All posts tagged: Politics

Praying father and son on dark background

Do you still consider yourself an Evangelical Christian?

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Mixing religion and politics has always been a dangerous recipe. Does who we vote for politically in any way define what it means to be a believer in Christ? In recent years, the mainstream media and others have smeared Evangelical Christians politically as nationalists or right-wing extremists. However, a 2023 survey suggests this is not how Bible-believing Christians defined themselves, the Christian Post reports. According to Grey Matter Research and Infinity Concepts’ (GMRIC) analysis of the survey of 1,000 Evangelical Christians, a very small minority believe that a person’s political position in any way defines their Evangelical beliefs. “Only 2% define ‘evangelical’ at least in part by politics, such as being politically conservative, supporting Donald Trump, or being Republican,” GMRIC’s report concluded. “So, while others, such as The Economist, commonly conflate this term with politics, evangelicals themselves rarely do,” the report continued. Initially, the term Evangelical was used to describe those who held a Biblical view of Christianity. According to the National Association of Evangelicals, this included four foundational beliefs: However, there has been a …

Tucker Carlson speaking at the 2023 Turning Point Action Conference, West Palm Beach, Florida

Tucker Carlson suggests UFOs are actually manifestations of spiritual beings in an interview with Joe Rogan

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In a recent interview with Podcaster Joe Rogan, former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson revealed his opinion on the appearance of UFOs and in some instances even aliens, the Christian Post reports. While some believe the Earth is actually being visited by aliens from other planets, others believe that many of the UFOs are actually evidence of advanced technology created by governments. However, the first thing that Tucker points to is that in the Bible’s Book of Ezekiel, the prophet saw similar types of unidentified flying objects. Obviously, these flying objects were not created by some top-secret government agency, 2,500 years ago. Instead, Ezekiel identified these beings as angelic. ā€œItā€™s not American technology or Russian or Chinese. It predates all of that,ā€ Carlson noted. ā€œI mean the prophet Ezekiel writes about it in the first chapter, wheels in the sky.ā€ ā€œThese are spiritual phenomena. Thereā€™s no evidence theyā€™re from another planet,ā€ Carlson added. “They’ve been here for thousands of years, whatever ‘they’ are, and it’s pretty clear to me that they’re spiritual entities, whatever that …

Frogs in the kettle: Christians in America

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Jeff King, the president of International Christian Concern (ICC), warned that Christians in America are like frogs in a boiling pot of water and seem blissfully unaware of their slowly changing environment. “Too many people are not aware politically, and they’re so used to thinking of how things were that they can’t figure out where these bubbles are coming from, not realizing they’re being cooked,” King said in a recent interview with the Christian Post. The ICC president noted that this growing persecution and censorship of Christians is on display in a recent court case involving a Texas teacher, Staci Barber. Barber, along with two other teachers, were allegedly reprimanded by their school principal for participating in a “See You At the Pole,” an international prayer event where students, teachers, and parents gather at the flagpoles of schools around the world to pray. These events typically take place before the start of the school day. The principal allegedly told the teachers that the Katy Independent School District, located near Houston, does not allow teachers to …

Individual waving Israeli flag at night in Jerusalem.

An old question: How much do you hate Israel?

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We all know that there is a struggle between the State of Israel and Hamas, a militant group that ‘was’ in control of the Palestinian territory of Gaza. ‘Was’ in control, because after a Hamas raid on Israel, the Israeli army attacked Hamas in Gaza. Iā€™m sure we all know something about this armed conflict, and I donā€™t need to add to the information in the news. Hopefully, this tragic war can come to a conclusion, and people in the region can return to their peacetime lives. You probably also know about the protests on college and university campuses, against the State of Israel. Some statements, made by some protesters, are scary and abusive. The police are involved, and they have arrested hundreds. One of the strangest claims about the recent protests is that some of the anti-Israel sponsors are Jewish. So apparently, wealthy Jewish people are supporting protesters who call for the end of the Jewish nation. This has been reported by journalists in many parts of the world. This link is from India: …

