Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria This Year’S Social Contagion Infects Teenagers and Their Doctors

FIGHTING HOMELESSNESS: What comes first?

FEBRUARY 16, 2019

Rapid-onset gender dysphoria This year’s social contagion infects teenagers and their doctors

CHINA: Expelling missionaries CITIES: Electric scooter invasion VENEZUELA: On the brink

CONTENTS | February 16, 2019 • Volume 34 • Number 3

34 21 40

44 48

FEATURES DISPATCHES 7 News Analysis • Human Race 34 Pressure to conform Quotables • Quick Takes LGBT activists are dialing up the heat on parents and CULTURE researchers who question transgender dogma, while peer influence may be leading some teens into life-changing 21 Movies & TV • Books hormone treatments Children’s Books • Q&A • Music

NOTEBOOK 40 When a home isn’t enough 53 Lifestyle • Technology Federal homeless policy is based on a flawed, one-size-fits-all Religion • Politics • Law approach, but one agency is ready to try a more intensive strategy VOICES 44 Expelled from China 5 Joel Belz Missionaries say the Communist country is kicking them out, 18 Janie B. Cheaney one by one 32 Mindy Belz 61 Mailbag 48 Scooters at your service 63 Andrée Seu Peterson For-hire electric scooters have arrived in many U.S. cities, and not everyone is happy about it 64 Marvin Olasky

ON THE COVER: Illustration by Krieg Barrie

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Thomas R. Schreiner Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Biblical Theology Notes from the CEO “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and those who dwell therein.” —Psalm 24:1

On the day I write this, we have seven people on our relatively small staff who Chief Content Officer Nick Eicher Editor in Chief Marvin Olasky R have worked at WORLD for more than 25 years. By the time you read it, retire- Senior Editor Mindy Belz ments will reduce that number to five.

Two beloved staff/friends/WORLD family members are retiring at the end of the Editor Timothy Lamer month, and, for me, the reality is just starting to settle in. It’s one thing to figure out National Editor Jamie Dean Managing Editor Daniel James Devine how we’re going to cover the huge amount of work they both Art Director David K. Freeland Associate Art Director Robert L. Patete leave behind. But the real challenge will be arriving to the office Reporters Emily Belz, Charissa Crotts, and not seeing them here. Sophia Lee, Harvest Prude East Asia Bureau June Cheng, Angela Lu Fulton Judy Russell has been our accounting manager for just over Story Coach Susan Olasky Senior Writers Janie B. Cheaney, Andrée Seu 25 years. In that role, Judy has dealt with a lot of things the rest Peterson, Lynn Vincent Correspondents Sandy Barwick, Megan Basham, of us don’t think about. Most of us here are blissfully unaware of Julie Borg, Anthony Bradley, Bob the many small daily details of making the business work, finan- Brown, Michael Cochrane, John Dawson, Juliana Chan Erikson, cially speaking. The reason we’re blissfully unaware, usually, is Katie Gaultney, Charles Horton, Mary Jackson, Sharla Megilligan, that Judy just handles those things. Jill Nelson, Henry Olsen, Arsenio Orteza, Jenny Lind Schmitt, Personally, for the first five years of my own employment Russell St. John, Marty VanDriel, Jae Wasson here, I worked with Judy more closely than anyone else. She was WORLD to me, and Mailbag Editor Les Sillars I’m glad, because I’m not sure there’s any more positive expression of the culture of Executive Assistant June McGraw Editorial Assistants Kristin Chapman, Amy Derrick, the place. Judy represents everything good about working here. Mary Ruth Murdoch Graphic Designer Rachel Beatty Now a word about June McGraw. Perhaps you’ve heard a Illustrator Krieg Barrie longtime employee referred to as “an institution.” June was an Digital Production Assistants Arla J. Eicher, Dan Perkins institution before WORLD was. She came along 37 years ago, before Joel Belz was CEO, before WORLD Magazine was even Website wng.org Executive Editor Mickey McLean an idea. Since then, she’s been holding the place together. Managing Editor Lynde Langdon Assistant Editor Kiley Crossland I say that only a little bit facetiously. It seems June does a Reporter Onize Ohikere thousand important things, and more than 900 of those things Correspondents Rachel Lynn Aldrich, Anne Walters Custer, Laura Edghill, Samantha nobody else even knows about. And June set the standard at the Gobba, Rob Holmes, Bonnie Pritchett, Julia A. Seymour office for reliability—arriving every day before 7:30 in the morn- Editorial Assistant Whitney Williams ing, even some days when the rest of the town was shut down with snow or ice. It has been extraordinary to witness these two women so faithfully steward the Website wng.org/radio Executive Producer/Cohost Nick Eicher gifts God gave them, and we are grateful that God called them to use their gifts here. Managing Editor J.C. Derrick Judy and June, I don’t know what we’ll do without you. Don’t change your phone News Editor Leigh Jones Cohost Mary Reichard numbers. Reporters Paul Butler, Kent Covington, Sarah Schweinsberg Correspondents Mary Coleman, Laura Finch, George Grant, Kim Henderson, Cal Thomas, Emily Whitten Producers Johnny Franklin, Carl Peetz (technical), Kristen Flavin (field) Kevin Martin Listening In Warren Cole Smith, Rich Roszel [email protected]

Chief Executive Officer Kevin Martin Founder Joel Belz Development Pierson Gerritsen, Debra Meissner, HOW TO CONTACT US Andrew Belz, Sandy Barwick To become a WORLD Member, give a gift membership, change address, access other Administration Kerrie Edwards member account information, or for back issues and permission … Marketing Jonathan Woods Advertising Partnerships John Almaguer, Kyle Crimi, Email [email protected] Kelsey Sanders Member Services Summer Dodd Online wng.org/account (Members) or members.wng.org (to become a Member) KIDS’ AND TEENS’ PUBLICATIONS Phone 828.435.2981 within the U.S. or 800.951.6397 outside the U.S. Website wng.org/children Monday–Friday (except holidays), 9 a.m.–7 p.m. ET Publisher Howard Brinkman Write WORLD, PO Box 20002, Asheville, NC 28802-9998 Editor Rich Bishop Back issues 828.435.2981 world journalism institute Website worldji.com Reprints and permissions 828.253.8063, ext. 427 or [email protected] Dean Marvin Olasky Edward Lee Pitts  Follow us on Twitter @WORLD_mag Associate Dean  Follow us on Facebook @WORLD.Magazine BOARD of directors John Weiss (chairman), William Newton (vice chairman), WORLD occasionally rents subscriber names to carefully screened, like-minded organizations. If you would prefer Mariam Bell, Kevin Cusack, Peter Lillback, Howard Miller, not to receive these promotions, please call customer service and ask to be placed on our DO NOT RENT list. R. Albert Mohler Jr., Russell B. Pulliam, David Skeel, David Strassner, Ladeine Thompson, Raymon Thompson MISSION STATEMENT WORLD (ISSN 0888-157X) (USPS 763-010) is Published biweekly (24 issues) for $69.95 per year by God’s World Publications, Biblically objective journalism that informs, (no mail) 12 All Souls Crescent, Asheville, NC 28803; 828.253.8063. Periodical postage paid at Asheville, NC, and additional mailing educates, and inspires offices.Printed in the USA. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. © 2019 WORLD News Group. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WORLD, PO Box 20002, Asheville, NC 28802-9998. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS VOICES Joel Belz

hearts we have no intention of adjusting our lives once we find the answer. We’re just intellectualizing. Like the Pharisees, we’re often much more interested in proving our own point of view than we are in discovering God’s truth on a matter. When that’s our position, Jesus says He’s not interested in providing a response. He Tax time holds His wisdom for those who ask with sincerity. Second: Jesus doesn’t offer cheap answers. interrogation What the Pharisees desperately wanted was a JESUS DOESN’T OFFER CHEAP ANSWERS TO smartphone that would let them figure with certainty how much belonged to Caesar and PHARISEES—OR TO US how much to the Temple. Then they could add those calculations to all Now that you’ve got your W-2 form in their other rules and R hand but are feeling increasingly guilty regulations. that you haven’t got around to your tax We’re still looking return yet (you still have two months to for that app that will go!), take a fresh look at one of the crunch all the pro- Bible’s most famous passages about phetic references of taxes—Matthew 22:15-22. Daniel and Ezekiel, Except that I’d like to suggest merge them with here, as I have from time to time, the price of oil that when Jesus delivered His short futures in Iran, “Render unto Caesar” speech, He help us identify the had something other than taxes or Antichrist, and church-state relations in mind. predict the exact Instead of giving the Pharisees a date of Christ’s tax table telling them what proportion Second Coming. We of their income they could deduct for want quick, quantified charitable giving for the calendar year A.D. answers. We’re modern-day 29, Jesus was telling them that they had to get Pharisees. their whole worldview straightened out. But to us, as to the Pharisees, In other words, don’t spend time on the Jesus simply says: “OK, if that’s the details until you get the big picture in focus. Don’t kind of wisdom you want, I’ll give it. Give to Don’t fine-tune until you’re on the right Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is channel. pretend to be God’s.” The two main points Jesus was teaching as interested You can almost hear the humiliated He flipped the denarius over in His palm were in the fine Pharisees as they sneak away. “We don’t know these: any more than we did before we asked! Now we First: Don’t pretend to be interested in the points of a have a whole slew of new questions. No way do fine points of a God-centered worldview if your God-centered we dare go back and ask Him how much heart isn’t right. worldview if belongs to Caesar and how much to God. How Make no mistake. Jesus’ answer to the embarrassing!” Pharisees was a put-down. He wasn’t really your heart That’s the point. If you come with the answering them at all. He knew the phoniness isn’t right. wrong spirit, or come seeking simplistic of their hearts, and He wasn’t going to give answers, God keeps you klutzing around in them the satisfaction of an answer so long as your ignorance. they had no intention of listening in the first When you’re ready to bow before Him and place. express your willingness to expose yourself It’s easy for us to be in the same position. patiently to the marvelous complexities of His We go through the formalities of studying and wisdom, then He answers. That’s when He discussing what a “Christian” position might be A denarius bearing the expands your worldview, sending you away not

DE AGOSTINI/G. DAGLI ORTI UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/NEWSCOM IMAGES UNIVERSAL ORTI DAGLI DE AGOSTINI/G. on a particular subject—when deep in our image of Julius Caesar with frustration but delight. A

 [email protected] February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 5

DISPATCHES News Analysis / Human Race / Quotables / Quick Takes

Karen Pence

News Analysis School insists applicants transgender identity, any initial a pledge to ‘live a other violation of the personal life of moral unique roles of male and purity’” complete with the female. This language is Targets of hate understanding that mar- disgusting.” And so we NEWS FROM WASHINGTON GETS riage means “the uniting of label as unmentionable CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER one man and one woman in 4,000 years of Jewish and by Marvin Olasky a single, exclusive covenant Christian teaching. union as delineated in Also disgusting to some Scripture.” scribes was the 46th annual How crazy have some “Vice-president’s wife Cane snarled on: March for Life in R of our media leaders Karen Pence to teach at Immanuel “identifies Washington on Jan. 18— become? With federal anti-LGBT school.” ‘moral misconduct’ that and leading newspapers workers back in their CNN commentator Clay would disqualify employ- protected us from knowing offices, we can now pay Cane on Jan. 20 was out- ees as premarital sex, how many Americans even more attention to sup- raged: “Like a real-life cohabitation, extramarital showed up. USA Today posed scandals like the one setting for The Handmaid’s sex, homosexual or lesbian reported that “more than a

PENCE: KOJI SASAHARA/AP • SCHOOL: KRISTOFFER TRIPPLAAR/SIPA USA VIA AP USA TRIPPLAAR/SIPA KRISTOFFER • SCHOOL: SASAHARA/AP PENCE: KOJI revealed in this headline: Tale, Immanuel Christian sexual activity, polygamy, thousand anti-abortion

Manage your membership: wng.org/membership February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 7 and offered a lesson in how far we’ve sunk. An Iowa judge struck down protections for unborn babies with detectable heartbeats, but the most remarkable example of degradation came in New York. In 1977 its state Senate voted 35-22 for a resolution asking Congress to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of adopting a pro-life amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This year the state Senate cemented its flip, voting 38-24 for a bill going even further than the Supreme Court: zero protection for babies up to the moment of birth. Participants in the Jan. 18 March for Life; WORLD Nathan Phillips beats his drum in the face European corre- of Catholic high schooler Nick Sandmann. spondent Jenny Lind Schmitt observed, activists” marched. That’s like saying “Europeans tend to more than a thousand Allied soldiers think we Americans landed at Normandy on D-Day: The get too carried away actual D-Day number was 156,000. Native American activist bangs a drum in the fight over abortion. But when The March for Life typically draws in your face. And how many teenagers they understand what our laws actually 100,000-plus. Last year a study of digi- can be expected to have mastered that are, they begin to understand why it’s a tal images led to a crowd estimate of particular point of etiquette?” big deal. They think we’re barbarians.” more than 200,000. McArdle added that the drummer, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill Astoundingly, the big news of Jan. Nathan Phillips, did not “explain why without the slightest expression of the 18 was not the execution of 3,000 he thought it would have a calming regret that his dad, former Gov. Mario unborn children that day (the average effect to bang a drum in the faces of Cuomo, sometimes suggested. Some daily total in America) but the Lincoln the boys. This does not seem to be a defenders of abortion are still pro- Memorial standoff between an elderly technique generally recognized by choice, but it’s clear that Cuomo and Native American and a Catholic high- experts in conflict resolution.” Company are militantly pro-abortion. school student from Covington, Ky., Another reasonable sojourner in a What’s the solution? Trillia Newbell, wearing a “Make America Great liberal publication, Atlantic writer director of community outreach for Again” cap. The first wave of coverage, Caitlin Flanagan, wrote, “The full the Ethics and Religious Liberty MARCH: SAUL LOEB/AFP/GETTY IMAGES • STUDENT: IMAGE FROM YOUTUBE based on a 15-second video, slammed video reveals that these kids had Commission of the Southern Baptist the student and his classmates. The wandered into a Tom Wolfe novel and Convention, tweeted, “Many moons second wave, based on longer videos, had no idea how to get out of it.” ago, before the Lord captured my reported the chaotic complications Wolfe died last year and the four heart by his grace, I interned at the and criticized the critics. novels he wrote from 1987 to 2012— New York State Assembly and I imag- Since WORLD readers should not The Bonfire of the Vanities, A Man in ine I would have been among those imitate much of the left by living only Full, I Am Charlotte Simmons, and cheering on new abortion bill. But in our own bubble, I’m glad when they Back to Blood—are great guides to the God. God changed my heart, trans- ask for names of secular journalists to hysteria summarized by sports broad- formed my mind, gave me a love for follow. In this situation, one thought- caster Dan McLaughlin: “In any given the unborn. It took God.” ful analysis came from Megan week, at least one major news con Amen. For, as Ephesians 6:12 states, McArdle, who redeems the editorial troversy is likely to revolve around “We do not wrestle against flesh and page of The Washington Post: She how much we are supposed to hate blood, but against the rulers, against reported that chagrined defamers of a person we’d never heard of the the authorities, against the cosmic the student, Nick Sandmann, have previous week.” powers over this present darkness, now downgraded their charge to “not The actual anniversary of the 1973 against the spiritual forces of evil in knowing the proper response when a Roe v. Wade decision came on Jan. 22 the heavenly places.” A

8 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019  [email protected]  @MarvinOlasky DISPATCHES News Analysis

bold plan to declare Maduro’s rule defunct. ‘ This is the moment’ Juan Guaidó grew up in a low- VENEZUELANS SEEK TO END THEIR SOCIALIST income neighborhood just north of Caracas, where government payments DICTATOR’S CRUSHING RULE by Jamie Dean to needy families were popular in the days of former President Hugo In one of the most remarkable a reelection victory in a presidential Chávez. But as socialist policies failed R moments in Latin America’s contest considered fraudulent by and the economy has collapsed, suffer- modern history, thousands of many—including some members of his ing has deepened among those once Venezuelans packed a public square in own government. loyal to Chávez and his protégé Caracas on Jan. 23 and exulted as Juan By early January, a 35-year-old Maduro. Guaidó took the oath of presidency, first-term congressman had formed a As head of the country’s National declaring dictator Nicolás Maduro’s Assembly, Juan Guaidó invoked a power illegitimate. clause in Venezuela’s constitution: If a Anti-government protesters (bottom) U.S. officials quickly declared sup- cheer after Juan Guaidó (below) declares president claims victory in a fraudulent port for the new leadership and urged himself interim president. election, the head of the National Maduro to relinquish his brutal Assembly may become grip on a country suffering from interim president until one of the most severe economic free elections are held. and humanitarian crises in the U.S. officials told world. Guaidó they would Decades of socialist rule have back him if he moved left the country staggering under ahead. On Jan. 22, Vice food shortages and an inflation President Mike Pence rate that has hit an estimated 1 released a video aimed million percent. Some 3 million at reaching the thou- Venezuelans have fled the sands planning mass country in the last five years. protests against Maduro has denied his coun- Maduro’s rule the next try is starving, and he refuses day: “We are with outside aid. Last year, he claimed you.” The next afternoon, Guaidó raised his hand in a Caracas public square and swore the oath of presidency. In a dramatic moment, thousands of supporters raised their hands in solidarity. Ricardo Ball, a financial adviser and entrepreneur in Caracas, described the scene to Robert Sirico of the Acton Institute in a live-streamed video call a week later. “It’s not him alone taking the oath,” said Ball. “It’s everyone else taking the oath alongside him in support of the

CROWD: BORIS VERGARA/AP • GUAIDÓ: FERNANDO LLANO/AP • GUAIDÓ: BORIS VERGARA/AP CROWD: constitution.”

