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Texas State Board of Education Approves the Bible in Public School Curriculum
One vote can make an enormous difference. In Texas, it was a single vote that allowed Biblical material to be included in the local public schools through the state-authored curriculum, Bluebonnet Learning (BL). On Friday, eight of 15 Texas State Board of Education members voted it through. Although it was not free from controversy, last week’s decision means the new curriculum will be available starting in the spring and likely put to use within the 2025 to 2026 school year.
Notably, the Biblical material included in BL is optional. As The Texas Tribune summarized, “The curriculum was designed with a cross-disciplinary approach that uses reading and language arts lessons to advance or cement concepts in other disciplines, such as history and social studies.” Some of the specific Christian references and teachings integrated into BL is Jesus’s parable of “The Good Samaritan,” which can be found in Luke chapter 10, and the “Golden Rule,” found in Matthew 7. The Tribune noted that these parables are “about loving everyone, including your enemies.” The Golden Rule, as stated in the Bible, says, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.”
Those who voted against this curriculum included all four Democrats who are on the board, as well as three Republicans. According to The Daily Wire, several Democrats who voted against it felt concerned it would “force Christianity on public school children.” Of those Democrats, Staci Childs verbalized her belief that the curriculum will eventually find itself in court. She told NBC News, “[I]f a parent or a teacher who didn’t feel comfortable teaching this were to bring this up to a court, I believe they would be successful.” Childs also noted that, in her opinion, “these materials are [not] yet reflective of the experiences and the nuance of Texas students.”
Conversely, Republican board member Will Hickman celebrated the future of Texas public schools now that BL has been approved. “In my view,” he said, “these stories are on the education side and are establishing cultural literacy. … [R]eligious concepts like the Good Samaritan and the Golden Rule and Moses [are ones] that all students should be exposed to.” Apart from the board members, it appears parents were also divided on the topic. However, The New York Times reported on one mother’s opinion, in which she stated that the incarnation of Jesus “is and always will be the hinge of all of history.” This mother also posed the question: “How would the canceling of such fundamental facts serve the education of our children or contribute to shape them morally?”
To add to the conversation, Joseph Backholm, Family Research Council’s senior fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement, offered a comment to The Washington Stand. “The classroom will never be values neutral,” he said. “We’ve seen the aggressive way some classrooms have pushed the Sexual Revolution, which is essentially just a different religion. [So,] the fact that the curriculum includes Biblical stories doesn’t mean its teaching Christianity, just that they aren’t pretending there is something dangerous about Biblical stories anymore.”
Backholm agreed that “the history of America is largely Christian. It’s not possible to have a clear understanding of American history without understanding the role faith played in the lives and beliefs of our founders.” According to Backholm, “This is just one of the many ways that Biblical knowledge is [simply] part of a basic education. If you learn American history, you’ll learn about the Bible.”
Ultimately, Backholm believes parents should “be the primary shapers and guardians of children, [but] we don’t want our fear of ‘religious instruction’ to make us afraid of giving a real education. [Because] in the American context, knowing about our history and culture requires knowledge of the Bible.”
FRC’s Meg Kilgannon, senior fellow of Education Studies, also weighed in with TWS. “The folks who are concerned about ‘teaching Christianity’ in classrooms have likely never batted an eye over mindfulness lessons or practice for children, Greek and Roman mythology, and other types of religious content in schools.”
She continued, “Biblical or overtly Christian content is too controversial for use in the classroom when viewed through the ‘lens of inclusivity.'” Agreeing with Backholm, she noted, “There is simply no way to separate America from its expressly Christian foundation, [even] though the educational industrial complex continues to try.” At the end of the day, Kilgannon said she’s “grateful for the Texas school board members who voted to support this measure. We must continue to pray for America’s schools, families, and school children. We must also support local leaders who take a stand for God and country.”
Kilgannon concluded, “Education has always been about state and local control. It’s our duty to pay attention to local matters and make sure our perspectives are heard.”
Sources:BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
As millions of Americans look forward to celebrating the joy of the Christmas season with family and friends, inmates across the country face the painful reality that they will spend it alone. Yet, one Virginia prison ministry is looking to spread a little cheer to the thousands locked up behind bars to let them know that Jesus loves them and they are not forgotten.
Good News Global, formerly Good News Jail & Prison Ministry, is hand-delivering 65,000 Hope Packs globally to men and women behind bars in 18 states and 20 countries this Christmas.
The Hope Packs include a Christmas gift, card, 2025 calendar, food, hygiene items, and the Gospel message.
For some, it is their first time receiving a gift like this. For others, it is the first time they will hear about Jesus.
For the past three years, Good News Global has given inmates a “Christmas Hope” package in the days before Christmas.
