Tag Archives: Texas

Texas Senate Advances Bill Banning Sharia Law

The Texas Senate has advanced a bill that would prohibit family courts in the state from considering Sharia Law when it conflicts with state law.

While the law itself does not mention Sharia Law by name, the intent of the bill from Senator Donna Campbell is to keep Sharia law from overriding federal or state Constitutions.  There had been concerns of non-Constitutional sources being used in family courts and dealing with marriage and divorce matters.

“A ruling or decision of a court, arbitrator, or administrative adjudicator under this title may not be based on a foreign law if the application of that law would violate a fundamental right guaranteed by the United States Constitution or the constitution or a statute of this state,” the bill states.

The Bill passed the Senate 20-11 after passing a House committee 5-1 last week.

“Sen. Campbell has done a great job in leading senators to advance the laws that protect our basic rights from infringement,” commented Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a statement. “SB 531 upholds Texas morals from foreign laws that contradict or violate our laws and our beliefs.”

An Islamic tribunal formed in North Texas earlier this year to arbitrate disputes between Muslims such as divorce proceedings.

“All our decisions point back to the Koran and Sunna … and what the prophet Mohammed left to us,” Dr. Taher el-Badawi, Islamic Tribunal judge, told KEYE TV.

Storm Death Toll Reaches 19; Dam Break Less Likely

Rains continue to fall across Texas, increasing the massive flood from major weekend storms that have left 19 people confirmed dead.

Meanwhile, engineers believe a dam on the verge of collapse because of the rising waters will be able to hold after pumping out lake water to ease pressure.  A re-evaluation found the dam more stable than believed.

“The previous reports of an imminent breech have now been… we’re standing down basically,” said Captain John Spann with the Midlothian Police Department.

A dam collapse would flood Highway 287 and likely destroy 25 homes according to local officials.

Two more bodies were found in Houston on Wednesday which raised the official death toll to 19.

The flooding in Houston continues to cause major problems.  A waste treatment plant in the city was overrun by flood waters, sending 100,000 gallons of wastewater into the flood water.  Over 700 homes have sustained some kind of damage from the rushing water.

Firefighters have reported over 500 water rescues and over 2,500 stranded vehicles.

Meanwhile, eight people in a family whose vacation home was swept away by the flood waters remain missing.  Local residents say the authorities were neglectful in their alerting residents to the problem of the Blanco river.

“Nobody was saying, ‘Get out; get out; get out,'” said Brenda Morton of Wimberley, who lives three houses down from the home that was swept away. “We’re pretty trained, so we were calculating. We knew the flood plain. People who were visiting or had summer homes, you have company from out of town, you don’t know. You don’t know when that instant is.”

Hays County Emergency Management says phone calls went out to residents and that in some areas law enforcement officers made direct notifications.

Deadly Storms Rage Through Texas and Oklahoma

Officials in Texas and Oklahoma say that at least 11 people are dead and over a dozen missing following a massive storm front that roared through the two states.

Record rainfall fell in many communities and flooding caused mass devastation.

Houston officials say that two people were found Tuesday and that they likely drowned in the massive flooding in the area.  Authorities were telling residents to not leave their homes.   Over 70,000 customers are without power in the Houston area.

The National Weather Service reported 11 inches of rain in six hours throughout southwest Houston.  Over 130 water rescues had to be conducted throughout the city.  The weather was so severe that the Houston Rockets NBA team told the people who came to their playoff game to stay inside the arena in their seats until the passing of the storm.

“We’ve seen flooding before, but not nearly to this extreme,” said Gage Mueller, a Houston resident for the past 40 years and Houston Rockets employee who stayed overnight at the Toyota Center because it wasn’t safe to go home. “It rains and it rains and it rains, and there’s really nowhere for the water to go. … It’s ridiculous.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared disasters in 37 counties.

“You cannot candy coat it. It’s absolutely massive,” Abbott told reporters after he viewed the devastation in the region.

One of the storm’s victims was 18-year-old Alyssa Ramirez, president of the student council at Devine High School who was driving home from her senior prom.  She called 911, she called her father and then the flood waters rose too fast for her to be rescued.

The flooding was so strong that a vacation house next to the Blanco River was pushed off the foundation and rushed downriver into a bridge.  Only parts of the home have been found.  At least one person was killed by the flooding of the Blanco river.

A dam near Highway 71 broke causing the highway to be blocked.

“We Know God’s Law Can’t Be Undone By Man’s Law”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott made bold declarations about the Lord in an address to the 11th annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast.

