Louisville pays $800K to settle with Christian photographer who won't work same-sex weddings

 A Christian photographer who does not wish to provide services to same-sex weddings has reached a large settlement after years of litigation over a nondiscrimination provision in a local law she feared would force her to violate her deeply held convictions. 

The city of Louisville, Kentucky, had agreed to pay $800,000 in attorney fees as part of a settlement with photographer Chelsey Nelson. The settlement, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Louisville Division, comes six months after the federal court sided with Nelson in her challenge to the city’s prohibition on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

Nelson, a devout Christian who believes in the biblical definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman, filed a lawsuit against the city out of concern that the nondiscrimination law would force her to work as a photographer at same-sex weddings. She alleged that the law violated the Free Speech and Free Exercise clauses of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Kentucky Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Last fall, a federal judge agreed. 

The settlement was announced in a statement Tuesday from the conservative legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented Nelson in the case. 

“The government cannot force Americans to say things they don’t believe,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart. “For almost six years, Louisville officials tried to do just that by threatening to force Chelsey to promote views about marriage that violate her religious beliefs. Louisville’s threats contradicted bedrock First Amendment principles, which leave decisions about what to say with the people, not the government. This settlement should teach Louisville that violating the U.S. Constitution can be expensive.” 

Louisville pays $800K to settle with Christian photographer | Politics

Cesar Chavez Statues Fall, Columbus Statues Rise

 Cesar Chavez Statues Fall, Columbus Statues Rise | Frontpage Mag

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Former Ligonier executive says he was excommunicated from church for reporting sexual abuse

 A former Ligonier Ministries executive, who was recently excommunicated by St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, has revealed the real reason behind his exit: He accused the church’s former youth minister of sexually abusing his daughter.

The accusation is the latest of several scandals involving St. Andrew’s Chapel, the Reformed church founded by the late R. C. Sproul.

Stephen Nichols, former chief academic officer at Ligonier and president of Reformation Bible College, was simultaneously ejected from all three institutions last week. Nichols and his wife, Heidi, posted a long statement about their “season of transition” on X Thursday.

“At the heart of this issue is the suspected sexual abuse of our daughter,” the couple wrote. “We reported suspicion of sexual abuse of our daughter, we ended up indicted, and we ended up excommunicated.”

According to the Nicholses, their 17-year-old daughter’s counselor told them in January 2024 that he thought the girl had been abused when she was 11 or 12. The girl has struggled since that age with serious mental health issues, including repeated instances of self-harm that resulted in hospitalization.

Ligonier executive was excommunicated for reporting sexual abuse

Nazarene Church Collapse Reveals the Pattern Destroying Holiness Movements in American Churches

 

Nazarene Church Collapse Reveals the Pattern Destroying Holiness Movements in American Churches The Church of the Nazarene hemorrhaged from 550,000 members in 1980 to under 300,000 in 2024. 1,400 churches closed. 70% of young people abandoned the denomination. This isn't just about one church—it's a warning for every holiness movement in America.

Abortion Clinic Was Happy to Cover Up Sexual Abuse of a 14-Year-Old

 “90% of our abortions are from Texas.” The abortion worker claimed.

A shocking undercover investigation is raising serious concerns about the safety of young girls and the role abortion facilities may play in covering up abuse. In this case, a man posing as the uncle of a 14-year-old girl approached staff at a New Mexico abortion facility, asking how to obtain an abortion for the minor without parental consent.

According to the report, staff did not question the situation or raise concerns about possible abuse. They did not verify the man’s relationship to the girl or pause to consider whether the circumstances pointed to something more troubling. Instead, they moved forward with providing information on how to obtain an abortion.

“The minute this man came in asking how to get an abortion for a 14-year-old minor, any legitimate healthcare staff would have recognized a possible red flag,” says Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. “But these abortion workers not only explained how to circumvent Texas abortion laws, including parental consent, they also readily explained how to get all the costs covered, including the cost of the abortion, travel, and hotel. This dump is a human trafficker’s dream come true.”

Abortion Clinic Was Happy to Cover Up Sexual Abuse of a 14-Year-Old - LifeNews.com

Biology Denying Dems oppose Women's History Museum bill over requirement to only honor 'biological women'

 Proponents of a measure to build a Smithsonian museum exclusively honoring women criticized House Democrats for withdrawing support after language was added to the proposal to ensure the museum exhibits only women, not men who identify as female.

On Wednesday, the Committee on House Administration passed HR 1329, the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act. The legislation passed the committee in a 7-4 vote along party lines, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed.

“Americans should not fund a museum that compromises on the definition of a biological woman. House Democrats who voted against this proposal should reconsider their stance instead of playing identity politics,” Penny Nance, president and CEO of Concerned Women for America, said in a statement provided to The Christian Post.

“Our elected leaders must prioritize accuracy and fairness and acknowledge biological realities in this matter,” the conservative leader continued. “Biological women are tired of being erased from history, and without a congressional mandate, they will be in the Women’s History Museum.”

The bill, introduced by Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., would authorize the construction of a Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum on the National Mall. 

While Democrats initially supported the measure, they objected to the substitute amendment from Republican Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., which included language emphasizing that the museum's purpose is to honor women. 

Democrats oppose Women's History Museum bill | Politics

Exposing the Dangerous ‘Cult of Personality’ Taking Over Churches

 This is not a new problem rising in modern Christianity. It has been present for generations, and Scripture itself proves it. What is happening today is not the birth of the cult of personality in the church, but the amplification of a long-standing spiritual issue.

Apostle John Eckhardt defines it plainly: “A ‘cult of personality’… is defined as exaggerated devotion to a charismatic political, religious or other leader.” That definition exposes a pattern that has repeated itself throughout church history.

When Honoring Leaders Turns Into Idolizing Pastors

There is a clear biblical line between honoring leaders and idolizing them. That line is being crossed in many personality driven churches.

Eckhardt explains, “Nothing wrong with following an anointed man or woman of God… as long as it does not become obsessive or fanatical to the extent that you can’t listen to anyone else.”

This is where the danger begins. What starts as respect becomes restriction. What begins as loyalty becomes control.

The warning signs are unmistakable:

• Believers reject other ministries
• Churches isolate themselves from the broader body of Christ
• Leaders become the primary voice instead of Christ
• Followers cannot receive truth from outside their circle

Eckhardt issues a direct correction: “If you cannot fellowship with others because they don’t follow your leader… then we have a problem.”

This is not biblical leadership. This is spiritual imbalance.

Exposing the Dangerous 'Cult of Personality' Taking Over Churches - Charisma Magazine Online