MASSACHUSETTS DEPT. OF EDUCATION MEMORANDUM ON TRANSGENDERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

This is the memorandum for guidance about transgender students in Massachusetts public schools in its entirety at: http://www.doe.mass.edu/ssce/GenderIdentity.pdf.

NETGRACE.ORG-GODLY RESPONSE TO ABUSE

GODLY RESPONSE TO ABUSE IN THE CHRISTIAN ENVIRONMENT

We are recommending Grace ministry http://netgrace.org as an excellent resource for child abuse issues. They do investigations, consultations, prevention training and response assistance. They also have an extensive resource area of articles, videos, audios, books, blogs, and Powerpoint presentations. Their board is comprised of professionals in the field. They have partnerships with the American Association of Christian Counselors http://www.aacc.net/, and Diane Langberg, psychologist in Jenkintown, PA http://www.dianelangberg.com/work/diane.html and http://www.dianelangberg.com/practice/index.htm.
There are four videos from GRACE on Vimeo:
http://vimeo.com/58304996.
http://vimeo.com/58712566.
http://vimeo.com/59231886.
http://vimeo.com/59231885.
Here is a video from GRACE on YouTube: "Protect Your Kids Now From Internet Dangers":

"A MINDFUL NATION" (WITHOUT CHRIST OR THE BIBLE) BY CONGRESSMAN TIM RYAN OF OHIO

    This is the long version of Tim Ryan's background testimony, and braggadocio Youngstown-style (that he's "not exactly out on a limb with this") under the auspices of Tara Brach http://tarabrach.com/, who is  "a leading western teacher of Buddhist meditation, emotional healing and spiritual awakening. She has practiced and taught meditation for over 35 years, with an emphasis on vipassana (mindfulness or insight) meditation." 
    Even though Ryan stressed how he cares about people and wants the best for them, not once does Ryan talk about the sin problem of mankind (as being the root cause of school problems and other problems), the need for Christ as Savior, or even all those eternal souls destined for hell without Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So much for his "Catholic/Christian" social gospel upbringing, which by his own words and purposeful denial, he has de facto repudiated. Now his goal and his gospel is to "rehabilitate" student populations throughout America through "brain science", not salvation in Christ.
    Nothing from Ryan either about defending the great loss of freedom for Christians to speak in public, believe what the Bible says, and homeschool their kids, (even in his own state of Ohio), while the LGBTQ agenda runs roughshod over their rights as Americans to free speech and public assembly. This is continually exposed by Linda Harvey of Mission America which is based in Ohio: http://missionamerica.com/.
    Instead we get a jokingly "firm" promise that we will not see a Secretary of Mindfulness (or czar perhaps) in government, but nevertheless lacing his talk with how many large corporations are doing mindfulness programs, including the U.S. Marines under Elizabeth A. Stanley, http://explore.georgetown.edu/people/es63/?PageTemplateID=156, as in: http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=52782, and http://news.yahoo.com/marines-studying-mindfulness-based-training-184225539.html, and http://news.yahoo.com/marines-studying-mindfulness-based-training-184225539.html. 
    What Ryan fails to see is that by teaching people to turn inward to appreciate a false "divinity" a/k/a "the god within" (instead of depravity), he will be helping to create a society not of individuals who care about each other like his grandparents, but a society of selfish, self-centered egocentric individuals that, by reason of their Buddhist self "mindfulness", will logically lack the "socialization" skills that liberals falsely claim is lacking in homeschoolers who they say don't have the benefits of a public school education. That will be a society of individuals who are "gods unto themselves".

