CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY MOURNS LOSS OF JAN CROUCH

by JESSILYN JUSTICE

TBN  FOUNDERS PAUL & JAN CROUCH
TBN co-founder Jan Crouch's death reverberated through the Christian community. Condolences poured in from major Christian leaders as the Crouch family and the network handle life without "Mama Jan."

"Jan was a visionary and a pioneer for the kingdom," said ORU President William M. Wilson, who is also president of Empowered 21. "Because of her work, millions are impacted with the gospel 24-hours of each day."

Crouch and her husband, the late Paul Crouch, founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network in 1973. She produced multiple television programs including Praise the Lord, The Glory of America and Say Yes.

"Those who battled for the kingdom of God knew her as a fighter—someone who didn't give up, someone who fought relentlessly to get the gospel around the world," son Matt Crouch and his wife Laurie said. "Viewers of the Trinity Broadcasting Network knew her as someone who partnered with Paul Crouch in the launch and expansion of TBN, and as someone who came into their homes for over 40 years."

Other popular leaders also praised Crouch's influential gospel platform, as well as shared their prayers and condolences for the family.

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez tweeted: "Our condolences to the entire @TBN family at the passing of Jan Crouch. Paul and Jan changed the world.Now it's our turn to lift Jesus high."

Evangelist Franklin Graham shared: "My prayers & sympathy for the family of Jan Crouch who passed away. She was a great friend to the ministry of @SamaritansPurse."

Bishop T.D. Jakes posted:"Our hearts and prayers go out for the family, TBN staff, partners, friends and fans of Jan Crouch. #JanCrouch."

 
Christian musician Carman wrote: "She is family to me. We have won countless souls to Christ together through that network. She is the best friend you can ever have when your going through a crisis and feel like everyone has abandoned you. Example: when I went through 10 months of cancer treatment and sent out 600 letters to 600 churches I've ministered at, for support, and not one responded, it was Jan who paid my bills so I could focus on my fight with cancer. Her words to me was 'Just get well.'"

Pastor and author Rod Parsley shared: "This morning my dear friend Jan Crouch has exchanged this life for an eternity in heaven. Join my wife, Joni, and our ministry staff in prayers for God's comfort to envelop the Crouch family, as well as the entire TBN family, as we offer thanks to Him for the countless lives she impacted for the kingdom of God. We celebrate her life, legacy and love for the Gospel."
"Jan Crouch loved many things, but most of all she loved Jesus, and now has seen Him face to face and has experienced His grace in fullness. She has taken a piece of our hearts with her, but it's so wonderful to know that Paul and Jan Crouch are together again, in the arms of Jesus."
Matt, Laurie, Caylan, and Cody Crouch

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ON MEMORIAL DAY

by Fr. Shenan J. Boquet

After decades of catastrophic birth rates -- the consequence of birth control and abortion, disdain for the natural family, the rejection of God and natural law, and population decline paralleled by an aging society -- Europe is facing a cultural, demographic, and economic crisis. This does not only impact the lives of Europeans; it also has far reaching global repercussions.

It is said that North America is 10-15 years behind Europe. What we see dramatically unfolding in Europe is a potential forecast of what we are to face, if unchanged. The United States is on a collision course with reality if we don't learn from Europe's mistakes. The U.S., for example, has seen the total fertility rate in the last several years sink below replacement level.

In February 2003, the first 15 draft articles of the constitution for the European Union were released. They contained references to member countries' national identity and to human rights, as well as commitments to social justice and the environment, but they contained no mention of God or religion. As Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict, and others pointed out, it was a clear rejection of Europe's fundamental root in Christianity.

Pope John Paul was not surprised at the draft. Like millions in Europe, he experienced first hand the consequences of an ideology that rejected God, the Church, and Christian anthropology. In November of 1982 he called upon Europe to reclaim its identity:
I, Bishop of Rome and Shepherd of the universal Church, from Santiago, utter to you, Europe of the ages, a cry full of love: Find yourself again. Be yourself. Discover your origins. Revive your roots. Return to those authentic values which made your history a glorious one and your presence so beneficent in the other continents.

- Santiago de Compostela, Spain November 9, 1982
These challenging words of Saint John Paul II addressed to King Juan Carlos of Spain and representatives of European organizations and universities reminded them that Europe could still be a beacon of civilization to the world if she reclaimed her proper identity. Europe's history is fundamentally rooted in the spread of the Gospel. Her history is incomprehensible without Christianity, which shaped her culture, expansion, and global influence. Her soul is Christian, and her land eventually became the home of religious freedom, justice, liberty, respect for life, and the dignity of the human person.

Sadly, western and central Europe, as recently witnessed with Ireland's legalization of homosexual unions and allowance of abortion in certain cases, continues to reject its Christian roots and embrace secularism. She places excessive weight upon economic "progress" through individualism, materialism, and hedonism.

Eastern Europe, on the other hand, continues to show signs of transformation. In Romania, a petition was submitted recently with three million signatures demanding that natural marriage be protected in law. Poland has elected a Christian and patriotic government, and finds itself under attack from the West for exercising its democratic rights. My own recent mission trips to Slovakia and Belarus also reveal hopeful signs of a culture radically attempting to reclaim its root identity in Christianity and the centrality of life and the natural family. Having had radical atheism and the evils of contraception and abortion imposed upon them by ideological systems opposed to God, Eastern Europe is emerging from under this shadow.

The United States has, even at the local level, unfortunately embraced the secular mentality of western and central Europe.
- At East Liverpool High School in Ohio, graduating students were refused the ability to pray the Lord's Prayer in their commencement ceremony - a 70-year tradition. The Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation, forced the removal of the prayer from the program. Courageously, Valedictorian Jonathan Montgomery ignored the totalitarian mandate and led his classmates in the prayer. The response of the school board president is to have a non-denominational service next year.

- To honor the fallen heroes remembered during the up-coming Memorial Day celebration, a display of 79 handmade crosses were erected in Hiram, Georgia, representing the 79 Paulding County residents who died defending America's freedom. One anonymous caller voiced discontent with the Christian display - the use of crosses - prompting the City Manager to have them removed.


