23AR28-23

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AR 28:23 - Governments roll back "gender-affirming care" for minors

In this issue:

GENDER - "introducing greater safeguarding for children"

 + J. K. Rowling's "witch trials"

 + the contested origins of the transgenderism culture war

NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS - "Is Japan losing its religion?"

PSYCHOLOGY - the self and "Therapy Speak"

Apologia Report 28:23 (1,620)
June 30, 2023

GENDER

"Norway offers a step forward in eliminating gender ideology" by Debra Soh <drdebrasoh.com> -- "... the Norwegian Healthcare Investigation Board announced it would be revising its current guidelines regarding so-called 'gender -affirming care' for minors because it no longer considers them to be evidence-based. ...

   "Under the proposed updated guidelines, the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and transition-related surgery would be restricted to research contexts and no longer provided in clinical settings. Norway joins Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom in introducing greater safeguarding for children. In the United States, eight states thus far have banned affirmative care for individuals under 18, with Tennessee being the latest to pass such legislation.

   "It's good that more professional organizations are recognizing the experimental nature of this approach in children. An existing body of research shows that most kids with gender dysphoria grow to be comfortable in their bodies upon undergoing puberty and that those wishing to transition suddenly post-puberty may be experiencing a social contagion. These studies have been dismissed because they don't fit the preferred activist narrative. ...

   "A recent paper in the academic journal Archives of Sexual Behavior <www.bit.ly/433GXZ5> discusses how the placebo effect has not been adequately taken into consideration when interpreting newer findings supporting transitioning in children." Washington Examiner, Mar 13 '23, <www.bit.ly/3Xcqxwk>

   Soh is also the author of The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths About Sex and Identity in Our Society. <www.bit.ly/3p3H4pT>

Mikey Lynch, Editorial Director of The Gospel Coalition Australia, (Apr 14 '23), finds that the center of The Witch Trials of J. K. Rowling podcast <www.bit.ly/42Lxu8Q> "is the controversy of J. K. Rowling's opposition to various forms of trans-rights movements. But it goes far beyond that. [The podcast] puts this controversy into a larger social context: giving us a tour of the last thirty years of Western popular culture, examining matters like the Rodney King riots, feminism, 1990s gothic music, evangelical opposition to the Harry Potter books, Rowling's personal experiences of domestic violence, a historical and sociological analysis of the fear of witches, the rise and influence of internet subcultures such as 4Chan and Tumblr, and more. It really is a great way to orient ourselves to what we have been through as a culture in the last few decades." (Caution: Lynch warns that the fifth episode gets especially graphic, "as multiple sexually explicit and violent tweets are read out.")

   Last, our readers would be interested to learn that Lynch also recommends: "One of the most impressive Christian examples of [the podcast] genre, which understandably attracted an enormous audience around the world" - namely, Christianity Today's The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, <www.bit.ly/3Jmntb0> created by Mike Cosper. "This excellent podcast could very easily be turned into a unit for a theological college, as it draws in historical reflections on revivalism, the megachurch movement, the Jesus movement, governance, ethics and eschatology, abuse, gender politics, sexual ethics and more." <www.bit.ly/441VyVQ>

"Would Republicans be passing bills banning doctors from mutilating their children and pumping them full of chemicals if liberals hadn't decided that it is evil not to...?" That question was asked by Zachary Faria in his commentary for the Washington Examiner on April 17, titled: "The New York Times fabricates a history of the transgenderist culture war.'"

   Faria elaborates: "To frame this as a culture war that was started by intolerant conservatives is not just dumb - it is disingenuous. We are where we are now because of the unceasing demands of transgender activists and their liberal enablers at publications such as the New York Times.

   "Transgenderism was not an issue until transgender activists and their media allies decided to force everyone to ignore basic biological reality and indoctrinate children with this new and radical ideology. ... Liberals, as always, start the cultural fight, and once again, they whine that anyone dares stand in their way."

