Posts Tagged ‘culture’

Christianity, Church ‘Essential’ to the Preservation of America

Posted: July 22, 2021 by David Fiorazo in David's Blog
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How did we get to the point in America where a generation has grown up believing lies that this country is evil, was founded by evil men, and it must therefore be dismantled – from the Constitution to capitalism? It’s crucial to the survival of our Republic that we remind those who will listen about our true, unedited history – including the founding of our nation on the living God and the biblical worldview.

The question, however, is are we too late?

We are in a worldview war and the left is winning. Do enough of us have the will to fight back?

First, we need to recognize the reality of spiritual warfare. There are battles in heavenly realms over nations because of what they stand for as well as over the people in those nations. The enemy hates America because of the God we were once united under and the believers who still represent Him.

Part of this epic war has manifested as hatred directed at Christians and the church. Why is this?

A person’s foundational assumptions about God and man directly influence their philosophy of law and government. This is why we see the intense, moral battle for America’s soul, and whether or not to uphold the US Constitution as the law of the land. Though not perfect, America made it this far in history because we once sought to glorify the Lord, obey His commands, and had little resistance to advancing the Christian faith.

George Barna released a disturbing study finding that less and less people in America today believe in or support Christianity. The alarming title was: “U.S. Moving Toward Elimination of Biblical Worldview as Cornerstone of Society” Stop for a few seconds and consider the word, “elimination.”

It took time to reach this point. While we were sleeping, the enemy of our souls and enemies of America have been working overtime.

In my new book, Canceling Christianity, I write in chapter 3 about “The Historic Impact of Christianity” because generations have been deceived, and our culture now sees the church as nonessential. Young people see Christians as inconsequential and the church as unnecessary. Why?

The overwhelming evidence for the tremendous, positive influence of Christianity worldwide is undeniable. And yet, some not only minimize Christianity’s impact, but they also claim we would be better off without the church. The truth is that no one has impacted and improved the world like Jesus Christ!

Hundreds of millions of people have been transformed by the Word of God because the United States was built on, strengthened, and blessed by Christianity. Some of these life-changing biblical principles include:

the value and sanctity of every human life, the abolition of slavery, dignity and respect given to women, the stability of the family, advances in science, hospitals and health care; labor practices, economic freedom, educating the poor, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, reforming laws to protect the weak, art, literature, architecture, education, philosophy, compassion, charity, justice, and equality.

You would have to be uninformed, in denial, or indignant to argue that the Christian church has not been a tremendous instrument for good or that Christians have not turned the world into a better place over the past 2,000 years. The church has its shortcomings, yes, but they are heavily outweighed by its vast benefits to mankind through history.

But anti-Christian and anti-American programming has led to a change in public opinion to where people have a negative impression of God and the church today. For more than fifty years now, studies have concluded that fewer young people see the Christian faith in a positive light.

Why would people not appreciate teachings about faith, loving God and their neighbor, compassion, forgiveness, family, generosity, respect for life, true justice, hard work, sexual purity, thanksgiving, ad hope? Because they replaced God with one in their own image. It is vital we reeducate and inform others about the historical contributions of Christianity and show them the church is essential to a society like ours.

So many churches, charities, nonprofits, and charitable organizations could be noted here including the Salvation Army, YMCA, Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, Food for the Hungry, Lutheran World Relief, Mercy Ships, and Compassion International.

Dozens of Christian relief organizations do so much good for America and the world employing more than 30,000 humanitarian workers, shipping more than 225 metric tons of food, and handling disaster relief for millions of people annually. They serve the needy with food, clothing, medical care and supplies, small loans, drinkable water, and shelter.

You’ve probably heard the following quote most often attributed to historian Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) as he visited the US to find the reason for our strength and national success. He looked at our society for answers, but:

“Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”

True Christianity breeds strong families, and the Word of God boldly proclaimed in righteousness leads to a moral, stable, prosperous culture.

The fruit of biblical teachings have produced revolutionary changes in every way imaginable. Contrary to popular opinion, Christianity has made the world a better place, and so has America. We dropped the ball big-time last year in the face of a virus and closed our life-preserving churches leading to the label of “nonessential.” What a lie.

We must reverse that narrative by being the true church, preaching the Gospel, working to demonstrate God’s love, and showing the church is alive, well, and vital.

Jesus Christ was not a political figure and had no affiliation with kings, governors, or religious leaders of His day. He made no demands, lived in poverty, taught with authority, and His followers were mostly uneducated. And yet, they as well as those influenced by them impacted millions more than Alexander the Great, Muhammad, and Napoleon put together. Jesus changed history and turned the world right side up.

Imagine the worldwide darkness without the light of Christ and His church! If more believers do not join the battle, we won’t have to imagine much longer.

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Canceling Christianity: How the Left Silences Churches, Dismantles the Constitution, and Divides our Culture

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Will Marriage Soon Be Meaningless?

Posted: April 4, 2019 by David Fiorazo in Christianity in America, David's Blog, LGBT agenda, moral relativism, Redefining Truth
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Is God-ordained marriage being deconstructed  in America? In order to eliminate natural marriage in society, it must first be rendered meaningless. How could that happen? You might say ‘gays and lesbians pushing same-sex marriage for several decades’, and you’d only be partially right. Many factors lead to marriage being redefined.

