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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Despite Obama's Assertions, 2013 Marked a Comeback for Al Qaeda

By Rick Pearcey • December 31, 2013, 02:24 PM

Newsmax reports:

As controversy continues to swirl around the New York Times' report claiming al-Qaida was not behind the Benghazi attacks, there is plenty of evidence to suggest the terrorist organization and its affiliates were responsible for some of the deadliest violence of 2013.

The resurgence of the group founded by Osama bin Laden was so pronounced that the Obama administration stepped back from its assertions that his death spelled the end of it, saying instead that only the core leadership in Pakistan had been contained, reports Politico Magazine.

Related
What Is Killing the Western World?


On Ice: Stranded "Climate" Scientists Ring in 2014

By Rick Pearcey • December 31, 2013, 01:08 PM

At Fox News:

Passengers and crew who set off on an expedition to prove climate change are ringing in the new year in the same place where they have been for the past week: stuck in ice at the bottom of the world.

The 74 scientists, tourists and crew on the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which has been trapped near Antarctica since last Tuesday, are expecting to be airlifted from the ship by a helicopter. . . .

We're "stuck in our own experiment," the Australian Antarctic Expedition is quoted as saying Monday.

The leader of the expedition is Chris Turney, "a professor of climate change at Australia’s University of New South Wales." Turney remains "adamant that sea ice is melting, even as the boat remained trapped in frozen seas," Fox reports.

Related
Upset Gore Realizing "Man-Made Global-Warming Claims Are Falling Apart" 
Top U.S. Climate Official: 15 Years With No Global Warming Not a Trend -- Video
Global Warming Theory Challenged by Top UK Scientific Body 
Oxford Debate: Climate Realism Beats Warming at Campus Showdown



Monday, December 30, 2013

Harvard Prof: Tea Party Not Going Anywhere, More Likely to Win

By Rick Pearcey • December 30, 2013, 10:33 AM

Tony Lee writes at Breitbart.com:

A government and sociology professor at Harvard writes that the Tea Party is more likely than not to "win in the end" in an age when Americans are becoming more removed from Washington and distrusting the federal government and their elected officials. 

"Tea Party forces will still win in the end," Theda Skocpol writes, unless moderate Republicans can defeat them. Skocpol concedes that the Tea Party "will triumph just by hanging on long enough" as Americans are getting fed up by "our blatantly manipulated democracy and our permanently hobbled government."

Related
Tea Partiers Blast RNC "Autopsy" 
Americans Prefer Tea Party 2-1
How the New Resistance Can Win the Culture War 



Saturday, December 28, 2013

"Duck Dynasty" Fans Plan "Chick-Phil-A" Appreciation Day

By Rick Pearcey • December 28, 2013, 08:21 AM

"Diehard fans of the A&E show 'Duck Dynasty' are planning to show their loyalty by holding a Phil Robertson appreciation day at Chick-fil-A franchises nationwide on Jan. 21," Fox News reports.  

"According to the Chick-Phil-A Day Facebook page, Robertson supporters are encouraged to wear 'Duck Commander or camouflage gear' to their local Chick-fil-A to 'stand for free speech' and 'sit for good food'," Fox News states.

"The event already has over 24,000 likes and nearly 60,000 listed attendees since its creation on Dec. 20," Fox reports.

Yesterday, A&E released an announcement stating that the network has decided to "resume filming . . . with the entire Robertson family."

Related
What I Saw at Chick-Fil-A Today 
Memo to Supreme Court: Who Respects the Human Body? Not Homosexuals
Memo to Conservatives: Accepting Homosex "Marriage" Opens Door to "Unlimited Statism" 
The Revolt of Intelligence Against "Marriage Equality"


A&E Statement on Phil Robertson, "Duck Dynasty": "Resume Filming . . . With the Entire Roberston Family"

By Rick Pearcey • December 28, 2013, 07:50 AM

The following statement from the Arts and Entertainment Network was published yesterday at The Hollywood Reporter:

As a global media content company, A+E Networks' core values are centered around creativity, inclusion and mutual respect. We believe it is a privilege for our brands to be invited into people's homes, and we operate with a strong sense of integrity and deep commitment to these principles.

That is why we reacted so quickly and strongly to a recent interview with Phil Robertson. While Phil's comments made in the interview reflect his personal views based on his own beliefs and his own personal journey, he and his family have publicly stated they regret the "coarse language" he used and the misinterpretation of his core beliefs based only on the article. He also made it clear he would "never incite or encourage hate." We at A+E Networks expressed our disappointment with his statements in the article and reiterate that they are not views we hold.

