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Monday, January 22, 2018

HHS RESCINDS OBAMA ERA RULE BANNING STATES FROM EXCLUDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD FROM MEDICAID PROGRAM

 
HHS RESCINDS OBAMA ERA RULE BANNING STATES FROM EXCLUDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD FROM MEDICAID PROGRAM 
BY HEATHER CLARK
 
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has 
rescinded an Obama-era rule that banned states from excluding the abortion 
giant Planned Parenthood from their Medicaid program.
“HHS’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is issuing new guidance to state Medicaid directors restoring state flexibility to decide program standards. The letter issued today rescinds 2016 guidance that specifically restricted states’ ability to take certain actions against family-planning providers that offer abortion services,” HHS outlined in a press release on Friday.
As previously reported, in September 2016, the HHS issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, advising that intended to amend the Code of Federal Regulations to read, “No recipient making sub-awards for the provision of services as part of its Title X project may prohibit an entity from participating for reasons unrelated to its ability to provide services effectively.”
Title X was enacted in 1970 under the Public Health Service Act and authorizes the Office of Population Affairs to oversee the disbursement of federal funds for the purpose of assisting organizations that offer “family planning” services. States distribute the capital to reproductive and women’s health organizations as they see fit.

In recent years, a number of states have sought to defund the abortion giant Planned Parenthood after granting the organization funds for years, stating that they do not wish to assist groups that provide abortion services, even if the funds will not be directly used for abortion.
But the Obama administration contended that stripping abortion facilities of funding results in undesired births, and that such locations are important because they provide contraceptives.
“Reducing access to Title X services has many adverse effects. Title X services have a dramatic effect on the number of unintended pregnancies and births in the United States,” HHS said at the time. “For example, services provided by Title X-funded sites helped prevent an estimated 1 million unintended pregnancies in 2010 which would have resulted in an estimated 501,000 unplanned births.”

It finalized the rule in December 2016.
Planned Parenthood decried this week’s move by the Trump administration to restore the status quo prior to what it was before the Obama-era prohibition.
“The law is clear: it is illegal to bar women from seeking care at Planned Parenthood. Long-standing protections within Medicaid safeguard every person’s right to access care at their qualified provider of choice,” Dawn Laguens, the executive vice president for the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement.
Religious freedom advocacy groups, however, applauded the move as being commendable.
“Medicaid dollars should go to local community health centers serving women—not the scandal-ridden billion-dollar abortion industry. In contrast to the Obama administration’s policy designed to reward the Big Abortion lobby, this rule empowers state legislatures to allocate Medicaid funding for women’s health,” Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) legal counsel Elissa Graves said in a statement.
HHS also explained that its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is similarly rolling out a proposed rule to enforce 25 conscience protections already enshrined in law, which pertain to medical professionals who object to participating in abortions, sterilizations or physician-assisted suicide.
“America’s doctors and nurses are dedicated to saving lives and should not be bullied out of the practice of medicine simply because they object to performing abortions against their conscience,” OCR Director Roger Severino said in a statement. “Conscience protection is a civil right guaranteed by laws that too often haven’t been enforced.”
“Today’s proposed rule will provide our new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division with enforcement tools that will make sure our conscience laws are not empty words on paper, but guarantees of justice to victims of unlawful discrimination,” he remarked.
As previously reported, HHS likewise announced on Thursday that it is creating a new OCR division focused on protecting the right of conscience and religious freedom.
“The Conscience and Religious Freedom Division has been established to restore federal enforcement of our nation’s laws that protect the fundamental and unalienable rights of conscience and religious freedom,” the department said in a statement.

PROSPERITY PREACHER KENNETH COPELAND ACQUIRES PRIVATE JET BOUGHT WITH FOLLOWERS' MONEY, HAS GOAL OF RAISING $17 MILLION FOR UPGRADES, HANGAR, RUNWAY EXTENSION

 Luke 12:15, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness, for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
 