February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 9 DISPATCHES News Analysis

But not all Venezuelans rejoiced: Guaidó. Advisers from Cuba head nations threw their support behind Maduro called the events a coup, and Maduro’s personal security, and they Guaidó, and some leaders of the the leader of the country’s armed run intelligence operations to ferret out European Union said they would back forces declared the military’s loyalty to potential traitors in the military ranks. Guaidó if Maduro didn’t call for new Maduro. The move was seen as a blow For soldiers willing to back Guaidó, elections by Feb. 3. to hopes for a quick and peaceful the interim president has underscored The entrenched Maduro did find transition of power. a law the National Assembly has support in a handful of nations, On the Sunday after Guaidó took passed to offer amnesty to military including China, Russia, Syria, Iran, the oath of office in Caracas, state-run members who support the new gov- and Turkey. television stations aired footage of ernment. The offer of amnesty could U.S. officials said they would try Maduro towering over dozens of rankle Venezuelans who have endured to increase economic pressure on Maduro by transferring control of oil revenues to Guaidó’s team, but the logistics of such a plan remained for- midable and threatened to potentially worsen the economy. It’s hard to imagine Venezuela’s economy growing worse. In his call with the Acton Institute, Ricardo Ball said the world was watching the end product of socialism unfold on a bleak stage. He noted Margaret Thatcher’s famous observation that the problem with socialist governments is that they eventually run out of other people’s money. “This is the moment,” said Ball. “This is the moment the money has run out.” He thinks Venezuelans are more willing to back a new government despite the dangers. “They fear more dying of hunger than the Maduro regime,” he said. “That’s where we are right now.” (For Americans interested in learning lessons from Venezuela’s failed experiment, Ball noted that socialism can look appealing depending on when you take the picture. “If you take kneeling soldiers at Fort Paramacay in Maduro (left) and Venezuela’s Defense the picture early, it’s all beautiful,” he central Venezuela. Maduro boomed: Minister Gen. Vladimir Padrino gesture said. “If you take it later, it begins to after Maduro’s Jan. 10 inauguration “Are you coup plotters?” The armed for a second term. fall apart.”) soldiers boomed back: “No!” The Guaidó seemed to grasp the dictator responded: “Traitors never, dangers he could face for pushing loyalty, always.” military abuses, but Guaidó likely sees Venezuelans toward an era of free- On the same morning, Guaidó it as vital incentive to persuade soldiers dom. Two days after taking the oath of attended Mass in a Catholic church in to back his interim presidency. office, he gave a speech that state-run Caracas, flanked by his wife and In the days after his oath, Guaidó’s television stations didn’t run: It was FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES mother. He later pleaded with the supporters made treks to military only accessible to citizens online over military, “Please, brothers, don’t attack outposts to distribute copies of the tenuous internet connections some- our people.” amnesty law to soldiers patrolling on times controlled by the government. Potential violence is a deep-rooted duty. Some reported that the soldiers The interim leader noted the fear for those facing a military that has threw the copies back at them or challenges ahead, and he urged his cracked down on protests in the past. burned the papers while they looked supporters to carry on if government And some analysts note that turning on. officials detain him: “They can cut a against Maduro won’t be easy even if Still, pressure mounted on Maduro: flower, but they can’t hold back the military members want to support Leaders in most Latin American spring.” A

10 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019  [email protected]  @deanworldmag DISPATCHES Human Race

the Catholic woman and with this law with regard to mother of five sentenced to same-sex weddings would death in 2010 for blas- violate their religious faith, phemy against Islam. The as they believe God made ruling finally marriage between a man clears Bibi to and a woman. They want leave the to put a statement on country and their website stating seek asylum they will only create art elsewhere. that doesn’t violate Pakistani their religious convictions Chief Justice but need the ordinance Asif Saeed Khan Khosa changed if they are going to said in court that Bibi’s do so safely. Their case is accusers committed per- currently before the jury, noting fabricated Arizona Supreme Court. evidence and contradictory statements by accusing Ended Islamic clerics. The high A weeklong teacher strike Sentenced fired her for refusing to court dismissed a petition in Los Angeles ended after A Chinese court sentenced work on Sundays. Marie asking it to review its Oct. the teachers union reached prominent human rights Jean Pierre, 60, 31 acquittal of Bibi. Radical a deal with city officials. lawyer Wang Quanzhang to told the hotel Islamists took to the Tens of thousands of teach- 4½ years in prison on when she streets to protest the ers had marched through charges of subverting state was hired decision, calling for the the city and picketed power following a closed- that she did killing of the judges door trial. Wang was not work who issued the ruling among approximately 300 Sundays for and for the overthrow of lawyers and activists religious reasons. Pakistani Prime Minister detained in 2015 as part of They scheduled her any- Imran Khan. the so-called “709 crack- way. Pierre threatened to down,” named for the date, resign and for some years Refused July 9, when it happened. they accommodated her. Two Christian artists in He is likely one of the last Then, in 2015, a kitchen Phoenix, Ariz., are in court, schools for six school days, among the group to be manager began giving her asking for the freedom to calling for accommodations tried. Wang helped found Sunday shifts again. For a refuse orders for same-sex that included caps on class the Chinese Urgent Action few months, Pierre man- wedding invitations. sizes and fewer standard- Working Group and was aged to swap shifts with Phoenix has an anti- ized tests. However, union known for teaching other workers so she could discrimination ordinance members told the media Chinese villagers about make it to church. Then, on that states any business the most significant victory their land and legal rights. March 31, 2016, she was owner who refuses service involved the district’s “It’s outrageous that fired for “unexcused on the basis of sexual orien- charter schools. The school Wang Quanzhang is being absences,” according to the tation can receive a $2,500 board agreed to bring for- punished for peacefully media. Pierre sued the hotel penalty and six months in ward a request to the state standing up for human company, Park Hotels & jail. Joanna Duke and asking for a cap on the rights in China,” Amnesty Resorts, for discrimination Breanna Koski argue that number of charter schools. International China on the basis of religion and complying These schools, publicly researcher Doriane Lau won. However, a spokes- funded but privately said in a statement. “He person for the hotel com- managed, are generally not must be immediately and pany has indicated they unionized and can compete unconditionally released.” intend to appeal the verdict. with public schools for money and students. Awarded Upheld Currently, California has A Florida jury awarded a The Pakistani Supreme more than 1,100 charter hotel dishwasher $21.5 Court on Jan. 29 upheld schools and allows 100 new

WANG: VINCENT YU/AP • PIERRE: PIERRE FAMILY • PAXTON: NICK WAGNER/AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN VIA AP • DUKE AND KOSKI: ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM • STRIKE: CHRISTOPHER WEBER/AP CHRISTOPHER ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM • STRIKE: VIA AP • DUKE AND KOSKI: AMERICAN-STATESMAN NICK WAGNER/AUSTIN • PAXTON: • PIERRE: PIERRE FAMILY VINCENT YU/AP WANG: million after her employer the acquittal of Asia Bibi, charters to open every year.

February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 11

DISPATCHES Quotables

‘I didn’t want to share it with ‘Makes anybody, and in the era of hashtag-MeToo you feel survivors, I always believed

more worth that every person MORT: ERIN KIRKLAND • SMITH: WIN MCNAMEE/GETTY IMAGES • NEW YORK: HANS PENNINK/AP • ERNST: PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP • HALEY: DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES is different and something.’ they will confront NATHAN MORT, who has autism but now their demons has a full-time job for the first time in many when they’re years. Those with disabilities have ready. And I was returned to the workforce at not ready.’ the highest level in years as the U.S. Sen. JONI ERNST, R-Iowa, U.S. economy has rapidly after a court inadvertently created jobs. made public sealed affi- davits from her divorce in which she said her ex- husband ‘Like some kind physically abused her of modern-day Flat for years. Ernst said their troubled Earth Society.’ marriage is the reason she U.S. Rep. CHRIS SMITH, R-N.J., on the pro-abortion withdrew from consideration movement’s denial of the humanity of children in to be Donald Trump’s running mate in 2016. the womb. That movement, he said in an address at this year’s March for Life Rally, “continues to cling to outdated, indefensible arguments cloaked in ‘3 million migrants, euphemism.” one million percent inflation, mass public ‘May almighty protests—this is what Venezuelan God have mercy socialism has on the state done to its people.’ of New York.’ Former U.S. Ambassador to An UNIDENTIFIED PERSON who called the UN NIKKI out in the New York state Senate HALEY in a chamber after lawmakers cheered the tweet on the passage of a law undermining crisis in protections for unborn Venezuela children in the state. (see p. 9).

14 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019 Give the gift of clarity: wng.org/giftofclarity

TOTO FOREVER: HANDOUT • MAC THE MOOSE: LARRY MACDOUGAL/ZUMA • MACARONI AND CHEESE: HANDOUT • ILLUSTRATION: KRIEG BARRIE - and requirements. begun selling a selling begun cheese fulfill his calorie fulfill foods section at section foods Big mac Costco has a new has a new Costco each. According to to According each. USDA guidelines, a guidelines, USDA ings at 220 calories 220 at ings 27-pound bucket of bucket 27-pound According to Costco, Costco, to According $89.99 before it sold before $89.99 alone for 18 days and days 18 alone for offering for preppers. for preppers. offering The big-box giant has The big-box out, offered 180 serv 180 out, offered macaroni and cheese. macaroni male could live on the live male could 45-year-old sedentary 45-year-old a shelf life of 20 years. of 20 years. a shelf life the bucket of food has of food the bucket The bucket, which was which The bucket, mac and cheese bucket bucket and cheese mac listed in the emergency in the emergency listed Mac Mac statue the tallest has been Moose fight Moose Saskatchewan, Jaw, of Moose The town crisis. an existential be facing to seems town’s the Canadian 31 years, For the Moose 32 measuring statue the world, in moose Stor-Elvdal, officials in tall. But feet polished their 33-foot unveiled Norway, Moose 16, On Jan. in 2015. moose steel it announced Tolmie Fraser Mayor Jaw on back the Moose put Mac time to was explained Tolmie me,” for personal “It’s top. Saskatchewan Two video. in a Facebook Moore, and Greg Justin Reves YouTubers, campaign an online fundraising launched the possibility of making Mac’s explore to in, or live live can we “How larger. antlers Jaw, called Moose that’s a town to next in the moose largest who has the second CBC Radio. told Reves world?” Name dropper Quick Takes

security footage showed Jean-Pierre, 29, 29, Jean-Pierre, showed footage security

February 16, 2019 • Some criminals may consider breaking out of a police station. out of a police breaking consider Some criminals may break a window and come inside a police substation in substation inside a police and come a window break hard for police to find the suspect. They say she left a bag say They suspect. find the to police for hard and a State of Florida Security Officer card belonging to her. belonging card Officer of Florida Security and a State them, and then departed the building at 2:12 a.m. It wasn’t 2:12 a.m. It wasn’t the building at them, and then departed Yvelande Jean-Pierre of West Palm Beach, Fla., allegedly broke broke Fla., allegedly Beach, Palm of West Jean-Pierre Yvelande the song set to play on a loop and placed it in an undisclosed location in the Namib Desert. According According in the Namib Desert. location it in an undisclosed on a loop and placed play to set the song and perpetual power will ensure and player the speakers into hooked batteries the plan, the solar to until it rains. least play—at to “Africa” allow Somewhere in the Namib Desert, Toto’s song “Africa” is blaring from a set of speakers. Namibian- of speakers. a set from is blaring “Africa” song Toto’s in the Namib Desert, Somewhere art installation on the rugged a new constructing spent December German artist Max Siedentopf be anthem “Africa” rock Toto’s of the sounds that His goal: country. of his home landscape desert with loaded an MP3 player to six speakers connected end, Siedentopf that To in perpetuity. heard Song in the sand Song into one. Police say say one. Police into outside the station that contained a Florida identification card card a Florida identification outside the station contained that took two meals from the refrigerator, heated and ate one of and ate heated the refrigerator, from meals two took Boynton Beach, Fla., at 1:25 a.m. on Jan. 3. Police say she then say 3. Police a.m. on Jan. 1:25 Fla., at Beach, Boynton DISPATCHES WORLD Magazine 16 BORACAY: MAXIM TUPIKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK • ILLUSTRATION: KRIEG BARRIE • DEER: OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION • ISAYEV: FEDERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION • HIPPOPOTAMUS: SWNS Manage your membership: wng.org/membership is simplyarevenue-raising tool. to nearly 18 cents persquare foot ofsandcastle, Critics, however, allege thelicense, whichcomes disrupting thenatural ofBoracay’s habitat beaches. government. Officials say thesandcastles are unless they first purchase alicense from thelocal as photogenic backdrops for tourist photography to thelaw, beachgoers cannot create sandcastles officials puta new ordinance into effect. According over sandcastlesonlocalbeaches after local Police inBoracay, Philippines,have begun kicking restrictionsBuilding the buckwithabow, whichwould have been legal. Be careful whenyou brag to strangers. That’s the from McIntosh County, Okla.,metthewoman on Bumble, adating app. According to Harrison, the ended, Harrison asked thewoman ifshe bagged woman replied. Harrison also persuaded herto Knowing that deer season for riflehunters had illegal. Harrison tracked down thewoman, and confess to spotlighting accidentally confessing to poaching to astate Cannon Harrison, a24-year-old game warden game warden through anonlinedating app. “Well we don’t need to aboutthat,” talk the lesson oneOklahomawoman learned after woman bragged aboutkillingalarge deer. state authorities issued her a$2,400 fine. Dating games the deer , which is also , whichisalso hopeful would thestatue bereturned. for anout-of-place hippoandsaid hewas social mediato asklocalsto keep alookout Kent Police Constable NickLinghamtook to move themammoth required statue five men. southeast ofLondon. Previous efforts to masonry workshop inRoyal Tunbridge Wells had been housed ontheproperty ofa 1,500 poundsonJan. 11. The6.5-foot statue bronze that hippopotamus statue weighed backs. Police inKent say someone stole a searching for abandofthieves withgood Authorities intheUnited Kingdomare Getting carriedaway apartment inSilicon Valley.” were comfortable withthearrangement: “They definitely have thenicest cat Goods $1,500 permonth.Goodtold theSan Jose apartment andhired thelandlord to tend to theanimals.Thestudiocosts the animals. Sorather thanabandonthefelines, Goodandhiswife found astudio The problem: HisSan Jose, Calif., apartmentcomplex wouldn’t allow the When Troy Good’s daughter leftfor college, heandhiswife inherited hercats. The cat’s meow February 16, 2019 16, February Mercury News yet cleared from roadways. Isayev to finish plowing the snow to work inSaratov, Russia, when hetook apublicbus workers a10-day deadline meeting, Isayev gave city he was two hours late to that cityofficialshad not on Jan. 9.Mayor city didn’t send themes After missingamorning ridership inSaratov, but The mayor ofaRussian reportedly dueto snow sage hemeant to send of theday public transportation work. Thedelay was Remains from theroads. 's goal was to boost • WORLD Magazine WORLD the cats thecats Mikhail Mikhail

- 17 One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts. —PSALM 145:4

VOICES Janie B. Cheaney

shared some of the same anxieties and frustra- tions as these secular parents. Our “hovering” took place at home, but that made it even more intense. Lessons and lesson plans consumed our March 26-29, 2019 | Anaheim, CA | nrbconvention.org time; also sports and art lessons, support meetings and educational co-ops, making and enforcing chore charts, juggling multilevel teaching with toddlers and new babies. None of this was mis- taken, or always burdensome. Many parents No guarantees appeared to breeze through homeschooling with PARENTING IS IMPORTANT, BUT GOD MADE kids who turned out great. On the other hand, Hear from these and many other dynamic speakers CHILDREN TO GROW UP TO BE INDIVIDUAL scores of websites run by our children’s generation testify to controlling parents who were so INDEPENDENT SELVES intent on preparing them for Christian family life they never prepared them for life Headlines like “The Relentlessness of in the world. Parents so convicted of R Modern Parenting” always grab my atten- what a Christian looked like that they tion. The New York Times article spotlights a forced their offspring into a mold. JON ERWIN ANDY ERWIN LARRY ELDER DENNIS PRAGER NONA JONES JONI EARECKSON TADA GREG LAURIE JOHN MACARTHUR divorced, middle-income mother who feels From the kids’ perspective—which daily pressure to be there for her 11-year-old may not have fully matured yet—their son. “Being there” means nightly supervision of upbringing was as “relentless” as any homework and daytime ferrying to piano lessons, Harvard-bound yuppie’s. soccer practice, swimming lessons, martial arts All parents, regardless of convic- competitions, and enrichment classes of all tion, tend to see their children as kinds (starting at age 4). extensions of themselves. It’s under- JERRY A. JOHNSON BOBBY SCHULLER RICK WARREN FRED JACOBS MIKE LINDELL PRISCILLA SHIRER CHARLES STANLEY PHILIP DE COURCY She feels obligated to give her child every standable, especially for mothers: Our possible opportunity, and when he showed babies came from us, they depend on increased anxiety and sleep problems, she and us, they obsess over us (“Mama! her ex-husband added counseling sessions to Mama! Mama!”)—they are us. Even as the rotation. “I read all the child-care books,” All parents, they grow up and apart, we see them as infi- she says, but she still wonders if she’s doing nitely moldable, and if we do our job right, they enough to ensure her son’s success. regardless of will reflect well. On themselves? On God? No; DEVON FRANKLIN LISA ANDERSON ERWIN McMANUS DAVID & JASON ERIC METAXAS ALEX KENDRICK BRAD DACUS KELLY SHACKELFORD BENHAM Are you judging her now? I certainly did. conviction, on us. Here’s another headline from conservative tend to see For a progressive mom, children are a commentator Matt Walsh: “Hollywood choice, so the responsibility is all on her if she Convention Highlights Director Whines About His Children, Compares their children decides to have one. That choice must be Them to Dogs.” A bit sensationalistic, but after as extensions vindicated. For Christian moms, children are a all, it’s a Hollywood director. Duncan Jones, the of themselves. calling, and a measure of success or failure. disillusioned dad, took to Twitter to confess Whether choice or calling, children turn out to that his two kids, both under 3 years old, aren’t be their own individual independent selves, fun. “They are exhausting, frustrating & life- whether rewarding or disappointing. Even in destabilizing … it’s HARD and not obviously a the womb, they are mysteriously, wonderfully good choice in life.” The canine comparison themselves. If humans ever manage to generate THE EXPOSITION FILM SCREENINGS 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION came in the follow-up tweet: “It’s like looking life artificially, the result will be a product, not a after a dog you can’t housetrain.” person. We know how to program, but God Featuring specialized summits and tracks where you will learn how to excel in your work: Walsh reports that Mr. Jones got lots of knows how to create, and children are His affirming retweets of these sentiments, but I’m means of ongoing creation—not to mention guessing most of my readers wouldn’t share ongoing sanctification and growth in the parent. GREAT COMMISSION SUMMIT TV & FILM SUMMIT RADIO SUMMIT DIGITAL MEDIA Monday, March 25 Wednesday, March 27 Thursday, March 28 Friday, March 29 them. So Mr. Hotshot Movie Guy got a taste of Christian parenting is “relentless” in a A pre-convention event real, non-glitzy life when two little barbarians hostile culture, and we need all the sound, wise, invaded his home. Interfere with his lifestyle, Biblical advice we can get. But be wary of do they? Shocker. anything that promises a guaranteed outcome. DIAMOND SPONSOR TITANIUM SPONSOR SILVER SPONSOR

Judging again—this time, even judgier. Parents don’t create children of God—God KRIEG BARRIE And yet—I can identify. I taught our children Himself does that (John 1:12). Raising them is a at home from 1984 to 1996, and difficult as it is hands-on enterprise, but when it’s time to take BRONZE SPONSOR to admit, my homeschooling friends and I our hands off, they are their own.A

18 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019  [email protected]  @jbcheaney For the full list of speakers and musical artists, visit nrbconvention.org | Day passes available! One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts. —PSALM 145:4

March 26-29, 2019 | Anaheim, CA | nrbconvention.org

Hear from these and many other dynamic speakers

JON ERWIN ANDY ERWIN LARRY ELDER DENNIS PRAGER NONA JONES JONI EARECKSON TADA GREG LAURIE JOHN MACARTHUR

JERRY A. JOHNSON BOBBY SCHULLER RICK WARREN FRED JACOBS MIKE LINDELL PRISCILLA SHIRER CHARLES STANLEY PHILIP DE COURCY

DEVON FRANKLIN LISA ANDERSON ERWIN McMANUS DAVID & JASON ERIC METAXAS ALEX KENDRICK BRAD DACUS KELLY SHACKELFORD BENHAM Convention Highlights

THE EXPOSITION FILM SCREENINGS 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Featuring specialized summits and tracks where you will learn how to excel in your work:

GREAT COMMISSION SUMMIT TV & FILM SUMMIT RADIO SUMMIT DIGITAL MEDIA Monday, March 25 Wednesday, March 27 Thursday, March 28 Friday, March 29 A pre-convention event

DIAMOND SPONSOR TITANIUM SPONSOR SILVER SPONSOR

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Triumphant FP ad.indd 1 1/21/19 3:54 PM CULTURE Movies & TV / Books / Children’s Books / Q&A / Music

Television discussing particle physics, ences. Chinese video site yet are clueless when it Sohu bought the streaming comes to relationships, rights for Big Bang in 2009, Out with a bang particularly with women. and it quickly became the Though ratings were country’s favorite foreign TOP-RATED, LONG-RUNNING BIG BANG lackluster in its first season, show. Citizens were outraged THEORY APPEALED TO THE MISFIT IN eventually Big Bang thrived. when the Chinese govern- US ALL by Steve West & Laura Singleton And by its end, it will have ment suddenly censored it run longer than the classic five years later. In 2011,The sitcoms Friends or Seinfeld. Guardian called Big Bang “Our long collective The Big Bang Theory It has been the top-rated “the latest factor behind a R nightmare is finally debuted in 2007 and comedy since 2010 and was remarkable resurgence of over.” originally focused on the top-rated show overall physics among … university That’s how critic Stuart straight-man Leonard the last two seasons. It’s students” in the U.K. Heritage of The Guardian (Johnny Galecki) and also scored on the awards Even the show’s reruns celebrated the announce- narcissistic Sheldon (Jim front, garnering 10 Emmys are ratings gems. Since TBS ment by CBS that the Parsons), best friends and from 52 nominations, and bought syndication rights current and 12th season roommate geniuses who has now spun off a popular for an unprecedented $1.5 of The Big Bang Theory work at the California prequel, Young Sheldon. million per episode in 2010, would be its last. Yet the Institute of Technology The show’s appeal isn’t the network’s ratings with 15-20 million viewers with their friends, Howard limited to American audi- viewers under age 50 have who watch the half-hour (Simon Helberg) and Raj soared, and Big Bang reruns sitcom each week likely (Kunal Nayyar). The pals Nayyar, Parsons, Galecki, sometimes beat first-run

MICHAEL YARISH/WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. ENTERTAINMENT BROS. MICHAEL YARISH/WARNER feel otherwise. can hold their own when and Helberg (left to right) shows.