Havre-aux-Maisons, IĢ‚les-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec

A Canadian municipality will soon require a QR code if you want to leave

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With shades of Big Brother from Orson Wells’ dystopian novel, 1948, the municipality of  ĆŽles-de-la-Madeleine in Quebec, Canada will require all visitors to download a QR code to visit and leave their island community, CBC reports. The island, with a population of 12,000, is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and can only be accessed by boat or plane. It’s part of the municipality’s plan implemented in 2023 to have people pay a $30 fee to visit the island in 2024, which will be paid via the QR code at departure. The government originally intended that island residents would also need to download the QR code but backed down after the outrage. It will now only demand citizens show identification when they want to leave. However, many insist this is a violation of their rights under the Charter of Rights and will probably result in a court challenge. Island residents are also upset because their family and friends will now be required to download the code and pay the fee, in addition to their …

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2016

Iran’s role in the end times

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When discussing Iran, we need to separate the views of the country’s citizens from those of its tyrannical leader. Iran is currently controlled by an Islamic fundamentalist, Ali Khamenei, who serves as the country’s Supreme Leader, an unelected position. Though there are elections in the country for the country’s legislature, the Supreme Leader decides who will serve as president and cabinet ministers and ultimately approves or disapproves of any legislation that is passed. As a hard-line extremist, Ali Khamenei is not only seeking to construct nuclear weapons, he has also called for Israel to be eliminated. Though most Iranians want to see an end to the tyrannical rule and have democracy restored in the country, they are oddly in agreement with Ali Khamenei’s desire for war with Israel, for different reasons though. In an interview with CBN, Lily Meschi of Iran Alive Ministries explains the difference. Lily was born in Iran’s capital city, Tehran, Faithwire reports. ā€œThe Iranian government is totally separated from the citizens,ā€ Meschi explained. ā€œThe Iranian people are not for the government; …

Communist Hammer and sickle logo on the wall of China's National Congress

Canada: Is the Chinese Communist Party interfering in Canadian Elections?

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According to CSIS, which is Canada’s intelligence agency, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been actively interfering in Canadian elections. The following series of headlines and quotes are from Blacklock’s Reporter. Though the articles are behind paywalls, the introductory paragraphs provide disturbing details: China Picks Favourites: CSIS “Communist Party agents worked to elect ā€œpro-Chinaā€ candidates to the current Parliament, CSIS director David Vigneault yesterday testified at the Commission on Foreign Interference. ‘I support those conclusions,’ said Vigneault as documents pointed to large cash payments for unnamed public office holders: ‘As you can imagine, we are not at liberty to discuss the specifics.‘” And againā€¦. RCMP Investigates 2021 Vote “Police have opened a criminal investigation into 2021 election interference by foreign agents, RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme said yesterday. Testifying at the China inquiry, Duheme would not discuss details: ‘We received information that prompted us to open an investigation.‘” And againā€¦ Suspects Heckler Was Planted “Suspicions a Chinese agent was planted at a 2021 election meeting to heckle Conservative MP Michael Chong (Wellington-Halton Hills, Ont.) are ‘compelling’ …

Donegal, Ireland

The Irish vote a resounding ‘no’ to renaming ‘marriage’

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There has been a bit of shock in Ireland recently as the country’s Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, resigned after his progressive government and the political elite of that country suffered a crushing defeat in recent referendums. Varadkar was seeking to make two changes in that country’s constitution. The first involved redefining marriage. “The first referendum proposed changing the pivotal role of marriage as the foundation for family and society,” writes Nick Park in his article for Premier Christianity. “The idea was to replace marriage with ā€œdurable relationshipsā€ (whatever that means).” The second thing that Varadkar wanted to do was remove the “reference to ‘mothers’ not being obliged by economic necessity to neglect their responsibilities in the home to mothers.” While some suggested it could be easily changed by simply adding the word father, Park, who serves as Executive Director of Evangelical Alliance Ireland, said that Varadkar muddied it by changing it to, “Families are good for caring for people.” In addition to Varadkar’s government, the major opposition parties and the political, academic, and media elite, …

