News

Contact: Lori Sanada, Advocates for Faith & Freedom, 951-304-7583 SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 7, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals decided that the people of California had no right pass an initiative that limits marriage to one man and one woman. At the same time, the Court of Appeals denied a petition to intervene that was filed by Chuck Storey, County Clerk for the County of Imperial. The question of who has a right to defend Proposition 8 has been Source: Advocates for Faith & Freedom, Inc.

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals is set to hear the case against a New York City law intended to deter women from seeking help at New York City Pregnancy Resource Centers. Contact: Samuel B. Casey, 703-624-4092 WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Jubilee Campaign's Law of Life Project (LOLP) stood firmly behind the rights of New York City pregnancy resource centers to continue their life saving work by filing a friend of the court brief in the case against New York Source: Jubilee Campaign

Contact: Overflow Cafe, 416-703-7979 TORONTO, Canada, Feb. 7, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Overflow Cafe is a Christian owned website promotion company that serves clients worldwide. In 2010 they offered thousands of free accounts to single parents, both mothers and fathers, who were starting a new business. The results and reviews were so positive that Overflow Cafe is now preparing to offer free service to a limited number of USA and Canadian military personnel who are coming back from acti Source: Overflow Cafe

Family Group Vows: We will Defend Marriage and Proposition 8 Contact: Karen England, Capitol Resource Institute, 916-212-5607, kengland@capitolresource.org SACRAMENTO, Feb. 7, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot initiative that codified the traditional definition of marriage, is invalid and unconstitutional. "This is a stunning assault on democracy and California's initiative process," explained Ka Source: Capitol Resource Institute

Contact: Kathleen Domingo, Catholics for the Common, 213-291-3580 SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 7, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- "The decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold Judge Walker's radical decision overturning Prop 8 comes as no surprise," said Catholics for the Common Good President William B. May. "We always knew this case would be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Now that the Ninth Circuit has rendered its decision, the case can finally move to the U.S. Supreme Cou Source: Catholics for the Common Good

The Southern Baptist Convention's benefits entity has joined the growing chorus of evangelical and Roman Catholic voices publicly protesting the Obama administration's mandate that health insurance plans cover contraceptives, including ones that can cause abortions. "This encroachment of religious freedom is blatant and outrageous and should be taken seriously by those of us who are part of the body of believers, as well as by others who respect and regard this nation's history and constitutional foundation," GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said in a written statement.

Hispanic ministries in Alabama adjust to ramifications of the state's immigration law that went into effect last fall.

Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention by David E. Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church in New Orleans. Crosby said the election of Luter "as the first African American president of the SBC will send a great, hopeful, powerful message to our city, our culture, our convention and our country."

New Orleans pastor Fred Luter recounts how he came to be open to the Southern Baptist Convention's presidency and what priorities, if elected, he would pursue.

The Georgia Baptist Convention experienced its most dramatic staff reduction ever Jan. 26-27 as 16 employees and two vacant positions were eliminated in the latest round of downsizing. Staffing has now been cut 26 percent since the 2008 recession.

For much of the season, Chase Blackburn watched the NFL season the way millions of other fans did -- from his couch. He ended the season, however, in the middle of the New York Giants Super Bowl victory celebration. In Sunday's Super Bowl XLVI win over New England, Blackburn made one of the game's biggest plays, intercepting a Tom Brady pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski at the Giants' 8 yard line with 14:20 left in the fourth quarter.

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of "The Purpose Driven Life," says that the 16th-century Anabaptists shaped his Purpose Driven model for the church. More than 500 students, faculty members and guests from around the world attended the "Anabaptism and Contemporary Baptists" conference at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where Warren joined prominent Anabaptist historian Abraham Friesen as a featured speaker.

A plurality of self-identified evangelicals and born-again Christians voted for Mitt Romney during Saturday's Nevada caucuses, helping him secure his second straight victory in the Republican nomination race.

In February, many churches hold annual True Love Waits ceremonies for young people who make commitments to remain abstinent until their wedding day.

The Obama administration's decision to require religious institutions to cover abortion-inducing contraceptives amounts to the trampling of religious liberty "under the feet of the leviathan state," says columnist R. Albert Mohler Jr.

Columnist Evan Lenow, a Texas Rangers fan who follows Josh Hamilton, examines what Christians and sports fans should think when sports stars like Hamilton have public failures, as Hamilton recently did.

Contact: Nancy Stith, 770-339-6880 NORCROSS, Ga., Feb. 7, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- "Monday's Supreme Court decision striking down our pitifully weak assisted suicide ban will open the door for Georgia to become a haven for merchants of death unless we act," said GRTL President, Dan Becker. He urged the Georgia Legislature to remedy today's ruling by enacting a complete ban against doctor-prescribed death and other forms of assisting suicide, before the current Georgia legislative Source: Georgia Right to Life

Contact: Jessica Rodgers, National Right to Life Committee, 202-626-8825, mediarelations@nrlc.org WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Citing a violation of First Amendment Rights, the Georgia State Supreme Court today struck the state's 1994 law which classified as a felony anyone who "publicly advertises, offers or holds himself out as offering that he or she will intentionally and actively assist another person in the commission of suicide and commits any overt act to furt Source: National Right to Life Committee

Contact: Megan Morris, 913-426-0002; www.StGiannaPhysicians.org SAN DIEGO, Feb. 6, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Cardinal Raymond Burke, Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, sent a written message of support to St. Gianna Physician's Guild over the weekend encouraging Catholics to sign the organization's online petition (www.StopTheBirthControlMandate.org) to protest the assault on religious liberty that is happening under ObamaCare. Source: St. Gianna Physician's Guild