ANSWERS IN GENESIS-TIMES SQUARE
Ky. ministry has New Year’s Eve Times Square message
PETERSBURG, Ky. (AP) β The Christian ministry that operates the Creation Museum in Kentucky will be running a video ad in New York’s Times Square during the annual New Year’s Eve celebration.
Answers in Genesis President Ken Ham says the 15-second message will be seen seven minutes per hour over Broadway this New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
It opens with the words: “To all our intolerant liberal friends.” Then a white cross appears, followed by the words: “Thank God for freedom.”
The video closes with the message: “Brought to you by answersingenesis.org and the First Amendment.”
The ad will also be shown outdoors in Washington, D.C., and Boston beginning Jan. 5.
The ministry is currently at work building a new attraction in northern Kentucky based on the biblical story of Noah’s Ark. Ham says the billboard campaign was inspired by secular opposition to that project and other public expressions of Christianity.
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178-a-08-(Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, in AP interview)-“New Year’s Eve”-Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, says his ministry will have a message for New Year’s Eve revelers in New York. (30 Dec 2014)
< 180-a-10-(Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, in AP interview)-“life-size Noah’s Ark”-Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, says his ministry has encountered opposition to its second project in Kentucky. (30 Dec 2014) < 179-a-07-(Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, in AP interview)-“the intolerant ones”-Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, says the video billboard opens with the words: “To all our intolerant liberal friends.” ((cut used in wrap)) (30 Dec 2014) < 177-w-31-(Carlotta Bradley, AP correspondent, with Ken Ham, president, Answers in Genesis)–The Christian ministry that operates the Creation Museum in Kentucky will be running a video ad in New York’s Times Square during the annual New Year’s Eve celebration. AP correspondent Carlotta Bradley reports. (30 Dec 2014) < OHIO HOUSE FIRE-FUNERAL Services held for 4 killed in Ohio house fire WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio (AP) β Mourners have packed a southwest Ohio church for funeral services for a woman and her three grandsons killed in a house fire the morning after Christmas. Visitation and the services were held Tuesday morning for 60-year-old Terry Harris, 14-year-old Kenyon, 11-year-old Broderick and 9-year-old Braylon. Police say the boys wanted to spend Christmas night with their grandmother so she wouldn’t be alone. Her single-story, ranch-style house was destroyed last Friday morning. The state fire marshal’s office says an investigation into the cause of the fire is continuing. Services were at Heritage Memorial Church in Washington Court House, Ohio. There are several efforts underway to raise memorial contributions and funds to support the family. More events are being planned in the Fayette County community about 40 miles southwest of Columbus. FLORIDA PASTOR SHOOTING Florida pastor shoots armed former employee KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) β Authorities say the pastor of a Florida church shot and wounded an employee during a gunfight after the employee learned he was being fired. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Living Water Fellowship Church Pastor Terry Howell had been meeting with maintenance worker Benjamin Parangan Tuesday to terminate Parangan’s employment with the Kissimmee church. Witnesses say Parangan pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots at Pastor Howell, who then returned fire with his own weapon and hit Parangan. Officials say Parangan was taken to the Osceola Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Deputies are investigating the shooting as a case of self-defense. Authorities say charges are pending against Parangan. Earlier this month, Pastor James “Tripp” Battle was fatally shot at his church in Bradenton, Florida. CELEBRATORY GUNFIRE Ga. police warn against celebratory gunfire SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) β Police in coastal Georgia are reminding gun owners not to fire weapons into the air during New Year’s Eve celebrations. In a statement, Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Chief Joseph Lumpkin said the death of 4-year-old Marquel Peters in 2010 is a reminder of the danger linked to celebratory gunfire. Peters was at church with his family near Decatur on New Year’s Eve in 2010 when a bullet that was fired into the air fell toward the ground, pierced the ceiling of the church and fatally struck the boy. Police say celebratory