‘Til 2013 do us part? Mexico mulls 2-year marriage

MEXICO CITY— Mexico City lawmakers want to help newlyweds avoid the hassle of divorce by giving them an easy exit strategy: temporary marriage licenses.

2. Leftists in the city’s assembly — who have already riled conservatives by legalizing gay marriage — proposed a reform to the civil code this week that would allow couples to decide on the length of their commitment, opting out of a lifetime.

The minimum marriage contract would be for two years and could be renewed if the couple stays happy. The contracts would include provisions on how children and property would be handled if the couple splits.

“The proposal is, when the two-year period is up, if the relationship is not stable or harmonious, the contract simply ends,” said Leonel Luna, the Mexico City assemblyman who co-authored the bill.

1. You wouldn’t have to go through the tortuous process of divorce,” said Luna, from the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution, which has the most seats in the 66-member chamber.

Luna says the proposed law is gaining support and he expects a vote by the end of this year.

 

Around half of Mexico City marriages end in divorce, usually in the first two years.

The bustling capital, one of the world’s largest cities, is much more liberal than the rest of the country, where the divorce rate is significantly lower although on the rise.

Abortion is legal in Mexico City, while the Supreme Court ruled this week to uphold state laws in Baja California that say life begins at conception.

Leftist Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, who angered the Catholic Church when he made Mexico City the first Latin American city to legalize gay marriage in late 2009, announced this month he would soon step down to run for president.

The church criticized the proposed change.

“This reform is absurd. It contradicts the nature of marriage,” said Hugo Valdemar, spokesman for the Mexican archdiocese. “It’s another one of these electoral theatrics the assembly tends to do that are irresponsible and immoral.”

The Church holds considerable sway in the country with the world’s second largest Catholic population after Brazil.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44724855/?gt1=43001

Congressional Support for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Grows

 

By
Nathanael Bennett Filed in:
Iran 2:04 PMSep. 30, 2011
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On behalf of Pastor Youcef, the ACLJ wishes to publicly thank the following elected officials for their statements this week calling on Iran to grant Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani an unconditional release:

• Speaker of the House John Boehner (OH-8)
• Congressman James Lankford (OK-5)
• Congressman Randy Forbes (VA-4)
• Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-2)
• Senator Marco Rubio (FL)
• Congressman Mike Kelly (PA-3)
• Congressman Jim Jordan (OH-4)
• Congressman Mike Pence (IN-6)
• Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Co-Chairs, Congressmen James McGovern (MA-3) and Frank Wolf (VA-10)

Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-4) has sent a letter directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei calling for Pastor Youcef’s release, stating, “In our age, no civilized nation should force a man to deny his faith or die.”  Congressmen Randy Forbes (VA-4), Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1), Trent Franks (AZ-2), Joe Pitts (PA-16), and Frank Wolf (VA-10) have also signed on to this letter.

In addition to these elected officials, we are grateful to White Press Secretary Jay Carney for expressing the White House’s support for Pastor Youcef’s release.

We are also glad that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned Iran’s actions toward Pastor Youcef. However, it is the duty of the State Department to do more. As our top diplomat for international matters, Secretary Clinton must specifically and aggressively work for his unconditional release.  You can sign our petition to Secretary Clinton here.

It remains crucial for our elected officials to continue sounding the alarm on behalf of Pastor Youcef, and for all of us to continue praying for his safety.

Tags » Youcef Nadarkhani, iran, Christian, execution, Pastor, religious persecution, death sentence, Clinton

http://aclj.org/iran/congressional-support-pastor-youcef-nadarkhani-grows

Pat Robertson Responds By Russell D. Moore

Pat Robertson says his comments about divorce and Alzheimer’s disease were “misinterpreted.” The problem is, his clarification doesn’t clarify.

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According to Sarah Pulliam Bailey in Christianity Today, Robertson addressed the controversy over his advice to a questioner to his 700 Club television program by telling the man he could divorce his wife in order to date another woman. Robertson said he was merely “saying, adultery is not a good thing, and you might as well straighten your life out, and the only way to do it is to kind of get your affair with your wife in order.”

This is nonsense.

Robertson did not, in fact, say that. He said, “I know it sounds cruel, but if he’s going to do something he should divorce her and start all over again.”

