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

Yet More Sexual Insanity

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion

Apologist and ethicist Bill Muehlenberg writes:

One can argue that the past century has been one grand social experiment to see what life would be like if we kicked God and transcendent moral values out of the West. Well, the results are in, and it is not looking very good. When we ditch the one certain source of objective morality and absolute truth, mankind is simply left to its own devices.

We end up making things up as we go along, and everyone does what is right in their own eyes. Anything goes, and this is especially true in the area of sexuality. All boundaries are cast aside, and every kinky and bizarre thing imaginable is engaged in and sanctioned.

Everywhere we see the brave new world of unbridled sexuality. And despite what the sexual libertines say, we all suffer as a result – especially children. When we manage to foolishly convince ourselves that absolutely anything goes when it comes to sexuality, then there will always be plenty of losers.

So let me offer another handful of cases, beginning with this shocker from Italy:

View article →

Swiss Guard veteran claims existence of ‘gay network’ at the Vatican

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

According to The Guardian:

A former commander of the Swiss Guard, the small force of men whose job it is to protect the pope, has said there is “a network of homosexuals” within the Vatican, the latest in a series of claims about gay priests working at the heart of the Roman Catholic church.

Elmar Mäder, who was commandant of the Guard from 2002 until 2008, said his time at the heart of the Vatican had given him an insight into certain aspects of life there. “I cannot refute the claim that there is a network of homosexuals. My experiences would indicate the existence of such a thing,” he told the Swiss newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag.

View article →

Lloyd-Jones On Holiness

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙ ,

Apologist and ethicist Bill Muehlenberg writes:

Over his many years as a preacher, Martyn Lloyd-Jones would have uttered tens of thousands of words about holiness. This was part of the many millions of words he spoke on basic Christian truths, such as the nature and attributes of God, the life and work of Christ, and the content and glory of the gospel.

What I am attempting to do here is much more modest in aim. I am referring to just one of his sermons as found in just one of his books. But what is found there is certainly representative of his broader teachings on the subject, and is well worth sharing here.

In the 1940s the Doctor did a series of sermons on the First Epistle of John. In the 1990s Crossway Books turned them into a series of five volumes. In vol. 3, Children of God, we have chapter three, entitled simply, “Holiness”. Although just a dozen pages in length, it packs a punch as it delivers many valuable spiritual truths.

View article →

Obama Reaffirms Commitment to Abortion Despite March for Life in U.S. Capital

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙

Christian News Network reports:

Barack Obama reaffirmed his commitment to abortion today despite the throng of thousands that gathered in the nation’s capital for the annual March for Life.

“Today, as we reflect on the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, we recommit ourselves to the decision’s guiding principle: that every woman should be able to make her own choices about her body and her health,” he wrote in his yearly statement on Wednesday. “We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to protecting a woman’s access to safe, affordable health care and her constitutional right to privacy, including the right to reproductive freedom.”

View article →

Reformed contemplative at Liberate 2014/One Way Love Conference

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

By John Lanagan

“One of the ways I have found helpful in moving into the ‘other world’ is a technique called centering prayer (You might want to read M. Basil Pennington’s book on the subject, Centering Prayer. I don’t agree with the entire book, but…”)***

The above quote is from Approaching God: Accepting The Invitation To Stand In The Presence Of God, pg. 117, by Steve Brown, one of the scheduled headliners for the Liberate 2014/One Way Love Conference at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Feb. 20-23.

View article →

Investigators: Oregon Bakery Discriminated Against Lesbian for Declining to Make ‘Wedding’ Cake

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

Christian News Network reports:

State investigators in Oregon have concluded that a bakery run by a Christian couple unlawfully discriminated against a lesbian last year when it declined to make a ‘wedding’ cake for her same-sex ceremony.

As previously reported, Aaron and Melissa Klein operate Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Gresham, which is now operated from the couple’s home after the Kleins’ shut their doors due to harassment. In January 2013, Aaron was approached by a mother and her daughter as the two were interested in a cake for the daughter’s upcoming wedding—to her lesbian partner.

View article →

12 Unborn Animals in The Womb You Have to See to Believe

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙

Life News has several pictures of pre-born creatures on their site.

These images were created for a National Geographic special called In The Womb: Animals by Producer Peter Chinn. He used a combination of ultrasound technology, tiny cameras, and computer design to create these incredible images that replicate what fetal animals look like. This is an incredible window into the womb (or egg as the case may be), laying bare the mysteries of the beginning of life,” the group adds.

View article →

Gov. Cuomo: Pro-life people not welcome in New York

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

Fox News reports:

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo believes that pro-life activists along with anti-gay activists, and supporters of the Second Amendment, are not welcome in his state.

During a radio interview on Friday, Cuomo pointed out that Republicans were in the midst of a schism, where conservatives worked against moderate Republicans.

