<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/prince-charles">King Charles</a> is busy preparing for his coronation in a few weeks, which will include a cross containing shards of wood from the cross that&#8217;s believed to have been used to crucify <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jesus-christ">Jesus Christ</a>.
Two shards from the “True Cross” were gifted to King Charles by Pope Francis in celebration of his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/royal-family">coronation</a> on May 6. Those pieces were then incorporated into the Cross of Wales, a silver cross that will be carried into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-k">Westminster Abbey</a> next month as part of the procession, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/pope-presents-shards-cross-christ-king-charles-coronation-2023-04-19/">Reuters</a>.
The Church of Wales said the processional cross &#8220;will incorporate a relic of the True Cross&#8221; and called it a &#8220;significant ecumenical gesture.&#8221;
The Cross of Wales is made from recycled silver bullion, Welsh slate, and timber. It was presented by the monarch to the Church in Wales, which is part of the Anglican church. A quote from the last sermon of Saint David is featured on the back in Welsh. It says, &#8220;Byddwch lawen. Cadwch y ffydd. Gwnewch y Pethau Bychain.&#8221; This translates to, &#8220;Be joyful. Keep the faith. Do the little things.&#8221;
The cross was blessed by the Archbishop of Wales on Wednesday.
&#8220;Its design speaks to our Christian faith, our heritage, our resources and our commitment to sustainability,&#8221; Archbishop of Wales Andrew John said during the ceremony. &#8220;We are delighted too that its first use will be to guide their majesties into Westminster Abbey at the Coronation Service.&#8221;
Mark O’Toole, Archbishop of Cardiff and Bishop of Menevia, said, &#8220;With a sense of deep joy we embrace this Cross, kindly given by King Charles, and containing a relic of the True Cross, generously gifted by the Holy See.”
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&#8220;It is not only a sign of the deep Christian roots of our nation but will, I am sure, encourage us all to model our lives on the love given by our Savior, Jesus Christ,” he continued. “We look forward to honoring it, not only in the various celebrations that are planned, but also in the dignified setting in which it will find a permanent home.&#8221;
Micahel Llloyd designed the cross, which he said &#8220;started with a love of the material, its malleability, its potential for expression.&#8221;
The outlet noted that the cross would be shared between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in Wales after the coronation ceremonies.

Cross of Wales

King Charles’ Coronation Cross Has Fragments Believed To Come From Jesus’ Crucifixion

King Charles' Coronation Cross Has Fragments Believed To Come From Jesus' Crucifixion

Jesus Christ

King Charles

Religion

Royal Family

U.K.

World

Students and parents at The Covenant School in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/nashville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nashville</a>, Tennessee, where three children and three staff members were killed in a recent shooting, were greeted with a magnificent double rainbow as they <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/christianity?_gl=1*ss5fzo*_ga*NzUzNDA5ODIxLjE2NzkzMjkzNzM.*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTY4MTQ4MjQ2OC4xMDAuMS4xNjgxNDg5OTExLjU4LjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener">gathered</a> for the first time in weeks.
Dave Barnes, a contemporary Christian singer and songwriter from Nashville, posted video and images on Thursday evening of parents and children enjoying the rainbows, which pierced the partly cloudy sky as the families assembled for the first chapel service hosted by The Covenant School since the massacre.
“It was like God was yelling from heaven, ‘I see you! I have not forgotten you!’ It was one of the most poignant things I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Barnes remarked on social media. “God never promises for everything to make sense. He’s God and we’re not. But He promises that He loves us and will always take care of us.”
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God established the rainbow after the Noahic flood as a symbol of the covenant He made with mankind and other creatures to never destroy the whole earth with water, according to the account provided by the book of Genesis. The apostle John recounts in the book of Revelation that a rainbow appeared around the throne of God in heaven.
Other residents of Nashville posted images of the double rainbows, some of which <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shannon.e.guthrie/posts/pfbid0aR4sBEDg5BZwR5VaktBGVk2Q3gMiTQRJMRfuB6YrPrbLjEMr71bVFpyv8caUeiJUl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a> the end of the rainbows settling on the steeple of Covenant Presbyterian Church, the conservative evangelical congregation which started The Covenant School. One teacher from another nearby school <a href="https://www.facebook.com/marcileemusic/posts/pfbid02KuAZfe4uqogwFKrCsySz4KqRphUA9DDJaAMPUWTozC8B8ANbda4yawQckTTCEbhKl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the double rainbow was the first she could remember in the area.
Members of the church recently expressed hope in Jesus Christ and His resurrection on Palm Sunday during the first worship <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-is-with-us-covenant-presbyterian-holds-first-sunday-worship-service-since-school-massacre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">service</a> they held since the massacre. “The world has changed since the last time we got together on the Lord’s Day,” Rev. Britton Wood noted. “Today is the day that we are reminded by our King, who lived for us and who died for us and who has risen for us, today is the day that He reminds us of the things that have not changed, of the Kingdom that cannot be shaken. And let that draw us to offer God worship with reverence and awe.”
A 28-year-old woman who identified as a man killed three children and three adults at The Covenant School as classes began on March 27. Police <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-christian-school-shooter-identified-as-transgender-authorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that the shooter, whom The Daily Wire will not name in accordance with company policy, executed a “targeted attack” and wrote a “manifesto” ahead of the massacre.
The three 9-year-old students killed in the shooting were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pray-for-our-brother-pastors-rally-around-covenant-senior-minister-whose-daughter-was-slain-in-nashville-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">daughter</a> of Covenant Presbyterian Church senior minister Chad Scruggs. Dr. Katherine Koonce, the school’s 60-year-old principal, was also killed, as were 61-year-olds Mike Hill, an employee at the school, and Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher.
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Rev. Billy Barnes preached on Palm Sunday from the final chapter of Luke, in which Jesus appeared to His grieving disciples on the road to the town of Emmaus shortly after His resurrection. The passage is marked by the disciples expressing confusion after Jesus’ death without realizing that He was walking alongside them even amid their mourning. Barnes noted that reminders of the good news about Jesus Christ bring healing to the soul, even through pain and sorrow, because “God is in control and He is sovereign.”
“We are all on the road to Emmaus together right now,” the minister said. “He is with us. And He will be until the end of the age. And He is risen. Everything is true. It’s all true.”

