This is third part of the full series, which will be released for Patreon subscribers. You can support us by becoming a Fellow Traveller on our Patreon page HERE.

Virginia Linzee and Andrea Lippke join the Tent for the second part of a deep discussion around abortion, adoption and raising Down Syndrome children. More about Andrea Lippke and her work can be found HERE.More about Virginia Linzee and her work can be found HERE and HEREVirgina has supplied the following notes of her research. Scroll to the end for a lovely tribute to her son. Additional statistics of note that are important background are (these are all USA): US Top Indications for Abortion: 74% Education, Work, or Parenting Responsibilities73% Financial Concerns48% Relationship Concerns13% Fetal Health12% Personal Health90% of Abortions are in the First TrimesterAccording to The TurnAway Study the Number one Reason women were seeking abortions was due to Financial Concerns about taking care of a child, but mostly taking care of ANOTHER child, because most women were already mothers. Some key findings are found on this page: https://www.ansirh.org/research/ongoing/turnaway-studyIn Europe, depending on the country the rate of Terminating Prenatally Diagnosed Unborn Babies with Down Syndrome is between 90-99%. In the USA the statistics float between 65-75%.Documentary: "A World Without Down Syndrome"https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.36b419de-2a5c-f5d6-ba36-666eea636c43?autoplay=1&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wbA study done in the 2000s on people 12 and up with Down Syndrome:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3740159/Conclusions from this Study:"This study asks people with Down syndrome, ages 12 and older, about their self-perception so that their information could be shared with new and expectant parents of children with Down syndrome. We analyzed valid and reliable survey instruments from 284 people with Down syndrome on the mailing lists of six non-profit Down syndrome organizations around the country. Among those surveyed, nearly 99% of people with Down syndrome indicated that they were happy with their lives; 97% liked who they are; and 96% liked how they look. Nearly 99% people with Down syndrome expressed love for their families, and 97% liked their brothers and sisters. While 86% of people with Down syndrome felt they could make friends easily, those with difficulties mostly had isolating living situations. A small percentage expressed sadness about their life. In our qualitative analysis, people with Down syndrome encouraged parents to love their babies with Down syndrome, mentioning that their own lives were good. They further encouraged healthcare professionals to value them, emphasizing that they share similar hopes and dreams as people without Down syndrome. Overall, the overwhelming majority of people with Down syndrome surveyed indicate they live happy and fulfilling lives."Down Syndrome is the most common chromosomal disorderDown Syndrome Statistics According to The CDC:https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/downsyndrome/data.htmlThis article breaks down the injustice when it comes to research funding for Down Syndrome:https://www.globaldownsyndrome.org/research-medical-care/poll-americans-overwhelmingly-support-government-programs-and-research-for-people-with-down-syndrome/From another article:"In 2001, NIH spent $29 million for Down syndrome research, a figure that plummeted to as low as $14 million even as NIH’s budget grew. Had funding tracked with that of NIH, spending on the syndrome from 2001 to 2017 would have more than doubled the $356 million allocated. Yet Down syndrome funding is likely to see a 22 percent decrease in 2018, from $27 million to $21 million, when the reality on the ground suggests it should be much greater." (  http://yadsa.org/2018/01/25/congress-should-give-it-up-for-down-syndrome-research/  )Study on Prevalence of Physical and Sexual Abuse related to Women Seeking Abortion:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901290/Abortions in the US have been in decline since the 1990's. Here are a few graphs showing abortion statistics: https://usafacts.org/data/topics/people-society/health/maternal-early-childhood-health/reported-abortions/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ND-Healthcare&gclid=CjwKCAjwxuuCBhATEiwAIIIz0daY5brGaX5tI9hOxa0Yd6wrbvbQYkryUnhwPBdkdsupo8Km3YsfgxoC22YQAvD_BwEhttps://usafacts.org/data/topics/people-society/health/maternal-early-childhood-health/reported-abortions/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ND-Healthcare&gclid=CjwKCAjwxuuCBhATEiwAIIIz0daY5brGaX5tI9hOxa0Yd6wrbvbQYkryUnhwPBdkdsupo8Km3YsfgxoC22YQAvD_BwEhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/225975/share-of-americans-who-are-pro-life-or-pro-choice/Potential Reasons/Data According to Why Abortion in the USA may have hit an all time low:https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2019/09/us-abortion-rate-continues-drop-once-again-state-abortion-restrictions-are-not-mainLower Pregnancies Generally, Increased Access to Free Contraception, More Use/Access To Long Term Contraception (IUD's), People having less Sex Generally, More At-Home Pill Abortions (self given, non-reported) Regarding her son, Virginia wrote this after the interview: “There’s so many blessings when it comes to my son, but one of the greatest opportunities is that Phineas is teaching both me and my husband how to live without being slaves to our egos. Phineas doesn’t have an ego, you see, everything about him is real and he confronts the things in us that aren’t, just by existing. In fact most people I’ve met with Down Syndrome don’t function out of ego. Can you imagine a world without egos?! What a transformation that would be! My husband’s ego was literally robbing him of his own life and those around him.. and of course I have my own ego issues as well. By saying yes to Phineas (and I think any form of otherness), we are receiving endless grace and truthfully salvation. Phineas’s very existence is saving us from ourselves… and it’s a gentle salvation that comes with the best snuggles in the world. Our little boy that we were told wouldn’t amount to much intellectually (and that was a parceled up as the main reason to abort him) has become our greatest teacher. Hallelujah.”Has anything we make been interesting, useful or fruitful for you? You can support us by becoming a Fellow Traveller on our Patreon page HERE.

