NPR’s Health News has the story:
Stanford law professor and bioethicist Hank Greely predicts that in the future most people in developed countries won’t have sex to make babies. Instead they’ll choose to control their child’s genetics by making embryos in a lab.
On KQED’s Forum program, Michael Krasny spoke with Greely about his new book, The End of Sex and the Future of Human Reproduction. Greely highlights the ethical and legal questions that might arise in the future’s reproductive paradigm.
According to Breitbart:
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch revealed Sunday that the government will release the transcripts of the 911 calls made by the Orlando terrorist during the attack last Sunday — scrubbed of any references to Islam or the Islamic State (ISIS).
She told Chuck Todd on NBC News’ Meet the Press that the “FBI is releasing a partial [printed] transcript of the killer’s calls with law enforcement, from inside the club,” but added: “What we’re not going to do is further proclaim this man’s pledges of allegiance to terrorist groups, and further his propaganda.”
Todd responded, incredulously: “We’re not going to hear him talk about those things?”
Lynch added: “We will hear him talk about some of those things, but we are not going to hear him make his assertions of allegiance and that.”
According to former transgender Walt Heyer, “Research studies from 2013 and 2009 looking for a ‘transgender gene’ showed not a smidgeon of abnormality in the genetic make-up that causes someone to be transgender.” In a piece over at The Daily Signal Heyer lays out some of the serious problems facing those who are transgender persons:
For instance, a 2016 study comparing 20 Lebanese transgender participants to 20 control subjects reported that transgender individuals suffer from more psychiatric pathologies compared to the general population. More than 50 percent had active suicidal thoughts and 45 percent had had a major depressive episode.
While it may not be politically correct to link psychological disorders with the transgender population, the researchers see the evidence that a link exists. As a former transgender person, I wish the guy who approved me for gender surgery would have told me about the risks.
Christian News Network reports:
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump recently stated that he hopes he won’t have to seek forgiveness for much from God when it was again noted that despite his claims to be a Christian, he admits he doesn’t think about the need for personal forgiveness and repentance.
He was interviewed by conservative talk show host and author Cal Thomas about a variety of issues, from Trump’s opinion on entitlement programs, to education, to his first executive orders if elected as president. He was also asked about his failure to admit that he needs forgiveness.
“Every president has called upon God at some point. Lincoln spoke of not being able to hold the office of the presidency without spending time on his knees. You have confessed that you are a Christian,” Thomas told the presumptive Republican nominee.
Jeff Maples of Pulpit & Pen warns us to watch out for a highly unbiblical teaching that has wormed its way into the visible Church: Vision-casting. If what you’re about to hear in the video is taught in the church you attend, it may be time to high-tail it out of there and start looking for another church.
According to Breitbart:
Photo credit: Big Planet Watch.
Disney/Pixar’s upcoming film Finding Dory features a transgender stingray who transitions to become “Sting-Rhonda,” the film’s star Ellen DeGeneres revealed in an interview.
The sequel to the 2003 smash hit Finding Nemo has already fueled speculation that it will be the first Disney film to feature a lesbian couple, but Degeneres, who voices the titular blue fang fish, told USA Today in an interview that the film will feature a “trans sting.”
“There’s a stingray that’s becoming sting-Rhonda, so there’s a trans sting in the movie,” DeGeneres said.
Fox News reports:
The Clinton Foundation has accepted millions from Middle Eastern and other foreign governments that criminalize homosexuality – but prominent gay rights groups in America have stayed silent on the apparent disconnect between Hillary Clinton’s rhetoric and the donations.
“Unquestionably, they’re not standing up for their principles,” said Human Rights Foundation President Thor Halvorssen.
CNSNews reports:
Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday that U.S. efforts have not reduced the “terrorism capability and global reach” of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
“Unfortunately, despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group’s terrorism capability and global reach,” Brennan said in his written testimony.
Mike Gonzalez of The Daily Signal wonders how a person born and raised in America can turn into a terrorist bent on executing his fellow countrymen. Gonzalez makes the point that Americans need to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. He writes:
Despite signs everywhere that the Orlando massacre has failed to bring the country together, there seems to be a growing consensus on at least one point—considering a return to E Pluribus Unum.
This is a national debate that conservatives have long demanded and should relish having.
Breitbart reports:
Thursday at a hearing on CIA intelligence activities, CIA Director John Brennan said ISIS is attempting infiltrate operatives into the West through “refugee flows, smuggling routes and legitimate methods of travel.”
Brennan said, “Unfortunately, despite all of our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the groups terrorism capability and global reach. The resources needed for terrorism are modest. The group would have to suffer even heaver loses on territory, manpower and money for the terrorist capacity to decline significantly. Moreover the groups foreign branches and global networks can help preserve the capacity for terrorism regardless of events in Iraq and Syria. In fact, as the pressure mounts on ISIL we judge it will intensify it’s global terror campaign to maintain its dominance of the global terrorism agenda.”
