SocietyWatch
Children’s book teaches that demons are fun
Koyama Press published a book on July 16, 2019, titled A Children’s Book of Demons, by occultist Aaron Leighton. It portrays demons with colorful caricatures and silly descriptions that encourage children whose parents have told them to do something they don’t want to do to “dial up” demons by drawing special symbols.
The past decade has seen a boom in popular interest in demons, possession, magic, witchcraft, vampires and zombies, spreading through books, movies, and other entertainment—now, even children’s books.
Some dismiss demonic entertainment as fantastical, but the spirit world is real. The existence of evil itself, so evident in human interactions, is due to human minds accepting the influence of evil spirit beings. To learn the basic, biblical truth about such beings, read “Mystery of Angels and Evil Spirits” in Mystery of the Ages, by Herbert W. Armstrong (request your free copy).
UK expands civil partnerships as marriage alternative
New laws governing civil partnerships in the United Kingdom came into effect on Dec. 31, 2019, allowing heterosexuals to live together and receive legal benefits such as tax breaks, inheritance rights and property entitlements while avoiding the commitments of marriage.
Civil partnerships were introduced in 2004 as a compromise over homosexual “marriage.” They provided the same legal and financial protection as marriage, without the binding commitments or religious rites—or the term “marriage.” Homosexual “marriage” was legalized in 2014, but civil partnership remained an option and are now also being offered to non-homosexuals.
This progressive destruction of marriage was predicted decades ago by Herbert W. Armstrong in his booklet Why Marriage—Soon Obsolete? Request your free copy to see why Mr. Armstrong knew that the millennia-old institution of marriage could soon fade into irrelevance. He knew that society had lost the purpose of marriage, and in Why Marriage—Soon Obsolete? he showed from the Bible what that inspiring purpose is.
Majority of British children suffer from anxiety
A study commissioned by ChannelMum.com states that the majority of British children suffer from anxiety. The study questioned 2,000 parents, 60 percent of whom said their children regularly feel worry, unease or fear. Of these children, 29 percent can become “out of control” during an anxiety attack. About 30 percent of parents said their children suffer stress-induced stomach aches or use the toilet frequently or pull out their own hair, about 20 percent said their children scratch their own skin, 14 percent said their children have spoken openly about considering suicide, and 13 percent say their children have watched self-harm content online.
In spite of living in the wealthiest nations in human history, Western children are suffering mentally and emotionally in a society that has rejected God.
Study: Half of American adults obese within 10 years
A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine on Dec. 19, 2019, shows “with high predictive accuracy” that by 2030, 48.9 percent of adults in the United States will be obese. In at least 29 states, more than 50 percent of the adults will be obese, with none of the 50 states having fewer than 35 percent. The Trust for America’s Health states that about a third of Americans of all ages are already obese. Large amounts of added sugar are being consumed by adults and children. The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reports that more than 80 percent of toddlers and infants consume added sugars every day; the recommended amount is zero.
Americans are clearly misusing the prosperity God has given them. He prophesied that those who disbelieve and disobey Him will suffer poor health, among other curses. He specifically said that the Americans and other descendants of ancient Israel would be like “Jeshurun,” who “waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness” and “forsook God which made him” (Deuteronomy 32:15).
