Pennsylvania Scholarships help kids go to Christian schools

The state of Pennsylvania's Education Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) has been greatly expanded for the 2011-12 school year, to give scholarships to families so that their kids can attend Christian and other private schools.

The way EITC works is this: businesses operating within Pennsylvania that pay certain taxes have the option to contribute some or all of what they owe to scholarship organizations, like the Pennsylvania Family Institute's Family Choice Scholarship Program. The state will give them a generous tax credit. Those scholarship programs, in turn, distribute those monies in the form of grants to students to attend private (including Christian) schools. It's a great concept - businesses get nearly a dollar-for-dollar credit and deduction off their state taxes, and families and children get greater choice.

(from Pennsylvania Citizen, Fall 2012, published by Pennsylvania Family Institute)

Abortion clinics in Pennsylvania must now meet outpatient surgical center standards

We think that clinics is where healing takes place. At abortion "clinics", healing is definitely not on the agenda, just the opposite.

What happened on June 27th is that Act 122 of 2011 went into effect in the state of Pennsylvania. Now, surgical abortion facilities in the state face tough new regulations and oversight that are forcing some out of business. Those that remain in the death business face serious scrutiny and regular inspections - the lack of which for nearly two decades led to the terrible Gosnell "House of Horrors" abortion scandal.

More than three-quarters of abortion clinics are located in black and minority communities. Abortion is the leading killer of African-Americans, greater than all causes combined.

It's hard to forget. Countless numbers of late-term babies were born alive, moving, breathing - only to have their spinal cords cut with scissors by this so-called "doctor," Kermit Gosnell or one of his underlings. Women died, or were left sterile, maimed or suffering from venereal diseases passed on through unclean surgical instruments. Multiple murder charges were filed, and trials are underway.

And the grand jury reported that "from the highest levels of former-Governor Ridge's administration," (in 1995) a decision was made not to inspect or oversee abortion clinics in Pennsylvania. Thus, this lucrative industry was given free rein for nearly two decades under Pennsylvania governors Ridge (Republican) and Rendell (Democrat).

Thankfully, neither of those "pro-choice" governors was still in office when the grand jury report came out. Pennsylvania's new governor, Tom Corbett (Republican), ran on a pro-life platform, and in one of his first official acts after being sworn in, he took swift action that included dismissal of some bureaucrats implicated, and instituted emergency inspections of all abortion clinics in the state. He also ordered more regular scrutiny on the clinics.

Last year, the Pennsylvania Senate Health Committee met to consider legislation. They found an expert OB-BYN physician, who provided compelling testimony. He made it abundantly clear that there was simply no reason that an abortion clinic should not have to meet the same health and safety standards that every other outpatient surgical center must meet. He had the facts and medical expertise to back it up.

Despite the fact the African-Americans are the group that suffers most from the abortion, their lawmakers are captive to special interests: their party, and the abortion industry. However, there was one African-American lawmaker who did vote for the new regulations. Rep. Margo Davidson (Democrat, Delaware County), made moving speech on the House floor. She said, in a quavering voice:

"I am supporting House Bill 574 on behalf of my cousin who was killed at the Gosnell clinic."

The bill became law, and starting on June 27th, 2012, it begins to bear fruit!

New legislation has now started moving to require abortionists to allow women to see the ultrasound image of their unborn child before an abortion (basic informed consent). Planned Parenthood and their allies cried "rape!" Really!

The news media parroted these charges of "rape," and emails from across the country flooded the Pennsylvania Capitol. Many lawmakers got cold feet.

Please pray for this cause to move forward. It is the cause of life, the defense of religious freedom, and for God's design for family and marriage.

(excerpted from Michael Geer, Pennsylvania Family Institute, June 27, 2012 newsletter)

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Scientists still frustrated in finding the Gay Gene

Are people naturally homosexual? Scientists who face this question squarely must say no, homosexuality is not natural. They can't find a gay gene, they can't explain why identical twins are not both homosexual, they can't explain how it could have evolved. They have found that therapy can help people change their sexual orientation. Also, if it was natural, why is homosexuality so unhealthy? The best science links homosexuality with abuse. Kevin Anderson concludes: a society that no longer sees homosexuality as deviant inevitably accepts other destructive behaviors also. Only Christ has the power to pull us through our addictions!

Selections from Not so Gay, editorial by Kevin Anderson.
(These selections by Marko Malyj are of the article published in Creation Research Society Quarterly Journal, Volume 42, Number 2, Winter 2012).

Advocates of homosexuality have argued that some people are naturally homosexual, just as others are naturally heterosexual. As people are born with brown hair or blue eyes, so homosexuals are born with a genetic disposition toward homosexual behavior. Thus, they are genetically programmed to be homosexual, just as others are genetically programmed to be heterosexual.

The X Chromosome?

In an early attempt to detect a “gay gene,” a research group lead by Dean Hamer suggested a tendency of homosexuals to have a unique DNA site on their X chromosome (Hamer et al., 1993; Hu et al., 1995). In response, Fausto-Sterling et al. (1993) claimed that Hamer’s work lacked adequate controls and failed to present sufficient analysis to justify any claimed homosexual link with the Xq28 chromosome site. In addition, subsequent attempts to verify the results of Hamer’s studies have not been successful (Rice et al., 1999; Wickelgren, 1999).

More recently, Hamer’s group was unable to find a link between male sexual orientation and differences in pre-natal brain exposure of estrogen (DuPree et al., 2004). Also, even with much greater detail of the human genome than was available in the 1990s, they were unable to obtain any conclusive results (Mustanski et al., 2005).

Aren't Identical Twins both Homosexual?

Studying twins has also been pursued as an indirect means of detecting a “gay gene.” Since identical twins share identical genomes, there should be a higher correlation of homosexuality between identical twins than found between non-twin siblings (i.e., both twins should either be homosexual because they possess the “gay gene,” or heterosexual because they do not have the gene). Following this line of reasoning, various studies have attempted to detect such a correlation. Bailey et al. (2000, p. 534) studied a large number of twins and concluded if any homosexual gene existed, it was in the study group at a “low penetration or low frequency.” In a later study, Långström et al. 2010, p. 75) also analyzed a large number of twins and found a low-level of genetic correlation with homosexual twins but were obligated to note that the data had a very high variance, which “suggest cautious interpretation.”

Homosexuals can stop being homosexuals

Of related interest is the potential ability of homosexuals to “stop” being homosexual. If any genetic predisposition were significant, such reverse behavior would not be very plausible and certainly not very frequent. Masters and Johnson (1979) stated that “reparative therapy” was often effective for individuals who wanted to change. I personally remember the sharp criticism they received for making such a claim. This idea was repugnant to gay activists since it suggested their behavior may simply be a choice, and it suggested that their behavior could even be regarded as needing to be changed. They felt that Masters and Johnson—hardly friends of any anti-homosexual thinking—had betrayed them.

