# 1130 (1/31) " Does God Forgive Women Who Have Had Abortions?

" Does God Forgive Women Who Have Had Abortions? This Woman Knows the Answer" - by Steven Ertelt | Des Moines, IA | LifeNews.com | 1/15/15; https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6120056083724277087#editor/target=post;postID=7235924610161811088

Does God forgive women who have abortions? Kristan Gray knows the answer and she will be sharing it with thousands of pro-life people at Iowa Right to Life’s Midwest March for Life on Saturday.

In 1983, Gray was a teenager, brightly optimistic about her future, but with one positive pregnancy test her future became unsteady. She decided to go through with an abortion and afterwards began to show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Less than a year later, Gray was raped by a friend, sending her into a downward spiral of eating disorders and bouts of depression. Gray turned to God for guidance and, through his mercy and love, was able to make a full recovery.

“When I chose abortion, I was already a Christian, but I had no idea how astounding and full of grace, forgiveness and love our awesome God is,” she told LifeNews.com. But then, something changed after her abortion.“I don’t carry guilt and shame anymore, because Jesus Christ has truly set me free. For that reason, I wrote an autobiography called, “No One Could Know” to help other post-abortive women to find forgiveness,” she said.

“Surprisingly, almost as many men as women have told me how the book has positively impacted them. No One Could Know is actually a funny book—at least in the beginning. Many have said, “I laughed, I cried, I got mad, and I even learned a little as I read your book.” No One Could Know is my gut-wrenchingly honest account of my life…my personal struggle with overwhelming shame and self-loathing after an abortion—and later, rape,” Gray explained.

“Reasons for abortion vary, but I dare say a large number take place because of the very same reason I had mine—so no one could know what was done at an inconvenient time,” she continues.

What is her advice to young women who have had an abortion and can’t reconnect with God or have doubts about forgiveness and self-worth? “I want the other 56 million post-abortive women to know the same gentle and compassionate healing God brought to my heart when I trusted in Him,” Gray passionately writes, “and to possibly prevent anyone else from experiencing what I did.”

“If you’ve never found yourself in such situations as I did, then likely this book will help you to be of help to someone else. But if you’re carrying excess baggage, I believe this book provides some tools to help lighten your way so you too can experience God’s compassion for yourself and walk free,” she says.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

"She Had Four Abortions, Was There Any Way God Could Forgive Her?" - by Sarah Zagorski | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 1/30/15;http://www.lifenews.com/2015/01/30/she-had-four-abortions-was-there-any-way-god-could-forgive-her/
"...It was my birth control, and in that decision, I suppose it began the process for God to begin to work in my life. I had not changed my behavior, so I was pregnant again within a very short period of time, and that’s how I ended up in and out of welfare that you did hear in my bio – three and a half years consistently, because I did get pregnant again, not married, and watched my life over that next three and a half years go into a little dark whole,” she said. “And that’s where God found me, got me up, cleaned me up, got me into school.” Parker concluded, “When it comes to protecting life, that’s one of the first steps out of poverty is self-government, understanding that each and every one of us has an obligation to each other and to the Lord to be self-sufficient and to be responsible with the choices that we make.”

# 1129 (1/30) "How to Put Parents Back in Control of Their Child’s Education"

"How to Put Parents Back in Control of Their Child’s Education" - Sen. Mike Lee/ @SenMikeLee / January 29, 2015 / http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/29/put-parents-back-control-childs-education/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailydigest&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRolvKrIZKXonjHpfsX56eguXa%2B3lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ET8FqI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxU%3D[AS I SEE IT: Giving parents more freedom in how their children are educated (ie, the idea behind what is called school choice) has been debated but yet rarely implemented nationwide for as long as I can remember. It seems to always be opposed by teachers' unions and other entrenched bureaucrats who only want to hold on to their power. It's about time the people (parents) were fully entrusted with their children's education. - Stan]


Photo: Glen Stubbe/ZUMA Press/Newscom

A good primary and secondary education is the cornerstone of the American Dream: it prepares us for economic and personal success and facilitates our pursuit of happiness. [And yet] Most parents are powerless to influence the quality of their child’s education.

But too often the history of America’s public school system has been a story of dashed hopes, deferred dreams, and unfulfilled promises. Hopes of parents—that the local school system would prepare their kids to climb higher than they ever could. Dreams of students—that their teachers would inspire and believe in them. And promises of policymakers—that more money would fix a fundamentally broken system.Millions of low-income families who are stuck in underperforming schools have no way out and no way to choose something better.These families are not just let down by our nation’s dysfunctional education policy—they are trapped by it.

Providing a solid education for the next generation is, as Abraham Lincoln once wrote, “the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.” Policymakers should aim, as he did, “to see the time when education, and by its means, morality, society, enterprise and industry, shall become much more general than at present.”

That’s why I recently introduced in the Senate a bill that would empower the people most acutely committed to the quality of our education system: America’s moms and dads. My colleague on the other side of the Capitol, Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., has introduced a companion bill in the House. By giving parents more power to invest in their child’s education and to choose what school best meets their needs, the Enhancing Educational Opportunities for All Act takes an important step toward restoring accountability to our public education system—something that has been missing for far too long.

Under our current system—which has remained essentially unchanged since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act—most parents are powerless to influence the quality of their child’s education.

What occurs in public school classrooms around the country—what teachers teach and how they teach it—is the result of a long, convoluted, bureaucratic chain of command that zigzags its way from Washington to local school districts, but never includes parents.

First, Congress passes legislation authorizing federal bureaucrats to establish rules, regulations, and standards with which states must comply in order to receive federal education funds.Next, state officials refine—or in some cases distort—these Washington directives, writing narrower rules for their school districts, which then establish the specific policies for individual schools.At no point in this decision-making process are parents consulted. 

Instead, they are left with a “take it or leave it” choice: either accept the education offered at the local public school—no matter how bad it may be—or buy a better alternative, by moving closer to a better school or paying private school tuition.For America’s most affluent families, this is no big deal—they can afford private schools and so have the power to choose the school that is best for their children. For everyone else, it precludes parents from making choices about their children’s education.

So our bill would expand school choice to all parents, regardless of socio-economic status or zip code, by allowing federal “Title I” K-12 support funds to follow low-income students to any public or private school of their choice.

It would also remove the contribution limits on Coverdell education savings accounts and allow “529” account funds to cover K-12 education expenses.

Our bill would give working parents more opportunities to invest in a variety of learning services and products outside the classroom, such as tutoring, online courses and textbooks.

The problem facing our public school system today is not about a lack of money—we have nearly tripled our investments in elementary and secondary students since 1970. The problem is dysfunctional government policy—however well intentioned—and a lack of accountability.

And that’s exactly what we should expect when Washington bureaucrats have more control than parents over a child’s education. We have a moral and economic obligation to flip this equation and put parents back in the driver’s seat.

For when we tolerate a system in which the quality of a child’s education depends on her parents’ zip code, we fail to live up to the ideals at the heart of American exceptionalism.

And when millions of children learn from a young age not to dream big, but to surrender to the hopelessness of low expectations, we will live in a society where upward mobility is no longer rule but the exception.

We can and we must do better.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]  Mike Lee is a Republican senator from Utah.

# 1128 (1/29) "When Politics Defy Reality:.."

"When Politics Defy Reality: The Real State of the Union Features Dishonesty and Deception" - Dr. Ben Carson | Jan 28, 2015;
http://townhall.com/columnists/drbencarson/2015/01/28/when-politics-defy-reality-the-real-state-of-the-union-features-dishonesty-and-deception-n1949134/page/full

In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama was upbeat and inspiring, particularly if a listener had no prior knowledge of his many speeches that were quite similar but bore no fruit. It almost appeared that he was living in an alternate universe that bore no resemblance to present-day America and the current global stage.

He boasted that the economy was doing very well and that unemployment had been cut in half since he took office. Perhaps someone should educate him about the labor force participation rate, which is at its lowest point in the past 36 years and reflects the number of people who are actually working versus the number of people who are eligible to work. The unemployment rate can easily be manipulated in whichever direction one desires by including and excluding certain groups of people.

