“It was the best of times and it was the worst of times.”
-Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
The Best of Times?
By many reckonings, it appears to be the best of times in America: We enjoy a robust economy, reinforced by continually advancing technologies. At least one computer in every home, and a personal telephone on almost everyone’s belt. People are buying their 3rd and 4th cars. Our military is the most feared throughout the world. Indeed, in many ways, it seems like the best of times.
Note: These links are provided for your further research and education. Koinonia House does not necessarily agree with the information on these sites or support the specific organizations.
Documents
The Many Benefits of Traditional Marriage - The benefits of marriage are most observable within the measurable realms of health, wealth, and (self-reported) sexual fulfillment. In each of these categories, married couples experience immense advantages that cohabitating couples, or individuals who remain single, do not.
Is Homosexuality Genetic? - This site contains a variety of resources on the health dangers of the homosexual lifestyle and evidence that homosexuality is not innate and unchangeable.
NEW! Interpretation of U.S. Constitution will “Have to Change” - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg believes that the Boston Marathon bombings have created a unique scenario—one in which traditional interpretations of the U.S. Constitution must change. The politician claims that the most recent attack calls for a new paradigm.
Official Warning Against Christians - This weekend, an email written by Ron Trowbridge, the undersheriff of Prowers County, Colorado, started sweeping some of the viral corners of the internet. It alleges that a Colorado State Police training encouraged law enforcement officials to look at Bible-believing Christians with intense skepticism.
Special Forces Commander: ”Constabulary Force“ Coming - There have been plenty of theories about why the Department of Homeland Security is buying billions of bullets. Maybe they actually do have a destination, according to a U.S. Special Forces commander. He’s actually warning of a “constabulary force to control the population.”
John Brennan Chooses Not to Use Bible for Swearing In as CIA Director - When Vice President Joe Biden performed the swearing in ceremony of John Brennan in the White House’s Roosevelt Room on Friday, the new CIA director chose to put his hand on a copy of the Constitution—before it included the Bill of Rights—and not a Bible. Hours after the ceremony that took place behind closed doors on Friday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest drew reporters’ attention to the use of a copy of the Constitution, and not the Bible.
‘Assault Weapons’ Ban Just The Beginning - A new video released by conservative activist Jason Mattera will surely have gun rights advocates up in arms. In an exchange with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) that was caught on camera last month but only released Monday, the Democratic politician spoke openly about her gun control views, noting that current proposals are only the beginning.
21 May
2013, 06:08:49 PM | The
Huffington Post News Editors
HARTFORD, Conn. -- An
official says toxicology
tests on the Newtown school
shooter's body did not turn
up any alcohol, illegal
drugs or prescription
medication.
Twenty-year-old Adam Lanza
fatally shot 20
first-graders and six
educators at Sandy Hook
Elementary School on Dec. 14
before killing himself. He
also killed his mother at
their Newtown home before
going to the school.
In
what could very well become
one of the iconic moments
from this tragedy, the
moment when Purcell was
reunited with 8-year-old
Kamden is captured
in this
emotional video on
OKnews.com.
(Watch the full clip
below.)
21 May
2013, 06:07:55 PM | The
Huffington Post News Editors
NEW
YORK -- Portia de Rossi only
believed it was happening
when her agent got the good
news from the producers.
Michael Cera only believed
it was happening when the
cameras rolled.
It
happened all right. After
years of clamoring from fans
and rumors firing them up
while the cast hung on for a
green light, "Arrested
Development" has risen from
the dead with 15 half-hours
premiering en masse on
Netflix on Sunday at 3:01
a.m. EDT.
21 May
2013, 06:06:24 PM | The
Huffington Post News Editors
WASHINGTON - Oklahoma Sen.
Jim Inhofe (R) said on
Tuesday that federal aid to
tornado-ravaged parts of his
home state
will be "totally different"
than a Hurricane Sandy aid
bill he voted against late
last year.
Speaking on MSNBC, the
lawmaker said that in the
case of Hurricane Sandy,
"everybody was getting in
and exploiting the tragedy
that took place." However,
he said, "that won't happen
in Oklahoma."
President Barack Obama on
Tuesday said he has already
signed a federal disaster
declaration for parts of
Oklahoma, where tornadoes
have caused dozens of
fatalities and flattened
entire communities.
“It may be early in the
process for members of
Congress to start
planning for impeachment
of Barack Obama, but the
American public is
building a serious
appetite for it,” said
Fritz Wenzel, of Wenzel
Strategies, which did
the telephone poll
Thursday. It has a
margin of error of 4.36
percent.
Read
More...
More
on Polling
21 May
2013, 06:02:20 PM | The
Huffington Post News Editors
On the
scale of "pop stars teens
like that their parents have
heard of," Ed Sheeran
probably ranks somewhere in
between Justin Bieber and
Austine
Mahone.
And the 22-year-old's
powerful but honey-coated
voice and softhearted lyrics
aren't all that dissimilar
from theirs, either.
