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

James Dobson Walks Back Assertion Trump Is Christian: “Do I Know That for Sure? No.”

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Christian News Network reports:

James DobsonJames Dobson, the founder of the renown Colorado-based organization Focus on the Family, is seemingly walking back comments he made last week asserting that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is a “baby Christian” who needs to be “cut some slack.”

As previously reported, Dobson was interviewed last Tuesday by Michael Anthony of GodFactor.com, who was among the nearly 1,000 evangelicals who came to listen to Trump at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan. During the brief talk, Dobson shared his belief that Trump is himself a Christian.

“There are a lot of people ministering to him personally—a lot of ministers,” he stated in the recorded interview. “I mean, he did accept a relationship with Christ. I know the person who led him to Christ, and that’s fairly recent. I don’t know when it was, but it has not been long.”

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“Nearly 50 Killed” In Istanbul Airport Attack

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Suicide bombers open fire before blowing themselves up at Turkey’s biggest airport.  

Sky News has the story:

Nearly 50 people have been killed in an attack on the main airport in Istanbul, a senior Turkish official has told the Associated Press.

Initial indications suggest Islamic State was behind the attack, the official said.

Three suicide bombers opened fire before blowing themselves up at the international terminal of Ataturk Airport, Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin told NTV television.

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Damning Benghazi report slams administration response to attacks

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According to Fox News the just released report reveals shocking behavior from the Obama Administration. There is no doubt that presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton knowingly misled the public.  We urge readers to watch the video:

This undated photo released by the U.S. State Department shows U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens in an official portrait. Libyan officials say the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans have been killed in an attack on the U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi by protesters angry over a film that ridiculed Islam's Prophet Muhammad. (AP Photo/U.S. State Department)

This undated photo released by the U.S. State Department shows U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens in an official portrait. Libyan officials say the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans have been killed in an attack on the U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi by protesters angry over a film that ridiculed Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. (AP Photo/U.S. State Department)

A damning report authored by the Republican-led House committee probing the Benghazi terror attacks faulted the Obama administration for a range of missteps before, during and after the fatal 2012 attacks – saying top administration officials huddled to craft their public response while military assets waited hours to deploy to Libya.

The report released Tuesday pointedly blamed a “rusty bureaucratic process” for the slow-moving response the night of the attack. The report said despite orders from President Obama and then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to deploy, the first military force did not do so until more than 13 hours after the attack started.

The report said one anti-terrorism security team known as the FAST unit sat waiting for three hours in Rota, Spain, as Marines changed “in and out of their uniforms four times,” and even debated whether they should carry personal weapons, according to one witness. All together, the report said, “it would take nearly 18 hours” for that team to move.

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U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Texas Abortion Law as Creating “Undue Burden on Abortion Access”

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Christian News Network reports:

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to abortion rights advocates, striking down a Texas law imposing strict regulations on abortion doctors and facilities that its critics contended were specifically designed to shut down clinics.

The 5-3 ruling held that the Republican-backed 2013 law placed an undue burden on women exercising their constitutional right to end a pregnancy established in the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The normally nine-justice court was one member short after the Feb. 13 death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who consistently opposed abortion in past rulings.

Conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy joined liberal members of the court in ruling that both key provisions of the law violate a woman’s constitutional right to obtain an abortion.

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5 Most Sickening Parts of Trump’s Meeting With Evangelical Leaders

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According to Rebecca Cusey of The Federalist, Donald Trump thinks religion is about “temporal power” and it seems several highly regarded (by some) evangelical leaders are on board with him.  Cusey writes:

Donald Trump On Tuesday, Donald Trump met with a few hundred evangelical leaders in New York City. I read through the transcript thinking maybe Trump might exhibit some charm, some thoughtfulness in a smaller setting that is lost on the large stage, something that would explain why people who profess to believe in Jesus would be so taken in by Trump.

Sadly, no. The transcript is shocking in its pandering: of Trump to evangelicals, yes—we expected that—but also in their pandering to Trump. Here are the most egregious takeaways. You can find the full transcript here.

Why Americans Should Celebrate the Brexit Vote

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Nile Gardiner of The Daily Signal has the story:

The momentous victory for the Brexit campaign signals a new era of freedom for the British people.

After more than four decades of being shackled to the European Union (previously the European Economic Community), Great Britain has declared its independence.

