According to International Business Times:
Only 28% of heterosexuals believe that “there is no middle ground – you are either heterosexual or you are not”.
Kinsey estimated that around 10% of the population was gay, although this percentage was criticised by the American Statistical Association. However, a 2011 Gallup poll asked over 1,000 people in the US “what percentage of Americans today would you say are gay or lesbian?” On average, respondents guessed that 1-in-4 Americans were.
According to CNSNews:
A recently released poll shows significant public support for the protection of religious liberty—especially when special rights based on sexual orientation are being advanced at its expense.
The results reveal hope for the classical liberal vision of America: they indicate that most Americans still appear to want maximum freedom and individual rights protection.
According to Caddell Associates, which conducted the poll, “[t]here is an overwhelming sense on the part of American voters that they want to find common ground in order to protect both the expression of religious freedom and the rights of gays and lesbians.”
According to CNN:
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson on Thursday defended his past use of tissue from aborted fetuses for medical research even as he continued to criticize Planned Parenthood.
The retired neurosurgeon said his research, which took place in 1992, does not conflict with his call to defund Planned Parenthood after several undercover videos surfaced that purportedly show officials with the organization working with research companies using tissue from aborted fetuses.
Baptist Press reports on what occurred at the 2015 Send North America Conference during a main session panel discussion led by Kevin Ezell.
Ezell, president of the North America Mission Board, was joined on the platform by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Daniel Akin, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. and Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore.
“Each one of these men would tell you — we cannot do what we do, and David [Platt] and the IMB [International Mission Board] cannot do what they do, if it were not for the sacrificial gifts of people in churches who give faithfully every Sunday,” said Ezell, who added he is equally appreciative of “churches who make a commitment to … the Cooperative Program. As they give [through] that, part of that goes to support the International Mission Board, the North American Mission Board, the ERLC and all the seminaries.”
According to Christian News Network:
The Colorado Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling requiring a Christian baker to make cakes for “gay weddings” despite his biblical beliefs not to be a partaker in other men’s sins. (1 Timothy 5:22)
“We conclude that the act of same-sex marriage is closely correlated to Craig’s and Mullins’ sexual orientation, and therefore, [the initial arbiter] did not err when he found that Masterpiece’s refusal to create a wedding cake for Craig and Mullins was ‘because of’ their sexual orientation,’” the three-judge panel, consisting of Judges Daniel Taubman, Judge Michael Berger and Judge Alan Loeb, ruled on Thursday.
Christian Examiner reports:
If a teenage boy living in New Jersey is sexually attracted to other boys, a law signed by Gov. Chris Christie in 2013 says he shouldn’t ever have to undergo counseling that attempts to change his attraction.
The same law also protects those 18 and under who were born one gender, yet identify as another. But what if a minor wants counseling that helps him reduce or do away with unwanted same-sex attractions or identity?
According to Liberty Counsel, those minors are being denied their right to receive that type of counseling, because licensed mental health professionals in New Jersey are currently forbidden to offer it, even if the client wants it.
The Daily Signal reports:
The three states that recently denied taxpayers’ money to Planned Parenthood affiliates likely will be followed by others as public pressure mounts on governors and other state officials, regardless of whether Congress votes to defund the nation’s leading abortion provider.
Defunding on the state level—as in Alabama, Louisiana, and New Hampshire—may not be as sharp a blow to Planned Parenthood as loss of half a billion dollars a year from the federal government, a lawyer for a prominent opponent told The Daily Signal.
The Center for Medical Progress has just released the second video in the series they’re producing on Planned Parenthood’s barbaric practice of selling aborted baby body parts:
The second episode in a new documentary web series highlights a young woman’s eyewitness narrative of the daily practice of fetal body parts harvesting in Planned Parenthood abortion clinics, describing tissue procurement workers’ coordination with abortion providers, the pressure placed on patients, and disregard for patient consent.
The “Human Capital” documentary web series, produced by The Center for Medical Progress, integrates expert interviews, eyewitness accounts, and real-life undercover interactions to explore various themes connected to Planned Parenthood’s sale of aborted fetal tissue. Episode 1, “Planned Parenthood’s Black Market in Baby Parts,” premiered last month. Episode 2, “Inside the Planned Parenthood Supply Site,” launches today at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABzFZM73o8M
The series follows the personal narrative of Holly O’Donnell, a former Blood and TIssue Procurement Technician for StemExpress, a start-up biotech company from northern California that partners with Planned Parenthood clinics to purchase their aborted fetus parts and resell them for scientific experimentation. As a procurement tech, O’Donnell’s job was to identify pregnant patients matching the specifications of StemExpress customers and to harvest the fetal body parts from their abortions.
