Paul Random

RFK Jr, IVF and the Push to Get to Root Cause of Health Problems

Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has pledged to eliminate America’s chronic disease epidemic.

It’s a lofty goal and an outcome that can’t come soon enough.

According to data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, upwards of 40% of youth are suffering from one or more persistent issues ranging from obesity to diabetes to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, to name just a few of the many conditions besetting young people.

Adults are faring even worse with six in ten navigating a chronic condition.

Secretary Kennedy has drawn a passionate following because he’s dared to challenge the status quo, especially a culture where medicine is often seen as the answer rather than making it a mission to root out main cause of the problem itself.

In fact, upwards of 43% of children and 66% of adults in the United States are on some form of medication. Not all drugs are equal, of course, and some are lifesaving and an absolute necessity. But many medications are masking larger problems.

Treating the root cause rather than the symptom of a condition is an age-old approach, of course. But with the advent of modern medicine, including the explosion of “Big Pharma” and promises to easily eradicate (albeit temporarily) discomfort by merely popping a pill, drugs are increasingly seen as a solution. 

For example, for some, the use of controversial weight-loss medication is now replacing the tried-and-true methods of shedding unwanted pounds. But beware. It was Hippocrates, the Greek physician and philosopher, who was said to have advised, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” 

In the first chapter of Genesis, we read God’s own words: “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food” (Gen. 1:29). 

There are no guarantees in life, but it’s a wise person who pays close attention to their diet, eating what God makes rather than what factories process and manufacture.

Rising rates of infertility is another example of a problem now being aggressively treated with not only medication but even unethical procedures that violate the sanctity of life itself. Often treated with In vitro fertilization, a multi-billion-dollar industry has emerged where embryos are created and then often destroyed after being deemed inferior and unlikely to survive a pregnancy.

Some doctors who perform IVF never really aim to get to the cause of the infertility. Instead, they’re looking for ways around it.

For years, Focus on the Family has provided advice and perspective on ways to minimize the ethical concerns of IVF. With upwards of 16% of women struggling to conceive, though, Christian couples should be aware of other ways to address the heartbreaking condition.

Known as “restorative reproductive medicine,” this approach aims to address the underlying causes of a woman’s inability to get pregnant, which can be many. For example, it might be related to hormones, thyroid, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, or countless other issues.

The best news about this approach is that it’s holistic and focuses on the overall health of the woman. It’s ethical and doesn’t look to cut corners and violate any moral laws. It recognizes that the end doesn’t justify the means. 

Couples who are interested in this integrated approach can search in their area under “restorative reproductive medicine.”

Time will tell how successful Secretary Kennedy will be in helping America’s healthcare professionals and their patients shift their focus from pills to the root cause of the problem. To be fair, many doctors have been advocating for this approach for years, only to be rebuffed by those eager for a seemingly quick and easier cure.

Every Marriage Affects Every Other Marriage

Marriage matters – and on many levels.

This past Valentine’s Day, I was invited to address a local chapter of the Colorado Springs Rotary Club. Given the timing of the holiday, it was requested that I speak on a related subject.

Rotary was founded back on February 23, 1905 by a gentleman named Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney was looking for a way for professionals to exchange ideas and build friendships. In time, the organization began extending their scope to include service and humanitarian projects. Today, the group claims over 1.2 million members worldwide.

Lunchtime “Rotary” talks don’t usually lend themselves to romance, but I quickly decided to talk about the power of marriage. In particularly, I spoke about unions that shaped the city of Colorado Springs – and impacted countless lives in the process.

That’s because everything affects everything else, especially when it comes to the sacredness of marriage. It’s an anthropological fact that marriage is good for men and women – and society.

We often hear the claim that marriage is a private affair. “What goes on in a marriage is of no concern to anyone else but the two people in the relationship.” But it’s just not true. 

Colorado Springs was founded by General William Palmer, a former Civil War Union veteran who was looking to establish a north-south railroad. Surveying the area, Palmer assumed any town would closely resemble other railroad stops. In other words, a rustic, simple outpost designed to meet the most basic needs of crew and passengers.

But then he met Queen Mellen, the daughter of a New York lawyer. He was smitten. Only problem was the 19-year-old cultured woman didn’t want to live in the unsettled west void of nice things.

