Florida

Imbedded Deceit in Florida Amendment 4

Published

6 months ago

September 10, 2024

Abortion has likely been the most contentious and consistent conversation in American politics over my 45 years. As a pastor, I’ve never endorsed a candidate, and I’d imagine things would need to be either incredibly good or incredibly bad for me to consider doing so. Still, we have a responsibility to bless the cities we live in, and at times that requires us to speak out on moral issues like abortion, political as they may be.

I’ve walked with women (and men) as they wrestled through all the emotions that come both before and after an abortion. My church in Orlando shares Maitland Avenue with an abortion clinic. Abortion isn’t merely an academic or political discussion for me but one that hits close to home. With that said, Florida’s proposed Amendment 4 to potentially legalize full-term abortion without parental consent is as deceptive in its presentation as it is wrong in its ethic.

The Presentation

The title of the proposed amendment claims to “limit government interference with abortion,” but it essentially divests the government of its role to protect both the lives of the unborn and the health of the pregnant mothers. Florida amendments, with their short, attractive titles and brief descriptions, are notoriously easy to pass but hard to repeal. So let’s look at the brief description as it appears on the ballot.

“No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion . . .”

Not only will this allow full-term abortions, but it presumably lifts basic safety regulations that currently protect the women getting abortions.

“. . . before viability . . .”

Conveniently, “viability” isn’t defined. Again, this opens the door to abortions up until birth.

“. . . or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, . . .”

What constitutes the patient’s health? Does mental stress, financial stress, or anxiety create a health issue that warrants late-term abortion?

“. . . as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”

This isn’t necessarily a doctor but simply a healthcare provider. Again, this puts women at increased risk of dangerous procedures.

“This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.”

That sounds good on the surface. Parents will still be notified, but they aren’t required to consent in any way. Imagine being told your underage daughter is having an abortion, but unlike with every other medical procedure, you wouldn’t need to give your consent.

But doesn’t a woman have the right to choose what happens to her body? Yes, to an extent. But none of us can legally do whatever we want with our bodies. U.S. laws prevent organ sales, public nudity, and prostitution. We also aren’t only talking about the mother’s body. We’re talking about the baby’s body inside the mother. This amendment threatens the lives of both babies and mothers while hiding this truth behind a misleading presentation.

The Ethic

Abortion isn’t a progressive or new idea. It’s a return to an archaic practice. Abortion and infanticide were common in the Roman Empire during the rise of Christianity. In the Epistle to Diognetus, a second-century letter explaining Christianity, the author wrote, “[Christians] marry and have children, but they do not kill unwanted babies.” The Didache, the earliest nonscriptural Christian writing, explicitly says, “You shall not abort a child or commit infanticide.”

Doesn’t a woman have the right to choose what happens to her body? Yes, to an extent. But none of us can legally do whatever we want with our bodies.

Christianity holds the progressive view on abortion, and for thousands of years, Christians have consistently protected the lives of unborn babies. The pro-choice movement advocates a return to barbaric practices.

Pro-abortion laws in the United States have made our obligation to protect vulnerable life a gray issue. Under Roe v. Wade, 38 states had fetal homicide laws but also allowed abortion. So in those states, a woman could have an abortion, but if she were hit by a drunk driver on her way to the procedure and her unborn baby died as a result, it was manslaughter. Science shows that babies in the womb hear, feel pain, suck their thumbs, and possibly even dream. But even as science brings greater clarity to this discussion, we must acknowledge this is still a philosophical question with significant moral implications.

Historically, those in power have decided what constitutes “humanness” while the weak suffer. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the United States decided humanness applied to the white population, allowing them to kidnap and enslave Africans. In the 20th century, Nazi Germany decided humanness applied to the Aryan race, allowing them to slaughter Jews. Iceland recently decided those with a typical genetic code have the right to life, and they’ve virtually eradicated babies with Down syndrome.

But a person’s value isn’t attached to his or her skin color, ethnicity, religion, genetic code, or age. All humans have value because we’re made in God’s image—all of us. If passed, Amendment 4 will secure Florida as a destination graveyard.

What the Gospel Demands

While we should vote “no” to this amendment, we can’t stop there. There are real social issues that contribute to people feeling abortion is their best or only option. The opportunities to bless our cities go well beyond voting.

If passed, Amendment 4 will secure Florida as a destination graveyard.

Many abortions could be prevented if the parents had better access to medical care, financial resources, adoptions, and stable communities. These are historically some of the church’s greatest strengths as we were the impetus and backbone of hospitals, orphanages, and education in the Western world. We cannot simply vote and wash our hands of the issue. The gospel demands more.

The preservation of life is at the gospel’s heart. God cares about us so much that he came to earth so we might have eternal and abundant life. Jesus gave his life to save ours. All who are recipients of that abundant and eternal life now have a responsibility to champion the life of all.

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Florida

SpaceX's Starship failed launch: Florida airports halt flights

Published

6 minutes ago

March 6, 2025

Press Room

SpaceX's Starship failed launch: Florida airports halt flights

US aviation authorities temporarily halted flights at several Florida airports over concerns about debris from SpaceX’s Starship, which spun out of control shortly after launch.

A ground stop was placed on airports in Orlando and Miami after the failed launch over the Atlantic Ocean. It has since been lifted. No injuries or damage have been reported.

SpaceX confirmed the un-crewed ship had suffered “a rapid unscheduled disassembly” during its ascent into space, and lost contact with the ground.

A statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the flights in and out of airports would be delayed due to a “space launch incident”. This was the eighth mission to test the rocket, and its second consecutive failure.