Robertson now says he would never advise anyone to leave a sick spouse, but he doesn’t repent of the previous statement. He simply says he was focusing on the “specific case” and not advice for “the whole world.” He said he envied a Catholic priest because the priest’s confessional counsel is “all kept secret” whereas when he has “somebody asking me for advice, it spreads worldwide and it’s misunderstood.”

First of all, Robertson’s advice didn’t “spread worldwide.” No one was tapping his phone or hacking his email account. It was broadcast. Robertson is a broadcaster with a television program using satellite technologyto see to it that his advice gets carried across the world. That’s the problem.

 

More problematic, though, was Robertson’s flippant response to the abhorrent theology behind the whole issue.

“And remember, they come to me asking for specific advice and I give them specific advice about their condition, not for the world. I’m not giving a theological (defense); I’m not John Calvin giving the Institutes of the Christian Religion.”

To tell a man to stay with his sick wife, that to divorce her or leave her because of her illness, is, in every situation, wrong, is not some abstract point of doctrine. No one was asking Robertson to, on his feet, explain the Molinist account of providence or to answer a tricky ethical dilemma about lying to save the lives of others. This question was about the most basic sign of the gospel, the union between Christ and his church. One doesn’t even need to know any Scripture beyond John 3:16 to intuit the spirit of antichrist in the notion of abandoning a suffering spouse.

If one can’t answer a question that basic to the Christian faith, with clarity and conviction, one shouldn’t teach first-grade Sunday School, much less broadcast one’s spiritual guidance to the whole world.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Robertson’s comments on divorce and Alzheimer’s here, and later had the opportunity to speak to the issue on CNN, which you can watch here.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/pat-robertson-responds-56915/

‘Nice’ Christian Boys and Girls Make Me Sick… By Perry Noble

WARNING: The following post IS graphic…I use some language that may be considered offensive by some. This is NOT an apology…just wanted you to know!

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I had the privilege of speaking at Clemson’s FCA the other night and I felt led to go in a direction towards the beginning of the message that I hadn’t planned on…and so I want to expound a little on a few things here.

I said, “My daughter is going to date one day…and the last thing I want her bringing home to meet me is a ‘nice Christian boy.’ If she does that I will probably have to punch that dude in the throat!”

Why? Simple – nice Christian boys are one of the reasons Christianity is not advancing the way Jesus has called us to. Why? Because a “nice” Christian boy will go to church, Bible study, raise his hands in worship and then go back to wherever he lives, sit at his computer look at porn and masturbate. And “boys,” it’s incredibly difficult to lead the charge against the gates of hell with your pants around your ankles. (Uh…this isn’t just college students – some married men are struggling with this as well! AND let me say I’ve struggled with this and the Lord delivered me from it seven and a half years ago!)

(YES…I said that word – and if it ticks you off then I invite you to get your head out of the sand and face reality…in fact, I did an entire post on the subject of masturbation…you can read it here!)

And the LAST thing I want my daughter growing up to be is a “nice” Christian girl. Why? Because these are the girls who WILL NOT necessarily have sex with a guy…but are not afraid to have oral sex and then justify their actions by saying, “well…we didn’t ‘do it!’”

 

We don’t need anymore “nice” Christian boys and girls…we need men and women who are madly and passionately in love with Jesus…who have a Philippians 3:10-11 mindset, who take Hebrews 12:2 view in life, who realize Philippians 2:5-11 was the BOLDEST move ever made and who want Matthew 22:36-40 to be true in their own lives.

Someone who is in love with Jesus just doesn’t care – they do not care if they are single, they want what Jesus wants for them. They do not care what people think about the type of house they live in or the kind of car they drive…they just want to see Jesus lifted up – even if that means sacrifice. They do not care if they are blogged about and/or ridiculed–they want to know Christ more and more and are willing to do ANYTHING He asks them to do.

One of the clearest marks of a disciple in Scripture is OBEDIENCE to Jesus. (John 14:15) We can have all of the knowledge in the world–but information without application is degradation! The Bible says in Psalm 95:7-8 that if we hear His voice that we should NOT harden our hearts.

