Author Archives: Jim Bakker Show News

Mid-Atlantic hit by winter storm, tornadoes reported in South

Portions of the mid-Atlantic remained under winter storm warnings on Tuesday morning, a day after snow fell along the East Coast and tornadoes were reported in four southern states.

The National Weather Service issued the warnings in parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, saying those regions should expect more winter weather this morning. Winter weather advisories were also issued across New England.

The winter weather is expected to transition into rain later today as temperatures rise. Residents of all of the affected states should monitor their local forecasts.

The storm came after several mid-Atlantic and New England communities recorded record low temperatures on Sunday, as bitter cold helped shatter the previous records for Valentine’s Day.

Notably, the National Weather Service said temperatures dipped to -1 degree Fahrenheit in New York’s Central Park, the coldest temperatures recorded on Feb. 14 in the park in 100 years.

In upstate New York, the service said temperatures reached 37 degrees below zero in Watertown and 23 degrees below zero in Syracuse. Those broke Feb. 14 records that had stood since 1979.

Monday’s winter storm brought snow and freezing rain to several states, and the National Weather Service reported a storm-high total of 15 inches fell near Rupert, West Virginia.

Parts of Virginia and Maryland received nine inches of snow, while cities in Kentucky and Tennessee saw more than six inches. Lighter totals were recorded in a broad area from Maine to Georgia, with some areas receiving some freezing rain.

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center also received 17 reports of tornadoes and high winds in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida on Monday.

The reports mentioned downed trees and power lines, damaged homes and buildings. The extreme weather caused at least one injury in Alabama, where Covington County officials reported a tornado destroyed a mobile home.

Tornadoes damaged nine homes, a school and a chicken house in Copiah County, Mississippi. The service also said a tree fell on a semi truck, briefly entrapping one person.

In Smith County, Mississippi, tornadoes caused “major damage to homes and structures” near Sylvarena, and blew a gas pump away from a grocery store.

Damage from heavy winds and hail was reported in several other southern communities.

The extreme weather, particularly the winter storm, had a significant impact on travel.

Flight monitoring website FlightAware.com reported 1,623 United States flight cancellations on Monday, including about 300 apiece at Washington’s Reagan National Airport and New York’s Laguardia Airport. More than 575 flights were cancelled on Tuesday morning, the site reported.

Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hits Oklahoma, state’s third-strongest on record

Oklahoma was hit by one of the strongest earthquakes in the state’s history over the weekend.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck just after 11 a.m. on Saturday, and it was centered about 21 miles northwest of Fairview. According to the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS), it was the third-strongest quake ever recorded in the state.

Residents reported feeling strong-to-very-strong shaking near the quake’s center, according to user-submitted data on the USGS website. The agency says such shaking is capable of causing light or moderate damage, but there weren’t any such reports from Saturday’s earthquake.

Cities hundreds of miles away from Fairview experienced lighter shaking.

They included Oklahoma City (100 miles southeast), Fayetteville, Arkansas, (256 miles east), Dallas-Fort Worth (275 miles south) and Kansas City (300 miles northeast), the USGS said.

Five smaller earthquakes followed within 65 minutes of the initial quake, according to the USGS. Those other quakes ranged in magnitude from 2.5 to 3.9.

Oklahoma has seen a significant rise in seismic activity since 2009, and officials have linked the rise to wastewater from oil and gas production. Regulators have taken steps to limit its disposal.

However, the USGS says more than 300 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater have occurred in Oklahoma in the first 46 days of 2016. That includes eight earthquakes above magnitude 4.0.

Oklahoma only saw 21 magnitude-4.0-or-greater quakes in a 64-month stretch from January 2009 to May 2014, the USGS said in a news release at the time. That includes a magnitude 5.6 earthquake that occurred in November 2011 near Prague, the strongest in the state’s history.

Oklahoma’s second-strongest earthquake was a magnitude 5.5 quake that occurred in April 1952 near El Reno, according to the OGS. The state hasn’t witnessed any other magnitude 5.0 quakes.

However, the USGS and OGS have both warned the recent rise in Oklahoma’s earthquake activity increases the risk that the state could be hit by an even bigger quake in the future.

