| | Virginia orders schools to stop hiding trans students' health information from parents | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It's Wednesday, September 21, and today's headlines include a directive from Virginia's Department of Education reversing a previous directive that allowed trans-identifying students to use opposite-sex pronouns, allegations that a college music department founder abused more than 100 boys, and this weekend's March for the Martyrs event in Washington, D.C. | | A directive from Virginia's Department of Education under Gov. Glenn Youngkin has reversed a directive enacted under the previous governor, Democrat Ralph Northam, which called for allowing trans-identifying students to use opposite-sex pronouns without documentation. The new directive has instructed all 133 Virginia public school districts to stop allowing trans-identified students to identify as the opposite biological sex without legal documents. The directive, which was announced on Friday, has also ordered all public schools to no longer allow students to use bathrooms aligned with their preferred gender identity. The directive further states that schools must "keep parents fully informed about all matters" related to a child's health and social and psychological development," and they may not conceal information related to the child's gender from parents. It also specifies that school staff is not required to address a student "in any manner" that contradicts their religious beliefs. | | In an interview with The Christian Post, Nicole Neily, founder and president of Parents Defending Education, called on other states to follow suit. "The kinds of ideas and the kinds of policies that have been pushed in schools across the country, when parents know what's going on, they're appalled by those, and rightly so ... The fact that Gov. Youngkin has put parental rights first and foremost is something that shouldn't be revolutionary, but sadly, in 2022, it is," she stated. Continue reading. | | P.S. Looking for a way to close out your week? Stay in the know with In Case You Missed It, a Friday-only newsletter that features a roundup of the top stories of the week and a selection of faith-based highlights. Subscribe here. |
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| Whistleblowers: Grace College music dept. founder was a predator | | Don Ogden, the man who founded the music department at Grace College & Seminary in Winona Lake, Ind., died at the age of 88 in 2015. A publication from the college described the twice-married father of three as a family man who "loved being a servant of the Lord." Now, he is accused of being a serial predator who allegedly likened his attraction for sex with young boys to a "dentist that eats candy." A six-page statement with supporting evidence that was recently shared with The Christian Post by Ogden's adult daughters, Diane and Kathleen, said they discovered in early 2021 that, along with his music legacy, their father left behind an estimated 100 to 200 male victims of his predation. They also accuse officials at the college and Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church of mishandling his abuse out of fear a resulting scandal would disrupt their operations. Read more. | | March for the Martyrs to shed light on Christian persecution | | Demonstrators from across the country will descend on Washington, D.C., on Saturday to show solidarity with persecuted Christians worldwide. The third annual March for the Martyrs is set to kick off with a rally at the Sylvan Theater on the National Mall at 3 p.m. Participants will begin marching downtown at 3:45 p.m., with the march concluding approximately 1.2 miles away at the Museum of the Bible. Programming will continue in the museum's World Stage Theater for a Night of Prayer for the Persecuted. "Christian persecution is a human rights crisis, and it should be treated with the same level of urgency and seriousness as any other human rights crisis. And yet, because of the fact that they are Christian, it is seen as an issue that is only for the Church," Gia Chacon, the founder of For the Martyrs, the organization spearheading the march, said in an interview with The Christian Post. Learn more. |
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| Billy Graham and the queen of England: The unlikely friendship | | In this op-ed, Pastor Greg Laurie explores the friendship between Billy Graham and the late Queen Elizabeth II. "Theirs was a friendship of mutual respect and admiration. They shared a faith that guided them both as they carried the weight of the world on their shoulders and were revered in the hearts of millions," Laurie writes. Read more. | | 'The Detranistion Diaries: Saving Our Sisters' (film review) | | Senior Investigative Reporter Brandon Showalter discusses why he is cautiously optimistic that the tide is turning when it comes to cross-sex hormones and body-mutilating trans surgeries. Showalter reviews "The Detransition Diaries," the latest film to give a voice to the individuals who have been victimized by this "postmodern gender dogma" that has "irreversibly harmed" its victims. The film explores the inner lives of three destransitioner women: Helena, Cat and Grace. In it, Cat describes being approved for testosterone via a 30-minute call with Planned Parenthood, saying she started taking male hormones later that day. She explains how her past psychiatric illnesses in her medical records were ignored by those who treated her. Read more. |
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| "Do you want to be a great pastor for God?" | | "Don't quit, don't fornicate, you will be the only one left and you will be great." | | I was stunned by those words. | | Really? | | Is that all it takes to be great for God as a pastor? | | I heard these words for the first time in my Historical Theology class at Dallas Theological Seminary in 1994 from Dr. John Hannah when I was a twenty-three-year-old seminary student studying for the pastorate. Read more. | | |
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| George Barna on blended belief systems: Nation in 'crisis' | | Barna Group Founder George Barna recently stated that most Americans blend their beliefs to create a "customized worldview" that is far from biblical as the country is in a spiritual "crisis." The Evangelical pollster's comments came during the Family Research Council's "Pray Vote Stand" summit last week in Atlanta. Barna, who also heads up the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, explained that Americans today are most influenced by biblical theism, Eastern mysticism, Marxism, moralistic therapeutic deism, nihilism, postmodernism and secular humanism, and he encouraged Christians to remember that they "are here to be salt and light. That's what transformation is: changing the world around us forever based on God's truths. But in order to do that, we need a healthy Church—Capital C. We need believers who get it, believers who are willing to put their lives on the line." Read more. | | Also of Interest... | | Nondenominational pastors found to hold more biblical views than pastors of other denominations: surveyOver a third of senior pastors believe 'good people' can earn their way to Heaven: survey | | Why the decline of religion is a 'national health concern' | | An analysis from Pew Research Center recently suggested that even when considering multiple switching scenarios, religious disaffiliations will continue to increase, changing the U.S. religious landscape over the next half-century. Should religion, including Christianity, continue to decline, Americans might not just lose their faith but their health, too. A 2016 study found that religion contributes approximately $1.2 trillion annually to the socio-economic value of the American economy. A 2019 follow-up to that research, which was published in the Journal of Religion and Health, found that the work of nearly 130,000 congregation-based substance abuse recovery support programs in the U.S. was valued at up to $316.6 billion. Researchers noted these faith-based volunteer support groups result in savings to the U.S. economy annually at no cost to taxpayers. Read more. | | Also of Interest... | | Christians could lose majority status in America by 2045: studyTwo-thirds of younger adults with a commitment to Christ don't attend church: survey |
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| Kanye West compares himself to Moses following school launch | | In a now-viral Instagram story, Kanye West compared himself to the biblical Moses following the launch of his own Christian private school in Southern California. "No one asked Moses how much he slept," the rapper wrote in an apparent comparison between himself and Moses, to whom God revealed the Ten Commandments and led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. While West did not offer any context for the reference, many fans believe he made the comment in response to his efforts to open "Donda Academy," a Christian-based school in Simi Valley, Calif. Read more. | | | | | | | | Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! -- CP Editors |
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