This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.Part I (00:13 – 07:47) Heartbreak in Nashville: Horrific Tragedy as Shooter Takes the Lives of 3 Children and 3 Adults at the Christian SchoolPart II (07:47 – 15:25) Is Reality Dawning in Elite Sports?: World Athletics Council Restrict Transgender Women from Competition as WomenTransgender track and field athletes can’t compete in women’s international events by NPR (Juliana Kim)World Athletics votes to ban transgender athletes from women’s events by Washington Post (Les Carpenter)Part III (15:25 – 18:47) The Big Issue Facing the Oldest Population on Earth: Italy Has a Huge Birth Rate ProblemWho Will Take Care of Italy’s Older People? Robots, Maybe. by New York Times (Jason Horowitz)Part IV (18:47 – 22:37) The Scandal of Gendercide: China’s Missing Baby Girls and Rising ‘Bride Prices’The Scandal of Gendercide—War on Baby Girls by AlbertMohler.com (R. Albert Mohler, Jr.)In China, Marriage Rates Are Down and ‘Bride Prices’ Are Up by New York Times (Nicole Hong and Zixu Wang)Part V (22:37 – 26:06) ‘The Silly Old Bear Becomes a Resistance Icon’: China’s Communist Party Tries to Cancel Winnie the PoohThe autocrat threatened by Winnie the Pooh by NPR (Scott Simon)Sign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:Twitter | 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.

DOCUMENTATION AND ADDITIONAL READING
PART 1
(0:0 – 12:15):
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House Passes 1.2 Trillion Dollar Infrastructure Bill: Where The Money Goes, The Worldview Issues Follow

WASHINGTON POST (JEFF STEIN)
Patience and Persistence Pay Off As Biden Gets Infrastructure Deal Across Finish Line

PART 2
(12:16 – 19:40):
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Elections Have Consequences: State Department Equates “Reproductive Rights“ With Human Rights

WASHINGTON POST (MISSY RYAN)
Reversing Trump, Biden Administration Restores Reproductive Rights Assessment to State Dept. Report

PART 3
(19:41 – 25:58):
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Vestiges Of Created Order In A Secular Society On Display As Alimony For Men Still Debated Issue Among Feminists

NEW YORK TIMES (LOUISE RAFKIN)
The Paradox of Alimony for Men

DOCUMENTATION AND ADDITIONAL READING
PART 1
(0:0 – 4:26):
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The FDA Loosens Regulations on Mail-Order Abortions and Canada Bans Conversion Therapy—Ominous Developments We’ll Be Tracking into the New Year

PART 2
(4:27 – 10:9):
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The News Here is Not the Fact of Secularization, but its Velocity: Pew Research Shows 3 Out of 10 Now ‘Religiously Unaffiliated’

PEW RESEARCH CENTER
About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated

PART 3
(10:10 – 14:25):
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To Whom Does Christmas Really Matter? To Those Who Believe the Son of God Was Born to the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem

PART 4
(14:26 – 17:6):
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What Does It Mean That Jesus is God’s Son? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters From Listeners Of The Briefing

PART 5
(17:7 – 20:49):
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How Should Christian Parents Raise Children in the Culture of Santa Claus? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters From Listeners Of The Briefing

PART 6
(20:50 – 26:18):
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Do Nativity Scenes Violate the Second Commandment? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters From Listeners Of The Briefing