The publishers of RELEVANT magazine, a Christian publication targeting the college-to-30s audience, just rolled out a new publication. Dubbed Reject
Apathy, the magazine aims to give a voice to the faith-based social justice
movement in this generation.

Reject Apathy will focus on five key areas—poverty, defense of
innocents, creation care, preventable disease and violence. The  accompanying website, RejectApathy.com, promises a holistic view of social justice issues and solutions. It
emphasizes core values of sustainability, local involvement and
leadership, faith focus, financial transparency, and a long-term
commitment to change.

“Our prayer for Reject
Apathy is that it will open eyes and activate our generation to a new
level of sacrificial living, sustainable change and a spiritual
revolution,” says Cameron Strang, publisher of Reject Apathy and RELEVANT. “It may be the most important thing our team has done.”

Strang has seen
firsthand the desire this generation has to change the world. As he sees it, 20-
and 30-somethings are passionate to stand against injustice, take
action and make a difference. Reject Apathy was born out of that
desire, and Strang hopes the new publication will help challenge and
motivate readers to truly make a difference.

Reject Apathy has been several years in the making,
beginning with a trip Strang took to Rwanda and Kenya in 2008 with
Pastor Rick Warren. “Coming back from that trip, my view of social
justice and missions was forever altered,” Strang says. “Simply
‘knowing’ and ‘caring’ simply wasn’t enough anymore. We have to commit
ourselves to making a difference. Our faith dictates it.”

The inaugural issue of Reject Apathy has a circulation of
150,000 and is included with subscriptions to RELEVANT. Reject Apathy
is also distributed for free on college campuses and select events
nationwide.

Known for bringing the Charismatic Renewal to a Catholic university campus, Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, retired on June 30.

The 80-year-old served for nearly 12 years as the Franciscan University chancellor after leading the school as president for 26 years.

Scanlan founded Catholic summer conference programs for adults and teens in 1975 with a national Catholic charismatic conference for priests and deacons. Today, Franciscan’s summer conferences reach over 40,000 people annually with the good news of authentic Catholic renewal and the New Evangelization.

“The Lord has given me countless blessings through my years of service at Franciscan University,” Scanlan said. “It has been a remarkable privilege and deep joy to work with so many committed Christian faculty, staff, administrators and donors in the vitally important ministry of Catholic higher education.”

Father Terence Henry, TOR, president of Franciscan University, says the university is deeply grateful to Scanlan for all he has done for the renewal of Franciscan University, the renewal of Catholic higher education, and the renewal of the worldwide Church.

“Father Mike heeded those same words that were spoken to St. Francis of Assisi over 800 years ago, ‘Go and rebuild my church,’” Henry says. “And he did so by transforming Franciscan University into an internationally recognized Catholic university.”

Steubenville Bishop R. Daniel Conlon says it’s hard to imagine the university without Scanlan, who made an indelible mark on the institution. Conlon called him a champion of civil rights and the common good in the larger community.

“As the bishop of the local diocese, I am also aware of and grateful for the pastoral care Father Michael has offered many people over the years, especially those involved in the charismatic renewal,” Conlon says. “I invite all the people of the Diocese of Steubenville to give thanks to God for this faithful servant and to ask blessings upon him.”

Scanlan has retired to the Third
Order Regular Sacred Heart Province’s motherhouse in Loretto, Pa.,
where he will continue a ministry of prayer and pastoral work .

“Father
Mike brought the Charismatic Renewal to the then dying campus of the
College of Steubenville, and through his dreams, preaching, and
sacrifice, the Holy Spirit breathed new life into the school,” says
Micah J. Wright, a student at Franciscan University.

“I
think it is safe to say that tens of thousands of marriages, and
thousands of priestly and religious vocations have come out of FUS, and
has set the church afire with Holy Ghost power! Franciscan University of
Steubenville has made a giant contribution to the Charismatic world,
Protestant and Catholic alike, that we will never able to measure until
we are with Him.”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, the final film in the popular series, still offers audiences some dangerous, forbidden occult content and false religion. So warns family advocate and Christian media scholar Dr. Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission.

