Blogaround

Links not related to the antichrist:

1. The "ministerial exception" is rapidly becoming a civil rights nightmare (August 12) "The precedent here is devastating. Civil rights protections can now be dissolved, not by an act of Congress, but by the stroke of an HR pen in the name of religion."

Ah, it's about World Vision discriminating against a woman in a same-sex marriage, who applied for a job. Well that brings me back to The World Vision Debacle of 2014, where the Christian blogosphere found out that World Vision's policies allowed employees to be in same-sex marriages, and oh my goodness it was a huge scandal. So much outrage on the internet. World Vision is a Christian organization that helps impoverished children around the world, but oh my goodness, the evangelical Christians were just beside themselves, ready to cancel World Vision (I guess this was before it was called "cancelling" though). We absolutely cannot help poor children if a gay person might also be helping them, absolutely not. That was the sentiment that Christians were posting all over social media. And as a result of the backlash, World Vision changed their policy- employees are *not* allowed to be in a same-sex marriage.

That was the point where I officially quit being evangelical. The evangelical Christians were all over the internet, loudly proclaiming that we will throw poor children under the bus in order to reject gay people to the fullest extent possible, and I just... this is unredeemable. I can't be a part of this any more. I can't "change it from the inside." I'm done.

At the time, I wrote about it here: Go ahead and say I'm not a Christian. I don't care anymore.

Also from Hemant Mehta: "Shiny Happy People" sequel highlights Christian boot camp that traumatized a generation (July 30) Oh I really want to watch this and blog about it.

2. Researchers discover a secret weapon that saves babies' lives. And it's not medical (August 18) "Cash cut mortality in children under 5 by about 45%, the study researchers found, on par with interventions like vaccines and anti-malarials."

This is great news! A few questions that are worth exploring: Does giving cash to some people have any negative effects on other people who didn't get cash? Also, in what kinds of situations does it help to give cash, and in what kinds of situations does it not help? For example, if you're in a big city with very high rent prices, and you say "let's give everyone money, then their rent will be affordable"- well if a big proportion of renters get money, the landlords will just increase the rents, and it won't help the renters. So the issue is that there just isn't enough housing supply- it's not clear that adding money to the situation will help.

In this article, though, it's mostly about families being able to more easily access food and medical care, which aren't going to be limited in that way- so that's good.

3. 小鸭子嘎嘎嘎 - In case you would like to know what kind of music Chinese toddlers are into. My daughter's nanny ("ayi" in Chinese) has been playing this song for her. It's about ducklings. "Ga ga ga" is Chinese for "quack quack quack."

4. Exhausted and Alone, China’s Single Moms Are Moving in Together (August 20) "Posts advertising 'roommate moms' circulate widely, drawing responses from strangers across cities. Some end up splitting rent, others share school pickups and grocery runs, piecing together a version of family that is less solitary, less precarious, and a little more possible."

---

Links related to the antichrist:

1. Four More Virginia School Districts Defy Trump, Reject Trans Bathroom Ban Demand (August 18) "As a school board member, I cannot sit idly by while adults who should know better try to pit one group of students against another. Our responsibility is to ensure that every child — including those who are transgender or gender nonconforming — has an opportunity to achieve their full, unique, and limitless potential."

2. After the CDC shooting, federal workers demand more protections from RFK Jr. (August 20) "A letter signed by hundreds of current and former HHS employees, addressed to Kennedy and members of Congress, says Kennedy is 'complicit in dismantling America's public health infrastructure and endangering the nation's health' by questioning the integrity of the CDC's workforce, making false claims that COVID vaccines are not safe or effective, changing vaccine policy based on ideology rather than science, and contributing to 'harassment and violence experienced by the CDC staff.'"

3. Trump vows to end use of mail-in ballots ahead of 2026 midterm election (August 19) EXCUSE ME, WHAT? (I am outside the US and I always vote by mail.)