Christian Heritage News

By Sunny Shell - Posted at Abandoned to Christ: Photo credit: David Whitlow, courtesy of AFFIRM Films/Provident Films 'War Room' with Priscilla Shirer and Beth Moore When "War Room" was being promoted last year, I had many readers contact me, asking what I thought about this upcoming (and now here) Christian film. My response at the time was that I didn't have an opinion one way or another because I didn't know much about it, but would look into it. All I knew was that it was written and produced by the Kendrick Brothers (Stephen and Alex) and so far, I've liked their movies: "Facing the Giants", "Fireproof", and "Courageous". But as many of you already know, I'm vehemently against showing favoritism (though I've done it and repented of it with Kirk Cameron ), and am a proponent of testing all things with God's Word, rather than giving blanket approval to everything someone says or does ( Acts 17:10-11 ). W

By Pastor Shawn Mathis Today, R. C. Sproul Jr. admitted to visiting Ashley Madison. In August of 2014, “in a moment of weakness, pain, and from an unhealthy curiosity” he visited the site to “fan the flames of my imagination.” He left an old email but did not pursue the matter. Christianity Today reports that Ligonier Ministries has suspended Sproul Jr. “due to his admission that he visited the adultery matchmaking website Ashley Madison.” This surprising revelation is shocking the conservative homeschooling movement. Both Bill Gothard and Doug Phillips fell to violations of the Seventh Commandment. And now R. C. Sproul Jr. There were consequences for his actions: ... Read more here...

By Heather Clark - Posted at Christian News Network: COLUMBIA, S.C. — An estimated 10,000 people gathered at the South Carolina state house on Saturday for a faith-based rally that joined together Christians who seek to be on God’s side of history. The “We Stand With God” rally featured speakers such presidential candidates Rick Perry and Ted Cruz, as well as U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and South Carolina Rep. Richie Yow. Area pastors also spoke to those gathered, and prayer and praise was a part of the gathering, as a choir of 600 Christians sang from the state house steps. “The purpose of ‘We Stand With God’ is to encourage and empower God-fearing citizens to stand in this evil day. Timing is critical,” the event website reads. “The landscape of this great republic is eroding daily and the floods of change are seeking to assassinate the moral fiber of the land we love. Crime rates are rising, civil unrest is abounding and perversion is growing exponentially.” It also specifically

By Dr. Joel McDurmon - Posted at The American Vision: The hard and fast truth is this: Americans want abortion , they just don’t want gruesome abortion. We can raise awareness and money by focusing on the gruesome, but you cannot make much, if any, progress against the murder itself. What follows will sound cynical and depressing, but it is merely a reality check. I do not believe any legal action or legislation will come of the recent Planned Parenthood videos, and I think we have already witnessed the decline or near-disappearance of what impact they will have. We need to start considering why and to learn from it. I have struggled to bring myself to be able to admit this publicly, but I believe it is the truth, and I thought so from the beginning. Like everyone else, when I first saw the videos, I immediately lit up with optimism: “this is a bombshell!” Not just a bombshell, but the bombshell we need. It took only a few moments of thinking, however, and I made a call to a good frien

By Seth Dunn - Posted at Pulpit & Pen: Doesn’t it seem a little McChurch to offer sermon outlines for sale? Shouldn’t a local pastor already be equipped to preach on prayer from the Holy Bible? Does the local pastor need to spiritually lead his flock to the cineplex? On the eve of the release of War Room , I wrote this piece to accompany my earlier review of that film . This article includes a listing of War Room’s many companion products, which have been made available through LifeWay Christian Resources. War Room has been heavily promoted by LifeWay representatives throughout the United States. Local Baptist missions association directors, in conjunction with LifeWay representatives, have encouraged churches to purchase blocks of tickets or even rent out entire theatres for showings of War Room . During the past few months, free previews of the movie have been offered to key leaders in local churches in order to create a buzz for the film. Tomorrow War Room will

