Trump's Former Campaign Manager Indicted For Conspiracy Against US, Money Laundering

Paul Manafort, a former campaign manager for U.S. President Donald Trump, and an associate were indicted by a federal grand jury on 12 counts including conspiracy against the United States and money laundering, the federal special counsel's office said on Monday.

Dear Christian, Don't Waste Halloween

Halloween is a strange day for Christians. A wide array of convictions are held concerning Oct. 31. For many, it stirs up images of ghosts and witches and sacrificial ceremonies that find their genesis in the occult. It is the one day of the year that is a reminder of a very real devil and his kingdom of darkness and destruction. Countless Christians (who love Jesus deeply), have a profoundly held belief that to participate in this day in any way is to celebrate, or at the very least, acquiesce to the destructive forces of the enemy of our souls. I understand and have a deep respect for those who choose not to dress up, hand out candy, go to Fall Festivals or any other activity that seeks to normalize a dark holiday. I get it.

However ...

Trump admin will directly help Christians in the Middle East rather than use ‘ineffective’ UN programs

Vice President Mike Pence

Vice President Pence announced Wednesday that the U.S. will provide relief to persecuted Christians in the Middle East directly through USAID rather than “ineffective” United Nations programs.

“It is my privilege to announce that President Trump has ordered the State Department to stop funding ineffective relief efforts at the United Nations,” Pence told the In Defense of Christians summit. “From this day forward, America will provide support directly to persecuted communities through USAID.”

USAID is a government agency that provides foreign assistance.

It “carries out U.S. foreign policy by promoting broad-scale human progress at the same time it expands stable, free societies, creates markets and trade partners for the United States, and fosters good will abroad,” its website says.

Cdl. Sarah: Some people ‘exploit the Word of God’ to promote multiculturalism, immigration

Cardinal Robert Sarah has affirmed a nation’s right to distinguish between refugees and economic migrants.

According to Polish newsmagazine wPolityce.pl and other Polish publications, the African cardinal supported Poland’s resistance to a certain “logic” of migration that outside forces are trying to impose on the nation.

“In what manner is it possible to remove the rights of the nation to distinguish between a political or religious refugee, who must flee from his homeland, and the economic migrant, who wants to change his address without adapting himself, identifying with, and accepting the culture of the country in which he will live?” Sarah asked.

Operation Christmas Child rubbishes Humanists UK's claim they are using shoebox appeal to evangelise secretly

A Christian charity has hit back at claims from British humanists that they are using a Christmas appeal to 'manipulate' and secretly evangelise vulnerable children.

Operation Christmas Child is a nationwide campaign where shoeboxes full of gifts are sent from schools across the UK to deprived children in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.

But Humanists UK are repeating claims made in previous years that the project, run by the evangelical disaster relief charity Samaritans Purse, is covertly using the appeal to proselytise recipients.

Education campaigns manager Jay Harman described the practise as 'appalling', saying Samaritans Purse was using 'the donations of well-meaning parents and children as a tool for promoting an evangelical Christian agenda'.

5 Teens Charged, Face Life in Prison for Rock Throwing That Killed 32-Y-O Dad

Five Michigan teenagers accused of throwing rocks from a highway overpass that caused the death of a young father were arraigned on second-degree murder and other charges and were all denied bail by a local judge Tuesday.

Calling them a "danger to the public" Genesee District Judge William H. Crawford II said Kyle Anger, 17, Mark Sekelsky and Mikadyn Payne, both 16, as well as 15-year-olds Alexzander Miller and Trevor Gray, all of Clio, should remain in custody due to "the seriousness of the nature of these charges," MLive Michigan reported.

Day one, year zero: October 23, 4004 BC

How old is the universe? Scientists say it's around 14 billion years; young-earth creationists, perhaps around 10,000 years.

For Archbishop Ussher, however, today's the day: because according to him, the world was created on October 23, 4004 BC.

The Gulf of Mexico seen from the International Space Station.

