 GETTY IMAGES Once again, Democrats are desperate. Once again, they’re grasping at straws. But to be fair, they do this sort of thing on a regular basis, especially when they’re scared. And right now they are downright terrified of the mere possibility of losing their ideological sway over the Supreme Court. There’s a reason for that, but we’ll get to it in a minute. You may remember that I recently discussed the Left’s hysterical hatred of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, a man who openly opposes things like abortion and gay marriage. It should be no secret at all why they utterly detest him. Moreover, the man has the full support and backing of President Trump, so as far as liberals are concerned, Kavanaugh might as well be Satan incarnate. In fact, I wouldn’t at all be surprised if that’s the next allegation they attempt to levy against him: “Shocking new documents prove Brett Kavanaugh was once formerly Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness.” Indeed, such a headline would make just about as much sense as what leftists are doing now. As you’ve undoubtedly heard, the final confirmation hearings are drawing to a close and frenzied Democrats have concocted an elaborate fable of sexual misconduct (read: alleged misconduct) which apparently occurred during the judge’s days as a teenager in high school. Yes, they are actually reaching back to his high school days to try to find smear material. The New Yorker has released a report citing an unnamed woman who initially (and conveniently) refused to go on record with her outlandish claims: The woman, who has asked not to be identified, first approached Democratic lawmakers in July, shortly after Trump nominated Kavanaugh. The allegation dates back to the early nineteen-eighties, when Kavanaugh was a high school student at Georgetown Prepatory School, in Bethesda, Maryland, and the woman attended a nearby high school. In the letter, the woman alleged that, during an encounter at a party, Kavanaugh held her down, and that he attempted to force himself on her. She claimed in the letter that Kavanaugh and a classmate of his, both of whom has been drinking, turned up the music that was playing in the room to conceal the sound of her protests, and that Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand. She was able to free herself. Although the alleged incident took place decades ago and the three individuals involved were minors, the woman said that the memory had been a source of ongoing distress for her, and that she had sought psychological treatment as a result.” This woman has since been identified as Christine Blasey Ford, a professor in California, and — as you can see for yourself — Ms. Ford cannot even remember when, where or even particularly how Kavanaugh and his friend (Mark Judge) attempted to allegedly rape her three decades ago. The only “facts” we know is that they were all immature, intoxicated teenagers at some random party. Ford waited until 2012 to tell her personal therapist all about the traumatic event and then subsequently reached out to a few Democratic politicians and lawmakers who conveniently sat on this information until Kavanaugh’s nomination proceedings were certain. Of course, we are told that this is all grounds to disqualify him from a seat on the Highest Court in the Land. No. It’s not. The truth is that these Democrats are engaging in some of the most embarrassingly pathetic smear tactics in the Washington political playbook, despite the fact that 65 women who knew Kavanaugh during high school have recently signed a public document vouching for his character and honor. The Left is frantically doing anything they can to retain control of the Supreme Court because they know that a conservative majority would utterly obliterate any chance of furthering the liberal progressive agenda in our culture. This has been — and always will be — the Left’s ultimate goal and longterm strategy. And, as we’ve seen with the Kavanaugh drama, they are willing to go to any lengths to accomplish it, even if it means brutally maligning the character of a decent, respectable and highly qualified man based on unfounded, unsubstantiated claims from over 30 years ago. One has to wonder why they are so terrified of him. For God’s sake, Kavanaugh is just one man. He cannot singlehandedly undo the horrific political, moral and spiritual effects that decades of progressivism has wrought upon our society. And even if indeed he is found to have behaved recklessly as a teenager, this is still not reason enough to disqualify him from service. Plenty of adult human beings in their fifties have proven themselves capable of leaving their teenage immaturities behind and becoming well-rounded, contributing members of society. (Believe it or not, there are those of us who still believe in redemption.) I’d be willing to bet that if we were to conduct investigations into the early years of every liberal who has ever served on the Court — or every Democrat politician in our nation — we might find a few similar stories of irresponsible behavior. This is not a justification or excuse for Kavanaugh’s [alleged] actions. But, it does provide important perspective to a situation that must be viewed within the framework of its proper context. And that context is this: The Left is so desperate to cling to its control over cultural indoctrination — with the Supreme Court as one of its primary weapons — that it no longer cares how low it has to stoop or how much it has to embarrass itself to carry out its perverse ideological agenda. God help us. NOTE: If you're reading this post in your e-mail inbox and would like to comment, please feel free to reply via e-mail or click on the post title above and leave a comment on my site. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook and on Twitter.
