John Stonestreet – Page 46

Spike in Transgender Surgeries Show Medical Priorities

Aug 30, 2021John StonestreetTransgenderLGBT, Transgender

*John Stonestreet, Radio Host and Director of the Colson Center*

Headlines and newsfeeds are full of images and descriptions of overcrowded hospitals because of a spike in Covid infections. Some states have issued new lockdown and mask mandates to ensure that doctors and nurses aren’t overwhelmed by a new influx of the sick. From the beginning of the pandemic, some medical procedures were postponed to prioritize Covid care.

That’s why it’s so strange that despite all the rationing we’ve been hearing about, there was a notable rise in so-called “gender confirmation surgeries” for women. These are procedures in which otherwise healthy body parts are removed from female patients suffering with gender dysphoria.

Numerous studies show that these surgeries do not deliver what they promise, in terms of inner peace and long-term happiness. Even so, plastic surgeons not only continued performing these unnecessary amputations but increased them during a global pandemic.

This is a movement committed to denying reality.

Afghan Fathers Pass Persecuted Faith to Children

Aug 23, 2021John StonestreetChristian Persecution, Current EventsChristian Persecution, Christianity, Current Events

As a father, I often think about what a Christian heritage will mean for my children. I want it to be the source of their peace and strength in times of trouble. But what if I knew it would be the source of their persecution as well?

On the Breakpoint Podcast this week, I spoke with Mindy Belz about the new dangers for Christians in Afghanistan. A couple years ago, a number of Christian leaders did something incredibly brave: they changed the official religious affiliation noted on their national identification cards. Because they knew that religious identity is passed down from fathers to children, their hope was that their descendents could be born with a Christian heritage for generations to come.

It was a courageous move, even then. But now, as government records fall under Taliban control, these believers have been uniquely exposed to the threat of violence. Belz told me that she knows of Christians who have received letters from the Taliban stating “We know where you are, and we know what you’re doing.”

This cost of discipleship is not a light one, but the church in Afghanistan is demonstrating exactly what bearing the name of Christ is worth to them. May God strengthen his people in Afghanistan, and give us the same courageous heart.

Imagine as an Anthem for the World?

Aug 16, 2021John StonestreetCurrent EventsAtheism, Current Events

“Imagine” has become a kind of secular national anthem, but it seems like a strange choice. Last year, a bunch of celebrities tried to make us feel better about a global pandemic by singing “Imagine there’s no heaven.” Really? Facing death, let’s offer a materialistic worldview, with no future after we die and no present source of meaning? And, these millionaire celebrities actually sang to us, “Imagine no possessions?”

Then, during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, this song with the line “no religion, too” was sung, when 84 percent of the world identifies with a religious group. Not to mention, how does “imagine there’s no countries” fit with the Olympics, at a ceremony featuring every nation bearing their respective flags into the stadium?

At best, this song is an ironic choice almost everywhere we hear it, especially for a global celebration of world cultures and athletes. At worst, it pushes a worldview that’s godless, hopeless, unrealistic, and ultimately meaningless.