Recent surveys done by Barna Research concluded that adultery, premarital sex and cohabitation have basically become the new normal in America. In addition, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, seventy-five percent of Americans say it’s okay to have and raise children when the parents are living together but not married. So how did we get here? 

Fifty years ago, a Gallup poll was done showing only 21% of Americans said premarital sex was acceptable; 68% said it was wrong. That was 1969. So what happened to change the attitudes of people about marriage over five decades?

Skyrocketing divorce rates among heterosexuals have added to the problem, as well as the increasing divorce rate among Christians. Did you know that since around the early 1960s, the divorce rate in America has increased over 100% to where now more than one out of every two marriages ends in divorce?

Bisexual, pedophile, and sexologist, Alfred Kinsey did much damage to people’s healthy views of sex and marriage in the 1950s. Dig up the truth about Kinsey sometime, not the whitewashed Hollywood version. He used children in his sex experiments as well as prostitutes. 

Planned Parenthood’s founding feminist, adulterer, eugenicist, racist, and atheist, Margaret Sanger promoted sexual freedom at a time when the word abortion was spoken about in hushes and whispers. She was among the first to promote monogamous marriage as a ball and chain! We’ve now reached the point where killing a baby in the womb is just another form of birth control.

The Feminist movement and cry for women’s liberation and equality sounded good in its early stages, but it is no longer about equal pay or equal rights. It has become a liberal, anti-family, socialist movement detrimental to God-ordained, natural marriage and healthy families. 

Then, a major cultural event happened fifty years ago, billed as “3 Days of Peace and Music” in White Lake, New York. Woodstock drew nearly 500,000 people in 1969. There were drugs, nudity, sex, rock and roll, and a lot of mud from the rain.

It is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in pop music history and the peak of the hippie counterculture. Ideas of rebellion against authority, peace, love, sex, tolerance, and unity resonated throughout the country – bringing us to today’s godless culture in which two thirds of adults (65%) say it’s a good idea to live with one’s significant other before getting married.

But one of the saddest findings to me is that in a survey of professing Christians, almost half of them (48%) live with or have previously lived with their boyfriend or girlfriend. This makes me wonder if we’re all reading the same Holy Bible.

We didn’t see all the causes decades ago, but we’re sure seeing the effects today…

(Read the full post at DavidFiorazo.com)

Death Culture: Who Was Margaret Sanger, Why Should We Care?

Posted: February 21, 2019 by David Fiorazo in Abortion, American History, Christianity, David's Blog, planned parenthood, pro-life
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It was Margaret Sanger who laid the foundation for today’s liberal social agenda that has left a legacy of anguish, confusion, pain, and death during Planned Parenthood’s century in business. Their legacy of “birth control” is one of radical feminism, rebellion against God, racism, and eugenics that in recent years has expanded to include abortion on demand and sexual experimentation leading to brokenness, depression, regret, and worse.

What Adolf Hitler did to millions of Jews through eugenics and sterilization, Planned Parenthood founder, Margaret Sanger has dwarfed by pioneering a movement leading to the abortion of over one hundred million babies in the United States since the 1920s. Sadly, most people are ignorant of this horrible history leading to ideas such as population control and euthanasia. Proud promoter of eugenics and racism, Margaret Sanger is celebrated today by most feminists and liberals. So what’s the truth behind this dark history?

Ninety-four. Remember this number. A baby is aborted at a Planned Parenthood facility somewhere in America every 94 seconds. In that same amount of time, Planned Parenthood receives over $1,100 in federal funding. That equals more than twelve taxpayer dollars a second and allows them to abort over 912 lives every day. How did it get to the point in America where we kill our own and call it a choice? It didn’t happen overnight, but an abortion is committed – Every 94 seconds…

…In her book The Pivot of Civilization, Margaret Sanger mentioned “constructive eugenics,” saying:

“…we are paying for and even submitting to the dictates of an ever increasing, unceasingly spawning class of human beings who never should have been born at all…”

Reports indicate the Nazi’s were inspired by the population control movement in America in the 1920s and 30s. Planned Parenthood founder, Margaret Sanger promoted a eugenic ideology that eventually led to the gas chambers in Germany. A truth seeking, fair-minded person cannot read Sanger’s many writings without seeing her ungodly influence.

Sanger’s publication, The Birth Control Review, was founded in 1917 and through the years, she often published articles from socialists and eugenicists such as Ernst Rudin. Rudin (1874-1952) was a psychiatrist who worked as Adolf Hitler’s director of genetic sterilization and founded the Nazi Society for Racial Hygiene, which was Germany’s racial purity program.

…According to her own autobiography, Margaret Sanger spoke to the women’s auxiliary of the Ku Klux Klan in Silver Lake, New Jersey in 1926. Just three years later, Sanger’s “American Birth Control League” laid the groundwork for her first abortion clinics in Brooklyn and Harlem.

Margaret Sanger taught that the campaign for abortion is “practically identical with the final aim of eugenics.” In 1934, she suggested that only parents approved by government or eugenics leaders be allowed to have children, and that a strict code be enforced to stop the overproduction of children.

Sanger argued for compulsory sterilization and segregation for people with disabilities.

Until 1942, birth control and eugenics were nearly impossible to separate. Prior to World War II, Sanger was outspoken about her views on race, and used the influence of prominent New York blacks to further her cause. Margaret Sanger reiterated the need for black ministers to head up the [Negro] project…

“We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.”

