77 Percent of Conservatives Keep Their Views Private Due to ‘Political Climate,’ Poll Shows

77 Percent of Conservatives Keep Their Views Private Due to ‘Political Climate,’ Poll Shows


A large majority of American conservatives say the political climate prevents them from saying what they believe, according to a new Cato survey that also shows liberals are far less likely to feel the need to self-censor.

Cato asked Americans of all ideologies if they believed the “political climate these days prevents me from saying things I believe because others might find them offensive.”

A full 77 percent of Americans who label themselves conservative or “very” conservative agreed with the statement, compared to 64 percent of moderates, 52 percent of liberals and 42 percent of those who consider themselves “very” liberal.

Overall, 62 percent of Americans say they self-censor due to the political climate.

Cato asked the same question in 2017. Since then, conservatives, moderates and liberals all have experienced a 7 percent increase in the percentage who say they self-censor.

Still, “strong liberals stand out … as the only political group who feel they can express themselves,” Cato’s Emily Ekins said in an online analysis.

A total of 58 percent of those who call themselves “very” liberal say they feel comfortable saying what they believe, compared to only 23 percent of conservatives and those who call themselves “very” conservative.

“The strong feeling of having to self-censor is likely somewhat rooted in a media and political culture…

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2 Pro-Life Activists Arrested in D.C. for Drawing ‘Black Preborn Lives Matter’ Outside of Planned Parenthood Clinic

2 Pro-Life Activists Arrested in D.C. for Drawing ‘Black Preborn Lives Matter’ Outside of Planned Parenthood Clinic


Two representatives of Students for Life of America were arrested Saturday by Washington, D.C. police while writing “black preborn lives matter” in chalk outside a Planned Parenthood, even though the group says it had permission from the city.

SFLA said in a news release it had “applied and received a permit to paint the street outside of the D.C. Planned Parenthood” and even complied “with the D.C. police department’s request to purchase special temporary paint.”

D.C. city officials earlier this year allowed protesters to paint “Defund the Police” on a city street.

SFLA representatives arrived at the area in front of the D.C. Planned Parenthood Saturday morning and were met with several police cars. Police initially warned the group they would be arrested for using temporary paint and then said they would be arrested even if they used chalk.

When Students for Life staff member Warner DePriest and college student Erica Caporaletti began painting “black preborn lives matter” in chalk, they were arrested.

“Mayor Muriel Bowser had opened the streets of the city for ‘free public expression,’” the group said in a statement. “What we didn’t know was that you could only do that and not get arrested if the mayor agreed with what you expressed.”

SFLA says it will sue the city.

“We will no longer be silent, we will no…

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Pastor John MacArthur Could Face Fines, Be Arrested for Holding In-Person Church Services amid COVID-19

Pastor John MacArthur Could Face Fines, Be Arrested for Holding In-Person Church Services amid COVID-19


John MacArthur’s California church is facing possible fines from the county if the church keeps hosting in-person services.

According to The Christian Post, MacArthur’s Grace Community Church is reopening despite lockdown orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“We will obey God rather than men,” MacArthur said in a video statement Friday. “We’re going to be faithful to the Lord and we’re going to leave the results to Him. Whatever happens is going to be what He allows to happen. But He will be on our side because we will be obedient and faithful to His word.”

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials have reportedly told MacArthur he could face “repercussions such as fines and even possible arrest.”

The department’s Environmental Health division “is investigating and will be reaching out to the church leaders to let them know they need to comply with the Health Officer Order,” according to Religion News Service.

MacArthur said he isn’t sure “what the Lord has for us,” but the church will continue meeting for in-person services on Sundays.

“We will meet as the church of Jesus Christ because we’re commanded to do that. We will sing, we will pray, we will fellowship, we will proclaim the Word of God far and wide and even around the world through this livestream opportunity that we have,” he said.

MacArthur said other church…

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Todd White says his mission is to ‘wake up’ ‘dysfunctional’ church: ‘The end is closer than ever’

Todd White preaches on August 2, 2020. | Facebook/Lifestyle Christianity

One week after publicly repenting for failing to preach the whole Gospel, evangelist Todd White said his mission now is to now “wake up” the “dysfunctional” and “sleeping” American Church. 