By T.M. Moore - Posted at The Fellowship of Ailbe: Do your pastors and shepherds know you pray for them? “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail…” - Luke 22.32 May the almighty God of all consolation and pity preserve the very few good shepherds from all harm, and, conquering the common enemy, make them citizens of the heavenly city of Jerusalem, that is, of the congregation of all the saints... -Gildas, The Ruin of Britain , British, 6th century[1] I hope you already pray for your pastor – daily, earnestly, and faithfully. Gildas was reflecting on the terrible condition of the Church in Britain in his day, and the woeful stewardship of the shepherds of God’s flock there. Only a handful were being faithful to the Gospel while the others had all lapsed into a kind of cultural Christianity that was ruining the nation. It was these latter types – shepherds who were comfortable and at ease while their flocks languished – who, first, tried to prevent Patr

By EvangelZ - Posted at The Domain for Truth: What a day at Planned Murderhood. I will not be able to explain all the details. Further details will be provided through video and perhaps another blog post on some of the conversations I had with people, in the near future. As of now, I will provide snapshots. The work of God spanned from conversations with other believers, PP patients, critics, unbelievers, etc. ... Read more of EvangelZ's ministry report here...

By Wayne C. Johnson - Posted at Leben : Margaret Sanger lobbying Congress, 1932 In the early years of the 20th Century, the "science" of eugenics spread across America, from pulpits to statehouses, with religious zeal. The underlying premise of the eugenics movement was that the undesirable traits of parents would invariably be passed on to their children. While the scientific basis for this assumption had little data to support its conclusions, the new "science" was quickly embraced by the American progressive movement and many of the wealthy. Early funding for eugenics projects came from such well-heeled Americans as John Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, and oil magnate and founder of the 3-in-1 Oil Company, James Noah H. Slee, the second husband of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger. The term eugenics was coined by Sir Francis Galton, a British anthropologist, progressive and scientist. The Galton family were prosperous Quakers who made their fortune in m

By Al Benson Jr. - Posted at The Copperhead Chronicle: It's not unusual to see the federal government doing what it does best, threatening the states if they refuse to comply with federal edicts. This is, after all, what the centralizers and collectivists in Washington, the District of Corruption, live for. It makes their day if they can find some way, somehow, to stomp on states rights today. Thus, when two states, Louisiana and Alabama, have sought to defund Planned Parenthood, this is something the feds can't afford to let pass. Notice these two states are both in the South. In an article on www.reuters.com for August 12th it was stated that: The U.S. government has warned states moving to defund women's health group Planned Parenthood that they may be in conflict with federal law, officials said Wednesday." The article reiterated this same line a couple paragraphs later with commentary from the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS). Reuters noted that

By James Faris - Posted at Gentle Reformation: If you are asking “Will I be forgiven for abortion I had?” then you already feel the guilt of your sin. Perhaps you feel your guilt afresh as a result of the videos exposing the work of Planned Parenthood. What do you do with your guilt? One young man I met on the street a few years ago knew this guilt. He had grown up in an evangelical Christian home. About twenty years old, he had rejected the God of the Bible and argued vehemently with me against the Lord’s very existence. Our discussion somehow moved to the moral argument for God. Why is murder wrong? What about abortion? At that point, most unexpectedly, the hardened young man burst into tears. He buried his head in his hands and blurted out, “I don’t need any God to know abortion is wrong!” He rapidly recounted impregnating his girlfriend, taking her to the abortion clinic, paying for the abortion, and the guilt he had carried ever since – all while repeating. “I knew it was wrong!”

