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Megachurch Pastor Preaching In Congress: God ‘Has Rendered His Opinion’ On Gay Marriage

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A highly-controversial Texas megachurch pastor was among the many faith leaders, Congressmen, and Senators who assembled for a three hour Christian prayer event inside the nation’s Capitol Building last night. Pastor Robert Jeffress preached to his fellow Christians inside Statuary Hall — located in the rotunda, the top of the same building Congress meets to lead the nation and debate policy and law. Jeffress loudly ordained that there can never be any debate on same-sex marriage, because, he said, God has already spoken against it.

“In this Capitol building,” Jeffress sermonized, “issues such as immigration policy, healthcare reform, taxation policy — all those things can and should be debated vigorously.”

This was the third annual “Washington — A Man of Prayer” prayer event inside Statuary Hall, organized by the most radical and extreme members of Congress and their friends in the faith community, and sponsored by the right wing extremist Tea Party birther conspiracy site World Net Daily (WND).

The pastor who came up with the idea of the event even bragged that it is “a Christian led prayer event!

“But Ladies and Gentlemen,” Pastor Jeffress continued, “there are some issues that are beyond debate, for the judge of the universe has already rendered His opinion. Issues such as the value of life, inside and outside the womb. The sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. The right to religious freedom for every human being. The compassionate treatment of the poor.”

(Lawmakers were silent on that last one.)

“About these issues there should be no debate, for as the Scriptures state, thy word oh God is established forever, in heaven.”

Pastor Jeffress is widely acknowledged to be anti-gay, anti-Islam, anti-Mormon, and anti-Catholic. The religious right’s favorite football player, Tim Tebow, was scheduled to speak at Jeffress’ megachurch last year, but pulled out, citing “new information” about Jeffress.

And just two days before the 2012 election, Jeffress said, “I am not saying that President Obama is the Antichrist, I am not saying that at all. One reason I know he’s not the Antichrist is the Antichrist is going to have much higher poll numbers when he comes. President Obama is not the Antichrist. But what I am saying is this: the course he is choosing to lead our nation is paving the way for the future reign of the Antichrist.” 

In November of 2008, Jeffress delivered a sermon titled, “Gay Is Not O.K.”  

That same year, the Dallas Observer reported that Jeffress “said Mormon Mitt Romney was a member of a ‘cult’ and who, in September, said that ‘Christians are uniquely favored by God, [while] Mormons, Hindus and Muslims worship a false god.’ And in the 1990s, he said that homosexuality causes ‘the deaths of tens of thousands every year through AIDS.’ He’s super-tolerant. Then again, Jeffress has done quite a bit for the gay community: In 1998, while he was pastor at the First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, he protested the library’s carrying such titles as Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy’s Roommate, which only served to make them more popular.” 

Jeffress is the author of almost two dozen books. His latest is Perfect Ending: Why Your Eternal Future Matters Today. 

Among those in attendance last night in addition to Jeffress were Rep. Michele Bachmann, Rep. Louie Gohmert, Senator Ted Cruz, Tony Perkins, Mike Huckabee, Phyllis Schlafly, Penny Nance, and Pastors Harry Jackson, Raphael Cruz and Jim Garlow. 

You can watch the entire event here, or Pastor Jeffress’ sermon below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de7QMIch7D4

Hat tip: The Raw Story

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News

‘Start the Kevin McCarthy Death-Clock’ After Biden Wins Debt Ceiling Battle: Rick Wilson

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Appearing late Saturday night on MSNBC after it was announced that President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had reached an agreement “in principle’ on a budget deal, former GOP strategist Rick Wilson claimed this could be the beginning of the end for McCathy’s speakership.

Sitting in on a panel with guest host Michael Steele, Wilson suggested that McCarthy’s decision to compromise with the president to avoid a default that would spin the economy into chaos will not go over well with far-right members of his House caucus who could make a motion to “vacate the chair” to express their displeasure.

