I’m not going to take “theological advice” from a pro-abortion Christian‚ and neither should you. Bradley Onishi‚ who describes himself as a former evangelical minister‚ wrote an opinion piece for Politico titled‚ “Why Christians—and Republicans—Should Reconsider the Premise that ‘Life Begins at Conception.’” In the article‚ the writer argues that protecting the unborn is “not settled Christian theology‚ and it’s outliving its political utility.” He continued to say‚ “[I]t’s easy to think that the premise that life begins at conception is a timeless theological component of Christian belief. But it’s not.” It’s an interesting read‚ to be sure. But it’s also far from resembling even an ounce of biblical accuracy. Despite the writer exposing a string of churches that have failed to uphold the biblical value of the sanctity of life‚ it stands to reason that the Bible has always been pro-life. After all‚ Christians base their standards and values on the inerrant Word of God and the perfection of Jesus Christ. What I believe Onishi should consider is that Christians do not‚ nor should we‚ base our standards and values on fallen man (which happens to be the argument his article rests upon). So‚ what should our response be to an article such as Onishi’s? Well‚ to help settle that question‚ two of Family Research Council’s biblical worldview experts discussed the historical Christian view of the life issue on Friday’s episode of “Washington Watch.” Onishi claimed the topic of abortion only became relevant to Christians and Republicans in order to advance their politics. In response‚ David Closson‚ director of FRC’s Center for Biblical Worldview‚ said‚ “For 2‚000 years‚ the church has been pro-life. And why has the church been pro-life for 2‚000 years? It’s because the Bible is pro-life.” He pointed out the irony that people such as Onishi‚ when making claims about the Bible‚ fail to make any actual references to the Bible. “They never even quote a single verse‚” Closson said. But “there’s a reason they don’t quote a single verse‚” and it’s “because if they were to open up the Scripture‚ whether it’s in the Old Testament or the New Testament‚ you would see that the Bible is pro-life from cover to cover.” But Closson emphasized that the current age is “biblically and historically illiterate.” As such‚ even if arguments such as Onishi’s article sound intelligent‚ they’re not based in fact. “We actually need to have some historical context when we make these arguments‚” he added. And while there are many aspects of Onishi’s article to consider‚ Joseph Backholm‚ senior fellow for Worldview and Strategic Engagement at FRC‚ took a step back to analyze the macro patterns among the Left in this discussion. He said that what the Left tends to do goes far beyond the issue of abortion. Rather‚ this same technique is seen in the arguments concerning the sexual revolution‚ gender politics‚ and more. In Onishi’s case‚ Backholm explained‚ “He doesn’t argue that Scripture is clear that life does not begin at conception‚ and that God is OK with abortion. He doesn’t make that argument.” Instead‚ Onishi focuses on the fact that because there’s debate over the matter‚ then “we can’t really know” the answer. As Backholm put it‚ “The primary point is not to convince people that God likes homosexuality … transgenderism‚ or … abortion‚ [but] just that … people are debating it” and “you can’t actually know what God thinks.” A position Backholm described as “cynical‚” not theological. Closson added‚ “What a lot of these arguments are doing” is confronting “the authority of Scripture. They’re … trying to undermine the Bible.” And he noted how we first see this in the Garden of Eden when the serpent asked Eve‚ “Did God really say?” But as both Closson and Backholm reiterated‚ the pro-life movement is scientific and spiritual. In fact‚ Closson noted that “the modern pro-life movement actually started in the 19th century” by doctors who “pleaded with clergy members to make sure that their theology lined up with good science.” As for how this impacts biblical worldview‚ Closson continued‚ “[T]here’s a lot of issues that Christians can debate [as] secondary and tertiary issues‚ [and] that at the end of the day‚ we can agree to disagree on. But there’s a lot of clear issues where we don’t have to guess what God’s opinion is. We don’t have to guess what his view on life is. We have Psalm 139:13-16‚ Luke 1:39-45‚ Jeremiah 1:4-5‚ and a host of other passages. “We have clear text‚” he persisted‚ “And we can trust God and we can trust His Word.”  Backholm clarified that often‚ “when there is the appearance of ambiguity‚” it’s because people “just don’t want to believe what it appears the Bible has said.” And when this happens‚ it’s far too easy to then think it’s up to the individual to determine what is right. But “if we are leaving it up to ourselves‚” Backholm added‚ “that doesn’t make us different thinkers than the pagans‚ does it?” Closson concluded‚ “No‚ it doesn’t. … [W]e don’t want to be functional pagans. We want to actually be followers of Christ who are being discipled by the Word of God and living that out with every issue.” Originally published by The Washington Stand The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.  The post Debunking the Supposed ‘Historical’ Christian View That Abortion Is OK appeared first on The Daily Signal.