From Berean Research:
By keeping you updated on the continuing exposure of the opposing statements that continue to contradict what one of the largest megachurches in the world has said about two gay men serving in its church, some will tell us we are “beating a dead horse.” We could easily listen to those voices and stop reporting these very disturbing new twists and turns, but then many sheep would be continuing to be mislead by taking Hillsong’s do-what-I-say statements as fact. We are all to contend for the faith, expose lies and teachings that directly contradict God’s Word and point people to the true Gospel of Christ.
No, we are not beating a dead horse, but sounding the alarm so that those who are caught up in deception may be snatched away from its destructive flames. Here then is the latest from ChurchWatch Central
Recently we posted an article explaining how we are concerned that Carl Lentz had made misleading statements to Dr. James White about Hillsong’s position on the acceptance of gay people within the Hillsong Community. Our unease stemmed from a recent episode of The Dividing Line in which Dr. White discusses some email interaction he had with Carl Lentz, and his concerns about a recent statement made by Brian Houston about the inclusion of unrepentant homosexuals as congregation members of Hillsong Church.
Berean Research reports the latest on the T.D. Jakes dust up:
T.D. Jakes is a master of obfuscation. This was very apparent in his recent TV interview with Huffington Post’s Marc Lamont Hill. Thus, a controversy erupted over some of the things he said – and failed say. That he’s a master of obfuscation was also obvious during the Elephant Room 2 controversy that came about over whether or not Jakes’ view of the Trinity is biblical. Most people are unaware that he has been associated with modalism, a heretical belief that rejects the orthodox view of the Trinity. For those who are unclear about this, a belief in the Trinity is an essential of Christianity and one of the non-negotiables. So if a person chooses to deny the existence of the Trinity or rejects the settled orthodox view set forth in Scripture, he/she is not a true Christian. During the E-2 discussion to clarify his beliefs with regard to the Trinity, Jakes did anything but clarify. His tap dance made Gene Kelly look like a rank amateur. Although he tried his best to come across as a true trinitarian, his arguments were unconvincing. (Daniel Neades makes the case)
There’s more. Jakes not only denies the Bible’s clear teaching with regard to the Trinity, he preaches the Word of Faith-prosperity gospel which comes out of the metaphysical New Thought teachings of Phineas Quimby. Word-faith is the belief that faith is a force and words are the containers of the force. Words can be used to manipulate the faith-force — name it and claim it. By manipulating the faith-force we can create our own reality. Those who hold this view also believe Scripture promises health and wealth which is where we get terms such as “prosperity gospel” and “health & wealth gospel.” With this in mind, is “Bishop” Jakes a true Christian or a counterfeit?
The answer is that those who are outside the bounds of historic orthodox Christianity are counterfeit Christians.
According to Christian News Network:
A team of American and British scientists has published a new report detailing how natural selection, “the engine of evolution,” can actually prevent evolution from happening—a potentially devastating setback for evolutionists.
Natural selection, a term first popularized by Charles Darwin, plays a fundamental role in the theory of evolution. In his infamous book “The Origin of Species,” Darwin proposed that natural selection “leads to divergence of character and to much extinction of the less improved and intermediate forms of life.”
So, what did he know and when did he know it? Discover the truth of the matter on the (unedited) video that’s posted on the Pulpit&Pen blog.
This really ought to be the final segment in this long saga on Hillsong’s attempt to cover-up their acceptance of homosexuals in ministry and service roles in the NYC congregation. This is the smoking gun, and the bullet fired was straight at the heart of Brian Houston’s moral authority and personal integrity.
The recap: Last week, a few discernment websites exposed Hillsong NYC for their acceptance of a celebrity homosexual couple in the church choir – one as a choir director and the other as a choir member (source link). Some argued that Lentz (the Hillsong NYC) pastor had “dealt with it” and others argued that the discernment blogs were less than accurate in their reporting. Brian Houston, Hillsong senior pastor from Australia, issued a press release saying that he had only recently found out about the gay couple after an article about the homosexual Hillsong couple hit the press in January (source link). Chris Rosebrough covered this issue on Fighting for the Faith and explained that the word of Carl Lentz and Brian Houston should not be trusted (source link). Still, some wanted to take the word of Lentz and Houston, like Dr. Michael Brown in his article at Charisma Mag, who reduced the story to “internet rumors” (source link). We brought to you three videos from Carl Lentz, giving very troubling statements in regard to homosexuality (source link). Then, we brought to you the open letter from the homosexual couple stating that they were open and honest with Hillsong about their relationship “from the beginning” and still served the church both in music ministry and a “connect group” host (source link). And, I discussed all of the above in a podcast, here.
