NEXT, THE NEWS:
LAWMAKER’S 'GOTCHA' BILL REQUIRING FATHERS TO SUPPORT CHILDREN FROM CONCEPTION DIDN'T GO AS PLANNED
from: LiveAction News
(26 Jan.) Oklahoma State Representative Forrest Bennett introduced a bill last week mandating that fathers be held financially responsible for the preborn children they help to create. But after a flood of pro-lifers cheered the bill – and abortion advocates expressed outrage – Bennett quickly walked it back and withdrew the entire thing.
On Twitter, Bennett first announced the bill, which was seemingly created as an intended "gotcha!" moment for the pro-life movement. "This week I filed HB3129, which codifies that a father's financial responsibility to his baby and their mom begins at conception," he wrote. "If Oklahoma is going to restrict a woman's right to choose, we sure better make sure the man involved can't just walk away from his responsibility." As the Daily Wire pointed out, the idea received resounding support… from pro-lifers.
In an interview with KOCO News, Bennett explained the idea for the bill also had come from a personal place. "This came from a conversation with a friend of mine," he said. "The first time she got pregnant, she found out that the baby was going to be special needs child. She didn't walk away from her pregnancy, but her partner did. It always stuck with me that she said she wasn't able to walk away from this, but he was." It should be noted that "walking away" from a child by killing him or her in an abortion is neither justice nor equality.
Abortion advocates, however, quickly began expressing their anger over the bill, insisting that this would somehow serve to hurt women and minorities, and was problematic for its use of "gendered language." So rather than stick to his idea, which could have actually helped women (in a pro-life way), Bennett abandoned it. In a long series of tweets, he placed criticism on the people who reacted to his idea for not engaging as he expected.
"Well this has been fun. I appreciate those who understood the message behind this and those who provided sincere constructive feedback and pointed out serious issues with practical application," he began, adding, "Let me get this out of the way: obviously I'm not moving forward with this bill as written. I'm glad many of you understood the idea but it clearly needs work. So to actual constituents of mine like @realmartypeercy who requested that I go back to the drawing board, I hear you.
… Twitter isn’t the place to try to point out that, *IF* this state outlaws abortion and *IF* it tries to define life as beginning at conception, it owes its people the kind of policy that supports and helps babies and parents, not just policies that force birth. But I tried to anyway." He concluded that his language "hurt the cause instead of helping it" – the cause being abortion, of course – and apologized again. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: Rep. Bennett really got himself in a pickle! In his effort to straighten out the conflict in his own mind about the responsibilites of fatherhood and his pro-abortion viewpoint, he accidentally took a public position that is pro-life – that life begins at conception, calling such a couple "woman" and "man," and using the word "father" in his proposed legislation ...for which he later apologized profusely, after being accused by the pro-abortion folks of supporting life and using "gendered language." Here's another significant pro-life article from LiveAction: "Black pro-life leaders describe how the abortion industry is ending Black lives."
A CONVERSATION WITH THE PASTOR OF MOSCOW'S BIGGEST PROTESTANT CONGREGATION
from: Faith In Eurasia
(11 Feb.) [photo is property of "Word of Life Moscow"]
Russia is No Lost Cause
L a d u s h k i n -- Matts-Ola Ishoel (pronounced "Mahhts-Uuuhhla Isss-Ho-el") is a Norwegian with a Swedish mother who spent the first decade of his life in Sweden. Born into a Baptist family in 1959, he later became a member of the Charismatic "Word of Life" (Livets Ord) movement founded by Ulf Ekman in Uppsala/Sweden in 1983. After serving as a youth pastor in Oppdal in central Norway for eight years, Matts-Ola and his wife Randi moved to Moscow in 1996. Two years later, he became senior pastor of a young congregation planted by Ulf Ekman and initially pastored by the Swede Christian Akerhielm.
Attendance in 1996 already numbered 1,000. The congregation purchased a 1,220-seat auditorium on Pavla Korchagina Street in north-central Moscow in 2006. Today, “Word of Life” is Moscow’s largest Protestant congregation with 6,000 participants meeting at 26 locations in and around Moscow. The paid, full-time staff numbers 100; roughly 35 of them (all males) carry the title of "pastor." The church's biggest current project is the "South Campus," a new youth centre with a 600-seat hall arising near the "Volgogradsky Prospekt" metro station in east-central Moscow. The purchase of that property cost 144 million roubles (roughly 1,655,000 euros), paid for without loans.
"Word of Life" also has congregations in St. Petersburg, Samara and Sochi as well as in four of the five central-Asian republics, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Matts-Ola is a vice-president within the umbrella "Associated Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical-Pentecostal Faith" (ROSKhVE) headed by Sergey Ryakhovsky. The Ishoel couple has four children between the ages of 18 and 23, all of whom were adopted in Russia. Matts-Ola, who is a citizen only of Norway, sat down for a talk with me in Moscow on 25 January 2022.
