All posts filed under: z270

A Bellwether survey: Americans acknowledge the importance of Freedom of Religion

Published by

The term bellwether refers to the bells that are often attached to the lead sheep of a flock (a wether) which helps shepherds to track their movement even though they are unable to see them. In the same way, the term bellwether is an indicator of ‘future trends’ and many believe the loss of religious freedoms is warning of growing political oppression in a country. According to a recent poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports and Summit Ministries, most Americans agree, as 82% believe freedom of religion is very important (67%) or somewhat important (15%) for maintaining “a healthy American society.” Only 9% of those surveyed had a negative view of freedom of religion, stating it is “not at all important” or “not very important” for a healthy American society. What was equally curious, there was not a huge difference in opinion between Democrats and Republicans, with 79% of Democrats stating that freedom of religion is ‘very’ or ‘somewhat important’. Though this reflects the broad-based opinions of Americans, it also tells us that the attacks on …

Europe’s Gypsy revival

Published by

There is a revival taking place among the Gypsies of Britain, but it is also causing a bit of controversy at a religious festival that recently took place in Rutland, a small market town in England. Also referred to as travellers or Romani, many of this group lead a nomadic life, living in trailers or caravans as they are referred to in England, travelling back and forth across Britain, with the summer being their most active time. They earn their living by providing casual workers for agriculture, asphalt paving and as well selling horses, scrap metal, wood sculptures and other items and as well by holding fairs. Many have settled down and bought permanent homes, but still travel to festivals and other Romani gatherings. The group is made up of people who migrated to Europe from Northern India between the 10th and 12th century. But there is increasing evidence that God is moving in a powerful way among this often stigmatized group, as a recent article in the Daily Mail spoke of a Pentecostal festival …

Chinese pastor arrested for collecting church offerings?

Published by

ChinaAid recently reported on the arrest of Elder Zhang Chunlei by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in May 2021. Elder Zhang pastors the Guiyang Ren Ai Reformed Church. The CCP has been cracking down on Christians throughout the regime, but what was unusual about Chunlei’s arrest is that he has been charged with “suspected fraud” for collecting offerings during church services, a tradition used by churches around the world.

Did lockdowns actually increase the number of deaths?

Published by

There have been several studies revealing that lockdowns were an absolute failure, if their primary purpose was to stop people dying from COVID (here, here and here.) In fact, it may be worse than we thought, as a new study by University of California economists and the RAND Corporation concluded that the lockdowns or stay-in-place orders may have in fact increased the number of people dying because of COVID.

God’s a Bad Ref?

Published by

I watched a sporting event last night in which the referees were not doing their job. The game became out of control. Penalties were not called and roughing the opponents became the norm in the game. When this happens, it tilts the game towards the team that plays rougher or has the bigger meaner players. As is often the case, the game went to the team most willing to cheat. When referees or umpires do not do their job at least three things happen. The rules are not applied or they are applied unevenly or one sided. The second thing is that the players become confused about they are allowed to do. The third thing is there is frustration among the players and often a kind of idea that if the rules aren’t being applied, why follow them? Many people see God as an unfair referee or umpire. In life, you can’t just take off your uniform and go home. Life goes on and if life goes on with an unfair God, how does that …

New Zealand selects trans-female weightlifter for Olympics

Published by

New Zealand’s decision to choose a trans female to represent the country in the female weight lifting event at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo has caused a bit of an uproar. Prior to transitioning to female in 2013, Hubbard, 43, had competed as a male weightlifter. The Olympics allows transgender females to compete provided their testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per litre for 12 months prior to competition. However, many believe this does not negate the advantage that biological males receive going through puberty, resulting in larger muscle mass and heavier bones. Sharon Davies who is representing Britain in swimming at the Olympics commented that being born a biological male gives Hubbard a 30% over biological females: Belgian weight lifter, Anna Vanbellinghen, described Hubbard’s participation as a ‘bad joke’ adding: “Life-changing opportunities are missed for some athletes — medals and Olympic qualifications — and we are powerless. Of course, this debate is taking place in a broader context of discrimination against transgender people and that is why the question is never free of ideology.” …

Study: House plants remove toxins from air

Published by

Another article in the Daily Mail suggests that certain types of houseplants actually have a healing touch. If you are struggling with allergies or asthma, one expert recommended spider plants, snake plants and Aloe Vera because they actually help cleanse the air. These plants were recommended because they are easy to grow and have the ability to absorb larger quantities of indoor pollution.

Bible reunited with Oklahoma family

Published by

Terry Ward from Nicoma Park, Oklahoma was out mowing his lawn after a rain when he found a Bible, screws and bullets in his flower bed. The old Bible wasn’t wet, suggesting it was recently dumped. Going through the Bible, Terry discovered that it was dated to 1946 and belonged to a woman named Pearl Williams. However, after Ward contacted the city office, they had no record of a Pearl Williams in the town. But after later finding a Del City address in the Bible, Ward contacted the Del City police, who discovered that Pearl’s son was actually living at the address. The family was grateful for the return of the family Bible that belonged to their mother, who had died in October 2020. Inside the pages of the Bible were several mementos, including a clipping announcing the marriage of Pearl and the family’s father. However, the police are now investigating as the discovery suggested Pearl’s home had been broken into sometime after her death. READ: Family Is Reunited with Late Mother’s Bible after an …

Muslims and Christians: Did one of ours kill some of theirs?

Published by

Recently, a young man drove his pickup truck at a high speed, and drove into a family that was walking on a summer day. Four adults were killed, except for one survivor, a young boy who was badly injured. The whole family was Muslim, originally from Pakistan, and that was obvious by their appearance. They were attacked because they were identified as Muslims. In the world, the number of Muslims is almost two billion, 1.8 billion, and this incident is being reported everywhere. This all happened in a peaceful country, Canada, in a very quiet part of that country, London, Ontario. The family probably felt very safe walking in London on a summer day. The young man, who drove the truck, was arrested, and now he is being charged with a hate crime. READ: Terror charges against London, Ont attack suspect could be Canadian legal milestone At this time, people who knew the young man are surprised that he did this. He had issues with his mental health, but otherwise there is nothing in his …