Ussher was the Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland during the most turbulent period of modern British history, the terrible Civil War. He was a fervent anti-Catholic Protestant, though a Royalist who supported King Charles; he watched his execution, but fainted before the axe fell.

Pope offers clarifications on new process for liturgical translations

In a letter responding to questions raised by Cardinal Robert Sarah on the new process of translating liturgical texts from Latin into vernacular languages, Pope Francis offered several points of clarification.

The Pope discussed points regarding the approval of new translations and the relationship between translations and Latin texts.

3 Foods To Make You Feel Happier And Beat Off Depression

We all know that exercise and a balanced diet are keys to being healthy. But did you know healthy foods can also make you feel more happy?

That's right; the foods that you put in your body every day can have an impact on how you feel.

That's especially good to know as we head into the winter months, when the days are shorter and the nights longer.

It's easy for our mood to slide when it's cold and gloomy outside and we've hardly seen the sun. If you're prone to depression or bouts of sadness, then you might want to try making some simple changes to your diet.

Why We Go 'Lookin' for Love in All the Wrong Places'—and How to Stop

Sure, others wound us. But many of our wounds are self-inflicted. God created us for intimacy, but we too often end up looking for love in all the wrong places. And what can we possibly hope to do about it now?

It's not your fault, really. At least it didn't start as your fault. You never fully got the kind of love you needed growing up as an impressionable child. You didn't see "learning to love well" modeled in a healthy way. Your early attempts at feeling important, making it, connecting with someone else, getting your needs met, giving something of yourself—most or all of them ended up leading to some kind of rejection, some lack, some wounds that wouldn't go away. You learned early on that if you were ever to get what you needed, you'd have to claw and scrape and grasp and hold on for dear life.

Some of us seem more wounded than others. If you grew up with parents who loved each other well, stayed together and loved you well, you got a foundation more solid than many others received. But even you have felt the sting of bullying, tragedy, disappointment, failure or just plain old sin.

And so you go looking.

End Time Headlines: How The Enemy Attacks at Infancy

In this message, we will show you how all through history and to the present, the enemy attempts to destroy in its infancy what God has ordained and assigned for the kingdom of God, no matter how great or small

California Okays Third Gender on Driver's Licenses

On the heels of shooting down a bill that would have harmed churches, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill allowing nonbinary people to select a third gender on their driver's license.

While liberals praise the move, conservatives see the negative impact of such a bill.

For the first time, most Americans now say you can be good without God

Most people in the US now accept individuals can have morality without religion as, for the first time, a majority of Americans – 56 per cent – say it is possible to be a good person without believing in God.

This is according to new Pew Research Center data drawn from two polls conducted among some 5,000 American adults in June and July.

The 10 Commandments are a building-block of civilisation – but do you need to believe in God to be moral?

'God is not a prerequisite for good values and morality,' said Greg Smith, Pew's associate director of research. '[T]he public's increased rejection of the idea that belief in God is necessary for morality is due, in large part, to the spike in the share of Americans who are religious "nones"'.

Church shocked and grieving after beloved pastor is found 'burned beyond recognition'

The body of a South African pastor has been found "burned beyond recognition" with his hands tied behind his back in a small farming town about 50 miles outside of Johannesburg.

The body of 45-year-old Martin Beneke, the senior pastor and founder of the Johannesburg-based Life in Christ Network, was discovered in Magaliesburg on Monday. The Life in Christ Network confirmed the pastor's death in a Facebook post Wednesday.

"It is with heavy sadness and sorrow that we have to inform everyone that the founder and head pastor of LICN, Pastor Martin, has passed away on Monday, Oct. 16, 2017," the statement reads. "There are still so many questions we have and answers we need but we trust the process. Thank you to each and everyone who is supporting his wife, two daughters and family. We appreciate it."

Police spokesperson Sergeant Mpho More told media that the discovery of Beneke's body was made by a local farmer who noticed smoke as he traveled a gravel road on his farm.

