NEXT, THE NEWS:
HEROIC TEENS IN RUSSIA SAVE NEWBORN ABANDONED IN BELOW ZERO TEMPERATURES
from: LiveAction News
(15 Jan.) A newborn baby girl abandoned in Russia on a frigid night of -4 degrees Fahrenheit was saved by two teenage boys who found her in deep snow in a cardboard box used to store eggs. Following the heroic rescue, the parents of one of the boys began working on adopting the baby.
According to the Mirror UK, the baby was found near a remote village in Siberia on Orthodox Christmas Day, which Russians celebrate on Jan. 7. The boys were on a walk when they heard a squeaking sound. When they came upon the cardboard box, they expected to find puppies. Instead, they found a baby girl.
"She was lying there like a little doll, so tiny," the boys commented. "We were so stunned we didn't even know for some seconds what to do, and where to run. She had no clothes on her, she was wrapped in a piece of fabric, with a bottle next to her.”
Sixteen-year-old Renat Litvinov immediately jumped into action and called his parents to help. The teen's parents rushed to the spot where the baby was found and brought her to the hospital. Miraculously, the baby showed no signs of frostbite and was healthy, despite being left in such frigid conditions. They estimated that the tiny baby was two to three days old.
Police say the baby was likely left to freeze to death and are launching an attempted murder investigation. Commenting on the case, Russian parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said, "This story in Novosibirsk region didn't end in tragedy only thanks to the care of the young men."
Rinat’s parents, Anna and Dmitri, are now hoping to give the miracle baby a home – and government officials are supporting the idea. "We are parents to three sons, so having a daughter was our long-term dream. We are hoping we’ll be given a chance to adopt her," Anna said. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: This is truly an inspiring story! But sadly, too many preborn babies are aborted and too many newborn babies are thrown into dumpsters to die. We should not allow the exceptions, the cases of rape or incest, to dictate the rule: abortion and intffanticide are almost always immoral and should be illegal.
DON'T PRISONERS DESERVE 'ASSISTED DYING' TOO?
from: BioEdge.org
(23 Jan.) If assisted suicide is legal, it seems obvious that there should be equality of access. Even for prisoners? This is the question that Swiss bioethicist Yoann Della Croce tackles in the journal Bioethics.
Assisted suicide rights for felons are not a burning human rights issue, but there have been prisoners who have invoked them – and no doubt demand will grow. A Belgian serial rapist and murderer, Frank Van Den Bleeken, requested euthanasia in 2015. In the end, his request was denied and he was moved to a specialist psychiatric facility. In 2018 a Swiss prisoner with incurable lung cancer and mental health issues requested the services of an assisted suicide organisation.
However, authorities in the various jurisdictions with assisted suicide and euthanasia are reluctant to permit this. Why? First of all, prison is a place where it is difficult to guarantee that people are truly making autonomous choices. Second, it seems as though "assisted dying" is too much like capital punishment – and this is bannDella Croce believes that these arguments do not hold water. His argument is too detailed to summarise, but these are some of his main points.
First, we have to distinguish between prisoners who are terminally ill and seeking to escape pain and prisoners who are suffering from "prison tedium." If both are permitted for the free population, why not for prisoners? Della Croce contends that it is dehumanising to refuse a request for assisted suicide. He argues if a bored prisoner claims to be suffering unbearably, he should be treated like everyone else in the jurisdictioned in most of these jurisdictions. And third, choosing death seems like cheating society of its power to punish with lengthy incarcerations. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: Really? It is astounding that anyone could even think of this: the potential for abuse by the authorities and prison staff would be immense: "They signed the form saying they were of a sound mind, so we merely carried out their wish." Sure! Now that I think of it, signing an advance directive for medical treatment is eerily similar.
RUSSIA: SUSPENDED SENTENCES AND FINES – LIST
from: Forum 18 News Service
(21 Jan.) Nearly 100 Jehovah's Witnesses are now on probation after receiving suspended sentences for "extremist activity" as a result of exercising their right to freedom of religion and belief. This constitutes the most common punishment handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses since criminal prosecutions began in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2017 liquidation of their Administrative Centre and associated ban on their activities nationwide.
