Jesus is Lord, A Worshipping Christian’s Blog

Please continue to pray for the Christians in other countries who are experiencing true persecution.

Bhopal (ICNS) — In a gruesome incident, two Christian women in a remote village in Madhya Pradesh have been raped by a group of Hindu activists as punishment for changing their religion.
Briefing reporters about the incident on Monday, Indira Iyengar, a member of the Madhya Pradesh State Minority Commission, said that the rape had taken place in the remote district of Khargaon.
“We have received the reports that two tribal Christian women have been raped by some Bajrang Dal activists. This heinous crime has been inflicted on these poor women as punishment for changing their religion from Hinduism to Christianity,” Iyengar told Indian Catholic.
“This is cruel and makes no sense. This is an encroachment on one’s fundamental right. It is also a punishable act. But nobody here listens to us, neither the police nor the collector. They all are least bothered,” the minority commission member pointed out.
She said though the Christians are especially the victims, police take them away, beat them, file an FIR against them and put them behind bars. “We want the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister to know all this is happening here. We want this inequality to be stopped. We just want our safety,” said Iyengar.
The tribals, who have changed their religion to Christianity, complained that they are not being given proper and due justice. The police and administration also turn a deaf ear to them, they say.
According to Rekha Bai, one of the rape victims who were present during the news conference said: “Police say that our complaint is fake. They don’t listen to us. We have nowhere to go.”
Meanwhile, the pro-Hindu Bajrang Dal denied the allegation and created a ruckus over the issue at the venue of the press conference.
“Christian community is changing everyone’s religion here. We will not tolerate this with our religion. Bajrang Dal is exposing the negative aspect of this whole operation. We respect all the women, be they of any religion. They are defaming our organisation which we will not tolerate”, said Devendra Singh Rawat, Bajrang Dal leader.
The Bajrang Dal activists have warned the Minority Commission to stop defaming their organisation over this episode.
But the Commission members said that they will take it up with the higher authorities and bring the perpetrators of the crime to book.

Original Link.

We teach our teens to “just say NO” to drugs, so what is so hard about teaching them to “just say NO” to sex? Oh yeah, I forgot. We live in a sex crazed society that wants to legalize sex with anyone, of any age, at any time, no matter what the consequences. But we don’t need to teach our kids moral and we certainly don’t need religion. Really? I think that everyone should be able to see by now that we do need to teach our teens morals and religion. Maybe we can pull this country out of the moral tailspin it’s currently in.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teenage girls commonly have sex not because they want to, but because they feel pressured into it - and the result may be a higher risk of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among 279 teenage girls they interviewed, many said they’d given in to unwanted sex at some point because they were afraid their boyfriend would get angry.
The findings, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, indicate that may teenagers — both female and male — need help in negotiating their relationships.
“We need to give guidance to teens on how to communicate with each other,” said lead study author Dr. Margaret J. Blythe, a pediatrician at the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis.
That means helping girls to take more control over their sexual activity, and boys to understand what constitutes pressure, according to Blythe.
The importance of educating boys, she told Reuters Health, “is often the untalked-about part.”
The study included girls between the ages of 14 and 17 who were seen at urban health clinics in Indianapolis. Over about two years, the girls were periodically interviewed about their current relationships, including any instances of unwanted sex over the past three months. Specific questions included: “Would he break up with you unless you had sex?” and “Would he get mad if you didn’t want to have sex?”
In all, 41 percent said they’d had unwanted sex at some point. The most common reason was fear that their boyfriend would become angry. Ten percent, though, said their partner forced them have sex when they didn’t want to. About 5 percent said they’d had sex after being offered money or gifts.
Girls who reported unwanted sex also reported less condom use, a poorer relationship quality and a higher rate of pregnancy than their peers, the study found.
Other research has shown that unwanted sex, particularly in cases of rape, can lead to depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. The current findings, Blythe and her colleagues say, point to sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy as additional serious consequences.
Most of the girls in the study were black and lower-income, and it’s not clear how representative the findings are of the general population. But the results are similar to those of some past studies, according to Blythe and her colleagues.
For example, girls who reported unwanted sex were more likely than their peers to have a partner who smoked marijuana, and other studies have linked drug and alcohol use to forced or unwanted sex.
Substance use can blur the line between consensual and non-consensual sex, the researchers write, and boys who use drugs or alcohol may become “less sensitive” to what their partners want or don’t want.