The Roodereport Record reports that when the farmer went to investigate the smoke, he found Beneke's Nissan pickup truck on fire and a body burned beyond recognition.

Gauteng police announced that Beneke's body was found with his hands tied behind his back and believe that he was kidnapped.

Why does Mike Pence continue to serve a President who mocks his beliefs?

The revelation that President Donald Trump mocks the religious beliefs of his vice-president Mike Pence shouldn't really have surprised anyone.

In a far from flattering profile of Pence in the New Yorker, reporter Jane Mayer recounts how Trump would ask people who saw him after stopping by Pence's office, 'Did Mike make you pray?' He also needled Pence on his views about abortion and homosexuality, once gesturing to Pence when the conversation turned to gay rights and saying, 'Don't ask that guy - he wants to hang them all!'

President Donald Trump (R), and Vice President Mike Pence (L)

Pence's views on these issues are well documented. As an evangelical from a Catholic background, he is vehemently opposed to abortion and homosexuality. As Mayer says: 'He was as far right as you could go without falling off the earth,' Mike Lofgren, a former Republican congressional staff member, who has become a Trump critic, told me.'

Shortage of monks forces abbey closure after nearly 900 years of prayer

A German monastery almost 900 years old will close due to a shortage of men wanting to be monks.

The Himmerod Abbey near the village of Grosslittgen in west Germany is one of the country's oldest prayer houses and was founded in 1134 by the French abbot Bernard of Clairvaux.

The Cistercian monastery has just six monks in residence, down from around 30 less than 40 years ago in the 1970s.

President Trump: Our ‘religious heritage’ will be ‘cherished, protected, and defended’

President Trump said Friday morning that his administration is “stopping cold the attacks on Judeo-Christian values” in a rousing speech at the Values Voter Summit.

In his first major speech to a socially conservative conference since his election, Trump addressed parental rights, religious liberty, the right to life, and the importance of God over government.

“This morning, I am honored and thrilled to return” as the first sitting president, he said. Trump joked that he didn’t even need to ask attendees to vote for him, but he was still there.

“Religious liberty is enshrined in the very First Amendment in the Bill of Rights,” he said. We “very, very beautifully” pledge allegiance to “one nation under God."

Pope Francis, Lebanese prime minister discuss Middle East

Pope Francis and the prime minister of Lebanon, Saad Rafic Hariri, discussed Friday the current situation in the Middle East and Lebanon, which has received a large number of refugees from Syria.

According to an Oct. 13 statement from the Vatican, the meeting took place “in an atmosphere of great cordiality,” which enabled a productive discussion of various issues in Lebanon and the Middle East.

The Prophetic Meaning Behind the Full Moon of Tabernacles

The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles began at sundown on Wednesday, Oct. 4, but the best celestial views come at dawn on tabernacles morning.

Two years ago, the fourth blood moon of the 2014-2015 Tetrad occurred on Sept. 27, 2015. Some had seen the blood moons as harbingers of disaster, but the Scriptures speak of blood moons as a sign of the outpouring of the Spirit and salvation (Acts 2:17-21). The blood moon is also a sign of overcoming evil, as the moon, symbolic of believers (Ps. 89:37) is covered by the blood (Rev. 12:11). The fact that the tabernacles blood moon of 2015 occurred in the constellation Pisces (the fish), the sign of the church, reminds us that tabernacles is about the ingathering of the church to spend eternity with God. See our book, The Mystery of the Blood Moons, available on Amazon, for more information.

Robert Grosseteste: The medieval bishop who (nearly) invented the Big Bang Theory

Robert Grosseteste (1175-1253) is remembered today by the Church of England. As Bishop of Lincoln he was a fiery reformer. He stood up for the privileges of the Church against the state, like the martyred Thomas Becket, but he was also dedicated to the spiritual care of his flock. He stood against the practice of settling Church incomes on state officials, because he believed the money should go to supporting priests who would care for their parishes instead.

