CHR Comment: Letters to the editor at USA Today on the topic of religious liberty, which is creating on-going discussion.
Conscience and Abortion
“I’m really troubled by the idea that the state can just say … ‘Your religious freedoms don’t matter to us,'” a California pastor says.
CHR Comment: The article describes the affects of current legislation on a church and a hospital employee as well as proposed legislation regarding conscience, another example of the religious liberty issue in American culture.
Source: This Nurse Objects to Being Forced to Help Abort Babies
Norway State Church Sees Exodus
Norway’s state church has seen a record fall in membership after making it possible to join and leave the church electronically.
CHR Comment: The historically Lutheran state church is allowing people to leave the church through an online process, which the article describes as cleaning up the rolls. Membership in the state church involves paying taxes to support the institution.
Source: Norway state church sees exodus after allowing online exit – The Washington Post
Egypt’s Christians Say They Are at a Breaking Point
While Imam Mahmoud Gomaa, appointed to keep the peace between two faiths, blames journalists for exaggerating the problem, a local bishop says, “We are at a breaking point.”
CHR Comment: The article describes the continued atmosphere of persecution in Egypt. Copts in America want to demonstrate about the situation but Copts in Egypt are afraid of reprisals. This illustrates the sense of intimidation they are experiencing. Muslim rule has at times presented an atmosphere of peace while having strict rules that prevent Christian communities from growth and freedom. (E. g., not allowing the building or repair of churches, conversions to Christianity, etc.)
Source: Egypt’s Christians Say They Are at a ‘Breaking Point’ – The New York Times
Solomonic Palace at Gezer?
Solid evidence has once again been unearthed proving that passages from the Bible were based on actual historical events.
CHR Comment: Steve Ortiz, from the Tandy Museum of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary of Fort Worth, Texas is director of the excavation. The interpretation provided in the article will likely be disputed by other archaeologists.
Ben Carson Takes Donald Trump to Church
The Republican nominee delivered a scripted speech to black churchgoers in Detroit on Saturday in his latest attempt to connect with African American voters.
CHR Comment: Ben Carson escorted Trump to the service at Great Faith Ministers, a point unfortunately left out of the article. We pray that Carson’s humble and sincere manner continues to have good effect on this presidential candidate.
Source: Trump well-received by Detroit church: Should more remarks be scripted? (+video) – CSMonitor.com
Jerusalem Biblical Temple Floor Designs
Archaeologists in Jerusalem say they have for the first time reconstructed likely designs of a Biblical Jewish temple floor using original fragments.
CHR Comment: The courts of the Second Temple, reconstructed by Herod the Great, was a site where Jesus taught His disciples and where early Christians gathered for prayer. If these reconstructions prove accurate, they will give us a better sense of one place where early Christian teaching was shared. It’s important to learn more about how the reconstruction of the tiles took place.
Source: Jerusalem Biblical Temple floor designs ‘restored’ – BBC News
Infographic on English Bible Translations
CHR Comment: A fine visual overview of many current English Bible Translations, distinguishing the major translation philosophies of literalism (word-for-word), dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought), and paraphrase. The positioning of some of the translations could be disputed but this is a good tool for discussing translations in a Bible class.
Former Bookkeeper Accused of Stealing $600K from Tennessee Church
She had access to the church credit card and is accused of using it for vacations and jewelry.
CHR Comment: A sad violation of the congregation’s trust. Churches need routine, open and honest systems for assuring that work is done in God pleasing ways.
Source: Former bookkeeper accused of stealing $600K from Tennessee church
Militants Attack Christian Area in Pakistan
The attackers, wearing suicide vests and carrying firearms, exchanged fire with security forces and were killed, the statement said.
Source: Militants attack Christian area in Pakistan, one guard dead – army – CSMonitor.com
church history review 