Latest Scandal Should Bring The Resignation of Pope Francis

Editorial by Pastor Ed Boston

Let me begin by saying that I am not Catholic, and there are many things about the Catholic Church I do not know or understand. I would like to point out that the Ed Boston Podcast has had numerous interviews with people involved with the Catholic Church and EWTN. I have always enjoyed those interviews and greatly respect the people who are “friends of the podcast” from EWTN.

However, many non-Christians, atheists, and others place controversies like I will be talking about below with all believers in Jesus Christ. For that reason, I feel like I should address this topic.

To support my previous statement, a well-known atheist group is placing a full-page ad in the New York Times with the headline reading: “It’s time to consider quitting the Catholic Church.”

The latest scandal that has besieged the Catholic Church is part of a long list of issues that have happened under Pope Francis since he was elected to his position in 2013. While most of the list are things he has said and believes, this scandal is mostly about crimes committed before he became Pope. It’s the way he has handled this situation that has been the issue. I will address the current scandal a little later in this editorial.

There are 5 issues listed here and links to each topic. In my opinion, Pope Francis is on the wrong side of each of these issues.

1. “Who Am I to Judge?”

2. Stop being “obsessed” with abortion and gay marriage

3. Everyone can go to heaven including atheists

4. Pope Francis shows support for same-sex unions?

5. Hell does not exist

Now the current scandal as published by the BBC:

A Church-commissioned report in 2004 said more than 4,000 US Roman Catholic priests had faced sexual abuse allegations in the last 50 years, in cases involving more than 10,000 children – mostly boys.

A 2009 report found that sexual and psychological abuse was “endemic” in Catholic-run industrial schools and orphanages in Ireland for most of the 20th Century.

A five-year Australian inquiry in 2017 found that “tens of thousands of children” were sexually abused in Australian institutions over decades, including churches, schools and sports clubs.

What about recent cases?

In August 2018, a Pennsylvania grand jury named more than 300 clergy in a report which found more than 1,000 children had been abused
Australian Archbishop Philip Wilson resigned in July 2018 after being convicted of concealing child sex abuse carried out by another priest
In June 2018, a former Vatican diplomat was sentenced to five years in prison for child pornography offences
In Chile, 34 Roman Catholic bishops offered to resign in the wake of a child sex scandal and cover-up.

How has the Church responded?

Pope Francis called for “decisive action” when he was elected in 2013, but critics say he has not done enough to hold to account bishops who allegedly covered up abuse.

Many are calling for the resignation of Pope Francis, but it appears that there is no plan to do so.

In an article at Yahoo.com, this was reported:

Pope Francis has no intention of stepping down as he fights accusations that he protected a former archbishop accused of sexual abuse, Italian news agency ANSA reported, citing “close associates” of the pope.

As the founder and leader of the Ed Boston Podcast Network, let me add my name to the list of those who believe that enough is enough and that Pope Francis needs to resign.

The 55th Anniversary of MLK’s “I Have A Dream” Speech

Is Dr King’s dream still alive in 2018? I sure hope so, but I know God’s will on this topic certainly is:

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Today, our Nation commemorates 55 years since the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March for Jobs and Freedom, and spoke passionately for his dream of equality and justice for all.

On August 28, 1963, Dr. King addressed a sea of marchers from across our Nation and spoke to the conscience of all Americans. He told the crowd about his dream. “I have a dream,” Dr. King declared, that the United States would fulfill its creed and treat all people as having been created equal; that people would form bonds that overcome racial injustices; that race would be irrelevant to social status or position; and that freedom and justice would prevail throughout the Nation. Dr. King ended his speech with a vision of enduring freedom: “When we allow freedom to ring—when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing…: ‘Free at last, Free at last, Great God almighty, We are free at last.’”

More than half a century after his speech, our Nation reaffirms our commitment to protecting the promise of America for all our people. For this reason, my Administration is continuing to create an environment where the American Dream—and its many opportunities—are available for all hardworking Americans. As a result, for example, we have already seen the unemployment rate for African Americans reach a record low.

As we mark this historic milestone, we remain ever optimistic of our shared future as children of God and citizens of this great Nation. May the memory of Dr. King, and the efforts we have made to fulfill his dream, remind us of the bonds of love and mutual respect that unite us.

So Cal Harvest – 2018 Is This Weekend

You may have read about the controversy involving billboards for this event being removed because of complaints about Pastor Greg Laurie holding a Bible on the billboard. I’ve got to say, Pastor Laurie handled the situation in such a Christ-like manner. Here is the picture of the “offensive” billboard and that is followed by the information about this weekend’s huge event.

The event of the year for So Cal! Invite your family & friends!

