An Indiana man is going to jail for vandalizing a church

An Indiana man is going to jail for vandalizing a church

VERBATIM:  The 21-year-old man was convicted of spray-painting Satanic symbols on Maple Grove Baptist Church in Plainfield and has been sentenced to 10 months behind bars. Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana says “Targeting any house of worship because of its faith is an attack on the fundamental freedoms that define our nation.”  There has been an uptick in attacks on churches in the U.S. over the past several years.  MH REPORTING

A warning from the Trump administration

A warning from the Trump administration

VERBATIM:  The Department of Health and Human Services has sent a letter to all 50 states, warning them that they cannot take a child away from their parents because mom and dad do not support the youngster’s decision to live as the opposite sex.  There are isolated reports of this happening in several states and the Trump administration wants to nip it in the bud.  HHS says “Parents have the right to raise their children according to their religious beliefs”  MH REPORTING

A victory for religious freedom in Indiana

A victory for religious freedom in Indiana

VERBATIM:  The Brownsburg Community Schools Corporation will pay John Kluge 650,000 dollars.  He was forced out after refusing to refer to transgender students by their chosen pronouns.  Alliance Defending Freedom represented Kluge and says “This settlement confirms what the law has always said: Public schools cannot force teachers to violate their religious beliefs.  Schools should learn that refusing to accommodate religious employees can be expensive.”  MH REPORTING

Luxembourg enshrines abortion

Luxembourg enshrines abortion

VERBATIM:  The small European nation has voted to add the so-called “right” to an abortion to its constitution, making it only the second country in the world to do so — following France.  Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy but the monarch has very little power.  In fact, when Grand Duke Henry opposed a law allowing physician-assisted suicide in 2008, the legislature of Luxembourg passed laws to reduce his power to little more than a rubber stamp.  MH REPORTING

Franklin Graham will preach the gospel in Peru this weekend

Franklin Graham will preach the gospel in Peru this weekend

VERBATIM:  The popular evangelist at head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is scheduled to address crowds at the Estadio Nacional in Lima.  He will be joined by a number of Contemporary Christian music stars.  Graham arrives at a time when polls indicate that Christianity is on the wane in Peru.  But those same polls show a broad interest in the gospel and 700 Peruvian churches have answered the call to help organize the two-day event.  MH REPORTING

Indiana protects foster care providers

Indiana protects foster care providers

VERBATIM:  New legislation signed by Republican Governor Mike Braun bars the state government from refusing to do business with faith-based adoption and foster care agencies.  Indiana lawmakers produced the legislation as they watched more liberal states block Christian ministries from placing kids because those ministries do not embrace the LGBT agenda.  The new law also protects Christian parents from discrimination within the system.  MH REPORTING

Colorado Democrats want to legalize prostitution

Colorado Democrats want to legalize prostitution

John Cleese won’t be going to British Columbia

John Cleese won’t be going to British Columbia

VERBATIM:  The iconic co-founder of Monty Python won’t make any stops in that Canadian province when he brings a stage show to the country this year.  Cleese says a recent 750,000 dollar judgement against a public school official who publicly rejected transgenderism has put him off.  The British comedian, who is a free speech advocate and an atheist, says “What a pity.  Now I won’t be able to risk doing any shows in British Columbia.”  MH REPORTING

A Christian legal group has a request for the Trump administration

A Christian legal group has a request for the Trump administration

VERBATIM:  Alliance Defending Freedom has sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services pointing out that federal dollars are going to about 50 medical training programs that may force students to participate in abortions.  ADF says ““No family medicine residency can tell applicants or employees that any aspect of abortion is a necessary part of the program.”  President Trump has vowed to end taxpayer funding of abortion across the board.  MH REPORTING

The Pew Research Center looks at black families in America

The Pew Research Center looks at black families in America

VERBATIM:  The study finds that African-Americans are more likely than other racial groups to think of at least one non-relative as a member of their family.  And black people who are religious are the most likely of all.  Pew reports that roughly 60% of black Christians say they have a nonrelative they consider family, compared with 53% of religiously unaffiliated black adults.  The survey also finds shared faith is key to who gets to be included in African-American families.  MH REPORTING

A new report on Artificial Intelligence and faith

A new report on Artificial Intelligence and faith

VERBATIM:  It comes from a joint project of the Barna Group and Gloo, and it indicates that about one-third of adults in this country now believe that spiritual advice from AI is just as good as what they might receive from a pastor.  Among Gen-Z and Millennials, the youngest adults, 40% believe this.  The numbers are raising concerns in some quarters as the U.S. comes to grips with AI even as the technology is flooding different aspects of our lives.  MH REPORTING

