THE AMERICAN LEGION GIVES BIG PUSH FOR VETERANS TO PRACTICE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION

EDITOR JEFF STOFFER:

SEE: https://mrmagazine.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/an-advocate-and-a-voice-for-veterans-the-american-legion-magazine-stands-behind-their-membership-a-mr-magazine-memorial-day-weekend-special-interview/

THE AMERICAN LEGION GIVES BIG PUSH 

FOR VETERANS TO PRACTICE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION 

SEE: https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2020/newsletter20200316.htm; 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research 

purposes:

In a 2020 three-part series titled “Mysteries of the Mind,” The American Legion magazine tells veterans they should practice transcendental meditation if they feel stressed, saying that TM “can help veterans confronting PTSD.” Writer of the article, American Legion magazine editor Jeff Stoffer, enthusiastically adds:


Those who practice TM say the key to unlocking clear thought and function, no matter the situation, is to spend 20 minutes twice a day deliberately thinking about nothing, allowing the brain to essentially have a mind of its own. . . . Transcendental meditation, as a treatment for veterans diagnosed with PTSD, is not a New Age fad.


The American Legion has a strong influence throughout the world. According toThe American Legion magazine website,


The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization. Focusing on service to veterans, servicemembers and communities, the Legion evolved from a group of war-weary veterans of World War I into one of the most influential nonprofit groups in the United States. . . . Today, membership stands at nearly 2 million in more than 13,000 posts worldwide.


Stoffer’s article does nothing but offer praise and accolades for meditation and downplays those who have concerns about it:


TM should not be ruled out because of any stereotypes or cultural biases. . . . Some skepticism is based on a perception that TM is a religious activity or has a specific spiritual or ideological bent. “To the contrary, we have found people becoming more understanding of their religion, more at peace with their god,” [brain-scientist Tony] Nader says. “We used to say that if religion is to invite God to your home, TM can be like cleaning your home.” . . .

“You’re not changing how you think. You’re not changing politics. You can be a Republican. You can be a Democrat. You can be Catholic, Christian, Jewish, Hindu or Muslim – it doesn’t change you. You’re still who you are. Your mind is just in a better place. It doesn’t change you. It changes your physiology. It changes your mind. It changes how you deal with everything else.”


It is most unfortunate that Stoffer’s article gives no warning of the potential dangers in practicing meditation. His one-sided, biased view will no doubt convince many American Legion readers (veterans) to give it a try. And if they take Stoffer’s word for it, they’ll probably never research the matter and discover the real dynamics behind meditation. Stoffer’s article claims that meditation “doesn’t change you,” but admits it “changes your mind.” What a contradiction! If something changes your mind, it does change you. And as we have witnessed within Christianity with contemplative prayer (a “Christianized” eastern-meditation practice), meditation alters the way one thinks about God, sin, salvation, and just about everything in life itself—and, biblically speaking, not for the good.

The American Legion magazine’s motto is “For God and Country Since 1919,” but we do not believe the God of the Bible would agree with its efforts to turn veterans into eastern-religion meditators.

If you know a veteran, perhaps you might consider giving them a copy of Ray Yungen’s booklet, Meditation! Pathway to Wellness or Doorway to the Occult?. If you want to give a copy of this booklet to a veteran and cannot afford to purchase the booklet, e-mail us at editors@lighthousetrails.com, and we will send you a free copy to give to your veteran friend or relative.

The following list of the possible results from meditating is derived from the various sources we used to compile our booklet on mindfulness meditation:


insomnia
fear
hypersensitivity to light and sound
anxiety
difficulty eating
panic and paranoia
psychosis
seizures
mania
visual hallucinations
unable to function or work
a loss of sense of identity
psychotic depression
elevated mood and grandiose delusions
unrestrained behaviors (sexual and violence)
pain
confusion and disorientation
feelings of emptiness and ennui (listlessness, dissatisfaction)
depersonalization
impairment of social relationships
cognitive, perceptual and sensory aberrations
disempowering
causes passiveness and compliance (even when those are negative responses to certain situations)

__________________________________________________________________

SEE:

AUDIO: https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/legion/audio/

06%20-%20Mysteries%20Of%20The%20Mind%2C%20Wanted%20-

%20Your%20Brain.mp3



https://www.legion.org/magazine/247895/mysteries-mind-part-1-

wanted-your-brain



https://www.legion.org/magazine/248103/mysteries-mind-part-2-

journey-inward



https://www.legion.org/magazine/248353/mysteries-mind-part-3-

truth-about-tbi

"WELLNESS" BARBIE TO TEACH CHILDREN NEW AGE MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

MEDITATION BARBIE! 

BREATHE WITH ME BARBIE

"WELLNESS" BARBIE TO TEACH CHILDREN NEW AGE MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

SEE: https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2020/newsletter20200217.htm; 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research 

purposes:

LTRP Note: Lighthouse Trails editors have never been fans of “Barbie” dolls, but, no doubt, you will find the dolls in many Christian and non-Christian homes. But regardless of how one feels about Barbie dolls, the makers of Barbie have taken the doll into the New Age with mindfulness meditation as you can read below in this news clip. We have posted this for informational and research purposes and not as an endorsement of either the source or the content.

“Wellness Barbie Is About to Teach Kids the Fun of Self-Care & Meditation”

By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
She Knows

You can never accuse Barbie of being behind on the zeitgeist. Her latest evolution isn’t a new career move or style choice, but rather, a line of dolls who are taking a minute to step away from it all and practice self-care. I’ve got to say, Wellness Barbie could go a long way to making kids and their parents a little bit happier.

“The Barbie brand is at its best when it connects to culture, and we saw this trend happening and wanted to make sure girls learned how to take care of themselves and bring it to them in a fun way through play,” Mattel designer Chandra Hicks said. Click here to continue reading.