Is it a coincidence nearly 80% of Planned Parenthood clinics are in minority communities today?

Sanger also reasoned that by requiring a license for mothers to give birth, it would protect society from those who are unfit. Part of her “American Baby Code”…

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL POST & FOR RESOURCES

 

*Previously published by Freedom Project Media

Babies Murdered, Women Injured, Media Yawns

Posted: October 29, 2018 by David Fiorazo in Abortion, Christianity, David's Blog, Education, Media Bias, moral decline, planned parenthood, pro-life
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Two of the main reasons you don’t really know about convicted murderer, Kermit Gosnell are, first, a complicit media covered-up the news and second, America has become apathetic about the abortion industry. At least Christians who are pro-life should care! For the moment, let’s set aside the debate about whether or not the act of an abortion is a sin. The Gosnell case has been described as a true-life saga of good vs. evil, deadly medical malpractice, systemic government corruption, and the devaluing of the most vulnerable in our society.

The movie, Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer, was released to theaters last Friday. I saw it, I recommend it, and though it is verbally descriptive, it is not graphic as you might think. But if we didn’t know that the writers got their information from actual court transcripts, police interviews, eye-witnesses, and FBI documents, the facts in this case would almost be unbelievable.

Tragically, not only is this a true story, but most likely there are many more clinics across the country similar to Kermit Gosnell’s house of horrors.

Since the liberal media refused to cover the trial, it’s no surprise they aren’t reporting on the movie debut. The producers of Gosnell were turned down by advertisers and also had to fight to get even a small number of reviewers to even look at the movie. So let’s be clear about this: the gruesome trial of an evil, warped man who killed at least one woman and murdered babies that had been delivered alive was not of interest to the media? Why? They are committed to protecting women’s so-called, “reproductive freedom.”

empty seats gosnell14Did you know the reason some reporters eventually had to force themselves to go to the 2013 murder trial? A photo was taken in the courtroom of dozens of empty seats that were reserved for the press!

Philadelphia abortion practitioner Kermit Gosnell was convicted and is behind bars serving three consecutive life sentences for a decades-long murderous crime spree.

But why did this go on so long and how was he able to continue his horrific practice? He was protected by Democrats in the PA government.

This is a man who had untrained staff, including a fourteen year-old, administer drugs that would induce labor causing many women to deliver babies they came to the clinic to abort. Referred to as being “born alive,” the number of infants who were then murdered could be well into the thousands as Gosnell was in business for over thirty years.

Radicals on the left defend abortion at all costs seeing it as a sacrament to progressivism, “even if it means whitewashing its bloody, half-century legacy of mass genocide in our nation’s inner cities.”

CRTV host and author, Michelle Malkin writes:

Operating under the cover of providing “reproductive health services,” death doc Gosnell brutally executed hundreds of healthy, living, breathing, squirming, viable babies by stabbing them in their necks and severing spinal cords with scissors and knives. This twisted murderer kept newborn baby feet in specimen jars, which he crammed into the grisly refrigerators of his filthy “clinic” for “research.”

There are several major problems in this case that go beyond the abortion issue. First, Gosnell was a millionaire. He would stash away thousands of dollars in cash per day which apparently allowed him to purchase properties and even escape to the Bahamas during an investigation into his questionable abortion methods that sent many women to the hospital.

Second, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health did nothing to stop Gosnell and worse, they looked the other way. His clinic was not inspected for seventeen years! Heck, even a hair and nail salon gets annual inspections by the Health Dept. According to the FBI investigation into the filthy Gosnell clinic, in 1993, the PA Dept. of Health decided to stop inspecting all abortion clinics unless there were major complaints! 

For purely political reasons, government agencies allowed Gosnell and others to operate with no accountability and oversight which put countless women at risk of infection, disease, and even death. And they have people believing they are the Party that cares about women’s health? Please.

Gosnell clinic staff used abortion instruments over and over again without sanitizing them, and due to the fact the procedure tables were not wiped down or cleaned after each patient, many women contracted STDs from the clinic. Ironically, the reason the police and FBI raided his abortion business was for illegal prescription drug abuse. Gosnell and his staff sold drugs to women for cash and even payed homeless people for their ID’s to then buy prescription meds.

Gosnell was never charged for his drug crimes, nor was he charged for women overdosing, nor were hospital complaints about his clinic followed up on, nor was he charged for allowing young and untrained clinic workers to perform procedures and also to administer anesthesia – which led to the death of at least one woman.

In 2015, a Philadelphia judge awarded the woman’s daughter $4 million in a settlement. She was with her mother at the clinic when she died. According to reports, Gosnell saved his very late or full-term abortions for Sundays, when only his wife would assist. Since he destroyed all those files, we will never know how many live, full-term babies he killed over the years.

So no, this movie is not just about the brutal act of abortion and the systemic problem of unlawful clinics. It’s about media malpractice, a calloused cover-up, evil being called good, and a nation that used to value human life but has generally become desensitized. Just because a court once decided abortion is legal does not make it moral – especially to God, the Creator of all life.  

Jesus Christ died so that we might live eternally; abortion kills so that some might live differently. Please send Democrats, the media, and Hollywood a message by sharing this article and by watching the Gosnell movie. It’s probably true that America will not resist abortion until America sees abortion for what it is.