February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 21 CULTURE Movies & TV

Some explain this the end of the show’s ninth phenomenal popularity by season. Sheldon, whose Television pointing to the show’s uniqueness made finding normalization of nerd “a helper meet for him” a culture. Yet it’s doubtful miracle of near-Biblical Brexit: many viewers identify with proportions, met his match its brainy geeks. More likely, in his neurobiologist wife, The their social awkwardness Amy. Howard, endlessly and outsider status resonate. teased for “only” having a Uncivil That says less about the master’s from MIT, married show than it does about the microbiologist Bernadette, War offering a truly fair shake. hyper-connected yet socially and they have two children. While not as bal- We’re never clear, as we atomized world in which In the show’s final season, R anced as advertised, are with the Remainers, we live and work. the writers seem to be HBO’s new movie, Brexit: whether he really Throughout its run, Big planning happy endings for The Uncivil War, offers believes in what he’s Bang has incorporated all the geeks: Perennially fascinating insight into selling. More frustrating, religion in significant ways. lovelorn Raj is dating Anu, a the political upheaval by giving Cummings so reverberating through much credit, the movie Though none actively woman his parents matched the Western world. itself manages to under- observe their faith, most him with for a potential The film (which mine the will of the voting characters have identifiable arranged marriage. Even features frequent, and, if public. religious backgrounds: Stuart, owner of the comic hot mics have taught us Still, the portrayal is Howard is Jewish, his wife book store where the guys anything, probably realis- instructive. Bernadette is Catholic, Raj regularly shop, has a serious tic, profanity) focuses Whether it’s is Hindu, and Sheldon girlfriend. almost wholly on Dominic AggregateIQ or grew up in an evangelical The Big Bang Theory Cummings, director of Cambridge Analytica or Christian household. offers no eternal solutions— the successful Vote unknown Russian opera- Sheldon’s mother, an occa- just a stumbling-through-life Leave campaign. Brash tions, it’s convenient to sional guest character on search for happiness—yet and uncouth, Cummings blame unseen wizards the show, typically makes does serve to make misfits (Benedict Cumberbatch) for delivering a win via laughably pious or politi- endearing, an empathy that manages to offend nearly technological sleight of cally insensitive remarks, can be the precursor to every established politi- hand. But that doesn’t but she shows genuine love love. It may even resonate cal player on both sides explain why the same kind of the aisle. “Doesn’t he of previous nonvoters for her son, and Sheldon’s with the misfit in us all.A know,” a member of the who turned out for Brexit friends like and admire her. House of Lords turned out for Donald Analyzing Big Bang, grouses about Trump. It doesn’t explain researchers from Biola Cummings’ rough the yellow vests in University concluded, BOX OFFICE TOP 10 FOR THE WEEKEND OF JAN. 25-27 tactics, “that there France or National Front “When writers make fun of according to Box Office Mojo are things you don’t in Germany. the religious and spiritual do?” Sound familiar? What these complaints diversity [of the characters] CAUTIONS: Quantity of sexual (S), violent (V), Also familiar: ultimately convey is that and foul-language (L) content on a 0-10 scale, … the by-product is clear with 10 high, from kids-in-mind.com accusations that the people didn’t mean it. acknowledgement of their S V L Cummings’ slogan They didn’t understand importance.” In a show that `1 Glass* PG-13 ...... 1 7 4 “Take Back Control” what they were voting for celebrates misfits, religious `2 The Upside PG-13...... 4 3 4 foments racism and and were driven to pull difference at least finds a `3 Aquaman* PG-13 ...... 2 5 4 that underhanded certain levers merely seat at the table. `4 The Kid Who Would conspiring with data because of buzzwords on Despite its casual overall Be King* PG...... 3 5 1 mining companies a social media platform. `5 allow his side to pull Thus, their will can be attitude toward sex, the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse* PG...... 2 4 2 out a win. ignored. show has evolved to cham- `6 Green Book PG-13...... 4 5 5 While the film If anything is destroy- pion traditional marriage, `7 A Dog’s Way Home* PG . . . . 1 4 1 gives us a complex, ing the ideal of self-gover- with most characters even- `8 Serenity R ...... 7 6 10 even likable charac- nance, it isn’t Cummings

tually marrying or forming `9 Escape Room PG-13 ...... 1 6 5 ter in Cummings, or Trump or anyone else NICK WALL/HBO relationships headed `10 Mary Poppins refraining from smashing the old rules of toward marriage. Penny and Returns* PG...... 1 2 1 villainizing is not the campaigning; it is this. Leonard, after romantic *Reviewed by WORLD same thing as —by MEGAN BASHAM twists and turns, eloped at

22 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019 Television Valley of the Boom Valley of the Boom and an old-fashioned R tells the story of the huckster. Fenne is one of dot-com boom in Silicon those characters that Valley, but the show itself make Christians wince: is a miserable bust. He’s the son of a preacher, In the early days of and he can quote enough public investment in inter- Scripture to gain the Movie net companies, anyone trust of believers, but at with a high-tech sounding his core, he is rotten. name and confusing tech- After lots of investment The Kid Who nology had an opportunity and a lavish launch party, to bamboozle the public. Pixelon turned out to be The first episodes a house of cards. Would Be King focus on Netscape, the Valley of the Boom is Remember being a Merlin (Angus Imrie) web browser company told documentary style: R kid, charging appears, dressed in a Led whose IPO (initial public Interviews with the real through the woods, Zeppelin concert T-shirt offering on the stock players of the time thrusting a plastic sword (Patrick Stewart plays market) sparked the (people like Mark Cuban at imaginary foes? If not, older Merlin). Merlin investing mania that led and Arianna Huffington) the new filmThe Kid warns Alex that the evil to the dot-com bubble. are interspersed with re- Who Would Be King will sorceress Morgana Marc Andreessen, created scenes using take you there. Set in (Rebecca Ferguson) will Netscape’s visionary actors. It’s these present-day England and soon emerge from the programmer, was quirky re-created scenes that starring a middle underworld to take but gifted, and Netscape’s drag down the series. In schooler, the charming Excalibur and tyrannize browser was much better an effort to keep our Arthur-legend update England. Morgana sends a than the competition interest, producers chose delivers a mixed bag of legion of undead knights from Microsoft. a very campy style, with make-believe and in advance. To counter It may be hard to narration by rappers, modern boyhood. her invasion, Alex must remember, but in the dream sequences, and Alex (Louis Ashbourne raise an army from the mid-1990s we paid for dancing numbers. These Serkis), a 12-year-old kid school chums who our web browsers. That scenes also feature some who doesn’t know he’s a mistreat him. He also is, we paid until Microsoft, vulgar language and king, already carries searches for his father. perhaps seeing the blasphemy. heavy burdens. His father So, do you take the threat from Netscape, The source material abandoned both him and kids to this PG-rated film began bundling Internet for Valley of the Boom his mother years before, or send them outside to Explorer for free with its was enough for a power- and school bullies harass play? Misuses of God’s Windows software. ful lesson on the love of him. It’s the camaraderie name, frightening images, One of the themes of money, but it is wasted in of a close friend, Bedders practice of magic, and the series is that greed is this tedious production. (Dean Chaumoo), that Morgana’s sensual garb bad, and greed was ram- The series airs Sunday gets him through each are cautions. But the film pant in Silicon Valley. We nights on the National day. gets thumbs up for learn the tale of Michael Geographic Channel. Walking through a beautiful landscapes, Fenne, founder of Pixelon, —by MARTY VANDRIEL construction site, Alex comical clashes of things finds a sword protruding medieval and modern, from a concrete slab. He and messages promoting can’t read the Latin truth-telling and the words etched in the befriending of enemies. metal weapon. Serkis and Chaumoo turn “There’s something in strong performances. written on the guard. Put Some other young actors’ it into Google Translate,” uncomfortable demean- Alex urges Bedders, who ors and stiff computer pulls out his smartphone. graphics at times give the Alex extracts Excalibur, film an unsophisticated thereby beginning a feel. journey to discover his But such were also, if Dakota Shapiro and Oliver Cooper as destiny, a quest that winds you remember, our theGlobe.com co-founders Stephan through Stonehenge and woodsy adventures. Paternot and Todd Krizelman the school gym. Young —by BOB BROWN THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING: KERRY BROWN/TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX • VALLEY OF THE BOOM: ED ARAQUEL/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC OF THE BOOM: ED ARAQUEL/NATIONAL • VALLEY FOX CENTURY BROWN/TWENTIETH BE KING: KERRY THE KID WHO WOULD

See all our movie reviews at wng.org/movies February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 23 CULTURE Books

write academic articles— are the same old same old. Man-made notions Only the last essay, by James K.A. Smith, proposes by Marvin Olasky EXPLORING ACADEMIC PRETENSIONS a real alternative: “The future of the evangelical When walking universe, human minds mind needs a generation of R Greeley, my dog define what is right and careful Christian scholars named after the 19th- wrong, yet since we who are willing to take up century editor, I sometimes should be skeptical of the cross of being ‘popular- listen to Conversations those minds, shouldn’t izers’—careful thinkers … With Tyler, a podcast fea- we also be skeptical about willing to forgo the typical turing interviews by a the concepts those minds academic ladder of success smart George Mason U. originate? What makes [by] taking up their schol- economics professor who those man-made concepts arly work in a diaconal leans toward libertarian- “very real”? Cowen points the Evangelical Mind, mode and putting their ism. But Tyler Cowen’s out that in 1900 the high- which in its opening line gifts and energies at the Stubborn Attachments school graduation rate was defined the scandal this service of the wider (Stripe, 2018) offers two only 6 percent, and he’s way: “There is not much of Christian community.” philosophical starting glad that many more peo- an evangelical mind.” Now Let’s put aside academic points that cancel out each ple now graduate not only a book with essays by Noll arrogance. Yes, I have a other. First, “‘Right’ and high school but college— and others, The State of Ph.D., so I can say from ‘wrong’ are very real con- but once belief in God is the Evangelical Mind experience rather than cepts which should possess gone, more education often (IVP, 2018), is making the covetousness that (except great force,” and second, leaves us with higher rounds: The verdict is still for university job-hunting) “We should be skeptical degrees but also higher largely negative, and some it’s worth what John about the powers of the levels of foolishness. suggestions—Ph.D. holders Nance Garner, FDR’s vice individual human mind.” In 1994 Mark Noll, then at Christian colleges president, said his position Say what? Since God a Wheaton professor, should teach fewer classes was worth: “a pitcher of is absent from Cowen’s produced The Scandal of and have more time to warm spit.”

only through the spectacles of “the death of God,” then the suicide BOOKMARKS Scripture will we be able to read of the West cannot be far behind. Graciousness: Tempering Truth that witness rightly. Two new biographies are sur- With Love by John Crotts Jonah Goldberg’s first sentence prisingly good reads that take us (Reformation Heritage, 2018) lucidly in his Suicide of the West (Crown into different worlds. T. Martin shows how to cultivate graciousness Forum, 2018) is, “There is no God in Bennett’s Wounded Tiger (Onstad in our hearts, actions, and communi- this book.” Later, though, he writes, Press, 2016) is the slightly fictional- ties. Seeking a Better Country by “The notion that God is watching you ized, interwoven story of the pilot D.G. Hart and John R. Muether (P&R, even when others are not is probably who led the Japanese attack on 2007 and 2018) ably tells the story the most powerful civilizing force in Pearl Harbor and an American flyer of three centuries of American all of human history.” If we have captured after the Doolittle Raid on Presbyterianism. John Piper’s Why I witnessed what Nietzsche called Tokyo: Mitsuo Fuchida and Jacob Love the Apostle Paul (Crossway, DeShazer became 2019) gives 30 reasons. brothers in Christ. Textual notes make the Africa Jeremy Smith’s Study Bible (Oasis International, Breaking and Entering 2016) a good correction to (Houghton Mifflin, 2019) Eurocentric prejudices. John is the amusing and cau- Frame’s Nature’s Case for God: A tionary tale of “Alien,” a Brief Biblical Argument (Lexham, brilliant but anarchic 2018) sees natural revelation as a hacker who moved from real witness to the true God—but MIT to major league since sinners suppress that truth, cybersecurity. —M.O.

24 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019 Four recent mysteries reviewed by Susan Olasky

CITY OF INK Elsa Hart The setting: 18th-century Beijing. The problem: a double murder at a tile factory. The detective: a mid-level bureau- crat with a mysterious past. His sidekick: a wandering storyteller who enthralls local crowds. The timing: right AFTERWORD before the annual state exam that determines future careers In Believe Me (Eerdmans, for ambitious young scholars. Hart weaves these elements 2018) John Fea examines into an atmospheric mystery that rewards patient reading, white evangelicals’ over- especially at the beginning. This is the third in a series whelming support of featuring Li Du, so it might be better to start with the first President Donald Trump in book. Especially appropriate for those who enjoy clean, the 2016 election. He historical mysteries. attributes it to the “politics of fear” and a nostalgia for a A GENTLEMAN’S MURDER Christopher Huang past that never existed. Set in London just after WWI, this modern, “golden-age” Though polemical at points, mystery takes place at the Brittania, a club open to gentlemen the book offers timely army veterans. The protagonist, Eric Peterkin, is a member reminders: The world by inheritance (his father helped found it) and by military watches Christian witness, service—but fellow members hold him at arm’s length power tends to corrupt, because he’s half Chinese, and so not quite one of them. and Christians’ confidence When a murder happens at the club, he investigates because should rest in the cross of he’s drawn to puzzles. Before long the investigation becomes Christ. —Harvest Prude personal. Huang captures well the period, place, and fallout Infertile couples often from war. His insider/outsider detective provides a fresh take suffer silently in their on old-school mysteries. churches. Matthew Arbo’s Walking Through THE RECKONING John Grisham Infertility: Biblical, The book opens with the murder of a minister. There’s no Theological, and Moral mystery about who did it: Prominent landowner and World Counsel for Those Who Are War II hero Pete Banning did. The question is why—and he’s Struggling (Crossway, 2018) not telling. Grisham spends the rest of the book providing could be the the backstory that explains the murder, and showing the perfect tool to devastating effects the crime has on Banning, his two help such children, his sister, and others in the community. It’s only in couples sustain the last chapter that he reveals the why—the lie that set the their godly whole mess in motion. Grisham’s plot-driven style keeps perspective this a page-turner. during a pain- ful trial. Arbo THE RULE OF LAW John Lescroart employs a fictional couple Part of the fun of reading Lescroart’s legal thrillers is reading to illustrate the about really messed-up San Francisco government. In this entry in the long-running series, Lescroart’s usual cast of dilemmas and opportunities characters is in transition. Former District Attorney Wes he covers in each chapter. Farrell lost his reelection bid. Defense attorney Dismas Hardy He also provides a Christian has a new case involving an illegal immigrant. Meanwhile, the perspective on top fertility newly elected DA may be guilty of murder, and when he treatments. While not catches wind that cops are looking into an old case, he tries groundbreaking, the to impede the investigation and find something incriminating book gives clear, Biblical against the good guys. This page-turner has lots of wise- counsel to an oft-forgotten

EVAN VUCCI/AP EVAN cracks, and some crudities and obscenities. audience. —Charissa Crotts

To see more book news and reviews, go to wng.org/books February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 25 CULTURE Children’s Books A walk with Laura BOOKS FOR LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE FANS reviewed by Rachel Lynn Aldrich

THE WORLD OF LAURA INGALLS WILDER Marta McDowell McDowell writes with lush description about the landscapes and historical developments of each season of the life of Laura Ingalls Absurd. Wilder (1867-1957), author of the Little House stories. Replete with illustrations, the book tracks the different climates, plants, AFTERWORD At Worldview and animals that Wilder encountered on her travels, from the Big A certain tension comes Woods of Wisconsin to the prairies and towns of her later books. Academy we spend six McDowell dedicates many pages to ferreting out the botanical along with reading anything details of Wilder’s multiple gardens. Her book includes a guide about Laura but not by days discovering what to visiting the locations featured in Wilder’s stories, as well as Laura. To the extent the instructions for planting your own Wilder-inspired garden. (Ages 10 & up) biographical details are the smart people think same, the companion texts seem unnecessary since THE WORLD OF LITTLE HOUSE about important Carolyn Strom Collins & Christina Wyss Eriksson Laura’s observations are the more enjoyable read. And With recipes, games, crafts, and other activities related to the stuff like creation. to the extent they are Little House stories, The World of Little House is an ideal resource different—her books are for history lessons to elementary-school children. The pages Then we talk, historical fiction, after all— feature colorful illustrations, diagrams of Wilder’s houses, and it is almost always a simple recipes for the foods described in her novels (including pray, study, molasses-on-snow candy). The book also includes historical disappointment. context for each installment of Wilder’s series, with asides about Wendy practice, the Homestead Act, the Pony Express, and general stores. Avid McClure Little House readers will find this a worthy companion text for children.(Ages 8 & up) captures this worship, tension of the LAURA INGALLS WILDER: A BIOGRAPHY Little House and laugh. William Anderson books in her memoir The Anderson provides a thorough and engaging biography of Wilder Life Wilder’s life without sounding repetitive to those already familiar (Riverhead with her (autobiographical) novels. The book is easy to read, A lot. filling in gaps between Wilder’s stories and providing historical Books, 2011), context. In cases where Wilder’s stories differed from her real which chronicles life, the biography points out differences without conveying McClure’s journeys from disenchantment. It is clear Anderson loves the original series, and Wisconsin to the Dakotas his approach to documenting Wilder’s life—especially her later and beyond looking for the years—is warm and optimistic. The biography serves as a “Laura World” that satisfying conclusion for those who want to know what happens entranced her as a child. after The First Four Years. (Ages 10 & up) Her liberal worldview shines through at times, and LAURA’S ALBUM William Anderson she makes some snide comments about Laura’s Like the other biographical books, Laura’s Album moves through the stages of Wilder’s life one chapter at a time. This one, though, conservative fan base, but BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES includes copious illustrations featuring old photographs, letters overall the book is funny, she wrote, and pictures of artifacts from her life. It brings Wilder’s good-natured, and a nostal- stories to life in a new way and is probably best read alongside gic read for young adults and the original series. It’s especially fun to see photographs of items adults who read the Little that played key roles in her stories, like the name card she gave to House books as children. Camps where students become bold leaders in truth and grace Almanzo, the china box she won in a competition as a child, and, (Cautions: some swearing perhaps best of all, Pa’s fiddle.(Ages 8 & up) and adult humor) —R.L.A. 800.241.1123 • www.worldview.org 26 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019 To see more book news and reviews, go to wng.org/books

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BOB WOODSON Back to the future RESURRECTING YESTERDAY’S VALUES TO MEET THE other policymakers have the kind of by Harvest Prude understanding he got from that CHALLENGES OF TOMORROW experience? I haven’t seen any of them. Policymakers come up with some When Paul Ryan gave his farewell next generation and minorities? They’re gimmick, give it a name, roll it out, then R address as speaker of the House not even attempting to speak to these parachute it into a community, with on Dec. 19, he called on future lawmak- demographics. great fanfare. It doesn’t really take seed, ers to make poverty issues a greater Have Democrats learned anything because the people there who are sup- priority. Ryan’s mentor on poverty- from the mistakes of the past? posed to benefit haven’t been involved fighting, Bob Woodson, age 81, sat in They’re happy if 70 cents of the dollar in the development of it. the front row. While politicians have goes to those who serve poor people. So it’s a tug of war between come and gone, Woodson has toiled on Democrats ask not what problems are Republicans and Democrats, between the front lines since the 1970s as the solvable but which are fundable. If decreasing and increasing the budget, godfather of neighborhood-based your job depends on me being sick or but it’s lacking bottom-up solutions? organizations that help people help dependent—that dictates more of your African proverb: When bull elephants themselves. Here are edited excerpts of behavior than compassion. fight, the grass always loses. And it’s our conversation in Washington, D.C. For helping the homeless, what do always the poor. In states controlled by Think back 20 years, when compas- you think of “Housing First”? No strat- Republicans, the face of poverty looks sion wasn’t such a dirty word. Do you egy is going to work without an invest- the same as those controlled by think Republicans have less empathy ment in human capital development. If Democrats. for the poor now than they did? Yes. you just deal with brick and mortar and Why does it look the same? Because I do. They have been too narrowly you don’t deal with flesh and blood of fundamental elitism on both the left focused on policy and politics. We’re in first, it’s doomed. Not everybody is poor and the right. We are imbued with this a cultural war. Conservatives are failing for the same reason. You cannot have a notion that somehow character is their own cause, and therefore the single approach to it. Some poor people related to education and celebrity— country, because they do not know how are just broke, but their character is which means people without those are to properly defend the values of the intact. For them, programs, housing, discounted. Founders in the marketplace. Right training opportunities work. They use What do you think of President now the strategy is to meet together in the welfare system the way it was Trump? He has implemented the right think tanks, celebrate some conserva- intended, as an ambulatory service, policies in terms of national defense tive pundit who has a best-selling book, not a transportation system. and Supreme Court appointees. and meet among themselves. What about the others? Category Another strength—he’s not another You think they’ve lost the common two: people who tried to be indepen- guilty white man. touch? They’ve lost the common touch. dent but ran into barriers. There are a What do you mean by that? Most They don’t have a ground strategy. The lot of perverse incentives against politicians both left and right of center left is in the universities, on school people being independent. Category who are white approach the question of boards, at city council meetings. They’ve three: people who are physically and race from a position of guilt. I don’t find shut down free speech on campuses. mentally handicapped or disabled. that helpful. Trump doesn’t. It’s unfor- That’s the ground strategy they have. We’ve got to help them. Category four: tunate that the president is so morally Conservatives and Republicans have people who are homeless and they’re challenged. Character stands above all strictly an aerial strategy. They’re criti- poor because of character flaws. They else: Setting a tone that if you’re oppo- cizing what the other side is doing need redemption and transformation nents, you have to be enemies—that’s without coming up with an alternative for any program to work. I have wit- not helpful. He’s extreme in what he construct that speaks to the needs. The nessed community development says and does, but that makes his way you influence people’s belief on projects all my life, and the only ones intentions more obvious. values is to demonstrate in their lives I’ve seen work are when you develop What do you think about Nancy how these values improve their lives. human capacity first. Pelosi and Chuck Schumer? They’re not Do you think this aerial vs. ground You took Paul Ryan on a learning serious people. They’re so preoccupied strategy is costing Republicans the tour in 2014: Now he’s retired. Do with defeating Trump or challenging