Additional studies have continued to suggest possible “transformation” of homosexuals (e.g., Nicolosi et al., 2000; Throckmorton, 2002). Spitzer (2003) studied 200 individuals and reported that “reparative therapy” could be successful. Not surprisingly, his report precipitated a series of critical letters, including concern that a journal would even publish such a report. The journal’s editor acknowledged the emotional tension surrounding the topic was so “contaminated by rhetorical fervor” that it will cloud any type of conclusions (Zucker, 2003, p. 400).

Homosexuality Healthy?

An oft overlooked but significant aspect of the homosexual lifestyle is the medical dangers it presents. Homosexual behavior and practices by males make them very vulnerable to a wide array of diseases and medical conditions. The homosexual male has “an increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV” (Eriksson and Berglund, 2007, p. 207).

In fact, homosexual males are the reservoir (i.e., the continual source) of virtually all STDs. Most “gay” males have had at least one infection of an STD (Handsfield, 1981) and will likely have more in their lifetime. A Center for Disease Control (CDC, Atlanta, GA) report states that the majority of HIV infections in America are found in homosexual men, even though they comprise only 2% of the population (CDC, 2010). Even homosexual females have a high incidence of many common STDs (Edwards and Thin, 1990; Hughes and Evans, 2003; Marrazzo, et al., 1998; Skinner, et. al., 1996).

The simple question to ask would be: If homosexuality was created by God or was even simply “natural,” why would it involve such physical and mental health problems?

Homosexuality Evolved?

Evolution also has difficulty accounting for the origin of human homosexuality. What evolutionary benefit does homosexuality provide? It would provide little reproductive advantage (at least as defined by Darwinism). Why would the behavior even evolve initially? By Darwinian criteria, only those behaviors and adaptations that increase survivability would be favorably selected.

A variety of speculations have been offered for the evolution of homosexuality. These include enhanced survival of isolated males, balanced polymorphism, and sexual antagonism (Ciani, et al., 2008; Kirkpatrick, 2000; Muscarella, 2000). Each of these scenarios has serious weaknesses (e.g., see discussions in Ciani at al., 2008, and in Schwartz et al., 2010), and few address the evolution of the homosexual female. In fact, some of these scenarios are just as effective for explaining the extinction of the female homosexual as they are for explaining the origin of the male homosexual.

This is not exactly what homosexual advocates are seeking.

The evolution myth also struggles to explain the institution of marriage—often relegating it to a social construct that a female found was necessary to enhance her and her children’s survival. As technology reduces the female’s dependency on male protection and food gathering, marriage becomes less evolutionarily necessary. Little wonder societies that readily embrace evolution soon embrace a nonbiblical view of marriage as well.

Homosexuality's Link with Abuse

What is typically downplayed in understanding the origin and persistency of homosexual behavior is its link with abuse. Numerous studies have found a significant connection between childhood abuse (physical, emotional, and sexual) and the subsequent development of homosexual behavior (e.g., see review of these studies in Wilson and Widom, 2010). The connection may be even more prevalent if it is sexual abuse of boys by another male (Eskin et al., 2005). Lack of a supporting father may also be a contributing factor (Eskin et al., 2005).

Homosexuality appears to have its origin in perversion. Should we be surprised? We abuse our children (those who depend upon us for love, comfort, and protection), and the effect can be devastating and lifelong. The “sins of our fathers” can directly and tragically impact several generations afterwards (Exod. 34:6–7; Deut. 5:9). Homosexuality becomes one of the many possible consequences of the child’s emotional scars. Homosexual advocates may not like this conclusion. They certainly do not want to hear that the behavior is just another consequence of a fallen creation, just another sordid tale of human travesty. But the evidence is clear enough that it keeps appearing in study after study—attempts to “spin” it otherwise notwithstanding.

When All is Said and Done

Over the years I have increasingly observed how little importance actual evidence is to most people. Modernistic man merely gives lip service to evidence. He pretends to carefully evaluate the facts and use them to make a logical decision. In reality, people’s decisions are often based upon their limited perception of reality, which is heavily shaped by their emotional state of mind (and simple wishful thinking). In our sinful world, truth has little meaning. Ignorance, not truth, guides people’s thinking (Rom. 1:21; Eph. 4:18). Sadly, this applies even to many who identify themselves as Christian.

What is more, a society that no longer regards homosexuality as deviant inevitably accepts other destructive behaviors also: sexual promiscuity, spiritualism, abortion, and the list goes on and on. While some may eventually decry the social destruction occurring all around them, few will recognize it is the consequence of defying God’s laws (Isa. 3:9).

Yes, A society that broadens God’s boundaries of marriage inevitably has no boundaries. Such a society will decay at its very core. Only Christ, as our Creator, has the power to pull us through our addictions.

References (selected)
Bailey, J.M., M.P. Dunne, and N.G. Martin. 2000. Genetic and environmental influences on sexual orientation and its correlates in an Australian twin sample. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 78:524–536.

CDC Report. 2010. HIV among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/msm/index.htm (accessed July 2, 2011).

Ciani, A.C., P. Cermelli, and G. Zanzotto. 2008. Sexual antagonistic selection in human male homosexuality. PLoS One 3:6:e2282.

DuPree, M.G., B.s. Mustanski, S. Bocklandt, C. Nievergelt, and D.H. Hamer. 2004. A candidate gene study of CYP19 (aromatase) and male sexual orientation. Behavior Genetics 34:243–250.

Edwards, A., and R.N. Thin. 1990. Sexually transmitted diseases in lesbians. International Journal of STD & AIDS 1:178–181.

Eriksson, L.E., and T. Berglund. 2007. Health-related quality in homo- and bisexual men attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Sweden. International Journal of STD & AID 18:207–211.

Eskin, M., H. Kaynak-Demir, and S. Demir. 2005. Seme-sex sexual orientation, childhood sexual abuse, and suicidal behavior in university students in Turkey. Archives of Sexual Behavior 34:185–195.

Fausto-Sterling, A., E. Balaban, R. Diamond, D. Hamer, S. Hu., V. Magnuson, N. Hu, and A. Pattatucci. 1993. Genetics and male sexual orientation. Science 261:1257–1259.

Hamer, Dean H., Stella Hu, Victoria L. Magnuson, Nan Hu, and Angela M.L. Pattatucci. 1993. A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation. Science 261:321–327.

Handsfield, H.H. 1981. Sexually transmitted diseases in homosexual men. American Journal of Public Health 71:989–990.

Långström, N., Q. Rahman, E. Carlström, and P. Lichtenstein. 2010. Genetic and environmental effects on same-sex sexual behavior: a population study of twins in Sweden. Archives of Sexual Behavior 39:75–80.

