Introduction:

“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.

Judgment on the Horizon?

However, let’s assess the State of the Union in the mirror of God’s Word. Homosexuality is accepted as simply “an alternative lifestyle.” We murder babies that are socially inconvenient. We change marriage partners like a fashion statement. We have abandoned the sanctity of commitments in our families and in our businesses. Immorality and deceit have come to characterize the highest offices in our land; our politics have condoned and covered up more murders than we dare list. Our public enterprises have been prostituted to the convenience of the elite. Our mainline media takes pride in forming public opinion rather than informing it, which had been its sacred role in a representative republic. Our culture has disconnected character from destiny. Our entertainments celebrate adultery, fornication, violence, aberrant sexual practices and every imaginable form of evil. We have become the primary exporters of everything that God abhors.

One of the major theological mysteries is why hasn’t God judged America? The parallels in Bible (Cf. Hosea 4-14; Isaiah 5; et al) would suggest that it is long overdue. The only ostensible answer is God’s commitment in Genesis 12:2-3, in which He promises Abraham that He “will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee.” It may well be that America has been spared-so far-due to its support of the nation of Israel. But that, too, may be short lived...

Conspicuous by Its Absence?

One of the mysteries in the Biblical prophetic scenario, is where does America appear?

The final battle-the Battle of Armageddon-is a four-power conflict: triggered by the “Kings of the South” (Egypt?), responded to by the “Kings of the North” (Syria? Russia? ...various opinions), and dominated by a Western Confederacy (The Antichrist, et al) until the “Kings of the East” are drawn in.

Where is the United States? There are many conjectures among scholars. Some assume that we will ultimately be somehow associated with the Western Confederacy. The continuing erosion of our constitutional republic, plus the increasing move toward a police state to “fight terrorism,” seems consistent with the growing tide toward a global government.

Others assume that America simply will not be a major player at that time. As variations of this second view, some suggest that America will have become economically and militarily less relevant by then. Others (disturbed by the hint in Ezekiel 39:6), fear that we may have been the subject of a major nuclear exchange over the growing tensions in the Middle East.

Life Cycle of Nations

As we study the rise and fall of nations, there is a disturbing sequence throughout history. The sequence of nations, as observed by Alexander Tyler, 1750, follows a predictable pattern “from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependence back again into bondage." It is hard to deny that we may well be at the zenith of that sequence. If you ask the average American what is the biggest problem facing our nation, Is it ignorance or apathy? He will likely answer, “I don’t know and I don’t care!”

It remains to be seen whether the wake-up call of September 11, 2001, will prove to be more effective than simply a brief spasm of patriotism, or whether it may lead to a more serious revival and return to our heritage. In any case, we each need to prepare and to rise to the opportunities that present themselves for a spiritual revival and we must begin with ourselves. God has declared an immutable principle:

If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

Notice that this isn’t addressed to the Congress, or the Administration, or to the pagan left. It is addressed to His people, who are called by His name. It is the members of the Body of Christ that are standing in the way of what God would prefer to do in our land. A revival needs to begin with us.

NEW! Conservatives Pulling Out The Megaphones January 26, 2010

The Occult And Holiday Eye Candy December 22, 2009

Supreme Court To Hear Christian Legal Students' Case December 08, 2009

There's An Alternative To The Expensive Health Care Monster Bill November 10, 2009

Life Triumphs Over Abortion November 03, 2009

Harvey Milk And Jim Jones Kool-Aid October 13, 2009

God Protect President Obama September 29, 2009

Signs From The DC Tea Party September 15, 2009

ACORN Crippled by Scandal September 15, 2009

Texas Schools Will Teach The Bible August 25, 2009

Religious Freedom And Public Schools August 18, 2009

To Pray Or Not To Pray In Public Places August 11, 2009

The NEA Giant and A Slingshot July 21, 2009

Freedom Ain't Free June 30, 2009

Christians and Cohabitation June 16, 2009

Religious Freedom: Alive And Well In America June 09, 2009

Who Is Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor? May 26, 2009

Abortion and Abstinence: Where the Funds Go May 12, 2009

National Day of Prayer is May 7 May 05, 2009

Souter Retiring; Supreme Court Choice Time For Obama May 05, 2009

Teaching the Bible in Schools: The Legal Issues April 21, 2009

Same-Sex Marriage States Double In Number April 07, 2009

Domestic Terrorism In The Name Of Animal Rights March 24, 2009

Religious Freedoms Protected By Lawyers? March 17, 2009

Pro-Abortion Sebelius New HHS Nominee March 03, 2009

Education Choices: We Don't Need No Thought Control February 24, 2009

NEW! Issachar Report: The Middle East in the Crosshairs: Part 2 by Steve Elwart, IDB Folio Specialist

