Whitney Jones

LOS ANGELES (BP)--ABC Family became the second network to receive an excellent rating from a gay advocacy organization for its positive portrayal of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders, according to a report released August 3.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The stream of profanity and nudity on broadcast television could soon become a flood if the Supreme Court finds the Federal Communications Commission's indecency policy "unconstitutionally vague" during its next session, says the Parents Television Council.

BEIJING (BP)--As China mourned a horrific train accident in Wenzhou, Shouwang Church gathered to worship and pray, which led to 35 arrests.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--Marijuana supporters in California began their next attempt at legalizing recreational use of the drug July 25, when the secretary of state's office approved the circulation of ballot petitions for their proposition. Advocates for recreational marijuana must gather 504,760 signatures by Dec. 19 for the initiative to appear on either the June or November ballots next year. The new movement supported by Steve Kubby, a medical marijuana activist, differs from California's Proposition 19 -- the previous effort to legalize recreational marijuana that failed to pass in the 2010 midterm elections. This new push to legalize marijuana contends that people who grow the plant should be treated like vintners and microbrewers, who are not taxed if they do keep the product for themselves. Under the upcoming proposition those who sell marijuana would be regulated by the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Associated Press reported. Kubby said in the AP report that next year's presidential election provides a better chance for the proposition because it pulls in a broader group of voters as opposed to midterm elections where conservatives are more likely to vote. Proposition 19 was defeated, 54-46 percent, and liberal and conservative politicians alike joined in rejecting the measure. If Proposition 19 had passed it would have made California the first state to legalize smoking pot recreationally. Meanwhile, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), whose California chapter backed Proposition 19, made another significant move related to the legalization of marijuana. The organization called for an end to the "war on drugs" July 26 in what it called a "historic resolution." The resolution endorses rehabilitation programs and comes after released data that shows African Americans were 13 times more likely to go to jail than whites for the same drug-related offense, the NAACP reported. "These flawed drug policies that have been mostly enforced in African American communities must be stopped and replaced with evidenced-based practices that address the root causes of drug use and abuse in America," said Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP. During the Proposition 19 campaign, though, other black leaders said marijuana legalization would harm the black community. Ron Allen, who is president of the International Faith-Based Coalition and is African American, said the legalization of marijuana would harm blacks. "How in the world can we legalize a drug and say, 'Let everyone stay high' and believe they're not going to get arrested for something else?" Allen asked regarding the legalization of recreational marijuana. "It will cause more carnage, more devastation, more crime, more burglary in that community or in any other community. It doesn't make sense. How can you educate an intoxicated mind? You can't."

SUQIAN CITY, China (BP)--A key leader of the Chinese House Church Alliance has been sentenced to two years in a labor camp as part of a crackdown on illegal worship, ChinaAid reported July 25.

FT. COLLINS, Colo. (BP)–Campus Crusade for Christ announced Tuesday that it is ditching its name in the United States for a new, simplified one — Cru. The old name is being shirked for a new one because, as Campus Crusade for Christ said in its press release, the ministry hopes to “overcome existing barriers and […]

ALBANY, N.Y. (BP)--With gay "marriage" now legal in New York, Christian town clerks across the state have feared that they must either sign marriage licenses for same-sex couples or refuse and lose their job. But those clerks have another option, says the Alliance Defense Fund.

BEIJING (BP)--After a week of harsh restrictions by Chinese authorities, Shouwang Church saw a rise in people who were able to participate in its outdoor meeting July 10, which led to the arrest of at least 26 Chinese Christians.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Richard Land and Jim Wallis discuss the national debt and possible solutions in a new online video tackling military spending, taxes, welfare programs and entitlements.

BEIJING (BP)–Despite restrictions due to the Chinese Communist Party’s 90th anniversary, members of Shouwang Church in Beijing continued to meet outdoors July 3, leading to at least 19 arrests. Church members defied the Chinese government for the 13th consecutive week with the outdoor service. The illegal church, which was evicted from its leased meeting space […]