But Duck Dynasty is not a show about one man's views. It resonates with a large audience because it is a show about family . . . a family that America has come to love. As you might have seen in many episodes, they come together to reflect and pray for unity, tolerance and forgiveness. These are three values that we at A+E Networks also feel strongly about.

So after discussions with the Robertson family, as well as consulting with numerous advocacy groups, A&E has decided to resume filming Duck Dynasty later this spring with the entire Robertson family.

We will also use this moment to launch a national public service campaign (PSA) promoting unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people, a message that supports our core values as a company and the values found in Duck Dynasty. These PSAs will air across our entire portfolio.

Related
Aerosmith’s Joe Perry Tweets "Freedom of Speech" Defense of "Duck Dynasty"
5 Lessons From "Duck Dynasty" Controversy 
"Gay" Totalitarianism
Duck Flap: Truth Is "Hate" to Those Who Hate Truth 
What I Saw at Chick-Fil-A Today 
The Revolt of Intelligence Against "Marriage Equality"



Friday, December 27, 2013

Aerosmith’s Joe Perry Tweets "Freedom of Speech" Defense of "Duck Dynasty"

By Rick Pearcey • December 27, 2013, 08:35 AM

Michael Chapman reports at CNSNews.com:

Joe Perry, lead guitarist for the rock band Aerosmith, which is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and who with front-man Steven Tyler is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, tweeted a defense of the Duck Dynasty controversy concerning anti-gay behavior saying, “More crackin’ down on Freedom of Speech in the US or what?”

 

In a follow-up tweet, Perry said, “Seems to me people have a right to express their opinions & religious beliefs. But that doesn’t mean we have to agree.”

- See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/aerosmith-s-joe-perry-tweets-freedom-speech-defense-duck-dynasty#sthash.FmsJBiro.dpuf
Joe Perry, lead guitarist for the rock band Aerosmith, which is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and who with front-man Steven Tyler is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, tweeted a defense of the Duck Dynasty controversy concerning anti-gay behavior saying, “More crackin’ down on Freedom of Speech in the US or what?”

 

In a follow-up tweet, Perry said, “Seems to me people have a right to express their opinions & religious beliefs. But that doesn’t mean we have to agree.”

- See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/aerosmith-s-joe-perry-tweets-freedom-speech-defense-duck-dynasty#sthash.FmsJBiro.dpuf
Joe Perry, lead guitarist for the rock band Aerosmith, which is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and who with front-man Steven Tyler is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, tweeted a defense of the Duck Dynasty controversy concerning anti-gay behavior saying, “More crackin’ down on Freedom of Speech in the US or what?”

 

In a follow-up tweet, Perry said, “Seems to me people have a right to express their opinions & religious beliefs. But that doesn’t mean we have to agree.”

- See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/aerosmith-s-joe-perry-tweets-freedom-speech-defense-duck-dynasty#sthash.FmsJBiro.dpuf
Joe Perry, lead guitarist for the rock band Aerosmith, which is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and who with front-man Steven Tyler is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, tweeted a defense of the Duck Dynasty controversy concerning anti-gay behavior saying, “More crackin’ down on Freedom of Speech in the US or what?”

 

In a follow-up tweet, Perry said, “Seems to me people have a right to express their opinions & religious beliefs. But that doesn’t mean we have to agree.”

- See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/aerosmith-s-joe-perry-tweets-freedom-speech-defense-duck-dynasty#sthash.FmsJBiro.dpuf
oe Perry, lead guitarist for the rock band Aerosmith, which is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and who with front-man Steven Tyler is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, tweeted a defense of the Duck Dynasty controversy concerning anti-gay behavior saying, “More crackin’ down on Freedom of Speech in the US or what?” - See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/aerosmith-s-joe-perry-tweets-freedom-speech-defense-duck-dynasty#sthash.FmsJBiro.dpuf

Joe Perry, lead guitarist for the rock band Aerosmith, which is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and who with front-man Steven Tyler is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, tweeted a defense of the Duck Dynasty controversy concerning anti-gay behavior saying, "More crackin' down on Freedom of Speech in the US or what?"

In a follow-up tweet, Perry said, "Seems to me people have a right to express their opinions & religious beliefs. But that doesn't mean we have to agree."

In a follow-up tweet, Perry said, “Seems to me people have a right to express their opinions & religious beliefs. But that doesn’t mean we have to agree.” - See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/aerosmith-s-joe-perry-tweets-freedom-speech-defense-duck-dynasty#sthash.FmsJBiro.dpuf

Perry sent his messages "to his 250,000-plus followers" in a December 22 tweet, according to CNSNews.

