Report: Radical Islam Still Driving Global Christian Persecution

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Islamic extremism is a primary driver of Christian persecution in eight out of the ten most dangerous places for Christians to live, Open Doors revealed Wednesday in its World Watch List 2020.

In Somalia, for instance, number three on the list of the 50 countries where Christians face the most serious persecution, the violent Islamist group, al-Shabaab “has repeatedly expressed its desire to eradicate Christians from the country,” Open Doors noted.

Some 99 percent of Somali citizens are Muslims, and being exposed as a convert to Christianity results in life-threatening peril, “often leading to on-the-spot execution,” the report observed. “As a result, most Somali Christians keep their faith completely secret.”

The situation has only gotten worse over recent years, the report stated, and Christians in Somalia are so vulnerable to attacks by Islamic militants that “in the interests of security,” Open Doors decided not to publish specific examples of persecution for fear of inciting further violence.

In Libya, on the other hand, various Islamic militant groups have gained control over parts of the country and “Libyan converts to Christianity face abuse and violence for their decision to follow Christ,” Open Doors said. (Read more from “Report: Radical Islam Still Driving Global Christian Persecution” HERE)

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The War for the Democratic Party Will Destroy Lives and Change Our Country

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. . .Its young congressional leaders, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar, the fresh-faced consciences of the swamp, are all-three the targets of finance investigations. Two are tangled in credible accusations of anti-Semitism, and one is mired in a hard-to-believe incestual infidelity scandal with a married man on her payroll. . .

No doubt, Ocasio-Cortez’s immediate goal is her ally Sanders winning the primary. Toward that objective, the lies, back-stabbing, and attacks they have and will continue to face from former fellow travelers will be as vicious as they are relentless. Both he and she know, however, the ultimate goal is the transformation of the Democratic Party.

If they defeat the frantically-forming Biden wing of the party to win the primary, that prize will at once become more attainable and more imperiled than its been in 75 years, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s socialist vice president was removed from the ticket — and thereby ascendancy to the presidency — for FDR’s final re-election campaign.

A Sanders loss to Trump, which in 2020 is far more likely than it would have been in 2016, would result in party retribution against all involved. Primaries and political exiles would be sure to follow. Then, a similar fate was assured conservatives after Sen. Barry Goldwater’s general election loss and, 12 years later, Gov. Ronald Reagan’s unsuccessful primary against sitting Republican President Gerald Ford. A political movement far stronger than Washington party politics saw to scuttling those planned executions.

This battle may be Sanders’s last stand, but the war for control of the Democratic Party has just begun. (Read more from “The War for the Democratic Party Will Destroy Lives and Change Our Country” HERE)

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Kansas Lawmakers Unveil Pro-Life Constitutional Amendment to Undo the Court’s Absurd ‘Right to Abortion’ Decision

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Less than a year after the Kansas Supreme Court declared in a 6-1 decision in Hodes & Nauser v. Schmidt that the state’s 150-plus-year-old constitution established a fundamental right to abortion, a coalition of pro-life organizations and legislators today announced efforts to undo the court’s decision by amending the Kansas Constitution.

At a Thursday morning press conference, Senate President Susan Wagle, Reps. Susan Humphries and Susan Concannon, and other members of the Kansas Legislature joined representatives from Family Policy Alliance of Kansas, Concerned Women for America of Kansas, Kansas Catholic Conference, and Kansans for Life to unveil the text of the proposed “Value Them Both” constitutional amendment designed to override the Hodes & Nauser decision.

The two-sentenced proposed amendment is simple in structure and meaning:

Because Kansans value both women and children, the constitution of the state of Kansas does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion. To the extent permitted by the United States Constitution, the people through their elected state representatives and state senators may pass laws regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, in circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother.

For this amendment to take effect, both the Kansas Senate and House must approve the proposed constitutional amendment by two-thirds majority, at which point it will be placed on the ballot for voters to decide on passage based on a majority vote. Whether the amendment will appear on the August primary ballot or the general election ballot in November 2020 will be up to the legislature. (Read more from “Kansas Lawmakers Unveil Pro-Life Constitutional Amendment to Undo the Court’s Absurd ‘Right to Abortion’ Decision” HERE)

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It’s Looking More Like Trump Will Be Reelected in 2020

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With the election year now underway, President Trump is no doubt beatable — and yet, it’s starting to feel more and more like he’ll get reelected.