Hughes, C., and A. Evans. 2003. Health needs of women who have sex with women: healthcare workers need to be aware of their specific needs. British Medical Journal 327:939–940.

Kirkpatrick, R.C. 2000. The evolution of human sexual behavior. Current Anthropology 41:385–413.

Marrazzo, J.M, L.A. Koutsky, K.L. Stine, J.M. Kuypers, T.A. Grubert, D.A. Galloway, N.B. Kivat, and H.H. Handsfield. 1998. Genital human papillomavirus infection in women who have sex with women. Journal of Infectious Diseases 178:1604–1609.

Masters, W., and V. Johnson. 1979. Homosexuality in Perspective. Bantam Books, New York, NY.

Muscarella, F. 2000. The evolution of homoerotic behavior in humans. Journal of Homosexuality 40:51–77.

Mustanski, B.S., M.g. DuPree, C.M. Nievergelt, S. Bocklandt, N.J. Schork, and D.H. Hamer. 2005. A genomewide scan of male sexual orientation. Human
Genetics 116:272–278.

Nicolosi, J., A.D. Byrd, and R.W. Potts. 2000. Retrospective self-reports of changes in homosexual orientation: a consumer survey of conversion therapy clients. Psychological Reports 86:1071–1088.

Rice, G., C. Anderson, N. Risch, and G. Ebers. 1999. Male homosexuality: absence of linkage to microsatellite markers at Xq28. Science 284:665–667.

Schwartz, G., R.M. Kim, A.B. Kolundzija, G. Rieger, and A.R. Sanders. 2010. Biodemographic and physical correlates of sexual orientation in men. Archives of Sexual Behavior 39:93–109.

Skinner, C.J., J. Stokes, Y. Kirlew, J. Kavanagh, and G.E. Forster. 1996. A case controlled study of the sexual health needs of lesbians. Genitourinary Medicine 72:277–280.

Throckmorton, W. 2002. Initial empirical and clinical findings concerning the change process for ex-gays. Professional Psychology; Research and Practice 33:242–248.

Wickelgren, I. 1999. Discovery of ‘gay gene’ questioned. Science 284:571.

Wilson, H.W., and C.S. Widom. 2010. Does physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect in childhood increase the likelihood of same-sex relationships and cohabitation? A prospective 30-year follow-up. Archives of Sexual Behavior 39:63–74.

Zucker, K. 2003. The politics and science of reparative therapy. Archives of Sexual Behavior 32:399–402.

The minister may have come from apes, but we've always been human

In 2010, the government in Quebec, Canada “ordered some private evangelical schools to teach evolution” as fact (Schultz). As a result several parents in a remote Inuit (Eskimo) community on Ungava Bay complained that their children arrived home from school claiming their ancestors were apes.

When the local principal reprimanded his new science teacher for teaching evolution to an increasingly evangelical population, the minister of education himself stepped in to order the provincial science curriculum restored, an intervention that won no applause from at least one aboriginal mother in the town of Salluit. “The minister may have come from apes,” Molly Tayara told the Montreal Gazette, “but we’re Inuit and we’ve always been human.” (McDonald, 2010, p. 196)

The Inuit have been a target of evolutionists before...

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Not long after Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, an Inuit from Canada became a zoo exhibit in Germany, to serve as an example of primitive savage people that evolutionists judged were links to lower animals.

"Savages" On Display.

Abraham Ulrikab, an Inuit from Hebron, Labrador, along with his wife and two daughters plus four other Inuit, were lured into coming to Germany by Adrian Jacobsen on behalf of Carl Hagenbeck's Zoo, in Hamburg, Germany, and on September 24, 1880, they became a zoo exhibit. Moravian missionaries desperately tried to persuade Ulrikab not to go, but he let himself be persuaded by the local Hudson Bay trader, Mr. Ford, to disobey the missionaries, and to join Jacobsen’s enterprise.

They had agreed to be in a display partly because they were misled to believe the display was set up only to show the Inuit’s native way of life. The zookeepers instructed them to simply walk, talk, wear their fur parkas, and throw harpoons. The Ulrikab group, though, soon became aware of the real purpose of their being displayed: “They know fully well that they are being exhibited” wrote an article in the Magdeburgishe Zeitung of October 21, 1880 (quoted in Lutz, 2005, p. 23). A literate man, and an accomplished violin player, Ulrikab was a devout Christian and became the natural leader of the eight Inuits.

Within weeks of arriving in Europe and taking up residence in the zoo, the families realized they had made a big mistake. Their European keepers concluded that “the Inuit were incapable of progressing” socially and intellectually because they were the dullest of all savages. Furthermore, they were “a vanishing, feeble race” a fact that their keepers believed justified displaying them in a zoo (Hegel, 2000, p. 43). The “exhibit” was a big success — some 16,000 people had visited the display in Berlin alone (Lutz, 2005, p. xxii).

One fatal mistake their hosts made was, prior to leaving Canada, the Inuits were to be vaccinated against smallpox. Lack of facilities in Hebron forced the authorities to promise the required vaccination would be done in Germany. It never happened. The Inuits were vaccinated only after three of them died, but by then it was too late. Just five months after their arrival they all had died of smallpox.

The struggle against forcing Darwinism on groups of people still goes on today, not only with the Inuit, but with other ethnic groups (Sewell, 2009).

(based on Jerry Bergman, Humans on Display, published in Creation Matters, a publication of Creation Research Society, Volume 17, Number 1, January/February 2012, to appear at http://www.creationresearch.org/creation_matters/pdf/2012/CM17%2001%20for%20web.pdf)

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References (selected)

Hegel, G. W. F. 2000. Anthropology, Encyclopaedia of the Philosophical Sciences, pp. 38–44, in R. Bernasconi and T.L. Lott (eds), The Idea of Race. Indianapolis and Cambridge: Hackett.

Lutz, H. (editor). 2005. The Diary of Abraham Ulrikab: Text and Context. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.

McDonald, M. 2010. The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada. Toronto, Canada: Random House.

Schultz, Gurdrun, no date. Quebec Government Forcing Evangelical Private Schools to Teach Sex Ed, Darwinism. Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.

Sewell, D. 2009. The Political Gene: How Darwin’s Ideas Changed Politics.London: Picador.

Pop and R&B preach Sex, Country is much better at True Relationships

Attention parents: it DOES matter what kind of music your child grows up on. If they listen to secular music, there is a pretty substantial difference between Country music, Pop, and R&B.

The four most frequent "reproductive" categories contained in the lyrics of hit Country songs in 2009 were commitment, parenting, rejection, and fidelity assurance, in that order.

For Pop songs the most frequent reproductive categories were sex appeal, reputation, short-term strategies, and fidelity assurance.

