Posts Tagged ‘lies’

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.

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A favorite Scripture of mine is Psalm 90:12 which states, “Teach us to number our days that we might gain a heart of wisdom.” As world events unfold and division in America increases, Christians need discernment today more than ever. With all that’s happening around us, it is so easy to want to avoid reality or become comfortable and complacent in life, but we must not.

At the end of each calendar year, it is reasonable and wise to look back and acknowledge God’s faithfulness, evaluate where we are as individuals and as a church, and learn from any mistakes. It is also imperative we have a sense of urgency and recognize the spiritually desperate condition of many around us. One priority should be to consider how we can be more effective in advancing the kingdom of God by sharing the gospel and living out our faith as we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18).

We don’t need to be news junkies, but we should be informed and knowledgeable so we can watch, pray, and be ready for whatever the Lord will bring. In no particular order, here are some key subjects to consider:

  1. Keep your eyes on Israel.

After decades of little change in the “peace process” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, President Trump decided to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Of course, the UN Security Council rejected this resolution, and the U.S. took a bold stand for Israel and against the United Nations. This is yet another sign we are living in the most prophetic times in history.

Around this same time, Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel would follow the United States in withdrawing from UNESCO. Along with signs including earthquakes, famines, wars and rumors of wars, 2018 will see increased opposition to Israel and America. Intensifying spiritual warfare is a given, and just as predicted, a coalition of nations is ready to attack Israel. For students of the Bible, times are exciting indeed.

  1. Religious Freedom teetering on the brink.

The Supreme Court case of Colorado baker, Jack Phillips will be a catalyst for future decisions as well as the direction of free speech in America. Many on the extreme Left would make it illegal to practice Christianity if they could, but that is essentially what is happening with nondiscrimination laws and “inclusive” policies giving special rights to protected classes (LGBTQ). And when Christians refuse to play the game and celebrate what is considered sin, activists and radicals often bully, intimidate, or sue them into silent compliance.

In a breaking story, the Oregon Court of Appeals decided Thursday in favor of activists that sued Christian owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa for not baking a cake for their gay wedding ceremony. Aaron and Melissa Klein are now forced to pay the lesbian couple $135,000 for alleged “emotional distress.” Justice was not found here.

3. Sex outside of marriage the new norm?

Seeing the increase of abortion, cohabitation, divorce, homosexuality, the gender identity debate, and sex trafficking, it’s no wonder some of us believe we are a nation in crisis. Nearly 70% of Americans now say it’s acceptable to live with their partner before getting married. In addition, only about half of professing evangelical Christians think abortion and sex outside of traditional marriage are sins. This should greatly alarm us. Hollywood has played a leading role in the promotion of promiscuity, sexual deviance and the normalization of homosexuality; government schools have co-starred, but we often forget so-called “higher education.”

Commenting on Young America’s Foundation survey of new courses offered at 50 top colleges in America, author Frank Turek said they “promote a dogmatic secularism with a kind of religious fervor intent on urging students to abandon reality and live in their own sexual fantasy world.” He concludes the article by saying “professors who teach these courses may have the best of intentions. They may think that what they are doing is right and true (all the while declaring truth and gender are relative). But you don’t have to support their dogmatic delusions.”

4. The Critical Fight For Life

There was some good news in 2017. Survey’s indicate today’s youth are more pro-life than the previous generation. Abortion clinic closures far outpaced newly opened abortion facilities, and forty-nine abortion facilities — 35 surgical and 14 medication only clinics — closed or halted abortion servicesThe common sense “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” passed in the House 237-189, and Trump promised to sign the bill into law. We are told the Senate will vote as well. The bill bans abortion at the point that science increasingly shows that unborn children feel pain.

America is just one of only 7 (out of 198 nations) that allow elective abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

President Trump did sign a bill allowing states to withhold money from Planned Parenthood, and the DOJ recently launched a federal investigation into Planned Parenthood’s practices and the sale of fetal tissue. But perhaps one of the most interesting pro-life moves the president made was a three-word change to an obscure HHS document that defines life as “beginning at conception.” According to Al Perotta, the Trump administration added that phrase and:

“HHS accomplishes its mission through programs and initiatives that cover a wide spectrum of activities, serving and protecting Americans at every stage of life, beginning at conception.” If the U.S. government says life begins at conception and its job is “serving and protecting Americans at every stage of life” then it has a duty to protect the unborn by any legal means necessary.

5. The American (Laodicean) Church will keep conforming to culture.

New research not only indicates liberalism has infected Christianity, but more people now prefer to consider themselves “spiritual but not religious.” Abandoning the institutional, traditional church, some claim they love Jesus but not the church. Since the church is the bride of Christ, is it biblical to love one and not the other? Surveys also show more professing Christians accepting moral relativism while pursuing comfort and self-fulfillment.

Just as disturbing, there is a segment of Americans who consider their faith important and attend church regularly, but do not hold to biblical perspectives such as the inerrancy of Scripture and essentials of the faith. Abandoning truth, they prefer to be “inclusive and welcoming.” Because of this hypocrisy, the Christian worldview has been distorted and confusing to a watching world.