He also boasted about the record-high stock market numbers. He failed to indicate that savings accounts and certain types of bonds, which used to be the mechanism whereby average Americans could enhance their net worth over a long period of time, were no longer appealing, and that the stock market was one of the few places where gains could be made. While the stock market has always been particularly relevant to the wealthier members of society, the influx of these smaller investors is further driving the income gap.

He talked about the need to further tax the rich because they are not paying their fair share. He failed to mention that the top 1 percent pays 37 percent of the federal income taxes, while earning 19 percent of the income. Since he is so concerned about fairness, perhaps he should consider a proportional (flat) tax, which hits everyone according to their ability to pay. To make this even more fair, we could eliminate all loopholes.

His claim that we are winning the war against terrorism, even though he failed to mention the name of the radical Islamists who are behind the terror, was almost laughable in light of its rapid growth and spread throughout the world. He appeared not to recognize that our premature withdrawal of troops from Iraq was a mistake that facilitated the development of the Islamic State. His bravado about chasing the terrorists and eliminating them bears no resemblance to his actual policies and demonstrates his contempt for the intelligence of his audience.

He demonstrated great courage in talking about how the Affordable Care Act is actually resulting in a reduction in health care spending. This may be true on some levels, but the reason for that decreased spending is secondary to the reluctance of people to seek medical care when they have deductibles of thousands of dollars.

I wonder whether he and his team ever considered the fact that we spend $400 billion a year on Medicaid, which covers about 80 million Americans. That's about $5,000 per enrollee. Many of the concierge practices that target those who are financially well off only cost $2,000 to $3,000 per year. If we spent Medicaid dollars wisely, we could provide excellent care, including catastrophic care, for considerably less money than we are spending now.

The president also made some fantastic comments that served as applause lines regarding energy, education and a few other subjects. The real state of the union is characterized by dishonesty and deception. Instead of pretending that everything is rosy, perhaps it would be wise for the president to replay the part of the speech about bipartisan cooperation and then figure out how his multiple veto threats, failure to communicate and reluctance to seek bipartisan solutions fit the theme of his address.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]


Dr. Carson is an emeritus professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In 1984, he was named director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, a position he retired from on June 30, 2013. In 2008, he was named the inaugural recipient of a professorship in his name, the Benjamin S. Carson Sr., M.D., and Dr. Evelyn Spiro, R.N., Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery. Also in 2008, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the land.

fit the theme of his address.

# 1127 (1/28) "Abortion Protesters Don't Count?"

"Abortion Protesters Don't Count?" - Brent Bozell | Jan 28, 2015;
http://townhall.com/columnists/brentbozell/2015/01/28/abortion-protesters-dont-count-n1949159/page/full


Hundreds of thousands of protesters descend on Washington every January to "March for Life," protesting the horror of more than a million abortions in America every year. Every year the "news" outlets report next to nothing, even when their reporters are there documenting the event as their cameras film it.

This year, the turnout was among the strongest ever, with estimates as high as half a million people. The visual of wave after wave marching to the Capitol to demand action, with banners, flyers and flags; with an ocean of those supposedly disinterested millennial cheering and praying; with babies everywhere. It was a breathtaking sight.

Except virtually no one watching the networks ever saw it. CBS gave the story a paltry 15 seconds. NBC "News" blacked it out entirely. So too did ABC "News."

Liberal journalists have made it perfectly clear over the years that only radical leftist protesters count. In fact, two or three of them together matter more than hundreds of thousands of social conservatives. The "problem"? You could argue that social conservatives march peacefully, prayerfully, with no violent clashes with the police and no destruction of property, and since it doesn't bleed, it doesn't lead.But it's much more than that. The "news" media are militantly pro-abortion and are not about to give oxygen to the pro-life cause even when it is undeniably newsworthy.

If you're throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers or burning down pizza parlors in furtherance of a cause endorsed by the press, reporters will provide comprehensive and sympathetic coverage. Think Ferguson. If you're peacefully standing up for the most vulnerable in our society, you get nothing.

Let's look at some recent examples of how leftist protesters get much more sympathetic media treatment:

Jan. 10: Reuters made a mountain out of this molehill: "Two protesters were arrested at the McLean, Virginia, home of former Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday after 20 demonstrators, some in orange prison jumpsuits, walked onto his property to mark the 14th anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo Bay prison." Yes, two.

Dec. 28 and 29: The Washington Post highlighted a tiny rally of leftists opposing the name of the Washington Redskins as dehumanizing "indigenous people" -- on the front page of the Metro section twice -- both before and after the march, which turned out only about 100 activists.

Dec.12: CBS and NBC both hailed "dozens" of leftist congressional staffers protesting police brutality with a "hands up, don't shoot" pose -- inaccurately suggesting Michael Brown was gunned down in Ferguson without trying to take a policeman's gun.

Nov. 30: The Washington Post promoted "a group of about 30 protesters took to the streets chanting" against police with "Hands up, don't shoot" and "No justice, no peace." Eight of them blocked traffic on Interstate 395 in D.C. The Post couldn't find one angry driver who was delayed by this stunt.

Aug. 22: Associated Press reporter Matthew Brown thought this was a news event in Jackson Hole, Wyoming: "Shadowing central bankers and economists at the annual Federal Reserve conference here, a group of about 10 demonstrators pressed [Federal Reserve] Chair Janet Yellen not to yield to pressure to raise interest rates."

This is just a small sample of what happens routinely. Protests only matter if they support a leftist agenda. It's heart-breaking to think of any pro-life activist, so many of them young students, riding a bus from Ohio or Missouri or Wisconsin imagining the national media would ever notice what they did.

Instead, the many thousands who march year after year do it in the harshest weather, knowing in their chilled bones that our media will ignore them, and the murdered unborn children for whom they protest.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

Founder and President of the Media Research Center, Brent Bozell runs the largest media watchdog organization in America. 

# 1126 (1/27) "Obama Proposes Eliminating Tax Cut Designed to Help Families Save for College"

"Obama Proposes Eliminating Tax Cut Designed to Help Families Save for College" - Lindsey Burke / @lindseymburke / January 26, 2015 / http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/26/obama-proposes-eliminating-tax-cut-designed-help-families-save-college/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRolvaXBZKXonjHpfsX56eguXa%2B3lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ETsRjI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxU%3D [AS I SEE IT: Here is a great explanation of why anything the federal government offers as "free" is anything but. There are always consequences when the feds get involved, and most times they are anything but good. - Stan]

A Tulane student studies in the library. (Photo: Tulane Public Relations/CC BY-NC 2.0)

The Obama administration will soon propose raising taxes on middle-income families struggling to save for college–at a time when college costs are higher than they’ve ever been.

For years, families have been using 529 college savings accounts. Once you invest after-tax dollars in these accounts, the money grows tax-free and you can withdraw the initial capital and the interest acquired without facing federal tax penalties if you use the money for education expenses.

But now President Obama wants to tax the money made from those investments–a move that the New York Times called “a radical change” that would “discourage savers from using the accounts because the withdrawals would be taxed as ordinary income.” Under Obama’s proposal, if families withdrew money that had been earned from investments from these accounts for college expenses, they would now have to pay taxes on that income.

Some have already pointed out that the proposal could also reduce the amount of federal financial aid for which a student is eligible, since that newly taxable income would be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.

The administration’s policies are creating disincentives for those who save for college while advancing policies in which federal government directs college spending, lending and handouts.

At a time when college tuition is more expensive than ever, we should be encouraging families to save – and should certainly not be penalizing families in favor of Uncle Sam stepping in to provide things like “free” community college and student loan “forgiveness,” as the administration has proposed.

Financing the administration’s push for “free” community college, announced earlier this month, appears to be the impetus for the proposal to tax family savings. The money acquired via taxing the 529 accounts earnings will be used to offset the costs of giving two years of “free” community college to everyone.

