Newsmax Uncritically Promotes Anti-Obama Author's Latest Unsubstantiated Claims
Topic: Newsmax

Newsmax has long had a thing for Ed Klein, promoting his dubious, unsubstantiated claims attacking Hillary Clinton and President Obama despite his history of being repeatedly discredited.

Newsmax keeps the lovefest going in a March 14 article by Todd Beamon touting Klein's (unsubstantiated, of course) claim that the Obama administration is trying to stop Hillary Clinton from running for president in 2016. Beamon gave Klein a pass on the lack of substantiation, choosing instead to boost Klein's media cred by noting that he "Klein, who worked as the editor of The New York Times Magazine from 1977 to 1987 and as an editor for Newsweek" and where his previous Obama-bashing books placed on the New York Times' best-seller list (as if sales equated to crediiblity).

A March 16 Newsmax article by Jason Devaney regurgitated Rush Limbaugh's own regurgitation of Klein's claim that Obama is sabogaging Clinton's presidential campaign, though Klein's name is curiously absent from the article. Devaney doesn't explain why something is newsworthy merely because Limbaugh utters it, which is the tone of his article.

WND Buries Its Financial Interest In 'Blood Moons' Battle
Topic: WorldNetDaily

An unbylined March 18 WorldNetDaily article is a lengthy attack on pastor John Hagee for allegedly stealing credit for discovering the "blood moons" -- a series of four lunar eclipses that right-wing evangelicals are trying to link to prophecies involving Israel. In fact, WND claims, "The discovery, however, was made by pastor Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries of Bonney Lake, Washington, seven years ago – a finding he has discussed in his church, on Christian television, at public conferences ever since and which he describes in detail in his own bestselling book, 'Blood Moons,' and a bestselling movie of the same name."

But who published Blitz's "bestselling" (WND doesn't back up the claim with any evidence) book and made that "bestselling" movie? WND did. That's not disclosed until the 23rd paragraph of the article.

The article quotes WND editor Joseph Farah "giving his opinions" on the situation and trashing Hagee: “If anyone thinks they have the complete blood moons story after reading Hagee’s book or seeing his movie, they are sadly mistaken. Biltz’s book and movie contain far more data from NASA and a much more thorough biblical and prophetic analysis. That’s not sour grapes on my part. That is just the unvarnished truth.”

The article also makes the awkward admission that WND "heavily promoted Hagee’s book" along with its own work from Blitz, but insisted that it did so 'because it would bring attention to the subject matter." AS of this writing, Hagee's book is still for sale at the WND store. WND also concedes that "Hagee briefly served as a weekly WND columnist in 2002."

The financial motivation aside, it's actually a fairly well-written article by WND standards -- it actually gets a quote from Hagee about how he found about the "blood moons." But it somehow doesn't warrant having a byline, while Bob Unruh regularly gets one for his egregiously biased and falsehood-filled stenography. Strange.

UPDATE: A new article states that WND has sent a letter to Hagee demanding that he publicly retract his claim to be the "discoverer" of the "blood moons" idea.

MRC: Netanyahu's Racist Attack On Arabs Is OK Because Arabs Are Anti-Semitic
Topic: Media Research Center

When media outlets highlighted the racist nature of Benjamin Netanyahu's ranting about Arabs voting in the Israeli election in an attempt to boost right-wing turnout that would support him, the Media Research Center took exception.

The MRC seems to know that Netanyahu's remarks are indefensible. So it's taking a diversionary tack by arguing that israeli Arabs are anti-Semitic.

Curtis Houck complained hat CNN's Christiane Amanpour noted criticism within Israel of Netanyahu's Arab attack, then added: "While Amanpour was mounting a full defense of Arab-Israelis, she failed to cite the fact that the Arab parties that combined to form a joint list for the election include members who have some radical and arguably anti-Semitic policies themselves."

Clay Waters follows in those footsteps by dismissing criticism by New York Tiems writers of Netanyahu by asserting "Speaking of racism, official Palestinian Authoritarian descriptions of Jews as apes and pigs was left unremarked upon by the hypocritical Times."