 VIDEO: PROUDLY TAKING POSSESSION 
JANUARY 12, 2018 WITH YOUR MONEY


PROSPERITY PREACHER KENNETH COPELAND ACQUIRES PRIVATE JET BOUGHT WITH FOLLOWERS' MONEY, HAS GOAL OF RAISING 
$17 MILLION FOR UPGRADES, HANGAR, RUNWAY EXTENSION
BY HEATHER CLARK
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 FORT WORTH, Texas — Prosperity preacher Kenneth Copeland recently 
acquired a Gulfstream V private jet, which his staff says is “debt free” because 
of the donations of his followers. The announcement has drawn both applause 
and outrage.
Copeland’s organization announced on Jan. 12 that the 81-year-old took possession of the jet, which he purchased from actor, comedian and gospel songwriter Tyler Perry.
“[T]he Holy Spirit confirmed to Brother Copeland that the Gulfstream V was the plane the Lord had set aside for KCM,” claimed Charlie Bollinger, who identified as a volunteer Elite CX Team Leader. “Right away discussions began, and Brother Copeland developed a wonderful personal relationship with the seller, Christian businessman and moviemaker Tyler Perry.”
“Soon a contract was signed, a cash deposit was paid, and the aircraft was brought to Dallas for a very thorough pre-buy inspection process, which [was] wrapped up in November,” he continued. “And praise God, it was actually during Thanksgiving week that the purchase was completed, the title was signed, and thanks to the CX Team, the cash was in the bank to mark it paid in full!”

The Elite CX Team is a group of Copeland supporters who purpose to assist the prosperity preacher financially with his stated projects. Copeland points to a 2002 “prophecy” given by friend Keith Moore of Faith Life Church in Branson, who stated that the Lord was going to raise up wealthy supporters to back Copeland.
“Thus saith the Lord: I am rallying and raising up support to you. It will far surpass all you have previously seen or known,” Moore said. “I’m joining to you new partners who are very strong financially, and they will obey Me. I’m prospering your longtime partners with supernatural increase and they will obey Me.”
Copeland opined in a video posted to YouTube that he believed that the prophecy was coming to pass with the purchase of the Gulfstream V.

While it is unclear as to how much was paid for the jet, Bollinger notes that another $2.5 million is desired to upgrade the avionics in light of soon-coming FAA standards, and that the ultimate goal is to raise $17 million, which will include constructing a hanger for the plane.
“[E]arlier this year when the CX leadership team met to pray and hear from the Lord, the word we heard was harvest. Yes, harvest, harvest, harvest!” he wrote. “The Lord reminded us that, through our CX Team giving, together we have sown into KCM a Citation X, a state-of-the-art HD TV truck, and now we’ve sown a Gulfstream V—all of which are producing a bountiful harvest for every single team member.”
Read the post on the KCM website in full here.
As previously reported, in 2015, Copeland asserted on his television broadcast, “The Believer’s Voice of Victory,” that he flies on a private jet to avoid being bothered by “demon” passengers.
“Oral [Roberts] used to fly airlines,” he said. “But even back then it got to the place where it was agitating his spirit—people coming up to him, he had become famous, and they wanted him to pray for them and all that. You can’t manage that today [in] this dope-filled world, and get in a long tube with a bunch of demons. And it’s deadly.”
While he said that he didn’t want to fly with a “bunch of demons,” moments later, Copeland contended that he needed a private jet to help reach the lost.
“We’re in soul business here. We’ve got a dying world around us. We’ve got a dying nation around us,” Copeland proclaimed. “We can’t even get there on the airlines.”
Last month, in the midst of a series on “supernatural wealth transfer,” his organization posted to social media the exhortation to make the faith confessions, “The wealth of the sinner comes to me now,” “The Lord is increasing me more and more,” and “I call in the harvest on every seed sown.”
The announcement of the purchase of the Gulfstream V has generated mixed reaction, with some praising God for the plane and others lamenting that the money was not used to help the poor and hungry.
“My Father God is raising me to become like the Elite CX Team partners, moving His kingdom forward through prosperity. Hallelujah!” one commenter wrote.
“I am so happy it is here. I know God is going to use you and the plane to bless so many people. I am praying and believing for finances for the hanger and the runway,” another stated.
“Reminds me of the man who said, ‘I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones,'” a third wrote, referring to Christ’s words in Luke 12. “And, oh yes, whilst half the world goes to sleep each night with an empty stomach. Keep on your blindfolds all you gullible people who give to this scam. What a shame.”
“So somehow sowing the Gospel of Christ crucified and reaping a harvest of righteousness has become sowing money into an organization and reaping a harvest of sweet vehicles for said organization and its leader?” another asked.
Jesus said in Luke 12:15, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness, for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
 'Prosperity Preacher' Kenneth Copeland 
giggles over GV plane:
 Controversial televangelist Kenneth Copeland was all smiles on the tarmac near his Fort Worth, Texas mega church as he took delivery of his new $3million Gulfstream V private jet. 'This is a big deal, this is a big plane' he says in a video posted on his ministry's website, before grinning into the lens and asking viewers, 'do you see this?  do you see this? I hope so, you bought it. You and Jesus.' Copeland, who is the head of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries and has his own TV show, bought the jet off Tyler Perry. The Gulfstream V, also known as the GV (pronounced Gee Five), introduced in 1997, was one of the first long range private jets. It can travel up to 6,000 miles without refueling. It is also fast.  But the speed and range come with a pricetag, the GV can start with a base price of $3,700,000, but custom upgrades cost in the tens of millions.The most popular GV carries 14 passengers comfortably, that has club style seatingfor 4 in the front, 2 more club seats and a couch in the middle and then four more seats in a 'conference' set up in the rear of the plane. This configuration also carries a crew of four other GV owners include actors Jim Carrey and John Travolta, as well as rapper Soulja Boy. In a thank you note posted with the video, a follower writes, 'First, the Holy Spirit confirmed to Brother Copeland that the Gulfstream V was the plane the Lord had set aside for KCM. Right away discussions began, and Brother Copeland developed a wonderful personal relationship with the seller, Christian businessman and movie-maker Tyler Perry. 'Dressed in a bomber jacket, Copeland prays on the video, chuckling as he thanks God for the 'partners' (as he calls church members) who followed him and paid for the plane.He and his wife Gloria tour the interior and pose for photos. The video ends with a bible passage.Kenneth Copeland isn't the first mega minister to ask his flock to pay for a private plane. In 2015, Reverend Creflo Dollar raised funds to buy a $70million G650.  At first his request for $300 donation from each follower was met with outrage.  Later the church decided that the plane was necessary for Creflo's ministry work. And in 2016, Copeland and fellow televangelist Jesse Duplantis defended their use of private planes on Copeland's TV show 'Believer's Voice of Victory'.On that show Copeland called flying commercial getting in 'a long tube with a bunch of demons'.Copeland made headlines in 2013 when an outbreak of measles at the flagship Eagle Mountain mega church near Fort Worth Texas threatened the whole congregation.In public appearances and on his TV shows Copeland questioned the value of vaccinations, citing links to autism.Copeland won't be flying his G5 just yet though, because it needs about $2.5million worth of upgrades before it is ready.Then the church is trying to raise another $17million for 'the construction of a new hangar, upgrading the existing runway, and purchasing special GV maintenance equipment'. AutoNews- Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/artic...

