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Showing posts from September, 2015

A Question for Wilson Fans

By Rachel Miller - Posted at A Daughter of the Reformation : There are many articles right now about Doug Wilson and his role in the court cases and subsequent marriages of two pedophiles who attended New Saint Andrews in Moscow, ID. This is not the first controversy that Wilson has faced, and many of his supporters are adamant that he has done nothing wrong. I know that there are many people who are members of CREC churches who have chosen to align themselves with Wilson and his denomination. This question is not particularly for them. My question is for those in the Reformed, Presbyterian world who say they really like or appreciate what Wilson says/has written/teaches on various subjects. My question is: what exactly do you like about Wilson? Is it his credentials? Doug Wilson is self-ordained, has never been to seminary, founded his own denomination, publishing house, university, seminary, and classical school curriculum. He is the head of his denomination. He is under no aut

The Use of the Bible as a Schoolbook

By Dr. Stephen Flick - Posted at Christian Heritage Fellowship :  Benjamin Rush ( Wikipedia ) On April 19, 1813, Dr. Benjamin Rush — one of America’s Founding Fathers — passed into eternity at the age of sixty-seven. Along with George Washington and  Benjamin Franklin , Benjamin Rush was regarded as one of the three most important Founding Fathers of America. [1] Though secularists incorrectly take advantage of Benjamin Franklin’s and Thomas Jefferson’s alleged rejection of Christianity, there is no opportunity for misinterpretation concerning one of the godliest and most deeply dedicated Christians among America’s Founding Fathers, Dr. Benjamin Rush. Dr. Rush is remembered as the “Father of American Medicine,” [2] and “The Father of Public Schools Under the Constitution,” [3] and like the overwhelming majority of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Dr. Rush was opposed to slavery. As one of the first organizers of America’s first anti-slavery society [4] he

State Gives 10-Yr-Olds Free Birth Control Implants

Posted at Judicial Watch: Children as young as 10 years old are receiving taxpayer-funded birth control in Washington State, according to public records obtained by Judicial Watch from the agency that provides medical coverage for the poor. JW filed a public records request with the Washington Health Care Authority after reading a disturbing article in a pro-life news site over the summer about a Seattle high school that offers different forms of birth control without parental knowledge or consent. This includes implanting an intrauterine device (IUD) in a girl’s uterus free of cost. It’s part of an initiative offered by Medicaid, the joint federal and state insurance program for the poor. The article points out the irony that a teen in Seattle can’t get a sugary soft drink in high school but can have a device implanted into her uterus. Read more here...

Planned Parenthood Had $127M Surplus But Won't Accept Cut in Federal Funding

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards  (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr) By Penny Starr - Posted at CNS News: (CNSNews.com) – At a hearing on Planned Parenthood funding in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Tuesday, Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) pointed out to Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards that the organization’s most recent tax report shows $127 million dollars of revenue in excess of expenses. Mulvaney asked Richards whether taking away just the $60 million in discretionary funding appropriated by Congress of the more than $450 million in federal funding that the Congressional Budget Office estimates Planned Parenthood gets each year. “One of the proposals here, Ms. Richards, is to defund Planned Parenthood, which includes taking roughly $60 million away from what you get out of discretionary funding,” Mulvaney said to Richards at a hearing of the House Government Oversight and Reform Committee, where she was a witness. “If we took $60 million away fro

Scandal in Moscow

By Rod Dreher - The American Conservative : The last thing I read about the controversial Reformed pastor Doug Wilson, he was making a case for why Christian women are prettier than non-believing females . Excerpt from that: Unbelieving women either compete for the attention of men through outlandish messages that communicate some variation of “easy lay,” or in the grip of resentment they give up the endeavor entirely, which is how we get lumberjack dykes. The former is an avid reader of Cosmopolitan and thinks she knows 15K ways to please a man in bed. The latter is just plain surly about the fact that there even are any men. So there’s that. It’s apparently a rhetorical tic among the Moscow, Idaho, bunch; longtime readers will recall a younger pastor associated with Wilson’s church claiming that Protestants who convert to Catholicism or Orthodoxy are the spiritual equivalent of perverts who masturbate to pornography. He calls himself “one of those grenade launching Protesta

Doug Wilson: "It was a foolish parent-approved relationship which led to statutory rape, as was shown in the court."

