March 24, 2014

The following excerpts are from the blog “Downward Ascent 5: Heart of God” on Andrew Comiskey’s website: “‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy’ (Matt. 5:7). Mercy is the heart of God. Fittingly, mercy is the core theme of the Beatitudes: the poor, the mournful, the meek and hungry welcome mercy like rain on broken dry ground. Jesus then exhorts such receivers to extend that unfailing love to those who fail them.” …

“How can I not forgive another and yet claim to be named by the God who forgave me over and over for gross acts of sexual immorality with no guarantee that this confession would be the last? To bear the name of our God means that we act as He does—mercifully. Jesus said it simply, and best. ‘Be merciful as Your Father is merciful.’ (LK 6:36)” (more…)

March 21, 2014

The following excerpts are from the blog “Fred Phelps: The Symptom of our Sickness” on Joe Dallas’s website: …”Fred Phelps, founder and head buffoon of the Westboro Baptist God-Hates-Fags cult, has exited, and tears are few. His notoriety was achieved through a putrid combination of street theater and sadism, as he and his small following of family members picketed the funerals of AIDs patients and American soldiers, hoisting signs that celebrated the deaths being mourned as good, even delightful. No one was spared his bile, neither the parents of openly gay Matthew Shepherd, whose murder Phelps made an industry out of, nor the families of innocent children gunned down by a madman in an Amish school. The guy was, in true satanic form, an equal opportunity tormentor.”

“Two days ago he went to meet his Maker whom he never represented and, quite possibly, never knew. I cannot say rest in peace. I’ll only say God’s will be done.” (more…)

March 20, 2014

The following excerpt is from the article “Maryland and Minnesota … Reject Change Therapy Bills” on the VoV website: “While [Maryland Delegate Jon] Cardin claimed that the reason the bill was withdrawn was due to the existing regulatory oversight protections that are already in place to protect youth from “harmful conversion therapy,” the real reason was because of the bill’s lack of support within his own party. In reality, the unconstitutional notion of taking away the rights of individuals with unwanted same-sex attractions did not sit well with Maryland legislators, and with Cardin engaged in the race for Attorney General, he was not about to take a chance that this bill would fail. The timing of the press conference (Friday) was also indicative that Cardin wanted very little attention on the withdraw of this bill.”

March 21, 2014

The following excerpts are from the article “California accused of discriminating against Christians” on the World Net Daily website: “When California lawmakers passed a law preventing licensed therapists from discussing with their clients how to eliminate unwanted same-sex attractions, their intent was to discriminate against the Judeo-Christian belief that homosexuality is sinful, charges a new brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court.” …

“‘By omitting the APA Report’s qualified definition of ‘acceptance and support’ to include the patient’s ‘values, beliefs and needs,’ SB 1172 shows a legislative intent to prevent the patient’s values and beliefs from guiding the psycho-therapeutic treatment.’” (more…)

March 19, 2014

The following excerpts are from the article “Nobody is ‘born that way’ gay historians say” written by David Benkof and published on The Daily Caller website: … “Are gays indeed born that way? The question has immense political, social, and cultural repercussions. For example, some of the debate over applying the Constitution’s equal protection clause to gays and lesbians focuses on whether gayness is an inborn characteristic. And the major argument gays and lesbians have made for religious affirmation has been, ‘God made me this way.’”

“Thus, if it’s proven sexual orientations are not innate, much of the scaffolding upon which today’s LGBT movement has been built would begin to crumble. (more…)

March 18, 2014

The following PFOX press release “US Supreme Court asked to strike Calif. ban on sexual orientation change efforts” is reprinted in its entirety: LOS ANGELES – Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) and Freedom X have filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision upholding California law SB 1172 that bans licensed therapists from providing sexual orientation change counseling to children with unwanted same-sex attractions.

In Pickup v. Brown, the 9th Circuit ruled that psychologist-patient conversations about how a patient can change his or her sexual orientation is “conduct” and not protected private speech, thereby deeming certain words and conversations in a mental health counseling context to be unlawful.

“The First Amendment protects free speech for all citizens, including licensed therapists and counselors (more…)