Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
In today's edition:
- Pastor Tells Church Leaders to Quit Facebook or Resign
- More in U.S. Taking Marriage off the Table
- Salvation Army Goes High-Tech with Red Kettle Campaign
- Indonesian Church Attack Case a Step Closer to Trial
Pastor Tell Church Leaders to Quit Facebook or Resign
One New Jersey pastor says Facebook has had such a damaging effect on marriages in his congregation that he's given church leaders an ultimatum: quit the social network or quit their leadership posts. USA Today reports that Rev. Cedric Miller, senior pastor of the Living Word Christian Fellowship Church in Neptune, N.J., says a large part of his counseling over the past 18 months has dealt with marital problems, including infidelity, stemming from Facebook. "Married couples are going on Facebook and what happens can end up in my office," Miller, 48, says. "I know from where we stand in the Christian perspective, the connection is inappropriate." Miller knows his demand sound extreme, but stand by the requirement. "I'm trying to save families and marriages," he said.
More in U.S. Taking Marriage off the Table
Almost one in three U.S. children live with a parent or parents who are unwed or no longer married - that's fivefold increase since 1960, according to the Pew report released yesterday. The Denver Post reports that Americans' attitudes towards marriage are also changing, with 39 percent saying marriage is becoming obsolete. "Marriage is still very important in this country, but it doesn't dominate family life like it used to," said Andrew Cherlin, a professor of sociology and public policy at Johns Hopkins University. "Now there are several ways to have a successful family life, and more people accept them." Four out of five people surveyed say that an unmarried, opposite-sex couple with children or a single parent fit the description of a family, and three out of five people said a same-sex couple with children also qualifies.
Salvation Army Goes High-Tech with Red Kettle Campaign
The Salvation Army's red kettle campaign is a familiar site to Christmas shoppers who increasingly carry plastic instead of cash. This year, Postmedia News reports that the Salvation Army in Canada is using Google Maps to help busy shoppers contribute online. Nearly 2,000 individual kettles in Canada can be found at FilltheKettle.com. "The Fill the Kettle program will provide yet another way for the public to get behind the Christmas campaign and support our social service work in more than 400 communities across Canada," said commissioner William Francis. The group counts on raising 15 to 20 percent of their annual funding during the Christmas season. "When you give to the Salvation Army this Christmas season, you are investing in the future of marginalized and overlooked people across Canada," Francis said.
Indonesian Church Attack Case a Step Closer to Trial
Worthy News reports that the 13 suspects in the September attack on two leaders of the Batak Christian Protestant Church will now go on trial. Police recently gave their completed case files to the prosecution, setting the stage for the case. Police also turned over custody of all the suspects, including the suspended leader of the Islamic Defenders Front in Bekasi, Murhali Barda. However, police were criticized for failing to arrest more members of the FPI, which many believe was responsible for the September attack as well as for threats against the congregation in a campaign of intimidation that began back in in January. Asia Sihombing and the Rev. Luspida Simandjuntak, leaders of the Batak Church, were attacked on their way to a vacant lot in Ciketing where the congregation was holding services after officials sealed off their church building.
