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Faithful chaplain a guiding light to Ashland University sports teams (VIDEO)

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ASHLAND — For the thirty years Joe Maggelet has served as Athletics Chaplain at Ashland University. When it comes to mentoring college students, Ashland sports athletes all know their chaplain is in a league of his own.

“I first met Joe Maggelet in 1995 at chapel when I was a student at Ashland University,” says Ashland Mayor Matt Miller. “Joe is always eager to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with both students and with citizens in the community alike. I always admire his passion in connecting current events with Bible prophecy.”

Ashland University football players kneel for prayer before game. (Submitted photo)

“Joe also does a masterful job at connecting non-resident students with people in Ashland-he is a bridge builder when it comes to relationships.”

That bridge building includes partnering with the community. “I could not do the things I do without the help of the faith community,” says Maggelet. “We have local churches that make meals for the team, that volunteer their time, and that financially support our ministry with Fellowship of Christian Athletes.”

“During the football season, the team has pregame and post game prayers and chapel every week. Bible studies also occur throughout the week. We really do have a good group of student leaders.”

“There is a real spiritual need for these kids when they leave home and come to college. To have that spiritual father like Joe Maggelet is priceless. Joe has been our team chaplain for all sixteen years that I have coached at Ashland University. I can tell you that the guidance Joe provides our athletes and even our coaching staff, sets the pace and gets our team ready to play.”

Lee Owens
Ashland University Head football coach

In addition, the past seven years Maggelet has led short-term mission trips with Ashland University athletes to the Dominican Republic for service projects.

“I have a real heart for the inner city kids and to be a father to the fatherless” says Maggelet who had his own difficult child upbringing.

According to Football Head Coach Lee Owens, spirituality plays an integral part in the lives of collegiate athletes. “There is a real spiritual need for these kids when they leave home and come to college,” says Owens. “To have that spiritual father like Joe Maggelet is priceless. Joe has been our team chaplain for all sixteen years that I have coached at Ashland University. I can tell you that the guidance Joe provides our athletes and even our coaching staff, sets the pace and gets our team ready to play.”

Chaplain Joe Maggelet leads a post game prayer with the football team.
(Submitted photo)

Out of 350 athletic departments in the NCAA Division II, Ashland was ranked as having the ninth best sports program in the country in 2019.

Maggelet still keeps in touch with past athletes. “Recently I met with Coach Owen’s first recruit, who now coaches at Kent State. And I also officiated the wedding of one of our female basketball players who was on our national champion basketball team.”

Mayor Miller comments “Joe Maggelet really typifies Ashland; our community is known for its strong faith and for its strong giving. The two biggest events in the county are the National Day of Prayer and the Ashland Pregnancy Care Center which are both held at the University Convocation Center. Joe plays an integral part at the university and represents our community well.”

The Bottom Line:

The Bible says in Proverbs Twelve, “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

View the video below on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Community embraces idea of Chick fil-A coming to Mansfield (VIDEO)

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MANSFIELD — Mayor Timothy Theaker announced this week that Chick fil-A will be bringing a food truck the next few weeks to test the waters in Richland County. Locals are thrilled by the prospects and point out the popular business brings more to the table than just chicken.

“My office was contacted by their company and we are pleased they have chosen Mansfield as a test site,” says Theaker. “A Chick-fil-A food truck will be coming to Mansfield on Thursdays to various locations within the city over the next few weeks to see if there is enough business to permanently locate a facility here in Mansfield.”

Several area officials are delighted about the prospects including Mansfield Councilman David Falquette, who chairs the Economic Development Committee. “Chick-fil-A is a highly desirable food franchise and Mansfield residents will enjoy supporting them. I trust Chick fil-A to choose a great location in Mansfield.”

State Representative Mark Romanchuk also gives his hearty approval of Chick fil-A, which claimed the top spot on the American Satisfaction Index for the fourth year in a row. The third largest food chain in the nation appears poised to locate at least one of its restaurants in the North Central Ohio area. Several area communities have made similar food truck announcements in Ashland and Wooster.

“I think it is great that Chick fil-A is exploring the Buckeye Bible Belt to determine feasible locations. With the tourist magnet BibleWalk, an active faith community, and geographical midpoint location, Mansfield would be ideal. This would be like manna from heaven if Chick fil-A locates a restaurant here.”

REVEREND EL AKUCHIE

“I think it is great that Chick fil-A is exploring the Buckeye Bible Belt to determine feasible locations,” says Reverend El Akuchie of the Richland Community Prayer Network. “With the tourist magnet BibleWalk, an active faith community, and geographical midpoint location, Mansfield would be ideal. This would be like manna from heaven if Chick fil-A locates a restaurant here.”

Akuchie believes the Interstate 71-State Route 13 interchange would provide the best location. “Exit 169 has an existing food court of 13 different restaurants, a commercial anchor in Wal Mart, and a nearby ski resort that draws motorist traffic during winter months.”

According to data from the Richland County Regional Planning Commission (RCRPC), State Route 13 near Exit 169 averaged 16,000 motorists in a twenty-four hour period in 2018. Ohio Department of Transportation counts an average of 57,000 motorists daily on I-71 near Exit 169 according to Transportation Technical Director Todd Blankenship of RCRPC. At one point, the McDonald’s on Hanley Hill West off of Exit 169 attracted the most customers in the nation during the 1980’s due to its proximity to the highway and central location between Cleveland and Columbus.

Local support has been building with a Richland County Loves Chick fil-A Facebook page gaining popularity. Reverend Randy Raynes of Mansfield Fellowship Baptist, has raised children and now grandchildren on Chick fil-A, and even wrote a poem featured on the company’s website. Raynes appreciates the restaurant chain’s observance of the Sabbath and its religious convictions despite the the risk of ruffling the feathers of its competitors.

“There is a lot of great restaurants with good food, but the attitude and compassion expressed by Chick fil-A thru their employees-whether it is a customer in the store or a local disaster in the area, you can see Christian compassion in it all. I appreciate the fact the company becomes a part of the community in more ways than just trying to separate people from their money.”

Chick-fil-A’s Remarkable Futures Initiative recently awarded $15.3 million in scholarships to restaurant team members. In 2018, the company’s philanthropic Chick-fil-A Foundation awarded $1.23 million to twenty-two non-profit organizations.

The Bottom Line:

The Bible says in Deuteronomy Eight, “When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the LORD your GOD for the good land which He has given you.”

View video showing what one Chick fil-A franchise is doing for a community when it opens its doors in Arlington, Texas.

Ohio House introduces resolution declaring pornography as public health crisis (VIDEO)

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COLUMBUS — Nineteen State Representatives introduced Ohio House Resolution 180 last week declaring pornography as a public health crisis.

State Rep. Jena Powell and eighteen co-sponsors including State Rep. Mark Romanchuk presented the resolution which emphasizes the connections between pornography and human trafficking. It also highlights the serious hardships pornography causes for men, women and children.