Waters then huffed, "Israel must count itself fortunate indeed that the liberals on the Times editorial page know what's best for a country thousands of miles away and surrounded by enemies who want it wiped off the map."

Meanwhile, Netanyahu must count himself fortunate that American right-wingers like those at the MRC will give him a pass on his racism by making the lame equivocation that his enemies are supposedly even more racist.

The MRC has so little problem with Netanyahu's racism, in fact, that it's running a promotion A March 18 email to its mailing list complains that MSNBC "went out of their way to attack the sitting prime minister" by having on a guest who highlighted the racist attack, as described in an item by Kyle Drennen.The MRC then promoted its anti-NBC petition.

At no point does the MRC deny that Netanyahu's words are racist; they are simply attacking anyone who points that out.

WND's Movie Reviewer: 'Cinderella' Lacks Reminders Of 'God's Truth'
Topic: WorldNetDaily

WorldNetDaily movie reviewer Drew Zahn likes to impose his (and his eemployer's) right-wing Christian agenda on the movies he reviews. His review of the new "Cinderella" movie is no exception. Zahn is a little unhappy that the film doesn't try to clobber young girls over the head with a Christian worldview:

I do have another note of caution, which stems from the fact this is a column not about family-friendly films, but about worldview.

This version of “Cinderella,” for all its commendable virtues, does not flow from a biblical perspective, but offers a moral tale out of a more humanistic persuasion, with a little Disney magic thrown in.

Case in point: At a key point in the set-up, Cinderella’s birth mother asks her, “Who looks after us?”

Now, biblically that answer would be “God,” but Cinderella answers, “Fairy godmothers.”

It’s a minor point, to be sure, but illustrative of the reality that the moral lessons of “Cinderella” are not seasoned with God’s truth.

At another point, Cinderella is told, “This great secret will see you though all perils life has to offer: Have courage and be kind.”

Courage and kindness are virtues, but to these great life questions Cinderella is asked, the answers she’s getting clearly are not coming from the Westminster Catechism.

You might remember that Zahn gave a thumbs-down to the Disney film "Tangled" because it teaches kids how to think for themselves.

'Dancing With The Stars' Is Bigger News At CNS Than GOP Congressman's Resignation Over Corruption
Topic: CNSNews.com

Rep. Aaron Schock was a rising star in Republican circles, and CNSNews.com had no problem promoting him. Last September, for instances, CNS devoted original articles to Schock pontificating about how Christians are "in the majority" in the U.S. and that President Obama does not need congressional authorization to take military action against ISIL. In November, CNS penned an article on Schock attacking Obamacare.

Schock resigned his congressional seat over questions about his lavish spending, but CNS is not terribly interested in reporting it. So much so, in fact, that it does not even consider the event to be front-page news.

A screenshot of the top of CNS' front page taken at around 6:30 p.m. ET on March 17 -- a couple hours after Schock's resignation -- shows that a breaking-news banner was devoted to the Israeli election but no mention of Schock's resignation. There is, however, an article about the new season of "Dancing with the Stars." So, apparently, CNS considers a TV show about dancing celebrities to be more important than a congressman's resignation.

Another screenshot of the front page taken around 10 a.m. ET March 18 shows a breaking-news banner for an attack on a museum in Tunisia -- but, again, no Schock. The "Dancing With the Stars" article has fallen off the list, but this update, like the earlier one, includes the latest rant from dishonest anti-abortion extremist Lila Rose.

CNS subscribes to the Associated Press, and it did publish an AP article on Schock's resignation on March 17 -- it simply did not think the story warranted front-page coverage. But unless you burrow way down into CNS' Washington page, you won't find it.

The only original coverage of Schock's resignation to be found on any MRC website is a post on the MRCTV blog.

It seems that CNS will report on Republican members of Congress only if they are feeding the agenda of CNS and its parent, the Media Research Center. And if you are corrupt and have to resign because of it, CNS will cover it up to preserve the Republican brand.

