I used to use this blog primarily to discuss issues of faith and specifically the intersection between Gentile believers and Messianic Judaism. While I still retain a theology and doctrine based on those beliefs, I’ve distanced myself from any praxis that could be considered “Jewish.” I made this decision due to a seemingly endless bombardment of “Gentiles don’t belong in a Jewish space.” Yeah, but “buy our books and other products anyway.”

However, if you’ve been following my most recent blog posts, you’ll see I’ve been sucked into what is called “the culture wars.” I never wanted to confront these issues but it seems the world has become so crazy, that it’s not only anti-Christian and anti-Jew (I saw plenty of bigotry online against Christians and Jews during Easter and Passover, so much so that I had to block an anti-Semite on Facebook), but anti-family and dangerous to children. How can I ignore that?

This mainly addresses my commentary on how the transgender “industry” hurts kids, but also tangentially includes children’s books and the culture wars, as well as the real reason drag queens pretty much demand children watch their “shows”.

I came across the news item In California, Parents May Soon Effectively Lose Custody of Kids 12 and Older. The source is heavily biased “right,” so I sought to corroborate the data. I did.

California Legislative Information on California Assembly Bill 665 as well as AB 665’s Fast Tracking summary and The Legislative Counsel’s Digest for the bill tells the tale.

From the “Fast Tracking summary:”

Existing law, for some purposes, authorizes a minor who is 12 years of age or older to consent to mental health treatment or counseling on an outpatient basis, or to residential shelter services, if the minor is mature enough to participate intelligently in the outpatient services or residential shelter services, as specified, and either the minor would present a danger of serious physical or mental harm to themselves or to others or if the minor is the alleged victim of incest or child abuse. For other purposes, existing law authorizes a minor who is 12 years of age or older to consent to mental health treatment or counseling services if the minor is mature enough to participate intelligently in the outpatient services or counseling services.

This bill would align the existing laws by removing the additional requirement that, in order to consent to mental health treatment or counseling on an outpatient basis, or to residential shelter services, the minor must present a danger of serious physical or mental harm to themselves or to others, or be the alleged victim of incest or child abuse. [emph. mine]

There have always been legal provisions for children (and adults) to be removed from their home and placed into a mental health or other facility against their will (or the will of the parents) IF the individual were at risk for severe harm due to child abuse or a mental health condition where the person is a danger to themselves and others.

AB 665 would remove those requirements and allow a “mental health professional” to intervene if a child 12 years old or older should “consent” to entering either outpatient treatment or move into a residential treatment program.

But if the child isn’t at risk of any danger, why cut the parents out of the decision and allow a 12-year-old kid to “give consent?”

Here’s a clue from the Counsel’s Digest:

For LGBTQ+ youth, the rejection from parents, harassment in school, and the overall LGBTQ negativity present in society can lead to depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol use, and other negative outcomes. Over one-half of surveyed LGBTQ+ youth reported that not being able to get permission from their parents or guardians was sometimes or always a barrier to accessing mental health services.

Now we’re getting closer.

The principal author of AB 665 is California Assemblyperson Wendy Carrillo. I don’t know anything about her. I do know a bit more about the bill’s co-author Rep. Scott Wiener. He touts himself as a Jewish gay advocate and has repeatedly pushed bills specific to the LGBTQ community. Nothing particularly wrong with that since it’s his focus, but he also advocates having schools tell kids to lie to their parents so the schools can covertly transition children into trans identities.

I did see something about this on Wiener’s twitter account but no doubt he’s since deleted it.

This is amazing and it’s horrifying. The State of California wants the authority to take children 12 and over and, without parental consent and on the say so of a “mental health professional,” allow the kid to consent to enter into a “residential treatment home” for, in at least some cases, the purposes of having “The State” direct and control transitioning children as trans.

That’s not the full meaning of the bill, but once the parents are “legally” cut out of the equation, anything can happen. I can’t imagine a more terrifying scenario than for state “thugs” to take my child away and do literally anything they want to that child. The feeling of helplessness, anguish, and rage is almost indescribable.

