Tuesday, April 10, 2018

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY STILL DEFENDS CONTEMPLATIVE MYSTICAL PRAYER-SAYS JESUS & DISCIPLES PRACTICED IT

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY STILL DEFENDS CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER-
SAYS JESUS & DISCIPLES PRACTICED IT 
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
A Lighthouse Trails reader recently asked our editors to take a look at a page on the Focus on the Family website defending the practice of contemplative prayer. Those of you who have been readers of Lighthouse Trails for a while will know that Lighthouse Trails has challenged Focus on the Family on more than one occasion for their promotion of contemplative prayer. We first issued a concern twelve years ago in the spring of 2006 in an article titled “Focus on the Family Answers Lighthouse Trails -Defends Contemplative Author.”   That article stated:
“On April 26th, Lighthouse Trails Publishing contacted Focus on the Family, via telephone, sharing concerns about FOF’s recent promotion of contemplative author Gary Thomas. On May 5th, Lighthouse Trails received a letter from Timothy Masters of Focus on the Family’s “Office of the Chairman.” Masters responded to Lighthouse Trails with the following:
[D]ue to the unusual nature of your inquiry, our phone representative has taken the liberty of forwarding your message to the staff here in Dr. Dobson’s office for special handling.
“While we are pleased that our phone call has received attention from Dr. Dobson’s personal office, statements made in the letter by Masters have left us concerned and disheartened. Masters said that the staff:
… found nothing within the pages of Sacred Parenting [by Gary Thomas] that contradicts the Christian faith or Dr. Dobson’s philosophy … we are not in a position to address the contents of Mr. Thomas’s other writings … but this much we can tell you: there is and always has been a strong tradition of contemplative prayer in the Christian church that has nothing to do with mantras and Eastern meditation. To confuse the two, as you have done, is to jump to an unwarranted conclusion based on a misunderstanding of certain features they appear to share in common.
“In light of Master’s apparent conviction that the two camps (Christian and Eastern contemplative) are distinct and unrelated, it is important to note here that Tilden Edwards, the founder of the largest and most influential contemplative school in the US, would disagree that the two are indeed different. Edwards revealed that contemplative prayer is the Western bridge to Far Eastern spirituality in his book, Spiritual Friend (of which Richard Foster endorsed, calling it an excellent spiritual book).
“While FOF states they are “not in a position to address” Gary Thomas’ other books (which clearly promote contemplative), the book that FOF does promote, Sacred Parenting, devotes an entire chapter to contemplative spirituality, calling it the “active discipline” of “true listening,” and saying it is the way we can “seize heaven and invite God’s presence into our lives” (pp. 58-59). In that chapter, Thomas names two people who had a major impact in his prayer life: contemplative/mystic Teresa of Avila and Frank Buchman, initiator of Moral Re-Armament, now called Initiatives of Change, an inter-faith organization working towards globalization. Buchman was a controversial figure, partly due to his 1930s public statements showing admiration for Adolph Hitler. And according to cult expert Dave Hunt, Buchman was involved in both mysticism and the occult:
MRA founder Frank Buchman … embraced new revelations through occult guidance [and]helped to set the stage for the New Age movement…. He inspired thousands on all continents to meditate … decades before Maharishi Mahesh Yogi left India. (Hunt, Adaptation of Occult Invasion, 1998)
“Gary Thomas devoted three entire pages to Buchman in Sacred Parenting. All things considered, this book hardly seems like it will be a “tremendous help and a great inspiration to those moms and dads who choose to take advantage of its message.” On the contrary.
“The question must be asked, when Masters states that “there is and always has been a strong tradition of contemplative prayer in the Christian church that has nothing to do with mantras and Eastern meditation,” which authors have or do teach contemplative prayer excluding the mantra and Eastern-like meditation? Richard Foster, whom Focus on the Family now promotes? Gary Thomas? Thomas Merton? Brennan Manning? Henri Nouwen? (All of whom can be found on FOF websites and all of whom teach mantra-style meditation) We must also ask, can Focus on the Family rightfully disregard the contents of Gary Thomas’ other writings, writings in which he tells readers to repeat a word or phrase for 20 minutes until the “word becomes part of you.” Did the apostle Paul, or the Psalmist or Jesus Christ ever give such instructions? Of course not. Gary Thomas’ website clearly promotes practices such as lectio divina and centering prayer all the while encouraging visitors to read the works of Thomas Merton and Basil Pennington, both of whom wholeheartedly and without reservation embraced Eastern mysticism. Incidentally, Thomas teaches Spiritual Formation at Western Seminary. By promoting one of Thomas’ books, FOF is directly promoting contemplative prayer.
“Focus on the Family has entered into an unbiblical territory that can spiritually harm many people, including children. It is our prayer that Dr. Dobson [who is no longer with FOF] and other Christian leaders will look at the facts fairly before proceeding any further down this path.” (end of 2006  article – source)
Since 2006, when we first contacted Focus on the Family, the organization has shown no interest in taking a serious and biblical look at contemplative spirituality. On the contrary, one only needs to read their current statement on their website to see that they have not lessened their stance but rather have emphasized it.
The statement is formatted as a Question and Answer with the Question reading:
Are “contemplative prayer” and other “spiritual disciplines” part of a “New Age” plot to subvert the church? Should I steer clear of these practices? My church recently launched a class in “spiritual formation.” I was excited when I learned of this opportunity because I’m hungry to know the Lord in a deeper, more personal way. But when I shared this with a Christian friend at work, she responded with dire warnings about the “eastern” influences concealed within the contemplative prayer movement. Now I’m thoroughly confused. Can you help me?
Focus on the Family answers by saying:
With all due respect for your friend, we think her fears are unnecessary. There is nothing unbiblical or anti-Christian about solitude, silence, and contemplative prayer. Not, at any rate, as they have been practiced within the context of Christian history. As a matter of fact, these disciplines are part of a time-honored tradition. They’ve been central to the church’s spiritual life for centuries. The fact that an idea looks or sounds like “New Age” mysticism at first glance doesn’t necessarily prove that it is “New Age” mysticism. You have to dig deeper to get at the heart of the matter. This is a case where the danger of jumping to unwarranted conclusions is very present and real indeed.
The Focus on the Family statement then says it will provide some “scriptural evidence” to prove contemplative prayer is biblical. Misusing both 1 Kings 19:12 and Psalm 46:10 (the two “signature” verses used by contemplatives to “prove” their point), FOF then suggest that even Jesus and the disciples practiced contemplative prayer. Their response continues:
On the basis of this biblical foundation, a strong tradition of Christian contemplation and mysticism has grown up within the church over the past 2,000 years. Many of the early church fathers of the first three centuries of the Christian era . . . were contemplatives who had mystical experiences in prayer. This tradition has nothing to do with the depersonalizing, self-abnegating, Nirvana-seeking spiritual practices of the Hindus, Buddhists, and New-Agers. . . .  In our view, it’s not the form or style of such experiences that determine their legitimacy. Neither should we place too much emphasis on the methods or techniques of prayer that precede them. What counts is their content and the degree to which they either do or do not bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. (emphasis added)
Clearly, Focus on the Family has groomed their response since that first response in 2006. And they are just as wrong today as they were then.
First, there is nothing in God’s Word whatsoever to indicate that Jesus or the disciples practiced a mystically induced prayer (repeating a word or phrase in order to enter a silent state to hear God).
Second, the frequent references in the statement by FOF to contemplatives of the past are without a doubt referring to mystics such as the Desert Fathers, Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and others who practiced this “time-honored tradition.” This is easy to prove because it is these figures who every modern-day contemplative looks to for his or her contemplative “inspiration” “within the context of Christian history” “for centuries.”
Third, contrary to what FOF says, contemplative prayer is no different than the “spiritual practices of the Hindus, Buddhists, and New-Agers” as Lighthouse Trails has documented for sixteen years since the release of Ray Yungen’s book A Time of Departing (*see note below). We could provide many quotes to show that contemplative prayer is indeed one in the same as eastern-style meditation or occultic (i.e, New Age) meditation. But we’ll just provide a few right in this article. These are cited from Yungen’s booklet  “Five Things You Should Know About Contemplative Prayer.”
The meditation of advanced occultists [New Agers] is identical with the prayer of advanced mystics [contemplatives]: it is no accident that both traditions use the same word for the highest reaches of their respective activities—contemplation. Richard Kirby, The Mission of Mysticism, p. 7
It’s important to note that, throughout the history of Christianity, Christian mystics have displayed an unusual openness to the wisdom of non-Christian philosophy and religion. In other words, Christian mysticism seems, from the beginning, to have had an intuitive recognition of the way in which mysticism is a form of unity that transcends religious difference.—Carl McColman, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism, p. 63 (emphasis added)
The East does not represent a culture or a religion so much as the methodology [meditation] for a achieving a larger, liberating vision. In that sense, the “East” has existed in Western mystical traditions [i.e., contemplative prayer].—Marilyn Ferguson, The Aquarian Conspiracy, p. 368
Individual religions have various names for the esoteric paths that can bring us step by step to these experiences. In Mahayana Buddhism, there are the paths of the Tibetans or the way of Zen. . . . In Hinduism, there are the different forms of yoga. In Islam, there is Sufism. In Judaism, there is the teaching of the Cabala. In Christianity, there is contemplation. All of these can lead people to the ultimate level, to cosmic consciousness.—Willigis Jäger, Searching for the Meaning of Life, p. 31 (emphasis added)
Focus on the Family leaders were wrong in 2006, and  they are wrong in 2018. Tragically, along with so many other Christian organizations today, FOF has led countless Christians down a dangerous esoteric path that is not the path that Jesus and the disciples took but rather is the path that “advanced occultists” are on.