2010 and Beyond: The Middle East in the Crosshairs by Steve Elwart, IDB Folio Specialist

Issachar Report: "Cap & Trade is a Tax...a Big One" by Steven Elwart, Koinonia Institute

Hosea, Can You See? The Slippery Slope of Deception by Mary Miller, Koinonia Institute

Twilight’s Last Gleaming, Update: The Fleecing of America by Mary Miller, Koinonia Institute

Our Continuing “Vortex” Series: The Impending Storm by Chuck Missler

A Forecast for 2008: The Turbulence Ahead by Chuck Missler

The Vortex Strategy: Part 3 Guarding Your Liquidity by Chuck Missler

Updated Briefing: The Vortex Strategy: Part 2 by Chuck Missler

Updated Briefing The Vortex Strategy: Part 1 by Chuck Missler

Excerpt from Prophecy 20/20 The American Challenge by Chuck Missler

For the Fourth Understanding the Worth of our Nation by Frank Salvato

In Memoriam The Passing of the Constitution by Chuck Missler

An Alternate Scenario: The Twilight’s Last Gleaming? by voicefromzion.org

A New Threat on the Horizon: The Quiet Game by Chuck Missler

An Interesting Perspective: The Denial of Guilt by Bruce Malone

An Additional Perspective: Katrina's Geopolitical Legacy by Chuck Missler

A Respite for America? An Election Mandate by Chuck Missler

Hosea, Can You See?: Hosea's Challenge to America by Chuck Missler

Twilight's Last Gleaming: Clinton's War on Hate Bans Christian Values by John Loeffler and Berit Kjos

None Dare Call It Fascism: Reflections on Our Republic by Chuck Missler

A Personal Challenge: Our Desperate Warfare by Chuck Missler

Freedom of the Press? Media Madness by Chuck Missler

Twilight's Last Gleaming? Judgment on the Horizon by Chuck Missler

The Federal Reserve: The Engine of Power by Chuck Missler

News Sources

NEW! Bible Battles Taking Place in Three States - Three-in-one-month legal developments in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee add fuel to the fiery rhetoric from all sides about when the Bible should come through the schoolhouse door. To get beyond the fight, schools need to protect the right of students to bring their Scriptures to school and share their faith with others (as long as they aren't disruptive) while making sure that educators teach about the Bible in literature and history in ways that are academically and constitutionally sound.

NEW! Abortion Workers Who Turn Pro-Life - Advances in ultrasound imaging and abortion procedures have forced providers ever closer to the nub of their work. This intimacy exacts an emotional toll, stirring sentiments for which doctors, nurses, and aides are sometimes unprepared. Most apparently have managed to reconcile their belief in the right to abortion with their revulsion at dying and dead fetuses, but a noteworthy number have found the conflict unbearable and have defected to the pro-life cause.

Ten Commandments Win Another Battle - The head of Liberty Counsel, a firm that litigates on civil and religious rights issues, says a decision from the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals has extended a winning streak for the Ten Commandments that dates back to 2005. The organization successfully argued on behalf of the legality of a display in a public building in Kentucky that included the Ten Commandments among other historical references.

History Professors Testify Against Prop 8 - The trial of a legal challenge to Proposition 8 may decide whether same-sex couples get the chance to marry in California in the future, but on Tuesday it was all about Ivy League history professors. Prop. 8 lawyers depicted both witnesses as unabashed proponents of gay marriage. In fact, within minutes of Cott leaving the stand, Prop. 8 counsel Andrew Pugno told a news conference her testimony was "a disaster for the plaintiffs" and that many of her views actually supported the arguments for Prop. 8.

