A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on July 7, Pastor Ramon Rigal, leader of Iglesia de Dios en Cristo, was sentenced to one year of heavy labor and house arrest for choosing to homeschool his children. Rigal has openly stated that his decision to homeschool was largely attributed to his Christian faith.

Diario de Cuba reported that, originally, Guantanamo courts had sentenced Rigal to one year of imprisonment. After appealing, this most recent adjudication led to a modified reduction of the punishment. Rigal confirmed that his legal counsel proved that he did not commit any serious criminal act. Rigal commented on the outcome, “I saw a bit more justice during the trial. We had good representation. Our lawyer demonstrated in every circumstance that we had not broken any criminal law.” Despite a strong legal showing, Rigal would still be penalized with the one-year sentence mentioned above.

Pastor Mario F. Barroso, a religious freedom activist from the Patmos Institute, as well as a close friend of Rigal, clarified to ICC, “Correctional labor is a form of forced physical punishment, where the state typically chooses the locations and the working conditions. People sentenced to this penalty are assigned to a ranch or a farm of some sort, and believe me it’s not light work.”

Rigal’s case has garnered some international attention in previous months. In February, Rigal was arrested because of his actions. This led to protests outside of the Cuban Embassy in Washington, DC in May. Protesters specifically picketed with signs that read, “Free the Rigals,” but organizers and participants were also focusing on the larger problem of Cuba’s repression and stronghold on education. Cuban law does not permit homeschooling, founded on the claim that it “promotes capitalist values” and thereby conflicts with the regime’s inculcation of socialism.

Rafael Cardona, ICC’s Latin America Correspondent, stated, “It is very concerning and disheartening when a Christian pastor faces harsh punishment simply for deciding to homeschool his children. It is even more egregious when a tough punishment is still issued despite having adequate legal defense and proving that no criminal laws were violated. In Pastor Rigal’s case, we have to be aware that he made multiple attempts to inform the state about the curricula and content of the education, including any religious elements. Nevertheless, the Cuban authorities still proceeded with a sentence that does not seem to fit the offense. Unfortunately, these kinds of repressive measures taken against people of Christian faith happen commonly in Cuba. We will continue to pray for Pastor Rigal and his family.”

International Christian Concern (ICC) is a Washington D.C.-based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church.

(Worthy News) – A small Minnesota town is getting a lot of attention for a Satanic monument coming to their veterans park.

The monument going up for The Satanic Temple — which features an upturned helmet atop a black cube — will soon be at the site of the Veterans Memorial Park in Belle Plaine.

It is being built by a group of Satanists out of Massachusetts, and it will be the first Satanic monument on public property in United States history. [ Source: WCCO (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – An atheist activist group is demanding that the city of Salem, Oregon, remove a roadside cross that was purportedly erected to remember the life of a mother who was killed in a tragic car crash years ago, arguing that the symbol’s presence on public land is unconstitutional.

This is reportedly the first time that the cross, which is about four feet tall and has reportedly been near a local road for more than a decade, has received any complaints, KATU-TV reported.

“We had a woman killed there in an accident 10 or 12 years ago,” Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett told the outlet. “Her children wanted to put up a memorial to her, did and have maintained it ever since.” [ Source:CBN News (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – A group of evangelical leaders prayed over President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, with Vice President Mike Pence in attendance as well.

Following a meeting hosted by the Office of Public Liaison on Monday, the evangelical leaders met with President Trump and administration officials in the Oval Office.

Johnnie Moore, the president of the KAIROS Company who was present at the prayer meeting, snapped a photo of the laying of hands on Trump that is garnering immense attention on social media. [ Source: Christian Today (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – ABC News’ Pete Madden and Erin Galloway smeared Christians who believe the Bill of Rights secures religious liberty as a “hate group,” in an article this week headlined, “Jeff Sessions addresses ‘anti-LGBT hate group,’ but DOJ won’t release his remarks.” The lede of the story made it clear this was not just the work of a rogue headline writer but the failure of the reporters themselves:

Attorney General Jeff Sessions delivered a speech to an alleged hate group at an event closed to reporters on Tuesday night, but the Department of Justice is refusing to reveal what he said.