But
unlike Bieber, Cody Simpson,
Mahone, and too many other
young singers to count,
Sheeran didn't take the
YouTube route to fame. The
British singer did it the
"old-fashioned way" --
performing his own, original
music in real-life venues.
In
2009, Sheeran played 312
gigs, inspired by James
Morrison's
record
of 200 gigs in a year. The
next year, he bought a
ticket to L.A. and was lucky
enough to be discovered by
Jamie Foxx playing the open-mic
circuit. After he
self-recorded two EPs, the
Internet buzz around him
finally mobilized, and in
2012, Britain
fell in
love
with the singer-songwriter.
Judicial
Watch had sued for access to
the bin Laden photos,
arguing in court back in
January that there was "no
apparent nexus" between
intelligence activities and
photos of bin Laden's burial
or preparation for burial.
But the judges hearing the
case seemed inclined to
defer to the government,
which contended that the
release of even the
less-violent images could
spark violence against U.S.
interests.
Various declarations from
government officials
"support their declarants’
determinations that
releasing any of the images,
including the burial images,
could reasonably be expected
to trigger violence and
attacks 'against United
States interests, personnel,
and citizens worldwide'" the
panel ruled.
21 May
2013, 05:55:58 PM | The
Huffington Post News Editors
WASHINGTON -- Christmas may
be seven months away, but
Texas is ready for it.
State
lawmakers there waged their
own battle against the
so-called War on Christmas
on Friday, passing
legislation,
House
Bill 308,
that allows public school
teachers to say "Merry
Christmas" or "Happy
Hanukkah" and display
Christmas trees, nativity
scenes or menorahs. Winter
displays must represent more
than one religion or include
secular symbols.
But
while the legislation
specifies that schools may
not constitutionally favor
one religion over another,
the bill is named for only
one religion -- Christmas.
21 May
2013, 05:54:48 PM | The
Huffington Post News Editors
Oops!
Technical difficulties with
voting on Monday temporarily
forced "Dancing with the
Stars" to divert fans from
the network website to
social media to pick this
season's winner.
"Voting on ABC.com is
temporarily down," the show
tweeted Monday on its
official site. "But you can
vote by texting, calling and
on Facebook."
21 May
2013, 05:54:47 PM | The
Huffington Post News Editors
Desiree Hartsock, ABC's
latest
"Bachelorette,"
dropped by HuffPost Live to
discuss life on reality TV.
A
HuffPost Live viewer grilled
Hartsock why there wasn't a
gay or lesbian "Bachelor" or
"Bachelorette" yet. Check
out the clip above to see
what Hartsock had to say.
Of
course, ten years ago Bravo
had their own form of a gay
"Bachelor" series, with
America's first gay reality
competition show,
"Boy
Meets Boy."
The show, which had various
men in a Palm Springs palace
fighting for Bachelor
James's heart, though some
were secretly straight.
21 May
2013, 05:52:59 PM | The
Huffington Post News Editors
WASHINGTON -- Two people
familiar with the Senate
immigration deliberations
say the White House has
suggested to Vermont Sen.
Patrick Leahy that it would
be best to put off a
controversy over gay
marriage until a bill goes
before the full Senate.
President Barack Obama backs
the proposal to give equal
treatment to gays and
lesbians, but is unlikely to
veto a broad immigration
bill that does not include
the provision.
21 May
2013, 05:50:14 PM | The
Huffington Post News Editors
Chandeliers
are the statement jewelry of
home decor. Like a
glittering necklace that
takes a T-shirt from blah to
brilliant, a
chandelier
becomes the centerpiece of a
room as well as a
conversation starter.
The
light
fixtures
don't have to be expensive
-- we've seen
plastic
versions from Ikea
that create drama (and not
just when you're pulling
your hair out trying to put
it together, either).
Whether they're glass or
crystal, colorful or
classic, they create a focal
point in a room. You can
even think of
chandeliers
as money-savers, since the
rest of your furnishings can
be minimal. How's that for
retail math?
21 May
2013, 05:49:00 PM | The
Huffington Post News Editors
The
chances of "Game of
Thrones'" Sansa Stark
getting out of King's
Landing may have just
disappeared. But if she has
to be "wedded and bedded" by
someone, better Tyrion than
anyone else, especially
since he is in no rush to
give Tywin more grandkids.
Sophie Turner weighs in on
even pretending to get
married, whether Sansa could
learn to love Tyrion, Peter
Dinklage's amazing affinity
for playing drunk, and her
rap sessions with King
Joffrey.
Residents
of
Moore,
Okla.,
are
facing
the
reality
of
complete
devastation
after a
massive
tornado
killed
at least
24
people,
including nine
children
Monday.
CBN's
Operation
Blessing
is
offering
Oklahoma's tornado
survivors
prayer
and encouragement
amidst
what one
worker
called
"a scene
from
the end
of
time."
Israeli
and
Syrian
forces
exchanged
fire
along
Israel's
northern
border
overnight
Monday,
with the
IDF
scoring
a direct
hit that
destroyed
the
Syrian
army
post.