Question: is there anything that God is calling you to do? Anything you need to stop doing? Anything you need to start doing? What is it that is going to take you from being a “nice” follower of Jesus to becoming someone who is radically in love with Him?

We all fight this battle…I know I have. In the past I have overcame a pornography addiction AND also an addiction to reading what was said about me on the internet, whether good or bad. WHICH God revealed to me was actually pride–the sin that got satan kicked out of heaven! AND I am constantly fighting daily to do what Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:2 says to do!

BUT–the LAST thing I ever want to be is a “nice” Christian man…I want to be a fully devoted FOLLOWER of Jesus Christ…the term Christian today has been so neutered! I don’t even like it anymore. (Stay calm…the term Christian is only used three times in the New Testament.) I’ve been that “nice Christian guy” in the past–but I want MORE…I want to see John 3:30 come true in my life!!!

What term do I like? JESUS LOVER! I want to be known as a Jesus lover…someone who is passionate about JESUS! My wife needs me to be in love with Jesus. My daughter needs me to be in love with Jesus. NewSpring needs me to be in love with Jesus. WHY? Because when I love Jesus I will do what He says…and that is NEVER a bad thing!

“Nice” Christian boys and girls will not change this world…EVER…all they do is put on a good front and then “live like hell” and think that no one sees. (I Samuel 16:7) BUT JESUS LOVERS…they are “all in!” Do they make mistakes? HECK YES! BUT…when they do so they ask for forgiveness, REPENT and then move on.

My passion is to raise up a church full of men and women who love Jesus…who don’t just play games but go all out to do whatever He asks. I am trying my best to do this…will you join with me? Let’s REALLY commit to knowing Christ and allowing HIM to be known through us…and let’s turn this world upside down for Him! He did it with some guys in the Gospels…I’m crazy enough to think He can do it again!

http://www.christianpost.com/news/nice-christian-boys-and-girls-make-me-sick-56954/

Ray Comfort: 180 Filmmaker ‘Felt Sickened’ by Response to Holocaust Question By Alex Murashko

Evangelist Ray Comfort revealed that during the making of his dramatic pro-life film, “180,” he was sickened by the answers so many young people gave to a hypothetical question he asked them after describing a life and death, Holocaust-like scenario.

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  (Photo: LivingWaters.com)
  Evangelist Ray Comfort’s documentary film ’180′ was released for free online Sunday. The 33-minute video shows young people who hold a pro-abortion stance before changing to a pro-life position in a matter of seconds after being asked one question. The video includes the transformation of a blue-mohawked ‘Steve,’ who Comfort describes as a ‘neo-Nazi, probably pro-everything evil,’ September 2011.

The 33-minute video released for free online at the beginning of the week, documents the responses of young adults to questions from Comfort about their stance on abortion, but also includes discussions on Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust in Europe.

While focusing on the responses given by several people with a pro-abortion stance, Comfort then transitions from talk about lives lost in the Holocaust to lives lost as the result of abortions in the U.S.

The hypothetical scenario Comfort described to those he interviewed for the film went like this:

It’s 1943. A German officer has a gun pointed at you. He wants you to get into a bulldozer and drive it forward. In front of the bulldozer is a pit in which there are 300 Jews who have just been shot. Some of them are still alive. He wants you to bury them alive! If you don’t do what he says, he is going to kill you and do it himself. If you do what he says, he will let you live. Would you drive it forward?

“I was surprised that so many said that they could bury another person alive. I felt sickened, but at the same time I don’t know if I believed others when they quickly said that they would take the bullet, rather than do it,” said Comfort in a recent interview made available to the Christian Post. “I guess it takes a lot of soul-searching. It certainly is a character-test for each of us.”

 

Comfort explained how the conversations with the people he interviewed at different outdoor Southern California locales began.

“I would begin an interview by asking the question ‘Have you heard of Adolf Hitler?’ If they said, ‘No,’ I had the difficult task of getting them on camera,” Comfort said. “It was hard to hide my shock that anyone didn’t know who Hitler was, and the moment they suspected that they should know about him they refused because they felt foolish. So there were a number of interviews I missed out on because of that.

