Baptist Press Stories for Nov. 2 2012 --------------------------------------- 'Incredible amount of ministry' under way in superstorm's wake http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39073 'Power of the local church' on display in NYC http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39074 Pastor: Storm connects churches with people http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39075 Women's health is urgent to IMB workers http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39076 Breast cancer survivor gives hope to Pakistanis http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39077 LSU's 'Painted Posse' undaunted for the cross http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39078 Criswell files suit against abortion mandate http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39079 Supreme Court rejects personhood appeal http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39080 CULTURE DIGEST: Sexualization of girls combated in new campaign http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39081 FIRST-PERSON: Julian Bond is wrong on gay marriage http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39082 FIRST-PERSON: America's sad history of voter apathy http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39083 EDITORIAL: Las Elecciones Presidenciales y la Biblia http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39084 --------------------------------------- 'Incredible amount of ministry' under way in superstorm's wake By Joe Conway Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39073 HARRISBURG, Pa. (BP) -- Hundreds of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers continued to provide ministry in the wake of Hurricane Sandy Friday, Nov. 1. More than 450 volunteers with some 45 units from nine Baptist state conventions were working in at least six states affected by the storm. [QUOTE@right@180=WAYS TO HELP: Churches -- [URL=http://namb.net/sandy_video]Video Download[/URL] Individuals -- [URL=http://namb.net/disaster-relief-donations ]Donate[/URL]]SBDR volunteers from Kentucky, New York and Virginia were working at feeding kitchens in New York. In New Jersey, volunteers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina and South Carolina were feeding storm victims. Virginia volunteers continued to serve alongside West Virginia volunteers in the Mountaineer state. Assessment teams were working in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. Chain saw and recovery teams were also at work across the region. "There is an incredible amount of ministry taking place," SBDR area response commander Mark Gauthier said. "We have four kitchens feeding in New York, four in New Jersey and one in West Virginia. There are another half dozen en route to New York now," said Gauthier, who serves as mobilization director for the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia state convention. Three Kentucky Baptist kitchens were serving at Aqueduct Racetrack, on Staten Island and at Deer Park on Long Island, all in New York. A Baptist General Association of Virginia kitchen was feeding at Rockaway, N.Y. Volunteers from Pennsylvania-South Jersey were serving in Hammonton, N.J., where they were joined by a kitchen and team from South Carolina. Georgia volunteers also were serving with their kitchen at Waretown, N.J. Two North Carolina kitchens and their volunteer teams were serving in New Brunswick and Tom's River, N.J. The mobilization of another half dozen kitchens and 250 volunteers was in full swing Friday with teams from Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Southern Baptist of Texas, Texas Baptist Men and Tennessee on their way to New York. Fritz Wilson, executive director for disaster relief for the North American Mission Board, said he expects most of the teams to be serving in the New York City area by Monday, with a capacity to produce 450,000 hot meals each day. Potential requests for additional meal-per-day capacity could take the number well above 450,000 meals per day provided by SBDR volunteers. Video of a North Carolina feeding unit at Rutgers University is available for download at [URL=http://namb.net/sandy_rutgers_video]namb.net/sandy_rutgers_video[/URL]. NAMB President Kevin Ezell released a video on the SBDR response to Sandy this week. The video may be downloaded at [URL=http://namb.net/sandy_video]namb.net/sandy_video[/URL]. From its disaster operations center in Alpharetta, Ga., NAMB coordinates Southern Baptist responses to major disasters through a partnership between NAMB and the SBC's 42 state conventions, most of which have their own state disaster relief programs. SBDR assets include 82,000 trained volunteers, including chaplains, and some 1,550 mobile units for feeding, chainsaw, mud-out, command, communication, childcare, shower, laundry, water purification, repair/rebuild and power generation. SBDR is one of the three largest mobilizers of trained disaster relief volunteers in the United States, along with the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. Southern Baptists and others who want to donate to the disaster relief operations can contact their state conventions or go to NAMB's disaster relief fund site at [URL=http://namb.net/disaster-relief-donations ]namb.net/disaster-relief-donations[/URL]. Other ways to donate are to call 1-866-407-NAMB (6262) or mail checks to NAMB, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. Designate checks for "Disaster Relief." --30-- Joe Conway writes for the North American Mission Board. -- End of story -- 'Power of the local church' on display in NYC By Diana Chandler Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39074 NEW YORK CITY (BP) -- The elderly lady was afraid to open the door. Alone in the dark in her apartment on the 23rd floor of the Fulton government housing complex in Chelsea Park days after Hurricane Sandy struck, she was not accustomed to people helping. But Gallery Church in midtown Manhattan was in a position to help. Ministry leader Chris Mills climbed the 23 flights of stairs Nov. 1 to reach the elderly woman, one of dozens too frail to exit the building, elevators of no use because of power outages. "She hadn't seen anybody in three days. She had been without power since Monday night and we were the first people to show up to her apartment, so she hadn't seen anybody since the hurricane," Mills said. "People get scared and don't know what's on the other side of that door. When she did open the door, she saw what we had to give her. She was very thankful and gave us a list of a few more things that she needed. We were able to go back today with that list and give her some more items that she needed." Mills, a member of Gallery Church for three years, leads a youth ministry outreach in Chelsea Park, a community the church has adopted for ministry. "We didn't show up until maybe two days after the hurricane and we're the first ones that they've seen. It just shows you the power of the local church. Usually in a situation like this the local church is the first one on the scene. We're kind of first responders in that," Mills said. "It's just amazing that there are so many people in the housing complex here that have not seen anybody but us. That was surprising to me and overwhelming." Southern Baptist Gallery Church pastor Freddy T. Wyatt mobilized 20 volunteers, nearly a third of his membership of 70, to survey apartments in the Chelsea Park and Stuyvesant Town neighborhoods, looking for those in need, and extended his efforts Friday to include two other areas. "We have found dozens of elderly people. Some had no contact with anyone before we got there since the storm hit. We found some that were running out of food, some that were running out of water and some that needed their dialysis, and we were able to make that emergency connection for them," Wyatt said. "We're a central location that has power, and we're able to distribute the people out to different places." Wyatt is focusing on providing the necessities of food, water and medicines to those suffering, while looking forward to opportunities to share the Gospel. "I think that the Gospel sharing opportunities will take place over the long haul rather than in the immediate wake of the storm," he said. "The urgency right now is finding the immediate life and death needs. But over in Chelsea Park we do have