The obstacles to Trump winning in 2020 should not be ignored. To start, in 2016, he only beat the highly unpopular Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College by winning three key swing states by less than 1%. In 2018, all three of them, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan turned against Republicans. Trump also has historically low approval ratings and has been consistently trailing Democratic front-runner Joe Biden in general election matchups.

But at the same time, there are several factors that increasingly look to be playing in Trump’s favor.

One, the economy. Predictions about the United States being on the brink of a recession have not borne out yet. Instead, unemployment has remained at a 50-year low of 3.5%. Since Trump took office, the unemployment rate has averaged 3.9% — lower than any president at a comparable point in office since data started being kept in 1948. Recent data also undermines the Democratic argument that the gains have been limited to the very top. It makes it harder to run a “change” campaign in the face of such strong economic performance.

Two, foreign policy. Despite Democratic warnings, Trump’s decision to kill Iranian terrorist leader Qassem Soleimani did not trigger a war with Iran. Instead, when Iran retaliated without causing U.S. casualties, Trump prudently declared victory and avoided further escalation. To this point in his presidency, Trump has militarily intervened less than Barack Obama did. Under Trump’s leadership, the U.S. also managed to roll back the Islamic State and kill their leader, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. (Read more from “It’s Looking More Like Trump Will Be Reelected in 2020” HERE)

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‘Assault on the Second Amendment’: Virginia Senate Passes Three Gun Control Bills

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Virginia Democrats took an important step toward passing several gun control bills they have prioritized during this year’s General Assembly session.

The majority-Democrat state Senate passed legislation that would restrict monthly gun purchases, expand background checks on firearms, and allow localities to ban guns in certain designated areas.

“Ladies and gentleman, this is probably the first assault on the Second Amendment, and we’re going to see many after that,” Republican state Sen. Bill Stanley said.

Legislation in the Virginia General Assembly is considered by the state Senate and House of Delegates separately before being sent across chambers for review during a period known as “crossover.” Bills passed in both the Senate and the House of Delegates are then given to Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to be signed into law. . .

The issue of gun control in Virginia is playing out along demographic lines as urban voters demand action on gun violence while rural Virginians believe their second amendment rights are being infringed upon. More than 100 Virginia counties passed Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions after Democrats gained a majority in the General Assembly in November. (Read more from “‘Assault on the Second Amendment’: Virginia Senate Passes Three Gun Control Bills” HERE)

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Trump Issues New Rule Ensuring Prayer in Schools Is Protected

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President Trump issued updated rules on Thursday to ensure that public school students are allowed to engage in constitutionally protected prayer, calling his action “the Right to Pray.”

“Government must never stand between the people and God,” the president said during an Oval Office meeting with students of faith from across the country.

Mr. Trump warned that there is a “growing totalitarian” bent on the Left against religion. He said blocking prayer in schools “is totally unacceptable.”

Taking the action on National Religious Freedom Day, Mr. Trump announced updates to federal guidance on school prayer, which is required by federal law every two years but hasn’t been done since 2003.

“President Trump is committed to making sure that people of faith, particularly children, are not subjected to illegal punishment or pressure for exercising their constitutionally protected rights,” said White House Domestic Policy Council Director Joe Grogan. (Read more from “Trump Issues New Rule Ensuring Prayer in Schools Is Protected” HERE)

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‘Kids Are a Handful and Sometimes People Don’t Want to Be Pregnant’: Jaw-Dropping Tweet Based on Article About Justifying Abortion

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A rather eye-popping, pro-abortion tweet has been making rounds and gaining some steam — courtesy of Renee Bracey Sherman, who calls herself the “Beyoncé of Abortion Storytelling” and a “reproductive justice activist committed to the visibility and representation of people who have had abortions in media and pop culture.” . . .

As you might expect, Sherman got some pushback from anti-abortion folks — including Abby Johnson, the former Planned Parenthood clinic director who became pro-life and the subject of the recent feature film, “Unplanned”:

It’s worth checking out the Rewire.News article Sherman’s tweet is based on, which is titled, “Having the Abortion Talk With Children Is Easier Than You Think. Just Ask These Parents.” The piece is all about how a handful of moms justified their abortions to their daughters. . .

First off in the piece is Amiya — only first names are used for the sake of privacy — who has a 12-year-old daughter and found out six months ago she was pregnant. Amiya “immediately knew she would get an abortion,” the story said, adding that she told the outlet that abortion “wasn’t something I really wanted to do, but as a parent, I knew it was something I needed to do.”