“Still, we were able to get 14 people on-camera, mainly university students, who didn’t have a clue who Adolf Hitler was,” Comfort said. “The swing from the Holocaust to abortion was fairly seamless because it came in the form of a question -’How do you feel about abortion?’

“Then came ‘Do you think it’s a baby in the womb?’ If they said that they thought it was a baby in the womb, I asked if they could think of any justification for taking its life. The only people who became angry were the two women who had painted their bodies silver. After one admitted that she couldn’t kill Jews but other people should have the right to kill them, she must have realized what she had just said. She then became angry, and walked off. However, each of the others were genuinely moved by the interview.”

Comfort said the other surprising moments came when he discovered that so many people said that “it was a baby in the womb, and yet they still said that terminating the pregnancy was a woman’s choice.

“After giving them some knowledge that made them change their minds, I realized that so many have been brainwashed — and that all they need is information to give them another perspective.”

Produced by Comfort’s Living Waters Ministry, “180″ was released Sunday at 180Movie.com and had nearly 340,000 views on YouTube by late-afternoon on Friday. Shane Martin, who is managing the social media aspect of the film’s release said that 75,000 people have shared a link to the movie on Facebook.

The 180 Movie Facebook page is receiving 800 to 1,000 “Likes” per day, Shane said. Many on the social media site are taking part in a grassroots branding of the film. “Hundreds of people a day are changing their profile photos to the 180 logo,” Martin said.

“Keep in mind that this isn’t just a 30-second clip of a child having his finger bitten,” Comfort told the CP, referring to a popular YouTube video with millions of views. “This is a 33-minute movie. So it’s a big deal. But the real encouragement comes from the wonderful comments.”

Lead singer Mark Hall, from the popular Christian band Casting Crowns, recently made an endorsement of the film.

“This short documentary has totally rocked my world this week. Please check it out…I dare you to watch 180,” Hall said.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/ray-comfort-180-filmmaker-felt-sickened-by-response-to-holocaust-question-56989/

Bible Readers Prefer Word-for-Word Translations of Gospel By Alex Murashko

Americans who make Bible reading a part of their everyday life prefer word-for-word translations of the original Greek and Hebrew over thought-for-thought translations, according to a new study released by LifeWay Research.

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  (Photo: REUTERS/Kieran Doherty)
  A view of the Codex Sinaiticus, the world’s oldest bible, at the British Library in London

In the study using 2,000 Bible readers, people were asked whether they prefer “word-for-word translations, where the original words are translated as exactly as possible” or “thought-for-thought translations, where the translators attempt to reproduce the intent of the original thought rather than translating the exact words.”

Sixty-one percent chose word-for-word, according to Nashville-based LifeWay Research.

Bible readers in the study participated with the help of a demographically representative online panel. To qualify for the study they had to read the Bible in a typical month either by themselves or as part of a family activity and not merely in a church or corporate group setting.

“They definitely wanted a translation to stay close to the original text and the actual words used in the text,” LifeWay Research President Ed Stetzer told the Christian Post. “People want readability and they want word-for-word translation which is a difficult thing to combine.

“I don’t think there are really a lot of bad translations. I think what people are trying to figure out is what’s the best translation for where they are (spiritually),” Stetzer added.

 

In regards to accuracy, respondents were asked, “In general, what is more important to you in a Bible: total accuracy to the original words, or easy readability?” Three out of four people (75 percent) chose total accuracy, 43 percent saying accuracy is much more important and 32 percent saying it is somewhat more important.

Fourteen percent said easy readability is somewhat more important, and 8 percent said it is much more important. Three percent are not sure.

“It is interesting to note that Bible sales do not necessarily follow these preferences,” said Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research. “Those reading the Bible each month represent only a portion of all Bible purchasers.

“Bible readers can share their preferences for different translation principles but may not be aware of which characteristics are present in specific translations – even the ones that they own,” McConnell said. “Without specific instruction most readers will not notice when a translation moves away from a literal or word-for-word translation.”

