to target christians it was anti christian legislation and it was work it and then we discovered archeological evidence that in fact it was just general legislation it wasn't about the christians and the difference between gentlemen just station that you know what he or you feel you can't you can't act in accordance with and persecution that's designed to get you there's a difference between those things that we have to acknowledge and respect yeah it seems like us. and if a difference it is so if there was really in the in the in the first three hundred years of the church before the church became the state to a large extent. held their ground until watching the italian revolution of the late nineteenth century early twentieth century by being the catholics ruled much of europe mostly or. if that. persecution didn't happen why is that story so pervasive we touched on this earlier but how did it get how does it get continually we nurture it will there are a couple of reasons before jesus persecution was not a badge of honor it was a sign that your daddy was angry with punishing you was impoten

so two very deep christians, christians who take their christianity very seriously, who take leading their flock seriously, but very kind of different focus on ethical dimension and social dimension. so it's, again, that wonderful thing, that you have to look at individuals when we go through this. so it's a delightful interview - cracks me up every time i hear it. but let's go back and listen to reverend cecil williams from glide memorial church in san francisco. >> i have themes of liberation in what i do. first of all, i need liberating - i need deliverance - and so therefore, i'm constantly being a part of an act of deliverance. i have to change; i can't just think i got it and then settle in, and that's it. i have to say to myself, and to others, "look, i need to really do something with my life." and i can't just go every day not looking at myself. and also that has to do with my brothers and sisters. i have to look at how i am relating to them, how i live my life with them, and it has to be open, and it has to be with joy and gratitude. and life is more than just being serious

syria's 2,000-year-old christian community is being devastated by the christian war. they interviewed over 100 christian syrians in lebanon. they say malitia are driving them out because of their christian faith. one woman says her son and husband were shot in the head just because they were christians. it is the second largest in the middle east after egypt. today whole villages disappear when islamic rebels arrive. a lebanese patriarch says it is, quote,"a great exitous taking place in silence." recently cbn middle east bureau chief chris mitchell spoke with lila about persecution about christians in syria and the middle east. >> what is your situation in syria right now, specifically for christians? >> it is very hard to tell right now. the problem is that the rebels are saying that the assad government is killing the christians, and vice versa, and nobody really can tell. they're fleeing, and they're very much caught in the cross-fire. churches have been destroyed, and there are terrible reports coming out, but it is hard to sift through them at this time. >> syri

many more are on the run. >> and many are christians as well. what can we do for the christians? >> we need to start praying for them, that they would have strength and courage. we can't just pray for them. we need to provide encouragement. we need to provide food, clothing, medical surprise, anything we can do to strengthen our brothers and sisters so they can (a) take care of themselves and have light in that darkness. and we need to pray with satellite, tv, radio, and distribution of bibles, the jesus film, that the the gospel, the hope of christ, can be spread at a time when people are more willing to listen and have a need for it than they ever had in their lives. >> joel rosenberg, an amazing book, "damascus countdown." thank you. >> thank you. >> wendy: christians face tough choices with islamic rebels take over their villages. eventually a muslim group captured the christian village of makubia. many fled. some say they won't return until they see how the muslim commander treats minorities. he says he will treat everyone fairly, but like many rebels, he makes his decisions

there are christians in iran. there are christian converts in iran.hat the iranian government has a specific problem with is these home church movements because they're very popular. there are a a lot of young people. >> bill: converting anybody. >> exactly. their big issue is evangelical christians. >> bill: if you are not a muslim you have got to shut up? >> well, i wouldn't necessarily put it that way. >> bill: you are a little soft on iran? >> little soft on them, man. there is no freedom of religion over there. come on. >> no, there isn't. >> bill: let's call it. an american in jail for eight years for doing nothing, right? >> i absolutely agree with you. >> bill: president obama cannot get him out. >> he should not be in prison organizations like ours will push on this issue. >> we are glad. the american government as strong as it is cannot get him out. >> authorities have to release him. >> bill: at the end of the day his butt is in jail. that's what's at the end of the day there is carney and everybody else. we got a statement from the new sec