Denzel's Eli Depends on Bible - Denzel Washington's latest role in "The Book of Eli" has him playing a wanderer in a nuclear war-ravaged America who leans on his Bible for guidance, and the actor says if he was in that situation, he'd do exactly the same. The movie, which opens in U.S. theaters on Friday, blends elements of old-style Hollywood westerns, in the form of desolate landscapes and frontier towns, and Old Testament spirituality -- a change for Hollywood studios which tend to avoid religious themes in modern, big-budget action flicks.

Biological Mom Loses Legal Custody to Former Lesbian Partner - The birth mother of a 7-year-old Virginia girl must transfer custody of the child to the woman's former lesbian partner, a Vermont judge ruled, adding that it seems the woman has "disappeared" with her daughter. Miller and Jenkins were joined in a Vermont civil union in 2000. Isabella was born to Miller through artificial insemination in 2002. The couple broke up in 2003, and Miller moved to Virginia, renounced homosexuality and became an evangelical Christian. Cohen awarded custody of the girl to Jenkins on Nov. 20 after finding Miller in contempt of court for denying Jenkins access to the girl.

Health Care Bill Set For Christmas Eve Vote - Democratic senators worked toward making health care reform their Christmas gift. The bill moved a significant step forward in a vote held shortly after 1 am ET. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was able to hold together all 58 Democrats and two independents to overcome unanimous GOP opposition in a 60-40 vote. Sixty votes was the minimum amount needed to move the bill forward. Senate Democrats and President Obama touted the momentum behind the package, which is set for a Christmas Eve vote.

Sandra Bullock Impressed With 'Real' Christian - LOS ANGELES - Actress Sandra Bullock says meeting Leigh Anne Tuohy, who she portrays in The Blind Side, showed her there really are some Christians who "walk the walk." The film, which opened the week before Thanksgiving, presents the true story of the Tuohys -- a well-off white family in Tennessee -- who welcome a homeless black youth into their home and then adopt him as their son. That young man, Michael Oher, became an All-American selection for Ole Miss and a first-round draft pick. He now plays for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens.

Tolerance v Religious Freedom in DC - A tussle over same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia reveals how high the stakes of the debate have risen. Proponents of redefining marriage frequently assert that this would be only a minor adjustment, expanding the institution slightly to accommodate the two to three percent of the population that self-identifies as lesbian or gay. The appeal is for "tolerance" to allow people to form sexual relationships as they please. But now it becomes clear that same-sex advocates want much more than tolerance.

Gold Hits Record High - Gold jumped to a record price as the slumping dollar boosted bullion's appeal as an alternative asset. Silver also gained. Gold futures touched an all-time high of $1,174 an ounce in New York, after the dollar fell as much as 0.9 percent against the euro.

STDs Heavily Affect Teen Girls - Teen girls aged 15 to 19 accounted for the largest number (409,531) of the 1.5 million reported chlamydia and gonorrhea cases in the United States in 2008, followed by women aged 20 to 24, according to an annual federal report released Monday. Of the almost 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases that occur each year in the United States, almost half are among those aged 15 to 24 years.

Rotten DC Teachers Hard To Fire - A new national report card on educational innovation contends that principals in Maryland and the District of Columbia face too many barriers to ousting bad teachers. The study examined survey data from the National Center for Education Statistics on obstacles principals face when they try to get rid of "poor-performing or incompetent" teachers. More often than peers nationwide, principals in Maryland and the District reported that personnel policies, paperwork and teachers unions were barriers to teacher removal, according to the study.

Health Care Bill Would Create 111 New 'Federal Bureaucracies' - House Republicans claimed Monday that the health care reform bill pushed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi would create a whopping 111 new "federal bureaucracies." The House Republican Conference circulated what it called a list of "new boards, bureaucracies, commissions and programs" created in the House health care bill. Among some off the new agencies, the list cites a Health Insurance Exchange; the Public Health Investment Fund; the Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health; and about 100 other government-sponsored creations.

Americans To Protest Health Care Bill at Capitol Thursday - Lawmakers are calling on Americans to storm the Capitol on Thursday in an "Emergency House Call on Congress" to stop the House from passing the Democrats' health-care bill THIS WEEK. A group of legislators will be holding an emergency town-hall meeting outside the Capitol at noon to protest the health-care bill set to hit the House floor. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated that a vote on the bill could take place as soon as Thursday.