A recent study ranked Ohio as one of the worst states in the nation for human sex trafficking. As lawmakers and law enforcement work to end the exploitation of Ohio’s most vulnerable, the resolution brings to light the importance of protecting children from pornography, and enforcing existing obscenity laws.

The resolution has been assigned to the House Health Committee.

“The #MeToo movement has awakened America to the epidemic of sexual assault, human trafficking, and the objectification of women,” said Aaron Baer, President of Citizens for Community Values. “But any serious conversation about ending a toxic sexual culture must include an honest assessment of the harms of pornography. Pornography is more widely available than ever before, and until we get serious about enforcing our existing obscenity laws and ensuring children aren’t exposed to porn, we will never end the exploitation.”

“Pornography is more widely available than ever before, and until we get serious about enforcing our existing obscenity laws and ensuring children aren’t exposed to porn, we will never end the exploitation.”

Aaron Baer
Citizens for community values

If the resolution passes in the House, Ohio will join at least fifteen other states who have passed similar resolutions: Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia.

Citizens for Community Values and the National Decency Coalition worked with Representative Jena Powell to draft the resolution.

Eighteen House members signed as cosponsors—Rep. John Becker, Rep. Louis Blessing, Tom Brinkman, Rep. Bill Dean, Rep. Tim Ginter, Rep. Diane Grendell, Rep. Ron Hood, Rep. Candice Keller, Rep. Kyle Koehler, Rep. George Lang, Rep. Riordan McClain, Rep. Derek Merrin, Rep. Tracy Richardson, Rep. Craig Riedel, Rep. Mark Romanchuk, Rep. Todd Smith, Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus, and Rep. Nino Vitale.

Since 2011, there have been twenty-three major studies on pornography having a negative and detrimental impact on the brain. See video below.

Family Research Council presentation reveals experts across a variety of disciplines agreed that pornography use is, in fact, addictive and a public health crisis.

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66 Clergy call for prayer & fasting regarding immoral culture (VIDEO)

Leaders applaud landmark Supreme Court decision preserving Peace Cross Memorial (VIDEO)

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MANSFIELD — Ohio faith leaders are applauding the recent Supreme Court decision preserving the Bladensburg Peace Cross in Maryland by a convincing 7-2 margin.

One pastor who has a twenty-five foot cross at his church beside state highway believes this Supreme Court decision could help the judicial system to get back on the right track.

Pictured: Pastor Dink Porter of First Church of the Open Bible near a state highway.

“I believe this recent decision is a victory for religious freedom in this country and will have a domino effect on other court decisions,” says Reverend Dink Porter of First Church of the Open Bible, located at 1150 Rayfield Road.

“I grew up as a kid in my church seeing this cross,” says Reverend Porter. “During our community outreaches, we have had motorists from out of the area compliment us for the cross display.”

In the Bladensburg Cross case, the majority ruled against the American Humanist Association and in favor of the 40-foot-tall World War I memorial erected on public land in 1919. The high court cited that the cross does not violate the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution.

“Most Americans know to be true that religious displays on public lands do not violate the Constitution or represent an ‘establishment of religion,” said Aaron Baer, President of Citizens for Community Values in a press release.

“A government that roams the land, tearing down monuments with religious symbolism and scrubbing away any reference to the Divine will strike many as aggressively hostile to religion.”

supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito

Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the majority opinion in the Bladensburg case, stated, “A government that roams the land, tearing down monuments with religious symbolism and scrubbing away any reference to the Divine will strike many as aggressively hostile to religion.”

“Radical activist groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) are on a crusade to threaten state and local leaders to abandon prayer and any other religious displays on government property,” says Baer.

“Our advice to Ohio leaders is that when FFRF calls, hang up the phone. Time and time again the courts have rejected their arguments. Their anti-religious worldview is not American. Clearly we can see that elections have consequences.”

The number of Appellate Court confirmations by the Trump Administration exceed other U.S. Presidencies. (Diagram by First Liberty Institute)

Reverend Porter was one of 108 leading clergy in North Central Ohio to hold a press conference resisting federal judicial tyranny last year at the Richland County, Ohio Courthouse.

“I am dumbfounded that we have federal judges presently on the bench coming out of law schools that do not require them to study the U.S. Constitution,” commented Porter. “And these are the officials we have delegated the responsibility of interpreting our nation’s laws? It is my hope that this trend of conservative judicial nominations will bring justice and righteousness to our land as originally intended by the Founding Fathers.

“Isaiah 1:26 says ‘And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.”

In a decision yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court also issued yet another religious freedom victory for cross memorials. The high court vacated a lower court ruling arguing a historic World War II-era cross in Bayview Park, Florida violates the separation of church and state, according to the Pensacola News Journal.

See the video below featuring historian David Barton describing the religious backgrounds of the framers of the Constitution. Last year Barton on his radio show commented: “I love the fact that the Ohio clergymen do a better job articulating the Constitution in their letter than most scholars and constitutional lawyers.”

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108 North central Ohio clergy send letter to resist judicial tyranny (SLIDESHOW)(VIDEO)
Atheist group fails in bid to bully Ohio town over nativity scene

Public forum discusses the cure for Fatherless society (AUDIO)

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GALION — In the wake of Father’s Day, last week citizens in the area attended a panel discussion to address the issue of fatherhood in society-or lack thereof.

“The meeting went well, each presentation during the forum provided a different angle on the issue of fatherhood,” said Carol Kable, Co-Director of Citizen to Patriot, lead sponsor of the event.

“The general consensus was that the marginalization of masculinity has been observed on a generational basis,” said Kable. “This has opened the door to gender confusion and other social dysfunctions in society.”

(Pictured from L to R) J.C. Church, Steve Grover, and Carol Kable.

According to one of the panelists, Galion native Reverend J.C. Church, sometimes it takes one lost generation to bring a people back to their senses.

“There is a crisis in manhood, masculinity is under attack and men do not know their Biblical role GOD gave them as sacrificial providers for their families. As a father of three and a grandfather of four, my goal is to provide their generation a Supreme Christ and a Supreme Court that can pose as a firewall to protect our Constitutional liberties. It is my sincere hope this will allow time for my children’s’ generation to become the leaders we never became.”

“As a father of three and a grandfather of four, my goal is to provide their generation a Supreme Christ and a Supreme Court that can pose as a firewall to protect our Constitutional liberties. It is my sincere hope this will allow time for my children’s’ generation to become the leaders we never became.”

Reverend J.C. Church

Time is exactly what fathers are not giving their children says Steve Grover, Biblical Counselor with Come to the Well Biblical Counseling, who has three children and twenty grandchildren.