Last month, Fairview was hit by 20 earthquakes in a span of about nine hours, including two just 30 seconds apart. Those nearly back-to-back earthquakes were initially reported to be

Morningside celebrates Red Barn’s progress with special Jim Bakker Show taping

Morningside celebrated the progress of its brand new Red Barn on Friday morning, recording a special episode of The Jim Bakker Show from inside the centerpiece of the ministry’s farm.

“The brand new barn is open!” Pastor Bakker declared in the opening minutes of the taping, drawing cheers from the packed audience that gathered for the first taping held inside the barn.

The audience was treated to music from Caleb, Harmony and the Morningside Band and a pancake breakfast cooked from the 20-year-shelf-life food that is offered by the ministry.

The episode, which is scheduled to air beginning Feb. 19, will give viewers a chance to see some of the exciting developments around Morningside, including the 65-foot-tall barn that will be an important component of the ministry’s agricultural endeavors during the last days.

Some of Morningside’s visitors had a chance to see the barn under construction over the past several months, as the barn has been a popular stop on the ministry’s guided tours, but the show taped Friday allows Morningside to introduce the structure to viewers around the world.

“It is a beautiful, beautiful place here,” Pastor Bakker said.

The pastor said a grand opening is planned for the ministry’s annual Fourth of July Celebration.

“So many different people throughout the winter time we brought here to this barn. They couldn’t believe it,” Lori Bakker said during the taping. “We would drive right in here and they would get out and look up and see this humongous barn and be so amazed at it.”

Pastor Bakker said the ministry has plans to expand its farm, and will soon begin working on a horse stable. Morningside has plans to move horses on-site after the stables are built, he said.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet for what God’s doing here,” Pastor Bakker said.

One of those horses, a black mare named Cocoa, was on set for Friday’s taping, getting a sneak peek at what is poised to be her future home. She was joined by a red horse named Dancer.

The colors of the horses caught the attention of special guest John Shorey, who repeated some of the preparation practices he outlined during his three seminars on Grace Street this week.

“Jim, I noticed there’s no white horse,” Shorey quipped. “Is the white horse out of the barn?”

Shorey was referencing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse of Revelation 6. Pastor Bakker said the Biblical white horse, which represents the spirit of the antichrist, has been released.

The show also discussed steps people can take to prepare themselves for Christ’s return.

“Too many in the church don’t know that horse is already riding,” Pastor Bakker said. “He’s extended his reach all over the world. … We’re in that day.”

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Bitterly cold wind chills expected in 22 states this weekend

Wind chill warnings or advisories were issued in parts of 22 states on Friday afternoon, as the National Weather Service cautioned that perceived temperatures could reach bitterly cold levels.

The service warned that the eastern United States is poised to see the coldest air mass of the season this weekend, and high winds are forecast to create dangerously low wind chills there.

The National Weather Service says overnight lows are expected to be in the single digits across New England, the mid-Atlantic and the Great Lakes on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Many regions could see sub-zero temperatures, with high winds making it feel even colder.

Wind chill warnings have been issued in parts of New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In one of the more extreme cases, the National Weather Service warned that wind chills of 45 degrees below zero were expected on Saturday night and Sunday morning in Maine.

“This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia or death if precautions are not taken,” the service’s wind chill warning states. Other warnings say the cold temperatures may freeze pipes.

Wind chill advisories were issued in parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland and Delaware.

Some regions are expected to see wind chills of minus 25 or 30 degrees, the service said.

Winter storms are also in the forecast for some communities, and the National Weather Service issued lake effect snow warnings in portions of Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

Some upstate New York communities were expecting as much as two feet of snow, and the service’s Buffalo office said negative-50 degree wind chills were possible in some areas.

In a statement, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state hasn’t seen temperatures this low in a year. He encouraged his state’s residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.

Residents of all of the affected states were encouraged to monitor their local forecasts.

Shorey gives last-minute preparation tips, says time is running out

One of the most important messages from the last-minute preparation seminar John Shorey gave Thursday morning on Grace Street didn’t concern food, water, shelter, finances or security.

The long-time prepper mentioned all of those things, but began his address on another point.

Time.

