The World and Everything in It: December 19, 2023

PREROLL: Merry Christmas, all you WORLD listeners! I’m Kim Henderson. You’re my people- this community that wants biblically-objective journalism. Confession here— I haven’t donated to our December giving drive yet. Yeah, all the excuses. But I’m fixing that right now. Join me at wng.org/donate. I hope you enjoy today’s program.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Good morning! Pope Francis approves blessings for same-sex marriage, or does he? 

NICK EICHER, HOST: We’ll talk with Reformed theologian Steven Nichols on that. Also today, getting the kids to sleep. Are melatonin supplements the right thing? And a trip to a farm to meet some reindeer and their keepers.

AUDIO: They’ll lay right out there in the snow, and you’ll see a puff of snow and some antlers sticking out.

And a book on the time of unrest prior to Israel’s independence.

REICHARD: It’s Tuesday, December 19th. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

EICHER: And I’m Nick Eicher. Good morning!

REICHARD: Time now for news. Here’s Paul Butler.

AUSTIN: It’s good to be back in Israel, even in these difficult days — especially in these difficult days.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Austin in Israel » Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin heard there in a joint news conference with his Israeli counterpart on Monday.

Austin again reaffirmed what he called America’s “ironclad” support for Israel’s mission to eradicate Hamas and prevent another terrorist attack by the group.

But he also said talks have centered on how to reduce harm to civilians in Gaza.

AUSTIN: We also have some great thoughts about how to transition from high-intensity operations to lower intensity and more surgical operations.

Israel » Meantime, the head of the CIA jetted to Europe for talks with leaders from Israel and Qatar Monday in an effort to broker a new cease-fire and free more of the hostages still held by Hamas.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby:

KIRBY: I can’t say we’re at a point where another deal is imminent. But we are working literally every day on this, on the ground and back here in Washington.

Pressure is growing, as France, the U.K. and Germany — some of Israel’s closest allies — joined global calls for a cease-fire over the weekend.

Iran-backed terror in Red Sea » In Washington, some lawmakers are calling for tougher action against Iran after a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Middle East. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell:

MCCONNELL: Iran’s network of terrorists is making an artery that carries nearly 12 percent of global trade essentially inoperable. In recent days, four of the world’s five largest shipping companies have suspended operations in the Red Sea.

On Monday, the USS Carney responded to a distress signal from a shipping vessel saying it was under attack from several projectiles.

For weeks, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been attacking ships in the area.

The United States has responded with limited attacks against Iranian proxy forces in the region.

Navalny concerns » Russian courts have halted all cases against Vladimir Putin’s most high-profile critic, Alexei Nalvany after he disappeared. WORLD’s Anna Johansen Brown has that story.

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN: Attorneys for the opposition leader say they haven’t heard from him in nearly two weeks.

He’s been in the Russian prison system since January 2021 on what Western governments believe were trumped up charges.

That came after Navalny survived a nerve agent poisoning which U.S. intelligence says was likely a Kremlin-ordered assassination attempt.

Navalny’s supporters fear he is being hidden ahead of Russia’s presidential election in March with Putin seeking to remain in power for at least six more years.

For WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen Brown.

Texas immigration » Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed several bills into law designed to address the border crisis in his state.

One of those bills devotes $1.5 billion dollars for continued construction of the border wall in Texas.

ABBOTT: It includes also $40 million dollars for the Texas Dept of Public Safety for border security operations and increased law enforcement presence.

A new law also gives police powers to arrest migrants on illegal entry, and empower local judges to order them to leave the country, though that has been expected to face swift legal challenges.

Tennessee sues BlackRock » The state of Tennessee is suing the world’s largest asset management company, BlackRock, in a groundbreaking case over what critics call “woke capitalism.” WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: BlackRock is one of the most powerful organizations on the planet  as it manages nearly 10 Trillion dollars globally.

But critics say it’s been using that power to push left-of-center social and political agendas.

In the first-of-its-kind civil suit  Tennessee accuses BlackRock of misleading its clients by prioritizing so-called ESG investments over actual returns for its investors.

“ESG” stands for, environmental, social, and governance.

And many experts say companies increasingly feel pressure to support things like race-based hiring and LGBT activism. That is, assuming they want to remain in the good graces of mammoth asset management firms like BlackRock that control so much of the world’s capital.

The lawsuit seeks legal costs and restitution for consumers.