For R&B songs, sex appeal, resources (luxury items, cars, money), sex act, and status constituted the most frequent themes.
 
These are the findings of psychologists Dawn Hobbs and Gordon Gallup in their article Songs as a Medium for Embedded Reproductive Messages, a study published in Evolutionary Psychology, 2011. 9(3): 390-416.

They analyzed close to 60 hit songs from 2009 in Country, Pop, and R&B, and categorized all the "reproductive" messages contained in those songs. Please click on this graph to see the results more clearly(color codes added):

Whereas 46 out of the 58 parenting themes came from Country songs, only four appeared in R&B songs. In contrast, references to resources were featured 106 times in R&B songs, but appeared only six times in Country songs. Approximately 92% of the 174 songs that made it into the Top Ten in 2009 contained one or more reproductive messages, with an average of 10.49 reproductive phrases per song. The most popular/bestselling songs contained significantly more reproductive messages.

Marko comments: If you look at the graph carefully, Country scores the most messages in the positive green items (courtship, fidelity assurance, commitment, and especially parenting). The extremely negative red items (genitalia, arousal, sex act, sex appeal, infidelity) are the specialty of R&B and to a large extent Pop as well. These two also are big in red items (short term strategies meaning one night stands and sexual prowess, ), and materialistic areas in yellow (body parts, reputation, resources, and status).

Contemporary Christian music was not analyzed. This is much to the detriment of the readers of "Evolutionary" psychology. Also, these evolutionary psychologists did not comment on whether the cause of evolution is advanced by the increase in hedonism found in music. Perhaps this is devolution, not evolution!

(referenced on the Michael Medved Radio Program)

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15 years of Cloning, not the Panacea we were Told

Remains of Dolly the sheep.

Would cloning be a scientific way for a person to achieve immortality, or at least for a succession of copies of him to live for an indeterminate length of time? Fifteen years ago, a sheep named “Dolly” was cloned from the mammary-gland cell of a six year old donor. There was discussion as to whether humans were next (Anonymous 2002).

One would expect that by today, fifteen years after Dolly was cloned, the cloning of animals would have advanced far beyond Dolly’s example. Yet this is not what has happened. Notice the extended quote below taken from a recent fact sheet put out by the U.S. Government’s Genome Project web site (Anonymous, 2011):

Reproductive cloning is a very inefficient technique and most cloned animal embryos cannot develop into healthy individuals. For instance, Dolly was the only clone to be born live out of a total of 277 cloned embryos. This very low efficiency, combined with safety concerns, presents a serious obstacle to the application of reproductive cloning.

Researchers have observed some adverse health effects in sheep and other mammals that have been cloned. These include an increase in birth size and a variety of defects in vital organs, such as the liver, brain and heart. Other consequences include premature aging and problems with the immune system. Another potential problem centers on the relative age of the cloned cell’s chromosomes. As cells go through their normal rounds of division, the tips of the chromosomes, called telomeres, shrink. Over time, the telomeres become so short that the cell can no longer divide and, consequently, the cell dies.

This is part of the natural aging process that seems to happen in all cell types. As a consequence, clones created from a cell taken from an adult might have chromosomes that are already shorter than normal, which may condemn the clones' cells to a shorter life span. Indeed, Dolly, who was cloned from the cell of a 6-year old sheep, had chromosomes that were shorter than those of other sheep her age. Dolly died when she was six years old, about half the average sheep's 12-year lifespan.

Marko comments: There seems to be something very mysterious that is at work here. Cloning evidently does not work as the way to eternal life. Bible believers who understand the fall of all mankind into sin would say that the finger of God is at work here....

References (selected)

Anonymous. 2002. Class Notes: The Cloning of Dolly, 'Cc', and other Mammals (see paragraphs V and VI). IUPUI Department of Biology. Retrieved August 18, 2011 from
www.biology.iupui.edu/biocourses/N100/2k2cloning.html

Anonymous. 2011. What are the potential drawbacks of cloning animals? Fact Sheets about Science: Cloning. National Human Genome Research Institute. Retrieved August 19, 2011, from www.genome.gov/25020028#al-11

(based on Timothy R. Stout, The Testimony of Clones & Telomeres, published in Creation Matters, a publication of Creation Research Society, Volume 16, Number 4, July/August 2011, to appear at http://www.creationresearch.org/creation_matters/pdf/2011/CM16%2004%20low%20res.pdf)

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November 6th is Orphan Sunday

Orphan care in countries around the world is failing. For example, in Ukraine, when orphans grow out of the orphanage...

• 70% end up in crime -
• 50% of girls become prostitutes -
• 33% are homeless and unemployed -
• 30% commit suicide within 2 years -
• 80% of those who marry divorce -

On Sunday, November 6th , the Christian Alliance for Orphans is promoting Orphan Sunday. See their “Partnership Packages” that can help your church get involved with ministry to orphans this Orphan Sunday. Click on this video to learn more about the needs of these children:

(from the October 2011 newsletter of New Hope International, a member organization of the Christian Alliance for Orphans)

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Abortion operates in a politically protected bubble

The Philadelphia Grand Jury investigation of the Gosnell abortion clinic scandal exposed allegations of murder of women and babies under the guise of medical care.

Even more, the Grand Jury revealed hat the abortion business in Pennsylvania has for many years operated in a politically protected "bubble," performing more than 35,000 abortions a year while escaping common medical standards.

On the Pennsylvania House floor, House bill HB 574 and Senate bill SB 732 are in process to add tough, common sense medical regulations over abortion clinics.

The most surprising moment was when State Rep. Margo Davidson, Democrat from Delaware county, stood to say her 22-year-old cousin died of an infection after visiting Gosnell's clinic 11 years ago. She gave an impassioned plea for the bill, despite being the sole member of the Black Caucus to vote for the bill. "It's still emotionally riveting all these years later," said Davidson. "She didn't have to die."

State Rep. Rick Saccone, Republican Allegheny county said:

"I ask my colleagues to look behind them on the ceiling above and remember the Scripture there from John, chapter 8, verse 32: 'Then you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.' Mr. Speaker, until these clinics are properly and regularly inspected, we will never know the truth of how many Gosnells are out there. I ask my colleagues: Among you, who will champion those who cannot speak for themselves? I implore you to face the truth and force those clinics out of the darkness and into the light!"

(excerpted from Thomas J. Shaheen, Pennsylvania Citizen, Pennsylvania Family Institute, September 2011 newsletter)

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Spiritual Capital: How the Church Is Uniquely Equipped to Break the Poverty Cycle

At the beginning of the twentieth century, one of the founders of sociology examined the origins of successful capitalism. Why, asked Max Weber, did capitalism thrive in certain parts of Europe and especially in the United States? His conclusion was simple and powerful. He noted that predominantly Protestant nations had adopted values of vocation, hard work, and personal piety that led to greater economic success. Neighboring countries with similar resources and people groups didn’t fare as well. Weber noted that in Catholic societies, the pious served in the Church; in Protestant cultures, the spirit of personal piety permeated into the marketplace and built spiritual capital. Applying internalized biblical values to business resulted in successful capitalism. Almost a century apart, Max Weber and Douglass North reached very similar conclusions—that a society’s beliefs and values are strong determinants of its economic success.

