Tag Archives: Bible

Tennessee Lawmaker Proposes Bill To Make Bible State Book

A Tennessee lawmaker is proposing that the Bible become the official state book.

Rep. Jerry Sexton introduced HB 615 that would amend the Tennessee code to make the acknowledgement.

The statement that would be added is simple:  “The Holy Bible is hereby designated as the official state book.”

Tennessee has created a number of state symbols in recent years, naming the tomato the state fruit in 2003 and the Eastern boxing turtle the state reptile in 1995.  The state also has several “state songs” including “Tennessee Waltz” and “Rocky Top.”

Another Representative, Jame VanHuss, has submitted a resolution to add text to the state Constitution that would acknowledge the rights of citizens come from God.

“We recognize that our liberties do not come from governments, but from Almighty God, our Creator and Savior” House Joint Resolution 71 reads.

As usual when the Bible is going to be acknowledged by a public official, anti-Christianists have been launching complaints.

Rob Boston of the anti-Christian group Americans United for Separation of Church and State also wrote a blog post about the matter saying “I doubt the Bible played a major role in how any of them became a part of the United States.”

Anti-Christianists Seek To Stop Bible Distribution In Oklahoma Schools

A major anti-Christian organization has sent letters to school districts across Oklahoma threatening them if they do not stop Bible distributions in their schools.

The anti-Chrsitian Freedom From Religion Foundation sent letters to 26 school districts after they were told Gideon International had given Bibles to schools for students who wanted to read them.

“It is unconstitutional for public school districts to permit the distribution of Bibles as part of the public school day,” the letter, written by Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel, reads. “Courts have uniformly held that the distribution of bibles to students at public schools is prohibited.”

The anti-Christian group then compared the Gideons to child predators.

Jamison Faught of the Gideons told New American that the giving of Bibles is voluntary.

“We don’t force Bibles on anybody. We simply ask if anyone would like them,” he said.

None of the schools have yet responded to the anti-Christian group’s demands.

The Law of First Mentioned (Pt. 1)

I love the deep mysteries of God.  Every time I find a new mystery being revealed within the Word, whether it’s in my own personal Bible study or from great speakers on a national stage, it does something in my spirit.  It is what I am all about.

In Proverbs 25:2 it is revealed that “It is the Glory of God that can seal a matter.”  He likes to hide things!   Think about that.  The God of the universe and it is His glory to conceal a matter!  But the 2nd part of that verse says, “It is the Honor of kings to search things out.” We are those kings! God likes to conceal things and it is to our glory and honor to reveal them.  Continue reading →

Least Bible Minded Cities Named

For the third straight year, Providence, Rhode Island and New Bedford, Massachusetts are the least Bible minded cities in the United States.

The opposite end of the survey named Birmingham, Alabama as the most Biblically minded city in the U.S.

The survey’s condition to be “Bible minded” was to have respondents state they had read the Bible in the last seven days and that they have a strong belief in the Bible’s accuracy.  Only 27 percent of the population nationwide has been considered Bible minded.

“This study provides us with a great starting point to understand where people are interacting with Scripture and what their views are of the Bible,” said Andrew Hood, managing director of communications at American Bible Society. “We want to help people continue to grow their engagement with the Bible. Ultimately, we want people to know that, whether they live in one of the most or least Bible-minded cities, the Bible can speak to their needs and challenges and help them make sense of life.”

The ten most Bible minded cities (in order):  Birmingham, AL; Chattanooga, TN; Tri-Cities, TN; Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA; Shreveport, LA; Springfield, MO; Jackson, MS; Charlotte, NC; Greenville/Spartanburg, SC; Little Rock, AR.

New York City made the list of least Bible minded cities for the first time at #91.  The rest of the bottom 10:  Phoenix, AZ; Buffalo, NY; Hartford/New Haven, CT; Las Vegas, NV; Cedar Rapids, IA; San Francisco, CA; Boston, MA; Albany, NY and Providence.

Mississippi Lawmakers Propose Making Bible State Book

Three Mississippi lawmakers are fighting to make the Bible the official state book.

Rep. Tracy Arnold of Boonville, who is also a pastor, introduced a proposal in the House to “recognize the value of the Scriptures.”  Two state senators, Tom Miles of Forest and Michael Evans of Preston, introduced a similar bill in the state senate.

“Me and my constituents, we were talking about it and one of them made a comment that people ought to start reading the Bible,” Evans told AL.com.

“The Bible provides a good role model on how to treat people,” Miles added to the Associated Press. “They could read in there about love and compassion.”

The state currently does not have any book designated as the official state book.

The Bible has been lauded in the past by many politicians including former President Ronald Reagan, who declared 1983 the national “Year of the Bible.”