The study showed that people have varying opinions about the style of language they prefer in a Bible translation for personal reading. They include:

• 68 percent want language to be simpler to understand while 7 percent want it to be more difficult to understand.
• 81 percent say it should be more enjoyable to read while 4 percent prefer it to be more of a chore to read.
• 27 percent favor contemporary language while 46 percent want traditional language.
• 36 percent want more modern language while 37 percent favor more old-fashioned language.
• 19 percent feel understanding the language should require a higher level of education while 49 percent say it should not require a higher level of education.
• 63 percent believe it should be simple for anyone to understand while 14 percent say the language should be meant more for people who have a lot of experience with the Bible.
• 40 percent prefer more formal language while 26 percent say should be more informal.
• 22 percent want language more for casual reading while 44 percent say it should be designed more for in-depth study.

“In the same way drivers want big, powerful, fuel-efficient vehicles, Bible readers want word-for-word translations that are easy to understand,” McConnell said. “As translators try to cross the globe and two millennia, fully accomplishing both is not always possible.”

The LifeWay Research survey also asked about translation of God’s name. Though many Bible versions translate God’s name in the Old Testament as “the LORD,” other versions use what is believed to be the original pronunciation, “Yahweh.”

Nearly eight in 10 Bible readers (79 percent) prefer the traditional translation “the LORD” over the original pronunciation “Yahweh.” That includes 51 percent who strongly prefer “the LORD” and 27 percent who somewhat prefer it. Seven percent somewhat prefer “Yahweh” while 6 percent strongly prefer it. Eight percent are not sure which they favor.

A large majority of Bible readers do not prefer gender-inclusive translation approaches. A full 82 percent prefer a literal translation of masculine words that describe people in general rather than a more inclusive translation like “humankind” or “person.”

The complete study can be found at http://www.lifeway.com.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/bible-readers-prefer-word-for-word-translations-of-gospel-56997/

Teacher Back to Work After Suspending Christian Student for Anti-Gay Remark By Gina E. Ryder

The Texas teacher responsible for the controversial suspension of the Christian high school student that spoke out in class about his belief that homosexuality was wrong returned to work today after being on administrative leave since Sept. 23.

Dakota Ary, a freshman at Western Hills High School, was disciplined by Kristopher Franks, who was teaching a lesson on religious beliefs in Germany. Franks overhead Ary say, “I’m a Christian and, to me, being homosexual is wrong.”

Upon hearing the comment, Franks, who is openly gay, wrote Dakota an infraction and sent him to the principal’s office on Sept. 20.

Interim school superintendent Walter Dansby notified Forth Worth Independent School District trustees late Thursday that the incident had been investigated and was now resolved.

According to Franks’ attorney, Melissa Mozingo, the teacher has been the target of many harassing emails since the incident.

“He does want his side out there, but he cannot make comments due to the ongoing investigation,” Mozingo, who works for the United Educators Association, told the Star Telegram.

 

She added, “But he’s doing great. He’s strong, and he has an effective support base that’s helping him get through this process.”

According to previous reports by The Christian Post, Ary commented to his friend about his Christian beliefs and Franks took him to the front office. His mother was contacted while at work and was told that her son would have a referral and two-day suspension because of his “inappropriate” comments.

“When I got the phone call saying Dakota disrupted the class by making an inappropriate comment, I knew that just wasn’t right,” his mother, Holly Pope, told CP. “Dakota doesn’t do that. It’s out of his character.”

According to reports, just one week prior to Ary’s suspension, the German teacher posted a picture of two men kissing on the chalkboard in front of the classroom.

“He told the students that this was homosexuality and that they needed to accept it,” said Ary’s attorney, Matt Krause. Some students protested and when the teacher left the classroom, one student tore down the poster.

Commenting on the poster, Pope said, “He’s (Dakota) been in church his whole life. Just being a Christian doesn’t mean you surrounds yourself with just Christians. He goes to a public school, so he will be faced with things he doesn’t believe in or feel is right. That’s fine. For a picture, I didn’t feel it was necessary to raise alarm.”

Krause also asserted to NBC that students shouldn’t be forced to shed their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse doors.

“And he wasn’t disrupting class, he wasn’t hurting or harassing anybody. He was just stating his religious beliefs in a benign, non-hostile way,” he noted.

Matt Krause, with the Liberty Counsel, has demanded full vindication with a full retraction of the suspension.

According to the Liberty Counsel, the discipline referral form says the comment was out of context, even though the lesson for the day was on religious beliefs.

