by Alan Langstaff

Odds & Ends are worth covering topics that do not necessarily require a whole article.

PRACTICING CHRISTIANS

“In 2000, 45 percent of U.S. adults surveyed by Barna fit the criteria for practicing Christians – meaning self-identified as Christians who value their faith and attend church at least monthly. Today, this number sits at 20 percent.

In essence, the share of practicing Christians has nearly dropped in half since 2000 – a shift that can have major repercussions for church leaders hoping to attract and retain active congregants.

Still, Barna’s ongoing Spiritually Open research shows there is fertile ground for Christian faith: 82 percent of U.S. adults are at least somewhat certain there is a spiritual or supernatural dimension to the world.

While the decline of Christian faith practice is real, this data reminds us of the rising opportunity to reach those who are spiritually curious.”

(by Barna – January 6, 2025)

TRANS KIDS

“J.K. Rowling has once again found herself at the center of a firestorm, this time for her bold statements asserting that transgender children do not exist.

A user on X accused her of having a “hateful focus on trans kids” and declared it “hurtful and unnecessary.”

Rowling didn’t hold back.

“There are no trans kids,” she declared. “No child is ‘born in the wrong body’. There are only adults like you, prepared to sacrifice the health of minors to bolster your belief in an ideology that will end up wreaking more harm than lobotomies and false memory syndrome combined.”

Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, is no stranger to this debate and has been the target of hate and even death threats for speaking the truth about transgender ideology.

And, no matter what the gender activists say, Rowling is correct.

A 2022 study revealed that transitioning children offers no medical benefit for young people. Research shows that up to 90% of children who experience gender confusion will no longer identify as transgender in adulthood if they are not pushed toward transitioning, whether socially or medically.

At the same time, the two studies most commonly cited to justify transitioning minors are deeply flawed. Both studies excluded participants who dropped out—likely those with negative experiences—resulting in a skewed outcome that favored those who reported benefits. Additionally, a Swedish study undermined one of the central claims made by gender activists by finding zero evidence that transitioning children reduces the risk of suicide.”
(by PJMedia, Matt Margolis)

BIBLE TRANSLATION

“The number of global language groups without a Bible translation being developed in their primary language has dropped below 1,000 for the first time—a major milestone toward the goal of getting the Scripture into a form everyone can access.

ProgressBible, a nearly 10-year-old network of more than 30 evangelical ministries that tracks global Bible access statistics, says there are now 985 languages for which a Bible translation has yet to begin development. That number is a sharp decline from just three years ago, when there were 1,892 language groups, representing 145 million people, without a Bible translation being developed. Much of the progress recently has been among several major languages in sensitive areas being started in the last three years, the group says.”
(by Decision Magazine, November 2024)

CHRISTIANS ARE MORE CHARITABLE

“Bible-engaged Christians are the most charitable people in the nation, and giving increases happiness among the generous, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in releasing the last chapter of the 2024 State of the Bible.

“People who consistently read the Bible and live by its teachings are more likely to give to charity,” ABS Chief Innovation Officer John Plake said in releasing the results. “Our data shows that they also give far more – not only to their churches, but also to religious and non-religious charities.

“At a national level, we could say that Scripture Engaged people form a massive engine of generosity and philanthropy.”

Evangelical households top the chart in the average amount donated, the percentage of people donating and the percentage given to their church or any religious charity, researchers said.”
(by MinistryWatch, Diana Chandler, December 18, 2024)

REASON TRUMP WON

“Democrats and their media enablers are trying to make sense of last Tuesday’s election – the biggest shift to the right since Ronald Reagan became president in 1980 – searching for where they went wrong. The good news for the GOP is that they haven’t got a clue.

The main disconnect is that they fail to acknowledge that tens of millions of Americans actually like Donald Trump; many even love him. Democrats are so blinded by hatred (there’s a reason that Republicans have coined the TDS label) they literally cannot fathom that Trump is personally popular. The reasons for that affection in a moment, but first it is worthwhile (and, frankly, fun) to explore the self-flagellation and circular firing squads taking place on the Left.”
(by Fox News, Liz Peek)

TONY DUNGY & BABIES

“According to Scripture, having faith in the one true God means that you can’t support abortion, as it is the intentional killing of babies in the womb. With the sixth commandment, God made it incredibly clear: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17). There is hardly any other proof necessary to establish the reality that, to support abortion, you would have to “abandon” your faith.

As a professing Christian, Hall of Fame NFL coach Tony Dungy understands this. In fact, despite his prominent role on NBC’s “Football Night in America” show, Dungy openly criticized the vice president’s comment. “Dear VP Harris: I hear you make this statement all the time,” he wrote on X. “Exactly what ‘faith’ are you talking about when you say you don’t have to abandon it to support abortion?”

He went on to make his case: “Are you talking about the Christian faith that says all babies are made in the image of God (Gen 1:26), that God places them in the womb (Jer 1:5) and that we should not take any life unjustly (Luke 18:20)? Are you talking about that faith or some nebulous, general ‘faith’ that says we’re good enough, and smart enough to make our own decisions?”

Again, he pressed, “What ‘faith’ are you talking about?”
(by The Patriot Post, Sarah Holliday, September 23, 2024)

12 THINGS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DEMONSTRATES

1. Celebrity Endorsements Do Not Move the Needle
2. A Biased Media is Losing Its Power and Influence
3. People Do Not Vote for a Candidate Because of Their Gender or Skin Color
4. The American People are Concerned About Quality of Life Issues
5. The American People are Concerned About the Direction of the Country
6. The American People Look More at Public Policy Than Personal Character
7. Voters Value Tangible Results Over Lofty Promises
8. Polarizing Social Issues Are Losing Influence
9. The Grassroots Matters
10. America is Revolting Against Woke Policies
11. Many Voters Do Not Disclose Their Preferences in Polls
12. The Democratic Party No Longer Has a Strong Hold on Minority and Young Voters

(by Joseph Mattera, November 7, 2024)