Post 149--Ready to Defund Planned Parenthood?

The letter below just arrived on my screen and I decided I would share it with all of you immediately.  I know the organization is American, not Canadian, but the issue it talks about is international in that we are talking about trying to stop the wholesale murder of the most vulnerable of all human beings, namely babies. The euphemism is, of course, abortion, one of the most barbaric practices of the West. The 

people who are fighting this battle feel that this a most opportune moment to strike a blow at that practice and kill it instead of babies. So, here it is, email address and all.   

K

Kristan Hawkins | Students for Life <kristan@studentsforlife.org>

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Wed 01-25, 7:12 AM

You

Dear Jan H, Since the election, leaders in the pro-life movement have been meeting to determine how to partner with the leaders in Washington to make our mission of ending abortion in our lifetime a reality. In case you haven’t noticed, we believe that defunding Planned Parenthood and redirecting those federal funds to health centers that truly service women, men, and children in all stages of life is a strategic stepping stone in our path. So, if you are tired of Planned Parenthood ending the lives of 323,999 innocent children every year and harming countless women while raking in $553,700,000 annual taxpayer dollars ... and you're ready to start defunding this harmful organization in 2017 ... then register to join this important nationwide online webcast event: www.defundingplannedparenthood.com During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump said that he was committed to: "Defunding Planned Parenthood as long as they continue to perform abortions, and re-allocating their funding to community health centers that provide comprehensive health care for women.” Following his inauguration last week, our movement has an unprecedented opportunity to make defunding Planned Parenthood a reality. You are invited to an urgent NATIONWIDE webcast event to discover the first steps we must take --together -- to successfully strip half a billion dollars of annual taxpayer funding from America's largest abortion chain. WHAT: "Defunding Planned Parenthood" urgent nationwide webcast DATE: Tuesday, January 31st TIME: 9 PM Eastern (8 PM Central, 7 PM Mountain, 6 PM Pacific) REGISTER TO ATTEND AT: www.defundingplannedparenthood.com During this historic webcast, you'll hear from me as well as many of our nation’s top pro-life leaders: Marjorie Dannenfelser, Susan B. Anthony List David Daleiden, Center for Medical Progress Lila Rose, Live Action Ryan Bomberger, Radiance Foundation Abby Johnson, Former Planned Parenthood Director, ATTWN Steve Aden, Alliance Defending Freedom Kristan Hawkins, Students for Life of America (Me!) Tom McClusky, March for Life Carol Tobias, National Right to Life Committee Eric Scheidler, Pro-Life Action League, #ProtestPP Kristi Hamrick, Americans United for Life Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life Jim Sedlak, ALL, Stop Planned Parenthood David Bereit, Host By attending, you'll learn: Why RIGHT NOW is the most strategic opportunity to defund America's largest abortion chain that the pro-life movement has seen in decades The 5 COMPELLING MESSAGES that are most effective at showing the general public why Planned Parenthood must be defunded The 3 PRIMARY SOURCES of Planned Parenthood's $1.3 Billion annual income ... and which source is most vulnerable over these next 60 days BREAKING NEWS from Capitol Hill on the exact process, timing, and collaborative action needed to help Congress and President Trump act swiftly on their promise to defund the abortion giant WHAT YOU CAN DO to help create the massive public pressure needed to overcome media bias and abortion industry propaganda ... and succeed at defunding Planned Parenthood This is the moment we've been waiting for! Jan H, please register to join this webcast and learn how we can seize this historic opportunity and END Planned Parenthood's death grip on our taxpayer dollars. Spaces on the Defunding Planned Parenthood urgent nationwide webcast are limited, and hundreds of thousands of pro-life Americans are being invited, so claim your spot now at: www.defundingplannedparenthood.com For Life, Kristan Hawkins President, Students for Life of America PS- Please help spread the word about this urgent “Defunding Planned Parenthood" nationwide webcast! Forward this email to everyone you possibly can so they can register to attend the Tuesday, January 31st online event at: www.defundingplannedparenthood.com

