Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

UN Expert Calls for Action Against Religions That Don't Embrace Lgbt Rights
Sep 28th, 2019
CommentaryJONATHON VAN MAREN/BRIDGEHEAD.CA
Categories: One World Church

Those of you who follow my weekly podcast over at LifeSiteNews will know that Austin Ruse of C-Fam is, hands-down, one of the most effective advocates for life and family on the international level. 

While most of us ignore what is going on at the United Nations, Ruse made the compelling point during our interview that eventually, what gets decided at the top trickles down--and that activists with no elected power can actually effect an incredible amount of change without anyone ever hearing their names in the news or on the radio. 

LGBT activists and abortion activists have been consistently making use of these opportunities, and Ruse and a handful of his colleagues have been fighting back.

With that context in mind, C-Fam's latest report is very, very concerning:

A UN expert charged with promoting LGBT rights around the world called on governments to take action against religions that don't embrace LGBT rights. In his latest report to the General Assembly, Victor Madrigal-Borloz said, "States should adopt decisive action when religious authorities, leaders or agents infringe on the rights of LGBT persons through violence and discrimination, including hate speech."

Hate speech, as you know, is now a term that encompasses virtually everything that LGBT activists disagree with, including substantial portions of Holy Scripture and the religious texts of all three major monogamous religions. 

"Born this way" is facing off with "ye must be born again" and our new progressive secularism is appalled that any person might be asked to refrain from any behavior by any religious tradition. And so religion must be suppressed in favor of the new rainbow dogmas--and censorship has a disturbing amount of support among Millennials. More:

In his report Madrigal-Borloz, the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, equates any kind of religious or political narrative that does not endorse LGBT rights with incitement to violence. He calls on governments to respond forcefully.

"There is abundant information about the dissemination of expressions that constitute hate speech by representatives of churches and faith-based groups, and incitement often leads to actions that infringe on other rights, including the right to personal integrity," Madrigal-Borloz says in his report. 

Madrigal-Borloz adds that "incitement and actual violence is enabled or carried out by religious leaders or agents in many ways. In some contexts, it is religion that is used as an explanation for the imposition of penalties that include the death penalty for homosexuality."

The report highlights only one case of what it characterizes as religious incitement to violence against individuals who identify as LGBT. An LGBT pride event was prevented from taking place in Tiblisi, Georgia in 2013 after the Orthodox Patriarch asked authorities to block it. 

When the government would not cancel the event, thousands of protesters took to the streets to stop it. The UN report blames the Orthodox Church for the confrontations that ensued at that event, and that resulted in injuries to 17 people, including three police officers and two journalists.

Madrigal-Borloz's report also laments cultural expressions "that can lead to increased psychological distress for LGBT persons" like Jamaican dancehall music because it "often speaks of beating and shooting gay men" and "appears to play a role in promoting anti-gay violence."

The report's overall theme is social inclusion. It calls on states to adopt a panoply of laws and policies to prevent discrimination against individuals who identify as LGBT in a variety of contexts including education, health-care, humanitarian interventions, disabilities, and aging.

The report recommends including gender-neutral bathrooms in humanitarian camps. It recommends the adoption of "comprehensive sexuality education" that calls for kids to learn about masturbation and homosexuality. 

The report also calls for the legal recognition of same-sex couples in contexts such as housing an employment. And it calls for reparations for past "pathologization, criminalization or any other stigmatizing processes."

The creation of Madrigal-Borloz's mandate three years ago resulted in a contentious vote in the General Assembly that nearly abolished it. "Sexual orientation" and "gender identity" have never been protected categories in international law. The establishment of the mandate is a stepping stone to make that a reality. 

The mandate was renewed this summer for another three years despite another contentious vote. But resistance to the mandate has waned since 2016. It is unclear if the mandate will be challenged again in the General Assembly as it was three years ago when it was first created.

Now, obviously, there are many nations around the world that actually engage in genuine persecution against people who identify as LGBT. Iran is one prominent example, and there are thirteen countries where engaging in homosexual behavior is punishable by death, an appalling state of affairs (and one that almost always gets ignored at the UN in favor of more condemnations of the State of Israel.) 

World leaders should absolutely be speaking up and condemning such behavior, and the Trump Administration has taken a firm stance on the global stage against such practices.

