(Nicholas Tompson & Fred Vogelstein – Wired) Two weeks ago, Facebook learned that The New York Times, Guardian, and Observer were working on blockbuster stories based on interviews with a man named Christopher Wylie. The core of the tale was familiar but the details were new, and now the scandal was attached to a charismatic face with a top of pink hair. Four years ago, a slug of Facebook data on 50 million Americans was sucked down by a UK academic named Aleksandr Kogan, and wrongly sold to Cambridge Analytica. Wylie, who worked at the firm and has never talked publicly before, showed the newspapers a trove of emails and invoices to prove his allegations. Worse, Cambridge appears to have lied to Facebook about entirely deleting the data.
Author Archives: Marsha West
Mississippi imposes toughest abortion ban in US; clinic sues, hearing set
(Clarion Ledger) Mississippi moved quickly toward a legal confrontation over the nation’s most restrictive abortion law Monday.
Within six hours, the governor signed a bill banning most abortions after 15 weeks of gestation, the state’s lone abortion clinic sued, and a federal judge set a Tuesday morning hearing to consider blocking the restrictions.
Abortion opponents sought the confrontation, hoping federal courts will ultimately prohibit abortions before a fetus is viable. Current federal law blocks such restrictions by states.
Nightmare: Facebook Gave Users the Option to Search for Child Pornography
(The Western Journal) Facebook has apologized for its search auto-fill function suggesting sexual acts, including with minors.
The Hill reported that Facebook users began posting images on social media of the search suggestions popping up when they typed “videos of” last week.
There were multiple references to sexual acts involving minors.
(See graph on the site)
Social media has recentralized digital media under big companies controlled by the authoritarian left
In his piece entitled “Was Social Media A Mistake? Here’s An experiment To Find Out,” Robert Tracinski argues that social media, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, killed the blogs. He points out that one of the really good things about the blogs was that they offered a decentralized media. But people moved away from blogging when social media caught on. According to Tracinski, the result has been “shadowbanning, arbitrary Twitter suspensions, and Twitter throttling the traffic of people they don’t like and controlling what articles you can tweet links to.” So, have we traded the old mainstream media gatekeepers for “new, worse, less publicly accountable gatekeepers in Silicon Valley,” as he suggests?
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IRS Documented 1.3M Identity Thefts by Illegal Aliens; Can’t Say It Referred Any for Prosecution
(Terrence P. Jeffrey – CNSNews) – The Internal Revenue Service in 2011 through 2016 documented more than 1.3 million cases of identity theft perpetrated by illegal aliens whom the IRS had given Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN), which are only given to people who are ineligible to work in the United States or receive Social Security Numbers, according to information published by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
However, in response to inquiries from CNSNews.com, the IRS could not say if it had referred even one of these cases for criminal prosecution.
The Basic Spirituality of Yoga
In an article I penned in 2010 titled A subtle and dangerous shift in Christianity I expressed my concerns over churches that were offering “Christian yoga”:
It seems everyone’s practicing yoga meditation these days. Physicians recommend it to their patients which means it’s beneficial…right? Meditation is said to relieve stress, anxiety, hypertension, acne and post-nasal drip, so go for it! Just tighten those abdominal muscles, inhale deeply and chant Maaaaaaaaa all in one breath and your concerns will drift away like a feather floating on the wind…
But what if you’re a Christian? Should you practice the same sorts of things as Buddhist, Hindus and New Agers? Continue reading
Judge Who Blocked Ohio Ban on Abortions of Babies With Down Syndrome Was a Planned Parenthood President
(LifeNews) Pro-life advocates are calling out the bias of a federal judge who struck down an Ohio non-discrimination law that bans abortions on unborn babies with Down syndrome.
U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Black issued a preliminary injunction against the law Wednesday, arguing federal law is “crystal clear” that states may not prohibit abortions before viability.