Related Articles:

American Girl Doll Company Recommends Yoga, Mantras, Meditation, and Breath Prayers

Beware: Mindfulness Meditation, Especially for Children, is Dangerous

WARREN SMITH: "FEARING GOD IN A FEARLESS NEW AGE"

WARREN SMITH: 

"FEARING GOD IN A FEARLESS NEW AGE"

SEE: https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2020/newsletter20200108.htm;  

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research 

purposes:

From Warren Smith's Through It All Scripture Series

By Warren B. Smith

Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. (Psalm 128:1)

We are living in fearful times, yet the Bible repeatedly tells us to “Fear not.” Scripture assures us that “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). It teaches us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and that “perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18). But at the same time the Bible continually tells us to “Fear God.” How is this seemingly apparent contradiction regarding fear to be reconciled by those who wish to follow God and do His will?

The New Age Take on Fear

In this rapidly changing world, it is important to understand how the biblical concept of “fear” is being redefined by both the world and the church. In particular, a variety of voices on both sides would now have us believe that “the opposite of love is not hate but fear.” It is important to note that this deceptive concept about fear was popularly introduced into the world by a channeled New Age Christ through a set of metaphysical/occult teachings titled A Course in Miracles. In the Introduction on the very first page of this over 1000 page tome, The Course’s “Jesus” proposes this foundational New Age teaching that “the opposite of love is fear” but cleverly adds—“but what is all-encompassing [love] can have no opposite.”1 He says—“Teach only love, for that is what you are.”2 Thus, The Course’s New Age reality is that because love is “all-encompassing” and because God is love, all is therefore God. Consequently, The Course’s false Christ teaches that all fear is delusional and part of a hapless dream from which the dreamer needs to be “gently wakened” by God’s “happy dream.”3 To deliver us out of our “fearful dream,” we are told that God’s dream” is being sent to bring us to our senses and to the realization that we are love and we are God. There is no fear! What becomes apparent is that these false teachings lay the groundwork for a New Age/New Gospel/New Spirituality to completely supplant biblical Christianity. No fear and no fear of God because we are all love and we are all God—all in the name of “God’s dream.” How unbiblical and truly diabolical!

A Course in Miracles and God’s Dream

First published in 1975, A Course in Miracles has become a cult classic that is often referred to as the New Age “Bible.” Allegedly channeled by “Jesus” to clarify “misunderstood” Bible teachings with his “new” revelation, The Course’s false Christ emphatically teaches God’s “happy dream” that there is no sin,4 no evil,5 no Devil,6 and no need to get saved by an external Savior named Jesus Christ. He says we save ourselves7 and the world by recognizing that we are all “one”8 because we are all “Christ”9 and we are all “God.”10 This New Age “Jesus” teaches that “a slain Christ has no meaning”11 and warns us not to make “the pathetic error of clinging to the old rugged cross.”12 He declares that “The journey to the cross should be the last useless journey.”13 Again, all of these false teachings are described as part of “God’s dream” to save the planet as he “wakens” everyone from their “fearful dreams” with his “happy dream”14 that we are all “one” because we are all “God.”

“Fearing God” is Insanity and Madness?

A Course in Miracles lesson number 48 states—“There is nothing to fear”15 and that especially includes not “fearing God.” Fearing God according to this New Age “Jesus” is bogus and directly equated to one’s fear of being God. The Course’s false Christ says we are not to fear God because we are God.16 But he takes our not fearing God a significant step further. In redefining fear, The Course’s New Age “Jesus” describes the Bible’s teaching on the “fear of God” as “stark insanity and raving madness.”17 He goes so far as to state that the Bible’s take on the “fear of God” is the last remaining “obstacle” to “peace.”18 He says that when humanity overcomes its “fear of God” and is collectively “awakened” by “God’s dream” to the reality that they are God—then and only then—can inner peace and world peace be finally realized. However, the Bible’s teachings on the “fear of God” have nothing to do with fear being the opposite of love and our being God. More importantly, Scripture is unequivocal in its oft repeated teachings on the fear of God and how we are to literally fear and revere and joyously worship the one true God who we definitely are not.

Gerald Jampolsky, Oprah Winfrey Endorse The Course

A Course in Miracles gained enormous popularity when psychiatrist/author Dr. Gerald Jampolsky’s best-selling 1979 book Love is Letting Go of Fear promoted The Course and its New Age teachings. However, the biggest endorsement of The Course came in February 1992 when Oprah Winfrey featured then-fledgling author Marianne Williamson and her book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah told her worldwide television audience that she had purchased a thousand copies of Williamson’s book because she had never “been as moved by a book” as she had by Williamson’s book about A Course in Miracles. Oprah said she believed that the teachings of A Course in Miracles “could change the world.”19 Thanks to Oprah, the false New Age Christ had just been mainstreamed into everybody’s living room. After Oprah’s endorsement, Williamson’s book about The Course shot to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and stayed there for several months.