  1. Christians will continue to be hated and discriminated against.

We cannot and should not compare the treatment of American believers with persecuted Christians in restricted nations around the world, but things are intensifying. Bullying and discrimination are wrong no matter who is involved, but often overlooked is the blatant intolerance toward Christians by the very people touting inclusion, diversity, and “tolerance.” Public opinion has shifted revealing an acceptance of this double standard. Jesus told His followers that since the world hated Him they will hate us as well (John 15:18).

While Christians recently celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, atheists and scrooges took their rebellion up a notch this year attacking nativity scenes and putting up billboards. Books have been written with examples, but I’ll mention one. The liberal Washington Post came out with an article for Christmas suggesting Jesus didn’t really exist because the evidence doesn’t add up. (What evidence could he possibly be looking at?) The Post didn’t even bother to fact check nor did they provide any new research – so – why do you think they happened to publish the anti-Christian piece on Christmas?

  1. Media Malpractice: epidemic and rampant.

All through 2017, the liberal media consistently and irresponsibly parroted negative news angles on President Trump, the GOP tax cuts, the economy, borders and immigration, national defense, transgender rights, etc. The average for the year was 91% negative coverage of Trump. We’ve never seen anything like this; liberals are not even trying to hide their allegiance to the Democrat Party any longer.

That same media ignored most positive news including job growth, the Dow rising 5,000 points in a year for first time in history, unemployment for African Americans dropping to a 17-year low, and Christians freely celebrated Christmas in parts of Iraq and Syria formerly under ISIS control. But all this generally isn’t good news to the mainstream media because we have a Republican president.

  1. Lawlessness and worldliness will increase even more.

Character, integrity, and morality took a hit in 2017 as sexual assaults, misconduct and scandals rocked the headlines. Billionaire George Soros shifted $18 billion from his hedge fund to his network of godless liberal foundations. Media silence. Ready to ramp up the chaos and division, “the resistance” increased via professional protests with Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and even pro athletes protesting (Trump) the National Anthem.

Finally, our obsession with technology is in danger of becoming an addiction. Today’s kids know more about social media, gaming, entertainment, and technology than they do the Bible, the Constitution, and American history, but they sure can take great selfies! These are tomorrow’s leaders of our nation. Sadly, many adults are not far behind. It is true technology can be used for good purposes, but it is often used for meaningless, mindless entertainment. We must not conform to the world’s ways (Romans 12:2). The Internet has seduced many within the church as well.

Overall, it was a faith-testing year for many of us. Good will continue being called evil and truth will continue to be attacked and redefined. If America stays on course down this destructive road where there is no longer an objective truth or fixed standards of morality, we’re in big trouble. But thank God He always causes us to triumph in Christ (1 Cor. 15:57)! Christians have an eternal, secure hope which anchors our soul (Heb. 6:19) as well as a true peace found only in Jesus Christ. We serve a Mighty God, and we can be confident no matter what happens, God will be faithful to the promises in His word.

 

*Read more from author, David FiorazoHis top selling book The Cost of Our Silence, Eradicate (Blotting Out God in America), and his latest – Redefining Truth (Oct. 2017)

Many people think the transgender movement has been more of a recent development in America, but it goes back to 1952 when the first alleged “sex change” was credited to a man named Christine Jorgensen. Remember, the “T” in LGBTQ has always been there, waiting in the wings as the groundwork was laid by moral relativists and same-sex marriage activists.

By 2015, the stage was set quite nicely for Bruce Jenner to catapult himself into a culture shaping icon by selling the public on his transition into Caitlyn. Transgender individuals had been quietly waiting for the right time culturally, politically, and socially, and the election of Barack Obama and his policies encouraged them, giving the green light to deny God’s truth, rebel against their Maker, and come out in full force.

Sadly, we now live in a society that largely thinks moral absolutes and truth are ‘so yesterday’ and unnecessary if they were ever relevant at all. But God never changes and He created the world including every all human being, either male or female, a fact which happens to be supported by biology, science, and most in the medical community.

Discuss this in public taking the side of truth however, and you will be attacked and accused of being hateful, intolerant, discriminatory or worse. They can’t refute the truth, but they sure can try to win via emotional appeals, swaying public opinion, and it that fails, by shouting down the opposition.

Ravi Zacharias put it this way:

 

“Truth cannot be sacrificed at the altar of pretended tolerance. Real tolerance is deference to all ideas, not indifference to the truth.”

The following is an excerpt from the new book, Redefining Truth.

Progressive pretenders fail to demonstrate the very tolerance they espouse. They declare diversity and insist they are inclusive. They tout tolerance and yet, they often refuse to put up with anyone who thinks differently from them. Rather than have a respectful debate, many of them prefer silencing us so they don’t have to hear the truth.

Leftists claim to be beacons of reason, tolerance, and love, but their actions often prove otherwise.

On May 22, 2017, Vice President Mike Pence was about to give the commencement speech at Notre Dame, but as Pence began speaking, about 150 people, half students and half faculty members, walked out of the speech. Planned in advance, both students and faculty filed out as Pence spoke. How disrespectful. He said,

“Far too many campuses across America have become characterized by speech codes, safe zones, tone policing, administration-sanctioned political correctness – all of which amounts to nothing less than suppression of the freedom of speech.”

Pence apparently intended to first draw a contrast between Notre Dame and other colleges, but this rude act seemed to solidify today’s caustic trends at most Marxist universities. At least they allowed the vice president to finish.