Doug Wilson - Christ Church, Moscow, ID For The Sake Of Clarity - The Timeline By Natalie Rose Greenfield - Posted at My Naptime Journal : " It was a foolish parent-approved relationship which led to statutory rape, as was shown in the court ." - @douglaswils This is a recent tweet from Doug Wilson concerning the long-term sexual abuse I experienced as a young teenager. In light of the level of blame that is being placed on my parents, I feel that a timeline of the events might be helpful in offering some clarity for those that were not directly involved in the situation. Summer 2001: I met Jamin at a local nursing home where a group of church members were singing hymns for the residents. He introduced himself to me. I was thirteen years old. He was 23. A few weeks later: I sat at a local coffeehouse and Jamin showed up, sat down across the table from me and asked if I wanted to play cards. He flirted heavily and tossed pretzels into my mouth. Fall 2000: Jamin came

Naghmeh Abedini thanks prayer vigil participants and shares an inspiring message.

From Voice of the Persecuted : YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=14&v=2coM6GmvNKc

PERSECUTION: Imprisoned pastor's situation intensifying

By Bill Bumpas - Posted at One News Now : It has been three years since an American pastor was jailed in Iran for his Christian faith, and  now there are new reports of abuse and threats against Saeed Abedini. According to Todd Daniels of International Christian Concern (ICC), Abedini's family living in Iran was able to visit with him a few days ago, and he told them of the latest abuse that took place in jail. "He was severely tortured in a long interrogation by Iranian intelligence officials," Daniels reports. "That interrogation included multiple uses of taser or stun gun, physical abuse, [and] verbal abuse that compounds the suffering he's already faced in the past three years." Read more here...

Of Rome And Popes And Humility

By Kyle Borg - Posted at Gentle Reformation : Pope Francis has landed and, if the media circus is an indication, it's a pretty big deal. Historically I can understand the significance of his visit. He's only the fourth Pope to come to the United States—the first being Pope Paul VI in 1965. For the first time in congressional history the Bishop of Rome addressed both houses of Congress. And since over seventy-million people in America are more or less devoted to the Holy See, his voice on social concerns from the unborn, to immigration, and family values isn't completely irrelevant. Despite the pomp and pageantry maybe it's a good day to be reminded why we're Protestant. One of the things that has captured the attention of the world is Pope Francis's humble approach to the papacy. From the moment he was inaugurated he refused the papal car and rode on the bus with his fellow bishops. Everyone was amazed when he took time to pay his hotel bill. He even chose t

Infants in the Hands of Planned Parenthood: What is the Duty of Love?

By Jennifer Hartline - Posted at The Stream: Thanks to the videos by the Center for Medical Progress, the abortion industry is nervous. Abortion advocates are feeling threatened — by the truth. The public conscience may finally be waking from its apathetic coma, awakening to the baby body parts industry that has been in our midst for decades. We’ve witnessed Planned Parenthood’s insatiable appetite for babies to abort and then sell piece by piece. We’ve seen the “red water.” We’ve heard all about the “line items” and the demand for kidneys, hearts and brains. Planned Parenthood is frantic over the potential loss of $500 million federal dollars each year. That means it’s time to step up the abortion propaganda. Hence, the #ShoutYourAbortion Twitter campaign this past week, asking post-abortive women to get on Twitter and tell the world how wonderful their abortion was. Time to celebrate killing babies! Read more here...

ILCAAAP Gambling Update - Gaming Board says NO Video Gambling Malls

www.ilcaaap.org Thank you to those of you who wrote letters, e-mailed, or make calls to the Illinois Gaming Board asking them not to license multiple video gambling parlors in the same strip malls to become "gambling malls". The Chairman of the Gaming Board said they had heard from you. Illinois Gaming Board rejects plans for "Casino Mall" Concept Plans to refurbish a half-empty strip mall outside Chicago into multiple video gambling cafes have been rejected by Illinois Gaming Board members who questioned it as an attempt to skirt state regulations and create a "back-door casino." Read more. The Chicago Tribune reported Chairman Tracy said, "I view gaming malls as back-door casinos, as I said at the last meeting, without the traditional safeguards of licensed casinos such as regulated security, on-site oversight, position limits, self-exclusion rules and internal controls." Tracy went on to say that he considers such casino malls "a threa