This is second part of the full series, which will be released for Patreon subscribers. You can support us by becoming a Fellow Traveller on our Patreon page HERE.

Virginia Linzee and Andrea Lippke join the Tent for part one of a deep discussion around abortion, adoption and raising Down Syndrome children. More about Andrea Lippke and her work can be found HERE.More about Virginia Linzee and her work can be found HERE and HEREVirgina has supplied the following notes of her research. Scroll to the end for a lovely tribute to her son. Additional statistics of note that are important background are (these are all USA): US Top Indications for Abortion: 74% Education, Work, or Parenting Responsibilities73% Financial Concerns48% Relationship Concerns13% Fetal Health12% Personal Health90% of Abortions are in the First TrimesterAccording to The TurnAway Study the Number one Reason women were seeking abortions was due to Financial Concerns about taking care of a child, but mostly taking care of ANOTHER child, because most women were already mothers. Some key findings are found on this page: https://www.ansirh.org/research/ongoing/turnaway-studyIn Europe, depending on the country the rate of Terminating Prenatally Diagnosed Unborn Babies with Down Syndrome is between 90-99%. In the USA the statistics float between 65-75%.Documentary: "A World Without Down Syndrome"https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.36b419de-2a5c-f5d6-ba36-666eea636c43?autoplay=1&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wbA study done in the 2000s on people 12 and up with Down Syndrome:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3740159/Conclusions from this Study:"This study asks people with Down syndrome, ages 12 and older, about their self-perception so that their information could be shared with new and expectant parents of children with Down syndrome. We analyzed valid and reliable survey instruments from 284 people with Down syndrome on the mailing lists of six non-profit Down syndrome organizations around the country. Among those surveyed, nearly 99% of people with Down syndrome indicated that they were happy with their lives; 97% liked who they are; and 96% liked how they look. Nearly 99% people with Down syndrome expressed love for their families, and 97% liked their brothers and sisters. While 86% of people with Down syndrome felt they could make friends easily, those with difficulties mostly had isolating living situations. A small percentage expressed sadness about their life. In our qualitative analysis, people with Down syndrome encouraged parents to love their babies with Down syndrome, mentioning that their own lives were good. They further encouraged healthcare professionals to value them, emphasizing that they share similar hopes and dreams as people without Down syndrome. Overall, the overwhelming majority of people with Down syndrome surveyed indicate they live happy and fulfilling lives."Down Syndrome is the most common chromosomal disorderDown Syndrome Statistics According to The CDC:https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/downsyndrome/data.htmlThis article breaks down the injustice when it comes to research funding for Down Syndrome:https://www.globaldownsyndrome.org/research-medical-care/poll-americans-overwhelmingly-support-government-programs-and-research-for-people-with-down-syndrome/From another article:"In 2001, NIH spent $29 million for Down syndrome research, a figure that plummeted to as low as $14 million even as NIH’s budget grew. Had funding tracked with that of NIH, spending on the syndrome from 2001 to 2017 would have more than doubled the $356 million allocated. Yet Down syndrome funding is likely to see a 22 percent decrease in 2018, from $27 million to $21 million, when the reality on the ground suggests it should be much greater." (  http://yadsa.org/2018/01/25/congress-should-give-it-up-for-down-syndrome-research/  )Study on Prevalence of Physical and Sexual Abuse related to Women Seeking Abortion:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901290/Abortions in the US have been in decline since the 1990's. Here are a few graphs showing abortion statistics: https://usafacts.org/data/topics/people-society/health/maternal-early-childhood-health/reported-abortions/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ND-Healthcare&gclid=CjwKCAjwxuuCBhATEiwAIIIz0daY5brGaX5tI9hOxa0Yd6wrbvbQYkryUnhwPBdkdsupo8Km3YsfgxoC22YQAvD_BwEhttps://usafacts.org/data/topics/people-society/health/maternal-early-childhood-health/reported-abortions/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ND-Healthcare&gclid=CjwKCAjwxuuCBhATEiwAIIIz0daY5brGaX5tI9hOxa0Yd6wrbvbQYkryUnhwPBdkdsupo8Km3YsfgxoC22YQAvD_BwEhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/225975/share-of-americans-who-are-pro-life-or-pro-choice/Potential Reasons/Data According to Why Abortion in the USA may have hit an all time low:https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2019/09/us-abortion-rate-continues-drop-once-again-state-abortion-restrictions-are-not-mainLower Pregnancies Generally, Increased Access to Free Contraception, More Use/Access To Long Term Contraception (IUD's), People having less Sex Generally, More At-Home Pill Abortions (self given, non-reported) Regarding her son, Virginia wrote this after the interview: “There’s so many blessings when it comes to my son, but one of the greatest opportunities is that Phineas is teaching both me and my husband how to live without being slaves to our egos. Phineas doesn’t have an ego, you see, everything about him is real and he confronts the things in us that aren’t, just by existing. In fact most people I’ve met with Down Syndrome don’t function out of ego. Can you imagine a world without egos?! What a transformation that would be! My husband’s ego was literally robbing him of his own life and those around him.. and of course I have my own ego issues as well. By saying yes to Phineas (and I think any form of otherness), we are receiving endless grace and truthfully salvation. Phineas’s very existence is saving us from ourselves… and it’s a gentle salvation that comes with the best snuggles in the world. Our little boy that we were told wouldn’t amount to much intellectually (and that was a parceled up as the main reason to abort him) has become our greatest teacher. Hallelujah.”Has anything we make been interesting, useful or fruitful for you? You can support us by becoming a Fellow Traveller on our Patreon page HERE.

