| Welcome to the Family Beacon, your source for news and commentary on life, family, and religious freedom in Minnesota and beyond! This week: One quick note: If you have friends and family who want to get pro-life, pro-family Minnesota news every week, here's a shareable link so they can sign up. Note that the Family Beacon podcast returns next week with a special interview with Dr. Carl Trueman! |
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| SCOTUS Blocks Attempts to Challenge Texas Abortion Ban (Daily Wire) |
|  | Via Daily Wire On Thursday, the United States Supreme Court rejected yet another move by abortion providers in the midst of ongoing litigation over Texas’ pro-life heartbeat law. In an unsigned, brief order, the high Court essentially allowed the Texas law to stay in effect by denying a petition by abortion providers to send their challenge back to a lower court. The decision by the high Court is thought to be an action that will lengthen the litigation process. On Monday, in a 2-1 ruling, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected abortion providers’ request to send the case back to a district judge who had stayed the Texas law in the past. “Instead, the Fifth Circuit directed the case to the Texas Supreme Court, an outcome sought by state attorneys, according to Politico,” The Daily Wire reported. “The move by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals effectively prolongs the litigation over the unusual anti-abortion statute, leaving in place a law that has led to a dramatic reduction in the number of abortions performed in the state since the measure took effect in September,” Politico reported. “The 2-1 court decision held that there was too much ambiguity around the meaning of the Texas law to allow federal courts to continue to act on the legal challenge without definitive guidance from Texas’s top court.” As The Wall Street Journal reported, providers went back to the Supreme Court on January 3, but the high Court “took no action before the Fifth Circuit’s Jan. 7 hearing, and the appeals court later granted Texas’s request to send the issue to the state Supreme Court.” |
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| Major Medical Associations Promote "Treatments" That Endanger Kids |
|  | Amid growing international pushback on the transgender movement’s so-called “gender affirmative” approach to gender dysphoria and the rush to give minors experimental treatments including puberty-blockers, cross-sex hormones, and irreversible surgeries, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) has released new draft guidelines recommending a less radical approach than they have held to in the past. Rather than immediately rushing adolescents into a lifetime of hormone “treatments” and surgeries, the draft guidelines recommend mental health evaluation and several years of monitoring for adolescents with gender dysphoria, although they continue to encourage harmful and irreversible procedures after that. WPATH, an international organization headquartered in Minnesota, plays an extremely influential role in the use of so-called “treatments” such as cross-sex hormones and “gender transition” surgery. Throughout the rest of the draft guidelines, WPATH continues to recommend so-called “gender affirmative treatments” that have caused permanent harm to young people and adults, yet the proposed draft offers slightly more protection to adolescents struggling with gender dysphoria than recommendations from major medical associations in the U.S. WPATH’s shift, slight though it is, also shows that on an international level, the transgender movement is recognizing that they may be held accountable for the damage they have caused. WPATH’s draft guidelines added a chapter on adolescents requiring a full mental health evaluation and several years of monitoring before receiving cross-sex hormones or surgery. The guidelines continue to recommend irreversible surgeries for minors, including mastectomies for girls as young as 15 and “bottom surgery” for 17-year-old girls, although they do not recommend similar surgery for boys under 18. The guidelines also removed requirements that adults receive mental health evaluation, despite the fact that many adults who have detransitioned have spoken up about how the mental health struggles that were driving their gender dysphoria were not adequately addressed when they sought help. At the same time, if WPATH adopts these guidelines, multiple major medical associations in the U.S., including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, and the Endocrine Society will be out of step with international standards, advocating an even more radical approach than WPATH. These associations encourage a so-called “gender affirmative” approach known as the “Dutch protocol,” originated by a doctor in the Netherlands who has since cautioned against his own approach. This protocol encourages medically “transitioning” children, disregarding the fact that puberty-blockers and cross-sex hormones can lead to dangerous complications including stunted bone growth, pulmonary embolisms, increased risk of heart attacks, and permanent loss of fertility. |
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| Join us Tomorrow for the Minnesota March for Life! |
|  | Via MCCL: The 2022 MCCL March for Life will take place at noon on January 22 at the state Capitol in St. Paul. It will be followed by a brief program at 12:30. On Jan. 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court's disastrous Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions eliminated laws protecting unborn children nationwide. Each year, pro-life Minnesotans mark the anniversary of Roe and Doe with the MCCL March for Life. This year’s anniversary arrives at a time when the Court is reconsidering the Roe decision in a major new abortion case. It’s never been more important to speak out for those who have no voice. Please join us for the 2022 MCCL March for Life at 12 noon on Saturday, Jan. 22, on the state Capitol grounds in St. Paul. It will be followed at 12:30 with a brief program on the Capitol steps. At the 2022 March for Life, we will commemorate the tens of millions of lives that have been lost and the women and men who have been wounded. We will call for an end to Roe v. Wade, a grave injustice and a constitutional catastrophe. We will send the message that both unborn children and their mothers deserve protection, support, and love—that all human beings, no matter their age or their size, have human rights. And we will tell the world that we won’t stop working until everyone is protected. Come participate in this special event and lend your voice on behalf of those who need us. Pro-life signs will be available; you are also free to bring your own. Some groups and churches rent buses for transportation to the March; unfortunately, MCCL cannot maintain a list of these buses. In the case of bad weather, please check this website or call us at 612-825-6831 for updates. This Jan. 22, let’s march together for life. Be sure to bring pro-life friends, family members, church members, or others with you. We’ll see you at the March for Life! |
