Author Archives: Marsha West

About Marsha West

Marsha West is the owner and managing editor of Christian Research Network, Apprising Ministries (the late Ken Silva’s blog) and On Solid Rock Resources. She is also co-founder of Berean Research. For two decades Marsha was the owner and managing editor of Email Brigade website as well as the EMB News Report, a bi-weekly email report for conservative people of faith. For many years Marsha was a regular contributor to several blogs including CRN, RenewAmerica, News With Views and Web Commantary as well as popular websites she no longer endorses: American Family Association, Worldview Weekend, Stand Up For The Truth, The Christian Post and Christian Headlines. Although Marsha still blogs, her primary focus is CRN. Marsha also writes Research Papers (White Papers) on various topics that are published on CRN, Berean Research and On Solid Rock Resources. Visit Marsha’s other sites: On Solid Rock Resources https://www.onsolidrockresources.com/ Apprising Ministries http://apprising.org Marsha’s RenewAmerica Column http://renewamerica.com/columns/mwest Marsha’s Facebook Page http://facebook.com/marsha.west.77

Sheriff ordered to remove ‘Blessed are the Peacemakers’ decals

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Todd Starnes, host of Fox News & Commentary, has the story:

The peacemakers are not allowed to be blessed in Montgomery County, Virginia.

The sheriff was ordered on May 17 to remove decals bearing a portion of a well-known Bible verse from patrol cars.

The decal, which had been posted on vehicles in March, bore the words, “Blessed are the peacemakers…Matthew 5:9.”

“Our intent was, and still is, to honor our fellow brothers and sisters in law enforcement,” Sheriff C.H. Partin wrote in a statement to Fox News.

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Get Ready for the Pillorying of Pence

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Kyle Smith begins with this question: If Trump is ‘uniquely’ unfit, his critics should be just fine with ultra-normal Pence, right?

Um…No. Smith lays out what he believes will happen should Vice President Mike Pence become President of the United States. For example, “Pence will be labeled an extremist for being part of the American Christian majority. We’ll be told that Pence’s misogyny is even more outlandish than Trump’s because he declines to have boozy one-on-one dinners with women other than his wife.” In his piece over at National Review, Kyle Smith gives us the lowdown on what the Left has in store for Mike Pence. He writes:

Should Mike Pence become president, the Left will surely lead us in a national chorus of “Whew! Back to normal.” Correct? After all, our friends in the Democratic party have been saying for many months that President Trump is not normal, that he is uniquely unfit for office, that his brand of mendaciousness, volatility, poor character, and immaturity have no precedent in the Oval Office, that he is a Nazi sympathizer and even a fascist, that he is an extremist who exists outside the bounds of ordinary political disagreement.

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One Or The Other

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are; Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother (1 John 3:10).

Someone has said that people may be divided into two classes, the righteous and the unrighteous, and the classifying is always done by the righteous! Certainly it is true that humanity is divided into two classes—not three, as we often fondly imagine. We would like to think there are the children of the devil, the children of God, and then a vast group in between who are morally neutral, neither devilish nor godly. But God says No, there are not three classes.

Nor is there one class. There are many today who would have us believe that all people everywhere are, by virtue of their natural birth, children of God. But the Bible never sustains that idea for even a moment. These words of John are the echo of the words of the Lord Jesus Himself when He said to certain Pharisees of His day, You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire (John 8:44). This is what the phrase children of the devil means. It does not mean that the devil created them, but it means that they reflect the nature and characteristics of the devil.  View article →

Brian Brodersen Now Promoting Contemplative Mysticism?

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According to Berean Research:

A new report says Calvary Chapel Senior Pastor Brian Brodersen is an active promoter of contemplative mysticism. Last November Brodersen led the Calvary Chapel split, quit his leadership position at the Calvary Chapel Association, and  announced he is establishing a new Calvary Chapel Global Network.

Today a new EmergentWatch news article reports that Brodersen is now actively promoting contemplative mysticism, that he is now not merely liking or sharing a post of a known contemplative – he himself is now an active promoter of contemplative practices. There is extensive documentation on the EW post, and I encourage you to visit the site and examine the evidence for yourself.