Asked by host Steel about what comes next, Wilson stated it was a win for the White House which will not make conservatives happy.

RELATED: ‘Crazy cuckoo MAGA people’ could sink debt ceiling deal: Dem strategist

“Great night for Joe Biden, great night for the White House even though I think their messaging has been kind of tentative the past few weeks” the Lincoln Project founder began. “I think though we are now going to start the Kevin McCarthy death-clock. He has certainly got a very angry part of his caucus tonight who probably burning up his phone no matter how good it is for the country not to default.”

“It’s not going to please the chaos caucus in the GOP,” he added.

Watch below or at the link:

 

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News

Debt Ceiling: McCarthy Faces ‘Lingering Anger’ and a Possible Revolt as Far-Right House Members Start Issuing Threats

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As House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) continues to negotiate a deal to avoid a debt crisis, members of the far-right Freedom Caucus are growing furious with him over broken promises he made to them.

According to MSNBC political analyst Steve Benen, with a slim GOP majority in the House, McCarthy is walking a tightrope to get a budget deal passed and may need help from House Democrats if members of his caucus refuse to go along with him.

As Benen points out, in order to win the speakership McCarthy agreed to an easier path for a motion to “vacate the chair” which could end his tenure as Speaker. That could come into play if the Freedom Caucus stages a revolt.

“… as the negotiations approach an apparent finish line, the House Republicans’ most radical faction is learning that it isn’t likely to get everything its members demanded — and for the Freedom Caucus, that’s not going to work,” he wrote in his MSNBC column.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Trump in danger of heightened espionage charges after bombshell report: legal expert

Citing a Washington Times report that stated, “[Freedom Caucus members] want everything from the debt limit bill passed by the House last month plus several new concessions from the White House,” Benen suggested far-right House Republicans are now issuing veiled threats.

In an interview, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) stated, “I am going to have to go have some blunt conversations with my colleagues and the leadership team. I don’t like the direction they are headed.”

With Politico reporting, “The [House Freedom Caucus] was already unlikely to support a final bipartisan deal, but lingering anger with Kevin McCarthy could have lasting implications on his speakership,” Benen added, “If this is simply a matter of lingering ill-will from members who come to believe that GOP leaders ‘caved,’ the practical consequences might be limited. But let’s also not forget that McCarthy, while begging his own members for their support during his protracted fight for the speaker’s gavel, agreed to tweak the motion-to-vacate-the-chair rules, which at least in theory, would make it easier for angry House Republicans to try to oust McCarthy from his leadership position.”

Adding the caveat that he is not predicting an imminent McCarthy ouster he added, “But if the scope of the Freedom Caucus’ discontent reaches a fever pitch, a hypothetical deal clears thanks to significant Democratic support, don’t be surprised if we all start hearing the phrase ‘vacate the chair” a lot more frequently.”

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BREAKING NEWS

Prosecutors Tell Trump They Have a Recording of Him and a Witness: Report

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Prosecutors in Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial have notified the ex-president’s attorneys they have a recording of him and a witness. The notification comes in the form of an automatic discovery form, CBS News reports, which “describes the nature of the charges against a defendant and a broad overview of the evidence that prosecutors will present at Trump’s preliminary hearing or at trial.”

CBS reports prosecutors have handed the recording over to Trump’s legal team.

It’s not known who the witness is, nor are any details known publicly about what the conversation entails, or even if it is just audio or if it includes video.

READ MORE: ‘Likely to Be Indicted Soon’: Trump Might Face Seven Different Felonies, Government Watchdog Says

According to the article’s author, CBS News’ Graham Kates, via Twitter, prosecutors say they also have recordings between two witnesses, a recording between a witness and a third party, and various recordings saved on a witness’s cell phones.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case related to his allegedly unlawful attempt to hide hush money payoffs to a well-known porn star by falsifying business records to protect his 2016 presidential campaign.

See the discovery form above or at this link.

Image via Shutterstock

 

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