Post 148—Blue Monday—The Latest Hoax

I am basically a writer. That means, among other things, that I spend a lot of time at the computer either writing or preparing to do so by reading and researching. That also means that much of the world at times goes by me so that things happen or ideas develop in society that I do not notice. Ideas circulate but pass me by. That’s one of the reasons I do watch the news and read newspapers, though I am aware that the news is often skewed,  slanted and selective.  One of the ideas that has been circulating the past day or so—and, apparently, not a new one—is that of Blue Monday.  I heard of it the first time on TV this week. When I asked Fran, my wife, what that was, she was surprised I had not heard of it. Such surprise on her part is not the first time. At any rate, as I listened to her explanation and to the TV clip about it, I shrugged my shoulder. What kind of nonsense is that?  Something that people talk each other into?  Not only had I never heard of it, I had never experienced it either. If this is a real thing, should I not have experienced it at least once or twice?  Since I haven’t, it must indeed be something people talk each other into. If you don’t listen and have not heard of it, it won’t happen to you, for you won't imagine it. Well, guess what. Our friend Jim Dennison wrote that, according to other psychologists, there is no such thing as Blue Monday. This is what he writes: A psychologist named Cliff Arnall christened the third Monday in January as "Blue Monday." According to him, the weather, debt from the holidays, and broken New Year's resolutions combined to make yesterday "the most depressing day of the year." Except that it wasn't. Psychologists say the formula Arnall used has been "effectively debunked" and tell us that "there is no such thing as the most depressing day of the year." Well, at least I did not waste my time worrying about whether I was afflicted by it or not. It ain’t there. It’s a hoax, though Arnall probably did not mean it as such. But as wife Fran and I talked about it, she suggested that a more likely candidate for being blue would be December 23 or thereabouts—the shortest day of the year, the winder equinox. My reaction to that was that that might be the least blue of all days, since from there on things are looking up: the days are going to get longer; the darkness is receding. That’s at least true for the northern hemisphere. The farther north you go, the greater the difference between the hours of light and darkness. Down south, of course, it’s the other way around. Allow me a bit of pop psychology. My own experience is that attitudes like “Blue Monday,” when you generalize them, to a large degree depend on at least three factors in your life.  One is your personality, your native or inherent psychological makeup. If negative thinking comes naturally to you, if your cup is always half empty, then you are probably more prone to that blue stuff. Since I am blessed with a positive personality, things like weather do not particularly bother me one way or another, though I admit that long periods of high summer temps can sometimes tire me out, while an extended winter into spring can annoy me. That’s probably a retirement reaction to being in the tropics for 30 years. Been there, done that; don’t need any more of that stuff. But I do have some friends who are prone to “seasonal disorder” or something like that. And they do genuinely suffer apparently from things like “Blue Monday,” except that for them it’s more like an extended blue cloudy period or perhaps an even longer “blue winter.” Our rainy BC climate seems to lend itself to that, though people can also have it in sunny California. So, that’s a native, inherent proclivity that can turn things blue for you. I thank God I’m spared that.  If you do have that makeup—and this is my second point--, when circumstances in your life turn against you like unemployment or your house goes into default, then that blue thing can make it worse for you. You don’t have that half-full cup to counter or resist it. You slide into it more readily and before long, there you are, in a deep depression-like experience. It can lead you into a deep valley that can even ruin a marriage. Because of my personality, I don’t always understand that kind of experience and am sometimes impatient with it. That’s a downside of being inclined towards a more positive and more cheerful disposition. The third factor in all this is your faith—or lack of it. I am the happy possessor of a positive faith in God.  That cup simile comes from the Bible: Psalm 23:5, to be exact. Let me give you this passage from two different translations, the first a more formal one, the second more conversational. The New International Version (NIV) puts it this way: Even though I walk     through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil,     for you are with me; your rod and your staff,     they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me     in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil;     my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me     all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord     forever. The Message, a more contemporary and popular translation, has it this way: Even when the way goes through     Death Valley, I’m not afraid     when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook     makes me feel secure. 5 You serve me a six-course dinner     right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head;     my cup brims with blessing. 6 Your beauty and love chase after me     every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God     for the rest of my life. I have had my times of worry but hindsight usually convinces me that it coincided with a time of letting go of God, not quite trusting Him. And when this third element was missing, the other two were not enough of a barrier to resist the negativity that entered my life. For me, all three need to be in place and in sync. That’s when it all disappears. I love that Psalm. Please do not misunderstand.  I am not saying or suggesting that if you tend to be a negative person or if you have a hard time coping with downturns in your circumstances, you must be short of Christian faith or of faith in general. Our lives do not flow according to strict formulas.  I have just told you my personal experiences; yours may be very different.  But I did want to share this with you in response to Jim’s above. thing significant to follow Jesus?