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 Julian the puppet - Source: YouTube Just when you think that trans advocates have exceeded peak stupidity and moral depravity, they always manage to outdo themselves. The latest bit of lunacy and derangement from the LGBTQIA+++ folks took on an entirely new form a few days ago when — according to Canada-based CTV News — transgender puppets were introduced in a set of new children’s YouTube videos designed to “help young kids explore gender issues.” Yes, you read that correctly. Transgender puppets. TRANS. GENDER. PUPPETS. I rarely resort to the use of all-caps, but I think it’s justified in this case. I also believe that I can officially say: We have hit an all-time low. It may be time to consider moving to another planet. In the video series, a young school-aged puppet named Julia “feels in her heart that she’s a boy and wants to be called Julian.” Supporters say that it can be difficult and stressful for parents and family members to tackle the complexities of discussing issues like gender fluidity, homosexuality, transgenderism, sexual orientation, etc. with their own children. But, not to worry, moms and dads. Here comes Julian The Transgender Marionette to save the day. Huzzah! Besides, why should you bother having a conversation with your kid about adult subjects when a freaking puppet can do it for you? It’s the perfect set up, really. Julia is school-aged just like your child. She’s easily influenced. She listens to her friends. And her message is quite a simple one. In fact, here's a little snippet from the introductory video: “Hello. My name is Julien. When I was little, people called me Julia and I thought I was a little girl. But in my heart, I felt I was a little boy. If you want to get to know my world, friends, and wonderful story, click on this link.” The link takes viewers to several other videos showing Julia’s supposed “transition.” (Note: Julia is a puppet.) Later, she and a friend go to a salon where she plans to get a haircut. (Note: Julia is still a puppet.) Her friend says, “Did you know that there are many kids like you in the world? … There are millions and millions.” Julia responds by saying, “Wow! That’s wonderful!” (Spoiler alert: Julia is still a puppet.) By watching the subsequent clips, parents and their children are exposed to the absurd notion that gender is not at all determined by biology and that your genetic makeup is actually quite irrelevant to who you are as a person, particularly since it can change and fluctuate depending on your emotional state. In other words: you are what or who you feel you are. This is the ideological mindset of the progressive LGBTQ movement and it is one that they are constantly seeking to introduce to innocent and naive children who, quite honestly, have no business learning about adult issues like gender and sexuality at such a young age. Moreover, it should never be the responsibility of the government, the public education system or an “anti-bullying organization” like the Jasmin Roy Sophie Desmarais Foundation to teach kids about such subjects. For God’s sake, let parents educate their own children on these controversial issues. It’s also worth pausing here to note the ironic hypocrisy in a statement like “I never felt like a girl,” as if being a male or female “feels” a certain way. Sounds to me like Julia might be stereotyping without even realizing it. Anyway, I guess it just wasn’t enough that the “Drag Queen Reading Hour” programs have exploded in widespread popularity at local public libraries across the nation. I guess it wasn’t enough that the concept of gender fluidity has been introduced in sexual education curriculums in public schools — particularly with the Sexual Orientation Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculums already in placement throughout Canadian provinces. Now we also apparently need puppets teaching kids about transgenderism. The truth is that the progressive Left and their LGBTQ allies will obviously never be satisfied. They will always reach for more. They will always push the envelope. They will always lust after further indoctrination. And sadly, in doing so, they have chosen to now engage in full-on, all-out spiritual and psychological child abuse, the latter of which can be just as harmful as actual sexual abuse according to the APA. There are many problems with what this organization is doing — not the least of which is hiding their agenda under the guise of an “anti-bullying program” — but let’s state the most crucial: Introducing innocent, underage kids