Just the facts.

Court Removes Injunction on Planned Parenthood Video, New Video Immediately Released

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Media Research Center has the latest on the Planned Parenthood scandal:

Planned Parenthood

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne O’Donnell ruled on Friday afternoon the Center for Medical Progress has First Amendment rights to release videos it covertly took of StemExpress executives talking about buying aborted baby tissue from Planed Parenthood. Almost immediately afterwards, CMP released a new video that among other thing showed the StemExpress CEO Joking about receiving entire dead babies from Planned Parenthood (over lunch).

This latest video is only two minutes long and is more of a trailer of things to come. Most of its content was made up of bits and pieces of previous videos. The one new section featured Cate Dyer, the CEO of StemExpress in a lunch meeting with undercover operatives posing as representatives of a biotech firm. Dyer is seen laughing about how StemExpress purchases fully intact aborted babies from Planned Parenthood. As she paid the check, Dyer is laughing about how shippers of the aborted babies should give a warning to lab workers to expect such a whole (intact) baby.

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Target’s decision for gender-neutral signage signals bigger issues to come, Christian experts say

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Christian Examiner reports:

When retail giant Target announced earlier this month a portion of gender-based signage will be removed from specific areas in their stores, a firestorm of controversy swept over social media. While some applauded the move, citing progress and positive change, others voiced their anger and concern over what they perceive as the retailer’s attempt to remove all gender references. Some customers vowed to no longer shop at the big box chain.

Citing a need to “strike a better balance,” Target announced in an Aug. 7 press release on their website the changes ensure the retailer no longer “feature[s] suggestions for boys or girls” in their bedding departments, “just kids.” In the toy aisles, gender references will be removed including “the use of pink, blue, yellow, or green paper on the back walls of our shelves.”

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7th Shocking Video Catches Planned Parenthood Harvesting Brain of Aborted Baby Who Was Still Alive

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You’d think that it couldn’t get any worse than it already is for abortion mill Planned Parenthood, but with each new video released by The Center for Medical Progress, the American people discover yet another heinous procedure being done on human beings for the purpose of “medical research.” Life News has the story:

Planned Parenthood

The pro-life advocates behind the five shocking videos exposing Planned Parenthood selling the body parts of aborted babies for research have released a 6th video today that shows how the abortion business sells body parts of aborted babies without patient consent.

The video features Holly O’Donnell, a licensed phlebotomist who unsuspectingly took a job as a “procurement technician” at the fetal tissue company and biotech start-up StemExpress in late 2012. That’s the company that acts as a middleman and purchases the body parts of aborted babies from Planned Parenthood to sell to research universities and other places.

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Danny Lotz, Husband of Anne Graham Lotz, Has Died

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Christian Headlines reports:

Danny Lotz, 78, husband of Anne Graham Lotz, has passed away after being found unresponsive in the family swimming pool.

Christianity Today reports that after Anne Graham Lotz found her husband in the swimming pool, he was immediately taken to Rex Hospital’s ICU in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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Colo. marijuana legalization taking a toll

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Baptist Press reports:

One Colorado “church” is pushing for its mountain town of 1,500 to become the nation’s first “sanctuary” for “therapeutic and spiritual users of cannabis.”

Legalized recreational marijuana in Colorado is taking a toll in heightened social services and employment issues but also may give the church new opportunities to share Christ.

Calling itself “Closer to the Heart Ministry,” the so-called church in Nederland, Colo., celebrates cannabis — the plant that produces marijuana — as mankind’s “tree of life.” Baptist pastors in Colorado, however, see no safe haven from recreational marijuana’s toll since its legalization on Jan. 1, 2014.

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Bombs Found Planted at New Mexico Churches

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According to Christian News Network:

Police are searching for clues after bombs were found planted this month outside of three houses of worship in New Mexico.

On August 2, police responded to a call about an explosion at Calvary Baptist Church in Las Cruces, where reportedly a bomb had been wrapped in newspapers and placed into a mailbox that had been bolted to the wall. The force of the explosion ripped the mailbox from the building, throwing it approximately 150 feet.

