The Best of the Briefing, Vol. 4

August has been a very interesting month as far as news and the Briefing are concerned. You'll notice there are more than the usual amount of articles in this volume, and from a wide range of topics.

Here are some of the most salient points in these articles:

• The pro-LGBT movement has argued for the complete separation of gender from biological sex. Now, in light of the recently concluded Olympics, they're even beginning deny the biological distinction between male and female. This shows that the pro-LGBT ideology has become so radical that it is now willing to deny one of the most obvious facts of everyday human existence.

• The success of the Moral Revolution is leading to escalating discrimination against Christians and Christian Institutions for holding to historic,Christian convictions. As things are going now, it might not be long before historic Christian Institutions (such as schools and hospitals) will be forced to either waive all support from the government or give in to its demands regarding issues like LGBT rights and abortion.

We may not be feeling the direct effects of these developments in the Philippines (yet), but let's not kid ourselves. The political and cultural elites here aren't far behind their Western counterparts. And as the elites go, usually, so goes the culture.

The purpose of the Best of the Briefing series is to help you stay updated on important realities confronting modern Christians -- LGBT rights, Christianity & politics, secular materialism, abortion, Roman Catholicism, and the like. The articles included in these volumes say particularly important things in particularly helpful ways (in my opinion, at least). I hope that you find them useful. 

Click here to download Volume 4 of The Best of the Briefing. 

If you prefer the audio podcast to the transcripted articles, you can find them arranged by date on Mohler's website.

If you're a Logos user, you'll be glad to know that the documents are in .docx format, which you can use to create a personal book in your Logos library. 

Below is the list of articles included in this volume.

Business

1. The gender revolution arrives at the clothing store—but it's still organized male-female (August 22, 201)
2. The power of consumers: After dim sales report, Target announces new bathroom initiative (August 23, 2016)

Family & Education

1. Pending SB 1146 would mean the end of comprehensive Christian education in California (August 3, 2016)
2. Schools that refuse federal aid or request Title IX exemption blacklisted by secular left (August 3, 2016)
3. Good news for Christian higher education in California as lawmaker drops proposal—for now (August 11, 2016)
4. The "Good Parent" vs. the "Get-Real Parent": Deep moral insight for parents from an unexpected source (August 24, 2016)

Politics & Society

1. The fall of Roger Ailes can serve warning for Christians to avoid a media echo chamber (August 4, 2016)
2. When liberal policies outpace liberal preferences: San Francisco liberals don't want affordable housing (August 9, 2016)
3. Obama administration's transgender bathroom guidelines blocked by federal judge — for now (August 23, 2016)
4. From the French Revolution to 'burkini' bans: France's radical commitment to secularism (August 29, 2016)

Religion

1. Transgender deity in the Old Testament? Nonsense from a rabbi in The New York Times (August 15, 2016)

Science & Medicine

1. Will our brave new world include human-animal chimeras? NIH proposal erases ethical lines (August 8, 2016)
2. The misplaced trust of Scientism and the dangers of Neil deGrasse Tyson's "Rationalia" (August 8, 2016)
3. American College of Pediatricians: gender dysphoria debate is primarily about worldview, not science (August 11, 2016)
4. The moral behind the medical stat: 1 in 5 babies born in Indiana are addicted to drugs (August 17, 2016)

Sports

1. The NBA, creator of the WNBA, spurns North Carolina for codifying gender distinction (August 4, 2016)
2. The transgender revolution hits the Olympics … but not consistently (August 10, 2016)
3. No such thing as a "male body"? Transgenderism and the eclipse of biological sex (August 11, 2016)