us news
‘I’m Not Ashamed of the Gospel’: Christian Realtor Facing ‘Persecution’ After Sharing Bible Verse Won’t Back Down
A Virginia real estate agent claims he’s facing “professional ethics charges and could even lose his Realtor status” over past statements about marriage.
Wilson Fauber has been a broker and agent for over four decades, but he told CBN News he risks potential fines or even losing his real estate status after complaints over a social media post about same-sex marriage.
Fauber is also an ordained minister, making the case even more complex, according to his attorneys with The Founding Freedoms Law Center.
His plight began last year, when he decided to run for the Staunton City Council in Virginia.
“During my journey running for Staunton City Council, some of the opposition from a different party decided that they were going to scour my Facebook pages and see if they could find any dirt on me,” Fauber said. “And they went back to 2015 and they found a Scripture that I posted from Leviticus … where the Lord clearly states that homosexuality is an abomination to Him.”
The eight-year-old post was then fodder for online furor and messages “perceived as threats,” forcing the then-candidate to go to the police for help.
Fauber lost the election and, months later, purportedly received an email from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) explaining a complaint had been filed against him. The Virginia Association of Realtors, the local chapter of the NAR, is reportedly handling the complaint and Fauber’s ethics case.
“My complainant said that they thought that posting that Scripture and other Scriptures that I’ve posted is hate speech,” he said. “And taking me to task with the National Association of Realtors. … It’s very bizarre, in a way, but, as we look at what’s happening around the world, it’s not.”
Fauber said he has never had problems with the NAR over the past 44 years and has “served the Lord” in his work and treatment of others.
The realtor’s attorney, Michael Sylvester, a lawyer with The Founding Freedoms Law Center, said his client posted messages about the Bible and these issues “on behalf of his ministry.” The post from 2015 came to light, he said, after a journalist was made aware of it by the “opposition.”
“Then the journalist tries to bring the issue into the campaign by asking Wilson whether he still stands by his post,” Sylvester said. “It’s really incredible that this whole situation comes out of a Christian being asked whether he still stands by the Bible.”
Some might wonder why private speech has become a potential ethics issue for a realtor. Sylvester explained it’s all rooted in the NAR’s rules.
“The National Association of Realtors has a series of ethics rules that guide real estate agents on how they engage in their practice in a way that’s beneficial to society and not harmful,” he said. So, that’s the goal. But, in 2020, the [association] implemented a hate speech rule.”
This rule, he said, could be seen as governing what real estate agents do, even outside their jobs. Sylvester added the “rule suggests that it controls that minister’s activity and therefore that individual activity.”
“Even a minister preaching from the pulpit could violate this rule just by speaking on the Scriptures the way that it’s been implied in certain situations,” he added.
With the ethics hearing coming Dec. 4, both Sylvester and Fauber said there are potentially sweeping ramifications ranging from fines of $5,000 to $15,000 to losing his license.
“The way I see it is — it’s persecution and certainly trying to silence my free speech,” Fauber said. “When I can’t post these things on my social media or even speak of certain Scriptures from the pulpit.”
Being a member of the NAR provides benefits to realtors, including access to the multiple listing service (MLS), a clearinghouse of housing information that benefits clients and offers a full range of information on properties.
“They have the right to remove me from the membership of the National Association of Realtors, the Virginia Association of Realtors, and my local Association of Realtors, which then cuts me off from the multiple listing service,” Fauber said.
Sylvester said the hearing “should not be happening” and that Fauber didn’t do or say anything that qualifies as hate speech.
“It should have been dismissed right away,” he added.
Sylvester plans to appeal within the NAR ethics process if his client loses in any way. As for Fauber, he said he has no plans to back down or apologize for publicly sharing his religious and biblical beliefs.
“I’m sure I’m going to be asked if I’m remorseful; I expect that to happen,” he said. “And the answer is, ‘No.’ I am not remorseful. I’m not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I will continue to boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Fauber continued, “I’m adamant about pursuing the case. I believe the Lord has called me for such a time as this to be His voice in this particular matter and He has given me His peace.”
A section of the NAR website addresses the issues at the center of Fauber’s case. A frequently asked question posed after an explanation of hate speech regulations reads, “Doesn’t this mean that, if I post my opinion online and someone doesn’t agree with it, that I can lose my membership and be forced out of the business?”
Here’s how the NAR responded to this inquiry:
As with any alleged Code violation, ethics complaints alleging a violation of Article 10 as interpreted by Standard of Practice 10-5 will be processed consistent with the local or state association’s professional standards enforcement process, which affords all parties a full and fair opportunity to present their case, defend themselves, provide evidence and witnesses, and be represented by counsel.
Additionally, membership in an association of REALTORS® is voluntary, and any discipline imposed does not automatically impact an individual’s ability to hold a real estate license.
