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A recent Gallup poll refutes the claim made by Barack Obama on March 9, 2008 that “we are no longer a Christian nation.” Gallup found that three quarters of all Americans - a supermajority - identify themselves as Christians, with only five percent saying they are practicing members of a non-Christian faith. “We find, looking at our data, that America does in fact remain a predominantly Christian nation,” Dr. Frank Newport, Gallup’s editor in chief, said of the poll released on Christmas Eve. “Now, our overall estimation of what percent of Americans identify with the Christian religion depends a little...

The Phil Robertson/A&E flap has produced some silly commentary, but perhaps none quite so silly as this exchange on MSNBC earlier this week. Joy Reid filled in for Ed Schultz on his show last Monday and invited Michael Eric Dyson to discuss the contretemps over Robertson’s comments on homosexuality and religion. Dyson argues at the end of this clip that Robertson attempted to “us[e] Jesus in making Jesus co-sign all of this bigotry here,” and then almost in the same breath accused Christian men who profess love of Jesus as being, er … you know (via The Right Scoop and...

“And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night” (Luke 2:8). It was the shepherds outside of Bethelehem who first heard the news of Christ’s birth. These men and boys often lived at the edge of society, doing hard and lonely work in all sorts of weather. In many ways, the shepherd was the “average working-class Joe” of Jewish life. To some people, being a shepherd was among the lowest kinds of work. It was physically demanding but vital to the economy of the Jews. Shepherds lived mostly in the...

After Phil Robertson, the patriarch of "Duck Dynasty," made controversial remarks about homosexuality that were published in GQ magazine, former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin spoke out in his defense. However, when asked by Fox News host Greta Van Susteren if Robertson's remarks were offensive and whether or not she had any objection as to how he worded his comments, Palin said she didn't know what Robertson had actually said, Politico reports. “I haven’t read the article. I don’t know exactly how he said it,” Palin explained on Fox News’s “On the Record With Greta Van Susteren" on Monday. On December...

Over the weekend, America’s favorite faux-folksy diner/knickknack chain became the newest front in the culture wars when they removed any trace of Duck Dynasty‘s Phil Robertson from all their stores. It didn’t turn out so well for them, and the way they’ve waved the white flag is instructive. From Cracker Barrel’s Facebook page, 7:51pm on 12/20: Cracker Barrel’s mission is Pleasing People. We operate within the ideals of fairness, mutual respect and equal treatment of all people. These ideals are the core of our corporate culture. We continue to offer Duck Commander products in our stores. We removed selected products...

When word came that Phil Robertson had been "indefinitely" suspended by A&E, he was praying for a fellow church member afflicted with cancer, according to his church leader. Robertson's pastor Mike Kellett said, "There were greater things on our mind than the firestorm about this [GQ magazine] article."Speaking to CNN, Kellett said Robertson isn't worried about being suspended over what he said because he believes he told the truth: "He's very calm, and very confident that if he serves the Lord, God will take care of everything."

The world media is increasingly losing interest in the foreign-fueled war still raging in Syria between the Assad regime and an assortment of Islamist rebel groups backed by the Obama administration, Sunni Arab dictators, and European powers. For embattled Syrian Christians, though — most of whom tried to stay out of the conflict — reports suggest the situation is deteriorating quickly, with over 1,200 documented murders so far, and almost 500,000 forced to flee their homes to escape the escalating violence and ruthless persecution. The real numbers are probably even worse. Experts say the end goal of many jihadist rebel...

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has commended the efforts exerted by Pope Francis to revitalize interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Ihsanoglu made the comment during his first meeting with the pope at the Vatican on Friday. The secretary-general pointed out that today the presence of Muslims in historically Christian countries has expanded, while some OIC countries either have native Christian communities or have witnessed in recent years the arrival of Christians as guest workers.

How do you know you're saved? Imagine you arrive at a most important banquet that's hosted by Christ Himself. After all--you're a Christian. Picture coming to His home and walking right up to the door. Perhaps you're a little surprised that the door is closed and you're shut outside. But not to be deterred, you knock and knock. No response, no reaction. So you call out, "Jesus open the door, Lord it's me." Still, no response, no reaction. At long last, you hear Jesus' voice and He says, "I never knew you!" What a devastating and shocking situation in which...

A goal of Buddhism is to “renounce” or overcome lust. So much so, that the most fervent Buddhists live as celibate monks. Their hope is to eventually enter Nirvana, a state where they expect to “extinguish all desires”—not just lust. Buddhists are correct. Evil desires are to blame for our troubles.....