Science and faith come together in Dallas this weekend

Science and faith come together in Dallas this weekend

VERBATIM:  The Discovery Institute is hosting the eighth annual Conference on Science & Faith at Park Cities Baptist Church on Saturday.  The Institute says “At the time of America’s Founding, the Declaration’s propositions drew support both from the Bible and the science of the era. Today the discoveries of science are once again pointing to the truths announced in the Declaration.”  Former HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson will be amongst the conference speakers.  MH REPORTING

A California lawmaker moves to protect churches

A California lawmaker moves to protect churches

America’s pastors are talking about persecution

America’s pastors are talking about persecution

VERBATIM:  According to a poll of Protestant pastors conducted by LifeWay Research, the vast majority of them are acutely aware of how their brothers and sisters in foreign lands are being oppressed.  The survey finds that 86% of preachers have urged their congregations to pray for persecuted Christians abroad.  66% say they have delivered sermons focusing on abuse of believers and a few have brought in experts to give talks about the problem.  MH REPORTING

Then Pew Research Center looks at religion around the globe

Then Pew Research Center looks at religion around the globe

A report card for American churchgoers

A report card for American churchgoers

Lawmakers in Tennessee are working on a gay marriage bill

Lawmakers in Tennessee are working on a gay marriage bill

VERBATIM:  The legislation, which has passed the state’s House of Representatives, would not INVALIDATE same-sex unions.  But it would establish that private citizens and organizations do not have to RECOGNIZE gay marriages and cannot be punished for refusing to do so.  Back in 2006, before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized homosexual unions nationwide, Tennessee voters approved an amendment banning them.  The bill now goes to the Tennessee Senate.  MHREPORTING

A new poll charts faith and education

A new poll charts faith and education

The European Parliament condemns Turkey

The European Parliament condemns Turkey

VERBATIM:  The government in Ankara has expelled scores of Christian missionaries, claiming that they are a threat to national security.  The EU legislative body has adopted a resolution calling on Turkey to protect religious freedom and live up to its responsibilities as a member of the international community.  Turkey is technically a secular state but President Erdogan has been promoting Islam in recent years and persecution of Christians is increasing.  MHREPORTING

The annual 40 Days For Life campaign is underway

The annual 40 Days For Life campaign is underway

VERBATIM:  From now through March 29th, pro-life advocates will stand outside abortion clinics in more than 650 cities in the U.S. and around the world and silently pray for the babies and the mothers.  Since 40 Days got underway in 2007, organizers report more than 26,000 women have decided NOT to have an abortion, nearly 300 clinic workers have quit their jobs and almost 200 clinics have closed.  40 Days hold campains in the Spring and Fall each year.  MHREPORTING

Chuck Schumer embraces gay pride

Chuck Schumer embraces gay pride

VERBATIM:  The Democratic Senator from New York has introduced legislation that would give the rainbow Gay Pride flag the same federal protections afforded to the United States flag.  His action follows the Trump administration’s decision not to fly the flag at a gay pride memorial in New York.  Schumer refers to the Stonewall site as “sacred ground”.  His legislation is unlikely to pass in the Republican-majority Congress and some critics say it’s a political stunt.  MH REPORTING

Utah lawmakers consider an opt-out bill

Utah lawmakers consider an opt-out bill

VERBATIM:  The measure would allow college students to decline an assignment if it conflicts with their deeply-held religious beliefs.  GOP State Representative Mike Peterson is sponsoring the legislation, telling the Salt Lake Tribune that his daughter had been assigned by one professor to write a letter to a local official urging support for LGBT policies.  He says “Sometimes a student gets put in a position where it violates their conscience and have no recourse,” MH REPORTING

A new snapshot of abortion in the U.S.

A new snapshot of abortion in the U.S.

VERBATIM:  It’s the annual report from National Right to Life and it reveals that just about two-thirds of all abortions are now carried out by the use of drugs and those drugs can be shipped virtually anywhere in the country.  The report also finds that half of all states have moved to enshrine abortion in law or their state constitutions.  The half of the 50 states place some kind of serious restrictions on the procedure, including some where it is virtually banned altogether.  MH REPORTING

Another warning about gambling

Another warning about gambling.

VERBATIM:  This one comes from USA Today which has been doing research into the emerging data we have on legalized gaming in this country and it concludes that 30% of 11-to-13 year old boys and 41% of 14-1to-17 year old boys have bet on sports in the last 12 months.  They all used legal betting apps in the states where they live — despite the fact that they are underage.  31 states have legalized sports gambling so far and others may do so this year.  MHREPORTING