Not unlike the Robertsons in Louisiana, Joe Perry, his wife Billie Perry, and their children hunt and eat wild game. In a Dec. 23 tweet, Perry said, “Spending Christmas at the hunting lodge with the family & learning survival skills. We only shoot what we eat. No trophy hunting.” - See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/aerosmith-s-joe-perry-tweets-freedom-speech-defense-duck-dynasty#sthash.FmsJBiro.dpuf

"Not unlike the Robertsons in Louisiana, Joe Perry, and his wife Billie Perry, and their children hunt and eat wild game," according to CNS.

"Billie Perry tweeted, on Dec. 25, a photo of her and Joe and the family packing rifles and wearing camouflage. In the tweet, she said, 'Christmas Day getting ready for the big game (food) hunt! Hello Poppa Hemingway'," CNSNews reports.

Related
5 Lessons From "Duck Dynasty" Controversy 
Duck Flap: Truth Is "Hate" to Those Who Hate Truth 
"Gay" Totalitarianism
What I Saw at Chick-Fil-A Today



Thursday, December 26, 2013

5 Lessons From "Duck Dynasty" Controversy

By Rick Pearcey • December 26, 2013, 11:12 AM

"A&E's indefinite suspension of 'Duck Dynasty' star Phil Robertson over his comments regarding homosexuality, and the subsequent backlash, is an important cultural moment in American life," Ben Shapiro writes.

"In all likelihood, Robertson will eventually be reinstated by A&E," Shapiro predicts. "In the meantime, we can learn some valuable lessons from this culture clash."

According to Shapiro, those lessons are:

1. "Hollywood hates conservatives and kowtows to GLAAD."
2. "Americans like conservatives on TV."
3. "Too many conservatives are uncomfortable with religious conservatives."
4. "The media don't understand or want to understand sin."
5. "The market works."

"In the end, the 'Duck Dynasty' controversy is a lesson in leftist intolerance," Shapiro concludes. "In leftist America, babbling . . .  about the moral imperative of killing unborn 21-week-old children is a virtue, while citing Corinthians is sin. Traditionally religious Americans must take note of this clash of values and recognize that the culture war is indeed a war for the spiritual soul of the country. An anti-Biblical America is a worse America."

Related
"Gay" Totalitarianism
Duck Flap: Truth Is "Hate" to Those Who Hate Truth 
What I Saw at Chick-Fil-A Today



Tuesday, December 24, 2013

4 Elements of a "Merry Christmas!" The Revolt of Intelligence Against Religious & Secular Stereotypes

By Rick Pearcey • December 24, 2013, 12:35 PM

You might have heard: The revolutionary good news that landed ashore Planet Earth that first Christmas morn "confronts cults of faith, secularism, religion, and politics." I have written about that here. By way of introduction, consider these four passages to provide an overview of the "elements of a 'Merry Christmas!'":  

1. Good-Bye Stereotypes: "First, in contrast to pagan, religious, media, and secular stereotypes, Christmas is about real people living and working in a real world. The inaugurating events of Christmas occur in and around Bethlehem of Judea. They concern watchful shepherds, pregnant women, and surprised husbands. All are flesh-and-blood people. All are individuals who think, act, wonder, emote, and make choices in situations of life that are less than ideal. . . ."

2. Escape From "Warm Fuzzies": "But humans today are increasingly asked to live in a fragmented world of image, feeling, and PR. A candidate for president of the United States can tell Americans that Christmas is the season of miracles, but what about the rest of the year? Is God alive December 25, but dead by January 1, not able to survive the party? In contrast to warm fuzzies delivered by admakers, politicians, and ministry machines, the Christmas of history is about the objectivity and unity of truth in the midst of tremendous challenge. . . ."

3. Hemingway Avenue: "The third element of Luke 2:20 specifies that Christmas is about the visual and aural validation of answers from God. Rather than a religious truth or spiritual technique that escapes the world, Christmas lives down the street. It is alive to the real world and is one of those things that can be “heard and seen.” Hemingway, who grew to hate generalities but love discrete facts, could have given the manger scene an address in one of his novels. . . ."

4. Test Everything: "Christmas is about enfleshed truth that is accountable, a body of information and series of events that can be rationally considered, verified out in the external world, and discussed among regular people as facts of life. Among the facts are Bethlehem, Mary, Joseph, a baby, and a manger, none of which are feelings. The facts also include the angels and the veracity of what they said to human beings, for what the shepherds saw and heard in Bethlehem was 'as it had been told them,' the fourth element from Luke 2:20 under consideration here. . . ."

We thank you all, dear readers of The Pearcey Report, for visiting us throughout the year. To all of you and yours: Best wishes, thoughts, and prayers for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!



