The Family Beacon

Christian Counselors, Minneapolis Residents Oppose "Conversion Therapy" Ban

MFC Editor

MINNEAPOLIS – Today the Minneapolis City Council voted to enact a ban on so-called “conversion therapy” after holding a public meeting on the subject earlier this week. The ban is an attack on individual choice in health care as well as on the constitutional rights of therapists, patients, and families. Minneapolis’s ban could prevent mental health professionals from helping patients explore all options when addressing questions over sexual orientation and gender identity, something they should be free to do.

“Young people should have access to voluntary, compassionate, client-driven care in the field of sexual identity that pursues the goals of the patient, including living in accordance with biblical teaching on sexuality or becoming more comfortable with their biological sex,” said John Helmberger, CEO at Minnesota Family Council. “Throughout this debate, we’ve heard from men and women with moving stories of how sexual orientation change counseling helped them meet their therapeutic goals. At the end of the day, the Minneapolis City Council just outlawed a type of mental health care with no real justification.”

After the 2019 Elections, Looking Ahead to Next Year

MFC Editor

Local elections matter. The results often fly under the radar, but they have lasting effects. Here’s just one example: with Tom Heidemann’s defeat in the Anoka-Hennepin school board race, the state’s largest school district could soon chart a very different course.

There wasn’t much media coverage about Tom Heidemann’s reelection efforts, or the radical activist who challenged him for the seat he’s held for twenty years. But what differentiated Tom from his opponent came down to two simple questions:

  • Should all students have access to safe, single-sex restrooms and changing rooms at school?

  • Who should be in charge of sex education: parents, or Planned Parenthood?

Under Heidemann’s leadership, Anoka-Hennepin Schools instituted a policy that ensured that restrooms and changing rooms for male and female students were maintained, while students who identify as “transgender” were able to use alternative facilities if they were uncomfortable using those designated for their sex. This was a way to deal with a real issue some students have without compromising the privacy of other students - but that wasn’t enough for radical activists. 

Comprehensive Sex Ed and Sexual Exploitation: Closely Connected?

Guest User

Recent research from the New York Times has revealed that there are over 45 million videos and images of child sexual abuse online. These numbers represent an exponential increase from a decade ago. Even more sobering, behind those numbers is the harrowing reality of millions of children who have been exploited and abused, their lives upended, and their innocence destroyed.

In light of this horrifying reality, will people wake up and replace the sexualization of children with focused efforts to protect their innocence? A great starting point for Minnesota would be to stop the push for radical Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) in children’s classrooms.

What's in Decline: Christianity, or a Parody of It?

Guest User

For the past ten years, Pew Research Center has been observing the decline in religion in the US. Last week they released their findings under the headline, “In the U.S., Declines of Christianity Continues at a Rapid Pace.” Pew found that the number of Christians in the U.S. had dropped by 12% in the past decade, while the religiously unaffiliated share of the population increased by 17%. 

Pew is right in noting that this is a significant decline to have taken place in only ten years, and an understanding and awareness of this trend matters. The declining number of people identifying as Christians has  implications for believers. However, as we think about these numbers, we must never lose sight of the fact that the power of the gospel is not dependent on cultural trends. Pew’s findings are an urgent reminder that the people around us are lost and hurting, and this should motivate us to act with urgency, compassion, and concern.

Surgeon General's Warning: Marijuana Use is NOT "Safe"

Guest User

Earlier this fall, Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued an advisory on the dangers of marijuana, especially for young people and pregnant women. “Recent increases in access to marijuana and in its potency, along with misperceptions of safety of marijuana endanger our most precious resource, our nation’s youth,” Adams stated. The health risks detailed here by the Surgeon General are some of the principal reasons Minnesota Family Council opposes recreational marijuana legalization in Minnesota.

In his advisory, Surgeon General Adams states,

No amount of marijuana use during pregnancy or adolescence is known to be safe. Until and unless more is known about the long-term impact, the safest choice for pregnant women and adolescents is not to use marijuana.  Pregnant women and youth--and those who love them--need the facts and resources to support healthy decisions. It is critical to educate women and youth, as well as family members, school officials, state and local leaders, and health professionals, about the risks of marijuana, particularly as more states contemplate legalization.

Is It Okay to Kill a Baby Because She's a Girl? Planned Parenthood Won't Say No

Guest User

A Roman soldier wrote the following in a letter to his wife over 2,000 years ago: “If you bear a child and it is male, let it be; if it is female, cast it out.”

The jarring statement appears in a casual letter home, highlighting its cold brutality. This was what it was like to live in a society that did not value human life and chose to see women as less valuable than men.  

If the same statement was uttered today, it would surely be met with shock, horror, and outrage. Right?

Perhaps not as much as we might hope.

In Minneapolis Rally, Trump Defends Rights of the Unborn

Moses Bratrud

Speaking in Minneapolis last night before a crowd estimated at more than 19,000, President Trump gave his first campaign appearance in Minnesota’s largest city. His wide-ranging remarks lasted 102 minutes (the second-longest speech of his presidency so far), but at one crucial moment, Trump spelled out his position on abortion.