Grosseteste's Tomb and Chapel in Lincoln Cathedral

But it's as a scientist and philosopher that Grosseteste is remembered today. He lived at the time the works of the Greek philosopher Aristotle were becoming known in the Christian West. Aristotle's work had a huge effect on the Western Church as theologians were forced to grapple with new ideas, and Grosseteste learned from and wrote about Aristotle's scientific theories.

Feedback Is Food That Strengthens

The famed management consultant Peter Drucker wrote in Drucker on Asia that the most important thing we can know about ourselves is our personal strengths.

Drucker believed that the Jesuits, a Catholic order founded by St. Ignatius Loyola, and the Calvinists, a Protestant Reform movement founded by John Calvin—both started in the mid-16th century—developed a very valuable technique called "feedback analysis" to help their priests and ministers find their strengths and grow into what they were called to be. Drucker wrote:

'Christ Coin': new Christian digital currency launches - with rewards for the faithful

A 'groundbreaking' new initiative has seen the launch of the world's first Christian cryptocurrency. 'Christ Coin', from the mission company Life Change, seeks to unite the church with its own currency, akin to Bitcoin, that offers financial rewards for the faithful.

A Cryptocurrency is a digital token-based currency that operates independently of a bank or government control. It offers a new way for parties to transfer funds, using encryption techniques to guarantee security.

Microsoft rep calls Catholic Church a key ally in protecting kids online

The head of Microsoft's office for online safety has said the Catholic Church is a key ally in the ongoing effort to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation online.

When asked why a major tech company would partner with the Catholic Church on such an important issue, Jacqueline Beauchere, Chief Online Safety Officer for Microsoft Inc., had a simple response: “why not?”

UK Schools Removing BC, AD Dating to Avoid Offending Non-Christians

Critics have blasted the "capitulation to political correctness" after it was revealed that some schools in the U.K. are removing historical dating terms like B.C., which stands for Before Christ, and A.D., so that they do not risk offending non-Christian students.

Both Muslim and Jewish community representatives have said that they are not offended by the terms being used in religious education classes, however.

The Mail on Sunday reported on the syllabus for schools in East Sussex, which now reads: "BCE and CE are now used in order to show sensitivity to those who are not Christians."

New Ager-Turned-Christian Steven Bancarz Exposes Connection Between Psychedelic Drugs and Witchcraft

A former New Ager who became a born again believer in Jesus is explaining the link between the use of psychoactive substances and the occult.

In a video released on his YouTube channel Sunday, Steven Bancarz, who shared his remarkable testimony with The Christian Post last year, unpacked the spiritual darkness tied to the use of psychedelic drugs.

"Psychedelic drugs are a class of substances that interact with the seratonin receptors in the brain, causing an alternation in perception and sometimes resulting in visionary or hallucinatory experiences," he explained, the most common of which are LSD, DMT, mescaline, and Psilocybin mushrooms.

Pentecostal Preacher's Daughter Sues Restaurant for Rescinding Job Offer Because She Asked to Wear Skirt

A Pentecostal preacher's daughter has filed a lawsuit against Mississippi restaurant chain Georgia Blue for rescinding a job offer after she asked to wear a skirt instead of jeans due to her religion.

As a part of their modesty guidelines, some Pentecostal denominations, like the United Pentecostal Church, advise women not to wear pants. And Kaetoya Watkins, a Christian minister whose parents Sam and Carla Watkins lead the Archangel Healing Temple Church in Natchez, Mississippi, follows that modesty tradition.

Trip Lee: Stop Idolizing 'Cool Christianity' Over Reverence

Rapper-turned-pastor Trip Lee has a problem with today's focus on being a "cool" Christian. As Lee points out, "If we've been called to be aliens and strangers in the world, cool cannot be our ultimate gauge." He explains a more biblical approach in this short teaching.