“Last week, I shared, ‘I repent for not preaching the full Gospel,’” White, founder and president of Lifestyle Christianity, said in a sermon delivered Aug. 2. “If any of you think that you know it all about the Gospel, you’re deceived. I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what theologian you are, I don’t care if you’re a doctor of theology, if you’ve got your masters of divinity. If you think you know it all, I’m sorry, you’re wrong.”

“I have stepped into a new awareness of why I’m really here,” he emphasized. “I feel like I just got saved. I feel like I’ve just met Jesus.”

White, a drug addict turned evangelist, said his mission now is to “wake up a sleeping church.” 

“I’m very concerned for a large majority of the body of Christ that says that they’ve met Him and…

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Walking prayers around violence: One pastor’s resolve to make a difference

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Chicago has long been a hotbed of violence, mostly gang-related, with shooting statistics climbing every weekend. It has recently gained more attention. I have a sister who lives in a suburb outside the city and a niece who works in a trauma unit at a hospital inside the city. They know the statistics and grieve for the city they love.

So does local pastor Edgar Rodriguez, pastor of New City Fellowship in Chicago. His burden for the communities riddled by violence led him to action, organizing prayer walks around the city. The walks began at 6 p.m. on July 13 with two other men, and Rodriguez hopes to continue through September with more participants.

In an interview with Baptist Press, Rodriguez said “My heart behind it is (that) the truth of the Gospel and God’s people being salt and light, would be able to engage these places. Potentially me calling people to march and walk would spur them on to not only just do it as a one-time thing, but in their rhythm of everyday . . . (to) engage, pursue and be present in these places especially where these shootings were taking place, in hopes that the kingdom of God would invade these spaces.”

What you can do, even in the midst of chaos

Prayer walks are used on mission fields. When my son was involved with missions in a precarious area of the world, church groups who came for short visits conducted prayer walks around the city. He told them they may be the only ones to pray for the people they saw.

We often feel helpless when chaos envelopes the world around us. What changes can our prayers make? We cannot change the hearts of people instigating violence and hatred. But the Holy Spirit can. What seems utterly hopeless to us is never “too hard” for God (Genesis 18:14, Jeremiah 32:27).

Prayer walking takes our prayers to the places we want to see God’s power and presence work in people’s hearts. When it is not practical to walk in those places, reading through the…

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Bibles, American Flags Set Ablaze by Portland Rioters

Bibles, American Flags Set Ablaze by Portland Rioters


Fires were set by rioters in front of a federal courthouse on Friday night in Portland, Oregon, as the city entered its 65th consecutive day of protests.

According to Breitbart, Ian Miles Cheong, the managing editor for Human Events, noted that Bibles were being burned outside of the federal courthouse.

“Left-wing activists bring a stack of Bibles to burn in front of the federal courthouse in Portland,” Cheong wrote in a thread on Twitter.

He added, “I don’t know what burning the Bible has to do with protesting against police brutality. Do not be under the illusion that these protests and riots are anything but an attempt to dismantle all of Western Civilization and upend centuries of tradition and freedom of religion,” he concluded.

Journalist Andy Ngo backed Cheong’s claims writing, “Antifa protesters in downtown Portland have started burning American flags in the street. They are also burning Bibles.”

One post by global…

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‘Jesus Is the Answer’ to America’s Problems, NBA’s Jonathan Isaac Says after Standing for Anthem

‘Jesus Is the Answer’ to America’s Problems, NBA’s Jonathan Isaac Says after Standing for Anthem


Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac became the first NBA player to stand for the national anthem Friday, telling reporters in postgame interviews he was compelled to do so because of his Christian faith.

Up until Isaac’s stance, every NBA player had kneeled with teammates in a show of unity for racial justice. The league restarted its season last Thursday.

Isaac, who is black, told reporters he “does believe in Black Lives Matters” but also believes the answer to society’s problems is Christ.

Isaac, who was the Magic’s first-round draft pick in 2017, also didn’t wear a Black Lives Matter t-shirt.

“A lot went into my decision and part of it is … that kneeling or wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt don’t go hand in hand with supporting black lives,” Isaac said during post-game comments.