Original Link.

I believe this is going to be an issue with voters, just like the immigration issue. Guess we’ll see how it plays out.

The Senate rejected a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, but supporters say the measure is gaining ground and today’s vote should help energize the Republican base.
The 49-48 tally was 11 short of the 60 needed to hold an up-or-down vote by the full Senate. A roll call showing how senators voted can be found here.
A sponsor of the joint resolution, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., warned opponents will have to answer for their positions.
“People are going to be responsible for this vote,” he said. “We are making progress in America on defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.”
Forty-five states have acted to define marriage in traditional terms, as a union between one man and one woman.
But one GOP opponent, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told the Senate he won’t support the federal amendment because most Americans “are not yet convinced that their elected representatives or the judiciary are likely to expand decisively the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples.”
Along with McCain, Republicans Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Judd Gregg, Arlen Specter, Lincoln Chafee and John Sununu voted against the cloture vote, which would end debate and move to an up-or-down tally. Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson and Robert Byrd voted for cloture.

If one of your senators is mentioned in the paragraph above, I’d sure consider let them know how unhappy you are with them.

Original Link.

I’ve said for quite some time that the U.N. is more of a thorn in the side of society then the helpful organization that it was originally supposed to be. I don’t think the U.N. is getting it’s “black eye” from Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. I think they are doing it to themselves.

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations’ No. 2 official accused the U.S. government of keeping Middle America in the dark about the world body’s good works, a rare direct criticism that drew an angry response Wednesday from Ambassador John Bolton.
Bolton called Tuesday’s speech by Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown a “very, very grave mistake” that could undermine Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s efforts to push through an ambitious agenda at the world body.
“I spoke to the secretary-general this morning, I said ‘I’ve known you since 1989 and I’m telling you this is the worst mistake by a senior U.N. official that I have seen in that entire time,”‘ Bolton told reporters on Wednesday.
“To have the deputy secretary-general criticize the United States in such a manner can only do grave harm to the United Nations,” Bolton said.
In the speech, Malloch Brown said the United States relies on the United Nations as a diplomatic tool but doesn’t defend it against criticism at home, a policy of “stealth diplomacy” that he called unsustainable.
He lamented that the good works of the U.N. are largely lost because “much of the public discourse that reaches the U.S. heartland has been largely abandoned to its loudest detractors such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.”

Read the rest here.