Monday, December 23, 2013

Duck Flap: Truth Is "Hate" to Those Who Hate Truth

By Rick Pearcey • December 23, 2013, 12:36 PM

The following column is by Professor of Law J. Matt Barber:

As widely reported, Phil Robertson, the patriarch in A&E’s breakaway hit "Duck Dynasty," recently ran a-fowl of homosexual pressure groups, ruffling "progressive" feathers throughout concentrated pockets of deep blue America. He remains suspended "indefinitely" for candidly summarizing, in a recent interview with GQ Magazine, the millennia-long "Love the sinner, hate the sin" Biblical stance on homosexual practice.

"It seems like, to me, a vagina -- as a man -- would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me," he bluntly opined. "I'm just thinking: There's more there! She's got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes!"

Dudes worldwide -- save self-styled "gays," Pajama Boy and a few liberal men actually rumored to be heterosexual -- responded: "Eww! I know, right."

"You know what I’m saying?" continued Robertson. "But hey, sin: It's not logical, my man. It's just not logical," he noted.

Robertson also addressed other sins, paraphrasing 1 Corinthians 6:9-10"Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers -- they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It's not right."

"I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me," he later added. "We are all created by the Almighty, and like Him, I love all of humanity."

Barring a handful of "progressive" revisionists, Christian theologians have since observed that, while Robertson's position on sexual sin is 100 percent Biblically, morally and biologically correct, it is, nonetheless, precisely 0 percent politically correct.

Furthermore, Robertson seems to have been quoting directly from the rare, though accurate, "Louisiana Revised Standard Living Translation."

Even so, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) was outraged. GLAAD spokesman Francis Twinklebean offered a scathing, though typically insightful, analysis of Robertson’s opinion: "Quack quack quack bigot," said Twinklebean. "Quack quack vile quack intolerance quack quack homophobia quack," he added, finally demanding: "A&E must fire Phil Robertson."

The "gay"-activist Human Rights Campaign (HRC) was no less distressed, as evidenced by HRC mouthpiece Randy Van Grindr: "The First Amendment? That’s so 1776," he said. "This is 2013. Speech isn’t free, you know. Intolerance will not be tolerated. Give us our pound of flesh! A&E must fire Phil Robertson."

A&E, which had already begun censoring the cast’s Christian speech with fake bleeps to cover words like Jesus and Christ, dutifully complied. "We’re just sick of all this redneck Jesusy stuff," A&E representative Moe Ronic told reporters. "And besides, making truckloads of money is really overrated," he added, referencing the show’s No. 1 all-time ranking.

"In fact," he continued, "just the other day I was sharing an Appletini with Bob, our program director, and he was pining for the good ol' days -- back when we had ratings like MSNBC's "Winter Solstice Generic Holiday Special."

"You know, more money means more work -- what, with the bookkeeping and all," he pointed out. "Most of us at A&E are actually quite excited to get back to the utter irrelevance and obscurity from whence we came."

Meanwhile, the Fox Network and a bevy of cable channels have reportedly lined up with drool bibs to pounce on the show should relations with A&E go deeper south.

A Fox source offered comment on condition of anonymity: "Remember that time someone disagreed with Christianity and got fired?" he asked. "Me neither. A&E needs the Robertsons more than they need A&E."

Still, questions remained as to who’s got it right on homosexuality; GLAAD, HRC and other "progressives," or Phil Robertson and Christianity. To get answers, we went straight to the Source: God, Author of all truth, sovereign Creator of the universe and Maker of mankind.

God said to relax. The issue has been long settled.

All sexual sin -– adultery, fornication, bestiality, incest and, yes, the practice of homosexuality -- is "contrary to sound doctrine," He noted unequivocally (1 Timothy 1:10). "Guys, when I said, 'You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination,' I meant it," He added (Leviticus 18:22).

The Creator then offered an urgent admonition to GLAAD, HRC, and others living under both sexual deception and the unrepentant homosexual lifestyle. He warned that unnatural behaviors beget natural consequences: "Because of this, [I] gave [you] over to shameful lusts. Even [you ladies] exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way [you fellas] also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. [You’ve] committed shameful acts with other men, and [have] received in [yourselves] the due penalty for [your] error" (Romans 1:26-27).

Still, being both wholly righteous and merciful beyond measure, The Heavenly Father then offered hope for homosexuals, as well as for every other sinner on the planet (that would be all of us). He was quick to point out that no one person is better than another, and that He loves us all, not because of our sins -– to include the "intrinsically disordered" homosexual identity and lifestyle -- but in spite of them. "None is righteous, no, not one," He said (Romans 3:10).

We are all lost and in need of the Savior, He further urged (especially yours truly), saying, with specific reference to homosexuality, adultery and other forms of sexual immorality: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by [My Spirit]" (1 Corinthians 6:11).

