Americas

Obama for America, the campaign organization of President Barack Obama, announced on Wednesday the formation of "Obama Pride: LGBT Americans for Obama," designed to attract and engage those who support the homosexual agenda in hopes that they will give the president a second term in November.

"The President's campaign has a long history of working with the LGBT community to move America forward," read the statement released by OFA LGBT National Vote Director Jamie Citron and Co-Chairman Joe Solmonese, out-going president of the Human Rights Campaign.

"The President believes that America prospers when we're all in it together; when hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded; when everyone, from Main Street to Wall Street, does their fair share and plays by the same rules." more >>

The president of the world's largest Christian ministry to homosexuals and their families says it's time for the Church to look past the political bickering over same-sex marriage and homosexuality and simply show compassion.

"As usual, the spotlight is shining on the furthest extremes currently engaged in a public fight. I believe it's time for all of us to focus on the people beyond the political debate," said Alan Chambers, president of the 36-year-old Exodus International.

Exodus points out that the furor over gay marriage and homosexuality has not abated recently as political analysts and commentators continue to discuss President Obama's public support of same-sex marriages. more >>

The current tax increases and spending cuts slated to go into effect January 2013 will likely lead to a recession, a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report says. On the other hand, preventing those policies from going into effect without replacing them with something comparable would lead to unsustainable amounts of public debt.

If the tax increases and spending cuts are allowed to occur, the CBO estimates that the economy will shrink 1.3 percent in the first half of 2013, followed by a meager 2.3 percent growth in the second half of 2013.

On the plus side, the additional revenue and lower spending will cut deficit spending by $560 billion, almost half of the projected $1.2 trillion 2012 deficit. more >>

A bill that would have challenged the controversial all-comers policy for religious student organizations at Vanderbilt University was vetoed by the Governor of Tennessee.

In keeping with statements made to the press earlier this month, Governor Bill Haslam officially vetoed House Bill 2576 on Monday. It was the first veto Haslam had done in two years.

"Although I disagree with Vanderbilt's policy, as someone who strongly believes in limited government, I think it is inappropriate for government to mandate the policies of a private institution," said Haslam to a statement a couple weeks before the veto. more >>

A Texas congregation has split over a vote taken to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) over theological differences, with a sizable minority of voting members opting to stay with the mainline denomination.

Of 370 members of First Presbyterian Church of Longview, 282 voted in favor of leaving the PC(USA) while 84 voted against leaving and six voted to be with whatever side kept the church property.

Until the issue over the church property is addressed, the two congregations will worship at different facilities. The breakaway majority decided to start holding worship services at a building formerly used by a Lutheran congregation. The remaining minority will continue to hold services at the FPC Longview building. more >>

Crystal Cathedral Ministries will celebrate Memorial Day Sunday with a veteran of the Navy SEALs and a representative of the New York Police Department. Bobby Schuller, grandson of the ministry's founder, will deliver the sermon.

The Garden Grove, Calif. ministry, known for its long-running "Hour of Power" worship broadcast as well as its iconic glass church building, invited former Navy SEAL, current author and full-time minister Chad Williams to speak to the congregation Sunday.

Williams served tours of duty in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iraq, having been one of only 13 from a class of 173 to make it straight through to graduation when trained to be a SEAL. "Williams sank into wild bouts of drinking and fighting off-duty, before accepting Christ," according to a statement from the church. Williams will discuss his testimony shared in the book SEAL of God, published in April. more >>