“The final chapter to the Harry Potter stories, like the books, contains some surprisingly overt Christian allegorical elements,” Baehr admits, “but the movie version slightly changes the final confrontation between the hero and the villain to make it even more like a spectacular magical showdown between two sorcerers.”

Baehr, a theologian and Bible scholar, pointed out that the God of the Bible strongly condemns witchcraft and sorcery as evil and loathsome in Deuteronomy 18:10-13. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ affirms all of God’s law in Matthew 5:17 and other passages.

What’s more, Baehr adds, God commands people not to speak to or consult dead people, yet that is exactly what happens in the final Harry Potter movie. And yet another problem with the movie, Baehr says, is a line of dialogue suggesting that people who deserve it will be rewarded.

“This goes against Christian teaching. The Bible says that everyone has fallen short of the glory of God and that Jesus Christ died for our sins even though all people are undeserving, evil sinners,” Baehr says.

“This line of dialogue may seem to some people like a minor thing or an arcane theological point, but 50 years of research shows that people, especially impressionable children and teenagers, are influenced by what they see in movies and television. Every Christian—and every religious Jewish person for that matter—especially parents, teachers, clergy, artists and leaders in the mass media, has a duty to guard the hearts and minds of children and teenagers from false, evil ideas that may lead to destructive behavior. Theological ideas are just as important as moral and philosophical ones.”

Baehr advised parents, grandparents, teachers and religious leaders to warn children and teenagers about the dangers of seeing movies and television programs like the Harry Potter movies. As Baehr sees it, guardians should teach children to choose the good and reject the bad. Instead of Harry Potter, Baehr recommends the Chronicles of Narnia movies for younger children and Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies for older children and teenagers.

“Better yet,” he says, “have your children read the books these movies are based on, including The Hobbit, which is the prequel to Lord of the Rings and is designed for younger children.”

Frodo & Harry, a book Baehr co-wrote with film scholar Dr. Tom Snyder, exposes the dangers in the Harry Potter books and movies, including the books’ political attacks on conservative, middle-class values. Frodo & Harry, shows how much more redemptive and biblically sound Lord of the Rings is compared to the Harry Potter books and movies.

AP Images/Robert Gay

Until now, Texas Gov. Rick Perry had merely been mocked, opposed and otherwise persecuted for suggesting that we fall to our knees and cry out to God to restore the land. Now, a federal lawsuit has been filed to try to stop Perry’s “Day of Prayer and Fasting,” also known as The Response.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday in the Southern District Court of Texas in Houston. The lawsuit seeks to block Perry from participating in the prayer rally at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on Aug. 6. The suit also asks the federal court to declare Perry’s initiation, organization, promotion and participation in the event unconstitutional. The FFRF is even going so far as to propose a restraining order after a hearing date is set.

“We always say ‘Beware prayer by pious politicians.’ Nothing fails like prayer. It’s the ultimate political cop-out,” says Annie Laurie Gaylor, who co-directs FFRF with husband Dan Barker, a former evangelical minister who is now an atheist.

“The answers for America’s problems won’t be found on our knees or in heaven, but by using our brains, our reason and in compassionate action. Gov. Perry’s distasteful use of his civil office to plan and dictate a religious course of action to ‘all citizens’ is deeply offensive to many citizens, as well as to our secular form of government.”

Steve Riggle, senior pastor at  Grace Community Church in Houston, continues to support The Response, the non-denominational, apolitical Christian prayer meeting that draws from the second chapter of Joel. The event calls for a people to return to the Lord with all their heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. 

“This lawsuit attempting to bar Gov. Perry from participating and even endorsing was filed by some of the same people who filed the lawsuit and forced the removal of the Bible outside the courthouse a few years ago,” Riggle says. “It’s time to stop this nonsense. The best way is for all of us to show up in mass.”