Free lunches and Fresher's Week: How UK Christian Unions are stepping out to share Jesus

October is nearly upon us, and while some hearts might be downcast as the reality of autumn-soon-to-be-winter sets in, for one demographic the air is fraught with optimistic possibility.

It's 'Fresher's Week' for those embarking upon university for the first time: beginning their adult lives and heading on a new voyage of education, self-discovery or perhaps not doing much at all. Whatever university may have in store, in Britain there's often one constant – the Christian Union (CU). Fresher's Week offers a slew of opportunities, one of them being a chance to hear – for many, for the first time – what Christianity is all about.

Trump administration drops refugee cap to 45,000

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday it plans to resettle a maximum of 45,000 refugees in 2018, fewer than in 2017 and far fewer than the U.S. accepted in 2016.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had proposed earlier this month that 75,000 refugees – which was still a reduction of over 25 percent from the previous administration – be the goal for refugee admission next year.

“We implore the administration to show mercy and compassion for those seeking refuge, and to advance the American value of freedom through providing safe harbor to those fleeing tyranny and religious persecution,” the bishops’ executive committee stated Sept. 12.

Following reports that the administration was planning to reduce the refugee intake even more in the 2018 fiscal year, the State Department confirmed the number would be smaller on Wednesday.

Iran defies Trump and tests new ballistic missile

Iran has successfully tested a new ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) which it displayed at a military parade on Friday, state media reported on Saturday.

The test-firing of the Khorramshahr missile, which Iran said could carry several warheads, is likely to raise concerns in Washington.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attacked Trump's speech at the UN last week.

State broadcaster IRIB carried footage of the missile test without giving its time and location, including video from an on-board camera which it said showed the detachment of the cone that carries multiple warheads.

Why the future face of Christianity is African

African Christianity is set to become the face of the faith around the world. By 2050, 40 per cent of the world's Christians will be African, the African Biblical Leadership Initiative (ABLI Forum) was told.

The Forum in Cameroon heard a clear call for Africa to strengthen its moral fabric. ABLI was also given a warning: 'Do not dilute Christ-centred, biblical Christianity.

Man who raped stepdaughter sought abortion ‘to hide what he had done’

A 34-year-old man raped his 15-year-old stepdaughter repeatedly for a year and sought to hide his crime by taking her to Planned Parenthood for an abortion.

The plan backfired, however, when the nation’s largest and most lucrative abortion conglomerate said it needed a biological parent or guardian to sign off on the minor’s abortion to comply with Utah law.

Nurse Fired for Calling Newborns 'Mini Satans'

Hospital administrators fired a nurse for calling newborns "mini Satans" and making rude gestures to the babies in the photos.

Jeanne Casey, spokeswoman for the Naval Hospital Jacksonville, said the incident is "outrageous, incredibly unprofessional, and cannot be tolerated," according to the Orlando Sentinel.
 
The Navy nurse posted the photo to SnapChat. She captioned the photo "How I currently feel about these mini Satans."

The nurse also posted videos of her dancing with the newborns.

Nigerian pastor to be hanged after setting church members alight

A Nigerian pastor is on death row after dousing several church members in petrol and setting them ablaze.

One congregant died as a result and Emeka Ezeuko, known as Reverend King by his followers, was sentenced on Thursday to death by hanging.

He denied all six charges against him, saying his victims were burnt by an electrical generator exploding, according to local media reports. The case has developed into a large-scale scandal in Nigeria with allegations of sexual abuse made against Ezeuko who made followers call him God or Jesus 'all the time'.

We need more politicians who are brave, Catholics in UK say

It’s a tough time for Catholics in public life, and not just in the United States.

Last week, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) grilled Catholic lawyer Amy Coney Barrett on her religious views during a hearing for her nomination as a federal circuit court judge, in a line of questioning that “smacks of the worst sort of anti-Catholic bigotry,” theologian Dr. Chad Pecknold told CNA Sept. 6.