a prayer station set up today where we're actively praying with the people in the neighborhood. Out of that, there will be opportunities to share the Gospel. "The aid that we're providing will open up the opportunity to share the Gospel for at least the next couple of years, I think," Wyatt said. He established a Sandy relief fund on his church's website that had collected $7,000, which will help a church family, Wayne and Erin Burton, who lost their Jersey City home and 95 percent of their belongings in the storm. "Our priority in that fund is to go to help the Burtons replace all that they lost," Wyatt said. Most of his membership fared well, he said, with perhaps a dozen still without electricity. His church building is just on the edge of the power outage but lost power for only a day. The basement of the apartment building he lives in flooded and the building has no power, forcing him to stay in a hotel in midtown Manhattan. The devastation has impressed upon Wyatt the importance of the local church, often in the best position to respond to neighborhoods in need. "Last night I tweeted that Sandy has shown us why it really would be good to have a church on every block in New York City," he said, "because the needs are so vast. There's 66,000 people per square mile in Manhattan and you really do need churches on every corner to take ownership for their neighborhoods." "God has been very gracious to help us to process all that's going on and to put together a clear, cohesive plan today to mobilize people to meet some of the most critical needs in Manhattan," Wyatt said. --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. To contribute to the relief efforts, contact state Baptist convention offices or, for the North American Mission Board's disaster relief effort, visit [URL=http://namb.net/disaster-relief-donations]namb.net/disaster-relief-donations[/URL]. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Pastor: Storm connects churches with people By Staff Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39075 NEW YORK CITY (BP) -- Hurricane Sandy, which now has killed at least 96 people on the East Coast, also brought with it opportunities for churches to connect with people in their communities, a church planter on Long Island, N.Y., said. Most of the response from Ecclesia Church of East Islip has been "friend-to-friend, neighbor-to-neighbor, like loaning your car to somebody who doesn't have gasoline," pastor Sterling Edwards told Baptist Press Nov. 2. "People have opened up their doors to let other people take a shower if they don't have power," Edwards said, adding that people who do have electricity have provided meals for those who don't. On one street, he saw extension cords running from one house to another as people with power helped provide it to people without. About 3 million customers in the Northeast remained without power Friday, including most of Long Island. Edwards moved from Texas six years ago to plant a church in New York, and he remains pastor of that plant, Crossroads Church in Farmingdale, and is pastor of a newer congregation, Ecclesia, about 20 miles away. Both are on Long Island. A missions team of four adults from Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston was in New York before the storm hit to help with fall festivals at both church plants. The team tried to get out of town Sunday but ended up having to stay. "They were just here to help us, and they have a tremendous heart, tremendous attitude," Edwards said of the volunteers. "None of this slowed them down whatsoever. They were almost in one way glad to be a part of the action, to be able to help us." Ecclesia, which is only a few months old, meets in a former Anglican church. That facility did not lose power during the storm. "We set up a table outside the church Wednesday night and passed out candy to the kids," Edwards said. "We passed out coffee and chocolate chip cookies to the parents to reach out to them. The storm coinciding with Halloween caused more people to be out on the streets, giving Edwards and other church members opportunities to talk with them and meet needs. "God has a way of using these events to break us out of our normalcy and cause us to look to Him for help," Edwards said. "I think this has helped us be identified as a church that genuinely cares for people and loves people. I've talked to a hundred more people this week than I talked to ever before this week. God has a way of connecting us with people." Several members of Ecclesia have had one or more feet of water in their homes, the pastor said, including a groom who was to be married at the church Nov. 2. "They're going to be married in like three hours," he said. "Their house is one of the houses that was devastated. They had just moved her stuff into his house last week. They've got a foot of water, so the majority of their stuff is ruined." Just stopping to recount the story of the past five days helped Edwards put things in perspective, he said. "We've been going pretty hard, and I'm sure we're tired," Edwards said. "Even just doing this wedding today is really putting things in perspective of being a part of this community." Ecclesia's goal, he said, is to get the message of the Gospel out to nearby residents, and as tragic as the hurricane has been, it has turned into a way to do that. "I feel like I've been given a really unique seat to see a lot of things happen. We're really excited about it," Edwards said of the promise of seeing lives changed. DISASTER RELIEF In New Jersey, two Southern Baptist feeding kitchens are open at Rutgers University and in Hammonton, serving 33,000 meals today, said Steve Reavis, site director. Reavis said a third feeding site in Toms River in southern New Jersey is slated to begin cooking Saturday (Nov. 3). Once established, the three sites will have a shared feeding capacity of 75,000 meals a day, Reavis said. At a separate site in Waretown, N.J., Tim Beck was leading a crew of 30 volunteers set to begin Saturday serving 15,000 meals a day, and needs were being assessed for a chainsaw crew for work initially planned for the next two weeks. A team of 44 Mississippi Baptist disaster relief volunteers departed Kosciusko, Miss., Friday morning to support the Southern Baptist disaster relief response in the Northeast. Jim Didlake, men's ministry director for the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board and coordinator of the Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief Task Force, was leading the caravan on the 26-hour drive to a staging area north of New York City. Plans call for the initial volunteer team to be on site for one week, with extended deployment to be evaluated during that timeframe. The Mississippi Baptist response includes a self-contained feeding unit, a shower and laundry trailer and chainsaw and mud-out crews. The Baptist Convention of New England sent a crew to New York City to assist with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief feeding operations. Bruce James, the BCNE's team leader for evangelism, disaster relief and men's ministry, said he was calling emergency managers along the battered Connecticut coast to see how the BCNE could help. "I think it looks like the worst areas are going to be along the coastline, and it's going to be flooding and some tree damage," James said. In West Virginia, where heavy snowfall has isolated residents and downed power lines, emergency crews were airlifting supplies to the state's highest-elevation areas. "That six-county area is our hardest-hit area with the snow drop," said Delton Beall, state director of missions for the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists. "Still some parts of those counties they can't get into yet because roads are impassable." Beall added that about 100,000 residents still lack power but feeding units at Wayside Southern Baptist Church in Buckhannon and Restoration Church in Mt. Nebo were soon to be functioning at full capacity. "We're going to work in concert with the local emergency people and the Red Cross in our area to try and make sure that no one falls through the cracks," Don Knotts, pastor of Wayside Baptist, said. --30-- Compiled by Erin Roach and Diana Chandler of Baptist Press, William Perkins of the Mississippi Baptist Record and John Evans, a writer in Houston. To contribute to the relief efforts, contact state Baptist convention offices or, for the North American Mission Board's disaster relief effort, visit [URL=http://namb.net/disaster-relief-donations]namb.net/disaster-relief-donations[/URL]. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Women's health is urgent to IMB workers By Laura Fielding Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39076 RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Women who have no concept of what a germ is -- how do you teach them about good health practices? "If you don't have an education where you understand that, for instance, bacteria and viruses and parasites that you cannot see are causing you to be ill ... then it's a big leap of faith for them to believe that," said Vicki Grossmann, a primary care medical practitioner in Guatemala.
