Entire books have been written to answer the question of “Why get married?” So‚ it’s futile to think we can fully address the question in a few minutes. But if you’ve never asked yourself what the point of marriage is‚ it’s worth consideration.  In the same way Scripture commands us to love God and love others as we love ourselves‚ perhaps marriage can be thought of as an act to love God and others‚ and to grow ourselves. Talk to any happily married couple‚ and they will tell you marriage has humbled them‚ highlighted their weaknesses‚ and expanded their capacity to love. In short‚ marriage has forced them to grow as people. And couples in healthy marriages often express a deep joy that they have found in having a companion to walk through the highs and lows of life with. Marriage is a gift to the betterment of self.  But marriage viewed only as a means to make you and your spouse happier and healthier is like Leonardo da Vinci painting the body of the Mona Lisa without the face: It’s beautiful‚ but incomplete.  Studies‚ such as those reported by the National Library of Medicine‚ find that married men are less likely to commit crime when married to women without a criminal record‚ and children who have two parents‚ whether biological or adopted‚ are less likely to live in poverty and are more likely to reach higher levels of education and occupational attainment. Marriage even decreases alcohol use‚ according to studies.  Marriage gives individuals something to live for that is bigger than self-fulfillment‚ and that in turn benefits society‚ aka “others.” It’s no stretch to say a marriage boom across America would do more to reduce crime‚ end child poverty‚ and raise living standards than any government program ever could.  The full picture of the purpose of marriage can only be completed in light of God and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Even if one is not a believer in God‚ the following may still prove helpful to understanding why marriage is so important to faith-filled communities across the world.  Scripture refers to the Church‚ those who believe in and follow Jesus‚ as Christ’s “bride.” Marriage between a man and woman on Earth is intended to be a reflection of Christ’s love and commitment to His bride‚ the Church.  As the book of Ephesians advises‚ “And walk in love‚ as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us‚ a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”  With Valentine’s Day around the corner‚ we dive into the purpose of marriage on this week’s edition of the “Problematic Women” podcast. Of course‚ dating comes before marriage‚ so we also offer our dating advice and share some highs and lows of modern dating.  Listen to the podcast below:  Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.  The post What’s the Point of Marriage? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Editor’s note: This is the second podcast interview in a series on transgender phenomena‚ science‚ and the potential for medical malpractice lawsuits. Check out the first interview‚ on rapid-onset gender dysphoria. Unfortunately‚ parents can’t trust mental health professionals on the issue of a transgender identity‚ a veteran social worker warns. Pamela Garfield-Jaeger‚ a social worker with decades of experience dealing with mental health professionals and vulnerable people‚ warns that the over-psychologizing of childhood is contributing to the rise of rapid-onset gender dysphoria and the trauma of kids mutilating their own bodies to pursue a transgender identity‚ rather than dealing with underlying psychological issues. Garfield-Jaeger‚ who lost her job because she refused to take a COVID-19 vaccine‚ now runs a practice called “The Truthful Therapist‚” where she helps parents navigate the potentially fraught field of mental health. Many parents struggle to navigate mental health and find themselves demonized by the very professionals who they trust to help their kids. “I talk to parents who either are still in the thick of it‚ where their children are still identifying as trans‚ or where their child has desisted‚ where the time that their children felt the most distress is when they believed that their parents no longer love them or care about them or accept them because that’s what the trans community and the therapists and the doctors” say‚ Garfield-Jaeger tells “The Daily Signal Podcast.” “All the people who believe in this are telling this child‚ ‘Oh‚ your parents aren’t accepting you for who you are. We’re the ones who accept you. We’re the ones who know you best‚’” she notes. “That’s a really scary prospect for a child to believe that ‘Now my parents don’t know who I am. They don’t listen to me. They don’t believe me‚ and they don’t care about me‚ and they don’t love me anymore‚’ which is a complete lie.” “All of these parents that I’ve ever met love their children dearly‚” Garfield-Jaeger explains. “They just want to live in