Pastors Following New Age Suit

Robert Schuller
Several years after the publication of Jampolsky’s 1979 book Love is Letting Go of Fear, Pastor Robert Schuller celebrated Jampolsky as his featured guest on his worldwide Hour of Power television program. The late Schuller also cited him in his best-selling 1982 book Self-Esteem: The New Reformation. Quoting Jampolsky’s Course teaching that “The opposite of love is not hate, but fear,” Schuller described this false teaching as “profound theology.”20 In this same Self-Esteem book, Schuller made multiple references to the New Age term “God’s dream.” Through his writings, teachings, and television ministry, Schuller passed along The Course’s New Age take on “fear being the opposite of love” and the term “God’s dream” to millions of people—but perhaps most especially pastors. At his longstanding Robert H. Schuller Institute for Successful Church Leadership, Schuller communicated his beliefs and teachings to countless pastors over the years. Graduates from Schuller’s Institute routinely incorporated Schuller’s teachings into their own ministries. Perhaps the most famous “graduate” from Schuller’s Institute is Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren.21

Rick Warren
Echoing Schuller, Jampolsky, and the false Christ of A Course in Miracles, Rick Warren took the New Age teaching on “fear being the opposite of love” one step further. He tried to make it biblical! In an April 9, 2009 article written for The Christian Post, Rick Warren, without citing any Bible reference, wrote—“The Bible says the opposite of love is fear, and the opposite of fear is love.”22 Yet, there is no properly translated Bible that says this. The only “Bible” that says this is A Course in Miracles—the New Age “Bible.” What Schuller described as “profound theology,” Rick Warren was now describing as biblical. And just as Schuller passed this false New Age teaching about fear being the opposite of love to countless pastors like Rick Warren, Warren is now passing this false teaching on to a new generation of pastors—pastors like Mark Batterson and Jason Mitchell.

Mark Batterson
Echoing A Course in Miracles, Robert Schuller, and Rick Warren, Circle Maker author Mark Batterson writes:

The opposite of love is not hate. The opposite of love is fear.23

In his best-selling book Chase the Lion, Batterson uses the word dream over 500 times. He not only references the term “God’s Dream,”24 but like the false Christ of A Course in Miracles, he introduces the idea of God’s dream “within” a dream.25 In addition to his controversial endorsements of The Shack26 and Jesus Calling,27 Batterson has also publicly praised and recommended a number of books by New Age authors (e.g. Eckhart Tolle, James Redfield, and Jack Canfield).28 Wittingly or unwittingly, Batterson is using the overlapping language of the New Age, Robert Schuller, and Rick Warren (whom he openly respects and praises).29

Jason Mitchell
In the May 5, 2017 edition of the popular Christian publication Relevant Magazine, there was an article by Pastor Jason Mitchell titled “The Opposite of Love Isn’t Hate.” In the article, Mitchell wrote—“The opposite of love isn’t hate—it’s fear.”30 Several months prior to the publication of his article, Mitchell’s Pennsylvania church spent six weeks of Sundays going through Rick Warren’s book The Purpose-Driven Life. Whether or not Mitchell picked up this teaching of fear directly from Rick Warren is not the point. The point is that—thanks to Robert Schuller and Rick Warren—this false New Age teaching on fear is now in the church.

The Bible’s Warning

Not surprisingly, the Bible specifically warns about false teachings on fear that are taught by the precepts of men and not by God:

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men. (Isaiah 29:13)

Fear God—Yes!

Consult any dictionary or thesaurus, and it will not tell you that the opposite of love is fear; it is hate. And while the word “fear” in the Bible is translated from Hebrew and Greek words that have slightly varying and nuanced meanings, the word fear generally means just that—fear. The degree of fear in these definitions can range from “mild uneasiness to stark terror.”31 The frequent biblical command to “Fear not” means we are not to give undue respect or regard to man or to be unnecessarily anxious or afraid of the challenging circumstances that inevitably arise in our lives. But the Bible is exceedingly clear that we are to definitely fear God. But our fear of God is ideally tempered with joyous love, worshipful adoration, and reverential regard. This loving but real fear of God bears witness to the supreme significance of our relationship with Him and to the eternal consequences the relationship holds. We are to both love and fear who He is—“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8).

Fear Man—No!

An important distinction must be maintained between the “fear of God” and the “fear of man.” The Bible says we are not to fear the “reproach” or “revilings” of man (Isaiah 51:7). It warns that the fear of man is a “snare” (Proverbs 29:25) and a “sin” (1 Samuel 15:24-25). But the fear of God is “for our good always” (Deuteronomy 6:24). The Bible teaches that while we are not to fear man or the circumstantial challenges we may be confronted with—we are to fear God. But why? So the Lord can scare, intimidate, manipulate, demean, and ultimately control us? Not at all. Scripture makes it clear that the “fear of God” is a most amazing and wonderful thing. It is the beginning of “knowledge” and “wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10). Our fear of God is not only not an “obstacle” to peace—it is something that will bless us (Psalm 128:1), make us “happy,” (Proverbs 28:14) and cause our soul to “dwell at ease” (Psalm 25:12-13).

“Fear of the Lord” Rests Upon Jesus

The prophet Isaiah—prophesying about the coming of the Messiah (the true Jesus Christ)—describes how the spirit of “the fear of the LORD” literally rests upon Him.

And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. (Isaiah 11:1-2)

Jesus Taught the Fear of God

Our Spiritual Adversary, through his deceptive “God’s dream” theology, wants to redefine fear as something that is the opposite of love and not even real. He wants to eliminate fear because he does not want us to fear and revere the one true God. He does not want us to know the benefits and blessings that come from fearing God. And he most certainly does not want us to know that Jesus Christ Himself specifically taught that we should all fear God. Jesus said we are not to fear those who kill the body, but we are to “fear him” who is “able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:27-28)

The “fear of the Lord” is not only something God desires (Deuteronomy 5:29) but also what He requires (Deuteronomy 10:12)—not for His good, but “for our good always” (Deuteronomy 6:24). Contrary to the false New Age Christ and those who wittingly or unwittingly espouse his false New Age teachings about fear, Scripture repeatedly tells us just how important and necessary the fear of God is for the serious believer.