The White House’s plan for the federal government to finance free community college will encourage increased spending on the part of the community college system, will not provide any benefit to low-income students (who can already use Pell Grants to pay for tuition at community colleges), and will crowd-out the for-profit college sector. It’s also likely to result in a 6-year high school system, since high schools may feel less responsibility to fully prepare students by 12th grade, if they know a “grade 13” and “grade 14” await.

The administration’s tax proposal would also strike a similar blow to Coverdell savings accounts. Coverdell accounts allow parents to save up to $2,000 per year for a child’s K-12 educational expenses. While contributions to Coverdell accounts are made with after-tax dollars, like 529’s, interest earned on contributions accrues free from federal income taxes. President Obama’s proposal would limit educational options for elementary and secondary students.

In its quest for a federally funded “cradle-to-career” education system, the administration is crowding out the most important ingredient in educational success: families, and their ability to save for and direct their own children’s education.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]
most important ingredient in educational success: families, and their ability to save for and direct their own children’s education.

# 1112 (1/26) "Raising Taxes on the Wealthy Would Hurt the Economy"

"Raising Taxes on the Wealthy Would Hurt the Economy" - January 23, 2015; http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=25285&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DPD

The president is planning to increase taxes on the wealthy to fund tax credits for the middle class. One way he intends to do this, explain Scott Hodge and Michael Schuyler of the Tax Foundation, is by increasing the top tax rate on capital gains and dividends for higher-income Americans.

The capital gains tax is a tax on the sale of an investment. What happens when this tax gets raised? People retain, rather than sell, their assets -- meaning less government revenue.

Presently, the current top capital gains and income tax rate is 20 percent for couples who earn more than $450,000 and for singles who earn over $400,000. On top of that, investment income is subject to an additional 3.8 percent tax imposed by the Affordable Care Act, resulting in a combined tax rate of 23.8 percent.

Obama wants to increase the rate on capital gains and dividends to 28 percent, the idea being that it would only impact high earners. But that's not the case -- changes in tax policy affect economic behavior, something that "dynamic scoring" (as opposed to "static scoring") recognizes. Using dynamic analysis, Hodge and Schuyler assess the effect of a 28 percent capital gains tax rate. According to their model:
     *All income groups, not just the wealthy, would see lower after-tax incomes.
     *The amount of tax revenue the government would receive would fall. While static scoring estimates the tax would add $20 billion annually in new revenue, dynamic scoring concludes it would lose $12 billion in revenue.
     * The United States would have $142 billion less GDP each year.
     * Wages would fall, resulting in $461 less annually for families earning between $50,000 and $75,000.

The president wants to help the middle class by redistributing wealth from top income earners, but in practice, this policy would hurt the people he intends to help, creating a smaller economy and lowering wages. These effects are not evident when analysts use static scoring models, but they become clear with dynamic scoring.

    Instead of tacking on more taxes, lawmakers could eliminate the capital gains tax. This way, savings and investment would rise, top income earners wouldn't be taxed twice and all Americans could benefit from a growing economy.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

"What Obama Got Right and Wrong in the State of the Union" - Katrina Trinko/ @KatrinaTrinko / January 20, 2015 / http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/20/obama-got-right-wrong-state-union/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=saturday&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRolva%2FLZKXonjHpfsX56eguXa%2B3lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ETsJkI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxU%3D

"... President Obama Disappoints on Business Tax Reform
      President Obama and his staff rolled out his plan to raise taxes on the rich and give targeted tax cuts to some middle class families this weekend. Surprisingly, he made little specific mention of this plan in tonight’s speech. He mentioned a significant increase of the child care credit, which only benefits families that choose to pay for care outside the home. Then he made vague reference to closing loopholes in the tax code, but gave little indication of which he’d like to see closed. He did make clear, of course, that he wants these undefined loopholes closed to raise taxes to pay for infrastructure spending. If loopholes are to be closed, tax rates should be lowered so as not to cause a tax hike.
     He did mention that he wants to see loopholes closed that allow businesses to keep foreign income offshore. This could mean many things, but is most likely ending deferral, which allows businesses to avoid paying the highest-in-the-world corporate tax rate until they bring their foreign income back to the U.S. We need to reform how we treat businesses’ foreign income, but Obama’s plan goes in the wrong direction. We need to move to a territorial system that does not tax foreign income, just like almost all other developed nations use.
     Lastly, he talked about raising taxes on wealthy heirs, which really means he wants to raise capital gains taxes on the rich. Far from soaking just the rich, higher capital gains taxes will hurt middle class and low-income families because it will slow economic growth.
     The big disappointment tonight is that  Obama did not commit to lead on business tax reform. This vital policy improvement is necessary to spur economic growth, but it will only happen if the president leads the charge. His failure to take the reins likely means business tax reform will have to wait yet another year. — Curtis Dubay" ...

[bold and italics emphasis mine]



Source: Scott A. Hodge, Michael Schuyler, "What Dynamic Analysis Tells Us About the President's Tax Hike on Capital Gains and Dividends," Tax Foundation, January 21, 2015.

# 1125 (1/25) SUNDAY SPECIAL: "The War on Christians..."

"The War on Christians -PERSECUTION HITS RECORD LEVELS" - By: John Stonestreet|Published: January 21, 2015; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/12/26724?spMailingID=10435378&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=461725264&spReportId=NDYxNzI1MjY0S0 [AS I SEE IT: What? You think you've already read about this recently? No apologies from me. As I consider how rarely I hear of this spoken of from pulpits, I don't think I can post articles about this often enough. - Stan]

While the civilized world rightly expressed outrage over the slaughter of 12 cartoonists, the plight of 100 million persecuted Christians is largely ignored.

While in 2015 the days of throwing Christians to wild beasts in the arena may be behind us, the persecution of Christians around the world isn't. In fact, the number of our brothers and sisters subjected to imprisonment, torture, and death for their faith in just the last twelve months dwarfs the number who suffered during the entire tenure of Nero.

As a new report from a leading ministry to the persecuted church shows, last year was one of the most violent on record for believers worldwide—and 2015 could be worse.

Open Doors International released its World Watch List earlier this month, ranking the top 50 most dangerous and difficult countries for Christians to live in. Here are the results:

For the 13th year in a row, North Korea ranked as the worst persecutor of Christians. Amid executing relatives and presiding over the disappearances of his political rivals, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has reserved his special wrath for Christians. Open Doors estimates that 70,000 believers are currently imprisoned for their faith in this hermit kingdom. And considering North Koreans outside of jail live in a state of semi-starvation, I shudder to think what it's like behind bars.Executions for crimes of owning Bibles or evangelizing are commonplace. News agencies reported last year that Kim Jong-un personally sentenced 33 church planters to death. “Christians,” explains Open Doors president David Curry, “are the No. 1 enemy of the state in North Korea.”

And that's just one frontier in the battle between the Gospel and modern Neros.In west-central Africa, the Islamist group Boko Haram has just leveled several towns, with Christians as their new target of choice. Militants have ambushed worshipers in at least a half a dozen churches on Sunday mornings, and human rights groups report a Christian body count of over 3,000 in Nigeria alone.

And then there's the Middle East. From Iraq and Syria to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Christians are suffering for their faith on a scale not seen in living memory. Some of the world's most ancient church communities have been wiped out or displaced by the rise of ISIS, and tens of thousands of Christians have fled the Islamic State's onslaught—most likely never to return home.

“We have seen the sharpest jump in violent attacks against Christians in the modern era,” says Curry, estimating that upwards of 100 million Christians worldwide are suffering persecution as we speak. “[And] while the year 2014 will go down in history for having the highest level of global persecution of Christians in the modern era,” Open Doors elaborated, “current conditions suggest the worst is yet to come.”

Now I know it's easy to shrug and say, “Well, what can I do about this?” But we're not helpless—not by a long shot.