D-Day 6/6/6

America is celebrating during this week one of the most momentous days of World War II. It ranks right up there, probably even ahead of V-E Day and V-J Day, symbolizing the allied victories over the Axis powers of Europe, then Japan.
But Hollywood has, as those purveyors of turning truth into lie often do, asked us to suspend believability and accept this landmark date as another sort of D-Day. The D, in this case, stands for “Devil.”
Todd and I have been asked a number of times, in the several weeks leading to June 6, 2006, what we think of the date 6/6/06, as if it was possessed of everything evil Hollywood –for entertainment purposes—wants the rest of us to believe it to be possessed. The questions about the date, of course, are built around the number found in Revelation, Chapter 13: “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six” (Rev. 13:18).
All of this hoopla centers around the movie, “The Omen,” in its modern incarnation. The film is about the Antichrist –sort of like that man of evil is depicted in God’s Word, the Bible. I say “sort of,” because, again, as Hollywood often does, truth about this devilish character is seriously skewed. Antichrist’s number is, of course, 666, which corresponds to the date June, the 6th month, the 6th day of the month, and the year, ‘06. The media has been desperate to know what we think of this coincidence –which is no coincidence at all, of course. The hip Hollywood promotion gurus chose the date for the very reason it evokes thoughts that magnify the evil of the subject of the film. The release date is just perfect, it seems, just as this last earthly evil dictator will appear to be to most of the earth-dwellers when he first appears. But, he will be just the opposite of perfection. He will bring hell to earth, as he will be, ultimately, indwelt by Satan, himself, I’m convinced.
Being an old guy, I have the advantage over many of our country’s younger people who might view all of this with a whistle of weirdness. The first “Omen” movie –released in the mid-70s–as I recall, began with comets crossing in the heavens. The date given in that first movie and subsequent book, “The Omen,” as June 6, 1966. So, there’s nothing new here. Just like there’s nothing new about people throughout the ages trying to figure what the numerical entity “six hundred threescore and six” means. Yes. It does add up to 666. But what does it mean? Yes. It is the name of a man, the prophecy says. No. It doesn’t say anything about it being a date. These are facts we have about the mystery many in the American media seem to want to know. Everything else is speculation.
And much speculation there has been throughout the years. From Nero to Napoleon Bonaparte, to Hitler, John F. Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, and Ronald Reagan, ad infinitum, the speculation continues. It was, for example, Dr. Kissinger’s name that added up to 666. It was Mr. Reagan’s address that equaled the prophesied number. Now we have a number of European Union officials vying for the title Antichrist –and even an empty seat number 666 that fits the bill for Antichrist’s number. Oh yes! Now it is the date 6/6/6. The next D-Day that might bring the son of perdition to a theater near you is June 6, 2066. Not many –if any– of us will be here to celebrate the event. I prayerfully hope the blessed hope of Titus 2: 13 –the real Christ—will have come for you in the Rapture well before that date. I know with certainty that He will have come for me by then, one way or the other.
–Terry

Original Link.

The Perils of Multiculturalism

During the past several months, illegal immigration has been a hot-button topic. After decades of neglect, we have suddenly awakened to realize we’ve lost control of our borders. I was shocked when I read that 10 percent of the citizens of Mexico currently live in the United States.
The debate over illegal immigration is just a smokescreen for the main problem. There is no way we are going to kick 12 million people out of the country. These folks provide a valuable service by taking jobs that most Americans view as too menial.
American was founded by immigrants. If you go back far enough, everyone who lives in this nation is here as the result of immigration. Even Native Americans are the children of settlers who, at some point, crossed over from the other side of the globe.
The real issue here is having people in our nation who are not part of the culture. These people live among us, but they are not part of us. Many of them speak little or no English, they live in isolated communities, and they view themselves as members of another nation.
The citizens of America are most responsible for the lack of unity. We are the ones who have allowed a demonic system called “multiculturalism” to become the standard that guides our society.
Multiculturalism is the opposite of nationalism; it highlights the differences between people while ignoring the similarities. Multiculturalism is not about ethnic, racial, or religious diversity — that which once made America into a “melting pot” of nations. Under the influence of liberal thinking, America came to consist of many different “pots” of cultures, each separate from the others.
There is nothing multicultural about multiculturalism. It is purely the invention of Western philosophy. Consider that nowhere in tribal Africa, or the Balkans, or among militant Islamists, or in Iraq, or in Communist China, or in North Korea is there any demand for multicultural “diversity.”
Multiculturalism has a long history of creating conflict and disharmony. When you impinge on the rights of the majority, the minorities come to be seen as the enemy. Resentments can simmer for a long time, but when times of crisis come along, the situation can quickly turn ugly.
Our willingness to bend over backwards to accommodate Islam has been disastrous. The goal of Islam is to destroy all other cultures. Syed Abu-Ala’ Maududi — a Muslim scholar whose commentaries on the Qu’ran are widely respected — once gave a speech that flew in the face of the current spirit of diversity:
“Islam wishes to destroy all States and Governments anywhere on the face of the earth which are opposed to the ideology and programme of Islam regardless of the country or the Nation which rules it. The purpose of Islam is to set up a State on the basis of its own ideology and programme, regardless of which Nation assumes the role of the standard-bearer of Islam or the rule of which nation is undermined in the process… Islam requires the earth — not just a portion, but the whole planet — not because the sovereignty over the earth should be wrested from one Nation or several Nations and vested in one particular Nation, but because the entire mankind should benefit from the ideology.”
Here is what the seeds of multiculturism have reaped over the past few years:
2006: Canadian police nabbed 17 terror suspects with three tons of ammonium nitrate. They were planning on attacking targets in the Toronto areas.
2005: In Great Britain, suicide attacks by four British Muslims killed 52 London commuters.
2004: Ten terrorist bombs exploded during the morning rush hour in Madrid, Spain, killing 202 and injuring more than 1,400.
2002: More than 180 people were killed in a double terrorist bombing in Bali, Indonesia.
2001: During the infamous 9/11 attacks, Islamic terrorists killed more than 3,000 people in New York, Washington D.C., and in the plane that failed to reach its target.
As much trouble as Muslims have caused in Europe and America, they represent only 2 percent of the population. We have not seen any real problem with large minority groups because the U.S. has experienced one of the greatest periods of economic prosperity.
In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus said one of the signs of the times would be “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:7). Some scholars have pointed out that the true meaning of that verse is one of a broad level of unrest. For example, this same form of expression is used in Isaiah 19:2 to describe a total conflict:
“I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian — brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom” (Isaiah 19:2).
Never before in human history has ethnic conflict been so profuse. It is the abundance of this type of violence that tells us we are near the tribulation hour.
– Todd