By Al Benson Jr. - Posted at The Copperhead Chronicle: Editor's Note: This insightful article was originally written and published in April of 2015. The truth presented is timeless - please read and share with others. Thank you, Angela Wittman Earlier this week someone sent me an article from Relevant Magazine entitled: The Presbyterian Church Votes to Recognize Same-Sex Marriage . The headline is slightly misleading because all Presbyterians have not voted to endorse or accept same-sex (sodomite) marriage. No doubt the “progressive Presbyterians” have accepted it, but us Neanderthals in many Presbyterian churches have not, and will not, in accordance with God’s Word, accept this. Actually the article is referring to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or PCUSA as most of us call it. This denomination has been drifting leftward by degrees for decades now and so such a move was not totally unexpected. According to the Relevant article: “While the office of the General Assembl

By Al Benson Jr. - Posted at The Copperhead Chronicle: "It seems that, in this country, many churches are so busy ordaining sodomite bishops and ministers that they are way too busy to pay attention to what Planned Parenthood has been doing, probably for decades now. The churches in this country should be screaming to Heaven over what goes on in these abortion mills, but most of them are much too comfortable to be bothered. Now that these videos have been released and the public is beginning to find out what Planned Parenthood is really doing, they don't have nearly as much excuse for keeping quiet." An article on www.washingtontimes.com for August 19th carried a headline that stated: Planned Parenthood kept aborted babies alive to harvest organs, ex-technician says . The article was written by Cheryl Wetzstein. In the article she stated: "In an undercover video released Wednesday, a former technician for a tissue-harvesting company details how an aborted baby wa

Aug 25, 2015 Press Release: “Planned Parenthood Should Not Receive One More Dime of Taxpayer Dollars” Washington, DC – In light of recent revelations that Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) apparently sells baby body parts—lungs, livers, hearts—for profit, alters their abortion procedures to ensure such fetal parts are kept intact following an abortion and has harvested the organs of babies with beating hearts, U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) hailed the introduction of Illinois HR 0671, a resolution pushing the state to investigate Planned Parenthood and its abortion procedures. Introduced by State Representative Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton), HR 0671 urges several Illinois agencies to investigate Planned Parenthood's procedures for abortions, obtaining informed consent, and sale or donation of human fetal tissue across the State and to investigate which organizations across the State are involved in purchasing or accepting human fetal tissue from Planned Parenth

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/cz1gRNPgMvE

By Alan Dowd - Posted at byFaith Online : Doctors are supposed to protect life. That’s why they are respected and trusted. And that’s why, when the story broke last month about doctors so callously and casually taking life — especially innocent, defenseless life — Americans were outraged. “Flesh and blood, devoid of conscience,” declared one columnist . The New York Times described the story as “cruel” and predicted that it would prompt much-needed “soul-searching” among those who promote, perpetuate and participate in the industry. “This crosses an ethical line,” one PR firm gravely concluded. Predictably, the story triggered protests outside medical facilities. “Murderer!” shouted one protester. The words “ROT IN HELL” were scrawled on a sign outside the offices of one of the accused. But none of these people were writing about or protesting against the doctors employed by Planned Parenthood, who were caught on tape discussing ways to preserve the organs of aborted babies for comme

By Barry York - Posted at Gentle Reformation: As the church watches helplessly from the sidelines as one after another moral tenet of society falls, each one more rapidly than the previous one, she really only has herself to blame. For having forsaken the law of God, the one called to be salt and light to the world is fighting the cultural wars trying to stand on the one foot of "the gospel of love." Yet the gospel without the justice, blood, and righteousness of the law becomes no gospel at all. Listen to R.C. Sproul: The law and the gospel may never be absolutely separated…for the gospel has stipulations. We live in an age in which both Law and gospel have been obscured. As a result evangelism often is expressed simply as an announcement of redemption without obligation. We hear preachers declare, “God loves you unconditionally.” What does this mean? The danger with such declarations is that they are often heard or understood to mean that God’s love imposes

By Pastor Shawn Mathis: “The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him.” Proverbs 18:17 It is not uncommon among conservatives to view the past through the prejudices of the present. David Barton’s poorly researched book on Jefferson is a reminder that the problem is real. This means conservatives should be vigilant in vetting organizations that claim history is on their side. Consider the National Center for Family Integrated Churches (NCFIC). They denounce age-segregated discipleship , like Sunday schools. It is clear that their president, Scott Brown, believes history is on his side: “What we advocate at the NCFIC is nothing new, but is rather the practice of historic Christianity…” The NCFIC will be in the Denver area in about a week, seeking feedback about their confession, hoping to entice more conservative churches into their orbit. Do they practice good research? Read more here...

