Iran Arrests 9 Christians on Christmas Day for Celebrating Jesus Christ Read

A stranded Iranian Christian migrant holds the Bible as he prays at dawn in front of a fence reinforced by barbed wire and a wooden barricade at the Greek-Macedonian border near to the Greek village of Idomeni, November 30, 2015. About 1,500 migrants mainly from Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Morocco, Algeria, Somalia and other African and Asian countries have been stranded at the Greek-Macedonian border for nearly two weeks.
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"Christian Post  The government of Iran reportedly arrested a group of nine Christians on Christmas Day for celebrating their faith at an in-house church in the city of Shiraz.

"There has been a steady deterioration of human rights abuses in Iran during Hassan Rouhani's tenure as president, including executions and suppression of religious and ethnic minorities," said Shahin Gobadi of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

" 'This is just another case in point. Actually, the clerical regime is one of the top violators of rights of religious minorities, including Christians, in the world. The regime has institutionalized repression of the Iranian people as the main tool of its survival."

"NCRI reported that plain-clothed agents of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security raided the church on Friday, Christmas Day, and confiscated personal items, including satellite dishes, along with arresting the nine Christians." . . .

Christ & Culture; The Christ of the Cinema

White Horse Inn  "In his book on director Martin Scorsese, the late film critic Roger Ebert described the ominous context in which he previewed The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Prior to its release, he was invited to a private screening and watched the film alone. "This was not a perk," he writes. "It was a security measure." Ebert was led to a townhouse where the director was living under a shadow of death threats. The TV evangelists of the time had thundered with denunciation and outrage. One church leader, Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright, offered to cover the costs of the studio investment if he could obtain all the film negatives. He vowed to destroy them.

"The graphic content of the film was understandably upsetting to religious audiences, but the level of reaction that it provoked was astonishing. During the film's release, a French fundamentalist group launched Molotov cocktails inside the Parisian Saint Michel Theater and injured thirteen people. Organized protests and boycotts in the United States caused major theater chains to refuse screenings. Some cities sought wholesale bans, many succeeding. The following year, Blockbuster Video caved to pressure and declined to rent the video in stores. The charge was blasphemy, and Scorsese's film was a tipping point in the "culture wars." It would become a key target in Michael Medved's influential book Hollywood vs. America (1992).

" . . . For many Christians, the box office remains a battle to be fought and won."

Our Weasel Of The Week!

Nice Deb  "Yes, It’s time to present 2015’s last statuette of shame, The Golden Weasel!!

"Every Tuesday, the Council nominates some of the slimiest, most despicable characters in public life for some deed of evil, cowardice or corruption they’ve performed. Then we vote to single out one particular Weasel for special mention, to whom we award the statuette of shame, our special, 100% plastic Golden Weasel. This week’s nominees were particularly slimy and despicable, but the votes are in and we have our winner…the envelope please…

The Washington Post’s Disgusting Cartoonist, Ann Telnaes:

JoshuaPundit: "For a new bottom in political  Weaselness well below the norm, even in an election season. Simply an indecent person.

"I have nothing more to say about this disgraceful, vicious human being I didn’t say above in the link. She is simply a vile human being without decency who richly deserves a Weasel.

"Rep Ipso Loquiter…the thing speaks for itself.

"Happy New Year Everyone."

Samuel L. Jackson's America-Bashing: a Huge Disservice

Jackson

Lloyd Marcus  "Okay, I will say it out loud. Far too many Hollywood celebs are self-aggrandizing idiots when it comes to politics and culture. Their worldview makes them feel superior to the rest us. Neither facts nor common sense will change their minds. Ronald Reagan nailed it when he said, “It isn't so much that liberals are ignorant. It's just that they know so many things that aren't so.”

"Here's a prime example of a liberal making void-of-reality statements while thinking himself superior. Black superstar actor Samuel L. Jackson said he wished the San Bernardino shooters “was another crazy white dude” rather than Muslims. Jackson said such attacks gives people “legitimate reason” to look at their Muslim neighbors and friends the way they look at young black men. 

"Mr. Jackson, I am black. I resent your assumption that Americans are racists looking for reasons to look cross-eyed at Muslims and young black men. Frankly, members of both groups (Muslims and blacks) have declared war on Americans." . . .