*Note: If you have not read A Time of Departing and would sincerely like to or would like to give a copy to your pastor, please e-mail us at editors@lighthousetrails.com, and we will send you a free copy. We will keep your name and address confidential. If your pastor or your church leadership is talking about “Spiritual Formation,” “contemplative prayer,” “spiritual directors,” or “the spiritual disciplines,” then it is time you found out what they are really talking about.

TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY CONTINUES TO PROMOTE MYSTICAL SILENCE INSTEAD OF BIBLICAL PRAYER

Trevecca Nazarene University
TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY CONTINUES TO PROMOTE MYSTICAL SILENCE 
INSTEAD OF BIBLICAL PRAYER
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

By Manny Silva of Concerned Nazarenes
“I am deepening in the mystical forms of prayer.” (Dan Boone)
Thanks to the undiscerning “leadership” of President Dan Boone, Trevecca Nazarene students will have the opportunity to go on a mystical ride. Once again, it time for the “Spiritual Formation” retreat at the Gethsemani monastery in Kentucky, spiritual home to the famed Roman Catholic mystic, universalist, and Buddhist sympathizer Thomas Merton. (https://www.trevecca.edu/community-life/faith-service/spiritual-formation-retreat) Merton, who is dead, is a rising star amongst many undiscerning, confused or deceived Nazarene pastors of today. Along with his spiritual brother, Henri Nouwen, and other modern day proponents such as Richard Foster, they have risen to a prominence equaling and perhaps surpassing that old out of style book called the Bible.
Contemplative prayer uses the same meditative exercises used in Eastern religions and New Age cults. Practicing the silence has absolutely no basis in scripture, yet Dan Boone has deceived many students at Trevecca by sending them on yearly retreats alongside Roman Catholic nuns and monks. Dr. Boone also promotes the use of prayer labyrinths, and has had one there for years at Trevecca. After I exposed this more fully, he made excuses about it, and later re-named the labyrinth and called it something else.
Practicing the silence is simply another form of contemplative mysticism (or contemplative spirituality), which is often excused for by Boone and others by abusing the meaning of Psalm 46:10. Dr. Boone once said on his profile page at Nazarene Theological Seminary, “…I am deepening in the mystical forms of prayer.” (It is no longer there). Well, this is exactly where the Church of the Nazarene is going, and even more boldly than nine years ago when I first saw this coming. Click here to continue reading.
Related Articles From the Past:
2013 – A Plea to the General Assembly 2013: Death of the Church of the Nazarene or Repentance?
2013 – Conflicting Reports: Nazarene Superintendent Says Nazarene Church Not Emergent versus Olivet Nazarene University Welcomes Emergent Mystic
2010 – Buddhist/Universalist Sympathizer Woos Nazarene Students at NNU
2009 – Trevecca Nazarene University Promoting Contemplative Spirituality in No Small Way
2008 – Nazarene Universities Welcome Brian McLaren
2007 – Nazarene Superintendent Praises “A Time of Departing” – But Denomination’s Schools Sinking into Contemplative

APOSTATE FRANCIS CHAN WARNS THOSE WHO CRITICIZE CHRISTIAN LEADERS: :GOD WILL DESTROY YOU"