The majority of Americans believe religion is losing its influence in society, poll finds

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There may be some good news in a recent poll conducted by Pew Research that discovered most Americans (80%) believe religion is losing its influence in society, the Christian Post reports. The poll also revealed that most of those who are sensing this also feel uneasy about the change that is taking place. In fact, 49% of Americans actually stated the declining influence of religion is a bad thing and 57% stated that religion had a positive influence on society. In contrast, only 8% of Americans believe the declining influence of religion in society is a good thing. Unfortunately, this means that a small, but vocal, minority has been able to negatively influence American life by dominating key areas such as politics, entertainment, and mainstream media/social media. In addition, 48% of Americans believe that ‘some’ or a ‘great deal’ of their religious views are in conflict with socially accepted cultural norms. This percentage reflects the rapid negative changes that have taken place in America since 2020, when only 24% of Americans similarly believed their religious …

71% of Jewish teens have experienced antisemitic hate, survey finds

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According to a recent survey of Jewish teenagers, 71% stated that they had experienced some form of antisemitic hate since Oct. 7, 2024, the day Hamas brutally invaded Israel, Israel365 News reports. The survey found that 61% of them had faced person-to-person antisemitism, 46% stated they had experienced it online and 36% said they had experienced it both personally and via the internet. With those who experienced personal attacks, the survey found that 46% of the antisemitic hatred occurred at school. When it came to the internet, the top three platforms for antisemitic expression were Instagram at 33%, followed by TikTok at 23% and Snapchat at 17%. Curiously, X, formerly called Twitter, which the mainstream media has labeled as a forum for hatred since Elon Musk took it over, did not make the top three. The survey was conducted by BBYO, a Jewish teen movement, headquartered in Washington, DC. It has hundreds of chapters found in high schools across America. Meanwhile, at the Oscars, RELATED: Michael Rapaport, Debra Messing denounce Oscar winner’s speech with 450 …

Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau goes Orwellian and wants to punish wrong-thinking

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Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is preparing to go completely Orwellian, the New York Post writes. Under legislation before the House of Commons, Justin Trudeau wants to be able to sentence people for thinking wrong thoughts. This is from a man who holds absolute power in that country while only having the support of slightly over 30% of the people. In other words, in the last federal election, 70% of Canadians stated by their vote that they did not want Trudeau to be their Prime Minister. However, with the political support of the New Democratic Party, Trudeau has the power to rule Canada with an iron fist. The New York Post Editorial Board provides more details: The country that brought you debanking protesters and government-assisted suicide for the poor now wants to criminalize speech to lock up people for life and to put wrongthinkers under house arrest if the state sees a chance they will commit a crime.  Doesnā€™t get more Orwellian than that.  The chillingly titled Online Harms Act was introduced in February by Justice Minister Arif Virani. Virani …

Pakistan Credit: Gordon Dickson/Flickr/Creative Commons

For the first time in history, a Christian politician was nominated as Deputy Speaker in a Pakistani Provincial Assembly

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While Christians are regularly accused of blasphemy across Pakistan as a way of settling property, business, and personal vendettas, an interesting thing took place in the Sindh Provincial Assembly, the Christian Daily International reports. For the first time in its history, a Christian politician was elected as Deputy Speaker. Anthony Naveed, who is a member of the Pakistan Peopleā€™s Party (PPP), won the nomination this past Sunday, defeating his opponent in a 111 to 36 vote. In other words, it wasn’t even close. Naveed, 53, a Catholic, has been active in his community promoting Christian endeavors such as the Karachi Christian Boys Association and Catholic Youth Commission of Pakistan. ā€œThe PPP is the only political party that is taking concrete steps to protect the rights of all minorities, including the Christian community, and empowering them socially, politically and economically,ā€ Naveed said in an interview with the Christian Daily International. The province of Sindh is located in Southeastern Pakistan and is known as the ‘Gateway of Islam.’. With a population of 56 million, it is the …