“As central figure in the home, the father helps determines the identity of his children by showing acceptance or rejection. When fathers do not take time to mentor and shepherd their children, it communicates rejection to the child. This is why paternal absence for children often leads to substance abuse, poverty and crime.”

Mentoring is the fundamental approach Aaron Cleveland from Cardington, takes with his five children. Cleveland incorporates his family with his ministry and activities.

“My wife and I take our children with us to events across the county with the purpose of abolishing abortion. We are home school parents and have served as foster parents to fifteen different children. It is my observation that there can be a lot of selfishness by parents in the system who do not care for their children. Parents and fathers in particular have got to stop outsourcing their duties to their children. Spend time with your children and raise them or else someone else will.”

Church mentioned during the forum how the library systems throughout the nation are no longer educating children but indoctrinating children to the LGBT agenda in order to recruit their next victims. He cited recent successes in Ohio on this issue occurred because men spoke up.

Church works with the Family Research Council (FRC) which has assembled a network of one-thousand Ohio pastors and fifteen thousand nationwide.

“In the coming months FRC will begin implementing a national campaign assembling men’s conferences to teach men how to become fathers and warriors.”

“This is the real antidote to the fatherless age: men mentoring the next generation,” says Grover. “We can blame bad policies like the Equality Act, no-fault divorces, evolution-based public education, or the Great Society all we want. The crux of the matter is we replace the false teaching of “toxic masculinity” by going directly to the beginning chapters of the Book of Genesis to seek GOD’s opinion on these moral issues. There truly is no other solutions outside of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Did you know? What do sixty-three percent of suicides, ninety-percent of homeless, eighty- percent of rapists, seventy-one percent of high school dropouts, and eight-nine percent of prisoners have in common? The answer is: fatherlessness. Click on the image below for more.

Featured photo by Jude Beck on Unsplash

See Related article:

Outcry cancels two drag queen programs in Ohio libraries (VIDEO)

Auditorium,expanded zoo, & new playground added to Ark Encounter attraction (VIDEO)

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CINCINNATI — The internationally popular Ark Encounter is getting ready to celebrate its third anniversary next month, and guests will have many new venues to experience in the fourth year.

Answers in Genesis (AiG), which operates the Ark Encounter with a full-size Noah’s Ark as the centerpiece, continues to engage in major expansions through 2019. Tourist-related businesses in northern Kentucky/Cincinnati continue to flourish, with new hotels being built throughout the area to meet the demand for lodging. Hotel and restaurant owners in the region are benefiting greatly from growing Ark attendance.

Ken Ham, the CEO of AiG, the Ark Encounter, and the Ark’s sister attraction the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky (which has just seen record attendance as well), said, “I’m very pleased to report that while most attractions see their best attendance in year one and then experience a drop-off, we’ve seen the opposite. We’ve experienced another increase in yearly attendance at the Ark Encounter.”

Pictured is the massive new 2,500 seat auditorium at the Ark Encounter.

Recent additions include:

  • The addition of a 2,500-seat auditorium inside the Answers Center, with a massive 70-foot-long LED screen on the stage. Well-known musicians and Bible conferences have been booked, including internationally popular singers and songwriters The Gettys (on October 9) and a national conference against racism.
  • The doubling in size of the Ararat Ridge Zoo behind the Ark. A walk-through kangaroo and emu area will be opening in a few months. The zoo’s expansion will open progressively through the fall, with the addition of lemurs, sloths, African tortoise, aoudad goats, live animal shows, and more.
  • The opening of a large new family play area. Built by Playground Equipment Services, this family play area is accessible by all children and adults. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to have fun with their kids as a family activity. This cutting-edge playground has been specially designed for children of all abilities.

Last year, the Creation Museum, 45 minutes away, opened a 4D Theater and will unveil new exhibits later this year. It is experiencing its highest attendance ever in 12 years.

New state-of-the-art family playground at the Ark Encounter.

Ham pointed out that with all there is to see and do now at AiG’s attractions, “many guests are telling me they need to come back a second day. So we have created a special ‘Explore More’ bonus ticket for our Ark Encounter and Creation Museum guests. On their second day at either attraction, guests can now take in all of the speakers and shows at the Ark’s new Answers Center and the museum’s Legacy Hall, experience the zoos at both attractions, hit the gift shops again, and feast on all of our great food items—things they may have missed on their first day.”

Beginning July 1, guests will be given an “Explore More” ticket to enjoy a second day. They just need to present their receipt, pay for parking, and then explore more on their second day. Entrance to the exhibits inside the Ark and the Creation Museum is limited to their first day.

In addition, the attractions now feature annual family and single combo passes to enable families to enjoy the attractions all year long. These passes include unlimited visits and parking.

As the Ark Encounter begins its fourth year next month in Williamstown, Kentucky, and continues to expand, it looks forward to growing attendance and contributing even more to the region’s economy. Soon, the addition of new hotels will mean that more people will be visiting the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. Ham noted: “I’m happy to hear that several entrepreneurs are putting up hotels to help fill the demand for those people wishing to visit the Ark and Creation Museum.”

Click on the video above to view the Ark Encounter.

Answers in Genesis is an apologetics (i.e., Bible-defending) ministry based in northern Kentucky, near Cincinnati. The Ark Encounter, which sometimes draws 8,000 guests in a day, opened in 2016 and features a 510-foot-long Noah’s Ark. West of the Cincinnati Airport and next to the AiG headquarters, the Creation Museum has welcomed over 4 million visitors and has also become a major family attraction in the Midwest.

For more information on the two world-renowned attractions, visit ArkEncounter.com

Local pastor addresses genocide in native Nigeria (AUDIO)

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MANSFIELD — Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released the International Religious Freedom Report for 2019 and many of its findings are grim, especially for the country of Nigeria. Despite being the most populous nation in the world’s most Christian continent, Nigerian Christians are in peril for their very lives.

According to Reverend El Akuchie, who lived in Nigeria for thirty-three years and who serves as Coordinator of the Richland Community Prayer Network, Nigeria is exhibit number one that Islamic jihadists are at war with Bible-believers across the world.

Reverend El Akuchie pictured

“There is no safe space in this world from sharia law. Since 1999 over one quarter of Nigeria has been transformed into oppressive theocratic states imposing sharia law. Consequently, there is no peace in the country.”

Violent attacks by nomadic Islamic Fulani herdsmen are estimated to have slaughtered a staggering 60,000 Nigerian Christians in the central region of the country since 2001. Recently the Muslim-majority government has committed to providing settlements for the Fulani in all thirty-six states.

Not to be outdone, jihadists from the Boko Haram (translated to: non-Islamic education is sin) have killed over 2,295 teachers, destroyed 1,500 schools, and displaced 19,000 since its insurgency began nine years ago in the north region.