28 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019 him that everything they do is just in Woodson arrives in Bedminster, N.J., biggest challenge that we face. There opposition. Nov. 19, 2016, to meet with President- has to be a moral reformation in elect Donald Trump. What about Newt Gingrich and his America. Whites who voted for Trump impact on politics? Gingrich is some- and live in trailer parks have more in one else who is morally challenged. Looking back, what do you consider common with black inner-city people He’s a very smart guy, but he has your top accomplishment? Taking confronting the drugs epidemic. They become so partisan. On occasions he Republicanism into the inner city and are not being represented by people on will challenge the president—but Newt creating a good image of it. Republicans the left or the right. The embrace of the Gingrich is so inside Washington. have been doing everything since then traditional values of our Founders is a George W. Bush? He never shifted to discourage that. They never built on life-and-death issue to people in these out of campaign mode when it came to it. communities, as opposed to a foil in issues of faith. He hired John Dilulio, a Looking back, what’s your top dis- some intellectual contest. liberal Democrat, to run the faith-based appointment? Conservatives have not What does the new American office. There’s an example of guilty sought allies among the poor and dream look like? A makeover of the old white men. When it comes to the issues minorities to defend traditional virtues. American dream—applying old values of race and poverty, they always have to We’re in a cultural war. The only way to a new reality. We spend so much make concessions to their opponents we who believe in traditional values time trying to give to our children the and concede to them. will win is by finding allies among the things we didn’t have that we fail to Barack Obama? Instead of bringing people who suffer most from it. give them what we did have. What I’m us together on race he left it more What’s the biggest challenge we trying to do in my work in communities polarized. Obama was all windup and face overall? Finding an answer to is resurrect these old values—I’m trying

CAROLYN KASTER/AP CAROLYN no pitch. emptiness among young people is the to take us back to the future. A

 [email protected]  @MarvinOlasky February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 29 CULTURE Music

the Who’s Who of contemporary hit- hearing the heterogeneous likes of makers doing the rapping and the sing- Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Ray ing includes Post Malone (“Sunflower”), Charles, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry, Nicki Minaj (“Familia”), Lil Wayne and Dionne Warwick taking turns (“Scared of the Dark”), and Vince going for broke. Staples (“Home”), each of whom has Auto-Tune would’ve taken the done more than his or her share to “We” out of “We Are the World” by transform the streaming era’s lowest shellacking its many voices with a common denominator into a bottom- broad brush and making them all less pit. sound the way that Spider-Man’s On Into the Spider-Verse, they extol fellow Marvel hero the Silver Surfer heroism and laugh in the face of looks: sleek and cold. LIL WAYNE: SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES • NICKI MINAJ: EVAN AGOSTINI/INVISION/AP • POST MALONE: PAUL R. GIUNTA/INVISION/AP • VINCE STAPLES: EARL GIBSON III/GETTY IMAGES danger. They have the backs of their Practically every song on family, friends, and love interests and Billboard’s Hot 100 features the treat- know that if “you sin and be on your ment. And now even Paul McCartney, high horse, we’re not so stable any- who only possesses one of the most ‘ Enough ’ more.” In short—to quote the title of popular singing voices in the world, the DJ Khalil cut featuring Denzel has succumbed. Curry, YBN Cordae, SwaVay, and On New Year’s Day, McCartney already Trevor Rich—they “elevate.” released the stand-alone, heavily Auto- And the music keeps moving, from Tuned single “Get Enough.” The UBIQUITOUS AUTO- the busy and the dizzy to the ill and ballad came as a surprise. Just 15 days TUNE MARS INTO the chill. One can, in other words, earlier, he’d released “Who Cares,” the tell the selections apart even though third single from his enthusiastically THE SPIDER-VERSE they’re all fracked from the same received, and Auto-Tune-free, Egypt AND McCARTNEY’S urban/hip-hop landscape. It turns out Station. ‘GET ENOUGH’ that there’s variety in them there hills. Like the Egypt Station singles There is, however, a problem, and before it, “Who Cares” didn’t chart. So by Arsenio Orteza it’s a big one: Every syllable, whether it’s easy to imagine McCartney racking sung or rapped, is Auto-Tuned. his brains, wondering what a guy has Republic Records’ various-artists Yes, voice-altering technology is all to do these days to score a hit and R soundtrack to Bob Persichetti, the rage. And, yes, every era boasts a being advised that anyone, even an ex- Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman’s predominant sound. Beatle, who tries to enter the 21st- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse does But unlike, say, the lead or back- century Top 40 vocally naked had for state-of-the-art pop music what ground falsettos of the Bee Gees that better abandon all hope. the film does for state-of-the-art pop saturated the Top 40 in the ’70s, Auto- He should’ve abandoned all hope. cinema: prove that the hippest and Tune pulls the plug on one of pop Somewhere there are androids coolest technological gimmickry can music’s most attractive characteristics— listening to “Get Enough” and, on dis- be put at the service of something namely, its capacity for showcasing the covering how bad they really sound, other than low-balling tripe. Not one human voice in what Gerard Manley deciding to put their choral ambitions of its 13 cuts veers into profanity or Hopkins might have called its counter, on permanent hold. celebrates greed, lust, envy, gluttony, original, spare, and strange variety. Say Their sole consolation? The syn- wrath, or sloth. what you will about “We Are the thetic relief that they experience on This accomplishment is especially World,” there was something fasci- learning that “Get Enough” hasn’t impressive when one considers that nating, maybe even inspirational, in charted either. A

Lil Wayne Nicki Minaj Post Malone Vince Staples

30 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019  [email protected]  @ArsenioOrteza New or recent albums reviewed by Arsenio Orteza

WORKING THE LONG GAME Bill Lloyd Lloyd’s songwriting partners this time out include Graham Gouldman (10cc), Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick), Freedy Johnston, and Buddy Mondlock, each of whom Lloyd brings out the best in, and each of whom ENCORE brings out the Marshall Crenshaw in him. And, no, you Bryan Ferry has re- won’t be able to tell the collaborative efforts from the recorded his music before, two songs that he came up with on his own. Lyrics that as far back as 1976, when he illuminate the commonplace are common to both, and remade Roxy Music’s “Sea sunny power-pop basics are sunny power-pop basics Breezes” and “Chance no matter who’s reshuffling the deck. Meeting.” And there’ve been Roxy Music live albums LIVE AT THE TROUBADOUR aplenty. But with Bitter- Michael Nesmith & the First National Band Redux Sweet (BMG), he has under- “Just think,” says Nesmith six songs in, “it only took me taken his most ambitious half a century to get back!” Hearty cheers ensue. But while revisions to date, subjecting he may have intended this January 2018 concert to be a six Roxy Music tracks (“Sea long-overdue gift to his patient fans, the quality of the Breezes” and “Chance performances as documented on this recording make it Meeting” included) and something else besides: proof that country-rock can be seven of his solo songs to smarter and richer than anything dreamt of in the Eagles’ the jazzy sway of his sizable philosophy. Maybe not in the Byrds’ though, or—in the orchestra. Twice he forgoes case of “Different Drum”—Linda Ronstadt’s. singing alto- gether, a WORLD ON STICKS Sam Phillips rather star- There are other instruments, but what you’ll notice tling move for most are the insistent drums, the taut strings, and the a vocalist. austere spaces that they create, spaces that symbolize The effect Phillips’ vision of the ideally uncluttered heart, mind, and is to render soul as unmistakably as her arid vocals do. There are ghostly songs other extremes—among them, obviousness (“American that formerly Landfill Kings,” “How Much Is Enough”) and overcom- embodied the art-rock and pression (“Teilhard”). Thus builds a tension eventually pop-rock aesthetics at their lanced by the sharpest line (which, climactically enough, most sophisticated. Ferry’s occurs in the final song): “Having it all isn’t all we were suave croon has become meant to have.” diaphanously whispery, and the banjo, brass, and strings BELIEVE Russ Taff replacing the originals’ This partial tie-in with Rick Altizer’s recent Russ Taff: guitar, bass, drums, and I Still Believe biodoc has been characterized as “praise keyboards wouldn’t have and worship,” a tag that might imply something less sounded out of place on the musically and vocally intense and more thematically RMS Titanic. Most telling, and emotionally contrived than what Taff actually many of the song lengths delivers. In fact, rooted as it is in Taff’s recent revelation have shrunk significantly, that he has spent years as a legacy alcoholic, it’s not suggesting a distillation contrived at all. And as far as intensity is concerned, without which Ferry, now Taff’s as convincing singing “We Will Stand” now as he 73, wouldn’t consider his

CHRIS MCKAY/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES CHRIS MCKAY/WIREIMAGE/GETTY was 36 years ago. life’s work complete. —A.O.

To see more music news and reviews, go to wng.org/music February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 31 VOICES Mindy Belz

resources like World Watch Monitor and WORLD Magazine). FIND A Support missionaries and others who are standing against a persecution tide. Support the BIBLE STUDY schools and seminaries equipping them. Support Christ-based aid and advocacy groups working among the persecuted. On our website is a list FOR ANY of such groups working in Iraq and Syria— Joining the chorus where Christian populations face real extinc- tion—just because we are so often asked about GLOBAL PERSECUTION IS RISING AND it. But I find the local church, perhaps your CALLING CHRISTIANS TO PERSEVERE own, is a wonderful network for vetting and disseminating news and practical The persecution index is rising. If some- support for the global church. R one launched a futures market based on Here are several nontradi- Christian believers getting killed and took a tional things to add to that list: “long” position, they’d have a safe prospect of a Befriend an other. Spend time return. with someone of a different Instinctively you know this is true when you religion and perhaps ethnicity as see headlines of major newspapers devoted to a way to learn to have conversa- the latest Boko Haram violence against tions instead of confrontation Christians in Nigeria, or Muslim mobs chasing about beliefs. When I travel over- a poor Christian family in Pakistan. But the seas, stand-out moments occur monitoring group Open Doors puts statistics to when I have a Muslim driver or the stories, and its 2019 World Watch List translator willing to show me released on Jan. 16 confirms thetroubling Christian sites and discuss them. trend: Last year 1 in 9 Christians experienced I learn so much from their out- SMALLGROUP.COM HELPS serious persecution—a 14 percent increase over sider perspective and have an YOU MAKE A STUDY FOR ANYTHING. the previous year. Christians are enduring high opportunity to be a “fragrant levels of persecution in 73 countries, nearly half aroma” in return. At home, I’m BECAUSE ANYTHING CAN of those surveyed. grateful for weekly dinners with HAPPEN IN A SMALL GROUP. The rise of Christian persecution is signifi- Last year 1 in neighbors who don’t share my beliefs but love cant not only for followers of Christ. It follows me still. Persecuted believers are rarely famous a rise in state authoritarianism in places like 9 Christians people, and small engagements on our own Small group leaders are on the front lines China and rising nationalism in India and else- experienced stage help us relate to them. where. Take a look at the Watch List’s Top 10 serious Receive. At the heart of the gospel is the call of ministry at your church. They see it all. and you will see also countries whose repres- to receive the work Christ has done on the sion impoverishes their own people and threat- persecution— cross and add nothing to it. “It is finished” is a They hear it all. They need a resource that ens neighbors, including the United States: a 14 percent word for all time and for every day. Sometimes can address it all. And smallgroup.com now North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Libya we need to receive news of persecution by increase over has more than 3,000 studies on over 400 hold this year’s top four slots. The freedom to the previous allowing it to deepen our own appreciation for believe is the first freedom, making possible all the cost of following Christ. We also need to topics, covering all 66 books of the Bible. others for all people. year. receive the testimony of the persecuted church, The obvious question, and one I’m frequently recognizing it has so much to teach us. Of course, group leaders can customize asked: What can we do? Roughly 70 percent of the world’s Christians each study even further by adding video, I used to dodge this question—because the live without the right to worship freely, notes

answers are long, and I’m just a reporter, a Karen Ellis, director at Reformed Theological DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES a church logo, or additional discussion messenger. But Scripture is clear and compelling: Seminary’s Center for the Study of the Bible & questions that fit the needs of their group. The example of Christ means “we ought to lay Ethnicity. “Many of us are the world’s 30 percent, down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:16). rich with religious privilege. The 70 percent Here then, are some traditional ideas, as isn’t the portion that’s isolated from the Body of reminders: Christ; it’s the 30 percent that’s isolated from Get a free 30-day preview at smallgroup.com Pray. Use a printable guide provided by the global persevering chorus.” Open Doors or others. A school project could Any index of persecution, ultimately, is most A heavily damaged be having students prepare a prayer guide for church in the eastern helpful when it leads fellow believers to join your school, church, or home (using news Syrian city of Raqqa that global persevering chorus. A

32 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019  [email protected]  @mcbelz

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59959_Outreach Ad.indd 1 11/5/18 9:25 AM FEATURES PRESSURE TO PRESSURE CONFORM LGBT activists are dialing up the heat on parents and researchers who question transgender dogma, while peer influence may be leading some teens into life-changing hormone treatments

BY JAMIE DEAN

n an online forum for parents concerned about their teenagers’ sudden change in sexuality, one mother confesses: “I am des- perate. My 14-year-old daughter just told me that she is trans. These past weeks have felt like a hundred years.” O Another grieving parent says that nothing in her 14-year-old daughter’s demeanor or history explains her sudden declaration of transgenderism. “She has exchanged her pointe shoes for a chest binder, her ballerina bun for a buzz cut,” the mother wrote. “All because some stranger on the internet told her that being uncomfortable in her developing body meant she must be a boy.” Unlike the growing trend of children expressing gender confusion at a younger age, the teens these parents describe are part of a different phenomenon some therapists and researchers are calling rapid-onset gender dysphoria. Teens march in a transgender As the name suggests, the affected teen- pride march in Atlanta, Ga. agers—usually girls—go from a seemingly ROBIN RAYNE NELSON/ZUMA PRESS/NEWSCOM normal gender expression to a sudden

February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 35 SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES - PLOS . isa Littman found out the price of raising isa Littman found out the Brown When firsthand. questions published the first researcher University published Littman’s peer-reviewed study, the study, peer-reviewed published Littman’s Critics of Littman’s methods noted she Critics of Littman’s “What we are seeing are pockets of teens … of pockets seeing are are “What we methods. Littman’s Some critics questioned after the academic journal days Eleven editors said they were looking into concerns editors said they were Brown The same day, about her methodology. about the release a news removed University its website. from study concernedstudied parents surveying by ROGD (Critics about the phenomenon in their children. But a wider sample.) thought she should survey what they see as a fad. “We are a progressive a progressive are a fad. “We they see as what wave,” transgender the teenage caught in family blog on the parental one commenter wrote Now 4th Wave either non-binary themselves declaring who are Peer nor female] or transgender. … [neither male very Very, kids … so huge on these is just influence scary.” rapid-onset gender dys exploring academic study swift. was fall, the blowback last phoria (ROGD) a legitimate theory. wasn’t Others said ROGD called ROGD Serano Julia activist Transgender for parents excuse and an “scientifically specious” gender child’s and disaffirm their to “disbelieve identity.” One L

Trump Trump use school school use protest the protest students to to students York City in York transgender transgender bathrooms of of bathrooms February 2017 2017 February an Obama-era an Obama-era order allowing allowing order that rescinded that rescinded administration administration announcement announcement Activists in New in New Activists the opposite sex. the opposite February 16, 2019 • Meanwhile, many parents—often many from Meanwhile, This isn’t a popular theory, and those who speak a popular theory, This isn’t In a similar way, these experts say the influence say these experts In a similar way, These researchers think the trend shares shares think the trend These researchers But some researchers and physicians warn warn and physicians some researchers But Many clinicians and therapists oblige—at least therapists clinicians and Many Some ask for mastectomies. Some ask for WORLD Magazine 36 with irreversible effects. with irreversible despair at backgrounds—express nonconservative out about it—or even study it—often pay a price. But a price. pay it—often study out about it—or even as teenagers quiet is far greater, the price for staying often medical interventions plunge into radical grasp for answers to other forms of distress by by to other forms of distress for answers grasp in dysphoria with is rooted assuming their angst their sex. of peers and social media can lead some girls toof peers and social media identity or to for meaning in a transgender search similarities with at least one other phenomenonsimilarities with at least girls teenage for years: observed have therapists eating disorders of friends who develop in groups time. suddenly and at the same common thread among the teens: Sometimes among the common thread happen in clusters. declarations their transgender the alternative could be suicide. Terrified parents Terrified be suicide. could the alternative in. often give the rush, and they point to anotheragainst with hormones—and they persuade parents to go parents they persuade with hormones—and They warn leverage: using frightening along by declaration that they are in the wrong body. It declaration body. the wrong in thatare they Many after. or shortly at puberty happens usually hormones. cross-sex request of the teens BROWN UNIVERSITY 70 percent oftheparents saidtheirteenhad been thing Iever did.” cross-sex hormonesandproclaiming, “Easiest boasting aboutconvincing adoctortoprescribe the study saidsheoverheard herteenager physicians toprescribe hormones. Oneparent in offering guidesforhow toconvince parents or ing theirattemptedtransition andsometimes popular networking sitesfeature teensdocument transgender. time ontheinternetbefore declaringtheywere said theirteenshadspentanexcessive amountof online toexplain theirtransgenderism, andmany suspected theirchildusedlanguagetheyfound years old.Nearly 70percent oftheparents children—mostly girlswithan average ageof16 ideological reasons. concerned abouttransgenderism forreligious or establishing thattheparents likely weren’t respondents said theysupportgay marriage— dysphoria. More than85percent ofthesurvey genderism withnoprevious signsofgender about theirteenagechildren declaringtrans 256 responses from aslewofparents concerned Littman’s findings were disturbing. She received in itsstudent healthplan.” to includemedicalcare forgenderreassignment “Brown isproud tobeamongthefirst universities the study. But theirstatement alsounderscored topic by pulling theschool’s newsrelease about squelching academicinquiryonacontroversial peer review, acceptedandpublished.” a paperthatthejournalalready hadsubjectedto reaction from ajournalwithindays ofpublishing academia, Ihave never onceseenacomparable sideline thestudy immediately: “Inallmy years in Medical School,openlyquestioned themove to journal was lookingintoit. exactly doing.” whatthey’re they have atransphobic contributorwhoknows observed atbirth,forexample), soit’s most likely written usingtransphobic dogwhistles (sex complained onTwitter: “Thelinked articlewas person describedasatranssexual dominatrix complaints from transgender activists. One Littman’s methods, theyalsoresponded to available. place inafieldwithnootherformal research Littman acknowledged thestudy was astarting to study all parents concernedaboutROGD intheirteens, not the purposeofLittman’s research was tosurvey When itcomestothetheoryof clusters, nearly Indeed, thousandsofvideosandforumson Instead, theyworried aboutitsonsetintheir Meanwhile, beyond thepublishing controversy, Brown University officialssaidthey weren’t Jeffrey Flier, aformerdeanof Harvard PLOS One Though editorsat parents oftransgender children. And replied andassured theactivist the PLOS One mentioned mentioned - declaration 60 percent popularity genderism increased at school. Littman’s said they of trans- thought parents survey, child’s teens’ of the their their In