Double Rainbow Background

‘Like God Was Yelling From Heaven’: Covenant School Greeted With Double Rainbow During First Chapel Service Since Massacre

Covenant School Greeted With Double Rainbow During First Chapel Service Since Massacre

Christian

General

Nashville

School Shooting

U.S.

It seems whichever medium you turn to — from films to podcasts to apps to television series — faith-based content is moving into the mainstream and climbing the charts. Ironically, this is happening at a time when polling shows faith and religiosity declining in the U.S.
The numbers tell the story.
Take “<a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/culture/features/4-things-to-know-about-the-chosen-season-3-movie.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Chosen</a>,” for example, a multi-season series following the life of Jesus and his followers. It’s one of the highest grossing crowd-funded entertainment projects of all time, bringing in $10 million dollars from donors. And, so far, an estimated 100 million people worldwide have seen Seasons 1 and 2, with total views topping more than 440 million.
Then there’s “<a href="https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Jesus-Revolution-(2022)#tab=summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jesus Revolution</a>,” a film released earlier this year about Christian pastor Greg Laurie starring actor Kelsey Grammer. It was a box office success, grossing more than $50 million dollars.
There’s also the Catholic meditation and prayer app “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-couple-more-people-in-heaven-would-be-nice-hallow-ceo-talks-success-of-catholic-app-rise-of-faith-based-content" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hallow</a>” that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/god-is-doing-something-pretty-incredible-catholic-app-passes-up-google-tiktok-on-ash-wednesday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made history</a> on Ash Wednesday by landing at the number #3 spot on the App Store. The Hallow app has connected literally <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/087aff26-45ad-4da9-9e15-6648fcd3e69b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">millions</a> of people in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/prayer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prayer</a>, Scripture, and meditation, and has facilitated more than 175 million prayers worldwide.
The “Bible in a Year” podcast features priest Mike Schmitz reading and discussing Scripture. Schmitz launched the podcast in January 2021 and within 48 hours skyrocketed to the number one slot on Apple Podcasts. Schmitz managed to amass half a billion views and has consistently ranked #1 in Apple Podcast subgroups.
The question is why is faith-based programming gaining traction now?
One obvious, surface-level reason is that it’s simply good content. And that hasn’t always been the case. Some of the current offerings are pulling more secular viewers because it’s competitive in quality with other content out there.
There’s also a large untapped audience of hundreds of millions of American Christians who want this content, and haven’t had many options, at least not from Hollywood, the former gatekeeper of content creation. Today, independent production houses are cropping up outside of Hollywood and they’re focusing on faith-based content.
But there may also be aspects of our cultural moment that are drawing more interest for this content.
Fr. Mike, host of the wildly popular “Bible in a Year” podcast, believes the state of our culture really has a lot of people searching for answers right now.
<blockquote>“We&#8217;ve lost a biblical worldview. …There&#8217;s this sense and this hunger in people that says, not only do I want to understand life, I want to understand reality, but also I want to understand what God has to say about this.”</blockquote>
When asked about the type of faith-based content people are craving and clinging to, including his own podcast, Fr. Schmitz said, “So there’s a certain level of excellence being brought to this content. At the same time, I think that there&#8217;s also a level of rawness or authenticity.”
Emphasizing the demand for raw Biblical stories and other scripture, Fr. Mike said he’s had podcasts before this and none of them had close to the reach as “Bible in a Year.”
It’s been decades since a faith-based film went mainstream. Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” broke all sorts of records when it was released back in 2004.
Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kv40mtmFw0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke to the film’s director and co-writer Mel Gibson</a> about what made “The Passion” so special.
<blockquote>“Why did it resonate? Well, it was a pretty powerful story. I was just trying to be as true to the gospel as I could, yet, interpret them with my eye and through the eyes of art that I’ve witnessed over the years, some music and everything else,” said Gibson.
“I think it was a very potent story and seen from an aspect that I don’t think anyone ever saw before, was the degree of suffering. And the willingness to do that, which is, again, total humility. It worked on that level because I think it gave people a new understanding of what they’re involved in when they go to worship or when they think about God.”</blockquote>
Alex Jones, the co-founder and CEO of the “Hallow” app, is amazed at the feedback he’s received from people who use the app.
<blockquote>“We get these notes from people who are really lost, people who&#8217;ve been addicted, abused, who are struggling or suicidal. …and they write to us and say, Hey, you know, God changed my life through this.”</blockquote>
Jones found that people turning to prayer was most pronounced during the pandemic.
<blockquote>“I think we’re all really hungry for it, and we’re all in deep need of it,” Jones said. “And I think COVID showed us that. With the depth of pain, anger, frustration, loneliness, depression, anxiety, grief — we can kind of distract ourselves from God in our normal day-to-day life when nothing crazy happens — but in those kinds of moments, you just realize how deep of a need you have, and the only thing that can really fill it is faith and God.”</blockquote>
He added that new-age approaches to handling grief and adversity are falling short. Jones talked about a friend who recently experienced the loss of a child when his wife had a stillborn son.
<blockquote>“They had to give birth and then bury their son the same day,” the CEO recalled. “And there’s just nothing … that can speak to that deep of a wound. All of that seems silly when you’re talking about someone who lost their kid or when you’re talking about someone who’s been struggling with addiction for 10 years. Only God can speak to the depth of that.”</blockquote>
While religious content is witnessing a boom, it’s still true that the U.S. is more secular than ever. A recent <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/importance-traditional-american-values-plummeted-us-poll-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from The Wall Street Journal showed that just 39% of Americans say their religious faith is important to them, – that’s down from 62% back in 1998, the first time the poll was conducted.
When asked where he thought our nation was headed spiritually, Father Mike responded, “I really do think these are signs of hope, these are signs that God&#8217;s not done. He&#8217;s not done with our culture. He&#8217;s not done with our country. He&#8217;s not done with us. And, yeah, that gives me a lot of hope.”

