| | Global coalition of 37 countries commit to pro-family policies | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It's Friday, November 18, and today's headlines include more than three dozen countries expressing support for a document declaring that "there is no international right to abortion," research on youth hospitalizations for suicidal ideation, and a Michigan school district's removal of sexually explicit books following complaints from parents. | | Kazakhstan had become the 37th nation to sign onto the Geneva Consensus Declaration, a document that explicitly states that "there is no international right to abortion." The document was crafted at the 2020 World Health Assembly, which was slated to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the event to be held virtually. Lawmakers, pro-life activists and representatives of governments worldwide gathered on Capitol Hill Thursday to commemorate the second anniversary of the signing of the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family. The Institute for Women’s Health, a nonprofit that works to "advocate for the optimal health and thriving of women throughout every phase of life," hosted a ceremony in the Russell Senate Office Building featuring remarks from U.S. lawmakers and diplomats from nations that have signed the Geneva Consensus Declaration discussing the efforts made by their countries to improve health outcomes for women and girls while rejecting the idea that abortion constitutes a form of women’s healthcare. | | IWH President Valerie Huber introduced Kazakhstan as the newest signatory but stressed that "countries and coalitions sometimes disagree on policies outside of those coalitions." The nation has recently come under fire for its treatment of religious minorities. Earlier this year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended that the U.S. State Department place Kazakhstan on a special watch list for countries that engage in "systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations" of religious freedom. The United States was one of the nearly three dozen countries that first signed the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Oct. 22, 2020, but it withdrew support after President Joe Biden took office. Continue reading. | | P.S.Get rewarded for sharing our newsletters! Sign-up for the CP referral program—the more you share, the more you earn. Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to get started today! |
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| Michigan school district removes sexually explicit books | | Dearborn Public School District in Michigan will reduce students' access to certain books in school libraries after parents, particularly those in the Muslim community, complained the materials were sexually explicit. Officials announced that the challenged books were reviewed under the district's Guidelines for the Selection and Review of Media Materials and that it intends to remove two books and limit access to others for high school students. The removed books are Push by Sapphire, the story of a girl sexually abused by her father; and Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, an LGBT romance with sexually explicit content. Only high schoolers will have access to The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, a book about a young girl watching over her family after she is raped and murdered, as well as Eleanor and Park, a teenage romance story containing profanity and abuse. The district has yet to make a decision about All Boys Aren't Blue by Jason Reynolds and This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson. Read more. | | Report shows sharp uptick in youth hospitalizations for suicidal thoughts | | New research published in the journal Pediatrics of the American Academy of Pediatrics has revealed that suicide rates and mental health-related hospital visits among youth were on the rise before the COVID-19 pandemic but surged even higher during the lockdowns. According to the results, from 2016 through 2017 to 2019 through 2021, the number of emergency room visits for suicidal thoughts increased 59%. The number of visits where suicidal ideation was the primary diagnosis increased from 34.6% to 44.3%. Findings also showed that hospitalizations rose 57% between the pre-pandemic fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020. Audrey Brewer, one of the study's co-authors, told CNN the findings highlight "how mental health concerns were really a problem before the pandemic. I mean, we saw this huge increase in [emergency department] visits for kids of all ages, honestly, in 2019, and it’s very concerning." Read more. | | Pelosi to step down as Democratic leader | | Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced Thursday she will not seek a Democratic leadership position as Republicans will take control of the lower chamber next year. Pelosi, who made history by becoming the first female speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2007, spoke about her lengthy political career and how she never intended to run for public office, saying, "When I first came to the floor at 6 years old, never would I have thought that someday I would go from homemaker to House speaker." House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., also announced Thursday his intention not to seek reelection to leadership roles next Congress, declaring it is time "for a new generation of leaders." As of Thursday morning, Republicans passed the 218-seat minimum to have majority control of the lower house of Congress, with several more House seats still to be determined. Read more. |
