Just the facts.

Judge Dismisses Stericycle’s Lawsuit Against Pro-Life Group That Exposed Disposal of Aborted Babies

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Christian News Network reports:

Pre-born babyA county circuit court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the nation’s largest medical waste provider in an effort stop a pro-life group from distributing information about the company’s disposal of aborted babies for Planned Parenthood and other abortion facilities nationwide.

All three of Stericycle’s charges against the Ohio-based group Created Equal—defamation, false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress—were dismissed on Sept. 29.

“Irrespective of which side is taken on the abortion question, a reasonable person looking at Defendant’s publications understands that Defendants are expressing their point of view that abortion is a killing, in which Plaintiffs are alleged to play a part,” the order, issued by Lake County Associate Judge Margaret Marcouiller, reads in part.

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Federal Debt in FY 2016 Jumped $1,422,827,047,452.46–That’s $12,036 Per Household

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According to CNSNews:

moneyIn fiscal 2016, which ended on Friday, the federal debt increased $1,422,827,047,452.46, according to data released today by the U.S. Treasury.

At the close of business on Sept. 30, 2015, the last day of fiscal 2015, the federal debt was $18,150,617,666,484.33, according to the Treasury. By the close of business on Sept. 30, 2016, the last day of fiscal 2016, it had climbed to $19,573,444,713,936.79.

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“Vitriol” among United Church members as atheist minister closer to being dismissed in formal hearing

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According to National Post, the United Church of Canada is facing a dilemma.  Should they or shouldn’t they remove an avowed atheist minister from a “Christian” church.

atheistA United Church of Canada minister who is a self-professed atheist and has been the subject of an unprecedented probe into her theological beliefs is one step closer to being removed from the pulpit.

Sub-executive members of the church’s Toronto Conference announced Thursday they have asked the church’s general council, the most senior governance body, to hold a formal hearing to decide whether Rev. Gretta Vosper, who does not believe in God or the Bible, should be placed on the disciplinary “Discontinued Service List.”

“Some will be disappointed and angry that this action has been taken, believing that the United Church may be turning its back on a history of openness and inclusivity,” it said in a statement.

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Archaeologists Uncover “Fascinating” Evidence of Bible’s King Hezekiah in Israel

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Christian News Network reports:

Archaeologists digging out the ruins of an enormous ancient gate in Israel have discovered evidence that confirms one of the Old Testament’s historical accounts of King Hezekiah.

In January of this year, archaeologists began an archaeological excavation in Tel Lachish National Park, which is located in central Israel about 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem. The park marks the site of the ancient city of Lachish, which is mentioned nearly two dozen times in the Bible and played a role in several biblical accounts.

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Jeff Sessions Slams Top Immigration Official for Suppressing Reports of Refugee Terrorism, Crime

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According to Breitbart:

Immigration 2Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions is going after a top immigration official who earlier admitted the U.S. government has invited future terrorists into American communities, the Obama administration’s much-touted “vetting process” aside.

“The fact is—anybody that understands the challenge they face to do this vetting. You cannot vet people from Syria, because there’s no way, and we have no plans to send anybody into Syria to verify anything that they say,” Sessions told León Rodríguez during his testimony before a Senate panel.

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13 Attorneys General Join Brief in Support of Florist Found Guilty of Discrimination for Declining “Gay Wedding”

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Christian News Network reports:

lesbian-wedding-cakeAttorneys general from 13 states joined in an amicus brief this week in support of a Washington florist who was found guilty last year of discrimination for providing a referral for a regular customer’s request for the creation of floral arrangements for his same-sex ceremony rather than fulfilling the order herself.

Lead by Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, Attorneys General Luther Strange of Alabama, Ken Paxton of Texas, Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia, Mark Brnovich of Arizona, Doug Peterson of Nebraska and Jeff Landry of Louisiana were among those who joined in the briefing to the Washington State Supreme Court.

Govs. Sam Brownback of Kansas and Matt Bevin of Kentucky also added their names to the filing.

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Danish study of contraceptive pill finds link to depression, especially in younger women

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According to The Sydney Morning Herald:

contraceptive-pills-2A Danish study of a million women has found a link between the use of hormonal contraception such as the the pill and increased risk of depression.

Compared with non-users, women and teenage girls aged 15 to 34 who used hormonal contraception had a 1.23 times higher risk of being diagnosed with depression, especially adolescents, according to a paper published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

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Elected state supreme court judges less supportive of LGBT rights, study says

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According to The Guardian:

Supreme Court 5-4Judges who are elected to state supreme courts are generally less supportive of LGBT rights claims than judges who are appointed, according to new research commissioned by a nonprofit law group.