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Rev. Graham: “The God of Islam is Not the One True God of the Bible”

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CNS News reports:

In reaction to news reports that 26-year-old Kayla Mueller was regularly raped by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before being killed, and that Islamists believe the Quran gives them permission to rape and that it pleases God, Christian evangelist Franklin Graham said “the god of Islam is not the one true God of the Bible.”

“Now it has been released that Kayla Mueller, the 26-year-old American aid worker captured by ISIS and killed in February, was repeatedly raped by ISIS top leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and another senior IS member,” said Rev. Graham in an Aug. 15 post on Facebook.

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GENETIC RESEARCH SCIENTIST: LIKELY SOME ABORTED BABIES ARE “ALIVE UNTIL THEIR HEARTS ARE CUT OUT”

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According to Breitbart:

Baby in the womb

The biomedical scientist—who assisted the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) in its preparation to infiltrate Planned Parenthood and expose its practice of harvesting aborted baby parts for sale to biomedical companies—says she suspects that the “babies in some of these cases were alive until their hearts were cut out” for harvesting.

In an interview with Breitbart News, Dr. Theresa Deisher, a world-renowned scientist in the field of adult stem cell therapies and regenerative medicine, discussed what is involved in harvesting the organs of aborted babies.

“If you read scientific publications, in which they use the fetal material for some indications, particularly, cardio-vascular, or nerve cell research, they discuss the necessity of having tissue in the digesting buffer solution within five minutes for optimal yields,” she explains. “So, within five minutes of death, you would have to have the heart removed, and flushed of all blood, cleaned of any extra tissue that might be there, and the heart put into a liquid with enzymes that would digest the connective tissue and release the muscle cells.”

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Billy Graham son-in-law Dennis Lotz found unresponsive in pool, in ICU

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According to Christian Examine:

Dennis Lotz, the 78-year-old husband of Anne Graham Lotz, was discovered unresponsive floating in the family pool Monday afternoon, according to a post on Lotz’s Facebook site.

Anne Graham Lotz is the second daughter of evangelist Billy Graham and the founder of AnGel Ministies. Her brother,Franklin Graham, is the Founder of Samaritan’s Purse.

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Presidential Candidate Ted Cruz: The Body of Christ Must “Rise Up” This Election Season

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Christian News Network reports:

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is calling upon Christians and their pastors to “rise up” for biblical values during the 2016 election season.

“Nothing is more important in the next 18 months than that the Body of Christ rises up and that Christians stand up—that pastors stand up and lead,” he said in a recent interview with the American Family Association during a campaign stop in Mississippi. (Watch here.)

He noted that his father, Rafael Cruz, a pastor, has been encouraging other pastors to be salt and light in the nation.

“He will tell pastors, ‘Listen, God really laid upon my heart that no one bears greater responsibility for the condition of this country today than the pastors,’” Cruz explained. “Because if the flock stumbles into a ditch, you don’t blame the sheep; you blame the shepherd.”

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Sexual orientation in the UK: Half of young people say they are not 100% heterosexual

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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.

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82 Percent of Americans Agree: Photographers Have Right to Say No to Gay Weddings

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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.”

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Carson defends his research on aborted fetuses

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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.

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Panel at “Send” event: You are not alone

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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.”

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Colorado Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Requiring Christian Baker to Make “Gay Wedding” Cakes

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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.

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Gay teen asks Supreme Court to allow him to get counseling

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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.

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3 States Defund and 13 States Investigate Planned Parenthood

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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.

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Human Capital – Episode 2: Inside the Planned Parenthood Supply Site

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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:

Baby in the womb

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.

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Discussions with Carl Lentz

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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.

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Natural Selection, “Engine of Evolution,” May Actually Inhibit Evolution, Scientists Find

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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.”

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The Smoking Gun: Brian Houston Acknowledges Ministry of Gay Couple at Hillsong NYC – on video – Back in 2014

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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.

Pinocchio

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)…

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Ugandan gay pride party to celebrate end of anti-homosexuality law

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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.

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T.D. Jakes Comes Out for “Gay Marriage” and “LGBT Churches,” Says Position is “Evolving’”

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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.

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Historic church which produced first Southern Baptist Convention president will allow gay ordination and transgender, same-sex marriage

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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.

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Americans overwhelmingly favor religious liberty over gay rights

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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.

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