June 7, 2019: Gang members baptized in prison, ruling on Christian florist, Eritrea persecution

Friday, June 7, 2019

Here are the latest headlines, brought to you by The Christian Post.

— Five gang members who are among the most violent felons in a Texas prison got baptized together.

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These men were from rival gangs and they’re so dangerous that they’re confined to their cells at Coffield Prison 23 hours a day.

But on Sunday, they solidified their commitment to Jesus Christ and received water baptisms while still shackled.

This was done through Gateway Church in Dallas, which opened a campus inside Coffield Prison just six months ago.

The church plans to open 10 prison campuses over the next two years.

— The Washington Supreme Court has again ruled against a Christian florist for refusing to create floral arrangements for a same-sex wedding.

The court upheld on Thursday its 2017 decision that Barronelle Stutzman violated state law against sexual orientation discrimination.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group that represents the florist, said it will appeal to the nation’s highest court.

— In the northeast African country of Eritrea, over 30 Christians were recently detained while praying in different locations.

The arrests occurred in the capital of Asmara and come just a month after 141 Christians were arrested after gathering for a private meeting.

Eritrea is ranked by Open Doors as the seventh worse country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution.

Arrests happen regularly over religious beliefs and practices. The country only recognizes four religious affiliations — Orthodox Christianity, Sunni Islami, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea and the Catholic Church. There is little to no religious freedom for people outside those faith communities.

— Gospel singer Kirk Franklin was on “The Breakfast Club” this week where he addressed some hot button issues, including homosexuality and abortion.

When one of the hosts of the radio program said he doesn’t see love in the Bible but rather homophobia and anti-semitism, Franklin said Scripture does not contain “homophobic stuff.”

He said, “[W]hat we have to understand … is that the Canon of Scripture still is coming from a place of a loving God. … if we continue to keep isolating these individual things and make that the premise of what God is and who God is we are missing the [point] ... that there is room at the cross for all of us.”

On abortion, Franklin described himself as pro-life but admitted that he paid for an abortion when he was a teen.

He said he doesn’t believe he has the right to force a woman to make a certain decision about her body just as he can’t force someone to believe in Jesus.

Franklin has a new album out called Long Live Love. He believes God is challenging Christians to learn how to love people who “are not always the most lovable.”

— The flagship seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention refused a recent request to pay reparations to a local historically black college.

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary had been asked through a petition started by EmpowerWest to “transfer a meaningful portion of its financial wealth” to Simmons College of Kentucky as “an act of repentance and repair to descendants of American slavery.”

SBTS had released a report last year recognizing the seminary’s history of slavery and racism and offering “full lament” and repentance for the sins.

President Al Mohler and SBTS Board Chairman Matthew Schmucker responded to the petition, saying that they do “not believe that financial reparations are the appropriate response.” 

They also noted that the seminary has been making efforts for decades to welcome and educate black Baptist ministers.

To read more stories from a Christian perspective, visit christianpost.com.