Across the pond, a Catholic member of Parliament in the U.K. faced his own round of hostile questions, during an interview on the morning show Good Morning Britain.

How to Win Your Battle Against the Spirit of Inadequacy

Pope Francis' threat to Donald Trump: 'History will judge your decisions'

Pope Francis issued thinly veiled threats to Donald Trump on Monday afternoon as an ongoing feud between the pair continued.

Asked about the president's plans to rescind DACA, Francis said those who support the separation of families through immigration laws are not 'pro-life'.

Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane returning from a five-day trip to Colombia, he said he hoped Trump 'rethinks' the decision to scrap the plan that allowed immigrants bought into the US as children to remain.

Christian Musician Fearlessly Calls Out Idols—Including Some in Your Church

Are lights, sound systems and pews just idols that stand in the way of authentic worship? Jimmy Needham's "Clear the Stage" issues a prophetic challenge to the church: "Jerk the pews and all the decorations too/ Until the congregation's few; then have revival."

'The mirror deceives!' Pope Francis implores youth to fight the 'illness' of narcissism

Pope Francis yesterday implored a youthful audience to turn away from the 'illness' of narcissism that produces only sadness. He encouraged young people to laugh at themselves and look outward to the needs of others.

'This culture that we live in, which is very selfish, (always) looking at yourself, has a very strong dose of narcissism, (of) contemplating oneself and ignoring others,' the Pope said yesterday according to Catholic News Agency.

Francis called out 'the sickness of the mirror,' which sees many drawn into a prolonged self-reflection that 'produces sadness, because you live worried about 'dressing up' your soul everyday to appear better than you are, contemplating to see if you are more beautiful than others.'

'Satanic' fake rosaries are bringing evil spirits into Catholic homes, says exorcist

An exorcist in the Philippines has warned against the circulation of fake 'Satanic' rosaries and crucifixes he said were designed to 'deceive Catholics...so that evil spirits will haunt them'.

Speaking on the Diocese of Novaliches' Radio Veritas programme 'Hello Father 911', Fr Ambrosio Nonato Legaspi, chief exorcist of the diocese's 'Libera Nox' department, warned listeners to 'be careful as the rosaries you might be using could actually be infested or cursed'.

According to the Philippines Catholic website CBCP News, Legaspi said the rosaries has been 'prayed over' by a group called the Illuminati and consecrated to evil, so anyone who uses them will be followed by evil spirits.

Mike Bickle Fires Back at Critics Who Call the International House of Prayer a Cult

After getting the question "Is the International House of Prayer a cult?", Mike Bickle has something to say. Watch his eloquent response here.

Francis Chan: How to Make Yourself Immune to the Mark of the Beast

Someday the whole world will face a decision: to take the mark of the beast or not. But nobody is going to make you take the mark; your heart's already made that decision way before that. Will you take the path of least resistance? Francis Chan breaks down Revelation's trickiest prophecy in this hard-hitting teaching.

Discarded Banana Peel Causes Racial Hysteria at Ole Miss

There is a raging controversy within the University of Mississippi's Greek Life community regarding race relations and bananas.

A Greek Life leader accidentally sparked mass hysteria after he placed a banana peel on a tree in the woods—because he could not find a trash can.

The Daily Mississippian reports that three black students found the banana peel.

"To be clear, many members of our community were hurt, frightened and upset," the interim director of fraternity and sorority life wrote in a letter obtained by the newspaper.

The president of one sorority told the newspaper that "bananas have historically been used to demean black people."

Vatican adviser slams Evangelical statement affirming marriage as one man, one woman

A high-profile Vatican adviser responded to a recent Evangelical statement affirming marriage between “one man and one woman” with his own statement affirming "LGBT people."

Rev. James Martin, a Catholic priest, author, and adviser to the Vatican on communications, tweeted a seven-point list of pro-homosexual affirmations in response to the Evangelical’s “Nashville Statement” that defended marriage between a man and woman.

