Author: Ron Chambers

‘Sinister’ plan circulating in left-wing circles: Strip accreditation from religious schools that don’t comply with progressive policies

Phil Shiver – December 23, 2020

On Tuesday, in an op-ed published by the Daily Signal, Texas Republican Rep. Brian Babin raised awareness about a dangerous plan being hatched by progressives to shape future generations of Americans.

The plan — outlined in a recent Human Rights Campaign manifesto titled, “Blueprint for Positive Change” — urges the incoming Biden administration to mandate compliance with their political agenda by stripping accreditation from religious colleges and universities that don’t meet “nondiscrimination policies and science-based curricula standards” regarding sexual orientation and gender identity.

The objective, which is one of 85 policy recommendations submitted by the LGBTQ advocacy group, demands that the Department of Education amend language found in the Higher Education Opportunity Act that presently requires accrediting agencies to respect a school’s “stated mission.”

The department, HRC argues, “should issue a regulation clarifying that this provision … does not require the accreditation of religious institutions that do not meet neutral accreditation standards including nondiscrimination policies and scientific curriculum requirements.”

Should the plan be carried out, it would effectively dissolve religious higher education institutions in America as many employers do not hire applicants without a degree from an accredited school.

Babin responded to the plan, saying, “Here, couched in language designed to suggest moral superiority and scientific legitimacy, is a blatant, full-frontal assault on our religious liberties.

https://www.theblaze.com

Strong M6.3 earthquake hits Mindoro, Philippines

– December 25, 2020

A strong earthquake registered by PHIVOLCS as M6.3 hit Mindoro, Philippines at 23:43 UTC on December 24, 2020 (07:43 LT, December 25). The agency is reporting a depth of 109 km (67 miles). The USGS is reporting the same magnitude and depth; EMSC M6.3 at a depth of 33 km (20 miles).

The epicenter was located 1.8 km (1.1 miles) SSW of Calatagan (population 16 110), 17.7 km (11 miles) SW of Balayan (population 50 115), 24.1 km (15 miles) WSW of Calaca (population 37 443), 27.7 km (17.2 miles) S of Nasugbu (population 62 857), and 73 km (45 miles) SW of Calamba (population 316 612), Philippines.

There are about 20 200 000 people living within 100 km (62 miles).

12 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 3 775 000 moderate, and 40 465 000 light.

Phivolcs said aftershocks are expected.

The USGS issued a green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are unknown/miscellaneous types and heavy wood frame construction.

Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and liquefaction that might have contributed to losses.

https://watchers.news

Spain legalises euthanasia

Evangelical Focus – December 18, 2020

The Spanish Parliament has approved the first euthanasia law in the country on 17 December.

The rule, promoted by the Social Democrat government party, PSOE, received 198 votes in favour, 138 against and 2 abstentions. Spain becomes the fourth country in Europe and the sixth worldwide to legalise euthanasia, after the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada and New Zealand.

The law was approvedafter several attempts in which the Parliament voted against it. The government coalition of PSOE and leftist party Unidas Podemos, along with the deputies of liberal party Ciudadanos, leftist party Más País, Catalonian parties ERC, CUP and Junts per Catalunya, Basque parties PNV and EH Bildu, and Galician party BNG, all voted in favour.

The conservative parties PP and UPN and far-right Vox voted against it. Vox has announced that they will file an appeal of unconstitutionality against the text.

The law, which has yet to be approved by the Senate, although it is expected to do so, could come into force in the first months of 2021.

During the vote, dozens of people gathered outside the Parliament building to protest against the measure with posters that read: “Government of death”.

Defending the law presented by the government, the PSOE parlamentarian María Luisa Carcedo, pointed out that the text “absolutely guarantees the patient rights” and that it is “the patient who decides in a situation of extreme suffering”.

PP deputy José Ignacio Echániz responded that “without universal access to palliative care there is no choice, no freedom because the only option offered to patients is euthanasia”. “The level of civilisation and maturity of a country is measured by how it treats the most vulnerable”, he added.

https://evangelicalfocus.com

Phoenix clears parking lots to make way for sprawling tent city packed with homeless people – as experts warn of ‘catastrophic’ crisis caused by pandemic

Andrew Court and Reuters – December 23, 2020

Tent cities are expanding across the United States as experts warn that the ongoing pandemic could lead to a ‘catastrophic’ homeless crisis where hundreds of thousands more Americans are living on the streets.

Officials in Phoenix, Arizona have cleared two large parking lots in the Bender neighborhood to accommodate for the city’s exploding number of homeless people.

More than 7,500 people are without permanent shelter in Phoenix, according to Reuters, who visited the tent city, which is dubbed ‘The Zone’ by some of its inhabitants.

