Born Again Christians Continue Declining, Only Minority Believe They Must Share the Gospel: Survey

Born Again Christians Continue Declining, Only Minority Believe They Must Share the Gospel: Survey

(Worthy News) – The percentage of born again Christians in America continues declining, a major religious survey has found. And only a minority of the faithful believe they have a strong personal responsibility to share the Gospel.

“Christianity in America is going through a time of substantial challenge. The Church at-large is not likely to grow in the future unless some fundamental changes in practice are made,” said researcher George Barna, speaking about the American Culture & Faith Institute survey results released Tuesday.

“Fewer churches emphasize and equip people for evangelism these days, and the results are obvious and undeniable. The implications of ignoring gospel outreach — especially among children, who are the most receptive audience to the gospel — are enormous. All the ‘church growth’ strategies in the world cannot compensate for the absence of an authentic transmission of the good news of what Jesus Christ has done for humanity.” [ Source: Christian Post (Read More…) ]

Justice Department Releases Over 25 Pages of FBI Clinton-Lynch Tarmac Meeting Previously Withheld

Justice Department Releases Over 25 Pages of FBI Clinton-Lynch Tarmac Meeting Previously Withheld

(Worthy News) – Judicial Watch today released 29 pages of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents related to the June 27, 2016, tarmac meeting between former Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former President Bill Clinton. The documents show that FBI officials were more concerned about leaks than the actual meeting itself. The new documents also show that then-FBI Director Comey seemed to learn of the meeting from news reports.

The new documents were obtained by Judicial Watch in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:16-cv-02046)) filed after the Justice Department failed to comply with a July 7, 2016, FOIA request seeking:

All FD-302 forms prepared pursuant to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server during her tenure.

All records of communications between any agent, employee, or representative of the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding, concerning, or related to the aforementioned investigation. This request includes, but is not limited to, any related communications with any official, employee, or representative of the Department of Justice, the Executive Office of the President, the Democratic National Committee, and/or the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton.

All records related to the meeting between Attorney General Lynch and former President Bill Clinton on June 27, 2016.

The new FBI documents show FBI officials were concerned about a leak that Bill Clinton delayed his aircraft taking off in order to “maneuver” a meeting with the attorney general. The resulting story in the Observer is seemingly confirmed and causes a flurry of emails about the source of the article. FBI official(s) write “we need to find that guy” and that the Phoenix FBI office was contacted “in an attempt to stem any further damage.” Another FBI official, working on AG Lynch’s security detail, suggests instituting non-disclosure agreements. The names of the emails authors are redacted. There are no documents showing concern about the meeting itself.

The FBI originally informed Judicial Watch they could not locate any records related to the tarmac meeting.  However, in a related FOIA lawsuit, the Justice Department located emails in which Justice Department officials communicated with the FBI and wrote that they had communicated with the FBI.  As a result, by letter dated August 10, 2017, from the FBI stated, “Upon further review, we subsequently determined potentially responsive documents may exist. As a result, your [FOIA] request has been reopened…”

On June 27, 2016, Attorney General Loretta Lynch met with former President Bill Clinton on board a parked plane at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. The meeting occurred during the then-ongoing investigation of Mrs. Clinton’s email server, and only a few days before she was interviewed the Justice Department and FBI. (Judicial Watch filed a request on June 30 that the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigate that meeting.)

The tarmac meeting also came just days before former FBI Director James Comey held the July 5, 2016, press conference in which he announced that no charges would be filed against Mrs. Clinton. In his subsequent, May 3, 2017, testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey said the Lynch-Clinton tarmac meeting was the “capper” among “a number of things” that had caused him to determine that Department of Justice leadership “could not credibly complete the investigation and decline prosecution without grievous damage to the American people’s confidence in the justice system.”

“These new FBI documents show the FBI was more concerned about a whistleblower who told the truth about the infamous Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting than the scandalous meeting itself,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The documents show the FBI worked to make sure no more details of the meeting would be revealed to the American people. No wonder the FBI didn’t turn these documents over until Judicial Watch caught the agency red-handed hiding them. These new documents confirm the urgent need to reopen the Clinton email scandal and criminally investigate the resulting Obama FBI/DOJ sham investigation.” [ Source: Judicial Watch ]

Syria accuses Israel of strike on army base reportedly used by Iranians near Damascus

Syria accuses Israel of strike on army base reportedly used by Iranians near Damascus

(Worthy News) – The Israeli Air Force struck a military base near Damascus, Syrian state media reported Saturday. The site is believed to have been earmarked for use by Iranian forces in Syria and local militias loyal to them.

The report has not been corroborated by any Israeli source and an IDF official said the military does not comment on reports in Arab media.