Christians in America have options for extending help to our hard-pressed brethren by supporting organizations devoted to serving the persecuted church and pleading her cause—organizations like Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, and International Christian Concern. So please, get involved. [Note links listed below]

And of course, we need to pray—all the harder as the situation worsens. And while you're praying, remember this: The same Gospel that Nero thought he could extinguish went on to conquer his empire. His fires died—but the Holy Spirit's fire did not. And as the Apostle John wrote, very likely in the context of Nero's persecution, Christians who confessed their Lord despite the cost “triumphed...by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

So take action with me. And folks, don't despair. If the gates of Hell and Rome can’t prevail against the Church, modern persecutors don't stand a chance.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

RESOURCES
Open Doors USA, website - https://www.opendoorsusa.org/

Voice of the Martyrs website - http://www.persecution.com/

Freedom House website - https://freedomhouse.org/

International Christian Concern website - http://www.persecution.org/

Christian Solidarity International website - http://csi-usa.org/
Christian Solidarity International website - 

# 1124 (1/24) "Why Don’t Abortion Advocates Care About Women’s Safety?"

"Why Don’t Abortion Advocates Care About Women’s Safety?" - Genevieve Wood / @genevievewood / January 14, 2015 / http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/14/dont-abortion-advocates-care-womens-safety/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRolv6jNZKXonjHpfsX56eguXa%2B3lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4FRcZkI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxU%3D [Go to this weblink to view a video of the debate referred to here.] [AS I SEE IT: This article exposes the lie that abortion advocates  are pro-women. To not care about women's safety as much as their access to what is a procedure with many risks speaks volumes about how "pro-women" they actually are. - Stan]

Should abortion facilities have to follow the same standards as other medical clinics?

If you thought the answer to that, regardless of your views on abortion, should be “duh,” you’d be wrong.
In fact, we had quite the spirited debate on PBS’s “To The Contrary” this week about that.  A provision in a Texas law passed in 2013 states “minimum standards for an abortion facility must be equivalent to the minimum standards adopted for ambulatory surgical centers.”

And what are such standards? According to documents of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals now hearing the challenge to the Texas law: The regulatory standards for ambulatory surgical centers contain two main categories: (1) physical plant, which includes architectural, electrical, plumbing and HVAC requirements, …and (2) operations, which includes requirements for medical records systems, training, staffing and cleanliness…

Abortion rights supporters say it’s not necessary for abortion clinics to have the same standards as other medical clinics. In fact, one of my fellow panelists went so far as to claim no surgeries are happening in these clinics.Do they really believe that?

The fact is that unless a woman is in her earliest stages of pregnancy, under eight weeks, a surgical and invasive procedure must be used. You can read the unpleasant details of what is involved right here under what Planned Parenthood calls “In-Clinic Abortion Procedures.” Planned Parenthood specifically states that, “Even though in-clinic abortion procedures are generally very safe, in extremely rare cases, serious complications may be fatal.”

Not sure about you, but if I’m undergoing any procedure that has the risk of being fatal, I’d like the facility in which I’m having that procedure to be prepared to perform life-saving measures.

The fact is that women who undergo a surgical abortion face several of the same risks that someone who undergoes any type of serious surgery face: risks of blood clots, hemorrhaging and infection.

And because abortion clinics have not been more regulated, there is a growing list of clinics around the country now coming under investigation and scrutiny for failing health inspections and harming women. Kermit Gosnell’s “house of horrors” in Philadelphia is not, as this listing of violations in over 15 states shows, an outlier.

Abortion advocates claim that if abortion clinics are forced to comply with these regulations they will be forced to close down because they can’t afford the upgrades.But perhaps abortion facilities should consider asking the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, for financial assistance–it receives hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government each year and reported income of more than $58 million for 2012-2013.

This is one area where one would think both pro-lifers and abortion rights advocates could find some common ground. But those supporting abortion rights seem to care more about keeping the doors to abortion clinics open than preserving the health and safety of women.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

Genevieve Wood advances policy priorities of The Heritage Foundation as senior contributor to The Daily Signal. Send an email to Genevieve.

# 1123 (1/23) "Onward for Life: Why We March"

"Onward for Life: Why We March" - Sarah Torre / @sarahtorre / January 22, 2015 / http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/22/onward-life-march/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRolva3LZKXonjHpfsX56eguXa%2B3lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ETctgI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxU%3D [AS I SEE IT: It was frustrating and disheartening to learn that a minority in the House was able to convince the majority to withdraw the bill that would have limited abortions to 20 weeks (see post #1119). Some have said that the real reason the minority stood against such action was that they were afraid they would offend women voters in the 2016 elections! I don't know for sure how true that is but I would not be surprised. Yes, it is enough to make a person cynical. But as I have tried to say many times, cynicism only leads to passivity and a defeatist attitude. THAT should NEVER be the attitude of those who stand for God's truth because such only comes from the Evil One himself. Let these disappointments just stir us to more fervent prayer and to urge those of stronger principles to persevere. The unborn deserve at least that from each of us. - Stan]

Thousands gather to march for life in Washington, Jan. 22, 2015. (Photo: Alyson Fligg/Sipa USA)

Today, hundreds of thousands of Americans [gathered] on the National Mall to participate in the annual March for Life, commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, which invented a constitutional right to abortion-on-demand.

Today is primarily a time for somber remembrance. A time to reflect on the enormous cost of abortion by remembering the more than 56 million children who have lost their lives since that fateful day in 1973 and the countless women who still suffer from abortion’s physical and emotional tolls.

But the March is also a time for celebration. Because of the hope it presents and the truth it professes, the pro-life movement–against legal, political and cultural odds–has been able to reorient the hearts and minds of an entire generation.

Every day, more than 2,000 pregnancy centers provide counseling, medical services and continued to support to women facing unplanned pregnancies, empowering them with life-affirming options. Across the country, courageous state policymakers continue to pass a record number of commonsense policies protecting women from a dangerous abortion industry and restoring respect for the dignity of both mother and child in law.

Because of those tireless efforts, more and more Americans consider themselves “pro-life” – particularly millennials who will make up a considerable portion of the March today.

Despite the many hard fought victories in law and culture, challenges persist. An ever-encroaching government is trampling on the conscience rights of pro-life Americans and Obamacare continues to find new ways to send taxpayer money to the abortion industry. Embarrassingly permissive laws on late-term abortion have left U.S. policy at odds with the majority of Americans and extreme among developed nations.

Today, the House of Representatives will vote on the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. The bill would prohibit any federal funds from being used to pay for elective abortion or health benefit plans that cover abortion, including those offered through Obamacare exchanges.That’s a good and long-overdue step to ensuring that the federal government cannot continue to entangle tax dollars with coverage for life-ending procedures. But it cannot and should not be the last step for this Congress.

The vast majority of Americans – including nearly 60 percent of women – support legislation that would limit dangerous and gruesome late-term abortions after 20 weeks. That’s five months, or halfway through pregnancy, when children can feel pain and women are at increased risk for the negative effects of abortion. Because of national leaders’ failure to advance protections for women and unborn children, the U.S. is currently one of only seven countries – among them North Korea and China – in which elective abortion after 20 weeks is allowed.

Protecting the health of women and the lives of unborn children who are so close to viability is a policy the American people overwhelming support and our collective conscience demands.

The pro-life movement is a winning cause not because it always politically popular or easy, but because it’s a cause built on an undeniable truth: that every human being – from the moment of conception – is a person with inestimable value, dignity and the right to life. We cannot continue to deny that right to youngest and most vulnerable children in our society simply because they are small, dependent, disabled or simply inconvenient.

As today’s March concludes, we look forward to the day when the law respects the dignity and value of every human life. It will be a victory won one heart and one policy at a time and sustained by the determination and courage that has characterized the pro-life movement’s efforts for decades.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

Sarah Torre focuses on policy issues related to religious liberty, marriage and family as policy analyst in the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation. Read her research.

"Abortion Bill Clears House on March for Life" - CBNNews.com, January 23, 2015;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/2015/January/House-GOP-Drops-Late-Term-Abortion-Bill/

"As thousands of pro-life activists descended on Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life Thursday, House Republicans managed to push through legislation tightening restrictions on abortions... the approved measure would:

*Permanently ban the use of government funds for nearly all abortions
*Prohibit individuals and many employers from collecting tax credits for insurance plans covering abortion that they pay for privately and purchase through  exchanges established under Obamacare

*Block the District of Columbia from using its money to cover abortions for lower-income women. .." 