…Christians in America have decisions to make in this divisive environment. How do we respond? Yes, it’s true we may be hated for doing or saying the right thing, but when the world hates you, Jesus referred to that as a badge of honor  (Matt. 5:11). If we try to address a few of the most controversial movements of our day with love, patience, and sanity, this still triggers people…

We’re witnessing the attempted assassination of truth during times in which delusions and emotions rule over sanity and reason. The (biblical) Christian worldview and godless liberalism are polar opposites and cannot coexist. Sound extreme?

Christian business owners in Iowa, Dick and Betty Odgaard , for example, were literally minding their own family business, but they now wish laws were on the books protecting Christians from being sued by fascists. After a two-year court battle in which a gay couple cried discrimination, the Odgaards had to pay an excessive fine and were forced to stop hosting weddings. After months of negative publicity, hate mail, death threats, and loss of income, the Gortz Haus Gallery went out of business.

…Those entities which are educating and shaping young minds, conditioning public opinion, and forcing change on a docile citizenry are now helping roll out the “T” portion of the LGBTQ agenda. Transgenderism takes it much further than same-sex marriage ever could by changing our language and redefining terms that describe human beings. Though it will not change eternal truth, removing God and erasing gender distinctions will eventually change what it means to be human.

It’s all about marketing, perception, influence, and of course, politics. While many of us have been busy with our own lives in the last few decades, the Left has been quietly plotting, lobbying, and changing laws to protect individuals who identify as transgender under claims of “civil rights” or nondiscrimination laws.

Sadly, we rarely hear of the downside or negative effects and consequences of this gender confusion and rebellion being promoted today. Here’s one sobering fact: 41 percent of the transgender population will attempt suicide. Please let this sink in. When man attempts to replace God the Creator and redefine truth, there will always be severe repercussions for individuals and nations − and eventually, judgment.

This movement has not had enough resistance from the people. Activists have absolutely no hesitation pressuring politicians and using the courts to change public restroom laws and practices of the whole country by imposing the LGBT agenda and its will on the entire population.

You might be wondering how so many people in the country could fall for the lies, exaggerations, accusations, and promotion of nihilism (traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and useless; there are no objective moral truths). First, it’s part of the LGBTQ mothership, and second, it’s called deception.

Rather than calling it insane, we’d be more effective in society if we know and communicate the facts, and remain undaunted as we lovingly speak the truth. I feel sorry for those who are struggling, because most people who fall into this thought process and lifestyle do so because, for whatever reason, they are unhappy with who they truly are and do not like the person they see in the mirror. They fail to see they have value in God’s eyes.

This will be the defining issue for the next generation and beyond, until the triumphant return of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega.

Be assured that truth exists, truth is everlasting, and truth can be known. Just because people deny and reject the truth of God does not change what is, what has been, and what will be. It only changes our culture, laws, and other temporary things.

What is more tragic is when their influence changes churches in America as well.

 

Read more from author, David Fiorazo here:

More and more people think they have the freedom to do or be whatever they want regardless of truth or consequences, but this is simply due to our sin nature. It’s in our DNA. We want to be our own gods – especially gods of our own bodies – and we not only lack moral restraints, we are also being conditioned by a rebellious, permissive culture and a godless secular government.

In the last several decades, we’ve seen a public push by those on the left to accept evil as good in just about any form, and to accommodate behaviors we would have called “sins” fifty years ago. (or at least our great grandparents would have)

I can hardly imagine how hard this is on innocent children growing up in this world today. The moral confusion and social pressure are intense, and now there is the expectation that everyone else abandon absolute truth and comply with the gender theory claim that biological facts are now mere ‘social constructs.’

Do you think most people in Hollywood, the liberal media, public education system, or leftists in government care about truth or about the morality of this ideology? Tragically, some parents are imposing their own will on their children and encouraging them to “identify” as the opposite of who God made them to be.

Then there are sad, cultural indicators of how far we have fallen for the lies.

I believe National Geographic Magazine has revealed their allegiance to the humanist agenda by its child exploitation and promotion of sexual confusion in its January 2017 edition, “Gender Revolution.” Featured on the cover is a 9-year-old boy, Avery, whose mother says he identifies as a girl.

The cover caption reads: “The best thing about being a girl is, now I don’t have to pretend to be a boy.” According to Avery’s mother, he became depressed and angry after age three, but the “darkness lifted” when the child put on a princess dress.

As if to justify its actions, National Geographic editor writes, “beliefs about gender are shifting rapidly and radically,” but wait a minute; just because people’s opinions and beliefs are constantly moving does that change the truth?

On the Nat Geo website, they claim their exploration of gender “doesn’t come with a political agenda,” but their assumption seems to be ‘there is no God’ and the Bible is not true.

Since political issues are moral issues, do you believe their claim? Is National Geographic innocent and ignorant or do they have an agenda? Curiously, nowhere in the magazine or its online “research” do they even hint at a biblical worldview of gender and sexuality. The fact of intelligent design and the belief that God is Creator of mankind must have escaped their notice – or perhaps Nat Geo ran out of time in their “exploration” of the facts.

Sorry, Nat Geo, we know what our government schools did with Christianity; the same thing Hollywood, the media, and the Democratic Party did: they kicked out the God of the Bible. (Notice all other gods are welcome, but there is only one true, living God and His name is Jesus.