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David Gushee: Our ‘differences are unbridgeable’

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Denny Burk, Professor of Biblical Studies at Boyce College, makes the case that evangelicalism is facing a crisis over the issue of sexual immorality. “We are about to find out who is for real and who isn’t,” says Burk.  He writes:

David Gushee has a column at Religion News Service about Jonathan Merritt, Jen Hatmaker, and LGBT “inclusion” within the church. Gushee says that he exited evangelicalism 30 months ago, and since then he has concluded this:

I now believe that incommensurable differences in understanding the very meaning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the interpretation of the Bible, and the sources and methods of moral discernment, separate many of us from our former brethren — and that it is best to name these differences clearly and without acrimony, on the way out the door.

I also believe that attempting to keep the dialogue going is mainly fruitless. The differences are unbridgeable. They are articulated daily in endless social media loops.   View article →

Related:  It Is Not ‘Character Assassination’ For The Church To Be The Church

 

Roger Ailes, Founder of Fox News Channel, Dies at 77

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Newsmax reports:

Roger Ailes, a former U.S. presidential adviser who started the Fox News Channel to promote a Republican agenda and built it into the most-watched U.S. cable news network before resigning amid sexual harassment allegations, has died. He was 77.

Fox News confirmed his death Thursday.

Ailes started Fox News in 1996 at the behest of News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch as an alternative to what they saw as a media landscape dominated by liberals. Although marketed as “fair and balanced,” critics of the conservative content of the channel’s programs accused it of acting as a propaganda arm of the Republican Party.

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Could psychedelics become an accepted treatment for mental health problems?

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The Telegraph reports:

A few years ago, if you were to tell most people suffering from a serious mental health problem that their ills could be cured with a spot of Class A drugs, they might think you’ve, well, taken something.

Aided by a slew of recent scientific studies, however, the perception of many illegal substances – from LSD to ecstasy – as having no medicinal benefit is beginning to change. Earlier this month, for instance, US researchers found that ketamine might reduce rates of depression.

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Dr. Michael Brown Ruins His Credibility on His Own Facebook Wall, Then Deletes All the Evidence

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion

Steven Kozar claims that Dr. Michael Brown lost all credibility on his Facebook wall by choosing to become a “cheerleader” for false teachers. Sadly, Dr. Brown, who is a highly regarded Bible scholar and host of The Line of Fire, has declined to compare the teaching of those who teach doctrines of devils (1 Tim 4:1) such as Jennifer LeClaire, Heidi Baker, Bill & Beni Johnson and others to Scripture.  Brown has been chided for appearing on the shows of two notorious false teachers, Benny Hinn and Sid Roth.

In this piece over at Messed Up Church, Steven Kozer lays out the evidence that Dr. Michael Brown really “stepped in it”:

On May 5th, 2017, Dr. Michael Brown interviewed Jennifer LeClaire on his call-in radio show “The Line of Fire,” and after the interview segment was finished Chris Rosebrough called the show to ask Dr. Brown some tough questions about Jennifer LeClaire and her “Sneaky Squid Spirit.” There was a brief and interesting exchange between the two men.

I (Steven Kozar) wrote a blog post about the exchange where I said this about Dr. Michael Brown: “He’s a hyper-charismatic cheerleader with a big microphone and a very gullible audience.” (Here’s the full blog post with audio of the “Sneaky Squid Spirit” exchange between Dr. Brown and Chris Rosebrough: Michael Brown Can’t Defend “Sneaky Squid Spirit”-Repeatedly Changes the Subject)

Dr. Brown decided to make light of my quote and garner support from his Facebook friends by posting this:

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More say Bible is ‘book of fables’ than ‘word of God’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙

According to a new Gallup poll, the majority of those polled believe the Bible is a book of myths and fables.  “This is the first time in Gallup’s four-decade trend that biblical literalism has not surpassed biblical skepticism.”  Paul Bedard of Washington Examiner has the story:

A record low percentage of Americans believe that the Bible is “actual word of God,” with more calling it a “book of fables,” similar to Aesop’s, according to a new survey.

Gallup reports that just 24 percent believe the Bible should be taken “literally, word for word.”

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We Have Met the Enemy and He is Us

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

According to Steve McCranie of Leaving Laodicea, hidden sleeper cells have found a home in the visible Church. “These certain men have crept (pareisdúō) into the church unnoticed, or by stealth.  The word means to ‘enter in craftily, under cover of darkness, like a thief,'” says McCranie. “They, like a terrorist sleeper cell, blend in with the others waiting for a time to attack from the inside, from the unprotected underbelly of the church.  They are most sinister.”

So, what are we to do?