APOSTATE FRANCIS CHAN WARNS THOSE WHO CRITICIZE CHRISTIAN LEADERS: 
"GOD WILL DESTROY YOU" 
SEE: https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2018/newsletter20180409.htmrepublished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Francis Chan with Mike Bickle
Photo: Francis Chan in 2016 being prayed for by IHOP’s Mike Bickle (used in accordance with the US Fair Use Act for the purpose of critique and review)
recent YouTube video that has been viewed over 50,000 times thus far* of highly prolific and popular Christian author and speaker Francis Chan creates a very disturbing scenario of how the Body of Christ should operate. Speaking to a group at Bethel Church, he strongly implied that God will destroy (kill) anyone who questions or opposes the teachings of Christian leaders. Using fear to motivate his audience, he used for his basic text: “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:17).
Without giving specific names, Chan spoke of those who present any negative criticism of leaders (naming Rick Warren, Mark Driscoll, and John Piper as examples of leaders who should not be criticized). Chan took it a step further and described incidents in the Bible where God took people’s lives as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:10) to predict that God will take the lives of those who have negative things to say about the teachings of today’s spiritual leaders.
We found his reasoning both very troubling and perplexing. And the question that came to our minds is this: The discernment ministries, and even those who question confusing theologies, are clearly under attack here, but how is it that God would want to slay us? We thought further: Doesn’t Scripture say, “the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet I have no need of you” (1 Corinthians 12:21)? But Chan is saying that God has no need of people like us (who are a part of God’s temple) and will destroy us.
One of the sad things about all of this is that years ago, when we first started our publishing ministry, we sent a copy of our first book (A Time of Departing)  to Rick Warren because we naively saw him as a Christian leader who would see the apostasy the book describes and share our concerns. Warren even sent us a personal reply that sounded very affirming. But in time, we came to realize that Rick Warren had joined the ranks of those who opposed our exposure of the error and dangers of contemplative prayer and the emerging church.
We have, as a ministry, always tried to share the truth in love (even though at times that was a challenge because of the anger coming at us). And in all these years, we have never suggested or even hinted that God wanted to kill or destroy those whom we have critiqued or of those who opposed our ministry (and in some cases attempted to destroy it).
But here, Francis Chan is prescribing a death sentence on ministries like ours (and of the people in them). In addition, he is conditioning believers who are following him to not question things they are being taught or “try the spirits” to see whether they are from God. A pastor or teacher should always encourage his congregation to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). While, of course, idle gossip and cruel slander have no place in the life of a Christian and should always be discouraged and corrected, this is much different than testing all things with Scripture to see “whether those things were [are] so” (Acts 17:11).
For the Body of Christ to be healthy, it must operate in genuine repentance—but that can not happen where serious doctrinal error is covered up and apostasy runs wild. It is irresponsible, self-serving, and highly manipulative for a public figure to suggest that God is going to kill anyone who challenges or criticizes a Christian leader.
Please take the time to read the passage below from Roger Oakland’s book, The Good Shepherd Calls. It further expresses our concern for churches and ministries that are not willing to test all things with Scripture. Much of what is happening in the church at large today does not stand up to the test of Scripture, and it is not right to pretend that it does; nor is it right to threaten those who are challenging leaders and to liken them to branches that God will prune and destroy.
“Test the Spirits”
By Roger Oakland
[T]here is a . . . scenario where church members are led to believe that if they follow the leader, then they are under an umbrella of protection where God is pleased when the congregation shows strict obedience to the shepherd. Oftentimes, this cultish mentality is compounded by the idea that the members of the church should trust the pastor’s discernment more than their own because the pastor is more mature and in tune with the things of God. Again, the reality is that we should be like the citizens of Berea who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). Jesus never taught unquestioning obedience to a pastor or leader but rather said, “[I]f the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:14). In other words, we are all accountable for our own actions, and the pastor was never meant to be a “covering” where we are permitted to do things that violate our own conscience.
This is not to say that we should challenge a good pastor on every decision he makes, but if we are under a pastor who is a false teacher, Jesus’ instruction is to “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind” (Matthew 15:14).
Sometimes, if not usually, the above scenario [causes] havoc, all in a single church. This is a very sour formula for discernment as few have the courage to speak up, and those who do are usually exited from the church.
It is very possible for genuine sincere Christians who follow this kind of teaching to be led astray. If we are not willing to be consistent about what we believe, then we will be inconsistent in practice. Inconsistency can easily lead to apostasy. And as Paul warned, apostasy is a key factor in preparing the way for the Antichrist.
A spiritual delusion is presently underway in the name of Christ, and the church is being prepared to embrace it. The apostle Paul stated this would happen, and the current trend indicates this is exactly what is happening. And according to the Bible, if Christians are being deluded now, we can expect the delusion to intensify.
Bible doctrine is based on the idea that a tenet of faith must be established by the support of the whole counsel of God. Scripture must always provide the basis for biblical doctrine. The Bible teaches that all Scripture has been given by the inspiration of God.
Today, a growing number of church leaders are saying Bible doctrine is not as important as it was once thought to be. Holding firm to biblical doctrine can divide the body and hold back revival, some are saying. (From chapter 12 of The Good Shepherd Calls)
Related Material:
Link to Chan’s YouTube talk titled “Are You Destroying the Church?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHuue9ZXzmM&t=126s
How to Know if You Are Being Spiritually Abused or Deceived—A Spiritual Abuse Questionnaire by Chris Lawson
*This video is posted on various YouTube channels. In just three channels we looked at, the total views was over 50,000.


THEY ARE COMING FOR YOUR GUNS & YOU JUST LIE THERE~DEERFIELD, ILLINOIS SUED FOR THEIR GUN BAN & CONFISCATION

THEY ARE COMING FOR YOUR GUNS & 
YOU JUST LIE THERE 
BY CLARK RAMSEY
SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2018/04/they-are-coming-for-your-guns/#axzz5CGnszIJ4republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

USA – -(Ammoland.com)- It is time for an offensive full court press. We need to start chipping away at all the local and state laws that make it impossible to exercise our rights. Despite their claims, tyrants are not scared enough of the current armed populous.
If this effort gains traction the same chorus of statists will be paraded out. “You don’t need that kind of gun” or “you don’t need any guns in this building,” they say. Last I checked, what I own and where I take it is none of anyone’s business.

The real reason gun grabbers never let up is because they know they can’t assert total control over citizens, so long as the populous remains armed.

It’s no contradiction to them to Monday-morning-quarterback police and tell them they shouldn’t have shot a particular person, and in the same breath claim that only the police should be armed. The police are agents of the government. They can be controlled, so they think.
The Chicago suburb of Deerfield, Illinois is a glaring example of such a power grab. This week they passed an extensive gun ban. The ordinance’s preliminary language cites Deerfield’s “power to regulate for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and Welfare.” This is the usual tact employed by statists. They all hold the belief that it is appropriate to trample on your rights when they cite “health, safety and welfare.“ They don’t bat an eye at the fact that such actions completely deny the principles of individual rights. Individual rights do not belong to the collective and they should not yield to the collective.
Statists often claim that the Second Amendment is rooted in racism. This is a completely false narrative and anyone who propagates that lie doesn't know their history and the chronology of it. Just the opposite is true of course. Gun control laws have everything to do with slavery.
Slavery and Jim Crow laws were based on the belief that the minority individual was merely property, a thing to be possessed and controlled. Most segregation laws and ordinances were premised on “morals, safety, and welfare.” Segregation was a backdoor way to limit freedom and control public opinion. The bastardization of the Second Amendment is no different.

The Supreme Court has failed us.

They are supposed to protect our civil rights. They are not supposed to allow ordinances like Deerfield’s to stand. Yet, all around the country, bureaucrats at every level [and whole states, like NJ] have moved to restrict and bastardize the right “to keep and bear arms.” If only Deerfield was a singular example…
The District of Columbia has refused to follow court orders to loosen their gun laws over and over again. Virginia’s former governor, Terry McAuliffe barred guns from all executive offices because he couldn’t pass anti-gun laws. His democrat successor has broadened the reach of that order. The People’s Republic of California continues its crusade against gun owners in every possible way – from copper bullets-only laws to assault weapons bans. Even the great state of Texas has created a de facto concealed carry ban by giving private businesses and property owners the ability to ban guns on their premises. Such a law has made it impossible for a Texan to know if he’ll have to go back home to secure his firearm or if he’ll be allowed to enter a business or church. Many states are may-issue, meaning that no one has a right to carry unless some bureaucrat decides they do on a case-by-case basis. I could go on for a thousand pages detailing the asinine list of infringements we’ve permitted.

All of this leads me to question why the powers that be ever attempt such infringements?

Let me answer this by way of analogy. Remember when you were a kid and you were dating? Some girl’s dads would make an obviously idle threat, “have her home by 10, or else.” Other dads would make their intentions a little more clear, “have her home by 10 or I’m going to get in my truck with the devil and we’re going to find you.” The latter was a man you knew was capable of harming you. You knew he took his duty to protect his daughter seriously. You might’ve stolen a kiss from that girl, but you sure as hell didn’t push the limit and she was home by 9:45.
Gun owners have become an idle threat with an increasingly undefined limit. Government officials don’t take gun owners seriously anymore than we took the “have her home, or else” dad. I’m not suggesting we start a civil war, yet. However, I am asserting that we take a much more aggressive stand to protect our rights.
A Second Amendment that can be reduced to only certain guns in certain places is no civil right at all. Agents of the government at every level are wildly out of control. I’m so tired of it in my hometown that I voted for a democrat for the first time in my life because she was the only person opposing the Republican incumbent. The incumbent might as well have been a democrat with his feckless spending and an ever-expanding massive local government.
Do you really think there isn’t a power reason that bureaucrats on all sides have passed laws barring the possession of firearms in their offices? They don’t want to face the reality of our power. They do everything they can to reduce our power and increase theirs.
The NRA is not focused on local issues. It is long passed time we go on the offensive and exercise our rights wherever and whenever possible. Work to repeal all of it, not just some of it. Organize your fellow like-minded citizens. If you need some help with how to organize I highly recommend you contact Virginia Citizen’s Defense League. In the alternative, I’m always available at clarkramsey.org


Clark Ramsey
Clark Ramsey

About the Author Clark Ramsey
Clark Ramsey is the host of “The Ramsey Revival” on YouTube. He is a former Infantry Marine and a service-connected disabled veteran. Clark holds a Juris Doctor from Michigan State University College of Law and a Bachelor's degree in Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness. He has thousands of hours in a variety of shooting related disciplines from hunting to tactical fieldwork. If he could, he'd spend all of his time hunting and fishing with his wife and three kids.