How can you do a thorough investigation on human life and development without examining as much of the evidence, history, science, and views about creation as possible? You simply cannot. To my liberal friends, is it possible there is at least some facts and truth about our existence we might be able to glean from the Bible? Then why throw out the entire worldview?

National Geographic’s advice to parents was to make sure “your young child’s environment reflects diversity in gender roles and opportunities for everyone,” and even tried to falsely claim that gender identity “can’t be changed by any interventions.” So don’t even try to encourage your child according to their God-given, biological sex. Wow.

Read More at DavidFiorazo.com

 

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If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you (John 15:17-19).

Sarah Palin’s new book, “Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas,” is “about Christ and our ability to worship Him freely. It’s about America and what liberty truly means…” In an interview with The Brody File for CBN News, she stated what most of us already know:  those who are offended by public expressions of our Christian faith or by religious displays during Christmas season are really offended by Jesus himself. Sarah Palin stated:

“People who would be offended that we celebrate the Prince of Peace because it is called Christmas, it’s because the name Christ is in the title that they would be offended. So that tells you this war on Christmas is really the tip of the spear when it comes to a greater battle that’s brewing and that battle that’s brewing is those who would want to take God out of our society, out of our culture which will lead to ruin as history has proven. Any country, any government society that has kicked God out of the public square completely, it leads to ruin. Why would we go down that path when we know what would happen?”

Our country IS going down that path. Within a week, liberals such as Cher and MSNBC’s Martin Bashir viciously attacked Palin with words and hate too vile for me to type out here. Again, the Left shows their true colors when it comes to Christian conservatives.

THIS is just one reason why I was compelled to write ERADICATE: BLOTTING OUT GOD IN AMERICA. The following is an excerpt from chapter 7, ”They Love to Hate Sarah Palin,” which highlights some of the worst journalism and liberal hypocrisy in our nation’s history.

Not everyone in the media is evil. Many have been brainwashed at some point in their education or in their careers. We may not be able to turn back the tide of bias, but let’s raise more awareness by sharing the truth. We may not be able to hold the media accountable, but we can expose their hypocrisy. Plenty of Americans still do care.

FLASHBACK: HOW THE MEDIA HELPED ELECT BARACK OBAMA

People tend to believe half-truths or lies, if they are repeated often enough. What happened in 2008 should be taught in journalism classes and should go down as the final nail in the coffin of media objectiv­ity. The character assassination, personal attacks, and brutal political assault on former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin should never have been allowed to happen. I’ve never seen so much hatred toward one person trumpeted by the media. It should be something fair-minded Ameri­cans won’t soon forget.

I discuss truth quite a bit in this book, and though we know the Bible is the ultimate truth, we should be no less concerned about truth in our country, culture, and media. They don’t even try hiding their bias anymore. The fact that the Christian worldview is not popular in today’s society shouldn’t be surprising to us, but we are American citizens, and we deserve to know the facts and the truth about issues affecting America.

Front Page Magazine’s John Perazzo has monitored years of media bias and said he had never seen it more pronounced than in the 2008 election cycle:

“The professionals who constitute America’s mainstream news media – the reporters, editors, anchors, publishers, correspondents, bureau chiefs, and executives at the nation’s major newspapers, magazines, radio networks, and television networks – are leftists and Democrats in far greater numbers than they are conservatives or Republicans… they have been transformed – by virtue of the one-sided, passionately partisan worldview shared by editors and reporters alike – into mouthpieces of the political Left.”

Sarah Palin is hated, not for what she has done, but for who she is – a pro-life Christian conservative. She is also hated because she is a strong, family-oriented, successful career woman. Liberal Feminists can’t stand her because she accomplished so much in public office while raising five children. She seems genuinely happy with her life and that bugs them too. The foundational reason they hate her, however, may be that her joy comes from an authentic faith in Jesus Christ. Palin promotes a passion for life. She loves her God, her family, and her country.

Furthermore, she is attractive, she brings ratings to every program she appears on, and has authored two best-selling books. Her eight-part documentary, Sarah Palin’s Alaska on TLC broke ratings records with nearly 5 million tuning in for the premiere.  Though she had to develop a thick skin, she is sensitive, vulnerable and, of course, human. This is a point we often miss about famous public figures. She is like you and me, and many of us are like her.

What do I mean by that? Tens of millions of patriotic Americans identify with her in some way. She gained popularity for being herself and by representing traditional values.

When we live to glorify Jesus, some people will feel guilty. Moreover, darkness does not like being exposed and will lash out at any sign of a serious threat. It is important to recognize the spiritual undercurrent to this reaction, and it comes from a dark, evil place. The lesson is this: when we choose to live as a committed Christian, it shines light on sin and on the way others have chosen to live.

A living, glaring, obvious reminder that Sarah Palin is seeking God’s heart is the fact she and her husband Todd gave birth to a child with Down syndrome. The Palins welcomed their son, Trig, as the special gift from God that he is. [They are walking the pro-life talk.] By choosing life and being in the public eye, they showed a watching world in 2008 that every human life is to be valued instead of a “problem” to be dealt with as the pro-abortion crowd believes. That alone makes the mob furious.