The U.S.
State
Department's
International
Religious
Freedom
Report
for 2012
shows
persecution
against
Christians
and Jews
is on
the rise
today,
especially
in
Muslim
countries.
The
Senate
Judiciary
Committee
could
pass the
controversial
immigration
bill as
early as
this
week,
granting
citizenship
to an
estimated
11
million
illegal
immigrants.
Houston
abortionist
Douglas
Karpen
is being
accused
of
performing
illegal
late-term
abortions
similar
to the
ones
that Dr.
Kermit
Gosnell
was
convicted
of last
week.
A new
Israeli
exhibit
highlights an
ancient tablet featuring
a quote
from the
archangel Gabriel.
It's called
the most
important
find
since
the Dead
Sea
Scrolls.
The
two-mile-wide
tornado
that
destroyed
the
Oklahoma
suburb
of Moore
on
Monday,
killed
at least
51
people,
including
20
children,
and
injured
an
estimated
230
others.
A new
Gallup
Poll
shows
large
majorities
believe
Benghazi
and IRS
targeting
incidents
warrant
more
investigation,
but many
are
paying
little
attention.
Israeli
Prime
Minister
says
Israel
will
continue
to stop
arms
shipments
to
Hezbollah
despite
Syrian
threat
against
Tel Aviv
in
London
newspaper
report.
Deadly
tornadoes
killed
at least
six
people
in north
Texas
Wednesday
night,
but
emergency
officials
warn
that
number
is
likely
to rise
as crews
search
through
shattered
homes.
The
amount
of
sexual
harassment
and
abuse
within
the
armed
services
is
reaching
alarming
new
highs.
Now the
Pentagon
is
stepping
in and
cleaning
house.
Boko
Haram
terrorists
are
believed
responsible
for the
murder
of a
popular
Pentecostal
pastor
in
Nigeria.
Faye
Pama was
the
Secretary
of the
Christian
Association
of
Nigeria,
North
East
zone.
Drones
may soon
become
common
sights
in the
sky. They
have the
ability
to open
doors
for
new ways
of doing
business.
But they
also
raise
privacy
concerns.
The
Internal
Revenue
Service's
targeting
of
conservative
groups
is now a
criminal
investigation,
with the
Justice
Department
looking
into
possible
mis-conduct.
Kermit
Gosnell,
the
late-term
abortionist
found
guilty
of
first-degree
murder
in the
deaths
of three
infants
born
alive,
has been
spared
the
death
penalty.
Last
year
more
Christians
were
killed
in
Nigeria
than any
other
country.
The
onslaught
of
bombings
made
Nigeria
the nation
with the
highest
Christian
death
toll.
An
unnamed
Israeli
official
has
confirmed
an
Israeli
airstrike
on a
Syrian
missiles
shipment
headed
to
Hezbollah
guerrillas
in
Lebanon,
Reuters
reported
Saturday.
Every
time the
widow of
suspected
Boston
Marathon
bomber
Tamerlan
Tsarnaev
leaves
her
parents'
house,
federal
agents
watching
the
residence
follow
her in
unmarked
vehicles.
President
Obama said
in
Mexico
Thursday
that it
can take
a long
time to
get
things
done in
Washington,
and he
believes
a gun
control
measure
will
pass
eventually.
The rise
of
religious
extremism
is
largely
to blame
for an
increase
in
persecution
of
religious
minorities
around
the
world,
according
to the
U.S.
Commission
on
International
Religious
Freedom.
Fire
crews in
Southern
California
are
desperately
fighting
to put
out a
massive
wildfire
that's
out of
control.
Fanned
by the
Santa
Anna
winds,
the
blaze is
less
than 10
percent
contained.
The
Obama
administration
is
leading
the way
with
efforts
to
restart
the
Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations,
Israeli
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu
says.
Authorities
say the
surviving
Boston
Marathon
suspect,
Dzhokhar
"Johar"
Tsarnaev,
told
investigators
that the
original
target
was a
Boston
Fourth
of July
celebration.
Muslims
believe
Islam is
the only
true
faith
and its
teachings
should
influence
not only
their
personal
lives
but also
the
societies
in which
they
live.
Details
of two
lives,
suddenly
infamous,
came to
light
Friday.
The two
brothers
were
revealed
to be
Muslims
and ethnic
Chechens
suspected
in a
horrific
act of
terrorism.
A
powerful
earthquake
struck
the
steep
hills of
China's
southwestern
Sichuan
province
Saturday,
leaving
at least
124
people
dead and
more
than
2,600
injured.
For years,
Christians
worldwide
have
supported
Israel
and
helped
Jews
return
to the
Land.
One
group is
trying
to keep
that
vision
alive in
the next
generation.
What if
your
decision
to
follow
Jesus
made you
a
family outcast.
That's
what
happened
to one
Muslim
boy. But
the
power of
love
brought them
back
together.