# 1122 (1/22) ROE V WADE 42nd ANNIVERSARY: "Turning the Clock Back on Abortion"

"Turning the Clock Back on Abortion" - Posted on January 1, 2015 by D. James Kennedy Ministries, Commentary by Dr. D. James Kennedy; http://www.truthimpact.me/index.php/2015/01/turning-clock-back-abortion/?utm_source=DJKM-List&utm_campaign=77588cebd1-01_17_15_IMPACT_e_Newsletter_January_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_67fb03e2fb-77588cebd1-294381373#.VLxp2tLF9A0

Did you know that the legalization of abortion sparked a return in America to ancient pagan practice? Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in 1973 not only overthrew existing abortion laws, it also rejected a 2,000 year-old Christian ideal that held human life sacred. In its place the Court substituted the pagan philosophy that prevailed in ancient Greece and Rome.
Talk about turning back the clock!

Roe’s author, the late Harry Blackmun, overlooked in his ruling Christianity’s impressive record of bringing respect for life to the ancient world. He did, however, note ancient pagan attitudes. “We are also told…,” he wrote, “that abortion was practiced in Greek times as well as in the Roman Era, and that ‘it was resorted to without scruple.’” Moreover, Blackmun wrote that “Greek and Roman law afforded little protection to the unborn” and “ancient religion did not bar abortion.”

Blackmun didn’t tell the half of it. In fact, life was cheap in the ancient world. Abortion and abandonment were commonplace. Infirm or unwanted babies were taken into the forest, or to the mountainside, and left to starve, be consumed by wild animals,  or be taken by others for their own perverted ends.

It was the Church that brought awareness of the evil of abortion, infanticide, and abandonment. Foundling homes, orphanages, and nursery homes were started to house children. Christians injected the ancient world with the idea that human life is sacred. Jesus’ Church ultimately brought an end to infanticide. His influence changed views of the value of human life, and infanticide was outlawed. It lost favor with a Christian population and was seen as an outrageous crime. Consequently, the Roman Empire helped to enshrine in law the Christian principles of the sacredness of human life.

Justinian, the sixth century Christian ruler of the Byzantine empire, banned abortion in his famous Justinian Code, which declared that “Those who expose children, possibly hoping they would die, and those who use the potions of the abortionist, are subject to the full penalty of the law—both civil and ecclesiastical—for murder.”

Roe is a severe attack on the idea that life is sacred—a Christian concept that laid the foundation for Western civilization. Blackmun, not surprisingly, did not cite Justinian in his brief survey of “ancient attitudes.” It was pagan sources to which he looked in his decision that substituted the pagan “quality of life” ethic for the once paramount Christian idea that life is sacred.

Malcolm Muggeridge, the British journalist and satirist who made a profession of Christian faith late in life, had this to say about the two competing ethics: “The sanctity of life is, of course, a religious or transcendental concept, and has no meaning otherwise; if there is no God, life cannot have sanctity. By the same token, the quality of life ethic is an earthly or worldly concept, and can only be expressed legalistically and in materialistic terms; the soul does not come into it.”

In going from the sanctity of life to the quality of life, we have gone from theism to atheism, from spiritual to material, from Christian to pagan. And we have done it without most Americans even knowing it has happened.

The bitter fruit of this return to the ethic of ancient Rome has been the death of more than 56 million children and untold millions of post-abortive women plagued by the physical, emotional, and psychological consequences of abortion.

As in Rome, it is Christians who are working to restore respect for life by speaking out, pressing for legislation, and personal involvement. It is my prayer that Roe v. Wade will soon be overturned—that the sanctity of human life will triumph once more.

bold and italics emphasis mine]

Adapted from Dr. Kennedy’s message, “American Holocaust” and his book, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? co-authored with Jerry Newcombe.

"57,762,169 Abortions in America Since Roe vs. Wade in 1973" -  Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 1/21/15;http://www.lifenews.com/2015/01/21/57762169-abortions-in-america-since-roe-vs-wade-in-1973/
     "...The long term trend is fewer abortions, and the number is down significantly from 1990 when the country saw 1.6 million abortions a year. As one measure of the impact your work has had, if the number of abortions had remained at 1.6 million, more than seven MILLION more babies would have died.

# 1120 (1/20) "Think the Pro-Life Movement is Losing? 1,500 Babies are Saved From Abortions Every Day"

"Think the Pro-Life Movement is Losing? 1,500 Babies are Saved From Abortions Every Day" -  
by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 1/2/15; http://www.lifenews.com/2015/01/02/think-the-pro-life-movement-is-losing-23000-babies-are-saved-from-abortions-every-day/

Some media pundits and even pro-life advocates think the pro-life movement is losing. Yes, in the United States, abortion has been legal for more than four decades. But, as Carol Tobias of National Right to Life explains, if the flip the cup upside down, it’s definitely half full.

Even within the confines of legalized abortions, babies are saved from abortion each and every day. Consider this good from Tobias in an email to LifeNews that really puts things in perspective:

552,000 times in this new year, a woman will NOT have an abortion that would have occurred 25 years ago. That’s right:  In 1990, there were 1,610,000 abortions in the United States.Today, there are about 1,058,000 each year.  Both are tragic statistics.

But the newer number represents 1,500 innocent baby girls and boys saved from abortion each and every day.  More than 60 every hour.  Five babies every two minutes.

Our work succeeds one precious baby at a time; remember, it took almost 90 years for the movement to end slavery in the United States to reach its full fruition – the banning of slavery in all parts of the United States in 1865.

It’s worth noting as we begin this new year that 2015 will be the 150th anniversary of the 13th Amendment that recognized the right of ALL Americans to live free of bondage.

Many smaller victories were won on the way in those 90 years, and the victories of the Right to Life movement have accelerated in recent years to give us this huge drop in abortions.

2015 promises to be an even better year, as newly elected pro-life officials will give unborn babies a stronger voice in Congress and in state legislatures.  They will help us continue to drive the number of abortions down . . . until we have our own great day, when every baby is safe from the pain and loss of abortion.

National Right to Life and other pro-life groups will be fighting for a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Now that pro-life lawmakers run the U.S. Senate, it will finally get a vote in that chamber. [see yesterday's post #1119]

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

# 1119 (1/19) Contact your Member of Congress - Urge them to Support the Pain-Capable Unborn Protection Act

The Bulletin Board:(Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)

"To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world." - Karl Barth

PRAY FOR AMERICA: THANK GOD for His many blessings on America throughout it's history. May we then ask that AMERICA once again be a blessing TO GOD, by once again submitting to HIS will in our affairs - both personal and national - that He may truly "heal our land." (2 Chron. 7:14)

Contact your Member of Congress - Urge them to Support the Pain-Capable Unborn Protection Act which is expected to be voted on [THIS THURSDAY, JAN. 22ND, the 42nd Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in America! [from the Family Research Council, January 14, 2015] 

 
Dear ....,

I want to encourage you to contact your Representative and urge them to support passage of the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" (H.R. 36) sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.)and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn).This legislation is essential to stopping late abortion.

It would also help stop so-called doctors, like the now imprisoned Dr. Kermit Gosnell, who are willing to allow babies be born alive to more easily kill them if the abortion doesn't work. Tragically, this problem goes way beyond Gosnell in Philadelphia.Lila Rose's [of Live Action Ministries] undercover video in 2013 showed a doctor in the District of Columbia claiming "Let's say you went into labor, the membranes ruptured, and you delivered before we got to the termination part of the procedure here, you know? Then we would do things -- we would -- we would not help it. We wouldn't intubate."

Medical experts have testified that unborn children can feel pain as early as 20 weeks after fertilization, which is about 4 and a half months.