Christ Church Pedophile Controversy: 'The Arranged Marriage'

Posted at The Truth About Moscow : “Mr. Right” found “. . . much has been made of the fact that Christ Church approved of Steven’s wedding to Katie through the fact that I officiated at the wedding. First, it should be noted that in our community, weddings are not arranged or determined by the church.” -  DOUGLAS WILSON Pastor Douglas Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, posted “An Open Letter from Christ Church on Steven Sitler” to his personal website, on behalf of the Kirk elders, to address community concern over a serial pedophile who sired a child with whom he subsequently had “contact resulting in actual sexual stimulation.” The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported the story with this headline : “Prosecutor: New disclosures of conduct by Moscow sex offender are ‘state’s worst fears’”; and the Daily News followed it up with an editorial wherein the lede stated : “Disturbing isn’t nearly an adequate word to describe what unfolded Tuesday in Latah County 2nd District Court.” Mr.

Why Evangelicals and Catholics Cannot be “Together”

By Jordan Standridge - Posted at The Cripplegate : As the evangelical world in America seems rather excited about the Pope’s visit, I can’t help but remember how I felt when I discovered the  Evangelicals and Catholics Together document  (ECT). In 1995 the unthinkable happened. Well known evangelical pastors signed a document in which they joined themselves with Catholic priests and Philosophers, in an ecumenical fashion in order to promote the agreements over the disagreements that have plagued Protestants and Catholics for centuries dating back to the greats: Calvin, Luther, Zwingli and Knox. They agreed to no longer “proselytize” each other, agreeing that Catholics are indeed brothers, and sisters in Christ. This article was successful in its endeavor. The vast majority of Christians in America do not evangelize Catholics. Someone like me who has shed many tears over the deception of the Roman Catholic Church is seen as hateful. I totally understand the desire to believe people

Christians Influencing Society

By Bob McEvoy - Posted at The Salty Scrivener : Mark 9:50, Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus is still in ‘his own city’ Capurnaum, and he has been teaching his disciples some very important basics regarding his kingdom, and of course, his church. Now we come to another little block of didactic material in the narrative. A Christian must be an influence on the ungodly world. But before we can speak about ourselves as salt there is something that we must note as to how that salt must be applied… 1. Christians are Not to be Shy about Eternity! (Mark 9:42-49) Our verse, is that follows a long section in which Jesus speaks three times about hell in pretty graphic terms. Now let’s be clear, the person speaking here is Jesus, the loving saviour, and he is speaking in love. What kind of love is it that would refuse or neglect to warn sinners of the dangers of e

Climate Change: Which Kind Are We Fighting For?

By James Faris - Posted at Gentle Reformation: “Environmentalists say ‘Don’t use it.’ Conservationists say ‘Use it wisely.’” This maxim from my youth stuck; it was a favorite of the leader of my county’s soil and water conservation district. This week, when the pope visits Washington, D.C., you will no doubt hear many pleas to battle man-made global warming by limiting the use of fossil fuels. Christians who know their Bibles should be leery when leaders like President Obama and the pope endorse forced restrictions on the use of the earth’s resources – especially when more people will go hungry and perish as a result. God has not called us to embrace a “Don’t use it” or even a simply “Use it less” mindset. God called Adam and Eve to the wise use of creation for the good of mankind and the glory of God when he said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing t

Authenticity?

Posted at See, there's this thing called biology... When in the course of human events, blogging, one sometimes encounters these accusations of being a fraud. The first time someone decided to try to doxx me, it was rather nasty and included some threats to expose my alleged double life and make sure " the whole world knew what I was really like. " They were going to ruin my reputation. Although I was rather flattered to imagine that "the whole world," might care to find out what I was really like , I decided to consult with my husband. "They say they're going to ruin my whole reputation!" I announced. Hubby who always cuts to the chase with little regard for anyone's feelings, promptly quipped, "What reputation?" One could take offense at those words, but as witty as they were, they were also wise and instantly restored order to my chaos. I realized I was not running for public office or earning a living as a celebrity. There

Subliminal Self-Praise and Manipulating Praise from Others

By Sunny Shell - Posted at Abandoned to Christ : Personality quizzes like, "What's Your Emotional Type?", "Which Famous Elizabeth Are You?", "What Does Your Eye Color Mean?", "Which State Do You Actually Belong In?" or worse, Christianized versions like, "Which Bible Character Are You?" not only clog many Facebook newsfeeds, but they're also the avenue in which many people subliminally praise themselves and invite others to join in. One of the biggest problems with these online personality quizzes is that there are a limited number of options of what your personality can be like, and they're largely generic so that your results can be somewhat true about everybody. Read more here...