This is but one challenge Southern Baptist health care workers face as they minister to women overseas. Another hurdle? Poverty -- extreme poverty. Margaret Bricker*, who works in a medical clinic in Southeast Asia and hosts mobile clinics in her community, continues to be struck by the physical toll poverty takes even after working 16 years in her third-world setting. She met a 37-year-old woman from the slums, for example, who looked as if she were 50. A life full of struggle -- including keeping her children off the streets and finding enough money each day to survive -- had caused debilitating worry. She slept only three hours a night.
"Even if there is someone with a competent medical provider in the area, if [these poor women] don't really have the resources, they really can't access them," Bricker said. Across the globe, millions of women are suffering because they lack access to or knowledge of good health care. In addition to poverty, the major causes are lack of education and inequality in society. "Globally, in any society, women have more health issues and needs than men," said Sheryl Stack*, a health care worker in North Africa and the Middle East. "In societies where health care is both physically and economically challenging to access, women are particularly impacted and in need of advocacy." Conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth and gynecology are typical, but other issues also are prevelant -- cardiovascular disease, cancer, physical and sexual abuse, HIV/AIDS, mental illness, lack of proper nutrition and respiratory disease. Even treatable conditions like diarrhea, anemia, high blood pressure and diabetes become serious health concerns for these women.
"Going door to door is a great thing, handing out Bibles is a great thing ... but it's much more effective to build a relationship and to meet people's perceived needs," Grossman said. "You might say, 'Well, God is interested in them going to heaven' -- yes, He is interested in them knowing Him as Savior. Yes, I agree, but they don't know that; they don't see that. They don't feel that as a need -- but they feel a need that they're hungry or that they're sick." By meeting their human needs, she continued, people are more open to hearing about how God can meet their spiritual needs. Struggle for education Southern Baptist workers underscore the value of education in women's health, yet in many societies, families can afford for only one or two children to attend school -- and sons are sent first. "Just a simple intervention like letting girls go to school and learn to read has huge implications for their future families, health and kids," said Levi Gladstone*, a physician in Central Asia. Bricker, too, sees the ill effects of poor education in her Southeast Asian community. Many times, people "absolutely have no real idea about how the body functions and why nutrition is important." A common belief among women in her area is that water makes them fat, so they drink little more than a thimbleful a day. They suffer from headaches and fatigue, not realizing they are simply dehydrated. "[Women's health] shapes the health of the whole family -- and for the next generation -- because what they know and understand is what they pass off to their children," Bricker said. Second-class status Unfortunately, women in many cultures simply lack the right to make their own health decisions. "If men keep most of the finances [and] are the decision-makers, then many of the women are not independent to make the decision or have the access to the finances," Stack said of what she sees in North Africa and the Middle East. Grossmann also observes gender inequality in Guatemala. She encountered a woman suffering from a gynecological issue, for example, who did not work and make her own money, thus her husband was unwilling to give her funds for medical help. "That's the concept of marriage -- you marry a woman to have children and cook for you," Grossmann said. "[Men] often don't see that cooking, caring for the house, buying food, taking care of children is valuable. You don't get paid for domestic work, so it's not as valuable as the man's outside job that pays." Gender inequality can even translate into food distribution -- in many third-world countries men get the first portion or the meat and women get whatever is left. "Women are thought of as second [class], sometimes as a possession, and not given the same opportunities as men," said Josie Gabdon*, a nurse in South Asia. Rich medical history Southern Baptists have a long history of meeting both physical and spiritual needs around the globe. The first overseas medical missionary was appointed in 1846, just one year after the Southern Baptist Convention was formed. The first female doctor was appointed in 1881 followed by the first female nurse in 1901, both of whom served in China. In the years following, IMB (formerly the Foreign Mission Board) established overseas hospitals in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. Since the 1980s these institutions have been handed over to local Baptist conventions, other organizations or governments to operate -- but Southern Baptists still have missionary personnel present in a few. IMB's medical missions focus has shifted to outpatient clinics, basic health care and education, community health training and disaster response. Today, approximately 300 health care-qualified personnel serve overseas. Jenny Byrd* serves in one of the countries of North Africa and the Middle East where people often have "no food, no shelter and no hope. ... Life is focused on just surviving day to day -- and hoping there is food to eat and water to drink." "By working in what is my passion -- medicine -- the Gospel and telling all my patients about Him naturally flows and each of them hears truth when they come [to my clinic]," Byrd said. In 2009, Byrd gave hospice care to a woman dying of breast cancer. For four months she eased the woman's physical pain, but Byrd also shared the hope for eternal life. Two months before her death, May* accepted Christ. "I did not know what to do for May -- I had no cures or answers ... all I had was our heavenly Father, and ultimately that was all she needed," Byrd said. (Read May's full story [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39043]here[/URL]. For these Southern Baptist workers, health and the Gospel go hand in hand -- and the Great Physician is the best doctor. "We really see this as the most important thing to do -- which is share the Gospel with people," Bricker said of those she serves in Southeast Asia. "And we don't want to just heal their physical bodies now, and then have them die and go into an eternity without God." --30-- *Names changed. Laura Fielding is a writer for the International Mission Board. Southern Baptists' ([URL=http://worldhungerfund.com]World Hunger Fund[/URL])often helps provide for food needs associated with Southern Baptist health care ministry. For information on specific health care projects through Baptist Global Response, a key IMB partner in health care initiatives, go to baptistglobalresponse.com. People interested in volunteering for medical or health care missions can email Rebekah Naylor, an emeritus IMB missionary physician who serves as the medical and health care consultant with BGR, at rnaylor@gobgr.org. -- End of story -- Breast cancer survivor gives hope to Pakistanis By Yvonne Carrington Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39077 RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- "Magic mouthwash" -- sometimes prescribed to cancer