2021 K-LOVE Fan Awards – Backstage

God’s ‘Not Done With Our Country’: The Faith-Based Boom In New Media

Christianity

Entertainment

Faith

Movies

Readers Pass

The Chosen

Members of Covenant Presbyterian Church in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/nashville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nashville</a>, Tennessee, gathered for <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/christianity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worship</a> on Sunday for the first time since six individuals from The Covenant School were murdered in a shooting last week, expressing hope in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jesus-christ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jesus Christ</a> and His resurrection amid the tragedy that unexpectedly struck their community.
The congregants, gathered in the sanctuary of nearby Christ Presbyterian Church on the evening of Palm Sunday, were welcomed by Rev. Britton Wood, who noted that the worshipers were joined by several family members and friends who had flown to Nashville from across the country, as well as law enforcement officials from the Metro Nashville Police Department.
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“The world has changed since the last time we got together on the Lord’s Day,” the minister noted. “Today is the day that we are reminded by our King, who lived for us and who died for us and who has risen for us, today is the day that He reminds us of the things that have not changed, of the Kingdom that cannot be shaken. And let that draw us to offer God worship with reverence and awe.”
A 28-year-old woman who identified as a man killed three children and three adults at The Covenant School, a ministry of the conservative evangelical congregation affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America, as the school day began on Monday, March 27. Police <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-christian-school-shooter-identified-as-transgender-authorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that the shooter, whom The Daily Wire will not name in accordance with company policy, executed a “targeted attack” and wrote a “manifesto” ahead of the massacre.
The 9-year-old students killed in the shooting were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pray-for-our-brother-pastors-rally-around-covenant-senior-minister-whose-daughter-was-slain-in-nashville-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">daughter</a> of Covenant Presbyterian Church senior minister Chad Scruggs. Dr. Katherine Koonce, the school’s 60-year-old principal, was also killed, as were 61-year-olds Mike Hill, an employee at the school, and Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher.
Mourning congregants were comforted as they sang hymns such as “O God Our Help in Ages Past,” “Be Still My Soul,” and “Abide with Me.” One of the congregational prayers asked God to comfort those in their church family impacted by the shooting.
“Most merciful God, whose wisdom is beyond our understanding, deal graciously with those who mourn,” the prayer said. “Surround them with Your love, that they may not be overwhelmed with their loss, but have confidence in Your goodness and strength to meet the days to come. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.”
Rev. Billy Barnes preached from the final chapter of Luke, in which Jesus appeared to His grieving disciples on the road to the town of Emmaus shortly after His resurrection. The passage is marked by the disciples expressing confusion in light of Jesus’ death without realizing that He was walking alongside them even amid their sadness. Barnes noted that reminders of the good news about Jesus Christ bring healing to the soul, even through pain and sorrow, because “God is in control and He is sovereign.”
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“We are all on the road to Emmaus together right now,” the minister said. “He is with us. And He will be until the end of the age. And He is risen. Everything is true. It’s all true.”

Nashville Shooting

‘He Is With Us’: Covenant Presbyterian Holds First Sunday Worship Service Since School Massacre

