Porn Is a ‘Public Health Crisis’ that Can Spark Crime, Arizona Legislature Says
The Arizona Senate this week passed a resolution calling pornography a “public health crisis,” two months after the state House approved the same text.
The resolution passed the Senate 16-13 and says porn “perpetuates a sexually toxic environment that damages all areas of our society.” It passed the House, 32-28, in February.
Pornography, the resolution says, can lead to crime.
“Pornography normalizes violence and the abuse of women and children by treating them as objects, increasing the demand for sex trafficking, prostitution and child pornography,” the resolution says.
It further says the use of pornography has an “adverse effect on the family as it is correlated with decreased desire in young men to marry, dissatisfaction in marriage and infidelity.”
Children, the resolution says, are harmed, too.
“Due to the advances in technology and the universal availability of the internet, children are being exposed to pornography at an alarming rate, leading to low self-esteem, eating disorders and an increase in problematic sexual activity at ever-younger ages.”
Pornography, the resolution says, teaches children “that women are commodities for the viewer’s use.”
“The societal damage of pornography is beyond the capability of the individual to address alone,” the resolution says. “[T]o counteract these…
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17).
The recreated human spirit produces endless joy. Thus, it’s easy for every and any Christian to be happy, by simply choosing to be.
Someone who’s not happy about himself can’t make anyone else happy. It’s one of the ways you know people who are frustrated; they tend to pass it on. Don’t live that way. You have a responsibility, and a serious one at that, to make yourself happy, especially if you’re a leader at any capacity. God expects that you’ll give those under you godly examples. So, exude joy. Be happy. Under such an atmosphere of joy and gladness, a lot more can be accomplished.
The Spirit of God does more for and with us in an atmosphere of joy and happiness. The reverse is also true: Satan has a field day in the lives and environment of people who are moody and sad. Demons attach themselves to people to make them restless, confused, sad and depressed. This is why you must never give in to sadness or depression. Instead, allow the joy of the Lord well up in your heart. It’s something you do consciously.
When the squeeze is on, and things don’t seem to be working out as expected, laugh. Stir up joy from within. That’s the joy that lasts. When you stir up joy from your spirit like that, before long, irrespective of the daunting challenges, you’d find that there’s an unusual calmness in your spirit. The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will garrison your heart and mind in the Lord (Philippians 4:7).
You can be full of joy twenty-four hours a day, and you should. It’s God’s will for your life. In John 15:11, Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” He’s given you joy that isn’t dependent on the happenings around you; joy that flows from your spirit and rubs off on everything else around you. Activate that joy today, through the Word and the Holy Spirit.
When things get tough, instead of wondering what to do and what the problem is, declare, “I refuse to be confused, depressed, or restless! I have the victory, because the greater One lives in me! His joy is my strength and I prevail gloriously in His Name.” Hallelujah! Remember, “…with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).
PRAYER Dear Father, I thank you for giving me such a beautiful, extraordinary, exciting, fulfilling, exceptional and excellent life; a glorious life that radiates joy, excellence and peace. Irrespective of contrary circumstances, your beauty, glory, grace and righteousness are seen and manifested in me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 126:2-3; Nehemiah 8:10
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 5:31-47 & 1 Kings 7-8
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Mark 9:30-37 & Numbers 14
Rhapsody of Realities 11th May 2019 Devotional was written by Pastor Pastor Chris Oyakhilome (D.Sc., D.D.). President of Loveworld Inc. aka Christ Embassy Int’l.
The Archbishop of York had urged that priests be allowed to report abuse to the police.
A working party report by the Church of England has been looking into abolishing the seal of the confessional, or at least parts of it.
The report suggests that “at present, the ‘seal of the confessional’ is upheld in the Church of England’s ecclesiastical law” and that The Working Party did not reach a consensus as to whether this should change.
The House of Bishops will consider the report next week and unless they decide differently, confessions of criminal acts will not automatically be reported to the police.
Phil Johnson, chair of the campaign group Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors (MACSAS) told Premier that the Church had “missed an opportunity” to take the moral high ground and any admissions of child abuse must be reported to the statutory authorities.