A representative for the NAR offered no comment when reached by CBN News, instead referring all questions to the Virginia Association of Realtors, which is handling the case. The Virginia Association of Realtors has not yet responded to a separate request for comment.
Sources:faithwire
us news
Christian Prayer App ‘Hallow’ Banned in Europe
Europe — Alex Jones, CEO and Co-Founder of the Christian prayer app Hallow, took to X (formerly Twitter) yesterday, announcing that the European Union (EU) would no longer allow its citizens access to the app.
Jones explained that “over-regulation” targeting all religious apps would make it impossible for Hallow to be available in the EU. This news comes shortly after China removed Hallow from its app store in July 2024.
In his post, Jones expressed his heartbreak over the news as Hallow was in the works of expanding its content to Polish, French, Italian, and German audiences. Since its launch in December 2018, Hallow has seen more than 18 million downloads across 150 countries, making its worldwide reach and influence significant.
While the details of the app’s demise in Europe are sparse, some suspect that the EU’s strict data privacy laws are to blame. EU law classifies data that reveals religious or philosophical beliefs as “sensitive” data and prohibits processing such data without explicit consent, with a few limited exceptions.
However, some are preparing to defend the app. ADF International, an international legal organization committed to free speech and religious liberty, replied to Jones on X, encouraging him to “DM them with more details,” stating they “might be able to help.”
As Europe continues to see a decline in religious affiliation, with the Pew Research Center estimating that the continent’s Christian population could shrink by 100 million before 2050, the need for Christian prayer apps and religious content is considered by many to be more important than ever. As Jones shared on X in response to the EU’s actions, “God will not be outdone.”
Sources:persecution
us news
‘The First Time After 2000 Years’: Israel’s Biblical Red Heifers Attract World Attention
Israel – In September 2022, the arrival of five red heifers in Israel caught the world’s attention. Now, more than two years later, those cows are being cared for in ancient Shiloh and continue to attract international visitors.
Moriah Shapira is the manager of the visitor center at ancient Shiloh. She told us why the red heifers are so important.
“Here in Shiloh for the first time after 2000 years, we have real kosher red heifers, which is really exciting,” she explained.
She added, “In the Bible it says when a person wants to enter the Temple, which is called the House of Life, he has to go through a process using ashes of the red heifer, meaning that the red heifers are actually the key to the Temple.”
Shapira described the process is for purification to cleanse someone from death.
So, a person that got in contact with death, either in a funeral, or in a hospital, and he wants to enter the Temple which is called the House of Life, full of the Presence of God, has to go through this process. And the process is – the priest used to take the ashes of the red heifer, mix it with water that comes from a spring – life water – he’s actually taking the source of death, mixing it with source of life, and these together become the purifying water,” Shapira explained.
Jewish tradition maintains that the red heifer ashes are needed to rebuild the Third Temple. Some Christians believe a Third Temple would pave the way for the end times.
Even Hamas reportedly blamed the red heifers in part for their invasion on October 7th, 2023, because of their belief that Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque would be in danger if the heifers were used to build the Third Temple.
The animals are also mentioned in the Book of Numbers, Chapter 19:
Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying ‘Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never been mounted. And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence.'”
For a heifer to be selected these qualifications must be met:
. Be an adult cow with reddish-brown hair
. No hairs of a different color
. No blemishes
. Never used for any other purpose
We were able to see the Heifers on our visit to Shiloh. Two have already been disqualified, but only one is needed to qualify for the purification for the Temple.
Larry Borntrager, a farmer from northern Indiana, takes care of them.
He told us, “My next point is to try to find a farmer who can make hay, which is, you know, the flowers and the leaves and everything stay on them. That way it’s just better for the cow.”
Borntrager admitted, “It’s just a lot of fun to be involved in something that I see God is doing behind the scenes.”
He says what he’s experienced since arriving here is remarkable.
“While I’ve been standing here at Shiloh, every continent, countries I’ve never heard of before, were here to see the red heifers. There’s something happening in Shiloh,” he observed.
Borntrager also believes it’s biblically significant.
“Ideas are becoming a reality. In other words, the idea of a red heifer has been in the Jewish understanding over a couple thousand years. But here at Shiloh, just like it says in Genesis 49, there’s something happening here that’s drawing the nations, and it’s the red heifers.
In this area, Hannah prayed for a son where the prophet Samuel served the Lord and Joshua divided the land between the twelve tribes.
Moria Shapira identified it as “the place where many stories of the bible occurred. And today we also have here the red heifers, which is something new,” she said. “The budgets for this visitor center stopped because of the war (with Hamas and Hezbollah). So we invite whoever wants to be part with us to help this very important thing of the red heifers.”
