A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – A federal judge ruled Wednesday the U.S. Justice Department can’t deny grants to the city of Philadelphia, Pa., for refusing to assist immigration officials.

Judge Michael Baylson of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ attempt to withhold $1.6 million in federal law-enforcement grant money under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant was unconstitutional and that Philadelphia’s so-called sanctuary policies are reasonable and appropriate.

“Philadelphia challenged three conditions of the grant including that the city must provide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to city prisons to interview inmates, notify ICE in advance when undocumented individuals are released from prison and comply with a law requiring local officials to share information about the citizenship or immigration status of any person. [ Source: UPI (Read More…) ]

The post Judge rules Philadelphia can't lose grant over 'sanctuary' policies appeared first on Worthy Christian News.

(Worthy News) – A record percentage of Americans believe that gay and lesbian relations, pornography and polygamy are morally acceptable, although a plurality believe that abortion is morally wrong, according to a new Gallup poll.

Gallup on Monday released its annual Values and Beliefs survey, which began in 2001 and surveys Americans’ attitudes on a host of issues. This year’s poll examined beliefs on 21 issues.

A record 67 percent of American adults believe that gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable, an increase from last year’s high of 63 percent.

The survey set records on several other issues. Among them:

76 percent say divorce is morally acceptable. Previous high: 73 percent (2017).
43 percent say pornography is morally acceptable. Previous high: 36 percent (2017).
19 percent say polygamy is morally acceptable. Previous high: 17 percent (2017). [ Source: Christian Headlines (Read More…) ]

The post Gallup: Record Support for Gay Relations and Polygamy; Plurality Still Oppose Abortion appeared first on Worthy Christian News.

(Worthy News) – Amid the ongoing fallout from the firing of Paige Patterson, one of the most prominent leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention, many are calling for “repentance” and “reformation” ahead of their denomination’s annual meeting.

In a Sunday blog post titled “What the Southern Baptist Convention Needs Right Now,” Sam Rainer, who is the lead pastor of West Bradenton Baptist Church in Florida, echoed The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler’s May 23 essay describing how the judgment of God is on the denomination.

“God’s wrath is upon us. Our God is a consuming fire. Excuses will work like tiny strands of straw standing against a raging wildfire. There should be no sermon at this year’s annual convention. Leave the pulpit vacant. Let the room be silent and call the messengers to prostrate themselves in repentance,” Rainer said. [ Source: Christian Post (Read More…) ]

The post So. Baptist Leader Calls for Repentance, No Sermon at Annual Meeting: 'We Need God to Break Us Down' appeared first on Worthy Christian News.

(Worthy News) – Iran on Wednesday upped the ante in its standoff with the United States and European powers over the 2015 nuclear deal from which the Trump administration withdrew last month, with its United Nations envoy warning it would not cooperate fully with nuclear inspectors until the future of the deal was resolved.

The Iranian envoy signaled that international inspectors from the IAEA would not receive expanded access to its facilities while the deal remained precarious, adding “no one should expect Iran to go to implement more voluntary measures.”

On Tuesday, Iran informed the UN nuclear watchdog that it would increase its nuclear enrichment capacity, yet stay within the provisions of the accord. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

The post Iran won’t cooperate fully with nuke inspectors until deal impasse resolved appeared first on Worthy Christian News.

(Worthy News) – Four Iranian Christians will soon begin serving ten-year prison sentences after a court ruled the Church of Iran members were “promoting Zionist Christianity” and running house churches.

A court recently upheld the convictions sending the four men to prison for longer than was expected, and they could receive a call within the next day to report at the prison gate in their home city of Rasht, according to World Watch Monitor.

Among the group is Youcef Nadarkhani, a pastor who has been arrested several times by the Iranian government. In 2010 he was sentenced to death on charges of apostasy. He was acquitted two years later but arrested again and detained briefly in 2013. [ Source: Washington Free Beacon (Read More…) ]

The post Several Iranian Christians to Serve Time in Prison appeared first on Worthy Christian News.

(Worthy News) – The United States warned that Washington will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons after Iran announced plans to increase its uranium-enrichment capacity.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued the warning on Twitter late on June 6, saying, “We’re watching reports that #Iran plans to increase its enrichment capacity. We won’t allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.”

Pompeo added that “Iran is aware of our resolve.” [ Source: RadioFreeEurope (Read More…) ]

The post U.S. Warns Iran After It Moves To Step Up Uranium-Enrichment Capacity appeared first on Worthy Christian News.

(Worthy News) – Iran’s nuclear chief on Wednesday inaugurated the Islamic Republic’s new nuclear enrichment facility that is geared toward producing centrifuges which will operate within the limits of the nuclear deal Tehran signed with world powers.

Iranian state television broadcast an interview with Ali Akbar Salehi after nightfall, showcasing the facility at Natanz’s uranium enrichment center.

In the interview, Salehi said the facility’s construction began even before the 2015 deal was signed and that he hopes the first centrifuges – known as old-generation centrifuges – will roll out in a month’s time. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

The post Iran opens new nuclear facility for centrifuge production appeared first on Worthy Christian News.

(Worthy News) – The U.S. merchandise trade deficit with China set a record through April, hitting $119,050,900,000 for the first four months of 2018, according to data released today by the Census Bureau.

From January through April, the Census Bureau reports, the United States exported $42,291,500,000 in goods to China while importing $161,342,400,000.

In other words, when measured by dollar value, the United States bought about 3.8 times as much in goods from China as China bought from the United States. [ Source: CNS News (Read More…) ]

The post $119,050,900,000: Merchandise Trade Deficit With China Hit Record Through April appeared first on Worthy Christian News.