Over two-thirds of Americans concerned about the direction the US is heading on protecting free speech, survey finds

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According to a recent poll, 69% of Americans believe that the US is heading in the wrong direction when it comes to protecting people’s right “to freely express their views.” the Christian Post reports. Correspondingly, nearly a third of Americans (31%) believe the US is heading in the right direction on the same issue. When asked if they felt that the right to Freedom of Speech in America, guaranteed in the constitution, was secure less than half, 47%, said yes. Meanwhile, 29% stated that they believed the right to free speech was ‘not all that secure.’ When adding a political filter to the poll results, it revealed that nearly 50% of Democrats believed the US was heading in the right direction on free speech, compared to only 26% of Republicans. The survey also found that 72% of Americans stated that they have already self-censored their speech. This included 17% stating that they do it regularly, 31% admitting they have done it occasionally, and 24% saying they had only done it once or twice. The poll …

Nuclear blast initiated by the US Government

US officials charge Japanese gang leader with trying to sell plutonium to Iran

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Israel365 News reports that New York Police have indicted the leader of a Japanese Yakuza gang who was allegedly trying to sell weapons-grade Plutonium to the Iranian government. Yakuza is an umbrella term used to describe organized crime syndicates in Japan. Police allege that Takeshi Ebisawa, 60, thought he was selling the plutonium to an Iranian general, who was actually an undercover agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Israel365 adds that Ebisawa even supplied samples of the plutonium to the ‘fake Iranian general,’ which was later confirmed as ‘weapons-grade.’ It’s alleged that the gang leader was fully aware that the plutonium could be used for nuclear weapons. According to the allegations, Ebisawa had acquired the Plutonium from Burma, which has been suspected of having a nuclear weapons program. ā€œAs alleged, the defendants in this case trafficked in drugs, weapons and nuclear materialā€”going so far as to offer uranium and weapons-grade plutonium fully expecting that Iran would use it for nuclear weapons,ā€ said DEA administrator Anne Milgram. ā€œThis is an extraordinary example of the depravity …

Group of university students

Racism at school? What is it and where is it?

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Do you know any children who are in a public school? Are you aware of any problems in the school system, where you live? Those are dangerous questions. Critical Race Theory, or other expressions of concern, are with us, whether we see them or not. The argument about modern racism is that there are two sides, and one side is privileged, and the other is the victims. Also, ā€œraceā€ is usually pictured as light European skin and darker African skin. So, we have ā€œwhite privilegeā€ and ā€œblack oppression.ā€ This model is often taught to students, in public education, and parents can become concerned, even alarmed. Itā€™s easy to imagine the arguments if we havenā€™t witnessed them. Here is an example: Should we be concerned? Is the fight against white-on-black racism, and privileged-versus-victim racism something we should include in the education of our children, in school? Let me pause for a disclaimer: I hate this topic, and probably you do too. I donā€™t feel privileged, my family was poor, in my childhood, and I was sent …

‘Aliyah’ and the Law of Return: The Jews are returning to Israel as the Bible foretold they would

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Throughout the Bible, we read verses where God promises to restore the Jews to the promised land and to restore the nation of Israel. It was one of the key markers indicating that the world was entering the end times. The prophet Ezekiel said, “I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land.” Then Ezekiel adds that God “will make them one nation in the land” (Ezekiel 37:21-22). This promise to restore the nation of Israel was fulfilled in 1948 when the UN set up the nation of Israel. In response to this, the government of Israel prepared for the return of Jews from around the world by passing Aliyah, the Law of Return. In an article for Christian Learning, The Israel Insider tells us more about this process and Israel’s Law of Return: “In the 1880ā€™s, groups of Jews began to make their way to Israel to help settle the land and build …