During our visit, Bible teacher Dr. Todd Fink brought his group to see the red heifers. “Shiloh has so much significance,” he said. “It was the spiritual capital of Israel for 369 years.”
“This is huge. This is huge,” he exclaimed. “And the one gal that we, that was giving us the tour, she said that part of the reason why Hamas invaded is because of these red heifers. And according to prophecy, these red heifers are significant. From the time of Israel’s history, they say that only nine have been killed for these ashes. And so for these to be here, and Shiloh here, and for that to fit in with what appears to be prophecy on the horizon, we’re living in monumental days, unbelievable times.”
Sources:CBN News
us news
Texas pastor rejoices with family of hostage released by Taliban: ‘It was God’s timing’
Pastor David Theobald rejoiced with Ryan Corbett’s family in Texas as he returned home after being held captive by the Taliban for nearly 900 days. Theobald credited God’s timing for the safe release and joined the Corbetts in celebrating their long-awaited reunion.
Corbett, who was abducted in August 2022 while on a business trip and held by the Taliban for 894 days, reunited with his relatives in San Antonio, Texas, before planning to return to his hometown of Dansville in Livingston County, Spectrum News reported.
Corbett spent his first hours back on U.S. soil with close family members after his arrival early Wednesday morning. His family later issued a statement expressing their gratitude for his release and requesting privacy while he recovers from his prolonged detention.
Theobald, who leads Grace Baptist Church in the same community where Corbett’s father once served, described a lengthy period in which only a few individuals knew of Corbett’s initial capture.
“We had been walking with them through it for a year before they did that,” he said, referring to the day Corbett’s story became public. Theobald called the knowledge of Corbett’s situation a “huge responsibility,” explaining how church members kept the family’s struggle private until authorities made the case more widely known.
Theobald first met Corbett’s family 15 years ago when he took over pastoral duties from Corbett’s father.
The pastor said the church played an integral part in providing emotional support. “For months, the family fought in silence, only finding peace in the Grace Baptist Church community,” he told Spectrum News. He credited the family for staying involved in worship activities, noting that Corbett’s children sing, play instruments and assist in the sound booth.
Corbett’s wife, Anna, teaches violin and has also performed at church events.
Upon hearing about Corbett’s release, Theobald received a phone call from Anna. He said he could sense her joy “beaming through the phone.”
The pastor added, “I was just overwhelmed. I was trying to find words. I was trying not to ball like a baby. … I just rejoiced with her.”
Corbett’s release came as part of a swap in which an Afghan national convicted of drug smuggling and extremism in the U.S. was sent back to Afghanistan, according to Reuters.
The newswire cited a spokesman for the Taliban who said two Americans were released. The other American is William McKenty.
Corbett and McKenty were transferred through Qatar before returning home last week, CBS News reported.
Afghan Foreign Ministry officials said they had traded them for Khan Mohammed, who received two life sentences in a 2008 trial in the U.S., according to The Associated Press. Mohammed, 55, had been detained on the battlefield in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and later flown to California, where he was found guilty of securing heroin and opium bound for the U.S. and, in doing so, aiding terrorist activities.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on social media platform X that the Taliban might be holding more American hostages than publicly known. “If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders.”
The International Criminal Court prosecutor has filed applications for arrest warrants targeting two Taliban leaders, including supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada. The charges concern the alleged persecution of women and girls in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, which occurred soon after U.S. troops withdrew from the country, ending two decades of conflict.
Sources:Christian Post
-
Travel9 months ago
യാക്കൂസ കരിഷ്മ:ഓല സ്കൂട്ടറിനേക്കാൾ വിലക്കുറവിൽ കുഞ്ഞൻ കാർ; സിറ്റി യാത്രകൾക്ക് ഇനി ഇവൻ മതിയാവും
-
Movie3 months ago
For KING + COUNTRY Stars’ Big Plan to Bring Message of Jesus, ‘Redemption of Humanity’ to People Across America
-
National11 months ago
300,000-Member Indian Church to Plant 40 More Megachurches
-
National11 months ago
നെയ്തേലിപ്പടി ക്രൂസേഡിന് അനുഗ്രഹീത സമാപ്തി
-
Tech7 months ago
ചിത്രങ്ങൾ എഡിറ്റ് ചെയ്യാം; വാട്സ്ആപ്പിലെ ‘നീല വളയം’ സ്മാർട്ടാകുന്നു, കാര്യമായ മാറ്റങ്ങൾ
-
Movie2 months ago
For KING + COUNTRY Stars’ Big Plan to Bring Message of Jesus, ‘Redemption of Humanity’ to People Across America
-
Movie10 months ago
Actor Ryan Phillippe ‘Craving’ Relationship With God After Movie About Christian Missionary
-
Articles8 months ago
8 ways the Kingdom connects us back to the Garden of Eden