Original Link.

This is what Sharon’s and Olmert’s withdraws have brought on Israel.

JERUSALEM – The Jewish state is headed toward a major, violent confrontation with the Palestinians while Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s plan to withdraw from most of Judea and Samaria will “not help” to decrease the terrorism, according to an Israeli army assessment.
The prognosis will be released in an official Israeli Defense Forces report to be published next month. It follows a series of WorldNetDaily exclusive interviews in which the leaders of every major Palestinian terror organization said recent events here are leading them to launch what they call a third intifada – or violent confrontation against Israel. The terrorists warned of suicide bombings, rocket attacks against Jewish communities and “a few new surprises in our arsenal.”
“The new intifada is only a question of time and this will be the hardest and the most dangerous one. It’s just about timing until the order to blow up a new wave of attacks will be given,” Abu Nasser, a senior Al Aqsa Brigades leader from the Balata refugee camp in northern Samaria told WorldNetDaily in an interview.

-snip-

Army: Violence to escalate with evacuation…
Al Aqsa Brigades: ‘We’ll kill Israelis to revolt against Hamas’…
Rocket war against Israel…
Islamic Jihad: ‘The Israelis should wait for our surprises’…
Hamas developing guided rockets, bomb-laden planes…
‘Terror forced Israel out of Gaza, will get us rest of Jewish state’.

Read the article here.

And what else would we expect from a bunch of sex addicted liberals? Umm…I hate to tell y’all this, but the only 100% proven effective method for preventing unwanted pregnancy and “social diseases” (some of them quite deadly) is abstinence until marriage. Also, if I were you, I’d take umbrage to the idea the anti-abstinence crowd espouses that all of us are lacking so much self control that we’re incapable of abstaining from sex. Are we human or animals? I guess if you can control yourself and abstain from pre-marital sex, then you can be called human. If you can’t…well, as the saying goes, “if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, then it must be a duck”, or in your case, no better than an animal in heat.

(CNSNews.com) - More than 200 liberal organizations launched a nationwide campaign Tuesday in an effort to halt federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
However, conservatives responded that lawmakers should instead “stay the course” on abstinence education and reject the “old snake oil” of comprehensive sex education.
“Since 2001, when federal spending in these programs began to ramp up, a significant body of evidence has accumulated showing that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are ineffective and potentially harmful,” the No More Money campaign stated in a press release.
“The medical community has never supported these programs, and polling consistently shows that the American people reject them as well,” the statement added.
“Now that it is clear there is no sound research supporting these programs, no support in the public health community and no support by the American people, we are asking Congress to stop funding these harmful programs,” said William Smith, vice president for public policy at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S.

