Abbas Gets Arab
Backing To Enter Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks
Setting
the stage for the Palestinians to negotiate directly with Israel, the Arab
League agreed in principle today to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas holding
face-to-face peace talks with Israel. MORE |
Obama Administration's
Defense of 'Day of Prayer' Called Inadaquate
A
coalition of pro-family groups has called the Obama administration's defense
of the National Day of Prayer inadequate. This past spring, a federal judge
ruled the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. In response, the
U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit defending the Day of Prayer.
MORE |
Obama On Talk
Show: How Did He Do?
Reviews
of President Obama on "The View," an ABC daytime chat show, have been appearing
from the moment the opening clip concluded. Prior to the actual event,
political strategists and media experts alike speculated that the visit
to a decidedly “soft news” venue could be either genius of folly.
But the actual post-mortems turned out... MORE |
Evangelist Benny
Hinn Asks Supporters for $2M in Donations
Evangelist
Benny Hinn has posted a plea on his web site asking for $2 million in donations.
The Texas-based minister said his ministry has accumulated a deficit in
the last few months because there hasn't been the usual amount of offerings
at his international speaking engagements. MORE |
Catholics in
India Province Claim Persecution by Baptists
Baptists
in Nagaland defended themselves against charges of anti-Catholic bigotry
after villagers tore down a Catholic church because the town allows churches
only of the Baptist denomination. The controversy has generated widespread
media attention pitting Catholics against the Nagaland Baptist Church Council.
MORE |
Study: Homosexuality
Linked with Childhood Trauma
A
recent Otago University study has found that homosexual or bisexual individuals
are more likely to have undergone a variety of of traumas in childhood,
including sexual assault, rape, violence, and witnessing violence in the
home. "People who either identify themselves as homosexual or bisexual,
or have had a same-sex encounter or relationship, tend to come from more
disturbed backgrounds," said Research Professor Elisabeth Wells.
MORE |
Steve
Lemke: The Baptist Doctrine of the 'Age of Accountability'
The
doctrine often called the “age of accountability” is one of the most foundational
Baptist beliefs, yet it is also one of the least understood beliefs....We
all know that individual children mature at different rates than do others,
so it is difficult to establish a specific age at which all children become
morally accountable.... MORE |
Babies Saved
from Abortion Pay Visit to U.S. Congressmen
In
the wake of a bill introduced in Congress that could threaten the life-saving
work of crisis pregnancy centers, congressmen on Capitol Hill this week
got a chance to listen to key members of a pint-sized constituency whose
lives were profoundly touched by such centers.
MORE |
Students Punished
for Opposing Homosexuality
Christian
students at two different universities are being punished for disagreeing
with their schools' policies on homosexuality. Julea Ward was expelled
from the graduate program in school counseling at Eastern Michigan University.
She told her professors that her faith would keep her from affirming the
gay lifestyle... MORE |
Feminagirls:
Bikini Bathing Suits & Christian Women
....What
does wearing a bikini do to the one wearing it? What does wearing a bikini
do to your daughter? What impact is it having on her? I’m not even talking
about what impact it has on the guys. That’s their problem. But what does
it do to the woman herself? MORE |
Martha's Vineyard:
Rich in Revival's Power
When
you think of Martha's Vineyard, images of a playground for the rich and
famous may come to mind. However, the popular vacation spot has a strong
Christian heritage and has been the site of powerful revivals in the past.
Now the Massachusetts island is witnessing another move of God.
MORE |
Chicago’s ‘Bubble
Zone’ Lands Praying Pro-Lifer in Court
A
pro-life protestor, arrested while praying his rosary in front of a Chicago
Planned Parenthood, is pleading “not guilty” to charges that he violated
Chicago’s “bubble zone” ordinance which protects abortion clinics
MORE |
Pastor in Russian
Republic of Dagestan Killed
A
pastor in the Russian republic of Dagestan known for founding the biggest
Protestant church in the region and for successfully reaching out to Muslims
has been killed by unidentified gunmen, authorities have confirmed..
MORE |
Gospel Singer
Doug Oldham Dead at 79
Doug
Oldham, a prolific gospel singer and ministry partner of the late Rev.
Jerry Falwell, died July 21 at the age of 79.
Oldham,
who was a soloist at Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church and helped the
evangelist raise money to start Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., died
at a Virginia hospital while awaiting back surgery. MORE |
Mormons See Potential
in Online Proselytizing
Not
so long ago, Mormon missionaries were prohibited from using the Internet,
even to contact their families. The system then loosened a bit to allow
weekly e-mails home and some occasional viewing of church materials. Now
the nearly 14 million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
is attempting to revolutionize the way Mormons find converts -- and it's
all online. MORE |
|
Update
for Thursday, July 29th, 2010
|
Florida Church
Plans 'Burn a Quran' Day to Mark 9/11
A
controversial Florida church known for publicly condemning what it considers
sins plans to burn copies of Islam's holy book on the upcoming 9th anniversary
of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The non-denominational Dove World Outreach
Center, which has in the past joined the extremist Westboro Baptist Church
in protesting homosexuality, is organizing the “International Burn A Quran
Day” to oppose Islam...a “violent & oppressive religion.”
MORE |
'Anti-Islamic'
Bus Ads Appear In Major Cities
The
growing debate over Islam's place in America, which is escalating in light
of plans to build a mosque near ground zero, is increasingly playing out
on city streets across the country. On the sides of buses....
MORE |
Georgia Man Wants
To Donate Organs -While He Is Still Alive!
An
ailing Georgia man with an incurable disease wants doctors to end his life
so he can donate his organs. Two years ago, 62-year-old Gary Phebus was
diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's
Disease, which is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve
cells in the brain and spinal cord. Upon learning of his condition, Phebus
began researching about organ donation and eventually decided he wanted
to end his life and donate his organs immediately. MORE |
Poll
Says It's No Longer 'Bush's Fault'
The
summer of the discontented voter steams onward and, unfortunately for President
Obama, polls show voters are no longer blaming the bad times on the George
W. Bush administration. Add Hispanics to the growing list of Obama supporters
disgruntled by aspects of the presidents performance, in what has become
for the White House and Democrats a seemingly daily beat of gloomy polls...."A
lot of these folks wouldn't like him no matter what, but I think... MORE |
Court Upholds
Expulsion of Counseling Student Who Opposes Homosexuality
A
federal judge has ruled in favor of a public university that removed a
Christian student from its graduate program in school counseling over her
belief that homosexuality is morally wrong . MORE |
'Fat Tax' Would
Help Cover Germany's Health Care Costs
Germans
who are overweight could end up paying more for their health insurance.
Marco Wanderwitz, a member of the German Parliament, is proposing what's
being called the "fat tax." He said the tax is needed, because overweight
people are driving up the cost of health care and it is not fair to the
rest of the citizens. MORE |
Study: Socializing
Can Help You Live Longer
Your
friends may be more valuable than you think. Researchers of
a new study at Brigham Young University have found that people with strong
social relationships live 50 percent longer. MORE |
Rhode Island
School Caves To ACLU Demands
Saying
they can't afford a court battle with the American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU), school officials in Cranston, Rhode Island, will likely amend the
wording of a prayer banner in a school auditorium.
MORE |
Evangelicals
Confront Western Europe's Spiritual Malaise
Western
Europe has become a region of “empty nominalism” and “confused spirituality,”
said the chairman of the Keswick Convention. Dr. Jonathan Lamb told this
year’s Keswick Convention that while millions of people in Europe define
themselves as Christian, they regard themselves as Christian only by nationality,
culture, or.... MORE |
Report Reveals
Ineffectiveness of Methodist Structures
As
United Methodists in the U.S. continue to count losses in worship attendance
and membership, the denomi- nation is re-evaluating its structures and
making efforts to identify and address the challenges it faces.
MORE |
Hormones: The
Balance of a Healthy Body
For
those who often find themselves eating too much of the wrong food -- out
of control hormones could be to blame for the cravings. Research
shows that hormones affect behavior, including eating habits. And balancing
hormones is a way to not only lose weight, but also improve overall health.
MORE |
Court Upholds
'In God We Trust' Phrase on Money
A
federal appeals court has ruled against a lawsuit to remove "In God We
Trust" from U.S. currency, dismissing claims that the phrase was unconstitutional.
Carlos Kidd, an atheist from Texas, sued President Barack Obama and Federal
Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke because he felt including God on national
currency violated the separation of church and state.
MORE |
Bible Prophecy
Today: A Forecast of Economic Doom
The
folks at the Office of Management and Budget have released an update of
the budget deficit. The latest estimate shows the budget deficit reaching
a record $1.47 trillion this year. The government is now borrowing 41 cents
of every dollar it spends. The forecast for the U.S. is incredibly dire.
MORE |
Economic Collapse
Blog: WATER SHORTAGE!
Ever
since the beginning of this nation, Americans have always been able to
take for granted that there would always be plenty of fresh water.
But unfortunately that is rapidly changing. Due to pollution, corruption,
inefficiency and the never ending greed of the global elite, the United
States is heading for a very serious water shortage. MORE |
|
|
Update
for Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
|
Opposition Mounts
Against ObamaCare Tax Provision
Business
advocates are hoping Congress scraps a tax provision in the health care
overhaul law that they say is overly burdensome to smaller companies.
MORE |
103 U.S. Banks
Have Collapsed In 2010 - Do You Know If Your Bank Will Survive?
Have
you ever noticed how almost all U.S. bank closings are now announced over
the weekend? It is almost as if someone wants to keep the increasing
number of bank closures out of the news cycle as much as possible.
The Obama administration continues to use phrases like "green shoots" and
"economic recovery", but the truth is that the U.S. banking system is in
the middle of a meltdown. MORE |
'No Leverage'
in Newt Gingrich's Ground Zero Mosque Argument
Newt
Gingrich offers a “provocative” argument about the proposed Ground Zero
mosque and Saudi Arabia’s church building policy, but it has “no leverage,”
said a religious freedom expert. MORE |
Twelve Cars Burn
In S.C. Church Parking Lot During Sunday Service
Authorities
say a fire that burned nearly a dozen vehicles at a large South Carolina
church was an accident. Multiple media outlets reported the fire
started around 11:30 a.m. Sunday at NewSpring Church in Anderson County.
MORE |
New President:
God Can Save the Philippines
An
ecumenical prayer by a Catholic bishop, Protestants, and a Muslim opened
the first State-of-the-Nation address of the newly elected Philippine President
Benigno Aquino lll. During his presidential campaign, Aquino pledged
to end poverty by first ending corruption. MORE |
Poll: Most Americans
Would Back Israel Attack On Iran
More
than half of Americans would support Israel taking military action against
Iran, according to a poll released on Wednesday. The poll was conducted
by TIPP, the polling unit of TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence, a U.S.
research firm of both syndicated and custom Market Research solutions.
MORE |
Missionary's
Flying Car Travels to Wis. Air Show
The
missionary inventor who designed a flying car to help spread the Gospel
throughout the world will showcase his invention at one of the biggest
aviation shows in the world this weekend. MORE |
Evangelists Benny
Hinn, Paula White Deny Affair Allegations
Television
evangelists Benny Hinn and Paula White are denying reports that allege
the two are having an affair. On July 23, The National Enquirer published
photos of Hinn and White leaving a Rome hotel together, holding hands.
While both Hinn, 57, and White, 44, have admitted to being friends for
over two decades... MORE |
Half the Israeli
Public Wants to See Holy Temple Rebuilt
Half
the Israeli public wants the Holy Temple (Beit HaMikdash) to be rebuilt.
This is the main finding of a poll commissioned by the Knesset Television
Channel and carried out by the Panels Institute. MORE |
Study: Few Americans
Say Faith is Top Priority
Although
the United States is known worldwide to be a religious nation, few Americans
say that faith is a top priority in their life. Nearly 90 percent of Americans,
according to the CIA World Factbook, identify themselves with a religion.
But only 12 percent of American adults say faith is a top priority in their
life... MORE |
Albert Mohler:
Evangelicals and Science in Conversation — A One-Way Street?