to adult sexual content and topics opens up the floodgates for a tidal-wave of potential traumatic effects that often cannot even be predicted until it is too late. Children of this age bracket have absolutely no idea what it means to be a “boy” or a “girl” in terms of sexuality and they especially cannot conceive of the concept of choosing one’s own sexual identity (Never mind for the moment that this is an actual scientific and biologic impossibility anyway.) Their little brains are not capable of handling the complexities of such fragmented ideas. When the concept of transgenderism is introduced to a child — and he is told or taught that it is possible to “choose one’s own sexual identity” — it deprives the child of the identity that he had in the first place. Indeed it is bad enough to deprive a child of something like shelter or food, but to deprive him of his own assured sense of identity is monstrous and only confuses him all the more. He should grow up to know himself and be raised to embrace and appreciate his natural, biological state of being. The developers of these videos — not unlike the drag queens — are attempting to forcibly impose false narratives and harmful beliefs upon impressionable children, which will only lead to further psychological and spiritual damage. Of course, many people on social media have shrugged the whole thing off and just laughed, saying that it is a “non-issue” and that conservatives or Christians shouldn’t even waste time addressing something as silly as puppets. But there is nothing silly about what is happening here. I would argue that this is truly one of the most twisted, eerie, and inherently depraved and dangerous forms of psychological child abuse in existence. This organization is satanically hellbent on indoctrinating children and robbing them of their own self-awareness by teaching them an ideology built on the premise that your emotions dictate your reality. And there is nothing funny about that at all. NOTE: If you're reading this post in your e-mail inbox and would like to comment, please feel free to reply via e-mail or click on the post title above and leave a comment on my site. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook and on Twitter.
 GETTY IMAGES Democrats have been in a state of sheer panic and mass hysteria over the official confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. (Of course, to be fair, the anger started as far back as July.) As I mentioned on my Facebook Page the other day, the absurd protests have obviously been nothing more than a desperate attempt by leftists to delay the vote by one more year, which would put them in a more favorable position to control the Senate if they can win the majority in the November midterm elections. In effect, the Democrats are stalling. This is just politics as usual, or so it would seem. Both parties in Washington are guilty of playing this nauseating game, though leftwing voters seem to be the ones who have a particular fondness for marching in the streets. Despite what you may hear from the agitators themselves, the protests have nothing to do with whether or not Kavanaugh is qualified. The man has an impeccable record. The protests also have little to do with the release of any ‘mysterious documents,’ as over 488,000 pages of those documents have indeed already been released (in comparison to the roughly 70,000 pages which were released on Justice Elena Kagan in 2010 during the Obama administration.) In truth, this absurdity has everything to do with the Left’s utter hatred for Kavanaugh’s conservative viewpoints, particularly on issues like women’s rights, gay marriage, etc. This was made abundantly clear on Wednesday when ultra-feminist Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein interrogated Kavanaugh on the topic of abortion and — in one particular display of vitriolic outrage — claimed that over one million women died from illegal abortions before Roe. I shouldn’t even have to pause here to discuss why this number so insanely and patently false. Moreover, even if it were true (which it isn’t), it would still pale in comparison to the over 60 million babies who have been mercilessly slaughtered by abortion since the passage of Roe. Democrats allowed chaos, political delinquency, false narratives, wicked ideological beliefs, immaturity and partisan outbursts to reign supreme at the hearing, all intentionally designed to usurp the natural flow of order and shut the entire thing down. In other words, Leftism was on full display for all the nation to see. Any reasonable American voter