By Michael Haverluck - Posted at One News Now: In the midst of the unfolding baby body parts selling scandal, thousands of Americans gathered outside more than 320 Planned Parenthood facilities across the country in hopes of ultimately shutting down the world’s largest abortion provider. Pro-life advocates from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., are sending a message loud and clear that they will no longer tolerate the government funding more than 700 Planned Parenthoods that routinely kill preborn babies for one profit and then sell their bodies for a bonus monetary gain. Most protests reported participation many times over what they expected. An emcee at a protest outside a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Richmond, Virginia, said the turnouts have been much greater than expected, as people are outraged over the recently divulged atrocities of selling baby parts and performing late-term abortions, which hit the Internet over the past few weeks. Read more here...

By Clint Archer - Posted at The Cripplegate: Like a premature unveiling of the picture of Dorian Gray, the hideous hypocrisy that lay discreetly stashed in the attic of AshleyMadison(dot)com’s online vault was unceremoniously exposed last week. This outing of 28 million male and 5 million female adulterers has made a lot of people hot under the lipstick stained collar. Furtive liaisons that “weren’t hurting anybody” have now left a swathe of casualties in their wake. And now that their trust in the sanctity of Internet privacy has been shattered, these poor philanderers and home wreckers have to grow used to the scarlet letter on their reputation, now that everybody knows who they really are. What could they have done differently to avoid getting caught? There is only one way to not get caught in adultery: don’t commit adultery. Hebrews 4:13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. God’s observa

Posted at The Reformed Mind : From Dr. Susan Hanssen Alexis de Tocqueville called “the strength of American women” the great secret of the strength of the American republic. Likewise, strong women were the backbone of the Adams family and its contribution to the political integrity of the American republic. Link to Amazon The letters of John and Abigail Adams were first published by their grandson, Charles Francis Adams (President Abraham Lincoln’s ambassador to Britain). The diaries and letters of John Quincy Adams’s wife, Louisa, have just been published this year, a project explored by their grandson, Henry Adams. Henry Adams—who called Tocqueville’s Democracy in America the “bible of my own private religion”—worried that American men and women were losing their appreciation for the complementary strengths and gifts of men and women. He thought the best remedy was to hold up for Americans the image of his grandmother. Part of the charm of John and Abigail Adams’s lett

By Heather Clark - Posted at Christian News Network: Photo Credit: Cities for Life Charlotte Thousands of Americans took to the streets and public sidewalks outside of their local Planned Parenthood facility on Saturday to demand that the federal government defund the abortion giant. According to reports, Christians and other pro-lifers gathered at over 320 locations across the nation, holding signs, praying and calling out to women not to murder their unborn child. Some rallies also featured special speakers that urged Americans to rise up against the shedding of innocent blood. “We want to draw attention to the injustice of legalized abortion,” Monica Miller, director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, told the Washington Post. “The American public needs to be awakened to the atrocity of what is happening to innocent unborn children.” “It’s wrong, it’s evil and it’s sick,” Pennsylvania sidewalk counselor Mary Ellen Caris told the West Chester Daily Local News. “This is where they ki

www.ilcaaap.org Video gambling is being discussed in several communities that currently BAN it -Elmhurst, Plainfield, Mount Prospect, Mahomet, Forest Park, Sleepy Hollow, Harwood Heights. St. Charles will take a vote on video gaming Sept. 8. The DeKalb County Board tabled a decision on putting tribal land in trust for a casino After a seven-year hiatus, the tribe and county moved ahead to implement what still could become the first Native American-operated gaming facility in Illinois. The casino would not require a license from the state, and it would be regulated by the National Indian Gaming Commission, a federal agency. Their decision was praised by the community. Read more For immediate action: If you live in a community that is considering video gambling or know people who live there, please contact your Aldermen and Mayor to support the BAN on video gambling. Contacts for St. Charles Continue calls to the De Kalb County Board asking them to oppose putting land in trust for

