Quote of the day:

"When fear came upon every soul:
Because the beginning shall remind us of the end
And the first coming of the second coming."

^{- T.S. Eliot, The Cultivation of Christmas Trees}

Today’s Headlines

UPenn President Resigns, Harvard Doubles Down

On the heels of the controversial congressional hearings regarding alleged acts of antisemitism at Pennsylvania, Harvard, and MIT universities, University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has tendered her resignation alongside Penn's Board Chair, Scott Bok.

Magill faced scrutiny for her handling of perceived antisemitism on Penn's campus, particularly during the congressional hearing where she, along with other university presidents, refrained from stating whether calls for the genocide of Jews would violate the university's conduct policy.

Following Magill's resignation, attention has shifted to Harvard President Claudine Gay, who is under pressure for similarly failing to condemn antisemitism clearly and is also facing allegations of plagiarism in her 1997 Ph.D. dissertation.

Despite calls for her removal, Harvard University's board unanimously supports President Claudine Gay, expressing confidence in her leadership to address societal issues. This backing comes amid ongoing criticism, with over 700 faculty members, the Alumni Association, and 800 Black alumni supporting President Gay. The board acknowledges the need for a more robust response during the hearing, as calls for her resignation persist from lawmakers and a conservative group planning mobile billboards. Billionaire Bill Ackman accuses President Gay of damaging Harvard's reputation and questions her academic integrity, prompting an independent review that found no violation of research misconduct standards.

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The Remnant's Response

"It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself If his conduct is pure and right" (Proverbs 20:11)… and as Presidents Magill, Gay, and Kornbluth (MIT's president) showed, you can also distinguish yourself with conduct that is foolish and not so bright. Lacking the courage and/or conviction to condemn an obvious evil has brought appropriate criticism and loss of support for them and the institutions they represent. When leaders fail to do what is right, it is not only costly, it often appropriately costs them the privilege of leadership (1 Samuel 15:26). While we may not be surprised that weak and "woke" university presidents fail to speak with clarity on obvious moral issues, it should horrify us when pastors and others who should know better do the same (Jeremiah 2:8-9). When those who claim to know the Lord fail to speak with clarity and lead with conviction, when they "forsake the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13) the right response is to "be appalled, O heavens, at this, And shudder, be very desolate" (Jeremiah 2:12). And the wiser, even more righteous response is to repent (Jeremiah 3:12-14).

The decline in Americans' trust in higher education and other similar institutions is a logical outflow of the decline in America's trust in the "One Whose name we should lift on High" (Psalm 145:1). When "one generation" fails to "commend the Lord's works to another," and then abandons the "splendor of His majesty" (Psalm 145:4-5) for the foolishness of the wisdom of men, it is unsurprising that the next generation will speak foolishly and arrogantly (Jeremiah 4:22). We can thank God that there is still enough clarity in our country that some level of outrage has been shown, when those entrusted to lead some of the biggest names in higher education, have proven themselves so incapable of responding to even the simplest of questions.  

The fool eagerly sips from a cup of folly, unaware of its bitter blend (Proverbs 13:15), while the wise, with discerning hearts, choose the fountain of knowledge (Proverbs 13:14), finding refreshment (Proverbs 3:8) in the sweetness of its taste (Proverbs 24:13-14). "The backslider in heart will have his fill of his ways, But a good man will be satisfied with his" (Proverbs 14:16). Let us be mindful of the cup we raise, for in its contents, we taste the consequences of our choices.

As the presidents witness a range of varying outcomes resulting from veering away from fidelity to God's truth and failing to lead with courage, the remnant should be reminded that "every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words, you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37).

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Make sure to read the Remnant Response below for relevance.

Texas Abortion Decision

In a high-profile abortion case in Texas, Kate Cox filed a lawsuit seeking the right to terminate her high-risk pregnancy due to a rare genetic condition known as trisomy 18 in her preborn child. This condition carries a significant risk, as only 50% of babies carried to term are born alive, and the majority of them do not survive beyond the first year.

The legal backdrop involves a Texas law that prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Despite the challenging circumstances, Cox's legal battle gained national attention when the Texas Supreme Court ruled against her after she left the state to pursue the abortion procedure. Trisomy 18 often leads to miscarriage or stillbirth, and Cox argued that the law was too vague to determine the legality of her abortion under her specific circumstances.

It was clarified that a pregnant woman in Texas does not require a court order for a life-saving abortion. The court emphasized that its ruling did not prevent a life-saving abortion in Cox's case if a physician determined its necessity under the appropriate legal standard, using reasonable medical judgment.

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The Remnant's Response

We have already given one response to this tragic story. We have also written about how those involved with leading others astray use deceptive speech (Jeremiah 9:8) and cleverly devised tales to secure others to join them. This story has been no different. The Dallas Morning News originally used this headline, "Kate Cox flees state to get an abortion," as if she was being held captive by an oppressive government and had to make a heroic escape to terminate the life of her child. (it was later amended on DMN's home page, but the original story and headline still run in other papers across the country). The Kanas City Star described the "anti-life cruelty forcing Kate Cox to flee Texas." The Washington Post headlined, "Texas woman…leaves the state for a procedure," and the Center for Reproductive Rights, the organization representing Mrs. Cox in this case, said she "couldn't wait any longer for abortion care." When the taking of a life is reduced to a "procedure," and assisting a mother in the termination of her child is "care," we have a problem. 

The headline of our writing today, in addition to the necessary reminder that Mrs. Cox is clearly suffering in the midst of the tragic diagnosis she and her husband received in the midst of this wanted pregnancy, and as such is deserving of our compassion, prayer, and kindness, (Colossians 1:9-10; Romans 12:15) is that the remnant needs to be constantly on the alert to the reality that words can be weaponized to desensitize us (2 Corinthians 2:11). The psalmist reminds us that the words of the ungodly “are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. He plans wickedness upon his bed; He sets himself on a path that is not good; He does not despise evil.” (Psalm 36:3-4) and so we are encouraged to be constantly alert, standing firm in the faith (1 Corinthians 16:13).

The DMN and Kansas City Stary stories, and others like them, make it sound as if Mrs. Cox was a runaway slave being sought after by dogs and 'patrollers' (slave slang for wicked bands of men who patrolled, sought, captured, and tortured men and woman seeking to escape the horrors of the slave trade) and was in danger for her life if she didn't make it out of Texas. While that is compelling in its imagery, to say the least, it is false at its core and intentional in its effect. It's important to state plainly: Texas's abortion law includes an exception for the life of the mother. In Kate Cox's specific case, her doctors have not concluded that her situation meets the criteria outlined in Texas law for exceptions. In Texas, it is not legally justified to intentionally terminate the life of her 20-week-old preborn child due to these heartbreaking circumstances.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the greatest men of the 20th century, once asserted, "The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children." Bonhoeffer's life exemplified this principle, as he willingly sacrificed his very existence for those in his society who were unwanted and undervalued. In doing so, he embodied the biblical call to "be advocates for those unable to speak for themselves" (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Some of our trusted close friends, Daniel and Kelly Crawford, have lived through similar heartache and, having been "strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience" (Colossians 1:11), now serve others as they "comfort them with the comfort with which they have been comforted" (2 Corinthians 1:4). We encourage you to familiarize yourself with their story and especially encourage you to support them in their important work to help families like the Cox's by going here. It is not enough to make laws; we must personally engage with the hurting and support those who set themselves apart to care for women faced with an unwanted pregnancy or families facing a likely fatal diagnosis. Our friend Rick Smith has an incredible ministry advocating for children and serving families who received an in-utero diagnosis of Down Syndrome. You can learn more about his team's amazing work and how you can support them here. The remnant doesn't just advocate for life with words but also with work and generosity. These two ministries are among favorites that assist us in fulfilling God's calling on our lives to care for both the emotional and physical needs of the mother and the protection of the children in and out of the womb whenever possible. Join us.

 Other news you should know

💊 Tucker Carlson to launch TCN, his own streaming network.

🪦 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' star Andre Braugher dies at 61.

💵 New Michigan law uses taxpayer dollars to fund abortions.

🇺🇸 New Hampshire governor officially backs Nikki Haley.

📺 Watch this: One of the better political commercials in recent years.

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