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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Chuck Norris: the power of a praying mother

By Ron F. Hale Growing up with an alcoholic father is a “Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” existence.  Your heart-cry is to be normal (like other families) but every dashed hope marks your heart like the rings of an oak tree. Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, John Wayne, and Hopalong Cassidy were the motion picture shoot-‘em-up cowboy heroes who shaped Carlos Ray Norris, Jr’s image of a man and the notion of what his father could or should have been. Little Carlos grew up dirt-poor as the oldest of three brothers in small-town Ryan, OK. He was born in 1940 with Cherokee and Irish heritage. Sixteen low-rent housing moves were made by the time Carlos was 15 years old. To read the rest of the article, click here. … [Read more...]

George Foreman: fighting the good fight

By Ron F. Hale People got killed every weekend in the bloody Fifth Ward of Houston, TX where George Foreman struggled to find his way as a troubled teenager. With a menacing manner and imposing physique Foreman became a bully and a mugger. Either by fate or the providence of God, Foreman found his way into a new government program called Job Corps. Charles “Doc” Broadus, a counselor and boxing coach, inspired Foreman to turn that big chip on his shoulder into punching prowess. Incredibly, in 20 short months Foreman went from being a no-name novice to becoming the world heavyweight amateur champion. Waving a small USA flag as the new heavyweight boxing gold medal winner was Foreman’s “Kodak moment” at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. To read the rest of the story, click here. … [Read more...]

Paul Harvey’s baptism: the rest of the story

By Ron F. Hale Paul Harvey Aurandt was born on September 4, 1918 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Twenty-five years later, the surname was dropped for professional reasons as his star rose in the world of radio. Tragedy struck early as three-year-old Paul lost his father while he was in the line of duty as a Tulsa policeman. The burglar’s bullet put the family in desperate financial straits. To keep debt collectors at bay, Paul’s mother had small apartments built into their house to make money from renters. Paul built his own radio set as a kid and the magic and medium of radio remained a lifelong passion. In high school Paul worked at KVOO, a local station in Tulsa, and eventually worked in Salina (KS), Oklahoma City, Honolulu, and St. Louis. To read the rest of the article, click here. … [Read more...]

Why Barbara Norton’s comments matter

By Louis R. Avallone, louisavallone@mac.com By now, many of you have heard about Louisiana State Rep. Barbara Norton’s comments about how the Declaration of Independence is “unfair” and “not the truth”, regarding her opposition to a bill in the state legislature mandating that schoolchildren in Louisiana be taught the Declaration of Independence. Some have been upset, to say the least. Others, not so much. But what she said matters, and it matters a lot, and not just because so many disagree with her. Here’s why it matters so much more than this one particular issue itself: You see, our elected officials can’t just show up and “check the box” without the same level of careful preparation and practice that a musician requires to play a musical instrument well, or that a pilot needs to fly an airplane safely, or that doctor must have before performing a surgery competently. But unlike the musician who plays out of tune, being an unprepared state legislator (or school board member, member of Congress, etc.) can have far more significant consequences, because of the number of lives affected in our communities, sometimes in the millions – and this incompetence has nearly bankrupt our nation financially, morally, spiritually, and … [Read more...]

White House issues transgender order to schools

By Tom Strode, Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Obama administration has issued an order today (May 13) instructing all public schools to permit transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms of their gender identity instead of their biological sex. The across-the-board directive, reported first by The New York Times Thursday night (May 12), met quick protests from Southern Baptist leaders. Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, described the federal guidance as "an outrageous attack on our Creator Himself, human sexuality and morality, and an advancement of the attack against religious freedom." "Gender is not fluid.... Gender is not a human choice, but a gift from God to each of us," Floyd said in written comments for Baptist Press, adding the directive "contributes to the continual chaos in our society." "This is a flagrant and despicable attack on not just the present generation, but also the next generation," Floyd said. "Every Christian in America or anyone who has any conviction about morality needs to rise up and say, 'Enough is Enough!'" Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, described "the decree from the Obama Administration … [Read more...]

End of the legal road? Colorado baker who refused service to same-sex wedding loses again

DENVER (Christian Examiner) – A Lakewood, Colo., baker who refused to bake a cake for a gay wedding because same-sex marriage violated his religious beliefs will not have his case heard before the Colorado Supreme Court. Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, was found guilty by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission of having discriminated against Charlie Craig and David Mullins in 2012 when the two planned to wed in Massachusetts, but then hold a post-wedding celebration in Colorado. They asked Phillips' shop to bake a cake, but he refused. That refusal led to a court case in which Colorado Judge Robert Spencer ordered the baker in 2013 to "cease and desist" discrimination against same-sex couples, an act he said was illegal under state law. To read the rest of the story, click here. … [Read more...]

Target boycott petition soars to nearly 700,000 as retailer dodges questions about men in women’s restrooms

By Michael Foust, Christian Examiner CHICAGO (Christian Examiner) -- A petition calling for a boycott of Target because of its new transgender bathroom policy soared to nearly 700,000 signatures Tuesday morning, as the retailer continued to get pushback from customers who say the rule endangers women and children. Under the new policy, people can use whichever restroom corresponds with the gender identity they choose. Launched April 20, the American Family Association petition reads simply, "Target's store policy endangers women and children by allowing men to frequent women's facilities. Until Target makes the safety of women and children a priority, I will shop elsewhere." To read the rest of the article, click here. … [Read more...]

FRAUD? Video doesn’t match gay pastor’s Whole Foods ‘fag’ slur story

By Gregory Tomlin, Christian Examiner AUSTIN (Christian Examiner) – Video cameras are everywhere, including over the checkout line of an Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market. That's particularly bad news for an openly-gay pastor who claimed in a video April 14 that he purchased a personalized cake at the store only to find that it had been inscribed with an anti-gay slur. Jordan Brown, who leads the "affirming" congregation known as Church of Open Doors, said he discovered the phrase "Love Wins Fag" on the cake only after he left the store. In his original video, he claimed the cake was in its sealed container with an intact label over the lower lip of the box. To read the rest of the article, click here. … [Read more...]