“Hope Packs represent our greatest outreach to incarcerated persons ever,” said Jon Evans, president of Good News Global. “This Christmas, we will put hope in the hands of 65,000 receptive inmates. We believe that everyone has inherent worth in the eyes of God, and providing Hope Packs is a practical and tangible way to demonstrate that to the inmates and jail and prison staff members.”
The packs are assembled by volunteers, including individuals in local churches and jail administrators who are within the locations of the participating 150 jails and prisons.
Volunteers with the organization preach the gospel to over 400,000 incarcerated men, women, and young people, helping people of all faith backgrounds cope with life in jail.
“Your life is essentially over (in jail),” Chaplain Joe Kelty previously told CBN News. “If ever there was a time that you would turn to God, it’s probably when you’re going through something like that.”
“One of the most moving parts of the job is when an inmate finds out that a loved one has died on the outside,” Kelty added. “And here they are in jail, and they can’t be with their family. That’s some of the more difficult conversations but also the most meaningful.”
In the U.S., chaplains serve as the religious program coordinator for each prison facility. In addition, they are responsible for pastoral care, facilitation and accommodation of religious requests, coordination of clergy visits, and a host of other personal ministry activities.
Internationally, chaplains extend ministry to ex-inmates and families of inmates, providing emergency aid such as soap, detergent, toilet paper, lotion, food, and more.
Good News Global started distributing 500 “Hope Packs” in 2021 after a formerly incarcerated Chaplain remembered receiving a Hope Pack while incarcerated in Illinois.
Chaplain Richard Van Arsdale reached out to Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago to find out the contents of Hope Pack. They graciously opened the door to a partnership that has grown each year.
In 2022, Good News Global distributed 50,000 Hope Packs, and in 2024, it will distribute 65,000 worldwide.
“I want to say thank you so much for your Christmas bag and prayers,” one inmate wrote to the ministry.
“I have been a strong believer in God my entire life, but just last night, I was actually cussing the Lord. I almost had given up. I told him to show me a sign today or I feel like I couldn’t believe anymore,” the inmate explained.
“Then I read the card that a Good News Global volunteer gave me from the Hope Pack and it touched my heart so much I started to cry,” the inmate shared. “To hear and think that someone was thinking of me and praying for me helped me so much.”
More than 11 million people are incarcerated globally and Hope Packs is providing the opportunity to bring a gift and the gospel to inmates at Christmas–one of the loneliest seasons for those incarcerated.
“We believe that every person has inherent worth in God’s eyes and has a plan for each individual that can only be fully secured through faith in Him,” the ministry shared.
Sources:CBN News
us news
After Banning ‘Jesus Signs’ in Violation of Federal Law, HOA Reverses Course in Victory for Homeowner
The ACLJ took action against a homeowners association (HOA) in Texas after it informed our client that religious yard signs are not permitted even though the HOA permits various nonreligious yard signs.
Our client initially had a sign in her front yard and a banner in the backyard. The sign stated, “Pray for America,” and the banner stated, “Jesus is Our Only Hope.” Shortly after our client put up the sign and banner, she received a violation notice from the HOA that demanded our client “Remove ALL ‘Jesus’ signs—they are not allowed.”
Our client thought she had been told to remove the signs because the banner was too large and did not meet the HOA size requirements for signs. So, our client sought approval for the sign and banner with the HOA’s Architectural Review Committee (ARC). The ARC came back and stated the signs were political and asked if they met the size requirements. Given that the banner did not meet the size requirements, the client then purchased a smaller yard sign with the same message. Once again, she sought the ARC’s approval. This time the ARC came back and stated that the signs were not approved political signs.
Our client then sought clarification from a member of the ARC and learned that the true intention behind the denial was the religious content on the signs. The committee member told our client that religious signs are not on the list of allowed signs, thus admitting that other signs are permitted but religious signs are prohibited. The committee member also failed to mention that the committee has the discretion to approve signs that are not on the typical list of approved signs.
We fired off a demand letter informing the HOA of our client’s rights under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Despite what many homeowners associations think, they cannot prohibit religious signs while allowing nonreligious signs.
As we explained in our letter, the FHA makes it illegal “[t]o discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection therewith, because of … religion.” Courts have also emphasized individuals are protected from discrimination before and after they acquire the property, including governance by HOAs. The FHA therefore prohibits HOAs from applying rules to an owner’s use of their property in a manner that discriminates against their religion.
Here, the HOA did just that. Various signs are permitted around the neighborhood, but our client’s signs were prohibited specifically because they are religious. Moreover, the committee had the discretion to approve other signs but specifically prohibited our client’s signs based on their religious content.