Posted at Pilgrim’s Progress revisited – Christiana on the narrow way : In September, the pope will visit the U.S. He is scheduled to address both the UN and a joint session of Congress. He is a king of sorts, a fact which many Christians do not realize or choose to forget, even after all we’ve suffered under papal rule.  © National Geographic I’ve finished reading the article about Francis I in this month’s National Geographic. It’s obvious that Robert Draper (text) and Dave Yoder (photos) admire him. They portray him as a man at home in the world, among all kinds of people, and “a saint” who washes the feet of the poor. This prevalent view of him reinforces the need to pray concerning his visit and ongoing influence. The article highlights the following statement he made in a homily delivered on October 19, 2014, at the beatification ceremony of Pope Paul VI: “God is not afraid of new things! That is why he is continually surprising us, opening our hearts and guiding us

By Cheryl Stansberry - Posted at Cross and Quill.com: Dear Planned Parenthood, You don’t know me. In your eyes and in the eyes of the world, I am insignificant. I don’t matter to you precisely because I stand in antithesis to your worldview. I am an anomaly in a culture that is dead set on destruction all the while maintaining the façade that those who hold to your values and beliefs are on the “right side of history.” You dismantle each brick of Christian civilization, exclaiming to yourselves, “What a beautiful city we’re building.” But you’re not building. You’re destroying. Justice. Liberty. Life. There is no freedom in the shackles of sin and death. You look upon the City of Man in its waste and decay and celebrate the evil within. Good has become evil and evil good though all the while making moral judgments against those who stand for life with cries of “extremist,” you discard the absolute moral standards revealed by your Creator God. You have no standard but your own and your

By Michael Grybroski - Posted at The Christian Post: Tullian Tchividjian, former pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale and a grandson of famed evangelist the Rev. Billy Graham, has been deposed of his clergy credentials by the South Florida Presbytery. "While Pastor Tullian Tchividjian was deposed of his pastoral credentials, the South Florida Presbytery is committed to continuing to offer him pastoral care," the presbytery stated, following a regular meeting of the regional body's leadership last week. "Our goal in doing this is to both protect the integrity of the Church from which his credentials were given while, at the same time, wrapping Tullian in the grace offered by Jesus Christ to all those who confess sin, pursue repentance and desire restoration." Read more here...

Posted at Culture News: The Gay Agenda recruitment of children into the homosexual lifestyle got a boost yesterday as newly elected Republican Governor Bruce Rauner signed a bill sponsored by homosexualists in the Democrat-controlled legislature to outlaw professionals counseling children who seek help to counter unwanted homosexual attraction and/or gender confusion. The new law is expected to be used in lawsuits to target religious pastoral care. "Outlawing these practices is a small step in our pursuit for (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights . . ." -- Sen. Daniel Biss, Evanston Democrat Read more here...

By Jeff Maples - Posted at the Pulpit and Pen: The visible church today is undoubtedly full of false gospels. There is, of course, the cults like Mormonism and the Watchtower Society. There is the Roman Catholic church, who is the world leader in false gospels. We have the Prosperity Gospel, the Word of Faith movement, the New Apostolic Reformation, Charismania, easy-believism, and so on. Satan’s attack on the Church is relentless and never-ending. But there are a few, less noticeable false gospels that have crept into even the most sound of churches over time. I would like to go over a few of those today. The Gospel of Niceness . Growing up, I was always taught to be nice to people. “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar,” the old saying goes. The teaching is prevalent, and usually involves parents, or teachers encouraging kids to be thoughtful and kind to others. “Share your candy,” or “play nice with others.” Christianity is often confused with niceness; “yo

By J. Pepper Bryars - Posted at al.com: As our nation's abortionists brace for the next video exposing the Nazi-like horror that is Planned Parenthood, the prolife community anxiously awaits confirmation that the revelations are having a major impact on our nation's collective conscience. "How could they not?" we ask ourselves. The videos show people sifting through mutilated limbs and organs of unborn babies, and then haggling over their quality and price as the slave traders did in centuries past. Sadly, however, no major change in our collective conscience is coming anytime soon. Read more here...