You can download FRC's pamphlet "Fetal Pain:Can Unborn Children Feel Pain in the Womb?"explaining more detail about the pain unborn children experience.[http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF10H06.pdf]

The fact is that anesthesia is given during prenatal surgery, precisely because scientists have come to realize that, as Dr. Kanwaljeet Anand testified:

"The human fetus possesses the ability to experience pain from 20 weeks gestation, if not earlier and the pain perceived by the fetus is possibly more intense than that perceived by term newborns or children." This legislation is an essential step in restoring the sanctity of human life and stopping the painful killing of unborn children at 20 weeks or later.

Contact your Member of Congress - Urge them to Support the Pain-Capable Unborn Protection Act which is expected to be voted on THIS THURSDAY, Jan. 22nd! Go to: [https://www.votervoice.net/FRCA/campaigns/38070/respond]

Sincerely, Tony Perkins, President
P.S. Please forward this email to at least one friend.

[bold, italics , and colored emphasis mine]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[from LifeNews.com, Jan. 16] The United States is one of the few nations in the world that allows abortions up to the day of birth in some states.

These babies feel intense pain during abortions. In fact, one researcher, Dr. Steven Zielinski, an internal medicine physician from Oregon, testified before Congress that an unborn child could feel pain at “eight-and-a-half weeks and possibly earlier” and that a baby before birth “under the right circumstances, is capable of crying.”

As Congressman Trent Franks explains: "More than 18,000 ‘very late term’ abortions are performed every year on perfectly healthy unborn babies in America. These are innocent and defenseless children who can not only feel pain, but who can survive outside of the womb in most cases, and who are torturously killed without even basic anesthesia." "Many of them cry and scream as they die, but because it is amniotic fluid going over their vocal cords instead of air, we don’t hear them," he says.

Unborn children have a right to life and should be protected from abortion. The House will vote on this important pro-life bill on January 22.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Open Letter to President Obama: Listen in to the Silent Cries of Pain of Babies Killed in Abortion" - by Matthew Lockett | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 1/15/15
http://www.lifenews.com/2015/01/15/open-letter-to-president-obama-listen-in-to-the-silent-cries-of-pain-of-babies-killed-in-abortion/

# 1118 (1/18) SUNDAY SPECIAL - "Pro-Life Activism Is Not a Mission of the Church - IT IS THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH"

"Pro-Life Activism Is Not a Mission of the Church - IT IS THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH" - By: Rolley Haggard| Breakpoint.org: April 5, 2013; http://www.breakpoint.org/features-columns/articles/entry/12/21897#at_pco=smlwn-1.0&at_tot=1&at_ab=per-3&at_pos=0&at_si=5477547179103841[AS I SEE IT: While I admit I do not fully understand all that this article's author writes, I do share his point that those who call themselves the evangelical church have largely been absent when it comes to the unborn. I personally find it hypocritical for churches to call themselves "pro-life" and yet when you ask them simply, "So what are you doing that gives evidence of your being pro-life?" you too often get a deer-in-the-headlights response - and this from the pastors themselves! In my view, much too many churches are simply "PLINO" - pro-life in name only. May God forgive many of His body for their sin of omission, for their in effect complicity in the on-going national holocaust that is abortion on demand in America. - Stan]

There's an ongoing debate in Reformed and Evangelical circles regarding the mission of the church. That's good, because the Body of Christ needs to be clear on what the Head expects the hands and feet to be doing. But the way one frames the question can greatly affect the answer. So we need to make sure we're rightly framing the question.

Rightly Framing the Question
     More often than not, the question “What is the mission of the church?” is framed so as to give either the exclusive mission, or the comprehensive mission, rather than the primary mission. As important as the first two are, the third is, by definition, the most important.

Exclusive mission means those things that the church and the church alone has responsibility for. There is no serious debate regarding the exclusive mission of the church. All parties are pretty much agreed that the church's exclusive mission is to minister the Word of God, particularly in fulfillment of the Great Commission. If the church doesn't do that, no one else will.

Comprehensive mission means all things the church has responsibility for. The comprehensive mission of the Church is what the aforementioned debate centers on. It involves determining what things are “official” church responsibilities and what things are not.

Primary mission means those things that are the church's most important responsibilities: the things she will be held most accountable for by Christ. Unfortunately, neither side of the debate is giving much consideration to this, and, incredibly, it is falling through the cracks. Christ and His apostles laid it out so plainly it is difficult to understand how we are overlooking it, but we are.

The Church's Primary Mission
    So what is the church's primary mission, her most important responsibility? Jesus summed it up in what He called “the first and great commandment”: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37). He linked it inextricably with “the second [commandment]” which He said is “like unto [the first]: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (v. 39). “On these two commandments,” He asserted, “hang all the law and the prophets” (v. 40).

The apostle Paul was even more concise: “All the law,” he wrote, “is fulfilled in one word . . . love. . . .” Biblical examples of the primacy of love could be listed almost endlessly. The church's primary responsibility, collectively and individually, is to love God and people. God is pro-people and expects His body, the church, to be likewise. It is impossible to be an obedient Christian or an obedient church without loving people, for to love people for God's sake is to love God. It is hard to imagine anything being more clear. And yet.

We've Made Our Highest Priority Our Lowest
    The church—the evangelical church in particular—is guilty of a spectacular sin of omission when it comes to loving people, especially the people Jesus referred to as “the least of these”: those we deem least important and easiest to neglect.

No people in America better fit the description “the least of these” than pre-born babies whose mothers choose, often under pressure and with subsequent regret, to abort them. Fifty-five million murdered now makes us statistically nearly ten times worse than the Nazis. And by “us” I mean the church, because it is largely our collective silence that has enabled the butchery to continue virtually unopposed.

I'm an evangelical, and I've been asking myself for four decades, how on earth does the church justify such egregious sins of omission as silence on abortion? The answers I've found center on the same thing: worldview. We rationalize our culpable inaction on the basis of flawed worldview.

We think we have a biblical worldview, and in many essential ways we do (that's why I'm still an evangelical). But in many other, equally essential ways, we do not. I described two examples of flawed worldview impinging on the abortion issue in previous BreakPoint articles, here and here. This whole question about the mission of the church is a third. Owing to a defective worldview on the Church's mission we have effectively made our highest priority our lowest.

The Rationale
   There are at least two key aspects to the misguided rationale for our neglect of the church's primary mission, love.
     First, sins of omission are easier to commit and justify than sins of commission. A study published in “Psychological Science” suggests that this is because people know others will think worse of them if they do something bad, than if they merely let something bad happen.
    Second, we mistakenly think we are loving people as we ought simply by sharing the gospel with them. The church today is characterized by words without works. True, the words we share are the words of God. But we forget that talk is cheap, and we assume that because we speak God's words our sparse actions are excusable, that our merely saying “be warmed and filled” is somehow reckoned an acceptable substitute for actually filling the need.
    But even the words of God are cheap if the life dispensing them does not show the love of God it preaches. That is the whole point of James, chapter 2. We say “God is love,” yet demonstrate by our self-absorbed Christianity that this means exactly nothing except “God is willing to overlook the sins of those who speak well of Jesus, act religious, and win souls.”

This is not Christianity. And yet it is; it is what we have made of it. The body of Christ has more resemblance to the insular Pharisee avoiding lepers than to the unselfconscious Good Samaritan showing—not speaking, but showing—compassion for the needy, regardless of cost.

There is no difference between one who says “be warmed and filled” and does nothing, and one who says “I'm pro-life” and does nothing. Faith without works is dead; love without action is not love.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “The Church is the Church only when it exists for others.” The German Evangelical Church ignored him, and innocents within the borders of the Reich were slaughtered by the trainload, without opposition...

Pro-life activism is not a mission of the Church; it is the mission of the church because the mission of the church is loving people. If we are to be the Body of Christ we must care about “the least of these” as our Master did. That, or quit calling ourselves the church.

