John Mark and Pamela Crawford are suing the state of South Carolina for performing sex assignment surgery on their adoptive infant three months prior to having legal custody of the child. This is the first lawsuit of its kind in the nation.

Their child, known as M.C., was born with both male and female reproductive organs, otherwise known as a special needs child that has an intersex condition. When M.C. was 16 months old and a ward of the state, under the care of the South Carolina Department of Social Services, doctors and department officials decided that M.C. should undergo sex assignment surgery to make M.C. a girl. The child's biological mother was deemed unfit and the biological father was considered to have abandoned the child. The decision about the child's sexuality was left to the state.

M.C. is now 8 years old, identifies as a boy, dresses as a boy, and refuses to be called a girl. M.C.'s surgery is irreversible. Left with female genitalia, his parents say that he feels like he has always been a boy and he has announced to his school and church community that he is a boy. more >>

Celebrated Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie, 37, revealed on Tuesday that she recently completed preventive double mastectomy due to a "faulty" gene that left her susceptible to an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer.

The actress made the revelation in a New York Times op-ed titled, "My Medical Choice."

Citing the influence of her mother who battled then died from cancer at age 56, Jolie explained that when doctors told her she carried the "faulty" BRCA1 gene, which increased her chances of developing both breast and ovarian cancer, she decided to be proactive. more >>

After nearly a month, the Obama administration's Justice Department finally decided to fight New York Judge Edward Korman's activist Plan B decision. Following Judge Korman's decision, parents across the country, dozens of national organizations, and over 50 Members of Congress called on the administration to appeal the decision in order to protect the rights of parents and ensure the safety of young girls. Even so, a recent decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could still put young girls in danger.

The decision to allow all girls of "reproductive" age to purchase Plan B without a prescription was made not by a panel of skilled professionals or by the Health and Human Services Department (HHS), but by a single federal judge who brushed aside serious medical concerns and parental rights in the name of "access." While Americans waited to hear whether or not the Obama administration would appeal the decision, the FDA decided to allow Plan B to be sold right off the shelf without prescription to girls as young as 15. Unfettered access to Plan B, whether available to pre-teens or limited to girls as young as 15, poses serious safety concerns.

Both decisions ignore the potential health risks to young women. Plan B is a single dose of hormones at least four to seven times the dose in birth control pills, and there is limited information on the effects such high doses of hormones would have on young girls. The evidence is also inconclusive on Plan B's mechanism of action, and could include both preventing fertilization of an egg and preventing uterine implantation of an embryo, which would mean acting as an abortifacient drug. Despite what proponents say, it is clearly not the same as taking an aspirin. more >>

Chrystal Kelly decided to help an infertile couple by serving as their surrogate mother. Helping a childless couple begin their family was noble enough, but Kelly was tossed into the abortion debate, and her handling of the surrogacy would ultimately make an even stronger statement.

At 20 weeks, sonogram images revealed that the baby Kelly was carrying had multiple health issues and birth defects-heart and brain abnormalities, and a cleft palate. The couple informed their surrogate that they wanted the baby aborted, and even offered Kelly $10,000 to perform the procedure.

As the discussion unfolded, Kelly was convicted that the baby inside of her was a human life and abortion was not an option. As attorneys threatened her with lawsuits over breach of contract, Kelly stood her ground, carrying the child to term at great financial and emotional cost. Pro-abortion blogs ridiculed her actions, while pro-life advocates called her a hero. Such is the fallout in a world where medical advancements have been paralleled by erosion of morality. more >>

With its piecemeal rollout and general confusion among the public about its implementation, President Obama's Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as it is popularly known, could be a liability for Democratic politicians in the 2014 elections as it was in 2010 when the act was signed into law.

In recent reports, Democratic Sen. Max Baucus who announced he won't be seeking re-election in 2014, said Obamacare would be a "train wreck" if the rollout isn't done well.

Last Monday night, Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch who faces off with Republican Mark Sanford at the polls for South Carolina's First Congressional District on Tuesday called the law "extremely problematic" during a debate with Sanford and attempted to distance herself from it. more >>

Dwight L. Moody, the renowned evangelist, once said, "Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man." A new study proves how right he was.

A study published in a recent issue of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry reports a positive connection between church attendance and clinical depression. Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan found a 22 percent reduction in depression among those who went to church at least once a month compared to those who never attend.

The authors of the study wrote, "Significantly fewer monthly attenders reported having episodes or a diagnosis of depression. This…suggests a protective effect of religious attendance." The researchers also noted that those who would identify themselves as spiritual but did not attend religious service experienced no health benefits. more >>