Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Archives for Religion

Trump gets ‘enthusiastic’ praise at gathering of Iowa Christian conservatives (AUDIO)

By

Nearly 600 Iowa evangelical Christians rose with enthusiastic ovations when their president was praised last night during the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s fall fundraiser in Des Moines.

Steve Scheffler, the organization’s president, said since he’s not an elected official, he could speak frankly about the “unhinged…socialist, borderline Marxist” Democrats who he said “are doing everything in their power to destroy America.”

“And also, I have to tell you, I know that he makes mistakes, but I am an enthusiastic, passionate supporter of our great president, President Donald J. Trump,” Scheffler said and the crowd rose to applaud and cheer.

Scheffler added, however, that the people he was “the most disgusted” and “angry with” were Republican senators who have openly questioned Trump’s conservative credentials.

“I’ll just name ’em — Ben Sasse (of Nebraska) and Jeff Flake (of Arizona), who could have a nice conversation with the president, but they want to write books and try to demean him and I’m sick of it and the people that live in those states need to find a primary and take them out and put people there that want to lead and make this country great again.”

The crowd cheered those sentiments as well.

AUDIO of Scheffler’s speech, 6:40

Iowa GOP chairman Jeff Kaufmann blasted two other Republican senators — Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Arizona’s John McCain — for blocking the “rapid rate” of change that Trump seeks.

“I want to be crystal clear about what this party and the spokesperson of this party thinks about our president. We will absolutely stand behind President Donald Trump. We will not waiver. He is our president and we are proud of him as the Republican Party of Iowa, period!” Kaufmann said, shouting at the end his sentence, and the crowd rose again to applaud his sentiments.

AUDIO of Kaufmann’s remarks, 9:00

Congressman Steve King spent part of last week sending warning flares on Twitter after Trump met with the top two Democrats in congress about President Obama’s program that protected young immigrants from deportation. King did not mention immigration or even say the name Donald Trump during his remarks.

“We just elected a president and things are working along with some degree of significant success and some degree of frustration,” King said.

AUDIO of King’s speech, 12:30

King did post a picture of the event’s main organizer on Twitter, mentioning that “Scheffler just mentioned @RealDonaldTrump name and triggered a standing ovation at Faith & Freedom Coalition dinner.”

Iowa’s two Republican U.S. senators spoke at the Saturday night event, too. Senator Chuck Grassley used most of his time on stage to talk about political philosophy and the inspiration for his own governing strategy. Senator Joni Ernst mentioned a few issues, including Trump’s roll-back of federal regulations, like the Waters of the U.S. rule that was unpopular with farmers.

“I am here tonight just to offer you a little bit of inspiration and encouragement because it seems like in the media, all that we hear nowadays is all of the negativity and the controversy, but there have been some really positive steps forward this year. For one, we confirmed a new supreme court justice,” Ernst said, drawing whoops and cheers from the audience.

AUDIO of Ernst’s remarks, 9:00

Oklahoma Senator James Lankford was the event’s keynote speaker. Lankford was a youth pastor for 22 years and he began by talking about leading a Christian youth camp for 15 years before his election to congress.

“Learning how to deal with thousands of juveniles did prepare me better than you would think,” Lankford said, to laughter and applause.

Lankford spent much of his speech, though, urging the crowd of Christians to work “locally and individually” rather than relying upon government to address every societal ill.

AUDIO of Lankford’s speech, 47:30

Iowa Catholics gather to venerate relic of Saint John Paul II

By

Donna Britt of Des Moines carried a photo of her godchildren into the church.

Iowans have responded with prayers, joy and tears as they’ve seen a “relic” from a Catholic saint who visited Iowa in 1979.

“I walked in and the tears started flowing,” Donna Britt said Thursday as she stood outside St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Des Moines, “because I was there when the pope came to Iowa,”

In 1979, Britt was among the throng of more than 350,000 gathered for an outdoor mass at Living History Farms. Britt was overcome with emotion as she saw the shrine in the church set up to display a vial of the late Pope John Paul II’s blood. It’s an “official first class relic” of John Paul, who is now a saint.

“I can still see that helicopter coming over and the pope waving at us and then he came down and, I’ll never forget, he came right up to us and everyone just stood there. I mean, I expected someone to touch him. We all just were in amazement. Every time I saw him after that, I would cry,” Britt said. “And this, I walked in today and as soon as I saw it, the tears started flowing.”

Britt spent an hour in the church.

“It was like being back at Living History Farms all over again,” Britt said. “It’s just amazing. I can feel his presence.”

Britt laid the necklace that was a gift from her late husband and her rosary on top of the relic — a blessing for the items. As a result, those items are considered “third class relics” of John Paul.

Rachel and Cole Newton posed with their children outside the church.