WND Adds Benham Brothers As Columnists, Downplays Their Anti-Gay Remarks
Topic: WorldNetDaily

WorldNetDaily couldn't be prouder to have David and Jason Benham as columnists, as the March 13 WND article announcing their arrival makes clear. After all, their anti-gay values mesh so very well with those of WND's.

Of course, WND does its best to pretend the Benhams really aren't anti-gay at all; they just believe in "biblical marriage." Let the whitewashing begin:

As WND reported, home-flippers David and Jason Benham were elated when a production company first approached them about starring in their own reality TV show.

Eventually five networks made offers, with HGTV submitting the best: six one-hour episodes, straight to TV, with no pilot episode necessary.

The show was to be called “Flip it Forward” and would feature the Benham brothers transforming fixer-uppers into dream homes for families.

As Christians, they felt graced by God.

Then it crashed. A liberal “watchdog” organization made a campaign of what HGTV already knew – that the brothers believed in the standards established in the Bible regarding marriage, life and more.

It came out in the media, however, as “anti-gay.” And “anti-choice.”

But the show was canceled because of pressure from liberal and progressive interests.

WND will never tell you that the Benhams -- sons of anti-abortion extremist Flip Benham -- are as anti-gay as advertised. Right Wing Watch has documented the Benhams calling homosexuals "destructive," "vile," and controlled by "demonic forces."

The Benhams' inaugural column invokes some of that anti-gay sentiment, if toned down. They complain that "openly gay former major leaguer" Billy Bean "Bean was invited to openly express his views on homosexuality as Major League Baseball’s ambassador of inclusion" while "Daniel Murphy of the New York Mets, a devout Christian, was told he could only talk baseball after he respectfully offered his thoughts when asked about the homosexual lifestyle."

Yep, the Benhams and WND were made for each other.

MRC Attacks Writer For Reporting Facts About Margaret Sanger
Topic: Media Research Center

The Media Research Center has a fund-raising campaign going on now featuring the grim, bearded visage of Brent Bozell and the slogan, "Join the MOVEMENT and demand TRUTH in media." But there are sometimes when the MRC doesn't want the truth to be told.

In a March 13 MRC article, Katie Yoder goes after a writer for Christianity Today simply for telling the truth about Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger:

Does Margaret Sanger’s legacy have redeeming qualities? One Christianity Today board member thinks it does.

For Christianity Today, Rachel Marie Stone discussed how “Contraception Saves Lives” in a March 11 piece. Stone, who sits on the editorial board of CT, attempted to redeem Planned Parenthood Founder Margaret Sanger through her birth control support – and “give the charge of ‘eugenicist’ a more complete background.” Facing a Twitter backlash, she later defended her story by tweeting about Sanger’s “compassion.”

To begin her piece, Stone told the story of Margaret Sanger as a “young nurse” who promised to make contraception “widely available to working class and poor women” after watching a woman die after an attempted abortion.

Stone went on to detail how she encountered a midwife, Lena, in Malawi, Africa who studied at the Margaret Sanger Center in Lower Manhattan. “A great woman, Margaret Sanger!” Lena told her.

While Stone “wasn’t sure how to reply,” she explained how “Sanger founded Planned Parenthood, which, contrary to what Sanger would have wished, is today the largest provider of abortions in the United States.”

“Sanger herself opposed abortion,” Stone said, by “saying that ‘no matter how early it was performed it was taking a life.’”

Huh. Wonder if Stone also knows Sanger described birth control as “nothing more or less than the facilitation of the process of weeding out the unfit” for a “cleaner race.” 

Stone admitted Sanger, “like many medical professionals in her day, did hold eugenicist ideas,” and while she didn’t want to “excuse” Sanger, she did “want to give the charge of ‘eugenicist’ a more complete background.” 

We can't have a "more complete background" on someone who's been dead for decades yet remains someone right-wingers like Yoder and the MRC consider a sworn enemy, can we?

At no point does Yoder prove that anything Stone wrote about Sanger is wrong. Instead, she's objecting to it having been written at all. Yoder invokes a professor who furthers the attack on Sanger under a piece less-than-objectively headlined "Margaret Sanger’s legacy is not salvageable, so let’s not try." So much for objective research, eh, prof?

