The Weekly Standard shares a shocking report from a Florida committee hearing this week, as a Planned Parenthood official openly “endorsed a right to post-birth abortion.”
Author Archives: Marsha West
‘Jesus of Nazareth’ TV Miniseries Coming on the Heels of ‘The Bible’
Hobby Lobby Granted Full Rehearing of Obamacare Abortion Pill Mandate Challenge
From Christian News Network:
The popular craft chain Hobby Lobby has been granted a full rehearing of its case challenging Obamacare’s abortion pill mandate.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals announced on Friday that Hobby Lobby’s appeal will go before the entire court as per the company’s request. Cases are customarily held before a panel of three judges, except in what are called en banc hearings.
Number of Americans Believing in the Resurrection Drops from 77% to 64%
CNSNews reports:
A study released by the Rasmussen Reports polling firm on Good Friday found that 64% of Americans believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
While Americans who believe in the resurrection remain in the majority, that number is down significantly when compared to a Rasmussen Poll that asked the same question, released a year ago.
The True Meaning of the Day in which Chocolate Was Invented
In our increasingly secular nation, a growing number of Americans are clueless as to the real reason for the Easter holiday. Case in point: This year’s White House Easter Egg Roll has as its theme “Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!” In the United Kingdom somewhere around 80 per cent of children do not even know the true meaning of Easter. In this piece Marsha West reveals the far-left’s plot to secularize the Christian faith and then she lays out the true meaning of Easter.
Boy Scout Leaders Form National Coalition to Protect Ban on Openly Homosexual Members, Leaders
Alabama Elementary School Bans the Word ‘Easter’
Fox News Insider reports:
The war on Easter has begun! The principal of Heritage Elementary School in Madison, Alabama has banned the use of the word Easter in the school saying that it infringes on the rights of students.
Lydia Davenport explained the move, saying, “Kids love the bunny and we just try to make sure that we don’t say the ‘Easter Bunny’ so that we don’t infringe on the rights of others, because people relate the Easter bunny to religion.”
Washington State Weighs Abortion Insurance Mandate; Would Be First to Require Insurers to Pay for Abortions
Fox News reports:
In 1970, Washington became the first — and remains the only — state in the country to legalize elective abortions by a popular vote.
A generation later, and 40 years removed from the landmark United States Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling that extended abortion access nationwide, Washington is once again poised to stand out.
With 21 states having adopted bans or severe restrictions on insurance companies from paying for abortions, Washington is alone in seriously considering legislation mandating the opposite.
What Does a First Jesuit Pope Mean for Biblical Christians?
David Wheaton’s guest on The Christian Worldview is Phil Johnson, executive director of Grace to You. They discuss the significance of the new pope and what it means for the world and for biblical Christians. Wheaton poses the following questions: Is there any special significance to a first Jesuit pope? And what does it portend that evangelical leaders such as Rick Warren proclaim, “Join me today in fasting and prayer for the 115 Cardinals seeking God’s Will in a new leader” and Luis Palau declare that the new pope is “really centered on Jesus and the Gospel, the pure Gospel”?
Gay Marriage Opponents March in Paris before Vote
NewsMax reports:
Hundreds of thousands of people poured onto the streets of central Paris on Sunday to protest against President Francois Hollande’s plan to legalize gay marriage and adoption by June.
Television footage showed some scuffles breaking out, with security forces firing tear gas on pink-clad marchers waving flags and chanting slogans against Hollande. In France, anti-gay protesters often wear pink.
American Academy of Pediatrics Announces Support for Same-Sex Marriage
According to CNS News, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released a “policy statement” that said it supports “families in all their diversity” as fit for rearing children. Critics allege that the AAP’s policy statement was not based on scientific studies, children’s health or medicine but that it was based on political correctness.
Pope Francis at One Time Said Celibacy Rules Could Change
NewsMax reports that, in a candid interview given before he became Pope Francis I, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio once appeared to suggest that the rigid celibacy laws that now govern Roman Catholic priests could perhaps be changed. The admissions have been published in the Spanish-language book, On the Heavens and the Earth, and “have Catholics wondering if there may be major policy changes ahead at the Vatican.”
Gay ‘Marriage’ Cases to Define Supreme Court Legacy
Reuters reports:
When the Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of marriage for gay men and lesbians in the coming week, the justices will be taking a major step toward defining their own legacy.
In their first-ever review of same-sex marriage laws, the nine justices on the country’s highest court are hearing arguments on Tuesday and Wednesday on one of the most politically charged dilemmas of the day, bound with themes of religion, sexuality and social custom.