Littman

T assigned atbirth,andnon-minorityplacesyou in sexual, comfortablewiththegenderyou were unacceptable tosometeenagers. “To behetero star intheeyes ofotherteens.” at school.Oneparent wrote, “Beingtrans isagold transgenderism increased theirchild’s popularity said theythoughttheirteens’declaration of very least, are questioning theirgenderidentities.” them feeltheyare transgender, agender, or, atthe them felttheywere lesbian.Thisyear, most of “Last year my daughtertoldmethatalmost allof of thegirlsinherhighschool’s colorguard team: parent saidherdaughterwas friendswithsome site.) study learnedaboutthesurvey from the skeptical ofROGD. (SomeparticipantsinLittman’s from parents on frame. That’s consistent withothercomments came outastransgender duringasimilartime part ofafriendgroup where oneor more friends with parents ofteensexperiencing ROGD. Ayear Afterward, shebegantakingphoneconsultations with children andteensclaimingtobetransgender. parents aboutplungingintomedicalinterventions Pennsylvania, wrote ablogpost in2016 cautioning children andteens“suicideprevention.” gender, hascalledtransgender interventions for advocates lettingsmallchildren dictatetheir Still, DianeEhrensaft, apsychologist who after theyattempttransition totheoppositesex. among transgender people remains high, even some studies show therate ofsuicideattempts child mightcommitsuicideloomslarge, though mastectomies, isoften intense. Theclaimtheir to take cross-sex hormones, oreven undergo wrong body.” those very normal feelingsmeantshe’s inthe was anonlineworld attheready totellherthat cusp ofpuberty—uncomfortableness!—but there experiences whatmany kidsexperience onthe a commonexperience: “Ibelieve my child were usinganextraordinary methodtocopewith problems. do needhelp, butperhapsforotherunderlying claiming genderdysphoria,suggesting theteens diagnosed withamentalhealthdisorder before percent ofthe parents saidtheirchildhadbeen friends,” oneparent wrote. the ‘most evil’ ofcategories withthisgroup of If beingtrans isagoldstar, beingstraight is In Littman’s survey, 60percent oftheparents In thecommentssectionofblog, one That’s enoughtoleave someparents reeling. The pressure onparents toallow theirchildren Other parents said theythoughttheirteens Another commoncharacteristic: More than60 Littman isn’t aloneinherfindings. hough somecriticslambasted thestudy, Lisa Marchiano, aseculartherapist in February 16, 2019 16, February 4th Wave Now • WORLD Magazine WORLD —a siteforparents 4th Wave - - 37

MELISSA LYTTLE/REDUX - - But in 2016, Cora Breuner, a pediatrician and Breuner, Cora in 2016, But More studies make sense, including research research including sense, make studies More some of the researchers The views of at least of the American Academy year, Late last who decades of therapists That cuts across studies show as many as 80 percent of children as 80 percent as many show studies those gender dysphoria will outgrow who express adulthood. feelings by told committee on adolescence, head of the AAP’s to to see gender clinics available PBS she wanted goal is to “My States: the United all over children this absolutely mainstream.” make into the dangers of pursuing such paths. But such paths. of pursuing dangers into the the under fire, are Littman’s like while studies of Health Institutes National funded federally to a million in grants than $5 has more given in part tasked and psychologists of doctors group a period over children transgender with studying of decades. Spack is a Norman the outset: seem clear from first who opened the nation’s physician Boston Olson-Kennedy Johanna gender clinic for children. pediatrician who sees hun is a pro-transgender for Transyouth at the Center of children dreds Hospital at Children’s and Development Health Los Angeles. recom time officially for the first (AAP) Pediatrics the and encourage accept mended that parents of their children. gender expression preferred tochildren their should encourage parents argued that some knowing their birth sex, embrace “gender “gender surgery. Children’s Children’s patient at patient undergoes undergoes 18-year-old 18-year-old Dr. Johanna Johanna Dr. Hospital Los Los Hospital transgender transgender month before month before confirmation” confirmation” was born male, born male, was Olson-Kennedy Olson-Kennedy checks up on an checks Angeles about a Angeles the patient, who February 16, 2019 • taking hormones or pursuing gender adolescents becoming WORLD Magazine Other experts say cross-sex cross-sex say Other experts And short-term relief doesn’t negate doesn’t relief And short-term Some teenagers report feeling relief Some teenagers report Marchiano says the parents reported the radical reported the parents says Marchiano Her parents convinced her to wait, but by the but by her to wait, convinced parents Her Marchiano described working with a family described working Marchiano “At times I am able to offer advice that helps advice that helps times I am able to offer a “At Some parents plead with Marchiano to allow to allow with Marchiano plead Some parents long-term outcomes. long-term 38 hormones to children is only about a hormones to children pro-transgender decade old, even the know admit they don’t physicians hormones increase risk of stroke and risk of stroke hormones increase could decrease that puberty blockers And sincebone density in adolescents. of giving cross-sex the practice decide whether to forgo having having decide whether to forgo later in life. biological children rejecting his or her sex and beginning his or her sex rejecting For lifelong medical interventions. can hormones cross-sex example, teenagers to leaving cause sterility, adolescents and young adults still feel. adults still adolescents and young consequences of a personthe long-term decline after experiencing ROGD decline after experiencing views of left-leaning also expressed social conditions alone sexuality, some account for the distress don’t trans parents that many given But happy. about their teenagers’ who worry after activists and some transgender surgery, to claim social acceptance is a key physical steps didn’t decrease their daughter’s their daughter’s decrease didn’t steps physical out of college She had dropped mental anxiety. in her home. isolated mostly and remained have student health plans that include cross-sex health plans that include cross-sex student have surgery.) hormones and cross-sex end of her freshman year of college the teenager year end of her freshman and had hormones had begun taking cross-sex student for by a mastectomy—paid undergone colleges nationwide (Eighty-six health insurance. an appointment for the teen to begin testosterone teen to begin testosterone an appointment for the week. injections the following mental health problems but hadn’t expressed a expressed hadn’t but mental health problems until high school. The conflict with her sex her to a clinician, and after a had taken parents made assistant physician’s 30-minute consult, a whose daughter declared transgenderism at age transgenderism whose daughter declared other had experienced woman The young 18. family steer clear of drastic medical intervention medical intervention of drastic clear family steer “But she wrote. or necessity,” of dubious benefits watch helpless and is stand sometimes all I can do the wreckage.” to help them find a therapist who won’t push won’t who find a therapist to help them hormones. with cross-sex to transition their teens later, she wrote, “I am overwhelmed by the sheer by “I am overwhelmed wrote, she later, me.” who call parents of volume or for therapy into town their children them to fly ALEX GARCIA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/MCT VIA GETTY IMAGES R moment of conception” says Hruz. “It’s recognized moment ofconception” says Hruz.“It’s recognized her sex. the biologicallyobvious: No onecanchangehisor dependency onhormones. Andheemphasizes physically healthy, butenteringintolifelong seeking cross-sex hormones, theyare usually our patients.” speak upeither:“It’s oneoftheways we’re failing of hiscolleaguesfeelthesameway, butwon’t University inSt. Louis, says asubstantial number want tospeakoutforfearofretribution. to pursuemedicalinterventions, butwhodon’t are worried aboutthepushtoencourage children tries tostudy this.” is notvalid … and let’s punishanyone who “This cally motivated” and that itcommunicated, reaction against herstudy was “clearly ideologi similar towhatLittmanfound.He thinksthe this year, butsofar, hesays theresults are very responded toLittman’s study.) the sameparents may respond tohissurvey as Dysphoria Kids. (He notesit’s possiblesomeof with thewebsite Parents Gender ofRapid-Onset year. He’s conductingasurvey inconjunction on astudy similartotheoneLittmanreleased last grant tostudy theissue. Instead, Bailey’s working about this.” transition—and against peoplewhoare concerned all genderdysphoriaisreal andthatit’s great to “Right now there’s thisbiasforthe narrative that male transgenderism. He still raises questions: ago forchallengingtheprevailing ideasabout University whofacedintensecriticismadecade “Sex isbiologicallydetermined from atthe Hruz notesthatwhenchildren orteenscome Paul Hruz,anendocrinologist atWashington Bailey says heknows otherpsychologists who He says thestudy willlikely bepublishedlater He doubtshe’d beabletogetagovernment Michael Bailey isapsychologist atNorthwestern  time soon. promise tobecomemainstream againany esearch intoalternateideasdoesn’t [email protected]  @deanworldmag -

about this.’ concerned is real and —Michael Bailey ‘ih now ‘Right transition dysphoria narrative this bias great to who are that it’s against that all there’s gender for the people —and

A then.” how many children willhave beenharmedby will wake uptothedangers:“But Idon’t know of evidence.” He hopesthemedicalcommunity affirm oneparticularintervention withthis level “an inward bruise … I have beenbadlyharmed.” maimed lifestyle.” andmedically inducted intoadrug-dependent irreversibly altered andsterilized asthey are angrier thatthousandsofyoung peopleare being writes abouthisexperience because“Iamfar rapidly camebacktomy senses.” he stopped takingestrogen in2013and“very of tryingtolive asawoman for13years. He says Francisco, haswrittenabouthisown experience biostatistics attheUniversity ofCalifornia,San way andhelpwhenpossible.) compassion onthosewhoare sufferinginthis way Godmadethem,and thatwe shouldhave child thatsomepeopleare confusedaboutthe conversation withyour children, theculture will.” sooner thanlaterbecauseifyou don’t have the “And Ierronthesideofhaving theconversation parents talking withchildren abouttheseissues: male andfemaleinHisimage. in theBiblicalteachingaboutGodcreating people Walker says Christians alsoshouldbewell-versed for opposingtheembrace oftransgenderism, the early20thcentury. now lookbackontheeugenicist movements of will lookbackonthisera ofmedicinetheway we Commission, thinksinahundred years people He hopes tospare others whathe’s suffered: Today, hesays hegrapples withangerbut Hacsi Horvath, alecturer in epidemiologyand The sufferingisintenseformany. (Walker says aparent canteacheven ayoung He says that’s particularlyimportantfor While many obvious biologicalreasons exist Ethics andReligious Liberty Transgender Debate ndrew Walker, authorof February 16, 2019 16, February rapidly andsovigorously to where we’ve moved aheadso encountered anothercondition medical procedures onchildren: and psychologists pushingsuch he’s dismayed toseephysicians the already-known sideeffects), cross-sex hormones(aswell as the long-term consequencesof and themany unknowns about do anything tochangethesex.” appearance ofthebody, you don’t even ifyouAnd modifythe assigned atthetimeofbirth. at thetimeofbirth,it’s not “I’ve notinmy career Despite thatbiologicalreality andafellow atthe • WORLD Magazine WORLD God and the God andthe 39 A FEATURES

When a home isn’t enough

A resident at Huston Commons walks in his new apartment. Huston Commons is a housing first program in Portland for chronically homeless people.

BRIANNA SOUKUP/PORTLAND PRESS HERALD VIA GETTY IMAGES

40 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019 Federal homeless policy is based on a flawed, one-size-fits-all approach, but one agency is ready to try a more intensive strategy When a home isn’t enough by HARVEST PRUDE in Washington

February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 41 CHARLIE NEUMAN/SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE/ZUMA/NEWSCOM The design is indeed proving flawed. A 2017 D.C. study bystudy D.C. A 2017 flawed. The design is indeed proving Housing First advocates believe housing alone solves solves housing alone believe advocates First Housing began throwing government that the mid-2000s in the was It rehousing rapid the new evaluating HUD report A 2016 and government said the federal complied. Megison Many nonprofits may have the right intent, “but what if the design is the right intent, “but what if have may nonprofits design?” the wrong found that 45 Legal Clinic for the Homeless the Washington homelessness. They scrap anything that might deter individualsmight deter that anything scrap They homelessness. requirements. or work tests drug program—like entering a from and into streets a off the simply to get people The idea is they can there and from apartment of their own, subsidized mental illness, of addiction, unemployment, issues deal with any meant for was First Housing Originally, or family brokenness. it became a but eventually individuals, homeless chronically one-size-fits-all approach. W. under the George behind this method, starting its weight the up under ramped First Housing administration. Bush package stimulus when Congress’ Obama administration Prevention billion for the Homelessness included a cool $1.5 an iteration Rapid rehousing, Program. and Rapid Re-Housing a subsidized apartment and puts families into First, of Housing gives them to afford way or a little longer to find a six months onapartment the their own. and HUD began to successful,” deemed it “highly approach battling homelessness Organizations defund other approaches. or lose their funding. train First Housing could hitch onto HUD’s

February 16, 2019 • Homelessness is nothing new, but the scale of mass is nothing new, Homelessness To the frustration of reformers, HUD remains committed to HUD remains of reformers, the frustration To Solutions faced a choice: Drop its sobriety and work its sobriety and work Solutions faced a choice: Drop an meant closing down It Solutions handed back the money. But even after Carson’s appointment, the requirement to appointment, the requirement after Carson’s even But At the time, the federal government had been shifting had government the federal the time, At Prior to speaking at a 2014 gala event for Solutions for for Solutions gala event Prior to speaking at a 2014 Carson’s trademark message of personal responsibility message of personal responsibility trademark Carson’s The nonprofit transitional housing program in San Diego, San Diego, in housing program transitional The nonprofit WORLD Magazine programs like Solutions. like programs 42 scrambling to find solutions. Front-running strategies include strategies Front-running to find solutions. scrambling an increasingly approach, First Housing the government’s first” and “transformation first”strategy, “community trendy an undercount, though: It doesn’t include some homeless, such include some homeless, doesn’t though: It an undercount, as those sheltering in their cars. and public sector both the private has homelessness today AROUND 554,000 PEOPLE LIVE ON THE STREETS IN THE PEOPLE LIVE ON THE STREETS 554,000 AROUND 2017 annual assessment. That’s to HUD’s according States, United Housing First ideas. But recently, another federal agency began another federal recently, But ideas. First Housing in Solutions’ method of addressing interest showing homelessness. Solutions’ supporters and its board of trustees believed converting believed of trustees Solutions’ supporters and its board destructive been more have would approach First to a Housing in the long run. requirements or give up $600,000 in federal support. in federal up $600,000 or give requirements But go. some employees family shelter and letting emergency to Carson’s office, asking that it reconsider its Housing First its reconsider asking that it office, to Carson’s he Despite the signed support of 23 lawmakers, policies. dismissal. a politely worded received adopt Housing First principles remained for groups working working for groups principles remained First adopt Housing June in D.C., Washington, he flew to says Megison with HUD. an appeal to deliver with his congressman 2017 and tag-teamed programs and toward a “Housing First” that grants approach a “Housing and toward programs changes in housing to homeless persons without requiring that Carson opposed. type of “pat on the head” behavior—the responsibility ... and to move out of that cycle.” to move responsibility ... and housing shelters and transitional from money away taxpayer Change, he had high praise for the organization’s approach to approach for the organization’s he had high praise Change, to allow for Change looks for ways homelessness: “Solutions some on to take themselves people to actually improve housing subsidy and healthcare subsidy, but there’s nothing to but there’s subsidy, healthcare housing subsidy and that on have we and now that, beyond incentivize them to move basis.” a generational resonated well with Solutions’ mission. Before he went to he went with Solutions’ mission. Before well resonated that “really programs government Carson had criticized HUD, them help kind of pat people on the head” and don’t just a they have a check … and yes they get “Yes themselves. improve graduated from the three-year program with housing stability, with housing stability, program the three-year from graduated aid. dependence on federal and reduced employment, Calif., seeks to change the behaviors of homeless families, of homeless families, the behaviors seeks to change Calif., is independent. The program helping them to become 950 almost Since 1999, but with good results: time-intensive, have children, including 2,300 formerly homeless families, were fist-pumping eight ways to Sunday,” said Chris Megison, said Chris Sunday,” to ways eight fist-pumping were for Change. CEO of Solutions WHEN PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TOOK OFFICE AND OFFICE TOOK TRUMP DONALD PRESIDENT WHEN be Carson to Ben Dr. surgeon brain renowned nominated reformers (HUD), Development and Urban of Housing secretary “We policy. sea change in housing bring a it would believed BILL CLARK/CQ ROLL CALL VIA AP  finances. and ship, jobtraining, leader servant ics like parenting, day and work whilegoingthrough the1,000- So familiesatSolutionsmust stay sober addressing requirements, andcounselingaimedat address whatgotthemhomeless.” “Just puttingapersonbehinddoordoesn’t doanything to families. “We don’t want tobesymptomchasers,” Megison said. such aspoverty, addiction,domestic violence, orbroken subsidies alonemerely putaBand-Aid ondeep, internalissues first, inafuture issue.) Advocates forthisapproach believe approach. (WORLD willreview athird approach, community from 2005-2011. percent toover 50percent afterthepushforrapid rehousing returning tothestreets andtosheltersactuallyrose from 20 similar lookatNew York in2013foundthenumberoffamilies were abletomaintaintheirhousingwithoutfederal aid.A increased theirincomeover ayear, andonly2outof5 evicted orsuedforeviction in2016. Only10percent offamilies percent offamilieswhoparticipatedinrapid rehousing were [email protected] Transformation first rounds outhousingwithtraining, work Solutions forChangerepresents atransformation first program thatincludesclassesontop managing managing counterproductive behaviors. -  @WORLD_mag Carter (right) Change (below); of Solutions for Megison, CEO

families families churches—to reopen the shuttered familyshelterandbulkup Solutions hadraised enoughprivate donations—largely from EIGHTEEN MONTHSAFTERLOSING ITSHUDFUNDING with theirchildren—100 percent. most proud ofisgraduated parents whowere abletoreunite like foodstamps. But thepercentage Megison isperhapsthe $21,400, andadecrease by halfindependenceonfederal aid its residents report atriplingofannualincomes, from $7,400 to attempts toaddress homelessfamilies. Solutionssays onaverage, will becomeChristians ontheroad tohousingstability. call toaction.” SomecometofaithinChrist, butnotall residents new routines. Solutionsincludes initsrecovery steps a“spiritual lessness. Othersfocusonbreaking oldhabitsandestablishing “Jesus first,” emphasizingthegospelas key tosolvinghome than possiblethrough Clarence CarterandHHS.” would bepossiblewithBenCarsonthrough HUDisnow more say—achieve theseresults.” to say—do itthatway. We dowant thefederal government to communities adisservice. “We don’t want thefederal government that hethinkscurrent prescriptions one-size-fits-all have done homelessness program inthecountryafterSolutions, adding Solutions haspioneered. and ahalftothree years, basedonthetime-intensive project isslatedtoroll outthisspring. It willtake year time—a to replicate itsmodelinaround 10othercommunities. The the Solutionsmodel.With thesupportofHHS, Solutionshopes for ademonstration project onfamilyhomelessness, based on verify thegroup’s results, thendecidedtopartnerwithMegison function insocietyontheirown,” hesaid. they fall—butactasatrampoline toallow themtobounceand believed the reduced theirdependence onpublicsupport,somethinghe that graduated offered one.believedSolutions Most impressive to Carter was out alternatives toHousing First forfamilyhomelessness, and It may notwork foreveryone, andMegison’s model only Sometimes Megison says heisonceagainoptimistic: “WhatIthought Carter saidtheintentisnottomodelevery family He metwithlocalpoliticiansandgraduates ofSolutions to “The Americansocialsafetynetshouldcatchpeoplewhen current socialsafety netfailedtodo. transformation first organizations are explicitly residents increased their income and savings and and savings and income residents increased their February 16, 2019 16, February of theOffice Family administration official. the eye ofanother Trump group’s program alsocaught its staff. The results ofthe erty. He hasbeenscoping that dealwithfamilypov Needy Families, andothers Temporary Assistance for assistance program, He oversees thecash- they hadlost HUDfunding. June 2017afterlearning reached outto Megison in Human Services (HHS), Department ofHealth and Assistance atthe Clarence Carter, • WORLD Magazine WORLD A program director - 43 - , FEATURES

