Calvary Bible Church in Milpitas, Calif. has expressed concern about the followers of Harold Camping, 89, owner of Family Radio Network, which is based in Oakland, Calif.  according to PR Newswire.

The Network is heard in over 150 stations globally and Camping has used this to voice his beliefs, which incorporate some numerology with the bible to justify his strange predictions.

Calvary Bible Church is asking followers who may sincerely believe in Camping not to respond rashly to the prediction, noting that the bible says that no one knows the day when Jesus will return, PR Newswire said.

Calvary is concerned about followers who may act rashly, cashing out retirement funds, selling possessions or emptying bank accounts to fund Camping’s message, according to PR Newswire.

The idea is not far-fetched. The Daily Mail told of a retired MTA employee in New York who used his life savings of $140,000 to fund an ad campaign for the prophecy.

Robert Fitzpatrick shelled out all of his money to put placards on 1,000 subway cars and at bus stops in the city that say, “Global Earthquake! The Greatest Ever – Judgment Day: May 21,” over a photo of the Jerusalem skyline and the image of a ticking clock, Daily Mail said.

Fitzpatrick, 60, said, “I’m trying to warn people about what’s coming. People who have an understanding [of end times] have an obligation to warn everyone,” the Daily Mail reported.

Fitzpatrick said he would like to bring as many people as he can with him during the rapture (when Christians are to meet with Jesus), and this is why he funded the New York ad campaign with his money, Daily Mail said.

The followers of “Project Caravan,” as the campaign is called, have actually left their families and given up everything they own and left their jobs for this purpose, according to Daily Mail.

However, Calvary Bible Church is concerned that devotees may become depressed when they realize that they were deceived, more so if they have let go of a large amount of their finances. The prospect of financial ruin could lead to reckless action, including suicide, PR Newswire said.

Pastor Jacob Denys of Calvary Bible Church told PR Newswire that he would like to tell Camping’s followers, “Do not despair. You are not alone. We offer you help and biblical counsel.”

Calvary is leaving its doors open for followers of Camping and inviting them to hear Sunday service on May 22, the day after the “predicted” return of Jesus. Service will be held at 10 a.m., according to PR Newswire.

Denys told PR Newswire, “We realize our offer of assistance may not be well-received right now, but we hope on May 22nd they will see it is an offer made in Christian love. We know that you will be hurting when you realize that you have been deceived, and we will be here for you.”

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The Hispanic community has the potential to drive the Christian movement forward in the U.S.

Recent findings from the Census Bureau showed that the U.S. Hispanic population is the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S. today, and now exceeds 50 million. In the last decade the growth rate of Hispanics rose by 43 percent, from just 35.3 million in 2000, PR Newswire reported.

Hispanics now comprise the largest minority segment in the U.S. at over 16 percent of total population. One out of six U.S.  Americans is now Hispanic, and among U.S. children, it is one in four, according to PR Newswire.

What’s more, PR Newswire noted that more than half of the population growth in the country this past decade was from Hispanics, increasing by 15.2 million, compared to the total overall 27.3 million total population growth, PR Newswire said.

Faith community

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of The National Hispanic Christian leadership Conference, told PR Newswire, “The Hispanic faith community is rising up. We are on the precipice of a multiethnic-multigenerational movement, an awakening. The Hispanic community is the firewall of righteousness.”

The NHCLC is the largest Christian Hispanic organization in the U.S., also called the Hispanic National Association of Evangelicals. It represents some 30,454 born again, Evangelical churches with 16 million members, PR Newswire said.

Included among their member churches are The Foursquare Church, Church of God, Assemblies of God, and National Association of Evangelicals, among others. The NHCLC has partnerships with Liberty University, Oral Roberts University, and Promise Keepers among others, according to its website.

Rev. Jim Tolle of The Church on the Way in Los Angeles, CA told PR Newswire, “The exploding Hispanic presence in the United States should be viewed as one of the greatest opportunities God has given for the increase and health of his Son’s Church in this country.”

