(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.), along with U.S. Representatives Diane Black (R-Tenn.) and Pete Olson (R-Texas), issued the following statements regarding the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) decision to investigate the use of federal funding allocated to Planned Parenthood and other federally funded organizations that perform or promote abortions in response to the Members’ request last month. “For years Planned Parenthood and their pro-abortion allies have deceived the public on how they spend their taxpayer dollars,” said Senator David Vitter. “We absolutely need to shed light on how these types of organizations are spending federal funds, and I suspect the forthcoming GAO report will confirm our fears of Planned Parenthood’s inexcusable misuse of taxpayer dollars for abortion.” “I thank the GAO for acting responsibly and committing to carry out our request for an independent review of the taxpayer funding provided to Planned Parenthood and related organizations,” said Congressman Diane Black. “As a nurse for more than 40 years, I know that abortion is not healthcare and I am incensed that, year after year, my constituents see their money sent to Washington and distributed to … [Read more...]
Our founding fathers and the sanctity of human life
By Ron F Hale The United States Declaration of Independence gushes with life liberating language supporting the sanctity of human life for all U.S. citizens. The second paragraph begins with these remarkable words: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. We can’t understand what it feels like to be born in a time when America was divided up between freeman and slave. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery around 1818, and escaped human bondage becoming a famous orator in the American antislavery movement. After serious study of the text of the Declaration of Independence, Douglass grew hopeful while other abolitionists assailed the document as bygone dribble. Douglass held high the precepts and promises of the Declaration of Independence and spoke truth to power. Like a Jonas Salk holding up his miracle vaccine against poliomyelitis (polio) before the American people on March 26, 1953, with all its curative promise, years before, Douglass held up the Declaration of Independence to all America and spoke so eloquently of its benefits and blessings (for … [Read more...]
Is America too far gone ever to be redeemed?
"The church is too far gone ever to be redeemed," wrote John Marshall (chief justice of the United States Supreme Court) in a letter to Bishop James Madison, in the early 1800s. Is America too far gone ever to be redeemed? After the end of the Revolutionary War, in 1783, Christianity plummeted in America. The effects of The First Great Awakening were still seen as late as the 1770s when as much as 40 to 50 percent...of the population attended church. But by the 1790s only 5 to 10 percent of the adult population were church members. Christianity hit an all time low in 1794 in America. In the same year missionaries from six different denominations were welcomed into the Cherokee Nation for the first time. The overall situation seemed so hopeless that a friend wrote to George Washington in 1796, near the end of his two terms as president, "Our affairs seem to lead to some crisis, some revolution; something that I can not foresee or conjecture. I am more uneasy than during the war. " Washington replied, "Your sentiment...accords with mine. What will be is beyond my foresight." The Chief Justice of the United States, John Marshall, wrote to Bishop Madison of Virginia and said, "The church is too far gone ever to be redeemed." The … [Read more...]
On medical marijuana, should we trust ‘sense’ over science?
By Will Hall BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Senate is considering a bill that would expand the list of diseases which would qualify for treatment with medical marijuana in Louisiana. Unfortunately, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee which moved the bill out of committee without objection April 13 did so largely on the basis of Sen. Fred Mills' call for good "sense" – which argued against the prevailing body of scientific research that overwhelmingly does not support his position. Mills, who chairs this committee and authored SB 271, is a pharmacist who owns a pharmacy in Marks, Louisiana. But despite coming from a medical background, he seemed to eschew the science which should have contributed more heavily to the decision. It's fair to say his position can be represented in part by comments from his opening statement in support of his own bill. Talking about the "memory lane" of how this bill came to the committee in its present form, Mills talked about the various constituents who had some say in the process. "We would expand on disease states," Mills said they promised each other. "We would find an opportunity that we would not open the door for every single solid disease state that didn't 'make sense' – which is not … [Read more...]
Jay Strack to keynote LC’s 160th Commencement
By Norm Miller, LC communications PINEVILLE - Louisiana College announces Dr. Jay Strack as keynote speaker for its 160th Commencement service. The May 7 ticketed event will be held in Guinn Auditorium. An effective communicator, author and minister, Strack has spoken across the US and in 30 countries to an estimated cumulative 15 million people in churches, and stadiums, such as the Georgia Dome, Astrodome, Super Dome, Reunion Arena, and the Olympic Village Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Strack's motivational oratory has gained corporate attention and includes the following speaking engagements: NASA, Walmart, Chick-fil-A, Johnson & Johnson, General Motors, Pfizer Pharmaceutical, Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, RDV Sports and more. NFL, NBA, & MLB teams and events, including featured speaker for two NBA All Star Games. The Air Force Academy faculty and students. "Jay is the most dynamic communicator I have ever met," said Dr. Rick Brewer, president of Louisiana College. "I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will be exposed to Jay's insights, and his encouragement as well a challenge to pursue new levels of Christian leadership for the sake of the future and for God's kingdom." Brewer and Strack … [Read more...]