-snip-

However, as Cybercast News Service previously reported, funding for “comprehensive sex education” supported by liberals still outpaces “abstinence education” backed by conservatives by a margin of 12 to 1.
That fact was not lost on Robert Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute at Concerned Women for America, who called the disparity “a matter of greed.”
Knight told Cybercast News Service that those involved in “the old, failed Planned Parenthood-type programs” aren’t satisfied with “what they still get annually from the federal taxpayer.”
“They want it all,” Knight said.
Leslee Unruh, president of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse, saw another financial motive for the organizations supporting the No More Money campaign.
“These groups are coming out against abstinence programs because many of them — abortion clinics and abortion providers — make money when there are unplanned pregnancies,” Unruh told Cybercast News Service.
Linda Klepacki, sexual health analyst for the conservative group Focus on the Family, said the conflict over sex education boils down to a fundamental difference in world views.
“Abstinence educators believe that children are healthier emotionally, psychologically, physically and spiritually if they don’t have sex until marriage,” Klepacki told Cybercast News Service.
On the other hand, “the comprehensive sex education professionals believe that all children should be allowed to be sexually active at any time without any permission for contraceptives, any permission for abortion, any permission for services for their children regardless of age,” she said.
“They believe in risk reduction; we believe in risk elimination,” Klepacki noted.
“You have to understand the motive” of these liberal organizations, Knight added. “They’ve been pushing a distorted view of human sexuality for 50 years now.
“It’s no wonder they attack the good, wholesome, logical alternative that abstinence education represents,” Knight said. “They’re desperate to discredit abstinence programs because they know parents want these instead of the old snake oil that these groups have been selling for years.”
Knight also accused the liberal organizations behind No More Money of “pushing junk science for years to justify everything from child sexuality to homosexuality, so I’m not surprised they’re misportraying the evidence when it comes to abstinence education.”
“There is a wealth of evidence that abstinence programs are making a difference, and these groups want to sweep those under the carpet and pretend that kids who are urged to engage in every form of sex short of intercourse are more likely to avoid sex than the kids who are keeping their clothes on,” Knight said.
While agreeing that “we have had decades of studies showing the negative psychological, physical and emotional effects of sex outside of marriage,” Klepacki also noted that “when we talk about what is working, let’s really look at the history.”
“From when we started comprehensive sex education in the 1960s to the present, we went from two sexually transmitted diseases to more than 25,” she said. “There has also been a continual increase in adolescent and unwed pregnancy and a continual increase in the emergence and occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases.”
As a result, Unruh had different advice for legislators regarding the funding of abstinence programs: “Stay the course” because “abstinence works.”

Original Link.

(AgapePress) - The Branson story is not a new story to many: quaint historic town becomes a tourist mecca, seemingly overnight. That line could be true of several great travel destinations, including Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Myrtle Beach. But what sets Branson, Missouri, apart?

Branson has seen its share of successes and even a few failures. That is the normal ebb and flow of business in a tourist-driven economy. Beyond the economics, what has remained is the faith in the heart of Branson and, to many, a faith in a higher purpose for the area. On the surface a new face is evident — but dig deeper and you will find a rich vein of faith in God, and faith in family. Branson is a town where God, flag, and country take center stage. Perhaps that was the heart of Branson all along.

Back in 1990, Branson saw the arrival of a cavalcade of stars including Mel Tillis, Charley Pride, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Wayne Newton, and comedian David Brenner. All big names to be sure! But the muscle of the bigger names didn’t keep the smaller shows from surviving. They have survived and thrived … and have proceeded to remain atop the list of “must-see family shows” in Branson. The shows you wouldn’t be embarrassed to take your family to. And that is a common denominator that 99 percent of the shows share.