Article and video originally published by Freedom Project Media

What Would Jesus Say to Christians in America Today? Repent!

Posted: October 17, 2018 by David Fiorazo in Biblical Christianity, Christianity in America, David's Blog, LGBT agenda, liberalism, moral relativism, Progressive Christianity, Prophecy, Spiritual warfare, Teaching
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If Jesus rebuked many of the early churches for straying, leaving their first love, putting up with false doctrine, or for being lukewarm, how could we, American Christians, think He wouldn’t harshly rebuke many of our seeker-sensitive, shallow, lukewarm churches today?

Some might claim the Church is thriving here in the United States of Entertainment. I would ask them why then doesn’t it translate out into society. Who is driving culture today, Christians or atheists and secular progressives? Biblical morality or godlessness?

The truth is too many professing believers have generally conformed to the world and have failed to defend and preserve culture through Judeo-Christian values. We are to be salt in society: to not only flavor and enhance culture but to influence it as well. Salt is a preservative, but it can also irritate, especially if it touches an exposed wound. Paul told believers at Ephesus to walk as children of light and,

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; (Eph. 5:11)

Too many in American churches do just the opposite! We accommodate popular sins (abortion and homosexuality). Why? Because the Supreme Court ruled they are legal, of course. But just because something is legal does not make it moral. Has the Supreme Ruler and Judge changed His mind on certain sins? Not at all!

We have watered down the Word of God and have lost our saltiness and power to transform society for good. Some larger churches have a reputation for being alive, but their discipleship and doctrine is rather ineffective. I attended a megachurch for several years and kept running into unregenerate and unconverted people, many of whom thought they were saved. 

God woke me up at 3 AM recently and this message is the result. My heart was heavy; we were wrapping up our Bible study on the book of Colossians – a church Paul commended for their faith and love, by the way – and we were examining the geography of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and many cities that had Christian churches in the first several centuries.

*The following is a partial transcript to the sermon from video:

In Revelation chapter two and three, Jesus harshly rebuked five out the seven churches within the same area. I couldn’t help but wonder what He would think of churches in America today. It’s a sobering thought.

Would Jesus rebuke us, Christians in the United States of Entertainment, the way He did several churches in Asia Minor? 

Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3 So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. Revelation 3:2-3

This quote has been attributed to several people, one of whom is Dwight L. Moody:

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.”

We will all stand before the Lord one day and be judged for how we spent our time. Your husband or wife won’t be there, neither will your children, coworkers, or friends on social media. It will be you alone before Jesus. And that should sober up every one of us in this room.

Here are some important QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

  1. Is your life bearing fruit for the Lord Jesus Christ? JN 15:8
  2. Are we passionate about eternal and spiritual things? COL 3:2
  3. Who or what is our first love? What’s our main focus? 6:33
  4. Have you conformed to our culture – or to Christ? ROM 12:2
  5. Do we love this world more than we love God, His Word? 1 JN 2:15-17
  6. Are you prepared for persecution when it comes? 5:11-12

Are we, individual believers in Jesus who make up the church in America, succeeding at what’s most important? Are we loving the Lord God, loving our neighbors, preaching the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ alone, making disciples, raising godly children, impacting culture, and encouraging the faith of other believers?

Or are we just giving God lip service?

American churches, especially many of the larger, higher profile mega-churches, often have a good reputation simply due to their popularity, numbers or size (quantity). But this is often a very inaccurate picture of the overall health, discipleship, and maturity (quality) of a church. Is the body of Christ being built up in faith and equipped for ministry? (Eph. 4:11-12)

According to Barna research and several other studies and surveys, it appears American Christianity is producing the most biblically illiterate church members in history, confused about what the Bible teaches, unable to fully understand let alone explain and defend the essentials of the faith. What ever happened to discipleship? We can learn from the earliest Christian churches that it doesn’t take long to stray from truth.

Revelation 3:1  “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

Wake-up! Repent! Notice what Jesus also says to the church in Sardis:

5 He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

*We all have ears – but – are we listening? What is Jesus saying to the churches in America who have grown comfortable and complacent? What is He saying to individual believers? Do YOU have ears to hear from God?

Is your life bearing fruit for the Lord Jesus Christ?

We just finished the book of Colossians in our weekly Bible study and looking at the geography at that time, we talked about the many early Christian churches in Asia Minor which is modern day Turkey.

…The Colossian church was just 12 miles from the church of Laodicea and about 95 miles from Ephesus, a booming city at the time. Laodicea was also prospering and growing, located next to a new trade route, they had it made.

But that’s what lots of people would say about America, which is why we’re making this comparison today. We are prosperous, proud, and self-sufficient. Look at our big and many churches!

May we take to heart the warnings to the early churches:

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked; …19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

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Transanity: Three Terrible Trans-Actions

Posted: October 11, 2018 by David Fiorazo in Church, creation, David's Blog, Education, gender identity, LGBT agenda, moral relativism, transgender
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Culture is shifting left, change is happening, and morality is declining at such a rapid pace in American culture, a culture in which moral relativism trumps truth and rebellion against God is at fever-pitch, it’s difficult to just report on one story in a particular category. So this week, let’s look briefly at three headlines and why they matter:

  1. California Passes Law Allowing 12-Year-Olds To Get Tax-Paid Transgender Treatments
  2. Male Rapist Identifying as “Female” Transfers to Women’s Jail – (What could go wrong?)
  3. Colorado Children’s Hospital Dumps Gender Designations to Satisfy Liberal Activists

How did we get here?