The irrational hatred toward Sarah Palin cannot be explained in the usual terms of politics and ideology. The traditional divide of ‘liberal versus conservative’ or “Democrat versus Republican” cannot explain such dark, almost other-worldly expressions as ‘I hope she dies gnashing her teeth’ or death threats against the Palins’ children such as when Bristol appeared on Dancing With The Stars.

It’s clear most elites, progressives, liberals, and socialists have con­tempt for Sarah Palin because of her faith in God. They are their own gods, and Christianity is a threat to them. As a result, they treat Palin with hostility, vitriol, disdain, nastiness, sarcasm, maliciousness, and hate. These are symptoms of the overall war against Jesus Christ in America.

The root cause is always spiritual, and it begins in the human heart. Many have given their take on this phenomenon. In his outstand­ing book, How Evil Works, author David Kupelian brilliantly explained:

“Haven’t you ever wondered why, when someone on the public stage radiates noble character, common sense and natural grace – like Ronald Reagan did, or more recently Sarah Palin – he or she is regarded by the ‘big media’ with an inexplicable revulsion? Hatred is almost too soft a word. It’s because Reagan and Palin manifest the very qualities of character that the jaded media elite lost long ago, and since being thus reminded of their lost innocence is painful and unwelcome, they feel compelled to attack the ‘reminder.’”

TWEETING HATE

In 2011, Sarah Palin’s political action website had targets on congressional districts across the country where Republicans needed to win. Democrats have done the exact same thing on their strategy maps! Some in the media and many on the Left actually blamed Palin for the January shooting in Arizona that injured more than a dozen people, killed six, and severely injured Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Proclaimers of civility and tolerance want to take away our guns, but they want Sarah Palin shot. I share the following, especially for those who say there is hatred on both sides. Here are a fraction of the “Tweets” that blasted across the Internet:

“My hatred for Palin continues to grow. I think this woman should be assassinated.”

“Can somebody please shoot Sarah Palin?”

“I hope Sarah Palin dies an ugly death and takes her moronic hate with her.”

“I am very nonviolent, but somebody needs to shoot Palin’s toes off.”

“Save a wolf – shoot Sarah Palin: just saw that on a bumper sticker, ha ha”

“I may hate Sarah Palin, but I wish no real violence upon her. Just an inoperable tumor is all.”

“Sarah Palin is the single most dangerous threat to the future of the human race. Somebody should shoot her.”

“Join us in praying to God that Sarah Palin contracts cancer and dies.”

“I hope Sarah Palin dies a slow and painful death.”

The Left can be quite hypocritical, and media will not hold them accountable for their actions. They demand respect for every religion except Christianity… If a Dem­ocrat is even mildly insulted, the media is sure to report it.

The Bible warns about calling evil good, and calling good evil (Isaiah 5:20); those who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness.’ If people simply disagree with Sarah Palin or anyone else on policies or politics, that’s fine.  The problem is that their disagreement with her worldview evolves into an irrational hatred of her as a person. Michelle Malkin stated:

“Hollywood savaged Palin. Journalists mocked her. Liberal blogs slimed her. Opponents cursed her, Photoshopped her, hacked her e-mail, hanged her in effigy, called her bigot, Bible-thumper and bimbo, and attacked her husband and children…”

What the mainstream media did during the presidential campaigns and election of 2008 was not only embarrassing, it was glaring evidence of their overt allegiance to the Democratic Party. There were journalists who left the profession because of their association with blatant bias and corruption, and Americans lost complete trust in the media’s ability to deliver an unfiltered story. The good news is millions of truth seek­ers now get news from alternative sources, and this is creating a new wave of citizen journalism: concerned individuals sharing important factual information.

The debate in 2008 began with John McCain’s age (which I agree was an issue) and with Sarah Palin’s experience (which shouldn’t have been an issue). First, a quote from a young, green, liberal Senator:

“You know, I am a believer in knowing what you’re doing when you apply for a job. And I think that if I were to seriously consider running on a national ticket, I would essentially have to start now, before having served a day in the Senate. Now, there are some people who might be comfortable doing that, but I’m not one of those people.” – Senator Barack Obama, 11/08/2004

Hollywood and media elites believe experience only matters if a can­didate is a Republican. Though I was not sure John McCain could win in 2008, (an old white-haired moderate Republican and Veteran run­ning against a young, black, charismatic, liberal Democrat and smooth orator) McCain’s four years as a member of Congress and twenty-five years in the United States Senate did not seem to be important to the media. Tragically, it was not important to many Americans either. The media did, however, point out McCain’s age, his past bout with skin cancer, and the fact he couldn’t raise his arms over his head (due to the torture he endured as a POW). It was a brilliant strategy: ‘he’s old, look at his white hair!’

Since John McCain was not a conservative, he was easily cast aside as not being a threat to Barack Obama. There was, however, a very real and present danger to Democrats in Sarah Palin: a popular, attractive, and charismatic, walk-the-talk conservative. She represented practi­cally everything liberal elites and socialists oppose. So they hated her.