Man rolling a marijuana joint

Canada: Surge in people requiring ER and developing mental health issues due to Marijuana usage

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The government of Prime Minister Trudeau legalized the recreational use of Marijuana in Canada in 2018, based on the premise it’s a safe drug. However, researchers from Canada’s University of Ottawa are reporting that there has been an alarming increase in the number of people developing mental health issues after using cannabis, the Daily Mail reports. The report found that not only is there an increasing number of people showing up at hospital emergency rooms because of Marijuana-related health issues, but it also found that a third of those who did develop “mental health issues within three years.” This compared to only 5.6% for the remainder of patients using hospital ERs for non-marijuana-related issues. The Daily Mail adds: Researchers warned that men and younger people, aged 10-24 years, were at a greater risk of developing mental health problems, which can range from anxiety to full-on panic attacks.  Dr Daniel Myran, a University of Ottawa researcher, said pot use has rapidly increased in Canada these past 15 years.  His report is a wake-up call for those who believe …

Poll finds less than half of Americans stated they were ‘very satisfied’ with their lives, a near-record low

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A recent Gallup Poll found that less than half of Americans stated they are ‘very satisfied’ with their lives. This makes it one of the lowest percentages to state this since Gallup started asking this question in 1979 as part of its annual ‘Mood of the Nation Poll,’ the Christian Post reports. The 47% who stated they are ‘very satisfied’ is a dramatic drop from the 90% who stated they were in Gallup’s January 2020 poll. It was only the third time, that percentage dropped below 50% in the past 45 years. Still, the 2024 percentage was marginally higher than the lowest recorded percentage of 46% in 2011 and tied the 47% recorded in 2008. The poll found that there were still subsets within America where over 50% stated they were ‘very satisfied’ including those who were religious, married, or earned a higher income. Gallup believes the level of dissatisfaction is in part a reflection of the country’s economy.

Hamas rally in Bethlehem

Hamas leader states the total destruction of Israel is the terrorist organization’s end goal

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In a recent interview with a Lebanese news outlet, a senior Hamas representative, Osama Hamdan, stated that the terrorist organization was still calling for the total annihilation of Israel, Breitbart reports. On this issue, there would be ‘no compromise’, Hamdan said in his interview with Almanar news agency, which is operated by Hezbollah, another Iranian-backed terrorist group. The Hamas leader added that the terrorist group was opposed to a two-state solution. When Israel was set up as a nation, restoring the Jews to their homeland, it was also believed the Palestinians should have their own country as well. However, the Palestinians rejected this two-state solution, because accepting it would legitimize the existence of the Israeli nation. This is not the first time we have heard calls for the total destruction of Israel, the slogan “From the River to the sea, Palestine will be Free’ uttered by pro-Palestine supporters around the world essentially calls for the elimination of Israel. In addition to this, Breitbart columnist Francis Martel writes, “Mahmoud al-Zahar, another top Hamas official, said shortly …

criminal wearing a ski mask

Lawlessness is California’s new ‘normal’

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12Ā And because lawlessness is increased, most peopleā€™s love will become cold. (Matthew 24:12 NASV) After a 21-year-old man and his friends were robbed at gunpoint while filling up their rental car with gas, the father sarcastically stated that this is the new ‘normal’ for California, Fox News reports. The boy’s parents, Maxey Scherr and Victor Obevoen, had joined their son and his friends to do a tour of wineries in California wine country on his 21st birthday. When the son and friends, who were in a different vehicle, stopped to fill up with gas, a car with armed men wearing ski masks pulled up beside their vehicles. The thieves began pulling items out of the car, and when their son who was driving, got out he was pistol-whipped by one of the assailants, who then stole his wallet and phone. The luggage and personal items of his friends were stolen as well. The whole incident was captured on video. The gas attendant, who appeared nonchalant about the incident, told the boys to leave in case …