Fear Of God

Fearing God is What God Desires
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! (Deuteronomy 5:29)

Fearing God is What God Requires
And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. (Deuteronomy 10:12)

Fearing the Lord is a Fountain of Life
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)

Fear of the Lord is His Treasure
And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure. (Isaiah 33:6)

Fearing God Pleases God
The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. (Psalm 147:11)

Fearing God for Our Good
And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. (Jeremiah 32:39-40)

Fearing God is for Our Good Always
And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. (Deuteronomy 6:24)

Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

Fear of the Lord is to be Sought and Understood
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:3-5)

Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10)

Fear of the Lord is the Instruction of Wisdom
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility. (Proverbs 15:33)

Fear the Lord and Bless the Lord
Bless the LORD, O house of Levi: ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD. (Psalm 135:20)

Fear the Lord and be Blessed
Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. (Psalm 128:1)

Fear the Lord and Praise the Lord
Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. (Psalm 22:23)

Fear the Lord and be Praised
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. (Proverbs 31:30)

Fear the Lord and Trust the Lord
Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. (Psalm 115:11)

Fear God and Obey His Voice
Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. (Deuteronomy 13:4)

Fear the Lord Above All Other Gods
For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. (Psalm 96:4)

Fear God—There is None Like Him
Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. (Jeremiah 10:7)

Fear God and Go Not After Other Gods
Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you. (Deuteronomy 6:13-14)

Fear God and Worship Him
But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. (Psalm 5:7)

Fear the Lord with Reverence and Godly Fear
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29)

Fear God Greatly and Revere Him in the Assembly
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. (Psalm 89:7)

Fear the Lord and Let Him Be Your Fear
Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. (Isaiah 8:13)

Fear the Lord and Rejoice With Trembling
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. (Psalm 2:11)

Fear God by Serving Him and Cleaving to Him
Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. (Deuteronomy 10:20)

Fear the Lord and His Angel is With Thee
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. (Psalm 34:7)

Fear God and Serve Him Only
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. (Joshua 24:14)

Fear God and Serve Him in Truth
Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. (1 Samuel 12:24)

Fear the Lord and His Eye Is Upon You
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. (Psalm 33:18-19)

Fear God and Be Accepted by Him
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. (Acts 10:35)

Fear the Lord and Have No Want
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. (Psalm 34:8-9)

Fear God and Receive His Goodness
Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! (Psalm 31:19)

Fear God and Receive His Mercy
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. (Psalm 103:11)

Fear God and It Shall Be Well
Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him. (Ecclesiastes 8:12)

Fear the Lord and Be Satisfied
The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. (Proverbs 19:23)

Fear God and Your Soul Shall Be at Ease
What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. (Psalm 25:12-13)

Fear the Lord and Be Happy
Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. (Proverbs 28:14)

Fear of the Lord Is to Hate Evil
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. (Proverbs 8:13)

Fear the Lord and Depart From Evil
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. (Proverbs 3:7)

Fear God and Avoid False Prophets
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. (Deuteronomy 13:1-4)

Fear God and be Delivered from Your Enemies
But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. (2 Kings 17:39)

Fear God and Have Strong Confidence and a Place of Refuge
In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.(Proverbs 14:26)

Fear the Lord and Don’t Sin
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. (Exodus 20:20)

Fear the Lord and be Shown His Covenant
The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant. (Psalm 25:14)

Fear God and Receive a Banner
Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. (Psalm 60:4)

Fear of God for Those Who Rule
The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. (2 Samuel 23:3)

Fear God and Honor All Men
Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. (1 Peter 2:17)

Fear God and Fellowship with One Another
Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. (Malachi 3:16)

Fear God and Submit Yourselves One to Another
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. (Ephesians 5:21)

Fear God and be a Companion to Those Who Keep His Precepts
I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. (Psalm 119:63)

Fear God and Beware of Those Given to Change
My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change. (Proverbs 24:21)

Fear of the Lord is Clean
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever. (Psalm 19:9)

Fear of the Lord Brings Honor
By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. (Proverbs 22:4)

Fear the Lord and Walk Uprightly
He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him. (Proverbs 14:2)

Fear God and Walk in His Ways
Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. (Deuteronomy 8:6)

Fear God and Perfect Holiness
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

Fear God and Declare His Works
And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. (Psalm 64:9)

Fear God and Declare What He has Done For Your Soul
Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. (Psalm 66:16)

Fear God and Teach Your Children to Fear God
Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. (Deuteronomy 4:10)

Fear God and Individually Grow
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. (Malachi 4:2)

Fear God and Churches Grow
Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. (Acts 9:31)

Fear God and His Salvation is Nigh
Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. (Psalm 85:9)

Fear God and Be Saved
He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. (Psalm 145:19)

Fear God and Give Him Glory
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him. (Revelation 14:6-7)

Fear God and Fear His Name
Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. (Psalm 86:11)

Fear God and Glorify His Name
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. (Revelation 15:4)

Fear God by Passing Your Time Here in Fear
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. (1 Peter 1:17)

Fear God From All the Ends of the Earth
God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. (Psalm 67:7)

Fear God and His Goodness in the Latter Days
Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days. (Hosea 3:5)

Fear God All the Earth
O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. (Psalm 96:9)

Fear God All Day Long
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. (Proverbs 23:17)

Fear God as Long as You Live
Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. (Deuteronomy 4:10)

Fear the Lord Through All Generations
They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. (Psalm 72:5)

Fear God Forever
That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever. (Joshua 4:24)

Fear of God: Foundational to Our Faith

Scripture tells us that one of the foundational attributes of the early church was their fear of God:

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. (Acts 2:42-43)

If the anti-Christ false Christ of the New Age movement continues to have his way, fear will continue to be redefined out of the world, out of the church, and out of our lives. This redefinition of fear is at the heart of the deception and why fear being the opposite of love is taught on the very first page of the New Age “Bible”—A Course in Miracles. But those who truly love God and His Word also fear Him. When it comes to the fear of God, fear and love are intimately bound together—they are not opposites. Teaching that they are opposites is to play right into the hands of our Spiritual Adversary and His anti-christ New Age/New Spirituality.