We launch another bible study at the beginning of the world, this time on the book of Acts, followed by a debrief with Stephen, Natasha Beckles and Christopher Marchand.This is beginning of the full series, which will be released for Patreon subscribers. You can support us by becoming a Fellow Traveller on our Patreon page HERE.

You can subscribe to The Hyphen wherever you get your podcasts. More about the series, Rabbi Finegold and the Jewish Living Lab can be found  HERE.Has anything we make been interesting, useful or fruitful for you? You can support us by becoming a Fellow Traveller on our Patreon page HERE.

Ben Richards BSc, PhD is an expert in paleoclimate and climate change. He is a leader in YWAM England and instigator of YWAM's COP26 outreach SteeringGroup. He has lived and worked all over the world and is currently based in London. For more information Ben recommends:-Tearfund info sheet: HERE-Atmospheric Scientist Katharine Hayhoe: HERE-For slightly more science, (and no biblical references!) the Royal Society has very good summaries of climate science HERE-For help understanding why climate science denier points are inaccurate Ben recommends this SITE which is run and edited by climate scientists.-For people that pray together about the climate situation, Ben suggests www.climateintercessors.org, which he helped initiate and co-lead. Final week for registration for the Tent Summer School!  HERE for more info.Has anything we make been interesting, useful or fruitful for you? You can support us by becoming a Fellow Traveller on our Patreon page HERE.

The Revd. Dr. Myron Penner is a scholar priest and the author of the provocative book "The End of Apologetics: Christian Witness In A Postmodern Context". You can find out more about him and his book HERE and HERE.More about the Tent Summer School HEREHas anything we make been interesting, useful or fruitful for you? You can support us by becoming a Fellow Traveller on our Patreon page HERE.

More about Rachel and her writing HEREMore about the Tent Summer School HEREHas anything we make been interesting, useful or fruitful for you? You can support us by becoming a Fellow Traveller on our Patreon page HERE.

Tom Millay is a leading scholar of Kierkegaard, an opponent of nationalism and a pastor in a deeply patriotic part of the world. He's also intellectually generous, charming and kind. Bonus!Tom's talks and sermons are HERE and his book "You Must Change Your Life" can be found HEREMore about the Tent Summer School HEREHas anything we make been interesting, useful or fruitful for you? You can support us by becoming a Fellow Traveller on our Patreon page HERE.