McCranie tells us who some of these wolves in sheep’s clothing are and offers his advice on what we must do to keep the Body of Christ a “glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle.” He writes:

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude 1:4 

Churchill once said, borrowing from an old African proverb, “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.”  While there is much truth to that proverb, the opposite is also true.  “When the enemy is within, the enemies outside can hurt you.”  And they can hurt you bad.  Often permanently.

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Americans Hold Record Liberal Views on Most Moral Issues

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

It should come as no surprise to learn from a new Gallup poll that pretty much anything goes with most Americans.  According to the report:

Americans continue to express an increasingly liberal outlook on what is morally acceptable, as their views on 10 of 19 moral issues that Gallup measures are the most left-leaning or permissive they have been to date. The percentages of U.S. adults who believe birth control, divorce, sex between unmarried people, gay or lesbian relations, having a baby outside of marriage, doctor-assisted suicide, pornography and polygamy are morally acceptable practices have tied record highs or set new ones this year. At the same time, record lows say the death penalty and medical testing on animals are morally acceptable.

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False Converts Teaching False Doctrine Are Leading Professing Evangelical Christians Astray

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

Just prior to his death in 2014, Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries took on what he referred to as Big Tent postmodern liberal Christianity in a piece entitled “Good Works Actually Extend From God.” And as always, Ken nailed it: 

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23)

Labors in the Lord like this one here at Apprising Ministries would never have been necessary had the mainstream evangelical Christian community not decided to follow the mainline denominations, who’re now mortally wounded by adherence to the religious slavery of liberal theology. It was a serious error from which evangelicalism may indeed never recover.

Yet in His mercy, as the Internet started to gain more influence within Christendom, Jesus would begin to raise up a few initial ministries to pioneer the mission field of online apologetics and discernment ministry (OADM). Unfortunately self-righteous, and largely self-appointed, evangelical leaders chose to ignore these early watchmen.

Even so, over the past couple of decades—as God would begin calling His elect away from these false shepherds—He’s still graciously continued to try and reach them while spreading His truth through the work of a growing number of OADMs. At the same time Satan would launch his Christian counterfeit aka the Emerging Church (EC) via evangelicalism’s Leadership Network (LN).

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Dr. Michael Brown (Sort of) Approves of These ‘Fine Christians…’ Watch at your Own Risk!

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

Steve Kozar over at Museum of Idolatry put together a video to show how false teachers such as Heidi Baker and Bill & Beni Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, CA use repetitive phrases and repetitive music to induce their audience into a trance-like state. You will see ordinary folks, who’ve been hypnotized, doing the most bizarre things imaginable, believing that the Holy Spirit is responsible for what they’re experiencing. Kozar begins with a warning to those who view the video that some might find what they see very disturbing.  Here’s what prompted the headline:

Recently, in an exchange on his Facebook page, Dr. Michael Brown was challenged (by Steven Kozar, Chris Rice and others) to call out these false teachers in order to protect his listeners from their very bad doctrine. False teachers like Jennifer LeClaire, Heidi Baker, Bill Johnson and Benny Hinn. Nobody suggested that Dr. Brown personally attack these people, but simply compare their teachings to Scripture. He repeatedly refused. Strangely,  he did not fully endorse them; instead he used vague generalizations like “as far as I know these are fine Christians.”  Dr. Brown wants to be respected as a very knowledgeable scholar and expert, but he continually expresses ignorance about the people and teachings from within his very own movement. Dr. Brown promotes these people on his own radio show, and he’s been a guest on Benny Hinn’s TV show.

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Top Private School Brings in Skirts for Boys Amidst ‘Surge’ in ‘Trans Children’

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According to Breitbart:

One of Britain’s top private schools is bringing in ‘gender-neutral’ uniforms that would allow boys to wear skirts, as teachers report growing numbers of children ‘questioning their gender identity.’

The move by Highgate School in north London comes as activist pupils at schools across the country are demanding ‘gender-neutral’ bathroom facilities, a ban on terms they deem ‘sexist’, and for teachers to use gender-neutral pronouns such as “they”.

“This generation is really questioning being binary in the way we look at things,” headteacher Adam Pettitt told The Sunday Times.