A judge may be assigned to the case by the end of the week.

AP Images/Orange County Register, Ana Venegas, File

Crystal Cathedral is one step closer to having a new owner.

A bankruptcy judge on Tuesday allowed the Crystal Cathedral to consider new buyers for its 40-acre complex, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“There are other options out there which are viewed by the ministry and the creditors as being more favorable,” attorney Marc Winthrop, who represents the Crystal Cathedral, told the court.

The Times points to Monday bankruptcy filings that reveal the church is actively seeking other offers in addition to Greenlaw Partners, a real estate development firm and primary bidder.

The church, founded by Robert H. Schuller and known for its popular weekly televangelist series Hour of Power, filed for bankruptcy protection last October, claiming it owed more than $50 million to creditors and vendors.

Gina Meeks contributed to this report.

A mega ministry in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., is taking on a new name.

After decades of being known as Coral Ridge Ministries, the ministry Dr. D. James Kennedy founded is now called Truth in Action Ministries. The name change aims to aid the outreach as the ministry seeks to advance biblical truth and equip believers to make a difference in their local communities.

Ministry leadership didn’t make the decision rashly. They settled on Truth in Action Ministries after more than a year of prayer, planning and consulting with outside organizations, as well as talking with ministry friends and supporters.

Hector Padron, executive vice president of Truth in Action Ministries, called the new name “a means to reach more people and have a bigger impact on the culture by not just educating people on social issues and biblical worldview, but motivating and activating them to make a difference for the Kingdom.”

As he sees it, the new ministry name reaffirms the organization’s existing mission to “introduce people to Christ, nurture and encourage Christians, and reform cultures.” Padron says the ministry will “continue to fulfill Dr. Kennedy’s vision of presenting biblical truth in love and without compromise through the media.”

As part of the transition, The Coral Ridge Hour television program will become Truth that Transforms with Kennedy. Truth That Transforms will continue to present pulpit messages from Kennedy and  features on current moral and social concerns.

The radio program is being renamed from Truths that Transform to Truth That Transforms to align with the television program. The name of Cross Examine, the ministry’s weekly television program launched in 2010 and co-hosted by Dr.  Del Tackett, will not change.

“Having had the privilege of co-authoring 14 books with Dr. Kennedy, I am thrilled to be part of bringing his biblical and remarkably relevant messages to viewers nationwide each week,” said Dr. Jerry Newcombe, who will host an opening to the TV program. “America is desperately in need of moral guidance from God’s Word—and God’s awesome solution to the dilemma of our sin in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Hiranandani Complex in Powai, Mumbai (Nichalp)

A trio of explosions rocked India’s commercial capital. According to Reuters, three blasts shook Mumbai on Wednesday. Indian media are reporting that the explosions are related to a terrorist attack. Three are reportedly dead from the blasts.

Noteworthy is the fact that the blasts hit on the birthday of Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, the only surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed about 170 people, the BBC reports.

No terrorist group has taken responsibility for the attack, and Indian authorities have not named any suspects.

In a victory for parental rights, the Supreme Court of Ohio on Tuesday ruled that a woman who allowed her same-sex partner to coparent her biological child did not permanently give up her right to exclusive custody.

The Supreme Court ruling upheld two lower court decisions that Kelly Mullen, who allowed Michelle Hobbs to help her raise her biological daughter while they were in a relationship, retains full custody rights.

Recognizing the need to protect the biological mom’s constructional rights to raise her child, the court ruled, “‘Coparenting’ is not synonymous with an agreement by the biological parent to permanently relinquish sole custody in favor of shared legal parenting.”

The ruling is significant because it limits the claims of third parties to gain custody over children to whom they are not related biologically or by adoption.