. >> today on christian world news, u.s. lawmakers push for the release of an american pastor held in iran. his wife tells us about the toll the ordeal is taking on her family. plus, china's dark secret. a government policy that has killed hundreds of millions of unborn children. now christians say the power of prayer is pushg back the daress. c2d his convereron to c cist costhis man hisis family. how the power of god brought them back together. members of the u.s. congress step in to fight to free pastor saeed abedini. hello, everyone, i'm wendy griffith. george thomas is on assignment. congress is looking into the international persecution of religious believers, and they heard from the wife of saeed abedini about his imprisonment in iran. john jessup has that story from capito capitol. >> i family nightmare began in 2010. >> reporter: he receives hopes and prayers that she will be reunited with her husband, pastor saeed abedini. her husband received an eight-year prison sentence in his native iran. and the real reason is

four foreign christians were arrested in that city for disseminating christian literature, greg.they were imprisoned. kept in there, basically they're supposed to be getting out. >> greg: i want to go, make a point. when you were a kid you leshed about egypt and it was awesome. cleopatra and the pharaohs. pyramids and it was a cool place you want to go to. now it's ancient wisdom replaced with angry mobs. what is the lesson there? the lesson is that that can happen. that the world is an unstable place. and things change. things can go from wonderful and amazing to something horrible. if you look at rome. you look at egypt. you look at the united states is what i'm getting at. it's a very important lesson to understand that democracies end and the world is a fragile place. it's important that you are armed. >> eric: very nice. nice transition. >> greg: thank you for letting me talk. >> eric: don't forget how they built the pyramids and the amazing pieces of ark it canture in egypt. on the back of people starving and dying doing it. >> dana: i have -- >> bob: you had dreams when yo

what impact has the arab spring had on christians in the middle east? >> what it has done is it has overthrown strong men, like mubarak, and soon probably assad, who kept a tight reign against islamist terrorism. but what is happening now is that in egypt, the islamists are now in charge.

more bad news for christians in libya. witnesses say unidentified attackers set a benghazi church on fire. security official says forces stopped the attackers before gospel. al-qaeda is on the rise in north africa. in the bull's eye is country of mali. gary lane traveled to the town of diaboli. >> reporter: for more than a fight in mali. 75-year-old villager describes how rebel gun fire frightened him. he has never sxeerns ee ee eed experienced such terror. >> they started selling drugs. >> and train them to be good drug dealers. something? >> cut off their hands, no. that is not koranic law >> reporter: when the french thankful. they have traumatic stories to tell. this man says they beat him and carried him away on sticks like meat. rebels shot and killed his younger brother. they showed us the storage room where h h b buried him. his family still mourns including the young children will not grow up without a father. these two girls remember younger brother amadu. happened. >> [ foreign speaking ] at 6:30 a.m. after brea

churches, there are 33 delegations from the various christian denominations including astonishingly the patriarch of constantinople, the first of equals among the orthodox churches, this is the first time it seeps in a thousand years since the churches split in 1054 that the leader of orthodox christians is there attending this inauguration mass. >> it really is quite something for that to happen. the patriarch came to this country some years back, he was really quite vociferously anti-catholic in some of his statements and, of course, the break was essentially over the primacy of rome and so to go to rome is really a gesture and they will go to st. peter's tomb together, apparently. and that is something, as you say in america we don't often get to see. it hasn't happened in a thousand years. >> really stunning and something as cokie was saying not since 1054 to be able to do such what we call an ecumenical outreach in the first moments of his papacy sets the tone for his outreach to other christian denominations and other faiths, as well. >> in our american delegation there is new

>> bill: anti-christian behavior. we reported earlier this week student ryan rotela tossed out of a communications class when he refused to stomp on a piece of paper containing the name jesus. that academic exercise was ordered by dr. deandre poole a democratic activists hot university hired to teach the communications class. after our initial reporting, the university apologized. >> on behalf of all of us here at fau, we are deeply sorry for any hurt this incident might have caused our students, people in the community and beyond. as an institution of higher education we embrace academic freedom but with that comes a level of responsibility which we did not uphold it was insensitive and hurtful and we are truly sorry. >> bill: i thought that was a good statement. but, despite that, florida governor rick scott launching an investigation. joining us now from washington republican indicate obenshain as well as democrat and fox news analyst kirsten powers and you say powers? >> well, i agree that was a good statement. th

it's like ok sign this raise your hand and say i'm a christian a good if you're at. war it's going to jump it is really got to go to school for like sixty years even though they will even if your idea years old you know they're going to toss a ball for you ok but it's going to dump him. somewhere in here we've lost your initial question which was whether atheism is the new religion. and i think that i don't first of all i don't think it's a new religion and yes i agree with jason that humanism is perhaps the religious manifestation of atheism but my point is that all humans as individuals are religious beings they all believe in something they can the knowledge only goes so far so they have to use a belief or a face system somewhere and where it concerns the origins of things and the universe origin themselves where we come from whatever reason for being in the universe and where we're going these are all religious questions that human suppose i don't think dogs do i don't think any other end life form does i'm my communication is limited with my dog but he doesn't s