As untold thousands -– likely millions -– of former homosexuals will attest, through the unmatched grace of Christ, there can be freedom from all forms of bondage to sin -- even "LGBT" behavior.

Meanwhile, since the Duck flap hit, Jesus Himself has reportedly reached out to Phil Robertson with a Word of encouragement. He told him to keep fishing for souls and hunting for ducks. He said that Robertson shouldn’t sweat the small stuff -- like the ongoing assault for speaking truth in love.

"Phil," He said, "You will be hated by everyone because of me, but [if you] stand firm to the end, [you] will be saved" (Matthew 10:22).

"Oh, and by the way," Jesus added: "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Related
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Exxon Says No to Homosexualist Aggression 
Memo to Conservatives: Accepting Homosex "Marriage" Opens Door to "Unlimited Statism"
Memo to Supreme Court: Who Respects the Human Body? Not Homosexuals
Revolt of Intelligence Against "Marriage Equality" 
Rosie O'Donnell's Oppressive Coat



Friday, December 20, 2013

"Total Horror": The Life and Death of Smut Merchant Al Goldstein

By Rick Pearcey • December 20, 2013, 09:51 AM

Al Goldstein pioneered hardcore smut in print. The "onetime millionaire" died homeless yesterday at age 77, according to LifeSiteNews.com.

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Miley Cyrus: The Tyranny of Porn, the Porn of Tyranny 
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Thursday, December 19, 2013

How Much of Your Life Should Government Track?

By Rick Pearcey • December 19, 2013, 09:35 AM

"Electronic devices are tools that can be used for good or evil. What matters is who uses them and for what purpose," Terry Jeffrey writes at CNSNews.com.

For example, says Jeffrey:

Electronic health records can make it easier for doctors to treat people who are sick and keep people well. Automated vehicles can make it easier, safer and more enjoyable for people to travel where they want and when they want. An intelligent electrical system could more efficiently deliver power to customers who want to spend their own money to buy it -- to keep their home or business as cool or warm as they like it.

And yet:

Electronic health care records could also be used in developing and enforcing a governmental system of health-care rationing. Automated vehicles could be used to stop people from going where, or when, the government does not want them to go. Remotely controlled thermostats could be used to stop people from heating or cooling their homes in the interest of, say, preventing "climate change." . . .

In recent decades, many of our political and cultural leaders have proudly denied the basic unchangeable rules of right and wrong. At the same time, politicians and judges have worn down the constitutional limits on the federal government.

"Were American politicians obedient to both the moral rules and the constitutional limits on government power, the dawning age of super-electronics would be an age of wonders," Jeffrey concludes. "In an era of growing government power and amorality, it could become an age of horrors."

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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Megapastor Mark Driscoll Remains Silent Amid Plagiarism-Ghostwriting Controversy

By Rick Pearcey • December 18, 2013, 10:10 AM

Alex Murashko reports at ChristianPost.com:

A wider circle of accusations surrounding author and Seattle-based megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll that originally included plagiarism allegations by a radio talk show host, now includes claims from others tracking the saga about how ghostwriters or researchers were used and not given proper attribution. At the same time, the Mars Hill Church pastor's silence on the matter has raised intrigue and the question: How powerful is the "evangelical celebrity machine?"

"What started in late November with Janet Mefferd's accusations of plagiarism against Mark Driscoll has morphed into broader concerns over authorship and use of research materials," CP quotes Warren Throckmorton as writing over at Patheos. "This finding raises interesting questions about ghostwriting and the use of research in writing for publication. I am not aware of how wide spread this practice is but perhaps this story allows us a view behind a door not often opened," states Throckmorton.

"Throckmorton, who has been reporting daily on developments in the Driscoll alleged-plagiarism story that began three weeks ago, says that it appears that Docent Research Group consultant Justin Holcomb 'quoted the material from the New Bible Commentary and then Driscoll changed a few words and included it under his authorship. There are multiple instances of this practice throughout the memo'," CP reports.

Here is how the Docent Research Group describes some of its services: "Provide excellent sermon research for pastors who . . . Desire to inform and transform an audience . . . Need stories, metaphors and statistics that connect with their audience . . . Require a team that will execute the Pastor’s specific ideas, questions and instructions . . . Speak to culturally savvy congregations." Under "Book Summaries," Docent specifies "books or articles," promising to provide pastors "content you need to know but don’t have time to read," in "any genre" and at "any level of detail."

In addition, Christian Post reports that "well-known theologian and pastor John Piper also chimed in on the online chatter about the Driscoll matter via Twitter, and Throckmorton writes that the series of [Piper] tweets was 'apparently in response to an op-ed by Andy Crouch at Christianity Today on the Mark Driscoll plagiarism (now ghostwriting) controversy. Crouch's op-ed builds to this crescendo: The real danger here is not plagiarism -- it is idolatry'."