Then there’s Melissa who “was in an abusive relationship when she discovered she was pregnant in October and chose to get an abortion. She talked about the decision with her 15-year-old daughter,” the story said. (Read more from “‘Kids Are a Handful and Sometimes People Don’t Want to Be Pregnant’: Jaw-Dropping Tweet Based on Article About Justifying Abortion” HERE)

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Report: Feds Investigating Comey Over Leak Tied to Hillary Investigation

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Federal law enforcement officials are reportedly investigating whether disgraced former FBI Director James Comey illegally leaked classified information about a Russian intelligence document to reporters.

“Law enforcement officials are scrutinizing at least two news articles about the F.B.I. and Mr. Comey, published in The New York Times and The Washington Post in 2017, that mentioned the Russian government document, according to the people familiar with the investigation,” The New York Times reported. “Hackers working for Dutch intelligence officials obtained the document and provided it to the F.B.I., and both its existence and the collection of it were highly classified secrets, the people said.”

The Times continued, “The document played a key role in Mr. Comey’s decision to sideline the Justice Department and announce in July 2016 that the F.B.I. would not recommend that Hillary Clinton face charges in her use of a private email server to conduct government business while secretary of state.”

The Times noted that the document in question came from Dutch intelligence operatives who scraped sensitive information from Russian computers, which included an alleged email exchange between then-Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and an official of leftist billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundations.

The email, which Wasserman Schultz and the official from Open Society Foundations both deny, apparently suggested that then-Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch would make sure that the Department of Justice did not criminally prosecute then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. (Read more from “Report: Feds Investigating Comey Over Leak Tied to Hillary Investigation” HERE)

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U.S. Space Force Accused of ‘Christian Privilege’ After Ceremony at National Cathedral

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The United States Space Force has been in operation just over a month, but they are already the subject of complaints stemming from a ceremony, held over the weekend at Washington, D.C.’s National Cathedral, where a Bible was blessed for use at Space Force swearing in ceremonies.

“The Washington National Cathedral held a ceremony Sunday to bless a King James Bible that will be used to swear in members of the Department of Defense’s Space Force,” the Washington Examiner reports. “Rev. Carl Wright conducted the blessing, saying, ‘May this Bible guard and guide all those who purpose that the final frontier be a place where God will triumph over evil, where love will triumph over hate, and where life will triumph over death.’”

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation fired back at the Space Force, accusing the newest military branch of favoritism and of making Space Force members who celebrate a faith other than Christianity feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. . .

The group’s president, Mikey Weinstein, added that the Space Force was exhibiting “Christian privilege.”

“MRFF noted with additional disgust and disdain the willing and all-too visible participation of a senior USAF officer, in formal uniform, during the travesty of this sectarian ceremony which tragically validates the villainy of unadulterated Christian privilege at DoD and its subordinate military branches,” Weinstein noted in his own statement. “MRFF is currently receiving a multitude of new complaints from outraged DoD military and even civilian DoD personnel, as well as veterans, regarding this unmitigated, unconstitutional horror. MRFF will be lodging a formal complaint to Mark Esper, the Secretary of Defense.” (Read more from “U.S. Space Force Accused of ‘Christian Privilege’ After Ceremony at National Cathedral” HERE)

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U.S. Military to Soon Resume Training for Saudi Students

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Defense Secretary Mark Esper next week will visit Naval Air Station Pensacola to detail new vetting and security measures on U.S. bases following the deadly shooting by a Saudi military student in December.

Esper will travel to Florida on Wednesday and Thursday to meet with base leadership and give an update on new vetting protocols for foreign military personnel as well as revamped security procedures “which will include physical security features” at U.S. bases, chief Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman told reporters on Thursday.

Hoffman said the Pentagon will announce the new measures “shortly” and that the military also expects to soon resume operational training for roughly 850 Saudi students in the United States. The students’ training has been limited to the classroom since early December after a Royal Saudi Air Force officer shot and killed three sailors and wounded eight others at the Florida naval base. . .

Second Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani opened fire at the air station in Pensacola on Dec. 6 in what U.S. officials are calling an act of terrorism. Alshamrani, 21, was shot and killed by a deputy sheriff during the attack.

Attorney General William Barr announced on Monday that while an investigation found no evidence that other members of the Saudi military had knowledge of Alshamrani’s intentions, 21 military members training in the U.S. would be unenrolled and returned home over other revelations produced by the probe. Twelve of those students were stationed at NAS Pensacola. (Read more from “U.S. Military to Soon Resume Training for Saudi Students” HERE)

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