Articles

Weekly Review

07/23/19

Warren Cole Smith

Praying for Leana Wen. We’ve reported previously the firing of Dr. Leana Wen, the (now) former president of Planned Parenthood. The news of her firing comes soon after news that Dr. Wen recently had a miscarriage. The Christian community has responded to the news with empathy and concern for Dr. Wen. Commentator Kathryn Jean Lopez encourages us to pray for Dr. Wen’s conversion. Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood employee who is the subject of the book and movie “Unplanned,” has reached out to Dr. Wen. And to her pro-life colleagues, she writes: “Our job is to reach out to Dr. Leana Wen in love. Snarky memes and words will not bring about conversion. Let us also remember that she is a woman grieving the loss of a miscarried child. Let us treat her with care, not callousness. Let’s be the people we say we are.” To which we at The Colson Center add: “Amen.”

Canadian Anglicans Hold Steady. The leaders of the Anglican Church of Canada voted last week to keep its definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. A proposal to remove references to spouses’ genders in the definition of marriage passed last year but required a two-thirds majority from each of three groups—lay people, clergy, and bishops—again this year. Although the measure passed among lay people and clergy, it did not receive enough support from bishops, who voted 62.2 percent in favor but needed 66.6 percent to pass. Despite the setback for the denomination’s liberals, a statement from the House of Bishops did affirm an established practice that allows local dioceses to choose to perform same-sex weddings. The denomination has about 1,700 parishes and 500,000 members.

Polyamory Normalized. The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest association of psychologists in the United States. According to WORLD, it “is working to normalize polyamory, an inevitable next frontier in the sexual revolution.” The APA has had an active task force studying what it calls “consensual non-monogamy” (CNM), sometimes referred to as “ethical non-monogamy.” One study found about 4 percent of U.S. adults fall into this category. The 80-member task force is led by two California-based researchers and is a part of the association’s Division 44, also called The Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.

First Step’s First Steps. The Federal Bureau of Prisons has set free 2,200 inmates who had their release dates recalculated for good behavior under the new The First Step Act. The new law is designed to prevent recidivism by creating programs that ease reentry into society. It also allows prisoners to earn reductions in their sentences. A 2018 Bureau of Justice Statistics study found that reentry programs reduce recidivism rates. One such program is Prison Fellowship Academy, which offers more than 500 hours of education for inmates on finances, time management, and other life skills.

Let Your Light Shine. Have you heard people say that Christians are all talk and no action? Me, too. The only problem: It’s just not true. An annual reminder of just how much Christians are doing in the world of education, care for the poor, and other areas is WORLD’s annual Hope Award for Effective Compassion. The finalists for the award will be announced over the coming weeks, and readers are invited to vote for the winner. No matter your favorite, I recommend reading stories about all the ministries, beginning with Oklahoma City based Little Light Christian School, the southwest regional winner. This Christian school’s mission is to love the children of prisoners. It’s a powerful story that shows this kind of work is not a sprint, but a marathon.

 

Warren Cole Smith is the Vice-President of Mission Advancement for the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.
Image: Leana Wen, YouTube

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