Covenant Presbyterian Holds First Sunday Worship Service Since School Massacre

Tennessee

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/transgender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Transgender</a> activist Charlotte Clymer asserted that conservatives such as Daily Wire host <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/michael-knowles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Knowles</a> contradict the teachings of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jesus-christ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jesus</a> by speaking against radical gender ideology.
Clymer, a man who claims to be a woman, remarked in an <a href="https://twitter.com/MSNBC/status/1641304330031583233" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with MSNBC host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joy-reid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joy Reid</a> that conservatives are seeking to “weaponize” the recent murder of three children and three staff members by a transgender shooter at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, to advance policies against the sexualization of children.
“I think children are only unsafe at drag shows when a shooter shows up to kill them. That’s where the threat is,” Clymer said. “I would challenge anyone just to get to know trans people. We are a vibrant, diverse community, diverse as anyone else. I’m from the great state of Texas. I served in the military, I go to church every Sunday, and my faith is very important to me.”
“But God made me in her image. God made me transgender,” the activist added. “To see these people so cynically weaponize this and exploit these children’s deaths and their teachers’ deaths, it breaks my heart. I wonder what those families are thinking right now.”
Reid asked Clymer about Knowles advocating for a “complete eradication of transgenderism from public life,” which multiple leftist media outlets falsely <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-just-not-really-a-genocide-kind-of-guy-michael-knowles-addresses-libel-at-buffalo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">construed</a> to mean a “genocide” of people identifying as transgender rather than opposition to the ideology. Reid also noted comments from Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who recently <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6321590129112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contended</a> that proponents of radical gender ideology are “at war” with Christians.
“I can’t see Christ in their words. That’s for damn sure,” Clymer responded, adding that he could not determine “where the biblical principles of loving your neighbor and walking the walk with Christ” factored into the affirmation of historic Christian doctrine regarding human sexuality.
Nashville police officers have confirmed that a 28-year-old woman who identified as a man killed three 9-year-old children and three adults on Monday at The Covenant School, which is associated with the conservative evangelical Covenant Presbyterian Church. Authorities <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-christian-school-shooter-identified-as-transgender-authorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that the shooter, who will not be named in accordance with Daily Wire policy, executed a “targeted attack” and left behind a “manifesto.”
Clymer, who formerly worked as press secretary of the Human Rights Campaign and communications director of Catholics for Choice, has previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lgbtq-advocate-champions-censoring-opponents-hank-berrien" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> for “directly harmful” beliefs to be removed from the public square. Knowles was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michael-knowles-suspended-from-twitter-after-posting-bible-verse-in-response-to-nashville-school-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspended</a> from Twitter this week amid what appears to be a crackdown against conservative accounts criticizing or simply alluding to the Trans Radical Activist Network’s recent call for a “Day of Vengeance” on Saturday, April 1, mere days after the attack in Nashville.
Knowles linked on the platform to a Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trans-activists-called-for-day-of-vengeance-before-nashville-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> about the “Day of Vengeance” and included a reference to Romans 12:19, in which the apostle Paul exhorts Christians to refrain from seeking personal retribution: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”
Twitter’s rebuke of the post, a screenshot of which was <a href="https://twitter.com/mattwalshblog/status/1640903825128058881?s=46" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> on the platform by fellow Daily Wire host Matt Walsh, told Knowles to delete the post and said that the social media company does not permit users to “share abusive content, harass someone, or encourage other people to do so.” Knowles was provided with a button through which he could delete the post.
Twitter accounts belonging to Daily Wire News and Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak were also suspended this week for posting about the “Day of Vengeance.” Trans Radical Activist Network meanwhile <a href="https://twitter.com/ResistanceTrans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retains</a> access to its account on the platform.

Charlotte Clymer

‘God Made Me In Her Image’: Transgender Activist Claims Michael Knowles Blasphemes Christ By Opposing Gender Ideology

Transgender Activist Claims Michael Knowles Blasphemes Christ By Opposing Gender Ideology

Joy Reid

Michael Knowles

MSNBC

Social Issues

Transgender

A Super Bowl message of hope and love from a Christian organization drew mockery from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/aoc-criticizes-christian-super-bowl-ad-jesus-would-not-fund-commercials-fascism-benign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">likened</a> the commercials extolling Jesus Christ to &#8220;fascism.&#8221;
The nonprofit Servant Foundation sponsored two Super Bowl commercials as part of the “He Gets Us” campaign. The first featured photos of children in heartwarming situations, including black and white children hugging, as well as a poignant photo from 2019 of 5-year-old Aubrey Burge <a href="https://www.insider.com/heartbreaking-photos-show-girl-comforting-brother-with-leukaemia-chemotherapy-2019-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comforting</a> her 4-year-old brother as he underwent chemotherapy.
“Jesus didn’t want us to act like adults,&#8221; the narrator says as legendary country singer Patsy Cline&#8217;s “If I Could See The World [Through The Eyes of a Child]&#8221; plays. &#8220;He gets us. All of us. Be childlike.”
The second ad showed adults arguing and fighting with each other, then stated, “Jesus loved the people we hate,” reiterating, “He gets us. All of us.”
The messages may have inspired millions of viewers of all faiths, but not AOC.
“Something tells me Jesus would *not* spend millions of dollars on Super Bowl ads to make fascism look benign,&#8221; the New York lawmaker tweeted.
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Something tells me Jesus would *not* spend millions of dollars on Super Bowl ads to make fascism look benign
&mdash; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1624967013817884674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Hobby Lobby founder David Green, a devout Christian and one of the major funders of the He Gets Us campaign, <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2023/february/he-gets-us-super-bowl-commercial-billion-jesus-christian.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the group sought to reach the biggest audience of the year with its call for kindness and compassion.
“You’re going to see it at the Super Bowl—‘He Gets Us.’ We are wanting to say—we being a lot of people—that He gets us,&#8221; Green said. &#8220;He understands us. He loves who we hate. I think we have to let the public know and create a movement.”
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This is the ad <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aoc</a> claims makes “fascism look benign” <a href="https://t.co/H6xmLcaqvu">https://t.co/H6xmLcaqvu</a>
&mdash; Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) <a href="https://twitter.com/thevivafrei/status/1625118383627816962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“It fits with our target audience really well,” He Gets Us campaign spokesperson Jason Vanderground <a href="https://apnews.com/article/religious-super-bowl-ad-campaign-he-gets-us-424b36089913ff4a8639bbcf20c14ae3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Associated Press. “We’re trying to get the message across to people who are spiritually open, but skeptical.”
Vanderground <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/12/business/media/he-gets-us-jesus-commercial-super-bowl.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the group believed there was room for a message of love amid all the commercials for consumer goods.
“Selling chips is cool, selling light beers, all of that stuff is awesome,” Vanderground said. “I enjoy consuming all those things. There’s something about figuring out the way that we treat fellow human beings that we think is just a profound activity to occur during the Super Bowl.” 
According to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-2023-super-bowl-ads-will-feature-booze-betting-and-jesus-d8dff447" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>, some 30-second slots for Super Bowl ads sold for over $7 million, while some cost $6 million because some advertisers had multiyear deals and spent plenty of money generally on ads for shows featuring sports.