gunfire has been a problem in Savannah, but a new device called ShotSpotter has been installed in some areas and will alert police seconds after shots are fired. HISTORIC CHURCH-SHOTS Mystery over shots fired at historic NJ church RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (AP) β Officials in northern New Jersey are trying to determine why someone fired shots into a church at the site of a Revolutionary War battle. Ridgewood officials told The Record newspaper that rounds were fired at The Old Paramus Reformed Church over the weekend. Some hit a stained glass window, one left a hole in a brick wall and at least 30 rounds were shot into the church before Sunday’s service. There were no injuries. Officials say there were no threats reported against the church or its pastor. The current building opened in 1800. A previous church on the property was built in 1735 and was the site of a 1780 attack by British soldiers on colonial troops staying there. ZOMBIE NATIVITY Resident defies Ohio deadline on ‘Zombie Nativity’ CINCINNATI (AP) β A “Zombie Nativity” scene in a Cincinnati suburb has remained undead past the deadline to remove it. Sycamore Township officials said last week they had received complaints about debris at the home and concluded that the display violates zoning rules on yard structures. Facing a fine and legal action, owner Jasen Dixon instead kept the display up past the Dec. 26 deadline. The scene has eerie figures including a demonic-looking creature sitting up in the manger where the baby Jesus would be in traditional Christmas nativities. There’s a detached head with it in the manger, while another ghoulish figure holds a replica heart in its hand as a somber “Silent Night” plays in the background. The township administrator said Tuesday the owner will face fines of up to $250 a day. Officials say they’re not anti-zombie, but pro-zoning rules. CHICAGO GRAFFITI-SYNAGOGUE Anti-Semitic graffiti reported in Chicago ward CHICAGO (AP) β A city official in Chicago says police have stepped up patrols and are investigating instances of reportedly anti-Semitic graffiti. Alderwoman Debra Silverstein issued a statement Monday saying that Congregation Atereth Yehoshua was marred by graffiti during Sunday’s early morning hours. She says police located graffiti on the synagogue and on 30 nearby residential garages on the city’s north side. Silverstein says the Chicago Police Department’s Hate Crimes Unit is investigating. Police have deployed additional officers to the area and are patrolling overnight. A city “blasters” unit has removed all the known graffiti. Police say some instances included disparaging remarks toward Jews. ISRAEL-CHURCH VANDALIZED Israeli police arrest Jerusalem abbey vandal JERUSALEM (AP) β Israeli police have arrested a man who vandalized a wooden cross and a statue at an abbey in Jerusalem. Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the 21-year-old man jumped over a fence into the grounds of the Dormition Abbey and damaged a wooden cross and a bench before a security guard apprehended him and called police. Abbey spokesman Father Nikodemus said the vandal damaged statues on the abbey grounds including one that marked the grave of the only monk with Israeli citizenship. He said that is unusual as the abbey was founded by German Kaiser Wilhelm II and all the monks are traditionally from German-speaking countries. The Benedictine abbey is a popular site for pilgrims and tourists. It has been damaged several times in recent years. The vandals are believed to be from the same group of Jewish extremists who have carried out similar attacks in recent years in retaliation for Palestinian attacks or to protest what they perceive as pro-Palestinian government policies. Mosques, churches, dovish Israeli groups and even army bases have been targeted. INDIA-RELIGION AND POLITICS Religion in India bubbles over into politics NEW DELHI (AP) β In parts of India, Muslims are offered food and money to convert to Hinduism. If that doesn’t suffice, they say they’re threatened. Across the country, the Christmas holiday was canceled for hundreds of government servants who spent the day promoting the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Powerful Hindu nationalist leaders β some with close ties to Modi’s government β say they intend to ensure that India becomes a completely Hindu nation. The Rev. Dominic Emmanuel, a Roman Catholic priest, was in a delegation of religious leaders who met a few days ago with Modi. They urged him to speak out against the discrimination they’re experiencing. But Emmanuel says Modi told them it wasn’t his role to weigh in on every issue. India, with its population of some 1.3 billion, is about 81 percent Hindu, 13 percent Muslim and a little over 2 percent Christian.
