Breaking Christian News on The Gospel Herald

It is possible to literally erase porn flashbacks from your brain, and science can even explain it.

Journalist Martin Bashir is rejoining the world's oldest national broadcaster and public service organization British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as religion correspondent after many years in the United States. He first gained fame for a 1995 BBC interview with Wales Princess Diana in which she discussed the breakup of her marriage to Prince Charles. In 2003, his documentary "Living With Michael Jackson" aired on ABC to a huge audience. He takes over the post from Caroline Wyatt, who was a BBC journalist for 20-plus years.

A&E's "Duck Dynasty" reality actor "Uncle Si" Robertson released a new eBook entitled "Si-Renity," in which he explains how he stays calm and keeps his faith. He echoes that faith is the most important element in his life.

Tullian Tchividjian used to be a happily married man, noted author, traveling speaker and successful pastor of a large church that had a school and seminary. But it all came crashing down in 2015, and he admits he eventually became suicidal. Even this grandson of evangelist Billy Graham failed tests that humans face in this broken world, but he now shares bountiful examples of how God met him in his darkest places.

An intimate letter that Prohibition-era, Chicago gangster Al Capone wrote while imprisoned at Alcatraz just sold at an auction in Massachusetts for $62,500. The three-page letter was addressed to Capone's son, Albert "Sonny" Capone, and ends with affectionate encouragement and one of many references to the family's Catholic faith.

Shopping catalogs and glossy magazines are "tools of Satan" because they create envy, said Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren. "Envy is no longer one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Envy is a marketing tool," he said.

Production has begun for a new drama entitled "All Saints." The film was inspired by the true story of a salesman-turned-pastor Michael Spurlock (played by actor John Corbett), the tiny church he was ordered to shut down and a group of refugees from Southeast Asia. Together, they risked everything to plant seeds for a future that might just save them all.

In recalling the murder of Father Jacques Hamel in France during a homily held in honor of the fallen priest at the Vatican, Pope Francis avowed, "This cruelty that asks for apostasy, is satanic." The pontiff's comments reference acts of terrorism, in which people claimed to be killing in the name of God. Pope Francis Pope strongly condemned the identification of terrorism with Islam and now said killing in God's name is a satanic act.

Former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, whose employment was terminated last year by the ciyt's mayor due to Cochran's Christian faith and beliefs, was presented the 2016 Faith & Freedom Award on Friday by National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) leaders.

Jérémy Hélan, a French professional footballer (or soccer player) announced Sunday (Sept. 18) he is quitting the game at the age of 24 to devote himself to religion. The left-sided player is a devout Muslim. He plays for Sheffield Wednesday, with whom he joined from Manchester City for an undisclosed fee in July 2013.

Team USA hockey coach John Tortorella made headlines this week when he told ESPN's Linda Cohn, "If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game." In the wake of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's "sitting protest" during the anthem regarding concerns about civil rights of minorities, Tortorella expressed a zero tolerance policy for players who refuse to participate in the U.S. national anthem during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey tournament.

After recent hullabaloo about several Seattle Seahawks' team members saying they were considering protesting the national anthem over civil rights concerns when the team faces the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists' attacks, the rest of the team decided on a plan of action -- one of interlocking arms and standing during the anthem as a sign of unity, Seahawks' receiver Doug Baldwin said in a Facebook 42-second video released Saturday (Sept. 10). "Progress can and will be made only if we stand together," he calmly stated.

Husband-and-wife singing duo Joey+Rory believed God would give them a great story, and He did. Fans are still mourning Joey Feek's death to cervical cancer at only age 40, but now can attend a special movie event about this couple's life of love and hope in select theaters on one of two nights: Sept. 20 and Oct. 6. Click here to explore which theaters will show the movie.

Sergey Ryzhikov, an upcoming Russian member of the new International Space Station crew, said he is going to take "the Gospels, icons, letters from his relatives and stones from Mount Tabor" with him in the Sept. 23 trek. At a press conference this week in the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Ryzhikov also said the crew is called "Tabor" after the holy mount in Israel where Christ was supposed to transfigure 40 days before the crucifix.

"The Dalit (revolt) issue is the single most significant civil rights issue in the world, and maybe in world history," said the Most Rev. Dr. Joseph D'Souza on Friday after India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the caste system that has disenfranchised hundred-of-millions of Indians for centuries. The Dalit Uprising began in the Indian state of Gujarat in July.

When evangelist Rev. Billy Graham recently was asked what he thought was the biggest problem of today's world, he had three words: "the human heart." Then he explained the Bible puts it bluntly and he quoted Jeremiah 17:9, which states "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"

Producer and actor Tom Arnold is still dealing with the tragedy of his 24-year-old nephew Spencer taking his own life this spring by shooting himself in the head, and Thursday he made an impassioned plea to enact new gun laws that might have prevented his nephew's death. "Some (people) equate guns to religion," he notes. "A gift to Americans directly from God himself. That sounds crazy to me. It should be on the gun test: If you truly believe your metal tool/explosive device is a gift from above, then you should be deemed insane and unfit to legally own a gun."

Rev. Billy Graham said while he doesn't believe prayer will return to public schools since it was barred five decades ago, he reminds there are other ways students can communicate with God throughout their school day. "When I was young, we used to pray and read the Bible in school every day, but my grandchildren aren't able to experience this, and it upsets me a great deal," stated the 97-year-old evangelist.

Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based nonprofit and faith-based disaster relief organization on Sunday deployed their team of professional chefs and volunteers, along with their mobile kitchens and refrigerated trailer, to feed thousands in the Baton Rouge, La., region, while residents seek to recover from record-setting flooding. Mercy Chefs' team members are now on-site in the disaster zone, starting to serve 7,500 restaurant-quality meals daily for victims, first responders and volunteers.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is known for making the sign of the cross before racing competitively. He's now also known as the first sprinter to ever win three consecutive gold medals in the 100-meter OIympic races. Part of his public reaction was to post on his Facebook page late Sunday: "Thanks for all the support my peeps ‪#‎blessed"

George Mason University professor Lincoln Mullen's new computer-based software, which he called America's Public Bible, became a tool that tracks the use of Bible verses, and he just found Bible verses were once everywhere in the print of 11 million pages of old newspapers.

Since "The Live Original Tour," "Dancing With the Stars" alum and Duck Dynasty's Sadie Robertson confirmed she has been dating Trevor Knight, some people are curious about other details of the 22-year-old starting quarter back for the Texas A&M Aggies. The couple reportedly bonded over shared Christian faith, then found they had much in common.

A new movie scheduled to open in U.S. theaters Aug. 25 entitled "Greater" promises to be one that relays a true story of hope, inspiration and determination. Modeled after what happened in real life to Brandon Burlsworth, who was a college football walk-on for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, the movie reflects what happens when someone leans on faith to carry them through the challenges life throws their way.

One Washington-based football coach, who also is a Marine Corps veteran, said he made a commitment to God he would give thanks after every game-win or lose-for the opportunity to be a football coach and for his players. That practice cost him his job, but the legal fight regarding religious rights has just begun.

As the most decorated Olympian of all sports of all time, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps carried the American flag Friday evening in the parade of 2016 Olympic athletes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But he's carrying other, deep-seated personal elements as well into his fifth Olympic games. He's enjoying this magnificent event after going through a very dark period of his life after which he revealed Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life diverted him from committing suicide.