So, Will Palmer decided to build her the city of her dreams, beginning with a castle of her own near a majestic red rock formation. The rocks would later be known as the “Garden of the Gods” and the castle would eventually become home to the Navigators, the beloved Christian discipleship ministry founded by Dawson Trotman.

Palmer commissioned a wide range of building, donated land for churches, a college, and numerous schools, including one for the deaf. He also built numerous parks designed to accentuate the natural beauty. 

In short, it was his love for Queen and their marriage that motivated Will to build a city that would become the envy of the world.

Several decades later, another swashbuckling bachelor came to Colorado Springs in search of fame and fortune. His name was Spencer Penrose. He was from a prominent, wealthy Philadelphia family. His brothers were a US senator and Republican Party leader, a noted geologist, and a successful medical doctor. 

“Spec,” as he was known, graduated last in his class at Harvard University in 1886. An adventurer and a playboy, Penrose refused a traditional job offer at a bank in Philadelphia and headed west with no clear intentions or any idea of what might be in store for him.

Penrose suffered lots of business failures before striking gold in Cripple Creek. He transitioned to copper and was making lots of money, but had no real point or purpose.

But then he met Julie MacMillan, a widow who turned his life upside down. Wrote his biographer Marshall Sprague, “He did not emerge from adolescence until he gathered his courage and tremblingly took a wife at the age of forty-one … For her and her alone, he tempered his fierce egotism, his instinctive materialism…”

In the coming years, Spencer Penrose would build the Broadmoor Hotel, one of the finest five-star resorts in the world. Julie tamed Spec like nothing and no one else could. The Penrose fortune helped fund numerous charities and organizations. 

In 1947, a man named Don Wilson purchased thousands of acres of ranchland in northwestern Colorado Springs. Wilson’s daughter and son-in law, Marian and Russ Wolfe, moved to Colorado to help work on the ranch. 

The Flying W Ranch started as a breeding operation for cattle, but the Wolfes expanded to begin hosting “chuckwagon suppers” and a western stage show with cowboy music. Before long, well over a hundred thousand were coming to the ranch each summer for an evening out under the stars.

The Wolfes became the face of Colorado Springs tourism, and have been credited with helping attract the U.S. Air Force Academy to the city.

Three good marriages changed not just the face of a single city, but the lives of millions of people who were drawn to it, and maybe even found their calling and purpose as a result of being where they were.

The social science confirms that good things happen when we follow God’s rules, especially when it comes to the institution of marriage.

Dr. Brad Wilcox, professor of sociology at the University of Virginia, observed, “Fixing what ails America starts with renewing marriage and family life, especially in poor and working-class communities where the fabric of family life is weakest.”

That’s because every marriage affects every other marriage. 

RFK, Jr. is Right: ‘We’re in a Spiritual Crisis’

Speaking at the White House following his confirmation and swearing-in as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. struck a powerful and poignant note as he looked both back and then ahead to his tenure at the agency. 

“For 20 years, I’ve gotten up every morning on my knees and prayed that God would put me in a position where I can end the childhood chronic disease epidemic in this country,” Kennedy said. 

The new secretary of HHS was referencing a turning point in his life, a spiritual transformation where he tackled various addictions threatening to spiral out-of-control.

Previously describing these eye-opening events in his life at a “Socrates in the City” event hosted by Eric Metaxas, RFK, Jr. said he “had to change at a deep, fundamental way [and] … I knew that was going to require a spiritual awakening.”

But he added, “After you have a spiritual awakening — you can’t live off the laurels of the spiritual awakening. You have to renew it every day. … You have to renew it by staying in that posture of surrender.”

At times, that “posture” has placed. Kennedy at odds with prevailing wisdom and societal norms. During the campaign, he pledged to “Make America Healthy Again” by examining and evaluating the safety of our food supply and even challenging those who believe pharmaceuticals should serve as our first line of defense against disease.

But talking with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham after Thursday’s events, RFK, Jr. suggested that food and exercise are only part of the problem and solution. 

“We’re not just in a health crisis, but we’re in a spiritual crisis. And those things are connected. We have a whole generation of kids that feel alienated, dispossessed. They are in an existential crisis, and not only because of their health. There’s a purposelessness in their lives, and sense of uselessness and ineffectiveness.”

Kennedy’s concerns and observations are confirmed by the devastating data surrounding mental health in America.