From
time to time, a column in a newspaper is more revealing than its author
probably intended it to be. That seems to be the case with “Myths Widen
the
Science-Religion Divide” by Elaine Howard Ecklund, published in USA Today.
In her essay, Professor Ecklund suggests that science and religion can
enter into a constructive dialogue. But a closer look at her essay reveals
that this dialogue is a one-way street. MORE |
|
|
Update
for Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
|
Sociologist Debunks
Myths on U.S. Christianity
Things
aren't as bad in American Christianity as many say it is, according to
one sociologist. Christianity isn't on the brink of extinction, divorce
rates of Christians aren't equal to that of non-Christians and churches
are not losing young people. MORE |
Britain's Socialized
Health Care System Changing?
The
British government has proposed a plan in hopes of cutting costs. The plan
will shift its health system from a centralized bureaucracy to doctors
at the local level. MORE |
Koop Calls Kagan’s
Alteration Partial Birth Abortion Statement ‘Disgraceful’
Former
Surgeon General C. Everett Koop is urging senators to oppose Elena Kagan's
Supreme Court nomination in light of her role in the alteration of a 1996
statement about partial-birth abortion from the American College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists. MORE |
Obama To Voters:
Things Could Be Worse
President
Barack Obama, who rocketed to the White House promising "change you can
believe in," is now telling voters they shouldn't change a thing.
His message for the fall elections, which are looking ominous for his Democrats,
is that Republicans caused the nation's economic troubles, but he and the
Democrats are starting to fix them. So stick with the Democrats and don't
go back to the GOP. "This is a choice between the policies that led us
into... MORE |
Khmer Rouge Torture
Chief: Chameleon Or Contrite Christian?
Khmer
Rouge torture chief 'Duch' converted to Christianity after overseeing the
torture and deaths in Cambodia of some 17,000 people in the late 1970s.
His pastor now suspects it was a ploy to gain leniency in court. MORE |
American Thinker:
Evolutionary Scientists....Apostles of a New Morality
....While
most scientists readily recognize this glaring inadequacy in their discipline
to wrench doctrine from their findings, some of their less prudent peers
see it as their moral duty to impose a gag rule on Religion, claiming that
when it comes to ultimate truth, they are better equipped to offer the
most plausible arguments.... MORE |
American Thinker:
Why An Israeli Strike on Iran is Unlikely
If
Israel does launch a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities
it will be the most widely anticipated military operation in modern history...Speculation
about an Israeli strike on Iran has persisted for more than a decade.
And this leads one to the most obvious of conclusions -- that if Israel
has not struck yet, it won't. MORE |
John Piper:
When Should You Confront Someone About Their Sin?
When
you see sin or damaging behavior in someone else's life, how do you know
when to keep quiet and when to speak with them? The first principle that
Paul lays down for us is, "Who are we to judge those who are outside? It
is those in the church that we are to judge." MORE |
2011: The Year
Of The Tax Increase
Unless the U.S. Congress acts,
there is going to be a massive wave of tax increases in 2011. In
fact, some are already calling 2011 the year of the tax increase.
A whole host of tax cuts that Congress established between 2001 and 2003
are set to expire in January unless Congress chooses to renew them.
But with Democrats... MORE |
csmonitor:
Are
I-Pads, Smartphones, and the Web Rewiring the Way We Think?
....Today's technology may be determining
not just how we spend our time: It actually may be "rewiring" the way we
think, how we experience the world around us. Techno- Cassandras fret over
what's happening to our attention spans, our ability to think and read
deeply, to enjoy time with our own thoughts or a good book. Techno-enthusiasts
scoff that those concerns are nothing new.... MORE |
|
|
Update
for Monday, July 26th, 2010
|
New Mosquito-Carrying
Illness Hits Central Florida
Dengue
fever has infected a handful of people in Central Florida, health officials
said. “This is not a regular flu virus that you get, you feel a lot worse,”
said Dr. Todd Husty. “You get a real great fever, a horrible fever; it's
called ‘break bone fever.’ You feel like your bones are breaking, but it's
really joint pain,” Husty said. Health officials said more than a dozen
people have picked up the virus from Mosquitoes in the Keys. MORE |
Obamacare Dollars
Were Set to Fund Abortions Before Controversy
The
non-partisan fact-checking site FactCheck.org has vindicated the National
Right to Life Committee's (NRLC) claim that federal monies were on the
brink of funding abortions in state high-risk insurance pools before the
matter was exposed by NRLC, prompting the Obama administration to retroactively
enforce amendment restrictions. MORE |
Obama Approved
Release of the Lockerbie Bomber
The
US government secretly advised Scottish ministers it would be "far preferable"
to free the Lockerbie bomber than jail him in Libya. Correspondence obtained
by The Sunday Times reveals the Obama administration consid- ered compassionate
release more palatable than locking up Abdel Baset al-Megrahi in a Libyan
prison. MORE |
Chuck Colson
Op-Ed: The Supreme Court and Religious Freedom
In
late June, the Supreme Court, in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, issued
a ruling with profound implications for the relationship of believers to
the government. The case involved the CLS chapter at the University of
California’s Hastings College of Law. CLS requires members to ascribe to
its statement of faith and renounce “unrepentant participation in or advocacy
of a sexually immoral lifestyle.” MORE |
Could Mideast
War Adversely Affect Americans?
Military
experts are seldom asking anymore if Israel will pre-empt a strategic strike
upon Iran’s nuclear site(s). Mostly, they now ponder the possibility that
a strike is imminent and potentially disastrous for world economies still
struggling from the global financial crisis. Such a strike runs the real
risk of ... MORE |
Poll: More than
Half of Americans Favor Abortion Restrictions
Over
half of U.S. adults say they would favor some form of abortion restrictions,
according to a new poll by Angus-Reid Public Opinion. Forty-six percent
of respondents said they believe abortion should be legal “only under certain
circumstances,” while an additional 15% said that abortion should be illegal
regardless of the circumstances. MORE |
Fox News:
Legal Challenges to Prayer on Rise
...There are more legal challenges
to prayer in the United States than ever before, says Annie Laurie Gaylor,
co-founder of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, an atheist organization
whose business is booming as Americans increasingly tackle church vs. state
issues. "We've never had more complaints about..." MORE |
Deaths of Pakistani
Christian Brothers Fuel Call for 'Blasphemy' Repeal
The
leader of the World Council of Churches is urging Pakistan’s president
and prime minister to initiate measures toward the repeal of their controversial
blasphemy laws, which critics say are often abused by extremists. MORE |
Intellectual
Conservative: The Danger of a Government with Unlimited Power
The
fundamental thrust of governments such as that of President Obama is to
abrogate the rights of private property, aiming at the holy grail of their
secular religion: redistribution of income and wealth to reduce everyone
to an equally low state of economic equality. MORE |
Police Demolish
Church House in Indonesia
Public
order personnel on Monday (July 19) supported Bogor police officers who
demolished a house where a church regularly met in a village in Bogor Regency,
West Java. Clashes broke out with church members and others as police
tore down the Narogong Pentecostal Church building in Limusnunggal village,
MORE |
Government-Incited
Gang in Vietnam Attacks House Church
A
gang of youths on Sunday attacked a house church as the congregation worshiped
in Xi Thoai village in Phu Yen Province on Vietnam’s south central coast,
Christian sources said. MORE |
Calgary Bylaw
Unfairly Silences Street Preacher, Says His Lawyer
A
broad bylaw is infringing on a street preacher's right to exercise his
freedom of religion and expression in a downtown park, his lawyer argued
Friday. Michael Bates, who represents Street Church Evangelism Ministries,
run by Art Pawlowski, told the judge that requiring permits may be necessary,
but only for safety and property-protection issues. MORE |
Christian
Today Opinion: The High Price of Being a Christian In Pakistan
The
number of Christians being accused of blasphemy in Pakistan has spiked
in recent months and young Christians especially may not be able to take
much more... MORE |
Arkansas Minister
Accused of Cyber-Stalking His Former Church Members
A
Baptist minister has been arrested on charges he sent a series of threatening
e-mails and text messages to members of his former congregation. Jim Reynolds,
55, the former pastor of Graceway Baptist Church in Carmel, is accused
of sending harassing and threatening e-mails to three members of the church,
some in.... MORE |
Euthanasia Lobby
Setting Sights on Idaho
A
prominent euthanasia opponent is warning that the lobbying group ‘Compassion
and Choices’ (CC), formerly known as the Hemlock Society, has begun an
effort to promote assisted suicide in Idaho. “It appears very clear that
Compassion and Choices is now focusing on Idaho, because it’s a neighbour
to Oregon,” said Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia
Prevention Coalition. MORE |
|
|
Update
for Weekend, July 24th-25th, 2010
|
White House Predicts
Record $1.47 Trillion Budget Deficit
New
estimates from the White House on Friday predict the budget deficit will
reach a record $1.47 trillion this year. The government is borrowing 41
cents of every dollar it spends. That's actually a little better than the
administration predicted in February. MORE |
Georgia College
Forces Christian Student to Alter Beliefs to Graduate
An
Augusta State University student filed suit Wednesday after she was told
to change her Christian beliefs or otherwise be expelled from the school's
graduate counseling program. "A public university student shouldn’t be
threatened with expulsion for being a Christian and refusing to publicly
renounce her faith, but that’s exactly what’s happening here," said David
French, senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund. MORE |
BBC:
Pakistan City Tense After 'Blaspheming' Christians Are Shot
Police
reinforcements have been called in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad a day
after two Christians charged with blasphemy were shot dead outside court.
Clashes broke out in the city, home to a large Christian community, after
the brothers were gunned down. Pastor Rashid Emmanuel, 32, and Sajid, 24,
were accused of writing a pamphlet critical of the Prophet Muhammad; a
rights activist said they were framed. Pakistan's controversial blasphemy
law... MORE |
Haaretz: Whatever
Happens, Israel Can Always Count on U.S. Evangelicals
Thousands
of Christians from across the United States descended on Capitol Hill on
Thursday in order to lobby Washington lawmakers on behalf of Israel.
Organizers of the event, called Christians United for Israel, showed their
strength by lobbying over 85 percent U.S. Congress offices. MORE |
Walmart Turns
to 'Smart Tags' to Track Inventory
The
retail giant Walmart will be attaching electronic ID tags to some of the
clothing it sells. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the
so-called "smart tags" are part of a system to keep track of a store's
inventory. MORE |
Atheism Aside.....
Peter Hitchens' Journey to Faith
One
of Britain's most famous journalists and outspoken atheists Peter Hitchens
has become a Christian. His new-found faith has led to a very
public literary debate with his older brother Christopher, who does not
share his brother's belief in God. MORE |
Site of Jesus'
Baptism Now a Polluted Stream
The
site where tradition holds Jesus was baptized is in danger of being declared
off-limits to pilgrims because of pollution in the Jordan River....But
drought and irrigation have turned the mighty lower Jordan River into a
stagnant stream as it makes it way from the Sea of Galilee. The brook then
swells with raw sewage as it passes nearby Jericho. Israeli health officials
are reportedly considering erecting signs warning: “Polluted Waters. Entry
Forbidden.” MORE |
Over 30 Pro-Family
Groups Ask Court for Role in Day of Prayer Case
Over
30 conservative organizations are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Seventh Circuit to allow them to participate in oral arguments supporting
the National Day of Prayer. MORE |
Haaretz Interview:
Dreaming of the Third Temple In a Conflicted Land of Israel
On
Tisha B'Av, Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau speaks to Haaretz about
the Temple Mount, the Gaza disengagement and secularism. MORE |
Sharper Iron:
Baptism in History, Part 1
An
examination of baptism in the first few centuries of the church brings
up many questions. The most important of these is, what did the Apostles
teach in Scripture? But both paedobaptists1 and credobaptists can easily
read Scripture in light of their own tradition. MORE |
Ralph Reed
Op-Ed: Religious Conservatism Thrives, Despite Naysayers
....The
idea that Mel Gibson’s misconduct somehow signals the downfall of religious
conservatism is nonsense. A movement for time-honored values built over
three decades and enjoying the support of one out of every four voters
does not slide into the abyss because of the behavior of a Hollywood actor.
