Restrictions on drag shows, pride parades in question as Senate approves bill

The Republican-led Senate on Tuesday approved legislation that would bar children from attending drag shows with “lewd” performances, a proposed restriction that follows a national theme in GOP states and … Click to Continue » ... Read More

U.S. Supreme Court refuses to block Florida execution scheduled for Wednesday

TALLAHASSEE — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to block the execution of Death Row inmate Louis Gaskin, who is slated to face lethal injection Wednesday in the 1989 murders of a Flagler County couple. A two-sentence order said justices denied a stay of execution and a petition to hear the case. As is common, the order did not explain the decisions. Advertisement Gaskin’s attorney appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court after the Florida Supreme Court last week rejected... Read More

Nursing school operators plead guilty to selling fake diplomas to thousands in Florida

Two nursing school operators in the Fort Lauderdale area have fessed up to peddling fake diplomas to thousands of students who could then avoid completing a rigorous program before taking … Click to Continue » ... Read More

Carl Henry’s Temptation (And Ours)

What we can learn from Christianity Today’s troubling history of working with J. Edgar Hoover. Billy Graham tried. He preached in the White House the first Sunday after Richard Nixon was inaugurated in 1969, and he tried to preach clearly enough that the new president would hear his message. Graham engaged directly with Nixon’s inaugural address and said Nixon was wrong to rely so much on himself, his own ingenuity, his own goodness. Nixon was wrong when he said, “We need... Read More

Florida Senate votes to punish businesses that let children into drag shows

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Senate voted 28-12 on Tuesday for a bill that would allow the state to revoke the liquor licenses of restaurants and other entertainment venues that let children into drag shows. “Protecting the children of this state is our most sacred duty, but because this bill isn’t really about protecting children, I stand in opposition,” said Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, during the floor debate of SB 1438. “This unmistakably targets certain members of our population... Read More

Youth Pastors Ditch Gross-Out Games and Help Student Ministry Grow Up

Today’s groups are becoming more integrated with the rest of the church. In the 1990s and early 2000s, youth group culture relied on delivering fun and entertainment by any means possible: gross-out games, Christian rock concerts, hip hangout rooms, and pizza-party blowouts. The activities were seen as vehicles to get kids in the door before sharing the gospel or offering Bible lessons. Things have changed a lot since Jeremy Engbers grow up “playing games, getting dirty, and... Read More

The ‘demons’ among us aren’t transgender people, but legislators who dehumanize them | Opinion 

They just can’t help themselves. There’s no need to demonize and dehumanize any group of people in a legislative process stacked in Republicans state lawmakers’ favor from the get-go. Those … Click to Continue » ... Read More

Florida wildlife officers kill more than 30 snakes at a reptile facility, video shows

A disturbing video was posted online this week showing Florida wildlife officers killing dozens of snakes at a Sunrise reptile facility. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers last … Click to Continue » ... Read More