This week, in my week-in-review feature called, "The 3", there is plenty to highlight, including action on the Federal appeals court level that is a blow to gay marriage, a second Christian organization having its app removed from Apple's iPhone store, and a look at pro-life legislation that is being introduced and passed all across America.
3 - 9th Circuit holds off on allowing gay marriage ruling to take effect
The saga concerning Proposition 8, the amendment to California's Constitution that was passed in 2008 and was ruled unconstitutional by a Federal judge, registered another chapter this week, as the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused a request by those who had challenged by the Amendment to lift a stay it had instituted on the original order by Judge Vaughn Walker. The 9th Circuit became involved in the appeal of the Walker ruling, and had recently sent the case back to the California Supreme Court to determine whether or not those defending the amendment in court had the "standing", or legal right, to mount the defense. California's previous Governor and current Governor, who was Attorney General when Prop. 8 was passed, have refused to defend the law of the state - it is state law because it was passed by the voters and amends the state Constitution. Here is some analysis from Jordan Lorence of the Alliance Defense Fund. Ultimately, this case will probably end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. The question of what constitutes marriage is foundational to our nation. If the definition of marriage is altered, it has some deep implications to the security of our society. The recognition of same-sex marriage undermines the basic family structure that was instituted by God and has been upheld in America, resulting in a detrimental departure from the nature of this beneficial institution.
2 - Apple removes 2nd Christian app from iPhone app store
It didn't take long, but the powers that be at Apple have succombed yet again to pressure from a pro-gay organization demanding that the company remove an app from its iPhone store - an app that promotes a message that contradicts the gay activist agenda. It's been described as a case of anti-Christian bullying - a blatant attempt to silence the voices of those that hold to a different view of homosexuality than the politically correct one. Those that are crying for "tolerance" of the homosexual lifestyle have proven themselves to be intolerant of Christian beliefs and morals, and in trying to silence the voice of the organization, Exodus International, it shows that in its universe, there is no room for reasoned discussion - whatever happened to the liberals' calls for "civility"? So, here's the deal - Exodus International is quite effective in helping those stuggling with homosexuality and gender identity to find deliverance from the gay lifestyle (which is called sinful, according to the Bible) and for those who experience same-sex attraction to find peace. The fruit of the labors of Exodus obviously does not pass muster for the Change.org crowd, and so they petitioned Apple to remove Exodus' ability to speak in the iPhone platform. Apple, as they did in the case of the pro-life, pro-marriage Manhattan Declaration, marched in lockstep with the gay agenda, saying that the Exodus app is "offensive to large groups of people". There are probably a host of apps that Christians could find offensive - Playboy comes to mind, perhaps some of the "gay" dating apps... Here's the Fox News story, linked to the Manhattan Declaration website. You can take action by contacting Apple directly - a link, along with a blog post by Exodus leader Alan Chambers, can be found here.
1 - State legislatures go on offense against abortion
While it has been virtually impossible to pass legislation placing any restrictions on abortion on a Federal level, the same cannot be said for state legislatures. And, this year, a host of states are seeking to pass bills that would attempt to reduce the number of abortions in their states and send a strong pro-life message to the rest of America. Just this week, South Dakota passed a bill that enacts that nation's largest waiting period, 72 hours, before a woman can have an abortion, and the procedure must be performed by a qualified doctor. This prevents women from making snap decisions and is designed to free them from coercion from family members, friends, and even abortion providers. This week, the Kansas legislature completed its passage of a bill that would prohibit all abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy. This follows the state of Nebraska, which already has passed such a ban. Now, according to the Family Research Council, 17 states are considering a 20-week abortion ban, armed with medical research that indicates that unborn babies feel pain after the 20th or 21st week. This includes Alabama, whose House Health Committee held a hearing this week on a similar bill, a hearing that did not result in a vote, after testimony by pro-life advocates, as well as Planned Parenthood and ACLU representatives. Also, states are taking steps to prevent any tax dollars from being used for abortion under the Federal health care plan - Utah's legislature has passed such legislation. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council gave an excellent analysis of pro-life bills on the state level in this Washington Update. There is plenty of momentum to reduce the number of abortions in states across the U.S. Short of passing an outright ban on abortion (or at least a ban except in cases of rape, incest, and danger to the mother's life), which could subject states to protracted court action in budget-strapped times, states are creatively taking "incremental" steps to protect life, by banning certain abortions, strengthening parental consent, toughening standards for clinic health conditions, and providing for waiting periods - all common-sense laws that will work to reduce the number of pre-born children who are losing their lives.
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