NEWS ALERT/PRAYER ALERT! - Ukraine Accuses Russia of 'Invasion, Occupation'- By George Thomas, Friday, February 28, 2014; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/February/Ukraine-Accuses-Russia-of-Invasion-Occupation-/ - SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine -- Russian troops now control an airport near their naval base in Sevastopol, Ukraine. Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov is calling the siege a "military invasion and occupation." "It is in violation of all international treaties and norms," he charged. "This is a direct provocation to armed bloodshed on the territory of a sovereign state."... [Let's be in prayer as the Ukraine is facing an ever increasing threat of civil war. Pray esp. for beievers to be submitted to and guided by the Holy Spirit in how to BE JESUS during these turbulent times. May many who are and will encounter great suffering as a result of this continuing conflict find their hope and strength in Jesus by coming to faith in Him. - Stan]
NEWS/PRAYER ALERT! Divided Country: Ukrainians Count the Cost of Change - By George Thomas, February 25, 2014;http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/February/Ukrainians-Facing-Uncertain-Future/ KIEV, Ukraine -- "President Viktor Yanukovych, facing an arrest warrant, is still on the run as the country prepares for elections to replace him. Meanwhile, for many anti-government protesters in Ukraine, like Yevgeniy Sikunov, the future remains uncertain... Meanwhile, many say it is hard to predict which direction the country will go. There's talk of splitting Ukraine in two as supporters and opponents of Yanukovych clash with growing frequency.
NEWS/PRAYER ALERT! "Ukraine President Becomes Fugitive from Justice "- By George Thomas, Monday, February 24, 2014; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/February/Opposition-Takes-Presidency-in-Divided-Ukraine/ KIEV, Ukraine -- The former president of Ukraine is a fugitive from justice Monday. The country's interim government issued an arrest warrant for Viktor Yanukovich after the mass killings of civilians last week. Yanukovch fled the capital Saturday and reportedly is in hiding in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainians are mourning the loss of more than 100 people killed in clashes between riot police and protesters. That sadness is settling over a country facing dramatic political changes...On Saturday, Ukraine's parliament stunned the nation by voting overwhelmingly to impeach Yanukovych. Hours later, members of parliament picked Oleksandr Turchynov, a prominent evangelical Christian, as interim president until new elections in May. "Christians were praying on Independence Square," Pastor Kaluzhny said. "We were praying in our churches. People around the world were praying for us, and God did a miracle! Ukraine is a new country." What happens next is uncertain.
As the Lord leads, please pray:
-That the turmoil in Ukraine will be resolved
-That the leaders of Ukraine will be able to peacefully resolve their impasse
-Safety for those trapped by the violence in the nation
SIGN NEW PETITION - (Jan. 27) American Pastor Saheed Abidini - An Iranian leader has said that clemency for the pastor after almost 1 and 1/2 years being falsely imprisoned. Please sign this new petition at: http://beheardproject.com/ 2/6 - PRAISE GOD that after pastor Abedini has been unjustly imprisoned for over a year and a half, President Obama finally spoke out himself for the pastor's release as well as that of Ken Bae from North Korea (see below)!
SIGN A PETITION TO THE UN FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHRISTIANS :" The church in Syria has shone brightly for 2,000 years. But today violence and persecution threatens its survival. Thanks to an incredible response, Open Doors is helping 8,000 families in Syria survive each month. We believe the signatures and prayers of 500,000 people will encourage the UN to act and protect the rights and lives of all Syrians, especially the vulnerable Christian community." Go to: http://lp.opendoorsusa.org/emails/nov-13-action/save-syria.html?utm_source=action&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button&utm_campaign=november
WORLD-WDE PRAYER REQUESTS:
Oct. 23: "Christians Fleeing IRAQ Area Once Considered Safe," - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Christians-Fleeing-Iraq-Area-Once-Considered-Safe/ PRAY that believers in Iraq will know God's protection and provision; that believers will know[ whether they are called to flee or remain and persevere; and that their persecutors may come to hear the gospel and come to faith in Christ. - Stan]
Continue to Pray for EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"- CBNNews.com, Aug 14, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/ - PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.]
November 04, 2013 - Saeed's Life in [Greater] Jeopardy After Prison Transfer - CBNNews.com, ; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/November/Saeeds-Life-in-Jeopardy-after-Prison-Transfer/ IRAN - Vigils Mark One Year Imprisonment of Pastor Saeed - CBNNews.com, Thursday, September 26, 2013 - Today marks one-year that American pastor Saeed Abedini has been held in an Iranian prison. He is serving an eight-year sentence because of his Christian faith. It has been a year of torment as he has suffered beatings, physical pain from untreated medical conditions, and separation from his wife and two children... The suffering has not dampened his passion for Jesus. Pastor Abedini has led more than 30 prisoners to Christ during his time in prison.
