The local Charlotte media is keeping a close eye on Steven Furtick. Apprising Ministries provides links to the details concerning this peculiar story, which occurred Saturday.
Doves Released in Vatican as a Gesture of Peace Are Immediately Attacked by Vicious Seagull and Crow
According to the Daily Mail:
To millions of Christians, they are a symbol of peace.
But to a pair of larger birds, the two doves released in the Vatican yesterday were nothing more than a chance for a bit of Sunday morning sport.
No sooner had the birds been set free in St Peter’s Square – as a symbolic gesture of peace for Ukraine – than they were set upon by a seagull and a crow.
Swiss Guard veteran claims existence of ‘gay network’ at the Vatican
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.
IHOP’s Stephen Venable now missing from Linger Conference speakers
Obama Reaffirms Commitment to Abortion Despite March for Life in U.S. Capital
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.”
Investigators: Oregon Bakery Discriminated Against Lesbian for Declining to Make ‘Wedding’ Cake
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.
12 Unborn Animals in The Womb You Have to See to Believe
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.
Gov. Cuomo: Pro-life people not welcome in New York
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.”
IHOP’s Stephen Venable and his Contemplative Teaching, John Piper and the Linger Conference (Updated)
Apprising Ministries shows you video evidence that Venable’s “lingering” appears to be a form of meditation in an altered state of consciousness.
Update: Is contemplative spirituality to be taught to charismatics at Linger? This piece has been substantially revised, and the answer to that question is, yes, it is.
Matt Chandler and Priscilla Shirer Join Host Ed Stetzer on TBN’s ”Praise the Lord”
New Mexico Judge Rules That Doctors May Prescribe Lethal Drugs to Terminally Ill Patients
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.
Planned Parenthood Did One Adoption Referral Per 149 Abortions
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.
Federal Judge Strikes Down Oklahoma Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ Ban
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.
AZ Legislator, Pastor Introduces Bill to Protect Churches That Oppose Same-Sex ‘Marriage’
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.”
Former Pentagon Chief: ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Fight Was Only Time Obama Showed ‘Passion’ for Military Issues
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.
Evolutionists Criticize Proposed Bill Allowing Students to Explore ‘Scientific Controversies’
Legislation Introduced to Protect State Sovereignty Over Definition of Marriage
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.
Federal government to recognize same-sex marriages in Utah
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.
CDC Reports STDs on the Rise particularly “in Homosexual community”
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.”
Louis Giglio with WF Preachers Phil Pringle, Brian Houston, and Kong Hee
Supreme Court puts gay marriage on hold in Utah
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.