EXPELLED FROM CHINA Missionaries say the Communist country is kicking them out, one by one by JUNE CHENG AST FALL, missionary John Miller sat in the back row didn’t need to worry about saying the wrong thing. … I could of an unregistered church in Sichuan province, wor- tell them to their faces that I’m a Christian and yes, Jesus is shipping as he had every Sunday morning for the past worth all this. … I could openly identify myself as a brother to year and a half. Then eight police officers walked in. As these persecuted Chinese Christians.” Lthe only foreigner in the room, Miller tried to sneak out of the Miller’s story is becoming increasingly common in China as building, but police noticed him and ran down the aisle to the central government cracks down on foreign missionaries stop him. They asked for his passport and took down his in the country. Beijing has made a targeted effort to rid the information before allowing him to return to worship. country of all foreign influences, especially Korean and Two days later, Miller heard the police knocking on his Western missionaries who work with house churches. The door but didn’t answer. Miller had no idea how police had government has even kicked out entire mission agencies—and found him—he was staying in an apartment rented by local missionaries who remain in the country recognize their time church member John Wu (for security reasons, I’ve given is limited. pseudonyms to Wu and the missionaries in this story), and Miller had not registered the address. He moved to another ISSIONARY JAMES YOUNG also experienced the new apartment owned by church members. One week later, police hostility. He had ministered to an unreached ethnic contacted Wu and insisted he bring minority group in China for 13 years before taking a Miller to the station the next morning furlough two years ago for his children’s education. Police officers to register his address. MYoung continued traveling to China to help mentor church stand on duty outside the Miller and Wu complied, arriving at leaders there: Last August, 11 officers showed up in the park- Dongtang the police station at 10:30 a.m. For the ing lot of the hotel where he was staying. They handcuffed Catholic church next nine hours, local police as well as him, placed him in the back of a minivan, then drove to his in Beijing. officers of the Bureau of Ethnic and apartment in a neighboring city. Rummaging through his Religious Affairs interrogated Miller apartment, they found Bibles translated into a minority about what he was doing in China and why he attended the language and information regarding his international mission unregistered church. He refused to implicate the Chinese agency. believers, but spoke openly about his faith. “I respect and They took Young back to the station and for the next eight obey the laws of China because God has given this authority days interrogated him, keeping him inside a room at a hotel to you,” Miller recalls telling the officer. “But if your laws where they had booked every room on the floor to keep watch contradict God’s laws, I must obey God’s laws.” over him. For several hours each day, the agents repeatedly Eventually officers handed him a written statement that he asked him about the work he was doing in the country, why would be fined RMB 2,000 ($296) for not registering his he was interested in ministering to ethnic minorities, and who address. They gave him 10 days to leave the country. After his co-workers were. He refused to answer the last question ministering in China for five years with a focus on Christian but provided information about his missionary endeavors. education, Miller flew home to the United States. Since then, Unbeknownst to him, the Ministry of State Security had he’s continued teaching his students through video chat. also detained and interrogated eight other missionaries in his “When I went to the police station, [I felt] joy to be able to organization in order to compare answers and grill them if give witness to the gospel,” Miller said. “As a foreign worker, they differed. Although the authorities confiscated Young’s we spend all our time trying to avoid the religious affairs phone and laptop, he was able to hide a microchip that people … but here they were sitting across the table and I contained his most important information. EXPELLED FROM CHINA Missionaries say the Communist country is kicking them out, one by one by JUNE CHENG photo by NG HAN GUAN/AP February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 45 HANDOUT - - missionary after they caught on the license plate number of a camera they had seen going to vehicle Christian villages where remote had been handed out. They literature spotted the the plate, down tracked represents for China a radical left for China a radical represents

HE CRACKDOWN During reign. turn of the kind not seen since Mao’s period in the 1980s, opening up and reforming China’s busi English teachers, foreign it eagerly welcomed Many first-generation Christians in China credit those in China credit Christians first-generation Many The experience of Miller and Young is part of Beijing’s plan of Miller and Young The experience jumped at the opportunity to go into China and teach at with relationships They developed schools and universities. and Bible studies, started teachers, and fellow students the gospel one-on-one.explained The Chinesemissionaries with bringing them to Christ. quickly caught on to the dual purposes of these government and in some cases used visa denials to get rid of foreigners, for teaching, desire often China’s influential missionaries—yet religious outweighed and business expertise medical care, John Miller (left) (left) Miller John a through walks airport on Chinese to back his way States. the United and detained him house, outside the missionary’s car parked inside. after finding bags of illegally printed literature place it under the authority of the religion”—to to “Sinicize amasses Xi Jinping President Party—as Chinese Communist all aspects of Chinese society. over control and tightens power an opportunity of missionaries also provides the expulsion Yet left behind and even into the roles to step for local believers Rather than despair, out into cross-cultural missions. step missionar foreign expelled time China point to the last many of God the grace the by and how in 1949, its shores, ies from tripled during the oppressive in China number of Protestants Zedong. rule of Chairman Mao 27-year fields to come in and help aid in various nessmen, and experts though China officially Even economic development. China’s Christians many evangelizing, from banned foreigners T - - February 16, 2019 • Young believes it would be naïve for missionaries to be naïve it would believes Young “I’m very confident that we have shown [the local believers] shown we have confident that “I’m very Officers forced Young to write a confession—a process that a confession—a Young to write Officers forced One night he paced back and forth in his room, apprehen One night he paced back and forth in his room, Between grueling interrogation sessions, Young had the Young sessions, grueling interrogation Between WORLD Magazine outside buildings make it hard to hide. Police detained one Police to hide. it hard outside buildings make 46 assume they could come into China without attracting theassume they could come into China without attracting equipped with cameras Surveillance notice of authorities. and technology and set up along the streets facial recognition conviction that it’s time for them to go at it alone, and I believe time for them to go at it alone, that it’s conviction mean they’llthey can. That doesn’t but I think do it all well, part of their journey.” bottom that’s when they hit rock even the country. the really do have Young said. “I can offer,” that we everything to close down a small business that he had used to provide a small business that he had used to provide to close down to finally allowed was He missionaries. visas for short-term and some with cameras 20 officials, day and the next leave, that he left met him at the airport to ensure video recorders, took four to five hours as they demanded rewrite after rewriterewrite after hours as they demanded took four to five could him his sentence: He gave satisfactory—then until it was He had a fine. He had to pay years. to China for five not return he thought. “My life is in God’s hands, whether I die or hands, life is in God’s he thought. “My he felt Suddenly, is up to God.” everything continue to live, enormous peace. sive that he might never get out. Talking to himself, he realized he to himself, get out. Talking he might never that sive happen to his family if he what would fear was his biggest in charge?” who is still happen to die, if you “But to die. were ment. Would he take responsibility for that? Feeling physically for that? Feeling responsibility he take ment. Would began doubting his work. and emotionally fatigued, Young he wept. in his room, Back day, a new head interrogator took over and yelled at Young, at Young, and yelled took over a new head interrogator day, the news” he brought “good do if the asking what he would the govern ethnic minorities caused them to rise up against began to open up about his personal life. As Young gained the As Young began to open up about his personal life. by himself and room in the stay to was able he officers’ trust, on the sixth Yet to his wife. calls on the landline phone make opportunity to chat with his head interrogator, who slowly who slowly opportunity to chat with his head interrogator, KENNETH HU/KEN8 PHOTOGRAPHY  missionaries. Last April localreligious planting, andtraining ofChinese areas through evangelism, church were influential inbothurbanandrural China numbered inthethousandsand approaches,” March 31,2018). Korean missionsgroup (see“Eastern missionaries working in Pakistan witha after ISISkilledtwo young Chinese Korean missionariesintensifiedin2017 confiscating buildings. Thespotlighton Koreans by deportingmissionariesand began toclosechurches builtby northeast China.In2015, authorities working withNorth Korean refugees in missionaries in2014, targeting those started to crack down onSouthKorean of diplomaticpushback.Chinafirst as theChinesegovernment islessafraid missionaries hasbeeneven more severe, the government. global church. They want allhousechurches toregister with Covenant Church andare cuttingChinesechurch tieswiththe ZionChurchsuch asBeijing’s andChengdu’s EarlyRain services. Officials have shut down influentialhousechurches Communist Party membersandminorsfrom attendingchurch churches andbarring crosses Three-Self ofstate-sanctioned largely cleared offoreign missionaries. them. Politically sensitive areas suchasXinjianghave been their own volition, knowing thegovernment would soonfind missionaries have beenforced toleave, whileotherslefton down entire networks ofmissionaries. Insomecasesthe agency, hascoordinated nationwide investigations tobring and willpressure themandexpel themfrom thecountry.” Kong, says officials“viewforeign missionariesasinfiltrators … director ofthedivinity schoolattheChineseUniversityHong of foreigners hoping toruncharitiesinsideChina.Ying Fuk Tsang, governmental organizations hascreated crushingburdens for threats from enteringorexiting China.Alaw aboutforeign non include provisions thatbarthose deemednationalsecurity widening definitionsofpunishableactionsamongforeigners come astourists, journalists, researchers, ordiplomats. Laws Chinese about“friends whowear masks,” foreign spieswho and compassionministries. counseling, ministry toethnicminorities, Bibletranslation, greater training orexperience: theologicaleducation,Biblical Foreign missionariesbegantowork inareas thatrequired believers successfullyevangelized andplantedchurches. concerns. AstheChinesechurch grew andmatured, local [email protected] At theirpeak,Korean missionariesin The crackdown onSouthKorean The pressure onmissionariesgoesalongwithdemolishing The Ministry ofState Security, thecountry’s intelligence Now, though,anationalsecuritycampaigniswarning  @WORLD_mag -

—Ying Fuk Tsang infiltrators.’ as foreign missionaries ‘ [ Officials T with them outside China. with themoutsideChina. tinued hiswork training Chinesemissionariesby meeting out tomeetaquota.Sinceleaving thecountry, Kimhascon activities ofallmissionariesinChina,andsimplykicked him the country. Kimbelieves policeknow thewhereabouts and where hestudied. He andhisfamilyhadoneweek toleave day last fallpolicecontactedhimthrough thelanguageschool ground seminaryinnorthernChinaforfive years untilone them foraweek. interrogated missionaries, and insomecaseseven detained South China Morning Post and prosecute Korean Christian infiltration,” Hong Kong’s affairs departmentsbegana“specialactionplantoinvestigate missionaries tohelpChineseplanningminis their home, school,andcommunity. family indeepsorrow andangerastheysuddenlyhadtoleave believers outsideofChina.Kimsaidhisexpulsion lefthis from abroad by working onlineorgatheringwithChinese Isaac Kim’s experience was typical:He taughtatanunder Still, theexpulsions provide anopportunityforforeign bleak, andthosewhoremain inthecountryare uncer HE FUTURE Miller andKimare abletocontinuetheirministry beabletostay.tain how muchlongerthey’ll Somelike ] view view forforeign missionaries inChinalooks and joy.” back onthattimewithgreat fondness ness, Itake that asagreat honor. Ilook on hiswall. “It’s asignofGod’s faithful it spelled outhisofficialcrime and hung States, Millerframed thedocumentthat church. Afterreturning totheUnited students andfriendsintheChinese experience helpedhim feelclosertohis expelled. For Miller, hisinterrogation the plungeafterseeingsomany workers unsure aboutgoinghave decidedtotake still heading toChina:Somewhowere positions andbusinessconnectionsare and work innewsettings. around theworld, helpingthemadjust missionaries intodifferent countries China canwelcome teamsof Chinese New missionarieswithteaching reported. Officialscanceledvisas, February 16, 2019 16, February missionaries withexperience in port hinderstheirwork. Foreign A training, education,andsup aries oftensay thelackof Southeast Asia. China has Southeast Asia.Chinahas ter intheMiddleEast or • WORLD Magazine WORLD Chinese mission ment, but mission move started itsown - - 47 ------FEATURES SCOOTERS AT YOUR SERVICE For-hire electric scooters have arrived in many U.S. cities, and not everyone is happy about it by ALYSSA JACKSON and World Journalism Institute mid-career students in Austin, Texas

Remember fun? Your nostalgic childhood memo- Visitors to Austin said scooters are “fun for a ries probably involve some sort of toy on wheels: quick jaunt.” Houston resident Kristen, wearing a Big Wheels, roller skates, wagons, skateboards. purple shirt and sunglasses, shared her enthusi- The latest craze is scooters—for adults. asm for riding scooters: “We love it so much Public electric scooters for short-term rental because … you can go really, really fast, and it’s first appeared in California, but now people can awesome because you really don’t have to walk.” zoom around in more than 100 U.S. cities. In She admitted to “a little worry” about safety: Austin, Texas, for example, riders rented 13,000 “You just have to be vigilant. Be smart.” scooters 2.3 million times during the last nine Alan Gonzales, 28, a barista at Caffé Medici on months of 2018. Companies with names like Bird the ground floor of the Austonian, a downtown and Lime say they’re making money while reduc- high-rise, said riders parked on the sidewalk ing car traffic and improving air quality—but not outside his café. That’s a convenience, given the everyone welcomes the new devices. shortage of downtown parking—but he worried We did dozens of scooter-in-the-street inter- that few people know the rules: “I personally … views with Austinites such as cybersecurity spe- bumped into someone lightly because they were cialist Abdul Pasha, 29. He wore a University of driving in the sidewalk instead of where they Texas baseball cap and straddled a chrome Bird were supposed to be in the street. … It’s a total electric scooter he picked up near a corner of blind spot for drivers.” South Congress Avenue by a stretch of patioed But varying regulations produce confusion on cafés and boho boutiques. As a steady stream of where to ride. Lyft, expanding from cars to cars rushed by, Pasha praised the new urban scooter rentals, tells riders in Denver to “ride your trend: “As more people are moving into cities … scooter on the sidewalk—as according to current these are gonna be really great.” He likes options. Denver law—and always yield to pedestrians.” In When his car had a flat, he used a scooter to go Austin, though, Lyft instructions say, “Please ride back and forth to the tire shop. your scooter in the street or in a bike lane when

48 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019 SERVICE YOUR AT SCOOTERS

DAVID PAUL MORRIS/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES “mini-me” onhis silver pushscooter. Most days trailed by his2-year-old son,Ayden, a matching them theway theylookforbikes andstuff.” on theroad just yet. People aren’t lookingoutfor walks: “It feelsalittlelike there’s notaspace forit Turney saidthegirlswould rideonlyonside nieces, ages9and12, totheirfirst scooterrides. dipped down. EndiaTurney, 25, treated her of thereal thing—a V-shaped wedge ofpigeons— ter oftwo more, zippedby, whileoverhead aflock pack ofthree ridersonBird scooters, thenaclus or three oncorneroutposts or nearparked cars. attractions. Most stood soldierlike in groups oftwo atop aflattenedmetaltentsignpromoting local Scooters are everywhere: Onelay onthesidewalk framed balconies, apartment buildings, and shops. mixed-use communityofrow houseswithsteel- East ofdowntown sitstheMueller district, a agreements. of theserules, most ridersdonotread user it’s available.” Thoughthescooterapplists many Jose Puente, 23, rode anelectricscooter, Outside theThinkery children’s museum,a - - allowed onsidewalks: “There are alotofstrollers, menace hertoddlergrandson andshouldnot be scooters are “super-duper cool.” Shesays they Coleman said. super-duper cool,soit’s like totallyworth it,” ers may notrealize whattheyagree to: “It’s like for any accidentsthatmay occur. Underage driv button alsomeanstheridertakes onfullliability push ofthe“yes” button.But pushingthe“yes” the useris18, ridersare goodtogowithjust a years old,andtheLimeBird appsbothaskif dollars covers hertypicalday ofriding 5miles. challenging. Colemansaid,“It’s cheap, too”:Five faster,” butridingon“bumpy sidewalks” canbe stand there, andit’s easytodo, andyou cango up quickly. Swist said,“All you really have todois both 15, saidtheyenjoy ridingandhave picked it in two years.” an electricscooter:“Not rightnow, butmaybe like together. Puentedoesn’t thinkAyden’s ready for rented anelectric scootersotheycouldride Puente walks and Ayden scoots, butPuente Barbara Archey, 76, doesnotthinkelectric Although ridersare supposedtobeatleast 18 Scooter ridersKelis ColemanandAlliahSwist, February 16, 2019 16, February - parked inSan Francisco. shared electric scooters Pedestrians walk past • WORLD Magazine WORLD 49 1: ANDREW COLEMAN - - 2 - 3

- - Two tattooed, bejeweled, malt-liquor-sipping malt-liquor-sipping tattooed, bejeweled, Two Over the din of drills, hammers, and circular and circular hammers, the din of drills, Over a sat in his wheelchair near Saenz Danny said electric Eddie, bus driver, An Austin Scooter use does create jobs. jobs. Scooter use does create chaotic.” He idled at a light and admitted he once He chaotic.” this light, but the tangled with a scooter: “Not light right here.” next of their hatred vented men on Guadalupe Street them want I don’t “They’rescooters. in the way. said he He 29. Barnes, Doyle said Waylon here,” picking up the scooters and for one week lasted to kick them all down.” them: “I want recharging he said, “I want of a dozen scooters, a row Eyeing “You can make from $5, $10, $16, $19 [per $19 $16, Bird]— $10, $5, from can make “You it all depends on the battery life.” said Eric Warden worker construction saws, him an opportunity both to make scooters give a couple hun I can make “If money: and to save three-quarters that’s of my dollars a week, dred a scooter to his downtown takes Warden rent.” not parking right here money by “I can save work: that bridge down I can park under on this street. to and catch me a scooter up here for free there when my laughs: “That’s He it rains? If this job.” me off.” wife drops wall facing a brightly painted stop bus downtown One man ambled Austin.” Love. “Peace. reading who at someone yelling the sidewalk, down clutched took out his earbuds, Saenz there. wasn’t and complained: Riders the backpack in his lap, abandon scooters in the middle of the sidewalk night, At he needs. and block the access ramps with their him on the sidewalk toward riders race tempo into his eyes, headlights shining straight blinding and disorienting him. rarily made his job challenging: “I hate scooters have kind of it’s buses and cars, with Messing ’em. … Department of Insurance reminds of Insurance Department insurance home or auto riders: Most does not include two- coverage the “reserves Lime wheeled vehicles. for fully responsible you right to hold and liability claims losses, all damage, vehicle … use of any your arising from harmless Limeto indemnify and hold pen fines, citations, tickets, any from fees incurred alties and administrative use of a vehicle.” of your as a result a second income earns Harris Shawn into Birds loading low-on-charge by and recharg in the evening his SUV An app directs ing them at his home. return to pick up and him where a night or $200 can make them: “You The scooter com 40 Birds. charging by more” that he plugs in at his a charger Harris gives pany each Bird: about 15 cents to charge costs It house.