with half a brain should have taken note. Personally, I hope that everyone got a good look at the spectacle. I don’t say this just because such chaos and anarchy reveals progressivism’s true colors, but also because it reveals — more specifically — their dishonesty and rejection of Absolute Truth (truths like abortion being the equivalent of infanticide.) The Left’s attempts to discredit Kavanaugh on the grounds that he is unqualified for service is, in actuality, a mechanism intended to distract Americans from one of the biggest reasons that they despise him: He isn’t particularly fond of abortion. More specifically, he didn’t allow an illegal immigrant to get a free abortion (a ruling which labeled him “extreme” to many on the Left.) That’s it. That’s all. He doesn’t support or like baby-murder. He doesn’t want tax-payers to be forced to fund it against their will. And because of that, the Left hates him. They loathe him. They have turned him into the Villain of the Week and will undoubtedly drag him through the muck and mire because of his personal beliefs. What makes all of this even more pathetic is that many on the Left cannot even bring themselves to openly admit that it is indeed ideological differences — on subjects like abortion — which have caused them to oppose Kavanaugh. Instead, they are content to continually drone on endlessly about his “lack of experience,” rather than just come out and say: “Yes, we hate this man because he is morally against abortion.” No one can actually make a halfway decent argument against Kavanaugh on the grounds of his credibility without it being based largely on opinion and conjecture, rather than facts. (This probably has something to do with the fact that he is abundantly qualified to be on the Supreme Court.) If you hate the man, fine. You’re certainly entitled to do so. But, at least be honest about why you hate him. Stop pretending. NOTE: If you're reading this post in your e-mail inbox and would like to comment, please feel free to reply via e-mail or click on the post title above and leave a comment on my site. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook and on Twitter.
 GETTY IMAGES Last Friday the evangelical ministry world was shaken by heartbreaking national news that a pastor had committed suicide. As you’ve undoubtedly heard by now, 30-year-old Andrew Stoecklein — Lead Pastor for Inland Hills Church in Chino, California — took his own life after a dark and painful battle with depression and anxiety. According to reports, he was rushed to the hospital on Friday, August 25 when his suicide attempt failed. He was then immediately placed on life support while his church held a prayer vigil. Tragically, Stoecklein would pass away that same night. His wife, Kayla, shared the news on her Instagram account. Unlike most pastors, Stoecklein, who had just returned from a four-month sabbatical, was open and transparent about his depression and mental health issues, and — ironically enough — was even teaching through a sermon series titled “Hot Mess,” in which he discussed some of his own personal “messes.” Moreover, he was undergoing psychiatric counseling for his depression and anxiety, a step which most pastors refuse to take as they believe it may be perceived as a sign of weakness (a common shortcoming among men in general.) Nevertheless, despite all of the well-intentioned honesty and counseling, Andrew’s life was still cut tragically short. And he’s not alone. Last December, Pastor Bill Lenz of Christ The Rock Community Church in Wisconsin took his own life after a months-long war with depression. Wayne Oglesby of Texas — a pastor’s son who “followed in his father’s footsteps” — succumbed to discouragement and “emotional breakdowns” and eventually, on March 4, 2010, ended his life, leaving behind his grief-stricken wife, children, grandchildren and congregation. According to LifeWay Research statistics from 2015, roughly “one-third of pastors admit to battling discouragement (34 percent) or depression/the fear of inadequacy (35 percent) on a regular basis.” Also, “about a quarter say they’ve experienced some type of mental illness themselves (23 percent)” and “12 percent have been [officially] diagnosed with a mental health condition.” Obviously the numbers speak for themselves. Although I never knew Pastor Andrew personally, my heart breaks beyond words for his family, his friends and his church. I cannot imagine the grief and loss they are enduring. All that I can do is pray for them. And yet, as a pastor’s son myself, I feel compelled to humbly offer what little