By Kyle Borg - Posted at Gentle Reformation: The Last Judgment -   ChristiansUnite.com ...Sometimes I hear people blithely say, "God is my judge." I've often wondered if they have any idea what that actually means. The Bible tells us "He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). God wants us to be assured--made certain--that he will judge all the world. And when he does, we're told "God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14) and "[he will] bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart" (1 Corinthians 4:5). The Greek philosopher Plato once told a story about an ancient and magical artifact known as the Ring of Gyges. This ring possessed the power to grant invisibility to the one who

By George Lawson - Posted at The Cripplegate: I can still remember the excitement I had as a father-to-be. I sat next to my wife during one of her pre-natal visits and our baby was finally far enough along for us to get our first glimpse of our bundle of joy. At last, with the help of ultrasound technology, we could decide whether to paint the room pink or blue and we could eliminate at least 50 percent of the names we were considering. Or could we? How could we be sure that our baby’s assigned gender at birth wasn’t more than just a shot in the dark? Maybe our boy would not be a “cis-boy” (a male whose assigned male gender is more or less consistent with their personal sense of self). After all, we have been told “gender cannot be defined by anyone other than the individual” and furthermore “gender roles are socially constructed” and “gender is not a very clearly-defined concept.” And to make matters even more complicated, why would we limit our child’s choice to just male and

By Pastor Shawn Mathis: Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images Christians in America are becoming increasingly marginalized. They are not persecuted in the traditional sense of the word. Rather they are legally harassed by the homosexual lobby. A lobby that has now legalized gay marriage, promising greater marginalization. And it is not going to get any better. Over the last ten years, almost double the number of Americans support same-sex marriage, according to a new Wall Street poll . More people are embracing the second sexual revolution. This will lead to more cries of freedom from religion . Marginalization and harassment, intimidation and bullying, these are the words to describe the church’s future. And that will be a good thing. Read more here...

By David Roach - Posted at Baptist Press: First Baptist voted in May to adopt a "consensus statement" declaring, "In all facets of the life and ministry of our church, including but not limited to membership, baptism, ordination, marriage, teaching and committee/organizational leadership, First Baptist Greenville will not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity." GREENVILLE, S.C. (BP) -- The South Carolina Baptist Convention has asked a Greenville church to either reverse its decision to open marriage ceremonies, church membership and ordination to homosexuals or withdraw from the state convention. First Baptist Church, whose pastor in 1845 was elected the Southern Baptist Convention's first president, voted to cease cooperation with the SBC in 1999, according to the church's website. But South Carolina's Baptist Courier newsjournal reported First Baptist still cooperates with the state convention but not with the local Green

Posted at Fire Breathing Christian: Some of my favorite people have been public school teachers. Some of my favorite people are public school teachers. Some of my favorite people are Christians who are teaching or have taught in American public schools. As a product/victim of American State-run worldview programming myself, I have much to be thankful for. High on the list is God’s perfect, purposeful use of even the satanic system of mind-sculpting known these days in America as public schools. I am thankful for God’s perfect use of even the pagans who taught me in those schools. I am also very thankful for the Christians who taught me in those schools. Most importantly, I am thankful that the Lord has since delivered me from much, if not all, of the explicitly anti-Christian worldview foundations upon which the whole sorry State-run public school approach was, and is, built. True to His unbreakable Word (see: Romans 8:28), He has perfectly used even the things crafted by rebell