The Conclusion—Fear God

The Bible makes it very clear that we are to fear God, and we are not to adopt false teachings about fear that are taught by the precepts of men (Isaiah 29:13). In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon states that when all is said and done—we are to fear God and keep His commandments:

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

To order copies of Fearing God in a Fearless New Age in booklet format,click here.

Endnotes
1. A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume (Glen Ellen, California: Foundation for Inner Peace,1975), (Introduction) p. 1.
2. Ibid., (Text) p. 94.
3. Ibid., (Text) p. 584; p. 377.
4. Ibid., (Workbook) p. 183.
5. Ibid., (Text) p. 38.
6. Ibid., (Text) pp. 49-50.
7. Ibid., (Workbook) p. 119 Lesson 70 “My salvation comes from me.”
8. Ibid., (Text) p. 125.
9. Ibid., (Manual) p. 87.
10. Ibid., (Text) p. 147.
11. Ibid., (Text) p. 425.
12. Ibid., (Text) p. 52.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid., (Text) p.377.
15. Ibid., (Workbook) p. 77.
16. Ibid., (Text) p. 147.
17. Ibid., (Text) p. 422.
18. Ibid., (Text) p. 420, p. 606.
19. The Oprah Winfrey Show, February 4, 1992, quoted from DVD copy of program and transcribed by author.
20. Robert Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1982), p. 51.
21. Warren Smith, Deceived on Purpose: The New Age Implications of the Purpose-Driven Church (Mountain Stream Press: Magalia, CA, 2004), p. 80.
22. Rick Warren, “Easter: God’s Antidote to Fear” (The Christian Post, April 9, 2009, https://www.christianpost.com/news/easter-god-s-antidote-to-fear-37969).

23. Mark Batterson, Chase the Lion: If Your Dream Doesn’t Scare You It’s Too Small (New York, NY: Multnomah, 2016), p. 124.
24. Ibid., p. 4
25. Ibid., p. 7.
26. Mark Batterson’s review of The Shack: https://web.archive.org/web/20101226173947/http://evotional.com/2008/05/what-im-reading.html.
27. Jesus Calling endorsement by Mark Batterson: https://www.jesuscalling.com/blog/gregalan-williams-mark-batterson.
28. “Recommended Reading” list on Batterson’s website: http://web.archive.org/web/20061209190909/www.evotional.com/reading.htm.
29. Mark Batterson, Chase the Lion, op. cit., p. 36.
30. Pastor Jason Mitchell, “The Opposite of Love Isn’t Hate” (Relevant Magazine, May 5, 2017, https://relevantmagazine.com/god/faith/the-opposite-of-love-isnt-hate).
31. Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology online at biblestudytools.com.

To order copies of Fearing God in a Fearless New Age in booklet format, click here.

GC2 CONFERENCE ON MENTAL HEALTH INCLUDES "SPIRITUAL FORMATION" TEACHERS RICK WARREN & RUTH HALEY BARTON

GC2 CONFERENCE ON MENTAL HEALTH INCLUDES "SPIRITUAL FORMATION" TEACHERS RICK WARREN & RUTH HALEY BARTON 

SEE: https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2019/newsletter20191227.htm; 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research 

purposes:

On December 12, 2019, Christianity Today posted an article by “new” Christianity pastor Ed Stetzer, giving a recap of the GC2 Summit that took place on December 6th. The article, titled “Lies Pastors Believe, Part One,” states:

Two months of planning for our GC2 Summit on Facing Hard Truths & Challenges in Pastoral Ministry couldn’t have prepared us for what we saw God do this past Friday. Over 400 leaders joined us in person and nearly 80 livestreamed in from all over the world to hear pastors and counselors talk about leadership, burnout, and mental health. If you were unable to join us, you can purchase the full day’s recordings through the GC2 website. They will be available until January 10, 2020.

The messages from leaders such as Rick Warren, Derwin Gray, Ruth Hayley Barton, Drew Hyun, David Wang, Philip Ryken, Margaret Diddams, and others reflected the most important messages pastors need to hear today.

With at least three of the nine speakers being strong advocates for Spiritual Formation (a synonym for “contemplative spirituality”)—Rick Warren, Ruth Haley Barton, and David Wang (a pastor of Spiritual Formation)—it is clear that organizers of GC2 believe Spiritual Formation is a crucial element of “the most important messages pastors need to hear today.”

Spiritual Formation is the entry point for bringing New Age meditation into the church as Lighthouse Trails has time and again documented. The GC2 is yet another example of how Spiritual Formation has become saturated in today’s evangelical church. In fact, it is so integrated now that it’s difficult to find many lines of distinction. Ruth Haley Barton and Rick Warren illustrate this perfectly.

Both Barton and Warren have been long-time activists for contemplative spirituality (i.e., Spiritual Formation). Rick Warren began endorsing it with his first book The Purpose Driven Church saying that the movement has a valid message to the church (p. 126) and continued promoting it in The Purpose Driven Life. Ruth Haley Barton, after training at the highly New Age panentheistic Shalem Center in Washington, DC many years ago, moved into Willow Creek to work with John Ortberg. Together the two created the Spiritual Formation/Contemplative Prayer curriculum for Willow Creek. Today, Barton runs The Transforming Center, a contemplative outreach that trains thousands of pastors in Spiritual Formation.

The GC2 Summit (which was a conference for pastors and church leaders) focused primarily on “burnout,” “mental illness,” and pastoral care and was at least in part to be a remembrance of Rick Warren’s son who passed away in 2013 from suicide. We cannot even imagine the suffering a family would go through from such a loss, and we would not wish that on anyone is this world. We also recognize that the incidence of suicide by young people has reached epidemic proportions. People are looking for answers understandably. Unfortunately, as with the issue of racism that we recently wrote about, the church is looking to the world (and to the New Age) for its answers.

It was no accident or coincidence that GC2 organizers brought in to the discussion of mental health issues prolific Spiritual Formation teachers. They obviously believe that Spiritual Formation is a major part of the answer to mental illness and pastoral burn out. But as we have shown for nearly 18 years, Spiritual Formation, contemplative and centering prayer, lectio divina, Yoga, mindfulness meditation, energy healing, and other New Age-based esoteric experiences and practices will not bring lasting relief for those in mental anguish. Quite the contrary as even secular studies are now showing (see links below).

If your church or someone you know is involved with any of the practices mentioned above, first bring yourself up to speed on understanding these issues; then, pray and do what you can to help others who are caught up into something that is very spiritually (and mentally) dangerous. Remind them that the Lord and His Word are what will bring true peace of mind, comfort, and rest for our souls. The world, and worldly carnal practices, cannot give these things.

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:18)

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (1 Peter 5:10)

Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. (Jeremiah 17:14)

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)


Related Articles:

Meditation! Pathway to Wellness or Doorway to the Occult?

Many Just Now Learning About the Dangers of Spiritual Formation

Beware: Mindfulness Meditation, Especially for Children, is Dangerous

Out of My Mindfulness

YMCA'S HISTORY OF SUPPORTING, CELEBRATING TRANSGENDERS, PERMITTING THEM IN LOCKER ROOMS OF OPPOSITE BIOLOGICAL SEX

MORALLY BANKRUPT 

"CHRISTIAN" YMCA

SEE OUR PREVIOUS POSTS FIRST:

https://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/search/label/YMCA

VITAGLIANO: “It is appalling that a once-Christian organization like the YMCA has now become so morally bankrupt that it has adopted such a misguided policy," Ed Vitagliano, executive vice president for the American Family Association, told LifeSiteNews. "It is clear not only from the Bible but nature itself that there are only two genders – male and female.  The secularist rush to discard the binary nature of humanity is proof that the lunatics are in charge of the asylum."

MAKE THE ABOVE WHEEL LARGER: 

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ymca-ynet-prod/files/youth-development/diversity-wheel-large.PNG

YMCA'S HISTORY OF SUPPORTING, CELEBRATING TRANSGENDERS, PERMITTING THEM IN LOCKER ROOMS OF OPPOSITE BIOLOGICAL SEX

JUST ONE OF OTHER DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES UNDER THE GUISE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE TERMS

HOW TO CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR LGBTQ CAMPERS

BY Jamie Umanzor

SEE: https://www.ymca.net/summer-buzz/create-safe-space-for-lgbtq-campers

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:

Let’s look at the numbers. Across the country, there are approximately 950,000 children and teens enrolled in YMCA summer camps. There are ten times that many U.S. adults—9 million—who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

These statistics may suggest that at least one child enrolled in any given summer camp has a relative or primary caregiver who identifies as LGBTQ. And perhaps, at least one youth enrolled in your community’s summer camp currently identifies—or in the future may identify—as LGBTQ.

Sobering research Opens a new window reveals 30% of LGBTQ youths have attempted suicide, with LGBTQ youth being nearly five times more likely to have attempted suicide in comparison to heterosexual youth.

So how can youth development professionals create a safe and welcoming environment for all children and teens? And how can we better equip staff to be both curious and knowledgeable about all communities, including LGBTQ communities?

                                              From Implementing Diversity ©1996. Irwin Professional Publishing.
                           The Diversity Wheel is adapted from Marilyn Loden’s chart in her book “Implementing Diversity.”

CLICK HERE TO EXPAND THE DIVERSITY WHEEL OPENS A NEW WINDOW

Here are nine recommendations:

Recognize that every child is unique in their self-identities, across all dimensions of diversity. No two people are the same. Our perspectives and experiences are influenced by how we identify—and we are ever-changing as we age, grow and develop. This is especially true for children. Take time to get to know each child’s unique self-identities. Include LGBTQ youth in the conversation and ask what will help them to feel safe and included.
Be an ally. Support and celebrate openly LGBTQ staff, youth and families.
Work to confound gender-based assumptions regarding toys, activities and attire. Use gender-neutral language and invite all children to participate in all activities. Avoid assuming that boys prefer to play sports and girls prefer to make arts-and-crafts.
Ensure all campers and staff have access to the facilities aligned with their gender identity and comfort within facility and resource limitations.
Provide training opportunities to foster education, awareness and knowledge-building related to LGBTQ communities and best practices for inclusion.
Use gender-neutral (or self-identified) pronouns when referencing guardians/parents, partners, families and significant others. When creating registration forms, camper communications and other messaging, consider that not every camper is raised in the same type of home. Being sensitive to language and aiming to respect the way individuals self-identify is a critical step to becoming an inclusive camp.
Lift up stories of LGBTQ inclusion in trainings, marketing and camp activities. Do your camp marketing or training materials include people from all walks of life, including same-sex couples, families and transgender individuals?
Celebrate Pride Month! June is the official month, but pride can be celebrated year-round! Communicate early and often that your camp is a safe space for LGBTQ youth, families and communities.
Build partnerships with local organizations that serve the LGBTQ community, such as houses of worship, health care centers and educational institutions. These relationships may provide support beyond the scope of Y services and also help your staff become more educated and welcoming over time.


At the Y, we believe that in a diverse world, we are stronger when we are inclusive and our doors are open to all—this includes LGBTQ identified individuals and communities.