What has been the secret of your success? There are very diligent pastors in Moscow who after many years still have only tiny congregations. What could the difference be?
I think it is very important to be humble and grateful. I can plant and water, but God gives the increase. “Success” also involves much more than just the amount of people. At the end of the day, God will judge us. His first question will not be how many people you have in the church. He will instead ask: "Have you been faithful to your calling?" We have placed a very strong emphasis on team work. I have absolutely wonderful co-workers. We plan together, we work together and share in each others' lives. When we have retreats, they bring their wives. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: Several of the names and places in this article are familiar to me. The author brings out the need for Christian leaders to take a neutral position in regard to politics. He has compiled another significant article on this theme, Regarding the Threat of War in Eastern Ukraine, in which he urges neutrality for Ukraine, a "bridge" country between East and West. Pray for Ukraine!
KAZAKHSTAN: 127 ADMINISTRATIVE PROSECUTIONS IN 2021
from: Forum 18 News Service
(2 Feb.) In 127 known administrative prosecutions in 2021, 111 individuals (one twice), two charities, two schools and one company were punished for worship meetings, offering religious literature and items (including online), sharing or teaching faith, posting religious material online, or praying in mosques.
Beimbet Manetov of the regime's Religious Affairs Committee insisted that individuals had to be fined if they break the law. Asked why courts punish individuals for exercising freedom of religion or belief, he responded: "I can't comment on court decisions." He said amendments his Committee has prepared to reduce these administrative punishments are now with the Justice Ministry, but refused to say why these punishments should not be abolished.
Of the 127 prosecutions in 2021 for exercising freedom of religion in Kazakhstan, 117 ended with convictions. Almost all of the punishments included fines. However, the true number of such administrative cases is likely to be higher. Administrative prosecutions have continued in 2022, with two known cases already leading to fines in January
The 127 known administrative cases in 2021 are a slight reduction from 2020 in the number of prosecutions. This may be because of the coronavirus pandemic and the consequent halting of public events (including meetings for worship) for much of 2021. This gave the regime fewer opportunities in 2021 for raids and prosecutions of people for exercising their freedom of religion and belief. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: It is now more than 30 years since the collapse of the USSR, but the same Soviet-style persecution of exercising freedom of religion continues in Russia and the former-USSR countries. The more things change, the more they stay the same!
SIGNS OF AUTISM CAN BE SPOTTED EARLIER THAN THOUGHT, STUDIES SAY
from: Disability Scoop
(8 Feb.) Two recent studies found evidence indicating signs of autism spectrum disorder could be identified in children earlier than researchers once thought, revealing that children under 12 months may display signs of the condition.
Both studies, led by Dr. Hanna A. Alonim from the Mifne Center for Early Intervention in the Treatment of Autism along with other partners, were published in December in the International Journal of Pediatrics & Neonatal Care.
If doctors and researchers are able to identify signs of autism early, they’re able to get a head start on therapeutic intervention, Alonim said about the studies, which could lessen the severity of autism spectrum disorder.
"These two studies confirm that there is a window of opportunity and it makes complete sense that early detection and intervention will affect neuroanatomical development components at a stage which is most influential for the rapidly developing brain, even to the extent that the full-blown manifestation of autism can be prevented from escalation," Alonim said.
The first study of the pair examined a group of 110 children who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 2 and 3. Children were from the United States, Israel, Australia and Europe. Researchers were able to select children who had been video recorded through the first year of their lives before their parents had noticed any signs of autism.
Researchers also asked parents questions, including when they noticed that their child had a developmental difference, who noticed the difference and how they reacted. Then, teams of researchers sat down and reviewed the footage of the children during their infancy to try to identify signs of autism, as reported in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. They study observed the following traits:
• Lack of eye contact
• Lack of reaction to the presence/ voice of parents
• Excessive passivity
• Motor developmental delay
• Excessive activity
• Refusal to eat
• Aversion to touch
• Accelerated growth of head circumference
[read more...]
COMMENTARY: As this article explains, it is most critical to diagnose autism at the earliest possible age in order to begin the proper therapy. Babies' and toddlers' brains are very "plastic" at these young ages and can be formed in a way to overcome this disability.
ALL-UKRAINIAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES DISCUSSED PROBLEMATIC DRAFT LAWS WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF VERKHOVNA RADA
from: Religious Information Service of Ukraine
(6 Feb.) Religious figures explained their comments on a number of legislative initiatives during a meeting with the leadership of the Ukrainian Parliament. They discussed the inexpediency of ratifying the Istanbul Convention, the need to ban commercial surrogacy, improve state family policy and promote the unity of society in the face of Russian aggression.
Explaining the position of the AUCCRO against the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine noted that churches and religious organizations are actively involved in the process of providing assistance to victims of domestic violence, created an interfaith website "Stop Violence!" and drafted a manual for priests, lobbied for the adoption of relevant legislation in 2017, and are ready to work on improving it in the future. But, according to him, the religious community does not accept the ideological burden of the Istanbul Convention, which promotes gender ideology, but supports the development of national legislation.