One Muslim prosecuted for studying the writings of the late Turkish theologian Said Nursi – Nakiya Sharifullina from Tatarstan – is also currently serving probation under a suspended sentence. A full list of Jehovah's Witnesses and Muslim readers of Nursi's works given suspended sentences or fines is below. Many other Jehovah's Witnesses and Muslim readers of Nursi's works have been jailed.
A total of 95 Jehovah's Witnesses have received suspended sentences (plus three who were later acquitted on appeal – see below), while 20 have received fines and 51 have been sentenced to imprisonment (seven of whom have so far completed their prison terms). Four Jehovah's Witnesses have been acquitted, three of whom were on 18 January 2022 the first to succeed in having sentences overturned on appeal.
Although individuals with suspended sentences are not imprisoned, they must live under a range of restrictions, often for several years. They can also be sent to prison if found guilty of another crime or repeated administrative offence – including offences that have no connection with their conviction for exercising freedom of religion and belief.
Most fines imposed have so far been towards the lower end of the range stipulated by the Criminal Code, and some have been reduced to account for the time defendants spent in detention. They still represent a serious financial penalty, in some cases amounting to more than 10 times the average Russian monthly salary. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: First, a disclaimer: I am not a Jehovah's Witnesses, a Pentecostal, or a Muslim, I am an Orthodox Christian who believes in freedom of religious expression as enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It is not only Jehovah's Witnesses or some Muslims who have been fined, received jail terms or suspended sentences: any religious confessions in Russia that claim to possess the ultimate truth and that other faith groups are false can fall foul with the Russian state and Orthodox Church. The same charge of "extremism" has been leveled at some Evangelical and even non-Moscow Patriarchate Orthodox groups.
FDA FAST-TRACKS DEVICE TO ASSESS AUTISM RISK USING HAIR
from: Disability Scoop
(25 Jan.) A single strand of hair may be all that's needed to determine whether a child is likely to have autism. The Food and Drug Administration has given "breakthrough" status to a device known as StrandDx, which looks for molecular biomarkers in a strand of hair to evaluate how likely it is that a child is on the spectrum.
The designation from the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health means that the agency has committed to an expedited review of the product and more frequent communication with its developers. The FDA says that it bestows this status for devices that "provide for more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions."
Currently, autism diagnosis is based on an evaluation done by a specialist, but kids can face lengthy waits to see such professionals. Researchers have long sought ways to flag children on the spectrum earlier so that they can access intervention at younger ages when it is most effective.
"Now for the first time in the history of medicine we have the prospect that, by studying a single strand of hair, physicians, patients, families and scientists can get the physiological equivalent of a blood test for autism," said Dr. Neil Kurtz, an advisor and director of Linus Biotechnology, which is behind StrandDx.
The FDA's breakthrough designation label indicates that StrandDx is intended to be used to assess the likelihood of autism in children from birth to 18 months and to aid in diagnosis of the developmental disability in those ages 18 months to 21 years. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: Thank the Lord for giving mankind the ability to search for and find answers to some of of the world's most mysterious diseases! Due to this gift, the average lifespan has increased from 45 years in 1900 to over 75 years in 2022.
UKRAINIAN CATHOLICS PRAY FOR PEACE AS 100,000 RUSSIAN TROOPS STAND AT BORDER
from: Religious Information Service of Ukraine
(28 Jan.) More than 100,000 Russian troops are at Ukraine's border as the US and NATO allies warn President Vladimir Putin not to invade Ukraine.
Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Metropolitan Archbishop of Philadelphia for Ukrainian Catholics in the US and Head of the Department of External Church Relations for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, shared EWTN News his thoughts on what he is hearing from his parishioners and those in the community.
With Day of Prayer for Peace in Ukraine, Archbishop Gudziak discusses the power of prayer and whether he thinks the faithful in Ukraine are encouraged by these prayers. He explains the parallels between this situation and the nativity story. The archbishop tells how U.S. can support those suffering.