- Even the mighty State of Texas is not exempt from the onslaught against religious freedom. Abundant Life Fellowship Church in Corpus Christi wanted to build the tallest cross in America on their campus, but an atheist activist, Patrick Greene, objected. Greene filed suit in district Court, insisting that the 230-foot cross to be erected off of Interstate 37 gave preference to religion. Abundant Life Fellowship had to explain in court why it was perfectly constitutional to build a cross on church grounds; fortunately, Judge Missy Medary agreed and tossed out the claim.
From these local battles to President Obama's insane Soviet-like diktat forcing all public schools to allow boys to use girls' bathrooms or lose funding, we have ample reason for grave concern. The ultimate consequences of such bombardments are unknown; however, we have seen through the US judicial system, state and federal legislation, and executive mandates from the President, a rejection of constitutional rights to religious freedom. The Obama administration's legal war against the Little Sisters of the Poor may have failed, for now, but the intention of our political class is clear.

As we celebrate Memorial Day this weekend we rightly give thanks for the sacrifices of those who gave all to defend our country and our freedoms. Gratitude and humility are the only just responses when one learns of the tremendous sacrifices of our military and their families. A further response demanded of us, however, is courage and perseverance. We owe it to those who died for these freedoms, those who enjoy what remains of them today, and those who will come after us, to fight for them however we can, given our state in life. Let us first, however, pray for wisdom and peace -- the true peace of Our Lord, Jesus Christ -- to be our goals.


BREAKING NEWS: TBN's JAN CROUCH SUFFERS STROKE, FAMILY PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE

by JENNIFER LECLAIRE

Paul and Jan Crouch (TBN)
TBN co-founder Jan Crouch has been hospitalized in Orlando, Florida, after a massive stroke. The TBN family is asking for miracle healing prayers for the 78-year-old Christian media pioneer.

Crouch and her husband, the late Paul Crouch, founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network in 1973. She produced multiple television programs including Praise The Lord, The Glory of America and Say Yes. Paul Crouch passed away in 2013.

According to the TBN website, today TBN and its 26 global networks and affiliates reach every inhabited continent on 80-plus satellites and more than 20,000 television and cable affiliates, as well as via the internet, Charisma News previously reported.


'TALLEST CROSS IN AMERICA' MAJOR VICTORY FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM


By LEAH MARIEANN KLETT
The cross, which stands at least 210 feet over the coastal Texas city, was originally conceived by Pastor Rick Milby of Abundant Life Fellowship. Sagemont Church
In what is being hailed as a victory for freedom of religion across the US, an atheist activist who brought legal action against a Texas church to stop the construction of a 230-foot cross on its property has dropped his case after the church counter-sued the atheist.

Patrick Greene, who sued the Abundant Life Fellowship Church in Corpus Christi, Texas, and its Pastor, Rick Milby, over their plan to construct the tallest cross in the United States, on Wednesday dropped the case and pledged not to file baseless lawsuits over the freedom of exercise of religion, according to apress release from First Liberty, which filed the counter suit on behalf of the church.

"For far too long, atheists have been free to abuse the legal system and attack people of faith without consequence. This victory sends a clear message to anti-religion activists that the law does not allow you to abuse the legal system by repeatedly suing people because you don't like how they exercise their religion. And if you do, there will be legal consequences," Jeremy Dys, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, told The Gospel Herald in an email.

In his lawsuit, the atheist activist claimed that Pastor Milby had violated the state constitution by giving preference to a specific religion, and demanded the court punish the mayor and the council members for attending the groundbreaking.

"The only thing I was hoping to achieve was for a judge to tell the mayor and the two city council (members), you screwed up this time by going there in your official capacity, so don't do it again," Greene, a San Antonio native, was quoted as saying.

However, in the settlement, Greene dropped all claims against Pastor Milby and admitted before the court that his lawsuit was "baseless," "vexatious" and "without merit."

The Triumphant Church: 

Dominion Over All the 
Powers of Darkness
By Kenneth E. Hagin
In turn, Pastor Milby said his congregation is eager to resume construction: "We are overjoyed that we were able to reach a favorable settlement so we can get back to building the cross and pointing people to Jesus."

Dys told The Gospel Herald that suing a church for constructing a cross on its property is simply one of many examples of anti-religious attacks on people of faith throughout the nation.

"In the settlement, Mr. Greene admitted his lawsuit was simply an attempt to intimidate Pastor Milby and promised to never again file such a lawsuit in the future," Dys said. "This is a total and complete victory for Pastor Milby, faith-based organizations and churches across America to show that such lawsuits are often merely empty schemes to intimidate people for exercising their protected civil rights."

When asked if there has been an upswing in such cases of religious freedom in recent years, Dys contended that "hostility to religious expression in America is growing at an alarming rate."

In fact, the 2016 edition of First Liberty's annual study Undeniable: The Survey of Hostility to Religion in America documents over 1,200 attacks on religious freedom, "despite our Founding Fathers' belief that religious liberty is the foundation for all other freedoms," he said.

Dys added, "Between 2011 and 2015, attacks on religious freedom in America tripled. Christians are increasingly targeted in schools, churches, ministries, the military, the government, the workplace, and throughout the public arena."


MANY OUTRAGED OVER OBAMA'S HIROSHIMA'S SPEECH

by BOB ESCHLIMAN

As promised, President Obama didn't apologize to the Japanese for America's use of the atomic bomb to end World War II, but what he did have to say during the first visit to Hiroshima by a sitting U.S. president has many outraged.

"On every continent, the history of civilization is filled with war, whether driven by scarcity of grain or hunger for gold, compelled by nationalist fervor or religious zeal," he said. "Empires have risen and fallen. Peoples have been subjugated and liberated. And at each juncture, innocents have suffered, a countless toll, their names forgotten by time.

