Don’t Diminish Ravi Zacharias’s Abuse With ‘We’re All Sinners’ – ChristianityToday.com
Don’t Diminish Ravi Zacharias’s Abuse With ‘We’re All Sinners’ – ChristianityToday.com
Last week, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries released a 12-page report about its founder and namesake. It confirmed “abuse by Zacharias at day spas he owned in Atlanta and uncovers five additional victims in the US, as well as evidence of sexual abuse in Thailand, India, and Malaysia.” From CT’s reporting:
Even a limited review of Zacharias’s old devices revealed contacts for more than 200 massage therapists in the US and Asia and hundreds of images of young women, including some that showed the women naked. Zacharias solicited and received photos until a few months before his death in May 2020 at age 74.
Zacharias used tens of thousands of dollars of ministry funds dedicated to a “humanitarian effort” to pay four massage therapists, providing them housing, schooling, and monthly support for extended periods of time, according to investigators.
One woman told the investigators that “after he arranged for the ministry to provide her with financial support, he required sex from her.” She called it rape.
She said Zacharias “made her pray with him to thank God for the ‘opportunity’ they both received” and, as with other victims, “called her his ‘reward’ for living a life of service to God,” the report says. Zacharias warned the woman—a fellow believer—if she ever spoke out against him, she would be responsible for millions of souls lost when his reputation was damaged.
As we’ve once again
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Odessa resident Frank Morales stood somberly before Pastor Dawn Weaks as she used her fingers to spread ashes in the shape of a cross across his forehead.
When Weaks finished, Morales used a finger on his right hand to draw the shape of a cross across
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Rush Limbaugh, who shaped conservative Christian politics on the radio, has died – Religion News Service
Rush Limbaugh, who shaped conservative Christian politics on the radio, has died – Religion News Service
(RNS) — Rush Limbaugh, the bombastic and popular radio host who shaped conservative politics for decades, has died.
Limbaugh, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020, was 70.
Evangelist Franklin Graham, who urged his followers to pray for the radio host after he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer in 2020, mourned Limbaugh after news of his death broke.
“My heartfelt condolences and prayers for the family of Rush Limbaugh, who passed away today after a battle with lung cancer,” he posted on Twitter Wednesday (Feb. 17). “He was a conservative voice of reason for so many years and will be greatly missed.”
The radio show host — along with other media voices — appealed to Christian conservatives and often had more influence on the politics of evangelicals than their pastors, a reality that concerned conservative author and constitutional attorney David French.
“They are being catechized into religious political engagement through Fox, Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, OAN, Breitbart, viral Facebook videos,” he told Religion News Service recently. “Yeah, there are pastors who stoke it, but that’s not who’s reaching the millions.”
Limbaugh was a fierce critic of Democrats and political progressives, labeling them “feminazis” and “commie libs.” He also compared the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol in January to revolutionary war figures like Sam Adams and Thomas Paine.
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Pope Marks Anniversary of Christians Martyred in Libya – Catholic New York
Pope Marks Anniversary of Christians Martyred in Libya – Catholic New York
By JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES
Marking the sixth anniversary of the beheading of 21 Christians on a beach in Libya, Pope Francis said they gave witness to Christ through their martyrdom.
In a video message released Feb. 15 for an online event commemorating the “Day of Contemporary Martyrs,” the pope said that while their brutal murder was a tragedy, it was also true that “from their simplicity, from their simple but consistent faith, they received the greatest gift a Christian can receive: bearing witness to Jesus Christ to the point of giving their life.”
“They had gone to work abroad to support their families: ordinary men, fathers of families, men with the desire to have children; men with the dignity of workers, who not only seek to bring home bread, but to bring it home with the dignity of work,” he said.
“And these men bore witness to Jesus Christ. Their throats slit by the brutality of ISIS, they died saying: ‘Lord Jesus!’—confessing the name of Jesus.”
The martyred Christians—20 Egyptian Copts and one Christian migrant from Ghana—were beheaded in 2015 on a Libyan beach by the Islamic State group, which later released a gruesome video that sparked worldwide outrage.
Among those participating in the online event to commemorate the anniversary were Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury.
In his video message, the pope said the martyrdom of the 21 Christians was “a day I have in my heart” because it marked the day they were “baptized with
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As a benevolent healthcare ministry of the Missouri Baptist Convention, the Baptist Homes campuses in Arcadia Valley, Ashland, Chillicothe and Ozark adhere to seven core values that distinguish these continuum of care senior communities from other healthcare providers in the industry. Common to each core value is our commitment to be a distinctively Christian ministry.
What does this mean for the residents, staff and churches we serve? First, it means that our leadership are born-again believers who are active in their faith as followers of Jesus Christ. Moreover, our senior leadership, administrators and campus pastors annually affirm The Baptist Faith & Message. Likewise, every trustee is a member of a cooperating Southern Baptist Church.
Being distinctively Christian means we seek to live out Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:12, “Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them.” Growing up, my parents and public-school teachers referred to this as “the Golden Rule.” Being distinctively Christian demands we treat one another with Christlike dignity, respect and truth.
Being distinctively Christian means we provide care for the body, soul and spirit. Each campus employees a campus pastor who is an active member of a Missouri Baptist congregation. Weekly Bible studies and chapel services are provided for residents. In a year where the coronavirus closed nursing homes to outside visitors, these weekly opportunities provided our residents an occasion to sing, pray with others and study God’s word despite the
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Charge dropped against white woman who called police on Black bird-watcher – NBC News
Charge dropped against white woman who called police on Black bird-watcher – NBC News
The criminal case against a white woman recorded on video calling police to claim that a Black bird-watcher was threatening her in New York City’s Central Park was dropped Tuesday.