christian dorsey sitting in dc. the videos are funny but not so funny. >> they are horrible videos . these videos cost all of $60,000 . by producing the video, thires didn't spend a million and half inraining costs and so use thag math, that sounds like a smart and prudent move. 60,000 spent and a million and half saved. they are horrible videos by production value. >> but i have to ask you, where did you come up with a million and half dollars. >> that's what the i.r.s. said they spent. >> oh, that's what i should have taken their word. >> and if that is it the case, why would they say in today's day and age we would never make it. we are denying the back track. >> they are horrible videos. they are expense itch either way and it is money that shouldn't be spent. we are nickel and diming and it is the principle of getting away with this and show people with stupid ears and ginger in a bathing suit and they think it is okay. >> we are not nickel and diming. there is it training video of this and trips to the west co

outspend or rates icons and praise in his own way side by side with the christian mantra if you pray for peace to come back to syria it doesn't really matter where and how you do it there were explosions everywhere they were trying to divide the area into a christian part and a muslim part because the people would say no so they kept them inside and blew them up always so when they pan and i don't know one or more from saudi arabia. going to lurking there that i'm. not that i'm not going to go.

this is insulting to christian believers, is it not?solutely is and i think the reason, bill, people aren't standing up and fighting back. many christians think it's unchristian to stand up and fight for your rights. >> you have got to turn the other cheek? is that what it is. >> that is certainly true in personal offenses. i would remind pastors this past year the apostle paul spent two years fighting against the legal system to preserve his right to speak freely. we need to do the same thing as well. the other problem bill is is that a lot of christians have bought into this perverted idea of the first amendment. they don't understand the first amendment simply says congress can't establish a state religion. it has nothing to say about easter egg hunts. it's not a state religion. >> bill: no court is going to stop a easter egg hunt? >> absolutely not. >> bill: when you go to alabama. the heart of the bible belt, and you have a school district saying, you know, i'm sorry, using the word easter is insulting. it's insulting to not use th

a young man who said christianity and religion is two different things. he has youtube sensation jeff bakey is next. 'll go back to hu. have a good night. >> he said he loves jesus and hates readings. his youtube videos received measure than 40 million hits . it started with a controversial message. >> he build churches and fail to feed the poor. single mom doesn't love them . old testament god called religious people whores. >> jeff stopped by to talk about authtentic faith. >> good to have you here. >> thank you. >> some people probably look at you and think of you as a modern day prophet jerimiah called out the religious people. how do you see yourself in the role? >> i love jesus and i am really just inalled with his grace. we have layers and then we mute and muscle how awesome and beautiful he s. i use my gift and what i do and peel the scales back and see who he really is. >> you are getting at the heart of what faith really is . faith equates faith with things that are earthly and temperol . one of the shots you took is people who make politics equ

wayne rogerings, johnathon and traces burns and also monica crawley and christian dorsey. welcome everybody . as you sit home and write out your tax check to uncle sam. look at what the i.r.s. is spending your money on >> there is money laundery and man cures and hair cuts in the street. >> remember wt is important. enhancing the taxpayer insurance - experience. >> me, i became a public servant. oh, boy, the tax agency claims training tamp i tapes were made a few years ago and help tod save money. lawmakers are not buying it and demanding answers. johnathon, you say you have the answers already? >> eric if we want to live long and prosper we have to slash and burn. my god, this is outrageous. listen they take and take and take and spend their entire budget if they don't spend it they will not get the money the next year. ment fact that the u.s. government is the largest employer in the world is pathetic. the i.r.s.'s budget is 12 billion. it is for them to take 40 percent of your earnings. we need policemen and not parasites. >> and what is patheticings. i didn't recognize

that has to be done by christians. exactly. >> bill: next on the run down, big controversy in tennessee where state-funded university, the university of tennessee was going to spend money, tax money on student sex week. all hell is breaking loose. and then, talking about hell, what about satan? he is in the news because of the obama bible mini series controversy. we will talk with two theologians about the theologians about the deviviviviviviúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúú c'mon0manp just do it,quick.ú no one's watchingp you0have to if you want to hang with0us ♪musicú the other one tooú good job >> bill: impact segment tonight. big controversy at the university of tennessee beginning on april 5th. there will be a sex week for students there the university had committed about $11,000 in taxpayer funds to that exposition. some lawmakers in nashville heard about that. they threatened to cut off all funding for the university of tennessee, knoxville. so the university backed down, saying it will now spend only $6,700 in student funds fo