Rev. Mauricio Elizondo, Sr. Pastor, Walnut Park Assembly of God in Texas told PR Newswire, “The message of the Hispanic community is about becoming ‘one’ and crying out, bringing America back to its core values that this great country was founded on. We are going to be the reconciling voices for the people who have been impoverished, the voices for the unborn, and the voices for people who have been marginalized.”

Elizondo told PR Newswire, “It is our time to rise up and shine–50 million voices shouting together for the sake of our Lord, for the sake of our Lord, for the sake of Humanity and for the sake of America, bringing country back to revival.”

Voting strength

Through sheer numbers the Hispanics carry special voting strength that is good for the next 10 years, PR Newswire said. The largest number of Hispanics is in Florida, New York, Texas and California, and they account for 143 electoral votes—more than half of what is required to be elected president.

Rodriguez told PR Newswire, “It is a community that can no longer be ignored. The Hispanic community will rise up and shout for righteousness and justice.” Ruben Navarrette Jr., CNN Contributor said, “The United States is becoming a Hispanic country. And it’s happening much faster than anyone expected…than demographers had estimated.”

On the downside, Christian Today noted that the Hispanic segment is largely undereducated. In response, NHCLC launched the Alliance for Hispanic Christian Education which has formed links with several learning institutions including Oral Roberts University for a minimum 25 percent Hispanic student enrolment, the website said.

AHCE has also partnered with Regent University for graduate school education, and Liberty University for online services, the website reported.

Immigration

Another problem Hispanics face is immigration reform, with 12 million undocumented Hispanic residents in the U.S. for whom Rodriguez is lobbying for integration, Christian Today said.

Rodriguez said that his proposal, A Just Integration Solution, “reconciles Romans 13, adherence to the rule of law, with Leviticus 19, treating the stranger amongst us as one of our own,” according to Christian Today.

Rodriguez’ proposal has been presented to some members of Congress. He told Christian Today, “We are currently negotiating with Congress to push an immigration reform of integration to incorporate the 12 million people in a very suitable way for our country.”

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A university paid recently a settlement to a Christian professor of astronomy who sued it over alleged hiring discrimination because of his faith, in a case that may carry national implications regarding religious intolerance.

The University of Kentucky paid a settlement of $125,000 to astronomy professor Martin Gaskell, who filed his lawsuit when he was turned down for the job of Observatory Director of the UK in 2007 after writings in his personal website regarding modern astronomy and Christianity became an issue, PR Newswire said.

Frank Manion, senior trial counsel for ACLJ said, “In bringing this case and successfully resolving it we believe we have shed some light on a problem that is by no means limited to the University of Kentucky,” The Baptist Press reported.

Manion told PR Newswire, “It is simply untenable to think that an avowed Christian, evangelical or otherwise, or any other scientist of religious faith, is somehow incapable or less capable of performing his or her job in science education, research or outreach.”

Manion cited Copernicus, Newton, Pasteur, and currently, Francis Collins who heads the National Institutes for Health, who are all Christian scientists, PR Newswire reported.

Manion said that Gaskell, who is currently a research fellow at the University of Texas in Austin, received a settlement that roughly equals compensation he would have had for up to two years, The Courier-Journal reported.

No summary judgment

U.S. District Judge Karl Forester rejected the UK’s motion for summary judgment, pointing out that the search committee described Gaskell as “superbly qualified,” and “breathtakingly above the other applicants,” The Baptist Press reported.

The court also noted numerous statements in emails during the search process and other deposition statements that “if true, are direct evidence of religious discrimination,” PR Newswire said.

The statements include one by the head of the search committee who wrote to the Chair of the Physics & Astronomy Department that “no objective observer could possibly believe that we excluded Martin [Gaskell] on any basis other than religious,” PR Newswire said.

There were also statements by the Department Chair, a member of the search committee and another member of the committee admitting that Gaskell’s religious beliefs were part of the decision not to hire him, PR Newswire reported.

Finally, PR Newswire cited a correspondence from a search committee head who wrote, “Other reasons will be given for the choice…but the real reason we will not offer him the job is because of his religious beliefs in matters that are unrelated to astronomy or to any of the other duties specified for this position.”