Hundreds Of Women Try Unsuccessfully To Schedule A Mammogram At Planned Parenthood

By Bre Payton  - Posted at The Federalist : Hundreds of women called their local Planned Parenthood clinics Monday to schedule a mammogram, but none were able to successfully secure an appointment. That’s because the nation’s largest abortion provider  doesn’t actually offer them. The phone calls were part of “Schedule Your Mammogram Day,” an event organized by And Then There Were None , a pro-life organization, to raise awareness of Planned Parenthood’s deceptive claims on women’s health. The misconception that the nation’s largest abortion provider has been offering mammograms is a common claim, repeated by the media. ... Read more here...

Either/or?

Vanity by  Auguste Toulmouche (1829–1890) ( Wikipedia ) By Carl Trueman - Posted at Alliancenet.org: Over at his blog, Douglas Wilson has an interesting post on why Christian women are prettier . I was particularly struck by this paragraph: "Unbelieving women either compete for the attention of men through outlandish messages that communicate some variation of “easy lay,” or in the grip of resentment they give up the endeavor entirely, which is how we get lumberjack dykes. The former is an avid reader of Cosmopolitan and thinks she knows 15K ways to please a man in bed. The latter is just plain surly about the fact that there even are any men." So there you have it. That is Mr Wilson's sophisticated take on the psychology of non-Christian women: they either aspire to be sex mad prostitutes or, failing that, turn into butch lesbians. Read more here... Editor's Note: Perhaps Mr. Wilson should read his Bible more and blog less? Here's a well kno

The CREC’s Cult of Silence

Katie Botkin By Katie Botkin - Posted at  Culture, adventure, stillness : I don’t know everything about these cases in the CREC, that’s what people say. I don’t know what the elders know, and I’m just stirring the pot needlessly. So I should just stop talking about it. Here’s the truth: I’ve known far more about these sexual abuse cases than what I’ve published or commented on, and with Natalie deciding today that she was comfortable sharing a letter Doug Wilson wrote back in August of 2005, I can now discuss it publicly. Natalie’s story behind the letter Doug wrote is laid out here . In this letter to an officer who was involved in collecting evidence for the court case, Doug notes that “I do not believe this situation in any way paints Jamin as a sexual predator,” claiming that he was privy to “confessions” from the family that proves Jamin Wight is not a sexual predator — namely, that the family knew there was a romantic relationship between 24-year-old Jamin and 14-year-old N

Sen. Mark Kirk (GOP-IL) votes "No" on banning late-term prenatal child-killing

From the Associated Press: Sen. Mark Kirk Senate Roll Call Vote on Banning Late-Term Abortions Republicans No Collins, Maine; Kirk, Ill . Read more here... Editor's Note : Sadly, Sen. Dick Durbin (D) is so pro-abort, it would be news if he voted yes. - AW

RAHM CALLS FOR LARGEST PROPERTY TAX HIKE IN MODERN CHICAGO HISTORY

Mayor Rahm Emanuel By Ted Dabrowski - Posted at Illinois Policy: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has called for the largest-ever collection of taxes and fees in modern Chicago history an attempt to plug the city’s $750 million budget hole, rather than making dramatic reforms to spending. The mayor has confirmed Chicago’s budget will include the following increases, according to  Crain’s Chicago Business : $543 million in total property-tax increases to pay for city pension contributions, with property taxes rising by: $318 million this year An additional $109 million in 2016 An additional $53 million in 2017 An additional $63 million in 2018 Read more here... 