“To cloud the carnage of sharia law in Nigeria, globalists and mainstream media are disingenuously saying climate change is the cause for the violence. To the contrary, the real reason I have not been back to Nigeria since 2007 is not because of weather patterns, it is because of the violent sharia ideology that has brought instability and corruption to the people.”

Reverend El Akuchie
Richland Community Prayer Network

Akuchie has six siblings living in Nigeria. He comments, “To cloud the carnage sharia law in Nigeria, globalists and mainstream media are disingenuously saying climate change is the cause for the violence. To the contrary, the real reason I have not been back to Nigeria since 2007 is not because of weather patterns, it is because of the violent sharia ideology that has brought instability and corruption to the people.”

Sharia law institutes blasphemy laws giving special privilege to Islamic speech while silencing other religious speech. It also enlists girls in the sex slave trade.

Akuchie points out, “If people want to complain about the conditions we have in America, they need to first go to a nation like Nigeria, see what genocide looks like, and then make conclusions for themselves.”

Click on image above for audio report on Nigerian genocide by Breakpoint.

While storm clouds engulf the nation, Akuchie points out there is still hope for Nigeria: hope from above.

“This past Spring, seventy-two Nigerian Christian children were facing a Boko Haram firing squad. The night before, the children in the group said the Lord Jesus appeared to them and told them “not to fear, and that He would protect them.

“As the soldiers prepared to fire at the children that next morning, something happened. The jihadists dropped their rifles and started to grab at their heads, screaming and shouting “Snakes! Snakes!” Some of the soldiers ran off, and others dropped dead.

“In America, we need to remember that GOD is still performing miracles in our day. Jesus is the Resurrection. We must allow Him to resurrect our hearts- we cannot remain silent any longer.”

See the video below on the world’s most persecuted minority.

Family advocates lobby against H.B. 194 online sports gambling (VIDEO)

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COLUMBUS — Two leading family values voices are at odds with House Bill 194 and its companion bill in the Senate (S.B. 111) which legalize online sports gambling. According to Aaron Baer of Citizens for Community Values, there are powerful special interests pushing these bills.

“The casino industry knows this legislation provides their industry more avenues to exploit money from the poor by enticing the impoverished to play games that are statistically stacked against them,” says Baer.

The legislation came up for debate after the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act as unconstitutional. The federal law had limited sports betting to Nevada for more than 25 years. The ruling now leaves it up to states to decide whether to allow their residents to bet on sports.

Image from CBS News “Sports betting: The Basics,” March 24, 2019

Barry Sheets with Principled Policy, believes the Supreme Court has opened up the flood gates to expanded gambling across the country.

“To make matters worse, these proposed bills allow for gambling on mobile devices. This will create a whole new class of gambling addicts. These bills ignore the euphoric similarity between addictive gambling behavior and the addiction to opioids- both repeatedly pursue a rewarding outcome and endorphins are released.”

According to Sheets, the State of New Jersey recently legalized sports gambling and at least one gambling counseling hotline is seeing a 22 percent increase in calls.

“Sports gambling is not a safe bet for families and communities,” says Sheets.

Aaron Baer believes the state-run program will profit off those who can least afford it.

“The majority of lottery tickets are sold in impoverished neighborhoods, so online sports gambling will lure the poorest of Ohio citizens to fund rich schools. In essence, it is a reverse Robin Hood. There is no question sports wagering will also undermine the integrity of sports. No one can deny that corrupt match fixing in tennis has occurred. And we cannot forget that this year marks the one-hundredth anniversary of the “Black Sox Scandal” when Major League Baseball players were bribed by gamblers to throw the World Series.”

Aaron Baer
Citizens for Community Values

“The majority of lottery tickets are sold in impoverished neighborhoods, so online sports gambling will lure the poorest of Ohio citizens to fund rich schools. In essence, it is a reverse Robin Hood. There is no question sports wagering will also undermine the integrity of sports. No one can deny that corrupt match fixing in tennis has occurred. And we cannot forget that this year marks the one-hundredth anniversary of the “Black Sox Scandal” when Major League Baseball players were bribed by gamblers to throw the World Series.”

Major changes were recently made by legislators to House Bill 194 to ensure Ohio conforms with the Federal Wire Act from 1961. The law makes it a crime to transmit or promote interstate or foreign wagering.

In January, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a legal opinion saying it could use the Wire Act, in addition to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, to go after online gaming activity.

“If online sports gambling is passed by the Ohio Legislature, it will be sidestepping the State Constitution and the will of the voters from 2009. Ohio will lose and the gambling industry will win,” says Baer.

You can watch testimony by Barry Sheets and Aaron Baer here (Testimony starts at 1:28:27) See the video below for more on gambling addiction.

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82 local pastors oppose state casino gambling issue

Locals have mountaintop experience in Colombia (SLIDESHOW)

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ONTARIO — It is often said that faith will move mountains, and some have just found that out.

Several local residents attended a Congress composed of Jewish, Christian, and Messianic Jewish delegates from across thirty different nations and eleven states. The convocation was hosted in June by Kehilat Yovel, a congregation in Bogota, Colombia, and co-sponsored by Yeshivat Shuvu based in Texas.

The Ohio delegation of Karen Ashby, Renee Pfaff, and Benjamin & Amie Mutti atop Mount Monserrate (Photo courtesy of Benjamin Mutti)

Amie Mutti, a student of Yeshivat Shuvu commented about her mountaintop experience. “For what may be the first time since the days of Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus), we have gentiles seeking to learn from rabbis and we have rabbis that are willing to teach gentiles. That is what we saw in Bogota.  True love and unity between those from different yet similar backgrounds in Christianity and Judaism. We live in amazing times.”

Presentations by various speakers and musicians during the Congress connected the two faith traditions together.

Galilean historian and lecturer Eldad Keynan presenting evidence. (Photo courtesy of Benjamin Mutti)

Galilean historian and lecturer Eldad Keynan presented evidence that the Jews and Messianic Jews lived and died peacefully together based on a number of petroglyphs discovered in ancient tombs. Keynan shared pictures of Messianic and Jewish symbols side by side in tombs dating as far back as the First Century in Jerusalem and Fifth Century in Ireland.

Pastor Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries of Tacoma, Washington discussed the hostility of anti-Semitism inside the Church rooted in replacement theology. Biltz discussed the importance of relationship saying “Christian and Messianic Jewish leaders should love Jews for who they are and not for the blessings they can get.”

Israeli Ambassador to Colombia Marco Sermonetta stated his office was fighting anti-Semitism in the United Nations and that his office tries to solve differences with other nations thru dialogue. “Unfortunately, the Palestinian State and its sympathizers will not recognize the existence of our Jewish State. Nonetheless, we are proud of your unconditional friendship here at this gathering,” Ambassador Sermonetta told the six hundred in attendance.