This just shows that Yoder isn't interested in facts when they don't agree with her right-wing agenda -- and that the MRC doesn't really want "TRUTH in media" when it doesn't benefit them.

WND's Newest Lie: Loretta Lynch Is 'Tied to Terrorists, Drug Cartels'
Topic: WorldNetDaily

WorldNetDaily loves the big lie -- i.e. Obama was born in Kenya and other falsehoods about his "elibibility -- sprinkled amidst numerous smaller lies that come from straight from the top.

WND went the big-lie route in the subhead of a March 14 article by Garth Kant about Loretta Lynch's nomination for attorney general: "Attorney general nominee tied to terrorists, drug cartels."

That is a bald-faced lie, and WND knows it.

Here is the evidence Kant presents purporting to back up  that false claim:

But behind the scenes, the sudden change of hearts also may be due to a WND expose about allegations that Lynch covered-up money laundering by drug lords and terrorists.

WND has chronicled in great detail charges that Lynch, in her capacity as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York in 2012, arranged a mere slap-on-the-wrist settlement with the world’s second-largest bank, HSBC, for laundering billions of dollars for Mexican drug cartels and Middle Eastern terrorists.

The wrist-slap $1.9 billion fine paid to the U.S. government, and an admission of “willful criminal conduct,” allowed HSBC to enter into a “deferred prosecution” settlement, which ended the investigation and stopped the filing of criminal charges.

At no point has WND ever documented that Lynch is "tied" to terrorists or drug cartels. Lynch's work to achieve a monetary settlement instead of a criminal prosecution does not equal "covering up" for "drug lords and terrorists." And HSBC's $1.9 billion fine is hardly a "wrist-slap" as Kant claims; it was a record fine at when it was imposed in 2012.

Kant is so completely down with the big lie that he repeated it in the body of his March 16 article, referencing "WND’s revelations about Lynch’s ties to terrorists and drug lords."

WND has been pushing Lynch's link to the HSBC settlement in a desperate attempt to promote another lie: that it broke the HSBC story. As we've documented, it didn't -- WND's initial reports on HSBC actually acknowledged earlier reporting.

But with this claim, WND appears to be blowing past your garden-variety lie and straight to libel. Lynch should check with a lawyer to see if she has a case -- and WND might want to consult an attorney to formulate a defense.

There are many good reasons nobody believes WND, and this kind of deliberate, malicious libel is just one of them.

NEW ARTICLE: Why Does CNS Hate Gays So Much?
Topic: CNSNews.com
CNSNews.com loves to publish anti-gay articles, then allow its readers to spew their anti-gay hatred in comments sections. Read more >>

WND's Klein Sets Up Blame Game for Netanyahu Loss
Topic: WorldNetDaily

The WorldNetDaily coverage of the upcoming Israeli elections by Jerusalem-based reprter Aaron Klein has been not only sparse -- since March 1, he has written only three articles on it, even though the election is tomorrow -- it has been very narrow, focused only on the issue of American political operatives who once worked for President Obama's campaign and now working for the anti-Netanyahu coalition.

As befits his history of championing Netanyahu over the years, Klein's work comes off as press releases for the Netanyahu campaign. He does it again in a March 14 article in which once again helps Netanyahu play the victim card once again by suggesting the Obama administration is directly involved in the anti-Netayahu effort -- something he has no direct evidence of.

As we've noted, Klein conveniently ignores the fact that U.S. Republican operatives are working for Netanyahu's campaign. Additionally, as Josh Marshall points out, Netanyahu benefits from the existence of the Israel Hayom newspaper, a popular but money-losing newspaper in Israel founded by American casino magnate (and right-wing moneybags) Sheldon Adelson to promote Netanyahu and his policies.

Klein once again promotes the more-than-vaguely-racist idea that Arabs in Israel shouldn't be mobilized to vote because "Israeli election trends have long demonstrated that Arab citizens vote overwhelmingly for left-wing and Arab parties. Any increase in the Arab vote would clearly come at the expense of the Likud Party and other right-wing parties."

There's much more going on in the Israeli election than Klein will ever tell you at WND -- and that may explain his reporting strategy.