BlackRock denies that it places political aims above fiduciary duties.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: what the Vatican says about same-sex couples in the church. Plus, raising reindeer.

This is The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: It’s Tuesday the 19th of December, 2023. You’re listening to WORLD Radio, and we’re so glad to have you along today. Good morning, I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. First up on The World and Everything in It. The Pope and the LGBTQ agenda.

On Monday morning, newspapers and newswires touted the story of the pope approving blessings for same sex couples. One headline qualified it, saying the pope had okayed such blessings so long as they “don’t resemble marriage.” Per the New York Times, an official in Rome called the move a real development, but the traditional doctrine of the church about marriage remains intact.

What’s going on here?

Joining us now is Stephen Nichols. He’s the President of Reformation Bible College and Chief Academic Officer for Ligonier Ministries.

REICHARD: Stephen, good morning!

STEPHEN J. NICHOLS, GUEST: Good morning.

REICHARD: Well, it’s something many Catholics hoped wouldn’t happen, but the mainstream media is reporting that Pope Francis approves blessings for same-sex couples. However, the document in question seems to do the opposite. Titled “Declaration on the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings,” it affirms that the “Sacrament of Marriage” (as they call it) is the union of one man and one woman, and forbids any liturgical blessings of same-sex unions. It talks about blessings of intercessory prayer and invocation delivered extemporaneously may be pronounced over same-sex couples by a priest. But then it goes on to say (and I quote) “this blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them.”

So did Francis cross the Rubicon like many media outlets say he has, or is he on the bank of a different river, so to speak?

NICHOLS: It's certainly a development and that's the language it's coming out of the Vatican regarding this. It's probably decided by what it is not, and what it is. And so what it is not is, it is not blessing same-sex marriages. And as you rightly point out, the document it says that the position of the Catholic church remains firm on this point. But it is clearly a development. First of all, let's call this what it is. It is a papal declaration. It is a papal, papal declaration that now requires priests to bless same sex unions. And the bulk of this document is explaining what is meant by a blessing. It will define blessings as that which give glory to God for His gifts, that ask God for His favors, and that restrain the power of evil in the world. Now, when you put that against what this is, the blessing of a same-sex union, you're actually asking for the opposite of those things, since God has ordained heterosexual marriage. So on the one hand, the document wants to hold forth its doctrinal position. But on the other hand, this declaration has moved beyond that traditional doctrinal position, and very likely is going to cause much consternation for priests who would prefer to hold the traditional line fully and firmly.

REICHARD: Let’s take a step back here for our audience that is majority Protestant. You aren’t Catholic but you’ve studied this. How do Catholics understand blessing, and how does it make this conversation about same-sex marriage different for Catholics as compared to mainline Protestant denominations over the past few years?

NICHOLS: Catholics certainly do see blessings, blessing and blessings differently than Protestants. Sacraments are a blessing from God. And so right there, of course, the Roman Catholic Church has seven sacraments. Protestants see two. But in addition to that, Protestants don't typically ask their pastors to come and bless their houses. Protestants don't typically gather with their pets in the church parking lot and ask the priests to bless their pets. And so there's a history here in Roman Catholic piety and practice of blessing extending beyond the ritual. What this declaration is saying is, you can separate out the act of blessing from any type of moral code, or even moral standard. So you're not asking the person to receive blessing to live up to a certain standard. They're actually coming for a blessing because they need help. But the problem here is what are you blessing? You are blessing that which the Bible has spoken of clearly is sin. The Bible has declared that marriage is to be heterosexual, and that homosexual activity is a sin, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Let's put it this way: would you bless a thief? Would you bless an adulterer? So how can you bless a same-sex union? And by doing that you're actually rejecting what the Bible teaches.

REICHARD: Let’s talk legacy here. The Pope just turned 87 on Sunday…and he’s older now than his predecessor, Benedict XVI was when he retired back in 2013. Francis has had some medical problems recently starting to use a wheelchair this year after abdominal surgery, earlier eye surgery and chronic sciatica. Based on his proclamations to date, what do you believe the legacy of Pope Francis will be?

NICHOLS: I think he's very transparent about his legacy: it's inclusivity. You can go back to the declaration at the end of October regarding transgenderism, and affirming that transgender people can be godparents and can participate in church services, etc. and in acts of the church. And now with this declaration, yesterday is just a further step towards what is a program of inclusivity. And it's sort of like a president's executive orders. And again, they just sort of bypass the checks and balances of the legislative system and court system to push an agenda. And this is pushing past the checks and balances system of the hierarchy of the bishops and cardinals of the church. And he certainly has support within the church, but that is pushing his inclusive agenda.