reality‚ and they know for sure that this child has some underlying issue that is causing them to believe that they are trans‚ and it’s not some magical spiritual belief that their brain is mismatched with their bodies.” If children are struggling with mental health issues before they hear these negative messages about their parents‚ this idea that their parents don’t love them “just adds to the distress‚” the social worker explains. This mentality shows that parents can’t always trust mental health professionals‚ and it led Garfield-Jaeger to testify against AB 665‚ a California bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law last year. The legislation allows 12-year-old kids to consent to residential treatment in a mental health facility‚ and it also directs mental health professionals to consult with a child before determining whether the child’s parents should have any say in mental health treatment. “The Truthful Therapist” warns that many of the group homes where kids receive residential treatment receive government funds. “The people that are controlling that money really believe strongly in this ‘gender-affirming care’ model‚ and they believe children need to get on hormones and have access to surgeries to be transgender really quickly‚” she warns. “Without their parents to safeguard them‚ I believe more vulnerable children will be turned into transgender incorrectly and not get their mental health needs met‚” Garfield-Jaeger says. She would know: She worked in group homes in California. Much of the medical industry pushes experimental transgender medical interventions for children‚ even though doctors have warned that minors cannot consent to interventions with lifelong consequences‚ such as potential sterilization and greater risk for osteoporosis‚ deep-vein thrombosis‚ and other side effects. “I actually believe that gender dysphoria or gender distress or whatever term you want to use is really a symptom of something else‚” Garfield-Jaeger explains. She mentions that many who struggle with gender-identity issues have “trauma‚ usually sexual trauma.” “The trans community promises this one-size-fits-all solution” that gives “short-term relief‚” but “in the long run‚ it creates a lot of harm‚” she says. The social worker also noted that she sees a great deal of “desistance‚” kids who formerly identified as transgender returning to identify with their biological sex. She said the phenomenon of youth identifying as transgender “peaked during the lockdown or right after the lockdowns‚ because so many kids were isolated‚ … they weren’t doing their sports or whatever hobbies that they would be doing or interacting with their friends‚ so they were stuck at home on their screens and learning that perhaps they’re trans online.” “So‚ now that we’re a couple years out of that‚ we are seeing more desistance‚” Garfield-Jaeger says. She estimates that among the parents she works with‚ about 50% of the kids have left a transgender identity. She notes that “it takes a while.” “It seems to take about two years or so. It’s not an overnight process‚” she said. Garfield-Jaeger also connects the issue with critical race theory‚ a framework that encourages kids to look at American society as systemically racist‚ where white people are “oppressors” and black people are “oppressed.” She said young people identify as transgender in part “because they tend to be in that ‘oppressor’ category—like the [cisgender]‚ white‚ whatever—and so‚ they’re the ones who are attracted to becoming trans because they can sort of identify into being now in this ‘oppressed’ category.” Girls may be especially susceptible to this trend‚ she adds. “A young girl wants to know that she’s a good person‚ and if she’s told by how she’s born‚ that makes her a bad person‚ that’s a pretty awful thing to tell a young person‚ I think‚” she says. “Now you’ve got this magic way to opt out of that‚ which is becoming trans‚ and then you get rainbows and you get parades‚ and all the movies show the trans person as being cool and fun.” She also laments that girls are told they should be afraid of puberty. Garfield-Jaeger‚ who is Jewish‚ notes that “Jews are looked at as an ‘oppressor’ class‚ and I think that’s what’s happening on these campuses. That’s why there’s a rise in antisemitism.” Listen to the full interview below. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Transgender Series‚ Part 2: ‘Truthful Therapist’ Explains Why Parents Can’t Trust Mental Health Professionals appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Researchers say there are still chances to repair the probe‚ but they are not very high. Problems in the operation of the Voyager 1 spacecraft‚ the most distant in the history of mankind‚ continue. NASA says that the return of the probe to life will be comparable to a miracle‚ reports Gizmodo. Problems arose with the flight data system (FDS)‚ which is linked to one of the 46-year-old craft’s three on-board computers. The FDS is responsible for collecting data from Voyager 1’s scientific instruments‚ as well as information about the overall health of the vehicle. This system no longer communicates properly with the telemetry modulation unit‚ which receives the data collected by the FDS system and sends it back to Earth. And this is just the latest in a series of problems with the aging Voyager 1‚ which was launched from Earth in 1977‚ immediately after its twin Voyager 2. Back in May 2022‚ the Voyager 1 probe began sending meaningless position determination and control (AACS) data to Earth. Then the head of the mission‚ Suzanne Dodd‚ called the glitch as “a normal occurrence at this stage.” It later turned out that the data was transmitted by a faulty probe computer‚ so on Earth they were perceived as gibberish. The project engineers managed to solve the problem by sending telemetry through another computer on the device. Three months have passed since the problem arose and its solution‚ during which time the device covered 161 million km. Then‚ in December 2023‚ Voyager 1 again began sending unintelligible data to Earth . The telemetry modulation unit began sending binary code to Earth‚ which indicated that a failure had occurred again. The NASA team suggests that this time too the problem lies in the FDS‚ where the incorrect data is coming from. Scientists tried to solve the problem by rebooting the FDS‚ but the plan didn’t work. The device continues to transmit strange messages to Earth. “If we bring the device back to life‚ it will be the greatest miracle. We are definitely not going to give up. If there are other methods we can try. But what happened is certainly the most serious breakdown since I became the project manager‚” Dodd emphasizes. Voyager 1 is located at a distance of 24‚365‚306‚285 km from Earth and continues its journey at a speed of 61 thousand km/h. “We can talk to the spacecraft and it can hear us‚ but this is a slow process given the incredible distance it is from Earth‚” NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said. Each message from Earth takes 22.5 hours to reach the probe‚ and vice versa. The Voyager missions are already 50 years old. Even decades ago‚ devices brilliantly coped with their main tasks‚ so all subsequent years are a bonus. When the moment comes and both devices finally fail‚ they will continue to fly through space‚ but will no longer be able to collect data. The post Rebooting didn’t help. Voyager 1 continues to send strange binary code appeared first on Anomalien.com.

A team from the Swedish University of Gothenburg conducted field research using a high-tech robotic underwater submarine named “Ran” after the Norse goddess of the sea. The device set off on another voyage when it mysteriously disappeared from all radars. During the work‚ scientists took measurements of the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica‚ which is also called the Doomsday Glacier‚ since its complete loss could be a real disaster for humanity – the melting of the glacier could cause a devastating rise in sea levels. The Run submersible’s maiden voyage under the Thwaites Glacier was a significant event‚ as it marked the first time in history that something had passed beneath the Doomsday Glacier‚ taking important measurements of the melting ice cap. This data told scientists in more detail about what was happening to it and at what rate it was losing ice. However‚ at the end of the second mission‚ something unexpected happened – the submersible was unable to return from under the glacier. Ran was repeatedly sent down and then raised‚ since huge blocks of ice simply did not allow the operator to maintain contact with the submarine. Instead‚ it is sent along a specific pre-programmed route and then returns to a specific meeting point. Alas‚ this time something went wrong. According to the co-author of the study‚ marine scientist Anna WÃ¥hlin‚ something strange happened under the Doomsday Glacier that did not allow the device to return to the scientists. The team sent drones and helicopters to search‚ and also used acoustic search equipment‚ but all in vain. In the end‚ scientists had to admit that they had lost the submersible. WÃ¥hlin notes that the search for Ran is now like searching for a needle in a haystack‚ but scientists don’t even know where the haystack is. At the moment‚ the batteries of the Ran apparatus are discharged‚ and all that scientists know is that something unexpected happened under the ice. The team suggests that there is a possibility that something could have prevented the device from “getting out” from under the ice. However‚ scientists are not losing heart; they are currently looking for funding that would allow them to replace the underwater vehicle and continue their research. The post Curse of the Doomsday Glacier: submarine disappeared without a trace appeared first on Anomalien.com.