But LGBT activists want far more than a condemnation of genuine persecution, which, interestingly, is rarely brought up by activists in the West--in fact, they are more likely to side with Palestinian groups who despise them than they are with Israeli groups who support them (the Left's contradictions are both bewildering and never-ending.) 

This is a very typical strategy on their part: Bring up legitimate persecution to appear reasonable, and then insert a host of poison pills that allow them to shut down their critics. 

They specifically want Christian pastors and leaders to be silenced, Christian adoption agencies shut down, and Christians driven out of the public square. 

They are using the UN to accomplish this goal, and we should be watching the work of Austin Ruse and C-Fam very carefully. Often, he is the only one pushing back against the tide.

Trump Admin Challenges University Program Promoting Islam
Sep 28th, 2019
CommentaryMEIRA SVIRSKY/CLARION PROJECT
Categories: Contemporary Issues

Left-wing academics are up in arms about the threat by the Trump Administration threat to cut federal funds for a program promoting Islam that may violate the Constitution, promote anti-Semitism and advance "ideological priorities" that have nothing to do with the purpose of the program.

As reported by AP, the program in question is run by University of North Carolina and Duke University. The Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies received $235,000 last year from the government for the program which was to promote foreign language instruction for the purpose of preparing students for careers in diplomacy and national security.

Yet, an investigation showed that the program unfairly promoted "the positive aspects of Islam" but not Christianity or Judaism. Moreover, a conference put on by the program titled "Conflict Over Gaza: People, Politics and Possibilities," featured a rapper who performed a "brazenly anti-Semitic song."

The investigation into the program was ordered by Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos after North Carolina Rep. George Holding exposed the conference for its "severe anti-Israeli bias and anti-Semitic rhetoric."

In a letter to the program, the government noted "a considerable emphasis [on] understanding the positive aspects of Islam, while there is an absolute absence of any similar focus on the positive aspects of Christianity, Judaism or any other religion or belief system in the Middle East."

Further, the program hardly addressed the discrimination faced by religious minorities in the Middle East, "including Christians, Jews, Baha'is, Yadizis, Kurds, Druze and others."

To qualify for government funds, programs must offer a "full understanding" of the region.

The government's investigation also showed that many of the conferences and academic papers put out by the consortium's scholars had nothing to do with the goals of the program. In fact, only 11 percent of the program's graduates pursue careers in government.

Instead, the program put on a conference titled "Love and Desire in Modern Iran" and papers addressing "Performance, Gender-Bending and Subversion in the Early Modern Ottoman Intellectual History" and "Radical Love: Teachings from Islamic Mystical Tradition."

The government called out the program in a letter stating, "We do not see how these activities support the development of foreign language and international expertise for the benefit of U.S. national security and economic stability."

Department of Education officials gave the program until September 22, 2019 to come up with a revived schedule of activities and to explain how each of these activities line up with promoting foreign language learning and national security.

In response, Henry Reichman, chairman of a committee on academic freedom for the American Association of University Professors, bristled, "Is the government now going to judge funding programs based on the opinions of instructors or the approach of each course? The odor of right-wing political correctness that comes through this definitely could have a chilling effect."

Similarly, Jay Smith, a history professor at UNC and vice president of the university's chapter of the association, said the government's letter written by Robert King constituted "ideologically driven harassment."

Smith further added that King, "should stay in his lane and allow the experts to determine what constitutes a 'full understanding' of the Middle East."

The statements by these academics are outrageous in their blatant dismissal of nothing short of the Constitution of the United States, which states, according to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, that the government may not favor one religion over another.

Further, far from "right-wing political correctness" (an interesting twisting of a Left-wing concept conceived to harass Conservatives and promote Left-wing ideology), academics should be held to the same standards of accountability as everyone else when receiving government funds.

Far from being an issue of "academic freedom," when a university accepts funds for a program based on specific goals, it is not unreasonable that they should not only have to design a program to meet those goals but that they should also have to submit to a review by their benefactors to see how well they are doing.

It is supremely ironic that these academics want the government to stay in their "lane," but at the same time, have no compunction about coming into that "lane" when it comes to grabbing money.

Let the Headlines Speak
Sep 28th, 2019
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines

A First Since Days of Noah: Animal Sacrifice to Restore God’s Covenant
The Conference of the Organization of the 70 Nations hosted a ceremony on Thursday whereby an animal sacrifice was offered on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The objective – to renew the covenant made between God and all of mankind.