Rabbi Itzhak Shapira pictured speaking at closing ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Benjamin Mutti)

During the Congress, a formal declaration was drafted repudiating anti-Semitism. “We are building up an army of leaders opposing anti-Semitism,” said Rabbi Itzhak Shapira, of Yeshivat Shuvu and one of the conference organizers. “Our Yeshiva will donate money to a Jewish charity for every leader that signs this declaration.”

In all, the drafted declaration was signed by over one hundred clergy and Messianic leaders with local delegate, Benjamin Mutti of the Richland Community Prayer Network, as one of its signers. Earlier Rabbi Shapira announced his Yeshiva was giving $10,000 to support an Indian Pastor attending the Congress facing heavy persecution from a Hindu government.

The Chief Rabbi of Colombia Alfredo Goldshmidt and the Chief Rabbi of Guatemala Yosef Garmon also spoke at the Congress. Rabbi Garnon was unable to attend last year’s Congress due to the devastation his country suffered from a volcano the same month. He was instrumental in getting his nation to relocate its embassy and recognize Jerusalem as capital of Israel.

Benjamin Mutti signing declaration repudiating anti-Semitism. (Photo courtesy of Amie Mutti)

During the pre-conference, musician Ted Pearce and several students and instrumentalists from his breakout session wrote a new song on unity.

Local delegate Karen Ashby was impacted by the Congress and nostalgic of her experience. “The gracious hospitality of the hosting Colombian congregation really touched my heart. I can honestly say that praying for the City of Bogota atop Mount Monserrate was breath-taking. During the Shabbat service that was live-streamed to over one hundred nations, we had Bible believers singing together from thirty nations in one room,” says Ashby. “At that one point in time, we were all one people beholding one GOD. It was an indescribable feeling.”

Amie Mutti adds, “So now the question becomes, with this unity, what are we going to do with it? Are we willing to take full advantage of the opportunities before us? I sincerely hope we will.”

View the slideshow below of the Ohio Delegation’s experience.

  • Colombian soldier near Capital Square in Bogota. (Submitted photo)
  • Delegation atop Mount Monterserate overlooking Bogota (Submitted photo)
  • Ohio delegation with Seattle Pastor Mark Biltz (Submitted photo)
  • Hosting Colombian Pastor with Benjamin Mutti (Submitted photo)
  • Chief Rabbi of Colombia Alfredo Goldshmidt to the right (Submitted photo)
  • Closing Shabbat services live-streamed to 100 nations (Submitted photo)
  • Chief Rabbi of Guatemala Yosef Garmon with Benjamin Mutti (Submitted photo)
  • Rabbi Stephen Bernstein (Submitted photo)
  • Ohio delegation with French Rabbi Emmanuel Rodiguez (Submitted photo)

The Bottom Line:

Psalm 133 says, “How good and pleasant it is when GOD’s people live together in unity!”

Strawberry Festival held at Ganges Community Church

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GANGES — While strawberry season runs between May 20th thru June 25th, on Friday the Ganges Community Church served as the hub for Ganges and surrounding areas.

Reverend Jim Marshall with his wife Kathy outside their church.

“People come from Shelby, Mansfield, Plymouth, Shiloh, Olivesburg, and Shenandoah come for the one day event,” says Reverend Jim Marshall, whose church is located at 5493 Ganges Five Points Road,

Located in the center of the town, his church serves as the meeting place with a luncheon on every first Thursday of the month.

Earlier in the Spring it became an emergency response center with the congregation providing over forty large cases of water in the aftermath of the Palm Sunday tornado.

Reverend Marshall believes the Strawberry Festival builds a sense of community and culture, but has concern for the future generation.

“In my opinion, the sense of community and relationship is diminishing and in peril with the younger generation. As the elders, it is our responsibility to continue teaching tomorrow’s leaders on what community looks like. If we neglect to do so, people will not trust each other and breakdown ensues.”

Reverend Jim Marshall
Ganges Community Church

“In my opinion, the sense of community and relationship is diminishing and in peril with the younger generation. As the elders, it is our responsibility to continue teaching tomorrow’s leaders on what community looks like. If we neglect to do so, people will not trust each other and societal breakdown ensues.”

Marshall explained the original intent of the festival.

“It is a practical way for our Church to celebrate the harvest of strawberries we have been given, to bring our community together, and to share the love that has been shared with us through Christ our LORD.”

First wave of people arrive at the Strawberry Festival.

North Central Ohio is known for its harvest of strawberries.

In 2012, nearby Ashland County had thirty-one strawberry farmers that grew at least forty-five acres of strawberries; the most in the state. That is six more farmers than the adjacent Wayne County, which harvested the second-most strawberries of any county in Ohio.

“A great number of people I have spoken to always comment on how great the cooking (strawberry shortcake) is and they always look forward to coming every year,” comments Marshall.

Richland Pregnancy Services to host 5K walk/run on Saturday (VIDEO)

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MANSFIELD — This coming Saturday, June 15th, the annual 5K Walk/Run for Life will be taking place at Mansfield’s historic South Park at 100 Brinkerhoff Avenue. The event will be raising funds to help fund services provided by the Richland Pregnancy Services (RPS).

According to RPS Director Amanda Clark, a great turnout is expected.

“We presently have twenty-six runners and one hundred thirty-seven walkers that have registered for this year’s 5K. We would like to thank the area churches for their involvement in supporting RPS and the services we provide.”

According to Clark, organizers hope to raise $30,000 from the event which will help fund free pregnancy testing, ultrasound scans, a Mom to Mom Mentoring Program, a Dad to Dad Mentoring Program, parenting classes, Bible studies, and a Post Abortion Recovery (Women & Men) support group.

In addition, RPS also has a boutique which has a supply of maternity clothing, baby clothing, diapers, crib sheets, toys, nursing supplies, and toiletries. Moms and dads can earn mommy money and daddy dollars to spend in the Boutique by participating in Mom-to-Mom and Dad-to-Dad Mentoring classes.

For the 5K, all registered walkers will receive a free T-shirt with sponsor submission. Runners will receive a free T-shirt. Registration begins at Saturday, June 15th at 8:00 AM with the walk/run kicking off at 9:00 AM.

Games, prizes and character appearances will be provided during the family-friendly day.

Richland Pregnancy Services is a 501 (c)3 faith based non-profit organization located at 1560 West Fourth Street, Mansfield and can be reached at 419.522.8862. RPS also has a satellite office at the North Central State University/Ohio State University-Mansfield campus at Bromfield Library/Conard Hall in Room 101.

The following video below is a testimonial of clients who have benefited from the services of Richland Pregnancy Services (RPS). RPS has served the community since 1987.

Creation Museum, a world-class summer vacation hot spot in your backyard (VIDEO)

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CINCINNATI- At a time when theme parks bow to political correctness, one family-friendly vacation destination shines a spotlight on the very first pages of the Bible. The 75,000 square foot Creation Museum is a state-of-the-art gallery promoting creation science from the Book of Genesis.