   Pointing out the logic used, Faria asks: "Have conservative groups made money off of donations as a result of this activism? Almost certainly. But they did not steer Republican politicians or normal people to this topic. Liberals and transgender activists did that, making absurd demand after absurd demand. Let men steal women's opportunities and even beat up women in women's sports! Let male rapists serve their time in women's prisons! Let your 4-year-old child transition or he will literally die! The rapid liberal cultural advance got to the point where Boston Children's Hospital was saying children could be transgender before they were born."

   In sum: "This is utter nonsense, fabricated by liberals who know that they cannot defend on the merits the rapid spread of transgender activism to classrooms and children's entertainment."

   Conclusion: "The liberal obsession with transgenderism (and with foisting it on children) has led leftists to go back to a familiar playbook. They are attempting to change the culture radically, even as they claim that conservatives are the ones who started a 'culture war' by noticing what they were up to." <www.bit.ly/3XctCwl>

 ---

NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS

"Is Japan losing its religion? Cults, Unification Church scandal seen driving rising distrust" by Julian Ryall (South China Morning Post, Apr 19 '23) -- lead examples: 

* - "Nearly 40 percent of respondents to a survey said they had lost trust in religion, as some say they see no reason to visit Buddhist temples any more"

* - "Problems caused by 'new religions' such as Aum Shinrikyo and the Unification Church are still affecting Japanese society, an analyst notes"

   Ryall explains that a study by Tsukiji Hongwanji, <www.bit.ly/3raNEvq> "a major Buddhist temple in Tokyo, has revealed a growing distrust of religion in Japan, a trend analysts suggest is the consequence of religious cults that have in the past used violence to advance their aims - and the more recent scandal surrounding the infiltration of politics by the Unification Church. ...

   "The survey on religious trust ... revealed that 39.7 percent of the 1,600 people interviewed said their sense of trust in religion had declined in the last two years. ...

   "One of the most notorious 'new religions' was Aum Shinrikyo, which carried out a sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system in 1995 as it sought to overthrow the Japanese government. Followers of cult leader Shoko Asahara were found guilty of a litany of crimes, including murder, and 13 were executed - although thousands of adherents to the cult's beliefs subsequently joined two splinter groups [Aleph and Hikari no Wa] after Aum was disbanded. ...

   "Concern over the activities of such groups was heightened last year when a man used a home-made gun to kill former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as he was speaking in the city of Nara.

   "The assailant, Tetsuya Yamagami, told investigators that he attacked Abe because he and his party were linked to the Unification Church....

   "Dozens of politicians were later revealed to have links with the group, including no fewer than 10 of the 20-member cabinet, and there were suggestions the church had lobbied for some of its policies to be adopted by the government. ...

   Sayuri Ogawa, activist and Unification Church critic, also highlighted "reports on the malicious solicitation of donations and human rights violations by the Jehovah's Witnesses group". <www.bit.ly/42N7Ccr>

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PSYCHOLOGY

"Is 'Therapy Speak' Making Us Selfish?" by Rebecca Fishbein <rebeccafishbein.com> -- "In recent years, therapy concepts like self-care and boundary-setting have shown up everywhere online, with Instagram accounts and other social media communities sharing mantras and advice advocating for self-actualization. ... 'Therapy speak' - prescriptive language describing certain psychological concepts and behaviors - can be found everywhere from group chats to dating apps. Now, we have more language to advocate for ourselves and our needs, whether it be canceling plans when we feel overwhelmed or ending relationships that no longer serve us.

   "It's important to be able to set boundaries and advocate for yourself."

   Examples of the issue include that of Anna, 24, who was dumped last summer "by a longtime friend over text. ... Anna was hurt, and frustrated. 'It felt like [her former friend] was ending the friendship with an HR memo,' she said."

   Both victims and perpetrators alike may be expressing "self-care behavior ... by using HR language to end a friendship, for instance, or via straight-up ghosting ['pulling away without explanation']. And by couching the behavior in therapy language, the hard 'boundary' can feel more legitimate, or even virtuous. ...

   "Beyond boundary-setting and inflexibility, the proliferation of therapy speak has also inspired some people to assign labels like 'toxic' and 'narcissistic' to certain relationships or behaviors."  Bustle, Apr 7 '23, <www.bit.ly/3PjANkq>

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