The vote for Brexit (52 percent of Britons cast ballots to leave the EU) is a vote for sovereignty and self-determination. Britain will no longer be subject to European legislation, with Britain’s Parliament retaking control. British judges will no longer be overruled by the European Court of Justice, and British businesses will be liberated from mountains of EU regulations, which have undermined economic liberty.

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Pope says Church should ask forgiveness from gays for past treatment

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Yahoo News has the Reuters report:

Pope Francis said on Sunday that Christians and the Roman Catholic Church should seek forgiveness from homosexuals for the way they had treated them.

Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back to Rome from Armenia, he also said the Church should ask forgiveness for the way it has treated women, for turning a blind eye to child labor and for “blessing so many weapons” in the past.

In the hour-long freewheeling conversation that has become a trademark of his international travels, Francis was asked if he agreed with recent comments by a German Roman Catholic cardinal that the Church should apologize to gays.

Francis looked sad when the reporter asked if an apology was made more urgent by the killing of 49 people at a gay club in Orlando, Florida this month.

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James Dobson Asserts: Donald Trump Is a “Baby Christian” Who Needs to Be “Cut Some Slack”

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According to Christian News Network:

James DobsonJames Dobson, the founder of the renown Colorado-based organization Focus on the Family, asserted this week after gathering with nearly 1,000 evangelical leaders to listen to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that he believes Trump is a “baby Christian” who needs to be “cut some slack.”

Dobson was interviewed by Michael Anthony of GodFactor.com, who likewise attended the event held at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan. Dobson characterized the gathering as “historic” among Christians, and shared his belief that Trump is himself a Christian.

“There are a lot of people ministering to him personally—a lot of ministers,” he stated in the recorded interview. “I mean, he did accept a relationship with Christ. I know the person who led him to Christ, and that’s fairly recent. I don’t know when it was, but it has not been long.”

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Brits Predict: Robots To Outnumber Humans Within 20 Years

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The desire to roboticize the world appears to be growing.  In the next few years the world will be inundated with bots.  According to FITPRO:

RobotHealthcare, automotive and fashion industries predicted to be hit most by technological innovation, survey reveals.

Robots will soon outnumber human beings and 3D printers will be used to create human organs, according to a survey of over 2,000 British adults.

The next two decades will see radically impact healthcare and automotive industries, according to SMG Insight and YouGov research commissioned by London & Partners, with GP consultations available through virtual reality or driverless cars replacing traditional vehicles.

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A prominent conservative columnist says he’s leaving the party because of Donald Trump

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AOL has the story from Business Insider:

Conservative columnist George Will said Friday that he’s leaving the GOP over Donald Trump‘s rise to becoming the party’s standard bearer.

Will suggested that a Democratic victory in the presidential election in November would be preferable to Trump winning the White House.

“Make sure he loses,” Will told PJ Media, a conservative blog. “Grit their teeth for four years and win the White House.”

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Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Paradigm awakens once again

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Berean Research fills us in on what “Purpose Driven Pope,” Rick Warren, is up to these days and voices some of her concerns:

Photo courtesy Apprising Ministries

Photo courtesy Apprising Ministries

In case you thought Rick Warren was fading into the background giving the New Apostolic Reformation the spotlight, think again. While the NAR “apostles” target youth ripe for revival, Warren is back in the saddle targeting pastors around the globe for his one-world P.E.A.C.E. Plan.

For the first time in almost a decade, Saddleback pastor Rick Warren is bringing his Purpose Driven Conference for pastors and leaders back to the United States, and inviting a worldwide audience to stream it online (for a mere $199). The conference takes place at his Lake Forest, California church in just a few days: June 28 – 30.

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Gallup: Euthanasia Now Accepted by 69% of Americans

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CNSNews reports:

A Gallup poll released today, June 24, found that the majority of Americans believe euthanasia should be legal, with 69 percent agreeing that when a person has an incurable disease and requests euthanasia “doctors should be allowed by law to end the patient’s life by some painless means.”

The first time Gallup found a majority in favor of euthanasia was 1973. The percentage in favor of euthanasia grew from 53 percent in 1973 to 65 percent in 1990.

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Germany fears Brexit could trigger domino effect, leading other nations to exit EU

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Fox News reports:

As the European Union’s founding nations rushed to an emergency meeting Saturday to consider their future, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government reportedly fears the United Kingdom could be just the first of several nations to pull out of the alliance.