A report released on Wednesday analyzed 127 rulings in state high courts involving LGBT rights claims to understand the impact of judicial selection processes on such cases. The study, produced by Lambda Legal, found that judges chosen through partisan elections are least supportive of LGBT rights claims compared to their peers around the country who are selected through other methods. Lambda Legal is a non-profit that advocates for the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and those with HIV through litigation and other work.

“If you want to get a fair hearing in court you need to make sure that judges are free to make decisions, that they have the independence to rule on the law without fear of retaliation,” said Eric Lesh, the report’s author. “How does the way that judges are selected play or factor into the way that they are able to decide cases fairly in LGBT rights claims?”

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North Carolina Court Dismisses Lawsuit of Judges Who Resigned Rather Than Officiate Same-Sex “Weddings”

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Christian News Network reports:

judgmentAn appeals court in North Carolina has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by two Christian judges who resigned their posts two years ago after being informed via state memos that they would be required to officiate same-sex “weddings” or face possible punishment.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals did not rule on the merits of the requirement, but only agreed with the lower court that the two judges did not have standing in the case because the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), which issued the memo, did not have power to fire them.

“Because defendants lacked the actual authority to sanction, suspend, or remove plaintiffs, the allegations in plaintiffs’ complaint, when viewed as true and considered in the light most favorable to plaintiffs, fail to demonstrate an injury that defendants were capable of inflicting upon plaintiffs, and by extension fails to show that such an injury could be redressed,” Judge Ann Marie Calabria wrote for the three-judge panel.

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Tullian Tchividjian Posts Possible Book Excerpt at Expastors.com

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Over at the liberal blog Patheos, Warren Throckmorton continues to chronicle what disgraced pastor Tullian Tchividjian has been up to since he admitted to having two adulterous relationships and had to resign from his pulpit at Coral Ridge Presbyterian in South Florida.  Shortly thereafter, Tchividjian was hired by Willow Creek Presbyterian as Director of Ministry Development.  When affair #2 came to light six months later, he was immediately fired.  Now we learn from Throckmorton that Tchividjian remarried in August and that he may be writing a book on his recent history where he reveals that he went through a suicidal period.  He writes:

tullian-tchividjian-3At the expastors.com website an article appears under Tchividjian’s name (oddly with his name spelled incorrectly in the first sentence and image) which promises a vulnerable look at the recent history of the troubled ex-pastor. I suppose it is possible that he had a little help with the article.

There was no mention of his recent remarriage in the expastors article.

Tchividjian reveals that he went through a suicidal period. It sounds like he is on the mend. Good for him and I wish him well.

In the comments section, there is a good deal of arguing back and forth about the nature of this article. Some are skeptical and others are angry. Some wonder if this is a part of the comeback prior to an upcoming book release with David C. Cook.

Many of my readers have shown interest in Tchividjian’s career and this seems to be an interesting turn of events.

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Cruz, Lee Step Up Claims That Justice Department Isn’t Doing Enough to Protect Churches

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According to The Daily Signal:

Freedom of Thought Ben FranklinSens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah are pressing their case that the Department of Justice favors abortion clinics over churches, demanding that the law enforcement agency take steps to ensure “the rights of all American citizens”—not just some—are protected.

In a letter sent Tuesday, obtained first by The Daily Signal, Cruz and Lee criticize the Justice Department’s enforcement of a 1994 law. The intent of the law was to prohibit the use or threat of force and physical obstruction outside abortion clinics, guaranteeing safe access to such facilities.

Before passing the legislation, called the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, lawmakers extended the protections to apply to places of worship.

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World’s first baby born with controversial new “three-parent” technique

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Independent reports:

DNAThe world’s first child created using a controversial “three-parent” baby technique has been born in Mexico, it has been announced.

Limited details about the birth were revealed ahead of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s scientific congress in Salt Lake City next month, where it will be discussed more fully.

According to critics, the procedure is tantamount to genetic modification of humans or even “playing God”. But supporters say it allows women with a particular type of genetic disease to have healthy children who are related to them.

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Federal Judge Rules Wisconsin School District Must Allow Girl in Boys’ Restroom While Lawsuit Proceeds

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Christian News Network reports:

Transgender bathroom 2A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction against a Wisconsin school district, ordering officials to allow a female student who identifies as a boy to use the boys’ restroom while her case moves forward in court.

“There’s no question that Ash has already suffered harm and has had physical repercussions from the policy as well as emotional repercussions,” wrote U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper, nominated to the bench by Barack Obama, wrote on Tuesday.