“Are these the last minutes that we have to prepare?” Shorey said. “I believe they are.”

Shorey, the author of “The Window of the Lord’s Return” and “Unlocking the Mystery of the Book of Revelation,” said now is the time to start focusing on the last-minute preparation steps he laid out in his address, the third and final seminar he gave at Morningside this week.

Shorey’s other talks focused on food security and survival tips.

On Thursday, Shorey said he believes the Biblical tribulation period will begin this spring. He has continued to stockpile food and supplies to help him prepare for what he believes is coming.

“I would rather be prepared and be wrong than be wrong and not prepared,” Shorey said.

The seminar covered some of the final steps that people can take to bolster their preparedness, and Shorey delivered his remarks with a tone of urgency.

“We will see the signs of the last minute, and we need to not wait for the last minute,” he said.

FOOD

Shorey advised people to continue collecting food with long shelf lives, but added that now is the time to start stockpiling food that does not have long shelf lives, such as flour, mayonnaise and canned meats and fruits. Those items with the shortest shelf lives should be purchased last.

People should also consider if they want to raise animals that can generate food, Shorey said, and mentioned chickens and goats as possible options. If they opt to go that route, he said that people should make sure that they obtain the animals and stockpile feed before it’s too late.

Shorey also encouraged people to start securing ways to cook their food and heat their homes without relying on electricity, recommending solar ovens and wood and propane. Whenever possible, he said people must test their equipment ahead of time to ensure it works properly.

HOME

Shorey advised people to buy supplies like lumber, plywood and hardware, should they need to perform construction or repair projects. He also suggested obtaining gardening tools and manure, as he believes successful gardens can help slow the consumption of food stockpiles.

He also told people to pump their septic systems.

“You’re probably going to have more people in your home and it’s going to fill up faster,” he said.

Shorey advised people to cancel their utilities “when things start falling apart.”

FINANCE

Shorey said it’s important for people to have cash on hand, including small bills, for purchases, as there could be a time when ATMs do not function and stores can’t accept credit or debit cards.

He said there was some value in precious metals, recommending silver over gold because gold can be difficult to divide gold bars into amounts that can be spent. He mentioned that pre-1964 United States coins could be useful tools for bartering, as they have high silver content.

He advised people to pay off critical bills and try to prepay property taxes and several months of their mortgages.

HEALTH

Shorey said people should not put off dental issues or minor surgeries, noting dentists and doctors could be hard to come by. He also advised people should stock up on prescription medications and bolster their first aid kits.

He said to look for disinfectants with long shelf lives.

HELPING OTHERS

Shorey advised people to start looking to form groups, reiterating there is strength in numbers. He said while preppers may be asked to help people outside their core group — he’s anticipating a soup line at his home — their group should consist of people they’ve known for a while and know they can trust. He recommended having a wide range of backgrounds — gardeners, security officers, trained medical professionals — but acknowledged that is easier said than done.

“You’re probably not going to get all of these skill sets,” Shorey said. “But you know what you can do? You need to acquire all of the training materials, like good books on gardening.”

He said those groups should prepare to act as underground churches and should stock up on Bibles and other devotional materials to help win the lost. But he said it was also important to ensure the groups have ways to defend themselves from those who may try to cause them harm.

Shorey’s earlier seminars also touched on the importance of helping others in the last days.

All three will soon be available for purchase through The Jim Bakker Show’s online store.

Spiritual preparation tops Shorey’s list of 10 keys to survival

Given that John Shorey spent an entire hour discussing food security only two days ago, it would be logical to think the subject tops the long-time prepper’s list of survival tips for the last days.

It’s not even in the top three.

Shorey, the author of “The Window of the Lord’s Return” and “Unlocking the Mystery of the Book of Revelation,” is at Morningside this week to host preparation seminars, giving those gathered on Grace Street and watching the ministry’s livestream some of his expert advice on how they and their families can get ready for the trials and tribulations that the Bible foretells.

His address on Wednesday morning was called “The Preppers’ Top 10 Keys to Survival,” and followed Monday morning’s talk on food security. Shorey spoke of the importance of having food, water and shelter, but the No. 1 item on his list wasn’t anything that could be purchased.

It was spiritual preparation.

