JINDAL-PRAYER RALLY
Jindal headlines all-day prayer rally in Baton Rouge
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) β Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has told Christians at a weekend prayer gathering that the nation needs a spiritual revival.
Jindal, who is considering whether to seek the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, said it will take more than elections to change America. He told the story of his personal Christian conversion, and urged the crowd to plant seeds of faith in everyone they meet.
While thousands of people sang and raised hands in prayer in the LSU basketball arena, hundreds protested outside. Jindal urged the crowd to pray for them too.
Jindal said the rally was a religious event, not a political one.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry headlined a similar prayer event in 2011 only days before launching his White House bid.
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260-a-08-(Governor Bobby Jindal, R-La., at ‘The Response’ prayer rally)-“our sovereign God”-Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal asks for God to bring about a spiritual revival. (25 Jan 2015)
< 259-a-17-(Governor Bobby Jindal, R-La., at ‘The Response’ prayer rally)-“our God wins (applause fades)”-Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says Christians can trust God for the ultimate victory. (25 Jan 2015) < 256-w-36-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Governor Bobby Jindal, R-La.)–Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has told Christians at a weekend prayer gathering that it will take more than elections to fix America. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (25 Jan 2015) < 261-r-25-(Worship leader and crowd singing, at ‘The Response’ prayer rally)–Sound of worship leader and crowd singing at ‘The Response’ prayer rally. (25 Jan 2015) < 258-a-06-(Governor Bobby Jindal, R-La., at ‘The Response’ prayer rally)-“everybody we encounter”-Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says Christians should be sharing their faith with everyone. (25 Jan 2015) < 257-a-14-(Governor Bobby Jindal, R-La., at ‘The Response’ prayer rally)-“ails our country (applause fades)”-Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says politics can’t save America. (25 Jan 2015) < 171-a-12-(Governor Bobby Jindal, R- La., with reporters outside prayer rally)-“denounce those individuals”-Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says he’s outraged by another apparent beheading by the group the Islamic State, and is calling on Muslim leaders to speak out against these actions. (24 Jan 2015) < 173-a-19-(Governor Bobby Jindal, R- La., with reporters outside prayer rally)-“denounce the individuals”-Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says he is concerned about the threat in the U.S. from radical Muslim extremists. (24 Jan 2015) < 172-a-14-(Governor Bobby Jindal, R- La., with reporters outside prayer rally)-“they didn’t like”-Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says there is no explanation for terrorists killing people in the name of religion. (24 Jan 2015) < GOP 2016-EVANGELICALS Republican White House maybes court evangelicals toward 2016 HOUSTON (AP) β Several Republicans who may seek their party’s 2016 presidential nomination are courting support from evangelical Christians. Retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson spoke and attended services this weekend at Houston’s Second Baptist Church as part of the mammoth congregation’s “If My People” conference, pitched as an effort to “restore the soul of America.” Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who spoke at a weekend prayer rally in Baton Rouge, has been meeting with pastors in early primary states. This week, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will visit North Carolina’s First Baptist Church of Charlotte. The ticketed event, which promises to draw from neighboring South Carolina, is built around Huckabee’s new book, “God, Guns, Grits and Gravy.” At a South Carolina tea party convention earlier this month, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz spoke of his relationship with his minister in Houston and prayer sessions he’s held with pastors in the city. And his father, the Rev. Rafael Cruz, an evangelical pastor, spent the entire weekend huddling with activists on his son’s behalf. BOY SCOUTS-JUDGES Some California judges with ties to Boy Scouts question ban SAN FRANCISCO (AP) β The California Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to prohibit state judges from belonging to the Boy Scouts and other youth groups that practice what it calls “invidious” discrimination against gays came against the wishes of some jurists with children who are Boy Scouts or who are active in Scouting themselves. The Los Angeles Times reports that several sitting judges wrote to oppose the