_____________________________________
Lawsuit Challenges Gun Ban 
In Chicago Suburb Of Deerfield
BY ALAN GOTTLIEB
SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2018/04/lawsuit-challenges-gun-ban-in-chicago-suburb-of-deerfield/#axzz5CGoXcdG7republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:


BELLEVUE, WA – -(Ammoland.com)-The Second Amendment Foundation filed a lawsuit against the Chicago suburb of Deerfield, Illinois seeking an injunction against enforcement of the ban on so-called “assault weapons” and “large capacity magazines” adopted by the Village Board of Trustees earlier last week.
Joining the Second Amendment Foundation in the legal challenge is the Illinois State Rifle Association and a private citizen, Daniel Easterday, who resides in the village and is a gun owner. The lawsuit was filed in the 19th Judicial Circuit Court in Lake County. Plaintiffs are represented by Glen Ellyn attorney David Sigale.
The lawsuit challenges the village ban under a 2013 amended state statute that declared “the regulation of the possession or ownership of assault weapons are exclusive powers and functions of this State. Any ordinance or regulation, or portion of that ordinance or regulation, that purports to regulate the possession or ownership of assault weapons in a manner that is inconsistent with this Act, shall be invalid…”
“We moved swiftly to challenge this gun ban because it flies in the face of state law,” said Second Amendment Foundation founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “While the village is trying to disguise this as an amendment to an existing ordinance, it is, in fact, a new law that entirely bans possession of legally-owned semi-auto firearms, with no exception for guns previously owned, or any provision for self-defense.
“The new ordinance also provides for confiscation and destruction of such firearms and their original capacity magazines,” he added. “What is particularly outrageous about this new law is that it levies fines of up to $1,000 a day against anyone who refuses to turn in their gun and magazines or move them out of the village by the time the ordinance takes effect in June.”

“This certainly puts the lie to claims by anti-gunners that ‘nobody is coming to take your guns.’”


Second Amendment Foundation
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

GLAZOV GANG: SPLC'S WAR ON EX-FBI AGENT JOHN GUANDOLO

GLAZOV GANG: SPLC'S WAR ON EX-FBI AGENT JOHN GUANDOLO 
This new edition of The Glazov Gang features John Guandolo, a former FBI agent, combat veteran Marine, and now the president of Understanding the Threat.
John exposed The SPLC’s War on Truth-Tellers about the Threat, shedding a disturbing light on how the hate group is trying to silence him, his group and all freedom-fighters.
Don’t miss it!
Subscribe to the Glazov Gang‘s YouTube Channel and follow us on Twitter: @JamieGlazov.
Please donate through our new Unified-4-People Campaign or via our Pay Pal account.

HUNGARY: VIKTOR ORBAN WINS SWEEPING MAJORITY; VOWS "A BIG FIGHT AHEAD" TO PROTECT HUNGARY

HUNGARY: VIKTOR ORBAN WINS SWEEPING MAJORITY; VOWS "A BIG FIGHT AHEAD" 
TO PROTECT HUNGARY 
BY CHRISTINE DOUGLASS-WILLIAMS
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a third straight term in power in Sunday elections….The rightwing nationalist prime minister projected himself as a savior of Hungary’s Christian culture against Muslim migration into Europe, an image which resonated with millions of voters, especially in rural areas.
Orban did not “project himself” as any “savior of Hungary’s Christian culture.” He instead stood up as a responsible leader to block the Islamization of Hungary, while other European countries grappled — and continue to grapple — with mass chaos, escalating crime, jihad attacks, no-go zones, sex attacks and violent antisemitism tearing apart their countries as a result of their suicidal immigration policies. Unfortunately, anyone who opposes reckless immigration is deemed to be “Islamophobic” and “racist.”
Orban’s victory has now put an end to ongoing fears that  “George Soros would use his organisation, now the second largest political activist charity in the world, to influence Hungary’s 2018 general election” and “remove Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party from power, tear down the border fence, and implement the ‘Soros Plan’ to flood Europe” with a million migrants annually.
Orban declared upon winning:
We created the opportunity for ourselves to defend Hungary…A great battle is behind us. We have achieved a decisive victory.
He also vowed “a big fight ahead” to protect Hungary.
Orban’s sweeping victory has broader implications for Europe, given his indomitable stand and leadership role in resisting EU’s bullying of Hungary and other members of the Visegrad group over refusals to take in the EU’s imposed quotas of migrants. Austria has stated that it “could serve as a go-between in the European Union for the West and the Visegrad group of eastern states.” Last October, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz led his coalition of the conservative People’s Party to an election win and has pledged to work with Viktor Orban.
“Hungary’s strongman Viktor Orban wins third term in power,” by Krisztina Than and Gergely Szakacs, Reuters, April 8, 2018:
BUDAPEST, Hungary (Reuters) – Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a third straight term in power in Sunday elections after his anti-immigration campaign message secured a strong majority for his party in parliament, granting him two-thirds of seats based on preliminary results.
The rightwing nationalist prime minister projected himself as a savior of Hungary’s Christian culture against Muslim migration into Europe, an image which resonated with millions of voters, especially in rural areas.
“We have won, Hungary has won a great victory,” a jubilant Orban told a large crowd of cheering supporters near the Danube river in Budapest.
“There is a big battle behind us, we have won a crucial victory, giving ourself a chance to defend Hungary.”
According to preliminary results with 93 percent of votes counted, National Election Office data projected Fidesz to win 133 seats, a tight two-thirds majority in the 199-seat parliament. Nationalist Jobbik was projected to win 26 seats, while the Socialists were projected as third with 20 lawmakers.
Two smaller leftist parties, DK and LMP, won nine and eight seats respectively.
That means Orban could have a two-thirds majority for a third time, and powers to change constitutional laws. The EU has struggled to respond as Orban’s government has, in the view of its critics, used its two landslide victories in 2010 and 2014 to erode democratic checks and balances.
The victory could embolden Orban to put more muscle into a Central European alliance against the European Union’s migration policies. Orban, Hungary’s longest-serving post-communist premier, opposes deeper integration of the bloc and – teaming up with Poland – has been a fierce critique of Brussels’ policies.
He expressed gratitude to Poland’s leaders for their backing ahead of the vote……