The reason? The other items on Shorey’s list covered tips that pertained to survival on Earth, while Shorey said being spiritually ready is a vital component of ensuring eternal life in heaven.

“What is this all about?” Shorey said to those sitting in the Grace Street studio audience. “It’s not about us just getting to heaven and barely making it with the shirt on our back. No, it’s about making it and bringing others with us. That’s what it’s all about. I like to look at it from the standpoint that everyone you win for Christ in the last days are going to be your friends forever.”

Shorey said it would be “a shame” for someone to have enough physical items to allow them to survive until the rapture only to be left behind because they had not spiritually prepared.

He called on audience members to make amends with those who were angry with them, and not hold their own grudges as they worked to win lost souls and perform God’s will in the last days.

“Without spiritual preparation, many will not make it,” Shorey warned.

Shorey’s seminar echoed one of his messages from Monday’s talk about food security, during which he said the measure of one’s preparedness is how many people they will be able to assist.

All of the items he mentioned Wednesday included some component of helping others.

The No. 2 item on his list was location, and he shared his advice about where to live in the last days. He said rural locations were ideal, and he would avoid cities, coastal areas or communities on known fault lines, citing prophetic warnings about various disasters affecting those areas.

“No matter where you live, the safest place for you to be is in the center of God’s will,” Shorey told those in the audience. “If God is saying to stay where you’re at, God has a purpose in it.”

Shelter ranked third, with Shorey advocating for self-sufficient locations that can function without municipal water or electricity. He said the shelters should be able to accommodate groups, and people should have a plan to expand them with additional beds, if the need arises.

Food was fourth, and Shorey encouraged people to store a ton of beans, rice and wheat and 1,000 pounds of oatmeal. He called them “power foods” because of their shelf life and versatility.

“Think of how many people you could help if you have those commodities,” he said.

Water ranked fifth, with Shorey advocating for a well and a backup supply, should that fail. He also encouraged people to have plenty of filtration devices to weed out potential contaminants.

Security and community ranked sixth and seventh, with Shorey saying that people need to have a way to protect their shelters around the clock. He said there was “strength in numbers,” and also suggested supplementing their security efforts with high-tech devices like motion sensors.

Energy, communication and first aid rounded out the top 10, and Shorey suggested people have solar-powered generators, CB, HAM or shortwave radios and methods of preventing illnesses.

Shorey said while preparation was an important part of survival, faith also played a major role.

“Don’t put your faith in your preparation,” he said. “Put your faith in God. I’ve heard it said that if you share, God will see that you have enough. But if you’re putting your faith in what you have done, you’re in trouble. It’ll run out. The house might burn down, the thieves will come in and steal it. The most important part of preparation is making sure you’re right with your Father.”

He said faith can help ensure security, but cautioned against not taking proactive steps.

“We don’t want to be presumptuous,” he said.

Shorey is scheduled to give a “Last-Minute Prepping” seminar at 11 a.m. tomorrow on Grace Street. It will be live-streamed on jimbakkershow.com/watch-us-live and the PTL Television Network on Roku.

Food insecurity on the rise in South Sudan, Haiti

More than 6 million people in South Sudan and Haiti are facing food insecurity, United Nations agencies warned this week, including thousands who could soon face catastrophic shortages.

The World Food Programme (WFP) and two other U.N. groups issued the warning for South Sudan on Monday, saying that 4.8 million of the country’s residents are at risk of going hungry. That includes about 40,000 people who the agency warned “are on the brink of catastrophe.”

The WFP issued its own warning for Haiti on Tuesday, saying the El Nino weather pattern fueled a drought that has 3.6 million people facing food insecurity, double the total of six months ago.

In a joint statement, the WFP, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said the South Sudan situation was “particularly worrisome” because the country is about to enter its lean season, when food is the most scarce.

They warn about 1 in 4 people in South Sudan require urgent assistance.

A recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, a barometer for measuring food security, found 23 percent of South Sudan is at risk of “acute food and nutrition insecurity” in the first three months of this year. It said the majority of them live in the states of Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile, where ongoing violent conflicts have forced many from their homes.