"The world war that reached its brutal end in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was fought among the wealthiest and most powerful of nations. Their civilizations had given the world great cities and magnificent art. Their thinkers had advanced ideas of justice and harmony and truth. And yet the war grew out of the same base instinct for domination or conquest that had caused conflicts among the simplest tribes, an old pattern amplified by new capabilities and without new constraints."

He later suggested humanity's "material advancement" and "social innovation" blind us to the "truth": "how our thoughts, our imagination, our language, our toolmaking, our ability to set ourselves apart from nature and bend it to our will ... also give us the capacity for unmatched destruction." Humans "easily learn," he added, how to "justify violence in the name of some higher cause."

U-Turn: Restoring America to 
the Strength of its Roots
By David Barton, George Barna
"Every great religion promises a pathway to love and peace and righteousness, and yet no religion has been spared from believers who have claimed their faith as a license to kill," he said. "Nations arise telling a story that binds people together in sacrifice and cooperation, allowing for remarkable feats. But those same stories have so often been used to oppress and dehumanize those who are different."

Joel B. Pollak, the Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News, wrote afterward that Congress must censure the president over those comments. Comments meant to cast doubt on the "sacrifices and motivations of the Americans who fought the Second World War — on the eve of Memorial Day, no less."

"Obama, a native of Honolulu who grew up near Pearl Harbor, said nothing about the fact that Japan started the war; nothing about the fact that the Japanese were responsible for the slaughter of millions of civilians throughout Asia and the Pacific; nothing about the fact that the Japanese refused to surrender after hundreds of thousands had already been killed in conventional bombing," he wrote. "He described the moral dilemmas of nuclear warfare as if no president, and no American, had considered them before. But he left out the moral case for ending the war, and the hundreds of thousands of deaths avoided because of Hiroshima ... As he has done before, Obama cast a moral equivalence between different civilizations, implying that Americans were just as bad as the Imperial Japanese, or anyone else."

It must be made clear—and only Congress has not only the authority, but the duty, to do so—that "Obama represented no one but himself" at Hiroshima, he added.


SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR SIGNED INTO LAW BAN ON ABORTION PAST 19 WEEKS


By REUTERS
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event for U.S. Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio at Swamp Rabbit Crossfit in Greenville, South Carolina February 18, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Keane
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley on Wednesday signed into law a bill banning most abortions after 19 weeks of pregnancy unless the mother's life is at risk, a spokesperson told Reuters on Wednesday.

The South Carolina legislature passed the bill last week, the 17th U.S. state to approve such a ban.

A signing ceremony will take place on a date to be announced later, said Haley spokesperson Chaney Adams.

The act, proposed last year in South Carolina's Republican-controlled legislature, passed after it was stripped of exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape of incest.

Sixteen other states have passed similar laws as conservatives have chipped away at the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision to legalize abortion. Courts have overturned the bans in three states.

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"I believe that life begins at conception and every step we can take to get back to that point is important," the bill's sponsor, Republican Representative Wendy Nanney, told Reuters. "In my view and many others', it's inhumane to subject that baby to pain at 20 weeks."

Critics have said the name of the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act goes against medical evidence showing that a fetus at 20 weeks cannot feel pain.

"This is a dangerous bill for South Carolina women ..., made even more extreme by removing exceptions for victims of rape and incest," Alyssa Miller, South Carolina director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said in a statement.

The law allows abortions at the 20-week mark if the pregnancy endangers a mother's life. It also includes a second exception if severe fatal abnormalities will mean the fetus would definitely die at full-term birth.

"The reality is that abortion later in pregnancy is extremely rare and often takes place in complex and difficult situations where a woman and her doctor need every medical option available," Miller said.



TEXAS HOLDS FIRM AGAINST OBAMA'S BATHROOM MANDATE

by LISA MARIA GARZA/REUTERS
The Texas governor said the state will sue before applying Obama's bathroom edict. (Reuters)
Texas will file a lawsuit aimed at stopping the Obama administration's guidance to U.S. public schools this month that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice, Republican Governor Greg Abbott said on Wednesday.

"Texas will sue to stop (President Barack) Obama's transgender directive to schools," Abbott said in a Twitter post.

The governor linked to a news article referencing the expected announcement of the legal challenge during a news conference that Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has scheduled for later on Wednesday.

The administration's May 13 announcement upset many conservatives across the country, with Paxton immediately threatening to fight the Obama administration's stance in the latest battleground on the issue of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

The U.S. Education and Justice Departments said in a letter sent to school districts nationwide that while its guidance carried no legal weight, they must not discriminate against students, including based on their gender identity.

The directive suggested that school districts defying the Obama administration's legal interpretation could face lawsuits or loss of federal aid.

A similar legal battle is already underway in North Carolina, which in March became the first U.S. state to require transgender people to use restrooms in public buildings and schools that match the sex on their birth certificate instead of one that matches their gender identity.

The federal government filed suit against North Carolina, stating that the law violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The state filed its own suit against the Obama administration. North Carolina's law also has triggered a backlash from corporations, conventions, tourists and entertainers who oppose it.



VIRAL FACEBOOK VIDEO STAR "CHEWBACCA MASK LADY" SAYS JESUS IS SOURCE OF JOY

By LEAH MARIEANN KLETT
Candace Payne becomes a viral sensation with her Chewbacca Mask Lady Facebook video, May 2016. Photo Credit: Facebook/Candace Payne

Candace Payne, the star of the viral "Chewbacca Mask Lady" Facebook video, has explained the source of her joy and revealed that she hopes to use her celebrity to honor Jesus and bring others closer to God. 

Last week, Payne shot to fame after uploading a Facebook Live video in which she is shown uncontrollably laughing while wearing a Chewbacca mask. The video has been viewed more than 137 million times in the last five days, according to the New York Times.




Since then, she has been interviewed by BBC, NPR and "Good Morning America," done a carpool with talk show host James Corden, and garnered praise from "Star Wars" producer JJ Abrams and Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew.

Despite her unexpected fame, Payne, who is also a worship leader and attends a church in southwest Dallas with her husband and two children, says she's focused on only one thing: bringing glory to God.