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| LEAD Registration is Open - Sign Your Teen Up for Our Leadership Camp (July 24-29) - SPECIAL DISCOUNT THIS WEEK! |
|  | | High school students ages 13–19 are invited to LEAD July 24-29th to be equipped for a lifetime of culture-shaping impact! At this weeklong leadership and worldview camp, students will learn the legislative process in a hands-on way while working with real bills that have been proposed in our state, study how the gospel shapes our response to tough cultural issues, and hear from renowned speakers. With the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling coming this summer, one of our focuses at LEAD this summer is equipping students to stand for life! That's why we're offering a Stand for Life discount for LEAD. For ONE WEEK ONLY get $75 off our regular registration rate when you combine the Early Bird discount with our Stand for Life discount! Register between January 16th and 23rd and save - the discount will be applied automatically! To register now, click here or go to www.leadminnesota.org to learn more about LEAD. More Info: Who: Highschool students ages 13–19. What: A hands-on leadership and worldview camp equipping the next generation of Christian leaders to engage the culture. When: July 24-29, 2022 Why: LEAD equips the next generation by providing students with an opportunity to strengthen their worldview, develop leadership skills, and learn the legislative process! LEAD equips students for a lifetime of culture-shaping impact! At the beginning of the week, students are sworn in as members of the Minnesota House and Senate. As they take on the responsibilities of lawmakers, they get to learn the legislative process in a memorable, hands-on way while working with real bills that have been proposed here in our state! Throughout the week, students also study biblical worldview and think about how the gospel shapes our response to tough cultural issues, hear from renowned speakers on topics like the sanctity of life, and grow in leadership skills as they work with their caucus to pass their legislation. We hope to see your teen at LEAD next summer! Click here to learn more and register. Watch the LEAD 2022 video now. |
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| |  | On February 1st you'll have a chance to impact our state by participating in party caucuses. This is a wonderful opportunity to love our neighbors and to be "salt and light" for the direction of a political party and the selection of candidates for office at the most basic level. When we as Christians bring our convictions of life, family, and religious freedom to the caucus process, we have a real chance of improving the political discourse in our state - and I think we can all agree that it must be improved! Click here to find your caucus location. Stay tuned for more information about caucuses next week! |
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| Promoted: In His Image with Laura Perry from Agape First Ministries |
|  | From Agape First Ministries: On Sunday, January 16, 2022, we will be hosting a viewing of the movie In His Image at Plymouth Covenant Church. The event begins at 6:30pm. In His Image is a critical and urgent message designed to equip the church to answer culturally controversial questions about gender and sexuality from a biblical perspective. Every church in America is filled with hurting people asking these tough questions: Can you be gay and be a Christian? What if someone genuinely feels trapped in the wrong body? Did God make me this way? Is change even possible? This feature-length documentary presents much-needed truth with compassion and clarity through powerful personal testimonies, careful Bible teaching, and scientific evidence. AND, one of the featured testimonies, Laura Perry, will be with us to answer questions and talk about her experience filming the movie.Laura was transgendered for over 10 years until Jesus invaded her life. She has become a dear friend of mine and I can't wait for you to meet her. You can read her full testimony HERE. A free will offering will be taking at the event. |
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|  | Did you know that when you shop with Amazon Smile, Amazon makes a donation to Minnesota Family Institute at no cost to you? You can support LIFE, FAMILY, and RELIGIOUS FREEDOM while you shop by clicking here (smile.amazon.com/ch/41-1439560) or with AmazonSmile ON in the Amazon Shopping app and AmazonSmile donates to Minnesota Family Institute. Bookmark Amazon Smile in your browser so that Amazon will donate every time you make a purchase! |
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| | Get the Parent Resource Guide Responding to the transgender trend with truth and compassion starts with the Parent Resource Guide. Get your copy HERE today and invite a friend to do the same! Click to order your copy today: |
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| | Thank you for sharing Minnesota Family Council’s vision for strong families, communities and culture through Christ. As we rise to meet challenges at the state and federal level, we need your support now more than ever. Click here to give now. We are grateful for your partnership with us through prayer and financial support. For life, family, and religious freedom, |
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| John Helmberger, CEO Minnesota Family Council and Institute |
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| | Minnesota Family Council
2855 Anthony Lane S, Suite 150 | Minneapolis, Minnesota 55418-3265
612-789-8811 | [email protected] |
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