A German government-run newspaper pleaded for the EU not to sever ties completely with Britain — otherwise France, the Netherlands, Hungary, Austria and Finland could lose any incentive to stay. The paper, Die Welt, called for keeping the UK an “associated partner country.”

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, celebrated the Brexit vote results, describing the EU as “doomed” and “dying.” Far-right leaders in France and the Netherlands called for their own referendums on staying in the EU, Sky News reported.

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More Than 1 Million Sign Petition Calling for Second EU Vote

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According to NewsMax:

An online petition calling for a second referendum on the U.K.’s membership of the European Union attracted the support of more than 1.4 million people by early Saturday afternoon in London.

The petition to Parliament says: “We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the Remain or Leave vote is less than 60 percent based a turnout less than 75 percent there should be another referendum.” In Thursday’s referendum, U.K. voters backed a so-called Brexit by 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent with a turnout of 72.2 percent.

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“Brexit is proof that Trump will be the next president”: “Anti-immigration” message and shift to the Right that led to UK’s seismic break with Europe draws parallels with rise of The Donald

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Daily Mail has the story:

As Donald Trump flew in to Scotland today after the UK’s seismic break with the European Union, parallels have been drawn with the anti-immigration message that led to Brexit and his rise to presumptive Republican presidential candidate.

Many have pointed out the similarities between Britain’s decision to leave the EU and Trump’s campaign – and believe it is an indication of how Americans will vote on November 8, which could see Trump in the White House.

The Donald’s arrival in the UK will be seen by many as a meeting of minds – two worlds colliding with shared views including a disgruntled electorate; lost national pride; isolationism; and the issue of immigration.

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NYC Requires Businesses to Replace “Men,” “Women” Single-Stall Restroom Signs With Unisex Wording

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According to Christian News Network:

Transgender bathroom signCity council members in New York City voted on Tuesday to require businesses to remove signs reading “men” and “women” outside single-stall restrooms to further the city’s policies on transgender restroom use.

The move was passed 47-2 and is expected to be signed by Mayor Bill De Blasio, who signed an executive order in March that allows men who identify as women and vice versa to use city-owned restroom facilities and locker rooms in accordance with their preferred identity.

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We Did It! Britain’s Independence Day Is Here!

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Breitbart reports:

No I can’t believe it either.

Nor, I imagine, will anyone at Glastonbury festival — where I now am, surrounded by 100,000 muddy, rain-drenched hippies pinching themselves in appalled disbelief and hoping it’s just the drugs that have messed with their heads, not reality they’re experiencing right now.

I only wrote this piece as a stop gap. Just in case the polls were wrong and the markets were wrong. But I did so more in vain hope than expectation. How can the pollsters have got it so awry? They were quoting 8 to 1 against Brexit yesterday, for goodness sake.

Actually, I do have my suspicions as to the likely answer.

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Does Greg Laurie’s Harvest Crusades Produce False Converts?

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From Berean Research:

In a  piece over at Pulpit & Pen, Jeremy Roten tackles the “false convert” issue.  Many people believe that by saying the “sinner’s prayer” or simply raising their hand during a church service to indicate they wish to have Christ in their life or going forward during a Billy Graham or Greg Laurie crusade means they’re born again (regenerate…saved).  In other words, doing these sorts of things means a person can say with certainty, “I’m a Christian.”  But do such methods save a person from going to hell?  Or have we been sold a bill of goods by well-meaning evangelists, pastors, church leaders, teachers and friends? Sadly, we have.  Thus, the visible Church has become rife with false converts. You ask, “how is this possible?” Jeremy Roten offers an explanation for what has been going on in Christendom…

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Obama administration refuses to stop California from forcing churches to pay for abortion

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According to Live Action News:

Alliance Defending Freedom and New Jersey Republican Congressman Chris Smith are calling out the Obama Administration for its latest rationale against protecting the conscience rights of pro-life Americans.

For almost two years, California has forced churches and religious organizations to cover abortions in their health insurance plans. Several of the affected groups have filed complaints with the Health and Human Service Department’s Office of Civil Rights, arguing that the state was violating the Weldon Amendment, annual appropriations language forbidding discrimination against entities that choose not to participate in abortion.

However, on Tuesday OCR Director Jocelyn Samuels responded to the complaints with a letter declaring her office found no violation of the Weldon Amendment and “is closing this matter without further action.”