America has rejected God and absolute truth. People are simply doing what is right in their individual minds. But remember, just because a person sincerely believes something does not make it true, just, or right.

Let’s start with the children’s hospital. It’s bad enough some clueless and uninformed parents are now allowing their five-year old children to decide what gender they want to be, Children’s Hospital in Aurora, is removing gender markings off patient wristbands to satisfy the politically correct LGBTQ lobby.

Spokesperson, Dr. Natalie Nokoff has treated transgender patients for years and stated:

“We are seeing more and more patients who have diverse gender identities,”

I get it. More children are being encouraged to think they’re the opposite sex. But you don’t have to accommodate delusions and put kids’ health at risk just to satisfy the extremists. This is irresponsible.

Speaking of irresponsible and reckless, the next story is from England, where Stephen Wood, a man who identifies as a woman and goes by Karen White, is a convicted rapist and pedophile, most recently arrested for stabbing his neighbor.

Since he is transgender, they placed him in a jail for women even though he is a biological male and has had no chemical or surgical modifications. Wood used the opportunity to sexually assault four women in New Hall Prison. Apologizing for the mistake, a Prison spokesman reiterated that safety of all prisoners is a priority and they work to manage transgender prisoners with sensitivity.

Even after the incident, reporters and prison officials still used feminine pronouns – referring to Stephen as she or her. This is not only ideologically-driven and ignorant, it is a denial of science and truth, so unfortunately, we’re seeing tragic consequences of a society drifting further from a worldview based on the authority of God’s Word.

Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis explains:

“The Bible is clear that there are only two genders—male and female (Genesis 1:27). When you deny Scripture and blur the lines between the sexes, you create confusion and open the door (as in this case) for sexual predators.”

And the third story: you only need to be 12 years old in California to privately seek and consent to treatment for so-called ‘gender transitioning.’ Let’s put this in perspective.

You have to be 18 to vote in California, 16 obtain a driver’s license, 18 to buy a rifle, engage in consensual sex, or get married without parental consent, and 21 to buy a handgun, alcohol, or marijuana. But in the nation’s most progressive state, you only need to be 12 to get taxpayer-funded life-changing transgender treatments.

The new law describes it as “gender affirming health care, with consideration of their gender identity,” and includes Medi-Cal coverage for foster care youth up to 26 years of age. How do they prove these services are medically necessary?

According to Denise Shick at the Federalist, the law’s authors seem to mean well, wanting a safe and healthy home, free of abuse for those in foster care and for them to be treated with respect. Who would argue with that?

But are adolescents mature enough to make such drastic, adult decisions?

We know kids often emulate what Hollywood promotes as good, and according to the CDC, children in the age range of 12-14 are heavily influenced by their peer group and are more concerned about superficial things such as body image, looks, and clothes.

Teens and adolescants also experience more moodiness, develop eating problems, feel more sadness or depression, which can lead to poor grades at school, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sex, and other problems.

The article states:

Many studies have found that human brains take a long time to develop fully—as long as 25 years or more. That means that adolescents are at a distinct disadvantage in decision making. That’s why you see the immaturity issues…

Chronologically, adolescents are only about halfway to full brain development. Yet the new California allows—and almost compels—adolescents to make irreversible, potentially life-altering decisions!

One final point. According to the American College of Pediatricians,

“The vast majority of gender dysphoric children affirmed as the opposite sex go on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones are permanently sterilized as a result,”

That means a wrong decision could render today’s kids incapable of having children of their own someday. How many pastors, Christian leaders and parents are speaking up about this destructive movement?

Will the adults in the room and across the country who are capable of making wise choices stand up for truth, common sense, and sanity against those who might mean well and against those who are driving this destructive agenda?

The Bible teaches that when mankind becomes futile in their thinking, their foolish hearts are darkened.

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:25); Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:25) and, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.” (1 Corinthians 3:19)

Godless liberalism is driving the nation. America is reaping the lies and deception that have been sown throughout our culture over the last seventy-five years. Now on steroids, the LGBTQ agenda is taking the ship down with it.

The God of Truth is our only hope to reconcile sinful man to Himself, and for true believers in America to reclaim spiritual influence and salvage a drowning society. We must get back to the basics of biblical living, speak the truth (about creation, gender, marriage, etc.), and expose the darkness in part by pointing others to the truth of Christ.

Signs of Life on Mars but not in a Mother’s Womb?

Posted: August 8, 2018 by David Fiorazo in Abortion, Christianity, creation, David's Blog, Faith and Life, moral relativism, planned parenthood, pro-life
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This just in! Once again, researchers are thrilled about the possibility of life on Mars! Maybe. A recent report of water a mile underneath a slab of ice seemed to boost the odds of life on the red planet. One scientist from the University of Arizona stated if they did find life, it would be microbial, somewhere in the Martian crust.

My question is this: why don’t we use this same determined, scientific, optimistic approach to find human life on earth? We’re often told a heartbeat in a human mother’s womb is not a sign of life. Come on.

