Senators fire off bipartisan letter asking Trump to press Xi on religious persecution

 A bipartisan group of 10 U.S. senators sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday urging him to press Chinese President Xi Jinping on Beijing's persecution of Christian pastors and other religious minorities during their bilateral summit this week in Washington.

Led by Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., the letter expressed gratitude to Trump for the diplomatic pressure that led to the release of Beijing Zion Church founder Ezra Jin, who was released to the U.S. on July 3 as a goodwill gesture from Xi following Jin's 266 days of detainment.

Senators urge Trump to press Xi on religious persecution | Politics

This Is NOT God's Church!

 

'She did not consent': Family says Christian grandmother euthanized against her will

 “I don’t want the death shot.”

Those were reportedly the words of 83-year-old Brigitte Stegemann, a Christian grandmother in Ontario, Canada, who repeatedly resisted medically assisted dying before her death in July.

Now, her granddaughter is demanding answers, alleging that Stegemann was forced to undergo medical assistance in dying (MAiD) despite repeatedly declaring that she was refusing that option.  

The Daily Mail reported details surrounding the circumstances of the death of Stegemann, an 83-year-old Christian woman who lived in Canifton. Brigitte Kranendonk, Stegemann’s granddaughter who shares the same name as her late grandmother, discussed how Stegemann had been diagnosed with stomach cancer in February and had seen her overall health decline. 

Kranendonk insisted to the publication that her grandmother had previously asserted “I don’t want that” when she brought up the option of medically assisted dying. The Daily Mail noted that Kranendonk attributed her grandmother’s opposition to MAiD to her “religiosity” and the “notion of displeasing God.” 

Canadian woman says MAiD euthanized grandmother against her will | World

Feds probing Massachusetts' removal of trans-identified girl from Catholic parents

 The U.S. Department of Education is investigating a Massachusetts school district over reports that officials worked to socially transition a trans-identified teenager without her Catholic parents’ consent and took steps to remove the girl from their custody after they objected.

The Education Department’s Student Privacy Policy Office is investigating the Northborough-Southborough Regional School District to determine whether the district violated the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) by working to socially transition a female student without informing her parents.

“According to the student’s parents, school personnel at Algonquin Regional High School helped facilitate their daughter’s so-called ‘social transition’ to a boy without informing them,” the department said in an announcement. “The parents claim that their daughter participated in counseling sessions after school to support the transition while they were under the impression she was receiving academic assistance for her math class.”

The department contends that FERPA requires schools to allow parents to access their children’s education records and make changes to those records. Schools are also required to "provide a hearing if the school rejects the changes."

"PPRA requires schools to receive written consent from parents if they plan to conduct any evaluation, survey, or analysis on students regarding their or their family’s mental health, sex behaviors and attitudes, religious beliefs or any other invasive sensitive subjects outlined in the statute," the Education Department statement reads. 

Feds probing removal of trans-identified teen from parents | Politics

Fundraiser for Lindsay Clancy trial holdout juror tops $370K

 A fundraiser for the holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy case has raised over $370,000 as the fallout from the high-profile murder trial continues. 

More than two weeks after a mistrial was declared in the trial for Lindsay Clancy, a mother who killed all three of her children as she experienced postpartum psychosis, additional information is coming out about the one juror who disagreed with the rest of the jury that she was not guilty by reason of insanity.

While many jury members have publicly come forward, the holdout juror has not given a public interview yet, but has been identified as Michael Desronvil and has released statements through his attorney. 

A fundraiser was launched on the crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo titled “Stand with the Juror." The page features pictures of Desronvil and his infant child as well as a statement provided by the juror’s counsel elaborating on why he believed Clancy was guilty.

The fundraiser has raised over $374,000 as of Monday afternoon, and aims to “cover security, lawyers, and lost work,” citing certainty that the public will “come for him.”

Fundraiser for Lindsay Clancy trial holdout juror tops $370K | U.S.

Michael Youssef sounds alarm over Islamists in Texas ahead of AWAKE Houston

 Michael Youssef is warning that Christians must “wake up” to a growing Islamist influence in the United States, particularly in Texas, while contending that the ultimate answer is found in repentance, revival and a renewed commitment to proclaiming the Gospel.

Michael Youssef warns of Islamist influence in Texas | Church & Ministries

Jonathan Cahn says events leading up to 'duct tape man' incident mirror latest book

 Author and Messianic rabbi Jonathan Cahn says a violent encounter with a fellow passenger sitting in first class on an American Airlines flight earlier this month bore an uncanny resemblance to events in his latest book, prompting him to reflect on what he believes was a spiritual battle.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Cahn recounted an intense encounter he had with a fellow passenger on a recent flight from Dallas, Texas, to Newark, New Jersey. He had previously released a video message attributing the exchange to the “forces of darkness” seeking to prevent him from sharing his latest book, The Altar of Pergamon: The Mystery of the Dark Angel and the Future of the World. 

Jonathan Cahn says 'duct tape man' incident mirror latest book | Podcast