new membership policy before the court approved it on Friday. Among them was San Joaquin County Superior Court Barbara Kronlund, who said that as the mother of a Boy Scout the policy would be an “infringement of my right to free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment.” Riverside County Superior Court Judge John Vineyard commented that his being an Eagle Scout and Scoutmaster was in no way incompatible with serving on the bench. The Boy Scouts of America started allowing openly gay boys to be Scouts last year, but does not permit gay adults to be leaders. RADICAL SON Killer’s father says son became a radical Muslim NEW YORK (AP) β Melvin Bledsoe says Islamists “brainwashed” his son, and trained him to shoot up a Little Rock army recruitment office in 2009. Bledsoe’s son, Carlos, who later became known as Abdulhakim Muhammad, was found guilty of killing one soldier and wounding another. He says, “My son said he did it for his religion. He did it for Allah.” Bledsoe says his son’s radicalization began when he went off to college and converted to Islam. Bledsoe says son quit school and joined radical Islamists who sent him to Yemen for combat training and intensive study of the Quran. Bledsoe warns every parent that “Today, it was my son. Tomorrow, it could be your son. Your daughter.” Sound: 263-a-06-(Melvin Bledsoe, father of convicted killer Abdulhakim Muhammad, in AP interview)-“it for Allah”-Melvin Bledsoe, father of convicted killer Abdulhakim Muhammad, says his son is serving a life sentence for killing one soldier and wounding another at a Little Rock recruiting center. (25 Jan 2015) < 264-a-15-(Melvin Bledsoe, father of convicted killer Abdulhakim Muhammad, in AP interview)-“son. Your daughter.”-Melvin Bledsoe, father of convicted killer Abdulhakim Muhammad, says his son fell in with Islamists and became another person. (25 Jan 2015) < 262-a-10-(Melvin Bledsoe, father of convicted killer Abdulhakim Muhammad, in AP interview)-“change his culture”-Melvin Bledsoe, father of convicted killer Abdulhakim Muhammad, says the family hoped their son would get a business degree in college. (25 Jan 2015) < NIGERIA-VIOLENCE Boko Haram attacks northeastern Nigerian city, dozens killed MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) β In fierce fighting that has killed more than 200 combatants, Nigerian troops have clashed with Islamic extremists who attacked Maiduguri (my-DOO’-guh-re), the biggest city in northeastern Nigeria, from three fronts. At the same time, the insurgents continued scorched-earth attacks on villages some 125 miles to the south, slitting throats of residents, looting and burning homes and abducting dozens of trapped women and children, according to escaping survivors. The multiple attacks come as Secretary of State John Kerry visited Lagos (LAY’-gohs), Nigeria’s commercial capital. He said the U.S. will continue to support Nigeria’s military in its fight against Boko Haram, which wants to make Africa’s most populous country an Islamic state. Since August, Boko Haram has seized large swaths of northeastern Nigeria, including key border crossings into Cameroon, Chad and Niger (nee-ZHAYR’). Sound: 155-r-07-(Sound of clicking cameras, as Secretary of State John Kerry meets Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan)–Sound of clicking cameras as Secretary of State John Kerry meets Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in a rare high-level visit to Africa’s most populous country. (25 Jan 2015) < 265-a-10-(Secretary of State John Kerry, at news conference)-“and military installations”-Secretary of State John Kerry says condemns the escalating attacks by an Islamic extremist group. (25 Jan 2015) < 267-a-06-(Secretary of State John Kerry, at news conference)-“in recent weeks”-Secretary of State John Kerry says the Islamic militant group Boko Haram has attacked villages and killed hundreds of people. (25 Jan 2015) < 266-a-07-(Secretary of State John Kerry, at news conference)-“against Boko Haram”-Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. will help fight the Islamic militants in Nigeria’s northeast. (25 Jan 2015) < CHURCH PROJECT-AFRICAN HUNGER Central Florida church makes 100,000 meals to ship to Africa INDIALANTIC, Fla. (AP) β Hundreds of volunteers at a Florida church have pulled off an impressive act of charity: They’re sending 100,000 meals to Africa. The youth ministry at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Indialantic spearheaded an effort to raise $50,000 for the project. That money funded meals of dehydrated vegetables, rice and soy protein that are being shipped to the West African nation of Burkina Faso, which has been plagued by famine and food shortages. Florida Today reports that some 900 volunteers helped pack the meals Sunday. They doubled their output from last year, when 50,000 meals were prepared. SOUTHERN BAPTISTS-INTEGRATION Southern Baptist leaders