Over 36% of young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 and nearly 30% of those between ages 26 and 49 report having some form of mental illness. Rates of depression and suicide have skyrocketed across the nation.

It would be an easy fix if all that were needed would be a better diet with fewer chemicals, preservatives and food dyes. If only the listlessness could be solved by drinking more water and exercising on a daily basis.

To be sure, our physical health has a significant impact on our emotional and spiritual wellness or lack thereof. Speaking from the Oval Office, Kennedy made an insightful observation when he said, “A healthy person has 1,000 dreams. A sick person only has one.”

But by delving into the spiritual, Kennedy is drilling down to a foundational truth. Our spiritual disciplines are critical to enjoying a happy, fulfilling, and meaningful existence.

Classic Christian disciplines include prayer, Bible reading, study, personal and corporate worship, fellowship, giving back and serving others.

It was the apostle Paul who warned, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness, for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:7).

Recognizing that we weren’t built for this world but rather for the next is a truth that helps us endure and manage whatever challenges that come our way.

To be sure, Kennedy holds some personal positions that do not square with the beliefs of many evangelical Christians. He has pledged to carry out the pro-life policies of the Trump Administration yet has previously expressed support for abortion. It’s not entirely clear where he lands on some other theological questions

America is in a spiritual crisis because so few people are believing and accepting the liberating truth and peace that comes with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Kennedy seems to recognize that no political, economic or even health related solution will cure our spiritual woes. He is right.

Image from Getty.

Linda McMahon: ‘Listen to Parents, not Politicians’

Testifying on Thursday morning before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to confirm her nomination as Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon laid out a blunt agenda to reform the embattled agency.

“So what’s the remedy?” she asked rhetorically. “Fund education freedom, not government-run systems. Listen to parents, not politicians. Build up careers, not college debt. Empower states, not special interests. Invest in teachers, not Washington bureaucrats.”

How refreshing.

McMahon’s directives are sorely needed in various states, especially New York and Colorado.

Concerned parents in the upstate New York Penfield school district were shut down at a school board meeting this week after expressing concern over a perverted book being used with children as young as five years of age.

The book at the center of the controversy was “The Rainbow Parade: A Celebration of LGBTQIA+ Identities and Allies.”

The illustrated book contains drawings of naked people, so-called “furries,” and even two people wearing leather “bondage” attire.

One father, John Feathers, rose and addressed the board.

“If you think that that’s appropriate for children to see, then there’s something wrong with you,” he said. “You need to have a mental evaluation. There’s no reason that should be in the schools whatsoever at all. You can see the guy’s butt is clearly out.”

How did the board respond to the outraged mothers and fathers?

Instead of giving the parents a hearing and pledging to investigate, the board dug their heels in and began lecturing those gathered on how to officially file complaints.

“It’s our board meeting,” said one parent. “We pay you!” shouted another.

The board then proceeded to abruptly adjourn the meeting, magnifying the agitation of the already fuming parents.

More public school dysfunction?

Here in Colorado, school officials in Jefferson County are apologizing to the parents of a 17-year-old female student who was groomed by a female teacher – with the help of other instructors.

Social studies teacher Leann Kearney at Columbine High School became physically involved with the student. Fellow teachers at the school helped the young woman falsify a federal form declaring herself homeless so that she could move in with Kearney.

Making a bad situation even worse, officials hid the wickedness including the falsification of the paperwork from the student’s parents. When the student turned 18, the two individuals moved out of the state.

In a statement, the Jeffco School District acknowledged the heinous offense:

Obviously, the student did not meet the criteria to be considered homeless and the staff involved in this isolated incident were addressed as part of the investigation as the proper channels in place were not followed.

While we have taken every step to remove this former employee from Jeffco and prevent her from working in another educational setting… we recognize this is of little comfort to the family…. we deeply regret how profoundly this violation has affected their family.

Of course, not every public school in America is riff with this type of deliberate deviance, but it’s this flavor of destructive dysfunction that’s leading many mothers and fathers to seek alternative education options for their children.

Instead of collaborating and cooperating with parents, far too many schools are currently engaged in open combat with the very people whose taxes are paying their salaries.

It’s no wonder that homeschooling is the fastest-growing form of education in the United States, expanding at between 2% and 8% annually. It’s now estimated that over 3 million American children are being taught at home in 2025.