What Is Spiritual Capital?

Spiritual capital is the collective societal faith, trust and commitment to do what is right—not only what is right in our own eyes or what benefits us the most, but what is right in the eyes of God. Showing integrity, being accountable and honest, offering hope, being loyal and trustworthy, loving and encouraging others, exhibiting good stewardship, being fair, creating order and serving others—these are not, for the most part, covered by the laws of the land. We have no legal compulsion to love others, exhibit good stewardship, create order or serve each other. There is no legal compulsion to encourage one another to pursue new ventures in hope and faith, trusting that God will go before us. But where these biblical values are exhibited, spiritual capital is built.

Spiritual Capital: The Missing Leg in Economic Development

Indeed, it is interesting to observe that with very few exceptions, every nation at the top of the GDP-per-capita list has a long Judeo-Christian tradition. That’s no coincidence. There’s a relationship between economic prosperity and the pervasiveness of biblical values in the culture. When biblical principles are practiced in business, spiritual capital grows, and economic success follows. Thus, spiritual capital provides the link between biblical principles and business success.

Depleting the Trust Fund

Most developing nations are trying to build their economies with very little spiritual capital, and they lack the business practices and institutions necessary to grow that capital. In these situations, people who draw on the nation’s spiritual capital account can bankrupt it. After the fall of communism, Western corporations rushed into the former Soviet Union, attracted to cheap labor, an educated workforce, and a large market. However, many were stung by corruption and lost millions of dollars in the process. Russia is not an isolated case. Companies have encountered similar situations in China and other emerging economies.

Misguided Development Efforts and the Failure to Recognize Spiritual Capital

The lack of recognition of spiritual capital’s importance has led to disastrous outcomes. For example, it has been thought for decades that the world’s financial community holds the keys to success for developing nations. What’s holding back certain regions of the world, the argument goes, is a lack of access to economic capital. Bangladesh has been the focus of the largest microenterprise development programs. More than 10 million people have received business loans over the past thirty years, yet poverty is still pervasive, and the economy hasn’t developed much. Why? Bangladesh also suffers from the highest perceived corruption in the world. Development efforts provided economic capital but not the tools to build the nation’s spiritual capital.

Building Spiritual Capital: The Transforming Power of the Gospel

Spiritual capital is the foundation for successful commerce, and the Church is uniquely equipped to develop and produce Kingdom business professionals who will equip the nations with the life-changing means of growing their spiritual capital account. We shortchange a nation if we introduce laws that facilitate commerce and teach principles of accounting and yet fail to equip the nation with the means to establish a spiritual capital base on which to build its economy. Without the integrity, morality and love that comes from the Spirit of God transforming the hearts of men and women, nations will fall short of God’s ultimate blessing.

Jesus’ parable about the wise and foolish builders (see Matt. 7:24-27) is particularly instructive here. The wise man builds his house on the rock. The foolish man builds his house on sand. Business principles, technical training and start-up funding are just the walls, doors and roof of business. The transforming gospel of Jesus and the ultimate authority of God are the rock foundation. The businessperson must be committed to pleasing Jesus and doing what is right, or his business will be built on sand. If these rock principles are not in place, they will not support the business structure in times of trouble. When the economic storms of life come, the uncommitted businessperson will revert back to what he fundamentally believes.

The gospel is an important component of developing an economy and blessing the nation through Kingdom business. Only the Holy Spirit has the power to transform the hearts of men and women. Only the gospel can work at the core level and alter the collective DNA of a society. Only the gospel can ingrain the biblical values that lead to spiritual capital accumulation and successful business.

Transformed hearts lead to renewed minds. Fundamental beliefs, values and attitudes are radically changed. Spiritual capital is built, laying the foundation for economic development. And that’s why the church is uniquely equipped to break the poverty cycle.

(for more, see Ken Eldred, Spiritual Capital: How the Church Is Uniquely Equipped to Break the Poverty Cycle, Mission Frontiers, July-August 2011)

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Church Planting Movements are Fueled by Discipleship, not Charity

The local pastor pulled the western Christian aside and described the effect of the aid on his congregation: Although he was grateful for the help, the shipments had depressed local initiative, as many vendors within the church and community could no longer compete with the free shipments of supplies. Instead of inspiring a spirit of generosity and giving, the shipments had created a sense of dependency on foreign aid.

He said, “We need a hand up, not a handout.”

Charity can help in a crisis, but generally … 

• reduces personal initiative,
• undermines local businesses,
• hinders long-term growth, and
• are unsustainable.

In contrast, business models can …

• cultivate personal initiative,
• generate income for house church leaders and their coaches, and
• sustainably reduce the local cost of goods.

Large-scale efforts to address poverty can be hindered by corruption at high levels and/or spiritual forces which rob the poor of their initiative and creativity. The collective discipling, personal transformation and trust relationships which develop in Church Planting Movements (CPMs) produce the kind of “spiritual capital” necessary to sustain businesses that break the poverty cycle.

CPMs are flourishing among the poor, and the relational discipling of CPMs creates an ideal environment for the propagation of literacy, hygiene education, and business development, as they pursue their main mission of leading people to Christ!

(for more, see Peter Greer, A Hand Up Not a HandoutWhy Enterprise and Business Are Changing Our Approach to Poverty Alleviation, and Robby Butler, Steve Downey, and Nick Noll, Turning Wine into Clean Water?An invitation to Explore the Possibilities, Mission Frontiers, July-August 2011)

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Christ-centered discipleship brings people out of poverty

Why are you wasting your time with us? We’re poor. We’re stuck here, and there is no way out for us.”

Believing that “there is no way out” is one of the most damaging aspects of financial poverty. If life will never get better, why try? If there’s no hope, why dare to dream?

Staff members of HOPE International, a Christ-centered microfinance organization, respond by telling these people belonging to India's two lowest castes, “But you’re created in God’s image, and He has a plan and a future for all of you.” As clients come to believe this message, they are in turn empowered to enact change in their communities. Progress is slow, but unmistakable - businesses are created, families have the financial resources to put their children in school, dignity is restored, and the voiceless speak. In one district of the slums, a savings group successfully petitioned the local government council to have electricity installed where there had previously been none. Instead of remaining resigned to their fate, these individuals now have hope and are working to build a brighter future.

HOPE is a global network of microfinance institutions focused on alleviating physical and spirtitual poverty through microenterprise development.