Event info at socal.harvest.org

SoCal Harvest is a FREE event that features musical performances by top Christian artists and a gospel message by Greg Laurie at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.

Harvest events are designed to be opportunities for Christians to invite family members, coworkers, friends, and acquaintances to hear the life-changing message of the gospel in an environment that is entertaining and non-threatening.

Statement From STRYPER About Oz Fox

The Ed Boston Podcast Network along with other media outlets have been notified by reps for Stryper via press announcement that Stryper band member Oz Fox has suffered a “medical emergency”. We send our thoughts and prayers. Please see full statement below:

Official Statement from STRYPER Regarding Band Member Oz Fox

Sunday, August 12, 2018 — News began circulating this morning that Stryper’s Oz Fox suffered a medical emergency on stage in Las Vegas overnight. In order to provide accurate information and dispel any rumors, the band has issued an official statement:

Our dear friend and lead-guitarist Oz Fox fell ill Saturday night while performing in Las Vegas with a side project that he sometimes plays in when not touring with Stryper. Oz suffered a seizure causing a fall on stage. After performing an MRI, doctors discovered an area of concern near his brain which they are now running a biopsy on. The doctors have instructed him not to drive or fly for 90 days. No additional information is available at this time. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and we will communicate additional information as it becomes available.

The logistics and options for current tour dates are being discussed with the respective promoters. U.S. tour dates will play as scheduled and in anticipation of a full recovery will include Oz Fox. The upcoming Australian tour will be performed as a trio (with the blessing of Oz), and will include Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, and Perry Richardson. For our fans in Japan, please await an announcement from the concert promoter there as to the plans for the Japan tour.

New information will first be communicated via Stryper.com and Stryper’s official Facebook page.

Rocking since 1984, STRYPER is responsible for such classic ’80s metal albums as Soldiers Under Command, To Hell with the Devil and In God We Trust. In fact, STRYPER is the first band to ever have two songs in MTV’s Top 10 simultaneously with their hits “Free” and “Honestly.” After a sabbatical for much of the 1990’s, STRYPER returned strong in the early 21st century. Their latest album, God Damn Evil (Frontiers Music srl), was released in April. To date, the Dove Award-winning and GRAMMY-nominated band has sold over 10 million records worldwide.

For more information, visit www.Stryper.com.

All media requests should be directed to Brian Mayes at Nashville Publicity Group, brian@nashvillepublicity.com or 615-771-2040.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions Launches Religious Freedom Task Force

‘A Core Principle from the Beginning of Our Country’: Sessions Launches Religious Freedom Task Force

CBN News is reporting that the Trump administration has made protecting and advancing religious freedom a top priority, and on Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Justice Department’s new Religious Freedom Task Force.

The announcement came at the DOJ’s religious liberty summit.

“Freedom of religion has been a core American principle from the very beginning of our country. Indeed, it is our first freedom,” said Sessions. “President Trump promised that he would make preserving and protecting our religious liberty the first priority of his administration. The Department of Justice is committed to assisting with that effort.”

To read the rest of this article, CLICK HERE.

Huge News From Our Friends at Answers in Genesis and PureFlix

Answers in Genesis Partners with PureFlix.com

Answers in Genesis is partnering with online streaming service PureFlix.com to provide you with faith-building content that will equip and encourage you and your family to trust God’s Word. PureFlix.com is a family-friendly alternative to other streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. While we might not agree with everything hosted on the site, the company is careful to select content that is safe for families and is largely Christian based. It’s a fantastic starting place to discern what content you may want to use in your household. This new partnership will allow their subscribers unlimited access to our digital library of more than 500 faith-affirming videos in the near future, including teaching DVDs, documentaries, and children’s videos, plus films shown at AiG’s popular themed attractions, the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum near Cincinnati. All of this will be available to you at no additional cost!

Anti-Christian sentiment and the censorship of Christian views on places like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are increasing. We need to be realistic about the future and our ability to continue using social media and YouTube platforms, as there is a potential we could be censored or banned due to our biblical views, including our stand that marriage is for a man and a woman, abortion is murder, and gender is binary (male and female). This relationship with PureFlix.com protects our content and allows as many people as possible to learn more about the truth of God’s Word and the gospel.

Ken Ham stated, “With so much uncertainty regarding the freedom to express the Christian worldview in our culture, we considered it important to use other platforms for our ongoing mission to reach the public with our video content. Therefore, AiG decided to pursue this agreement with PureFlix.com. Other ministries no doubt will do something similar.”

“We’re thrilled to add Answers in Genesis to our roster of partners,” said PureFlix.com CEO Greg Gudorf. “Our subscribers are looking for content with a Christian worldview, and we and our partners strive to provide them exactly what they’re seeking.”

