{"id":7376,"date":"2024-02-02T17:53:25","date_gmt":"2024-02-03T01:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/?p=7376"},"modified":"2024-02-02T17:55:04","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T01:55:04","slug":"things-glen-found-interesting-volume-438","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2024\/02\/02\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-438","title":{"rendered":"Things Glen Found Interesting, Volume 438"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-4396\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=300%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=1200%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?w=1680&amp;ssl=1 1680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 85vw, 300px\"><\/a>     On Fridays I share articles\/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my&nbsp;way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is volume 438, which is 666 in base&nbsp;8.&nbsp;\ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Things Glen Found Interesting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"simple-list wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/slowtowrite.com\/dont-forget-about-nigerian-christians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Don\u2019t Forget About Nigerian Christians<\/a> (Samuel Sey, personal blog): \u201cOver the last 15 years, More than 50,000 Nigerian Christians have been killed for their faith, 18,000 churches have been destroyed, and millions more have been displaced. In 2023, around 5,000 Christians were killed worldwide because of their faith\u201490% of them were Nigerians.&nbsp; Nigeria is the deadliest country for Christians. Every Christian in northern (and some central states) Nigeria is probably grieving the loss of a spouse or a child (or both) from persecution.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/02\/02\/opinion\/transgender-children-gender-dysphoria.html?unlocked_article_code=1.SU0.Hu2E.thbDArPO_5x1&amp;bgrp=a&amp;smid=url-share\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">As Kids, They Thought They Were Trans. They No Longer Do.<\/a> (Pamela Paul, New York Times): \u201cStudies show that around eight in 10 cases of childhood gender dysphoria resolve themselves by puberty and 30 percent of people on hormone therapy discontinue its use within four years, though the effects, including infertility, are often irreversible.\u2026 Trans activists often cite low regret rates for gender transition, along with low figures for detransition. But those studies, which often rely on self-reported cases to gender clinics, likely understate the actual numbers. None of the seven detransitioners I interviewed, for instance, even considered reporting back to the gender clinics that prescribed them medication they now consider to have been a mistake. Nor did they know any other detransitioners who had done&nbsp;so.\u201d&nbsp;<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unlocked. The main point is horrifying and one I\u2019ve shared many times in this channel before. A secondary point which is quite interesting is how intent the author is on making this the fault of her political opponents. Her audience needs to know that her tribe is still trustworthy despite massive mistakes on this issue. Partisanship poisons the things it touches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/500c0fb7-a04a-4f87-9b93-bf65045b9401\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Birth rates are falling in the Nordics. Are family-friendly policies no longer enough?<\/a> (Henry Mance, Financial Times): \u201c\u2026childlessness is also rising among those who are in a relationship. Many couples are waiting too long. \u2018People call me a lot in Finland. [They say] \u2018I\u2019m 42, my partner has had three miscarriages and she says she will not continue. And I understand I will never be a father. I\u2019m the only child of my parents, and there\u2019s nobody left, and help me.\u2019 Rotkirch is wary of an emphasis on fertility treatments. Women\u2019s fertility drops in their late thirties and forties: society has to adapt. \u2018If you do everything that typical ministers of finance tell you to do, you are 45 \u2014 you have a house and a doctorate and it\u2019s too late. The idealised life course is really at odds with female reproductive biology.\u2019\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some Israel\/Hamas articles:&nbsp;<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefp.com\/p\/the-united-nations-terrorism-teachers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The UN\u2019s Terrorism Teachers<\/a> (Hillel C. Neuer, The Free Press): \u201cUN Secretary General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres said he was \u2018horrified\u2019 to discover that UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] employees participated in the invasion and massacre of October 7.\u2026 UNRWA employees have held Israeli hostages captive in their homes, using UNRWA facilities to move them from place to place.\u2026 It was only after Israel\u2019s government provided evidence that 12 of the agency\u2019s employees were actually involved in the October 7 massacre that UNRWA and the Biden administration took some action.\u201d&nbsp;<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wowsers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tabletmag.com\/sections\/news\/articles\/how-palestine-hijacked-us-civil-rights-movement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How Palestine Hijacked the U.S. Civil Rights Movement<\/a> (Gil Troy, Tablet Magazine): \u201cThe differences between the Palestinian national movement and the American civil rights movement are obvious and fundamental. Palestinians have played no role in American history or the history of slavery. Palestinians played no role in the civil rights struggle. The Palestinian-Israeli clash, which is occurring a world away from America, is national not racial. Most Israelis are dark-skinned, while some Palestinians are light-skinned. Nonviolence fueled the civil rights struggle, while the Palestinian movement keeps perfecting new forms of political violence and terror-porn, from hijacking to suicide bombing.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/andrewsullivan.substack.com\/p\/the-meaningless-incoherence-of-lgbtq-d47\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Meaningless Incoherence Of \u201cLGBTQ+\u201d<\/a> (Andrew Sullivan, Substack): \u201cThe trouble is that words have meanings, and the term \u2018LGBTQ+\u2019 \u2014 like the term \u2018Hispanic\u2019 or \u2018Latino\u2019 \u2014 is not like NATO. It doesn\u2019t refer to a single, identifiable group, experience, or community. It refers to multiple ones. And each is distinct, discrete and often very different. When you examine its component parts, you realize that the Ls and Gs and Bs and Ts, let alone the Is and the +s, differ dramatically in basic things like psychology, lifestyle, income, geography, education, and politics.