In another related article we read that in an appeal on the day of prayer for peace in Ukraine, the UGCC Exarch of Donetsk, Bishop Stepan Meniok, stressed that the faithful of his Exarchate have no fear, rely on God, pray for the Ukrainian army and ask for wisdom for politicians. Bishop Stepan compares the current situation with the Caribbean Crisis of 1962, emphasizing that the current war in Ukraine is not a local conflict at all:
"We have already experienced such political crises in history. As an example, the Caribbean Crisis of 1962, when there was a question of the Third World War in general. And if not for the wise denouement by the heads of state, no one knows in what state and how we would live today. The current war seems like a local military conflict, but it is not, because it can escalate into a global conflict. And we all understand what the consequences can be when the Third World War begins – no one will be the winner. But we hope that God's Justice, God's love, God's truth, and the Holy Spirit will enlighten all people who are involved in ensuring peace not only in Ukraine but also around the world." [read more...]
COMMENTARY: Please watch the video in the headline article. The "Greek" or "Eastern Catholics" are historically Orthodox but when taken into the Austria-Hungarian Empire, they had to commemorate the Pope of Rome instead of the Patriarch of Constantinople in their Eastern Orthodox Liturgy, The present situation is more tense and threatening than most of us realize, with Russia striving to convert Ukraine back into Russian Orthodoxy. In the second article, the writer compares it to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. I was stationed at the U.S. Army Intelligence Headquarters for Europe at the time: we were tracking the troop movements on the other side of the Iron Curtain and we realized that the USSR was preparing for WW3. Pray for peace and that both sides find a way to back down from this crisis without losing face.
FULLY HUMAN FAMILY FEATURE, EPISODE 1: THE HAGHNAZARI FAMILY
from: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
(Jan. 11) Prematurely born, weighing 1 pound with a 6-month NICU stay, Cyrus has become a thriving, happy teen who plays in his high school marching band. Want to learn how to face challenges with faith and embrace the joy of living? Meet the Haghnazari family. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: Please watch the video! When Cyrus was born as a preemie, the doctors said he didn't have much of a chance to survive. But he's a fighter who struggled to stay alive and is now thriving. People who have different abilities or appearance are often brushed aside, ignored, ridiculed, or even physically harmed by "normal people" who instinctively react against those who are "not like us."
This same sort of thing happens to elderly people and those who have an "invisible" disability: if someone is unable to keep up with younger people, carry heavy items, walk longer distances, or hear like "normal people," they're often ignored, treated rudely, or even abused because they look normal, so many people think they "should be" normal.
Another example of people's bias against preborn babies who might have a disability are in the article "False Positives for Genetic Disorders in Prenatal Testing Unacceptably High" which tells us that up to 85% of preborn babies tested for Down Syndrome and other abnormal conditions show a "false positive" result. Doctors should recommend further testing that may correct such a misdiagnosis, but mothers or their family members often decide after the first test to abort their unborn babies.
NOW, OUR VIEWS:
See The Moscow Times' article As Markets Crash and War Fears Grow, Russia's Business Elite Suffers in Silence: the current crisis on Ukraine's borders is causing huge problems with Russia's economy.
You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.
← What's all the fuss about sexual liberty vs. purity and faithfulness in marriage? Click on the photo to read the cross-references in these important Scriptures! The article "The Holy Trinity And Same-Sex Marriage" by Dr. Bradley Nassif describes the immense pressure on Christians to conform to this world's value system in which evil is called good, good is called evil, sweet is called bitter, and bitter is called sweet.
Today in western society, the LGBTQ lifestyle is being presented as the norm for society and traditional Christian morality is being rejected... even in our legal system. Dr. Nassif is described as "the leading academic expert on Eastern Orthodox and Evangelical dialogue." I've had the great privilege to meet him personally and his thinking has deeply influenced our ideas for what has become Agape Restoration Society. He writes -
"Anyone watching the news today is aware that we are living in an age where secular forms of diversity and pluralism are valued over and above biblical truth. This applies especially to issues of gender and sexuality. Activists in the so-called LGBTQ movement have successfully challenged traditional Christian understandings of marriage and family in nearly every forum of American public life, including school curricula, the media, and the courts. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Supreme Court recognition of gay marriage."