MORE |
Brent Bozell
Op-Ed: Hollywood Shocked as Family Films Flourish
The
surprise box-office boom for the cartoon "Despicable Me" is making it clear
again to Hollywood this summer that family films are the most likely to
be top-grossing films. "Toy Story 3" is No. 1 for 2010, not only among
the critics, but among the people as well. MORE |
Lutherans Seek
Forgiveness for Persecution of Anabaptists
The
11th Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation approved a statement on
Thursday calling on Lutherans to express their regret and sorrow for past
actions against Anabaptists and asking for forgiveness. MORE |
David Harsanyi
Op-Ed:
Obama's Lack of Faith
With
midterm elections approaching, President Barack Obama has gone on the charm
offensive, claiming Republicans are demonstrating a "lack of faith in the
American people." "Faith" often is defined as "having confidence
or trust in a person or thing." In this case, though, faith means
adding another $35 billion... MORE |
Trinity Baptist
College Announces New President
Trinity
Baptist College, along with the Board of Trustees and Chancellor Tom Messer,
are pleased to announce Mac Heavener Jr. as the President and CEO of Trinity
Baptist College. MORE |
|
Update
for Friday, July 23rd, 2010
|
USA Today:
House Churches Starting To Take Off In the U.S.
....House
church proponents claim their small groups are sort of a throwback to the
early Christian church in that they have no clergy and everyone is expected
to contribute to the teaching, singing and praying. They are more commonly
seen in countries where Christianity is not the dominant religion. Organizers
say they're just starting to take off in the U.S. MORE |
Sharper Iron:
How Comfortable Is Your Church?
....For
over a year, I attended twenty different churches... I was an undercover
pastor’s wife, disguised as a visitor. My mission: to observe. I chose
to accept this mission in order to help my husband lead our new church
family ten hours away. MORE |
Preacher's Arrest
Won't Keep Him Quiet
Pastor
Ronnie Wallace faces an August 23 court date after his arrest in Charlotte,
North Carolina, for preaching the gospel in front of an abortion clinic.
MORE |
Rick Warren Recovering
From Temporary Blindness
Popular
Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren sustained a serious eye injury and
temporary blindness from a poisonous sap from a shrub he was pruning but
is expected to make a full recovery, sources tell Newsmax. MORE |
Prop. 8 Divides
Religious Latino Community
The
Latino community in California is sharply divided along Catholic-Protestant
lines when it comes to Proposition 8, a new poll finds. MORE |
Opponents of
Ground Zero Mosque Push for Landmark Status
A
Christian legal group representing thousands of Americans opposed to the
building of an Islamic mosque near Ground Zero has urged New York City
officials to grant landmark status to the current building on the site.
MORE |
Another Abortion
Clinic Caught In Sting
Live
Action, a youth-led, pro-life organization, has released its third undercover
video involving alleged medical misinformation, this time from staff at
an Indianapolis Planned Parenthood facility. MORE |
Christian Student
Fights For Her Beliefs
A
counseling student has filed suit against a university in Georgia because
she claims the school is forcing her to abandon her Christian beliefs in
order to receive a degree. MORE |
Muslim Mosque
vs. American History
A
Christian law firm representing a New York City firefighter who survived
the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, is urging the New York City
Landmarks Preservation Commission to declare a building in the area a historic
landmark in order to make it more difficult for a Muslim group to turn
it into a huge mega-mosque. MORE |
|
|
Update
for Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
|
Jews Around the
World Are Praying for Another Temple to Be Built in Jerusalem
Tuesday
was Tish B'Av, the 9th day of the Jewish month Av, is the day on
the calendar in 586 BC and 70AD that both the first and second temples
were destroyed. The first temple being destroyed by the Babylonian army
led by Nebuchadnezzar and the second temple devastated by General Titus
and the Roman army. Jews on this day gather near the area where these temples
once stood at the Western Wall and during the 25 hour fast they read the
book of Lamentations and pray for the temple to be rebuilt, a prayer that
has been prayed for over 1900 years. MORE |
Bailout Reaches
$3.7 Trillion
Increased
housing commitments swelled U.S. taxpayers' total support for the financial
system by $700 billion in the past year to around $3.7 trillion, a government
watchdog said on Wednesday. MORE |
Obama Administration
Is Not Worried Russia Will Cheat on Nuclear Treaty
Even
large-scale Russian cheating on a new nuclear arms treaty would not hurt
U.S. security because U.S. nuclear strengths would more than offset any
Russian violations, the Obama administration has concluded. MORE |
American Thinker:
When
Fall Arrives, Israel's New Challenge Begins
Turkey
is set to take over the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council
in September. With Turkey at the helm, Israel can expect resolutions to
come forth condemning Israel, once again, for the flotilla crisis of...
MORE |
Adoption Agency:
Major Increase in U.S. Interest in Orphans
The
nation’s largest adoption agency announced on Monday that it had the highest-ever
increase in adoption placements for a half-year period in 2010. MORE |
Christians Help
Stem Cholera Outbreak in Cambodia
Two
churches and a non-governmental organization working with the authorities
have effectively stemmed a cholera outbreak in a district of Cambodia.
The outbreak was part of a wider epidemic in the North-eastern Ratanakiri
province that has resulted in at least 36 deaths since April.
MORE |
Report: Journalists
Debated Whether Gov't Should Shut Down Fox News
A
group of liberal journalists used a now-defunct listserv to debate the
merits of whether the federal government should forcibly shut down Fox
News, according to a report in The Daily Caller. MORE |
|
|
Update
for Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
|
Obama Now Defends
ObamaCare Mandates as New Taxes
In
a brief defending ObamaCare, the Justice Department says the requirement
for people to carry insurance or pay the penalty is "a valid exercise"
of Congress’s power to impose taxes. MORE |
Report: Christians
Unfairly Targeted by UK Hate Laws
Christians
in Britain are being unfairly targeted by laws intended to prevent religious
hate crimes, a new report from Civitas warns. The report, "A New Inquisition:
Religious Persecution in Britain Today," criticizes the “oppressive oddity”
of judicial attempts to regulate religious hatred. MORE |
Police Told Teacher
It’s ‘Definitely Contrary to the Law’ to Pray on Supreme Court Steps
The
Alliance Defense Fund wants assurances that an Arizona Christian
school teacher will not be arrested if she prays on the steps of the U.S.
Supreme Court building. According to attorneys from ADF, Supreme
Court police forced teacher Maureen Rigo from the building steps and told
her the act of bowing her head and praying on the Supreme Court steps was
unlawful. A Supreme Court spokes- woman, meanwhile, told CNSNews.com that
the Court does not have... MORE |
Miss. School
District Settles With Lesbian Student
A
teenage lesbian who sued her Mississippi school district over its ban of
same-sex prom dates is accepting an offer to settle the case. American
Civil Liberties Union attorneys representing Constance McMillen have filed
notice in U.S. District Court to accept a judgment offer from the Itawamba
County School District to pay $35,000, plus attorney's fees. MORE |
John W. Whitehead:
Will Misguided Patriotism Destroy Free Speech?
The
U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear the case of Snyder v. Phelps,
a case that tests the limits of the First Amendment's protections for free
speech. At issue in the case is whether members of the Kansas-based Westboro
Baptist Church have a First Amendment right to air their opposition to
policies and laws condoning homosexuality by staging peaceful protests
in public during military funerals. However, what this case is really about...
MORE |
USA Today:
Myths Widen the Science-Religion Divide
Is
a dialogue between science and religion possible — or even necessary?
The American Association for the Advancement of Science recently welcomed
NASA astrophysicist Jennifer Wiseman as the new director of its Dialogue
on Science, Ethics and Religion. The task ahead: encourage communication
between scientific and religious communities. What could be wrong with
that? MORE |
Supreme Court
Nominee Kagan Approved by Panel
A
Senate panel voted Tuesday to send the Supreme Court nomination of Elena
Kagan to the full Senate for confirmation. MORE |
Pakistani Christians
Accused of Blasphemy Killed After Mosque Incitement
Gunmen
killed two Pakistani Christian brothers accused of blasphemy against Islam
as they left court on Monday, a government minister and police said. The
men were chained together when the attack took place in the eastern city
of Faislabad as they were being taken back into custody after their court
appearance. They were arrested a month ago after leaflets allegedly bearing
their names and featuring derogatory remarks against the Islamic prophet
Muhammad... MORE |
Homosexuals Step
Into Immigration Reform
A
pro-family activist finds it absolutely outrageous that a coalition of
pro-homosexual and pro-illegal immigration lawmakers is pushing a bill
that would give special immigration priorities to practicing homosexuals
from other countries who want to settle in the U.S. MORE |
Black USDA Official
Quits After White Farmer Comment
A
black federal worker has resigned from a Georgia agricultural job after
a video clip showed her saying she had not helped a farmer as much as she
could have because he was white. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
said in a statement Tuesday he had accepted the resignation of Shirley
Sherrod. Vilsack says the USDA has no tolerance for discrimination. MORE |
Disabled Black
Pastor Arrested for Preaching on Public Right of Way
A
disabled black pastor was arrested in Charlotte Saturday after giving pro-life
witness on public property outside an abortion facility. At 8:30 AM on
July 17, Pastor Ronnie Wallace, a pastor and disabled veteran, was arrested
by seven police officers on the public right of way in front of the Family
Reproductive Health Abortion Clinic on Hebron St, Charlotte N.C.
MORE |
Calls for 'Urgent'
Security Review Follow Fatal Attack on Christians in Nigeria
The
head of U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide has called upon Nigerian
authorities to “urgently” review security arrangements in the volatile
Plateau State after another deadly attack on Christians this weekend.
MORE |
Gunmen Kill 2
Pakistani Christians Outside Courthouse
Two
Christians accused of blasphemy in Pakistan were killed as they left a
courthouse Monday afternoon, reported a Christian persecution watchdog
group shortly after the incident. MORE |
Indiana Planned
Parenthood Caught On Tape Giving Fabricated Medical Info
The
youth-led pro-life group Live Action released a new undercover video today
showing staff at an Indianapolis Planned Parenthood clinic using manipulative
and medically inaccurate counseling to convince a young woman to have an
abortion. This is the third undercover video Live Action has released showing
abusive counseling practices at Planned Parenthood of Indiana.
MORE |
|
|
Update
for Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
|
Medicare is Making
Health Care ‘Unsustainable,’ Former Official Warns
Medicare
is the train engine pulling the nation's health-care system off a cliff
at "an accelerated and dangerous rate," suggests a new conservative think-tank
study authored by a former White House budget official. MORE |
Obamacare
Gives IRS Sweeping Powers
National
Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson warns that with ObamaCare, the IRS is now
responsible for "the most extensive social benefit program the IRS has
been asked to implement in recent history" -- and without "sufficient funding"
it won't be able to discharge these new duties, according to a report in
the Wall Street Journal. MORE |
Palin Slams Plans
for Ground Zero Mosque
Former
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has thrust herself into a raging debate over a
proposed Islamic community center and mosque that is being planned to sit
just two blocks from Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. In a series of posts
on her Twitter account, Palin was adamant that the project should not be
built. MORE |
Prayer
Shushed on Supreme Court Steps
After
a group of students praying on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court building
was confronted by police and told what they were doing was illegal, the
Alliance Defense Fund sent a letter to officials of the high court. Wicken-
burg Christian Academy teacher Maureen Rigo of Arizona had taken a group
of students to tour the complex, and ADF attorney Nate Kellum tells OneNewsNow
they had just completed a May 5 visit to the Supreme Court and were on
the steps outside. MORE |
USA
Today: Churches Making Mainstream Films to Attract Souls
Praise
the Lord and pass the popcorn. Moviemaking churches are venturing
into the cineplex to attract souls who might never set foot in a megachurch.
Like Hollywood, they take on real-life issues in dramatic packages: MORE |
Tim LaHaye Warns
of Potential Threat to Religious Freedom in U.S.
"End
Times" authors Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall say the Obama administration
may be killing religious freedom by redefinition. In a statement posted
on their website this past week, the co-authors of the political thriller
Edge
of Apocalypse claim there is a shadow growing over religious freedom
in America. MORE |
D.