TURKEY: 90,000 MOSQUES PRAY QUR'ANIC "CONQUEST" PRAYERS CALLING ON MUSLIMS TO BE "RUTHLESS AGAINST UNBELIEVERS"

 http://static9.depositphotos.com/1605259/1200/i/950/depositphotos_12008663-stock-photo-muslim-friday-prayer-tunahan-mosque.jpg
TURKEY: 90,000 MOSQUES PRAY QUR'ANIC "CONQUEST" PRAYERS CALLING ON MUSLIMS 
TO BE "RUTHLESS AGAINST UNBELIEVERS"
BY ROBERT SPENCER
 
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 
Surah al-Fath is the 48th chapter of the Qur’an. It promises Muslims who wage jihad much material reward: “Allah has promised you much booty that you will take and has hastened for you this and withheld the hands of people from you – that it may be a sign for the believers and He may guide you to a straight path” (48:20).
It also contains this command:”Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are ruthless against the unbelievers, merciful among themselves” (48:29).
This is the message that the Turkish government is giving to its soldiers as it sends them against the Kurds. It’s interesting in light of the fact that Islamic apologists in the West routinely insist that such verses apply only to seventh-century situations, and not to today in any way, shape or form. The Diyanet didn’t get the memo.

“‘Conquest’ prayers performed across Turkey’s mosques for Afrin operation,” Hürriyet Daily News, January 21, 2018:
Special “conquest” prayers were held across all of Turkey’s 90,000 mosques on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21 for the victory of the country’s military, which launched a cross border operation in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region on Jan. 20 against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).
“Sessions will be held after the isha prayer tonight [Jan. 20] and the morning prayer [on Jan. 21] due to Operation Olive Branch,” said Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) head Ali Erbas in a message sent on Jan. 20 to all offices of muftis and religious officials across the country.
“The Surah Conquest [Surah al-Fath] will be cited during the special sessions to pray for the victory of our heroic security forces, who have launched an operation against terrorist groups that threaten our nation and our peace,” Erbaş added….