There, hundreds of homeless people are packed together. Many people do not wear masks, and some count a sleeping bag or a tarp as their only worldly possession.

Although the city has posted portable toilets and washing stations along the perimeter of the encampment, health protocols like handwashing are difficult and the risks of contracting COVID-19 is exponentially increased.

Feces and garbage are also littered among the tent city, which is located just a short distance from Phoenix’s ritzy restaurants and luxury apartment buildings.

Phoenix is just one example of a slow-motion disaster unfolding in many large US cities as homeless numbers, already growing in recent years, spike during the global coronavirus pandemic.

In 2019, before the pandemic hit, there were close to 600,000 Americans who were homeless. That number has surely surged in the past twelve months, although experts have been unable to pinpoint the exact number.

Since COVID-19 reached the US in January, however, more than 162,000 evictions have been filed in 27 cities tracked by the Princeton University Eviction Lab.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk

Lawmakers Asking Whether Cyberattack Is Act of War

Jeffrey Rodack – December 18, 2020

Congressional lawmakers are questioning whether the cyberattack on the federal government is an act of war.

According to The Hill, the cyberattack, widely attributed to Russia, may be the biggest in U.S. history.

It noted any U.S. response could be complicated by the presidential transition.

“We can’t be buddies with Vladimir Putin and have him at the same time making this kind of cyberattack on America,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told CNN. “This is virtually a declaration of war by Russia on the United States and we should take that seriously.”

And Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, told SiriusXM’s Olivier Knox in a Thursday interview: “What I find most astonishing is that a cyberhack of this nature is really the modern equivalent of almost Russian bombers reportedly flying undetected over the entire country. And they didn’t drop bombs, but they had the capacity to show that our defense is extraordinarily inadequate.”

The Energy Department and its National Nuclear Security Administration, which maintains America’s nuclear stockpile, were targeted as part of a broader attack, according to a person familiar with the matter. The hack didn’t affect mission-essential national security functions.

In addition, three unidentified states were also targeted.

CNN reported that Marco Rubio urged people not to jump to conclusions.

“There’s still information gathering occurring, so I’d caution anyone reaching conclusions or making pronouncements until all that is in,” said Rubio, who is Senate Intelligence Committee chairman.

https://www.newsmax.com

Brexit: Some progress, more gaps as UK, EU race to lock down trade deal

DW – December 18, 2020

Leaders from Britain and the European Commission did not take an overly optimistic tone following talks late Thursday over a trade deal that would keep the UK from crashing out of a transition period with the EU without a deal in place.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said “substantial progress” had been made on several issues, but fishing rights remained a point of contention. At the same time, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a no-deal outcome was becoming “very likely.”

“We welcomed substantial progress on many issues. Yet big differences remain to be bridged, in particular on fisheries. Bridging them will be very challenging,” von der Leyen said following Thursday’s talks, adding that negotiations will continue on Friday.

With just days to go before the end-of-year deadline, Downing Street opted for a more pessimistic tone.

“The prime minister repeated that little time was left,” a spokesman for the British PM said. “He said that, if no agreement could be reached, the UK and the EU would part as friends, with the UK trading with the EU on Australian-style terms.”

Australia doesn’t have a free trade deal with the bloc.

https://www.dw.com

Goverment Restrictions on Religion Hit Highest Level Since 2007

Milton Quintanilla – December 16, 2020

Faith leaders are addressing the recent Pew Research study that shows record-high levels of restrictions on religious freedom.

According to CBN News, Religious Freedom Ambassador Sam Brownback says that in order for other human rights to flourish, the right of religious freedom must also be protected.

“We look at this religious freedom foundational right that if you can get it right as a nation other human rights will flourish. If you get it wrong other human rights will diminish,” Brownback asserted.

Last month, Pew Research revealed that in 2018, government restrictions on religion hit an all-time high since 2007. The study also showed that high or very high government restrictions peaked in 56 countries, with the highest restrictions being in Africa and the Middle East.

We’ve never been more institutionalized, but we’ve never seen more persecution. The new Pew reports are out and there has never been more persecution, so we are getting our act together on how this gets institutionalized but obviously, we have to go to another level here as a civil society, as a government,” Chris Seiple of Templeton Religion Trust said.

In 2018, the White House intervened to free pastor Andrew Brunson, a missionary who was arrested in Turkey after he was falsely arrested for partaking in an alleged coup with Kurdish terrorists against Turkish president Erdogan.

Last week, Christian Headlines reported that Brunson predicted increasing persecution against U.S Christians in the future.