The report indicated there was “overwhelming evidence of a humanitarian emergency” in some areas, noting some people were eating water lilies, and warned the situation would likely worsen as water dried up in the coming weeks. The report could not confirm if parts of the country were already experiencing famine, as fighting prevented researchers from accessing certain areas.

The report said the country is also grappling with the effects of a drop in the value of its currency, which sent prices surging. It said the price of Sorghum, a cereal grain, increased 11-fold in a year.

The agencies said it was important they be given the chance to supply aid to those in need.

“Families have been doing everything they can to survive but they are now running out of options,” Jonathan Veitch, the UNICEF representative in South Sudan, said in a statement. “Many of the areas where the needs are greatest are out of reach because of the security situation. It’s crucial that we are given unrestricted access now. If we can reach them, we can help them.”

The WFP is also looking to help Haiti.

According to the organization, the country has seen three straight years of drought and an abnormally strong El Nino weather pattern is threatening to spoil the country’s next harvest.

El Nino occurs when part of the Pacific Ocean is warmer than usual, creating a ripple effect that brings atypical and sometimes extreme weather throughout the world. It’s been blamed for creating heavy flooding in some regions and droughts in others, both of which can spoil harvests.

The WFP said some parts of the country lost 70 percent of last year’s crops, and approximately 1.5 million Haitians are facing severe food insecurity. Others face malnutrition and hunger.

Historic winter storm causes $2 billion in economic losses, report finds

The deadly winter storm that brought historic snowfall totals throughout the mid-Atlantic last month caused more than $2 billion in economic losses, a reinsurance company said Tuesday.

The storm was just one of the instances of extreme weather chronicled in Aon Benfield’s most recent monthly report on global catastrophes, which recap the economic effects of the events.

The report also detailed the impacts of extreme cold weather in Asia, flooding fueled by the El Nino weather pattern and earthquakes, wildfires and droughts that occurred in January.

The mid-Atlantic snowstorm, which The Weather Channel was calling Winter Storm Jonas, killed 58 people and led 11 states and the District of Columbia to declare states of emergency, according to the Aon Benfield report. The report noted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently named the storm the fourth-biggest winter storm to hit that part of the United States in the past 66 years, according to its Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale.

The National Weather Service has said that snowfall totals reached double digits in 14 states, and portions of Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia all received more than a foot and a half of snow.

That included a storm-high 42 inches near Glengary, West Virginia, the service reported. Totals also topped 30 inches in parts of Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Maryland.

Some areas received record snow, spurring road closures and hundreds of flight cancellations. The Aon Benfield report’s $2 billion figure includes both physical damage and lost business.

Last month, the NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information reported the United States experienced 10 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2015. If Aon Benfield’s numbers are accurate, the winter storm appears to be the first such disaster of the New Year.

Aon Benfield’s report also covers events that occurred outside the United States.

The company said Asia saw rare snowfall and some of its coldest temperatures in six decades, which killed at least 116 people in Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and China last month. The report estimated the weather led to $2 billion in losses, $1.6 billion of which were in China.

Aon Benfield’s report also detailed several other January events with high economic impacts:

  • A hurricane-force windstorm led to hundreds of millions of dollars of losses in Europe
  • Severe drought caused South Africa’s agricultural industry to lose at least $250 million
  • Floods that killed 13 people in Ecuador and Brazil caused total losses to top $110 million
  • A five-day stretch of severe storms in California fueled more than $125 million in losses
  • A magnitude 6.7 earthquake in India killed 22 people and spurred $75 million in losses
  • A 176,000-acre wildfire in Western Australia led to $42 million in insurance claims alone

The report linked the California storms, South American flooding and South African drought to the El Nino weather pattern, which several scientists have said is one of the strongest on record.

The pattern occurs when a portion of the Pacific Ocean is warmer than usual, setting off a far-reaching ripple effect that brings atypical and often extreme weather across the world.

Hawaii County declares state of emergency over dengue fever outbreak

The growing number of dengue fever cases in Hawaii County has prompted the county’s mayor to declare a state of emergency, a measure that aims to reduce the spread of the disease.

William P. Kenoi issued the declaration on Monday as the state Department of Health reported that there have been confirmed 251 cases of the mosquito-borne illness since last September.