Post 147—President Obama’s Farewell Address

Though I prefer to share Canadian events or currents with you, a farewell address from the world’s most powerful man—at least, so it is claimed time and again—should not be ignored, even if he is American. I think it can be argued that US Presidents have more effect on Canada than our own PMs.  Our PM’s largely react to what a US President says or does. This is not a criticism of anyone; that’s just the way things are in this globalized world.

Once again, it’s Jim Denison’s wise words of today about Obama’s farewell that I wish to share with you. Here goes:

President Obama gave his farewell address to the nation last night. He spoke from McCormick Place convention center in Chicago, less than four miles from Grant Park, where he gave his 2008 victory speech. Watching his address, I was struck by two contrasting themes. One: Mr. Obama clearly wanted to claim success for his last eight years in office. Every president leaving office wants to do the same. It's a natural way to consolidate gains and celebrate progress. At the end of his speech, he repeated the familiar "Yes we can!" from his 2008 presidential campaign, followed by "Yes we did!" Two: The president wanted to cast his vision forward, clearly setting the stage for confrontations with the Trump administration and its competing agenda. He cited a laundry list of contentious issues, from climate change to discrimination to health care, and made it clear that he is not going to fade from view. His party has no clear leader and could face even more congressional losses in 2018. It seemed to me that Mr. Obama was not only framing his administration now ending, but also making a campaign speech for his future now beginning. In coming days, I plan to share my thoughts regarding Mr. Obama's worldview and its consequences for our culture. For today, let's think about his farewell speech and more specifically, the right spirit in which to respond. Consider a lesson from the recent election. In the current edition ofNewsweek, Michael Wolff notes that the establishment media was so surprised by Trump's success because they were so out of touch with Trump's America. Their alignment with liberal values and cultural elites made it difficult for them to see other worldviews coherently or objectively. Those of us who embrace biblical values must be careful not to do the same. For instance, I know pro-choice supporters who are personally opposed to abortion but believe the choice should be with the mother rather than the government. They see themselves as defending both the mother and the child. I disagree strongly (for my white paper on this issue, see Abortion and the Mercy of God), but I need to understand their position before I can persuade them to change it. Denigrating them as "baby killers" is as offensive to them as calling the pro-life position a "war on women" is to me. We can be "culture warriors" or we can be cultural missionaries, but we cannot be both. There are times when we must defend biblical truth, as did the prophets and apostles (1 Peter 3:15). But there are also times when we should build relational bridges over which to lead people to biblical truth. Jesus condemned the Pharisees' hypocrisy (Matthew 23), but he engaged the Samaritan woman in gracious conversation that led to the conversion of her village (John 4). As we respond today to President Obama's farewell address, let's do so in a way that respects both his office (Romans 13:1) and his person (2 Timothy 2:24). Let's stand for truth, but let's do so in love (Ephesians 4:15). Let's value the people we influence more than the debates we win.There are no red states or blue states in heaven, only eternal souls.  It's this last sentence I have a little trouble with--"eternal souls" or "eternal resurrected people?"

Post 146—The PM on Violence against Women

Many of my posts are critical of our young PM, though not because of his age. Of course, his age may have something to do with it, for during the last Federal campaign did we not frequently here that he was not yet ready?  In other words, not experienced enough; not old enough.  I do believe that to be the case. He is far too rash and does not think things through adequately. I’m hardly the only one to talk this way, of course. It is frequently repeated even in the liberal press.

But credit to whom credit is due. I will give him credit when he deserves it, since, like some people, I do not get paid to oppose him no matter what he says or does. The item I am sharing with you today has been on my “to do” or “to write” list ever since end November last year, but other things were always crowding it out. They still do, even today, but this time I’m elbowing them out of the way and let the PM have his say on a very important subject. 

On November 25, 2016, the PM’s office published the following statement:

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women:

“An estimated one in three women around the world experience violence in their lifetime. This statistic is unacceptable. It is crucial for all of us – women, men, and youth – to work together to put an end to this violence.

“Violence against women is the world’s greatest and most persistent violation of human rights, leaving women and girls vulnerable and unable to fully participate in society. It damages families, communities, and countries.

