| | Report: Atheism losing steam while Evangelicals, Pentecostals see gains | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It's Thursday, February 3, 2022, and we're here with the results of a recent study on the growth of religious populations, viewpoints from both sides of the fence on Whoopi Goldberg's suspension from "The View," as well as an opinion-editorial from Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" fame. | | A new report from Lifeway Research has revealed that the population of religious people is growing at a faster pace than the number of those who identify as atheist. The report also revealed that the Christian denominations with the fastest growth rates are Evangelicals (1.8%) and Pentecostals/charismatics (1.88%). Pentecostalism is expected to continue to experience rapid worldwide growth. While less than 1 million people identified as Pentecostal in 1900, that number is expected to exceed 1 billion in 2050. |
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| Is medical totalitarianism around the corner? Doctor says it's possible | | A Hawaiian pastor's medical license is under review after he took to a local podcast to critically discuss COVID-19 vaccines and other therapeutic options. Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist who also pastors at Calvary Chapel-South Maui, told The Christian Post, "We were having a standard medical discussion. But that podcast was sent to a political editor at the Honolulu Advertiser newspaper. And I was interviewed by that person, and I was just trying to tell the reasoning and how our church acts and what I'm involved in." During the podcast episode in question, Milhoan was joined by the head of public health for Maui County, Dr. Lorrin Pang, who has vaccinated many people for COVID-19. The two physicians, who say they have been subjected to resignation demands, smears, and name-calling, continue to scrutinze the emerging data and discuss best treatment practices. In addressing the situation, Pang says, "If you are going to be guilty by association, that’s kind of a form of prejudice, bias and censorship, isn’t it?” | | Seminary granted $1M to launch House of Black Church Studies | | An ecumenical seminary based in Tennessee has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to advance studies on the African American church. Memphis Theological Seminary will launch in-person programming for the House of Black Church Studies as early as March, selecting alumnus author and pastor Karren Todd as program director. | | Social media weighs in on Goldberg's suspension | | “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg was suspended by ABC News for two weeks after declaring that the Holocaust was "not about race." Her comments ignited responses from users across the social media spectrum, with The Daily Wire's Ben Shapiro saying Goldberg's comments were not just "insipid" but "insidious," stating, "Because racism is ‘animus plus power,’ and Jews are powerful because they are white, anti-Semitism from non-white supremacists isn't bigotry." Meanwhile, Yair Rosenberg, a writer at The Atlantic, stated that he believes Goldberg's comments stem from a more complicated space, saying, "Jewish identity doesn’t conform to Western categories, despite centuries of attempts by society to shoehorn it in," asserting that Judaism has elements of race, culture, ethnicity, and nationality, which makes creating a singular identity challenging. |
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| Let’s put our allegiance in the right place | | Phil Robertson, who rose to fame as one of the stars of "Duck Dynasty," discusses cancel culture, American politics, and why it's important to understand that the core issue with the world today is that it has drifted away from the knowledge of God. "We need to stop looking left and right. The right and left extremes make the same mistake: they place their hope in human institutions and humanistic reasoning. Both are flawed for the same reason: no God." Keep reading. | | Also of Interest... | | The persecution of JK Rowling at hands of ‘oppressed’Jefferson's statue and America ‘Dysfunction to Dynasty' series details emotional Robertson family testimonies that led to restoration | | Why are most Christian men living sexually immoral lifestyles? | | In this op-ed, J.S. Shelton argues that the sin that seems to set people back the most is sexual sin. Shelton first points to 1 Corinthians 6:18, which reads, "Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he commits sexual immorality sins against his own body," before explaining that Satan knows this type of sin incapacitates people spiritually and physically. He then concludes, "The Church has been putting forth unbiblical tactics far too long and it’s time for the Church to stand up and fight the war of sexual immorality." |
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| Dr. Richard Hamlet’s Global Ministries Foundation is Innovating Ministry in Memphis and Across the World | | Global Ministries Foundation, based in Memphis, Tennessee, was founded by Dr. Richard Hamlet and Mrs. Ginger Hamlet with an innovative goal: to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ into businesses and around the world. Businesses and the workplace are often overlooked mission fields, and Dr. and Mrs. Hamlet have a burning passion for those practitioners in the “marketplace” who need to hear the saving gospel of Jesus and the hope we can find in Jesus Christ. Read Now | |
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| Diocese sues Oregon city for restricting church's homeless ministry | | The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon and St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church have filed a lawsuit against the city of Brookings, Ore., over a new ordinance that limits their ministry's ability to feed the homeless amid complaints from neighbors. Last year, the Brookings City Council unanimously passed Ordinance 21-O-795, requiring food providers to get a conditional use permit to operate in a residential zone. However, even with the permit — which includes an application fee — the church would still be limited to serving food to the needy just two days per week. | | Judge blocks Ohio law requiring proper disposal of aborted babies | | A judge has issued a second preliminary injunction against an Ohio law that, among other things, requires that aborted babies be given proper disposal through burial or cremation. In her ruling, Judge Alison Hatheway stated, "Given the breadth of the Ohio Constitution’s guarantees of bodily autonomy, privacy, and freedom of choice in health care, strict scrutiny must apply to a law that infringes on this protection." | | Also of Interest... | | Ohio Gov. DeWine signs law requiring burial, cremation of aborted babies Tenn. gov. signs bill requiring burial, cremation of aborted babies' remains Planned Parenthood, ACLU attempt to block Ohio law requiring burial of aborted babies' remains |
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| Crypto currency: Money, mania or mayhem? | | Crypto currency has experienced an explosion of popularity in financial news, writes John Thornton. But, what exactly is crypto—and should it be trusted? Thornton analyzes this currency in light of economists' explanations for the three uses of money: a medium of exchange, a store of value, and a unit of account. In discussing whether or not it's a reliable choice for investors, Thornton cautions, "My biggest concern is for novice investors, especially with mounting evidence that crypto currencies are attracting a disproportionate share of them. As someone deeply involved in accounting ethics research and education through the last two financial crises—the dot-com bubble and the Great Recession—I’ve found that nobody cares about ethics until they’ve been harmed." Keep reading. | | | Also of Interest... | | The economics of Genesis vs the economics of MarxRamsey's rent rant exposes deficit in financial peace | | | | Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! -- CP Editors |
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