Prosecutors in Manhattan Supreme Court, the main trial court, announced that they were no longer pursuing a misdemeanor charge against the woman, Amy Cooper, who was accused of falsely reporting an incident in the third degree.
She completed five “psychoeducation and therapy” sessions that helped her “appreciate that racial identities shape our lives” and that “we cannot use them to harm ourselves or others,” Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi said.
“Ms. Cooper’s therapist reported that it was a moving experience and that Ms. Cooper learned a lot in their sessions together,” Illuzzi said. “Having completed the restorative justice program to our satisfaction, we now move to dismiss.”
Cooper’s defense attorney struck a more defiant tone in a statement issued after court. While thanking prosecutors “for their integrity,” the lawyer, Robert Barnes, lashed out on Twitter.
“Others rushed to the wrong conclusion based on inadequate investigation & they may yet face legal consequences,” Barnes tweeted.
Cooper’s case made national headlines in late May when she came upon the bird-watcher, Christian Cooper, while walking her off-leash dog in Central Park.
Christian Cooper, who
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UPDATE: Iraq: Full of historic sites important to understanding Christianity – The Pilot
UPDATE: Iraq: Full of historic sites important to understanding Christianity – The Pilot
AMMAN, Jordan (CNS) — Pope Francis hopes to embark on the first-ever papal visit to the biblical land of Iraq in early March in a spiritual pilgrimage of sorts to the place known in Arabic as the “land of the two rivers” — the mighty Tigris and Euphrates — and once renowned as Mesopotamia, the “cradle of civilization.”
The Garden of Eden is believed possibly to have been in ancient Iraq, but certainly the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Tower of Babel were located there. Jews exiled to ancient Iraq in Old Testament times, such as the prophet Daniel, experienced God’s miraculous grace; Daniel was rescued from the lion’s den and his friends from the fiery furnace.
“The pontiff said he looks forward to visiting our country, which is also where Abraham began his journey,” Cardinal Louis Sako of Baghdad said of the March 5-8 trip.
The historically rich country is full of religious sites important to understanding the antecedents of the Christian faith, making the visit significant for Pope Francis. Here’s a snapshot of some of these places.
Old Testament patriarch Abraham is recognized as the father of faith in one God by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike and was born in the southern town of Ur. The place, which dates back to 6000 B.C., lies on a former course of the Euphrates and is one of Iraq’s oldest sites.
How Habit Is the Backdoor for Faith – ChristianityToday.com
How Habit Is the Backdoor for Faith – ChristianityToday.com
Jen Pollock Michel is a writer based in Toronto. She’s the author of several books, including Surprised by Paradox. On the podcast, she describes the road that led her to writing, the relationship between her vocations as a writer and a mother, and the place women writers occupy in Christian publishing.
She also talks about A Habit Called Faith, her new book that invites seekers, skeptics, and Christians alike to explore a deeper encounter with Christianity through a 40-day experience in the book of John and the book of Deuteronomy.
If you have feedback for us, you can email us at podcasts@christianitytoday.com
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Christianity thrives in Nepal amid trials and tribulations – Union of Catholic Asian News
Christianity thrives in Nepal amid trials and tribulations – Union of Catholic Asian News
Christian social worker Chinimaya Blon ran an orphanage for poor and abandoned children in Dhankuta district of eastern Nepal for five years from 2011-16 until it was shut down following the government’s refusal to renew its license.
She took 14 children to the capital Kathmandu, where pastor Hari Tamang offered them shelter on the premises of his church.
Within nine days, police raided the church and arrested Blon and Tamang after accusing them of trafficking and attempted religious conversion of minors. The two spent six days in jail and were released on bail of 50,000 rupees (US$423).
The charge of trafficking was later dropped, but they are still fighting the charge of proselytizing, a serious crime under Nepal’s anti-conversion law.
Both accused face a fine of 50,000 rupees and a jail term up to five years under the anti-conversion law. Any foreigner found guilty of encouraging and promoting religious conversion can be deported within a week.
The ordeal of Blon and Tamang is just one example of how Christians are often targeted and abused in the Himalayan Hindu-majority nation for their faith and faith-based charities.
Persecution of Christians has intensified under Nepal’s new criminal legislation, the Civil and Criminal Codes 2018, which replaced the 165-year-old General Code. It includes laws guiding criminal and
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Frederick K.C. Price, founder of Crenshaw Christian Center, honored by loved ones and congregants at memorial – KABC-TV
Frederick K.C. Price, founder of Crenshaw Christian Center, honored by loved ones and congregants at memorial – KABC-TV
Apostle Price, who led services in the landmark FaithDome for many years, lost his battle with COVID-19 on Friday after weeks in the hospital.
Price founded the Crenshaw Christian Center in 1973 and built it into one of America’s first Black megachurches, with 28,000 members and an estimated 15 million households watching televised church services every week.
His son, Pastor Frederick Price, Jr., presided over Sunday’s service and talked about the pain of losing his father.
“The emotions really are released when I’m around, I believe it’s the same for my siblings, when we get around love, when we hear the love. When we’re reminded of how awesome a man of God our father was,” he said.
Price was at times controversial – criticized for his teachings about the LGBTQ community and Islam.
The Price family founded the Frederick K.C. Price III Christian School in 1986, located on the sprawling campus of the Crenshaw Christian Center. The Crenshaw Christian Center served as a coronavirus testing facility and is now a vaccination site.
Price was born in Santa Monica in 1932 and married his wife Betty in 1953.
He is survived by his wife, four children, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
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