Included in this is a discussion of the "amygdala" of the brain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amygdala, which he says schoolchildren are learning about as the center of emotions. Further explained at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/a/amygdala.htm, as the center of emotions.
This video explains further:

JOHN MACARTHUR-"A TIMELY CRITIQUE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH"-NEW SERIES COMING

A TIMELY CRITIQUE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

http://www.gty.org/blog/B130221

by John MacArthur
Last week Pope Benedict XVI made the historic and unexpected announcement that he will soon retire. As a result, we’re about to be inundated with a massive wave of news coverage and public discussion about the Roman Catholic Church, and specifically the search for the new pope.
In the coming days and weeks, you’re likely to find yourself in a variety of conversations about the Catholic Church with friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors—each one an opportunity to shed biblical light on a topic that everyone will be talking about. And when the Lord brings those opportunities, I want you to be able to speak with clarity and authority regarding the truth of God’s Word and the corrupt idolatry of Roman Catholicism.
The current attitude throughout much of the evangelical church is that we ought to embrace Catholics as true believers in Christ. And it’s safe to assume we’ll hear even more calls for unity and partnership with the Catholic Church in the days to come.
But reclassifying the pope, the worship of Mary, the idolatry of the mass, and the entire Roman Catholic system as authentic, biblical Christianity isn’t that simple. It has massive implications, including overturning centuries of church history, missionary effort, and martyrdom.
The fact is, the most formidable, relentless, and deceptive enemy in Satan’s long war on the truth has been Roman Catholicism. It’s an apostate, corrupt, heretical, false Christianity—a thinly veiled façade for the kingdom of Satan.
The true church of the Lord Jesus Christ has always understood that. Even in the Dark Ages prior to the Reformation, genuine believers set themselves apart from the Catholic system and were brutally persecuted and punished for rejecting the false, idolatrous teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.
Discerning believers today need to be just as committed to standing firm against the Catholic system. We need to recognize its false priesthood, false revelation, and false tradition. We need to see through its system of twisted sacraments, idolatrous worship, and corrupt authority. Most important, we need to be aware of how the lies of Satan contradict God’s Word and be prepared to defend and explain the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
Next week we’re going to look at some key facets of Roman Catholic theology and practice and examine how they corrupt and contradict the teaching of Scripture. While this short series won’t be exhaustive, I know it will encourage you and be a great help in the coming weeks and beyond. Lots of people are going to be talking about the Catholic Church—I want to help you make the most of those opportunities.

---

Available online at: http://www.gty.org/resources/Blog/B130221

A CAN OF WORMS OPENED: "MINDFULNESS" GOES MAINSTREAM

1 John 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits to see if they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

    "Mindful" of the commands of Christ and the warnings of Scripture to test all the spirits, we will attempt to take on the "Mindfulness" movement in this post, understanding that Christians in general are ignorant of the forces arrayed against them. By this post we are making an attempt to wake up the Church, deliberately reminding one another in Christ that to be "mindful" in a biblical sense is to be aware of good and evil, truth and error, correct and incorrect, black and white, true teachers and false teachers, the real gospel and false gospels, angels and demons, saved and unsaved, knowledge and ignorance, conscious and unconscious, true prophets and false prophets, independent thinking and brainwashed thinking, etc. The alternative as shown herein is unthinkable!
    First, we will introduce you to the main players:

    A previous post explored how Tim Ryan, Congressman from Ohio,

was introduced to the mystical practice of "centering prayer" by a Catholic priest and is a major proponent of the harmless sounding "mindfulness", has subsequently opened for us another "can of worms" that we have spent a lot of time and effort researching as documented below.
    Just when we and you thought that this was a minor and widely scattered phenomenon we were proved wrong by the mountain of evidence that for the most part has travelled like worms do, under the radar. This infestation is soon coming to a church, school, "Bible study", retreat, camp, YMCA or other organization that you thought was Christian or at least ethical.
    First, we must state clearly that any practice or belief which has its roots in the mysticism, false gospel, anti-Biblical, anti-Reformation theology, and idolatry of the Roman Catholic Church is corrupt, dangerous, and devilish, and should be avoided like the plague by Bible believing, Reformation adhering Christians. Nevertheless, the Catholic Church has influenced Ryan who is a conscious or unconscious puppet of the RCC, as the amount of time he spends on this is excessive for someone who is supposed to represent the interests of the Ohio constituency for which he was elected, not to be an apologist or proselyte for a dubious and pagan set of Buddhist practices. The reasons he has attached himself to this cause are manifold but evident by the types of associations he has cultivated.
    Therefore, the questions must be asked:
1) "Why is Ryan spending so much of his time on this, wasting taxpayer monies in the process, instead of concentrating on other more pressing matters, like bringing back industry and jobs to an economically depressed Ohio?" 
2) "Isn't Ryan satisfied with the Judeo-Christian foundation of the United States?
3) "How will Mr. Ryan and our country benefit by changing our culture founded on Christian principles into a culture brainwashed by Buddhist practices, starting with our schoolchildren being turned into robotic zombies?"
4) "What does Mr. Ryan think about the Protestant work ethic that built this country?" Should it be replaced, and by what?" "Mysticism?" "Non-Judgmentalism?"
    An article here at the National Catholic Reporter shows that the RCC is behind "mindfulness", albeit from a Catholic perspective:
http://ncronline.org/blogs/road-peace/mindfulness-walk-peace.
Ryan has talked on Interfaith Radio in Washington, DC about mindfulness: http://interfaithradio.org/Archive/2012-August/Mindfulness_on_Capitol_Hill_and_Gay_Rights_in_the_Episcopal_Church, and these are the audio downloads:
http://interfaithradio.org/admin/Showsfiles/downloadmp3.php?file=501af852be440Show_1232.mp3, and
http://interfaithradio.org/admin/Storiesfiles/downloadmp3.php?file=501af8870efa6LEAD_1232_Tim_Ryan_on_Mindfulness.mp3.

    Congressman Tim Ryan, influenced early on in his youth by Catholic mysticism and a certain unknown priest himself enthralled with the Hindu/Buddhist/Communist and mystical Catholic Trappist monk Thomas Merton http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Merton,

the latter being a student of Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Jainism and Sufism, and other eastern mystical practices, Ryan was also a student under Jon Kabat-Zinn, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Kabat-Zinn,

which points out that:
    "Jon Kabat-Zinn (né Kabat) (born June 5, 1944) is Professor of Medicine Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, http://www.umassmed.edu/Content.aspx?id=41252 and http://www.umassmed.edu/Content.aspx?id=43102, and http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/oasis/index.aspx. An example of the influence on other medical schools can be seen here: 
http://www.pennmedicine.org/stress/offerings/pub-stress-mgmt/.
http://www.jeffersonhospital.org/departments-and-services/mindfulness.

Kabat-Zinn was a student of Zen Master Seung Sahn and a founding member of Cambridge Zen Center. His practice of yoga and studies with Buddhist teachers led him to integrate their teachings with those of Western science. He teaches mindfulness meditation as a technique to help people cope with stress, anxiety, pain and illness. A stress reduction program created by Kabat-Zinn is offered at medical centers, hospitals, and health maintenance organizations." 
Zinn explains what "Mindfulness" is:

and

and
Zinn says the arrival of a baby into your family is like "having a 'live-in' Zen master parachute into your home":

and more wisdom from Zinn: "You Cannot Spoil Your Baby":

What Meditation is by Zinn:

Zinn calls Obama "The First Mindful President"; and "not driven by ego concerns". Is he for real? No, keep in mind (if you're biblically mindful) that he checked his critical thinking skills long ago, but mangaged to rise to career heights without being "spiritual":

Zinn markets his CDs and DVDs at: http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/, at which is posted a biography of Zinn with his associations: http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/author.html, such as with Dr. Ludwig of Children's Hospital who co-authored in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) the article "Mindfulness in Medicine" at: http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/Mindfulness_in_Medicine_JAMA_9-16-08.pdf, and the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies www.eomega.org (where Ryan posted his article: http://eomega.org/learning-paths/body-mind-amp-spirit-mindfulness-leadership-amp-work-education/bringing-mindfulness), and the Min and Life Institute http://www.mindandlife.org/.
And included therein are Zinn's articles in pdf: http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/sun_mar10_kabatzinn.pdf, and http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/jkz_foreword_%20teaching_mindfulness.pdf, and http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/meditate_daily.pdf, (with Oprah.com at bottom), and http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/meditate_cultivate.pdf (also with Oprah.com at bottom).

