THE CHURCH MILITANT
Ephesians 5:11-"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". This Christian News Blog maintains a one stop resource of current news and reports of its own related to church, moral, spiritual, and related political issues, plus articles, and postings from other online discernment ministries, and media which share the aims to obey the biblical commands to shed light on and refute error, heresy, apostasy, cults, and spiritual abuse.
It seemed like André and Jonathan had it all - great careers, a beautiful home, and their love for one another. Then along came Raphaëlle. Share your connection story at http://cheerioseffect.ca
Governments have no problem usurping power from the church. In fact, misinterpreting Romans 13 means many Christians think it's divinely sanctioned to grovel at Big Government's cloven feet.
"Following passage of the ordinance, a coalition of pastors mounted a petition drive to force a referendum that would allow Houston residents to vote on the law. While the drive secured more than 50,000 signatures, far more than the approximately 17,000 needed to put the referendum on the November ballot, the Houston City Council rejected the petition over what they charged were “irregularities.”
In an effort to uncover damaging statements they could use in the trial, Houston's city attorneys have subpoenaed a group of local pastors involved in the petition campaign, demanding “all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to [the ordinance], the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession,” according to the subpoena language as quoted by theHouston Chronicle."
Evans justified the move, however, which legal experts said was unusual and extreme, insisting that the pastors “made their sermons relevant to the case by using the pulpit to do political organizing. This included encouraging congregation members to sign petitions and help gather signatures for equal rights ordinance foes. The issue is whether they were speaking from the pulpit for the purpose of politics. If so, it is not protected speech.”
In May, Mayor Annise Parker of Houston, Texas heralded her personal victory as the city council passed a Gay Agenda ordinance against the will of the citizens, resulting in a popular petition drive to repeal the law. In response, the city has embarked on a strong-arm intimidation strategy to muzzle the first amendment rights of Christians who advocated the petition and moral values.
“This is an attempt to chill pastors from speaking to the cultural issues of the day. The mayor would like to silence our voice. She’s a bully.” -- Pastor Steve Riggle, Grace Community Church “We’re not afraid of this bully. We’re not intimidated at all.” -- Rev. Dave Welch, executive director of the Texas Pastor Council
Officials with the city of Houston, Texas, who are defending a controversial ordinance that would allow men to use women’s restrooms now have demanded to see the sermons preached by several area pastors.
A lawsuit challenging Houston’s move alleges the city violated its own charter in its adoption of the Equal Rights Ordinance, which in May designated homosexuals and transgender persons as a protected class.
Critics say the measure effectively enables sexual predators who dress as women to enter female public bathrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities. A coalition of activists that includes area pastors filed suit Aug.6 against the city and lesbian Mayor Annise Parker after officials announced a voter petition to repeal the measure didn’t have enough signatures to qualify for the election ballot.
Parker, who has acknowledged the ordinance is “all about me,” was legally married to her same-sex partner in California in January.
The Alliance Defending Freedom has filed a motion to quash the city’s demands to see the sermons. ADF argues the pastors are not party to the lawsuit, and the city’s strategy doesn’t meet the requirements of state law that requires such efforts “be reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence, not be overly broad, seek only information that is not privileged and relevant to the subject matter of the litigation, and not cause undue burden or harassment.”
ADF said city officials “are upset over a voter lawsuit filed after the city council rejected valid petitions to repeal a law that allows members of the opposite sex into each other’s restrooms.”
ADF attorneys say the city is “illegitimately demanding that the pastors, who are not party to the lawsuit, turn over their constitutionally protected sermons and other communications simply so the city can see if the pastors have ever opposed or criticized the city.”
“City council members are supposed to be public servants, not ‘Big Brother’ overlords who will tolerate no dissent or challenge,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley. “In this case, they have embarked upon a witch hunt, and we are asking the court to put a stop to it.”
ADF Litigation Counsel Christiana Holcomb said the city’s subpoena of sermons and other pastoral communications is needless and unprecedented.
“The city council and its attorneys are engaging in an inquisition designed to stifle any critique of its actions. Political and social commentary is not a crime; it is protected by the First Amendment,” she said.
While the public submitted more than three times the legally required number of petition signatures to require city action, and the city secretary certified the number as sufficient, the mayor and city attorney “defied” the law and rejected the certification, ADF said.
“The message is clear: oppose the decisions of city government, and drown in unwarranted, burdensome discovery requests,” said a brief in support of the motion to quash. “These requests, if allowed, will have a chilling effect on future citizens who might consider circulating referendum petitions because they are dissatisfied with ordinances passed by the city council.
“Not only will the nonparty pastors be harmed if these discovery requests are allowed, but the people will suffer as well. The referendum process will become toxic and the people will be deprived of an important check on city government provided them by the charter.”
Opposition in Houston was led by a coalition including the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston, the Houston Area Pastor Council, the Houston Ministers against Crime, AME Ministers Alliance of Houston/Gulf Coast, the Northeast Ministers Alliance, the South Texas Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship, the South Texas District of the Assemblies of God and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.
The coalition had submitted more than 55,000 signatures in the referendum drive. City Secretary Anna Russell confirmed in writing Aug. 1 that the petition sponsors had submitted 17,846 qualified signatures, nearly 600 above the minimum 17,269.