“Their problem is not me and the Democrats; their problem is themselves,” he said. “Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are and they’re the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are.”

View article →

Five Really Dumb Things the Activists Say

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

Apologist and ethicist Bill Muehlenberg writes:

One could easily write an entire book on all the really moronic and senseless things the homosexual activists say when they “argue” with us. Of course one has to use the word “argue” quite loosely here, since what the militants engage in can hardly be described as arguments – more like sophomoric rants in fact.

So as you discuss or debate with these activists, bear in mind they will almost invariably throw some real doozies your way. These remarks will have very little to do with logic and rationality. They will not be actual arguments or well-reasoned claims.

They will just be foolish attacks lacking in any merit. But this is just how the other side operates – time and time again. This is their standard modus operandi. Here then are five of these dopey claims you will likely hear over and over again in such discussions.

View article →

Don’t Let Your Mind Go to Pot

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

In this piece Pastor John Piper, founder and teacher of desiringGod.org, gives the reasons he believes Christians should avoid recreational marijuana use. He begins:

Marijuana is ordinarily used as a mood-altering, mind-altering drug. The aim is to create a kind of euphoria. The effects vary widely from person to person. All you have to do is Google, “What does Marijuana feel like?” People don’t smoke it to get unhappy. It produces a temporary state that is felt to be better than ordinary life. That’s why it’s called a “high” and not a low.

So the first comparison one might be inclined to make is with caffeine. Most people drink coffee because caffeine has a pleasant effect. But there is a difference. Marijuana temporarily impairs the reliable processing of surrounding reality. Caffeine ordinarily sharpens that processing.

View article →

New Mexico Judge Rules That Doctors May Prescribe Lethal Drugs to Terminally Ill Patients

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙

Christian News Network reports:

A state judge in New Mexico has ruled that mentally-competent terminally ill patients have a constitutional right to obtain lethal drugs to end their life.

Second Judicial District Judge Nan Nash issued the ruling on Monday in a decision that some believe may open the doors to full-fledged physician-assisted suicide in the state.

View article →

Planned Parenthood Did One Adoption Referral Per 149 Abortions

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙

According to CNS News:

In its latest annual report, released in December, Planned Parenthood says it did 327,166 abortion procedures in the course of one year and 2,197 adoption referrals. That works out to approximately 149 abortions for each adoption referral.

The data comes from an accounting of “patient care” Planned Parenthood says its “affiliate health centers” did in the year that ran from Oct. 1, 2011 to Sept. 30, 2012.

View article →

Federal Judge Strikes Down Oklahoma Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ Ban

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

Fox News reports:

Oklahoma’s gay marriage ban violates the U.S. Constitution, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Terrence Kern handed down the ruling in a lawsuit filed by two same-sex couples. Kern immediately stayed his ruling pending appeals, meaning gay marriages won’t happen in Oklahoma right away.

The gay couples had sued for the right to marry and to have a marriage from another jurisdiction recognized in Oklahoma.

View article →

AZ Legislator, Pastor Introduces Bill to Protect Churches That Oppose Same-Sex ‘Marriage’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

According to Christian News Network:

A legislator in Arizona has introduced a bill that would protect churches in the state from being forced to perform same-sex ‘weddings.’

Representative Steve Montenegro (R-Litchfield Park), Associate Pastor and Youth Pastor at Surprise Apostolic Assembly, recently announced the First Freedom Act to ensure that pastors retain their First Amendment rights when it comes to the institution of marriage. The Act would make it illegal to “require a minister to solemnize a marriage inconsistent with a minister’s sincerely held religious beliefs.”

View article →

Former Pentagon Chief: ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Fight Was Only Time Obama Showed ‘Passion’ for Military Issues

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙

Fox News reports:

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates sharply questions President Obama’s “passion” for military matters in his forthcoming memoir, and claims that practically the only time he saw that in the president was during his push to repeal ̦ “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

The former Pentagon chief said in an interview aired Sunday that he was “disturbed” by Obama’s “absence of passion” when it came to his military strategy. But in the book, “Duty,” reviewed by Fox News, Gates hit Obama harder – and in personal terms – by contrasting his style with that of former President George W. Bush.

View article →

A cause for careful celebration? On Phillips, Craig and Dean, and Trinitarian Christianity

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Matt Privett, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Carthage, NC has written a follow-up piece to an article we posted on CRN last week. In part 2, Privett sheds new light on what he felt was a troubling the situation:

Late Sunday night I posted The elephant is in OUR room: Shaking hands with Sabellius in the Southern Baptist Convention. I’d venture to say it is by far my most widely read and disseminated post in almost fifteen years of blogging, which isn’t saying much, except to say that people read it and commented on it. A couple of others sites picked it up and/or linked to it.