Franks charged Dakota with “possible bullying” and indicated, “it is wrong to make such a statement in public school.”

After Liberty Counsel sent a letter to the school, officials and the school district reversed the in-school suspension, removed the incident from the teen’s record and placed Franks on administrative leave with pay.

Mathew D. Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, commented: “We are pleased with the school’s response thus far. The teacher clearly crossed the line and should apologize publicly to Dakota.”

“It is intolerable for the teacher to ridicule the religious beliefs of students in front of class. This teacher should not force his views about homosexuality upon students. Teachers cannot use their position to bully students and humiliate them in front of their peers,” Staver stated.

The school district did not comment on the incident, as per district policy. Franks has been a teacher with the district since 2006.

The Liberty Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm and ministry that provides free legal assistance in defense of “Christian religious liberty, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family.”

http://www.christianpost.com/news/teacher-back-to-work-after-suspending-christian-student-for-anti-gay-remark-56937/

Peer-Reviewed Study Adds Validity To Claims of Sexual Orientation Change By Jeff Schapiro

Many people who work in the field of psychology argue against the idea that a person can change their sexual orientation. But a new study published in the October edition of the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy reveals that some homosexuals who seek to change their sexual orientation may be able to do so with the help of religious mediation.

The study, conducted by psychologists Stanton L. Jones of Wheaton College and Mark A. Yarhouse of Regent University, examined changes in homosexuals who sought the help of Exodus International in trying to change their sexual orientation.

Researches tracked changes in the 98 participating subjects (72 men, 26 women) over the course of six or seven years through regular assessments.

The study found that, out of the 61 subjects who “were successfully categorized for general outcome,” 53 percent of them were categorized as having successful outcomes according to Exodus’ standards.

Twenty-three percent reported a successful “conversion” to heterosexual orientation, while 30 percent reported “stable behavioral chastity.” Twenty percent of the subjects, however, gave up on changing and fully embraced the gay identity.

“Our study…does not prove that everyone can change,” Jones said in an interview with The Christian Post on Friday. “It just proves that the reality is very, very complicated, and there seems to be some capacity for some people to shift their sexual orientation in a way that has personal meaning to them.”

 

Jones says that mainstream psychology often criticizes those that try to help gays become straight, branding those that do so as being “unethical,” “unreasonable” or “cruel,” and stating that sexual orientation cannot be changed.

“There certainly are abusive and crazy interventions, but not every attempt to change sexual orientation is necessarily so,” Jones argued.

Many people criticize religious methods of sexual orientation change, saying that homosexuals are distressed and mentally harmed by such programs. The study also measured levels of distress in the subjects, however, and Yarhouse told The Christian Post that they found a different result than what would have commonly been expected.

“On average, it does not appear to be harmful based on this data. In fact, if anything, there was more movement towards greater psychological health or less distress over time for people,” he said. “I’m not saying that no one’s ever been harmed. The question is whether it’s intrinsic to the effort that it’s causing harm, and that does not appear to be the case from this data.”

Jones and Yarhouse previously published a book on their earlier studies, called Ex-Gays? (2007), but were criticized for publishing it in book form instead of in a peer-reviewed journal.

“The implication was that it couldn’t be published in a scientific, reputable journal,” Yarhouse said about their earlier research. After conducting several more years of research and adjusting some of their methods, however, their work has finally gained some positive recognition.

“This isn’t a study for the mainstream gay community,” Yarhouse said. “This is a study for primarily religious people who are distressed by their same sex attractions. They want to know, if they were involved in a Christian ministry, is it possible over time for them to have significant and meaningful shifts along that continuum. And this data would suggest that for some that appears to be possible.”

http://www.christianpost.com/news/peer-reviewed-study-adds-validity-to-claims-of-sexual-orientation-change-56985/

Employees of Pa. Abortion Doctor Must Stand Trial With Him By Joseph Perkins

When Dr. Kermit Gosnell was arrested and charged with murdering a patient and seven newborns, employees at his West Philadelphia abortion clinic thought he would stand trial on his own.

But a Philadelphia judge ruled Friday that the nine clinic workers would be tried alongside their former boss, though only four of the nine face murder charges, while the other five are charged with lesser crimes.