While the ruling drew widespread attention, few mainstream news outlets mentioned that Black has very strong ties to Planned Parenthood, one of the groups challenging the law. [crn_lik url=”http://www.lifenews.com/2018/03/17/judge-who-blocked-ohio-ban-on-abortions-of-babies-with-down-syndrome-was-a-planned-parenthood-president/”]
Todd Friel on signs & wonders…ministry support from nonbelievers…Destiny Cards…backsliding
If you can’t hear Todd, click on the YouTube link at the bottom of the video
10 invalid arguments in defense of false teachers
Rick Becker begins his piece with,
Scripture warns us that in the last days some will depart from the faith, and be deceived by evil spirits and teachings of demons. Those who teach false doctrines are not on the fringes of Christianity, they are in the center in the form of the Evangelical Industrial Complex. Bethel, Hillsong and other NAR “churches” have infested the visible church like gangrene. Those who are saved from this deception, try to warn their friends and family still caught up in the quagmire of celebrity teachers and false doctrines. When we warn them of the precarious position they are in, they usually resort to arguments we are all familiar with. This post deals with some of those questions. Continue reading
Judge Halts Ohio Ban on Aborting Down Syndrome Babies, Says They’re Not People Yet, Only ‘Potential’ Lives
(Christian News Network) A federal judge appointed to the bench by then-President Barack Obama has granted a preliminary injunction against an Ohio law that banned mothers from killing their unborn child just because he or she has Down syndrome.
“The State cannot dictate what factors a woman is permitted to consider in making her choice,” wrote U.S. District Judge Timothy Black on Wednesday. “The State’s attempt to carve out exceptions to a categorical right where none exist fails as a matter of law.”
Vatican Caught Photoshopping, Forging Documents
(Pulpit & Pen News) No, the headline is not a repeat from the year 1073. After Pope Francis began condemning so-called “Fake News,” the Vatican has been caught red-handed, forging documents and issuing the photoshopped fakes in press releases. The story began as the Vatican began lauding a letter written by Pope Benedict on February 7, and sent to the Vatican’s prefect of the Secretariat for Communications. As Pope Francis is increasingly accused of heresy because of his Amoris Laetitia statement, in which he softens the traditional Romanist tone on divorce and traditional marriage (which has been used by Romanists the world over to embrace very non-Romanist ideas on human sexuality), it has caused many people to wonder what the former Pope is thinking about the current Pope, a historical phenomenon caused by Pope Benedict retiring in 2013, whereas historically, most Popes die in office, either from natural causes or from being murdered and/or deposed by their successors. …
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No One Else Like Him
I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. Phil 2:20
We meet two friends of the Apostle Paul in this last half of chapter two. These were real men who quite unconsciously display the character of Jesus Christ, excellent examples of all Paul has been writing about.
First we meet Timothy in verses 19-24. As Paul writes about him we see that the underlying quality that marks the man is Jesus Christ. We see that Timothy is an exceptional man. Continue reading on Ray Stedman Daily Devotions
The entertainment-driven church
Charles Spurgeon once said of church: If you have to give a carnival to get people to come to church, then you will have to keep giving carnivals to keep them coming back.
So, why would church leaders want people to come to a Sunday worship service to be entertained? In the 1800’s, Spurgeon saw the entertainment-driven church looming on the horizon when he was preaching and he spoke out against it. Today the goats who fill the chairs expect their church experience to be entertaining. And if it isn’t? They’re out of there! Continue reading
What Happens When Moral Monstrosity Is Socially Approved?
(Ben Shapiro – National Review) “Marcus takes solace in her immorality by citing that of others — “I am not alone. More than two-thirds of American women choose abortion in such circumstances.” But immoral behavior isn’t made moral by its commonness. Slavery was once common. That did not make it any more justifiable.”
In 1961, Stanley Milgram of Yale University came up with an idea for an experiment. The purpose: to determine how many law-abiding, civilized people would torture their fellows simply in order to follow basic orders. … Continue reading
The Crisis of Fatherless Shooters
(Emilie Kao – The Daily Signal) In the wake of the Parkland massacre, the age-old question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” has a newfound relevance.
As another mass school shooting stuns Americans, it is time to talk about not just how to protect students from shooters, but also about what must happen so that fewer students become shooters in the first place.
It is crucial to talk about how more American children can grow up with the emotional, psychological, and spiritual security that comes from relationships where one is deeply cared for, connected, and known. Continue reading
Beth Moore Says Fighting Donald Trump is A Fight for the Faith
(Pulpit & Pen) Beth Moore, who is a wildly popular female Bible teacher heavily promoted in evangelical circles and aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention’s Lifeway Christian Resources, has steadily been opposing President Donald Trump since his presidential primary. She is not on record ever having opposed President Barack Obama.
Moore, who claims to hear audibly from God – going so far as writing down what she says God specifically told her – said in a tweet this week that getting political was necessary because of the “mountain of manure hitting the fan” and that for her and others it is a “fight for the faith.” … Continue reading
Catholic Archbishop Says Pedophilia Is ‘Spiritual Encounter With God’
(YourNewsWire) One of the highest-ranking officials in the Catholic Church says sexually abused children can experience “a spiritual encounter with God through the priest” while being molested.