Wwe've previously reported that Netanyahu and his Likud party have been embroiled in numerous controversies that may cost them the election -- something Klein has completely censored in his WND reporting. Indeed, the most recent polling shows Likud slightly behind.

By focusing solely (and disingenuously) on the issue of foreign anti-Netanyahu operatives, Klein appears to be setting up the narrative that if Netanyahu and Likud lose, it's the fault of those operatives. It's something that Klein can apparently get a lot of stories out of, and promoting this conspiracy theory is apparently easier for him than, you know, doing real reporting about what is actually happening in the election.

Remember, Klein is a right-wing extremist who has expressed sympathy for the far-right views of Meir Kahane and who has repeatedly used his reporting to advance the agenda of right-wing elements in Israel. That appears to be what he's doing here as well.

MRC's Graham Baselessly Attacks Anita Hill Again
Topic: Media Research Center

The fact that Anita Hill has never been proven wrong about her sexual harrassment allegations against Clarence Thomas hasn't kept the Media Research Center from holding a grudge against her for more than two decades. For instance, MRC official Tim Graham branded Hill as a liar despite offering no proof (or any consideration of the possibility that Thomas is the one who's lying by denying Hill's accusations), and Scott Whitlock baselessly suggested that Hill's only motivation was money.

With the news of a TV movie in the works about the Hill-Thomas conflict, Graham was in grump mode in a March 14 NewsBusters post:

HBO is making another liberal propaganda flick – and it’s sloppy seconds to Showtime. Lesley Goldberg of The Hollywood Reporter had the exclusive: Kerry Washington, star of ABC’s Scandal, will play Anita Hill in the movie Confirmation.

In 1999, Showtime aired a similar "fact-based" film called Strange Justice, based on the Clarence Thomas-attacking book by liberal reporters Jill Abramson (later executive editor of The New York Times) and Jane Mayer.

The film is expected to detail “the explosive 1991 Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings (at which Hill testified), which brought the country to a standstill and forever changed the way people think about sexual harassment, victims' rights and modern-day race relations.”

Translation: the sympathetic star won’t be seen as a liberal activist who wanted to sink the Thomas nomination anonymously, but was forced into testifying and offered unsubstantiated accusations of sexual harassment by Thomas (which remain unsubstantiated, but endlessly regurgitated by liberals.)

Needless to say, Graham offers no evidence that Hill was solely "a liberal activist who wanted to sink the Thomas nomination." Indeed, all he's doing is regurgitating Thomas' own attacks on Hill -- as if Thomas' word should automatically be trusted over that of Hill's. 

But then, the MRC has always denigrated anyone who makes sexual harrassment claims against its favorite conservatives. In 2011, for instance, the MRC similarly denounced harrassment claims made against would-be GOP presidential candidate (and personal friend of MRC chief Brent Bozell) Herman Cain as "unsubstantiated" -- even though it was on record that the National Restaurant Association, while it was headed by Cain, reached monetary agreements with two women to settle harassment claims -- and the MRC's Dan Gainor similarly played the gold-digger card against Cain's accusers.

WND's Idea Of 'Analysis': Mock The Fashion of Jeb Bush Supporters
Topic: WorldNetDaily

Garth Kant's March 8 WorldNetDaily article is presented as an "analysis." But it begins with several paragraphs of mocking the looks of who he claims were supporters of Jeb Bush at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference:

Something wasn’t right here.

Not only was the hall suddenly overflowing, these were a different breed. Something subtly amiss grew increasingly creepy by the minute. Unthreatening enough not to cause panic but perceptibly subversive and sinister enough to trigger alarms. Then it became clear. It was an invasion. By an entirely alien invasive species.

The polyester-blend nation of Stepford Republicans had seized control of the conservative conference known as CPAC.

It was obvious the crowd for Jeb Bush had been imported.

It wasn’t just the overflowing hall.

Or the suspicious number of Bush stickers on lapels that suddenly appeared.

It was the lapels.

It was the uniform. They all dressed the same. Sanitized of any style or hint of originality and dressed not for success but not to cause offense.