Theology that bites you in the back

Posted at The Truth About Moscow : Natalie Rose Greenfield responds to something that Pastor Douglas Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, wrote about the man and, by implication, about her — behind her back: “Yes, We’re Still Talking About This.” Everyone who is thinking about moving to Moscow should read her testimony and put yourself in her parents’ position. What if his 24-year-old prized student did this to your fourteen-year-old daughter? Everyone who is thinking of sending their child to New Saint Andrews College should read this as well. They pitch their network of illegal boarding houses as Christian homes where your children will be safe. But no one is safe when the pastor protects the criminal. Read more here...

Yes, We're Still Talking About This.

By Natalie Rose Greenfield - Posted at My Naptime Journal : “Trigger Warning: Description of Sexual Abuse of a Child” I've debated whether or not to share the following letter publicly. It was given to me last week and out of respect for certain members of my family that don't wish to have any further publicity over all of this, I've kept it to myself and a few close friends. But at some point every day for the last week I've been struck by the nagging reminder that this is no longer about me. It's not about my family or the painful past experiences that tore us apart at the seams. I've said it before, I don't share all of this for my own personal gratification or because I'm stuck on being a victim. This is not me unwilling to heal and licking my wounds for the world to see. I share for the others. For my children, for your children , for other women or men who lost their voices when they were young and never quite found them again. By the grace

Secretary Clinton defends legal abortion through all nine months of pregnancy

By Denny Burk: Secretary Hillary Clinton appeared on “Face the Nation” yesterday and was asked whether she supported “any federal limit on abortion at any stage of pregnancy?” She said that she does not support any limits on abortion at any stage of pregnancy. Let the reality of that land on you. ... Read more here...

2 Things Every Planned Parenthood Supporter Must Do

Posted at Airo : Planned Parenthood is organizing #PinkOut Day on September 29th, 2015 to counter-protest the recent movement to defund Planned Parenthood. In case you have not seen the videos that sparked the summer conflagration over Planned Parenthood selling baby body parts, Breitbart has conveniently listed the ten videos released so far by The Center for Medical Progress . This short article is an open letter of sorts to every Planned Parenthood supporter, whether you are a politician, liberal activist, run-of-the-mill Democrat, or moderate Republican. There are two things you must do, but first, a warning. To each one of you supporting Planned Parenthood and the murder of children:... Read more here...

Speak to Me of Debates and Elections

Posted at   See, There's This Thing Called Biology : Somebody asked me how I planned to vote. Being one who totally believes in free and fair elections where the best candidate wins, I am clearly planning to vote however the Bilderbergers tell me to vote, something they will obviously program me to do through the little alien implant in my head. Trust me, I’m very compliant. The last thing I want to do is go back the Bohemian Grove. On the other hand it’s probably more cost-effective to just gaslight me through TV, social media, pharmaceuticals, and assorted brainwashing tactics. A bit like Pavlov’s dog, I will salivate according to my conditioning and enthusiastically seek the feelz-good. I just wish our alien lizard overlords would learn more rewards, less punishments. It’s a far more effective tactic. Just pet me…..or send me 500 bucks. Those who will not be beholden to special interests, speak for yourselves. Personally, I could really use the cash. Allow me to give a s

Why is all our Christian education so ineffective?

By T.M. Moore - Posted at The Fellowship of Ailbe : “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5.16 Your learning should be visible to all, and not hidden like a candle under a bushel. - The Rule of Carthage, Irish, 7th century Contemporary American Christians are the most Christian-educated generation of believers the world has ever known. Or, at least, they ought to be. Think about it: We have more sermons, Sunday school classes, Bible study groups, Christians schools and colleges, Bible curricula, books and DVDs, radio and television programs, blogs and newsletters, and assorted other educational paraphernalia and opportunities than – I’d just about bet – all previous generations of American Christians combined. We have more people in classes, more students in seminaries, more churches and pastors, more Bibles, and more Bible study materials than all the cumulative generations who have gone be

Kill Planned Parenthood Funding, Now Or Never

By Steve Deace - Posted at Conservative Review : “Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself.” - John Adams The dominating role outsiders have played in the GOP presidential contest so far means we may not get the election we need in 2016, but instead the election we deserve. Some folks are ready to hand the keys of the kingdom to a reality TV star/business mogul/part-time Democrat, who nonetheless never brings a knife to a gunfight when it comes to harassing the feckless GOP establishment. And speaking of the Democrats, those shattered souls appear ready to walk down the aisle with the sort of man who has been their true heart’s desire all along—an admitted socialist. This is proof that people no longer trust the usually suspect political class of liars and thieves that has grasped for our trust, our money, and our votes for too long without respecting us enough to take us out for breakfast in the morning. They are tired of being used. They are tired of b