Present Obama Signs Hate Crimes Legislation - President Barack Obama has signed into law a measure that adds to the list of federal hate crimes attacks on people based on their sexual orientation. Congress approved the legislation last week as part of the $680-billion FY 2010 Defense Authorization bill. Appended to the hate crimes amendment was a statement ensuring that a religious leader or any other person cannot be prosecuted on the bases if his or her speech, beliefs, or association.

President Doesn't Like School Choice Ad - President Obama isn't taking kindly to a television ad that criticizes his opposition to a popular scholarship program for poor children, and his administration wants the ad pulled. The 30-second ad, which has been airing on FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, and News Channel 8 to viewers in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, urges the president to reauthorize the federally-funded DC Opportunity Scholarship Program that provides vouchers of up to $7,500 for DC students to attend private schools. The ad features a young boy - one of 216 students whose scholarships were rescinded by the Department of Education earlier this year when the agency announced no new students would be allowed into the program.

Over Fifty Kids Rescued In Prostitution Sting - The FBI said it has rescued more than 50 children who were being victimized through prostitution in a national sting. The operation, part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, took place in 36 cities over the past 72 hours. The FBI said 631 others, including 60 pimps, were arrested on local and state charges. "Child prostitution continues to be a significant problem in our country, as evidenced by the number of children rescued through the continued efforts of our crimes against children task forces," Kevin Perkins, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, said in a statement on Monday.

Same Sex Marriage Bill Introduced In DC - DC Council member David A. Catania on Tuesday introduced a long-awaited bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry in the District. If the legislation is passed, the city would join Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa in performing the unions. New Hampshire is scheduled to begin performing same-sex marriages in 2010, while Maine voters will consider the issue in a ballot initiative in November.

Other Currencies Breathing On Dollar's Lead Position - "The United States would be mistaken to take for granted the dollar's place as the world's predominant reserve currency," World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick warned Monday. "Looking forward, there will increasingly be other options to the dollar."

'See You At The Pole' to Mark 20th Year - Around two million students across the nation and overseas are expected to gather at their schools' flag poles Wednesday to ask God to bring moral and spiritual awakening to their campuses and countries. This year's "See You At The Pole" event will mark 20 years since the student-initiated and student-led movement started in the Ft. Worth suburb of Burleson, Texas, in 1990.

Senate Votes to Cut Off ACORN Housing Funding - The Senate voted Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, a community organization under fire in several voter-registration fraud cases. ACORN has received $53 million in taxpayer funds since 1994.

Bible Ban Case May Go to Supreme Court - The Supreme Court has been asked to hear a case in which a Bible reading was banned from school. The controversy began when a kindergarten class in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania was asked to read from their favorite books.

Hundreds of Thousands Rally in DC for Tea Party - Saturday, September 12th, a crowd estimated from 450,000 people to 1.2 million people marched on Washington to protest government tax and spending policies. The Tax Payers' March on Washington was the culmination of the tea party movement.

President Obama's Remarks To School Children September 8 - Before President Obama spoke to America's school children on Tuesday, speculations about the content of his speech caused controversy. The White House has posted a transcript of the speech encouraging children to take school seriously on its site so that the US people can judge the speech for themselves.

Replacing God With The Universe - "Universal" is the "it" word, as in universal health care or "The Universe will guide me," or "Leave it to the Universe." There was a different word for it back in the day, more imposing but less confusing: God. But God is not a trendy word anymore. God is not popular, just like the Republicans. You are guilty by association with both...

Lofgren Aknowledges that Obamacare Will Fund Abortions - The New York Times and FactCheck.org both claim that Obamacare will not allow taxpayer funding of abortion. According to a townhall video, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) disagrees.

Homeschoolers Rank Higher On ACT - Compared with other students, homeschoolers scored higher than the national average on this year's ACT, a national standardized test used to gauge educational development and college readiness. The national average for 2009 graduating high schoolers reported by ACT (American College Testing) officials is 21.1 on a scale from 1 to 36. Homeschoolers scored a national average of 22.5.