Wilson: Why Wear the Liberals Uniform if You Aren't Marching With Them?
...I
think that a number of conservative Christians I know are in the process
of becoming liberals. They do not recognize it because they think that
thinking is an antidote to everything else in their lives -- and it isn't.
Liberalism has an enacted lifestyle, and by this I am not referring to
the flagged and (for now) controversial elements of it -- e.g. the homosexual
lifestyle, and so on. No, I am talking about the Whole Foods, NPR, burlap
shopping bag, fair trade coffee, low flush toilets and trickle down shower
heads, reduced carbon foot prints, etc... Christians who adopt this kind
of lifestyle are, like it or not, in the process of becoming liberals.
MORE |
Stores Push Summertime
'Christmas' Sales
Retailers
are pumping still more energy this year into trying to get shoppers to
loosen their purse strings early for Christmas with sparkly ornaments,
holiday music and special prices. In July. MORE |
Pro-Lifers Win
a Round In Health Overhaul
Pro-lifers
have scored a victory and traditional allies of the Obama administration
are grumbling about a decision to ban most abortion coverage in insurance
pools for those unable to purchase healthcare on their own. MORE |
|
Update
for Monday, July 19th, 2010
|
Sen. Sessions
Questions Kagan Role in Abortion Veto
Sen.
Jeff Sessions says Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan misled senators about
her role in former President Bill Clinton's decision to veto a bill banning
partial-birth abortions. MORE |
LIVING THE CHRISTIAN
LIFE IN HARD TIMES
There’s
no doubt we’re living in some of the most difficult times of our generation.
If experts are correct it’s been 2 ½ years since this recession
officially began, and many workers have already exhausted their jobless
benefits. But others are being laid off and according to projections another
million families will lose their homes in the coming months, so it’s not
over yet. It’s a sobering thought, but the Bible offers advice on living
in hard times. MORE |
Twilight
Breakdown: 'Girl Porn' and Mormonism
As
the latest Twilight film once more beckons an adoring gaggle of girls of
all ages, onlookers watching their daughters, wives, and sisters flood
the franchise with their hard-earned money are forced again to ask: just
what is so intoxicating about Twilight, and is it ultimately for good or
for ill? MORE |
Obama Moves Away
from 'Freedom of Religion' Toward 'Freedom of Worship'
Since
the initially strong language on religious freedom used in President Obama's
Cairo speech, presidential references to religious freedom have become
rare, often replaced, at most, with references to freedom of worship. A
purposeful change in language could mean a much narrower view of the right
to religious freedom. Does this change of language indicate a change of
policy? MORE |
Nathan
Jones: Facebook....For Good & For Bad
Are
you on Facebook? Statistically, chances are "of course" is the most likely
answer you'll be giving. Boasting over 400 million active users, Facebook
is THE social network phenomenon...Facebook's blend of technology, people
and connectivity means power, and not just the power over private information.
The real power behind Facebook is the ability to extend ideological reach
over a wider mass of people. This can be good or bad. MORE |
DC Conservatives
to Take Marriage to High Court
Christians
and conservative groups in Washington are determined to take the gay marriage
issue to the U.S. Supreme Court after their appeal to let the people vote
on the matter was rejected. MORE |
Attack on Nigerian
Christian Village Leaves 8 Dead, Church Burned
Eight
people in Nigeria were killed early Saturday when Muslim Fulani herdsmen
launched an overnight attack on a Christian village near the city of Jos,
officials reported. MORE |
Bible Prophecy
Today: Support for Israel Transcends Religion
Noam
Bedein, director of the Sderot Media Center said: Israel is finding an
oasis of Israel support among Christian Zionists…. Being raised in an orthodox
Jewish home, it has been somewhat of an experience for me to feel at home
with the Christian communities. MORE |
|
Update
for Weekend, July 17th-18th, 2010
|
Groups Blast
First Federal Funding of Abortions
Pro-life
and social conservative groups are in an uproar over what they say is the
first federal funding of elective abortion under the new health care legislation.
The National Right to Life Committee accused the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services of approving Pennsylvania’s request for $160 million
for a new “high-risk” insurance program that will use federal funds to
cover nearly all abortions before the 24th week of pregnancy. MORE |
Richard Land:
Obama's Commitment to British-Style of Health Care Made Clear
Donald
Berwick was nominated as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services by Barack Obama in mid-April. Just over two months
after that announcement, the White House revealed July 6 the president
had given the Harvard pediatrician a recess appointment, completing an
end run around Congress. MORE |
Kids Ordered
Not to Pray Outside Supreme Court
A
group of Christian students was ordered to stop praying outside the U.S.
Supreme Court building on May 5 because a court police officer told them
it was against the law. MORE |
NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THE APOSTLE PAUL
...In
order to grasp the New Perspective on Paul’s Jewish background, we first
need to understand a little bit about the Old Perspective. The Old Perspective
was basically the product of Protestant scholarship and was based primarily
on later Jewish sources. It essentially portrayed first-century Judaism
as a monolithic religion that was legalistic, devoid of grace, and dominated
by fear. The New Perspective methodologically limits the study of... MORE |
Christians Narrowly
Escape Flying Bullets in Pakistan
Suspected
Islamic extremists fired bullets into the car of a Christian evangelist
with impunity last month, while in another Punjab Province town stray gunfire
led to two Christians being falsely accused of murder. MORE |
Missionaries
Injured in Uganda Terrorist Attack
A
radical Islamic group which claimed responsibility for the late Sunday
terrorist attacks in Uganda's capital city of Kampala bragged about having
“killed many Christians,” reports The Wall Street Journal. MORE |
Jay Adams: Innovative
Thinking...the Proper Goal
Back
in 1963, Henry Blamiers wrote a landmark book entitled, The Christian Mind,
in which he encouraged the church to begin thinking. As a result, some
took him seriously, and did so! The central thesis of that seminal work
was that scholarship has taken the place that rightly belongs to thinking.
MORE |
CONGREGATIONS STRUGGLING IN UNSAFE BUILDINGS
bout
halfway through Sunday service at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church,
as worshipers passed around the collection plate, a chorus of screams pierced
the air. Chunks of the ceiling in the 52-year-old church near Hickory came
crashing down on the crowd of 200 or so, striking about 14, who were later
treated and released from nearby hospitals. A jagged piece of the ceiling,
roughly 10 feet by 10 feet, dangled from exposed wires over.... MORE |
Christian Teacher
Wants to Pray on High Court Steps
A
letter was sent by the Alliance Defense Fund on Thursday on behalf of a
Wickenburg, Ariz., teacher who was prohibited by a Supreme Court police
officer in May from praying with students on the steps of the court. MORE |
French Scientists
Crack Secrets of the Mona Lisa
The
enigmatic smile remains a mystery, but French scientists say they have
cracked a few secrets of the "Mona Lisa." French researchers studied seven
of the Louvre Museum's Leonardo da Vinci paintings, including the "Mona
Lisa," to analyze the master's use of successive ultrathin layers of paint
and glaze — a technique that gave his works their dreamy quality. MORE |
Muslim Mom Escapes
Jail For Killing Daughter
A
Canadian judge's decision to free a devout Muslim mother convicted of strangling
her 14-year-old daughter with a head scarf has prompted growing outrage
from victim's advocates groups. MORE |
|
Update
for Friday, July 16th, 2010
|
Americans Say
Government and Politicians Are Our Biggest Problems
Americans
now believe that government and politicians are bigger problems for the
country than illegal immigration, health care, disaster response or even
the federal debt. MORE |
D.C. Court of
Appeals Bars City Referendum on Same-Sex Marriage
Opponents
of D.C.'s same-sex marriage law say they will take their efforts to get
a referendum on the ballot all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. MORE |
Obama
Deceived the Nation On Abortion In Health Care Bill
Forget
Barack Obama's executive order to the contrary -- the federal government
will finance abortions in Pennsylvania. Prior to a U.S. House vote on healthcare
reform this spring, President Obama signed an executive order barring use
of federal funds to finance abortions. That move was roundly criticized
by pro-life organizations as mere theatrics to placate -- and obtain the
votes of -- supposedly "pro-life" Democrats in the House. MORE |
David R. Reagan:
D.C. Symbols Prove American Christian Heritage
The
buildings housing the institutions of our national government in Washington,
D.C., are filled with symbols of our nation's Christian heritage. In 1999
the Family Research Council published an article entitled, "Hallowed Ground:
Washington's Monuments to Faith, Family and Freedom." In it they made this
observation... MORE |
American Thinker:
The Mosques of War
Of
the three monotheistic religions, Judaism is considered the mother faith
and the other two, Christianity and Islam, her daughters. The first daughter,
Christianity, under the influence of the early church fathers, rejected
the mother and distanced herself from Judaism, even to the extent of changing...
MORE |
Study: Compensation
for Pastors Keeping Pace with Inflation
Compensation
for full-time Southern Baptist pastors is rising slightly faster than inflation,
but the mounting cost of benefits is forcing churches to provide fewer
pastors with medical insurance. MORE |
Christians Respond
to Obama's New HIV/AIDS Strategy
President
Obama rolled out on Tuesday a new HIV/AIDS strategy to tackle the high
infection rate and the stigma still associated with the disease on home
ground. Of the 33 million people living with HIV around the world, more
than 1.1 million of them are in the United States. MORE |
Bob Bixby:
Pastoral
Numerology...Numbers Count
....The
Holy Spirit seems to have thought that it was important that we know that
3000 people were baptized at Pentecost. We know that 120 people were in
the upper room. There were 500 witnesses of the resurrected Christ, 16
soldiers who guarded Peter, and so on. The Bible is filled with statistics
because numbers are useful... MORE |
Missouri Governor
Lets Abortion Law Take Effect
Missouri
abortion clinics will face new mandates to offer women ultrasound images
and heartbeats of their fetuses as a result of legislation allowed to become
law Wednesday by Gov. Jay Nixon. MORE |
Albert Mohler:
Hard to Believe? Biblical Authority and Evangelical Feminism
Anne
Eggebroten visited Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and
what she found there shocked her. As a matter of fact, she was so shocked
that she wrote about that experience in the July 2010 edition of Sojourners
magazine. Readers of her article are likely to experience a shock.... MORE |
Jerusalem Aims
to Host More Tourists
Jerusalem
municipal officials often point out that there is no other city on earth
that is regarded as sacred by three different religions: Christianity,
Judaism and Islam. They also note that over half the people on earth at
least nominally adhere to one of the three faiths, whose followers all
view Abraham as a pivotal founding father. MORE |
Pastor Jamie
Hart: Outlining Sermons In Microsoft Word
If
you use Microsoft Word, chances are you have a love/hate relationship with
the application. And if there is any part of MS Word that you hate, chances
are it’s the numbering and outlining feature. Outlining in Word can be
extremely frustrating....But for the pastor or who uses outlining on a
regular basis, it’s a regular irritant! MORE |
Calif. Library
Criticized for 'Anti-Religious' Painting
The
most controversial of the paintings on display at a California public library
is by San Francisco attorney-artist Jeri Wyrick. The painting depicts a
large Bible with a label reading: “Warning: May Impair Judgment.” MORE |
Argentina Legalizes
Gay Marriage; First in Latin America
Argentina
legalized same-sex marriage Thursday, offering gay couples all the same
rights given to their heterosexual counterparts, including adopting children.
MORE |
|
Update
for Thursday, July 15th, 2010
|
Republican Senate
Nominee Says Campaign to Defeat Reid Is God's 'Calling'
Republican
Sharron Angle says her campaign to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid in Nevada is "a calling" from God and that her faith is helping her
endure a fiercely competitive race in which Democrats have depicted her
as a conservative extremist. "When you have God in your life ... he directs
your path," Angle told the Christian Broadcasting Network in an interview
posted on its website Wednesday. MORE |
Both Parties
Mull Raising Retirement Age
In
a rare departure from this year's intense political posturing over the
soaring budget deficit, House leaders of both parties recently signaled
that they are prepared to tackle a leading long-term liability — Social
Security — by raising the retirement age. MORE |
Black
Tea Partiers Rebut NAACP Accusations of Racism
Some
African-American tea party candidates are displeased by a resolution that
the NAACP approved on Tuesday calling the grass-roots conservative movement
“racist.” “I have not experienced the charges of racism that the NAACP
is touting,” Vernon Parker, an African-American tea party congressional
candidate in Arizona... MORE |
Phyllis Schlafly:
Elena Kagan Is Not Marriage-Friendly
If
Elena Kagan is confirmed for the Supreme Court, it will not matter that
Martha Coakley failed to win her bid to fill out Ted Kennedy's Senate seat.