THE CONTRAST

Sarah Palin began her career in public service back in 1992, and by the time she was Alaska’s Governor, Barack Obama was well-known in Chicago as a community organizer. Unbelievably, the national media tried – with straight faces – to suggest Sarah Palin’s seventeen years in public office, including six as mayor, did not give her the experience necessary to be a vice presidential candidate. Obama’s total of less than two years of experience in politics as a new senator was not an issue. Obama was running for president, not vice president! Columnist Noel Sheppard did a piece for Newsbusters in 2008 and made an excellent argument:

“After all, just days after winning his U.S. Senate seat in 2004, Barack Obama said he didn’t have enough experience to sit in the White House. As he basically threw his hat in the presi­dential ring during an October 22, 2006, appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, it means that less than twenty-two months in the Senate is all he needed to be more qualified than he felt he was roughly two years prior.”

Plenty of Obama’s time in the Senate was spent traveling and cam­paigning, which is one thing he does very well. What executive experi­ence did he have? During his on the job training in the Illinois Senate, he voted “present” 129 times while representing his constituents. Vot­ing “present” was one of three options in the Illinois Legislature, along with “yes” and “no.” The primary job responsibility of a United States Senator is to review bills and vote on legislation passed by committee. At least he showed up physically.

In contrast, Sarah Palin had many years of executive experience in both the public and private sectors. As Governor of Alaska, she man­aged a $14 billion budget. As President of the United States, Obama failed to pass a budget in his first three years, so it is doubtful he knows how to manage one. As a young lawyer, Obama represented ACORN and was a successful community organizer and activist in Chicago. As Alaska’s Governor, Palin fought government waste and won. Her finan­cial administration was over a state whose revenue fluctuates widely, entirely dependent on the price of a barrel of oil.

Obama worked with liberal non-profit groups and big labor unions, wrote a book, made friends with Oprah and Bruce Springsteen, and lobbied for Hollywood support. Barely half of Illinois residents (51.8%) approved of the job Obama was doing in office as a senator.

Palin challenged both political parties in Alaska while cleaning up years of corruption. Her average job approval rating was in the 80’s, and she had the highest voter-approval ratings of any governor in the United States (93% in May 2007). I’m sure the media simply overlooked these facts or didn’t know where to find them.

SOME KNOW NOT WHY THEY HATE

We’ve all been there – and it’s flabbergasting. We get into a con­versation with a person who firmly believes something without much knowledge or understanding to back up their view. When you ask for factual examples or question them at all, their reply is often irratio­nal. In an article for Front Page Magazine,Why the Left Hates Sarah Palin,writer and producer Evan Sayet wrote about hanging out at his favorite coffee shop in the hopes of doing his writing and converting a few liberals. Because encounters such as this are common, you might relate. Describing an interaction at the coffee shop, Sayet wrote:

“Today, the conversation turned to Sarah Palin and my latest acquaintance blurted out: ‘Oh I hate her.’ Since she did not yet know my politics, and since we were in Los Angeles, it is clear that she expected to hear back what you usually hear back in this city: ‘Yeah, I hate her, too.’ Instead, I asked her why.

“At this point I could have predicted her response because it’s the same response you get from liberals no matter who on the Right you’re talking about: ‘Because she’s stupid.’

“I replied: ‘Being stupid is no reason to hate someone, but tell me, which one of her policies do you disagree with?’ It wasn’t hard to predict her response: ‘All of them!’

“I continued to push. ‘Well, then, if it’s all of them, it should be easy for you to name one.’ Her reply? ‘They’re too many to list.’ ‘So don’t list them, just give me one,’ I said.

“This went on for a while until my new acquaintance finally admitted that she didn’t know any of Ms. Palin’s policies. Before she ran off… I looked her in the eyes and said, ‘If you don’t know any of her policies, perhaps you should look into them.’ She promised she would. She won’t.”

THE QUOTES: ABOUT BARACK OBAMA

“Barack Obama has prospered in this presidential campaign because of the steadiness of his temperament and the judicious quality of his decision-making. They are his best-known quali­ties. The most important decision he has made – the selection of a running mate – was done carefully, with an exhaustive attention to detail and contemplation of all the possible angles. Two months later, John McCain’s peremptory selection of Gov­ernor Sarah Palin has come to seem a liability…” –Joe Klein, Time magazine

“I see he is getting a standing ovation from all of the journalists who have come there [to hear the speech]….” – Wolf Blitzer, CNN

“Take pride that this nation can produce men and speakers such as that.” – Keith Olberman, MSNBC, following an Obama speech

“It’s part of reporting this…election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama’s speech. My – I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don’t have that too often.” – MSNBC host Chris Matthews

“It’s like running against God; you know the media has anointed him.” – Female CNN host

“People have called you the savior, the messiah, the messenger of change….” – Matt Lauer, interviewing Senator Obama

“…we’re [media] all just – on board – we’re not embarrassed when we get together. We just talk about how much we love Obama.” – Joel Stein, Los Angeles Times

“I’ve been criticized for saying that he inspires me and the hell with my critics … his speech was worthy of Abraham Lincoln.” – Chris Matthews, MSNBC

“I keep hearing that we have our JFK…Lee [Cowan] says to me, ‘it’s hard to stay objective covering this guy.’” – Brian Wil­liams, NBC

“and rally after rally, people literally faint” – ABC news reporter

“Maybe we should ask Barrack if he’s comfortable and needs another pillow.” – Hillary Clinton

“I haven’t been actively engaged before because there hasn’t been anything to be actively engaged in. But I am engaged now to make Barack Obama the next President of the United States.” – Oprah Winfrey