Private Sin, Public Fallout

By Clint Archer - The Cripplegate : When an explosion occurred on April 26, 1986 at the Ukrainian Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the first reaction of Soviet authorities seemed to indicate more concern with avoiding the spread of anxiety than the spread of radiation. The Minister of Internal Affairs gave a telephonic report of current affairs in the Ukraine to his superior, and only at the end of the conversation casually mentioned an explosion at the plant. When he was asked how the people in the nearby town were doing, he replied “some are celebrating a wedding, others are gardening, and others are fishing in the Pripyat River.” A few hours later, however, the denizens of Pripyat experienced widespread symptoms of radiation poisoning, including uncontrollable coughing fits, vomiting, and headaches. The aphorism “what someone doesn’t know can’t hurt them” has been debunked so many times and in so many ways that it is stupefying to me that people still use it. An inescapable

Questions for Seventh Day Adventist Cultist, Ben Carson

By Jeff Maples - Posted at Psalm 12 Outreach: Republican presidential hopeful and former neurosurgeon, Dr. Ben Carson, has been surging the polls lately for the Republican nomination. Dr. Carson, a Seventh Day Adventist, has received scrutiny in the past for his religious beliefs when he was invited to speak at the 2015 Southern Baptist Convention , in which he was ultimately uninvited from. But his being uninvited from the convention didn’t stop widespread evangelical support for his nomination, in which is now growing rapidly. In fact, a recent Gallup poll showed that Protestants favored Ben Carson over both Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz, both Southern Baptists. But does Ben Carson, a Seventh Day Adventist really represent Evangelical and Christian interests? I would like to pose the following questions to Dr. Carson. Read more here... See also: Ben Carson Advocates for Abortion Drug, Isn’t Sure When Life Begins

HOUSE REPUBLICANS PASS BILL TO DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Posted at Wintery Knight: "Every time stories about how Obama will veto pro-life bills comes out, it makes me think of all the 'Christians' who voted for him in 2008 and gain in 2012. What will happen to them when God gets his hands on them? It was known during the election of 2008 that Obama had voted against a ban on born-alive abortions four times as a State senator in Illinois. I just think about how God will deal out punishment to the 'Christians' who voted for him. ..." Actually there are two bills. The first Republican bill blocks Planned Parenthood from getting federal funds, because they harvest organs from born-alive babies. The second Republican bill holds Planned Parenthood criminally responsible for born-alive abortions. The Democrats are opposed to both defunding Planned Parenthood and preventing born-alive abortions. So this is a real battle. Read more here...

Court Shuts Down Attempt to Stop Release of More Planned Parenthood Videos

By Carrie Dedrick - Posted at ChristianHeadlines.com : A federal court has shut down a pro-choice group’s attempt to prevent the Center for Medical Progress from releasing more Planned Parenthood videos. Life News reports pro-choice group the National Abortion Federation (NAF) served the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) a restraining order on July 31, preventing the CMP from posting any videos with footage from their meetings. Read more here...

Radio Silence

Posted at The New Blog : Dear church, you have the weak and hurting and abused, bruised reeds and smoldering wicks, in your midst. They need your support. They need your voices. When someone who has been grievously abused speaks up, she deserves your attention. When someone else tells you how their church leadership silenced and hurt them, they need your support. Besides the messages of self-defense coming out of Moscow, CREC leadership, its pastors and elders, have remained conspicuously silent on the questions of abuse that have been raised in the past couple weeks. Some things may be going on behind closed doors, but out in the open, it’s very quiet. Unfortunately, silence communicates a message to victims. Read more here...