Martin’s series of tweets were picked up by The Washington Post and published as a “counter-list” in an August 30 article titled “Seven simple ways to respond to the Nashville Statement on sexuality.”

In his list affirming “LGBT people,” Martin makes no distinction between “sin” and “sinner,” suggesting that same-sex attracted people, no matter what they do with their sexuality, are immune from God’s judgment and the judgments of others.

What the Porn Industry Doesn't Want You to Find Out

With the proliferation of smartphones and i-Pads, what was once a more isolated problem has exploded into a very common one: 68 percent of churchgoing men and 30 percent of women reported viewing porn on a regular basis in a five-year, national survey of churches.

Even four years ago, the Huffington Post reported that porn sites were receiving more traffic than Amazon, Netflix and Twitter combined.

Unfortunately, there's no going back.

Porn's tentacles are everywhere, affecting virtually every aspect of users' lives.

Pornography can impair your ability to connect with a real partner.

The way porn disconnects you from bonafide humans is one of the most little-known effects of frequent porn viewing and, arguably, the most damaging.

‘The only thing standing were holy things’ after hurricane destroys homes

A statue of the Virgin Mary was the only item to withstand a devastating fire that destroyed three Corpus Christi-area homes during Hurricane Harvey.

The Demonic Roots of White Supremacy

I had just finished performing a wedding in North Carolina last Saturday when I checked my phone and saw the alarming news: White supremacists were marching in Charlottesville, Virginia, to protest the removal of a Confederate statue. A few minutes later, when my friends were about to begin the wedding reception with a barbecue feast, I learned that a 20-year-old white nationalist had plowed his Dodge Challenger into a group of counter-protesters, killing one person and injuring 19 others.

I lost my appetite.

God Speaks to My Friends But Not Me—So What's Wrong With Me?

"If you're stepping out in faith, why doesn't God reward that faith?" In this clip from Questions With God, a roundtable of pastors wrestle with that difficult question. Pastor Darren Davis offers a surprising answer.

The Dangers of the Last Days

Is That like You?

Lesbian teens are getting pregnant more than twice as often as their peers

Statistics show that women who identify as "lesbian" become pregnant at a much higher rate than "straight" women and "homosexual" men are impregnating women at a significantly greater percentage than heterosexual men.

Are You Succumbing to These Common Humanistic Lies?

What is ideolatry? Ideolatry sounds familiar and foreign at the same time. I discovered an 1869 book by S. Baring-Gould, The Origin and Development of Religious Belief, in which the Church of England clergyman used that term. In 1873, ideolatry was cited by Fitzedward Hall in his book Modern English, where he described it as a "monstrous formation" of a word. It appeared in a few publications, but for the most part, it fell out of use for several decades. But over the last several years, it's begun to appear more in search engines. But even though it increased in usage, there was no consensus as to its official meaning.

In my view, ideolatry is the merging of two activities of the mind.

The first is thought. Thoughts originate in the human intellect and give rise to ideas. We choose to either push them aside or nurture them so they can grow and flourish. Ideas form the way we view life. Some can be true. Others can be false.

The second activity of the mind is desire or lust. These desires can be either broad or focused and good or bad for us. Our desires can push us toward moral, ethical and religious behaviors. Or they can push us to achieve success, status, acceptance or control. We may passionately pursue sports, material wealth, food or a variety of other things. Some of these things benefit us, and others don't. Sometimes our desires are so intense, it borders on worship, also known as idolatry.

Idols aren't just statues or trinkets. Things we desire or place high value on can become idols to us. Ideolatry is the blend of two words: idea and idolatry. The mind, will and emotions of man unite in thought to form ideas. Our emotions can stimulate an attitude of idolatry about a thought or idea. Ideolatry is the blend of these universal human traits that may or may not be founded on truth.

Ideolatry can be a way of thinking that elevates human intellect above truth. It's been said that your perception is your reality. But is your reality founded in truth or is it based on some errant perceptions?