\u2026 We\u2019re constantly told, of course, that all gays and lesbians have collectively co-opted and destigmatized the q\u2011word. But polling shows that only <em>3 \u2014 4 percent<\/em> of the entire LGBTQ+ world call themselves \u2018queer\u2019. So the MSM routinely uses a word for the entire \u2018LGBTQ+\u2019 world that 96 percent of this community rejects. It\u2019s up there with \u2018Latinx\u2019 as an accurate descriptor.\u201d&nbsp;<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sullivan is one of the most influential gay public intellectuals. There are a lot of things he and I disagree about, but I nearly always find his perspectives illuminating.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Two articles about a weirdly intense controversy about Alistair Begg:&nbsp;<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalliturgies.net\/p\/throw-away-culture-is-the-spirit?utm_source=%2Finbox&amp;utm_medium=reader2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Throw-Away Culture is the Spirit of the Sexual Revolution, Too.<\/a> (Samuel D. James, Substack): \u201cA person who interprets their sexual desires to be some sort of immovable identity that must be verified and actualized is in a very lamentable state. But what about the person who interprets their quick temper, their suspicion of other Christians, and their desire to build a platform atop the ruins of others\u2019, as likewise an immovable identity\u2014 \u2018I just know what time it is\u2019? Theirs is hardly better. The Christian life doesn\u2019t work like&nbsp;that.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/christianitytoday.activehosted.com\/index.php?action=social&amp;chash=ed1db771321105b3c0dbc70a661b9b10.15586&amp;s=bed960a45be1bacbdbbb1a489c28761c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alistair Begg Meets the Politically Correct<\/a> (Russell Moore, Christianity Today): \u201cMight Begg be drawing the line in the wrong place\u2014too much in the direction of showing grace? Sure. Might I be drawing it in the wrong place\u2014too much in the direction of maintaining truth? Again, yes. He risks confusing people. I risk hurting people. That\u2019s why I think we both attempt to sort these out with fear and trembling and a willingness to be corrected.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cam.ac.uk\/research\/news\/religious-people-coped-better-with-covid-19-pandemic-research-suggests\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Religious people coped better with Covid-19 pandemic, research suggests<\/a> (Fred Lewsey, Cambridge Research News): \u201cWhere mental health declined, it was around 60% worse on average for the non-religious compared to people of faith with typical levels of \u2018religiosity\u2019. Interestingly, the positive effects of religion were not found in areas with strictest lockdowns, suggesting access to places of worship might be even more important in a US context. The study also found significant uptake of online religious services, and a 40% lower association between Covid-19 and mental health for those who used&nbsp;them.\u201d&nbsp;<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How horrible the pandemic must have been for those without faith. I hated it and I\u2019m a minister!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Less Serious Things Which Also Interested\/Amused Glen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"simple-list wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smbc-comics.com\/comic\/victorians\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Victorians<\/a> (SMBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/babylonbee.com\/news\/the-babylon-bee-guide-to-which-statues-you-can-and-cant-tear-down\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Babylon Bee Guide To Which Statues You Can And Can\u2019t Tear Down<\/a> (Babylon Bee) \u2014 this was prompted by the guy who tore down the Satan statue being charged with a hate&nbsp;crime<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Why Do You Send This&nbsp;Email?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the time of King David, the tribe of Issachar produced shrewd warriors \u201cwho understood the times and knew what Israel should do\u201d (1 Chron 12:32). In a similar way, we need to become wise people whose faith interacts with the world. I pray this email gives you greater insight, so that you may continue the tradition of Issachar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Disclaimer<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Chi Alpha is not a partisan organization. To paraphrase another minister: we are not about the donkey\u2019s agenda and we are not about the elephant\u2019s agenda \u2014 we are about the Lamb\u2019s agenda. Having said that, I read widely (in part because I believe we should aspire to pass <a href=\"http:\/\/econlog.econlib.org\/archives\/2011\/06\/the_ideological.html\">the ideological Turing test<\/a> and in part because I do not believe I can fairly say \u201cI agree\u201d or \u201cI disagree\u201d until I can say \u201cI understand\u201d) and may at times share articles that have a strong partisan bias simply because I find the article stimulating. The upshot: you should not assume I agree with everything an author says in an article I mention, much less things the author has said in other articles (although if I strongly disagree with something in the article I\u2019ll usually mention it). And to the extent you can discern my opinions, please understand that they are my own and not necessarily those of Chi Alpha or any other organization I may be perceived to represent.\n\nAlso, remember that I\u2019m not reporting news \u2014 I\u2019m giving you a selection of things I found interesting. There\u2019s a lot happening in the world that\u2019s not making an appearance here because I haven\u2019t found stimulating articles written about it.\n\nIf this was forwarded to you and you want to receive future emails, sign up <a href=\"https:\/\/theglendavis.substack.com\/\">here<\/a>. You can also <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/category\/links\">view the archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Fridays I share articles\/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my&nbsp;way. This is volume 438, which is 666 in base&nbsp;8.&nbsp;\ud83d\udc40 Things Glen Found Interesting Less Serious Things Which Also Interested\/Amused \u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2024\/02\/02\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-438\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \u201cThings Glen Found Interesting, Volume 438\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Perspectives on the times in which we find ourselves.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[16],"tags":[266,120,327,161,148,113,190,275,126,206],"class_list":["post-7376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-links","tag-africa","tag-famous-christians","tag-fertility","tag-global-christianity","tag-israel","tag-lgbtq","tag-nigeria","tag-pandemic","tag-persecution","tag-terrorism"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6Ded-1UY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7376"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7379,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7376\/revisions\/7379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}