- - - - She confessed that when well- two Meanwhile, South Congress. The riders South Congress. a Horse, Grey Sam were local musician who calls himself the 6th Street hit a pothole and literally of it … the front over flipped pretty.” wasn’t It face. busted hit “I almost driving her car, day … because scooters every a huge hill and I come down a was There forget. always the same it was point where I morning. … person every ‘Sorry.’” like, was horses walked groomed the middle of sedately down ous, especially when people especially ous, Someone drinking. … start and in the street riding was 1 3 Regardless of whether they are just for fun or a for fun just of whether they are Regardless All scooter companies list helmets as a helmets companies list All scooter Halloween sporting orange-and-black Archey, nuisance, who is responsible for damage that may who is responsible nuisance, The Texas West”? occur in the scooter “Wild Cowboy, and Mateo Mares, who goes by who goes by Mares, and Mateo Cowboy, a wearing Horse, Grey Tooth. Sweet Marijuana teeth and turquoise, with bear necklace strung in the scooter West Wild the Wild, said, “It’s that came in too fast. … an energy It’s world. … on them. There regulation should be more There to compare said a scooter can’t He too many.” are Riding Big Red: horse, rescue his 21-year-old horses is “medicine.” ment and better for your body. But the scooters— But body. ment and better for your they take If are. there many on how depends It know.” don’t over … I man a gray-haired on South Congress, Back as frying-doughnutpounded drums, smells com on the grill. Alliepeted with those of steak torn jeans and a white wearing 23, McWilliams, is and Austin “great” said scooters are T-shirt, them, but “they’re kinda danger better for having a lot of toddlers, a lot of kids who are on those a lot of kids who are a lot of toddlers, scooters not see rather and I would sidewalks, dangerous.” be very could It there. a website, Bird’s on picture In every requirement. offers even a helmet, and Bird wears scooter rider only for shipping. helmet, with users paying a free counted one we Despite the recommendation, in down saw the 150 riders we by helmet worn Austin. town benefit of her grandchild, spider earrings for the should “People to scooters: bike-shares prefers the environ better for Because that’s instead! bike February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 50 2: DAVID PAUL MORRIS/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES • 3: MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS/NEWSCOM • 4: ALYSSA JACKSON  fleet ofscooters. tion thatgrants localoperators managementofa out “Bird Platform,” essentially afranchise opera Beyond that,themathisfuzzy, butBird isrolling tory costs, andcustomer supportandinsurance. charging, repairs, credit card processing, regula claimed a19percent gross profit afterpaying for $3.65, addupto$100 million?Last May, Bird 15-20 centsperminute, foranaverage ridecost of projected 2019salesof$100 million. a $1.7 billionvaluation last June andinNovember YouTube, Instacart, PayPal, andGoogle. Bird had capital partnerthatalsoinvested inLinkedIn, five leadinvestors isSequoiaCapital,the venture gathering $415 million and19investors. Oneofits Bird hasundergone fourrounds offunding, scooters inthecity—at least through October. companies ScootandSkipwon licensestorelease May, sweepstakes thenheldane-scooter inwhich rights. San Francisco alsobannedscooterslast allegedly violatingstate law andconstitutional November Bird filedalawsuit against thatcityfor and localpolicebeganimpoundingthem.Last scoot. Beverly HillsbannedthescootersinJuly, In somecities, people don’t have theoptionto just walk.” a meaningfullook:“Idon’t seewhy peoplecan’t and down thestreets andsidewalks. Thenhegave to answer questions aboutscootersthatzipup the Austin Police Departmentlaughingly refused Farm toMarket Grocery, OfficerAndreof Porter walk.” on sidewalks. We don’t appreciate it,peoplewho to cancerandAIDS: “People cutaround corners, to dolike adominothing.” He compared scooters [email protected] How doscooterrentals at$1 tostart, then Scooters, though,are already bigbusiness. Standing infront ofthebrightred façadeof  @WORLD_mag - - years out.” nology change, soI’ve quitpredicting what’s five town we’ve two, three, fourgenerations oftech “In thefewshortmonthsthatthesehave beenin safer thanbicycles. Andthefuture? Spillarsaid, but astudy last Octobershowed scooterstobe the way ofpedestrians. Safety remains aconcern, keep parked scootersoutof mount zones”designedto plans toincorporate “dis 15,300 permits. city hasnow granted Marissa Monroy saidthe information manager the scooters. City public not yet reported release of mits from thecity, buthave companies received per operate in Austin. Two new which own scooters, now ity,” soseven docklessmobilitycompanies, sixof “There’s clearlyademandforthatkindofmobil Transportation Department,saidaboutscooters, Robert Spillar, director oftheAustin valuation. 2018: It raised $31millionandhasa$100 million pany, Skip, launchedasascooter-only company in added scooterstotheirlist in2018. Anothercom previously onlyofferede-bikes orcarservices 2017, andcompanieslike LimeandJump thathad pioneered dockless scooterrentals inSeptember The scooterindustry isaccelerating. Bird In thespring, thecity Government officials have racedto keep up. Dierberger, Collin Garbarino, Victoria Johnson, Joel Maas, Jenny Rough, 3 3 A —with reporting by Carol Blair, Andrew Patrick Coleman, Sharon Laura Singleton, DanielVan Oudenaren, andSteve West - - 3 4 February 16, 2019 16, February - - - takes scooters to his (1) lie onthesidewalk. San Diego. along acitystreet in Bird rental scooter man rides anelectric San Francisco. using smartphones in shared electric scooters (2) home for recharging. • ShawnHarris WORLD Magazine WORLD Customers unlock (4) Scooters (3)

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Lifestyle Students at the International College of Aeronautics

“They teach us to apply what we’re taught into a model plane or a real Taking flight aircraft,” said Olatunji, who dreams of A NIGERIAN SCHOOL TAKES AN INNOVATIVE building and flying planes. APPROACH TO AVIATION TRAINING The college, which opened five years ago, is located inside a two-story by Onize Ohikere in Ikorodu, Nigeria building at the Lagos State Polytechnic school in Ikorodu. Aviation training in Tomiwa Olatunji sat in a class- The project was the first for Olatunji Nigeria is mostly limited to commer- R room with about a dozen other and four of his classmates who started at cial piloting and to people who can students, all dressed like pilots in the International College of Aeronautics either afford an expensive flight white shirts and navy blue trousers. At in Nigeria’s Lagos state in July. The school or go abroad to study. the back of the room, a plastic foam group collaborated on the model’s draw- A U.S.-based Nigerian pilot started model aircraft stood on a table, finished ing and construction and on sourcing the two-year diploma program as a

HANDOUT with wirings and wooden parts. for the materials around Lagos. way of bridging the financial gap and

Visit WORLD Digital: wng.org February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 53 NOTEBOOK Lifestyle

bringing innovation to Nigerian avia- In contrast to other aviation schools He also expects the aircraft will tion training—including by allowing in Nigeria that cost as much as $41,000 allow students to branch into private students to help build a short-distance annually, the International College of aviation, which he says will create airplane. Aeronautics charges a $413 fee, cur- more jobs. The college is already in In the flight operations classroom, rently subsidized to $235. Joshua discussions with potential aircraft seven students sat in a circle as they Ajibode, one of the commercially buyers, including government agen- listened to a licensed commercial pilot licensed pilots who leads the flight cies, emergency services, and police. teach about cross-country flight plan- operations department, noted that Students would also be allowed to ning. Other departments in the college piloting students need a minimum of use the aircraft their class builds to include aircraft management and about 250 flying hours to gain their launch business enterprises. “It’s very engineering, aviation management license, but need 1,500 hours to qualify innovative because we’re not just train- operations, and robotics. for a job with a commercial airline. ing students to get certificates. We’re The college has partnered with That gap has left more than 300 training them to be self-employed.” three U.S. aviation schools, which Nigerian pilots unemployed, despite a The college has extended its inno- recognize its diploma. Partnerships high demand for their services in the vation to the robotics department. In with Lagos State Polytechnic and the country. “There’s nowhere to build 2017, Lagos state Gov. Akinwunmi Nigeria-based airline Aero Contractors experience,” noted Solomon Adio, the Ambode said the government would fund a locally built drone production program run by the college and State Polytechnic for aerial security surveillance. Despite the growing interest, the college has had its challenges. Peter Ezediuno, an administrative staffer who also passed through the program, said many people have no knowledge of aviation besides commercial piloting and flight attendance. The college opted to appear on radio programs and distribute flyers, and the students also tell their friends about the school. Since the college is building its own aircraft, it’s also working through understanding the certification proce- dure in Nigeria. The college is already working with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, but the aircraft will likely get certified first in the allow the college access to their ICA students at Zenith in Missouri United States. “The reason is there’s facilities. no regulation [in Nigeria] to guide Students who complete the pro- college’s founder. “It’s one of the prob- what we’re doing,” Adio said. gram can either continue in specialized lems we have, and that’s why many The school has inspired people like aircraft-building or flight attendant jobs are taken by expatriates.” Oluwatimilehin Apolola, a second-year programs, or go on with their certifi- For Adio, part of the solution is to student in the flight operations depart- cates to a partner institution in the build Nigerian aircraft. Nigeria ment. Apolola already completed a United States to complete bachelor’s imports its planes, and most of them degree in communications technology degrees or obtain other licenses. are expensive to fly. In September, and worked in a Nigerian bank before Bukola Adenowo, a second-year five of the college’s students who pursuing his longtime aviation dream. student in the aircraft management traveled to Missouri along with Adio He plans to go to Spartan College, a department, decided to attend the completed building their first short- U.S. partner school, to receive his fly- college as an alternative to studying in takeoff-and-landing aircraft at a U.S. ing license before returning to Nigeria the United States. She says many partner, Zenith Aircraft Co. to work. “The knowledge I’ll get over people react skeptically when they Adio said the long-term goal is to there in the States, I’m going to bring first hear of the college: “Most people build a fleet of Nigerian aircraft at the it back here to Nigeria … and if it’s pos- HANDOUT say it’s not possible, not authentic, it’s college. “It will make it cheaper to fly sible, let them introduce [aviation] into probably a scam.” and affordable for the students.” the curriculum from high schools.” A

54 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019 NOTEBOOK Technology Air network STRATOSPHERIC BALLOONS TO PROVIDE PHONE SERVICE FOR KENYA by Michael Cochrane

According to Candido, the key technological challenge was keeping the balloons relatively stationary in the stratosphere for hundreds of days. Loon’s engineers solved this prob- SMART SIGNS lem by developing a system A 25-year-old Kenyan inventor to control automatically has developed a pair of gloves the balloon’s altitude, tak- that convert physical sign lan- ing advantage of different guage into audible speech in wind directions at various real time. Roy Allela’s inven- altitudes. Loon’s engi- tion, called Sign-IO (Sign Input/ neers have become so Output), uses sensors embed- In 2011, using a sim- Alphabet’s Loon balloons good at navigating this ded in gloves that read the wearer’s finger and hand ple weather balloon to provide countrywide system that the balloons R gestures. The system then and some basic, off-the- mobile phone service—a to be used in the Kenyan compares those gestures to shelf radio equipment, commercial first for Loon. system will be launched a database derived from engineers at Alphabet’s Kenya is an ideal can- from Puerto Rico. American Sign Language. research and develop- didate for this kind of But even minor devia- Allela’s niece, who was born ment subsidiary, X, tried technological challenge. tions in the balloons’ deaf, inspired him to create the to show that balloons Its 50 million citizens use locations can affect cov- gloves. could provide internet nearly 43 million mobile erage, so Loon developed “As she was coming of age, and telecommunications phones, according to the a method for the balloons we found it challenging to coverage. By 2017 the CIA World Factbook. But to transmit data between communicate with her and technology of X’s Project outside of major cities them using direct, high- understand what she was say- Loon, as it was known, such as Nairobi, no infra- bandwidth connections. ing,” Allela told the Cape Town, was mature enough to structure exists for mobile As a result, the entire air- South Africa, radio station provide emergency inter- telecommunications. borne system will only CapeTalk. “As she signs, we net service for hurricane- “High-altitude balloons need ground stations in paired the gloves with a phone via Bluetooth and the signs devastated Puerto Rico. are actually a very reason- the cities, not the rural would be vocalized on the Last year Alphabet able way to approach this countryside. phone with audio on the other spun off Project Loon problem,” Sal Candido, Loon will spend the end.” into its own division Loon’s head of engineer- first six months of 2019 Allela hopes to test two within the company, and ing, told IEEE Spectrum. testing the system before prototypes of his device in this year Kenya’s tele- “They’re high, they cover handing it over to Telkom special-needs schools in Kenya communications provider a lot of ground, and there Kenya, according to IEEE prior to a commercial launch. Telkom Kenya will use are no obstacles.” Spectrum. —M.C.

FIT FOR A FELINE The 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in January had its share of goofy gadgets. Among them: an exercise treadmill—for cats. The Little Cat treadmill is a large ring that pet owners can set to rotate at different speeds, controlled by a smartphone app. An LED light that flickers just out of reach is designed to entice your cat to get on the treadmill and run. The app lets you watch your cat through a live camera feed when you’re not home and even records your pet’s running data like a fitness tracker.—M.C. BALLOON: ANDREJ SOKOLOW/PICTURE-ALLIANCE/DPA/AP • ALLELA AND TREADMILL: HANDOUT SOKOLOW/PICTURE-ALLIANCE/DPA/AP ANDREJ BALLOON:

Visit WORLD Digital: wng.org February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 55 NOTEBOOK Religion

Dalit Christians gather in rural India for a women’s conference in October 2018.

obtain an SC-reserved post. They know Christians aren’t eligible, and SC benefits far outnumber those provided to religious minorities. Sudheer-Alexander’s husband, Rev. B.M. Sudheer, oversees 40 Baptist congregations. He challenged local Christians to change their categorization: “We are Christians, but people are afraid [to declare themselves Christian] because … we will lose so many benefits. Let us live on limited income; it is OK. We will give testimony to the Lord [and] to the public.” Inspired, local church secretary G. Rajanikanth (Rajani) wanted to A Dalit’s dilemma change his documents to reflect his FOR SOME, A CHOICE BETWEEN LIVELIHOOD AND Christian faith three years ago. This required altering his “SC” categoriza- CHRISTIAN IDENTITY by Sarah Holcomb in Telangana, India tion to “BC-C,” a category created for Christian religious minorities in India. For Dalits—formerly known as level. Upon converting away from But he quickly ran into trouble. R “Untouchables”—in rural south- Hinduism, “you actually lose the Rajani’s job in the local government ern India, officially declaring their caste,” explains Indian scholar Regina is reserved for Dalits. He’s received Christian faith comes with a cost: Sudheer-Alexander—and Dalit two promotions since he started 10 Leaving Hindu caste identity requires Christians become no longer eligible years ago and now earns nearly five Dalit Christians to abandon govern- for caste-based government benefits. times his entry-level salary—but aban- ment benefits such as free college One government program, com- doning his caste would mean losing tuition and potential job opportunities. monly known as “fees reimbursement,” his promotions: “I will be the junior- For more than 3,000 years India’s provides Dalits with free higher educa- most on the BC-C roster,” the secretary Dalits were oppressed and outcast, tion at India’s private colleges. Although explained. He would no longer gener- prohibited from even drinking water some students’ high-school exam scores ate enough income for his family. from the same wells as high-caste gain them free entrance at government So Rajani remains “Hindu” on gov- members. Today, Dalit Christians con- colleges, few Dalits (called “Scheduled ernment records, but he’s encouraging tinue to face poverty and exploitation Castes” or “SC” in government lingo) his church’s younger generation to because of their low caste. At a local qualify. Most Christian families would change their categorization to align Baptist church where women wearing have to pay hefty private college fees, with their faith. Some have come for- vibrant saris sat on felt mats, some or forgo higher education, if they were ward but face resistance from parents gave rupees while others contributed a to change their categorization. and elders: Rajani says they ask, container of rice or an occasional egg. Some Dalit families receive subsi- “What will happen to our children?” Many congregation members— dized government loans, which allow When his nephew decided to change mostly women—eagerly participated in them to purchase assets like tractors, his categorization, relatives blamed a service featuring traditional drums vehicles, or small shops and only repay Rajani for “ruining him” so he will and Telugu worship songs. Many read 60 percent of the cost. “lose all benefits.” their Bibles daily. Yet according to India also reserves 15 percent of Fearing for their families’ future, government records, none of them “open competition” government jobs older generations remain content to identifies as Christian. Even most local for Dalit (“SC”) candidates. The keep their caste. Sudheer-Alexander pastors are “Hindu” on record. coveted posts, including constable, laments how Dalit Christians lack

That’s because the decision to secretary, teacher, and engineer posi- resources and opportunities, but she SARAH HOLCOMB convert on paper seems more than tions, offer good salaries and guaran- believes they will make a greater impact they can afford. India’s government teed job security. Despite soaring by relinquishing caste identifiers: “If administers many welfare programs competition, many Dalit parents you are not taking a stand, then how according to caste, rather than income remain hopeful their children might can you witness Christ to others?” A

56 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019 Manage your membership: wng.org/membership NOTEBOOK Religion

MacDonald preached in Naples, 350- 400 people showed up, and the church Command and control had to add a second service. HARVEST BIBLE CHAPEL FIRES PASTOR AT Now, Secrest says he signed the by Julie Roys merger agreement under false pre- RECENTLY ACQUIRED CHURCH tenses. In the email to his congregation, he wrote, “When we entered into On Jan. 16, elders at the Chicago- during his sabbatical. Secrest also this agreement there was not a disclo- R area megachurch Harvest Bible emailed his congregation, expressing sure of the investigative reporting Chapel announced that Senior Pastor his objection and his desire to return which led to a lawsuit and the result- James MacDonald would take an the Naples church to independent ing fallout.” (The “lawsuit” was a defa- “indefinite sabbatical.” The announce- governance. mation suit against me and four other ment came a month after WORLD Hours later, Harvest leaders fired defendants that Harvest filed last year detailed accusations by former elders Secrest. and recently withdrew.) and staff members that MacDonald Secrest planted the Naples church Secrest told me that, hours after he and other leaders at the multicampus in 2016 after attending a training pro- emailed his congregation, Fred church had fostered a culture of gram in the Chicago area with Harvest Ananias, an elder from the Naples deception and intimidation (see “Hard Bible Fellowship, Harvest’s former campus who sits on Harvest Bible times at Harvest,” Dec. 29, 2018). church planting network. Chapel’s 34-member elder board, In a statement posted to Harvest’s Within a year, Harvest Bible arrived at his home. website, the elders said they were Chapel Naples had grown to about 100 Holding a cell phone with Harvest launching a “peacemaking process.” people. Secrest told me that last June, Assistant Senior Pastor Rick Donald An accompanying statement from MacDonald called him and said on the line, Ananias, reading from MacDonald expressed remorse at his Harvest wanted to plant a church in notes, informed Secrest that he was having “battled cycles of injustice, Naples and suggested a merger. fired. Secrest said he was stunned hurt, anger, and fear which have Secrest said he had reservations because his contract stipulated that he wounded others without cause.” He about merging with Harvest but in could be fired only for moral failure. welcomed the sabbatical and added September signed a After firing Secrest, Harvest sent that he might continue to ministry agreement its own email to the Naples congrega- preach at the church’s newly making HBC Naples tion, calling Secrest’s earlier message acquired campus in Naples, a wholly owned to the congregation “insubordinate” Fla., throughout the winter subsidiary of and saying it was “clear that he no months. Harvest Bible longer desires to work for Harvest But that news didn’t sit Chapel. Bible Chapel.” well with John Secrest, Within In Chicago on the weekend of Jan. the lead pastor of the three months, 19-20, elders addressed Harvest Naples campus. In a let- the congrega- campuses during weekend services, ter to Harvest elders the tion of 120 admitting “shortcomings in the next day, Secrest com- more than dou- decision-making process” concerning plained that he had not bled, according Secrest’s termination. They also been consulted and did to congregants announced that MacDonald would not not support the decision who attended preach at any campuses during his to allow MacDonald at the time. sabbatical. to preach in On Jan. 5, Harvest spokeswoman Sharon Naples when Kostal told me in a statement, “While the peacemaking process is underway, Harvest Bible Chapel does not pres- ently intend to respond to further Secrest media inquiries.” Secrest says he has no immediate plans, but he pledged not to abandon his former congregants in a Jan. 22 email to them: “There may come a time soon when we can gather to pray, to talk, and to clarify any

HANDOUT questions and confusion.” A

February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 57 NOTEBOOK Politics

Republican target. Although she is a moderate’s moderate, she still 2020 vision represents a state that has voted for GAINING SENATE CONTROL IN 2020 SEEMS AN Democratic presidential nominees since 1988. Collins’ vote in favor of UNLIKELY PROSPECT FOR DEMOCRATS by Henry Olsen Kavanaugh enraged Democratic activists, who will try to unseat her in The furor over Brett Kavanaugh’s retribution. She has beaten back R Supreme Court appointment strong challengers before, but in the showed how important Senate control current environment with low levels is to our ongoing culture war. In of split-ticket voting she will have to January, candidates were already summon all of her personal appeal if a announcing their bids for U.S. Senate well-funded challenger does emerge. seats up for election in 2020. While it’s After this, though, potential targets too early to make any strong predic- for Democrats get tougher to find. Sen. tions, an early glance at the 2020 Senate Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, repre- Jones map suggests continued Republican sents a state that twice supported control is the likeliest outcome. Barack Obama, but the Hawkeye State Barring an unexpected resignation seems to have shifted well to the right or death in office, the GOP will start since then. Republican Kim Reynolds the election holding 53 seats. The won her race for governor last year,

party is widely expected to gain the and Democrats won a narrow majority JONES: BILL CLARK/CQ ROLL CALL VIA AP • GARDNER: J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/AP • MCSALLY: MATT YORK/AP • COLLINS: AL DRAGO/GETTY IMAGES Alabama seat that Democrat Doug of the total House votes cast in the Jones won narrowly in 2017 against state only because of controversial controversial Republican nominee Roy Republican Rep. Steve King’s weak- Moore. Jones surely would have lost ness. Ernst is widely touted as a strong the race against anyone else, and his Gardner favorite heading into the year. vote against Kavanaugh’s confirmation North Carolina’s Sen. Thom Tillis put him on the wrong side of that battle and Georgia’s Sen. David Perdue are in his very Republican and socially con- other potential targets, but both states servative state. So long as Republicans retain a Republican lean despite some nominate someone without scandal, recent suburban anti-Trump senti- Jones’ seat should be an easy gain for ment. While a strong Democratic the GOP. contender like Stacey Abrams (in Gaining this seat would force the Georgia) or Roy Cooper (in North Democrats to win a net four seats to Carolina) could make either race a obtain control if they defeat President McSally toss-up, both Republicans start the Trump, or five if they do not. Although cycle as clear favorites to win a second Republicans are defending 22 of the 34 term. seats that are scheduled to be up for Attaining Senate control will be reelection in 2020, most observers do increasingly difficult for Democrats as not think it will be easy for Democrats long as they remain largely unattractive to gain that many. to America’s rural and small-town Colorado’s Sen. Cory Gardner and voters. The constitutional design of Arizona’s Sen. Martha McSally are the Senate combines with the demo- widely predicted to be the most endan- graphic reality that Democratic- gered Republican incumbents. Gardner Collins leaning constituencies tend to live in won narrowly in the Republican wave larger metropolitan areas, tilting the of 2014 and represents a state that has left in 2016 and 2018 on anti-Trump map in a Republican direction. Unless been trending Democratic for the past sentiment. Both McSally and Gardner that changes, Democrats could be shut decade. McSally, who was appointed in will likely face well-funded challengers, out of Senate control for most of the December to fill the remainder of the as Democrats have little hope of next decade until the continued late Sen. John McCain’s term, just lost regaining control unless they win both growth of the liberal-leaning nonwhite a tight Senate election in November. contests. population in places like Florida, Although Arizona traditionally leans Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is Arizona, and Texas finally alters the Republican, it swung sharply to the probably the next most prominent partisan lean in those key states. A

