but they have a role to play when there is suffering and loss,” adding, “They will be there after we leave. What the church does now will have an impact that will last a long time.”
1 - Church shooting produces pain, hero honored
Whenever there is violence on a church property, which people would, I would imagine, like to think of as a place of refuge, it does cause great concern. Religion News Service reports on the aftermath of the shooting at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ outside Nashville on Sunday, September 24, which resulted in the death of one of the church members, Melanie Crow, and injury to seven others, including minister Joey Spann.
Her funeral was Thursday, and the night before, parishoners gathered for the church's mid-week service, and the RNS article, from USA Today, stated:
And, there has been attention called to the usher whose bravery could have contributed to a number of lives being saved. His name is Caleb Engle. Chattanooga television station WDEF had this information on its website:
On January 29, 2016, in an 8-0 decision, the Texas Supreme Court decided in favor of the Kountze Cheerleaders, sending the case back to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth District in Beaumont, Texas. On September 28, 2017, the Court of Appeals issued its ruling in favor of the cheerleaders, again affirming their rights to religious freedom.Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of First Liberty, is quoted as saying, “This is another great victory for the free speech and religious liberty rights of all Texas students,” adding, "Hopefully this ruling will bring clarity and closure to this issue for all Texas students and schools.”
2 - Puerto Rico churches face devastation, challenges
While a number of Christian organizations are working to bring relief to the citizens of Puerto Rico, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria, the Church is suffering on that island, a U.S. Territory. A Christianity Today article states that approximately 3,000 churches were "damaged or destoyed" by the hurricane, according to the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.
Pew Research estimates that, "About half of Puerto Ricans go to church at least once a week," according to the Christianity Today story, which quotes evangelist and doctor Luis Paz, who says, “We don’t have buildings right now to have meetings,” adding, “We are outside, bringing hope to people, the ones that need the most. We have brothers and sisters who don’t have homes right now, but the church is open to them.”
The article says, "The NHCLC partnered with Convoy of Hope to call upon congregation in the United States to sponsor damaged churches in Puerto Rico as well as in Mexico, after its recent earthquake." Also, the North American Mission Board will facilitate "church partnerships with Southern Baptist congregations, in addition to sending care packages to pastors, Baptist Press reported."
Franklin Graham conducted a crusade in Puerto Rico earlier this year and one of the organizations he leads, Samaritan's Purse, "has connections with congregations that participate in its iconic Operation Christmas Child shoebox program, as well as pastors like Paz who took part in president Franklin Graham’s crusade there in February." Daniel Zeidan with Samaritan's Purse states, "We know churches are not relief agencies, but they have a role to play when there is suffering and loss,” adding, “They will be there after we leave. What the church does now will have an impact that will last a long time.”
1 - Church shooting produces pain, hero honored
Whenever there is violence on a church property, which people would, I would imagine, like to think of as a place of refuge, it does cause great concern. Religion News Service reports on the aftermath of the shooting at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ outside Nashville on Sunday, September 24, which resulted in the death of one of the church members, Melanie Crow, and injury to seven others, including minister Joey Spann.
Her funeral was Thursday, and the night before, parishoners gathered for the church's mid-week service, and the RNS article, from USA Today, stated:
Midweek service went on as it does every Wednesday at 7 p.m., though the church is still figuring out what to do with an auditorium in disarray and the cluster of reporters that continued to hover.Scott Sager, vice president for church services at Lipscomb University, stated, “We want to claim the promise that if you’re for us, no one can be against us,” adding, "You, who did not spare your own son, but sent him into the world.”
And, there has been attention called to the usher whose bravery could have contributed to a number of lives being saved. His name is Caleb Engle. Chattanooga television station WDEF had this information on its website:
When a gunman entered the church, Engle confronted him.
During their struggle, the gun went off, hitting the shooter in the chest.
Even though he had been pistol whipped during the fight, Engle then went to his car to get his own gun to hold the suspect until police arrived.
“He’s the hero. He’s the person that stopped this madness,” said Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson.The article included a statement by Engle, tweeted out by Sophie Neilsen-Kolding, who works for NewsChannel 5 in Nashville, in which Engle encouraged prayer for the victims and their families and the church community. He encouraged prayer for healing. He also asked for prayer for the shooter and his family and friends. He stated:
I pray that through all of this that people will come to know Christ and I ask our nation to reflect on Romans 8:31: "If God is for us, who can be against us?"He also stated that he did not want to be "labeled a hero."
No comments:
Post a Comment