insight and first-hand perspective I have. With that in mind, here is some of what I think you should know: 1) 21st Century ministry is no longer what it once was. In addition to enduring a barrage of personal trials and tribulations and receiving an onslaught of criticism, the average pastor in today’s culture must simultaneously juggle hundreds of responsibilities and tasks that did not even exist just 20 or 30 years ago. This isn’t to say that these things are not necessary or important. But, they do add to the stress and strain of pastorship. There was once a time when pastors were expected to do little more than “preach, marry and bury.” These days have long since passed. Today they’re expected to:
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, folks. So, are we really surprised to discover that some pastors struggle with discouragement, stress, anxiety and exhaustion? Of course they do. They’re people too. I imagine they often feel much like Paul who — after suffering a surge of physical persecution and torture — said that “Besides those external things, there is the daily [inescapable] pressure of my concern for all the churches.” (2 Corinthians 11:24-28) Later, he even compares ministry work to the pains of childbirth when he says, “My little children, for whom I am again in [the pains of] labor until Christ is [completely and permanently] formed within you…” (Galatians 4:19, see also NKJV — “labor in birth”) 2) Pastors should have an accountability partner and/or close friend to whom they can vent about church life and ministry. The importance of this simply cannot be overstated. Personally, I know that my own father would either go clinically insane or explode if he did not have his weekly lunch and breakfast sessions with his two best friends, both of whom have ministry experience themselves and can therefore understand, relate to, and empathize with his experiences. 3) Any pastor diagnosed with a mental health disorder should resign, no matter the size of his church or ministry. Pastors, listen: I don’t care if you’re leading a church of 40 people or 40,000. If you’re struggling with serious psychological and emotional health disorders (which seems to have unfortunately been the case for Andrew Stoecklein), the best thing that you can do for yourself and your flock is to step down from your position and then seek professional help, guidance and counsel if you are not already doing so. There is no shame or embarrassment in this. In fact, you owe it to them, to yourself and — most importantly — to God to be honest and to take ministry seriously enough to resign. Rest in the assurance that Christ is more than capable of caring for your flock and bringing in a qualified shepherd. And pastoral ministry is indeed to be taken seriously. It is not for the faint of heart, nor for the one who cannot endure the mental, emotional and spiritual pressures. The author of Hebrews says that spiritual leaders literally “keep watch over your souls” and “guard your spiritual welfare as those who will give an account [of their stewardship of you.]” (Hebrews 13:17) That is a colossal and solemn responsibility. 4) Pastors are not invincible. The reality that Paul understood well — and I fear too many young pastors do not — is that he was breakable and weak. Paul knew he was not invincible. Pastors experience the same full circle of human emotions that we all do — including doubt, disillusionment, discouragement, and anxiety — and yet they often ignore them under the assumption that God will handle these issues because they are so busy doing His work. While it is certainly true that “God’s grace is sufficient” and that His “strength is made perfect in weakness,” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) pastors should simultaneously care for, monitor and tend to their own psychological wellbeing the same as anyone else. Moreover, congregants should regularly encourage and pray for their pastors. I can promise you — from firsthand experience — that there is a whole world of pastoral tribulation which occurs behind-the-scenes, far away from Sunday and Wednesday activities. This world is rarely spoken of, especially by pastors themselves. But, it is real and The Enemy lurks there. Be on guard and, most importantly, be ready to support and defend your pastor when the attacks come. NOTE: If you're reading this post in your e-mail inbox and would like to comment, feel free to reply via e-mail or click on the post title above and leave a comment on my site. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook and on Twitter.
