What started as a battle in the United Methodist Church (UMC) over biblical truth and church disciplines has grown to include issues further splitting many congregations over the LGBT and abortion issues.

As previously reported by the Daily Citizen in 2022, mega churches such as Woodlands Methodist Church in Texas and Bethel Church have left the UMC because of its turn to the left on these issues.

But it’s not limited to two churches. Over 100 Methodist churches in Florida, 210 in Texas, 35 in Arkansas and 70 in northern Georgia have recently declared their separation from the United States’ third largest denomination.

In 2019, the UMC created a four-year window for conregations to leave over LGBT-related issues.

More than 7,600 total U.S. congregations have split from the United Methodist Church since the window opened, reports Juicy Ecumenism.

The old saying goes, “Where God closes a door, He opens a window.”

The UMC opened a liberal window, and it’s safe to say churches are busting out of the door too.

During the Methodist General Conference in April of this year, the officials “removed bans on bishops ordaining LGBT people as clergy or consecrating them as bishops.” In addition, according to AP, “it also removed mandatory penalties — imposed by a 2019 General Conference — on clergy who conduct ceremonies celebrating same-sex weddings or unions.”

Louisiana will soon become the first state in the nation requiring public universities and K-12 schools to display the Ten Commandments in each classroom. This is undoubtedly a good move.

The Pelican State’s House Bill No. 71 requires public schools that receive state funds to “display the Ten Commandments in each building it uses and classroom in each school under its jurisdiction.”

Both the state’s House and Senate approved the bill by overwhelming margins. The House adopted the bill by a vote of 82-19 while the Senate voted 30-8 in favor of it.

After the Senate added an amendment permitting the displays be paid for by public donation, the House reapproved the bill in a second vote of 79-16 on May 28.

It was sent to Gov. Jeff Landry for approval on June 4.

Opponents of the bill have argued that schools shouldn’t teach the Ten Commandments. Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, in speaking out against the bill, said, “I didn’t have to learn the Ten Commandments in school. We went to Sunday school.”

But just because students can learn the Ten Commandments in church, it doesn’t follow that this divine and ancient wisdom shouldn’t also be taught in public schools.

Shouldn’t we want all children to learn to honor their father and mother, and to not kill, steal, lie or covet?

Sequential artwork, the earliest versions of comics or comic strips, were first spotted in Egyptian hieroglyphs and Greek friezes. Other early drawings attempted to communicate biblical stories and truth — presumably to either an illiterate audience or those without access to any written documents.

Today’s understanding of comics dates back more recently to the middle of the 19th century, though the “Golden Age” of the medium is said to have launched in the 1930s with the publication of such serial hits as Superman, The Green Lantern and The Flash.

Beyond mere child’s fare and humor, comics have long been used to communicate what a particular era cherishes and values.

For example, during both World War I and II, many of the series championed American values and our country’s exceptionalism. The strips’ authors could have their characters express something others might be afraid or even unsure how to say. It was a good way to reach young people — or those young at heart.

This strategy is still being employed, albeit in different forms or venues. Last week’s New York Times featured a story highlighting “8 Comics to Read this Pride Month.” The colorful works carried such titles as “Real Stories About Growing Up Trans,” “A Quick and Easy Guide to Coming Out,” and “X-Men: The Wedding Special.”

Readers of the Old Grey Lady might be surprised to learn that the “Green Lantern,” a superhero who debuted in 1940, has apparently been a homosexual all these years. Who knew?

Sexual extortion is the fastest growing cybercrime in America, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports, stripping thousands of victims of their security, money and — in the tragic cases of more than twenty teen boys — their lives.

Background

Online sextortion occurs when scammers solicit nude images of their victims through social media or another online social site, usually by posing as an attractive peer. The blackmailers then threaten to send the sensitive photos to the victims’ family and friends — unless they pay up.

Sextortion traditionally victimizes women and girls, with blackmailers turning illicit images into pornography or requiring sexual favors in exchange for keeping nude images private.

Since 2021, however, sextortion schemes have increasingly targeted men and boys for cold, hard cash. Officials call this crime “financial extortion.”

Why It Matters

Data from FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) show teen boys have become a bigger target for scammers over time, with devastating consequences.

National law enforcement received 7,000 reports of financial sextortion targeting minors in 2022, more than 40% of which targeted boys.

A broader analysis of 13,000 reports submitted to the FBI between October 2021 and March 2023, however, found a whopping 97% of cases involved boys.