Abbott, 57, who became paralyzed after a tree fell on his back in 1984, said he is one of many proofs that God answers prayers.

“Let me just start by making a very simple point. My very being here today is proof that prayers do work,” Abbott told those in attendance at the Marriott Marquis hotel.

“Looking back, I can tell that if you have seen all that I have seen, if you have gone through all that I have gone through, you would never again question the Lord,” Abbott continued. “You would never fear the valley of the shadow of death because you knew that you could palpably feel God’s presence with you and you would pray with gratefulness with the connection established with God that comes through prayer.”

Abbott quoted Pope Francis saying that prayer opens the door for God to do something miraculous in our lives and the lives of those around us.

“Have you all ever noticed how prayers increase in times of great need?” Abbott asked. “In America today, we are in a time of great need and there is an urgent need to pray now, more than ever, especially the need to pray for our religious liberties. I have heard it said that ‘America did not create religious liberty but religious liberty created America.’ That religious liberty is being tested by some who want to silence the faithful and purge God from the public square.”

Abbott mentioned several court victories where the rights of Christians were upheld.

“We see these assaults on faith continue to expand across the entire country,” Abbott said. “We see this in the never-ending battle to defend the unborn and we see this with the legal assault on marriage defined by God, but we know that God’s law cannot be undone by man’s law.”

Abbott mentioned Proverbs 29:2 and said that the world needs righteous leaders in place.  He called on Christians to pray for righteous leaders.

ISIS Warning Claims Terror Cells In 15 States

A man who clams to be an “American jihadist” says Sunday’s terror attack in Texas was the work of ISIS and that “trained soldiers” are currently positioned in 15 states and planning more attacks.

The post on a file-sharing site was signed by Abu Ibrahim Al Ameriki, a man that intelligence sources admit joined a Pakistani terrorist group several years ago.  He has been seen in propaganda videos for ISIS in the past.

“Out of the 71 trained soldiers 23 have signed up for missions like Sunday, we are increasing in number,” read the warning. “Of the 15 states, 5 we will name… Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, California, and Michigan.”

The posting appeared to claim the attack at the Draw the Prophet Muhammad contest in Texas was successful despite the fact the attackers were shot dead by security at the event before they could reach anyone actually involved in the event.

The terrorist group posted a video Tuesday night with clips of praise for the two jihadists who committed the attempted assault on the contest.

The attack in Texas seems to back up comments earlier this year from FBI head James Comey who said they had reports of radicalized Americans in 49 states.

“We are focused keenly on who would be looking to travel to join this band of murderers who will have come back from Iraq and Syria and to the United States,” Comey said in a speech to law enforcement officers in Mississippi. “We have opened cases all over the place focused on this threat, so it is not … a Washington thing – it is something we focus on throughout the FBI.”

Two Islamists Dead After Attacking “Draw Muhammad” Contest

A man who had been investigated as a terrorist by the FBI and his roommate attempted to storm a “Draw Muhammad” contest near Dallas with automatic weapons but were gunned down by security before they were able to harm any civilians.

Elton Simpson had been the subject of a terrorism investigation and had been convicted five years ago of lying to federal agents about his plans to travel to Somalia.  A judge said that they couldn’t officially prove that he was attempting to join a terror group and given probation.

The gunmen had been living in Phoenix.

ISIS terrorists have been calling for an attack on the contest for more than a week.  An ISIS fighter posted on Twitter after the attack “two pro-ISIS individuals” had carried out the attack.

‘They Thought They Was Safe In Texas From The Soldiers of The Islamic State,’ added the tweet.

A security guard was hit by the terrorist’s shots but was treated and released from a local hospital.  Moments after the start of the assault, a Garland, Texas police officer shot both terrorists dead.

‘With what he was faced with and his reaction and his shooting with a pistol, he did a good job,’ Harn said of the officer.

‘He did what he was trained to do, and under the fire that he was put under, he did a very good job and probably saved lives. We think their strategy was to get into the events center and they were not able to get past that outer perimeter.’

Elton Simpson’s father released a statement saying that his son “made a bad choice.”

“We are Americans and we believe in America,” Dunston Simpson said. “What my son did reflects very badly on my family.”

Arkansas Lawmakers Vote For Ten Commandments Monument At Capitol

Arkansas lawmakers have passed a proposal to place a monument to the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the state capitol and Governor Asa Hutchinson is expected to sign the bill.

As we previously reported, State Senator Jason Rapert proposed the moument, which will be funded by private citizens.  The senator referenced other monuments in Texas and Oklahoma, which courts have found as Constitutional.