* * *
“Lord, when saw we Thee naked, an unloved fetus, and did not march, did not preach, did not vote or write letters or hold signs, did not agonize over Thee, did not advocate for Thee?”
* * *
Transfiguration
How like this little fetus, Holy God,
You writhed, enwombed in suffocating pain,
Until sharp instruments unpumped your blood
And left your form transfigured to a stain.
How like a loving mother's natal pine
Your prayer, encrypted as a primal groan,
Umbilical from heaven's soul to mine,
Proved you unwilling to unpair your own.
How like a wand commanding miracles
Your hand, atwitch in death, transmuted blood
Of murder into healing pharmicals,
Coagulating evil into good.
How like one crucified, my little boy
Now makes me, sick with wellness, retch in joy.
(Dedicated to the precious women who profoundly regret their abortions)

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

Rolley Haggard is a feature writer for Breakpoint. (Articles on the BreakPoint website are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BreakPoint. Outside links are for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply endorsement of their content.)

# 1117 (1/17) "...Abortion Biz Killed 327,653 Babies in Abortions in 2013

"Planned Parenthood Annual Report: Abortion Biz Killed 327,653 Babies in Abortions in 2013" - by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 12/31/14; http://www.lifenews.com/2014/12/31/planned-parenthood-annual-report-abortion-biz-killed-327653-babies-in-abortions-in-2013/ [AS I SEE IT: Reading this article makes it laughable that Planned Parenthood (the corporation that our most pro-abortion President EVER has incredibly said"does God's work")  is labeled "non-profit."Then, when you consider that crisis pregnancy centers provide many services at no charge so that women actually do have an alternative to aborting their unborn child, you have to wonder why Americans continue to allow over a half billion dollars a year to be given to PP. It's why I pray daily that if not with the new Congress, for sure with the next President - who I pray will be pro-life - we can finally de-fund PP from our national budget.- Stan]

The abortion giant Planned Parenthood has released its 2013 annual report and the new numbers indicate it did more abortions than the year before — killing 327,653 babies in abortions while taking in millions in taxpayer funds.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America has released its 2013-2014 Annual Report and Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League, broke down the numbers.The report indicates Planned Parenthood did 327,653 abortions in 2013, an increase over the 327,166 abortions it did in 2012.

While it remains America’s biggest abortion corporation, the “nonprofit” continued to make money — bringing in $305.4 million last year and $305.3 million this year. Planned Parenthood continued to receive over a half-billion dollars in taxpayer money, as it took in $540 million in 2012 and $528 million in 2013.

“Despite this lack of increase in its primary business, Planned Parenthood continued to receive over a half-billion dollars in taxpayer money,” Sedlak said. “It has such a tremendous publicity machine that it convinced corporate and private donors to increase donations by more than $75 million (from $315.4 million to $391.8 million).”

“The increased donations, plus an increase of $28 million in “other operating revenue” and the reduction in costs from closing clinics, led to a near-record $127.1 million in profits for the largest abortion chain in the nation. This was the second highest reported annual profit in Planned Parenthood’s history,” he explained to LifeNews.

Some other takeaways from Planned Parenthood’s own figures:
   *In 2013, abortions made up 94% of Planned Parenthood’s pregnancy services.
   *For every adoption referral, Planned Parenthood performed 174 abortions.
   *UWhile abortions rose, Planned Parenthood adoption referrals dropped 14% in one year, and prenatal care services dropped 4%.
   *Planned Parenthood’s cancer prevention services are down 17% over one year, and contraceptive services dropped by 4%.
   *During fiscal year 2013-2014, Planned Parenthood received more than $528 million in taxpayer funding, or more than $1.4 million per day, in the form of government grants, contracts, and Medicaid reimbursements.
   *Taxpayer funding accounts for 41% of Planned Parenthood’s overall revenue.
Planned Parenthood reported more than $127 million in excess revenue, and more than $1.4 billion in net assets.
   *While it did more abortions, Planned Parenthood’s contraceptive business declined from 3,724.558 customers in 2012 to 3,577,348 customers in 2013.

“The new Planned Parenthood Annual Report shows one thing – Planned Parenthood is all about money, not health care,” Sedlak said. “This report demonstrates that Planned Parenthood has hit a roadblock in its efforts to entice the American public to use its so-called health services.”

After reviewing the report, SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelsertold LifeNews:
   “The abortion rate may be declining across America, but not in Planned Parenthood clinics. Their latest annual report is fresh evidence that Planned Parenthood remains an abortion-centered, profit-driven business. In 2013, Planned Parenthood upped the number of abortions they performed to 327,653. Meanwhile, their already limited cancer screenings, prenatal services, adoption referrals – and even contraception services – continue to drop. Planned Parenthood claims to be an altruistic health care provider for women and girls but their bottom line is all about abortion.”

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

# 1116 (1/16) "Radical Islam, Secularism and Christianity - BLASPHEMY AND WORLDVIEW"

"Radical Islam, Secularism and Christianity - BLASPHEMY AND WORLDVIEW"- 
by John Stonestreet| Breakpoint.org : January 15, 2015; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/12/26695?spMailingID=10394579&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=461253296&spReportId=NDYxMjUzMjk2S0

The horrific acts of terror in France offer a reminder to Christians. Christ’s kingdom advances in love, not force. 

G.K. Chesterton once said, “It is the test of a good religion whether you can joke about it.” Well, if that is indeed the test, then recent events in Paris prove that radical Islam fails miserably. The horrific attacks in France were sparked by cartoons published by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Throughout the years, many of Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons have mocked various religions and religious beliefs, including Muhammad and Islam, something that outraged radical Muslims. For example, an imam in London (that’s right—London), Anjem Choudary, wrote in the wake of the massacres that the twelve victims brought their deaths on themselves. Said Choudary, “It is time that the sanctity of a Prophet revered by up to one-quarter of the world’s population was protected.”

On one level, of course, Christians can agree that mocking the religious beliefs of others is deplorable. In fact, we face that kind of mockery ourselves. Who can forget the piece of so-called art produced by Andres Serrano in which a crucifix was immersed in a jar of urine? In more recent days, the exhibition of blasphemous nativity scenes has become something of a pop culture trend.

So we can identify with the outrage that many Muslims feel when their religion is mocked. Yet, while people of good will may disagree about the degree to which freedom of speech should allow blaspheming the sacred, this incident provides a stark contrast between the worldviews of Christianity, secularism, and radical Islam.

Secularism has no framework to understand the reaction of radical Islam, because the only thing sacred in secularism is personal autonomy. And following that “all religions are alike” line of reasoning, many secularists fail to distinguish between religions. So you’ll hear, as we did in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, comparisons between radical Islam and Christianity. The most ridiculous comment perhaps in the history of MSNBC (and that’s saying something) was uttered the other night, when First Look Media’s Eric Bates compared Jerry Falwell suing pornographer Larry Flint in the 80’s with radical terrorists executing people in France, and all while host Alex Wagner nodded approvingly. So appealing to law is the same as committing murder?

But the massacre in Paris is a perfect example of how Christianity differs from Islam, especially radical Islam. The Paris terrorists thought they were defending the honor of Muhammad and were being faithful to Islamic teachings by killing blasphemers.

Christians are called, however, to respond to insult—and even blasphemy—in a different way. Writing after the attack, Dr. Bill Brown, a mentor and friend of mine and former president of two Christian colleges, noted that “Christ never demanded that his ‘honor’ be defended. He told Peter to put down his sword when he attempted to protect him… He told his disciples that the world hated Him so they should be prepared to be treated badly as well (John 15:18-25).”

As Chuck Colson said the night he collapsed, “Christians don’t impose our views on anyone. We propose. … The Christian Church makes a Great Proposal, inviting everyone to the table, regardless of color, ethnic origin, background, or economic status. We’re inviting people to consider a worldview that works, that makes sense, through which people can discover shalom and human flourishing.”

The Kingdom of Christ, my friends, advances through love, not through compulsion, intimidation, or even legitimate outrage. The God of Christianity invites people.

That’s not saying we shouldn’t speak up for the truth. Of course we should, and our Lord was never shy about this. But as the Apostle Paul also said, when we speak truth, we do so in love, because following Christ is the way of love.

“The beautiful truth,” Bill Brown says, “is that the history of the faith is filled with those who once spoke violently against Christ and then, overwhelmed by grace, embraced Him as Savior.”