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La. Executive Board concludes study of ERLC

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Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission president Russell Moore drew criticism for his alleged disrespect toward evangelical supporters of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election. Baptist Press reports that the issues have been resolved:

The Louisiana Baptist Convention’s Executive Board has concluded a study of “issues of concern” related to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and issued a letter commending ERLC President Russell Moore for “confessing his failings.” The letter, addressed to the ERLC president and trustees, also urged Moore “to listen carefully and respectfully to Southern Baptists even as we listen to him.”

The LBC Executive Board voted to report to the convention’s annual meeting in November “that it has evaluated the complaints lodged against the ERLC, that its leadership has met with Dr. Moore and has sent a letter to the trustees of the ERLC and encourages the churches to continue their generous financial support for all our convention work,” according to a May 11 report by Louisiana’s Baptist Message newsjournal.

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No Gray Areas

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

“…no lie comes from the truth.” (1 John 2:21b)

Have you learned yet that no lie is of the truth, that there is no possible harmony between a lie and the truth? In other words, that there are no gray areas in life; that a thing is either black (a lie) or it is white (the truth), and there are no gray areas, though there may be a mingling of black with white. Every Christian has an ability to exercise moral judgment to distinguish right from wrong. It is amazing how many Christians have not learned this yet and still go on echoing the lie of the world, that there can be a blending of truth and error. John utterly cuts the ground out from under that. I wrote to you, he says, because you have found this out, if you know Jesus Christ. You may not have thought through the implications, but you must know that there is no possibility of blending a lie with the truth.” View article →

Resurrection-Driven Ministry

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

The New Testament frequently reminds us of the difficulty that the true minister of the Gospel faces. The Apostle Paul says, “We are being killed all day long, we are like sheep led to the slaughter” (Rom 8:36), and, “We are in danger every hour. We die daily” (1 Cor 15:30–32). He says the servant of God is constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor 4:11). And yet Paul also says he does not lose heart (2 Cor 4:16).

And as he wraps up chapter four and begins chapter five of 2 Corinthians, he develops the theme of how a sure and certain confidence in the bodily resurrection fuels our joyful, enduring ministry, even in the midst of affliction. We do not lose heart, because momentary, light affliction is achieving for us an eternal weight of glory (2 Cor 4:16-18). In the opening verse of chapter 5, Paul continues this thought.

“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Paul can persevere in faithful service to the body of Christ—even the kind of service that requires him to lay down his life—because he knows something, because he has been persuaded of the truth. If you connect 5:1 with 4:16–18, you get, “Therefore, we do not lose heart . . . for we know.”  View article →

Loathing Sin & Grabbing for God’s Glory

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ ,

According to Eric Davis, the Lord Jesus came to deal with sin. He came to “make us see, loathe, and eradicate our inward sin, and see, love, and follow him.” He was not interested in “social justice, external humanitarian inspiration, or politico-social revolution,” says Davis.  So why is it that a large (and growing) number of professing Christians avoid the concept of sin?  And why do those who claim they’re followers of Jesus Christ choose to close their ears to what He taught on sin?

In this piece over at The Cripplegate, Eric Davis reveals what the One who spoke the universe into existence wants those He created to know about…sin:

It’s an alarming trend, especially in some of our younger generations. Many of us professing Christians cannot stand to hear the word. When we do, we cry foul. “It’s unloving,” “It’s toxic,” “It’s legalistic,” “It’s graceless.” We leave churches who speak of it. We ignore older saints who bring it up. We avoid authors who write about it. We harden our hearts when identified in our lives. I suppose we could call it something like “hamartiphobia”: a fearful repulsion of things like hearing teaching about sin, experiencing the exposure of our sin, and being confronted on our sin.

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Court Rules Kentucky Print Shop Has Right to Avoid Making Gay Pride T-shirts

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The Wall Street Journal reports:

A Kentucky appellate court on Friday ruled that the Christian owner of a printing shop in Lexington had the right to refuse to make T-shirts promoting a local gay pride festival.

The dispute represents the latest court fight testing the limits of antidiscrimination protections for gays and lesbians following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 landmark ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide.

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Furtick joins Rod Parsley’s 2017 NAR ‘Dominion Camp’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

According to Berean Research, prophet-pastor Steven Furtick of the highly influential Elevation Church has been “full-on N.A.R. (New Apostolic Reformation) for years, and now he’ll be delivering this summer’s fresh anointing of apostolic covering at the annual [Dominion Camp Meeting] event.”  Furtick is featured with several other NAR wolves in DCM’s promo picture posted on their site:

Elevation’s pastor Steven Furtick is aligning with Jesse DuPlantis, Perry Stone and others for Apostle Rod Parsley’s annual Dominion Camp Meeting. Parsley says he is ready to release a seven-times greater anointing into your life.