“We have had four million visitors since it opened in 2007,” says Patrick Kanewske, Director of the museum’s Media & Ministry Relations. “Guests have come from every continent in the world except Antarctica. Many times youth groups and school students will come in mass to tour our facilities.”

Stargazer’s Planetarium offers shows every forty minutes throughout the day.
(Photo from Creation Museum website)

The award-winning attraction, located on seventy scenic acres in Petersburg, Kentucky west of Cincinnati, provides adventure by bringing the Bible to life.

Stunning world-class exhibits, including a 4-D theater, a full-scale planetarium, a photo-friendly botanical garden, a popular petting zoo, and a zip-line adventure course requiring pre-registration,

Various speakers and concerts are scheduled throughout the year. Music featuring Buddy Davis and other Gospel music groups are also featured.

The newly-renovated Noah’s Cafe has a new menu and has been converted to a grab-and-go, allowing for more time for more exploration into the Genesis account.

According to Kanewski, the museum is getting a face lift, renovating the first third of the museum.

“We are excited to showcase our new improvements that will enhance the museum experience. The renovations are scheduled for completion in November 2019.”

Map overview of the Creation Museum.
(Photo from Creation Museum website)

The museum’s visionary, Ken Ham, is CEO and Founder of Answers in Genesis–US (AIG). Since moving to America in 1987, the Australian native has founded the highly acclaimed Creation Museum, and popular, full-size Noah’s Ark.

Mr. Ham majors on the relevance and authority of the Book of Genesis to the life of the average Christian. Compromise on Genesis has opened a dangerous door regarding how the culture and church view biblical authority. 

He can be heard daily on the radio feature Answers with Ken Ham (broadcast on more than 950 stations), and is a frequent guest on national TV talk shows.

Ham is also the founder of the award-winning Answers magazine, which won the prestigious “Award of Excellence” (for top Christian magazine) in 2011 from the Evangelical Press Association. He also writes articles for AiG’s popular website, which was the 2012 recipient of the “Best Ministry Website” as awarded by the 1,200-member National Religious Broadcasters.

Ticket prices for the Creation Museum for ages 5 to adult are between $15-$35. For a combo-package one-day pass to the Creation Museum and a one-day pass to the Ark Encounter, the price is $25-$75. Extend your visit for a couple of days and check out other nearby attractions.

The Creation Museum is a member of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and has been recognized for spurring economic growth in the region.

For a bird’s eye view of the Creation Museum, click on the video link below.

As Pride Month is celebrated, Hepatitis A epidemic in Ohio grows

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MANSFIELD — As contributions of LGBT persons are celebrated during Pride Month by President Donald Trump and others across the nation, the State of Ohio is facing a growing problem linked with the LGBT lifestyle: a Hepatitis A epidemic.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Hepatitis A is primarily associated with injection drug abusers and men having sex with men.

“Our nation is celebrating high-risk lifestyles that leads to tragedy and regret,” says Reverend Jerry O’Brien of Faith Harvest Fellowship near Wooster.

O’Brien partners with baseball legend Darryl Strawberry with a message of hope to combat drug abuse across the state.

“Biblical faith addresses issues of the heart and is the missing piece of the puzzle to solve society’s problems, including the Opioid Crisis and the Hepatitis A outbreak. When there is nothing morally wrong with anything, quality of life is reduced, lives are prematurely lost, and society is left picking up the pieces.”

Ohio ranks second nationally among Hepatitis case counts. As a result, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) recently announced they will spend an additional $650,000 taxpayer dollars to vaccinate high-risk groups.

In 2017, the World Health Organization confirmed that in the United States, those at most risk to Hepatitis A are men having sex with men. The report went on to point out that the unusual increase in Hepatitis A was concerning since LGBT pride festivals take place between June and September.

Promoting harmful high-risk lifestyles has consequences, and institutions are not exempt.

In November 2017, Reverend DeWayne Smith of Mansfield Main Street United Methodist Church (UMC) hosted a meeting between UMC clergy and an OhioHealth representative to discuss the healthcare provider’s breach of the Methodist Book of Discipline and its lack of regard for public health.

“The representative (from OhioHealth) said in the meeting that, in Columbus, no one criticizes their promotion of LGBT events. However, he did acknowledge that ‘OhioHealth did not represent the community values of Mansfield in an effective manner.’ All we were asking was for OhioHealth to remain socially neutral on the issue.”

Reverend DeWayne Smith
Mansfield Main Street United Methodist

“The representative (from OhioHealth) said in the meeting that, in Columbus, no one criticizes their promotion of LGBT events. However, he did acknowledge that ‘OhioHealth did not represent the community values of Mansfield in an effective manner.’ All we were asking was for OhioHealth to remain socially neutral on the issue.”

While OhioHealth is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, it publicly sponsors local LGBT Pride events and remains a strong advocate for LGBT causes.

Prior to the clergy meeting, OhioHealth Mansfield received over two hundred letters and a large volume of phone calls from locals criticizing its sponsorship of the Mansfield Pride Event.

Just one week after the 2017 Mansfield Pride Event, OhioHealth Mansfied announced it was losing 110 jobs. In addition, new healthcare providers are moving into the area providing stiff competition to the largest employer in the county.

According to Smith, “Not only does OhioHealth’s promotion distort the Biblical position of the United Methodist denomination, it also gives the appearance that the welfare of individual lives are expendable for political and financial agendas. It seems corporate greed trumps public health.”

Editor’s Note: article updated June 13,2019

Outcry cancels two drag queen programs in Ohio libraries (VIDEO)

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COLUMBUS — Two drag queen events for children have been cancelled in three weeks at Ohio public libraries. The events, which were designed to instruct children on how to become drag queens, were canceled after citizens, pastors, and elected officials spoke in opposition.

Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder (Photo courtesy of Facebook)/Larry Householder)

Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, a Republican who represents part of Licking County, sent a letter to the Ohio Library Council on Friday demanding that the Licking County Library in Newark stop a planned Pride week event. The event, featured a tutorial on applying makeup for dressing in drag and a guide to safe sex, according to the Newark Advocate.

According to Speaker Householder, “I am strong believer in the 1st amendment and fully support freedom of speech. Let me be crystal clear, this isn’t about banning books or banning thought or any other red herring argument. This is about right and wrong. This is about being good stewards of the public’s money.”

“When I was first informed our public libraries were being used to teach teenage boys how to become drag queens, I thought it was a joke,” Householder wrote. “But the joke is apparently on the taxpayers, who fund our libraries. This is a stunningly bizarre breach of the public trust. And it must stop.”

“Speaker Householder said what every Ohioan knows is true in their heart: drag queen training events have no place at our public libraries. We need to let children be children, and not try to sexualize them. You don’t need to be a Bible-believing Christian to recognize that “Drag Queen Story Hours” are not something our taxpayer dollars should be promoting to kids.”