Parents in the Penfield and Jeffco school districts are justifiably incensed and demanding officials clean house and reform the corrupt and perverted systems. It won’t be easy. They and countless other moms and dads need prayer, wisdom, and creative and innovative energy to help transform a broken public education system that is currently on life support.

Wikipedia Founder Larry Sanger Accepts Jesus as His Savior

Larry Sanger, who co-founded Wikipedia in 2001, and who for decades has declared himself an agnostic and skeptic philosopher, recently announced his conversion to Christianity.

Writing on his blog, the 56-year-old said, “I spent over 35 years as a nonbeliever, I will not try to portray myself as a converted ‘enemy of the faith.’ I never was; I was merely a skeptic. I especially hope to reach those who are as I once was: rational thinkers who are perhaps open to the idea, but simply not convinced.”

Sanger once described Wikipedia, the user-edit online encyclopedia, as “part anarchy, part mob rule.” He acknowledged, “The people with the most influence in the community are the ones who have the most time on their hands – not necessarily the most knowledgeable – and who manipulate Wikipedia’s eminently gameable system.”

The internet project developer stepped away from the site way back in 2002 over conflicting philosophies, specifically his desire for a fair and open forum that wouldn’t engage in viewpoint discrimination.

Over the years, Sanger has suggested the site primarily consists of “establishment mouthpieces” and deliberately blocks alternative viewpoints.

“There’s a lot of Nobel prize winners and distinguished doctors whose views are not only not welcome on Wikipedia — they’re literally censored on YouTube and sometimes Facebook and Twitter [X} because they contradict the narrative,” he told the New York Post.

“There’s a global enforcement of a certain point of view on issues like COVID,” he insisted, calling it “amazing to me as a libertarian, or a liberty-loving conservative.”

Writing last week about his evolution from skeptic to believer, Larry shared details about his upbringing, details that can be instructive for mothers and fathers.

“I was confirmed at age 12 in the Lutheran Church, but soon after, my family stopped going to church,” he said. Sanger’s father began dabbling in New Age religions and invited skeptics of the faith and philosophers to engage Larry in conversation. By the time he was 14 or 15, he said his belief began slipping away.

Fiercely curious and inquisitive, Larry said he had all kinds of questions but was discouraged from asking them. He even called a pastor, an individual he suggested was less than helpful and even dismissive of his skepticism. In short, he wasn’t taken seriously – so he began chasing after groups and individuals who would give him attention and make him feel like his agnosticism was well placed.

He chose Reed College, a liberal arts school in Portland, Oregon, that he said “was full of liberal unbelievers.” At the time Sanger was a student there, he said their unofficial motto was “Communism, Atheism, Free Love.”

After separating from Wikipedia, Sanger taught philosophy at Ohio State for a few years, priding himself on his ability to conceal his true beliefs from students. “I wanted them, too, to seek the truth for themselves,” he wrote.

It’s clear he was on a spiritual journey, impressed with the many brilliant people who believed the Bible to be God’s Word – but still considering it to be “not much more than primitive Bronze Age myth and wisdom literature, with the miraculous bits probably based on rich imagination, misunderstood emotions, and other natural psychological experiences.”

Interestingly, around 2011, Sanger found his sympathies inching towards Christians whenever he saw believers attacked for having the temerity to publicly share their faith. He spoke out against what he considered bullying. He also began speaking out against the New Atheist arguments being popularized and propagandized online.

“I scanned books produced by New Atheists such as Dawkins and Harris and could never bring myself to actually buy one: they were just so transparently mediocre.”

For Larry Sanger, the penny has seemed to drop slowly, but he’s at last felt the freedom to acknowledge that he believes the Bible is true, there is one God in three persons, and Jesus is the Savior of the world.

For the past five years, Sanger has been writing a book that he’s titled, God Exists: A Philosophical Case for the Christian God. Perhaps it’s the philosopher in him, but at 203,484 words (and counting!) he has a penchant for being quite wordy.

While Sanger might not be expecting people to read his book, he is clear and direct when he states, “Everybody should read the Bible daily.”

Larry’s long and winding road demonstrates the power and influence of good and bad parenting, the importance of welcoming questions from skeptics, the need for humility and patience when encountering nonbelievers, and the long-suffering and merciful patience of a Heavenly Father who will never stop pursuing us even when we might stop chasing after Him.