Precludes lengthy trial

A joint motion was filed for the dismissal of the case last Tuesday by Gaskell and UK. Barbara Jones, UK counsel said, “The university is pleased that a quick settlement has been reached in this case. This successful resolution precludes what would have been a lengthy trial that, ultimately, would not have served anyone’s best interest.”

Jones also said the UK “believes its hiring processes were and are fundamentally sound and were followed in this case. The advisory committee for the position, members of the physics department along with our academic administration and the university’s equal opportunity office all appropriately worked through this hiring process in a manner completely consistent with other positions.”

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A Muslim has recorded a Christmas album through which he seeks to bridge the divide between three faiths—Christianity, Judaism and Islam–and hopes to help contribute to peace in the world.

Shawn Rae, through his album A World Christmas, Love Knows No Borders, said he hopes as a Muslim that this effort will bring together the three Abrahamic faiths through the music medium, PR Newswire said.

Rae has several videos on YouTube which show his music style to be a blend of Bollywood with Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. His voice is raspy although its strength and range is not as strong. His hair and mustache resembles that of Ringo Starr when he was a Beatle.

According to PR Newswire, a cross-cultural group of writers, technicians, musicians and vocalists put the album together. The music arranger, Charles Calello, has worked with Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow, among others.

Included in the album is Feliz Navidad, which Rae sings in English and Spanish with background echoes in Hebrew, French, Arabic, Greek, Urdu, Iraqi, Chinese and Italian, PR Newswire said.

Another song, My Grown-Up Christmas List has the lyrics, “No more lives torn apart…wars that never start…right would always win…and love will never end, PR Newswire said.

Rae was born in Pakistan and raised a Muslim. According to his website, he is a speaker, designer and humanitarian. His website also features jewelry, perfumes and a gift shop.

Rae came to the U.S. when he was 18 and has lived here for 30 years. He told News 10 ABC, “In our world today there are a whole lot of things that are happening that are making people edgy, and I thought it was very important to sing a Christmas album from the Muslim world to ratchet down the rhetoric, because I think human people want to have peace and harmony.”

Rae told News 10 ABC that the album was inspired by a dialogue in 2007 between Pope Benedict XVI and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, making it the first time a Muslim king visited the Vatican in 1400 years.

PR Newswire said the meeting between King Abdullah and Benedict was considered as groundbreaking and promoted discourse among Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Rae has a number of albums which he sells on his website. He said in News 10 ABC that his Christmas album is also available in Amazon and on iTunes.

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Liberty University announced recently that it will undergo a $120 million major construction upgrade over the next three years to steer it towards a new age of expansion and progress.

The Lynchburg-based University raised the funds in just two days in New York City by selling 30-year, tax-exempt education facilities bonds. In so doing, they will not have to cull funds from their endowment, fostering even quicker growth overall, ABC 13 reported.

Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. told PR Newswire, “It is humbling for me to witness God’s blessings of such magnitude on Liberty University. This is a wonderful Christmas gift to Liberty and its students.”

In the past, Liberty had used its own cash reserves to pay for major capital projects. However, it chose this time to make use of the prevailing low interest rates, tax-exempt financing and low construction costs, PR Newswire said.

Construction plans

The News and Advance said the showpiece of the overall plan will be the refurbishing of the back of the DeMoss Learning Center, where there are currently a number of buildings, a cafeteria and a small courtyard.

LU will demolish the older buildings to give way to a large outdoor quad and a freestanding library. Falwell said, “That’s something we’ve never had on campus, an open area for students to enjoy the outdoors and just sort of a green area,” The News and Advance reported.

An 8,000 square-foot land area in Campbell County will be used for a new health sciences building for LU’s existing nurses’ programs, plus new programs for physical therapists, athletic trainers, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, The News and Advance said.

ABC 13 said LU will additionally build a new practice area for the basketball team, and an intramural sports complex. Eventually, it hopes to add a large parking deck.

Fallwell said about $72 million of the money raised will pay for recently-completed capital projects. He told PR Newswire the new campus facilities “will greatly enhance the educational experience for students, [and] will revolutionize the look and feel of the campus.”