This Sunday, she visited the Southwestern Assemblies of God University's Regional Fine Arts event, where she said she was given a platform for a reason.

"When I was 16, I had a vision and dream from the Lord about my future about being used for His glory," she said, The Christian Post reports. "I didn't understand the interpretation of it. I still, to this day, at 37 years old try to figure that dream out. That dream has never left my heart, nor my mind, nor the way that I walk and follow Jesus.

Payne also told the crowd that she hopes to use her platform to help young people overcome their own creative restlessness by being willing to wait on God's perfect timing.

"I know that God has gifted me in many different areas, and sometimes I wake up and feel like I'm a jack of many trades, and a master of none, because I have that creative buzz in me constantly going," she said. "[What] I would tell myself at your age is this: It doesn't matter how talented, how anointed, how gifted, how passionate or how willing you are if you're not fit to do the things that God has called you to do. And that is spiritually fit. The thing that will take you further and further in the Kingdom of God is three things: Diligence. Be diligent in the work of the Lord."

She concluded, "Patience. Have those moments where you stop and wait upon the Lord. Don't rush into ministry or a good opportunity because it looks shiny. Wait for the voice of God to direct you. And then the third thing, it's the biggest thing. If I could get to my 16-year-old self, is have obedience. When He tells you move, move."

In a separate interview with the Christian Examiner, Payne explained that the infectious joy seen in the video stems from her relationship with Jesus Christ.

"As far as the joy aspect, it is much deeper than the Chewbacca mask," Payne said. "It was fun watching it go viral and fun watching people get some joy out of it, too," but at the core of real joy is faith."

"Joy will radiate that faith," Payne said, explaining that while she wore the mask, she radiated faith "from Jesus who promises me I will have a fuller life."

"When people see that they are attracted to Jesus and His fullness and everybody loves that, every loves that," she added.

"If I am going to say anything ... our world that we live in has a dark cloud over us that keeps us feeling like we can't ever experience deep joy daily...It really is about thanking God for every single thing we have. When you have a heart that is grateful, we laugh more," she said.

Paraphrasing, Payne reference John 10:10: "10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and [a]have it abundantly. (NASB)"

People often confuse joy with laughter, Payne said, but when you experience true joy, "you will cry more; feel and hunger for thing passionately (when you have faith in Christ); you will experience joy at a fuller level you will ever think possible."


A GREAT FALLING AWAY IS AFOOT, AND APOSTASY REIGNS SUPREME

by JENNIFER LECLAIRE

If they hate Jesus, they'll hate you—and they certainly hate Jesus. I'm talking about the American Left and its unyielding war on Christianity.

And so is my good friend Matt Barber.

In his fiery new book, Hating Jesus: The American Left's War on Christianity, Barber reveals how secular progressives are waging an unrelenting fight against Christianity in America. Perhaps more importantly, he explains how Christians can fight back.

"Just a few short decades ago, a church-going man who publicly supported the right to life, backed laws protecting marriage and spoke freely of Christ's love for fallen man would be universally recognized as a fine and upstanding citizen," says Barber, an associate dean with Liberty University School of Law and an attorney concentrating on constitutional law. "He would be welcomed anywhere, including at the highest levels of power. But things have changed. In today's America, the 'progressive' left actively endeavors to destroy such a man."

Barber, founder and editor-in-chief at BarbWire.com, expertly addresses how American leftists have co-opted the mountains of society: schools, government, the media, Hollywood and the arts, and many conservative organizations.

With great detail, Barber explains the Modern American leftist war strategy. It starts by vilifying Christians. They then begin scheming, quite often with success, to get Christians terminated from employment and forever marked with a scarlet "C" to inhibit any future prospects for employment.
  
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We've seen this over and over. Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia recently fired Gen. Jerry Boykin for his opposition to President Obama's transgender mandate, only to rehire him days later. The re-hiring is a rare victory. Most have to battle it out in court or in the unsympathetic liberal media. ESPN fired Curt Schilling in April for his stance on transgender bathroom uses. Georgia's Department of Public Health fired Dr. Eric Walsh for the content of his sermons. And the list goes on and on. 

Next, Barber says, the radical left simultaneously attacks the family and works to tear it apart, at once sending a warning shot over the bow of other Christians and pushing them to the fringes of society. The ultimate goal? Conform to their pagan demands or face incarceration.

"What's worse is that progressivism has, like a deadly cancer, fully metastasized into what passes for the church in America," Barber says. "There is a great falling away afoot, and apostasy reigns supreme."

As Barber sees it, the secular left doesn't merely have a disagreement with Christianity. He explains these are not people with whom one may reason, compromise or even disagree; they are dedicated to evil; and they demand nothing less than the abolition of the biblical worldview, and the destruction of Christ's followers right along with it.

"Now is the time to fight back. If you are someone, Christian or not, who refuses to see Christianity wiped out—like it ever could be—and your children indoctrinated into pure evil, then sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option," Barber says. "We live in dire times. But with Christ, it's never too late to turn the tide!"

I agree with Barber. I'm believing for a Great Awakening so great that it gains even the secular left's attention. I'm believing for transforming revival that changes America from the inside out. Sure, there will always be a radical left, but when some of the proponents of a godless nation get radically saved and speak out about their passion for Jesus, the tide will begin to turn.

The devil knows his time is short. Let's keep praying.


RETIRED NATO GENERAL SAYS ALL-OUTWAR "PLAUSIBLE" WITHIN A YEAR

by BOB ESCHLIMAN

The world is on the verge of a conflict that could erupt into World War III, and nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia, according to a retired NATO general.

In fact, that's pretty much the summary of the headline that ran Wednesday evening at the rt.com website. Formerly known as "Russia Today," it is a government-funded international news organization dedicated to providing the Russian "spin" on world news.

It is based on an interview General Sir Richard Shirreff, the former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, gave to BBC Radio 4. The general was promoting his new book, 2017: War With Russia, a fictional account of just how such a war might unfold.

