North Korea Criticizes Canada Over Reaction to Pastor’s Life Sentence

North Korea is accusing Canadian government officials of “spouting rubbish” about the trial of Hyeon Soo Lim, the Canadian pastor who North Korea recently sentenced to a life of hard labor.

KCNA, North Korea’s state-run media agency, reported Tuesday that a spokesman for the country’s foreign ministry blasted Canada for its response to Lim’s sentence, handed down last week. The Toronto Star previously reported Canada’s government felt the punishment was “unduly harsh,” and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told said it sparked “tremendous concern.”

The spokesman told KCNA it was “very shocking” that Canada’s government reacted the way that it did, rather than “feeling guilty about the hideous crime,” that Lim allegedly committed.

The governments of both the United States and Canada actively warn citizens against traveling to North Korea, in large part because the North’s legal system isn’t known for consistently applying its strict laws. The U.S. Department of State warns that things that might not seem criminal — like bringing photographs into the country — can lead to people being detained, arrested or sentenced to hard labor or death. Unsanctioned religious activity is also illegal there.

KCNA reported that Lim was accused of subversion, committing anti-North Korean religious activities and spreading false propaganda about the country overseas, among other charges.

However, Lim’s family members have told CNN that the South Korean-born pastor of the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto, who is in his 60s, frequently went to North Korea over the past 18 years for a variety of humanitarian causes and his trips were not political in nature.

While KCNA reported the pastor confessed to all of the crimes, The Toronto Star reported other foreigners held in North Korea have said they were pressured into confessing. The paper quoted Trudeau as saying “issues about North Korea’s governance and judicial system are well-known.”

North Korea’s foreign ministry spokesman told KCNA that Canada’s stance on Lim’s sentence would only further complicate the situation. The spokesman said that Canada “has no legal justifications” to find fault with any of North Korea’s actions, and Canada should have apologized and taken steps to prevent future crimes rather than shifting blame to North Korea.

The war of words in the press comes two days after Reuters reported that North Korea allowed Canadian diplomats to meet with the pastor in prison last week. Relaying the information she received about the visit, a church spokeswoman on Sunday told the news agency that the pastor’s spirits remained high and that he had been given medicine to treat his health condition.

School Superintendent Stands Up To Freedom From Religion Foundation

The superintendent of a Texas school district is standing up to a militant anti-Christian who attacked a school principal for quoting the Bible during school announcements.

Hemant Mehta, who calls himself “the Friendly Atheist”, took the unfriendly step of contacting the virulently anti-Christian Freedom From Religion Foundation after what he claimed was an anonymous student’s complaint over Proverbs being read during announcement time.

“He who leads upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance,” Principal Dan Noll read from the book of Proverbs in one of the announcements. “The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.”

The FFRF demanded that the Principal stop reading scriptures and for disciplinary action be taken against Noll.

White Oak Superintendent Michael Gilbert would have none of that.

“The residents were offended at the use of Scripture, demanding that it be stopped and calling for disciplinary action against Mr. Noll,” he stated. “I am fully aware of the practice at the high school and will not pursue any action against our high school principal or any other member of our faculty/staff concerning this issue.”

“Let me also be clear that we have not (in my opinion) violated anyone’s rights and/or subjected anyone to undue stress,” Gilbert continued. “Bible studies and Scriptures are allowed in schools. The requirement is that the material be presented in a neutral manner. It is my position that we met that standard with the morning announcements.”

Muslims Broadcasting Call To Prayer at UCLA

After Duke University reversed a decision to allow Muslims to broadcast their call to prayer from a bell tower, it’s been revealed that Muslims at UCLA have been broadcasting their call at UCLA.

The Islamic Student Association at UCLA broadcast the call to prayer near the Sunset Boulevard athletic field according to the video posted on YouTube.  The students told their prayer inside the John Wooden Center.