ILCAAAP: Video gambling Malls - Contact Gaming Board

www.ilcaaap.org The concept is to place five or six independently owned businesses adjacent to each other in a strip mall. Under Illinois law, no business can have more than five video gambling machines. But there's nothing in the law that prohibits opening several such businesses in the same strip mall to create what's been termed a casino mall. Rep. Robert Rita (D-Blue Island), who is the lead sponsor of the massive gambling expansion bill and represents a portion of Crestwood, was surprised to learn the speed with which casino mall initiatives were moving forward at the Gaming Board. "My understanding is there are several licenses up for approval at the Gaming Board's meeting next week related to the casino malls in Crestwood and Hometown." Rita has heard of a plan to develop a casino mall on the outskirts of Springfield. He wants the Gaming Board to conduct a study to help frame legislation to limit the expansion. Read more The Gaming Board meets next T

Doug Wilson in his own words

By Rachel Miller - Posted at A Daughter of the Reformation : There has been much discussion recently about Doug Wilson’s participation in the Steve Sitler’s wedding. Sitler is a convicted pedophile with a long history  of sexual attraction to and abuse of very young children. In June 2011, Doug Wilson presided over the wedding of Steve and Katie Sitler. At one point during the wedding, a man prayed that the couple would be blessed with “ the gift and heritage of children .” Before they could get married, Sitler needed approval from a judge. At that status hearing, the concern was raised about the potential for children: The discussion amongst Latah County Prosecutor , Bill Thompson; Judge Stegner; and Mr. Wallenwaber, focused, in part, on the legal consequence if/when Steven Sitler and Katie Travis have children. It may be the case that Mr. Sitler will not be allowed to share a home with his wife and child or children. This remedy may be utilized in Idaho when the father is

Imprisoned abortion doc ordered to pay $4M in woman's death

News Source: Associated Press - KSL.com Kermit Gosnell's Mugshot - Wikipedia "An abortion provider convicted of killing babies born alive has been ordered to pay nearly $4 million to the daughter of a Virginia woman who was given a lethal dose of Demerol while under his care." Read the story here. From Wikipedia: Kermit Barron Gosnell (born February 9, 1941) is an American former physician who was convicted of murdering three infants who were born alive during attempted abortion procedures. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Gosnell ran the Women's Medical Society abortion clinic in Philadelphia, PA and he was a prolific prescriber of Oxycontin . [6] In 2011, Gosnell and various co-defendant employees were charged with eight counts of murder , 24 felony counts of performing illegal abortions beyond the state of Pennsylvania’s 24-week time limit, and 227 misdemeanor counts of violating the 24-hour informed consent law. The murder charges related to an adult patient, Karnamaya Mo

Disagreement = satanist

By Jacob Aitken - Posted at The Bayou Thebaid: Wilson tries to defend his actions by pointing to a warning by CS Lewis on the tyrannical Nanny State. In Screwtape Letters and The Abolition of Man Lewis pointed out that “therapeutic punishment” is always more tyrannical than retributive punishment. If you do something wrong--steal from the IRS, witness-tampering, molesting a two-year old, etc--then you receive the penalty appropriate to the crime and that’s it. Punishment over. The Nanny State sees you as sick and wants to “rehab” you until you are better. Of course, it will determine when, if ever, you are better. Like of all of Wilson’s posts, he deflects any blame from himself by pointing to the abortion industry. “Yeah, attacking the victim and covering up pedophiles might be bad, but you should see the abortion industry.” True, the abortion industry is bad, but that’s not what I am talking about at the moment. Further, when Wendell Berry tried to pull the same stunt

For Constitution Day: Christian Citizenship Bible Study

By Angela Wittman - Posted at For Christ's Crown and Covenant! My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. - Hosea 4:6 While reviewing and updating some previous posts, I came across a teaching on Christian citizenship that I believe is an essential lesson many Christians might not have access to. Let me begin by sharing the setting I was in when receiving this lesson: I was part of a Bible study that had begun as a possible OPC church plant in my local community. When we found there was not enough local interest in the OPC, we continued the study under the leadership of Pastor Ray Morton of the Sparta (Illinois) Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA). At the time I was also very politically active and serving as an officer in the Constitution Party of Illinois.  I had always believed Christians should be "

Is Christianity Really Under Attack?

Posted at The Vine Vigil: We are told often that Christianity is under attack. I guess we can all agree that it certainly is so in Muslim countries. Statistics show that more than 400 people in these countries around the world each day lose their lives because they refuse to renounce Christ. However here in the United States and most free countries, Christians, at least for the most part, do not fear for their lives and are free to practice their beliefs. In the United States the very first amendment to our constitution guarantees freedom of ones religion: ... Read more here...