Evil Conservatives And Wrong Liberals - Marcia Segelstein writes about the tendency of liberals to promote tolerance for everybody except conservatives. "I have long thought that one of the striking differences between liberals and conservatives is this: liberals believe conservatives are evil, while conservatives believe liberals are wrong...It's important to keep in mind that the label 'conservative' (or Republican) brands us, in the minds of many liberals, as just plain bad people."

Obama Files To Repeal Defense Of Marriage Act - In its nine-page brief, the Justice Department stated that the Obama administration opposes the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act as discriminatory and supports its repeal. Yet the motion also calls for the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a gay California couple seeking to overturn the federal marriage law. Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, accused the president of breaking a campaign promise... "In a high-profile interview with Rick Warren, Barack Obama convinced millions of Americans he opposed gay marriage," he said. "We are calling on the president to live up to his campaign commitment."

Poll Shows National Shift Against Abortion - A new national Harris poll finds a strong shift towards the pro-life position on abortion and reveals the shift is seen among members of both political parties. The poll also finds a majority of African-Americans and Hispanics oppose the Roe v. Wade decision that allowed virtually unlimited abortions.

Teach Our Children: In Favor of Abstinence - If the truth is ever accepted, abstinence is really the only way to prevent pregnancy, teen or otherwise. Sex education, whatever it is deemed to be, might slow the pace, but not kill the root. And the root cause is not lack of information...

ObamaCare Requires 'End-Of-Life' Counseling For Elderly - The version of President Obama's universal health care plan pending in the US House would require 'end-of-life' counseling for senior citizens, and the former lieutenant governor for the state of New York is warning people to "protect their parents" from the measure. Betsy McCaughey, the former New York state officer, told former president candidate Fred Thompson during an interview on his radio program the "consultation" is no more or less than an attempt to convince seniors to die.

Teachers Leaving NEA For Christian Alternative - The Christian Educators Association International says it has seen an increase in enrollment. About one month ago, the National Education Association (NEA) voted to throw its full support behind homosexual "marriage," and members voted down a resolution calling for the NEA to take a "no-position" stance on abortion. Furthermore, NEA top lawyer Bob Chanin recently berated those within the NEA who hold to traditional conservative values.

Liddick: California Is In Trouble - [T]he Golden State's lessons for all of us: that public programs are not free, but must be paid for with public money; ...that vote-buying with promises of favor is an addiction harder to break than heroin; that legislators tend to ignore the public will until forced to pay attention; that taxation and regulation have their limits; and that the habit of borrowing money to give benefits to individuals is poisonous to the very concept of "good government." May we learn those lessons soon. As California circles the drain, it looks more and more as though the rest of the nation is rushing to follow its example. But if that happens, where will there be to move?

Senate Commitee Votes Down 4 Pro-Life Health Amendments - A Senate committee on Monday defeated four new amendments by pro-life advocates determined to stop a health care restructuring bill from paying for and promoting abortions. The committee also rejected an amendment from Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma to protect state laws limiting abortions and abortion funding from being nullified by federal law under the health care bill and a second that would protect the conscience rights of health care workers. Johnson told LifeNews.com that more battles are coming up this week on abortion and health care.

Conservative Teachers To Confront NEA On Abortion - Conservative teachers within the NEA will call for the union to drop its support of abortion. The National Education Association will convene for their national meeting in San Diego July 1-6. Jeralee Smith, one of the co-founders of the NEA Conservative Educators Caucus, says one of the items her group has placed on the agenda is abortion.

Supreme Court Won't Hear Challenge To Don't Ask Don't Tell - The US Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a case challenging the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy for gays in the military. Prior to 1993, when "Don't Ask Don't Tell" was implemented, homosexuals were completely banned from the military. Since 1993, gays and lesbians can only be dismissed if they are open about their same-sex attraction. Homosexual activist groups are waiting for President Obama to fulfill campaign promises to promote even more openness for gays in the military, but the White House has put that agenda on the back burner for now.

New Hampshire Passes Gay Marriage Bill - New Hampshire's Democratic-controlled House of Representatives endorsed gay marriage in a 198-176 vote, hours after the state Senate approved the legislation 14-10 along party lines, making the state the fourth this year to back gay marriage in the United States. Governor John Lynch, a Democrat, signed the bill, which goes into effect on January 1.