Zinn also offers Yoga at this site, called Mindful Yoga: http://www.shareguide.com/Zinn.html.

    Ryan, Merton, Zinn and many others have a living idol and model for the practice of mindfulness coupled with yoga in the person of "Thay" (master/teacher) 
    Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk 

http://thehawnfoundation.org/mindup/

documented here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Nhat_Hanh. A leader in the "Engaged Buddhism" movement, his approach is a synthesis of Buddhism and Western psychology, as shown in this video, where "applied ethics is applied with the cooperation of school teachers", and at his website: http://mindfuledu.org/.

Oprah Winfrey interviewed Thich Nhat Hanh here:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Oprah-Talks-to-Thich-Nhat-Hanh.

    Such influence is borne out by Ryan's joyful and enthusiastic association with "Eomega", as clearly in his own article promoting the use of mindfulness in public schools:
http://eomega.org/learning-paths/body-mind-amp-spirit-mindfulness-leadership-amp-work-education/bringing-mindfulness.
    Zinn, Ryan and others are interviewed in this PBS (Public Broadcasting System) article along with a very revealing video of Ryan talking to schoolchildren with a type of missionary zeal about mindfulness on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/july-20-2012/mindfulness-goes-mainstream/11881/.
Mindful Schools video:

and here is the trailer for "Room to Breathe" film, website at: http://www.roomtobreathefilm.com/.

From Mindfulschools.org: http://www.mindfulschools.org/, Testimonials from Teachers:

Mindful Schools In-Class Instruction:

Goldie Hawn:

    Actress Goldie Hawn of Scholastic school media, is of "like mind" when it comes to indoctrinating vulnerable and gullible schoolchildren and their equally gullible parents into "mindfulness" as here in her version called the "MindUp" program, which together with Ryan's youthful and undiscerning ignorance makes for a formidable thrust into your children's "mind, body and spirit", using a secular/humanist indoctrination, which ignores and discounts any and all traditional Christianity. It is 180 degrees from anything Christian. The Hawn Foundation is at: http://thehawnfoundation.org/.
"MindUp" video promo here:

Review of Hawn's audio book "10 Mindful Minutes" is here:

Christian Answers for the New Age (CANA) has several excellent articles about how Buddhism disguised as "mindfulness" and "MindUp" is influencing schoolchildren and adults for the worse:

http://www.christiananswersforthenewage.org/Articles_MindfulnessForChildren.html.
http://www.christiananswersforthenewage.org/Articles_MoreOnMindfulness.html.
Also linked to Sola Sisters is: http://solasisters.blogspot.com/2012/01/mindfulness-for-children-buddhism-for.html, which addresses Hawn's influence in particular.

Other sources of Mindfulness techniques, programs and meetings:
http://www.mindfullivingprograms.com/.
http://emindful.com/, (courses for doctors, individuals, employers, brokers). The owner Kelley Ruff explains:

Jennifer Davis, psychotherapist with Emindful explains how the courses help you "release judgment about good or bad", and a "hyper-critical" attitude":

Lisa Dale Miller on the EMindful YouTube channel draws the connections between "Christian" contemplative practices and the Buddhist mindfulness meditation:

Other important sources are: 
Mindfulness Bell or I Am Home: http://mindfulnessbell.org/ or http://www.iamhome.org/. This has a worldwide directory of meeting places or sanghas at: http://www.iamhome.org/directory/index.cgi.
http://www.awakeningheart.org/.
http://circleyoga.com/mindfulness/monday-night-mindfulnes.
http://tarabrach.com/, and her extensive reading and resource list: http://tarabrach.com/recommended-reading.html.

Some Sanghas:
http://www.wabisabisangha.org/.
http://communityofmindfulnessnewyorkmetro.blogspot.com/.
http://www.rockblossom.org/.
http://www.willowbranch.org/.
http://www.plumvillage.org/.
http://deerparkmonastery.org/.
http://bluecliffmonastery.org/.
http://magnoliagrovemonastery.org/.