UN staff participated in Hamas’ brutal invasion of Israel

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Staff at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency supplied RPGs to the Hamas terrorist organization, helped kill Israelis, and even kidnapped a Jewish woman during the terrorist group’s barbaric invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2024, the NY Post reports. The widely condemned activities of the UN workers were determined through texts and phone calls and by tracking the GPS of the UN employees during the invasion. This included a text message sent to one UN worker telling him to bring the RPGs (grenade launchers) that were stored at his home. In another instance, a paid counselor, along with his son, kidnapped a woman who was part of the 200+ Israelis that Hamas abducted during the invasion. Another UN employee actually participated in the invasion of an Israeli kibbutz that resulted in the massacre of 100 Jews. According to reports, dozens of UN employees aided the Hamas terrorists, in varying degrees, during the invasion, with some taking a more active role. According to the NY Post, between 10 and 12 workers at the UN …

Children anwering math questions on a blackboard

Study finds that the cost of educating a child in a public school is significantly higher than in a private school

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According to a study published by JustFacts, the average cost of educating a child in the government-funded, public school system is significantly higher than the cost of funding a child in a private school. According to its research, the cost of raising a child in the public school system in the 2019-20 school year worked out to $17,013 per child. In comparison, the cost of educating a child in a private school worked out to just $9,709 for the same year. This means that public school costs are 75% higher than private schools However, public schools also serve a disproportionately higher number of children with disabilities, once that was factored in, JustFacts estimated that the public schools’ costs were just 58% higher than private schools. JustFacts added that these calculations are in line with a similar study conducted by the Federal Department of Education (DOE) in 1995. Its study determined that the average cost for educating a child in private schools in the 1991-92 school year, worked out to between $3,350-$3,600 per student compared to …

Canadian Prime Minister Justin-Trudeau

Federal court ruled that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s imposition of the Emergencies Act was illegal

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A Canadian federal court has just ruled that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s reckless decision to invoke the country’s Emergencies Act during the 2022 trucker protests was illegal and unjustified, the National Post reports. Canada’s Emergencies Act is intended for serious threats such as espionage, terrorism, or the potential overthrow of the government, said Justice Mosley who oversaw the case. The judge added that though the protest, which included blockages at Canada’s international border with the US, caused economic hardship, it did not rise anywhere near the level of a national emergency required by Canadian law. The judge added that the invoking of the Emergencies Act violated the rights of Canadians guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Trudeau used the dictatorial powers given him under the act to seize the bank accounts of those allegedly involved in the protests and to force truck towing companies to remove trucks that were participating in the protests. The Canadian Constitutional Foundation, along with several civil liberties groups, took the Trudeau government to court over the invoking …

Woman tearing up photo of happy couple, closeup. Concept of divorce

The Problem of Fatherlessness in Society

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I remember about nine years ago reading the horrific story of how a then 15-year-old boy in Britain stabbed his teacher to death in front of his classmates. One ambulance driver who was called to the scene stated that he had never seen anything as brutal as what he had witnessed that day. The story was front-page news across Britain as people were shocked by what took place in that school in Leeds. But as I read this something struck me about how people were saying he had in the past been a model student and described as ā€œamicable, enthusiastic and conscientiousā€. There was the suggestion that things started to change for the boy when he was diagnosed with diabetes. Maybe that was true. But I wondered if there was more to this story, and it took a bit of research before I found an article, which stated the unnamed boy had come from a divorced home. In years past, husbands and wives would tough it out and stay together for the sake of the …

