The Faithful Watchman

‘A Direct Threat to Christian Education’: LGBT Activist Group Calls for Biden to Target Christian Schools

Steve Warren – December 9, 2020

A prominent LGBT rights group is trying to persuade former Vice President Joe Biden and his presumptive administration to adopt guidelines that could lead to the closing of private Christian colleges and universities.

Activists at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) have written a document titled Blueprint for Positive Change, which gives 85 pro-LGBT policy and legislative recommendations for a potential Biden administration to enact.

One of the proposals in the HRC’s document calls for the US Department of Education to eliminate all exceptions for faith-based colleges and universities if they “discriminate or do not meet science-based curricula standards.”

Last month, Dr. Al Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, warned about the HRC’s document in a commentary, which he called “a direct threat to Christian education.”

The word “discrimination,” he advised, is the key to what could come next.

“The Blueprint is not ambiguous—it makes detailed policy positions and recommendations, department by department, for the Biden Administration to deploy once the president-elect assumes office. From the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Human Rights Campaign demands the enactment of policies to prohibit what is identified as discrimination,” Mohler wrote.

Mohler also notes the HRC is camouflaging sexual orientation and gender identity politics as “science.”

“The Human Rights Campaign is not known for any particular agenda on the creation-evolution front, nor is the group preoccupied with particle physics. The Human Rights Campaign is targeting issues of sexual orientation and gender identity, cloaking them in the language of ‘science.’ This is an undisguised effort to require Christian schools and colleges to abandon biblical authority or lose accreditation,” he explained.

https://www1.cbn.com

Water Futures to Start Trading Amid Growing Fears of Scarcity

Newsmax – December 7, 2020

Water joined gold, oil and other commodities traded on Wall Street, highlighting worries that the life-sustaining natural resource may become scarce across more of the world.

Farmers, hedge funds and municipalities alike are now able to hedge against — or bet on — future water availability in California, the biggest U.S. agriculture market and world’s fifth-largest economy. CME Group Inc.’s January 2021 contract, linked to California’s $1.1 billion spot water market, last traded Monday at 496 index points, equal to $496 per acre-foot.

The contracts, a first of their kind in the U.S., were announced in September as heat and wildfires ravaged the U.S. West Coast and as California was emerging from an eight-year drought. They are meant to serve both as a hedge for big water consumers, such as almond farmers and electric utilities, against water prices fluctuations as well a scarcity gauge for investors worldwide.

“Climate change, droughts, population growth, and pollution are likely to make water scarcity issues and pricing a hot topic for years to come,” said RBC Capital Markets managing director and analyst Deane Dray. “We are definitely going to watch how this new water futures contract develops.”

The United Nations has long warned that human-driven climate change is leading to severe droughts and more flooding, making water availability increasingly less predictable. In California, the most recent acute dry spell stretched from December 2011 until March of last year, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The most dire effects took hold in July 2014, with 58% of the state’s land suffering “exceptional drought,” leading to crop and pasture losses and other water emergencies.

https://www.newsmax.com

Australian authorities seize child, rule parents ABUSIVE for resisting hormone therapy to help daughter become son – report

RT – November 29, 2020

An Australian couple whose child was reportedly seized by state authorities is appealing a magistrate’s ruling finding them abusive and “dangerous” for resisting testosterone therapy for their daughter, who identifies as male.

Lawyers for the unidentified parents filed papers last week seeking to appeal a magistrate’s October decision, setting up what appears to be the country’s first test case on parental rights regarding gender dysphoria medicine, the Australian newspaper reported on Saturday. Their child, then 15, was taken away from the family last year, after discussing suicide online.

“The authorities say we will not allow her to change gender, so it’s dangerous for told her to come back to our house because we will mentally abuse her,” the father told the Australian. “They want us to consent to testosterone treatment.”

The parents are seeking an independent psychological review of all possible causes of their child’s depression, as well as consideration of non-invasive treatment options. The teen struggled after losing friends at 13, when the family relocated, and those difficulties were compounded by a difficult start to puberty and anxiety about eating and body image, the mother said.

The family migrated to Australia a decade ago, the newspaper said, without identifying their native country. The magistrate found that the teen likely suffered verbal abuse over “his feelings and expression of gender identity,” which the parents denied.

https://www.rt.com

Massachusetts Legislature Passes ‘Infanticide Act’ Removing Requirement of Preserving Abortion Survivor’s Life

Dr. Susan Berry – November 23, 2020

The Massachusetts legislature has passed an amendment to a budget bill that would allow abortions after the 24th week of pregnancy, eliminate parental consent, and remove the requirement that abortionists must attempt to preserve the life of a baby who survives abortion.

The state House passed Amendment 759 by a vote of 108-49, while the state Senate approved it by a vote of 33-7. The amendment, as part of the fiscal year 2021 budget bill, is now on the desk of Gov. Charlie Baker (R) who, as Masslive.com reported, was critical of Democrats pushing a late-term abortion proposal in a budget bill.