58 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019 Manage your membership: wng.org/membership NOTEBOOK Law Traffic and a trafficker A SMORGASBORD OF BLOCKBUSTER CASES IN NEW YORK CITY INCLUDES THAT OF NOTORIOUS CARTEL LEADER EL CHAPO by Emily Belz in New York

Outside the courtroom for the path killing eight; and the Russian In this drawing, El Chapo (center) appears R trial of drug cartel king Joaquín lawyer Natalya Veselnitskaya accused in a New York courtroom; Zambada in Guzmán, better known as El Chapo, of aiding a cover-up of Russian Mexico City in 2009 (below). Julio and Carmen Gaytan stood in the government corruption (and who security line. The Gaytans flew from met with the Trump campaign at one tions to corner Guzmán and extreme California just to see a few days of the point). corruption that kept him safe for so trial—to glimpse El Chapo, who was New York federal prosecutors in long—too many stories for even daily once a billionaire and whose Sinaloa the last few months also secured newspapers to retell. Consider one day Cartel is responsible for the deaths of convictions against former Trump of testimony alone from the young thousands. attorney Michael Cohen and a top man who was once in line for the “We know Chapito,” Carmen Chinese energy official accused of Sinaloa throne, Vicente Zambada, who Gaytan said of Guzmán’s son. “Well, bribing African officials. They are flipped to testify against his godfather we don’t know him.” currently seeking extradition of a top Guzmán. The Gaytans are originally from Huawei executive whom Canadians A star witness who could switch Culiacán, the Mexican city that is the arrested at the request of the United between English and Spanish, heart of the Sinaloa Cartel. Mexican States, which led to a series of escalat- Zambada knew every detail of the reporters covering the trial explained ing diplomatic confrontations between cartel operation. He named sica rios to me that Guzmán is beloved there, as Canada and China—including China’s (hit men) mafia bosses were loved in neighbor- sentencing of a Canadian to death in and hoods where they served as protection. seeming retribution. described The Gaytans described how they The most sensational case by far how specific always heard about Guzmán, but had centers on Guzmán, who faces charges murders and never seen him. that include murder conspiracies and tortures took “To see him …” Carmen raised her drug trafficking. The heavy security place. He eyebrows. “He’s a legend.” for the trial of the twice-escaped drug told stories Journalists covering the trial grum- lord requires the city to shut down the about a bled about all the tourists like the Brooklyn Bridge once a week for an purchase of Gaytans invading the few precious armored convoy to take Guzmán from $750,000 of seats in the courtroom, which are all his solitary cell in lower Manhattan to wiretapping first-come, first-served. Security the Eastern District of New York court equipment guards grumbled about a journalist, in Brooklyn. from the Mexican military, about obviously unfamiliar with court Why Brooklyn? Guzmán faced picking up tankers of ephedrine in etiquette, setting up a workspace in a federal charges in at least seven other Belize, and about finding a train route judge’s chair in an empty courtroom. U.S. cities, but the Justice Department across the United States for shipping New York City is hosting an chose the Eastern District likely cocaine. extraordinary number of blockbuster because of the Brooklyn prosecutor’s Throughout his testimony he federal cases at the moment. The two long experience and record of success referred to Guzmán affectionately as big federal courts here have ongoing against cartels and terrorists, and “mi compadre Chapo,” or “my godfa- cases concerning Harvey Weinstein; because jails here have experience ther Chapo,” to the annoyance of the the alleged mail bomber Cesar Sayoc; keeping track of high-value detainees. defense lawyers. It was three seasons the alleged terrorist Sayfullo Saipov Every day of the trial has been of a television show in one day. The

GUZMÁN: ELIZABETH WILLIAMS/AP • NIEBLA: LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES ACOSTA/AFP/GETTY • NIEBLA: LUIS ELIZABETH WILLIAMS/AP GUZMÁN: who drove down a Manhattan bike filled with tales of stunning U.S. opera- trial will likely conclude in February. A

February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 59

VOICES Mailbag News of the Year [ Dec. 29, p. 46 ] What this and every year should teach us is that no matter how nutty liberals seem to be this year, next year will be much worse. The secular, statist religion that tries to create heaven on earth leads to hell on earth. —RICK FLANDERS on wng.org

2018 Deaths times at Harvest” and the next arti- [ Dec. 29, p. 74 ] Perusing this list cle, “State of surveillance” (p. 42). In makes me wonder what they would both, the more loyal one is to the write about my life. What are my Great Leader, the more one benefits. Why would anyone concerned about priorities, values, and loves, and does Is MacDonald going to China to learn reaching the lost, sign (or require) a my life reflect them? how to be more adept at keeping an noncompete agreement? This issue by —STEVE SHIVE on wng.org eye on his sheep? Thanks for not itself raises my eyebrows. What do sweeping things under the rug. they feel they’re in competition for? Hard times at Harvest —JEFF GOODALL / Holly, Mich. —KEN ISGRIGG on wng.org [ Dec. 29, p. 34 ] Your articles on James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Chapel It’s hard to reconcile my experience The issues Julie Roys raises indicate and Mez McConnell (“Good news for every week at Harvest with these MacDonald should receive serious wretches,” p. 28) reminded me of stories. church discipline, and MacDonald’s the parable of the Pharisee and —ALEX HAGELI on wng.org replies show he has not identified with the tax collector. I am saddened by the sins. He does not meet the Biblical MacDonald’s lack of humility but You took eight pages to tell us that qualifications of an elder, but no one refreshed by the humility of MacDonald is a passionate but difficult can challenge him without risking McConnell. Thank you for this bold person to deal with. This hardly seems lawsuits. May the Lord have mercy reminder of grace and the heartbreak- like an issue that needs to be dragged and lead all to Biblical self-evaluation ing consequences of pride. I will be out before the world. and true repentance. praying for both. —ALLEN E. BELTLE / Brick, N.J. —TIM YATES on wng.org —LEE TAYLOR / Dade City, Fla. MacDonald worried it might be “mis- Freedom on the wane As a member of a former Harvest Bible interpreted” that he used pictures of [ Dec. 29, p. 5 ] This is a very informa- Fellowship church, I am glad we are colleagues for target practice? I can’t tive column, not just about Tom Steyer no longer affiliated with a church that think of a context where that would be but about socialism itself. Thank you seems to foster a climate of intimida- anything other than disturbing. for continuing to sound the trumpet! tion and secrecy at the leadership —ANN MARSHALL on wng.org —JULIE DAVENPORT on wng.org level. —SCOTT RHODES / Hickory, N.C. This article is absolutely heartbreaking. The histories of socialism and commu- It’s what happens when you do not nism show clearly how dangerously Great research and reporting, with have adequately equipped and trained absurd they are. They promise things both sides given full opportunity to elders who have authority over the like social and economic equality but respond. The evidence of extreme pastors. Pride destroys everything. deliver oppression and class distinc- pastoral authoritarianism seems pretty —KEITH THOMAS on Facebook tions between the ruling elite and damning, especially the idea that dis- everyone else. A just society will come agreement equals disloyalty. Thank Every leader of a large group has these only when we at last love God with all you for writing about hard topics both kinds of disputes with those he serves. our heart, might, mind, and strength, inside and outside the church. This is just a hit piece about a pastor and our neighbor as ourselves. —MATTHEW BELL / Seattle, Wash. who, of course, is a sinner. I expect —THOMAS NALLY on wng.org better from WORLD. Tearing down Maybe I’m reading too fast, but I can’t God’s church is never helpful! Venezuela shows what happens when tell the difference between “Hard —JOSH & CLAIRE AKIN on wng.org you take other people’s money to pay

Visit WORLD Digital: wng.org February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 61 VOICES Mailbag

for your desires. That country is in little bit surprised to see this article in grist for conversation with my wife ruins, and it’s spilling over into the WORLD, but I was glad to see the and friends. His voracious reading surrounding countries. background on Fabi. appetite and ability to succinctly —MARK J. ANTHONY / Monument, Colo. —DANIEL STRANGE on wng.org summarize Christian truths are enriching and encouraging. Checking it twice Here for a reason —DAVID J. WATKINS / Fayetteville, Pa. [ Dec. 29, p. 32 ] Thank you to Mindy [ Dec. 29, p. 95 ] I have a third sugges- Belz for reporting that World Vision is tion for how to react to evil days ahead: Correction distributing aid through Muslim Do not make our present “persecutions” Teng Biao entered Peking University organizations, even ones that have in the West bigger than they are. I Law School in 1991 (“The fight for supported terrorism. Sadly, World recently heard a missionary who trains Chinese rights,” Feb. 2, 2019, p. 42). Vision is no longer following its roots chaplains in the Southern Sudanese or meeting the expectations it fosters army describe brutality that should Read more Mailbag letters at wng.org among donors. Its website states, embarrass us into silence. We hardly “Jesus’ love at the center. Always.” suffer. We should advocate for a just LETTERS and COMMENTS Apparently not always. society, but let us also teach a proper Email [email protected] —H. CLAY MCDOWELL / Rising Sun, Md. perspective. Mail WORLD Mailbag, PO Box 20002, —BRENDAN BOSSARD on wng.org Asheville, NC 28802-9998 A rivalry is born Website wng.org [ Dec. 29, p. 91 ] My brother and I What price hope? Facebook facebook.com/WORLD.magazine watched the World Chess Champion [ Dec. 8, p. 42 ] Marvin Olasky’s review Twitter @WORLD_mag ship closely. We were rooting for of the Accessible Theology Book of the Please include full name and address. Letters American Fabiano Caruana. I was a Year, Therefore I Have Hope, was good may be edited to yield brevity and clarity. VOICES Andrée Seu Peterson

owned nothing but a jar of oil, received advice from the prophet Elisha: “‘Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors—empty vessels and not too few. Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.’ So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they Entrepreneurial brought the vessels to her. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, ‘Bring me another vessel.’ And he said to her, ‘There is not spirit another.’ Then the oil stopped flowing. She FROM THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE came and told the man of God, and he said, ‘Go sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and TO THE APOSTLE PAUL your sons can live on the rest’” (2 Kings 4:1-7). Inspiring. After a weather related stay of execution, The New World’s R the Tappan Zee Bridge on the Hudson flirtation with socialism River 25 miles north of Manhattan was was a flop. Pilgrims in dispatched on Jan. 15 by explosive charges the first brutal year put courtesy of the Controlled Demolition Company. the fruit of their labors Local riverside restaurants were ready. into a common ware- Before the original Jan. 9 send-off date, many house which was to be eateries were roused to action with only a week’s divided in equal shares. notice: The Half Moon in Dobbs Ferry advertised The outcome of the the “Big Bang Brunch”; Sambal Thai & Malay in experiment was the Irvington came up with “Dim Sum-struction of epiphany that men will the Tappan Zee.” Lyndhurst Castle in Tarrytown, not trouble themselves normally closed for the season, quickly reopened Turning a to work very hard when production is allotted with $100 tickets boasting a tower view. equally to the indolent and the industrious. To You gotta love the American capitalist profit in this avoid famine in 1623, the community abandoned spirit—the notion that my need and your need world’s this system, and every man’s family was assigned can intersect to our mutual profit. kingdom is a parcel of land. Three times the amount of In September of 1999 my impecunious future corn was planted under the new method. husband was gifted with two tickets to the last one thing. Turning a profit in this world’s kingdom is Tiger Stadium game in Detroit. In the seventh Turning a one thing. Turning a profit for a kingdom that inning he and his friend got the idea to leave the profit for a will last is wiser still. “The fruit of the righteous ballpark (you could re-enter at will for this one- is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is time event), walk across the street to the pub, and kingdom that wise” (Proverbs 11:30). Comparing worldly resell their coveted passes at inflated prices. will last is entrepreneurs to spiritual, the Apostle Paul Exiting the pub, they spotted a sidewalk wiser still. observes: “They do it to receive a perishable vendor of commemorative T-shirts packing up wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Corinthians his truck and bought as many souvenirs as 9:25). proceeds from the aforementioned ticket resale But the concept is the same: assessing needs would allow. People soon poured out of the around you, willingness to risk, and casting slated-for-destruction venue, jonesing for a your bread upon the waters with the patient forever keepsake, and the young capitalist tripled attitude that “you will find it after many days” his pub earnings, also infinitely enhancing his (Ecclesiastes 11:1). initial funds—which had been zero. This present world of gleaming brick and Adam Smith, 18th-century Scottish econo- steel is slated for destruction just as surely as mist, wrote: “It is not from the benevolence of the Tappan Zee and Tiger Stadium. Jesus told the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we his inner circle to invest until he comes again: expect our dinner, but from their regard to Explosives bring down “Engage in business until I come” (Luke 19:13). their own interest.” a section of the old And as one great investor in the kingdom said, Tappan Zee Bridge in If you want to get religious about this, a Tarrytown, N.Y. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep

SETH WENIG/AP debtor widow in the eighth century B.C., who to gain that which he cannot lose.” A

 [email protected] February 16, 2019 • WORLD Magazine 63 VOICES Marvin Olasky 1 MILLION MEN ian countries who might otherwise be killed or imprisoned, but a story as ungrounded as the NYT’s is likely to include big doses of journalistic ventriloquism. ARE FINDING Strike two: The second story at the right top of the Jan. 14 front page, “Trump Faces ‘Nonstop’ War for Survival,” had a problem different but FREEDOM FROM PORN equally severe. Here’s the lead: “So it has come Missed pitches to this: The president of the United States was asked over the weekend whether he is a Russian WHY ARE SO MANY MEN TRAPPED NEW YORK TIMES VALENTINE OR STRIKEOUT? agent. And he refused to directly answer.” With those sentences the NYT both split an IN THE GRIPS OF PORNOGRAPHY? At a memorial service for Eugene infinitive and split from its own history: In the R Peterson last November, his son Leif said late 1940s and 1950s it attacked the House Let’s start with the typical religious approach to the pastor/author for 50 years had one main Un-American Activities Committee (and Sen. helping men find freedom: message: “God loves you. He’s on your side. Joseph McCarthy) for asking whether writers 1. Pray more. He’s coming after you. He’s relentless.” and others were or ever had been members of TAKE YOUR FIRST STEP TO FREEDOM 2. Read your Bible more. I alternate New York Times (NYT) and the Communist Party USA—which certainly 3. Stop sinning. Washington Post subscriptions because reading was a Russian agent. The NYT in 1973 called Use discount code: WORLDFEB15 for 15% OFF! either of them illuminates the “progressive” such questioning a “disgrace” and a lesson in Expiration: April 30, 2019 Why has this approach failed to work for agenda—and for two years their main message “how easy it is for a governmental bureaucracy Christian men? has been: We hate Donald Trump. We’re to vilify, damage and destroy people with an coming after him. We’re relentless. almost irrational vindictive[ness].” What starts out as a moral problem, quickly On Jan. 14 I read the entire NYT because that The Jan. 14 NYT front page story quoted becomes a brain problem. Often, men who day I was teaching a “webinar” about current How easy Trump calling the question to him “the most have tried to quit don’t understand the brain. journalism for 1,000 Colson Center sign-ups. I it is for a insulting thing I’ve ever been asked.” But a reader wanted to suggest they find an excellentNYT needed to turn to that same day’s editorial page Understanding the brain is so important in this story that day or during the following weeks, journalistic to read that Trump did answer the question battle. Men in sexual bondage go through a and on Feb. 14 send a complimentary Valentine’s bureaucracy directly: “Not only did I never work for Russia, I cycle of triggering, ritual and acting out. Day email to the reporter. Sadly, the NYT that to vilify, think it’s a disgrace that you asked that question, day merely offered more justification for because it’s a whole big fat hoax.” Paul in Romans 12 talks about the “renewal of the criticism. Since Feb. 14 is also when many major damage, and We may find out more about a Trump-Russia mind.” That’s not a one-time event. It’s a long-term league teams begin spring training, maybe destroy connection later this year. It’s disgraceful not for process. The Conquer Series lays out the “battle “three strikes—you’re out” is a truer metaphor. people with reporters to ask the question but to pretend they plan for purity” and helps men renew their minds Strike one: the NYT’s lead story, headlined know the answer. How easy it is for a journalistic through a biblical process. “BOLTON’S REQUEST TO COUNTER IRAN an almost bureaucracy to vilify, damage, and destroy ALARMS PENTAGON.” It included 10 refer- irrational people with an almost irrational vindictiveness. ences within the article designed to make readers vindictiveness. Strike three: NYT reporting about difficulties REAL, PROVEN STRATEGIES FOR FREEDOM believe they were taking in well-grounded fact at the U.S.-Mexico border contradicted its Explore strongholds that keep men in bondage rather than sky-is-falling concerns: “Senior previous stories. The problem: Poor, sick immi- Pentagon officials … Defense Department and grants released from government detention are Examine the neurochemistry of addiction senior American officials … these officials … a overwhelming local governments and charities. Discover the weapons and strategies of God senior American official … a senior administration That sounds like a crisis, but previous NYT official … the senior American official … a former reporting had made Trump’s border concerns Learn to recalibrate and reprogram the brain senior administration official … the senior sound as though he was manufacturing a crisis. Investigate proven strategies to prevent relapse American official … these officials … a senior The NYT reported that California was doing Study practical daily techniques to remain free administration official.” little to help—but previously it had portrayed Maybe the whole Pentagon was alarmed, but California as heroic for its sanctuary cities. maybe not: Despite the headline, only the first Some local newspapers aren’t as leftist as the The Conquer Series is a cinematic two-volume, 12-disc DVD set featuring over 7 hours two murky references involved Defense officials, NYT, and it’s still a good idea to take a reporter of in-depth teaching from former Marine Fighter Pilot and Pastor, Dr. Ted Roberts. If and after that we had only the opinion of present to lunch, but your valentine may have to refer to you don’t find the material beneficial, then send it back within 14 days and get a full or former non-Pentagon officials. WORLD does things unseen. I do want to end with a valentine refund. There’s no risk to you. not run negative stories based entirely on to someone our readers may have met over the KRIEG BARRIE “anonymice,” off-the-record sources that often phone: June McGraw retired on Jan. 31 after 37 ORDER TODAY AT nibble at truth but may also spit out falsehood. years as a WORLD administrative assistant. We’ll use pseudonyms for sources in totalitar- She’s been relentless in doing good. A CONQUERSERIES.COM or CALL (561) 681-9990

64 WORLD Magazine • February 16, 2019  [email protected]  @MarvinOlasky 1 MILLION MEN ARE FINDING FREEDOM FROM PORN WHY ARE SO MANY MEN TRAPPED IN THE GRIPS OF PORNOGRAPHY? Let’s start with the typical religious approach to helping men ﬁnd freedom: 1. Pray more. TAKE YOUR FIRST STEP TO FREEDOM 2. Read your Bible more. Use discount code: WORLDFEB15 for 15% OFF! 3. Stop sinning. Expiration: April 30, 2019 Why has this approach failed to work for Christian men? What starts out as a moral problem, quickly becomes a brain problem. Often, men who have tried to quit don’t understand the brain. Understanding the brain is so important in this battle. Men in sexual bondage go through a cycle of triggering, ritual and acting out. Paul in Romans 12 talks about the “renewal of the mind.” That’s not a one-time event. It’s a long-term process. The Conquer Series lays out the “battle plan for purity” and helps men renew their minds through a biblical process. REAL, PROVEN STRATEGIES FOR FREEDOM Explore strongholds that keep men in bondage Examine the neurochemistry of addiction Discover the weapons and strategies of God Learn to recalibrate and reprogram the brain Investigate proven strategies to prevent relapse Study practical daily techniques to remain free

The Conquer Series is a cinematic two-volume, 12-disc DVD set featuring over 7 hours of in-depth teaching from former Marine Fighter Pilot and Pastor, Dr. Ted Roberts. If you don’t ﬁnd the material beneﬁcial, then send it back within 14 days and get a full refund. There’s no risk to you. ORDER TODAY AT CONQUERSERIES.COM or CALL (561) 681-9990

Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria This Year’S Social Contagion Infects ­Teenagers and Their Doctors

Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria This Year’S Social Contagion Infects Teenagers and Their Doctors