Kagan's 30-plus years as one of nine votes on the Supreme Court is far
more important than Scott Brown's three years as one of 100 votes in the
Senate. MORE |
Members of Congress
Go to Court to Defend The National Day of Prayer
Sixty-three
members of the House and four senators, Republicans and Democrats, have
weighed in on the legal case to defend the constitutionality of the National
Day of Prayer. MORE |
Archaeologists
Uncover Goliath's Hometown
An
ongoing archaeological excavation in Tel Tzafit continues to unearth the
ruins of what was once the city of Gat – described in the Bible as the
hometown of Goliath. Professor Aren Maeir, who is directing the dig, spoke
to Arutz Sheva's Hebrew-language news service to discuss the latest finds.
MORE |
Australia: Christian
Brethren Sued for Barring Camp To Gay Group
The
youth support group said it wanted to help gay youth tackle homophobia.
The way the Christian Brethren understood it, allowing the promotion of
a homosexual lifestyle at a campsite they owned was against the word of
God. MORE |
Publisher Defends
Ex-Muslim Theologian's Conversion Story
An
evangelical Christian publisher is defending the integrity of the books
written by Dr. Ergun Caner weeks after the ex-Muslim theologian was demoted
by his school for making self-contradictory statements. MORE |
Two Pakistan
Churches Attacked by Islamists
Christian
communities in two areas came under attack in Punjab Province earlier this
month. In Sargodha, an unidentified motorcyclist on July 1 tossed a grenade
in front of the gates of St. Filian’s Church of Pakistan, next to a small
Christian-owned amusement park where children were playing, Christian sources
said. MORE |
|
Update
for Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
|
Obama Faces Growing
Credibility Crisis
Robert
Gibbs, Barack Obama’s spokesman, got into hot water this week for daring
to speak the truth –that the Dems could lose control of the House of Representatives
in November. But it could be even worse than that. MORE |
Jimmy DeYoung:
1000's of Jews Gather at Temple Mount to Declare Allegiance
Thousands
of Jews gathered recently at the gates to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem
to declare their allegiance to this holy site and to declare the city of
Jerusalem is the united, eternal capital of the Jewish people. MORE |
Conservatives
Launch New Pro-Israel Group
Leading
conservatives will launch a new pro-Israel group this week with a scathing
attack on Rep. Joe Sestak, the Democratic Senate candidate in Pennsylvania,
the first shot in what they say will be a confrontational campaign against
the Obama administration’s Mideast policy and the Democrats who support
it. MORE |
Experts to Obama:
You Can’t Ignore the Islamic Ideology Behind Terrorism
The
Obama administration's reluctance to acknowledge and confront the religious
motivation behind Islamist terrorism is not helping the counter-terror
effort, leading experts warn in a new report. The administration’s
recently released National Security Strategy (NSS) defines the enemy as
“al-Qaeda and its... MORE |
Ruth
Bader Ginsburg: 'We Will Never Go Back' to Outlawing Abortion
U.S.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last Thursday insisted that America
would "never go back" to outlawing abortion now that a whole generation
of women has experienced the effects of Roe v. Wade. MORE |
Bob Bixby:
Closet Charismatics in Christian Fundamentalism
....Perhaps
there is no congregation in the world more susceptible to spectacular story-telling
than young, inexperienced, uncritical, enthusiastic Bible college students
who sincerely long to see their God vindicated in the world. And my college
was no different than many others in providing for the gullible a hero
with plenty of difficult-to-impossible-to-substantiate stories of the miraculous
power of God through him. MORE |
Paleoevangelical:
Is Liberty University Post-Evangelical?
...the
school announced the outcome of its investigation into contradictory statements
made by seminary dean Ergun Caner. The board acknowledged Caner's contradictory
statements and declined to renew his contract as dean, while retaining
him on seminary faculty...How Liberty is able to justify extending him
a faculty contract is simply beyond me. Though, the CT article points out
that under Caner's leadership, Seminary enrollment tripled. Is enrollment
more valuable than honesty and credibility? The school's public witness?
MORE |
American Missionaries
Injured in Ugandan Blast
A
group of American missionaries was among those injured in the bombings
in Uganda Sunday night that left at least 74 dead, according to reports.
MORE |
UK Anglicans
Move Closer to Allowing Women Bishops
The
Church of England came a step closer to opening the door to women bishops
on Monday after legislation cleared the revision stage. The draft
measure on women bishops was approved after a lengthy debate... MORE |
U.
of Illinois to 'Review' Firing of Catholic Professor
The
University of Illinois has issued an open-ended statement regarding a professor
of a Catholicism course who was fired after stating that homosexual activity
is contrary to the natural moral law. The university statement says only
that the school preserves a "commitment to the principles of academic freedom"
and that the matter... MORE |
Real 'Blind Side'
Parents Tell Story in New Book
The
real-life Tuohy couple who inspired the box-office hit “The Blind Side”
will release their new book, In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power
of Cheerful Giving, on Tuesday. MORE |
Gospel Singer
Walter Hawkins Dies at 61
Grammy
Award-winning gospel singer and composer Walter Hawkins died at his home
in Ripon, Calif., on Sunday after battling pancreatic cancer for the past
two years, his ministry reported. MORE |
|
Update
for Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
|
Christians'
Arrest Is First Step To Placate Muslims
Four
missionaries arrested at an Arab festival in Dearborn, Michigan, have been
arraigned. The missionaries have appeared each year of the Annual Arab
International Festival, but this year police moved in and arrested them
and confiscated a camera from one member was using to film the arrests.
Detroit television station WXYZ was on hand for the arraignment and talked
to one of the accused, Nabeel Qureshi. MORE |
NBC Promotes
Gay 'Marriage' with Invites to Homosexuals to Wedding Contest
NBC's
The Today Show has decided to allow same-sex "couples" to apply to its
"Modern Wedding Contest" after the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
(GLAAD) met with officials from NBC on Thursday. MORE |
National
Affairs: The Evolution of Divorce
...In
the years since 1980, the story of divorce has grown increasingly
complicated. In the case of divorce, as in so many others, the worst consequences
of the social revolution of the 1960s and '70s are now felt disproportionately
by the poor and less educated, while the wealthy elites who set off these
transformations in the first place have managed to reclaim somewhat healthier
and more stable habits of married life. MORE |
Texas Doctors
Threaten To Drop Medicaid
Doctors
across Texas are threatening to opt out of Medicaid because of payment
cuts, which would further damage the state's already uneven delivery of
health care to the poor. The 1 percent trim to provider fees that starts
Sept. 1 sounds modest. But doctors, insurance industry officials and health
care experts widely see it as the first of many hits coming to doctors'
wallets as Texas' fiscal woes deepen. MORE |
American
Thinker: The Twilight of Fatherhood
She
was abandoned at birth, hastily deposited inside the entrance to a hospital
in Cebu City, the Philippines, on February 24, 1992. Her guilt-racked birth
parents appeared at the hospital a few hours later, identified themselves,
and gave the baby a name for her birth certificate. Then the parents vanished
again, this time for good. MORE |
Why is Hillary
Pushing Gay Rights Upon Africa?
If
the average Kenyan knew that their favourite son, Barack Obama, had declared
June the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual- Transgender Pride Month, they would simply
not believe it....Hillary Clinton recently told “LGBT members of the State
Department family” that gay rights are human rights and human rights are
gay and that her first concern for Africa is how LGBT persons are treated
on the continent. MORE |
Crystal Cathedral
Founder Now Says He's Not Retiring
Contrary
to several media reports, Crystal Cathedral founder the Rev. Robert H.
Schuller is not retiring. An announcement on Sunday that Schuller's daughter,
Sheila Coleman, has become the official senior pastor of the Southern California
megachurch sparked confusion. MORE |
Anglican Conservatives
Foil Attempt to Appoint Gay Bishop in England
An
attempt to name an openly homosexual priest as Anglican Bishop of Southwark
in England has been foiled by conservatives following the premature revelation
of his candidacy, according to reports in the British media. MORE |
Anglican Congregations
Ask Va. High Court to Reconsider Property Ruling
Nine
conservative Anglican churches that have been wrestling for three years
with The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia over disputed
church property has asked Virginia’s Supreme Court to reconsider a narrow,
but critical portion of its ruling last month. MORE |
Report: U.S.
Should Better Define Islamic Extremism
Several
notable counterterrorism experts have challenged the Obama administration's
new national security strategy. An upcoming report by The Washington
Institute for Near East Policy said the White House has ignored the role
of religion in motivating terrorists. MORE |
American Vision:
Muslim Students Want to Take Over Christian College
A
group of students at Trinity University in Texas wants the words “in the
year of Our Lord” removed from their diplomas. “A diploma is a very personal
item, and people want to proudly display it in their offices and homes,”
Sidra Qureshi, president of Trinity Diversity Connection, told the Chronicle.
“By having the phrase ‘In the Year of Our Lord,’ it is directly referencing
Jesus Christ, and not everyone believes in Jesus Christ.” MORE |
Public Discourse:
Fatal Attraction....Democracy & the Welfare State
Expansive
and expensive welfare programs have brought European social democracies
to the verge of catastrophe. Now the dynamics of democracy may be an impediment
to economic reform. MORE |
|
Update
for Monday, July 12th, 2010
|
Debt Commission
Paints Gloomy Picture, Debt Like a 'Cancer'
The
heads of President Barack Obama's national debt commission painted a gloomy
picture Sunday as the United States struggles to get its spending under
control. Republican Alan Simpson and Democrat Erskine Bowles told a meeting
of the National Governors Association that everything needs to be considered
— including... MORE |
New
Rules, Big Changes Coming For Financial World
Big
changes are in store for the financial world from a government crackdown
more than a year in the making. Democratic leaders in the Senate are trying
to secure the final votes needed to pass legislation this coming week that
would impose the most sweeping rules on banks and Wall Street... MORE |
Dow Repeats Great
Depression Pattern – CNBC
The
Dow Jones Industrial Average is repeating a pattern that appeared just
before markets fell during the Great Depression, Daryl Guppy, CEO at Guppytraders.com,
told CNBC Monday. “Those who don’t remember history are doomed to repeat
it…there was a head and shoulders pattern that developed before the Depression
in 1929, then with the recovery in 1930 we had another head and shoulders
pattern that preceded a fall in the market, and in the current Dow situation
we see an exact repeat of that environment,” Guppy said. MORE |
What To Do In
Case of Economic Collapse
Today,
more Americans than ever are absolutely convinced that we are headed for
an economic collapse. After all, it doesn't take an advanced degree
in economics to understand that American consumers, American businesses,
local governments, state governments and the U.S. federal government...
MORE |
Homosexual Couple
Sues Bed and Breakfast for Moral Stance
Owners
of a bed and breakfast in Cornwall, England, are facing legal action for
refusing a double room to a gay couple. Visitors at the Chymorvah House
can get a home-cooked English breakfast and enjoy beautiful views of the
coast. But if you're unmarried, Christian owners Peter and Hazelmary
Bull insist you sleep in separate rooms. MORE |
PUBLIC
DISCOURSE:
Diversity &
Discrimination in the Case of Christian Legal Society
If
one has any doubt about the impoverished state of our public discourse
regarding key social concepts such as “diversity” and “discrimination,”
look no further than last week’s decision by the Supreme Court in Christian
Legal Society (“CLS”) v. Martinez. MORE |
'Jesus' Prayer
Pastor Demands Apology from N.C. Lawmakers
A
North Carolina pastor is demanding an apology from lawmakers in his state
after he was dismissed from his chaplain duties for praying in Jesus’ name.