“Virtually every top Democrat supports late-term abortions, ripping babies straight from the mother’s womb right up to the moment of birth. That is why I have asked Congress to prohibit extreme late-term abortions, because Republicans believe every child is a sacred gift from God.”

Minnesota Seeks to Dismiss Frivolous Abortion Lawsuit

Moses Bratrud

As first reported by the Star Tribune, Minnesota’s solicitor general Liz Kramer has filed a motion to dismiss a frivolous lawsuit brought by radical abortion activists.

The subject of the lawsuit is Minnesota’s reasonable health and safety protections for women. Minnesota’s bipartisan laws regarding a sometimes-dangerous procedure, such as requiring that only physicians perform abortions and providing women factual non-biased information about abortion before undergoing it, are pure common sense and supported by most Minnesotans. This lawsuit seeks to create a lawless and unsafe environment that would hurt women in Minnesota, whom these laws are designed to protect.

Solicitor General Liz Kramer’s 27-page filing (read the whole thing here) asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit because the plaintiffs, anonymous medical professionals and First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis. “The Plaintiffs want to re-write Minnesota law with respect to abortion,” Kramer wrote “The courts are not the right vehicle for that effort—the Legislature is.”

The Magical Disappearing Gay Gene

Guest User

For years there has been ongoing debate about whether or not same-sex attraction is genetic, including speculation over the possible existence of a “gay gene.” When a study was released this week by Science magazine, many sources reported that this study has resolved the debate. The problem? Depending on where you look, commentary on this study either claims that the study unequivocally proves that same sex attraction is genetic, or insists that the study forever puts to rest that claim. Who should we believe?

What you should know about the study:

Lead study author Andrea Ganna stated, in light of her findings, that “There is no ‘gay gene.’” The study found genetic patterns that indicate that same-sex attraction has a genetic component, there was no evidence of a single gene that determines a person’s sexuality. The study found that genetics could explain 8-25% of sexual behavior. In other words, genetics do not explain at least 75% of a person’s sexual behavior.

Minnesota Salutes Grandparents Day...By Considering Physician-Assisted Suicide?

Guest User

On Sunday, the United States celebrated Grandparents’ Day, a day set aside since 1978 to honor grandparents and the important role that they play in their families. The original proclamation from the first Grandparents’ Day says, “Just as a nation learns and is strengthened by its history, so a family learns and is strengthened by its understanding of preceding generations. As Americans live longer, more and more families are enriched by their shared experiences with grandparents and great-grandparents.”

Grandparents bring to a family the wisdom and experience that comes with age, and it is right to honor them. But has our care and appreciation of the elderly declined? It is horrifyingly ironic that, just days after a day of appreciation for grandparents, Minnesota legislators are holding an informational hearing on a bill that would legalize physician-assisted suicide in our state.

Physician-assisted suicide is presented as “compassionate care” and a way of offering “options” and “dignity” for those who are terminally ill. This is a far cry from reality. Physician-assisted suicide devalues human life and preys on vulnerable people, especially the elderly, and often results in a painful and frightening death. 

Our culture increasingly believes and promulgates the idea that the lives of people with disability, illness, or people who are aging are lesser and not worth living. This lie has taken hold to such an extent that a recent study found that one in five adults who had elevated beta-amyloid, which is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s, would consider physician-assisted suicide if they experienced cognitive decline. 

Last year, Australian scientist David Goodall traveled to Switzerland to kill himself under the assisted suicide laws there. His reason? Merely age, not illness. Concerns that physician-assisted suicide will have an adverse effect on quality of life and care for the elderly are not simply fear-mongering.

Earlier this year, an op-ed arguing that Minnesota ought to legalize physician-assisted suicide pointed to the demographic shift in Minnesota as a large portion of our population ages as a that our state should allow physician-assisted suicide. Considering that among those obtaining prescriptions for life-ending drugs in 2018, 64 percent said that they were becoming a “burden” to their friends, family, or caregivers, an aging population should be just one of many reasons that physician-assisted suicide remains illegal. What a devastating tragedy -- that someone would seek to end their own life out of fear of becoming a burden! That would represent a massive failure of our much-vaunted health care system here in Minnesota. 

Legalizing physician-assisted suicide not only enables this kind of predation, but it communicates that some people are less valuable than others and promotes a culture of death. Legalization is associated with increase in overall suicide rates, especially among people age 65 and older—an age demographic that already has the highest suicide rates globally. 

Furthermore, physician-assisted suicide prematurely robs our society of precious and valuable lives and sickens our entire culture. As Ryan T. Anderson pointed out,

[Physician-assisted suicide] would harm our entire culture, especially our family and intergenerational obligations. The temptation to view elderly or disabled family members as burdens will increase, as will the temptation for those family members to internalize this attitude and view themselves as burdens. Physician-assisted suicide undermines social solidarity and true compassion.

