Readers of this blog know that I have written in years past on the annual “Wild Goose Festival,” which is taking place right now in Hot Springs, North Carolina. The yearly meet-up is a kind of Woodstock for progressive Christians. It features music, speakers, art displays and more. Many of the personalities there are disaffected evangelicals. In fact, Frank Schaeffer described it today as a place for “survivors of evangelical backgrounds.” He writes:
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Supreme Court strikes down “buffer zones” outside abortion clinics
The Supreme Court just ruled that “buffer zones” outside abortion clinics restrict the free speech of sidewalk counselors wishing to persuade women not to have abortions. The decision nullifies a Massachusetts law that creates such zones. The court overturned the law in a unanimous 9-0 ruling. So far, so good. There is another side to this ruling, however, that is not so good. The Court refused to recognize that the Massachusetts law unfairly targeted pro-life speech in particular. For this reason, Scalia issues a scathing opinion. He writes:
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Why surgery is not the answer for transgender
This should be the last item on transgender for the week, but it is one that readers will want to pay very close attention to. Dr. Paul McHugh is the former psychiatrist in chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and he has penned a revealing column for The Wall Street Journal opinion page. In short, he challenges the notion that sex-reassignment surgery is good for transgendered persons. His data are very compelling. He writes:
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The Rescue at Dunkirk
Today marks the 74th anniversary of the great rescue at Dunkirk. On May 27, 1940, the British army had fallen back to the beaches of Dunkirk in the north of France. In front of them was the German army, and behind them was the sea. These British soldiers and their French allies were the last line of defense between England and Hitler, and they were about to be crushed. There were over 300,000 of them trapped on the beach. What happened next is the stuff of legend. Some say it was nothing short of a miracle. In his biography of Winston Churchill, William Manchester narrates it best:
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Always Remember
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World War II Veteran Offers Vivid D-Day Memories
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Michael Gerson on assuming the worst about opponents
“There is a natural human tendency to attribute good motives to people with whom you agree — and corrupt motives to people with whom you don’t.” –Michael Gerson
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Majority live in states with legal gay marriage
This week, the advance of legal same-sex marriage passed a rather significant milestone. Both Oregon and Pennsylvania had their state bans on gay marriage struck down. For those who are counting, that makes them the 18th and 19th states respectively to recognize gay marriage. On his podcast this morning, Albert Mohler observes that a majority of Americans now live in states where gay marriage is legal. If you live in a state where gay marriage is not legal, you are in the minority. Mohler has some other salient observations on today’s “Briefing.” You can listen to the rest of it below or download it here.
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They asked whether I was prepared to die as a Christian
NBC News has the story of a Nigerian Christian man who was shot by Boko Haram terrorists for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. This man’s name is Habila Adamu, and he was attacked by the same group of terrorists who recently abducted 200 Nigerian school girls. They broke into his home, shot him, and left him for dead all in full view of his wife and son. It’s a miracle that he is alive. It’s even more a miracle that he stood. You must read his story in his own words. Below is an extended excerpt from the NBC News report:
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The cast of the new “Star Wars” announced
The cast of the new Star Wars film has been announced, and it includes some of the old favorites from the original trilogy. From The Daily Beast: On Tuesday afternoon, the world took one step closer to that galaxy far, far away as Disney and Lucasfilm announced the cast for filmmaker J.J. Abrams’ upcoming sequel, Star Wars: Episode VII—a film reportedly set 30 years after the events of the 1983 flick Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Actors John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley (Mr. Selfridge), Adam Driver (Girls), Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis), Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings), Domhnall Gleeson (Anna Karenina), and screen legend Max von Sydow are…