Brunson, who shared his remarks at the “Global Prayer for US Election Integrity” event on Facebook earlier this month, explained how Christians across the nation are unprepared for the forthcoming hostility that will be made against them.

https://www.christianheadlines.com

Losing Jaw Bones and Eyesight: 9 Dead, Over 100 Hospitalised as Rare Fungal Disease Spreads in India

– December 18, 2020

As India inches towards a grim milestone of ten million COVID-19 cases, a new rare disease known as mucormycosis is spreading across the country. According to doctors, the COVID-triggered disease has a 50 percent mortality rate.

Authorities in northern and western Indian states have alerted people as hospitals have reported the rapid spread of a deadly fungal infection, mucormycosis, across the region. At least nine people have already reportedly died due to this rare disease, while over a hundred more have been hospitalised in different hospitals in Delhi and Ahmedabad.

“Since early reports of this rare disease spread through various mediums including that of media, more people have contacted hospitals. As of now, over a hundred people are being treated for this black fungal infection in different hospitals in Delhi alone”, Dr Manish Munjal, Senior Consultant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital told Sputnik.

Doctors say that ignoring the early signs of the rare disease may be fatal.

“Nose obstruction, swelling in the eyes or cheeks, and black dry crusts in the nose are the early symptoms of the infection. These signs should immediately prompt the conduct of a biopsy in the OPD and start of antifungal therapy as early as possible”, Munjal added.

The doctor admitted that he found some cases in non-COVID patients as well, however, most of the infections are found in recovering COVID-19 patients.

Doctors say the frequency of cases as well as high morbidity and mortality has never been seen before and is alarming.

State chief of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot has also alerted people of the state about mucoramycosis. “In this disease, there is a risk of damage to many organs of the body including the brain. An alert for the disease has been issued in Mumbai and Ahmedabad”, Gehlot said.

https://sputniknews.com

Apocalyptic footage shows huge swarm of locusts turning sky black – ‘No tree survived’

Alessandra Scotto di Santolo – December 17, 2020

A NEW generation of locust swarms is threatening to wipe out the livelihoods of farmers and herders across eastern Africa – deepening a food crisis in a region where 35 million people are already hungry, the United Nations warned on Wednesday.

From January to August, massive desert locust swarms swept across Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, ravaging crops and decimating pasture in the worst outbreak in decades. Governments, supported by U.N. agencies and international charities, responded with large-scale aerial and ground spraying of pesticides to destroy the swarms, which scientists have linked to climate change.

But widespread rains in Ethiopia and flooding caused by a cyclone in Somalia last month have created favourable breeding conditions, allowing locust infestations to increase, said the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

“We have achieved much, but the battle against this relentless pest is not yet over,” said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu in a statement.

“We must not waver. Locusts keep growing day and night and risks are exacerbating food insecurity for vulnerable families across the affected region.”

Locust swarms are already forming in Somalia and Ethiopia and threaten to re-invade northern Kenya, while breeding is also underway on both sides of the Red Sea, posing a new threat to Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen, said the FAO.

https://www.express.co.uk

The push for children’s ‘sexual rights’ is coming

Mattea Merta – November 30, 2020

Human Rights Watch issued a submission to the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy, Prof. Joseph Cannataci, that states their concern with “the privacy rights of children and issues relating to their independence and autonomy.”

The submission “focuses on the importance of privacy for children with respect to their sexual and reproductive health and rights, physical and emotional well-being in school, safety in the online space, and the protection of their information online.”

Human Rights Watch calls for children to have “access to confidential adolescent-responsive and non-discriminatory reproductive and sexual health information and services, available both on and off-line, including… safe abortion services.” It also recommends that governments ensure that “children have access to confidential medical counsel and assistance without parental consent, including for reproductive health services,” as well as “specifically calling for confidential access for adolescent girls to legal abortions.”

If implemented, this submission by Human Rights Watch would allow for children to have legal rights to bypass parental consent to access with absolute privacy: abortions, hormone injections for the purpose of gender transition and/or puberty blockers, complete privacy rights in accessing online and offline information on any subject and to any materials (this means inside their classrooms, schools, at doctors offices, extra curricular activities, etc), access to explicit information contained within Comprehensive Sexuality Education, male children using female bathrooms and change rooms, as well as medical provisions tailored for full access to minors with zero parent assistance or knowledge. It also classifies, amongst other issues, abortion, as a child’s “right.”

This submission, if accepted, would assist children in completely bypassing parents which is a dangerous situation for any child to be in. Abortions, puberty blockers, the removal of parental guidance, and comprehensive sexuality education all have side effects. But the chief concern is that this calls for institutions to help children bypass their parents towards the legal implementation of children’s self-determinative rights, without guardian or parental oversight.

In place of parents or guardians having a say over the well-being of their children, this measure would encourage children to beleive that the state is the final arbiter of their best interests. It creates a schism between parents and children.

https://thepostmillennial.com