It’s 2006 and families are expected to pour into Branson. What does the new Branson offer? It no longer caters solely to the stereotypical Branson tourist: the “country music loving, Larry the Cable Guy tourist.” Branson has found a way to embrace sophisticated baby boomers. New attractions in 2006 include a $300 million waterfront development known as the “Landing,” a new Titanic exhibit, and Silver Dollar City’s new expansion, The Grand Exposition.

Some 16 years after the “boom years” of the 1990s, many of the theaters also cater to a new audience — that of church member. Many theaters in Branson have also become home to several churches. It’s not uncommon to find services every Sunday morning at your favorite theater.

Mel Tillis sold his 110,000-square-foot building in 2002 to the Assemblies of God, and it has become home to one of Branson’s fastest growing churches and event centers. The center plans to host Christian events and conferences year round. This summer it will host its first children’s show, “God Rocks!”

On the other side of town, Keith Moore pastors the popular Faith Christian Church, formerly known as the Tony Orlando Theater. Tourists flock to these and other churches each Sunday, in search of services away from home. Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church has expanded their facility thanks to benevolent tourists each year.

Branson has also become a popular destination for religious meeting planners, conferences, and ministries. Religious conferences are one of the fastest growing meeting sectors nationwide. Speakers such as David Jeremiah, Kenneth Copeland, John Hagee and James Dobson have all appeared at one time or another in Branson. Brannon Howse, director of Worldview Weekend conferences, has indeed been pleasantly surprised at the success of his ministry conference held each year in Branson. “Branson represents a destination that I could not have dreamed up: faith, family, flag,” says Howse. His event for 2006, which celebrated the birth of our religious freedom, sold out.

It is safe to say one of the biggest successes of the past 15 years in Branson has not been the “star factor,” but the ability of the community to withstand the knock of gambling at its door. The year 2005 saw a successful, and some say surprising, victory against a Rockaway Beach proposed gaming initiative.

When you visit Branson this year, expect to see some familiar sights, marvel at some new ones, and listen closely to the strength of the heartbeat of a new Branson.

Original Article.

More on the how the homosexuals are attempting to move their agenda into the schools, and this case, doing so illegally.

(AgapePress) - A Utah pro-family group claims a public high school in Highland broke state privacy and sex education laws by allowing its student newspaper to publish articles promoting sexual promiscuity.
The Salt Lake City-based Standard of Liberty Foundation has asked the Utah attorney general and the state Office of Education to investigate whether Lone Peak High School broke two Utah education laws. A state Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) law “forbids schools from allowing any activity which results in students revealing information concerning their sexual behavior, orientation, or attitudes.” Also, Utah education law bars schools from advocating homosexuality and extra-marital sex.
Foundation president Steve Graham, whose daughter attends Lone Peak High School, says articles in The Crusader have advocated the formation of Gay Straight Alliance clubs and teenage sexual activity.
“These educators and administrators have this attitude like the parents are a bunch of nit-wits and don’t deserve the respect that we actually do deserve,” says Graham, “and so they just disregard the parents’ desires.” And in this case, he adds, “we’re convinced they’re disregarding the law.”
Officials with the school and the state education office deny education laws were broken. But according to the Foundation spokesman, the school violated the state FERPA law by asking his daughter and another student to write opposing opinion pieces regarding a homosexual club on campus.
“And that law,” he explains, “says the school is not allowed to ask the student questions in tests or school discussions or any school activity that would cause them to express their opinions or attitudes regarding a number of things, including sexuality.”
Graham says the law exists to protect the health and well-being of minors while under the charge of the school and the school district. It is the obligation of the state, he says, to hold school officials responsible for allowing “illegal and harmful information to be published and distributed to thousands of impressionable and vulnerable young students.”
According to a press release from Graham’s group, the articles in the student newspaper contained information identical to that found on the websites of homosexual activist groups such as the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).

Original Article.

“The physicists and chemist typically don’t have any major problems with the creation of the world occurring in an instant. It’s the biologists who are wearing blinders and falling behind in progressive thought. Perhaps someday they’ll join the rest of the scientific community and accept what has been known to us for quite some time and becomes more obvious as time goes on.”
-Unknown Author