New Mobile App Has Amazing Pictures of Unborn Babies, Helps Women
Dark Knight Killer James Holmes Converts to Islam
Retailers and Entertainment Industry Aspire to Hyper-sexualize Girls
Marsha West once again tackles our corrupt society’s hyper-sexualization of young girls. In this piece she exposes how lingerie company Victoria’s Secret is targeting middle school and high school girls with their new line of intimate undergarments. Marsha also confronts the popular teen girl magazine, Seventeen, for promoting Disney star Ashley Benson’s movie, “Spring Breakers,” on the magazine’s cover. The film is rated ‘R’ for strong sexual content, language, nudity, drug use and violence and contains graphic sex scenes between two women and a man, yet is being promoted to the young readers of this periodical.
Pope Francis Meets with Muslim, Jewish Leaders, Praises Atheists as ‘Precious Allies’
Christian News Network reports:
Pope Francis held his first ecumenical meeting at the Vatican Wednesday, greeting Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders, as well as those who ascribe to no faith at all.
“For my part, I wish to assure you, following in the path of my predecessors, of my firm will to continue on the path of ecumenical dialogue,” he said, referencing the Second Vatican Council. “I also ask of you the kindness of a special prayer for myself, so that I might be a pastor in harmony with Christ’s heart.”
If Gay Marriage Is Legalized, Polygamy Is Next, Briefs Warn
Baptist Press reports:
Redefining marriage to include same-sex couples would jettison the rationale and logic behind prohibitions on polygamous marriages, according to several friend-of-the court briefs urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the traditional definition of marriage.
“Ultimately, there is no principled basis for recognizing a legality of same-sex marriage without simultaneously providing a basis for the legality of consensual polygamy or certain adult incestuous relationships,” reads one of the briefs, filed by the Christian legal group Liberty Counsel. “In fact, every argument for same-sex marriage is an argument for them as well.”
Abortions in China Since 1971 Higher than Population of the U.S.
Life News reports:
The Financial Times has been doing excellent reporting related to Chinese demographics problems. Of particular interest is China’s aging population which has been brought about in large measure to its zero-growth population policies that have been in place since the 1970s.
The most important aspect of these policies is the “one-child policy” which mandates forced abortions and sterilizations.
Liberals, Feminists Have Made Men Afraid to Embrace Their Manhood
Christian Post reports:
A healthy society needs fathers. Men, therefore, need to embrace their manhood and recognize the important role they play as husbands and fathers in a family, Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse advised Friday in a panel on the problem of fatherlessness at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md.
The important role men play in a family is due to their natural instincts to protect the weak and vulnerable, Morse explained, but liberals and feminists have made men afraid to embrace their unique role.
Gay Marriage a Dead Issue to Young Conservatives
The Washington Times reports:
To young conservatives, gay marriage is pretty much a dead issue, Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker said Sunday.
“I’ve had young people ask me. . .why the government is sanctioning it in the first place,” Mr. Walker said, during a televised discussion with NBC host David Gregory. Mr. Walker said that most of the younger conservatives aren’t really focused on fighting same-sex marriage — that they believe it’s a human right much more than older traditional GOP voters do, he said in a Newsmax report.
Charles Stanley Advises Christians to ‘Simply Listen for God’s Voice’
In two articles appearing this week [March 2013] in the Christian Post (CP), Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta, discusses the mystic concept of waiting in silence and listening for the voice of God, seemingly independent of hearing God speak through His written Word.
In a 5 March 2013 article entitled, “Listening to God,” Stanley discusses prayer by appealing to the Old Testament figure of David. Stanley offers that David approached prayer by reviewing the past, reflecting upon the Lord’s character, recalling God’s promises and finally by making requests of God. This article curiously concludes, however, with Charles Stanley stating the following:
Stop for a minute and think about how you typically interact with God. If prayer time is dominated by your own talking, some adjustments may be in order. Just as the Lord spoke to David, God also has many things to say to you, if you’ll simply let Him speak. Source
Stanley’s language here seems vague, though his instruction appears to allude to the idea of listening for outside guidance from the Almighty, whether via an audible voice or impression or some other subjective means. This mirrors the practice of Eastern meditation and is mystical in its origins and unbiblical in nature.
A complementary article written by Stanley and appearing at CP on 6 March 2013 is entitled, “Meditation: The Key to Listening.” In this short piece, Stanley further reveals his true beliefs regarding this topic. He writes:
In our normal everyday lives, we are surrounded by countless voices in need of our attention. Our children cry for it, our employers demand it, and our loved ones yearn for it. With all of these bidding for our attention, no wonder God’s voice at times seems so muffled or distant.
Effective meditation requires seclusion. Unless we make an effort to escape our daily demands for at least a few moments, our ability to hear God’s voice will be weakened.
To be sure, the Christian should pursue a time and place free of distractions to commune with God through the study of Scripture and through prayer. Silence should not be sought, however, in order that one may audibly hear from God. Yet, such a practice seems to be precisely what Charles Stanley is advocating as he concludes:
At some point today, turn off the TV, cell phone, and computer, and simply listen for God’s voice. Your schedule won’t surrender easily, so make a decision to claim a block of time for the Lord. Then quiet your extraneous thoughts, and focus on Him. Source
The words of Charles Stanley seem to prescribe a so-called Christianized form of contemplative prayer, one of the most esteemed spiritual disciplines taught in spiritual formation.