The legal representative of Pastor Ron Baity sent a letter this past week
to North Carolina House of Representative Speaker Joe Hackney and the House
clerk asking that his client receive an apology letter and another invitation
to offer an uncensored invocation at the House. MORE |
Albert Mohler:
When Feminism Kills — Abortion As ‘The Lesser Evil’
“If
you are willing to die for a cause, you must be prepared to kill for it,
too.” That statement, published for all the world to see, perfectly distills
the inescapable logic of the abortion rights argument. It is based on a
willingness to kill — and on the horrifying audacity to call this killing
“the lesser evil.” MORE |
Survey: 7 in
10 Christian Households Eliminating, Avoiding Debt
While
American consumers continue to worry about jobs and paying the bills, 7
in 10 Christian households reported in a recently published survey that
they actively pay off their credit cards in full every month and nearly
8 of 10 Christian households said they continue to give ten percent or
more of their... MORE |
Beliefnet: The
Problem With Blindly Trusting Scientists
That
people still uncritically trust scientists after the history of the 20th
century proves that there's nothing so blind as the person who will not
see. To take but one example: the best science of the early 20th century
included eugenics, which was all the rage in the most elevated and progressive
circles. It's not so much that the... MORE |
Presbyterian
Church-USA's 'Gay' Measures Reflect 'Modern Paganism'
An
Orthodox Church theologian who was invited to greet the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has criticized its approval of non-celibate
homosexual clergy. MORE |
Robert Schuller
Retiring From Crystal Cathedral, Daughter Takes Over
The
Rev. Robert H. Schuller, founder of Southern California's Crystal Cathedral
megachurch and host of the "Hour of Power" televangelism broadcast, announced
Sunday he will retire after 55 years in the pulpit and his daughter will
take over. MORE |
Islam On the
Rise, Compliments of Obama
A
conservative political activist says President Obama's pro-Islamic leanings
are to blame for radical Islamic groups becoming so emboldened that they
are openly holding conferences on U.S. soil calling for the establishment
of a global Islamic empire. MORE |
|
Update
for Weekend, July 10th-11th, 2010
|
Federal Ban on
Homosexual ‘Marriage’ Is Ruled Unconstitutional in Mass.
The
federal law banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional because it interferes
with the right of a state to define the institution and therefore denies
married gay couples some federal benefits, a federal judge ruled Thursday
in Boston. MORE |
North
Carolina: Pastor Yanked From Capitol Over 'Jesus' Prayer'
A North Carolina
pastor was relieved of his duties as an honorary chaplain of the state
house of representatives after he closed a prayer by invoking the name
of Jesus. MORE |
Street Preachers
at Arab Fest to Face Court
Four
Christians who were arrested at a large Arab festival in Michigan will
have their arraignment hearing on Monday. Dr. Nabeel Qureshi, a medical
doctor, and fellow street preachers Negeen Mayel, Paul Rezkalla, and David
Wood were arrested on charges of breach of the peace. MORE |
Bible Prophecy
Today: The 1st Amendment Protects Radical Opinions, But...
On
December 16th, 1773, “radicals” from Boston, Massachusetts, members of
a secret organization of American Patriots called Sons of Liberty, boarded
three East India Company ships and threw into Boston Harbor 342 chests
of tea. In response to the rebellion, the British enacted additional punitive
measures...MORE |
‘God is Sad and
God is Mad’ Over Oil Spill, Says Liberal Religious Leader
“God
is sad and God is mad” because of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico,
the Rev. Jim Wallis, editor and CEO of the liberal religious magazine Sojourners,
told reporters on Wednesday. Wallis and other religious leaders recently
took a three-hour tour of coastal Louisiana to examine the damage from
the Gulf oil spill. Their tour was organized by the Sierra Club. MORE |
Frank
Schaeffer: 'Nuttiest' Evangelicals Support Israel
Author
Frank Schaeffer, son of the late prominent theologian Francis Schaeffer,
can't seem to find anything good about evangelical Christians. In his latest
blog on the Huffington Post, Schaeffer criticized evangelicals' support
of Israel. "Some of the nuttiest American religious leaders today (and
in the past) have latched on to one form or another of Christian Zionism,"
he said. "To put it mildly, the evangelical theological/biblical ‘reasons'
have deformed US policy and made America act against self interest," Schaeffer
wrote. "This has harmed Israel." MORE |
Pastor: Crisis
Is in the Church, Not Outside It
The
all-too-familiar evangelical message is that the world is in trouble and
churches need to help. Singapore pastor Tony Yeo, however, thinks
the reverse is true. Many Protestants here lack sincerity in faith, said
Yeo, deputy senior pastor of Covenant Evangelical Free Church and honorary
general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore. MORE |
Presbyterians
Vote to Allow Gay Clergy
Delegates
to the Presbyterian church's convention in Minneapolis voted Thursday for
a more liberal policy on gay clergy but decided not to redefine marriage
in their church constitution to include same-sex couples MORE |
Baptist Press:
Day of Prayer Law Reflects Framers' Intent, Groups Say
A
coalition of legal and pro-family groups asked the U.S. Seventh Circuit
Court of Appeals July 7 to reverse a lower court ruling and declare the
National Day of Prayer constitutional, asserting that the district court's
decision amounted to "an act of hostility to religion." MORE |
Bible Prophecy
Today: Anti-Semitism in Mainstream Christianity
In
1992, Dr. Michael Brown, a Jewish believer in Jesus, wrote the book "Our
Hands are Stained with Blood." Not only did Brown carefully document the
shameful history of anti-Semitism in the Christian church, he also laid
out a proper path of repentance....Many Christians have come to recognize
the centrality of the Jews in God's plan for the ages, the Jewish roots
of their own faith and the church's historical shortfall in appropriating
these realities. MORE |
Bible
Prophecy Today: Will Obama Keep His Abortion Promise?
The
Democratic congressional majority will soon decide whether taxpayers should
subsidize abortions at military hospitals. Their decision will test President
Obama’s trustworthiness and the voters’ patience. In March, Obama signed
an executive order, after passage of the healthcare reform measure, to
preserve policies that keep federal funds from paying for abortions. That
order won him enough votes from pro-life legislators to pass the measure.
But now pro-abortion Democrats are trying to do an end-run on the President’s
promise. MORE |
|
Update
for Friday, July 9th, 2010
|
U.S., Israel
Mend Ties, Focus on Iran
President
Barack Obama told Israeli TV that Israel is right to be skeptical about
the peace process. Obama is striking a friendlier tone after his
meeting this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. MORE |
Jerusalem
Rabbis Call For Mass Protest Over Temple Mount 'Harassment'
Religious
Zionist rabbis have called for a mass demonstration in Jerusalem on Monday
night to protest what they say is police harassment and an attempt to keep
them away from the Temple Mount. MORE |
Census Director
Admits ‘We May Have Duplicates’
U.S.
Census Bureau Director Dr. Robert Groves told CNSNews.com on Wednesday
that the Census has 'no way, unfortunately, of knowing' whether or not
homeless individuals were counted twice, and added, 'we may have duplicates.'
MORE |
Sharia Flaw:
U.S. Group Aims for Islamic Domination
For
most Americans, July is a time to celebrate their country's freedom and
independence. But one radical Islamic group will do the opposite. In fact,
Hizb ut-Tahrir believes in the abolishment of the U.S. Constitution by
way of a worldwide Islamic state, or caliphate. MORE |
Catholic Church
Says Cuba Agrees to Free 52 Political Prisoners
Cuba
has promised the Roman Catholic Church it will free 52 political prisoners,
slashing the number held by nearly a third in what would be the communist-led
island's largest release of since Pope John Paul visited in 1998. MORE |
Muslim Mob Kills
Wife, Children of Christian in Pakistan
A
Muslim mob in Jhelum, Pakistan murdered the wife and four children of a
Christian last month, but local authorities are too afraid of the local
Muslim leader to file charges, according to area sources. MORE |
Fire Destroys
Promise Keepers Office In Denver Area
A
fire that broke out late Sunday night damaged a three story office building
in Greenwood Village. Firefighters say the fire started at 10:30 p.m. in
a closet of the office of the religious group the Promise Keepers. The
building is located at 5600 South Quebec Street. No one was hurt.
MORE |
Bible
Ban Gets Florida School District In Trouble
A
Southern Baptist ministry is suing a Florida school district in an effort
to overturn a recent ban on distributing Bibles on school campuses. For
years, the Collier County School District allowed World Changers to distribute
free Bibles to interested students during off-school hours. But the school
officials now claim that Bibles do not provide any educational benefit
to the students and that the distribution should stop. MORE |
Church of England
Denies Gay Priest's Ordination
The
Church of England has decided not to ordain a gay priest as bishop.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams was set to back the elevation of
Rev. Jeffrey John to bishop. But a church committee decided Thursday, to
reject John as a potential nominee. MORE |
Bobby Jindal
Signs Abortion Reforms into Louisiana Law
Gov.
Bobby Jindal signed 3 landmark abortion bills on Tuesday that significantly
tighten the state’s regulations on abortionists & their practices,
and opt out the state from the national health care reform’s abortion mandates.MORE |
Sweden Tightens
Legal Noose on Homeschooling
Sweden’s
parliament gave a crushing blow to parental rights two weeks ago, passing
a law that makes homeschooling legal only in “extraordinary circumstances,”
reports the Home School Leal Defense Association. The law excludes religious
or philosophical convictions as legitimate reasons for home education.
MORE |
|
Update
for Thursday, July 8th, 2010
|
Lieberman: US
Prepared to Strike Iran to Stop Nuclear Weapons
The
United States may be forced to attack Iran’s nuclear weapons facilities
if economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic fail, Sen. Joseph Lieberman
said Wednesday after a meeting with Israeli officials in Jerusalem. There
is a broad consensus in Congress that military force can be used if necessary
to stop Iran... MORE |
Mideast Analyst:
Radical Islamists Block Peace
Peace
in the Middle East is impossible as long as radicals in the Islamic world
persist in the “intellectual suicide” of insisting that Jews have no right
to exist there, a leading Mideast analyst says. MORE |
Over 30 Family
Groups Defend National Prayer Day
Prominent
conservative and family groups filed an amicus brief Wednesday against
an earlier court ruling that deemed the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional.
MORE |
Awlaki’s Online
Propaganda Is Influencing Muslims Far From His Yemen Base
The
arrest in Singapore of a Muslim soldier who made contact online with Anwar
Al-Awlaki provides further evidence that the U.S.-born cleric is making
effective use of the Internet to spread extremist ideas to English-speaking
Muslims. Authorities in the small Southeast Asian country, a close ally
of Washington, said 20-year-old Muhammad Fadil had begun “avidly” surfing
the Internet in search of jihadist propaganda while taking a college course.
MORE |
Hawaii Gov. Rejects
Same-Sex Civil Unions Bill
Hawaii
Governor Linda Lingle vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have legalized same-sex
civil unions. She felt it would be a mistake to allow a decision "of this
magnitude" to be made by one individual or a small group of elected officials.
MORE |
Alec
Hill: Is the Christian Legal Society's Loss a Loss for Everyone?
On
June 28th, the U.S. Supreme Court—in a bitterly divided 5–4 vote—upheld
a public university's right to enforce an "all-comers" antidiscrimination
policy against a student group affiliated with the Christian Legal Society
(CLS). As president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA—and
as a former professor of law—I have concerns about how this decision may
impact our 860 chapters and other campus ministries. MORE |
Elementary
School Principals Were Wrong In 'Candy Cane' Case
An
appeals court has ruled that two elementary school principals in Texas
can be held liable for restricting religious speech of students. The "Candy
Cane" case involves several students in the school district outside Dallas
and includes a student who, as a third grader, was barred from giving candy
cane pens with a religious message to his classmates at the class "winter"
party. It also deals with a class that was prohibited from writing "Merry
Christmas" on the holiday cards it was sending to American troops overseas.