House Oversight Committee Holds Organizational Meeting

AOC Mocks Christian Group’s Super Bowl Ads Calling For Love, Compassion

AOC Mocks Christian Group's Super Bowl Ads Calling For Love, Compassion

Sports

Super Bowl

Two millennia ago, the people of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Judea</a> visited the Jordan River in droves as the voice of John the Baptist cried to them from the wilderness about the arrival of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jesus-christ" target="_blank" rel="no opener noopener">Jesus Christ</a>. Today, that wilderness from which Jesus began his ministry could become the home of souvenir shops, botanical gardens, and boutique hotels.
King Abdullah II of Jordan recently heard a proposal to pour as much as $300 million into a “tourist city” adjacent to the site where Jesus was believed to have been baptized, according to a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-eyes-tourism-bonanza-expansion-jesus-baptism-site-2022-12-14/">report</a> from Reuters. The attraction could eventually quintuple the number of pilgrims who visit the location to one million per year.
Planners would attempt to maintain the idyllic location, which is 30 miles west of Amman, the capital of Jordan and the Islamic nation’s largest city. &#8220;We are talking about rustic stones and pebbles in architectural designs that preserve the place&#8217;s pristine nature and ensure that the sanctity and spirituality that existed 2,000 years ago are not trampled on by any development,&#8221; architect Kamel Mahadin told Reuters.
In recent years, various churches and organizations have raced to construct houses of worship near the site, where John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, as recorded in the Gospel of John. According to the New Testament, the baptism of Jesus marked the beginning of his three-year earthly ministry.
The project would mark the first revenue-generating Christian holy site operated by the Jordanian government, which plans to solicit funding for the initiative from churches, donors, and private investors. &#8220;This is an attempt to usurp religious spirit,” Jordanian Baptist Evangelical researcher Philip Madanat told Reuters. “It is unprecedented to have such a Christian holy site used for this purpose in Jordan.”
The most popular religious pilgrimage destination in the Holy Land is the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the last remaining portion of the retaining wall surrounding the courtyard of the Temple Mount, according to a <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/worlds-most-visited-sacred-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from Travel and Leisure. The most frequented Christian location in the region is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which some believe commemorates the site of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Other sites visited by millions of Christian pilgrims include the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth and the Mount of Beatitudes in Galilee.
Tourism constitutes nearly 20% of the Jordanian economy, according to a <a href="https://www.moin.gov.jo/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Sector-Profile-Tourism-Final-Apr-2018-2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the nation’s government. King Abdullah, who has reigned over the country since 1999, has been widely regarded as tolerant toward Christians.
Though Christians in Jordan face a relatively lower degree of persecution than believers in other Middle Eastern countries, the state “exerts pressure” by monitoring all Christian communities, especially unrecognized churches that publicly evangelize, according to a <a href="https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/jordan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Open Doors. Converts from Islam face a high degree of pressure from their families; some have been beaten or killed for professing faith in Jesus.
Beyond preserving the dwindling Christian population in the Middle East, clerics in Jordan expressed hope that the tourist attraction will generate revenue for the nation’s struggling economy. &#8220;It will lead to prosperity when tourists who come and buy souvenirs and get services, help the local community and the country at large,&#8221; Father Ibrahim Dabbour, the general secretary of the Assembly of Christian leaders of Jordan, told Reuters.
One would be remiss, however, to forget Jesus&#8217; words of rebuke to those who turned the Temple into a place to buy and sell animals for sacrifice: &#8220;It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

The Jordan River Baptismal site

Site Of Jesus’ Baptism Could Become Home To $300 Million Tourist Village

Jordanian Government Could Turn Site Of Jesus' Baptism Into Tourist Destination

Middle East

Inside the Illinois State Capitol sits a display of several religious exhibits for the holiday season, which includes a Jewish menorah, the Christian nativity scene, and the &#8220;Serpent of Genesis&#8221; from the Satanic Temple, as reported by <a href="https://www.advantagenews.com/news/local/granite-city-news/religious-symbols-from-christians-jews-satanists-on-display-at-illinois-state-capitol/article_3666f872-764c-11ed-8d9f-436236bdd61c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local radio media</a>.
Consisting of a leather-bound copy of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus&#8217; &#8220;De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium&#8221; — which translates to &#8220;On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres&#8221; — at the center of the display with handcrafted knitted apples and a 12-foot serpent orbiting the book, the controversial imagery marks the fourth year in a row the state&#8217;s Capitol rotunda in Springfield, Illinois, has showcased displays from the Illinois Satanic Temple.
Minister Adam told <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2022/12/08/illinois-features-satanic-temple-display-alongside-christian-nativity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Caller News Foundation</a> that their display — handcrafted by congregation members that represents the pursuit of forbidden knowledge — revolves around one of the &#8220;most controversial books of its time,&#8221; noting that the book favors a heliocentric model of the universe, which theorizes the earth revolves around the sun — not vice-versa.
The Index of Forbidden Books banned the text for 200 years, but officials from the Satanic Temple told <a href="https://patch.com/illinois/across-il/satanic-temple-dedicates-holiday-display-illinois-capitol-rotunda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patch</a> they believe it still provides a valuable lesson.
But the handmade elements that surround the book, and that were created by Illinois congregation members, carry a similar meaning, officials said.
In 2018, local media <a href="https://www.wcia.com/news/capitol-news/calls-to-remove-satanic-statue-from-capitol/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> one state lawmaker denounced the Satanic Temple, demanding the removal of the satanic statue. However, a sign from the state of Illinois in the rotunda reads, &#8220;because the first floor of the Capitol rotunda is a public place, state officials cannot legally censor the content of speech or displays.&#8221;
&#8220;The State of Illinois is required by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to allow temporary, public display in the state capitol so long as these displays are not paid for by taxpayer dollars,&#8221; the sign reads, according to <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/satanic-temple-of-illinois-display-baphomet-statue/11370430/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a>.
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Henry Haupt, a spokesman for the Illinois Secretary of State, told <a href="https://patch.com/illinois/across-il/satanic-temple-dedicates-holiday-display-illinois-capitol-rotunda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patch</a> that organizations looking to use space in the Capitol rotunda during special events must submit a form to the Secretary of State Physical Services Department.
The temporary display not paid for by tax dollars must also meet certain public safety requirements established by the secretary of state.
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“Temporary displays of this nature, erected in a public space in the Capitol rotunda, are protected by the First Amendment,&#8221; Haupt said in an email to Patch. &#8220;The U.S. Constitution protects freedom of speech, which remains a hallmark and cherished principle of this country.”
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Adam, with Satanic Temple, said the display was &#8220;not in opposition with other religions, but in a show of equality and shared space with other religious viewpoints,&#8221; according to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Speaking with local media, Adam responded to those offended by the display: &#8220;Ok.&#8221;
&#8220;Being offended is something that is more than welcomed for them to be able to do — that is their right,” Adam said. &#8220;But we have every right to be here, and we&#8217;re not going to sanitize that message because someone else is offended by that.”
Beth Rogers, representing the Illinois Prayer Caucus, told Illinois Radio Network during the dedication of the Christian Nativity scene showcasing the birth of Jesus Christ in a manger that the &#8220;little baby in the manger later crushed Satan the serpent&#8217;s head, and the gates of hell will not prevail.&#8221;
Displays in the state Capitol rotunda will remain through January 5.