S & P Rating

LU acquired an AA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s, ranking it alongside the top 44 S&P-rated colleges and universities including Cornell University, John Hopkins University and Emory University, PR Newswire said.

Its high bond rating is due to LU’s strong financial grounding of late. Net assets increased from $100 million in 2007 to $530 million today, PR Newswire said. It is expected to exceed $1 billion by 2014, a goal which the late Jerry Falwell, LU founder, had targeted for 2017.

Falwell Jr. told ABC 13, “There’s going to be a lot of dirt flying around Lynchburg here the next few years.”

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A court in Uzbekistan fined recently a Christian the equivalent of seven years of an average salary for having in his possession a film about Jesus.

Judge H. Tulyaganov of the Sergeli District Criminal Court in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, ruled that Murat Jalalov is guilty of violating Article 184-2, or “Illegal storage, production, import and distribution of religious materials” Worthy News reported.

The judge fined Jalalov 3,164,050 Soms, or $1,930. The average monthly wage for an Uzbek is 37,680 Soms or $25. According to Mission Network News, fines are frequently charged in Uzbekistan for faith materials and/or religious worship that is not registered despite international human rights obligations.

Five policemen from the Sergeli District Criminal Investigation and Anti-terrorism Department, led by Zufar Rashidov, discovered the film, a DVD about the life of Jesus, on September 29 when they went to Jalalov’s house on the pretext of conducting an identity check, Central Asia Newswire said.

The police searched Jalalov’s home and took his passport, 75 CDs and DVDs, family photos and the DVD about the life of Jesus which was in the Uzbek language and produced by the Campus Crusade for Christ, Worthy News said.

The confiscated CDs and DVDs were taken to the Religious Affairs Committee for “analysis” where it was decided the film about Jesus “could be used among local ethnicities for missionary purposes,” Worthy News reported.

They based their assessment on Article 216-2 of the Criminal Code which, as opposed to international human rights commitments, disallows “attracting believers of one faith to another and other missionary activity,” Worthy News said.

Unable to pay

When Jalalov told the judge he could not pay such a huge fine, he was told that his passport would remain confiscated until the payment was made. Under the Uzbek Criminal Code, the violation of Article 216-2 is punishable with imprisonment for up to three years, according to Central Asia Newswire.

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The Berenstain Bears have a new book app and its a top seller in the iPhone app Store.

The Berenstain Bears have been around since 1962, but it’s only with their new book app that this fictional bear family could be clearly viewed as practicing Christians, The New Yorker said.

This is because in the “Golden Rule” book app, the Bears directly mention Matthew 7:12 in the story. The book app is the first of a “Living Lights” series of 12 books published by Zonderkidz, The New Yorker reported.

Zonderkidz is the children’s book division of Christian publisher Zondervan. The book app was made in collaboration with Oceanhouse Media. Other titles in the series include The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers, The Berenstain Bears go to Sunday School and The Berenstain Bears: God Loves You, The New Yorker said.

The Berenstain Bears had always been wholesome, but they never outwardly dealt with any particular faith. A Facebook group had speculated that they were Jewish, and the blog Jew or Not Jew gave them a “Barely a Jew” status, The New Yorker said.

Husband and wife team Stan and Jan Berenstain authored all the books up until Stan’s death in 2005. Stan is Jewish, and his wife Jan was raised Episcopalian. The “Living Lights” series is authored by their son, Mike, The New Yorker said.

Book apps are enhanced ebooks with interactive features such as narration, background audio and artwork that changes with every scene. They can be accessed on iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, PR Newswire said.

Annette Bourland, senior vice president and publisher of Zonderkidz said, “The Berenstain Bears books teach children how wonderful God is and the purpose he has in their lives.  The book apps have successfully brought the words and lessons of these books to life like no other format,” PR Newswire reported.

Michel Kripalani, president of Oceanhouse Media said, “As a child reads the story, individual words are highlighted. When they touch a picture, the app automatically zooms in on the words, building an association between the word and the image,” PR Newswire said.