Related
Francis Schaeffer: "The Central Problem of Our Age"
Oxford, Cambridge, Plagiarism and Christian Worldview 
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Francis Schaeffer: A Student's Appreciation of a Distinct Approach



Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Apple Approves Homosexual Meetup App for 12-Year-Olds

By Rick Pearcey • December 17, 2013, 09:25 AM

Kirsten Andersen reports at LifeSiteNews.com:

While previous homosexual dating apps like Grindr and Manhunt have been exclusively 18+ due to their focus on facilitating anonymous sexual encounters, Distinc.tt managed to win approval for users 12 and up by advertising itself as the “LGBT app that you can bring home to Mom.”

The app was intended to facilitate dating for people who are already out and about, but one commenter on a gay website warned that those who fail to disable the default tracking settings will constantly broadcast their location to other users even when they are at home.  That may concern parents of children who download the app, as predators could use the information to find vulnerable targets.

LifeSiteNews publishes the following contact information for Apple: Apple Inc., 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014, (408)-996-1010.

Related
Memo to Supreme Court: Who Respects the Human Body? Not Homosexuals
Memo to Conservatives: Accepting Homosex "Marriage" Opens Door to "Unlimited Statism" 
The Revolt of Intelligence Against "Marriage Equality"



Monday, December 16, 2013

Billboard Company Rejects Atheist Group's Ads

By Rick Pearcey • December 16, 2013, 11:43 AM

"An atheist group in Canada has claimed that a Vancouver billboard company has violated their human rights by refusing to run advertisements carrying 'No God' slogans in the city's downtown area," Christian Post reports.

"The Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFI) plans to put ads featuring a young woman with the words, 'Praying won't help. Doing will' and 'Without God, we're all good,' in downtown Vancouver. However, Pattison Outdoor, the billboard company they contacted, says the adverts do not meet their guidelines," according to CP.

"We made every effort to avoid this situation by making the ads as soft and as gentle as possible," CP quotes Pat O'Brien of CFI telling Canada's Global News as saying. "We just promote our particular world view, which is a humanistic, secular world view," O'Brien says. 

CP reports that the atheists' claim "their message is meant to be pro-secular, not anti-religion."

For more, go here.  

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OK -- Atheism Is Boring & American Culture Is Collapsing. But Why?
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"Militant Atheist" Accused of Savagely Beating Pastor in Church 
Rick Pearcey Publishes Foreword to New Book Challenging Radical Islam and Radical Atheism



Friday, December 13, 2013

Nancy Pearcey on LA Radio Today

By Rick Pearcey • December 13, 2013, 03:30 PM

Our editor at large will appear on the Frank Sontag show today (KKLA) at 5 p.m. Pacific time (8 p.m. eastern, 7 central, 6 mountain), to discuss, among other items, issues raised by her WPost column "Should Secularism Be Taught in Public Schools?" 

You can listen online here. To call the show, dial 888-995-KKLA.


ESPN Backs Down, Airs "Jesus" Ad for Christmas

By Rick Pearcey • December 13, 2013, 10:35 AM

CBNNews reports:

New signs of the war on Christmas are popping up across the country.

The Hollywood Reporter said ESPN reversed a decision to drop a Christmas ad that mentioned Jesus, following a barrage of criticism from its viewers.

The ad, released by Glennon Children's Medical Center in Missouri, states in part, "We celebrate the birth of Jesus and the season of giving, bringing hope to the many children, parents and families that we serve."

"ESPN originally said the ad didn't meet its standards," CBN states. "The sports network only agreed to air it after facing a backlash."

Click here to view the 30-second ad.

Related
Christmas Spirit in Space and Time



Thursday, December 12, 2013

Baker Says He’d Rather Go to Jail After Judge Orders Him to Service Homosex "Weddings"

By Rick Pearcey • December 12, 2013, 10:45 AM

Kirsten Andersen reports at LifeSiteNews.com:

A Denver cake baker who was ordered by a judge last week to service same-sex "weddings" or face punishing fines has told Fox News that he would rather shut down his business and serve jail time than violate his beliefs and play a role in facilitating gay nuptials. 

Just as this baker should not be forced to accept counterfeit "money" for his services, neither should he be forced sell his services to facilitate counterfeit "marriage." 

Refusing counterfeits is wise. Imposing counterfeits is tyranny. A free people revolts.

Related
New South Wales Rejects Homosex "Marriage" 
The Revolt of Intelligence Against "Marriage Equality"
Memo to Supreme Court: Who Respects the Human Body? Not Homosexuals
Memo to Conservatives: Accepting Homosex "Marriage" Opens Door to "Unlimited Statism"



Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Mandela T-Shirt: "Get an ID. Register. Vote."