Cole and Rachel Newton of Ankeny had their wedding rings blessed, then sat in a pew with their six children and prayed.

“We were able to spend time with the relic and ask Saint John Paul II to bless the children and our family and marriage, especially in this time of the world now,” Rachel Newton said and her husband, Cole, added: “How a great a man he was and at a time when the church needed him.”

The couple weren’t sure their young children will remember the event, so they posed for a family photo outside the church.

Students from the adjacent St. Anthony’s Catholic School filed into the church in shifts to see the relic and 12-year-old Aliyah Villalobos was encouraged to place her hand on the relic.

“Like seeing a once in a life-time thing,” Villalobos said a few hours later. “They had speakers talk about the blood and then we got to ask questions and then go up and see it.”

Eleven-year-old Amber Van Wert said a little prayer.

“I said thank you, even though I didn’t really know him,” Van Wert said. “I said thank you because he was obviously a great person and a lot of people loved him.”

Hundreds lined up to see the relic at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. The relic will be on display in four other sites around central Iowa through Sunday. The relic’s final Iowa stop will be at the small, rural parish the pope visited during his trip to Iowa 38 years ago.

Relic of late Pope John Paul II to be in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids

By

A “relic” from Saint John Paul II, the late pope, is making a worldwide pilgrimage and will be the focus of services in five Catholic churches in Iowa next week.

The relics of saints are common in the Catholic faith and are generally a small part of the saint’s physical remains. In the case of the late Pope John Paul the Second, a vial of his blood was preserved as an “official, first-class relic,” according to the church. Doctors had stored the pope’s blood during his lifetime, for possible transfusions if he fell ill.

Pope John Paul II died in 2005. He was declared a saint in 2014. His relic is coming to churches in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, nearly 38 years after Pope John Paul celebrated an outdoor Mass at Living History Farms and visited an Iowa farm. The relic will be in Iowa from Thursday, September 6th through Saturday the 9th.

The following information was released by the Des Moines Catholic Diocese:

Visit the relic at the following locations and times.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6
Divine Mercy Chapel
St. Patrick Catholic Church
120 5th St., N.W. Cedar Rapids, IA 52405
Veneration: 4-9 p.m.  Mass: 8 p.m.
 
THURSDAY, SEPT. 7
 
St. Anthony Catholic Church
15 Indianola Rd, Des Moines, IA 50315
Mass (English) 8:30 a.m.
Veneration-until 10 p.m.
Holy Hour- 6 p.m.
Mass (Spanish)- 7 p.m.
Veneration-until 9 p.m.
 
FRIDAY, SEPT. 8
 
St. Joseph Chapel
Dowling Catholic High School
1400 Buffalo Rd, West Des Moines, IA 50265
Veneration & Teachings
8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
 
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9
 
Church of the Land
Living History Farms
11121 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50322
JPII Exhibit
Non-Members: use the code “pope” for discounted entry
12-3 p.m.
 
Our Lady of Americas Catholic Church
1271 E 9th St., Des Moines, IA 50316
Veneration-5:45 p.m.
Mass-6:30 p.m.

Davenport church sues city over program to feed the homeless

By

A Davenport church that serves meals to the homeless is suing the city and three city officials.

The federal lawsuit was filed by Compassion Church, operator of Timothy’s House of Hope, and its pastors against the city of Davenport, two aldermen and a city zoning official. The lawsuit claims the city violated Compassion’s religious constitutional rights when it temporarily stopped Timothy’s House of Hope from serving breakfasts to the homeless.

Last April the city shut down the church for 27 days for what it said was a zoning violation at its new location. But the city later allowed the church to reopen as it considered changes to the zoning code.

The church says the city’s cease-and-desist order was unlawful. It wants monetary damages and an injunction to prohibit the city from interfering in the future.

(By Phil Roberts, Davenport)

 

Key segments of GOP, Democratic Party convene in Des Moines

By

Bob Vander Plaats and Kellyanne Conway,

Two organizations that often represent polar opposites on the political spectrum held events in the same convention complex in downtown Des Moines today.

About a thousand evangelical Christians gathered for the Family Leadership Summit. Late this morning, Kellyanne Conway, a senior counselor to President Trump, asked the crowd to “pray for the mockers” in the media.

“As the person in the West Wing who does not say: ‘fake news, enemy of the people, opposition party’…my grievance is not biased coverage, it’s incomplete coverage,” Conway said. “Biased coverage people can see for themselves…I think part of becoming civil is making sure people are connected with the relevant information that they need and they deserve.”

Bernie Sanders

About three hours later, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders addressed about 1,100 gathered at the annual convention for the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund. Sanders also criticized the media, but for a lack of “progressive voices.”