This article goes on to list some of the Scripture references that support a principled yet compassionate position on these issues. The man-woman relationship when properly realized reflects the mutual support, love, and interdependence of the Holy Trinity, as the article's title indicates.
We can and should accept those in the LGBTQ community as valid human beings loved by God and created in His image without affirming their lifestyle. It is one thing, however, to have homosexual desire but abstain, another to engage in homosexual acts "in the closet," another to "come out of the closet," and yet another to affirm its acceptability and advocate it as the norm for everyone. The article concludes -
"Hatred has no place on this battlefield. On the contrary, Christians should be the first to come to the defense of those who have been hurt, injured or bullied by hateful adversaries. We must continue to speak the truth in love even though it is a countercultural message that calls people to a life of wholeness through the saving gospel of Jesus Christ."
The church in Corinth had problems with sexual misconduct: incest - see 1 Cor. 5:1, and fornication which is "porneo" in Greek: it has a broader meaning including fornication, adultery, homosexual acts, and beastiality - see chs. 5:11; 6:9-12; and Rom. 1:27. Even if, as ch, 6:12 states, it is legal and socially acceptable, Christians are to "come out from among them and be separate" - ch. 6:14-18. And as St. Paul wrote a bit further on, we are to be a good example for all people to emulate - ch. 9:22 and 10:33.
When church leaders - pastors, priests, or bishops - use "weasel-words" to excuse fornication, adultery, or homosexual acts, I am reminded of Mat. 24:15 - "When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)" referring to the holy place later being defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes who slaughtered a pig on the altar in the Jewish Temple, defiling that holy place.
And even later, when Constantinople was captured, the enemy armies defiled the altar in Hagia Sophia Cathedral by letting prostitutes have sex on it. Similarly, in the Old Testament we read - "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination" (Lev. 18:22). Even verbally affirming or encouraging, not only committing such behavior is a sin - "But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat things sacrificed to idols" (Rev. 2:20).
Another thoughtful resource on this topic is the book we just recently bought is Christian Faith and Same-Sex Attraction by Fr. Thomas Hopko, which you can get from Amazon. Richard John Neuhaus, former Editor-in-Chief of First Things, wrote about this book - "In a winsomely accesible manner, he draws on the treasures of Orthodoxy to invite all of us to move from disputation to reflection, and from there to the wholeness for which we are created by God."
Fr. Thomas uses theological language that may be hard to follow, but in essence he says that God's "providential permission" was to create mankind with free will, so only in that sense can a person say he/she was "born that way". It is not a part of God's "essential good will" (p. 56). And still another excellent resource featuring Fr. Thomas and several other speakers is the four-podcast series "Transformation: Same Sex Attraction Through The Lens Of Orthodox Christianity" from Ancient Faith Ministries. All Christians are called to holiness and wholeness, not to disputations and strife: Strive for holiness!
(Get this as a separate page at ARC-News-blog.blogspot.com.)
As I write this on 20 Jan., I'm watching the funeral service for my brother, mentor, and life example, Jim Hosken, the oldest of 6 children and 5 years older than I: he spent 48 years with his wife Peg as missionaries in Mexico and retired to McAllen, TX, about a mile from the Mexican border. The last time we visited them in person was in July 2013. By that time, Jim had already been afflicted with Parkinson's for a few years and it was difficult to hold a conversation with him (due partly to my own hearing impairment). So when we later contacted him on the phone or by Skype, it was almost impossible to communicate other than with the bonds of love. Lord, receive Your servant Jim in peace and may his memory be eternal!
Please remember to pray for Christians in Secularized Countries, and for...
Your fellow-servants,
Bob & Cheryl
p.s. No armor? Unclean life? Then don't mess with dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