MORE |
Dueling Billboards
In Asheville NC Debate Religion's Role In Government
This
Independence Day weekend in Asheville, there's a seven-word debate brewing
about religion's role in government, and area commuters have a front row
seat to the controversy. That's because it's being played out on dueling
Asheville billboards. The Rev. Ralph Sexton, pastor at Trinity Baptist
Church in Asheville, and the We Still Pray movement funded four digital
billboards that debuted Friday in Asheville — including one on Hendersonville
Road — with the message “One nation, under God.” This reference to the
Pledge of Allegiance is a response in part to the billboard over I-26...
MORE |
Churches Becoming
More Energy Efficient
"Energy
Star" status, more commonly associated with dishwashers and refrigerators,
is now available to houses of worship as the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency looks to lower energy use at thousands of congregations nationwide.
MORE |
American Thinker: Why Kagan
Is Unqualified---and Dangerous
Despite being thoroughly unqualified
to occupy the bench, Elena Kagan will most likely be confirmed to the Supreme
Court. This is because most of our hundred senators are almost as unqualified
to judge a judge as she is to be one. What is the proper criterion to apply?
Well, a simple analogy illustrates the point best. Let's say you needed
to hire a football referee. If he said that he was a "pragmatic" referee,
who viewed the rule book as "living" and thus would interpret the rules
to suit the "times," would he be your man? Since it's the job of the rule-makers...
MORE |
A Gay Bishop
for the Church of England?
Archbishop
of Canterbury Rowan Williams is prepared to back Rev. Jeffrey John, a homosexual,
to become bishop, according to newspaper reports. MORE |
New Yorkers Fight
Three New Mosques
Three
separate plans to build Muslim worship centers in New York City have proved
more difficult and contentious than expected, igniting protests by local
residents and anti-jihad activists and prompting charges of "Islamophobia"
and bigotry. MORE |
Conservatism
Spreading in Canadian Media
A
Canadian pro-family activist is welcoming the announcement that a media
conglomerate is planning to launch what is being dubbed "Fox News North."
MORE |
Bible
Prophecy Today: Where Is America In Bible Prophecy?
We’ve read of Babylon, Persia,
Greece, and Rome. We know of the important role of Jerusalem and Israel.
But what about the United States of America? Only by the greatest expanse
of ingenuity can you read of the USA in the Bible. Granted, it is not hard
to find those with that kind of creativity, but no tenable method of interpreting
Scripture finds a specific reference to the United States in the pages
of the Bible. The scenarios I give below are, by necessity, nothing but
speculation. MORE |
|
Update
for Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
|
Obama: Bond Between
US, Israel 'Unbreakable'
President
Barack Obama says he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
wants peace and that Israel is serious about resuming direct talks with
the Palestinians. In an Oval Office meeting with Netanyahu Tuesday, Obama
also hailed what he called "real progress" in the Gaza Strip, where Israel
recently relaxed an... MORE |
Poll: More Think
Obama Stimulus Hurt Employment Than Helped
A
plurality of Americans believe President Barack Obama's stimulus package
has harmed economic growth, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released
on Friday. MORE |
CNN:
Human
Rights Activist Tries To Stop Death By Stoning for Iranian Woman
A
veteran Iranian human rights activist has warned that Sakineh Mohammadie
Ashtiani, a mother of two, could be stoned to death at any moment under
the terms of a death sentence handed down by Iranian authorities. Only
an international campaign designed to pressure the regime in Tehran can
save her life, according to Mina Ahadi, head of the International Committee
Against Stoning and the Death Penalty. "Legally it's all over," Ahadi said
Sunday. MORE |
Study:
TV and Video Game Exposure Leads to Attention Problems in Children
Researchers
at Iowa State University have found that viewing television and playing
video games each are associated with increased subsequent attention problems
in childhood, and that these problems may persist into late adolescence
and early adulthood. Television viewing has long been associated
with greater subsequent attention problems in children. MORE |
California School
District Adopts Bible Course
A
California school district has decided in a 5-0 vote to adopt a Bible course
that will be available to students in the upcoming school year. Beginning
this fall, high school seniors of the Chino Valley School District will
have the chance to enroll in a new course called "Bible as/in Literature
and History." MORE |
A Gay Bishop
for the Church of England?
The
Church of England may be on the verge of promoting a gay priest to bishop,
a step that would widen the split over sexuality in the global Anglican
Communion. If that happens, it would appear to be a significant turnaround
for Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the Church
of England and the world's... MORE |
Spain's New Abortion
on Demand Law Takes Effect Amid Controversy
A
new abortion law which will allow the deadly procedure to be provided on
demand during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy came into effect in Spain
yesterday amid controversy about its constitutionality. MORE |
Bill
Forcing Compliance with Gay Ceremonies Passes Irish Lower House
On
July 1st, Ireland’s Civil Partnership Bill completed its passage through
the Dail (Lower House) without a vote. Under the bill, civil registrars
could face a fine of €2,000 (U.S. $2500) and up to six months in prison
for conscientiously refusing to carry out a ceremony for a homosexual couple.
Similar penalties are outlined for anyone refusing for reasons of conscience
to rent meeting facilities for homosexual partnership ceremonies. MORE |
Newsmax:
Supreme Court vs. Obama--The Battle Lines Are Drawn
President
Obama appears set on a collision course with the conservative-leaning Supreme
Court over the constitutionality of his administration's transformative
legislative agenda, legal scholars say. The administration's proposals
to dramatically change established policy in fields ranging from healthcare
to immigration make it likely Obama and the Court's conservative majority
will be at loggerheads, experts say. "I was struck by the coordinated attacks
on the Supreme Court by liberals on the Judiciary Committee," Tom Fitton,
president of the conservative Judicial Watch organization, tells Newsmax.
MORE |
Government a
No-Show In Pro-Lifer's Arrest Case
A
pro-lifer jailed for praying on the sidewalk of a Washington, D.C. Planned
Parenthood won't face charges, but he is considering filing a lawsuit.
Sidewalk counselors had prayed on the public sidewalk, until the organization
constructed a fence to prevent them from doing so. MORE |
Presbyterians
To Consider Redefining Marriage
This
week's General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will consider
redefining marriage to include same-sex couples and allowing ministers
to perform same-sex weddings. MORE |
Orthodox Anglicans
Call for Prayer Over Gay Bishop Nomination
An
orthodox Anglican group has made an “urgent” call for prayer after reports
emerged over the weekend that the nominations for the next Bishop of Southwark
include an openly gay cleric. MORE |
50
Random Facts That Make you Wonder What Has Happened To America?
Our world is changing at a pace
that is so staggering these days that it can be really hard to fully grasp
the significance of what we are witness- ing. Hopefully the collection
of random facts below will help you to "connect the dots" just a little
bit. On one level, the facts below may not seem related. However,
what they all do have in common is that they show just how much the US
has fundamentally changed. MORE |
|
Update
for Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
|
Poll: Conservatives
Much More Likely Than Liberals to Be Strongly Patriotic
Conservatives
are more than twice as likely as liberals to express very strong patriotism,
according to a new USA Today/Gallup poll in which 48 percent of conservatives
said they were “extremely patriotic,” but only 19 percent of liberals made
that claim. MORE |
Kagan: ‘I Had
No Agenda’ on Partial-Birth Abortion in Clinton White House
Supreme
Court nominee Elena Kagan said she “had no agenda” during the debate over
the partial-birth abortion ban of 1996 – a debate that eventually led then-President
Bill Clinton to veto the ban after originally supporting it, at a time
when Kagan served as associate counsel to President Clinton. MORE |
AP: Israel Eases
Gaza Closure, But Restrictions Remain
Israel
is easing its blockade of Hamas-ruled Gaza to allow in virtually all consumer
goods, but the new rules are unlikely to restore the territory's devastated
economy or allow rebuilding of all that was destroyed in war. MORE |
Obama 'Internet
Kill Switch' Plan Approved by US Senate Panel
A
US Senate committee has approved a wide-ranging cybersecurity bill that
some critics have suggested would give the US president the authority to
shut down parts of the Internet during a cyberattack. MORE |
Islamist's
Using Facebook to Target Christians
Moroccan
Christians say Muslim extremists in the country are aiding and encouraging
the government to pursue them by exposing and vilifying them on social
networking site Facebook. MORE |
Six Months to
Go Until the Largest Tax Hikes in History
In
just six months, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take
effect. They will hit families and small businesses in three great
waves on January 1, 2011.... MORE |
USA
Today Op-Ed: When Sexual Freedom Trumps Freedom of Religion
Imagine
a university where it's perfectly legal for Muslim fundamentalists to join
a Jewish student group with the intention of undermining the group. Imagine
a campus where the Jewish group's efforts to exclude the Muslim fundamentalists
would be considered discrimination....This situation is now a reality thanks
to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision... MORE |
Liberalized Abortion
Law Takes Effect in Spain
Spain's
more liberal abortion law went into effect Monday amid protests by pro-life
groups. The new law, which was approved in February, declares abortion
a woman's right and allows the procedure without restrictions up to the
14th week of pregnancy. MORE |
Tony
Garland: Praying For Israel
How
would you pray for Israel at this time . . . as we see Turkey, Iran, other
Arab countries and the world gathering momentum against her? Are there
scriptures to give me a roadmap and a timeline on what is currently happening
today regarding this? MORE |
Greg Laurie:
We're Just No Good at Evangelism
In
the weeks leading up to the annual Harvest Crusade in Southern California,
Laurie is prepping his congregation on the what, why, and how of evangelism.
MORE |
Do It Yourself
Microchippers Make Implants A Hobby
As
someone who has turned microchipping himself into a hobby, Amal Graafstra
is a pioneer of so-called DIY implantation. Graafstra implanted himself
with two radio-frequency identification tags.... MORE |
Morocco Continues
to Purge Nation of Foreign Christians
Moroccan
authorities expelled eight more foreign Christians from the country the
weekend of June 26, bringing the total of deported Christians since March
to 128. MORE |
Bible
Prophecy Today: Gulf Oil Spill...A Sea of Blood?
...In early May, many students
of Bible prophecy began to take note of the reddish color of the floating
oil slick. It reminded them of blood. They then wondered aloud if prophecy
had been fulfilled. Rev. 16:3: "And the second angel poured out his
vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every
living soul died in the sea." Some have speculated that if the undersea
oil flow continues, all life in the sea could die. MORE |
|
Update
for Monday, July 5th, 2010
|
Why Has Obama
Refused International Help To Clean Up The Oil Spill?
As
the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico enters a third month, many are now asking
how in the world Barack Obama can keep refusing offers from other countries
to help clean up the oil spill. The truth is that cleaning up oil
spills is not rocket science. There have been massive oil spills
in other areas of the world before and there are some folks that have some
real expertise when it comes to cleaning them up. But Barack Obama
and BP have been stumbling around as if they are trying to reinvent the
wheel. So exactly what in the world is going on here? MORE |
Wall
Street Journal: How Missionaries Lost Their Chariots of Fire
....Christian
missionaries need to balance both actions and words. The overwhelming majority
of American missionaries today are "vacationaries." Joining mission trips
of two weeks or less, they serve in locales where Christianity already
predominates. The purpose, then, of their visit is to battle the
ills of poverty and to stretch their own spirituality. MORE |
Florida
School District Bans Bibles On Religious Freedom Day
A
group filed a lawsuit Thursday to overturn a ban on Bible distribution
on public school campuses in Collier County. According to the Liberty Counsel,
the Collier County School Board allowed World Changers to distribute free
Bibles to students during off-school hours on Religious Freedom Day, but
now the school officials claim that Bibles do not provide educational benefit
to the students and distribution should stop. MORE |
Pastor
Charles Stanley Warns of
Socialism,
Departure from God
America
currently stands in a very dangerous position, said renowned pastor and
author Dr. Charles Stanley. Today more than ever, the country is turning
away from God and moving closer toward socialism, he warned. And the consequences
will be grave. "We know the truth, we know the principles of God. In spite
of all that, we find ourselves as a nation violating the laws of God, heading
in a direction that is going to be disastrous for us, for our children...
