A persecuted pastor in China, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• A persecuted pastor in China has issued a “Declaration of Faithful Disobedience” -- "The declaration “explains the meaning and necessity of faithful disobedience, how it is distinct from political activism or civil disobedience, and how Christians should carry it out”."
• A Salamander of Legend Emerges From Southern Swamps -- "The newest named salamander in the animal kingdom is the reticulated siren."
• Are We Really “Shocked” Over Gene Editing? -- "In late November, the MIT Technology Review broke the news that a Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, used the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR to genetically modify human embryos."
• Ashers Baking Company -- "In May 2018 the UK Supreme Court heard Ashers Baking Company’s case...The ruling, handed down on 10 October 2018, saw the judges unanimously vindicate the bakery."
• Endosymbiont Hypothesis and the Ironic Case for a Creator -- "Increasingly, life scientists are turning to synthetic biology to help them understand how life could have originated and evolved. But, they have achieved the opposite of what they intended."
• Harper, CNN Promote Gay ‘Married’ Santa Claus -- "Just in time to further sexualize (and homosexualize) children, Harper Collins has released Santa’s Husband, which “tells the story of a black Santa, his white husband, and their life in the North Pole,” states the publisher."
• How I Became a “Narrower” Baptist -- "My discovery of the truth that Baptist churches are the true New Testament churches, started by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and Commissioned by Him, has made me a much “narrower” Baptist, but it has also greatly increased my sense of reverence toward His church."
• How to Survive a Cultural Crisis -- "Here are seven principles for surviving the very real cultural shifts the church is presently enduring."
• Mind Your T’s & Y’s: Understanding King James Pronouns -- "It is fair to ask if these “old fashioned” pronouns really matter – especially given that most modern Bible versions have replaced them with simpler, more familiar words."
• The History of the Fundamentalists Facing a Massive Abuse Scandal -- "The term ‘fundamentalist’ has sort of been co-opted by Martin Marty’s Fundamentalism project, where he made it a sociological designation for any extreme group."
• Two brief arguments for the baptism of children -- "...unbaptized Christians are decidedly out of order, and it should not be the case that our practice encourages us to accept the profession of faith of the unbaptized."
• Why Every Christian (Ultimately) Believes in Election -- "Election is stated in Scripture in unambiguous, straightforward language. God chose people for salvation."
• Who decides what words mean -- "Bound by rules, yet constantly changing, language might be the ultimate self-regulating system, with nobody in charge."
• Woman Who Was Banned From Planet Fitness Speaks Out! -- "Everything was witnessed. She called me “narrow minded” and insinuating I was homophobic. Pretty ironic since I got cancelled for judging. She informed me (smugly I might add) that I am banned from 66 Planet Fitness gyms, all because I dared to complain about a man in the woman’s locker room."