Road leading toward the state capitol building in Springfield, Illinois.

Satanic Temple Display Near Nativity Scene, Jewish Menorah In Illinois State Capitol Building

Christmas

Illinois

Jewish

satanic

Famed auction house Christie’s is pushing a non-fungible token (NFT) this week: the infamous 1987 work from artist Andres Serrano titled “Piss Christ,” a photo of a crucifix submerged in a glass tank allegedly filled with Serrano’s urine.
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American photographer/artist <a href="https://twitter.com/andres_artwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@andres_artwork</a> is best known for pushing boundaries.
Case in point: “Piss Christ,” a photograph of a crucifix submerged in what is widely speculated to be the artist’s urine. The iconic piece will now be available as an NFT for the very first time. <a href="https://t.co/Zd7xeAQwSS">pic.twitter.com/Zd7xeAQwSS</a>
&mdash; nft now (@nftnow) <a href="https://twitter.com/nftnow/status/1596989377564921856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) partially funded “Piss Christ,” precipitating outrage. The photo received a $15,000 award from the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, which was funded partly by the NEA. In 1989, New York GOP Senator Alfonse D’Amato called Piss Christ “a deplorable, despicable display of vulgarity” on the Senate floor and tore up an image of the photograph.
“What it symbolizes is the way Christ died: the blood came out of him but so did the piss and the s***,” Serrano told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/apr/03/andres-serrano-interview-donald-trump-piss-christ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a> in 2016. “Maybe if Piss Christ upsets you, it&#8217;s because it gives some sense of what the crucifixion actually was like &#8230; I was born and raised a Catholic and I&#8217;ve been a Christian all my life.”
“The dynamic video NFT replicates three historic vandalisms of the original 1987 photograph on a yearly cycle. [Skillfully] applying the time-based mechanisms of digital art, Serrano both archives and transforms the story of his infamous photograph, underscoring its enduring legacy in the history of art and the right to creative expression,” Christie’s <a href="https://www.christies.com/features/andres-serrano-transfigures-piss-christ-into-nft-12556-3.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boasts</a>.
The NFT was produced in collaboration with a/political, an organization whose <a href="https://about.apolitical.co/our-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">co-founder</a>, Lisa Witter, has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/global-womensrights-top100-idINKCN1T000R" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>, “It’s time to showcase the inspirational people who are pioneering change and shaping gender policy around the globe.”
In 2019, a/political released its Gender Equality Top 100 list which included people such as transgender rights activist Sarah McBride, who works at the LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, and Leana Wen, the then-head of Planned Parenthood.
In 2019, Christie’s was one of the first businesses to <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/christies-asks-excluded-trumps-tariffs-chinese-imports-claiming-cause-significant-loss-business-1695027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">file for exemption</a> against former President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese art and antiques. Those tariffs imposed a 15% duty on seven types of artwork and antiques from China.
“It also will severely impact the U.S. art market as a whole, drying up any ability to purchase Chinese artworks outside of the United States,” Christie’s declared. “Punishing the U.S. art market in this manner flies in the face of an important American value of support for the art world.”
In March 2021, Christie’s announced a global sustainability initiative. Prior to that, in 2019, Christie’s <a href="https://www.christies.com/home/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/sustainability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sold</a> the personal guitar collection of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour for $21.5 million; all proceeds went to ClientEarth.