Aaron Baer, citizens for community values

According to Aaron Baer, President of Citizens for Community Values. “Speaker Householder said what every Ohioan in their heart knows is true: drag queen training events have no place at our public libraries. We need to let children be children, and not try to sexualize them. You don’t need to be a Bible-believing Christian to recognize that “Drag Queen Story Hours” are not something our taxpayer dollars should be promoting to kids.”

Aaron Baer
Citizens for Community Values

Last week, The Delaware Gazette reported a scheduled class titled “Drag 101” was moved from the Delaware County Library to another location after a backlash from the community.

At least two convicted sex offenders this year have been discovered participating in Drag Queen Story Hours. The most recent in April of 2019 occurred at the Houston Public Library and involved an offender with past multiple sexual assaults against young children.

In another instance, a nine-year-old boy’s video performance in drag at a Fairfield County bar in December 2018 has led Ohio lawmakers to introduce House Bill 180 to ban such activity as “endangering children.”

The video link below is a personal testimony of a former transgender man, Walt Heyer, who discusses the dangers of sexualizing children and the danger of exposing them to transgenderism.

Editor’s Note: article updated June 13, 2019.

Corporate Prayer Event at Columbus Statehouse set for June 4th (VIDEO)

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COLUMBUS — A gathering of Ohioans from the four corners of the state will be occurring on the Statehouse steps Tuesday, June 4th. Interestingly, according to event organizers, the assembly set for 11 AM will not be a protest or political rally: it will be a prayer meeting.

Reverend J.C. Church
(Submitted photo)

“Apart from the help of Almighty GOD and our Biblical obedience, our Buckeye State will not prosper” says Reverend J.C. Church of Victory in Truth Ministries in Bucyrus, Ohio.

“Faith leaders like Tim Throckmorton, Jerry O’Brien, and myself realized Ohio’s destiny hangs in the balance. That is why for the past six years, people across the state have been praying for their elected officials, and seeking GOD’s mercy at the Ohio 7:14 Prayer Assembly.”

Each year more state legislators are taking notice and attending this event as well.”

“There is something that can be said about the ministry of presense,” says Reverend Church.

“Presence matters. We encourage pastors and intercessors to come, and even youth group leaders to bring their students to tour the Statehouse grounds. There is a lot to be thankful for Ohio, but there is a a lot of work to be done. When we worship together and work together, we will win together. There is more that unites us than divides us.”

“Presence matters. We encourage pastors and intercessors to come, and even youth group leaders to bring their students to tour the Statehouse grounds. There is a lot to be thankful for Ohio, but there is a lot of work to be done. When we worship together and work together, we will win together. There is more that unites us than divides us.”

Reverend J.C. Church, Victory in Truth Ministries

Last year the assembly took place indoors in the Capital Atrium due to rain.

Sponsored by the Family Research Council and Awake 88, Ohio 7:14 will feature fifteen targeted prayer segments led by key state leaders from Protestant and Catholic denominations, a youth choir from Genoa Christian Academy, and include a pastors luncheon following the assembly.

To see photos from past Ohio 7:14 events, click on the image below, which will take you to the Frontlines Ohio Facebook page @FrontlinesOhio

Click on image above to view photos from past Ohio 7:14 events

Past Ohio 7:14 keynote speakers include Reverend Ronnie Floyd, General Jerry Boykin, Historian David Barton, and Commentator Todd Starnes,

This year’s keynote speaker will feature Ken Klukowski.

Ken Klukowski serves as general counsel of the American Civil Rights Union, senior counsel and director of strategic affairs at First Liberty Institute, and senior legal editor for Breitbart News Network which has over 75 million individual monthly readers. 

Klukowski also litigates constitutional cases in the federal judiciary, and authors amicus briefs for U.S. Supreme Court and federal appellate cases.

Ken Klukowski

Biblical emphasis of the event comes from 2 Chronicles 7:14 which states: “If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves, pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.”

View the video below from past Ohio 7:14 assemblies.

Is there an exodus of Ohio voters leaving the Democratic Party? (VIDEO)

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COLUMBUS — Voter frustration may be reaching a boiling point with the Equality Act aided by House Democrats passing last week. Along with the Fairness Act on debate in Ohio, it may just turn up the heat even more.

Barry Sheets, Executive Director of the Institute for Principled Policy, based in Gallipolis, Ohio says most Ohioans oppose the Equality Act and the Ohio Fairness Act.

Barry Sheets
Executive Director of Institute for Principled Policy

“The Ohio Fairness Act (Senate Bill 11) mirrors the Equality Act which is on the federal level. Both bills create the same hostile environment towards religious freedom and mandate how people should think. An un-elected bureaucracy, the Civil Rights Commission, would act as a theology board leveling punishment on individuals and institutions who do not comply to their arbitrary re-definitions of gender.”

Sheets believes this intolerance by the Democrat Party is evident when multiple times nominees are attacked by Senate Democrats and told they are not qualified to fill federal government posts because of their Christian beliefs. Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof publicly points out this is a violation of Article 6 Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution.

‘The Democrat Party is alienating their traditional base. In 1993, President Bill Clinton and nearly every Democrat and Republican unanimously passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Today there is no comparison, the Democratic Party is hostile to religious freedom. It is a huge problem that is driving their party off the cliff.”

‘The Democrat Party is alienating their traditional base. In 1993, President Bill Clinton and nearly every Democrat and Republican unanimously passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Today there is no comparison, the Democratic Party is hostile to religious freedom. It is a huge problem that is driving their party off the cliff.”

Barry Sheets, Institute of Principled Policy

“In Ohio, all ten Republicans present opposed the Equality Act and all three Democrats voted in favor. Three did not vote. Clearly this vote reflects how the majority of Ohioans feel.”

According to 2018 Gallup poll data, liberals outnumber conservatives in only six states, dropping more than thirty percent.

2018 Gallup Poll results published February 22, 2019

Democratic strategists are observing this conservative trend in Ohio. As a result, a top Democrat super PAC announced this Spring that it has removed Ohio from its list of target swing states.

Sheets believes the real problem that lies with the Democratic party is not in the party’s strategy but rather its policy and party platform.

“The Equality Act and Ohio Fairness Act are perfect examples of how the Democratic Party by choosing elitism, has distanced itself from voters,” says Sheets. “Both codify a small group of persons with sexual dysfunction into a place of preeminence, creating “LGBT privilege” in nearly every aspect of society.

“LGBT persons presently have no traits of a discriminated class of people. It has political elites supporting it, carries considerable political clout, has no economic disenfranchisement, and has no ongoing systemic discrimination.

According to Sheets, the most vulnerable in society will become even less protected under the Equality Act and Ohio Fairness Act.