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| The secret to being thankful despite circumstances | | In the lead-up to Thanksgiving, Christian Post Executive Editor Dr. Richard Land discusses why Americans should be grateful. Millions serve and protect the nation in times of war and peace, and generations of Americans have worked hard to create the "economic juggernaut" that people today enjoy. Further, Americans are beneficiaries of a heritage "of freedom and recognition of the God-given ('endowed') unique and priceless dignity of every human being." Above all, Jesus has redeemed us through his sacrifice on the cross, making us joint heirs "so you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." (Gal. 4:7). Read more. | | The (Dis)Respect for Marriage Act advances | | "On Wednesday afternoon, Americans received a major warning sign that our Republic is teetering on the brink," says William Wolfe. It came in the form of a Senate cloture vote regarding the Respect for Marriage Act, with 12 Republican senators joining Senate Democrats to throw "people of faith under the bus—and possibly into prison," Wolfe cautions. Read more. |
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| What Jesus Said About the Last Days | | Who on the world stage today fits the Biblical description of the Antichrist? What do natural disasters and rising inflation rates have to do with the end times? How can we prepare for the challenges Jesus warned us about in the last days? | | In his NEW book Is the End Near? — AVAILABLE NOW for your gift of any amount to Leading The Way — pastor and bestselling author Dr. Michael Youssef answers these questions and more, bringing Biblical clarity to one of the most misunderstood topics in Scripture. | | Request Your Copy of Is the End Near? | | |
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| Megachurch asks congregants to forgive pastor's prostitution arrest | | The Rock Church International leadership team has asked congregants to forgive the Rev. John Blanchard and announced that the pastor has "voluntarily stepped back" from his role as lead pastor for the second time in just over a year following his arrest for solicitation of prostitution last fall. The team cited Romans 3:23, saying, "Although everyone must address their own convictions and consequences, our assignment as believers is not to condemn, but to be agents of God’s love, healing, justice, and reconciliation." Blanchard, 52, was among 17 men accused of solicitation of prostitution after an online sting operation by police on Oct. 29, 2021. The pastor, a married father of two, was charged with solicitation of prostitution of a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution—both felonies—after being arrested at a hotel where he was supposed to meet a detective posing as a 17-year-old girl. Read more. | | Locke ousted from YouTube, blames 'haters' | | YouTube has removed Tennessee pastor and social media influencer Greg Locke's personal account several weeks after shutting down his church's account. Locke, the pastor of Global Vision Bible Church, shared the news on Facebook, writing, "There was no message, no warning and no explanation. They simply bowed to the wishes of countless haters reporting the page." Facebook removed Locke's promotion of a church service in early 2021 after the pastor insisted his church would stay open during COVID-19 lockdowns in defiance of federal guidelines at the time against social gatherings of no more than 10 people. Facebook accused Locke of "promoting a crime." After exposing the presence of suspected witches at his church earlier this year, Locke said he was threatened with death, hexes, sex toys and glitter bombs. Read more. |
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| What should a Christian do if they can't find their 'spiritual gift'? | | In a recent episode of the "Ask Pastor John" podcast, theologian and author John Piper addressed the question of whether it is possible for a Christian not to have any spiritual gifts. In response to a woman who described feeling like she did not "seem to have any 'spiritual gifts,'" Piper stressed that she does, explaining that such gifts are "simply the outworking of our experience of the grace of God expressed through our personality." Piper advised the woman, Cara, to stop focusing on trying to find these gifts and instead focus on her pursuit to honor and glorify God in her life. "[D]on't make it your aim to discover your gift. I know that's counterintuitive. Rather, make it your aim to love people for Christ's sake. And then, do it in as many ways that feel natural to your personality as you can. I think in doing that, you will discover your purpose, and you will fulfill 1 Peter 4:10," Piper said. Read more. | | | | | | | | Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again on Monday! -- CP Editors |
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