Auction Houses Charged with Conspiring to Fix Rates

Famed Auction House Christie’s Pushes New ‘Piss Christ’ NFT

Famed Auction House Christie’s Pushes New 'Piss Christ’ NFT

Christie's

United Kingdom

A firestorm of criticism broke out after a junior research fellow at Trinity College in Cambridge, England, claimed in a sermon that Jesus could have been transgender.
The sermon from Joshua Heath, whose PhD was monitored by the controversial former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, asserted that the wound that the Gospels write came from a Roman soldier had a “vaginal appearance,” and thus the fact that Jesus’ penis had also been depicted in non-erotic depictions in historical art, combined with the “vaginal appearance” to “urge a welcoming rather than hostile response towards the raised voices of trans people. &#8230; In Christ&#8217;s simultaneously masculine and feminine body in these works, if the body of Christ as these works suggest the body of all bodies, then his body is also the trans body.”
Disturbed worshippers at the sermon, which showed art works including Jean Malouel’s 1400 work Pietà and Henri Maccheroni’s 1990 “Christs” reacted harshly; one shouted “heresy” while another wrote a letter to the Dean, Dr. Michael Banner, which stated:
<blockquote>
I left the service in tears. You offered to speak with me afterwards, but I was too distressed. I am contemptuous of the idea that by cutting a hole in a man, through which he can be penetrated, he can become a woman. &#8230; I am especially contemptuous of such imagery when it is applied to our Lord, from the pulpit, at Evensong. I am contemptuous of the notion that we should be invited to contemplate the martyrdom of a “trans Christ,” a new heresy for our age.
</blockquote>
But Banner defended the sermon, as reported by <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/11/26/jesus-could-have-transgender-claims-cambridge-dean/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Telegraph</a>, writing that the sermon “suggested that we might think about these images of Christ’s male/female body as providing us with ways of thinking about issues around transgender questions today.”
Banner called the speculative idea of a transgender Jesus legitimate, continuing, “For myself, I think that speculation was legitimate, whether or not you or I or anyone else disagrees with the interpretation, says something else about that artistic tradition, or resists its application to contemporary questions around transsexualism.”
“The sermon explored the nature of religious art, in the spirit of thought-provoking academic inquiry, and in keeping with open debate and dialogue at the University of Cambridge,” said a Trinity College spokesman.
Rowan Williams wrote <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/aug/07/anglicanism.gayrights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letters</a> when he was archbishop of Wales in which he asserted, “An active sexual relationship between two people of the same sex might therefore reflect the love of God in a way comparable to marriage, if and only if it had about it the same character of absolute covenanted faithfulness.”
“The church has shifted its stance on several matters, notably the rightness of lending money at interest and the moral admissibility of contraception, so I am bound to ask if this is another such issue,” he added.

Large Round Pieta, 1400-1410, attributed to Jean Malouel (ca 1365-1415), tempera and gold on panel, diameter 65 cm. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

‘I Left The Service In Tears’: Dean Of Trinity College Defends Sermon Claiming Jesus Could Have Been Transgender

Dean Of Trinity College Defends Sermon Claiming Jesus Could Have Been Transgender

England

Trinity College

A young street preacher reacted to a protester stealing and eating his beloved personal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bible</a> — during a demonstration against Daily Wire host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/matt-walsh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Walsh</a> — by emphasizing the forgiveness found in Christ.
On Monday evening, the Young America’s Foundation chapter at the University of Wisconsin hosted a screening of Walsh’s blockbuster documentary “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman-official-trailer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What Is A Woman?</a>” as well as a question-and-answer session about radical gender theory. Footage of a protester <a href="https://twitter.com/yaf/status/1584667429858598912" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shredding and consuming</a> pages of a Bible quickly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/protesters-outside-matt-walsh-speech-shred-pages-of-bible-eat-them-walsh-responds-your-choice-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began circulating online</a>.
The Daily Wire has learned that the Bible belonged to Nick Proell, a local teenager who joined peers from his church to preach and start conversations about God’s design for human sexuality among left-wing demonstrators gathered outside of the event. In an interview with The Daily Wire, Proell explained that the copy of the Scriptures was a Legacy Standard Bible purchased for roughly $100 at the end of last year.
“It was my personal study Bible that I used every single day,” Proell explained. “At church, at Bible study, to preach, you name it.”
Proell had briefly set his Bible down in order to engage a crowd of protesters in conversation. When he later saw pages blowing in the wind, he realized that his Bible was missing. “Right away, I connected the dots,” he recounted. “They also stole our camera and equipment … batteries, chargers, and microphones, that cost more than $1,000.”
When he later saw the footage of a red-headed individual eating pages of the Bible, Proell quipped that he was glad to see him “digesting God&#8217;s word.” Proell had decided to street preach at the event because “as a Christian I&#8217;m called to love God and love my neighbor as myself.”
“If I saw someone walking off a cliff, how much would I have to hate them to see them walking off a cliff and not tell them there&#8217;s a way out? These people are just like me before Jesus, sinners who love their sin and hate God,” he said. “But praise God, he gives sinners the greatest joy, peace, and pleasure when he saves their soul from destruction. And now, because God saved me, I have so much joy. I want to go and tell everyone about this life-changing good news, that you can be reconciled to your Creator by repenting of your sins and trusting in Jesus, who bore the punishment we deserve for our sins in our place by dying on a cross. It&#8217;s the most loving message I could tell anyone.”
Proell explained that radical gender ideology and child mutilation are fundamentally opposed to the biblical worldview since “God made man and woman in his image,” each with distinct roles and characteristics, but “nevertheless equal” in value.
“God uniquely chooses who we are and what our purpose is. He decides if we&#8217;re a man or a woman, not us,” he continued. “Men weren&#8217;t designed to chop off their penises and call themselves women. It&#8217;s a foolish thing to try and play God.”
Proell recalled that Jesus and the apostles were often despised and rejected for their message: “This is exactly what happened to us last night, and it is something we as Christians should expect to happen if we&#8217;re living out the Christian life.” However, Proell expressed confidence that some degree of good came from the destruction of his copy of the Scriptures.
“The Bible says, ‘God does all things for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.’ I hope that by them stealing the Bible and people seeing the footage, the narrative changes,” he said. “I hope that people realize it&#8217;s not just a right-versus-left thing, it&#8217;s an attack on truth and the standard of truth, God himself. That the question ‘What is a Woman?’ is about more than just gender or sex. It&#8217;s about truth. It&#8217;s about God.”
“While I lost $100 and a Bible that meant so much to me, it&#8217;s just a material object. Unlike in many other countries, I can always buy another one. And I know that God&#8217;s word will go out and, as the Lord says, ‘It will not return void.’ Later in the evening, I saw many students walking around with pages in their hands. Whether reading or mocking, I know that seeds were planted. And I pray that God waters those seeds, saving souls and changing lives for the better.”

