Evolutionary scientist admits theory’s major flaws
(WNS)–Gerd Müller, a highly regarded Austrian evolutionary theorist, recently gave a presentation, published in Interface Focus, in which he admitted Charlies Darwin’s theory largely avoids explaining how life originated and how complexity developed. Müller did not espouse any creationist or design beliefs, but his presentation demonstrated that even the most staunch advocates of evolution are forced to admit the theory has many holes. The presentation was devastating “for anyone who wants to think that, on the great questions of biological origins, orthodox evolutionary theory has got it all figured out,” Discovery Institute experts wrote on their organization’s blog.
Russian anti-missionary law mainly hampers Christians
(WNS)–Concerns among Russian Christians that the government’s antiterrorism legislation, adopted last year, would take away their religious freedom have been proven true. The Yarovaya Laws, named for the lawmaker who sponsored them, ban proselytizing, preaching, and praying outside recognized religious institutions. Forum 18 counted 186 cases filed since enforcement began, with roughly half the charges against various Christian denominations and individuals or Christian-affiliated organizations. Officials later dismissed only about 20 percent of the cases. Punishments ranged from fines and confiscation of materials to orders for deportation. Since July 2016, authorities have prosecuted Christian churches and individuals for announcing an upcoming service, conducting home prayer meetings, distributing religious calendars, failure to fully display a church name, and organizing a concert.
Fulani herdsmen kill 20 Christians in Nigeria
(WNS)–Fulani herdsmen killed 20 people and injured six others during a recent reprisal attack in Nigeria’s Plateau state. The sporadic attacks continue as Nigerians petition for international intervention. John Bulus, the church secretary of Salama Baptist Church in the village of Ancha, told Morning Star News that the village woke up to sounds of gunshots shortly after midnight Sept. 8. Bulus said the gunfire lasted for about 25 minutes. “I can confidently tell you that some of the persons among those who attacked us are local Fulani herdsmen who lived close to our village,” he said. The 20 people who died, including nine children, belonged to Baptist and Methodist churches in Ancha. State police commissioner Peter Ogunyanwo said the attack came three days after authorities found the body of a Fulani boy who went missing.
Christian teen beaten to death by Muslim classmates in Pakistan
(WNS)–Sharoon Masih, a Christian student in Pakistan, died Aug. 27 after his Muslim classmates beat him to death at a school in Burewala, Punjab, according to Pakistan’s The Nation newspaper. Witnesses gave conflicting accounts about what led to the attack, but some, including The Independent in London, reported the 17-year-old drank from a Muslim’s water cup. Police have arrested only one student, Muhammad Ahmed Rana. Masih’s relatives and the British Pakistani Christian Association told The Nation he was killed because of his religion. His parents used their savings to send Masih to MC Model Boys Government School this year because he had done so well in school up to that point. But he immediately encountered hostility. Following his first day, “Sharoon complained to his father that the teacher had slapped him for not wearing a uniform” and made him stand in the sun all day as punishment, his uncle said. He said people also called him “chura,” an insult that means “sweeper,” and referred to his low-caste background. Days later, school administrators and teachers failed to stop the fatal beating.
Teen reversing his gender transition
(WNS)–An Australian teenager went public earlier this month about his decision to transition back to his birth gender after taking female hormones. At age 12, doctors diagnosed Patrick Mitchell with gender dysphoria. Soon after, he began taking puberty-blocking and cross-sex hormones. By 14, he had breasts, long hair, and feminine features. But earlier this year, Mitchell decided he wanted to stop the process. He said he began to have a change of heart when a female teacher referred to him as “one of the girls.” “I began to realize I was comfortable in my body,” said Mitchell in an interview with Woman’s Day. “Every day I just felt better.” Mitchell’s mother, Alison, said that while she doesn’t blame the doctors who diagnosed her son, she does wish they would have waited before recommending treatment. “They were wrong to pigeonhole him so quickly,” she said.
The politicization of Father’s Day
(WNS)–Ahead of a national ballot survey on gay marriage, an Australian regulatory agency said a television commercial celebrating Father’s Day was too political. The ad by Australian nonprofit Dads4Kids featured a father singing his baby a lullaby. The organization had released ads leading up to Australian Father’s Day on Sept. 3 for the last 15 years to encourage and honor dads. This year’s ad was rejected because it was a “comment upon a matter which is currently the subject of extensive political debate,” said legal advice sent to Dads4Kids by Free TV Australia, an industry body representing all of the country’s free-to-air networks, according to The Australian. “It is extraordinary that this is where we have come to as a country; we can no longer celebrate Father’s Day without being forced to look at it through the lens of the same-sex marriage debate,” Dads4Kids said in a statement on its website. “It’s a tragedy that a political motive is now implied in any mention of fatherhood. Not everything is about same-sex marriage.”