“I bear witness that there is none worthy of being worshiped except Allah,” the common Muslim chant, known as the adhan, declares. “I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. … Allah is most great.”

Christian activists say while the Duke situation gained national attention, incidents like UCLA have been happening under-the-radar for years.

“The call to prayer is something that is blasted over loudspeakers in Muslim majority countries and Muslim enclaves around Detroit,” wrote Carol Brown of American Thinker, a blog that discusses the important issues of the United States. “We’ve already heard enough ‘Allahu Akbar’ for a lifetime.”

Many groups are wondering about the accommodation to Muslims that is not permitted to other religions on campuses.  Several groups pointed out that UCLA has been a very anti-Christian campus with students who have taken bold anti-Christian actions.

Woman Arrested After Damaging Satanic Display at Florida Capitol

A woman was arrested Tuesday after she attempted to tear down the Satanic Temple’s display in the lobby of the Florida Capitol.

Susan Hemeryck, 54, told police officers she was sorry but that it was “not right” to allow the anti-Christian display.

Hemeryck tried to remove the display as an officer stopped her and said she had to put it back.  She responded by trying to tear down the display until the officers subdued and arrested her.

“It’s just wrong, when you remove baby Jesus two days before Christmas and put Satan in his place — that just can’t happen. I couldn’t allow it to happen,” Hemeryck told the Associated Press “I was there at the right time and the right moment and I needed to take a stand against Satan.”

Hemeryck faces a charge of criminal mischief.  She has no criminal record.

“I just yanked that little devil off the fishing line,” she told the AP when asked if she had any regrets. “I should have just done a better job and finished it off for good.”

College Professor Accused of Bias

A professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver is being accused of bias against conservative students and openly displaying hostility toward Christians and conservatives.

Charles Angeletti teaches “American Civilization” and forces students to repeat his “New Pledge of Allegiance” that’s filled with hate.

“I pledge allegiance to and wrap myself in the flag of the United States Against Anything Un-American,” reads Angeletti’s version. “And to the Republicans for which it stands, two nations, under Jesus, rich against poor, with curtailed liberty and justice for all except blacks, homosexuals, women who want abortions, Communists, welfare queens, treehuggers, feminazis, illegal immigrants, children of illegal immigrants, and you, if you don’t watch your step.”

Angeletti claims his pledge is satirical but all students are forced to recite it.  Students told the website Campus Reform that most of the class has the professor forcing his extreme political views on students.

“We’re very racist, we’re very repressive, we’re very Christian oriented, we don’t tolerate other kinds of thinking in this country,” Angeletti told Campus Reform. “I could go on and on — and do, in my classes, for hours about things that we need to do to make this a better country.”

Students on the RateMyProfessors.com website said that Angeletti punishes conservatives and Christians.

“If you are a liberal, you will like him,” a student wrote. “He encourages you to speak out and voice your opinion… Unless of course, you are a Republican.”

Angeletti admitted he was biased in an interview with Campus Report.  He also expressed his hate for “family values people.”

Virulent Anti-Christianist Confronted At Government Hearing

The man who founded an aggressive anti-Christian group was confronted by a Congressman during a recent hearing about his hate and bigotry toward Christians.

Representative Randy Forbes challenged Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation for statements that were made regarding the purpose of the MRFF and Weinstein’s views.

Weinstein initially tried to avoid questioning from Forbes when the Congressman brought up Weinstein’s quote that his group’s goal was to “lie down a withering field of fire and leave sucking chest wounds.”   Weinstein began to spew hate toward Christians before the Congressman cut him off and Weinstein confirmed he said it.

Congressman Forbes also challenged Weinstein on his bigoted statement that followers of Christ were “Christian monsters who terrorize their fellow Americans.”

“I haven’t heard any people of faith calling atheists ‘monsters’ or saying they want to put sucking chest wounds in them,” Forbes said.

Weinstein is also notorious for comparing people of faith to rapists.