FACEBOOK CENSORS, SUSPENDS & THREATENS VOICE OF EUROPE FOR CRITICIZING MIGRATION~POLITICIANS "INVESTIGATING" ZUCKERBERG PAID THOUSANDS BY FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK CENSORS, SUSPENDS & THREATENS VOICE OF EUROPE 
FOR CRITICIZING MIGRATION
BY ROBERT SPENCER
SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2018/04/facebook-censors-suspends-and-threatens-voice-of-europe-for-criticizing-migration;  republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
The freedom of speech is not only threatened; it is despised. Those who are working to destroy it have the support of massive numbers of young people who have been indoctrinated into believing that dissent from the Leftist agenda constitutes “hate speech” and must be forcibly silenced. And so it is happening, quickly. The freedom of speech will have disappeared entirely before most people even notice it is gone.
“Facebook threatens Voice of Europe for criticising migration,” Voice of Europe, April 8, 2018:
We were one of the fastest growing European news sites on Facebook with at least 30,000 people joining us every month. On some days 5,000 people joined us, but those days are gone after Facebook decided to censor us, suspend us and threaten us.
While we’ve changed nothing in our postings, Facebook’s behaviour towards us changed. Several innocent postings were a reason for Facebook to suspend our moderators.
Our page statistics – Source: Facebook
For example posting a picture of Poles protesting behind a banner with ‘Mohammed not welcome’ was a reason to suspend one of our moderators for 24 hours and we had to delete content as well. But it would become much worse..
This week we were even banned for posting our own news and our moderator received a suspension for 30 days! While we understand news can be ‘hate speech’ as well, we don’t think this was the case here.
We’ve posted book review of a former Czech president who said: “The migrant influx is comparable to the barbarian invasions of Europe.”
While the article heavily criticises migration, it is news, like any other article on our site. But not according to Facebook: The article was removed, we received a 30-day suspension and Facebook threatened to remove our page over it. But something even more strange happened.
That day we saw a somewhat similar article was posted by Russia Today on Facebook (see below). They didn’t receive a suspension over it, because that would be all over the media.
We’ve now decided we will not post all our news on Facebook anymore, because we don’t want to lose our page. While Facebook blames us for posting ‘hate speech’ we think the real reason is our site was becoming too successful with between 30,000 and 40,000 followers every month this year….
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Facebook Lines The Pockets Of The Politicians Questioning Zuckerberg
Owen Shroyer reveals how the politicians chosen to question Mark Zuckerberg on the controversial data mining and selling behind Facebook have been paid thousands by the social media platform.

MORE ARMY THAN SALVATION: THINK TWICE BEFORE GIVING DONATIONS TO THE "SALVATION ARMY"~NOW THEY SUPPORT THE LGBT "COMMUNITY"~INTERFAITH, ECUMENICAL, CALVINIST, WORKS GOSPEL

The Salvation Army Is a Worldwide Church

THINK TWICE BEFORE GIVING DONATIONS TO THE SALVATION ARMY

BY DAVID J. STEWART

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 According to Forbes the Salvation Army's top dog, Todd Bassett, took home $175,050 from the “CHARITABLE” organization's donations for the fiscal year ending in 2004. $175,050? That's ridiculous! I wonder how many Santa Claus buckets need to be filled to pay Mr. Bassett's extravagant salary? I wouldn't give a dime to the Salvation Army.
Kindly, the top CEO at Red Cross pulled down a $651,957 salary in 2003! According to Forbes, United Way's top executive made $629,950 in 2004! Still, the Salvation Army pays their CEO and his wife far more than what the average American survives on. No one working for a “charity” ought to get paid that kind of money. That's just my humble opinion. They're supposed to be helping the poor, not spoiling themselves with extravagant salaries. Just because other charities pay their CEO's high salaries doesn't justify them doing it. It's ironic that out of all the careers a person can pursue, administrating a charity pays some of the biggest salaries. That's messed up. Think about that. Why would an organization that's dedicated to helping the poor paying their top leaders over $100,000 a year?
*Update June 2016—In 2012 the Salvation Army paid it's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) $259,720!!! I have a serious problem with that! Over 44 officers received 6-digit salaries over $100,000 a year! Charities are supposed to be benevolent organizations, helping the public, not paying themselves 5-10 times what the average American earns per year. Over half of American citizens in 2016 are earning less than $30,000 per year! So why should a so-called “charity,” especially a professed Christian charity, pay those kind of extravagant salaries? Few people know that the Salvation Army also owns luxurious vacation properties in Hawaii for their executives to enjoy. I don't care how much money (billions!!!) they take in per year, it is wrong for ministers (which means “servant”) to pay themselves exuberant salaries. To put it into better perspective, the CEO of the Salvation Army in 2012 was paid $21,643 a month!!! All I'm saying is that I would never give the Salvation Army a penny, and this is why!
People are so naive and gullible nowadays. The Apostle's didn't go out on a spending-spree with the money given to them, buying steak dinners, purchasing fancy clothes and vacationing in Hawaii. No, they distributed the money to the THE NEEDY AND AFFLICTED... “And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man ACCORDING AS HE HAD NEED (Acts 4:35). God deliver us from selfish and covetous pastors who want every penny you have in the bank.
Granted, the Salvation Army fairs better than many other so-called “charitable” organizations, spending 90 cents of every dollar to help the needy; however, if they can afford to pay someone $175,050 a year salary, I have a serious problem with that. No one serving in a charitable organization should make that amount of extravagant pay.
I have a right to my opinion and I'm sick of “non-profit” organizations paying 6-digit salaries to their administrators. It just makes me sick how such organizations advertise that “every dime donated counts,” while hypocritically paying exorbitant salaries to their top officials. I would NEVER donate money (or tithe) to any organization or ministry where the top officials are paid 6-digit salaries. 
Another example is Feed The Children based in Oklahoma. I did my homework and found that the head of the organization pays himself $125,000 a year. I wonder how much his wife gets paid? I realize that the organization takes in hundreds-of-millions of dollars and he could easily pay himself much more; however, he could also live just fine in Oklahoma on $50,000 a year (which would free up an extra $75,000 to feed the “starving” children they so much advertise TV!). Less than 3% of all Americans make anywhere near the $125,000 he makes. 
So why should we financially support an organization which can pay someone that kind of money? Are there not children starving? They're the one's who continually tell us that every dollar matters; but then they hypocritically squander that money on themselves. How many meals and medical supplies could $75,000 buy? It makes me sick! I feel it is highly hypocritical for a man who makes $125,000 a year to expect working Americans (who are lucky enough to make $30,000 a year), to support his CHARITABLE organization. I feel it is highly hypocritical for Todd Bassett of the Salvation Army to expect working class Americans (who are struggling financially in a recession), to give donations to some bogus heathen Santa Claus, while Mr. Bassett is secure in his $175,050 a year job. Ninety-five percent of Americans DON'T make over $30,000 a year. 1.3 million Americans lost their homes in 2007. Sadly, another 1.9 million Americans lost their jobs in 2008. I say Mr. Bassett ought to have a serious pay cut of at least $125,000. That leaves Todd $50,000 a year to live on, which is far better than what most Americans are surviving on.
We see TV commercials featuring starving children, pulling on our heart strings, and we are told that one child can be properly cared for each day for pennies on a dollar. If the top management employee of Feed The Children and the Salvation Army can afford to pay exorbitant salaries of $125,000 and $175,000 a year, respectively, then they shouldn't get our money. Why should struggling Americans give until it hurts, when those greedy buzzards live high-on-the-hog without sacrificing?
I did not write this article to be unkind, nor to attack anyone; I simply feel that charitable organizations ought to be extremely careful and diligent about how donations are spent. I'm sure the Salvation Army has plenty of excuses as to why they pay Mr. Bassett so much money. No doubt they'd say he's an invaluable asset to their organization. Howbeit, I'm not going to give a dime to any charitable, non-profit, organization that compensates anyone with a 6-digit salary.
 