In HOPE’s programs, not only are clients encouraged to save, but they also learn biblically based business principles that teach them how to open and sustain a business. In India, clients receive training that equips them to make items like handbags and baked goods, as well as opportunities to sell the items they create at churches and local retailers. For example, in the slums of several cities in Western India, HOPE gathers financially poor together to save. In groups of 10 to 12, they come together to receive business training, contribute $2 a month to a joint savings account for productive investment or to meet family needs, and learn about the love of Christ.

When HOPE first entered the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, there were only 65,000 bank accounts for a population of 65 million – 1 in a thousand. For these individuals, microfinance fills a large gap, providing access to capital, savings accounts and training to those who wouldn’t otherwise have any access.

In Rwanda, HOPE has seen similar results in its partnership with the Anglican Church to provide those in poverty with training and a safe place to save their money. Of HOPE’s nearly 70,000 clients in Rwanda, school attendance increased from 28 percent of members’ children to 71 percent, even as church attendance increased from 65 percent of clients to 96 percent!!

(for more, see Peter Greer, Microfinance, A Look at the Technique as an Effective Strategy for Poverty Alleviation, Mission Frontiers, July-August 2011)

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Turkey a model for Arab revolutions? Think again!

Should Turkey, the "moderate Islamic democracy", be an example for countries going through Arab revolutions?

"Think again! Lift the covers off this mythical wonderland, and you'll find a cesspool, a government showing utter contempt for its own people by jailing scores of reporters, blocking thousands of websites, severely punishing anyone who dares utter a word of criticism."

Joel Brinkley, professor of journalism and former Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent, goes on to ask, "Guess which nation has jailed more reporters than any other. China? Iran? No, it's Turkey. The Turkish media say say 68 reporters are in prison right now - double the number last reported in either China or Iran. And some are jailed not just for a few days or week."

The Turkish government now blocks thousands of websites it considers offensive or insulting. Human Rights Watch says Turkey was blocking 8,170 websites when it checked early this year.

Turkey's leading Islamist political party controls all three branches of the government, and the military has been sidelined. Little will stop them from changing the rules to keep power into the indefinite future. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been in power since 2002, the recent elections are likely to be the country's last fair and free ones, according to political commentator Daniel Pipes. The AKP fell just a few seats shorts from the two-thirds parliamentary needed to unilaterally change the constitution, and will now put pressure on a few lawmakers to change their affiliation so that this can happen.

Such developments are a serious concern for Christian ministries. Here's why:

When in firm control, Islam does not allow competition. Freedom of religion is a Western concept that is only tolerated by Islamists for economic or political reasons.

Strict Muslims follow Sharia, a harsh code of laws derived from the Koran and the teachings and life of Mohammed. When circumstances allow, they normally enforce this code on others, including non-Muslims.

Sharia calls for the killing of any person who converts from Islam to Christianity. It also demands that all Christians be humiliated on a regular basis and be required to pay a special tax not assessed to Muslims.

If Islamists have their way in Turkey we can expect the deportation of most foreign Christian workers, the persecution of national believers, and the likely closure of most of their churches. Some might even have to flee the country.

To all Christian brothers and sisters: your prayers and support are important to the future of believers in Turkey!

(from a Christian prayer letter, July 2011)

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Poverty: The Church's Role, by Robby Butler

The Church has a strategic role in overcoming internal and external factors in poverty.

Internal Influences must be defeated through relational biblical discipleship:

• Fatalism: Poverty is our destiny.
• Hopelessness: Effort will prove unfruitful.
• Laziness: Change is too much work.
• Lies: God hates me and wants me to suffer.
• Identity: I am a victim, inferior to others.
• Addiction: I must numb my pain.
• Limited Good: If you or I benefit, the other must lose.

Individual Circumstances may need such practical assistance such as micro-enterprise mediated through accountable relationships:

• Subsistence: Where water acquisition consumes a family's time and energy, improved access to clean water allows pursuit of better employment.
• Bonded servitude: High interest on even a small debt enslaves many, and micro-finance loans can create freedom to seek other employment.
• Lack of skills: Training can empower a more profitable contribution to the community.
• Lack of capital: Micro-finance loans enable entrepreneurs to increase the supply of existing products or services (subject to local market saturation or global competition).

Societal Environment: best improved through local and international advocacy.

Corruption: The best long-term remedy is widespread Biblical discipleship.

Lack of Infrastructure: Advocacy can encourage governments, charities and businesses to collaborate in developing infrastructure to facilitate commercial enterprise.

Lack of Basic Goods, Services and Employment: The Church can encourage and assist the development of healthy, enterprises which provide employment and discipleship while serving the community.

God didn't simply address our poverty by giving us instructions and resources. Christ emptied Himself and dwelt among us. The most effective approaches to breaking the poverty cycle include incarnational ministry which develops collaborative relationships to hear, serve, learn from and influence the poor, through biblical discipleship, practical assistance, business development and advocacy.

(reposted from Robby Butler, Poverty: The Church's Role, Mission Frontiers, July-August 2011)

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Overcoming Poverty, does the Church have the Answer?

The poor have internalized the lies, "Give up! You don't matter. Nobody cares about you. Look around you: Things are terrible. Always have been, always will be." These lies must be defeated in order for the poor to get out of poverty, and they can only be defeated by presenting them with the truth of God's love and power through Jesus Christ--just what the Church is best able to provide.

In the West, poverty is almost exclusively viewed as a lack of material wealth, characterized by insufficient food, money, clean water, and medicine. But when over 60,000 people living in material poverty were asked to define poverty, however, they did not use such straightforward terms. Researchers Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett of The Chalmers Center for Economic Development said, “They tend to describe their condition in far more psychological and social terms. Poor people typically talk in terms of shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and voicelessness.”

These are the lies of fatalism, victimhood and powerlessness. They have lost the hope that they or anyone else can change their situation. They have come to believe that no amount of hard work can change their circumstances.

Biblical principles such as honesty, integrity, trustworthiness etc. are essential for an economy to work. The foundation of successful economies is the trust that is built through honest interaction between people. If you destroy trust between people in a society through dishonest transactions and corruption, the economy will decline. The poorest countries on Earth are often riddled with corruption and violence at every level of a society, from the government on down. The biblical character traits that make a prosperous society possible come from lives transformed by Jesus through an effective discipleship process.

But economic growth does not come automatically when people commit their lives to Jesus. People need training in ordinary basics like personal money management, how to run a business and good work habits. This should be part of our discipleship too as we plant churches. Church planting should lead to economic growth among the poor. If it doesn't, then something is wrong.

With a combination of effective discipleship and practical, locally-based economic solutions the poor can come to believe that they can do all things through Christ, including raising themselves and others out of poverty. They can then create their own wealth and not be dependent on outsiders for their survival.