patients to soothe mouth sores from radiation and chemotherapy -- helped open doors for two Southern Baptists to be Christ's heart, hands and voice to Pakistani women facing breast cancer. Paula Hemphill, a minister's wife for more than 40 years, has long been in the forefront of cross-cultural missions among women. She and Sarah Auler, a pharmacist from Georgia, were invited to speak about breast cancer awareness to Pakistani oncology medical staffers in December 2010. Part of their presentation to doctors and nurses at the medical center was about magic mouthwash. Auler shared the recipe with the Pakistani doctors, showing them how to mix the solution. Hemphill -- a two-time breast cancer survivor -- was especially intent on talking with women undergoing treatment; an estimated 89 percent with the disease in Pakistan do not survive. Pakistani women, like so many overseas, are faced with a barrage of health care challenges stemming from environment, lifestyle, social taboos, poor literacy and limited medical facilities. Culture is another of the factors that contribute to nearly 40,000 Pakistani women's deaths from breast cancer each year -- one of the highest incidences of the disease in Asia. Cultural norms make many women hesitant to discuss the disease with their husbands, much less male physicians. Unfortunately, breast cancers in Pakistan often go undetected for so long that the majority of women are already in the third or fourth stages of the disease by the time they are diagnosed. Fervent teacher That's one reason Hemphill is passionate about teaching breast cancer awareness and the importance of an early diagnosis. "I feel like God has allowed me to go through this journey twice now," Hemphill said. "I have the medical background that allows me to communicate accurately the things that have happened to me and the things that can happen to other women. I understand the drug treatments; I've done research online. But I also just feel like God has opened a door for me to talk to women about breast cancer awareness." Hemphill's family was stunned in 2006 when they learned she had cancer, but as one of her three daughters, Kristina, put it, "She seemed so confident in the Lord and so full of faith that her outlook very much shaped the way that we responded to the news." It began with excruciating pain in Hemphill's right breast. Her gynecologist prescribed an antibiotic, ordered a mammogram and an ultrasound. Both were negative. He recommended a wait-and-see approach, but Hemphill, then 56, insisted on seeing a surgeon who soon diagnosed her with breast cancer. "If I'd waited three months like my [gynecologist] told me to," she said, "and then come back, my prognosis could have been a lot different. "Because I insisted on seeing a surgeon ... within six days, I had a mastectomy." Chemotherapy left her exhausted. Radiation caused uncomfortable burns. She lost her hair, eyebrows and eyelashes. Hemphill's treatments finally ended in October 2007. In June 2010, her oncologist spoke the words every cancer patient hopes to hear: "You will never have this cancer again." But that November, shortly before her trip to Pakistan, she received bad news: another diagnosis of breast cancer -- this time, a different type. The second diagnosis was even more shocking than the first. "Breast cancer and other cancers don't have any rhyme or reason," said Hemphill, noting that one in eight women in the United State will be diagnosed with the disease during her lifetime. "You can't ask the 'why' question. It's not a productive question. You have to ask 'What now?'" Hemphill's "what now" is paying it forward to other cancer victims. Prior to her second cancer surgery, her oncologist agreed to let her make the trip to Pakistan. Her family also encouraged her to go. "When I told [the Pakistani doctors] I'd asked my husband's permission to come to Pakistan, that I'd just been diagnosed, they gave me a standing ovation. It made the story so much more poignant," Hemphill said. "Here I was, a breast cancer patient, pre-op, caring enough about Pakistani women that I came to Abbotabad." Among the things she shared with the Pakistan medical staff were tips her friend and colleague -- and breast cancer survivor -- Julie Pierce had suggested. Pierce advised Hemphill to make sure to suck on a Popsicle or put ice in her mouth during the chemo infusion to minimize mouth sores and to wear socks and gloves during radiation, which is usually administered in cold rooms. Pierce also called periodically to check on her friend. "The Bible says comfort others with the comfort you have received, and Julie did that for me," Hemphill, tearing up, recalled. "She told me what to expect with the chemo -- she told me some things to do that would make the treatments easier." Lack of resources Hemphill's cancer experience left her acutely aware of the lack of resources for early detection and breast cancer awareness for many women, even in the U.S. "I think there is a very simple, story-based tool that we could develop to give to women in our churches," she said. "They could use it to then train other women and expose them to early diagnostic self-examinations and tools that would help encourage and empower those women to deal with their own bodies." In Pakistan, Hemphill shared with the doctors how effective the magic mouthwash was during her first bout with breast cancer. "One of the biggest adverse effects with chemotherapy is severe mouth ulcers," said a doctor at the Ayub Medical Center. "The best therapy is a mouthwash having a lot of ingredients ... and its impact is magical to heal." The doctor sent Hemphill a message in the spring of 2012: "Today, the cancer support group members from the pharmacy department made the first batch of magic mouthwash ... the first ever in this area. I am so happy today." Hemphill's trip to Pakistan yielded an unexpected ministry via social media. She was invited to join a Facebook cancer support group established by the medical center doctors and their patients. Her husband Ken said she "spent a lot of time dealing with her issues on Facebook and talking with and encouraging our daughters in the midst of [her cancer battles]." But Hemphill had no idea what an impact her willingness to share would have. Upon seeing family photos and stories on her Facebook page, one Pakistani doctor told her: "[You have] dispelled my misconceptions about American families. We are told there is no more family life [in the West] because of money and other American influences." Family support Hemphill leaned heavily on her family when she returned home from Pakistan in 2010. She knew the toll cancer treatments take, both physically and emotionally, as she prepared for another battle. "I've had two times during all these treatments where I literally felt like I could die from the nausea and the fever," she said, "... when you are literally so weak you can't stand. "My husband would have to pick me up and put me in the bed or take me to the bathroom. I could not walk." Since both her cancers were fast-growing, Hemphill decided to have another mastectomy. "I've had two breast cancers," she told her surgeon, "I don't want to risk a third." While many women struggle with body issues following mastectomies, Hemphill credits her husband with helping her through any insecurities. Ken said he learned that one of the most important things he could do was to be a good listener for his wife -- something she, herself, put into practice in Pakistan. As breast cancer patients shared their stories, Hemphill listened and prayed for each one. Her trip to Pakistan helped affirm God's plan for Hemphill to use cancer as an opportunity to share Christ intentionally. "During the last two months I have sent several personal messages to Pakistani friends related to Jesus, eternal life and hope of heaven," she said. "Their worldview is so different and many are very serious Muslims. "These doors are only open because I went and God made the connections," Hemphill continued. "Access is through social media and prayer. ... The need for training for Pakistani believers in reaching the majority peoples is urgent. Their reluctance to share because of persecution and blasphemy laws makes the presence of other believers necessary." While Hemphill is "forever a breast cancer survivor," she continues to seek opportunities to share her cancer