The Salvation Army Perverts the Gospel
Furthermore, the Salvation Army teaches the damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation. If, as the Salvation Army teaches, “We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ,”[1then salvation is conditional upon human effort and self-righteousness. It is a false gospel. May I say, salvation is not a “state” that you can enter into and out of. It is a new birth. Salvation means being born-again into God's family by the Holy Spirit of God. The new birth, that is, a spiritual birth, is as irreversible as the physical birth. Once saved, always saved!!!
Shame on the Salvation Army for teaching heresy. I say that kindly. Sadly, their organization has become more “army” than “salvation.” I'd rather offend the Salvation Army, and please God by contending for the Christian faith (Jude 1:3). If a person doesn't continue in the faith, it is only because they once ascribed to the principles of Christianity, but they were never really born-again. This doesn't mean that believers don't have serious doubts at times. John the Baptist asked his disciples to go ask Jesus, “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3). John was saved, he was just discouraged in prison. We need to be very careful about deciding who is, or isn't, really saved. My beef with the Salvation Army is doctrinal. By saying that a believer must continue in obedient faith to remain in a state of salvation is unbiblical. It is false doctrine because it requires human effort to remain saved! Please listen to the MP3 sermon by Pastor Hank Lindstrom (1940-2008) titled, “How Permanent Is Your Salvation?
A believer's salvation is unconditionally based upon the precious, literal, blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ (1st Peter 1:18,19; Hebrews 9:12). Once a lost sinner acknowledges their guilt of sin (Romans 3:19) and deserved punishment in hellfire (Romans 6:23; Revelation 21:8) and believes upon the Lord Jesus as the Christ to forgive their sins (Acts 10:43), they will be eternally saved (Romans 10:13).
The very notion that a believer can lose salvation if they fail to continue in obedient faith to Christ is self-righteous hypocrisy. The truth is that if salvation could be lost, we all would have lost it a long time ago. How dare anyone claim they are self-righteousness enough to please God, as to not lose their salvation. If salvation could be lost, we'd all lose it permanently. Listen buddy, your salvation and mine is based on HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, i.e., Jesus' righteousness, and not our own worthless self-righteousness. Anyone who teaches that salvation can be lost is a liar and a self-righteous hypocrite, because NO ONE is self-righteous enough to keep their salvation. We are kept safe by God's grace and mercy in spite of our sins. This is the gift of God, paid for by the sacrifice of His dear only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. 
Lest you think it is just a matter of semantics amongst different Christian groups, please consider that there is only ONE Gospel, not two or three. Salvation is receiving, not giving. Eternal life is the gift of God (Romans 6:23). One's salvation is NOT dependent upon continued obedient faith in Christ. A person who claims they “used to be a Christian” is a liar. They may have once had the philosophy of Christianity, or the organization of some religion; but they were never born-again. The second birth is as irreversible as the physical birth.
There are all sorts of charitable organizations, most of which shine during the holidays as people all of a sudden feel compassion for the poor; but it's all done in vain if the gospel of Jesus Christ is not preached to the lost. The Salvation Army has deteriorated over the past century, being more army than salvation these days. They teach a perverted Calvinistic view of the gospel (which requires a person to continue in good works and faith to remain saved). This is called the doctrine of the 'perseverance of the Saints.'
This is very similar to the damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation (which requires a person to surrender all to Christ and to forsake their sinful bad habits to be saved).
Such false doctrines attempt to force a sinner to change in order to be saved; instead of allowing God to do the changing in a sinner's heart who comes to Christ by faith to be forgiven and saved. In Calvinism's 'Perseverance of the Saints' and in 'Lordship Salvation,' both false gospels place the BURDEN OF CHANGE UPON THE SINNER. However, in Biblical salvation, God saves the person who acknowledges their sinnership and believes on Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, to be forgiven and saved (John 20:31). The BURDEN RESTS UPON CHRIST, Who took our sins upon Himself at Calvary.
God the Father gave up His only begotten Son so that we wouldn't have to give up anything to be saved. Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). And a good thing, for we have nothing to offer God; “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). Thank God the Father for the gift of salvation in Christ Jesus! Jesus is precious!
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The Reason Why You Shouldn't Give Money To Big Charities
BY DAVID J. STEWART
SEE: http://jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/fat_cat_charities.htmrepublished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 I am disgusted with America's charities, who pay their executives 6-digit salaries. Children International asks for donations of $22 per child, per month, to provide food, medical, education and other needs. Yet, their CEO was paid $374,935 in 2008! It is appalling to me that an organization that stresses how far a mere $22 will go per month, pays their CEO $374,935 a year! THAT'S CLOSE TO $200 AN HOUR!!! That's just plain wrong in my opinion. Anything can be justified, but that doesn't necessarily make it proper or ethical.
I received a book and some literature from Voice Of The Martyrs (VOM) recently. Their latest 2012 VOM newsletter features Godwin Vincent (age 24) from Kaduna, Nigeria, who had his arm allegedly cut off in 2011 by Muslims for his Christian faith. The photo shows him with his prosthetic limb. My heart breaks when I see stuff like that; but I also realize the manipulative nature of charities. There's no way of verifying the legitimacy of the VOM story about Godwin Vincent.
However, I immediately went to see how much money the top executive of the Voice Of The Martyrs (VOM) is paid annually and James E. Dau was compensated $121,813 in 2010! THAT'S $60 AN HOUR!!! That's not too shabby for a so-called “charity.” Although it's less than 0.5% of the total donations received, I could NEVER in good conscience give money to any charity that pays a 6-digit salary to it's chief officer. That's 4-times what the average American with a decent job pays these days.
I am disgusted when I discover that so-called ministers (i.e., servant) get paid 6-digit salaries. Henry Morris III of the 'Creation Research Institute' paid himself $156,090 in 2015.
 

The Big Fraud of 501c3 Non-profit Organizations
Let's take a look at Eric Hovind's money-machine. Eric's a small-fry compared to giant fraudsters like Ken Hem, whose organization took in over $27,000,000 last year!!! These men exploit the subject of Creation, promoting the false doctrine of a Young Earth to make tons of money. Their organization at 'Creation Today' had a total income of $697,788 for 2015. Eric Hovind of 'Creation Today' got paid $58,086, which may not sound like much, but it's TWICE what most Americans are paid per year. More than half of all Americans are paid $30,000 or less each year. Why should a minister get paid so much? Why should Billy Graham get paid $633,722 a year? Why should Ron Hutchcraft be paid $102,347 each year? Why should R.C. Sproul get paid $267,961? Why should Ken Ham get paid $146,951. Henry Morris III is just as bad, paying himself $156,090 a year, teaching that Noah brought baby dinosaurs onto the ark. Science-fiction pays well!!!
BUT WAIT, it gets really ugly when you learn the truth about how a 501c3 state-licensed corporation works. And it really is a scam in my humble opinion!!! The exuberant salaries of many 501c3 executives is basically just spending money. What most people don't understand is that whoever controls the 501c3 organization effectively has the freedom to spend the money for their personal benefit. Now, legally they're not allowed to spend the money as personal income. The funds MUST be used for the non-profit organization. However, I said “effectively.” For example: The law allows the non-profit corporation executives to drive a corporate car(s). So they can drive a corporate car and use the corporation's gas.
They can also eat at the organization's cafeteria or dine out at the expense of the corporation for a business luncheon. If they collect personal grocery recipes, or other people's recipes from the garbage, or find them laying on the store's parking lot, they can claim it under “petty cash” and pocket the money. They can take a vacation and claim it was business related for the ministry. The corporation pays for all their travel expenses and per diem, et cetera. Anything they buy can be purchased tax-free, just so long as they present their tax number to the business.
I'm telling you, they can live high-on-the-hog on the tab of the 501c3 corporation, and save their salary for whatever they want. Normal people like you and me have to pay for everything. We don't have a ministry car to drive. We have to pay for our own travel expenses. We have to pay for our own rent. When they beg like dogs in the name of Jesus' for more money, there's always a small amount of stupid people who give it to them. A 501c3 non-profit corporation is STILL A CORPORATION. It is a business! God never instituted the church as a corporate business. Our churches have drifted away from their true purpose of carrying out The Great Commission, and have instead become lucrative money-making businesses.
Please understand that I AM NOT saying that Eric Hovind nor anyone at Creation Today are doing these shady things. I am simply saying that many people do, under the pretense of a “non-profit” organization. They don't pay ANY taxes because they're claiming that their ministry doesn't profit them personally. Yet, how many fatcat preachers do you know who are living extravagant lives, parasiting upon the public, turning Christianity into a den of thieves, all in the holy name of Jesus Christ? It's sickening. We only find one recorded incident in the New Testament where Jesus became physically angry, and it was directed toward crooked men who were profiting from the things of God. Jesus beat the money-changers with a whip, overturned their coin tables, released their birds to fly away, and drove them out of the temple in a fit of justified rage! Oh, how I wish the Lord would do that today to all these con artists who are exploiting Christianity to make money.

