More Victims, Planned Murders: More Harrowing Details Emerge in the Case of the Kidnapped Amish Girls

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amish16n-6-web-620x4001-620x400-620x400By Tamar Auber. Last summer, two little Amish girls were taken from a roadside farm stand, shackled and sexually assaulted before being dropped off miles from their home a day later.

Their kidnappers were quickly captured thanks to information the girls were able to provide to investigators.

Now, both federal and local prosecutors have offered the callous couple behind the assault a deal to plead guilty to the charges stemming from the horrific crime.

Stephen Howells, 39, and girlfriend Nicole Vaisey, 25, both currently in federal custody, were presented with a deal last week in order to spare the little Amish girls – ages 7 and 12- the pain of reliving their terror at a trial.

The deal would see the couple spending the rest of their lives behind bars for a laundry list of federal and local charges. (Read more from “More Victims, Planned Murders: More Harrowing Details Emerge in the Case of the Kidnapped Amish Girls” HERE)

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‘I Was in a Master-Slave Relationship’: Woman Who Kidnapped Amish Girls Tries to Avoid Full Blame

By Tamar Auber. The woman who kidnapped two little Amish girls in upstate New York says that it is not entirely her fault that it happened; she was in a master-slave relationship with her boyfriend.

Nicole Vaisey, 25, did not speak at a hearing this week where she was denied bail for kidnapping the girls.

Through her lawyer, though, she made it clear that she intends to argue the bulk of the blame should go to her ‘master’ and co-conspirator Steven Howells.

“She was in a master-slave relationship,” her attorney Bradford Riendeau said yesterday. “I believe she’s not as culpable as he is.”

Riendeau also said that Vaisey should be considered a victim as well. “I am currently researching on what happens when prisoners of war go through enhanced interrogation,” he said. “What torture has done to her personality to determine just how compliant she was? Was it really voluntary? Can you really give consent to be tortured?” (Read more from this story HERE)

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The Challenge of Fetus Fatigue

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1sadwomanThe dialogue between the two injured men, each dancing on the doorstep of death, sticks with you. In the movie Black Hawk Down, a hard-charging Army Ranger pauses to rally a stunned soldier in the midst of a ferocious firefight.

Colonel: Get into that truck and drive.

Sergeant: But I’m shot, Colonel.

Colonel: Everybody’s shot! Get in and drive.

I thought of this exchange when I heard the horrifying news of a seven-month-old baby in Colorado who was cut out of her mother’s womb and later died. According to the Washington Post, Dynel Lane attacked Michelle Wilkins and her unborn daughter when Wilkins came to her home in response to a Craigslist posting about baby clothes. Lane knifed the baby out of Wilkins’ body before depositing her in the bathroom. Soon after, the baby died.

Lane has been charged with eight felonies, including unlawful termination of a child. She was not charged with murder of the fetus, however. The Boulder County Coroner’s office had this to say by way of explanation: “At this time neither the autopsy or the investigation have provided any evidence that the baby exhibited any signs of life outside of the womb, therefore the circumstance is not being considered a live birth.”

There are certain moments in life that clarify the evil that slithers through our world. Because the baby was not brought into the world through a “live birth,” her death does not constitute a murder. Unless she lived on her own outside of the womb, by state law she is not considered a viable person, and thus Lane committed no murder.

At times, life in a culture of death makes you question whether you are sane. It also leaves you susceptible to spiritual exhaustion. Cases like this cry out for justice, but an abortion-loving society often makes true justice hard to come by. Pro-life people may feel a sense of “fetus fatigue.” The odds are great. Pro-life work is despised. Maybe it’s better to go dig a well or build a house. No one hates us for that, after all.

Instinct for Justice

The instinct of the human heart for justice does not switch off. This is especially true for men and women who know that human life is the special creation of Almighty God (Gen. 1:26-27; Mic. 6:8). Dignity and worth owe to divine creation, which sets humanity apart from the animals.