Bill Muehlenberg of Culture Watch examines how Islam, Judaism and Christianity view homosexuality. Do all three of these monotheistic religions affirm death for homosexuals? According to Muehlenberg,
Homosexuality is condemned in all three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. While there are some similarities found on this issue in all three, there are also some major differences. Here I wish to focus on just one aspect of this: homosexuality and the death penalty.
In short, Judaism and Islam both call for the death penalty on this, while New Testament Christianity does not. But this needs to be much more fully explained. Part of the reason I raise this issue here is because the enemies of Christianity love to abuse and misuse all this.
Christian News Network reports:
In an incident that some are calling “demonic,” a viral online video shows a California abortionist confronting a man last week with scissors while declaring his love for killing babies and his refusal to turn to Christ.
The confrontation took place at Family Planning Associates in San Diego on Saturday as Zephaniah Mel stood outside of the facility preaching the gospel and calling those inside to repent.
“You’ve got to repent, sir, from murdering babies,” Mel states calmly as he sees abortionist Robert Santella, 72, step outside.
Bud Ahlheim of Pulpit & Pen examines what he deems are some of the problems with the Southern Baptist Convention. He believes the SBC “has set aside the sound teaching of Biblical truth. That it is “seeking the touchy-feely warm fuzzies that seem to soothe the unrepentant soul. Rather than edifying the believer, the SBC pursues ecstatic entertainment to appeal to goats.” He writes:
Pastor Ronnie Floyd, president, Southern Baptist Convention. Photo courtesy Pulpit & Pen
If you web wander over to the Baptist Press today (June 15) – today being the day after Ronnie Floyd’s 2016 National Call to Prayer for Spiritual Leadership, Revived Churches Nationwide, and Global Awakening – you will find numerous stories about the Southern Baptist Convention’s second day of business.
There was, of course, the vote for a new president which, according to the Christian Post, could be a turning point for the convention as it determines “whether Millennial Reformed Theology Represents The Future” for the denomination. The vote, if you don’t know, lacked the necessary majority. It has gone to a runoff with consideration of the issue carried over to today’s business.
According to The Daily Signal:
A recently released report confirms what Common Core critics have suspected all along: Common Core State Standards do not adequately prepare students for college-level work.
The ACT report finds many concerning shortcomings in the Common Core State Standards, which have been adopted by most states. Notably, the report reveals:
PJ Media reports:
An ISIS-affiliated media group issued new statements today praising Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen as a “lion of the caliphate” and a “hero” for slaughtering 49 “infidels” — and calling on other lone jihadis to follow his example.
The Obama administration has confirmed that Mateen was consuming ISIS propaganda online before he opened fire at the Pulse nightclub early Sunday morning and called 911 to swear fidelity to ISIS.
According to one of the club’s regular customers, the terrorist “was a homosexual and he was trying to pick up men. He would walk up to them and then he would maybe put his arm round them or something … That’s what people do at gay bars. That’s what we do.” The Guardian has the story:
The gunman who killed 49 people in an attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando is said to have been a regular at the venue and had messaged several people on gay dating apps, according to reports.
An unnamed FBI official told the Associated Press on Tuesday that the bureau was investigating the claims.
At least four regular customers said they had seen killer Omar Mateen drinking at the nightclub on multiple occasions. “Sometimes he would go over in the corner and sit and drink by himself, and other times he would get so drunk he was loud and belligerent,” Ty Smith told the Orlando Sentinel.
Justin Holcomb of Townhall has the story:
The United Cyber Caliphate, an offshoot of the ISIS cyber warfare group, has released a list that includes names, addresses, and email addresses belonging to over 8,000 people, making it one of the longest target lists ISIS-affiliated groups have distributed.
Christian News Network has the story:
An illustrious chemist who has previously shed light on critical shortcomings in scientists’ understanding of evolution has written a detailed essay explaining “the massive gaps in our understanding” of how life first originated.
Dr. James Tour is a professor of chemistry, computer science, and materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University. He has written over 590 research publications and over 100 patents, and he is the recipient of numerous scientific awards.
Marsha West, General Editor CRN
When I heard that Jan Crouch died of a massive stroke, to be quite honest, I was not saddened by the news. Why? Well, for one thing Jan and her deceased husband Paul promoted the worst sort of heresy imaginable: Word of Faith. But you wouldn’t find that out by reading the Christian Post’s puff piece. Janice Crouch was a controversial figure to be sure. But inquiring minds learned nothing about that from CP. Certainly part of the reason for the controversy was the colossal pink-tinged “cotton candy” wigs, heavy make-up, and the lavish lifestyle she and husband Paul enjoyed. But there were many other reasons the Crouches were controversial. So let’s take a quick look at their history.