“This is a great victory for parental rights,” says Mathew D. Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University School of Law. “A person who is neither the biological parent nor an adoptive parent cannot be a de facto parent by merely alleging an emotional bond to the child.” Liberty Counsel filed an amicus brief in support of Mullen’s parental rights.

Here’s the back story: Mullen and Hobbs lived together for several years in a house. In 2003 Mullen decided to have a child through in vitro fertilization. She gave birth to a daughter in 2005. Hobbs was listed as Mullen’s “partner” on the medical documents related to the pregnancy and birth.

After the partners separated in 2007, Mullen decided to not permit Hobbs to have any contact with her child. Hobbs responded by filing for legal custody of Mullen’s daughter.

Although Hobbs had no legal basis for custody of the child, Hamilton County Juvenile Court decided that Hobbs should be granted custody, because she acted like a parent and was listed as a “coparent” in a few documents. That ruling was reversed by Juvenile Court Judge Thomas Lipps because “The most important factor in the determination of whether the mother’s words, actions and deeds amounted to a contractual relinquishment of some of her custodial rights was her consistent refusal to enter into a shared custody agreement.”

Shealtiel? Epaenetus? Ever wonder how to pronounce some of the more exotic names and places you read about in the Bible? There’s an app for that!

If you use an iPhone or an iPad, you can tap into the Bible Audio Pronunciations application, which offers up audio recordings of more than 1,000 challenging words found in scripture.

“We wanted to give people an easy tool to raise their level of understanding and enjoyment from reading the Bible,” says Michael Vance, developer of the app. “It will speak out loud some of its most difficult words.”

The app plays recordings of terms, names and places that many people find difficult to pronounce (like Shealtiel and Epaenetus). The recordings also offer the names of important church and historical leaders.

Here’s how it works: You can search or browse for words, and after you find the word you are looking for just tap it to start the recording. The developer plans to add new words on a regular basis, and also included links to Google and Wikipedia within the app. All for 99 cents.

After repeated beatings and malnutrition suffered in house detention, blind
pro-life activist Chen Guangcheng’s health is deteriorating quickly. Now, human rights organizations are pushing harder than ever for his freedom.

Women’s Rights Without Frontiers and China Aid Association on Tuesday
called for urgent action on Guangcheng’s behalf. In order to drive more
attention to the international cause, Women’s Rights Without Frontiers
released a new video demanding freedom for Chen and his family. (You can view the video at the end of this story.)

Guangcheng was arrested in 2006 for exposing evidence that 130,000
forced abortions and involuntary sterilizations were performed on women
in Linyi County, Shandong Province in a single year. Time Magazine named
him one of “2006’s Top 100 People Who Shape Our World” and he was given
the 2007 Magsaysay award, known as Asia’s Nobel Peace Prize.

“The abuse of Chen Guangcheng is
unconscionable and contrary to the rule of law,” says Bob Fu, president of China Aid. “His mistreatment under
house arrest is deplorable, including beatings, constant surveillance,
as well as confiscation of his computer, cell phone, books, his blind
cane and the toys of his young daughter.”

Guangcheng spent four years, three months in prison. Since his September 2010
release, he continues to serve a sentence of home detention. Both in
prison and under house arrest, hen has experienced mistreatment and
beatings. He and his wife and daughter are not allowed sufficient food
and are isolated from all outside contact.

“Chen’s wife sounded the alarm in a letter recently smuggled out
of China,” says Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers. “She said that Chen’s health is very fragile and worsening
every day because of beatings, malnutrition and an intestinal illness.
She is worried about his survival. Chen sacrificed everything to tell
the world the brutal truth about forced abortion in China. He is a
warrior for women’s rights. Now it’s our turn to sacrifice on behalf of
Chen by fighting for his freedom.”

The groups are calling on the international diplomatic
community to make official interventions on behalf of Guangcheng with the
Chinese government and asking individuals to write Chinese
embassies and consulates around the world and sign the petition to Free
Chen Guangcheng at:
www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/index.php?nav=chen-guangcheng#petition.

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