story. "It's a natural entrée to talk about the Lord." --30-- Yvonne Carrington is an International Mission Board writer/editor. -- End of story -- LSU's 'Painted Posse' undaunted for the cross By Mark Hunter Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39078 BATON ROUGE, La. (BP) -- When someone in LSU's Sports Department airbrushed hand-painted crosses off the bare chests of the "Painted Posse" in a widely distributed photo following the LSU-South Carolina game, it sparked a controversy over political correctness and censorship of university students' religious views. The Posse, a group of Christian students who proclaim their faith by wearing the crosses, had a meeting and asked themselves, "What would Jesus do?" They publicly forgave the university for the incident and are urging everyone to put the incident behind them. That is, until the LSU-Alabama game on Saturday (Nov. 3). Thousands of fans, clad in LSU purple and gold and Alabama red and white, will fill Tiger Stadium -- with some from both sides also wearing crosses to support the Posse and their testimony of faith in God. When news first got out about the altered photo and LSU was contacted by national and local media, LSU spokesman Herb Vincent claimed they altered the photo from the Oct. 20 game because they didn't want to offend anyone. "We don't want to imply we are making any religious or political statements, so we airbrushed it out," Vincent said. "It was just a straight sports communications message, no politics involved, no religion." From now on, Vincent said, they'll just not use photos that could be construed to have religious overtones. The Posse, formed in 2003 and featured in hundreds of photographs from ESPN to local newspapers, said they don't want to further the controversy. Posse member and LSU senior Sloan Bishop, a member of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry there, helped craft a statement released to local media and posted on the Posse's Facebook page. "We talked about how we wanted to respond and end it in the most Christ-like way possible," Bishop, who attends The Ring church held at Grace Baptist in Baton Rouge, said in a phone interview. "None of us feel attacked in any way. We bear no ill will toward LSU or staff members." The press release reads, in part: "In light of the recent airbrushing of our crosses by LSU staff members and the discussion that has followed, the Painted Posse -- a group of Christian LSU students -- would like to thank the public for the outpouring of support both for the group and for Christ.... The University has reached out to our group and apologized for this incident. "We ... do not agree with the University's recent decision to airbrush crosses out of the photo of some of our members. We also respect the opinions of those who do not agree with us. Despite what happened, our main focus is to represent Christ. This Christ is our Savior who died on a cross to save us from sin, was raised again, and now lives in our lives. "Our goal as the Painted Posse is to portray Christ through our actions while cheering on our Tigers! Our group will return to our normal seats, with our normal, painted uniforms on November 3rd, wholeheartedly supporting our Tigers. We are humbled by the many who have shown support for our beliefs, but we would encourage all fellow members of the LSU family to please switch the focus from this story and the Posse to supporting our beloved university. "We encourage anyone who would like to honor Jesus Christ to join us by wearing a cross on November 3rd. We strongly discourage the wearing of a cross as a way to protest the university or its recent decision. We desire that no further negative light would be shone upon the university that we love. We acknowledge the efforts of the LSU administration and look forward to serving the university as both fans and students." Bishop's father, a deacon at First Baptist Church in Covington, La., when asked about the issue, he said, "I'm so proud of each one of these young men that they are taking a stand. It really surprised me that LSU airbrushed that out. When Sports Illustrated and ESPN have run their pictures it wasn't airbrushed out. They're not trying to cause a controversy. I think it's awesome what they're doing." Posse member Cameron Cooke told CampusReform.org, "The cross painting is important to me because it represents who I am as a Christ follower. And it reminds me who I need to act like in Death Valley." Posse member Joel D'Aubin told the NBC affiliate in Baton Rouge, "We all have a passion for LSU football and for Christ. Just being able to be that example every single Saturday is an awesome experience." The Posse's Facebook page, which has more than 1,300 "likes," has been filled with hundreds of comments. Tiger fan Paula Jones Bergeron wrote, "I'm on a mission and need everyone's help. The Alabama game is Nov. 3 and everyone needs to wear a purple or black shirt and wear a large cross, a shirt with a cross on it or face paint a cross on your face. The media will be everywhere and my goal is to have a campus of crosses." Jason Williams wrote, "This BAMA fan stands behind you! Wear your crosses! May God richly bless you and, of course, Roll Tide!!" --30-- Mark Hunter is a correspondent for the Baptist Message (www.baptistmessage.com), newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- Criswell files suit against abortion mandate By Michael Foust Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39079 DALLAS (BP) -- Criswell College, a Christian school with deep Baptist roots, has filed suit against the Obama administration's abortion/contraceptive mandate, asserting the rule unconstitutionally forces it to violate its "deeply held religious beliefs." Criswell on Nov. 1 became the latest Christian school to take legal action against the mandate, which forces businesses -– including religious organizations –- to carry health insurance plans covering contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs. The latter drugs often are called "emergency contraceptives" and come under brand names such as Plan B and ella. They can act after fertilization and even after implantation. Liberty Institute filed the suit on behalf of Criswell College. "Criswell believes that, as a matter of religious conviction, it would be sinful and immoral for it to intentionally participate in, pay for, facilitate, or otherwise support abortion, which destroys human life," the suit states. "It believes that the Sixth Commandment ('thou shalt not murder') proscribes payment for and facilitation of the use of drugs and devices that can and do destroy very young human beings in the womb." The administration's regulations "trample on the freedom of Criswell College and millions of other American organizations and individuals to abide by their religious convictions and to comply with moral imperatives they believe are decreed by God Himself," the suit states. Criswell believes "life begins at conception," the lawsuit adds. Although the media has focused on Catholic institutions in its coverage of the mandate, more and more non-Catholic organizations are filing suit, mostly because of the abortion issue. Louisiana College was the first Baptist institution to file suit earlier this year. Since then, Houston Baptist University and East Texas Baptist University have joined the list. There are now 39 lawsuits against the mandate, according to a tally by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. The mandate was issued by the Department of Health and Human Services in August 2011 and went into effect in August of this year, although HHS gave nonprofit religious organizations such as Criswell another year -- until August 2013 -- to comply. The new health care law signed by President Obama opened the door for the mandate. The law itself does not require coverage of abortion-inducing drugs, although it did give HHS the authority to determine what is and is not covered under the new law, often dubbed "Obamacare." The Supreme Court upheld the law earlier this year but did not deal with the issue raised by the mandate lawsuits. The HHS rule exempts churches but not religious organizations such as Christian colleges and hospitals. The list of businesses and organizations suing to overturn the mandate also has grown in recent months, with arts and crafts retailer Hobby Lobby and Christian publisher