Facebook Apologizes To Zion’s Joy!

Gospel Group Zion’s Joy! Receives Apology From Facebook Following Media Coverage of Music Video Ban

Gospel group Zion’s Joy! made news headlines last week after Facebook took down the music video for their new single, “What Would Heaven Look Like” – the title track from their upcoming album from Habakkuk Music/InGrooves/Universal. Earlier this month, Facebook flagged the video as “political content” and blocked the video from the social media platform. Extensive media coverage followed, including the New York Times (July 5) and a prime time interview with Fox News Channel’s Dana Perino (July 6), and Facebook ultimately restored the video and apologized to the group.

In a statement, Facebook said “we made an error by deleting the original post. As soon as we identified what happened, we restored the post since it does not violate our community standards and have apologized to Zion’s Joy.”

“This song is about love and it’s about unity and it’s about hope,” group member Kay Insley told Dana Perino on Fox News Channel. “So we were incredibly shocked when Facebook came and took this song, this message that so needs to be heard right now down. We just couldn’t believe it.”

Zion’s Joy! was founded by Robert W. Stevenson in 2008 and in the decade that followed they have performed throughout the United States, using their powerful voices and tight, rich harmonies to deliver a unique blend of old and new school gospel and contemporary Christian music. The line-up consists of Kay Insley, Camille McKnight, Lia Matthews, Karen Hall, Shekinah Caldron, Lynesha Sweeney, Patrick Taylor, Jeffery Porter and Ramone Griffith.

“We invite people to come be a part of what we are doing,” said Insley on Fox News Channel. “And the positivity that we are spreading not only locally, but really trying to pursue around the world. We are actually really thankful for this opportunity. Something that was negative has been turned into a positive and now we are having the ability to get our message out even more now.”

Watch the “What Would Heaven Look Like” music video here:
https://youtu.be/e4LIoDk3_l0

Watch the Fox News Channel interview here:
http://video.foxnews.com/v/5806384256001/

For more information, visit the band’s official website at http://www.zionsjoy.com.

Videos

What Would Heaven Look Like by Zion’s Joy!

Links

http://www.zionsjoy.com

President Trump Shares an Emotional Story

Here is a follow-up to a post I made called Amazing Story Told By President On The National Day Of Prayer. The original post only had the transcript, and here is the video.

https://youtu.be/4uLfaOBLlhI

Info On And Video Of Harvest America 2018

Below are some interesting things about this year’s Harvest Fest in Texas. Pastor Greg Laurie’s sermon was outstanding, so checking out the links below will let you experience that part.

The most important part of the event though is these figures:

Professions of Faith
2,354 – AT&T Stadium
1044 – Crossover Evangelism Teams
921 – Online Responses to the Gospel
5,967 – Host Locations

Total Professions of Faith: 10286

You can see everything about Harvest America 2018 by going here: Harvest America 2018.

Or you can go to the Harvest.org website and see a shorter version.

My Take on Jessie Duplantis’ Efforts To Get A $54 Million Jet

To say that I am disgusted by the entire Jesse Duplantis and a $54 million dollar jet issue would be a major understatement.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ being blessed financially, but there is just too much wrong with this situation.

“Now some people believe that preachers shouldn’t have jets. I really believe that preachers ought to go on every available voice, every available outlet, to get this gospel preached to the world,” Duplantis said in a video posted online last week, according to The Christian Post.

Take a look at this news report and pay attention to what Jesse himself has to say. I chose a secular site for the video to show the reaction from that standpoint.

Notice at one point he says the plane is not for him, but for the ministry itself. HOWEVER THEN a little later, he calls it “my plane”.

I suppose my biggest complaint of this whole story is this quote:

“I really believe that if the Lord Jesus Christ was physically on the Earth today, he wouldn’t be riding a donkey,” Duplantis said. “He’d be in an airplane flying all over the world.”

Here is what I believe. Quite possibly, if Jesus was walking on the earth today as he did over 2,000 years ago, he would be riding on a plane. However, I believe that Jesus would be riding a commercial airline and riding coach (not 1st class) along with the common people. I truly believe that he wouldn’t be in a $54 million private jet.

My other big problem with this is the image it makes to non-Christians and to those who are not so strong in their faith. I understand the belief that God is capable of anything and that faith in that belief is important. However, this just leaves a bad taste in the mouths of Christians and non-Christians alike.

Interesting too was Duplantis’ take on the negative publicity. When you watch what he says about this, he sure talks a lot about himself. To me, when it’s about I and not HE, then it’s normally a problem.

I hope that Jesse Duplantis Ministries leads huge numbers of people to the Lord. I just believe that this topic doesn’t pass the “smell test” and it just stinks.

Ed Boston

Ed Boston Podcast Network