“People are paralyzed,” Sanders said. “…People don’t think their voices matter and your job, in and every way you can, is to bring people together, raise issues that other people are not talking about, force discussion and create the kind of vibrant democracy that we need to see.”

Sanders is the independent who nearly tied with Hillary Clinton in the Iowa Democratic Party’s 2016 Caucuses. Sanders urged the crowd in Des Moines today “not to fall for the bait” that divides American against American.

“Don’t believe everything you see on the TV. Yeah, you can get pretty depressed,” Sanders said. “…Of course there are racists and sexists and homophobes. You’re going to see ’em on TV every night, but they are not the majority of the American people.”

As Conway stepped on stage at the Family Leadership Summit, she immediately mentioned Trump’s “nine and a half point’ victory in Iowa last November and told the crowd Trump is “keeping faith with people of faith.”

“When President Trump said ‘the forgotten man or the forgotten woman,’ he didn’t mean forgotten in your communities, forgotten in your churches or synagogues,” Conway said. “He meant forgotten by the swamp, the system, the special interests and that’s why we’re there.”

That message resonates with people like Curt McNew of Cresco. McNew said it seems to him that more people are engaged in politics these days.

“Some for good reasons and some for not,” McNew said during an interview this morning. “The Trump Administration shakes things up. A lot of it’s for the good and I think he also arouses a lot of snakes out of the swamp.”

Conway also lamented the tone employed by her critics.

“If they’re going to criticize policy, that’s terrific,” Conway said. “But criticizing, I mean, how I look or what I wear or how I speak — it’s really remarkable and it totally undercuts modern feminism.”

Conway didn’t give a speech at the event. She was interviewed by The Family Leader president Bob Vander Plaats. Vander Plaats told reporters his goal for the day was to focus on “a message of civility” and to “raise the bar” in the midst of the maelstrom in the media and on social platforms like Twitter.

“When you start going personal and attacking…I think you’ve lost the argument,” Vander Plaats said.

From the stage, Vander Plaats urged the crowd to “put principle over politics” and to greet “friends and neighbors” in the same building at a convention featuring Sanders with respect rather than scorn.

“It’s two different world views,” Vander Plaats told reporters shortly before his event began, “but yet we can co-exist together.”

Paula Friend of Des Moines said during an interview early this morning that came to the Family Leadership Summit “with an open mind.”

“I prepared by praying first because I really want everything that’s done or said to glorify God,” Friend said.

Linda Michels of Zearing attended the Iowa CCI Action Fund convention and she said the “separation” that’s going on in the country will be its “undoing.”

“Peace is the answer and talking together is definitely the way to go,” Michels said.

Long-time Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement organizer Hugh Espy delivered a similar message from the stage, arguing political action should be “firmly rooted in love.”

“But that doesn’t mean we’re not angry. It’s what we do with that anger that defines us,” Espy said earlier this afternoon. “And what we do with it is we turn it into powerful, inspiring, forward-thinking action — action that takes us to higher ground.”

Sanders delivered a speech for nearly an hour and used a good share of his time to critique what he called the “horrific” health care bill Republicans intend to bring up for a vote in the Senate next week.

“To Senator Grassley and Senator Ernst, please take a hard look at what this disastrous legislation will do to the people of Iowa and the people of Iowa and I say to them, I beg of them: ‘Please vote no,'” Sanders said, to cheers.

Conway spoke for nearly half an hour to about 50 people at a private fundraiser for the Republican Party. One of the people in the room told Radio Iowa Conway delivered a “very detailed” and “passionate” defense of the health care legislation. Neither Conway nor Sanders spoke with Iowa reporters while they were in the state today.

Iowa atheist leader gets death threat prior to Oskaloosa invocation

By

Despite last week’s death threat, the founder and director of Eastern Iowa Atheists says he’ll continue his mission.

Justin Scott, from the Bremer County town of Denver, says he seeks out city councils that open their meetings with prayer and asks to be allowed to give a secular invocation instead.

Scott says all went relatively smoothly at last Wednesday’s city council meeting in Oskaloosa.

“They were very welcoming and really appreciated my request,” Scott says. “I got no push-back from the city. They definitely made sure their meetings were absolutely inclusive to everybody which is exactly our goal in our efforts. We want to make sure if cities are doing this, that they are including all voices and all world views.”

Scott says his invocations are centered on the power of humanity and not of any type of deity.

A U.S. Supreme Court case in 2014 made it clear that prayer is allowed before city council meetings, but he wants to make sure everyone is being invited to the table. Scott says he’s been giving invocations all across the region.

Scott says, “We’re less focused on doing any kind of prayer or séance or ritual and more focused on just reminding elected officials why they are there and who they’re representing.”