“Domestic abuse shelters have the expectation of an atmosphere of security where there is separation of genders. If these two bills become law, all a predatory ex-boyfriend has to do is dress as a girl and come to the shelter to continue harassing his victim. Local communities will be forced to allow a male LGBT teachers to supervise girl’s locker rooms and restrooms. This shift would be in a setting where there already is a history of illicit behavior between teachers and students.”

Barry Sheets adds, “There is an identity crisis and a lack of moral cohesion in the Democratic Party. When the party is supporting infanticide forty-four different times as of last week, and when several Democrat Representatives are publicly speaking of their disdain for Israel, there could be no starker contrast between the two parties and their platforms then now.”

For a better understanding of the contrast between the Democratic and Republican Party platforms view the video below.

Atheist group fails in bid to bully Ohio town over nativity scene

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DOVER — After receiving a petition from over six-hundred citizens, the Mayor of Dover, Ohio decided this week to change direction. A disputed nativity scene is returning to the city square for the 2019 holiday season in defiance to outside threats by a Wisconsin atheist group. One Ohio pastor has taken it upon himself to combat the exploits of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF).

Reverend Jerry O’Brien (Photo courtesy of Faith Harvest)

“The clergy have got to get pro-active in this fight against secular progressives like the FFRF,” says Pastor Jerry O’Brien of Faith Harvest Fellowship. “Case law shows when communities stand up to their intimidation, more times than not, we win.”

Based in Madison, Wisconsin, FFRF has lost lawsuits in their effort to abolish the National Day of Prayer and national motto “In GOD we trust” from national currency.

Pastor O’Brien has sent letters to over fifty Ohio mayors and has been informing clergy leaders about Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). ADF provides legal counsel to communities pro Bono on issues pertaining to religious freedom.

Prior to the return of the nativity scene to the public square, Dover city officials were capitulating to the Wisconsin atheists. The city relocated a granite Ten Commandments display off city property to a nearby church, and also painted over a depiction of a cross on public space next to city hall. The Ten Commandment display had been a landmark for some time, having been donated to the city in 1963.

“The clergy have got to get pro-active in this fight against secular progressives like the FFRF. Case law shows when communities stand up to their intimidation, more times than not, we win.”

Reverend Jerry O’Brien, Faith Harvest Fellowship

FFRF stated in its opinion letter that it believed the City of Dover was violating the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

After Dover City Council met this week, Mayor Richard Homrighausen announced the City will have ornamental Christmas tree bulbs placed nearby the nativity scene on the city square to avoid any potential infringement.

In 2013, FFRF failed to prevent the state of Ohio from building the first Holocaust memorial in the nation on state Capitol grounds. A letter written by the American Center for Law and Justice was signed by over forty-thousand and sent to the Ohio Governor and Attorney General to seal FFRF’s defeat.

Holocaust Memorial at the Ohio State Capital. (Photo courtesy of the Holocaust Memorial)

Last year, Findlay, Ohio Mayor Lydia Mihalik refused to bow down to the FFRF’s demands to take down a mural in the municipal building with the Bible verse: “Under His wings shall you find refuge, Psalm 91.”

According to Mayor Mihalik, she is not backing down. “Findlay is strong because we have belief,” the conservative firebrand said. “We believe in a power greater than ourselves that promises a brighter day is ahead. I refuse to apologize for the mural.”

The Bottom Line:

The Bible says in Esther 3, “All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and honored and paid homage to Haman; for this is what the king had commanded in regard to him. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him.”

Special: The Most Unequal of Them All (VIDEO)

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Editor’s note: This is part four of a four-part series on the “Equality Act” being voted on this coming Friday in Congress. While Frontlines Ohio covers faith-based news of local and state importance, analysis of this federal legislation is being provided due to its negative implications to faith, family, and freedom. See below on how to contact your Congressman and Senators.

The Equality Act, by now quite familiar to all of us, will finally be voted on in the House tomorrow on Friday, May 17th. Its title sounds smooth and is designed to be attractive. But beneath the veneer, the faulty premises upon which it rests have poisoned the entire bill, which is irreparably tainted. If passed, its impact upon American life and culture can be summed up in one word: devastation.

It starts by being built upon a lie—that one’s sexual conduct is substantially the same as an immutable characteristic like one’s skin color. Once cemented into law, this lie is ready to be forced into educational curricula around the country as activists use the courts in their shameless attempt to piggyback on the legacy of the civil rights movement. As women are steamrolled by the LGBT ideology enshrined in the Equality Act, feminists realize who their true friends are: conservatives.

Travis Weber
Family Research Council

This emerging alliance is built on truth: biology, not ideology, dictates that we are men and women. Though physically different, we are equal in worth, and deserving of protection. Indeed, the very sex discrimination protections for men and women which we have had for decades are being steamrolled by the Equality Act’s notion of “gender identity,” which dismisses the concerns of women being forced to violate their privacy or compete against biological men in sporting competitions.

Women powerlifters competing with one another understand this. Why is it so hard for everyone else? Even Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing many years ago about sex distinctions in the context of the Equal Rights Amendment, defended privacy for men and women in the context of bathrooms. Yet now all this is being willfully ignored.

I actually do think there is a silent majority out there; many Americans agree that women shouldn’t be forced to violate their privacy or compete against men — but they need to find their voice; many are just too cowed and scared of those pushing the LGBT ideology right now to say anything. For the good of our children and our families, we need our fellow Americans know the truth and agree with us to find their voice and speak up.

As if this embedded inequality for women was not enough, the Equality Act would expand abortion throughout our healthcare system, and put in jeopardy the long-standing conscience laws protecting those opposed to abortion, and even the Hyde Amendment which prohibits taxpayer funding of abortion. There are no protections for those that object to abortion under the Equality Act—just a right to abortion.

Finally, the Equality Act would gut religious freedom. Even some houses of worship would be barred from ensuring their leaders and other employees abide by their own beliefs. Under the Equality Act, women who identify as men would have to be accepted as men and therefore potentially eligible to serve in positions reserved for men (such as a Catholic Priest or Jewish Rabbi). Under such restrictions, the gospel would slowly be choked off in American life.

The vote in the House tomorrow on this anti-family, anti-faith, anti-freedom, and pro-abortion legislation is a moment in our national life. It will not measure just who favors the ideology in the Equality Act, but who is in favor of forcing it on the neighbors, friends, co-workers, and fellow citizens. It is that coercive and it must be stopped.

Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published by the Family Research Council.

Travis S. Weber serves as Vice President for Policy and Director of the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council, where he is responsible for the development of public policy from a Christian worldview. 

To contact your Congressman and Senators, click on the following:

Ohio 16th District Congressman Anthony Gonzalez (R)

Ohio 12th District Congressman Troy Balderson (R)

Ohio 7th District:Congressman Bob Gibbs (R)

Ohio 4th District: Congressman Jim Jordan (R)

U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R)

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D)

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