We may feel like the battle is too great for us. We may be tired of the bitterness involved in standing against pure wickedness. We are all tired. We have collectively taken hits for the cause of the unborn. There is no one else to fight this battle. We cannot give up. There is no one else to drive.

We have seen many pro-life gains in recent decades, yet there is much more ground to take. We will only build on the momentum of the heroic pro-life movement in this country if we match and exceed the zeal of proponents of abortion. This will come naturally to us, for like our creating God, we love life and we exude hope. Hope is not theoretical for us. It entered the world through a promise (Gen. 3:15), it refigured the world through a cross (Matt. 27), and it testifies even now to the world through an empty tomb (1 Cor. 15).

This kind of divine dynamism does not succumb to any form of ethical tiredness like “fetus fatigue.” We are weak, yes, but God is strong in us (Rom. 8:37). We are more than conquerors in Christ, who has raised us to life by his own triumph over the grave.

We are not raised for ourselves, though. Life is not about us. It is a doxological undertaking. This instinct calls us afresh to the defense of those who have no voice. It leaves us champions of a culture of flourishing and a body of policy that will protect the unborn and bring to justice those who would destroy them.

We have not been shot, but we are wearied by wickedness. The death of Michelle Wilkins’s baby reminds us that now is the time to get in and drive. (See “The Challenge of Fetus Fatigue”, originally posted HERE)

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You’ll Never Guess Which State is Most Likely to Attend Church

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churchA recent Gallup poll confirms previous reports that Alaska is one of the nation’s least religious states.

According to the most recent poll, nearly three out of four Alaskans say they do not attend weekly religious services and almost 60 percent say they seldom or never attend religious services.

Conducted in 2014, from January to December, the poll included 537 responses from Alaskans and 177,000 responses nationwide.

States with the lowest church attendance are Vermont (17 percent), New Hampshire (20 percent), Maine (20 percent), Massachusetts (22 percent), Washington (24 percent), Oregon (24 percent), Hawaii (25 percent), Colorado (25 percent), Connecticut (25 percent) and Alaska (26 percent).

But the 57 percent of Alaskans who say they seldom or never attend religious services make up the sixth highest in the nation.

This contrasts with states like Utah where slightly more than half of residents say they attend religious services every week, highest in the nation. Residents in the four Southern states of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas are the next most likely to attend church, with 45 to 47 percent reporting weekly attendance.

Church attendance provides an important measure of the way in which Americans view their “personal, underlying religiosity,” The Gallup report states. “In particular, the focus on the top category of ‘weekly’ attendance yields a good indicator of the percentage of each state’s population that is highly religious, and for whom religion is likely to be a significant factor in their daily lives.”

Five of the six New England states rank among the bottom 10 states for church attendance. All other states in the bottom 10 are in the West, including the nation’s three states that are as far as one can go in the northwest corner of the country — Alaska, Washington and Oregon.

Church attendance is related to “Americans’ views on life, culture, society in general and politics,” the Gallup report states. “Church attendance also provides ties that bind members to their communities, and research shows that at the individual level, those who are most religious have higher well-being than those who are less religious.”

The margin of sampling error is ±1 percentage point for the recent poll. Margins of error for individual states are no greater than ±6 percentage points, and are ±3 percentage points in most states. (See “You’ll Never Guess Which State is Most Likely to Attend Church”, originally posted HERE)

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Husband Says He Can’t Afford His Wife as a Stay-At-Home Mom and His Reasoning Adds Up. Big Time.

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Photo Credit: Steven Nelms

Photo Credit: Steven Nelms

Steven Nelms has been married to wife, Gloriana — Glory for short — for three years. Together they have a two-year-old son named Ezra.

When Steven and Glory got married, Glory worked while Steven finished up school. Once their son was born, it didn’t seem financially possible for Glory to go back to work. Nelms explains to IJReview:

“With childcare costs it would’ve been a wash with her income at best. So we decided that she would stay home as long as it made sense.”