During the interview, Shirreff suggested his story was "entirely possible," due to current world events:

From a perception of weakness from the West, I think we need to judge [Russian President Vladimir Putin] by his deeds not his words. He's invaded Georgia, he's invaded the Crimea, he's invaded Ukraine, he's used force ... and seen he's gotten away with it.

In a period of tension, I think an attack on the Baltic States—and we need to remember this is about the Baltic States' vulnerability—such an attack is entirely plausible ... We need to remember that Lithuania, Estonia, and, indeed, Latvia, have significant ethnic Russian-speaking populations.

I am absolutely certain they are loyal citizens of those countries, but the way that the Kremlin propaganda machine has demonstrated it can manipulate minorities, get under their skin, means that we need to be very careful, and we need to be ready to take the necessary action, and we need to recognize the volatility of those states ...

[If Russia were to act, saying it is "defending" the Baltic States], the chilling fact is, because Russia hardwires ... nuclear capability and thinking into every aspect of their defense capability, this would be nuclear war, which is why I come back to the point that we must ensure that this can never happen.


During the brief interview, Shirreff frequently emphasized "effective deterrence." He said that deterrence, coupled with "conditional dialogue"—Russia must acknowledge international law and the sovereignty of the smaller, former Soviet satellite states at its borders—would got a long way toward averting such a war with Russia:

This means permanently placed forces in and around the Baltic States, because what NATO needs to be able to do is to raise the bar sufficiently high for any aggressor to say, 'It's simply not worth the risk.' I would argue that the bar is not high enough at the moment.

These are NATO countries. They are loyal NATO members. It's NATO's duty and purpose to defend its members. The way to avert potential catastrophe, as I say, is effective deterrence ...

We have to enjoyed peace in Europe for 70 years. We need to continue to enjoy peace, and the way to prevent this, as I say, is effective deterrence.


IS SECULAR MUSIC OK FOR CHRISTIANS?

BY LANDON SCHOTT

Over the last 15 years of youth and young adult ministry, I've been asked countless times, "Is it OK for Christians to listen to secular music?" I've always had the same response. "The battle between the Spirit and the flesh is won by what one you feed the most!"

I've always found it interesting that many Christian young people can't pronounce the names of the books in the Bible, they don't know basic Scripture, yet they have memorized every word of the latest hit song on iTunes.

It has become more and more common for young people to embrace secular music. More concerning than this, recently there has been a wide spread endorsement of this music by Christian leaders. In my book Jezebel: The Witch Is Back, I write about this.

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I am not one of those ministers who calls the latest pop singer the devil, the Antichrist, and so on. For decades, ministers have declared music artists to be evil. They said this about Elvis, Madonna and now artists such as Lady Gaga. In fact, I believe that God loves all these artists and that He sent His Son to die for them.

However, I also believe that out of their rebellion they are used by the enemy (the devil) to sing songs that have devastated the lives of millions of people. To me, the scary thing is that some Christians support and endorse this music. They post on social networks how much they "love their music" and attend their concerts. They do this under the banner of love. They say, "We need to show artists like this the love of God." I agree ... just not to do it at the expense of truth! There are two sides to love: grace and truth. To embrace this kind of worldliness is to abandon wisdom.

Recently I was traveling and ministering at a dynamic youth ministry in the Midwest. The youth pastor asked me whether I noticed Christian leaders posting on social networks about listening to this music and going to these concerts. He made the comment, "It sure is difficult to tell the teenagers in my youth church that it's not a good idea to embrace this music when their favorite preachers on Twitter and Instagram are promoting these artists and posting pictures of themselves at their concerts!"

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Now, not all music that is not Christian is evil.

I think it's important to note that all music that is not Christ-centered is secular. As my friend Pastor Jonathan Miller (@PastorYPJ) puts it, "The Happy Birthday song and the ABC song is secular music."

The real issue is not about Christian music vs. secular music, it's about endorsing profane music. Ezekiel 44:23 says, "They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common (profane) and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean."

The profane is that which resists the things of God. Music that is promoting fornication (sex out of marriage), homosexuality, immorality, using profanity (curse words), chasing greed/money and a worldly lifestyle is all profane. This music has an anti-Christ agenda; it resists the holiness of God and the move of the Spirit of God. How ministers are promoting these celebrities, pop artists and songs is not advancing the kingdom of God.

Ezekiel is instructing all ministers that it's our job to teach believers the difference in honoring God and dishonoring God. This is usually the point where someone blurts out, "We need to show them the love of God!" And I say, "First show God love!" Before I'm concerned about showing a pop star "love" over promoting a song they may not have even written, I'm concerned about honoring God. Am I honoring God by what I'm watching, listening to and promoting? I can't possibly love them, which is the second greatest commandment, unless I obey the greatest commandment first (Matt. 22:37–40)! I would be more mindful of loving the people who follow you on social networks. Love them enough not to promote or encourage them in the lifestyle of sin from which Jesus came to save us.

Someone usually adds about now, "Pop stars need to be ministered to as well!" I agree with that, but you don't disciple celebrities and pop stars over social media. Christian leaders in places of influence can speak into the lives of these individuals behind closed doors without potentially causing younger Christians to stumble in their walk with the Lord. If a pop star or anyone is truly being discipled and has encountered Jesus, then there will be a change in their lives and music. Everyone who encountered Jesus changed for the glory of God! Jesus never embraced unrighteous behavior. He loved the person and told them to "sin no more!"

In our cultural relevancy, we can't lose our conviction of righteousness. We can't lose the thing that separates us from the profane, which is our Christlikeness. I want to encourage pastors to be aware of what your youth pastors are promoting. Be aware of who is influencing them. Make sure you are taking time to continue to mentor your young leaders. I want to encourage young leaders to be so very aware of your sphere of influence. We are warned that death is a better result than causing a young one to stumble (Matt. 18:6). I want to encourage young people; the battle between the flesh and spirit is won by which one you feed the most!