Watch Tower on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt

Gaza wants to be free of Hamas writes the son of a kidnapped Muslim Imam

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In what many believe is an accurate portrayal of what is really going on, the son of a Muslim Imam based in Gaza is calling for the end of Hamas’ brutal rule, The Blaze reports. The father of Ala Mohammed Mushtaha was recently kidnapped by Hamas because he refused to support and preach the terrorist group’s propaganda. In an article for The Free Press, Mushtaha said that Palestinians no longer support Hamas’ brutal regime and are becoming more vocal in their anger towards the group since the terrorist group’s brutal invasion of Israel. The reason for this, Mushtaha said, is because ā€œironically, when there is fighting, Hamas goes underground, and people can be more vocal about how Hamas has ruined our lives.” “People are starting to publicly violate the laws, rules, dictates, and orders of Hamas,” Mushtaha wrote. “They are openly cursing Hamas and its leaders in the streets and markets, and ignoring the directives of the few Hamas officials and police still above ground. They have caused so much damage, itā€™s undeniable.” “Theyā€™ve imposed …

Canada's Parliament building in Ottawa, Ontario

Canada: The discrimination against Christians under Justin Trudeau continues?

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According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the Canada’s Department of Employment is continuing to discriminate against Christian organizations when it comes to handing out Summer job grants for students. From Blacklock’s Reporter: “The Department of Employment continues to discriminate against Christian employers applying for Canada Summer Jobs grants, Church petitioners have written the Commons human resources committee. A federal judge three years ago ruled Christian employers could not be singled out for hectoring: ‘Groups are being flagged because of their beliefs, not their actions.’ā€ Background In 2018, the federal government changed its application form for those applying for funding under its summer student program and required them to check a box that indicated they supported abortion rights. In 2018, when the Right to Life Association of Toronto (RLA) applied for funding, it refused to check off its support for abortion and for the first time in several years did not receive funding. The individual who would have been hired had RLA been approved under the program sued the government, stating that his Freedom of Religion rights guaranteed …

Inside the Grand National Assembly of Turkey

Turkish lawmaker dies after collapsing at the end of his speech where he said Israel would suffer the wrath of Allah

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A Turkish lawmaker, Hasan Bitmez, has died after collapsing from a heart attack in the country’s parliament, literally seconds after he made a speech stating that Israel would experience Allah’s wrath for invading Gaza, the Daily Mail reports. Video shows Hasan Bitmez, 54, falling to the ground behind the podium from a heart attack after condemning Israel’s response to the brutal invasion of its country by the Hamas terrorist group. ‘We can perhaps hide from our conscience but not from history,’ stating that ‘Israel will suffer the wrath of Allah’, Bitmez reportedly said just before he collapsed. Bitmez, who is a member of the Felicity (Saadet) Party, a fundamentalist Islamic party in that country, was rushed to hospital where he later died. During his speech, he also condemned Turkey’s friendly trade relations with Israel. But it may all be just one bizarre coincidence, as according to reports, Bitmez had been experiencing serious health issues prior. But then again, maybe not. In the Book of Acts, Luke records the strange death of Herod Agrippa, who collapsed …

Market in Cairo, Egypt

Michael Youssef discusses the extraordinary evangelistic outreach in Egypt, where nearly 8,000 people committed their lives to Jesus

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Michael Youssef, 75, pastors the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born in Egypt, and raised in Lebanon, and recently he had an extraordinary evangelist outreach in Egypt, the Christian Post reports. The event was organized by Leading the Way, which Youssef heads. Working in conjunction with churches in Cairo, they were expecting about 6,000 people to attend. However, they were shocked when the attendance nearly tripled, as over 17,000 Egyptians showed up at the rally held in November. In fact, more people accepted Christ, 7,850, than they originally expected would attend. Some churches reported that their attendance doubled as a result. This response was unexpected considering that Egypt, a Muslim-dominated country, still has severe restrictions in place against Christianity and particularly evangelistic outreaches. Youssef was quick to add that the success of the meetings was not due to him, but rather the hunger in people’s hearts for God. ā€œIt was so massive in terms of a Christian gathering, that nobody can take credit,” Youssef told the Christian Post. “They did not …

