Opinions

“Snakes have the curious habit of shedding their old skin in favour of a new one. Yet no matter how many times they shed their skin they are still the same snake.” If we think we will get into Heaven by changing our ways (shedding our skin by morally reforming) we have failed to understand the message of the Gospel – the Good News of Salvation.

After the Texas Legislature spent much of 2023 in session, a bevy of new laws go into effect on New Year’s Day, though some have been delayed by lawsuits challenging their constitutionality. The Austin American- Statesman reported on SB 17, a new law that institutes a ban on programs and policies “designed or implemented in reference to race, color, or ethnicity” at Texas public universities or colleges — commonly known as diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI.

The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in a case that could decide whether medical exceptions to the state’s abortion ban are written clearly enough to protect pregnant women who face serious health risks, the Austin American- Statesman reported. The 22 plaintiffs include women who contracted sepsis while waiting to terminate a nonviable pregnancy, and women who traveled hundreds of miles for abortions of a nonviable twin in order to protect the healthy fetus.

“If someone said he had a theory that elephants evolved from prehistoric flying pigs, we might want to see their evidence before accepting it as fact. If they said they’d found no evidence or the evidence was missing, it would take a great step of faith to believe their theory.” Evolution is a belief that in the beginning there was nothing – the nothing exploded and gradually created everything.

Capital Highlights Gary Borders As time runs out next week on the fourth special session, Gov. Greg Abbott said he will continue to fight for school choice, despite the Texas House once again decisively rejecting it when 21 Republicans largely from rural districts joined Democrats in stripping it from a $7.6 billion education bill.

John Stuart Richey, age 67 of Mount Vernon, passed away on Friday, October 27, 2023, in Tyler. He was born on November 27, 1955, in Winnsboro, Texas to the late Charlie Weldon Richey and Winnie Mae Evers Richey.