IS HILLARY CLINTON FACING A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OR NOT?

by BOB ESCHLIMAN
The FBI may be forced to concede Hillary Clinton is the focus of a criminal investigation, or release thousands of documents in its possession due to a lawsuit filed by a journalist. (Reuters photo)
For months, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been unwilling to say whether or not its investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton—now the front-runner for the Democratic Party presidential nomination—is criminal in nature.

Now it may have no choice.

According to Chuck Ross of the Daily Caller, lawyers representing Vice News reporter Jason Leopold are seeking records related to Clinton's private email server currently that are currently in FBI custody. Lawyers for the government, however, say those records must remain secret because they may be part of a "law enforcement proceeding."

If that is true, it would indicate the FBI's investigation of Clinton is criminal in nature. The presidential candidate and her surrogates have instead characterized it as a "security review," which recently drew a stern rebuke from FBI Director James Comey.

Ross' article for The DC describes the tight spot the FBI now finds itself in:
In March, the Justice Department submitted a classified document in federal court calling for summary judgement of Leopold's case. Leopold, who also filed the lawsuit that led to the release of Clinton's State Department emails last year, sought correspondence between the FBI and the State Department and Clinton team regarding the email server. He also sought any emails that Clinton may have deleted but which were recovered by the FBI.
But Leopold's lawyers, Ryan James and Jeffrey Light, argued in court papers filed Monday that the FBI has not provided enough evidence to justify the withholding.
They argue that in order to shield documents from production under the Freedom of Information Act, federal agencies "should be able to identify a particular individual or a particular incident as the object of its investigation and the connection between that individual or incident and a possible security risk or violation of federal law."
If the government is forced to concede its investigation of Clinton is criminal, it's unclear how that might impact the current state of the presidential race. If the government notifies the court the investigation isn't criminal, it will have to comply with the FOIA request, and the trove of new information about the Clinton email server could have its own uncertain impact on the race.

Either way, it's not good news for Clinton or her campaign.


SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE PASSED LATE TERM ABORTION BAN



The South Carolina legislature passed a bill Tuesday that prohibits abortions after 19 weeks. Sixteen states have enacted similar late-term abortion bans.

Under the measure, any doctor who performs an abortion after 19 weeks of pregnancy will face up to three years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.

Rep. Wendy Nanney, who sponsored the bill, hopes it will be the start of efforts to ban abortion in the state.

"I firmly believe life begins at conception and anything we can do to protect human life I'm all for," she said.

The bill passed by a vote of 79-29 in the state House and by 36-9 in the Senate.

It has exceptions if the mother's life is in jeopardy or if the baby will not survive outside the womb. It does not provide exceptions for rape.

The legislation will now head to Gov. Nikki Haley's desk, who said she will almost certainly sign the bill into law after careful review.


A NEW CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES #FLUSHTARGET: TRUCK TO VISIT TARGET STORES IN MN

by Lisa Bourne

A new campaign to encourage shoppers to ditch Target over their new “transgender” bathroom literally took to the streets today in Minnesota.

A #FlushTarget truck, bearing an image of a little girl being surprised by a man in the women’s bathroom, and the text “What about her rights to privacy and protection?” will be visting every single Target store in Target's home state over the next few weeks.

There are also plans to bring the truck to other states, if the necessary funds can be raised. (NOTE: To donate to bring the #FlushTarget truck to additional states, clickhere.)



 The #FlushTarget campaign is being organized by LifeSiteNews. It kicked off this morning with a press conference in the Minnesota state capitol. A website for the campaign, FlushTarget.com, was launched simultaneously. The website contains specifics on how people can send the message to the Twin Cities’ based retailer that the new policy puts its customers at risk.

“Everyone has the right to use the bathroom safely and in privacy without fear of being raped or assaulted,” said Claire Chretien, national spokeswoman for LifeSiteNews#FlushTarget campaign. “Unfortunately, Target, one of America’s largest retail chains, has decided to let any man access women’s bathrooms in their stores.”

Under Target’s new policy, announced April 19, any man at any time and for any reason can decide to use the women’s bathrooms or fitting rooms in its stores, based upon their subjective “gender identity.” “In our stores, we demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways,” the retailer said in announcing the policy change.

However, despite a boycott with more than one million signatures and plummeting stock prices in its wake, and family leaders voicing privacy and safety concerns, Target has continued to double-down on its commitment to so-called “inclusion.”

“We are not boycotting Target out of fear of the LGBT community,” Chretien stated. “Target can accommodate men that dress as women in a way that doesn’t put women and our young children at risk. Instead of seeking solutions that are safe for both transgender people and women and children, Target has embraced an approach that emboldens predators, threatens women’s safety, and undermines any basic sense of decency.”

LifeSite was joined by the Child Protection League at the press conference. “Target’s policy puts women and children at risk,” the group’s Board Chairman, Julie Quist, said.

“Sexual assault is a crime of opportunity,” she added. “Target has created the opportunity with its new policy.”

LifeSite’s “Flush Target” campaign is also sending a billboard truck to each of Target’s stores in the company’s home state. Duluth had the first visit today, followed by Virginia, Grand Rapids and Bemidji.

Tomorrow’s visits include Brainerd, Moorhead, Fergus, Alex, St. Cloud and St. Cloud East, followed by Monticello.


U.S. SUPREME COURT THREW OUT RULINGS THAT FORCED CHRISTIAN EMPLOYERS TO COMPLY WITH OBAMACARE

By REUTERS

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday threw out lower-court rulings that had required Christian employers to comply with a mandate in President Barack Obama's healthcare law to provide female workers insurance covering birth control, but ducked a major ruling on the merits of the case.

The court's unanimous action represented at least a short-term victory for the nonprofit employers, primarily Roman Catholic organizations, because it tossed out rulings in seven different cases that had endorsed the contraception mandate. The decision forces the lower courts to reconsider the dispute.

"The court expresses no view on the merits of the cases. In particular, the court does not decide whether petitioners' religious exercise has been substantially burdened," the unsigned ruling stated.

