text: Baptist Press Stories for Mar. 1 2013 --------------------------------------- WEEK OF PRAYER: The world comes to Chicago's Wicker Park http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39798 Obama admin.: Marriage no longer state issue http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39799 CALL TO PRAYER: Prop 8, DOMA at High Court http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39800 CP 3.15% above budget; slightly under 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39801 Through CP, Oasis church offers hope in desert http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39802 SBC children, student registrations open http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39803 CULTURE DIGEST: Methodist men join calls against Boy Scouts change http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39804 FIRST-PERSON: Boys allowed in girls' restrooms? http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39805 FIRST-PERSON: History Channel begets a (good) Bible series http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39806 EDITORIAL: Nuestra audiencia? http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39807 --------------------------------------- WEEK OF PRAYER: The world comes to Chicago's Wicker Park By Tobin Perry Mar. 1 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39798 EDITOR'S NOTE: The annual Week of Prayer for North American Missions, March 3-10, and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering provide support for missionaries who serve on behalf of Southern Baptists across North America. With a goal of $70 million, this year's offering theme is "Whatever It Takes – Reaching the One." For more information, visit [URL=http://www.anniearmstrong.com]AnnieArmstrong.com[/URL]. CHICAGO (BP) -- Looking around Chicago's Wicker Park, just about every kind of person is there. Maurice Burr, 44, is a one-time high school football star who spends his days in a wheelchair because of gang violence. Charlie the drifter is a homeless man who wanders through the neighborhood warning people of government conspiracies.A young highly educated well-dressed couple come to the park to walk their dog and let their young son play. There's also the senior citizen couple who sit at the park to get some fresh air before heading back to the nearby assisted living center. And thanks to the generosity of Southern Baptists, there's a North American Mission Board church planter there as well. "It's the most eclectic place you can imagine," NAMB church planter Scott Venable says. "It has drug dealers and businesspeople. When we prayerwalked as we were looking for a place to start the church and we got to Wicker Park, we just knew it was it." Wicker Park is both a large park off of Chicago's North Damen Avenue and one of the most famous neighborhoods in the Windy City. Called by Forbes the fourth coolest neighborhood in the country, it's the kind of place where government housing is just a few blocks down from million-dollar homes. It's also a place that needs churches. Chicagoland -- the 10 Illinois counties that surround the city -- has one Southern Baptist church for every 31,791 people. Evangelicals make up just 10 percent of the population. The Wicker Park neighborhood itself had just four small evangelical churches for about 23,000 people before Venable's arrival. And, for Venable, it was just the right place. The inner city had long been within his sights. He remembers serving in the Dallas inner city as a young person and feeling a kinship to the culture, music and speed of urban life. With a vision for starting a church that would change its city, Venable and his then-fiancé Ashley began praying about where God might want to use them before they even married. When the couple visited Chicago around Easter of 2009 -- and Wicker Park specifically -- it seemed that God was speaking clearly to them. Before the two said "I do" that May, they decided Chicago would be their new home. After arriving in Chicago, the Venables went first to a local school in the Wicker Park area and offered to serve. The offer first took the principal by surprise. She was accustomed to having church plants want to use their facility to host church services -- not offer free help. "We're a new church here and really small," Venable told the principal. "We want to help this school become what you want it to be. We want to invest in the community. I like your vision. I like your dream. We want to help pour into the life of these kids." The flabbergasted principal took him up on the offer. Every day in the beginning, Venable showed up at the school to help -- everything from tutoring to coaching sports and providing playground patrol. Through its engagement with the school, Venable started a "Kidz Club" and "Friday Night Live" for children and youth on Friday evenings. Instead of roaming the streets, teens come for free food, basketball and a short Bible story. On average 50 youth and 20 elementary students attend. And the community has taken notice. A local reporter discovered the young church plant was cleaning the toilets of businesses near Wicker Park. Soon Mosaic Chicago became known as "the toilet-cleaning church" -- a nickname welcomed by Venable because it demonstrates the community involvement and ministry he desires. "Our measurement -- instead of asking how is our church doing -- is how is our city doing?" Venable said. Yet most important, Venable wants to see people come to faith in Christ. He points to one particular local grandmother as an example. Venable first met her grandson -- one of the most troublesome kids in school -- in the principal's office. The boy started coming to Mosaic Chicago's Friday evening Kidz Club after seeing Venable carrying a stack of pizzas out of a carryout restaurant the day of the event. Through her grandson's involvement, the grandmother began attending regularly and has even gotten involved in a small group and in mission projects through the church. "That's what we want to see in all these people's lives -- to go from not knowing Jesus to fully following Jesus and carrying out the Kingdom-disciple-society DNA in their lives," Venable said. Venable realizes that kind of ministry has only happened because of Southern Baptists' giving through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. "During these first three years of our church plant, Annie has been the biggest part of our support," Venable said. "It's allowed me to live here and support my family. Without NAMB and Annie, we wouldn't be here." --30-- Tobin Perry writes for the North American Mission Board. The annual Week of Prayer for North American Missions, March 3-10, and the AAEO, provide support for Venable and other missionaries like him who serve on behalf of Southern Baptists in North America. With a goal of $70 million, this year's offering theme is "Whatever It Takes – Reaching the One." For more information, visit [URL=http://www.anniearmstrong.com]AnnieArmstrong.com[/URL]. For more information about Scott Venable and the church he is starting, Mosaic Chicago, visit [URL=http://anniearmstrong.com/scottvenable]AnnieArmstrong.com/ScottVenable[/URL] or [URL=http://mosaicchicago.org]MosaicChicago.org[/URL]. For more information about getting involved in reaching Chicago with the Gospel, visit [URL=http://namb.net/Chicago]namb.net/Chicago[/URL]. -- End of story -- Obama admin.: Marriage no longer state issue By Michael Foust Mar. 1 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39799 Read our related story, [URL=http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=39785]Supreme Court urged to leave marriage definition to the states[/URL]. WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Obama administration abandoned its states' rights position on marriage Thursday (Feb. 28) by asking the Supreme Court to overturn California's Proposition 8, and in the process it laid the legal groundwork for legalizing gay marriage nationwide. The friend-of-the-court brief by the Obama Justice Department urged the Supreme Court to overturn California Prop 8, the 2008 voter-approved amendment that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. The department stopped short of calling for gay marriage in all 50 states, although it urged the justices to use a form of review called "heightened scrutiny" that likely would result in gay marriage legalization from coast to coast. The brief was released the same day that Attorney General Eric Holder, in an interview with ABC News, called gay marriage the "latest civil-rights issue." Prop 8, the brief states, "target[s] gay and lesbian people for discriminatory treatment." The Justice Department was not required to issue the brief but was under pressure from gay marriage groups to do so. The brief specifically targets California and the other seven states that have legalized civil unions or domestic partnerships but not gay marriage: Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Oregon and Nevada. The brief mentions all seven states by name. Civil unions and domestic partnerships grant all the legal benefits of marriage, minus the name. "California's extension of all of the substantive rights and responsibilities of marriage to gay and lesbian domestic partners particularly undermines the justifications for Proposition 8," it states. "It indicates that Proposition 8's withholding of the designation of marriage is not based on an interest in promoting responsible procreation and child-rearing -- petitioners' central claimed justification for the initiative -- but instead on impermissible prejudice." It is the brief's call for a "heightened scrutiny" review of Prop 8 that is most significant. Supporters of Prop 8 had asked the court to review Prop 8 under what is called "rational basis," which essentially holds that as long as there was a rational reason for passing the law, it should stand. But laws reviewed under heightened scrutiny are more likely to be reversed. It is a standard normally applied to laws that impact, for instance, race and sex. The Justice Department previously asked the court to review the Defense of Marriage Act under heightened scrutiny. The Supreme Court has yet to apply laws impacting sexual orientation to a heightened scrutiny review. If it does, though, every traditional marriage law in America is in danger. The Justice Department could have a high hurdle convincing a majority of the court to apply heightened scrutiny to sexual orientation. For it to apply, four criteria must be met. It must be shown that: 1. Gays and lesbians have "suffered a significant history of discrimination in this country." 2. "Sexual orientation generally bears no relation to ability to perform or contribute to society." 3. "Discrimination against gay and lesbian people is based on an immutable or distinguishing characteristic." 