Pravda Opinion Piece Mourns Demise of US Capitalism - A commentary published in the once-official newspaper of the Soviet Union heralded America's "descent into Marxism" citing the United States' takeover of General Motors, poor education standards, and the election of Barack Obama as president. The opinion piece in Pravda, one of the Soviet-era newspapers still published in Russia, carried the headline, "American Capitalism Gone with a Whimper," and was written by Stanislav Mishin, who runs the blog "Mat Rodina."

Dow Jumps 221 Points Despite GM Bankruptcy - Inspired by fresh signs the US economy is slowly healing, the Dow climbed more than 200 points on Monday even as General Motors became the largest industrial bankruptcy in American history. "Obviously people knew [the GM filing] would happen. Now that it's out of the way, there's almost some relief. Everyone can stop focusing on it," said Ryan Detrick, equity analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.

Court Rules No Reading Bible To Kindergarten Class - A kindergartner's mother cannot read Scripture during show and tell, even if the Bible is the boy's favorite book, a US appeals court said Monday in the latest challenge over religion in public schools. Schools can more tightly control speech presented to younger students, who may not distinguish a parent from their teacher, the ruling said. Busch argued that the class heard stories related to Passover, Christmas and other religious holidays, but the court concluded there was a "significant difference" between identifying such holidays and reading from Scripture.

CA's Same-Sex Marriage Ban Will Stand - The state Supreme Court has upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, but also decided that the estimated 18,000 gay couples who tied the knot before the law took effect will stay wed. The decision Tuesday rejected an argument from gay rights activists that the ban revised the California constitution's equal protection clause to such a dramatic degree that it first needed the Legislature's approval.

Majority of Americans Now Pro-Life - Fifty-one percent of Americans consider themselves "pro-life," the first time a majority of the country has stated a personal objection to abortion since Gallup polls began tracking the data 15 years ago. The Gallup poll released Friday also marks a massive shift from one year ago, when 50 percent of Americans called themselves pro-choice, and just 44 percent said they were pro-life. Today 42 percent say they are pro-choice, by far the lowest level of support for abortion ever measured by the Gallup poll.

US Gov't To Borrow Nearly Half What It Spends - The government will have to borrow nearly 50 cents for every dollar it spends this year, exploding the record federal deficit past $1.8 trillion under new White House estimates. Budget office figures released Monday would add $89 billion to the 2009 red ink — increasing it to more than four times last year's all-time high as the government hands out billions more than expected for people who have lost jobs and takes in less tax revenue from people and companies making less money.

'Hate' Back In Congress - The House Judiciary Committee has already approved Barney Frank's bill, H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The full House is expected to vote on the bill April 29. The bill would make it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily injury to someone (or to attempt to do so with firearms or explosives) because of his or her actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The bill also violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection by codifying the notion that certain groups of citizens, such as homosexuals, are entitled to greater legal protection than others, such as, say, older ladies.

Same-Sex Marriage Becomes Official In Iowa - Same-sex couples can marry legally in Iowa starting on Monday, April 27, but out-of-state couples will not be able to take any of the legal rights back across to the border to their home states. The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) prevents the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, and permits states to ignore them if they choose. Legal experts expect the issue to hit the US Supreme Court in the not-so-distant future.

Adam, Eve, and The Iowa Supreme Court - The Iowa Supreme Court recently declared the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, and devoted several pages of its decision to attacking the "religious opposition to same-sex marriage" -which was not even on Polk County's list of reasons to support the ban...

Evolutionists Inject Religion Into Texas Debate - Evolution was back in the headlines recently as the Texas State Board of Education voted 13-2 to require students to "analyze and evaluate" major evolutionary concepts such as common ancestry, natural selection, and mutations, as well as adopting a critical thinking standard calling on students to "critique" and examine "all sides of scientific evidence." Evolutionists typically cast themselves as the champions of secular reason against superstition, but in Texas they tried to inject religion into the debate at every turn.