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Obama’s Amnesty Plan Blocked by Supreme Court

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Breitbart reports:

 

Supreme Court buildingThe justices’ one-sentence opinion on Thursday effectively kills the plan for the duration of Obama’s presidency.

A tie vote sets no national precedent but leaves in place the ruling by the lower court. In this case, the federal appeals court in New Orleans said the Obama administration lacked the authority to shield up to 4 million immigrants from deportation and make them eligible for work permits without approval from Congress.

Texas led 26 Republican-dominated states in challenging the program Obama announced in November 2014. Congressional Republicans also backed the states’ lawsuit.

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Jerry Falwell Jr. Defends “Christian” Trump, Criticizes “Hypocrites” Concerned About Playboy Cover

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Christian News Network reports:

Jerry Falwell Jr.Jerry Falwell, Jr., the president of Liberty University, which heralds itself as the world’s largest Christian university and carries the motto “Training Champions for Christ,” defended his photograph with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Tuesday near a framed copy of Trump on the cover of Playboy magazine.

The March 1990 Playboy cover is displayed in Trump’s Manhattan office along with other magazine covers featuring the billionaire business mogul, and shows Trump standing next to model Brandi Brandt, who is partially wrapped in what appears to be a towel.

On Tuesday, while attending an event with nearly 1,000 evangelical leaders, Falwell had a picture taken with Trump along with his wife Becki. He posted the photograph on his Twitter page, writing, “Honored to introduce @realDonaldTrump at religious leader summit in NYC today! He did incredible job!”

But followers soon noticed the framed Playboy cover over Becki’s shoulder and quickly expressed concern.

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New Study Shows ’90s Era Condoms Programs Increased Teen Fertility Rates

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According to Michael J. New of National Review distributing condoms to teens increased sexual activity:

A new study by a pair of Notre Dame economists received some media attention this week. It found that school districts that instituted condom distribution programs in the early 1990s saw significant increases in the teen-fertility rate. This study fills an important gap in the existing research on contraceptive programs. There has been a considerable amount of academic research on Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) and oral contraceptives. However, there has been almost no academic research on high-school condom-distribution programs.

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Trump Is Surrounding Himself With Evangelical Pastors

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Actually, Trump has surrounded himself with false teachers and Christian leaders who have zero clout with most evangelicals.  Among the cloutless leaders are James Dobson and Richard Land.  Not many in the Christian community hold these men in high esteem anymore.  The list also includes two high-profile she-wolves: Paula White and Gloria Copeland. Emma Green of The Atlantic has the story.

Donald Trump and Pala WhiteJames Dobson. Richard Land. Ralph Reed. The ’90s are back in Trumpland, and the old-guard religious right is making its return. After Trump spoke at a meeting of more than 1,000 evangelicals and some Catholics on Tuesday, his campaign announced his appointment of an “evangelical executive advisory board” to lead a larger “Faith and Cultural Advisory Committee” that will be announced later in June.

The list reads like a who’s who of conservative Christian leaders. Ronnie Floyd just ended his term as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Jerry Falwell Jr. heads Liberty University. Reed and Dobson each founded highly influential Christian lobbying groups—the Faith and Freedom Coalition and Focus on the Family, respectively. Many of these figures are household-names among Christian families in America, having either started or inherited empire-sized talk-radio networks and organizations.

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Trump Support “End of Christian Right”

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According to NewsMax:

One of the nation’s influential Christian evangelical leaders said Tuesday that the meeting Donald Trump held with evangelical leaders in New York marks “the end of the Christian right.”

“While I don’t question the motives of those who are trekking to the Tower, I strongly dissent from the wisdom of their chosen path,” Michael Farris, chancellor of Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Va., wrote in an op-ed in The Christian Post.

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You Can’t Be Lesbian Or Gay If Britain Leaves The EU, Corbyn Suggests

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Breitbart reports:

People should vote to stay in the European Union (EU) because it lets them be gay and lesbian, the leader of the Labour Party has suggested.

Speaking on a Sky News question and answer session on Monday evening, Jeremy Corbyn praised the European Convention of Human Rights, which the EU and Britain have incorporated into their own law, and suggested basic rights would be under threat if Britain votes Leave.

“Our right to free speech, our right to express ourselves, our right to be lesbian, be gay, be straight, but ever you want to be, it is very important,” he said.

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