MORE |
Report: Religious
Intolerance Is the 'New Racism'
According
to a leading minority rights organization, religious minorities are facing
attack, detention, torture and the repression of their fundamental freedoms
on every continent. “Religious intolerance is the new racism,” says Mark
Lattimer, director of Minority Rights Group International. “Many communities
that have faced racial discrimination for decades are now being targeted
because of their religion.” MORE |
Summer
Camp Caters To Kids of Atheists, Agnostics
Camp
Quest is a sleep-away camp for the children of atheists, agnostics, humanists
and other nonbelievers, with the philosophy that life without religion
is a perfectly healthy, viable option. MORE |
‘Muslims-Only’
Enclave Thrives In Philadelphia
So
far Americans have shelled out $1.6 billion in federal grants, loans, and
"charitable" gifts to create an alleged "Muslims-only" community in the
City of Brotherly Love. MORE |
US Pushes Israel
to Sign Nuclear Treaty
The
Obama administration wants Israel to formally declare its nuclear weapons
program by signing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, according to The
New York Times. MORE |
ABC News:
Jesus May Not Have Died on Cross
For
2,000 years the crucifix has been a potent symbol of both Jesus Christ's
death and the Christianity. Now one Swedish theologian says that despite
the crucifix's proliferation in art and literature, there is scant evidence
in the Bible or other ancient sources to indicate that Christ was killed
on a cross. MORE |
Wall St. Journal
Op-Ed: Why Is the Gulf Cleanup So Slow?
As
the oil spill continues and the cleanup lags, we must begin to ask difficult
and uncomfortable questions. There does not seem to be much that anyone
can do to stop the spill except dig a relief well, not due until August.
But the cleanup is a different story. The press and Internet are full of
straightforward suggestions for easy ways of improving the cleanup, but
the federal government is resisting these remedies. MORE |
Indonesian Muslims
Call for Halt to 'Christianization'
Muslim
organizations in Bekasi, West Java, on Sunday declared their intention
to establish paramilitary units in local mosques and a “mission center”
to oppose “ongoing attempts to convert people to Christianity." MORE |
Appeals
Court Rules Against Principals in Christian Candy Cane Case
A
federal appeals court ruled against two school principals in Plano, Texas,
who prohibited students from handing out candy cane pens and other materials
that contained short Christian messages. MORE |
Hamas Claims
Meetings with U.S. Officials
Hamas
has held meetings with U.S. officials to discuss ways the Obama administration
can engage in open dialogue with the Islamist organization, a senior Hamas
leader in Gaza told WND. MORE |
|
Update
for Weekend, July 3rd-4th, 2010
|
Christianity:
The Foundation of Our Independence?
Americans
see the Fourth of July as the time to celebrate their nation's freedom.
But some say it's also an excellent time to remember the faith that made
them free. MORE |
Dr. Michael Youssef:
Can There Be a Christian Nation?
....A
country, or even a culture, cannot be Christian — only individuals can
be Christians. However, when people speak of America's Christian heritage,
they often are referring to the moral character of our nation which is
reflected in its laws and ordinances — both of which bear the distinct
markings of Christianity. MORE |
What Is the Tea
Party? A Growing State of Mind
The
"Tea Party" is less a classic political movement than a frustrated state
of mind. A year and a half after the idea of a Tea Party burst into view,
three of 10 Americans describe themselves in the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll
as Tea Party supporters..."It's a party opposed to the idea of parties,"
says Jill Lepore... MORE |
Kagan Opponents:
'She Will Be an Activist Justice'
The
Senate Judiciary committee is expected to vote on the confirmation of Supreme
Court nominee Elena Kagan after the 4th of July recess, setting up a floor
vote for the full Senate by August. MORE |
Fla.
School Sued for Banning Bible Distribution
A
mission group on Thursday sued a Florida district school board for banning
Bible distribution on public school campuses on Religious Freedom Day.
For years, the Collier County School District allowed World Changers to
offer Bibles to interested students during non-school hours on Jan. 16
in honor of Religious Freedom Day. But since last year, the superintendent
and the Community Request Committee have refused to grant permission to
the Southern Baptist Convention-related mission group to do so. MORE |
‘Under God’ Painted
On Secularist Billboard
A
secularist billboard on the Billy Graham Parkway was vandalized over the
weekend. The billboard, which was paid for by the The North Carolina Secular
Association, shows an American flag and the words "One Nation, Indivisible."
Over the weekend, someone spray-painted the words “under God”... MORE |
U.K. Students
Failing in Faith?
Schools
in England have taught core values of the Christian faith for years. Yet,
a new report reveals students in are confused about their Christian heritage.
MORE |
Verdict
Is In: Obama's $1 Trillion Stimulus Is a Bust
Dreary
economic news is contributing to complaints that the stimulus has failed.
"I think we can say the stimulus was a bust," Stephen Moore, a Wall Street
Journal editorial board member and senior economics writer, tells Newsmax.
"The real problem is that the president has no plan B. We've had plan A,
that was spend a trillion in stimulus. That didn't work. We've lost 2.2
million jobs since we started that spending, and all the president... MORE |
The Evangelical
Connection to Beliefnet's Sale
Advisors
to a small media company that acquired the large multi-faith website Beliefnet
include evangelicals such as Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law
and Justice and T.D. Jakes, of Potter’s House in Dallas. MORE |
Michelle Malkin:
Assimilation and the Founding Fathers
In
his immigration speech on Thursday, President Obama heralded America as
a "nation of immigrants" defined not by blood or birth, but by "fidelity
to the shared values that we all hold so dear." If only it were so. Left-wing
academics and activists spurned assimilation as a common goal long ago.
Their fidelity lies with bilingualism, identity politics, ethnic militancy
and a borderless continent. MORE |
Author John Eldredge
Denounces Drug Cartel Using His Teachings
Christian
author John Eldredge has commented on a Mexican drug cartel’s use of his
teachings in their indoctrination procedures, the Colorado Springs Gazette
reported Friday. MORE |
|
Update
for Friday, July 2nd, 2010
|
Obama Speech
'Blurs' the Illegal Alien Issue, Says Leader
The
head of an immigration enforcement organization says President Barack Obama
misled the American public during a speech Thursday in which he addressed
the problem of illegal immigration. During the address at American
University, President Obama said America's borders are "just too vast"
for the immigration problem to be solved with fences and border patrols
alone. MORE |
Weak
Economic Data Suggest Recovery is Fizzling
Fears
that the economic recovery is fizzling grew Thursday after the government
and private sector issued weak reports on a number of fronts. Unemployment
claims are up, home sales are plunging without government incentives and
manufacturing growth is slowing. MORE |
Indiana Homeschool
Case Sees Unwanted Intervention
Some
homeschooling supporters are troubled over the intervention of the Indiana
Civil Rights Commission in a dispute among a small homeschooling group
outside of Indianapolis. MORE |
'Son of Hamas'
Granted Political Asylum in U.S.
The
son of one of Hamas’ founders and ex-Israeli spy Mosab Hassan Yousef was
granted political asylum in the United States. After fears that he would
be deported, an attorney with the Department of Homeland Security stated
Wednesday in a San Diego courtroom that the DHS no longer opposes Yousef’s
asylum petition. MORE |
Marriage in Wisconsin
Survives 'Sneaky Attempt'
A
pro-family spokesperson in Wisconsin labels a losing lawsuit's argument
as "just a sneaky attempt to tear down what the voters clearly wanted."
It was announced on Wednesday that the Wisconsin Supreme Court has upheld
that state's constitutional ban on homosexual "marriage" and civil unions.
All seven justices voted to uphold the vote of the people that was registered
on the matter more than three years ago. MORE |
Feds
Wasted Millions in Utilities Program For Poor
A
federal program designed to help impoverished families heat and cool their
homes wasted more than $100 million paying the electric bills of thousands
of applicants who were dead, in prison or living in mansions... MORE |
European Agency:
Christian Views on Homosexuality Deemed "Hate Speech"
When
a European Christian pro-family group applied to join the Fundamental Rights
Platform (FRP) of the EU’s Human Rights Agency, they did not expect to
be denounced as promoters of “hate.” The European Union Agency for Fundamental
Rights (FRA) objected to a statement by the Alliance of Romania’s Families
(ARF) calling same-sex “marriage” an example of “human degeneration,” and
denied their request for membership. MORE |
Sharper Iron:
Baptist Fundamentalism Still Grapples with Its Colorful Heritage
Ninety
years ago we gave ourselves a name: Fundamentalists. “We suggest that those
who still cling to the great fundamentals and who mean to do battle royal
for the great fundamentals shall be called ‘Fundamentalists,’” wrote Curtis
Lee Laws in the July 1, 1920 issue of the Watchman-Examiner, a Baptist
newspaper with loose ties to the Northern Baptist Convention. And 90 years
later, we still discuss the implications of the Fundamentalist label. Back
then, the issues seemed crystal clear: either you believed the Bible was
true, or not. MORE |
Southern Baptist
Policy Expert Troubled by Kagan's Record
Supreme
Court nominee Elena Kagan has troubling views on the role of judges, abortion
and homosexuality, warned a prominent Southern Baptist policy expert. MORE |
MSU: No Apologies
for Pastor's Graduation Speech
Montana
State University's lawyer says MSU-Northern officials don't have to apologize
for inviting a Christian pastor to give the invocation and benediction
at the school's graduation in May. MORE |
Christian Music
Fest Draws Fire Over Jim Wallis Invitation
An
annual Christian music festival has drawn unexpected controversy over one
of its featured speakers – Jim Wallis. Though Wallis is among some 58 speakers
this year at Lifest, some local Christians have protested his appearance
and one sponsor recently pulled its support. MORE |
American Thinker:
Why Islam Will Never Accept the State of Israel
It
is a common belief that the "Arab-Israeli conflict" is a conflict of two
peoples fighting over the same piece of land and is therefore one of nationalism.
Rarely, if ever, do we hear or read of the religious component to this
conflict. However, if anything, the conflict is more of a "Muslim-Jewish"
one than an "Arab-Israeli" one. In other words, the conflict is based on
religion -- Islam vs. Judaism -- cloaked in Arab nationalism vs. Zionism.
MORE |
American Thinker:
In God We Do Not Trust
Okay,
let's just cut to the chase and end the rebellion of man once and for all.
We know that just saying "God is dead" was a head-fake for the masses and
that the end goal was to convince everyone there was Nobody to be dead
in the first place. You can't have a funeral for He Who never existed.
MORE |
|
Update
for Thursday, July 1st, 2010
|
Obama Takes On
Election-Year Fears Over Big Debt
Sensitive
to election-year resentment over big government, President Barack Obama
declared Wednesday he intends to get "our debt and our deficits under control."
With fears alive of a double-dip recession, Obama warned that he won't
slash spending at the expense of the economic... MORE |
CBO: National
Debt at Highest Level Since World War II
Congress
must pare spending on Social Security and healthcare in order to avoid
huge tax hikes or devastating cuts in other federal programs, a congressional
budget analysis said on Wednesday. The federal debt will represent 62 percent
of the nation's economy by the end of this year – the highest percentage
since just after WW II. MORE |
Wisconsin High
Court Upholds Same-Sex Marriage Ban
The
Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a state constitutional amendment
that affirms traditional marriage and bans same-sex civil unions. MORE |
Congresswoman
Proposes Ban on Corporal Punishment in All U.S. Schools
Rep.
Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday introduced a bill to end corporal
punishment in all public and private schools that receive federal funding
or services. But at least two school districts, one in Tennessee and one
in Texas, want to reinstate corporal punishment on campuses described by
one.... MORE |
Survey Ordered
Amid Arlington Cemetery Scandal
Arlington
National Cemetery's management team is laying out new plans to ensure mistakes
in labeling plots are not made again. Earlier this month, an internal investigation
led by Army Inspector General Lt. Gen. Steven Whitcomb revealed more than
200 graves at the historic cemetery were mismarked. MORE |
Pope Shuffles
Vatican Bureaucracy Before Vacation
Preoccupied
for months by the clerical sex abuse scandal, the pope on Wednesday shuffled
the Vatican bureaucracy before heading off on vacation. His most significant
appointment: the head of a new office designed to fight secularism in the
West. MORE |
So. Baptist Policy
Expert Troubled by Kagan's Record
Supreme
Court nominee Elena Kagan has troubling views on the role of judges, abortion
and homosexuality, warned a prominent Southern Baptist policy expert. MORE |
|