Check out the promo video…

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Taxpayer-Funded University LITERALLY Creates Segregated Dorm For Black People

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Seems the inmates are running the asylum at some of our institutions of higher education. According to Eric Owens, there’s a second segregated community for “students passionate about diversity” at CU Boulder: Multicultural Perspectives.  CU Boulder also offers a “dormitory ghetto called ‘Spectrum’ which is reserved only for ‘LGBTQIA-identifying students.’ The unwieldy acronym ‘LGBTQIA’ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (or transsexual), queer, intersex and asexual (or ally).” Daily Caller has the story:

The University of Colorado Boulder is creating a special new residence hall that will segregate black people away from the general student population.

Officials at the taxpayer-funded school have announced a plan to transform Hallett Hall, a campus residence hall, into three separate “Living Learning Communities” beginning this fall, reports Campus Reform.

One of these “Living Learning Communities” will be set aside exclusively for “black-identified students and their allies.”

A second segregated community, “Multicultural Perspectives” will be for “students passionate about diversity.”

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Teaching the Truth in our Hymns

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Joe Willmann of Concordia Publishing House demonstrates the power that music has on our memory, and the way it helps us to internalize words:

For a minute, let me engage in a little thought experiment with you. Complete the following phrases from some popular songs from yesteryear:

Don’t go chasing __________________.

I heard it through the __________________.

Bye, bye Miss _____________________.

And I would walk __________________, and I would walk ____________________.

I’ll give you a moment . . .

Are you done yet?

Now the point of this experiment wasn’t to see if you would know the words waterfalls, grapevine, American Pie, 500 miles, or 500 more. No, the point of the experiment was to show you the power that music has on our memory, and they way it helps us to internalize words. You know those phrases by heart, and if you didn’t immediately remember them, now that you see the words, you can immediately hear the song in your head as you read the phrase. And how long have these songs stuck with you? Here is when they first came out…

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Senate Judiciary Chairman Confirms Trump Is Not Under FBI Investigation

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Breitbart reports:

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Thursday vouched for President Trump’s assertion in a letter to former FBI Director James Comey that he was not under investigation by the FBI. Grassley told committee members at an executive meeting that he and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) had met with Comey last week, and that he had briefed them on who the targets of the various investigations are.

“Senator Feinstein and I heard nothing that contradicted the President’s statement,” he said.

Feinstein then said after Grassley’s statement, “I very much appreciate what you’ve said and it’s very accurate, and we were briefed.”

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The President’s Pastor: Paula White Has Connections and Power. But Where Does She Get Her Money?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

Jillian Kay Melchior has written an exposé on prosperity preacher Paula White for Heatstreet. Pastrix Paula is known for many things, but most recently she is known as President Donald Trump’s friend, close confidant and his “pastor.” Melchoir gives us a glimpse into this wolf in sheep’s clothing’s early life and her rags to riches story. One thing we learn is how the girl who grew up in a trailer park managed to become a multi-millionaire….and chair of the president’s Evangelical Advisory Council. Melchior writes:

Donald Trump & Paula White. Photo credit: Christian Today

The most politically influential Christian in America is a controversial Florida preacher many evangelical Republicans may never have heard of: Paula White, a Florida televangelist.

“Inside this little blond Barbie package is a pit bull!” White recently said of herself. And that pit bull, who has known Donald Trump for about 15 years, is now chair of the president’s Evangelical Advisory Council—a powerful board of Christian leaders advising the administration on everything from political appointments and judiciary nominees to legislative priorities.

White has led prayers at both the Republican National Convention and the inauguration. When Trump met in February with prominent conservatives to discuss appointing Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, White sat at the president’s immediate right. She also opened a Rose Garden ceremony last week and stood behind the president as he signed an executive order on religious liberty.

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Oregon may allow drivers to choose nonbinary, rather than male or female, for licenses

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The Oregonian reports:

Oregon may soon become the first U.S. state to allow residents to identify as “nonbinary,” neither male nor female, on their driver licenses and identification cards.

Transgender Oregonians say the change would validate their identities and make them safer as they hand over their licenses at restaurants, health clinics and airports. Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles officials say they have had no opposition to the change, which they first announced plans to carry out last summer.

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