By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT – U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson believes 2017 will be the most pro-life year in America in a half-century. “We are just getting started, so buckle up,” Johnson told a record crowd gathered for the Louisiana Life March North Saturday, Jan. 28. “Thank you for standing for life. This is an important historic moment for our nation, for our state and for this community that all of us love so much.” More than 9,000 people turned out for the fourth annual march to stand for life. The theme for this year’s march was “Protect Them Both.” Organizers wanted to emphasize the pro-life movement values not only the unborn child but their mothers who have alternatives to abortion, such as crisis pregnancy centers in the state. The march included speakers and musicians from various denominations, including a number of Louisiana Baptists such as Lane Moore, director of missions for the Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association. He told the Baptist Message after the march that he always is amazed at the diversity represented in the march. “The young families with strollers and small children is encouraging,” Moore said. “The people that attended seemed to be more excited about the future … [Read more...]
Shreveport prayer gathering calls for spiritual awakening in state, nation
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT – Nearly 900 members of the Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association ended their final days of January by crying out to God to bring revival to a nation becoming increasingly filled with turmoil. Much like the first Call to Prayer at First Baptist Church Bossier City in January 2016, this gathering brought together Christians of various ages and ethnicities to pray for law enforcement, the persecuted church, missionaries serving around the world, pastors and other church leaders. Some pastors, ministers’ wives and associational leaders led prayer from the stage inside the worship center at Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport. Other prayers took place individually and in small groups. But in the end, the Holy Spirit moved in a mighty way as pleas for revival were lifted up. During Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association Director of Mission Lane Moore’s opening remarks, he said the culture is desperate for the love of Christ and is watching how believers live. “My desire tonight is that we would not leave this place the same way we walked into this place,” Moore said. “We are going to invite Him, and praise Him, and bless Him and worship Him and talk to Him … [Read more...]
National religious freedom expert: Judge Gorsuch has solid record on religious freedom
By First Liberty Institute communications Dallas, Texas – President Donald Trump's announcement of his nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court has drawn praise from many conservatives, including Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of First Liberty Institute. Shackelford praised Gorsuch’s consistent record on religious liberty. “As a candidate, President Trump promised to appoint pro-religious freedom judges to the Supreme Court,” Shackelford says. “Today, he took a positive step toward achieving that goal.” “As a religious freedom law firm, we have one criterion for evaluating judicial candidates. We ask, ‘Does this candidate have a proven record of upholding the Constitution, especially as it relates to religious freedom?’ I am pleased to say that Judge Gorsuch has just such a record, authoring or joining multiple landmark opinions upholding religious freedom.” Some of the most notable religious freedom opinions Gorsuch wrote or signed as a judge on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals include: HHS Abortion Pill Mandate – Judge Gorsuch wrote and joined opinions supporting the rights of ministries and closely-held family businesses to be free from the burden imposed by the HHS Abortion Pill … [Read more...]
Louisiana Right to Life commends Trump’s SCOTUS nominee
By Louisiana Right to Life communications NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana Right to Life, in unity with its affiliate National Right To Life, congratulates President Donald Trump on his nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court of the United States. "All too often, our efforts to protect unborn children and other vulnerable humans have been overridden by judges who believe they have a right to impose their own policy preferences," said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, in its recent press release. "We are heartened that Judge Gorsuch appears to share Justice Scalia's view that federal judges are constrained to enforce the text and original intent of constitutional provisions, and on all other matters should defer to democratically elected lawmakers." Benjamin Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life, said, "We commend President Trump for his choice of Neil Gorsuch to serve on the Supreme Court. We believe Judge Gorsuch will be the type of justice that would respect the wisdom of the original text of the U.S. Constitution and give deference to the will of a legislature to protect human lives and ensure the health and safety of women. We look forward to Senators Cassidy and Kennedy … [Read more...]
TONY PERKINS: Making America safe again
By Tony Perkins At the start of the weekend, President Trump was busy doing what President Trump does -- making things happen. In an executive order on Friday, Trump limited travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Making good on a promise to increase national security and prevent future terrorist attacks within our borders, the president suspended the issuance of visas for these nationals for the next 90 days because of the prominence of jihadi violence within their borders. Along with a variety of other measures, the order also brought scrutiny on the process for immigrants and visitors from any nation by creating a temporary hold on any refugee travel to the U.S. Trump's order also prioritizes the admission of persecuted religious minorities in the previous countries after the temporary ban is up, whether those refugees be Yazidi, Christian, or Muslim. Trump has also ordered the Pentagon and the U.S. State Department to prepare a plan to create safe zones in Syria and the surrounding area within 90 days. Predictably, the media and liberal politicians went crazy. Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) took to Twitter, vowing to fight the order … [Read more...]