November 04, 2013 - Saeed's Life in [Greater] Jeopardy After Prison Transfer - CBNNews.com, ; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/November/Saeeds-Life-in-Jeopardy-after-Prison-Transfer/ IRAN - Vigils Mark One Year Imprisonment of Pastor Saeed - CBNNews.com, Thursday, September 26, 2013 - Today marks one-year that American pastor Saeed Abedini has been held in an Iranian prison. He is serving an eight-year sentence because of his Christian faith. It has been a year of torment as he has suffered beatings, physical pain from untreated medical conditions, and separation from his wife and two children... The suffering has not dampened his passion for Jesus. Pastor Abedini has led more than 30 prisoners to Christ during his time in prison.
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.\
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- For leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
- GO TO SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Questions You're Asking About Cakes, Gays, and Religious Freedom" - By Amy Payne, February 28, 2014 [NOTE: This is a follow-up to yesterday's post (#804e) which presented specific stories mentioned by this post. - Stan]-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cases have been popping up across the country where individuals have declined to bake cakes or take photos for same-sex wedding ceremonies—and government has punished them. This week, Arizona [1] Governor Jan Brewer (R) vetoed a bill that would have put religious liberty protections in place in her state. We sat down with Ryan Anderson, Heritage’s William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and a Free Society, to get some answers about this debate.
The Foundry: How did people’s beliefs about same-sex marriage become an issue for private businesses?
Ryan Anderson: In New Mexico, a photographer declined [2] to use her artistic talents to promote a same-sex ceremony because of her religious beliefs. The couple complained and the New Mexico Human Rights Commission ordered her to pay a fine of nearly $7,000. Christian adoption and foster-care agencies [3] in Massachusetts, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., have been forced to stop providing those services because they believe that the best place for kids is with a married mom and dad. Other cases include a baker [4], a florist [5], a bed-and-breakfast [6], a student counselor [7], the Salvation Army, and more [8].
Whose liberty is at stake? Is it just business owners’? -
Everyone’s. When the government starts forcing people to do things that violate their deeply held beliefs, we have a problem. Unless the government proves that there is a compelling government interest in doing so (and that there was not another, less restrictive means possible), citizens should be left free. We need legislation protecting religious liberty for all, because in a growing number of cases, government coercion and penalties have violated religious freedom.
Why is this a religious liberty issue? -
Many religions teach that marriage is the union of a man and woman, and the religious liberty concern in these recent cases is that people are being coerced into violating that belief. While Americans are legally free to live and love as they choose, no one should demand that government coerce others into participating in activities that violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.
But isn’t government supposed to guarantee equal treatment for all? -
These are cases of private individuals offering (or not offering) their services, not government officially recognizing same-sex relationships—which is another case altogether. There is no need for government to try to force every photographer and every florist to service every marriage-related event.
Would laws like these open the door to lots of businesses discriminating against gays and lesbians? -
Claims that proposals like Arizona’s encourage refusing service to gays and lesbians are simply nonsensical. Arizona’s proposed legislation never even mentioned [1] same-sex couples or sexuality; it simply clarified and improved existing state protections for religious liberty.
Some people have claimed, for example, that it meant a pharmacy could refuse to serve gays and lesbians. But I know of no sincere religious belief that would lead a pharmacist to refuse to dispense antibiotics to gay or lesbian patients. Furthermore, it has long been recognized that the government has a “compelling interest” in protecting public health by combating communicable diseases. Consequently, prohibiting pharmacies from denying appropriately prescribed antibiotics to any patient might very well be the least restrictive means possible of ensuring access to necessary medicines.
What about people whose religions say different things, or Americans who choose not to practice a religion?
- These types of freedom protections are important for all Americans. As Cato’s Ilya Shapiro put it [9], “For that matter, gay photographers and bakers shouldn’t be forced to work religious celebrations…and environmentalists shouldn’t be forced to work job fairs in logging communities.” When it comes to this particular issue, all Americans should remain free to believe and act in the public square based on their beliefs about marriage without fear of government penalty.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
Read the Morning Bell and more en español every day at Heritage Libertad [10].
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org; URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2014/02/28/questions-youre-asking-cakes-gays-religious-freedom/
URLs in this post:
[1] Arizona: http://blog.heritage.org/2014/02/25/religious-liberty-arizona-gets-right-ny-times-gets-wrong/
[2] New Mexico, a photographer declined: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/371329/bake-us-cake-or-else-ryan-t-anderson-leslie-fordhttp:/www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2013/06/10393/
[3] Christian adoption and foster-care agencies: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/01/adoption-foster-care-and-conscience-protection
[4] baker: http://christiannews.net/2013/05/20/colorado-christian-baker-faces-discrimination-charges-for-denying-wedding-cake-to-homosexuals/
[5] florist: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/04/17/penalizing-religious-belief-no-bed-of-roses/
[6] bed-and-breakfast: http://www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/7601
[7] student counselor: http://www.alliancedefendingfreedom.org/News/PRDetail/141
[8] more: http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/supreme_court_preview/briefs-v2/12-144-12-307_becket_fund.authcheckdam.pdf
[9] put it: http://www.cato.org/blog/marriage-equality-religious-liberty-freedom-association
[10] Heritage Libertad: http://www.libertad.org/
aching-snack/