Charities Are More “Charitable” To Themselves Than Anybody Else

Another questionable charity is James Robison's Life Today International (who refuse to disclose their finances to the Better Business Bureau). I'll give you one guess why! Life Today always shows starving children from poor third-world nations. They really know how to break people's hearts (and it's all planned that way). Such advertising gimmicks have brought in hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars for the Robinsons over the years (and the money just keeps flooding in).
People's brains go from the television to the telephone with their credit card. You'd think they'd take time out to do a little research to learn where all the money is going. Hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars, and they refuse to tell the Better Business Bureau (BBB) where the money is going? What idiots give money to these people? You can count me out brother!
Based upon the evidence, I think the whole 501c3 non-profit business thing is a fraudulent scam sanctioned by the government. That's not to say that all groups operating under the umbrella of a 501c3 are evil; but it does mean that the 501c3 itself is ripe for abuse. For Just 92 Cents A Day You Can Pay Child Fund's CEO $316,840 A Year! (those poor kids).
I heard something once that forever turned my mind against charities. A minister literally paid a man on the street $5 to lay in the garbage so he could take a picture for his monthly news bulletin. The minister made up a fictitious name and falsely claimed that the man had found Christ through his ministry, and was now serving God faithfully. People saw the photo and read the story, their heart broke, and no doubt the donations soared. Cha-ching!!! And it's all perfectly legal!!! Sad, huh? I lost all confidence in charities after that. Also, 501c3 pay no taxes because they're supposedly non-profit. Isn't it amazing that all these NON-PROFIT organizations are paying 6-digit salaries to their top dog?
People should only give to local New Testament churches or local community charities, where you can see exactly how every dollar is being spent. Ask for the financial statements and read them. Inquire how much the president of the organization is paid (compensated).
Some of the most unethical organizations in America are charities. One of the most popular charities is for abused animals, ASPCA. I wouldn't give them a penny! I saw a commercial recently that showed cute little animals, suffering. There was sad music playing in the background. A woman begged for an $18 pledge each month to save the animals. She said it's only 60 cents a day. My first thought was that it was another rip-off so-called “charity” and I went to check how much the CEO is paid per year. I was right! In 2011 their CEO, Edwin J. Sayres, was paid $566,064!!! The same CEO was paid $591,723 in 2012!!! It's sickening! They beg on TV for your 60 cents an hour to save those poor animals, while their CEO gets paid $566,064 a year. I don't know about you, but that makes me sick!!!
Just think how many more poor, helpless, hurting, animals could be saved if Mr. Sayres reduced his annual income by $500,000!!! The average American doesn't make anywhere near $66,064 a year. Edwin Sayres makes $566,064 each and every year!!! Were you dumb enough to send ASPCA your money? Were you foolish enough to pledge $18 a month to rescue an animal from being raped, beaten, abused and neglected? It's insane! Those dumb Americans! My question is who's going to rescue Americans from ourselves? People woefully lack wisdom and understanding. They are ever-learning as 2nd Timothy 3:7 teaches, but never able to come to the truth. Americans buy books, watch television, listen to radio, read magazines and attend seminars and; yet, they are amongst the dumbest people on the planet.
Friends of the World Food Program is another fat cat charity, who compensated their CEO $301,828 in 2007. THAT'S $150 AN HOUR!!! All these fat cat, tax-exempt 501c3 charities, show the public all the poor and starving children; but they don't show you where their CEO's live, the fancy cars they drive, the exquisite lifestyles they live, the exorbitant money they spend on themselves. If the public saw the truth, they'd never give them a dime.
I hate to say it, but it's nonetheless true, most people are gullible. They see images of starving children and give donations on impulse. Even when people see the large salaries paid to charity CEO's, it really doesn't sink-in to their brain. But if you could see the life of Riley that they enjoy, with the swimming pools, fancy cars and boats, luxurious homes, wine and dancing, frequent lavish vacations, then you'd get upset and stop giving them money. You shouldn't trust charities. If I give to a homeless person, then I know where the money is going (never give anything if you smell alcohol).
The Salvation Army isn't quite as bad, According to Forbes the Salvation Army's top dog, Todd Bassett, took home $175,050 from the “CHARITABLE” organization's donations for the fiscal year ending in 2004. THAT'S $90 AN HOUR!!! I wonder how many Santa Claus buckets need to be filled to pay Mr. Bassett's extravagant salary? For the fiscal year ending in 2012, the top dog at the Salvation Army, William Roberts, received an annual salary of $249,833. THAT'S $125 AN HOUR!!! (based upon a 40-hour work week). I wouldn't give a dime to the Salvation Army. No doubt, they have all kinds of excuses to justify such outrageous salaries; but no one needs that kind of salary, and it is certainly unbecoming of a so-called “charitable organization.”
*Update June 2016—In 2012 the Salvation Army paid it's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) $259,720!!! I have a serious problem with that! Over 44 officers received 6-digit salaries over $100,000 a year! Charities are supposed to be benevolent organizations, helping the public, not paying themselves 5-10 times what the average American earns per year. Over half of American citizens in 2016 are earning less than $30,000 per year! So why should a so-called “charity,” especially a professed Christian charity, pay those kind of extravagant salaries. Few people know that the Salvation Army also owns luxurious vacation properties in Hawaii for their executives to enjoy. I don't care how much money (billions!!!) they take in per year, it is wrong for ministers (which means “servant”) to pay themselves exuberant salaries. To put it into better perspective, the CEO of the Salvation Army in 2012 was paid $21,643 a month!!!
I realize that top executives are often paid high salaries for their fund-raising abilities and expertise; yet, it's just inconsistent with all the plethora of ads we see begging for our donations, which might mean “life or death to some child.” If that's the case, just think how many more children's lives could be saved if the CEO's of these fat cat charities were to give back 90% of their salary. God forbid that a charity CEO might actually have to live on $75,000 a year! My, oh my, how would they survive? Even at $75,000 a year, that's more than DOUBLE what the average hard-working American worker earns in one year. The Salvation Army is more “army” than “salvation.” Tragically, they preach a false Gospel.
What gets me is that a charitable organization can actually pay their CEO $350,000 a year and still be rated by the BBB as a great company. Not in my book! The BBB is a joke in America! Many companies who support the BBB are given preferential treatment. In my opinion, you can't trust information from the BBB, nor from America's big charities.
Red Cross and United Way are even worse. The top CEO at Red Cross pulled down a $651,957 salary in 2003THAT'S $325 AN HOUR!!! According to Forbes, United Way's top executive made $629,950 in 2004THAT'S $315 AN HOUR!!! Why do people support these fat cat charities?
Another increasingly popular children's charity is CHILD TRAIN, who grip people's hearts with sad photos of deformed children (take a look at their website). According to the BBB, the charity paid their CEO Brian Mullaney $658,058 in 2008-2009!!! In just 36-months, the charity has had 21 COMPLAINTS filed against them with the Better Business Bureau!!! BEWARE!
A lot of people give money to charities to boost their public image, feel good about themselves or to find a tax write-off. It is a sore evil in America. While an estimated 18,000 children continue to starve to death daily throughout the world, and others eat bugs to survive, America's biggest charities continue to pay their top executives outrageous salaries. It is a false balance in God's eyes. America's charities have become lucrative businesses.
My advice to people is to find some poor person and give the money directly to them. There are many poor people today, and others who have lost their jobs, or are homeless, and you can be a blessing to them directly. And best of all, you know that 100% of the money is going to charity, and not helping to pay someone's $600,000 salary! Really, it is insane to pay someone that kind of money in a so-called “charity.”
Who do you think will appreciate your money more... some fat cat charity or a struggling family who has no income?
If you DO decide to support any charity, demand a financial report of where the donations are being spent. This way you can see first hand where your money is going, and can make sure that you're not buying someone a mansion in the suburbs. Don't accept a vague summary, kindly ask for specifics. If they don't disclose such information, give elsewhere. Honestly, too many people are abusing the system today, living extravagantly on donations, because people don't think.
I just can't in good conscience drop my money into a Santa Claus's bucket at Christmas time, when I know the top dog at the Salvation Army (William Roberts) is being compensated $249,833 a year!
You might as well burn your money when you support these big charities (and that definitely includes religious ministries as well). I cringe when I hear ads telling people how much their $22 a month can do to better a poor child's life, knowing that the CEO of that charity got paid $374,935 in 2008! Yet, so many people sit at home, staring at some picture of a child they're supporting for $22 a month, failing to realize that the CEO of that company makes 15-TIMES what the average American family gets paid annually. No CEO of a charitable organization ought to be paid more than $74,935 a year, and that's a BIG SALARY, which leaves $300,000 remaining from this guy's salary. For $22 per month, $300,000 can help an additional 1,136 poor children! Yet, the charity appeals to the American public, from families who are struggling financially to live on $30,000 a year, to give $22 per month. The whole charity scene in America is enough to make one want to go vomit.
Please stop giving to big charities and start giving money directly to the poor!!! Eliminate the middleman who's living high on the hog. Charities are some of the biggest scams these days.
Isn't it something that in the midst of a harsh recession, when tens-of-millions of Americans have lost their jobs, and 35,000,000 Americans1 are receiving government Food Stamps (53,000,000 Americans on Food Stamps as of 2014), that a charity can pay someone $374,000? I just don't understand why people give to charities like that, when you can give it directly to the poor.
Furthermore, most of those big charities don't share the Gospel with the people being helped. Even the Salvation Army is more Army than Salvation these days. When you give money directly to the poor, you can witness to them concerning Jesus Christ, or give them a Gospel of John. Just think how much further your money can go by giving it directly to the poor. I am a firm believer in helping the poor, but not through some fat cat organization that keeps back $600,000 a year for it's CEO. That's crazy!
The word charity means “love” in the Bible. Love and the sin of covetousness are opposites. Truly, the love of money is the root of all evil, just as God says in 1st Timothy 6:10. None of Christ's apostles lived extravagantly from the money donated to the early Church; but rather, they distributed the money as every man had need (Acts 4:35). There were no social welfare programs in ancient times, nor should there be today, which are Communist in nature. The churches are supposed to care for the poor and needy, not the government. When the people look to the government in idolatry to provide for them instead of trusting God, the government becomes their God. Social programs always fail, bankrupting governments, which is why the U.S. government has been bankrupt and operating under emergency powers since the 1930's. Our nation's debt just keeps going higher-and-higher into the stratosphere.
Remember that every penny you own is God's money. When you give to God, you are letting go of what is already His. God gave you everything that you have in life. Scripturally, we are to give to the poor, and in so doing we are lending to the Lord (Proverbs 19:17). There's nothing in the Bible about supporting fat-cat charities nor richy-rich preachers. We ought to support the work of God with our time, money and resources, but make sure it is truly a work of God committed to winning the lost to Jesus Christ. So many foolish people these days are giving money to fake ministries that don't even preach the Gospel.
Also, I wouldn't give a dime to any ministry that is not King James Bible Only. Many people errantly think that they're going to receive big rewards in Heaven for giving money to false prophets, religious social clubs and dead-beat ministries that do nothing for the cause of Christ. Philippians 2:16, “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” If we don't hold forth the Word of Life (that is, preach the Gospel) then we are labouring in vain (useless). Most people who think they are serving Jesus Christ are actually pulling on the same rope as the Devil. If your money is paying for worship services, church musical concerts and religious unity events, then you are wasting your money on rubbish. Most people have no idea what the purpose of church is all about. Please read, THE CHURCH by Pastor Jack Hyles.
Romans 10:15, “...as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” God is not interested in beautiful voices that can sing, nor beautiful hands that can play the piano, nor beautiful lips that can speak eloquently... if we have ugly feet that fail to carry the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to lost sinners out in the highways and hedges so they can be saved.
Big charities pay big salaries which is a big waste of God's money!
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SEE ALSO:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/truth-donated-clothes-end/story?id=2743456