“I do share some of the unhappiness that was raised by a number of members of the Republican Party that putting policy in the budget was something that both leaders in the House and Senate said they would not do,” Baker said Friday afternoon, according to the report. “It’s pretty hard to argue this isn’t a major policy initiative that is not in the budget.”

As late as last year, Baker disapproved of measures to expand late-term abortion.

“I do not support late term abortions,” the governor said. “I support current law in Massachusetts. It’s worked well for decades for women and families here in Massachusetts, and that’s what we support.”

The Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) explained why Amendment 759 has been dubbed the “Infanticide Act:”

The reason why this legislation has earned the moniker “Infanticide Act” is because it removes the requirement that an abortionist “shall” save the life of a baby born alive during a botched abortion and replaces it with the requirement to simply have life-saving equipment in the room with no obligation to use it.

https://www.breitbart.com

High alert for Iranian/Hizballah terror in revenge for scientist’s death

Debkafiles – December 4, 2020

The warning of Iranian or proxy terrorism issued by Israel’s security officials was based on incoming intelligence that Tehran’s revenge for the death of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh last month would likely come in the form of terrorist attacks. The Lebanese Hizballah, which maintains a clandestine global network, would be the foremost candidate proxy for this operation. The security advisory issued by the Coounterterror Authority in Jerusalem on Thursday, Dec. 3, specifically warned Israeli travelers that they risked being targeted on their trips to the UAE’s Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Bahrain, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey. semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan and parts of Africa. They were told to be extra vigilant and avoid crowded places, unsecured locations and government centers.

Thousands of Israelis, enthusiastic globetrotters – even during the covid pandemic, are currently vacationing in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Around a hundred flights to those destinations are scheduled for next week in the first eager flush of friendship generated by the epic UAE normalization pact with Israel.

They have now been made aware of the active Iranian and Hizballah networks lurking in nearby Qatar, and their penetration by these hostile elements of expatriate Lebanese and Shiite expatriate communities in East Africa. Government officials were instructed to postpone planned trips to the Gulf. Extra guards are posed at Israel’s overseas diplomatic missions and Jewish centers.

The threat may also hang over those staying at home. On Friday, security officials alerted former nuclear research and other senior staff of the Dimona nuclear research center in southern Israel to danger. They were advised to alter their regular habits. including walking routes, refrain from opening strange packages, and be on the lookout for unusual events. Since the Fakhrizadeh death, they were told that Iranian spies may be monitoring their’ activities online and on social media

Conscious of the terrorist threat from Iran and its proxies, the US State Department this week decided to pull dozens of staffers from its embassy in the fortified Green Zone of Baghdad, this being the aftermath of the Fakhrizadeh killing and the first anniversary date of the US drone attack that killed Qassem Soleimani. Tehran has vowed revenge for both these grave losses.

https://www.debka.com

Fishing Holds Key to Brexit Trade Deal as Talks Drag on

Newsmax – December 4, 2020

BRUSSELS (AP) — In the decisive final days of talks, the tiny fishing industry is holding up a massive trade deal between the European Union and recently departed Britain, putting at risk hundreds of thousands of jobs and tens of billions of euros in annual production losses.

While fishing is a negligible part of the nations’ economies, it is an important point of national pride for coastal and island nations and has a massive impact on politics.

Arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage put so much stock in the importance of fishing that at one point during his successful 2016 campaign to get Britain out of the EU he steamed up the Thames on a fishing vessel.

Sir Ivan Rogers, a former career diplomat who long was the UK’s man at EU headquarters in Brussels, knows what the task is of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the final weeks before the Jan. 1 deadline.

“He has to emerge with a win on fisheries,” Rogers told a panel at the EPC think tank this week.

If Johnson cannot expel enough EU fishing boats from U.K. waters, a no-deal Brexit would surely ensue, creating chaos and costs for all and ruin for some.

U.K. vessels landed close to 1 billion pounds of fish last year; the gross domestic product of the United Kingdom last year stood at 2.17 trillion pounds, “It’s not about economics, it’s about politics and the symbolism,” said Barrie Deas, chief executive of Britain’s National Federation of Fishermen’s Organizations.

https://www.newsmax.com

Major solar flare triggers 3 strong earthquakes in Alaska (M6.3), Argentina (M6.3), Russia (M6.4)

Strange Sounds – December 1, 2020

Well, if you look back at data from the past two days, there is a clear correlation between the proton density sent from the sun and the occurrence of large earthquakes (M > 5.6), with a time shift of 1-2 day(s).

The biggest solar flare in more than 3 years occured on Nov. 29th, triggering widespread radio shortwave outages and hurling a huge CME in space.

Luckily, the small sunspot that erupted wasn’t facing Earth during its explosive event. But still, particles from the solar eruption may have triggered a series of 4 strong earthquakes that hit across the world within less than 12 hours between Nov. 30th and Dec. 1st.

M6.4 Russia – Nov. 30th, 22:54:34 (UTC)

The first earthquake of the series is a very deep M6.4 quake that hit 88 km SSE of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia.

The offshore quake epicenter was situated at a depth of 587km (364.7 miles) and no tsunami was created.