In denying requests by two of clinic workers to be tried separately from Gosnell and their former co-workers, Judge Benjamin Lerner decided that it would be unduly traumatic for the daughter of Karnamaya Mongar, a 41-year-old immigrant woman who died at Gosnell’s abortion clinic, to force her to testify at as many as 10 separate trials.

“There’s no question,” said Lerner, “that there’s going to be some prejudice that attaches to a defendant in that position.” However, he added, Pennsylvania law does not require separate trials but instructions to jurors to consider evidence against each defendant individually.

The clinic workers find themselves facing trial two years after Gosnell botched an abortion that killed Mongar. The 70-year-old abortion doctor also stands accused of murdering seven late-term babies who, according to prosecutors, were born alive before being killed with scissors.

Authorities say they uncovered Gosnell’s alleged crimes during an onsite investigation of illegal prescription drug sales at Women’s Medical Society, his corner abortion clinic whose clients were mainly poor and immigrant women who could not obtain abortions elsewhere.

 

What they discovered was a “disgusting, squalid, horrifying” facility. There were jars lining shelves containing he feet of aborted babies, authorities reported, for no medical reason. Some fetal remains were stored in a refrigerator where clinc staff kept their lunches.

Authorities believe that Gosnell amassed a fortune over the years between his alleged trafficking in illegal prescription drugs and surreptitious performance of illegal late term abortions. Authorities say he charged patients based on how much their aborted babies weighed.

His wife Pearl, a cosmetologist, appears to have participated in the family business. She is charged with performing very late-term abortions on Sundays, when the clinic supposedly was closed.

Defense lawyers say they will fight the charges against Gosnell and his abortion clinic. They are expected to make motions at a pre-trial hearing next month to bar the most damning evidence.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/employees-of-pa-abortion-doctor-must-stand-trial-with-him-57006/

Condemned Pastor Guilty of Rape, Extortion, Iran Claims By Joseph Perkins

An Iranian government official on Friday accused Western media of misleadingly reporting the story of Yousef Nadarkhani, the 34-year-old Christian evangelical pastor who continues to await execution, but for offenses that are now unclear.

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  (Photo: ACLJ)
  Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani of the Church of Iran denomination is pictured here.

“His crime is not, as some claim, converting others to Christianity,” said Gholomali Rezvani, deputy governor of Iran’s Gilan province, where the persecuted pastor was sentenced to death by hanging. “He is guilty of security-related crimes.”

Those crimes, claimed Rezvani, in remarks reported by Fars news agency (the Iranian government’s unofficial mouthpiece), include rape and extortion. “No one is executed in Iran for their choice of religion,” he insisted.

The Iranian provincial governor’s explanation of Pastor Nadarkhani’s death sentence does not square with court records of the trial, conviction and appeal of the leader of 400 Christian house churches – whom Rezvani disparagingly described as a “Zionist” criminal.

Nadarkhani was arrested two years ago this month for refusing to comply with the Iranian government’s dictate that non-Muslim schoolchildren read the Quran. The Christian pastor protested that Iran’s constitution allowed children to be reared according to their parents’ faith.

In September 2010, a Gilan province court sentenced Nadarkhani to death by hanging for “convert(ing) to Christianity” and “encourag(ing) other Muslims to convert to Christianity.”

 

Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the Christian pastor’s death sentence this year, while ordering a reexamination of the case. That reexamination began this past Sunday and continued through this week.

On Wednesday, Nadarkhani was given an opportunity to renounce his Christian faith and avoid execution. But he refused to do so, for the fourth time since his arrest in 2009.

The outcry against the Iranian government by evangelicals worldwide, along with pressure applied by foreign governments and unfavorable news coverage by the Western media, may just help Nadarkhani escape the hangman’s noose.

His attorney, Mohammadali Dadkhah, said Friday, that despite the last-minute allegations of rape and extortion against Nadarkhani, he doesn’t believe the Christian pastor actually will be executed.

“The case is still in progress,” said Dadkhah, optimistically estimating a 95 percent probability that his client will not be put to death.” If, ultimately, the Iranian pastor’s life is spared, it will fulfill the prayers of millions of Christians throughout the world.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/condemned-pastor-guilty-of-rape-extortion-iran-claims-56998/