First, a note that you can — and should — read the prepared remarks of the Attorney General here at The Federalist.

Who is this “hate group”? Alliance Defending Freedom is not a hate group at all, but a civil liberties organization that battles for religious liberty. And they’re not a fringe group either. They just weeks ago won their most recent Supreme Court victory — Trinity Lutheran v. Comer — 7-2. It was their fifth Supreme Court victory in seven years, during which time they’ve had no losses at the high court.

And the group is ranked among the top law firms in the country for its successes at the Supreme Court. [ Source: Federalist (Read more…) ]

(Worthy News) – A lack of confidence in the legislative process is complicating Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s effort to corral enough Republican votes to open the floor debate on repealing Obamacare.

The freewheeling procedure for debating Republican legislation to overhaul healthcare in the Senate calls for hundreds of proposed amendments to receive a floor vote, providing both parties ample opportunity to alter the bill.

But with Democrats unanimously opposed to the Better Care Reconciliation Act, a handful of Republicans — more than enough to kill BCRA — are hesitant to vote to begin this process, which is known as “reconciliation.” [ Source: Washington Examiner ]

(Worthy News) – Israel is anxiously observing the escalating international crisis over North Korea’s nuclear program, paying particular attention to its implications for Iranian behavior, a policy paper released this week by one of the Jewish state’s leading strategic think tanks stated.

“Concern exists that American restraint and continued provocative North Korean behavior would signal to Tehran that a country determined to cross nuclear red lines is able to do so, even in face of American opposition,” wrote prominent defense analysts Amos Yadlin and Avner Golov in The North Korean Challenge: Insights for the Middle East from the Far East, published by Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).

“The crisis surrounding North Korea’s missile program in effect presents a model of a balance of terror against Washington’s allies, based on support for a determined nuclear policy from a global power that is a United States rival,” the paper said. “Strengthening Iran’s ability to threaten Israel and the Arab Gulf states directly and through proxies, combined with the rapprochement and growing coordination between Iran and Russia, conforms to this model. According to the model, it is worthwhile for Iran to continue developing its nuclear capabilities and its missile program in order to attain a nuclear deterrent.” [ Source ]

(Worthy News) – Three Israelis were wounded in a shooting attack just outside the Temple Mount complex in Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday morning, police said.

Police officers on the scene shot and killed the terrorists, a police spokesperson said.

According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, two of the Israeli victims were seriously wounded and another was lightly hurt in the attack. All three victims were said to be men in their 30s. [ Source: Times of Israel ]

(Worthy News) – Donald Trump Jr.’s shifting explanation of an undisclosed preelection meeting with a Russian lawyer who he was told had incriminating information on Hillary Clinton is rankling lawmakers already struggling to pass any part of President Trump’s agenda.

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said on Fox News Tuesday night that he is troubled by “the amnesia of people that are in the Trump orbit.”

“Here we are beginning another week, this one in July, with a new revelation about Russia,” Gowdy said. “Someone close to the president needs to get everyone connected with that campaign in a room and say: From the time you saw ‘Doctor Zhivago’ until the moment you drank vodka with a guy named Boris, you list every single one of those, and we are going to turn them over to the special counsel. Because this drip, drip, drip is undermining the credibility of this administration.” [ Source: Yahoo News ]

(Worthy News) – U.S. prosecutors announced Thursday that they have charged more than 400 people with taking part in health care fraud and opioid scams that totaled $1.3 billion in false billing.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the collective action the “largest health care fraud takedown operation in American history” and said it indicates that some doctors, nurses and pharmacists “have chosen to violate their oaths and put greed ahead of their patients.”

Among those charged are six Michigan doctors accused of a scheme to prescribe unnecessary opioids. A Florida rehab facility is alleged to have recruited addicts with gift cards and visits to strip clubs, leading to $58 million in false treatments and tests. [ Source ]