The couple were the founders and leaders of Trinity Broadcasting Network. TBN has been in business since 1973 and has an estimated net worth of half a billion dollars. A single Praise-A-Thon can bilk faithful viewers out of as much as $50 million tax exempt donations. The Crouches were known for their scandalous statements against anyone who dared challenge the cultic Faith teaching they were spreading on a global scale via their cable TV network. The following is excerpted from “Televangelist Paul Crouch Leaves a Dirty Legacy; Evangelical Christians Look the Other Way” by Terry Firma:
The New York Times published an exposé of the Crouches’ financial tricks last year. It tells you volumes about how the darling duo spent all that revenue from donations, TV rights, and investments.
The [couple’s] lavish perquisites, described by [estranged granddaughter and former financial officer Brittany] Koper and corroborated by interviews with two other former TBN employees, include additional, often-vacant homes in Texas and on the former Conway Twitty estate in Tennessee, corporate jets valued at $8 million and $49 million each and thousand-dollar dinners with fine wines, paid with tax-exempt funds.
More:
[F]ormer TBN employees also said that dozens of staff members, including Ms. Koper, chauffeurs, sound engineers and others had been ordained as ministers by TBN. This, she said, allowed the network to avoid paying Social Security taxes on their salaries and made it easier to justify providing family members with rent-free houses, sometimes called “parsonages.” (Source)
The above is just a tidbit of information that can be gleaned from a Google search. But nothing like this was mentioned in CP’s report, even though the controversy still rages. Also not mentioned in the puff piece is the fact that because of TBN, Faith teaching has become one of this era’s greatest threats to authentic Christianity.
James Carafano of The Daily Signal reports:
It’s not surprising that, after the first responders, the first response to the horrific attack that killed 50 or more people at gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando was a sometimes vicious debate.
The instant anger to President Barack Obama’s statement about the attack reflects a deep and growing distrust over how this administration responds to the threat of global terrorism.
According to Oregon Live:
An Oregon judge ruled Friday that a transgender person can legally change their sex to “non-binary” rather than male or female in what legal experts believe is a first in the United States.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Amy Holmes Hehn legally changed 52-year-old Jamie Shupe‘s sex from “female” to non-binary.
Recently Pope Francis met with Pastor Life Coach Joel Osteen as well as a group of televangelists that included Kenneth Copeland and James Robison. Now the Pope has reached out to New Apostolic Reformation leaders, including Bethel Church’s residing senior associate leader Kris Vallotton. Charisma News, a site we do not recommend, has the story:
Some of the most recognizable names in the charismatic movement had a private meeting with Pope Francis on Friday. Mike Bickle, Che Ahn, Kris Vallotton, Stacey Campbell and dozens of other Protestant leaders from North America and Europe gathered at the Vatican.
According to Bickle, director of IHOP in Kansas City, the purpose of the meeting was to engage in an on-going dialogue about the pontiff’s views on Jesus and Christianity.
“The meeting lasted a couple of hours. They gave us the opportunity to ask questions. The meeting was very warm and personal,” Bickle told Charisma News. “I asked him about his views on the serious error and deception of universalism that claims that ‘all paths lead to God’ and other religions being saved without receiving the grace of God that only comes through Jesus. He assured me that he believes that Jesus is the only way of salvation.”
See our research paper on the Roman Catholic Church
Fox News has this breaking story:
A gunman who federal authorities say had possible ties to terrorism opened fire early Sunday morning in a packed Orlando nightclub, killing 50 people and wounding at least 53 more in a bloody scene that ended hours later when police stormed the building and killed the shooter.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer asked Gov. Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency following the attack.
The gunman was identified as Omar Mateen, Rep. Alan Grayson said during a Sunday morning press conference. Mateen was a U.S. citizen, Grayson said, though that was “not true of other family members of his.” Mateen, 29, lived in Fort Pierce, Fla. He was born in the U.S. to parents of Afghan origin and was a Muslim, Fox News confirmed.
Authorities were going through Mateen’s belongings on Sunday morning trying to identify a motive for the attack, Grayson said.
“More likely than not, that it was an ideologically motivated attack,” Grayson said, though he said it was unclear if Mateen was linked to any terror groups.
Lee Duigon, contributing editor with Chalcedon Foundation, shows the ways in which liberals are decimating every trace of biblical morality. He writes:
Again I say it: kill the culture, and the culture will kill you right back.
Throw off God’s laws, and man’s laws will suffer, too.
Few cities reject godliness like San Francisco, Gay by the Bay. Its leaders, its thinkers, speak of “San Francisco values” is if they actually believed in them. Those values would include the public festival of sexual lawlessness that they call a “pride parade,” defiantly taking pride in what ought to be a source of shame.
Would it surprise you to learn that property crime in San Francisco is up 60 percent since 2010? That it now has the highest per capita property crime among all of America’s top 50 cities? And the city tourist board is getting nervous about “street behavior” that sends the tourists fleeing to Des Moines. “Street behavior” is a euphemism covering many antisocial acts, from “overly aggressive panhandling”—is that another euphemism for mugging?—to shooting up with drugs right out on the sidewalk for everyone to see.