Prior to last week’s Oskaloosa city council meeting, Scott was told by a local reporter that someone had threatened to kill Scott if he gave his atheist invocation. Scott applauds the city and the police department for making him feel very safe.

“Thankfully, there was a very calm, mature response to my invocation,” Scott says. “Even those that were not pleased with me being there were respectful. They came up during public comments, made their opinions known but for the most part, it was ‘Iowa nice,’ if you will.”

In April, Scott says he became the first atheist to deliver an invocation before a regular session of the Iowa House of Representatives.

 

Class teaches Muslim women how to protect themselves

By

A self-defense class for Muslim women will debut in Iowa City today that’s meant to help them protect themselves from attacks based on their religious clothing.

Miriam Amer , executive director of Iowa’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, says Muslim women wearing headscarves have been targeted across the country in recent months.

“I’m not going to focus on the rhetoric and I’m not going to focus on the attacks,” Amer says. “We are going to be proactive and teach these women from vulnerable populations how to take care of themselves and how to deflect anything.” She says women from at-risk populations need to be able to defend themselves from violence.

“Attacks have been happening across the country and it’s majority against Muslim women because we cover,” Amer says. “Most of us wear the headscarf and modest clothing, so we’re the targets, basically.” Amer says anyone, Muslim or not, is welcome at the free self-defense class. She plans to offer classes throughout the state.

(Thanks to Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)

Woman guilty of embezzling $70,000 from church gets probation

By

A woman who embezzled $70,000 dollars from a small Des Moines church will be on probation for the next two years and a judge has ordered her to repay what she stole.

Carol Jean Padget pleaded guilty to swindling the Unity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Des Moines when she served as its treasurer. A judge sentenced her to prison, but then suspended those sentences and ordered two years of probation.

Padget showed up for her sentencing hearing with a $14,000 check according to the attorney who represented Unity Evangelical Lutheran Church. It could be considered the first installment in the tens of thousands of dollars she owes the church.

The pastor of the church gave a victim impact before sentencing, saying only God will ever know how much Padget really embezzled. Bank records were only found for six of the 11 years Padget handled church finances.

Kellyanne Conway to keynote summer conference in Iowa

By

Kellyanne Conway

The first woman to successfully run a presidential campaign will be the keynote speaker at this summer’s “Family Leadership Summit” in Des Moines.

This will be the sixth summer in a row that the The Family Leader will host a day-long event for conservative Christians. The group has just announced Kellyanne Conway will be the keynote speaker at its 2017 event.

Conway is the long-time pollster hired last fall to manage the Trump presidential campaign. She’s now a counselor to the president. Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader, — says Conway’s experiences “at the highest levels of leadership and government” will provide a valuable perspective to Christian conservatives in Iowa.

Conway, along with a San Diego pastor and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst are among the confirmed speakers at the Family Leadership Summit. It will be held Saturday, July 15th in Des Moines.

Conway made frequent media appearances in the lead-up to the election and during the first weeks of the Trump administration. She has reemerged this week to publicly defend President Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey.

Planned Parenthood petitions delivered in statehouse

By

Planned Parenthood supporters at the State Capitol.

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland officials and supporters of the organization delivered petitions with more than 8,000 signatures to Republican leaders in the legislature today.

The activists are urging legislators to table a bill that would ban most abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy. A separate still-expected proposal would cut off state funding of family planning and cancer screenings Planned Parenthood provides Iowa Medicaid patients.

Suzanna de Baca, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and Planned Parenthood Voters of Iowa, spoke during a statehouse rally.

“We’re here today because in this year’s legislative session we have seen an unprecedented level of attacks against reproductive and sexual health here in Iowa,” de Baca said.

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland CEO, Suzanna de Baca.

According to de Baca, taxpayers say $7 for every $1 invested in the Iowa Family Planning Network. Planned Parenthood is the primary network provider currently and de Baca said Medicaid patients who use the service get contraceptives and avoid unintended pregnancies.

“I want to say thank you to all our supporters and to those elected officials who have continued to show up, to speak out and to fight back against lawmakers bent on turning back the clock on reproductive health care in Iowa,” de Baca said, to applause from the rally crowd, many of whom were wearing pink.

The Planned Parenthood petitions were delivered to the offices of the top two Republicans in the legislature. Neither met with the activists and neither offered a comment in response to the petitions. Republican supporters of the move to “defund” Planned Parenthood say other health care clinics can provide prescriptions for contraceptives and conduct reproductive health screenings for Medicaid patients.

Earlier today, The Family Leader hosted a religious service in the capitol rotunda.

Bob Vander Plaats, the group’s president and CEO, said it was “an opportunity” during Christianity’s “Holy Week…for us to bless the staff and elected officials serving us at our State Capitol.”