For the record (again), this is a screenshot of Houston’s statement in which he alleges no one knew about the openly-homosexual couple serving in their ministry (source link)…
Christian Examiner reports some of what went on during the first GOP debate:
Top tier GOP candidates. Photo courtesy
siegg.com
Having the largest Republican field in modern presidential history on one stage limited the scope and depth of Thursday’s first GOP debate, but social issues still played a major role.
Ten GOP candidates appeared in front of a FoxNews primetime audience for a 2-hour debate at Quicken Loans Arena, hours after seven lower-tier candidates took part in their own one-hour debate.
The 10-member field was chosen by a “poll of polls,” and – judging by a sampling of political observers – the debate was worth watching.
Of the 17 candidates, 16 are self-described as being pro-life, including Donald Trump, who came into the night leading the national Republican field by about 11 points, according to RealClearPolitics.com. (George Pataki, a lower-tier candidate, is the lone pro-choicer.)
Trump was asked to explain his pro-life position in light of labeling himself pro-choice 15 years ago. Moderator Megyn Kelly challenged him, saying he once even supported partial-birth abortion.
“I’ve evolved on many issues over the years. And you know who else has? Ronald Reagan evolved on many issues,” Trump said. “And I am pro-life. … What happened is [that] friends of mine years ago were going to have a child, and it was going to be aborted. And it wasn’t aborted. And that child today is a total superstar, a great, great child. And I saw that. And I saw other instances. And I am very, very proud to say that I am pro-life.”
Hindustan Times reports:
Ugandan LGBT activists gathered for a gay pride rally to celebrate one year since the overturning of a struct anti-homosexuality law, though the jubliant mood was subdued over fears that tougher legislation may be on its way.
Condemned by rights groups but popular among many Ugandans, the overturned law called for proven homosexuals to be jailed for life and requiring the public to denounce gays to the authorities.
The constitutional court threw it out on a technicality last August, six months after it took effect.
On Saturday, dozens met outside the capital Kampala on the shores of Lake Victoria, waving rainbow flags.
The rally culminated a week of events that included a transgender awareness day and a “Mr and Miss Pride” beauty pageant, attended by about 200 people.
Christian News Network reports:
Megachurch leader and author T.D. Jakes says that homosexuals should attend congregations that affirm their lifestyle and that politics do not need to reflect biblical ethics, adding that his position on homosexuality is both “evolved and evolving.”
During an interview with the Huffington Post on Monday, Jakes was asked by a viewer if he believes that homosexuals and the black church can co-exist.
“Absolutely… I think it is going to be diverse from church to church. Every church has a different opinion on the issue and every gay person is different,” he replied. “And I think that to speak that the church—the black church, the white church or any kind of church you wanna call it—are all the same, is totally not true.”
Jakes said that he thinks homosexuals should find congregations that affirm their lifestyle.
Susan Michelle of Live Action News takes emerging author, blogger, and speaker Rachel Held Evans to task over a recent Facebook post where she states that she’s pro-life but supports abortion mill Planned Parenthood. For those who are unfamiliar with Evans, here’s a bit of background info from a piece over at Stand Up For The Truth:
“She writes an uber-popular blog, and many of her articles are adored and shared by Christian women everywhere. Sadly, even women in Christian leadership don’t see the harm in sharing cool reads from a woman who no longer believes the Bible is true, who supports gay marriage and homosexual pastors, and who doesn’t believe Jesus is the only way.”
So obviously Evans is not a Christian in the true sense of the word, even though Michelle refers to her as a “progressive Christian.” This means she’s a liberal “Christian”…..which is an oxymoron.
Susan Michelle writes:
Author Rachel Held Evans has gained notoriety in Christian circles in recent years as a “progressive Christian.” Now she’s making waves on Facebook by asserting that we can’t suddenly strip Planned Parenthood of its funding.
Progressive Christianity is a liberal religion that leans more toward social justice, saving the earth, and even multiple views of Jesus’ purpose. A website devoted to progressive Christianity says it:
Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness and Oneness of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom in our spiritual journey
Progressive Christianity includes churches that are part of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, a pro-abortion advocacy organization that includes the United Methodist Church, Presbyterian USA, Evangelical Lutherans and Episcopal Church.
Christian Examiner reports:
A new non-discrimination policy at First Baptist Church in Greenville will offer same-sex marriage ceremonies and allow membership, leadership positions, church ordinances, and ordination to openly gay and transgender individuals without telling them their lifestyles contradict biblical teaching.
“It’s going to open up a space for evangelical gay people to have a place again,” Pastor Jim Dant said of his church’s recent consensus to “not discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
First Baptist Church of Greenville has a storied history dating back to its 1831 founding when William Bullein Johnson led fundraising efforts to start the church. Johnson later served as the first president of the Southern Baptist Convention upon its organization in 1845. The church was the original home of Furman University and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
According to Christian Examiner:
If faced with a choice between gay rights and religious liberty, Americans overwhelmingly would choose religious liberty, according to a new poll reported in the Washington Examiner.
