Category: News

Students bring Bibles to school

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Liberty Counsel news release:

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — More than half a million students from across the United States will participate in the fifth annual Bring Your Bible to School movement on Thursday, October 4, 2018.

Though the First Amendment guarantees students the right to discuss their beliefs and read the Bible at school, Bring Your Bible to School day provides a unified opportunity for young people to share their faith at school without fear.

Throughout the day, students can share their experiences on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #BringYourBible.

The Constitution allows students the religious freedom to bring their Bibles or other religious books to school and read them during free time. Students can even use the Bible in a class assignment if they do so in a way that is relevant to the subject matter and meets the requirements of the assignment. Students can voluntarily express their personal and religious beliefs to their classmates through verbal or written expressions if they follow school policy and do not engage in these activities during classroom or instruction time. The First Amendment also guarantees students the right to pray individually or in groups on school grounds during any non-instructional time. All students may express their opinions verbally or in writing before or after school, in between classes, during the lunch hour or on the playing field, according to the federal guidelines on prayer in public schools found on Liberty Counsel’s website.

“Liberty Counsel supports all students who exercise their constitutional right to bring their Bibles to school on Bring Your Bible to School day and throughout the academic year,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “Schools must remain neutral towards any expression of a religious viewpoint and provide equal access to students exercising their right to freedom of speech by praying or reading the Bible during non-instructional time,” said Staver.

New Jersey congregation celebrates 180 years

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NEW JERSEY – A New Jersey congregation is getting ready to celebrate its 180th anniversary.

The Glenwood Baptist Church, in Glenwood, N.J., was established in 1838.  According to the church web site, church records date back to 1838, but earlier written accounts of the congregation indicate it was formed from an older congregation dating back to 1792.

The original church building was destroyed by fire in 1982 and a new building was completed in 1984. The New Jersey Herald earlier this month published an article giving much of the church’s history.

Atheist group appeals ruling that its ads have same restrictions as religious organizations

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A Pennsylvania atheist organization is appealing a judge’s ruling that the Lackawanna County transit system did not violate the group’s First Amendment right to free speech when it declined ads that, “promote the existence or non-existence of a supreme deity, deities, being or beings,” on buses.”

U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion in July found the County of Lackawanna Transit System, COLTS,  has a legitimate reason to reject ads submitted by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Freethought Society.  The judge’s ruling says COLTS’ treatment of the organization follows COLTS’ advertising policy and is no different than any other group seeking to buy advertisement.

The American Civil Liberties Union represents the society in the case.  The ACLU filed the appeal with the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. A news release issued by the ACLU says, “The trial court’s ruling in this case does not diminish our belief that COLTS is suppressing our clients’ right to free speech. As a government agency, COLTS is significantly limited in its ability to censor speech. It can’t censor speech in order to keep people from debating important public issues, which is exactly what COLTS has tried to do here.”

Atheist kills mother and friend, tells others to save their thoughts and prayers

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2018-04-10 Casey James Lawhorn

A Tennessee man confessed online to killing two people including his own mother.  During his video confession, Casey James Lawhorn, 22, said, “Prayer is a waste of time, nothing happens after death” according to a report from USA Today.

Lawhorn’s Facebook confession was posted after he fatally shot his mother, Vi Lawhorn, and a friend, Avery Gains, in East Ridge, Tennessee.  While he did not specifically state his motive, his confession includes multiple statements about his hatred of religion according to an atheist source posted to the website patheos.

The Times Free Press reports Lawhorn’s body was found near his broken-down vehicle in Jasper County, Mississippi.

Hubert Cooke, founder of The Singing Cookes, passes away

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2018-03-14 Hubert Cooke.png

A longtime name in Southern Gospel music has gone to be with our Lord.  Hubert Cooke of the Singing Cookes passed away Monday afternoon from issues related to his heart.

A family representative posted the following to the group’s Facebook page:

Sorry for the late post but it’s been a difficult time for us. Dad (Hubert Cooke) passed away Monday around 3:50 PM. from heart failure. His request was not to have a funeral and to have a short grave side service. He also requested to be taken back to His childhood Home of Norton Virginia and be buried with his Mom, Dad and some of his brothers and sisters. Tomorrow we will honor his wishes. Please pray for our family. “Earths Loss Is Heavens Gain”

Hubert Cooke worked as a coal miner for 16 years.  He left the mine in 1962 and became a fulltime Bluegrass Gospel performer.  The group’s first national Southern Gospel release, He Rows Me Over The Tide, made its debut in 1977. It was a huge success for the family and it was re-released the following year.

According to WYMT Television, there will not be a funeral.  He will be buried in his childhood home of Norton, Virginia with his mother, father and several siblings.