An Idaho law enacted Wednesday (H. 668) protects taxpayers from paying for “gender transition” procedures in a variety of ways. The legislation “adds to existing law‚” namely the Vulnerable Child Protection (VCAP) Act passed in 2023‚ which prevented physicians from harming minors with gender-transition surgeries or hormones. The Legislature declared in H. 668 that “public funds shall not be used‚ granted‚ paid‚ or distributed to any entity‚ organization‚ or individual for the provision or subsidy of any surgical operation or medical intervention” described in VCAP Act‚ “whether the surgical operation or medical intervention is administered to a minor or an adult.” The law specifically prohibits gender-transition procedures from qualifying as tax-deductible medical expenses for the state’s Medicaid program. Additionally‚ the law requires that “no state property‚ facility‚ or building” be used for the procedures‚ and that no physician provide them “in the course and scope of employment by the state or a county or local government.” Violations of H. 668 are to be prosecuted as “misuse of public moneys‚” a felony offense carrying a sentence of up to $10‚000 and/or 14 years in prison for the most serious offenses. Offenders would also be terminated and barred from public office or employment‚ and must make restitution for the funds they misused. The bill passed both chambers by overwhelming margins‚ clearing the House with 84% of the vote (58-11) on March 11 and the Senate with 76% of the vote (26-8) on March 22. Idaho Gov. Brad Little‚ a Republican‚ signed the bill into law on March 27. Gender-transition procedures “carry substantial risks and have known harmful effects‚ including irreversible physical alterations and‚ in some cases‚ sterility and lifelong sexual dysfunction‚” the Legislature said in explaining its intention behind the bill. “A surgical operation or medical intervention is never necessary to the health of the minor or adult on whom it is performed if it is for the purpose of altering the appearance of an individual in order to affirm the individual’s perception of the individual’s sex in a way that is inconsistent with the individual’s biological sex.” The American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho reacted furiously to the bill’s passage‚ complaining that the Idaho Legislature had “once again decided to cave in to the hateful demands of far-right extremists at the expense of the safety‚ security‚ and health of Idaho’s transgender community‚” and‚ according to local station KTVB‚ “adding that lawmakers could simply choose to allow transgender people in Idaho to make their own medical decisions in peace.” The ACLU has challenged similar laws restricting gender-transition procedures around the country‚ and one prominent ACLU was recently cited for the impermissible practice of judge-shopping in a legal challenge to Alabama’s VCAP. “People should not be subjected to harmful—often irreversible—drugs and surgeries that block healthy development‚ alter hormonal balances‚ and remove healthy organs and body parts‚” responded Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Matt Sharp. “This radical agenda has devastated countless lives‚ which is why some countries—including Sweden‚ England‚ and Finland—have changed course.” “Now and always‚ our loved ones deserve the loving embrace of family members who guide them toward this reality‚ along with access to safe and effective counseling‚” Sharp continued. “There are only two sexes—male and female—and public funds shouldn’t be used to deny this basic truth.” Originally published by The Washington Stand The post Idaho Legislature Bans Public Funding for ‘Gender Transition’ Procedures appeared first on The Daily Signal.

