Abortion supporters Chant "Hail Satan" in Texas Capitol as Pro-Lifers Sing "Amazing Grace"
For several hour between Tuesday and Wednesday (July 2 & 3), the phrase "Hail Satan" trended on Twitter as word spread that abortion supporters had chanted it at pro-life Christians singing "Amazing Grace" amid mounting tensions over the pending passage of strict abortion laws in the Texas Capitol, The Christian Post reports. Two weeks ago, Texas Gov. Rick Perry convened a second special session in the Texas Senate after Democratic activism botched the passage of legislation that would have banned aortions in the state after 20 weeks.  The legislation would also require that abortions be performed at ambulatory surgical centers and mandate that doctors obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their practice.  Opponents of the proposal argue that the proposal would virtually shut down abortion clinics in Texas  -  and pro-life supporters have no problem with that.  Democratic Sen.Wendy Davis of Fort Worth and her colleagues attempted to kill the abortion legislation with a 13-hour filibuster on the last day of the first special session.  Republicans,however, rallied using a parlamentary technicality to shut down Davis' attempt before the midnight deadline to vote on the bill kicked in.  Once that happened, however, unruly abortion-rights advocates erupted in a loud protest in the pubclic gallery of the Senate, which prevented the senators on the floor from hearing sufficiently to vote on the bill. (The bill did eventually pass and Gov. Perry has signed it into law.)

Polygamists Celebrate Supreme Court Marriage Decisions
Across America in June, homosexuals gathered in so-called "pride Parades."  This year, they celebrated the recent supreme Court decisions regarding the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8  -  but they're not the only ones celebrating, WORLD reports.  Polygamists are celebrating too. "We're very happy with it," said Joe Darger, a Utah polygamist. "I think the court has taken a step in correcting some inequality, and that's certainly something that's going to trickled down and impact.  us."  Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council said: "Proponents of 'plural marriages' are riding the homosexual movement's wave of success all the way to legitimacy. They're using the same playbook, the same sound bites.....After all, who are we to say that two or three or nine consenting adults shouldn't be able to make the same commitment?  Love is love, right?"

Belgium Weighing Euthanasia for Children
Belgium appears on the verge of becoming the first developed country to legalize euthanasia for children, Baptist Press reports.  The Belgian Federal Parliament reportedly has a consensus for passing legislation that would permit some seriously ill children to choose to die by euthanasia, according to the International Business Times,which based its reporting on an article in the Belgian newspaper Der Morgen.  To conduct euthanasia, a physician administers a lethal dose of drugs that takes a patient's life.  Belgian legislators are considering a bill that would guide doctors in determining if a child's health is serious enugh to merit euthanasia and whether he is mature enough to decide to end his life, according to the June 11 report.  Euthanasia of children is a reality now, according to the testimony of the head of the intensive care unit at Fabiola Hospital in Brussels. "We all know that euthanasia is already practiced on children," he told a Senate committee.  "Yes, active euthanasia."  The Netherlands has not legaized euthanasia for children but has agreed since 2005 not to prosecute doctors who follow a set of rules while performing euthanasia on some minors.

Another Christian Dies in Eritrean Prison Camp
Open Doors USA has recently learned about the death of another Christian in an Eritrean prison.  Yosief Kebedom Geiai, a recently converted single Christian, died in Medefera on July 5.  Sources told Open Doors that Yosief, 41, had been sick for a long time, but that the harsh treatment at a secret Medefera incarceration center aggravated the effects of the unknown disease.  Yosief is the 24th reported death connected to punishment for religious activities outside of the government-sanctioned Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, Lutheran Church and Islam.  However, because of the government's secrecy surrounding prisoners and denied access to watchdog organizations, there may be many more deaths and burials that have not been reported.  Yosief was originally from Asmara, but went to Mendefera to teach at a primary school some time prior to his arrest. Six months after his arrival Yosief came to faith in Christ.  His devotion to Bible study and prayer caught the attention of representatives of the ruling Eritrean People's Front for Democracy and Justice at the school. Authorities arrested him in December and took him to the secret incarceration center in Mendefera, where he was kept incommunicado. Sources say the center holds many other religious prisoners whose whereabouts were previously unknown to family members and churches.  "Christians should be hugely encouraged to see how God through His Holy Spirit enables His children, even new and isolated ones like Yosief, to remain firm in their devotion to Christ no matter the circumstances," said an Open Doors team member.
  (Articles from Religion Today, www.ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com)