REICHARD: Any other aspect of this story you think is worth highlighting?

NICHOLS: As I take a look through the document, what I find very striking is that consistent references to this as a pastoral approach. If you take the time to read the document, you'll see pastoral point of view. And so this is being set against the opposite, which is being rigid and doctrinal. And so I think that is more than a caution flag. It's significantly problematic when it is more pastoral to be condoning of what the Bible condemns. It is the most pastoral thing we can do for people to proclaim faithfully God's word, and then come alongside of them and encourage them to live according to it. This document not only is a problem for what it may mean for marriage steps down the road in terms of redefining it, but it's also a problem for redefining what is essential to a church and that is pastoral ministry, so I think we need to keep an eye on it.

REICHARD: Stephen Nichols, President of Reformation Bible College. Thank you for joining us today, really enlightening!

NICHOLS: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: Getting children to sleep.

For many families, bedtime is a daily struggle to help kids unwind. And now, many parents are turning to melatonin. But some experts say there are underlying issues that need to be addressed first. World Reporter Juliana Chan Erikson has the story.

JULIANA CHAN ERIKSON: A new study published last month in JAMA Pediatrics reports that 1 in 5 children now take melatonin for sleep. In some cases, 1 year olds have been known to take the supplement. They’re often sold over the counter as flavored chewable gummies.

NATROL AD: …Made with clean ingredients, no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives…

And while doctors say it’s generally safe to give melatonin to children, there’s still a lot of questions about the hormone’s effects.

Humans naturally produce melatonin. It’s the hormone that regulates sleep and wake cycles. We typically produce more of it at night when it’s dark, and that sends signals to the rest of the body saying it’s time for bed. Some people don’t produce enough melatonin, and others work night shifts or travel a lot.

So back in the 90s, drug companies offered a solution—a synthetic form of melatonin you can buy over the counter.

90s NATROL AD: A Natrol reminder to set your clocks back one hour this Sunday, October 26th. And remember to take your Natrol Melatonin for a restful night’s sleep.

Researchers still don’t fully understand how safe it is for children. And since it’s considered a supplement and not a drug, melatonin isn’t tightly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration like other medications are.

Rosemary Stein, a pediatrician in North Carolina, says she occasionally prescribes melatonin to her young patients.

STEIN: If it's something that is temporary, melatonin will be helpful.

Stein has worked with thousands of young patients over the past 24 years and said that because of their developing brains, kids and teenagers will need more sleep than adults. But Stein says kids and teens these days aren’t getting enough shuteye.

STEIN: There is an ongoing problem with insomnia, with children, it has increased from what I had what I had, let's say 30 years ago, or even 10 years ago. And I think that a lot of this is environmental.

When Stein talks about the environment, she’s referring to busier schedules, less down time, more noise at night and more electronic screens in the home.

STEIN: Children have electronic devices all the time, so that distracts them. But that also stimulates your brain so that they have more difficulty reaching sleep, especially REM sleep.

Computer screens produce blue light, which some say can inhibit a person’s melatonin production. Karen Winter, a certified pediatric sleep specialist in Wisconsin, says this means screen time before bedtime isn’t a good idea.

WINTER: I think a lot of families are very reliant on screens, on TV, on iPads and use that in the late evening times, which affects the onset of sleep. Blue light, highly affects the onset of sleep. So I think that's why we actually do see a lot more tired kiddos, kiddos not being able to fall asleep easily, because that blue light is affecting the so much of them.

She doesn’t recommend melatonin because she’s concerned there are too many unknowns.

A study published back in April found that 22 out of the 25 brands researchers examined did not list the accurate amount of melatonin. One brand had more than three times the amount of melatonin on the label. Another had none at all.

So what will help a child sleep? Stein and Winter both say what makes the most difference isn’t the actual bedtime routine, but what families do before.

Winter works with children between the ages of two and seven…and she says for the preschool set it may mean shedding midday naps and setting up sticker charts for those who stay in their beds longest. For older kids, it may mean less time on electronic devices and more time reading books.