All of the confirmed cases have been in Hawaii County, which is the state’s largest island.

Kenoi’s declaration allows people to dump tires at county landfills, which had been outlawed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says used tires can collect rain, making them a good place for mosquitos to lay eggs, and mosquito control is key to combating dengue.

Hawaii Governor David Y. Ige issued a statement saying he supported Kenoi’s emergency proclamation, but he would only declare a statewide emergency if certain conditions were met.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dengue fever usually triggers a flu-like illness that lasts up to a week. Symptoms include headaches, vomiting, muscle pains and rashes. In some cases, however, dengue can become severe and lead to potentially fatal complications.

The WHO says severe dengue causes about 500,000 hospitalizations and 12,500 deaths every year, though access to proper medical care significantly lowers the disease’s mortality rate.

Hawaii health officials have not reported any deaths as a result of this outbreak.

The Hawaii Department of Health says dengue isn’t usually found in Hawaii, but there have been some cases of infected travelers coming to Hawaii from areas where the disease is spread. But it says this outbreak is of locally-acquired dengue, the state’s first such event since 2011.

Dengue is different than the Zika virus, another mosquito-borne illness. However, both dengue and Zika can be transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and both have spread to new areas.

The WHO says dengue has reached more than 100 countries over the past 50 years, recording a 30-fold increase in its incidence. About half the world’s population is now at risk of infection.

The CDC has issued numerous travel warnings about the Zika virus, and the WHO recently deemed Zika an international public health concern as scientists investigate its potential connection to a rare birth defect called microcephaly that affects head size.

The Hawaii Department of Health has said that one Oahu child who was born with microcephaly had been infected with Zika, though his mother likely got infected when she was living in Brazil. The country saw a substantial rise in microcephaly last year.

Only about 20 percent of those infected with Zika show any symptoms, according to the CDC. Those symptoms include fever, rash and joint pain and most people fully recover within a week.

NASA accused of banning ‘Jesus’ from Johnson Space Center newsletter

NASA is being accused of discriminating against some of its Christian employees after allegedly telling a prayer club that it was no longer allowed to mention the name “Jesus” in a newsletter.

The Liberty Institute, a religious freedom advocacy group, is representing the employees and on Monday threatened to file a federal lawsuit if NASA does not remove the alleged restriction.

The employees are 16 members of the Praise and Worship Club at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, according to the institute, and submit meeting announcements to the center’s JSC Today email newsletter to invite other employees to attend the club’s upcoming gatherings.

Last May, the newsletter ran the group’s announcement saying the theme for its upcoming meeting would be “Jesus is our life!”

A NASA attorney allegedly told the employees they were not allowed to include “Jesus” in future advertisements because NASA would be violating the Establishment Clause, which prevents government entities from promoting one religion over another. The employees say their speech is private and their announcements do not represent NASA’s official stance, so NASA censoring them from saying “Jesus” in the newsletter is an illegal restriction of their religious freedoms.

The club has been meeting since 2001, according to the Liberty Institute, and members currently gather during their lunch hours to discuss their faith and sing Christian songs.

“We are shocked that NASA would censor the name of Jesus from our Praise and Worship Club’s announcement,” JSC Praise and Worship club spokesperson Sophia Smith said in a statement released by the Liberty Institute. “NASA has a long history of allowing the religious speech of its employees, so why would they ban ‘Jesus’ from our announcements?”

The Liberty Institute noted NASA astronauts have famously made high-profile religious comments in the past. Notably, Scott Carpenter said “Godspeed, John Glenn” when Glenn became the first American to orbit the planet in 1962 and Bill Anders, Jim Lovell and Frank Borman read from the Book of Genesis as they orbited the moon on Christmas Eve, 1968.

The institute argues the ban is discriminatory, claiming the newsletter still publishes other “generic religious references.” The Praise and Worship Club’s announcements are also still published, the institute claims, though the club stopped mentioning Jesus as it sought counsel.

“It is illegal for the government to censor the name of Jesus in employee emails,” Jeremy Dys, senior counsel for Liberty Institute, said in a statement. “Censoring a religious club’s announcement to specifically exclude the name ‘Jesus’ is blatant religious discrimination.”