Journalist and self-proclaimed atheist Matthew Parris wrote in The Times of London that—as much as he hated to admit it—he saw the importance of Christianity in development work. Growing up in Africa and returning years later, he saw that aid and relief work alone wasn’t enough. Christianity brought about true heart change: “The [African] Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world –a directness in their dealings with others—that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.” In his article, Parris shares how the truths that Christianity teaches—that mankind has inherent worth and dignity—are the key difference in escaping poverty.

(selections from Rick Wood, Poverty, Getting to the Heart of the Matter, and Peter Greer, A Hand Up Not a Handout: Why Enterprise and Business Are Changing Our Approach to Poverty Alleviation,
Mission Frontiers, July- August 2011)

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Muslim pirates have attacked 200 ships so far in 2011

Every month, some 1,300 ships heading to or from the Suez Canal must pass through the lawless waters off the coast of Somalia. Pirate attacks are at an all-time high - more than 200 have already been reported this year. As of May, pirates were holding more than 500 hostages and 26 hijacked ships, and companies are losing up to $8.3 billion a year.

Cargo ships are easy prey, and with an area the size of the continental U.S. to patrol, even NATO and navy teams from several coastal countries can't protect every vessel. Bypassing the canal means a journey of thousands more miles around the Horn of Africa. The United Nations International Maritime Organization advises ships t speed up through high-risk areas, add more lookouts, and try other low-tech solutions that are not always effective against pirates with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades. Arming merchant ships with lethal weapons might solve the pirate problem, but that approach would never gain international acceptance.

New nonlethal defenses, however, offer an alternative. BAE Systems is developing an onboard laser that could target unidentified vessels from more than a mile away. If the pirates continued to approach, the beam's intensity would disorient and temporarily lind them to the point that they couldn't aim and fire their own weapons. BAE tested a prototype of the laser in January.

Mace Security International, meanwhile, is testing a ship-mounted spraying system to keep pirates from boarding vessels. Three sets of 18-gallon pressurized tanks filled with oleoresin capsicum, a pepper derivative that is neither corrosive or flammable, would line the ship's perimeter. Attackers who ventured too close would be doused and immediately incapacitated for up to an hour by intensely burning eyes, skin and throat.

(reposted from Pirate Pushback, by Rena Marie Pacella, Popular Science, August 2011)

Marko comments: most people say that these Muslim pirates are lawless. But are they following Sharia law?

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To find yourself, Go back to the beginning, Go back to Genesis

A worldview based on random variation, natural selection, and survival of the fittest is bound to pander to the sinful self-centered nature of fallen mankind. There are grave dangers to family life, church integrity, and national survival if the evolutionary system should ever truly prevail in the hearts and minds of most people. Evolution is not so much a science as it is a philosophy or an attitude of mind—and since no one was present to watch the supposed great evolutionary changes of the past, it is manifestly impossible to prove scientifically that they actually did take place.

Where do we begin to find the antidote?

All truth, in every area of life, finds its beginning in the Genesis record of creation and the other events of primeval history. That is why God placed it first in the Bible. The greatest Bible teacher of all time was the Lord Jesus Christ and, when He wanted to teach His friends about Himself and His great plan for the world, He began by teaching them the book of Genesis, the first of the books of Moses.

We must diligently try not only to win the lost to Christ, but also to bring the world itself back to God. We must try not only to win individual scientists and educators to Christ, but also to win science itself, and education itself, to Christ. Even many churches need to be brought back to the true God of Creation and to His inspired and authoritative word (beginning at Genesis!) as their basic rule of faith and practice.

(excerpted from Henry M. Morris, Beginning at Genesis, Acts & Facts, 1994, Institute for Creation Research)

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Want a True Stimulus? Thorium Reactors instead of Oil in Just Five Years

An abundant metal with vast energy potential could quickly wean the world off oil, if only Western political leaders would muster the will to do it, a UK newspaper says. James Quinn of The Telegraph makes the case for thorium reactors as the key to a fossil-fuel-free world within five years, and puts the ball firmly in President Barack Obama's court, see his article Obama could kill fossil fuels overnight with a nuclear dash for thorium.

Thorium, named for the Norse god of thunder, is much more abundant than uranium and has 200 times that metal's energy potential. Thorium is also a more efficient fuel source -- unlike natural uranium, which must be highly refined before it can be used in nuclear reactors, all thorium is potentially usable as fuel. It is so abundant that it's almost an annoyance. Thorium is considered a waste product when mining for rare-earth metals.

Thorium-fueled MSR reactor,
click here for details.

The Telegraph says a $1.8 billion (£1.2 billion) project could lead to a network of tiny underground nuclear reactors, producing about 600 MW each. Their wee size would negate the enormous security apparatus required of full-size nuclear power plants. Thorium also solves the non-proliferation problem. Nuclear non-proliferation treaties (NPT) prohibit processes that can yield atomic bomb ingredients, making it difficult to refine highly radioactive isotopes. But thorium-based accelerator-driven plants only produce a small amount of plutonium, which could allow the U.S. and other nations to skirt NPT.

The Telegraph says Obama needs a Roosevelt moment, recalling the famous breakfast meeting when Albert Einstein convinced the president to start the Manhattan Project. A thorium stimulus could be just what the lagging economy needs.

(Summarized from Rebecca Boyle, Development of Tiny Thorium Reactors Could Wean the World Off Oil In Just Five Years, Popular Science, August 2010)

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Newer nuclear reactor designs, collectively called Generation IV, include the thorium-powered molten-salt reactor (MSR). In an MSR, liquid thorium would replace the solid uranium fuel used in today’s plants, a change that would make meltdowns all but impossible.

MSRs were developed at Tennessee’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the early 1960s and ran for a total of 22,000 hours between 1965 and 1969. “It was not a full system, but it showed you could successfully design and operate a molten-salt reactor,” says Oak Ridge physicist Jess Gehin, a senior program manager in the lab’s Nuclear Technology Programs office.

The MSR design has two primary safety advantages. Its liquid fuel remains at much lower pressures than the solid fuel in light-water plants. This greatly decreases the likelihood of an accident, such as the hydrogen explosions that occurred at Fukushima. Further, in the event of a power outage, a frozen salt plug within the reactor melts and the liquid fuel passively drains into tanks where it solidifes, stopping the fission reaction. “The molten-salt reactor is walk-away safe,” Kutsch says. “If you just abandoned it, it had no power, and the end of the world came--a comet hit Earth--it would cool down and solidify by itself.”

Because of this efficiency, a thorium MSR would produce far less waste than today’s plants. Uranium-based waste will remain hazardous for tens of thousands of years. With thorium, it’s more like a few hundred. As well, raw thorium is not fissile in and of itself, so it is not easily weaponized. “It can’t be used as a bomb,” Kutsch says. “You could have 1,000 pounds in your basement, and nothing would happen.”