NASA’s John Grunsfeld commented on the report at a news conference:

“It suggests it would be possible for there to be life today on Mars,”

Researchers said in the journal, Nature Geoscience, that further exploration is warranted to determine whether microscopic life exists there. One of the lead scientists says the only way to know is to keep collecting rocks from Mars and doing soil analysis on the specimens. It is astounding and bewildering to me that scientists, university departments, NASA, and independent researchers have been studying for decades hoping to find evidence indicating any sign of a living organism on Mars.

What about human beings, and why all the confusion about a living, developing fetus in a mother’s womb? We know it’s certainly not just a clump of cells because dead things don’t grow!

Twenty-three chromosomes from the mother and twenty-three from the father are joined together at the time of fertilization. At this early point, the unique, genetic makeup of the individual is determined, and the terms “conception” and “fertilization” are interchangeable.

Please consider sharing some eye-opening information about a newly conceived baby:

  • Its DNA, everything she will grow into, was fully present at the moment of conception.
  • Her heart began to beat eighteen days after conception.
  • Her brainwaves were detectable forty days (six weeks) after conception.
  • Your baby could move and she could suck her thumb (and hiccup!) between six and seven weeks.
  • Eight weeks after conception, all of her major organs are developed.
  • A baby’s respiratory system begins to function, and she begins to breathe amniotic fluid at nine weeks
  • She can smile, suck her thumb, and clap at eighteen weeks.
  • A baby can feel pain at approximately twenty weeks gestation.

This last medical finding has led to what is called the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, a U.S. Congress bill to ban abortions after twenty weeks, and especially late-term abortions.

A baby can feel pain, and a baby can feel joy. You may recall from the Gospel of Luke (1:43-44) when Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist said “the baby in my womb leaped for joy” when Mary visited her and was pregnant with Jesus. Since a fetus is in fact human, then destroying it is murder.

You may have heard the heartbreaking story earlier this year of 23 year-old Shelby Taylor who was recently sentenced to 25 years in prison for throwing her newborn baby girl into a dumpster – umbilical chord still attached. Someone heard the baby crying and called police, and fortunately the baby is alive today.

But wait a minute! Millions of young women simply pay Planned Parenthood to remove their babies and it’s completely legal. Please understand that when God’s law makes something immoral, man cannot make it moral.

I appreciate what author and teacher, Peter Heck said about this:

“But it is also impossible to read this story and not acknowledge a mind-bending and confounding reality: had Shelby Taylor entered a Planned Parenthood facility that very day and had her baby girl decapitated and dismembered for a price, our society would justify that as a moral right of empowerment and liberty. But since she waited a couple hours and, with as horrible as her act of callous abandonment was, still gave her child a fighting chance at survival, she is going to prison for 25 years. This is not just morally incongruent, it is the height of absurdity…”

You do know what they do with all the baby body parts after ripping them out of a mother’s womb, don’t you? If they’re not sold for research they end up in dumpsters outside abortion clinics. Or perhaps you’re in denial like so many people whose consciences have been seared by a hot iron.

What does Scripture teach? See Jeremiah 1:4-5, Exodus 21:22-24, Psalm 51:5, Psalm 139:13-16, Luke 1:39-44.

The Bible treats babies in the womb as real persons. Verse after verse relating to pregnancy always refers to a living human being already in existence. It is crystal clear that God considers the unborn to be human beings who have value and should be protected.

As far as life on Mars goes – no confirmation yet. It’s pretty foggy and we may be waiting for a while.

Supreme Ruling: You Don’t Have to Bake the Cake, Jack!

Posted: June 5, 2018 by David Fiorazo in Christianity in America, David's Blog, Faith and Life, Homosexuality, LGBT agenda, religious freedom, tolerance
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You’ve probably heard the U.S. Supreme Court decided in favor of Colorado baker, Jack Phillips; that the State violated his religious freedom when they punished him for operating his business according to his Christian faith.

Even though the Court ruled 7-2 Monday in favor of Phillips who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, we must not relax. This is good, yes, but it is an incremental victory in the religious freedom battle. Expect LGBTQ activists to regroup and react with force.

Unbelievably, Colorado Civil Rights Commissioner, Diann Rice once compared Phillips to a Nazi because he believes in natural marriage. Ironically, Phillip’s father was a WWII veteran who helped storm the beaches of Normandy and liberate Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany.

Regarding the decision, Justice Kennedy wrote:

“The Commission’s hostility was inconsistent with the First Amendment’s guarantee that our laws be applied in a manner that is neutral toward religion,”

Unfortunately, the court said the broader issue of whether a business can deny service of gays and lesbians “must await further elaboration.”

But for now, as Justice Clarence Thomas added:

“Because the Court’s decision vindicates Phillips’ right to free exercise, it seems that religious liberty has lived to fight another day.”

Good for Jack Phillips, but it seems the Court lacked courage to tackle the First Amendment question which is why some are calling the 7-2 ruling “narrow.”

This battle is spiritual and Satan is a defeated foe, but at the same time, expect the bullying of Christian business owners to increase. Preachers of tolerance have no problem forcing others to live in a way that goes against deeply held beliefs.

For example, an Oregon business filed a lawsuit last week against a church that turned down hosting an LGBT event in a building owned by the church due to its “morals clause.”

This just months after a Christian couple, also in Oregon, lost their bakery over their refusal to bake a cake for a gay wedding and were forced to pay activists $135,000 by court ruling. Former owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, Aaron and Melissa Klein, had their freedoms trampled when they lost their appeal last December. 

