Former Transgender Teens: It Was the ‘in’ Thing to Do

Former Transgender Teens: It Was the ‘in’ Thing to Do



Four women who formerly identified as transgender men are speaking out, saying influence from social media and friends led them to transition as teens.


Their condition, known as “rapid-onset gender dysphoria,” is controversial in the transgender community because it implies transgenderism can be a fad, and not something born solely from internal feelings. In rapid-onset gender dysphoria, teens transition quickly due to influence from friends and social media. 


The four women are part of the Pique Resilience Project.


“All four of us experienced Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) and subsequently identified as trans men for several of our teenage years,” their website says. “We have all since detransitioned/desisted and have been able to explore other individual factors that may have caused or exacerbated our dysphoria.”


National Review interviewed three of them. The women don’t use their last names. 


“It was very much the ‘in’ thing to do,” Helena said of transitioning.


She was, she said, “very confused about life.” 


“When I found this trans stuff online I felt it explained everything: why I didn’t like my body, why I was bullied, why I didn’t fit in,” Helena told National Review. “Just every question and problem that I had I just felt it was automatically answered. Explained by this trans thing. But not only was it explained it…

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Churches to host cafes to pray about Brexit

Backed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the plan is for people to: “get together and chat over a cup of tea and pray for our country and our future’.

Churches will be given packs with Bible-passages and questions to prompt discussion, such as: ‘What effect has Brexit had in your family relationships, friendships etc and if you disagreed, has it been possible to disagree well?’ and: ‘What are the three main things we have in common that we can build on for a better future as a community and as a nation?’

 

 

Bishop of Chelsmford, RT Rev Stephen Cottrell, told Premier: “This process that we’re embroiled in which appears to be unravelling right now and will probably change again tomorrow, there will come a point where it comes to an end – when we wake up on that day we’re still neighbours to one another and the thing that distresses me is that we’re defining ourselves so much now by ‘are you leave?’, ‘are you remain?’, we’ve got to put an end to that and say whichever way you voted…we’re still sisters and brothers to one another!”

He added that the cafe will be focussing on how to move on with a healthy attitude to people with different opinions: “The conversation is not about Brexit but about how we can love one another, how can we be good neighbours to one another?

“Brexit has created a situation in this country which I don’t think we’ve seen for years…

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ECFA Suspends Chicago-Area Megachurch Harvest Bible Chapel

ECFA Suspends Chicago-Area Megachurch Harvest Bible Chapel



CHICAGO (RNS) — The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, a Christian financial watchdog group, has suspended Harvest Bible Chapel, a Chicago-area megachurch, after church leaders admitted “a lack of financial control and oversight” under the church’s former pastor.


Harvest recently fired its founding pastor, James MacDonald, for conduct its elders called “contrary and harmful to the best interests of the church.”


ECFA announced last week an “indefinite suspension” of Harvest’s membership in the group. It pointed to “new information” that led the council to question whether the church was in violation of several of its financial standards.


“The investigation has been and will remain ongoing during the suspension as we work to determine whether Harvest Bible Chapel should be terminated, advised of the steps necessary to come into full compliance or whether they are in fact in compliance with our standards and should, therefore, be restored to full membership,” ECFA President Dan Busby said in a written statement.


ECFA requires member organizations to demonstrate compliance with its Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship.


The council is concerned that Harvest may have violated its standards regarding governance; financial oversight, which requires member organizations to “prepare complete and accurate financial statements;” use of…

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Security fund for places of worship doubled after New Zealand attack

The amount available for religious buildings seeking to enhance premises will rise to £1.6 million in 2019-20.

Launched in 2016, the places of worship security fund helps churches, mosques, temples and gurdwaras in England and Wales to install alarms, security lighting, fencing and CCTV cameras to deter attackers.

 

So far, more than a third of grants have been awarded to mosques. Synagogues are covered by a separate scheme.

The Government had previously committed £2.4m over three years – or £800,000 a year.

Announcing the financial boost for the next financial year, Mr Javid said: “The horrific events in New Zealand are a direct attack on the values of tolerance and freedom of worship that unite us all.

“Nobody should ever fear persecution of their faith and it’s vital we stand together to reject those who seek to spread hatred and divide us.

“I know many Muslim communities are feeling vulnerable and anxious. But they should seek comfort from knowing we are doing everything to tackle hate and extremism.

“That’s why we are doubling next year’s places of worship fund – providing physical protection as well as peace of mind.”

To increase uptake, the Home Office said the bidding process for the fund will be simplified so organisations no longer have to prove they have previously experienced a hate crime incident directly.

In addition, a new £5 million fund will be set up to provide protective security training…

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hatred of Muslims is blasphemy

Most Rev Justin Welby also said recent deadly shootings at mosques in New Zealand were “monstrous”, as he accused the perpetrator(s) of wanting “to create a war against Islam”.

Speaking during an interfaith meeting at London Central Mosque, he said: “For British Muslims who are feeling under threat, we are with you.

 

“Hatred of Muslims denies and blasphemes Christ. Those who co-opt Christian language and history for hatred commit blasphemy.”

Fifty people lost their lives when a gunman attacked two mosques in the city of Christchurch on Friday.

Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

 

A 28-year-old white supremacist, Brenton Harrison Tarrant has been arrested over the deaths. He faces one charge of murder. It is expected more charges will follow.

Archbishop Justin said attacks on Muslims marked an attack on all mankind and he pledged that the Church of England would explore how it can be “more effective in visible signs of togetherness” with Muslims.

Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

 

He continued: “I commit myself to listening more and putting this higher up the agenda in my own actions and words.

“Jesus taught his followers to be peacemakers, ‘for they will be called children of God’.

Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

 

“Making peace is an action, it doesn’t just happen. It requires us to be curious, to listen, to move across…

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Senator Kamala Harris Takes Aim at Vice President Pence for Following ‘Billy Graham Rule’

Senator Kamala Harris Takes Aim at Vice President Pence for Following ‘Billy Graham Rule’



Women who have worked with Vice President Mike Pence are defending him after Democratic Senator and Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris attacked him over his stance on LGBT issues and for refusing to meet one on one with any woman other than his wife. Her comments came during an appearance on MSNBC in which Peter Alexander asked her what she thought about Senator Elizabeth Warren’s statement that Mike Pence is not an honorable man.


I disagree with most of what the Vice President stands for when he makes decisions about our LGBTQ community in a way that doesn’t understand that they should be entitled to full equality and all rights under the law as any other American,” she said. Then she added, “I disagree with him when he suggests that it’s not possible to have meetings alone with women by himself. I think that’s ridiculous, the idea that you would deny a professional woman the opportunity to have a meeting with the Vice President of the United States is outrageous.” 


Pence described his policy in a 2002 interview and said he followed the practices to “build a zone around your marriage.” He said if he needed an aide to help him after hours, it must be a man, he would not dine alone with another woman, and he would not attend an event where alcohol was being served unless he was accompanied by his wife. 


Alyssa Farah, Vice…

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Christian charity calls for more action in tackling militia violence in Nigeria

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the attack by Fulani militia on 16th March follows a series of militia raids in Benue state and Zamfara state earlier in the month which killed more than 100 people.

The invasions happened in the wake of a televised statement by Kaduna state Governor Nasir el Rufai on the eve of February’s postponed presidential election, in which he alleged that 66 people had been killed in Kajuru Local Government Area and insinuated – the victims were mostly women and children from the Fulani ethnic group.

 

The army has been making progress on the issue and recently reported that 55 suspected bandits had been killed and 760 abductees released in an operation that also claimed the lives of three soldiers and several members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

Founder of CSW, Mervyn Thomas has called for the army’s work to be more widespread.

“We commend the recent successes of the armed forces in Zamfara, and urge that troops deployed in central Nigeria would be similarly proactive in tackling militia violence in southern Kaduna, Benue and elsewhere,” he said.

“It is clear that the culture of impunity that surrounds these attacks has emboldened perpetrators.

“We reiterate our call on state and the federal governments to address every source of violence in a swift, decisive and unbiased manner, ensuring that vulnerable…

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Understanding the Differences between Open Groups and Closed Groups (and the Benefits of Both)

Podcast Episode #520

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Groups are important to discipleship in the church. Today we discuss why both open and closed groups are needed and how they can benefit your church.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

  • As they grow larger in worship, churches should also be growing smaller in groups.
  • Small groups have to be flexible as the church grows.
  • Closed groups are great for deeper study of a topic in a church.
  • Groups are a great way to engender greater commitment within the church.

The details we discuss about groups are:

  1. Defining open groups
  2. Defining closed groups
  3. Open groups can be very evangelistic
  4. Open groups must have great flexibility
  5. Open groups tend to benefit the overall growth of the church
  6. Closed groups can be great for specific and specialized training
  7. Closed groups tend to include classes that build on one another
  8. Closed groups should have a definitive termination date
  9. Summary: Both groups can be good. Both groups can be bad.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast

Rainer on Leadership is a member of the LifeWay Leadership Podcast Network


Episode Sponsors

Vanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. They’ve helped thousands of churches just like yours find their church staff and are uniquely geared to help you discern who God is calling to lead your church.

For more information, visit

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Church brought to care home after residents had been watching live-stream

Greyfriars Parish Church in Lanark took their meeting to Beechgrove Care Home at the weekend to bring their service directly to elderly residents.

Around 90 people, including relatives of residents, attended the service, which was aimed at reconnecting people with the community.

Rev Bryan Kerr, minister at Greyfriars Parish Church, led the service and described it as a very positive experience for all and said the “smiles on resident’s faces were as wide as could be.

 

 

“We regularly go to nursing homes to lead worship during the week but to intentionally go on a Sunday morning with the whole congregation is an incredible experience,” he added.

“It would be easy to organise a bus and bring residents to church but care homes often struggle with staff numbers on a Sunday to accompany them.

“But more than that, there is something Biblical about following Jesus command to ‘go and make disciples’.

“It’s not just about welcoming people to our church, it’s also about Greyfriars being welcoming, meeting people where they are and actively including them.”

 

 

Some residents have been gathering on a Sunday morning in the care home’s cinema room to watch Greyfriars services streamed live.

Rev Kerr said: “They have spoken of how connected they feel with the church family so it was wonderful for them to meet the children they see…

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US rapper honours Manchester arena bomb victims

In May 2017, 22 people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device following an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena.

In footage captured by a fan and posted to Twitter, Minaj, who has collaborated with Grande in the past, can be heard saying: “I want to take a moment to remember the victims of the Manchester terrorist attack.

 

“Put your light in the sky for everybody we lost.

“God bless the families of everyone who survived and God bless Manchester for being resilient and not bowing down to fear. For being strong no matter what.”

 

The 36-year-old artist went on to write on Twitter that Manchester had “stolen my heart”.

Minaj is currently on her ‘Nicki Wrld Tour’.

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