Bigots Use Hate Speech To Slam Late Chick-Fil-A Founder

As some expected in light of the death of strong Christian businessman and founder of Chick-Fil-A S. Truett Cathy, anti-Christian bigots jumped onto the internet to spew hate speech.

Most of the hate was directed toward Cathy and his strong Bible-based stances for life and running a business.

Some of the hate included statements like there was one less Bible-following Christian in the world and that it made “the world a better place.”  Another said “oh good, the Chick-Fil-A [profanity deleted] is finally dead!”  Several said that the “Chick-Fil-A founder is roasting in hell!”

S. Truett Cathy started in 1946 with one small restaurant selling his signature chicken sandwich.  Over the next 68 years the company grew to nearly 2,000 restaurants and annual sales over $5 billion.

And it was all based on his belief in the Bible, its teachings for life and how to operate a business.

“It’s a silent witness to the Lord when people go into shopping malls and everyone is bustling, and you see Chick-Fil-A is closed,” he one told a reporter.

Tributes to Cathy included radio host Dave Ramsey, who said Cathy was “a godly man who loved his family well and showed us faith in the marketplace.”

Indiana Governor Vows To Defend Veterans’ Memorial

The governor of Indiana has said he will defend a veterans memorial in a state park that contains a small cross.

“So long as I am governor, I will defend the right of Hoosiers to display this sculpture in Whitewater Memorial State Park as a lasting tribute to the service and sacrifice of all who have worn the uniform of the United States,” Governor Mike Pence said in a statement.

The anti-Christian Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a threatening letter last month to the director of Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources saying that the existence of the cross on the monument was a government endorsement of Christianity.

“I fully support the decision by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to accept the sculpture commissioned by local citizens to honor all who have fallen in service to our country,” Governor Pence said. “The freedom of religion does not require freedom from religion. The Constitutions of our state and nation more than allow the placement of this Hoosier artist’s sculpture on public land.”

Supporters of the cross say if it’s offensive to an atheist just to see the cross there, it’s just as offensive to a Christian or any other people of faith to have no symbols there that endorses an atheistic belief system.

Anti-Christian Organization Says A Third Of Americans Want Under God Removed

An anti-Christian organization has released a poll they claim shows one-third of Americans would like to see the phrase “under God” removed from the Pledge of Allegiance.

The American Humanist Association released a report done for their group by the Seidewitz Group backing up their claim.

Roy Speckhardt of the anti-Christian group told the Christian Post they did the poll in part because of a study from LifeWay Research last year.  Speckhardt claims that after they explained the history of the Pledge to respondents, a greater number was in favor of removing the phrase.

The poll from LifeWay Research said that 85 percent of Americans wanted to keep “under God” in the pledge while only 8 percent said it should be removed.  The poll numbers were similar to an ABC poll from 2002 where 89 percent of Americans said the phrase should be kept in the Pledge.

The anti-Christian group plans a “new campaign” against the Pledge but would not give specific details on the campaign steps.  The AHA is currently overseeing a lawsuit against the phrase in New Jersey.

Anti-Christianists Angered Teammates Prayed For Injured Football Player

The virulent anti-Christian group Freedom From Religion Foundation is now using an injured high school football player in their campaign to eradicate Christians from daily life.

The group is upset because after a player from Seminole High School was injured and being tended to by trainers, players took a knee and bowed their heads in prayer for their injured teammate.

The FFRF claimed that an adult lead the prayer and so they threatened the school over it.

“It is our information and understanding that Seminole High School (is) allowing an adult, a local pastor, to act as a ‘volunteer chaplain’ for the football team,” FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel wrote.

A school spokesman said the FFRF was flat out lying about the school having a team chaplain.  The school also said that no adults are seen anywhere around the students who were praying.

“There is nothing to cease and desist because our behavior was within the guidelines in the first place,” spokesman Mike Blasewitz told television station WFTV. “No adults in the photo, no adults participating, no adults leading it.”