 One ton of thorium: as much energy
as 200 tons of uranium

One nuclear plant provides the energy equivalent of 1,200 windmills or 20 square miles of solar panels.Without the need for large cooling towers, MSRs can be much smaller than typical light-water plants, both physically and in power capacity. Today’s average nuclear power plant generates about 1,000 megawatts. A thorium-fueled MSR might generate as little as 50 megawatts. Smaller, more numerous plants could save on transmission loss (which can be up to 30 percent on the present grid). The U.S. Army is interested in using MSRs to power individual bases, Kutsch says, and Google, which relies on steady power to keep its servers running, held a conference on thorium reactors last year. “The company would love to have a 70- or 80-megawatt reactor sitting next door to a data center,” Kutsch says.

Even with military and corporate support, the transition to a new type of nuclear power generation is likely to be slow, at least in the U.S. Light-water reactors are already established, and no regulations exist to govern other reactor designs. Outside the U.S., the transition could come more quickly.

In January 2011 the Chinese government launched a thorium reactor program. “The Chinese Academy of Sciences has approved development of an MSR with relatively near-term deployment--maybe 10 years,” says Gehin, who thinks the Chinese decision may increase work on the technology worldwide. Even after Fukushima, “there’s still interest in advanced nuclear,” he says. “I don’t see that changing.”

(Summarized from Kalee Thompson, Concepts & Prototypes: Two Next-Gen Nukes, Popular Science, July 2011)

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Slaughter of the Dissidents, by Jerry Bergman

(reviewed by Kitty Foth-Regner)

The average Westerner is constantly reminded of the ideas put forth by people like evolutionary atheist Richard Dawkins: “One thing all real scientists agree upon is the fact of evolution itself. It is a fact that we are cousins of gorillas, kangaroos, starfish, and bacteria. Evolution is as much a fact as the heat of the sun” (Dawkins, 2005, p. 2).

Sadly, the average Westerner is becoming convinced: “Well, then, it’s settled. All real scientists agree, after all. It must be so.” The trouble is, they never seem to hear the other side of the story. They are not informed that there are literally thousands of scientists who have publicly proclaimed their doubts about Darwinian evolution. Nor do they realize that there are many thousands more who keep their doubts under their hats—for good reason, it turns out.

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That reason is revealed in horrifying detail in Jerry Bergman’s eye-opening book, Slaughter of the Dissidents: The Shocking Truth about Killing the Careers of Darwin Doubters. In it, Dr. Bergman describes the discrimination experienced by more than a dozen Darwin-doubting scientists, primarily in academia. And we are not talking insults at the water cooler. These men and women have been denied tenure and awards, forced out, fired, blackballed, even subjected to death threats—not because of what they did or said but because of what they believe.

Jerry Bergman.

Jerry Bergman experienced this sort of Orwellian discrimination himself in the late 1970s; he became disillusioned with Darwinism and lost his job at Bowling Green State University for saying so. Professor Dawkins would no doubt try to slap the “not a real scientist” label on him. But it would not stick, because Dr. Bergman has earned nine college degrees—two of them Ph.D.s—from the Medical College of Ohio, Wayne State University, The University of Toledo, and Bowling Green State University.

He has spent more than 30 years teaching college-level biology, genetics, chemistry, biochemistry, anthropology, geology, and microbiology. He is currently adjunct associate professor and research associate at the Medical University of Ohio, and professor of biology and chemistry at Northwest State Community College. Dr. Bergman has 800 publications appearing in 12 languages, including 30 books and monographs, and has contributed to dozens of textbooks. He has presented over 100 scientific papers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Caroline Crocker.

In fact, the “not a real scientist” label doesn’t fit any of the Darwin doubters whose cases are presented in Slaughter of the Dissidents. Some of these scientists have already gained recognition through the amazing film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. Dr. Bergman picks up where Ben Stein left off, delving more deeply into the cases of Caroline Crocker and Guillermo Gonzalez. He also introduces his readers to many other highly qualified scientists who saw their careers derailed when their doubts about Darwinism came to the attention of their superiors.

Guillermo Gonzalez.

So aside from their personal sacrifices, what’s the harm? Dr. Bergman points out that so far, the majority of Americans side with the Darwin doubters. Surveys indicate that at least 44% believe God created the earth and all the basic kinds of life, another 38% fall somewhere along the continuum between creationism and theistic evolution, and only 9% are pure evolutionists.

But as the product of public education myself, including a journalism curriculum that taught, as far back as the 1970s, that what we cannot see is a figment of our imaginations, I worry about my own exhaustively educated generation and those of the future. Now that atheistic Darwinism is the only subject that can be safely taught in our schools and universities. Now that even a whiff of sympathy for intelligent design is punishable by immediate dismissal. And now that the God of the Bible has been booted clear out of public life, what will become of our Biblically ignorant citizenry not only in this life but, far more importantly, in the life to come?

Dr. Bergman provides suggestions for supporting the fight to restore academic freedom in this country, but it
seems like an uphill battle. The politically correct evolutionary worldview is championed by groups like the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State; such groups are always standing by, ready to snuff out any suggestion of a Designer with lawsuits that few schools can afford to fight.

Rod LeVake.

Darwinism is also part of the mainstream news media’s dogma, as readers of most daily newspapers can attest, and as Dr. Bergman demonstrates again and again. Take, for example, the case of Rod LeVake, a Minnesota biology teacher who was removed from his high school biology class because he dared to criticize Darwinism. Incredibly, at least one national news magazine felt compelled to weigh in on his case. “Time portrayed creation-believing scientists as an almost non-existent minority,” Bergman reports, “claiming ‘reputable scientists who agree with LeVake can be counted on one hand’ … Time went so far as to portray
Mr. LeVake (in a full-page article) as a hillbilly” (p. 213).

No wonder creationists and intelligent design advocates are so often mocked by the highly educated, who greet any suggestion of an alternative to Darwinism with some version of “Real scientists believe in evolution!” Now, thanks to Bergman’s efforts, we can at last explain why that may seem to be the case: Darwinism appears to be the prevailing worldview because it is the only one that is allowed in our classrooms, on our campuses, on the pages of our mainstream newspapers and on the lips of mainstream broadcast reporters.

I finished Slaughter of the Dissidents more convinced than ever that it is time for those of us who care about academic freedom—and about proclaiming the truth of the Bible—to fight this unconscionable censorship. Read this outstanding book, and you will no doubt agree.

Reference
Dawkins, Richard. 2005. The illusion of design. Natural History, November 1.

(published in Creation Research Society Quarterly Journal, Volume 47, Number 3, Winter 2011, to appear at http://www.creationresearch.org/crsq/abstracts/Abstracts47-3.htm).