Tyndale House joining the ranks. Criswell College has ties to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and embraces the Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Faith and Message statement of beliefs. "The mandate requires us to violate our religious beliefs by forcing us to fund something that is contrary to the biblical values we stand for," Criswell College President Jerry Johnson said in a statement. "We feel betrayed that the government is trying to use the force of law to make us change our religious beliefs and practice by forcing us to fund the taking of innocent life." The lawsuit claims the mandate violates the U.S. Constitution's First and Fifth Amendments, as well as two federal laws. The lawsuit says the government has "provided thousands of exemptions" to businesses but refuses to exempt religious organizations from the mandate. For example, businesses with fewer than 50 employees are exempt. Businesses also had the option of "grandfathering" in their previous health care plans and thereby avoid many of the new law's requirements, such as the mandate. Criswell is not able to grandfather its plan because it has made changes that resulted in it losing its grandfather status, the suit states. "Yet, the government refuses to exempt many religious groups (and religiously observant individuals) from this unprecedented Mandate," the suit states. The HHS mandate provides an exemption for churches and church-like bodies provided they are nonprofit and meet all four of the following criteria: 1) "The inculcation of religious values is the purpose of the organization"; 2) "The organization primarily employs persons who share the religious tenets of the organization"; 3) "The organization serves primarily persons who share the religious tenets of the organization"; and 4) The organization is a church, an integrated auxiliary of a church, a convention or association of churches, or is an exclusively religious activity of a religious order, under Internal Revenue Code 6033(a)(1) and (a)(3)(A)." The suit says, "Criswell College is not 'religious' enough under this definition in several respects, because, among other reasons, it has purposes other than the 'inculcation of religious values' and because it does not fall into the category of churches, integrated auxiliaries of particular churches, conventions or associations of a church, or the exclusively religious activities of a religious order." --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Supreme Court rejects personhood appeal By Staff Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39080 WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to consider a request to allow Oklahomans the opportunity to vote on a personhood amendment protecting unborn children. The justices issued an order Oct. 29 rejecting an appeal by the initiative's supporters, thereby permitting a decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to stand. The state high court ruled in April the initiative violated a 20-year-old decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Oklahoma high court invalidated the initiative even though Personhood Oklahoma, the organization behind the effort, was still seeking at the time to gain the signatures needed to place the proposal on the November ballot. In its order, the state's justices ruled the initiative contravened the U.S. Supreme Court's 1992 opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which permitted some state restrictions on abortion but reaffirmed a woman's right to the procedure. The rejected proposal would have amended the Oklahoma constitution to define a person as "any human being from the beginning of the biological development of that human being to natural death." It also would have protected due process and equal protection rights regardless of "age, place of residence or medical condition." The Oklahoma effort is part of a nationwide movement seeking to gain legal protection for unborn babies. Personhood Oklahoma responded to the high court order by announcing it would renew its petition effort the next day, Oct. 30. "In Oklahoma, the people were denied their right to petition and their right to vote. ... [T]he people of Oklahoma will not rest until our voices are heard, and our women and children are protected from abortion," said Dan Skerbitz, leader of Personhood Oklahoma, in a written statement. Liberty Counsel Chairman Mat Staver, who represented Personhood Oklahoma, said in a written release, "The issue is not about the merits of personhood but about whether a state court can interfere with the rights of citizens to gather signatures to amend their constitutions. On the issue, the Oklahoma Supreme Court decision is wrong." The head of one of the abortion rights organizations that opposed the personhood initiative said the Oct. 29 order was "another resounding message ... that such extremist assaults on our fundamental rights will not stand." Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a written statement that personhood initiatives are "a bald-faced attempt to foreclose women's access to a full range of reproductive health care." --30-- Compiled by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- CULTURE DIGEST: Sexualization of girls combated in new campaign By Staff Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39081 NASHVILLE (BP) -- A new campaign called "4 Every Girl" has been launched by the Parents Television Council to combat the sexualization of girls in American culture. In recent years, PTC research has documented troubling trends on primetime television in which underage girls are more likely to be sexualized than adults, Tim Winters, PTC's president, said. "There is a dramatic rise in the number of teenaged girls who are depicted as victims of violence -- especially sexual violence," Winters said in a news release. "Frankly we're tired of reporting such depressing data and we want to help do something about it." The goal of the 4 Every Girl campaign, online at [URL=http://www.4everygirl.com]4everygirl.com[/URL], is "a sharp and swift reversal" of those statistics by advocating for a media environment in which girls are honored, valued and represented by healthy, respectful images, PTC said in October. "According to the American Psychological Association, the three most common mental health problems for girls -- eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem -- are linked to the sexualization of girls and women in media," Winters said. "We hope 4 Every Girl will bring increased awareness and concern and a new light to the work of other organizations in the fight for healthier media images of young girls." A public service announcement is available for viewing on the website, as are recommendations for how to raise a "powerful girl" who is secure in her self-image and who makes positive choices for her own life and does positive things for others. BALE HONORS FORCED-ABORTION FOE, CONDEMNS PRACTICE -- Actor Christian Bale finally met Chinese forced abortion foe Chen Guangcheng and presented him with a human rights award. The star of the latest "Batman" movie franchise also decried coercive abortion and sterilization in the process. Bale honored Chen, a blind lawyer, at Human Rights First's annual awards gala Oct. 25 in New York City. During the presentation, Bale recounted Chen's advocacy on behalf of women who had been forced to have abortions or sterilizations under China's "one-child" policy. Prior to a one-year home detention that included torture, Chen served more than four years in prison on what his supporters describe as trumped-up charges by the government. "He had exposed a program of forced abortion and sterilization in Shandong," Bale said of Chen. "A program of forced abortion means that women are being dragged from their homes against their will. They are being forced to have abortions, sometimes late-term -- imagine that -- with some women reportedly dying in the process. "Now this is true horror. And in this insane world, this man, Chen, who was helping these women -- who was living by some of the most simple, brave and universally admired values -- values that we teach our children every day -- and helping our fellow man -- for this, this man was imprisoned and beaten for over four years," Bale said. Bale made the presentation to Chen 10 months after he, accompanied by a CNN television crew, tried to visit him in his home but was barred and roughed up by guards. Bale, who was in Beijing for a December movie premier, told CNN after the failed effort, "What I really wanted to do was to meet the man, shake his hand and say what an inspiration he is." Chen escaped home detention in April, and his family and he were able to leave China for the United States in May. Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women's Rights Without Frontiers, praised both men. She described Chen as "a towering champion of human rights," adding Bale "has become a human rights champion in his own right." The attack by the Chinese guards when Bale sought to visit Chen "brought visibility" to Chen's treatment and "greatly helped the international effort to free Chen," Littlejohn said. "And Bale is brave to condemn the practice of forced abortion in China." Women's Rights Without Frontiers works to combat coerced abortion and sexual slavery. PARENTS SAY DISABLED DAUGHTER CREATED FOR GOD'S GLORY -- The little girl is her parents' joy. Pearl Joy Brown was born with a rare genetic disorder that caused her brain to stop developing after her first few weeks in utero. But her parents Eric and Ruth Brown consider her a gift from God, "fearfully and wonderfully made" as He intended. "God has designed Pearl the way he wanted, for his glory and our good," the Nashville Tennessean quoted Pearl's father Eric as saying. The couple had their daughter against the advice of doctors, who recommended they terminate the pregnancy after discovering the baby suffers from alobar holoprosencephaly, a fatal condition. Doctors said she would probably die in the womb. Pearl turned 11 weeks old on Oct. 12, according to the Tennessean report. The Browns said they never considered abortion, and were encouraged after seeing Pearl's beating heart on the ultrasound. "If there is a chance, you say yes to that chance," Eric Brown said. "The only thing I know about parenting is that you say yes." Pearl's brain never divided into two hemispheres. She has a cleft upper lip, suffers daily seizures, has a weakened immune system and has required frequent visits to the hospital. Doctors now say she'll live less than a year, the Tennessean reported. "When she is done here on earth, she is not done for good," Ruth Brown told the Tennessean. "Heaven will be easier for her." Nancy Guthrie, a Nashville mother who lost two children to a fatal genetic condition, was quoted as saying such conditions never overcome the love and joy parents experience. "One of the things we learned is that great sorrow and great joy can coexist," Guthrie said. "Because life in the image of God is so precious, there is great joy in having this one you love with you, even while there is great sorrow in knowing that this child might not grow old with you." RESEARCH MOVES TOWARD 3-PARENT CHILDREN -- New research in which scientists created embryos with genes from two women and a man means three-parent children are one step nearer, bioethics specialist Wesley Smith said. Researchers at Oregon Health & Sciences University reported the results Oct. 25 in the journal Nature, saying the method could keep children from inheriting incurable diseases that include such symptoms as dementia and blindness, according to the Associated Press. "[P]reventing illness is just the key that opens the door to many of the Brave New World technologies," Smith blogged at National Review Online. "Eventually -- given the way things go these days -- if the procedure ever becomes doable, it will go quickly from the 'medical' to the 'consumerist,' e.g., facilitating lifestyle choices and personal preferences. That's what happened with [in vitro fertilization], after all, which is no longer restricted to treating the infertile. Indeed, if we ever normalize polyamory, one could see the technique as a way for three partners to have biologically related children." While the scientists said they do not intend to produce children from the embryos, the embryos actually are human beings in their earliest stages. "Certainly, new human organisms were [made] -- and as an experiment," Smith wrote. "That is a big moral deal." The technique involves taking nucleus DNA from a female patient to replace the nucleus DNA from a donor who has healthy mitochondrial DNA, AP reported. About one in 5,000 babies inherits a disease resulting from defective mitochondrial DNA. The Oregon scientists transplanted DNA into 64 unfertilized eggs from healthy women and produced 13 embryos that developed after fertilization, according to AP. --30-- Compiled by Tom Strode, Erin Roach and Diana Chandler of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Julian Bond is wrong on gay marriage By Eric C. Redmond Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39082 WASHINGTON (BP) -- Julian Bond currently serves as chairman emeritus of the NAACP, the nation's oldest civil rights organization. As the November election approaches, Mr. Bond has contributed to a Washington, D.C.-area radio advertisement concerning Maryland Question 6, which would legalize gay marriage. Mr. Bond previously voiced his support of same-sex marriage in February 2011. "I know a little something about fighting for what's right and just," Bond says in the ad. "Maryland's gay and lesbian families share the same values, and they should share in the right to marry. I believe people of faith understand this isn't about any one religious belief -- it's about protecting the civil right to make a lifelong commitment to the person you love. Join me in supporting Question Number 6. It's the right thing to do." It would appear that the African American civil rights leader and his organization are directing their faith systems' appeal primarily at African American congregations in Prince George's County and Baltimore City -- areas saturated with churches that oppose same-sex marriage. Bond seems to be hoping that African Americans' loyalties to him, the NAACP, and their own race will swing voters to follow their senior statesman's lead on this controversial issue. In doing so, Mr. Bond assumes that African American congregants will prioritize race over moral convictions when they approach polling stations in a few weeks. Bond is weighing his record and name against the teaching of the church's sacred Scriptures when he appeals to the shared values of the "people of faith." Yet he should clarify the values that he thinks Christian believers and proponents of same-sex marriage share. It could not be marriage, for the Scriptures value marriage as the legally sanctioned, lifelong, covenant union between a man and a woman -- "male and female" are the terms the Gospels use. Without "male and female," one hollows out Christian values so that they are meaningless. A broadly termed "lifelong commitment" vastly differs from a specified "covenant union between a man and woman." Bond suggests that values determine what we legislate as right and just. According to Christian theology, God knows about fighting for what is right and just. The book of Exodus records that He rescued the Hebrew slaves from Egypt because it was wrong to hold slaves captive based on race. Matthew writes that God intends to judge the living and the dead. He will separate righteous sheep from unrighteous goats, in part, on the basis for how they treat the hungry, thirsty, foreign, unclothed, sick and imprisoned, and not on the basis of race (Matthew 25:36). Apparently, God values freedom, racial equity and the social welfare of people, finding these things to be righteous in His sight. Yet the book of Genesis records that this heavenly Champion of Rights also destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities known for same-sex relationships. People of faith have an obligation to take heed to follow their God where His values conflict with Chairman Bond's values. One should ask Julian Bond if it is civil to ask people to disregard their faith for the choices of others. For someone could choose not to participate in homosexual acts just as someone who is heterosexual could choose to live in abstinence or celibacy. However, not one person gets to choose his race or gender. Even non-religious members of the NAACP should agree that it is right to value things that are unalienable, as our country's foundational rights document establishes. They also should agree that rights must not be