NYTimes ‘Outs’ Ukraine-Call “Whistleblower” As CIA Officer
if The New York Times is to be believed, the complainant is a C.I.A. officer who was detailed to work at the White House at one point, according to three people familiar with his identity. The man has since returned to the C.I.A., the people said.

Police vet to Congress: ‘I will not comply’ with ‘assault weapon’ ban
“I was a bump stock owner, and I had to make a decision: Do I become a felon, or do I comply?” she said. She did once, she said. Not again. Muller said if a so-called “assault” weapons ban is passed, “I will not comply.” Muller said she was at the hearing to give voice to women who were victims of gun violence and who could not protect themselves because of anti-gun legislation

Senior IDF General: “We are Starting to Approach the Level of War” with Iran
According to Shalom, the military’s working assumption is that Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, would be the one to oversee a missile attack of that type, which Shalom said could be launched from Iraqi territory. “In the end, when he [Soleimani] takes a hit to the nose, he wants to hit back, and he has taken some blows recently. So my working assumption is that it’s only a matter of time until he tries,” said Shalom. Such an attempt could involve not only missiles but also long-range drones. “It could be in the form of a surface-to-surface missile, cruise missiles, or long-range UAVs …. We are starting to approach the level of war,” he warned.

Terrorist Attack on Temple Mount: Policewoman Stabbed
A policewoman was stabbed by an Arab terrorist on the Temple Mount on Thursday. The officer was stabbed in her arm and suffered mild injuries. The terrorist was apprehended and placed under arrest. Following the attack, the Temple Mount was closed to Muslim worshipers. Also after the attack, at least three members of the Muslim Waqf were taken in by police for questioning.

In Front of UN, Abbas Threatens Holy War Against Israel
After thanking UN bots for blindly siding with ‘Palestinians’, PA chairman Abu Mazen took to the podium and warned that Israel is: “denying worshipers access to the holy places” saying “I caution against these policies and reckless measures which will lead to dangerous consequences…the result will be a religious war.”

Netanyahu says he wants his pre-indictment hearing broadcast live
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday urged Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to allow his pre-indictment hearing next week in a series of corruption cases to be broadcast live. “After three years of a deluge of biased, partial leaks, the time has come for the public to hear everything. Including my side, in a complete and full manner — without mediators, without censorship and without distortions,” Netanyahu said in a video uploaded to his social media channels.

Trump Moves To Bar Senior Iranian Officials From US
President Donald Trump on Wednesday took steps to bar senior Iranian officials and their immediate family from entering the United States as immigrants or non-immigrants, the White House said in a proclamation. The proclamation repeated U.S. accusations that Iran sponsors terrorism, arbitrarily detains American citizens, threatens its neighbors and carries out cyber attacks.

Egypt’s Sisi plays down repeat protest call as security tightened
Egypt’s president told supporters not to worry about calls for further protests against his rule on Friday, as security forces tightened controls in the center of the capital and closed off entrances to Tahrir Square. Protests broke out on Sept. 20 in Cairo and other cities following online calls for demonstrations against alleged corruption by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the military.

Polish president: Israel is responsible for all recent antisemitism in Poland
Polish president Andrzej Duda claimed that Israel was responsible for the latest antisemitic attacks in Poland in a meeting…with Jewish leaders in the Polish consulate…on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly… Duda’s claims were in response to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who in February said that Poles “suckle antisemitism with their mother’s milk.”

Abbas promises to continue paying families of martyrs, receives applause at U.N. General Assembly
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday in his speech at the U.N. General Assembly that despite Israel’s demands, the Palestinian Authority will continue to pay salaries to terrorists. “Even if I had only one penny, I would’ve given it to the families of the martyrs, prisoners and heroes,” said Abbas and received a round of applause from the crowd.

Iran nuclear deal: EU nations warn Tehran over breaches
Britain, France and Germany have warned Iran against any further breaches of the international nuclear deal signed in 2015, the BBC has learnt.
In New York on Thursday, the three EU signatories to the deal said they would trigger a special dispute mechanism if there were further violations. Iran began breaching its commitments under the deal after the US abandoned it and imposed sanctions last year.

Lorenzo becomes 2nd Category 4 hurricane of season over open waters of Atlantic
Hurricane Lorenzo continued to rapidly strengthen over the open Atlantic Thursday morning, reaching Category 4 status and becoming the third major hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic season. Meteorologists say that Lorenzo could undergo additional strengthening and may grow into a Category 5 storm.