“Forgiveness isn’t free, it requires contrition and atonement,” he said.
“It would be easy for the Church to insist that absolution of the sins of child abuse must involve the matter being reported to the statutory authorities.
“The law requires that a priest must disclose admissions of terrorism or money laundering in confession but not the sexual abuse of children.
“What is required is a change in the law so that all institutions are obliged to disclose admissions or allegations of child abuse to the police or…
2nd Governor Vetoes Bill Protecting Babies Who Survive Abortion
Montana’s Democratic governor vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have protected babies who survive abortion, saying it interferes with “deeply personal medical decisions.”
Gov. Steve Bullock became the second governor this year to veto such a bill, following his counterpart in North Carolina. Wisconsin’s governor is pledging to veto a similar bill in his state. All three are Democrats.
The bill, SB 354, passed the state Senate 32-18 and the state House 54-43. It was titled the “Montana Born-Alive Infant Protection Act.”
“A health care provider performing an abortion shall take all medically appropriate and reasonable steps to preserve the life and health of a born-alive infant who is viable,” the bill says.
The abortion facility also must “call 9-1-1 for an emergency transfer of the infant to a hospital that shall provide medically appropriate and reasonable care and treatment to the infant,” according to the bill’s text.
State Sen. Albert Olszewski, a Republican and the bill’s sponsor, said the bill would have prevented “legal infanticide.”
“There is a national debate attempting to legitimize the intentional killing of a baby born alive if the medical provider and the parents deem or decide that it is necessary or should happen,” he told the Billings Gazette.
His statement came after Charles’s actions were described in an official report as “misguided”.
The scathing findings of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) accused theChurch of England of “putting its own reputation above the needs of victims” and offering secrecy and protection for abusers that allowed them to “hide in plain sight”.
It said Ball, a self-styled confidant to Charles, was an example of how a senior member of the Anglican Church “was able to sexually abuse vulnerable teenagers and young men for decades” while victims was largely ignored.
“Clericalism and tribalism” pervaded theChurch, the IICSA said, affording offenders protection and resulting in an abuse of power.
On the prince’s role, the report said: “The actions of the Prince of Wales – in speaking about Ball with the (then) Archbishop of Canterbury (Lord Carey) and a member of Lambeth Palace, and the Duchy of Cornwall buying a property to rent to Ball and his brother, were misguided.
“His actions, and those of his staff, could have been interpreted as expressions of support for Peter Ball and, given the Prince of Wales’s future role within theChurch of England, had the potential to influence the actions of theChurch.”
Following publication of the report, a Clarence House spokesman said: “It remains a matter of deep regret to the prince that he, along with many…
Germany Releases Report Warning of Rising Anti-Semitism among Islamist Extremists and the Far-Right
Germany’s top intelligence agency recently released a report analyzing the rise of antisemitism by Islamist extremists in the country.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, also known as the BfV, released a 40-page comprehensive report called “Antisemitism in Islamism” detailing the rise on anti-Semitism in radical Muslim immigrants in Germany.
The report was careful to discern the difference between “Islam” the religion and “Islamism” the extremist political group which “aims at the partial or complete abolition of the liberal democratic constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany,” the Jerusalem Post reports.
BfV Spokeswoman Angela Pley said the report is meant to serve as an educational tool for authorities, teachers and social workers who often work with immigrants and refugees.
According to CBN News, the report notes that Islamist extremist anti-Semitism “already represent[s] a considerable challenge for peaceful and tolerant coexistence in Germany.”
Pley sees this report as a step in the right direction for the Jewish people of Germany.
She said, “We are an early warning system. Recommendations on what can be done must come from society and the political establishment.”
The report cites several key examples of anti-Semitic acts…
The spy thriller and historical fiction writer, 69, made a number of media appearances in the wake of the fire which weakened but did not entirely destroy the famous building.
Follett (below) has pledged to donate both profits and royalties from the short book – which covers Notre Dame’s history and Follett’s own experience of seeing it burn – to the French Heritage Foundation.
He said: “If people cried on 15th April, in Paris but also all over the world, it is because something very important, something intimate, was being destroyed under their eyes.