Metropolitan Klyment (Vecherya) of the Nizhyn and Priluky, UOC-MP, was critical of the government's draft law of Ukraine "On Assisted Reproductive Technologies" (No. 6475 and alternative No. 6475-1 and No. 6475-2), which proposes legalizing surrogacy because significant comments to its text from the religious community were not taken into account by the developers.
"Of course, we want the demographic crisis to stop in Ukraine, but in the right way – thanks to the support of families, responsible motherhood and fatherhood," said Bishop Vitaly Krivitsky, an ordinary bishop of Kyiv-Zhytomyr of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine.
Archpriest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Fr. Oleksa Petriv stressed that the Parliament should seriously consider whether it is advisable to cover up this immoral, shameful activity, which in fact is trafficking of Ukrainian children and sexual exploitation of women, with slogans about filling the budget from commercial surrogacy services. "It is necessary to improve the state family policy, but for this, we need to create a ministry for families, children and Youth Affairs," the UGCC priest stressed. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: Surrogacy is big business in Ukraine, where people are poor, so having a baby for foreigner by selling her body is a way for a woman to break out of poverty. This business has been sharply curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic. But surrogacy also contributes to the demographic crisis in Ukraine.
WE LAUGH SO WE DON'T CRY: CARING FOR A DISABLED FAMILY MEMBER
from: Disabled World
(26 Jan.) When you are disabled or care for a disabled person, you often have friends who you can share stories with that others don't find interesting or humorous. These are the friends who laugh with us so we don't cry. Young children often mispronounce words. It is cute at first. If the mispronunciation persists, they are referred to speech therapy for correction. For some disabled children, like my sister and my daughter, the mispronunciations persist even with intensive therapy. We learn to accept, understand and find the humor in what they are saying.
There are different groups of friends. We have our neighborhood friends, school friends, work friends, internet friends, and friends who share similar interests just to name a few. When you are disabled or care for a disabled person you also have your 'special' friends. These are the friends who you can share stories with that others don't find interesting or humorous. These are the friends who laugh with us so we don't cry.
A Few of My Stories
Young children often mispronounce words. It is cute at first. If the mispronunciation persists, they are referred to speech therapy for correction. For some disabled children, like my sister and my daughter, the mispronunciations persist even with intensive therapy. We learn to accept, understand and find the humor in what they are saying.
While some of the words they say might sound offensive to some, our special friends understand and laugh with us. They surprise us with how they have trouble pronouncing simple words but pronounce naughty words loud and clear. Here are some examples.
My mother prayed with my sister every night. One of the prayers my sister recited was the "Hail Mary." For my sister, it was not "Hail Mary, full of grace"; it was "Hail Mary full of grapes"! Mary did not pray for our sinners; she prayed for our dinner! I guess grapes and dinner were more relevant for my sister than grace and sinners.
My daughter and my sister reside at an intermediate care facility called Divine Providence Village (DPV). Neither girl is able to say the full name of the facility or pronounce all three words correctly. Divine is easy for them to pronounce. Providence is pronounced as "problems" and the word village is nonexistent in their interpretation of the name. Divine Providence Village has been renamed Divine Problems by my family and close friends. The girls are my joy and my divine problems!! We laugh with our divine problems so we don't cry. [read more...]
COMMENTARY: Was your heart, like mine, touched by reading this article? "Divine Problems" are sometimes sent to us to test our faith. God does not lead us into temptation (a better translation of the Lord's Prayer is "You do not lead us into temptation"); rather, He may test our faith and trust in Him so that we may grow spiritually.
NOW, OUR VIEWS:
THE RELIGION OF ANTICHRIST
This video, with the subtitle "A reflection on the deceptive nature of the religion that will be established by the antichrist," is by Father Spyridon Bailey, and if you click on "Father Spyridon" at this YouTube page, you'll see several more of his videos. Also, here's a link to his books on Amazon. As he mentions, the antichrist will first appear to be god-like and many will fall for his signs and wonders:
"For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nothing by the brightness of his coming; even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn't receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Because of this, God sends them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be judged who didn't believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thes. 2:7-12).
Many people with "itching ears" will fall for such charlatans: "For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside to fables" (2 Tim. 4:3-4). People will be led astray by some who say all religions are the same, Jesus was just another good moral teacher, we need to coexist, etc. How can we escape being taken in by such deceivers?
At the end of St. Paul's letter to the Hebrews, he writes – "Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord, looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled; lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, as Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal" (ch. 12:14-16). The word "sanctification" comes from Latin sanctus and the Greek is hagios, "holy" –
"Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God..." (Rom. 12:1a). We find this theme again in 1 Thes. 4:3 – "For this is the will of God: your sanctification...." These three texts, in Hebrews, Romans, and 1 Thessalonians, have dozens of cross-references that I suggest you click on to consider: Be Holy!
(Get this as a separate page at ARC-News-blog.blogspot.com).
