By Christy Barritt

City to Remove Cross from Seal

Following legal threats from an atheist foundation, the city of Buhler, Kansas is removing a Christian cross from their seal, as well as replacing a large sign in a city park.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation claims the cross has no place in public venues. The activist organization said displaying the symbol violates the Establishment Clause of the Constitution and, furthermore, that Buhler is endorsing Christianity since the cross was so prominent.

The cross has been part of the design for 24 years. The FFRF only complained, however, after the seal’s image was posted in a city park in 2012.

City officials consulted with legal experts and decided to redesign the seal in order to avoid massive legal fees as part of a lawsuit.

Canadian Babies Left to Die After Failed Abortions

According to LifeSiteNews, 491 babies died after they were born alive during abortions in Canada between 2000 and 2009. The pro-life news organization reported that the information was found through a federal database for the government, which contains official statistics.

According to the country’s law, babies are recognized as humans as soon as they emerge alive from their mothers. Also, according to the country’s criminal code, a child is guaranteed legal protection when he “has completely proceeded, in a living state, from the body of its mother.”

Mary Ellen Douglas, National Organizer for Campaign Life Coalition, told LifeSiteNews that the revelation was “outrageous.”

“It’s bad enough that babies are being killed in the womb, but now we learn that even those protected under Canadian law are apparently being left to die,” she said.

Prolife advocates are calling for a federal investigation into the matter.

Pediatric Group Advocates for Morning After Pills for Teens

The country’s leading medical society of pediatricians is advocating that the morning-after pill be prescribed in advance to teens just in case they need it one day.

The American Academy of Pediatrics claims that these emergency contraceptives, which can induce abortions, can be used to curb U.S. teen pregnancies.

“Adolescents are more likely to use emergency contraception if it has been prescribed in advance of need,” the Academy wrote in a statement.

The study quoted a statistic stating that the U.S. teen pregnancy rate has been declining over the past two decades, but, despite that, it still surpasses that of other developed countries.

“Jesus Agenda” Helps to Fight Poverty

Three Christian ministries have joined forces to launch a series of videos called The Jesus Agenda aimed at inspiring churches to help end poverty.

Compassion International, Christian Aid, and the Micah Challenge produced the nine-week small group Bible study course, which journeys across four continents while exploring Luke 4.

“Social action, justice, and human rights—once dirty words for many Christians—are now seen as integral to the gospel,” said Joel Edwards, the international director of Micah Challenge and coordinator of the project.

According to organizers, there are currently an estimated 1.4 billion people worldwide suffering from extreme poverty.

The resource is available for free at www.thejesusagenda.org.

Christy Barritt is an award-winning author, freelance writer, and speaker living in Chesapeake, Virginia. She and her husband Scott have two sons.
www.christybarritt.com