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

RESOURCES
"The French Murders: Radical Islam and Christ" - William Brown | williambrown.org | January 8, 2015; http://www.williamebrown.org/the-french-murders-radical-islam-and-christ/
"The Dumbest 57 Seconds Ever on TV" - Jonah Goldberg | National Review | January 7, 2015; http://m.nationalreview.com/corner/395925/dumbest-57-seconds-ever-tv-jonah-goldberg

# 1115 (1/15) "Islam's War on Christians: Worst Yet to Come?"

"Islam's War on Christians: Worst Yet to Come?" - By George Thomas, January 09, 2015;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2015/January/Sound-the-Alarm-Islam-Intensifies-War-on-Christians/ [NOTE:  Please go to this site to watch a video of this report.] [AS I SEE IT: Please note the plea for churches in America to be at least praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. For a reason I cannot understand, I have only been at one worship service where such was done. (And this was on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church one November.) My question is: Has YOUR church taken time for such prayer? If not, please ask your pastor why not? ALSO, I receive a prayer guide from the ministry of Open Doors that guides me in praying daily for the persecuted church. (They also send email updates.) I have also taken opportunities to give toward their work in assisting persecuted Christians around the world. I greatly encourage you to check them out. I hope that you will - Stan] 

WASHINGTON -- From the Middle East to sub-Saharan Africa, Christians are enduring attacks for their faith like never before.

"The persecution of Christians is real, it is horrifically violent often, and it is spreading at unprecedented rate in modern times," said Dr. David Curry, president of Open Doors, a group that monitors religious freedom worldwide.Curry said Christians faced the most persecution for their faith in 2014 than any other year in recent history.

"We have seen the sharpest jump in violent attacks against Christians in the modern era," he said.Open Doors reports that 4,344 Christians were killed for their faith in 2014 -- double the number in 2013.
"These aren't Christians who are collateral damage in a larger war; these are people who are targeted because they chose to worship Jesus and because they want to read a Bible and that's shocking," Curry said.

[Last] Wednesday, the group released its annual World Watch List 
[https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/List], ranking the top 50 countries where Christians face the most persecution. North Korea topped the list again for the thirteenth year in a row, with some 70,000 Christians reportedly languishing in prison camps."The government has paranoia about any ideology which they see as a threat to their cult worship of their leader, and so they rank enemies of the state," Curry explained. "Christians are the No. 1 enemy of the state in North Korea."

Rounding the top 10 worst violators are Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Iran, Pakistan, Eritrea, and Nigeria. But Curry said that in a majority of the countries, elements of one religion above all pose the greatest threat to Christians. "Islamic extremism is driving force, is really the driving force in 40 of the top 50 countries on the World Watch List," he told CBN News.

The majority of the deaths last year happened in Nigeria, where kidnappings and murders by the Islamic group Boko Haram killed 2,484 Christians.Demeris Atson has experienced Boko Haram's wrath first-hand. In 2010, her husband was stabbed to death by the Islamic fighters. She said it has taken the grace of God to forgive her husband's killers."If I do not forgive, the Lord will not forgive me. So I have to forgive because Jesus teaches us to forgive one another," Atson told CBN News

Meanwhile, the terrorist group known as Islamic State, or ISIS, continues to drive hundreds of thousands of Christians from Syria and Iraq.Curry worries their success at targeting minority faiths is giving impetus to other radical groups to pursue similar tactics around the world."So you have the Islamic State, their tactics, their methodology now being adopted by Boko Haram, by Al-Shabab and others, and so I think this means that, while this year was the worst ever, things look very troubling for years to come," Curry said.

Open Doors says the World Watch List is a wakeup call to the tragic suffering of Christians around the world."We need to make the persecuted Church an issue of prayer and of support because there is a genocide happening," Curry warned.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

"Here Are the 10 Most Dangerous Places in the World to Be a Christian" - Leah Barkoukis | Jan 08, 2015; http://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2015/01/08/open-doors-report-on-christian-persecution-n1940011

"...Even Christian-majority states are experiencing unprecedented levels of exclusion, discrimination and violence,” David Curry, president and CEO of Open Doors USA, said in a press release.“The 2015 World Watch List reveals that a staggering number of Christians are becoming victims of intolerance and violence because of their faith. They are being forced to be more secretive about their faith.”
"...Elsewhere in Asia, conditions for Christians are worsening under Hindu fundamentalism and Islamic extremism, particularly in India, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan."
"...Finally, in Africa, there’s been a huge escalation in persecution. “For the third year in a row, the majority of African nations on the World Watch List have increased in rank due to Islamic extremism,” the press release states. Kenya moved from No. 43 to No. 19, for example, while persecution in countries like Somalia and Sudan remained steadily severe.".

# 1114 (1/14) "New Year's Irresolution"

"New Year's Irresolution" - Thomas Sowell | Jan 13, 2015; http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2015/01/13/new-years-irresolution-n1942053/page/full

President Barack Obama's absence from the great gathering in Paris of national leaders from other countries, to show their solidarity with France in its opposition to Islamic terrorists, was another sign of the Obama administration's continuing irresolution in the face of terror. Even the recent courageous message of Egypt's president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, calling on his fellow Muslims around the world to "revolutionize" the interpretation of Islam, to make it more compatible with peaceful relations with other peoples, put no steel in the spine of Barack Obama.

From his earliest days in the White House, our president has downplayed the terrorist threat from Islamic extremists. He declared victory as he pulled American troops out of Iraq, setting the stage for a huge defeat when ISIS moved in to create their own new government, on both Iraqi and Syrian soil -- while committing atrocities against men, women and children not seen since the days of the Nazis.

Undaunted, President Obama has since reaffirmed his determination to similarly pull American troops out of Afghanistan, with a similar declaration that they are no longer needed. He proceeds as if he can declare a war over when it suits the political convenience of his administration.

But a war is not over until the enemy stops fighting. The terrorist enemies of Iraq and Afghanistan are enemies of the United States as well. ISIS has left no doubt of that by beheading Americans and spreading the videotapes of these beheadings for the enjoyment of like-minded people in the Middle East and beyond.

Not even the movement of the world's biggest sponsor of terrorism -- Iran -- toward building a nuclear bomb has caused the Obama administration to change its vision of the world. For Obama, the question has never been how to stop Iran from going nuclear, but how to stop Israel from stopping Iran from going nuclear.

He has accomplished that by public declarations of support for Israel, while engaging in protracted negotiations with Iran that serve only to allow Iran to fortify and proliferate the sites of its nuclear facilities, to the point where Israel's bombers may no longer be able to destroy those facilities.

At one time, information was leaked that Israel had a secret arrangement with Azerbaijan for Israeli bombers to land there and refuel on their way back from bombing Iran's nuclear facilities.It is doubtful if anyone in the Obama administration would have dared to leak Israel's military secrets without knowing that it was all right with the president. Since it is unlikely that very many people in the White House had this information, the leaker's identity could hardly have remained secret from the president.

Barack Obama cannot be unaware of the consequences of these and other foreign policy decisions that undermine the security of America and America's allies. He is not stupid, nor is there any reason to believe that he is cowardly.

Instead, there is a remarkable consistency between Obama's domestic policies and his foreign policies on both economic and military matters. It was a sign of this consistency that he was proposing to have the taxpayers pay for free community college education while everyone else was focused on the terror attacks in Paris.[Note yesterday's post #1113]

Barack Obama's vision of the world, both at home and abroad, is one in which some people and nations are undeservedly far better off than others in many ways. In the Obama view of the world, those who are undeservedly thriving ("You didn't build that!") are to be forced to pay for benefits to those who are not thriving, whether the latter are people on welfare, community college students or immigrants from poorer nations, who are to be let into the United States to take a share of Americans' prosperity.

On the international stage, it is the same principle, where the problem is seen as Western nations being undeservedly better off than other nations, both economically and in terms of greater military power. Here too, Obama is for redistribution, even at the expense of his own country -- if someone with such a "citizen of the world" viewpoint really thinks of America as his country, rather than a staging area for his world-changing, ideologically-driven crusades.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

   Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute and author of The Housing Boom and Bust.