View article →

Legislation Introduced to Protect State Sovereignty Over Definition of Marriage

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

According to the Christian Post:

Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) introduced a bill Thursday that would keep a state’s definition of marriage for the legal residents of that state for the purposes of federal law.

If passed, the bill would require federal agencies to look at how a person’s marital status is defined in their home state when determining their marital status for federal law.

View article →

Federal government to recognize same-sex marriages in Utah

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙

Fox News reports that the Obama administration is ignoring the Supreme Court:

Attorney General Eric Holder said Friday the federal government will recognize more than 1,000 same-sex marriages in Utah, despite an earlier announcement this week from the state’s governor saying the state would not.

The decision means those Utah couples will have access to federal benefits that are available to married couples in other states, including the ability to file joint tax returns. It also adds to the confusion in the state following a surprise ruling last month against the state’s same-sex marriage ban.

View article →

The Elephant Is in Our Room: Shaking Hands with Sabellius in the Southern Baptist Convention

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ ,

Matt Privett, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Carthage, NC writes:

Is the doctrine of the Trinity something worth standing resolute on anymore in the Southern Baptist Convention?

The question, seemingly obvious among the people who turned back the liberal tide and fought for the inerrancy of Scripture 35 years ago, must be asked in the early days of 2014 when one looks at the schedule for the 2014 Empower Conference, an evangelism conference put on by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC)…

Let me just touch on a few of those names.

View article →

Homosexual lobby on the attack again

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

Cliff Kincaid, director of the AIM Center for Investigative Journalism, writes:

Having suffered a major setback when Phil Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” got his job back, the gay lobby is now going for a softer target – a pro-family activist in Ohio whose book Maybe He’s Not Gay undercuts their recruitment efforts among kids. Author Linda Harvey, who runs a pro-family ministry called Mission America, seems to have emerged as more of a target than Phil Robertson.

Robertson was suspended—then reinstated—from the show after making comments critical of homosexuality, some of them based on biology and the facts of life, and others on Bible passages.

The Maybe He’s Not Gay book “seeks to tell kids the truth about homosexual behavior,” Harvey says. It explains in a conversational tone why no one is born homosexual, the health risks associated with the lifestyle, and factors which may lead to same sex attractions.

View article →

Evolution and the Secular Worldview – The Fury of the Elites on Display

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Dr. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, writes:

The Pew Research Center’s Religion and Public Life Project recently released data indicating that the issue of evolution still divides Americans. According to the research, about 60 percent of Americans indicate a belief in evolution, while just over 30 percent reject evolution as an account of human origins. A closer look at the data reveals that almost half of those who say they believe in evolution also believe that a Supreme Being guided the process. In other words, far less than half of Americans believe in a purely naturalistic version of evolution, the mainstream theory as held by evolutionists.

As you might expect, religious beliefs play a huge role. The vast majority of those identified as evangelical Christians affirmed that “humans have existed in their present form since the beginning of time,” while only 15 percent of “white mainline Protestants” joined in that affirmation.

View article →

CDC Reports STDs on the Rise particularly “in Homosexual community”

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙

Bloombeg reports on a recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that revealed that there is a rise in STDs in the U.S. The CDC’s report indicated that there is a higher incidence of gonorrhea and syphilis in the homosexual community. According to Bloomberg, men who have sex with men are supposedly “stymied by homophobia and limited access to health care” thus, they choose not to be tested even though gonorrhea and syphilis are curable with antibiotics. Not surprisingly, the rise in syphilis is “entirely attributable to men, particularly those who are gay or bisexual.”

View article →

Supreme Court puts gay marriage on hold in Utah

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

Fox News reports:

The Supreme Court on Monday put gay marriage on hold in Utah, giving the state time to appeal a federal judge’s ruling against Utah’s same-sex marriage ban.

The court issued a brief order Monday blocking any new same-sex unions in the state. The ruling comes after a Dec. 20 ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage violates gay and lesbian couples’ constitutional rights.

The decision, in one of the country’s most conservative states, touched off a flurry of court filings as some jurisdictions started issuing marriage licenses.

View article →

Discovery of Ancient Spear Tips Confounds Evolutionists, ‘Raises Questions on Evolution’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

According to Christian News Network:

Scientists are reconsidering evolutionary assumptions after man-made javelin tips were discovered in a geologic layer that, according to evolutionists, supposedly predates humans by 80,000 years. During a recent archaeological dig, scientists unearthed numerous stone-tipped projectiles near Lake Ziway in central Ethiopia. The projectiles, which show clear signs of use, are puzzling to evolutionary scientists, since the geologic formation in which they were found is supposedly 280,000 years old. However, evolutionists claim modern humans did not evolve until about 200,000 years ago.

View article →