based on the preferences of the majority (or a few). We are grateful for the civil rights hero's merits in the fight to secure rights for people of color. Nevertheless, in adding sexual preference to his rights, he has erred on the truth. People of faith should deafen their ears to his appeal. Instead, they should vote "no" to Question 6, and appeal to the chairman to receive our opposition with informed civility. --30-- Eric C. Redmond is executive pastoral assistant and Bible professor in residence at New Canaan Baptist Church in Washington D.C. He previously served as second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: America's sad history of voter apathy By Kelly Boggs Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39083 ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- The Tuesday after the first Monday in November should be declared Apathy Day in the United States. It is on this day that so many Americans do so little about something so significant to their lives and futures. The date is, of course, Election Day in America. And it seems, regardless of the nature of the election, almost half of the voting-age population reveals its apathy by not participating. When the election involves selecting a president, voter turnout is normally around 50 percent. In the 1960 contest between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, voter participation was 63 percent. Not since 1968 has voter turnout topped 60 percent. The highest voter participation since 1968 was 57 percent and occurred in 2008 when Barrack Obama and John McCain vied for the White House. During off years, when a president is not being elected, voter participation rarely reaches 40 percent. The average since 1960 has been 39 percent. The main excuses people repeatedly give for not voting vary: not having enough time, not liking any of the candidates, and a belief that an individual vote makes little or no difference. But I believe strongly that people should care who occupies the White House. While almost half of voting-eligible Americans choose not to exercise their right to cast a ballot, their lack of involvement does not shield them from the impact the president will have on their lives. The president enacts policies that have an impact on much of American life. The two men currently running for president -- Barack Obama and Mitt Romney -- have divergent ideas about policy as it applies domestically, socially, fiscally as well when it comes to foreign affairs, energy and the military. Whoever is elected president Tuesday will have a significant impact on the lives of every American -- not only in the short-term, but in the long-term, too. The president is given the task -- the power -- of nominating individuals to the Supreme Court, and these appointments are for life. Some believe the next president may have the task of replacing up to three Supreme Court Justices. If this does happen, the balance of the court could be set for decades to come. If you do not think the Supreme Court has an effect on day-to-day life in the United States, both positively and negatively, consider just a few of the court's more notable decisions. In 1954, the court decided unanimously in Brown v. The Board of Education that segregation in public education was unconstitutional. This landmark decision planted the seed of equality from which civil rights for minorities -- in particular African Americans -- grew. Griswold v. Connecticut was a 1965 decision decided by a vote of 7-2 in which the Court found a Connecticut law banning the use or sale of contraceptives unconstitutional. In so doing, the justices discovered a new right in the Constitution -- the right to privacy. Justice William O. Douglas wrote the majority opinion and conceded that though the word "privacy" appears nowhere in the Constitution, it is nevertheless implied. "The Bill of Rights have penumbras, formed by emanations from those guarantees that give them life and substance," Douglas wrote. "Penumbra," according to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary is defined as "the partially shaded outer region of the shadow cast by an opaque object." The Supreme Court seemed to say in Griswold that the right to privacy is an ethereal concept stealthily embedded in the Constitution by the founders in such fashion that it could only be discerned and discovered by enlightened minds. The "penumbra" of privacy that emanates from the Bill of Rights has proved to be the basis for other decisions like the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade that made abortion legal throughout the United States and the 2003 ruling in Lawrence v. Texas that struck down sodomy laws in America. Each of the cases cited above has helped to lay a moral framework leading to greater acceptance. In the case of Brown, it has led positively to the civil rights of all minorities. In the case of Griswold, it has led to the cheapening of life and the acceptance of aberrant behavior. Those who are so apathetic they choose not to vote fail to understand that their non-participation in an election will not exempt them from the policies and decisions of politicians -- especially that of the president. "Politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians," said Charles de Gaulle. The French statesman's observation was spot on and his words should be pondered by those who would flaunt their apathy on Election Day. --30-- Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press, director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention's office of public affairs, and editor of the Baptist Message, [URL=http://baptistmessage.com]www.baptistmessage.com [/URL], newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- EDITORIAL: Las Elecciones Presidenciales y la Biblia By Gustavo Suárez Nov. 2 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39084 NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/espanol]http://www.bpnews.net/espanol[/URL] Sométase toda persona a las autoridades superiores; porque no hay autoridad sino de parte de Dios, y las que hay, por Dios han sido establecidas. Romanos 13:1 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) -- Este artículo saldrá cuatro días antes de las elecciones presidenciales en los Estados Unidos. Desde la independencia de este país hasta el día de hoy hemos experimentado libertad política y tenemos la habilidad de expresar nuestra voz sin temor de persecución. Miramos a nuestro alrededor y encontramos países en el Caribe, Centro y Sudamérica y el Medio-Oriente donde las personas viven bajo la opresión de gobiernos déspotas. Le damos gracias a nuestro Dios que Él ha protegido a esta nación de seguir esos caminos. Sin embargo, en los últimos treinta y seis años, dos generaciones, sin duda alguna este país se encuentra frente a una bifurcación cultural que amenaza no solo nuestra libertad individual pero se levanta como una ola que intenta silenciar la voz de Dios. Este es el momento para todo cristiano, que es ciudadano de este país, de ejercitar el privilegio de votar por nuestros líderes gubernamentales. La pregunta que se me hace con frecuencia es, ¿Por quién vas a votar? La pregunta correcta no es por quien votare yo. Debemos preguntarnos, De acuerdo a los principios bíblicos, ¿Cuál de los candidatos presidenciales expresan mejor esos principios? Personalmente, yo me hago estas preguntas básicas e importantes: ¿Qué creen los candidatos de Dios? ¿Qué creen los candidatos sobre la santidad de la vida? ¿Qué creen los candidatos sobre el aborto? ¿Qué creen los candidatos sobre la educación? ¿Qué creen los candidatos sobre el tamaño del gobierno? ¿Qué creen los candidatos sobre el control del gobierno sobre la persona? Te pido que compares las dos plataformas presidenciales y ponlas por el filtro bíblico. Ora a Dios que te de claridad, Vota el 6 de Noviembre, y continua sirviéndole fielmente a nuestro Dios. [URL=http://www.priestsforlife.org/candidates/2012-party-platform-comparison-spanish.pdf]http://www.priestsforlife.org/candidates/2012-party-platform-comparison-spanish.pdf[/URL] --30-- Gustavo Suárez es profesor de iniciación de iglesias y director del centro Nehemías para Iniciación de Iglesias en Norte América en el Seminario Bautista Teológic de Midwestern. -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2013 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: bpress@sbc.net