Back from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, I was a licensed Marriage and Family Counselor in California. I received my M.S. degree in Counseling from California State University at Fullerton in 1985. I continue to delight in having left California, moving our family to Idaho and out of the “nuthouse.” Back then, we moved primarily because drive-by shootings were incredibly prevalent, no matter where you lived, and my wife and I didn’t want our kids to grow up and become involved in drugs and gangs.

If I were living there today, we would move (if we had children, they’re all adults now) to prevent our kids from being hijacked by “The State.” If any of my grandchildren lived in California, I’d urge their parents to move out immediately.

I would also surrender my counseling license rather than become a part of a system that hates families, hates morality, and seeks to steal children in order for The State to turn them into whatever characature of humanity they see fit.

Let’s get back to matters of faith and God’s sovereignty for a moment. Children are a gift from God. As parents we are charged with loving, cherishing, and protecting them from all threats, raising them in the faith.

I know parents fail all the time. I’ve failed as a parent. I used to work for Child Protective Services in California, so I’ve seen first hand how badly some parents have failed. When a child was at significant risk of physical or sexual abuse by a parent, or the parent refused to protect that child from the abuser, with the police, I would take that child into custody and place them in a receiving home.

But that also necessitated a court hearing within 48 hours of the child being taken into custody. The parents were required to be in court and could have legal representation. The state had to present its case as to why the child was removed from the home and why such removal should be sustained pending further evaluation and provision of services to the family. The law is clear that the child must be returned to their home or otherwise provided with a permanent placement (through adoption or other means) as soon as possible (which frankly could still take months or years).

But the parents were never cut out of their child’s life and they were provided with legal representation to uphold their rights.

Side note: In at least one meeting with CPS staff, I heard a manager say that “the State” is a terrible parent when discussing the foster care and residential treatment system. Keep that in mind. The State is a terrible parent.

Anyway.

AB 665 does away with parental rights and legal representation and the shame falls upon Carrillo, Wiener, and the State of California. More’s the pity.

Interestingly enough, Wiener casts himself as a right-wing target, but frankly, not being a Democrat or a Republican, but instead an independent and responsible parent and human being, I don’t know how else to characterize the dangers in the bill he is presenting. Does that make him a target, or is he just deflecting so no one will question his actions?

We know from the Bible that as the time for the Messiah’s (Christ’s) return draws nearer, the world will become worse and not better. The Bible records a litany of disasters that will befall humanity but I don’t think it included this.

I really, really want to be fair relative to LGBTQ people. My children went to school with kids who, when they got older, came out as gay. I’ve met most of them, and they’ve become solid, working, contributing adults. I suspect the “gay person on the ground,” so to speak, doesn’t have a vested interest in the politicizing of their identity and just want to live out their lives peacefully.

Politicians, activists, and advocates (and their allies) are a different matter. While parents may fail and the larger community may sometimes have to intervene with families, Carrillo and Wiener have gone way over the edge with their intent and their actions. I don’t doubt they actually believe they’re doing the right thing and fighting back against “evil far right-wing MAGA fanatics,” but right-leaning moderates like me are just as aghast at their antics. So are Christians and I can only imagine religious Jews and Muslims.

People of faith must be prepared to resist the erosion of their rights. Fortunately, right now, this is confined to a single state. But it won’t remain that way. That’s why politicians like California Governor Gavin Newsom continually attack states like Florida, Texas, and Idaho. That’s why he says conservatives are the ones taking away “rights.”

I know the rebuttal will involve children, school shootings, and gun violence, and that too must be resisted. Taking away firearms from law-abiding citizens isn’t the answer but it’s clear something has changed in the last fifty years when these shootings didn’t exist, even though we had gun clubs in high schools back then.

But that doesn’t minimize let alone eliminate the extreme danger AB 665 presents to the parents and children of California. Carrillo and Wiener can couch their actions in terms that make the bill’s consequences seem benign and even helpful, but this is anything but helpful.

Both Nazi Germany and the old Soviet Union had programs whereby The State took over the lives of children. Ever hear of “Hitler Youth?” Totalitarian California is trying to create their own version, at least with some kids, but with a gender identity twist.

I can’t do anything about this except disseminate the information. If you live in California and you truly love your children, then move elsewhere as soon as you can. They are coming for you and your kids. Please, don’t let them. This travesty of gender politics has already gone too far.