https://www.queerty.com/heres-the-internal-document-the-salvation-army-doesnt-want-you-to-see-20141218

https://nne.salvationarmy.org/manchester/lgbt

https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/overcome-poverty/

https://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2014/03/scandals-of-bill-gothard-voice-of.html

We WeWe serve the homeless, hungry, and poor of every ZIP code across America.se
rve the homeless, hungry, and poor of every ZIP code across America.serve the homeless, hungry, and https://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/passionforpoor (Video below scrubbed from website)


The Salvation Army International - 
A Passion for the "Poor" 
(an offensive politically incorrect word to them now)

A documentary about the Founder of The Salvation Army

This is the trailer for 'William Booth - A Passion for the Poor', a documentary about the life of the founder of The Salvation Army. With restored film footage and specially treated photos, this 30-minute film looks at the life of William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army, and what he called his "destiny" - his calling to share the love of Jesus Christ with the poor, first in London, but then around the world. On August 29th 1912 William Booth was buried. Hundreds of thousands of working class Londoners lined the streets for his funeral procession because they saw in him someone who was on their side. William Booth was a man who was convinced it was his 'destiny' to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those on the margins of society. That conviction led him to found The Salvation Army, which in the space of a few years grew from a tiny mission in the East End of London to a worldwide movement. William Booth has been described as one of the greatest men of the Victorian era. Using restored and newly-found archive film and photographs this film shows why. Presented by Sue Radford Produced by Video Production Unit The Salvation Army UK & Northern Ireland

LGBT Statement

SEE: http://salvationarmynorth.org/about-us/what-we-believe/lgbt-statement/republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
The following statement is The Salvation Army Northern Division’s response to false accusations claiming that The Salvation Army discriminates against the LGBT community and pays lobbyists to fight against their interests.
  • The Salvation Army is open and inclusive to all people. Anyone who comes through our doors will receive help based on their need and our capacity to assist. We annually serve around 30 million Americans from a variety of backgrounds – we do not pick and choose who we serve based on religion, sexual orientation or any other factor. This promise to serve goes to the core of our beliefs as laid out in our organizational Mission Statement: “The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”
  • Any instance of discrimination is in direct opposition to our core beliefs and is against all of our policies.
  • It is not The Salvation Army’s practice to spend funds on lobbying.  The Salvation Army is apolitical and concentrates its resources on providing relief and compassionate care to those in crisis. Any advocacy is done in regard to the services we provide and educating legislators on how government actions will impact those we serve.
  • The Salvation Army embraces employees of many different faiths and orientations and abides by all applicable anti-discrimination laws in its hiring.
  • There is an effort to continue the misinformation and this seems to be pushed most heavily during the red kettle season.  It is difficult to fight a phantom.
  • We need your help in ending these rumors. They can persuade people not to give, which in turn diminishes our resources and our ability to serve people in crisis. Please share what you know about The Salvation Army – that we serve anywhere there is need, without discrimination.
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VIDEOS THAT REVEAL PRO LGBT IN THE SALVATION ARMY:

Salvation Army 2013 video for the LGBT community

The Salvation Army Serves Without Discrimination