by Geoffrey Grinder‚ Now The End Begins: American pundit Tucker Carlson‚ who is currently on a visit to Moscow‚ has announced he is interviewing Russian President Vladimir Putin‚ Liberal globalists furious. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange found out the hard way the price that gets paid for daring to reveal the truth about the inner workings of government and […]

While in Nevada covering the ongoing primaries and GOP presidential caucus‚ CBS News White House Ed O’Keefe correspondent sat down with several Biden-skeptical Latinos in Nevada. The interview resulted in a new installment in a series: the ongoing crack-up of President Biden’s 2020 coalition. Watch as a Democrat-leaning Latina expresses her lack of enthusiasm for Biden‚ based on his presidential track record: ED O’KEEFE: Idania Archuleta‚ a new U.S. citizen who leans Democrat‚ is among them. IDANIA ARCHULETA: I was excited when I became a citizen. I was like‚ yes‚ let's do it‚ you know? And now it's like‚ what do I do?  O’KEEFE: She’d like to vote for the president‚ but --  ARCHULETA: There's just so many things that have been promised and we still haven’t really seen them.  O’KEEFE: What hasn't Joe Biden done for you?  ARCHULETA: Let's start with immigration. He has- there’s- I see so many people around me that I see them struggle. He promised in the beginning‚ and we didn't see that. We are still in the same situation.  Our colleague Nick Fondacaro covered O’Keefe’s December trip to Michigan‚ wherein he interviewed members of the Arab-American community disgusted with Biden’s handling of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. ABC and NBC did likewise‚ and expressed panic over this apparent splintering. The Nevada group’s disenchantment with Biden isn’t as white-hot‚ but it’s there nonetheless. And like the Arab-Americans in Michigan‚ they hit Biden mostly from the left- on immigration‚ student loans‚ health care‚ and even a subtle dig at his age. This same video package ran on CBS Evening News (CBS rolls like that)‚ but was time-constricted and did not have the banter we saw at the end between O’Keefe and anchor John Dickerson. And it is here‚ in response to a question on the dead border bill‚ that O’Keefe expresses his concern over Biden’s lack of visibility within the community. JOHN DICKERSON: Ed‚ I’m going to go back to your White House hat for a second. The border legislation looks like it's dead. The president‚ President Biden‚ gets some share of the blame‚ even though he’ll say that’s all Congress' fault‚ as your focus group there showed‚ presidents tend to get blamed no matter what happens in Congress. Biden is trying to basically turn it around and say Republicans never wanted any legislation. They just want an issue. How do you think that plays out in a key state like Nevada?  O’KEEFE: Well‚ he’s got to keep saying it. I was struck in that conversation‚ John‚ how the vote- those three people said‚ we don't hear from this guy. Whether he’s succeeded in getting something accomplished or not‚ he should be out there explaining himself better and on amore regular basis. And  there's this concern‚ that perhaps because of his age or for whatever reason‚ they are not seeing him‚ and they'd like to see more of him. And that flies in the face of the Biden strategy in 2020‚ which was a gamble that Americans wanted less of their president instead of more. It may be that things have shifted‚ and he’s got to get out there to explain himself‚ and in this case at least‚ start blaming Republicans more. Here‚ again‚ we have the beginnings of a panic over yet another part of the Biden coalition fading away.  Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned segment as aired on CBS News Prime Time With John Dickerson on Wednesday‚ February 7th‚ 2024:  JOHN DICKERSON: Nevada will be a key state in November's general election‚ and as Ed O'Keefe is showing us‚ the party nominees will need to convince a key electorate.  ED O’KEEFE: Every four years‚ candidates bet big on Nevada. But in order to hit the jackpot in November‚ they need to win over the key demographic‚ Latinos‚ and few here are eager for the likely rematch.  STEVIE CSATREJON: My gosh‚ this feels like deja vu all happening all over again‚ honestly‚ with the same presidential candidates.  O’KEEFE: Maggie Arias-Petrel‚ a self-described Reagan Republican‚ voted for Mr. Biden four years ago. Now? She’s not sure.  MAGGIE ARIAS-PETREL: He talked about health care and education‚ and even student loans for the students‚ right? A lot of things that I don't think he was able to deliver.  O’KEEFE: But she can’t support Trump either.  ARIAS-PETREL: He needs to put the ego aside- he needs to respect women.  O’KEEFE: Nationwide‚  at least 3 million more Latinos are eligible to vote from four years ago.  