Comedian cancels tour after harassment allegations
Netflix has postponed a special by Christian comedian John Crist in the aftermath of accusations of sexual harassment and manipulation by several women. Crist, who canceled his upcoming tour dates, responded to the allegations published by Charisma magazine. “While I am not guilty of everything I’ve been accused of, I confess to being guilty of this—I have treated relationships with women far too casually, in some cases even recklessly. My behavior has been destructive and sinful.”
Former Illinois pastor on administrative leave following accusations of pastoral abuse
A Tennessee church is no longer considering Wes Feltner for its senior pastor role, after the former pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur, Ill., was accused of pastoral abuse by two women who were students in his former youth ministry in Indiana.
Feltner is taking an administrative leave from a church he pastors in Minnesota, Baptist Press reports.
>Related: Longtime Chicago pastor resigns; sexual abuse prior to ministry among reasons
GLAAD pushes for more LGBTQ representation on TV
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) called on the television industry to ensure that 20% of series regular characters on primetime scripted series are LGBTQ by the year 2025. GLAAD cited an online survey indicating that one-fifth of Americans ages 18-34 identify as LGBT or other non-heterosexual, non-biological gender categories, The Christian Post reported. However, 2017 polling data by Gallup found about 8% of Millennials identify as LGBT.
Christian clinics to offer contraceptives to singles
A network of Christian women’s health centers in Texas will begin providing contraceptives to single women, according to the network’s Southern Baptist CEO.
“We have all come to the conclusion that the decision that is most in line with ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ is to give women a tool, education, and counseling that will help reduce unplanned pregnancies, therefore reduce abortions,” said Andy Schoonover, CEO of a group of clinics known as The Source. The clinics will offer contraceptive measures to married and single women, Baptist Press reports, but not abortifacients or abortions.
Sources: Christianity Today, Baptist Press, Illinois Baptist, Christian Post