. >> she has been mythologized in christian lore as the prostitute. not one iota of evidence to support that depict opportunity. mary magdalene was not christ's lover as the "da vinci code" says she was. her role as one of jesus' key disciples was virtually expunged from early christian history. without her, the courts of modern christianity, namely belief in the resurrection would be vastly different. that's the proposition of new mary magdalene biography and the author is with us. bruce chilton. >> dr. bruce, welcome. congratulations on your book mary magdalene, a biography. a great read. >> i appreciate that. >> interesting throughout. are there any misconceptions about mary magdalene that you care to debunk? >> i think perhaps the most prominent one is the claim that mary magdalene had earned her living as a prostitute before she encountered christ of. of all the women in history, mary magdalene must be the most unlucky. she was only assigned the job of being a prostitute more than 500 years after she had died. it is the result of a sermon that wa

>> christian faith or the way i understood early as christian faith does not depend on a literal bodyoming out of the tomb. >> john dominic lawson does not tyke the bible literally and he never separates the historical jesus but a -- >> you would not have seen anything. >> but if jesus did not resurrect, the body is not resurrected, then what would have happened. >> what i'm saying is there is no christianity without the resurrection, but what i'm saying if the resurrection demands the lilt central both coming out of the tomb. i would like to see pilot's face if he saw gee suts. and jesus actually seems to be anywhere he wants to be. i consider those to be metaphors and parables for the presence of jesus. >> rome, at the time of jesus, it was the center of the world. for the past 25 years, it has been the center of christianity. >> rome is incredibly beautiful, it like a postcard everywhere you look. >> we are on the cusp of st. peter's bridge also call if you along at these it has to do with the passion of christ, either the crowning of thorns of the scourge. >> we'll be back in rome

that has to be done by christians. exactly. >> bill: next on the run down, big controversy in tennessee where state-funded university, the university of tennessee was going to spend money, tax money on student sex week. all hell is breaking loose. and then, talking about hell, what about satan? he is in the news because of the obama bible mini series controversy. we will talk with two theologians about the theologians about the devivivivivi look, if you have copd like me, you know it can be hard to breathe, and how that feels. copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. spiriva helps control my copd symptoms by keeping my airways open for 24 hours. plus, it reduces copd flare-ups. spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that does both. spiriva handihaler tiotropium bromide inhalation powder does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all

there's no christianity without easter sunday. say, regardless of religious practice, i think it has to do with new life, hope, but not, again, in denial of suffering and death. easter says that suffering and death are real. one doesn't go around them, one has to go through them, as it were. but one doesn't go through them alone. one doesn't go through them by pulling up one's bootstraps, but easter is about this unexpected miracle that can happen and god can perform when we least expect it, but really need it most. >> brent strong, very interesting as we begin our day, today easter. thanks for being with us. >> thank you, my pleasure. >> and if you want more stories on faith, be sure to check out our belief blog at cnn.com/belief. >>> the family of superstar michael jackson sues a concert promoter for billions of dollars over his death. we'll look ahead to that trial. it begins this week. ♪ [ construction sounds ] ♪ [ watch ticking ] [ engine revs ] come in. ♪ got the coffee. that was fast. we're outta here. ♪ [ engine revs ] ♪ y

away from christianity no that's a huge question but what would that moment be for you. i would have to say. one of the biggest moments came when i was going through the old testament and reading about. the things that god was asking the hebrews to do at that time and i came across a couple instances of genocide and infanticide which dealt quite a big blow to me as a as a believer and you describe struggling with a lot of contradictions that are inherent in the bible in the teachings what would you say is one of those main contradictions that you couldn't really come to terms with. wasn't the primary contradiction to me is the idea of a loving and caring god coming in and having a personal relationship with you and then at the same time there's this slaughterhouse mentality that is kind of hidden in the background that you're not really told about and it isn't brought up very often only when maybe there is a war that needs to happen or when a political party or someone with motivations outside of your faith ones too. to use you and i found myself in that position and you