“And let me tell you something – for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment.” – Michelle Obama, 2008 campaign speech

This list could go on for pages so let’s advance the story that made history. Upon winning the nomination for the 2008 Democratic Pri­mary, Barack Obama stated:

“America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love…. I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth. This was the moment – this was the time – when we came together to remake this great nation….” Barack Obama, June 2008

THE QUOTES: ABOUT SARAH PALIN

“After McCain announced his VP candidate, and she gave her [record TV audience] lightning bolt convention speech, and when the polls reflected her high likability…the media was petrified of Sarah Palin.” – Radio talk show host and docu­mentary film director John Zeigler

“This woman is trouble.” – Karen Dunn, strategic campaign assistant to David Axelrod

“You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.” – Barrack Obama

“We still don’t have the date of first issuance of her passport.” – Washington Post journalist Carl Bernstein

“Is she indeed incompetent as even some conservatives would say?” – CNN male host

“There’s also this issue that on April 18th, she gave birth to a baby with Down’s Syndrome…. Children with Down’s syndrome require an awful lot of attention.” – CNN anchor John Roberts

“The fact of the matter is the comparison between her [Sarah Palin] and Hillary Clinton is the comparison between an igloo and the Empire State Building!” – MSNBC host Chris Matthews

“The broader question is if Sarah Palin becomes Vice President, will she be shortchanging her kids or will she be shortchanging the country?” – NBC reporter Amy Robach

“Palin would be a backward step for women.” – Joe Biden

“And I can see Russia from my house.” –Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live (86.9 % of those who voted for Obama thought this was a direct Palin quote even though it was Fey who said it.)

“You’re up there in Alaska sneaking around doing anything you want and nobody cares.” – David Letterman

“Palin will be gang-raped by my big black brothers if she enters Manhattan…. It’s about the extreme views of Gov. Sarah Palin – a woman who doesn’t believe that other women should have the right to choose…. I certainly wish Gov. Palin no harm – I’d just like her to explain to me how she can hold such outrageous views … and then go back to Alaska.” – Sandra Bernhard

“She said that small towns, that’s the part of the country she really likes going to because that’s the pro-America part of the country. You know, I just want to say to her, just very quickly: F_ck you.” –Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart

“Bad Mother Palin is blabbing about how her pregnant teen­age daughter has made the right CHOICE!!! Well, first of all, Ms. Palin, I mean MRS. Palin, your slutty daughter wouldn’t have a CHOICE to make at all, if you had your way! …I can see that she gets off talking badly to Barack, and I am sure the “N” word is rollin’ around that empty head of hers somewhere.” –Rosanne Barr

“If John McCain wins, this woman [Sarah Palin] will be one seventy-two-year-old man’s heartbeat away from being presi­dent of the United States, and if that doesn’t scare the hell out of you, it should.” – Jack Cafferty, CNN host

“They shouldn’t have the right to call themselves Christian, for they have no Christ-like attributes. I am a feminist and a Christian – and when I see Sarah Palin – I see neither. And it is official. She is evil.” – Margaret Cho, Comedienne

“There’s a one out of three chance, if not more, that McCain doesn’t survive his first term, and it’ll be President Palin! It’s like a really bad Disney movie, ‘The Hockey Mom.’ Oh, I’m just a hockey mom from Alaska, and she’s president. She’s facing down Vladimir Putin and using the folksy stuff she learned at the hockey rink. It’s absurd.” –Actor Matt Damon

*This list of quotes is by NO means close to exhaustive.

THE JOKES (a small sampling)

Because some people form political opinions based on comedy, we should look at some late night humor that influenced people’s opinions. Below is a small sampling – there are literally hundreds available – from TV’s entertainers. A study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs actually counted the number of jokes which Jay Leno and David Let­terman told about the four major candidates.

Immediately following McCain’s announcement that Palin would be his VP running mate, there were 180 jokes about Palin and 106 about McCain, compared to sixteen jokes about Biden and twenty-six about Obama in a five week period. That totaled 286 jokes about Republi­cans and 42 jokes about Democrats.

“Sarah Palin and McCain are a good pair. She’s pro-life, and he’s clinging to life…Actually, it was kind of a smart choice. McCain went with a woman because he didn’t want to have to be in a position to have to get CPR from Mitt Romney.” – Tonight Show’s Jay Leno

One of the “Highlights of Sarah Palin’s trip to New York” was that she “Bought makeup from Bloomingdale’s to update her ‘slutty flight attendant’ look.” – David Letterman

Sarah Palin is so dumb; she thinks the capital of China is China­town… Palin thinks there are twenty-two letters in the alphabet.” – The Daily Show

“The Republican Convention is under way. The theme for tonight’s Republican Convention is, ‘Who is John McCain?’ Tomorrow night’s theme is, ‘Who forgot to check if the Vice President’s daughter is pregnant?’” – Conan O’Brien

“What about the husband? You know he’s doing those daughters. I mean, come on. It’s Alaska,” (NY Times assignment editor, portrayed by actor James Franco, responded): “He very well could be. Admittedly, there is no evidence of that, but on the other hand, there is no convincing evidence to the contrary. And these are just some of the lingering questions about Gov­ernor Palin.” – SNL skit about Todd Palin and incest

