See also Part 1 Year in Review
Editor’s Note: Listed in order of date posted (from January 2015-December 2015)
1/Feds Spend $2.5 Million on Mindfulness Intervention for Kindergarteners The Washington Beacon (Elizabeth Harrington)
The Department of Education is spending upwards of $2.5 million to bring a mindfulness intervention to kindergarteners in Chicago, where kids can go to “calm spots” in the corner to watch nature videos. The National Institutes of Health has spent over $100 million studying the New Age meditation technique, but it is not the only federal agency pouring federal funding into mindfulness. The Education Department has introduced a “Calm Classroom” program into 3,000 schools through its Investing in Innovation fund, costing taxpayers $2,513,093.
2/Conscientious Objector Goes to Jail: “Federal Judge Orders County Clerk to Jail Until She Agrees to Issue ‘Gay Marriage’ Licenses” Christian News Network (Heather Clark)
A federal judge has ordered a Kentucky clerk to be placed behind bars until she complies with his order to issue marriage licenses to homosexuals despite her Christian identity. US District Judge David Bunning declared Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis in contempt of court this morning after she explained in tears that it is not possible for her to comply with the order because of her Christianity.
3/Seventh Planned Parenthood Expose’: Some Babies Are Alive When Organs Are Harvested Christian News Network (Heather Clark)
The seventh expose’ video surrounding Planned Parenthood’s alleged harvesting and sale of aborted babies was released today, featuring testimony that suggests that some babies are alive when their organs are harvested. The footage, released by the Center for Medical Progress, features clips from the past six videos, as well as new footage from an interview with former StemExpress procurement technician Holly O’Donnell, who had shared part of her story last week.
4/Boy Scout Committee Unanimously Approves Proposal to Lift Ban on Openly Homosexual Leaders Christian News Network (Heather Clark)
An executive committee of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has unanimously voted to lift a long-standing ban on openly homosexual troop leaders. “As a result of the rapid changes in society and increasing legal challenges at the federal, state, and local levels, on Friday, July 10, the Boy Scouts of America Executive Committee adopted a resolution amending the adult leadership standards policy,” the BSA said in a statement on Monday.
5/Vatican Signs First Treaty With “State of Palestine”—Backs Two-State Solution
The Jerusalem Post (Herb Keinon)
The Vatican signed its first treaty with the “State of Palestine” on Friday, calling for “courageous decisions” to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a two-state solution. Israel expressed disappointment last month at the Vatican’s announcement that it reached the outline of an agreement with the Palestinians and at the Holy See’s use of the term “State of Palestine” for the first time in an official document.
6/U.S. Supreme Court Rules: Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ Must Be Legalized in All 50 States (Clark) Christian News Network (Heather Clark)
The U.S. Supreme Court issued its monumental ruling on same-sex “marriage” on Friday, declaring that all 50 states must and are “required ” to legalize “gay marriage” under the U.S. Constitution. “The court now holds that same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry.
7/The dark side of meditation and mindfulness: Treatment can trigger mania, depression and psychosis, studies shows The Daily Mail – UK (Harriet Crawford)
Meditation and mindfulness is promoted by celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Russell Brand, who boast of its power to help people put stress out of their minds and live for the moment. But the treatment can itself trigger mania, depression, hallucinations and psychosis, psychological studies in the UK and US have found.
8/Feel the Love Tonight? Rick Warren, Elton John Hold Hands, Joke About Kissing Before AIDS Panel Christian News Network (Heather Clark)
Controversial megachurch leader and author Rick Warren raised concerns Wednesday after joining hands with homosexual singer Elton John during a speech before a congressional hearing on AIDS funding, and joked what would happen if the two kissed.
9/WorldNetDaily Identifies Agenda by Evangelical Leaders to Marginalize Discerning Whistleblowers WorldNetDaily (Jim Fletcher)
“The Internets” have given everyone a voice today. Obviously, that’s both good and bad. Computer technology has really leveled the playing field, so the classic “writer living in his parents’ basement” can have a platform, mostly, like a high-profile New York writer. . . . One gets the feeling, though, that some of the high-profile folks resent the heck out of all this.
10/Yoga Is Official! United Nations Adopts International Yoga Day—177 Nations Adopt Resolution (Including USA) Huffington Post
The United Nations declared June 21st as International Yoga Day, just three months after India’s newly-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi used some of his valuable minutes during his address to the U.N. General Assembly to introduce it. With an unprecedented 177 countries signed on, including the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom and Russia, it might be an indication that the winds are changing.