Mike Berenstain said the Living Light series came about because the family through the years saw how Christian families appreciated the values-based book themes. “By dealing with religion through the fun and laughter of the Berenstain Bears, we hope to nurture these families in their goal of raising children secure in their faith,” The New Yorker reported.

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King’s College London will collaborate with London’s National Gallery to offer a new MA degree in Christianity & the Arts—a first of its kind to be offered in London.

The course brings together the forces of a world-class art gallery with one of the U.K.’s foremost departments of Theology & Religious Studies. King’s College, a research led university, is among the top 25 universities in the world, and the fourth oldest in England, Media Newswire said.

At the same time students of the program will have access to one of the world’s greatest art treasuries in London’s National Gallery, whose collection will be the centerpiece of the program. A large part of classes will be conducted in the Gallery and there will be much input from the curatorial staff. Students will be able to investigate the National Gallery’s online collection and catalogue material at length, Media Newswire said.

The program was launched by Professor Rick Trainor, who is principal of King’s College London; and Dr. Nicholas Penny, director of the National Gallery, Media Newswire said. For the first time, a program like this brings together church-historical, art-historical, and theological elements of Christian art which in the past had always been studied in isolation, Media Newswire said.
According to King’s College London’s website, students will study how Christian scripture, practice and belief were expressed in some 2000 years of Christian art, allowing them to cross disciplines and specialism boundaries and lending access not just to the National Gallery but also to related institutions like the Courtauld Gallery, Victoria and the Albert Museum. It is hoped that by the end of the course students may take away with them a distinct and unique understanding of one of the greatest art repository of treasures in the world, the website says.

It is also hoped that exposure and understanding of Christian art will lend new theological dimensions. Other modules in the course will examine Christian literature, musical, dramatic and cinematic traditions, Media Newswire said.

The MA program came about when King’s College noted a rise in the interest of students in this area. It will be coordinated by Ben Quash who was King’s first professor of Christianity and the Arts. As chair of the degree program, Quash noted the rich Catholic and Orthodox store of Christian art. Quash also noted that traditional Protestant churches have also begun to lose a former distrust of images and are exploring the potentials of visual culture, Media Newswire said.

A stand-out of the program will be the National Gallery’s collection which spans five centuries of Western European work and a large number of masterpieces. Of note, a sizeable proportion of the collection specifically dwells on Christian themes and subjects. With this MA program, more theological reflection will be encouraged on these works, Media Newswire said.

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Two major faith groups from Virginia joined recently the fight in their state against the use of tobacco.

The two denominations are the United Church of Christ and the United Methodists. Embodying hundreds of thousands of Virginians, they backed up the Faith United Against Tobacco in Virginia Resolution, the PR Newswire said.

Under this resolution, comprehensive policies are being endorsed against smoking including full funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs, increasing state tobacco tax, and rendering all places of work smoke-free, PR Newswire said.

Endorsing the policy, the faith groups said, will save lives and reduce illnesses caused by tobacco smoking. They also urged other faith groups in Virginia to join them in the fight against tobacco, PR Newswire said.

The role of faith leaders has always been critical in addressing social issues, especially where children and vulnerable people are concerned, Tobacco-Free Kids said in their website.

Also noted were the roles that faith leaders have played nationwide in lobbying for the enactment of public health policies that were proven to be effective in reducing smoking. The leaders of the two Virginia faith groups said they are determined that similar policies will be enacted in their state, PR Newswire said.

Faith United Against Tobacco is comprised of some 30 faith groups nationwide who are committed to seeking comprehensive policies to control tobacco consumption at local, state and national levels, PR Newswire said.

Religious groups in the nationwide campaign include United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Seventh Day Adventists, Southern Baptist Convention, Church Women United, Islamic Society of North America, Presbyterian, National Council of Churches, American Muslim Foundation, Commission on Social Action Reform Judaism, and Church of the Brethren, Tobacco-Free Kids said on their website.

The coalition of faith groups have in past years successfully pushed for landmark legislation on the federal level including the authorization last year of the FDA to regulate tobacco products, PR Newswire said.

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