The $100 bill is the new $20 bill: The 1990 ‘Home Alone’ movie exposes the dramatic cost of inflation

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Released in 1990, the Christmas classic, Home Alone, starring Macaulay Culkin, tells the story of a young 8-year-old boy who is accidentally left home alone after his family flew off to Europe without him. During the remainder of the comedy, Culkin is left to fight off two inept thieves until his family returns. But there was one scary scene when Culkin took a $20 bill and went to the store to purchase some necessary items, the New York Post reports. This included a loaf of Wonder Bread, a half-gallon container of milk and orange juice, a box of Tide, toilet paper, a mac and cheese frozen dinner, a TV dinner, cling wrap, dryer sheets, and a set of army men. After handing over his $20 bill along with a $1 coupon, the cashier handed back 17 cents in change. Recently, a TikTok user by the name of Geoffrey Lyons decided to see what this same order would cost today. This is where it gets scary. Lyons noted that some items are no longer available today, …

woman in a field with arms upraised

Freedom? What if we lose it?

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There is an old saying, ā€œYour freedom ends where my nose begins.ā€ That clever saying, or something like it, is apparently a quote from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., in the United States. It is difficult to accurately name the source, but this is a popular idea. How much freedom can we have? What if we make someone else uncomfortable when we talk about our ideas? You may have heard about a political argument in Ireland, where the government apparently wants to limit the personal freedoms of citizens. I have to say ā€œapparentlyā€ because I am not directly involved in the argument, and so I am not completely informed. In one speech, a Senator spoke about limiting personal freedom for the common good; restricting opinions that make some people feel ā€œdiscomfortā€ or ā€œinsecure.ā€ Itā€™s an interesting argument, and even more interesting because the Republic of Ireland is a member of the European Union. If ideas about restricting our personal freedom are spreading in Europe, they could become a worldwide concern. This could grow to affect …

Some bizarre laws from around the world

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The Daily Mail recently had an article on some bizarre laws being enforced around the world. Here are a few of them: CAN’T FLUSH A TOILET AFTER 10 PM: Apparently, it’s illegal to flush a toilet in an apartment building in Switzerland after 10 pm, because it is considered noise pollution. Some landlords even impose restrictions on no flushing between 10 pm and 7 am. MUST WALK DOG: If you own a dog in Turin, Italy, you must walk them at least three times a day, according to a law passed by the city council. DON’T SHARE ALCOHOLIC DRINKS WITH MOOSE: In Fairbanks, Alaska it is illegal to feed alcohol to Moose. Apparently, a moose, who was later named Buzzwinkle, went on a rampage in 2007 after getting into some alcohol at a local brewer. DON’T RIDE COWS WHILE INTOXICATED: Based on legislation passed in 1872, it’s still illegal for an intoxicated person to ride a cow in Scotland. DON’T BUILD SAND CASTLES: It has been illegal since 2016, for anyone to build sandcastles on …

Pastors believe their parishioners are more loyal to their political parties than their church, study reveals

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Recent research by the Barna Group found that a majority of pastors believe members of their congregation are more loyal to their political parties than their church. Writing for the Christian Post, Ryan Foley provides more details on the study: In September 2022, Barna asked Protestant pastors if they had given ā€œserious consideration to quitting being in full-time ministry within the last year.ā€ Thirty-nine percent answered in the affirmative, a slight decline from the 42% who reported that they were considering leaving full-time ministry in October 2021 and an increase from the 29% who said the same in January 2021. Barna identified ā€œthe immense stress of the jobā€ as the leading cause of pastor burnout. Fifty-six percent of pastors who were considering quitting cited stress as a major reason for their discontent. Forty-three percent of pastors thinking of abandoning full-time ministry reported feeling ā€œlonely and isolatedā€ while 38% pointed to ā€œcurrent political divisionsā€ as a factor leading them to consider a career change. Barna asked pastors to elaborate on how ā€œcurrent political divisionsā€ have emerged …