And for some who find it impossible to sleep, it might mean melatonin. Stein will prescribe it for the kids who are struggling. But she doesn’t do it often because she says it’s a short term fix for a long term problem.

What ultimately helps, she says, is teaching kids how to rest.

STEIN: So at 8:30 you're in bed, you reading the book, you're telling a story, you saying a prayer, you're resting, you're saying thank you God for this great day. And then your day is done, then kid understands, okay, I can find rest.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Juliana Chan Erikson.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Some are calling it a miracle. Last week in Clarksville, Tennessee, a tornado struck, and a young mom tried protecting her baby boy.

MOORE: Literally the moment I jumped on him the walls collapsed. I was being really crushed. Like I couldn’t breathe.

Sydney Moore telling TV station WSMV what happened next.

MOORE: The roof came off first. The tip of the tornado came down and picked up the bassinet with my baby Lorde in it and he was the first thing to go up.

Fearing the worst, the mom and dad found their baby in a fallen tree in pouring rain:

MOORE: It looked like a little tree cradle. He was just laying there.

with just a little cut on his ear.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Tuesday, December 19th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Well, Christmas Eve is just 6 days away, so if your family tradition includes leaving cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer? You might want to rethink the reindeer snack.

EICHER: WORLD reporter Jenny Rough recently went to a reindeer farm to learn more about them. And it turns out, there are a few other things about reindeer you might not know.

JENNY ROUGH: Pauline Broe and her husband, John, love to watch the reindeer play. Especially in winter.

PAULINE BROE: They’ll lay right out there in the snow, and you’ll see a puff of snow and some antlers sticking out.

The Broes take care of four reindeer on their family farm: Dasher, Prancer, Cupid and … Aurora?

PAULINE: Well, her name is Aurora Vixen. So she’s Aurora, but at Christmastime she’ll be Vixen. It’s her middle name.

Aurora Vixen is a baby. The Broes got her just the other week from Alaska. She flew to their farm on a FedEx plane.

PAULINE: You’re going to be able to meet her and see her. So that’s pretty exciting.

Pauline is about to take a group of 25 kids and parents to meet the reindeer. The crew came to the Broes’ farm for an annual holiday gathering.

LITTLE GIRL: I want to see the baby.

PAULINE: You’re gonna see the baby!

The Broes don’t live at the North Pole. They live in Vermont.

Reindeer are originally from Scandinavia. They’re related to caribou, but reindeer are smaller and stouter.

Cartoon reindeer tend to have narrow snouts and pointy noses. Not so in real life. Reindeer noses are big, like a cow’s. And extremely furry.

PAULINE: So they also grow a very thick winter coat. There are actually 12,000 hairs per square inch.

Fur on their noses down to their feet.

PAULINE: They have no skin showing, so they’re never going to get frostbite.

The Broes began raising reindeer 15 years ago, after reading an article about another reindeer farmer.

PAULINE: And I was totally enchanted. And I thought, “That could be me!”

Pauline says only a couple hundred people in the United States have reindeer. Contrast that with 65 million U.S. dog owners.

Reindeer can be expensive. And they’re subject to tough state regulations because the animals are prone to chronic wasting disease, a fatal illness.

Before Pauline opens the barn door that leads to the pasture, she passes around a set of real antlers. 

PAULINE: So as soon as a baby reindeer is born, they start to grow antlers. The boys and the girls have antlers.

A reindeer’s freshly grown antlers are covered in soft velvet. Eventually, the reindeers rub the velvet off, leaving hard antlers. Before long, they shed those too.

PAULINE: In the spring, their antlers fall off.  How many of you guys have lost teeth? I bet you lost teeth.

LITTLE GIRL: I lose teeth!

PAULINE: And it doesn’t really hurt when you lose your teeth.

One-year-old reindeer antlers are small. 

PAULINE: These are Prancer’s little baby antlers. Aren’t they so cute?

LITTLE GIRL: Yeah.

The next year, a little bigger. 

PAULINE: And this is when she was two years old. Up through her life. And if you look you can see that growth pattern every year.

As unique as a human fingerprint.

Finally, the big moment arrives. 

PAULINE: We’re gonna go in!

LITTLE BOY: I’ve never seen a donkey!

PAULINE: You’ve never seen—have you ever seen a reindeer?

LITTLE BOY 2: I’ve never seen a donkey or a reindeer either.

LITTLE BOY: I’ve never seen either. Or a zebra.