HOUSE DEMOCRATS MOVE TO CRIMINALIZE CRITICISM OF ISLAM

Robert Spencer  "December 17, 2015 ought henceforth to be a date which will live in infamy, as that was the day that some of the leading Democrats in the House of Representatives came out in favor of the destruction of the First Amendment. Sponsored by among others, Muslim Congressmen Keith Ellison and Andre Carson, as well as Eleanor Holmes Norton, Loretta Sanchez, Charles Rangel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Joe Kennedy, Al Green, Judy Chu, Debbie Dingell, Niki Tsongas, John Conyers, José Serrano, Hank Johnson, and many others, House Resolution 569 condemns “violence, bigotry, and hateful rhetoric towards Muslims in the United States.” The Resolution has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary"

Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and author of the New York Times bestsellers The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) and The Truth About Muhammad. His latest book is The Complete Infidel’s Guide to ISIS. Follow him on Twitter here. Like him on Facebook here.

These Republicans Authorized Obama Spying to Stop Israel From Attacking Iran Nukes, Stopping Deal

Debbie Schlussel  "Did you know that several top Republican Members of Congress secretly helped Obama push the absurd Iran deal, while they publicly vehemently opposed it? Here’s who they are and what they did.

"As you may know, yesterday’s much hyped, front page Wall Street Journal investigation revealed that the Obama Administration extensively spied on Israel and stepped up the spying for the express purpose of successfully pimping the Iran deal. None of that should have been the big news it has become. 

. . . But while they were pretending to cheerlead Netanyahu and preened for the cameras in on-air denunciations of the Iran deal, they were–behind the scenes–helping Barack Obama not only foil any Netanyahu lobbying against the Iran deal but also any possible Israeli attack on Iran which might destroy the nuclear warheads and silos

. . . The list, as you’ll note, features New York Congressman Peter King, another hypocrite grandstander who loves the cameras as much as Mike Rogers and did as much as Rogers to make us safe: nothing. Like Rogers, he served on the Intelligence Committee for the entire time the Iran deal was being negotiated and pimped. So did Nunes. Here is the rest of the list of Republicans on the committee:

Devin Nunes, CA, Chairman   
Jeff Miller, FL
K. Michael Conaway, TX
Peter T. King, NY
Frank A. LoBiondo, NJ
Lynn A. Westmoreland, GA
Thomas J. Rooney, FL
Joseph J. Heck, NV
Mike Pompeo, KS
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, FL
Michael R. Turner, OH
Brad R. Wenstrup, OH
Chris Stewart, UT

Journalist: Sanders would be ‘a lousy commander in chief’

Matt Vespa  “The religious conservatives are not going to be happy about the fact that he has a son out of wedlock,” Jaffe said in reference to Levi Sanders, the subject of “Bernie Sanders Has a Secret” in Politico Magazine.

"He added that the elder Sanders had avoided the draft during the Vietnam War in a “very suspect” way.

“ 'He was of age,” Jaffe said. “He didn’t dodge the draft, but I think it’s safe to say he avoided the draft. He filed for [conscientious objector status] on religious grounds, but there’s nothing in Judaism that says you can’t fight a war. The Israelites were pretty damn good at fighting.' ” . . .

THE YEAR OF THE LEFTIST LIARS

A turning point for America and for Western civilization?

Thomas Sowell

. . . "It is always hard to know when a turning point has been reached, and usually it is long afterwards before we recognize it. However, if 2015 has been a turning point, it may well have marked a turn in a downward direction for America and for Western civilization.

"This was the year when we essentially let the world know that we were giving up any effort to try to stop Iran — the world's leading sponsor of international terrorism — from getting a nuclear bomb. Surely it does not take much imagination to foresee what lies at the end of that road.

"It will not matter if we have more nuclear bombs than they have, if they are willing to die and we are not. That can determine who surrenders. And ISIS and other terrorists have given us grisly demonstrations of what surrender would mean.

"Putting aside, for the moment, the fateful question whether 2015 is a turning point, what do we see when we look back instead of looking forward? What characterizes the year that is now ending?

"More than anything else, 2015 has been the year of the big lie. There have been lies in other years, and some of them pretty big, but even so 2015 has set new highs — or new lows." . . .

CLINTON TO N.H. NEWSPAPER: BENGHAZI FAMILIES CONFUSED, SHE NEVER BLAMED ATTACK ON VIDEO

The Lid

. . . "Clinton replied that other family members believe differently and stressed she had sympathy for all involved. “I can’t recite for you everything that was in a conversation where people were sobbing, where people were distraught, the president and the vice president, we were all making the rounds talking to people, listening to people,” said Clinton. “I was in a very difficult position because we have not yet said two of the four dead were CIA … This was a part of the fog of war.' ”

. . . 

. . . "And if the information was changing as she claimed, how does that explain the fact that at the same time, Clinton was saying one thing in private and something entirely different in public?