Australia’s most powerful clergy, Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart, says the Catholic practice of confession is satisfactory for dealing with pedophilia in the church as it helps priests absolve “their own guilt” after sexually abusing children. Continue reading
Rev. Graham Shares 1 Question He Would Have Asked Stephen Hawking, in 1 Hour Gets 5,000 Shares
(Western Journal) Christian evangelist Franklin Graham wished he could have asked world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking one question before his death on Wednesday at 76 regarding the existence of God.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Graham shared an article from USA Today titled, “Heaven ‘is a fairy story’: This is what Stephen Hawking says happens when people die.”
Outspoken atheist Stephen Hawking has died
(Danny R. Faulkner – Answers In Genesis) “Before we understand science, it is natural to believe that God created the universe. But now science offers a more convincing explanation. What I meant by “we would know the mind of God” is, we would know everything that God would know, if there were a God, which there isn’t. I’m an atheist.” – Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking 1942–2018
Famed British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking died today. Interestingly, Albert Einstein was born on the same date in 1879. Furthermore, both men died shortly after their 76th birthdays. These facts wouldn’t be remarkable if their work and writings were not so intimately related. Continue reading
Sorry, Ladies! Mother’s Day Is Going Gender Neutral
(DailyWire) Waitrose, a high-end grocery store chain in the United Kingdom, is going “gender neutral” for Mother’s Day (known there as “Mothering Sunday”), offering a series of cards that are “gender neutral,” just in case your mum happens to be your dad, or she prefers to be known by a series of unconventional pronouns.
The purpose of the shift, Waitrose says, is to make the holiday more “transgender friendly,” reports The Times UK. Since gender is just a fluid concept, why use an archaic word like, “mother” to represent a specific relationship a child has with its primary caregiver (or, in the case of families who don’t abide by traditional gender norms, its secondary caregiver)?
Transgender employees vs. Christian business owners
(World) On the eve of International Women’s Day, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a man who identifies as a woman, ignoring appeals to religious liberty and declaring that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to those undergoing gender “transitioning.”
Wednesday’s decision marks the third time a federal appeals court has expanded the Title VII definition of “sex” beyond biological manhood and womanhood. Within the last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th and 2nd circuits both ruled that “sex” includes sexual orientation. Those decisions, until the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes, stand as law, and employers in 10 states are required to recognize sexual identities as protected classes
Record-Breaking Crowd of 100,000 Pro-Life People Rally in Ireland Against Legalizing Abortion
(LifeNews) Save the 8th has said that its campaign is “energised and motivated ” by the huge attendance at today’s Rally for Life in Dublin, which saw up to 100,000 people take to the streets to reject the Government’s plan for a UK-style abortion regime in Ireland.
Niamh Uí Bhriain of Save the 8th said that the crowds who thronged Dublin city centre showed that the government’s abortion proposal had woken a sleeping giant and that the campaign now expected a surge in volunteers to work towards a No vote in the abortion referendum in May.
House Intel Committee Finds Putin Did NOT Try to Get Trump Elected
(The Western Journal) The House Intelligence Committee has found no evidence of the Trump campaign colluding with Russia.
“We have found no evidence of collusion, coordination, or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians,” reads an overview of a committee report, which was released Monday.
CNN reported that the Intelligence Committee’s investigation has lasted for over a year and included 73 witnesses and the review of approximately 300,000 pages of documents.
Sid Roth, Bill Hamon Detail Conversations with Michael the Angel
(Pulpit & Pen) Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind – Colossians 2:18
“My spirit uploaded to God, and God’s spirit downloaded to me.” This is what Bill Hamon recently told Sid Roth on his program It’s Supernatural. Hamon claims to have spoken in tongues, he thought a combination of Spanish and Italian. He claims that God pre-programmed his mind so that he could not fail and that he would prophesy infallibly. Then, he began to speak about how he convened with Michael the Archangel, who gave him strategies for spiritual warfare. Continue reading
Can You Change Yourself?
Cameron Buettel urges Christian leaders to repudiate the philosophy that says you can change yourself that’s promoted by self-help gurus Anthony Robbins, Oprah Winfrey and their ilk and replace that worldly philosophy with “the truth of biblical anthropology—that all men are, by nature, totally depraved sinners.” But instead, pastors with rock star status like Joel Osteen and Steven Furtick “see it as an opportunity to market a ‘Christianized’ version of the same lie.”
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