Greetings!
Lots to discuss in this week’s DHD. Thanks for taking the time to read!
1. Ohio’s governor signs heartbeat bill
The heartbeat bill is growing in the United States. Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi have state legislation approving bills and signing into law that would not allow an abortion to be performed after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. This week, the state of Ohio joined the ranks, and this is huge.
All of the lawmakers in all of these states are to be commended for supporting and passing an important legislative work that supports the Sanctity of Human Life. But it is commonly known that Ohio is one of the more influential states when it comes to political trends, especially in presidential elections. For the Ohio lawmakers to make such a strong move supporting the pro-life cause could be persuasive on the national scale.
It will be challenged in the courts and probably overturned, but I appreciate National Review’s Alexandra DeSanctis’ commentary:
“…these (state heartbeat) bills are an essential component of a broader anti-abortion strategy,” DeSanctis explained. “Perhaps most important, they create an opportunity to educate Americans about the facts of embryology and fetal development by highlighting the scientific fact that a fetal heartbeat can be detected so early in pregnancy. According to a recent Rasmussen poll, after being told that a fetal heartbeat can be detected at about six weeks’ gestation, a majority of Americans (56 percent) said they support banning abortion after that point.
“At the most fundamental level, these bills also challenge the common arguments and obfuscations of abortion-rights supporters,” she continues. “If a fetus is just a ‘clump of cells,’ as they say, why does it have its own heartbeat? If a fetus is nothing more than a ‘part of the woman,’ as they insist, why does it have its own heartbeat independent from that of the mother? These questions expose the euphemisms that the abortion-rights movement uses to convince the public that abortion is just like an appendectomy, and that’s worth celebrating.”
2. Horn needs to sign ‘abortion survivors’ petition
Continuing on the topic of abortion, a “discharge petition” is being offered to members of the U.S. House of Representatives to bring to vote the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
Tony Lauinger of Oklahomans for Life has pointed out that four of Oklahoma’s House members have signed the petition supporting the bill. The only House member from Oklahoma who has not signed is Kendra Horn.
Lauinger is asking people to call either Horn’s office in Oklahoma City—(405) 602-3074—or in Washington D.C.—(202) 225-2132—asking her to sign the petition.
I ask my fellow Oklahomans to pay attention to Horn’s voting record and consider it for how to vote in the 2020 election.
3. Films featuring foster and adoption families
I appreciate a noticeable trend in movies recently released. Last week, the movie Shazam! opened nationally in theaters. Next week, the movie Breakthrough will debut on Easter weekend. Both of these films feature foster or adopted kids as part of their plots.
I saw Shazam last night. It had some disappointing elements, but I believe it’s due to DC Comic movies consistently falling short and not fully understanding what movie watchers enjoy.
But I did like how the movie presented a couple who fosters many children in their home. It’s one of the high marks. This couple prays with the kids; they demonstrate unconditional love as well as a willingness to sacrifice their own interests in order for kids, some who can be difficult, to have a home.
I have not seen Breakthrough, but WordSlingers entertainment writer Michael Foust has and offered his review, which can be read here. Dealing with adoption issues is a big part of the movie, and Foust gives Breakthrough his highest entertainment ranking (5 out of 5 stars).
4. Mohler on black hole discovery
One of the major news stories this week is scientists revealing a picture of a black hole in space. I confess, my knowledge and interest in outer space is limited and lacking. However, I am aware that secular theorists always seem to find such discoveries as opportunities to disprove intelligent design or a sovereign creator.
This is where I rely on Christian leaders like Albert Mohler, and I’m grateful he offered commentary on this hot topic in The Briefing.
“So how are Christians to think about this kind of headline news?” Mohler asked, regarding the news of the black hole photo. “Number one, we should never be afraid of it. We should never be afraid to look at a story like this to look at scientific reports like these and come to an understanding of how this is to be understood in a Christian biblical worldview perspective. The world can’t throw anything at us that will be something that the biblical worldview cannot explain or cannot understand. As we’re looking at this, one of the central affirmations of the biblical worldview that helps to explain why modern empirical science emerge out of a Christian worldview—one of the most basic affirmations—is what is called the intelligibility of the universe. The Bible begins with the declaration that begins biblical revelation and begins a biblical worldview. ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ The theory of everything comes down to God being the Creator of all that exists.”
It would benefit you to listen to Mohler’s entire monologue on this scientific discovery. He proves through Scripture how God is in control of the universe and that we can trust God and should praise Him.
“…our response has to be majestic, theistic, biblical worship,” Mohler said. “What a God who would make such a cosmos, and reveal His glory in it, and create human beings and crown us with the glory of His image, allowing us to observe the world and to see such things with our own eyes. Christians looking at news like this do not, in any way, see less than the secular science community sees. We just see infinitely, even eternally, more.”
5. Women flock to Falls Creek
The Oklahoma Baptist women’s retreat is this weekend at Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center in Davis. It has been reported this will be the largest-attended women’s retreat since the event began meeting at Falls Creek. An estimated 5,000 women will be hanging out in the Arbuckle Mountains of southern Oklahoma.
I’m excited for everyone who is attending. I’m especially envious because one of my favorite speakers Rosaria Butterfield will be addressing the retreaters.
May God bless this event and may He also give them nice weather throughout, which is not in the forecast tomorrow.
6. Palm Sunday commentary
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and I wanted to share a great commentary from an Australian Christian writer.
Simon Camilleri is from Bundoora, which is outside Melbourne, and I love his take on the Gospels explaining what happened on the original Palm Sunday. Check out “Palm Sunday & the Unexpected King.”
“Jesus was going to Jerusalem in order to be captured,” Camilleri wrote. “He was going there to die. He was going there to be resurrected. He was going there to bring about the first Easter.”