Trump admin says UN ‘undermining role of the family’ by promoting abortion
United States Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar led a group of 19 nations in asking the United Nations this week to remove pro-abortion language from U.N. documents while President Donald Trump separately blasted its promotion of abortion.

San Francisco Schools Radicalizing Kids as Young as 5 With Anti-Trump, Anti-American Propaganda Showcased at Recent Rally
Last week, 3 San Francisco schools took students as young as 5-years-old to a local “Close the Camps” rally. Liberals are starting their brainwashing before children even learn how to read and write. This is unacceptable.

The horrifying rape epidemic by ‘Muslim refugees’ in Finland has reached the point where Fins have given up hope
Is rampant rape the price Finnish women must pay for giving asylum to Muslim migrants? Finland, now, has become “one of the least safe countries in Europe for women,” according to Finland’s leading newspaper, “all because of the Muslim influx.”

Strong and shallow M6.8 earthquake hits Maluku, Indonesia
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the BMKG as M6.8 hit Seram Island, Maluku, Indonesia at 23:46 UTC on September 25, 2019 (08:46 local time, September 26). The agency is reporting a depth of 18.2 km (11.3 miles). USGS is reporting M6.5 at a depth of 18.2 km (11.3 miles); EMSC M6.6 at a depth of 33 km (20.5 miles).

‘Historic’ snowstorm may bring blizzard conditions to Montana, several feet of snow to mountains
The first day of fall may have just been on Monday, but winter is already well on its way to parts of the northern Rockies, where a potentially “historic” winter storm is setting up for this weekend.

Ukraine Transcripts Show Crowdstrike Is The Common Denominator Between Hillary Clinton’s Email Server, Joe Biden, Burisma Holdings, And The Russian Collusion Hoax
Why are the Democrats rushing so fast to try and impeach President Trump? Because of a single word in the Ukraine transcripts – CrowdStrike. Who are they? CrowdStrike is a private sector security company in Silicon Valley, and they were hired by the Crooked Hillary team to keep her email server out of the hands of the FBI.

A controversial Bill passed in Iran, it allows men to marry daughters, draws flak from other nations?
Iran Parliamentarians have moved a bill in order to protect the rights of children which includes a clause that lets a man marry his own adopted daughter considering the fact that she is 13 years old.

Toy Maker Mattel Launches ‘Creatable World’ Gender Neutral Dolls To Indoctrinate Children To Accept And Imitate The Transgender Lifestyle
Mattel says that ‘gen-alpha’ kids, or children under the age of 10 ‘see gender very differently’, and because of that they need a gender-fluid and gender neutral doll to identify with. But hold on a second, can anyone tell me whythat children under the age of 10 ‘see gender differently’? Who taught them that? I’ll tell you why. It’s because the satanically-driven public school system and the LGBTQ+P for Pedophile mafia has been ramming it down their throats since they started preschool, that’s why.

I Delight to Do Thy Will, O My God - Psalm 40:7,8
Sep 28th, 2019
Morning MeditationF. B. Meyer
Categories: Meditation;Inspirational;Book Study

The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Psalm 40:10.) lays great stress on these words. He says that this yielding up of Christ's will to his Father's was consummated on the cross, and was the inner heart of our Saviour's passion. "By which will (surrendered and given back to God) we have been sanctified." He then proceeds to suggest that it is only as we enter into a living oneness with Jesus in this that we can pass from the outer court and have boldness to enter into the Holiest of all. This, he says, is the new and living way. Jesus entered into the Holiest because He gave Himself absolutely to his Father. We cannot expect to go thither till we have become possessed of the same spirit.

It is a solemn question for each. Have we all stood at the cross, as the slave of old at the doorpost of his master's house, and said, "I love my Master. I will not go out free"? Have we been united to that cross, as by the boring of the awl? Have we so embraced the will of God that we are prepared to follow it, though it lead to the Cross and grave? Then one condition at least is fulfilled for our standing unabashed where angels veil their faces.

But there is yet another condition. We can have no right to stand within the Holiest, except through the blood of Jesus, shed for sin on the cross. This is necessary ere sinners can have boldness in the presence of Divine Purity.

When Rutherford was like to die of sore illness, instead of a martyr's death, he said, "I would think it a more glorious way of going home, to lay down my life for the cause at the cross of Edinburgh or St. Andrew's; but I submit to my Master's will. Oh for arms to embrace Him!"