In both practice and purpose, contemplative prayer stands in contrast with what Scripture teaches about prayer. Practitioners believe that one must clear the mind of outside concerns so that God’s voice may more easily be heard. Advocates of contemplative prayer believe and teach that it is a necessary practice if one desires to become more like Christ. This latter point is especially interesting considering Charles Stanley’s appeal to Matthew 6:6 in his most recent article:
Our Lord was well aware of this need for isolation. In teaching about prayer, Jesus told the disciples to go into their rooms and close the door behind them. He knew it was vital to take a break from the pressures of life in order to truly commune with the Father. Source
In the passage to which Stanley alludes, the Lord is condemning the hypocritical, self-centered prayers of those who deliberately sought to be noticed by men while praying in public. When Jesus urges his followers to “go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret” (Matt. 6:6, NASB), He is teaching His followers that the attitude of their heart in prayer should be to be heard by God, not men.
When Jesus was asked by His followers to teach them to pray, He instructed them in what is known as the Lord’s Prayer, as found in Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4. Noticeably absent from these passages is Jesus instructing believers to sit in silence and solitude listening for the audible voice of God or waiting for an impression that might be divinely sent.
When the Christian prays, he speaks to God. When the Christian desires to hear from God, he opens his Bible and reads. True, biblical prayer is talking to God the Father (Phil. 4:6) through Jesus Christ the Son (John 16:23) in the power of the Holy Spirit, understanding that what God has revealed in His Word is sufficient and that new revelation is unnecessary (2 Tim. 3:16–17).
The ground being tread by Charles Stanley is perilous, as those who seek and desire mystical experiences open themselves up to potentially dangerous deception. This is not the first time that Stanley’s thoughts on the matter have been exposed, however. As previously reported, in a November 2012 interview with Mark Galli of Christianity Today (CT), Stanley is referred to as a “mystic Baptist,” and, when directly asked about his claims that God speaks to him, Stanley responded by saying,
For me, I get this strong sense of feeling that’s so clear, so direct to me. Like this week, something happened and I thought, Well, I could do thus and such, and God said, “Don’t do that.” I don’t hear a voice, but it’s so crystal sharp and clear to me, I know not to disobey that.
I think that comes from early in life as you learn to listen. You make mistakes; after a while, you realize as you obey him, it turns out right, and whatever your reason was for not obeying him, it doesn’t turn out right.
Stanley also stated in this CT interview that he wanted “the Holy Spirit to interpret the truth” for him. Surely this is the desire of every Christian. How, then, can one know that he is being guided by the Holy Spirit into the truth of God? Should one rely upon subjective feelings and impressions, or upon the clear, unambiguous and objective Word of God? How can one know what is true? It seems prudent to turn to the words of the Lord on the matter:
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. (John 17:17, NASB)
To engage in mystic meditation as taught and encouraged by Charles Stanley in these articles is to wander down dangerous and deceptive paths outside the boundaries of God’s perfect and holy Word. One of the battle cries of the Reformation was that of sola scriptura, Scripture alone, and truly it is sufficient for the Christian’s needs (2 Tim. 3:16–17), especially as one seeks to know God and to grow in faith. Scripture itself, as inspired by the Holy Spirit and as penned by David, attests to its own sufficiency:
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. Ps. 19:7–9, ESV
May the Christian be satisfied with the true and perfect Word of God as found in Scripture.
By Erin Benziger of Do Not Be Surprised
A Warped Worldview: Another Moral Effect of Pornography
Dr. Albert Mohler brings to light a study at the University of Texas that suggests that “regular exposure to diverse and graphic sex acts” may change a man’s moral worldview. According to the study “exposure to pornography may well influence views on the legalization of same-sex marriage. He suggested that viewing pornography leads men, in particular, to shift to more positive attitudes toward same-sex marriage. Regnerus cited the New Family Structures Survey and then reported that a majority of men who view pornographic material “every day or almost every day” agreed that same-sex marriage should be legal.”
DOJ: Children Do Not Need—and Have No Right to—Mothers
CNS News reports:
The Obama Justice Department is arguing in the United States Supreme Court that children do not need mothers.
The Justice Department’s argument on the superfluity of motherhood is presented in a brief the Obama administration filed in the case of Hollingsworth v. Perry, which challenges the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the California ballot initiative that amended California’s Constitution to say that marriage involves only one man and one woman.
Republicans to File Supreme Court Brief in Support of Same-Sex ‘Marriage’
Christian News Network reports:
A number of recognized Republicans have signed their name to a Supreme Court brief expressing their support for same-sex marriage.
The Proposition 8 amicus brief, which will be filed this week before the February 28th deadline, is said to be backed by several former Bush advisers, former governors, U.S. Congressmen and other prominent Republican entities.