Conservative attendees had heard the rumor swirling through the convention that there would be a protest walkout when the former Florida governor spoke that last Friday of February. What they did not find out until later was that Bush supporters, staffers and volunteers had been shipped in by the busloads from the lobbyist lair of K Street, in nearby Washington.

In fact, a leaked email would reveal they had been instructed to arrive at 7:30 a.m. for the 1:40 p.m. appearance and to save seats for fellow travelers.

The walkers lined the halls and pressed against the walls of what was by far the biggest crowd at the convention that week. They were everywhere.

Bushies rarely spoke, even more rarely smiled, frowned or let any expression crease their faces. Glued to phones, texting incessantly. Uniformly neutral in demeanor and personality, which is to say vacuous. Vacant. Void. Null set. No lights on and nobody home.

Drones. Clones.

Zombies.

Worse yet … moderates.

[...]

Bushies came in two basic models: wiry weasel junior executive and doughy frat pledge. There were few women.

Weasels wore JCPenney junior executive wannabe power-ranger suits with pale shirts and what their dads told them were power ties. The doughboys wore the same outfit purchased from Ed’s Big and Tall.

They all bore the same purposefully inoffensive-as-possible Supercuts hairstyle cropped just above the ears, two inches above the collar. The length in front was about one-month-out-of-military-prep-school growth, and somehow managed to be both highly and unimaginatively coiffed. Their uniformity, conformity and lack of individuality was an ideal to which all could aspire. Together. All at once.

Perhaps, like Mormon door-to-door missionaries, they would appear less-threatening if they all looked alike.

By contrast, of course, the people who came closer to Kant's far-right beliefs -- and get lots of press at WND -- dressed much better. Sarah Palin was "casually comfortable and self-possessed in jeans and sweater" and is "no fashion slacker. Her taste for haute couture is well-documented, refined, extensive and expensive, running the gamut of Valentino, Elie Tahari, Escada, Akris Punto and St. John." Ted Cruz has "taste in attire that is not expensive but understated and comfortable in its own skin," and "Cruz’s buddy, Sen. Mike Lee, dresses like he is: not flashy but always impeccably direct, honest and whip-smart."

Kant saved his greatest sartorial praise for convicted criminal James O'Keefe:

Guerrilla video-journalist James O’Keefe, when not dressed as a pimp, usually dresses like a regular college kid in videos and daily life. At CPAC, he was dressed to the nines, stepping out of a Hugo Boss ad with a form-fitted fashion plate of a tailored three-piece suit with a vest so shiny it lit up the dark bar where he held court on the eve of his appearance on a CPAC panel. Aloof to strangers, quick to laugh and self-deprecating in private, he took jabs at his ego from his friends in stride. Funny and as razor-sharp as his suit.

Yes, this is what passes for "analysis" at WND. No wonder nobody believes WND.

CNS Still Privileges Alveda King With Unearned 'Dr.' Title
Topic: CNSNews.com

CNSNews.com loves to privilege Alveda King with the "Dr." title, even though her doctorate is honorary (from Saint Anselm College) and not earned. It did so again twice this past week.

A March 9 CNS article by Penny Starr puts "Dr. Alveda King" right in the headline, and Starr herself gives her the "Dr." title in the article. There's also a photo of King with the grating caption "Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr."

A March 13 column by King carries the "Dr. Alveda King" byline, plus a bio tag at the end stating "Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

Actually, unlike Alveda King, Martin Luther King Jr. earned his doctorate, from Boston University.

If CNS had any journalistic integrity, it would reject Alveda King's blatantly dishonest efforts to inflate her credentials to portray herself as an equal of her uncle. But then, CNS' right-wing agenda has little to do with journalistic integrity.

Cocky Farah: 'I Am Kicking Papal Butt'
Topic: WorldNetDaily

We have not written the term "kicking papal butt" before, but we get to because WorldNetDaily Joseph Farah has a grudge against Pope Francis for claiming that evolution is not incompatible with creation. Farah writes in his March 12 WND column:

In a referendum on evolution between me and the pope taking place among Catholics since Thanksgiving, I am kicking papal butt.