“Violence against women is not a women’s issue. Men must boldly work alongside women to combat this violence – and not simply because they have wives, daughters, or sisters. Women deserve the full depth of respect, safety, and dignity, regardless of their relationships with men.

“To change the prevalence of this violence, we must first challenge the attitudes and behaviours that allow this violence to exist, and that allow disrespect for and abuse of women to become commonplace. We must teach our daughters and sons the importance of gender equality and the need to treat everyone with equal respect.

“That is why the Government of Canada is investing in several programs both in Canada and around the world to help promote gender equality, support efforts to prevent gender-based violence, and stop human trafficking.

“Today and throughout the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, I encourage all Canadians not only to think about how their actions matter, but also to stand up against gender-based violence. Get started by joining the conversation online using the hashtag #ActionsMatter. Together, we can create a world that does not tolerate violence against women.”

Mostly well spoken, PM.  Thank you.  But it raises a question….

I’m back to make one comment on the above. I’m a missionary and we missionaries are often accused of imposing our religion and culture on other peoples. My point today is not to argue against that, but, rather, to indicate that our Federal Government does the very thing we are accused of. It tells other cultures what to do, impose western values on non-western people.  To oppose gender violence is a good thing, no matter where it occurs. However, when you start talking about gender equality you are talking about the basics of a culture and you are telling those “others” that they must change their culture. Has anyone invited the PM in to undermine their culture?  Just because he thinks genders should be equal, does that give him the right to force that on others?  Of course, if it is accompanied by dollars, then other nations often pretend to agree just to get access to those dollars, but they often get diverted to a cause the men can accept!

Just askin’.

Post 145—Some food for thought to bring you into the new year

To begin with, a happy new year to you! The following is a post from an outfit called “Reasons to Believe” (RTB).  They talk a lot about believing, reason and faith. Sometimes they get pretty philosophical.  I am forwarding their post to you just to give you some stuff to ponder as you make your way into 2017.  They tell you about a new book that you could find interesting, even if it is politically incorrect.   But don’t let that put you off. It’s the politically incorrect who are free, at least compared to their counterparts, the politically correct. The latter are hung up on all sort of opinions and don’t dare to discuss things openly.  They don’t dare to ask whether all religions are the same or whether their founders all meant the same; they are too scared to do so. That’s why they attack those who do, for then the correct folk feel threatened. Who knows: someone could just force them to discuss the forbidden!  In addition, the post leaves you with some unanswered questions. Tackle them. Ponder them. Work them out. Send me the conclusions you reach. I am curious. Your conclusions could become the fodder for a post, with our without your name, something you will have to decide.  I won’t use your name unless you specifically tell me I may. So, here goes: Has anyone ever tried to tell you that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe something? These days, anyone who doesn’t believe that all ideas—especially about religion—are equally valid is likely to be labeled “intolerant.” In an age of growing religious pluralism, how do we articulate why it matters what we believe and what tolerance truly is? Kenneth Samples, RTB theologian and philosopher, is here to help you with his brand-new book, God among Sages: Why Jesus Is Not Just Another Religious Leader. Ken begins with a detailed look at the historic Christian portrait of Jesus Christ, then shows you how Jesus is unique compared to the founders of four major world religions: Krishna, Gautama (Buddha), Confucius, and Muhammad. Using eight objective criteria, Ken demonstrates that it is logically impossible for their claims to be equally valid. While there may be some notable overlaps in ethics and worldview, their teachings about mankind, God, and eternity are mutually exclusive. The book concludes with a thorough and thoughtful examination of what tolerance means for Christians in a pluralistic world. God among Sages is  is hot off the presses, and you’ll be one of the first to have it! Blog Summary and Highlights Have you ever felt threatened by a question? Perhaps someone was questioning your beliefs, and you didn’t know how to respond. Or perhaps you were the one asking a difficult question. In a recent blog post, Jeff shares his love of questions and why our faith welcomes inquiry. In other blog posts, scholars Kenneth and Fazale respond to questions of their own, dealing with theology and biological design. “How Do We Pursue Sanctification Amid a Sinful World?” by Kenneth Samples “Never Fear an Honest Question” by Jeff Zweerink “Q&A: Why Would an Infinite Creator Employ the Same Designs?” by Fazale Rana

Peter LaBarbera

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Post….—Remembrance Day 2017  *                          POSTED    NOV….   2017