M6.3 Argentina – Nov. 30th, 22:54:59 (UTC)

Just 20 seconds after the first strong quake of the series, another big blast rattled 76 km WSW of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina.

Although very deep (147.8 km or 91.8 miles), the quake was reported by at least 16 people, most reporting very small shaking.

It is worthwhile to report that a M5.9 earthquake (so a big one too!) hit about the same region on Sunday, Nov. 29th at 1:40 p.m. local time – the same day than the solar eruption.

M6.3 Alaska – Dec. 1st, 16:22:40 (UTC)

Finally a M6.3 earthquake hit offshore, 38 km (23.6 miles) ESE of Nikolski, Alaska at a depth of 23 km (14.3 miles).

Eight reports of shaking have already been published on the USGS homepage.

https://strangesounds.org

WHO urges govts to fight malaria as death toll from disease may exceed Covid-19 in sub-Saharan Africa

Baz Ratner – November 30, 2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that gaps in access to life-saving tools are undermining efforts to curb malaria, as deaths from the disease will far exceed those killed by Covid-19 in sub-Saharan Africa.

In its latest World Malaria Report’, the WHO says progress against malaria continues to plateau. In some African states, the fight against the mosquito-borne disease has been set back due to gaps in access to life-saving tools, with disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic only aggravating the situation.

Last year, more than 409,000 people were killed by malaria globally, and most of them were children in the impoverished parts of Africa.

The toll may be higher this year. “Our estimates are that depending on the level of service disruption … there could be an excess of malaria deaths of somewhere between 20,000 and 100,000 in sub-Saharan Africa, most of them in young children,” said Pedro Alonso, director of the WHO’s malaria program.

Even moderate disruptions in access to treatment could lead to a considerable loss of life, the WHO said. A 10 percent disruption in access to effective antimalarial treatment in sub-Saharan Africa could lead to 19 000 additional deaths, while disruptions of 25 and 50 percent could result in an additional 46,000 and 100,000 deaths respectively.Despite recent achievements, progress in fighting the disease in the region has stalled, Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, warned.

https://www.rt.com

US Supreme Court sides with California church that challenged ‘draconian and unconscionable’ Covid lockdown

RT – December 3, 2020

The US Supreme Court has sided with a California church which argued that coronavirus restrictions infringe religious liberty. The ruling is the second such order to favor religious groups over Democratic governors.

With church services forbidden by California Governor Gavin Newsom under his Covid restrictions, the Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena claimed before the Supreme Court that the “draconian and unconscionable prohibitions” on worship were unfair.

“Indoor worship services are completely prohibited for 99.1 percent of Californians,” the group argued, while “food packing and processing, laundromats, and warehouses have no capacity limits, liquor and grocery stores have a 50 percent capacity, and big box centers, shopping malls, laundromats, and destination centers have a 25-percent capacity.”

Furthermore, the church accused Newsom himself of violating California’s lockdown rules “at his own whim,” after photos were published of the governor dining at a restaurant with a group of lobbyists and health officials.

The Supreme Court sided with the church on Thursday, sending the case back down to the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals, and asking that court’s judges to reconsider the case in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling last week which blocked New York’s restrictions on religious gatherings.

In that ruling, the highest US court ruled that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s lockdown measures – which limited church and synagogue congregations to 10 people in certain “red zones” – “strike at the very heart of the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty.”

“Even in a pandemic, the Constitution cannot be put away and forgotten,” the ruling added.

https://www.rt.com

Australian Teen Taken From ‘Dangerous’ Parents Who Disagree With Daughter Pursuing Sex Change

Heather Clark – December 3, 2020

An Australian teen who was born female but identifies as male has been removed from her parents’ care after a judge ruled that it is unsafe for her to remain at home considering her risk of self-harm and the parents’ disagreement with pursuing a sex change.

“[The authorities] say we will not allow her to change gender, so it’s dangerous for her to come back to our house because we will mentally abuse her,” the unidentified father told The Australian. “They want us to consent to testosterone treatment.”

Attorneys for the parents have filed paperwork appealing a protective order from October, in which a Children’s Court magistrate cited the risk of self-harm the teen as she had posted about suicide online last year. He also found it probable that the child was enduring verbal abuse over her “feelings and expression of gender identity,” which the parents deny.

According to reports, the family moved to Australia 10 years ago and have been aware that their now 15-year-old daughter suffers from depression. They state that she also struggles with social skills, her eating and body image, and puberty was a difficult transition for her.

However, instead of pursuing a “sex change,” they prefer for the teen to be seen by an independent psychologist to find the root cause of her feelings and to provide help that is less invasive, considering the permanency of the alternative option.

On Nov. 7, attorneys for the teen filed paperwork seeking for the child to be allowed to begin “hormone therapy,” but the parents have requested a second opinion first. Child protective officials have reportedly consented to obtaining a second opinion.

“Especially Australians, they just can’t believe that it happens in Australia,” the mother stated.

“The end of parenting as we knew it. We have no rights. Our children can be seriously harmed by the government and medical profession and we are powerless to stop it,”

https://christiannews.net