A new study from Gallup reports that 90% of Americans would vote for a presidential candidate who happened to be black, Catholic, Hispanic, Jewish or a woman. The number drops to eight in 10 who would vote for candidates who are evangelical Christian, gay or lesbian. Only about 65% would vote an atheist. Just one group – socialists – received majority opposition, with less than half of Americans (45%) saying they would choose a socialist...
Mat-Su residents are meeting this Saturday, Feb. 15, In the first of what will be a monthly meeting to educate and mobilize area Christians to engage politics and culture. Organizer Candy Sunderland said inspiration for the event came on the heels of a past prayer breakfast she attended for Palmer Mayor Edna DeVries in which pastors, politicians and Gov. Mike Dunleavy gathered to pray for elected officials. “Valley pastors and others asked if we would...
Religion and politics seamlessly merged during the sixth annual Revive Alaska Prayer Conference held at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Pastors, evangelists and politicians joined members from local churches to pray for spiritual revival in culture and politics. The broad theme was to mobilize believers to transform Alaska from “70% non-religious to 70% Christian.” Under this overarching mission, participants in the Feb. 8-9 event also prayed for the application of godly principles in Alaska politics....
Hate crime is back in the national and local spotlight following the recent introduction of legislation in both the Alaska Legislature and the U.S. Senate. Senator Lisa Murkowski introduced legislation last week to make it easier for federal prosecutors to prove hate crimes under the 2009 Hate Crimes Prevention Act even when hate is not the sole motivation for a crime. With her proposed “Justice for Victims of Hate Crimes Act” prosecutors would only need...
Sen. Dan Sullivan and Gov. Mike Dunleavy plan to join politicians, pastors, missionaries and others from across Alaska this weekend in bowing their heads to ask God to forgive, renew and inspire Alaskans to greater spiritual fidelity. The Feb. 8-9 Revive Alaska Prayer Conference is a hub for Alaskans desiring to reverse of the spiritual statistics of Alaska from 70% non-religious to 70% Christian. An interdenominational event, it includes Christians from various backgrounds who gather...
There’s a long list of reasons to avoid hot-button cultural issues, particularly on social media. But like it or not, social media is here to stay. It’s a major contributor to public thought and not something we can simply ignore. It’s also the wild west of communication where seemingly anything goes, and your comments get filtered through as many lenses as you have followers. Anything is permissible (provided you don’t get flagged), but not everything...
Revive Alaska Outreach is the hub for Alaskans desiring to reverse of the spiritual statistics of Alaska from 70% non-religious to 70% Christian. It is a multi-church partnership where Christians gather to pray, listen to speakers, share evangelism strategies, and plan community outreach. The sixth annual Revive Alaska Prayer Conference occurs Feb. 8-9 at the University of Anchorage, Alaska, in Rasmuson Hall, room 101. The theme this year is “Prayer for the Government and for...
City council members in Kenai and Soldotna are pushing for the expansion of statewide hate crimes legislation to include “sexual orientation and gender identity.” Last month the Soldotna City Council voted 5-1 in favor of a resolution urging state legislators to pass House Bill 198. Sponsored by Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage the bill would add “sexual orientation and gender identity” to categories like race, sex, religion, national origin and others when determining sentencing for hate...
This list of events is provided to give Alaskans some concrete ways to celebrate their faith, assist neighbors in need and work for Alaska’s common good. To add an event to this list, please send us an email at editor@alaskawatchman.com. PRO-LIFE PREGNANCY CENTER TO TRAIN MAT-SU VOLUNTEERS The pro-life HeartReach Center, which has offered support to pregnant Alaska women for more than 30 years, is holding a volunteer training session on Feb. 28 from 9 a.m....
With hundreds of flights out of Anchorage each week, thousands of Alaskans are shedding winter layers in January and February to don flowery shirts and pack into commercial airliners headed for Hawaii. These flights are depositing sun-starved Alaskans all across the islands. While sandy beaches, snorkeling and tropical hikes sit atop most vacationer’s to-do lists, they might also want to check out two historic churches – still in use – which helped bring Christianity to...