Hide ya womens, y'all

CREC Memes By Jacon Aitken - Posted at The Bayou Thebaid : So one of the sites documenting the Sitler/Wilson connection was hit with a court order to remove a video. Another interesting post, while not documenting any criminal activity, but nonetheless creepy, is here . It raises the question over how widespread this mentality is in the CREC. I suspect, while maybe not universal, is more widespread than one would wish. What are some consequences for the larger Evangelical world on this? Read more here...

Book Review: 'Christian Reconstruction'

By Ian Clary - Posted at Reformation 21 : Michael J. McVicar, Christian Reconstruction: R. J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2015. xiii + 309 pp. "McVicar's book is exemplary for its depth of analysis, setting its subject in his cultural context, with deft handling of the religious and political ethos of post-war America. It should be of great interest to those who, like I once did, got into Reconstruction through various avenues. Christian Reconstruction reveals the genius of Rushdoony, yet should warn the would-be theonomist of adhering to the movement wholeheartedly. It also serves as a rebuke to those whose hand-wringing over the theonomic overthrow of the church or society--the true nature of Rushdoony's influence is both more and less than the fear-mongers realize, and as a failed movement, there is ultimately not much to fear. Students of American evangelicalism are also given an impor

Top Planned Parenthood Exec: Baby Parts Sales “A Valid Exchange,” Can Make "A Fair Amount of Income”

Link: https://youtu.be/c9EU_02c5bM

Christ in an Age of Secularism

By Isaac Shrum - Posted at Monergism : As Christians living in this increasingly secular age, we’re called to graciously endure suffering from unbelievers when it comes our way. We never go looking for trouble or wish to partake in foolish quarrels, because we’re instructed “to put no obstacle in anyone’s way” to come to Christ [2 Cor. 6:3]. But when we stand for truth, righteousness, and the Gospel, we can expect the majority response from this [post-modern] world to be detestation. This should not surprise us, since we ourselves once walked in their shoes, even scorning and mocking the message of the Gospel like the Apostle Paul did before his conversion [Acts 9:1; 22:4]. Why the hostile response you might ask? Simply put, the Bible tells us that apart from the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, men naturally hate the Light [John 3:19], are hostile towards God [Rom. 8:7], and are enemies of God through their wicked deeds [Col. 1]. In stark contrast to the humanistic-prog

Jonathan Cahn’s Con – Knowing the Difference Between Shemitah and Shinola

By J.D. Hall - Posted at the Pulpit & Pen: As of this morning, Jonathan Cahn’s best-selling book, The Mystery of the Shemitah , ranked #2 in Amazon’s prophecy category, #3 in religion and #129 in books overall (it did rank at #1). Cahn’s prophetic oracles also graced the New York Times Best-Seller’s list. Cahn has been selling his predictions on almost every major news outlet out there, and up until the last minute yesterday, was digging into his predictions that a great “shaking” would take place across the world. The problem is, of course, it didn’t happen. The Shemitah ended last night at dark, beginning September 25 of last year. The predictions were not true. The Background: Jonathan Cahn, who calls himself a Messianic Rabbi (whose credentials are dubious), wrote a book detailing ten signs present before Israel’s collapse, comparing them to ten signs now present in America, called The Harbinger . With the success of that book, Cahn springboarded into a new divination, this

CCM Legislative Update:

Dear Friends, Who would have thought that the legislature would still be in session without a budget at this late date in the year? Thanks to the courts, which require the state to continue to make payments, there has been little or no pressure on the legislature, which presented a budget that ran $4-5 in the red to the governor. After the governor vetoed the budget, there has been little to no action on putting a budget in place. As a result of court ordered payments, it looks like the state is on target to run a deficit of nearly $5 billion--is that why the legislature is not doing a budget? Why don't we have a court order for the legislature to stay continuously in session until a budget agreement is reached? Doesn't the state constitution require a balanced budget? Why are the courts ignoring that? (I guess I just had to get that off my chest.) SB 1564 , the bill that amends the medical right of conscience is still on the table in the House. It seems that bills promoting a