By Rick Pearcey • December 11, 2013, 12:18 PM

Caroline May reports at the Daily Caller:

A picture of [Nelson] Mandela from 1998 finds the former political prisoner attending a rally at the start of the African National Congress 1999 election campaign wearing a T-shirt with the instructions: "Get an ID. Register. Vote."

South African President Nelson Mandela
Anna Zieminski/AFP/Getty Images


Mark Levin to Paul Ryan: Budget Deal Is "Mickey Mouse"

By Rick Pearcey • December 11, 2013, 09:22 AM

Joel B. Pollak reports at Breitbart.com:

Talk show host Mark Levin told House Budget Committee Chair Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) that the budget deal announced today with Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) was a "Mickey Mouse" deal, tinkering at the margins of the federal budget, undoing the sequester and exchanging immediate spending increases for future spending cuts.

Related
Mark Levin: "Post-Constitutional" America Heading for "Utopian Tyranny"



Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Christians Burned Alive, Beheaded, Crucified, Tortured to Death, Imprisoned in Metal Shipping Containers

By Rick Pearcey • December 10, 2013, 07:41 AM

Michael Snyder writes at The American Dream:

The "coming persecution of Christians" has already begun. It is already here. So why is the mainstream media in the United States almost totally silent about this phenomenon? 

When some politician somewhere around the globe inadvertently offends homosexuals or Muslims, it instantly makes headline news. But very few Americans are even aware that it has been estimated that 100 million Christians are currently facing persecution and that approximately 100,000 Christians die for their faith each year. 

As you are about to see, Christians all over the world are being burned alive, beheaded, crucified, tortured to death and imprisoned in metal shipping containers just because of what they believe. 

This persecution goes on year after year and it is steadily intensifying. But the governments of the western world and the mainstream media are almost entirely ignoring what is happening.

The information shared [in this report] is extremely graphic. Some of the websites that normally run my articles may want to think twice before posting this one. 

The reason why I have included such graphic information is because I believe that it is very important to accurately communicate what is truly going on out there. People need to know the reality of the holocaust that is happening. 

The following are short excerpts from news stories about incidents of Christian persecution that took place in 12 different countries around the planet. Sadly, the vast majority of Americans have never even heard about any of these stories.

Go here to read the report by Michael Snyder.



Monday, December 9, 2013

Nyet to Russia: Hundreds of Thousands Protest in Ukraine Capital

By Rick Pearcey • December 9, 2013, 11:01 AM

France24.com reports:

Hundreds of thousands of protesters swarmed Ukraine’s capital Kiev on Sunday, where the country’s opposition leaders urged them to continue heaping pressure on President Viktor Yanukovich to sack his government and abandon plans for closer ties with Russia.

Many of the demonstrators who gathered at the city’s central Independence Square are furious with the government over its decision to back out of a historic agreement with the European Union in favour of a possible trade deal with Russia, Ukraine’s Soviet-era ruler.

The protest . . . is just the latest sign of mounting tensions in Ukraine over the past two weeks, raising fears over the country’s political and economic stability.

Related 
Hot Mic: Obama Begs Russians 
How Soviet Intelligence Promoted "Christian" Marxism



Friday, December 6, 2013

Congress Wants to Tax Your Christmas Tree

By Rick Pearcey • December 6, 2013, 11:21 AM

Amy Payne writes at The Foundry:

Christmas trees are pretty unpopular, right?

The House must think so, since its farm bill would pave the way to set up a Christmas Tree Promotion Board. Its purpose would be "to enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry in the United States."

And it would be funded by a 15-cent tax on fresh Christmas trees -- which sellers are free to pass on to you . . . .

A couple of years ago, after significant backlash . . . the Administration backed off and issued a stay of this tax. But now Congress could make the tax a reality as the House and Senate work out differences between their farm bills.

Related
How Hitler and Nazis Tried to Steal Christmas
Merry "Neutrality"! -- No Christmas Trees in Copenhagen



Thursday, December 5, 2013

Sarah Palin Reacts to Bashir Resignation

By Rick Pearcey • December 5, 2013, 11:27 AM

On Fox & Friends this morning, Sarah Palin said:

My hope is that unprovoked attacks like that don't result in people being hesitant to jump in the arena anyway, to get out there and serve the public or start a business or really commit themselves to changing what's in their family, their community, their world, despite the fact that in this world you are going to be hurt and attacks will come your way. I don't, I just hope an attack like that doesn't make people hesitate.

Palin had much more to say. Watch video of the interview here.