Isaac then transitioned to faith.

“My life has been supported through the Gospel of Jesus Christ [and] that everyone is made in the image of God and that we all fall short of God’s glory. Each and every one of us, each and every day, do things that we shouldn’t do and we say things that we shouldn’t say. … We dislike people that we shouldn’t hate and dislike. Sometimes it gets to a point where we point fingers, about whose evil is worse. And sometimes it comes down to simply whose evil is most visible,” Isaac said.

“So, I felt like I wanted to just take a stand….

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God Is Grey’s Brenda Davies Receives Cease and Desist from Christian Parenting Experts

God Is Grey’s Brenda Davies Receives Cease and Desist from Christian Parenting Experts


(RNS) — Brenda Davies, host of the popular “God is Grey” Youtube channel and podcast, received a cease and desist letter earlier this month from the lawyers of Isaac and Angie Tolpin of Courageous Parenting ministries, in response to mention of the Tolpins in a video discussion about Christian parenting.

In the May 18 video, “We Did It Out of Love,” which has garnered more than 270,000 views on Youtube, Davies interviewed Stelle Jacobson, daughter of Christian author Matt Jacobson, about her father’s promotion of corporal punishment.

Matt Jacobson has co-written several Christian parenting books with his wife, Lisa Jacobson, including “100 Ways to Love Your Son” and “100 Ways to Love Your Daughter.” Jacobson also founded FaithfulMan.com, whose About page calls followers to win “the war on everything good and true regarding biblical marriage and family.” The website’s articles cover topics such as why Christian kids should save kissing for marriage.

In the video, Stelle Jacobson described her father’s corporal punishment as abusive and said the abuse has resulted in her feeling unsafe around men.

“Basically the theory is if it doesn’t hurt enough — if you don’t hurt your child enough, they won’t repent,” she said during the video.

Matt Jacobson did not respond to request for comment.

The video linked Matt Jacobson’s teaching about…

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Osteen’s megachurch, World Vision help the hungry and farmers during COVID

A World Vision volunteer loading a food box into a recipient’s car. World Vision’s latest partnership is with Lakewood Church, serving the Houston area. | Photo Submitted by Andrea Davis, World Vision

HOUSTON — Lakewood Church, led by Pastor Joel Osteen, has partnered with World Vision, Houston-area churches and local nonprofits to distribute over 12,000 boxes of fresh food, provided by farmers facing financial hardship during the pandemic, to the hungry.

The partnership, part of the Fresh Food Box Program, began soon after COVID shutdowns began. The program has fed over 860,000 Americans through 70 hub locations. Unlike some food drives, Fresh Food Box gives recipients fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products supplied by farmers who otherwise could not sell their goods due to the economic impact of COVID-19.

“World Vision was in Houston for two years helping rebuild after Hurricane Harvey,” Reed Slattery, national director of World Vision U.S. programs, told The Christian Post. “We noticed how in need the area was. During the pandemic, we know folks aren’t…

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Tyndale House Publishers and Church Answers Announce New Partnership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAROL STREAM, Ill. (August 3, 2020)—Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) and Church Answers(@ChurchAnswers) today announced the formation of a new ministry partnership dedicated to serving and equipping the local church with thoughtful, practical, and innovative resources of all kinds to help churches grow and thrive in their God-given mission. This partnership includes a multi-book, multi-year agreement with bestselling author and church strategist Thom Rainer (@ThomRainer), publishing books that cover topics vital to a church’s life and health within the coming decades. Each core book will have an accompanying video curriculum, participant’s guides, and other ancillary books to empower church leaders and inspire church members.

Ron Beers, Tyndale’s Senior VP and Publisher says, “Tyndale is ecstatic about our long-term partnership with Thom Rainer and Church Answers. Thom is a gifted leader, teacher, and communicator whose personal mission aligns perfectly with Tyndale’s. He is so successful and respected among tens of thousands of churches not only because he is a thoughtful and talented writer, but also because he knows perhaps better than anyone the needs and pulse of the church – its leaders and congregants. Working together we have no doubt we will create tools to serve the Church in unique and powerful ways so that we can all participate more fully in the growth of God’s Kingdom for His glory.”

In addition to the multi-book agreement,…

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