In this new case, Holy Rosary Church of Portland, is being sued by Ambridge Event Center, who claims their business was damaged by the decision. Ambridge once rented out a space for various events but the church rejected a request from an African-American LGBT support group.

But churches in America can no longer freely abide by the moral teachings of the Bible. And if you fail to comply, look out! They are seeking – get this – $2.3 million in damages!

Christians seem to have two options: go along with and celebrate sinful behavior that is against biblical teachings, or pay the penalty – whatever price they see fit to enforce. So what now?

The late theologian, John Stott summed it up well when he said:

“We should not ask, ‘What is wrong with the world?’ for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather we should ask, “What has happened to the salt and light?”

How did we reach this present darkness where the foundations of not only culture but the church in America are crumbling? I’ve written a few books on the topic, but these things are certain: leftists will not relent on their agendas, and though God is still on His throne, Christians clearly do not have the influence we used to have on the nation. If we did, things such as the definition and meaning of marriage would not be debated.

We sure could use more watchmen on the wall willing to speak the truth in love and stand against evil at the same time. It is possible and necessary to do both.

Can the Bible and Transgender both be True?

Posted: February 28, 2018 by David Fiorazo in Christianity in America, David's Blog, gender identity, LGBT agenda, moral relativism, Redefining Truth, transgender
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In the book of Deuteronomy, it says, “A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD your God.” (Deut. 22:5) But we’re being told some people are born the wrong sex. Does God make mistakes? What’s the truth? 

Truth is under attack. In this fast-paced information age of mass communication, technological advancements, scientific discoveries, and breaking news, people seem less informed, less secure, more distracted, and more confused than ever before. Why? They have rejected the one true God.

Jesus prayed for His followers:

 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:17

Revelation 1:8 states,

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

This covers present, past, and future. It’s interesting that according to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, the historical meaning of truth is:

“Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be. …We rely on the truth of the scriptural prophecies; Veracity; purity from falsehood” (emphasis added).

Truth is the self-expression of God. Either His Word is right, or the world is right. Which is it?

Enemies of God have caused people to doubt the truth about creation, our origins and gender, life’s meaning, marriage, sin, eternity, judgment, and the deity of Jesus Christ.

But new research shows that even 40% of Christians are confused about truth and moral absolutes. It’s not surprising then, that Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year for 2016 was “post-truth.”

Many in this generation have grown up putting stock in feelings over fact; emotion, experience, and style over substance. This has led to the acceptance of moral relativism, a philosophy that asserts there is no established, absolute moral law that applies to all people, for all time, and in all places.

Remember, it doesn’t matter what happens to be popular today; it matters whether Truth exists and, if that truth changes. Jesus said He is the truth, and He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

One of the buzzwords today is “identity.” As Christians, do we identify with Christ or with the world’s influences?

Let’s talk about children and education for a moment. What are most children taught regarding their true identity?

Think about the theory of evolution and the belief systems of atheism and humanism which are all generally endorsed in public schools. Creation and intelligent design are rarely offered as a viable alternative.

Why not present the views including God as well as the views denying God and let students decide? It is intolerant and irresponsible of educators to refuse to teach the truth; a worldview believed by millions.

Imagine if children were taught they are made in the image of a loving God who created them unique and special, with purpose for their lives rather than being taught evolution; that they are random, cosmic accidents that evolved from nothing or from animals; that there is no future hope beyond this short life.

This is why kids fall for one of the biggest lies and delusions today that says gender is not binary; it is “fluid,” and people are not necessarily born male.

Genesis 1:27 states:

 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

WHY do you think there is confusion today about what bathroom people are supposed to use in public? Why wasn’t this an issue 100 years ago? 1,000 years ago?

Has God changed or has America changed?

Here’s a letter I received from a concerned mother:

I’ve been struggling. After the very first day of school, my daughter comes home from her first-grade class and says, ‘There is a girl in my class who is going to be a boy! She is going to take medicine and have [surgery]!’ The kids are forced to call the girl by her ‘boy’ name and she uses the teacher’s bathroom.

Check out her response:

“Shocked, I needed to take a breath. I told her, ‘No matter how much medicine that little girl takes or if she has surgery, she will still be a girl. God does not make mistakes and we are exactly who we are supposed to be.’ I’m upset that my child has to be subjected to this. We are moving both our girls to private school next year; I never thought this could have happened in a small Wisconsin town. What six-year-old wants to be the opposite sex?”

Good question. It is dangerous for parents and teachers to let young children make such culture-conforming, body-altering, life-changing decisions. The suicide rate for transgender individuals is over 40 percent!

Truth has never been so assaulted, denied, hated, and redefined to the point it is today. But truth doesn’t care about trends, and Christians are called to love others and be compassionate as we discuss these issues and share the gospel that can set people free.

Malcolm Muggeridge stated:

“One of the peculiar sins of the twentieth century which we’ve developed to a very high level is the sin of credulity. It has been said that when human beings stop believing in God they believe in nothing. The truth is much worse: they believe in anything.”

We can be seduced by the world or sanctified by the truth of Christ. So let’s not conform to this world, let’s be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2a). How do we renew our minds? Meditate on God’s word.