In an attempt to appreciate all of the work Glory does for the family — and put a numerical value on it — Nelms wrote a profound essay that he posted to We Are Glory.

“I’ve had this thought in my head for a while now. I’ve been thinking that I can’t afford for my wife to be a Stay-At-Home Mom. Now, I don’t at all mean to offend anyone with this post. I just have to say that for me personally, I can’t afford it… I mean that I quite literally cannot afford my wife to be staying at home. Here’s why…

My wife stays home and takes care of our son every single day. She changes his diapers, feeds him, plays with him, puts him down for his nap, and comforts him when he’s upset. And that’s just the bare minimum. A child can typically get that attention at a day-care. But on top of that, he is her only focus… Obviously, this is part of being a parent. You take care of your child and you raise your child. But let’s face it. In our day and age… there is a company ready and willing to do just about anything. So while, yes, my wife is my son’s mother and it is a natural result of being a parent to love and care for your own child, there is also a very quantifiable dollar amount that can be attributed to the services rendered. I am in no way trying to simplify, objectify, or devalue the priceless love of a mother for her child. But let’s be real. Pay day feels good for a reason. Because you’re seeing your hard work appreciated in a tangible way that lets you “treat yo self”. And this is exactly why I can’t afford my wife being a Stay-At-Home Mom. The national average weekly salary for a full-time nanny is $705. That’s $36,660 a year.

We make ends meet comfortably and are by no means scraping the bottom of the barrel… [but] the services rendered of caring for our child every single day of the year would absorb the majority of our income. Flat out, no question, game over, I cannot afford my wife to be a Stay-At-Home Mom. And that’s just the beginning of it.

(Read more from “Husband Says He Can’t Afford His Wife as a Stay-At-Home Mom and His Reasoning Adds Up. Big Time.” HERE)

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Stanford PhD Cancer Researcher ‘Poisoned’ Classmates’ Water With Carcinogenic Embalming Fluid

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studentA PhD student from Stanford has been caught trying to poison her classmates by putting a known carcinogen in their water bottles.

Police have charged 26-year-old Xiangyu Ouyang with four felony counts of poisoning after investigators say the student put paraformaldehyde – which could cause death if consumed in large amounts – in her classmates water bottles beginning last September, according to Daily Mail.

Ouyang was at Stanford on a prestigious Agency for Science, Technology and Research scholarship that Singapore gives out to top students. She will now face up to eight years behind bars.

“I am truly sorry for what happened, but I really didn’t mean to harm people,” she told police. “It was me crying out for help.”

Ouyang was described by fellow classmates as shy and insecure, with one of her victims telling authorities that the girl “had never had a boyfriend, and envied those who had.” (Read more from “Stanford PhD Cancer Researcher ‘Poisoned’ Classmates’ Water With Carcinogenic Embalming Fluid” HERE)

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Rolling Stone Apologizes, Retracts Discredited Rape Story

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Photo Credit: Fox News

Photo Credit: Fox News

Rolling Stone magazine on Sunday night apologized and officially retracted its discredited article about an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia, and an independent review said the article may cast doubt on future rape accusations.

The review, undertaken at Rolling Stone’s request, presented a broad indictment of the magazine’s handling of a story that had horrified readers, unleashed widespread protests and sparked a national discussion about sexual assaults on college campuses.

The report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism on the editorial process called the article a “story of journalistic failure that was avoidable.”

The article focused on a student identified only as “Jackie,” who said she was raped by seven men at a fraternity house. It also described a hidden culture of sexual violence fueled by binge drinking at one of the nation’s most highly regarded public universities.