Back in November, I took Pope Francis to task for saying: “God is not … a magician, but the Creator who brought everything to life. Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.”

A respected writer for the Wanderer, James K. Kilpatrick, defended the pope’s position. He was inundated with letters from fellow Catholics who support my position and question why the pope doesn’t just accept the Bible as true.

Of course, a popularity contest is the absolute worst way to determine the validity of a scientific principle, but Farah is presumably willing to overlook that as long as he's winning said popularity context.

Also of course (because he's a liar), back in November Farah falsely claimed that the pope's statement meant that he was denying the Bible's account of creation and insisting that Genesis is literally true:

The Genesis account isn’t just some Old Testament fairy tale. It is fundamental to Christian belief. It was thoroughly affirmed by Jesus. In fact, if the fall of man is just an allegory, one wonders why Jesus would have had to come to atone for man’s sin – a prophecy first revealed in Genesis.

[...]

I don’t understand Christians who discount Genesis. It makes no sense. Nothing in the Bible makes sense without the Creation account. If the pope doesn’t believe the foundational aspect of the Bible, does he believe any of it? If he does, he really owes the Christian world an explanation of which parts of the Bible he believes and which he discounts.

As I recall my trip this month to Jerusalem, the Holy City of God, I wonder just how small the remnant of believers will be when Jesus comes again.

I also wonder if the pope believes He will come again.

Farah doesn't mention that Pope Francis' statement is in line with the stance of previous popes.

In a Feb. 10 column, Farah highlighted how a Catholic publication picked up his attack on the pope, proudly noting how other self-proclaimed Catholics "rushed to my defense," adding, "if this were a popularity contest between my view of Creation and the pope’s, I win hands down – at least with his readers."

Then he lied again: "My commentary was not written in anger. Nor did I attack the pope. What I did was defend the inspiration and integrity of the Bible – including Genesis, the very foundation for the scriptures that follow." Really? There was no anger in suggesting that the pope doesn't believe Jesus will come again if he doesn't believe the evangelical Protestant interpretation of creation?

And Farah's declaration that he's "kicking papal butt" is also a clear sign he's making this very personal and very antagonistic.

CNS' Starr Thinks It's News That Sexual Orientation Can Change Over Time
Topic: CNSNews.com

This is the entirety of a March 13 CNSNews.com article by Penny Starr:

Planned Parenthood Federation of America tells teens on its website that it “can take a long time” to determine one’s “sexual orientation or gender identity.”

"Sexual orientation describes which gender(s) you're attracted to, sexually and/or romantically," says Planned Parenthood's "All About LGBTQ at a Glance" webpage. "Sometimes a person's sexual orientation changes over time, but people can't choose or decided to change who they're attracted to."

“It can take many years for people to understand their sexual orientation, and it can change over your lifetime — so a lot of people call themselves questioning, which means they aren’t sure about their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. This is common — especially for teens,” the website states.

"LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning," says the webpage.

That's it. There's no explanation why of Starr finds this to be "news," or even that it's somehow a change from previous information provided by Planned Parenthood or any other credible organization on the subject (it's not). 

The important thing about this article is what's not in it: It does contradict right-wing opinion that choosing to be something other than a heterosexual is a conscious choice and nothing more than a "lifestyle" that can be easily changed on a whim. It's nothing but a dog whistle for CNS readers, who have fulfilled their end of the deal by filling the article's comment thread with anti-gay vitriol.

Indeed, CNS gave away the game when it tweeted out a link to Starr's article with the added comment, "Homosexual by Choice?"

Just a few days ago, Starr's fellow CNS reporter Barbara Hollingsworth fretted that "Psychology Today announced last week that it will no longer accept ads from therapists who offer 'conversion therapy' or 'reparative therapy' to gays who want to leave the homosexual lifestyle." As could be expected, she devoted much more space to those who oppose the decision than to those who say such "reparative therapy" is harmful.

If Starr wanted to do real reporting, she would have done a lot more than she did. But these four paragraphs shows she's simply regurgitating her employer's anti-gay agenda rather than being a journalist.