As previously reported, Ashton Whitaker, 16, sued the Kenosha Unified School District No. 1 and Superintendent Sue Savaglio-Jarvis in July for being denied use of the boys’ restroom and for continuing to be referred to by her feminine name. Her attorneys contend the acts violate Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

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How Cruz got from “vote your conscience” to “vote for Trump”

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Politico reports:

ted-cruzMinutes before Ted Cruz took the stage at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick cornered the senator, huddling with him in a last-ditch effort to coax an endorsement of Donald Trump. It didn’t work.

“A missed opportunity,” Patrick fumed after Cruz’s notorious snub. “He makes his own decisions.”

Two months later, amid political troubles home in Texas, unyielding pressure from the Republican establishment in Washington and growing irritation from the conservative grass roots, Cruz reversed course. The senator gave his imprimatur to a man he once called a “pathological liar” and a “bully” during their bitter primary campaign.

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Famous Faith Healer in Hospital due to Failing Health

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The Grand Poobah of the NAR, C. Peter Wagner, has been hospitalized.  Wagner is the former professor of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary School of World Mission, founder of Global Harvest Ministries, the presiding “apostle” of the International Coalition of Apostles, which he also founded, and co-founder of World Prayer Center. According to Jeff Maples of Pulpit & Pen “Wagner has propagated serious damnable error into the church.”  CRN couldn’t agree more.  Maples goes on to say that. “While his promotion of charismatic nonsense, blaspheming the Holy Spirit regularly, has made major inroads into the professing church, it goes without saying that his false teachings are being exposed right before our eyes.”  Jeff suggests that “our first prayer should be for Wagner to repent and turn to Christ for the forgiveness of sins.”  CRN agrees with him on that, too.

Here’s the story:

peter_wagnerFounder of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), C. Peter Wagner, and proponent of charismatic chicanery such as faith healing, perhaps doesn’t have enough faith to heal himself. The famous huckster and author of the book, How to Have a Healing Ministry in Any Church, has been admitted to the hospital, according to Rebecca Greenwood of Christian Harvest International. Wagner’s wife, Doris, has written a letter asking for prayer, Greenwood reports on her Facebook page, stating,

This past Friday Peter was admitted back into the Heart Hospital in a very weakened condition. After several days of extensive testing, the general consensus of his many excellent doctors is that Peter has become severely dehydrated from the ongoing treatment to control his fluid retention. The treatment is very much a balancing act and the dilemma is that he is now both dehydrated and fluid overloaded at the same time…To further complicate the matter, the treatments for either problem cause the other issue to escalate further.

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Girl Who Identifies as Boy Becomes First “Transgender” Allowed on School’s Football Team

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 Christian News Network reports:

footballA Canadian girl who identifies as a boy has become the first “transgender” player allowed on her school’s football team.

Kennedy Cooley, 17, transferred to Halifax West High School after students at her previous school made her feel “unaccepted” for identifying as a boy. She had heard that Halifax West would be more accepting, but was still apprehensive.

“I’d heard that a lot of the guys are like family, they really get along together, they all know each other, and they’re really close friends,” Cooley told CTV News. “I was just really nervous about going in there and maybe, somebody wasn’t okay with me being transgender.”

At Halifax West, she was permitted to join the boy’s football team.

Science Shows Homosexual Behavior “Is as Bad as God Says It Was”

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CNSNews reports:

healthThe detrimental health consequences of homosexual behavior are so well documented in the medical literature today that science itself confirms “that homosexuality is as bad as God said it was” and this reality cannot be changed, said Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality.

During a Sept. 14 interview with Rev. Michael Heath, LaBarbera talked about how the scientific data on homosexual behavior mirrors what God said in the Bible about the issue.

“But that’s the shame of our movement, that the homosexual activists behave as if they have the truth,” said LaBarbera.  “We act as if we’re ashamed of the truth, when in reality, we have the truth.”

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Black Lives Matter: We’ll Tear Down New Orleans’ Monuments Ourselves

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According to Breitbart:

andrew-jacksonThe ‘Take ‘Em Down Nola’ group, which has aligned itself with the Black Lives Matter movement, is now saying publicly they plan to tear down New Orleans’ most iconic monument in the city.

During a protest outside of New Orleans City Hall, a group of Take ‘Em Down Nola, which has made threats against the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) and Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration in the past, said police will have to step aside this weekend as they plan to physically tear down the equestrian Andrew Jackson monument in the French Quarter.

