The ‘silencing of Christians’ in the public sector; The ISIS Apocalypse...other news

The ISIS Apocalypse
ISIS is a terrifying organization. Though it is based half a world away, its impact reaches to Europe, to North America, to everywhere. It has become the world’s problem, the world’s scourge. We see ISIS in the news on a nearly-daily basis, but where did it come from and what does it want? There are a handful of recent books that explain its origins, tell who its major players are, explain what it hopes to accomplish, and suggest how it can be defeated. I recently read two of these books and am glad that I did.    Book reviews by Tim Challies

New dimension of crime’: Crowd of ‘Arab origin’ blamed for mass sexual assaults in Cologne on NYE ...According to reports, heavily intoxicated men of “Arab or North African” origin flooded the city’s famous square between its central train station and Gothic cathedral. Aged between 15 and 35, individuals in the crowd began throwing firecrackers and setting off fireworks as the new year arrived.

With the festivities in full swing, some men began sexually assaulting women and pick pocketing revelers. Among the criminal complaints officially filed is at least one allegation of rape...

Michigan Episcopalians Promote “Islam 101”  ...The event, shared locally by All Saints Episcopal Church-East Lansing (which lost half of its membership in the past decade) takes place monthly. The Episcopal Diocese of Michigan is the largest of the state’s four dioceses and encompasses the Detroit area and Southeastern Michigan...

UK: The ‘silencing of Christians’ in the public sector Christianity being subtly ‘squeezed out’ of public life by Civil service culture where officials keep their faith a virtual secret...

A Father's Drunken, Armed Christmas Miracle There's something pretty awesome about this story. It's like a Christmas miracle if a Christmas miracle can include booze, a gun, and lots of love.

George Pickering III, 27, was in the worst possible shape, after suffering a stroke, he was hooked up to a life support machine and his doctors had given up all hope. Declared "brain dead," his mother and brother made the decision to remove him from life support. An organ donor organization was even contacted.

Well, George Pickering II, didn't much like that decision. The Texan didn't agree with his ex wife that their son should be taken off life support. He thought everyone was moving way too fast. So he made a drink induced decision because that's the only kind of decision you can make when you're drunk.

He was also armed. George had decided that he was going to give his son a chance to live. No matter what. He wanted to give his son a few hours, even if that's all he could offer his son. He entered the hospital room, pulled out his gun, and threatened everyone to leave the room. George's other son quickly disarmed his father but George still barricaded himself in his son's hospital room, falsely claiming he might have other weapons...

The Danish Girl: People Aren't Born Transgender, But Playing Dress-Up Can Spark Psychological Problems ...The Danish Girl, based on the novel of the same name by David Ebershoff and directed by Tom Harper, tells the story of Lilli Elbe, one of the first known recipients of sex-reassignment surgery. The movie stars Eddie Redmayne in the role of Einar Wegener/Lilli Elbe, the emerging transgender female. Alicia Vikander costars as Gerda, his devoted wife, who loves her husband deeply and remains faithful to him throughout the years of his downward spiral.

Although the acting was well-done, the film is ultimately little more than an LGBT sales tool. It is true that transgender people are suffering. But what the film fails to address is that, all too often, transgender patients continue to suffer even after surgery, because their psychological problems remain untreated. I know from first-hand experience, as I was once a transgender woman, and I regret my sex-reassignment surgery...

9 Things You Didn’t Know About J.R.R. Tolkien
9 non-Hobbit things to know about the author of 'The Hobbit.'