“It could be her baby, but it is a little suspicious if what I read in US magazine has any weight.” – Bill Maher, on Palin’s son Trig (US magazine cover featured Sarah Palin and the title, “Babies, Lies & Scandal”)

“She looks like one of those women in the Van Halen videos who takes off her glasses, shakes out her hair, and then all of a sudden, she’s in high heels and a bikini. All of a sudden, I am FOR drilling in Alaska.” – Jimmy Kimmel

“One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game, during the seventh inning, her daughter [14-year-old Wil­low] was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.” – David Letterman, monologue – joking about the rape of a minor

The scales were tilted seven to one with jokes about Republican candidates. Christians shouldn’t expect different behavior from unbe­lievers. Hollywood and the media teamed up and the 2008 popular vote favored Obama/Biden approximately 69 million to 60 million for McCain/Palin. Remove Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago and Obama would have lost the people’s vote.

Americans knew (and still know) less about Barack Obama than any other presidential candidate in United States history and voted him into the most important office in the land. Many people – not just Christians – saw the nonstop hatred toward Sarah Palin and kept quiet. People knew there was bias and tragically accepted it as normal. Post-election, people were surveyed, and the media was questioned.

Here are a few post-election headlines and poll results:

  • Rasmussen: By 10-to-1 Public Says Reporters ‘Tried to Hurt Palin’
  • By Nearly 8-to-1, Voters Say Journalists Wanted Obama to Win
  • By 5-to-1 Public Thinks Most Journalists Tried to Elect Obama
  • Pew Poll Finds Media Credibility Plummets to All-Time Lows
  • Rasmussen: ‘55% Say Media Bias Bigger Problem than Cam­paign Cash’
  • Fox News Poll: Two-Thirds Think Most Journalists Wanted Obama to Win
  • Pew: Many Recognize Media’s Pro-Obama Bias, Democrats Prefer CNN
  • Rasmussen: 63% of ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and MSNBC View­ers Back Obama

An Investor’s Business Daily study exposed the lopsided ratio of campaign donations as journalists contributed to Democrats 11.5-to-1. Get this, in terms of dollars given, the ratio was 15-to-1.  If you look at those outside the news room, the industry standard is almost purely Democratic. Big media company employees were analyzed revealing shocking results: the ratio in campaign donations is 100-to-1 in favor of the Democrats.

Ratings are crashing, and the public has turned against the media, but they’re too into denial to notice. Almost 70 percent of Americans thought there was a clear media bias favoring Obama, and a majority wanted to hear more reports on the issues instead of the candidates. Despite reader complaints, the elite media put out more favorable sto­ries (73%) about Obama. Journalism is the only profession I know that ignores the wishes of its customers.

Another question that hasn’t been answered is how could the AP, CNN, and other national outlets send over 100 reporters to Alaska to investigate Sarah Palin while sending no one to Chicago – the home of political corruption – to look into Barrack Obama’s background? CNN’s John King admitted that the media assumed Hillary Clinton was going to win the nomination because in Democratic politics “the Clinton name is the gold standard.” King admitted the media didn’t vet Obama, and they “need to learn that lesson.” The criticism of the media is legitimate.

The next year, [2009] within a matter of weeks, the mainstream media ran thirty-seven negative reports on Sarah Palin and only two positive sto­ries. Tina Fey even got an Emmy nomination for mocking Sarah Palin on SNL and believe it or not, Katie Couric received a journalism award for her infamous interviews with VP candidate Palin. Couric’s CBS crew edited hours of interview footage and aired only selected segments. Do you think they told the public the whole story?

CONCLUSION

America is a free country, and we have a free press, but the media fails to live up to their responsibility to bring factual information to the people. This is beyond conclusive when it comes to Sarah Palin, and it is a serious issue. We may not be able to change what they believe or how they present the news, but we can pray for their salvation and for more citizens to wake up and see the corruption. A remnant of truth seekers and defenders is stepping up. Will you join the ranks?

In this age of the 24/7 news cycle, the blogosphere, and very little media accountability, we know the attacks, distortions, and misin­formation will continue to be aimed at Christians and conservatives. Let’s not stoop to their level. Call attention to their hypocrisy, but don’t lose focus. Having the freedom to speak about the Bible and share the Gospel is our priority before party, policy or politics.

The media is part of the culture to blot out God in America. Chris­tians in the public eye, especially those as popular as Sarah Palin, are a threat to the progressive, socialist agenda to normalize and rationalize sinful behavior and destroy the moral fabric in America. If they had their way, we’d be prevented from talking about our faith. We’d stay home, we’d stop quoting the Bible or talking about Jesus Christ on the Internet.

If they had their wish and we kept quiet, the hopeless, lost, and the hurting would not be reached with the good news of Jesus Christ.

We know God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28), and reflecting on this from a biblical viewpoint, I can’t help but think of the story of Joseph. He went from the pit to the prison to the palace. Like Sarah Palin, some of us need to remember these Scriptures when discrimination against Christians increases in America.

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive (Genesis 50:20).

You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved (Matthew 10:22).

*This is an excerpt, not the entire chapter. To read more or to order ERADICATE, click on ‘Purchase’ above. Also available through the WND Superstore, ChristianBook.com, select stores as well as Amazon.com.

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