Idania Archuleta‚ a new U.S. citizen who leans Democrat‚ is among them. IDANIA ARCHULETA: I was excited when I became a citizen. I was like‚ yes‚ let's do it‚ you know? And now it's like‚ what do I do?  O’KEEFE: She’d like to vote for the president‚ but --  ARCHULETA: There's just so many things that have been promised and we still haven’t really seen them.  O’KEEFE: What hasn't Joe Biden done for you?  ARCHULETA: Let's start with immigration. He has- there’s- I see so many people around me that I see them struggle. He promised in the beginning‚ and we didn't see that. We are still in the same situation.  O’KEEFE: Independent Stevie Castrejón voted for Trump twice‚ and says president Biden has been too scripted.  STEVIE CASTREJON: It just seemed like he was not trying to connect with people- to answer the questions we want answered.  O’KEEFE: Do you think it would be any different if you actually had different candidates running?  ARIAS-PETREL: Yes. This is a country where the millennials are just doing wonderful things. Why not give the opportunity to‚ you know‚ a woman president or a young president?  DICKERSON: And Ed O'Keefe joining me now from Las Vegas. So Ed‚ help me figure this Haley loss out Tuesday in the primary. Is it the result of her lack of favorability in the state? Or was this mischief making by the Trump team and Trump voters to vote for Not This Candidate to hurt Haley?  O’KEEFE: Might be a little bit of both‚ John. She did not spend a cent‚ did not spend a day in Nevada campaigning‚ understanding that there would be dirty tricks played by the Trump aligned state party‚ controlled by a big supporter of his‚ much of the state favors him‚ so she put her name on the primary ballot because by state law they now hold primaries in this state‚ but a judge ruled a few years ago that the parties can figure out how they want to nominate their president. So the Trump-aligned state party said he does better in caucuses‚ we’re going to schedule one for tomorrow night. And he's essentially the only guy on the ballot. He’s expected to win it easily‚ and he will get all the 26 delegates. That's why Haley and all other candidates that were in the race back in the day didn't come here. They said‚ this one? This one is set for him.  DICKERSON: Fascinating. Okay. Give us the temperature check between the two candidates. Haley coming out of New Hampshire‚ just to review the bidding‚ went aggressively after Trump on things like his age‚ his getting confused‚ his court trials‚ and all of that. Has she kept that up? Because there's been more legal developments subsequent to the New Hampshire primary. Where are we on that narrative line?  O’KEEFE: She has kept it up‚ John‚ but of course she has not been as active on the trail‚ and we haven’t necessarily been there as the greater political media following every moment of this because there's that five-week gap between New Hampshire and South Carolina coming at the end of the month. She has spent much of the last two weeks raising money. Another million-plus in California today ahead of a big event that she’ll do in the L.A. area tonight. Has other fundraisers scheduled for the coming days. And in those settings‚ either behind closed doors or in public‚ yes‚ she continues attacking the former president‚ raising concerns about his ability to do the job‚ pointing out he will cause chaos should he be elected again‚ just being the Republican candidates the rest of the year. We will see if it's working‚ but she is insisting on staying in this at least publicly. And the fact that she can raise so much money is a sign that there's runway for her‚ at least through Super Tuesday if she wants it. DICKERSON: Ed‚ I’m going to go back to your White House hat for a second. The border legislation looks like it's dead. The president‚ President Biden‚ gets some share of the blame‚ even though he’ll say that’s all Congress' fault‚ as your focus group there showed‚ presidents tend to get blamed no matter what happens in Congress. Biden is trying to basically turn it around and say Republicans never wanted any legislation. They just want an issue. How do you think that plays out in a key state like Nevada?  O’KEEFE: Well‚ he’s got to keep saying it. I was struck in that conversation‚ John‚ how the vote- those three people said‚ we don't hear from this guy. Whether he’s succeeded in getting something accomplished or not‚ he should be out there explaining himself better and on amore regular basis. And  there's this concern‚ that perhaps because of his age or for whatever reason‚ they are not seeing him‚ and they'd like to see more of him. And that flies in the face of the Biden strategy in 2020‚ which was a gamble that Americans wanted less of their president instead of more. It may be that things have shifted‚ and he’s got to get out there to explain himself‚ and in this case at least‚ start blaming Republicans more. DICKERSON: Ed O’Keefe in Las Vegas. Thanks‚ Ed.  

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