The newspaper reported Americans, asked to choose theoretically between the rights of a gay couple and Christian photographer who objects to photographing a gay wedding, chose 4-to-1 (82 percent) in favor of the photographer’s right to decline the business of the gay couple.
The question was part of a survey conducted by Caddell and Associates, the polling firm founded by Pat Caddell, a former Carter administration staffer and now a FOX News contributor.
According to Christian News Network:
Officials in the state of New Hampshire have voted to defund the abortion giant Planned Parenthood on Wednesday, canceling its $650,000 contract.
The 3-2 party line vote by the State Executive Council comes as a result of a series of videos released by the Center for Medical Progress, showing that the organization harvests the organs of aborted babies donated by their mothers, and sells them to scientific companies who pay the organization the body parts.
Catholic News Agency reports:
Dissenting Catholic groups have called for gay marriage to be recognized as a sacrament, but Catholic theology has a clear priority: marriage is God’s creation – and not even the Church can change that.
Dr. John Grabowski, a professor of moral theology at Catholic University of America, said that the push for “sacramental equality” by groups such as Dignity USA shows “a lack of understanding of what the Church is and the nature of the Church and what the sacraments are.”
“’Marriage equality’ made for a good slogan, but in the Church’s understanding, marriage is not something that can be ‘redefined’; if you will, by interest groups, by government, or even by the Church itself,” he told CNA July 29.
According to Berean Research:
When one of Hillsong New York City’s worship leaders announced he is a practicing, unrepentant homosexual, and that he is marrying his fellow church singer and boyfriend, Hillsong leadership says nothing. Until this morning. Eight months after news of one of its male members – director of Hillsong’s choir, announced to the world that he proposed to his boyfriend and also told his church leaders about his sexual practices:
“I need to be truthful with everyone. I became truthful with my church. I’m a part of Hillsong NYC. I’m one of their choir directors. I also sing on their Worship team. They’ve been amazing as well. Nothing has changed there now that I’m completely out and with Reed. He sings in the choir as well. I found that being an honest person has actually come with a lot of benefits. People are more sincere with you, and you find out a lot more about other people when you become honest.”
Today the Hillsong crisis communications team issued this press release from Brian Houston:
According to ChristianExaminer:
In a sermon reminiscent of the fiery rhetoric of an Islamic State preacher, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, now 82, said in Miami the time has come for 10,000 black volunteers to kill white Americans.
In the sermon at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Farrakhan said he was looking for “10,000 in the midst of the million … 10,000 fearless men who say death is sweeter than continued life under tyranny” to retaliate against white Americans because of their alleged oppression of black people.
A fifth video has surfaced. Fox News has the report:
A Planned Parenthood executive admits in an undercover video that her doctors alter abortion procedures and she manipulates prices to accommodate specific fetal tissue harvesting requests — including delivering fully intact fetuses — though doing so may violate federal law.
In the nearly 16-minute, edited video, the fifth released by Center for Medical Progress, a woman identified as Melissa Farrell, director of research for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, discusses pricing for specimens — ranging from intact fetuses to tissue and organs — for outside tissue procurement companies.
“Yeah, and so if we alter our process, and we are able to obtain intact fetal cadavers, then we can make it part of the budget, that any dissections are this, and splitting the specimens into different shipments is this,” Farrell said. “I mean it’s all just a matter of line items.”
Berean Research reports:
When one of Hillsong New York City’s worship leaders announced he is a practicing, unrepentant homosexual, and that he is marrying his fellow church singer and boyfriend, Hillsong leadership says nothing.
The musician, announced to the world a few months ago that he proposed to his boyfriend and also told his church leaders about his sexual practices:
“I need to be truthful with everyone. I became truthful with my church. I’m a part of Hillsong NYC. I’m one of their choir directors. I also sing on their Worship team. They’ve been amazing as well. Nothing has changed there now that I’m completely out and with Reed. He sings in the choir as well. I found that being an honest person has actually come with a lot of benefits. People are more sincere with you, and you find out a lot more about other people when you become honest.”
According to CNS News:
Yahoo Parenting reported on Thursday that an 18-year-old girl who began her “transition” to male last year, took steps to ensure “he” could have a biologically-related child.
Cole Carman, who lives in San Francisco, decided that in addition to major surgery and hormone therapy she would undergo another medical procedure: having her eggs harvested.
The idea, however, came from the doctor treating Cole with hormones, according to Yahoo.
“I’ve always known I wanted to have kids of my own, so when my endocrinologist talked to me about it, it was a no-brainer,” Carman told Yahoo Parenting.