The Syrian Arab News Agency said Syrian air defense had intercepted two of the Israeli missiles fired at a military base near the city of al-Kiswa, some 13 kilometers (8 miles) south of Damascus and 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Israeli-Syrian border. [ Source: Israel Hayom (Read More…) ]

Arab League warns Trump against recognizing Jerusalem as Israeli capital

Arab League warns Trump against recognizing Jerusalem as Israeli capital

(Worthy News) – The Arab League chief said on Sunday a decision by US President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would boost fanaticism and violence, and not serve the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East peace envoy Jared Kushner told the Saban Forum on Sunday the president is close to a decision on whether to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“It is unfortunate that some are insisting on carrying out this step without any regard to the dangers it carries to the stability of the Middle East and the whole world,” Ahmed Abul Gheit, head of the Arab League, told reporters in Cairo on Sunday. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

Trump reignites feud with FBI after Flynn’s guilty plea in Russia probe

Trump reignites feud with FBI after Flynn’s guilty plea in Russia probe

(Worthy News) – President Trump is renewing his feud with former FBI Director James B. Comey as House Republicans consider holding his successor, Christopher Wray, in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over records related to the Russia probe that secured its first high-profile conviction Friday.

Rep. Devin Nunes, California Republican and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said the FBI and Department of Justice have for months “stonewalled” requests from his panel for documents pertaining to the salacious Trump dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele.

Mr. Nunes issued an angry demand over the weekend and promised to take action. If the agencies do not meet all the House committee’s requests by close of business Monday, he said, he will promptly file a contempt resolution against Mr. Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

Flynn pleads guilty to lying to FBI, vows to cooperate in Mueller’s Russia probe

Flynn pleads guilty to lying to FBI, vows to cooperate in Mueller’s Russia probe

(Worthy News) – Former White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to making false statements to FBI agents, admitting that he lied to investigators when he said he didn’t ask Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. to limit Moscow’s reaction to U.S. sanctions during the presidential transition.

The charge was brought as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible coordination with members of the Trump campaign, and it brings Mr. Mueller’s probe for the first time into the president’s inner circle.

Mr. Flynn, a lieutenant general in the Army, was the president’s top national security aide for a month until he resigned in February for having misled Vice President Mike Pence about the extent of his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

Republicans push for final version of tax cut bill to meet year-end goal

Republicans push for final version of tax cut bill to meet year-end goal

(Worthy News) – Congressional Republicans say they are pressing forward after the Senate passed its $1.4 trillion tax cut bill late last week and that its differences with the House version shouldn’t create major roadblocks in the process as they look to send a bill to President Trump’s desk before year’s end.

The House adjusted its schedule this week so members can vote Monday to formally take the issue to a bicameral conference committee, where a small group of members will hammer out differences between the two versions and produce a final product that can pass in both chambers.

“We’ll be able to get to an agreement in the conference — I’m very optimistic about it,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “We think this will make a big difference in getting our economy moving again and providing jobs and opportunity for the American people.” [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

Pentagon evaluating U.S. West Coast missile defense sites

Pentagon evaluating U.S. West Coast missile defense sites

(Worthy News) – The U.S. agency tasked with protecting the country from missile attacks is scouting the West Coast for places to deploy new anti-missile defenses, two Congressmen said on Saturday, as North Korea’s missile tests raise concerns about how the United States would defend itself from an attack.

The accelerated pace of North Korea’s ballistic missile testing program in 2017 and the likelihood the North Korean military could hit the U.S. mainland with a nuclear payload in the next few years has raised the pressure on the United States government to build-up missile defenses.

Congressman Mike Rogers, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee and chairs the Strategic Forces Subcommittee which oversees missile defense, said the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), was aiming to install extra defenses at West Coast sites. The funding for the system does not appear in the 2018 defense budget plan indicating potential deployment is further off.[ Source: Reuters (Read More…) ]

Mueller Removed Top FBI Agent in Russia Probe Over Possible Anti-Trump Texts

Mueller Removed Top FBI Agent in Russia Probe Over Possible Anti-Trump Texts

(Worthy News) – Special counsel Robert Mueller this summer removed a top FBI agent from the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election after the Justice Department’s inspector general began investigating whether the agent sent text messages critical of President Donald Trump, according to a new report.

Peter Strzok, the agent in question, was reassigned from Mueller’s investigation to the FBI’s human resources department, where he has been stationed since, the New York Times reported Saturday.

The Times noted that Strzok is an experienced FBI counterintelligence investigator who had previously helped lead the probe into Hillary Clinton’s private email server. [ Source: Washington Free Beacon (Read More…) ]

Netanyahu at Saban Forum: Iran, Like Nazi Germany, Has ‘Ruthless Commitment to Murdering Jews’

Netanyahu at Saban Forum: Iran, Like Nazi Germany, Has ‘Ruthless Commitment to Murdering Jews’

(Worthy News) – Prime Minister Benjaminm Netanyahu raised concerns over the threat posed against Israel by Iran while addressing the Saban Forum taking place in Washington, D.C. via satellite from his office in Jerusalem.

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Iran has “ruthless commitment to terror” and “ruthless commitment to kill Jews,” much like Nazi Germany during World War II, the premier stressed while addressing the forum. 

As the prime minister of Israel, Netanyahu said he did not “have the luxury of discounting” threats to destroy the Jewish people, and for this reason he continues to speak about Iran. [ Source: Ha’aretz (Read More…) ]