The Problem In The Catholic Priesthood Is Not The Celibacy Requirement. The Problem Is Sin.8/23/2018  It is burdensome and seemingly pointless to discuss what is at the core of the sexual abuse epidemic within the Catholic Church. Indeed tens of thousands of people have flocked to social media and the airwaves to opine on why this scandal has happened — before taking the time to read the facts, do some historical research, or even meditate and pray. As you know, this sort of nonsensical behavior has simply become standard protocol in our society these days. No one listens to rationality, reasoning, evidence or biblical truth. They simply spew a lot of inane ideas and worthless conjectures before moving on to the next soap opera. Thus a meaningful conversation becomes nearly impossible and all the more frustrating to implement. However, the need for a coherent discussion is nonetheless necessary and critical, particularly as this scandal has resulted in so much brutal scrutiny of believers and criticism of the Catholic faith. In the midst of the cacophony, I’ve noticed a rather disturbing theory that appears to be the most common, even among people who profess to be “believers” within other denominations. One Facebook user summarized it like this: “Well, if only Catholic priests were allowed to marry, this sort of thing wouldn’t be happening.” Yes, that’s the overwhelmingly brilliant answer from most of America on how to solve the problem of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church: Just let those poor, pitiful priests get married. Then they wouldn’t have to go around raping little boys and girls. Never mind that Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison recently published a letter in which he openly admitted that there is undeniably “a homosexual subculture within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church that is wreaking great devastation in the vineyard of the Lord.” Never mind that this report from Catholic News Agency reveals an unbridled, unchecked and prevalent gay culture within the Archdiocese of Newark. As you’re probably aware by now, this is where the homosexual predator priest Cardinal McCarrick served for quite a while. Never mind that one report documented a priest who raped a girl and subsequently forced her to get an abortion. Never mind that another report documented a priest who made a hospital visit for a little girl who was having her tonsils removed and instead raped her while he was there. Oh, and never mind that the current Archbishop of Newark — Cardinal Tobin — once vehemently advocated for an “LGBT pilgrimage and Mass.” Obviously the problem here is not that these Catholic priests were expected to adhere to celibacy requirements, but that they intentionally and knowingly chose perversion instead of righteous living. They chose the "practices of the sinful nature" which are "clearly evident" as "sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control)..." (Galatians 5:19-21) In fact, the Apostle Paul himself boldly declares that “it would be better for [them] to marry” than to “burn with passion" (1 Corinthians 7:1-9), although it should simultaneously be noted that marriage itself certainly does not solve the moral dilemma of sexual depravity, lusts and temptations. Marriage is not a magical cure. One can still be married and struggle with tendencies toward homosexuality, pedophilia or any number of other sexual sins. And, I think it goes without saying that molesting little kids or living a gay lifestyle certainly qualify. Not to mention that the mere act of intentionally causing a child to stumble and be involved in such sin is worthy of being drowned in the ocean with a millstone around your neck. (Matthew 18:1-6) The ultimate cure, of course, is confession of one's sins (1 John 1:9), true repentance (Acts 3:19), and a daily walk with Christ. And if getting married means that you can no longer be a Catholic priest, then so be it. Hang up your robe and throw away your collar. Pray and seek God’s will for the next chapter of your life. At least your conscience and soul will be clear before your Creator. Better to walk in the Truth and the Light than to risk forfeiting your soul to the eternal fires of Hell. Indeed, there is actually nothing unbiblical about being a pastor/priest and simultaneously being married. However, there is something unbiblical and immoral about sexual sins like pedophilia and homosexuality. That much is clear and inarguable. It’s also worth noting that God often calls many Christian men and women alike — of various denominational beliefs — to a life of “singleness” for His divine purposes (Matthew 19:9-12) and yet the vast majority of these folks don’t wind up in the news for sexual abuse crimes. The reasons for a life of celibacy, singleness or sexual abstinence often differ widely in scope. Not everyone who adheres to such a life is doing so because he or she is in a ministry leadership position (although that could be the case for some.) There are also countless individuals — believers and unbelievers — who choose singleness in order to more actively focus on their careers; or out of fear of making the same mistakes their parents made; or because they feel safer when they’re single than in a relationship; or any number of other sound psychological, emotional or biblical reasons. So, could it be that this priestly sexual abuse crisis actually has far more to do with perversion, debauchery, wickedness, satanic evil and sin than it does with any sort of Catholic celibacy requirement? Could it possibly be that “man’s heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Could it be that these men made active choices of their own volition to give into sexual temptation and perversion; to give into their sin natures? Could it be that “the celibacy requirement” is nothing more than a theological scapegoat upon which so many people seem to be blaming this horrific tragedy so that they don’t have to confront the real problem? Perhaps — just maybe — the notion of confronting sexual sin makes us uncomfortable because we know it’s not just a problem within “the Church.” It’s a problem within society. It’s a problem within our culture. And it’s a problem within our own hearts. Perhaps that’s why we are so squeamish about it. And yet, it is all the more reason why we should confront and combat it. NOTE: If you're reading this post in your e-mail inbox and would like to comment, feel free to reply via e-mail or click on the post title above and leave a comment on my site. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook and on Twitter.  Wikimedia Commons/iStock |
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