In a separate order, the court also sent six other cases on the same issue back to lower courts.

The compromise decision indicated that the court, which is evenly divided with four conservative justices and four liberals following the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia in February, wanted to avoid a 4-4 split in the case. Such a decision would have affirmed the lower-court rulings that favored the administration but would not have provided a decision to be applied nationwide.

Mark Rienzi, a lawyer for the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of Roman Catholic nuns that filed suit against the Obama administration, said he was "very encouraged by the court's decision, which is an important win for the Little Sisters."

The justices in previous decisions since 2012 had fended off other major conservative challenges to the Obamacare law, considered President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement.

The dispute before the justices involved seven consolidated cases focusing on whether nonprofit entities that oppose the contraception mandate on religious grounds can object under a 1993 U.S. law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to a compromise measure offered by the government.

The justices declined to decide whether the accommodation crafted by the Obama administration in 2013 to ensure that the employees receive contraception coverage violates their employer's religious rights.

The decision was announced by Chief Justice John Roberts. The court said it was opting against ruling on the merits in part because of "the gravity of the dispute and the substantial clarification and refinement in the positions of the parties" in recent weeks.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, wrote a concurring opinion stressing the narrow nature of the decision. Lower courts should not view the ruling "as signals of where this court stands," she wrote.

After the oral argument in the case on March 23, it appeared the court could split 4-4, with liberals backing the government and conservatives supporting the challengers.

In an unusual move six days after the oral argument, the court asked both sides to file additional briefs outlining possible compromises, indicating the justices were motivated to avoid a deadlock.

"We are disappointed that the court did not resolve once and for all whether the religious beliefs of religiously affiliated non-profit employers can block women's seamless access to birth control," said Gretchen Borchelt, vice president for reproductive rights and health at the National Women's Law Center.


NEW YORK IGNORES MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO'S BOYCOTT OF CHICK-FIL-A

By Leah Marieann Klett
A Chick-fil-A location in New York City. Photo: John Roca/New York Post
Despite Mayo Bill de Blasio's call to New Yorkers to boycott Chick-fil-A restaurants over its opposition to same-sex marriage, the fast-food chain's two Manhattan locations have experienced tremendous success, with lines often stretching around the block.

As earlier reported, after the Christian-owned restaurant announced it was set to open a location at the Queens Center Mall, openly gay Councilman Danny Dromm, who represents the jurisdiction where the restaurant will be situated, called for an all-out boycott of the fast-food joint.

"I am deeply disturbed that Chick-fil-A continues to give 25 percent of their charitable contributions to anti-LGBT organizations, including over $1 million to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes," stated Dromm. "I hope that the Queens Center mall will reconsider giving a company so deeply involved in anti-gay discrimination a lease on their property. Believers in equality should boycott these purveyors of hate."

Mayor de Blasio also jumped on the bandwagon, urging citizens to refrain from eating at the Southern restaurant. "I'm certainly not going to patronize them and I wouldn't urge any other New Yorker to patronize them," the mayor told DNAInfo.com.

However, the New York Post reports that New Yorkers have all but ignored pleas of city officials; in fact, Chick-fil-A, known for being closed on Sunday to allow operators to attend church and spend time with their families, has been so successful in the city that it plans to open 12 new locations over the next year.

The Post notes that Chick-fil-A is also beating out rival fast-food chains McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and Subway, with average sales per store of $3.15 million a year.

While de Blasio's call to avoid the restaurant was clearly ineffective, Chick-fil-A nevertheless issued a statement in response: "The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect - regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We are a restaurant company comprised of 80,000 individuals who represent different backgrounds and beliefs, and we are all focused on offering great food, service and hospitality."

The comments to which de Blasio referred were made by Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy in 2012, when he affirmed the company's stance in support of traditional marriage. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles," he said, according to Forbes.

He later added, "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that."

At the time, many in the LGBT community called for a boycott of the fast-food chain, and civic leaders in Chicago and Boston said they would not welcome Chick-fil-A to their cities.

A Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day movement created in response to the boycott brought the company "record-setting" sales, bringing in 29.9 percent more sales and 367 more customers than on a typical day.

PRAYERS ANSWERED BAPTIST PASTOR SAVES KIDNAPPED GIRL

BY JESSILYN JUSTICE


A Baptist pastor aided in saving the life of a kidnapped girl this week, according to several reports.

Pastor Stewart Franklin and farmer Donnie Lawson found kidnapped Carlie Trent in a rural area in Knoxville that could only be reached by four-wheeler or on foot.

"As part of the Child Abduction Response Protocol, strategies were put in place to aid in bringing Carlie home. One of those techniques is to ask the public to check their property, barns, outbuildings and four-wheel trails. Two conscientious Hawkins County residents did just that. Stewart Franklin and Donnie Lawson found Gary Simpson and Carlie Trent deep into their property along trails only accessible by four-wheel drive. Mr. Franklin held Gary Simpson at gunpoint while Mr. Lawson called 911 and rescued Carlie. We are sure that the family of Carlie Trent sends its heart-felt thanks for their actions today," The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation posted to Facebook.

The pastor says finding the girl was an answer to prayer.

"Prayers do work and the girl is safe now," he told the New York Daily News. "If there is hope in every situation like this when looking for missing people, every person in the community needs to do their part in looking and helping search buildings and places for missing folks."


TEXAS LT. GOVERNOR DAN PATRICK VOWS TO FIGHT OBAMA'S TRANSGENDER BATHROOM POLICY

By Leah Marieann Klett
A sign protesting a recent North Carolina law restricting transgender bathroom access adorns the bathroom stalls at the 21C Museum Hotel in Durham, North Carolina May 3, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has slammed a new guidance issued by President Barack Obama stating that every U.S. public school district should allow transgender students to use the bathrooms that match their gender identity.

Speaking outside the Texas Republican Convention, underway in downtown Dallas, Patrick said the unisex bathrooms decree "...will be the end of public education if this prevails. People will pull their kids out. Home schooling will explode. Private schools will increase. School choice will pass."

