NewsWatch

STANDING FOR THE GOSPEL IN THE NBA

World.Wng.org, 8/4/20, “Standing for the gospel in the NBA.” [Excerpts]: After grabbing headlines for becoming the first NBA player not to kneel during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” last week, Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac left the court two days later with a season-ending knee injury. He used both incidents to proclaim his faith in Jesus Christ.

Isaac chose to stand during the national anthem before Friday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.... After the game, Isaac, who is African American and an ordained minister, explained why he chose not to wear a Black Lives Matter shirt like other players or kneel during the pre-game ceremony: “I don’t think that kneeling or putting on a T-shirt, for me personally, is the answer.… Black lives are supported through the gospel. All lives are supported through the gospel.”

After tearing his ACL during Sunday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, Isaac tweeted the next day, “It is well!…Remember our God is not just a God of the hills but a God of the valleys!”

(https://bit.ly/375MchF)

LEFT OFF THE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

World.Wng.org, 9/4/20, “Standing Firm” [Excerpts]: Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling returned a prestigious human rights award for charity work after the presenting organization blasted her views on biological sex and gender dysphoria. Though Rowling says transgender individuals should have the freedom to live as they wish, she has argued that erasing the concepts of biological manhood and womanhood harms women.

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights honored Rowling with its Ripple of Hope Award in December 2019. Last month, organization President Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and niece of former President John F. Kennedy, called Rowling’s comments on sex and gender identity “transphobic,” “degrading,” and “inconsistent with the fundamental beliefs and values of RFK Human Rights and…a repudiation of my father’s vision.”

After the public tongue-lashing, Rowling said she felt obligated to return the award and continue following her conscience. She said thousands of people—including transgender individuals—have sent her supportive emails since she spoke out. Doctors, teachers, scholars, and people who are no longer transgender shared their concerns that trans-affirming practices harm adolescents and lead to the loss of protections for vulnerable women.

“[Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights] has stated that there is no conflict between the current radical trans rights movement and the rights of women,” Rowling said. “The thousands of women who’ve got in touch with me disagree, and, like me, believe this clash of rights can only be resolved if more nuance is permitted in the debate.”

(https://bit.ly/2H2cfLR)

UNITARIAN RELIGIOUS INSTITUTE UNRAVELS

OneNewsNow.com, 10/12/20, “Unitarian Religious Institute Unravels” [Excerpts]: Because of lack of interest, among other factors, a left-wing “religious” organization will soon close its doors.

The small interfaith group, the Unitarian Religious Institute, has aimed to provide sexuality resources for the seminaries and church institutions that lean to the left on moral issues.

“In practice the organization is basically a pro-abortion lobby. It also advances LGBTQ issues,” details Jeff Walton of The Institute on Religion & Democracy. “They have basically run out of funding. The organization has been around for about 20 years, and the board of directors has announced that they are going to shut down this autumn.”

The Religious Institute was one of the groups that spearheaded clergy support for the ObamaCare abortafacient and contraceptive mandate as a necessary part of healthcare, which resulted in the faith groups opposed to abortion being forced to provide coverage for the life-ending procedure.

“Obviously there were positive Supreme Court developments, in this group’s view, that probably reduced much of the need for their work,” Walton notes. “This would be like Obergefell and probably with the abortion issue—things have actually not gone their way for the most part. But there is no longer as much intense energy on the religious left for that issue.”

(https://bit.ly/34XnUnl)