Morning After Pill Available to 17-Year-Olds OTC - A New York federal court ruled on Monday that the morning-after pill could be given to 17-year-old girls over-the-counter. The ruling gives girls access to the pill without requiring that they first talk to parents or a doctor. Those who oppose over-the-counter status for Plan B argue that raped women or sexually abused minors might be coerced into using the pill. They also argue it encourages sexually irresponsible behavior, and allows young women to bypass medical screenings that could detect diseases and other health problems.

California Supreme Court Hears Same-Sex Marriage Arguments - The state Supreme Court heard Thursday oral arguments challenging the legality of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that state voters approved last November banning same-sex marriage. A central question the court faces is whether Proposition 8 amounts to a violation of human rights or falls within the limits of people's power to change the state's Constitution. And if the ballot measure stands, what would be the status of some 18,000 same-sex marriages already performed?

Late-Term Abortionist George Tiller Goes To Trial - Jury selection for the trial of infamous abortionist George Tiller started on Monday. Tiller is charged with 19 counts of performing late-term abortions without getting the independent 2nd opinion required by Kansas law. Oral arguments and testimony are scheduled to start March 23. If convicted, Tiller faces one year in jail or a $2500 fine for each count.

Vermont Begins Hearings on Same-Sex Marriage Bill - Nine years after it played host to a bitter fight over civil unions, Vermont's Statehouse is again a gay rights battleground. More than 200 same-sex marriage opponents, cheering and wearing buttons that read "Marriage -- A Mother & Father for Every Child," converged Monday on Montpelier as lawmakers began a week's worth of hearings on a bill that would allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. If approved, Vermont would join Massachusetts and Connecticut as the only U.S. states that allow gay marriage.

Stephen Baldwin Slams Hollywood's Vulgarity - The violence, vulgarity, and anti-family fare produced in excess in Hollywood contributes to social decay and the higher rates of youth suicide and teen pregnancy, actor and media personality Stephen Baldwin told CNSNews.com. He added that pro-family films sell well and more conservatives should move into the industry to control the content and produce the types of films that many American families desire.

Obama to Rescind Freedom of Conscience Protection - President Barack Obama wants to rescind a Bush administration rule that strengthened job protections for doctors and nurses who refuse for moral reasons to perform abortions. Federal law has long forbidden discrimination against health care professionals who refuse to perform abortions or provide referrals for them on religious or moral grounds. The Bush administration's rule adds a requirement that institutions that get federal money certify their compliance with laws protecting the rights of moral objectors.

Sex Trafficking Busts Rescue 48 Teen Prostitutes - The FBI has rescued 48 suspected teenage prostitutes, some as young as 13, in a nationwide sweep to remove kids from the illegal sex trade and punish their accused pimps. Over a three-night initiative called Operation Cross Country, federal agents working with local law enforcement also arrested more than 571 suspects on a variety of federal and state prostitution-related charges, the bureau said.

Alliance Defense Fund To Defend Wisconsin Public Prayer - Americans United for Separation of Church and State has threatened legal action against La Crosse, along with Dodge and Vernon counties, unless they stop permitting invocations at the beginning of public meetings. ADF has offered to help all three groups.

The Dow Takes A Cliff Dive - The Dow plunged nearly 300 points and barely avoided making a new six-year low Tuesday as the markets continue to worry the government's rescue efforts won't stop the nation's economic bleeding any time soon. "We are concerned that the three-pronged approach - stimulus package, financial rescue and foreclosure initiatives - is just going to take a whole lot longer than we thought a month ago. That should've been something we wrapped our arms around a while ago," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Jefferies & Co.

Is America Rolling Over Into Socialism? - Government spending within the majority of European Union nations averages 47.1 percent of the GDP, meaning the US is roughly seven points behind -- closer than ever before. But whether that equates to socialism here depends on whom you ask.

Hosea, Can You See? - Chuck Missler Chuck Missler sheds some light on the startling and humbling parallels between our society and that of the prophet Hosea. These are warning we would be wise not to ignore. Click for more information - Audio Cassette

Abandonment Theology - John W. Chalfant The Clergy and the Decline of American Christianity. Click for more information - Audio Cassette

Thanksgiving: America's Challenge - Chuck Missler How did the Thanksgiving holiday first begin? Click for more information - Audio Cassette