However, City Attorney David Feldman announced 2,750 petitions were invalid because of “technical problems.”
Opponents have argued Feldman did not have the authority to step in and make the decision and that it should have been handled by the courts.
Critics dubbed the Houston law the “sexual predator protection act,” claiming that by designating transgender or gender-confused persons as a protected class, women and children are threatened by predators seeking to exploit the ordinance’s ambiguous language.
Political activist Steven F. Hotze said the ordinance would establish minority status for transvestites, allowing men who dress as women to enter women’s public bathrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities.
“I want to protect my wife, daughters and granddaughters from being exposed to the dangers of male sexual predators masquerading as women in women’s public bathrooms and other facilities,” he said. “This is why it has been called the Sexual Predators’ Protection Act.”
Similar cases also have erupted in Maryland, Florida and Colorado, which adopted a radical “transgender nondiscrimination” bill in 2008 that makes it illegal to deny a person access to public accommodations, including restrooms and locker rooms, based on gender identity or the “perception” of gender identity. One consequence of the law is a ruling forcing authorities to permit 6-year-old Coy Mathis – a boy who says he thinks he’s a girl – to use the girls bathroom at his elementary school.
Nationwide, 17 states and the District of Columbia have embraced the transsexual agenda. Rhode Island added “gender identity and expression” to its anti-discrimination law in June with the support of Gov. Jack Markell, and Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden announced his support in an Equality Delaware video.
But other attempts to advance the transsexual agenda were defeated in Montana, Missouri, North Dakota and New York, where state Senate leaders refused to allow a vote.
President Obama signed the U.N. Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity;
The White House hosted the first-ever meeting with transgender activists;
The Department of State made it easier for transsexuals to change the sex indicated on passports;
The U.S. Justice Department sided with a transsexual individual in an employment discrimination suit against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives;
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled for the first time last year that “gender identity or expression” in the workplace is protected under federal civil rights law;
The Office of Personnel Management inserted “gender identity” for the first time into its federal workplace anti-discrimination policy;
The American Psychiatric Association removed “gender identity disorder” from its list of mental health ailments in late 2012, a move some regarded as a lifting of the social stigma attached to transsexual behavior.
The Secrets, Spirits, and Powers Behind the Martial Arts
Published on Sep 9, 2014
Over the last 50 years, we have witnessed an explosion of Eastern philosophy and martial arts in Western culture. What has been their influence upon the last 2 generations? And where does this path we have set our feet upon lead? Does the study of Martial Arts, Tai-Chi and Yoga really lead to a more disciplined way of life, as is being promoted by the media today? Are our children being made better men and women of God through these practices, or is there something deceptive working behind the scenes? From the studio that made "Battlefield Hollywood", "Controller" and "The Replacement gods" comes a all new documentary which seeks to give answers to these very questions.
The Secret Dangers Behind Martial Arts!:
Published on Jun 8, 2012
The Dragon Revealed ! 2 disc set is now available from Little Light Studios. You may now watch the first disc online for free at the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSc5k... We appreciate your interest in this subject, and encourage you to choose wisely the words in your comments. Any comments which contain inappropriate and unkind language will not be posted. After more than 4 years in the making, the new release from Little Light Studios is now available. Click Here to order your copy of the full 2 disc film set, for your family, church or school. http://littlelightstudios.tv/shop/the... The true story of one man's call out of darkness, and into Christ's marvelous Light. How the LORD through His great Love and Sovereign power, delivered this man and his family after more than 24 years of active teaching and training in eastern mysticism and the martial arts. This is the story of Deliverance, Salvation, Redemption and Restoration. Learn the real power behind such exhibitions of chi and martial 'energy.' See revealed the spirits which influence and work within these demonstrations of almost supernatural abilities. And learn of the One Who came to set the captives free ! If you would like more information, please goto the link below or contact us at Isaiah Ministries.http://isaiahministries.wordpress.com or at EWilson7th@gmail.com You may also read a very indepth article on the spiritual dangers behind martial arts at: http://secretdangersofmartialarts.wor... The article provided has 6 pages updated so far, and we are working on the final 7th page now. And we pray that these pages will prove a blessing to you, as you search for the Truth ! Sincerely, Eric & Sarah Wilson - Isaiah Ministries
Alex Jones has Dr. Edward Group on his show and they discuss what Dr. Group learned from Border Patrol and CDC officials at a medical conference. http://www.infowars.com/cdc-mandates-...
"MULTI FUNCTION CREMATION CONTAINERS FOR CADAVERS":
Published on Oct 11, 2014
The CDC has instructed funeral homes to bury Ebola victims in hermetically sealed caskets, a potentially disturbing revelation given reports that the federal agency had previously purchased thousands of air tight coffin liners which were being stored in Madison, Georgia. http://www.infowars.com/cdc-mandates-...
The retail giant Target has released a new promotional advertisement that features two lesbian women who are preparing a room for the arrival of a child.
“Baby Digs: The Magic of Space” was posted to YouTube on October 1st, and has already obtained over 22,000 views—as well as a lot of controversy.
“I’m Amanda, and I’m Cat,” the ad begins. “And we’re having a baby!”