By Collin Garbarino - Posted at Reformation 21: In 1946, George Orwell wrote "Politics and the English Language," an essay in which he complains that people had begun to speak and write without clarity. Laziness is sometimes the culprit, but too often people use pretentious diction and meaningless words to intentionally hide the truth. Orwell wrote, "In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible." The same seems true in our time as well. People try to shape political reality with their words, and nowhere is this more true than our debates about abortion--er, excuse me, reproductive rights. The two camps self-identify with "Pro-Choice" and "Pro-Life." No one wants to be seen as being anti-anything. Political language becomes a kind of legerdemain which pretends at conjuring reality through illusion and misdirection. A week ago the political battle over words erupted again. A group called The Center for Medic

By The Barna Group : "Whether one believes this decline of “Christian America” calls for a time of lament, or presents great opportunity (or both) for the church, one cannot help but accept the changing landscape. In just two years, the percentage of Americans who qualify as “post-Christian” rose by 7 percentage points, from 37% in 2013 to 44% in 2015. Across the United States, cities in every state are becoming more post-Christian—some at a faster rate than others." While the United States remains shaped by Christianity, the faith’s influence—particularly as a force in American politics and culture—is slowly waning. An increasing number of religiously unaffiliated, a steady drop in church attendance, the recent Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, and the growing tension over religious freedoms all point to a larger secularizing trend sweeping across the nation. But how do the numbers stack up? Is America, home to the largest Christian population in the worl

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzMAycMMXp8&feature=youtu.be

By Charlie Butts - Posted at One News Now: According to an investigative reporter, the harvesting and sale of the organs and tissue of aborted babies has become big business. Bill Clinton 42nd President Image from Wikipedia The Center for Medical Progress' undercover videos of Planned Parenthood employees have recently brought attention to the harvesting of the aborted babies' tissue for sale, but the practice has actually been going on for years. Linda Royall, an investigative reporter for The Stream , tells OneNewsNow that moratoriums were put in place at one time. "But in 1993, when Bill Clinton came into office, one of the first things he did was he lifted that moratorium," Royall reports. "He allowed NIH and HHS and any other organization -- not just government-funded organizations, but any organization -- to begin using tissue from aborted babies." Read more here...

By Pamela Couvrette - Posted at Guarding the Deposit: (HT to Marsha West at Berean Research) I sell the things you need to be I’m the smiling face on your TV I’m the cult of personality I exploit you, still you love me I tell you one and one makes three You gave me fortune You gave me fame You gave me power in your God’s name I’m every person you need to be I’m the cult of personality These lyrics from the 1984 song “Cult of Personality” (by the band Living Color) aptly describe the many preachers and teachers found in Christian media, megachurches, bookstores, and at conferences. Wikipedia states: “A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods to create an idealized, heroic, and at times, worshipful image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise.” These prominent ‘Christian’ leaders deliver these false gospels and teachings, which flatter the ego and praise the flesh. They exploit the sheep, lie, (2 Peter 2:1-3) a

By David Roach - Posted at Baptist Press: ST. PAUL, Minn. (BP) -- A Minnesota study that found lesbian teens four times more likely to become pregnant than their heterosexual peers has been called a predictable reflection of the homosexual community's apparent emphasis on sexual activity. "Some people may be shocked by the high pregnancy rates among the lesbian and gay teens," Evan Lenow, assistant professor of ethics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press in written comments. "However, this confirms what studies have shown for years. Individuals who identify as lesbian and gay are much more likely to experiment with sex and have many more sexual partners than their heterosexual counterparts. Some of these teens who identify as lesbian and gay may be simply experimenting with all types of sexual partnerships and thinking less about the ramifications of such experimentation." According to the 2015 Minnesota Adolescent Sexual Health Repor

By Denny Burk I have said many times that I am a single-issue voter. I do not believe that being right on any single issue qualifies a candidate for office. But I do believe that being wrong on certain issues can disqualify a candidate. And for me, abortion is one of those issues. If a candidate supports abortion rights, then he is disqualified from my vote as long as there are other alternatives in the field. Over 57 million people have been killed legally under the regime of Roe v. Wade. There is no question that abortion-on-demand is the greatest human rights crisis of our time in our country. That is why we have to have the singular focus of ending that immoral regime. For me, this issue transcends every other contentious issue in public life. Read more here...