"For as man, disobeying, drew death upon himself; so, obeying the will of God, he who desires is able to procure for himself life everlasting. For God has given us a law and holy commandments; and every one who keeps these can be saved, and, obtaining the resurrection, can inherit incorruption." - St. Theophilus of Antioch, to Autolycus (Book 2, Chapter 27) [link] Are we still under a Law? Yes. However, we are not under the Mosaic one. The Mosaic Law worked for a while, but ceased to be the best option after the "time of reformation" (Hebrews 9:10). At...

For years now, many of us have been warning America that freedoms of religion, speech, conscience and association and homosexual “rights” cannot coexist; they are by nature mutually exclusive. This is becoming clearer by the minute, as the radical homosexual movement has taken super flight under the ever-darkening reign of the pro-homosexual Barack Obama (or whatever his name is). The homosexual movement is part of a larger push toward tyranny that has its roots in the spirit realm. Ephesians 6:12 clearly spells out the real battle: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against...

Steve McQueen, who committed to Christ late in life, TV show 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' is now featured each weekend on the MeTv Network From 1963 to 1978, Steve McQueen was considered by movie fans and big screen insiders as one of the main leading actors in Hollywood. The rugged faced actor's roles defined "cool" and his persona was idolized by men and women alike, yet he remained unfazed by Hollywood's glitter. Late in his life the famous actor finally realized his need for God and decided to commit his life to Christ. Terrance Steven McQueen was born in Beech...

Peter and Hazelmary Bull following the Supreme Court ruling. LONDON, November 28, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Peter and Hazelmary Bull, the Christian hoteliers fined for refusing a single room to two homosexual men in September 2008, have lost their appeal to the UK’s Supreme Court, with the court ruling that their company policy was “discriminatory.” Despite the fact that the couple proved that their policy applied equally to any unmarried couples, and not just homosexuals, all five judges ruled the Bulls’ policy to be a case of illegal discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, and dismissed their appeal. Two of...

Dr. Donna Freitas, perhaps the nation’s leading expert on university hookup culture, has being doing research among college students and on college campuses regarding sex, the hookup culture, and student religiosity for several years.  She has produced many scholarly publications and studies.  One consistent finding she has observed is that evangelical college students are significantly less likely to hookup than any of their counterparts (Catholic or secular).  Why?  An excerpt from an interview: The attitudes toward sexuality on evangelical campuses were remarkably different from everywhere else. Everyone is struggling with sex, but they do it in very different ways.It’s impossible on...

A former Mormon bishop in Riverside County is expected to serve three years in prison for sexually assaulting two teenage girls who attended a Menifee church, prosecutors said. Todd Mitchell Edwards, 49, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts related to the assault of the teens, ages 16 and 18, as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County district attorney's office. The counts were sexual battery and sexual penetration with a foreign object. In addition to the prison time, Edwards will also have to register as a lifetime sex offender as part...

So I just paid my first not-exactly-a-premium to Christian Healthcare Ministries. I had to wait a little while, got one of those “we are experiencing a higher than normal call volume” messages. When I finally got through I spoke with a nice the young lady and was able to pay up over the phone. When that was done, I asked her how business had been. She said it was so crazy busy they were trying to staff up to handle the volume. I said that was cool, and she said, yep, it’s a God thing, and I had to agree....

I love hearing stories about those who are in the trenches, overcoming lust. It seems like almost anyone at any stage of life is vulnerable to this sin. Lust is relentlessly ”deceitful” (Ephesians 4:22). Today’s story takes the form of a short but thought-provoking email exchange I shared with Joe—75 years old—who lost his wife and is intent on “finishing strong.” To do this he needed to get his head straight about lust. (He has given me permission to share this.) Here is Joe’s story:

When Sandy swept across the Jersey shore in October 2012, the coastal town of Ocean Grove was spared the worst. Sure, half the town’s boardwalk was destroyed and its pier was swept out to sea. And yes, sand, trees, and concrete benches were carried two blocks inland, while entire buildings were picked up and moved across town. But Ocean Grove’s crown jewel, an ornate and beautiful 6,250-seat auditorium, built in 1894, survived. It only had a third of its roof torn off. The auditorium’s foundation was intact and, most important, its 11,561-pipe organ was unscathed by the wind and rain....

STOCKTON, CA – A hospital in California that recently put a retired military veteran on leave after he asked to speak with an attorney about their request to remove ‘God bless America’ from his email signature has partially rescinded its actions following a national outcry over the matter. As previously reported, Dameron Hospital employee Boots Hawks was called into his supervisor’s office earlier this month and asked to remove the phrase from his email, which is one of three that he posts with his signature. “Excuses only satisfy the person making them” and “Change is either induced by inspiration or...