Florida Church Worshipers Struggle To Stay Cool After Theives Steal Copper From A/C Unit

OPA LOCKA (CBS4) – Worshipers at one Opa Locka church tried to stay cool during Sunday morning after crooks stole parts of their air conditioning system.

Staffers at the Holy Temple Missionary Baptist Church on NW 143rd Street set up fans to help keep the congregation cool.

“You still have to give thanks, everyone is sweating, running around the church drinking water,” said April Chestnut, “You still have to give thanks to the Lord.”

Last Monday thieves stole the copper wiring off the buildings four a/c units. This wasn’t the first time something like this has happened. Numerous churches in the area have experienced similar thefts.

The copper theft at Holy Temple Missionary has put their five-day a week elderly program at risk. When the temperatures soar into the mid-90s during the middle of the afternoon, even with the fans, it is too hot for themto be in the building.

“You still have to give thanks, everyone is sweating, running around the church drinking water,” said April Chestnut, “You still have to give thanks to the Lord.”

Last Monday thieves stole the copper wiring off the buildings four a/c units. This wasn’t the first time something like this has happened. Numerous churches in the area have experienced similar thefts.

The copper theft at Holy Temple Missionary has put their five-day a week elderly program at risk. When the temperatures soar into the mid-90s during the middle of the afternoon, even with the fans, it is too hot for them to be in the building.

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NBC Removes "Under God" From Pledge Of Allegiance From U.S Open Golf Tournament

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- In their broadcast of the US Open Golf Tournament yesterday, NBC removed the phrase "under God" from a reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Christian Defense Coalition contends this was no accident and calls for the network to "fully explain" their motivation in removing the phrase.

An apology by NBC saying they "are sorry if anyone was offended" does not go far enough in addressing this troubling and deliberate rewriting of history and the removal of the mention of God from the public square.

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Washington, D.C. based Christian Defense Coalition, states;

"Like most Americans, I was stunned to see NBC remove the expression 'under God' from a televised reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. It is troubling to see a major television network deliberately remove the mention of God from the public square and rewrite history.

"It is clear that this was not an accident and the pathetic apology NBC offered to the public is not enough in addressing this controversy.

"The Christian Defense Coalition demands that NBC give a full and detailed explanation into why they removed the phrase 'under God.' In other words, what was the motivation of the network.

"Sadly, we are seeing an erosion of expressions of faith from the public square. It is critical as a nation we do all that we can to promote freedom of speech and expression. This is includes religious freedom.

"Who ever dreamed that a major American television network would 'censor' and remove the mention of God in a public broadcast. Sadly, this shows how the public mention of God is under attack in our nation."
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Atheist Raises Money For Vandalized Church

U.S Missile Attacks Kill 12 In Pakistan

PARACHINAR, Pakistan – Suspected U.S. drones fired missiles at a vehicle and a house in northwest Pakistan, killing 12 people Monday in a rare attack in an area where some of NATO's fiercest enemies have reportedly traveled, Pakistani officials said.

The first attack in the Kurram tribal area hit a vehicle, killing five people, said Noor Alam, a local government official. As tribesmen rushed to the scene, the vehicle was struck again, killing two more people, he said.

Minutes later, a suspected U.S. drone attacked a nearby house, killing five people, Alam said.

Seven of the 12 people killed in the attacks were Afghan militants whose bodies were taken across the border to be buried, Alam said. The attacks were confirmed by two Pakistani intelligence officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.

The Obama administration has dramatically stepped up covert CIA drone attacks against militants in Pakistan, but there have only been a handful of strikes in the Kurram tribal area. Monday's strikes could indicate an expansion of the program.

Most of the recent drone strikes have taken place in North Waziristan, an important sanctuary for the Haqqani network, which U.S. military officials have said is the most dangerous militant group battling foreign forces in Afghanistan.

The U.S. has repeatedly asked Pakistan to launch an offensive against the network in North Waziristan, but the military has said that its forces are stretched too thin by other operations in the tribal areas.

Local tribesmen said late last year that the Haqqani network cut a deal with Shiite Muslim militias in Kurram to allow the militants to cross through the area on their way to fighting in Afghanistan. The route would help them avoid the drone attacks that have rained down on North Waziristan.

Drone attacks are extremely unpopular in Pakistan and have generated tension between Washington and Islamabad, which increased following the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden last month and humiliated the Pakistani government.

Around 1,000 tribesmen held a protest against drone strikes Monday in Miran Shah, one of the main towns in North Waziristan. The rally was organized by a pro-Taliban political party, Jamiat Ulema Islam. The crowd shouted "Down with America" and threatened to block NATO supplies to Afghanistan if the drone attacks don't stop.

The U.S. refuses to publicly acknowledge drone attacks in Pakistan, but officials have said privately that they have killed senior Taliban and al-Qaida commanders.

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