By Denny Burk I have said many times that I am a single-issue voter. I do not believe that being right on any single issue qualifies a candidate for office. But I do believe that being wrong on certain issues can disqualify a candidate. And for me, abortion is one of those issues. If a candidate supports abortion rights, then he is disqualified from my vote as long as there are other alternatives in the field. Over 57 million people have been killed legally under the regime of Roe v. Wade. There is no question that abortion-on-demand is the greatest human rights crisis of our time in our country. That is why we have to have the singular focus of ending that immoral regime. For me, this issue transcends every other contentious issue in public life. Read more here...

From ILCAAAP : It is important for everyone living in DeKalb County to attend a meeting on Wednesday, August 19, at 7:30 p.m. at 200 N. Main Street in DeKalb when the Board will vote on a resolution to support putting land in trust for a Tribal Bingo Hall (casino). The Prairie Band Potawatomi wants to build a 24-hour bingo hall on land they purchased in Shabbona. The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) has authorized tribes without compacts with state governments to have an unlimited number of bingo slot machines. Since these devices are "virtually indistinguishable from video slots" with current technology, bingo halls increasingly look like casinos. (I. Nelson Rose, "Gambling and the Law: Is it Bingo or a Slot Machine?" Gaming Law Review, vol. 7, no. 2, 2003, p. 99. If this off-reservation casino is approved, it could open up the state to other tribal casino proposals. There are more than enough opportunities for people to lose their money at the 10 casi

By Michelle Lesley - Posted at Blogging Theologically: You walk into your doctor’s office for your annual check up—flu shot, cancer, cholesterol and blood sugar screening, blood pressure check—you know, routine maintenance on the ol’ bod. You’ve chosen this doctor because you don’t have health insurance and he’s kind enough to lower his prices and work with you on a payment plan. His office is clean and bright, beautifully decorated, and the staff is always friendly. You even get a lollipop at the end of each visit. But this year, as you’re walking down the hall to exam room four, you happen to notice that in exam room three, there’s a playpen in the corner with an adorable baby girl in it, cooing away and playing with a toy. “Odd,” you think, since this is not a paediatrician’s office. You continue to your own room, don that scratchy paper gown, and wait for the doctor. By the time he comes in and begins the exam, you can no longer contain your curiosity. Whose baby is it? Wh

By Jennifer Haberkorn - Posted at POLITICO: Image from StemExpress.com StemExpress, one of the tissue companies that works with Planned Parenthood, is cutting its ties with the women’s health organization after a series of sting videos that have prompted congressional inquiries. “We value our various partnerships but, due to the increased questions that have arisen over the past few weeks, we feel it prudent to terminate activities with Planned Parenthood,” the company said in a statement. “While we value our business relationship with Planned Parenthood, that work represents a small percentage of our overall business activity and we must focus our limited resources on resolving these inquiries.” Read more here...

By Heather Clark - Posted at Christian News Network: LOS ANGELES — A judge with the Superior Court of California has denied the Planned Parenthood client StemExpress access to undercover videos and documents surrounding officials with the “fetal tissue” company. As previously reported, StemExpress had been cited during the first video released by the Center for Medical Progress, as abortionist and Planned Parenthood Medical Director Deborah Nucatola had been asked by investigators about the possibility of working out an agreement with the Planned Parenthood headquarters to obtain fetal organs rather than working individually with local affiliates. “[W]e were approached by StemExpress to do the same thing,” Nucatola explained, but “it’s too touchy an issue for us to be an official middleman.” The video also showed the StemExpress website, which included an order form for various fetal parts. According to reports, the company makes “anywhere between $488 to $24,250″ from the liver cells