Farm boy to ‘voice in the wilderness,’ Aulds completes 50 faithful years of ministry
By Jamie Stephens, Regional Reporter SPEARSVILLE- As a farm boy, Joe Aulds was focused on building a future in agriculture – serving as president of 4-H and FFA and winning grand champion awards at livestock shows. But, he said his life was never the same after the day, during his senior year of high school in 1966, when he admitted to his pastor from Camp Creek Baptist Church that he was tired of running from God and wanted to surrender to His will. “Two years prior to the moment when I admitted to Reverend [William] Cottrell that I wanted to stop running from God, I already knew in my heart that God was calling me to ministry, but I had been afraid of surrendering,” explained Aulds. … [Read more...]
In time of need, North Monroe Baptist became ‘the parish church’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05roDfKar1s By Message Staff MONROE – The members of North Monroe Baptist Church are very familiar with disaster relief responses. After sending teams to respond to a tornado in Moore, Okla., and Hurricanes Ike and Katrina around the Gulf Coast, its members knew exactly what to do once 25 inches of rain fell within a 24-hour period in their area last month. The staff set up a makeshift command center, fielding calls from members who ventured out to help sandbag around homes that were nearly flooded and coordinating delivery of food to affected families. … [Read more...]
Baton Rouge church baptizes nine in a stock tank
BATON ROUGE - Istrouma Baptist Church held a "One Another Sunday" event on April 10, where several hundred members gathered for food, fun and fellowship at the church's ball-fields then some of the staff pastors baptized nine new members in a stock tank. Senior Pastor Jeff Ginn started the baptisms with Whitney Dicus who was surprised at the water temperature when she stepped into it. If your church has a baptism or salvation story - especially related to the recent floods that have hit the state - send them to us at philip@baptistmessage.com. … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer veteran serving as head of command center in Monroe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHxD0lLGk0k MONROE – Responding to natural disasters is old hat to Alabama’s John Hayes. From Japan to Haiti … from Missouri to Oklahoma … to New Jersey to Colorado, the Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer has responded. His latest stop just happens to be in hard hit Monroe at North Monroe Baptist Church where he is serving as the head of the incident command center. An 18-year veteran of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief work, Hayes is spending this week at the command center coordinating teams responding to requests for work on homes damaged by last month’s historic flooding. Since the incident command center opened, teams have received 297 requests for work and completed 176. Hayes said teams from Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma that are stationed at the church are receiving as much of a blessing working on the homes damaged in the flooding as the homeowners themselves. “The main thing is we work with the people,” Hayes said. “We also minister to them as we try get them back into a life of normalcy. “It’s not about cleaning out the houses, it’s not about cutting the tree out or feeding them,” said Hayes. “It’s to minister to the individuals. It’s about making their life … [Read more...]
VIDEO: As more rain falls in the state, disaster relief crews and churches issue call for additional help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hYKj7zZnZI By Message Staff Residents of Louisiana got an unwelcomed guest Monday – more than three to four inches of unneeded rainfall in the state. With more rainfall expected throughout the week, locations - some that have already experienced historic flooding last month and remain inundated - are bracing for more high water and any possible disruptions to cleanup efforts. The additional rainfall could also prevent the fall of swollen lakes and rivers which in turn would prevent some to get back into their homes. In Monroe, one of the hardest hit areas in the state, there are homes that remain unreachable as water levels stubbornly refuse to recede. On Monday, parts of Texas saw softball-sized hail and lighting from a storm caused a fire at Murmil Heights Baptist Church in El Dorado, Ark. In Louisiana, flash flood warnings were issued for five parishes in the northwest portion of the state and nearly 4,300 homes and businesses lost power. Later today (April 12), scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will increase from Texas into Louisiana. The National Weather Service is forecasting showers and a few thunderstorms on Wednesday for many parts of the state, diminishing later … [Read more...]