______________________________________________________________

Observing Transgender Day of Remembrance 

on Nov. 20

BY ERIN WALTER

SEE: https://www.austinymca.org/blog/observing-transgender-day-remembrance

-nov-20; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research 

purposes:


The Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed annually on November 20 to honor the people killed by anti-transgender violence and celebrate the community members who are still with us. The Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) and Austin Black Pride will be holding this year’s ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 7-9pm in the TownLake YMCA gymnasium, followed by a mixer and a community conversation.

"This event is meant to take a moment and acknowledge those that we have lost throughout the year, while also uplifting and celebrating the members of the community that are with us today," said Sheldon Darnell, Co-Founder/President of Austin Black Pride, and Rocky Lane, Board President of TENT, in a shared statement. "While we know one evening is not going to bring about an end to senseless violence it's still important to create a space for us to not only mourn, but to show our resilience both collectively and individually." 

For the YMCA, opening our doors for the Trans Day of Remembrance is an opportunity to show support for trans Y members and staff and their families, as well as welcome new people and the wider community into our space, said Rev. Erin Walter, TownLake YMCA Community Engagement Director.

“Trans members, staff, and community members have long been a vital part of the YMCA,” Rev. Walter said. “We hope this gathering helps show trans youth that they are welcome here, underscore to trans elders that they are seen and valued members of our Y programs, and show the whole community that the Y is for all.”

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is both a solemn time – mourning the loss of trans people who have been killed, most of whom are black trans women – and a time to come together in support, celebration, and community care.

“The Day of Remembrance was, historically, the only place in Austin that trans folks regularly gathered,” said Katy Koonce, a longtime YMCA member, nonbinary activist, musician and psychotherapist who predominantly serves the trans community. “There was fear, and there was shame in the early years, and it was a hard sell. But the turnout in the last 10 years or so and the crucial involvement of people of color has been a leap forward.”

Nearby offsite event parking is available west of the facility, contributed by Y neighbors Austin High, Austin Pets Alive, and West Austin Youth Association (WAYA), so that Y members are still able to park in the TownLake lot for general facility use. Basketball players are invited to try the courts at the Southwest YMCA during this time. 

YMCA of Austin board member Danielle Skidmore, an engineer, parent, and longtime Y member, said: “As a YMCA board member and a member of the transgender community, when my friends at the Transgender Education Network of Texas told me that the TownLake YMCA was going to host the 2019 TDOR, it made me so happy and proud to be part of both communities.”

In the long run, supporters hope increased visibility for the Transgender Day of Remembrance will lead to decreased transphobia and anti-trans violence, saving the lives of some of the most marginalized members of our community.

For more information, Spanish language information, or to register for the 2019 Transgender Day of Remembrance, see the Facebook event. 

________________________________________________________________


Chicago YMCAs open locker rooms to transgender boys and girls

BY Fr. Mark Hodges

SEE: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/chicago-ymca-opens-locker-rooms-to-transgender-boys-and-girls; 
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:

CHICAGO, Illinois, July 18, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) -- Chicago-area YMCAs have adopted a policy allowing men in the women’s locker rooms and vice versa.

YMCA of Metro Chicago President Dick Malone explained the Y's new transgender policy in a letter sent to members and on the organization's website, stating that the Y "supports every member having the opportunity to use the locker room and restroom they select based on their gender identity."

In a scenario that’s becoming increasingly common, when a YMCA parent complained that a male teenager was changing in the women's lockers, Y staff learned that the boy was a self-declared "transgender" person and defended the boy's use of the girls' showers.





Rae Ulrich, senior vice president of marketing for the YMCA of Metro Chicago, acknowledged that from the parent's perspective, "there was a man in the locker room.  But there wasn't. There was a transgender individual in the locker room."

Malone assured Chicagoland residents that despite its policy to allow the opposite sex in bathrooms, Y members are safe because "the expanded inclusion policy doesn’t give anyone a new opportunity to behave inappropriately."

The controversial policy, which affects all Y programs, including children’s camps and gym and pool facilities, applies to 21 Chicago area YMCAs, serving 140,000 people. It is not known whether Chicago's smaller, independent YMCAs will follow suit.

George Williams, a 22 year-old department store worker, gathered 11 friends to organize the first YMCA in 1844 as a refuge of Bible study and prayer for young men living on the dangerous streets of London.  Its mission for more than 170 years has been to "put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all."

“It is appalling that a once-Christian organization like the YMCA has now become so morally bankrupt that it has adopted such a misguided policy," Ed Vitagliano, executive vice president for the American Family Association, told LifeSiteNews. "It is clear not only from the Bible but nature itself that there are only two genders – male and female.  The secularist rush to discard the binary nature of humanity is proof that the lunatics are in charge of the asylum."

American Values President Gary Bauer said he blames a recent spate of bathroom attacks on the Obama Administration. "The tragedy of political correctness when it comes to the Obama Administration's attempts to force changes across the country will be experienced by the weakest among us," Bauer told LifeSiteNews. "Already, we are hearing stories of abuse in bathrooms, as women and children are alone in closed locations with those who have the potential to hurt them."

Bauer concluded, "Common sense protections need to stay in place, so that the primary goal of public safety is not lost to the social engineering goals of those who do not care who is hurt by their policies."





Vitagliano added, "Christians should certainly be compassionate towards those who are confused or otherwise struggling over their sexual or gender identity, but other people have rights too. For example, many parents and many young people prefer that someone born male not be allowed to undress around girls. Why don’t those feelings count?”

The Chicago Tribune reports that YMCA policy is to address members by the name and pronoun they choose, "regardless of any sex listed on identification." Y staff are being trained by LGBTQ "experts."