The 1978 Grandparents’ Day proclamation is right when it says that our lives are enriched by grandparents and great-grandparents and that “it is appropriate… that we salute our grandparents for their contribution to our lives.” It is appropriate that we value and honor the aging members of our families, as well as of our communities. Surely Minnesota can offer a far better salute than physician-assisted suicide. Let’s expose the lies of physician-assisted suicide and offer true compassion and care, instead.

Superior is the Latest City to Enact Draconian "Conversion Therapy" Ban. Are Minnesota Cities Next?

Guest User

Recently, Superior became the eighth Wisconsin city to instate a counseling ban on “conversion therapy,” preventing teens who are struggling with unwanted homosexual attraction from seeking the help they want. The Star Tribune reports that a number of Minnesota cities are considering similar measures, after a state-wide ban failed to pass last session. If this is the case, it is certainly cause for concern, as these counseling bans are an attack on free speech, and an intrusion upon counselor-client relationships. 

When We Make Abortion Illegal: The Facts

Guest User

Perhaps you’ve seen the coat-hanger pins worn by abortion activists, communicating that if abortion were to become illegal, there would be a dramatic increase in unsafe, back-alley abortions. But is this really the case? What will happen when abortion becomes illegal? 

A Big Step Forward for Religious Freedom in Minnesota!

Moses Bratrud

This morning, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Carl and Angel Larsen, St. Cloud videographers whose right to tell stories that reflect their deeply-held religious beliefs was thrown into question after a district court decision last year, can now proceed in their battle.

This is great news for religious freedom! The Larsens, who were featured guests at our COURAGE TO STAND event earlier this year, are not just ordinary videographers. They want to tell a story with each video they create - and they want to honor God in the process. But under Minnesota’s draconian “anti-discrimination laws” they could face jail time if they choose not to film same-sex weddings!

"Trans Women" Are Men

MFC Editor

“Gender Dysphoria” is a legitimate diagnosis of mental disorder. It can still be found in the pages of the DSM-5, the manual of mental disorders produced by the American Psychiatric Association. However, unlike with other ailments, the accepted treatment for gender dysphoria is attempting to make one person’s illness into a universal delusion. That is a problem.

If a white person is under the impression that she is African-American, she will be laughed at - no one takes her seriously. This actually happened in the case of Rachel Dolezal. She may have a legitimate mental disorder - in fact, nothing is more likely - but no one thinks that humoring her delusion is a good thing, either for her or for society. Rather, it’s clear to almost everyone that getting her to accept her white ethnicity is the healthiest thing for her, and to encourage her in her delusion would be to make racial categories meaningless.

So why is it so different with sex and gender? Why is someone’s sex, which is even more central to their God-given identity than race, up for grabs? 

Beauty in Disability: The Value of Being Human in a Culture of Death

Grace Lawrence

Twenty-five year old Preeti Singh has had cerebral palsy for entire life, causing her to be wheel-chair bound. In an article, Singh outlined society’s flaw in seeing those with disabilities not as equally valuable to those around them, but rather as people defined by their disabilities, objects to be either pitied or praised.

Singh wrote, “When I was nine, I went to my hometown for my grandmother’s funeral. There, a couple of women caught me alone and told me that I was a burden on my parents. They said that I should have died, and that it was stupid of my parents to spend so much money on my health and education. In the months that followed this incident, I became severely depressed.”

What Does a Decline in LGBT Acceptance Actually Mean?

Guest User

The Accelerating Acceptance survey from the LGBT media monitoring organization, GLAAD recently uncovered a dramatic drop in “LGBT acceptance” among young adults aged 18-34. Taken aback, LGBT activists immediately laid the blame on “an increase in hateful rhetoric in our culture”, but a more likely explanation is that the consequences of the LGBT movement have come home to roost, and the resulting effects on women's rights, child health, and First Amendment protections are just too glaring to ignore.

Shadowy Clinic Targeting Minnesota Teens for Transgender “Therapy”

Moses Bratrud

“True U clinic” is advertising to Minnesota teens and young adults through social media. What services does True U provide? Puberty blockers and cross-sex chemicals: a quack cure for a real ailment. When teens and young adults are confused about their gender, they should be carefully and patiently helped to become comfortable in their own bodies, not given drugs that will irreversibly change them.

Overturning Myths About Planned Parenthood’s “Care” for Women

Grace Lawrence

A tired, emotionally drained seventeen year old sits in her idling car and aimlessly stares out her window. Her eyes gradually fix on the silver lettering that contrasts against the wooden background of the Minneapolis Planned Parenthood facility. It seems like the right choice, certainly the easiest choice, to walk through those doors and quickly leave her pregnancy behind her forever. However, this young woman will soon realize she does not need Planned Parenthood. Instead, she needs and deserves healthcare that gives her hope.

Was Planned Parenthood CEO Fired for Refusing to Include "Trans Men?"

Moses Bratrud

Here, as in the rest of the United States, men are men and women are women. No one is born in the wrong body. Abortion is a disgusting, murderous act that is done to women’s bodies, not men’s. It is absurd, then, to pretend that taking hormones makes someone with XX chromosomes and a functioning female reproductive system into a man. But that’s what Planned Parenthood wants to do, and that’s what Leana Wen took issue with. And now she’s gone.