The New York Times reports that on Friday, the Obama administration sent a letter to every public school district in America warning them they should allow transgender students to use bathrooms consistent with their chosen gender identity, or risk losing federal funding.

Calling the transgender student accommodation the "biggest issue" since prayer was taken out of school, Patrick compared Obama to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, according to an account in the Gospel of Matthew 26:15 in the New Testament.

"[Obama] says he is going to withhold funding if schools do not follow the policy. Well, in Texas he can keep his 30 pieces of silver. We will not yield to blackmail from the president of the United States," Patrick said.

Under the new guidance, a student simply has to do to declare himself as a gender different than his biological sex, and have a parent or guardian call and notify his or her school district that the student's identity "differs from previous representations or records."

No medical diagnosis or documents are needed to prove a transgender identity. Additionally, the directive states that offering a single-use bathroom for transgender individuals is also discriminatory.

"There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex," U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement accompanying the order.

While the guidance does not impose any new legal requirements, Education Secretary John King said in a statement that the guidance is meant to outline the expectations of school districts that receive money from the federal government in upholding Title IX of the Civil Rights Act.

NPR notes that the Obama administration has acknowledged this guidance is "new terrain" for some people and claimed it simply wants to help school districts avoid "running afoul of civil rights laws."

Speaking on Friday, Patrick argued that opposition to the guidelines "has nothing to do with anyone being against a transgender child or a gay child. This has everything to do with keeping the federal government out of local issues."

Patrick added, "I'm telling all the superintendents of Texas, you have about three weeks left in the school year, do not enact this policy."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also indicated that his state will fight the Obama administration's order.

"Obama is turning bathrooms into courtroom issues," Abbott told delegates at Texas' GOP Convention in Dallas on Thursday. "I want you to know, I am working with the governor of North Carolina, and we are going to fight back."

Currently, the Justice Department is embroiled in a legal battle with the state of North Carolina after the agency demanded the state not enforce its recently passed law requiring everyone to use state-run bathrooms consistent with the sex on their birth certificate.

Obama condemned the law last month, saying it was partly the result of politics and "emotions" that people had on the issue.

"When it comes to respecting the equal rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation, whether they're transgender or gay or lesbian, although I respect their different viewpoints, I think it's very important for us not to send signals that anybody is treated differently," the president said at a news conference in London.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has argued that the state law is a "commonsense privacy policy" and that the Justice Department's position is "baseless and blatant overreach." His administration also filed a lawsuit Monday against the federal government.

OBAMA DECLARES WAR ON PARENTS WHO OPPOSE SEXUAL PERVERSION

by TODD STARNES
The Obama administration declared on May 9th that forcing people to use bathroom facilities based on their God-given plumbing was state-sponsored discrimination. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
The Obama administration declared on May 9th that forcing people to use bathroom facilities based on their God-given plumbing was state-sponsored discrimination.

Four days later they dropped an even bigger cultural bombshell.

The president issued a directive requiring every public school in the nation to accommodate transgender students — under Title IX guidelines.

Boys who identify as girls and vice versa must be allowed to use the bathrooms and locker rooms and shower stalls of their choosing. They must also be allowed to play on the sports teams of their choosing.

School districts that dare defy the administration's directives could face lawsuits and lose millions of dollars in federal funding. Resistance, in other words, is futile.

"There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.

I warned you in my book, "God Less America" that the fight over transgenderism would be the next battleground. And here we are — a nation where boys who identify as girls have more rights than girls who were born biological girls.

"It's an outrageous attack on our Creator Himself, upon human sexuality and morality and a further advancement of the flagrant attack on religious freedom in our culture," Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd told me.

The leader of the nation's largest Protestant denomination said the president's decree is an extreme overreach by the federal government and he called on Christians to speak out.

"Sooner or later we have to determine that enough is enough," he said. "It's not going to change until Christians get involved in this battle."

Donald Trump was asked to weigh in on Fox & Friends — should boys use the boy's room?

"Right now I just don't have an opinion," he told the morning show hosts. "I would like the states to make that decision."

You don't have an opinion? How about some moral clarity, Mr. Trump? How about standing up for the privacy and safety of women and children?

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to fight the Obama administration's decree, telling a gathering of Republicans, "Obama is turning bathrooms into courtroom issues."

"Our country is in crisis and Texas must lead the way forward," he said.

Abbott said he is working alongside the embattled governor of North Carolina "and we are going to fight back."

One of the most forceful rebukes came from Tennessee Congresswoman Diane Black.

"I believe the Obama administration is now directly responsible for endangering our students," she said. "It is worth nothing that this directive does not carry the force of law — and I would encourage Tennessee school officials to continue following their consciences."

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins told me Congress must intervene to stop what he called an imperial president.

"If the president chooses to go forward with this outrageous order — then Congress should begin impeachment proceedings," he said.

Perkins said the decree should be "resisted with ever legal and moral instrument we have available to us in this country."

"Every parent, every school board in America should absolutely refuse to sacrifice the safety of their children for the threat of taking away nine federal pennies that make up every educational dollar," he said.

Resist! That's the message from Penny Young Nance, president of Concerned Women for America.

"The left always uses children to accomplish its goals of social reengineering," she said. "The adults closest to these children should decide what's best for all the children in the school. Safety and kindness should be the guiding principles, not threats from the bullies in Washington."

The time has come for all Americans to stand up and defy this president's immoral agenda. If losing federal funding is the price we must pay to protect women and children – then so be it.

We will not betray what we know to be true for the government's 30 pieces of silver.

The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned us about a time such as this. Not to speak is to speak, he once said. Not to act is to act.

Far too long American pulpits have remained silent on controversial cultural issues. Preachers don't want to rock the boat. Parishioners don't want to cause trouble. Far too long society has turned a blind eye as President Obama fundamentally transformed our nation.

But now the country stands at the edge of a great moral abyss. And we must ask ourselves — do we defy the president and save the nation or do we keep the peace and sacrifice our children?