Related
Martin Bashir Resigns From MSNBC
ABC's Sawyer Says Sarah Palin "Targeted" Gabby Giffords -- Video
Stephanopoulos on Video: No Liberal Bias in Media



Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Martin Bashir Resigns From MSNBC

By Rick Pearcey • December 4, 2013, 07:09 PM

Ben Shapiro writes at Breitbart.com:

On Wednesday, MSNBC’s Martin Bashir formally tendered his resignation from his daily show.
Bashir had been absent from his show since November 22, prompting rumors from inside the network that he had been suspended; MSNBC had maintained that he was merely on vacation.

Bashir has been the subject of severe criticism after he viciously attacked Sarah Palin, using language and imagery not fit for newsprint, much less public broadcast.

The former MSNBC personality "issued an on-air apology, but criticism of MSNBC never waned," Shaprio continues, "especially given the fact that his monologue suggesting such misogyny was backed by the network itself. MSNBC is expected to release its own comment shortly.

Related
Alec Baldwin, Fired by MSNBC, Asks Why Not Martin Bashir?
ABC's Sawyer Says Sarah Palin "Targeted" Gabby Giffords -- Video



Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Female Privilege: How Society Disincentivizes Male Responsibility

By Nancy Pearcey • December 3, 2013, 02:53 PM

Psychologist Helen Smith is author of the book Men on Strike. Its theme is that too many men are simply dropping out of normal adult responsibilities.

In a Salvo article titled "Cashed Out: The War Against Sexual Order Has Young Men in Full Retreat," Terrell Clemmons discusses several "zones" where men are "going on strike":

Higher Education. In addition to the enrollment imbalance, which is approaching a 60/40 ratio of women to men, college has become, in the words of one professor, "a hostile working environment [in which] males increasingly feel emasculated." . . .

Work, including community involvement. With higher female graduation rates and salaries, men today are falling behind their fathers economically and professionally. Consequently, their efforts to prove themselves worthy mates through hard work and higher earnings don't win female attention the way they used to. Discouraged, too many retreat to a man cave. . . .

Marriage. Marriage rates are down, and honest men opting out will tell you why. Smith cites a Rutgers University study of single heterosexual men which turned up the top reasons they hadn't married. They can get sex and the companionship of cohabitation without marriage more easily than in times past, and they don't want to open themselves up to the risk of divorce and financial loss. It really isn't that complicated a decision. 

But Smith cautions against any superficial conclusions that attribute all this to male immaturity, laziness, or plain sexual economics. While those things may figure in, the man-child label simply doesn't stick to the men she actually hears from. On the contrary, she says men are "acting rationally in response to the lack of incentives today's society offers them to be responsible fathers, husbands and providers." It isn't an organized, or even a declared strike. It's more of a reluctant retreat. Why should they do otherwise? Chris, a thirty-something single man, captured it: "There is nothing in it for me, no incentive and no reason."

Read more here.

Related
"Godfather of Hipsterdom": Feminism Making Women Miserable, Children Turning Him From Atheism

Women in Combat: Feminism vs. Science, Sex, Love, and War


Legalized Prostitutes Support Obamacare

By Rick Pearcey • December 3, 2013, 08:18 AM

"This is truly a blessing," says Caressa Kisses of the Moonlight Bunny Ranch in Nevada, according to KRNV/MyNews4.com in Reno. 



Monday, December 2, 2013

Vanderbilt Prof: "Black People Have Been Deceived"

By Rick Pearcey • December 2, 2013, 11:30 AM

Ginni Thomas writes at the Daily Caller about Dr. Carol M. Swain, professor of law and professor of political science at Vanderbilt Law School:

"As a black person, it bothers me that the America I know and love I feel like is being destroyed by a black man. I don’t understand why,” she said, discussing her serious concerns about President Obama’s legacy in an interview with The Daily Caller.

"It bothers me that so many black people have been deceived into supporting programs and policies that are killing them,” she continued.

She worries most about Obama’s governance and how it erodes constitutional freedoms.

"I value my free speech. You know, I take that clause [of the Constitution] very seriously," Swain said. "And, what I see in America right now is our freedom of speech, our freedom of religion, freedom of association -- all of that being totally eroded.

"And when I look at the Fourth Amendment about the search and seizure, I see we have no protection. We are living an Orwellian experience where we are almost under 24-hour surveillance. We never know when we are having a private conversation."

According to Thomas, Prof. Swain "credits American exceptionalism and God’s hand for her rise from a family of 12 children that was born in rural poverty in southwest Virginia.

"But now, Swain now thinks 'we have all of these forces pulling us away from faith to secularism'."

Related
Liberals "Believe They Own Black America"

How Obama Replaced Jesus Christ Among Blacks

"Willful Ignorance and Racism of Black America"