“So you plan on tearing down the Andrew Jackson monument?” one reporter asked the spokesman of Take ‘Em Down Nola.

“Yes,” the spokesman responded.

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Making babies without eggs may be possible, say scientists

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According to the BBC:

Human embryoScientists say early experiments suggest it may one day be possible to make babies without using eggs.

They have succeeded in creating healthy baby mice by tricking sperm into believing they were fertilising normal eggs.

The findings in Nature Communications, could, in the distant future, mean women can be removed from the baby-making process, say the researchers.

For now, the work helps to explain some of the details of fertilisation.

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Canadian Pastor Ordered to Allow Gay-Straight Alliances at His Christian Schools

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Christian News Network reports:

gay-straight-allianceA Canadian pastor is standing firm after being ordered to allow gay-straight alliances to be formed at his Christian schools.

According to reports, on Sept. 2, Alberta Education Minister David Eggen sent a letter to Brian Coldwell, the chairman of the Independent Baptist Christian Education Society and pastor of New Testament Baptist Church, to demand that he allow the alliances at his two schools as per provincial law.

Coldwell runs Meadows Baptist Academy and Harvest Baptist Academy in Parkland County.

Earlier this year, Eggen sent a letter to school boards throughout the province, advising that officials must draft and submit policies by the end of March surrounding how they would accommodate homosexual and transgender students.

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“Ex-Gays Prove Change is Possible” Billboards Spark Controversy in Texas

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CNSNews reports:

truth-john-8-32A series of billboards in Waco, Texas, suggesting that a person’s homosexuality can change will come down in October when the group’s contract expires and won’t be erected again, according a local TV station.

KTRE-TV reported Sunday that the founder of an activist group called Interwaco called the billboard owner, Swift Media, to complain about the billboard’s message: “Ex-Gays prove change is possible.”

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U.S. Government to Cover Sex Change Operations for Active Duty Soldiers

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Christian News Network reports:

Photo courtesy US Defense Watch (usdefensewatch.com)

Photo courtesy US Defense Watch (usdefensewatch.com)

The U.S. Department of Defense will now cover costs for the sex change operations of soldiers in active duty, according to reports.

“[A] Defense Department spokesman said Monday that the option is available to all transgender active duty troops if their doctors recommend it and senior military health officials approve it,” the Military Times outlines.

As previously reported, the Pentagon announced in June that it would end the nation’s ban on open transgenders in the military. It had advised last year that a six-month study would be conducted to determine whether lifting the ban could have any adverse effect on battle preparedness.

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Do no harm, don’t discriminate: official guidance issued on robot ethics

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A professor of robotics in England says “The problem with AI systems right now, especially these deep learning systems, is that it’s impossible to know why they make the decisions they do.” If this is true, then robots are already out of control. -Technocracy News Editor

The Guardian has the story:

RobotIsaac Asimov gave us the basic rules of good robot behaviour: don’t harm humans, obey orders and protect yourself. Now the British Standards Institute has issued a more official version aimed at helping designers create ethically sound robots.

The document, BS8611 Robots and robotic devices, is written in the dry language of a health and safety manual, but the undesirable scenarios it highlights could be taken directly from fiction. Robot deception, robot addiction and the possibility of self-learning systems exceeding their remits are all noted as hazards that manufacturers should consider.

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Swedish church leaders oppose support for persecuted Christians

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Barnabasaid reports:

persecuted-churchLiberal Church leaders in Sweden have opposed an initiative aimed at showing support for persecuted Christians. After the murder of French priest Father Jacques Hamel by jihadists in July three Swedish priests started an initiative called Mitt kors (“My cross”) in which Swedish Christians took “selfies” with a cross to show solidarity with persecuted Christians. However, the initiative has been attacked by liberal church leaders apparently concerned that it might offend Muslims! The head of communications for the Church of Sweden even called it “seditious and un-Christian”. The Church of Sweden’s attacks on the “My cross” initiative continued until one of the priests who had started it publicly left the Church of Sweden. In a newspaper article, Johanna Andersson, the priest who has resigned wrote…

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“There will be more”: Chilling 911 call after the Chelsea explosion

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New York Post reports:

New York City Chelsea District

Manhattan’s  Chelsea District

A 911 caller warned of further explosions right after the blast that rocked Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood and injured 29 people, The Post has learned.

“I’m looking at the explosion down the block. There will be more,” the unidentified male said, claiming to be standing at 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue in the aftermath of the terrifying incident, according to law-enforcement sources Sunday.

The bomb appears to have been a pressure-cooker device, sources said.

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