“The Secretary of State shall permit and arrange for the placement on the State Capitol grounds of a suitable monument commemorating the Ten Commandments,” SB 939 reads in part. “The Secretary of State shall arrange for the monument to be designed, constructed, and placed on the State Capitol grounds by private entities at no expense to the State of Arkansas.”

“The placement of the monument under this section shall not be construed to mean that the State of Arkansas favors any particular religion or denomination over others,” it continues.

The bill passed the Arkansas House 72-7 on Wednesday.

“The 10 Commandments monument is a visible reminder intended to keep us focused outside of ourselves, just as the founders looked outside of themselves for guidance,” Rep. Kim Hammer said, according to the Arkansas News.

Anti-Life Students Demand Abortion Display Be Removed

A group of students opposed to a display of crosses posted by a pro-life group at the University of Texas at Arlington is demanding the school remove the display.

The group of anti-life activists claim that the display of crosses represents Christianity and thus is “culturally insensitive” to a “diverse campus.”

“Every cross is supposed to represent an unborn child, but not necessarily every child that is aborted is Christian,” petition organizer Ashley Radovcich told The Shorthorn, the campus newspaper. “And therefore, they’re being culturally insensitive, especially since we’re the fifth most diverse campus in America.”

“They need to be more culturally sensitive to religions and cultures on campus,” she reiterated. “I mean, by all means, they should represent their views—freedom of speech … but they should also be more aware of what they’re putting out to the public.”

“When I’m looking at this, they’re basically telling us that we can go to Hell just for having options,” sophomore Olivia Frost added.

The group that placed the crosses, Pro-Life Mavericks, said the 2,900 crosses represent the number of children killed each day by abortion.  This is the second year of the display, which also received hostile backlash from anti-life students the previous year.

Adam Fogel of Pro-Life Mavericks told Chrisitan News that the biggest surprise to their group was not the anti-life protesters who held signs in front of the display, but the number of students who said they were unaware of the number of babies killed via abortion.

“Many people had no idea that abortion was this common and this much of a problem in the states,” he said.

The student group says they will erect the display again next year despite the hostile response.

Texas City Stands Up To Sharia Law

The city government of Irving, Texas is standing up and saying sharia law is not going to be legal within the bounds of their city.

A Sunni mosque in Irving had announced earlier this year they were forming an Islamic Tribunal to provide mediation of disputes in the Muslim community according to Sharia Law.  Now, the city has passed a resolution backing a Texas House Bill that would forbid the use of “foreign law” to decide issues within the city.

Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne has been the subject of hate from the Muslim community because of her bold stand against Sharia Law.

“As Mayor of the City of Irving, I took an oath to uphold the laws of the State of Texas and the Constitution of the United States,” Duyne wrote earlier this year. “American citizens need to remember that their rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and I believe no one should subjugate themselves to anything less.”

However, she says this new law is not aimed at religion of any kind.

“This bill does not mention at all Muslims, sharia law, Islam, even religion,” Duyne stated.

Duyne said that she would work to fight for anyone whose civil rights is violated in any way by people connected to the “Tribunal”.

Ted Cruz Declares Bold Faith in Christ

While most of the nation focused on the fact Texas Senator Ted Cruz officially announced his candidacy for President in 2016, several people noticed the bold faith expressed by the Senator in his speech announcing the move.

Much of the speech consisted of Cruz saying that God was not done with America and that God has blessed America for years.

“God’s blessing has been on America from the very beginning of this nation, and I believe God isn’t done with America yet,” he said. “I believe in you. I believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of America, and that is why today I am announcing that I’m running for president of the United States.”

Cruz shared how God reached his father after he had left his mother and brought him home to be a Godly man.

“When I was three, my father decided to leave my mother and me,” he said. “We were living in Calgary at the time. He got on a plane and he flew back to Texas, and he decided he didn’t want to be married anymore and he didn’t want to be a father to his three-year-old son.”

“And yet when he was in Houston, a friend, a colleague from the oil and gas business, invited him to a Bible study— invited him to Clay Road Baptist Church—and there my father gave his life to Jesus Christ,” Cruz continued. “And God transformed his heart. And he drove to the airport, he bought a plane ticket, and he flew back to be with my mother and me.”

Cruz said that because of God moving in his father’s life, he knows Christ is real.

“There are people who wonder if faith is real,” Cruz said. “I can tell you, in my family there’s not a second of doubt, because were it not for the transformative love of Jesus Christ, I would have been saved and I would have been raised by a single mom without my father in the household.”