The report found, among other things, that Rolling Stone did not try hard enough to find the person Jackie accused of orchestrating the assault. (Read more from “Rolling Stone Apologizes, Retracts Discredited Rape Story” HERE)

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Teen Forced to Undergo Chemotherapy, Denied Visit with Mom by Court [+video]

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cassandrac_featuredA Connecticut teen, who was forced by a court to submit to chemotherapy because she has cancer, will not be allowed to see her mother, per a recent court order.

The teen, identified only as “Cassandra C.,” suffers from Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is a cancer that strikes the lymphatic system.

Cassandra C. has been undergoing treatment at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) since December 2014, but has not been allowed to leave.

A Connecticut Superior Court judge ruled this week that Cassandra C. must remain at the hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, and that her mother, Jackie Fortin, could not visit her.

Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) has custody of Cassandra C. until she finishes the court-mandated chemotherapy. (Read more from “Teen Forced to Undergo Chemotherapy, Denied Visit with Mom by Court [+video]” HERE)

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12-Year-Old Boy Acted out Scenes from Fifty Shades of Grey with Girl in Local Park

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FILM TITLE: FIFTY SHADES OF GREY (2015) .... HANDOUT ...A leading therapist said a 12-year-old client has confessed to acting out scenes from 50 Shades of Grey with a girl in his local park.

Addiction psychotherapist Steve Pope spoke on BBC Radio Five Live on Tuesday and said in the last 24 hours he had been “amazed” by a discussion with one of his young clients.

Talking to presenter Rachel Burden, Dr Pope described the destructive nature of pornography, particularly in regards to children and their exposure to it.

Dr Pope said: “To be blunt, we have had nightmares over the effects of 50 Shades of Grey and what children now think is normal adult sexual behaviour.

“Within the last 24 hours I have worked with a young man, a 12-year-old, who thought that 50 Shades of Grey was a normal part of sexual behaviour with a young girl.” (Read more from “12-Year-Old Boy Acted out Scenes from Fifty Shades of Grey with Girl in Local Park” HERE)

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The World Is Becoming More Religious and You Will Never Guess Which Religion Is Growing the Fastest

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muslim-prayerMuslims and Christians are expected make up nearly equal shares of the global population by 2050 for the first time.

Atheists, agnostics and other people who don’t affiliate with a religion will make up a smaller fraction of the world’s population in 2050, according to a new study.

The Pew Research Center study released Thursday found that the growth of major religious groups will outpace the rise in the unaffiliated population despite trends in the United States and other Western countries, where the proportion of religiously unaffiliated people is expected to grow. By 2050, the total global population is expected to rise to 9.3 billion from 6.9 billion today.

Islam will expand [much] faster than any other major religion, according to the report. . .(Read more from “The World Is Becoming More Religious and You Will Never Guess Which Religion Is Growing the Fastest” HERE)

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Actress Loves Church for ‘Their Focus on Having Personal Relationship With Jesus’

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vanessa-hudgens“High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens recently shared that she loves attending Australian Megachurch Hillsong because it strongly encourages congregants to have their “own personal relationship with Jesus.”

Although she was raised a Catholic and adhered to atheism for many years, the 26 year old actress recently embraced Christianity, in part due to the influence of her boyfriend, 23 year old Austin Butler, who also attends Hillsong.

“It feels like Arcade Fire – it’s epic like that,” Hudgens told the Times regarding the church’s award-winning worship band Hillsong United. “They really focus on you having your own personal relationship with Jesus, which is wonderful.”

Hillsong Church was founded in 1983 by Pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston and is known for its relaxed, modern atmosphere and extensive mission program. Hillsong’s website states that it is “a Church about a God, who is all about people,” and their “singular, all-consuming passion is to build God’s Church and Kingdom.”

Over 100,000 worshipers attend Hillsong’s services held every weekend at its twelve campuses throughout the country, including New York and Los Angeles. In Australia, the megachurch has six campuses and twice as many extension services. (Read more from “Actress Loves Church for ‘Their Focus on Having Personal Relationship With Jesus'” HERE)

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