In 2015, Pierce and Kitsap counties near Seattle adopted policies allowing members to choose whatever shower or changing room they wish, "no questions asked," but after receiving 1,000 complaints, slightly modified the policy to apply only to adult YMCAs.

A YMCA volunteer and mother named Jill told KTTH that the transgender policy puts children in danger. “(Employees) can’t ask them, they can’t tell them no,” she said. “So any man can say, hey, I’m transgender’ and go in that way.”

Jill explained that giving access to children in intimate private facilities increases the chance of sexual abuse. She also pointed out that the policy makes adults uncomfortable, too.

“Seeing a naked man in my locker room is sexual harassment for me,” Jill said. “That’s the way I feel about it.”

Michelle Larue, senior vice president of marketing with the Pierce and Kitsap YMCA, told KTTH that people who feel uncomfortable showering and changing clothes alongside the opposite sex may use one of the YMCA’s private rooms. But that is exactly the policy that transgenders have sued school districts over, claiming that "separate but equal" facilities are unconstitutional and discriminatory.

________________________________________________________________

New YMCA guidelines support transgender bathroom, 

locker room access

By ANGIE LEVENTIS LOURGOS

SEE: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-transgender-ymca-

met-20160713-story.html; 
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:



A mom at a suburban YMCA recently reported to employees that she was unnerved to find a teenager who appeared to be male using the women's locker room.





But YMCA staff later learned the teen was transgender and determined the youth had every right to access the women's facilities.





"From (the mother's) perspective, there was a man in the locker room," said Rae Ulrich, senior vice president of marketing for the YMCA of Metro Chicago. "But there wasn't. There was a transgender individual in the locker room."





This situation and a few similar scenarios have spurred the YMCA to craft guidelines for accommodating transgender members and guests, which include allowing them access to restrooms and changing areas that match their gender identity.

The protocol was explained in a letter posted Wednesday on the organization's website. The YMCA of Metro Chicago said it also sent the letter to its 140,000 members at its 21 Chicagoland centers. The guidelines will cover all YMCA of Metro Chicago programs and services, from gym and pool facilities to summer camps and various classes. The policies wouldn't apply to some smaller, independent YMCA's in the Chicago area.



"We recognize our commitment in support of the rights of all individuals can cause some to feel uncomfortable," says the letter, signed by Dick Malone, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metro Chicago. "Again, it's our goal for all members to thrive at the Y, and this is why we will do our best to support each of you while maintaining an environment that reflects the inclusive values we share."





Any patron — regardless of gender identity — can opt to use a single-stall or private area when available. YMCA officials say they're also working to add private spaces to all locations.





The YMCA's new guidelines come amid a fervent national debate on transgender rights, particularly over access to public bathrooms and locker rooms.





The U.S. Department of Justice and North Carolina filed clashing lawsuits in May over a new state law requiring everyone use public restrooms and changing areas that correspond to the sex on their birth certificate, which the governor there has called a common-sense privacy policy. The federal agency has said that law violates the Civil Rights Act.





A few days later, the Obama administration issued a directive that all public schools treat transgender students in a manner that correlates with their gender identity, regardless of the sex indicated on their education records or identification. Nearly two dozen states have sued the federal government over that directive.



Locally, a landmark case continues in northwest suburban Palatine after the U.S. Department of Education found Township High School District 211 violated Title IX when a transgender student wasn't permitted to use the girls locker room. The district then gave her access to the locker room, while also installing privacy stalls, but a group of parents and students in May filed a federal lawsuit against the Education Department and school district, arguing it created an intimidating and hostile environment for other students.





With dueling laws and lawsuits in the news, YMCA officials said some members had inquired about their organization's stance on transgender access to public facilities.





Employees are directed to refer to patrons by the name and pronoun they desire, regardless of any sex listed on identification. Staff members are being trained on best practices with the help of experts from the LGBTQ nonprofit Center on Halsted and the Gender and Sex Development Program at Lurie Children's Hospital.





When asked about the guidelines, people at the Elmhurst YMCA on Wednesday night had mixed reactions.





Greg Vanderlaan, 66, who said he has been a member since the mid-1980s, called the guidelines a "big mistake."



"Locker room access should be based on physiology," he said.





"How do you explain this to very young children?" said Joe Idaszak, 84, who also said he's gone to the YMCA for three decades.





But 23-year-old Jake Walters said it didn't really have an impact on him.





"It's kind of a topic people are talking about," he said. "It doesn't surprise me. It doesn't bother me."





The battleground for transgender rights has included other nationwide gyms and fitness centers.



A Michigan woman filed a lawsuit against Planet Fitness in 2015 when the national chain revoked her membership alleging she repeatedly complained about a transgender woman in the women's changing area; the gym has said its patrons are allowed to use the public facilities of their choice based on "sincere self-reported gender identity." A trial court judge dismissed the case in January, but the plaintiff appealed.





A YMCA in the Tacoma, Wash., area in April 2015 created a policy that allowed transgender patrons to use public facilities matching their gender identity but didn't communicate this to the general membership, and backlash ensued when the news spread unofficially, according to The News Tribune in Tacoma. The YMCA then revised its policy to allow transgender patrons this kind of access only at adult facilities but not at family facilities, which LGBT advocates decried as discriminatory. By the end of 2015, that YMCA returned to its original policy of allowing bathroom and locker room use based on gender identity.





The YMCA — the Young Men's Christian Association — was founded in London in 1844, and the organization's goal was "the spiritual and mental improvement of young men by any means in accordance with the Scriptures," according to the nonprofit's website. The YMCA is not affiliated with the YWCA. Each organization has its own rules and leadership.





The YMCA of Metro Chicago formed in 1858.





"The YMCA is at the heart and soul of growing up in Chicago," the website says, "and will be so for years to come."

_______________________________________