4. Gays and lesbians are a "minority group with limited power to protect themselves from adverse outcomes in the political process." It is the final point that the supporters of Prop 8 are likely to focus on, asserting that the opposite actually is true today. In fact, ProtectMarriage.com -- the official proponents of Prop 8 -- argued in its opening brief to the court that supporters of gay marriage are making significant progress in redefining marriage, with the support of the public. "Public opinion and State laws are evolving rapidly as the democratic conversation regarding marriage continues to unfold," the brief said. "Indeed, at the last election the People of Maine, Maryland, and Washington voted to redefine marriage. Notably, in Maine, the People had rejected a similar proposal just three years before. Even in California, proponents of redefining marriage have vowed to seek to repeal Proposition 8 by initiative if it is upheld by this Court." Thus, Prop 8 supporters likely will argue that when supporters of gay marriage won landmark victories at the ballot in 2012 -- demonstrating they are not politically powerless -- they actually hurt their cause at the Supreme Court, because heightened scrutiny does not apply. When President Obama announced his support for gay marriage last year, he implied he wanted to continue allowing states to decide the issue. "I continue to believe that this is an issue that is gonna be worked out at the local level, because historically, this has not been a federal issue, what's recognized as a marriage," he said. Obama further said, "I think it is a mistake to try to make what has traditionally been a state issue into a national issue." Andy Pugno, general counsel for ProtectMarriage.com, expressed disappointment that Obama had reversed course. "By arguing that Proposition 8 is rooted only in irrational prejudice, the President has impugned the motives of millions of Californians, turned his back on society's long-standing interest in both mothers and fathers raising the next generation, and disregarded the rights of each state to decide for itself whether to re-define marriage," Pugno said. "... We are confident that the Supreme Court will recognize the limited role of the courts in this debate, and uphold the will of California voters to protect traditional marriage." --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- CALL TO PRAYER: Prop 8, DOMA at High Court By Roger S. Oldham Mar. 1 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39800 NASHVILLE (BP) -- Christians need to intensify their prayers for the Supreme Court in the countdown days to its deliberations on same-sex marriage later this month, according to Frank S. Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee. [IMG=34506@left@100]Page, who issued a call to prayer for the court Jan. 11, reminded members of the Executive Committee of the urgent need for prayer during his remarks at the EC's Feb. 18 plenary session in Nashville. The court is set to hear oral arguments in March on two cases that will either lead to the legalization of gay marriage nationwide or affirm the rights of legislators and voters to protect traditional marriage. It will consider the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 March 26 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) March 27. California voters passed Proposition 8 in 2008 by a margin of 52-48 percent. The amendment stated, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." It reversed a California Supreme Court ruling that had legalized gay marriage. A district court later declared the law established by the voter-initiated amendment unconstitutional. That court's decision was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, paving the way for it to be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. DOMA passed both houses of Congress in 1996 with wide bipartisan support -- 342 to 67 in the House and 85 to 14 in the Senate. President Bill Clinton signed it into law. Two years ago, President Barack Obama instructed the Department of Justice no longer to defend this federal law. Congress has stepped in to defend its constitutionality. In his January call to prayer, Page listed five specific ways believers in Christ should pray for the nine justices of the highest court in our nation and for those who will present oral testimony before them. Pray first and foremost that God's will be done. Page outlined numerous instances of God's judgment on individual sin (in King David's and King Rehoboam's lives) and on national sin (against the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah). While our preference is for God to extend mercy to us, Page said that the Lord remains a "Righteous Judge" who "punishes the unrepentant heart," whether an individual, a family or a nation. "If He allowed judgment to fall upon His chosen people throughout history, how much more on a nation that forgets God?" Page asked. Nevertheless, plead for God's mercy rather than His justice. Pointing to Habakkuk's words in Habakkuk 3:2 (LORD, I stand in awe of Your deeds. Revive Your work in these years; make it known in these years. In Your wrath remember mercy!), Page called on Southern Baptists to "pray for the hearts and minds of the justices." Though our nation has wandered far from biblical morality, "it only takes five justices," Page wrote, "to establish the constitutionality of these laws and rescue our nation from the precipice of moral destruction." He urged Christians everywhere to ask the Holy Spirit to "guide and sway each justice." Pray for supernatural wisdom for those who argue for the constitutionality of these two laws. Drawing attention to the ebb and flow of the judicial process, Page wrote, "The law is a fluid thing. It is always being shaped by a combination of factors, including precedent, logic, the effect of past laws on the human condition and even personal charisma of the presenters." He urged Christians to "pray that the individuals selected to argue for the constitutionality of traditional marriage will have keenness of insight, eloquence and logical consistency in their arguments and in response to each question directed their way" and that "their arguments will be biblically sound, compelling, reasonable and persuasive." Pray that those who argue against biblical truth will be ensnared in their own pride and taken captive by their own conceits. In his remarks to the EC, Page expressed disappointment that the president of the United States had instructed the Department of Justice not to defend the law of the land. Some of the arguments presented before the court will be intended to deflect the merits of the case by raising peripheral or technical matters that are not germane to the central issue. In his January call to prayer, Page observed that "the Psalmist frequently asked the Lord to let the wicked be caught in their own schemes (Psalm 10:2)." Pray God's Word back to Him. Page closed his call to prayer in January by quoting the entire chapter of Isaiah 59 as a "most fitting text for us to pray as we intercede on behalf of our nation." He noted that the Isaiah passage acknowledges God's might, His ability and His willingness "to rescue our land from imminent moral peril." --30-- Roger S. Oldham is vice president for convention communications and relations with the SBC Executive Committee. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- CP 3.15% above budget; slightly under 2012 By Staff Mar. 1 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39801 Updated Mar. 4 at 4:30 p.m. NASHVILLE (BP) -- Year-to-date contributions to Southern Baptist national and international missions and ministries are 3.15 percent above the year-to-date budgeted goal, but 1 percent behind contributions received during the same period last year. Receipts totaled $80,801,829.12, or 103.15 percent of the $78,333,333.35 year-to-date amount budgeted to support Southern Baptist ministries nationally and globally, and $820,271.66 less than the $81,622,100.78 received through the end of February 2012, according to Executive Committee President Frank Page. "We continue to monitor the economy and its impact on our cooperating churches. We have set a reasonable yet challenging Cooperative Program budget goal for this year, given how hard many Southern Baptists have been hit by the Great Recession," Page said. "I am pleased to see that the precipitous drop in CP contributions of the previous three years has slowed, and am optimistic that we are seeing positive signs of an economic recovery for our people and churches," he said. "As our people get on better footing financially, it will allow our ministries to begin planning for increased numbers of missionary appointments and church planting assignments." Designated giving of $92,520,270.11 through February is 6.13 percent, or $5,340,338.38, above gifts of $87,179,931.73 received at this point last year. Totals include only those gifts received and distributed by the Executive Committee and do not reflect designated gifts contributed directly to SBC entities. The totals include receipts from state conventions and fellowships, churches and individuals for distribution according to the 2012-13 SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget. The Cooperative Program of giving allows local churches to support both the ministries of their state conventions and the SBC with a single contribution. The budget is distributed 50.2 percent to international missions through the International Mission Board, 22.79 percent to North American missions through the North American Mission Board, 22.16 percent to theological education, 3.2 percent to the SBC operating budget, and 1.65 percent to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. If the SBC exceeds its annual budget goal of $188 million, IMB's share would increase to 51 percent of any overage in CP allocation budget receipts. Other SBC ministry entities would receive their adopted percentage amounts and the SBC operating budget's portion would be reduced to 2.4 percent of any overage. Traditionally, state and regional conventions have acted as collecting entities for CP contributions. They retain a portion of church contributions to the CP to support work in their respective areas and forward a percentage to SBC national and international causes. The percentage of distribution from the states is at the discretion of the messengers of each state convention through the adoption of the state convention's annual budget. CP allocation budget receipts received by the Executive Committee are reported monthly to SBC entity executives, state offices and denominational papers and are posted online at [URL=http://www.cpmissions.net/CPReports]www.cpmissions.net/CPReports[/URL]. --30-- Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Through CP, Oasis church offers hope in desert By Karen L. Willoughby Mar. 1 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39802 PRICE, Utah (BP) -- When church planter Ryan Booth and his wife Tara showed up in the desert community of Price, Utah, they were told, "You aren't welcome here." "This is a more religiously diverse community than most in Utah, but the Mormons have one arch-enemy: Baptists and specifically Southern Baptists," Booth, 28, said. "... We're trying to re-create what people think about Southern Baptists by first showing them love and then saying, 'By the way, we're Southern Baptists.'" Booth planted Oasis Community Church last April and decided right away to lead the church to give 10 percent of undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program. "If it wasn't for the Cooperative Program, what we do wouldn't be possible," Booth said. "We want to make sure the blessings CP gives us don't stop with us but rather are multiplied by us to continue church planting through Southern Baptists. "The Cooperative Program is a network of Southern Baptist churches partnering together financially to fulfill the mission of Christ, to make disciples and penetrate lostness in our country and around the world," Booth added. "There's a very evangelistic heart to CP." Before the Booths moved to Price from Lynchburg, Va., in January 2012, he made a strategic decision to start a church on the eastern side of the Wasatch Mountains. "We were very attracted to Utah," he said. "They needed churches everywhere. Although Price is small, it's a hub for life in the desert, and because of the religious diversity here -- it's only about 50 percent LDS [Mormon] -- it was easier to establish a church here and set up a hub for future hubs in Provo and Salt Lake. "If we went straight to Provo, which is 90 percent LDS, we would have had a hard time breaking into the culture, but if we established in Price, 60 miles away, we can grow in strength and have an easier time multiplying in those areas," Booth said. With nine baptisms in 2012, Oasis was among the top five churches for total baptisms in Utah, and first in the state for baptisms per capita among the 46 out of 80 churches in Utah that submitted their Annual Church Profile information by mid-January. About 40 people participate in worship and outreach through Oasis. "The presence of God is the No. 1 defining factor in the difference between what our people have experienced at Oasis compared to other places and other religions," Booth said. "We have summed up our vision -- putting together the Great Commission and the Christian life -- as Know, Grow and Go: Know Jesus as Lord, Grow closer to Jesus, and Go share the hope found in Jesus." The discipleship process at Oasis involves teaching Scripture through the worship service Sunday morning so the people know; Life Groups meeting weekly and applying Scripture as a group living in biblical community so the people grow; and monthly sessions called "The Well" training the people to be on mission for Christ, Booth explained. "From the beginning, we've really tried to be very missional, very missions-minded," Booth said. "We've tried to create a culture of outreach.... We knew we were coming to the high desert and that it was a spiritually dry place. We wanted to give them that living water so they wouldn't thirst again." Contributing to the early strength of Oasis is that it has its own building and is debt-free. When Booth met with the area missionary, Billy Edwards, to say he was sensing that God wanted him to start a church in Price, Edwards said, "We've been praying for a church planter for two years." A church that was started with Cooperative Program money and other missional efforts had withered after a time, and the building had been turned over to the association in 2008. The association passed it on to Oasis. In addition, during the same timeframe the Booths were preparing for their move to Price, John Mark Simmons, pastor of Highland Hills Baptist Church in Henderson, Nev., called Edwards, looking for a construction mission project. "We were looking for a place that would be our Samaria," Simmons said. "We have missions work in our city and county and have taken overseas trips, and we wanted something regionally. There are lost people in Price, too." On Labor Day weekend in 2011, the Henderson Hills mission team painted the exterior of the church and the interior of the parsonage next door and made extensive repairs to the parsonage. They returned last year to help with community outreach, and they plan to continue the partnership. Price's blistering summer of 2012 provided several opportunities for outreach in the first six months of Oasis Community Church's existence: a kids' camp at the church using Vacation Bible School materials; a block party at the church, which is on a busy street in the town of 8,000; and the distribution of 1,200 bottles of water during Price's international festival. Oasis even rented the local waterpark one scorching summer day and offered it free to the community. "We're a very poor church, but we give 50 percent of our offerings back in outreach," Booth said. That includes 10 percent to missions through the Cooperative Program, 3 percent to the Utah Baptist Association and the rest in local outreaches as the church builds its reputation and gains a foothold in the community. In addition to church-wide outreaches, each of the two Life Groups at Oasis does a ministry project every other month, such as making up 80 plates of cookies and delivering them to single mothers in apartment complexes and several of the small businesses around town. Another idea conceived and implemented by a Life Group: making hot-packs filled with grain, rice or field corn that could be microwaved to provide soothing heat to the sore joints of people living in a seniors' complex. "Many new church plants are focused on outreach to get started, but after a few years people tend to get comfortable," Booth said. "We have made it a point to help the folks understand we are creating a culture not to get the church started but it's going to grow and multiply so it's embedded into the DNA of who we are. "Considering we started with two people, we have built multiplication into the DNA as well," Booth said. "The goal is by the end of 2013 to be actively involved in preparing for the next church plant." --30-- Karen L. Willoughby is managing editor of the Louisiana Baptist Message, newsjournal for Southern Baptists in Louisiana. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- SBC children, student registrations open By Staff Mar. 1 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39803 HOUSTON (BP) -- Registration is open for preschool childcare, Children in Action Missions Camp and Youth on Mission in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention's June 11-12 annual meeting in Houston. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Children's Response Team volunteers will care for preschoolers, while Woman's Missionary Union will guide the Children in Action Missions Camp and Youth on Mission curricula and activities. Preschool childcare and activities for children who have completed grades 1-6 will be housed at the George R. Brown Convention Center, the annual meeting site. Youth who have completed grades 7-12 will begin their days at the convention center with worship before going into the community for hands-on missions work at the Mission Centers of Houston and the Houston Food Bank. Pre-registration is required and will be accepted online at www.sbcannualmeeting.net under the "Children/Youth" tab. All participants should register as soon as possible because of limited space. Due to space limitations and worker-to-children ratio objectives, onsite registration will not be accepted. Preschool childcare Preschool childcare for newborns through 5-year-olds will be available during the SBC Pastors' Conference, June 9-10, and the annual meeting, June 11-12. The cost is $25 per child for each of the events, not to exceed $45 per family, per event. In addition, there is a $10 non-refundable registration fee per child. Lunch for preschoolers will be available for $6 Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Parents should pay all related fees when registering to ensure their child's participation. The SBC will verify registrations with an emailed confirmation packet, including a parents' handbook. Children in Action Missions Camp Children in Action Missions Camp for children who have completed grades 1 -6 by May/June will be offered June 11-12. The camp theme "Fearless" is designed to challenge children to follow God's plan with courage, wherever He leads. "Children attending the Children in Action Missions Camp will not only discover they can follow God's plan with courage, wherever He leads, but through Bible studies will be encouraged to be fearless as they step forth in sharing their faith in Christ and meeting the needs of others," said Cindy Bradley, Michigan WMU executive director and camp coordinator. "In addition to Bible studies children will visit with missionaries representing both the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board," Bradley said. "Children will also participate in worship sessions, games and recreation, crafts and mission projects. These Bible study and missions experiences will show children how they can serve with fearless faith." The cost is $40 per child. In addition, there is a $10 non-refundable registration fee per child. Snacks will be provided; lunch will not. Parents will need to pick up their children both days at the conclusion of the morning session. Youth on Mission Youth on Mission for students who've completed grades 7–12 by May/June, will be provided June 11-12. "Youth on Mission Days will teach youth to discover they can follow God's plan with courage. Through the missions projects youth will be encouraged to be fearless as they serve through hands-on missions projects in Houston," says Kristy Carr, National WMU Ministry Consultant and Youth on Mission coordinator. "Each morning mission studies will be presented by both International Mission Board and North American Mission Board missionaries." The cost is $55 per youth. In addition, there is a $10 non-refundable registration fee per youth. Lunch and a snack will be provided both days. Housing registration Hotel reservations for families can be made at www.sbcannualmeeting.net. The website includes 30 Houston-area hotels of varying price ranges that can be selected for the June 8 annual Crossover evangelistic outreach, June 9-10 Pastors' Conference and other pre-SBC activities and meetings and the June 11-12 annual meeting of the convention. --30-- Compiled by Lynn Richmond, Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee office of convention finance. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- CULTURE DIGEST: Methodist men join calls against Boy Scouts change By Staff Mar. 1 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39804 NASHVILLE (BP) -- The General Commission on United Methodist Men has joined conservative voices urging the Boys Scouts of America not to open its membership to homosexuals. GCUMM in February sent a letter to Wayne Brock, Boy Scouts of America chief Scout executive, urging the group not to implement proposals being considered at the BSA's annual meeting in May to open Scouting leadership and membership to homosexuals. The Methodist organization also is calling on Scouting to revitalize its relationship with the faith community. "More time is needed for the 50 United Methodist Annual Conferences and the thousands of United Methodist churches to research in a thoughtful and prayerful manner exactly what this change might mean," the letter reads. "We would further ask that this be the beginning of a new relationship between BSA and the faith communities that provide over 70% of the units and 62% of the membership in BSA. Ongoing work must grow from this experience as BSA and their ministry partners seek ways to implement a new, strengthened, faith-filled response to the Scout Oath and Scout Law." More than 40 other faith denominations and conservative groups have voiced similar concerns, including the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, the International Communion of Evangelical Churches, the American Family Association and the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute. The SBC Executive Committee in February adopted a [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39734]resolution[/URL] urging BSA leadership to stand on moral ground and reject the change to the BSA's admission policy. GCUMM General Secretary Gilbert C. Hanke sparked controversy among Methodist men in January when he endorsed the BSA's proposed model of implementing the change in Scouting, leading many UMM to say Hanke had endorsed the proposed membership change. Hanke later clarified he never endorsed opening BSA membership to homosexuals but rather endorsed the model of implementation that would have allowed the local church to make such crucial decisions on membership. "The reason we endorsed this model of implementation is because it allows your local church to continue to operate exactly like it is operating today," Hanke said in January. "You choose the leaders, you recruit the scouts; the leadership of your troop and pack reflects the traditions and values of your faith community." FIRST-GRADER CLAIMS HE'S TRANSGENDERED -- A Colorado first-grader named Coy Mathis has been featured by CNN and other news outlets because he wants to use the girls' restrooms at school, even though he was born a boy. His parents have filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division claiming the child should be allowed to use whatever restroom he feels like using. Mathis reportedly has dressed like a girl for the past year and wants to be considered a girl. His parents even made sure his passport and state-issued identification recognize him as female, CNN said Feb. 27. School officials informed the boy's parents that instead of using the boys' restrooms, he may use the gender-neutral faculty restrooms or the nurse's restroom, but he may not use the girls' restroom. Officials "took into account not only Coy but other students in the building, their parents, and the future impact a boy with male genitals using a girls' bathroom would have as Coy grew older," according to attorney W. Kelly Dude. Mathis' parents, though, contend that by making their son use anything but the girls' restroom, the school is singling him out for "stigma, bullying and harassment." "Coy's school has the opportunity to turn this around and teach Coy's classmates a valuable lesson about friendship, respect and basic fairness," Michael Silverman, a Mathis attorney and executive director of the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, told CNN. Dude noted that the school is complying with the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act because the child attends class as all other students, is allowed to wear girls' clothing, is referred to as the parents have requested and has been granted access to restrooms other than the girls' restroom. This news comes as, on the other side of the country, the Massachusetts Department of Education, prompted by a new state law that adds "gender identity" to the state's non-discrimination code, decided that boys and girls who identify as the opposite sex can use whichever school restroom they choose. Read the Baptist Press story [URL=http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39776]here[/URL]. ARKANSAS GOVERNOR'S ABORTION BAN VETO OVERRIDDEN -- The Arkansas Senate voted Feb. 28 to override Gov. Mike Beebe's veto of a ban on abortions at 20 weeks after conception that is based on evidence a baby in the womb experiences pain by that point. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 19-14 along party lines following a 53-28 vote to override by the Republican-controlled state House Wednesday. Abortions in the state now will be limited to 20 weeks after conception in most cases. The law provides exceptions in cases of rape, incest or to save a mother's life. Beebe, a Democrat, rejected the bill Feb. 26 though seven states have enacted similar legislation. In a veto letter, he contended the measure "would squarely contradict Supreme Court precedent." Beebe also expressed concern about the cost to Arkansas taxpayers to defend the law in court. The Arkansas bill follows a model bill drafted by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) that is known as the Pain-capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Mary Spaulding Balch, NRLC's director of state legislation, applauded the votes to override Beebe's veto. "Basic compassion for human life demands that this legislation be enacted all over the country," Balch said. PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN COLORADO SUED FOR FORCED ABORTION -- A doctor at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colo., forcibly aborted a baby and left part of the child's body inside the mother, according to a new lawsuit. Ayanna Byer, 40, filed suit Feb. 6 against Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, alleging an unnamed doctor at the clinic performed an abortion on her in November even though she told him she had changed her mind, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which is representing her. When she did not receive anesthetic, Byer said she did not want to proceed with the abortion, according to the suit. The doctor told Byer it was too late and began performing the abortion with a vacuum machine in spite of the lack of anesthetic. After about seven minutes, he halted the procedure and sent Byer home with pain pills, she said. A portion of her unborn child's body remained within her body without her knowledge, however. Two days later, she went to the emergency room at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs. She underwent an emergency D and C. Steven Foley, who performed what he described as "high-risk surgery" on Byer, was concerned she might have had an ectopic pregnancy and contacted the Planned Parenthood clinic to check on pathology reports. In a written statement, Foley said clinic personnel told him they do not perform pathology tests. Instead, the abortion doctor "looks" at the tissue, Foley said he was told. Foley expressed his concerns in a written review, saying, "No practicing physician can maintain privileges to practice and perform surgery if they do not provide specific coverage for their patients in case of a complication. It is considered 'abandonment' of your patient. It is not acceptable to refer your patients to the Emergency Department and assume the on-call doctor will take care of any complications and assume all the risk associated with the complications. "It is medically inappropriate for a physician to remove products of conception and not confirm the diagnosis with pathology," Foley wrote. "I know of no physician or hospital that would allow the removal of a specimen of this nature and assume what the diagnosis was by just 'looking' at it." Doug Romero, a lawyer affiliated with ADF, said in a written statement, "A woman's life is more important than Planned Parenthood's bottom line. What Planned Parenthood did to Ayanna is beyond the pale. They clearly put her through extraordinary cruelty and jeopardized her life. Their actions were intolerable." PLANNED PARENTHOOD TO CLOSE 2 CENTERS IN IOWA -- Planned Parenthood of the Heartland will close two of its centers in Iowa, including one that provides abortions. The affiliate of the country's No. 1 abortion provider said Feb. 20 it would close its centers at Fort Madison and Spencer, according to The Des Moines Register. The Spencer clinic provides abortion services. Planned Parenthood closed three abortion clinics and another center last year, according to Iowa Right to Life. The action was motivated partly by new regulations under the 2010 federal health care law popularly known as Obamacare, a Planned Parenthood spokeswoman told The Register. Jenifer Bowen, executive director of Iowa Right to Life, said, "It would be ironic if Planned Parenthood fought so hard for Obamacare and the publicly funded birth control mandate and had to lay off or cut the hours of their own staff to keep from paying the additional benefits required by Obamacare." With the latest closings, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland will have 19 clinics in Iowa and seven combined in Arkansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Bowen told The Register, "It is not our desire to see the state of Iowa have so many abortion clinics. Obviously, every abortion is a life lost." The national organization, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, reported its affiliates performed a record 333,964 abortions during 2010-11, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Planned Parenthood also established a record for funds received from federal, state and local governments with $542.4 million in government grants and reimbursements during the latest fiscal year. --30-- Compiled by Tom Strode, Erin Roach and Diana Chandler of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Boys allowed in girls' restrooms? By Kelly Boggs Mar. 1 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39805 ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- According to a recent directive issued by the Massachusetts Department of Education, public schools in the Bay State must allow boys and girls who identify as the opposite sex to utilize whichever restroom and/or locker room they feel most comfortable using. And they won't need a doctor's note to do so. Additionally, if a boy believes himself to be a girl, or is more comfortable identifying himself as a female, he must also be allowed to participate on girls' sports teams. The same would hold true for a girl who chooses to identify as a male. So, in Massachusetts, if a boy starts singing with conviction, "Man, I feel like a woman," (with apologies to country singer Shania Twain) then he should, if he wants, be able to use girls' facilities and play on female sports teams. Of course, in the case of a little girl, if she identifies more with country crooner Brad Paisley's "I'm Still a Guy," then, of course, she should, if she so desires, be able to use the bathroom and shower with boys. Welcome to the convoluted and confused world of gender identity. According to the Internet site Medscape Reference, gender identity is defined as "a personal conception of oneself as male or female (or rarely, both or neither).... Gender identity, in nearly all instances, is self-identified...." According to that description, gender identity is completely subjective. The description indicates it is based solely on "personal conception" and it is "self-identified." Objectivity is dismissed and even rejected. The definition of "conception" that would apply here, according to the Concise English Oxford Dictionary, is "the ability to imagine or understand." So, a male who imagines or understands himself to be female is to be treated as a female. If a male imagines or understands himself to be both male and female, is he then to be treated as both? Or is he to be treated as a male on odd days and a female on even days, or vice versa? How, pray tell, is a person to be treated who imagines or understands himself/herself to be neither? Let me say that I am sympathetic to people who are, for whatever the reason, confused about their gender identity. I will not pretend to understand their plight, but I believe they would benefit more from counseling and prayer than by being encouraged to pretend they are something that they obviously are not -- especially if they are children. Children and teenagers rarely have the good sense to come in out of the rain. They are also very impressionable. To promote and encourage gender identity that is opposite of the sex God gave them at birth is, at best, naive. The only thing that is worse is parents who give prepubescent children hormone blockers in order to delay puberty so that their gender-confused offspring have more time to decide if they want to have a sex change operation. Yes, there are parents who are, in fact, doing just this. If a kid pretends he or she is a spider monkey, we accept this as exploring the imagination. But if the same kid insists he or she is a monkey and begins using the bathroom on the floor, eating fleas and swinging on the light fixture, it's time to start looking for a counselor, not encouraging the behavior. "Thirty years ago, in 1976," U.S. Rep. Robert Brady observed in 2006, "the notion of organized activity to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity was an extremely controversial one." The Democrat from Pennsylvania is right. The idea of accommodating so-called gender identity is no longer considered controversial. It is, in fact, being promoted and encouraged even among children by a state department of education. Those who believe the whole idea is misguided are the ones who are now considered controversial. What has happened in America? As Brady's quote points out, in 1976 someone who believed he or she was born the wrong gender, both genders or no gender would be a prime candidate for psychological help. And those who encouraged them to act out their confused state were deemed out of the mainstream. What has happened is that in recent decades more and more secular psychologists and psychiatrists have come to reject the idea of a divine Creator. This leads to the outright rejection of the Bible and the idea of God creating human beings as male or female. In "The Brothers Karamazov," the classic work by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky, one of the book's main characters, Ivan Karamazov, contends that if there is no God, everything is permitted. Proverbs 29:18 in the Bible succinctly says, "Without revelation [of God] people run wild ...." Dostoyevsky's understanding as expressed through his character is correct. If there is no God, everything is permissible. And, as the Bible states, when people have no understanding of God they are morally unrestrained, even to the point of promoting and encouraging the convoluted and confused idea of gender identity expression to children. --30-- Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press, director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention's office of public affairs, and editor of the Baptist Message, [URL=http://www.baptistmessage.com] www.baptistmessage.com[/URL], newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: History Channel begets a (good) Bible series By Phil Boatwright Mar. 1 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39806 KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) -- "Just think about all the people who don't know the Bible," said Roma Downey, co-executive producer of the miniseries "The Bible," which will air on the History Channel beginning Sunday (March 3). "The Bible," a five-episode, 10-hour special, was the dream child of Downey (star of "Touched by an Angel") and her husband, Mark Burnett (producer of "Survivor"). At a press interview in New York last November, I found the husband-and-wife producing team enthusiastic, nearly giddy as they neared the completion of the production. "It's hard to imagine, I know," began Downey in a recent phone interview, "but there are those who have never heard the accounts of Noah, or Abraham, or Moses -- or, even Jesus. What we hope will happen from viewing the series is that people, believers and those who are not yet, will gain a renewed interest in God's Word. "Sadly, there's a real Bible illiteracy in today's world. There are people who simply don't know stories we take for granted. You think everyone knows the account of Adam and Eve or Samson and Delilah or the significance of the temptation of Christ by Satan," the actress continued, "but they don't." Burnett, added, "I think the production will attract millions of people, and we pray that upon viewing it, a new interest will develop for many of them. Especially in these foreboding times." Knowing Christian leaders would be concerned with the direction "Hollywood" folk would take the series, I asked Burnett and Downey a few probing questions. BOATWRIGHT: What version of the Bible did you choose as source material? BURNETT: We used many translations, because we wanted to be accessible to young people. But personally, I would always come back to the King James Version because that's what I grew up with. We're not theologians, we're storytellers. So, we enlisted several well-known pastors and academics who study God's Word as a vocation. Of course, as you know, you can't please everybody. But we made a 10-hour walking tour from Genesis to Revelation, a tour we spent a great deal of time in prayer over. BOATWRIGHT: How did you decide which biblical anecdotes to use? BURNETT: We had one of two choices: either select dozens of short summaries and tell many brief stories, or, choose fewer characters and stories but make a much deeper emotional connection. We went with the second choice. DOWNEY: So we began the TV scripts, written by a team of writers under the guidance of many biblical experts. BOATWRIGHT: What was the reception like when you approached the History Channel with the direction you wanted to take the vignettes? BURNETT: Very receptive. At least once a year, the History Channel tries to do one big epic project. We've tried to make this a full drama, not just a series of vignettes, with each story segueing naturally into the next story. They gave us a free rein. DOWNEY: Just look at the professionals we were blessed to get. [My research found that, indeed, the production was populated with award-winning experts in their chosen fields.] BOATWRIGHT: How are the episodes presented? DOWNEY: It will premiere March 3 and run for five weeks, each week featuring two hour episodes, and ending on Easter Sunday. BOATWRIGHT: I understand your actor playing Jesus is a Christian, correct? DOWNEY: Yes, we found him, really, through the power of prayer. It was just weeks away from the beginning of filming. We were looking for someone who could play both the lion and the lamb. It was going to take someone very special and we found that Diogo [Morgado] brought a beautiful combination of strength and charisma, but also gentleness and humility. And I believe his performance will be touching to everyone who sees it. As I mentioned, I met Burnett and Downey in New York on a press junket and they showed us 45 minutes of the production. Though I can't claim to know the quality of the entire production, I did sense a professionalism that took inspiration from these biblical tales. Probably the most difficult character for an actor to play is Jesus, who is fully God, fully man. He knew our temptations, yet remained sinless. Try to get that in your psyche if you're an actor. But I was moved with Morgado's portrayal of Christ. It is my belief that this singular performance will touch hearts and spark a desire in many to gain a further understanding of John 3:16, "For God so loved the world ...." The following stories are included in the series: -- Adam and Eve -- Cain and Abel -- Noah and the ark -- Abraham -- The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah -- The sacrifice of Isaac -- Moses and the burning bush -- The parting of the Red Sea -- The Ten Commandments -- Joshua and the walls of Jericho -- Samson and Delilah -- Samuel anoints Samuel as King of Israel -- David defeats Goliath -- David as king of Israel -- The prophet Jeremiah -- Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians conquer Jerusalem -- Daniel in the lion's den -- King Cyrus frees the Israelites -- The Angel Gabriel visits Mary -- The nativity -- John the Baptist -- Jesus tempted in the desert by Satan -- Jesus meets Peter -- The miracles and mission of Jesus -- The feeding of the 5,000 -- Jesus confronts the money lenders -- The Last Supper -- Judas' betrayal of Jesus -- The crucifixion -- The resurrection -- Pentecost -- The blinding of Paul Along with their producing chores, Burnett and Downey have published a thoughtful devotional book that works well as a companion piece, adding dimension to the television program. I was sent a copy and have been reading it every day. I was impressed because I feel most family members will find the daily devotional applicable and strengthening to their spiritual walk. "A Story of God and All of Us: Reflections" contains 100 devotionals and inspirations based on the miniseries and the producers' meditations during that production. It contains relevant Scripture passages, experiences during production and a daily prayer. --30-- In addition to writing for Baptist Press, Phil Boatwright reviews films for www.previewonline.org. He is also a regular contributor to "The World and Everything In It," a weekly radio program from WORLD News Group. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- EDITORIAL: Nuestra audiencia? By Fermín Whittaker Mar. 1 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=39807 NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en espańol. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/espanol]http://www.bpnews.net/espanol[/URL] Mateo 9:9-12 Dios Habla Hoy (DHH) Jesús llama a Mateo FRESNO, Calif. (BP) -- 9 Jesús se fue de allí y vio a un hombre llamado Mateo, que estaba sentado en el lugar donde cobraba los impuestos para Roma. Jesús le dijo: --Sígueme. Entonces Mateo se levantó y lo siguió. 10 Sucedió que Jesús estaba comiendo en la casa, y muchos de los que cobraban impuestos para Roma, y otra gente de mala fama, llegaron y se sentaron también a la mesa junto con Jesús y sus discípulos. 11 Al ver esto, los fariseos preguntaron a los discípulos: --żCómo es que su maestro come con cobradores de impuestos y pecadores? 12 Jesús lo oyó y les dijo: --Los que están buenos y sanos no necesitan médico, sino los enfermos. 13 Vayan y aprendan el significado de estas palabras: "Lo que quiero es que sean compasivos, y no que ofrezcan sacrificios." Pues yo no he venido a llamar a los justos, sino a los pecadores. Cuando fue la última vez que nos sentamos con personas de mala fama para compartir el amor de Dios? La inquietud de los fariseos muchas veces se refleja en nuestras congregaciones. Cantamos, "antes era ciego, y ahora puedo ver," y repetimos muchas promesas cumplidas de Dios en nuestras vidas. No deseamos la salvación de todos? Al pasar el tiempo, nos informan que los seguidores de Cristo pierden contacto con aquellos que todavía no conocen a Cristo. Parece que nos olvidamos del amor de Dios para los que no le conocen. He observado que después de muchos ańos perdemos el fervor evangelístico. Las palabras de Jesús "Yo no he venido a llamar a los justos, sino a los pecadores" diariamente impactan mi vida. Deseo, con toda mi alma, que todos los que no le conocen, excuchan el evangelio, y sus vidas sean transformados por el poder de Jesús. --30-- Fermín Whittaker es el director ejecutivo de la Convención Bautista del Sur en California. Los materiales en espańol publicados por esta convención se encuentran en http://www.csbc.com/languageresources. -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2014 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
TX Medical Board Rapped for Poor Oversight
Texas Medical Board spokeswoman Leigh Hopper disputed Public Citizen's findings.
"Public Citizen's findings do not track with any of our current concerns. We are not understaffed. We are not underfunded," Hopper told HealthLeaders Media. "The talk about funds being diverted into the General Fund is how it always works. I don't know how other state agencies operate but at least in Texas this is how it is done with the Medical Board. Our funds and fees that we bring in through licensing go into the General Fund and we write an appropriation request to get back what we need to run the agency."
"Like anybody, of course we would always like more money. But we haven't been dealing with a budget crisis so the agency is healthy and it's effective," she says. "Does that mean there is room for improvement? There is always room for improvement. There are always public hearings that we would welcome Public Citizen to participate in."
Hopper says the 459 physicians cited by Public Citizen "is not a figure that we are tracking."
Comments are moderated. Please be patient.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Not allergic to any antibiotics
What is the most effective antibiotic for an abscessed tooth?
- Posted:
- 28 May 2010 by Jessnicole
|Question is Closed
|Report Mark as Favorite
Answers (1)
28 May 2010
There are many antibiotics for the treatment of abscessed tooth, a dentist will be the best person to prescribe which is the best for you after accessing the ailment - antibiotics such as Penicillin, Azithromycin, Metronidazole, Clindamycin, Cefoxitin (Mefoxin), hope this helps?
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- Features a bright white LED emitter for illuminating objects' surface - LED powered by 2 x AA batteries sold separately
(4 Reviews)
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USB Cassette Capture (2 x AA)
earphones speakers
- Powered via USB port or by 2 x AA batteries not included - OS supported: Windows XP VISTA 7 - Package includes:
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CY-20 Camera Flash Speedlite (2 x AA)
- Flash time: 1 1000s manual - Powered by 2 x AA batteries not included - Chinese manual included
Plastic 2 x AA to Type-D Battery Holders - Green (2 PCS)
- Color: Green
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GD 808A AA / AAA Battery Charger + 8 x Ni-MH AA "3000mAH" Batteries Set - Black + Grey
Voltage 2.4V Output Current 600 mA Other Features Charging current: AA: 150mA x 2 Or 4, 6, 8 , AAA: 100mA x 2 Or 4, 6, 8 ; AA battery: 1.2V, mark capacity: 3000mAh, actual
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GP 1.2V 2700mAh Ni-MH Rechargeable AA Batteries (2-Pack)
The GP 1.2V Ni-MH rechargeable AA batteries adopt universal standards, most of them suitable for cameras, toys and many other electronic devices. It features extensively
Realistic Dummy Decoy Security Camera with Blinking LED (2*AA)
- Powered by 2 x AA batteries
» Other Security Products
1.9" LCD AA / AAA Battery Charger - Silver
Model BTY-903 Color Silver Material ABS Quantity 1 Charging Battery Type AA AAA Charging Battery Qty 4 Plug Type 2-Flat-Plug Input Voltage AC 100~240 V Output Voltage 1
BTY USB Power 2 x AA / 2 x AAA Battery Charger + 2 x AAA Rechargeable Batteries - Silver White
Brand BTY Model USB Color Silver white Material ABS Quantity 1 Charging Battery Type AA AAA Charging Battery Qty 2 Plug Type USB Input Voltage 5 V Output Voltage 1.4 V
Maxuss 1.2V 3000mAh Ni-MH AA Rechargeable Batteries (2-Pack)
The Maxuss Ni-MH rechargeable AA batteries adopt universal standards, most of them suitable for cameras, toys and many other electronic devices. Except that, it features
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TANK007 TK566 365nm Ultraviolet UV LED Flashlight - Black (2 x AA)
~8cm Power: 3W Battery: 2 x AA not included Runtime: 1.5Hour Number of Modes: 1 Mode Arrangement: Hi Mode Memory: Yes Switch Type: Forward clicky Switch Location: Tailcap
» UV/IR Flashlights
Portable Hand Warmer - Light Green (2 x AA)
- Material: plastic + aluminum alloy
- Heating temperature: 45 degrees
- Power: 3W
- Rated voltage: 3V
- Uses 2 x AA batteries not included
- Can also use external 4.5V
Protective Plastic Case for 9V / 2 x AA Battery - Transparent
This 9V 2 x AA battery protective case accommodate 1 x 9V, 2 x AA, or combinations of 9V and AA batteries. This protective battery box will keep your batteries from
(6 Reviews)
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2-CH Infrared Remote Control Spider Toy - Brown (2 x AA)
Time: N AHour Working Time: N AHour Remote Control Type: Wireless Remote Controller Battery Number: 2 Remote Controller Battery Type: 2 x AA batteries not included
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HONGSHENG HS-3050B Electronic Nose Hair Trimmer - Champagne + Silver (2 x AA)
Washing Mode Shaver head can be washable Disposable No Working Voltage 3 V Power Supply Mode Battery Power Battery Type 1 x AA batteries not Included Can or can't use when
» Shavers & Razors
SAIK RC-A2 Cree P2 AA Flashlight (Gray)
- Sturdy construction and compact design
- Glass lens and texture aluminum reflector
- Features a Cree emitter
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- One mode clickie on off
» AA Flashlights
Convenient Portable Razor Shaver - Deep Blue + Silver (2 x AA)
Washing Mode: Water Wash Disposable: No Powered By: AA Battery Battery included or not: No Battery Number: 2 Plug Specifications: No Working Voltage : 3V
Maxuss 1.2V 2300mAh Ni-MH AA Rechargeable Batteries (2-Pack)
Genuine Sanyo Rechargeable 1.2V 1900mAh AA Batteries (4-Piece Pack)
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1.2V 600mAh NiCd Rechargeable AA Batteries w/ Case - Yellow (4 PCS)
Color: Yellow Brand: N A Model: N A Quantity: 4Piece Material: Nickel cadmium Cell Type: NiCd Battery Model: AA Head Type: Flat Top Mark Capacity: 600mAh Actual Capacity
SC8108 2.6" LCD Network Cable Tester (4 x AA)
- Model: SC8108
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- Checks wiring error such as: open
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Yongnuo YN560EX 2.0" LCD Universal TTL Flash Speedlite Speedlight - Black (4 x AA)
450, E-P2, E-PL2, E-PL1; Panasonic: G10GK, GH2GK, GH1GK, G2GK, G1GK, GF2GK, GF1GK Actual Lumens: 1000lumens Type: Xenon Varible Focus : Yes TTL Mode : Yes GN: 58 ISO 100
PANASONIC 1.2V 1900mAh Ni-MH Rechargeable AA Batteries - White + Blue (4 PCS)
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Facial Beautifier Massager w/ Cleansing Brushes - Pink (2 x AA)
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- Power: 2 x AA batteries not included
- Helps to reduce oily areas, to dry skin patches and blemishes
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Portable Professional Electronic Nail Dryer - Silver (2 x AA)
rest stand is pressed; Easy and convenient to use with professional results; Portable nail dryer for your finger & toe nails Features Powered by 2 x AA batteries not
YONGNUO YN560III 2.8" LCD 2.4GHz IR Wireless 10W 5600K 1-LED Speedlite / Photoflood Lamp - Black
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(31 Reviews)
Translucent 2*AA-to-D Type Battery Converter Case
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Crackling Sound Effects Electric Toy (2*AA)
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Eneloop 1.2V 2450mAh Ni-MH Rechargeable AA Batteries - Black + Silver (4 PCS)
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At the moment, the New York art world is in the eye of the art-market storm, squarely in between March's Armory Week and May's Frieze Week. But this is hardly a time to relax. The weather is good–increasingly sunny, increasingly warm. It is a time for strolling neighborhoods and savoring the High Line. And, as ever, it is a time to attend talks and panels. Forthwith, a brief selection of events and exhibitions we attended over the past seven days.
Ragnar Kjartansson at Soho House at Artspace Event
For this piece, Me and My Mother 3, 2010, of which this is a still, Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson told Andrew Goldstein at Soho House that this it entailed his being spit on by his mother. Mr. Kjartansson recalled that when the work was first exhibited, he got berated by mothers visiting the show for being disrespectful, because they accidentally thought that the artist was spitting on his mother and not the other way around. Someone else criticized it for looking too staged. But the staged look appealed to the artist.
Ragnar Kjartansson with Andrew Goldstein at Soho House
Ragnar Kjartansson at Soho House for Artspace event
The ever-entertaining Icelandic artist and musician, relaxing with friends before the event had been heard earlier asking a friend who was looking at the artist's sweater, "Is it borderline lezzie?"
David Shrigley's newly unveiled billboard at the High Line
David Shrigley's billboard work, How Are You Feeling?, of disembodied thought bubbles that reveal the insecurity and ennui of its invisible characters, was unveiled Thursday, April 5, and will be on view through May 7.
Spring at the High Line
Enjoying the sound of live chirping birds in Sarah Sze's elaborate architectural bird-house installation, which closes in June.
Spring at the High Line
Planting flowers at the top of the park.
Spring at the High Line
"I don't see how they're camouflaged," said a British man to his daughter looking at Charles Mary Kubricht's Alive-nesses: Proposal for Adaptation. The work, which has been at the park since September, 2011, consists of a series of storage containers painted in the camouflage design that was used to disguise World War I warships from the enemy.
David Brooks at American Contemporary
During a stroll on a brisk Saturday afternoon, we stopped by American Contemporary to see David Brooks's latest exhibition, which features this fine amalgam of fish sculptures (Nauman would be proud!) and taxonomical chart.
Public Movement, Salon 4, at Artists Space: Books & Talks
On Thursday evening, Israel's Public Movement staged the fourth salon in its ongoing series of discussing related to its involvement in the New Museum's triennial, "The Ungovernables." Participants debated Israel's birthright program and drafted resolutions that they presented to the crowd.


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Rant: The Great Debate – Film vs Digital
[Image scanned by ScanCafe from old, cheap 3M film shot on Minolta Maxxum 7000 ]
I really don't know what triggered this, but it seems the great film vs digital debate has risen from the depths of Flickr groups and message boards and surfaced in the photo blogging community. In the past few weeks I have read pieces from all over focusing on film, and casting it in either a positive of negative light in comparison to digital. Frequently the comments below these posts have exploded into heated discussions from both sides of the aisle.
Film vs Digital seems to be the great argument in the photo community, and has been for a while. Much like the Windows vs Mac debate in the computer world and the right-wing vs left-wing squabbles in politics, film vs digital seems to never die out and occasionally rises to prominence. It seems to be a prominent discussion at the moment.
As a self-described hybrid photographer, using both digital and film in my work and even blending the two together, I fail to understand the need for this discussion. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and a reasonable person can see this. There are cost, creative and stylistic issues for both.
As you can plainly see from my work on LifeInDigitalFilm, from my film emulation presets, to discussion film and scanning, I love film. From my articles on X-Equals, it is plain to see I am just as devoted to digital. I feel as such, I can give a fairly balanced overview of the argument and show, in the basest terms, there really is not debate at all.
I could discuss this on a point by point basis, but that is asinine and could make this article drag on forever. So I am going to make this quick and do a quick pros and cons list for both digital and film photography. This is by no means a thorough listing, but the points that come to mind most frequently when I find myself in this discussion.
Digital Photography
- Lower cost per shot. You pay for the camera up front and take virtually unlimited shots with no encumbrance of development and scanning costs.
- Highly flexible. Digital allows you liberties with your images that film simply cannot offer. Shoot in Raw and the world is your oyster, you can do most anything your heart desires with Raw processing programs and graphics editors (Lightroom and Photoshop in particular).
- Consistency. Once you understand your camera's operation, you can consistently get great results, controlling almost all variables. Be it ISO, noise or even color … digital gives you consistent results from frame to frame and shot to shot. You normally know what you will get before you even push the shutter.
- Virtually unlimited shots. With just a few memory cards, you can go out and shoot all day. Each card allows literally hundreds of shots with little to no down time while shooting. Aside from full buffers and the occasional change of card, you can shoot all day without interruption. No need to change film. Plus you get multiple renditions of any particular scene, allowing you the freedom to choose exactly the one you want.
- Shoot now, process later. Digital does not force you to commit to a style beforehand. You can shoot away, in Raw format, and worry about stylistic decisions later. Make a black and white image, boost saturation, re frame shots via cropping. You are not locked in at all, the Raw format free you to make those decisions later.
- Overabundant options. Nothing can stifle creativity more than unlimited processing options. Upon reviewing each photo, you have to consider your processing options. This process can be more time consuming than actually carrying out the process. This creates the photographer's version of writer's block, you don't know what you want to create because there is little to constrain you. Constraints are challenges, and challenges encourage creativity to overcome them.
- Virtually unlimited shots. Many of use frequently fall back to a "run and gun" mentality when shooting digital. When take countless photos of the same subject, at differing angles or exposures. A simple afternoon outing can translate into thousands of photos quickly. From this glut of images, you have to take time to find the images you really want. If you do not have self control, you can quickly overwhelm yourself when it comes to processing time.
- No surprises. Consistency is a pro, but also a con. Frame after frame, upon import the images tend to have a similar feel, even from shoot to shoot. Your Raw files will have their own feel, unchanging until you start your processing workflow. Before, different films would give you different feels, and that would impact your shooting and change things up. Again, it is easy to fall into a rut without even realizing it.
- Upfront costs. Now this is a bigger issue for some than others. Digital systems can get expensive, as good DSLRs get quickly up into the multi-thousand dollar range. Obviously you don't have to stay on the cutting edge, but to maximize returns on digital photography, you still want to stay close to the blade. New models drop frequently, each with new desirable features, better noise handling, higher ISO and larger resolutions. And lets not forget the cost of the top-end lenses required to get the most out of these bodies, check the price on good Canon L glass lately? If the prices on those lenses don't make your checkbook cringe, then this is not remotely an issue. However, for the average photographer it is an issue. And don't forget flash units and other must-have accessories. I won't even touch on Digital Medium Format
- Development cycles. Tying into the cost scenario, the rapid development of DSLR technologies keeps bringing out better tech each year. Obviously no one is holding a gun to your head trying to make you let go of your D40, but you have to admit it is getting rather long in the tooth by today's entry level technology. In the film era, the only real upgrade you had to worry about was new. better film. You rarely had to upgrade bodies, instead you simply changed film. To stay up on image quality in the digital era, you have to be ready to sacrifice some cash to the camera gods, as a DSLR is essentially one huge roll of film that only runs out when you replace your gear or it dies. You can just push your DSLR film speed further and easier than you could with film.
Film Photography
- Incredible variety. In direct opposition to digital, where your sensor defines how the image you are shooting is rendered and cannot be changed, film photography allows you to change your film at your whim. This leads you to entirely different interpretations of the scene, each unique to the particular film emulsion and format you choose to shoot. Even today, in what many consider the waning days of film, there is still a wide variety of film stocks each providing their own unique rendition of the world on the other side of the lens.
- Wider variety of equipment. As it appears we are in the waning days of film, it is surprising the bargains that can be had on great gear. From 35mm to Large Format, great deals can be found on great cameras and excellent lenses due to the rapid migration of many to strictly digital. I, for example, shoot Canon for digital and Minolta manual focus for film. I have a small selection of lenses for my Canon gear, primarily due to the cost of the equipment … I have just the lenses I need for weddings and portraits, and they ain't "L" glass either. Now, for less than the price of a Canon Rebel, I have an extensive Minolta collection, anchored by an SRT and an X-700 with a wide variety of Rokkor lenses. These old lenses are every bit as good as most lenses on the market today, and some can put "L" lenses to shame with the right film behind them.
- Simple limitations. As mentioned earlier, limitations can enhance creativity. Shooting film automatically limits you to the film you chose, and the film's speed. If you are shooting black and white, you will never have a color image from those shots. If you shoot color negative, you will never get the same vivid colors slide film can provide. High-speed film produces some wicked grain, and virtually grain-free film are painfully slow (try shooting at ISO 6 – EI 6 for film purists). You know these limitations going into your shoot and create your images accordingly, sometimes having to get creative to express what you desire to be conveyed to the eventual viewer.
- Forced deliberation. Film had no preview and rarely allows a second chance. To nail a shot you have to expose carefully and still you bracket your shots. The known limit of shots forces you to slow down and work more deliberately. Sure you can do this with digital, but temptation to chimp and delete bad images is overwhelming. Shooting film, you won't know if you got it right until you develop your film or develop a large degree of faith in your photographic skills.
- Freedom from post. If you sent your film out for development, scanning and prints; your post processing ends at dropping the film off at the lab. What you get is what you get. Now this benefit does not apply to me, as I develop, scan and print my own images from film. This is why I shoot digital for weddings, I would hate to have to develop and scan 25 rolls myself. If you are not going to do any of the developing or scanning yourself you are done. This can be liberating and the excitement of seeing your images for the first time is beyond description.
- Backside costs. You can easily put yourself in the poor house buying film and paying for development, scans and prints. This cost can be mitigated by going develop only and scanning for yourself or even go all out and start souping your own negatives. However the money saved is offset by time lost. If you shoot a lot and are not restrained in your snapping, you will quickly abandon the thought of film photography and seek sensible refuge in the low cost per shot world of digital.
- Film lock in. Unless you want to get into the rather advanced techniques (although quite simple really) allowing you to change out film mid-roll, you are locked into one ISO and one color rendition for anywhere between 12 and 36 shots. You lose a lot of flexibility by going the film route.
- Technique. Film photography really requires a lot more technical skill to get consistent quality results. Quite a few older cameras have no light meter, so you have to use a handheld meter, use the "Sunny 16″ rule or get good as guessing exposure. Then you have to account for your film's reciprocity and it's inherent reciprocity failure, exposure based color shifting and compensating for light temperature by using filters and flash gels. None of this is remotely a concern in the digital world, and these rules and techniques can slow a shooting pace to a crawl until you warp you brain around them. Although understanding these quirks can improve your digital skills, not knowing them will not hamper your abilities as a spectacular digital photographer. And I didn't even mention the cocepts of pushing and pulling film.
- Filters, filters everywhere. And keep in mind, you will need a lot of different filters for film photography that are simply not needed for digital. In digital photography, all you really need are a few Neutral Density filters and a good Circular Polarizer. For film, you will want split ND's, color correcting filters, ND's, Polarizers, Circle Polarizers just to get started. Delve into black and white and you will want a variety of color filters, ranging from reds to blues. I guess you really don't need these, as you can just shoot straight on, but for advanced techniques you will be wanting them. That said, once scanned you can simulate many of these effects in Photoshop, much like you would with digital, but the desired effect is rarely as good as if you shot with the filter or faked it with a digital image.
- Freedom from Post. Lets not kid ourselves, Photoshop and Lightroom are great tools and can really make an image sing. If you take the hands off approach to photography, you are precluding yourself from utilizing these tools to their fullest ability. Albeit it is freeing to drop off a roll and wait for the final results, you loose a lot of control over you images. Again, you can go the scanning or self-development routes. But again, those methods require an investment of time. While rewarding and giving a great feeling of accomplishment, the do it yourself methods are painfully slow compared to the all-digital methods.
So there, a fairly balanced list of pros and cons for each. There is no right answer for the question of film or digital, so I compromised and use both. For work shots I shoot about 80% digital and 20% film. For personal work its about 80% film and 20% digital, so more or less I am 50/50. When shooting film, I develop myself and then scan in myself, digitizing my film early in the process and working up the images as I would any shot from a DSLR. I still step in the darkroom once and a while and make some optical prints, but I have also been known to make a transparency print from an inverted digital shot and make contact prints on photo paper from my digital work. I blend both photography techniques together on a regular basis, working towards what I envision my final product to be, not limiting myself to a chemical or digital workflow at any time. I do what works best. There is no film vs digital debate in my book.
One other benefit of film I forgot to mention is resolution vs cost. I can much more affordably shoot medium format or large format film and scan in for a high resolution image than invest in a digital medium format system. a $300 dollar camera and a $6 roll of medium format film can easily be scanned into a 40+ megapixel image at home on a consumer grade photo scanner. To get comparable results in the digital world would require an prohibitively expensive setup. Sure, comparing 35mm film to digital is one thing, digital has won that war years ago. But comparing Medium Format and larger film to digital is another situation entirely. When I know I need to go large, I still shoot larger format film.
From my point of view, film and digital where equivalent in resolution around the 10 megapixel mark in DSLRs. Now this is a generalization, as maximum resolution in film really depends on the film used. I would still put 35mm Velvia up against any Pro level DSLR today. Velvia's resolving power and resolution is still insane to this day, but the DSLR will still win out in the end, especially if you include color accuracy in your rating matrix. I shoot a lot of 35mm film still, but the argument really leans in digital's favor in this film format. I still love the unique look of each film available, and I love using the inexpensive, high quality gear at my disposal, so I still shoot 35mm film. But as I just alluded to, digital will not be displacing my Mamiya gear any time soon.
So, those are my arguments both ways, take them for what they are. I love both methods and use each every day. I see no need to debate film vs digital, as in my consideration photography is both film and digital. With proper technique, even 35mm can compete with digital any day of the week, and like it or not there is a certain feel to film that digital does not have. Same as records vs CD's, there is a certain warmth to film.
Now let me know your thoughts on the matter. Fire off your thoughts in the comments below. I would also love to run a series on why you use film still today, so if you would be interested in writing up a piece telling why you still love film, email me at firstname.lastname@example.com and let me know, I'll get your opinion up for the world to see, along with some of your work if you would like.
That's it for now.


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Minnesota oil spill largely unreported, spills by rail hit new high
Here's something troubling for environmentalists to contemplate: Have oil spills become so common, so normal, that the media only bothers to highlight the largest-scale disasters?
One year after Newtown and I am still angry
One year ago we all were stunned by the horrific event at a little elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
More than regrets needed after D.C. shooting
A number of things came together to contribute to this latest mass shooting; many of those factors must be dealt with, and soon.
Why Rolling Stone's "Bomber" cover triggered explosion of outrage
After Rolling Stone magazine placed Tsarnaev Dzhokhar on their cover in a flattering rock star image, many protested saying it was a terrible move - and they may be right.
Climate change tied to extreme weather
The end of October, a powerful snowstorm hit the East Coast, knocking out electricity for about two million homes and leaving at least three dead.
Arctic drilling? Cain should not be able!
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge provides a home to countless species of wildlife, some of which are endangered.
My 9/11: The smoke that preceded tragedy
Perhaps most poignant are the perspectives of those for whom that era was a vital period in their growth: the youth of that decade.
Progressives prepare for zombie doomsday
Will this weekend bring the rapture or one big zombie apocolypse?
The people of Japan are in our hearts
We extend our deepest sympathy and solidarity to the people of Japan in the unfathomable tragedy that is still unfolding, and we think about the wider implications.
Right-wing "blizzard narrative" is anti-worker snow job
As a massive winter storm pounds much of the country, the tea party/Republicans are pushing a disastrous narrative: strangle vital public services, like snowplowing, then blame public workers and their unions.


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Hi there~! My name is Bitsy and I've been going to anime conventions for 6 years and have attended 15 conventions all together. I have been cosplaying since 2009 and hope to become bigger and better with all of your support and love ^_^
Cosplaying is my passion and I hope to take it to a full time career one day.
Please like my cosplay page and help show your support <3 thank you~!
You just have to be one of my favorite cosplayers ever! you're so gorgeous!