Because of this violation of federal law, we demanded the HOA cease all discrimination and allow our client to display religious signs. We were prepared to take further legal action if the HOA did not comply. However, shortly after the HOA received our demand letter, it reversed course. Our client received written assurances that she will be permitted to display her religious signs and that no further enforcement action will occur.
Learn more about your rights regarding homeowner associations and housing complexes in our Know Your Rights resource. If you have experienced religious discrimination by your HOA, the ACLJ may be able to help. Please contact us at ACLJ.org/HELP.
Sources:BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
ന്യൂഡല്ഹി : ഇന്ത്യക്കാരായ വിദ്യാര്ഥികള്ക്ക് അനുവദിച്ച യുഎസ് വീസ ഈ വര്ഷം ഗണ്യമായി കുറഞ്ഞു. ജനുവരി മുതല് സെപ്റ്റംബര് വരെ 64,008 വീസയാണ് അനുവദിച്ചത്. 2023ല് സമാന കാലയളവില് ഇത് 1,03,495 ആയിരുന്നു.
വിദ്യാര്ഥികള്ക്കുള്ള എഫ്1 വീസ 2021 ല് സമാന കാലയളവില് 65,235 ആയിരുന്നു. 2022 ല് ഇതു 93,181 ആയിരുന്നുവെന്നും രേഖകള് വ്യക്തമാക്കുന്നു. കോവിഡ് വ്യാപിച്ച 2020 ലെ ആദ്യ 9 മാസത്തില് 6646 എഫ്1 വീസയാണ് ഇന്ത്യക്കാര്ക്ക് അനുവദിച്ചിരുന്നത്. യുഎസില് ഉപരിപഠനം നടത്തുന്നവര്ക്കു വേണ്ടിയുള്ള നോണ് ഇമിഗ്രന്റ് വിഭാഗത്തില്പെട്ടതാണ് എഫ്1 വീസ.
ചൈന ഉള്പ്പെടെയുള്ള രാജ്യങ്ങളിലെ വിദ്യാര്ഥികള്ക്ക് അനുവദിച്ച വീസയിലും കുറവുണ്ടെങ്കിലും ഇത്ര വലുതല്ല. ഈ വര്ഷം ആദ്യത്തെ 9 മാസത്തില് 73,781 എഫ്1 വീസയാണു ചൈനീസ് വിദ്യാര്ഥികള്ക്ക് അനുവദിച്ചത്. കഴിഞ്ഞ വര്ഷമിത് 80,603 ആയിരുന്നുവെന്നും ബ്യൂറോ ഓഫ് കോണ്സുലര് അഫയേഴ്സിന്റെ വെബ്സൈറ്റില് വ്യക്തമാക്കുന്നു.
Sources:nerkazhcha
UPF ഷൊർണ്ണൂർ,ഏകദിന യുവജന സമ്മേളനം ഡിസം: 21 ന്
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Good News Global Gives ‘Hope Packs’ and the Gospel to 65,000 Inmates Worldwide
As millions of Americans look forward to celebrating the joy of the Christmas season with family and friends, inmates across...
After Banning ‘Jesus Signs’ in Violation of Federal Law, HOA Reverses Course in Victory for Homeowner
The ACLJ took action against a homeowners association (HOA) in Texas after it informed our client that religious yard signs...
ജനുവരി മുതല് സെപ്റ്റംബര് വരെ ഇന്ത്യന് വിദ്യാര്ഥികള്ക്ക് യുഎസ് അനുവദിച്ചത് 64,008 വീസ
ന്യൂഡല്ഹി : ഇന്ത്യക്കാരായ വിദ്യാര്ഥികള്ക്ക് അനുവദിച്ച യുഎസ് വീസ ഈ വര്ഷം ഗണ്യമായി കുറഞ്ഞു. ജനുവരി മുതല് സെപ്റ്റംബര് വരെ 64,008 വീസയാണ് അനുവദിച്ചത്. 2023ല് സമാന...
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നൈജീരിയയിലെ പ്ലാറ്റോ സ്റ്റേറ്റിൽ ഫുലാനി തീവ്രവാദികൾ 19 പേരെ കൊലപ്പെടുത്തി. മുൻപ് തീവ്രവാദികൾ തട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപോയ വ്യക്തിയും അതിൽ ഉൾപ്പെടുന്നു. ഡിസംബർ ഒന്നിനാണ് ആക്രമണങ്ങൾ നടന്നത്. ഫുലാനി തീവ്രവാദികളെന്നു...
‘Always in Prayer’: Ronald Reagan’s Son Explains Father’s Beliefs About Faith and Church
President Ronald Reagan made an indelible impact on America — and his family. His son, Michael Reagan, recently told CBN...
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