Your ideolatry can have a vast effect on your view of who or what God is or isn't, and it can influence how you interpret what you read in the Bible.

Thousands of South Sudanese find refuge in Cathedral

As the civil war in South Sudan heightens, millions are fleeing their homes for safer ground, which many have found at St. Mary Help of Christian’s Cathedral in Wau, the country’s second largest city.

“Those who flee believe that even rebels still fear God and would not slaughter civilians in the backyard of a church,” said Fr. Moses Peter, a priest at St. Mary’s, according to IRIN News.

“Many other churches have also taken in hundreds of people,” he said.

CNN Publishes Fake Hate List—Targeting Well-Known Christian Groups

Many Christian organizations are fearful for their safety after CNN published a bogus "hate map" concocted by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

"Here are all the active hate groups where you live," CNN's headline declared.

FOCUS expands to 15 new campuses this year

The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) has announced that it will expand to 15 new campuses for the 2017-2018 school year.

This brings the total number of campuses with a FOCUS presence up to 137.

London developer must build gay bar in new development, or it won’t get building permit

A U.K. City Council has ordered a private company that it cannot build luxury flats and offices on a site it recently purchased that included a closed gay-bar unless it agrees to include a new gay bar as part of the development plan.

Theologian Pia de Solenni appointed Diocese of Orange chancellor

Moral theologian and cultural analyst Dr. Pia de Solenni has been appointed chancellor for the Diocese of Orange in California, effective Aug. 28.

“Pia is an inspirational and well-respected theologian and has proven herself a thoughtful and humble leader within our Church,” said Bishop Kevin Vann in a statement announcing the appointment.

“We are blessed as a Diocese to benefit from her expertise, passion, and faith. I look forward to the many gifts that she will continue to bring to bear in service to the people of Orange.”

Anglican Bishop launches scathing attack on 'lying, amoral' Donald Trump - and the 'Christian Right' for backing him

An Anglican Bishop has launched a scathing attack on the 'narcissistic amorality' of 'lying' Donald Trump, along withthe American 'Christian Right' for failing to recognise the president's traits before he was elected last November.

Nicholas Baines, the liberal-leaning Bishop of Leeds, launched his comprehensive assault on 'shameless' Trump and his evangelical backers in a blog post written in the wake of the violence carried out by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, which Trump initially failed specifically to condemn.

Liberal ‘Catholic’ outlet: Time is right for Church to abandon its sexual morality

An “alternative” Catholic news service in the U.S. that has fought Catholic sexual morality for decades is saying that under Pope Francis’ “new culture of encounter in the church” the time is ripe for a change.
 
The Missouri-based National Catholic Reporter (NCR) has issued a call for a “change in the church’s teaching on sex and sexuality,” suggesting that the Church must catch up with the times and change its “moral norms” on contraception, sodomy, masturbation, and in vitro fertilization.

What Causes 56 Percent of Divorces?

A crisis is brewing: With 68 percent of churchgoing men struggling with pornography on a regular basis, and 56 percent of divorces citing porn use as a contributing factor, it's time to get serious about dealing with this problem.

Pornography is breaking marriages apart, leading men into unrealistic fantasy and leaving their wives feeling hurt, betrayed and as though "there must be something wrong with me."

Thankfully, over 450,000 men are in training to conquer porn and walk in freedom with the Conquer Series, a six-disc cinematic DVD series designed specifically for men that uses war analogies to help them understand the battle they're facing.

‘It doesn’t pay enough’: Doctors want more money for killing people in Canada

Canadian euthanasia doctors are lobbying to be paid more money to kill their patients.

Complaints from doctors that euthanasia doesn’t pay enough have been in the media lately, with the Toronto Globe and Mail publishing an article July 4 entitled “Canadian doctors turn away from assisted dying over fees,” and MacLean’s Magazine followed up with: “Should doctors be paid a premium for assisting deaths?” on July 10.