Churches doing Mindfulness:
http://oldstpats.org/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction-mbsr/.
Delaware Valley Zen Center: http://www.dvzc.org/.

Without doubt, to be continued.

GERMAN HOMESCHOOL CASE MAY IMPACT U.S. HOMESCHOOL FREEDOM

U.S. Justice Department Claims Homeschooling is Not a Right:

From the New American News: http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/14523-obama-bid-to-deport-homeschool-refugees-may-threaten-us-rights.

Obama Bid to Deport Homeschool Refugees  May Threaten U.S. Rights

The Romeikes, a homeschooling family who fled Germany due to harassment, fines, threats of jail, and removal of their children because of such homeschooling, are now faced with the possibility that the U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, will not allow asylum for them in the U.S. Here is the story from Home School  Legal Defense:
http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/2013/201302110.asp.
At World Christian News: http://www.worldmag.com/2013/02/christian_homeschoolers_losing_deportation_fight.
CBN News: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/2013/February/Justice-Department-Home-Schooling-not-a-Right/.
Other articles among many from the New American on homeschooling:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/167-us-judge-grants-asylum-for-homeschooling-family.
http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/13805-homeschoolers-worldwide-join-forces.
http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/13507-in-berlin-global-homeschooling-leaders-unveil-historic-declaration.
http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/13503-homeschoolers-flee-persecution-in-germany-and-sweden.

TWO COPTIC EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS MURDERED IN NEW JERSEY; DECAPITATED HEADS AND HANDS BURIED SEPARATELY FROM TORSOS

As reported by Culture News at http://culturecampaign.blogspot.com/2013/02/muslim-beheads-christians-in-new-jersey.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FZbnxq+%28CULTURE+NEWS%29, Yusuf Ibrahim has been arrested and held on $3 million bail in Atlantic County, NJ for the alleged murder of two Coptic Egyptian Christians from Jersey City, NJ

GLORIA ALLRED HIRED AS ATTORNEY FOR TERI JAMES IN LAWSUIT AGAINST CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

WARNINGS ABOUT DANGEROUS "SPIRITUAL FORMATION"

John MacArthur issues his warnings about spiritual formation here:

Forms and practices of spiritual formation to be avoided: (Forgive the misspelling in this video):

Articles which address spiritual formation are these:

http://www.svchapel.org/resources/articles/133-spiritual-formation-movement/783-spiritual-formation-at-worship.

http://christianresearchnetwork.org/topic/spiritual-formation/.

http://apprising.org/2008/09/18/contemplative-spiritualitymysticism-csm-of-spiritual-formation-is-reckless-faith/.

http://apprising.org/2008/08/30/spiritual-formation-just-say-no/.

http://apprising.org/2008/09/04/spiritual-formation-is-pietism-reimagined/.

http://apprising.org/2008/09/14/dangers-of-deception-with-spiritual-formation/.

http://apprising.org/2008/09/01/contemplative-spiritualitymysticism-as-methodology-for-spiritual-formation/.

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/spiritualformation.htm.

http://apprising.org/2012/02/29/dr-gary-gilley-on-spiritual-formation/.

http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue91.htm.

UPDATED: OHIO CONGRESSMAN TIM RYAN TEACHES NEW AGE MEDITATION TECHNIQUES OF "MINDFULNESS" TO CONGRESS AND SCHOOLCHILDREN

Tim Ryan, Democratic congressman from the rough and tumble Youngstown, Ohio area has had his book "A Mindful Nation" published by the foremost New Age publisher, Hay House, Inc., whose founder Louise Hay, is a new age teacher of "positive affirmations" as shown in:

His book promotes New Age meditation for schoolchildren and adults including his co-workers in Congress. As the videos show, this involves yoga. See article here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57568552/ohio-congressmans-meditation-crusade/.

First, Ryan claims a Catholic priest taught him Catholic contemplative/mystical new age "centering prayer":

Ryan's book trailer promo:

Ryan discusses his "mindfulness" techniques with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius: