The "Equality" Act Endangers Women and Attacks People of Faith

 Today I read the maliciously misnamed “Equality” Act and it is far worse than I could have ever imagined. This legislation is anti-women, anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, anti-Christian, anti-science, anti-doctor and because it prevents efforts to provide Christian counseling, care and help to those who identify as LGBTQ, I believe the act is harmful to the very community it purports to protect. The bill is so clever in its conception and crafty in its construction that only a true sociopath could have written it.

 

If you have a teenage daughter going off to college, the school would legally be required to allow a biological male who identifies as transgender to be placed in a dorm room with her or another girl and to use the women’s bathroom and showers. The act specifically lists restrooms, locker rooms and dressing facilities as areas where the law of the United States of America would require men who call themselves women to have simultaneous and unrestricted access. Men can dress as women and participate in girl’s sports which is not only unfair, but dangerous. Men who call themselves women can apply for and receive women’s scholarships. As one lawyer/reporter pointed out: A transgender (bio-male) police officer or TSA agent could pat a woman down or perform a body cavity search even if they specifically requested a same sex agent. A gender dysphoric male could enter into a special room for breastfeeding mothers. The act specifically mentions shelters—which means that a mentally unstable, gender dysphoric male could sleep in a female only shelter for abused women.

 

Schools will be forced to hire teachers regardless of their sexual ideologies and behaviors—which is incredibly dangerous. Christian schools, colleges and universities would not be able to accept any sort of government funding or aid, vouchers or loans from students unless they complied with all of these mandates.

 

Christian and other faith-based adoption agencies would be completely shut out of the process unless they compromised their deeply held religious beliefs in the placement of children with those of shared faith and practice. Christian charities would likewise be descriminated against. All forms of Christian counseling, therapy and assistance designed to help LGBTQ people would be dubbed “conversion therapy” and banned. With the high rate of suicide being reported among LGBTQ persons, there is redemption, hope, healing, forgiveness and restoration to be found through Jesus, and the government is trying to outlaw any attempt to help them repent, turn to God, turn away from their self-destructive sin and live a more meaningful, restored life with dignity as the person God created them to be. They are trying to prevent Christians from offering a lifeline and they are attempting to take away the right of a person to choose to seek help to escape that lifestyle by removing the option.

 

It has been pointed out that the language about pregnancy discrimination is specifically and intentionally designed to accomplish the goals of the abortion industry to force doctors and nurses to perform or participate in abortions that may go against their deeply held religious beliefs. It would also force Christian employers and charities to pay for abortions and gender re-assignment surgeries.

 

I now see why the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention has deemed this the most dangerous threat to religious liberty ever to be considered by the U.S. Congress. This act is shockingly unequal in its treatment of women and total disregard for their safety, well-being and civil rights. They are intentionally opening a Pandora’s box of  legal issues designed to harm people of faith. We have already witnessed the bullying and vicious attacks by the LGBTQ community on Christian Bakers, Florists, Photographers and even Nuns. With this act, they specifically name the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to nullify and remove the protections it restored.

A Healthy, Healed Heart from Faith, Food & Fitness

Fourteen months ago I was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. Those are scary words. Between work and school I had been putting in over 70 hours a week and it was too much. I had eaten nothing but fast food and school lunches, donut shop and concession stands for 3 months and I had been sick for most of that time. A sore throat that anti-biotics wouldn't heal developed into a nasty cough followed by weakness and difficulty breathing, which I "medicated" with three 20 ounce Cokes per day. It got to the point where I couldn't lay down without feeling like I was drowning for lack of oxygen. I was treated for double pneumonia and asthma but when the medicine ran out I was right back in the Emergency Room where they discovered that my heart was only pumping 25% of it's blood with each heartbeat when it should have an Ejection Fraction of 50-70%. 

I remembered a worship service I had attended about 8 years ago where a pilot who had been in heart failure with an EF in the 30's had recovered and improved to the point where his heart was pumping at 57% and he was able to fly again. The nurse had called it a miracle. An elder of the church who is a well-known surgeon confirmed the testimony. This was very encouraging to me and that is the reason I am sharing this story, so that others may be strengthened, encouraged and have faith. 

Today my heart is fine. My EF is 60. The last technician who looked at my heart described it as Perfectly Normal. And my cardiologist has officially pronounced my heart to be Fully Normal with no restrictions. Three areas of life have been important in my recovery: 1. FAITH 2. FOOD and 3. FITNESS. I hope by sharing what I have learned that others will benefit. I will address these in reverse order to save the most important aspect, Faith, for last.

1. FITNESS

About 2.5 weeks after I got out of the hospital, I was able to start exercising. I began walking laps around a little section of pasture while I was visiting my parents over Christmas. I would walk for 15 to 20 minutes.

When I returned home, I began walking about 2.5 miles per day. Obviously, to be able to do this, I believe prayer had made a dramatic effect and I consider it a great work of God. My heart had improved from an ejection fraction of 25 to 33 within the first month. Walking on my beautiful walking trail had 3 effects. 

1. It was wonderfully relaxing, stress relief. 

2. It began to strengthen my heart. 

3. It helped me to lose weight. 

On March 16, over Spring Break, I increased to walking 5+ miles per day and added a cardio dumbell routine. Using 10 lb dumbells, I would do 10 single arm curls, 10 rows, 10 military presses in front, 10 back presses, 10 across the body curls and then lie down on the floor and do 20 bench presses. I would do these in one continuous superset and then add 25 crunches. I started with 1 superset per day, then increased to 2 after a week and then increased to 3 after a few more weeks. This type of weight lifting is not about putting on muscle. It is about losing weight, safely gaining strength and most importantly, improving circulation. I would then do some windmill like arm circles and twisting exercises followed by a stretching routine--all about increasing circulation. A few weeks later I had an echo cardiogram which showed that my Ejection Fraction had improved to approx. 45%.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit listed as patience or forebearance also means perseverance. I believe the Spirit helped me to persevere in this course. We should also remember that part of physical fitness also includes rest and sabbath. By October, my EF was 60. 

2. FOOD

Everything we eat out of a box or can or any type of frozen dinner is overloaded with ludicrous amounts of sodium which is like poison to someone in heart failure because it causes fluid retention in the lungs and body that causes extra work for the heart. I also assume that every restaurant or pre-prepared meal contains excess sodium. While I was healing I ate almost nothing out of a can except for low sodium vegetables, drained and rinsed. I ate nothing frozen with any type of sauce added to eat. I ate nothing breaded or battered and deep fried and mostly avoided fried potatoes of any kind. No white bread, flour tortillas. It took a few weeks to hit my new eating stride but while I was healing I ate No fast food ever and absolutely no Pizza. Absolutely no Caffeine ever and no drinks with sugar ever. I wanted off of cholesterol medicine and the unnecessary diabetes medication (which I now am). I needed my body to function at the highest possible level. I have heard people say that physical fitness is 20% exercise and 80% what you eat and I believe it. 

In the book of Daniel, we learn that Daniel and his three friends declined the rich, lavish foods from the Kings table and refused to eat meat sacrificed to idols. They only ate things that were grown and were incredibly healthy as a result. We learn that in Noah's day everything was safe to eat, but by Moses' time the earth was polluted again and only fish with scales and animals that both part the hoof and chew the cud were clean and good to eat. It turns out that those animals have specially designed digestive systems that rid their bodies of toxins and make the meat healthier. Avoiding bottom feeding fish is also a good idea. I set out to eat as much fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, good fats and lean, clean proteins as possible. Any time I was in a situation where I needed to accept someone's hospitality and was served pork or a food I was avoiding, I exercised my New Testament right to pray a special blessing over it. But in preparing my own meals, I took advantage of Biblical wisdom. I have never eaten better or enjoyed my food more than I did over the last year, but it took some new thinking. Self-Control is also a fruit of the Spirit and I believe the Spirit helped me tremendously in this endeavor.

Here is a typical eating day:

Breakfast: Honey Nut Cheerios with skim milk, Banana

Lunch: Turkey & lowfat cheese on whole grain wheat, blue corn chips, spinach salad, apple 

Dinner: Spinach salad with tomatoes, cucumber, carrots & feta, Baked boneless skinless chicken breast strips, 3 kinds of roasted vegetables such as summer squash with lemon pepper and then halved golden/red potatoes, carrots or cauliflower with extra virgin olive oil & McCormick's garden veggie seasoning or asparagus with evoo and lemon pepper, light yoplait yogurt

Snacks: Nature Valley Oat & Honey Granola Bar, low sodium triscut crackers, peanut butter crackers, apple with peanut butter, fruit cup: (strawberry, grapes, mandarin oranges, cantalope, pineapple)

Not so Guilty pleasure: pop secret homestyle popcorn, 2 squares dark chocolate, Caffeine Free Coke Zero

For 10 months, that is pretty much what I ate about 90% of the time. I was like Forrest Gump with his shrimp when it came to me and boneless skinless chicken breast and veggies. I would occasionally make a meatloaf with low sodium seasoning. Whole Wheat pasta doesn't spike blood sugar and increase blood pressure like regular can. The rotini and penne are the best. I switched to Ragu Simply sauce which is made with good olive oil instead of bad oil and it has much less sugar and salt. I have added low sodium black beans to increase HDL. I would sometimes add some Panko to the chicken for crunch. Lemon is a great cooking ingredient that adds savoryness without salt. I would eat out once per week---grilled chicken with veggies in a variety of ways and occasionally a small steak. I also had TACOS once per week. Lean, homegrown quality Santa Gertrudis Beef browned with cracked black pepper and seasoned with McCormick's low sodium taco mix, crispy white corn shells instead of flour tortillas, low fat sour cream, reduced fat cheese, fresh tomatoes and shredded lettuce/spinach. They are delicious and much healthier than the alternative way of making them. My Doctor also recommended fish for the HDL which I eat sometimes. Now that I am better, Sweets and Cheat foods are a special treat. I will have an individual cheat food like a dessert of a sausage biscuit once a week or so. I tend to eat a cheat meal about once a month. When a food like pancakes, fried chicken, pizza or a restaurant burger and tots is on the menu about once every 3 months or so, it tastes really delicious and is a special treat. It just can't be part of my regular food intake.

I lost 30 pounds and kept it off for 6 months. When I relaxed a little too much on food and didn't exercise enough this winter, I gained 10 lbs back, so here I go to try to lose it again. 

3. FAITH

Prayer and Worship are essential. I believe that anytime anyone recovers from an illness or injury God should receive all of the glory, praise and most importantly thanks for it. From the moment I entered the hospital, I had my Facebook friends, students from school, church family--hundreds of people that prayed for me and I can guarantee that they made a tremendous difference. When I was staying up all night, unable to sleep, waiting to go to the Urgent Care, I listened to worship music and I can tell you I was less concerned with differences I had with certain churches than in the theological worth of individual songs. Worship got me through the night.

As important, meaningful, powerful and effective as remote prayer is, I am also grateful for friends, family, church family and pastors who came to my bedside to pray for me. James 5:14 asks: Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. I wasn't anointed with oil, but I was prayed for and it was God who healed me in His mercy. This is a practice that shouldn't be neglected. There is something to humbling oneself to ask for prayer and the witness it brings to those who pray for you and to those such as nurses who witness it.

Mark 16:18 tells us to lay hands on the sick and they will recover. This represents God's power flowing through us into another person. He does the healing, not us. A friend shared with me that she had struggled with similar heart problems and I prayed for her whenever I thought of it from far away...still do. There is something about forgetting ourselves and selflessly praying for others that unleashes God's healing in our own lives and we only realize it afterwards. When possible we should lay hands on people and pray for their healing and humbly seek such prayer ourselves. 

After I returned home from Christmas, in addition to regular Sunday worship, I began attending an extra worship service on Saturday evening in order to spend more time in corporate worship. Jesus said: For wherever two or three have gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them. God's manifest presence shows up in a special way when believer's gather together that is different than when we are alone. Psalm 22:3 exclaims: Yet You are Holy, You who are enthroned on the praises of Israel. God inhabits our praises and we welcome His kingdom in our lives when we worship. Offering praise and worship is the appropriate way to enter His Presence. I went to those services because I wanted to worship with other believers and I wanted to be in God's Presence. I also knew that healing comes from spending time in the Presence of God. I considered the time spent in worship to be part of my recovery and more important than even the medicine. 14 months ago my heart's ejection fraction was 25 and in congestive heart failure. Today it is 60 and fully normal. The medicine I was given can ease the burden on the heart, but it cannot heal it. That comes from God and I give Him every bit of the credit--all of the glory, honor, praise and thanks.