Proell

‘I’m Called To Love God And Love My Neighbor’: 19-Year-Old Responds To Protester Who ‘Stole’ And Ate His Beloved Personal Bible At Matt Walsh Event

‘I’m Called To Love God And Love My Neighbor’: 19-Year-Old Responds To Protester Who 'Stole' And Ate His Beloved Personal Bible At Matt Walsh Event

Bible

Matt Walsh

University of Wisconsin

According to the Scriptures, demons are unclean, destructive spirits which torment and enslave human beings.
While they are rarely mentioned in the Old Testament, they are mentioned quite frequently in the New Testament, especially in the Gospels, where Jesus is often depicted as driving demons out of people (see <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=demons&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> for a partial list of relevant verses).
These spirits are often associated with the work of the devil and with various kinds of sickness and mental torment, although the Bible does not attribute all sickness to demonic spirits.
These are typical accounts from the Gospels, describing the ministry of Jesus: 
“And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+1%3A39&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">casting out demons</a>.” 
“That evening they brought to him many who were <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%208%3A16&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oppressed by demons</a>, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.”
Or in the Lord’s own words, addressed to King Herod, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+13%3A32&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I cast out demons</a> and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.’”
Jesus also commissioned His disciples to drive out demons (see <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+9%3A1&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+6%3A12-13&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>), and this pattern continued in the book of Acts, after the resurrection of Jesus (see <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts+8%3A4-8&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts+16%3A16-18&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>).
As to the origin of these unclean spirits, the Bible is silent, although that hasn’t stopped students of the Bible from speculating. Are they fallen angels? Are they dispossessed spirits of the Nephilim? Are they dispossessed spirits from a prior creation?
We simply do not know.
But we do know demons are as real as you and me. They just exist in another plane, a spiritual plane, like the angels, which are also spiritual beings.
At the same time, the spiritual realm intersects with the natural realm, which is why demons can have such a powerful, destructive effect on human beings.
But do demons actually possess people? Is that taught in the Bible?
Greek scholars debate how the word daimonizomai should be translated.
Does it mean “demon possessed”? Or “oppressed by demons”? Or “demonized”?
Other passages in the New Testament speak of people having an ‘unclean’ spirit or being bound by a Satanic spirit, and with consistency, the Scriptures speak of demons coming out of people. In fact, that is the whole point of exorcisms: the demons are driven out. That’s why the Greek word most commonly used for this activity is ekballo, which literally means “cast out, drive out.”
What is certain, then, is that demons can inhabit human beings, they can bring mental torment or physical disease or spiritual bondage, and that they must be driven out.
So, whether people are actually “demon possessed,” they have certainly under demonic power and need to be set free.
What about today? Can people still be demonized? Are demons still here and active? Should believers still perform exorcisms?
Let me answer those questions with another question: Where does the Bible say demons simply disappeared or that the death and resurrection of Jesus put a stop to all demonic activity?
As mentioned above, the believers continued to drive out demons in the book of Acts, and Paul referenced demons and demonic powers in his writings to the early Christians (see <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1cor+10%3A20-21&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eph+6%3A12&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>).
It is also clear that the devil himself is neither on vacation nor has he retired (see <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+pet+5%3A8-9&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jam+4%3A7&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>). And if we accept as authentic <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+16%3A9-20&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the verses at the end</a> of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus said that this activity would continue through believers in an ongoing way.
My question for those who believe the Bible to be true but no longer believe in demon possession or exorcism is simply this: What happened to all the demons? Did they suddenly declare truce or find some other beings to inhabit? And if exorcisms continued in the book of Acts and if the early Church Fathers also spoke about driving out demons why shouldn’t we? (Catholic and Orthodox Christians will know that exorcisms have been attested through the centuries.)
To quote Irenaeus of Lyon in his work Against Heresies (180 A.D.):
<blockquote>“For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe, and join themselves to the Church. . . . Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole.”</blockquote>
That being said, before you start trying to drive demons out of people, remember:
<ol>
<li>Not everything is caused by demons</li>
<li>Always look for a natural explanation for a physical or mental condition before attributing it to demons</li>
<li>No one can say, “A demon made me do it,” since we are ultimately responsible for our own sins</li>
<li>You had better know what you are doing before you start commanding demons to leave. (Repeat that last point a bunch of times until it sinks it.) Exorcism is not something you casually “try out.”</li>
</ol>
For those who do not believe the Bible to be God’s Word, this article will likely be further fuel for your fire. “Demons, today? Right!”
For those who accept the testimony of Scripture, I have simply tried to present here what is clearly taught in the Bible.
As for my own experience in ministry over the decades, both in the States and overseas, it confirms what is written in the Word.
Dr. Michael Brown (<a href="http://www.askdrbrown.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.askdrbrown.org</a>) is the host of the nationally syndicated <a href="http://www.lineoffireradio.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Line of Fire</a> radio program. He holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a professor at a number of seminaries and is the author of 40 books. Connect with him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AskDrBrown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMichaelLBrown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>, or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbINn3x-intLp88Zrf8acpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Gothic Art. France. Paris. Notre Dame. Facade. the archangel Michael is weighing their souls with a furry Devil’s interference.

What The Bible Really Says About Demons And Demon Possession

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