Anti-Christian Group Wants Cross And Bibles Removed From University Chapel
September 21, 2017
The letter from the group's attorney states:
"We have received a complaint that East Central University's Kathryn P. Boswell Memorial Chapel has permanent religious iconography on display. These displays include Latin crosses on the top of and inside the building, Bibles, and a Christian altar. While it is legal for a public university to have a space that can be used by students for religious worship so long as that space is not dedicated solely to that purpose, it is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to display religious iconography on government property. Please remove or cover the religious displays and items."Fox commentator Todd Starnes calls the letter "a great big load of legal malarkey." The letter ordered the university to remove the campus chapel cross, along with any other religious symbols. Even Bibles! The group gave ECU 30 days to reply. And at first, the legal bullying worked. [/slide]
Pastor Makes A Public Plea
Fearful of a legal battle, the university initially planned to remove the items, promising to explore options for preserving them. But when Randall Christy caught wind of ECU's plans, the pastor of Union Valley Church and founder of The Gospel station turned to Facebook.WATCH: Pastor Stands Up For Campus Chapel Cross
In a video viewed more than 10 million times, Randall urged all Christians to stand up for the cross."It's very disturbing to me and I just really believe that Christians need to rise up against this kind of thing in America," Randall said.RELATED: High School Football Players Stand Up For Jesus He went on to suggest that people simply don't really understand the true meaning of the cross. This, he says, is the reason it catches such controversy.
"There’s evidently a lot of people that believe the cross is excluding them, and it’s our job to let them know that’s not the case," he said. "The cross is inviting them, and this prayer place — Jesus said, ‘My house will be a place of prayer for all people.’ That’s what we believe because Jesus said it, and that’s what this was built for. The Boswell family built this chapel in memory of Mrs. Boswell because that’s how she believed." [/slide]
Christians Outraged Over Demands
Randall was certainly not alone in his outrage. Many folks were furious to hear of the attack on the campus chapel. Pastor Randall Christy addresses a crowd outside of the campus chapel Credit: The Ada News“I feel betrayed by our own country, upset that this could take place in America,” alum Jill Tucker Brown said. “We are a nation founded on Christianity.” "Why should thousands of Christians in Ada and Pontotoc County cater to the whims of a few, if there’s no violation of the First Amendment?" First Lutheran Church Pastor Gary Brandt asked. "To my knowledge, there are no chapel services held on campus. No one is commanded to enter the chapel or to read the Holy Bible or to worship any God."RELATED: Atheists’ Demand Cross At Public Park Be Removed, But City Refuses But ECU no longer plans to give in to the advocacy group's demands. Thanks to the public outcry resulting from Randall's push, the university now has support from Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter.
"My office stands ready to defend the religious freedom of Oklahomans from misleading tactics such as the ones employed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State," Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said.As of yet, the group has not taken any legal action. But the university will have the Oklahoma Attorney General's office on its side should any other threats come.
Standing Up For The Cross
The Enemy works in many different ways. Christianity is clearly under attack. And it's awesome to see Christians like Randall find peaceful ways to make a stand.“It takes a Christian standing up before things can change. We don’t have to have violent riots. We just stand up peaceably and tell people we care,” Randall said. “I know that this is just one cross. It’s a small cross on a small chapel, but it signifies that if we don’t take a stand for the small things, then pretty soon we’ll lose the big things.”Keep praying, as cases like this are popping up all over the country! h/t: Facebook YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: High School Forbids Student From Putting Jesus In Graduation Speech Credit: First Liberty Institute
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Deepen Your Faith This Christmas Season - Your Daily Prayer - December 7
God's Word doesn't say, "You will not face trials of any kind so long as your life is filled with joy." What it tells us is that we will face trials throughout all of life, and to count it as joy, which will lead to steadfastness.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Deepen Your Faith This Christmas Season - Your Daily Prayer - December 7
God's Word doesn't say, "You will not face trials of any kind so long as your life is filled with joy." What it tells us is that we will face trials throughout all of life, and to count it as joy, which will lead to steadfastness.
Past Stories
- Granddaughter Captures Last Words Between Grandparents, Married For 69 Years
- New York State Police Rescue Woman Needing a Heart Transplant Stranded in Snowstorm
- Born the Same Year the Titanic Sank, World's Oldest Man Dies at 112
- Family Receives Support From School and Community After Losing House in a Fire
- Soldier Reunites With His Military Dog Yyacob After Years Apart
- Chicago Man Discovers That The Owner Of The Bakery He Loved To Visit Was Actually His Mother
- Husband Pays For 40 Pet Adoptions At Shelter For His Wife's 40th Birthday
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
- UPS Driver Jumps into Action As He Spots Elderly Woman on the Ground & Says It Was All God
- Rescuer Braces for the Worst After Spotting Kitten on the Side of the Road, Then Sees a Paw Move
- AJ Griffin Gives Up High-Paying Career with NBA to Follow God
- These Former Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Their First Birthday
- Teenager From Iowa Uses His Flying Skills to Help Hurricane Helene Victims
- Son Saves For 9 Months and Surprises Mom By Paying Off Her Mortgage
- Woman's Home is Surrounded By 100 Raccoons, and They Aren't Leaving Anytime Soon
- Dog Saves Her Owner's Life By Sitting in the Middle of the Road
- Widower Shares the Last Thing His Wife Told Their Son Before She Passed Away From Cancer
- A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
- These Twin Sisters Have An Important Message To Share On Their 102nd Birthday
- This Brave 5-Year-Old Saved Her Mother's Life By Calling 911
- 79-Year-Old Broke Her Ankle After Scattering Her Mom's Ashes, Then Strangers Save the Day
- Dad Travels Through Mud and Debris to Walk His Daughter Down the Aisle
Top Artists
Top Music Videos
Gaither Vocal Band Gaither Vocal Band - Mary, Did You Know? [Live]
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Kari Jobe Kari Jobe - Firm Foundation (He Won't) / Great Are You Lord
toby mac TobyMac - Nothin' Sweeter
Housefires 🔥 Housefires - Rest On Us
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.