"There is no logical reason to believe that the families were lying, especially when one considers that the President and Susan Rice (the UN ambassador at the time) each claimed publicly the attack was caused by a video. And if she told the families it was the video, why did she tell the Egyptian Prime Minister and her Daughter it was a pre-planned terrorist attack?

"Conway Sun Columnist Tom McLaughlin is correct,  someone is lying, and based on the facts it wasn’t the victim’s families hindered by “the fog of war.“

"Allow me to suggest that if any of her fellow Democrats [would] . . .  research the available information such as the facts above they would have to agree that a liar like Ms. Clinton has forfeited any chance if moving back to the White House." . . .

Dave Barry’s 2015 Holiday Gift Guide

Late, but too good to miss. TD

Miami Herald   "The challenge, in this hectic season, is always to find enough unnecessary things for all the people on our gift list. That’s where this Holiday Gift Guide comes in. We sincerely believe that you will not find a collection of products this useless anywhere else. These are all real products; we did not make them up. You can actually buy them." . . .

. . . " That’s where this Holiday Gift Guide comes in. We sincerely believe that you will not find a collection of products this useless anywhere else. These are all real products; we did not make them up.

"You can actually buy them. We know this because we actually bought them, using the virtually unlimited financial resources of the newspaper industry. We have thoroughly inspected all of these items for up to 15 seconds per item, which is why we are able to offer our Unlimited Holiday Gift Guide Quality Assurance Guarantee, which states, and we quote: If you purchase one of these items, and for any reason you are not 100 percent satisfied with it, simply write the details of your purchase down on a sheet of legal-sized paper and mail it to us, and you have our personal guarantee that within eight working days we will laugh until mucus flows copiously from our nostrils.

"With that legal reassurance, let’s take a look at the items that “made the cut” for this year’s Holiday Gift Guide, starting with:" . . .

"This is a highly realistic decal that goes on a toilet lid and makes it appear as though two large snakes are emerging from the commode bowl."

"Poo-Pourri Before-You-Go Odor-Fighting Toilet Spray, $9.99-$14.99 (price may vary)"  . . . "Poo-Pourri comes in dozens of scents, including (we are not making these scents up) Hush Flush, Doody Free, Toot Fairy, Deja Poo, Crap Shooter, Secret Santa, Heavy Doody and of course Vanilla Mint."

One more example is...is...

"You know those people who stand too close to you? You hate them, right? And yet, because of our outmoded “justice” system, you cannot legally hit them with a hammer.

"But now there’s something you CAN do to make them keep their distance: You can wear a Belly Bump Ball." . . .

Peer-Reviewed Survey Finds Majority Of Scientists Skeptical Of Global Warming Crisis

"People who look behind the self-serving statements by global warming alarmists about an alleged “consensus” have always known that no such alarmist consensus exists among scientists. Now that we have access to hard surveys of scientists themselves, it is becoming clear that not only do many scientists dispute the asserted global warming crisis, but these skeptical scientists may indeed form a scientific consensus."

Forbes

"It is becoming clear that not only do many scientists dispute the asserted global warming crisis, but these skeptical scientists may indeed form a scientific consensus.

"Don’t look now, but maybe a scientific consensus exists concerning global warming after all. Only 36 percent of geoscientists and engineers believe that humans are creating a global warming crisis, according to a survey reported in the peer-reviewed Organization Studies. By contrast, a strong majority of the 1,077 respondents believe that nature is the primary cause of recent global warming and/or that future global warming will not be a very serious problem.

"The survey results show geoscientists (also known as earth scientists) and engineers hold similar views as meteorologists. Two recent surveys of meteorologists (summarized here and here) revealed similar skepticism of alarmist global warming claims." . . .

GLOBAL WARMING IS NOT THE PROBLEM. GLOBAL GOVERNANCE IS.

Obama and his clones have a big year planned for us in 2016

Beginning January 1, police in California may confiscate firearms from gun owners thought to be a danger to themselves or others without giving the owner any notice.

Lame duck on world tour: Obama to fly abroad at least six times to 'secure' his legacy

Marking the end of a hollow president’s feckless record on terrorism
. . . "He was horribly wrong, as we know, but the significant theme here is the chutzpah of a junior senator with no experience or background in military or foreign affairs coolly informing America’s most successful war general that he has erred in his professional assessment. This telling vignette gives us a man who mentally tailors events to suit his theories — a dangerous trait in a leader." . . .

Obama hails his own leadership skills as he enters his last year in office  . . . "Not that we want to spoil the president’s holiday. So much of the great promise that brought him to office has been left unfulfilled. Let’s leave him to his illusions. But let’s  not pretend we believe any of it."