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christianity portrays easter as the moment of revival and renewal. that's something its dwindling congregation in jerusalem might ell be hoping for. >> a plague of low custs has infested almost half of the indian ocean island of madagascar. there are concerns of food shortages as billions of the crop-devouring insects could leave 60% of the population hungry. about $22 million is needed to fight the plague. an inquest into the death of a man has heard that he was found lying on the floor of his bathroom with a little tour around his neck. he died at his home in london last weekend. police have said there was no sign of a struggle and his death was consistent with hanging. from earth to the international space station in just six hours. >> and liftoff. liftoff as chris caddyingsy -- >> as incredible as it sounds, three astronauts are attempting to do just that. the trip would usually have taken 48 hours. the speedy version is down to extremely precise orbital adjustments from the space station and its booster which had been tested on

that has to be done by christians. exactly. >> bill: next on the run down, big controversy in tennessee where state-funded university, the university of tennessee was going to spend money, tax money on student sex week. all hell is breaking loose. and then, talking about hell, what about satan? he is in the news because of the obama bible mini series controversy. we will talk with two theologians about the devil. those reports after these messages. both tylenol and bayer advanced aspirin are proven to be effective pain relievers. tylenol works by blocking pain signals to your brain. bayer advanced aspirin blocks pain at the site. try the power of bayer advanced aspirin. try the power with an intuitive motion activated lid and seat,ad bold makes sure you'll never have to ask him again. to get her oven baked taste straight from the microwave. like her oven roasted chicken baked in a rich, creamy alfredo sauce. she calls them her new comfort bakes. marie callender's. it's time to savor. uh, charles couldn't make it. his s

christian says he knows a prime spot for jaguar spotting. off the beaten track.e lawrence plies the main river, christian leads us down ever narrowing tribu ining trib. >> we heard there's a jaguar upriver. it's ten minutes away. if we're lucky, we'll make it. >> hope we don't get stuck. and with those words, we get really stuck. kind of hard to get footing, huh? >> how's the water? >> nice. a couple of crocs in here. i'm sinking up to my hips. it takes almost an hour to get out. we race to the spot and it pays off. wow, it's big. >> oh, yeah, yeah. >> reporter: virtually camouflaged, we capture only the briefest of glimpses. to. >> we scramble up a little cliff to get a better view, but by then he's already gone. >> he's going deeper into the bush. >> reporter: as the sun sets, we begin the slow chug home. but christian seems to have already reconciled with their strikeout. >> at some point, of course, you're asking yourself, what are you doing with your life? spending days and days and days on a river and far away from home. it's hard, yeah. >> reporter: and ou

the christian school would be a-- >> in a public school if they put on a play promoting christianitymocks christianity. >> tons and tons are christian in this country that are not bigots. >> you've made that point, but there's a difference of a view. the supreme court today looking at a decision whether you should prove you're a u.s. citizen before you vote. ♪ wiress is limitless. [ female announcer ] from tracking the bus. ♪ to tracking field conditions. ♪ wireless is limitless. ♪ but that doesn't mean i don't want to make money.stor. i love making money. i try to be smart with my investments. i also try to keep my costs down. what's your plan? ishares. low cost and tax efficient. find out why nine out of ten large professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. ishares by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus which includes investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. read and consider it carefully before investing. risk includes possible loss of principal. i go to angie's list to gauge whether or not the projects will be done in a timely fashion and within bu

we've been looking at individuals, christians there.nd and necessity international calling for an end to the violence and demanding that egyptian president and leader of the muslim brotherhood, mohammed morsi step up and take action to protect the christians living in egypt. and they make up the largest religious minority groups in that country. and joining me now to discuss it, ralph peters, author of the book "hell or richmond" and judith is a reporter, fox news contributor and returned from a trip to egypt. she got back on friday. thank you so much for being here. now, this, i want to start with this. this made the wires, but we were not able to independently confirm the reporting by quote, mideast christian news that claimed that islamic hard liners stormed a mosque in suburban cairo and turned it into a torture chamber for christians. and judy, we can't confirm whether that's true or not true. but we know is true, there's a history in this country in egypt of anti-christian sentiment and so far mohammed morsi, who is supposed to be

when did you become a christian? >> i became a christian, i grew up a christian. then when i went in the army when i got out of high school, i just forgot about it. i did not reject it. it had no meaning for me. i did not go to church. i did not think about it. well, then i got married and i had a couple of kids and my parents, again, my mother and father had a reawakening of their christian faith when they retired and moved to florida. it started when they moved to vero beach, florida, and they were different. i mean, i could see what happened in their lives and the lives of my sister and her husband and my kids and other people that i would meet, and it was really that it just was so appealing to me. christians i kept running into, probably not accidentally, but in any case, i can remember the exact day, it was right after thanksgiving in 1980 that i kneeled in my living room floor and my wife and i did and asked jesus into our lives. it has been very different since then. >> explain how it has been different. >> it has been different. i think about the world di