Joe and Jimmy received an email from a listener about John Piper’s take on smoking. His position against smoking isn’t surprising, and many of his concerns are fair, but his biblical argument is what the guys find less than convincing.ResourceChristians and Cigars, by Joe ThornSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/doctrine-and-devotion/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.Part I (00:13 – 07:58)The Return of Doctor Population Bomb — Why Do the Media Seem to Want Such an Intellectually Discredited Doomsday Prophet to Be Vindicated?The Paul Ehrlich Apocalypse Is Back by Wall Street Journal (The Editorial Board)Part II (07:58 – 14:04)An Anti-Human Worldview Runs Rampant Through Our Culture: How Issues of Abortion Intersect with Those of Population Control and Make For a Deadly CombinationPart III (14:04 – 20:20)Sometimes, the Death Penalty is the Right (and Righteous) Response: Biden’s Department of Justice Presses for Death Penalty in Terrorism Case, Even as the President Claims to Have Halted Federal ExecutionsSuspect in Bike Path Killing Faces First Death Penalty Trial Under Biden by New York Times (Benjamin Weiser)Part IV (20:20 – 28:09)One Who Worked to Save Lives and One Who Worked in a Death Camp: Juxtaposing Two Lives and Huge Moral LessonsAlbert A. Richman, 88, Dies; Rabbinical College President by New York TimesIrmgard Furchner: Nazi typist guilty of complicity in 10,500 murders by BBC News (Paul Kirby and Robert Greenall)Sign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.

This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.Part I (00:13 – 07:24)A Drama With Life and Death Hanging in the Balance: Vermont Pushes to Become First State to Present Constitutional Amendment Establishing Abortion RightsVermont Moves Forward on Becoming First State to Guarantee the Right to Abortion in Its Constitution by Washington Post (Caroline Kitchener)Part II (07:24 – 08:53)Culture of Death Comes with an Industry: California Declares Itself Sanctuary State for Abortion with Roe v. Wade in the CrosshairsPart III (08:53 – 18:04)The Consequence of Creation Unraveled by Human Sin: China Faces Catastrophic Birth Rate and All of a Sudden Wants to Limit AbortionChina Tries to Dial Back Its High Abortion Rate by Wall Street Journal (Liyan Qi)Part IV (18:04 – 26:24)Once Information Exists, It Will Be Used: The Surveillance State Is Rising, and the Threats Are Real IRS Retreats From Facial Recognition to Verify Taxpayers’ Identities by Wall Street Journal (Richard Rubin and Laura Saunders)Where a Thousand Digital Eyes Keep Watch Over the Elderly by New York Times (Ben Dooley and Hisako Ueno)Texas Sues Meta Over Facebook’s Facial-Recognition Practices by Wall Street Journal (John D. McKinnon)Sign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.