“And because we are the heirs of the cathedral’s builders, I want to take part in Notre Dame’s rebuilding.”
The building will remain closed to the public for years after the fire which destroyed its roof and knocked over its spire last month.
Cecile Boyer-Runge, chief executive officer of Editions Robert Laffont, the French publishing house behind the book, said: “Ken Follett took inspiration from Notre Dame, to share his passion for cathedrals with his readers.
“He’s showed solidarity at once and tells us again in this new text the powerful and ancestral link that connects us to Notre Dame.”
The tribute to Notre Dame will be published on 13th June, 2019.
Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian…
Social Media Account of Suspected Colorado School Shooter Reveals He Hated Christians
One of the shooters in the fatal shooting at a Colorado charter school this week had previously posted on social media his criticism of President Donald Trump and Christians.
According to the New York Post, Devon Erickson, 18, posted the day after Election Day 2016 a video from Seth Myers’ “Late Night” show where Trump was criticized. In another post from 2014, he said he “hated Christians who hate gays.”
“You know what I hate? All these Christians who hate gays, yet in the bible, it says in Deuteronomy 17:12-13, if someone doesn’t do what their priest tells them to do, they are supposed to die,” Erickson wrote in May 2014. “It has plenty of crazy stuff like that. But all they get out of it is ‘ewwwwww gays.’”
Erickson was one of two alleged shooters who opened fire at the STEM School Highlands Ranch in Colorado on Tuesday. The shooters reportedly stormed into two classrooms and started shooting with handguns. One student, Kendrick Castillo, was killed and eight others were injured.
According to The Denver Post, Erickson faces 28 charges, including murder and 25 counts of first-degree attempted murder. His Facebook page showed selfies, photos with friends and from his work with theater productions. He also had a YouTube channel with videos of him singing rock covers and playing guitar. His Snapchat name was…
Through a series of surveys, GFA found that 100 million women and girls who should be alive today “simply don’t exist”.
The study suggests that gender inequality is a large contributing factor in the disappearance of many of these females who fall victim to trafficking, prostitution sex and selective abortions.
The study shows that the ratio of men is 106 to every 100 females, with many parents starving their daughters in favour of male off-spring.
GFA’s Vice President, Bishop Daniel Punnose told Premier that cultural traditions such as dowries – a payment that is given for the marriage of a daughter – also makes girls less desirable to mums and dads.
He said: “Families that have multiple girls are doomed to a life of poverty because there’s no way that they can pay enough money to be able to get out by getting the girls married off.
“And so the natural logical thing for them is to say we want more boys and our families and girls because that is a way of survival.”
The report also found that one in every 70 women dies in childbirth in India due to malnourishment and 16 million females there are sex slaves.
Bishop Daniel added: “It’s a compounded situation of both physical and emotional oppression.
“It’s through providing opportunities within local communities where people can lift themselves out of the…
Israel Celebrates Its 71st Anniversary Days after Violent Attacks
Israel celebrated its 71styear as a modern state on Thursday. They celebrated with parades, military flyovers, and an annual torch-lighting ceremony.
This year’s jubilation was set against a dark backdrop as communities near the border with Gaza are still reeling from a violent weekend that left four dead. The Israeli Air Force, which puts on a show in which jets, transport places, and helicopters fly over the country doing “acrobatics and stunts,” paid homage to the communities who are recovering from the violence. Wednesday had been a Memorial Day dedicated to victims of Palestinian terror and fallen Israeli soldiers.
Israel was reestablished as a modern state in 1948. In the wake of the violence against Jews during World War 2, the United Nations passed Resolution 181, which divided Britain’s Palestine mandate into Jewish and Arab states. The new Israeli government organized on May 14, 1948 and President Harry Truman recognized the new government amidst much opposition from high-ranking officials of his administration.
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein honored the Israeli people for their perseverance at the opening ceremonies on Mount Herzl. He said, “Against all odds we returned to our homeland.” He continued, “Continue to believe in yourself, continue going forward against all odds. You will one day stand here and light a torch for the glory of…
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