What planet are these people living on‚ anyway? The Planet Fitness gym chain has been in the news of late after a self-described “queer” man who says he identifies as a woman was allowed to use the women’s locker room at a Planet Fitness in Fairbanks‚ Alaska. When Patricia Silva‚ an actual XX-chromosome female member of the gym‚ understandably complained of the invasion of privacy‚ Planet Fitness didn’t ask the wannabe woman to use the men’s facilities. Instead‚ it canceled Silva’s membership for having the temerity to complain loudly and publicly. That’s because Planet Fitness’ gender-identity policy states: “All members will have access to restroom and locker room facilities that correspond to their self-reported gender identity to the extent permitted by applicable law.” Apparently‚ the locker room interloper and the honchos at Planet Fitness aren’t familiar with the truism “Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins.” In this instance‚ it was a part of his anatomy other than his fist at issue. Suppose aliens from another galaxy were to come here and were made aware that Planet Fitness was not just indulging this transgender lunacy‚ but emphatically enforcing it. In that case‚ they’d quickly depart‚ declaring‚ “There’s no intelligent life on this Planet.” The suits at the Hampton‚ New Hampshire-based Planet Fitness chain apparently learned nothing from Bud Light’s “go woke‚ go broke” debacle‚ which exploded in the news a year ago this week—on April Fools’ Day 2023‚ aptly enough. Bud Light’s parent company‚ Anheuser-Busch InBev‚ paid a steep price for flirting with transgenderism in its marketing efforts. (Photo: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images) After Anheuser-Busch’s then-vice president of marketing for Bud Light‚ Alissa Heinerscheid‚ decided it would be a good idea to hire transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney as a “brand ambassador” for Bud Light‚ the ensuing consumer boycott cost the beer giant not only $27 billion in market capitalization‚ but also Bud Light’s status as the bestselling beer brand in the U.S. One-upping New Coke as an epic fail caused Heinerscheid to lose her job and be banished to the obscurity she so richly deserved (although‚ according to her LinkedIn profile‚ she remained on Anheuser-Busch InBev’s payroll until last November). Whoever at Planet Fitness decided to give Silva—rather than the locker room interloper—the boot deserves to meet the same fate as Heinerscheid. I had a membership to Planet Fitness‚ but not anymore. I canceled it over the weekend in protest of its pro-transgender policies and in solidarity with Silva. It will cost Planet Fitness my $39 annual membership fee (auto-pay debited from my bank account on March 1‚ which I will insist on a prorated rebate of) and the ongoing $10 monthly fee‚ most recently debited on March 18‚ for which I will also ask for a partial refund. Canceling my membership won’t be much of a sacrifice on my part because I have been to my Planet Fitness in Springfield‚ Virginia‚ only twice in the past two years. If I ever get serious again about working out regularly‚ my employer has a full gym on-site. By itself‚ my $159 a year probably isn’t much of a loss to Planet Fitness‚ a corporate giant with 2‚400 locations. But if you multiply it by the countless others who are presumably doing likewise‚ it will cost the gym chain plenty for genuflecting to the LGBTQ lobby. Planet Fitness “saw a $400 million dive in valuation from $5.3 billion to $4.9 billion just days after revoking an Alaska woman’s membership‚” Fox Business reported March 21. In the bigger picture‚ how many Bud Lights‚ Targets‚ Rip Curls‚ and now Planet Fitnesses losing millions or even billions of dollars will it take for left-wing executives to get the message that they shouldn’t bend over backward and forward for a vanishingly small (an estimated 0.003 of 1% of the population) but vociferous minority? In Planet Fitness’ case‚ it risks alienating the vast majority of its female customers‚ who understandably don’t want to be forced to share private spaces with gender-confused men. (Just as an aside‚ where’s the left’s commitment to “safe spaces” in this case?) The Planet Fitness debacle came amid a March 21 House Judiciary Committee hearing on the subject of transgender females interloping in girls’ and women’s athletics. As tallied by the site SheWon.org‚ in close to 300 instances‚ they have deprived real girls and women of titles‚ medals‚ trophies‚ and opportunities to advance to next-level competition. Regrettably‚ but perhaps not surprisingly‚ Democrats on the committee defended the interlopers‚ and the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act barely passed out of committee on a party-line 16-15 vote. Planet Fitness aside‚ the broader issue here provides a big opening for conservatives to seize upon in this fall’s election campaigns to counteract the Left’s forthcoming pro-abortion onslaught in appealing for the suburban women’s (aka “soccer mom”) vote—assuming conservative candidates are smart enough to recognize it. Originally published at WashingtonTimes.com The post Planet Fitness’ Otherworldly Transgender Policy Warrants Bud Light-Style Boycott appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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