Leave it to Behar: A Liberal ‘View’ of Christianity

Posted: February 21, 2018 by David Fiorazo in Christianity, David's Blog, Faith and Life, Hollywood, Media Bias, President Trump, religious freedom
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Vice President Mike Pence says God speaks to him, but some call it mental illness. Oprah says God will speak to her if He wants her to run for president, and liberals cheer. Is this glaring double standard the new normal?

It’s not just Joy Behar. Christianity is generally not tolerated in Hollywood and the entertainment industry. And they’re not shy about it.

But in a recent interview with Ann Silvio on 60 Minutes Overtime, billionaire entrepreneur, Oprah Winfrey said she hasn’t heard God’s call to run for president, “Because if God actually wanted me to run, wouldn’t God kinda tell me?”

And on The View recently, a clip was played of disgruntled White House staffer Omarosa Manigault trashing Mike Pence as an “extreme Christian” who has conversations with Jesus. The View panel then proceeded to mock the VP’s faith.

Behar ignorantly cackled,

“It’s one thing to talk to Jesus. It’s another thing when Jesus talks to you. That’s called mental illness if I’m not correct. Hearing voices.”

One of the best responses I’ve heard was from Fox & Friends co-host, Ainsley Earhardt, a Christian herself:

“…she [Behar] doesn’t know Christ. She doesn’t know the joy and the love that He provides to so many people, so it just made me feel sorry for her.”

By the way, Pence didn’t say He heard voices. He said what millions of us believe regarding our relationship with Jesus Christ and how God speaks to us in various ways.

Speaking of double standards, what about Hillary Clinton who apparently still communes with the dead? Even hubby Bill reminded an audience several years back that she hears from Eleanor Roosevelt frequently. I haven’t heard a peep on that, have you?

So, on last week’s episode, after claiming people in Indiana hate the Vice President, View co-host, Sunny Hostin stated:

“When you have a Mike Pence who now puts this religious veneer on things and who calls people values voters, I think we’re in a dangerous situation.”

Dangerous? We’re not talking about ISIS here; not bomb threats, a viral outbreak, rape, or a shooting rampage. These women are referring to the Christian faith.

Mike Pence responded saying “it’s just simply wrong for ABC to have a television program that expresses that kind of religious intolerance.”

Aside from religion, on previous episodes, Hostin referred to Pence as incompetent, and Whoopi Goldberg once compared Mike Pence to a member of the KKK who wanted to hang her on a tree. Seriously?

At least one person confronted the twisted dialogue on The View. Meghan McCain said:

“I understand, if you’re a liberal, obviously you have certain problems with Mike Pence. …We see the world through very different veneers.”

Some people do have wrong ideas about what it means to be a Christian. Joy Behar once said Timothy McVeigh was a Christian, and Goldberg actually claimed:

“There have been a lot of horrifying – there have been a lot of monster Christians. Hitler was a Christian.”

Sorry ladies. Wrong on both counts. Do some research.

Remember when Masterpiece Cake Shop owner, Jack Phillips was on The View and said endorsing a same-sex wedding and baking a cake for it would contradict Jesus’ teachings. Speaking for the Lord, Behar declared,

“Oh come on. Jesus would have made the cake.”

And in June 2017, the entire lineup on The View blamed Christians for taking away free contraception. I’m not kidding. Joy Behar asked, “How is it different from the Taliban? Let’s not forget they are trying to keep women in their place, barefoot and pregnant.”

I’m almost speechless.

Back to Oprah for a moment. Over at CBS on Sunday, 60 Minutes devoted 11 minutes to Oprah Winfrey’s conversation with Michigan voters. She asked people about accusations against Donald Trump and, of course, his mental health.

“There have been some members of Congress, including Republicans, questioning his stability and fitness for office. What do you think of that, and do you believe he has the temperament to be president?”

Regarding her “mental illness” comments, Franklin Graham weighed in saying all believers should be alarmed by the anti-Christian rhetoric on The View. He continued,

“For Joy Behar to say that all Christians are mentally ill is like suggesting we need to lock them up. They need to be taken out of society…”

Bigotry against any group is absolutely wrong, but if Joy Behar had said that about gays, feminists, or Muslims, she’d probably be fired on the spot. Criticizing Christ followers however, now gets a pass.

This is what often happens when someone on the left doesn’t understand something, especially spiritual things: they tend to attack or criticize it.

This may explain why many don’t even try cracking open a Bible.

 

Here’s Mike Pence’s first response to the debacle:

“I actually heard that ABC has a program that compared my Christianity to mental illness. And I’d like to laugh about it, but I really can’t. It’s just wrong; and it’s an insult …to the vast majority of the American people who, like me, cherish their faith. My Christianity is the most important thing in my life.”

“But I just think [this] demonstrates just how out of touch some in the mainstream media are with the faith and values of the American people that you could have a major network like ABC permit a forum for invective against religion like that…”

Isn’t it nice to have someone in the White House defending Christians?

At the risk of stating the obvious, for centuries, millions of believers have claimed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He speaks to us in various ways including through Scripture.

We shouldn’t expect unbelievers to have biblical morals. They need the gospel and ironically, they need to talk to Jesus and confess their sins.

The good news is Americans are not only calling out ABC over this, but thanks to Brent Bozell and the Media Research Center, over 25,000 phone calls have been made so far demanding an apology.

Unless advertisers back out of sponsoring The View, I’m not holding my breath. Jesus said,

In this world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world. John 16:33

 

 

*A shorter version of this article originally appeared at Freedom Project Media.

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