That day at the farm, it’s cold, but not snowing. A steady wet rain...

SOUND: [Walking in mud]

… means the pasture is very, very mucky.

PAULINE: So remember, it is muddy. Everybody has boots?

Baby Aurora Vixen is shy and skittish.

PAULINE: I’m going to give you guys each an apple slice. Two at a time. See if she’ll come over and eat an apple slice from you.

No, not even the apple slices entice her to come near the crowd. But the other reindeer are friendly.

PAULINE: So on this side, we have Cupid and Dasher.

The Broes don’t recommend feeding reindeer carrots because reindeer don’t have upper front teeth. Or incisors. Here’s John Broe:

JOHN BROE: Reindeer have little tiny bottom teeth. They’re not made for chomping stuff. They’re made for grasses and up on the tundra, the tundra area.

If you really want to capture a reindeer’s heart:

PAULINE: So Prancer’s favorite treat is white bread. So we’ll tell children, leave out a slice of white bread. They like white bread.

And you know that famous song about reindeer?

MUSIC: Up on the housetop, click, click, click. Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick.

When reindeer walk, their hooves really do click, click, click. Here’s John again:

JOHN: And it’s because they have a tendon right here in their ankle joint. And every step they take, that tendon slips off the bone and goes, snap, snap, snap, snap.

God made reindeer hooves to click, click, click on purpose. 

JOHN: So in blizzard conditions where reindeer can’t even see, the herd can stay together through the clicking.

They listen for one another and can find each other even when blinded by snow.

As much as the Broes love their reindeer, they love even more how happy it makes the kids.

PAULINE: Kids love to come here. If there’s a kid at school having a bad day. I can turn that kid around by saying, “Guess what Prancer did today?” You can turn any kid around with a story about an animal.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Jenny Rough in West Charleston, Vermont.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Tuesday, December 19th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Up next: a new urgency to the debate over the founding of Israel. WORLD opinions commentator Daniel Suhr reviews a book that seeks to provide clarity.

DANIEL SUHR: Histories of the Holy Land can be divided among four eras: the Hebrews of the Old Testament; the Romans of the New Testament; the Europeans and Muslims of the Crusades; and the Arabs and Israelis of the modern day. In his debut book, journalist Oren Kessler has filled an important gap early in the modern era. Palestine 1936–published earlier this year by Rowman & Littlefield–tells the story of the Great Revolt. That was the pivotal three-year period of civil unrest that shaped the battlefield for Israel’s war of independence in 1948, where most other accounts start.

Though Jews have lived in and near Jerusalem for millennia, the Zionist effort to return a critical mass to their ancient lands launched at the turn of the 20th century. Its success began with the Balfour Declaration of 1917, as the British government promised its support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish ­people.” That pledge was sharply tested when Allied victory in World War I brought the end of the Ottoman Empire, which had previously ruled Palestine, and the League of Nations gave Britain control of the region.

By 1936 the British found themselves ­trying to suppress a full-on civil war between immigrant Jews and native Palestinian Arabs. Jewish new­comers brought an infusion of investment and energy, as they built Tel Aviv atop empty beaches and tamed the wilderness with collective farms known as “kibbutzim.” They also sparked a sharp reaction from Arabs who saw these improvements as a Jewish invasion. Suddenly the most innocent acts—like a soccer ball accidentally rolling down the wrong street—led to mob violence and brutal acts of revenge.

Kessler tells his story through the eyes of well-chosen key characters, some familiar and others newly highlighted by his book. Few if any are heroes, though several are obvious villains. All parties—Jewish, Arab, and British—bear some blame for the many deaths during this time.

At one point Kessler describes a royal commission report as “a policy paper both pragmatic and elegant, meticulous, and readable.” The same praise is due his book: It carefully and accessibly describes the opening acts of this pivotal period, and his introduction and conclusion helpfully show its meaning for the present. The history cannot be changed, but perhaps clarifying it can help heal its wounds and make progress toward peace today.

I’m Daniel Suhr.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Tomorrow: The Senate is going back into session to try to nail down a foreign aid and border reform deal. We’ll talk about what’s on the table on Washington Wednesday. And, hosting soldiers for the holidays.

That and more tomorrow.

I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

The World and Everything in It comes to you from WORLD Radio. WORLD’s mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires.

The Bible says: “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses, us from all sin.” —1 John 1: 6, 7

Go now in grace and peace.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.