“Many of our greatest national leaders—among them Presidents Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, and Wilson—have recognized the influence of the Bible on our country’s development,” Reagan stated. “The plainspoken Andrew Jackson referred to the Bible as no less than ‘the rock on which our Republic rests.’”

“Today our beloved America and, indeed, the world, is facing a decade of enormous challenge,” he continued. “There could be no more fitting moment than now to reflect with gratitude, humility, and urgency upon the wisdom revealed to us in the writing that Abraham Lincoln called ‘the best gift God has ever given to man . . . But for [without] it we could not know right from wrong.”’

Boy Who Claims He Went To Heaven Recants

A boy who claimed that he went to heaven after a 2004 car accident has recanted his story and now says that he only claimed he went to heaven for the attention.

Alex Malarkey was the subject of the book “The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven.”  He was paralyzed in the accident and doctors said he would likely never come out of a coma.  When he woke up two months later, he told those around him that he had angels take him through the gates of heaven to meet Jesus.

Now, he says that was entirely false.

“I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible,” he explained. “People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth.”

Alex now is speaking out about the true path to salvation.

“It is only through repentance of your sins and a belief in Jesus as the Son of God, who died for your sins (even though he committed none of his own) so that you can be forgiven may you learn of Heaven outside of what is written in the Bible… not by reading a work of man,” he stated.

The boy’s mother told the Christian Post that Alex has not made any money from the book telling the story and that he never wanted the book published.

Healthy Choices in 2015

Healthy choices in nutrition and lifestyle is something that all of us can learn to make. It’s not too late for you to learn, no matter what your age!  Jim and I started making healthy choices a few years back, and I can truthfully say that we have never felt better! We hope to inspire others to get started on a healthy course. It’s a perfect time for you to make a change!  In fact, getting healthy in 2015 is very achievable!

The greatest challenge is just getting started! Continue reading →

India Detains Man For “Spreading Christianity”

A Christian man has been jailed in India because of “reasons of public order” despite the fact he has committed no crime.

Police arrested Arvind D’Souza on January 2nd after a group of radical Hindus in Uttar Pradesh began to riot, claiming that D’Souza had been “spreading Christianity.”

The group also said that D’Souza was committing the “forced conversion of women and children through the gift of Bibles.”

Superintendent of Police Amethi Hira Lal told Asia News that he had “found no evidence that D’Souza used force in converting anyone.  However, since the fact could undermine public order, they took him into custody in accordance with Article 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and placed him under preventive detention for 14 days.”

The president of the Global Council of Indian Christians called the action a serious violation of human rights.

“This is a trend that is spreading more and more in India,” Sajan George said.

EEOC Says School Broke Law In Firing Christian Teacher

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says a public school district in New Jersey broke the law when it fired a substitute teacher who gave a middle school student a Bible.

The federal agency said that Walt Tutka was illegally fired in 2013 after he gave a Bible to a student who approached him privately and asked where “the first will be last and the last will be first” was written.

Tutke told Fox News the situation began in October 2012 when he held the door open for students rushing to be first for lunch.  He told the last student in line “just remember, the first will be last and the last will be first.”

The student then approached Tutke several times asking where that phrase was written.  Tutke looked it up and told the student where in the Bible it was located but the student wanted to find it for themselves.

“I thought that was going to be the end of it, but it wasn’t,” Tutka said. “He continued to speak with me until one day I happened to have my Bible with me right during lunch. It hit me when he stopped me and I said, ‘Look, here it is right here. Here you go.

“It was a gift,” Tutka added. “[He] said [he] didn’t have one; [he] wanted one.”

The EEOC said “there is reasonable cause to believe that respondent has discriminated against [the] charging party on the basis of religion and retaliation.”

Teacher Bans Missouri Middle School Student From Reading Bible

A Missouri middle school student has been banned from reading his Bible during free class time.

Loyal Grandstaff, 12, attends Bueker Middle School in Marshall, Missouri.  Last month, he was reading his Bible quietly to himself during free time in class when his teacher confronted him.

“I was just reading,” he told local television station WDAF. “I was reading because I had free time. I had time to do what I wanted to, so I just broke it out and read.  … I like to read my Bible because it’s a good book.”

“He doesn’t want me reading it in his class because he doesn’t believe in it,” Grandstaff said.

The boy’s father said that the teacher is violating his child’s rights.

“I feel like it violated his freedom of religion but also his freedom of speech,” Justin Grandstaff told reporters. “There’s kids walking around disrespecting their teachers, kids walking around cussing and everything else, and they’re practically getting into no trouble at all.”

Principal Lance Tobin said that he will be investigating the matter because “Bibles are not banned on campus.”