call for integrated churches NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) β Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention say integrated churches can be a key driver of racial justice in society. Only about 20 percent of Southern Baptist congregations are nonwhite, and less than 1 percent are multiethnic. But a phone survey of about 1,000 churchgoers by Lifeway Research found that only 37 percent of evangelicals thought their churches needed to become more ethnically diverse. The Rev. Russell Moore, who leads the Southern Baptist’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, wants that to change. He says that when black Christians and white Christians worship together, they will also stand up for each other. CHURCH-PEDESTRIANS KILLED Couple struck, killed by SUV outside Wisconsin church CALEDONIA, Wis. (AP) β Catholics in Caledonia, Wisconsin, are mourning the deaths of two elderly parishioners who were struck and killed by an SUV as they left church Saturday evening. The Journal Times reports that Oscar and Vernetta Lang, both 83, had just attended Mass at St. Louis Catholic Church, where they were longtime members. The church’s pastor, the Rev. Mark Danczyk, told the newspaper that two nurses who attended the Mass tried to save the couple while paramedics were on their way. Danczyk said he was able to administer last rites to both victims before they died. The pastor said the close-knit congregation, which has about 700 families, was in shock. He said parishioners hugged each other after Sunday’s services, and the congregation paused to pray for those involved in the accident. Police say neither the 32-year-old woman who was driving the SUV nor her two children who were in the vehicle were hurt. DRIVE-THRU MONEY Woman gets bag full of cash at Burger King drive-thru ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) β A New Hampshire woman got a surprise at a Burger King drive-thru: a bag full of cash instead of food. Janelle Jones says she discovered on the way home that the bag did not contain the sweet tea and junior spicy chicken sandwich that she had ordered Friday at the Rochester fast-food restaurant. Foster’s Daily Democrat reports that Jones called her husband and they decided to return the $2,631, which was a Burger King bank deposit. Matthew Jones says the couple briefly considered keeping the money, which they certainly could have used. But he says he and his wife are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and that “Jehovah sees everything.” The newspaper reports that the restaurant confirmed the couple’s account but had no comment on it. Sound: 014-c-23-(Violet Ikonomova (EE’-koh-NOH’-moh-vah), AP correspondent)-“Jehovah sees everything”-AP correspondent Violet Ikonomova reports on a surprise drive-thru gift for a New Hampshire woman. (25 Jan 2015) < 013-v-28-(Violet Ikonomova (EE’-koh-NOH’-moh-vah), AP correspondent)–A New Hampshire woman got a surprise at a Burger King drive-thru – a bag full of cash instead of food. AP correspondent Violet Ikonomova reports. (25 Jan 2015) < VATICAN-CHRISTIAN UNITY Pope: Christian unity means no competing for faithful ROME (AP) β Pope Francis has laid out his formula for fostering Christian unity: resist competing for souls and make concrete gestures of acceptance and dialogue. Francis celebrated vespers Sunday evening in a Rome basilica along with Anglican, Orthodox and other church leaders to cap an annual week of prayer for unity of Christians. He told the church leaders that “our shared commitment to proclaiming the Gospel enables us to overcome proselytism and competition in all their forms.” Francis said getting to know “those who are different from ourselves can make us grow.” He also cautioned about “subtle theoretical discussions in which each side tries to convince the other.” Referring to Christians being persecuted in the Middle East and elsewhere, Francis described their suffering as a kind of “ecumenism of blood.” VATICAN-POPE-ISLAM Pope: Ridding stereotypes key to Christian-Muslim relations VATICAN CITY (AP) β Pope Francis says the most effective antidote to violence among Christians and Muslims is learning about each other and then accepting differences. Francis also told participants Saturday of a meeting promoted by the Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamist Studies that only by carefully listening can interreligious dialogue make progress. He said “patience and humility” are essential for deepened Islamic-Christian dialogue while merely superficial dialogue will only yield “stereotypes and preconceptions.” Francis added: “The most effective antidote to every form of violence is education about discovering and accepting difference as richness and fertileness.” He did not mention of the deadly jihadi attacks in supposed defense of Islam this month in France, but said “more than ever one feels the need” for such education.