The 123m (403ft) spaceship was meant to re-enter Earth’s orbit over the Indian Ocean after a one-hour flight.

Its Super Heavy booster, which helps it leave the ground, did manage successfully to return to the launchpad.

SpaceX, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, said teams immediately started co-ordinating with safety officials for “pre-planned contingency responses”.

The statement added that SpaceX would review data “to better understand root cause” of the accident.

“As always, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will offer additional lessons to improve Starship’s reliability.”‘

Musk has yet to comment on Thursday’s explosion.

The incident follows a test in January, which saw a Starship rocket fail minutes after launching from SpaceX’s Texas facility.

The FAA also briefly closed airports at the time, due to concerns about falling debris.

After January’s incident, the FAA grounded Starship launches and noted the failed effort led to property damage in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean.

“Unfortunately this happened last time too, so we have some practice at this now,” SpaceX flight commentator Dan Huot told reporters at the launch site on Thursday.

Footage posted on X purported to show flaming rocket debris falling over the Caribbean Sea. In the Bahamas, people posted that they were seeking shelter in order to take cover from debris.

Starship is the biggest, most powerful rocket ever built, and is key to Musk’s ambitions for colonising Mars.

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket – collectively referred to as Starship – is intended to be fully reusable, the company says.

Nasa hopes to use a modified version of the spaceship as a human lunar lander for its Artemis missions to return to the Moon.

In the more distant future, Musk wants Starship to make long-haul trips to Mars and back – about a nine-month trip each way.

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Florida

Florida map shows counties at risk of “critical” fire weather today

Published

12 hours ago

March 6, 2025

Press Room

Florida map shows counties at risk of “critical” fire weather today

Dozens of counties across Central and South Florida were on alert for fire weather conditions on Thursday, the National Weather Service (NWS) warning that a combination of strong winds and low relative humidity could contribute to extreme fire behavior in the Sunshine State.

Why It Matters

A red flag warning is issued by the NWS to notify local fire officials of potentially hazardous weather conditions expected within the next 12 to 24 hours. Wildfires have hit California and the Carolinas so far this year.

What To Know

As of Thursday morning, red flag warnings had been issued across central and east central Florida. The map below shows where Red flag warnings and fire weather watches were in place in Florida from Thursday morning.

Counties included:

Brevard
Charlotte
DeSoto
Flagler
Hardee
Highlands
Indian River
Lake
Lee
Levy
Marion
Martin
Okeechobee
Orange
Osceola
Polk
Putnam
Seminole
St. Lucie
Sumter
Volusia

Winds near 20 mph were expected, gusting to around 30 mph, along with relative humidity between 25 and 35 percent, according to the NWS.

“Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly,” it warned.

Meanwhile, there were fire weather watches in place across South Florida.

These included Broward, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties.

Here, the service said drought conditions combined with low relative humidity values would lead to “increased fire weather concerns.”

Residents in affected areas were urged to avoid any outdoor burning.

The NWS issues fire weather watches up to 72 hours before the conditions are expected to occur, while a red flag warning “is issued when the conditions are expected to occur within the next 24 hours.”

What People Are Saying

The NWS red flag warnings stated: “A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now … or will shortly. A combination of strong winds … low relative humidity … and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.”

NWS Jacksonville said on X: “Despite a little rain yesterday, drought conditions will combine with low humidity and gusty winds, creating optimal conditions for rapid wildfire spread across central FL today.”

Meteorologist Brooke Silverang said on X, Wednesday: “All of Florida’s East Coast is under a Fire Weather Watch on Thursday. Fires can spread easily.”

What Happens Next

At the time of writing, the latest red flag warnings were in place until 6 p.m. The NWS said the fire weather watch for South Florida was in effect through Thursday evening.

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Florida

Todd Golden explains how Florida beat Alabama and Auburn on the road in same season

Published

23 hours ago

March 5, 2025

Press Room

Todd Golden explains how Florida beat Alabama and Auburn on the road in same season

Todd Golden’s Florida basketball team has owned the state of Alabama this season. It started out with a Feb. 8 trip to Auburn, a game the Gators won 90-81.

Then, just over a month later, Florida beat Alabama 99-94. On Wednesday, after the win, Golden was asked what his team did to become so successful on the road.

“I think it’s the strength of our team,” Golden said. “We have a very mature team, workmanlike approach. We’re very consistent and for whatever reason, I feel like we really hone in and do a great job of preparing on the road and making sure we come in with a great mentality.”

The Gators beat the Crimson Tide mostly off the strength on the glass. Golden’s squad outrebounded Alabama 50-35, grabbing 16 offensive boards, which it turned into 19 second-chance points.

Florida also won in transition, scoring 22 fast-break points to Alabama’s 10. The Gators fought off several UA comeback attempts to move to 26-4 on the season, 13-4 in SEC play.

“You’re gonna have to deal with some highs and lowes and you can’t allow your emotions to affect you negatively,” Golden said. “And I thought we did a great job doing that. But I think we’re one of the best teams in America, and to do that, you have to go on the road and beat good teams, and we did that with Auburn and we did that again tonight with Alabama.”

The Gators will be the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament, which begins next Wednesday in Nashville. Auburn already earned the league’s regular season championship, while Alabama backed into clinching a double-bye on Wednesday, when Missouri lost at Oklahoma.

Florida will close out the regular season against Ole Miss in Gainesville on Saturday. Alabama and Auburn will face off in Neville Arena that same day, tipping off at 1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

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